The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-05

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~ Ey&yN CAPTURE OF til
TYzE M> Heights. Sedg
wick's corps OF
Sunday afternoon, had left Fredericksburg
and marched towards charlottesville
to effect n junction with Hooker and tn
main army. That night. he struck the con
federates in force at Salem church. III
day had been clear and sunny. Withou'
developing the position of the confederat'
batteries in his front, Uncle John drov
into the woods, in an effort to carry every
thing before him. Ths New JERSEY brigade
suffered terribly. The fight lasted till lons
after nine o'clock.
Next morning Sedgwick drew back a lit
tie. He learned that the confederates had
fredericksburg. 1t contained the wounded
soldiers of the day before. Monday wal
still bright and sunny. The Sixth corps
lay upon the ridge. along the Kappahan-
mock above Fredericksburg. About an houl
before shutdown we could see that the con
federates in our front had been reinforced,
They were massing for a charge. They
came down upon us, five lines deep. The
T~wenty-sixth New Jersey, of which / was
sergeant major, lay in Il little depression
along a ditch which had been dug by some
farmer to drain his land. A Vermont regi-
ment was in the woods at our left. A New
York regiment, ] think, was posted on our
right. A regular battery occupied a slight
elevation in our rear. As the confederates
advanced, / could hear the officer in charge
Of the battery giving his commands.
"a second and a half" he shouted.
"BIim. blim!'' roared the guns.
"a second and n quarter" he cried.
"'Blim. blim!' was the response.
"a full second" he roared.
'.BIim! blim! blim!" answered the guns.
"Three-quarters of q second"
''Blim! blim! blim!'
The officer was Gauging his fuses by. the
advance of the enemy SO that the shells
might do the greatest execution.
Suddenly. in the rear of artillery, there
was a flash all along the line. The con-
federates had reached our front. They
were within forty yards Of us. Half our
men were on their feet and the other half
on their knees. Without orders, they kept
up an incessant fire. The Johnnies were
yelling at the top of their voices, n at
least half of them were swelling the refrain
At this instant orr Northumberland, a
brother of Gen. Martindale, who sat on his
horse in the rear CT the regiment, shouted:
"'Ten-t-i-o-n."
In an instant the regiment was upon its
feet, in line under fire. The colonel again
screamed: Right about face"
The regiment obeyed the order like vet
Grams. Then came the most singular COM
mand ever heard on a battlefield. The
observation-disclosures roared: Regiment left
half-Wheel."
The left wing of the New York regiment
on the right had swung back, leaving a gap
of about 100 feet between its left and our
right. 1t had lone this to take advantage
of the natural depression of the field. Our
lieutenant-colonel, with queer military
prescience, saw that by left half-wheeling
he could again cement the line. But when
the regiment made the attempt the result
was Iudicrous. Each man looked at his
neighbor in the smoke of the battle, and
then all made a break from the line. Hell
ter-skeIter they went. The brave men
among them stood firm for a minute, and
then began to swear and coolly walk after
the fugitives. l can see the Lieutenant of
the United States battery yet, standing as
straight as an arrow. with drawn sword.
His horses dashed away with several of his
guns. They went at full gaIlop. never
saw such an expression of astonishment
upon any mans face. A second before the
regiment had been acting like veterans.
Now they were running over him likefright-
ened deer. His oaths were terrific. He
called the men all the names iii the cata-
logue of defamation.
"Would you leave my guns he shouted, |
'your only protection? Would you let them |
have my pets!'
l could hear the deep voice of Captain |
Peter Fl. Rogers. of Company H, reproach-
fully crying, "Oh, what a shame. Why was
! ever born a ~Jerseyman?. Is this a foot
Then waving his sword he again screamed !
at the top of his voice, "Come back, come
back.'
There was J. Lacey Pierson, another cap
tain, and Major William w. Morris, and |
other officers, doing their best to stem the
rrs.p uIa rhern bfnx ag Lx H.
was heard every second. All the guns of
the battery were drawn off but one. Pier |
sou, Rogers, and others grabbed the gun by
the trunnions and tried to drag her from
the field.
Of course, the air was filed with smoke.
The rear of the regiment had moved very
leisurely. The Johnnies had come through
the gap. n We were all mixed up. As we
began hauling the cannon off the Johnnies
grabbed the piece by the Inuzzle and tried
to hold it. Then musaets were clubEed and
bayonets used. If all those engaged in the
fight had been personal enemies for years,
the cursing and reyiling could not have
been more bitter. The wounded fell to the
ground with oatns and imprecations upon
their lips, and without a groan. Enough Of
Oar men rallied to enable us to hold onto
the gun. The Vermont regiment in the
woods on the left had stood firm, and the
mi who had swept through the gap
were enfiladed. After the fight to secure
the gun was over, we discovered that she
was loaded, that the lanyard was hanging
from her breech, and no one had thought
to pull it during the fight.
The regiment rallied behind q brush
fence. George Drake. of the color guard.
sprang over it and planted the e oIors at the
side OF the gun. DE swore that Lees men
should nave them if the regimen lid not
protect them.
Probably three hundred men nreG them
selves on the colors in three minutes. each |
man IN his company. and each company in
Its order. They moved forward at the com
mand of the colonel, and restored the main
line, occupying tue same ground which they
had left. BY this time the sun had gone
down, and darkness WIS sweeping over the
plain. 1t became intensely dark. The re9i-
ment was lying down in expectation of an
other assault. 1t was q terribly irving time.
The Taoans of the wounded filled the air.
In the distance the shells had set the woods
on FIRE. In the lufid light the lieutenant
colonel came down the line. He saw me
Standing in trent of two companies.
what companies arc these he said. "be-
hind Your
told him.
where are the commissioned oficers?';
he asked.
II don't know" was my reply.
Where are the orderly sergeants?'
They're not here"
"Hem," he muttered. "Well, sergeant
major, take command of the division and
don't region NJ until ynu rai;nyo1.