The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-12-28

b Tfif2s ~ WHILE l. LIVE.
Color Corp Andrew Wagner, the last of
the color guard, the others having been
shot down Wagner planted the staff sew
eral times under the eolonel's directions to
rally the men, until he, too, was shot. Col
Morrow then took the staff into his own
hands, for there were none left of his chosen
color guard to bear it, When Morrow
formed this guard he called for volunteers
who were 'ironchd f" SO that the bullets
would roll Off like hail from roof Alas,
the bullets flying in McPherson's woods
on July were not of that kind.
A fourth line Of battle found less than
half of the Twenty-fourth coming to rally.
Its major had lost an eye on the last line
and three lieutenants had been killed, and
the complement of officers was fast thin
ming out. Col. Morrow planted the flag
with his own hands, when Private William
Kelley reached for them with the thrill
ing protest, "The colonel of the Twenty
fourth Michigan shall not carry the colors
while am alive"
Brave Kelley fell dead before he could
redeem his word and the flag passed into
the hands of another private. During all of
this bloody work around the colors soldiers
were constantly volunteering to act as color
guard in place of the guards shot down, a
post next in glory and in danger to that of
color bearer. In that capacity Corp. Viii
liam Ziegler was killed, Sergt. W. j. Maggie,
Corp. Thomas Suggett and Private Thomas
Ballou were mortally wounded between
the opening of the fight and the fifth line of
battle, which was formed at a rail fence on
Seminary Ridge near the seminary
About this time old John Burns, the
veteran hero Of Gettysburg, gravitating
among the men OF the Iron Brigade to-
ward the hardest fighting and the best
company, fell in with the Twenty-fourth
and fought with it until he had three bull
lets in his person.
Before the sixth line of battle could be
formed Col. Morrow, still carrying the
colors, was hit in the head. He turned the
command over to Capt. A. NJ Edwards,
and soon fell into the enemy's hands. The
flag was found by Capt. Edwards in the
hands of a mere oy-unknown-who lay
dead or dying and hugging the staff to his
bosom Edwards waved the banner and
rallied the remnants, and led the way
slowly back to Cemetery Hill, where Han
cock had time to form the line that was to
save Gettysburg,
Capt Edwards found 90 to answer roll
call out of 400 that entered the fight that
morning. The killed and mortally wound
ed were 80; the total killed and wounded,
S16; prisoners taken south, 81; prisoners
paroled, including some wounded, 3s: Off
GERS killed, s; wounded, IA; captured, 8;
remaining, 8.
The color bearers killed were Peck; Bel
lore, Ziegler, Earnest, Kelley and I'm
known; color guards mortally wounded,
Maggie, Suggett and Ballou.
The Twenty fourth was not permanently
laid up for repairs and pensions after Get
| tysburg. 1t charged with gallant Wads-
worth in the Wilderness, where he fell, to
sound its eulogies no more. 1t fought with
Warren at Spottsylvania and fired 5000
rounds in the Bloody Angle" 1t mus.
tered 40 men in front of Petersburg in
June and took part in the assaults there.
The dead of the regiment on the field and
! in prison numbered, all told, 22l; the killed
and wounded, $50. To analyze its battle
record further would be superauous, for
this is not a catalogue of horrors but a
simple bit Of history.
GEORGE L KILMER.