The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-06-23
GEN. uANcocK AND s1Art


individuals was put to supreme test, and
American valor come forth from the shock
Of battle crowned anew for its splendid
achievements. Whatever may he said of the
gen"ralship that placed soldiers in the ,l,,Spel-
ate situation, where life must be freely sacri-
feed in order To win slight advantage, the
devotion of tine soldiers themselves, to the
wishes of their leaders was such that the
world hears with wonder and admiration the
story Of their deeds. When Reynolds pushed
his single corps out on the Chamhersburg
road, as brcnkwater to restrain the waves
Of Confederate invasion, he trusted the men
who followed his banners to be as bold aud
brave us himself; and when Sicliles advanced
his column to the debatable position on the
Emmltsburs road-a position of which both
armies stood in need und one the confctl-
crates were hastening to seiZc-solated and
exposed as he was and enveloped 10y superior
numbers, lie asked great things of his men
when he callc'! upon them to stand to their col
ors through such lcrisis And SO it was over all
that field and in every contest, men fought
rs they had never fought before and for the
simple reason that such desperate work had
never before been required of them. Gen.
John c. Robinson, n division leader in tho
First corps uteynolds), says that thei;ghting
of his men during the short time they were
engaged at close quarters-a couple of hours
wills the Scverest that lie ever witnessed,
He spoke, too, from an experience of three
Years in The Army of the Potomac, from the
FIRST Bull Run to the Wilderness.
RALLYING ON TIE FLAG.
The Iron brigade, under Meredith, with
Cutters brigade Of the same division, opened
the infantry battle on the Union side. Mere
di,h led his nn':l in to the support Of Cutter,
and while passing their commander, Gen.
Doubleday. who was secont. in command to
Revnotls. he told thnm to hold their ground
Ill grove on the hank Of Wiiloughbv Run
at ;tll hazards The response To this call was:
''1f We can. do it, where will You find the
mcn who cam: AS they entered the grove
from one edge the Confcderatcs of Hcth's
division came filing in from the opposite side,
having forced their way over the stream on
the flank of Cutters line. One vollcv from
the Iron l,ri .atlr staggered the men in gray,
for they hal been told that they would meet
only raw militia on the road to Gettysburg.
But when the smoke cleared away from
Meredith, line they saw familiar sight and
exclaimed:
'Taint the militia, neither. It's the
Army Of the Potomac. There's the black
hated fellows again.
Col. Morrow, of the Twenty-fourth s1ichi-
gan, III his official report tells a story as
strange rs any romance. After reforming
his lines twice and making desperate resist
ance. he was compelled to fall back to third
line. and hero the third color bearer Of tho
regiment was killed There were not above
one-fourth of his men in the line now, and
one of the color guard was ordered to
''plant the culorS.' 1t was DONE and the
brave fellow fell beside the upright staff
Morrow no"' seized the standard and waved
it to rally his remnant, and Private Kelly, of
Company b. rushed to him, aud said: The
colonel of the Twenty-fourth shall never
carry the flag while am alive" He gr;lsl,ed
the staff and tell instantly under sharp
shooters bullet. Private 5pauldng next
took the flag, and Morrow signaled his men
to rally around it, but was soon wounded
himself and borne from the scene. At last
there We're only lifeless hands to hold the
staff. and 50 the colors Of the Twenty fourth
We're found ut the barricade. where the last
stand of the line was made preparatory to
the retreat from Oak Ridge to Cemetery
Hill. \ dying soldier had chung to tl4c.i and
dragged himself back until he could 90 10
further. and there lie delivered them to his
Own tDlllliulc lu)l i-'lWdTHS. Oll LIlS 1lCIi
the deeds of hcroism were numbcrless, and
no one regiment or brigade can be singled
out for an example. The record of the Iron
brigade, as inscribed on the monument of the
Ninetee:.ti. Indiana erected on this field,
shows loss nf / .ol2 men out of ,hS3 that ell
tered the fight
Cutters brigade lost 975 men. One of the
regiments here was the Fourteenth BROOKLYN
the Confederates began To advance down Oak
Ridge Oh the flank of the line formed along
the run iii McPher,,n's woods. this regiment
charged n sweep Of over quarter nj mile,
and aft.rward swung III at one e,.I Of the
railrcs.d cut, heading off Davis mississippi
bris;ul- and capturing nearly the whole roln-
rand. The story Of all the.e regiments is
not told III the Losses, heavy though they
We're. The glory lies in the work they did,
bravc!v contcstins the ground inch by Inch,
and keeping at it aftc: every second man in
the ranks had fallen. Finally they retrcatcd,
when ordered to do so, with their faces to the
enemy, and they fought for the roadway back
to the heights.
FIGHTING IN RETREAT.
When the retreat was determined upon,
Capt. Halls Second Maine battery was in
structed to hold u knoll on Seminary Ridge
fifteen minutes. He lad to face infantry
and artillery fire to do So, and 81 inletuous
We're the enemy that they came on with bare
bayonets. But yet Hall did not yield. With
graIe annl canister he raked their lines un-
til the dead bodies IF the fallen became ram
parts behind which the living found shelter.
Finally, there was not time TO load: the Con-
federates came OIL with clubhel mrlskets and
the Maine men beat them back with stones
and gun hammers, even with their fists