USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.2 > Part 32
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occasional shot. The 94th N. Y., with us, form the garri- son of Fort Davison, and consider ourselves able to hold it an indefinite period.
Yesterday was very rainy and chilly, and we found tents rather uncomfortable, so after mature deliberation we con- eludel to effeet a strategie change of base.
A series of preliminary reconnoissances in force, finally resulted in a flank movement on an upper chamber in the Gurley house, which stands about 50 feet from the entrance to the fort. This house was formerly occupied by a Mr. Gurley, said to be a rebel senator, who, alarined by the ap- proach of winter and the Yankees, concluded to remove, and abandon his household gods to the ruthless invader. The rest of the house is occupied by the officers of the 94th N. Y. Though somewhat dilapidated, the house is in pretty good order. and the apartment we occupy is quite luxurious, in size about 16 feet square: 4 windows on the North and South sides, fireplace East, door and eloset West side. A sea green wainscoting runs around the room, and the walls have no paper. The house was probably built by Northern mechanics, and the walls are frescoed with pictures and in- seriptions of the charcoal style which were evidently exe- cuted by northern hands. We have only three broken pan's of glass in our windows, and the window by my bed has two blinds in good preservation. Some vandal pulled off one side of the door casing, and some lover of symmetry per- formed the same thing to the closet door frame, to make 't match. Our closet door has seceded, and the other door handle is gone, but fortunately we have no great fear of entry thieves. We have an excellent floor of hard pine, and we availed ourselves of it by celebrating our installation last night with a clog dance interspersed with songs.
I see the N. Y. Herald credits us with the explosion of a caisson on drill. We don't do such things."
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MUSTERED OUT.
October 3. 1864, Lieut. J. E. Spear and 29 men were mustered out. their term of service of three years having expired. and left for City Point. Among them were John E. Dyer, William H. Baxter, William H. Peacock, Francis P. Washburn and Louis E. Pattison, whose notes have added so much to the interest of these columns.
October 4. 1864. a flag staff was erected on Fort Davison and the colors were run up amid cheers for the flag, for Lieut. Gen'l Grant and Brig. Gen'l Henry Baxter. On the 8th orders were received at 5 a. m to hitch up and be ready for movement or action at 6. Remained hitched up all day. but heard nothing more of it. Four recruits came in. On the gth there was Battery inspection in the morning.
October 10, 1864, marched early in the day to the front line of battery works between Fort Hays and Fort Howard. The Right section was placed in Battery No. 24, and the Left section occupied Battery No. 25. The distance between them was 700 yards. Of the work during the week Major Phillips says in his Diary :--
"During the week rebuilt barbettes and ramps in Battery 25, and built a stockade with the caissons covered by a wall tent and fly for myself and Lieut. Page. Sent to City Point in the afternoon for two guns."
By Major Phillips' Inventory of Guns on Oct. 15. 1864. it may le seen that since Sept. 30, 1862, he had had eleven guns, all of three inch calibre.
Of the first six from the Washington Arsenal. one, re- ceived on Sept. 30. 1862. and the remainder Oct. 1, 1862, two were turned in at Acquia Creek. May 25. 1863. On Tune 6th, 1863. he received two guns from the Fourth R. I. Battery, and one of these was exchanged with Captain R. H. Fitzhugh July 3, 1863.
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Major Phillips' Diary resumed :---
"Oct. 16, 1864. Pleasant. Battery inspection. Rec'd two guns from City Point Nos. 177 and 308. Drew 12 horses. A regiment moved in on the right of Battery 25."
October 17th the new section was placed in Battery 25 with the Left section, and the two sections were commanded by Lieutenants Hamblet and Page. The Right section in Battery 24, was under command of Lieut. Simonds. Octo- ber 20th two recruits came in and the next day six more. On this day inspection by Lieut. Dresser.
On the 22d the men finished a new cook house, and on the 25th the Battery was relieved by a section of Battery G, 4th U. S. and a section of Hart's 15th New York. The Regulars went into Battery 24, and Hart's into Battery 25. . Marching orders were received, and on the 26th the Battery Wagon, Forge, and Baggage Wagon were sent back to the Ammunition Train, en route to City Point by night.
Thursday, Oct. 27, 1864, marched to Hatcher's Run. Started at 3 a. m. At daylight the Fifth Corps with Grif- fin's Ist Division leading, accompanied by Stewart's Bat- tery B, 4th U. S. and the Fifth Mass. Battery marched through the works at our left.
