The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-06-09

corps WIS tIle eACrcllie leIC OF Cne Union
line than he felt inquisitive about what the
Confederates could do or would do in the
country adjacent. Birney's was the left
division of Sickles' corps, and in front of
his outpost lay a strip Of woods that
screened the regions beyond from view in
the Union camps. A hundred of Berdan's
First regiment stole into the woods and
the steady crack Of their rifles announced
that the marksmen had their game in
sight. Birney told Berdan to take another
100 men, with a regiment Of infantry to
back them up, and scour the country
farther to the left. Starting from the
Peach Orchard the scouts went along the
road westward to the Warfield house and
disappeared over the ridge Their steps
led into broad valley that hugs the steep
mountain side opposite Little Round Top,
and very soon the familiar interval shots
gave warning that the enemy had been
sighted in that quarter also. Willcox's
brigade, of Anderson's division, the adj
vance guard of Lees column, that was
marching stealthily around to assault
Meade's left, had just reached that point.
Berdans skirmishers took to the trees and
rocks, each man having an oak trunk or q
huge bowlder for a citadel, and poured a
lire into WillcoX's leading regiment that
surprised and staggered it. The Confeder-
ates were ambushed in a certain sense, for
they were not looking for anything of the
kind at that time and place. Wilcox sent
second regiment to aid the first and Ber-
dan called in his helpers. After twenty
minutes of this bushwhacking the Sharp
shooters beat a retreat, and then Sickles
knew and Meade knew that Lee was
edging along toward Round Top.
The bloody Peach Orchard battle opened
not long after Berdan's plucky.. scout
ended, and the First regiment took q place
Of honor in Siclles' front line Temptinp
targets they had, too, for awhile. when
Longstreet's deep and we'll closed ranks
advanced boldly to the attack.
The Second regiment has meanwhile
climbed up among the powders on Little
Round Top to turn their farsearching ewes
upon the exposed places south and west, or
still beyond and beyond Sickles' menaced
left. The enemy is seen snealxing up
behind the woodlands, ridges, farms and
stone Cross fences, and the Sharpshooters
glide down the mountain through DEVILS
Den, into the wooded loop bordering the
Wheat Field. This has become Sickles' left
| by a sharp bend back from the Peach
Orchard. The Sharpshooters crawl out
among trees and bushes, we'll on to the
broad plains where Longstreet's veterans
led by the fiery Hood, are crouching low
and creeping up to make their mad plunge
for Round Top. One Confederate battery
is silenced and a charging regiment breaks
three times in the face of the bullseve
shots of Berdan's rillemen. Then the
scouts retire Indian fashion, stopping TO,
pick shots only, and the whirlpool of battle
seethes around the Wheat Field and DEVILS
Den to the base of Little Round Ton
Sharpshooting is ended for the day on that
ground, for the combatants are at arm,
length and brute force takes the place q
skill -
At the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, COLI
Harbor and Petersburg the regiment.
fought together in their unique roles
Their highest losses were at the Wilder
ness and Spottsylvania. In the First regi
ment 1893 men showed on the rolls and Is:
OF them were killed. The wounded mum
bered 393 and the casualties reached ar
average Of 40 per cent. The death roll wa.
over 10 per cent The Second showed III
names on the roll. Of these 1875 were killed
and 337 wounded. The percentages were
the same as in the First AS a place Of
safety the skirmish line is not to be recorn
mended, but this sad boast can be made
Tor h5erdan's men that they sold their lives
dearly, and perhaps sent more Confeder
aCes to dust than any other regiments II
the army. The First regiment lostit killed
III tWentl-foilr separate battles: the EseronG
i IN JHenty-one. Both were engaged OF, sew
! eral other ialaGse GEORGE l.. kILMEn