USA > New York > History of the One hundred and twenty-fourth regiment, N. Y. S. V. > Part 25
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About three p. M. there was a lull in the storm of battle, which, since noon, had raged most furiously ; and Warren formed a new line a little west of the Old Wilderness Tavern.
Now let us return to the Second corps, and take a look at Ward's brigade, and especially at the 124th, which we will then follow to the scene of action and into the battle.
At four A. M., on the 5th, the veterans of Hancock's command were awakened from their quiet slumbers on the Old Chancel- lorsville battle-ground, and directed to prepare and eat their breakfast, buckle on their accoutrements, and remain in readiness to move at a moment's notice-every armed man in the ranks.
Ward's command consisted of the following named regiments : the 99th, 110th. and 141st Pennsylvania; the 40th, 86th, and 124th New York ; the 3d Maine, the 20th Indiana, and the 2d United States Sharpshooters. It was one of the largest brigades in the army, reporting for duty the day before marching orders reached it, 172 commissioned officers and 3381 enlisted men ; and it carried that morning nearly 2700 ritles.
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281
ON TO RICHMOND.
The gains and losses of the 124th since its organization have already been given in detail ; but let us again, as we did a year ago, pass along its lines and note the changes in position of the veterans who remain in it, see just who now compose its fighting strength, and inquire as to where the others are who, though not in the ranks, help to make up the grand aggregate of present for duty in the brigade.
That group of officers sitting under the large tree yonder, at the right of the line, contains the entire field and staff of the regiment. It consists of
COLONEL F. M. CUMMINS.
LIEUT .- COLONEL C. H. WEYGANT. CAPT. H. S. MURRAY, Acting-Major
SURGEON J. H. THOMPSON. ASST. SURGEON R. V. K. MONTFORT.
CHAPLAIN T. SCOTT BRADNER.
QUARTERMASTER ELLIS A. POST.
ADJUTANT WILLIAM B. VAN HOUTEN.
That second group consists of SERGEANT-MAJOR Thomas G. Mabie, BUGLER Moses P. Ross, and HOSPITAL STEWARD Coe L. Reevs. And that squad still farther away- is made up of what is left of our drum corps ; you will find there
JOHN G. BUCKLEY, Leader.
Charles Whitehead, of H Fife. | Robert L. Travis, of F Drum.
Arthur Haigh, of. H.
A. A. Millspaugh, of K
George W. Dimmick, of D.
John N. Cole, of I.
Henry C. Payne, of B
R. L. Stephens, of E.
These musicians are an unruly crew. A few days before we broke camp they took to tossing one of their number-Charley Van Gordon, of G .- in a blanket ; and because he would not cry enough, they gave him such a tremendous toss that they could not hold the blanket when he came down, and his arm was frac- tured so severely that he had to be shipped to the rear with our sick. And now, as the " fall in " has sounded, let us turn our attention to the rank and file and officers of the line, for in a few moments they will be marching to the front. About a month ago the companies were re-positioned in accordance with the rank of their respective commanding officers.
282
HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
FIRST-LIEUT. W. E. MAPES. (B.)
1ST. SERGT. C. A. Wheeler.
Conr. Simon Bellis.
Jesse Hunter.
Mathew Crowley.
Patrick Leach.
B. M. Little.
W. H. Luckey.
SERGT. S. Garrrison.
William II. Hazen. John C. Storms. William H. Merritt.
Hugh McShane.
Samuel Green.
James Gavin.
A. W. Tucker.
Joseph Pratt.
Samuel Sherman.
James Smith.
Jolin Eckert.
George Boon.
Joseph Bross. Harrey P. Carey .*
John W. Stanton.
John White.
Josiah Smith.
Moses Binary.
Martin Everett.
Charles Galicher.
Matthew Babcock.
Daniel Babeo.k.
Charles Babcock.
John Morgan.
W. H. Thorp.
Tle mas Morgan.
James Lewis.
Martin V. Campbell.
J. N. Carey.
CORP. H. H. Montross.
J. H. Birdsall.
ConP. Charles H. Bull.
(I.)
Conp. W. Terwilliger. John N. Knapp.
William Milligan.
William Sutherland.
SERGT. A. P. Millspaugh.
Thomas Farley.
Robert Wilson.
Jeduthan Millspangh. Rensslaer D. Baird.
LIEUT. CHARLES STEWART.
