USA > Massachusetts > History of the Fifth Massachusetts Battery : organized October 3, 1861, mustered out June 12, 1865, v.2 > Part 4
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requisitions to be signed, or the Orderly to ask some ques- tions about the morning report book (see p. 445) whether this order is to be read at roll call, or only copied into the order book &c. Then come some men after a 'pass' to see a brother, cousin etc. in the 33d Regiment. All these ap- plications disposed of I take up any standing business. Then perhaps I write a letter, stopping every few minutes to sign a requisition, answer a question, or give a 'pass.' Serg't. Nye, may be, comes in with a big bundle of papers, and wants me to look over a Quarterly Return. So the forenoon wears on. At 10 Drill Call sounds, and the De- tachments fall in for a drill on the piece, and for half an hour the park resounds with,-'Detachments Left,' 'Detach- ment Posts,' 'Load by Detail-Two,' &c. 'By Hand to the Front,' 'Prepare to Dismount the Piece,' 'Change Posts, 'Fire,' 'Load.' etc. etc. This is superintended by the Chiefs of Sections. At II Hay Call sounds, when we have any hay. At 12 Dinner Call.
We dine at one, at which time John,-black individual, --- knocks on the door and announces: 'Dinner ready.' For dinner we have roast beef, potatoes, onions, apple sauce &c.
At 2 o'clock the Buglers sound 'Boots and Saddles,' and the Battery is hitched up for Battery or Section Drill. If the former. I go out and manœuvre round a couple of hours. At 4 we return just in time for 'Water Call.' At 41/2 'Feed Call'; at 5 the 'Assembly' for 'Roll Call'; 51/4 Guard Mount- ing. after 'Guard Mounting,' supper; after supper, the Of .. ficer of the Day hands in his report : list of the sick, list of delinquents with their offenses, and a statement of any re -. markable occurrences during the day.
I return home and send for the Corporal of the Guard. He presents himself.
'Corporal, arrest these men, and bring them up here!'- giving him a list of the delinquents. Then I put on my magisterial frown and await the culprits.
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'Smith reported absent at reveille; any excuse?'
'No. sir, only I didn't wake up.'
.That's no excuse; Fatigue duty for 24 hours.'
'Brown, you are reported for running your horses going to water.' No excuse. 'Corporal, put him on a caisson for three hours!'
'Jones, you are reported for disrespectful behavior to your Sergeant.' Long, and not very logical defence by Jones, who is adjudged guilty. 'Corporal. give him two hours on the spare wheel !'
After finishing this not very agreeable business, perhaps I stroll into Blake's tent and chat awhile or play a game of euchre.
By seven o'clock the mail arrives, and we all adjourn to read our letters if we have any; y o'clock generally sees us in bed.
So pass the days, one after the other. A good supply of books would render it a not very disagreeable kind of life, but these things cannot be. We could not carry the books if we had them. I do not go visiting much and do not have a great many friends in the Division. I have quite a lot of speaking acquaintances, but I stay at home mostly."
Chase's Diary: "Jan'y 15, 1863. Ambulance removing the sick today.
Dyer's Notes: "Friday, Jan'y 16, 1863. Predictions of leaving here soon. Commenced packing up p. m. All . sorts of rumors afloat."
LETTER OF CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. "CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA. Jan'y 16, 1863.
"All quiet on the Rappahannock' gives place to 'Advance of the Army of the Potomac.' We have rec'd orders to be ready to march at an early hour tomorrow morning. The
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order to march has not come yet but will probably be along tonight. .. . Of course I am sorry to leave my comfortable quarters, in fact after a long halt it is always mipleasant to take the first start, but 24 hours marching cures that. As a remarkable fact, too, my health is always a little better, if possible, on the march. I doubt very much whether we shall have another fight at Fredericksburg. The rebels never wait for a second assault on an 'objective point,' but always retire to a second line of defence, and the energy all bottled up for a fierce attack is wasted on empty fortifications. Well, we shall see what we shall see."
EXTRA INDUCEMENTS OF THE ARTILLERY SERVICE.
January 17th: "I dislike the habit of officers running to Washington, and do not want to get into it myself. Why is it, I wonder, that so few men of wealth and education, when going to war, select the artillery in preference to other arms of the service. . . . Out of my class only one besides myself has entered this arm-Lieut. Hayden in the 2d U. S. Artillery. An artillery commission certainly offers higher inducements than an infantry one : the duties are pleasanter, the pay higher, the position more independent, and higher esteemed in the Army. Why, I am as independent as a Brigade commander, while a captain of infantry has no moment he can call his own. While the hours for infantry drill are established by orders from Division Hd. Ors., ar- tillery drills when it chooses. I govern my camp as I please. and am supreme in my authority over the men.
