USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.1 > Part 21
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the officers the case is different. No provision is made for feeding them, and they have to look out for themselves. As long as they remain in a civilized neighborhood there is no difficulty about this, but as soon as we begin to march provisions get rather scarce. Hard tack and salt junk are plenty enough, but there it ends. Nothing else can be had for love or money.
May 21, 1862. At eleven o'clock [p. m. of the 20th] orders came to march at 5. Reveille was sounded at 3, and as I was officer of the day I got the Battery ready at 5 min- ntes before five. Our baggage went on ahead, and our Battery ahead of the others. Just as we started my un- lucky Fourth Caisson broke a trace: a new one was put in and the caisson resumed its place in the column. All went well for half a mile when we came to a very steep hill, when right in the middle, snap went the new trace, and again we had to stop till this could be replaced. After we got to the top of the hill we found an excellent road for severai miles and got along rapidly. till we stopped at & to allow Franklin's Division to get out of the way. We halted several hours in a wheat field and watered the horses. The morning was misty but now the sun came out very hot. We found here the best spring of water we have yet seen in Virginia : the water hitherto having been full of clay and very poor. . . . The negroes round here are running off very fast in one direction, while their masters are running in the other. .
Evening : We arrived at this camp at It o'clock a. m. having marched 6 or 8 miles. The country here is quite well cultivated, there being many large wheat and clover fields. The roads for most of the way were bordered by hurdle fences. We are encamped, I believe, in Hanover County. The road upon which we came goes to Richmond through Newbridge Church, which is about 5 miles from the city. We are now about 18 miles from Richmond. The nearest route from West Point, the old stage road,
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which passes over Bottom's Bridge is south of us. . . . A squadron of cavalry passed here this evening, having been within 9 miles of Richmond, 500 yards beyond our pickers, and in sight of the enemy's camps. Our camp is very pleasant : the four batteries are encamped on the left of the road in a wheat and grass field bordered by a beautiful oak woods. Our tents are pitched under a large oak behind a log house, which appears to have been a grocery store kept by Mr. Brown. The account books of the concern were scattered round and furnished evidence of the temperate habits of the country . . . a leaf of the ledger . . . will do to go with Falstaff's bill of bread and sack."
Grows' Journal : "May 21, 1862. . . . During our march we passed some beautiful plantations, each one guarded by our troops, and most of them with a white flag hung out. Arrived at our camp ground at 12 o'clock (noon). It was a rebel camp just deserted, so I took one of their tents and used it.
Thursday, May 22d. Was called at 4 this morning to strike tents and be ready to march. At 6 we were on our way. On account of guard yesterday I am on the 'fatigue' today of the Baggage teams. On the way I passed some splendid places of planters. One in particular had no flag flying, the owner was a rank 'secesh.' The boys coaxed the officers to allow them to go in and clean him out, but they would not, and instead, posted a squad over his place and house to protect it. We marched 13 miles. Got into camp at 3 this afternoon and then pitched my tent."
The march of the 22d. took thein to Parker's Mills, 14 miles from Richmond. one mile in a straight line east from the Chickahominy River, and 6 miles from the bridge across that river. The camp was in a meadow bordered by a pine grove, and below in the valley lay the grist and saw mill and a village of at least 6 houses.
Nothing was to be seen of the enemy who had disap- peared over the Chickahominy. Firing was heard in the
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direction of Richmond. They might have been McDowell's guns,-but they were not .- for whom Porter was to re- ceive orders to open a way from Hanover Court House, but who was to be turned in another direction and his forces spread out between Luray and Fredericksburg.
The 18th Mass. Infantry were on picket duty on the 23d, at the railroad bridge over the Chickahominy, and found our scouts two miles ahead of them.
FROM LETTER OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
SUNDAY MORNING POSTSCRIPT TO LETTER OF MAY 24, 1862. "CAMP IN THE FIELD.
There is a great deal of fever and ague, bilious fever, in- termittent fever, &e. We have several men sick, seven absent, at hospitals or at home, and some sick here in camp whom we shall have to send back the next time we move. It is my opinion that more men have died of fever than of bullets, and I thought and still think, that it would have been a saving of life if we had taken Yorktown by assault the first day, and pushed right on to Richmond at whatever cost. People would have heard of a few bloody battles and ten thousand killed and wounded, but what is this to two months exposure and hundreds dying every day. Lieut. Scott has been pretty sick for a week, but is a great deal better. I have not had a sick day yet. My appetite is always good, and the demand generally exceeds the supply."
