The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-08-24
CHARLOTTESVILLE,
Part Borne BY the Seventeenth MaIns
In That Battle.
stonewaII Jackson's Great Flank
March.
Captain George w. VerrIlI's Papsr
Written for the Izth.
[ey CAPTAIN George w. vsrrIll.1


near Potomac Creek, and had built fine quar-
ters. The improved commlssariat under
Gen. Hooker gave US real Yankee Cor rather
Irish potatoes and other vegetables; baker
les were established In the field which turned
out to the soldier soft, fresh. wormless bread;
soap was furnished In abundance. The gen.
erals and others In authority appeared 10
take an interest In its welfare. On April 10th
President Lincoln, with Mrs L. and their
son, visited the army and we turned ont 10
honor them. On April 18th, Gems. Slckles
anu birney, the former commanding our 81
corps and the latter our Division thereof.
visited our camp and declared eur brigade 10
nave the best encampment In the army, and
the nth Maine to have the best In the brig
ade! The same day, In the afternoon. Gen.
berry-thrice and four times beloved Berry
came to visit our regiment. He made us a
little speech. full Of feeling and ardor; he
wanted to see once more all his true-hearted
volunteers from Maine. He had lost been
taken from the command Of our brigade and
raised to the command OF a Division In our
corps. His remarks touched all our hearts.
Gould ne have had presentIment OF his glo-
Sious death. which occurred Just a fortnight
iAter at Charlottesville? But he lived long
enough to save our army from a disaster
greater than ever befell 1t.
Everybody knew the campaign was open
ing. On April 28th, at o'clock D. m, the
18th started from Its camp. However, In
the morning Of that day, Governor Coburn,
Representative Rice and Charles Holden,
from Maine, came along and made us speeches
and we had dress parade In thei honor,
The dress parades Of the 18th were some
thing to see. It did It up In good style, and
the drummers and fifers beat down the line
and back at the highest pitch OF art. The
45O officers and men then present for duty
formed long line. the companies in the fol-
lowing order from right Of regiment to left.
Q. K, III. B. @ (colOr company. ID. 1. +. A. Z.
1t. Col. Merrill Commanding. Major West,
Capt. Goldemann of Co. @ acting as field
officer. and Adjutant Charles w. Roberts,
with Sergeant Major Bartels, composed the
field and staff. The company officers were as
follows: @, Lieuts. Moore and Verrill x, Capt.
Young, Lieuts. Boothby and Lord; II, Capt.
Fogg, Lieuts. johnson and Day; b, LIeuts.
Pennell and Green; g, Capt. Merrill and
Lieuts. Hubbard and Dyar; the colors were
carried by Sergt. Hart Of III and Corp. Lake
Of A; ID, Capt. John G. Perry and Lieut..
Whitten; !. Capt. Hobson and Lieuts.
Thompson and Richards; +. Lleuts. Joseph
A. Perry and Stevens; A. Capt. Mattocks
and Lieut.. Brown. (Houghton, Second
Lieutenant of A, was detailed as aide on
brigade stan e, Capt. Ellis III. Sawyer.
Lieuts. Roberts and Fred Sawyer.
The Sd and LIST Army Corps marched some
miles down the Rappahannock river and
went through all the operations incident 10
crossing, to give battle: the big observation
balloon was then sent up 200 feet or so In the
air 10 see what Lee was doing. This feint
drew down from fredericksburg Gen. Jack
sons corps Of Lees army, and they were
thus kept there while our forces were cross
Ing 10 earnest at Kelly's and Ely's Fords far
up tne river and moving along down II on
the Southern side.
