USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.1 > Part 34
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Friday (the 19th ) General Whipple had his Division out for review, and having miscalculated the length of the line one regiment formed on our battery wagon and forge. The order was then given Form Squares "and the regiment formed a square with them in the middle! As a drill for manœuvring on difficult ground it may have been excellent, but as a military exhibition it was rather a failure. Satur- day (20th ) he had a review, but, having grown wiser, this time he formed the line somewhere else, so as not to cross our parade."
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
ON RECRUITING SERVICE.
HEAD QUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, WASHINGTON. Sept. 20, 1862.
Special Orders. Extract.
5. Quartermaster Sergeant T. W. Terry. Battery E, Mass. Artil- kry. is detached on the recruiting service, and will report for instruc- tions to the superintendency of the recruiting service for the state of Massachusetts.
By command of Major General Mcclellan. (Signed) RICHARD B. IRWIN, Ass't Adjt. Gew'l. "Sunday, Sept. 21, 1862 ( Phillips) General Whipple had an inspection of his cavalry, and by way of variety made me turn out my men for inspection. Without guns or horses I could not make much of a display, but I did my best.
Sept. 22d. I have just learned how the troops here are organized : General Heintzelman commands the corps here, composed of four Divisions of which Whipple is one. . . . I find I have quite a number of acquaintances round here : Lts. Hall, Dalton, Smith and Pope of the 14th, and through them I am getting acquainted with most of the officers of that regiment. Yesterday afternoon Lull and I rode up to the 40th Regt. encamped close by Fort Ethan Allen near Chain Bridge. We took tea with Captain Johnson and his lieutenants, then looked on at Dress Parade, and after that I called on Lt. Col. Dalton and Major Day, so, on the whole, I tumbled into quite a lot of acquaintances. The roads which last spring were regular mud holes, are now in ex- cellent order and riding is very pleasant. Business in Wash- ington gives us all plenty of opportunities to get into the city, and our present life is rather a relief from the barba- rous way in which we have been living. Our men are recruit- ing upon a diet of soft bread, and our number is constantly on the increase from the hospitals. I have now 95 enlisted
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men in camp; rather a small proportion of 150, but more than we have had for some time. We have five or ten on the sick list every day, but no serious cases. I have bread and milk every morning for breakfast. In regard to the negro question I have gained no new views. I do not think that emancipation would be a direct military advantage of any account, but I think it would be a great step towards the suppression of the rebellion. .
You don't think my picture looks military," he writes with reference to one sent home. "perhaps this is owing to the hat. I started out here with a small forage cap, but the heat on the Peninsula rendered this intolerable. At Gaines Mills I invested in a felt bat, which was my costume through the battle. By the time I reached Harrison's Landing this was pretty well played out, having served as a night cap pretty constantly. I next purchased a straw hat which showed very prettily at first, but rain and dust soon spoiled its looks. I wore this till we arrived here and had it on when my picture was taken. As it had become the laughing stock of the company I took the first opportunity to dispose of it. . . .
Sept. 24, 1862. General Whipple appears to take consid- erable interest in our getting our guns and horses, and his staff are congratulating themselves upon having gained an 'experienced' battery in the Division.
I have no doubt but that the ist of January will see states enough in rebellion to make a very general emancipation. The rebellion will not be crushed at once, and the campaign in Maryland is not all rose colored. We have driven them out of Maryland, but it proved our weakness that they ever got there, and we did no more than they did when they drove us off the Peninsula. The fights at South Mountain were not decisive defeats, and the battle of Antietam Creek was almost a drawn game.
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Richmond will not be taken this year unless it is done by gunboats.
General Whipple's Division is a great Division for drill- ing. We had two reviews last week, and day before yester- day he had the infantry of his Division form hollow squares, while four companies of cavalry charged all over the field sometimes in good order, but more frequently in disorder. Altogether it was a remarkable exhibition."
FROM A LETTER OF THOMAS E. CHASE.
"CAMP NEAR FORT CORCORAN, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, VA. Sept. 25, 1862.
