USA > Massachusetts > Massachusetts in the war, 1861-1865 Pt. 1 > Part 20
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During the few weeks following Fort Massachusetts-afterward Fort Stevens -was built by details from the brigade and this work, with the usual drill, reviews and camp movements, consti- tuted the active service of the regiment during the autumn. The winter was passed at Brightwood, the command suffering somewhat from fevers ; and though orders were frequently issued, no move-
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ment of consequence was made till the 10th of March, 1862, when the division, then commanded by General Keyes, marched to Pros- pect Hill in Virginia, 12 miles away, at the intersection of the Lees- burg and Manassas roads. The Confederates having retreated, the command returned on the 14th to Chain Bridge, stopping near Fort Marcy till the following day in a heavy storm, when they returned to the camp at Brightwood.
After one or two futile efforts, the brigade marched on the 26th to Washington and took transportation for the Peninsula, the Tenth being accommodated in available corners of three or four vessels. The various sections having been disembarked at Hampton on the 20th, the regiment marched to Newport News and encamped till the 4th of April, when it joined in the march toward Yorktown. The following day brought the Tenth to the vicinity of Warwick Court House, where it engaged in some skirmishing and maneuver- ing, but without serious engagement. Severe storms made the entire region a quagmire, and many of the men were sent out on details to construct corduroy roads and like service, while those re- maining engaged in picket and skirmish duty, enduring great hard- ships but making no progress. This exhausting routine continued till the evacuation of Yorktown, on the 4th of May, when orders for an immediate advance were received. Colonel Briggs, who had commanded the brigade for six or seven weeks, was now relieved by the assignment of General Devens to the brigade, and returned to lead his regiment. The Tenth, while not actively engaged at the battle of Williamsburg, on the 5th, were in support, first of Hooker and afterward of Hancock, marching on the morning of the 6th to Fort Magruder, which was found to be deserted, and in the vicin- ity of which the regiment camped till the 9th. During that day and the next they marched to Barhamsville, where another halt was made till the 13th ; then 10 miles further, to New Kent Court House, where for three days the regiment was on picket duty. Then began another series of slow advances, which continued without notable event till the 25th, when Seven Pines was reached, seven and a half miles from Richmond. On the 29th another advance of a mile was made, to a position just in the rear of Casey's Division, which on that part of the field formed the front line of the Federal army. Here, two days later, the Tenth had their first severe test of battle.
Soon after noon of the 31st the attack on Casey's Division began
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the battle of Fair Oaks. The Tenth were scarcely under arms when the broken Union battalions began to drift past them to the rear, and the regiment was ordered forward a quarter of a mile to some rifle-pits, but the position was not favorable, and after suffer- ing some loss it moved still farther to the front, taking up a position from which it was presently driven by a flank movement of the enemy. Falling back to its camp, the regiment again ad- vanced to the rifle-pits, and moving further to the right engaged the foc with great spirit. Here it suffered severely, Colonel Briggs being badly wounded, and the command devolving upon Captain Miller, the senior officer present. The latter handled the regiment with great ability and gallantry, holding the enemy in check till darkness and the coming of reinforcements saved the Union line from further disruption. The loss of the Tenth was heavy, being 27 killed and 95 wounded, six fatally. Among the killed were Captains Smart and Day and Lieutenant Leland. General Devens, commanding the brigade, was also severely wounded, and was tem- porarily succeeded by General I. N. Palmer.
Following the battle the Tenth remained in or near their old camp for nearly a month, Major Marsh resigning meantime and Captain Miller receiving a merited promotion to the vacancy. On the 25th of June the division was massed on the old battle-field, while the skirmishers pressed the enemy in front, and when the position of the Confederates had been determined Palmer's Brigade was ordered forward and took up a position within musket shot, where all the afternoon and the night following a sharp fire of small arms and artillery was kept up. Retiring from their advanced posi- tion in the early morning, next day saw them on duty in the rear of Porter's Corps, which was fighting the battle of Gaines Mills, and on the 28th the regiment made its first retrograde march in the "change of base" to the James river. Next morning it aided. in repelling a cavalry dash down the New Market road; and after waiting till late in the afternoon marched all night, reaching Haxall's on the James river on the morning of the 30th.
