The Connecticut war record, 1863-1865, Part 9

Author: Morris, John M., ed
Publication date: 1863
Publisher: New Haven : Peck, White & Peck
Number of Pages: 886

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OUR ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.

For the Connecticut War Record. The Thirteenth.

AN OUTLINE OF ITS FIRST YEAR OF SERVICE. The record of the Thirteenth compels one to begin at the beginning. It has not been one of the "Newspaper Regi- ments." Of " our correspondents " it has none. Nobody, here or at home, has spent time or ink in pufling it, its Colo- nel, or its officers. . If a few letters from men or officers have crept to the light, they have generally been rather of pri- vate nature and not intended for publi- eation, and of little nse as a record of its course. Its wish has been to do its part toward making history, rather than to- ward writing it, and in that direction it has perhaps done something. In battle and in the field it has done at least as much as any other regiment in this ar- my. It had a larger part than any or all others in supporting and exeenting that wonderful series of measures in which General Butler gave the world a new edition of "the Taming of the Shrew." It was his household regiment ; it guard- ed his person, his headquarters and his

of General Batler's Louisiana regiments, [ About two hundred men, selected with and one of its Captains to command the City Provost Guard ?" and much more of the same sort. To which there was a

great care, were mistered in, and have since added greatly to the efficiency of the regiment. After cleansing the Cus- set reply: "O! it's the clean regiment, tom House from worse than augean filth, you see ; it wears shoulder-scales and ex-and making it a model for cleanliness, the tra clothes, and polishes its muskets, and | Thirteenth entered upon a regular rou- brasses, and buttons, and keeps a band. tine of drill and garrison work, and This is all the white-gloved gentry are upon those duties of which mention has good for; yon will not catch them in a already been made. The incidents of fight." How much of this we heard! that summer, if related at all in this Re- cord, must be deferred to a time of great- er leisure.

The transfer of its Major, Colonel arms and equipments, was likely to be! RICHARD E. HOLCOMB, First Louisiana, equally superior in discipline and condnet killed in the battle before Port Hudson, under every test-that the same pride on June 14th, was a severe blow to the regiment. Few even of the old troops can claim to excel the First Louisiana on that made the men elean, made them well behaved on leave, obedient to rules, thorough in guard duty, and faithful in | drill and discipline, or in conduet under the discharge of every trust. The regi- | fire. The Thirteenth furnished to it, be- ment was for months General Butler's right hand, and it is not too much to say that the astonishing success of his admin- istration is due not alone to his own great energy and ability, but in some measure also to the manner in which his orders were executed.

side Col. Holcomb, Adjutant Grosvenor, (now acting Major,) Lientenants Hall, Mayne, Smith, Gardner, Tracy and Jones, and several non-commissioned officers. But Colonel Holcomb was its life and soul-his splendid courage, manly bear- ing, great experience in dealing with men, superior qualities as a disciplinarian, and indefatigable zeal in the work he had undertaken, made him the idol of his men, and gave him hosts of friends, and a high position in the army of the Gulf. Ilis friends at Granby, and throughont the State, have, in their bereavement, the

at once fished an old yawl out of the water, canlked, rigged, and manned it. sincere sympathy of thousands of the and with this unloaded its baggage. equipage, and stores from the transport. bravest men in this Department. Dur- ing most of the summer, the Thirteenth was also in some measure deprived of the personal supervision of its Colonel, HEN- RY W. BIRGE, who was selected by Gen- most every regiment in the force abont i a mile from shore, thus getting there two New Orleans, and this ill will was not at weeks in advance of regiments that had all diminished by the constant proofs of landed a fortnight carlier. On re-em- high appreciation and confidence which barkation, also, finding a lighter but nofera! Butler to command the troops in the regiment received. "What has the obtainable wharf, the regiment built one

New Orleans and Algiers, seven regi- Thirteenth done," envious ones would in half a day, from which men, stores ments, with five companies of artillery and baggage were put on board that and cavalry. Beside the usual duties of brigade commander, the position required

night. We landed at New Orleans, May 13, and had the pleasure of waving Con- much arduous work which, upon more neetient's broad blue banner through the perfect organization, was performed at public interest ; that it is ordered out in- streets of that interesting " Union " city. / the Mayor's or Military Commandant's der arms when a rebel flag of truce and regaling the scowling multitudes on comes in and directed to pass, 'by the

the sidewalks with " Yankee Doodle," mnerest accident,' the quarters of the without variations. Within a week we rebel officers; that it alone is honored | were settled in the Custom House and with a review by the Major General supplied the General's body-guard. Commanding, and presented with a silk

office, but by his thoroughness and high administrative ability, Colonel Birge in- creased the confidence and esteem in which he was already hield by the Com- manding General.

