USA > Massachusetts > Massachusetts in the war, 1861-1865 Pt. 1 > Part 40
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Meantime Companies G and H at Plymouth were kept ever on the alert by the enemy. On the 23d of March Company H took part in a sharp skirmish at Wingfield, losing two killed and two wounded. In other enterprises of like nature officers and men from the regiment took creditable part. The eight companies had scarcely settled at Newbern when on the afternoon of the 27th they were ordered to take part in an expedition to Gum Swamp. Going by cars to Batchelder's Creek, they took up the march at 9 o'clock that evening in company with the Fifth Regiment and two companies of the Forty-sixth, the men carrying 100 rounds of ammunition. That night the regiment marched to Core Creek, where it waited till 1 o'clock the next day for a heavy rain-fall to cease, when it moved forward 13 miles further with Companies D and E as skirmishers, till the enemy were found posted in an earthwork near the railroad. The two companies joined with the supporting regiments in a charge, putting the enemy to rout and capturing a considerable number of prisoners,-the loss to the Twenty-seventh being but one wounded. Returning to the Creek over roads almost impassable, the regiment was sent out on the 30th by General I. N. Palmer,
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THE TWENTY-SEVENTII REGIMENT.
commanding the expedition, on a scout for guerrillas. None were found, however, and next day the command was returned to New- bern by rail, where on the 8th of May, after it had moved into com- fortable barracks, it was rejoined by the two companies from Batchelder's Creek. The recent experiences of the regiment had been so trying that at this time a daily average of 230 men were under medical treatment.
The brigade was sent out on the 21st to attempt the dispersal of a hostile force which had given some annoyance to the Union out- posts. The rendezvous was at Core Creek, whence the Twenty- seventh were sent to the Bridge, two miles distant, to report to Colonel Jones of the Fifty-eighth Pennsylvania. With the two regiments that officer worked his way for 13 hours through a most difficult swamp, till he gained a position in the rear of the Con- federate intrenchments covering the Dover road and the railroad. While four 'companies of the Twenty-seventh occupied the road, to intercept reinforcements and prevent the escape of fugitives, three companies under Captain Sanford with two companies of the Penn- sylvanians, well supported, made a charge on the works, while the rest of the brigade, which had come up in front, attacked on the other side. The enemy broke to the swamp, but 170 prisoners were taken, with considerable camp property. The victors rested on the field for a few hours, during which the enemy rallied in force and some skirmishing ensued on the return, lasting till the Newbern outposts were reached, where the brave Colonel Jones was killed. The Twenty-seventh lost one killed and three wounded.
The resignation of Lieutenant Colonel Lyman was accepted on the 28th of May, leaving the regiment in command of Major Bar- tholomew, who was presently promoted to the vacancy, Captain William A. Walker of Company C becoming major. On the 6th of June the regiment was detailed as provost guard in Newbern, Cap- tain Sanford being made provost marshal with Lieutenant Hunt as assistant. Captain Bartlett was also made provost marshal of Beau- fort, while Colonel Lee was appointed provost marshal general of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. General Foster taking command of the same department, with head-quarters at Fortress Monroe, the Department of North Carolina was placed under General John J. Peck.
From the 4th to the 6th of July the regiment formed part of an
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infantry force supporting a raid of the Third New York cavalry upon the Wilmington and Weldon railroad, penetrating five miles beyond Trenton. Again on the 17th, with part of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, it crossed the Neuse river and went to Swift Creek, where it remained till the 20th in support of a cavalry expedition to Rocky Mount and Tarboro. On the 10th of October-one week after the Twenty-seventh had been relieved from duty in Newbern-General Foster directed the transfer of the regiments forming his original brigade to Virginia, and as Heckmen's Brigade the Twenty-third, Twenty-fifth and Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, Ninth New Jersey and Belger's Battery were ordered to Newport News. The Twenty- seventh reached its destination the 18th, its new habitation being named Camp Hoffman, but ten days later General Foster was ordered to the Department of the Ohio, being succeeded by General Butler, by whom the regiment was returned to provost duty, Com- panics A, D and K at Portsmouth and the balance at Norfolk.
