History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc, Part 39

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co.
Number of Pages: 1424

USA > Illinois > Mercer County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 39
USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 39

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April 10 the last horses held by the mounted companies were turned over at Chattanooga. The navy revolvers were surrendered, and an order came on the 29th to exchange the Spencer rifles for Springfield rifled muskets. This last order produced a gloomy shadow on the men's faces ; but as the time was short the change was never made. We anticipate a little to say that this arm gave the 102d great reputation in the army. "Give way for the Spencer regiment," "Let these Spencers up," and the like, were expressions often heard when the regiment was going up to relieve some other in a hot place on the front line. The rebels recognized the regiment by its fire, and often asked what kind of arms it had ; several times it was jocosely inquired if the boys "wound up their guns on Monday morning and fired all the week." The slow fact never dawned upon the sleepy authorities that this rifle was fit for anything but the mounted service, and the idea pre- vailed that soldiers armed with it would become addicted to laxity of aim and waste ammunition. The 102d demonstrated the senility of these fears.

After the 11th and 12th army corps had been transferred from the east, Ward's brigade was attached to the former and numbered the first brigade of the first division. On the consolidation of those two corps in March, to form the 20th, it became the first brigade of the third division, and ever after retained that designation.

On the 2d of May simultaneous movements of all parts of the army began. Ward's brigade camped that night at Gordon's mills. On the 4th it moved from there to the vicinity of Ringgold, and on the 6th to Leed's farm, near Nickajack Trace. Next day Taylor's ridge was crossed at Gordon's pass ; Gordon's Springs was left behind, and the command encamped near Villanow. On the 11th, following up the movement through Snake Creek gap, begun by McPherson on the 9th,

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we halted for the night in the narrow defile between two of the immense ridges of the mountains. After cutting a new road through the woods the brigade moved out the next day two miles to Sugar Valley. The advance was resumed early on the morning of the 13th, and the command had gone but a short distance when it found itself in proximity to the enemy. During a brief halt here Gen. Kilpatrick, commanding the cavalry, was brought to the rear wounded. At intervals during the forenoon advances were made, and in the . afternoon the brigade was formed in line with a company from each regiment deployed as skirmishers. Then moving forward a short dis- tance the line halted, the skirmishers occupying the crest of a ridge in open timber in full view of the operations beyond, including the charge by the 15th corps and capture of the enemy's rifle pits, a redoubt, and two cannon. Meantime, having moved some distance, about eight in the evening our division took a position on the right of the 14th corps and on the summit of the wooded ridge overlooking Camp creek, on the other side of which about eighty rods was the enemy, working with vigor to strengthen his position.

Company G was ordered out as skirmishers and posted at the base of the hill. Early next morning company E was added, and then a bold advance was made to the stream. An attempt to outflank the line being discovered by Capt. Sedwick, he returned through great exposure to the reserve, and, advancing to the left, drove the rebels back. In the afternoon, while neighboring troops were engaged, our line was ordered forward to the brow of the hill as a feint. The move- ment unmasked the left of company I and a tremendous volley con- centrated upon it killed one, wounded two severely, and two slightly. The day was very hot. The skirmishers in their advanced position could not move without fatal danger, and their sufferings from heat and thirst were intense. The condition of the wounded, beyond the reach of help until darkness, was more aggravated. The casualties in com- pany G were: killed, John Gibson and Watson W. Hibbs; wounded, Frederick Friebele, John Burnett (mortally), Lemuel S. Gruffy, William P. Irwin (died in hospital), William S. Pearson, William M. Bunting, John B. Felton, John Dunn, and William T. Todd (died in hospital). In company E the wounded were: Michael Oswalt (died in hospital), Jonathan P. Morrison, and Gilbert Zend.

