USA > Massachusetts > History of the Thirty-seventh Regiment, Mass., Volunteers, in the civil war of 1861-1865, with a comprehensive sketch of the doings of Massachusetts as a state, and of the principal campaigns of the war > Part 23
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263
A MARCH TO MADISON COURT HOUSE.
well's division of the Second Corps crossed the river, gaining some advantages. Hays's division was sent over in support, but both withdrew during the night and after another day of skir- mishing and demonstrating across the stream the expedition re- turned to camp.
Nothing had been accomplished beyond the loss of a few hun- dred men by the Army of the Potomac, but the reports received convinced General Meade and the military directors at Washing- ton that a properly managed movement of similar nature might succeed, and late in the month General Kilpatrick with a picked cavalry force of 4,000 men and some horse artillery was sent forth upon the undertaking. His purpose was to move by the most direct route possible past the right flank of Lee's army and by way of Spottsylvania Court House straight to Richmond, release the Union prisoners there and condnet them to Williams- burg, distributing on his way the recently issned amnesty pro- clamation of President Lincoln. At the same time a strong demonstration was to be made around the left of the Confeder- ate army by the Sixth Corps, which was to move as far as Madi- son Court House, where ,Custer's cavalry would pass it and push forward as far as the Rivanna river near Charlottesville. Bir- ney's division of the Third Corps was to move to James City in support of the Sixth, and the entire army was to be held in readiness to march at a moment's notice if wanted. This part of the movement was under the direction of General Sedgwick, and it scarcely needs be said that it was promptly and efficiently carried out.
The Thirty-seventh received its preparatory orders in the after- noon of the 26th, and about 9 o'clock next morning the line was formed and the column moved away toward Culpeper, which was passed during the day and bivouac made for the night at James City,-a characteristic Virginia town, consisting of one dwelling, a deserted building which had once been a store, and a few dil- pidated out-buildings whose excuse for existing at all no one svemed able to determine. The men were quite weary with the march of 17 miles and slept soundly, though the camp was early astir in the morning. The forenoon was well advanced before
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WINTER ON THE RAPIDAN.
the march was resumed, however, nor was it pursued vigorously . during the day. Shortly after noon Robertson's river was reached, on the banks of which the regiment cooked coffee, rested for an hour or two and then pushed forward within a mile of Madison Court House, where the corps was disposed in order of battle and bivouacked for the night.
Forty-eight hours were passed in this position, the last 24 of which were supremely uncomfortable, as it stormed incessantly, a snowy, sleety rain which froze as it fell, and from which the men had very inadequate protection, having left their shelter tents behind. About dark the regiment was ordered under arms and moved back across Robertson's river, going into bivouac after marching a mile further. It was a very cheerless resting place for human beings, as it was in an open field where the mud seemed to reach a uniform depth of about a foot, the mingling snow and rain was still falling, and it was so dark that the near- est objects were barely distinguishable. Sleep or rest was out of the question, and the men passed the dragging hours as best they could. Next morning, March 2, the faces of the wearied corps were turned toward "home"-for it thus they felt and spoke vi Camp Sedgwick-and at 6 o'clock that night, after an intensely wearying march of 20 miles over muddy, slippery roads which seemed simply interminable they entered the familiar streets. Many had fallen behind in the last few miles, unable to retain the speed with which their more vigorous comrades were press- ing toward the old camp and its comparatively comfortable quarters. One of their number, Private Henry A. Mell of Com- pany F, fell exhausted and died on the way, but apart from his sad fate the regiment met with no direct loss during the expedition.
The storm had made of what would otherwise have been !!! agreeable break in the monotony of camp life an exceedingly trying experience. The men could see no fruits of their labor. There had been nothing approaching the nature of an engag. . ment, only a wearying trip through a desolate region. ... wonder that an irreverent sufferer when asked by an invalid 2. camp where he had been replied with a snarl and an oath, " Four- teen miles beyond God's knowledge!" But presently the tiding.
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PREPARING FOR THE CAMPAIGN.
came that Kilpatrick, though failing to enter Richmond, had actually been within its defenses and had inflicted serious injury on the railroads in the rear of Lee's army, and it was then under- stood that the purpose of Sedwick's movement had been fully accomplished.
