History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

As, at this time. Col. Noble rode past Lieut.-Col. Walter to the front of the garden, where tlie right wing lay on their arms, as ordered, to inspect the coming in of his two companies on picket, Col. Waiter, who, like tlie left wing, lay down at his proper posi- tion in the rear of his wing, rose as if to watch the progress of the action or perhaps out of respect to his commanding officer. As Col. Noble, having hailed those companies and directed them to our position, turned to take his position between the two wings as ordered, Col. Walter again, as was supposed, resumed his recumbent posture. But he wius undoubtedly at this time shot, as the ball which killed him struck him in the forehead. When the colonel returned to his position, he found that Dykeman's Battery had limbered up and fled down the Culpeper road, and on looking farther to the front sup|iosed he saw Maj. Brady with the left wing holding a corn-house at the north of the Hatch house and off tlie Culpeper road, firing at the enemy, but he was mistaken. Maj. Brady had retreated with the left wing soon after the battery which he supported had fled. At this time the right wing of the regiment still held its position anmnd the Hatch hou.se garden. It continued to hold it till all the regiments and rnion force at the right had passed to the rear, and towunls our left. The crushing (brce of Stonewall .Jackson's attack was in such irresistible mass, with such steady and unabating fire, that the air seemeil full of whizzing rifle-balls. Their advancing light artillery threw a storm of shells down the lines of retreat. At thi< time the right wing of the Seventeenth retreateil Mir.ITAIlY HISTORY. 59 from its position arouinl tlic Ilatcli Imiisc, and met ui">ii the transfer of our forces to the north siili' of ('ol. Nolih', ulio had hecn hioldn;/ tor his hdtwini;, tile Ka])]>aliannoek, was (]r(h'ri'd in(o i-am|p nol far with the news (j|' Col. \Valter's death. The ri-ht and from its old (jnarters at Howies Station. Here it re- the two eom|ianies who were ont on |>ielcet passed maiik'd till June, when, on Lei''s invasi(ni, the reyi- with him to the lii-st lines of the Seliurz di\'ision, of ment followed the Army (pf the I'otom.ae on p.-irallel wdiiidi the Ninety-loiirth New ^'ork had e!iam;-eil its line,-, to the march ol' the emany till theii' ino\cments p'i>ition from ]iarallcl to a rij^ht ani;lc with tin- ('ill- (Hilmiiiated in the hattle of Ucttyshurj;'. peper road and faciiijr tlie attack of tlie enemy. [ The regiment was in the midst of that first ilay's \\'hilst Col. Xohlc, with tin- aid of lii^ ailjntant, ii^ht, on the otii.a- side of the town, ami wot ..fits ]>ient, ( 'hatfiehl, ami the captain^ ..f th.' riiilit wim;', linal l>attli--i;'roiiml, Li.iit,-( '..1. [''..w K r, commamliiij;; was riformini; this lim: in n-ar ..f sai.l r.",;inH'nt, its r.-jim.iit, ami Ca].t. Moore, w.a'i- instantly killc.l; .■o|..n.l w as shot dead, and his re^innait, iin.l.'r a t.r- l>iciit. ( 'hatfiehl, n lio was he-^id.' t '..1. l-'owha', ha. I his rilic fir.', hroke and threw the wdioh' f ir.e in im\ it- knap>ai-k and uniform rid.lled, ami his swor.l — a r.dic ahle retreat. In fact, lingering' any l.nigi'r in sii.li id' Uevolutioiiary liistory — hrokeii in splint, rs, y.t an niic.(iial c.nitesf would liave h.-.ai ni.i.lne^~, all received imt a scar. On that day, too, ( 'apt. I'r.ai.h tr.i.ip> t.) th.' rii^lit haviiii;- Ioiil^ passi'd t.i the rear. wa- woiiml.'.l in his right arm wliil.' ;;allaiilly ...m- Tli.' S.'V.'iit.'.-nlh m.ive.l along ilowii th.' Ciilp.'p.-i- man. ling his c.Miipany. Maj. I'.ra.ly r.-.-.-iv.'.l a .-.li.'ll roa.l d.'lih.-ratcly. While thus proci'i'ding its .-ol.m.'l e.nitiisi.in upon his sh.nil.l.a-, whi.-li .-alls.'!! a ilis- was shot thr.iugh his left arm, severing the main ; ahility, resulting in his transfer to the N'cteran l!e- artery, anil, hlee. ling to exhaustion, he was guide. 1 and , serve (_'or|is. ('apt. All.n was also slightly wounded; kept on his horse by two of his soldiers, 'lifter having ot tin- ..th.r otficers it is needless to say mor.' than given them his watch and money, and made ready to that th.'y c.imluet.'.l them.selves with gallantry ami surremlcr himself, as he was unalile to go .m al.m.'. witli.mt r.'pr.ia.-li. < hai. Am.'s, w h.i tliiai .■ommamled They l.'.l him to a tiel.l-hosjiital in the rear ..f th.' the hrigade, uttere.l to the col.inel, wlii'ii h.' r.i.le iip.ni (_'liane.'llor>ville House. Here his h.irse, wlii.li li.i.l the hattle-field, .ni the tliir.l d.iy, no w.ir.l hut .il'.