USA > Illinois > History of the Ninety-sixth Regiment, Illinois volunteer Infantry, Vol. I > Part 21
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WAITING FOR ORDERS.
We lay upon our arms through the chilly hours of that night, out under the open sky of heaven, without tent or blanket. Long before sunrise the men were ordered to be in readiness to form line-of-battle at a moment's notice.
Our breakfast was speedily despatched. Every soldier had his oyster can, or tin can of some sort, in which he roughly pulverized his coffee grains with the butt end of his bayonet ; then filling the can with water, and holding it upon a stick over the bivouac fire, a good draught of coffee was soon ready for him. A piece of bacon, fastened upon a forked stick, held over the fire, was broiled in a few minutes. the drippings being carefully caught upon his hard biscuit. Then. with his biscuit and bacon and coffee he made as good a breakfast as heart of soldier could wish. Next, the Entield
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muskets were carefully cleaned, extra ammunition was dealt out, and we formed line-of-battle and rested and waited.
While we waited we began to hear the distant rumbling of artillery. A little later the cannonading had greatly increased in violence-was multiplied at many points-grew more con- tinuous. Evidently a great battle was in progress, and as the morning hours drew on we made sure that we should have a part in it ; for the tide of battle was surging toward us, the noise of battle was becoming louder, the sound of the artil- lery was drawing nearer. But the battle was not in our immediate front. We shifted our position now and again, sometimes moving a little distance forward in line-of-battle, sometimes moving in column to the right, and again to the left. but most of the time simply resting and waiting until it should become known where we were needed.
Perhaps I should tell you that when a Regiment is formed in line-of-battle the men are in two ranks. Those of the front rank stand side by side, close enough to touch each other's elbows. The men in the rear rank form a similar line, standing just behind the men of the front rank. In the rear of the second rank are the Sergeants and the Officers. In the centre of the front rank are the Colors and the Color Guard- a guard composed of a chosen Corporal from each Company of the Regiment. The skirmish line consists of one rank of !en, not close together, but from five to ten feet apart. When moving by the front, in line-of-battle, the soldiers form a con- tinuous line, marching side by side in the two ranks. In moving by the right flank, or the left flank, they march in volunn, following one another, four abreast.
The morning was wearing slowly away, and, as the can- tonading grew continuously ficreer and more vehement, the Lerves were drawn to a sharper tension and the pulse began '" throb with a quicker beat. - and we still rested and waited for orders.
In was a beautiful, cloudless Sabbath day,-one of the frenous battle Sundays of the war. While we rested, the Sabbath hours were variously employed. The two sergeants I have mentioned had been accustomed to meet on Sunday
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for united study of the Bible, and I noticed that on this day they were seated together on a fallen tree, with their muskets beside them, reading from the New Testament, as was their wont. One-the Quarter-Master Sergeant-might have re- mained idle and safe in the rear with the wagon train ; but he enlisted to be a soldier, and his heart would not permit him to shrink from the toil and danger which fell to the lot of his comrades. So he never gave up his musket, and often man- aged to find time from his duties to take part in the Company drill ; and now he was with us, to share in the duties and the dangers of the battle-field. Like them, many other soldiers also had their Testaments open, and were reading in them, reclining upon the ground, waiting for orders to enter into the battle. Others were conversing in low tones, and a few bois- terously ; but the tone of bravado was rare, and was not long maintained. Others simply waited -listened and waited in silent expectation. There was an intense earnestness, a sober- ness, a thoughtfulness expressed on the countenances of the men which I had not seen before. I noticed that some. who had been accustomed to relieve the tedium of camp life with · games at cards, had strewn their cards upon the ground, pre- ferring not to take them into battle.
