As we got to the top of the hill from which we would go down the other side a little way into our first battle, word was passed that we would be defending our position against the 1st Maryland Regiment, CSA, led by General "Maryland" Steuart. How ironic that, in our first engagement, we would be called upon to try to kill our neighbors and friends from back home. Some of us even had relatives in the enemy lines.
As we moved down the slope to relieve the 147th Pennsylvania Regiment, which was running out of ammunition, bullets started to fly all around us. The enemy was only 100 yards away.
"Oh God, Edward, keep your head down!"
We were with the First Potomac Home Brigade and their Colonel Maulsby was advancing to attack the rebs who were hiding behind a low stone wall about 30 yards away. We had fixed bayonets and were about to go in for the final strike against our former friends and neighbors.
"Edward! Edward! Where are you?"
At the last moment, the charge was called off and the men behind the wall were spared..for now. We fell in to relieve the 147th Pennsylvania, who were now out of ammunition and stayed in that position for about two hours, each man expending about 150 rounds.
By the end of the confrontation, 7 of our boys had been killed, including my poor Edward and Sgt. Jones! What will I tell our mother? She's getting older now and her eyesight is beginning to fail. And now to lose her youngest only 4 years after father had been killed. It is going to be a long, sad trip back home. God give us strength to bear this tragedy.