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 31
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GOING TO MEET EARLY.
vessel. The populace gave frequent manifestations of their jot at the appearance of the veterans of the Sixth Corps, and the. soldiers were by no means indifferent to the friendly faces and warm words which formed so marked a contrast to the sullen silence of Virginia. The sight of Fort Stevens recalled many : reminiscence to some of those in the regiment. Near it was Brightwood, the camp of the Tenth regiment up to the opening · of the peninsular campaign, and the fort was built by that regi- ment. It was then named Fort Massachusetts, but had been renamed in honor of the gallant General Stevens who fell at Chantilly.
The fort at this time presented an interesting spectacle. In its safe inclosure were gathered cabinet officers and citizens of both sexes who had come out from the city to see the Sixth! Corps whip Early, while in an embrasure beside General Wright and a surgeon stood the tall form of President Lincoln. Gener:il Russell, commanding the First Division of the Sixth Corps, with two of his brigade commanders, General Upton and Colonel Edwards, had just entered the fort and mounted the parapet to select positions for their commands, which were to join with : portion of the Second Division in an attack on the enemy. The turning of their field-glasses toward the enemy's line was a signal for his sharp-shooters to open and one of their bullets almost immediately entered the embrasure, struck a wheel of the siege gun and wounded the surgeon standing almost directly behind and close to the President. The latter was then induced by General Wright to sit down out of range, and a chair was placed for him against the parapet. Somewhat later as he sat there one of his cabinet said : " Mr. President, if you will look over in that direction," pointing with his finger, " you can see just where the rebels are." His reply was characteristic : " My impression is that if I am where I can see the rebels, they are where they can see me." But in spite of this theory as the lines advanced that unmistakable form was discerned watching their progress from over the parapet.
The attack being arranged, the Union lines pushed forward steadily for a mile, driving back the Confederate skirmishers
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BATTLE OF FORT STEVENS.
and their reserves, though the latter made a stout resistance and inflicted a serious loss, especially upon the Third Brigade, Sec- und Division, every regimental commander of which was killed or disabled. The Thirty-seventh was on the right of the line und was not severely engaged, only two members of the regiment proper being wounded-Michael Ploss of Company A and John Sandling of Company H. In the Tenth attachment Patrick Lovett was killed, while Lieutenant William H. Cousens and Patrick Mullen were wounded.
About midnight the regiment was relieved and fell back a short distance for bivouac, but the expected renewal of the struggle did not come in the morning. The enemy had disap- peared. General Wright had been appointed to command the forces in the field, and soon after noon orders were issued for an advance of the Sixth Corps and Emory's Division of the Nineteenth in pursuit. The line of march led past Forts De - Russy and Reno, as well as other fortifications in the line of lefenses, thence through Tennallytown to Orcutt's Cross Roads, where the day's march ended. Everywhere sad and abundant traces of the great raid were visible. The previous night had been passed in the beautiful grounds of J. W. Morrison, in the midst of which lay the blackened ruins of his mansion. Near by a like fate had befallen Montgomery Blair's fine residence ; other buildings had been destroyed, some by shells thrown into them to drive out the enemy's sharp-shooters.
The afternoon march of some 1; miles was a very trying one, as the weather was intensely hot ; but an abundance of good water was to be had, and the roads were much better than the ordinary Virginia article of the same name. As the horses of the command had been sent by a different vessel which had not Yet come up, the " field and staff " as well as the rest of the reg- iment were obliged to make the march on foot that day, and there were blistered feet in plenty when the column halted. That even- ing the animals arrived, however, in charge of the servants who had been left with them, and as they brought also the officers' Mankets and other camping conveniences they were very wel- come.
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GOING TO MEET EARLY.
The regiment was detailed as rear guard for the trains nex! day, the 14th, and as it consequently did not march till after. noon the early part of the day witnessed an important change in its equipment. The Springfield rifle muskets with which the men had been armed from the first were now turned in to Lieu- tenant Smith, ordnance officer for the regiment, and in their places an issue was made of the Spencer repeating rifle, or "seven-shooters," as they were familiarly termed. This was :: new weapon of the magazine breech-loading order, with which but few regiments in the Army of the Potomac and none in the Sixth Corps had thus far been armed. While the regiment was marching through Washington toward Fort Stevens, the chief ordnance officer came to greet Colonel Edwards, and in the course of the conversation asked if he could do anything for him. "Yes" was the reply, "you can arm Colonel Montague's regiment with the Spencer rifle." " Make out your requisition for them and I will see that you get them," was the response. Within 24 hours the quartermaster had carried the papers " head-quarters, and with wonderful promptness the demand had been honored.