Artillery is superior for the display of intellectual abili- ties, though a military life kills off everything of the sort. Artillery, too, gives a better opportunity for distinguishing one's self; a captain of a battery being as likely to be men- tioned as a colonel of a regiment. Sections, too, are often detached, and, when joined with infantry. the infantry offi-
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cer in command of the whole rarely attempts to interfere with the Lieut. of Artillery in the management of his arm. Then as far as material comforts are concerned, artillery officers can live in the field about as comfortably as gen- erals. A late order establishing the field allowance of tents, allowed to each line officer of infantry one shelter tent, to each full battery of artillery three wall tents. That is to say, I am allowed one wall tent, which is all that is allowed to a Brig. Gen'l. while a captain of infantry has to content himself with a shelter tent, ground dimensions 6 ft. by 3, height 3 ft. At this very time, while we are living in very good style, many an infantry officer has to content himself with his salt junk. If an officers' mess in an infantry com- pany manage to get along a kettle, a coffee pot, a frying pan, and a few cups and plates, they do well, while we carry all the pots and kettles we choose. And vet, with all these extra inducements the commissions in artillery are not so eagerly sought after as one would imagine." The same date: " 'There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.' Last night instead of an order to march at 5, came an order to be ready to march at i p. m. tomorrow."
Dyer's Notes: "Sunday, Jan'y 18, 1863. Drill in the morning and a hitched up drill p. m. Jan'y 19. On guard tonight."
Phillips' Letter Jan'y 18th: "The Army seems to have some difficulty in making the movement now contemplated, whatever it is. We were to be ready to march at one o'clock today, but at midnight last night came an order suspending the former order for 24 hours. Congress has authorized 100,000,000 legal tender notes to pay off the Army, and I hope to see the Paymaster round here soon. There has been, undoubtedly, a great deal of suffering on account of the long delay. In military affairs there is the same neces- sity for speedy action. I am sanguine, if our generals will work together, but if any man with two stars on his
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shoulder is to be allowed to imperil the cause of the country from personal feeling and jealousy, then we might as well back out."
BURNSIDE'S FLANKING MOVEMENT CALLED "BURNSIDE'S MUD MARCH."
HIS ADDRESS TO THE ARMY.
HEAD QUARTERS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA. Jan'y 20, 1863.
General Orders
No. 7.
The Commanding General announces to the Army of the Potomac that they are about to meet the enemy once more.
The late brilliant actions in North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkan- sas have divided and weakened the enemy on the Rappahannock, and the auspicious moment seems to have arrived to strike a great and mortal blow to the Rebellion, and to gain that decisive victory which is due to the country.
Let the gallant soldiers of so many brilliant battle fields accomplish this achievement. and a fame the most glorious awaits them.
The Commanding General calls for the firm and united action of officers and men, and, under the providence of God, the Army of the Potomac will have taken the great step towards restoring peace to the country and the Government to its rightful authority.
By command of Major General Burnside. LEWIS RICHMOND Ass't. Adj. General.
Chase's Diary : "Jan'y 20th, 1863. Cloudy morning with a cold snowy air. The agreeable intelligence announced to us in line, that we are again to meet the enemy. Packed up. Struck tents and hitched up about II a. m. and left our park about 12 m. Head of column halted about 150 yards from camp and remained until about 3 p. m., when we marched about two miles-towards Fredericksburg -- and went into park for the night, on the side of a hill, about 4 p. m. Some of the men pitched tents, and others laid on the ground under the tarpaulins. Commenced raining
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about 6 p. m. and rained all night, with but a few minutes cessation. My tent blew down about half past II p. m. Abandoned the ruins of my tent and spent the remainder of the night by a bivouac fire. A long night! Thoroughly drenched with rain. A crowd of drowned out, forlorn, cold and shivering unfortunates hovered around the fire trying to keep alive the vital spark and dispel our miseries by cracking jokes. One by one the men gathered round as they were drowned out by the 'rising waters.' No water call or roll call tonight.
