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The battle around Saint Mary's Church, Virginia on June 24, 1864, brought the Second Brigade of the Second Division of General Sherman's Cavalry into a deadly struggle with superior numbers of Wade Hampton's Confederate cavalry. After skirmishing all morning, late in the afternoon Colonel Charles Smith's 1st Maine Cavalry was attacked, and until night fell the Union soldiers under their fearless commander, resisted every attack. At the head of his regiment, Colonel smith was wounded in the thigh but continued to lead his men, even after his horse was shot out from under him. Mounting a second horse, he continued to charge the enemy until that horse too, fell to enemy bullets. A third horse was secured and in the retreat, after two hours of the fiercest cavalry fighting, Colonel Smith, although wounded yet again, remained with his men, fighting the pursuing enemy until darkness ended what had been a unequal struggle throughout the day. |
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