Patrick Keane.
James Flannigan.
David Storms.
Matthew Manny.
Henry R. Turner.
Newton B. Pierson.
SERGT. James O. Smith.
Smith Birdsley.
John Gordon.
William Edgar.
Patrick Ryan.
Conr. Joseph Hanna.
G. N. Tucker.
SERGT. A. T. Vanderlyn.
CORP. Daniel Longhridge.
Ezra Williams.
CAPT. D. CRIST. (H.)
CANT. FINNIGAN. (C.)
1ST SERGT. Thomas Taft.
Conr. Thomas Rodman.
John H. Finch.
Conr. W. W. Ammerman.
Albert JJ. Bunce.
William A. Homan.
John Tompkins.
Nathan Edwards.
Frederick Dezendorf.
SERCT. D. W. Boyd.
W. H. H. Rhodes.
John H. Blair.
James Daniel -.
C. F. P. Fisher.
* The men whose names are in italics are recruits who had recently joined us.
1
1ST SERGT. W. W. Smith.
CAPT. H. F. TRAVIS.
1ST. SERGT. Thos. W. Bradley. CORP. Benjamin Dutcher.
W. Buchanan.
George M. Legg.
SERGT. George Butters.
James C'rist.
Jesse F. Camp.
Grandison Judson.
Lyman Fairchild1.
William Whiteside.
SERGT. C. W. Tyndall.
John E. Kidd.
Daniel W. Baker.
John F. Jordan.
SERGT. C. B. Gallation.
Conr. W. II. Brown. ConP. A. R. Rapalje.
Daniel Carman.
SERGT. Jonathan Birdsall, Co. A, Right General Guide.
CORP. J. M. Merritt. William Slawson. .Wesley Storms. E. M. Carpenter.
James Odell.
A. J. Messenger.
John K. Payne.
Joseph Gordon. John Slawson.
SERGT. Reuben Rinders.
Robert Rose.
Giles Carran.
J. P. Lupton. Milton Crist. Josiah Dawson. Edward Hunter.
Chester Jud-on. Francis S. Prown. E. D. Van Keuren.
Andrew M. Boyd. Morvalden Odell. Daniel Pine. Albert Wise. Daniel S. Gardner. Conr. W. R. Owen.
ON TO RICHMOND.
283
FIRST-LIEUT. E. J. CARMICK. (F.)
1ST SERGT. A. P. Francisco. CORP. Charles II. Hull. CORP. Nathan Hershler.
CORP. James H. Taylor.
J. S. Crawford. G. W. Tompkins.
J. J. Harrigan. W. H. Corley.
T. R. Allington. II. R. Broadhead. B. L. Tompkins.
F. H. Rossman.
CORP. James Comey. CORr. S. S. Crawford.
CORP. J. M. Young.
CORP. And. Armstrong, of M.
COLOR BEARER-G. W. Edwards, A CORP. James P. Moulton, of C.
J. Z. Drake.
A. J. McCarty.
William Balmos.
Floyd S. Goble.
J. C. Magee. Ransom Wilcox.
James Carty. SERGT. Charles Peters.
E. Coddington. George Garrett.
Edward Sharp.
F. Rundle. Charles Roberty.
Jeremiah Cisco.
CORP. Charles A. Ensign, of G. ConP. J. P. Adams, of F. Conp. Alexander Jones, of G.
CAPT. DANIEL SAYER. (E.)
1ST SERGT. Theophilus Dolson. CORP. A. W. Lamereaux.
CORP. W. II. Howell.
Abraham Rogers.
Lewis W. Baxter.
Horace Wheeler.
Solomon Carr.
Lewis Gardiner. William H. Shaw.
Lewis M. Tonton.
Henry M. Howell.
John W. Hirst.
Conp. A, W. Miller.
Charles Downing,
CORP. Moses Crist. James Walker.
CAPT. JACKSON. (K.)
1ST. SERGT. W. W. Parsons. CORP. John C. Vermylia. CORP. H. R. Mayette.
John W. Parks. W. H. Falkner. Cornelius Crans.
Joseph Point. Cornelius Herron. CORP. David U. Quick. CORP. W. W. Carpenter.
Thomas Kincaid. J. McDermott. Patrick Cuneen.
Michael Cullen. Isaac Konoff.
Samuel V. Tidd.
Gabriel Coleby.
John Studor. A. S. Frost.
