The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-09
which wa. nsht,ns IN the Peach orchard

which was nshtins IN the Peach orchard
and the Wheat Field.
While In camp at Beverly Ford the
men of the 146th New York witnessed
an exhibition OF military discipline
that must have impressed most deeply
and enduringly every spectator. Five
bounty jumpers. deserving from n
Pennsylvania regiment. had been
caught and were to be executed. Al,
the regiments Of the corps that were
not actively engaged in the perform
ance OF other duties were drawn up
On three sides of a meadow. Graves
had been dug. and i'm front OF each
was coffin on the ground. When
the troops had been stationed the de-
serters were brought up in an open
ambulance, escorted by the provost
guard OF the First Division and a
regimental band playing a funeral
march. Two OF the men were Prot
estants. two Catholics and the Other
was n Jew, and ministers VI the three
faiths attended them. With arms
tied behind. the men were seated on
the collins. The clergymen spoke to
them. Then they were bindfolde
and as the bugle sounded Attention
the firing squad of sixteen h,es OF
men from the provost guard advanced.
Four of the dcsertcrs kept themselves
in hand. but the jew was almost over
come with terror. As the firing detail
advanced to within ten PAGES 1t may
he supposed that the 10000 unlocking
soldiers were silent enough. While
the bodies were being inferred in the
ID
recall and with the reg;mental bands
paying lively airs the troops marched
back to camp.
The terrible battle OF the Wilderness
has been fought. and the heavy losses
by gunfire horribly increased by the
confiagration of the woods:
As the lengthening shadows Of the for.
est fell about Us the saddest roll call
in the history Of the regiment took place
Major Grindley, the senior officer. took
command. and by his order the shattere I
ranks were drawn up In line. slowly and
silently. There was lacking the alertne.s
and cheerfulness which had prevailed he.
fore the battle. The sad and discouraged
faces Of the men. their worn and tattered
uniforms. and the bullet riddled nag
dropping In the centre NJ the line forme 4
n mournful contrast with our jaunty APP
p-arance of only few days before. The
voice Of the officer who called the roll
did not ring with It's accustomed cheer
fulness. and the echo Of It's sound among
the trees the only response to the
majority Of the names that were read.
Literally the ma jority. for OF twen-
ty-four commissioned officers who en-
tered the battle only ten survived.
and of $50 enlisted men S32 were miss
ing. one company had been cut down
10 ten men. another To fifteen: another
had lost every officer but n Lieutenant.
The regimental colors had had a dlv
of IL too. As the reg ment charged
across n Gul'cy in the thick of the
fight the co'or bearer went down.
struck by three bullets \ conrad
caught the falling flag; "A few min
1tes later he too was Killed. \ cor
poral caught up the standard. hut
was wounded and afterward captured
But sergeant seized the riddled
banner and in the face of furious
fire ran with IL into the woods whcrc
the surviving men of the regiment
found shelter.
Capt. Sweet wrote in letter to the
h me folks: While our orderly ser
CtdHN, WHO Hdu u'en severely
wounded. was being borne TO the rear
on stretcher his zouave uniform
(which the regiment had been wear
ing since the spring OF 's3l attracted
the attention OF a group o. rebel oil
GERS. one of whom was Gen. Ewell
lie was placed upon the ground AMI
;he officers surrounded him. Gen.
Ewell remarked: What makes you
boys fight so" Your regiment Tough,
! ike hell" So did they all, on both
sides.
The authors device Of presenting
the history as n regimcnta, narrative
IN the first person Is far more effec.
tive than any mere compilation Of her
materials. letters. diaries and So on
could possibly have been.