The National tribune., 1910-06-02
RECENT LITERATURE.
UNDER THE MALTESE CROSS.


BY far. the most satisfying of thu
many Excellent regimental h hstorie:
which have been published is "Undel
the Maltese Cross. From Antietam e
ADpomattoX." by committee of tn.
155th Pa, consisting of Comrades +
Jay Allen. John Ewing, 5. w. Hill. Johr
, H. Kerr. John G. Sias, John 7. Porter
and Charles +. McKenua. the Reg:
mental Committee on History. While
this is Il rcgimental history of the beS
type. since il gives the fullest detail.
of the regiments organization and
splendid military service. it is far more
than a regimertal history, and gives ar
inspiring picture Of the great loyal up
rising in the western end of the State
which led to the formation of that fine
regiment. The regiments character and
spirit was not wholly confined to the
men who formed its ranks and tho
officers who led it, but much came from
the community from which it sprang
and the feelings and spirit of the faith
erS, mothers, brothers, sisters and
sweethearts of those who enlisted.
The 155th Pa. came out in response
to Lincoln's urgent call in the Summer
of 1862, when things were going very
ba lily for the Union cause and there
was dire need of hundreds of thousands
| of men to fill the vacant ranks and re-
| inforce the armies shattered by the
| fighting on the Peninsula, at Manassas
and in the West. Western Pennsylvania
had been unusually prompt in answer
ing the first call of the President, and
sent out more than it's quota of splen-
did men, In this uprising all of the
leading men of that part of the State
took a deep interest, and there is men,
| toned with honor the work of such
| leading citizens as Col. Thomas A.
| Scott, of the Pennsylvania Railroad;
Andrew Carnegie, Robert Pitcairn, Col
S. w. Black and other leaders in busi-
ness and at the bar.
Pennsylvania's quota under the first
| call was 1850 men, and she furnished
| 20,I75. 1t had seemed that this gener-
Gus supply would be sufficient for the
purpose. but under the second call she
was asked for S2,S25 men, and actually
furnished 85,16G.
Particularly active in the work OF
recruiting and also of furnishing food
and comforts to the tens of thousands
Of soldiers passing thru Pittsburg and
| in nursing the sick were many of the
leading women of the city, whose pic
| lures embellish the book. All the story
| is told well and forcibly, and furnishes
an important portion Of the book, re-
cordng for the future the magnificent
| spirit which animated the loyal citizens
| of the western end of Pennsylvania
SHuSt tnt VI L, loOI, lilt
| Adjutant-General of the United States
made a requistion on the Governor of
| Pennsylvania for 21 new regiments.
The 155th Pa. was one of these fur
nished The regiment was organized
at Camp Howe. e. Jay Allen became
Colonel, and Serg't James Coliord,
of the 9th Pa. Reserves, who had re-
fused furlough just before battle in
order to go into the fight in which he
was severely wounded. became Lieuten-
ant-CoIonel. From Camp Howe the
regiment started on the heavy, cum
brous way that all new regiments did
for Washington, where it was assigned
to Allabach's Brigade, Humphreys's>Di-
vision, Fifth Corps With this noted
corps 1t was to be associated for three
years of hard fighting, long marches
and intense experiences. 1t made the
first march from Washington to the
Antietam battlefield, during which II
shed its membranes of overloaded
knapsacks. overcoats and other articles
not virtually necessary, and reported to
Gen. Mcclellan at Antietam about 7
o'clock on the morning of Sept. IT after
the fighting was over. After Antietam
it took part in McClellan's leisurely
movement in pursuit of Lee. but i'm
proved the time by becoming thoro in
drill and discipline and in readiness
for the gallant but useless sacrifice at
Fredericksburg. There, 1t will be re-
membered. >Humphreys's Division made
q forlorn hope. which charged the ter
rible stone wall with empty guns and
fixed bayonets, reaching a point within
IL PAGES of the stone wall under the
most CALLING fire of musketry and cam
ister. The official reports gave the
highest praise to the 155th Pa. for the
magnificent style In which it conducted
itself in the desperate assault 1t suf-
Fri I0t prl1 Vfo ratn
was mortally wounded, the colors were
seized by another of the guard. who
was also killed, the staff of the colors
was cut by canister. the flag itself
pierced by IA bullets and another Color
Corporal raised the flag, only to be
shot down himself. when a fourth
grasped it and bore it safely thru the
Corporals of the color guard were
killed.
The 155th Pa. took its share in the
battle of Charlottesville, and then was
transferred to Sykes's Division. 1t
made the forced marches to Gettys-
burg. and there engaged in the desper-
ate fighting for the possession of Little
Round Top. Its next experience was in
the Mine Run campaign, where it was
chosen for the storming column and
prepared for another charge such as
that at Fredericksburg, but thiS was
not asked OF it. Then came the awful
fighting in the Wilderness, the march
to Spotsylvania, the desperate assaults
at that place and at the North Anna,
following the corps flag thru all the
varied experiences to Appomattox. It
was particularly commended for its
brilliant conduct in the charge of June
1S. and at the fight at Hatcher's Run
the l55th Pa. was the first to plant its
coloIs on the enemy's works At Five
Forks IT was gallantly led by Col. Pear
son. and saved one of our batteries
from, the enemy and planted its colors
on the enemy's works. 1t Joined in the
long. famishing and exciting pursuit
of Lees army, and was present across
Lees last line of escape when the flag
of truce went up. 1t was part of the
troops formed to receive the Confeder-
arms and munitions of war. On the
morning of June 7. 1865. $50 surviving
veterans Of the regiment, under the
command Of Gen. A. l.. Pearson. were
given fine reception in Pittsburg. with
all honor shown them
All this is told in highly interesting
way in a superb volume bound in blue
and embellished with the corps badge
in colors The book is illustrated in
the most satisfactory way by lifeIike
portraits OF the many men and women
connected with the regiments history.
pattlefeld scenes. maps, etc. All Is
printed on heavy, plated paper, and
the book Is gotten out in the best STYLE
or typography by the Werner Company
or Akron. o. and Pittsburg. The en-
craving and other illustrating was done
by artists of ACKNOWLEDGED renutatiop