USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.1 > Part 28
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Some time previous to this battle, he had consulted with Commodore John Rodgers, and it was supposed that he knew what position could be taken on the river, for con- veniently opening fire upon the flank of the enemy attacking our forces at Malvern Hill.
General William B. Franklin hold the Right resting on the James River, General Fitz John Porter the extreme Left : General E. D. Keyes and General S. P. Heintzelman the Centre, and General E. V. Sumner's Corps was in re- serve.
The Right was to be supported by the gunboats "Galena" and "Jacob Bell," the duty of whose 100-pounders it was to sweep the woods and prevent the advance of rebel reinforce- ments. But it has been confidently asserted that the co- operation of the gunboats at this point was of doubtful utility on account of the height of Malvern Hill, which obstructed the view of the troops from the river; in other
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words the Hill was in the way. And yet, it would be hard- ly fair, perhaps, to say that the gunboats were of no advan- tage, especially as the victory was ours and nobody was to be blamed.
Grows' "Journal": "Sunday, June 29, 1862. Packed up. and at 4 were on our way : went about 3 iniles and stopped, on account of some trouble ahead. It is very hot. In about a couple of hours we got under way and went a short dis- tance, when we stopped and rested till 4 o'clock this after- noon when we began the march again, and arrived in camp about 7, put up tents and turned in.
Monday June 30, 1862. Broke camp about 4 this morn- ing and started to go ten miles to City Point on the James River, but did not go more than three, when we went into park on a place called Turkey Island, put up our tents in the edge of the woods and laid down. I am very hungry, for I have not tasted meat for a number of days.
I soon fell asleep and awoke to find that we were on the move again to get out of the way, as a battle was going to be fought. We moved about one mile. After getting there we rested a little. In a very short time the fight be- gan, and never did I hear such noise !- the cannonading was awful. In about an hour the firing on the rebel side ceased."
General Mcclellan stayed with the Fifth Corps all night on the 30th and inspected the line at 8.30 next morning.
REPORT OF GEN. GEORGE W. MORELL.
General Morell's Report dated Harrison's Bar, Va., July 21, 1862, has the following :---
"At daylight on the 30th June, 1862, Monday, I started for Turkey Bridge and James River via the Quaker road and Malvern Hill, and bivouacked about 10 a. m. on the bank of the river below the bridge, but was soon recalled to Malvern Hill, as the enemy was approaching. .. . On the
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west edge of the field, not far from the Richmond road, and overlooking the field and valley, is a large white house, Dr. J. H. Mellert's, which was my headquarters. My Di- vision occupied the extreme left of the line, and in this field bore its part in the battle of Malvern."
General Charles Griffin was charged by General Fitz John Porter with a general supervision of the artillery line, in ad- dition to the command of his brigade: Captain William B. Weeden retaining the immediate command of the artillery attached to the Division. In his report General Griffin, after designating the artillery engaged, says :-- "The bat- teries were excellently served. The greatest coolness and bravery were displayed by officers and men, and my only regret. is my inability to mention the officers by name."
General Morell, in his acknowledgments for his indebted- ness to certain officers, includes Captain Weeden whom he says "besides performing his peculiar duties, joined me whenever he could do so, and acted as one of my staff."
A RECENT COMPLIMENT.
In à letter dated Providence, R. 1. September 19, 1899. Captain William B. Weeden says :---
"A section of the Fifth Mass. Battery under Lieut. Phil- lips, was posted next Battery C., R. I. then under my imme- diate command, in the heaviest shock of the battle of Mal- vern Hill. It did excellent service, both command and men."
REPORT OF GEN. JOHN H. MARTINDALE.
General John H. Martindale in his official account of the battle, after referring to the retirement of the rear guard of the day before, which left Porter's Corps and Couch's Division to cover the front, describes the conflict as "an affair of artillery," and proceeds to say, -- "None of Porter's Corps had yet engaged the infantry. Couch, however. was
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pressed severely on the right, but held his ground. I had encountered artillery before, but now it opened as I had never yet seen it. It was obvious that the whole Army of the Potomac was resting there for safety on the steadi- ness of the portion of it which was then confronting the enemy. I went along the line of my regiments, and told them my dispositions for battle, and reminded them that a retreat would be annihilation. It would be better to face the enemy to the last, than to retire .-- that there was no Washington to fall back on as at Bull Run, no Chicka- hominy to cross as at Gaines Mills. We must be victorious or perish !"
