The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-03-07

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into action that day Colonel Gilluly had
recalled to brother officer, Captain
Blackman, compact made before leav-
Ing Michigan that If either fell tho other
should make every effort to recover hia
body and send it home for burial. Tho
colonel rode at the head of his men in
the encounter at the batteries. It was
all over in minute Berry's men en-
dured the brunt Of the Confederate At
tack and turned it back. Colonel Gillu-
~ was killed at the first fire, and nearly
100 Michigan men fell with him. he
was buried on the field, and, true to the
promise, after the Union army reorossed
the Rappahannock, Captain Blaokman
went over at night, eluded the enemy's
pockets on the river bluffs and secured
the body, which had been placed in q
marked grave for the purpose.
Colonel Gilluly was the second com
mander Of the regiment who fell in &C.
ton. In the next battle Colonel Edwin
T. Sherlock, the third to stand as a
shining mark, was instantly killed.
Colonel Sherlock was killed at Chanoel-
louisville on Sunday morning, May 8.
The fatal blow was given by a piece of
she'll while the regiment lay in support
of Union batteries which Stonewall
Jacksons corps attempted to carry by
assault. Before he fell, however, he led
the Fifth through one of the most dar-
ing bayonet charges on record. In the
memorable assault Of Saturday evening,
May 2, Stonewall had driven the Elev-
enth Union corps from its breastworks
on the plank road and even pierced the
line separating Sickles' Third corps from
the rest Of the army. Sickles had been
far in advance attempting to head off
Jackson's flank march. 1t was long aft.
or dark, and after Jackson s tragic death
while accommodating, that Sickles reach
ed the field of the Eleventh corps fight
ing and discovered that the Confederates
held the plank road on his front, and he
was cut off completely. Between the po-
sition then held by his troops and the
plank road there was a thick under
growth Of cedars. Birney's division was
ordered to press through the woods and
retake the works at the plank road. 1t
could only be done by surprise, and
to that end the troops were ordered to
uncap their muskets, march silently and
form along the breastworks before max
ing an alarm. The moon was shining,
but in the cedars the darkness was al
most impenetrable. The companies
moved through the forest by the right
flank, having taken sufficient distance
to swing into line at the works. It SO
happened that both the Union and Con-
federate lines had become confused in
the night encounter.
The Confederates held the plank road,
and also short line Of works, meeting
it at right angles and extending out
among the cedars. The Twelfth Union
corps also held short line in the cedars
opposite that Of the Confederates These
troops faced each other and were less
than 100 rods apart. Birney's line ad-
vanced quarter of mile without meet.
ing a picket. At that distance it was
fired upon by the Confederates on its
left flank. Some confusion resulted, but
no halt was made The Onion troops OF
the Twelfth corps line, aroused by the
Confederate volleys and hearing the
movement through the cedars, also
opened fire. Still Birney's men pressed
on, and the Confederates along the
plank road began firing at random
among the cedars. The charging COM
panies halted and wheeled into line,
and with lowered bayonets the Fifth
Michigan rushed to the breastworks on
it's front. They we're carried at bound;
but all the regiments were not so sue.
cessful. Part of them bivouacked in the
cedars; others retired, leaving alternate
Union and Confederate regiments on
the line at the plank road. Next morn
ing, while forming lines to support the
batteries around the Chancellor House,
Colonel Sherlock was killed. The regi.
ment lost 81 dead and wounded at
Charlottesville, nearly all of them in
the midnight attack.
The Fifth marched ten miles in three
hours to get into action at Gettysburg,
where its corps was attacked by Long
street After getting in it performed a
days work, as battles go, in one hour.
The colonel, major, two captains and
six lieutenants were shot down and 100
men beside them. The survivors emptied
their cartridge boxes and then supplied
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