The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-18
FIRST BAPTISM OF FIRE.
The Seventeenth Maine Regiment at
Fredericksburg.
ONE OF THE VETERANS RECALLS A
GREAT BATTLE.

Major Merrill, of Pennington, Relates
Experiences on the Rappahannock in
the Early Days of the War-Incidentf
Roth Sad and Humorous. -. sst;4-
The bright autumnal days of sixty
two idled awav in marching and camp
ing, in exploring the hills and woods,
roasting the pigs, picking the chickens,
and burning the rails that fenced the
homesteads of secession in old Virginia.
When the first blasts Of winter chilled
its ranks, the Army of the Potomac lay
round the Stafford Hills near Freder-
icksburg waiting for "'the pontoons" and
the ides of December.
Week after week it watched a lengthen-
ing network of ri1epits and redoubts,
breastworks and epaullnents, with which
the rebel army was covering It's lines
beyond the river, and now was gathering
its forces for a tilt Of men against the
completed Notifications.
In the early morning Of December 18th
the Seventeenth Maine Volunteers and
hundred other organizations were moving
towards the rendezvous on the banks Oh
the Rappahannock. There was shlver
in the wintry air, but brilliant sun
overran the scene with glory. as officers
with tinselled retinues, artillery and
cavalry with tramp of horses, divisions
and brigades with Haunting colors, a
hundred thousand men marching and
countermarching with music and ban
ners, gathered into seeming chaotic array.
The Seventeenth had given a third OF a
year to the rudiments. 1t achieved
commendable proficiency in artillery
practice, and infantry frings, while in
the defences Of the nation'sss capital, and
became familiar with the column of
route, the excitement of the sudden
alarm, the hum of the skirmisher's
bullet, and the dead tired bivouac by
the wayside, while winding over the
hills, and tramping. through the dust
and mud of Dixie's land. It was now
approaching the browning experience
Of q regiments life-its first great battle.
All around was life, movement and wait
ing, Neighboring regiments were swap
ping qufp and joke. Trumpets and
bugles were sounding calls for veterans
to translate into "Column right In
place rest", "Come get your quinine0 or
-aWater your horses and give 'em some
will know it, and then you will rue it,
as sure as you are born,n or whatever
the trills and quavers might mean.
Bursts of oncoming music told of addi-
tional battalions, and thousand flags
of the Union firted with the breeze or
idly dropped in rest
No sign.of impending conflict was visi-
BILE in the ranks unless it might be a
more caressing touch of musket and un-
usual concern with poise of knapsack
and set Of waistbelt
Engineers began to form the pontoons
into bridges before day break, but were
soon driven away by rifiemen concecaled
in buildings on the further shore. Every
attempt to continue proved to be setting
to knock over, and after sacrificing many
lives the work was abandoned.
While waiting for headquarters to plan
a new departure, the official reins hung
loosely. Officers dropped over to sample
q neighbours cigar and plan joke on
some 3fresh shoulder straps. Briarwoods
were a Joy forever" in the ranks, where
smoke. The choice spirits, who made
1t loving duty to wipe wrinkles from
wars grim front, picked up the reins
and held the field in high carnival, when
a heavy boom rolled down from the
ridge, and sudden stiffness fell on the
gala day scene Before the nearest hills
could fing/out their echoes a mightier
roar from PARROTS and Napoleons,
Twenty-fours, Thirty twos and rifles
147 in all, which had been planted along
the ridge, announced the decision. The
CITY would be battered and burned to
the ground if necessary To- secure protec-
ton for the men at the pontoons.
An hours cannonading gave no relief,
and SO the great battery continued to
flame and roar and charge the circling
hills with reverberatiops that Numbered
through the heavens with a grandeur
unrivalled by natures widest convul-
sions.
The sublimity Of the spectacle did not
stifie curiosity. The soldiers seized every
coign of vantage to. witness the sweep
and effect of shot and shell, clamhering
up convenient trees, swinging their caps
and cheering when a good shot stirred
'em up" and coming down, hand under
hand when some blasted rebel got
our range, suren and sent Whistling
order to get back to the ranks.
Hour followed hour, crowded with in
terest and excitement The tremendous
diapason rose into mighty pillows of
SOUND ana QleQ away TO d DOulilS .uuSH,
while taking breath for more fearful
laundering, and hundred thousand men
closed into compact order to pour across
the bridges when completed. Sunset
streamers were lifting in the west when
the last echo of the cannonade grew still.
There had been a spectacle of appalling
sublimity. Roofs had been preached,
chimneys knocked over and here and
there building fired, but not sharp
shooter routed. And when few boat
loads of volunteers pulled across through
q sleet of lead, and drove out the invisi-
HE fire that held the army at bay the
plain soldiers called q the great bombard-
mentn a stupendous farce. Half an hour
after the brave fellows had put to shame
the nyrotechnics of the day the .pontoons
in nlace-were rocking beneath rush
ing tide of Union troops:
( night of connection followed. Across
the river the glare of smoqldering ruins
flushed and paled on curtain OF smoke
that overhung the city Fusliades OF
small arms rounding up with cheers,
numbered the streets that were cleared
of reluctant gray backs. Nearer 6y the
shouts of officers and CHATTER OF iron
hoofs, the rumble of heavy wheels ana No
tramp of marching men were soITen ne 4
by the murmur of many voices ana on ni.
musical plash of the Rappanannock1