The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-16

ment. The men were Philadephians re-
cruited under the patronage OF tho 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 stand up battle is scored upon
their page in history.
The formation of the regiment was srlg-
gested i'll the second emergency of the war
midsummer of 1SG2-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,
never doubling but the new offspring
would honor it's parentage Mt the first
chance.
In due time the line formed on the crest
of slope and the order was given, "For-
ward, marchr' 1T was a delightful and
inspiring sight," says the regmental his
torian, who never loses sight of the fun
while his pen traverses the field of blood.
1.-The men moved down the slope with
steady, ringing tread, in perfect line. the
rifle barrels-with bayonets on them
cleaning and shimmering in the sunlight
They seemed invincibe. AS they marched
on. the bands playing, the colors flying,
martial spirit in the very air, some unfor.
tunate trod upon n yellow jackets nest
hidden i'll the grass. There was music in
the air On, on, regardless of the stinrs of
the indignant buZZers. But another nest
was disturbed, and still others; the music
increased. The yellow jackets made
spirited attack. The regiment hesitntcd.
faltered, wavered, fied-fled in confusion,
covered with stings instead of glory"
For day or two camp was alive with n
restless mob of SCARED up men, who never
thelesI 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 Il call sum
moncd 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 ut Antietam, and OH the 10Th of SEN
tcmber, the day after Lees retreat was
ordered across the Potomac by the Shep-
herdstown ford to reconnotcr the enemy
Another division had already crossed at
the same ford on II similar errand. While
the Corn Exchange men were wading the
stream they were met by some of their vet
erGn comrades returning from the Vir-
fresh recruits the latter called to them
mo 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 n 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
%I,,,, III, &c . ~. 4, u.
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 n belt of timber they had
just quilted, stood several battalions of
Confederates formed to advance. Col.
Provost sent out skirmishers, and Mt this
challenge the enemy opened upon the
hapless ranks exposed OH the edge of the
bluffs The regiment was not fully formed,
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 Ill their tracks. The fire was re-
turned, as was supposed with all the des-
peration the occasion called for, but, alas!
the enemy's ranks showed no signs of
punishment, and the hammers plunged into
the muskets Of the Iennsylvanians gave
back no solid sound, but stopped short of
the bottom of the gun barrels. Their
weapons were new Enfields received Mt the
Philadelphia camp, and this hot ambush
fight was the first test of their efficiency.
Tney didn't GO of, and there stood IA rcgi-
ment OF untried men almost at arms
length from a division of veteran antag-
onists and unable to fire shot