The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-03-19
BRAVE OLD WOODBURY..
RecoIlections Of the Battle of Gaines'i
Mill.

RecoIlections of the Battle of Gaines
Mill.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Since vol
published my sketch of the bastle of Nal
vern Hill / have received many letters from
old comrades who were there thanking M
for the very graphic and accsrate descrip
tion of the part mat the Fifth Corps took il
the f=kt.
th1rk Sers't Rathery for his correction
IInew now that it was brave old Battery
ID that we had the honor of supporting il
many a fisht, and those boys could not for
get the 4ih Mnh. No drawer commander
Chan Charles Grx1in or beser company OF
arHnerymen was found In the whole Poto.
mac army.
had very good letter from one of the
old 9th Mass, C0mrade James Corcoran, OF
River Point, Il. l.; one frsm Alfred baven-
port, 5th n. Y; one from c. z. Lawrence,
32d Mass, of East Perperell, Mass; and one
from a comrade away cut in Oadmus, Kan,
who was one Of Forsythe's scouts
1 remember seeing the fosowing letter
some time ago from one Of my old regiment
in relation 10 The supposed death of Corp
Dupont at the battle of Gaipesis Mill. 1t
was frem the North Woods in Michigan:
"0ld Comraee Dupont" il runs "seeing
your name in the papers as Captain of the
Detroit Light Infantry, i am reminded Of
June q, 1862, seeing eorpg Dupont, Of Co.
*, 4th Mich, struck by bullet, as was sup
posed, shot dead through the head. Rebels
70 the right of as, relsels TO the left, front,
and rear, rebels all around. Our Captain
killed; First Lieutenant killed; First Ser
geant killed; First Corporal killed. KEl.
kill, kill! And whirlwind of bullets,
yells. and shEeks!
WAS it 90 or was ii bad dream? / dare
not try to tell The story of that place lest
folks think me liar, and often / hype il
was not reality, but only a nightmare.
Please assure me, if you Gao, tat ii was not
real, dear Dupont know you are the one,
so bright and CHEEKY, so glad and hight
hearted and hopeful, tbouss it was years
ago when we were soldier lads together, led
like sheep TO the slaughter, on that terrible
Friday morning, the beginning of the bloody
week in the old Potomac army.
remember lying on the ground that
night, completely exhausted by the fearful
fighting, dazed by the terrible and shocking
sights that had net my gaze but few hours
before. My senses were bewildered. j
could not trust them. George Cragan lay
beside me. Afer season ofsiieDce thought
i would trust myself to speak, and see If be
believed it was true. George said I, the
Captain is killed Yes he replied. Then
j mentioned Lieut. Beers. Yes replied
George; he is dead
:" went on naming the brave boys, one
after another, actually discredlting the sound
of my own voice. j could not believe that
they were all dead-bright, brave boys
hearty and Jolly only a few hours before
But George confirmed the horrid truth as
went over the long roll of the dead, you
among them. All! supposing that histo-
rians cOuld write the war history and picture
ii just as it was at Gaines's Mil, and those
seven days of battle, and make the reader
feel the same emotions that we felt there
crushing exhaustion, hunger, thirst, pain,
and, worse than all else, the consciousness
that our brave regiment was cut TO pieces,
and the best and bravest of our boys lying
mangled on the field.
DO you suppose that readers would call
ii a Glorious Battle Piece? Would men
read of war if they experienced the same
emotions that we felt there? You ought to
write your experience on the fatal field, and
put IN plain, simple words, just as it was.
from the time that the rebs made their first
charge-the repulse the second charge. the
terrible hand-to-hand melee, the retreat, the
horrible slaughter-fIst of the rebs, then of
the Old 4th Mech. The rally, under our
grand old hero, Woodbury., as he rushed in
among us barebeaded wish the flag in one
hand and has sword (wlrisJlingin fery circles
around his head in the other; his tremen-
dous voice, as he roared treally and truly hon
Ike: Rally, my brave bogs, my 4th Mich,
rally on the cOiors!' Oh. it was the most
awful and heroic picture Of man ever seen
~ this world, it seems to me, was that of
Woodbury. rallying his men. Don't you
hear ii YETI