USA > Massachusetts > Clippings pertaining to the history and reminiscences of the 32nd Massachusetts Infantry > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
I belonged to Co. K., (of Newton) 32d Mass. Regt., 2d Brig., 1st Div., 5th Corps. We arrived at Gettysburg about 8 A. M., July 2, halting about two miles east of what is known as Cemetery ridge. Sickles with
his 3d Corps occupied an intermediate ridge along the Emmitsburg Road, and the Con" federates held the Seminary ridge beyond. As the Round Tops on our left were indis- pensable to the safety of the Union army it was evident that a desperate struggle for their possession must ensue that day. About 2 P. M. Longstreet advanced toward the coveted prize. He soon encountered Sickles' Corps, which fought desperately to hold their position but all in vain, as they were attacked in front and on both flanks. It was then the 5th Corps was sent to the rescue, the 1st Division taking the lead. No sooner had we reached the rocky ridge re- ferred to above, than our regiment encoun- tered the enemy, who were also in the woods beyond an open field five hundred feet across. Although the fighting [was desper- ate and our loss was heavy, we held our position till the firing ceased. There we pitched our tent, long may it stand, not only as a monument to the patriotism, valor and sacrifice of the regiment it represents, but as a just tribute to the sacred memory of those į who died that the nation might live.
The following cut represents the monu- ment.
It is of Concord granite of the regulation size, viz., 5 feet wide, 42 feet high, 5} feet long on sides and G3 feet long in the centre, and bears the following inscription:
"Here the 32d Massachusetts Inf'y, 2d Brig., 1st Div., 5th A. C. withstood an at- tack of the army about 5 o'clock P. M. July 20, 1863. (Then follows the Corps Badge.) Withdrawn from hero it fought again in the Wheatfield. It lost in both actions in killed and wounded, 78 out of 227 officers and men."
As our inscription declares we were with- drawn from our first position to the Wheat- field across which our brigade charged to the woods on the opposite side where we met and engaged a strong force of the ene- my. We had fired but a few rounds before we were under fire from both flanks as Well as front. The enemy charging furiously upon our right flank crushed the two regi- ments on our right, while our regiment, more fortunate in position, was falling back in good order. When we had reached the
41
centre of the field we were ordered to halt and hold our position. We obeyed the first part of the order like good [soldiers; as to holding our position it was as impossible as for a man to hold a position in the whirl- pool of Niagara, so we fought our way out with ranks so decimated that we were placed in reserve near Little Round Top where we lay on the 3d and 4th, not again being called into action there.
Our ride was across the wheat field, where on the 4th of July I helped bury 3 of Co. K; then through Devil's Den on to the Little Round Top where we had a fine view of the battle field which "Carlton" and "Bachelder" described. We returned to Gettysburg along the union line to the cemetery. For the benefit of comrades, I should say I had no difficulty in finding the several positions where the 32d fought.
Co. K. went into action with 32 officers and enlisted men, of which 3 were killed on the field, 2 mortally wounded, 8 wounded and 4 taken prisoners and carried to Rich- mond. Maj. E. S. Farnsworth, Capt. J. E. Cousins and the writer represented Co. K. in the excursion, Mrs. S. C. Spaulding and Geo. K. Ward accompanying them.
S. C. SPAULDING.
ANTIETAM.
BY S. C. SPAULDING, Sergt. Co. K, Thirty-Second Mass.
My first experience on a march, (Worth remembering), I remember
Was in eighteen hundred sixty-two, The twelfth day of September;
I was then a raw recruit,
Belonging to Company K,
Which had lately joined the "Thirty-Second Massachusetts Infantry." The Division to which we'd been assigned That morning struck its tents,
And left "Virginia's sacred soil," For Maryland's defence.
As we marched through Washington, En route for-we knew not where,
The scorching sun and stifling dust Drove us almost to despair. Regardless of raw recruits, With kuapsacks full of, what not,
A "Special Order" was read to us, Condemning to be shot Every man who should break the ranks, And straggle by the way ;
Thougli, notwithstanding the "order," More than half fell out that day. Knowing by a hard experience What I do, I must confess I wonder that the number was not More, instead of less. Our ranks were constantly thinned, For the men dropped out one by one, Many of whom fell prostrate Under the rays of a scorching sun; But that was nothing uncommon, Simply a soldier's lot, As we learned by a bitter experience Never to be forgot.
That night, when our regiment encamped, Our Orderly called the roll,
And found there were guns enough of K's To make one stack-all told; But of Company H a *single man Was all that could be found, Who being unable to make a stack, Had stuck his gun in the ground.
