USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Fitchburg > Fitchburg, Massachusetts, past and present > Part 10
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company was always known as the Fitchburg company, although the most of the men came from adjoining towns.
We have not the space in this book to give even a brief history of the different organizations which followed this one to the seat of war. Fitchburg was largely represented in the 2d, 15th, 21st, 25th, 26th, 53d, 57th, 36th, 4th heavy ar- tillery and on board sixteen ships of the navy, and there were but few of the great battles in which Fitchburg men did not participate, and the record of the organizations to which they were attached are among the most brilliant of any of the war.
After the great battles of the war in which our boys were engaged, the town sent committees of prominent citizens to the front to look after the dead and wounded as well as the sick, taking with them articles of wearing apparel and com- forts in every form. The ladies of the town formed a "Sol- diers' Aid Society" and carried out a systematic plan for assisting in the patriotic work. With the enlisting of the first Fitchburg men, the labors of the Fitchburg women began. They prepared and sent to the soldiers in camp, such things as would best contribute to their comfort, and by frequent visits made them feel they were not forgotten while away from home sharing the dangers and hardships of a bloody war.
For greater method and efficiency they organized on the sixteenth of May, 1861, "The Ladies' Soldiers Aid Society." The second article of their constitution read as follows : "The object of the Society shall be to furnish to the soldiers en- gaged in the present war of our country such aid as may be in our power," and from that day till the war closed and the troops were mustered out, most nobly did they carry out the provisions of that article, as many a sick and wounded sol- dier boy has, and will gratefully testify.
Of the residents of Fitchburg who went to war, one was brevet brigadier general, two were colonels, two lieutenant colonels, two majors, two surgeons, four brevet majors, seventeen captains, twenty first lieutenants, seven second lieutenants, three navy officers and sixteen seamen in the navy, 693 non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates.
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Of this number sixty were killed in battle, sixty-eight died from wounds or disease or from starvation in rebel prisons, while eighty-four received wounds from which they recov- ered, twenty-five were taken prisoners. The unwritten history of these brave men, the dangers they encountered, the hardships and privations they patiently endured, the hair- breadth escapes and instances of individual heroism, would fill many large volumes. They never faltered in their love for the old flag, nor in their determination that it should be maintained unsullied, and their memories will ever be held dear and cherished in the hearts of their grateful country- men.
ON THIE FIELD OF BATTLE.
We are glad to record in this connection a few of the many instances of heroism on the field of battle and in rebel prisons :
THE 25TII MASS. VOLS. AT COLD HARBOR.
Of the fighting qualities of the 25th as shown in this battle, we shall quote from a narrative of the battle published in one of the Philadelphia papers, Jan. 31, 1885, by Gen. P. D. Bowles of the Confederate army, who commanded im- mediately in our front and who was an eye-witness to the gallant charge made by the 25th in that engagement, he says :
"We were not long waiting. Soon the woods in our front resounded with the cold mechanical huzzas as if from a myriad of voices, and a general advance was made along the whole line. They came out of the woods directly in my front and their lines extended as far to the right and left as the eye could reach ; first one, then two, three, four, five, on they came until the eleventh line was in full view. I ordered my men to hold their fire until they came within seventy yards of our works. This command was so well executed that the first, second and third lines of the enemy looked like one. The Federals were advancing all this time without any
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caps on their guns, and not a shot had come from the Union lines save those from the six-gun battery in my front, which was bursting shells high over our heads and in our rear. Our artillery was not idle, but firing double-shotted canister from the two rifled guns, and at the distance of one hundred yards was cutting wide swaths through their lines at every fire, literally mowing them down by the dozen, while heads, arms, legs and muskets were seen flying high in the air at every discharge.
