USA > Massachusetts > History of the Second Mass. Regiment of Infantry, third paper > Part 9
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While numbers of our cavalry made their way across the fields to the westward of the pike, Gen. Hatch, with a still larger body, turned back towards Strasburg with his six pieces of artillery. With this force, after gaining an advan- tageous site, he opened a rapid fire upon the enemy. Doubt- full whether Banlis's main force was yet in rear of had passed through Middletown, Jackson turned to attack Hatch, im- pressed with the belief that the latter was attempting to force a passage through his lines. With Taylor's Brigade formed in line south of the village, Jackson brought up his guns, supported them by Campbell's Brigade, and replied to the fire of Hatch's guns. After a short skirmish, a column of flame and smoke was seen arising from the bridge over Cedar Creek. The Zouaves d'Afrique, having been attacked
* Cooke's Life of Jackson, p. 146. Dabney's Life of Jackson, p. 99.
t Cooke's Life + : Jacksor, p. 146.
# Cooke's Life of Jackson, p. 146.
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by the part of Jackson's force that had swept southward, had fired the bridge and retreated to Strasburg. Then Hatch, convinced of the uselessness of the effort to cut his way through the enemy, turned to the left with his artillery, and made his way by narrow and obscure roads westward and northward, to effect, if possible, a junction with the main column. Six companies of the Fifth New York Cavalry and six of the First Vermont Cavalry, after repeated efforts to join the column, fell back to Strasburg.
The subsequent history of this force we may as well give here. The six companies of the Fifth New York Cavalry, under Col. De Forest, came into our lines via Hancock, at Clear Spring, north of the Potomac, bringing with them ti:irty-two wagons and many stragglers; the Zouaves joined us at Williamsport; the Fifth Vermont joined the column at Winchester, with six pieces of artillery, in time for the fight ; and Gen. Hatch joined us in a few hours, as will appear. Major Collins of the cavalry, with three companies, attempted after dusk to proceed up the road towards Middletown, intend- ing to turn off where the main body under Hatch left the pike ; but mistaking the point, he dashed upon a barricade of wagons, and was received by the enemy with a tempestuous fire of infantry and artillery, from which he suffered griev- ously. This disposes of the entire force which was cut off from our column when Jackson struck us at Middletown.
If it was.not apparent at this time to Gen. Stonewall Jack- son that his game was not on that hunt, it was not for lack of evidence of that fact. The citizens of Middletown " informed Jackson that dense columns of infantry, trains of artillery, and long lines of baggage-wagons had been passing through there from Strasburg since early morning." * Indeed, there was better evidence of this fact; for upon casting his eyes north- ward, our wagons were seen as he first entered the town, disappearing in the distance towards Winchester. f * Cooke, p. 146. t Dabney, p. 99.
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As bitter as Jackson's disappointment may have been at this time, at the utter failure of his plans, he did not pause for a moment to bewail his fate in either prayers or sighs, but turning to Ashby, and ordering him to pursue with his cavalry, artillery, and Taylor's brigade of infantry, he turned his own face towards Winchester, and with the Stonewall Brigade in front, advanced with his whole army towards Newtown .*
For a description of the six miles between Middletown and Newtown, we must rely upon the enemy. That their nar- rative is unhappily too strongly founded on facts of our own knowledge, we must admit. The six miles of wagons that were strung along the road, when, between cleven and twelve o'clock, Banks had his first skirmish with Stewart's cavalry, had followed on at the rear of my brigade, so that when I reached Newtown they were mainly scattered from Mid- dletown to that place. But the manner of it is given as follows : "The deserted wagon-train of the enemy was found standing in many cases with horses attached, and occu- pying the road for a mile." t " The whole road was strewn with broken-down wagons, guns, knapsacks, oil-cloths, and accoutrements of every description." # When the unarmed and unescorted teamsters saw our cavalry scattered to the four winds at a breath by Jackson's sudden attack at Middle- town, there is not much doubt that all of them made off without any retarding attachments of wagons; and as little, when Ashby came up with the rear of our trains, and opened fire with his batteries all along the turnpike, that the first confusion was like a saint's rest to the last. "A shell or round shot would strike one of the wagons and overturn it, and before those behind could stop their headway, they would crash into the ruins of the first, then others would tum- ble in, so as to block up the road completely." § Thus did
* Dabney's Life of Jacksor, p. 9.
