USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.2 > Part 12
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I ordered the piece to halt, and went in action for the second time, where we stood until after sundown. It was here where little Purbeck was wounded.
The men manned the Gun in this manner :- Hayden No. I, Purbeck 2, 5, 7, Kay 3 & 4, Shackley 6, Graham, Gunner.
.WHO WILL CARE FOR MOTHER NOW?'
WVe had not been in action long, when a shell from one of the reb. batterics exploding on our right, struck one of General Hancock's aides-de-camp, and his horse; the horse falling on the officer. The officer was calling for help, and the horse was whinnying, as much as to say, 'Help me, too,' when little Purbeck, a good, smart boy, only 17, saw the man and horse down, and started to go over towards them, when he, too, got hit in the side with a piece of shell.
FIFTH MASS. BATTERY. 611
He was taken to the rear. and to the hospital, where he died that night, and as he was dying he uttered these words,- 'Who will care for Mother now?' They suggested the song which became immensely popular.
As I understand it, he was a widow's son and his mother's only support. The words were written by a ser- geant of the 22d Regiment, and the music by some man in Boston. There was not a braver boy in the army thian Purbeck.
BRINGING OFF THE LIMBER.
After we had supper on the night of the 2d about 9.30 p. m., Captain Phillips came to me, saying,- Graham, you take four men and the prolonge, and go and see if you can get that limber.'
I picked out the ones to help me, Kay, Hayden, and one other whose name I have now forgotten. We got along all right until we came to the picket line, for the limber was 200 yards outside of the line and within 100 yards of the rebs line. The picket halted us, and we made our business known, and he sent for the Officer of the Day. When he came we told him what we wanted, and after a long talk - he allowed us to proceed, and when within about 100 yards of the limber. I had the men to lie down, and then I crept on my hands and knees to where the limber was, the dead horses still hitched to it, and in trying to unhitch them the chains on the traces and on the pole yoke would rattle, and ir every rattle of the chains I would get a volley from the rebs.
I was some time in trying to get the horses loose, for one of them had fallen across the pole, and the limber and horses were struck several times while I was trying to get them loose. I had to lie down in between them, and when I had everything - ready I gave a signal, and the others came up to help me, and it did not take us long then to take
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the limber down to the Trostle house, where we found in waiting for us, William Pattison, with two horses, and after shaking hands with the pickets and bidding them good night, we returned to camp."
ABOUT THE FIRST DETACHMENT.
Louis E. Pattison became company clerk on the reorgan- ization of the Battery in 1862, and held that office and also worked on a gun until his discharge at the expiration of his term of service Oct. 8, 1864, as they were always short of men until the last campaign. He was succeeded as clerk by John S. Doane. He was in the ath detachment in charge of Sergt. Baxter who succeeded Page.
In a letter dated Nov. 1, 1900, he says of the detachment in charge of his brother William B. Pattison, that being on the right it always seemed to have to bear the brunt of nearly all the actions.
GRAHAM ON THE GUN.
"Our gun number was 8.853 pounds, and we had that gun from the time it came to us until I was wounded on the 12th of May, 1864. I asked some men of the roth N. Y. Battery, as they passed us as we were drawing the Gun from the field in the fight of July 2d, and as Shackley was coming in with the limber, for a sponge staff. I had brought in the sponge staff and worm as we started to draw the Gun off the field, so if we had to leave the piece, they could not turn it on us. But on getting back the limber I found that there was only one round of ammunition left in it, and that was a case of canister."
THE WHEEL OF THE IST PIECE.
Shackley notes in his Diary of July 30, 1863. record. that "We turned in the wheel of the ist piece, which was disabled
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
at Gettysburg on July 2d, 1863, by having seven spokes knocked out or broken. It was an object of much interest to thousands of men on the march south."
His attention having been recently called to this note of Shackley's Graham said :-
"I remember the wheel well. It had seven fellies (por- tions of the circumference of the wheel) and fourteen spokes, and every felly and spoke was hit but one spoke. One of the spokes had a piece of shell fast in its centre, and the left side of the piece looked as if you had dipped your fingers in black lead, and then marked the side of the piece with thein. There were hundreds of spots on the Gun to show where it had been hit. It makes me shiver even now to think that I was sighting the Gun while all that was going on, but I did not shiver then. The boys will all re- member how I kept singing. I could hear them say, 'Hear Ben! - 'Hear Ben!' -- I was not singing because I was brave. It was my duty to stay there, and I was like the little boy in the dark cellar, he had to whine to give him courage. It is too bad we lost sight of that wheel, for it ought to be in the State House with the flags."