FROM THE REPORT OF BRIG. GEN. DARIUS N. COUCH.
HARRISON'S LANDING, VA. July 5, 1862. "At 9 o'clock [July 1, 1862] Berdan's sharpshooters were driven in. The rebels were driven off by artillery alone. From this time until about i p. m. the contest was on both sides in the hands of the artillerists; then they pushed forward a column to carry the Left of the line held by Griffin. " They were driven back disorganized and cut up by our artillery alone. Their batteries played upon us with- out intermission, but owing to the care used in masking the men, our loss from it was not serious, with the exception of a battery to the right, that enfiladed my position. . . .
At about 4.30 p. m., after an incessant cannonade, they boldly pushed forward a large column from their Right in the open field to carry Griffin's position. The fire of three batteries was concentrated upon them. Kingsbury's [ Bat- tery D, 5th U. S.] battery having been withdrawn for ani- munition, was relieved by three guns of Battery C, Rhode Island Artillery and two guns,-Allen's Fifth Massachu- setts,-under Captain Weeden. The attacking column kept
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on, continually reinforced until within range of Griffin's Rifles, when it was stopped and formed line.
From this time until 8 p. m. there was enacted one of the sublimest sights ever presented in war, resulting in a glo- rious victory to our arms."
The action now became general and General Couch as- sumed command of the entire line for the time, ordering up the reserves etc. etc.
"Night closed in upon us," he continues, "still fighting; the opposing forces only known by their lines of fire, that of the rebels gradually slackening until 8.30 p. m., after which an occasional cannon shot from our batteries only broke the stillness that pervaded this bloody field.
Thus ended the battle of Malvern Hill, which caused great carnage and demoralization among the best divisions of the enemy, with comparatively small losses on our side. .
Having received orders from General Mcclellan to fall back, my troops were gradually withdrawn from the field. Captain Benson [Captain Henry Benson Battery M. 2d U. S.] who had relieved the Massachusetts and Rhode Island. batteries after dark, left one section of his artillery. . . . Both armies retreated, the one because it was beaten, the other because it was a part of the plans of our general."
Powell's History says of Allen's [Fifth Mass.] and Weeden's [Fourth R. I.] Batteries :- "About 4 p. m. July Ist, [the hour at which the assault on Morell's lines was ex- pected, information to that effect having reached Porter's Head Quarters. ] the Fourth R. I. Battery [ Weeden's] com- manded by Lt. Richard Waterman, was withdrawn from the left, and later on, in connection with Lt. [John B.] Hyde's section of Allen's Battery, relieved Kingsbury's [Battery D. 5th U. S.] Battery. on General D. N. Couch's left, and rendered admirable service, having a whole com- pany of experienced gunners to man his three guns."
At 4.30, McClellan came upon the field again to consult with Porter at his Head Quarters, the Malvern house. At
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9 p. m. the battle was over and McClellan had a consultation with Commodore Rodgers in relation to the movement to Harrison's Landing which was then decided upon. So very pleased was he with the outcome of this encounter, that he closed his official report with the following words :---
"My mind cannot eoin expressions of thanks and admiration warm enough or intense enough, to do justice to my feelings towards the Army I am so proud to command.
To my countrymen I confidently commit them, convinced they will ever honor every brave man who served during those seven historic days with the army of the Potomac. . .. I will simply eall attention to the invaluable services rendered by the artillery, and say that its performances have fully justified my anticipations, and prove it to be our policy to cherish and increase that arm of the service."
FROM "RHODE ISLAND IN THE REBELLION."
