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 6
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At the public square, in the center of the village, the regiment halted and formed, and brief services were held, prayer fervent and eloquent being offered by the venerable Rev. John Todd, D. D. The ride to Hudson was uneventful, and that city was reached just as the shades of evening were falling. The popular greeting there seemed every whit as carnest, though the passing regiment came from another state. The streets were filled to overflowing with a cheering throng, and amid great enthusiasm the Thirty-seventh marched through the place to the steamer Oregon, the procession headed by the Hudson firemen, accom- panied by their mayor and a deputation of prominent citizens. A collation was served by the people of the city, and everywhere the most earnest well-wishes were manifested.
After the boat was well under way down the river it was made known that considerable quantities of bad liquor had been smuggled aboard by some who had not the best good of the com- mand at heart, and much to the grief, and possibly the anger, of the possessors it was relentlessly poured into the Hudson. With that exception the trip down the river was markedly delightful. The night was pleasant and many of the men, finding sleep out of the question amid their novel surroundings, gazed in silence on the matchless beauty of the Highlands and the Palisades the sturdy boat steamed steadily past them. Quite a party of friends from Pittsfield accompanied the regiment as far as New York, as did Superintendent Henry Gray of the Western rail-
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FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE.
road from Springfield, two of whose sons were members of the regiment.
Early morning of the Sth found the Thirty-seventh landing at the wharf in Jersey City, and stacking arms on a street in the immediate vicinity they waited till noon for further transporta- tion. Still the same lively interest in the welfare of the soldiers was manifested. A very acceptable luncheon was furnished by the citizens, and those not already supplied with Bibles or Testaments were sought out and given a. copy; one little girl engaged in this work especially winning kindly remembrance for her charming, earnest manner. Cars were finally taken for Philadelphia, and that place was reached about dusk.
The blessings of all the soldiers who passed through the City of Brotherly Love rest upon the heads of its devoted and patriotic inhabitants. While all the loyal cities, and all the towns as well. did noble service in the way of care for the volunteer soldiers, by common consent the palm of excellence must be awarded to the Pennsylvania metropolis. In health, in disease, or suffering from wounds, the Union soldier who came within its confines was sure of the most thoughtful provision for his comfort, the most kindly ministrations for his welfare. The greeting received by the Thirty-seventh was no exception to the rule. On leaving the cars the command marched to the Cooper Shop refresh- ment saloon, where a bountiful repast was in waiting, seasoned with many a kind word from those in attendance. Afterward the regiment rested on one of the public squares in the vicinity till near midnight, when it marched toward the depot. Late as was the hour, the streets were packed the entire distance with men and women, who pressed close to the marching column to utter words of encouragement and to clasp the soldiers' hands.
A train, principally composed of freight cars, was found in waiting, into which the men stowed themselves as well as they could in the darkness, and most of them were soon asleep, while the train rushed away toward Baltimore. A few miles only had been passed. when there came a crash, a sharp shock, and the train stopped so suddenly that the occupants were piled in heaps in the front ends of the cars. It was found that some detached
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A SERIES OF RAILROAD ACCIDENTS.
cars from a preceding train had been run into by the train bear- ing the Thirty-seventh and terribly wrecked. They were prin- cipally loaded with Pennsylvania troops on their way to defend the ferries at Elkton and Havre de Grace against the threatening Confederate cavalry, then in Maryland, and many of the unfor- tunate men were killed or wounded. The engine and forward cars of the colliding train were badly broken, but no member of the Thirty-seventh was seriously hurt, and as they could only wait for the coming of a relief train, the men presently composed themselves to sleep till such time as the journey could be re- newed. They were awakened by a roar, another crash and shock, to find that the relief train had come down upon the same track and driven its engine into the rear of the already disabled train, completing its wreck and further blockading the road. Fortu- nately, and almost miraculously, no serious harm had come to the Thirty-seventh, even then. The baggage cars of the regiment were in the rear, and had saved the lives of the men, though only a single car in the center of the train had escaped more or less breakage.