LIST PRESERVED BY CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. .
In the back of his Diary for 1864, Captain Phillips pre- served the following list :-
"Men who brought off the right piece at Gettysburg :---
Corp. Graham. .. Shackley. Private Barry.
Kay.
W. H. Wells 10th N. Y.
.. Hayden."
NOTES OF FRANCIS P. WASHBURN. A DRIVER ON SIMONDS' GUN.
"We were in position near the Peach Orchard, and Bickett's men came on, only to be mown down by our fire
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which was something terrific. The enemy advanced in echelon (a formation of troops, where battalions or brigades follow each other on separate lines like the steps of a ladder ) presenting a soldierly front in each line. We had been given orders to reserve our fire, and were as rest- less as colts. Finally, word was given, and we began by pouring shrapnell into the ranks of our foe. As Pickett's troops neared our position, we loaded with single canister, and after changing front to bring our guns to bear more directly on the centre of the enemy, we loaded with double canister, which we sent down into their ranks, making great gaps, only to be filled in again by those fearless fellows. Just as Pickett's men were within 25 yards of us, Captain Phillips sang out 'Triple shot with canister boys!'
We could see their begrimmed faces looking at us with intense hatred before that shot was fired which mowed down those poor fellows. The reality of war was never more vividly impressed on my mind than during that awful carnage, with the fearful result of that one shot of triple canister, and I believe it is the only time that we fired such a shot. Captain Phillips raised his sabre, and with the cry "We've got 'em now,' gave the order for single shot. It was a fearful slaughter of the enemy. The slaughter of our horses was so great that we were nearly crippled. 59 being killed. In that battle we fired 700 rounds."
FROM THE DIARY OF CORP. CHASE.
"July 2, 1863. Reports that the Hth Corps broke again yesterday, and that our troops were beaten. Battery halted about 10 a. m. in a field in rear of the line of battle, and about 13 miles from Gettysburg. Battery remained in the field until about 4 p. m. when we advanced, and took posi- tion in the line of battle on the right of the 9th Mass. Bat- tery, and commenced shelling the enemy with slow firing. The enemy advanced batteries in front of us, and opened
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
a very destructive fire upon us; they also advanced their line of infantry, who kept up a murderous fire on us. Fired all cur canister at the enemy and fixed the prolonges, and some of the pieces fired retiring. Limbered up and fell back as many as three times, and retired about 100 yards each time. Many of our men fell: some never to rise. Licut. Scott seriously wounded in the jaws and face; a frightful looking wound, perhaps dangerous. Lieut. Scott left the field,- when the pieces did .- and went to the hospital. Edward Fotheringham, John W. Verity,-formerly of the 10th N. Y. Battery,-killed. Henry Grafferman of the roth, slightly wounded. Of our men, John Hathaway, William L. Purbeck, Martin J. Coleman, H. W. Soule, W. E. Estee, John Sanford. Henry Fitzsimmons, John Agen, George Trumbull, and Bernard Doherty, all wounded. Was shot through the flesh of my left arm just above the elbow, while retiring with the Battery. The ball just touched the bone and benumbed my two little fingers; bone uninjured. Acted as No. 3 and 4 man from the time the Battery went into the engagement until we came out. My wound bled profusely, but did not become very painful until I left the field. Left the field about dusk, having been engaged about three hours in the hottest position we ever occupied. Brought off all our pieces and caissons, but lost horses. The pieces and caissons went into park in different parts of the field, having separated when they came out of the fight. Worked on Serg't Peacock's piece, 2d detachment, and on Serg't Morgridge's, 5th detachment. My person and clothes very tired, bloody, and dirty, and my wound very painful in the evening. Lost my bundle from the caisson, with every- thing except what was about my person. Found the cais- sons and had my arm bandaged. Weather through the day cloudy, muggy, and the heat oppressive. The hardest day's work I ever did up to date. Win. E. Estee probably mortally wounded. Darkness quelled the dreadful storm.
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HISTORY OF THE
and in the evening and through the night all was still, as though death was satisfied with the slaughter of the com- batants. Remained around a bivouac fire all night, chat- ting with two intelligent rebel prisoners from the 8th Georgia Regiment, Longstreet's Corps. Exchanged but- tons with one of them."
This was the situation at nightfall of July 2, 1863, when, as in Campbell's "Soldier's Dream,"
"the sentinel stars set their watch in the sky ; And thousands had sunk on the ground overpowered, The weary to sleep, and the wounded to die."
