G. S. Hillard, Life and Campaigns of George B. McClellan, Major-General , U. S. Army

[385] midst of a career of usefulness. Young Bayard, so like the most renowned of his name, that “knight above fear and above reproach,” was cut off too early for his country, and that excellent staff-officer, Colonel Garesche, fell while gallantly doing his duty.

No regiments can spare such gallant, devoted, and able commanders as Rossell, Davis, Gove, Simmons, Bailey, Putnam, and Kingsbury,--all of whom fell in the thickest of the combat,--some of them veterans, and others young in service, all good men and well-beloved.

Our batteries have partially paid their terrible debt to fate in the loss of such commanders as Greble, the first to fall in this war, Benson, Hazzard, Smead, de Hart, Hazlitt, and those gallant boys, Kirby, Woodruff, Dimmick, and Cushing; while the engineers lament the promising and gallant Wagner and cross.

Beneath remote battle-fields rest the corpses of the heroic McRea, Reed, Bascom, Stone, sweet, and many other company officers.

Besides these were hosts of veteran sergeants, corporals, and privates, who had fought under Scott in Mexico, or contended in many combats with the savages of the far West and Florida, and, mingled with them, young soldiers who, courageous, steady, and true, met death unflinchingly, without the hope of personal glory. These men, in their more humble sphere, served their country with as much faith and honor as the most illustrious generals, and all of them with perfect singleness of heart. Although their names may not live in history, their actions, loyalty, and courage will live. Their memories will long be preserved in their regiments; for there were many of them who merited as proud a distinction as that accorded to the “first grenadier of France,” or to that Russian soldier who gave his life for his comrades.

But there is another class of men who have gone from us since this war commenced, whose fate it was not to die