Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-10

enemy i'll the darkness.
ION the evening of the 18th we were
notified to relieve the troops on our
right with this brigade. The following
morning, from our changed position,
we were again ordered to advance with
the entire brigade. We did 50, selzlnS
a line of works against weak re-
sistance and with slight loss and con-
tinuing until our left flank was near
and to the right of O'Hare's house.
THE brigade on the same day came
into the command of Col. Chaplain of
the First Maine Heavy Artillery, while
Gen. Mott took charge of the division.
ION being driven from their in
trenchments in the morning, the Con-
federates had retired to line of
carthworks well III the rear. reinforce
ing the troops already there. This 1t
is important to remember as 1t helps
to account for the disaster that fol-
lowed.
separating the Union and Confeder-
ate forces was a thin strip of timber.
and short way beyond a road slight
~ depressed and affording protection
to the men while massing for the at
tack. Beyond this stretched the
fatal slope of meadow, at the bottom
of which We're the Confederate forces
soldly intronched behind a line Of
breastWorks.
when the orders came to mass for
the assault 7 said to Col. Chaplain that
| was lu that disaster was inevi-
table b fore we could possibly get to
the works.
But the orders had been given ana
the brigade was placed in position.
The arrangement Of the regiments was
this time changed so that the three
battalionS composing the First Maine
Heavy Artillery We're in front. The
battalions being exceptionally large
each counted as a regiment. The first
battalion, presenting a front extending
some hundred and fifty feet occupied
the sunken road. while the remaining
two and the other regiments We're
drawn up immediately in the rear.
The men themselves had half d-
vined what was in wait for them. As
they passed silently through the little
wood sparsely set with trees. which
separated them from the road. there
was no nonchalance in their faces
Neither was there fear. They We're
steelcd; the chances had been reck-
| oned in each breast. 1t was evident
their conclusions tailed, for almost
with one impulse they gave their firm
but full-throated good-bys.
But not a foot faltered. The unc-
Qualed bravery Of the mon was shown
in the way they took the command to
advance.
All three battalions Of the First
Maine arose to a man. went over the
low embankment on the further side
Of the road and started on a dead run
toward the enemy across the descend
ing plain.
''So far as | know there wasn't Il man
or an officer Of that regiment who failed
70 obey the order
''As inc men threw themselves over thc
cmhauEment a thousand little yellow
tongues of flame leaped from thousand
Fifty tCct Of the open hJd not been
crossed without terrible cost in lives
f'ut IN" rushing men had one mind. one
purpose among them. They wcr" an or
-aniSm nyrN"d u tremendously CnnCtu-
tratcd action.
"Rut only the fjcrccness of thofr uur-
pose carried them forward. fpr AK every
foot Wild hands We're thrown upward and
a hutdled. fantastic form i'm blue liT on
the slope
''Two-thrIs If tn, distance were coy
cred. but not even the frcnzici contempt
NJ death which possessed thc men could
keep them longer uugrther iu til" face NJ
such z fire A. poured toward them with
increasing VOum. from the trenches
The smoke hHd thickcncd. AleHd wa
nothing but impenctrdblc gray. cut mo-
mentarily by savage spurtS IT firm.
TIT WI tno much fpr human flesh ann
blood. There Wa the sudden shock uf
slntograuun. dissolution which man
ferl when the united action NJ mind ana
heart ana Will begins at any point tn fail.
From Il daring !IrSi- which