Following were the 2d Division with Mink's Battery HI, Ist N. Y. and Battery B, Ist N. Y. under Capt. Robert E. Rogers, and then the 3d Division with the Ninth Mass. Battery.
They advanced three miles. The most of the fighting was by the Second Corps who were on our left. It rained all the afternoon and all night, and at 8 a. m. of October 28th the Battery marched back as far as the Yellow Tavern.
Oct. 30. 1864, Lieut. Hamblet received his commission as Ist Lieutenant and Serg't. Tripp as 2d Lieutenant. On the 31st Lieut. Hamblet was mustered as Ist Lieutenant. and Nov. Ist after Lieut. Tripp was mustered in there was
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a supper in the evening, oysters and roast turkey. On this date Major Phillips wrote the following letter :-
"CAMP BEFORE PETERSBURG,
Nov. 1, 1864.
At the beginning of last week we were lying quietly in position in Batteries "24" and "25," and. the cold weather being very suggestive, we had built unto ourselves a pretty good log house which we enjoyed much. On Wednesday preparations for some movement were visible all along the line. We were relieved by other batteries, new regiments posted, and other arrangements made.
Thursday morning we broke camp about I a. m. having been ordered to march with Griffin's Division at 4 a. 11. After marching over three miles to the left. we found the Division just moving out, and fell in with them. Marched out through the breastworks and kept on in a general s. w. direction. About noon we halted the head of our column, having driven the enemy's skirmishers almost into their works. The batteries parked in a field and remained there. It began to rain and became rather wet, but it was not cold, and having pitched a tarpaulin and built a fire we got along very comfortably. One shell struck 15 yards from a tree we were under, but except this we were not under fire. After waiting in camp all the afternoon we went into camp for the night. The next forenoon we turned round and marched quietly back again and camped near the Yellow House. . . . Whether our expedition was a success or a failure depends on our intention in going out. If we went out to take the Southside R. R. we failed. If we went on a reconnaissance we succeeded.
The Army is not very cheerful over it. We have lost our good chimneys, log houses, &c. and accomplished noth- ing. and that is enough to make soldiers growl."
Another reference from Major Phillips' pen has been found in a letter dated Battery No. 25. Nov. 19. 1864 :-
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"This was a singular movement and may be understood at the North but certainly is not here.
If it was intended as a reconnoissance, most unusual preparations were made for it. All the wagon trains of the Army were sent to City Point, and the line in front of Petersburg held in very small force. We marched out a few miles but did not attack the enemy's works. Two brigades of the 5th Corps engaged the enemy's skirmish line, but did not make any attack. Not a battery in the Corps was engaged, and after remaining one night in the rain we returned to camp."
GEN. SCHOULER IN CAMP.
The Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts went to Washington in October. 1864. in order to ascertain the actual condition of the volunteers from this state and to examine the defenses of the national capital. That city had been again endangered by the demonstration of the confederate general Early in July, to overcome which the Sixth Corps had been withdrawn from before Peters- burg. The letter from which the following extracts are taken is dated Nov. 14, 1864 :-
GEN. SCHOULER'S LETTER FROM THE FIELD TO GOVERNOR ANDREW.
"Oct. 22. 1864. we started in a carriage from Washington at noon to visit our troops stationed in the forts on the Virginia side of the Potomac. . We passed over Chain Bridge and entered Virginia. A line of fortifications for the defence of Washington ex- tends on the Virginia side from Chain Bridge to the Long Bridge at Washington which are connected with breastworks and riffe pits the entire distance. A short way from Chain Bridge is Fort Ethan Allen, where we stopped. This fort is very large, and is garrisoned by five companies of Massachusetts unattached heavy artillery. Here we stayed nearly an hour and then passed on to Forts Whipple, Cass, Tillinghast. Smith and Albany, each of which is garrisoned by an unattached heavy artillery company. We arrived at Washington about darl :.
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The country was high and rolling, intersected at short intervals with ravines. Two years ago it was thiekly wooded. now good carriage roads intersect it. The woods have been felled and used for making abattis, corduroy roads. and to light up camp fires.
Oct. 24. 1854. visited the forts on the Maryland side of the Potomae, garrisoned by Mass. heavy artillery companies. The route was over Capitol Hill, then near the Navy Yard and across the 'East Branch' a stream which runs up to Bladensburg. Two miles from the Bridge I came to Fort Baker, which was under command of Lieut. Dame. Next passed on to Fort Greble, Forts Snyder and Carroll. Fort Davis next; then Dupont, Mahan and Meigs. Six miles from there was Fort Lincoln crossing East Branch. It is within a mile of Bladensburg and near General Hooker's old camp. The next are Forts Thayer and Saratoga. We drove over the Bladensburg turupike to Washington, and arrived there at dark. There is an extension of these works on the Maryland side reaching as far as the Chain Bridge.