THE ACTION OF THE BATTERY. OBSERVATIONS.
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE NINTH MASS. BATTERY.
"Our place in the park was on the left and rear, and in the south- west corner of the field, nearest the part of the line of battle occupied by Gen. Sickles' 3d Corps. A little after 4 p. m. (July 2d) an aide-de- camp rode up to the wall near the left piece of our battery, inquired for Colonel McGilvery, commanding the brigade, and said, 'Capt. Randolph, chief of artillery of the 3d Corps, sends his compliments, and wishes you to send him two batteries of light twelves.'
Colonel McGilvery turned around and said 'Capt. Hart and Capt. Bigelow, take your batteries and report to Capt. Randolph!' (Colonel McGilvery in his official report says the "5th Mass. Battery Captain Phillip -. " instead of "Capt. Hart." See p. 667.)
The distance across the field was 300 yards, up a slope to a road : fences all down.
Our position was between the Peach Orchard and Wheat Field. on the left of the 5th Mass. Battery, and nothing in sight on our left. The position was swept by Confederate artillery, and some were wounded while going in battery."
General Henry J. Hunt, Chief of Artillery of the Army of the Fotomac, is quoted as saying in a paper published in the Century of December, 1886 :-
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
"Although already much cut up he ( Bigelow) was directed by Mc- Gilvery to hold that point at all hazards until a line of artillery could be formed in front of the wood beyond Plum Run; that is, on what we have called the Plum Run line. This line was formed by collecting the serviceable batteries and fragments of batteries that were brought off, with which and Dow's Maine Battery, fresh from the Reserve, the pursuit was checked. .. . When. after fully accomplishing its purpose, all that was left of Bigelow's Battery was withdrawn, it was closely pressed by Humphrey's 21st Mississippi, the only Confederate regiment which succeeded in crossing the Run. As the battery had sacrificed it- self for the safety of the line, its work is specially noticed, as typical of the service that artillery is not infrequently called upon to render, and did render in other instances at Gettysburg besides this one."
The Adjutant General's Report of the state of Massachu- setts has the following in the narrative of the Ninth Mass. Battery :--
"Canister could be brought to bear only on the centre of the rebel fine, while its wings, comparatively unhurt, closed in on either flank.
After suffering the losses enumerated . . . the enemy firing from our limber chests, and the exit through the stone wall blocked up with dead animals. the command was ordered to fall back and necessarily left four of its pieces on the field. ( Horses being killed.) Covered, however. by the efficient fire of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery, Cap- tain Phillips, the guns were all afterwards secured."
FROM CAPT. BIGELOW'S LETTER.
Captain Bigelow wrote a letter June 2, 1879, to the Philadelphia Times in which occurs the following reference to the Fifth Battery :-
"Owing to large stone bowlders interfering with my left section, I ordered Lieut. (Richard S.) Milton to take it out and to the rear. In accomplishing this most of the horses were shot, and one of the pieces was drawn off by hand, but the right and centre sections remained until overwhelmed by the enemy, who came in on their unprotected flanks. While we were thus engaged, McGilvery succeeded in placing the Sixth Maine, Dow, and 5th Massachusetts, Phillips, Batteries in posi- tion on the high ground in my rear, Cemetery Ridge proper. When I was raised from the ground, the enemy who had come in on the flanks vi the Battery, were standing on the chests shooting down my can- nonvers who were still securing their guns: but McGilvery was ready. I ordered my men to stop firing and get back to our lines as best they could. Dow and Phillips immediately opened fire on their positions,
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and the enemy's advance in this direction was stopped, although there were no infantry on our line for some time afterward."
THE FIGHT OF JULY 3D.
"With bristling bayonets glistening in the sun, The stubborn ranks, inspired by victories won, Pressed grimly on. unmindful of the storm Of shot and shell that felled full many a form. Until an earthquake shook the startled earth, As though the fiends of hell were given birth. The Federal guns now belched volcanic wrath, Which carried untold misery in its path.
'Strike! Strike! for freedom and your native land!' And bayonets clashed in contests hand to hand. Oh, fierce the struggle, but they break! they fly! And God to freedom gives the victory." -BREVET COLONEL HORATIO C. KING.
Thirty-second Annual Reunion Society of the Army of the Potomac.
Edwin Forbes who made the famous sketches on the battle fields, in his description of the field of Gettysburg on the morning of July 3, 1863, says :-
"A great convulsion of nature could not have made more universal destruction ; everything bore the mark of death and ruin. The whole slope was massed with dead horses."