On the morning of Sunday, the 15th, the division was relieved and marched four miles to the left to join the rest of the corps, which had been ordered round the day before. A fortified hill on the Dalton road, north of Resacca, was selected for attack in the hope of piercing the line at that point. The enemy's breastworks, nearly 500 yards

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distant from where our troops could be massed for assault without dis- covery, stretched away in the form of an arc upon the crest of a long, high hill covered with forest trees, hiding the position from view. A spur, lower than the main ridge, jutted out in front, and on this a lunette had been constructed in which were planted four twelve-pound brass cannon. The brigade was marched up under cover of the heavy and tangled woods to the crown of the lofty ridge confronting this formidable position, and there organized for the assault, with the 70th Indiana in frout, the 102d next in order, followed by the 79th Ohio, and the 105th and 129th Illinois, closed en masse. At noon a low command was given and the column moved down the hill without a word, concealed by the timber and the heavy undergrowth, down trees helping to obstruct the ground, and pushed its way through with fixed bayonets. Debouching suddenly upon the open, plain, Gen. Ward gave the short, shrill command, "double quick," and with a bound and a prolonged yell the brigade sprang to the assault. At the same instant heavy skirmishing along the whole front and a brisk cannonade were begun to confuse the enemy and cover the charge. The rebels were taken by complete surprise, but responded at once with a terrible fire from the battery and the infantry posted behind. The smoke from the rebel position wrapped the hill in a lurid mantle, and the refrain from the artillery on both sides thun- dered above us. Men were dropping on every hand, but on and on with a continuous shout, like a thunderbolt of war, went the brigade. It seems but a minute and the broad valley is passed ; breath is short- ened and speed slackened, but the column presses up the hillside. Some stoop beneath while others push aside the boughs. The cheer has died out and the men, unable to see the foe, clench their teeth for deadly work. A moment more and the rebel guns, shotted with grape and canister, vomit their red flame into the faces of the advancing column. At the last discharge the men are so close that the hot breath of the angry cannon sways the line for an instant. Then, on our side is the first musket fired. A tremendous roar convulses the earth. A few of the rebel gunners flee, but the rest remain, like the heroes that they are, at their pieces, and with the obstinacy of despair vainly endeavor to beat back our men with their sponge-staffs! But all save five are slaughtered; these are taken prisoners by members of companies E and I. Many impelled by the boldness of ardor dash still deeper into the woods that cover the rebel intrenchments, and a few go quite up to them.

At this juncture an unfortunate circumstance deprived us of a com- plete triumph to this magnificent charge. Gen. Ward being wounded

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almost at the beginning' of the action the command devolved upon Col. Harrison of the 70th Indiana. . He lost his coolness and ordered a retreat. Through misunderstanding the second brigade, brought up for support, fired into us from the rear. These evil occurrences eansed confusion, and some fell back while others remained. The rebels had retired from their works, but rallied and returned. Had the situation of the breastworks been known to the men, or could they have been seen by most of them, the line would have been taken. But when the lunette was captured, no other works being in sight, it was supposed by the men generally that they were in possession of all the enemy had, and that the rebel infantry had ingloriously fled. This was their first battle, too, and they had no fixed and common idea as to what might be found on the field, or what should be expected. With their experience a month later they would have carried the entire parapet in handsome style and completely broken through the enemy's line.

The rebels having come back, they opened with sharp volleys, and our men, lying down behind logs and trees and under the redoubt, grimly resolved to hold all they had gained. The lines were but a few rods apart, and a galling fire was kept up by both sides during the- day and a part of the night ; but the foe was well protected, while our men were greatly exposed to raking shots from the right and the left, as well as from the front.

When at the early stage the disorder was created, a part of the regiment was collected at the foot of the hill and marched to the left, where they took a share in a fierce engagement with Hood's corps, which charged our line and was disastrously repulsed.

At ten o'clock that night we were relieved and fell back a short distance to the rear for rest. The casualties in the 102d were 18 killed, 76 wounded, and 1 missing. Six of the wounded soon after died. In this action the gallantry of both officers and men received flattering notice next day in orders from Gen. Butterfield, and later, complimentary credit from the general of the army. Acts of indi- vidnal heroism were numerons. Orderly sergeant John Morrison, of company A, who had been commissioned lieutenant but not mustered, and was wounded and afterward died, was much applauded for con- spicuous bravery. Color-sergeant R. L. Carver displayed most cour- ageous bearing and was seriously wounded. The banner-bearer, Corporal P. F. Dillon, fell an instant later, pierced through the breast. Adjutant J. H. Snyder caught up the banner and bore it with impetu- ous gallantry into the earthwork and subsequently planted it on the parapet. Fifty bulllets riddled its folds and two struck the staff. The colors of the 102d were the first raised over the works. Persistent

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valor shed luster on our flag. The desperate courage which held the position from noon until ten o'clock at night was not surpassed by the heroism which covered our arms with glory at Buena Vista or Cerro Gordo.

