The Washington bee., 1889-06-01
THE COLORED TROOPS AT
PETERSBURG.

Uuo UAtlSlou COumduuCI gave us
the order and we moved into the
covered-way, my brigade following
Sigfried's. .This was about 6 A. M.
For an hour or more we lay here
inactive, the musketry growing
quicker and sharper all the time.
A cannonading opened. We sat
down at first, resting against the
walls of the covered-way. Soon, how
ever, we had TO stand to make
room for the constantly increasing
throng of wounded who were being
brought past US to the rear. Some
few, with fesh.wounds merely,
greeted us with such joculsrlarity
as 81 am alright boys!" This is
good for thirty days sick-leaVe !"
Others were plucky and silent,
their pinched faces telling the eff
fort they were making to suppress
their groans others. with the ashly
hue of death already gathering On
their faces, were largely past pain.
Many, out of their senses through
agony, were moaning or believing
like wild beasts. We stood their
over an hour with this endless pro
cession of wounded men passing.
There could be no greatr strain on
the nerves. Every moment changed
the condition from that of for
lorn hope to one of forlorn hopeless
ness. Unable to strike blow, We
were sickened with the con-
temptation of revolving forms of
death and mutilatiOn.
Finally. about Z 80 A M, we got
the order for the colored division to
charge. My brigade followed sig
fried's at the double.quick. Arrived
at the crater, part of the first bri-
gade entered. The crater was al
ready too full; that could easily
see. 1 swung my column to the
right and charged over the enemy's
rihe-pits connecting with the era
ter on our right. These pits were
different from any in our lines-a
labyrinth of bomb-proofs and mag.
azines, with passages between.
My brigade moved gallantly on
right over the bomb.proofs and
over the men of the First Diyi.
sion. AS we mounted the pits, a
deadly enilade from eight guns Oh
our right, and murderous cross
fire of musketry deicmated US.
Among the officers, the first to fall
was the gallant Fessenden of the
23d regiment. Ayres and Wood
ruff of the 31st dropped, killed with
in a few yards of Fessenden. Lis
comb of the 23d then fell to rise no
more; and then Hackiser of the 2Sth,
and Flint and Aiken of the 29th.
Major lockwood of the 10Th
then mounted the crest and fell
back dead, with a cheer on his lips.
Nor we're these all; for at that time
hundreds of heroes "carved in eb-
ony" fell. These black men COM
manded the admiration and re-
spect of every beholder on that
day.
the most advantageous point for
the purpose, about eight hundred
feet from the crater, having been
reached, we leaped from the works
and endeavored to make a rush for
thecrest. Captain MarshallL. Demp-
cy, and Lieutenant Christopher
Pennell, of my staff and four white
orderlies with the brigade guidon
accompanied me, closely followed
by Lieutenant. Colonel Ross, lead.
ing the 31st regiment. At the in
stant of leaving the works Ross
was shot down; the next officer in
rank, Captain Wright, was shot as
he stopped over him. The men
we're largely without leaders, and
their organization was destroyed.
Two ofmy four oderlies were wound
ed; one, flag in hand; tue remain
ing two sought shelter when Lieu
tenant Pennell, rescuing the gui.
don, hastened down the line out
side the pits. With his sword up
Lifted In his right hand and the
banner in his left, he sought to
call out the men along the whole
line OF the parapet. In moment,
a musketry fire was focused upon
him individually whirling him round
and round several, times before he
fell. Of commanding figure, his
bravery was so conspicuous, &C
cording to Colonel Yields testimo-
ny, number of his (Weld's) men
were shot becauses pell-bonnd, they
forgot their own shelter in watch
ing this superb boy, who was an
only child of an old Massacbus-
sets clergyman, and to me as JON
athan was to David. Two days
later, on a flag of truce, l searched
for his body in vain. He was
doubtless shot literally to pieces,
for the leaden hail poured for
long time almost necessarily about
that spot, killing the wounded and
4. y