USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.1 > Part 26
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a few moments, he must be placed, as we were, between the fire of two contending armies!
Leaving my sergeant in charge of the gun, I rode to the rear in search of my left piece. Here was 'confusion worse confounded.' I found Phillips and Hyde with the men of the Battery dismayed but not discouraged. We could not do more than we had done. The rebels with their superior force and flushed with victory, had driven the forces of Por- ter to the river. Cavalry were stationed with drawn swords to prevent the panic stricken men and teams from blocking the bridge.
About sunset the Irish Brigade, with other troops, crossed the bridge to the support of the Fifth Corps, and night com- ing on the Corps was saved from a complete rout.
Never was night more welcome. I can never forget the scene as we viewed it that sultry afternoon.
I learned from Lt. Phillips that after I left him near the foot of the hill, the enemy had a flank fire on him from the woods vacated by our brigade. His horse was shot from under him and the horses of two pieces shot, and the guns had to be abandoned.
My left piece was lost. I gave my sergeant credit for saving my right piece in taking the course he did, had he followed me with Phillips, which was his duty to do, the fate of the gun and ourselves might have been far different. My right piece joining us, between us we had two guns left, and strange as it may seem we had not lost a man of the Centre or Left sections. The men did their duty manfully.
Lt. Hyde reported that the enemy came down through the peach orchard on his two guns, and he only had time to fire one round when he was overwhehned. Corporal Milliken and Edward Gustine of New Bedford, were killed at their posts. Five men were taken prisoner, three of them badly wounded, the rest escaped, taking sponge staffs with them.
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As we waited near the bridge at dark for a chance to cross the Chickahominy, we were a sorry set. We had fought our first battle, when would the next one be? Men had done their duty, and we did not feel that we were en- tirely responsible for our loss of guns, but the artillery- man's defence is his guns, and their loss is deeply felt.
Why we met with no loss in our first engagement at the first line of battle, was that no artillery in front was posted; the flanking fire we received from their batteries passed harmless over our heads, in fact the noise of our own was so heavy that we did not notice the shrieking noise they had caused in their flight through the woods. The brigade being below us the enemy's infantry fire was against them; the woods and the orchard protected us. If we had been in view as the enemy passed us beyond the orchard we would likely have been captured where we stood. The Fifth Corps lost 24 guns. One of Martin's guns was cap- sized, crossing the bridge, bottom up, and had to be aban- doned. They also lost three of their caissons, the horses being killed. His Ist Lt. (Mortimer) was taken across the river wounded, and died the next day. Five thousand pris- oners were taken by the enemy and nearly four thousand were killed and wounded on our side.
The rebel loss in killed exceeded ours.
Demoralization seemed to possess all, but it is remark- able how soon men recover from such scenes.
The Fifth Corps crossed the river during the night, the bridges were blown up and destroyed, and the enemy were left to count their spoils.
Dr. Gaines was kind enough to say that he would will- ingly give his whole farm as a burial place for Yankee soldiers.
On the morning of the 28th. (June, 1862,) the Battery took up its line of march with the 5th Corps, passing Sav- age's Station, where the fields around were covered with the wounded from the previous battle, and the corps of
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surgeons were doing their best to relieve suffering hu- manity. It was a gruesome sight to us, and we felt thank- ful we were not numbered with them. The Battery moved on, not knowing where we were going. It was rumored that Mcclellan was making a 'masterly retreat' to the James River.
As the 5th Corps had been so roughly handled it was put on the advance, while the other Corps were left to bring up the rear with a victorious army soon in pursuit.
Passing through White Oak Swainp, the Corps moved as rapidly as the roads would permit, the way being lined with baggage teams, droves of cattle, and artillery; the enemy attacking our flank whenever they could get a chance. We saw no enemy near us in this movement, but often heard eannonading at different times at various points. Camping one night in a large opening with the Corps, with teams in harness, we sought sleep on the ground. No lights were permitted. We eat our 'hard tack' but not mueh sleep did we get. The night was blaek, with heavy elaps of thunder, and sharp flashes of lightning. The enemy were said to be near us. Some army mules stam- peded; a mule flying through the Battery among the sleep- ers, a small panie ensued. Every one was on his feet, and a few shots were heard, but soon things quieted down and we tried to sleep again.
Nothing impeded our march, and the last day of June found the 5th Corps camped on Malvern Hill near the James River."
