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regiments forming the rear guard were halted and placed at right angles to the road, and Tompkin's Rhode Island battery was placed directly in the road with the muzzles of the pieces, loaded with canister, covering its ascent.
The enemy, after waiting some time, evidently concluded, because of the absolute silence, that the retreat had been continued.
A regiment of cavalry was marched down the road, undoubtedly with the expectation of finding the troops in full retreat and consequently unable to form and get into line.
The battery fired twice at them and many saddles were emptied.
Pursuit from that time on was given up.
After resting for some time, in order to be sure that no one was pursuing, General Howard, with his orderlies, rode back, leaving orders for the two regiments to find their way until they made the junction with the Corps.
With the First Minnesota in front and the Nineteenth Massachusetts in the rear, the march was taken up and there was no incident until they reached the rest of the corps.
The First Minnesota, in advance, reached them first and were recognized as part of the rear guard.
It is the general belief, since the war, that they were thought to be the whole of the rear guard.
The Nineteenth Massachusetts was coming slowly, feeling safe from attack in the rear.
It caught up with the main column and marched naturally along.
What occurred has never been fully explained and probably never will be. Lieut. Col. Devereux, in direct command of the regiment at that time says:
‘The regiment in the rear of the Second Corps imagined that the rear guard had passed and when the Nineteenth came up it was mistaken for a pursuing force, on which they opened fire immediately.
We lost 11 of our men and Assistant Surgeon John E. Hill, of Charlestown was fatally wounded, dying a few days later.
The Nineteenth, of course, were taken entirely by surprise and made no return fire.
They were under perfect control.’
There were many stories as to how this unfortunate incident occurred.
Gen. Howard states that it is his belief that a horse stepped upon a musket, discharging it, and thus causing
Salem Press. Co., Salem, Ma., 1906.
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