USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.1 > Part 14
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Grows' Journal : "Tuesday March 18, 1862. A fine feel- ing morning. Had a light breakfast of coffee and bread, thiên lashed our knapsacks on the pieces, leaving our tents, and other articles such as stoves, behind, for we cannot carry them.
At 9 o'clock this morning the order was given, 'For- ward!' and the first step was taken in the march, for we had to walk all the way. 9 miles. We took the road to Alexan- dria, and by mistake went some four miles out of the way. . . . On the way we had in some places to build up parts of
the road where it had been washed away. The roads here are in a very bad state, but are a great deal better than they
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have been. At 3 in the afternoon we struck the ground where we are to stop tonight, about 13 miles from the city of Alexandria.
After eating a little, and getting cleaned up, for we were very dusty, we began to make some preparations for sleep- ing, but as we have no tents, we stuck one covering of the gun up on poles, crawled in under, laid on the ground, and soon got to sleep.
Wednesday, March 19. Got up feeling quite sore and stiff. As we had nothing to eat, I went over to Martin's Battery and got some fried potatoes, some good white bread and about a quart of nice, hot coffee. About 1/2 past 9 our quartermaster got some coffee for the men. Soon after we were called out to drill. Stayed out about an hour, and then we had to wash the carriages and pieces, which took uis till dinner time. Had dinner of hard bread and water. This afternoon began fixing for a place to sleep; arranged a bed for a fellow named Joe Knox and myself. Had sup- per of hot coffee and hard bread. Was put on guard to take care of one of our drivers' horses."
FROM LETTERS OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS. $
"The hills and valleys are covered with camps, most of them, like our own, supplied with very scant equipage. We have one tent for the officers, which at the present moment contains all five, getting along very comfortably. Scott is writing a letter on the same box as I, and the Captain (Allen) is cutting a quill preparatory to doing the same thing. The men have pitched the tarpaulins between the carriages, making three tents to hold fifty apiece, so that they get along as well as we do. We expect to embark within two days for some great expedition. General Sun- ner's Division went down today, and several more are wait- ing to go. Where we shall bring up I do not know, but
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from the preparations going on the expedition must be in- tended to finish the Rebellion.
Large quantities of provisions have been sent lately to Fortress Monroe, which would look like an attack upon Richmond up the James or York River, or we may be going to join Burnside.
Last night we went on a serenading excursion. The 44th N. Y. [Ellsworth Avengers] to which we have been as- signed for hospital purposes, have taken great interest in our Battery. The hospital is in a house close to our camp owned by a Mr. Osborne. In the evening we got together the musical crowd, and went up to the house with a band of an accordeon and a banjo. We were invited in and got some apples and cakes. Then we had a little music .and adjourned to the kitchen for a clog dance by Mr. Joseph Clark, banjo player and clog dancer for the Battery.
After a few jigs and breakdowns we went home and went to bed.
Mr. Osborne is quite a brick, a very strong union man. At one time the rebel pickets occupied the bushes across the road in front of his house, and used to blaze away at him at every opportunity. He offered to sell his hay to the gov- erminent, but they thought it too dangerous to send wagons after it, so he carted it himself, exposed all the while to the rebel fire. His wagon was hit several times but he escaped.
Thursday evening March 20, 1862, Alexandria Heights : The 3d Michigan moved up close by us yesterday being ordered to get as near Alexandria as possible. Fort Ells- worth, as near as I can make out, is a square bastioned fort like Fort Corcoran, rather larger, constructed strictly ac- cording to theoretical rules.
We are .encamped on a little hill, the one tent being pitched on the summit. For this purpose we picked out the tightest tent in camp, the one which I have always had, and inside of this are the jolliest crowd of officers that can be found. Our baggage is limited, but we get on without.
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Captain Allen occupies the back of the tent on a bedstead which we have managed to bring so far, Hyde and Dilling- ham make up their bed on one side, while Scott and I make up ours on the other.
