The Sioux City Journal, September 8, 1901

The Sioux City Journal, September 8, 1901

THE BOYS IN BLUE OF ‘61

GEORGE M. PARDOE (2 Photos included)

George M. Pardoe was a corporal in Company C. Twelfth regiment of Pennsylvania reserves, and served in the Army of the Potomac.  The above picture of him in soldier’s uniform was taken at Washington in 1863, when Mr. Pardoe was 22 years of age and was busily engaged in coaxing an obstreperous first mustache, as in putting down the rebellion.  At the time this photograph was taken Mr. Pardoe’s company was in Washington assisting in guarding confederate prisoners confined in the old capitol building.  Mr. Pardoe and his comrades were quartered in the Carroll Hill barracks.  The other photograph was taken in 1901.

When asked for an anecdote of his war days, Mr. Pardoe said he might tell of the time he saw a flag which for the moment he thought looked as beautiful as the stars and stripes, although, he remarked, no one has a keener appreciation than he of the conceded beauty of the stars and stripes.  It was at the battle of Gaines Mill, one of the seven days’ battles around Richmond.  Porter’s corps, to which the Pennsylvanians were at that time attached, were on the right of and across the Chickahominy swamp from the main army.  The rebels made an attack on this isolated right wing, and McClellan at once decided to change his base by moving the army across the James river, and instructed Porter to hold the attacking army in check as long as possible.  This Porter did for two days, but on the evening of the second day, when the rebels had been reinforced by “Stonewall” Jackson’s corps, Porter was being overpowered, and many of his regiments being out of ammunition it looked as if he would soon be driven into the swamp.

At Porter’s urgent request for help, McClellan sent over Gen. Meagher’s Irish brigade, which by a fierce charge checked the rebel advance and gave Porter’s troops time to get across and join the main army.

Mr. Pardoe says that as those four regiments of about 3,000 Irishmen went up the slope of that charge, the rebel shot and shell screeching and bursting in their midst, each regiment carrying two flags—the stars and stripes and the green flag—he thought Erin’s green flag was fully as beautiful as our own starry banner.