From the first Colonel Birge had ask-

The regiment was at first commonly banner by Union ladies of the city ; that believed by New Orleans people to be of ed for active service and had not ceased it is constantly called on to furnish par- the regular army, and indeed its appear- [ to seek it. The regiment, also, to a man, ties for any work or expedition of im- jance was already very different from that i desired a chance to show that they were not mere carpet soldiers. General But- portance ; that it is kept here in the best fof others. Oll army soldiers came in [ considerable numbers to enlist with it, flor refused ; he would spare neither regi- ment nor Colonel. But when General of quarters all summer, and its Colonel chosen to command the forces in New and within a month it had at the reernit- Orleans, its Major to command the first ling office over two thousand applications. Arnold arrived and relievod Colonel

The Thirteenth was the last of Gene-

state prisoners, furnished his provost ral Butler's regiments to arrive at Ship

guard, drilled and officered the regiments Island, and the first sent to join him It after the capture of New Orleans. disembarked at Ship Island, April 13, raised by him on conquered soil, and was perpetually searching for and seizing rebels, contraband property, and evaders | 1862, and the lighters being all occupied. of his stringent orders. In all this work the part allotted to the Thirteenth was so prominent, and in much of it so ex- clusive, as to excite the jealonsy of al-

ask, "that it is always put forward in this way; that it is chosen as funeral es- cort at the obsequies of General Wil- liams and at every similar ceremony of

These people did not see that a regiment that distanced everything in the Depart- ment in appearance and condition of

THE CONNECTICUT WAR RECORD.

[SEPTEMBER.,

Birge of his command, the long desired ordered to the rear. As we march down Isth, and comfortably encamped from opportunity came. General Weitzel. in the road by a flank with our backs to the that time to the end of December. organizing a brigade of picked regiments enemy, his well-served battery tries our This long period of rest was well

for active service, asked for the Twelfth ; nerves, bursting his shell accurately over spent by the Thirteenth in battalion drill, for which, as yet, it had found lit- the opportunity, and in learning the du- ties of camp life. And so well spent, that when the Inspector General, giving ho warning whatever, arrived one day from New Orleans, and inspected the Thirteenth minutely at thirty minutes' the city in the latter part of September. reserve, for the Twelfth has crossed bo- notice, he pronounced the camp the and Thirteenth Concetient Volunteers, or just beyond us. First blood is drawn and First Louisiana, and obtained with from the Thirteenth; a shell bursting them the Seventy-fifth New York and over the colors, gives private Coffee, Co. Eighth New Hampshire, two batteries, I, an ugly gash in the head. But. the and four companies of cavalry, and the men are perfectly steady. We cross the famous " Reserve Brigade," the best ev- pontoon bridge, the rebel shot splashing er seen in this section, rendezvoused near water over it, form line. and lie down as After a short time for drill and prepara- fore us to support the Eighth New clemest and best he had ever seen, its arms and equipments in condition that would do credit to Regular troops, and its drill remarkably good, especially in exceeding rapidity of handling. In this respect the regiment has no equal in the Department, both because Col. Birge has tion, the Lafourche expedition, so emi- Hampshire, and while lying in line, pri- nently successful and so important in its vate Vogt, Co. I, is terribly torn in the results, began, October 24th, with the hips by a round shot. That battery is embarkation and departure for Donald- beantifully served ! But we lie here on- sonville. Ilaving landed and ocenpied ly a few minutes, for the Eighth New that point on the 25th, and ordered Colo- Hampshire has broken, and we are to nel Holcomb, with the First Louisiana, take its place in assault. The men ad- always insisted rather upon promptness to remain and fortify it, the General vance under round shot, grape and can-and precision in reaching a desired result started down to Lafourche the next day ister, through wild, thorny undergrowth, | than upon method and exactitude in the in pursuit of the flying rebels. On the and over dry, briar-hedged ditches and intermediate process, and because the 27th the enemy, having gathered his re- in spite of difficulties that the next day inforcements, and reached a most favor- seem almost impracticable, keeps excel- able position, made his first and only lent line, and press forward so fast as al- stand at Georgia Landing, and here the most to overtake the Twelfth, which Thirteenth was first tried under fire. . started some ten minutes carlier. Reach-

Thirteenth executes some movements, [ part introdneed here and part invented by himself, which are not known in the Department outside of his command. But that camp! Drill ground enough

