USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.2 > Part 1
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GENEALOGY 973.74 M38HIS PT.2
V. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GC
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01757 0869
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
http://archive.org/details/historyoffifthma00bost
HISTORY
OF THE
5" FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS BATTERY.
ORGANIZED OCTOBER 3, 1861, MUSTERED OUT JUNE 12, 1865.
5 TH
CORPS
BOSTON : LUTHER E. COWLES, PUBLISHER, 60 FEDERAL STREET. 1902.
FIFTH MASS. BATTERY. 489
ing the Sharp Shooters. We arrived at this place at 2 o'clock.
Camp near Falmouth, Va. Nov. 26. 1862. On the 17th we marched down to Warrenton Junction then down the railroad towards the Rappahannock a few miles, and then struck across country for Fredericksburg. That night we camped in the fields. The next day we resumed the march; marched about 4 miles and camped. There we remained Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Sunday morning we were again on the move. About noon we passed the Artil- lery Reserve in camp about 3 miles from Falmouth. We then switched off the main road, and leaving Falmouth on var right marched through the woods. At 7 o'clock in the middle of the woods, dark as midnight, we came to a mud hole. Here we stuck : horses got mired. wheels sank to the lub and things looked pleasant. Our horses had had nothing to cat for two days. We doubled up-put ten horses on a carriage. and hauled through. By 12 we had got through Just beyond the mud hole the road was very narrow, with a bank about 6 feet high on each side. As the Battery wagon came through at full speed with the horses on, the drivers missed the road and drove up on the bank. As the Battery wagon got well on the top, over it went int , the rond bele w, and landed bottom side up, the pole herses in a heap, and their driver getting out of the way with a lame leg. Here was 'a pretty kettle of fish. The Battery wagen weighs over 4000 lbs., and is no easy thing to han. De. However, we managed to clear the horses, and then binding on a rope, we soon righted it. Our camp- ing ground fortunately was only about half a mile ahead. and we arrived there about to o'clock. As we were crowded with infantry we moved yesterday about a mile, to this spett. where the 4 batteries have a large field all to themselves. We are on the northern side of it. and about 5 miles from the railroad from Acquia Creek to Fahnouth,
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HISTORY OF THE
and about six miles from the latter place. It is quite a pleasant spot, and we mean to enjoy it while we are here."
In Corporal Shackley's account of the overturning of the Battery wagon he says, "The wheeldriver was so injured as to be taken to camp in an ambulance."
Corporal Chase gives this description :- "Battery de- coyed into a narrow road through a slough where most of the pieces and caissons were mired in the ruts, and the Bat- tery wagen upset, completely inverted. Obliged to double up most of the teams to draw out the pieces and caissons. Fourteen horses hitched to the 2d Detachment's caisson to evtricate it. All hands ordered to the rear to right the Battery wagon. Succeeded in righting it with ropes and levers, and the whole Battery went into park about ten o'clock p. in. Very scanty rations. Weather clear, cold, and frosty. A good night's rest. Marched about seven miles today and camped near Falmouth, Va."
RECRUITING SERVICE.
HEAD QUARTERS CENTRE GRAND DIVISION, CAMP NEAR POTOMAC CREEK, V'.A. Nov. 24, 18/2.
Special Order No. II.
Li IVm. Frederick .\. Lu !! , Battery E. Ma.s. Artillery, is d -- tailed to proceed to Cambridge, Mass, for the purpose of securing and bringing back recruits that are there.
He will ox ate this duty with dispatch and rejoin his Battery with- out any unnecessary delay.
By command of MAJOR GENERAL HOOKER. ( Sd. ) Jos. DICKINSON. Asst. Adjt. General.
HEAD QUARTERS 5TH ARMY CORPS, Nov. 25th, 1862. Official : (Sd.) F. W. PERKINS, Official : A. A. M. G. A. P. MARTIN Cap !. Com'd'g Division Art'y.
