Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-19
The Charge at Cold HarbOr.


How A Young ARTILLERYMAN SAW 1T.
We arrived there (Cold Harbor) in the
night, and at once went into position. Wrap
ping my blanket around me | lay down under
my gun and went to sleep. Before davbresk
! on June 3, "a, the infantry massed around
us were aroused; officers FASTENED to and fro !;
staff officers rode rapidly through the dark
ness, up and down the lines, giving final or
ders. We artillerymen were reused up.
Eating our scanty breakfast took our
respe Give positions at the Napoleon guns.
was No l on the No. gun of the right sec
ton of the battery. / stood leaning against
the cold brass piece with my sponge-staff in
hand. | gazed intently to where | supposed
the rebel earthworks were, and wondered if
| my luck would take me through this fight
unhurt, a. it had through past battles. no.
ticed that my water bucket for the sponge
was empty. Leaning nv staff against the
gun, | unlocked it, and explaining the need
| to the gunner, walked off to a swamp and
| filled the bucket Returning to my piece |
placed the bucket on the ground under the
muzzle of the gun. and then resting against
the cannon | resumed the business of waiting
The heavy columns of infantry began to
move by. Men recognizing the battery spoke
to US as they marched past in the dim gray
light of breaking dawn. | was asked the
questions, Whats ahead of us?" els Long
streets Corps in front of us?'' And boy.
of seventeen years old, answered as the wbim
| took me.
just before sunrise the troops were in posi-
ton and our captain gave the command.
Commence firing" l dampen my sponge
ram the first cartridge home and step back
A loud report, a cloud of smoke, and the
battle of Cold Harbor has begun. / rapidly
sponge out, a turn OF the wrist whizzing OF
the sponge staff N the air. No. puts the
cartridge in the gun, snd | ram it home and
spring back clear of the wheel. | gave hur-
ried glance toward the rebel line, and catch
sight of the smoke of cannon, and realize thai
their guns have just been manned. l fairly
jump to and from my gun. The smoke
grows thicker l am at last thorough,
warmed up to the battle.
whistling of bullets among us sounding
as though were in great bumblebees
nest, and shrek of solid shot and shell a,
they tear through the battery the dull 'thud'
of bullets, instantly followed bv excla
nations of pain, the falling of artllerymer
ALI pass uncared for. l simply sponge
and ram and look ahead. No. ? Just
opposite me, standing with cartridge
in his hand, suddenly pitches forward dead.
| As jerk the sponge out Of the gun. | lean
over toward him and pick up the cartridge
and place it in the gun. As | step back
see the man who is to take No. rs place
jerk the dead body impatientiy by the leg
to get 1t out of the way. Stepping back
look over to No. gun, and involuntarily
smile to see the great piece rapidly turn
summersault in the air. Bits of wood and
iron fly off to the rear, and the gun come,
down with great thud on the ground.
stop smiling as | see the poor men in scarIe
trimmed jackets, my comrades, lying deaC
around the wrecked cannon.
/ Up through the smoke comes a bare
headed officer on hor eback. Telling oul
officers to stop firing, he disappears as rap
Idly as he came. The battery is silent; tn,
smoke clears of. and see that the sun i.
not yet up. and that two long lines of mer
in blue are lying on the earth in front o.
US. Suddenly the foremost line spring.
up. The charging cheer is heard. and the,
60 at the rebel works on & run swift
brave charge, and in front of US Red Divi
sion, Second Corps) successful. We heal
the charging cheer away of to the right, Il
the left, and know that general charge al
along the line is being made. Seated astrid,
my gun, watched our Red Division carr,
the first line and start for the second. But
also saw that Mr.. Barlow's second line, hi
supports, did not move forward. So l sa
and sorrowfully cav the frst line get whipped
had not long to wait. The rebels hal
} met the swift, brave charge with their usua
courage, and the assault Vas repulsed. Ii
twenty minutes from the time that the mer
cheered and charged they we're back where
they had started from; but some 10000 deal