The National tribune., 1886-02-04
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Orr Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
THE WILDERNESS.
The Part Ensiis's Brigade Took in the Famous
Eight.

: IN :
the old Sixth Corps may bo acceptable TO your
many readers. or course you cannot expect
the private soldier or non-comm isSlOned OIL
Ger 10 see or understand mnch of what is
going on in battle, and especially one like that
of the Wilderness.
Before Grant commenced his campaign of
1864 the Third Division, Sixth Corps. was con-
solida,ed with the First ana Second Divisions Of
same Corps. The Third Division, Third Corps,
took the same position in the Sixth that they
held in the Third. Every old soldier will re-
member what pride and confidence he had in
his own corps, and of course we of the Bloody
Sixth were not an exception 10 the rule, and lt
was natural that these fellows OF the Blue
Diamonds were looked on with some suspicion
by Us In fact we were afraid they would not
fight well and that the old corps, which we
knew Uncle John Selgwick was So proud OF,
would lose IFS reputation as fighting corps.
The brigade | served in was composed of the
following regiments: I'd Z. l., 9TH. 10th and
3Tth Mass. 1t was commanded by Brighten.
Eustis
AN UNPLEASANT PLACE FOR MARCHING.
will pass over our march to and crossing of
the Rapidan. ! learned afterwards that the
Second Division, Sixth Corps (Getty's), went in
between the Second and Fifth Corps, and if
there WAS any one spot hotter than another 1t
must have been right there. Oar brigade ad
vanced in two IimCs-the I'd Il. /. and 10th
Mass in the first. the 18th following the ID,
and the eth IN rear of the 10th. The order TO
advance given 10 the 9Th was, BY the right Of
companies to the 'front.'" and l suppose the
other regiments advanced in the same forma-
tion, for the trees and GuGerhrush was SO thick
it would be very difficult TO march in line
1t is a weil-known fact that the ground over
which the battle of the Wilderness WAS ioaght
was rolling. How we'll l remember what a re-
lief ii was to my nerves. after passing over a
ridge where the bullets came too close for COM
fort, TO descend 10 the low ground, for then we
were com aratiyely safe for while. Do my
old comrades OF the 9Th remember that march
from the road where we formed line to where
we could look down i'll the hollow where the
grand Old 10th was fighting? The companies
marched in fouTs, keeping company distance
from each other. At times the underbrush was
so thick that every fellow was hunting for a
hole to crawl through. and considerable swear
ing was indul ged in, and we got scattered lit
tie sometimes, but when the woods got little
more open the men would get into their places
again. 1t was very difficult march. and the
farther we advanced the more frequent the
bullets came over our heads until things be-
gan TO look serious, when suddenly the irregu-
lar shots Of the skirniishers increased until
suddenly crash of mnsketry told that the
lines of battle were engaged and we were in
for il. The command was given /" BY company
into line" After standing in line few mo-
ments we were ordered forward, and advanced
over what proved 10 be the last ridge between
us and the fight. Right here the wood was
little more open. and we had good view of
the 10Th. The boys we're loading and
TIEING FOR ALL THEY WERE WORTH
At sight of the brave fellows, who were fight
ing less than 40 yards from us, all my fear left
me- aud / Joined heartily in the cheer we gave
them. The men OF the 10Th turned their heads
and answered u.s. bnt their cheer seemed TO be
little fainter than oars; but they seemed 10 40
to work with little more energy, if such a
thing Was possible.
All this time tie 10th was hammering away
and so was the Johnnies, ty the looks of things
in the hollow. good many of the boys were
lying where they !eil, leaving great gaps in the
line. The regiment did not close up as the
men were hit and instead OF solid line Of
battle II looked more like groups of skirmish-
eTs where the fouTs had taken their distances
without dcQ.Oying, only not quite so regular.
The boys had planted themselves there. and
would rot bulge out Of their tracks even TO
Close up.
Gen. Eustis soon made his appearance be-
tween and the line that was fighting aud
was Joined 10y the two CoiOHcls. The General
seemed 10 be giving some instructions in a very
quiet manner He then turned abruptly and
went to the right, and each Colonel turned to
bis OWE regimemt
ALWAYS READY FOR A FIGHT.
About the time our General made his appear
oDce an incident happened that will show the
mettle Of the 9Th. The word was passed from
right to left TO fix bayoucts. I never knew how
the order originated, hut supposed the move
ment started IN the ranks. But however it
started, il goes TO show the feeling in the regi-
Dlent. We were ready t. charge if ordered to-
he order Hiis given Immediately after to uniix
bayoDets.
Then came the order from our Colonel, " For
ward-Guide Center-Narch :" The old 9TH
never narc4ed better on parade than it did
down into that valley of the shadow of
death. We were halted close behind the 10Th
and let the members OF that regiment pass
through our ranks. To show what stayers
they were / will say that there was quite a
number Of them that did not want to be re-
heyed, and ii rather annoyed US, for we wanted
them cut of the way. One young fellow, who
happened to be right in my way when we
halted. finished loading, fired and started to
load again. | caught him by the shoulder
turned him around, and told him he had been
there long enough He nodded his head and
passed through. Two members of my COM
pany advanced a few yards TO the front and
were called back, swearing because the regi-
mcnt did not charge. Both were wounded
few moments after, one of them poor old John
Fox receiving Lis death wound.
AN ACCOMPLISHED swEARER.
Before We got the order to fire the two left
companies got into some confusion. What drew
my attention to il was the loud shouting and
swearing. The noise seemed to be, most of it,
made by Col. Johns. lie was standing in front
OF a lot of men who had broken from the line
both arms spread out and he looked as if he
had taken contract to cover all the ground
possible and do all the swearing he could in a
few seconds, and lie was making big effort to
fl the bill. About every man near me shouted
for them TO come back. The boys came back
into line and stayed there, which fact speaks
well for the discipline Of the old 9TH.
Tie order was given TO commence firing and
at il We went with no target TO aim at, for the
bushes were so thick 4 few yards in our front
that We could see nothing but the smoke from
the enemy's rifles splitting out, so we aimed at
that. i was hit, and being afraid TO go over
the ridge TO the rear for il did not seem as if
sparrow conld escape being hit, i lay down in
guiley few feet in rear Of the right of the
regiment. One Of the 10th boys was in there
he asked me if ! wGs wounded. l was so in
dignant at the question that / did not answer
him. While / lay in the gullcy quite num-
Der of the boys who were hit got in there
Among the rest was Fall River fellow He
came in there as if he was shot out of NOR
tar, and set up a terrible bowling. But his
curiosity soon got the better of his pain, and
he raised his head 20 view the fight, but kept
il behind a sapling not larger than a mans
wrist. One of his arms was disabled, and he
was holding on to it with the other. The bull
lets were just more than " coming and was
locking at him, and seeing his danger shouted
to him to get down or he would get his head