News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-11-05

fusion and darkness, not knowing friend
from foe, actually assaulted the very point
held by Strong's gallant men.
DR.. Palmer asserts that many of his COM
rades in the bastion were shot by Putnam's
men and that Putnam himself was killed
by Union bullet on the parapet of Wag-
ner His account continues: 1.-The writer
estimates that as many as 100 or 800 men
succeeded in forcing their way into that
bastion; that 400 or 500 fell there; that 100
or 200 succeeded in escaping back to the
Union lines after they became convinced of
the folly of attempting to hold it; and it Is
known that 10 men, who persisted In hold
ing what they had taken at such terrible
cost, were, after three Or four hours of des-
perate fighting, overpOwered and takeE
prisoners. But from shortly after o'clock
until 10, midnight, they succeeded in de
Tending the fertilization they had taken
despite repeated assaults of the enemy"
Gen. Taliaferro writes as follows of the
Union defense of the conquered bastion:
""Fhe party which had gained access could
not escape; it was certain death to attempt
to pass the line of concentrated fire which
swept the face of the work and they did
not attempt it, but they would not sur
render, and in despair kept up constant
fire upon the main body of the fort" The
Confederates called for volunteers to dis
lodge the assailants, and the crack COM
pany of Capt. w. II. Ryan, of the Charles
ton battalion, responded among others.
Gen. Taliaferro says: "Ryan's company
was selected, and the gallant Irishman at
the head of his company dashed at the reck-
less and insane men who seemed bent on
immolation. The tables had now singularly
turned; the assailants had become the as
oil bax ha1l fop ttt-itb crt
Ryan rushed at them, but he fell, killed
outright, with several of his men, and the
rest recoiled."
DR.. Palmer's story goes on at this point:
"The ground within that salient was piled
with dead and dying; the wounded cried
for help; our numbers had been greatly
reduced by the fire, and the retirement, one
at a time, of those who thought the at
tempt to hold on was folly. There still
remained 40 men, mainly of the Sixth
Connecticut and Forty eighth New York,
although there was hardly a regiment that
had participated in the assault, some of
whose men did not join that stalwart COM
pany who determined to defend the bastion
to the last. For more than three
hours that defense of the fort within the
fort was kept up. = But at mid
night the COnfederates, by suddenly rush
ing in upon them from front and tanks
and rear, did finally overwhelm them; then
they surrendered"
The Forty-eighth lost 81 men and off,
GERS killed outright and IS men and 8 off
GERS mortally wounded, death roll of So,
the highest in any regiment in the assault.
It's wounded numbered officers and 105
men. The prisoners taken in the bastOn
were %, the highest number belonging to
single regiment. The regiment went in
with 500 men and l6 officers, and the losses
were 229 men and 10 officers, 242 in all.
In February, 1864, the Forty-eighth ac-
companied the expedition led by Gen. Sey
mour into the interior of Florida, and on
the 24th of that month fought in the DIES.
perate battle at Olustee, where it was in
close contact with the enemy for five hours.
During the last two hours of the fight it
was without ammunition, yet maintained
its ground under severe fire in order to
cover the withdrawal of the defeated army.
In May, 1864, the regiment was trans
ferred to Virginia and fought with heavy
losses at Drewry's Bluff, on the James, in
May, at Cold Harbor in June and at Peters
burg in June and July. 1t charged into
the breach at the Crater" July 80, and
afterward fought at Strawberry Plains,
Fort Fisher and Wilmington.
The fighting Period of the regiment
covered nineteen months, and its losses, all
told, were 236 killed and mortally wounded
and 623 wounded and recovered, making a
total of $50 killed and wounded, about 40
per cent of it's enrolment.
Gen. Barton, the second colonel of the
regiment died recently in New York, and
his funeral sermon was preached by DR.
Palmer, who, as boy private in Company
D. at one time served as his orderly.
According to the camp stories told on
'Perry's Saints" after they reached the
front, the boys did not pose as models of
righteousness but they proved in good
score of bloody contests that they were
noble and daring fighters, and that was
what they enlisted for.
GEORGE l., KIIMER