The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-08-28

d al. The Incident recall and record may at
frs thought, perhaps, seem trivial, in view of
the magnitude of the contest of which it was
part, but trifles no grea'er than this, and valor
no more signally displayed, have decided the
fiual result of many al battle since history be-
gan.
From the hour the Second Corps reached the
field Col. Connor's regiment was ia the front.
In the morning it was detached from its brig
ade to Drolong the line of the assaulting col
umn that pushed the enemy long way lack
ward When the rebound OF the enemy which
succeeded this attack was at length stayed Col.
Connor's command was again detached.-this
time beiag assigned a position north of the
plank road. close to and at nearly right angle
with it; it filled a gap between Bul nside's left
and the plank road. In this position, during
the engagement that followed, the MUIR
derous musketry of the enemy struck down
from its ranks more than one hundred and
fifty in about as many seconds AT last, ex-
bausted and out of ammunition, the line at its
right not acting entirely in concert, the regi-
ment paused in its effurts to advance. and de-
tails were sent back to fetch cartridges.
1t was now near midday; the conflict hsd
been incessant since day began-both armies
had surged furiously to and fro,-each bad
been driven by the other At this moment the
rebels were at bay all along The line. On the
left of the road the federal column had for. the
second or third time nearly reached the rebels
works, and it paused involuntarily for mo-
ment, as if to take breath and gather strength
for final, desperate attempt to penetrate
them.
The pause was fatal to victory THAI it did
not bring defeat to the Union army, let us be
thankful.
The enemy, quick to take advantage of
weakness, suddenly, in column, struck OBJ
liquey our left flank, and with musketry
poured directly from their front, threw into
consern alton and disorder the federal column
which comprised nearly an entire division. The
decentralization was complete; Lee himself
poul1 mt hava shed il Siy thnuc-
and or more panic stricken men endeavored
to rush back, pell MEL through the dense,
bullet-scarred forest thicket huddling ir great
groups like terrified sheep, flags and banners
trailing or abandoned representatives of fifty
regiments in single squad, conscious of naught
save utter helplessness,-o and many of
them of national reputation, in the delirum
of despair at the futility of their efforts to re
chao
Back, say, pell-mell AS useless for instant
battle as a flock of sheep-tcwards the Brock
road and the open air, through the difficult de-
bris and bullet-Opped lreeS-fain into the
plank road, only the rebel cannon make that an
uncomfortable bowling alley, just now,-back
towards the breas works got together last
night, back towards the batteries, towards any
thing or anywhere, if so they can be got out of
the pahdemonum.-back perchance, to the
Rapidan! For the rebels are pressing the
bleeding, helpless mob as reentlsssy as ever
Enaddened foe pursued its victim. On, on, on,
steadily with unbrOken ranks tn y come, yells
and jeers and crab of musketry indicating
their progress through the darksome woods;
the prize of perfect victory seems 10 them at
band. Confidently they press forward, thi uk-
ing to gain the Brock road with unbroken
ranks and unspent ammunition, before their
foe can possibly rally from his bad condition
1t was indeed a dark moment for the Stars and
Stripes; the tide of battle for ten minutes or
more had been setting most fearfully against
them. WHAT could save the day? Surely, to
all human appearances, only something provi-
dentia'!
Col. Connor's remnant of IA regiment was re
plenshing itself with ammunition, at the mo-
ment the reverse began. The fact that our
main attacking column was precipitously re-
treating holly pursued by the enemy was at
once known to the forces north of the road, yet
to abandon their own position AMI go to the
rescue would invite still worse. if not universal
disaster. The catastrophe had come so sudden
y, and the enemy were advancing so rapidly
that there was little time for elaboration. The
d'spirited column, broken into fragments,
pressing feverishly toward the rear, presently
came dlmly in view across the road. followed
by the rebel column. The Brock road bad been
nearly reached by pursued and pursuers In
| five minutes more the confederate phalanx
would have attained it! And then!
Suddenly Col Connor wheeled his command
parallel with the Plank road, and deliberately
delivered volloy after volley in rapid succession.
directly into the flank of the rebel divisions!
