The National tribune., 1906-05-10

what vas going on along the line. but
/ will relate it as saw ii.
Col. McAllister. OF New Jersey
regiment. or perhaps he was command
er of New Jersey brigade. was stand
ing within five feet of me talking to
some of the boys. He said:
- ought to have had my breakfast
an hour and half ago in Petersburg
There was considerable cOmmissary
used that morning. and whoever ordered
that charge and the one four or five
hours later ought TO have been COM
PEELED to carry the colors each time.
had just celebrated my 10th birthday,
and had not had quite one year Of SER
vice. In looking over the field over
which we were to charge / saw there
was no protection except one large tree
about 500 feet TO my left i'm the middle
of the field.
Fall in-Fix bayonets-Forward,'
Over our works / went. / had a
canteen full of water and Johnny's
haversack which about two hours pre-
viouS / had taken from q dead COnfed-
crate, blanket rolled up on my KNAPP
sack, several rounds of ammunition. and
Springfield musket. / got within about
400 feet of the works of the Confeder-
ates. / was not the nearest one, either
Our column never fired a shot We
were simply human targets for the
Johnnies. Well, i turned back and went
about 100 feet, when I dropped in what
/ should call a dead furrOw.
II hauled up two dead comrades in
front Of me, and with my cup and tin
plate j scooped out hollow place In
the ground. so that the Confederate
sharpshooters could not hit me- All
about me were fallen comrades some
dead. while the wounded were uttering
heartrending shrieks i'm their agonies of
pain. Those who managed to rise were
a To- mic lit,
Tor the first one to move. There was
one of our men behind the lone tree
that l mentioned, and he was a target
Tor them all day. But the last / saw
OF him he was as close to that tree as
he could get.
About o'clock heard a loud cheer,
and could see column of our boys
start on charge from the same place
we had come from. The thought came
20 me, Shall 1 jump up and go with
them, or shall ! remain here and let
the 1st Me. have the honor of carrying
the works? My decision was to let well
enough alone. The charging column
passed over me. and j don't think they
went any farther than | had gone when
back they came, and a. many OF them
were shot coming back as there had
been as they went forward One fellow
stumbled over my little breastwork, and
then he crowded in beside me- He,
with the two dead bodies before me
and the earth i had thrown out made
good protection for me. I asked him
what his name was.
Alvin w. Hurd. of Lincoln, Penob-
scot County, Me. i belong to the 1st
Me. II. A. he replied.
My, but the shrieks of the 1st Me-
boys were terrible. / saw by The Ma
honal Tribune some time ago that there
were 204 shot dead in that regiment i'm
That charge. We stayed there until
darkness came on, and then crawled
back on our hands and knees TO our
works. where l found my regiment
over little fire / made my coffee, and
win piece of salt pork on a little stick
] allowed the grease to drip upon some
hardtack. Thus / had my evening re-
past. l then unrolled my blanket, and
with my knapsack for a pillow / wen,
10 sleep and. no doubt. dreamed i had
earned 81 a month pension"