It was nearly noon before another engine and cars were in readiness to take the impatient command from the scene of the double disaster, and when they were once more ready to proceed Colonel Edwards placed Captain Hayden, an experienced engi- neer, in charge of the locomotive. Wilmington was soon reached, and there much enthusiasm was shown by the populace, who provided generous refreshment, though the soldiers did not leave the cars. Not till evening did they arrive at Baltimore, and the streets were nearly deserted and almost ominously quiet. But a bountiful supper had been provided near by, and after that was disposed of the line of march to the Washington depot was taken up. To the men this was a most impressive event. They did not forget that but a little more than a year previous their brother soldiers of the Old Bay State had been murdered in Baltimore streets by a frenzied mob, and there had been many varnest speculations as to the spirit that would be awakened in the city by the victories of General Lee and the presence of his hosts in Maryland. That speculation was in no way answered,
FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE.
for the streets were utterly deserted, and darkness and gloom covered the city like a pall. On the evening before leaving Pittsfield ten rounds of ball cartridges had been drawn and afterward carefully treasured, " for the Baltimore mob" if wanted, but there was no occasion for their usc.
The remainder of the night and the early part of the follow- ing day, September 10, were passed in the vicinity of the depot. waiting for transportation, which came at length in the shape of still less inviting freight cars, and about 5 o'clock that afternoon the national Capital was reached. High anticipations had been raised in regard to the reception which might be expected at Washington. Since all the other cities had been so enthusiastic in applauding and providing for the volunteer soldiers on their passage, it was, perhaps, natural to expect that on reaching their destination they should meet especial manifestations of welcome. All such anticipations faded rapidly. The first movement was to the "Soldiers' Relief " for supper, and this proved to be insufficient in quantity and abominable in quality. Citizens there seemed to be none, though wounded and conva- lescent soldiers were abundant, their sallow features and doleful words by no means calculated to create enthusiasm in the breasts of the Massachusetts listeners. The sanitary condition of the region, which was on the outskirts of the city, was anything but creditable. Goats and hogs were running at large, and the air was heavily laden with poisonous odors. The approach of dark- ness and a storm caused the command to seck shelter in huge barracks near by, and the men were soon well settled, in antici- pation of an unbroken night's sleep, of which they felt the need. Scarcely were they comfortably disposed, when other regiments came pouring in, and narrower quarters were assigned, till the entire great building was wedged to its utmost capacity with troops. Through the uncomfortable night there may have been memories of the time, early in the struggle, when Massachusetts soldiers were luxuriously quartered in the Senate chamber, but there was little restful sleep, and the impressions of Washington in the autumn of 1862 were anything but agreeable.
Next morning another visit was made to the "Soldiers'
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF WASHINGTON.
Relief," and the breakfast proved a measurable improvement on the supper. A long wait followed upon the street-side, during which venders of all manner of trifles, useful and otherwise, diligently improved their opportunities, and then the column moved away. Brave, indeed, was the heart that did not shrink before the doleful surroundings. Everywhere were wounded soldiers wearing slings and bandages, armiess, legless, or the more wretched fever patients, creeping about like miserable ghosts of once robust men. Along the business streets, physi- cians, surgeons, undertakers, embalmers and kindred professions, seemed to have a monopoly, and to vie with each other in adver- tising their horrible specialties. Hearses and ambulances were abundant, with here and there an army wagon rearing its soiled canvas top to break the ghastly monopoly. A passing glance afforded ample food for reflection, and the column moved on, past the unfinished Washington monument and across Long Bridge, guarded by cannon, and then their feet, in most cases for the first time, pressed the " sacred soil of Virginia."
The march of some five miles to the designated camp was quite trying to the participants. The rain of the previous even- ing was supplemented by showers during the march, giving the weary men their first experience with Virginia mud, and, like all new soldiers, they had undertaken to carry so many appar- ently needful articles as to make a distressingly heavy load. They were quite ready when camp was reached to throw them- selves upon the bare earth and defer the work of putting up tents till the morrow. The ground occupied had last seen service as a corn-field, and many of the men, wrapped in their blankets, went to sleep in the furrows. A sudden and furious shower in the night, which converted each hollow into a miniature canal, gave them a forcible lesson in the selection of a bivouac.
