USA > Massachusetts > History of the Second Mass. Regiment of Infantry, third paper > Part 14
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On the morning of the 8th, Pope, who had in person arrived at Culpepper Court House, sent word to Banks to move his corps to that town, and at the same time notified Sigel at Sperryville, to which place he had marched from Luray, to move to the same point. The other important orders given by Pope this day were to Crawford to move forward and sup- port Gen. Bayard,f in holding the enemy in check, and an
* Pope's Report.
+ I received reports from fien. Bayard, that the enemy was advancing upon him, ard his cavalry forced to retire. (See Pope's Report.)
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order to Gen. Ricketts, of McDowell's Corps, to move his division of three brigades two and a half or three miles south of Culpepper Court House. All these movements, save Sigel's, were executed as ordered.
It was two o'clock on the afternoon of the Sth when our corps received its orders. Tents, all we had, were struck, and we were ready ; but Geary's Brigade was before us, and making such slow progress that we were delayed in a burning sun three hours before we got off, and then it was not much better, -- a few steps forward, then a halt; then on, again to stop, motion alternating with rest and rest with motion. Our tired troops were more fatigued than if they had made a march of twice the distance. It was eleven o'clock at night when our division arrived at Culpepper, having made eight miles in eight hours.
Why Gen. Pope was hurrying his forces into and around Culpepper Court House will appear from a review of the movements of the enemy. On the 19th of July, Jackson, with two divisions of troops, commanded by Winder and Ewell, arrived near Gordonsville. Gen. Lee thought that important railroad place was in danger ; and from what we have seen of the instructions given by Pope to Banks at Warrenton, well might he have thought so. Jackson, finding Pope strong in numbers, asked for reinforcements, and the whole of A. P. Hill's Division was added to his army.
On the 7th of August, Jackson moved his three divisions of troops from their respective encampments near Gordons- ville, in the direction of Culpepper. His motive, as he says, was not to attack Pope's whole army, but only that part of it which he had been informed was at Culpepper," and this part, "through the blessing of Providence," he hoped to defeat. This force, as we have shown, was Rickett's Divis- ion, Crawford's Brigade of Banks's Corps, and Gen. Bayard, who had been stationed on the Rapidan, at Barnett's Ford,
* Jackson's Official Report,
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about fifteen miles from Culpepper, with four regiments of cavalry.
Ample information was conveyed to Pope on the 7th, that Jackson was moving to attack him, and not only to attack, but the strength of his cavalry, infantry, and artil- lery was known or ought to have been. What did Pope know? On the 7th, while he was at Sperryville* inspecting Sigel's Corps, he was informed that the enemy was crossing the Rapidan at several points between the railroad-crossing of that river and Liberty Mills. Rightly divining the enemy's purposes, so it seems, Pope left Sperryville at four o'clock in the afternoon, and proceeded in person to Culpepper Court House, arriving there (a distance of twenty miles) on the 8th, as we have said.
In the mean time, Jackson, with his columns, was pushing our cavalry back, and Buford and Bayard were constantly sending Pope word to that effect, -the latter that he was falling back in the direction of Culpepper Court House, and the former that the enemy were advancing in heavy force upon Madison Court House. A glance at the map will show that these two forces could have had but one objective point, and that was Culpepper. If all the enemy were at Madison Court House. it might be doubted ; but with Bayard's report that he was falling back on Culpepper, and the enemy fol- lowing him, it was no longer doubtful. But during all day of the 8th Pope says he did consider it doubtful whether the enemy's movements were in the direction of Madison Court House and Culpepper. so he determined to keep himself between the enemy and the lower fords of the Rappahan- nock ; in other words, he determined to hold on to Culpepper ; and this was wise. Therefore on the Sth he sent Crawford with his brigade to support Bayard, and to assist him in deter- mining the movements and forces of the enemy. Sigel did not obey his orders to march at once from Sperryville to
I quote from Pope's Official Report.
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Culpepper, but to Pope's surprise returned in reply a note, which, dated at the former place at 6.30 P. M., and received after night, asked by what road he should march to Cul- pepper Court House. "There was but one, and that a broad stone turnpike, between these points," says Pope ; "how could he entertain any doubt as to the road ?" And then Pope adds that this doubt delayed the arrival of his corps several hours, and rendered it impracticable for it to be pushed to the front, as he had designed, on the afternoon of the next day.
