The National tribune., 1898-05-05
NHRYE'S NIGHTS.
The Part Taken by the Rochester Rifles In
the Conflict.


/ the Conflict.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Notinj
sketches concerning Marye's flights, an
constrained to inform Comrade Wiley, Co.
130th Pa, and Co. +, 9th Pa Cav, that tn.
regiment coming up on his regiments RICH
was not the Irish Brigade" but the 13tl
I n. Y. Rochester Rifies).
We came up through the gateway in tn,
wall above the city, and had just cleared th,
gap, and were still in column of fours, wher
Gen. Burnside rode up to Col. Marshall ant
ordered him to form line and charge over thu
1 rising ground in front of the hight.
! Other regiments had nobly charged there
and had fallen like grass before the scythe
and Col Marshall had been an eyewitness
of it. Col. Marshall was of very sanguint
Temperament. He was West Pointer He
was dubbed by the boys cold Bricktop.'
When under fire he feared nothing
T. AS Gen. Burnside completed the last sen.
| tence of the order Col Marshall looked him
square in the eye and, saluting as perfectly
| as if on dress parade, and with his own
peculiar emphasis when highly indignant,
| said:
| General, will see you in - before
| will put my men over that field! II you
| want those guns silenced, say SO, and we viii
silence them.''
To which Gen. Burnside replied: every
| well, Colonel; take your own course-only
stop those gunsn
At this three guns were lowered from posi-.
ton of aim by members of the regiment who,
on witnessing the useless slaughter Of the
men who had preceded them In the charges,
had sworn to shoot any man who ordered
them to such q useless sacrifice. And, let
me say, think this is where the story of
Gen. Hooker's similar reply to Burnside came
from; but, whether Hooker used such words
or not, know of my own knowledge that
Col Marshall did, and Burnside replied At
the time was not more than 10 yards from
them
Col. Marshall turned to the regiment and
said Boys, you heard what Gen. Burnside
requested. Prepare to execute the order
There is much danger, but take your own course
when give the order to charge and gain that
little ridge in front of a slight depression of
the ground in plain sight of where we then
stood.
He then commanded, Forward, file right,
march - and leading US down as near the
river as practicable, filed left and moved up
the stream until the regiment was between
the river and a high board fence, used for
cattle pens or some other purpose, entirely
out of range of the guns on the nights.
Here he quickly formed line by a left face,
and said: Men, you know your duty. For
ward, charge !" and away we went, knocking
the fence TO pieces sufficient to pass and
scrambled for dear life to the goal. Some
rebel iniantry-Jackson's men-were posted
within easy range along the foet of the nights
They hastily fred and fell back. Our first
loss was Serg't Potter, Co. b, struck by a
piece OF shell as we went through the gate
above mentioned back of the city, and now
our next was Serg't Richardson Capt Digbyj,
CO. b. From there to our point of destina-
tion we lost 70 men, in distance of little
over quarter of mile. Not man in the
regiment fired a shot. We lay there for
about two hours, when the both Pa came
fom somewhere to our right.
In the mean time we had not only silenced
the artillery, but provoked the infantry into
expanding most of their ammunition AS
the both Pa. boys came up we arose from our
position moved by the left flank and again
front, and charged the famous stone wall, the
Pennsylvanians coming up calamity on our
left
After firing about dozen shots to the man
we gave way to some other troops and moved
to the left, short distance, where we found
cover by lying down, and where we could
control the artillery on the nights. There
we lost two men, having lost three in the
charge just spoken of.
We remained at this last point until every
thing else had been Withdrawn across the river.
Just at day break the last of our column
stepped upon the pontoon bridge below the
railroad, and bid the Johnnies hearty good
by, having been under arms the whole time,
though not under fire the first forenoon
S. II. DRAPEE, Co. B, 18th N. Y, and Dist
N. Y. Cav, Rossburg, N. Y.