Arizona republican., 1892-07-10

corps was the eAJrcnle ltIJ or tne JHlOn line than he felt inquisitiye about what the Confederates could do or would do in the country adjacent. Birney's was the left division of Sickles' corps, and in front of his outpost lay a strip of woods that screened the regions beyond from view in the Union camps. A hundred Of Bcrdan's First regiment stole into the woods and the steady crack of their rifles announced that the marksmen had their game in sight Birney told Berlan to take another 100 men, with a regiment Of infantry to back them up, and SCOUT the country farther to the left. Staring from the Peach Orchard the scouts went along the road westward to the Warlield house and disappeared over the ridge Their steps led into a broad valley that hugs the steep mountain side opposite Little Round Top, and very soon the familiar interval shots gave warning that the enemy had been sighted in that quarter also. WillcoX's brigade, of Andersons division, the ad- vance guard of Lees column, that was marching stealthily around to assault Meade's left, had just reached that point. Berdan's administers took to the trees and rocks, each man having an oak trunk or huge powder for a citadel, and poured fire into WillcoX's leading regiment that surprised and staggered it. The Confeler- ates were ambushed in certain sense, for they were not looking for anything of the kind at that time and place. Wilcox sent a second regiment to aid the first and Der dan called in his helpers. After twenty minutes of this bushwhacking the Sharp shooters beat n retreat, and then Sickles knew and Meade knew that Lee was edging along toward Round Top.
 The bloody Peach Orchard battle opened not long after Berdan's plucky scout ended, and the First regiment tool. place of honor in Sickles' front line Tempting targets they had, too, for awhile. when LonCstreet's deep and well closed ranks advanced boldly to the attack.
 The Second regiment has meanwhile climbed up among the powders on Little Round Top to turn their farsearching eyes upon the exposed places south and west, or still beyond and beyond Sicklcs' menaced left. The enemy is seen sneaking up behind the woodlands, ridges, farms and stone cross fences, and the SharpshOoters glide down the mountain, through Devils Den, into the wooded loop bordering the Wheat Field. This has become Sickles' left by sharp bend back from the Peach Orchard. The SharpshoOters crawl out among trees and bushes, well on to the broad plains where LongstTeet's veterans, led by the fiery Hood are crouching low and creeping up to make their mad plunge for Round Top. One Confederate battery is silenced and a charging regiment breaks three times in the face of the bullseye shots of Berdan's riileIGen. Then the scouts retire Indian fashion, stopping for pick shots only, and the whirlpool of battle scetbes around the Wheat Field and Devils Den to the base of Little Round Top. Sharpshooting is ended for the day on that ground, for the combatan,s are at arHl's length and brute force takes the place of skill.
 At the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg the regiments fought together in their unique roles Their highest losses were at the Wilder ness and Spottsylyania. In the First regi- ment l, 1903 men showed on the rolls and l53 of them were killed. The wounded num- bered 393 and the casualties reached an average of 40 per cent. Tie death roll was over 10 per cent. The Second showed LIS names on the roll. Of these l25 were killed and 337 woanded The percentages were the same as in the First. As n place of safety the skirmish line is not to be recom- mended, but this sad boast can be made for Bcrdan's men that they sold their lives dearly, and perhaps sent more Confeder- ates to dust than any other regiments in the army. The First regiment lost it's killed in twenty four separate battles; the Second in twenty-one. Both were engaged on sew eral other fields. GEORGE l.. klLMER