During the winter special attention was given to the re-enlistment of veteran soldiers, and so many of the Twenty-seventh re-enlisted as to insure the continuance of the regiment as a veteran organiza- tion. January 15, 1864, with 220 of these, Lieutenant Colonel Bar- tholomew left for home on a month's furlough, receiving a hearty reception at Springfield, and returning to duty at Norfolk, February 19. The first expedition of the spring took place March 4, when the regiment advanced beyond Magnolia Salt Sulphur Springs, on information that the enemy was approaching from the direction of Suffolk, but found no foe and returned on the 7th. The Twenty- seventh were relieved from provost duty on the 21st by the Fourth Rhode Island, with the exception of Company F and 50 men from other companies who remained, the former at Norfolk and the lat- ter as prison guard. The regiment marched to Julian's Creek in a severe snow-storm, resting in the tents of the Tenth New Hamp- shire over night and the next day building their own camp. During the winter 213 recruits had joined the command, and its total now reached 933. First Lieutenant Edward D. Lee of Templeton, an esteemed officer serving as adjutant, died of disease April 17.
The Twenty-seventh was now part of General Heckman's (hence- forth known as the Red Star) Brigade, Second Division, Eighteenth Corps, Army of the James. General Butler commanded the army, General W. F. Smith the corps, General Weitzel the division. The
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THE TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Twenty-seventh left Portsmouth by the steamer Escort on the morn- ing of April 27, and at noon landed at Yorktown. After march- ing about for a time the brigade went by transports to near Williams- burg, landed again and marched aimlessly back and forth as a feint, re-embarking during the night of May 4 and returning with the entire fleet to Fortress Monroe, whence on the 5th the vessels sailed up the James river to Bermuda Hundred where the Star Brigade debarked and advanced a mile inland to cover the landing of the army. Next morning the regiment started for Cobb's Hill, seven miles westward near the Appomattox, and finding no enemy in the vicinity the forces set to work constructing a line of defenses from that point to Dutch Gap Bend on the James, four miles distant, in- closing a roomy and favorable peninsula in the rear of the line.
General Heckman was soon ordered to develop the position and force of the enemy, sending forward his brigade, with Companies A and II of the Twenty-seventh as skirmishers, supported by the rest of the regiment. At Mary Dunn's farm the Confederates were found in some force, and a sharp skirmish followed, in which tlie infantry firing on the Union side was all done by the Twenty-seventh, the rest of the brigade being formed in echelon in support. The fight continued till after dark, when the column returned to Cobb's Hill, the regiment having lost two killed and 16 wounded, three fatally. The day following three columns of Federal troops by as many routes were advanced toward the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad. Heckman's Brigade formed the left, the Twenty-seventh leading, and at Dunn's farm the enemy were found in stronger force than on the 6th. There was no engagement at this point except artillery firing during the day, General Brooks in the center reach- ing and destroying a considerable portion of the railroad, and at night the troops returned to their intrenched line, the Twenty-seventh having lost five wounded, while 50 were affected by sun-stroke. Such were the battles of Dunn's Farm and Walthall Junction.
A general advance toward Petersburg was ordered for the 9th, the Twenty-seventh leading with Companies E and I as skirmishers. Near Arrowfield Church the enemy were found in some force and an engagement at once began, the regiment forming on the right of the turnpike and with the Twenty-fifth on the left constituting the first line of battle. After an hour's hard fighting Haygood's South Carolina Brigade charged close up to the Union line when it re-
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ceived two terrific volleys which drove it back in confusion. The Twenty-seventh and the Ninth New Jersey at once joined in a coun- ter charge, driving back the disorganized brigade, when the entire Union force moved forward and secured the field. In this battle the Twenty-seventh and Twenty-fifth South Carolina Regiments were opposed to the same numbers from Massachusetts, each brigade also containing a Twenty-third Regiment. The loss of the Twenty- seventh Massachusetts was five killed and 32 wounded, five fatally, including First Lieutenant Pliny Wood of Westfield. Next day the column again returned to its defenses at Cobb's Hill.