I spoke of the impending battle to our Lieutenant Colonel Clarke. I remember that some one has said : "I am afraid of nothing but fear," and I believe it was some such feeling as that which I expressed to him. I said to him that I was extremely solicitons that my Company and myself should acquit ourselves well ; that, while I felt great pride in their acquirements in drill and their discipline and soldierly bear- ing, all this would count for nothing, would be absolutely worthless, it now, at the supreme moment, in the hour and the test of battle, we should fail. Colonel Clarke said : .. I have no fear for our men. They will do their duty, every man of them. And I have no fear for myself. I shall go into this fight. and go through it, and come out of it all right." Alas ! that for himself, and for so many, the result was other- wise. I spoke to my men, wishing to gauge their temper. As the ominous boom ! boom ! boom ! of scores and hundreds
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of cannon near and far distant burst continuously upon the ear, I said : " Well, boys, that sounds as if there would be some work for us to do to-day." "Yes, Captain." "Well, I hope Company A will do well whatever it has to do." "We'll try, Captain." "One thing, boys-we must all try to keep together." "We'll stick by you, Captain, as long as you stick by us."
Still, we waited ; and the sun got up high in the heavens and poured down its rays straight and hot upon our heads, and the pealing thunder of the guns was incessant.
The battle was going against us. As we afterward learned. the day was already lost and the army was in a very perilous situation. Gen. Rosecrans had left the field and was making his way into Chattanooga, -had left the field, and the Reserves had received no orders. Portions of Crittenden's Corps were retiring from the field. McCook's Corps had been driven back and was in retreat, and, excepting Sheridan's Division, was retreating in much confusion and disorder. Thomas only was left to bear the whole brunt of the battle and prevent what was already defeat from becoming irretrievable disaster.
We waited for orders, but no orders came. Staff officers and orderlies had been sent during the forenoon to find Rose- crans or Thomas to report the position of the Reserves and to ask for orders. Some were taken prisoners on the way ; some found their way blocked, and they returned ; and if any finally reached Thomas they could not find their way back to us. At last Gen. Steedinan, commanding our Division, fully satisfied that the Brigade of the other Division which was with us was sufficient to guard the point where the Reserves were stationed, determined to move, without orders, to where the main army was evidently fighting a desperate if not a losing battle.
MARCHING INTO BATTLE.
Before the movement began, Company A was sent some distance to the left to extend our skirmish line and ascertain if any force of the enemy was concealed there in the woods. I had barely succeeded in placing my men in position when
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word came that the Division was in motion and that my Com- pany must rejoin the Regiment with all possible speed. All the troops were moving rapidly, and we exerted ourselves to the utmost to rejoin our comrades. We found the main road thronged with artillery and ammunition wagons, all hurrying on, while the hot dust, inches deep, rolled up in volumes. Leaving the road we pushed our way through the fields, pass- ing Regiment after Regiment, until, hot and weary, we reached the NINETY-SixTH, which was at the head of the column. Just as we arrived, the column was halted, for the enemy's cavalry were threatening to dispute our progress. Company A was again thrown forward on the skirmish line ; but the cavalry retreated, and the march was resumed at ahnost double-quick time. We found ourselves in a field over which a wave of battle had already passed, leaving, as traces of its progress, abandoned muskets and knapsacks, here and there dead and wounded soldiers, a straggler or two in blue, and a few soldiers in gray or butternut, whom we sent as prisoners to the rear. Once more we halted, and pre- pared to encounter an opposing force of cavalry, but the cavalry speedily retired, and again we were in motion, hasten- ing forward in the direction of the heaviest fighting. We passed near a large farm house, which had been converted into a hospital, filled with the wounded, while scores of wounded soldiers lay stretched on the sward near by. Hurry- ing on through the wooded fields we emerged into a large open plain of meadow land and stubble field, with an extensive field of corn to the right and woods to the left.
We were nearing the conflict, and the sharp crack of mus- ketry began to be heard amid the din of the batteries. We halted on the edge of the open field until the troops conld come up and be properly formed for the march forward. The Regiments of the First Brigade were massed in column doubled on the centre to march abreast, each Regiment pre- senting a front of two Companies, the intervals between the several Regiments being sufficient to permit the Brigade to be deployed into a continuous line with the least possible delay. The Second Brigade was formed in like manner in
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rear of the First. At the head of their respective commands were the General and Staff Officers, and Regimental Field Officers. In front of all, advanced to some little distance, was a line of skirmishers, consisting of one Company from each Regiment of the leading Brigade,-my Company being on the skirmish line in front of the NINETY-SIXTH, occupying the extreme right of this line, which extended some rods into the field of standing corn.
