The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-18

staying qualities that made up for lack OF
enthusiasm. At a gathering OF citizens
held in a church in Terrytown, Bradford
county, Pa, early in August, 1862, one OF
the speakers was a young lawyer OF
Towanda, Guy H. Watkins, man of good
social position and bright prospects; mar
ried, with hostages to fortune, and sur
rounded with every temptation TO stay at
home and make the most of life.
At the close Of sound war speech he
said that after careful elaboration 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 he 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 1 tried to do my duty"
Throughout the quiet wales Of north
ern Pennsylvania a like spirit to that dis
played by Watkins was at work under
leaders by the dozens and scOres-farm-
ers, merchants, teachers, students, preach
ers and others, not a few so young
that they modestly declined Offices in the
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
regiment composed of ten companies raised
in Bradford and Susquehanna counties
and designated the One Hundred and
Forty-frst Pennsylvania infantry. Guy
II. 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
Eifty-first was to go to the defense OF
Washington while McClellan's army was
battling with Lee on Maryland soil in Sep
TENDER, 1862. When Lee was pushed back
southwark TO the RCppahannock the regi-
ment went to the front and was placed
among tried and disciplined troops in
Kearny's old division of Hooker's corps.
At the first battle of Fredericksburg it had
its baptism of fire, and coolly met the fl.
SHADE of shot and shell poured upon
Meade's Pennsylvania reserves by Stone
wall Jackson's batteries Dec. 49, 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 at Chancel-
lors-ille, in May, 1868, the field of many re-
markable struggles. the hour of trial came.
On May Stonewal Jacksons corps,
by a flank march, struck the Union
right and crushed it, rolling it up
like a scroll. The Third corps, led by
Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, became 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 Stonewall
on the evening of the Cd caused tempo
rary halt in the plans of the Confederates
but on the morning of the Sd, Sunday
his corps, led by the cavalryman, Jeb
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
Confederates followed up with growing
enthusiasm. The brigade of Gen. Charles
X. Graham, of Birney's division, TO which
the One Hundred and Forty-first 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 eXulting Confederates pushing madly
in pursuit, Graham was ordered to charge
70 the rear and check the enemy's advance.