Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[396] own and the enemy's batteries; and many of our shells, in addition to theirs, burst among us, wounding a number of my men. During the latter part of the day, we did splendid execution on the enemy's flanks as they advanced in mass, for their sole object now would seem to be in turning our flank at any cost. The slaughter was terrible, and of the conduct of my officers and men in every instance during that terrible day, I cannot speak in terms of praise sufficient. There were no stragglers reported from my regiment, but each little squad of fifteen or twenty men, which composed the fighting strength of the companies, were a host in themselves! At five P. M. the battle raged in a most terrific manner, and our gallant heroes fell thick and fast all around us, but still, those unhurt stood up to their work with coolness and confidence surprising. The enemy having concentrated his heavy masses on us, pushed them forward with perfect maniac strength and ferocity, but for nearly two hours we held them back with frightful loss to them, the entire plain in our front being strewn thickly with his dead and struggling troops. Our left flank being found weak, the brigade fell back to let the batteries open — on the enemy, and my regiment, still holding its position, fell back at twilight with the First brigade, and immediately joined our own; the men being weary from hard marching, hard but glorious fighting, and scarcity of rations, were soon wrapped in slumber. The enemy were defeated along the entire line.

My entire loss throughout the day was very severe, in proportion to the strength of my regiment. My color-guard were all either killed or wounded. Captain Keene, of the color company, fell pierced by four bullets, and so severe was the engagement from four o'clock till dark, that scarcely a single officer or man in my regiment escaped without a shot through some portion of his clothing or equipments. Indeed, General Sickles did us the honor to say, that: “The little Third Maine saved the army to-day!”

On the morning of the third, I was placed in command of the brigade, and Captain Wm. C. Morgan in command of the regiment. I moved to the centre at about ten o'clock A. M., by order, to the support of General Hancock, of the Second corps, who was reported to have been heavily pressed by the concentrated columns of the enemy. I moved forward with my own gallant little regiment occupying the right and front, (with the Fourth Maine, Twentieth Indiana, and Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania,) a post of honor none will dispute with them; and although my movements were of the most hurried nature, we only arrived in time to witness the total rout of the enemy, the capture of some four thousand prisoners, and the entire field of forty acres a mass of struggling humanity; the sight was sickening, and the repulse of the enemy complete.

In this position, my regiment supported the batteries, while they shelled the mob of the enemy's troops, now rushing headlong to the cover of their earthworks, after which we moved to the extreme front and relieved the line of skirmishers, and occupied the first line of defence, supported by, instead of supporting the Second corps, till the morning of the fifth, when, finding the enemy had disappeared from our front, and on being relieved, I marched my brigade to the ground occupied by the division, afterward sending forward several squads of men to gather and bring in their deceased comrades, which was done with all the solemnity possible under the circumstances.

I regret to say, that on account of not being able to visit those portions of the field where my loss was greatest, from Thursday till Sunday, the dead were, in many cases, so disfigured as to defy identification, these persons having been robbed (as usual) by the enemy (who occupied the ground on the night of the second after we had retired) of every thing portable.

On the morning of the seventh, with the brigade, division, and corps, started in pursuit of the retreating forces of the enemy.

The following is a complete revised list of the casualties up to the present date:

Field and Staff--Major S. P. Lee, arm amputated at shoulder; Sergeant-Major Henry S. Small, killed.

Company A.--Corporal John L. Little, killed; Sergeant William Parris, wounded slightly, leg; Sergeant Charles N. Osgood, leg, severe; privates, Augustus Emery, side, severely; Ed. S. Ramsey, hand, slightly; Corporal Jona Newcomb, wounded and prisoner; privates,Wm. Hughes, prisoner; Wm. F. Crocker, missing; Phineas Small, missing; Oliver Webber, missing; Edgar W. Preble, missing.

Company B.--Sergeant Asa C. Rowe, killed; privates, John Jones killed; Nathan Call, leg amputated: First Sergeant Hannibal Johnson, prisoner; privates, Joseph Winslow, missing; Enoch Barker, missing; Charles Gannett, prisoner.

Company C.--Private Horace Dale, killed; First Sergeant Parlin Crawford, wounded in arm; Corporal Danforth M. Maxcy, leg amputated; privates, Daniel M. Moody, leg amputated; Charles M. Landers, head, slightly; John S. Lewis, hip, slightly; Charles H. Foye, foot severely; Orren Heath, hand, severely; Lyman C. Heald, leg, slightly; William H. Sturtevant, leg, slightly; Sergeant George F. Spear, missing; Corporal Charles F. Martin, missing.

Company D.-- First Sergeant Eben S. Allen, leg amputated; Sergeant Shaw, wounded slightly; Corporal George Farnham, heel, severely; privates, Joseph Roach, leg amputated; Jerry Wakefield, leg, slightly; James Fletcher, missing; Patrick T. Hartnett, missing.

Company E.--Sergeant George S. Chamberlain, shoulder, severely; privates, A. H. Sprague, leg amputated; Sherburn E. George, slightly; Silas F. Leighton, slightly; Charles W. Bancroft, leg, severely; George W. Bailey, leg, severely; Alden F. Murch, leg, severely; Charles B. Rogers, leg, severely; Seth Sweatland, prisoner; Stephen M. Symons, missing.

Company F.--Corporals, Henry B. Swan, (colorguard,) killed; Amos H. Cole, killed; privates,