The National tribune., 1906-05-10

what vas going on along the line, but
/ will relate it as / saw it.
col. McAllister, of New Jersey
regiment. or perhaps he was command
er of a New Jersey brigade. was stand
ing within five feet of me talking TO
some of the boys. He said:
II 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 10 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 in the middle
of the field.
"Fal in-Fix Forward
Over our works ] went. l had a
canteen full of water and a Johnny's
haversack which about two hours pre-
vjous / had taken from a dead Confed-
crate, a blanket rolled up on my KNAPP
sack, several rounds of ammunition, and
Springfield musket / got within abOu,
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, / turned back and wen,
about 100 feet, when | dropped in whGi
] should call a dead furrow.
II hauled up two dead comrades in
front of me, and with my cup and tin
plate i scooped out a hollow place in
the ground, so that the Confederate
sharpshooters could not hit me. All
about me were fallen comrades some
deau, while the wounded were utterine
heartrending shrieks in their agonies OF
pain. Those who managed TO rise were
shot, for the JOhnnicS were watching
for the first one to move. There was
one of our men behind the lone tree
that | mentioned, and he was a target
for 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 a column OF our boys
start on a charge from the same place
we had come from. The thought came
20 me, Shall l jump up and go with
them, or shall / remain here and le
che lst Me. have the honor of carrying
the works. My decision was to let wei
enough alone. The charging column
passed over me, and i don't think they
went any farther than / had gone wheT
back they came. and as many of Their
were shot coming back as there haC
been as they went forward One fellow
stumbled over my little breastwork anC
then he crowded in beside me- He
with the two dead bodies before m,
and the earth ] had thrown out mad,
good protection for me. / asked hin
what his name was.
Alvin w. Hurd, of Lincoln, Penob
scot County, he. ! belong to the Is
Me. II. A. he replied.
My, but the shrieks of the 1st Me
boys were terrible. ] saw by The Ma
tional Tribune some time ago that ther.
We're 2O4 shot dead in that regiment il
that charge. We stayed there unit
darkness came on, and then crawleo
back on our hands and knees TO ou
works, where / found my regiment
over d little fire | made my coffee an,
with piece of salt pork on a little sticI
allowed the grease to drip upon SOM
hardtack. Thus / had my evening re
past. ] then unrolled my blanket, an,
with my knapsack for a pillow / wen
10 sleep and, no doubt, dreamed / ha,
earned 81 a month pension