NOTES OF LIEUT. SCOTT. FEB. 22, 1901.
"I had charge of the Left section that day, as Lieut. Dillingham was siek across the river. Lieut. Hyde's Right seetion was captured where it was placed in Battery.
I fired the first Gun of the Battery at Gaines Mills. On
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the morning of the 27th I was ordered up to the woods with one Gun, and it was served the best we knew until ordered back to the Battery, by whom I do not know. I had no more than taken my place in the Battery, than Phillips and myself were ordered up with the two sections of the Battery. As I had been up on the line before, Phillips followed nie, and went into position on my right. While here the rebels captured Hyde's two Guns, and when we were ordered to the rear Lieut. Phillips led, and I followed. As we came to Hlyde's Guns, the rebels had them. Phillips passed quickly by and my right piece being in the rear left Phillips' line and passed to the left and was stuck in the mud. Here is where I went back to see what had become of it. As I took in the situation, with the enemy's line of battle so near, I then thought the lives of the men were of more impor- tance than the Gun. As I could not see how we could re- main there 5 minutes, I told Serg't. Spear to take the horses and abandon the Gun, and left to look after my left piece, which I never saw. It was a miracle of Interposition of Providence that any of us escaped."
LETTER OF CORPORAL SPEAR.
"HARRISON'S LANDING, JAMES RIVER, I6 MILES BELOW RICHMOND, VA. Friday, July 4, 1862.
One week ago today the Right wing of Gen'l Mcclellan's Army before Richmond gave way at Mechanicsville before the Confederate Army, and came retreating down across Gaines Farm to the Chickahominy River.
Our Battery was ordered to the top of a high hill above a bridge to assist in covering the retreat of our Army. This hill was on the left of the Gaines house, near the river. The last to cross the bridge were two batteries of flying artillery, and after they had crossed, the bridge was torn
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up, and we were ordered to 'Limber to the Rear' and retire. After retreating half a mile, we found our Division viz. Porter's, drawn up in line of battle in a dense wood, with a niee barricade in front of it, and everything in readiness to meet the Confederates' advance.
After passing through the woods, the order came Into Battery' and hold ourselves in readiness. We remained 'In Battery,' without firing a gun, until about 3 o'clock, when the rebels formed in line of battle and down they came upon us, both on our right and left. The second time they ad- vanced the Left seetion was ordered into the woods, and we were soon in sight of the rebel line, and in a short time were throwing shot and shell amongst them.
Again the rebels were repulsed, for the second time. and we limbered up and went 'Into Battery' in our former posi- tion, but were not allowed to remain silent long, for in less than fifteen minutes they came down upon us with a double, aye, thrible foree. Then the Centre seetion was ordered to move down into the woods; also, the left piece of the Left seetion, and all three pieces commenced firing shot and shell. The fight was general the length of our lines, and such a ring of artillery and musketry! Shall I ever forget it?
&. . No: but it was no use, our troops gave way, and down came the Confederates upon our batteries. The 5th Mass. Battery was on the extreme left, and when our infantry line gave way in front of the three remaining pieces, we fired ? rounds of double canister and were ordered to 'Limber to the Rear,' and save the Gun and ourselves if a possible thing, for the rebels were now only a few rods from us.
As the men of my Detachment were limbering up the gun, I could see the rebels advancing upon us with their little red flags to the front, and it was then that I put spurs to my horse and ordered the drivers on the Gun to do like- wise and follow me. I took a quick glance over to my right where our artillery and infantry were fleeing, and I saw that
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the road was completely choked up, and that if I wished to save the piece and the men's lives I must go in some other direction. So I started across the field, but had not gone more than 3 rods. before we landed in a deep ditch, and then the Lieutenant came up and ordered us to leave our piece and cut traces, as it was impossible, he said, to attempt to try and pull the piece out from the ditch. But instead of cutting the traces we started the horses up, and they becom- ing so terrified and frightened, as quick as lightning pulled the piece out, and were soon directly in front of our artil- lery, which had re-formed, and were blazing away at the rebels as they came down upon our retreating Division.
On reaching the hill where the line of artillery was formed, under command of Gen'l Charles Griffin, we were ordered to open upon the Rebs., and after firing ten or twelve rounds the order came for us to 'Limber up' and retreat; this being the second time within fifteen minutes, or perhaps less. And such a retreat! Everything was confusion, no regularity. Men, artillery, infantry and cav- alry, all mixed up!