SERGT. W. W. Ritch.
IST LIEUT. L. S. WISNER.
SERGT. S. W. Smith.
SERGT. W. T. Ogden.
LT. W. H. BENJAMIN. (G.)
1ST SERGT. J. V. Cole. CORP. G. R. Fitzgerald .. Harvey A. Brock.
Hector Finney. Mat. Sager. SERGT. S. T. Estabrook.
Henry Dill. W. II. Trainer.
G. E. Griffin. Daniel Smith.
William JJackson. A. HI. Merritt.
Joseph Jones. Joseph Vredenburg. Charles E. Ouren. John T. Meyers.
SERGT. Isaac Decker.
SERGT. Abraham Denney.
:
:
Albert W. Parker. David H. Corwin. Francis McMahon. John Newkirk. Lewis T. Shultz. Cornelius Hughes. John Trainer. George S. Crawford. Archibald Mills paugh. Nathan W. Parker. Conp. William Tysoc.
J. H. Johnson. W. L. Dougherty.
George Brown.
SERGT. James Sloat.
Edward Glenn. Simeon Wheat. William Decker. Jacob M. Coddington.
James M. Coddington. George Nichols.
SERGT. Benjamin Hull.
SERGT. E. M. B. Peck.
SERGT. II. Hammond.
284 HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
CAPT. CHAS. B. WOOD (A.)
IST SERGT. John C. Wood. CORP. W. H. Campbell.
Joseph Brownley.
Newton Gotchiens.
SERGT. Peter Rose.
Samuel Yoemans.
Francis B. Gallow.
Robert Ashman.
William Carpenter. Charles W. Gallow.
Daniel Ackerman.
Leonard L. Jackson.
Patrick Flihummery.
John H. Dingee.
Jacob Wilson.
Samuel Potter.
John H. Warford.
Richard Rollings.
Jabez Odell.
Joseph L. Simpson.
G. D. W. Roat.
Theodore Smith.
John H. Conklin.
James McGrath.
John McGrath.
Michael Hager.
William Saunders.
SERGT. S. T. Rollings.
1ST SERGT. E. Holbert.
CORP. W'm. F. Quackenbush.
William H. Dill.
William J. Miles. John Raymond.
Jesseniah Dolson.
Benjamin Gray.
George B. Kinney.
David F. Raymond.
18T LIEUT. J. W. HOUSTON.
Coleman Morris.
John Edwards.
Carl G. Hoofman.
S. W. Garrison.
William Mann.
H. S. Quackenbush.
Daniel P. Dugan. Charles Gordon.
William H. Morgan.
William IT. Gordon. David D. Barrett.
Joseph Quackenbush.
Simeon Garrison.
David D. Sayer.
James Ryerson. Peter D. Howell.
Stephen Vallentine. John Schofield.
Levi D. Fowler.
Sylvester Quackenbush.
David Barrett, Jr.
Garrett Decker. Oscar S. Weymer.
Joseph Herman. Almond P. Sherman.
Joseph J. Yoemans.
CORP. R. S. Lamereaux.
SERGT. J. W. Pitts, of K, Left General Guide.
The following is a complete list of our men on detached and special duty, who moved with the army, and were frequently under fire, but do not appear in the battle-line of the regiment :
IN AMBULANCE CORPS. AT BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS.
SERGT. Robert Connelly Company D
N. A. Sly, of D. Color Bearer.
SERGT. O. H. Whitney A John R. Post, of H Clerk.
Samuel M. Wheeden. "
D Charles W. Bodle, of A. Clerk.
Charles W. Davis ..
D
Enos Jenkins, of A. Orderly.
Samuel Carey
4
C
Joseph Johnson, of A Guard.
George G. King
C
John C. Hawley, of K Guard.
Thomas McBride
I
A. J. Van Zile.
G
Henry Brooks
G
H. D. Paret
K
James M. Ketcham, of G. .. . Guard. D. P. R. Van Gordon. of B . . Clerk,
SERGT. J. G. Erwin.
James H. Clark.
Joel McCann. George W. Decker.
John C. Degraw.
Edward Royce.
Thomas P. Powell.
William E. Merritt.
SERGT. H. G. Herrick.
George E. Storms.
Michael McMorris.
SERGT. W. E. Hyatt.
CAPTAIN JAMES W. BENEDICT. (D.)
John M. Garrison.