"The battle began at 3 o'clock p. m. by a heavy musketry fire from the rebels upon our centre, and soon a general en- gagement ensued. Our line was in the form of a semi- circie. For several hours the conflict raged with unmiti- gated fury. Here, as at Gaines Mills. Porter's Corps did some splendid fighting. . . . At half-past eight o'clock in the morning the three remaining guns of Battery C, ( Weeden's) with a section of Allen's Massachusetts Bat- tery, all under the command of Captain Weeden, moved to the hills and proceeded off to the Left of the line to protect the left flank. The Battery ( Weeden's) with Allen's sec- tion, was stationed on the brow of a hill, and commanded a plain below. A sharp look-out was kept along the edge of the woods beyond the plain, to see that no rebels came out, and if they did, to give them a becoming reception. Shot and shell from the rebel batteries on our right were con- stantly flying over our heads, but we had, for the moment, less to fear from them than from some of our own guns on the extreme Left of the line, which were obscured from our view by woods. and were shooting over our heads. Some
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of their shells were fired at too short range, and a 32- pounder shell burst close by one of our pieces, instantly disab- ling six of its men, and fatally wounding Lieut. Waterman's horse and that of Serg't Hunt. It was little less than mi- raculous that their riders escaped. Two of the men were instantly killed, and four wounded. one severely.
The explosion was stunning. Shells were coming from Right, Rear, and Left, and our position being too hot we were ordered to retire: and, moving farther to the right, very soon relieved Griffin's Battery, which had expended all its ammunition. After getting in battery, firing was commenced, dropping shells in various directions in the woods in front of us. A rebel battery somewhere in front of us, responded to our civilities, and sent us specimens of their ordnance stores, but as most of them overreached, no injury was done.
In a short time a rebel regiment was seen coming down a road to our left and front and deploying into the field as skirmishers. Attention was also arrested by a rebel battery, just in the edge of the woods in the rear of the regiment, whose position could be discerned only by the smoke of its discharge. A few well directed missiles put a stop to im- pertinences, and firing from that quarter soon ceased. Most of its shots overreached and did comparatively little damage. One was made, however, which told on our ranks. A shrapnell burst splendidly,-for so are death missives often viewed on the battle field, -- and one of the fragments struck Corporal William B. Thompson in the thigh, making a mortal wound. Another man, working the guns, was struck in the arm by a piece of the same shell, and died in twenty minutes. The rebel infantry came within 300 yards of our Battery, but we could not poke canister at them from fear of wounding our own men in front, so we gave them shrapnell. shells filled with sixty bullets and nearly as de- structive, which were fired over the heads of the infantry.
The batteries, in their several positions, mowed down the
:
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rebels with terrible certainty, as did our infantry along the entire line, but life seemed of no consequence to their of- ficers, and relying on their superior numbers they filled every breach made in their ranks with fresh men, maddened and made reckless by whiskey and gunpowder.
Though they numbered three to our one it was in vain that they rushed upon our men. It was only to meet cer- tain death and final repulse.
Our men stood up bravely to the work, as they did six days before, and when they saw the rebel infantry deploy- ing, cheered and waved their hats; crying 'Give it to them !' 'Give it to them!' and it was done. . . .
About half past seven o'clock we were relieved, and re- turned to the camp we left in the morning. Late in the night the Battery proceeded on its way to Harrison's Land- ing where it arrived at 4 o'clock a. m., very much exhausted.
At midnight terminated a week of battles, the eneniy driven back, and the Federal army holding the fiekl. The Federals captured twenty-nine cannon and lost twenty- eight."
THE SEVEN DAYS BATTLES.
REPORT OF LIEUT. JOHN B. HYDE.
"I was ordered by Captain Weeden to take my remaining pieces, with his Battery, to the front and on the brow of a hill about 2000 yards from the enemy who were in the edge of the woods, with artillery and infantry. We began to shell them, and after about half an hour, in connection with other batteries, silenced the enemy, and was then ordered with Weeden's Battery to take position in the field on the opposite side of the road, and again began firing in the direc- tion of the enemy. This was kept up till dark, when we were relieved and returned to camp.
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Amount of ammunition expended, 300 rounds.
Robert King wounded in breast.
Jacob Peacock wounded in the leg.
Three horses shot.
During the engagement all the men behaved remarkably well.
All of which is respectfully submitted JOHN B. HYDE Licut. Commanding Battery."
FROM PHILLIPS' DIARY AND LETTERS.
"Monday, June 30, 1862. Marehed at 3 a. m. to the James River and eamped at noon on Turkey Island near Malvern Hill.
The whole army is coming this way.
