The National tribune., 1900-03-22
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The Struggles OF Mighty Fcrccs.
By ]. A. WRIGHT, lst MINI.

After the Fair Oaks battle, and on June 3,
1862, the second company of Minnesota
Sharpshooters joined the 1st Mimi, were
attached to it, and designated Co. l., but,
though serving with us, they were never
officially consolidated with the regiment.
Sunday, June s, was an Interesting one
to the boys of our regiment, as it gave them
a fine opportunity to observe the French
Princes on Gen. McCleilan's staff ut short
range; also the Spanish General, Prim, and
his staff, on their way home from Mexico.
They had all come TO call Oh Gems. Sumner
and Sedgwick, who had their headquarters
at DR.. Courtney's house, near which we lay,
and where our Colonel, Suily, also was
quartered. Col. Sully spoke both French
and Spanish, and wGs a desirable man
to have around about that time. 1t was
understood that Gen. Prim desired TO see Us
under arms. / am not sure if this under
standing was correct, but, at least, we were
paraded and they rode past us.
In the grounds where the fighting oc-
Cured We were interested to see how the
trees were marked and torn by the shells
and bullets, and to observe how high many
of these marks We're above the head OF
even a tall man. We remembered this, and
ever afterward tried TO fire low"
MORE TRYING WORK.
While in front of Richmond we were
almost constantly employed in laboriotls,
exhausting, dangerous service picket
duty, roads, Notifications, etc, under an
Intermittent shell fire, that was at tiines
very annoying end serious. | recall the
morning of June Is as an example.
We had been at the front during the
night making some new fortiticatlonS, and
had erected n barricade, of logs supported
by traVerSeS. preparatory 10 banking with
earth. Soon after daylight detail brought
out some kettles OF coffee, and we proceeial
TO eat our morning meal. The rebels We're
shellinG Us and firing unusually low, when
Augustus Ellison. of Co |, took his plate
and coffee and sat with his back 10 the
barricade, saying: whats the use TO build
had not finished his coffee before 4 shot
struck the log against which his heal
rested, and, although some six feet FROM
him, his head was crushed, causing almost
instant death. Gus was an .ante-war
schoolmate at Hamline, and had formerly
been in Co. F with the writer. Hence it
was bidding adieu to an old friend and
fellow-student when we placed him beside
his comrades in the idlygroWinG grave
yard in the rear Of our lines.
Having mentioned Hamline, | will ey-
plain here that HanliGe University, then
located at Red Wing, Mimi, was al insti-
tuition Of. learning under the patronage Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, which
ranked well up in those days with the best
in the State. In the Spring of 81 there was
large number of young men in attend
ance, many Of them the sons of the Met!ioi-
ist circuit riders of that day. These.
fathers and sons, were of that staiwart
patriotic blood that rose 10 meet the crisis
of war with a promptness and earncstncss
not exceeded by any other class. Some 80
of these young men dropped their books
and plans for the future at the first call for
men, and joined Co f of the 1st.
Gus was one of these, but had been trans
ferred to Co. |. Others joined other COM
panies and other regiments raised later.
till the school was SO depleted that it had a
hard struggle for existence, and was re-
moved after the war, to Il place between ST
Paul and Minneapolis. Its President, B.
F. Crary; its Professor Of Languages, f. Z.
Edwards; its Professor of Mathematics
H 3. Wilson, and Prof. j. F. Pingree, all
entered the service; the first two as Chap
Iains and the latter as Captain and Second
Lieutenant in 9th Mimi, respectively. This
student contingent in the 1st had suffered
very seriously in the first fight-Bull Run
five being killed or mortally wounded
and five others so badly wounded that they
fell into the hands of the enemy, most of
them never to rejoin us.
Having written this much Of my home
company, / will say that it was made up
aIr -