"We were not long in discovering that there was no child's play awaiting us. We were opposing a determined and gal- lant foe. The wide lanes made in their columns were quickly closed, while on, Co. on they came, swaying first F to the right, then to left, like great waves of the sea, 2 5TH MASS Vols until one upheaval from the rear would follow another, hurrying them nearer and SEPT. 27 nearer each moment to the murderous fire from our works. There was a ra- vine with a marsh in Gen- 1861 eral Anderson's front and just at the edge of the woods. Here the enemy would surge to the right to obtain shelter from my men, only to be raked by the artillery and the leaden hail from Anderson's Brigade. At this point the dead were piled upon each other five or six deep, and the blood ran down the branch or gully until it flowed past our line. At times the smoke was so dense that nothing could be seen, but as the wind carried it away the solid blue mass could be observed reforming in the old orchard in our front.
"About this time the excitement ran so high with my men that the surgeon of the regiment quit his litter corps and was in the line firing before I discovered him. Some of the
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officers, with hats in hands, went up and down the line, feel- ing so much elated that they would strike the men over the heads and faces and shout with all the joy ever expressed at a camp-meeting by a new convert.
"Here for one hour and a half a solid mass of humanity had charged and charged again like a flock of sheep against a stone wall. Such invincible resolution I never saw before or since. They would advance to the charge again and again, only to be shot down without any shadow of resist- ance, until the ground was blue with the dead and wounded. Finally the Federal columns passed back out of sight in the deep smoke. I then had a good supply of ammunition brought into the line and everything made ready for the third attack. After waiting some twenty or thirty minutes we again heard the old huzza, but in such a feeble manner and from so few that it caused surprise. Then it was that the videttes called out : "They are coming again.'
"On looking over the works I discovered what I supposed to be one regiment with a single flag and an officer in front with sword raised high in the air, calling on his men to charge. I ordered my command to place their guns on the works and wait for orders. When the advancing line reached within seventy yards I ordered my line to fire, when the whole of the Federal regiment fell to the ground save one man, who ran back to the edge of the woods and at- tempted to hide behind a white oak tree, but was completely riddled by fifty balls in less time than it takes to write it.
"The regiment that made this gallant charge was the 25th Massachusetts, which was the only regiment that obeyed or- ders to advance. This we learned from the twenty odd offi- cers and men who fell down among the dead and wounded at the first fire. The balance of the brigade had refused to go forward, and not since the charge of the three hundred at Balaklava has a more heroic act been performed.
"Up to this time not a man in my command had been scratched, and no one in our brigade except our brigadier general, E. M. Law, who was struck by a fragment of a shell early in the engagement. It was the most sanguinary
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charge of our civil war, and no more heroic act was per- formed by either side during that unhappy struggle than that on the part of the Federals which I have just described."
While the battle was in progress the following inci- dent occurred : Corporal Orlando P. Boss, with Privates Aldrich and Battles of his own company, was in a rifle pit half way between his brigade and the enemy. The Union troops were behind a breastwork from which the enemy had been driven, and the enemy from one hundred yards away kept up a tremendous fire. A number had been shot en- deavoring to return over the breastwork to get back into the lines. The call of a wounded man attracted the attention of the party in the rifle pit, and they discovered Lieutenant W. F. Daley of Co. E of their own regiment, badly wounded. He was lying on the ground some fifteen paces in front of the breastwork and directly in line of fire. Mr. Boss crawled back and threw his canteen to the wounded man, who was crying for water and then taking Aldrich, who was wounded, on his shoulders, crept back through the enemy's fire and over the breastwork.
He was determined to rescue the unfortunate lieutenant, if possible, and with Privates W. D. Blanchard-now living in Leominster-A. F. Bartlett and W. O. Wilder-now Councilman Wilder of Worcester-prepared to make the at- tempt. While the others began to undermine the breast- works from within, Boss and Blanchard crept back over the works and up to where Daley lay. The enemy observed their motions and directed their fire upon the daring men, but by lying low and digging a small trench they escaped injury. They got Daley upon a blanket and dragged him back to the breastwork. There they also began to dig, and finally met their friends from within, and bore their wounded officer through the hole to the lines. He was mortally wounded, however, and subsequently died in the hospital.
