The Portland daily press., 1894-12-01

Geo. o. Mcclellan, soon TO be killed at York
town, and George Morse. aow living. Joined
| me, and as there was no recruiting office II
town. we thought the next thing to do was
to be sworn into the United States service
SO we went to Lawyer Fred d. Sewall ana
We're solemnly sworn into the service of the
United States. and l took the next train
for Augusta to obtain papers to recruit
company
In describing the election of the omoers
of the Seventh Maine General Hyde tells
Us how General Connor began his career
In few days the company otDcers were
summoned to the Senate Chamber 10 choose
field officers by ballot. Adjutant aeneral
Hodgdon presided. He is still living ana
all Maine soldiers remember him, lnpeflous
and energetic, yet kindly, and doing great
work for the cause. We looked at each
other askance, being hardly acquainted as
yet, and finally proposed that we put some
regular officer in for colonel. as none OF
us knew much about the business. This
was seconded. and some one had the name,
taken from an advertisement, of Edwin C.
Mason. captain of the Eth. Infantry, re-
cruiting in Portland. Then it was sug-
gested by a man from kendalIs Mills that
Selden Conner, about finishing his term of
three months service in the lst, Vermont,
and soon coming home as sergeant, would
know something about il, and would be a
good man for lieutenant-co lonel SO We
chose him. We made no mistake then"
The author was chosen major because he
was the only man in the regiment who
could drill a company. The necessary abb
seuce OF other officers caused the command
to fall upon Major Hyde. and he led the
regiment from Maine, and during msny of
its early experiences.
1t was
NEAR WILLIAMSBURG
that the first stem realities of war were
tasted while the regiment was at Lees
Mills:
81 saw my first man killed that day a
she'll cut him in two l think he was the
first man killed in the Amy of the Poto-
mae. Joe Pepper of Bath. He used to work
for us at home, and when l went ont to
help bury him that night and took his
wife's picture from his pocket, for me-
mento would have given all had in the
world to get out of the army the horror of
it was SO cruel'
-
fought the war of the rebel rebellion is il
Illustrated by an experience of Major Hyde
in reporting the result of reconnaissance:
''On my return, reported TO MajorGen-
eral Sumner, commanding the left wing of
the army and gave him my. drawing. The
bluff and gray old GER looked at me and
seemed to look me through and through,
but my blue over coat gave no sign of rank.
sky L.. God cI,
Will command the armies of the United
States at my age 1t always puzzled the
old regulars to see us juveniles playing
soldiers, as it may have seemed to them"
The 1lrst real fighting of the Seventh was
at williamsburg. of which the following
thrilling description lis eiven:
''On the Confederates came, and fine
picture of IA charge they made. They were
at the double-quick, and were coming over
a ploughed field. diagonally across our front,
to attack the troops that were returning.
They could not see us as we lay fiat on the
ground. From my place on the left of the
regiment, saw General Hancock galloping
towards us, bareheaded, alone, magnif-
cent figure; and with voice hoarse will
shouting he gave US the order. Forward.
charged The papers had it that he said,
''Charge, gentlemen, charge" but he was
more emphatic than that; tie air was blue
all around him. Well, up we started, ana
the long line of sabre bayonets came down
together as if one man swayed them as we
crossed the crest, and with roar of cheers
THE 18th, MAINE DASHED ON.
1t was an ecstacy of excitement for a
moment: but the foe, breathless from their
long tug over the heavy ground, seemed to
dissolve all at once into quiveTing and
disintegrating mass and to scatter in all
directions. Upon this we halted and
opened fire, and the view of it through the
smoke was pitiful. They were falling
everywhere; while handkerchiefs were held
ND in token of surrender; no bullets were
coming our way except from clump of "a
few trees in front of our left. Here group
of men, led by an officer whose horse had
just fallen were trying to keep up the I'M
ca ual fight. when NICK. the crack shot of
Company D., ran forward little and sent
a bullet crashing through his brain. This
was Lieuteuant7C j. @. BIadburn of
the 5tk., North Carolina and at his fall all
opposition ceased.
II went over the field and tried to harden
myself to the sights OIL horror ana agony.
One cts accustomed to such things, jnst
as doctors get accustomed to the dissecting
table. but at this early day We were not
much hardened. AS it became dark we
spead lot of fence rails in the mud and
sat on cracker boxes in our rubber blankets
most of the night, for. between the excite
lnent and the rain and occasional shots of
our pocket just in front, we had no desire
for sleep. Common told stories and 1ecited
poetry, and we recited to each other our
experience of the battle with an enuhus-
ias1n that could not be quenched. Nor
were the men much more sleepy. Beside
their dim watch fires murmurs of hushed
conversation arose, and the phosphores-
cent glow on the faces of the dead in the
fields, became more weird as the night sped
on. Our part of the battle was the begin
ming of Hancock's fame, and he always had
lively affection for tie regiments who
we're in the "bayonet charge at Williamas-
burg
1.-THE next night while at dress parade, a
great cavalcade was seen approaL hing, Gen
eral Mcclellan at the head. He stopped be-
fore our colors, and in a graceful speech