The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-15

IN the civil war IL sustained the greatest
loss, numerically, in killed and mortally
wounded. Different classifcations bring
different regiments to the front, as follows:
The First Maine Heavy artillery bore
the heaviest total in killed of any regi-
ment of any arm in the service, that is,
423; also the heaviest loss, numerically, of
any regiment in any one battle, namely, 210
Among infantry organizations the Fifth
New York Ouryee's Zouaves) sustained
the highest numerical loss, killed and
mortally wounded, in a single battle.
namely, III, at Second Bull Run. This was
20 per cent. of the number engaged.
The First Minnesota lost the highest per-
centage both In killed and mortally
wounded and in aggregate of casualties in
a single battle. At Gettysburg % per
cent. were killed, and the killed and
wounded together amounted to 50 per cent.
The First Texas (Confederate) infantry
lost at Antietam s2.3 per cent. killed and
wounded, and in killed about 20 per cent
The Second Wisconsin stands No. l in
percentages of loss in killed and mortally
wounded during whole term of service,
namely, 1917 per cent.
The Twenty-fourth Michigan suffered
the highest loss, numerically, in killed ard
wounded of any Union regiment at the
battle of Gettysburg.
Orr's regiment of Rifles South Carolina
Confederate) sustained loss, numerical
ly, in killed and mOrtally wounded during
its whole term of service equaled by no
other infantry regiment in the war, name
ly, 834.
The killed and MORALLY wounded in the
Fifth New Hampshire during its whole
term aggregated 295, a loss not equaled by
any other Union infantry regiment.
The Fifth was organized in the fall of
1861 from the average of volunteers of that
time, after men had taken a second
thought about the war, had seen the
wounded from Bull Run and knew by
many signs that somebody would have to
be hurt before the war should end. The
first colonel, L. E. Cross, was a New
Hampshire man, who had seen active life
in the west as an editor, as regular cav
airy officer and as lieutenant colonel in the
Mexican army. He resigned his Mexican
commission to engage in the civil war.
The regiment went to the peninsula in
Gen. Towards brigade, Richardson's di-
vision of Summers Second corps, and had
its baptism of fire at Fair Oaks. With the
rest of the division it crossed the flooded
Chickahominy river, ocer Grapevine
bridge, on the first day of the battle, to
help retrieve the disaster to the Fourth
corps. The Fifth had constructed Grape
vine bridge, by the way, the only one that
withstood the flood and which proved the
salvation Of the army The regiment acted
as advance guard and led the way through
the swampy thicket close up to the enemy.
Night coming on, the contending armies
bivouacked within earshot of each other.
On the morning of June l a spirited Con-
federate attack was made on Richardson,
but he returned the assault, and Towards
brigade advanced to within thirty yards of
its opponents. Howard was wounded and
his men suffered heavily. Col Cross took
the Fifth to the front to relieve the other
regiments of the brigade. The Confeder-
ates were well posted and opened fire on
the newcomers only to receive answer in
kind
Col. Cross was hit, and ia killed and
wounded were the casualties of the regi-
ment in about twenty minutes work.
The seven days battles at the close of
June cost the Fifth 16 more in killed, the
wounded swelling the loss to about 100
Its next pitched battle was at Antietam,
where, on the 18th of September, it fought
along Bloody Lane" and in the sdjoin-
ing cornfeld. The Irish brigade of the
same division, Richardson's, opened the
ball on that immediate ground by bril-
liant charge that carried it to a crest
overlooking the lane where the Confeder-
ates were sheltered. The Irish regiments
lost heavily, and Col. Cross led the Fifth
in TO relieve one of them, passing his
command by companies through the shat
tered ranks of the front line and immedi-
ately forming for further advance.
This was one of the hottest actions of the
war. The Sunken Road, or Bloody Lane,
was between the contending forces, and
behind that on the Confederate side was