That night Johnson withdrew his army across the Oostanaula, and Sherman followed close behind the next day. Our brigade was left to bury its dead. A long trench, embowered by soughing pines, was dug, and the fifty-one slain of the brigade were given tender sepulture in this common grave. A prayer was said, a few remarks were made by a white-haired chaplain, the grave was filled, and the brigade, as night was nearing, hastened to overtake the main army.

" We marched on our wearisome way, And we strewed the wild hills of Resacca - God bless those who fell on that day."

On the morning of the 27th we crossed the Coosawattee river and marched ten miles that day. The 18th was hot and many straggled along the route of fifteen miles. Toward the close of the afternoon the enemy grew stubborn as he was closely pressed. Moving out very early next morning, the 19th, the brigade was shortly thrown into line of battle, with companies B and G from the 102d in front as skir- mishers. The enemy was in plain sight, and after taking a shelling from a single field piece an hour and a half, and losing Samuel Har- vey, of company G, the brigade moved two miles to the right. As soon as this new ground was reached the rebels emerged from a dense woods on the opposite side of an extensive field, and advanced toward our line. With extreme energy a barricade of rails was made, while a battery on our right played upon them so effectively as to send them hurtling back whence they came. At 2 o'clock the order to advance was given, and we debouched into the cleared space and marched in columns by company up the rising ground. Banners were unfurled and fluttered proudly over the heads of the men, as with handsome precision they executed the movement. As far as could be seen in either direction nothing met the eye but this imposing pageant. Gen. Hooker and his staff remained near our brigade during the afternoon, and when the highest ground was reached we were halted in that position for some time, our commander watching from this favorable point the movements of the enemy. We were close on the foe and there was expectation of a battle. Johnson had resolved to risk a general engagement at Cassville, and had his army strongly posted and intrenched for that purpose, but later developments led him to adopt a different plan. Our skirmishers were thrown forward to a narrow strip of woods below us ; beyond this was another field

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into which the rebels came. A battery in our immediate rear pitched a few shells over the tree tops where our skirmishers were sheltered, and as we had a view of the open ground on the other side, we pres- ently saw the rebels raising the dust in retreat. They were followed by the skirmishers who disappeared in the timber which hid the enemy at the same time. At five o'clock we advanced over the same ground to the edge of Cassville. After a brief halt the command fell back and went into camp near the place from which it last moved up. We slept that night under orders from the commanding general for the whole army to close in upon Cassville at daylight, and "to attack the enemy wherever found." But he was in full retreat before that hour.

Pausing a few days till the railroad was repaired we moved again at four o'clock on the morning of the 23d and crossed the Etowah. On the 24th, continuing in the direction of Dallas, the command camped at Burnt Hickory, and at four o'clock on the afternoon of the 25th was brought up to support Geary's division, which had struck the enemy in force at New Hope Church, and was under fire some hours. At dark the brigade was ordered to march over the four lines of our troops lying in front, and to attack the enemy vigorously. The 102d instantly began the forward movement, which was soon arrested by a member of Gen. Butterfield's staff till the 70th Indiana could make connection with it. When this was done Col. Smith renewed the advance until we came upon the skirmishers belonging to the second brigade (Col. Coburn), where he halted the regiment and ordered the men to lie down while preparations were making for the attack. It was discovered that we were separated from the 70th, and Col. Coburn at the same moment gave information that the enemy was not more than 200 yards in front, strongly posted and six lines deep. One of Gen. Butterfield's staff appeared, and being notified of the situation directed Col. Smith to remain in that position, and, if possible, to find Col. Harrison. The latter was discovered some distance in the rear, and being temporarily in command of the brigade ordered the 102d to return, which it did, getting into position with the rest of the brigade about ten o'clock. It had begun to rain, the night was very dark, and the command was hopelessly mixed up in the forest. The bursting rebel shells lighted up the woods with a grand and weird appearance. Fatigued and rationless the men sank down upon the wet ground.

