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

Capt. Hazlett, whose battery was aiding
Vincent's men, was killed at his guns, and
Col. O'Rourke, of the One Hundred and
Fortieth New York, was shot down as he
led his regiment to their support. Col.
Vincent soon fell with mortal wound, but
the fight went OH until Hoods charge was
effectually repulsed -.
The loss of the regiment was 49, the
death list being Is. The men had fought
behind sheltering powders, and thus the
casualties were comparatively slight.
The Eighty-third entered the Wilderness
campaign in the spring of 1864, in Bartlett's
brigade, Griffin's division, Warren's (Fifth)
corps Bartlett opened the battle at the
Wilderness on May 5, and the regiment
lost 20 killed and wounded on that field.
At Spottsylvania Bartlett again opened the
fight. Warren's corps led the march in the
attempt to seize the court house. The gen
erals expected to encounter nothing more
than Stuart's cavalry outposts, but when
the Eighty-third attempted to brush away
the opposition met at Laurel Hill it found
line or Confederate works, manned with
infantry. blocking the road. A calling
musketry fire saluted the advance, but the
Pennsylvanians fixed bayonets on the
march and dashed upon the barricade.
Many men crossed over and piled the bay.
onet, even taking some prisoners and send
ing them back to the rear
Livery man that entered the works was
wounded and some of the number severely
The regiment meanwhile held it's line with
III Il few PAGES Of the barricade and poured
in fuslade until it's ranks were fearfully
depleted. The color bearer was wounded
at the beginning of the charge and the col
ors left his hands. He subsequently, re-
vived, seized the flag again and planted it
on the breastworks, but receiving another
wound in the breast, hurled the banner
back to the rear, where it was secured by
other hands. Lacking support, the regi-
ment finally retreated after losing 1854 killed,
wounded and missing The death list in
the end reached g. Spottsylvania was
the sixth and last great battle of the regi-
ment. In these six-Gaines' Mill, Malvern
Hill, Second Bull Run, Gettysburg, Wilder
ness and Spottsylvania-the death list on
the field amounted to 232, and the record
shows how great the loss of life NAV be
IN negative fighting. The regiment had
stormed no batteries and carried no kew DO
sltions-simply stood its ground valiantly
while there was hope, sometimes vainly.
and again with success.
During the remainder of the campaign
to Petersburg the loss was slight At Pee
bles' Farm, Petersburg on Sept 80, 1864,
the regiment, reduced to a.. battalion,
charged upon Confederate redoubt.
planted it's BANNER first upon the parapet
and learned after long years of bloody
work how sweet il the taste of victory. Its
loss In that affair was 10 killed. The mem.
bership OF the regiment first and last was
l.SoS. OF this lumber 81 were killed or
wounded The total deaths in battle was
2s2; the deaths by disease, etc, amounted
to l53. OF the wounded B97 were permal
nently disabled. and hence the waste in
aggregate amounted to S32, or 40 per cent.
OF the hardy young country boys who went
out in the bloom of health to battle for
their country. TO this should be added
the permanently disabled by disease and
hardship, and it would be interesting to
Know what proportion Of the men who
stuck to the colors escaped either wound,
death stroke or permanent disease.
GEORGE L. KILMER