In the battle of Cold Harbor Fitchburg lost another of her brave boys, Lieutenant James Graham, a kind and genial comrade, a brave and fearless officer, beloved by his
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associates and worthy the promotion he had so recently re- ceived, and, like young Upton, he had the confidence and esteem of his superior officers. In connection with the death of Graham the order was given "Forward, double quick, charge." Captain Foss fell with a shot through his right thigh, saying to Lieutenant Graham : "Go on. Jim. I have got one of them." Graham replied, "I will tell Captain Tucker he is in command of the division." (Foss being in command of the second division at that time.) Graham leaped over a low breastwork, and in so doing he was shot dead. Captain Foss being severely wounded remained on the field under a severe fire for about two hours, but was finally carried from the field by four of his company, who volunteered to risk their lives to save their captain.
INCIDENT OF THE ENGAGEMENT AT ARROWFIELD CHURCH.
On the ninth of May, 1864, occurred the engagement at a place called Arrowfield Church. It was in this engagement that a singular coincidence occurred, in connection with three Massachusetts regiments. The regiments engaged in this battle were the 25th, 23d and 27th Massachusetts, and on the opposite side were the 25th, 23d and 27th South Carolina- Massachusetts versus South Carolina-"Mudsills" versus
"Chivalry." The rebels came rushing forward, four lines deep, with their own peculiar yell. They presented a bold front and charged with an impetuosity worthy of a better cause until within fifteen or twenty yards of our line, when their column began to waver, a few arrived within ten yards of our line, but few of that number ever got back to tell the tale. At a distance of less than fifty yards our two regi- ments, the 25th and 27th forming the front line, opened a deadly fire on them at "right and left oblique" and literally piled up the dead and wounded. A counter charge was made and the audacious foe were put to rout. During this engagement the 25th lost a brave and patriotic young officer from this place, Lieutenant Charles E. Upton. son of Thomas Upton and a nephew of Colonel Upton.
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INCIDENT OF THE BATTLE OF BALL'S BLUFF.
It will be remembered that at the terrible defeat at Ball's Bluff, our men were driven into the Potomac, and obliged to escape by swimming the river. Colonel Devens of the 15th and Lieutenant Eager of our Co. B, could neither of them swim and were taken across the river by four of the mem- bers of Co. B, Walter A. Eames, George L. Boss, Fred H. Sibley, Alvan A. Simonds. This gallant action on their part was duly acknowledged by Lieutenant Eager in the fol- lowing extract from a letter of his which was published at the time :
"You asked me for an account of my escape from the "sacred soil of Virginia" on the night of the 21st of October. I must say I feel decidedly delicate in furnishing any items relating to myself, but it will give me pleasure to put on record the acts of those four brave fellows (God bless them !) who took me safely across, at the risk of their own lives, and but for whom, I might now have been confined in some Southern prison. After the order had been given to retreat, we rallied in a kind of bridle path, under the Bluff, and near the river, when Colonel Devens ordered us to throw our arms into the river and take care of ourselves as best we could. There were a good many of the company who said they could not swim, or did not dare undertake it. I told them I could not swim but we would keep together as much as possible, make our way up the river, and perhaps find a boat in which we could cross. George L. Boss, upon hear- ing me say I could not swim, said two or three of them could take me across, and soon appeared with Corporal Fred H. Sibley and Alvan A. Simonds, who insisted upon my going with them. I told them I might be the means of drowning them all, and they had better go without me, but they still insisted, and seemed so confident of success, I told them if I could find anything that would float I would make the at- tempt. Upon going to the river edge, we found a limb some six inches through at the butt and perhaps ten feet long, and in pulling that out, pulled up a common floor joist about the
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same length. Upon seeing that I told them I could "make the trip" with it on my own hook, and not endanger their lives, but they would not hear a word to that, and said that I must go with them. At this point Walter A. Eames offered his services in assisting us across, and which proved to be very valuable. I certainly think without his help we should have had hard work to have reached the opposite shore. Just as we were about to embark, Colonel Devens came to the water's edge, stripped of his equipments and clothing, when Eames asked him if he could swim. He replied that he could not. Eames said to him, "Hop on to our craft and we will take you across, too." After satisfying himself they were all swimmers but me he waded in. In spite of all our efforts, we drifted quite a distance down stream, the current being strong, and finally landed on a small island, separated from Harrison's Island by a stream some twenty-five yards wide, which proved to be fordable, only about waist deep. When we arrived at the old barn, we learned that no soldiers would be allowed to cross as they were very busy getting the wounded from the island to the Maryland shore. We found our overcoats and blankets, which we had left there in the morning, wrapped ourselves up and laid down by some wheat stacks till there was an opportunity for us to come over. We reached Poolesville about twelve o'clock at night, some barefooted, others bareheaded, and some with nothing but shirt and overcoat."
CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS BY FARRAGUT'S FLEET.
Perhaps no event of the war carried greater consternation to the hearts of the rebel leaders at Richmond, and the people of the South, than the capture of New Orleans by Farragut. All their fears were centered in Admiral Foote's operations above Island No. 10, where they made a most de- termined stand; and there was good reason for this belief. The obstructions in the river between Forts Jackson and St. Philip were of the most formidable character, consisting of hulks of sailing vessels anchored in a row across the river
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with heavy scows between the vessels, and bound together by heavy chains and with long spars alongside and pointing down stream to make it more difficult for gun-boats to approach them. It soon became apparent to Admiral Farragut that nothing could be accomplished until these ob- structions were removed. A council of war was held on board the flagship "Hartford," and Lieutenant Commander C. H. B. Caldwell, the brave and intrepid captain of the gun- boat "Itasca," volunteered his ship for the dangerous service, and his offer was accepted. The story is most graphically told by our genial letter carrier George M. Bowker, who be- longed to the Itasca, and was therefore not only an eye witness to the gallant exploit, but took an active part in it. He says :
"Accordingly we ran alongside the Hartford and had our masts taken out and our smoke stack covered with mud from the river. The ship was painted the color of the muddy water of the river and every precaution was taken to prevent splinters from flying, as these always cause more wounds on board a ship than shot and shell. The bags in which the men's clothes were kept, with the hammocks, were secured to the side with rope netting, and everything movable on deck was put down in the hold or secured, the air ports were darkened though no lights were burning except those which lit up the magazine and shell rooms, and those were in places made for the purpose, below the deck and the water line.
"Everything being in readiness we got under way at nine P. M. of April 20, and started up the river. The order was given that not a word should be spoken above a whisper and every man was to keep a good lookout and report any- thing unusual that might be seen. We were followed by the gunboat 'Pinola' with fleet Captain Bell on board, and they were to render any assistance we might need. The orders from the admiral were to 'cut the chain at all hazards' and it was thought if it could be accomplished even with the de- struction of the ship and the whole ship's company, we should be justified in making the attempt, and Captain Caldwell
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promised it should be done if he lived long enough to do it. We steamed along up the river till we got to the hulks and were trying to find a place where we could push the bows of the ship between one of the scows and a hull, and had just begun to congratulate ourselves that we were not observed, when a musket shot was fired by a rebel picket which proved to be the signal for a terrific fire which was opened upon us by the guns of Fort Jackson. These were immediately re- plied to by the mortars which were discharged as rapidly as possible, and which served to materially check the fire from the fort, but I counted fifty-four shots which passed over us just above the hammock nettings. The scene was a re- markable one, the night was very dark and after the mortar shells had passed a certain distance from the piece, we could readily see the course they were taking by the burning fuse until they reached their height and began to descend and I counted seven of them in the air at one time. The first time we attempted to make fast to the hull we failed, the current in the river being so strong we drifted back and the grapnell we threw aboard the hull having caught the light rail which ran round her quarter, it pulled away ; but the next time we put on all steam and our vessel forced her way up between the scow and hull and we made her fast there. The captain, first lieutenant and half dozen men then climbed over the side of the hull and went forward to see how the chain was se- cured. An order soon came from the captain to the powder division, of which I had charge, for a half dozen barrels of powder which were quickly placed on board the hulk with a quantity of fuse. But before it could be placed in position for use, the men, who were trying to cast off the chain from the capstan to which it was fast, succeeded, and the chain re- leased from its terrible strain, fell with a crash and snapped asunder like a piece of twine, and each section of the ob- struction swung down the river like an immense gate. The hull, to which we were fast, swinging against us we were soon fast in the mud. We were trying our best to get off when the 'Pinola' came up and Captain Caldwell explained the situation to him as best he could amid the din and roar of
