The Portland daily press., 1889-10-04
MORNING, OCTOBER A.

AINE, FRlDA1 MORNING,
ao habind stone wall at the right
tne pItsa9Pe Ponnd Top where 1t remained dnr.
IN ine nlSs the terrible cannonade preceding Pick
cts cnatgf dmaf Of an October day reign, on
Inc que. q I'D y, II is difficult to realisa tHn o
teTrors of that July night & 20 n years aso. Here |
.rn tbe St.ep ascents. the huge bouders and
the sturdy oaks. but tne uaSngss Sgii Of night,
ce os re and the singing bullets are mis-
sing. o,,,.
areot anprehensions and nervousnsss
Ono cnmfade. whose courage mas been tested |
on many battle fields, says ne uoes not know |
W. wnas nvcite6 to look at his watch as he wouId
Snye Svv dane had he understood what kind of
history we were making then. Another
comrade. who has breyets and medals to
prove his bravery, AYERS tnae aaer ne was never
colonel confesses that he was mot little
nervous and apprehenslve. -,
nosition was carried and held by our troops
during the remainder Oh tnS pattle. The
ed In close proximity, to hold it when occu-
pied, or attempt its subsequent capture, is
one of the many mistakes wnlch have been
apparent in all military operations Col.
William G. Oates. who commhanaed a the 10Th
Little Round Top, In his account Of the bat
tie. claims that Round Top, which is 116 feet
higher and only 1000 yards distant from Lit
tie Round Top, was the more Important po-
sition of the two; that If Gen. Longstreet
had crowded Round Top with his artillery
any time on the afternoon OF the End, even
though it had been only supported by the
two Alabama regiments, who had possession
Of it till sunset, he would have won the
battle
Gen. G. II. Smith was the speaker of the
day for the veterans Of the First Cavalry.
He spoke as follows:
Cen. Smiths Address.
Comrades and Felloc. Citizens:
Gettysburg claims only quarter Of GEN.
tury of the past, but all future generations
will make pilgrimages to 1t and pay 1t hom-
age.
questions of human freedom, civil rights, the
integrity Of the domain of our unequaled
country, and the preservation and maintain
ance of our unrivaled representative govern
ment, were practically decided, settled and
established establish No more important questions
ment were ever determined on the battlefield.
Gettysburg, therefore, the crisis Of the war,
the Saratoga of the rebellion. has become the
theme of orators and is and will be the text of
historians. History was made here In day,
but it takes years to correctly read It, The
historian must have material assistance as
well as mental intuition, and these monu-
ments, their emblems and legends, that
mournfully decorate this great battlefield
from front to rear, from flank to flank, will
become his interpreters. YOn distant front
where the first corps fought and the gifted
Reynolds fell, is appropriately marked: The
peach orchard" and the wheat field" have
their monumental metes and bounds. The
array of marble, granite and bronze on ceme-
terry ridge is typical of the unfaltering men
who defended it. Yonder Round Top, where
Chamberlain and his devoted followers, God
bless them, did heroic work, is monument
mortal in history. Yonder shaft marks
where Gregg, remote from support and
charged with responsibility that seldom falls
npon subordinate in battle, defended this
Thermopyl9 of the battlefield. Every monu-
ment is revelation.
1t may now be properly asked, What does
this monument to the First Maine Cavalry
reveal2 The answer, If confined to its opera
tions upon this battle field, would,be unheroc
and uneventful, as follows: The regiment
greatly reduced in numbers by casualties and
unusually hard service, arrived here July 2,
and blvouacked that night somewhere in
y0nder fields Coward cemetery ridge; July
3, it remained inactive for the most part, un-
til the deafening roar of cannon began to
shake the earth. 1t was then summoned in
haste to this locality. and it came quickly.
The cavalry battle y0nder was at its height;
the field was all astir with contending forces
and the artillery was in full play. The
Division Commander, General Gregg, who
was evidently expecting its arrival, met the
regiment near this place; He hastily
the distance, moving to our right, and
directed the regiment to proceed on yon-
der Low DutcnJ ROAD anu laKe care OIL IL,
ADDING AT tile same time that he would send
another regiment to report to its commander
The regiment started at once, but before it
reached the enemy or got any cnance TO do
the work assigned to 1t, the crisis OF the bat
tie was passed and the enemy began 10 re-
tire. A little skirmishing with the enemy
later constitutes nearly all the active part
taken by the regiment in that great battle;
an unheroic and uneventful part indeed:
But the Gettysburg of the First Maine
Cavalry really began at Brandy Station,
June 9, and ended at Shepardstown, July 16,
period Of one month and seven days, dur
ing which, 1t was engaged In seven battles.
Brandy Station was the opening battle of
the Gettysburg campaign. and Shepardstown
was the last one of the series, and the First
Maine Cavalry took part in them all luas-
much, therefore, as its opportunities on this
field were so limited, shall take the liberty
of referring briefly to its services on other
fields during that campaign.
had the advance and was first to attack the
enemy. and after gallant fight. was defeated
at every point and some OF his guns were
captured. Kilpatrick's brigade followed
Wyndnam's The Tenth and Second New
York Cavalry, in the order named, preceded
the First Maine and were successfully beaten
and driven back. The First Maine was in
the rear in column of f0urs, making its way
along narrow road. 1t came out OF the
open plain, at q fast gait 1t then formed
companies at a gallop, and, drawing sabres
at the same time, crossed that plain with
well preserved ranks, amidst the confusion
Of defeated troops and in the face OF artillery
well posted and vigorously served. 1t
reached and crossed the railroad with un-
diminished speed. and struck and dispersed
In tits course, mounted column OF the
| enemy. In less time than l can tell 1t,
the regiment encountered and destroyed
mounted forces, dismounted forces, and
artillery. 1t drove the mounted forces
| helter-skelter, it rode over and left the dis
mounted forces In rear, 1t enveloped or rode
over the guns of the artillery and left them
| silent, and thus destroyed the last organized
| force of the enemy on that part Of the field.
| That charge, considering the size Of the
| force that made it. the surrounding circum-
stances, the distance covered, the resistance
| encountered and overcome, and the results
achieved. has seldom been excelled by other
| cavalry charges in the history OF the world.
| June 18th. Kilpatrick's brigade (nO longer
| containing the First Maine Cavalry met the
| enemy at AlQle. ana a1ter h0tly contested
battle was beaten and routed. His guns
were in imminent danger of being captured.
| The First Maine Cavalry, by its timely ar
rival, was able to charge the enemy and save
the guns from capture. 1t also broke, turned
and routed the enemy, as it did at Brandy
| Station. 1t charged on with great effect and
| great sacrifices too, nearly mile beyond, the
guns it had rescued, drove the enemy from
the field. and saved the battle of Aldie.
June 18th at Middleburg, the regiment bore
the brunt of the battle and by hard fighting
| aud heavy losses, defeated larger forcs of
the enemy and again won the day.
June 2lst. our cavalry advanced from
Middleburg to Upp,ryille and easily drove
| the enemy to that place. At Upperville,
however, the enemy made bold stand. and
successfully resisted two attempts on the
part of some of sur cavalry. to drive him
further. The first Maine Cavalry was then
singled out to charge the enemy. ltpromptly
formed for the task, and at the same time
received the follow ing orders charge into
the town, drive out the enemy and get beyond
| it ii possible" AS the regiments, compact,
swift and irresistible, and enyeloped in can
mons smoke, disappeared in the village, Kill
| patrick In his enthusiasm exc laimed, Those
Maine men would charge straight Into hell II
| Ordarad N ~