Never did section of lire of battle chan.e
front more OPPORTUNITY, and seldom, if ever,
was volIey crueler and of more telling effect,
The enemy faltered, halt dismayed at the am
Cush which they supposed for the time they
had been coaxed into; half panic-stricken, it
was with difficulty that their officers could keep
hem from fleeing.
they instantly perceived they were encoun-
tering an organized resstance-its magnitude
they could only guess at by the slaughter in
their ranks. They instnctively felt that their
enemy had been playing base trick upon
them. They were not to be decoye i-not they,
and would advance no farther! The check was
complete. At least fifteen minutes elapsed be
fore they recovered from tue shock aud during
that interval the disorganized mass of troops
they had been pursuing, gained the Brock road
and the entertainments along it. Once out of
the dim, half-impenetrab'e forest, the work of
speedily reforming scattered battaliOns and
educing something like order was possible, and
comparatively easy. Never was poiut of
time more precious to the Union cause, or more
providentially gained. Indeed, he enemy did
not, for about three hours, venture beyond the
point where the flank volleys were poured into
them.
l say never was brief period of time more
valuable to the MON forces, yet handful of
men, less than three hundred, with fatally d-
rected vOlleyS, were instrumental in obtaining
it; what seemed like imminent defeat was
warded Off by the resOlute standing, amid the
widest disorder, of small body Of troops un
der the lead of an intelligent, brave and be-
As soon as the enemy began to recover fir I'm
their surprise, they proceeded to change front,
and open fire upon their assailants. Col. Con-
nor sprang forward in o the road to beckon
charge upon the foe,-almost instantly he was
struck by bullet and helpless to the ground.
His fall was taken by his troops as their signal
to retire; the enemy were lowering close on
their TANKS, and they fell back to the Brock
road, their wounded leader being borDe from
t field. cripple for life, and narrowly es
Gaping capture
Such, Mr. Editor, was the manner in which
the wound that necesstated tho-e clutches, was
received. MASSACHUSETTS,
May, 1872.
P. ST. recall to mind letter written by
Gen. Webb. then chief of staff of the Army
of the Potomac, to Geo. Cennor, under date Of
April, 1865, few days after the surrender of
Lee, while the Colonel was at Washington, un.
able to be removed to his home in Maine. The
letter ,!e said;
"* Your stopping your regi
ment where you did
was most important thing to the troops
crowded in flight down the plank road 1t
prevented Longstreets determining the state
of confusion they were in. Wilcox (rebel gen.
-raD told me they (the rebel coumn) lost TWEEN
| ty minutes following us there, and lost their
chance to 90 in ito the Brock road) with US
To this testimony of Gen, Webb, will ap
pend from Rebellion Record, vol. ii, page 443:
"* The brigade of Col. Frank on
the extreme left was broken and fell back pre-
| cpitously. The pressure was so great along
| the whole line of the command thus assaulted
| that it was also oxen in several places. Por-
| tons of the line retreated in disorder"
Also extract from Headley's History vol. 2,
| p. 358:-
'* II Hancock steadily pushed the ene-
my for mile and half, taking small rifle
| pit and several staud of colors. But
| at length Hancock's victorious career was
stopped. The rebels, rallying, fell on his ex-
hausted battalions, whose ammunition was
getting low, and bore them steadily back.
His extreme left for the moment was
turned, but the mischief was quickly repaired
-(by Gen. Connor's regiment, had the
| author but known it,
The following from Deming's Life of Grant,
| p. 287:
| "* Hancock hurled Hill from his po-
sitioD, carried the whole confederate front, and
| drove for mile its broken columns, Only to be
tossed back by the combined corps of Hill and
| Longstreet For one wild moment or
| 5wo it seemed as if the field was lost!
| the exul.anJ rebels dashed with frenzy which
| threatened universal discontinue. But fortu-
0ately Hancock rallied his brigade,t aud in
turn struck the rebel column upon their exposed
flank, and again precIpitated them upon their
| fcrrst fastness. ~
Greeley's American Coufict vol 2, D. 500;
Coppee's Grant ard His Campaigns p. 29S;
ID 49, ;