On April 30th, at p. M, our 81 Corps be-
gan the long march from the extreme left TO
cooperate with these troops up river. Our
columns crept along 10 the ravines and be-
mn hind tne elevated ground. A numoer OF
Lieut. Day OF Co. Ii. and they
missed the coming battle. This tedious
march ended for the day at IL 30 d. m, when
II matted for the few hours rest between
mldnlgnt and 30 a. m. OF May Ist, when
reveille warned to be up and ready. AT
8 O'Clock q. N. we crossed the river at United
States Ford on a p0nt0On bridge. The whole
day was spent in getting placed In position
Ior battle which finally brought the 81 Corps
upon the left Of the 11th corps, our brigade
commanded by Col Hayman) connecting
with the 1lth Corps. The 18TH Corps, I'd
Corps and 3th Corps were 10 the left OF the
80. Thus Hooker with this large force In
nand al tCnaneeliorsville remained the whole
Of May LIST. confronted by about one Corps Of
Lees infantry and portion Of his cavalry;
artillery efforts were made all along our
lines to draw fire and thus develop Lees DC
sltlon. About O'Clock D. IN. the enemy
sent over their compliments and 24-pound-
or shell on its last legs rolled along through
the ranks OF the 18th without exploding.
The incident OF the 1T New York Vols.
OF our brigade which took place May Ist.
must never be omitted, MS it furnished a
marked contrast to the conduct OF two Maine
regtments few months later at Philadelphia
and Washington. The 1st New York was q
TWO year regiment and had done valiant
service In Kearuey's division on the
peninsula; about $50 men were remaining in
the field for duty; while at Camp Slckles the
two years Of the muster-in Of eight Of the
companies expired, and they claimed they
were entitled TO discharge and refused
further duty, while the terms Of the
other two companies would not be complete
until May 7th. The authorities claimed none
could be discharged until May 7th and placed
the regiment under guard. When orders
came for the movement the men asked To be
relieved from arrest and went along with
the brigade. On the afternoon of May LIST,
when the brigade was about to take It's pO-
sltion for the Impending battle, the Colonel
OF the 1st N. Y. drew his men up In line.
thanked them for the readiness with which
they had started forward with their com-
rades at the snif Of battle, and thus had
saved their credit. He read to them an or
der giving permission for the regiment to re-
tire to the river to make up their muster-out
rolls and excusing them from further duty
The Colonelimoreover suggested that II any
OF them were not satisfied with this and de-
sired to engage In the bloody battle which
was about TO take place, he would ask all
who desired 70 see II through with their old
comrades TO step eight PAGES TO the front.
Every man OF the regiment stepped forward
In the two days lighting which followed.
One-third OF their number being
killed or badly wounded this was the
stuff Of which soldiers ara made.
Had the troops Of the Sd Corps remained
where thep were placed on the evening Of
full force OF Jackson's first assault. But the
fortune Of war was otherwise. On the morn
Ing Of May I'd all was quiet. At noon our
division (Gen. Birney), supported later on
oy WhlDple's division and Baflow's brigade.
was taken from the line and pushed south,
ward to feel Of the enemy. This movement
was cautiously conducted. A line OF Ber-
dams SnarpshOOters and the 2Oth Indiana
moving ahead as skirmishers and me general
line following up, moving by company flank
az wheeling distance over the rough Grounds
and thick scrubby timber characteristic Of
the Wilderness. When the enemy was de-
veloped sharp skirmish took place, with an
artillery duel between our light battery,
brought up TO the line, and one Of the enemy at
the Furnaces. Some OF our regiment were
wounded by bursting shells. Birney had
struck the rear end OF. JaeksOn's column, al
though nobody knew It then, which he was
moving rapidly westward TO hurl upon the
extreme rightl0f our army. On the other hand.
1t was believed that we had discovered Lee on
retreat towards Richmond. We captured the
sd Georgia regiment and other scattering
troops. Our movement did not hinder Jack
son or change his plans. While our division
was thus engaged, and other troops were
moving after us to take part In the supposed
picnic, Jackson had speedily forged MS
thunderbolt, and at q o'clock In the after
noon crashed down upon the 1lth Corps,
by Gen. Howard. The right OF
of the 11Lh Corps rested some three
miles west ward from Chancellcrsvtlle Man
sion. Such resistance as Howard was able
to make In a series Of segregated attempts to
stem the carrent did not delay the advance
OF Jackson eastward toward the Chares-
lorsville grounds much over a half-hour. ina
or musketry vOlleys did not assume
the proportions Of battle and were unno.
ticed by Blrney's troops; but about sunset
word came that things had gone wrong be-
hind us, and Birney silently led his division
BACK 70 an open plateau called Hazel Grove.