The position is simple. Two roads, ing the open field just in front of the | for a brigade, and level as a floor; tents one on either bank, follow the bayon rebel ditch, both regiments push upon closely; from Georgia Landing on the them with lives as straight as on dress right bank a third runs off at right ' parade, and without balting give a few

up, every one with mathematical exact- ness, and all well floored; broad street and passages as clean swept as a parlor ; angles. In this road the enemy were in volleys that put them to flight and end jand behind all a long row of neat white- line, lying in a deep ditch and firing the affair. The battery and its best to' washed buildings erected by the regi- over the lower rail of a plantation fence. break the Thirteenth as it did the Eighth, ment : Commissary's storehouse, Quar- Just here, also, the bayou makes a bend New Hampshire: the Twelfth, on our termaster's storehouse, bakery, Field and to the left, and a battery planted on the right, were out of its reach, somewhat, Staff mess-house, with well and pump right levee sweeps both roads for a mile. and lost almost wholly by musketry. adjoining spacious stables, and a model Dense cypress swamps leave only a Both regiments, here exposed to fire for hospital !- a camp like that is rarely narrow strip of open ground on either the first time, had reason to be proud of seen.

bank, but in front of the rebel position their behavior. The loss of the Thir- While here a terrible accident-the the swamp ents in so near the road as to teenth was one killed and twelve wound- explosion of a car loaded with ammuni- render our approach extremely difient, ed. The enemy lost Colonel Melheters, tion-deprived the regiment of two ex- and at the widest we could get only two commanding the force, killed. Captain cellent officers : Lieutenant A. T. John- regiments in line to face them. More Revision of the battery wounded and ston of Norwich, and Lieutenant J. C. over, by a back road they have sent a prisoner, perhaps one Innlred killed and Wheeler of New Haven; and of two strong cavalry force to fall upon our rear ; wounded, and about two hundred prisen- privates, beside wounding several others. when engaged, and on the left bank their ! ers.

1 On the 28th of December, a rumor

force, one regiment and a battery, is "re -: After a pursuit of several miles the came that a fight at Baton Rouge had Thirteenth returned to livenac on the resulted unfavorably, and the same even-

fused." A capital mouse-trap !

Weitzel is advancing in force on the field. On the 24th we entered Thibo- ing arrived an order for the Thirteenth left bank, with one regiment, the Eighth deaux: on the 20th Colonel Birge, with to proceed thither without delay. At New Hampshire, on the right. The role this regiment, was detached to open com- sunrise the next morning the regiment els fire on our advance guard on the left; medication with New Orleans. Oppositbegan to march. Within twelve hours we push on and their battery opens ; tion was expected, but not found]; Race- the campof two months had been broken Weitzel orders up artillery and the land, eighteen rifles distant, was reached up, the great quantity of baggage, stores Thirteenth to support it. We form line that night, and the desired condummies and equipage that had accumulated bad and advance over pretty rough groundation was opened, and the next day the been packed and loaded, transportation and through a very dense cane-field, our regiment returned to Thibodenix, well for the whole had been contrived, and artillery finding no practicalde position. inclined, after a week's lary work, for we were off. Eighteen miles were made But now the General sees the whole portthe rest which followed. Here it rejthat day ; the next morning the line was sition ; the battery is withdrawn and wolmained, without tents, until November formed in a terrible rain storm which

THE CONNECTICUT WAR RECORD.

1843.]

lasted three hours and made the roads a if any one was so lucky as to have coffee . spent in disembarking, and in getting mere river of ind, and yet, starting at ; there was no water to be got but ditch- through the woods to the Teche, and as eight o'clock, we entered Donaldsonville, water. We were told that the demoral-| we came out of the forest the rebels over eighteen miles distant, at half past ization of the army was sneh as to! threw a few shell at us and tried to burn one, and were afloat on the Mississippi, make this halt necessary ; that some regi- [ the bridges, but were stopped. Toward men, baggage and stores, before five! A ments had almost wholly melted away, night we crossed, marched southward pretty fair day's work for " white-gloved and that nearly all were greatly dimin -; on the main road a short distance, and gents," we thought. We landed and ished by straggling. There was certain- bivouaced, the Thirteenth, as usual, in ad- pitched camp at Baton Rouge the next ly great disconragement and lack of vance. The next morning at daybreak discipline, especially among the new Colonel Birge leads out the Twenty-fitth troops, though some of the okl regiments were bad enough, but the Thirteenth had Conectient and dircets them to advance as skirmishers on the right of the road, not a man absent without orders, andjand very soon we hear firing. though decidedly vexed, was neither dis- couraged nor demoralized.