When I last wrote you we were with the 3d Battery, with the pieces 'in Battery' at Upton's Hill, but on the 12th we received marching orders and started towards Washing- ton. When we arrived at the bridge, -- to Georgetown,- we were very agreeably surprised to see that our days with the 3d Battery, 4th Rhode Island and 5th Regulars were numbered. The scattered remains of the old Fifth gradu- ally collected, and we are now in camp, waiting for recruits, guns, and horses. Many of our men who left us at Harri- son's Landing, sick, have returned to us hale and hearty. We received our knapsacks when we arrived here, having been without them 33 days. Everything in mine was dry and as perfect as the day I packed it, but others had been rifled of their contents. . . . I do not want you to think that I am not willing to take my share of the hardships of the war. neither do we have an unusual dread of battles ahead when there is the least chance of accomplishing any- thing. but I must say that I am disgusted with the summer campaign in Virginia. There have been several 'loose screws,' in fact the only one that was fast and firm to one policy was Mcclellan, but the screw-drivers at Washington kept twisting him round until they nearly split his head, and
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HISTORY OF THE
finally the only screw that held the machine together also became loose, his plans were abandoned and here we are just in sight of Abraham's house. Where the blame in the main rests I will not attempt to say, for I do not know, all I can account for is my own conduct. I have endeavored to do my humble part as well as I could. Let every one ac- count for his own doings. You say you have been fighting for McClellan but some have been down on him. Well, no matter, let 'em croak. 'Truth crushed to earth will rise again,' so will George. Where's old Pope now? His 'Head Quarters are in his saddle,' but where's his saddle? Ask the breezes that ruffle the Potomac north of Bull Run.
We have received our battery wagon, forge, and har- nesses, and our new sabres have come today."
FROM LIEUT. PHILLIPS' LETTERS.
"Sept. 28, 1862. A week ago yesterday we were told that our guns would be ready for us at the Arsenal on Monday morning, so we went in on Monday morning to find that General Burnside had sent down on Sunday for six guns and off they had gone. However, unless some other general in the field wants some guns, we shall get ours by Tuesday. With horses the thing works the same way. Thursday night the numbers had been so reduced that there were orders for only 150 ahead of us. Friday morning down came an order from Mcclellan for 200, and this must be filled before anything else. It is rather discouraging, but we can wait. Scott and I have had a floor laid in our tent for the first time since leaving Massachusetts. Our men have built an oven and we can roast and bake at a great rate. Yesterday we had roast beef for dinner, and this morning we had baked beans for breakfast. One of our latest improvements is a rack to hang our clothes on. The men are living quite comfortably, having foraged a great many tents. In fact the camp has been gradually growing and now presents quite a respectable appearance.
---
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
One of General Whipple's brigades has gone to the front, to Miner's Hill, I believe. From this I infer that General (Franz) Sigel has moved off somewhere. The other day when I was up at Hall's Hill, I learned that General (R. H.) Milroy's brigade had gone off. Captain Martin's quarter- master sergeant was in Washington yesterday, and from him I learned that they had not been in any fight yet. He left the Division at Sharpsburg."
The rebel army had been driven back into Virginia, and under date of September 30, 1862, General Halleck thanked General McClellan and his army for hard fought battles, adding :---
"For the well earned and decided victories in Maryland, a grateful country, while mourning the lamented dead, will not be unmindful of the living."
On the 30th Lt. Phillips drew two guns and caissons, and on Oct. 1, 1862, Wednesday, Corporal Chase has recorded : "Received four new guns and SI horses, again equipping us as a full battery."
Phillips himself says :-- "The remainder of the horses I shall get carly tomorrow (Oct. 2d) so that by tomorrow night I shall be fully equipped. As I understand it I cannot move from here without an order from General Whipple. I shall report myself to him tomorrow ready for service and tell him that I had rather stay where I am. If I stay in his Division I shall do it under favorable auspices. I have got a very good set of horses, good guns and carriages, and better ammunition than we had before. Altogether I am quite well satisfied with things."
Captain, then Lieut., Scott remembers a speech made about this time by Lieut. Phillips to the men "which was the only model speech" he "had heard in the Battery up to that time .-- Lt. Phillips called the men into line and said :--
'Men, once more we have our guns and horses, and when they go to Richmond, we go with them.'"
"We had passed," Lt. Scott remarks, "through a varied
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experience, but now we felt certainly a new future was before us. All were jubilant."
Nineteen more horses were obtained on Thursday (the 2d) and in the afternoon he reported to General Whipple that he was ready for service.
In the meantime he had received the following order from Captain Martin.
GEN. FITZ JOHN PORTER DIRECTS.
