Harvard memorial biographies ...

186

Harvard Memorial Biographies.

were killed and wounded, and thirty-seven missing. They were not
under fire more than thirty minutes. Twenty-two officers went in,
aid eight came out; five were killed, five wounded, four captured,
three of whom are thought to be wounded.
"We hear to-day that the enemy have retired to some distance.
If true, we may soon hear more of our missing. Goodwin, Cary,
Choate, and Stephen Perkins. were all quite ill, but would not stay
away from the fight. Choate was the only one of the four not killed.
Goodwin could n't keep up with the regiment; but I saw him toiling up the hill at some distance behind, with the assistance of his
servant. He hardly reached the front when he was killed. All our
officers behaved nobly. Those who ought to have stayed away
did n't. It was splendid to see those sick fellows walk straight up
into the shower of bullets, as if it were so much rain; men, who
until this year, had lived lives of perfect ease and luxury. 0, it is
hard to believe that we shall never see them again, after having
been constantly together for more than a year. I don't remember a
single quarrel of any importance among our officers during all that
time.
" Yesterday I went over the battle-field with the General. The
first man I recognized was Cary. He was lying on his back with
his head on a piece of wood. He looked calm and peaceful, as if
he were merely sleeping; his face was beautiful, and I could have
stood and looked at it a long while. Captain Williams we found
next. Then Goodwin, Abbott, and Perkins. They had all probably been killed instantly, while Cary lived until two o'clock, P. M.,
of the next day. His First Sergeant was shot in the leg, and lay by
his side all the time. He says he was very quiet; spoke little, and
did n't seem to suffer. We found a dipper with water, which some
Rebel soldier had brought. They took everything from him after
he died, but returned a ring and locket with his wife's miniature
to the sergeant. His was the only dead body I have ever seen
that it was pleasant to look at, and it was beautiful. I saw it
again in Culpeper late that night. All these five were superior
men; every one in the regiment was their friend. It was a sad
day for us, when they were brought in dead, and they cannot be
replaced.
"The bodies were taken to town, and Lieutenant Francis and I
had them packed in charcoal to go to Washington, where they will
be put in metallic coffins. I took a lock of hair from each one to
send to their friends. It took almost all night to get them ready
for transportation."