After retreating about half a mile they formed in line of battle, and we came Into Battery' again, and fired a few rounds. Then reinforcements came up and completely routed the rebels, and drove them back from the ground which they had gained within the short space of one hour.
That night we crossed the Chickahominy River and en- camped, and the next morning I found the remnant of the Battery, and when we came to sum up what was left, ascer- tained that all our pieces were lost except Serg't. Blake's and mine: that 4 men were killed, 4 or 5 wounded, and about 30 horses killed and disabled.
There were two Quincy Boys in the fight, besides myself, -- W. H. H. Lapham and H. E. Shaw. They both_came out all right. Lapham was acting cannoneer, and Shaw was driving the pole horses on the piece which were shot from under him."
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NOTES OF LIEUT. SPEAR
JULY 24, 1901.
"The greatest credit for the saving of the Gun of which I was acting Sergeant, should be given Corporal Warren, Charles Jay leading Driver, the Swing Driver, I forget his name. and Brownell the Pole Driver, all of whom thought only of their favorite gun and its safety.
When we commenced to retire with our Gun the Confed- erates were at the Right piece of the Battery, ---- Corporal Alilliken's Gun, -- and had planted one of their battle flags on it, and as we left our position we were obliged to pass parallel with the guns left, and for a short time were not five hundred feet from the rebel skirmishers advancing."
NOTES BY SERGT. E. T. WILSON.
With relation to the gun which was pulled out of the ditch, Sergt. Edward T. Wilson, who was No. 6 on the Gun that day, says in a note dated New Bedford, Mass., September 8, 1900 :---
"It was the right piece of the Left section. Billy War- ren, a Boston boy, was the gunner. The drivers, all but the one on the swing horses, remained by them. L. D. Brownell was on the pole. Charles Jay had the lead horses, and upon him a great deal depended. His horses got a foot- ing on the other side of the ditch, and although the swing and pole horses were pretty well mixed up in the ditch, we managed to pull the old gun out. It was during this mix- up that Lieut. Scott ordered us to leave the gun. In scrambling across, Brownell fractured a bone in his right leg, one of his horses was hit by a Minie ball, which mad- dened the animal. and at one time it looked as though we would have to quit. But Brownell pluckily stuck to his horses, and, reaching firm footing, we made for a battery
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that was located on a hill just ahead of us. It proved to be the Fourth Rhode Island, and reaching the hill we placed the gun in position and again began firing at the enemy.
This was one of the two guns which were saved, and nearly every man who was in that detachment was from New Bedford. William Warren was not a New Bedford man, and one other I do not remember about. whether he was from New Bedford or not, or what his name was.
At Savage's Station Brownell was sent on a hospital train for surgical aid, and with others was captured and placed in Libby Prison."
NOTES OF FRANCIS P. WASHBURN.
Francis P. Washburn, a driver on No. 6 gun. Sergt. Har- rison O. Simonds, the left piece of the Left section, every horse attached to which was killed. obliging the men to seek a place of safety with all possible speed. recalls in Notes written in New Bedford Mass. October 9. 1900. a remark of General Fitz John Porter in relation to the loss of the guns of the Fifth Mass. Battery.
Washburn was sick but on duty all through the Seven Days' Battles. A man was not sick in those days as long as he could sit in a saddle or stand on his feet. During the inspection that followed at Harrison's Landing lie was sit- ting with the sick and wounded under a tarpaulin put up for shelter, and when General Porter came to them, he as well as the other officers dismounted before a group of of- ficers and men,-"General Porter," writes Washburn, "was a man among men,"-and, among other things, the General said-"If I could have sold all my guns at the price paid for those four, I would have been in Richmond tonight."
A day or two later, Washburn was sent to the General Hospital at Harrison's Landing, and was subsequently put on board the hospital ship "S. R. Spaulding," and taken to
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the Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia. Afterwards he re- turned to the Battery.
LETTER FROM SERGT. PELEG W. BLAKE.
"JAMES RIVER July 4, 1862. 17 MILES BELOW RICHMOND.
I wrote three letters on the 26th, but could not send them, for we were ordered to Old Church. Our forces let the rebels cross the river 12,000 strong at Mechanicsville, and our troops fell back to Dr. Gaines's plantation, where we were encamped-our Right wing. Two-thirds of our army were across the Chickahominy. Porter's Division and McCall's 30,000 engaged 70,000 under the rebel gen- eral Jackson. The rebel general Jackson is said to have been shot.
