The National tribune., 1897-02-25


circumstance to our pretorian cohorts of the
Second Division. / knew You men as gal
liant, heroic soldiers; no worse and no better
than the veterans of other commands Off
cered by men who rose from the ranks.
On the 25th of March, 1865 Lee broke
through the ranks of the Ninth Corps and
was driven out before the Second Division
got there That afternoon the First and
Third Divisions charged the rebel lines,
with the Second in reserve, in front OF our
Fort Fisher We carried everything, and
could have occupied the main works with
ease, if allowed by our commanders. Three
DAYS after, in the New York Herald, sam
culinary battle was fought, in which the
heroic division commanded by Gen. Getty
cleaned up everything in sight.
On the night of the I'd of April was de-
tailed. for want of volunteers, with 49 other
men, to cut the rolling and other abatis in
front OF our charging column. We were fur
nished axes, and reported to Major for
duty, and instructed what to do and how to
do il.
Well, we said our prayers-at least did
and went in when ordered. From the
| fact that the storming column carried the
works aud the distractions were removed
out of their way, presume we did what we
were ordered.
1t was dark when the charge was made,
and hundreds of men were over the rebel
works before you could distinguish friend
from foe. Yet the infall BILE correspondent
came to the front and declared, as usual,
that the Second Division was first over the
rebel works, and regiment, the 9th Md,
headed all competitors; and for surety the
corps commander believed, and medal and
furough, with a sum of money, donated by
citizen of Philadelphia, were given to the
lucky Color-Sergeant.
But what matter if the I'd Conn. II. A.
captured set of rebel colors, or the 9th
| Pa. swarmed over four-gun battery and
took it without pulling trigger? They were
not mentioned. But have often wondered
why our brigade was ordered at 10 o'clock
that day to take up our line of march to the
lines of the Ninth Corps, who had failed to
do impossibilities, and then and there, on
our arrival, charged in support of Zouave
regiment-Collis's think-and occupied q
redoubt on the rebel line and held it until,
finding the enemy evacuating in the night,
we followed them into Petersburg. If we
had had an army correspondent on our bril-
gade staff we would have captured the
rebel stronghold lone-handed.
Some comrades may think l have shown
| al unSctmt temper III CItllCisiuk dS unC %
body of soldiers as marched under our glOri-
Gus flag. / have written nothing in that
vein. All want to prove is this, that other
men were Of as good material as they possibly
could be, and that am heartily sick of the
attempt carried through 30 years to belittle
and brand as towards any men outside of q
petty little division Of one of the % corps
composing our grand army of the Union.
Comrade Mckay, I'll meet you more than
halfway any day in the way of friendship.
would bet my hopes of salvation that you
would do on the battle-line, when cartridge
boxes were pulled to front aud flap buttoned
up to blouse; when a fellow hadn't time to
return hammer, but stuck it in the ground ;
when the rebel yell was answered by our
challenging cheer; when all that was weak
or mean in a man was shown, and the pride
and courage Of comrade was felt in every
fiber of own your body. By the friendship
born of such scenes all lesser things are for
got, and should be buried in oblivion.-JOHN
BRoGAE, Co. c, LIST L. l., Bloomington, Ind.
Mrs. Hudnut's free offer to Invalid Ladies on