-..ni- liceii woiHi.le.l near the Hatch house and l>..rii.' him mcndation of the conduct of th.' whole regiment, so far, died. The colonel, wdio had heeii at h.inie recovering from The regim.'iit alter this fell under the eommaml of his wound, was, when he rea.dicd Washington, iinalde JIaj, lirady, ami was the next day ni.ived from the to Hml first wdiere the regiiii.'Ut was ami then li..w t.i right to the left of the army's jiosition. I reaidi them. \Vhen a r.nite was ilir.'ite.l the crow. Id In ( irecley's ■' American (_'.iiitli.-t," wh.a'c lie s|ieaks stat.' .d' the one railroad whi.h .■on.lii.ti.l all the of that "graml hurst of St.niewall .la.-ksoii with anny-stipplies, and a forty-mil.- li.u-^.-ha.k-ri.h- .inly twenty-five thousand men upon the exposed flank of eiiahled him to reach the hattle-field on the afternoon the Kl.'vciith Corps," the Seventeenth ( 'onnecti.-nt is of the third day. He found the regiment .stationed the only regiment spei-ially noted ami e.i n-ml.-il li.r at the mnth ol the ( '.im-tery Hill along a stone wall, its acti.m. At ]iage 3-")7 of his seeoml volnim- tla- tr.-- — a positi.ni which it ha.l lu-lil, iimh-r orders, siiici- memlons result of that attack is thus note. I : "In a the hrst ilay's tight. Uy .leath and eaptiire it had moment the First Division, (xen. Devens, was over- lieeii n-.lm-e.l t.i a handful; not tw.i hundred men whelmed, its commander heing am. nig the woiindi-.l, .■.nil.l he put in line. Tin- in-xt imirning the cid.mel and one-thir.l of his force, including every general found liimself in command of the hrigade, (ieli. Ames ami colom-l. either disahh-d or .-aptnrc.l. Driven having assumed comniand of the division, whose eom- ha.-k in wihl r Hit d.iwn the (Jhaneell.irsvillc roa.l, maml.-r, ( u-ii. Francis (_'. I'.arl.iw, ha.l h.-.-n sc-verely np.m till- p.i^iti.ni .d' C.-n. Scliurz, it was found that , woumle.l in the acti.m. his divi-ion hail alr.-:i.ly n-treated. ami an attempt , It was very evident, .in the imnning of the dtli, made to rally and form here proved ahr,|-|i\-c. The that the enemy were in full retreat. 'Ihe wlmle I'.irce Seventeenth C.innectieut, which hore a n-s.iluti- part of the division moved into (iettysluirg ami w.-ll .nit in the efi'ort, had its lieuteiiant-c.il.mel kill.-. I ami its t.i the right, finding no indieations of the em-my, ex- colonel severely wounded." i-.-|4 an occasional shot on the ]iickct-lin.-, wliieli The Seveiit.-.-nth ha.l a li-t of mii- humlr.-.l ami sh.iui-.l that they were feigning pn-s.-nce in force, twenty killc.l, wounded, ami missing in this light. ( in the iimrniiig of the ."itli tin- wag.nis .if th.- .n.-my That night it made a brave stand near h.-a.l.|iiarti-i-<, cnl.! h.- distinctly seen moving rapi.lly to tin- rear at Cliancellorsville House, and remaiiie.l tli.-n- all ami s.iuthward. Everytliing lictokencd that they hail night supporting a battery, while tin- Tliinl C.irps h-l't a str.mg iiicket-line in front only to make a show- was Hung into the gap. 'I'he regim.-nl w.is nil again ol n-sistanee anil to ]ir.itect fln-ir r.-fri-af. in a,etion during that battle. Col. N.il.l.- was sent On the morning .>t' the (itli tin- Kleveiith Corps 1 le h\' I Ir. 1 1 iiM.ar.l, tin- acting m.'.lical dir.-cfor of moved with the n-st of the army in pursuit of J^ee. th.- cmps, ami was tinahle to li-av.- Innin- I'.pr thirty- The mart-hi-s wi-r.- ii.it vi-ry rapid, an. I till we reached tour days. Hagerstown no poitioii> .if tin- i-n.-iny wi-n- cm-oiin- Tlie regiment, after the eonm-il of war ha.l ili-ei.le. I teri-il liv our part of the Fnion army. At Ilagers- (iO IIISTOin' OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. town, Md., our division was within jrunshot of the rebels' lines. It was evidently a weak sham. The earnest appeal of Cr)l. Von Oilsa, who eoinmanded a brigade of the division, to be allowed to attaek their flimsy front, is well remembered. Permission w;us not accorded. All seemed hesitation and timidity as to any forward movement u])on the retreating enemy, who were evidently penned up between the Potomac and our line.s. After spending two days in the vicin- ity of the rebel outposts, and near the battle-field of Antietam, a march was made upon the enemy's lines, only to find him escaped across the Potomac. On the march from Gettysburg down a large por- tion of the regiment was without shoos, the whole of it in a very sad and tattered condition, the result of continuous marching and constant e.xjiosure to the weather and rough soldiering.