That evening the regiment moved to Malvern Hill, where the Army of the Potomac was concentrated to meet the pursuing enemy, and took a highly creditable part in the desperate fighting of the Ist of July. Twice was its position fiercely charged by the Con- federates, and each time the assailants were driven back with heavy
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loss; on the first occasion the Tenth and the Thirty-sixth New York-all that were present of the brigade-making a gallant coun- ter-charge and establishing their lines some distance in advance of the former position. Of the 400 taken into action, 10 were killed and over 70 wounded. Major Miller was shot through the neek, and when the army retreated that night to Harrison's Landing, he with all the severely wounded was left behind and was taken, by the Confederates to Richmond, where he died a few days later. Second Lieutenant Napoleon P. A. Blais of North Adams died of fever at the Landing on the 11th of July. Lieutenant Colonel Viall of the Second Rhode Island was temporarily assigned to the command of the Tenth, being relieved August 24 by Captain J. B. Parsons's pro- motion to lieutenant colonel, vice Decker resigned.
The march to Yorktown began on the 16th of August, occupying five days, and in the vicinity of that historic town the regiment as a part of Conch's Division remained some ten days longer, while the remainder of the army took transportation back to Alexandria. At this time Dexter F. Parker of Worcester was commissioned major of the Tenth Regiment,-an appointment which was received with much disfavor by the line officers, and subsequently led to serious trouble. Embarking on the steamer Key West on the 29th, the regiment reached Alexandria September 1, where it was joined by its new commander, Colonel Henry L. Eustis of Cambridge.
Orders were received that afternoon to move to Fairfax Court House, to assist General Pope's retreating army, but having marched part way the orders were countermanded, and on the 3d the com- mand reached Chain Bridge, where it bivouacked for a day or two. The movement to meet Lee in Maryland began the 5th, the regi- ment crossing the bridge in the afternoon and marching toward Poolesville, proceeding by slow marches till the 14th, when the Sixth Corps forced the passage of Crampton's Gap at Burkittsville, the Tenth not being engaged. An attempt to reach Harper's Ferry next day in time to assist the imperiled garrison failed, the latter surrendering before they could be reached, and on the 17th the Tenth, with the rest of the division, which had remained in the vicinity of the Ferry, were ordered to the battle-field of Antietam, which they reached that evening after the close of the fighting. On the 20th the regiment took part in driving a force of the enemy across the river at Williamsport, and three days later went into
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camp with the rest of the brigade near Downsville, where a season of comparative rest was enjoyed.
As a result of the assignment of Major Parker to the regiment, 11 of the line officers resigned their commissions on the 27th of September, comprising nearly all the original number remaining in service ; they were placed under arrest, court-martialed, and after some delay dismissed the service. It was not till January, however, that the vacancies thus caused were filled by promotions in the regn- lar order. Meantime the Tenth had taken part in the expedition to Hancock and the dreary sojourn at Cherry Run ; returning to camp in time to set forth upon the Fredericksburg campaign, having a full share in the hardships of the preliminary marches, and bear- ing an honorable part in the gallant services of the brigade in lead- ing the advance across Franklin's bridges and in covering the re- treat of the left grand division after the disheartening termination of that contest. They shared the common fortunes of the brigade in the winter quarters which followed between Falmouth and White Oak Church, the monotonous round of picket and camp duty being broken by the " Mud march" which began January 20 and came to an inglorious end three or four days later.
Colonel Browne of the Thirty-sixth New York succeeded to the command of the brigade April 21, on the assignment of General Devens to command a division of the Eleventh Corps, and on the 28th the preparations which had for some time been carried on reached the marching point, and the regiment set forth to take its share in the Chancellorsville campaign. Feints and maneuvering occupied most of the time till evening of the 2d of May, when the river was again crossed and during the night the division made its way from Franklin's Crossing of the previous December to the city of Fredericksburg, but was unable in the darkness to storm the hights in the rear, which were strongly held by the enemy.
When the arrangements for charging the hights were being made the next forenoon, the Tenth were sent to the right in co-operation with Gibbon's Division of the Second Corps, to divert the attention of the enemy, and suffered considerable loss ; but a greater service was rendered in the afternoon at Salem Church, when coming into action at an important crisis they engaged the enemy at close qnar- ters and did valiant service in averting the threatened disaster to the Union arms. Colonel Browne having been dangerously wounded,
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the command of the brigade devolved upon Colonel Eustis, leaving Major Parker in command of the regiment till the return of Lieu- tenant Colonel Parsons from a sick leave a week later. The loss of the regiment during the day was 10 killed and 56 wounded. Holding an advanced position during the following day, a retreat was made to and across the Rappahannock that night and three days later a return to camp near the scene of the winter quarters.