This new rifle was undoubtedly at that time the most formid- able weapon that could be placed in the hands of infantry. Though somewhat shorter than the Springfield, it had wonder- ful range, shooting with accuracy and immense force. It used metallic cartridges and the method of loading was comparatively simple, as was necessary for successful use in the field. A tin tube containing a strong spiral spring held the cartridges, and this being thrust into place in the breech of the gun, the oper- ation of the breech mechanism caused the upper cartridge to be pushed into the barrel ready for firing. The piece was cocked and fired in the usual manner. The guard being pulled down opened the breech of the gun and threw ont the exploded shell. being returned to its place the gun was closed and the spring in the tube threw another cartridge into the barrel, when the pier was ready to be cocked and fired again, and so on till the last cartridge in the tube was used. Then the reloading occupi. l no more time than the placing of a single charge in a muzzle-load-
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355
ARMED WITH "SPENCER RIFLES."
ing weapon. With this construction it will be readily seen that the Spencer rifle in actual service was a great improvement upon the muzzle-loader, especially in " tight places," and the men of the Thirty-seventh were not a little flattered that they were the first in the Sixth Corps to be thus armed. They were not long in learning, however, that the repeater required a vastly in- creased supply of ammunition. The former complement had been 40 rounds, in place of which they were now expected to carry 100, and on some of the tedious marches that followed words of complaint more expressive than elegant were apt to be heard, and it is to be feared that sometimes the bundles of cartridges were surreptitiously lightened.
The weapon with which the Thirty-seventh now found itself equipped, and which was one of the most important pioneers in the revolution of modern small arms, was the invention of Mr. C. M. Spencer, at that time a young mechanic in the employ of the Cheney Brothers, the noted silk manufacturers of South Manchester, Ct. Mr. Spencer had been experimenting and de- veloping his idea from 1857, and in 1860 produced the first working gun. The time was opportune, if not even providen- tial; the first mutterings of the rebellion were giving notice of the storm to come. The importance of the invention was man- ifest to any intelligent observer of the national situation, and through the influence of a member of the Cheney firm a com- pany was organized at Boston for the manufacture of the rifle. 1 part of the Chickering piano manufactory was leased for work-shops and half a million dollars was expended in furnish- ing stock and machinery.
Mr. Spencer meantime was making diligent efforts to bring his invention to the attention of the proper national authorities, and finally a test was arranged at the Washington navy-yard where 1,000 rounds were fired to show the capacity of the new claimant for official favor. During this test 21 shots were fired in 62 seconds, and the Secretary of the Navy was so favorably impressed that he gave an order for 1,000 of the rifles for trial in actual service on shipboard. During 1861 the number ordered amounted to 10,000, but their use was still confined to the navy.
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GOING TO MEET EARLY.
Gradually, as it was seen that they were valuable in this limited field, they came into use among cavalry and mounted infantry. the western armies being the first to use any considerable num- ber. During the Tennessee campaign of Rosecrans against Bragg in 1863 the Spencer rifle received commendation, but ir was not till the following spring that it became known among the infantry of the Army of the Potomac, one of the first regi- ments to adopt it being the Pennsylvania Bucktails, who took it at the opening of the Wilderness campaign instead of the Sharpe rifles which they had previously used.
A rifle made for the purpose was presented to President Lin- coln in August, 1863, by Mr. Spencer, who relates interestingly the almost boyish eagerness with which the President on a sub- sequent day in his presence examined and tested " the machine " in the White House grounds. The target made by Mr. Lincoln on that occasion-a piece of pine board six by cight inches with a black spot in the center-is preserved in the military museum at Springfield, Ill. Every bullet went through the " bull's eye," and a memorandum in pencil on the board says the target was made by seven consecutive shots at a distance of 40 yards.
