USA > Massachusetts > History of the Second Mass. Regiment of Infantry, third paper > Part 1
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GG
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00824 8137
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofsecondm03gord
HISTORY
OF THE
second Mas .
Regiment of Infantry:
THIRD PAPER.
DELIVERED BY
GEORGE H. GORDON,
MAJOR-GENERAL OF VOLUNTEERS AND COLONEL SECOND MASS. RECIMENT OF INFANTRY IN THE LATE WAR,
AT THE
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SECOND MASS. INFANTRY ASSOCIATION, ON MAY TI, IS;5.
,
BOSTON: ALFRED MUDGE & SON, PRINTERS, 34 SCHOOL STREET.
1$75.
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F 8349 .4119
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-- GORDON, GEORGE HENRY, 18250-1886. History of the Second Mass. regiment of in- fantry: third paper. Delivered ... at the annual meeting of the Second Mass. infantry association May 11, 1875. Boston , Mudge , 1875. 231p.
On cover: The Second Massachusetts and "Stonewall" Jackson.
Dawes F 8349
another copy.
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1 .4119
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER III.
President's order for advance of Army of Potomac - March of Second Massachusetts through Frederick to take cars for Harper's Ferry - Condition of Harper's Ferry - Armed Reconnaissance to Charles- town, Va. - Gen. M.Clellan at Charlestown - Duty in and around Charlestown -- Sentiments of the people -- March at night to save a loyal Maryland regiment - Composition and number of our troops concentrated around Charlestown - Destination - March of my Brigade to Berryville - Attack upon a threshing-machine - Enemy abandons Winchester- False alarm - Night march -- Stonewall Jackson's feelings upon retiring from Winchester without a fight - Foraging - Our troops punished for it - Rations - Fortifications about Winchester - Second Beginnt in new brigade - March of Fifth Corps tBanky for Centreville - March arrested - Battle of Kernstown -- Appearance of bottle-feld - Vengeance of a Vir- ginian - Enany's line of battle - Attack upon enemy's line- Numbers engaged - Gen. Shields's stratagen - Jobin ton's instruc- tions to Jackson- Jackson's r. treit -- Ferocious Cermin -- Stras- burg- Modellen's instructions to Banks-Second campaign- Strasburg to Woodstock - Skirmish - Edenburg - Artillery fight - Ashby's exploits - Cart-horse for Aid - Picket sta'king - My horse, his life and death . .
3-4-1
CHAPTER IV.
IMfe at Edenburg -- Thi and Stephen - Religions services -- March from Edenburg - Astby with his white horse - Mount Jack on - The fankins col ann -- Danning's Brig de -Crossig do Shenan! a' - Views at New Market -- Vir Aria House (entrance of - Drive Il ad quarters - Inaction to m'stress of house - Heringslaves-
-- Jackson reven's across South Fork of Shemand the- Bitterness of Southern worldh -- View of Administration upon the case of the war - Marriage of officer of Second Massachusetts to a Virginian
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iv
CONTENTS.
-- Prices of food in 1862 in Valley -- Brokerage business - Green- backs for Confederate money -- Council of war -- Orders to return to Strasburg - Slave woman Peggy -- Alarm -- Orders to cross the Gap of Massanutten Mountain at New Market - Sunrise from the mountain-top - No fight -- New Market again -Telegraph: oper- ators as a guard -- Orders from a clerk - Return to Strasburg- . 45-69 .
Occupation there
CHAPTER V.
