The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-07-14

where the men fell like the leaves of
forest before hailstorm.'
"With single exception of the Rus
slams at Plevna, the percentage of
losses in single battles in foreign wars
not only fell below that of the First
Minnesota, but also below that of II
other Federal regiments on this very
battlefield There were 10 in all which
lost here over so per cent of their num-
bers in killed and wounded, and also
| five Confederates. These were, be-
sides the First Minnesota, the One
Hundred and Forty-frst, the One Hun
dred and Forty-eighth, and Twenty
sixth Pennsylvania; the One Hundred
and Eleventh, Eightieth and One Hun
dred and Twenty-sixth New York; the
Twenty-fourth Michigan, the Fifteenth
Massachusetts, the Second Wisconsin,
the Third Maine, the Seventeenth Reg
ulars, the Eleventh New Jersey, the
Second New Hampshire, and the
Nineteenth Indiana, Federal the
Third and Twenty North Caro-
lima, the Second North Carolina Bat
talon, and the Ninth and Fifteenth
Georgia, Confederate.
"Speaking of Confederate regiments,
il had any exception to make in this
challenge, it would be that of the
Twenty-sixth North Carolina at this
very battlefield on the LIST and Sd of
July, or the First Texas in the corn
field at Antietam, Sept. II, 1862. The
First Texas lost trifle more than
eighty-two per cent that day, but it
was in long fight, charge forward,
desperate stand, and disastrous re-
treat under fire. 1t was also done with
the regiment in line of battle, support
ed upon the right and upon the left.
The case of the Twenty-sixth North
Carolina was unparalleled in its way.
The loss in that case was incurred in
two days fighting. In one company of
the regiment only three escaped out of
eighty-seven. The charge of the First
Maine Heavy Artillery at Peters hurg,
was gallant deed, but it was d useless
sacrifice, loss of SEVENTY .nve per cent
incurred in seven mir ,utes.
"Over there o.. Cemetery Ridge, in
front of us a'...d little to the right, the
IWentvv fourth Michigan formed six
lines Of battle, one after the other, and
nine of it's color bearers were killed
the center of the line
| oOttJopdiS lRi llo ID tldkldVd I6AI.
ures also, in the forlorn charge of
Farnsworth's 300, who rode to the
mouth of the cannon among the bould-
ers lying thick at the base of Big Round
Top, and finally bursting through a
wall OF Confederate bayonets formed
across their pathway. In that last wild
dash the noble Farnsworth received
five mortal wounds. Why, America
even had her Winkelreids, men who
barred their breasts to the enemy's
weapons in order to open a pathway
for their comrades to dash through to
victory.
"Now 1 have told you the simple
story of the First Minnesota, but must
leave it to others to coin phrases
worthy that wonderful feat at arms.
1t was the gifted Edward Everett who
first said of the heroes of Gettysburg,
'All time is the millennium of your
glory This was what Hancock said
of it. Hancock, the prince of fighters,
and, like all fighters, not man given
to CUFF
~ ordered these men in there be-
cause saw that | must gain five min
utes' time. Reinforcements were COM
ing on the run, but l knew that before
they could reach the threatened point
the Confederates, unlsss checked,
would seize the threatened position. /
would have ordered that regiment in if
l had known that every man would be
killed. II had to be done, and l was
glad to find such a gallant body of men
at hand willing to make the terrible
sacrifice that the occasion demanded
"The highest personal tribute 1 can
pay is this: came out of the war
with the rank of field officer, place
near the top of the list, but l would
glandly surrender that commission
could replace it among my lsres and
penates with an honorable discharge as
a private in the First Minnesota Vol
unteers."