Arizona republican., 1892-11-20

ment. The men were Philadelphians re- cruited under the patronage of the Corn Exchange association, and they turned out to be neither slow nor solemn, but the merriest of the merry; likewise neither too gentle in heart nor too tender in fiber, for many 6 stand up battle is scored upon their page in history.
 The formation of the regiment was sug- gested in the second emergency of the war midsummer of lS62-when recruiting had entirely ceased in the north and the losses in the Virginia battles aroused the people to sense of their new peril. The work was completed within thirty days Files soon grew to squads, squads to platoons and platoons to companies, and one day the field officers thought it high time for their fine, new and elegantly equipped regiment to exercise at battalion drill, Dever doubting but the new offspring would honor it's parentage at the first chance.
 In due time the line formed on the crest of slope and the order was given, For ward, marchr' 1t wEs delightful and inspiring sight," says the regimental his torian. who never loses sight of the fun while his pen traverses the field of blood. "The men moved down the slope with steady, ringing tread, in perfect line, the rife barrels-with bayonets on them gleaming and shimmering in the sunlight. They seemed invincible As they marched on. the bands playing the colors flying, martial spirit in the very air, some unfor- tunate trod upon yellow jackets nest hidden in the grass. There was music in the air On, on, regardless of the stings of the indignant buzZers. But another nest was disturbed, and still others the music increased. The yellow jackets made a spirited attack. The regiment hesitated, faltered wavered, fed-fed in confusion, covered with stings instead Of glory" For day or two camp was alive with a restless mob of scared up men, who never | theless smiled behind their scars, for these were but patches of dry mud plasters. The | field was cleared of hornets by cautious tactics, and drill went on until a call sum- moned the men in haste to Antietam, there to measure stings with another species of bee.
 The One Hundred and Eighteenth joined | Barnes brigade of the Fifth corps on the | field at Antietam, and on the 20th of Sep l tember, the day after Lees retreat, was ordered across the Potomac by the Shep- | herdstown ford to recOnnoiter the enemy Another division had already crossed at | the same ford on similar errand. While | the Corn Exchange men were wading the stream they were met by some of their vet eran comrades returning from the Vir- ginia side. and in the spirit Of guying the fresh recruits the latter called to them, No enemy in sight" The Philadelphians had the lead in the brigade, and when about half the regiment had crossed and the head Of the line was toiling slowly up the Virginia bluffs by ravine that cut into them ut an easy slope an orderly dashed up to Gen. Barnes and reported the enemy on hand in heavy force.
 Gen. Barnes was to the front directing the march of the Corn Exchange regiment and told the colonel to get his men quickly to the top of the cliff, then rode back into the water to hasten the rest of his brigade across. Col Provost, of the One Hundred and Eighteenth, led on up the bluff. There, on the edge of a belt of timber they had just quilted, stood several battalions of Confederates formed to advance. Col Provost sent out skirmishers, and at this challenge the enemy opened upon the hapless ranks exposed on the edge of the bluffs. The regiment was not fully formed l but the colors were on the ground, and after some slight wavering every company reached its place in the line of battle and every unwounded man responded to orders Bullets flew with the rush of wind storm, and dozens and scores of the men dropped in their tracks The fire was re- turned as was supposed, with all the des- peration the occasion called for, but, alasl the enemy's ranks showed no signs of punishment, and the rammers plunged into the muskets of the Pennsylvanians gave back no solid sound, but stopped short of the bottom Of the gun barrels. Their weapons were new Enfelds received at the Philadelphia camp, and this hot ambush | fight was the first test of their efficiency. They didn't go off, and there stood regi- ment of untried men almost at arms length from division of veteran antag- onists and unable to fire shot.