The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-07-06

regiment. Lieut.. Reed can show this last com
mendation and commission to his children with
pride" 1t is signed by o. o. Howard, Brevet
Major General, Brigadier General, L. S. A.
&. \. Fleetwood, now clerk in the War De-
partment, was sergeant major of the Fourth
Regiment United States Colored troops He re-
ceived the distinction of the medal of honor by
his bravery in rescuing the colors at the battle
of New Market Heights, Va, September 20,
1864. The first assault on those works was made
by Gen. ). a. Duncan, commanding brigade
of the two regiments of colored troops, the
Fourth and Sixth. An overwhelming fire poured
upon them from the ramparts, with the result
that after bold resistance the regiments broke
and ran. OF the color guard that went on the
field, consisting of two sergeants and twelve
corporals, but one man, Corporal Charles VEAL
left the field. The sergeant bearing the national
colors was shot down and Sergt. Maj. Fleetwood
bore them from the field until the remnant of
the regiment had rallied and reformed in the
rear of their reserves. Three medals of honor
were bestowed upon this occasion, the recipients
being Sergt. A. B. Hilton, bearer of the national
colors, who died few days later; Corporal
Charles Veal, of the color guard, and Sergt Maj.
Fleetwood, for the action mentioned.
Capt. Felix Brannigan was found in his Office
in the Department of Justice, and expressed a
willingness to give THE HERALD writer the de-
sired information. During the three days. bat
tie of Charlottesville he, together with four
others, members of the Fifth Regiment of the
New York Excelsior Brigade, was chosen to re-
connoitre and learn, if possible, the identity Of
certain troops in front of the Union line. Gen.
Sickles with his two divisions, had been cut off
by the breaking of the Eleventh Corps in pre-
vious engagement, and in case he should at
tempt to join the main body of troops during
the night he would probably be taken for the
enemy and fired upon. Brannigan, with his
companions, had approached very near the line,
in process of formation, which it was thought
might possibly be Gen. Sickles's and had
learned that they were Jackson's Corps and
hlin send into fnrt
of an immediate attack. He Immediately turned,
and was working his way toward the Union line
when occurred that mistake so fatal to the cause
of the Confederacy. Gen. jackson was mis-
taken for the enemy and fired upon by his own
pickets. The fire was Immediately answered by
the Union pickets, who quickly fell back, and
the skirmish fire gave place to regular line-of-
battle volleys. Brannigan meanwhile found
himself between two fires Prior to their setting
out word had been passed along the line that no
| firing should be done until the scouts had re-
ported back, but under the pressure from the
enemy this order had been forgotten by all ex-
cept the company to which they belonged. 1t
was possible for them to conceal themselves in
the ditch by the roadside but it was absolutely
necessary that the information which the scout
ing party had gathered concerning the enemy's
movements should reach headquarters and in
consequence Brannigan made rush through
the open woods to where by the absence of firing
he recognized the position of his own company.
Both he and his four companions escaped un-
hurt, and their conduct being brought to the
| notice of Gen. Hooker the five were named as
worthy of receiving the medal.
Edwin M. Truell, another holder of the medal,
is a clerk in the War Department. He was
private in Company E, Twelfth Wisconsin In
fantry, and received this mark of distinction be-
cause of gallantry in action near Atlanta, Ga.
on July 81, 1864
Lieut.. James r. Durham, Company Z, Twelfth
| West Virginia Infantry, clerk in the Patent
| Office, received the medal of honor for bravery
| inc
Bloody Run. At P. NJ. Sunday an advance
was ordered, the advance of the Twelfth West
Virginia to be governed by that of two Ohio
| regiments on the left. Lieut.. Durham was in
command of skirmishng party, and advanced,
clearing stone wall and advancing directly
| toward another hundred and fifty yards dis
tant, behind which the Confederates lay, and
held the main body in check The Lieutenant
gives the following account of his personal share
| in the engagement:
"We had lain behind the stone wall above men
| toned several hours, not daring to cross it or
| show our heads above it, as it was certain DEATH
three of my company having already been killed
| by rising in order to get shot. We were at
! last ordered over the wall, and, turning to my
| boys, shouting goodbye and come on, | was
the first one over. We advanced about thirty
yards, the bullets flying thick and fast on all
| sides. Wecontinued, when was struck in the
right hand, and six or seven of my men were
also wounded. Two advanced so far as to sur
render, fearing to retreat. Afterwards l found
the llne-of-Dattle did not intend to advance fur
ther but took shelter behind the stone walls
| Under these circumstances l ordered my men
back, taking part of our wounded with u.s. In
doing so, however, two or three others We're
wounded ] found that my right hand and fore
arm were severely shattered, and | reported to
the hospital and retreated with the command
The next morning, having had to ride forty-five
miles on bareback horse to escape capture, my
wound still bleeding, was unable to report to
my regiment for duty for six months. AS near
as l can remember, have participated in egh-
teen battles and skirmishes, the most notable of
which were Winchester, June -, 13, IA, Is,
1868; Hunters raid to Lynchburg, Va, June,
1864; Winchester, September 10, 1864, and Cedar
Creek, October 10, 1864. After the campaign
in the Valley under Gen. Sheridan, we were
ordered to the Army of the James and assigned
to the Twenty-fourth Army Corps. We were
with Gen. Grant from this time to the surrender
of Lee at Appomattox. | received my medal
of honor under the act of March 3, 1868. have
received a brevet captain commission dated
March 3, 1865, also medal from my State, West
| Virginia"
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