Two rubber blankets constitute the foundations, then come our bed sacks filled with hay, and our blankets finish off. We get along first rate though we pull off the blankets a great deal. The principal article of furniture is the com- pany desk which was put in bere as there was no other tent to put it in : coats, sabres, haversacks, canteens, dishes, valises, knapsacks, boxes, saddles, opera glasses, &c &c. On the whole we are pretty full. The men have quite a variety of substitutes for tents. Some take the tarpaulins which cover the guns: each of which is large enough to accommo- date 10 or 15 men; some use their rubber ponchos [rubber blankets with holes in the middle] which make a very good pleasant weather tent. Each poncho is about 5 ft. by 4, and four of them make a tent large enough to hold four men lying or sitting. This is the prevalent style of tent round here : the 83d Penn. between us and the Fort, are quartered in them, also the 3d Michigan on the other side of us. The 17th New York are encamped just beyond the 83d Penn., with the same accommodations. We received yesterday the news of the capture of Newberne.
Lt. Kingsbury seems to have left us. When the advance was made last week he was ordered to join his Battery and has been with them ever since. When we came here he was over here for about five minutes and that is all. It rained all last night and all today, and the General Commanding has authorized us to issue a ration of whiskey to the men, which has accordingly been done, without any bad effects as far as I have seen.
Martin's Battery have been encamped with Martindale's brigade, Weeden's with Morell's, and we have had most to do with the 44th N. Y. ( Ellsworth's Avengers) a fine regi- ment who led the advance at Manassas.
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Captain Griffin has been appointed Chief of Artillery for the Division. I hear that Porter's Battery [First Mass. Lt. Art'y] in Franklin's Division, and McDowell's Corps ( Ist) are to embark today, and the General Order No. 101, or- dered the whole of a corps to be kept together, so at least two corps are going on the proposed expedition. The num- ber of troops right round here is estimated anywhere from 20,000 to 150,000.
At present we are living not very luxuriously, making up our beds on the ground, and eating hard tack and salt pork."
Grows' Journal: "Thursday, March 20, 1862. Was awakened by the rain this morning. Found my hair quite wet from the rain falling on my head during the niglit. Some of the men had to sit up all night on account of the rain, for all the tents we have is a piece of canvas laid upon two poles, and the water runs under like a sluiceway. Had dinner of fresh beef and potatoes, after which I went to Porter's Battery."
About 8 a. m. of Friday, March 2Ist they marched to Alexandria Va., and waited in the street until 3 p. m. for the Fourth R. I. Battery to embark, then commenced put- ting their guns on board the same propeller, the "A. H. Bowman." About six p. m. they were ready to load the horses on the schooners "Louisa Reed" and "Ida De la Torre." This was accomplished about 10 o'clock and after taking on some of the horses they were to have from the 18th Mass. Regt. to complete their number, they found iquarters for themselves on board a canal boat which was loaded with the baggage of the two batteries.
Grows' Journal : "Friday March 21. 1862. Were called at 6 and ordered to pack our knapsacks and be ready to start at 8 o'clock. Went to work on empty stomachs. Got two days' rations in our haversacks. Marched on foot 9
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iniles to that nest of secession Alexandria. Waited till 2 in the afternoon before we got aboard. While here I vis- ited the Marshall House, where Ellsworth was killed by Jackson. This is a hard looking place. Our Battery was joined by Griffin's, Martin's and the Rhode Island Fourth. We all got aboard and I turned in under one of the guns, using the sponge staff for a pillow, and the deck for a bed. Was called at II o'clock to go on guard on the barge which had all our stores on. How it did rain! Stood up against the mast. On account of the corporal being sick I called my man at 1 o'clock."
THE SAILING OF THE FLEET. NOTES OF LJEUT. PHILLIPS.
"March 22, 1862, at 4 a. m., Scott and I had to get up and look after some new horses which we have received from the 18th Mass. Regt. By daylight we got them all on board, and with the rest of the fleet dropped into the stream.
Captain Allen and Lt. Hyde went on the propeller, Lt. Dillingham on the 'Ida De la Torre.' Scott on the canal boat, and I on the 'Louisa Reed.'
After a good deal of backing and filling the fleet got ready to start. There are some 96 vessels in all. About 12 o'clock we started. the flagship 'Daniel Webster' leading the way.
