The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1893-09-15

more than 10 or ~ 1eet from me ana Durt
with SO little force that one could plainly SCI
struck Daniel Cannon In the left side. III
was the second man In my front and was thu
frat one 10 our company to be wounded. Nov
began the climb up the hill. The officers be
lievlng II too steep for their horses left tn
animals and made their way on foot. Mos
of the wood had been cut off and the grount
" as strewn with brush and leaves which hat
been sci on fire In some manner, making II
very unpleasant for the men rs they strug
glsd bravely on, nearly out OF breath and al
most overcome by the heat and smoke. As
came out of the smoke all was dark and the
air was filed with falling stars. l stopped
staggered and exclaimed, 81 cannot CO." Ser
geant Samuel W. Bailey caught me anu
dashed some water into my face, then gave
me q swallow from his canteen saying, "keep
a stiff upper lip" In an instant all was bright
and bounded to my place 10 the ranks again.
"If an angel of mercy ever lowered between :.
Thisworld and the next, twas tho old canteen."
| About this time our advance was being dis.
puted by the fire of the rebel mCsketry, but
we soon gained the crest OF the hill, and
opened brisk fire on the rebs and within 20
minutes the whole range of Marye's Heights
was ours, but 1t had cost the sacrifice OF many
lives. The losses In the I'd, 81, 4th and 9th
of wounds seven. Out-0f this number the
Second lost II and kilIed,94 wounded, died of
wounds seven, or ll2 Ii all out of total of
120 for the four regiments. Co. of the regi.
ment lost one killed, Phillip w. Crosby, and lG
wounded, several OF whom viz. A. P. Bixby,
A. II. Pratt, W. d. Derby, f. A. Hall, D. O.
turned to The company for duty. Soon after
the fighting ceased0 along our lines we were
relieved, and sent back to the I'D Richmond
1t 'ge road, and,got our knapsacks an ate our
dinner. During this time Gen. w. T. H.
Brooks with the first division had been sent
up the Plank road towards Characteristic.
He had gone as far as Salem Church when he
met large force of Lees army burrying
down the road to reinforce Early and here q
hard battle WIS fought to which night only
put an end. We were marched up through
Fredericksburg and hurried on up the Plank
road where we met large numbers OF the
wounded coming back to the hospitals In
Fredericksburg. We reached the neio JUST
of the road where and camped for tue night
some four miles or more from Fredericks.
burg.
the 9th CORPS gained the whole OF the COM
manding heigets In and about Fredericksburg,
captured eight cannon, several hundred pris'
oners. and cut off Earlv's division from the
rest of Lees army and had Gen. SedgwfcK
done az he wished the 9th corps would have
made an end to Early's division. But Sedg-
wick had received prempt0ry orders to march
TO Chan sc orsville some IL miles nearly que
west 10 join his corps with It IN. HOOKER
forces. Only small force was left to guard
the heights and to S IOr the the ugbt Gen.
Early learning that Marye's hill was left I'M
guarded. Immediately took possession OF 1t,
and At an early hour marched portion OF his
into the city. Most OF our wounded
were got over the river so that very few fell
Into the encmy's hands.
May 4th Early's batteries on Marye,s Hill
were the first to sound the reveille and soon |
our camp was filed with flying shot and shell,
and snarling as they passed among
us. Il was great surprise to US to learn |
hat the ground We had fought over the day |
before was now lost. The brigade was hur-
ried back some little distance, under the nre
Of the artillery and with but little loss. me
brigade was formed IN line OF oat,ie 1 ABOUT
slf way between Salem church and Freder'
cksburg, with the right resting on the plank
road, which we held during the day. we
we're now facing fredericksburg, witn Eariy
directly between US and the city. our con'
nunication with the east side OF tne river
WAS cut off. No sound came from hooKers
runs during all of that Sunday afternoon ana
large force from Lees army was coming
lown from Chancellorsville. The rebels
we're on three sides of US, With the Kappa
hammock, IS yet bridgeless. on the loultn.
We all saw that Lee had the 9Th corps pretty
veil bagged with eight days rations. we
we're most anxious to hear from the rest OF
be army west OF US, put no uulngs ca M.,s
The day passed slowly BY with but iittle
along our lines.
We could see on the hill the rebel army
hrowiDg up earthw0rks and making rcad4
or an attack. e WAT about O'Clock 10 the
fternoon when battery after battery along
be rebel line opened fire furiously and soon :
- @n%a nj rnOvod
own the slope confident of victory. They
pproached within q few feet OF the old bri' t
ade when each regiment at the proper mo, g
tent met them with q salute OF leaden bal!
nd then charged them. They broke and fell '
ack, only to reform their ranks for another n
,saut, but they were met at every point c
18th defeat, losing many prisoners. The OLD a
ids with the same heroic spirit that they D
ade the charge the day before. As the fir G
~ ceased and the dense smoke rose we n
,uld see the ground 10 front OF us was (,
rewn with the dead and wounded. Not I
ore than 30 feet in front OF our company o
as seen rebel soldier bending over Il
ounded comrade trying to help him when v
Lieutenant Joshua P. Sawyer of Go. c, acting n
adjutant, came along the line and rushed "
1t with drawn sword, ordered the rebel to "
oulder arms, then marched him to the regi- Il
emf, walking backwards himself. Il
"Col. Walbridge," he said. "here Is one of O
,ur id, recruits This little act of brav- n
y serves to show what KIND OF men tDere ST
ere In the old brigade. bt
Gen. Lee had now waited too long for hi
,rly's expected victory, In breaking the line W
tn. 81 division. and rs dark was now CON- BIZ
9 on, did not make any general attack on ca
y other portion of the line. Gen. Sedg- re
lex hadsnot received any help or encourage. vi
ent from Hooker and believing that he had m
Q larger part of Lees army 10 his front, de- hs
led to fall back that nisht to Banks Ford, ali
here pantoon bridge had been laid that es
y. The brigade fell back short distance m
d formed new line Of battle, while the nc
vt OF the corps was being hurried ever the g,
,er. Why the Vermont brigade was left TO v,
ne more hard fighting than any other troops stl
the corps, Ia more than know. 1t was q m
rely night and the moon shone brightly. lie
e rebels Kept up . sharp skirmish with our vi
kets, IS they fell slowly back, but IS they Dr.
to advance between US and the moon we su
,ught we rather had the best of them. 70,
capt. d. =. White, of our company, was Or mr.
ed to take bis company and support por- kn
q of the picket line, and to move bis men of
double quick to any point where there was We
: sign or break In our line. The result vi
this order was that we had many q sharp We
10 run during the night, only to find that fri
were not needed. The rebels had . bat thu
y up the river and had been all night ctr
Hing the pontoor bridge without result, but CHI,
ny Of their shells came uncomf0rtably NO
ss. Just before day light the brigade crossed He
river. Some of the pickets did not reach it the
eason and were brought over In boats, SIN
ary and sleepy. The men dragged them arc
res up the bill, from the dense Toy OF the ocC
sr, and threw themselves on the ground s,o
rest. The brigade lost In this engage no,
Ut, in killed, IS; wounded, 1913; died Of the
ands, u. Among the officers, Capt. Luther wa
lsworth, Co. h. 6tn vermont, was Killed. anC
ven line officers were wounded. Lieut.. mo