The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1877-09-08
The story Of sword.
AN iNDIDkNT IN TIE WAR
SERVICE OF TIE SIXTY
NINTH REGIMENT
MALVERN HILLS.

The battle OF Malvern I'M, VA,
was fought July l, 1862: Toward
the close of the engagement the
Irish Brigade on which | was
then an officer, was ordered into
action. and, while sustaining a
heavy fire in front, was taken on
the left flank by the Tenth Louisi
ana Volunteers, which. under
cover of some harms, and favor
ed by tie increasing darkness,
had moved down u~nobscrved,
and poured in a hot right and
left oblique fire on the Sixty
ninth and Eighty eigth New
York Volunteers. The positions
of the combatants was close, and
the desperation on boil, sides so
intense, that a hand to hand
fight, short, sharp, and bloody,
ensued. Muskets were dubbed,
and bayohets freely used Oh both
sides. During the melee Sergeant
Richard Kelly, Company 4, Six
ty,ninth New York Volunteers, a
imam ofllarge proportions and ap-
proved gallantry, took two OF tue
enemy prisoners. one of whom he
retained, and obliglngly handed
over the other to a cOmrade for
safe keeping. When night put an
end to the fight, Kelly, after dis
arming his captive, handed him
over to the provost guard, but,
being IL remarkably modest man,
said very little about the affair
till the following letter vas re-
ceived in camp by the command
ing officer of the regiment
FORT WARREN July IS.
To Cot. Robert Nugent. Sirty-
ninth New York Regiment Sir !:
cat the battle of Malvern Hills,
or Turkey Bend, fought on the
evening of the LIST July, l was ia
ken prisoner by your regiment,
and lost by that issue a sword i'll
trinslcally valuable, and made
still more SO by family associa-
tions. After most courteous as
surances from several gentlemen'ot
rank in your army that the step
, | am now taking would not be
: out of order, / have determined
to resort to- it as the surest means
of recovering the priced weapon
l therefore beg of you us a sol
der of honor a soldiers wish,
and if it can be found, either to
retain it in your own safe keep
ing, or to SO dispose of it as would
still enable me to claim 1t whel
exchanged. | will state, to tacili
tate tho recovery, that the sword
was thrown upon the field with
out its scabbard. should have
said sabre, for such it is. and G.
rather ancient model. 1t is En-
! glish manufacture, the name o
I Saunders being stamped upon the
hilt. The left is OF ivory, yellow
ed by age, guarded by tw.
broad opeu-worked Ranches o
solid silver, the first bent SQUARE
at its base. The blade is perfect
ly plain, and gives evidence o
being much reduced from it's orr
ginal thickness. It was taken t,
your camp by Sergt. Kelly, al
old soldier, taken prisoner whe1
the war broke out with the troop
in Texas. 1 mentioned the desir
| had that the sword should b
taken to- some officer of rank, an
0 he told me he would do sc
IN Should it not have been foun'
A. pray offer any reward you ma
Is Judge necessary to effect it's re
20 cevery. / have taken the libert
d OF making this request, the com
10 plying with which may be frangh
t. with trouble, only after long h
station, and finally do it wit
III the trust that it will not be con.
,e dered troublesome, and with tn
" hope that the request Will nc
IS have less weight because mad
ID by Il captive"
in Very respectfully yours,
le E. WAGGAMAN,
" Lieut.. Col. Tenth La. Regimen
re was in Col. Nugent's ten
)n when this letter was received
He Immediately sent for Kell
i'll and read it to him, telling him a
Mt the same time that by the usage
id OF war the sword was his and L
is could retain or give it up at ple'
e. sure. I shall never forget the 81
es geant's reply as, drawing himse
We up to his tull height, about 81
ne feet three inches, he said "Col
'Ol mel, ! know that officer very wei
n | served under him in the reg
en- lars. 1 am willing to return hi
his sword if you will write an
be tell that the next time he uses
he / hope it will be in defence G
as not against his country. AS
nd any regard-well, just say that
soldier of the Irish Brigade do.