The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-08-01

Gen. Edwards.
twr,cn by uon. Oliver Edwards, OF Warsaw, ILL.,,
First Colonel Of the Thiriy.scvcnth Massachusetts,
for the springfield Republican,
Much has been written OF llancocks charge upon
the Confederate position OF "rho Angle" and the
capture OF ucn. Edward Johnston, with over three
iillery Bu, the defense OF "1hc Angie,n defeating
that series OF attacks and constant assault lasting
s snrs a. NJ %SS y Inc A. 'nr @ Mny sSa9
1868, spoke OF II as most terrible defeat, and stated
that uen Lee attacked with division after division
OF two entire corps unsuccessinlly, and that never
before had tho COnfe,erates met such determined
lighting on the part OF "the Yanks" The enemy's
line in front Of Hancock formed salient angle and
here the Confederates had massed thirty gums. Tor
Gen. Lee considered this the key to his position.
Gen. Hancock having captured this angle al day.
light the 18TH, ten. Leo resolved to retake II Mt all
hazard, and was said that he personally cxhortcd
his troops and nnaly insisted upon leading charge
that he was Induced by his leuenants not 10 so cx
pose himself. Gen. Lee, with wise forethought, he
'angie,n and the attacks to recapture il did not
cease until this interior line OF defensive works was
completed. The position captured by Hancock con-
sisted OF this angle OF line OF breastworks i've feet
light artillery. There was q "head.loe" twenty
sufficiently TO fire under. There were also heavy
traverses For the artillery. To front behind this
Near The snt ~ grove was Se heard c raync
or hollow extending back toward the base ofhe angie
at proper angle to form natural, perfectly COW
cred way for Lees assaultng columns to approach
within forty yards OF the breastworks, entirely pro.
.ected from our fre. Directly In front OF the head
point TO defend, as the rebels had hut forty yards to
charge under nre before they struck the breast
that The most desperate and constant assaults Of iHe
enemy were directed, and II was here directly In
front OF the head Of this natural siege approach,
through the ravne, that the Fourth Brigade tlespe-
rately battled from A. NJ to 1890 +. NJ. the 18th.
while y further helped to hold the position until
AT A. Nj on the igth of MAY, Is6s. tho buple nj
Sixth Corps headquarters sounded the assembly,
CALI The was sepS soldiers ssn P ee see
after seven days continual marching and lighting,
S%s n few moments m 81 ,he ESarh Brigade SECOND
Massachusetts, Volunteers aud second Rhode Island
Volunteers the Seventh Massachusetts being LEFT on
duty, reported "ready to move" stan oificer
from the sixth Corps headquarters gave Gen.
wrlghts orders that the first brigade under arms
nrst under arms, moved at once and marched q
short distance to the LETT, passing the rebel Gen.
Edward Johnston % and Col. Stewart OF his stan
ates OF West Point, and Johnston greeted heartily
his old classmates, oicers In the SIKH Corps, hut a
bufYed by Stewart with ~ do not know you, sr,''
johnston reprlmanded Stewart AMI recommended
him not to be a fool. The column soon turned TO
the right and debouched upon an open plain, with
the angle directly IN front ak hundred yards away.
ro ae Ss wns swep ~
was an error. To countermarch under such cross.
i
ordered each regiment commander to use his rear
rank as his front rank aud thus make his LEFT the
length Of the brigade and then BY the e si iisnk te tie
Fourth Brigade advanced IN line of battle across the
plain through the heavy tre OF artillery AMI occn.
relieved that portion OF the Second Corps directly in
front OF ine head OF tne natural Siege approach be-
teers were on the right, the Thirty. seventh Massa.
chnsets on the left and the Second Rhode Island In
BrlRaue ha
Third Brigade. First Division. Sixth corps. formed
Scarcely was the Fourth Brlpade In position when
suddenly, as II they had arisen from the inside OF
the earth, appeared three lines OF the enemy charg
twenty yards away, when the Fourth Brigade ,le-
livered Its lre and the enemys lines were swep,
dead, dying, and wounded while all not disabled
had gained shelter In the ravine. The firing under
the "head-log' made the effect far more deadly, for
1t brought the guns down into line AMI there was
almost no Overshootng. Expecting another assault,
I ordered each regiment TO hold lis lire until the
trst line Of the enemy was within fifteen yards of
the breaswOrks AMI then to fire vOlley from the
rear rank and hold the fire of the front rank in re-
In three lines In close column. and dve lines they
went down before the wall of ilre, literally moved
down, most Of the bullets passing through several
ranks. The enemy then ceased to attack In close
order, but threw forward clouds of skirmisherp,
endcavoring to advance IN open order and mass
capture them. We then hegan nle.n firing which ia
continuous. each man loading AMI firing as fast as is
slight stop until A. NJ. the next morning.
