The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-11-10


the hoarse mnrmur along the line and the rat
ting of ramrods. Nearly every man had bitten
on cartridge and was trying to shove it down
bis rifle barrel as he marched in the line. FL
naliy, Col. Tom Allen, who was riding in front
oi Tue regiment, and his attention called to the
CONFUSION, and ascertaining its cause thundeIed
out: Haltl Load at will! Load!' "Be
quick men," Col. Allen added. Don't cap
your guns" cried out the same staff officer
from the rear again; ''rely entirely on the bay
onet." The only answer was half contempu-
ous growl, panied by the clinking of gun
locks all along the line, as the bright pieces of
copper were fitted TO the tubes
"That fellow must think we are pack OF
greenhorns," the writer heard one of the men
say.
The rifles being loaded the line moved qui-
city and rapidly forward. The delay caused
Dy the loading had considerably increased the
interval between the 9th Maine skirmishers
and the line OF battle. These gallant fellows
had pushed fearlessly forward until they came
up with the skirmish line formed by tue right
wing OF the regiment, and the two thin lines
together rushed headlong on the enemy
Ihere were less than three hundred and sew
enty OF them, officers ard men, and they had
charged nearly ten times their number. The
audacity and impetuosity Of the attack was
such that the enemy recoiled for moment be-
fore it, but seeing how small was the number
OF their antagonists, they Sprang back to the
attack and the work became hot.
No better regiment than the 9th Maine ever
marched. They had never known defeat
They had never failed to break the enemy in a
charge, nos to roll aback the waves of attack
from their front. Between them and the 9th
Wisconsin there was peculiar affection. The
men of the two regiments had fraternized from
the first. They were together all through the
war and had helped each other in many hard
spot At Williamsburg, when the 9th Wiscon-
sin was in front, fighting the advancing enc
my, the 9th Name had almost to be forced
back at the point of the sword by their officers
to the new line chosen for them, so anxious
were they to go to the rescue. 1t vas the 9th
Maine that followed closely upon the heels Of
the 9th Wisconsin when they led the bloody
charge on Fredericksburg Heights.
They had right to expect that the 9TH Wis
consin would not fail them, and they did not.
As soon as the 9th Wisconsin passed over the
crest of the second ridge, behind which they
had loaded theic guns they became exposed to
artillery fire. A number of shells were thrown
at them, most of which passed over their heads.
The deepening shades of the twilight, and the
rapidity with which they marched down the
open slope disarranged the aim of the gunners
SO that they suffered little or none from this
cause. As they came nearer the whistling
rush OF canister greeted their ears and the reg
iment broke into tho double quick. AS they
clambered over the swampy river the crackle
and roar of musketry burst forth in their front,
aud as they climbed the bank on the other side
they could see the Maine boys clinging to the
parapets of the redoubts, or standing in little
groups Of twos or threes at the very edge of
the breast works, with their bayonets at a
charge, or loading their guns and casting anx-
ious glances to see If help was coming. They
were falling thick aud fast. Then arose from
that line of battle terrible shout. 1t was not
the usual charging cheer. 1t was yell of
rage,la shout of encouragement, an imprecaton
of vengeance all in one. Ouly one shout and
then terribly significant silence They had
M n ka az nd oolc
were thrown right and left, and through the
storm Of bullets rushed the 9th Wisconsin, to
the rescue. A stalwart lieutenant of the 9th
Maine leaped on the pGrapet of the large re-
doubt and shouted, "For Gods sake 9th Wis
consiD, hurry up.'' The call was not needed.
In aaother ias;aht the line of battle reached
the rebel works. The greater part of tue 9TH
Wisconsin rushed over the parSpets into the
larger redoubt the remainder swept down the
rifle pit to the left and threw itself into the
smaller one. They emptied their rifles right
and lett among the enemy, the muZzle some
times touching the bodies of taeir opponents.
