The Portland daily press., 1889-10-09
ESTABLISHED JUNE %, 1see-voL. ss.

| the battle, explained briefly and modesty
| the gallant and conspicuous service OF the
regiment that day. General Tilden did not
tell the thrilling story So a9 ~ as ~ snoolo De
for the details given by officers and men who
participated.
The Sixteenth Maine belonged to Pauls
Brigade of Robinson's Division of Reynolds
| First Corps. The Sixteenth was at Chan
cellorsville, but not engaged. The march up
| to Gettysburg was begun about the middle Of
June for White Oak Church In Virginia, near
the Rappahanock. They moved to Bealton
| Station and Bristow Station, following the
Orange and Alexandria railroad to Centre
| Vile Heights. By the Goth of June the regi-
ment was at Middletcwn, Maryland. Here
! It was placed ON picket until about o'clock
| Of the afternoon Of June 9th. ~he army of
the Potomac had then begun to move north
In earnest: and the night of the 9th, immed-
ately after being withdrawn from picket, the
Sixteenth began the hardest forced march
that 1t had ever, up to that time, made: AS
| it pressed north through the damp and foggy
night, many Of the men fell down IN their
tracks on the halts for rest. That night the
men went at least thirty miles; and at day
break were almost to the Pennsylvania line.
Without any delay at daybreak except for
slight breakfast, the Regiment pushed into
Pennsylvania, arriving at Emmettsburg
about O'Clock that afternoon, the 28th Of
June; In that march of about twenty hours
S'aeSShth hdu uldkCutu dL ltdSI 80 niles.
They had done that with all arms aud accou-
trements, over roads somewhat muddy, and
crowded with the columns o. the division.
Capt. j. 0. Lord, now OF Biddeford, says
That ina corporal of Company, K, who weighed
his load MISUNDERSTANDING, at the end of the
forced march, found 1t to weigh so pounds.
Most OF the other men of course, had cast
away enough of their equipments to make
their loads less than this. The night of the
28th the regiment remained at Emmetsburg;
and tho nQyt mnruin0 mOyp0 tn Marsh Rnu.
about two miles from Emmettsburg aud six
| from Gettysburg. Here the regiment en-
camped until the morning of July 1st, getting
rested for the battle.
present about 275 men and officers. Col.
| Charles w. Tilden commanded, with Capt.
). Clifford Belcher acting as major. The
men came from all parts of Maine. Col.
Pennington, Capt. ]. o. Lord from Bidde-
ford, Searpeant Luther Bradford from Tur-
ner. A. W. McGausland from Gardi,
these were at the dedication this year. All
the men OF the regiment were veterans of the
Army of the Potomac. The 275 men and
officers were the survivors in the service of
1000 strong, who mad left Maine Aug. 10,
1862.
All the long march up the men had known
that Lee was on the other side of the noun
tains. moving north. Through every gap
had come reports Of the rebel march. aud
through the rank and file the feeling had be-
come generally disseminated that it was a
grand race for Harrisburg and the North,
and that great battle would be the cumi-
nation. Before the Sixteenth had gone far
on that morning of July LIST, the sounds of
Buford's battle and orders TO hasten the
march, gave notice that the time had come.
About mile below Gettysburg, on the EN-
mettsburg road, the regiment turned off at
the left. at what is known as the Codori
HOnsp and marchad dirQQtly thQ
| fields to the Seminary, which is about half
mile directly west of the village, BIZ
| ford's men and Wadsworth's division were
fighting about three-fourths OF mile fur
| Their west. The Seminary Is upon a slight
ridge Marching up, the Sixteenth threw up
| breastwork in the oak covered campus of
| the Seminary. These breastworks faced
about west southwest. This was about 10
| cher. Gen. Tilden thinks this is about cor
rect. About noon the Sixteenth, having as
| yet seen no fighting, but having heard of the
| death of Reynolds, was ordered TO move.
| They started about northwest, up over the
North and South ridge, on which the Semi
nary stands, and, after going about quarter
| of mile, found themselves, about 6 O'clock.
| on the west side of the ridge, and in full
| view Of the enemy. The Sixteenth's division
(the second( was RELYING Wadsworth's first
| division, which had been sustaining very
| unequal contest all the forenoon. In this
| position the Sixteenth fought about two
hours. according to Maj. Belcher. Col. Til
| den thinks it was about three hours and the
| monument 50 indicates. In this position the
| left of the regiment was facing nearly west,
| while the right facing about northwesterly,
was sweryed towards the rear to meet a bat
terry fire upon the hill to the northwest The
regiment had brought into this position 275
officers and men. and its line of battle ex
tended about 450 feet Here the regiment
| lost most of its killed, Capt. Whitehouse,
of X Company, being killed instantly here,
| nd Gan Waldrnn of | (,QmnanV lplnp
| wounded. COL Tilden's horse was shot un-
| der him here.
