USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.1 > Part 31
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THIRD MASS. BATTERY. COMPANY ORDERS. HARRISON'S LANDING. V.A.
Aug. 5, 1862. Lieut. Valentine M. Dunn, having been commissioned as Senior Ist Lieut., Lieut. Philip H. Tyler as Junior Ist Lieut., Lieut. Aaron F. Walcott as Senior 2d Licut., and Sergeant Thomas M. Cargill as Junior 2d Lieut. of Battery C, Mass. Art'y, they will at once assume command of their respective positions and be respected and obeyed accordingly.
Lieut. Charles A. Phillips, having been commissioned as Senior Ist Lieut., Lieut. Henry D. Scott as Junior Ist Lieut., Sergeant Peleg W. Blake as Senior 2d Lieut. of Battery E, Mass. Art'y, they will be respected and obeyed accordingly.
A. P. MARTIN Capt. Battery C, Mass. Art'y.
Grows' "Journal" :- "Tuesday Aug. 5: 1862. About 9 this morning the ambulances began bringing more sick aboard. Got filled up about noon and then got ready to start as soon as the water is high enough. . . . Got under way about 4 o'clock this afternoon, and went down the river. The scenery is very fine. We had a flag of truce flying, and the rebels did not fire on us. The other boats, such as the
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mail and transports, go up and down the river accompanied by gunboats.
Arrived off Fortress Monroe about S o'clock in the even- ing. and anchored for the night.
I cannot describe my feelings ou beholding this place again! 'Burnside's Fleet' are in Hampton Roads, and the several men-of-war.
On board, six have died since yesterday, and I do not know how many are dead in the after cabin. There is one poor fellow near me, who cannot stand it till morning.
Wednesday, Aug. 6th. The poor fellow near where I laid on deck, died at 12 last night. Since we started twenty have died. About io this forenoon, we received orders to go up the river to Norfolk, and there take in coal and ice to last us to Philadelphia. The trip was quite pleasant.
Passed the old rebel batteries on Sewall's Point; also the place where the 'Merrimac' was blown up, and the old U. S. Frigate "United States' burned by the Secesh. I also saw Portsmouth, a very fine place. About one o'clock, we hauled alongside the wharf, and began taking in coal and ice. My goodness, how hot it is! Got aboard about 40 tons of coal, and about 5 tons of ice. We laid here till about 4 in the afternoon, when we swung off from the wharf, and 'steamed up' for the Fort for orders. A nice breeze sprung up, and it is very pleasant. Arrived off the Fort about half past 6, 'lay off and on' for about an hour. Got orders to go to Philadelphia. This was cheering to mne, knowing that Massachusetts would send for her sick and wounded. Soon got under way, passing the Rip Raps, and proceeded out to sea by the large Light Boat.' It is a fine evening. and the stars are beginning to come out. Large porpoises jump out of the water and play around the steamer. The sea breeze has already begun to revive the sick. It does seem good to me!
Five more have died, making in all since last Monday
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night twenty-five, mostly fever cases. They were kept too long at the Landing before they were sent away for the North, and many, I think, who have died on board would have been alive if they had been sent away before."
PRISONERS EXCHANGED.
"Aug. 6, 1862. [Chase's Diary, Corporal Chase being with the Third Mass. Battery.] Thirty thousand prison- ers returned from Richmond; among them Richard Heyes and Edward F. Smith of the 5th Mass. Battery, taken pris- oners at the battle of Gaines Mills."
Grows' "Journal" :- "Thursday, April 7, 1862. I only got about two hours' sleep last night. I laid down on deck. Excitement is now keeping me up. About 8 this morning passed the capes of Delaware, Cape May and Cape Henlopen .. and entered the mouth of the river. We are now 100 miles from Philadelphia, and expect to get there about 3 this afternoon.
