Maine at Gettysburg [electronic resource] . e Wheatfield, considerably inrear of the position of the Seventeenth. Winslows battery,posted at the north side of the field, withdrew from its posi-tion. The Seventeenth was thus left alone, far in advance ofits brother regiments and well outflanked upon its right byKershaw- It was ordered back across the field in line of battleto the cross road before spoken of. Another attack followedbefore a new general line could be arranged. SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT ENGAGED. 197 The enemy seeing the retrograde movement across theWheatfield, at once moved up to the
Maine at Gettysburg [electronic resource] . e Wheatfield, considerably inrear of the position of the Seventeenth. Winslows battery,posted at the north side of the field, withdrew from its posi-tion. The Seventeenth was thus left alone, far in advance ofits brother regiments and well outflanked upon its right byKershaw- It was ordered back across the field in line of battleto the cross road before spoken of. Another attack followedbefore a new general line could be arranged. SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT ENGAGED. 197 The enemy seeing the retrograde movement across theWheatfield, at once moved up to the abandoned stone-wall andover it, and also to the edge of the woods west of the Wheat-field. General Birney rode up, saw the desperate situation,and also saw the Seventeenth Maine near him, which had justsquatted down in the cross road and had sent for had expended already over forty of the sixty rounds withwhich it was provided (a). Birney called upon the Seventeenthfor a charge. He placed himself at the head of the regiment,. DIAGRAM 2. Drawn by G. W. Verrill. SEVENTEENTH MAINE IN THE WHEATFIELD. and with a cheer and a rush it moved down into the Wheat-field. The enemy disappeared over the stone-wall and into the (a) Sergeant Pratt of company C (afterwards a captain), and someothers, carried 80 rounds into the fight. Captain Pratt has positive knowl-edge that he fired 60 rounds from the stone-wall position, although there werelulls in the battle, a change of position by the company, and a slight wound-ing, to interrupt him in his work. This proves the time that the regimentremained at the wall to have been nearly two hours. The Sergeant did notquit the field until he received his third wound, after the charge under Birney. 198 MAINE AT GETTYSBURG. woods. Placing the Seventeenth about midway of the Wheat-field he ordered it to remain there and keep back the enemy, (a) The Seventeenth took upon itself without flinching this taskof a forlorn hope. It was past 6 oclo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectgettysburgbattleofge
