The fighting for about four hours was, for fierceness and stubbornness, probably unequalled in the history of the war; but it finally resulted in the complete rout of the enemy, and we held the lines occupied by us in the morning, protected and strengthened by a strong abattis.

The soldiers of Berry's old brigade will never forget "ANNIE," and the writer will here digress a moment to speak of as worthy a heroine as ever received the plaudits of mankind.

At the commencement of the war many regiments brought out laundresses, as provided for in army regulations. Annie Etheridge, a young and remarkably good looking girl, from humble life, was among the laundresses of the Third Michigan Volunteers. When the regiment was ordered to take the field, most of the women returned to Michigan; but Annie determined to "follow the drum." She accompanied the regiment, marching with the men, camping and bivouacking with them through all their campaigns and battles. In camp, quiet, modest, and industrious; in time of action, regardless of danger, attending to the wants of the wounded wherever needed, she soon became a favorite of all.

At the battle of Williamsburg, while dressing wounds, under fire, she was noticed by General. Kearney, who ordered that she should be provided with a horse, and told her that he should recommend her

for a sergeant's pay and warrant. She was attached to General Berry's head-quarters more than a year as cook for the officers' mess. Sharing all the privations of soldiers, always at the front in time of action, with a kind word and a helping hand for the sick or wounded, no wonder she became a universal favorite with the men. During the severest shelling on Sunday morning, she rode coolly up to the spot where the brigade commander and staff were watching the progress of the fight, and insisted on their eating some breakfast and drinking some coffee she had provided. Ordered repeatedly to seek a place of safety, she refused till each one had taken a drink of coffee from her canteen, and a "hard tack or two if nothing more.' While in the group three horses were shot under their riders by her side, but she never flinched or betrayed the slightest emotion of fear.

At one time the enemy had killed nearly every horse of one of our batteries, several of the caissons had been exploded, and more than half of the men shot at their guns. Disheartened, the remainder were about to abandon their pieces, when Annie rode up calmly to the battery so thinned, and smiling said, "That's right, boys, now you've good range, you'll soon silence their battery." The boys took courage, remained at their posts, silenced the enemy's battery, and saved their pieces. One of the men, relating the incident, said, that "all the officers in the Army of

the Potomac would not have had as much influence over the men as did Annie, on her little roan mare.” They say that she saved their battery that day.

At another time she came very near being captured. Riding in the extreme front, she came within a rod

of the enemy's line, but she said she grasped her pistol, (which she always wore in her belt,) determined to have a fight before being captured.

The morning of Monday, May fourth, found us still lying behind the breastworks, over which, shot, shell and bullets flew almost unceasingly. Reports showed the loss of the regiment in the engagements of Saturday and Sunday, one commissioned officer (Lieutenant Dudley H. Johnson), and three enlisted men killed; five commissioned officers. (Captain Augustus Golderman, Captain Edward I. Merrill, Lieutenants James M. Brown, Putnam S. Boothby, and Thomas W. Lord); and fifty-nine enlisted men wounded, and forty-five enlisted men missing. General Whipple, commanding the Third Division of the Third Corps, was killed during the day by the bullet of a rebel sharpshooter. At five o'clock, P. M., an artillery duel commenced, continuing half an hour. During the night there was quite a severe skirmish between the pickets, occasioned by the enemy attempting to advance their lines; the troops were all under arms but our pickets succeeded in holding their advanced position, and we were soon asleep again, although desultory firing continued during the night.

The morning of Tuesday, the fifth, was quite misty and lowering. At eight o'clock, A. M., the enemy opened a heavy fire upon a working party, sent out for the purpose of entrenching. There was quite a rapid and heavy artillery and infantry fire for about an hour, but it was finally silenced by our batteries, and the working party allowed to continue their pursuits. Colonel Roberts, who had been absent in Maine on a sick leave for thirty days, rejoined the regiment here and assumed command. The enemy again opened on us a severe fire, about noon, but our breastworks, which had been strengthened and "traversed," afforded us good protection, and our loss was comparatively slight. During the afternoon it rained quite hard, and at dark the clouds and mist serving to obscure our movements from the enemy, the batteries commenced to move quietly to the rear. At nine o'clock we were ordered to pack up and "fall in," in readiness to move. After remaining in line, with accoutrements on, about two or three hours in a drenching rain, we received orders to pitch tents and make ourselves as comfortable as possible. Many preferred to weather it out, and making the best of a bad matter, sit and "let it rain."

The writer remembers full well the lugubrious time we had of it, two or three uncomfortable individuals sitting in a pelting rain, by a poor fire, in a chilly night darker than Egyptian darkness, trying to kill time by

relating incidents pertaining to our civil life. At three o'clock the men were again ordered to pack up and be in readiness to move immediately, which order was promptly responded to; and at four o'clock, A. M., of Wednesday, May sixth, we were noiselessly moving to the rear; and at daylight recrossed the inevitable Rappahannock on the pontoon bridge, and wallowing through roads almost knee deep with mud, returned to our old camp, where we arrived, tired, wet and almost exhausted, about four o'clock, P. M.

In the official report of the battle of Chancellorsville, to the Adjutant General of the State of Maine, mention is made of the officers and non-commissioned officers of the regiment, as follows:

GENERAL HODSDON:

HEAD-QUARTERS SEVENTEENTH
MAINE VOLUNTEERS.

SIR, I give you below a copy of a report called for and forwarded to superior head-quarters, May ninth, 1863, selected on the recommendation of Lieutenant-Colonel Merrill, commanding the regiment during the battle:

"To Colonel S. B. Hayman, commanding Third Brigade, First Division, Third Corps:

I have the honor to present to your attention the names of the following officers and men in the regiment, deserving commendation for good conduct in the recent engagement:

Major George W. West, Adjutant Charles W. Roberts, Captain Charles P. Mattocks, Captain E. M. Sawyer, Lieutenant Joseph A. Perry, Lieutenant Thomas H. Lord, Sergeant-Major Henry L. Bartels, First Sergeant Isaac C. Parker, Company K; Sergeant Alvin S. Dyer, Company E; First Sergeant G. F. Sparrow, Company A;