and good conduct. The final charge of Humphreys's CHAP. X. division was one of the most remarkable incidents of the war. He commanded two brigades, about 4500 strong. They were mostly fresh troops who had never been in battle before. As they advanced to the front the officers were greatly embarrassed by the number of soldiers whom they found lying on their faces, unable to resist the murderous fire. A part of Humphreys's division at once followed the example of these troops, and lying down, began firing at the rebel infantry some two hundred yards in advance. General Humphreys, who had no superior in that army in ability or bravery, seeing that nothing could be done by musketry fire against the rebel position, determined as a last resort to try to charge with the bayonet. By the personal exertions of himself and his staff he induced his command to cease firing and formed them for a charge. He gave orders to pay no attention to the men lying on the ground, but to run over them and to stop for nothing till they had crossed bayonets with the enemy. He then ordered the officers to the front. Tyler's brigade, led by Tyler and Humphreys, marched with a cheer over the ground under the heaviest fire of the day. "The stone wall,” says Humphreys in his report, "was a sheet of flame that enveloped the head and flanks of the column. Officers and men were falling rapidly and the head of the column was at length brought to a stand when close up to the wall. Up to this time not a shot had been fired by the column, but now some firing began; it lasted but a minute, when in spite of all our efforts the column turned and began to retire slowly." At the end of this magnificent W. R. Vol. XXI., p. 432. CHAP. X. though disastrous charge only one member of Humphreys's staff was left mounted, and his horse had three wounds; the general had two horses killed under him; yet so effective was the indomitable spirit of Humphreys upon his men that the meager remnant of them retired "slowly and in good order, singing and hurrahing." He had lost in a few minutes 1019 men. As Humphreys led back Hooker, his undaunted soldiers from the fight, it was growCommittee ing dark. Hooker concludes his story by the grim remark: "Finding I had lost as many men as my orders required me to lose, I suspended the attack." W. R. Vol. XXI., p. 432. Testimony, on Conduct of the War. Part I., p. 668. General Burnside passed the greater part of the night among the officers and men of the right wing. It was a cheerless promenade, utterly devoid of comfort or encouragement. In the morning, unrefreshed by sleep or any other source of cheer, he had to decide upon his course for the day. Whatever else he may have lacked, he did not lack bravery. Perhaps we might use a stronger word to describe his state of mind on that gloomy mornDec., 1862. ing of the 14th. His first orders breathed a spirit akin to desperation. He directed General Sumner to order the Ninth Army Corps to form in column of attack by regiments. These were his household troops; he had led them to victory before; he considered that they would be faithful to him though all the world besides abandoned him. He determined to lead them in person' against those fatal heights where the whole right wing of the army had been shattered the previous day. But before the 1 Gen. Parke, his chief-of-staff, ner's Monthly," Jan., 1880, p. so informed Henry J. Raymond. 422. Franklin gives the same See the latter's diary in "Scrib- account. |