The Columbus journal., 1903-09-02

Te suar1 ne feeling base 9r low.
I give my soldier boy a blade.
Seol, calm and clear. the lucid Mood
In which its temperins work was done:
ei sSoa ,s "nener. e's:r Il 4 .ees ses' the n
For coUntry's claim, at sonors cas!'
For outraged friend: insultsd maid,
At mercy's voice to bid II fall.
| l give my soldier boy q blade. &.
The eye which mark'd It's peerless edge; sdkd
Arv.i :sd pi%nsner.: % forse, , and s.s,s xssse; and
And sti!i the cleaning. sword remains;
So; when n M dust .S | ...s low am ,s.,rs is,a;
I gave my soldier hoy = blade.
| William Aaeihn.
Before Aatletam.
Az these vast American armies, the
one clad in blue and the other In gray.
stood Contemplating each other from
the adjacent hills, Haunting their de-
FAINT banners, they presented an array
Of martial splendOr that was not
equaled. perhaps. on any other field.
II Was in marked contrast with other
backgrounds. On the open plain.
where stood these hostile hosts In long
lines, listening in silence for the sig
nal summoning them to battle, there
| were no breastWorks. no abatis. no In
tervening woodlands, nor abrupt hills:
nor hiding places. nor impossible
streams. The space over which the
assaulting columns were to march. and
on which was soon to occur the ire
mendous struggle. consisted Of smooth
and gentle undulations and a narrow
valley covered with green grass and
growing corn. From the position as.
signed me. near the center of Lees
lines both armies and the entire field
were In view. The scene va. not only
magnificent to look upon. but the rea-
lization of what 1t meant was deeply
impressive. Even in times Of peace
our sensibilities are stirred by the
sght of q great army passing in re-
view. How infinitely more thrilling
In the dread moments before the bat
tie to look upon two mighty armies
upon the same plain. beneath spread
ensigns and bristling bayOnets." wait
ing for the impending crash and sick
ening carnage!
Behind McClellan's army the coun-
try was open and traversed by bread
macadamized roads leading to Wash
ington and Baltimore. The defeat.
therefore. or even the total rout Of
the Union forces meant not neces-
sarily the destruction of that army,
but more probably its temporary dis
organization and rapid retreat through
q country abounding In supplies, and
toward cities rich In men and means.
Behind Lees Confederates. on the
other hand. was the Potomac river, too
deep to be forded by his infantry, ex-
cept at certain points. Defeat and
total rout of his army meant. there
fore. not only its temporary disOrgan-
ization. but its possible destruction.
and yet that bold leader did not hesi.
tate to give battle.-Gen. John B.
Gordon, in Scribner's.
Maine's First Artillery.
Major Charles J. House. clerk of the
ONCE of the labor commission, and
Capt. Horace H. Shaw of Portland
have about completed the history Of
the First Maine heavy artillery. which
was mustered into service in Bangor,
August Il. 1862.
The history Of the First Maine
heavy artillery is of special interest
from the fact that it lost more men
than any other of the 1000 regiments
In the civil war, . total of Al, as
against the second heaviest loser. the
Eighth New York heavy artillery.
with record Of 361.
The loss of this Maine regiment At
Petersburg was the heaviest of any
regiment in . single action, the num-
Der killed and subsequent deaths from
wounds being az, against 207 in the
Eighth New York at Cold Harbor. The
Maine loss OF 155 ut Spottsylvania was
the third heaviest of any regiment
in . single action. There were 200
men originally enlisted In this Maine
regiment. 219 hailing from Bangor.
The loss to the regiment during
the 36 days from May 10 to June Is.
1864, inclusive, was 4O4 killed, 789
wounded and Is taken prisoners, max
ing total loss In this short period of
l,2Os.
During the three days battle of Pc
tersburg the second army CROPS. COM
posed Of 81 regiments and four batter
les, lost So commissioned officers, II
Of whom. or almost "a per cent. were
officers of the First Maine heavy ar
tillery. In the two battles of Spottsyl-
vania and Petersburg there were .
total of TAG members Of the regiment
wounded. At the four engagements of
Cold Harbor. Boydton Road. siege of
Petersburg and Deatonville there was
q total of 113 wounded.
The greatest number taken prison.
ers at one time was at Jerusalem
Plant road. June 22. 1864. when -
went Oh with the enemy. There are
637 survivors scattered over various
sections of Maine and Massachusetts,,
. few having drifted to the west and
south. The only field Oflicers now liv-
ing above the rank. Of captain are
Major c. v. Crossman Of Bangor and
Brevet Brigadier General Charles
Hamhn. reporter OF declslcns.-fort-
land, Me-, Argus.
Gen. oordons contraband Bouquet
As we moved along the street it,
tie girl. probably twelve years Of age.
ran up to my horse and handed me .
large bouquet Of flowers. in the cen.
ter Of which was . note In delicate
handwriting. purporting to give the
numbers and describe the position Of
the Union forces of Wrightsville, to-
ward which I vas advancing. I care
fully read and reread this strange
note 1t bore no signature and con-
tained no assurance Of sympathy for
the Southern cause, but it was so
terse and explicit in its terms as to
compel my confidence. The second
day We were in front Of Wrightsville.
and from the high rids3. on which this
note suggested that I halt and ex-