Going Into Battle

You have wondered whether the men wear their overcoats, knapsacks, haversacks, and carry their blankets, when going into battle.  That depends upon circumstances.  Sometimes when they are marching, they find themselves in battle almost before they know it.  I remember that on the 18^th of July, three days before the battle of Bull Run, some regiments of the army were marching towards Mitchell’s Ford, a fording place on Bull Run, when suddenly the enemy fired upon them, and the men had to fight just as they were, only a great many threw down their coats and blankets, and haversacks, so that they could fight freely and easily.  You also wonder whether the regiments fire regularly in volleys, or whether each man loads and fires as fast has he can.  That also depends upon circumstances, but usually, except when the enemy is near at hand, the regiments fire only at the command of their officers.  You hear a drop, drop, drop, as a few of the skirmishers fire, followed by a rattle and roll, which sounds like the falling of a building, just as some of you have heard the brick walls tumble at a great fire.

Sometimes, when a body of the enemy’s cavalry are sweeping down upon a regiment to cut it to pieces, the men form in a square, with the officers and musicians in the center.  The front rank stands with bayonets charged, while the second rank fires as fast as it can.  Sometimes they form in four ranks deep, the two front ones kneeling with their bayonets charged so that if the enemy could come upon them they would run against a picket-fence of bayonets. – When they form in this way the other two ranks load and fire as fast as they can.  Then the roar is terrific, and many a horse and his rider goes down before the terrible storm of iron hail. – Army Letter.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 15, 1862, p. 2