THE DISPOSITION OF THE FORCES.
Slocum with the Twelfth Corps and Wadsworth's Divi- sion of the First, held Culp's Hill, reclaimed from the rebel general Ewell in the early morning. Howard's Eleventh Corps and Robinson's Division of the First. were on Ceme- tery Hill, then extending to the left came Alexander Hays Brigade of the Second Corps in two lines; the front being posted behind a low stone wall until the line turned west- ward where it was lower, with a rail fence on the top of the wall. Farther along, in front of John Gibbon's Division of the same Corps the only protection was an ordinary rail
GETTYSBURG. The Fight of July 3rd.
Gettysburg
Seminary
15 Corps
Willoughby
Corps /1.
Cemetery
Hill .-
Baltimore Turnpike. W
Corps
a
10
Ravine. CRC)
(11
Creek
Road
--
Rock
Road
Erniftsburg
Win 5th Corps.
-12
S. A
Run
Round
Top
Plum
CG Brightman,
From, Sketches by
CA. Philips"
de Union.
CED Rebel.
1. Ames' 2. 6th Maine. 3. 2nd M.J Battery B. 4. Rank's Section 5. 1st Corn. 6. Hart's 15 " N.Y. 7. Phillips, 5th Moss. 8. Thompson's C. Penn. Arty. 9. Parapeter breastwork of rails and dirt, 2ft high, Sheltering a Division of infantry as well as the Batteries. 10. Rebel guns. II. Mc Allisters Mill. 12 Peach Orchard. 13. Guns advanced by the Rebels. 14. Florida Brigade captured by a Union Brigade.
24
1
CONT
Arreglos Corpos
Culps
Longstreet's
god Corps.
Deyfis Der.
Taneytown > 10
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
ience put together by the troops for the occasion. Next came General Abner Doubleday's Division of the First Corps; then General J. C. Caldwell's Division of the Second Corps; then the Third Corps with D. B. Birney's Division in the front line; then the Fifth Corps, closing up the line to Round Top, and the Sixth Corps principally in reserve.
At eleven o'clock on July 3d the battle ceased on the right. The Federal line was that to which it had been foreed back on the previous day, and almost as it was at noon of July 2d. before the Third Corps moved out to the Emmittsburg road and the Wheat Field, except that the Fifth Corps extended the line on the left. occupying Little and Big Round Tops.
The assault of the enemy was made upon the ground occupied on July 2d, by the 2d and 3d Divisions of the Second Corps.
The Artillery Reserve, commanded by General Henry J. Hunt. were posted from General H. W. Slocum's Head Quarters near the Baltimore turnpike, to the extreme left of Great Round Top.
At one o'clock p. m .. the enemy, whose artillery had been placed on the most commanding positions, from Benner's Hill on the right to Seminary Ridge opposite Round Top, opened fire on our batteries out of a line of artillery three miles in length, concentrated on a clump of trees held by Webb's Brigade of the Second Corps. There were 150 guns on the rebel side. 80 effective guns on ours. The battle on the Union side according to General Henry J. Hunt, was a purely defensive one. The Confederates fired two hours without interruption from our guns, and ceased. Our troops were protected by whatever shelter they could pile together. Then followed absolute silence. The Confeder - ates have observed the fire of the guns, attached to the Corps as described from right to left, dying down-the Sec- ond Corps batteries had nothing left but canister,-and be- heve all our guns are being silenced. They advance the
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HISTORY OF THE
attacking column, a long line of skinnishers to the number of 18,000 across the field and up the slope of Cemetery Ridge, and the rebel flags of Virginia and the alleged Con- federacy wave for a moment over the low stone wall in front of Webb's Brigade in the very centre of the Union position.
In another portion of the field a desperate battle was being fought by cavalry; Custer's Michigan Brigade against the rebel general Stuart for the possession of the road to Baltimore.
The ill effects of the bombardment of the Union Centre were more easily avoided by those who occupied Cemetery Ridge than those lingering on the plain behind it. Head Quarters and ordnance stores were reached by the flying shells, and had to be removed farther to the rear, while General Meade and staff rode forward nearer to the line of battle on the Ridge, a much safer post of observation than the open plain.
GENERAL O. O. HOWARD'S STORY.
General Howard thus wrote in an article published in the Atlantic Monthly for July, 1876 :---
"Longstreet is said to have brought together in his front. opposite the low ground north of Little Round Top. fifty-five long range guns, and Hill massed some sixty more a little farther towards and opposite to our centre. . . . As there seemed to be actually no place of safety, my staff officers sat by me nearly in front of four twelve-pound Parrott guns that played over our heads, almost every available space being covered with artillery.
