The Portland daily press., 1885-11-28
BERRY's LAST PRAYER.
Touching Narrative of a Gallant Rock
land Soldiers Death.
lRookland COMMUNICATED


(Rockland Courier-Gazette.)
In a recent conversation with Col. Judah
p. Baker, of Lowell, Mass, that officer mar
rated the following episode in the life of
Gen. Horace G. Berry of the I'd Division of
the Sd Corps, the night before the battle of
Charlottesville, va. After we had crossed
the pontoon bridges at Kelly's Ford we were
compelled to 60 to the woods along the river
bank, as the only approach to the front was
| blockaded by the corps OF Meade, Slocum
| and Howard-2th, 18th and 12th-and we
were yet waiting further orders. Ii you re-
member, it rained that night; it was also
very cold, and being right on the river bank,
the full force of the blast struck us from the
river, and chilled the marrow in our bones.
No fires were permitted, and one-half the
command was ordered to remain awake,
while the other half slept, if it could, and all
were to keep their arms in hand for sud-
den call. was field officer of the day for
our brigade. and having plcketed my horse
started around to see that the usual care was
taken to guard against surprise, for. II you
remember it, we did not know Just where the
enemy might be- though we did know we
should meet him soon, and one of the heayi-
est battles of the war would follow
On all Sides as | tramped through the
| dripping timber in nmpenetraDle darkness,
| | stumbled over some half frozen poor fell
| low, wrapped in his wet blanket and soaked
| clothing shiyering out the night in agony,
! and in anything but a religious frame of
| mind. After picking my way to the edge Of
| the woods on the front could see way in
| the direction of Fredericksburg, the bivouac
| fires of the 18th Corps, and wondered then
at the temerity OF general who would calm
| ly sit by his camp fire, knowing the enemy
to be close in front, and that his supporting
force was under arms some miles, for ausht
he knew, in his rear. Near me was camped
battery of artillery, the men having crawled
under the caissons as if to keep out of the
freezing rain, and everything was silent as
death. Moving cautiously along the road III
| the edge of the woods | thought | heard
voices. and supposing some of the plckets
were telling stories to the neglect OF their
duties, | crept towards the sound, and soon
| distinguished the voice of General Berry bid
| ding goodnight TO one of his staff and adj
| vising him to seek rest for tomorroW's la
| bors. / wished to speak to the general, and
| for that reason was picking my way in the
| direction of the voices, when low, solemn
| sound fell on my ears, which caused me to
| halt in my tracks and instinctlvely remove
my cap. Gen. Berry was praying. just
| little distance across the road from his COM
| mand, with no shelter, under the dripping
boughs of the forest, he had fallen upon his
knees and was puring out his heart to the
throne of grace for guidance IN tomorrow
battle | made copy of that prayer that
night when | returned to the regiment, and
have it with me now Here the colonel
produced from an inside pocket an old fiat
| / ackage, and took from it folded slip OF
paper which he had never lost possession of
since the night of May !, 1864, and smoothing
it out, he adjusted his glasses and read as
| follows:
Almighty God, who rulest the powers of
| the universe Thy servant humbly appeals
to Thee on the eve of great trial, that Thou
will vouchsafe to our arms Thy holy protec-
ton. Give us in the battle the light OF my
love- and make us power to punish these
misguided men. My God, pray Thee in the
name of thousands Of widows and orphans
now in our distressed country, that Thou
wilt visit victory upon our efforts and end
| this unholy war. Guide me in the conflict,
| and be ever near to support and encourage
| me to the end, that | may be useful ser
| want in the hour of need. Into Thy hands l
| commend my keeping
| The writing was large and rough, having,
| as the colonel said, been written his knee
| in a requiSitiOn book with pencil, from
memory. Putting up the treasured paper
| the colonel continued: When the general
| had finished his prayer he arose and came
| towards me, and when we had accosted eaeh
other he asked me where | came from, and
| told him the nature of my rounds. lie sad
| to me. "Colonel, think the decisive battle
| will take place tomorrow, and If ever the
| grand old Sd Corps has an opportunity to
| show its mettle, it will be them After
some general conversation he passed III the
| woods on the other side of the road, and L
| passed on my tour Of inspection. There was
| something in his manner that disturbed me,
| and could not shake the feeling of.
Everything ends, however, and so did that
| miserable night and daylight found us UNI
| der arms, wet and cold, on our way to JOIN
| the forces in advance. Moving cautiously
| forward, the most of the day was used in get
| ting into position at Charlottesville House,
| and just at the moment the men had hoped
| for rest, the whole horizon at the edge OF the
/ woods became alive with men and horses
| mixed in intricable confusion, rushing pell-
| nell rearward, utterly routed. We had
| heard heavy firing, but were not prepared
| for a retreat. Hooker had issued his grand
| Eloquent order, telling us that the enemy
| must come out and fight us on our own
| ground or ingloriously fly, and we had con-
| fidence in Hooker. But here came the whole
18th Corps in disorder, horses, men and guns
rushing forward and threatening our line OF
| formation
Our division, under the cool judgment of
| Berry was quickly thrown across the path
| of the fleeing 18th Corps and we opened our
guns on our own men to save our own posi-
| ton.
| towards the river, and by the light of a
| cherries setting sun we could see jackson 5
columns debouch from the woods and make
a straight line for our devoted band. In the
| few moments we waited for the fearful on
| slaught. | thought of General Berry's pray
| er, and looked to see where he was. On the
| right, in front of all, he sat erect. at a GER
tain movement made by jackson our guns
opened, and the ar was hlle9 WIN VI snotl
Il
all, and, shading his eyes. with his right
hand, sought to look under the tiaky clouds
for weak point, and cody directed the fire
of the guns on that point.
The division was formed in close column
battalions at half distance, and when the
moment came the bugles sang out, and Ber-
~ and his men jumped the light brush earth
work and made straight at JacksOn's front
1t was moment fraught with peril, for we
had no support, and were hampered with a
routed corps in our rear, and II we could not
stem the advance and were driven back on
the terroT-Stricken men in our rear, we must
have been driven into the river like dogs TO
drown. As the thunder of our guns SWelled,
and the forces drew nearer .and nearer, ]
| thought of this prayer and mentally repeat
| ed it. just then the Cass Brigade of the 1st,
| 18th and 10th Massachusetts, 18th New Jer
| sey, I'd New Hampshire and 9th Pennsylva
| mia, were ordered to break for the front ON q
| run, and over the intervening ground, like sc
| many devils, they ran, giving their hearty
| cheer that always brought dlsmay 10 the en-
| envy and with Berry in the lead, hatleSS and
unarmed, they fell on Jackson's front, and
| in a hand-to-hand fight checked their adj
| vance and placed them on the defence. A
| lull came now, and both sides looked ABOUT
them. 1t was dusk, and hundreds OF bodies
| living between the lines must be cared for
| Men hunted all around for friends, l among
others, and | was Mortified to find Berry's
body under those of some cannoneers, where
| he fell pierced through the. head and breast
| killed instantly. We had saved the army,
| but at fearful cost.
After the lapse of years, when mems pas
| sions are cooled, can look back over thai
| unfortunate field, and feeling that some one
! blundered know no greater regret thar
| that Hiram G. Berry Of Maine was par
| of the cost of that blunder
NEWS IN 1910.
Facts Which Wear Queer Look To-
Day-An Indictment of Bayard.