Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-04-27
NO. 100.
FATE'S CHOICE.

and men shouting and women weeping a
farewell. 1t was May, 1861, and we were
going to the ''tront"
month later. when the roll was called
on the heights of Georgetown, there were
only an even hundred in Company &.
Death had claimed the three even before
they had snufied wars powder-b breath
And month later still the roll was
called on the morning of Manassas. Foot
sore, hungry, excited and anxious, the men
answered "aye' and "aye," and there
were ninety-seven responses, making Just
hundred with the three company officers.
Would we fight? ! saw our captain look
ing down the line. There We're printers,
lawyers, mechanics. students, farmers,
and day laborers in company G, and not
man knew what grim war was.
Down across the meadow. up along the
edge of the wood, and there we rested
and waited until the fight opened-waited
half an hour longer than that, and then
came the order to move. 1t was like a
dress parade as we moved by the left
flank, down across the old pasture, and
into the edge of the blue cloud of powder
smoke floating on the morning air. Only
the mems faces were white, and their
eyes anxious as they caught the roar Of
small arms and felt the ground tremble
under the discharge of the heavy cannon
which were throwing shot and shell into
the hillside above us.
| Down went q company to the edge of
the forest, spread out like fan, and the
skirmishers were hidden by smoke. The
rattle of musketry increased; they had
found targets for their bullets. Standing
in line, we looked down into the smoke
cloud, trembled a little, and then came
the order to 90 forward. March march
and the smoke hid us, and we struck the
Confederate line of battle thrown out in
front of an earthwork.
| Crash crack roar! The line wavered,
fell back, sprang forward again with
cheer, and we were all there-all but
those dead or wounded. 1t was like
wild dream. Forward-retreat-fo
how at the earthwork, now hurled back
by the sheet of flame and finally driven
back to stay.
A thousand men had been fighting three
thousand, and there could be but one re-
suit. The roll was called at Arlington
Heights, and seventy-lour men responded
-seTenty-four from ninety-seven-twen-
ty-,hree of the rank and file of Company
G. left dead along the little creek which
meandels past banks of willows, over
beds of gravel, and around gray old trees
which have felt the blasts of half GEN.
tury. We had no wounded-all dead
all lying under the smoke stained leaves
of the dark forest. 1t was sad, and yet
glorious. There would be thirteen Wild
ows in the little hamlet, and ten sons and
brothers would be wept for, but we had
been tried in the balance, and Company
G had made the whole regiment famous.
Winter came, and war was chained for
a while. When the south wind blew the
frost away and war shook off its lashings,
there were but seventy men to answer
roll call. With muffled drums and arms
reversed we had followed the others to
their last sleep, and they cared not wheth-
er it was war or peace. The Peninsula
campaign was not for us, but the thunder
of Jackson's cannon as he swept down on
to Manassas IL second time called us out.
He was the fail, we the grain lit was no
longer battle, but a slaughter. In the
gray morning his columns came feeling
through the woods and over the fields to
find u.s. We heard him coming. There
was weak brigade to oppose ten thou
sand Confederate muskets, but if we could
hold him one hour more, help would come
Company went CROPPING through the
woods that morning to meet death. There
were but siXty-eight of US then, and it
was poor, thin skirmish line which crept
under the trees and frightened away the
birds just singing their morning songs.
We crouched down beside fence, and
saw q heavy line of gray come over the
hill and half way across the open field,
and then Death took command. We stags
gered their line, and as it bent back and
twisted about like a huge serpent in his
death struggles, we cheered until the for
est leaves danced and quivered. The line
Strengthened, and with answering cheer
it came forward-tive hundred muskets to
sixty-eight. And yet we held our own,
and let them come, and men fought hand
to-hand over the fence. with dubbed
muskets and blood-stained bayonets.
Each rail had its stain of blood; each cor
ner had its burden of dead and wounded.
They hurled us back, and then the great
battle opened all around us.
was first sergeant then, and when we
fell back was in command. Along the
fence, where death had struck them down,
lay captain, both lieutenants, and thirteen
of the rank and tile--siXteen out OF sixty
line of battle, joined our regiment. and
again and again before nightiall we gave
Jackson's veterans shot for shot. 1t was
to be, and when night fell the brave fifty
two were living unharmed.
After Manassas they filled us up 10
eighty-iive. but somehow we went on
counting fifty-two, and felt as if the stran-
gers were intruders. My commission as
captain came one day, and the two lieu
tenants were men who had bravely won
their shoulder-straps.
AT Sharpsburg we numbered forty-nine
-torty-nine old veterans, mean. The
other three had been killed on picket.
AS we deployed to the left of the pike,
and filed across the fields, wondered il
the new men would do us credit.
We were eighty strong as COM
pany. and over thirty OF the men had
never been under fire. Lees ar
tillery was pounding at our columns
half an hour before our brigade got the
order IN moye Meadows fields groves.