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

CHARGE OF THE HEAVY ARTILLERY. 7
filled with all the sounds it was possible for it to contain, the
hiss of the deadly minie, the scream of the shell, the crackle,
crash and roar of every conceivable missile, and through it all
that red blaze along the crest of that work which we must cross,
as we, with bowed heads, breasted that storm. Once I fancied
I heard the order to fall back and glanced from right to left to
see if it were so ; but no, the boys, bent forward with arms at a
trail, were still rushing on. At last I could see the faces of the
rebels and hear above the roar their shouts of " Come on,
Yanks." Again I looked to right, to left, and found that I was
almost alone; we were turning back. Then came the rush to
get off the field and under cover; the ground over which we
must return was covered thick with those who were down, the
wounded, dead and dying together. How I ever got back I
cannot tell ; it seemed but a moment and yet we were twenty
minutes in that awful place. When about half way I felt some-
thing strike my foot, numbing it, and I stumbled forward on
my face. I remember drawing up the foot to see how bad it
was hurt and found that only the heel of the shoe was gone,
shot off, and I sprang up and rushed on again, but the whole
foot was black the next day from the bruise. At last I reached
the sunken road. But what a scene ! It is too horrible to
attempt to describe. Those who have seen such pictures know
all about them ; let those who have not thank God for it and
not try to learn about them. I remember well that about the
first thing I heard as I came into the road was this greeting,
from the rest of the corps, " Didn't you fellows know any bet-
ter than to go in there?" History says that Gen. Birney
massed the Second Corps and made a desperate charge that
day. So he did, but it was the First Maine Heavy Artillery
that made the charge alone. The rest of the corps never
crossed the sunken road. I went up the road towards the left
to where the colonel was, just as Gen. Birney rode up, and
heard him say, "Col. Chaplin, where are your men?" and I
shall never forget his answer :
" There they are, out on that field
where your tried veterans dared not go. Here, you can take
my sword ; I have no use for it now ; " and the old hero sat