I found the defences of Washington almost entirely garrisoned by our men. and their good conduct and soldierly bearing are uni- versally acknowledged.
Oct. 25, 1864. At 3 o'clock I left Washington on the mail steamer Express' for City Point, General Grant's Head Quarters. The sail down the Potomae was very pleasant. At early morning stopped to deliver the mail and a few passengers at Point Lookout, a large depot for rebel prisoners. commanded at present by Brig. Gen. Barnes formerly colonel of the Mass. 18th Regt. Arrived at Fortress Monroe at S o'clock on the morning of Oet. 26, 1864.
In Hampton Roads lay the largest fleet of war vessels and transport ships ever concentrated in any harbor in America. It was a beautiful sight and gave one an enlarged idea of the magnitude of the war. of the enterprise of our people, and of the resources of the nation.
The boat remained at Fortress Monroe two hours, and then pro- eceded on past Newport News to the mouth of the James, and fol- lowing that river for about 70 miles. arrived at 5 p. m. at City Point, base of supplies for the Army of the Potomac. The trip was made ineluding stops in twenty-six hours. A steamer leaves Wash- ington every afternoon for City Point, stopping at Alexandria, Point Lookout, and Fortress Monroe.
The banks of the James are densely wooded, no villages to be seen from the steamer. As the steamer glides up the stream it passes Foster's Landing, White House Landing, Harrison's Landing. Light House Point, Fort Powhattan, &c. &c. The river is well guarded with gunboats. At City Point the river is crowded with vessels of all descriptions. The wharves extend for at least half a mile.
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Numerous supplies for the Army are here stored. On ascending the bank which is 75 feet high, the first place to visit is the Provost Marshal's office, where the passes are examined. General (M. R.) Patrick is stationed here as Provost Marshal General of the Army of the Potomac.
The first information I received on landing ( Oct. 26th) was that an advanee had been ordered and the Army had moved that morn- ing
At nine o'clock in the morning (Oct. 27th) I walked over to General Grant's headquarters. The General and staff live in tents. I missed sceing him as he had left at seven o'clock for the front. Ob- tained a pass to Bermuda Hundred 3 miles distant. In an open space near by are 100 soldiers' graves.
The front was distant abont five miles from Bermuda Hundred. f have learned that the advance of the armies was a concerted move ment to obtain possession of the Danville R. R. Lee's army was to be attacked by the Army of the Potomac and the railroad taken if possible, while the Army of the James was to operate on that side and prevent reinforcements being sent to Lee and to take advantage of circumstances.
The celebrated Dutch Gap where Gen. Butler is making a eanal, is about a mile and a half from Head Quarters. The Rebels were shelling the Gap,-fell short, -- many hundred men working day and night; lines picketed by colored soldiers.
At Io o'eloek at night (Oct. 27th) a tremendous eannonading heard in the direction of Petersburg, which lasted for two hours.
Oct. 28, 1864. Started with Gen. Devens and others for the front. Rode about six miles, through woods, over old cornfields, by lines of breastworks, through eamp, and along the Favina and Darbytown turnpike often mentioned in despatches, until we reached Dr. John. son's farm, where we found General Butler and General Terry who commands the Tenth Army Corps. Before we arrived it had been decided to withdraw our forces and to return within our lines. This was not done though until near noon. Our skirmish line was about half a mile in advance.
On going back to headquarters the entire staff rode with the General. We went back by a more circuitous route, visited Fort Harrison and the immense line of works of which it forms an im- portant part. We passed long lines of wagons and ambulances. Arrived at headquarters at two o'clock. having ridden about 20 miles. I had been within four miles of Richmond.
Arrived back at City Point Oct. 29, 1864, at about two o'clock. At 3 o'clock left City Point in the ears for the front. The railroad runs the entire length of our lines, and the camps of the different corps are on caeli side of it. Twelve miles from City Point is Gen.
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Meade's station. His Head Quarters are nearly a mile from there. I found the ambulance in waiting for me. We drove to General Meade's Quarters. The shades of evening began to fall when I left in an ambulance for the Ninth Corps. We crossed the famous Weldon R. R. near General Warren's Head Quarters.
Oet. 31, 1864. 1 also visited Captain Jones and the Eleventh Battery. This company has charge of three small forts in the line of works near General Ferrero's Head Quarters. To General Meade's Head Quarters our route lay for miles through the camps of the Second and Fifth Army Corps-Hancock's and Warren's.
