The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-02-19

the inside. For instance, her richest
laurels are for the men who held the
Bloody Angle" at Gettysburg. July 3. 1853.
They repealed Pickett's charge.
They held Cemetery Ridge.
They fought with Hancock.
They beat back rebellion's tide at High
Water Mark"
Very good. Hurrah for themi
But how came they TO be on Cemetery
Ridge that lucky day and hour,
Lee wanted that stretch Of uplandk rs u
vantage ground TO buffet Meade.
A. p. Hills corps dashed for It.
The Confederates Of Heth, Pcttigrew and
Pender struggled and died TO seize It on
Julyl.
Why didn't they take iti
Ask Reynolds. He IL dead, but his deeds
talk.
Ask Doubleday.
Ask Wadsworth, also dead, but living in
his record
Ask gray haired Robinson.
Ask the Iron Brigade.
Yes; ask the Twenty. fourth Michigan
men. who should know little about 1t.
That regiment lost more men killed at
Gettysburg than any other of the 400 Union
regiments engaged there.
1t lost more killed and MORALLY wounded
there than any other Union regiment;
more killed and wounded altogether, and
more killed. wounded and captured than
any other. The captured didn't figure
very heavy, by the way. The Confederate
general, Ewell, tried to bag all of them
that walked, at one stage Of the fight, and
commenting on his experience to the col
onel commanding, Henry A. Morrow, after
the latter had been wounded and made
prisoner, he said that the Twenty fourth
Michigan was foolish in not surrendering
before 1t was SO badly cut up.
"Gen. Ewell, the Twenty fourth Michi-
gan, came here to fight. not to surrender"
was the reply.
The sound men who surrendered mum.
bered 81; the sound men that stuck to the
nag and carried 1t out for another day, %.
The killed and mortally wounded were 0o
and the wounded in addition, 2SS. Gen.
Ewell thought such fighting was foolhardy.
That WAN because his men faced it. The
opposing generals had different views.
Wadsworth, who commanded the division
to which the Twenty fourth belonged, said
to its leader: "Col. Morrow, the only fault
find with You Is that you fought too long
But God only knows what would have be-
come Of the Army Of the Potomac IL you had
not held your ground as long rs you did"
1t will be idle, Of course, to look any
farther than Gettysburg to get good nc,
count Of the Twenty fourth Michigan in
the war. but back OF every grand deed lies
. cause, and bAek Of Oak Ridge. Gettys.
burg, lie some important factors in the
making OF the history Of that day.
The reaiment was raised with = hurrah
in ten days. In Detroit and Wayne county,
and an incident that led to its formation
gives n clew to Its makeup. When Lin
coin called for 10000 men in the summer
OF 1852 there was riot and talk OF resist,
Ance In Detroit. To reassert loyalty it was
proposed TO raise q regiment on the spot,
and after some delay Governor Blair, Yield.
Ing It Is said to his wife's solicitation, gave
authority for . new regiment when there
were several Others In the state still short
Of men.
The ranks were allied speedily by the
best blood in the county, 34S Of tho men
being Michigan born. 957 Americans born
In other states and $50 foreign born. Its
colonel WAS virRinian by birth and had
fought In Mexico. He was a Judge in the
recorders court The lieutenant colonel
was sheriff. a man standing 9 feet 4 imcb.s
In his boots.
The regiment went direct to the Army of
the Potomac. reached there after Ante
tam and had its baptism Of blood at First
fredericksburg. Previous to that fight the
regiments brigaded with It shun.ed its
camps. They were the old, war worn, bat
tie battered, victory winning Irou Brigade
Of the First Army corps The Twenty
polished, and their trousers were sky blue
and in NJ Viry;pia ,,rI III. -