Confederate Gen. Johnston's instructions to Jackson and Ewell -- Ewell ordered to march at once for Gordonsville - Jackson countermands this and orders combined movement against Banks - Why Jackson fought Milroy at McD. well - Johnston planned Jackson's move- ments- Jackson as an executive officer - Action of the War Department in leaving Banks with foco to fight Jackson with 20,000 -- Where Jackson planned his campaign - Direction in which he moved-Strength and composition of forces - Front Royal - Col. Kenly's fight and destruction - First report that reached Strasburg - What Banks did and did not - My first in- terview with Him - My second - What he said! - Appearance of town at night - My brigade prepared to march -- What Boks did and what he officially reported he dil - At If A. M. of the 24th May Banks determines to remain at Strasburg - Immediately after 1! A. M. Bank- determines to leave Strastring - Letter to me from Banks - Information by letter that the cremy has cut u, off - Why Tackson did not inte po-e his army between us an 1 Winchester - Description of line joining Strasbring, Front Royal, and Wit chester - Movement of enemy voor Strasbourg and Winchester -- Stuart's cavalry attack at Newton - Our right from Strasburg - Appear- ance of column as it reached Cedar Creek - Brake's admission - Hel of column racked Middletown- Skirmish with every's casadry - Donelly's Brigade and a wagen-train enter Winchester early in afternoon of 24th -- Sound of cannon heard in real - My Brigade between M. dietown and Nowtwo - Fugitives and Gen. Banks appears - Another fear-guard -- I a-suris comme 1 - - Wagons wrecked -- Enemy attacked and driven from Net posa -- Jackson's strategy - His arr. . entant ... cor cool a Mittan . - The result - l'ange watches lopeslet Me- Gen. Watch conteanding our ov 'ry - Tau wwwat & S. asbur, and opers fre upon Jackson - Color Green Mile bare bone troups-Ge. Harch escapes the WAY M . HE'S to the West - Where and then our cavalry returned to us - Gen. Jackson dis wers that Baris's in in column has d'un I hi- track -- I. pamen - to New: wa- Conation of our wagon for the road from Mid Netoan : : Newtown -- With ny brigade, I bol ! Newtown till right -- Gen. Hatch appears there -- Capture of a rebel saigcon -~ Connulestty winiskey --- What
CONTENTS.
the surgeon reveals - Preparation for withdrawal from Newtown - Order of march - Second Massachusetts as rear-guard - Why Jackson allowed us to ho !! Newown for so many hours - Jackson enters Newtown with rejoicing ~ Rules at the Burning Way as - Bartonvil'e - Enemy attack rear-guard - March resumed - Head of column reaches Winchester - Col. Andrews arrives at Kerns- town - Rear-guard again attacked by of emy - I return to meet the regiment at Kernstown - Enemy captures Dr. Leland and the wounded - The Second arrives at Winchester -Gen. Banks in Winchester and my conference with him - Gen. Williams in com- fortable quarters - Aroused by report of enemy advancing - Flying visit to Banks en route to battle-field .
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. 70-115
CHAPTER VI.
Description of country around: Whichest : - Formation of my line of battle -- Length of every's line and of mine compared - Jackson opens the battle by a movement against my picket - -- ILroy's į lety -- Second Mess. Regiment moves to position under a hot fire from artillery - Skirmishers fran Secord behind Stonewall drive enemy's gunners away froin their gans - Attempt to Knock down wall with solid skog --- Jackson's precautions to keep us front charging his batteries - Col. DendBy's Aghe with Ewell - Jackson's prepara- tions to assault with his at de cenLand - Advance of Taylor's Brigade on my riff- au fo: . - The adance schedaly c a. il- cred - Attempt to reslut Tagh : - Jack or views the scene - We are overwhelmed - The east and we back to town -- The S'c- val Massachuser a one Third Wisconsin stop to deliver one more fire - We enter the Facts - Ch. Andrews retreats af ferr in confor- mity with the repitolo: s, but An th surifies the tactics - - The re-
Ashby continues to Martinsburg ~ Sichart's cavalry make no pur- suit - Reason why - We reach the Potomac -Scone describe!
tasted - Our templatethat When. ]. ! the river - Banks's OF it Right of - Las Sont
bory of Jackson's .ry - G. :. Andrew's is daregion. how caused
of my brigade - Bank's order - Kommerdation signed by gen- and officers for my promo ten - Depatch from Set wary of War
vi
CONTENTS.
with the President of the United States in fall of 156t - Reasons given why the recommendation of delegation in Congress in Massa- chussetts for my promotion were unheeded - Gov. Andrew's pro- text- Gov. Andrew's cu antolation upon my promotion -- Com- missioned as Brigadier General of Volunteers - Ordered to report to Banks - Banks's order to report to Secretary of War - Secretary of War's peremptory order to Banks to place me in command of my old brigade and relie: c Gen. Green
. 116-145
CHAPTER VII.
