USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.1 > Part 20
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THE POINT OF ATTACK.
The James River was open to the Union fleets. This had been made possible by the destruction on March 9, 1862, of the rebel ram "Merrimac" by the U. S. "Monitor."
The historian of the Fifth Army Corps observes that "May 11, 1862, McClellan's military instinct demanded the immediate movement of his Army to the James River as a
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base." General John E. Wool telegraphed him on May 12th .- "Your flank will be protected on the James River, etc. etc.," and this "military instinct" which was not allowed to sway the wisdom of the controlling powers, was proven to have been founded on the best judgment, for be- fore the close of June it was demonstrated to the world that a strategic movement resting on the Chickahominy, such as was then on foot, was but the "baseless fabric of a dream."
Two main roads run down the Peninsula from near Wil- liamsburg, one following the York River goes to York- town, the other following the course of the James, crosses the Warwick at Lee's mills.
A mile east of Williamsburg where these roads come to- gether, was Fort Magruder the centre of the enemy's works, 13 in all, which stretched across the intervening space be- tween the two rivers.
Williamsburg, the seat of William and Mary College chartered in 1693, is built on the ridge of the Peninsula, 3 miles from the James River and 4 from York River. It is distant from Richmond 60 miles, Hampton 36 miles, and Yorktown 12 miles.
BY MEMBERS OF THE BATTERY.
Grows' Journal of May 9th has the following entry :--- "At 2 o'clock this morning I came aboard the steamer New Haven, spread out my blankets on deck and turned in. We got underweigh at 3 this afternoon with two schooners in tow, having our horses on board. At 6 this evening we ar- rived off West Point but finding the tide low we did not un- load.
Saturday, May 10, 1862. Had breakfast of hard bread and water, then went on deck to look around. This is a very pretty place. The beach extends for miles, very hard and smooth. I should like to live here, and it seems hard to have this place disturbed by war. The water as far as I
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can see is covered with boats and vessels, conveying our troops and ammunition."
LETTER OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"ON BOARD STEAMER, 'NEW HAVEN,' YORK RIVER, Saturday, May 10, 1862.
Once again we are afloat to find a new point of attack, and the sooner we get landed the better. Going to sea is all very pleasant, but when it comes to embarking a battery and one hundred horses, I beg to be excused.
Thursday morning we were ordered to be in Yorktown by daylight, prepared to embark, so we had 'reveille' at 2 a. m. and started. We arrived at Yorktown about 6, only to find that there was not the slightest chance to get aboard for some hours to come. So we marched into a field and came into park about 50 yards from the walls of York- town. The day was very pleasant and the road was very dusty, and the wagons were very thick. The roads were a perfect chaos of mules and mule drivers, one about as stupid as the other.
Meantime, we waited and waited.
Martin's battery came into park alongside of us, and the day slowly rolled on. I managed to buy a loaf of bread, not very large for 25 cents, and made a decent dinner. About 4 o'clock the steamer 'New Haven' hauled up to the wharf, and we put our guns, caissons and baggage wagons on board. This took us till 3 in the morning when we hauled into the stream to give Martin a chance, and turned in. The next day we had to wait till afternoon when we got some schooners into the wharf and loaded our horses. By 4 o'clock this was completed and we fastened the schooner alongside the 'New Haven,' and managed to get a good night's rest.
This morning we are waiting for orders. A schooner
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loaded with Griffin's horses has just come alongside. . . .
P. S. Sunday evening. We have landed at West Point on York River our Battery and baggage wagons, and shall land our horses tomorrow. In good health and spirits.
C. A. P."
LETTER OF T. E. CHASE.
ON BOARD STEAMER NEW HAVEN, OFF WEST POINT VA. Sunday, May 11, 1862.
. I have been all over Yorktown and examined all the enemy's fortifications, and it was an immense work. Two thousand negroes were at work on them for nearly a year, and all their work is thrown away. . . . They had great furnaces to heat shot red-hot to fire at the gunboats to set them on fire: the shot were in the furnaces all ready to be heated, shot and shell piled up alongside of the guns ready at a moment's notice. There lay the sponge staves and everything in complete readiness. All the guns were spiked, and some of the buildings burnt. I saw the ruins of one large building, and in the ashes there was a great lot of shot and shell. and I should think about five barrels of meat laid in a pile, all burned, and about a cart load of fine salt and the iron-work of a lot of cartridge boxes.