Altogether 200,000 Spencer rifles were made, and it is worthy of remark that every one was an exact duplicate of all the others. Practical test in actual service did not suggest a single change from the original model in the way of improvement.%
"Those who carried the Spencer ride during the war will be interested to know that Mr Seret his recently established at Windsor, Ct., a factory where the rifle in an improved and st: 1 .... efficient form is made. It has recently been introduced to leading military powers that'a. . . world and very favorably received, and it is sate to predict that it is destined to win sull ! .. ? place among the destructive enginery of modern warfare. The same principle has also been . : " plied to shotguns with marked success.
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CHAPTER XVII.
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THE CAMPAIGN UNDER SHERIDAN.
THE WAGON TRAINS-FOLLOWING EARLY BY MARCH AND COUN- TERMARCH-SHERIDAN AT THE HELM-THE SKIRMISH AT CHARLESTOWN-THE BATTLE OF THE OPEQUAN.
Not before 3 o'clock in the afternoon of July 14 did the Thirty-seventh regiment start upon the march as wagon guard, after having to a certain extent mastered the peculiarities of the Spencer rifle. There was plenty of time to study the new weap- on en route, as the train barely crawled along and often seemed to have come to a dead halt. The trouble was that everything was new, raw and green. When the Sixth Corps was ordered to Washington its old train, which from long service had become experienced and valuable, was "turned in" at City Point, to await the return months later, and when the pursuit of Early was taken up the corps was provided with a fresh outfit, and " fresh " enough mules, drivers and wagon masters proved. The drivers and masters were "citizens" hired for the service, self- important, lazy, worthless fellows almost without exception; when put in connection with half-broken mules the scenes which transpired form admirable material for camp-fire yarns.
The trouble began at the outset. The raw mules would go where and when they pleased, or not at all; the drivers were in- different or helpless and the bosses worse if possible. Teams were stalled or upset on level ground, and the night wore away in making a very few miles. During one of the stoppages of the train Colonel Edwards rode along aud seeing a wagon upset, the driver sitting on the ground near by smoking and a wagon master on horseback paying no attention to the matter, inquired
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358
THE CAMPAIGN UNDER SHERIDAN.
the reason. Getting an impudent answer from the fellows, who felt at liberty to be insolent on account of not being enlisted men, the colonel ordered the wagon master to set his men a: work to right the vehicle. "You go to hell!" was the surly answer, repeated in more offensive form in response to the sharp "What?" which broke from the lips of the quick-tempered brigade commander. There was the quick whirl of a saber through the air, a tumbling bully rolling in the dust with a sore and bleeding head, followed by the colonel's voice in its most convincing tones: "There, now, you men get to work and take this train out of here!" For once, if the only time in their lives. the men did work, but it is doubtful if any permanent reform- ation was wrought.
Thieving from the wagons was a common offense, and a little later in the campaign Lieutenant-Colonel Montague found that his private satchel had been robbed and reported the loss to Quartermaster Sergeant Sears, who had charge of the two wagons containing the stores of the Thirty-seventh and its attachments including the Second Rhode Island-Quartermaster Bridgman having been left in charge of the brigade train at City Point. Suspicion at once fell on a spare wagon boss who had been very fond of lounging about and riding in the Thirty-seventh wagons, and a trusty soldier was detailed from Company A with orders to allow no stranger about the regimental wagons. Presently the intruder appeared and made his way toward the favorite resting place. "It's against orders to ride in these wagons. sur!" was the courtcons protest of the guard. The familiar army expletive was grunted out as the intruder settled himself in the most comfortable position possible. "Me go to hill !" roared the soldier, his Celtic passion all aflame. "By me sowl. now ye'll come out o' that !" and a Spencer rifle at full cock turned its persuasive muzzle full between the fellow's eyes. The speed with which the rascal tumbled from the wagon and sought more hospitable quarters convulsed the few spectators with laughter ; neither he nor any of his ilk troubled the wagons more, and there was no more stealing.
