took Meredith's place after the latter was wounded. Certain it is that Colonel Morrow retained immediate command of his own regiment until he was wounded himself. Soon after, Brockenbrough and Pettigrew's brigades attacked the Twenty-fourth Michigan and Nineteenth Indiana, in front and left flank, as if to crush them. Other troops came down upon the Seventh and Second Wisconsin as if to drive them in. Colonel Morrow directed his men to withhold their fire until the enemy should come within easy range, and they approached within eighty paces, so close that the commands of their officers could be heard. Soon the whirlwind of battle began. As the enemy approached, just in the rear of their line rode a Colonel on a mule repeating "Give 'em boys," when a bullet knocked his cap off. Catching it in his hand, he continued to urge on their line. From the nature of the ground but little injury was inflicted on the enemy at this time, as their advance was not checked, and on they came, yelling like demons. The Nineteenth Indiana fought valiantly, but overpowered by flanking numbers, with a disadvantage of position, they were forced back after severe loss and formed on a new line. This exposed the Twenty-fourth Michigan to a terrible cross fire, the men falling like grass before the scythe. Captain William J. Speed, as Acting-Major (Major Wight was acting now as Lieutenant-Colonel) attempted to swing back two companies on the left so as to face the enemy on the flank, but while executing the movement, Confederate bullet pierced his heart! Lieutenant Gilbert A. Dickey and the second color bearer had been killed, several officers wounded, and many of the men lay dead or wounded on this line, a superior force compelling them to take a new position. a The enemy had now approached a little within the first line of battle of the Twenty-fourth Michigan, where they were held for some time, the work of death going on without ceasing. They were the Twenty-sixth North Carolina and expected to meet militia only, and have an easy victory. But their dead and wounded lay quite as numerous as our own among the trees. The Iron Brigade wearing a different head gear from the rest of our army (stiff, broad brimmed, tall, black hats), this unique feature made them recognized by their old antagonists who now were heard by our own wounded to exclaim: "Here are those black-hat fellows again! This is no militia." They had met this Iron Brigade before, and well knew when they did so that business was meant. יי From Coffin's "Marching to Victory." The Second Line of Battle of the Twenty-fourth Michigan was speedily formed. Meanwhile, a desperate resistance was made against Scales' Confederate Brigade on our right, which the rest of the Iron Brigade, chiefly the Seventh and Second Wisconsin, aided by Battery B, Fourth U. S. Artillery from another section of the field, almost annihilated. Our fraternal Second Brigade of Wadsworth's Division was also doing its whole duty further to the right. Fresh regiment after regiment was dashed against the Iron Brigade to break the Federal left. The ranks of the Twenty-fourth had again become thinned, a windrow of killed and wounded indicating the position of this line. Overwhelmed again, it was forced to take another new position beyond a small ravine. On this Third Line of Battle its third color-bearer was killed, and Major Edwin B. Wight (acting as Lieutenant-Colonel) lost an eye. He was thrown completely down and supposed by the men to be killed, but recovering himself he was forced to leave the field. Scarcely a fourth of the regiment taken into action could now be rallied. Lieutenants Safford, Shattuck and Wallace were killed, and twelve officers had received wounds more or less severe. For over two hours had the terrible conflict lasted. The Eleventh Corps was going to pieces, forced back by superior odds. The valiant little First Corps, which had borne the brunt of the battle since early morning, had been forced back on its right. Long had Wadsworth held its line. "The fire was such as veterans never saw before," says the historian Abbott. The nervy Iron Brigade still held out against the crushing blows of greatly preponderating forces, doubled even, to dash it in pieces or capture it, and yet no orders came for it to retreat. We can say but little of the other regiments of the Iron Brigade at this time, or until the conflict ended. No General seems to have been giving orders to them or to the brigade. Each regiment was fighting by itself, and none seem to know what the others were doing, except to be hotly engaged like themselves. The Twenty-fourth regiment had now retired from the woods into the open field towards the Seminary. A Fourth Line of Battle was next attempted. The last of the color-guard planted the flag around which to rally the men. He was shot in the breast and left on the field. The entire color-guard now being gone, Colonel Morrow took the flag to rally the remnant of his devoted band of Wayne County boys and men, when a private took the colors from his hands and was instantly killed by the Colonel's side. Lieutenant Humphreyville was killed on this line, and Colonel Morrow again seized the colors. A Fifth Line of Battle was attempted where he planted the colors. On this new line, while waiving his sword over his head to rally the men, Captain O'Donnell was instantly killed, and Lieutenant Grace received two wounds, both of which were mortal. Gradually contesting every foot of ground, step by step, frequently almost surrounded, through and out of the woods and over the open field, what was now left of the Twenty-fourth had been forced back to the friendly rail fence barricade just west of the Seminary. Its Sixth Line of Battle was attempted to be formed at this place. It fought for a time, during which Colonel Morrow, holding aloft the bullet-riddled flag, received a wound in his head and was forced to leave the field, first turning the command of the regiment over to Captain A. M. Edwards, the senior officer now present. Captain Edwards took the flag and waiving it, the men who were left gallantly rallied to it as well as some of the rest of the Iron Brigade. This was the last stand made by the Union troops on that part of the field. The position was held amid a murderous fire from front and flank, until orders came from General Doubleday (commanding the First Corps since Reynolds' death in the morning) to fall back, the first order of the kind received during the struggle. Captain Edwards, still carrying the flag, led the way through the town to the Cemetery, followed by only twenty-six of the Twenty-fourth Michigan, in comparative good order. What were left of the Iron Brigade were soon after moved to Culp's Hill and a new line formed with the Twenty-fourth Michigan on the left. It reached from the top of the elevation to the foot of the hill facing the town. A sorrowful band, indeed, that night! Of the Twenty-fourth Michigan only ninety-nine men and three officers could be rallied to the flag, out of 496 who followed it into action that morning. DEVOTION TO THE FLAG. The conduct of the Twenty-fourth Michigan in this first day's battle, from Colonel to private, was a series of the most heroic and brilliant acts of supporting and rallying on the flag, amid showers of leaden hail, ever known in the annals of war, and conferred immortal honor upon that Spartan band as lasting as the blue sky that looks down upon that field of carnage and glory. When its flag was presented to the regiment in Detroit, a solemn vow was taken, never to allow it to trail before the enemy or fall into his hands. That flag, pierced by twenty-three fresh bullets from the enemy's guns, aside from those that splintered its staff in this engagement, spoke more forcibly than any words could, with what sacredness the vow was kept. The noble and stalwart Color-Sergeant, ABEL G. PECK, in whose keeping the colors were placed, on the Campus Martius, yielded up his life in their defense, early in the morning fight, being the first man of the regiment killed in this battle. Before they touched the ground, as Peck fell, Color-Corporal CHARLES BELLORE of E sprang forward and seizing the colors, bore them aloft as the troops advanced to the capture of Archer's Brigade. Bellore, too, was killed in McPherson's woods near the second line of battle. |