Year: 1866

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Accustomed TO arms and soldiers from


infancy, she learned TO love the camp !;


and it was not strange, years later, when


she had come to America and married


young mechanic in Providence, that the


recolleclions of the campfire in front of


her fathers tent, as well as the devotion


OF a newly married wife, and loyalty to


the Union, prompted her to follow her


husband, stand beside him in battle, and
share all his hardships.


Her husbwd, Robert S. Brownell, was


made orderly sergeant of company in


the First Rhode Island Infantry, one of


the earliest regiments of three months


men who responded to the first call for


troops, the day after national colors were


run down the flag-mast at Fort Sumter.


The First Rhode Island Infantry was


soon full TO oveihowine. 1t had eleven


full companies of hundred men each; and


as ten were enough for complete organ


ization, the eleventh was formed into
company of carbineers or sharpshooters
and the brave young wife of the orderly


was soon made color-bearer of the COM
pany.


When the regiment went into camp in


Maryland, early in the summer of 1861,


this Daughter Of the Regiment was re-
solved not TO be mere waler-carrer nor
an ornamental appendage. She would
be effective against the enemy as well as
graceful figure on parade, and applied
b. rself to learn all the arts and accom-
plishments Of the soldier. When the
company went out daily to practice at lar
get, she carried her rifle, as we'll as the
colors; and when her turn came, the men
seldom restricted her to the three shots
which were allowed 10 each. SO pleased
were they at her skill and cooness with
the weapon, that she was allowed as many
shots as she chose, and thus became one
OF the quickest and most accurate marks
men in the regiment. Nor was the SER
geant's straight sword, which hung at her
belt, worn as an idle form. She practic-
ed daily with her husband and his friends
in camp, till she felt herself as familiar
with lis uses as with the carbine.


When the regiment moved, she sought
no induigencies on account of her sex, but
marched in line behind her husband,
wearing her sword and carrying the flag.


The middle of June came, and the


Union army was at length moving south.
ward from the Potomac, its face set to-
wards Richmond. She marched with her
company and carried the flag. On the
day of the g. neral action she was separ-
ated from her husband, the carbineers |
with whom she was connected being de- /
ployed as skirmishers in the skirt of the
pine wocp TO the left Of the line. About
one O'Clock on that eyentful day the COM
pany was brought under fire. She did |
not Carp her carbine that day, but acted
simply as color-bearer. The men, ac-
cording TO skirmish tactics, were taken
out by fours, and advanced towards the
enemy. She remained in the line, guard
ing the co'ofs, and thus giving definite
point on which tie men could rally, as
the skirmish deepened into general en-
gagement. There she stood, unmoyed |
and dauntless, under the wiihering heat,
and amid the roar and blood and dust of /
that terrible July day. Shells went
screaming over her with the howl of an
avenging demon, and the air was thick
and hot with deadly singing of the MIME
balls. About 4 ocloek, far away on the
right, where the roar had been loudest, a
sudden and marvellous change came over
the scene. The Union line was broken,
and what was a few moments before a
firm and resolute army, worn and bleed
ing but pressing on to victory, became a
panic stricken roui


The confusion nov ran down the line.
right to left, and the slarpshooters of the
First Rhode Island, seeing the battl. lost
and the enemy advancing. made the best
retreat they could IN the direction of Cen
treylle. But so rapidly spread the panic
that they did not rally on their colors and
retreat in good order. She knew her
duty better, and remained in position till
the advancing batteries of the enemy
opened within few hundred yards of
where she stood, and were pouring shells
into the retreatins mass. just then a
soldier in a Pennsylvania regiment who
was running past, seized her by the hard,
and said, '' Come, sis, there is no use to
stay here just to be killed let's get into
the woods" She started down the slope
with him towards a pine ihicket. They
bad run hardly twenty steps when can