George H. Gordon, From Brook Farm to Cedar Mountain

[311] of my line. As it was marching deliberately towards us in columns of companies, the commander of the Twenty-seventh Indiana saw it, and shouted instantly to his men to face and file to the right; but he was obeyed by his right company only. The enemy halted, wheeled into line, opened fire with that portion of his front that could reach us, and threw forward the remainder of his brigade full upon our flank and rear.¹ But the Twenty-seventh Indiana had again fled, leaving exposed to this new attack the flank and rear of the Second Massachusetts. On the extreme right of the Second was brave Captain Goodwin, fighting Company K most valiantly and fearlessly; and in front was Captain Abbott with his company, in the open field, where upon our arrival he had deployed his skirmishers, who were lying down and firing upon the enemy.

Now, in front and on flank, full and fierce the storm tore through and around us. The crash was terrific; it was indescribable. Captain Goodwin fell dead, and with him over twenty of his men; fifteen more were missing Major Savage, opposite the right and rear, in the very face of this deadly blast, fell grievously wounded, while his horse was shot dead upon the spot. I will not here name the dead, as I shall refer to them when, under a flag of truce, we were permitted to recover their bodies. But as I am speaking of that terrible, that dreadful and remorseless fire, that came like a whirlwind, and licked up with its fiery blast more lives than were lost to the Second Regiment and my brigade in any battle of the war, I recall the name of one who in the midst of all this carnage, in the very face and front of the enemy's fire, and almost within reach of his guns, himself unwounded, placed his