The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-06-07


shots OF that battle
E33MNE8 was fired by them;
1@ G3fMxvO which. in the light
M OF the experiences OF
"u. x, the. Reno Brigade
- NIX IN and Graham's bat
- knhk& terry, cannot be true
tLhh' MKI, - During the battle,
'a VaKSaA OF Of August Aus astn issS ssS iY,s hi,
- little brigade Of
j~-. l.ss,i,s three regime yesiments.- s.
SI yss,., and 2i,t Mass.
.-~%e.e-., engaged in support.
-.S~ing batteries or, the
right Of our line, and while witnessing the
terrible disasters to our troops on the right
and lett had not hred shot. ABOUT sun.
set on the 30th Gen. Reno. commanding
the two small divisions Of the Ninth Corps,
assumed command in person of his own
brilade. and ordered II to move to the left
at double quick. Knapsacks were left on
the ground, and they never came back.
As we moved to the left the rebels got
| sight OF us, and for few minutes their bat
teries ssluted us with a misc. llaneous col.
lection OF nis,ile,-shot, shell and pieces Of
railroad iron-but thsir practice was poor,
and they did us very little injury.
In the passage of about mile most OF
the time under this fire, the 2i,t Mass. had
but four men hurt-all wounded by the
same piece of railroad iron. As we came
| to the Henry House Hill the last Union
troops Withdrew from our front. Gen. Reno
placed his brigade, with the 5lst Pa. on the
right, the 2lst Mass In the center, and 51si
| N. y. on the left.
Graham's battery TX. 1st U. S. Az, be.
| longing to Kearneys Division. was brought
up and placed in intervals between the reg.
! ments. IL had become quite dark. The
rebels advanced out of the woods in our
front, and Gen. Reno gave the order;
Give them about 10 rounds, boys-fire %
On the part of the infantry, certainly, the
order was cheerfully obeyed, and the boys
put in their 10 rounds IN quick time. On
| the part OF the battery, which was fighting
on the same line with us there was the
same enthusiasm. Those six brass Napol-
cons were served rapidly 1t was to us q
/ strange battery; we had never met IL before
and, to my recollection, never served di-
rectly with 1t again, but II, performance on
the line Of battle at Bull Run will never be
forgotten by the men Of Reno's Brigade who
fought with it, will not say supported
II. The regiments and the battery fought
as one, and each supported the other. The
firing ceased, and for half an hour all was
quiet, except the cries Of the wounded, when
suddenly force Of the rebel, struck the
flank Of the 5lst N. Y, doubling them up
with great loss. That gallant regiment,
however, was not dismayed. They stood
their ground, and the Dist Mass changed
front and poured in their fire. Two pieces
ofthe battery were sent to the left and this
new attack OF the enemy was repulsed and
our line rs-established.
There was no further fighting. About q
o'clock Gen. Reno passed along the line, and
told us we were to abandon the position and
cautioned the men against making any
noise The guns of the artillery were run of
by hand. piece by piece The regiments fol
lowed quietly, and soon we were on the road
to Centervilie, having fired the last shots OF
this desperate and disastrous battle,
Reno's little brigade OF three small regi.
ments, with Grahams battery, had held In
check and stopped the enemy in his victor.
ous career for that day. Ii any Of Sykes's
Regulars were near the Henry House Hill
between and p. m. Of Aug. so they were
unseen and unheard OF by us
Gen. q. +. Walcott, in his history OF the
2lst Mass, says: "Dr. James Oliver Sur
geon Of the 2lst, was left on the field in
charge Of the wounded, with two hospital
nurses c. +. Simmons, of Co +, and f r.
Reed. ofCo. A. When they returned to US
they gave an interesting account of their
long. sleepless night among the wounded.
not rebel showing himself until next
morning. Eight hundred of their dead and
wounded who fell by our fire lay upon the
slope Of the hill, and their com mpanions
were not inclined to increase the number:
So waiting till daylight. they pounded il
with artillery, and then. after raking ID
thoroughly with musketry, moved skirm.
ish line over IL and took possession"
Two days later, at Chantilly, the enemy
look bloody revenge on the 2lst Mass. for
It's share in that nights work at Bull Run.
II was another fight in the dark, with
thunderstorm accompaniment, and III Of
ticers and men, Of about 400 present for
duty, were killed and wounded. Gen. Phil
Kearny who had in person ordered and led
the regiment into the position in which 10
met this loss, there met his own fate, and
this intrepid soldier, who had so often led
his devoted troops IN battle with such dis.
tinguished gallantry, laid down his life Our
gallant Gen. Isaac J. Stevens commanding
the First Division, Ninth Corps, was also
killed. when cheering on his men. with the
dag Of his old regiment, the 18th n. Y. High
landers, in his hand. Fourteen days later,
at South Mountain. our own beloved Gen.
Reno was killed, and the Ninth Corps and
the army were called to mourn the loss of
one OF the most brilliant officers in the ser
vice; one who, IL be had been spared little
longer, would undoubtedly have been plac-
ed in higher command. His memory il
enshrined in the hearts Of his men as a
brave, cool-headed man, clear in juds-
ment, always ready to fight but never
ready to sacrifice his men in blind or hope.
less movements; always mindful Of the
wants OF his men and attentive to their
needs-such was Reno.
In my opinion il other corps command
ers has so loyalty and heartily supported
Gen. Pope In this campaign rs did Gen.
Reno Lees victorious movements into
Maryland would have never been, and the
second battle of Bull Run, instead Of
humiliating defeat, would have been for
Gen. Pope a splendid victory-IRA b. Coon,