3
491
FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
Chase's Diary: "Nov. 25, 1862. . . . Lieut. Lull went home. On the 25th General Burnside issued a circular con- taining the following words :--
.Hereafter no salute will be fired in this Army unless by authority from these Head Quarters.'
Nov. 26 1862. In camp (near Falmouth by the side of the Acquia Creek and Fredericksburg R. R. ) all day, trying to live till the 27th, Thanksgiving Day. Scanty rations of bread and park. Weather cold and cloudy.
Nov. 27th 1862. Thanksgiving in Massachusetts. Ten crackers and a ration of fresh beef, boiled, for our rations Nov. 28th 1862. The engine "Government' passed here this a. m. The first one through from Acquia Creek since M.Clellan's retreat. A drill on the piece a. m.
William Wilcox died today of consumption. Nov. 29. Company called in line and after a brief service followed the remains of Wm. Wilcox to their final resting place. A short drill on the manval of the piece this morning. The engine 'Osceola' passed up this morning."
Corporal Shackley: "William S. Wilcox died Nov. 28, 1862, and was buried in this place." Ile was from New Bedford.
FROM A LETTER OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA. Nov. 30, 1862.
Things here roll on in a monotonous kind of way. We have now been encamped here about a week, doing nothing in particular. Everybody expects the Army to move, and nobody knows why it does not. I see some of the papers are beginning to bring up the old story of Burnside's being disappointed by the Quartermaster's Department, the non- arrival of the pontoon train, just as they did in MeClellan's
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HISTORY OF THE
time. The railroad from Acquia Creek to Falmouth is now in running order, and cars rua over it daily. Everything is apparently ready. Why wait till Jackson has joined Lee before attacking? Although the railroad is completed, sup- plies are not forwarded very rapidly, five cars being the longest train that has gone up yet. The work of unloading &c at . Acquia Creek does not seem to be pushed very rapidiy. . . . Meantime we must wait and hope. This forengen was occupied with inspection, which I have every Sunday. if possible. My horses are in por condition, as are all the rest of the batteries. Forage of late has come very irregu- larly, and two meals a day has been rather the exception than the rule. All the horses our here have been affected with a sort of hoof rot, which has troubled the batteries very much; some batteries losing 30 or 40 horses. Men are about as scarce as horas, in fact I have more horses than men. We have now pretty comfortable quarters. Our two tents are pitched facing each other, the space between en closed by a high evergreen helge with small doors, and a fire constantly burning in the middle.
Dec. 1, 1862: The first day of winter and no movement yet. General Butterfield is having his tent lined with blankets, which does not look like an immediate march. 'I he men are stockeding their tents, building log houses de. These things however do not prove anything. Nobody here wants or expects an inactive winter like the last, spent in looking at the Rebels. Last night Captain Gibson and Quartermaster's Sergeant Upton of the 35th stopped here al! night, and I gave up my bed to Captain Gibson, turning my- self in on a pile of hay. The guard at our quarters was instructed to keep the fire up all night, and by keeping the tent open I slept warm with my overcoat on. Our diet now is rather monotonous. The usual hard bread formis the basis of all culinary attempts. We have some very good bread now : salt pork adds an occasional relish to the bill of
:
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FIFTH MAASS. B.ITTERY.
fare, salt beef is now esteemed a delicacy, while potatoes and rice are things of the past. This morning we had baked beans cooked in our subterranean oven. Tomorrow we ex- pect to have broiled salt mackerel, roast beef and other lux- uries. Blake ran afoul of a sutler, who had some cheese, .10 cts. a pound, some chow-chow all engaged by a Brig. Gen'l, and ginger cakes. He managed to get a bottle of chow-chow and this with cheese and crackers, help down our meals considerably. We have now got to roasting meat to perfection in a very simple manner. We dig a hole in the ground about two feet across, and two fect deep, build a fire in it. and when our oven is heated put in the meat in a kettle, cover with coals, pile on the dirt and let it roast."
