The National tribune., 1884-09-18
MARYE'S HIGHTS.
SIS to the Work Done by the Second Division Of
the Second Corps.


MARYE'S HIGHTS.
IS to the Work Done by the Second Division Of
the Second Corps.
To THE EDITOR: | see that many of your
readers are at this time interested in the capt
ure of Maryes Hights. Icontribute this arti-
Gle with the understanding that If 1t contains
any missta;ements il is the fault of memory,
which j find in my case skips along over the
ground line rocket shot. For instance, rec
ollect being in line with mycompany near the
Gordon House, in Fredericksburg, just before
the assault and of deploying the company, and
chasing pagnac;ous battery some two or three
miles Immediately after the assault; but of how
j got upon the nights have no recollection.
The Second Division, Second Corps. TO which
! belonged, was left behind when Hooker took
the balance of the corps mp the river, and so
it. after the Sixth Corps had cleared the oppo-
site bank of the river, laid o bridge and crossed
over and took part in the assault when it came
of. The Second Division advanced to the as
saGlt from the town, and consequently charged
the hight il its front. ] presume that the de-
tail from the Sixth Corps which had cleared
the way for US 10 lay our bridge also Joined ins
the assault from the town. Between the town
and the hight the road crossed canal, by
bridge, and, consequently, the column could
not advance in line of battle. For this reason
the fire from the enemy's artillery on the hight
was terribly effective upon the column. The
/ bridge across the canal was choked with dead,
and the canal ran blood. The enemy did not
leave their wcrSs, which fronted the rear of
4 the town. until the column, the head of it,
/ appeared on the nights 1t was said that one
i gunner kept deliberately at work with his gun
4 after our men swarmed around him. The main
+ body of the Sixth Corps bad al the morning,
aud during the preceding night, been working
their way UP to the foot of the south front of
/ no hi.ylf hey n OR he
nights, on the flank, at the same time the col
umn started from the town for the front. /
think the angle was first cleared of the enemy,
as ] saw fighting far TO the left as got upon
! the hights,-but it may have been a stand in
rear of their works,-and also think that far TO
my right the enemy still held their iIrrench-
meBts As we formed line at the angle they
/ halted couple of field-pieces and went for us,
and then l went for them, as before stated
/ L. E. BIcKNELL, Second Lieut., First Co., An
dreRs's Sharpshooters, West Cunningham, Mass.
--
THE IsT LONG ISLANDS WORK.
To THE EDITOR: By my letter, published
August Z. as TO who carried Marye's Hill, /
/ find have stirred up some of the comrades
and one Of the 9th Me, in particular. is more
demonstratiyc, at least, IN his language than
any. Ny communication was almost wholly
made up aud taken from letter correcting a
published account in the n Y Herald of May
I ,, 1913, from It's war correspondent OF May d
+ dated field Of battle, above Fredericksburg, Va.
Had your space permitted, could have gone
/ more into detail, but as | believe that account
1 TO be correct from the fact that it was written
by former staff officer Of Gen. Mcclellan, who
/ was far in front and about the first in the
works, and fully Endorsed by staff officer of
Gen. Scdgwick. i did not publish my letter
from memory. nor with prejudice, but simply
TO do justice TO as brave set of men as ever
left New York or any State. and who have but
few survivors remaining. So much had been
said Of the other gallant regiments, and no one
coming to aid the LIST Long Island, / thought
it time TO come TO their defense. And in your
last issue a comTade from the 122d \. Y. is the
first that gives the regiment the name of being
in that engagement at all. / have before me
two accounts, published in May, 1863. as to
"Who Did It." and from them / give few
items not made 20 years after, but at the time.
Something has been said about who were there
and who composed such and such brigades.
The Light Brigade was the 31st and Add N.
Y. 5th Wis, 9th Me-. and 61st Pa. Shaler's
Brigade, 65th, 9Th list Long Island), and 122d
n. Y, 23d, SD, and 139th Pa. The 9TH Mass,
36th n. Y, and one other regiment lnow out
of mind were near at the time of the assault.
The right column was formed by the 6lst Pa,
Col. Spear; ADD y. Y, Col. Baker; SD Pa,
Maj. Bassett; 67th n. Y. list Long Island),
Col. Cross.
The left column of attack was formed of the
!. 9TH Mass. Col. Johns; Both N. Y, Lieut. Col
Walsh. This column was supported by regi-
ments in line of battle and a regiment of skir-
mishers. The regiments in line were the 9th
J Me. and 9TH Wis. Had you space could &c
on in fuller detail. The right was attacked as
stated in my former letter, by the 6lst Pa, Add
! N. y, SD Pa, and 1st Long Island, and it was
! no discredit to any regiment that was forced
J away from its position; and the successful regi
ments, in first gaining admission to the nights
were the 9th n. Y. list Long Island), and SD
Pa, under Col. Alexander Shaler. Those t.
) our left, we claim no glory over or advantage
Yet, all accounts / have read, published at the
: time and some since, number of which are
now in my possession. fully sustain my position
: These regiments first entered the works K
stay-F NJ HoDGsON Lieut. 9th n Y