The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-09
Whore the Flag Was a welcome Sight,
the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

10 the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In your issue of July 18th you printed a
poem, by Moses Owen, entitled Nothing but
Flags"
Nothing but fiags-but simple flags
Tattered and torn and hanging i'll rags;
And we walk beneath them with careless tread,
Nor think Of the hosts of the mighty dead
That have marched beneath them in days gone by
With burning cheek and a l>indling eye,
And have bathed their folds with their young Ife's
tide,
And, dying blessed them; and, blessing, died
These beautiful lines mean something to the
old soldier; the sight of the flag he has
fought for will start lump in his throat and
the tears to his eyes. These lines and the arti-
| cles written for THE TRIBUNE lately referring
to the charge made by Sedgwick's Corps on
Marye's Heights in May, 1868, remind me of an
incident connected with that engagement which
is worth telling. Our divsion-Second divis-
ion, Second Corp5-was Sedgwick's old division
which he commanded from November, 1861
! till he took command of the Sixth Corps,
think, in the fall of 1862. At the time of the
Charlottesville fight we did not go with the
rest of the corps but the division, under COM
mand of General Gibbon, was ordered to sup
port Sedgwlck and cross the Rappahann0ek at
the city, the Sixth crossing below. After getting
up into the city we passed the charging party,
VINO had thrown off knapsacks and were ready
for business. Filing off to the right we marched
up street running parallel with the river and
were ordered TO make q feint on our extreme
right against the enernys left, TO draw their at
tention from the actual point of attack.
AS soon as we reached the outskirts of the
city the rebel artillery opened Us, but, march
ing IL column of four5, we opened ont SO as to
give their shells more room, and started on the
double-quick, never stopping till we reached the
end Of the plaia, mile and half away. The
move had the desired effect, as the rebels
double-quicked column opposite u.s. and
liant
ping into the rihe-pits in front of US, under the
crest of the hill Here we were ordered to lie
down and take all cover possible from their
artillery.
After lying there quite awhile we heard
heavy firing down on the left, on the plank
road running from the city up over the
heights. From the nature of the ground the
charging party could not be seen distinctly,
/ but by the enemy's rapid fire / knew thai our
friends had got well TO work, and very soon
the firing ceased at that point, and a line of
battle appeared in sight, coming toward us on
the crest of the heights, and marching at right
angles with the rebel works, but as we could
see no colors, there was quite discussion as to
whether they were our men or rebels The
question soon settled by the line
obiiquing to the right, aud, as if rising ont of
the ground, the coiors came slowly into sight.
What a picture-the old Stars and Stripes rip
ping in the breeze of that beautiful May day!
The sun was just right to bring out every
color and give the best effect. 1t thrills NE
to-day as l think of that sight. Every man
stood up, (no thought of rebel shells then y
and for an instant silently gazed on the scene,
and then as if by common impulse, there broke
such yell from our line as / never heard be-
fore. Men went wild, and caps were flung so
high in the air l thought they'd be out of
style when they came down. For few min
utes one would have thought an insane asylum
had broke loose. The rebels could not under
stand it, not seeing what we saw, but began to
drop out Of the pits by twos and trees, and
finally they all went with rush out and over
the hill. We could not reach them on account
of a canal between u.s. so we took up our line
of march for the city. struck the plank road over
the heights, and followed the Sixth Corps two
or three miles, when we were ordered back to
guard the pontoon bridges in front of the
Lacey house, where we lay till the whole
army had recrossed the Rappahannoek.
w. Il. JOHNSON,
ELGIN, Ill. Serg't Co. 3, 18th Mass. Vol Inf