The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-02-25

second on the list for the highest losses in
killed among Union regiments. ms rec
ord was made by hard, persistent lighting,
and the ranks were filed at the outset and
afterward recruited from the men OF the
rural counties in the northwest OF the
state The one thing in the regiments IA
vor on the start was good leadership. lts
colonel. John w. McLane, was soldier by
nature, who had commanded militia troops
for many years, and had served as an ot1i-
Ger in the Mexican war. He drilled
martial spirit into his men.
The Eighty-third was organized In the
fall of 1861. drilled in the camps on the
Potomac in the winter of 1862 and re-
ceived it's baptism of fire" in front of
Richmond in May 1862. The first hard
fighting encountered was at Gaines Mill,
June 81, 1852 This was one of the bloodi-
est battles of the war on the Confederate
side. and one of the most stubborn on the
Union side. The Eighty-third was placed
in a hot corner, and their brigade general
sent word to it's commander to hold it.
He needn't have sent me any such word, j."
replied Col McLane. II intend to hold it,"
The enemy took it, finally, after walking
over McLane's body; but the Pennsylva-
mans held on until the same brigadier had
recalled them second time. The position
was the extreme left of the Union army,
where it rested on the Chickahominy river.
The Confederate attack was made at that
point by fresh corps led by Longstreet.
The Union center and right were at the
time engaged in fierce battle with Gems.
A P Hill and Stonewall jackson, and
Longstreet's aim was to push his troops
through the Union left and sweep down
along the river bank to secure the bridges
and cut off all chances of retreat.
The Eghty-third lay in the front line be-
hind breastworks of logs hastily built for
the occasion. Three times the charges of
the Confederates were repulsed by the COM
bined efforts Of the infantry and artillery,
and then it was discovered on the line of the
Eighty third that the line had been cut in
two on its right, the enemy was advancing
from that direction and it's position was
cut off from the rest of the army. This made
a crisis to try the mettle of officers and
men. They had fought from behind breast
works to repulse the attacks on the front,
but in warding off the new danger would
be compelled to come out from cover. True,
there were woods at hand to lend partial
screen, but these woods screened the Con-
federates as well, who advanced Indian
fashion, leaping from tree to tree and firing
as they advanced. So long as the Pennsyl-
vanians had had breastwork shelter the eff
feet Of the enemy's bullets had been but
slight, but under the new order of things
the ranks thinned out rapidly.
Col. McLane was killed instantly by a
mimic ball, and about the same time the
second in command, Maj Naghel, was
killed by shell. Men fell on all sides and
the PROSTATE wounded tried valiantly to
handle their muskets and keep up the fight
on the ground. In the end the Confederates
gave way and the Eighty-third, led by a
captain, had a breathing spell for re forma-
tion. The enemy had passed along on their
right, squarely to the rear, and the COM
mander of the regiment prepared to meet
an onslaught from that direction. He faced
his men to the east and gained an open
field directly in rear of the breastworks
previously occupied. The first line, that at
the breastworks had faced west, the sec
ond in the woods, north, and the third in
the open field, faced east. In short time
some regiments were seen advancing to-
ward the Eighty-third in the direction
Where Union troops had been at the open
ing OF the fight Thinking that they might
he supports coming to their relief, the
Eighty third allowed them to approach.
After parley the troops proved to be
enemies, and the ball again opened After
some sharp firing the captain leading the
regiment ordered retreat to the old