The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-10-06

tai of Mississippi; then chased by the
rebel commander Longstreet on away
to Knoxville in that retreat so similar
to Washingtons retreat across Pennsyl
vania in It's hardship, sacrifice and
strategy. Late in April of 1864 the 9th
regiment was joined to the famous army
of the Potomac and under the nominal
command of their former general Grant
remained throughout that last great
campaign which closed the war. Upon
the tardy must be equalized the cares Of
those earlier come. For as the first are
first to suffer 80 must the latter ones
suffer harder at the last. And thus up
on the 9th drawn from the vitals of the
north in her last attempt, fell the brunt
of the carnage of the last year of the
conflict. From the day on which the
regiment was joined to the army of the
Potomac until the close of the war un
] ceasing tumult and daily battle enjoin-
ed their tireless struggle. When we
scan the pages of warfare written in the
crimson of human sacrifice we at last
signing lay the book upon the shelf,
sick with the passion of human nature,
the mistakes of human reason and mis-
| calculated conceptions and the USE
less and CHASTITY expenditure of human
life. Why do brothers tear at the Threats
| of brothers like ravenous wolves over
the wounded carcass of their prey?
Why does passion like a demon to hui
man happiness thrive in the councils of
state? Into the very tissue of the body
of our nation was imbedded the germ
of dissention and disease. When
every other remedy had failed to cure
the most dangerous operation of all
was tried and thanks to the skill of her
physicians proved successful. To the
9th now remained the bloodiest time
of its entire career and words fail to
tell and pen refuses to describe the
scenes of fire and sword which followed.
Here came the great battle of the Wild.
erness known to us of younger years
only as hell of fire and slaughter and
some terrible trap whose jaws snapped
death. In this campaign were included
the battles celebrated for their carnage
and bloodshed-the Wilderness, Spott-
sylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor.
In each of these engagements the regi
ment was bravely conspicuous and from
its ranks fell in battle its quota of the
terrible number. he army of the Po-
tomac, it is said during this campaign
of but six days lost more men than did
the American armies in our second war
with Great Britain, in the war with
Mexico and in the Spanish-American
war, all combined. 1t was six days of
the fercest, most relentless and persist
ent fighting, the bloodiest engagement
and the supremest effort ever put forth
by human might or recorded by pen of
man. The campaign was from the
Rapidan to the James river and each
movement saw repetition of the plan
of the one preceding. From the battle
of the wilderness Grant moved by the
left flank, swung clear of the enemy
and encountered them second time at
Spottsylvania Court House. There
were two routes open TO the army on
its march to Spottsylvania, fifteen miles
away. Warren's and Hancock's corps
went directly forward by what was
known as the Brock Road Sedgwick's
corps and Burnside's 9th corps went by
a detour 20 the east then straight south
to field of action. Sedgwick and Burn
side were to cooperate with Hancock.
In moving rapidly forward by night the
cavalry escort of General Meade so him
dered the advance of Warren's corps
that the confederates were enabled to |
reach the vantage ground some time |
earlier than the union forces appeared. |
Lees left had been found impregnable |
and all thought of crushing that had
been dismissed. But the center was
weak for protruding far out
in front from the wings was salient
and this 1t was considered could be
taken by the union forces The 18th
day of May, 1864, was spent in making
all arrangements, and at nightfall a
heavy rain began to fall; so under the
obscurity of the Egyptian darkness with
rain and night as friends Hancock
moved forward, cooperating with the
|