Chase's Diary: "Dec. 1, 1862. . . . Commenced prepar- ing winter quarters. Dec. 2. Posted the guard last night, first half, and today. Weather delightful. Dec. 3d. Drill on the piece a. m. Finished stockading, and completed my tent for 'Winter Quarters.' "
GEN'L BARRY TO GOV. ANDREW.
William F. Barry, Brig. Gen. Inspector of Artillery, in a letter to Gov. Andrew dated Washington, D. C. Dec. 3, 1862, names several Massachusetts batteries, which at dif- ferent times had been under his command, including the Fifth, and adds :---
. The officers and men of these batteries have been generally distin- guished for a high order of intelligence, for aptitude in acquiring the theory and promptness in executing the practice of their special ser- vice. They have generally been conspicuous for good discipline, and as far as they came under my observation, for courage and conduct urder fire."
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HISTORY OF THE
GENERAL ORDERS OF DEC. 4. 1862. FIRING GUNS. HEAD QUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH. VAN. Dec. 4, 1862.
Orders : Extracts.
par. 3.
In no case, except when firing canister at short range, should the fire exceed from each gun one round it two minutes : and that rate should only be reached at critical moments when the distance, numbers, and formation of the enemy are such that the firc is sure to be effective.
At all other times one round in four or six minutes is as rapid firing a. should be rermitted. The value of the Rifled Cannon consists prin- cipally in its accuracy: accuracy requires careful pointing with close observation of the effect, and these require time. Twelve shots in an hour at an object over 1000 yards distant, the time bring spent in cate- ful loading and pointing. will produce better results, than fifty shots will ordinarily produce from the same gun in the same time.
The campaign all wy ince of 250 rounds per gun. carried with the Division is calculated to suffice for a general action, and the combats which usually precede it, and under ordinary circumstances an officer who expends all his ammunition in a few hours, rerders himself liable to a suspicion that his reckless expenditure was prompted by a desire to quit the field. In future. Batteries will not be permitted to leave the feid or their position under this plea. The guns and cannoneers will remain on the ground until ammunition is furnished. As soon as one caisson of each section has been emptied. the empty caissons will be sent to the rear, uniler charge of a non-commissioned officer to replen- ish at the ammunition train.
If the expenditure of ammunition continues to be as extravagant as heretofore, it will be impossible to keep the Are supplied. By command of Maj. Gen'i Burnside. HENRY J. HUNT Brig. Gen'l, Chief of Artillery.
Chase's Diary: "Dec. 6, 1862. About three inches of snow on the ground this morning. Scraped the snow from the guns and pieces and hitched up for a general inspection a. m. Left park and obliqued into line a few rods from camp, and immediately countermarched and returned to park and unhitched : 'a false alarm.' Dec. 7. Sunday. Last night and today very cold. Frederick Manchester left for home today."
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
Chase's Letter of Dec. 8. 1862: "Well, here we are, as usual. 'waiting.' like Micawber, "for something to turn up.' Shovels. picks and siege guns are as usual going to the front, and they may turn up some new feature in the war, similar to our old one at Yorktown, several months ago. but when the performance is to commence has not yet been announced, and in fact we do not think much about it. I liave entirely outgrown the childish interest I used to take in the movements of the Army, and I now take about as much interest in war matters as I did in the rise and fall of steak, when I was at work for $1.25 per day. 'Variety is the spice of life.' and although we have had quite a variety. yet there seems to be a sort of sameness to our way of exist- ing here, and we want a new variety. General Joe Hooker now commands our Corps, and as he has been a successful fighting man. I trust he will be in future. Thanksgiving passed off very quietly here. I did not hear of any drunken carousals, or sickness from hearty eating. We had nearly as much as we could eat of prime mess pork and hard bread. and all the various viands we make of it."
