The color guard.
The account given of
Lieutenant William M. Lawson, who was the color bearer of the regiment is as follows: When the order was given to forward the color bearer and guard consisting of Color Bearer
William M. Lawson,
Sergeants Pat Woods,
Theodore R. Martin,
Corporal John Q. Figg, and
Private Willie Mitchell moved four paces to the front of the line and kept in their position until one after the other was shot down.
About half way
Willie Mitchell was wounded, but he declined to go back and kept on. About one hundred yards further he was killed.
Pat Woods,
Theodore R. Martin and
John Q. Figg were shot down and the line came close to the stone fence.
The color bearer had his right arm shattered by a bullet, and the colors fell from his hand among the dead and dying.
J. R. Polak attempted to raise and secure the colors, but was also wounded.
Those that were able now fell back and the colors remained where they fell near the angle of the stone wall.
Willie Mitchell was only about sixteen years of age. He was a member of Company D., having joined that company in December, 1862, at the
battle of Fredericksburg.
He was the son of
John Mitchell, the ‘Irish Patriot,’ and had just finished his course at the
University of Paris.
William M. Lawson, the color bearer, lost his arm near the shoulder, leaving only a stump, which was hardly healed when he reported for duty to his regiment.
After being released from prison he was promoted to lieutenant for gallant conduct.
Sergeant Pat Woods was shot through the body and remained in prison for some time.
He was a most reckless, daring Irishman.
There were no better men than
Sergeant Theodore R. Martin and
John Q. Figg.
Both of these were severely wounded.
Sergeant John Q. Figg was afterwards promoted to color bearer and made a splendid record for himself in the battles that followed in 1864 and 1865 until the close of the war.
