The National tribune., 1893-03-02
FORT GREGG AGAIN.
An Officer Reported Killed Still Lives to
Give an Account of the Charge.

Give an Account of the Charge.
TNOTICE in the issue of THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE for the past week an article
l. under the heading Fort Gregg" The
writer of that article gives the truest
account of that affair l have ever read. He
was undoubtedly there. .tand helped skin EN-"
So was your humble servant.
On the morning Of April 2, 1865, the 18th
Me-, as we'll as all the brigade of which it was
part-Thrd Brigade, First Division. Twenty
fourth Corps-wass double quicked from tho
extreme left of the5nain line below Hatcher's
Bun to and through the break made by the
Sixth Corps in the early morning. Swinging
to the right toward, Petersburg and Fort Gregg.
the brigade was marched some distance and
halted. My company "a of the 18th Me-. as well
rs one company from each of the other regiments
of the brigade, was deployed as skirmisbers
and ordered to advance, which we did. We
participated in sevcrst skirmishes with the
enemy, and finally my company, with that from
the oath Mass, brought up in q burning camp
just outside Fort Gregg. We were then more
than milo from our regiments. which had not
moved an inch from the position they held
when we were sent out as skirmishers.
There were large number of other troops
halted in this burning camp. Strenuous efforts
were being made by the officers thereof to in
duce them to advance on a final charge. But
the heat and smoke from the burning huts
and the hotter rebel bullets, which were
scattering death all around just then, seemed
to render the effort useless, until brave Lieu
tenant Colonel Of some regiment present there
q wish could recall his name and regiment)
grasped the colors of his regiment aud started
for Fort Gregg alone. Not alone long, how
ever for his courage could not go unencouraged.
We all up and followed him at once, and l
doubt if any troops could have withstood the
charge then made on doomed Fort Gregg, and
made from such close quarters.
We got there right away. The first troops to
enter the fort were 18th and 18th w. Va. men.
Ny company "a of the 18th Me- and the CON-
pany of gath Mass men were with them.
There was General of West Virginia troops
present. Was it Gen. Harris2 l think 80.
We remained at the fort about half an hour,
when an Orderly from our brigade came to US
with orders for our return to our regiments.
On our way back, my acting Orderly Sergeant
Wood was fatally wounded by bullet from
sharpshooter away of In the direction Of Peters
burg.
Not regiment of the Third Brigade. Frbt
Division. AS a regiment, participated in that
engagement. On our return we found them
lust where we left them hours earlier. To the
Third Division, Twenty-fourth Corps. West
Virginia men, belongs the honor of capturing
Fort Gregg. and know that they will allow
US (the little skirmish-line from the 18th Me.
rived from the memory of the fact that we
helped just a little, but with all the force there
was in us, to bring about the result
On that day there was killed Captain of the
18th w. Va. His body was taken to the rear,
and was there seen by Gen. III. NJ. Plaisted,
formerly Colonel of the llth Me- The dead
Captain must have borne a very striking
semblance to myself. for Gen. Plasted seeing
the regimental number same as my own on the
cap of the dead man mistook him for me, aud
Immediately wired my people of my death, and
all was sorrow in my home at once. My young
wife, whom had married while on furlough in
February, 1865, was Frustrated by the news.
perhaps, after having lived with me for more
than 81 years now, and found out how much
of terror am, she would not undergo quito
so much prostration3 as before) Preparations
were made to put on mourning for me-the
lost one, flags were placed at half.mast, etc.
for in those days | had very many friends in
my native town and vicinity, and l am proud
indeed of the fact that they considered my sup
posed death loss aud cause of sorrow. That
was worth dying for, Ffe
From Petersburg our, corps went to Apo
mattox, and the old Third Brigade. First Di-
vision, If ! mistake not, made the last charge
of that final campaign on the LynChburg
pike at Glover Hill. Not knowing of my
reported death until we had returned to Farm
vile, on our way back to. Richmond. of course
1 could not relieve the suspense of my people,
and the week after we entered Richmond,
that goal of our ambition, l met one day
upon our parade ground an old friend of mine.
Rev. Ctas. l.. Nichols, of Princeton, Me-, of the
Christian Commission, who had come South in
search of my body. Soon all was joy again in
my home. Pm alive yet, my friends and just
as much patriot as in the old days of 1861 to
1865 am subscriber to The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE, and read its pages every week with
great pleasure and profit. 1t is the soldiers
paper. There is no other.
I've said much more than / intended Will
the Editor please forgive me, as never before
wrote an article for any paper.-CHAs. A.
RoLFE, Captain Co. A, 1lth Me-, Princeton, Me.