At the word of command the troops moved forward in this order, afterwards changing, while still in motion, into columns by fours. We had but fairly begun the march over the open field when we heard a sudden screaming, shrieking sound in the air,-a sudden boom above our heads, -and there was a cloud of white smoke where a shell had burst, and rising up from the field near our feet a dozen little cloudlets of dust, where fragments of the shell had struck the ground. And then came another-and another-and another-a host of them, hot and quick ; for over there on the left, just in the edge of the woods, a battery had been moved into position to break our ranks and stop our march. The heavy, constant booming of the cannon to our left, the sharper boom of the bursting shells all about us, the thud of the solid shot as it struck the ground and ricochetted over our heads, plunging on and far away through the corn field, -all this was fearfully exciting. How the shells did fly toward us and about us ! And with what a Satanic vim, with what an infernal energy, they seemed to come. with an indescribable scream, and a shriek and a rushing whizz, as if each shell were a malignant demon, with a will of its own, determined to tear us to pieces ! It was exciting and fearful, -a fitting prelude to what was before us. But, looking back from the skirmish line upon the inassed columns of our Brigade, while the air was filled with little clouds of sulphurous smoke, and innumerable clouds of Just were springing up all over the field, it was a magnificent spectacle to see those thousands of soldiers, with flags proudly Aying. marching steadily through that storm of shot and shell and never a break in the ranks ! Or, if there was a moment of confusion, as when a shell burst in the midst of the NINETY-
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SIXTH, disabling some of our men, the broken ranks were at once elosed, and the march was not interrupted.
As we approached the farther end of the open field the continuous piercing clang and racket of musketry sounding in front gave sure token that the battle was raging fiercely not far from us. On a distant knoll we observed a group of offi- cers watching our advance. It was Thomas and his Staff. A. very anxious group it had been when the movement of our troops in the distance was first noticed ; for, whether friend or foe, it was impossible to tell. "If that is the enemy," said Thomas, " we're lost ; if the Reserve, the army is saved."
IN THE BATTLE.
Gen. Steedman had galloped forward and reported himself to Thomas. As we approached nearer the troops were halted, the skirmishers were called in, and the Brigade was deployed in line, the NINETY-SIXTH holding the right. my Company having the extreme right of the line. We had halted barely long enough to recover our breath, and wipe the perspiration from our faces, and wash the dust out of our throats with water from our canteens, when word came that the enemy was mor- ing in large force to turn the right of Thomas' line, and that the Reserve must hasten into position to protect the flank. Our Brigade moved quickly to the right for a considerable distance, and then faced to the front. Company A was again deployed as skirmishers, and began to advance, when imme- diately was heard, here and there, the sharp crack of the rifle. The men advanced, returning the fire, but were met with a rattling volley. "Ah, this is no skirmish work !" I thought, and I shouted to the men to rally together as quickly as pos- sible. By the time the Company could be formed, the Regi- ment, with the Brigade, was abreast of us, and we resumed our place at the right.