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those heavy guns in that narrow space, and the shriek of the great projectiles as they went flying over us. He told us to stay by her, do our best to get her afloat, and if we did not suc- ceed by the time the moon came up, to blow her up and get down to the fleet every man for himself. But Captain Cald- well sent the first lieutenant, with the first cutter's crew, down to Farragut, who, after learning the situation, promptly sent the 'Pinola' back to tow us off. After two or three inef- fectual attempts we succeeded in floating off into deep water and got down to the fleet just as the moon came up, at half past one. It had become known among the ships of the squadron what our errand had been, and that we had been successful, and as our red light passed each vessel as we proceeded to our anchorage abreast the 'Hartford' we were greeted with deafening cheers. We had not been long at anchor before an immense fire-raft was set afloat and came down to us, sending its lurid flames, from its load of pitch pine knots, high in the air and lighting up the river for miles up and down. She drifted lengthwise between the 'Hart- ford' and 'Itasca' and we could see the men of the 'Hartford' working away at hand force pumps, trying to keep the sides and rigging of the ship wet, and in case of fire to quickly ex- tinguish it. The only damage this fire-raft did was to raise great blisters on the sides of both ships. She drifted to the
opposite side of the river and burned up. All hands were called to 'splice the main brace.' the anchor watch was set, the rest of the men were 'piped down' and comparative quiet again rested over the river, a shot from the mortars being discharged every half hour through the night. And so the weary six days and seven nights wore on. A doubt being expressed by some of the commanders that the river was clear from obstruction, Captain Caldwell took the admiral's barge and a boat's crew from the 'Itasca' and on the eve of the twenty-third went up the river where the obstructions had been, and with a 'deep sea lead' sounded all the way across. He went so close to the shore the voices of the rebel pickets could be plainly heard. Satisfied that our work had been completed, he returned to the fleet and made his report to
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Farragut, who immediately ordered the ships to prepare for action, in accordance with plans he had arranged.
"The main features of this great battle are matters of his- tory, but an article appeared in the Century magazine which reflects so severely on his own comrades-in-arms that those who are living to read it, will do so with a smile of scorn and with feelings of indignation at its manifest injustice. But Farragut's soldiers who read it will regard it as an outburst of Southern braggadocio. It was written by Beverly Ken- non, commander of the rebel gunboat 'Gov. Moore,' and in it he says, in substance, that his ship, which he calls an old tinder box, defied the whole squadron and did nearly all the damage to the 'Varuna" which caused her to sink. When the truth was, that while he was keeping quiet in the dense smoke of the battle, the gallant Boggs in the 'Varuna' was fighting the half-dozen rebel gunboats on the west bank of the river, among which he found himself after passing the forts, and four of which he blew up and sunk before his ship went down. Again he says he kept such a good look out that no movement of the Yankee sailors could by any means escape his notice, when the fact was, the 'Itasca' was near the obstructions some time before being observed, and the "Varuna' was past Fort Jackson before a gun was fired, and the second division was well up to the forts. Unfortunately for us the 'Itasca,' which was in the third division, was de- layed by getting afoul a raft, and before we got past the fort our boiler was exploded by a forty-two-pound solid shot, which prevented us seeing the most of the battle with the rebel gunboats above the forts. We could only drift back and run ashore near the mortar boats, from which place we saw the 'turtle ram' swing round the bend of the river with the smoke issuing from her port holes, a victim to the terrific broadsides of the old 'Mississippi' frigate, and finally with a fearful lunge sink beneath the muddy waters of the river never more to rise. And more, Beverly Kennon will never succeed in making the sailors of Farragut's squadron believe he is guiltless of the charge of inhumanity which was pre- ferred against him at that time and which caused the gov-
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