"Camp Eustis " was quitted early in the morning of June 5, and the regiment took an active part in the skirmishing and fatigue duty connected with the reconnaissance of the Sixth Corps across the river, which continued till the night of the 13th, when the forces were withdrawn and commenced the northward march in search of Lee's invading army. Halting on the 18th at Fairfax Court House the time was passed in that vicinity and at Centerville till the morn- ing of the 26th, when the wonderful series of marches which ended at Gettysburg in the afternoon of July 2 was begun. The brigade being in reserve, though doing mueh marching back and forth along the line and frequently exposed to fire, the Tenth lost but one man killed and three wounded during the battle. The pursuit of Lee's retreating army brought the regiment to Funkstown on the 12th where it confronted the enemy's outposts, and two days later an advance showed that Lee's army was again in Virginia.
In the strategic campaign which followed the Tenth bore their full share of marching, maneuvering and routine duty. On the 25th Warrenton was reached, after a side excursion the day previous to Manassas Gap, where the regiment did not arrive in time to take part in the little engagement which called it from the direct line of march. Near Warrenton, with no more exciting duty than guarding against sudden dashes of the enemy's cavalry and guerrillas, the time passed till the 15th of September. On that day and the one ensuing the regiment crossed the Rappahannock and the Tappahan- nock rivers, going to Stone House Mountain, where it remained till the 1st of October, when the division was distributed along the rail- road, the Third Brigade at Rappahannock Station, the First at Cat- lett's and the Second Brigade-in which was the Tenth-at Bristoe's Station. Remaining there till October 13, the regiment marched to the front at Warrenton Junction, to cover the retreat of the army, now falling back toward Centerville, and on the 14th Meade's entire command was concentrated near the latter place anticipating battle.
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But the field of Chantilly was not to receive another baptism of blood ; Lee retired and Meade followed, the 20th of October finding the regiment again in camp at Warrenton, when another period of inaction ensued. The Tenth marched on the morning of November 7 to Rappahannock Station, where during the preliminary operations it was detached from its own brigade and joined to General Shaler's. While supporting a battery it lost two men mortally wounded, but was not actively engaged in the brilliant capture of the Confederate works which followed. After doing some outpost and fatigue dnty the regiment on the 12th marched to Brandy Station and encamped till the preparations were completed for the Mine Run expedition. In the discomforts of that futile enterprise, lasting from the 26th of November to the 3d of December, it had a full share, but was not engaged in such conflict as took place, and on the latter date returned to its former camp at Brandy Station.
Winter quarters followed, unbroken for some months by any event of military importance. Toward the close of December something over 100 members of the regiment re-enlisted for three years' ad- (litional service, receiving furlonghs of 35 days and large bounties. The winter routine was broken on the 26th of February, 1864, by the march to Madison Court House in support of a raid made by Kilpatrick's cavalry,-a disagreeable journey through a severe storm, which was ended on the 2d of March by a return to camp. The reorganization of the army and the preparation for the spring campaign now followed, and the regiment broke camp for the last time soon after midnight on the morning of May 4.
The Tenth Regiment was among the first of the Sixth Corps en- gaged in the battle of the Wilderness. The brigade formed the right of General Getty's line on the Plank road near the Brock, the Tenth connecting with Wheaton's Brigade and the Second Rhode Island forming the extreme right of the Federal front line, these two regiments being supported respectively by the Seventh and Thirty-seventh. Deploying two of its companies as skirmishers, the regiment advanced at the signal till the enemy's main line was encountered, the thicket being so dense that the movement had to be made by the right of companies to the front. A terribly stub- born infantry contest at once ensued, the opposing lines ponring into each other a deadly fire for a long time at short range. Both suffered severely. The Rhode Island regiment, being flanked, was
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obliged to fall back, its place being taken by the Thirty-seventh, but the men of the Tenth emptied their cartridge-boxes before giving place to the Seventh, losing two gallant officers killed-First Lieu- tenant William A. Ashley of West Springfield and Second Lieu- tenant Alfred E. Midgley of Spencer. The following day the regiment was less closely engaged, though suffering some loss, and that night set out for the right of the Union line, where the other divisions of the corps under General Sedgwick had been doing valiant service.
