USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.2 > Part 25
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At night we advanced our line of intrenchments to within one thousand yards of the enemy, and before the morning of the ISth we had constructed a magnificent line of earth- works to hold the Fifth Corps at this point.
Letter of Lieut. Appleton May 17. 1864: "Our Army occupies a line just south of the river Po, and between it and Spottsylvania Court House. The Rebs are still oppos- ing us with a large force. We are north of the river, and in a sort of temporary camp. In all our other campaigns after three days' fighting our Army has retired, but this time Grant means to fight it out. A Virginia battle is so totally different from any ideas which any one may have,
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that it is difficult to describe. How can a soldier with un- washed face, filthy clothes, a muddy sabre, a played out horse, look like the picture of Napoleon at Lodi?
We get our supplies now from Washington via Acquia Creek. Reinforcements also keep coming out, so that the Army will hold about up to its original size. We need all the men. We have not seen our baggage since we left Cul- peper, and are beginning to think that some clean clothes would be acceptable. However we can lie abed and have ours washed."
"May IS. 1864. (Appleton's Diary. ) We started at 2} and went into position. I somewhat in the rear in charge of the caissons, as we have turned in a section. Corporal (Charles M.) Tripp hit in the arm. Four more batteries added to the Brigade. Went back to camp by the old house. Milton called." (This was Lieut. Richard S. Mil- ton who commanded the Ninth Mass. Battery in the absence of Captain Bigelow wounded at Gettysburg.)
Hitched up at one o'clock of the 18th and recrossed the Po. and reported at Head Quarters Artillery Brigade. Took position on the left of the 5th Corps with the Ist Pennsylvania Light Battery B, and the Ist N. Y., Batteries E and L, in sight of Spottsylvania Court House. and fired 33 case shot and 175 percussion, which the Rebs re- turned with interest. Recrossed the river at dark, and parked for the night.
According to Q. M. Serg't. Peacock's account book, "I handspike was broken in action."
There was heavy artillery fighting all day. "The Rebs had a cross fire upon us (Dyer's Notes) but we dislodged them and dismounted five of their guns. As soon as we got into camp we got supper and went to bed. Corporal Tripp slightly wounded by a spent ball."
CHAPTER XXIL.
THE BATTLE OF THE NORTH ANNA RIVER AND VIRGINIA CENTRAL RAILROAD,
MAY 23-26, 1864.
"I saw that same shell coming, and I called out to Maurice Blake, 'by your leave, Maurice, let that fellow pass, he's in a hurry'; and, faith, I said to myself, 'there's more where you came from: You're not an only child, and I never liked the family.'"
"Night after Talavera" in Charles O'Malley,-LEVER.
In pursuance of his resolution to move by the left flank, General Grant gave orders on the 20th of May, 1864, to renew this movement against the army of the Confederates which was being rapidly reinforced from the South and concentrated in front of the Army of the Potomac. The Fifth Corps Artillery, followed by the infantry, moved south on the 21st of May, and crossed the Mattapony river, and on the 22d all forces which could be spared by General B. F. Butler at Bermuda Hundred, were ordered north to be sent to Grant. under the command of Major General William F. Smith.
Perceiving the intention of General Grant to continue his movement to the left. Ewell's Confederate Corps on the left of the enemy's line, and later Hill's and Anderson's Confederate Corps moved by the Telegraph road towards Hanover Junction, and on the night of the 22d the entire Confederate Army were resting on the south bank of the North Anna river in the vicinity of Hanover Junction. At II a. m. of the 23d. the Fifth Corps, with the artillery, were
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at the railroad bridge near the North Anna river, but moved to Mount Carmel Church to make room for the Second Corps, who had been ordered to that place, and reached the river again at Jericho Mills where there was a ford. On the left of the road leading to this ford the artillery was posted.
Three Divisions of the Fifth Corps then crossed the ford, Griffin's leading, and the 22d Mass. infantry, Colonel Wm. S. Tilton, ahead. They drove the rebels to Noel's station, and the remainder of the Corps with the six 12 pdr. bat- teries crossed. While approaching the enemy's line of bat- tle which was discovered behind a ridge, Griffin's First Division was furiously attacked on the right. This attack was repulsed by the aid of the artillery, and reinforcements of infantry coming up, the lines were intrenched on the south bank of the North Anna river.
The Second Corps also drove the rebels across the river from their rifle pits near the Telegraph road, but the rebels held the wooden bridge across the Richmond and Fred- ericksburg railroad during the night.
