Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-10
AWFUL CARNAGE.
Maine Boys in the BIoodiest Battle Of
the Century.
The Story Of the Charge Of the LIST Me. Heavy
Artillery at Petersburg.

those Of the waiting crowds OF Irlehu9
ana relatives around the offices OF the
War Department in London. Inc
cable dispatches give descriptions N
the streets and alleyways around the
offices as being filled with thousands
Of weeping fathers and mothers -
they wait the issuance from the oiil-
Gals Of the lists Of dead and wounded
after one Of the battles in the eastern
or western of the fighting districts
Rut If England ana her fathers ana
mothers are to be stirred to tears and
even 10 frenzy bv the moderate and
often even small losses which have
been so far reported, what may be eX-
pected to be the condition Of the pub
lie mind when some Of the greater and
more bloody conflicts Of our Civil War
have been cqualed. If indeed they snail
be. in the Boer warfare?
1t Is hardly comprehensive what tho
situation in this country would have
been in the SOS if there hau been the
same possibilities for the transmission
of news which are now placed at the
hands Of the military authorities ana
Of the press. Where now the public
learns of ali the general details and
much Of the minutiae Of the move
mentS of both armies within Il few
hours following battle. then il was 4
matter If days. ana the lists Of the
dead and wounded and missing came
dribbling in a score ut a time for
weeks afterWard. Today the merest
bulletins Indicating that a battle has
been fought will have hardly arrived
before the public will be clamorng at
the doors Of the official buildings for 4
verified list Of all the casualties.
If the battles 50 far fought in South
Africa are to be measured by their
percentage of dead and wounded. then
White ana Butler and Roberts have
scarcely completed the prelude t. a
war and only the first strains Of the
martial music have Yet been sounded
The disasters At Spion K0p, Stormberg
ana Magersfontein furnish nothing
memorable in the sense that Gettys-
burg. Petersburg and the score Of
ether fields of the civil War are his
torical They will be regarded. how
ever pitifully it may seem to those
who today are shocked by them and II
those mere nearly touched. only as al
most incunsequential phases Of the
momontuus struggle.
Gen. Methuen in somewhat ny
sterical cableSram t. the home office
proclaimed one Of his initial battles as
1.-THE blandiest If the century" Thus
.i', ~ ~ 80 - 80 .'''.'
J"ls.' I''' 'il'9 Il,
civil War and foraion vars within .
hundred wears have more than edualcd
his in percentage Of men lost.
What is Or was the bloOdiest battle
of the century was graphically dr-
s.ribcd To- me this week by the man
Who ordered the charge which made
this CORY ana gruesome record. 1t was
the gallant attack of the First Maine
Heavy Artillery before Petersburg.
June IS 1864. that col HreVct Brig
Gen Isaac W Starbird w Chelsea i
member If Posi- L. g. 4 = described
tn mo rs tho mast das5,a,.,ta .,tt.,,l,
made ~ T-nion snIdiar. durinr tbo
var ana win ifs record of almost =
pcr cent. killed ana wounded probably
the most properly entitled 10 the name
If "tha blaodin.t battle Of the CEN
t,1rvr
PERHAPS the whole history of all
modern warfare holds no record Of an
llltlN luudl 3tllDQ more 0Nlul IN us
consequences to those engaged in it
IMAM TINS chafGr. Inc meaGf' para
Et'IHS W. lHe ms" ItdhS ~ "ul u
II,, .,t lin Hill
If ,,,.,, -, ,bai, ll.,tt,
was an 'Hali "i minutes. hut Out
~ lhe more IMAM 9o0 dauhtieSS souls
lhat went forward against appalling
odds at the word of command less
than 500 returned. 1t was q repetition
W. 'H' 'i''ISe "l fdiaNlaN" 'iId'''r
"'',''' -! WI No. ~ I"lS it 'i'SI'-
NIT 7"u' = N"'' = Ut '''''
tii' "ille"''a'c ARMY lil""' us iii'SI
"'NI'tiauc 'rSlS' dilce II 'll' c"iai "u7
ny - 'iIG i''ll ~
NJ. ,'i,l,,,,,a,,,,at.. ,,-,,;7l, ,,., -,
cbaro, .ra ip,.o1,..I II tbn c.,,,rrebn,,
sive plans of the Wilderness" cam
raign. 1t was one disastrous feature
IF an attompt to operate upon the
right flank of Lees army ana gain
access ~ Petersburg III ! necessary
step toward Richmond.
az III aoo sur,-i,.,r. III tba cbare.a
NOT many are now alive What few
remain are widely scattered ovar tba
country