The Portland daily press., 1900-09-06


words as stated by him again in a speech
after the battle. The order was received
like an electric shock, One idea seemed
conveyed to every man throughout those
squadrOnss This is our opportunity come
at last. A spirit of emulation seized
them.
The regiment had not slackened speed,
receiving the order while going at gal
lOp, And now began that memorable
charge OF more than a mile in length,
over level and undulating ground, inter-
secbed With small ravines, with several
rail fences, one or more bitches and a
railroad track directly across their path.
Increasing their speed the regiment thun-
dered on the faces OF the men cleaning
with fierce excitement, and as they adj
yanced every nerve strung to it's utmost
tension. Needless of the battle now rag
ing all around them, equally needless of
those rapidly worked guns on the hills
beyond, whose screaming shells were
bursting all about them with fearful ex-
plosiOns, sending masses of fragments
hurtling through the air in every direc-
ton. Neither the shouting of orders nor
the crack OF small arms could scarcely
be heard for the terrible din.
Notwithstanding the excitement and
the strain upon their nerves, a slight &C
c1dent occurred which caused some amuse-
ment in the midst of the charge The
grade of the railroad was about eight feet
above the level, and very steep on both
sides where the regiment crossed it.
While turiOusly scranbling over this the
morse of one of the sergeants, stumbled
on the rails, and pitching on his head,
turned several sOmersaults down the
further side. First the sergeant, then
the horse appeared in rapid succession,
alternately on top and then underneath,
Every time the sergeant appeared on top
terrible vOlley OF 1nYecttV9S mixed with
sand poured from his-mouth, until SUD
denly shut off by his rapid disappearance
under the horse and sand again. and In
stantly resumed upon his coming up on
the other side. However, that man was
a lion, Before the regiment met the
enemy IN their cOunt9rcharge he was In
his place In line, apparently none the
worse for his mishap, except the loss OF
his hat, and his temper.
The regiment which caused the Harris
Light to break, (the Fourth Virginia,
their famous Black Horse Cavalry, was
now charging straight for the First Maine
which swerved a little to the left to meet
them. They were approaching within
fearful proximity to each other, the enemy
evidently expecting to see the First Maine
follow tbs example of the regiment which
preceded them, break and fly to the rear.
Instead, with an exultant cheer that must
have been heard at the farthest limits of
the field, they increased their speed and
rode straight for them with all the stead
mess of veterans This was too mu CHI
A small number of them broke and fed,
but most of them came on and pierced
the First Maine Colonel Douty and a
FEW men were forced off to the right by
the terrible conclusion. The two regl-
ments were interviewer. 1t was cut,
thrust and fend off; numbers INDUCED
in a personal grapple. The conflict was
furious. The COnfederatss fought with
great bravery, even desperately. It was
E1I~
they exceeded In numbers. Over one
hundred prisoners were taken, Nearly
all Of them were sent to the rear, but a
few escaped n the way. Corporal Ansel
Drew of Company A captured the
enemy's battlefag. Seemingly the fight
did not last but moment, but the squad
sent TO the rear with the prisoners, re-
joined the regiment before reaching the
battery, having turned the prisoners over
to the first troops they met, and darted
back.
The instant the melee ended the regi-
ment 1nstinctively reformed Into column
OF squadrOns again and were going full
speed straight for those guns. The pace
soon became terrific. They were now the
target for all kinds of arms, for the
enemy stretched all along the top of those
hills, in front, to the right and to the
left Fortunately the aim Of the Confed-
crates was very poor and the loss was
Slight compared with the amount Of am
munitiOn they expended. They were
evidently bewildered by the audacity Of
the charge being persisted in. nOtwith-
standing what was there to Oppose them,
and especially after being somewhat
| broken up by the cOnficU Just related.
The men now seemed possessed with a
raging madness and charged to the brim
| with electricity. On they tore, up and
over the hill, and over those guns like q
whirlWind. their speed reminding one of
a locomotive with the throttle pulled
wide and let loose upon the track. On
they rode, through the lines of the troops
in the rear, supporting those guns,
through everything that opposed them,
nor ala they halt until they had charged
/ throughout the length OF that long field,
clear to the woods beyond; then they
wheeled, and gallOping back to near the
! Colonel Smith, who had assumed COM
mand Immediately, in the fight with the
enemy below the house, at once began to
rally and reform his squadrOns, the scat
tered men rallying fast on their COM
! panies.
Thus ended the charge of the First
Maine Cavalry, which viii go down In
history as one of the-inOst gallant, most
/ fiercely contested ana longest continued
of any charge on record.
! To recapitulate, the orders were to
charge that battery and the men of the
their purpose. They were shelled the
whole distance across the field, nearly a
mile, not only by the battery they were
charging, but others; were met in a des-
perate countercharge by a regiment of
equal If snot superior force; broke and
scattered them, besides capturing their
battle-1ag and large number of prison
ers; reformed the regiment, charged on
and captured the guns as stated.
Quoting from pObie's history, he
writes, "Oh, it was grand, and many a
man who was in that charge has at times
fancied that If he were allowed to choose,
he would say, Let me bid this world good
by amid the supreme excitement Of a
grand, exultant, successful cavalry charge
like this.
The writer has searched Confederate
reports and histories for their account of
this charge, in vain. Other regimen is
are referred to as making gallant charges,
but, according to their versions were al
ways repulsed and driven back, the charge
of the First Maine being entirely ignored
and the regiment only referred to in the