The Ninth Corps were in a position to support the Sec- ond and Fifth Corps in the morning, but moved to Ox Ford before night. The Sixth Corps on the 23d were on the south bank of the river, having crossed at Jericho Ford. Now our forces were part on the north and part on the south of the North Anna river, and the enemy's lines had receded: their abandoned works being occupied by our forces, but Lee, while retiring his Left flank, had strength- ened his Right. in the attempt once more to get between the Army of the Potomac and its base of supplies. His Left rested on Little River near New Market and the Virginia Central Railroad, his Right extending along the North Anna river for three-quarters of a mile to Ox Ford, cover- ing an extensive swamp, and occupying an exceptionally strong position, which General Grant resolved to render
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untenable. He determined to turn the enemy's Right flank by crossing near Hanover Town and after securing his own source of supplies, to destroy the railroads at various points andl cut off those of the enemy.
Ile issued the following order to General Meade :---
GRANT TO MEADE.
QUARLES MILLS, VA. May 25, 1864. MAJOR-GENERAL MEADE, Commanding A. P .:
Direct Generals Warren and Wright to withdraw all their teams and artillery, not in position. to the north side of the river tomorrow. Send that belonging to General Wright's Corps as far on the road to Ilanover Town as it can go, without attracting attention to the fact. Send with it Wright's best Division or Division under his ablest com- mander. Have their places filled up in the line so if possible the enemy will not notice their withdrawal. Send the cavalry tomorrow after- noon, or as much of it as you may deem necessary to watch and seize, if they can, Littlepage's bridge and Taylor's ford. and to remain on one or other side of the river, at these points until the infantry and artillery all pass. As soon as it is dark tomorrow night, start the Division which you withdraw first from Wright's Corps to make a forced march to Hanover Town, taking with them no teams to impede the tharch. At the same time this Division starts, commence withdrawing all of the Fifth and Sixth Corps from the south side of the river. and march them for the same place. The two Divisions of the Ninth Corp, not now with Hancock may be moved down the north bank of the river, where they will be handy to support Hancock if necessary. or will be that much on their road to follow the Fifth and Sixth Corps. Hancock should hold his command in readiness to follow as soon as the way is clear for hint. Tomorrow it will leave nothing for him to do. but as soon as he can he should get all his teams and spare artillery on the road or roads which he will have to take. As soon as the troops reach Hanover Town, they should get possession of all the crossings they can in that neighborhood. I think it would be well to make a heavy cavalry demonstration on the enemy's left tomorrow afternoon also.
U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.
In the itinerary of Brig. Gen. Romeyn B. Ayres, First
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Brigade, First Division, Fifth Army Corps, under date of May 25, 1864, may be found the following :--
"Moved e miles to the right, and went into position in front of the enemy at Little River, near the Virginia Central Railroad. (Our forces were engaged in destroying the railroad, and scouts were sent out towards Hanover Junction. ) May 26: At 8 p. m. moved out and recrossed the North Anna river. and marched all night."
Again we swing around to Hanover Court House, and on the 3Ist of May the position of the Army of the Potomac was as follows :-- The left of the Fifth Corps was on the Shady Grove road, extending to the Mechanicsville pike, and about 3 miles south of the Totopotomoy Creek. On its right were, first, the Ninth Corps, next, the Second and Sixth lengthening out for six miles southeast of Hanover Court House. The cavalry were in the act of destroying the Virginia Central Railroad and fighting at Cold Harbor. General William F. Smith from the Army of the James was moving up the York River from White House Landing where one Division was left on guard. The Confederates were represented at Cold Harbor by Hoke, and Kershaw. and by Early and Anderson between Bethesda Church and Cold Harbor, where the roads from Richmond, from White House Landing now our base of supplies, and from other directions converged.
AS RELATED BY MEMBERS OF THE BATTERY.
In Lieut. Nathan Appleton's Diary of May 19. 1864. he has jotted down the following :- "Off again by daylight. Remain in park all day. Sharp skirmish in the afternoon. They try to flank us. Sleep out minus a cover.
May 20, 1864. I bring my command back to the others. A luxurious dinner of shad."
In a letter home written on the 20th. he says of the 19th :-- "I received yesterday a big mail. the first one since we have left Culpeper, with a good assortment of letters.
