The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-21

ONLY A HANDFUL LED BY A SERGEANT.
trenches GO to 100 rods from the enemy's
breastworks and under an almost constant
fire The losses in killed in the trenches
during the last week in June included
Captains William II. Shoppee and William
X. Currier and Lieutenants Calvin Boston
and Hiram c. Gage
On July 80 the regiment led General
Potters storming column in the charge at
the mine crater, an affair planned for
repetition of the surprise of June Il, but
which resulted in disastrous failure.
The Burnside mine under Confederate
fort exploded its mammoth powder maya
zine long after daylight, and Potter's divi-
sion charged through binding clouds OF
smoke and dust upon the Confederate
works adjoining the crater. Colonel Dan
iel White, with the Thirty-first, led the
advance column of Griffins brigade. BY
the time Whites followers reached the
works alongside of the deep crater the en-
envy had recovered from his surprise and
poured an incessant rain of bullets ana
grape upon the gallant boys of Maine. a
division of colored troops also charged
over the same ground and broke into
panic, blocking the advance of Colonel
Whites line The Confederates seized
THIS moment OF COnluSlOu diloHE bhc y IL
ion troops to engage in counter charge
with the bare bayonet. The Maine boys
turned upon the assailants and fought
with them handto hand, The colors of
the Thirty-first disappeared from the flag
| staff during the melee, but were rescued
| from capture. Colonel White was wound
ed and captured, and every regimental
! commander in Griflin's brigade--six in all
was cut down. For the first time in its
/ history the regiment lost heavily in miss
! ing The unaccounted for mum bered 81,
the killed 90 and the wounded IL. The
roll of honor was increased by the death
of Captains Almon II. Gdsbee and Byron
H. Gilmore, Lieutenants George W.Thomp-
son, John G.. Written and William Is. Al
lvn. Lieutenant William 3. Pierce was
MORALLY wounded and died in the hands
of the enemy OF the original "a commits
| stoned officers, II had fallen in battle, sew
eral had been disabled or captured, and
| but four remained on duty. These were
! Captains James Dean and Joseph 5. Har-
| low, Lieutenants g. A. Bolton and f. A.
Sprague. Lieutenant Bolton was serving
as an aid to the general, and Dean CONF
manded the Thirty-fir In their next
battle, the last of the summer series fought
at Poplar Springs Church, Captain Har-
low, Lieutenant Sprague and 3 men were
killed, wounded, and IA, including Cap
tain Dean, were made prisoners of war.
Only handful of men remained to escort
the colors off the field after they had been
saved from capture by Sergeant kimball
of Company II. Kimball was the ranking
officer and assumed command as acting
colonel The Thirty first had been in the
field five months and was virtually wiped
out. Eight captains and two acting cap
tains had been killed. Its total loss in
officers killed and MORALLY wounded had
reached 10, a circumstance unparalleled
in the war, The Sixty-tirst Pennsylvania
lost an equal number, but its battles began
in June, 1862, and ended in April, 1865
Still the Thirty first did not abandon
the fight. About 200 fresh men were trans
ferrel to it's ranks, and it remained in the
field to the end. The grand total of killed
and wounded was 62S; of killed and NOR
tally wounded, 1888, and of deaths from al
causes, 300. An eleventh hour" regimen
indeed GEORGE l.. klLMER.