More men are wanted, our lines are so greatly extended; neces- sarily so. Passed on to the 'Yellow House,' which is the Head Quarters of General Warren, commanding the Fifth Corps. This is on the old Weldon R R. and was a tavern and depot station six miles from Petersburg.
Arrived back at City Point at 7 o'clock. Nov. 2d. Arrived at Washington Nov. 3, 1864."
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE ASSAULT ON PETERSBURG.
APRIL 2, 1865.
"The wall is rent, the ruins yawn, And. with tomorrow's earliest dawn, O er the disjointed mass shall vault The foremost of the fierce assault." -- The Siege of Corinth.
When the Sixth Corps returned from its tour of duty for the preservation of the national capital and assisting Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. it was to take the place in the lines before Richmond of the Fifth Corps which had been ordered out for the purpose of destroying railroads. The Fifth Corps massed near the Gurley house, and on December 7, 1864, three Divisions of the Fifth Corps, and one Division of the Second Corps, with four batteries of artillery and a Division of cavalry, started for Hicksford on the Meherrin River, 40 miles south of Petersburg.
Hicksford was the point of supply for the rebels at Peters- burg. Their trains came up the Meherrin River to the Boydton Plank road, and thence through Dinwiddie Court House to Petersburg. The cavalry took the road cast of the Jerusalem Plank Road and joined it again a short dis- tance below Warwick swamp. The infantry, with Craw- ford leading. moved on the Jerusalem Plank Road.
When they reached the crossing of the Warwick swamp by the Plank Road, the bridge was gone, and a delay was caused by the building of a bridge strong enough to allow the passage of the trains. All through the day it rained.
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Griffin's Ist Division remained on the north bank of the Nottaway River until two hours after midnight, still rain- ing heavily, when they crossed and went into camp on the southern bank.
By night of the 8th the cavalry had partially destroyed the railroad down to Jarratt's Station, and by moonlight the Fifth Corps infantry completed its destruction to that point, and early on the morning of the 9th formed line of battle on the railroad. Each Division, as it advanced, de- stroyed all before it. and then marched to the left.
By 4 p. m. the cavalry had possession of Belfield. on the north fork of the Meherrin River, opposite Hicksford where the enemy was firinly entrenched, their defences con- sisting of three forts connected by riffe pits, the guns of which protected the bridge across the river. The works were too formidable to be taken by General Warren's com- mand, equipped as it was, and having as a result of the raid, destroyed the railroad and the bridges on the Weldon R. R. for 17 miles, he turned back, and reached Sussex Court House at dark of the 9th.
The next day was very cold and the infantry suffered greatly, marching over the frozen mud. They reached and crossed the Nottaway River at Freeman's Ford, and then retraced their steps to the intrenchments before Petersburg, having travelled about too miles in .six days.
General Grant being desirous of breaking up the route of supply through Hicksford, sent a Division of cavalry February 5th, 1865, by way of Ream's Station to Dinwiddie Court House, and the Fifth and Second Corps to cross Hatcher's Run at and below the crossing of the Vaughan Road, to hold Hatcher's Run and Armstrong's Mills, and to keep up communication with the intrenchments.
The rebels had been constantly at work extending their intrenchments, which were now 37 miles in length, from the White Oak Swamp to Hatcher's Run; eight miles of
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these intrenchments being north of the James River, six- teen miles on the Petersburg line, and five miles along the Bermuda Hundred front. Their heavy artillery filled a space four miles in extent, between Chapin's Bluff and Ber- muda Hundred.
The entire country south of the James, as far as Prince George Court House, was turned into a pasture for vast herds of cattle, which were guarded by cavalry, and butchered from day to day to afford fresh meat for the hard-worked troops in the forts and trenches.
Huge piles of baled hay and oats in sacks, lined the rail- way of were accumulated in the camps, which had become villages of log houses, each company and battery having its bakery and cook house. There was no complaint of poor fare or lack of clothing by the troops.
General Warren moved at 7 o'clock on February 5th, and marched down the Halifax road to Rowanty Post Office, and then to a mile above Malone's Bridge, and halted half way between Rowanty Creck as Hatcher's Run is called after joining Gravelly Run, and Dinwiddie Court House.
Following Griffin's Ist Division were 12 field pieces. A long train of forage and ammunition wagons followed Crawford. The advance gaard was three squadrons of cavalry.
