Service in Tenth Maine Volunteers.
After his service in the Fifth Massachusetts regiment, which ended August 1, 1861, Edward Brackett, who was full of true patriotism, again enlisted, and was appointed first sergeant in company D, Tenth Maine Volunteers. This company was raised and commanded by Captain George W. West, of Somerville, Mass., and of which the writer of this sketch was then the second lieutenant.This regiment went to Baltimore, Md., and was placed in the ‘Railroad Brigade,’ middle department, under Major-General John A. Dix, and subsequently under Major-General John E. Wool, U. S. A.
This Railroad Brigade was under Colonel Dixon S. Miles, U. S. A., whose headquarters were at Relay house, nine miles from Baltimore, on the main stem of the Baltimore & Ohio railhad, at the junction of the Washington branch and the viaduct over the Patapsco river. General Miles was killed September 15, 1862, at Harper's Ferry, Va. Sergeant Brackett was in many engagements with the regiment in this brigade, and again proved himself a brave and intrepid soldier. Brackett was also in many engagements in the Shenandoah valley, and in August, 1862, this regiment passed up the valley, and was in the battle of Cedar Mountain, Va., and in the second Bull Run fight, August, 1862, and was attached to General Pope's army, and with Major-General McClellan's army in the ‘Forced March’ to Maryland to intercept Lees army and relieve Harper's Ferry, which was besieged by Major-General A. P. Hill's corps. The surrender of Harper's Ferry took place September 15, 1862, while the battle of South Mountain was going on. The Tenth Maine regiment was in the battle of Antietam September 17, 1862, and Edward [25] Brackett was in command of company D. Captain West having been made major of the Seventeenth Maine regiment, First Lieutenant Beardsley was made captain, and Lieutenant Binney being on detached service on staff duties at Harper's Ferry, and Captain Beardsley having been taken prisoner at Cedar Mountain, left Brackett in command of the company. Lieutenant Edward Brackett was killed at the battle of Antietam September 17, 1862.
Brackett was a most efficient, brave, and intrepid soldier and officer, and a most courteous gentleman. Had he lived, his promotion would have been rapid.
