The National tribune., 1881-10-08

hurt. OF the sixteen officers of the Sixty-nnth
New York every one was killed or wounded, and
the giment lost seventytive per cent of the en-
listed men, and left the field with it's fourth COM
mander, three having been disabled The Fifth
New Hampshire lost seventeen out of twenty
three officers, and had five commanding officers
during the fight. The One Hundred and-six-
teenth regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers had all
the field and staff and many of the line officers
killed or wounded, and was taken off the field by
the fourth officer in command during the fight
The first color sergeant, William H. Tyrrell held
up the flag until hit with five rife balls The
Eighty-first Pennsylvania lost twelve out of six
teen officers and seventy-ive per cent. of the
listed men. The fourth commanding officer
brought the regiment off the field. The Fifty
seventh New York lost nine out of the eleven
officers present. The Sixty-sixth New York had
four commanders during the battle, the three first
having been killed or wounded. Many other reg-
ments of the division suffered almost as severely
yet notwithstanding the great loss, on the morn
ing of the following day, when ordered to support
the Ninth Corps, the command fell in, ready and
willing and the contemplated assault with the
Ninth Corps, led by General Burnside in person
from which he was happily dissuaded by Generals
Sumner and Hooker at the moment that all was
ready to make the attack-was the last attempt
of the campaign.
The day of the 14th passed without renewal
of the contest, but was made remarkable by an
episode very unusual on such occasions. The
flags of the regiments of the Irish brigade had
been torn to ribbons during the many contests
in which it had participated, and the citizens of
New York had procured others to present in
their place. The standards arrived during the
battle, and with them came committee, who
brought very generous supply of the good
things of earth wherewith to celebrate the pre-
sentation, and a banquet was determined upon.
A concert hall in one of the upper streets was
selected for the feast. Here the tables were
spread and decorations improvised. Invitations
were sent out, and at noon two or three hundred
officers assembled to do honor to the event and
toast the new banners. For two or three hours
the hall teemed with wine and rang with wit
and elOquence, and the flags were baptized amid
speeches by Couch Hancock, Sturgis, Meagher,
and many other distinguished and gallant Off
GERS. The enjoyment and festivities ran high,
the enthusiasm great, but the loud cheers drew
the fire of the Southern batteries, and the enemy,
enyying perhaps, the good time our friends were
having, sent their compliments in the shape of
shells; one of them, passing through the ceiling
of the room, knocked the plaster down among the
viands, and was suggestive of an early adjourn
ment; so the company separated with rather
unceremonious e-taking-not on account of
the shell, certainly not, but as some of the gen.
tlemen remarked, it being Sunday they thought
it well to close the feast little early that they
might attend Divine service. During the night
of this day and on Monday, the 18th, the troops
lay on their arms waiting the next event. After
dark rumOr spread that the army was to move
to the left and strike the enemy again the follow
ing morning, but soon the columns began
marching over the river and through the storm
and gloom back to their camps Shortly after
daylight on the 10TH the last regiment, the
Sixty ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers filed across
the pOntOOns. With sturdy blows the pOntoOners
severed the city side the lashings of the bridge
which swung around with the current of the
stream, landing ON the other shore, leaving to
the mercy of God and the enemy, the killed and
many of the wounded of our gallant army. The
battle was over; the result, graveyard. Save
one regimental flag, no trophies of the fight were
ours. Yet the neld was redOlent with acts OF
noble daring. No troops that marched on Marye's
Heights but equaled in the grandeur of their
bravery the gallant six hundred immortalized by
the poet laureate, while by this sacrifice, though
they did not gain a victory, they raised monu-
ment more enduring than marble or brass to the
valOr and herOism of our times and our people;
and in other ages when the memories of the con-
test will have been mellowed by the lapse of
centuries, in the blood shed will be seen holo-
caust at the altar of freedom, in the smoke of the
battle sweet incense at the shrine of human lib
erty. We failed-so did LeOnidas of Sparta, vet
what son of Helas but shares even to this day in
the glory of old Thermopyle and what American,
even to the most remote period of the future, but
will share in the gories that cluster around the
plain of Fredericksburg These fields, resplen-
dent with the great deeds of our people, where
the vendure and every blooming flower is nur-
tured and enriched by martyr blood, will ever be
hallowed places in our land, around which will
crystaize the warm, full gratitude of nation
saved