The Tenth were not further engaged, however, till the opening of the fight at Spottsylvania, on the 8th, when having taken posi- tion on the left of the Fifth Corps troops confronting the enemy, they assisted in repelling several attempts of the foe to force them back, passing a night of incessant alarm and danger. During the following three days there was continued skirmishing and maneu- vering, but no serious engagement. The 12th of May witnessed the terrible struggle at the " Angle,"-one of the most obstinate con- tests known to the war,-and in that engagement the Tenth had an important and honorable share. Shortly after daylight that morning the regiment was advanced to the works captured by Gen- eral Hancock shortly before, and which the Confederates made desperate efforts to recapture, and at once became engaged, main- taining a stubborn contest almost without cessation for nearly twenty-four hours, in the midst of a heavy rain-storm, expending some 300 rounds of ammunition per man ; at times the fight was so close that the opposing forces occupied the different sides of the same works and fought over them with muskets and bayonets. In this action Major Parker received wounds from which he died dur- ing the day, while of the other officers wounded, Captain James H. Wetherell died on the 26th of June and First Lieutenant Alanson E. Munyan of Northampton on the 21st of May.
The Sixth Corps was moved to the left of the Union line on the 14th, in the search for a vulnerable point in the opposing lines, and on the 17th the Tenth, followed by the Third Vermont, made a re- connaissance of several miles, pushing back the Confederate cavalry and finding their main line impregnably located. Returning from this expedition the regiment marched that night back to the posi- tion near the Angle from which next morning the assault was to be made-known as the battle of Spottsylvania Court House, in
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distinction from the other engagements in that region. The brigade, now commanded by Colonel Edwards, formed the second line in the advance, but Wheaton's Brigade soon moved by the flank uncover- ing it, when the regiment forced its way through a terrible fire into the enemy's pits. After suffering from a short range artillery fire for some time the command was withdrawn, the Tenth having lost, besides a considerable number of wounded and prisoners, First Lieutenant Edwin R. Bartlett of Springfield killed. The casualties in the regiment from the opening of the Wilderness campaign up to that time had amounted to 186, of whom 53 had been killed or mortally wounded.
In Grant's continued movement by the left flank, confronting the foe at the North Anna on the 24th and at Hanover Town on the 28th, skirmishing at Peake's Station on the 30th, the Tenth had known no rest when carly in the morning of the 1st of June it was put in motion for the sanguinary field of Cold Harbor. The hot day proved very trying on the march, but soon after reaching the battle-field the brigade, which protected the Federal left flank, was called into action to repel a flanking movement by the enemy, and for ten days there was little cessation from the continued exposure, skirmishing and sharp-shooting which constantly thinned the ranks which had become so sadly depleted. The regiment was in the sup- porting line on the 3d, when the futile Union assault was made, and was not closely engaged during the entire operations on that field ; but suffered a loss of over twenty in killed and wounded-largely from the enemy's sharp-shooters.
On the night of the 12th of June the Tenth were placed on the picket line covering the withdrawal of the Army of the Potomac for a continuation of the move by the left flank, following next morning and rejoining the brigade on the 14th. On the 15th they assisted in covering the crossing of the James river, marching all night of the 16th and through the 17th, arriving in sight of Peters- burg, being at once ordered forward in support of the picket line, and on the 18th taking part in the advance against the Confed- erate position, being in the second line and losing seven wounded.
The regiment was relieved from duty at the front on the evening of the 19th and retired to a position near corps head-quarters, from which it set out the following day for home; but while waiting for the necessary arrangements to be made a shell from the enemy
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR.
killed Sergeant Major Polley. The recruits and re-enlisted men whose terms of service had not expired were transferred to a de- tachment connected with the Thirty-seventh regiment,-then the only regimental organization left to the brigade,-and subsequently were consolidated with that command. The remainder left City Point on the mail boat the 21st, reached Washington next day, and arrived at Springfield the 25th, where an enthusiastic reception was accorded the veterans. Five of the companies were mustered out of service on the 1st of July, and the remainder on the 6th, closing a record of which the organization might well be proud.
THE ELEVENTH REGIMENT.
