The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-08
New Publications.

The history of the Both Regiment of
Massachusetts, volunteers is the record of a
regiment that saw great deal of
rough service and hard fighting. 1t left
MASSACHUSETTS, September 1862, and re-
ported to Gen. Burnside, then commanding
the Ninth Army Corps, upon the battlefield of
Antletam, too late to take part in the battle
1t Was present at the fist battle of Frederick
burg, tu' was not engaged, and went West with
Burnside in March, 1868. After much merch-
Ing back and forth in Kentucky the regiment
was sent to the rear of Vicksburg to help Gen.
Grant. When the city surrendered, Sherman
organized force, including the Both, to drive
off 10. Johnston. The story of the pursuit of
this wary old rebel is one of discomfort and
wretchedness of every kind, the results of ma
laria, small pox, heat and hard marching.
The first serious engagement was at Blue
Springs, East Tennessee, to which State they
were sent as soon as the pursuit Of Johnston
was abandoned. Then followed the siege of
Knoxville and the protection of East Tennas-
see. Thanksgiving day was kept, though
LongstEest had Shut them up in Knoxville.
aad rations ran low Here they witnessed the
grand charge and repulse of the rebels in their
attempt to capture Knoxville. Much of the
winter was spent in laundering around in the
mud of Tennessee, pursuing, or pursued BY,
the enemy.
A happy day oame-March II, 1S64-when
they marched East, preparatoryto the re-organ-
izaton and recruitment of the 9th Corns at
Annapolis, Md. In May they followed Grant
to the Wilderness, and thence to Spottsylva-
MIA, Cold Harbor and the. siege of Petersburg
Their combats in this campaign were desper-
| aUe and bloody enough the story is told in
simple language, but it is intensely interesting.
1t is well to recall the horrors of this campaign
and to pray they may never occur again. The
Wilderness is wild, uneven, tangled thicket
Of second growth-"a region of gloom and the
shadow Of DEATH" In passing through it Gen.
Grant was attacked. The best troops of the
North and South fought day and night, neither
side gaining any substantial success, but each
suffering enormous losses
On the second day of the battle MAY g. the
Seth Massachusetts found itself on the left of
the Division line, the regiment belonging on
the left having broken. AS usual, the rebels
took instant advantage by moving into the
gap, across the flank of the Seth, and giving
them deadly raking fire. The regiment
changed front and fell back fring-a move
ment which only the "tried and the true" can
perform. Their losses that day we're verv
heavy; and added to its horrors was a fire
which ran through the underground and
roasted many of the dead and wounded.
The Both was not actively engaged again I'M
til May 18th at Spottsylvania, when, as before,
they were flanked by rebels who carried
white flag and pretended to be friends. Once
more the left was drawn back in face of tre-
mendous fire; the ground was held, and their
brigade was saved from rout and panic The
fight that day swayed back and forth, and was
terribly bloody az all times. The Both was
near the famous death ANGLE" where tree
foot or more in diameter was feled by mus
ket balls alone. One can hardly believe this,
but the stump is preserved at the Army Muse
UNI in Washington. This battle was made
moro dismal by the mist and rain. The four
days that followed were spent in dreary watch
ing and waiting, in skirmishing and "feeling
Of the enemy" With cannonading all around
them and rain falling the most of the time,
they found that war is no holiday sport They
also discovered that odd thing, which so many
soldiers have wondered at that a Virginia
thunder storm will drench mans clothes, set
his bed ahoat, and turn the ground into pud-
ding-like miro, yet an hours march will find
that soldier sweltering and fainting 10 the
dusty road, unable to find drop of water to
quench his thirst
In the thanking movement which followed
seth was not -eallaa nnnn for very severe
duty, although the days and nights wore full
of anxiety and discomfort but on the fatal Sd
of June at Cold Harbor, in common with all
the army, they furnished their quota of price,
less blood to the great sacrifice twenty-seven
and half per cent. of their number falling
"the most destructive battle in which we vera
ever engaged"
We find them next In front of Petersburg.
The attempt to surprise the city having failed
on the night of June 10Th Potter's division, of
which the 36th was part, stealthily crept to
within forty yards Of the Shaud House redoubt
and at early dawn rushed impetuously over
the works. capturing them and the weary
sleepers who lay there, muskets in hand The
planning and execution were perfect. One
cannot help wishing that Potter had been
there the week before.
The part taken in the slaughter of "the 18th
OF June" is briefly told. After this the army
went to digging in earnest. On account of the
colored troops in the 9th corps the rebels kept
their sharp-shooters constantly at work pick
ing off everything they could see in that corps.
The Seth, therefore, did not enjoy the benefits
of the truce made by the pickets on other parts
of the line.
They witnessed the horrible affair of the
"Cfater" or "Mine Explosion'' assisted Gen.
Warren in the capture of the Weldon railroad,
and took part in the battle at Pogram's Farm,
which was substantially their last action
though they were present and ready at others
On the I'd of April, 1865, they witnessed the
grand charge on the works adjoining Fort Ma
hone, and saw "the last armed rebel we were
destined to behold disappear from our view"
We notice that Brother II. s Burrage of the
lions Advocate rose TO be its major, by bre.
vet, not from the chaplaincy, as one might in
fer by his present title of D. D., but from the
ranks BY good honest fighting. Moreover, he
contributes three chapters to the history, and
preface, and we suspect he has been the work
ing member Of the committee of the regiment
which has edited the whole. The several chap
tiers, with slight changes, are made ND from
addresses which have been delivered at various
reunions of the survivors Of its hard cam.
paigns. There is complete roster and a full
understandable features