They were delayed by a skirmish with the enemy, and crossing the swamp and stream, but before night the Vaughan Road was reached, and the two Divisions of the Second Corps, after some difficulty, and a brush with the enemy, had established themselves at Armstrong's Mills and opened communication with Warren. About 5 p. m. they were attacked by the rebel artillery who were repulsed. At 9 p. m. Warren was ordered up to join the Second Corps Divisions. The cavalry brought up the rear of the moving column and skirmished with the enemy. The nights were intensely cold, and no fires were allowed.
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Early in the morning of Feb. 6th the command crossed the run at the Vaughan Road crossing. A part of the Ninth Corps was ordered up to join the Second Corps. On the 7th the Union intrenchments had been extended to Hatcher's Run at the Vanghan Road crossing. the Second Corps holding the intrenchments on the extreme left, while the Fifth was massed in the rear of the Second near the left, and the Sixth was at Fort Fisher.
At Fort Stedman where the distance between the oppos- ing lines was not more than 150 yards, and the pickets only 50 yards apart, on the night of March 24th, 1865, the rebels undertook to make their escape and reach the Danville railroad. They overpowered Fort Stedman and captured Batteries 10, 11, and 12, but they were all recaptured by our infantry assisted by the artillery under General John C. Tidball posted in an advantageous position. The intrenched picket line of the enemy was taken by the Second Corps, and our lines advanced, holding the enemy's picket line against repeated attempts to recapture them.
Sheridan came down from the Shenandoah Valley destroying railroads in his progress, and on March 27th formed a junction with the Armies of the Potomac and the James. His duty now was to destroy the enemy's com- munications with the South by means of the Southside and" Danville railroads.
General Ord, commanding the Army of the James, had orders to join the Army of the Potomac, and on the even- ing of the 28th, he was in the rear of the Second Corps, which was ordered to cross Hatcher's Run by the Vaughan Road on the morning of the 29th, take position with its right on Hatcher's Run and its left in connection with the Fifth Corps, and advance on the enemy. General Warren with the Fifth Corps was to cross Hatcher's Run at Monk's Neck Bridge early in the morning of the 29th, and to ad-
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vance toward the enemy by the Boydton Road, his right connecting with the Second Corps.
At & a. m. of the zoth the Fifth Corps had arrived at its destination, and at noon started to make connection with the Second Corps, which was accomplished after an encounter with the enemy on the White Oak Road, which was the shortest road to Five Forks, and securing it would force the abandonment by the enemy of the Petersburg in- trenchments. It was here that the battle by which the Union forces gained possession of Five Forks was fought April Ist. 1865. while the Fifth Mass. Battery was busy elsewhere. In the afternoon and evening of March 29th Generals Warren and Griffin visited the troops of the Ist Division, who were building breastworks, subject during part of the day to a severe fire of artillery. as late as 12 o'clock at night March 31st, in front of the intrenchments of the rebels along the White Oak Road. The Artillery Reserve March 29th to April oth. 1865. was commanded by Brig. Gen. William Hays : all light batteries, -- 4 Maine, 3 Massachusetts. 1 New Jersey. 5 New York, I Ohio. 2 Pennsylvania, 1 Rhode Island, 1 Vermont, and i Regular. Total 19.
When the enemy opened with artillery and musketry at Io p. m. March 29th, they threw up several rockets. Our artillery was stationed on that part of the line occupied by the Ninth Corps. extending from Battery No. 5 on the Appomattox River to Fort Howard. a distance of about five miles.
Opposed to our batteries on the 30th March, 1865. the enemy had in position 91 guns of various calibers, from 6 pars. to S-inch Columbiads, aml 35 mortars, also of various calibers. Total guns and mortars 126. On our side we had 40 mortars. Total guns and mortars 131.
General Grant in his Memoirs says :
"During the night of April 2d our line was intrenched from the
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Appomattox River above to the Appomattox River below. I ordered a bombardment to be commenced the next morning at 5 a. m., to be followed by an assault at six o'clock, but the enemy evacuated Peters- burg early in the morning."
AS RELATED BY MEMBERS OF THE BATTERY.
November 4, 1864. the men began building stables for the horses, and on the 7th finished putting on the britsh. The . next day they laid the corduroy floors, and on the 9th Lieut. Dresser inspected the property. Nov. 10th the horses moved into their new quarters. For building these stables Major Phillips says, "It took 400 logs 8 feet long and a foot in diameter, split, and about 250 yards of brush fence 8 feet high." Nov. Ith was occupied by the men in oiling harness, and on the 12th they began a house for the Ist Sergeant. Battery inspection on the 13th.
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