Facing the fire, the line pressed forward on the full run. keeping the ranks tolerably well-closing up the ranks as men and officers fell dead or wounded upon the field-driving the enemy before us over the rise of ground, over the slight de- pression, and up toward the top of the ridge-still driving the
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enemy and gaining the top of the ridge-encountering a withering fire -- halting and lying down-firing a few rounds- then forward once more, running, and yelling, and again driv- ing the enemy-on and over a little valley --- on and on and up to the summit of another rise of ground-when our ad- vance was suddenly checked. "Lie down !" ran along the line, and instantaneously the men prostrated themselves upon the ground. For we were right in the teeth of a battery that opened upon us a fearful storm of canister and grape, and the showers of Minie balls from the doubled or trebled lines of infantry that now confronted us made the fire terrific-horri- ble -- murderous ! By lying close to the ground the men were somewhat protected, most of the balls and shot flying over them. And our men were not idle ! They made good use of their Enfields-firing -- turning upon their backs and reload- ing while still lying down -- then turning and firing again. So they kept up the dreadful fight, while with clenched teeth and bated breath and stiffened sinews, and nerves strung to the highest tension, they received and endured and returned the terrible fire of the enemy. How appalling the din of battle ! How fiend-like the screech of the iron missiles, rush- ing forth with deafening roar from the savage throats of the artillery ! How furious the rattling clangor of musketry,- withont stop, -without a moment's pause, -- without any let up or respite, -- persistent, -- incessant,-unremitting ! How unceasing the whistling of the bullets-tzip ! tzip ! tzip !- speeding with continuons whizz through the branches of the low oak shrubs that thinly covered the ridge, denuding them of their leaves, which fell dissevered in flakes of green con- stantly dropping, dropping, upon the jackets of blue lying beneath ! Ever and anon would be faintly heard the soldier's muttered cry, " Oh !" or " I'm hit!" And some would leave the ranks to seek a surgeon or hospital in the rear, -- and some. wounded in leg or foot, but not in arm, would resolutely con- tinte to reload and fire their muskets until, weak and ex- hausted, they would crawl away to find shelter behind any friendly tree,-and some would remain helpless where they lay, bravely suppressing every groan, -and some would lie
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still and stiff and motionless ! And, without cessation, the missiles of death still flowed in two deadly streams from us and toward us, and the thought would force itself upon me, -- "Oh, my God ! is any canse so righteous and holy as to justify such work as this !"
Clonds of powder smoke began to gather over us and to envelop us. We breathed nothing but powder ! Clouds of powder smoke hung heavily, like a dark curtain, between the two armies, hiding them from each other's sight ;- but through the smoke the streams of bullets still made their way. Then the enemy's fire slackened a little. Probably a portion of the line opposed to us was yielding under our fire, and the battery was being removed to a less exposed position. Masses of fresh troops, however, were hurried forward to strengthen the enemy's line, and another battery was brought into action. When the fire slackened, it seemed to us that the enemy was giving way, and our men instinctively began to get upon their feet, and, with a rousing cheer, were about to dash forward in another charge, when they were met by a fire fiereer and hotter than ever. "Lie down !" was the word. On the right of the Brigade it was promptly obeyed ; but on the left the line recoiled from the fire of the new battery and the redou- bled fire of the infantry, and gave way. The word was passed along the line that our men were retreating. Some one called ont, "Fall back !" Then we heard the voice of Colonel Champion-" Don't move, men ! Who is it that says, . Fall back ?' Keep where you are ! Hold your position !"' But the Regiments on the left were falling back, and it was useless, as it probably would have been unwise, to attempt to hold our position isolated from the rest. "Fall back, then, but keep in line. Keep to your colors ! Don't scatter ! Keep to your colors ! Keep your line !" The line, however. was not kept. The Brigade line was already badly broken. and we could not keep the Regimental line intaet. Some of our men retreated on the run ; others less rapidly ; still others more slowly, keeping more with the colors and our Colonel. Soon, instead of a well-preserved line, marching with regular uniformity, one saw an irregular mass, moving back in not a
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little disorder. The retreat was checked as soon as we had repassed the ridge from which we had driven the enemy at the first charge. Here our men were halted, and our officers began to form them into line again.
The supporting line, which, upon our advance, was placed in position a little to our rear, had partially given way even before our line in front ; but Gen. Steedman, with some of the Brigade and Division Staff Officers, promptly rallied it, and it now moved forward in gallant style and took position on the summit of the ridge which we had just passed, and kept up a brisk fire, but not at such close quarters as had made the conflict so destructive to us-destructive also to the enemy. Our battery, too, had come up, and was sent for- ward toward the right, and began to take an active and effect- ive part in the fierce contest.
While the forees now in front were keeping up the battle strenuously, we were recovering from our disorder. But, first of all, before anything else, we sought to quench the intolerable thirst incident to the battle field. Our throats were parched, and the canteens of our men were soon emptied. I sent back one of my men with a dozen empty canteens slung over his shoulder, with orders to find water somewhere -- any- where-and rejoin ns as soon as possible. It was late in the afternoon before he could again find the Company. I sent two others back to the ammunition wagon for a supply of car- tridges. Not a few of the men had expended every cartridge they had taken into battle. Some had obtained a new supply by cutting off cartridge boxes from dead comrades, and others had picked up cartridge boxes which the wounded had thrown away. Those who had cartridges shared with those who had none, and when our men returned, as they did speedily, with the box of ammunition, each man was fully provided with a double supply.