Sunday morning we arrived at Frederick,, After a three days tramp, Where our Division, exhausted and foot-sore, Was permitted to go into camp;
Howbeit, our halt there was short, (We marched before noon the next day,)
I remember our camp at Frederick As an Oasis by the way. 'Twas there the invading army Was met, (and surprised perchance)
By Mc'Clellan and his "Boys in Blue," Who questioned its further advance-
Yea, who drove back the Rebel column Under "Stonewall" Jackson's command, And prevented a general invasion Of the State of Maryland. As we marched in the wake of our army, Which forced the enemy back, We saw fresh proof of the conflict Here and there, all along the track;
First, a squad of "Greybacks" (prisoners), Guarded by Union men; Ambulances filled with the wounded, We met every now and then;
And when we arrived at South Mountain, Where the foe determined to stand, We saw unmistakable signs Of the struggle on every hand. Along, along, from the base to the summit, The dead lay just where they fell, Some pierced with the leaden bullet, Others mangled with shot and shell. Sights that filled me with horror, And chilled the blood in my veins, As they reminded me that e'er the morrow I might in like manner be slain. We met (I remember) an ambulance, Just before reaching the heights, Escorted by a body of troopers, And draped with the "Stars and Stripes;" Supposing it contained a General, And desirous to know if 'twas so, We enquired-and a trooper responded. 'Tis the body of General Reno. The seventeenth day of September Will long be remembered, no doubt, By the people who lived at the North, And those who lived at the South ; For then, on the field of "Antietam," Thousands on thousands were slain, And Lee, badly beaten, was driven To the "Land of Dixie" again. There we shared in the conflict, (Although still held in reserve), And were under fire of shot and shell, Just enough to try our nerve ; We supported a long range battery, Belonging to "Porter's Corps," So were not in the heat of the conflict, But heard its terrific roar; Saw the ebbing and flowing of battle, (Like the tide of a raging flood,) That strewed the field of Antietam with dcad, And drenched it with blood.
Though solid shot struck all around us, Plonghing the ground here and there, And shells burst over our heads, Scattering fragments through the air, None of our regiment were killed or wounded By missiles the enemy sent-
43
But unfortunately two comrades of K Were wounded by an accident. ·The terrible battle known as Antietam Was fought in a single day. In which the Rebels were badly beaten, "And barely escaped (in this way): Lee sent Mcclellan a flag of truce, Asking permission to bury his dead, When in fact the request was simply a ruse, To gain time to rescue the living instead. As the sequel shows. the game of the Rebs Was very successfully played, For we were compelled to bury the dead, When Lee had-his army saved. The Nineteenth, instead of a battle, (For which we were ready at dawn,) We found that the foe had skedaddled; Aye, Lee and his army had gone. Our Corps was sent in pursuit Of the flying rebel horde, The rear guard of which we captured, At a place called "Blackburn's Ford." The closing act in the drama ,Of the Maryland campaign, Was Lee hieing across the Potomac, With his army, to "Dixie" again.
As a reward he afterwards received a commis- n.
INCIDENTS AFTER ANTIETAM.
" All was quiet on the Potomac," Our army having gone into camp, To recruit its ranks thinned in battle, And recover from its terrible tramp: Though our pickets patrolled the river, And the Confeds held the opposite banks, By tacit consent not a shot was fired, By either the Rebs or the Yanks.
September twenty-second we made reconnoissance On the Virginia aide, Our Division fording the river, (Which was not very deep, but wide;) Encountered the enemy's pickets, As soon as we reached the shore, Whom we drove with but slight resistance A half-dozen iniles or more. We found them in force at Leestown, Prepared to resist an attack, But having performed our mission, We were ordered at once to fall back. Then came our turn to be harrassed, And from there to the river's bank They pressed us hard in the rear, And menaced us on the flank ; We reached the river in safety however, And, our regiment being ahead, Expected to cross by daylight, But 'twas countermarched instead, On reaching the edge of the river, And deployed along the bank, To guard the rest of the column From an expected attack ; But we were made wet (if not happy), About ten o'clock that night, When in darkness we waded the river, To our camp on the Maryland height.
