The Republican journal., 1900-02-08
A Heroic Generals Premonltion.

Having been greatly interested in the
allusion to Gen. Hiram G. Berry in Gen.
j. F. Rusling's exceedingly valuable book,
Men and Things Saw in Civil War Days,
ian editorial notice of which appeared in
the Advocate Of Dec. 20, we wrote to
Gen. Rushing that Gen. Berry was the
original colonel of our own regiment, the
Fourth Maine. In personal letter in re-
ply he gives the particulars concerning
the death of Gen. Berry on the morning of
the third day of the battle of Chancellors
vile. The letter is of so interesting a
nature that we take the liberty to publish
portion of it. Before SO doing, it may
be we'll to give condensed outline of
/ Gen. Berry's career. He was born in East
! Thomaston (now Rockland), Maine, Aug.
81, 1924. In his early manhood he several
times represented the city of Rockland in
the Maine legislature. He was subse-
quently mayor of the city. He organized
and commanded the Rockland Guards, a
military organization that had fine rep
utation throughout the State for it's ad-
mirable drill and discipline. In May,
1861, he was made col onel of the Fourth
Maine regiment. The regiment broke
camp at Rockland and started for Wash
4 RnnLar uill 1nne ~ iee1 '''1 ~" o"'tpe b. -.
was ENGAGED in tho t;rst h,tt1a rs p,iH1
Run and the Peninsula campaign. April
1 Br,oadier- General his commiss;nn datina W.
in March. He succeeded Gen. Howard in
the command of the third brigade of the
third division of Heintzlemans third
army corps. He participated in the bat
actively engaged in Tho saven.davs, f;nht
was at CbantiiIy and in tho socnnd RrlI
Rnn camnaipn In January 1899 ha u,.s
annointed ma ior. GENERAL bis n,nmot;nn
| datino from the nravions Novamha, 10
was nlacad in commend nf tha saoand =;
vision of the thi,d army c,rns Wban tho
| eleventh corns paS stamnadad Of Cha,ool
lorsville on Nav . 1888 Can Rerrv,s d.
vision had a nrnmipant nart in snccassenl-
| ly onposino the advance of the rebels n
was in the forest in front Of Rerrv's nosi.
| zion that StonewaI Jackson foil mnrt,1Iv
wounded nrohah)v hv a m;staLan yolley
from a Cnnfedarata commend "a, +ho
evening of the same dav- It was on the
following mornino that Cen Rerrv w.s
killed We now nnota from Can P,S
lno,s letter.
81 am Glad to know Won vera an old
soldier undar Gen Kerry Ir NAV inter-
ast Won to Lnow +bat w.s Ra,rv,s div;
sion onar,ermaster in Nav 1893 and
further that when wa moveS on Ch,n.el
louisville Cen Rerrv had a distinct nremo.
milton of his imnendino doom The day
heforo wv. n.robod ha ,.s s,,nonn,od ~
Armv haadonartars and whom ha retnrnad
inst in tho evening he seamad to ma anx
ions and forehodino and after ennnar
cont for ma to come 70 b;S on.r1.re A.
Ter some general conversation ba told mo
we were to move next mornin. and would
cross tho R.nnab.nnock and att.ck Loo
ana El-aly haIa areat h.ttIe and tb.+ %
felt he would NOT snrvive II iol,ed him
ahont tho matter and told him ali off;cars
and soldiers kind of felt that wav before
| uoino into action but th.t most of nc
Survived after all He said ves he knew
that hnf had neva, falt this wav hafora
tbongb ha had nassad thronab all onr
battles 50 far from Rnll RIM to Fredericks-
burg. including the Peninsula eampaign.
etc hnt that now # was horne in rnon
him that he would nor snry;ve tho coming
hattie and that If anvthinr hannenod a,l'9 70
| him he wished me- 70 racovar his hody
and send If homo to Maine .hacanse he
1 did not want 10 he h,ried in Sanes.;on
sniI !, No o.va mo snna of b;s effents
| keensakes money etc and directed me-
| how to send them to his family if anvtbino
! hannened to him and nrom;sed would
attend sacredlv to his wishes I sat with
I linn until after midnigbt and did NV
/ host ~ rallu linn h,,t failad +ndosn The
nevt nornino ,f,a, hro.i,f.st fonnd him
! st,ll in tho s,na mood md wb.n ,ye n.rtad
/ he was sim nf tha san,.. faa)ina tbnnab ras-
I olutatn dn his drtv ia ,yenf on ,n Chan.
( cellorsville at the head Of his division and
| | remained At Fa1mnutb with nv train as
ordered bnt after two or three davs he.
came anxjons about matters at ChanceI-
/ lorsville and leavino tbe train in cbaroa
of NV next senior otficer 7 rnde to Chan
celloysville mvself and tbare fonnd him
sittino on stnn,n hr tho roadsida NOT
far ~ adu.,aa tha C,anas1, , '',,,,;ra
! House, experimenting the planting of a