The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-12
THOSE SLIPS OF PAPER
How Wauen's Men Came to Pin them
on their BlOuSes at Mine Run.


attention of our veterans was called to the pa
thetic incident which occurred at Mine Run,
Va on November 80, 1863, when Warren's
men, anticipating q bloody repulse as the re-
suit of the contemplated assault of the rebel
works, pinned slips OF paper ON their blouses-
a touching proof, at once, of their heroic resig-
nation and tender solicitude and grimly
awaited the order to charge. The Compile de
Paris, in Vol. LII of his History of the Civil
War in America" gives the following account
of this curious episode:
"The dawn, impatiently waited for on both
sides, at length makes its appearance. Meade's
maneuvre has been batiled. The Southern
army, closed in mass behind Mine Run, pre-
sents everywhere formidable front; the in
trenchments, roughly sketched the day before
by Hill. have been completed during the night;
the artillery, concealed in the woods, is dis
played on all the heights.
1.-The Federals study with attention, then with
uneasiness, the positions which they are about
to assault. Almost all have witnessed Fred
ericksburg and Gettysburg they know by
double experience that bloody defeat is re-
served to the one of the two armies which takes
the offensive. 1t is said that most of them on
the morning of the Both took care to pin to
their coats pieces of paper bearing their names.
They wished that their names might be placed
over the fresh earth which was to cover them
in their everlasting Sleep No hope of glory
hour, but they were anxious to secure, on that
distant soil. the modest epitaph which allows
the soldiers family to distinguish his remains,
instead of having to kneel at the grave OF the
unknown. 1t was in this manner, it is related,
that they silently showed the conviction that
| they were going to be asked for a useless sacrl-
| flee. If it is only legend-f0r legends are
sometimes easily made-it is worth being
quoted, for it perfectly describes the character
of the Army of the Potomac.
A few minutes more and it will be 8
o'clock every one is waiting for the signal ;
faces are grave, but resolute. Warren, how
ever has been still more struck than his SOL
diers by the formidable aspect of the enemy's
| position; those which seemed scarcely defended
on the evening of the preceding day are COW
| cred with artillery. His first examination had
/ perhaps been too superficial. He ought to have
foreseen that by parading his forces on the even
| ing of the Goth and leaving to his adversaries
| fourteen hours respite, he was inviting them to
| put themselves ON their defense. ButWarren will
not lose time in useless regrets; he has rapid
coup fgil and correct Judgment, and doesnot
shrink from responsibility. His decision is
| quickly made; the attack trusted to his care
cannot succeed, and he does not hesitate to
postpone it. He must have great moral cour-
age to take this step, for he will be pardoned
/ more easily, he knows, an unfortunate act of
| daring than the most justifable prudence. The
receive no orders-a painful waiting to those
who ready to march todeath, and which at
| first arouseS in them a feyerish impatience.
But they soon divine the wise hesitation of
/ Warren; they whisper to each other that the
attack is abandoned, and every one immedi-
ately forgets the future conflicts and the pres
ent sufferings to think only of the absent fam
| lily and of home, sweet home"
NOT MERE ARMY LEGEND.
The following letters abundantly confirm the
| truth of the story, and show that it was not,
as has been intimated, mere army legend:
| To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In your issue of June 25th you ask the men
/ of Warren's command who were present at
Mine Run Heights November 30, 1863, to
probe their memories and give an account OF
| the affair.
was one of Warren's men and was present
! at the time having been in the Second Corps
from July, 1851. As General Warren was in
command of our corps during the absence OF
General Hancock by reason of wounds received
at Gettysburg the July before, Warren's
men" might be supposed to mean the Second
Corps, but in justice to the Third and Sixth
Corps would say that the charging party OF
&c, 900 was composed of parts of different corps.
/ shall never forget the circumstances attend
| ing that reconnaissance in force made by the
Army of the Potomac in 1868. Crossing the
Rapidan at Gernana ford, we camped on the
| heights above on the night of November Goth. |
say "camped;" it was really bivouac We
built fires of rails borrowed from farmers, and
have forgotten to this day to return my share
of the rails. Well there we lay down and
| shivered with asluarter of an inch of frost on
our rubber blankets, trying our best to sleep.
On the morning of the 9th we moved up to
the extreme right of the line at Robertson S
tavern and went out on to the skirmish line, on
Il Ill.
major wounded, and our adjutant killed. The
night of the 28th we were ordered to move,
aud we marched all night for the extreme left.
| During the Goth we skirmished and drove back
the enemy into their works.
/ AT 3 O'clock on the morning of the 30th we
were ordered into line, moved nearer the works
and formed line of battle in ravine OH the left
of the plank road to Fredericksburg-for what
purpose we did not know. Standing in line,
half asleep, our senses were quickened by the
officers stepping in front of their regiments
and in low tones telling us that we were ex-
/ pected to charge the enemy's works at signal
from the right The order was given TO I'M
sling knapsacks and haversacks which were
stacked up in the rear of each regiment.
Brigade commanders stood in front of their
brigades and explained as well as they could
just the position each regiment should take in
the charge-how this regiment should oblique
to the right and that one to the left, so as to
unmask another that was crowded. i heard
the colonel commanding a regiment in the
brigade next on our left say to his men: Boys
the first man over the works shall have COM
mission"
Standing there in the dark, unable to see
twenty feet away and shivering with the cold
| with no idea what we were to charge the
order came to rest. Then messages were ex-
changed between comrades for loved ones at
home; others, as history says, pinning
their names to their blouses All recognized
the fact that something desperate was to be at
tempted.
Walking back and forth to keep warm, talk
ing in undertones, and falling in line a NUM-
Der of times at the order, we waited for day
break to show us our position. In the dim un-
certain light of the morning could see troops
closed en- masse on the right of us, and as OBJ
jjects became more and more distinct we saw
the white diamond of the Third Corps. On the
left and little to the rear was the Greek cross
of the Sixth Corps During one of these rests
/ crawled up through the shrub spruce and
looked the ground over There was steady rise
from where l stood to within 100 feet of the
rebel works, and then q railroad cut about
twelve feet deep.
THE ROAD TO DEATH.
To the right of US, opposite where the Third
Corps boys lay, the enemys works crossed the
railroad cut at an angle. Artillery raked this
cut across our whole front. Thirty-two pieces
showed their ugly muzzles through then
works. The rebels stood ON their works and
beckoned to us to come and visit them. Not 9