The National tribune., 1908-11-26

1t was meet that the man who, per-
haps fired the first gun at Fort Sum-
| ter in defense of the Republic, should
have been the author of such tribute
to the finest body of men who fought
! during the after struggle.
When the Grand Encampment met
at Minneapolis 1 heard read an account
of how many officers were promoted
from the 1st Mimi, but have forgotten
/ them. But there were many, from the
rank of Major-General down to Lieu
| tenant
When the Grand Encampment met at
San Francisco 1 took my little daughter
by the hand, and went to join the 1st
Mimi. in the march. I found the "regi-
ment" represented by one old COM
rade, who also was accompanied by his
daughter, and 1 ''fell in" beside them.
An elegantly dressed old lady raised the
ropes along the sidewalk, and rushed
up to my little daughter and kissed
| her Who was that lady? 1 should
| like to hear from her.
| Mr.. McElroy does not seem to know
that the Second Corps, under Sumner,
| fought at Antietam. Well, 1 was
wounded there, and the old 1st MINI.
/, did fight there with Sedgwick's Divi-
sion. But the LIST MINI. must also be
| inserted among those who fought at
| the second battle of Bull Run, altho Mr..
McElroy did not give any account of
! the fact that Summers Corps fought
| there. I give herewith an account of
the part we had in that struggle, and
ask a place for it in our paper. Let
| the 1st MINI. have a field day" this
| time. With my 72 years such a record
as given by Mr.. McElroy concerning
my old regiment fires my blood anew.
Summers Second Corps was placed
as buffer between the victorious reb-
els and the retreating Union army, and
as at the first battle Of Bull Run, the
| 1st MINI. was on the rear guard, and
prevented the rebels from crowding
the retreating army too closely.
| After falling back to Fairfax Court
House the 1st MINI. lay under the
shade of the pines, on the west side of
an old tobacco field, about half mile
north of Fairfax Court House, await
| ing all day the advance of the rebels.
About sundown the enemy came out
of the pines from the west. and formed
a fine line of cavalry, prepared to
charge the 1st Mimi, 18th Mass, 34th
". Y. and SD N. Y, which brigade,
with two pieces of artillery and a
squadron of New York cavalry, brought
up the rear guard, Gen. German (the
first Colonel of the 1st Minn.), COM
{ manding the whole. while Col. Alfred
| Sully, of the Regular Army, afterward
Brigadier- General, commanded the old
1st next the rebels. In the center of
| the old field the 1st MINI. formed
square to receive the onset, while the
rest of the brigade went on and laid
an ambush for the rebels at Flint Hill,
a short distance toward Washington.
The rebels saw that the regiment
was ready for them, and ran out a
couple of mountain howitzers and COM
menced to Shell the square, but aimed
| too high to do much harm. Then a
fine charge was made by the rebel cav
airy, while the 1st MINI. stood, grim
as stones. the front line down on one
knee with bayonets ready to receive
the horses, the second line at charge
bayonets, while the Sharpshooters,
whose Sharp's rifles were toe short to
| repel a cavalry charge. fired over the
heads of their comrades. The rebel
cavalry soon found that their horses
We're being piled up too fast for good
riding, and after turning and charging
the other way rode back out of danger,
leaving many men and horses on the
ground around the square.
Effect of One Shell.
Then the 1st MINI. opened out just
| enough to run for the woods, which
stood across the field, the regiment
doubled up, SO there We're eight men
abreast instead of four, besides the
file closers, making an excellent mark
for the rebel artillery, which opened
with energy, still firing too high. Serg't
Gooderich. of the Sharpshooters, was
a little in front of me, and shell
passed over the heads of the regiment
just high enough not to hurt anyone
struck tree, exploded with a great
crash, and 1 saw Gooderich throw up
his hands and fall forward. Then a
stfiing sensation seized me, and 1, too
fell Capt w. f. Russell, OF our COM
pany, called to the boys to aid me II
not dead. When they turned me over
got UP. unhurt, but stunned, saying
that Gooderich was killed. But wher
he was rolled over he, too, got up un-
hurt. Then a shell plowed the earth
beside us. and both Gooderich and my
self, together with several others, were
rolled down the bank of the little
creek Ekc iaSs, again no one hit. On
! dera were given to tear up the bridge
] ans we did it with a will.
Then we marched up the sunker
road amid the timber, and found two
pieces of artillary in the road at the
top. Here Lieut.-Col. Steven Miller