day, for the rumor of a fight was "camp news." January Ist, 1863, Colonel Birge was assigned the command of a brigade, and from that time to the present the regiment has been under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander War- ner, and it has had but one field oflieer,

Very shortly after the return to Baton the vaeant majority not being filled. Rouge, the whole division, with Emory's, After two removals the regiment was finally eneamped with the others of Colo- nel Birge's brigade, the third of Grover's

We have come to the battle of Irish Bend, the hardest fought battle and the most bloody, in proportion to the force engaged, that has yet occurred in this Department, in which fourteen hundred men, without real support until the fight was in fact ended, engaged and dislodged from a wooded position three thousand

were moved to Brashear City to join Weitzel's already there, and the Teche campaign began. The plan of this expe- Division, upon a fine high ground and in dition was excellent ; whether it was as an honorable position-in advance of all! complete a snecess as it might have been, rebels-a brigade of Texas Rangers, and other troops, and commanding the Port and if not by whose fault, are matters ; one of Arkansas and "erack " Louisiana IIndson and Clinton roads. Here we re- that erities will doubtless look into in mained until the middle of March, doing due time. The enemy were entrenched heavy ont-post duty, participating in upon the Teche above Pattersonville; Brigade drills, building bridges, and now | Generals Weitzel and Emory were to re- the main road follows the stream on the and then turning out at night when some outpost from a green regiment opened front, while General Grover, passing up mouth of the curve runs a back road say- fire on a mule, a cow or a stump, and re- Grand Lake in transports, should gain | ing several miles of travel. If he can ported "a heavy foree of cavalry."

troops. The position will be hardly un- derstood without the aid of a diagram. It lies within a deep eurve of the bayou ; move them by a gradual advance in inner or western bank, but across the reach this road, General Grover holds

their rear and eut off all retreat.

We sailed on the 12th of April : at every avenne by which the rebels can re-

In the abortive movement ou Port Hudson in March, the Thirteenth saw no daybreak on the 13th the transports hanl-, treat. It was presumed that they would fighting of course, but gained great ered- ed up in shallow water some distance not evacuate their entrenchments until it for its steadiness and discipline on the from shore, and the First Louisiana were ; hard pressed, or if they should, that Gen- march, and especially in the " masterly | landed in boats and deployed as skirmish-feral Weitzel would press them so closely retreat " which closed the performance. ers. Very soon the silence of the dark as to make their retreat a ront. But, in It was constantly selected for honorable forest was broken by sharp firing. The' fact, the enemy no sooner heard of Gro- duties; heavy ontposts were taken from : Louisiana men were pushed forward ver's landing than they resolved to evac- it to gnard the approaches the first toward the woods, and the rebels opened ruate and fall upon him in force, and, by night ; the whole regiment was sent with artillery-grape and canister for : the stupidity of a New York officer, they to the front the second night to hold them, shell for our crowded transports. were suffered to get seven hours the at all hazards the road by which we com- Instantly the word comes, "Thirteenth, start of Weitzel. This officer was placed municated with the fleet, and on the re- Connecticut on shore, to support the in charge of a pieket line before the ene- treat the Thirteenth was chosen as rear : First Louisiana," and the men leaped in my's works on the night of the 13th, and guard. A pouring rain all day made the i to the boats with a will. The two regi- instructed by General Weitzel to report mud ahnost knee deep, but we swashed ments are strongly attached, and with to him instantly if he heard any move- uweariedly onward, wading more than good reason, for if they have a dozen ment within. The General sat up late once through water to the waist, with officers from us, we have two hundred | waiting, but no report ; at daybreak he ranks well closed up, and asked only to 'and fifty picked Louisiana boys. So when went out: "No movement, sir ?" " Well, no, General, but I guess they've be permitted to reach Baton Rouge and we jokingly term them "the 134th Con- dry land that night, for we sadly needed nectient," they call us " the { Louisia-fall gone: I've heard their wagons rolling rest. Conceive, if you can. the vexation 'na." Either would choose the other, of pretty much all night!" Hence at day- of the men when halted that evening all the army, to be by its side in a hard' break, on the 14th, two strong brigades about four miles from Baton Rouge and fight. But the chance has not come yet. | were already in position at Irish Bend to compelled to bivonac in a field where the Before we couldl all get ashore the firing contest General Grover's advance, with mud was over knee deep! The stacks of ceases, and the Louisiana boys raise at reinforcements close behind. arms sank into the mud that night over : cheer and push into the wood after the! The skirmishers of the Twenty-fifth the locks by their own weight ! It rained flying rebels. One shell struck within Connecticut Volunteers, with five com- all night ; to ger wood was almost im- |six feet of our transport-a river steamer ! panies in reserve, wheeled to the right. possible, to lie down was to disappear in carrying three regiments-but fortunate- in line style and pushed towards the the soft embraces of mother earth, and ly did not explode. The day was mostly woods, soon supported by the Twenty-

