from Stories of
our Soldiers, War Reminiscences by "Carleton"
and by Soldiers of |
(This account comes from
a book entitled “Stories of our Soldiers” that I found in the
research room of the It was in the dim light and
fog of it's early morning that we had abandoned the works that we
had built with so much labor and care. Retreating towards White Oak
swamp, we halted twice to repel the attacks of the pursuing enemy
reaching Savage Station about noon. I write of Savage Station since
it calls up to memory the fire of this battle which forged one of
the links in the David and Jonathan chain of friendship that the war
wrought between the 15th Massachusetts and the 1st
Minnesota. We had been together by the fortunes - or rather,
misfortunes- of war on the upper We had suffered a terrible
baptism of fire at Burns’
brigade was sent to meet the attack deploying a regiment to the
front at double quick, in fine style under a sharp artillery fire. I
have rarely seen skirmishers take position with more regularity and
promptness. When Burns neared the wood it was found that he could
not cover the allotted space and the 1st Some of the boys indulged in
a yell " just to clear their throats" and were answered by
the rebels that were advancing through the woods. The skirmishers
were pushed into the woods, but had not gone 100 yards before a wild
yell and a volley that sent them flying back upon us greeted them.
The brush completely hid them from our view but as the bullets came
with vicious spiteful force out of the woods it was evident that
they were in easy range. We leveled our rifles into the woods, and
in a "poetical language" of Captain Davis "we blazed
away". On came a mass of the rebels yelling and firing, and the
regiment on our right, and I believe the other was forced backward
to the hollow. Lieut.
Col. Miller who commanded us that day -Col. Alfred Sully taking the
brigade- first exited ridicule by rushing up to Gen. Burns and
calling out," They are flanking us General! They are doing it
now General! They won our admiration and respect by marching on foot
close in the rear of the hard pressed right wing of the regiment and
by command and entreaty kept us to the line. Once or twice a cheer that
sounded faint and far off in the confusion of the fight had reached
our ears from the hollow behind us. In a hasty glance in that
direction, nothing could be seen through the smoke and gathering
darkness save the lurid flash of our batteries on the hill, which
were still throwing shells over our heads -and for that matter the
rebel heads too. The rebels came swinging around our right,
enveloping us front and flank in a deadly fire. In another moment we
must retreat or be annihilated. But
hark! The cheering is heard once more lose behind us. A good open
mouthed ringing hurrah. No music ever sounded more melodious than
that loud, defiant cheer to our battle-stunned ears. Then the 15th
Massachusetts pressed up lose behind us shouting. "We are with
you, Minnesota" Pushing to the front and extending to the right
they opened a rapid fire, which soon drove back the rebels, who had
passed our right, and the whole rebel line retreated rapidly into
the woods. There
on the smoking field with the wild refrain of the battle still
ringing in their ears, the "boys" of the 1st Regiments,
like individuals, formed strong attachments for one another. Perhaps
there were no two regiments more closely united than the 1st
This
was only one of several incidents in their military life that tended
to unite them the more loosely. Not the least interesting one,
perhaps, was on that bleak morning in February, "64 when the
"Old First" started home on its veteran furlough. It
had to leave the camp near J.A Wright |