I have been in my saddle for eight days and niglits, only getting about two hours sleep at midnight. The battle commenced the 26th when we were ordered out. It was a strategic movement to fall back and join the main army across the river.
Our Battery guarded the bridge at Dr. Gaines's till the last thing crossed the stream, and that was the mounted artillery. The bridge was then destroyed and we limbered up, and crossed another stream. and then we had to hold our position; this being the 27th day of June. At 3 o'clock they attacked General Porter's Division, and General Mc- Call's Division, 30,000 troops.
Three times we drove the rebels.
Every time the rebels came up they had fresh troops, every time filled with whiskey and gunpowder, drunken devils, but we mowed them down by the thousands. The fourth time they came up the whole force of the rebels, 70,000 strong against 30,000 of ours, was a hard struggle.
They turned our Left flank where our Battery was, and
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our troops had to fall back, but we stayed a few minutes too late and lost four pieces, that were close to the woods, of cur Battery, within 100 feet of the rebels. Our horses were shot down so we had to leave four of our pieces.
I came into Battery and fired three shots after the other pieces left, but my horses did not happen to be shot, and I was the only sergeant of our Battery who saved his piece that afternoon, but 2 o'clock at night Serg't. (Charles H.) Morgridge's piece in charge of Corporal Spear came up, so we had two pieces, out of six, left.
I lost two men of my Detachment, Edward F. Smith and Richard Heyes. Englishmen, who worked in the Wam- sutta mills [in New Bedford] 'dresser tenders.'
[The following marked "Continued, 3d page" though found detached among Lieut. Blake's papers is presumed to be a continuation of the foregoing :-- ]
As I came down the hill the rebels had planted their flag on the hill and were firing down upon us. The whole six pieces started: one went one way and one another, and so did the whole six. I happened to see the right way, but four of them were run up to a deep ditch, and drove into the ditch, and only one escaped.
Serg't. Page who followed me had his horses shot and lost his piece.
As I came down the hill one of my swing horses stumbled, throwing my swing driver 20 end over end down the hill, but I could not stop for him to mount, so I left him, and kept right along on the dead run, driving, dragging his nigh horse up on to his feet, I got towards the bottom of the hill.
General Butterfield says, 'For God's sake come into Bat- tery and fire on that rebel flag!'
I says to the General, 'My men have all left me but the Gunner.' --
That was Corporal E. B. Nye, the fruit dealer who used to be on Second street (New Bedford), he is my Gunner
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and he makes the best shot of any of the gunners in the Battery.
When reinforcements came from across the river our forces drove them the fifth time way past our camping ground. The stream or ditch ten feet deep in front of the woods where we were,-about a hundred feet through these woods,-was filled with rebels who were killed, so that they did not have to build any bridge to come across on, but we fell back and crossed the Chickahominy towards the James and joined the main army on the Left. The next day we started for the James."
NOTES OF LOUIS E. PATTISON. Nov. 2, 190I.
"The Left section got across the run first, and the Centre and Right sections had to wait to cross, and the horses were shot in their tracks by the rebel infantry. The saving of the guns was simply accident, as every gun was limbered, but could not get over the run,-a dry water course S or 10 ft. deep and when they crossed filled up with rails.
Blake was all right, a brave and cautious man."
FROM CHASE'S DIARY.
"June 27, 1862. Packed up all our equipage and pre- pared to leave about 2.30 a. m. Were soon ready and left our bivouac and proceeded to the brow of the hill just in the rear of the camp we left yesterday to cover the retreat of our forces. Placed our guns 'In Battery' and remained there till all the artillery had crossed the millstream and de- stroyed the bridge. Cannonading and musketry com- menced again this morning at daylight. The enemy's fir- ing sounds nearer and nearer and their battery of 32 pdrs. throws several shots at us but made wild shots.
After the bridge was destroyed we limbered up and went
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about half a mile farther to the rear and placed our guns 'In Battery' on the brow of a hill, and changed our position several times on the same ground.
The enemy gradually advanced and drove in our skir- mishers and charged on our front at least three times and were repulsed.
The infantry felled the trees in front of us to prevent the advance of the enemy's artillery and cavalry. Our infantry met and repulsed the enemy in the woods in front of us.