The rebel officers had first-rate barracks, good, nice, cot beds, and they are now used for hospitals, and there are already quite a large number of sick and wounded soldiers there.
We are now about a day's march from Richmond, some 28 miles, and where the disheartened rebels will next make a stand we know not. Banks and McDowell are on the other side of Richmond and the flower of the army here chasing and penning them up. . The Captain sings out
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'fall in' to help unload and I must close for the present. . . P. S. Stuck again! We are ashore again on the flats and must wait until 9 o'clock this p. in. before we can finish unloading. Our horses are ashore and a part of our pieces. and I suppose Richmond will be taken and the rest of the army home before we get ashore. . . . I slept on the hur- ricane deck last night until 12 o'clock, when the wind began to blow so hard that I was afraid of being blown overboard so I engaged rooms in the engine room for the rest of the night and slept first rate. I have got so now that I couldn't sleep on anything but boards, cedar rails, or a pile of chain cable. . . . Perhaps you will see by this time that it is use- less to worry, for J have chewed my hard tack in Yorktown unmolested by any of the chivalry, and have squinted into the very muzzle of their biggest gun!
My writing desk is my knapsack resting on the muzzle of our gun."
Sunday and Monday, May 11th and 12th were occupied in disembarking, and they got into camp at 7 p. m. on the 12th.
Grows' Journal : "May 12th. We had to go ashore at 9 this forenoon. It is a very hot morning. Had some cof- fee and hard bread, after which we went into a barge and laid down to get rid of the sun. After dinner visited the . scenes of the late battle at Williamsburg. It looked bad to see the mounds of earth over our brave men that fell here. The fight was day before yesterday. . . . At 4 this afternoon our horses arrived. We got them ashore and set our picket rope. Turned in under the gun to get some sleep for we start in the morning again."
May 13th they started on the march. The Divisions of Franklin, Smith, Sykes, and Porter advanced to Cumber- land by way of the New Kent Court House, 14 miles; the Battery marching with Porter's Division at 4.30 p. m."
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FROM LETTERS OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"The day was very pleasant, the roads very dusty and the woods through which we passed, beautiful; so on the whole, the march though tiresome was not so bad as it might have been.
Shortly after leaving West Point, we passed through the woods where Franklin's Division had a fight the other day. From appearances it must have been an unpleasant spot to be in. The trees were perfectly riddled with bul- lets, some having three or four holes in them, but I suppose like most bullets they injured more trees than men. We kept halting all along the road, which was blocked up by wagons, mule teams and troops, but finally reached the camp about five p. m. . . . It was in a large, dusty wheat field on a level plain right on the shore of the Pamunkey River."
Grows' Journal : "May 13th 1862. At 6 we took up the line of march for a place called Cumberland, about 15 miles. We got along very well till 9 o'clock, when we had to wait five hours for two other Divisions to pass. Built a fire by the side of the road, and made some coffee. On account vi stopping in the road so long we did not arrive at our camp ground till late this afternoon. Every house we passed had a white flag hung out to show they were peace- able. After pitching my little tent I dropped on the ground and fell asleep. Awaked at 7 this morning and was told that I must go on guard, as one of the men was sick, and it ixing my next turn I had to go. I offered several $1.oo if they would take my place, but could find no one, the men being completely worn out by the heat and the march."
General McClellan's Head Quarters were close by, and att 5 p. m. of the 14th the Battery was called in line to salute the General and Secretary Stanton.
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Grows' Journal : "Wednesday, May 14th. On my post I did not dare sit down for fear I should get asleep. Both men and horses are pretty well tired out. We march again in the morning."
Those on guard of course could not rest on the march. even when the column stopped.
FROM SPEAR'S LETTERS.
REVIEW OF A WEEK. "May 14, 1862.
Well, we waited in Yorktown until 7 o'clock at night before we could commence the loading of our Battery and its accompaniments, and all was aboard the transport. by 21 o'clock the next morning, which was about the size of the 'Nelly Baker.' Laid off in the stream until 3 in the afternoon, when all went ashore and commenced the load- ing of horses on schooners. This took about two hours. and then steamer, schooners and all, hauled out into the stream, where we remained all night and the next day until 2 o'clock, when orders were received to proceed up the York River. Reached West Point at dusk. Monday was a hard and tough day for the boys, as it took nearly all day to unload the horses and guns, and at night all were very tired, but managed to retire about 9 o'clock after a good supper of coffee, hard bread, and salt 'horse.' Not much sleep for that night, however, as we were routed out at 2 o'clock to be ready to move by sunrise. At sunrise were on the road from West Point to Cumberland Creek. We advanced readily until the sun came out so hot, and the roads became very dusty, and as there was but little air stir- ring, it was oppressive to us. Reached Cumberland Creek at dusk, and for supper coffee, hard bread and salt pork.