The Thirty-seventh had been assigned to General Henry S. Briggs's Brigade of Casey's Division of Reserves, forming a part of the defenders of Washington, while Mcclellan, with most of do veteran troops, was moving through Maryland in pursuit of The invading army under General Lee. General Briggs had taken command on the day before the arrival of the Thirty-
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FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE.
seventh-September 10-other regiments in the brigade bein: the Thirty-ninth Massachusetts, Tenth Vermont, Eleventh New Hampshire and Twenty-first Connecticut. These were all fresh. troops, containing the germs of excellent service, but requirin: hardening and development. For this important work, they could have been in no better hands than those of General Briggs. " Camp Chase," the new home, was delightfully located on the eastern slope of Arlington Hights, a little beyond For: Albany, overlooking Washington, the Capitol and most of the public buildings clearly defined above the surrounding mass o: the city, the whole forming a delightful panorama upon which the defenders never tired of gazing. There was much of the charm of soldier life in the few weeks spent there. The mellow warmth of early autumn was delicious, the duties light and inter- esting, on account of their novelty, while mail communication with home was prompt and uninterrupted. Besides, many of the men had acquaintances in neighboring regiments, and frequen: visits were exchanged, not always strictly according to cam: rules, on the part of the enlisted men. Not that there was at au: time a wanton disposition to violate the restrictions imposed. Most of the men intuitively comprehended the need of thorough. discipline, and were prepared to obey all regulations that migh .: be necessary for their welfare and efficiency. But it was undoubt- edly a weakness of the volunteer system that the man who wore the shoulder-straps and he who carried the musket came fron. the same walks of life, had perhaps associated together frou. boyhood, and hence did not at once drop into the perfect rela- tions of military commander and subordinate. This feeling ws- naturally intensified in those cases where the officer failed t .. grasp the prestige of his new relation, and to win the confiden of his command. To feel that in the hour of supreme trial o the battle-field the officer could not "handle his men," was i sunder the one tie which made unquestioning obedience .. pleasure as well a duty. But this digression is not intended :. an apology for want of discipline. No such apology is needed. for the Thirty-seventh, from its organization to the close of ti: contest, bore the proud honor of being one of the very best dis-
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"CAMP CHASE "-ARLINGTON HIGHITS.
plined volunteer regiments in the service, and the foundation ! its subsequent efficiency in the most trying places was laid in :. se early days of its history, under the thorough yet salutary iscipline enforced by Colonel Edwards and his associates.
The principal duties, apart from those of the camp and drill, consisted of work upon the inner lines of defense in the neigh- irhood of "Camp Chase," with an occasional brigade drill or division review, which were found extremely tedious at this stage of the soldiers' experience. But it was something of recom- jense to see the long lines of brightly uniformed troops, to note the great strength of the endless fortifications, and then in camp when the day's toil was over to listen to the music of many a ' and, softened and sweetened by the distance, playing one after another the familiar tunes which annihilated distance and carried the listener back to childhood, friends and home.
These pleasant scenes were not long to continne. The armies of the Union and of the Confederacy had met near Sharpsburg and the bloody battle of Antietam had been fought. To make the result substantially a victory, General Mcclellan needed immediate reinforcement, and on the 29th of September General Briggs was directed to report in command of the division and "ve additional regiments, with the Ninth Massachusetts battery, at the army head-quarters. The following day camp was broken, and the Thirty-seventh, with the remainder of the division, marched once more over the Long Bridge into Washington. They were to go by rail to Frederick, Md., but there were not ·ars enough to move so large bodies immediately, and that night was passed in the Capitol grounds, the sleep of the men watched vor by the statues of Washington and the Goddess of Liberty i> neath which they reposed. Before leaving "Camp Chase " the Anapsacks belonging to the regiment had been sent to Washing- tout, to be forwarded to the army at some future time, and the !» u were restricted to such possessions as could be wrapped in er blankets or provided for in haversacks or pockets. But th even these limited accommodations, nearly every man had managed to stow away somewhere a portfolio with writing masterials, and during this tedious wait for transportation many
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FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE.
were to be seen sitting along the street curbing penning or pen- ciling letters to the friends at home to apprise them of each change of fortune or situation. The massive buildings of the government were near, and not a few visited them, finding in the Capitol, now doing duty as a hospital, not less than a thousand wounded from the recent battles.