/ Cooke's Life of Jackson. p. 145.
! Dabrey, p. 99.
$ Cooke, p. 145.
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Ashby's cavalry thunder down on the defenceless wagons lining the road between Middletown and Newtown.
It was this contest I had heard. The fugitives from this unequal combat of cavalry, artillery, and Jackson's infantry, with our cavalry and six miles of teamsters, were those who had been sent by me to pour into the ears of Banks the story of our disaster, the crime of our wretched halt at Stras- burg during the preceding night. It was this General Stone- wall Jackson at the head of his army that I was now con- fronting at Newtown.
The time occupied in returning to Newtown from Barton- ville,* and driving the enemy out of the town, brings this narrative up to nearly four o'clock in the afternoon. Four o'clock, five, six, seven, and eight at night found us still holding the town. The fight had settled into an artillery combat, and to this there was no cessation. Again and again, a pause for a few moments gave me hope that I had silenced the enemy's guns; but again and again their fire was spitefully resumed. For hours I held no communication with Gen. Banks, had not seen or heard from him since we left Bartonville. I looked upon my position as most perilous : my force was small, could cover only a small front. How long before I should be surrounded, cut off from Winchester, and captured !
It was after sunset, when, in the growing twilight, I saw, to my joy, Gen. Hatch approaching. In a few words he acquainted me with his escape. He had come in by a cir- cuitous road to the left, bringing with him the greater part of his cavalry, which was then safe at Winchester, but all his baggage had been captured. Gen. Hatch confirmed my fears of the numbers of the enemy; he told me that they had set upon him in strong force; that they had taken a portion of the rear of our train, and such stores as
+ So called on the Government map of our operations in the valley.
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were left at Cedar Creek, and such forces as had not haply escaped. Gen. Hatch also dwelt with much feeling upon the mistake made by Capt. Collins of the cavalry in char- ging upon the enemy's barricade; his losses were mourned with more than ordinary expressions of sorrow. The com- mand of the rear properly belonged to Gen. Hatch, for two reasons : it had been assigned to him by Gen. Banks; and he was my serior in rank. I tendered to him the command, but with much courtesy the general replied tliat he could not do better than I was doing, and he should decline to take it. Of course I assented, and Gen. Hatch, after leaving with me six companies of the cavalry that attended him, left with his staff for Winchester. Throwing the cavalry well out on my fanks, I continued the fight.
It was sometime after sunset, near eight o'clock, when an unexpected visitor came into my lines, and was brought before me. It was one of Jackson's medical officers, a sur- geon attached to one of our enemy's Maryland batteries. While more than half drunk, probably on our liquor found in the captured wagons, the non-combatant surgeon stumbled into one of my batteries, supposing it to be his own. Not too much intoxicated to recognize the blue uniform of the Federal troops, and with wits quickened by danger, he demanded with admirable coolness the surrender of the first man he confronted.
"Surrender!" replied the buily sergeant. " Who are you ?" "I am a Confederate officer," replied the man.
"I guess you'd better surrender yourself, then," was the motort, with a revolver presented at the surgeon's head. Without more ado he was detained in the heavy grasp of his captor, and brought before me. Our commissary whiskey hall so cheered his spirits that our captive was without pru- dence. In a word, he let out that our position was most perilous.
" What are you doing here ?" he asked.
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"Don't you see," I replied, "what we are doing ?"
" Why," exclaimed my inebriated prisoner, " you'd better get out of this. We are all around you !"
Glimpses of sobriety followed a partial shock, as he realized his situation, and he mingled exclamations of surprise, regret, and self-condemnation with a caution to treat him well; "for," said he, "you will all be in the same condition as myself before morning."
" You have no idea of our force," he added ; " they are all around you, and will have every one of you, and Winchester, too, if not to-night, certainly in the morning."
" What are the numbers of your forces ?" I asked.
" From 20,000 to 40,000 men, under the command of Gen- erals Jackson, Ewell, and Johnston, with Gen. Jackson as commander-in-chief," was his reply.
I could not doubt that the enemy were making their way slowly around us, - were even so near that they could easily stray into my lines for their own. I had driven them from Newtown, and held it for nearly four hours ; all our trains in advance were secure and in Winchester ; Gen. Hatch and his rear-guard, save those captured or in flight over the mountains to the west, were safe ; and ample time had been afforded Gen. Banks to remove all the public property in Winchester or destroy it. All that I could do was done, and I determined to withdraw .* My dispositions were soon made.