Allen Owen. Joseph Gardner.
CORP. Henry Arcularius.
John W. Swim.
CORP. Robert C. Hunt.
AT DIVISION HEADQUARTERS.
.
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ON TO RICHMOND.
IN PIONEER CORPS.
CORP. William Mc Vay . Company H
James A. Myers.
Paul Halliday
4
K
James M. Barrett.
1
Levi Cartright
F
John Polhamus.
A
SURGEON'S ASSISTANTS.
CORP. John W. Taylor Company A
Daniel Stephens
D
Daniel Rickenbaugh
G
John McGaw . .
1
Joseph Wood.
D
John Skelton
K
John Rediker. 66
H
Cyrenius Giles
G
W. P. Updegrove Com. Sergt.
Wells Benjamin, of D. Com. Clerk.
David D. Post, of H. Butcher.
C. C. Lutes, of A Ord. Clerk.
George Hawley . Company B
Alonzo Price ..
K
Edward Ginner, of A 66
John H. Brown
I
John Lewis, of A
Jeremiah Cole, of F. Teamster
J. E. Collins, of I .
W. H. Decker, of C.
John Daffee, of H
George Morgan, of E 66
Jacob Cameron, of K 66
'T. Burhans, of K
Charles S. Godfrey, of K
David Barnes, of B.
IN WAGON GUARD.
CORP. Thomas Hart. Company A
IN QUARTERMASTER'S DEP'T.
George H. Chandler Qr. Sergt.
UNARMED MEN WITH REGIMENT.
David Currey
D
At five A. M. Hancock's corps was in motion. We moved for- ward at a moderate gait, and with occasional short halts, past the ruins of the old Chancellor mansion and along the Fredericksburg plank for about two miles ; when we reached, and changing direc- tion to the right and quickening our pace, pushed forward along the Catharine Furnace road. The sun's rays were exceedingly warm, and before eight o'clock men began to stagger from the ranks and sink down by the roadside overcome by the heat.
About nine o'clock, just as our brigade reached Todd's Tavern, and the head of Hancock's column was a mile beyond, a mounted officer whose horse was almost covered with foam, went dashing past us toward the front. A few moments later a halt was ordered, and Birney's division was directed to mass in an open field just south of the tavern, and throw a strong picket line well to the front. As soon as the pickets were posted we stacked arms ; and while the majority threw themselves down by the gun-stacks, not a few old soldiers scouted the idea of lying down to rest until they had first fortified themselves against the scorching rays of the sun by " getting outside of a pint cup of piping hot Old Jara."
E. Stephens, of A Teamster.
286
HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
About noon we heard the thundering of artillery away off to our right. Half an hour later we hurried into line, then counter- marched and moved back past Todd's Tavern, and striking the Brock road, pushed down it at quick time, and with well closed ranks, toward Old Wilderness Tavern. As we hurried forward the artillery firing became more and yet more distinct, but it was irregular and not very heavy. We were of opinion that our column was marching toward the scene of a brisk cavalry skir- mish, but ere long there was borne back to us a dull, heavy, and continuous roar, which told of something more serious and deadly.
Birney's division had the advance ; and after marching, with closed ranks and without slackening its pace, for an hour and a half, it reached, and was formed in line at right angles with, and on the east side of, the Orange plank road. Brisk rifle firing was in progress down through the woods in front and to our right. Getty's division, of Sedgwick's corps, was there, skirmishing with Heth's division of Hill's corps. As soon as our line was com- pleted we stacked arms, and in a few moments, notwithstanding the occasional whistle of a passing bullet and the scorching rays of the sun, scores of the Orange Blossoms were lying fast asleep by their -gun-stacks.
Mott's division followed close after Birney's, moved on past us and formed line in the woods west of the plank road. Presently a detachment of engineers, accompanied by a strong body of pioneers, advanced a short distance through the brush on the west side of the Brock road, and began throwing up a line of breastworks. Those of us who were awake looked on in momentary expectation of an order to move forward and " lend a hand; " but there was other and more perilous work awaiting us. About four o'clock a most terrific crashing of riflery in the woods in front, and so near that the enemy's bullets whistled over our heads, caused our men to spring to their feet with such alacrity that in less than a minute Birney's entire command had taken arms and was ready for action.