Wednesday night rain, and continued heavy fall all night and the next day and night. About 12 o'clock Wednesday
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night the boys of the tent in which I am, awoke and found the water standing 3 inches decp inside of the tent. Every- thing was wet through and through. At 3 o'clock were routed up same way as usual, ordered to pack up, and at 6 o'clock had everything ready to move : tents struck, horses harnessed, and hitched in. but owing to the heavy rain, and the bad condition of the roads, we did not leave the en- campment until about 12 o'clock. Proceeded well until we came to a swamp, and then one of our caissons got stuck fast in the mud. and we were obliged to remain there all night. As soon as we found that we should have to remain . in the middle of the swamp, we went to work, built a blazing fire and prepared some coffee. After partaking of our fru- gal meal, some went to work and pitched a tent to sleep in during the night, and at To o'clock everything was ready for sleep. On awaking the next morning found it pleasant and were ordered to move on, so struck our tent, hitched up our horses and pulled out of the swamp, and by 9 o'clock reached the place where the Division was encamped."
FROM CHASE'S LETTER OF NAY 14, 1862.
"Cumberland Va. 14th May, 1862. . .. The trip up York River was a pleasant one, -- or rather the scenery,- and the country looks more civilized than it does on the Potomac. There are many splendid residences and fine plantations, and some of the houses had white flags flying in front of them. At West Point in a small enclosure there are nineteen graves of men who were killed near there when Franklin's Division arrived, and belonged to the 31st N. Y. Regt: They were buried in a trench, but their graves ap- pear to be separate on the surface, and each one has a board neatly marked with their names, age, &c. . . . I must close for we have been standing in line for the last hour to salute
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General McClellan and the Secretary of War. . . . I will send Fred a few seeds which I took from a deserted secesh house. I do not know what they are, bitt perhaps he would like to plant them. We are to march again tomorrow at 6 a. m. and we expect to help clear out some masked bat- teries between here and Richimond. . . .
P. S. Passed a guide-board yesterday with the follow- ing curious inscription on it, viz. "Richmond 31 miles.'"
FROM LETTERS OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"CUMBERLAND, BANKS OF THE PAMUNKEY, Wednesday Forenoon, May 14, 1862.
Things look very different when seen by a newspaper correspondence subjected to a military censorship and when seen here. The Rebels left Yorktown because they had to, but the compulsion might have been stronger. . . . Our guns were better than theirs and would have knocked their works all to pieces. . . . Our nearest batteries were some 1800 yards from the enemy s works. . . . They commenced an evacuation which lasted three days . . . but our gen- erals with balloons, spies, pickets, gunboats &c. knew nothing of it till every man had left the intrenchments. Then General McC. . . . pushed on with artillery and cavalry. The enemy retiring in perfect order, left a rear guard at Williamsburg to hold us in check, while the main body pushed on to the Chickahominy, and in this they succeede.1. Hooker's Division attacked them and were driven back, losing three out of four batteries, and were about sur- rounded when reinforcements arrived. These reinforce- ments sufficed to drive the enemy back to their works, which they abandoned soon after, as their design was mere- ly to hold them for a time. . . . General McC. rode through our camp on his way to Williamsburg between 4 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon, so that he could not have got there
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very early. We have not been in any fight yet, though the event may come off any day. . .
We are encamped on a large level plain right on the shore of the river. Our own camp is in a wheat field, very dusty. Gen. McClellan with a long string of generals, aides, French Princes . . . officers and escort, passed us and camps close by. It is now raining and we are all blue and growling. Nothing to eat but hard tack and coffee with- out sugar. The President is here today.
Evening : It still rains. We managed to get some fresh bread for supper, and are in rather better spirits; also we bought two hams, one of which has been boiled for tomor- row."
