[The following is from the Civil War diary of Samuel Clear, a Union soldier.]
Thursday, August 25th – Battle of Reams Station
[…]
We advanced over in a murderous fire. Just as we reached the skirmish line the rebels with two lines of battle emerged from the woods. We was then ordered back to the works, but we had lost twenty one killed and wounded in that half hour. Capt Nolen of Co B commanded the Regt, he went along the line and encouraged us to stand firm, and not to fire until he gave the word. As he spoke the last word a bullet from a sharpshooters rifle pierced his breast and he fell, his last and only words were tell Capt Taggart Co I to take command.
Capt Taggart was going along the lines repeating the same orders given by Capt Nolen when he was shot through the heart, he never spoke again. There fell two of as brave Captain as ever drew swords. Capt Taggart was from Pittsburgh he was a pious, praying christian man, almost every night he had prayer in the street of his Co or in his tent. We would often attend for we knew he was a good man.
Source:
Chisholm, Daniel, et al. “Diary.” The Civil War Notebook of Daniel Chisholm: A Chronicle of Daily Life in the Union Army, 1864-1865. Ballantine Books, 1990. 35. Print.
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