We had been assigned a place near the head of the co !- umn. but the 'A. H. Bowman' being unable to keep it, soon fell behind. The 'Bowman' towed the two schooners, the 'Ida De la Torre' on the starboard, the 'Louisa Reed' on the larboard side. The 'Hero' took the canal boat, with our baggage, and went out of sight in a very short time. Dil- lingham has charge of one schooner and I of the other, Captain Allen and Lt. Hyde look after the steamer, and Scott has gone off in the canal boat. The 'Bowman' is so
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slow that we have dropped behind everything. I quarter in the captain's state room and the men sleep on the hay in the hold. The fare on board is good and we have a jolly time.
At night we anchored in the Potomac river. The next day all went well, beautiful weather and the whole fleet ahead of us.
Before daylight on the 24th we anchored off Fortress Monroe. While waiting to disembark I took the schooner's boat and rowed round the Monitor. As soon as we came in sight of the fort I commenced looking for the Monitor, and pretty soon I espied a puff of smoke, and a box on a raft, lying up in the Roads among the fleet.
We rowed round close to her and I counted some 20 shot marks all over her, five or six in the turret, some of them very near the portholes, and the rest along her sides. The one which had made the most impression struck about three feet from the bows near the upper edge of the side, and dented in the side plate about two inches, started the rivets and knocked up the deck plate. The other shots had made more or less impression : those which struck the middle of the plates merely denting them an inch or so, and those which struck near the edges, driving in the plates and start- ing the rivets, breaking the heads off. However, no seri- ous damage was done.
About noon we had our Battery landed and took up our line of march. Passing by Fortress Monroe we kept on over the bridge to the main land. and on through what was once the main street of Hampton, but now only a road between ruined houses. For half a mile the road was lined with walls and chimneys, but only two whole houses were in sight. Just beyond the village we came to General Por- ter's Head Quarters; then we passed the camp of General Porter's and Hamilton's Divisions. Still on we kept, till we came to Captain Martin's battery encamped in a large field on the right of the road. Here we turned in and pitched our camp. A deserted and ruined house furnished
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us with firewood and flooring and soon our camp fires were blazing merrily.
Nims Battery, ( Ormand F. Nims) Mass. Art'y, is two miles back, but nobody is in front of us, save a few pickets. We start again tomorrow, to fight or not, who knows?
Captain . Griffin's Battery arrived soon after we did, and Captain Weeden's has just come. We have a pleasant camping ground, level as a barn floor. The camp fires and the variety of tents give quite a picturesque appearance to the scene. The rest of the Division is a mile back of us."
The little village of Hampton referred to by Lieut. Phil- lips, was burned by Magruder, on seeing in a northern news- paper that the Federal forces contemplated occupying the town as winter quarters, to prevent its falling into the hands of General Benjamin F. Butler.
From his Head Quarters on the Back River road he designated four companies, two of infantry and two of cav- alry, to proceed there at night. Each company fired one- quarter of the town as divided at the cross streets, and it soon became one mass of flames.
The Monitor was launched on the 30th of January 1862, and was lost in a gale off Cape Hatteras the 30th day of December, just eleven months after she was launched.
Grows' Journal: "Saturday March 22, 1862. Went into the wheel house and tried to get a little sleep but could not, the roof leaked like a sieve. I was about wet through. At last daylight came and I was very hungry. I went aboard a barge alongside and got the cook to give me a cup of coffee, which put new life into me. At 9 in the forenoon we were under way. The men were on the steamer .A. H. Bowman' having two schooners with the horses aboard in tow. They lead the way. Myself and S others were left to guard the barge as all the provisions are on this boat. So I shall live well enough.
It was a sight to see. Thirty-thousand men embarked and sailed down the river together. The 'Nellie Baker' of
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Boston, is one of the boats carrying troops. As soon as we got well under way we began to look around for something to eat. I got some sugar, bread, coffee, and beans, and we had a glorious time, S of us, sitting down to a breakfast of stewed beans, hot coffee, bread and butter.
I went down between decks, and made up a splendid place to sleep when night came.
On the trip down the river we passed several old rebel batteries, also Mount Vernon the home of Washington. The view on the Potomac is splendid. Also passed Fort Washington and were loudly cheered by the men. . . . The freight boats were the 'Herald' one barge and schooner in tow, 'Savage' one schooner, 'Hero,' one boat, one barge, 'Propeller' two schooners, 'Curlew' one schooner and one barge, 'A. H. Bowman' two schooners in tow. Four U. S. gunboats and one tug accompanied the expedition.