The morning of the 9th of August found Jackson, with his whole force, pursuing his way northerly on Bayard's line of retreat towards Culpepper. Crawford's Brigade then occupied a strong position north of Cedar Creek, with Bayard's cavalry in his front.
It was nearly ten o'clock on that morning, when, under the heat of an overpowering sun, our corps moved at a quick pace and with few halts (under orders which will be referred to hereafter) from Culpepper Court House over a shadeless, waterless road. We soon came to where Rickett's Division, of three brigades of McDowell's Corps, was watching the road which turns off from the Orange Court House and Culpepper road to Madison Court House. These troops were stripped of harness, and taking their case under shelter tents. We passed them and pashed onward until, in our regiment, one recruit fell dead from exhaustion, and many veterans of a year were disabled; onward for about five miles, until before us, high in air, rose Slaughter Mountain,' bearing southwest from Crawford's Brigade, which was drawn up in line of battle.
When I arrived at Cedar Creek, though all was quiet, I felt in the air the consciousness of an impending battle. The cavalry were still in our front, but not far; Crawford's skir- mishers were deployed through the woods; and there was Gen. Roberts, a staff-officer sent by Pope to designate the ground Banks was to hold, and to give him instructions. It
" We call it Cedor Mountain.
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was about twelve o'clock at noon when I approached Roberts, as he was pointing out positions for the troops. Off to the right of the road upon which we had been marching, I saw a strong position on the crest of a hill, in front of which the land was clear, and fell off by a gentle descent to Cedar Creek "That should be held by our right," I said to Gen. Roberts; "shall I take it?" - " Yes," he replied, "do so." I moved my brigade there immediately. The distance from where Roberts then stood in the road to this position was about three fourths of a mile. When Banks came up, he said to Gen. Roberts, "Gen. Pope said you would indicate the line I am to occupy." -- " I have been over this ground thoroughly," replied Roberts, " and I believe this line," meaning the one which Crawford's Brigade then held, "is the best that can be taken."-" In this opinion I concurred with him," says Banks,* and placed my command there."
As you approach Cedar Creek, going south from Culpepper to Orange Court House, a gentle descent for half a mile leads to the low ground, through which the creek winds in a north- westerly and southeasterly course. As the road approaches the ridge from which the descent begins, a thick wood skirts it on either side for some four hundred yards. Turn to the north, and, leaving the road, follow this ridge for about twelve hundred yards, and you come to a house, with thick forest trees on the north and west. Here my brigade was stationed ; it was the extreme right of our line of battle, and was the exact position designated by Gen. Roberts.
Return to the road, cross the creek, go on for nine hundred yards from it, and you will have passed a rise and crossed a plateau which is four hundred yards in depth. Just beyond the plateau, there was, on your left, on the 9th of August, 1862, a corn-field, and on your right, a growth of timber, which, touching the road at a point, widened out as it ex- tended back, until in front of my station it was from four to
* Testimony before referred to, by Banks.
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six hundred yards deep. In front of this timber there was a stubble-field, bounded on the opposite side by thick woods. This stubble or wheat field, cut out as it were from the forest, was somewhat in the form of a parallelogram, of which the two sides, at right angles to the road, were about eight hundred yards in length. One of the short sides of the field rested on the road, and was about six hundred yards long; while the other, skirted by brushwood the height of a man's head, was only about four hundred yards. Clearing the corn- field, which was of the same width on the road as the wheat- field, there was on your left a ridgy plain or pasture, which continued for a third of a mile, and then the timber began. On your right the timber lined the road as soon as you cleared the wheat-field, and continued for nearly a mile. The corn. field and the plain extend away towards the base of Cedar Mountain. From where the road divides the corn and wheat field to the base of the mountain it is about a mile, and it is the same distance to the base from where the wood again skirts both sides of the road. Going towards the Rapidan. from the crossing of the creek to the limit of the road I have described, the distance is not over two miles. From the position occupied by my brigade to the same crossing of the creek is, as stated, about twelve hundred yards, and to Cedar Mountain about two miles. I have endeavored to depict without tedious details the face of the country, that the movements of the troops may be intelligible, and that we may form an accurate judgment of the progress of the battle.