In the early part of the afternoon of October 1 cars were taken for. Frederick, and the train crept slowly away-so slowly. indeed, that next morning found it not more than a dozen miles beyond Relay House. The remainder of the ride was charming. for it was through one of the most lovely of countries, the neat dwellings and massive barns, surrounded by rich and far-reaching fields, everywhere speaking of prosperity and competence.
The afternoon was well advanced when Frederick was reached. and exciting as had been the recent scenes in that quiet city, with the passage of Lee's army, closely followed by that of McClellan, and all the annoyances inseparable from the pres- ence of large bodies of armed men, the majority of the inhabit- ants manifested great pleasure at the sight of the fresh regiments, which, after a brief stop in the city, went into bivouac in a neighboring meadow. There the troops rested after their cramping ride in the cars till late the following afternoon, when they marched in the direction of Sharpsburg. In the mean time General Briggs's command had been dissolved and the individual regiments were assigned to the weakened brigades already in the field, losing sight of each other from that time forward, save as the fortunes of war might chance to throw them temporarily together .*
From Frederick the line of march led over the Catoctin Mountains, and on their pleasant slopes the regiment halted the first night, having made a few miles quite comfortably during the carly evening. These easy stages were very pleasing to.the men, many of whom were suffering from the effects of a changed
* General Briggs, with whom as an aide de-camp went Captain Hopkins of Company E. ci the Thirty-seventh, was assigned to the command of the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fift .. Corps, composed of new Pennsylvania regiments. Before the movement of the Army of the l'estomac in pursuit of Lee, however, his health again gave way, and he was obliged to further recruit his strength at home in Massachusetts, returning in the winter to take command of the department of Baltimore, extending from Annapolis to Frederick, forming a part of General Schenck's Eighth Corps, occupying the Middle Department.
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CLIMBING THE MARYLAND MOUNTAINS.
climate, different water and new methods of life, bowel com- plaints being very prevalent. The medical staff did all in their power to preserve the health of the command, and the sufferers generally struggled along pluckily, frequently receiving assist- ance from their more robust comrades. It was the beginning of that long era of mutual helpfulness, by deed and word, which marked the entire experience of this organization, as of most in the army, which still survives in fraternal associations, and forms one of the brightest elements in the character of the American soldier. No sight was more common at the end of a long and fatiguing march than to see some stalwart private bending under the weight of two or three guns, another file jointly supporting an extra knapsack or blanket roll, that some exhausted comrade might be spared the discredit, or the danger, of falling from the ranks. All honor to the brave men whose heart-prompted kindnesses still live in many a grateful memory, or softened the rigors of many a patriot who finally yielded his life on the common altar.
The bivouac of the night was on the ground occupied by "Stonewall " Jackson's corps a few weeks before, from which they had set out on the expedition against Harper's Ferry, and this fact was an interesting one to the Massachusetts occupants. It 7 o'clock next morning the march was resumed, across the beautiful valley watered by the Catoctin creek and its tributa- ries, in the midst of which nestled the neat village of Middle- town, surrounded by vast corn-fields in which the ripened grain had been gathered in shocks. Notwithstanding the passage of so many armed men, there were few evidences of wanton depre- dation, General Lee hoping by a politic course in this respect to win the inhabitants to his cause, and the Union troops, feeling that they were in the presence of friends, respecting the citizens as such.