The next morning, May 15th, the Division was ordered to move at 6.30 a. m. as follows :-
I. Berdan's Sharp Shooters. 2. Artillery. 3. But- terfield's Brigade. 4. Martindale's Brigade. 5. Mc- Quade's Brigade. About 5 o'clock, however. Franklin's Division commenced passing and the Battery had to wait. The roads ahead were apparently very bad, for Franklin's Division advanced slowly, but by ten o'clock the last bag- gage wagon disappeared, and Porter's Division started on its slow progress toward White House Landing.
FROM LETTERS OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"Our march was very intermittent,-now we advanced a few hundred yards, then we came to a long halt, and so we kept on. Our first stick was in a field. The grass looked very fine but underneath was all quicksand. With some difficulty half the Battery got through, but one piece cut through and two horses tumbled over. So we went to work to unharness, unlimbered, and pulled it out.
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We kept on, up and down, through sloughs cor- duroyed by pioneers, halting every half hour. Our mule team got stuck and broke the pole, so we left it in the mud. Then we passed Captain Martin's battery wagon.
The day was slipping away, it began to grow dark and the roads grew worse. About 5 o'clock I rode ahead to see to the teams passing over a difficult place, and found 12 horses hitched on hauling our carriages through the mud. Three of my four carriages got safely through, and I yelled out 'Forward with the Fourth Caisson!' Promptly came back the answer from the rear,- Fourth Caisson stuck in the mud.'
I rode back and found the caisson (Page's) stuck fast, and io horses tugging at it without starting it.
We tried it a little while, but it was growing dark, and we concluded to give it up for the night; unhitched, left our carriages in the road, built fires, opened our haversacks, spread tarpaulins and pitched in."
Grows' Journal : "Thursday, May 15, 1862. Got up at 3 a. m. It rained all night but has held up now for a while. At 5 this morning we received orders not to march till 9 o'clock, and we were in a nice fix, our tents all down, and it began to rain like fury. Three hours' rain in this country spoils the roads for travelling till the sun dries up the mud, but our journey is to be a short one, only five miles. We started at 9 this fiorenoon, and at 7 this evening we had come 33 miles !
The 15th of May, 1862, will be a day ever to be remem- bered by those who marched today.
It has rained hard all day. Sometimes our guns would go almost out of sight, and we would have to pull them out by hand. It was a hard sight to see the poor infantry fall down, completely worn out. I thought at one time I should not hold out much longer, but I am thankful for one thing : I am in good health. and I have reason to think it
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was this that carried me through. Several of our men and officers dropped.
No pen can describe nor language express the sufferings of today. It would have been a very nice and pleasant march if it had not rained.
So here we are stuck in the woods, dark as coal. We can- not go any farther tonight, so after building large fires we made a little covering to keep the rain off. The cooks made us some hot coffee, after which Harry and I were talking about home, when I heard a man behind me ask 'Is not that Dave Grows?'
I looked round and there stood Cornelius Smith, an old schoolmate of mine.
So we talked over old times and how he liked soldiering, till 9 o'clock; then Harry Simonds, Joe Knox .- poor little boy .- and 1, turned in with a large fire to our feet. But before doing so I had a change of wet clothes to dry ones, thanks to a good wife's care.
Friday, May 16, 1862. Got up at 6 a. m., nice morning, and began to build a road. At to this forenoon we were in camp."
On this march they had not lost a horse. The pioneers and infantry helped to pull out the mired guns. The night of the 15th. Allen, Dillingham and Phillips slept under a tarpaulin all night in a pouring rain The camp ground which they reached on the 16th, was White House Land- ing where Head Quarters had been established. It was a beautiful place, a large clover field. near a fine house, the grounds covering 35 acres. The Landing is on the Pa- munkey River a tributary of the York, 30 miles north of Williamsburg, and 25 east of Richmond with which it is connected by the Richmond and York River railroad. It derived its name from the white wooden house near it, oc- cupying the site of the residence of Mrs. Custis, afterwards the wife of Washington, and had been recently occupied by General Lee, the Confederate general. The water at this
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point on the river being of sufficient depthi, it became a great supply depot for the Union army.
Lient. Phillips wrote the night of their arrival :- "I have just cut enoughi clover to make a bed, and expect to sleep comfortably." Later in the movement he refers to it again : "We remained there Saturday and Sunday, eating Colonel Lec's clover and wheat, and burning up his fence rails. Sunday evening. Hyde, Dillingham and I went down to the Pamunkey and took a swim."
