The National tribune., 1910-04-28

I'VE are aware that organizations are
proud of their records and do not care
to lose any part of what they merit or
is their due. We have got to learn of
any other commands being engaged in
the Wilderness battle until after this
five hours fighting of the 5th n. Y
Cav from daybreak on May at Par
ker's Store"
Never Saw the I'd n. J. Again.
II. B. Van Velsor Co. II, I'd n: j.,
writes:
II belonged to Co. Fl. I'd n. j., First
Brigade (Kearny's old brigade). and
always like to tell of that. During May
/ 6 the I'd regiment, either entire or in
part, was on the picket line, 100 yards
or so in advance of the main line. The
| day was bright and beautiful, perfect
Virginia day, according to my recollec-
tion-wild flowers blooming fragrantly.
trees in full verdure and the sun shone
pleasantly warm and not much doing.
altho 1 did see Corp'l Smith. of Co. K,
raise his rifle, aim long and deliberately
and almost simultaneously with the re-
/ port eXclaim: L got him.
| "The day previous. May 5, they got
two officers of the I'd N J.-Callan. of
| Co. II, and Bogart, of Co. Knot to
mention the necessary privates I'M
known excepting to the folks at home
At the particular hour of May 6 which
1 have in mind everything was abso-
lutely quiet in our immediate vicinity.
| THE men were enjoying the beautiful
weather, alert but not apprehensive,
and the shadows were well extended
eastward when arose the commotion
of the flank attack or the extreme right
of the Sixth Corps, as related in The
National Tribune. Instantly preparing
ourselves for serious work, the blue
skirmish line far to the right could be
seen swinging back on the main line,
as at that point the terrain was less
denSely covered with brush and other
undergrowth than in many other places
when the wave reached us l went
back with the others into the rife pits,
and the regiment, which L did not rec
| ognize, Immediately began firing fran
! tically. as tho repellng a desperate
| charge. | felt certain that there was
not a bullet at that particular moment
coming our way, and / reasoned that if
| were mistaken there must be evidence
of it in the falling twigs and leaves shot
| from the trees close in the rear. Moth
| ing doing to the best of my very care
| full observation, not leaf or a limb
disturbed, whereupon ] climbed out of
the pit and stood upright in the rear,
an interested observer of the proceed
ings. / don't claim superior valor for
myself simply felt that there was no
great risk.
Soon the main line to the right be-
gan to crumble. and when this wave
reached our point all hands went rear
ward in confusion. BY this time the
waning daylight, the smoke and the
heavy shadows rendered objects but a
| few yards dist2:t indistinct. Men of all
regiments. intermingled, were rallyins
and advancing in crowds. more from
individual pride than from the officers
appeals.
without warning, not even covered
by siirmish line as neither were we,
an advancing line of battle faced us in
the gloom and tangle not 20 yards
away. and each line, ours and the
strangers, halted instantly and stimuli
taneously, without an audible word of
command on either side. and stood ey-
ing each other for some moments, every
nerve strung to its highest tension and
each straining to solve the identity of
the other.
"A mounted officer leading the rebel
line. as it proved to be, apparently sat
isfied, quickly leveled his sword in our
direction, as tho instructing his men to
fire.
1T was our cue. and a more con-
spicuous one for us than for them, and
instantly our crashing volley, like a
single explosion, smote them.
II never knew the result, which
should have been destructive. excepting
that they vanished, dissolved, disap-
peared without firing a shot, and mo-
ment later. in less time than it takes to
write it. we were in possession of some
body's breastworks. A temporary lull
followed these strenuous proceedings,
and started out in an attempt to rejoin
my regiment.
while wandering thru the under
brush in the semi-darkness a familiar
form interposed between my sight and
the glow of the western sky, and I
hailed, Hello, Gun Baldwin, is that
you?' and the answer came: Yep
Baldwin belonged to the I'd n. j., Co.
X, and was also hunting for his regi-
ment, and he had acquired the nom de
plume of Gun from the fact that he
ark. n. j.
Eve both were thirsty. Frogs were
croaking their evening lullaby near by, |
and where there's frogs there's water
and, accepting their invitation. our cam
teens We're quickly filled with an unseen
mixture of a specific gravity several de-
Srees heavier than the standard, but it |
was wet.
Neither Baldwin nor I ever saw the |
old Second again, as early on the |
morning of the 7thSwe ceased to exist |
as atoms of the great Army of the Po-
tomac, and were absorbed into the Con- |
federacy to sojourn many months in |
such famous Southern resorts as Lynch |
burg, Danville, Andersonville, Florence |
and Charleston"