* I: is pleasant to find Southern writers confirming all I have here claimed to have accomplished. " They brought up four pieces of artillery and planted them in the outskirts of the town, opening a furious fire upon the Confederate bat- tories. . . Jackson Lastened to the front, au l when he arrived at Newtown found Poague with two guns engaged in a hot combat with the Federal artillery, which continued to check his further advarce until dark. . . At nightfall . the Federal artillery, which had held the Confederate advance in check at New- town, retired from the field, and Jackson determined to push on after Banks to Winchester." - Cooke's Life of Jackson, 22. 147, 148.
" The rifled guns of Poague were immediately placed in position, upon arriving I tut Newt wn, on an opposing eminence, and replied to the Federal batteries on
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The Second Massachusetts I ordered to cover our march; the Twenty-Seventh Indiana I directed to burn the disabled wagons, distribute among the men all the clothing and mate- rial they could carry, and haul in by hand such wagons as were whole, if the animals I had sent for did not arrive. With cavalry and one section of artillery, followed by the Twenty-Eighth New York Regiment and the Twenty-Seventh Indiana, I prepared to move forward in the darkness upon my march of about five and a half miles to Winchester, not knowing at what moment I should be intercepted from the many roads that were open to the enemy. To aid Lieut .- Col. Andrews, in command of the rear-guard, I strengthened him with cavalry and one section of artillery. There was delay in withdrawing, but we got off well and with a compact column. How we progressed will follow after we have seen why we were allowed by Jackson to hold his immensely superior numbers in check for so many hours at Newtown.
Ashby's cavalry. Taylor's Brigade of infantry, and a rifled battery of six guns we left at Middletown, as advance-guard to the force, commanded by Gen. Jackson in person, that was starting in pursuit of our retreating wagon-train.
To Newtown as we have said, it was six miles ; the hour was between two and three. Although a vagon-train of six miles is not usually a formidable opponent to such a cominand, in this case, according to Southern writers, it proved a very devil in their path ; for after Poague's guns had bowled down wagons enough, the whole Southern army became at once intent only on pillage. In vain did Ashby attempt to rally them, to push on after the disordered baggage-wagons : they would neither hear nor obey, but scattered in pursuit, not of the enemy, but of plunder; and thus Ashby was obliged to arrest the pursuit. "Alas !" groans the Southern his-
the right of the village with effect : but it was sundown before they were dis- Judged-an.l the pursuit resumed .? -- Da'ner, p. IC'.
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torian, with agony somewhat allayed by the "curious ineffi- ciency of discipline in the Confederacy,"* "the firing had not ceased in the first onset upon Federal cavalry at Mid- dletown before some of Ashby's men might have been seen, like horse-thieves, seizing two or three captured horses, and making off with them across the fields, and not stopping until they had carried their illegal booty to their homes, in some instances two or three days' marches." i
The artillery of Poague had, however, resisting the allure- ments of plunder, pushed on ahead, and arrived near Newtown without any species of support. ¿
We may now follow the course of our column to Winches- ter. The silence of our guns had hardly given warning to the enemy of our withdrawal, when the growing darkness was illuminated by our burning wagons, which, lighting up the surrounding country, shed a lurid glare even up to the streets of Newtown itself. All that had not been removed were destroyed. As Jackson, at the head of his column, rode through the streets of Newtown, the people gave him the welcome of a conqueror. "They illuminated their houses; they embraced the soldiers; and bringing into the streets bread, meat, pickles, pies, and everything they could raise, they forced them upon their bili-starved soldiers. They were crazy with joy at the sight of the gray uniforms." S Truly, a striking contrast this to the lifeless desertion that reigned during our occupancy.
As the red light of our burning wagons mingled with the cheerful illumination of the town, we heard the resounding
$ Dabney's Life of Jackson, p. 102.
f Cooke's Life of Stonewall Jackson, p. 147.
# Gen. Jackson was disappointed to find his artillery unattended and wholly unsupported by his cavalry. "This misconduct nearly prevented him from scouring the fruits of a'l his marching and fighting." --- De ney.
" He was much displeased with Ashby, with whom he had many hot words." - Cooke, p. 14. E
$ Croke, p. I.S.