Gen. Roberts crossed Cedar Creek with Augur's Division of Banks's Corps, and formed it in line on and towards the rear of the plateau; Geary's Brigade, forming the right of this division, rested on the road; then in line came Prince's Brigade, and on the extreme left, thrown back, was Green's Brigade, which, reduced by detachments, numbered only four hundred and fifty-seven men. It was stationed here to sup- port a battery. On the right of the road and covered by the
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wood that skirted the wheat-field was Crawford's Brigade, moved there by Roberts in the morning from the wood on the ridge on the Culpepper side of the creek. In front of our troops, with an unobstructed fire over the corn-field and plain, and themselves commanded by the mountain, were our bat- teries.
On the crest of the hill, where the Second Massachusetts with the other regiments of my brigade were stationed, I have spoken of a little cottage. A pretty picture it was, with its green turf enclosed by a fence, and behind, almost touching it, an inviting grove of forest trees. This cottage, occupied by women and children, was the central figure, about which clustered the infantry and artillery of my brigade. As out of that impending war-cloud we swarmed around this peaceful home, the women and children were startled at the strange and unusual sight. Nervously they asked me what they should do, and without waiting for a reply, again and again they inquired ; and when told to move away at once, they paid no heed to my words. My position was a very strong one. I do not think Banks knew its capabilities for a defence ; at all events, he did not think the right of his line of sufficient importance to visit it, either before or during the battle. I am sure he did not know where we were .*
Although the consolidated reportf of Banks's Corps, sent into Pope some days previous to the 9th of August, exhibited an effective force of something over 14,000 men, made up of
* This is fully confirmed by the'chaplain of the Second Massachusetts, who, in an interview with Banks at Culpepper Court House, after the battle, when Banks accused my brigade of tirdiness in going into the fight, replied that I "ran in." " Then why did he not get in with Crawford, or to support Craw- ford ?" asked Banks. " Why, he was nowhere near Crawford," replied the chaplain. " Where was he, then ? " asked the commander of the corps. " Upon the hill, near the cottage," replied th : chaplain. " Who put him there ? " asked the commander. "Gen. Roberts, Pope's chief-of-staff," was the answer. " I did not know it," said Banks. "I thought he was just behind the woods, on Craw- ford's right."
t Pope's Official Report
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infantry, 13,343, artillery, 1,224, cavalry, 4,104, total, 18,671, less infantry and artillery left at Front Royal and Winchester, 3,500 ; in his Official Report Pope distinctly states that it appeared after the battle, that when Banks led his forces to the front he had in all not more than $,ooo men,* and that this discrepancy has never been explained, although "I have frequently called his attention to it; and I do not yet understand," writes Pope, "how Gen. Banks could have been so greatly mistaken as to the forces under his immediate command." Gen. Banks, in 1864, testified under oath that he had but about 6,000 men on the 9th of August, 1862, and before he concluded his testimony, he put his force at 5,000 and that of the enemy at 25.000.1 My own brigade com- prised less than 1,500 infantry. The Second Massachusetts, all told, commissioned and non-commissioned, numbered, as near as ever will be known, 497.
It was about twelve at noon when I made the following disposition of my infantry and batteries. On my right, skir- mishers from the Twenty-Seventh Indiana penetrated the woods ; in my front, over Cedar Creek, in the timber upon the edge of the stubble-field, six companies of the Third Wiscon- sin Regiment were deployed ; while in the wood directly be- hind the cottage, to the north, my own Second Regiment was ready to respond to ny call. My two batteries covered the hill, the valley, and the hillside fringed with its dark lining of thick forest trees. Beyond was the bloody wheat-field, over which, though we did not know it then, the old reaper, Death, was hovering to gather up a more precious harvest than was promised in the sheaves of grain that dotted the ground.
* Banks's force in the field was officially stated as 6,289 infantry and artillery, with 30 guns, and a brigade of cavalry, approximately stated as 1,oco or 1,200, making an aggregate force of nearly 7,500 men of all arms. Pope's Official Report declares that it did not exceed S,cco.
t Testimony of Banks before Committee on Conduct of the War, Decem- ber 14, 1864, P. 45, vol. 3.
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CHAPTER VIII.