Soon after leaving the Catoctin the towering sides of South Mountain were approached, and before noon the regiment was Embing the sharp ascent which had witnessed on the 14th of The previous month so desperate a struggle and the loss of the gallant Reno's life. As the mountain side was scaled the evi-
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FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE.
dences of the battle were everywhere apparent, and to other senses than those of sight. The forest trees were torn and scarred by artillery fire, large branches were cut away, and oc- casionally a tree trunk, broken and splintered, lifted high in the air its testimony to the severity of the cannonade. Through the forest and over the fields bullet marks were visible on every side, and the sadly suggestive debris of the battle-field freely scattered about. The slain horses had been gathered in piles and partially burned, the fuel still smoldering in some places: but this process had been so imperfectly carried out that a terrible stench filled the air for a great distance.
At noon the summit was reached, and there the regimen: halted till 5 o'clock. Both officers and men occupied much of the time in,strolling over the historic ground in the vicinity. collecting such relics as came to hand, many of which were for- warded to friends at home as the first keepsakes from a recent battle-field. Here, too, General Briggs finally parted company with the Thirty-seventh, riding ahead with his staff to join his new command.
Resuming its march the regiment passed through the little village of Boonsboro, where much earnest Union sentiment w :- manifest, but where, as in most Maryland communities at the! time, there was likewise a strong minority with exactly the up- posite principles, which found so bitter expression between the factions that the children of tender years took up the exultant refrain as the presence of the Gray or the Blue gave pretext. " There now, Secesh, what do you think of Old Jackson coming back here again ?" piped one youthful voice, animated by the steady sweep of the passing column; and immediately a brisk war of words rose on the dust-laden air, for "Secesh," like he corporate namesake, had no idea of acknowledging defeat short of "the last ditch."
A mile beyond the village the bivouac for the night was made and named "Catp Crehore," in compliment to the surgeon. It was in a fine forest grove, untouched by the hand of ma ... with great rocks distributed here and there at some time ans. back in the unknown, among which the now ancient trees ba .
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A NOTABLE FOREST BIVOUAC.
grown, flourished and faded. Here one had fallen and was slowly crumbling back to dust, while there the smoother trunk and pliant limbs showed how as in human life one generation gave way to another. A hundred camp-fires were soon blazing cheerily, the ruddy light bringing out in majestic relief the nat- aral beauties of the scene. "This is grand !" remarked more than one weary soldier as he lay beside his camp-fire and gazed up into the leafy expanse till the visions of the present mingled with those of scenes far away, and sleep wrapped officer and private alike in its mantle. Later in the night a gentle rain fell, but those who awoke to find it beating in their faces merely drew their rubber blankets a little closer and slept on.
The morning of Sunday, the 5th of October, dawned clear and beautiful. The rain of the previous night had ceased, only that now and then a passing breeze threw down a few drops from the trees upon the busy host below. The fires were quickly crack- ling in every direction, the coffee cups nestled about each cheery blaze in wonderful number, and the simple breakfasts were soon prepared and disposed of. Battalion line was then formed and the men with uncovered heads listened reverently while Chap- lain Morse offered prayer, and at the close all were invited to join in singing "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." The spirit of the occasion seemed to impress each one-the Sab- bath day, the scene, the approach to the Army of the Potomac, with whose fortunes from that time the destinies of the regi- ment were to be blended; the nearness of the great battle- ground, on which so recently thousands of brave men had laid down their lives; all these thoughts with others combined to take the moment one never to be forgotten. Men who seldom ang joined their voices, and as the rich chorals of " Old Hun- dred " rose from hundreds of earnest voices and thrilled through the mighty forest arches the spot seemed indeed a temple of praise. The rich sunlight poured a flood of gold upon the tree- 'n's, while occasionally a yellow ray glinted through between of and branch and trunk to lighten a mossy rock or warm "mine youthful soldier.
These appropriate Sabbath morning exercises over, the march
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FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE.
was resumed, passing presently through Keedysville, where every available building was still filled with the wounded from: the battle of the Antietam and with the sick who had been temporarily placed there. At this point the regiment turned to the right, crossing Antietam creek on the bridge used by Gen- eral Hooker in reaching his position on the Confederate left. . and passing near the battle-field proper. Chaplain Morse who. riding in advance of the regiment, mistook the route and went by way of Sharpsburg and the Hagerstown pike, wrote thus of his passage through the scene of conflict :
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