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cheers of our enemies, who moved rapidly on to find the coveted stores reduced to blazing wagons * and pontoon boats, blackened heaps of rice, beef, and bread intermingled with bands and bars of glowing iron. i Jackson made no halt in his march ; but at the head of his column, without a moment's pause for food or sleep, with a small advance-guard of cavalry, he pushed on, to prevent, if possible, our occupancy of a range of hills to the south and west of the town of Winchester, which would command his approaches. # The night was calm, but dark. Pursners and pursued had passed over the half-mile to Bartonville, and reached the creek which crosses the road south of the town, when the enemy, with their com- mander at their head, was upon us.
Lieut .- Col. Andrews had thrown out as his rear-guard three companies of the Second, Captains Abbott and Cogs- well, with a third company, Captain Williams, as flankers. At a short distance in advance were the remaining com- pinies of the regiment, and before them artillery, infantry, and cavalry, as described. The rear-guard was on the south side of the creek In this posture of affairs, Jackson with his escort came unconsciously almost up to themn. He was received by Major Dwight, who commanded the rear, by a volley delivered at short range with perfect coolness and great effect. Major Dwight's formation was judicious : Capt. Abbott commanded one platoon, posted on one side of the road; Capt. Cogswell another, on the other side; while in the centre were two platoons from these companies formed in square, under command of Lieut. Grafton. The effect
* I barned the seven or eight wagons which had been overthrown, and could not be transported for want of animals. - Gor den's Repert.
t Cooke says, p. 14S, " Beyond Newtown the spectacle along the roads was even taore striking than that presented near Middletown. Hundreds of abandoned, overturned, o. burning wagons, filled with stores of every description, were en- countered by the troops.
See also Dabney, p. 102.
t Dabney, p. 104.
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of this fire was such a surprise to the enemy that Jackson's cavalry escort, upon whom it fell, drew rein, wavered for a moment, and fell back out of range. Then came a single shell from the enemy's battery, which was replied to by another volley from the rear-guard, delivered without seeing the enemy.
Col. Andrews now changed the rear-guard, supplying their places with Company 1, Capt. Underwood, and Co. D, Capt. Savage, as flankers. The remainder of the regiment then moved on to where their knapsacks had been deposited, while the new rear-guard was stationed on the north side of the creek. By this time Jackson had again brought up his cavalry escort, and commanded, in crisp, sharp tones, over- heard by our men, "Charge them! Charge them!" Advan- cing, but unsteadily, for a little space, they came again in good range of Company I, and were received by Capt. Underwood with a hot fire, delivered, like the first, with perfect coolness, upon which a second time they turned, and fled past Gen. Jackson himself, carrying him and his attendants along with them,* and riding down several cannoneers, who had been brought up to their support, thus leaving Jackson with his staff alone in the road .; Towering with indignation, Jackson turned to the officer next him exclaiming, "Shameful!" then added, " Did you see any one struck, sir? Did you see any- body struck ? Surely they need not have run, at least until they were hurt !"
Jackson then called up a Virginia regiment, the Thirty- Third Infantry, Col. Neff, and sent it in to attack Co. I. Advancing abreast of Jackson's column. the infantry threw out skirmishers, who were soon engaged with Capt. Under- wood. The skirmish lasted about ten minutes, and was very severe, but it was sustained and replied to by Company I in a most creditable manner. The heat of this engage- ment caused Col. Andrews to send forward, in support of
Dabney, p. 103.
1 Dabney, pp. 103, 104.
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this Company on the right and left, platoons from Compa- nies Band C, Captains Cogswell and Williams. The increased fire produced a marked effect upon the enemy, but it did not destroy him. In the few minutes of the fight our loss was severe. When the men had all taken their knapsacks, the march of the rear-guard was resumed, and Jackson's col- umn for a time saved from further "insult," as his historian called it. So pertinacious was our stand here that the enemy admit that they brought up three regiments of the Stonewall Brigade, the Twenty-Seventh, Second, and Fifth Virginia Regiments, and that the affair grew to the dimensions of a night combat before we gave way .*
Necessary delays in burning the wagons and abandoned
* Dabney, p. 104.
