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MOHAV E
MINE
lUli 1 I
MINEEAL PAKK, A. T., SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1882.
Ksi
PRfSS!ONAL CARDS.
. BUJHDICK, 91.
M AND SURGEON.
Mineral Park, A. T.
T. . 3JT.AKEI.T,
lIineral.Park,A. T.
A.J.3IASOX,
in Saddles, Harness,
tiOOTS & SHOES
rytking ia the Leather Line.
Prescott, A. T.
r05CIII,r. & "DAXTXg
AT
X1A.AV,
Prescott, A. T,
W. STEPHEIVSOIV,
uiy cfc Counselor at Iarw
alBXT 'HOUSES & NOTABX PUBLIC.
"PorkA. T.
Tins FIRST SOXXESOTA.
The
Most Gallant Charge
War.
of the
E. AVIS,
i
i
Mineral Park, A. T.
AT
IL.AW,
ilJBSOFS ST0B1
jcenLly brought from San
tincisco a run line or
Um&UM&mg Goods,
B? And a
r
lue lot of
and "Wint
We are permitted to take the fol
lowing account of a splendid achieve
ment at the battle of Gettysburg
from an unpublished manuscript lec
ture, written by the Hon. Martin
Maginnis, of Montana, who was an
actor in the scene he describes. Col.
Bachelder, the historian, in one of
the meetings last winter at General
Dudley's office, narrated this inci
dent briefly, as one of the most re
markable charges of the war, and
said he had often been asked by Con
federate officers who were present to
tell them what legiment it was that
came at them so heroically just as
their troops pursuing Sickles' broken
of Cemetery Kidge. It is not neces
sary to add anything to the graphic
description of Maj. Maginnis. The
Army of the Potomac had no finer
F. P. Dank, regiment than the J? irst Minnesota,
and its whole history may bo ran
sacked in vain to find a more heroic
charge than this regiment made on
the second day at Gettysburg:
The morning was foggy, sultry,
and murky, and spent chiefly in
skirmishing and desultory cannon
ading. The sharp-shooters on our
front contesting the right to hold the
farm-houses, which were alternately
occupied by either side, and finally
burned. Abont. i? p. m., Gen. Sickles
made a recoinioissance, which devel-
I opedjthc present0 of the enemy m
lisrht force on his fi'ontTwP
ho moved his corps to the front and
occupied an intei mediate ridge, the
right .forming along the Emmetts
burg road to ihe peach orchard from
which his left bent back to the foot
of Round Top. The enemy opened
batteries far to Sickles' left. The
rattling fire of tho skirmishers deep
ened into the continuous roll of mus
ketry as the enemy threw forward
forces to dispute his advance. The
artillery opened on both sides with
vigor, ana tne engagement oecame
general all along tho front of his
line. The enemy at this time were
quiet cn our extreme right, while in
the centre the batteries alone wore
engaged. Two companies of the
First (the Hod Wing Company and
the Second Sharpshooters) were out
on the skirmish line. Another was
on provost guard, and the other
eight were detached from our proper
brigade position and sent down to
the left to form a reserve support for
a section of United States Artillery,
which was posted on that part of the
ridge from which Sickles had just
advanced.
Once there, although obliged to
keep low and not expose ourselves
to the cannon balls, shells, and bul
lets, which, coming over tho heads
of ihe troops in front, went whistling
auafbursting bove and around us,
wo beheld a grand sight. Below and
before us on the plain th? battle was
fiercely raging. Every movement of
the opposing troops was discernible
aiid we watched them with the anx
iety of spectators so deeply interest
ed in the result: though but little of
ijhis could be seen in the faces of our
,tnen, who, long accustomed to con-
,'ceal their emotions beneath the mask
of reckless indifference, were with
v 'apparent unconcern criticising irn-
3 fVm.fio-lilinp- of frifind and
roe. fcoon tne vica, .
, -i j 1 1 IT Ijtll OUUXIU
Obscured, tor, tnougu i
brightly, tho air was damp
smoke hung heavily over tho fight,
sometimes in rolling, cloudy masses.
nnd nirain. like a well-aefineca
0 j
conforming to tho lineoj
innLliijrh in the aics
JU be ses
art
with the apex pushed over the Eni
mottsburg road, and the enemy at
tacked this, from both sides with ex
treme fury. To fill up the break in
the original line of battle caused by
Sickles' advance, Caldwell's division
of the Second Army Corps was put'
into the gap on his left, and joined
the Fifth Corps, which, stretching
still to the left, rested on Eound Top.
The Second Division of the Second
Corps resting near Cemetery Hill,
was also advanced and realigned
with a view to supporting the right
of the Third Corps. But the active
enemy threw himself on the apex of
Sickles' advanced position with such
tremendous force of men that it soon
became evident that here on the left,
and not on the other wing, the en
emy had peen gathering his heaviest
forces to break through. Meanwhile
Lee's entire line advanced to engage
ours everywhere, and prevent the
changing of troop3. Pushing the
divisions of the Thixd. Corps on their
exposed flanks, the enemy began to
crumble it up and force it hack over
the ground which it had won.
Sickles being wounded about the
time his center broke, and the line
gave way aDd went to our rear. Our
troops iu front gallantly endeavored
to sustain themselves and check the
momentum of the enemy, and with
the assistance of some reserve regi
ments made him halt and waver. The
contest was sharp and heavy, and
success trembled in the balance, till
still fresh battalions of the foe came
down and our gallant boys gave way,
carrying back their colors and slight
ly wounded, and rallying by squads,
- ryarox&bu all
once more at tlieir pursue 7"k:
organised, concerted, effective action
on the part of the corps was at an
end. The rebel batteries poured
grape and canister into the retreat
ing groups, and, their infantry ad
vancing with triumphat yells, -showered
rapid vollies of leaden hail into
the broken ranks, which were reeling
and staggering back, but still turn
ing to make fight, like some feeble
but spirited man beneath the blows
of a young and vigorous giant.