Harper's Ferry - Appearance of our old camp on Maryland Heights- Brigade near Front Royal - Congratulations b; officers of Second Massachusetts upon my promotion -- Gen. Pope place !in command of new army, called Army of Virginia - Corps of that army and commander- -- Field of operations of this army -- Mcclellan re- fuses to confer with Pope - Wille.k Commander-in-Chief - Strength of Pope's army - New of disaster to Mcclellan - Use to be mad: alter d'raster of troy of Virginia - March of Banks's Corps across the Blue Ridge -- Pase of operation: -- Effect of our appearance npor the people and this property -- Gen. Banks re- turns from Washington -- He st .als at his mess.table of alarm in our capital -- Copeland hear him- Senile in secret cipher sub- stance of Ba: ks's e marks to B. A . editor -- D: p.ch stopped and deciphered in Washington -- Som to the Free let - Copeland dismissed, a: d fr. : ap rised ? it in a newspaper paragraph - My interview with. P ..... flatbed - Camp near Wanie By -- Wieopery of any sollen horse, and how it wasd ne - bacmy arrive at Groseille -- Coup a Little Wash- ington -- Position of corps on bre - Scenape- Destruction - Drills -- My .iv f. com.
wig and Mr. H .P . - OMEND bs is march For Um pepper Court IN ese -- Hivat and data Seines and death - Diarrhea and dirt -~ Stalno in the Survey ! Massachusetts - - Cept. Goodwin refusal lease of the
r-Our march - 'To Rickett'- 1 blon to mos. b Bedarf Jackson's Jackson's Ba .508
take to Culpepper --
Erts, Pepe's phi.f Pasta forma in portion at Cedor Chuck -Unders re De
of the county and high
force as rep ated to Page and biff me as reported to Committee on Cachet of the War, and al mi redley was on the rh of August - . . . 146-15> .
vii
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
Jackson moves his infantry forward into the fight -- Movements of our cavalry - Fnemy's force on the mountain -- Winder's batteries in the road - How Jackson's whole force was disp sed while the ar- tillery combat was going on - banks's fir t forward movement, and what he made it for - How he intended to accomplish his purposes --. His despatch to Pope - Crawford persuades Banks to make bis movement with a brigide -- Orders from Banks at five o'clock --- Third Wisconsin skirmishers or fered by Crawford to join his brig- ade - C. 1. Ruger protests -- Banks orders the movement neverthe. less - Exact position of the enemy's line of battle - Position and numbers of our lire confronting it - Reserves of the two armies com- pared - Description of the movement of regiments of Crawford's Irig. le against the enemy and its effect - Banks now threw forward the whole of his corps except my Brigade and the Tenth Maire - Southern description of the charge - Loss in the enemy' brizodes, which checked our pursuit - History of the Tenth Maine, its position during the assault, and what was seen by its officers --- Danks orders the Tenth M i'ne to advance alore against the enemy - They advance and fall back --- Gen Banks send, one of his stilt to arrest the backward movement - Col. Pelouse, the staff-off'cer, takes cor mand of the regiment -- Is soon ween 'd and retires - Then what happened to the Tenth Ma'ne - Where they were when ny brigade came into action - Gen. William's sinal to me- Movements of my bringle in chidicare to his orders - Wh -- I found when i got up to the line of the wood boun ties the wheat- field - Where I found Crawford - My line of battle formed -- COM. Andrews sees nothing to fire at . 169-185
CHAPTER IX.