An officer of the Second Massachusetts Regiment, Major Francis, places the fighting part of the rear-guard nearly as I have given it, but he says that Com- panies A and C formed square after the skirmishers had rallied, -- the former one hundred feet from the road on the eastern side, and the latter the same distance on the western side. When the rebel cavalry came down, he says. " Both com- pantes could plainly see them. though not visible themselves. A treacherous gun filed by ore of our men in the road prevented our companies from doing the execution they otherwise would. This one shot brought the cavalry to a halt, at the top of the sinall hill south of the bridge, and it was time for Companies A a' d C' to fire, if at all, and they each fired one volley, which sent the rebels flying ba - art the bill, and all was quiet for the space of half an hour or more. Both companies were now placed in the road, and here a prisoner was captured. He came down the road thinking we were Confederates, but upon discovering Hi- mistake trie I to pass himself of as belonging to a New York Regiment, and then confessed that he belonged to a Virginia Regiment. He was then put under a pard of two men from Company A. Soon afterwards Companies A and C were relieved by Company I, which took up a position across the road on the northeri; side of the creek close to the bridge, and he thinks Company D de. ned as skirmishers on both . iles of the road. While the rear-guard was in this position, and the other companies getting their knapsacks, a second attack was made by the enemy, but this time it was with infantry skirmishers. The fring we sharp, but we maintained our position." There was some confusion here : our own cavalry rode into us, and the prisoner took advantage of it, and tried to escape, but was promptly shot dead by private Huntley, of Company A, one of the guard. Major Francis's horse was wounded in this last attack, two slight wounds by bickshot.
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property, and recovering the knapsacks, had caused the head of my column to advance faster than the rear-guard ; so that when I heard the single gun followed by volleys of infantry, I sent to inquire as to the force attacking, and received the reply from Col. Andrews that he was somewhat annoyed with skirmishing cavalry. I, sent back the two companies of our cavalry which I had retained, and a section of Best's Battery, with instructions to give the enemy a heavy fire of grape if they closed upon the rear. This pressure did not allay my apprehension for the safety of my column ; for although there were many roads through which, in the darkness, the enemy could pass unperceived between my command and Winches- ter, the most threatening, and the one from which I was most fearful, was that in which both roads, on which the enemy were marching, converged at Winchester. Either there, of on a road which joined the pike east of Kernstown, my information led me to believe the enemy would make this attempt.
Feeling that Col. Andrews had been sufficently rein- forced, I pressed on with the Twenty-Seventh Indiana and Twenty-Eighth New York, arriving at the outskirts of Win- chester between eleven and twelve o'clock at night. The road was then clear. I had hardly selected a bivouac for the regiments of my brigade, when a messenger from the rear announced that Col. Andrews was in want of ambulances. Sending my aid, Lieut. Scott, in search of them, I seated myself by a few embers by the roadside and waited impatiently for Col. Andrews's arrival. Frequent reports from that officer had advised me since his skirmish at Bartonville, of his good progress ; but that progress was slow. He was impeded by his wounded, who were being transported on gun-carriages, and by the necessity of keeping his skirmishers well out to his rear and on his flanks. In this manner Col. Andrews reached Kernstown, two and a half miles from Winchester, without further molestation. Here he determined to con-
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vey his wounded no further on gun-carriages, but await the arrival of the ambulances. And here again the regiment was overtaken by the enemy.
The rear-guard was, as it had been, under command of Major Dwight, the remainder of the regiment in column in the road, and the wounded just transported into a brick house to be used as a hospital. Impatient at the delay, I returned to Kernstown with a single orderly, and came up to our regiment at about one o'clock at night. Rather a severe skirmish was then going on between Captain Under- wood's company, then rear-guard, and the enemy. The darkness of the night concealed the foe, while our column, formed in the middle of the road, offered a good mark. As the enemy approached they were greeted with a warm fire upon their right, left, and front, from the rifles of the Second .*
The halt here was short, as delay was dangerous. To wait longer for ambulances would have been folly, so the march was resumed ; but we were obliged to leave our wounded in the hands of the enemy, and with them Dr. Leland, surgeon of the Second. The remaining two and a half miles to the outskirts of Winchester were made without molestation. It was two o'clock in the morning of the 25th of May when, with the other regiments of my command, the Second sank down to rest just outside the town. Our loss during the night had been three killed and seventeen wounded in the Second Massachusetts alone. Without fires and without food, or so little that it served to tempt, not satisfy the appetite, the troops, overcome with fatigue, fell asleep where they were halted, -all except Captain Cogswell, who was ordered, with
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