The Battery remained at Parker's Mills Friday, Satur- day and Sunday. In camp Sunday the 25th May, IS62, in the evening there were religious services by the chaplain of the New York 44th. Text, 6th chapter of Romans, Ist verse .- "Shall we continue in sin?" [The entire verse is "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound ?"]
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Letter of Lieut. Phillips: "Sunday morning, May 25, 1862. Of late we have been living on sweet potatoes. We tried to buy some strawberries but did not succeed. so we bought a bushel of potatoes at $2.00 and have lived on them for the last three days, good living too."
Grows' Journal : "Sunday, May 25, 1862. Heavy firing has been heard during the night on our right. The Rhode Island 4th Battery has been sent out to see what is the mat- ter. Had a good dinner : a pork stew of potatoes, onions, pepper, pork &c.
Monday May 26th. Broke camp soon after 4 o'clock, and at 6 o'clock we started on our march. At noon time we arrived on a large plantation and went into park."
This was the famous Dr. Gaines Plantation near Gaines Mills. It was nearly due west of Cold Harbor on a broken plateau between the bottom lands of the Chickahominy and the Pamunkey rivers. It was east of north from Richmond, on the road leading from Bottom Bridge up the Chicka- hominy via Cold Harbor to Mechanicsville, thence to Han- over Court House. The camp of the Battery was in the edge of an oak wood.
The Army was disposed as follows :--
On the Right wing Franklin's Corps was stationed, three miles from New Bridge on the Chickahominy. Porter's Fifth Corps supported him in the rear. Across the rail- road was Sumner's Corps, holding the centre near Turner's Mills, and Keyes's Corps held the New Kent Road near Bottom's Bridge. Heintzelman's Corps was in support of Keyes, and was supposed to guard the Left wing.
HANOVER COURT HOUSE.
From the direction of Fredericksburg. the news bad come that the enemy had fallen back, and a considerable force was near Hanover Court House to the right and rear
ـله حقه فروة
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of our army, threatening our communications. This town was north of Richmond on the Virginia Central railroad. Porter was ordered to disperse the enemy's forces, while guarding the approaches to the rear guard of the Right wing of the army. It was also expected that the enemy's communication with Northern Virginia by the line of the Virginia Central railroad should be cut off, and General Porter received orders to move at daylight on the 27th to Hanover Court House. Assurances were received that McDowell would co-operate without fail. The Fifth Mass. Battery in camp at Dr. Gaines's Farin was ordered to march at 4 a. in. with McQuade's, formerly Morell's, Brigade.
General Porter moved from camp near New Bridge by. the most direct route to Hanover Court House, expecting to engage the enemy at or near that point. At noon of the 27th in the neighborhood of the town, he encountered a bri- gade commanded by General Branch and composed of the 18th, 28th and 33d North Carolina Regiments which held the road, but after an hour's fighting they were dispersed and the main body of our troops moved on intending to pursue the enemy northward. But instead of taking that direction he passed around to our Left, with the intention of surrounding our forces while covering his own retreat, and appeared in our rear. Having found this out, Porter faced his whole colunm about and fell upon the enemy's flanks while Martindale's Brigade was holding him at bay. A sharp battle ensued. The rebels were routed and fled in confusion, and General McClellan wrote the President that General Porter had entirely "relieved his Right flank which was seriously threatened" and had "routed and demoralized a considerable portion of the rebel forces." It was called one of the handsomest things of the War, both in itself and its results.
One of our hospitals was captured, two guns were taken from the Third Mass. Battery but they were afterwards re- taken. Our loss was reported as 56 killed, 173 wounded.
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THE ACTION OF THE BATTERY.
The Fifth Mass. Battery followed the advance for two miles, and when the column turned, it hurried back to where our progress had been disputed and the enemy had been overcome. Now the rebel and Union forces had changed positions.
FROM LETTERS OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"NEAR HANOVER COURT HOUSE Wednesday Morning, May 28, 1862.
Nobody hurt in the 5th Battery.
Porter's Division had a little brush with the rebels yes- terday and licked them. We have taken a great many pris- oners. Martin's Battery 2 wounded, 3 missing. 25th N. Y. cut up. . . We have got the railroad. The rebels tried to surround us, and did get in our rear so that we had to. go back two miles, and lick them a second time.
