Personal Recollections of the Civil War: By One Who Took Part in It as a Private Soldier in the 21st Volunteer Regiment of Infantry from Massachusetts — John Shaqi
Personal Recollections of the Civil War: By One Who Took Part in It as a Private Soldier in the 21st Volunteer Regiment of Infantry from MassachusettsStone, James Madison
History
Personal Recollections of the Civil War: By One Who Took Part in It as a Private Soldier in the 21st Volunteer Regiment of Infantry from Massachusetts
Stone, James Madison
Massachusetts -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories; United States. Army. Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, 21st (1861-1864)
Captain Frazier of Company H did a clever piece of work at this time. He
was in the right wing, his company was one of those that made the charge
breaking the enemy's line and capturing the battery. When he was in the
most advanced position, he was hit and fell to the ground; a few minutes
later after the Johnnies had retaken the ground, he came to, the wound
being a scalp wound, the bullet not penetrating the skull only stunned him
for a moment. He was made prisoner and sent to the rear under guard. He
was soon all right. He took in the situation and determined to play
opossum. He feigned very sick, induced the guard to let him lie down in
the shade of some bushes a little way from the road. He then kept a sharp
watch out, saw the Confederates were retreating and at the proper moment
pulled out his revolver, got the drop on his guard, made them lay down
their guns and marched them back to the place where we were.
We moved on a quarter or a half a mile where we came to the Johnnies'
barracks. In front of the cook-house the tables were all set for breakfast
but apparently not a thing had been eaten. The poor devils had been
obliged to fall into line before they could eat their breakfasts and had
fought the battle on empty stomachs. That must have been the reason why
they lost.
As we got over the excitement and had a chance to look around we
discovered we were as black as a lot of niggers. Our powder was bad, the
air was thick and heavy, forcing the smoke down to the ground and as we
perspired it stuck to us; my gun had kicked so my shoulder was dreadfully
sore, and my head had been nearly snapped off every time I fired, toward
the last, and it ached enough to split open.
We occupied the Johnnies' camp for a few days and had no end of fun going
through their things and reading the love letters they had received from
the girls they had left behind them. The next day we buried our four boys
who were killed. They were Pat Martin, James Fessenden, Joseph E. Stone
and James Sullivan.
Of the four men killed in our company, I felt in only one a personal loss.
Jimmy Sullivan of Westboro, was an exceptional boy, two years my junior.
His was a light-hearted, joyous nature. He was the pet of the company and
without an enemy in it. How he was killed I never knew; from the advanced
position I occupied during the action it was impossible for me to know
what was going on in the company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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