ssed
formations and closed up battle lines to kill--and we got there just the
same with the official record as cited. That record tells the story-- At
midnight on May 8, 1864, near Spottsylvania C. H., in a hand to hand
fight with the Sixth Alabama, the regiment captured their colors and
more prisoners than were in the ranks of the Twenty-second
Massachusetts. Two of these brothers, on account of their youth, refused
commissions, although their father, who had spent two years at the Mil.
Academy in the class of 1836, was then Chairman of the Mil. Com. of the
Mass. Senate; was in daily conference with John A. Andrew, the great war
Governor--and could, by a "pull" have easily secured them. One was
"specially commended" for good conduct at the Battle of Fredericksburg,
Va., while the other untrained brother, (Walter Carter) as Sergeant
Major of the regiment, was specially mentioned in the report of the
Commanding officer of the regiment for "_coolness under fire_, and
_personal bravery in all battles of the campaign_"; (Reb.
Rec--Ser--I--40: 459) this Campaign, May 4 to June 18--1864--from the
Wilderness--Laurel Hill--Spottsylvania C. H. (May 8-22--under fire day
and night), Jericho Mills--North Anna, Totopotomoy Creek, Bethesda
Church--Cold Harbor--Jerusalem Plank Road (Norfolk and Petersburg R
R--later, the spot where the Battle of the "_Crater_" was fought). If
there was ever any better soldier than this untrained but not
_world-advertised_ Sergeant-Major of one of the best fighting regiments
in the Army of the Potomac--the writer, in nearly 60 years since those
old days, has not met him. On May 10, 1864, while acting as liaison
officer for the Major--commanding the left wing of the regiment, which
was cut off from the right wing and in a cul de sac swept by a frightful
cross fire--he was directed to cross the Brock Road (about a mile or
more from Spottsylvania C. H.) and communicate to the Colonel the
perilous position of the left wing. He crossed this sunken road--swept
by rifle and canister fire, at close range. His blanket roll was cut in
several places; his eye was burned and closed by a _hot bullet_--for
several days-- The next morning he took in on his back, from a rifle pit
to save his life, a wounded comrade and friend under fire. Being a
non-commissioned officer, he received no brevets--no medal of honor--no
Legion of Honor, or Croix de Guerre--etc. So much for this
battle-trained, but not _intensively_ trained