Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-25

s+aying qusiiti that made up for lack of
enthusiasm. At a gathering of citizens
held in a church in TerryDown, Bradford
county, Pa, early in August, 1862, one of
the speakers was a young lawyer OF
Towanda, Guy Fl. Watkins, man of good
social position and bright prospects; mar
ried, with hostages to fortune, and sur
rounded with every temptatic to stay at
home and make the most of life
At the close Of a sound war speech he
said that after careful deliberation he had
decided that it was his duty TO go to his
country's aid in the hour of peril; that he
had often thought how, when the war
was over. be would be telling his children
the story of the conflict and they would
say to him, "Were you there?" he was
going TO be able to say, eyes, l was there,
and tried to do my duty"
Throughout the quiet wales Of north
ern Pennsylvania like spirit to that dis
played by Watkins was at work under
ers, merchants, teachers, students, preach
ers and otherB, not a few so young
that they nodes Fly declined Offices in tie
ranks, and even some were rejected by the
government on the score of youth. On
Aug % War Governor Curtin accepted and
rendered to the United States service a
regiment composed OF ten companies raised
In Bradford and Susquehanna counties
snd designated the One Hundred and
FoIty-frst Pennsylvania infantry. Guy
T. Watkins who had recruited one COM
pany and been chosen its captain, was
Elected lieutenent colonel of the regiment.
The first duty of the One Hundred and
FifUy-first WAS to 60 to the defense of
Washington while KcClellan's army was
battling with Lee on Maryland soil in Sep
tember, 1862. When Lee was pushed back
southwark to the Rappahannock the regi-
ment went to the front and was placed
among tried and disciplined troops in
Eearny's old division of Rockers corps.
At the first battle of Fredericksburg it had
It's baptism of fire, and coolly met the fu-
SHADE of shot and S?ell poured upon
Meade's Pennsylvania reserves by Stone
wall Jacksons batteries Dec. IL. On Burn
sides second campaign, January, 1863, the
regiment was selected to cross the Kappa
hammock alone and carry the heights on
Taylor's Hill at the point of the bayonet.
the forlorn hope of the movement, but a
severe storm put an end TO the affair before
the crossing was made. But ut Chsncel-
lorsville in May, 1869, the field of many re-
markable struggles, the hour of trial came.
On May . Stonewall Jackson's corps,
BY a flank march, struck the Union
right and crushed it, rolling it up
ike scroll. The Third corps, led by
Gen Daniel 3. Sickles, hscame break
water for the tide of Confederates rush
ing with blind impetuosity in pursuit
of the i'll starred men of the Elev-
enth corps. The wounding of Stouewall
on the evening of the I'd caused a tempo
rRry halt in the plans OF tho Coafedcrates,
but on the morning OF the Sd, Sunday,
his corps, led by the cayalryman, Jeh
Stuart, and under the personal direction
Of Gen. Lee, renewed the fight and com
PEELED the Union commander to order a
general retreat.
Sickles' corps, under imperative orders,
abandoned position after position, and the
Eonfcderates followed up with growing
enthusiasm. The brigade of Gen. Charles
K. Graham, of Birney's division, to which
the One Hundred and Forty-frst belonged,
WAS rear guard of the corps, as it had been
during all the retrograde movements, and
when 1t became necessary to vacate certain
elevated positions known as Fairview and
Hazel Grove and remove the artillery, with
the exultipg Confederates pushing madly
n pursui:, Graham was ordered to charge
10 ba rbarl- = ba advance