Second Class Citizens, First Class Soldiers!
 |
| Nathaniel Banks |
Political
Regiments?
B.G.
Nathaniel Prentice Banks faced much opposition when he campaigned to allow
colored men to join fighting regiments within the Union Army. Opponents claimed
that it was just a political sop or that these ‘Second Class Citizens’ lacked
the fibre and intelligence to survive on a modern battlefield.
B.G.
Banks Wins Through:
B.G.
Banks persevered, successfully forming the 1st Massachusetts Colored
Brigade, which has gone on to see action at First Bull Run, Antietam and
Fredericksburg. It was transferred to M.G. Paul Krackere’s 2nd
Division in time for the recent clash at Gettysburg.
M.G.
Paul Krackere’s Confidence:
Having
no doubts about the quality of its soldiers, M.G. Paul De Krackere assigned the
Massachusetts Brigade to defend the strategically important ‘Little Round Top’
as he and M.G. John Holt-Oglethorpe allocated their resources. The 5th
Massachusetts Cavalry dismounting to take their place alongside their Infantry and
Artillery colleagues.
Rebel
Waves Dashed on Massachusetts Rock:
Coltrane’s
experienced Mississippi Brigade preceded the attack by occupying Devil’s Den.
This feature had been abandoned in favour of placing more Union units in the
Reserve.
At
10:40, as the Rebels pressed forward to Little Round Top, a devastating initial
volley proved that there was no problem with the colored soldiers aim, the
losses causing 1st Mississippi to retire. This left the remaining
Rebels heavily outnumbered and despite battling on for an hour, by 11:40 the
brigade headed home. Pickton’s Brigade was next to try their luck, but by 13:20
they too had been turned back.
 |
| 54th Massachusetts |
Devil’s Den Exposed:
As
the Rebel tide fell back, M.G. Nathaniel Banks saw an opportunity to counter
attack and took the 5th and 64th Regiments forward to
take Devil’s Den even as fresh units from the Union Reserve moved up to occupy
the vacated heights behind him.
The
Devil Does Not Look After His Own!
Seeing
their position compromised, the remnants of Robinsons and Andersons Brigade,
blooded earlier on Round Top and Bushman’s Hill respectively, were pulled
together by M.G. Green to take back Devil’s Den. Having fought hard already
that day, they lacked the strength to meet this new challenge and before long, with
half their remaining units also now retiring, the fighting here petered out.
Massachusetts
Staying Power:
The
5th and 64th Massachusetts Regiments and their Artillery
colleagues on Little Round Top, were the only units of either Army involved in
the morning’s first fighting, to still be in the line at the end of the day.
M.G.
Paul De Krackere congratulated B.G. Nathaniel Banks and his First Class Soldiers
for their sterling service to the Division and the Union.