Sunday, March 23d. We are anchored in Hampton Roads in sight of Fortress Monroe. The celebrated irou steamer 'Monitor' is near us. She is being repaired. She was some hurt in the conflict with the 'Merrimac.' Had hot coffee and hard bread and scouse' for breakfast. We can see with a glass the rebel flag on the other side. Had hot biscuit, flap-jacks, and hot coffee for supper.
Monday, March 244th. About 9 this morning, our men in the steamer began to land. Some of them came aboard. and they told us that they were about starved. Made some coffee for them, and got some raw salt pork, and, my lord! how they did eat. Three more boat loads came alongside and we fed them.
Some of us took a boat and went alongside of the 'Mon- itor.' She is a very peculiar looking craft being only 15 inches out of water but drawing 9 feet of water. She is cased with steel plates five inches thick. She carries two guns, 1844 pounders, in a revolving tower on deck. There are several more vessels of the same kind under way and will soon be completed.
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At half past one I landed on the wharf at Fortress Mon- roe, and began to help unload the guns. At 3 o'clock the Bugle sounded 'Forward!' and we began our march for our camp ground for the night. Passed through the once flour- ishing place of Hampton. There is nothing left now but - blackened walls and ruins. . . . Some of the ruins left show marks of once being splendid buildings. We are quite near the enemy, and our orders are to advance to Yorktown. The Division I am in consists of 125,000 men. Arrived at our camp ground about sundown, and began to make and pitch our tents for the night. We take two "poncho' rubber blankets and put them together, and make a tent large enough for two to sleep in; Joc Knox and my. self sleeping together.
Tuesday morning March 25th. About 3 past & the order came to advance. Struck out little tents, and at 9 were ready to start, but had to wait for 5,000 infantry to pass. At half past 10 we began our march forward, and arrived at our destination in about an hour. We are now stationed to guard the bridge connecting Hampton and Newmarket. This bridge has been the bone of contention between the rebels and our troops for some time. In case our troops are driven back we can shell the enemy back. There are now five rebel Regiments within 23 miles of us. We have re- ceived orders not to leave our camp ground. but be on the lookout all the time, for on the sight of any armed men coming down the road, we are to fire on them. Our pieces are all loaded, and when we turn in at night, we are al- lowed to take off only our jackets and boots, so we can be ready, in case of an alarm in the night. One of our men left camp this afternoon, and was fired upon by one of our pickets for crossing the line; the way he came into camp was a caution. Have heard considerable firing during the day. It has been a glorious day. Have had to throw off jackets and go around in our shirt sleeves, it has been $0 warm. Went to Roll Call at 8, and a more splendid sight
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I never saw than the camp was, lit up with large fires. We have plenty of wood and water. There was a large 'Secesh house near by when we arrived here this morning, but to- night there is nothing left but the chimney. The men and officers have used the lumber for tent floors and fuel."
LETTERS OF THOMAS E. CHASE.
Of the fleet and the march Chase wrote at Hampton, Va., in letters of March 25th and 26th 1862:
"The scene on the river on Saturday morning was a grand spectacle: to see such a monstrous fleet of steamers and transports, all laden with troops and munitions of war is a rare sight. Guns of every calibre were snugly stowed on board, whole deck loads of horses packed together as snug as they could stand, and thousands of infantry and cavalry were crowded together on the decks, and in every nook and corner of the vessels. When I used to go down to the end of Liverpool wharf to see the trim little 'Nelly Baker.' and the 'Nantasket,' crowded with passengers on a pleasant excursion, little did I think that I should ever see them steaming down the Potomac loaded with soldiers bound for active service, and your humble servant Tom in the same fix; but it was so, and she looked as gay and trim as ever. We passed the deserted fortifications of the rebels on the Potomac, but saw no one except a few men from Hooker's Division who now occupy the forts. On our way to camp, we passed through the town of Hampton, which was burned by the rebels last summer, and truly it is a sad sight, to see nothing but the chimneys and charred ruins of a large and well built town. All, or nearly all, the houses were built of brick, and the town has the appearance of a small city, I should think nearly as large as Haverhill, Mass. I have read and heard of the destruction of property that this war has caused, but never realized it before. Here we see it. This morning we were ordered to pack up and
