Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-06-26

crash through. draw that fire from
Ricketts, to his own column and 81
lence it
The Second Connecticut stood ready,
waiting for the word "ForwardPs
Colonel Elisha S. Kellogg had instruct
ed the three majors how to handle their
battalions. The men were appealed to
to uphold the honor of the "old brig.
ade-" Goodbys were said by comrades.
neighbors. even brothers. and messages
intrusted to one another for the folks
at home. Formation was In column
of battalions. Major James Hubbard
took the lead with companies A, B. q
and Z. The distance to the enemy's
breastworks was 400 yards across open
space. with rising slope.
Relying solely on the bayonet for ex-
ecution. the columns moved on. As
the Connecticut men neared their
works the Confederates turned their
artillery and muskets upon them with
terrible execution. Nevertheless Hub
bard's line broke through the outer
works. Gaps torn in the ranks were
instantly closed. Kellogg led forward
to the second breastwork. which was
protected by a tangle Of slashings.
The second and third battalions, led
by Major ]. @. Rice and Major W. B.
Ellis, followed the track Of the first
for a time. They were struck by flank
fire, however. as loon as Hubbard's
line got through and halted under such
slight shelter as the ground afforded.
Major Ellis was wounded in the first
fire. Colonel Kellogg was followed by
scores of officers and soldiers acting
individually to and upon the slashings.
There the leader fell with two bullets
through his head. He had previously
been shot twice at the first breastwork.
Captain L. Wadhaus was killed, Cap
tain j. Deane and Lieutenants B. Il.
Camp. FL. e. futile and G. B. Hatch
wounded. This charge to the finish
lasted but ten minutes.
Mute Evidences of Valor.
Ricketts, division carried the main
driven out after dark. Devens' division
on Ricketts, right got nc farther than
the slashlngs of the main line. Getty's
Sixth corps division charged on the
left Of Russell. but got no farther
than the first breastwork. Russell and
Getty together lost 1000 killed and
wounded. OF these 325. or more than
~one-fourth, were of the Second Con-
necticut. which lost 129 killed and 1916
wounded, fully two-thirds Of the loss
falling on Hubbard's leading battalion.
In Devens' and Brooks divisions 1000
fell. Ground held by these divisions
after the charge was intrenehed as
defense of the Old Cold Harbor cross
roads. Subsequently the trenches were
extended two miles to the south and
the same distance north. General Nc
Mahon of the Sixth corps staff said
that the PROSTATE Connecticut forms
In their u~ntarnished blue described an
"obtuse angle with the apex to the
'front.'" showing that in the race to
death Kellogg had but a handful at
his back. but the column yer broaden
ed to a target that couldn't live on
that fire swept field.
Shifting the Lines of Battle.
While the battle ragged around Cold
Harbor June 1. between Wrights and
Smiths Federal corps and Anderson's
Confederates. Warren's Fifth corps ex-
tended the line north of Smith to
Bethesda church, where Burnside's
Ninth corps carried it toward the Toto
potomoy. Ewell confronted Warren
and Burnside, and ELL opposed Han
cocks corps north of that stream. The
night of June / Hancock moved down
on Wrights left, extending Grants
line toward the Chickahominy. Lee
moved Hill and General j. G. Breckin-
ridges fresh division south to confront
Hancock. Warren closed up IN the
south to Smith. and Burnside closed up
on Warren. Burnside was sharply at
tackled by Ewell's corps under Jubal
Early while moving from Bethesda
church. Grant ordered a charge all
along the seven mile line of battle the
morning of June 8.
Promptly at the hour named Smiths
three divisions rushed forward in the
face of artillery fire and carried the
front line of works. Wright's three