For some weeks many of the officers in the army had enjoyed the presence in camp of their wives and other friends, among the number being the wives of Chaplain Morse and Captain Edwards, who had been left in camp during the absence of the reg- iment, but soon afterward all visiting friends took their departure and the signs of the camp pointed unmistakably in the direction of a resumption of active campaigning. In fact though the act- ual time for movement was still some distance in the future, events of the greatest importance to the army were constantly transpiring.
With the close of February Congress had revived the rank of Lieutenant-General in the Army of the United States, President Lincoln at once nominated General Grant to the office, he was promptly confirmed by the Senate and a few days later-having been summoned to Washington-was by the President assigned to the command of all the armies in the field. On the 11th of March he visited the Army of the Potomac, and the rumor that he intended to make his head-quarters with that army was heard with gladness. As the rumor became a certainty, and the soldiers marched past him in review, hope swelled in every breast. With the prestige of almost unvarying success in the scenes of his former endeavor, it was but natural to hope that decisive vic- tory would crown his efforts in the larger field, that the object of the war would speedily be accomplished and the citizen soldiers return once more to the homes and friends they had left at the call of duty.
A few changes in the regimental roster of officers had occurred during the winter and early spring prior to the opening of the campaign. First Lientenant Andrew L. Bush of Company H, disabled after once returning to duty by the outbreak of the wound received at Gettysburg, was discharged February 5: dat- ing from the 9th of the same month Second Lieutenant John S.
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WINTER ON THE RAPIDAN.
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Bradley of Company G was made first lieutenant and mustered into Company H. Sergeant Joseph Follanshee of Company G was commissioned second lieutentant vice Bradley, and First Ser- geant George E. Cooke of Company F was made second lieuten- ant of that company, both being mustered April 28, though their commissions dated from the occurrence of the vacancies they filled. Assistant Surgeon Thomas C. Lawton resigned February 23, and March 27 Dr. Elisha M. White of Boston was appointed to the vacancy. Captain John B. Mulloy of Company K was hon- orably discharged by Special Order of the War Department April . 4, and on his refusal of a reinstatement which was offered, First Lieutenant Charles L. Edwards received promotion and was mustered as Captain of Company D. Second Lieutenant Walter B. Smith, who had previously been transferred from Company E to Company C, was promoted to first lieutenant of Company D. Among the officers on detached service at this time were Captain A. S. Flagg on recruiting duty in Massachusetts and Lieutenant C. S. Bardwell in command of the brigade pioneer corps. Captain Flagg did not return to duty in the regiment, being honorably discharged for disability May 14 .*
* Captain Flagg was immediately recommissioned as captain by Governor Andrew and assigned to staff dety, serving with Generals Thomas, Sherman, Meagher, Schofield and Howard, the latter for a period of more than a year, till his final muster out in June, 1560.
CHAPTER XIII.
- - NINE DAYS OF CARNAGE.
THE REORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY .- THE GRAPPLE IN THE WILDERNESS .- BY THE LEFT FLANK TO SPOTTSYLVANIA .- DEATH OF SEDGWICK .- "THE ANGLE."
During the latter part of March, 1864, the Army of the Poto- mac was largely reorganized, the five corps being consolidated to three,-the Second, commanded by General Winfield S. Hancock; the Fifth, under General Gouverneur K. Warren; and the Sixth, General John Sedgwick-the latter the senior corps commander. The old Second Corps had been consolidated into two divisions of four and three brigades respectively, the First commanded by General Francis C. Barlow and the Second by General John Gibbon. The 35 regiments of the Third Corps were consolidated into four brigades, two each of which formed the Third Division of the new Second Corps, commanded by General David B. Bir- ney, and the Fourth Division, General Gershom Mott. The old Fifth Corps was likwise reduced to two divisions of the new,- the First of three brigades under General Charles Griffin and the Third (Pennsylvania Reserves) of two brigades under Gen- eral Samuel W. Crawford. The Second and Fourth Divisions of three brigades each were made up of the old First Corps and commanded respectively by Generals John C. Robinson and James S. Wadsworth. The old Sixth Corps was likewise consol- idated to two divisions. the Third being broken up. Wheaton's brigade was made the First of the Second Division and Eustis's became the Fourth, while Shaler's was known as the Fourth Brigade of the First Division. The corps organization was thus modified as follows: First Division. General Horatio G. Wright, composed of the brigades of Colonel Henry W. Brown
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NINE DAYS OF CARNAGE.
