Service in Tenth Maine Volunteers.
After his service in the Fifth Massachusetts regiment, which ended August 1, 1861,
Edward Brackett, who was full of true patriotism, again enlisted, and was appointed first sergeant in company D, Tenth Maine Volunteers.
This company was raised and commanded by
Captain George W. West, of
Somerville, Mass., and of which the writer of this sketch was then the
second lieutenant.
This regiment went to
Baltimore, Md., and was placed in the ‘Railroad Brigade,’ middle department, under
Major-General John A. Dix, and subsequently under
Major-General John E. Wool, U. S. A.
This Railroad Brigade was under
Colonel Dixon S. Miles, U. S. A., whose headquarters were at Relay house, nine miles from
Baltimore, on the main stem of the
Baltimore &
Ohio railhad, at the junction of the
Washington branch and the viaduct over the
Patapsco river.
General Miles was killed September 15, 1862, at
Harper's Ferry, Va. Sergeant Brackett was in many engagements with the regiment in this brigade, and again proved himself a brave and intrepid soldier.
Brackett was also in many engagements in the Shenandoah valley, and in August, 1862, this regiment passed up the valley, and was in the
battle of Cedar Mountain,
Va., and in the
second Bull Run fight, August, 1862, and was attached to
General Pope's army, and with
Major-General McClellan's army in the ‘Forced March’ to
Maryland to intercept
Lees army and relieve
Harper's Ferry, which was besieged by
Major-General A. P. Hill's corps.
The surrender of
Harper's Ferry took place September 15, 1862, while the
battle of South Mountain was going on. The Tenth Maine regiment was in the
battle of Antietam September 17, 1862, and Edward
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Brackett was in command of company D.
Captain West having been made major of the Seventeenth Maine regiment,
First Lieutenant Beardsley was made captain, and
Lieutenant Binney being on detached service on staff duties at
Harper's Ferry, and
Captain Beardsley having been taken prisoner at
Cedar Mountain, left
Brackett in command of the company.
Lieutenant Edward Brackett was killed at the
battle of Antietam September 17, 1862.
Brackett was a most efficient, brave, and intrepid soldier and officer, and a most courteous gentleman.
Had he lived, his promotion would have been rapid.