THE CONNECTICUT WAR RECORD.

|SEPTEMBER

sixth Maine, but the rebels opened with delay another regiment arrived to hold men ! " Can anything equal the injustice a battery upon them, and they were or- the road, and throwing out skirmishers of such journalism ? Remembering that dered to lie down in one of the deep again we pushed through the woods the flank movement could not have been plantation ditches, our artillery soon re- without further opposition. Beyond these made had General Dwight's force obeyed plying from a position near them. Colo- jand across an open field we saw rebel orders and come promptly np instead of nel Birge then called np the One Hun- ; envaly and artillery in position, and their lying in a ditch half a mile away, one would think any friend of his would have dred and fifty-ninth New York to sup- gunboat. the Diana, now commenced port the two regiments engaged, and shelling the woods. We were ordered tojas little as possible to say of the events sent the Thirteenth Connectient Volum- Ilie down, and our forces made no further of that day. teers to advance on the left of the road attempt to pursue the enemy, who finally The conduct of Colonel Birge surely deserved some better reward that slan- dlers of this sort. The promptness and straight upon the position of the enemy's "burned the gunboat and made good their battery, and to break his line and cut eseape. Why our whole foree was not him off from reinforcements. Besides, pushed rapidly forward as soon as the judgment of his dispositions, his antici- thinking the rebel force inch larger than rebel line was broken and they abandon- |pation of the enemy's movements, his his own, and fearing that he would be ed the woods, I cannot say.

sending the Thirteenth straight to the only baulked, he asked support for his' The effects of the vigorons advance of key of the position, which, but for the right, which General Grover ordered; the Thirteenth can best be estimated by want of support on the right, would have made the defeat a terrible rout, and his from Dwight's brigade, Ninety-first New , the statements of prisoners. The officer York, but which found a safe ditch well in charge of Summer's battery, captured perfeet coolness and self-possession un- out of range and lay there until too late. the next day, said, "We were coming to be of any use in the fight. Briefly. up in haste with other reinforcements, the flank movement which Colonel Birge'and were so near that your bullets would feared, was made upon our right, and the reach ns, when suddenly the other bat-

der the hottest fre, show qualities that are not possessed, unfortunately, by all our generals. Never needlessly exposing himself, whenever his presence at the three new regiments, suddenly and fierce- tery and a mass of fugitives, Texans and front was required, his perfect fearless-

ly assailed in front and flank, were driven Louisianians, came down the road and back with great loss, and though fight- reported that a great foree had broken ing bravely, in considerable disorder.

ness was remarked by every one. When the confusion from the flank attack threat- Your right and occupied the road. Gene- ened mischief, Colonel Birge rushed into Meanwhile the Thirteenth had done ; ral Taylor halted us, questioned them, that murderons cross fire to rally and its work effectually. Advancing rapidly and at onee ordered ns to turn back and steady the men and withdraw them in our skirmishers, commanded by Captam retreat as fast as possible to the short ¡ good order, his horse was shot under him, struck in front and flank at once; every MeCord, drove the rebels from the first cut." strip of wood with small loss, but, from And a captain of one of the regiments ! officer in his staff was dismounted in a its onter edge they saw, beyond an open on the rebel left, also taken after the bat- |few seconds, one horse having five balls ploughed field about 300 yards wide. itle, said : " We had flanked and driven : in him ; and yet, cool as ever, he accom- the enemy in force, and very properly back the three regiments in the open plished his purpose. withdrawing the halted. One regiment was the Eighteenth tiekl. and seeing fresh troops coming up, men and forming them anew upon the Louisiana ; the rest were of Libby's were returning to our position to be line of supports.

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The Connecticut war record, 1863-1865, Part 9

Author: Morris, John M., ed Publication date: 1863 Publisher: New Haven : Peck, White & Peck Number of Pages: 886

Author: Morris, John M., ed
Publication date: 1863
Publisher: New Haven : Peck, White & Peck
Number of Pages: 886