(New Jersey Brigade), Colonel Emory Upton, General David A. Russell and General Alexander Shaler; the Second Division. General George W. Getty, had the brigades of General Frank Wheaton, Colonel Lewis A. Grant (Vermont Brigade), General Thomas H. Neill and General Henry L. Eustis. The new Third Division was made up of the troops which had been attached to the First Corps as a provisional division directly after the battle of Gettysburg, being at that time commanded by General H. S. Briggs, now placed under General James B. Ricketts, the two brigades being commanded by General William H. Morris and Colonel Benjamin F. Smith-the latter being relieved May 5, by General Truman Seymour. The artillery of the corps con- sisted of nine batteries under Colonel Charles H. Tompkins. General Kilpatrick having been relieved from the command of the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, that important arm of the service was placed under the command of General Philip H. Sheridan, who had commanded an infantry division in the Army of the Cumberland with signal ability. The three divisions of the corps were made np as follows: First, General A. T. A. Torbert, composed of the brigades of General George A. Custer, Colonel Thomas C. Devin, and General Wesley Merritt: the Second Division, General David M. Gregg, had the brigades of General Henry E. Davies, Jr., and Colonel J. Irving Gregg; the Third Division, General James B. Wilson, had also two brigades under Colonel T. M. Bryan, Jr., and Colonel George H. Chapman.
The transfer of Enstis's Brigade to the Second Division was made March 24, and the men exchanged for the white the blue crosses which they had worn since the adoption of the corps badge system. The brigade was now one of the smallest in the army, the consolidation making many brigades consist of from eight to teu regiments. In fact the tendeney everywhere was to consolidation and concentration, to such a degrec that from this time onward the general reader must lose sight of all the minor organizations. Troops were moved in the campaigns which followed by corps and divisions, brigades were rarely spoken.of. regiments passed out of consideration in the magnitude of the struggles between what were henceforth to be the principal con-
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269
GRANT'S PLANS FOR THE CAMPAIGN.
testing armies of the government and its would-be destroyers. Through this maze we must follow the Thirty-seventh as it goes forth to win its greatest renown and prove its quality as " a fight- ing regiment." Up to this time it had scarcely felt the supreme shock of battle. Placed often where its discipline and firmness were well tested, and never with other than the highest credit to itself, it had still in a remarkable degree escaped the horrible decimation which was henceforth so often to tear its serried ranks into mere bleeding fragments. It was not to be expected that the future should bring to the regiment as an organization the good fortune which had thus far attended it, and this feeling was voiced by many a thoughtful man, whether wearing a sword or bearing the musket. There was the general feeling that Grant would strike no uncertain blow, and past experience in conflict with the Army of Northern Virginia gave the best pos- sible assurance that the foe would give back blow for blow to the last desperate extremity.
The closing days of March and the early part of April were marked by severe and successive storms, rain and snow alternat- ing and making the roads very bad. While the armies were thus weather-bonnd the general commanding was perfecting his plans for the campaign which was to open as soon as the roads were practicable. His scheme contemplated the active and sim- ultaneous employment of all the Union armies in concert, thus requiring of the enemy a similar use of his forces and prevent- ing the drawing of troops from one army to reinforce another, as had so often been done in the past when the action of the Union armies had been without concert. Accordingly the com- mand of all the troops between the Alleghanies and the Missis- sippi river had been bestowed upon General Sherman, and he was directed to move upon the Confederate army, intrenched near Dalton, Ga., and commanded by General Johnston since the promotion of General Bragg to general-in-chief. The ob- jective point of Sherman's advance was to be Atlanta, the rail- road, manufacturing and military center of the state. Grant's own head-quarters were to be with the Army of the Potomac, whose objective was to be the Confederate army commanded by
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NINE DAYS OF CARNAGE.