Our batteries and guns from the forts of General Smith's Division shelled the enemy vigorously, and the enemy's shot and shell struck all around us; musket balls whizzing like bees over and round us, and a spent ball hit the writer's . elbow-and brought home .- The Left section advanced and fired canister into the enemy when they made their sec- ond charge on our front.
About 6 p. m. the enemy again rallied, and attacked us on the front and left and an awful battle ensued. The in- fantry checked them for a while, and in the mean time the Lett and Centre sections took a new position at the edge of the wood behind the infantry, and commenced firing shrap- nell at the enemy with one second fuze, and at last the in- fantry in front of us began to yield to the enemy's murder- ous fire, and a general and most disorderly retreat com- menced. We poured the shrapnell into the enemy until they were almost upon us, then limbered up and drove off.
The enemy closely followed up our retreating army, and kept up a most destructive fire, which made great havoc with our forces. Horses and guns were left, and the whole army was panic stricken.
Many of our horses were shot and four guns left on the field. The whole of the retreating army crossed the Chick- ahominy, and the fragments of the different regiments and batteries bivouacked near General Mcclellan's headquar- ters on the south side of the river. . . . All the caissons
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were sent across the Chickahominy early in the afternoon, and were all saved.
June 28, 1862. Another false alarm in camp tonight caused by some loose horses running about camp. Bugles were blown and the infantry ordered in line to repulse the supposed guerillas. It proved only a 'scare' and soon ail was again quiet.
A false alarm in camp this morning occasioned by the infantry firing their guns previous to cleaning them. Left camp about 12.30 p. m. with the remains of our Battery, and marched about eight miles towards the James River."
NOTES OF PRIVATE LOUIS E. PATTISON. OCT. 1, 1901.
"At the battle of Gaines Mills the Battery was placed in position on a knoll, with General Daniel Butterfield's Penn. Reserves in the woods directly in front. To get to this position a bridge was made over a run, or dry water course, with a rail fence. only wide enough for one team to cross at a time, which as we were to fall back behind another line of battle on a hill in our rear, showed gross negligence either of our own officers or some one higher in command.
When the time caine our Battery commenced firing, and very soon the Reserves commenced falling back through our guns, saying that we were shelling them, and they were followed up by the enemy, and as the enemy came out of the woods we gave them three or four rounds of canister, and then came orders-'Limber to the rear,' and all the guns were limbered and getting out of position as fast as possible, but the enemy followed up so quickly that only two guns got over the run and were saved, the other four being captured, some, if not all, being spiked.
The right detachment under Sergt. Wm. B. Pattison had a hard time, nearly all the men being killed, wounded or captured. Lieut. Phillips had command of our section,
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Mason W. Page was serg't. of our detachment, William HI. Baxter gunner, and George O. Proctor, Louis E. Patti- son and Amnos Blanchard drivers on gun in the order named. The outcome of the loss of their guns was the resignations of Lieuts. Hyde and Dillingham, leaving only Lieuts. Phil- lips and Scott."
NOTES OF D. HENRY GROWS.
"Friday, June 27. 1862. Went on post at 2 this morn- ing. At 3. an order came to pack up and fall back to a hill in the rear of our old camp. Arrived there at about half past 4, and went into battery, with orders that as soon as our flying artillery passed the bridge to tear it up and open on the rebels with shrapnell and canister. After waiting two hours the artillery passed. We then tore up the bridge and waited for the rebels, but they did not make their ap- pearance. So we limbered up and fell back about 13 miles, and went into battery. In about an hour the 'Secesh' opened on the Right, but were repulsed, in this way: they tried the Centre and Left, but could not break them. About 5 this afternoon they received fresh troops, and threw them on to the Left where we were stationed. For three times they tried us, and were driven back, but at the fourth time they turned our Left, and we opened upon them with can- ister, our troops falling back all the while. The last round we fired was at 35 yards, a double charge of canister. It mowed their ranks awfully. The order came to limber up and fall back. We did so, but they were close upon us. We lost four of our pieces and twenty-five horses. Three of our men were shot dead : Charles Barnard, Corporal Mil- liken, and E. F. Gustine. Seven others are either killed or taken prisoners. The bullets flew like hail. I kept up with the gun till I was knocked down by a rail into a deep ditch. I was helped out, and kept on my way looking for the caissons that were in the rear. I soon found them and
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