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Jan'y 2Ist. The storm unabated. Reveille and roll call as usual. "Boots and saddles' sounded immediately after roll call. Packed up our wet tents and blankets and hitched up. Doubled up the teams, and with the help of the infan- try succeeded in getting the pieces and caissons into the road. The ground soft, and it was almost impossible to move the pieces, caissons &c. Started on our march about 8 a. m. and marched about a mile and halted for today and night. Left one horse, and two others dropped dead in the harness. A very soft and disagreeable march. Obliged to double up the teams many times today. Reached our camp ground about I o'clock p. m. Pitched our tents in a piece of woods. Plenty of good water near by. Made coffee, and spread our wet blankets for a bed on the water soaked ground; built huge fires and made ourselves comparatively comfortable. Battery wagon drawn into park by eighteen horses. The wheels sink about a foot in the mud. and men to their ankles. Very rainy all day. Tattoo and roll call about half past 4 p. m. Jan'y 22d. Very rainy all last night. Morning cloudy, with some rain. Tolerably good night's rest last night, but the ground felt quite cold through five blankets. Slept with Daniel Shackley. Reveille at the usual hour this morning. Whiskey issued to us this morn- ing. We remained in camp all day. Made several im- provements in our quarters today and kept quite comforta-
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ble although the weather continued cloudy with considerable rain all day."
Dyer's Notes : "Jan'y 20, 1863. . . . My tent blew down three times during the night. Weather very cold. Jan'y 2Ist. . . . Ground soft and awful wheeling . . . sat down to a scanty supper and went on guard. Rained hard all night. Jan'y 22. . . . Whiskey issued out this morning. Large ration. Remained here all day. Whiskey again at night. Rain at intervals all day. Our mail and one day's rations came up today."
Notes of Corporal Jonas Shackley: "Late on the 20th January, 1863, we got out of camp, but could only make about two miles, and turning into a field spread our tents and tarpaulins for shelter. Rain soon began to pour and in a short time the ground was flooded and our blankets be- came saturated. . We rolled our blankets and used them for seats and waited for the morning. Morning came, and the Battery attempted to march, but the roads were so horrible that after struggling all day we had made only about two miles. Went into camp by the edge of a forest, and having plenty of fuel made ourselves quite comfortable.
Remaining in this place until the roads had been repaired we doubled our teams, and taking half our carriages at each trip returned again to our old camp at Stoneman's Switch, arriving there on the 24th."
FROM A LETTER OF CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.
Written in the camp where they waited for the roads to be repaired.
"CAMP IN AN OAK WOOD, Thursday Evening, Jan'y 22, 1863.
On Tuesday we marched. i. e. at I p. m. we started, got a couple of hundred yards and halted till threc. Then we slowly proceeded. and just before dark camped in a field
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close by the spot where we were reviewed a short time ago. Hazlett and Waterman had been detached to join with the Reserve Artillery in covering the crossing of the troops at Hooker's Crossing. Where that is I do not know. During the course of the night it commenced to rain and blow. . . .
The next morning we started, the rain still continuing. Our caissons got stuck at the first start and continued to stick very frequently. About I p. m. after marching perhaps 3 miles, we went into camp, i. e. the head of the column did. the rear being still behind. I sent back horses and the missing carriages commenced to appear : some with 10, some with 12, and some with 18 horses on. Finally, they all got in, and we made ourselves comfortable. The mud is about the same quality as we used to have on the Penin- sula, but I found my horses not so good. Four gave out on the road, and were abandoned dead and dying. . . . Friday morning, no move yet."
Phillips' Diary: "Thursday, Jan'y 22d, 1863. . . . The Army evidently in statu quo, in the mud. 23d. . . . The Army has commenced to move back to camp corduroying as it goes."
From another letter of Captain Phillips, written where they camped in the "piece of woods."
"CAMP IN AN OAK WOOD, Thursday Evening, Jan'y 22, 1863.
. . . Our camp is pitched in a grove of oak trees, and in pleasant weather might be quite romantic, but the rain which has continued so far deprives the scenery of its poet- ical aspect. The tents of the men of all shapes, sizes and colors, are scattered through the woods, each one with a blazing fire in front of it. The woods are already cleared out somewhat and it is lucky for us that firewood is so near. A spring not 50 yards off furnishes an abundant supply of very good-chocolate colored-water. Our floor is rather muddy, but with an abundant supply of blankets we sleep
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very comfortably. I am afraid that this unlucky rain storm will endanger, if it does not entirely prevent, this move- ment. Only 5 or 6 miles from camp, we are almost entirely cut off from our supplies. The roads are impassable for wagons, and as my rations were out tonight, I had some more sent up on horseback. Our wagons have not started, but the Vandals have invaded our old camping ground. The tents of the men are inhabited by a numerous popula- tion of sick, stragglers, etc. The new tenants of my old house have burnt up my wainscoting and bedstead, the door and floor will go next.
