The Portland daily press., 1901-02-16
One of Main e's Three
Maj. Generals in War.
How the Maine Regiments Won
Glory in That Struggle.

camp tire last night and the occasion was
a very interesting one In every way.
After one of the old fashioned suppers for
which Bosw ortn Post Is famous, the
ID. pipes were lighted and thcre followed
a very interesting programme. Gen. u.
p. Mattooks read a pspsr on Major Gen
Hiram q. Berry, which was very com
pIete and interesting skescn or that
famous Maine officer Gen. Mattocks
said In part:
Maine has to her credit 10000 enlist
ments in the Civil War, or more than
forty per cent of its military population
This is based on an average service OF three
years. The deaths from the bullet in the
First Maine Artillery were 423. and all
those deaths occurred within q period OF
ten months. The LIST Maine Cavalry
stands first OF all cavalry In the lists of
deaths In battle. The 9th Maine Battery
fifth OF all light artillery and the 18th
Maine Infantry, twentieth out OF more
than two thousand regiments. The loss
in killed and wounded OF the Light
Brigade at "BaIaklsva" was less than
forty per cent of the men engaged, The
highest less of any regiment In the
Franco Prussisn war In any engagement
was 70 S than nifty per cent, and yet In
our Civil War there were sixty-two Union
which lost more than tifty per cent 10
single engagements.
Inasmuch as Maine stands really at the
head OF the list In death losses, that is,
in having furnished two regiments OF
two arms of the service, each OF which
bears higher losses In battle than any
other regiments OF the same arms, 1t
seems but fitting to review the career OF
Maine General, who did much to make
the name OF Maine honorable in he war.
The only Major Generals from Maine
were Albion Z, Howe, graduate of
West Point; Oliver o. Howard, a grad
uate OF Bowdoin College and West Point,
Francis Fessenden, also q graduats OF
Bowdoin College, and Hiram q. Berry.
In the life OF General Berry a prevalent
idea Is contradicted, namely, that mill
tAry success is dependent on full physi-
cal vigor, for, while he was making some
of his most brilliant movements and
doing acts which would appear to be al
most impossible upon the part Of a man
not in full physical vigor, he was waging
q persistent struggle against CONSTANT
attacks or malaria which he had contract
ed in his campaigns In front OF Rich
mond sarly in his service. General
Berry's original command was the 4th
Maine Volunteer Infantry, one OF the best
regiments ever sent from the state.
Gen. Mattocks then gave sketch OF
Gen. Berry's early life and said that his
regime MT was organized in May. 1861,
and on July 2lst OF the same year took
part In the battle OF Bull Run where
Gen. Berry's bravery prevented panic.
HIS regiment was the last TO leave the
field. For his servios In this battle Gen.
Berry was complimenteu In orders.
On March, 1859, Gen. Berry was made
q brigadier- general and assigned oom-
maud OF the srd Brigade, LIST division of
the Srd Army Corps.
Directly upon assuming command OF
this brigade the march toward Yorktown
began. Delays were caused by the bad
condition Of the roads. Instead OF taking
Yorktown by . rush it was necessary TO
begin a regular siege, and here General
Berry became Of great value. The pur-
suit OF the Confederates resulted In the
battle OF Williamsburg, most bloody
affair for q single days fight. Here
again Berry was called upon to bring his
troops to the front amid confusion which
he did with remarkable success and re-
Iieved Hooker OF such an embarrassing
position that a friendship sprang up be-
tween these two generals which never
ended. In fact his rushing forward
probably saved Hooker from severe disAs-
ter. After the battle Berry received the
thanks OF Generals Heintzelman. Kearney
and Mcclellan. Later In May, 1862, the
army of the Potomac had pushed forward
to within ten miles OF Richmond, and
points IeEs than that. At "Ssyen Pines"
a desperate attack was made upon the
Federal right. Berry's brigade was in