The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-03-17

staying qualities that made up for lack OF
enthusiasm. At gathering of citizens
held in a church in Terrytown, Bradford
county, Pa, early in August, 1862, one OF
the speakers was n young lawyer OF
Towanda, Guy II. Watkins, man of good
social position and bright prospects; mar
ried, with hostages to fortune, and sur
rounded with every temptation to stay at
home and make the most of life.
At the close of a sound war speech he
said that after careful deliberation he had
decided that it was his duty to 20 to his
country's aid in the hour of peril; that he
had often thought how, when the war
was over, he would be telling his children
the story of the conflict and they would
say to him, Were you there;" He was
going to be able to say, "Yes, l was there
and tried to do my duty"
throughout the quiet wales of north
ern Pennsylvania a like spirit to that dis
played by Watkins was at work under
leaders by the dozens and scores-farm-
ers, merchants, teachers, students, preach
ers and others, not few SO young
that they modestly declined offices in the
ranks, and even some were rejected by the
government on the score of youth. On
Aug. 90 War Governor Curtin accepted and
rendered to the United States service q
regiment composed of ten companies raised
in Bradford and Susquehanna counties
and designated the One Hundred and
Forty-frst Pennsylvania infantry. Guy
H. Watkins, who had recruited one com
pany and been chosen it's captain, was
elected lieutensnt colonel of the regiment.
The first duty of the One Hundred and
Fifty-frst was to 60 to the defense OF
Washington while McClellan's army was
battling with Lee on Maryland soil in Sep
tember 1862 When Lee was pushed back
southwark to the Rappahannock the regi
| ment went to the front and was placed
among tried and disciplined troops in
Kearny's old division of Hooker's corps.
| At the first battle of Fredericksburg it had
| its baptism of fire, and coolly met the flu
| silade of shot and shell poured upon
Meade's Pennsylvania reserves by Stone
| wall Jackson's batteries Dec. l3. On Burn.
| sides second campaign, January, 1863, the
regiment was selected to cross the Kappa
| hammock alone and carry the heights on
| Taylor's Hill at the point of the bayonet,
| the forlorn hope Of the movement, but
| severe storm put an end to the affair before
| the crossing was made. But at Chancel.
| lorsville, in May, 1863, the field of many re-
markable struggles, the hour of trial came.
| On May 9 Stonewall Jackson's corps,
| by flank march, struck the Union
right ana crushed IL, rOlllub III up
| like Il scroll The Third corps, led by
| Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, became break
water for the tide of Confederates rush
ing with blind impetuosity in pursuit
of the i'll starred men of the Eev
enth corps. The wounding of Stonewall
on the evening of the ID caused a tempo
rary halt in the plans Of the Confederates,
but on the morning of the Sd, Sunday,
his corps. led by the cavalryman, Jeh
! Stuart. and under the personal direction
| of Gen. Lee, renewed the fight and com
PEELED the Union commander to order a
| general retreat.
Sickles' corps, under imperative orders,
abandoned position after position, and the
| Confederates followed up with growing
| enthusiasm. The brigade of Gen. Charles
| X. Graham, of Birney's division, to which
the One Hundred and Forty-fir belonged,
was rear guard of the corps, rs it had been
during all the retrograde movements, and
when it became necessary to vacatc certain
elevated positions known as Fairview and
| Hazel Grove and remove the artillery, with
the eXulting Confederates pushing madly
in pursuit, Graham was ordered to charge
| to the rear and check the enemy's advance