Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-04-25
BLOODIEST BATTLE.
FIRST MAINE HEAVY FOUGHT
TT IN 1864.
FATAL MILITARY FOLLY GENERAL,
sTARRIRD, WHO ORDERED AID
VANCE, TELLS THE STORY OF
THAT MILITARY MISTAKE.

formerly OF the Nineteenth Maine infan-
try tCivil war;, told In recent inter-
view OF the charge OF the First Maine
heavy artillery before Petersburg on
June is, 1854. The British general.
Methuen, now in South Africa, having
described one of hs skirmishes ms 1.-THE
bloodiest battle OF the century, Amer
lean Civil war veterans and particularly
the surviving Bangor men who were In
that famous charge OF the First Maine
heavy, recall TINT day In June, 81 and
It's terrible results.
Telling the story OF the charge, which,
as staff-ohieer, he transmitted to the
troops from the division commander, Gen.
StBrhird said
"Iu the afternoon Of June Is the order
came TO begin the advance on Petersburg.
The brigade was then formed in two lines
OF seven regiments, the First Maine being
second.
lon the evening OF the 18th we were
notified to relieve the troops to our right
with this brigade. The following m orn-
ing from our changed position, we were
again ordered to advance with the entire
brigade We did so. seizing a line Of
works ssiust weak resistance and with
ght sas aud continuing until our left
Hank .as near and to the right OF
OTfa-.'- house
a. brigade on the same day came
i'tothe command OF Col. Chaplin OF the
1T Maine heavy artillery EARNED as
infaHtry1, while Gen. Mott took charge
oiths division.
20 / being driven from their intrench-
,nepts in the morning, the Contederates
had retired to - line OF earthworks we'll
- Tue rear, reinforcing the troops al
ready there. This it Is important to re-
m .snber, "a It helps TO account for the
IL s-ter that followed.
Separating the Union and Confederate
forces was hin strip OF timber, and n
short way beyond road slightly de-
pressed aud afordIng protection to the
men while massing for the attack. Be-
yond this stretched the fatal slope of
meadow, at the bottom OF which were
the Confederate forces solidly intrenched
behind line OF breastworks.
Nv hen the orders came to mass for
the assault said TO Col. Chaplin that /
was fearful that disaster was inevitable
before we could possibly get to the works.
But the order, had been given and
the brigade was placed In position. The
arrangement OF the regiments was this
time changed go that he three hattalions
composing tts first Maine heavy artil-
lery were ia feat,'. Gpr taslstiIns being
exceptionally Gs-Ge vsru c9u tied RS -
regiment. Tre h5.t batt ,,lt-.,l, present
ing troat * s.idias sou 49, irst, oecu-
pied the -unEeu road, wna'e the remain
ing two and the otacr rsRimehts were
drawn up i'm II Hate III tue rear
THE me,. tnen4-elres had hat OWNED
what was In wait Tor them As they
passed ssleutfy through the lutte wood
sparsely set NTH trees, when spa rated
them from the road, there was 10 nom
chaisnee In their faces. Neither was
there fear. fhey were steeied; the
chances had been eckoned in each breast.
1t was evident their conclusions tailed,
for almost with one Impulse they gave
their firm bat fugl-throated good byes.
But not foot tsitereG. TIE I'M
eQuslled bravery OF the men shown In
the way they took the command to adj
vance.
"All three battalions OF the First Maine
arose to a man, went over the low EN-
bsnkment on the further side OF the road
and started on the dead run toward the
enemy across the descending plain.
80 far a. | know, there wasn't a man
or an officer of that regiment who failed
TO obey the order.
AS The men threw themselves over the
embsnkmeDt thousand little yellow
tongues OF flame iesped from thousand
carbnes in the Confederate trenches.
Fifty feet OF the open had not been
crossed without terrible cost in lives.
But the rushing men had one mind, one
purpose among them. They were an Or
ganism nerved to tremendously concen-
trated action.
"But only the fierceness OF their pur-
pose carried them forward, for at every
foot Wild hands were thrown upward
and n huddied, fantastic form In blue lay
on the slope.
"Two-thirds OF the distance was COW
cred but not even the frenzied contempt
OF death which possessed the men could
keep them longer together in the face of
such tire rs poured toward them with
increasing volume from the trenches.
The smoke had thickeDed. Ahead
was nothing but impenetrabie gray, cut
momentsriiY by savage spurts OF IRE.
at was 100 much for human flesh and
blood There was the sudden shock OF
disintegration. dissolution which men
feel when the united action of mind aud
heart aud Will begins at any point TO
fail. From daring synt hesis, in which
every individual had felt his fellows,
the attack broke into dismayed confus-
ion.
They were checked. They were forced
to turn. But the merciless fire never for
an instant aDated, and the check became
carnage.
an the bitter retreat that followed the
field Vas again stiewn with dead. Near
~ thousand meL, had gone forward in
the charge. Scarce three hundred lived
TO gain the cover of the road.
miraculous it WAS that these escaped.
Each man knew it. But something else
was felt with more desperate poign-
ancy. Those who Ie-entered the road
did so with hearts that hung too tear
filled to range.
.IScarcelu 10 mil had elansed since