Afternoon : Yesterday we had a pretty hard day's work. We were ordered to march at 4 o'clock, and were ready to march at that hour. but did not start until 7 or 8. Mean- time it was raining furiously. We brought up the rear of the Division with Morell's Brigade, Colonel (James) Mc- Quade commanding. We left the tents standing, carried two days' rations in the haversacks, no knapsacks or any- thing of the sort. About noon it stopped raining, and the sun came out. After marching say 18 miles, we heard firing ahead. It ceased as we came up, and we found the enemy had retired. Soon we passed two of Captain Martin's pieces waiting at some cross roads. We marched on over the bat- tle field, a wheat field, and kept on for some two miles. A few dead and wounded men were along the road, and a great many dead horses. We passed a large white house
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belonging to Mr. Winston, a prominent Secesh, who, like many others, had gone to Richmond. After marching two miles we heard firing in our rear, and the whole Division were ordered back.
The enemy it seems had passed round our left and got in our rear, capturing one of our hospitals and driving Mar- tin's men away from his pieces, Lieut. Dunn commanding. We hurried back to where the battle was first won. Back came Griffin's orderly .---
'Caissons halt on the side of the road!' then-Can- noneers mount !-- 'Trot !- March!'
Griffin came into battery, and threw a few shells into the woods, but the infantry had most of the work to do. They deployed [Opened the order of troops from column into line of battle] and soon got to work in the woods. The 9th Mass. fired one volley, gave a yell and charged. The firing was quite lively, and was kept up till 6 o'clock when it gradually died away, and the wounded began to come to the rear pretty fast. . . . From the accounts I hear the 25th and 44th N. Y. did most of the work in the forenoon. The rebels advanced firing upon the 25th, and routed them completely, so that one captain could only find 5 men. The 444th did very well. The rebel force consisted of one Bri- gade under General Branch. 18th, 28th and 33d N. C. We passed 150 today. They are a poor looking set and are half starved. General (George) Stoneman ( cavalry) cut off the railroad track last night, capturing a train loaded with provisions. By six o'clock the rebels were pretty well cleared out, and we began to think of camp. Lieut. Dil- lingham had captured a Secesh tent, almost new, so we continued to get under cover. A few inches of straw from a neighboring stack made a very good bed and we slept soundly. The next morning we lay abed till 8 o'clock.
We camped last night where the rebels made their first stand. . . . Today we have been skylarking round doing
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nothing in particular. We are six miles from Hanover Court House and 14 from Richmond. I am now 63 p. m. sitting on the ground with my back against a hen coop. Our infantry are round taking prisoners."
Grows' Journal : "Tuesday, May 27, 1862. Raining awfully. At 5 we were on the march. After stopping at times to build roads and help the guns along, we arrived and stopped for a while in a large field to feed the horses and water them. At 9 this forenoon we took up the marchi again. . It stopped raining and the sun came out. Occa- sionally stopping to rest, at 2 this afternoon we were within 8 miles of Hanover Court House. Here we heard heavy firing. There was a fight going on, so we were pushed ahead, and in a short time came in sight of a house with a red flag. (See p. 21.) It was a hospital for the sick and wounded. In passing it I saw some wounded being carried in. On my left in a wheat field lay two dead.
Our troops had started the 'Secesh' to running just be- fore we came up. Alongside the road were strewn knap- sacks, clothing, arms, &c., of the rebels in their retreat. The firing had now almost died away. We stopped in a large field to rest, and I went to see where the fight began. At 3 this afternoon we were on the road again. We had not marched more than a mile when we heard firing in our rear, and the whole Division was ordered back double- quick.
Louder and nearer grew the noise of musketry and can- non, as we drew near. It seems that a body of rebels, some state the number as 10,000, had come around in our rear with the intention of cutting nis off, but they were mistaken.
Arriving on the field I found that two of the pieces of Martin's Battery were mired in the mud. and that the men had been driven from them.
Griffin's Regular Battery opened upon the rebels with four pieces, which soon drove them back.
We were stationed on the Left flank, held in readiness in
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case they should show themselves out of the woods to open upon them, but we did not have to fire, for they soon began to fall back. From where we stood I had a great view of the battle. On our right the 22d Mass., 2d Maine. 25th N. Y. and 44th N. Y. were stationed. The Mass. 9th and 62d Penn. made a splendid charge on the 'Secesh,' driving them before them. About 8 or ro rods from where I stood was a building, and it was quickly put in use for a hospital.