Men were fourd dead next morning with
their flesh scorched with powder. A terrbls
and indescribable struggle ensued. 1t was
hand to hand and foot to foot" The men
from Maine and sthe men from Wisconsin,
without q eembance of organization, fought
side by side. The Lousianians, cnt eff from
the pontOon bridge, and with q deep river in
their rear, fought desperately. Maskets were
seized and torn from the grasp of those who
held them, and men grappled and fought with
their lists. Inside the large redoubt the melee
was frightful. The rebel artillery men stuck
10y their guns to the last, and fought savagely
with ram mers, hand spikes, swords or whaIev-
Yer Was at hand. A handsome, curly haired
young man of the 9th Maine, who curiously
enough bore the name of jeff DavF, killed one
of the rebels with blow SO terrible that the
stock of his rifle was swept off, and the skull
OF his opponent shattered to fragments. The
next instant he himself fell shot through the
head Sergeant joe Goodwin, of COMPANY A D..
9TH Wisconsin, and one or two others Of
the regiment, wheeled one of the Captured
cannons around to the rear of the traverse on
the left of the redoubt, and seeing line being
formed near the pontoon bridge, apparently to
charge back upon the fort, hurled among them
a double charge OF canister intended for u.s.
breaking them up and driving them way
from the bridge. AS he put his shoulder to
the wheel to run the gun back he fell shot
torough the heart.
These two regiments carried on this terrible
and unequal struggle for fifteen or twenty
minutes, and in thai time sixteen out OF
twenty-ope commissioned officers, and q hun
dred aud twenty-,hree out of three hundred
and fifty enlisted men of the 9th Maine had
fallen, and of the 9th Wisconsin, seven officers
and ffty-six men were killed or wounded
Without commander, without organization,
the mon fought doggedly and desperately on
Lieut.. Col. Harris, commander of the 9th
Maine lay in the ditch with his hip shattered
Col. Tom Allen of the 9TH Wisconsin, partial
~ crippled 10 one arm by an old wound re-
ceiyed in battle when with the Iron Brigade
was struck in the other arm with q rifle bullet
when he had nearly reached the works. Major
Wheeler, then next in command Just recover
ing from an old wound received at the storm
ing of Fredericksburg Heights, fell mortslly
wounded, near the foot of the slope. Horace
Walker, of Company A, senior captain of the
regiment, fell dead with rebel bullet through
his brain, near the right angle of the large
redoubt. Capt. Ordway, of Company D, next
on the list, fell hesdlong frem the parapet,
killed, as he was cheering ON his men. Thus
the four senior officers of the regiment were
strack down. Near Walker lay dead the gall
land Capt. Furlong. OF the 9th, Maine, who
had hitherto passed through all the battles of
the regiment unhurt. He was a large, hand-
somely built man, and was known through
the brigade ss "the big captain" A warm
hearted, genial fellow, he was brave as lion
and fairly wosshipped By his men
Inside the fort aud a little to the lett of Ord
way, lay Lieut. Mckinley, of the 9th Maine,
with his brains blown out. Around him, too.
lay half a dozen OF his men, who had followed
him to the death. Thus it was, all along that
terrible line. The air was filed with medley
OF shouts, shrleks and groaGs, calls to surren-
der. yells of defiance, imprecations and curses,
and through and above all other sounds the
unceasng crash and rattle of musketry. The
artillery on both Eides was silent. for federas
aud confederates were so mingled together
that they could not tall friend from foe
That portion Of the storming party which
had passed to the left of the larger redoubt
swept down the rifle pits to and beyond the
smaller redoubt, crowding the enemy back,
inch by inch, toward the river at their right
flank and rear. As they were broken up they
would pass up toward the pontoon bridge, thus
strengthening their fellows in the fght going
on around the larger redoubt. A number OF
them, however, were cut off, and attempted to
escape by passing out of their works at the
extreme right, and wading the river near the
abutments OF th3 railroad bridge. Here a ter
rible affair happened. The water was nearly
up to their armpits, and as they were in the
stream, the Union soldiers mad with the rage
of battle, pushed down to the waters edge
and poured pitiless fire upon them. Many
| sunk, wounded, in the water, with o bubbling
shrek, losing thus whatever chance of life
was left after the bullet had done its work The
| horrors of the situation struck even the battle.
| maddened soldiers and suspended their fire
| they shouted to the confederates to come back
and surrender. The greater part of those in
| the river started back to Surrender, but when
they came near the shore an officer stepped
! from behind a stone abutment and or
dered them to return again, enforcing his or
| der by Furnishing his sword. The men again
| wheeled around in the water and began
splashing their way to the opposite shore, anC
| again the pitiess hail of bullets was showeret
| upon them. AT last they gave up the attempt
and sheltered themselves behind the rujnef