Merchants of oneny at time m. brightle was ordered into action ~ What I found ca lay Hint - What Col. Colgrove thought he sav. - " We are firing on car onr :. ca " - H ww I proved tothe contrar - The Twenty Seventh Indiana breaks to the rear it con- fusion - The Second Massaditets stand- steady - A brigade of
-- Caja Red . Maj & Salade-Col. Andrew The good . 1 .... My house biens the righ the timber - Of my brigade I could rally ouly from thirty to ffee men - Second May notverts marched in good orderby Cul. Andrews mit of the walk - Return to the & trade than die in. condition - Dead and wounded - order from Gen. Willlims to xaall back - Did not obey it - Order from Con. Laks to fall back - Pope an " Banks tre scher in the road - Report to them in pron - Pope's arrival in the field, a thon he said thate - Fuld et of
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CONTENTS.
his ride - My interview with Pope and Banks - The former gives orders for m' brigade to tale position - Pope dentes that he ordered Pants to fight the bottle -- Banho silent -- Order, received during the fight from Banks to charge across the wheat-field - Banks de- nies that he gave ruch orders - Order through Major Perkins to Col. Andrews to charge across the s ane fiehl with the Second Mas- sachusetts -- Perkins afterwards admits that such an order was given by mistake - Andrews refers to me - He's ordered not to obey- Banks's order to me discussed - Links's general moven.ents con- sidered -- Final charge of Jackson's any - My movements in exe- cuting Pope's orders - Relieved by Gen. Tower of Rickett's Di- vision - Fired into by enon; in attempting to tike up position des- ignated by Pope -Twelfth Massachusetts engaged - Capt. Shurtleff killed - Pope and his staff during this engagement, what happened to them and wi it they did - Accident to Banks's opposing batter- ies -- Danger fran our own - Move to the rear - We meet Sigel and his corps- Sigel confront, the Second Mass. Regiment - I'd pe orders me to return to the wood from which we have been fired on - I teluin as near as possible - The enemy etter our lines while seeking their regiments - Clark, Banks's aid, ender. ors to find the enemy - Pope and his general wilders sitting under a tree- The enemy of us fre - Havn't down - My command ordered to the rear - Why Jacke a did not arich on the road .-- Our line of battle on the ruth - Flag .. trhy on the Itth -- Battle-feld and it appears va- i ses in my little- Leve in the Sec- oni Mass Its i. -- Forces c : pred - Proof that Jackson was urw. wng t ..
plished meting be ais viet ny - A few words upon Beise pretence that he on'y war ted an . W. X Ve Namen . 123-213
CHAITHE X.
Was Banks orland to right the Best Colar Maman? - Pope's
Banks ? -- IL. . .. 1 . Com martint Me plans to
ay latre the MeDowel Com : in
.nl Hotely after the
me of M's friends - wis devin. the enemy - Crawford's site.s. : banks reducts upon my
answered - Out :.... : unid hurried movement
. 214-230
CHAPTER III.
I CLOSED my last paper with the President's order for a movement of the army against the enemy on Washing- ton's Birthday. It has been urged that this seeming inter- ference with the plans of Mcclellan was due to the fact that that officer did not seem to appreciate the value of time in its relation to national finances, and to a Demo- cratic form of Government; also that further delay involved national despondency, -- a tax levied upon the people for an immense debt which had borne no fruit in victories ; distrust ; a great fall in national stocks : and a possible if not probable foreign intervention. Therefore the President's Order, No. T, issued against Mcclellan's protest, peremptorily com- manded an advance at all points on the 23d of February. McClellan was placed at the head of the Army of the Potomac, and soon ceased to be commander-in-chief of the arming of the United States.
