The Portland daily press., 1892-03-09

second on the list for the hlgnest IosseS III
killed among Union regiments. ms recT
ord was made by hard, persistent nghtlng,
and the ranks were filed at the outset anu
afterward recruited from the men OF ohe
rural counties in the northwest .ol one
state The one thing in the regiments Ia
vor on the start was good Leadership. !ps
colonel. John w. MclJane, was sololer ny
nature, who had commanded militia troops
for many years. and had served as an ON
Ger in the Mexican war. tie aflliea
martial spiritiut his men.
The Eightysthird was organized IN the
fall of 1861. drilled in the camps on the
Potomac in the winter OF lSol-S ana re,
ceived it's baptism of fire" IN tront Q,
Richmond in May, 1862. The ilrst naro
fighting encountered was at Games MILL,
June n, 1862 This WAS one OF the bloodl7
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 its commander to hold u.
''He needn't have sent me any such word,
replied Col. McLane. II intend to hold IT,.
The enemy took it, finally, after walking
over McLane's body; but the Pennsylva-
mans held Oh until the same brigadier had
r6GlleU UlGlxl d 5cCOAh UiitAO. AS PoHAS-0--
was the extreme left of the Union army,
where it rested ON the Chickahominy river.
The Confederate attack was made at that
point by Flesh 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
Eongstreet's aim was to push his troops
through the Union left and sweep down
~ ~, ho, fn the bridges
and cut 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
Sined 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 it's position was
cut Off from the rest Of the army. This made
a crisis to try the nettle 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 we'll, who advanced Indian
fashion, leaping from tree to tree and firing
as they advanced. So long as the Pennsyl-
vaniuns 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
mimic ball. and about the same time the
second in command, Maj. Naghel, was
killed by a 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
all 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
be supports coming to their relief, the
Eighsy-third allowed them to approach.
After parley the troops proved 20 be
enemies, and the ball again opened. After
some sharp firing the captain leading the
regiment ordered retreat to the old