The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-06-08
Letters from the Front.
From One Who Gave His Life for His Coun-
try at the Battle of Gettysburg.

try at the Battle of Gettysburg.
MY DEAR JOURNAL When the Civil |
War was declared and the call came for
men, perhaps no place of its size re-
spondedAnore nobly than the little village
at the Head of the Tide. One after an
other the young men enlisted, until there
was hardly family in the then thriv-
ing and busy village that did not feel a
burden of anxiety for loved ones at the
front. so many of whom never returned.
Among these last was Robert Theodore
Newell, my fathers eldest son. and my
mothers stepson, who, as the records
show, enlisted as Corporal. He belonged
to Co. D, 18th Maine Regt, and at the
age of % was killed at Gettysburg. 1t
is safe to say that he was the family idol,
and that his memory has always been
sacred one. His character was summed
up by the late Judge VIM. H. Fogler,
who had been his Captain, in the latter's
last conversation with my sister, shortly
before his death: do you remember
your brother Robert? If you do, you re-
member a young man who never needed
anybody to tell him to do what he thought
was right" In connection with this re-
mark Judge Fogler was relating to her
how Robert happened to be on the color
guard. He told her that Roberts deaf
ness caused him much annoyance in the
regimental drill where he could not hear
and execute the orders of their colonel
with the absolute promptness required,
but rather had to catch the movements
of the drill from his comrades. On one
occasion he was called up and reprimand-
ed for this. Judge Fogler's eyes flashed
as he said: II knew Robert and knew
he could never bear that, and was not
surprised when he came to me later, ask
ing to be placed where this could not
occur again. told him | did not want
him to go on the color guard then, and
mentioned the danger there, He said:
Someone has to be there and | shall be
glad TO go SO | placed him on the
color guard, and it was while serving
there, at Gettysburg, that he was shot. "
1t will be noticed in one of Roberts
letters that he speaks of having asked
to take Edgar Paul's place on the color
guard, but carefully suppresses any ref
rences to anything unpleasant.
Before the war Judge Fogier had
taught school at the Head of the Tide,
and always retained his interest in the
boys who had been his pupils there
Robert was born in Montville, and the
old family home is the farm" referred
to in his letters. In 1860 my father had
moved his growing lumber business to
been in charge of his mills, faithful and
efficient, and as my father always said:
from a child, my right hand man.
Feeling that this brother whom never
saw, but whose name it has been my
pride to bear, would be glad to be brought
to the memory of his old comrades, | am
asking you to publish some of his letters
They show only the every day life of
soldier, combined with an endeavor TO
present the brightest side of the pic
ture. While not dealing to any extent
with the greatest questions of the war.
his letters show a respect for discipline
and for the government, and willing
ness to stay and fight it out, even though
after his illness he was repeatedly urged
by family and friends, especially by
my mother, to secure his discharge A
slight deafness had been so much in
creased by exposure as to be trouble
some, and stiff arm caused by an old
break would have constituted disability
at any time he had chosen to avail him
self of it. That he had recovered from
the weakness following his illness is
shown by the testimony of his comrades,
who have told US that he was one Of the
few men who endured that terrible march
to Gettysburg and stacked their guns
that night. The best of his letters, writ
ten during his more active service later
than April, were taken to Washington
by the late Congressman S. L. Milliken.
After Mr.. Miiken's sudden death they
were lost, Congressman Burleigh, his
successor, to our great regret, being ap-
parently unable to find and return them.
The first letter is from Bath, Me, and
was written to his younger and only
brother who had tried to enlist, but had
been rejected on account of his youth
and small size. His brother, Atwood Mil |
ton Newell, afterwards enlisted as
drummer in the 10Th Name.
ROBERTA THEODORE NEWELL.
Citypoint, Maine, 1916
Bath, Me-