Diary : "Dec. 9th. Inspection of the Battery by Captain Weed, 5th regulars, at noon today. Went through a short drill in presence of Captains Weed and Martin, and re- turned to camp. Three new recruits came to us this even- ing. Dec. roth. Ordered to fit our ammunition for ac- tion. The 4th Rhode Island Battery broke camp and moved to the front p. m. One more recruit came today. Dec. tth. Reveille at half past three this morning. Broke camp, packed up, and hitched up, and left camp about half past six a. m. Cannonading commenced in the direction of Fredericksburg about five o'clock this morning. . . The ground frozen solid. Bombardment of Fredericksburg. with but slight intervals of cessation, from about 5 a. m. until 5 p. m. Battery halted about a mile from Fredericks- burg and remained hitched up until sunset, when we
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HISTORY OF THE
bivouacked for the night. The city of Fredericksburg on fire in several places p. m."
Captain Phillips' Diary: "Thursday, Dec. 1I, 1862. Broke camp ( near Falmouth, Va. ) at daybreak and marched towards the river. Batterics had been in position the night before and the bridges were thrown over under their fire. Our troops crossed towards evening. We camped near the river. Abandoned a horse. Dec. 12th. Hitched up all day and got about "/2 mile nearer the river."
From Lieut. Scott: "On the morning of the 12th of De- comber, 5 days' rations were taken, the Battery hitched up and early were on the march towards Fredericksburg, 5 miles distant. Within two miles of the city we stood all day, camping at night in and near a wood, where we suf- fered through the night from the cold, chilly atmosphere that prevailed. The ground was partly covered with snow.'
Chase's Diary : "Dec. 12th. Cannonading in the direc- tion of Fredericksburg commenced again this morning about 8 o'clock. Left camp about 9 a. m. and proceeded towards Fredericksburg: halted near the R. R. and re- mained hitched up until about 4 p. m., when we unhitched and bivouacked for the night. An artillery duel across the river between the opposing armies this p. m. A brisk can- nonading on both sides. Weather perfectly delightful."
Phillips' Diary Dec. 13th, 1862. "Crossed the river about 4 p. m. Came into Battery and opened. The enemy fired on us from several guns in commanding entrenchments, killing Corporal E. M. Platts and several horses. With- drew at dark and bivonacked in the city, sleeping in a house. Fired about 100 rounds, -- 47 Hotchkiss shell, 60 Schenkle Perc. Fuze Shrapnell."
Chase's Diary: "Dec. 13, 1862. Fine morning. A very brisk and heavy cannonading commenced this a. m. about 9 o'clock. Packed up, and hitched up about half past &
:
i
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
a. m. Heavy cannonading at 12 m. The flank of the enemy's artillery plainly visible. A sharp musketry fire, apparently in the city, commenced about Je past 12 p. m .-- A steady firing of artillery and musketry. An awful battle is raging-3 p. m .- in and about the city. Troops moving to the front. Left our camp and moved towards the front about 34 past three p. m.
Four p. m. Battle still raging. Incessant firing both of artillery and musketry since the battle commenced. The balloon "Eigle' up during the engagemod. Battery halted on the way to the front. Troops fast moving forward. Quarter past 4 p. m. Battery crossed the Rappahannock over a pontoon bridge and passed through the city and took a position and commenced shelling the enemy with shrapnell with 4 second fuze. The enemy replied to our fire with well-directed shots.
Acted as No. 4 and 6 man during the engagement. Bat- tery fired about 120 rounds at the enemy and limbered up and left the field. Corporal E. M. Platts seriously wounded. Lost 5 horses. Halted in the streets of the city, and let the libres remain hitched up all night. Posted the guard, first half, this night. Weather during the day perfectly delight- ful, and the night very mild. One hour's rest tonight. Dec. tugth. Sunday. Mild. pleaseim morning. Musketry fire commenced about 6 o'clock this morning. just outside the city, and artillery fring began about half an hour later on the left. Corporal Platts died of his wound last night. Ilis remains decently interred this morning. Robert Brand also wounded yesterday.
