The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-04-13

ing accords eth
colonel in his spurs" Not alone gen
erals whose civic virtues We're on a pa
with their achievements in the field, ant
who chose to be painted in epaulets anc
sash, but warriors of all rank who's
only claims to distinction We're carved
out with the sword, are given a place
in Memorial hall. One tablet hand:
down to posterity the names Of 16 off
GERS of the Second Massachusetts in
fantry who were killed in battle. Thir.
teen were all Harvard men, and there
were only three officers killed in that
regiment during its three years service
who were not Harvard men. Either the
Harvard men alone were brave, or fate
was unkind to them, or this was a Har-
ward regiment. It was not a Harvard
regiment except as to its leaders, but
there were many things in its history to
make it worthy to be honored as it is
honOred III the war Pantheon of New
England's great university.
When the handful Of state militia was
arming in April, 1861, to uphold a
president whose right to even call on
that militia was doubted, a young mi.
litia colonel Of Massachusetts who was
a graduate of West Point conceived the
idea Of raising a regiment and present.
ing 1t to the United States, clothed and
equipped and fed if need be, without
calling on any government appropria-
ton Of doubtful legality.
The system Of organization was rigid
IN the extreme, and one which in any
other time than al hour Of patriotic
excitement would have scared away re-
cruits and left the money chest empty.
The regiment was to be modelled upon
those Of the regular army-that is, the
ranks We're to be filed by enlistments
for an indefinite period for the war;,
and the officers Were to be appointed by
the colonel without consulting the
wishes Of the men, as was the custom in
the militia and in the volunteers for a
long time after the war began. Money
and recruits poured in, and officers made
application for positions, sometimes
bringing Governor Andrews indorse.
ment, but more often leading a com.
pany or battalion Of stalwart recruits.
Having at last received the highest
sanction for his radical methods, Cor.
don ordered his scattered companies t.,
come together for muster, and on the
18th of May Captain Abbot's company
from Lowell took formal possession OF
historic Brook Farm at Roxburv. and
with a borrowed cannon manned byvol,
unteer gunners saluted the old flag as it
slowly climbed up the flagstaff Of Camp
Andrew. The haunt of dreamers was
again peopled with dreamers. At Camp
Andrew the companies We're welded
into a regiment, christened the Second
Massachusetts, and like the first phalanx
from Brook Farm marched out to make
history, but not like that in broken
ranks.
On July 10, 1861, the Second Massa.
chusetts-a body Of 1000 men finely
armed and equipped-forded the Poto-
mao into Virginia and marched to Mar
tinsburg.
When Gordon broke camp a few days
later to march against the enemy, the
owner of the land handed him a bill
for fence rails burned, grass trampled
and extra blowing necessary to make
good the ravages of Yankee boot heels.
Having marched into the south to en-
force the doctrine that property was So.
cred and not to be taken without lust
compensation, the colonel promptly
counted out every dollar asked in gold.
The first fighting of the regiment was
in Banks retreat down the valley, with
Stonewall jackson at his heels, Nav,
1862. Gordon commanded the Union
rear guard, of which the Second formed
a part. The first check to Jackson's van.
guard-the general in person, with his
escort and statf-was given by Company
! OF the Second. Gordon's brigade dis
puted the pike with them all the way to
Winchester and kept them from Selling
the hills commanding the town, which
Jackson told his officers must be taken
at all hazard. Formed Oh the semicir.
cular heights, with but 1000 men in
line, it kept Jackson's five brigades, one
OF which mustered 4, 200, over three
hours. The Second stood alone at the
last and lost more men killed than any
other regiment in the army. In SO
hours it marched 81 miles, and "a hours
OF that time We're passed in continuous
skirmishing with the enemy.
The next battle of the regiment was
at Cedar Mountain, a grand test of SOL
der mettle. In a crisis Of the engage
ment Gordon was left with three regi-
ments - !, 800 men - to receive the
charge OF 5000 led by Jackson in per-