Into the smoke and hurling death,
Trampling friend and crushing foe;
Through the cannons’ flaming breath,
Beneath the flag we rushing go.”
Unknown.
On the 16th of August we were relieved from the trenches. On the 18th we made an attack on the Weldon railroad, in order to cut off the supplies of the rebel forces in front of Petersburg. In this action our regiment lost thirteen men. The railroad was too strongly guarded for our attempt to succeed.
We were called upon frequently to repel attacks from the enemy, and continually kept busy until the 1st of September, when we were again ordered to the trenches for a few days. We were soon relieved however, for our services were required in another direction.
On the 30th of September the Fifth and Ninth corps made a charge on the rebel Fort McRea. We formed our line in a piece of woods, bringing the 32nd Massachusetts directly in front of the fort, and the 4th Michigan on our right. We had to cross an open field, and the enemy’s batteries opened on us directly, but we went on steadily until we were in range of the rebel rifles, then we made a dash, and soon reached the fort.
Our colonel received a wound in the leg, and Col. Welch of the 4th Michigan fell mortally wounded. The first to mount the parapet was an officer of our regiment; he jumped the deep ditch in front of the fort, and swinging his sword above his head, shouted to us to follow him; he was followed by several officers, who jumped the ditch and rushed into the fort. We soon followed them, though being encumbered with our equipments, we could not as easily jump the ditch as the officers. I jumped into the moat, and shouted to a Johnny Reb to help me up the slope; he shook his head, so I brought my gun to my shoulder and threatened to shoot him. He reached out his hand and helped me up the bank.
Corporal Lewis Chesbro of my company, instead of climbing the bank, ran around to the rear of the fort, where he saw a rebel gunner sighting a piece of artillery towards a portion of our division that had not reached the works. Chesbro instantly shot the gunner, then tried in vain to turn the piece around. Seeing me inside the fort, he called for me to help him. Together we turned it partly round and sighted it at another of the rebel pieces of artillery, with which they were trying to escape.