Battery ordered to the front about 9 o'clock this morning. Icit the street with four guns, and placed them in the same position we occupied yesterday. Remained in position all day and night. No firing by the Battery this day. Infan- try and sharpshooters cracking away all day with irregular fire. The enemy plainly visible and their camp fires in full
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HISTORY OF THE
blaze in our front. Guns in position close to the Fred- ericksburg Alms House. Provisions, bedding, and other pauper fare very acceptable to us, this day and night. Slept near our guns and had a good night's rest. No fighting today."
LETTER OF CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.
"CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA.
Dec. 31, 1862.
I was in the fight but as I did not go in until about 4 p. m. on the 13th I did not see the principal part, nor could I see the whole of the field. I had a view of the rebel bat- teries, and they were kind enough to send quite a number of their shells towards the spot where I was, so that I ascer- tained their guns to be 12 pdrs. and 3 inch chiefly. I lost one man and several horses. We were in position on the left of our Right i. e. Franklin on our left. The right of the Battery rested on a brick kiln, the left on the Fred- ericksburg Poor House. The Telegraph Road and the stone wall were tooo yards in front of us, at the foot of a hill, and half way up the hill was the line of rebel batteries, earthworks with embrasures for the guns. The rebels fired at us, with great perseverance, till dark. and then we re- turned to Fredericksburg and bivouacked in somebody's empty house. The next day we returned to our former po- sition, and remained there all day, but this time the rebels didn't shoot at us. We spent the night in the Poor House, and the next day, after dark, returned to Fredericksburg, where I slept in the library of the Young Men's Christian Association. The next morning we re-crossed the river. As for the reason why we did not drive the rebels out of their works. in my opinion it was simply from a want of adaptation of the means to the end. The history of all modern wars shows the folly of expecting the best of infan-
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499
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
try, unaided, to drive out even poor troops from behind breastworks. All such attempts only repeat Bunker Hill over again, and when, as in this case, the troops op- posed were of equal experience and bravery, the attempt becomes inore strange. I do not learn that our artillery was used to any advantage at Fredericksburg. We had a couple of hundred guns mounted on the northern shore, all very well for shelling the city and covering the bridges, but useless for any other purpose. Some 412 siege guns under- took to throw shell at the enemy, while the fight was going on. and killed more of our own men than of the enemy: they generally do. The fact is we have no general who has shown himself able to handle infantry. artillery, and cavalry so as to make them co-operate together. Malvern Hill is the only battle that I have been in where the artillery was even decently managed, and there the number of pieces was so small that it could not have been mismanaged, very well. As usual, however, they had a battery of siege guns a mile in the rear, pitching shells round at random, killing two men in the battery next to me. And as for cavalry, they have not been of the slightest use in a single pitched battle : there is not a single cavalry charge recorded in the anuals of this war. You may say the country is not suitable : there could not be a better spot to manœuvre a bat- talion of cavalry than the battlefield of Malvern Hill, and they were just what was wanted at that fight. However, I do not want to be blaming Burnside . . . if he did make a blunder at Fredericksburg it does not begin to compare with Gaines Mills. I do not understand why he crossed where he did. instead of crossing lower down, and I do not widerstand why he does not cross again."
Phillips' Diary: "Sunday, Dec. 14, 1862. Buried Platts this morning. About 10 a. m. returned to yesterday's po- sition. . . . Martin's Battery was placed on our left. No shots exchanged. I slept on a sofa in the Poor House."
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HISTORY OF THE
LETTER OF CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.
"IN BATTERY BETWEEN FREDERICKSBURG POOR HOUSE AND A BRICK KILN. 21/2 p. m. Sunday, Dec. 14, 1862.
