Civil War Stories-Michigan Pvt. James O’Donnell As a boy, O’Donnell was an apprentice with the Jackson Citizen newspaper. He was 18 when war broke out in 1861and enlisted in the Jackson Greys, which became part of the First Michigan Infantry. Here, he gives his account of the first Battle of Bull Run, fought on July 21, 1861, which he sent to the hometown paper four days later: “Our regiment was detailed as the support of a battery, and we followed at a run up hill about a mile, when we reached the battleground. Our men were nearly all ready to sink down from exhaustion, but, like men, they stood up. We started for the right of the entrenchments of the enemy, and it seemed while crossing the field as though they had leveled all their guns at us, as the air sounded thick with cannon balls, but we crossed over in safety. “The regiment charged three times upon the enemy with good effect, but it was of no avail without support. In the midst of the battle, the field was terrible to look at; here and there lay those brave men who had fallen, the earth wet with their gore. Once I thought I saw one of our boys lying dead – his neck was torn open by a ball; a closer look, however, proved it was none of our men. By him lay horses and riders dead and dying. The groans of the wounded and their piteous cries for water were awful to hear, but we could not give them aid. I have no desire to describe the scene.” After the war, O’Donnell rose to prominence in Jackson as editor and publisher of the Jackson Daily Citizen for nearly 50 years. He also served as mayor twice, and was elected to Congress, serving eight years.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 19:30:25 +0000
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