On the thirtieth day of October Mcclellan moved Lee-ward again, When our regiment ("bad luck to us,") Was detailed to guard a train ; Therefore we were delayed (of course), Yes, we waited till almost night, When we started upon our march, And tramped until broad daylight; Then we joined our (Second) Brigade,
Which had had a night's rest (by the way), And regardless of our all night's march, We marched with them all the next day. At noon we reached "Harper's Ferry," Which we crossed on a pontoon bridge, Then marched into Pleasant Valley, Along the foot-hills of the Blue Ridge; We halted that night at Hillsboro, A place still remembered (no doubt) As the one where our Provost Guard Was actively scouting about; There some of our boys were picked up, With pigs, sheep, and larger game, And taken to the General's quarters, Were compelled to march with the same On their backs (for an hour or more), In front of the General's tent, Then sent under guard (minus game) Back to their regiments.
On (or about) the eighth of November We encamped for a night at White Plains, Which place I distinctly remember Bore an appropriate name, For snow (the first of the season) Fell that day, about four inches deep, Making for us a feathery bed On which that night to sleep.
From there we marched to Warrenton, Where Mcclellan was relieved, And Burnside took command Of the troops then in the field.
Then and there the boys took occasion
(By unmistakable signs)
To show their attachment to Little Mac, As he rode along the line; While Burnside's cool reception, As he passed with his staff in review, Showed that the army was loth to swap The old commander for a new.
Late in the month of November, Just before Thanksgiving day, Our army encamped near Falmouth, Where we expected to stay. We built there our first winter quarters, Where we hoped to remain till spring, In quiet and peace,-but no We didn't do any such thing.
We were destined to be disappointed, And 'twas of no use to complain, When ordered to vacate our quarters, To engage in a winter's campaign; We'd enlisted to fight for our country, To go when and where we were sent, And whatever might be our lot, Therewithal to be content.
I distinctly remember my first experience (In Dixie) on Thanksgiving day, And how it differed in some respects From our "New England way;" We had neither pies nor cake, Nor puddings filled with plums; (Som- said "they didn't want any pie, Bur they wanted to go home.") We d neither turkeys or chickens On wh ch to daintily feast, All the ritions our regiment had Was half a hard-tack apiece.
On the seventeenth day of December, Om regiment was assigned To the v ry unpleasant duty Of gnarding the picket line; For the day was extremely cold, Ave, and enough to freeze, Nevertheless we forded a creek Where the water was up to our knees;
It seemed pretty tough to us To go mn, I must confess, But there was no alternative- Go we must, nevertheless. Our pants were frozen stijf As soon as we reached the shore, But that was nothing for a soldier, It had often occurred before.
On the thirtieth of December, At one o'clock P. M ., We marched to feel the enemy, And bivouacked at ten: Supposing we were near the foe, Or might be near perchance, We marched with great precaution, Whenever we advanced. And when we halted for the night, Our orders were (I know) To build no fires, and thus conceal Our presenee from the foe. Our position was well ehosen, In case we were attacked ; And we formed in line of battle, When there we bivouacked. There we spread our blankets on the ground, And wrapped us in the same,
Then our rubber blankets over To protect us from the rain, Which soon came pouring down Up n our tentless camp, Flooding it, and making it Uncomfortably damp. We often took a river-bath When marching forth and back,
But seldom were we forced (as then) To take a "eold, wet pack." Early in the morning, As soon as we could see, We were quietly aroused Without the sound of reveille; We ate a hasty breakfast, Of raw salt pork and tack, Rolled up our dripping blankets, And strung them on our backs; Then we formed in column And proceeded on our way, To aseertain if possible Where the "Johnnies" lay.
We advanced till nearly noon, When we halted on a hill,
Which overlooked (I recollect) The town of Morrisville, When we spied a rebel force, And sent them shot and shell, Which stirred them up in lively style, And the citizens as well. Thus, having accomplished the mission
Which to us had been assigned, Namely, to "feel the enemy" And see what we could find, We rapidly retraced our steps Without a general fight; But we marched full twenty miles, And reached our camp that night.
'Twas said we were marched on a wager, Which may be or may not be true, But for this assertion I'll vouch, We marched miles in mud over shoes.
FREDERICKSBURG.