The lighting was continuous, ana at tiies almost
desperate. Two rebel coor-bearers were shot down
within few feet OF the works, and their cOlOrs cap
iure,i. AMI at one time-for n few mlnuies-a rebel
dag hoated over the works, and then, as Its brave
bearer WAS bayoneted, the flag u.s. The SPRING
Held rifles OF the Thirty. seventh Regiment became
30 hot from rapid aud continuous firing that many
OF them hurst or bulgei out under the lower stock
band and AMI all rapidly becoming temporarily
disabled. 10 have relieved the regiment at this time
80 close and desperate was the fighting. would have
I cal ia hmm NJ
my supporting regiments to exchange guns with the
rhirty-seventh. and moved them In line OF battle
close up To the regiment amt handed their loaded
guns u the men with one hand and received the
disabled guns In the other, and the death fire went
Brigade suffered from II severe enfa,ing nre from
the rebels further 10 the right, aud behind the same
Second rhode Island Regiment suffered from this
re, and the regiment on their right being Temporal
rily driven from the works by the same lire, was In
danger OF breaking to the rear. l hastened tn the
point. but before could get there Capt Shaw had
Ra'lanily rallied his command by heroic conduct.
and Gan nee him even nOw-see the frank smile on
his brave face as he shook my hand, ami then with
hm through the heart he eaped into the air ami was
dead before he fell: Lieut. Col Reed. commanding
the Second Rhode Island Regiment received bullet
In command. Gallant Mai. Parker, OF the Tenth
Massachusetts. received his death shot, Mai. Moody
and had TO leave the field, Lieut.. Col. Montague,
commanding the Thiriy-seyentn, was slightly
III.
olcers OF the Fronrth Brigade were Killed an,
wounded by sharpshO0ters on the right Col
Waldo Merriam was Killed while speaking e me.
Ammunition now ran low and my stan with small
details are busy gathering supply from the boxes
on the dead. and every wounded man leaves his
cartridges before he leaves the Held. am forced to
send details from each regiment to the ammunition
train for cartridges. and at times to sacken re until
q fresh supply OF ammunition arrives. At 4:lO the
firing OF the rebels slowing down aud the Fourth
Brigade being out OF cartridges, relieved them with
regiments OF the Second Corps and placed them a
nrl
gade had up to this time used AN average OF about
four hundred rounds OF ammunition per man. The
brigade had had nothing to eat all day, aud with
seven days previous hRhiing and the terrible work
OF ths day. they were exhausted, and should have
him that 1t was necessary to relieve them. lie re-
piled that Il he relieved the brigade ! would
gagged ali night told hun that It WI was ',ae entirely civ
willing to hold the line u he would give me fresh
troops Gen. Mel finally said he could not relieve
the F0nrth Brigade, hut that he would simply sup
Ply me with plenty Of ammunition. That model SOL
ler, Cen David A. Russell commanding the First Di-
said that he felt for US, ani that he would send Inc
Z! o once New Jersey regiment q think the Tenth
daylight that he would relieve us from his own di.
Vision. The New Jersey regiment reported promptly
AND went Into position on my right; they were nearly
one thousand strong and fought n0bly, soon easing
me from all anxiety for that part OF my line. Am
mlnltion ran very low again aud not until midnight
know that the victory was ours and that the enemy
could not dislodge us
III tue mean tline, IN soon AZ relieved regiment
could gather from the dead and wounded u few
rounds OF cartridges, relieved the regiments in the
front line, and the relieving regiments used their
scant ammunition slowly aud deliberately lighting
gallantly These regiments belonged to the Second
Corps and fought we'll remember one OF them,
put them intO the front line "All right we have hui
few days to serve; give us all the lighting you
can" The commander OF one brigade under inv
orders insisted upon relieving himself and his com.
mand and started 20 march u the rear calling for
ak men from the Thirty seventh, aud ordering them
70 aim at tho commander, ordered him 10 halt and
front about the order was promptly obeyed. Dark
tle OF the ride ire the enemy using bullets