The National tribune., 1893-07-06
FRONT OF PETERS BURG.
Statement OF Man Who was among the
Pioneers on the Night of April g, 1868.

u
Pioneers on the Night of April g, 1865.
"HE article over the signature of John
4. King, 9th Nd, giving what is
.k- called convincing testimony that the
9th Md. were the first troops, and
that Serg't Bence was the first enlisted man,
who mounted the rebel works in front of
Petersburg, April 2, 1865, fails to convince
me, for the simple reason that it was an
utter impossibility to tell who entered the
rebel works first, Generals or correspondents
to the contrary; and if John K. King was
there, he knows it.
/ was a private in Co. C, 65ih N. Y, on
that night, and was called with one other
soldier from my company by the Adjutant,
and detailed to act as Pioneer. The night
was intensely dark, but we were brought
back TO where Gen. Joe Hamlin and Gen.
Frank Wheaton, with their stats, were sit
ting in rife-pit, smoking There we were
furnished with axes, and instructed when
the word Forward" was given to push
ahead and cut an opening for the storming
column through the abatis, of which there
were two lines-one the common gut-punch-
ers, and the inside rolling sawbucks; and
between, for 200 feet, a network of telegraph
wire 18 inches high from the ground.
/ don't know how many were detailed for
that duty, but there was good pile of axes
hdJt Baker led US back in front of the col
umn, and gave us our final instructions.
1t must have lacked one hour of daylight
when the signal of three rockets was given,
fired from our old lines, and we were ordered
forward. On we went, with our guns slunc
by the straps at our backs and our axes in
hand. We struck a rife-pit of Johnnies
and ran over them. / followed man whom
/ took for my commander, and met no OBJ
structlons until / found myself crossing the
bridge into the rebel fort in front of us.
BY this time the rebs opened fire along the
whole line, and well, did not take the
fort; took the ditch under the bridge in
stead, and listened anxiOusly for the adj vance
of the column. The rebel artillery did the
work Of the pioneers for depressing their
guns to get the range of our men; their
missiles tore away the abatis and left an
open field for our boys to come through.
On the first advance Of the column it must
have been checked for minute or so, rs the
cheers of our men stopped, when / heard a
crash like breaking timber and blue cloud
rushed out of the darkness, and with O yell
the men of our brigade swarmed over the
ditch through embrasure, sally-port, and
over the parapet. The bayonet and butt
did the rest We had no cartridges our
boxes having been emptied before we left
camp TO make the assault.
/ know the 9th Md. was as good regi-
ment as was in the service, but why make
invidious distinctions when none exist?
suppose Serg't Bence was as much entitled
to the honor of getting part of the money
mentioned as any other man engaged that
night, but have scar on my right arm 10
A14A
the parapet Of the rebel works that our own
men pounded each other, and Serg't T. Nc
Kenzie, OF my company, took me for a rebel
/ parted his bayonet-thrust, but caught an
inch of it in my right arm, and he in turn
was shot in the mouth by soldier of the I'd
Conn. II. A., and, believe, died in hospital
JOHN BRoGAN, Right General Guide, Co. C,
65th N. T., Second Brigade, First Division,
Sixth Corps, Bloomington, Ind.