St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-02-22
(Continued from first pace


Continued from first page.)
regiment or two. When got to Gen
eral Robinson, met staff officer who
said he was going to General Double
day to ask him to send assistance TO
Robinson, as he was fanked ON the
right. This ride, going and returning,
was through shower of musket balls
and when / returned l found that we
had been driven across the field be-
tween the roads, where the fight COM
menced, and we were holding the
woods in front of and around the SEM
mary.
They we're too much for us. We had
stretched our men out until we had but
a single line, while the enemy advanced
upop us in two lines and f1anked us up
on both TANKS. We staid there about
fifteen minutes and then slowly crossed
along the road to the town. The men
came back in disorder, which is not to
be wondered at, when it is known that
thew left two-t thirds of their number on
the field. One company was acting as
Provost Guard for the Third Division,
with CAPTAIN Glenn as Provost Marshal.
AS we commenced to fall back, he was
directed by General ROwley to deploy
across the Cashtown road, which he did,
and by a we'll directed fire, held the
rebel line in check for some minutes
and enabled some batteries to get away,
which otherwise would have fallen into
the hands of the enemy. We lost some
killed and wounded and ten or twelve
prisoners. Captain Glenn received
great praise for his action in the matter.
Shortly after getting into town, Cen
eral Doubleday ordered me to go back
to Gen. Rowley and tell him to make a
stand on the edge of the town, If posi-
BILE. l went back to the field outside OF
town, but could see no troops. l then
came in and saw great many gray
backs coming up the first street as we
enter town. | thought they were prls-
oners our men were bringing with them.
l turned to the right, and went up to
the forks of the road, and could not
find General Rowley. | then turned to
go back the same way, but concluded
that he had got further up in town. and
took the other fork of the road, which
Just saved me, for if l had gone in the
road l came, would have been taken
prisoner, as | afterwards learned that
the rebs l saw were the advance OF
their lines. | then followed the crowd,
and went up to the cemetery. When
We got there, it was pitiable sight; the
tired, worn out remnants of cur fine
regiments, who had gone so proudly
into the field in the morning, were col
Letting together, and, when all was
told, what a miserable remnant. Our
regiment was sample of all the rest
they went in with companies having
from 35 to 55 men, and not one had
more than dozen men left, and only
five officers to the whole regiment. We
get to the cemetery between and
o'clock, and were busy getting the men
together, and taking new positions.
There was a battery just at the top OF
the hill in the cemetery. We rallied
around that. The First Division was
then sent across the pike to battery
on the hill, near the extreme right of
our line. The Third Division occupied
the side of the hill in the cemetery, and
to the left. The Second Division was
placed in rear of the woods, back of the
cemetery. We made our headquarters
under a large tree, which stands in the
cemetery woods. About dark we had
Newton assumed command of the
Corps, and Gen. Doubleday of the
Third Division. His being superseded
at that time was gross outrage, but |
can't speak of that now. We were, of
course, very tired. We had marched
and fought all day-the hardest fought
battle of the war. | know there has
never been more desperate fighting, for
it is acknowledged by the rebs them
selves and the reports showed it. Our
division went into the fight with $500
men, and the reports showed loss of
killed, wounded and missing of ,7S7,
and the other divisions Jared about as
badly.
We had nothing to eat that day.
About dark l ate some pieces of cracker
and went to sleep on the ground. The
next morning all was quiet. got a
cup of coffee, and might say here that
got nothing to eat but some broken
crackers from that time until the 4th of
July. On the evening of the 1st Yer
mont brigade reported for duty to the
Third Division, and being 1900 strong,
gave us pretty good show again. So
ended the first days fght-a fight of
which little has been said in the papers,
but which consider the most impor-
tant part of the battle, for our stub
bornness in holding the ground in front
of the Seminary enabled the army to
take position at the cemetery. Nine
thousand men fought 10000 all day,
and only gave up when not more than
three thousand remained. During the
evening and night all our forces got in
to position.
MONDAY MoRNING,-I did not get
my letter finished last night. l will
continue now. The morning of the I'd
all was quiet, except an attack upon
Slocum, Twelfth Corps, who held the
extreme right. The Third Division
held the same position as the night be-
fore. A little afterwards fierce artil-
lery fire was opened upon the position
we held, and especially upon the bat
terry in the cemetery. Our troops were
then all moved upon the southern slope
of the cemetery and the field adjoining.
We had nothing to do but to lie aud
take it. 1t was terrible, but the major
ity of the shots were too high. L had
nothing to do that day except to carry
a message to Gen. Wadsworth, which
took me through the hottest of the fire;
and once l was sent up to the battery
to give some order to the commanding
officer. That was lively. The battery
itself was firing as rapidly as possible,
and the shells were flying all around it.
AS it happened, had to ride through
and around the battery before l could
find the commander, he being at the
time moving around through it. While
we laid there the enemy had a perfect
cross-fire upon us, their balls crossing
each other at right angles, and some
even making obtuse angles. This was
kept up about two hours, and was rep