:
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papers, and magazines. all of which were very acceptable. The last few days out here have been comparatively quiet, though seldom one passes in which we do not have a big skirmish somewhere along the line. Yesterday afternoon the Rebs tried to turn our right flank,-but they did not succeed, -- and for some time it was quite exeiting. The country is more open here than in the 'Wilderness,' so that artillery eomes considerably into play, but the shells, al- though they frighten you terribly don't do much damage. Grant has reinforcements constantly coming out, so that our Army here is, I think, now about as large as when it left winter quarters. notwithstanding its tremendous loss. There is a beautiful house about a mile from where we now are, a truly splendid specimen of a Virginia mansion; such an one as is not often seen in this part of the country .- immense stables and barns, sheds, and darkies' shanties. all once the property of a Mr. Anderson. evidently a very rieu land owner. I have had the good fortune to meet lately a jolly young fellow whom I already consider about my best friend in the Army, Fordham Morris by name, an aide of Colonel Wainwright in eommand of the Artillery Brigade. The scenery around here is the prettiest I have seen in Vir- ginia, except, perhaps, some of the views around the Blue Ridge."
At daylight of the 19th all the batteries were set in mno- tion. Started out of park at 4.30 a. m., crossed the Nye and were put in position in a field on the southern side near the enemy, and remained hitehed up all day. At 4 p. m. they made a demonstration on our Right flank in the at- tempt to turn it. and get possession of our wagon trains, but they were repulsed and driven back with considerable loss. Remained in position all night, and all the next day, but no firing except picket firing occurred on the 20th. In the morning our forees captured their piekets, numbering 1500
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men. The men in charge of Serg't. Gibbs, who went to turn in the guns, got back that day from Bolle Plain.
LETTER FROM QUARTER MASTER SERG'T. PEACOCK, WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF A "RATION RETURN." "FREDERICKSBURG, VA. May 21, 1864.
Here I am all right after three weeks' marching, but no fighting. Most of the time I am with the army train. The Battery has fired 1800 rounds of ammunition or 8 tuns; its loss in men is two killed and seven wounded. I tell you this is a big battle, and the end of it is far off. I never saw so many wounded men from any battle before. It is said from good authority that our loss in wounded amounts to 40,000 men. I have seen over ten thousand rebel prison- ers, and 17 captured guns. The Rebs have some six thou- sand of our men prisoners, and a few guns.
I came from the front yesterday; but little fighting was going on. I could plainly see the rebels at work building rifle pits. Our army will have hot work to get them out of their present position. Every house in this city has wounded in it .- wounded men everywhere. General Grant orders room in Washington for fifty thousand wounded! It is awful, oceful!
I am going to the front in about two hours. The Jacob Bell' lays at the wharf of this city; also the 'Yankee,' and one other gunboat.
I send leaves from Chancellorsville battlefield; one rose from a garden on Main street of this city, and leaves from the tomb of 'Mary' the mother of George Washington. Her monument has been disfigured shamefully by soldiers breaking off pieces. I send a bit that was picked up where some one had broken off a large piece.
P. S. The tomb of Mrs. Washington is on one of the
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heights of Fredericksburg. A rifle pit was taken by our men at the battle of Fredericksburg, the monument being only fifty feet from it, and between the two lines of men fighting. It is marked all over by bullets and shells. I have found the grave of Eddie Platts, our little gunner who was killed at the battle of Fredericksburg. His mother was very anxious to find his body. She lives in Boston."
Note by Serg't. Peacock. Chicago, Ill. September 7. 1900 :- "This letter was written while on my way to Belle Plain for supplies. The 1800 rounds fired were from the time we crossed the Rapidan under Grant, May 3d, I think. So we did some shooting in 18 days, if we could not get into the Wilderness."
May 21. 1864. Moved with the Fifth Corps by the left flank. Orders to be ready at 10 o'clock, marched at 11.30. Lieutenant Nathan Appleton was ordered to report to Colonel Wainwright as an A. D. C.
Marched all day. crossing the Richmond and Fredericks- burg railroad at Guiney's station, and the bridge over the Mattapony River, and went into camp for the night at the forks of the road about a mile beyond the bridge. The cavalry were in advance, and drove the Rebs from the bridge the Battery crossed. Its rear guard was engaged with the rebels. Some of the men went after forage for the horses, before turning in.
On the 22d, aroused at 3 o'clock, and leaving camp at 10 a. m. marched about 7 miles. Skirmishing with the rebel cavalry reported on ahead. The rebels seemed to be moving south, being driven before us, their rear but three miles distant. Took possession of the Telegraph road and crossed the Po River. On the march passed sev- eral bodies of dead rebels. Parked near St. Margaret's Church. Head Quarters of the Brigade in a fine white house at Carmel Church.
