The Portland daily press., 1889-10-09

Occupltu Ny tne FlrSI maiuc SaFahy IL VIZ
| fight with Stuart's Confederate Cavalry As
| the position OF the First Maine Cavalry il
approached monuments begin to become
frequent again, beside the road, on the knobs
across the fields, and one, large stone sur.
mounted by horses head, is conspicuous in
a small front yard under the windows of a
modest dwelling. 1t probably took many
more dollars to build the monument than the
house. All these monuments are of cavalry
regiments engaged in the fight with Stuart
None Is more attractive or artistic than the
First Names. Beside the road rises a huge
block of Maine granite, from its face stand
lag out In almost life size horse and cavalry
man preparing to mount. Below is the
inscription:
the First Maine Cavalry ON this battlefield, July
Sd, 1868, Col. G. ii. smith commanding
Third Brigade, Second Division, Cavalry Corps
On the reverse face are the Inscriptions:
Mddetown, Winchester. Cedar Mountain
Second Bull Run; South Mountain, Antietam
Fredericksburg, Rappahanock Station, Brandy
Station, Aide, Middleburg, Upperville, Gettys-
Fortfdcatloa Of Rie6mond oa Church. Ground Had
SQUIRREL Oh lrch Todd's Tavern, Howes Shop,
Cold Harbor. Irewjlian Station, st. Marys
Farm, Boydton Road, Bellehed Hatcher Run.
Dinwiddie Court House, Sailors Creek High
Bridge, Farmvile, Appomattux Court House.
Number enrolled, 1926. Killed in action, 1O1 ;
Died in prison, 1875.
At this monument dedicatory services were
held, General G. ii. Smith delivering the ad-
dress, and Lieutenant Edward p. Tobie the
poem, both of which follow:
GENERAL SMITHS ADDRESS.
Comrades and Felto,c, Citizens:
Gettysburg claims only quarter OF GEN.
fury of the past, but all future generations
will make pilgrimages to it aud pay it hon.
age.
Twenty-slx years ago OH this field great
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. No more important questions
affecting human freedom and popular govern
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 a day,
but it takes years to correctly read 1t. 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
itself yea, monumented mOnument-im-
mortal in history. Yonder shaft marks
where Gregg, remote from support and
charged with responsibility that seldom falls
npon subordinate in battle, defended this
Thermopyl@ of the battlefield. Every monu-
ment is revelation
1t may now be properly asked, What does
this monument to the First Maine Cavalry
reveal? The answer, if confined to its opera
tions upon this battle field, would,be unher0ic
and uneventful, as follows: The regiment
greatly reduced in numbers by casualties and
unusually hard service, arrived here July 2,
and bivouacked that night somewhere In
yonder fields Coward cemetery RIDGE; July
3, it remained inactive for the most part, I'M
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 yonder was at its height !;
the field was all astlr 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
pointed to a force of the enemy In
the distance, moving to our right, and
der Glow Dutch) road and take care of it, =
adding at the same time that he would send
another regiment to report to its commander.
The regiment started at once, but before 1t
reached the enemy or got any chance to- do
the work assigned to it, the crisis of the bat
tie was passed and the enemy began to 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 nneyentful part indeed;
But the Gettysburg Of the First Maine
Cavalry really began at Brandy Station,
June 8, and ended at Shepardstown, July. 10,
period of one month and seven days. dur
ing which, it 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. lnas-
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.
At Brandy Station, Wyndham's Brigade
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. Kipatrick'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 fours, making Its way
along narrow road: It came out OF the
open plain, at fast gait. 1t then formed
companies at a gallop, and, drawing sabres
at the same time, crossed that plain WIFI
well preserved ranks, amidst the confusion
of defeated troops and in the face OF artillery
well posted and vigorously served. II
reached and crossed the railroad with un
diminished speed, and struck and dispersed
in tits course, a 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 1.-The dis
mounted forces in rear, 1t enveloped or rode
| over the guns of the artillery and left then
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 (n0 longer
containing the First Maine Cavalry met the
enemy at Aide. and after hotly contested
battle was beaten aud 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
aud routed the enemy, as 1t did at Brandy
| Station. 1t charged on with great effect and
| great sacrifices too, nearly mile beyond, thu
guns It had rescued. drove the enemy from
| the field, and saved the battle OF Aide.
June 10Th at Middleburg, the regiment bort
| the brunt of the battle aud by hard fighting
| and heavy losses, defeated larger force OF
| the enemy and again won the day.
| June 21st. our cavalry advanced from
| Middleburg to Upp rryille and easily drove
| the enemy to that place. AT Upperville
| however, the enemy made a bold stand, and
| successfully resisted two attempts on the
| part OF some of sur cavalry to drive hin
| further. The first Maine Cavalry was ther
| singled out to charge the enemy ltpr0mptly
| formed for the task, and at the same tim,
| received the following orders: "Charge int
| the town, drive out the enemy aud get beyond
| it if possible" AS the regiments, compact
| swift and irresistible, and enveloped in can
| mons smoke, disappeared In the village, Kill
| patrick In his enthusiasm exclaimed, "Thost
Maine men would charge straight into hell i
| ordered to-"
After Upperville, the regiment participated
| in forced marches through Maryland anC
| this great State of Pennsylvania, and arrived
| here July End. The modest part it took il
the great battle here, has already been ex
| planned. After the battle, the regimen
| Joined In the pursuit, but did not get a chanc
| to engage the enemy until it arrived at Hall
| town, south of the Potomac, July Is, wher
| it had an important skirmish, protecting tn
| flank of our column. The next day, how
| ever, July 10th, at Shepardstown, 1t made vi
in full measure for its lack of opportunit
here. by fighting the enemy from mid-da
until dark, in one of the hardest contests
battles it was ever engaged in. That fgh
terminated the Gettysburg campaign. and |
is not necessary here to pursue the history o
the regiment any further, in detail.
| put In aanpaafiOn with ha fnra0oinO ON