WHILE our troops were forming, Gen. Jackson was silently advancing. His leading division of three brigades was com- manded by Gen. Ewell, our old antagonist at Winchester. Gen. Early commanded the foremost brigade of this division, and was therefore the first of all the enemy's infantry to encounter our cavalry under Bayard. In the morning the enemy's artillery opened on our cavalry, before Roberts had crossed Cedar Creek with infantry; but Knapp's Battery replied, and the enemy withdrew. After the main body of our infantry had crossed the creek and taken up the line designated, Bayard formed his line on a ridge in the plain that held the corn-field, and about two thirds of a mile in advance of the infantry. In this position he received for a time the enemy's fire from his field-guns, and then fell back, but in a few minutes advanced again to the ridge.
As Early came up with his skirmishers, he scoured the woods on our left, of the road beyond the plain, but found no enemy until he came .in sight of the ridge, where, formed in daring array, he saw the fearless Bayard. Early then passed a short distance to his right of the road, and Bayard fell back before him to the crest of a second hill, which was in front of the rise or plateau containing our batteries and the infantry of Augur's Division. Although a large number of our cavalry remained in the wheat and corn fieldl, many retired even to the creek, across which they came in a haif-disordered state, as if some resistless power were brushing them back. At this time our batteries opened, and Early withdrew to a slight depres-
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sion behind the crest of the foremost ridge between the wood and the corn-field. Here he brought up four guns and engaged our batteries. As yet none of our infantry were visible in his front.
Hardly had Early taken up his position, when suddenly the two remaining brigades of Ewell's Division appeared on the northwest face of the mountain, at an elevation sev- eral hundred feet above the plain, where the whole scene of action was unfolded beneath them. Herc, two batteries, placed in position by Ewell, hurled shells upon our guns without molestation, as the enemy claim.
Winder now advanced his division along the Culpepper road as far as Early's left. His batteries were placed in eche- lon along the road, and his infantry stationed as follows : Campbell's* Brigade was in the woods fronting the wheat-field and opposite Crawford's, which was concealed by the woods on our side of the same field ; Taliaferro's Brigade was drawn up parallel to and facing the road, in rear of the batteries ; while Winder's or the Stonewall Brigade was in reserve ; Hill's Division of six brigades was still farther to the rear, but within supporting distance.
The fire from opposing batteries had been gradually grow- ing warmer until about 3 P. M., when it perceptibly increased. Although the enemy's guns seemed to have the advantage of the highest ground, our artillery practice was admirable, Indeed it was so on both sides. From where my brigade was stationed we could see our shells bursting in every direction over the enemy. From the plateau near the corn-field we answered the enemy from his lofty station on Cedar Mountain, from Early's right, and from Winder's Brigade in the Cul- pepper road, just beyond the wheat-field. On our right my . guns covered the wood in our front, and though silent, were ready to take part in the tragedy unfolding before us.
Between three and four o'clock, with a view of attacking,
* Command'ed by Garnett.
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Banks moved forward his whole line (excepting my brigade) about four hundred yards, saying to Gen. Roberts, Pope's chief-of-staff, that he thought he " should attack their batteries before night," that he did not " believe the enemy was in con siderable force yet," that " his men were in the best fighting condition," and that he " believed he could carry the field." So far, there had been no opposition to our advance, and this, perhaps, caused Banks to believe that he was frightening Jackson. A battalion from the Eighth and Twelfth Regulars, under Capt. Pitcher, from Prince's Brigade, had advanced on our left through the corn to within thirty yards of the enemy's line, where, despite grape, canister, and musketry, they maintained their position until their commander and nearly all the company-officers were killed or disabled, until, indeed, the general advance of their brigade. Before five o'clock Banks had determined on a new aggressive move- ment. It was to attack the enemy with two regiments, one from the left and another from the right of his line of battle. $ It was a remarkable movement. We have the official cor- respondence from Banks to Pope, announcing what had been done and what was to follow .*
" I have ordered a regiment from the right" (said Banks in his dispatch) "to advance." Crawford, peering across the wheat-field into the dark forest beyond, over which the smoke of Winder's batteries hung in thick clouds, aided Banks in giv- ing form to the shapeless plans which had flitted through the latter's brain. Banks would have attempted with one regiment
* AUGUST 9, 1862, 4.50 P. M.