Dyer's Notes: "May 23, 1864. The oft repeated. wel-
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come sound of 'turn out,' at 5 a. m. Started, passed Balls Church, and arrived at the North Anna river at noon. Went in park and remained all day, to cover the crossing of the ford. The brass Batteries crossed the river at 3 p. m. At 4 the fight (in the open field ) began, and continued very heavy till after dark, but we succeeded in driving the Rebs. At II o'clock we turned in."
The advanced guard of Hill's Corps were opposed to us. The artillery swept the line firing over the heads of the in- fantry. Lieut. Appleton calls this his most exciting fight. He slept on the field.
In the morning march of the 23d the Corps got on the wrong road. Its crossing of the North Anna was at Jeri- cho Mills. Some of the 12 pdr. batteries crossed with the infantry, but the Battery remained on the north side of the river where the Rifled Batteries were parked. The distance from Jericho Ford to Noel's Station on the Virginia Central Railroad was not far from 2 miles.
The centre of the part of the line occupied by the Fifth Corps was about half a mile equidistant from the ford andi the railroad. In the morning of the 24th, crossed the river on a canvas pontoon bridge at Jericho Mills, a bad ford to cross, with steep, rocky banks, and parked at close intervals about a mile from the river.
Remained till dark, then moved to a position near Grif- fin's Ist Division. Dyer had some conversation with rebel prisoners, who he says, " "talked pretty spunky, at first. but finally owned up to being tired of the war.
Very hard thunder and sharp lightning towards night. Heavy fighting heard on the Left. We put our guns in po- sition and turned in."
From Lieut. Appleton's Diary: "May 24, 1864. Ride along the lines. Lots of stragglers brought in. All the Army together." His letter of this date is written at "Head Quarters Artillery Brigade 5th Corps 9 a. m. south
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of the North Anna River, and about 6 miles from Hanover Junction :
We have been pushing on towards Richmond with skir- mishes almost every day. The weather is hot, and the con- stant marching and firing is very tiresome. 1 am now with Colonel Wainwright an A. D. C. The Chief of Artillery has to keep with Corps Hd. Ors. so that I have a chance to see and hear all that is going on in the Corps. Yester- day afternoon we had quite a pretty little fight, in fact the first one I have been in where bullets whistled lively, and we could see what was being done. One of our staff, Cap- tain Henry W. Davis, was wounded the Dr. thinks mortally, and two Battery officers were hit; one of whom was Lieut. Cargill of the Third Mass. Battery. We have been now for four weeks constantly on the go, with very few luxuries in dress or food, and begin to think that comfortable quar- ters in Richmond, with plenty of sherry cobblers, would come in well. General Meade is now here, within a few feet from me talking to Gen. Warren."
THE FIFTH BATTERY MEN AS BARN MOVERS.
[Contributed by Maj. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain, then colonel 20th Maine Reg't. Infantry, 3d Brigade, Ist Divi- sion, Fifth Corps; promoted to command of Brigade, Au- gust 15, 1863. and of Ist Brigade June 6, 1864.]
The three Massachusetts batteries long attached to the Fifth Corps were great favorites with us all. Many a time we exchanged valuable services,-the infantry and artillery, --- the balance of honor being in favor of the latter. We felt pride and affection for these men, and we knew and loved their guns almost as well as they did.
Phillips, the modest. faithful and brave commander of the Fifth, I was much drawn to by these qualities of his. which made up a character of ideal manliness. This bat-
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tery made a great record all the way down through the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, and when our Corps was crossing the North Anna, on the 24th of May, we were glad to have these old friends sent to the First Division to be immediately under Griffin, to whom this arm of the ser- vice was a specialty. This itself was a compliment to the battery.
We forded the river,-our brigade at the head of the column,-and were immediately struck hard by Hill's Corps, close on our front.
As an instance of the ways of Phillips and his battery, I recall an incident of the second day's fighting, when we were trying to force Hill back, "to develop his position," as it was afterwards explained.
