The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-12-27
FAIR OAKS.
Charee of the q \. i. ExceIsior.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE Greeley, in
his American Conflict" in speaking of the
Fair Oaks (Va.) fight, May 81 and June ! 1862,
says that ION Sunday morning, June 1, there
was nothing but scattering fire at different
places along the lines and nothing accom-
plshed by either side.R Other historians are
guilty Of the same mistake. Therefore 1 write
you.
The Second Brigade Second Division, Third
Corps, was at the time of which l write. and
in fact till the Third Corps was broken up in
1864, composed Of the five Excelsior regiments,
and was called the SiGkles Excelsior Brigade.
They were numbered the 1st, I'd, Sd, 4th and
5th Excelsiors; they were the 10th, list, 72d,
I'D and 74th N. Y, but IL September the l20th
N Y Joined the brigade. Gen. Daniel L.
Sickles was the brigade commander, until he
was promoted to command the Second Division
and later the Third Corps. The writer COM
manded Springfield rifed musket as private
in Co. K, ID Excelsior
We crossed the Chickahominy in May, 1862,
and eamped on the Richmond side in the vi
entity of Bottoms Bridge. On Saturday, the last
day of May, we could hear heavy artillery firing
toward Richmond, and your humble servant
put on clean shirt in order to present spruce
appearance should we call on the Johnnies and
it stayed there till some time in September
except at short intervals, when it would be
taken Off turned inside out with care, and
again donned with all live tenants left out to
face the world and all enemies till they could
again take up quarters on the other side.
think it was about o'clock D. m. when we
started toward the front. / had been on the
sick list, and the march was very fatiguing to
me; but it was the last time 1 was OH the sick
list for couple of years. The marching was
bad-n mud sometimes nearly knee deep.
| Toward night we began to meet the wounded,
who were being brought to the rear. Among
others | remember Col. Van Wyc6, the COM
&
leading him he was wounded in the head l
think it was growing dark when we reached
the battlefield, and the battle had ceased for
the day. We were on ridge in open fields,
Just north of or to the right of the road known
as the Richmond and Williamsburg pike.
! There we rested for the night. At daybreak
| Sunday morning, June l, the picket-fring
commenced just below US at the foot of the
| ridge on which we were and at the edge of the
woods. We at once fell in and moved south
ward toward the pike, which we crossed AS
my company was climbing the fence our First
! Lieutenant was mOTtally wounded. We now
| moved down toward the woods, but parallel with
| the pike, short distance and then came right
| by files into line along the south fence of the
! road. We were square across their right flank,
and they soon broke aud ran out of the woods
| toward Richmond. While all this was going
on another body of rebels, said to be division,
advanced through the slashing and woods south
of the pike, aud had we remained much longer
! in the position we then occupied we would
have been caught ON eur left flank as we had
just caught the enemy on the right flank.
As soon as the enemy were discovered a Skin
mish-line was thrown cut to face them, and the
regiment moved by the left flank in column of
tours, file left, till we had got the proper dis
lance, when we right-fianked thus bringing
US in line of battle again and as our skirmish-
ers came running in, we received the order to
charge. By this time the rebels were in pretty
heavy force at the edge of the woods. We re-
| ceiyed the praise from the commander of the
army of making the finest charge of modern
times. However that may be- the enemy
broke and fled before we could close with them.
Whether they became panic stricken or their
officers caused their hasty retreat l don't
know, but in either case the fact remains that
they were afraid to meet Us with the bayOnet.
We were not permitted to pursue them, as we
were very DESTROYS ofdOing
The enemy Tetreated out of the wood and
across the open space, where there was good
line of breastworks behind which they could
have very easily rallied and made a good fight
if they had chosen to do SO; but they ran right
on and plunged into the woods beyond My
impression was then that if we had been com
manded by an able, energetic man we would
have run them into Richmond on one side and
out at the other side. ! have never had any
reason to change my opinion of the matter.
amongst tn6 tfuplleSU u tue charge was q COACH
and four which had come down from Rich
mond with gang of young sprigs of F. f. VS.
to see US driven into the ChickahomiDy, but as
the driving was the other way they got taken
in, for we captured them.
An old small house stood partially to the
right and rear of US as we charged. Some rebel
sharpshoOters were stationed in the house
They began firing at our officers. think Gen
Sickles was their principal target, but he wa:
not hit. He gave orders to capture them, and
l think there were five or six of them.
l feel positive if we had hesitated or wavered
it would have encouraged the rebels and the
result would have been severe and prolonged
battle without any decisive results. Our
quick, positive movement seemed to democrat.
ize them and saved US from severe loss. What
the other regiments of the brigade were doing
] don't know; / only speak for the gloriou,
old I'd Excelsior. The men of other commands
know what part they took in the battle and
can tell it much better than can, and to them
/ leave the task
1 understand it was the order to charge that
day all along the line, and l believe in eacl
case the enemy refused to stand bayone
charges.-M0RRIs EDWARDS, Co. K, I'd Reg't
Excelsior Brigade, Saugerties N. Y