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| Captain Oliver C. Bosbyshell (seated), with Lts. Pollock and H.C. Jackson, Co. G |
Saturday, December 13, was an exceedingly pleasant day, so
far as the weather was concerned—warm and balmy—but anything but a pleasant one
to the torn, shattered and maimed soldiers, who passed through the fiery ordeal
of the that day! The streets of the town were very muddy. Of course the command
was aroused early, and all could guess the momentous events to come, by the
unusual activity among the staff offices, who could be seen galloping here and
there, conveying orders. The Forty-eighth was soon formed, and marching still
further to the left, halted in line below the railroad. Whilst waiting at this
point, General Thomas Francis Meagher rode by. Who can forget his magnificent
appearance! Dressed in a faultlessly fitting suit of dark green cloth, black
shoulder knots, in the center of which were embroidered silver stars, and his
yellow silk sash crossed over his breast, denoting a general field officer of
the day—superbly mounted on a deep bay horse, he made up a picture of unusual
grace and majesty. One can well understand how, later in the day, his Irish
brigade fought with the tenacity of tigers, inspired by the magnificent
presence of its intrepid leader.
It was not long before the work of carnage began—opened by
battery after battery sending terrible missiles hurtling through the air, until
the vast amphitheatre reverberated with the sound of three hundred rebel cannon
and as many Union guns. Above the din the sharp rattle of musketry soon arose,
adding to the terrible work of death.
The regiment moved to the back of the town toward Marye’s
Heights, and for a time remained stretched out in a street running
perpendicular to the river. Whilst lying the grape, canister and shells of the
enemy wounded several men in the ranks. Captain Gilmour of H, Sgt. Nies, of G,
and others were slightly wounded, one man of Company A was killed. At this
point the novel experience of seeing a ball or shell coming from the rebel
artillery was vouchsafed. The ball could be distinctly seen in the air, and the
ground immediately on the left of the regiment was frequently struck; the shots
would roll over and over, in the most awkward manner.
General Nagle and staff were standing under cover of a brick
stable, not far from the right of the Forty-eighth. A solid shot struck the
building penetrating both walls—coming out just above the heads of the General
and staff—throwing the brick bats amongst them, and covering the party with
dust and dirt. It was a narrow call, but little time was permitted to ponder
over it—the order to advance being given. This was about 2 o’clock in the
afternoon. The Forty-eighth marched by the flank toward the right a short
distance until some obstruction had been passed when the command, ‘Left face,
double quick time,’ came, and running over the clear space down into a hollow,
and up a slight rise in the ground, the regiment became hotly engaged with the
enemy. This movement was made under a terrible storm of deadly missiles. The
command was in full view of the rebels and within easy range. As one of the
regiment puts it in his diary, “the advance to the front over a clean ground
with death staring us in the face as grim as ever any troops met it.” . . .
The regiment remained on the front line until 7 o’clock in
the evening—expending sixty rounds of ammunition per man, to great purpose—for the
batteries immediately in its front were at times completely silenced by the
marksmanship of the men. Lt. Col. Pleasants passed along the line, directing
that the ten best marksman of each company should elevate the sights of their
pieces and pick off the men manning the guns. The effect of this action was
soon made apparent by the decreasing fire of the artillery.
The regiment was relieved by the Twelfth Rhode Island,
Colonel Brown. . . .The command passed off the hill by the left flank, and
retired under cover of deep railroad cut—returning to the same street and
occupying the same places utilized the night before. Fresh ammunition was
distributed and the men literally worn out soon fell asleep despite the angry
tempest of lead still raining in the front. The loss was sixty killed, wounded
and missing.
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