It does look splendid to see the farms on the banks of the river, Delaware on one side and Pennsylvania on the other; Philadelphia being on the left hand side, going up the river. Such neat houses and barns made me for the first time realize that I was coming near home. We arrived at quar- antine' about 3 in the afternoon, and waited some time for the Doctor to come aboard before we could go to the city. He came at length and in a short time left us, when we pro- ceeded up to the city, only 10 miles.
Arrived at the Pier in about an hour and made fast. After waiting almost an hour, everything then being in readiness we began to go ashore.
On landing I once again found myself in the presence of a vast throng of white men and women in citizens' dress. Some of the ladies grabbed my knapsack, others my can- teen, and haversack. and overcoat, offering me tea, coffee.
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cakes, wine, and water etc. I endeavored to get away from them, but it was of no use. I took a few cakes and some strong tea, and accepted a handkerchief from a young lady and started to go ahead, but soon found myself in the hands of two ladies, who passed me over to some gentlemen, who put me in a carriage to be sent to the Hospital. Such kind- ness I can never forget. On the way, a little boy came up to the carriage with a lot of nice pears, and threw them in, to us. After a drive of an hour we arrived at the Hospital, and I was shown to 'Ward W.'
Friday, Aug. 8th. At & past ro this forenoon the sur- geon's call was sounded, and those who were able, got up, put on their dressing-gowns and sat in the chair at the end of the bed.
I was greatly astonished to find the Doctor so kind. He soon came to my bed and talked with me. He ordered iron and lemon juice, and then passed on."
LETTER FROM LIEUT. PHILLIPS. "CAMP AT HARRISON'S LANDING, Aug. 8, 1862.
I received a letter from Mayor Taber of New Bedford last night, asking me to give him an account of things in the Battery, and I am preparing a long memorial on the subject.
Glad to see that Serg't. F. A. Lull has been commissioned Junior 2d. Lieutenant. . . . Lull's claims and qualifications were so much superior, that I was very much excited at the idea of his being overlooked. He is a good hearted, willing, and smart man, and will make a good officer." [Lull's commission was dated Aug. 1, 1862.]
Grows' "Journal" :- "Saturday, Aug. 9, 1862. The Doc- tor came round at the usual hour and ordered me to con- tinue with the same medicine. In each ward there are two men nurses, a ward master, and two Sisters of Charity,
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and they are very kind, doing a large amount of good in relieving the suffering of the men.
About S this evening I was obliged to call the Doctor. He gave me some medicine, also some laudanum to make me sleep. Had a hard night of it-greatly distressed for breath.
Sunday, Aug. 10th. There are 1300 sick to arrive here today. Listened to the church bells. It made me feel blue. About 3 this afternoon, the sick began to arrive. I sat at the end of the ward, looking at them. They looked bad enough. Two were brought into my ward, both of them speechless, one of them looked dead, he was so far gone. The Doctors gave him some wine to revive him, but he could not speak, or take any notice. Poor fellow, we do not know where he belongs nor who he is."
FROM LETTERS OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"Sunday, Aug. 10, 1862. No rain, no shade, no clouds, but day after day the same hot sun shining down from the same cloudless sky on the same parched earth. The heat tells on everybody. For the last few nights I have been trying to solve the problem how to cover up my head and feet with a short blanket, and I invariably give up in despair.
Our table is set in a rustic arbor, and we have white china cups, plates &c., and unlimited 'contrabands' to tend table and keep off the flies.
We have quite a large mess now : Captain Martin and his officers,-Lieutenants Dunn, Tyler, Walcott and Car- gill,-Lieutenants Scott and Blake, and myself.
One of our men arrived here a day or two ago, discharged from hospital at Georgetown and ordered to report here for duty, and within 24 hours after his arrival our doctor reported him insane, and sent him to the hospital.