On Sept. 27, 1862, the Fifth Corps went into camp in the vicinity of Sharpsburg, Md. directly north of Harper's Ferry and in the neighborhood of the battle grounds of Antietam Creek.
ORDER FROM CAPT. MARTIN.
CAMP NEAR SHARPSBURG, MID. September 27, 1862.
LIEUT. PHILLIPS
Commanding 5th Mass. Battery. Lieut.
General Porter directs me to say to you that he wishes you to rejoin the Division as soon as possible. He says if you have not obtained your full equipment, and there seems to be any unnecessary delay, to call on General Barry in Washington for assistance, or you can communicate with him by telegraph through General Mcclellan's Head Quarters.
Lt. Walcott will give you information about the road etc.
Very repectfully Your ob't servant A. P. MARTIN Capt. Commanding Division Artillery.
Forwarded with the following indorsement.
CAMP NEAR FORT CORCORAN. Oct. 6, 1862.
The within is respectfully referred to Brigd'r General Whipple Com'd'g Division.
I expect to be ready to move by the Sth of October. (Signed) CHARLES A. PHILLIPS IS! Lt.
When Lt. Phillips called upon General Whipple on Thursday, Oct. 2d, this order from Captain Martin was in
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
his possession, though of course without the indorsement at that time. "I had shown him" (Gen. Whipple). he says, "the order I had received from Captain Martin, but as Gen- eral Barry told me that I was to receive orders from General Whipple only, and that General Porter had no power to order me away, I told him I was a little uncertain what I was going to do. He promised to give me proper orders, and said that he should like to keep me in his Division. I told him that would please me and my officers as we had no particular desire to rejoin Morell's. The Division (Whipple's) is not everything that could be desired. It is composed of two brigades. General Piatt's and another, made up mostly of green troops. There are two batteries : Battery H. Ist Ohio Art'y. under a major or Lt. Colonel. and the rith N. Y. Battery, Captain something-or-other- hamer. The TIth N. Y. has been in one fight only, where they lost four guns, so that we have companions in misfor- tune. Still I think the Division will be a good one. . . . I have been to see the General several times, and I always meet with a cordial reception. His staff appears to be composed of very good officers. His ass't adj't general is Captain Henry Dalton, and one of his aides Lt. Eddy has been here frequently.
The trouble in Morell's Division was that we never had a fair start. Yesterday (Oct. 2d) we hitched up and had a drill, and found our horses work very well: there is not a balky one in the lot. One animal distinguished himself by jumping round when being harnessed, actually jumping square over one man, but after tying up his leg and giving him a short Rarey-izing, he came to."
Chase's Diary. "Oct. 2, 1862. On guard last night and today 2d relief. In camp near Georgetown. Company pre- paring to march all day.
Oct. 3d. Battery drilled by sections. Hitched up p. m. A perfect success. Sent my old memorandum book home
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yesterday. Sent secesh cartridge box home today by ex- press."
From the Ist to the 4th of October, President Lincoln was with the army in the different encampments and on the battlefields. He approved of what had been done, and prom- ised supplies should be sent immediately.
The army was in need of everything, and Mcclellan dared not cross the Potomac, where the enemy was in strong force, with the river, which might rise above a forda- ble stage at any time, between him and his army and base of supplies.
On the 5th in the forenoon there was an inspection of the Fifth Mass. Battery. It took place at 9 o'clock and General Whipple sent two of his staff down to witness it, "though I wished," says Phillips, "they had stayed away till we had got our horses broken in, and our harnesses fitted. We had not got out of park when one trace unhooked, then another, and then another, causing a lialt every dozen steps. Finally we got in line and prepared for inspection. I felt pretty grumpy as we rode round through the Battery. However, I got through with it, and then took the Battery out on a two hours' drill, and I think they will do better next time. This afternoon we took a ride out into the country. I have recitations in tactics every evening, and it is curious to see how some things strike the company officers. I never found the slightest difficulty in learning tactics from the book, and long before we ever hitched up, I could do any manœuvre in the book. Mere manual dexterity of course can be ac- quired only by practice."
October 6th, 1862, Captain Martin's order, indorsed by Lt. Phillips (see p. 452) was sent to Gencral Whipple. Con- cerning this he wrote on the 7th :--- "I have referred the or- der I received from Captain Martin to General Whipple, and he has ordered me to go ahead with my preparations and report when ready to him. Meanwhile he has made
FIFTH MASS. BATTERY. 455
application to have the Battery transferred to his Division."