Our present locality as near as I can guess is a short distance above Falmouth, near Richard's Ford. I am sit- ting on the ground writing this by the light of a candle elevated on a tin pail. A large fire blazes in front of our tent which makes it quite comfortable. The men are sing- ing and talking and enjoying themselves."
Dyer's Notes: "Friday, Jan'y 23d, 1863. A good night's rest. Morning damp and cloudy. Our mail caine today: also rations :-- beef, pork, potatoes, onions, bread. coffee, whiskey &c. The sun came out about II a. m. P. m. very fine. Artillery and teams moving back to their old camps. Sent men back to our camp to rout out the infantry from our quarters."
Diary of Corporal Chase: "Jan'y 24th, 1863. Reveille at half past 3 this morning. Struck our tents and packed up for a march back to our old camp. The elements have prevailed. An advance is impossible and retreat nearly so. Burnside chooses the latter and the troops are moving back as fast as possible. Doubled up the teams and started for our old camp-with the caissons only-at daylight. Reached our old camp about II a. m. and the drivers after feeding their horses returned for the guns with doubled teams. Not much trouble in reaching camp although the
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road was in a very bad state. Guns reached camp about half past 3 p. m.
The infantry who occupied our quarters in our absence showed their evil propensities by demolishing chimneys and burning our boards, poles, crutches, and other valuable property. My tent was an exception to the fearful destruc- tion : found chimney 'riz' 15 inches. It now 'draws' won- derfully! Pitched my tent in the old stockade, and in one hour have good quarters. Weather fine."
Dyer's Notes, Jan'y 24th, have the remark about the camp that "although very wet it was very acceptable."
Phillips' Diary: "Saturday, Jan'y 24th. Started back at daylight with the caissons and forge, 10 horses on the former and 12 on the latter. Arrived in camp. Sent back. for the pieces and Battery wagon. Found my house in pretty good condition."
Dyer's Notes : "Sunday, Jan'y 25th, 1863. No coffee for breakfast. A trifling mistake. Nobody to blame. 'All in the three years.' Plenty of boiled rice and molasses for supper. Weather warm and pleasant."
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS BACK IN HIS LOG HOUSE. MAKES OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAST WEEK'S MANOEUVRES.
"CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA. Jan'y 25, 1863. . I am back in my log house again, after four days' wan- dering in the mud. This rain storm has been very unfor- tunate, and has completely discomfited the Army of the Potomac. On Friday as soon as I learnt definitely that we should return, I sent back a sergeant and squad of men to clear out the stragglers and interlopers with whom our huts were sure to be filled, and to clean up and make ready.
When I arrived I found things in pretty good order. The inhabitants of my house, whoever they were, had burnt
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up all my furniture, but thanks to their selfishness and re- gard to their own comfort, had left the floor and door, which was all I cared for. The bedstead has been again erected, and the other furniture will soon be put in, with suitable alterations suggested by experience.
MORE ABOUT THE 20th. CAMP ON THE HILL.
Hazlett and Waterman left camp before the Division and took position on the bank of the river. The weather was cold and lowering, but it looked more like snow than rain. We pitched our tent and Blake, with commendable fore- thought ditched it round about. Captain Martin, who was by our fire, laughed at him, and asked him if he thought it was going to rain. Shortly after we got to bed it com- ienced to rain and blow. Fortunately our tent was tight and our pins held, so we slept through it comfortably. Captain Martin and his officers were not so lucky. Some time in the night the wind got under their tent and over it went leaving them outdoors! Immediately arose a great outcry for the Corporal of the Guard, and the tent was finally re-pitched, not without the wetting of sundry blan- kets etc. The next morning we started, the rain still falling. The first step recalled to mind the old marches of the Penin- sula campaign . . . but the weather was colder. We marched all that forenoon in the same way that I used to write about last spring. About noon we went into camp, having marched perhaps two miles. I selected a spot right in the edge of some oak woods. I found the ground where I put my carriages rather soft, and Captain Martin sug- gested the next day that I had better put up a flag to show where my caissons stood!