We keep two or three regiments over on the other side, and
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a signal officer who was here yesterday told me that there were no signs of the enemy over there. Captain Henry Benson, who was wounded the other day at Malvern Hill, was the commander of one of the best Horse Batteries in the service. He was orderly sergeant at Bull Run, and got his commission for services there. He was at Hanover Court House and annoyed the enemy terribly.
One of our men picked up a shell thrown across the river by the rebels, which must have been taken from us at Gaines Mills or afterwards. It was a 3 inch Schenkle shell, which had been furnished to us only a few days before the fight. We left 15 rounds of these in our limbers, and Weeden left about as many more. Not understanding the nature of the projectiles the rebels had neglected to arrange the pereus- sion fuze plug properly, and consequently the shell did not explode.
There is a most intense craving for a variety of food, and I hope our government will not furnish any more such hard bread as the men have had to eat for the last six months : hard. tasteless, and indigestible. I think it has killed a great many. It seems to me that Government might Att least furnish as good bread as the common ship bread. The rebels are wise in this respect. They do not issue any Wind bread, but serve out Hour, and many a captured haver- ack has been found full of hot biscuit.
Sunday afternoon. August roth Seymour's, formerly McCall's. Division went across the river. This being the other Division of the Corps we supposed we should follow. Sunday evening we got an order to be ready to march at 2 p. m. the next day on temporary service, with 5 days' rations and forage. 40 rounds of ammunition in cartridge loves, 60 in the wagons. After various conjectures where we were going. we came to the conclusion that we were Lying on a reconnoissanee to Petersburg.
The next morning the order was countermanded. I went
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down to the shore to buy a thin flannel blouse but did not succeed. Sutlers, Quartermasters and Commissaries were packing up and sending their things on board steamers and schooners. Adams Express has been ordered to bring no more packages to Harrison's Landing, and everything looks like an evacuation. Meanwhile the weather continues hot and we are gradually shrinking away. I weighed myself (Aug. IIth) and found I had lost 15 pounds since leaving Gaines Hill."
THE BATTERY TEAMS. CAMP NEAR HARRISON'S LANDING, Aug. IT, 1862.
Captain Martin to Capt. Auchmuty A. A. G.
CAPT. AUCHMUTY.
Sir.
I have received orders to turn in 3 teams out of the number with which the Batteries are supplied. I beg leave to make the following statement in regard to this :-
There are four batteries in this Division; one [Captain Allen's] is without guns, but the men are mostly here, and the present supply of teams-13-gives merely three to each Battery and one Hospital team loaded exclusively with hospital stores.
The number of men attached to the Batteries is 477; according to the regimental allowance of one team for 200 men, it would require two and one half teams to carry rations &e. for these men. In addi- tion to this we have 5 days' forage for 380 horses to carry,-This being the total number of horses actually with the Batteries. This amount of forage would weigh 20,100 pounds, and, if the number of teams is redueed. as the orders contemplate, we should have but 612 teams to earry this amount, for which purpose each team would be loaded with 4,092 pounds, a load which would render it impossible for the teams to follow troops in light marching order.
I respectfully request that under these eireumstanees, there being a full complement of officers and men for four batteries, we may be allowed to retain the teams we now have.
Very respectfully, Your ob't. serv't. A. P. MARTIN, Capt. Com'd'g Division Art'y
Captain Martin was allowed to retain the teams.
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Grows' "Journal" :- ( Philadelphia) "Monday, Aug. 11, 1862. One of the men brought in yesterday died in the night. the other is very low, and has not spoken yet. He had watchers all night.
Tuesday, Aug. 12th. Went to dinner at 12. Mutton chops, potatoes, gravy, bread etc. The Doctors tell us to eat all we can, and then it will take a great while to get the men up."
From a letter of Lieut. Phillips : "August 12, 1862. This forenoon some gunboats lying near the ordnance wharf opened on the opposite shore, bursting their shells some .. where up among the woods."
LETTER OF MAYOR TABER OF NEW BEDFORD AFTER RECEIVING THE MEMORIAL OF LIEUT. PHILLIPS.
"MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY OF NEW BEDFORD, Aug. 14, 1862.
LIEUT. CHAS. A. PHILLIPS.
Dr. Sir.
Accept my sincere thanks for your full and frank letter of the 8th inst.
In stating to you that it corroborates in every particular a statement I have received, signed by seventy-five of the Battery, you can estimate its value to me. Every account I have received has been of one tenor. You are probably aware of the strong interest I have felt in the welfare of the Battery. The majority of its members I am personally acquainted with. and know them to be reliable men, who would not under any circumstances shirk a duty; brave men and hardy. Tell them all that my best exertions shall be used for its recuperation.
In the meantime, I would be pleased to hear from you any suggestions you feel inclined to make, and in anything that
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may tend to restore the confidence of the men,-which ap- pears to be unlimited in you, -- or to promote the interests of the Battery, command me in any way.
Very sincerely Yrs.
I. C. TABER. I shall see Gov. Andrew within a few days, and with his authority will endeavor to obtain some recruits."
LETTER OF THOMAS E. CHASE.
"HARRISON'S LANDING, JAMES RIVER, VA.
Aug. 14, 1862.
I wrote you on the 25th ult., I think, and after I had fin- ished my letter I found that my last stamp was a I cent one. and I could not beg. borrow, or steal one, so I sent it with- out a stamp, signed by our Lieutenant, as I frequently do. Perhaps it did not reach you. Myself and 25 others are with the 3d Mass. Battery, but when Captain Allen comes, we expect to be reorganized. The Captain will, if possible, return on the 26th instant. . . . The Army, or portions of it are preparing to leave the Peninsula, and our knapsacks were taken from us last Sunday, and our tents, with the knapsacks. are already on ship-board. Where we are going we know not. . . . The weather is scorching hot and the 'light weights' are in great danger of being carried off by the mosquitoes. They are well drilled and make furious charges and make night hideous with their infernal biz- zing."
CHAPTER XIII. FROM HARRISON'S LANDING TO ACQUIA CREEK.
THE BATTLE OF SECOND MANASSAS OR SEC- OND BULL RUN. AUGUST 30, 1862. "But north looked the Dictator ; North looked he long and hard."
-LORD MACAULAY.
THIE RELIEF OF MAJ. GEN. JOHN POPE .-- THE PROTECTION OF WASHINGTON.
They were ten days getting ready to move, and on Aut- gust 14th, 1862, at 5 p. m. the Army was set in motion, Porter's Corps marching to Williamsburg, halfway between Yorktown and the Chiekahominy River, according to or- ders there to await the arrival of the next Corps.
All superfluous baggage had been packed up and put on board a sehooner, and on Thursday, August 14th, just after supper, Scott. Phillips, Chase and others being with the Third Mass. Battery, orders were received to get ready to start immediately, so they hitched up, paeked up, and waited till about 10.30 p. m. when they moved forward parallel with the river towards Fortress Monroe.
"By midnight," wrote Phillips, "the Division had got stretched out on the road and we halted in a jam. I lay down on a limber, with my reins in my hands, and got what sleep I could.
At 3 in the morning of the 15th the column again started. Sykes was ahead of us. The weather was beautiful and cool, the road was very good, and the Provost Guard not
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being such an institution as formerly the corn fields which were abundant, were pretty well stripped. At every halt fires were lighted and ears of corn roasted. Peaches were plenty but not ripe. There were tomatoes enough to fur- nish at least one meal a day, and on the whole we lived well. About 5 o'clock in the afternoon we crossed the Chicka- hominy, near its mouth, on a pontoon bridge over seven hundred yards long, and camped a mile from the shore."
This pontoon bridge, it has been said, surpassed in con- struction, skill and capacity, anything that had been at- tempted in the annals of military bridge building.