General Lee, the Army of the Potomac to remain under the im- mediate command of General Meade. Burnside with the Ninth Corps, which had been strengthened by a division of colored troops, was to join the Army of the Potomac, but for a time re- mained under the direct command of Grant. At the same time General Butler with the Tenth and Eighteenth Corps, some 30,000 in number, was to move against Richmond from the south by way of the James River and City Point, while General Sigel was to operate in the Shenandoah Valley, detaching a por- tion of his command for service under General Crook in the Kanawha region. The part taken by these co-operating columns will be referred to at the proper time; for the present the nar- rative must follow the Army of the Potomac and especially the fortunes of the Thirty-seventh regiment as a factor of that armny.
At the close of. April General Lee's army occupied practically the position of the previous autumn,-the right resting on the intrenched line of Mine Run, the left extending some 18 or 20 miles up the Rapidan. While this front line was held by a strong picket, the bulk of the army was encamped several miles in the rear, nearer the base of supplies, and Longstreet with his two divisions returned from East Tennessee was posted near Gordonsville, ready to move in either direction as the Union army should attempt the right or left flank movement.
The Confederate position was simply impregnable to a front attack, and it only remained to decide whether to move the Union army around its right or its left, and General Grant de- cided upon the former. The orders were accordingly issued for the beginning of the advance directly after midnight on the morning of the 4th of May. The Second Corps, preceded by Gregg's cavalry division, forming the left column, was to cross the Rapidan at Ely's Ford and advance to Chancellorsville : the right column, composed of Wilson's cavalry division, the Fifth Corps and the Sixth, was to cross at Germanna Ford and advance to Wilderness Tavern. It was intended by moving at midnight to bring the columns to the river soon after daylight, to effect : crossing without serious opposition: and it was further hoped that by a vigorous forward movement the two columns might
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211
FAREWELL TO CAMP SEDGWICK.
pass through the thickly wooded region known as " the Wilder- ness " and reach more favorable ground for military operations before the enemy should be able to concentrate in sufficient force to necessitate any heavy fighting. The first part of the pro- gramme was perfectly carried out ; the second part failed, owing to the vigilance and promptness of movement of the enemy.
As the Sixth Corps followed the Fifth the men were allowed a little longer rest on their last night in camp, but at half-past 2 the bugles called from slumber, the tents were taken down, knapsacks packed, breakfast prepared and eaten, and as the light of coming day began to brighten the East the column moved forward. It was some 15 miles from the camp of the Thirty- seventh to the crossing of the Rapidan at Germanna Ford, and as the day proved quite sultry and the march was made rapidly the men suffered much. The bridges were reached and crossed early in the afternoon. Two had been laid at each ford,-one of canvas and one of wooden boats, while one of the latter had been laid at Culpeper Mine Ford, between the crossings of the two columns, for the use of the trains. After the passage of the troops the canvas boats were taken up and accompanied the army, the wooden ones being left for the use of the trains, the Ninth Corps and Torbert's division of cavalry forming the rear guard. Strong works commanding the fords had been con- structed on the southern bank, but were not fully manned and only a few scattering picket shots opposed the Union advance.
The head of Hancock's corps reached its destination at Chan- cellorsville about 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and as the column came up the troops were concentrated and halted for the night. Warren was an hour or two later in reaching Widerness Tavern, and the Sixth Corps went into bivouac along the plank road leading from Germanna Ford, the rear near the ford, the Thirty- seventh having advanced some three miles.
Just after sunset religious services were held by the chaplain, in which a considerable portion of the regiment joined, not a few of whom were never again to enjoy such an occasion. Warm as had been the day. the night was uncomfortably cool. as the mountains to the westward had but a day or two before been
272
NINE DAYS OF CARNAGE.
covered with snow. At an early hour the encampment was still, the men seeking rest to fortify them for the unknown trials of the coming day. Here and there a group might be seen after the majority had gone to rest holding earnest conference as men might well do over whom the shadow of death rested ; while others, without thought save of the present moment, were en- gaged in games or enjoying the luxury which some fortunate foraging enterprise had provided.
At 6 o'clock of the morning of the 5th the regiment marched, in its place in the column, moving slowly till about noon when it reached its destination at Wilderness Tavern. It was intended that Hancock and Warren should push forward to points on the Catharpin road to the southwest of the positions they then occu- pied, orders to that effect had been issued and the troops began to move accordingly in the morning ; but it was soon found that Confederates in considerable numbers were within a short dis- tance on the turnpike in Warren's front, and both columns were halted till they should be dispersed. It proved to be Ewell's corps coming down in force to strike the Union army in the flank, and when Sedgwick reached the Tavern he found the bat- tle developing in a serious manner.