Otherwise, it was an excellent camping ground. The tents were pitched in the woods. sheltered from the wind. Plenty of firewood was growing all around us, and the fires were soon blazing merrily."
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In addition to what he had already written about sending back men on horseback after rations and forage, he says :---- "By this means I not only supplied myself, but was able on Friday to feed Captain Waterman's horses, he being short of grain.
We remained in the woods Wednesday afternoon, Thurs- day and Friday, sleeping and eating in great comfort. The weather was lowering all the time, the rain drizzling down at intervals. However, we kept a big fire going all the tinie in front of our tent, which generally smoked us out of it, and got along first rate.
Thursday appeared to be spent in deliberation, and in bringing up supplies on horseback. By this time, of course, the rebels were aware of our movements and success was almost impossible. We could not move forward. I sup- pose it was as muddy on the south side of the river as on the north, and the enemy, probably inferring the reverse, hung up a board on the bank opposite the intended crossing, having inscribed thereon 'General Burnside Stuck in the Mud.' At least so goes the story. On Friday the retro- grade movement commenced. By daybreak the road was lined with infantry corduroying mud holes, and soon after the artillery began to file by : guns and caissons with any number of horses and without much regard to order. At daylight Saturday morning, Captain Martin and I started back."
HE REVIEWS THE FREDERICKSBURG CAM- PAIGN.
"Second repulse from Fredericksburg by the mud. We were absent from camp four days. Don't blame the gen- erals for the rain storm. .. . The utmost stretch of gener- alship is to place a regiment behind a battery from a tradi- tional idea that artillery needs an infantry support. Just
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look at Fredericksburg. We had 300 or 400 pieces of light artillery at our disposal. The enemy in our front were strongly intrenched. The natural course would be to get up artillery and knock down the intrenchments before com- mencing the assault.
Instead of this, the infantry were set full tilt at a stone wall and did not get over it, as of course they could not. After the failure of the attack a few batteries were put into position, though I hardly know what they were to do. Dickinson's Battery [L. & M. 3d U. S.] opened on the rebels and the principal effect was to draw the fire from 20 guns on the hill so hot as to drive the battery off the field. Soon after, I was ordered into position near where Dickin- son had been. I was not put there to silence the enemy's artillery fire, our usual occupation, but to fire at the infantry behind the stone wall. I was not told to knock down the stone wall, but to fire at the road. So I blazed away, burst- ing shell and shrapnell over the road. Of course it was a good pyrotechnical display and may have frightened a few timid rebels, but the idea of its having done them any great injury is absurd. I do not know to this day what I was supposed to be accomplishing. I obeyed orders and did not ask questions. Our infantry stated that after I opened fire the rebels' musketry was not quite so hot, and it is possible that some rebel may have been deterred from poking his head over the wall by the idea that a shell might be coming over in that vicinity, but it seems to me an inop- portune moment for such a display. If I had been placed there to prepare or support a charge. I should understand that I was part of a design, but, as it was, I do not see that I did any good, and I do not imagine I injured a dozen rebels. Meantime I was the recipient of very flattering attentions from the 20 guns on the hill, though owing to my being in a sheltered position no great injury was done. Still the sensation was sufficiently disagreeable to show .
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what would have been the result had we had a dozen bat- teries up there.
Contrast all this with the Battle of Murfreesboro' where Rosecrans did what every great general does; he massed his artillery, and repulsed the rebels."
CHAPTER XVI. THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE.
MAY 1-4, 1863.
"But, as he rode along the ranks, each soldier's head was bare, ---
Our hearts were far too full for cheers,-we wel-
comed him with prayer."
JOHN BOYLE O'REILLY .- Uncle Ned's Tales.
On the 26th of January, 1863, General A. E. Burnside having been relieved from the command of the Army of the Potomac at his own request, Major General Joseph Hooker was placed in command. Among his first Orders was one discontinuing the Grand Divisions of the Army instituted by his predecessor and returning on February 5th, 1863, to the organization with the corps as a unit. The Ninth Corps was sent to Fortress Monroe, Major General George G. Mcade was placed in command of the Fifth Corps, and Brigadier General Charles Griffin still held the command of the Ist Division, attached to which was the Artillery Brigade commanded by Captain Augustus P. Martin, con- sisting of the 3d and 5th Mass. Batteries, the 4th R. I., and the 5th U. S. Battery Lieut. C. E. Hazlett.
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