At half past two p. m. we ceased to fire. . .. The firing of the enemy lulled, and I could see, better than the day before, their infantry in line; at least a quarter of a mile of it was exposed to my view, as it started from Oak Ridge opposite our left. It was like an extensive parade ; the flags were flying, and the line steadily advancing. . .. As soon as they were near enough. Osborne, Wainwright, McGilvery, and other artillery chiefs, started the fire of their batteries; first with solid shot, making hardly any impression, soon with shells exploding near and over and beyond the advancing line. . . . When nearer the canister
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
was freely used, and the gaps in the enemy's line grew bigger and harder to close. Soon this array came within short musketry range of our full long line in their front, all concealed by temporary cover. breistworks, stone walls, and trenches. As if by some simultaneous impulse, the whole line fired and continued to fire, rapidly, for perhaps five or ten minutes. As the smoke rose I saw no longer any enemy's line. There was running in every direction. Regiments of ours from Steinwehr's position to Round Top, were moving into the valley. with their flags flying. and apparently without much order, taking flags, guns, and provisions, and bringing them in."
FROM HYDE'S "FOLLOWING THE GREEK CROSS."
General T. W. Hyde thus describes the assault :---
"On they came, it looked to me like three lines, about a mile long each, in perfect order. They cross the Emmittsburg pike and our guns, eighty in all, cool and in good shape, open first with shot, and then with shell. . . . But a tremendous roar of musketry crashes out, and I know the big guns are firing grape and canister now. And soon they appear again, and this time the colors are together, like a little forest, but the men are dropping like leaves in autumn. . . . From a hill I was fortunate enough to see the defeat of Stuart's cavalry by Gregg. All it looked like was a dust cloud with flakes of light in it. as the sun "hone upon the swinging sabres."
It is said that a motion in the British House of Commons to recognize the Confederate States, would have passed but for the news of the victory at Gettysburg.
THE POSITION OF THE BATTERY.
At daylight July 3, 1863, we took position to the right and rear of our position on the day before. At 10 a. m. Ceneral Hunt, chief of artillery, made an inspection of the entire line. "Phillips' Fifth Massachusetts 6 3-inch," is mentioned as one of the batteries on the left of the Second Corps, betwen Thompson's Pennsylvania and Hart's New York.
At 3 o'clock when Longstreet's Corps charged we eu- filaded them terribly. Powell the historian says :---
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"the rifled guns of the Union Artillery, having no canister, were with- drawn from the line, and the double-shotted 12 pounders were left to do the work."
Captain Phillips in his letter written at Littlestown. Penn., July 6, 1863. in relation to the fight of July 3d pro- ceeds as follows :
"The next morning I went into position at daylight, and everything remained quiet till one o'clock. Finding that the rebels were massing artillery in our front, the Major ordered us to throw up a parapet, which we afterwards found conduced very much to our comfort. About one they commenced the most tremendous cannonading I ever heard. They must have had 80 or 90 guns in position. As artillery ammunition was rather short, we had been ordered not to reply to their batteries, and so we could lie still and enjoy it. My men were entirely sheltered by our parapet, and about the only damage done was to kill 8 or Io horses.
Viewed as a display of fireworks, the rebel practice was entirely successful, but as a military demonstration it was the biggest humbug of the season.
About half past one General Hancock ordered us to reply. thereby showing how little an infantry officer knows about artillery. The rebels were not doing us any harin, and if they wanted to throw away their ammunition I do not see why we should prevent them. However, we obeyed orders. Fortunately, Major McGilvery came up and stopped us before we had fired a great while.
After firing an hour and wasting all their ammunition, and probably fancying that they had achieved a great result and silenced our guns. Longstreet's Corps made the grand charge of the day. This charge was made on our right. so that the rebels, in crossing the fields, exposed their right flank to an enfilading fire from our position.
As soon as the rebel line appeared, our cannoneers sprang to their guns, and our silenced batteries poured in a rain of
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FIFTH MASS. BATTERY.
shot and shell, which must have sickened the rebels of their work. I never saw artillery so ably handled, or productive of such decisive results. It was far superior even to Mal- . vern Hill. For half an hour our line was one continuous roar of artillery, and the shot ploughed through the rebel ranks most terrifically. Then our infantry went in and repulsed the rebels, taking a great inany prisoners.
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