Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-07-11


cheer 1t came iorward-hve hundre,
musSelS to sixty-eight. And yet We
held our own, and let them come, and
men fought hand to hand over tn,
fence, with clubbed muskets and blood
stained bayonets. Each rail had it.
stain OF blood; each corner had its
burden OF dead aud wounded. They
hurled US back. aud then the grea
baltic opened all around us.
vas frs: sergeant then. and when we
iell back | was in command. Along the
ience where death had struck them
down. lay captain. both lieutenants, and
thirteen of the rank ard file sixteen out
oil sixty-eight. The litty-two relreated
behind the line of battle. joiGed our
regiment. and again before nightfall we
gave JacSson's veterans shot for shot. Ii
was TO be. and when night fell the brave
hliy-two were living unharmed.
Alter Manassas they filled US up to
"igh'Y-hve, but somehow we went on
counting iifty-.wo. and felt as if the
strangers were in,ruders. My commits
sion as captain came one day. and the
two lieutenan,s wers men who had
brayely won their shoulder-straps.
AtShlrpsburg we numbered forty-aine
o!d veterans, mean. The other three
had been killed on picket. AS we de-
ployed TO the left OF the pike. and filed
across the fields. wondered it the new
men would do US credit.
We were eighty strong rs company,
and over thirty OF the men had never
been under fire. Lees artillery was
pounding at our columns half an hour
before our brigade got the order TO
move. Meadows, fields. groves, knolls,
fences. and creek-and we know that
Lee was standing on the defensive and
had strong position. When the work
came could see that some OF the new
men trembled. but the old forty y-nine
took up their knapsacks and TELL into line
as We were breaking camp. Down
across the fields we went. following the
double line OF SklrmshcrS, and al last
we struck the enemy. He had fence,
long ditch, and line oil windows, and
he did not yield until We crushed him by
weight OF numbers. As he retired we
followed. men falling dead every mo-
ment. Unknown 10 Us weak three
thousand were piercing Lees line. lie
SAW his danger, and battery wheeled
iuto the gap. opened on Us, aud the left
and centre oi our brigade swung back
under the fearful rain OF grapeshot and
shell. The right caught the order to
retreat, and to 60 forward. Some tell
back; others leaped the ditch with
wild cheer, and charged the battery.
Company & led. Hall way TO the guns
we lett the recruits behind, and only the
forty -aine kept on. Men could pause
and retreat IRON that charge. and no one
would call them towards.
The smoke and the flame hid US for a
moment, and then We reached the guns,
leaped over them, crawled under them.
shot. stabbed. shouted aud hurrahed.
The whole battery was ours! We seized
the guns to drag them oil. when a heavy
line of battle came down through the
gap. closed i, up, and fought hand-to-
hand over the cannon. over the cIissoas.
over the great heaps OF dead on the
grass. Less than three hundred Federals
were fighting five thousand Conieder-
ates 1t could not last long. Alter
moment we were driven back, over the
ditch, beyond the fence into the Federal
line OF battle.
Pretty no, in there, Captain ~ shout
ed brigadier as the torn and mangled
remnant halted to reform.
Pretty hot" Ny God! it was the
work OF tends and devils, Forty nine of
the bronzed old lighters in Company u
had dashed at the cannon; only twenty
lour came back Twenty-Five were lying
dead under the guns, heaped up so that
they blocked the heavy wheels!
The recruits were there 10 answer
"aye" at the next rol!-call. No one
thought i'll OF them; men cannot turn to
devils at once. We still had a strong
com psny-stronger than some, bnt we
went on counting twenty -four-counting
only those who would stand until touched
BIZ the flame of deSth. Both lieutenants
were gone. and they gave me from their
ranks.
We looked down upon the placid river
from the north bank in front OF Freder-
icksburg, and when the blue column
crossed we ere near the front. Death
had taken some OF the new men, but the
old ones had been spared. Ga through
the curious old town, up through the
galley behind it, and then the line OF
hattie followed the line OF skirmishers On
n lbe low stone walls behind which
Lees veterans were painting for the word
N fire. Their sheets Of flame almost
scorcbed our faces. The battle line
melted, doubled, twisted. and then we
fell back, the living leaping over heaps
of dead. Forward again. back again.
and then the walls were hidden from
sight by the piles OF dead dressed in
blne and we did not charge close to the