To COL. RUGGLES,
Chief.ej .Sif : --
About four o'clock shots were exchanged with the skininishers. Artillery opened fire on both sides in a few moments. Ony regine at of rebel infantry advancing, now deployed as skirmishers. I have ordered a regiment from the right ( Wil- liams's Division) and one from the left (Augur's) to advance on the left and in front.
5 P. M. -- They are now approaching each other.
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the capture of the enemy's batteries in the Culpepper road, had not Crawford persuaded him to increase his force to a brigade.# At five o'clock in the afternoon Crawford was ordered to advance through the woods, preparatory to an attack upon the enemy's left flank.
Col. Ruger, commanding the six companies of the Third Wisconsin Regiment of my Brigade, had swept with his skir- mishers through the woods between my position and the wheat- field, without finding the enemy, when Gen. Williams received orders from Banks to send these companies to report to Craw- ford. Before Williams received this order, Crawford himself, in violation of military law or etiquette, had ordered the Wisconsin companies to join his troops then filing into the woods for the general charge which Banks contemplated mak- ing all along his line. To Crawford's unlawful order Ruger " replied that he was momentarily expecting orders from Gen. Gordon, his brigade-commander, and suggested that before taking his regiment from the brigade it would be better to have superior authority ; f at the same time he advanced his command towards Crawford's right. Crawford's appeal to Banks was answered through an order to Williams, commu- nicated to me; and thus six companies of the Third Wis- consin Regiment were detached from my brigade and placed on the right of Crawford's line.
As Crawford's Brigade, comprising the Fifth Connecticut, Twenty-Eighth New York, Forty-Sixth Pennsylvania, and Tenth Maine, will now claim our closest attention, we will cross over to the other side and look again upon our enemy's line of battle.
In front of the two brigades of Prince and Geary of Augur's Division was Early, reinforced by Thomas's Brigade of A. P.
" ""The enemy's line begins to appear here,' says Crawford to Banks; ' I must have more force." I sent him a brigade." - Banks before Committee on Conduct of the War.
t Wisconsin in the War, p. 253.
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Hill's Division, with their right resting on a clump of cedars and supported there by four batteries. This portion of the enemy's line extended to within half a mile of the mountain, upon the face of which and bearing upon the field were the two remaining brigades of Ewell with more batteries. . Here, therefore, were four brigades opposed to two on the left of our line, with the further advantage that two of the four were in an almost unassailable position, and were supported by bat- teries having a plunging fire upon us. In the road and opposite our right was stationed Winder's Division of three brigades, one of which, the Second (Campbell's), commanded by Col. Garnett, was in line in the woods on the edge of the wheat- field and immediately opposite Crawford. Then came Tal- inferro's Brigade, which closed the gap between Early's left and Garnett's right. The remaining brigade of Winder's Di- vision, the Stonewall, was in reserve, as also were five of the six brigades of Hill's Division, which were successively formed on the enemy's left of the road. Winder's reserve brigade was formed a little to the left of Branch, who was followed by Archer, Pender, Stafford, and Field .*
On our left we had two brigades preparing to charge through the corn-field upon three brigadest and four batteries in their front, while two brigades and more batteries of the enemy were ready to spring from the mountain-side upon their flank. On our right a single brigade confronted the enemy's left ; but here the enemy had only a single brigade in line of battle. Our three brigades confronted six of the enemy's with the advantage to the latter of receiving our attack in posi- tions strengthened by numerous batteries. These were the lines.
Now let us look at the reserves. On our side, on the extreme right. there yet remained my brigade of two regi- ments and the four companies of the Third Wisconsin that had not then been engaged; besides which there was the
* A. P. Hill's Report. t Thomas, Early, Taliaferro.
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Tenth Maine (our old Winchester associate), which for some unaccountable reason had been dropped out of Crawford's line when the regiments of his brigade moved forward, and was now destined, as we shall see, to wrestle alone with the enemy in a vain effort to retrieve the fortunes of the day. On the left of our line there was absolutely no reserve: so that against the six entire brigades of the enemy held in reserve we could throw barely four small regiments; * in numbers we could oppose the enemy's 8,000 by not over 2,500 men.
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