Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-01-15
DEATH YIs n Ig lIR.


csnszsssnsa cunnaz' waz ssursss.
From ds Baisimors sun.v Hsss.
] never shall fcrnef the iieh. on
Monday. Nay 4. l8os. near Fredsr.
icksburg. II was On ths day follow.
ing the capture oftha Hsiehta Ssdg-
wick's corps. on sanday afternoon.
had left Frsdsricksburk and marched
towards ChsnesllorsviIle, to effect Z
junction with Hooksr and the main
army. That night hs ,sruck the Con.
fsdsrates in forcs st Salem Church.
The day had bssn oIsar and sunpr
Without developing ths poaition of
the Confsdsrals kat.ssf16 - III front.
Uncle John drove into ths woods, in
an effort to carry everything before
him. The New Jersey brigade suffer.
cd terribly. The 6ght lasted till long
after 8 o'clock.
Next morning Ssdgwick drew back
. little. He learned that the Confsd-
crates had swept around his lsft flank
and captured Fredericksburg. Il
contained the wounded soldiers of the
day before. Monday was still bright
and sunny. The Sixth Corps lay
upon the ridge along the Rspahan-
mock above Fredericksburg. About
an hour before sundown we could see
that the Confsderates in our front had
been reinforced. They were massiug
for q charge. They came down upon
rs. fvs lines deep. The Twenty
sixth New Jersey, of which was ser.
gsans major. lay in little depression
along ditch which had been dug by
some farmer 10 drain his land. A
Vermont regiment was 10 the woods
at our left. A Nsw York regiment,
l think, was posted on our right. A
regular battery occupied slight ole
walton in our rear. As the Confsd.
crates advanced l could hear the off.
Ger in charge of the battery giving
his commands.
"a second and half" he shouted !.
"Blim ! blim r. roared the gums.
"a second and q quarter, he cried.
"Blim ! blim !" was the response.
"a full second" hs roarsd.
"Blinl blim | blim answered the
guns.
"Thrse quarters of . second" came
next.
"Blim blim blim I"
The officer was gauging his fuses by
the advance of the enemy. 90 that the
shells might do the greatest sxscu.
tion.
Suddenly. in the roar of artillery,
there was q fash all along the line.
The Oonfedsrates had reached our
front. They were within forty yards
of MS. Half our men we're on their
feet. and the other half on their
knsss. Without orders. they kept up
On incessant FIRE. The Johnniss were
yelling at the top of their voices. and
at least half of them were swelling the
refrain with their muskets.
At this instant our lieutenant colo
mel. . brother Of Gen. Martindale,
who eat on his horse in the rear of his
regiment. shouted 'Tsn.t.i.o.n."
In an instant the regiment was
upon its feet, in line under fire. The
colonel again screamed Eight about
face"
The regiment obsysd the order like
veterans. Then came the most sineu.
lar command ever heard on Q battle.
field. The lisutsnant colonel roared:
Regiment left hslf.wheel."
The left wing of the Nsw York reg
imsnt on the right had swung back,
leaving gap about 100 feet between
its left and our right. !, Il had done
this TO take advantage Of the natural
depression Of the field. Our lisuten-
ant colonel. with queer military pres
cisnce, saw that by left hslf.whesliue
he could again cement the line. But
when the regiment made the attempt
the result wac ludicrous. Each man
looked at his nsighbor in the smoks of
the battle and then all made break
from the lins. Heltsr-skelter they
went. The brave men among them
stood firm for Q minute and then be-
gan TO swear and coolly walk after
the fugitives. ! can see the lieutsu
ant Of the United States battery yet,
standing ~ straight a. sn arrow. with
drawn sword. His horses dashed
away with several of his guns. They
went at full gsllop. never saw such
IN expression Of astonishmsnt upon
any mans face. A second before the
regiment had bssn acting like vste.
rams. Nov they were running over
him like frightened deer. His oaths
vera fsrrifc Hs ealIsd fhe f,;cht-