The Portland daily press., 1894-12-01

mortally wounded, brave and resigned to
the last
No account of the Seventh Maine regi-
ment is complete without the story of An
tietam. where it performed services for
which is was personally thanked by McCel-
Ian, and sent home to recruit. About nine
o'clock in the morning the Seventh Maine,
following the nth, New York, moved on to
the field of battle, of which General Hyde
gives the following interesting account:
1t was refreshing to turn from the
crowds of wounded streaming back and
look at the firm, sset faces behind me, every
one of them known to me personally, and
never known to lack nerve in danger. But
the nth. began to double quick as soon we
came to some woods, we followed suit and
soon passed by sss
. THE 10th, MAINE,
that splendid regiment reduced to a small
squad. | asked for Beal and Fillebrown.
and was told they were down. Then could
see the long line of Germans moving OBJ
liquely to the left, while the 18th were 60
ing straight on, when Captain Long. our
adjutant general, ordered me to go in on
the left of the Germans. 1t took but an
instant to get the regiment forward into
line, and then, left half wheeling like
large company, we were out of the woods.
and the whole magnificent panorama of
the field of the Antietam was in full view.
The Germans, some eight hundred strong,
were moving in fine line, and looked SO we'll
that the whole fire of the enemy was being
concentrated upon them. Colonel Voge-
sack and his field officers were riding be-
hind them, and pushing them on in the most
spirited manner. Seeing a body CT the enc
my about some barns on our left flank, we
charged them. tearing the rail fences down
we went. We soon drove them out los
ing dozen men, and then dashed back
against the run and lay down on the lett
of the Germans, who had lost heavily. re-
member in this charge passing over what
had been a Confederate regiment of per-
haps four hundred men. There they were,
both ranks, file closers and officers. as they
fell for SO few had been the survivors 1t
seemed to me the whole regiment were ~
ing there in death. Their clothing WIS OF
gray, or butternut color, and my impress
sion was that they all had led or very hight
hair. At this time l saw Lieutenant Emery
of Skowhegan jump in the air and fall roll
ing over several times apparently in great
agony. but he was back with US in short
time, bullet had struck his belt-plate.
''It was now about one o'clock. We had
retaken the line we were ordered to retake.
Five or six of our batteries were firing over
our heads at as many of the enemies bat
teries near the bunker Church, which were
busily returning the fire. The Irish brigade
were charging up to the line over to the
left; the Vermonters came up deliberately
to our left and rear, and then we hugged
the ground for several hours. Where we
were, lot of boulders protected us fairly
well, but it was more open in front OF the
Germans, and every few minutes some OF
them would be struck and go TO the rear.
while scarcely any of our regiment were in
jured. ! went to Colonel Vegesack and told
him they were specially singing him out,
as his colors were held SO high, and adj
yised lowering them a little. "Let them
wave: they are our glory" said the brave
old Swede. and he kept on riding back and
forth behind the regiment, revolver in hand
to shoot the skulkers, the most prominent
object in the field.
.sWhile on the Peninsula, private named
Knox, who was wonderful shot, got per-
mission to use mis- own rifle, valuable
weapon AS We lay under
THE STORM OF SHOT AND SHE LII,
he asked me to let him go out in front, and
every few minutes for an hour we heard
his rifle crack. l found place where
could see his work. He had driven away
every one from a section of guns AS last
as a man would come for ward to fire,
Knox would tumble him. over. A general
officer and staff came into view. and his
horse was promptly knocked over. and
they as promptly disappeared. At the end
of an hour OF so, he came in and disconso-
lately showed ME his pet rife. A piece of
shell had struck the breech and completely
ruined it; but he took three rifles left by
the Wounded and went back to his deadly
work.
From where we lay we could see Rich
ardson's division beyond the Vern1onters on
our left, and in the far distance the long
DELAYED efforts of Burnside and. the sturdy
lines of the Confederates opposing him and
they were almost perpendicular TO ours; OH
to orr left and rear was Porter's corps, Idle.
Bat hills forbade all knowledge of what
was being done 10 the right and the smoke
of many guns made it Impossible to see TO
our rear whether reinforcements were be-
ing brought up or whether there were in
dications of our beins ordered forward. 1t
was drawing near five O'clock. Custom had
brought indifference to the fire, and we
were expecting soon 10 be relieved, little
knowing that in u few minutes more the
It'll. Maine were to find their, Balaklava.
"Colonel Irwin of the 49th, Pennsylvania
commanded our brigade at Antietam. he
was soldier of the Mexican War, and had
been wounded at Resaca de la Palmo. He
was gallant man, but drank foo much, of
which was then unaware.
Between four and five o'clock Mary
land battery was brought up on our line,
and UPTON. Slocums chief of artillery,
came up to look after it, and Colonel Irwin
followed him. AS Colonel Irwin passed the
battery, its commander, who was Dutch,
complained bitterly that sharpshooters were
picking off his men and pointed out where
they were, near some hay stacks by Piper's
barns. Those were not far from the Hagers-
town Pike, short distance from the main
street of Sharpsburg. and behind the center
of the rebel position. Colonel Irwin rode
to where | was lying on the ground, and
so;d ttHIa ior HYDE. take yDur reg irnent and