Thomas' battery, which had neces
sarily been silent till thse troops had
cleared its front, now opened upon
the iebel infantry at short range.
This turned their attention to an
objective point, and soon a group of
crimson battle-flags were advancing
through the smoke toward it, sup
ported only as it was by eight com
panics of the First Minnesota 252
officers and men all told.
Just then Hancock rode up, and,
unable to conceal his agitation,
asked in almost anguished tones,
"Great God! is this all the men we
have here?" and turned toward the
right, from which was hastening
Gen. Alpheus Williams' division, but
still five minutes distant, and before
they reached us the foo would have
the battery and gain the very heart
of the position. Not a hundred
yards behind us was the road,
crowded with our wagons, and be
yond them the hospitals and trains.
It Hancock could only stop that
charging mass for five minutes. A
hope lit up his face, and. pointing to
the smoke covered masses of the ad
vancing foe, he cried:
"Col. Colvill, advance and take
those colors!"
It is an easy thing to charge when
their enemy is retreating and the bat
tle going well, but it requires steady
troops to even hold a position when
nuQ lc Ul
side, and it was a strange order-to
give a handful to charge that ad
rancing mass that had just carried
to of tho best divisions off their feet.
fclooked at them as Nolan might
tlnnlrorl nf flm "R,nsc?m CannOU
No! unlike the famous veterans of
Fontenoy, they are unsustained by
the excitement of firing. Within a
hundred, within fifty yards of the
foe, one quarter of our men already
fallen, and yet no shot has been fired
at the enemy, whose foremost rank,
consisting of Forney's, Herbert's,
and other regiments of the Alabama
brigade, commanded by Wilcox, and
portions of Barksdale's brigade of
Mississippians, all of whom had lost
their order and alignment, and be
come mingled in one advancing mass
during their fight with and pursuit
of the Third Corps. Behind them
in alignment came a body of troops,
since understood to be a Florida
brigade, which had not been actively
engaged, but was supporting the
victorious advance of their comrades.
As soon as our movement was no
ticed the advancing mass stopped
and opened a murderous fire upon
us at not more than fifty yards' dis
tance. "Charge, mon!" ran the order along
the line, and with a wild cheer we
ran at them. Their extended front
swept around our flanks like the
waters round a rock. But before us
they gie way, for we empty our
guns witH Ahe muzzles at their very
hearts,and bulittlo ammunition was
wasted at that ley. A perfect
swath of men sink on-ihe ground,
nnd ilip.ir livino" Vflcnil hfiKDT)On
their second and third lines, and "th
body of many a chivalric Southerner
lies beneath the feet of our men.
Their supporting lines, confused and
excited, wildly commence firing
through tho mass in front, slaughter
ing their own mon by hundreds, and
throwing the whole colmrni into con
Ta&lidi artillery from the
rear nred on mend unci toe aliKu
Their officers endeavored to stop the
firing and restore order, and there,
like some small obstacle tnrown m
the way of a locomotive to stop the
power that will grind it to
dust, we had momentarily checked
the momentum of the mass, which in
another moment would recover itself
and sweep us from the earth; but the
time had been gained, and at
instant a battery on our left opened,
and, pouiing a few rapid volleys in
to tho confused mass swept it from
the field; and before we had recov
ered from the shock we found our
selves among groups of disarmed
prisoners, and our bewildered senses
take in tho fact that the enemy have
somehow disappeared from tho plain,
all but his dead & wounded,and their
prostrate bodies ring the hearty
cheers of our reinforcing troops.
This is tho manner and order which
these things happened, as I have
been told by those whose position
made them lookers-on. For who that
was an actor there can give the order
or detail the changes of the eventful
and exciting moments following
that word "Charge?" when we heard
neither ball nor shell nor saw our
comrades fall: when tho blood rushed
like firs through the distended veins
and every faculty was absorbed in
the one desire to conquer or to die
no, not to die,for though thoughts of
the icy King of Terrors may for a
minute chill the heart of the bravest
when the battle is commencing, and
the blood is cold, every fear of that
grim dweller on the threshold of eter
nity is long since lost in the glorious
enthusiasm of action.
The almost fatal attack was repul
sed; but where was tho First Min
n esota? Had they deserted the field
for tho first timo? This was the
jrl ort t.hnr. n.jimn fr.n mv sonsfis.
Iflrf.v-cnvnri mrvn -nnw rrnfliorn
.-iUo coioi-s. trrat heavens! is
21 possis,i0 that tho othG1. two hundr
a;iu uvtoho bleeding under tl
clrod square yarcis of crimsCy
MINERAL PARK DRUGSTORE;
..,..,......-
DRUGGISTS; feAPOTHECAMES
that g
CHEMICALS. ASSAYERS' MATERIALS,
............
Patent Medicines, Toilet Articles
ETC., E3TC3 BTG,
Hit
;9
iw uuuuiad and yj? knie
tion to unquestionably ibey.
'orwa
uted ousfgairai I
for all
w, nlso vn hand a nil
nv man up regi
as if on review?
blorie toward t?
unon ODeneci oi
it
1 lvagIS4iri
taklava, and witl .he same dis-
