Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-09-25

r 81 - renOwn rs the
- 8: J: :: !: !; !:
= &fRSsAS4&A of the five .regi
&HG EE ~ ments were from
& 3S r. Wisconsin - the
+. q Second, Seventh
and Sixth. The high sounding synonym
attached to the Iron Brigade was not
bestowed by hattery; it was won in bat
tie and stuck to the command because it
was good fit. One would look for
great record in a body of men whose
name recalls Cromwell's lropsides, and
the search would not be vain one.
Fighting in that brigade throughout its
three years Of service, the Second Wis;
consin suffered more from the enemy's
fatal bullets than any other regiment in
the Federal army. :" ~
Fifteen battles, beginning at the first
Bull Run and ending at Petersburg,
proved fatal to the ranks of the regi-
ment. At the first. Bull Run, second
Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam,
Gettysburg and the Wilderness its losses
were heavy, but there were scores of
regiments which lost a greater proper
ton of their men in some one Of these
particular engagements and in others as
we'll. Tho Seconds highest loss in any
one Of the six battles named was at Sec
ond Bull Run, where Sc were killed or
mortally wounded, and the lowest death
roll was at South Mountain. In the last
10 of its number were killed in &C.
ton.
Among the 800 fighting regiments
whose histories appear in Colonel Fox's
work on 'Regimental Losses In the
Civil War" the Second Wisconsin heads
the list with the highest percentage
killed in action during it's whole term
Of service. The regiment entered the
army in June, 1861, and was disband-
ed at the end Of three years. In estimat-
ing the percentage Colonel Fox used as
q basis the total number borne upon the
rel imental roles. Including noncom-
batants and those who left the colors
without going into action at all, the
muster during three. years was 1908
men. Out Of that number 1917 per cent
we're killed-namely, 1873. One piece Of
good fortune attended the regiment in
spite Of its sanguinary record. It was
never caught in slaughter pen on some
disastrous field with sacrifice Of half
it's numbers. The highest loss in sim
gle battle was the result Of a long and
spirited fight, and in every one of its
great actions the regiment gained prom
inence through it's daring achievements
as we'll as on account o. its heavy death
roll.
At the first Bull Run the Second
fought under Sherman, on the Henry
house plateau, when desperate attempt
was made to recover that field after dis
aster had overtaken portion Of the
army. There occurred the most stubborn
of the line Of battle fighting of that
day. In his official report General Sher-
man said, '"This regiment assembled to
the brow Of the hill steadily, received
the severe fire Of the enemy, returned it
with spirit and advanced delivering its
fire. -, After one repulse of the column
the Second charged again with equal
spirit but without success The loss
that day was "a killed outright and 65
wounded, the heavy proportion Of the
wounded showing the severity Of the
encounter.
|. Upon the reorganization Of the army
The Second changed its brigade ard in
it's next battle was led by General John
Gibbon in the command which earned
the valorous title later bestowed upon
it, the Iron Brigade. # ever new SOL
diers displayed iron nerve, Gibbon' g men
did at second Bull Run. On the 28th Of
August, in the course of the maneuve1s
incident to formation for battle, the op-
posing troops Of Pope and Stonewall
Jackson were countermarohing on par
allel routes within range Of each other.
Gibbons brigade had the center in
Kings division column. Hatch's bril-
gade was In front, and while crossing q
stream on the Warrenton pike it en-
countered strong force of the enemy.
Hatch deployed his men on both sides
Of the road to attempt forcing passage
for the division. Gibbon halted his line
on the road to await the issue in front
and support Hatch If necessary.
Kings division, unsupported and un-
warned, had run into Stonewall Jack
sons army. Having learned through a
captured Federal courier that the enemy
was marching along the pike, Stonewall
gave orders for attack on sight. He in
tended to destroy the isolated division
at blow, and while Hatch was headed
of at the crossing Of the stream bat
teries with infantry supports went into
position on the high ground north Of the
pike to intercept the column following.
One Of these batteries opened suddenly
on Gibbon. Not wishing to break con-
nection with Hatch, Gibbon left his ad-
vance regiment intact and ordered the
second in line to face left and charge
Jackson's guns This regiment was the
Second Wisconsin. There was hill
between the pike and the guns, and
while rushing up the slope with cheer
the Wisconsin men stirred up nearer
enemy, for jackson had filled the little
hollows between the ridges with infan-
try. Several brigades, in fact. were in