At dawn, the eleventh of December, The boom of two guns was heard; 'Twas the signal for the Union Army To advance on Fredericksburg : Quickly the bugle sounded. "When our regiment led the way,
(It being our turn to lead the brigade, And the brigade the corps, that day ; )"
We marched to the Rappahannock, Where our army gathered en masse, To await the construction of bridges, Over the which we might pass. Early that December morn The Engineers' task was begun,
'Twas a dangerous task to perform, They were picked off, one by one, Again, and again, they attempted to launch Their boats in the stream below ; Vain attempt, however, they couldn't withstand The deadly fire of the foe. For hours no progress was made Towards completing the bridges begun,
When Burnside, (with patience exhausted), Demanded that something be done; His demand was no less than an order To our gunners, to shell the town ;
"Coneentrate, (said he), the fire of your guns, On the city, and batter it down." Instantly, a hundred and fifty guns Thundered along our line,
Striking terror (no doubt) to the heart of the foe, To us the scene was sublime ;
And what made the scene more impressive, Than it otherwise would have been,
Was the fog, and the mist. that hung like a pall Over one hundred thousand men.
For an hour or more, the deaf'ning roar Of our monster siege-guns was heard,
As they rained shot and shell, aye, and fire as well, On the city of Fredericksburg. Ere the firing eeased, dense elouds of smoke, Were dimly seen here and there,
Through the misty veil that hid from our gaze The eity, then on fire.
Franklin's Grand Division had erossed on the left, Sumner's had erossed on the right,
While Hooker's Grand Division, to which I belonged Still remained on Stafford Height,
Where, two days and nights, we'd lain on our arms, Waiting for the bugle to sound
The call that should summon us into the fight, By way of a bridge by the town.
On the thirteenth of December, orders were re- eeived, (I think about three o'clock, P. M.), For us to cross the river, on to the bloody field, Since known as the "slangWier-pen."
The order'"fall in boys" passed along the line, And we took onr places in the ranks,
Then the bugle sounded forward, and our column moved at once
Down the steep and slippery bank
To the river, which we erossed on a pontoon bridge,
Constructed by our Engineer corps,
And were warmly received, ave, tendered a salnte, By the Rebs, on the opposite shore.
We passed through a shower of iron hail, Followed by a storm of leaden rain, As we marehed through the eity, double quiek, Thenee aeross the open plain ;
We halted near the base of the heights, Under cover of a large building-where
Wc unslung our knapsacks for the fight, Then advanced again, under fire ; No sooner had we reached the open field, Than we faeed, again, the storm of alot and shell, , And there we experienced sights and sounds, Of which it were impossible to tell :
For as we charged o'er plain and height, Many of our comrades fell, In that storm of leaden rain, Iron hail and bursting shell; But our broken ranks closed up, As we onward, upward pressed, Never faltering in our tread, Till we'd charged up to the erest Of a ridge, far up the heights, Running with them parallel; Where Lee's army was intrenched, In their works, impregnable. There we halted, fired a volley at the foe. And then lay down Under cover, (though not wholly), Of the ridge, or roll of ground. There we lay, in line of battle, Loading, firing, until night, Each selerting as his target Some sharp-shooter on the height, We in turn became a target, When perchance we raised our heads, Drawing from the Rebs a minnie, Singing, as it o'er us sped ; Now and then, a deadly bullet, With unerring aim was sent, Claiming as its victim One of our regiment. Never, never shall I forgec The scenes I witnessed there, Or the eries of the wounded, That rent the midnight air, The groans of the dying, Or the forms of the slain, That were on the hillside lying, Or scattered o'er the plain. The next day was the Sabbath, But from morning until night, Although 'tis called a "day of rest," We did not cease to fight; Notwithstanding no great battle Was fought by us, meantime We kept up a constant rattle, With our rifles, along the line. I'll now relate an incident, (And I'll vouch for the same), Of a comrade trudging to the front, Across the open plain, With his gun across his shoulder, And his knapsack on his back, (Thoughi great his risk, he seemed to be Unconscious of the fact ; ) Unnoticed, doubtless, by the foc, Until he climbed a fence, When a "Johnnic" spied him from the heights, And sent his compliments ; The comrade fell flat upon his face, And lay there, as if dead, When, in fact, 'twas but a ruse, He played on "Johnnie Reb." If 'twas not a Yankee trick, 'Twas by a "Yank" well played, For he sprang upon his feet, ere long, And double-quick-time made, Reaching the cover of the hill, Before another shot was sent, Where, without a single seratch, Hle joined his regiment.