The contest had been reopened in earnest by the impetuous advance of Getty's division. Mott's men moved rapidly forward
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IN THE WILDERNESS.
and engaged the foe on Getty's right. Heth, who had at first been forced back in disorder, was ere long strengthened by the di- visions of Anderson and Wilcox, and Hill's entire corps was soon in line. Hancock's remaining brigades, as they came up, were thrown in on the extreme Union left. The opposing forces drew closer and yet closer together, and the firing being at short range, the fighting soon became desperate and most deadly. Mott had driven the enemy's line in front of him half a mile, but could push it no further, and soon called for help; in response to which our division hurried off at a double quick down the Brock road for half a mile, and then changing direction by the left flank, sprang over some rifle pits on the west side of the road, and plunged into the woods to his assistance.
We were none too soon. Scores of his wounded men were straggling through the woods to the rear, and we were presently run against, and considerably impeded, by a broken line of "white diamonds," falling back in disorder before a wild storm of bullets, which rattled through the brush, pattered against the trees, and hissed and whistled through the air For a moment we halted to rectify our line, and then, strengthened by not a few of Mott's men, who turned about and fell into line with us, we moved forward again, opening a counter fire as we went, which soon turned the tide of battle at that point; and it was again the Con- federate instead of the Union line that was falling back. Slowly but steadily they retired before our fresh and withering fire, con- testing every foot of ground. We soon began to pass over their dead and wounded, but we left the ground strewn with not a few of our own men. A little farther on we began to take prisoners, sometimes singly, and sometimes in squads of two and three. We could seldom see the enemy's battle-line because of the dense- ness of the foliage ; but powder flashes from the opposing lines often told that they were but a few yards apart.
After we had pushed them back a full mile, the battle-line of Ward's brigade was halted on the eastern edge of a swale, or low piece of ground, which was covered with the most dense growth of saplings I ever saw. The trunks were not larger than one's
288
HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
wrist. They were from eight to fifteen feet high, with no limbs or foliage except a small tuft of leaves on their extreme tops, and stood so closely together that it was only by pushing them apart that a man could make his way through them. The men of the 124th now caught sight of the enemy's battle-line along their entire front ; and in the midst of this-as they at the time appropriately named it-hoop-pole forest, poured into that line such a destructive fire that a considerable number threw themselves on the ground and cried for quarter ; whereupon a volunteer skirmish line was ordered out, and brought in upwards of twenty prisoners.
The battle raged with fury to our right and left, and a brisk skirmish fire was kept up along our front until eight P. M., when both armies, as by mutual consent, ceased firing, and lay down for a few hours' rest preparatory to a renewal of the bloody con- test at an early hour in the morning. Full twelve thousand men lay dead, dying. or seriously wounded in those most dismal woods, and yet this was but the first scene of the first act of that bloody drama, called the Campaign of the Wilderness. The 124th had taken thirty-two prisoners, including one commissioned offi- cer. It had suffered no loss in prisoners captured or in men killed outright, but twenty-three of the best and bravest in its ranks had been severely wounded, a number of them mor- tally.
While several thousand of the weary troops, who had borne the brunt of the battle on the 5th, manned the picket lines, which ran so close together that the opposing videttes, for a distance of half a mile, are said to have filled their canteens from the opposite sides of a stream not ten feet wide ; and the remainder lay quietly sleep- ing, with their loaded weapons beside them,-and perhaps " dream- ing of loved ones at home"-the commanders-in-chief were in consultation, at their respective headquarters, with their most trusted lieutenants.
Lee resolved to assume the offensive at an early hour in the morning, and dispatched a messenger to Longstreet, whose ad- vance had bivouacked for the night several miles in rear of the battle-field, with an order which directed him to awaken his
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289
IN THE WILDERNESS.
sleeping men, move ou to the front before daylight, and hold his command in readiness to participate in the grand opening assault.
Grant, after listening to the reports of Meade's corps com- manders, instructed Burnside to move forthwith to the front and close the gap between Warren and Hancock, and directed that a general advance be made at five A .. M.,-cach corps attacking vigorously whatever it found in its front.
The Union line faced toward the southwest, and, when fully formed, was about five miles in length. Sedgwick held position on the right, with his left flank resting near the Orange turnpike. Warren, with his right thrown across the pike, and Burnside, with his left reaching to within a quarter of a mile of the Orange plank-road, held the centre. The left, on which Grant and Meade rightly judged the principal part of the fighting would fall, was intrusted to Hancock, who was permitted to retain under his command, in addition to his own corps, the divisions of Getty and Wadsworth.