I had a hard time to hold my advance steady, on account of a peculiarly disagreeable fire of sharpshooters who had secure positions behind knolls, and clumps of trees and buildings, from which they made it almost certain death for any man of ours to show his head. The conditions were such that I could not dislodge them by effective fire. nor by a charge; and we were not slow in throwing up some little breastworks of logs and rails in the edge of some woods, as that was a good way to keep our heads level. There were some favoring trees, whose bulky forms were well propor- tioned to the size of a man's body, and were well patronized by officers and others not required on the breastworks, but there were open spaces between them, to allow the enemy to draw a good sight on us whenever we moved.
I didn't like the situation. I thought of Phillips, and went over to ask him to come forward with me and take a look at the landscape. I pointed out to him the picturesque features of it, and he seemed to be much interested. In a few minutes up he rushes with two of his guns, whirls them into "action front" in the clear spaces, the muzzles almost
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up to the breastworks, and opens his three-inch iron hot and heavy, wherever he sees the smoke puffing.
There was a large barn out in our front,-I think it had a high stone basement, -- and it was filled with fellows grossly abusing the rightful privileges of a barn, and mak- ing it an instrument of decided offense.
From every opening and crevice and corner arched the white rings of smoke, and the bullets were spitting at us like wild cats. Phillips asked me if he was doing right.
"Phillips, I want that barn moved. It doesn't stand to suit me," He turns on his heel :-
"Load with percussion!" he exclaims to his nearest gun- ner, and springs right upon the gun-carriage to get a fair sight ahead,-and to afford one, also. In another instant he is off, and at the elevating screw to make sure of his aim.
Crash! goes his shot. He is on top of the gun again before its recoil had slackened much, one hand on the wheel, straining his gaze to see the effect of the shot; neither he nor his men paying the least attention to the serenade the bullets were playing. Shot upon shot bangs and bursts against the walls of the barn, making great shattering and scattering. Soon it is wrapped in its own fire. Out come the hiders, and we have fair returns on them from our ex- cited line. The rest of them are doing their sharpest on us, but it is short work. Artillery on the skirmish line and Charley Phillips on top had done it!
The enemy break. The barn is "moved."-skyward, in flames.
We seize the moment. Half a dozen rounds of shell pursue the flying foe. We leap over our works; the guns follow, somehow.
Forward all: Phillips riding at my side, ready for any- thing.
We press the enemy across the Virginia Central Railroad, and close upon Little River. But at dusk the next day.
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having "developed the enemy's position," we turned back, recrossed the North Anna at Quarles Mills, and marched al! night in the drenching rain, and by forced marches days and nights following, towards the fated Bethesda Church and Cold Harbor. But one cheering thing was, that on the first of June the dear old Fifth Battery with dear. brave Phil- lips, were permanently assigned to our Division, where they passed for "Griffin's Pets." which meant terrible experiences together and closer friendships, neither of which can fade from our minds and hearts.
JOSHUA L. CHAMBERLAIN.
BRUNSWICK, MAINE, February 21, 1900.
From a Letter of Captain Phillips dated Camp near Hanover Town, May 30, 1864 :-
"On the 25th we marched with Griffin's Division along the Virginia Central Railroad, towards the junction a few miles, till we found the enemy, where we went into posi- tion. Lieut. Appleton was shot through the arm by one of the enemy's skirmishers, just before the Battery came up. He had been on Colonel Wainwright's staff for a few days. We were posted in the edge of the woods, with an open field in front of us, and within range of the enemy's skir- mish line. We shelled the woods a little, but could no! wake up their artillery. The skirmishers kept popping away at us all the time, but did no damage as we kept our- selves under cover."
From the Diary of John E. Dyer :- "May 25th. 1864. Found this morning the Rebs had left our front. and tell back to their breastworks. Followed them up. Went in position 75 yards from Reb. sharpshooters. A hot place for a battery. The 3d Brigade, Ist Division, 5th Corps have been employed all day in tearing up the Gordonsville
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railroad. Lieut. Appleton was wounded today in the arm lwy a Rebel sharpshooter, just before we came up."
Shackley writes on May 25th :-- "We moved at sunrise, and near the South Anna River met the enemy intrenched, and had a fight without decisive results. Licut. Appleton was wounded."
The Battery fired 12 case shot, and 30 percussion.
John H. Welch transferred to the 5th Mass. Battery from the Third Mass. was shot in the right breast in the battle of the North Anna River, the ball passing through his body and lodging in Lieut. Cargill's leg. He was taken to a hos- pital in Newark, N. J., and after his recovery returned to the Battery. He had re-enlisted in the Third Mass. Bat- tery, and served to the end of the war in the Fifth Mass.
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