The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-09-17


Peach Orchard, on EmmittsburR pike,
July Q, 1853. In fact, the One Hundred and
Forty-first was the angle itself. Il mum.
bered at O'Clock that day 200 men all
told. After some maneuvering 70 get into
the best position 10 meet the daring a..
saults Of Lougstreet'S Confederates, com.
Ing from two directions against the angle,
Col Madill found his regiment alone,
facing . withering fire from artillery and
musketry on both fronts. When q whole
Confederate division emerged from q shell
teFing wood and dashed for the Peach Or
chard, one Of the captains Of the regiments
said 70 the colonel, Hadn't we better get
out Of thisi"
~ have no orders to get out. II / had
my old regiment could whip all Of them, /"
was the response. In twenty minutes,
however, the brave colonel found that he
must 60 or leave bis last man In the fatal
angle. Al the first Confederate volley
80 fell. In . few minutes 81 lay dead
within sight Of the colonel. The major
and the adjutant were killed, and all
the color guards and both color bearers
were killed or wounded. A wounded man
saw the bearer Of the state Gag shot down
and took the staf from his hands. In q
few minutes the bearer Of the stars and
stripes fell, and the same wounded man
caught up the falling Gag and carried it
until relieved Of it By the colonel. With
ninsteen unwounded men and his Gag intact
Col. Madlll marched back before the wave
Of enemies pressing up on all sides.
Graham had been wounded and captured
and the line At the angle was destroyed.
Gen. Sickles, surprised and overcome by
kha aNdhan and a,If1,I Afaaa2ae u,na haaeaya
ing forward into the very Jaws Of death TO
try and save something. But Il was too
late Where an hour before two lines Of his
troops had shown bold fronts west and
south, the Confederates were in possession
and were following up their successes By
pushing boldly and with all the ardor Of
triumphant soldiers toward Little Round
Top, the key 10 Gettysburg. Seeing Col.
Madill moving OF with his begRaFly hand
full the general pleaded, Colonel, for Gods
sake, can't you hold onl'
The leader Of the once proud One Hun
dred and Forty-hrst cast an eye along the
ground behind his few followers, q though
measuring ghostly ranks hlled BY his fallen
heroes, and with . husky voice exclaimed,
where arc my menP
Could be have held on with - soldiers
e8AAAla NgJetgN NJ N0uAa INV NNlllA
had e been % ordered, but In an In
slant Slckles was cut down BY . musket
ball, and resistance at the Peach Orchard
and the Wheat6eld, IN fact eveTywheFo In
front Of Little Round Top, was ended.
The One Hundred and Forty. first lost 10
killed and wounded. The killed and NOR
tally hurt numbered %. Out Of Q oGlcen 0
were killed or wounded. The loss amount
Cd 10 over u per cent. Of those engagsd
and was exceeded only once on the Union
ode In the War-namely, the First Mime
BotA which lost 80 per cent.
Yet the regiment was not wiped out. 10
WAs transferred 70 the Second coFps in the
spring Of 1894. and took part IN all the
bloody charges led By Hancock from the
Wilderness 70 Petersburg. Lieut.. Col
Watkins, having recovered from his Chan
eellorsvills wound and returned from cap
tivlty, wls IN command. In the assaults
at Petersburg, June l0. 1854, the regiment
stormed the Confederate intFonohmentg,
and there COL watkins met his doom. He
was shot through the body while lsadinR
bis men IN the heat OF battle and died On
ths neld He had y lesmed hls pledee.