McClellan had been ordered on the 6th by General Hal- leck to cross the Potomac at once, and "move now, while the roads are good." The cavalry had moved north and would intercept the rebel general Stuart's raid through Maryland and Pennsylvania. The army must move, although besides every other needful thing horses were scarce, and a new supply was indispensable.
Orders were received for the Fifth Mass. Battery to start Wednesday morning Oct. 8.
MARCHING ORDERS.
HEAD QUARTERS WHIPPLE'S DIVISION, 3D ARMY CORPS, FORT CORCORAN, VA. Oct. 8, 1862.
Special Orders
No. 167.
The Fifth Mass. Battery Lt. Phillips commanding, is hereby relieved f: om duty with this Division, and will report as soon as practicable to the commanding officer of Morell's Division, Porter's Corps.
By command of Brig. Gen'l Whipple. DANIEL HALL Act'g Ass't Adjt. General.
ON THE MARCH.
"On the 8th of October [ 1862, Scott's Notes] the Battery crossed the Potomac on the Aqueduct bridge, and followed the road taken by the army through Maryland to join the Fifth Corps at Sharpsburg. Phillips was in command.
The weather was dry and warm, and the dust that rose was stifling and blinding.
Passing through Urbana we found the rebel general Stuart in his raid in Maryland had crossed our line of march but an hour before. Had we been a little earlier we would likely have been captured, as we had no escort.
Arriving on the Monocacy River at night near Frederick
-
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City, completely, exhausted with the heat and dust of the day, the men at once went in bathing and got rid of some of the accumulated dust of our travel."
CORPORAL CHASE'S ACCOUNT.
"Oct. 9, 1862, (Diary of Corporal Chase) Reveille at 4 a. m. Hitched up and left camp about half-past 5 a. m. Passed through several villages and halted for the night about 2 miles from Frederick City, Md. Bivouacked near the bridge over Monocacy River on the Baltimore and Ohio R. R. roth : Reveille at 4 a. m. Broke camp and left about 6 a. m. Passed through Frederick, Md., and over the road around South Mountain, and halted about two miles from Boonsboro', Md. Marched again through Sharpsburg, about 3 p. m. and halted, and went into park just outside the town. Saw much evidence of the recent battle on the route, both at South Mountain and Sharpsburg : buildings shattered and trees scarred by shells and musketry gave proof of the bloody battle of Antietam. Visited some rebel prisoners in a hospital near Boonsboro', and found among them privates of the 5th and 6th Alabama regiments, who charged on our Battery at the Battle of Gaines Mills, June 27, 1862. They belonged to General Rhodes' Brigade, General Hill's Division, and were taken prisoners at the battle of Antietam.
The people along the route all scemed loyal and welcomed us heartily."
With respect to this assignment and the march back to the First Division Captain Phillips wrote :---
"General Whipple wished to keep us in his Division, but was hardly enterprising enough, so we got our orders to start Wednesday morning. At ten o'clock we started, crossed the Aqueduct, turned up the left by the reservoir and kept on through Tenallytown and Rockville. We
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
camped a mile beyond the latter place. The day was hot and dusty but the road good. Thursday morning we started a. 5 o'clock. The road was excellent, macadamized. but the country very hilly. Leaving Sugar Loaf Mountain on our left. we pushed on through Clarksburg and Urbana for the Monocacy. About 5 o'clock we reached the Monocacy, crossed the turnpike bridge and camped on the banks be- tween the two bridges. I availed myself of the opportunity to wash off the dust which had accumulated very thick, got a glass of ale, at the railroad saloon and went to sleep. The next morning we started at daybreak and passed through Frederick before the people were up. The day was cloudy. with a little sprinkle once in a while. Soon after leaving Frederick we crossed a range of hills, passing through the little village of Fairview. The valley in which Frederick is situated is a splendid farming country, and finely cultivated. The people appear to be very enterprising as they had already repaired their fences where they had been torn down. After crossing this range of hills we came to another valley of equal fertility and cultivation. In the centre was the town of Middletown: on the opposite side were South Mts. Passing across the valley and through Middletown, we began to ascend South Mountain Pass where one battle came off. Half way up the hill I halted in front of a little inn to rest the horses. On the descent we passed a long train of ambulances full of wounded Federal and Secesh: the Secesh being a better looking set than I have seen before. At the bottom of the hill we halted an hour to rest. In the house near by were several wounded Secesh, and our men strolling around, found one of them who had one of my men's blankets taken at Gaincs Mills. I did not see the men myself, but they said their regiment suffered greatly in getting our guns, and would not believe our loss was so small. [Sce p. 351 Barnard.] We next passed through Boonsboro', turned to the left, and passed
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the village of Keedysville, crossed the little Antietam, and came to the hills occupied by our troops in the battle of Antietam. Across the creek the hill rose steeply, and just over the crest lay the village of Sharpsburg. Almost every house had a cannon ball through it; chimneys knocked off and the mischief played generally. At present the town presents quite a busy appearance. Churches and houses are turned into hospitals. The U. S. Sanitary Commission occupy a couple of stores, and the streets are quite crowded. Just beyond the town I halted the Battery, and rode ahead to report to General Morell."
