The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-03-15

courage and tact to form this crud
material into effective fegiment1
There had been trouble IN CAM
Just before Colonel Beavers arrival
and although weak and stii1 suffer
ing from what every ono suppose,
at first to be a fatal wound, he tool
n place upon General Couch 3 stat
at his request, and assumed com
mand of Camp Curtin. He readily
brought order cut of chaos, and or
ganized and sent to the field th
emergency regiment that particip&
ted in the Gettysburg campaign
This duty performed, be again rs
Joined his regiment in the latter par
of July, 1863.
SECOND AND THIRD WOUND.
At Auburn Hill, where the com
pliment at the head of this article
was drawn from General Warren, b,
distinguished himself, and agar
at the battle of Bristow Station
From this time to the battle O.
Cold Harbor he followed the for
tunes of the army of the Po-
tomac, participating in and doing
excellent services in all the battles or
which hung the Union laurels along
the route Of Grants march to Rich.
mond. At Cold Harbor he was pro
NOTED to the command Of his bri.
gade. Thrice before he had been of
fered an equally high place, but hi
refused to leave his regiment to ac-
cept promotion. Until tie com
mand of the brigade to which he
belonged became vacant he prefer
red to remain with his own regiment.
Three of the commanding officers
of the brigade to which it belonged
were killed within the week preced.
ing Colonel Beavers elevation to
this cammand the only one he had
ever aspired to lead.
At Cold Harbor he was again
wounded in the right hip, 1t laid
him up but a short time, however,
when he resumed his command as q
Brigadier-General At Petersburg,
while rallying his forces he was lit
orally blown up with q shell which
struck almost under his feet and
bursted. A piece of it struck him
in the left side, making a terrible
wound. This was the seyerest mis-.
hap he ever received, except the f.
nal one, which disabled him for life.
As soon as he could travel he was
sent Moth, where he remained for
some time. He returned to his
brigade before fit for duty, and Cen
eral Hancock would not consent to
his taking command oft while still
suffering from his injuries. He
went North again, and after thirty
days leave reported to General
Hancock the day of the Battle Of
Ream's Station, on the Wilmington
and Weldon Railroad, the oath Of
August, 1864.
Al
GENERAL BEAVERS LAST BATTLE
This was an important engage
ment, and General Hancock was in
personal command Of the troops.
ReportiAg at t,headquaitersy and find
ing that his division had gone into
actin, he took an ambulance and
followed it.
A year ago or more / heard this
distinguished and mangled soldier
relate the following story of his last
battle:
Finding my division gone, !
followed on in an ambulance some
fifteen miles until / arrived at the
point where our forces were engaged
in destroying the railroad so as to
break the line of communication
been Richmond and the South.
There 1 borrowed horse and rode
to General Hancock's headquarters,
who was in person commanding for
this special service the First and
Division of the Second
Corps, of which he was justly proud.
He ordered me to take command of
my brigade, which was the Fourth
Brigade of the Second Division.
Two corps of the Confederate army
under General Longstreet and Hill,
had come down upon General Ham
cocks force while it was tearing up
the railroad. Our lines were drawn
in, in the form of a horseshoe, and
in rifle pits, ready for q
fight, which was just about begin
ming as | rode over and relieved
Col. Brodie of the command of the
brigade. The skirmishing between
the advance of the two forces was
going on vigorously, and / had dis
and was going along near
The rife pits, watching the skirmish
line and the preparations for at
tack.
Suddenly l dropped and found
,ne of any legs at right angles with
me. 1t was my right leg, and l
1t once knew it was gone. Hardly
had / fallen when the attack was
made. and in an instant. as l looked,
he cavalry-having finished its
work-poured back straight down
20 where l lay. Selling my hat l
waved it above my head to attract
heir attention and prevent myself
rom being trampled under the
lorses' feet. They caught the sig
nal, pulled up, and some of them
lismounted and carried me back to
where stretcher could be procured,
md | was removed to the rear. The
whole line was at this time engaged,
md while was being carried back
met General Hartranft coming up
With his division to reinforce Gener-
i Hancock. whose line had been
broken in the centre after q desper-
tie contest, in which these two di-
'ision of the old Second Corps had
vithstood the stubborn attack of
wo of the best corps of the Confed-
rate army.
'4Dr. Mcdonald, our division sur
,eon, when Preached a secure place.
xamined my leg and said cheerily 4
Oh! we'll save that for you.
IF you'll make q good stump Of
t l shall be thankful, ! replied. -
"Oh! well do that ; never fear,"
le answered, /" !
aHe did his best, but the shot was