Captain Pingree, who led the charge at Lee's Mills, Va., narrates
"On the 16th of April, 1862, General McClellan confronted the enemy, entrenched along the Warwick and south of Yorktown. No attempt to force the line had been made, although cannonading at long range and musketry firing at close quarters had been brisk.
About the middle of the afternoon two companies of my regiment, supported by two others were selected to attack the enemy's line on the other side of the creek, and to capture and hold a crescent battery and the lines of rifle pits protecting it. My company, which headed the assault, was deployed quite closely. Unclasping their waist-belts, each held high his cartridge-box in the left hand and his rifle in the right. As soon as the batteries on the slope in the rear ceased firing, both companies started for the creek. The enemy at the same time opened fire from the rifle-pits across the stream.
The water was breast high in the narrow channel, but shallower on both sides of it, about two hundred feet wide, mostly artificial flowage for a line of defense, and was further obstructed with felled trees.
In spite of the deadly fire of the enemy, the two companies pushed on, and, without a halt on the other shore, dashed straight for the rifle-pits and battery, driving the enemy into the woods. Shout of triumph went up and signals of success were waved back to our lines. The two supporting companies followed us up and joined in holding the captured works. The line of the Warwick was broken. We anxiously waited for the arrival of the head of the division which was to follow us if we found the crossing possible, but no assistance came.
The enemy rallied from their panic, and with several regiments hastened to attack our little party of less than two hundred rifles.
We had lost heavily while fording the stream, and now the men were falling fast as the enemy rallied against us in overwhelming force. Messengers were sent back twice, explaining the situation and asking for re-enforcements or orders to fall back.
As we rushed for the rifle-pits, I received a wound below the left hip, which for a few moments prostrated me and benumbed my left leg so that I could not rise, but I soon recovered, and, finding no bones broken, continued to lead the men on, as our orders were to capture and hold the works till re-enforcements came. It was a critical moment when the Fifteenth North Carolina came charging down upon us at a run, but the well-directed fire of the brave Vermonters checked and hurled them back, extending their confusion to the two Georgia regiments on their right.
It was at this stage of the fight that my right hand was disabled by a shot which tore away my right thumb. While these attacking regiments were reorganizing for an assault on our position, the order came to fall back across the river, which we did, helping our wounded along.
The fight had lasted forty minutes.
Out of the fifty-two officers and men of my company, twenty--seven were killed or wounded, and of the three hundred and ninety-two men engaged, forty-five per cent were killed or wounded."Samuel E. Pingree, Captain, Co. F, 3rd Vermont Infantry
Captain Pingree returned to Vermont to become Governor