Now that the matter of wagon trains has been broached at
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CONCERNING THE WAGON TRAINS.
some detail from the necessities of the case, it may be well to call the attention of the general reader to the importance of this branch of military economy. With an army so often on the move and for great distances as was the case during the rebellion, the efficiency of the train service became a matter of supreme moment. Wherever the men went, the trains must follow them with such supplies as would be needed. If a battle was imminent, an hour's brisk firing would empty the soldiers' cartridge boxes, and the ammunition wagons must be near to furnish a fresh supply, even under the enemy's fire if necessary. The ambu- lances must be at hand to bear the wounded to hospitals for treatment. At such moments of supreme trial the ordinary wagons must be kept back out of the way, ready to lead the retreat at a moment's notice if the exigencies of the battle-field should so require ; or to supply the needs of the men during the panses in the conflict, wherever the fortunes of war might have taken the command to which the wagons were attached. On the ordinary march, wherever the corps or division or brigade was ordered to report,-if the expedition was anything more than a temporary one with rations in haversaeks,-no matter what the condition or the nature of the roads, the trains were to follow and keep within such distance as would enable them to provision and otherwise supply the eamps whenever they were formed. If the supplies had to be hauled any considerable distance the work of the trains was correspondingly increased, and often in stormy weather, when the roads became bad from the excessive use to which they were subjected, terrible hardships were endured by animals, train men, and those they sought to succor. When to this is added the danger of sudden raids by sconting parties of the enemy, the case with which portions of trains could be cut off at favorable points and either driven away or plundered and destroyed before assistance could be summoned from guards who might be miles away and possibly worthless if on the scene, it will be understood that the life of an army teamster, especially if he sought to be to any extent conscientious in his work, was by no means an enviable one.
The number of wagons and the extent of the trains required
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THE CAMPAIGN UNDER SHERIDAN.
to supply an army would seem surprising to the general reader. The wagon train of the Army of the Potomac when it started on the Wilderness campaign would have occupied at least 60 miles of road, as closely as it was possible to drive the wagons over the imperfect roads. From this general basis it is easy to estimate the equipage properly belonging to each corps, division or bri- gade. But the trains never had the good fortune to proceed " decently and in order." A thousand accidents were liable, any one of which must annoy and delay those in the rear. Yet it was possible for an accident to be a blessing in disguise, as the quartermaster of the Thirty-seventh found on at least one occasion.
As was unavoidable after a long series of campaigns, the in- voices of that officer's department called for many an article which the most diligent search would have failed to reveal. They were in fact "short," but were borne "on hand," pend- ing final settlement. As the trains of the Sixth Corps were crossing the Chickahominy on the way to Petersburg, a pontonier who was washing his red shirt at the side of the bridge gave the garment a snap as one of the Thirty-seventh teams approached. The check mule shied violently, pushing the off leader over the side of the bridge into the water, and was of course drawn over with him. Their plunge drew over the next pair-the " swings" -and the weight of the four sank the end of the canvas boat so that the " wheelers " and the wagon were tumbled into the river, 20 feet in depth. One or two of the mules were cut loose and fished out after a series of laughable performances; the wagon and its contents were a total loss, but that loss simplified the quartermaster's accounts wonderfully.
The march of the Thirty-seventh on the afternoon of July 14, though lasting from 3 o'clock in the afternoon till after dark. covered not more than four or five miles, and finally a halt was ordered in a pleasant pine grove, where the command remained till the following noon. As an extensive blackberry traet was discovered in the immediate vicinity, the men made the most of the delay in securing a palatable feast. In the march of the succeeding afternoon more satisfactory progress was made;
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301
FROM MARYLAND INTO VIRGINIAA.
Seneca Mills were passed and the halt for the night was made at l'oolesville. Here evidence of a military execution was wit- nessed in the body of a deserter hanging from a gallows in the center of the village. In the little affair at Reams Station he had deserted from the First Long Island, and when his regi- ment made a dash soon after he was captured on the enemy's skirmish line, firing upon his late comrades.
Morning of the 16th found the Thirty-seventh in its place in the column with Edwards's brigade in the advance, and a hard day's marching ensned. The route led toward the Potomac by the Conrad's Ferry road, but some three miles short of the river a cross road was taken leading to White's Ford, being the route followed by Early in his retreat. On reaching the Potomac, which was here a half-mile in width and from one to three feet in depth, the enemy's cavalry vedettes were observed on the op- posite bank, though too few in numbers to offer serious resist- ance. A battery was put in position and a few shots sent across which precipitated their withdrawal, after which the corps crossed without further molestation.