Oh. the sights I saw there were awful! There lay friend and foe, sometimes side by side !
At 7 this evening the firing almost ceased, except, now and then, the discharge of a musket in the woods. Up to Io this evening our troops had buried most 300 of the rebels.
About half past ten, I laid my blankets down on the bat- tle ground, where were dead and dying and wounded, and laid myself down to sleep."
Porter's command pushed the pursuit of Anderson's forces, who were falling back upon Richmond, until dark, and then bivouacked on the field.
Chase's Diary : "Saw the enemy's dead for the first time today. Encamped in a wheat field with the dead and dy- ing all around us.
Picked up several trophies, such as cartridge boxes, belts &c. Met several squads of rebel prisoners coming in.
May 28, 1862. Large numbers of prisoners brought in this morning. Saw twenty-four of the rebel dead beside a fence this morning and 12 of the 25th N. Y. Regt. dead."
Grows' Journal : "Wednesday, May 28, 1862. Was called at 5 this morning. Got up, had some crackers and coffee, after which I took a walk over the battleground. The dead of the rebels were lying in every position and posture; some with hands extended as though they were using a gun, others drawn up as though they died in great distress, among them a boy not more than 14 years old.
I saw 314 rebel prisoners go by our camp in one lot. It
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is estimated we have taken 1000 rebels. Most of them appear glad to be taken by our troops.
About 9 this morning we were ordered to report to Gen- eral Stoneman. After marching about 5 miles we found his encampment and waited some time before we found out whether we were wanted or not. We found out. at length, that we were not wanted, so we marched five miles back to where we slept last night, arriving late this afternoon."
While they were waiting. General Mcclellan passed by. Grows' Journal : "Thursday, May 29, 1862. One on the field our troops are still burying the dead of the rebels in large trenches, and ours in graves with boards put up.
Horses are on the field, in some cases with awful wounds, more of them are dead.
About 10 this forenoon we were told to strike our tents and hold ourselves in readiness to march at a minute's notice. So we lay around in the hot sun till 3 this after- noon, when we took up our line of march for our old camp ground, (Dr. Gaines' Farm) 20 miles, that being the dis- tance we came on Tuesday, to this place. It is a very hot afternoon, but on account of the good state of the roads we rode most of the way. Owing to stopping for baggage trains to pass, darkness overtook us, and still we were not in camp.
At 12 o'clock, midnight, we got into our old camp. Found my old tent frame still up; put the covering on, and soon after we had fires going to make some coffee."
In the three days they had been gone they had travelled 6o miles.
LIEUT. J. B. HYDE'S NOTES.
"We did not have much shooting to do there because we could not use artillery to good advantage, but the firing of musketry all day was the worst I ever heard. After the battle was over, General Butterfield said to us officers who were all there together, 'Having accomplished the object for which we came here, we will now return to camp.'
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On the way back there was a small church, and seeing a large gathering outside, I rode my horse up to it and looked in at the open door. I saw a great many soldiers lying around on the seats; some singing and having a great time, and I think it was Lt. Colonel (James C.) Rice of the 44th New York Regt. said,- Go right in, Lt. Hyde,' so I touched the spur to my horse and rode him up the low steps and straight up the aisle to the altar. Then I began to think. what if the floor should give way, but I rode out in safety and came down the steps just as the Battery was passing. They set up a tremendous cheer to see me riding out of a church on horseback."
LETTER OF CORPORAL SPEAR.
WRITTEN IN PENCIL ON THE BACK OF A CERTIFICATE BLANK FORM.
"ARMY OF THE POTOMAC ENCAMPED S MILES FROM RICHMOND VA. Saturday, May 31. 1862.
Last Tuesday morning ( May 27th) 'at 3 o'clock we were awakened and ordered to pack, strike tents, get breakfast, and be ready to move by daybreak. Tents were ordered to be packed, tents on caissons, and we to carry only a rubber blanket and an overcoat, as we were going out for a brush with the rebels. About 7 o'clock started. in the rain, with a little hard bread and salt pork for rations, and an overcoat and rubber blanket for covering.
After advancing 15 miles, we heard frequent volleys of musketry, and, now and then, the booming of a distant gun.
