News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-09-04

period was 1908, and this includes non
combatants and the sick and absent, who
did not go into battle. There were killed
in action 23S men, 1917 per cent. of those
enrolled and very nearly one out of every
five. This sanguinary record was not,
however, attained by accident, such as
being caught in a slaughter pen on some
disastrous field with a sacrifice of half its
numbers at a stroke.
The Second Wisconsin had men killed IN
action in fifteen battles, commencing at
Bull Run and ending at Petersburg. At
First Bull Run, Second Bull Run, South
Mountain, Antietam, Gettysburg and the
Wilderness its losses were heavy, but there
were scores of Union infantry regiments
that lost a greater proportion of their men
in some one of these particular engage
ments and in others as well. The highest
loss sustained by the regiment in any one
of the battles named was at Second Bull
Run, where eighty-siX were killed or NOR
tally wounded, and the lowest at South
Mountain, where ten fell in action. The
loss at Second Bull Run was the result ola
long, spirited fight, and in every one of it's
great battles lit belonged to the famous
Iron Brigade of the West") it gained
prominence through it's daring achieve
ments as well as through its roll of dead.
At First Bull Run the regiment fought
unde Gen. w. T. Sherman near the War
renton pike, and took part in the Union
charge on the Henry Hill when an attempt
was made to effect a .recapture of the posi-
ton. In his report Gen. Sherman said,
seThis regiment assembled to the brow of
the hill steadily, received the severe fire of
the enemy, returned it with spirit, and adj
vanced delivering its fire"
This charge on the Henry Hill was re-
nao+al hu +ha ranipoapt tho f,S4 IorI-rr
failed. The loss on this field was twenty
four killed outright and sixty-ive wound
ed, the heavy proportion of killed showing
the severity of the fighting.
At the Second Bull Run the regiment
had an accidental collision, but the fight
ing was prolonged and severe. At this
time the Second was in Gibbons brigade,
Kings division, McDowell's corps. On the
9th of August the corps was at Gaines
vile, on the Warrenton pike, and "Stone-
wall" Jackson's was at Manassas Junction,
seven or eight miles southeast of that
point. Longstreet, with the main Confed-
crate force, was at T~horoughfare Gap,
northwest of Gainesville, and Jackson's
salvation depended on his junction with
Longstreet's column. This he attempted
to effect by making a detour SO as to avoid
Gainesville and McDowell's command.
The movement was suspected in the Union
camp, and Mcdowell moved east along
W%arrenton pike hoping to hold Jackson
south of it until other troops could come
up and cut him off completely from Lees
army.
But Jackson had moved with rabidity,
and about 5 o'clock on the afternoon of the
18th was marching north of Warrenton
pike in the opposite direction from Nc
Dowell, but on a parallel line. Kings di-
49, laI +La 1r-n,ao IN AfaTlau-aIlfz|
corps. Hatch's brigade had the lead in
Kings division. and when near the village
of Groveton was met by a fire from several
guns of Jackson's artillery. The Confed-
crate leader had discovered this isolated
division and resolved to destroy it. Glib
bon's brigade followed Hatch's, and while
the latter was engaged in front Gibbon
saw a Confederate battery on his left rear
firing upon the rear of the column, and
ordered the Wisconsin Second to march by
the flank and attack it.
There was a hill intervening between the
regiment and the guns, and while ascend
ing this the command was fired upon by
the enemy's infantry. Turning to face
this fire the Second was soon engaged with
aheavy force of the enemy. jackson had
sent several brigades to the attack. Mus
kerry fire was delivered much of the time
at seventy-five PAGES, and here the regi-
ment lost heavily. The colonel, Edgar
O'Connor, was killed. The major was
twice wounded, but remained in action.
During the fighting of the Goth and 3Oth
the Second was slightly engaged, but it's
losses were confined almost wholly to this
chance fight, which continued an hour
and a half. In the battle the casualties of
the regiment were 50 killed outright and
223 wounded. OF the wounded and miss
ing 80 were subsequently ounted with the
killed, making a mortality list Of Sc. The
number engaged was 511. But Jackson
did not seize Warrenton pike that night,