After fighting here, the men were ordered
to move to the right, and to the Munmas-
| burg road The order on which this move
lnent was made is one of the great historic
| orders OF the battle. Gen. Robinson, of the
| Second Division sent it by Lieut.. Knaggs,
Of his staff In a few moments Gen. Robin
| der to Col. Tilden. Col. Tilden had stated
| to him the strength Of the enemy who were
moving up In front and flank, and expressed
| the opinion that it would be impossible to
directed him TO 'hold the position at any
cost" Col. Tilden turning to his brother
| officer, said: "You know what that
MEANS" and Immediately gave the order to
| take the position.
Ia this position, the regiment faced the
| Johannesburg road, looking northeasterly
| AS the Sixteenth stood in line, the rebel
battle line that they had been lighting all
the forenoon, was in a position to fire into
| their rear. Then no sooner had the Six
| teenth got into position, than, looking across
| the low ground which stretches for about a
| mile northeast of the line of the Johannesburg
| road they saw heavy column of the enemy,
| thew were EwelPs men, moving across the
| low land in front. At the time the Sixteenth
| saw the rest of the Division, the Second of
| the First Corps retiring TO Gettysburg.
| Every man in the ranks then understood
| what was expected of the regiment. The
/ lo..t roI. 81 hat No N a raar
| with the heavy rebel column now advanced
| across the entire front, formed huge pair
1 of shears which was even then closing upon
| the regiment. The rest of the Division were
| getting out of reach of the terrible blades;
| there was yet time for the Sixteenth to es-
/ cape, and every man knew IT, But General
/ Robinson's order was Hold this position at
| any cost" and Col. Tilden, now dismolnted,
| his horse not having been replaced, confident
| of the bravery Of his men lad determined to
carry it out. The rebel lines were probably
| about 20 minutes or half on hour, no one in
that line measured time in that fearful
momentum closing In on the Sixteenth
They come on steadily, hardly impeded at all
by the constant fire OF the little forlorn hope.
At the end of this tine the apex of the angle
| formed by the two closing lines of the rebels
| came so near that the Sixteenth retired
short distance to the railroad. They were
| moving back from the cutting point of the
shear blades; but at the railroad the TWO
| blades closed upon them. Ewelps
| line came up on one side and HllPs on
| the other so nearly simultaneously
| that both sides claimed the prisoners.
| Major s. c. Belcher, who was acting
as mayor, and commanded one part of the
line til at was in the railroad cut as the shears
closed. says that men appeared on one
side OF the cut and on the other at the
same time. Both lines commanded the regi-
ment to come up as prisoners. saying: "Come
up here you damned Yankees" 1t was
dilemma to know which way to go, both
lines being avaricious for the prisoners, but
this part of the Sixteenth decided TO go up
on the left hand side. where they were taken
in, At Col Tilden's end of the line, the
prisoners were claimed by EwelPs men. A
tall Alabama skirmisher. seeing Col. Tilden
with his sword drawn. drew up his musket
and shouted at distance Of not over 40 feet
Throw down that sword or l will blow
your brains out" Col. Tilden stuck the
sword in the ground, and went to the rebel
rear. As an evidence Of the spirit which
animated the soldiers of the 10Th. it is worth
mentioning that few men of the Sixteenth
who were not captured in this fight, found
Colonel Francis K. Heath's Nineteenth
Maine regiment and, joining it, fought with
1t in the second and third days battles. Had
they been towards their excuse for going to
the rear would have been ample. There had
been brief period, perhaps five minutes,
before the rebels appeared on the bank above
| kho <,,t tn, fbaf fina the hlup state f1au Of