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

6 THE MAINE BUGLE.
ran parallel to the line, where we halted in the line of battle for
some time. There was a piece of open woods in our rear and
the bank of the road was so high in our front as to completely
cover us from the enemy. We soon found that the rest of the
corps was being massed in our rear and were told what was to be
done. The whole corps was to charge in mass, we to lead ; and
then came the getting ready. Knapsacks, haversacks and blankets
were thrown off, in fact everything that would lighten our load ;
messages were delivered to be sent home, in case anything hap-
pened, and good byes were said. I can call to mind how I stood
there leaning upon my musket, looking on. I had no particular
comrade tp say good bye to ; both were dead, one at Spottsyl-
vania, the other at Cold Harbor. I expect my face was white.
I know I saw other white faces there and some of them wore
shoulder straps, but there was no flinching ; it is always harder to
wait than to fight. At last we heard from our colonel, " Atten-
tion, First Maine Heavy Artillery—Forward, Guide Right,
March !" As we scrambled up out of the road, what a sight
was before us : about ten or fifteen hundred yards away, across
an open field having a little rise and covered with old corn
stubble, were the rebel works, bristling with artillery, still as
death, awaiting our onslaught. We had become somewhat
broken in climbing up out of the road and the sight before us,
together with a few stray shots from the sharpshooters along
our front, did not tend to steady the line, so our old colonel,
who was I believe, the coolest man that it would be possible to
find, gave the command to halt, took his station as on dress-
parade, ordered his guides on a line, dressed up the regi-
ment, and then put us through the manual of arms as quietly as
though we were still in the defences of Washington, and all the
while the bullets from the sharpshooters humming about his
ears like bees. Then came the word, " Forward, Double Quick,
Charge," and with a wild cheer which seemed to me more like
the bitter cry wrung out in a death agony, we sprang forward.
I saw the works plainly before me. I saw the blinding flash of
red flame run along the crest of those works and heard the
deafening crash as the awful work began; then the air seemed