The National tribune., 1900-08-02

fruit stopped at my bedside and asked as
to what regiment | belonged. THE I'd
| L. s., madam" was my answer. The
lady argued that there We're no such
| troops; that it must be volunteer, and
| that / was making mistake; that she
never heard of United States infantry,
and passed on without leaving me any
fruit. The surgeon in charge, DIR. Wood,
of Brooklyn, having witnessed the act,
| ordered that in future all delicacics and
fruits coming to the hospital at the hands
of visitors must be turned over to the
Matron.
An incident Of the field of Gettysburg
was the killing of Brigader-General
Weed, Lieut. Hazlett and Col. O'Rourke
the latter of the 10th n. Y. The three
officers were stricken down inside of five
minutes and supposed to have been done
by the same man, sharpshooter in
tree-top. All three were of the Regular
Army, graduates of West Point, young in
life, and splendid specimens of the Amer
lean commissioned officer, as soldiers, gen
tlemen and leaders of men.
Forty-hve days from the day / was
wounded ! was back with my regiment in
the field, finding it camped in the vicinity
of Culpeper, Va, having been ordered
| there to the Army of the Potomac after
helping to quell the draft riots in New
York after the battle of Gettysburg.
I'm September, '63, after having dis
patched Iongstreet to Knoxville, Tenn,
Zee put his advance tactics in force once
more, through which the Army of the Po-
tomac moved before him in the direction
of Manassas and the line of the Orange
IL Alexander Railroad. The Union Army
halted at Fairfax Station, seeing that
Lee had only made a feint for the pur
pose of tearing up the road and giving
Meade the trouble and expense of re-
building it. 1t WIS completed to the vi
cinity of Rappahannock Station by the
end OF October, where the rebels were
strongly intrenched. On Nov. they were
attacked by the Fifth and Sixth Corps
and driven from their position, with the
loss of many men and the capture of their
artillery, after which the Union forces
continued to construct the road to Gull
pepcr. Then was planned the Mine Run
campaign, which came to naught, after
much hardship and suffering in cold,
bleak, wet weather in the shadow of the
Wilderness of the following Spring. The
Winter of 1SG3'G4 was in camp, from
Rappahannock Station back to the field
Of Manassas, the I'd Z. S. being camped
at CatlettS Station, commanded by Capt.
Mckee. Here it may be asked by the
uninitiated how it was that Regular regi-
mcnts were not commanded by field off
GERS. In answer we have only to say
that those field officers and q great many
Of the Captains We're field officers and
general officers of volunteers which ne
cessitated the Regulars being commanded
by Captains and Lieutenants and at times
companies by nOn-commissoned officers
This was one Of the reasons why volun-
tecr regiments came so very near being
Regulars in discipline and training
The duty of the army along the line Of
the railroad was principally to keep it in
tact from Stewards cavalry and Mosby's
bush -whackers. Capt. Mckee, of the ID
L. s., besides commanding the regiment,
bad II
commander TO go where he pleased around
the country, accompanied by cavalry, for
the better protection of the surrounding
camps; but the Captain went once too
often, and without the cavalry, but TAX
ing with him Lieuts. Lacy, Byrnes and
Butler. Riding due north from the camp
a distance of two miles, then turning east
in the direction of Manassas, through an
open country, without any warning, from
skirt of timber to the north, there bore
down On them n score of Mosby's men,
who opened fire on the officers as they
came along. Capt. Mckee was killed at
the first fire; Lieuts. Byrne and Butler
were captured, but Lieut.. Lacey made his
escape to the camp of the 1Ith l.. S. at
Bristow Station, n little south of east.
The body Of the Captain was left on the
field, stripped of his watch and chain.
News of the affair having been received
immediately from the camp of the 14th.
4 detail was sent out from that of the I'd.
and the body of the lamented CAPTAIN
brought in. 1t was properly cmbalmed
and shipped to his parents at their home
in Philadelphia. The dashing Capt. Nc.
kce was appointed to the army from
civil life in 1861, and assigned to the III
U. s. He was a fearless soldier. and al
ways commanded the respect of his men. |
Did the foregoing matter drop with the |
death of Mckee, and the capture of the |
two l.ieutenants? No, it did not. A
general court martial was convened. the
three I.ientcnants tried, and dismissed |
from the service. but reinstated few
months afterwards. Lieuts. Lacey and |
Byrnes had both been wounded at Get.
ttysburg. where they proved themselves
fearless men in action in the wheatfield.
Go be continued.)