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prepare for a march with the Division. We all packed uy and wrote home, and expected to meet the rebels. We did not go more than half a mile, when we were ordered 'in Battery' near a turn in the road, and but a few rods from the Newmarket Bridge. Our guns command. the road and bridge, and we are to guard it until further orders. Cap- tain Allen told us that we might remain here only three hours, or we might stop here three days, and possibly three weeks. We are to await further orders whether sooner or later. The weather is delightful here. Some of the plants and the peach trees are in bloom, and the trees and shrubbery are fast leafing out, the spring birds have come, and 'the voice of the turtle is heard in the land.' Every move that we now make gains new comforts for us. There are a null :- ber of secesh houses which we have kindly volunteered to 'clean out,' and all our tents have good board floors. We have this day torn down and carried away a whole house. Of course it had been deserted, and it did not take us but a few hours to confiscate it: 150 soldiers make short work of tearing down a secesh house. A part of our supper was cooked tonight over the burning remains of the house that we commenced on in the morning, and every tent has a sep- arate fire-place made of the brick thereof. . . . They are putting up a new line of telegraph as fast as the Army moves. (26th) We are ordered to pack up again this morning. . . . What a way to live! not to know one day where we are to 'board' the next, and only take rooms' for one night, but when the weather is fine I rather like it, it is not so monotonous as lying in camp in a mud hole, with nothing to do. Now we have to build and furnish a new house every day. . . . I hope you will excuse my bad writ- ing and paper, for I have been in every position, while writ- ing, except standing on my head, but I am going to practice at that."
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FROM THE DIARY OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"Tuesday March 25th, 1862: In front of the enemy at last. About nine o'clock Captain Weeden's Battery and ours advanced half a mile to the edge of the river. Butter- field's and Martindale's brigades are encamped close around us.
Our guns are 'in Battery' commanding Newmarket Bridge. I went over the bridge this forenoon. Our outside pickets are between our Battery and the river, about 30 yards in front of our guns."
PICKET DUTY.
It was one of the prescribed rules to be strictly observed, that an army in camp or on the march should always throw between itself and the supposed position of the enemy an advanced guard for the purpose of observing his move- ments and position, as well as keeping him in ignorance of the state of our own forces.
General Order No. 69, Head Quarters Army of the Potomac, dated Washington Feb. 25, 1862, has the follow- ing sketch of, duties in camp :
"Each Brigade will furnish daily the guard for its own front, con- necting with the guards of the Brigades on its right and left. Each guard will be under the direction of a Field Officer of the Day. to be detailed at Brigade Headquarters. Senior Captains may be added to the roster of field officers for field officers of the day when necessity requires.
The guards of each Division will be under the direction of a General Officer of the Day, who shall receive his orders directly from the Division Commander. Colonels will be added to the roster of General Officers for this duty.
Brigade commanders may be excused from serving on this detail.
SUPPORTS AND RESERVES.
Each guard shall consist of a line of sentinels called Pickets, of a line of Supports. from which the sentinels are furnished for the front
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of the Brigade, and of a Reserve, posted in the following manner :- The Reserve will occupy a commanding position, and be stationed about a mile or a mile and a half in front of the main body of the Brigade.
The Supports, two or more, as the nature of the ground and the length of the lines may require, will be thrown about one mile further to the front. They will be placed in such positions as easily to com- municate with each other and with the Reserves, and as near the avenues of approach from the front as practicable.
From these Supports the line of Pickets is thrown out about two hundred yards to the front.
As, upon the position of this line, and the manner in which the Pickets perform their duty, the safety of the entire Army depends, no pains must be spared to ensure their being properly posted and in- structed in their duties: and the utmost vigilance must be observed to enforce a proper performance of them.
The line will be formed by posting groups of three men each: these groups to be not more than 150 yards apart, and much closer when the nature of the ground or the attitude of the enemy requires. These groups will keep up constant communication with each other: which will be readily accomplished by one man of each group walking half way to the group on his left: another half way to the group on his right, thus always leaving one of the three at the original station. None of the men stationed on this line will be allowed to sit or lie down on their post, nor will they quit their arms, or relax the vigilance of faithful sentinels, by day or night. These Pickets will be relieved every two hours, and being furnished by the Supports, the latter will be divided into three reliefs for this purpose. The Supports will be re- lieved from the Reserve every six hours.
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