On August 16, 1862, news was received at Porter's Head Quarters, that the main body of the enemy was moving nortlı, intending to crush Pope before Mcclellan could come to his relief, and to proceed directly to Washington. General Porter sent this information to McClellan, and re- ported that, unless otherwise ordered, he would leave Wil- liamsburg at 4 a. m. August 17th without waiting for the arrival of the next Corps; would complete the march to Newport News, and hasten to General Pope's relief. This he did, and in pursuance of this plan, the Division moved on the 16th, passed through Williamsburg and camped at 5 p. m. close by Fort Magruder, about half a mile outside the city.
Only the Fifth Corps went to Acquia Creck, the remain- der of the Army of the Potomac went directly to Alexan- dria. Va. seven miles from Washington.
On Sunday, Aug. 17th, Porter's Division marched at 7 a. in. and encamped within a mile of Big Bethel. "Reached Yorktown (Chase's Diary) at I p. m. and made coffee at our old camp ground of April 5, 1862."
Phillips refers to this revisiting of old scenes in the fol- lowing words :-- "As we passed through Yorktown I rode into our old camp. Everything was changed. Grass and weeds growing everywhere. My bedstead still remained.
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and the grove around our tents. My chair was gone. The house that we built at Wormley's Creek was all gone, the ruins of the chimney still remaining."
The same day they marched three miles beyond Howard's Mills and camped, reaching Newport News on the 18th and going into park about 1.30 p. m. "A bath in salt water" writes Chase, "was a luxury enjoyed by some."
Meanwhile the sick and wounded waited in the Hospitals.
Grows' "Journal" :- "Sunday, Aug. 17, 1862. ( Phila- delphia.) Prof. W. B. Rogers of Boston, came into the ward with his brother who is our surgeon. He talked with nic. took my name, and residence when at home. He starts for Boston tomorrow, and will attend to my being trans- ferred to a Massachusetts hospital. Divine service was held this afternoon, but I did not attend, not feeling able."
Chase in a letter of the 18th says his health is "tip top."
Tuesday the 19th, at 7 a. m .. the Fifth Corps marched to Hampton, and taking the three batteries of the Division and Thompson's Battery of the Artillery Reserve on board the "City of Norwich," hauled into the stream off Fortress Monroe. In the morning of the 20th they sailed up Chesa- pcake Bay towing two schooners and three barges, bound for Acquia Creek. Va., a point of advantage between Fred- ericksburg and Washington, and anchored that night in the Potomac River.
On Thursday, August 21st, they landed at Acquia Creek, and with relation to the accommodations, Lt. Phillips writes: "the Colonel commanding the Post taking compas- sion upon us, we spread our blankets on his office floor, and slept there all night."
On Friday, Aug. 22d, about 5 p. m., leaving Waterman's Fourth, R. I. Battery, which included the 30 members of the Fifth Mass., at Acquia Creek, the Third Mass. Battery and it> contingent marched 8 or ro miles beyond, towards Fred-
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ericksburg, Va., which is 55 miles from Washington, and about equidistant from that city and Richmond.
They camped on the road.
On Saturday, August 23d, General Porter started his command in a southerly direction at daybreak, and marched to Falmouth on the opposite bank of the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg. Here they stopped to rest until 4 p. m., and during the interval Lieut. Phillips called upon General Ambrose E. Burnside, and went over to Fredericks- burg. See p. 443 Burnside.
In the afternoon, the march was resumed for 10 miles towards Culpeper Court House, Va., on the Orange and Alexandria railroad, 69 miles from Washington and 12 miles north of the Rapidan River. The roads were very hilly and rocky, and crossed frequently by beautiful little brooks. They camped near Deep Run. The next day. August 24th, was Sunday. In the Hospital, at Philadel- phia, Grows wrote in his journal: "About 3 this afternoon Surgeon Dr. Hays came through the ward for inspection, which lasted a short time. A Doctor was buried 'under arms' this afternoon. There are not many deaths here now."
