The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1914-02-19
STORIES 70 BE SAg
CAMPEN m,
HEROIC SPIRIT IS DISPLAYED
sets Had to Be Forced Back In
Noted Flight at Gettysburg.

George Il. Lehman, employed as an
electrician at the Charlestown navy
yard. was a sturdy young man OF
twenty one years. 80 years ago. Al.
though he had seen hard service as a
private In Company +. Thirteenth
Massachusetts infantry. Mr.. Lehman
weighed $50 pounds when he went
into the battle OF Gettysburg. Mr.
Lehman had the advantage OF knowl.
edge Of how to take care OF himself.
and. as he says. he never failed to
get enough to eat.
On the night of June 30 we were
ut Emmetsburg, camped at Marsh
creek. IA miles from Gettysburg" said
Mr.. Lehman. About s a. m. on July
we got orders to start for Gettys'
burg at double quick. We covered the
IA miles at a dog.trot and II was the
toughest road I ever Travelled. up and
down hill. with dust UP to our ankles.
my recollection IL that we reached
the line OF battle at Gettysburg about
uoon. The Twelfth Massachusetts, had
been ahead Of us and they had been
through some hard fighting before we
arrived They had lost many OF their
men and when we lined up In the 20.
sition they had been holding the able.
bodied men of the Twelfth staid with
Vs.
IT was hot work from the first min.
ute. The rebels we're coming up the
road In column Of fours just AZ fast 40
be a swarm OF rebels stretching OUT
farther than we could see.
The boys AL knew that there were
fully Ave OF the Johnnies to every one
Of us, but that only made our boyi
fight harder We were firing Just AZ
fast as we could reload and aim. ant
our men were falling fast.
The rebels aimed at the men near
est the colors. so the men who were
about the colors were hit first. Our
company was stationed to the left OF
our colors and as rapidly as the men
near the colors were hit we moved up.
Our color bearer, brave Charlie Nor
ris, was killed. Our regimental monu
ment at Gettysburg. by the way. Is
|
was modelled after Morris.
so many of the color company had
been killed and wounded that ouI
company, the next one to the colors
had moved up to the position abou
the regimental flag. was close 4
the colors when a bullet struck m!
left leg. 1t was only flesh wount
and kept on fighting.
About. 1880 or 3 p. m. was wound
ed again, and this time the ball shat
tered a bone In the right leg. THAI
put me out OF action and I was or
dered to the rear to the field hospital
had been able to bandage my right
leg with towel and stop the flow Of
blood and could just barely walk.
Before was hit and was ordered
to the rear I knew that we would have
to retreat But the boys did not wan,
to retreat. When II was impossible to
hold the position longer and the Off
GERS ordered them to retreat the boyi
had to be driven back before they
would stir. In all my experience
never saw such heroic spirit as thu
men of the First corps showed thai
FIRST day at Gettysburg.
As soon as Stuarts cavalry rode
away told Kelly to run up the road
and intercept Bufords cavalry ant
tell the general which way the rebels
had gone. He did so and pretty soor
we heard the Union cavalry In pursuit
attacking Stuart's rear"
Mr.. Lehman on returning to Massa
chusetts applied for a commission n
the Fifty-ninth Massachusetts, infan
try. but the examining surgeon de
clared that his wound made furthei
service impossible.