The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-06-20
The 10Th Maine at High Bridge

recent notice in The Journal of an ar
ticle by Morris Schaff in the "Atlantic
Monthly in which he alluded to the
10Th Maine at High Bridge, Va, the
day preceding the surrender of Lee,
would have been of still greater interest
to The Journal readers had the story
been added of the important, thrilling
and heroic part borne in that action by
young Belfast officer of that regiment,
who entered that command as a private
and by soldierly merit won promotions
through various grades to the rank he
held that eventful day, when he was en-
abled by force of quick judgment, mill
tary sagacity and the extreme gallantry
of himself and the two companies of his
regiment to prevent the burning of
the foot bridge over which the confed-
crates had just retreated from being
burned and the pursuit halted for a time,
that terminated the next day by the
surrender at Appomattox.
The long railroad bridge that sat on
gigantic stills was in flames and two
spans consumed. General Malone with
his confederate division had crossed the
foot bridge and ordered it burned, as the
I'd Union Corps was in rapid pursuit, the
10th Maine in advance. The sharp fire
of Confederate brigade had compelled
halt of the brigade commanded by COL
Starbird of the 18th Maine, who await
ed arrival of the balance of the division,
when Lieut.. Col. Spaulding asked Capt.
Pierce if he thought he could take two
companies across the bridge and extin-
guish the fire. 1t was dangerous under
taking, which should naturally have been
made by a charge of the entire brigade
across the bridge, but Capt. Pierce said
he would make the attempt, which re-
quired quick and resolute work, and he
Immediately led his own and another
company across the burning bridge on
the double quick, deploying them in line
at the end of the bridge and driving back
the Confederates, while detail put out
the fire.
General Malone, seeing that on
small force was on his side of the bridge,
Immediately ordered his command back
to the river to fire the bridge, crush and
capture the little band of Capt Pierce,
who had advanced from the river nearly
half mile and was now fanked on both
ends of his line, attacked by ten to one
in front and was quickly pushed back to
the river bank, under which cover they
made stubborn resistance, until seeing
no apparent disposition to reinforce them,
and their capture certain, some few at
tempted to recross the bridge, now swept
by deluge of bullets, while others
swan the river, and the balance, encour-
aged by their intrepid commander, kept
up determined fire, many of them
standing or kneeling in the water, while
across the river their comrades were re-
plying to the confederates on the other
side. Among the victims on the bridge
was Serg't. Barek A. Hatch of Morrill,,
who took the desperate chance of es-
Gaping capture only to be shot down
when nearly across, receiving fright
full wound, the mimic ball passing entire
ly through his body. He was picked up by
some of his company comrades when our
reinforced army charged across the
bridge shortly after. He was placed in
an ambulance and said he did not expect
to survive, but said, tell Captain Pierce
to give the rebels hell" Mr.. Hatch,
however, in face of predictions of all the
surgeons, persisted in recovering and
lived for thirty years in active mercantile
business in Morrill,, leading citizen,
town official and member of the legisla-
ture. 1t was there that Col. Starbird
of 10Th Maine was shot through the lung,
but lived to practice medicine for nearly
forty years. 1t was General Thos. A.
Snyth of Delaware who brought his bri-
gade in most gallant manner across the
bridge to the relief of Captain Pierce,
and was killed the following morning at
Farmville. A half mile back from the
bridge was the cemetery made the even
ing before, containing the newly made
graves of General Theodore Reid of the
Staff of General Ord. Colone Washburn
of the Massachusetts Cavalry and 70 Of