The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-04-21

Your history would 81 volumes loF YOU -
tory is the history OF the Army OF 'he
tbarafore concluded that the only thing l
could do in the time allotted to Ee weuld Dc
to write a brief skstch of your battles al"
losses.
But this sketch is not made without care
for have carefully studied the war beP','
.nept Records aud Foxs and Phisterers WORKS
on regimental losses for my hguFes' A'iu ,l.7'
are therefore based upon the best authorities
would love TO dwell upon theme Iha' IL
90 attractive, and carry you through our
marches, our camp life, and the many i1ci.
dents connected with our term oil SERVICES gu.
tonight can only give you the outline Is IL
were, OF your record.
Our regiment was organized at camp oeoI1'
Cd Staten Island. under Dan'l b SichieS as
temporary Colonel. Cos. A, d, ID and y weTe
recruited in New York City, Co. c ia Paw Paw
Mich, Co E-known as Friend Rifles. 81 nus
burg, Pa. Co. at Port Jervis, n. y, Co. ~ AZ
Boston, Mass, Co. l at Paterson. \. J., ana 20.
K st Newark, n. ]. Thus you Will see tnS ma,
FIVE loyal States contributed their quota 10 III
our regiment.
The regiment was mustered into the United
States service for three years al Staten island
June 90 1861, as the LIST Regiment 5lekieS ,
Excelsior Brigade 1t was the first three years
regiment mustered into the United States serV-
ice from the State of New York.
The regiment left the brigade camp on Staten
u
serving in the vicinity of the Capital Tor some
weeks you were sent 10 the Maryland SIDE OF
the Potomac, where yoa rendered good service
guarding the river. At Camp Farnum, near
Liverpool Point, you settled down 10 the regu-
lar discipline of the camp. became proficient ~
drill, and hardy, excellent soldiers ready 10 90
YOUR part in the campaign that promised soon
TO omen. You were now in the Second Brigade,
Second Division, Third Corps; or Slckies s
Brigade Rockers Division, HeintzeiInap
Corps.
On the night of the 22d of March, 1862 q
beautiful spectacle was seen on the waters Oh
the Potomac. Hundreds of lights glowing
like stars, were shining ont of the darkness
and their reflections streamed out upon the
silent waters like gaiy-colored ribbons. Soon
the lights grew fainter and fainter, until az
last they faded away in the distance and dafR-
ness covered the waters once again.
What did this fairy spectacle meant 1t did
not look ike gTim-visagea war. ltNas as II some
beautiful Venetian pageant had passed before US.
Comrades. even after the lapse of 80 years, you
can remember that night, for you were with
those soft lights that glided so quietly through
the darkness. il was HeIntzeiman's Corps on
transports on its way to the Peninsula, and
on that dark and bloody ground you we're TO
prove TO the world that the motto on your ban
uers was well-deserved.
At Yorktown you were at the front almost
constantly, and you did your part we'll, and
though often nnder fire only two Of orr COM
rades were wounded. Ycu were among the
first 10 20 in pursuit of the retreating enemy
on the 4th Of May. On the morning Of the
9Th, after toilsome march through rain and
mud you came up with the foe, who was
strongly posted in the woods and behind his
works at Williamsburg.
Here, under the able Dwight snd gallant
Fsrnum, VOC held at bay with your
gmoothbors maskets and buck-and-ball car
tridges over thrice your numbers, until your
ammunition was exhausted. and then, using
the cartridges found in the boxes OF your fallen
comrades, you exacted heavy penalty for
each dead face that lay around you before you
retired from the field.
How well and uobly yon did y0pr part In
that battle. IS tod in the number Of your dead
and wounded. NInety-fve lifeless forms OF
our dead comrades we're buried on this field,
and Il others soon died or their wounds. max
ing the tosa. number of the dead lG9; l2i were
wounded and 81 of our comrades were missing.
Here is q loss OF 800 in killed, wounded and
missing IN q single battle.
Col Fox. IN his valuable work on regimental
Losses. says: At the battle of williamsburg
the First Excelsior. according 10 the official
report, took into action zoo officers and men.
and il lost nearly oue-half One more such
fight would have ended its existence"
/ have dweit little on the battle OF Will
liamsburg because it was your first battle and
because your banners were here crowned with
u noble heroism not surpassed In the annals
O. the war.
Col Dwight and Lieut.-Col Farnum having
been seriously wounded in this engagement
Mai. Thos Holt was now In command OF The
regiment, aud he proved able and gallant
soldier lie led us at Fair Oaks June l. anJ
during the short time we were ia action we sus
tanned d loss Of two killed. IS wounded. and
one missing. Amid these swamps you weu
in he lfue 2Tlfis n
Gus and important, aud you frequently came il
contact with the enemy as he attempted 4
drive you from your advanced position. Niui
of our comrades were wounded on the skirmish
lire during our service here.
From june - until July You participate,
in what is known lie seven days battles
You were at Oak Grove, Glendale, and Nal
Vern hIi.. IN which actions you suffered los
o. seven killed. SIX wounded, aud one missIu z
At second Malvern Hill you had one comraG
mortaiiy wounded.
When the army or the Potomac retired from
the Peninsula you were hurried on 10 the from
Bgain, aud on August p met the enemy q
Bristoe Station. where You bore your part wit
your usual sOldlcTly courage. Iou sustained
loss OF I've wounded. and az the second battle O
Bull Bun, August - aud 30 you lost one killed
IL wounded, and 10 missing.
After Pups's campaign, which ended wit
the last usmpd battle, our regiment was en-
guarding lie approaches 20 Washington.
On December 10 we participated n the Fred
ericksbUrg campaign, bet were saved from an
serious sacrifice in that disastrous engagement
losing only four wounded.
Al Charlottesville you were held In reserv
with the rest Of the Division until the disaste
TO Towards command occurred. when yu
were called upon 10 stem tide that had drive
swhole corps before it, But Gen. Hooker we
knew OF what material his old division W;
made. He knew lie could trust it TO do th
work assigned to il, and it succeeded. Jach
sons charge was broken, and dark ness sprea
It's mantle over scene OF shame aud disaste
Gen. Sickies was in command Of the Thir
Corps in this battle He had risen TO this hig
command through those rare soldiery oualitiC
that had won Tor him the confidence OF his 9,
periors aud lie admiration OF his soldiers
1t has always been the belief OF good militar
men that the brilliant manuyer of Gen Sicf
les on the extreme front, where he had SUI
ceeded in taking several hundred prisons
from Jacksons column, would have resulted
the rout OF Jacksons forces If Gen. Howai
had acted his part. jackson would have bee
crushed between the two, and Lee drive
from the field.
Can anyone dream of such disaster hal
pening to Hancock, OF Sickles. or Sedgwickf