The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-27

longed to Hancock corps (the Second), that
had borne the brunt of the hard fighting
Of the previous six weeks in Grants Will
derness campaign, including the battles OF
the Wilderness, Spottsylvania and Cold
Harbor, and had lost in these conflicts
over 5000 killed and wounded out of a to-
tai Of $1,000 engaged. At Petersburg, on
the 10th and 18th of June, the corps lost
heavily, and on the 18th was ordered to
push forward where the Confederates had,
as it transpired, planted their 'last ditch"
The point where the First Maine charged
was a salient built by Gen. Colquitt's
troops, part of Beauregard's defensive
force, and known as "Colquitt's salient"
1t was a bare ridge called Hare's hill,
and was in front of the site of the Hare
house, where the Union fort Stedmen af-
terward stood. Several attempts had al
ready been made by troops of the Second
corps to carry the salient, but notwith-
standing the fact that repeated trials and
failures had been noted at army head
quarters, word came to Gen. Gershom
Mott to try again with his Third division.
Mott protested to his superior, Gen.
Birney, then commanding in Hancock's
stead, that it was sheer murder, repe-
tition of the slaughter of Cold HarbOr.
MY orders to you are to assault" said
Birney.
II knew" said Mott, explaining his con-
duct afterward, that it was useless to eX-
pect suicide en- masse from my old troops
who had seen the wolf, had felt his teeth
and bore the scars. All could hope was
that a heavy artillery regiment, the First
Maine, innocent of the danger it would in
cur, would lead off with dash, carry the
works with a rush, and then it was my
duty to take care that old, steady regi-
ments were on hand ready to support,
press and profit by any advantage won by
the gallant forlorn hope from the green
woods of the Penobscot." During the
Wilderness campaign the Second corps
had been REINFORCED by several regiments
of heavy artillery acting as infantry. These
regiments had not seen much service IN
the field previously, and on account of the
extra number enrolled were very large
organizations.
The First Maine, at the time of the order,
lay some distance back from the scene of
the charge. and the men learned that they
were to go in where other troops had failed.
Every man on extra duty was called on to
handle musket, and the total roster, as
LnNt ~ Alplil -'AolJ ANu -. AIONi WIZ ~ a. %
lieutenant in Company B. was $50 men.
The regiment was formed in three bat
talions of four companies each, each bat
talon led by a major, and had what is
called a battalion front-that Is, there
were three lines of two ranks each, one
line leading and the others following sue
cessively, each line composed of battalion.
The First was in McAllister's brigade, and
several other regiments Of the brigade were
formed behind it in the same order. On
either side of McAllister's brigade was an
other brigade, formed in the same order, so
that the force under Mott was three col
Umns of brigade each, the First Maine be-
ing at the head of the central column.
The key to the Confederate line Inv in
front of the First Maine, about 500 yards
distant. The intervening space was an open
field, slightly rising toward the enemy.
The Confederate batteries on both sides of
Colquitt's salient, and the infantry as well,
could rake the ground over which the
column was TO charge. Gen. McAlliSter
was, at the time, temporarily commanding
another brigade, and on attempting an as
sault with this command over the very
ground where the First Maine was TO lead,
his men "fell like forest leaves under hail
Storm" and he gave it up. When he
learned what was on foot with his own
brigade he said: God help theml They