About noon as we passed through a wheat field, the wheat was stacked all over the field, and we took advantage of this to seeure some feed for our hungry and tired horses. Send- ing our cannoneers over the fence the wheat travelled in a very short period on to our caissons, while the owners looked from their windows, rather startled at this demonstration of the Army of the Potomac. I am happy to say I saw no guard over the property. The next field was an immense corn field, the corn already four feet high. Intermixed with the eorn were most delicious blackberries, which tasted sweetly after a diet of hard bread and water. Arrived at the farther limit of this field we stopped and rested awhile; our men pulling up the eorn to fodder their horses. On Tues- day night [July ist, after the battle of Malvern Hill] I could not see a blade of eorn in the whole field. Close by us was a large cherry tree, but this was soon stripped. Some of our men brought me some cherries from a tree by the house close by, black, dead ripe, and delicious. After a short delay we marched on down the hill and came into park
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in a very pleasant corn field, where we supposed we should stop all night, but late in the afternoon we moved back on to the hill again near our former position, but the appear- ance of things had changed. What we left a large green corn field was now an immense dry plain, all bristling with arms, and surrounded with batteries of artillery. Away beyond the wheat field we could hear the roar of artillery, and the rattling of musketry and everything looked like a grand fight the next day. At one time the enemy appeared in our vicinity, making a small attack on our left and got a terrible thrashing.
They dragged a few guns into position and opened on us, when, as the poet says, they were answered from the hill, and with a vengeance too. Probably nobody was ever in a hot- ter place,-on earth at least,-than the rebels were for the next 20 minutes. Siege guns, Parrotts, and everything else poured into them a tremendous fire, while the gunboat shells burst amongst them. The next day Captain Martin brought in two of their guns all covered with blood, while the dead horses and broken caissons showed the effects of our fire. Gradually as darkness settled upon the earth all became quiet, and we went to bed with great anticipa- tions of the morrow.
THE BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL.
The sun was well up Tuesday July 1, 1862, before the reveille roused us to our day's work.
During the forenoon all was still and quiet, but we knew that the stillness might at any time be broken by the rattling of musketry and the roar of cannon. So we breakfasted on hard bread and waited for events.
Soon came the order to hitch up, and we started out to- ward the wheat field.
At noon they made their first attack, our artillery being arranged as follows :-
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On the Right Griffin's Battery, Lt. Kingsbury com'd'g : six 10 pdr. Parrotts, 3 inch calibre;
Next on the Left :- ( Adelbert ) Aines's Battery [ Battery A, 5th U. S.] of six Light 12 pdrs. smooth bore, otherwise called the Napoleon Gun;
Next :-- 5th Mass. Battery 2 pieces;
Next :- Captain Weeden's remaining 3 guns, -- 3 inch Rifled Guns.
On the right of Kingsbury, and hidden by a piece of woods, were some other batteries.
Our two pieces were formed into one section and placed under me, Lt. Hyde taking command of the whole battery. Dillingham took charge of the caissons, and Scott was placed in command of the Battery wagons and forges belonging to Griffin's, Weeden's and Allen's Batteries.
Martin's Battery had been detached and sent to the leit. and I saw nothing of it during the day. Well, we started out, and first came into line behind Martindale's brigade which was sheltered behind a little wood. Close by us was the Mass. 22d, which had suffered terribly on Friday [Gaines Mills]. Of course they were rather down-hearted, and the officers tried to keep up their spirits by singing &c. It was rather affecting to hear this regiment, cut down by disease and bullets to a mere fraction of its original num- bers, strike up the John Brown song, and proclaim their de- termination to hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree, as stur- dily as they did when their ranks were full. After waiting here a short time we, together with the brigade, moved a short distance to the left, and rested alongside of Weeden's Battery, Kingsbury having come into battery on the right: the brigade resting in front of us in column of Division ly- ing on the ground. Here we waited and dined on hard bread and coffee, and shortly afterwards moved to the left and came into battery.
In front of us was the large level field about 1700 yards across. On the opposite side was a ridge, behind which the
SECOND POSITION.
- > >Woods 6 Low Level.
Woods
Wheat Field's
Road
7
Wood
12
House
2 Malvern Hill. .....
5 High Ground 1.
1. Kingsbury's 2. Ames 3 Fifth Mass. 4. Weeden's, pointing across the River. 5 Martindale. 6. Rebel Guns.
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rebels placed their guns out of our sight, and blazed away, now from one place and now from another. In the woods beyond was an indefinite number of rebels. On our left the ground sloped rapidly down to a low level meadow bounded by woods. We were charged with the duty of protecting our Left from any flank movement.