It was very early in t'e morning of the earth of February, 1852, when I marched our regiment through the streets of Frederick, in Maryland, to take the cars for Harper's Ferry. As our band aroused the town, young lonies, hur- riedly dressed, waved handkerchiefs from windows, and, in some cases with thats Ml repressed, uttered a trembling good-by. Though their hearts were full of anticipations, hopeful and fearful, their heroism was magnificent. While there was solicitude for suffering that must come, there was no flinching. I saw a sister, sending a brother to fight against her husband ; I saw a father, armed to fight against his sons. Lill were heroes, and all seemed proud
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that they could do something to crush the "accursed Re- bellion." A Maryland regiment, raised principally in Fred- crick, as a home guard, choosing its own duty, volunteered to go with us to the field. Its colonel was one of the most prominent men in the city.
When we arrived at Harper's Ferry, we found the place more wrecked and ruined than when we last saw it in July of IS61. Blackened walls met the eye at every turn ; there was no life in the town. Now and then we saw a prowling inhabitant stealing around, -- the ghost of a former life. Our passage in the cars had been so tedious, through interminable delays, that we were glad enough to cross the pontoon bridge, laid down by the engineers for this invasion, even into that town of desolation. A good old negro woman, frightened to death at first, aided the com- manding officer of our regiment in getting supper in one of the few houses left. Here, while a bright fire, made from the palings of an adjoining fence, burned in an open fire-place, the good oll aunty, keeper of the house, turned out bedding for the night, and innde herself gen- erally useful, as well as amusing in her talk of the "seceshers," as she called them, who were here only last Sunday, praying that the river might rise " to keep the Yankees out." How she laughed as she told us that she saw our men, whom she called Indians, lying down on their backs on the other side of the river, to load and fire at the "secesh " here. And "she is glad of it." she says : she wants the Yankees to whin the secesh, an ! will laugh long and loud again, " if you'se able to do it." We found Gen. Mcclellan here, with a large staff, giving personal supervision to this, the first movement of his army on its momentous mission.
Before nightfall, an armed reconnaissance, to consist of the Second Massachusetts and the Third Wisconsin Resi- idents, two sections of the First New York Battery, and four
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squadrons of the First Michigan Cavalry, the whole to be commanded by the colonel of our regiment, was ordered " to move as soon after daylight as possible" in the direction of Charlestown, and explore the roads diverging south and west from the town. When the sergeant-major of the Second came around and notified company commanders to be ready, it was four o'clock in the morning. Without a straggle, officers and men threw themselves from hard board floors into the open air, washed their faces in a brook, snatched some kind of a breakfast, which they were an hour in getting, and took their places at daylight in good style, in advance with rifles loaded. In advance of the infantry went the cavalry, and following them, supported by a rear-guard, came the artillery, "all ready to talk the right kind of music," as one of our officers said. With skirmishers thrown out on the flanks, the column made its eight miles to Charlestown, taking the town by surprise.
Some few negroes gazed at us i om the by-ways, and a few poor whites looked listlessly on, but none hailed our coming. leaving the infantry to follow as we approached the tow ... I charged through at the head of three squadrons of cavalry, only to drive a pitiful twenty of the enemy's cavalry out. We arrived at twelve o'clock at roon. Whil. moking, with a com- pany of cavalry, an examination of the roads, I came upon Gen. Mcclellan, and his whole staff, native and foreign. It appeared that my advares bal been to clear the way for his military ewimination of the country, and the disposal of his forces for the grand oncoming movement. Gen. Mcclellan having been my classprote at West Point, we had a pleasant and familiar conversation for an hour or more.