A movement northward toward Richmond was begun on the 12th, almost simultaneously with a heavy rain-fall which lasted for four days. The Richmond road was reached at 9 o'clock when skirmish- ing began, which continued at intervals through the day, the regi- ment having four wounded. The following afternoon some progress was made toward Drewry's Bluff, and on the 14th with Companies C and F as skirmishers the line was advanced to within 300 yards of Fort Stevens, an earthwork in front of Fort Darling and sep- arated from it by Kingsland Creek. The enemy's outposts having been captured, intrenchments were built during the 15th, and on these two days the regiment expended 80,000 cartridges in skirmish firing, losing 23 men wounded. On the afternoon of the 15th the brigade was transferred to the right of the army, taking position in Gregory's Woods, the order of the regiments from the right being : Ninth New Jersey, Twenty-third, Twenty-seventh and Twenty-fifth Massachusetts. Fort Darling was a mile and a quarter in front, and between the right of the brigade and the James river was a space of a mile or more occupied only by a thin picket line already on duty for two days without relief. In this direction Company D were deployed as skirmishers, in front of the line already estab- lished, by whose fire three men were wounded; while the rest of the regiment devoted themselves vigorously to intrenching.
The morning of the 16th brought a fearful disaster to Ileckman's Brigade. Under cover of a dense fog General Beauregard threw Ransom's Confederate Division of four brigades fiercely against the two Union brigades-Heckman's and Wistar's-east of the turn- pike. Three attempts to break the frail line by direct charge were made, but each time the assailants were repulsed with dreadful loss. Then the right was turned by a flank movement of Gracie's Alabama
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THE TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Brigade ; a messenger sent to warn Colonel Lee was killed before the message was delivered, and the first knowledge of danger to the regiment was the appearance in its rear of the First and Seventh Virginia Regiments of Kemper's Brigade with a demand for sur- render, emphasized by a volley. Most of the three left companies, F, E and K, escaped and gave the alarm to the Twenty-fifth, and Company D on the picket line also succeeded in eluding the enemy ; but of the other companies a great majority were swept back to the Confederate lines, 120 of whom went to horrible deaths in the prison pens. The remnant of the Twenty-seventh, under command of Captain Moore, did valiant service during the remainder of the day, and saw the enemy discomfited and driven back to their own lines, but the loss of the regiment had been fearful. Ten had been killed, 55 wounded, nine of them fatally, and 248 were prisoners, of whom 12 were wounded. Among the captured were Colonel Lee, Lieuten- ant Colonel Bartholomew and seven line officers. General Heckman was also a prisoner. Among the killed was Captain C. D. Sanford, a fine officer and a young man of great promise.
That night a return was made to the works at Cobb's Hill, and under the command of Major Walker, who had been absent on tem- porary leave at the time of the disaster, the regiment was reorgan- ized in three divisions-right, center and left-under the command respectively of Captain Moore, Lieutenant Wright and Captain Bailey. General Stannard, in the absence of General Heckman, took command of the brigade, to which the Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Regiment was added, and General Martindale relieved General Weitzel in command of the division. The Army of the James was now shut into its fortifications by the advance of the Confederates, and on the 23d a reconnaissance in which most of the survivors of the Twenty-seventh took part revealed the enemy in strong force at Bakehouse Creek. One man in the detachment was fatally wounded during the skirmish.
