The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-17
MARYE'S ;HIGHTS.
A New Jersey Comraie Has Something to
Say About the Charge.


TTAvING spent four years and five
- months in the army during the re-
LII beilion beginning in June, 1851,
and having been q constant reader OF
your paper since its second year, but few, II
any, battles that have been fought over in It's
columns bnt what Ihave been private In the
ranks. | am often made to feel sad to see In
print from the pen of comrades articles throw
ing mud at other commands than their own.
In nearly all engagements each command ola
its whole duty. and would have done more had
it been in position to have done so. thlnk,
in the memorable words of Lincoln to MAJ
Gen. Sickles after the battle of Gettysburg,
when Sickles was accused of bringing OH that
engagement, and said to the President, am
accused of bringing on that engagement, the
President, placing his hand on the General ;
shoulder. said: 81 hope you did, and may Gon
bless you! There is enough glory to go around
Such, think, is the case with US veterans
without ud-throwine. and he that dld MS
duty needs no eulogy from his own pen OF now
he disabled one gun by actual service, ana theh
used dead comrades At Salem Church she
writer saw this done III more than one Instance,
and have since then, with cautious steps ana
heavy heart. viewed the spot near the church
and schooi-house where one year after the Dat
tie he counted in line 1877 graves of fallen COM
rades, and with paddle made with penknlte
y
of his comrades.
agree with Comrade James Holehouse of Co.
r. 18th Mass, except where he claims IN ms ar
ticle in the issue of Nov. 20, 1891, that the DIST
Pa. was not in the charge. do not know the
residence of single member of the 61st Pa,
nor any of its members but | do KNOW that
the regiment made glorious charge at Marye's
Nights, May 3, 1863 Lying, as was my com
mand, with its right resting on the Plank road'
as then called, but which we found last Spring
to be mud road, with the 61st Pa left resting
on our right. and while lying in suspense was
talking to Sergeant of the 6lst as to "here
the first charge would be made, whether on the
right or left of the road. While thus talking,
the command was given, and away went those
brave boys on the right of the road; ana WIN
sad hearts we watched them rs they rose the
hill ucross the open field. only to see many OF
them for the last time alive. Soon we heard
the familiar Yankee shout as we Deheld Ihe
blue-coa.s mount the rebel works, ana III a
very few minutes rang out on the evening air
from Gen. +. B. Grubb, late candidate for Gov
ernor of New Jersey exMinister to Spain,
"Charge column Forward ~ and away went
the First Division of the Sixth Corps, ana into
the already broken lines Of the rebels, but not
until many poor comrade bit the dust from
the enemys guns.
NY regiment might claim to be the first to
mount their works, the same as do some others.
But we reached them five minutes or more al
ter they had been broken on the right.
/ claim Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New
Jersey and all other troops did their duty that
day. Yes, they did it better than did some IN
high command. If not, after the troops had
taken those nights at such a sacrifice, why
were those rebel cannon left unspiked or I'M
guarded four miles in our rear, only to be
turned on us as We were driven back from
Salem Church? The fact of leaving them thus
has always been a mystery to me and many
other comrades, and was talked about when II
was done.
One writer went so far as to say there was
not Jerseyman in the battle, yet the remnant
of the Ist New Jersey Brigade left 20 OF thell
number ON the field.
Comrades there is glory for us all, dishonol
for very few; and, as we stood shoulder tt
shoulder in time of war; let us do so now, and
stand by and see no comrade ill-spoken OF
for to speak i'll of any part of the army is tt
throw shadow on the deeds of the whole
MARTIN Y. HARGRovE, Browns Mills, N. }.