Linie
FREDERICKSBURG.
building of the Young Men's Christian Association used as a hospital 3. The Brick Kiln. 4. Place where Corporal Platts was buried 5. The 1. Position of 5th Mass. Battery during the battle. 2. The Poor House.
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during the battle. 6. The Right Grand Division. 7. Left Grand Div.
8 Centre Grand Div. 9. Position of 3rd. Mass. Battery. 10. Humphreys' Division II. Griffins Division. 12. Sykes' Division. 13. Upper Bridge. 14.
Middle Bridge. 15. Lower Bridge.
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CHAPTER XV.
THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.
DECEMBER 13, 1862.
"The armies stand by to behold the dread meet- ing:
The work must be done by a desperate few,
The black mouthed guns on the height give them greeting- From gun-mouth to plain every grass blade in view." At Fredericksburg .- JOHN BOYLE O'REILLY.
Having seen the rebel army safely across the Potomac, it appeared to be the duty of the officials who were to formu- late and regulate the campaign, to take into consideration the recuperation of the army, more especially as the Stuart dash into Maryland had resulted in a loss of horses, which it was absolutely necessary should be supplied at once, as well as the pressing demand for clothing, shoes and blankets, which it was impossible longer to ignore. Recruiting must also be strenuously urged in order to restore the diminished ranks. Regiments in some instances had no officer of higher rank than captain, and many companies were without any commissioned officers. All possible dispatch should be used in the forwarding of supplies.
While these most important objects were being accom- plished, the Army waited and watched the banks and fords of the river, and the camp for a brief period fell into the fa- miliar routine of constant drill and frequent inspections by day, and at night the suspended animation of a bivouac near battle grounds, which had been the scene of too much ruth- less sacrifice of human life ever to be obliterated from the
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memory, or to give unbroken rest to those who fell asleep in their neighborhood.
On the 27th of October, 1862, the Army of the Potomac commenced to cross into Virginia. General George Webb Morell was placed in command of all the Union forces re- maining on the upper Potomac, from Antietam Creek to Cumberland, Md., and his place at the head of the ist Divi- sion of the Fifth Corps was filled by General Charles Griffin.
General McClellan's plan was to follow the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains in a southern direction, occu- pying the various gaps, and, turning the tables on General Lee, to place the Army between him and Richmond. By the 2d of November, the Army had crossed eitlier at Harper's Ferry or at Berlin, and the various corps had followed the various routes marked out for them. On Nov. 9. 1862, the disposition of the Army of the Potomac was as follows :--
The First, Second, and Fifth Corps, the Reserve Artillery and Army Head Quarters were at Warrenton, the Ninth Corps was at Waterloo, the Sixth Corps and the Eleventh Corps at New Baltimore with part of the Eleventh Corps at Gainesville and Thoroughfare Gap, part of the Third Corps posted along the Orange and Alexandria railroad from Manassas to Warrenton Junction. Part of the cavalry were confronting Longstreet at Hazel River six miles from Cu !- peper Court House, and Rappahannock Station was guarded. The rebel general Jackson was near Chester and Thornton Gaps, but the mass of the rebel army was west of the Blue Ridge.
At Warrenton, having relieved Washington from danger, with a successful campaign in prospect, and an Army full of enthusiasm and sublime faith in their leader, orders came on Nov. 7th to relieve General Mcclellan from the command of the Army and General Fitz John Porter from the com- mand of the Fifth Corps. General Ambrose E. Burnside
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