The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

THE MAINE BUGLE.
The Charge of the Heavy Artillery.
BY JOEL F. BROWN, CO. I FIRST MAINE HEAVY ARTILLERY.
Nearly thirty years have passed since 1864, and scenes clear
and bright to memory once have become dim and misty now.
Time and the smoke of the battle of life have obscured the
recollection of those days of trial and danger. One scene, in
which it was my lot to act an humble part, is burned on my
memory so deeply that nothing will ever efface it. I have only
to close my eyes and I can see it clear and distinct as I saw it
then. It was the charge of the famous First Maine Heavy
Artillery at Petersburg on the eighteenth day of June, 1864.
I was a member of Co. I of that regiment, and after having lain
in the defenses of Washington for eighteen months, where it
was a ceaseless routine of drill six days in a week with inspec-
tion and dress parade, supplemented with a little battalion drill
and church service for variety, on Sunday, we joined the Army
of the Potomac, a full artillery regiment, eighteen hundred
strong, just in season to receive our first baptism of fire at
Spottsylvania Court House in an action known as the fight at
the Fredericksburg Road.
How well I remember, when we joined the army, the old
veterans laughed at and jeered us, called us " Abe's pets,"
" Paper collars," " Band box soldiers," etc., just as though we
could help staying in the defenses of Washington when the
•' Powers " thus decreed. How well I remember that first fight,
where our heavy artillery brigade under the lead of the gallant
Gen. Tyler confronted the whole of the rebel Gen. Elwell's corps
and held them in check for two hours and a half until reinforce-
ments arrived and drove them off the field. The rebs outnum-
bered us three or four to one, and according to all the rules of
war we were whipped several times over, but it was our first
fight and we were green at the business, as well as being Abe's