The Portland daily press., 1889-10-09
Fourth Maine.

Fourth Maine.
From the Wheat Field it is not long dis
lance to the DEVILS Den, most remarkable
amphitheatre at the foot OF Round Top. on
the northwest side. An ancient would have
explained the collection of tremendous boul-
ders in this amphitheatre on the superstition
that the gods. at some time disguised with the
actors in the arena had collected all the big
rocks In Pennsylvania and hurled them down
on the luckless contestants. A boulder
nearly as large as railway car could proba-
ply be found easily In the great and reckless
ly disposed collection in DEVILS Den. 1t
must have been most awful place for a
battle of puny men amid these great rocks
but men did fight there, for perched on one
big boulder Is granite obelisk, which tells
the wondering passer by. that the Fourth
Maine Infantry, OF the Third Corps, First
Division, Second Brigade, fought here July
I'd, 1868. and that the State Of Maine erected
the 0belisk in remembrance of the % killed,
SO wounded aud SO missing after that battle.
Col. Elijah Walker, who commanded the
Fourth, was not present. and the company
were disappointed In not having his story Of
the battle.
Twentieth Maine.
Above the DEVILS Den is Little Round
Top, towering 800 or 400 feet. 1t was up
there that the Twentieth Maine fought, and
| today survivors Of that regiment are to hold
their reunion there, and at their other posi-
| ton on Round Top proper. So, after a
luncheon at pavilion near by, the Maine
visitors 60 up to the position held by the
Twentieth. Up here on Round Top, as well
as among the b0ulders of Devils Den, are
many monuments erected by various States
and organizations. One more conspicuous
than the others Is the bronze figure of an
officer, heroic in size, who stands on huge
bou. der on the face Of the hill, whence he
can scan the country far and wide, to the
faint Blue Ridge to the north. This is the
statue of General Warren, representing him
as he stood there on the second day OF the
battle and discovered the CLINT of the rifles
Of Longstreets columns as they filed through
the distant woods on their way to take Round
Top. Warren was alone on Little Round
Top, save for few signal officers; but he at
once summoned help, and saved this highly
| important position. The Twentieth Maine
was one Of the regiments that he summonedi
and If we cross the brow of Little Round
| Top towards the dark wooded valley that
separates it from Big Round Top, we shall
| find plain monument with this inscription
Here the Twentieth Maine Regiment, Col. J. L.
Chamberlain commanding, forming the extreme
left of The national line VI battle the I'd day Of
July. 1868. repalsed the attack Of the extreme
capturing 308 prisoners. The regiment lost SO
killed and MORALLY wounded. and 90 wounded,
out OF 356 engaged.
This monument, erected by the survivors Of the
regiment, A d. 1885, marks very nearly the spot
where the colors stood,
On the other side, around the Maltese Cross
| Of the Fifth Corps, are inscribed:
sd Brigade 2o'h Maine' First Division.
On the other two sides is the roll of name,
| Of those who persisted here.
Mayor H. S. Melcher. as president
OF the Twentieth Maine, called the as.
sembled veterans and friends together on
Little Round top first, who there listened 10
a long and critically prepared article on
the battle ON this spot, written by Howard
l.. Prince, of Washington, ID. c.. veteran
Of the regiment.
HOWARD L. PRINCES ADDRESS.
Mr.. Prince, after giving an explanation of
the movements Of the regiment, preliminary
to its advance on Round Top with the other
regiments of Vincent's Brigade, on the sec
forest was reached, Col. Vincent, answering
the call of Warren, under the orders Of Gen.
Sykes, turned the head Of the column sharp
ly to the left, and, striking the Millerstown
the mountain slope of Round Top. thence
passed under the shoulder of the hill on its
eastern side, until 1t reached the point where
Col. Vincent had directed it to form, in or
der to hold the space on its southern and
western face against the onset of Hoods
division, SO soon to burst upon it. The
Forty-fourth New York was placed on the
right of the line, the Sixteenth Michigan,
the Eghty-third Pennsylvania and the
Twentieth Maine on the left, that being the
order of the march for the day, but, for
some reason, the Sixteenth Michigan was
shifted to the right of the brigade.
The two right regiments were placed some
what below the brow of the hill, on its
western slope, facing the DEVILS Den and
the gorge of Plum Run, while the Eighty
third Pennsylvania filed the semi-circular
bend of the escarpment. as 1t doubles back
to face the loftier summit of Round Top,
and the Twentieth Maine prolonged the
line, facing generally towards the higher
mountain, and looking down into the COM
paratively open and smooth depression be-
tween the submits, filled with scattered
trees and spare underbrush, through which,
to the left, could be seen the CLINT of the
sunshine upon open fields beyond the noun
tain slupe. Still farther to the left and rear
of the general line OF the Eighty-third Penn.
sylyania and Twentieth Maine prolonged.
the ground falls of more sharply, and is
| filled with huge b0ulders. On this line Col.
Chamberlain brings the regiment into place,
| 'on the right by tle into line, that the flank
nearest the enemy may be first firmly plant
| ed; and receives from Col. Vincent his last
| orders to hold this ground at all hazards
Each regiment threw out skirmish.
| ers, Company Il Capt. Morrill, being ordered
| to extend the left flank Of the regiment
| across the low ground and cover the front
| and exposed flank against attack, it being
| known that the command at that time had
| the extreme left of the Union line =
| On this ground, in line the Twentieth are
| 1858 rank in file, out OF almost thrice that
| number who gaily marched from the Pine
| Tree State less than a year before.
Already the brigade on our right Is feeling
| the presence OF the enemy, the musketry
| draws nearer. and their eyes, peering under
| the foliage see the gray lines coming on In a
| solid front with no skirmishers, and 1t il
| seen almost instantly that their line extend,
| far beyond our front and will soon envelope
and overwhelm 1t. In an instant sheet o.
flame bursts from our front, and is described
by Col. Oates as the most destructive fire h
ever met and 1t brought the advance to 1
| stand still at once. He states in his officia
| report that his right exactly engaged oul
left, but that after two or three rounds HI
| observes the enemy giving way In his front
except that portion confronting his two lef
companies and the Forty-seventh Alabama
AS his companies were at least twice th,
front of ours, having nearly $50 men in line
that statement would include the who'll
| right wing Of our regiment. This movement
which Col Oates describes as a flight was
believe, refusal of the left wing OF tn
Twentieth to prevent its development by tn
largely superior force opposed to 1t.
AT moment when the Forty-seventhl Ala
bama showed signs of distress, prevailing Oh
his left, which was then at u large rock, Col
Oates made left wheel OF his regiment il
order to take advantage Of the more broker
ground in our left front, and also hopin
thereby to enfilade our line and thus reliey
his distressed neighbor. Whatever the re
suit on the Forty-seventh Alabama, there
no question of its effect on the Twentiet
Maine. His great superiority IN number
enabled him easily, although In the c0ncav
order to cover our entire 'front.' and to brin
most deadly cross fire on the salient at GU
color company. He made his first advanc
from this direction with great vigor an
might hoping to drive us from our position
but was met by fire from the left compaI
les that surpassed in its deadly effects this
already experienced on the right, which ha
caused him severe losses. He says that h
line wavered before it like men irving
walk against a strong wind, and they Wel
compelled to give way. Again and agaj
was the mad rush repeated, each time to /
beaten off by the ever thinning line thu
desperately chung to its ledge of rocks, r
fusing to yield except as 1t involuntari
shrunk pace or two at time from Il
storm OF lead which swept its front.
AT tunes the hostile forces were actually