45
Another incident occurred, Which I remember well, (Please pardon me if I about Myself, a story tell ;) I'd lain upon my bed of guns, Cantcens and haversacks, Until it seemed as if I could Not longer stand the tax ; I raised up on my elbow, first, Then sat upright, instead, When a rebel bullet from the heights Whistled o'er my head ; Just then a comrade by my side Said to me, look out !! They'l surely hit you if you do not Mind what you're about ; The warning scarce had passed his lips Before another bullet came, The last as much too low, As the first, too high, was aimed ; It struck the ridge ten feet in front, Was checked, but was not stopped, Until it pierced, in front of me, A quart tin coffee cup ;
I picked it up, examined it, Then pulled the bullet out, Which was meant for me, I had not then, Nor since the slightest doubt. "Discretion is the better part of valor," So they say ; I deemed it wise to be discrete. So down I lay. Having thus passed a night and day Exposed to the enemies' fire, We were glad to be relieved at dark, And permitted to retire ; We marched down to the city, And bivonacked in the streets, Where we slept upon the sidewalks, Thankful anywhere to sleep; There we spent not only that night, But also the following day, But the following night, in a drenching storm, Our army stole away, Badly defeated, but not disheartened, We returned to our camps again, Our regiment having lost in the fight Just five and thirty men.
January twentieth, sixty-three, We struck tents, so to speak, And broke camp, for the third time, In twice as many a week.
We were told that e're long We must meet the foe again, But we were taken in- 'Twas the famous " Mud Campaign."
Scarcely had we left our camp (Marching towards the Ford), Before a drizzling storm began, Increasing till it poured.
And we'd made but just two miles, When we halted for the night, A sorry looking set of boys, If I remember right.
There was mud and water everywhere, Wherever we might go, And all were drenched and smeared With it, from top to toe.
Artillery and pontoon trains Were mired up to the hub; Everything and everybody Was stuck in the mud.
" Again you're about to meet the foe," So our brave Colonel said, But in the charge made by our brigade, Not a drop of blood was shed.
'Twas a gallant charge, and we captured the line, The struggle was hand-to-hand; Not a shot was fired, but a rail was seized And shouldered by every man.
'Twas a laughable sight when we fell into line And marehed away with our load, And grounded our arms (or rather our rails), To make a corduroy road.
Instead of taking the Rebs by surprise, As was the intention. no doubt, They kindly offered to lend us their mules To drag our artillery out.
In just five days from the time we left camp, To the time we returned again, We completed what has since been known As the " Stuek-in-the-mud Campaign." March the seventeenth, St. Patrick's day, Was observed by the *Ninth boys In the usual way.
They had a jolly time, As their plans for fun were laid; Beginning in the morning With a burlesque dress parade.
Then a greased pole to climb, And a greased pig to chase, When followed, each in turn, A sack and mule raee.
And last of all, a serub-match, As the day was nearly spent, When there occurred, to mar the sport, A fatal accident.
At the same time two parties Were racing on the course, When two horses ran together With such terrifie force,
As to kill both instantly, And throw their riders to the ground, One receiving a severe, And the other a fatal wound.
*Ninth Mass .- Irish reg't in our brigade.
On the eighth day of April There occurred a grand event, The review of the Army By the President.
We were drawn up in line, A hundred thousand strong, There to wait for our commander-in-chief To pass along.
And we stood in line all day, E're the grand cavaleade, Led by our noble President, Reviewed our brigade.
Then we were dismissed, And returned to our quarters To diseuss the grand review And await general orders.
We had not long to wait, E're stirring orders eame, And our army was made ready For another Spring campaign.
There was joy in our camp I remember, When a ·· soft job," at Stoneman's Switch, Was assigned to the Thirty-Second Mass., Guarding the depot and bridge.
'Twas said if we did our duty well, Doubtless we there should remain To guard our base of supplies When the army moved again.
How baseless were all such reports I will not attempt to prove; We'd been there but just ten days, however, When ordered to pack up and move.
That was our first "soft job," And last one too, by the way, And 'twas finished at seven p. m., The twenty-month of May.
Then we marehed by the light of the moon, Making an eight-mile tramp, Halting at midnight near Hartwood Church,' Where our brig . de encamped.
The following day we marched again To a place called Kemper's Ford, Where we guarded the Rappahannock For a week or more.
There it occu red, by common consent, Although 'twas a singular fact, That instead of eraeking . ur rifles, Nothing but jokes were cracked.
And 'twas nothing uncommon For Johnnies and Yanks to be seen Drawing their rations of fish with lines From opposite sides of the stream.
Jackknives and coffee were swapped for tobacco, And other like hargains were made By the Blues and Greys who met in the stream To drive a friendly trade.
On the fifth of June orders were received To march to the well-known Kelly's Ford, Where we crossed the river early the ninth, A support for the cavalry corps.
Although we were not in the fight, We heard the carbines rattle,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.