In his memoirs, speaking of this place, and events here, Gen. Sher- man says: "The woods were so dense and the resistance so spirited that Hooker could not carry the position, though the battle was noisy and prolonged far into the night. This point, 'New Hope,' . was four miles northeast of Dallas, and from the bloody fighting there

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for the next week was called by the soldiers 'Hell-Hole.' The night was pitch-dark, it rained hard, and the convergence of our columns toward Dallas produced much confusion. I am sure similar confusion existed in the army opposed to us, for we were all mixed up. I slept on the ground, without cover, along side of a log, got little sleep, resolved at daylight to renew the battle, and to make a lodgment on the Dallas and Allatoona road, if possible, but the morning revealed a strong line of intrenchments facing us, with a heavy force of infantry and guns. The battle was renewed, and without success." Descrip- tive of the style of fighting, he continues : "All this time a continual battle was in progress by strong skirmish-lines, taking advantage of every species of cover, and both parties fortifying each night by rifle- trenches, with head-logs, many of which grew to be as formidable as first-class works of defense. Occasionally one party or the other would make a dash in the nature of a sally, but usually it sustained a repulse with great loss of life. I visited personally all parts of our lines nearly every day, was constantly within musket-range, and though the fire of musketry and cannon resounded day and night along the whole line, varying from six to ten miles, I rarely saw a dozen of the enemy at any one time, and these were always skirmishers, dodging from tree to tree, or behind logs on the ground, or who occasionally showed their heads above the hastily-constructed, but remarkably strong, rifle- trenches."

Companies A and F were detailed to build breastworks, and before daylight the regiment was brought to the line and engaged with a will in the same task. A thick fog obseured everything; still the enemy's sharp-shooters were able to annoy severely the working parties, and Capt. D. W. Sedwick was ordered forward with company E to drive them away. He advanced to within a few yards of the rebel breast- works before discovering his proximity to them, and before he could withdraw had several men wounded. Posting his company behind trees and logs the rebel marksmen could not long endure the intense and accurate fire of the Spencer rifles. Company E was relieved early by company C, and this at one in the afternoon by company K. Capt. Sedwick had seven men wounded that morning. Battery M, 1st New York artillery, had been brought up to our line and kept in constant activity two or three hours, and the rebels, to silence or check its firing, planted guns nearly opposite in their intrenehments. Information of this, coming to Col. Smith, he strengthened the skirmish-line with eight picked men, who were instructed to cover the guns, which could be seen through the foliage, with a torrent of lead, to prevent their use or removal. Gen. Hooker approved this and ordered that it be continued

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with vigor, and at five o'clock the skirmishers were reinforced by twenty more marksmen. At eleven o'clock at night the rebels attempted to remove them, but were frustrated by the terrible fire con- centrated on them from the Spencer rifles. The guns were held by occasional reliefs until the afternoon of the 27th, when the regiment was relieved by the 111th Pennsylvania. When the Spencers were gone the enemy got his battery off.

Moving to the right half a mile and joining the brigade on the right of the corps, we waited till after dark for orders, and then were placed behind breastworks, where we lay till the next morning, and were relieved by the 73d Ohio. Company F had one man wounded here just as the relief was taking place. The rebels opened on us warmly as we retired, and we had not more than reached a location 300 yards in rear, for rest, when they showed awakened activity, and "several rounds of grape shot were fired by them, and the little iron crab apples barked the trees and rattled around so thickly it was mar- velous no one was hurt." Finally, dropping a little farther to the rear, we camped for the night. Loss during the four days, 4 killed and 14 wounded.