Grows' Journal: "Sunday, May 18. 1862. The evening is enlivened by the singing of the 'whip-poor-will'!"
McDOWELL COMING SOUTH.
Information was received May 18th, 1862, from the Sec- retary of War that General Irvin McDowell, with his com- mand of 40,000 men had been ordered to move southeast from Fredericksburg to a connection with the Right wing of the Army of the Potomac, which was ordered to be ex- tended to the north of Richmond in co-operation with the movement.
FIFTH PROVISIONAL ARMY CORPS.
By General Orders No. 125, Head Quarters Army of the Potomac, May IS. 1862, the forces commanded by Maj. Gen'l Fitz John Porter were designated as the Fifth Pro- visional Army Corps, and by General Porter's promotion the Division came under the command of Brigadier Gen- eral George W. Morell.
General Orders No 125.
HI. The attention of the General commanding has been called to the publication of letters from officers and others connected with the Army, containing information which must have been of much value to the enemy should it have reached him. To communicate precise intel- ligence of the-strength, position, or movements of the army in private letters not designed for publication. is itself highly improper, and liable
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to prove of serious disadvantage to our operations, but when such in- telligence is allowed to pass into the public prints, the proceeding de- serves grave cen-ure, if indeed the offense does not become one de- manding the exaction of the penalty denounced by the law for giving information to the enemy.
Henceforth the communication for publication of any intelligence likely to prove of advantage to the enemy is prohibited, and the utmost circumspection is enjoined upon correspondents in their private letters.
FROM A LETTER OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"CAMP NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE, Sunday morning, May 18, 1862.
By a Special Order just issued, Porter's Division is tem- porarily detached from the 3d,-Heintzelman's,-Army Corps, and together with Sykes's Infantry Reserve, -- Regu- lars and 5th N. Y.,-forms a Provisional Corps under command of Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter. This places us in the Reserve. Porter's, Franklin's, and Smith's Divi- sions are now here, but will probably move tomorrow."
Grows' Journal: "May 19. 1862. At 6 we were on the road again for Richmond. It looked lowery when we started. and we had not marched more than one mile when it began to rain. I put my blanket over my shoulders, and it kept me dry on the march. Berdan's Sharpshooters halted near us, and I had a good chance to see the Old Cali- fornian,' the man who killed so many of the rebels at York- town. .
Instead of seeing a young man, I found a little old man bowed down with age, with long hair, and a staff in his hand, but a pair of the brightest eyes I ever saw.
After marching seven miles we went into park at 3 o'clock this afternoon on one of the most beautiful places I ever saw. No pen can describe-the beauties of this place. In our rear is a railroad track and the ruins of a large bridge burnt by the rebels in their retreat. After we arrived here it stopped raining and the sun came out. I then pitched
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my tent for the usual three, Harry Simonds, Joe Knox and myself. . . . This place is called Tunstall's Station."
It was also called "Station 20" and was on the Richmond and York River R. R. They crossed the railroad here and werc on the northern side.
FROM LETTER OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS. MAY 20THI, 1862.
"About 200 yds. to the east of us, and in plain sight through the back door, as I sit writing, our men are repair- ing a railroad bridge. General Mcclellan's Head Quar- ters are directly to the west on top of White's Hill.
This is the pleasantest camping ground we have had yet, but like every other place the soldiers are a little too thick. When we arrived the woods were very thick on the hill side between us and the railroad, but they have been disappear- ing very fast, and although we have had a guard over there to preserve some shade for us. it is about as hopeless a task as to keep off a flock of locusts. . . . The sutlers are rather scarce and their prices run rather high; butter 40 cts. a pound, eggs 50 cts. a dozen &c &c. We consider ourselves lucky if we get anything, cven at their prices. People who are accustomed to beating down prices, would be rather as- tonished to get into a sutler's establishment. As soon as his wagon is unloaded. a grand rush commences, which lasts till everything is gonc. Nobody stops to ask the price. As a general thing a sutler will not sell to anybody outside of the command to which he is attached, which places us at a disadvantage. As far as the officers arc concerned, a sutler is a useful man, but with the men I think their ad- vantage is questionable. Hardly any man can withstand the temptation of patronizing the sutler and $13 lasts a very short time. The men get on just as well, are as healthy, if they confine themselves to Government rations. But with
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