The Oskaloosa herald., 1892-05-12

CHARGED OVER RAIL FENCES AND STONE
WALLS.
mand charged on the Sd of May, 1868, in
the Charlottesville fight. The Jerseys
were reserve to the column that stormed
Marye's Heights, and following up the
successful assault they ran into a heavy
force of the enemy that stood at bay be-
hind breastwork of logs and brush at
Salem Church, three miles back of Marye's
crest. The brigade, with the exception of
the Fourth regiment, was engaged for two
hours and half in a wrestle with superior
numbers. The commander, Col. H. w.
Brown, was wounded; Col. NJ w. Collet,
of the First, was killed. Col. Buck, of the
Second, wounded, and the total loss was
over 500. 1t was a hopeless fight, but a
plucky one, and the new Fifteenth regi-
ment gave notice that New jerseys fight
ing timber hadn't been exhausted by the
draft OF Kearny's original 1000 1t lost
$50 killed and wounded.
Gettysburg, following Charlottesville,
the Jerseys missed so far as fighting was
concerned, but they made the famous
forced march of thirty-ive miles which
put the Sixth corps OH to the field in nick
o. time. After Gettysburg came the long
wait until the Wilderness, May, 1864
Meanwhile the Twenty-thrd regiment
was discharged and the Tenth took its
place. Col. TOrbcrt had won spurs too
big for plOdding infantry to keep bright,
and was given a cavalry division under
Sheridan, SO for the third time the brigade
lost a dashing commander. Col Brown,
of the Third regiment, succeeded him.
Two years of steady fighting had reduced
the original four regiments to mere bat
al .,,l I,,l la I
In battle. With only month yet to serve
they entered the bloOdest campaign of the
war and every step they took toward
Richmond was marked with dead Jersey
boys of the brand of 1861. In the first day
at the Wilderness Col. H. 0. Ryerson of
the Tenth was shot to death as a sort of
initiation sacrifice to place tire regiment on
a footing with the old hands The hard
est fighting of the Wilderness, May 6 and
z, was shared by these men, and at Spott-
sylvania, the Sth, 9th, 10th and 18th, the
different regiments were fated to get into
every grand charge, now with the heroic
Warren, now with the fiery Upton, and
again with Hancock, the superb.
In nine days-May to f4-the First reg
iment lost PA, of which 40 were killed; the
Second SO, IA of them killed; the Third 148,
of which a. were killed. the Fourth 1885, of
which SO were killed; the Tenth 146, % of
them killed, and the Fifteenth, that en-
tered the shambles with 15 officers and 429
men, emerged with only officers and 1856
men. Its killed alone in five days of the
unequal slaughter reached the enormous
total of 116, or over 26 per cent, dead on
the field. This regiment came out with
the highest roll of honor in the state. Its
killed numbered 240 and 100 of them he
longed to the original 947 that joined the
old brigade in 1862.
The original four regiments Of Phil
Kearny's day were discharged at Cold
Harbor in June. Their death rolls were as
follows: First, l5S; Second, Sc; Third, 157;
Fourth, 161. HeXamer's battery made q
wonderful record for execution, but it was
fortunate enough to place the big death
roll on the enemy's side, way those SOL
diers have who substitute science for dash
in fighting. GEORGE l.. KILMER.