Just what was before us no one in the Union army knew ; and many of our brigadiers if questioned as to where their own commands were, could have but pointed toward the front and answered "yonder." An officer, who rode the whole length of Hancock's position while the troops were preparing for action, stated that he tried in vain to discover a point from which he could get sight of two hundred feet of the line.
It mattered but little who had the heaviest or greatest num- ber of guns, for the manœuvering of artillery, save on the main roads, was entirely out of the question ; and even there it did not seem probable there would be an opportunity of using at any one time, in that vicinity, more than one or two batteries.
Nothing of importance could be accomplished in such a field with cavalry, and Sheridan, with the bulk of his command, was consequently started off during the early part of the night, with orders to pass, by a wide detour, around the southern flanks of the two armies, and make a grand raid on the railroads and de- pots of supplies to the enemy's rear.
The second day's battle in the Wilderness was to be fought, as
£
290
HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
that of the first day had been, almost exclusively by infantry. Again would the Union commanders be obliged to resort, in guid- ance of their unseen lines, to the use of the compass. Their situa- tion was like that of skilled mariners and naval officers in charge of a mighty fleet, heavily manned, but with guns dismounted, sailing in unknown waters on a murky night; who should unex- pectedly find themselves confronted by almost as extensive and well-manned a fleet of foemen, in the same predicament as to guns, but sailing under native pilots ; and who could do no better than pipe all hands on deck, spread every sail, and attempt to run down or board and capture every vessel they came in contact with. Grant's order was, " Attack along the whole line at five o'clock."
At five o'clock precisely the entire Union army was either in motion or grappling with the foe, for Lee had already opened the contest by a spirited assault on the extreme Union right. But his main object in attacking at that point was to attract attention from a more important enterprise -- that of massing the bulk of his armny for a grand attack on the Union left. He had need of more time. Longstreet, whose corps was to be united with that of Hill for the purpose named, did not, it appears, receive Lee's message until two A. M., and, though close at hand, was not yet in position.
Hancock started a few minutes ahead of the prescribed time, and his advance was accelerated rather than retarded by the roar of battle off to his right. The 124th formed part of his advance line, which soon came up to, attacked, and, in the words of the Confederate historian Pollard, " threw Heth's and Wilcox's divis- ions of Hill's corps in confusion, and pushed them back on Long- street's column, which had not yet deployed into line."
In this advance the Orange Blossoms added fourteen to their list of prisoners captured from the foe ; one of them, a brave little captain, who, while attempting to rally his men only a few feet in front of our line, was collared and jerked back through our ranks by young Rad. Turner, of Co. I, with such force that when his captor loosened his hold he fell to the ground in a sitting posture,
291
IN THE WILDERNESS.
striking so hard that his hat bounced from his head and his hair seemed to stand on end.
After we had proceeded about a mile and a half, and while the foe were yet giving ground before that part of the line in front of Ward's brigade, a halt was ordered. Our regiment had lost in this advance about a dozen men, and had meantime passed over at least twenty of the enemy's dead. We did not cease fir- ing when the halt was ordered, but kept a continuous shower of lead raining through the woods toward where we supposed the battle-line of the foe to be ; for we could see nothing of it, though we were kept aware of its presence by the returning bullets, which continually sang about our ears, and occasionally felled to the ground one of our number.
About nine o'clock Captain Sayer came to me, as I stood some ten feet in rear of the centre of the right wing, and reported that his company was about out of ammunition. I immediately ordered him to make the fact known to Colonel Cummins,and re- ceived in answer this reply, " Why, Colonel Cummins was carried to the rear fifteen minutes ago seriously, and I am afraid, mor- tally wounded."
I could hardly believe it possible that the Colonel could have received a wound that was to end his services with the regiment, only a few feet from where I was standing, and have been carried from the field without my knowledge. And yet such was the case. It was only one of the many strange circumstances of that weird battle-field. When Birney's division was moving to the assistance of Mott on the afternoon of the 5th, General Alexan- der Hays, the commander of our first brigade, who, like Cummins, was a veteran of the Mexican war, was, while riding into action at the head of his brigade, struck down by a rebel bullet fired at random, and fell dead from his saddle, unseen by all save less than twenty of the two thousand men he was leading.
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