While I was thus absorbed in looking after my Company and getting it into fighting trim again, giving little heed to what was going on with the rest of the Regiment, a Staff Officer came up hurriedly, with arms outstretched, a sword in one hand and a revolver in the other (he had been rallying
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stragglers). his manner and tone indicating intense excite- ment. Doubtless I was equally excited ; probably we all were. "Captain ! why in thunder don't you form this Regi- ment ? " "I am forming my Company, sir. Where's Colonel Champion ?" " He's taken command of the Brigade ; Whit- taker's wounded." "Well, where's Colonel Clarke ?" " Why, don't you know ? Clarke was killed at the first fire !" As our remaining field officer, Major Smith, was with Gen. Steed- man, on staff duty, I at once assumed command of the Regiment. "Attention, NINETY-SIXTH ! On the colors, right and left, dress!" That is the command prescribed in the Tactics, and I gave it ; and then followed others not found in the drill book. "Officers, get your men into line! What are you men about ? Why don't you dress up there, on the colors ? Oh, you men, get into line ! Hello, Sergeant, where is your Captain ?" " We havn't seen anything of our Cap- tain." "Where's your Lieutenant? Isn't there any officer with this Company?" "He is wounded or killed ; I don't know which." " Well, Sergeant, take command of the Com- pany and do the best you can with it. # * * You Cor- poral. back there ! Where are you running to?" "I'm looking for my Regiment." "Here it is. Come up here. Bring those men with you." I noticed that the Color Guard was greatly reduced in number. Very few officers were with our shattered Regiment : but those who were present were doing splendidly. One officer had tied his handkerchief around his head, bandaging his ear, which had been pierced by a Minie ball. Another had wrapped his handkerchief aronad his hand, from which the flesh had been partly torn. Having roughly dressed their wounds they were busily pre- paring their men for further action. The officers spoke to the men in cheery tones, and the Sergeants were nobly filling the place of officers left dead or wounded on the field, and the men in the ranks were active and eager, providing themselves with a new supply of cartridges, wiping out the barrels of their muskets, fouled by repeated discharges, and forming the line to renew the contest.
We were getting to look like a Regiment again, and officers
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and men were encouraging one another and pledging faith to each other, with determination intensified tenfold because of the great gaps in our ranks, when a Staff Officer came riding up at full gallop. "Who commands this Regiment?" "I do." " Move to the right as quick as you can ; the devils are ontflanking us !" " Battalion ! Right face ! Forward- double-quick-march!" Other Regiments of our Brigade followed. When we had gone so far to the right that no part of the column was covered by the line already engaged in action we turned to the front, forming an extended line of battle. Again it was a charge-a running and yelling and rapid discharge of musketry. Ere long we again encountered a heavy fire-halted-lay down and returned the fire. It was almost the same thing over again that we had had at the for- iner charge, only the enemy had not now a battery close upon us pouring its shot into our ranks. A few men seemed inclined to fall back at once. but a word or two from the officers and sergeants kept the line unbroken. The battle raged fiercely, a very tempest of fire : nor was it less fiercely tempestuous on our left. at the point where we had made our first charge. The strength of the Division had been brought up to hold that ridge, and so vigorous and unflagging and well directed was the fire of our infantry and artillery that the repeated furious assaults of fresh forces of the enemy failed to break the line. After a while the enemy's very severe fire in our front and to the left slackened. For the time the extreme fury of the tempest was abated. The foe had been repulsed. In vain Had Bragg hurled against us the reinforcements of confident veterans who had come to him flushed with victories gained in the East. The effort to drive us back had failed ; we held the ground and the right flank was still secure. Here our hearts were cheered by our Major Smith, who, having tra- versed the line to our left, brought us glorious tidings of the battle ; how victoriously the Division had withstood the des- i-mate onslaught, and the whole line remained intaet. Soon & Staff Officer came along the line, urging us for heaven's wake to maintain our position, telling us that Burnside had just arrived with his Corps and was only halting behind some hills
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