JennyLou
Practically Family
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- 689
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- La Puente, Ca
Yes! A new one. I missed these the past few months. Thank you LizzieMaine.
On the afternoon of July 2, 1863 Sickles' Third Corps, having advanced from this line to the Emmitsburg Road, eight companies of the First Minnesota Regiment, numbering 262 men were sent to this place to support a battery upon Sickles repulse. As his men were passing here in confused retreat, two Confederate brigades in pursuit were crossing the swale. To gain time to bring up the reserves & save this position, Gen Hancock in person ordered the eight companies to charge the rapidly advancing enemy.
The order was instantly repeated by Col Wm Colvill. And the charge as instantly made down the slope at full speed through the concentrated fire of the two brigades breaking with the bayonet the enemy's front line as it was crossing the small brook in the low ground there the remnant of the eight companies, nearly surrounded by the enemy held its entire force at bay for a considerable time & till it retired on the approach of the reserve the charge successfully accomplished its object. It saved this position & probably the battlefield. The loss of the eight companies in the charge was 215 killed & wounded. More than 83% percent. 47 men were still in line & no man missing. In self sacrificing desperate valor this charge has no parallel in any war. Among the severely wounded were Col Wm Colvill, Lt Col Chas P Adams & Maj Mark W. Downie. Among the killed Capt Joseph Periam, Capt Louis Muller & Lt Waldo Farrar. The next day the regiment participated in repelling Pickett's charge losing 17 more men killed & wounded.
Might not be Golden Era related, but these two events that occurred on this date certainly were quite important in shaping the course of history:
[*]On this day in 1863 the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry charged to glory at Gettysburg, saving the field and possibly the Union itself. Their casualty rate that day was 83%.
fftopic:
Pickett struggled with his conscience thereafter; blaming Lee, who remains
"the marble man" in the annals of Mars, of course; though Lee probably paid out
the coffers of his own conscience down to the last penny at Gettysburg; leaving him a bayonet carved soul-or perhaps the inner firewalls had fallen earlier, thereby allowing his actions, and a measured guilt he could drink from the Cup when called.