The column now turned nearly southward, passing the battle- field of Ball's Bluff where nearly three years before one of the lamentable tragedies of the war had occurred, thence to the beautiful village of Leesburg, which like very few Virginia vil- lages was strongly reminiscent of New England thrift. Here no halt was made but the course was changed to the westward and the slopes of the Catoctin range were climbed, the exhaustion being well offset by the beauty of the panorama which was un- folded as the hights were gained. The entire day's march had been through a charming region. The fertile soil, stimulated by thrift and enterprise, had spread before the dusty soldiers a succession of delightful farms, the water-courses were abundant, the springs frequent, cold and refreshing. The weather, too, was comfortably cool, but the ground was still very dry and lusty, as there had been no rain for more than six weeks, and when the regiment halted for the night in a beautiful oak grove some three miles west of Leesburg and on the opposite slope of the mountains the men were quite ready to welcome the order.
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THE CAMPAIGN UNDER SHERIDAN.
General Wright had now been joined by two divisions of the Nineteenth Corps, and Hunter's command under General Crook. which had entered the Shenandoah Valley a few days previous by way of Harper's Ferry, was ordered to join him and co-oper- ate in the pursuit of Early. The latter had that morning quitted Leesburg when Wright started his column toward the place from Poolesville, and barely succeeded in slipping through between the converging Union columns, Crook's cavalry captur- ing a considerable section of his wagon train at Purcellsville as it was making its way to Snicker's Gap, en route to Winchester.
The following day, Sunday, July 17, was one of rest for the Sixth Corps. Religious services were generally held, the Thirty- seventh uniting with the Fifteenth New Jersey, the chaplain of the latter officiating in the illness of Chaplain Morse and : brass-band giving its aid in the services. While the infantry were enjoying this respite the cavalry of Crook's column were searching for the enemy and that evening General Duffie report- ed Early on the west bank of the Shenandoah dispating the passage in force. As the instructions to General Wright were to pursue Early till he felt certain that the latter was really retreat- ing southward and then hasten his own and the Nineteenth Corps back to Petersburg in time to strike a powerful blow there before Early's arrival, he ordered a forward movement the fol- lowing morning to ascertain the exact state of affairs. Crook being at Purcellsville moved on in advance, while the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps followed.
The Thirty-seventh marched early in the morning, passing through Hamilton, Purcellsville and Snickersville, near which a halt was made about noon. In the mean time Crook's troop- had passed the Gap, and from the western slope of the Biti Ridge could see the Confederates in considerable numbers be- yond the Shenandoah. Colonel Thoburn's division was ordered across the river at Island Ford, a mile or so below Snicker's Ferry. while the Sixth Corps was directed to push forward and cross a: the Ferry. The first part of the latter order was duly executed. the column moving through the Gap and down to the river, but before the crossing could be made a severe attack upon the right
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THE "SPENCERS" ON THE PICKET LINE.
of Thoburn's line forced a body of dismounted cavalry and his own brigade back into the river. General Ricketts, in imme- diate command of the Sixth Corps (General Wright command- ing all the troops in the field), did not think it advisable to attempt å crossing under these circumstances, and Thoburn's re- maining brigades were ordered to retire, which they did as creditably as could be expected, since they were subjected to a heavy fire from the Confederate lines on the bank, while the lat- ter were punished by the Union batteries on the opposite hills.
It was now near night and the two armies settled down on their respective sides of the river, each lining the bank with a cloud of sharp-shooters. Companies E and G of the Thirty- seventh were detailed for picket, Lieutenant-Colonel Montague being officer of the day and in charge of the picket line, and in the gloom of that July evening the first test of the Spencer rifles was made by a few members of the regiment scattered along the bor- der of the dark river. There was a lively interchange of shots by the picket lines during the 19th, but the Confederates found themselves at such a disadvantage when opposed to the Spencer that they called out asking what kind of a "shooting-iron " it was. During the day there was some fraternizing between members of the Thirty-seventh and the Thirty-fourth, the latter being in the First Brigade of Thoburn's division. There were many friends in the two regiments and the experiences of each formed interesting topics for rapid question and answer.
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