News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-03-03

second on the list for the highest losses IN
| killed among Union regiments This rec
! ord was made by hard, persistent hghtlng,
| and the ranks were filled at the outset ana
| afterward recruited from the men OF the
rural counties in the northwest OF the
state The one thing in the regiments ia
yor on the start was good leadership. Its
| colonel John w McI4ane, was soldier by
nature who had commanded militia troops
| for many years, and had served as an OIL
Ger in the Mexican war. He drilled a
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 1872 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, 1862 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 hot corner, and their brigade general
sent word to it's commander to hold 1t.
He needn't have sent me any such word,
replied Col. McI4ane. 81 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 Il 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 a fierce battle with Gems.
A. p Hill and Stonewall Jackson, and
IIongstreet's aim was to push his troops
through the Union left and sweep down
along the river bank to secure the bridges
an6 ont off all chances of retreat
The Eighty 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 it's right, the enemy was advancing
from that direction and its position was
cut off from the rest of the army. This made
Il 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 warCling off the new danger would
be compelled to come out from cover. True,
there were woods at hand to lend Il partial
screen, but these woods screened the Con
federates well, who advanced Indian
fashion, leaping from tree to tree and firing
as they advanced. So long rs the Pennsyl
FanlanS nan nau DFedSIWOFh SnelttT the pI-
feet of the enemy's bullets had been but
slight but under the new order of things
the ranks thinned out rapidly.
Col. Mcl4ane was killed instantly by Il
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
captain. had breathing spell for re forma-
ton 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 a 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
be 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 a retreat to the old