The point of contact was about midway between the battle- field of Chancellorsville and the scene of operations at Mine Run, all three movements covering more or less of the same ground. We have already noticed that through this section of the country the old Orange turnpike and the Orange or Gordonsville plank road run nearly parallel and from two to three miles apart, the course being a little to the south of west. The Germanna plank road. coming in from the northwest, crosses the turnpike a little to the west of Wilderness Tavern and continues through to the Orange plank road, which it joins near Hickman's house. Something less than a mile west of this junction the Brock road comes up from the southeast, crosses the Orange plank road, and running thence in a general northerly direction across the Germanna Ford plank road continues through to the turnpike, which it enters some three-fourths of a mile to the east of Wilderness Tavern. With the exception of the roads described the region was traversed
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273
GETTING INTO THE WILDERNESS.
only by various by-ways and wood roads, little better than trails, in one of the best of which General French's command had be- come hopelessly entangled the previous November. These were all well known to the Confederate commander or to soldiers in his army, while they were wholly unknown to the Federal officers and soldiers. Add to this that the entire region was covered with a forest so dense that no use could be made of artillery. choked with underbrush in many parts so thick that a line of battle could scarcely be discerned at 10 paces, and it will be seen against what obstacles the Union soldiers contended in the battle of the Wilderness.
General Lee seemed to have divined very nearly the time and direction of the contemplated movement of the Army of the Potomac. At any rate he was fully prepared for it, and when on the morning of the 4th his signal corps reported Grant's army in motion he promptly dispatched Ewell by the turnpike and Hill by the plank road to fall upon the moving columns be- fore they should reach open ground, while Longstreet was sum- moned up from Gordonsville in haste.
Half a mile southwest of the Tavern was Lacy farm, a cultiva- ted tract in the midst of general desolation, which covering an extensive knoll commanded a view of the wide-spreading tangled forest. Here Grant and Meade took up their positions, while Warren moved Griffin's and Wadsworth's divisions of his corps westward along the pike in search of Ewell's advance. At the same time the report of Hill's column on the plank road left no doubt that a general engagement was at hand. Hancock had started out early in the morning, marching nearly due south. and his advance was beyond Todd's Tavern, moving directly away from the scene of conflict, when he received the order to halt, followed presently by one to march by the Brock road to its junction with the Orange plank road and place his corps in the path of Hill's advance. Meantime Sedgwick, coming up the fiormanna road, was ordered to connect with and prolong the right of the Fifth Corps, or rather of Griffin's division of it, to the north of the turnpike. This was promptly done with Wright's division, Neill's brigade of the Second and Seymour's
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NINE DAYS OF CARNAGE.
brigade of the Third Division. Morris's brigade remained at the Ford covering the bridges till the arrival of the Ninth Corps, while General Getty with his remaining three brigades was sent down the Brock road to the Orange plank road with instructions to advance along the latter and if possible drive the Confederates whom he might encounter back beyond Parker's store, some three miles to the westward.
About noon the fighting began in earnest. Griffin's division, making its way as best it could through the tangled undergrowth, came suddenly upon a Confederate line of battle, charged im- petuously and drove it back. This was Jones's brigade of John- son's division, and Jones was killed at the time that his force was scattered, but strong reinforcements were encountered im- mediately and the Federal advance was in turn driven back. The only two pieces of artillery which Griffin had been able to get into action, advancing them along the turnpike, were abandoned, the horses being killed, and finally fell into the hands of the enemy. General Wadsworth's division was ordered forward through the thicket south of the turnpike to connect with Griffin's line and prolong it to the sonth. The result strik- ingly illustrates the terrible difficulties encountered in moving troops through such a jungle. The division was formed in front of the Lacy House and was instructed to move due west, which would bring it into the proper position. Unfortunately its direc- tion was faulty at the start, inclining toward the northwest, and as it progressed the error was aggravated, so that it came into position with its flank almost directly toward the Confederate line of battle and in that situation received its fire. There was nothing for the men to do but to scramble out of the awkward predicament the best way they could. The lines finally being somehow re-established, both Ewell's and Warren's troops in- trenched at about the point where the struggle began, the works being some 300 yards apart.
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