At 2 o'clock we came up to where the advance of our Division had had a skirmish, and two or three regiments of infantry with 2 pieces of artillery, were left behind to guard a road. while the rest of the Division advanced in the direction in which the rebels were supposed to have moved, and after advancing 3 miles the order came for the whole Division to turn about, as the rebels were trying to flank us.
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and then such an excitement as there was! Artillery, cav- alry, and infantry, going on the double quick, back to where the regiments and pieces of artillery were left to guard the road, and when we reached the place found that two of the regiments had been nearly destroyed and the men with the artillery forced to leave their guns on the field; but not long, for as our infantry and cavalry came up, they made a charge and took possession of the pieces again.
Our Battery was not engaged, although we were. on the field of action during the fight, ready to take part. One bat- tery was engaged, and that was the 5th Regular.
At dusk they began bringing in the dead and wounded on our side, and such sights! Oh! they were awful, and frightful. Some were pierced with bullets, others only slightly wounded.
That night we lay down on the battle field for rest, with only the broad heavens above us for a covering. When morning came received orders to retire about 2 miles to support infantry. So we went back. On arriving ascer- tained that they needed no assistance, so returned to the battle field, pitched our tents, and stopped all of the re- maining day and part of the next, when we received orders to go back to our present encampment, at which place we arrived at I o'clock Friday morning, tuckered out and mighty hungry, our rations gone the day before. But now we are all right again. Today there has been considerable firing in the direction of Richmond."
THE SICK AND WOUNDED.
"Captain Allen," wrote Lt. Phillips, "is sick, and came back ahead of us in an ambulance. He is now quite weak and keeps to his bed."
. NOTES BY CAPTAIN ALLEN, APRIL 19, 1900.
"This was the beginning of my first illness of malarial fever, and Iwas sent back to camp in an ambulance as it is said here. After a few days I made application for
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leave of absence. I was examined by the three senior surgeons of the Brigade, and was granted leave of absence for ten days.
It was six days before that leave of absence was approved at Head Quarters and returned to me. When I was ex- amined it was to see whether I was to be sent to Fortress Monroe or beyond.
The surgeons approved of my going beyond the hospital at Fortress Monroe, which meant home.
After the furlough got round to me I had only four days left for leave of absence.
General Porter sent me a four mule ambulance, and, ac- companied by Serg't Terry, I started about three o'clock in the afternoon for a station on the railroad running to White House Landing. There had been a battle in the vicinity of the station the day before and the trains were very uncertain. After waiting several hours a train of a few flat cars came along. Serg't Terry helped me on to one of these cars, which were filled with wounded men lying on the floor. He put my valise between two wounded men. I sat down on it and he stood at my back supporting nie. We rode that way to White House Landing, reaching there the next morning. Serg't Terry went down to the Landing to see if there was any steamer to take me to Yorktown. He returned shortly and reported that the Nahant boat 'Nelly Baker.' Captain Calder, then a Gov- ernment transport, was laying at the wharf. He helped me on board and as he was returning to camp I bade him good bye.
Captain Calder gave up his stateroom to me, and made me as comfortable as possible on my way to Yorktown, where I took the steamer for Baltimore and New York.
On board the Baltimore steamer I made the acquaintance of Lt. Colonel, afterwards Colonel, Moses B. Lakeman of Maine, who had been wounded and was also on leave, and he rendered me a great deal of assistance on my way home, for which I desire most heartily to thank him.
At New York being very anxious to get the three o'clock train to Boston, we explained the circumstances to
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the captain, and he very kindly gave us all the time he could possibly make for us, by running the bow of the steamer directly to the wharf allowing us to go ashore, -- no others were permitted to land. before he docked his stcamer.
I wish I remembered the name of the steamer and of the captain, so that I might again thank him for his generous kindness in allowing us to land as we did, for we caught the three o'clock train and in due time we arrived at our homes in Malden. Mass. Colonel Lakeman, though a Maine man was then, with his family, residing in Malden. Surgeon General Dale sent out the next day a surgeon to examine me. and extended my furlough thirty days. At the expiration of that furlough I was still unable to return to my command, and Surgeon General Dale extended it thirty days longer. In a very short time after my several extensions of furlough, I received an Order from Secretary Stanton, through his adjutant general, stating that all officers who were unable to rejoin their commands in six days must resign. This order forced my resignation, for i was still unable to rejoin my command. Following is the copy of the Order."
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