The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-01-20

Vanced farther, with shell and musketry.
l did not see man of our regiment leave
the ranks, though there was some duck
ing of heads when shot or she'll came
unusually near.
We were the extreme right of our
army. We went on to the field by the
right flank, marc ing at quick time, but
as we came under hotter fire our pace
uuickened to the double quick. We soon
began to descend the hill to the War
renton pike, beyond which the enemy
who were firing upon us were situated.
Heavy firing was heard soon at the
Henry hOuse-to our left and front. A
portion at least of the 14th Brooklyn
was retiring to our left, and Ricketts, bat
terry was flying to the rear on our right.
The idea of retreat or defeat had not en-
tered our minds at that time. We thought,
l did at least, that the retiring battery
and troops were G ing back after am
munition or TO make room for fresh
troops.
While marching at double quick down
the slope at trail arms, at the head of
my company, which was next to the color
guard was hit in the right arm, near
the shoulder, by piece of shell, which
passed across my breast and whirled
around and fell to the ground. In. the
twinkling of an eye l was transformed
from an athlete to apensiOner. Another
piece from the same shell killed my file
leader, Corporal Benjamin of Company
g. of Brattlebore. His life was the first
laid upon the altar of his country in bat
tie by Vermonter. l was carried to
the rear by two comrades after my bleed
ing was partly stopped, placed in ali am
bulance, carried to a little old cooper s
shop near the Sudley church. placed up
on board upon the grOune, and my arm,
which was completely shattered and
hanging together only by the skin and
muscles, was amputated by Surgeon Bal
lou of my regiment. | remember of see
ing him standing over me as | vas being
etherized, and l did not see him after
ward fOr25 years, almost to day, when
| met him at the Van Ness House.
The regiment continued on and soon
became closely engaged with the enemy.
They fought bravely and only retired
when peremPtorily ordered to do so.
They retreated in good order and formed
a part of the rear guard, such as they
were. The service of the regiment there.
after, as a part of the famous First Yer
mont brigade, was brilliant and uneXcel-
led by any other organization in the
Union army.
Soon after [ recovered my conscious
ness heard the cry, 1.-THE Black Horse
cavalary is coming" and soon major
of rebel cavalry came into the shop and
sternly informed us that we were pris.
onerS.
| had started out in the morning conf
dent of victory and that the war would
L. l,l JTnin,,
now the consciousness that our forces
were routed and flying to the rear, and
that | was prisoner and MANNED for
life put me in an unhappy state of mind
from which | did not entirely recover
until left Dixie.
NV arm was laid upon bench beside
me, in my full view. IL was palU and
useless then, and | told one of the boys
the next morning to take it out and bury
il. The shop was filled with our wound
ed and 1t was interesting to note the -3f-
feet of wounds upeR- different indiyidu.
ais Teccolect Zouava who was shot
wife musket ball when his mouth was
wide open-presumably when shooting.
The ball did not hit his teeth or any part
of his mouth. 1t first struck the poster
Tor pharynx and passed through his neck
anu puU blllbliSil bllS olhO Vi no Hpiiihti
column in the rear.
He could not lie down, but slept some
sitting. He was very hght-heartcd and
made rapid recovery. BY my side lay an
apparently strong young man who had a
simple flesh wound in one of his fore
arms. He was homesick and deSpOnd,
ent, and inflammation set in with accom-
panying fever, and he died in few days.
The weather was hot and most of Oul
wounds did not do well. IT. was before
the days of antseptic surgery, the great
boon of the subjects of the surgeons
knife.
One week from the day of the battle
we were taken to Manassas Junction,
bound for Richmond, Va.
We passed through the centre of the
battlefield. Broken gun carriages, Gals
sons, accoutrements and dead horses,
from which a horrible stencil arose, COW
cred the ground in all directions.
We were put up in an old tobacco shed
for the night. While there we were Wis
tied by many rebs, who tainted and
threatened us. Though our prisoners
were better treated at this time than
later on, so far as food and care were
concerned, there was bitterer personal
feeling by the rebel soldier toward the
Union soldier than after they got better
acquainted. On the morning of July
10Th we were loaded into some old
freight cars, unprovlded With even straw
to lie upon. and started for the capita
of the cOnfederacy. What a terrible
Journey of SO hours and 100 miles thai
was for the wounded. Unable to sit W
we lay upon the floor of the car with, al
the most, but blanket under us. Every
time the car wheels struck the joints OF
the rails our arms and legs were thrown
up a few inches in the air, to come down
again at once with a thud on the floor.
More dead than alive we reached Rich
mond. / was carried to the pOorhOuse
with some others of the badly wounded
and was there visited by those minister.
ing angels, the Sisters of Charity, who
know no difference between Union OF
rebel. They were doing the work Of
their Master, who is mo respector o.
persons"
One of them gave me few swallows
of rum punch which revived me much
am a temperate man, but think tina
if Sister should offer me rum punch
now should drink it, to see ii it would
taste as good as it did in Richmond 3
years ago.
Captain James b. Ricketts,, U. S. A.
who commanded Ricketts, battery in the
battle and who lost a leg, was a prisone
| in the poorhouse with us. His devoted
wife had brayed the dangers incident h
a Journey through the lines, and wa
there ministering tn her husband.
| RickpttS wasc afterWard n major pener