No infantry was in sight: theirs being hidden in the woods, and ours being hidden behind the hill in rear of our guns.
Suddenly out the rebels poured from the woods in front of Kingsbury, and down the road, their red flags flying, and charged across the field.
Our infantry rushed out to meet them, and back they went with diminished numbers.
An intervening hill prevented us from participating; we could see them only for a few minutes.
Soon afterwards we were ordered to the right, and having to cross under a heavy fire of shrapnell. the enemy shooting very well, we had two men wounded by fragments of shell : Robert King in the shoulder, and Jacob Peacock in the leg.
While waiting for a few minutes to change our limbers, I had an excellent opportunity to dodge. A shrapnell burst right in front of me; the fragments striking the ground about 20 feet off. One piece about an inch square ricocheted, and came in the most spiteful way straight for my shoulder. but, by a most graceful right oblique, I got out of the way. About this time I missed Lt. Hyde, who was looking after the caissons, I presume, and so I took command and marched the guns at full gallop to the right, and came into line with Captain Weeden, behind Kingsbury, who was firing his last shots at the retreating rebels. Soon after we were ordered forward to relieve him, everything else remaining in statu quo, and we came into battery and waited. General Couch, General Abercrombie and General Griffin,-commanding Morell's old brigade, -- were all in
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our neighborhood, but I do not know the exact disposition of the infantry.
Late in the afternoon the rebels made another attack on our Left and Centre. Just previous to it they got six pieces of artillery into a new position, and opened on us, intending apparently to disable tis. The result made the attempt very ridiculous; though they made some good shots and threw some shrapnell between our guns, they did not hurt any- body, and in 15 minutes we had silenced them so completely that they did not fire another gun. . What on earth induced them to try such a ridiculous proceeding I do not know. If they had kept their guns masked until their infantry charged, and then had used them to distract the attention of our artillery, or to operate against our infantry, they might have accomplished something, but they ought to have learned by this time that they stand no chance at artillery practice.
As soon as they made their appearance from the woods, our artillery opened on them with terrible effect. The air over their heads was filled with the smoke of bursting shells whose fragments plowed the ground in front. Half way across the field, and already their ranks show many a gap, while wounded men are straggling fast to the rear.
They had got within 800 yards, when out rushed the in- fantry on our left, and the rattling of musketry mingled with the roar of cannon. Then the rebels poured out fresh troops from the woods in front of us; then we sent in more, and so the fight went on until 50,000 men were fighting in the field in front of us. We fired as fast as we could get fresh limbers full of ammunition; piling up our canister alongside of the gun, so as to be ready for them.
When two hours had passed away, we had fired 250 rounds, our men were tired, and three horses were killed. when another battery came to relieve us. [ Colonel Henry I. Hunt sent Battery M, 2d U. S. Captain Henry Benson, and
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Battery G, Ist New York Light, Captain John D. Frank, to relieve Waterman and Hyde on the left.] So we lim- bered up and came off.
The fight still kept on, but about dark we drove then back.
Going a mile to the rear I found the caissons all safe. We waited without unhitching till midnight, when we started for James River, arriving at 3.30 a. m. on the large plain where we encamped.
Our men came out of this fight in very good spirits; they thought they had paid the rebels somewhat for Friday's loss, and they cheered and hollaed at a great rate."
FROM SCOTT'S NOTES.
"June 30, 1862. After leaving the Chickahominy our spirits revived. Found the 5th Corps camped on Malvern Hill near the James River.
Parked away from the river in the lee of some outbuild- ings, we eat our hard-bread. heard a few experiences of narrow escapes during the day, and slept on the ground the night of the 30th of June unmolested. Most of the army were arriving, and with the gunboats on James River we felt secure.
In the rear of the Malvern house facing north, was a level plain or plateau.
Our lines were formed on the outlying hills of the platean, with our flank on the river protected by the gunboats.
The enemy followed closely.
On the morning of the Ist of July, 1862, the weather was fine. Corps were getting into line of battle.
As the Battery stood on the plain near the Malvern house, solid shot from the enemy came pounding around us.
I was put in charge of the wagons and caissons, withi orders to take them to a safe place, and they were taken past the Malvern house, into a hollow, where we remained all day, only listening to the heavy firing of the battle.
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