At ten at night on the 29th the 102d was ordered half a mile to the right to close a gap between the 15th and 20th corps, and on the morn- ing of the 31st was relieved by the 129th Illinois, Col. Case. At noon of the 1st of June, being relieved by troops from the 15th corps, we moved with the brigade three miles to the left. Thus had passed a week in the "Hell-Hole," and thus ended our share in "the drawn battle of New Hope church," so-called by Gen. Sherman.

At noon on the 2d a rainy period, which extended to the last days of the month, began with a descending torrent. An hour later the brigade again took up the movement to the left, and proceeding two and a half miles was formed in order of battle in support of the 2d brigade, before which the enemy fell back stubbornly. The other regiments were more exposed and their loss was considerable. Brigade Surgeon Potter, of the 105th Illinois, was killed by a shell. The 3d was rainy; the troops were out of rations; another move was taken three miles to the left. Next day another short move was made. Then . on the 6th a march of five miles brought us to the Wet Tortugas, where we raised a breastwork and lay in the rain till the 15th. Rations were short, and ox-tail soup and damaged "hard tack " in request. At one in the afternoon the brigade was thrown forward, with the 102d on the skirmish-line, companies E, F, G and I deployed, the rest in reserve. Crossing an ample field the rebel skirmishers were driven from their outposts in the edge of the woods. Retreating to strong posts on

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higher ground they held out a stubborn resistance, but our men pressed up under a brisk fire to within fifty yards, and at the next advance they drew off. The most important casualty was the wound received by Capt. Isaac McManus.

This place was known as Golgotha church, and it was here that Col. Smith received a flesh wound on the 16th, which sent him to the rear till the 10th of August, when he rejoined the regiment before Atlanta. The loss in the. 102d during the two days' operations was thirteen wounded, including the officers named. Alluding to these operations Gen. Sherman says: "On the 15th we advanced our gen- eral lines, intending to attack at any weak point discovered between Kenesaw and Pine Mountain; but Pine Mountain was found to be abandoned, and Johnston had contracted his front somewhat, on a direct line, connecting Kenesaw with Lost Mountain. On the 16th the general movement was continued, when Lost Mountain was abandoned by the enemy."

We pause to give the general's description of how breastworks were built: "The enemy and ourselves used the same form of rifle-trench, varied according to the nature of the ground, viz : the trees and bushes ' were cut away for a hundred yards or more in front, serving as an abatis or entanglement ; the parapets varied from four to six feet high, the dirt taken from a ditch outside and from a covered way inside, and this parapet was surmounted by a 'head-log,' composed of the trunk of a tree from twelve to twenty inches at the butt, lying along the interior crest of the parapet and resting in notches cut in other trunks, which extended back, forming an inclined plane, in case the head-log should be knocked inward by a cannon-shot. The men of both armies became. extremely skillful in the construction of these works, because each man realized their value and importance to himself, so that it required no orders for their construction. As soon as a regiment or brigade gained a position within easy distance of a sally, it would set to work with a will, and would construct such a parapet in a single night."

On the 17th the right of the army, composed of the 20th and 23d corps, the latter slightly refused on the flank, swung forward in a kind of grand left wheel in the direction of Marietta. It will not be for- gotten how Butterfield's division hunted its way through the low bushes and tangled timber to conceal its own movement; for, as Gen. Sherman explains, the enemy's "position gave him a perfect view over our field, and we had to proceed with due caution." On reaching open ground we formed our camp, and lay here till the morning of the 19th, when the bugle sounded the "general," to "pack up our knapsacks and get ready to go." It was here that we witnessed the shelling of a deep

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forest by a number of our batteries occupying two tiers upon a lofty and extensive range, one holding the crest, the other half way down the side on a ledge or shelf. For adaptability to the purpose and the occa- sion the position was all that nature could have made it, and with so many guns in operation, all in full view, the effect heightened by the exhibition beyond, the sharp explosions of shells, and the white puffs of lurid smoke rising above the trees, whose tops were lower than our feet, as we stood on the summit, was such an incident in war's realities as is not often seen. The enemy was sullen, responding only occa- sionally with his field-pieces, but his sharp-shooters were active and did some execution.

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History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc, Part 39

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co. Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co.
Number of Pages: 1424