After returning to the town it was determined to occupy and hold Charlestown ; so I was ordered to send back for my knapsacks, wagons, and the company property. Regarding our regiment approvingly as he passed fast sorte of our young oft- cers thoughit), Gen. Me Cielion rode isphilly to Harper's Ferry
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6
and thence by special train to Washington. From some words dropped at this interview, while looking over his maps, I was persuaded that I was right, and that this was the beginning of the movement of the Army of the Potomac. Hardly had the order to remain in town become known, when the men began to forage, somewhat. Several pigs that were running around loose, as it was termed. were shot. while many a duck and chicken went into the men's haversacks for supper. Some of you will remember that it was at Charlestown, and at this time, when Major Dwight or lered a stop put to foraging in the Second, -after he had seen all the men of his regiment thoroughly provided for. There was great exhilaration among the young officers of our regiment over the novelty of being followed around by trusty men to knock down anybody who objected to their taking ways, and there was much enjoy- ment and good feeding with us for a time. A portion of two Wagon loads of flour, captured on our march, fell to the Second, and was cooked, the with some of their own roosters, by nice old ladies, who were violent secessionists when they were not scared out of their wits.
Until the 9th of March, while troops were being collected for an onward movement upon Winchester, we had many stampales, and the real pleasant compaign experiences. Ou legithent ht rejeita Gen. Abercrombie's Brigade, from which, as I have said, we were detached for this movement. and we again occupied the ground the we enemped on in July of the prevedies .car, when under Patterson. In this price, always a hot-bed of sedition, it must have seemed strange to sus taany thousand ingal sollers quartered and the National colors waving over the town. Here was the field where John Brown's eyes fell for the last time upon the " fine country " around him; the oll fence, and stomp where it was boliessa he was executed. The stump had been freely chipped for mementoes. On Sunday, for the first time in many months. we had religious rvices under a not. The well on the vil
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court-house, which called the people to arms to resist John Brown, now tollei the call to church. Our chaplain preached a moving sermon. Quite different scenes had that old court- house witnessed the past week, from those of two years ago, when the walls, that listened to John Brown's death-sen- tence, now echoed back, " Glory hallelujah, his soul is march- ing on."
Secrecy was to characterize our movements. An associated press reporter would have hid himself out on the occupation of Charlestown, and the presence of Gen. McClellan, but that he was not allowed to send a single word that had not been supervised by the commanding general.
Here in Charlestown we stumbled across a good Union cit- izen, whom we had met in July of 1861. It is amusing, now, to note how eagerly then we hung on such stuff as this : " He predicts that the rebels will fall back from Winchester, and he doubts very much whether they will attempt to hold Manassas. He thinks they will go South and make their last stand there, if indeed they 'stand anywhere'; that they are getting no recruits, and can get none; that they are poorly armed, have poor ammunition. Only assure the country," said he, " of your ability to protect the people in the expression of their opinions, and they sil immediately devre for the Union." In this I doubt not there was a grain of truth, and possibly a grain in the following : " Since your entrance into Charlestown, now only three days, I have laad great change in the sentiments of some, that formerly made use of strong secession language, and I have been mach surprised at it."
This was so cheerful that I thought I might venture to test the strength of Union feeling by sending Major Dwight to find rooms for Gen. Abercrombie, our brigade commander. Knocking at a promising ooking house, he was greeted by a sharp-visaged woman, who called out to him from an upper window. -
"Go away, I won't have any thing to do with you."
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"Won't you come to the door, and let me talk with you?" urged the major, blandly smiling.
The door was opene i just a crack.
"Couldn't you open the door wider," inquired the major, "and so avoid a draft ?"
"I'm a lone woman. I am a lady, and I am a secessionist ;
and I hope you will lose the next battle you fight, and I just . as lief, tell you so as not. I hope I am a Christian, but I hope you will get whipped."
Through the crack of the door came this impetuous torrent of words, until the flow was checked in a downright cry.
Major Dwight wis embarrassed, but overcame it by pro- ceeding to business.
" I want a roma," said he, "for Gen, Abercrombie, and le will protect you."
Still the woman refused.
Then the major, with soothing words, mollified the good woman, and soon received the assurance that she would take the genend, but she would tell him she " hoped he would he whipped in the next battle he fought" which scenied to afford her so much relief that she at list agreed to board the general; and later, so we learned from one of the staff, began to deliver
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