The paper on which this is written ( heavy ruled paper with a torn edge) came out of an account book from the Poor House, and I am sitting in a cushioned chair writing this. After marching round for several days we got started out of camp yesterday noon for the front. Hazlett and Waterman went into position the night of the 10th and took part in the shelling of the IIth. Night before last we camped near Falmouth railroad station. About noon we started and marched down opposite the lower part of Fred- ericksburg. The infantry of the Division crossed over. and about 3 o'clock Captain Weed sent for my Battery, Martin's remaining on the other side. I crossed and came into bat- tery on this ground, my guns pointing over a crest of a hill. Our infantry were deployed in front, and the enemy about 1000 yards in front of us, their infantry at the bottom of a hill behind a stone wall, and their batteries on top of the hill, 100 ft. higher than we were. As soon as we got in position, we opened on them and they on us. We devoted our attention to their infantry without minding their bat- teries, while their artillery paid close attention to us. They made some good shots, the Poor House being riddled through. We stayed in position about an hour, and fired 107 rounds. Corporal Platts, a fine young fellow, was killed by a shrapnell shot. Brand, a new recruit, slightly bruised and badly frightened by a shell which killed the horse he was on and another one. Five horses killed and several scratched. Mine was struck in the flank. Lieut. Scott struck by a spent shell, but not hurt, &c. &c. At dark we withdrew and halted in the streets of Fredericksburg. I bivouacked my men in one house, and turned in myself iu
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
an upper chamber in another. Scott and I found a good bedstead and spread our blankets and went to sleep. The slatted bottom, -- there being no bed, -- felt a good deal like a gridiron, but we managed to get along. The ventilation was quite good, one shell having gone through the head board of the bed, another through the bureau, and half a dozen through the walls. Several stairs were knocked out, and the house was in a general state of dislocation. We started a fire in the stove, out of chairs and washstands, and after a cup of coffee and a piece of beef steak I turned in and slept till morning. This forenoon we came out again to this position. We have kept our guns out of sight, and have interchanged no shots with the enemy. Martin's Battery is on our left. A pretty brisk picket firing is going on on our front, but nothing important. The men have found some flour in the Poor House and are cooking flap- jacks at a great rate. The looting process has brought to light a varied assortment of articles : tin ware, plates, cups, dishes, clothes &c.
Monday morning : We remained in battery all day yester- day, without firing or being fired at, and last night after a supper of beef steak and fried onions, we turned in in the Poor House. I lay down on a sofa, Scott and Blake spread a feather bed on the floor, and we got along quite comfort- ably. This morning I drew my chair up to the table, and cat my breakfast in a very civilized manner. We are now, 8 a. m., waiting for something to turn up.
Fredericksburg Poor House, Monday noon, Dec. 15, 1802. For some reason or other our mail has been inter- rupted for the last fortnight, and no letters have reached us during that time. I have sent on to Washington to have it forwarded. The inhabitants of the building stayed in it till a shell came through the window, when they left in a hurry. except one old darkey, who improvised a bomb proof in a corner of the cellar and held on. The keeper of the
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HISTORY OF THE
institution was a Mr. Waite who lived here with a large family, including Mr. Dana Magee his son-in-law, hailing from Connecticut, who appears to have carried on the manu- facture of tin ware in an upper chamber. They do not appear to have had time to carry off much of their prop- erty, and as the house was well up to the front, our men had quite a chance to forage. We found five barrels of flour. all gone now, and the men have been quite busy mak- ing flapjacks and pancakes. Cups, jugs, plates, kettles, and all the et cetera of housekeeping, were quite plenty, and proved quite useful to a lot of hungry and ingenious men. I had some very good soft bread baked, and foraged an old fashioned bake kettle, which will work in well in our future campaigns. . . . We had quite a noisy place on Sat- urday. . . . I had to send two guns to the rear as I had not men enough to work them. I want my recruits badly, and I have written Lieut. Lull to hurry them up. The city of Fredericksburg is pretty well cleaned out. Every house that I have seen has from 10 to 50 holes through it, and all the furniture &c. has been smashed by shells, burned up or carried off. The fences arc all gone, and a general state of desolation apparent."
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