The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-08-02

l ANttlS HOuitl SsAOW a Nultt nd1 dtoNC
the works, and when our fire slack
ened, jump over and surrender, and
Others were crowded down to fill
their places. Scores, and no doubt
hundreds of men are now living who
were engaged in that conflict, and
whose recollections of it are vivid.
1t was there that the somewhat Gel
ebrated tree was cut off by bullets,
there that the brush and logs were
cut into pieces and whipped into
basket stuff; there that fallen men's s
flesh was torn from the bones, and
the bones shattered there that the
rebel bitches and cross sections We're
filled with dead men several deep.
1t was there that General Barlow
says Il myself saw in the evacua-
ton on the enemy's side of the log
breaStworks, such a mass of the
killed and wounded as / had only
seen once before, and that was in a
sunken road at Anteitam, which is
still called Bloody Lane
Even for single regiment the day
was crowded with incidents. Every
group that was formed under this
fire had its casualty. During the
worst fighting of the day, after
Brooke's brigade had been pushed
to the front over two battle lines to
the Sixth Corps, to hold a very i'm
pOrtant position, their ammunition
run out, and the file elosers of the
One Hundred and y-eighth ran
back to the idle troops behind them,
and carried cartridges up in their
caps to the fighting men. Brooke
had been ordered to hold the road
at all hazards, and while he was
making a stubborn fight 10 do so, he
rode up to the One Hundred and
Forty-eighth for a word of confer
ence with General Beaver. While
they were consulting, Beaver fell,
the regiment shouted, The Colonel
has got it again" The shock was
but mOmentary. \ spent ball fiat
tened itself or the notebook, so fre-
quently quoted from in these pages
which he carried in his vest pocket.
Later the regiment found its car
fridge boxes empty, and Major
Foster went back and informed
General Brooke of the fact. Tell
Colonel Beaver that he must hold
that road" was the reply. "Let his
men fix bayonets. lie down and
hold it with cold steel" Beaver
obeyed the order. The One Hun
dred and Forty-eighth ay in the
woods ready to hold the road with
the 5ayOnet, but it was withdrawn
before the necessity for doing so
arose. While the fighting was hot,
and the artillery of the Second
Corps. massed on the ridge from
which the troops were started, was
playing over the heads of the men
in the salient on the Rebel line be-
yOnd, ii was determined to place
two pieces at the angels ofthe salient
and sweep theapproaches obliquely. /
Il can't take my pieces their" said |
the artillery officer to whom Colonel !
Wilson, General Hancoek's aide. |
came with The order. MY horses
viii be shot down before we get
there" " Il expecl YOU to take them |
up there by hand" was the reply. |
But the men can't under that mus /
kerry fire." pleaded the officer. /
Then III get a detail from the One /
Hundred and Forty-eighth Pennsyl- /
vania lying there that will. They'll /
not only get the guns up there, but
work 'em," said the aide. The de-
tail was made up before the officer
gave way, and the pieces were start
ed out TO their post.
Through hours of hard fighting
he long forenoon wore away into
he afternoon. Night even came on
md still the fight continued. After
he conflict theregiment was march
ID back, and laid down under the
shelter of the ravine.
GEN. BEAVERS HoNORs.
1t was Dine before firing ceased /.
t was midnight before the enemy
'etired. Thirty-six hours before
he troops had broken camp, after
hours on the march, they had been
Kept waiting in the dull soaking
mist, waiting ether hours for the at
ack, a few hundred yards from the
inemy, at point where every sol /
lier felt that delay would mean de- I
eat No better proof of the strain
inder which the troops lay could be
,ffered than that the dull clatter of
pack mule laden with intrenching
ools. which strayed down the line. /
ent the men dropping singly and by
squads TO the rear. As the line ]
vas caught and brought back by its
,fIicers. Discipline was strong ; but I
wen discipline was not proof against
he chance panics OF the darkness. !
The assault followed the long I
truggle over the ground won lasted {
through the day. When the battle
vas over the One Hundred and For 5
y-eighth had lost 125 killed and |
one man out of five. T
General Brooke who commanded t
he brigade in which Colonel Bea- I
.er served, in his official report to t
ieneral Hancock of the rapid opera t
ions of the 18th, and the few pro- i
eeding days, says:
Colonel James A Beaver distin- 7
uished himself on every occasion, t
ut particularly at the battle of the Y
%. May 10th, and at Spottsylvania, t
lay r." i
So conspicuous had been his gal b
lntry. and so valuable his services g
uring these days Of tiresome o
and hard fighting, that b
Is superior officers desired to do a
lore than compliment him in Off "
ial reports. On May Is. the day t.
fter the brilliant work at the sali- n
ut, General Barlow issued the fol- W
wing order: G
Headquarters First Division, q
Second Corps, May 13, 1864. 81
"ORDERs.-Colonel james A. Bea- 4 :,
er, One Hundred and Forty eighth =
ennsylvania Volunteers, is hereby .
ssigned to the command Of the
bird Brigade, and will report to