In camp by Deep Run reveille sounded at daylight. The Third Battery marched in company with Sykes's Division t. Culpeper Court House, hearing reports of rebels ahead be- tween them and General Morell's Division : countermarched about one and a half miles, recrossing Deep Run, and went "In Battery" on the brow of a small hill behind Regular Battery D, 5th U. S. (Griffin's). "Changed position-" (Chase's Diary) "with Battery D, about II a. m."
Lt. Phillips speaks of the battle array as "making a most formidable appearance spread over the hills." At 3.30 th: Battery again limbered up and for the third time that day marching over the same road, joined Morell's Division.
Grows' Journal :--- "Aug. 25, 1862. ( Philadelphia. )
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Orders came today for none of the men to be allowed 'passes' till after the Ist of September, and this makes it very hard, as many of the men have families living here in the city."
The evolutions of August 25th were much the same, the Third Mass. Battery starting out at 6 a. in. They marched a mile, halted till 12 o'clock, turned round, marched back, and camping on the same ground they left, remained there that day.
And here is the first mention of the restoration of the guns to the Fifth Mass. Battery, all that was lacking to place it upon its former footing in the army. Lieut. Phil- lips wrote home in a letter dated "Vicinity of Deep Run or Barrett's Ford, or somewhere" :- "General Burnside is rather interested in the Fifth Battery, and I think I shall get some guns pretty soon."
On Tuesday, Aug. 26th, at 3 a. m., reveille was sounded, and they marched with the Division to Kelly's Ford, about 9 miles from Deep Run and 12 miles above Barrett's Ford. Lieut. Phillips put one section on picket, and sent Lieut. Scott and three wagons to Falmouth for forage. Heavy cannonading was heard in front. The next day they marched past Bealton to Warrenton Junction.
MET POPE AND GOING NORTH.
It was on August 27th, 1862, at 10 o'clock a. m. that General Porter joined General Pope at Warrenton Junction on the Orange and Alexandria railroad, 48 miles from Washington. General Pope finding his Right turned by General Ewell, had fallen back towards Warrenton, where he was joined by General Joseph Hooker. Overtaking the rebels under Ewell at Haymarket a severe fight ensued, ter- minating at night in the defeat of the enemy. On that day the Federal gunboats destroyed the rebel works at City Point, Va.
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THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS.
The first battle of Manassas or Bull Run was fought July 21, 1861, and the Union troops under McDowell were de- feated by the Confederates under Beauregard. The stream called Bull Run was described at the time as a mere rivulet, dry in many places, but containing from four to six feet of water in the channel after heavy rains. It extends for about six miles north and south, and is crossed by the Manassas railroad. A Confederate battery which made great havoc among our troops was situated on a slight eminence in a ravine on the west side of the Run.
The only places besides the fords at intervals of a mile or two, where the stream could be crossed. were three bridges. viz., a stone structure, over which passes the War- renton turnpike; a wooden bridge at Blackburn's Ford seven miles below, on the direct road from Centreville to Manassas; and a mile or so below this, the bridge by which the Orange and Alexandria Railway is carried over Bull Run. Three miles beyond Bull Run is Manassas Junction where the rebels had intrenched themselves, the stream itself forming a defensive line eight miles in length from the Stone Bridge to the railroad; the wooded slopes of the hills furnishing masks for batteries. Sudley's Ford across Bull Run was two or three miles above Stone Bridge.
The battlefield of Manassas or Bull Run, is 34 miles from Washington, about four miles from the railroad station at the junction of the Orange and Alexandria and Manassas Gap railroads.
"Aug. 28, 1862. (Chase's Diary. ) Reveille at 1.30 a. m. Left camp about 3 a. m. Marched half an hour and halted an hour for troops to pass; halted near the railroad cars. Saw the ruins of a train burned by the rebels the night of August 26th. Heavy cannonading heard in front
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