T HIE Eleventh Regiment was the third in the state to be mus- tered for three years' service, many of its members enlisting at a publie meeting held at the hall of the Everett Associa- tion in Boston soon after the news of the firing on Sumter was re- ceived. The leading spirit in its organization was Major George Clark, Jr., of the militia, and as the command was principally made up of the clerks and mechanics of the city, it was known as the " Boston Volunteers." The building at 179 Court Street was used as quarter's until eight companies were filled, when the regiment was ordered to Fort Warren and recruited to the United States standard, occupying quarters at the fort May 9, 1861. The muster took place on the 13th of June, Captain Marshall of the United States army officiating, detachments to bring the regiment up to the maximum being added later. The roster of officers was as fol- lows, Boston being the residence unless otherwise designated :-
Colonel, George, Clark, Jr., of Dorchester ; lieutenant colonel, William Blaisdell ; major, George F. Tileston; surgeon, Luther V. Bell of Somerville ; assistant surgeon, John W. Foye ; chaplain, Elisha F. Watson ; adjutant, Brownell Granger; quartermaster, J. Frank Lakin; sergeant major, William B. Mitchell ; quartermaster sergeant, Henry Page ; commissary sergeant, Peter H. Haskell; hospital steward, Robert E. Jameson ; leader of band, Azel P. Brigham of Salem.
Company A-Captain, Maclelland Moore ; first lieutenant, Thomas G. Bowden ; second lieutenant. John II. Whitten.
Company B, Paul Revere Guard-Captain, John Henry Davis ; first lieutenant, Melzar Dunbar ; second lieutenant, Frank Hayes.
Company C, Clark Light Guard-Captain, Porter D. Tripp ; first lieutenant, Alonzo Coy ; second lieutenant, Timothy Teaffe.
Company D-Captain, John W. Butters of Boston ; first lieutenant, Malcolm Graham ; second lieutenant, Charles H. De Lord, both of North Woburn.
Company E-Captain, James R. Bigelow ; first lieutenant, William A. Clark ; second lieutenant, William E. Farwell.
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Company F-Captain, Leonard Gordon ; first lieutenant, James W. McDonald of North Woburn ; second lieutenant, Simcon P. Currier. ยท Company G-Captain, William C. Allen; first lieutenant, Edwin Humphrey of Hingham ; second lieutenant, Joseph P. Myers of East Boston.
Company H, Sanford Light Guard-Captain, Selden Page of Leo- minster ; first lieutenant, Charles Henry Colburn ; second lieutenant, George W. Caleff.
Company I, Bunker Hill Volunteers-Captain, Benjamin F. Wright; first lieutenant, John C. Robertson ; second lieutenant, Albert M. Gammell, all of Charlestown.
Company K-Captain, Benjamin Stone, Jr .; first lieutenant, Will- iam V. Munroe; second lieutenant, John T. Sweet, all of Dorchester.
Two days after being mustered in, the regiment embarked on two steamers and was transported to Boston, marched through the city and Charlestown, receiving ovations and many attentions en route, to North Cambridge, where it occupied Camp Cameron, which had recently been evacuated by the First Regiment. Here the men were placed on army rations, and much attention was given to per- fecting the command in discipline and soldierly duties. On the 28th a flagstaff was erected at the camp, and the regiment was pre- sented with state and national colors,-the latter the gift of Mrs. E. H. Sanford, for whom Company H was named. Next day wit- nessed the departure of the command for Washington, by way of the Old Colony Railroad and steamer from Fall River to New York, where on the forenoon of the 30th the Sons of Massachusetts ten- dered a welcome and an ovation. Going thence by the steamer Kil Von Kil to Elizabethport, cars were taken for Washington, via Har- risburg. At Baltimore the order to load with ball cartridges was given, in memory of the reception met by the Sixth the previous April ; but this time there was no molestation, and the command marched through the city to the music of Gilmore's band. Wash- ington was reached on the 3d of July, and the regiment camped at Camp Sanford on the Treasury Grounds. There it remained for ten days, attracting much attention, when it was ordered across the Potomac, marching on the morning of the 14th to Alexandria, where with the Fifth Massachusetts, Fourth Pennsylvania and First Minnesota Regiments, and Ricketts's Battery of the First United States Artillery, it formed the First Brigade, Third Division, Mc- Dowell's army, Colonel W. B. Franklin commanding the brigade and Colonel S. P. Heintzelman the division.
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