Four divisions, of which Martindale's was one, were detached from the Army of the James on the 26th under General Smith to join the Army of the Potomac, and next day the remnant of the Twenty-seventh crossed the Appomattox on pontons, embarking from City Point on the 29th. Going by way of Fortress Monroe and up the York and Pamunkey rivers to White House Landing, the troops debarked on the morning of the 31st, halting late that night at New
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Castle. The march to this point was an error, the intention having been that the command should report to Cold Harbor, and for that place the weary column set out next morning. The day was in- sufferably hot, the roads very dusty, and the men weighted with four days' rations ; yet before 3 o'clock in the afternoon 20 miles had been made and the courage of the Twenty-seventh was so enduring that but four men had fallen from the ranks.
The Army of the Potomac was then going into position for the Cold Herbor battles, and General Smith placed his command be- tween the Sixth Corps, forming the Union left, and the Fifth, some distance to the right. A part of his troops almost immediately made a charge and took some ground from the enemy, but in that movement the Twenty-seventh did not take part. Companies F and II, however, were deployed as skirmishers, and in that position the former lost two men wounded, one fatally. The rest of the regiment took a position on the front line about dark, and remained till morning of the 2d of June, when it was relieved, but while the men were getting breakfast it was ordered to the support of Bar- ton's Brigade, starting for the place under the guidance of the aide who brought the order. While en route a heavy volley was re- ceived killing four and wounding 14, five fatally. The guide was not seen after the fire, and the regiment remained awaiting orders till afternoon, when it rejoined the brigade. In the murderous as- sault of the next morning the Twenty-seventh were first deployed as skirmishers and with the loss of two men killed drove in the Confederate outposts till the main lines appeared in front. They were then recalled and formed part of the first line of attack, press- ing forward under a frightful fire to the enemy's second line, where the little command was almost annihilated, losing 15 killed, 65 wounded and four taken prisoners. Five of the wounded were fatally hurt, and among the killed were the regiment's commander, Major Walker, Captain E. K. Wilcox, and Second Lieutenant Samuel Morse of Chicopee. Captain Wilcox was serving on Gen- cral Stannard's staff, but knowing that the charge was to be made placed himself beside his comrades and was killed while cheering them on. Of the 744 men who accompanied the colors of the Twenty-seventh from Yorktown, May 4, only 83 remained, and dur- ing the succeeding days at Cold Harbor this number was reduced by two of the five officers being killed, five men wounded and seven
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THE TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.
taken prisoners. The officers lost were First Lieutenant F. C. Wright, acting adjutant, and Edgar H. Coombs of Lee, who had re- ceived his commission as second lieutenant but had not been mus- tered. The brigade was strengthened while before Cold Harbor by the addition of the Eighty-ninth New York, and on the 12th of June orders were received for General Smith's command to return to White House Landing.
That night the regiment-commanded since the death of Major Walker by Captain Caswell, who had been wounded but not dis- abled-marched 20 miles through the dust and sand to the Land- ing, embarking on transports which conveyed it to Broadway Land- ing on the Appomattox near Cobb's Hill, where the troops went ashore the evening of the 14th. Before morning, with the other troops under General Smith, it crossed the river on pontons to take part in the first movement against Petersburg. The brigade led its division by way of the Appomattox turnpike, engaging the skir- mishers of the enemy at 9 o'clock and driving them back till the intrenched line was encountered, near Battery Five, the artillery fire from which wounded 11 men of the Twenty-seventh, one mor- tally. In the early evening, artillery from General Hancock's corps reached the scene and opened on the enemy, when a strong skirmish line was advanced and gained the coveted intrenchments.
During the two succeeding days the regiment was engaged in maneuvering and skirmishing, and on the morning of the 18th at the general assault which was ordered it was directed to move for- ward, align with another regiment and charge. Under the com- mand of Captain Moore it advanced through a terrible fire until not an officer remained with it, and the gallant remnant struggled as near to the enemy's works, under the command of sergeants, as it was possible for human valor to carry men. There they remained burrowing into the ground till darkness enabled them to steal away. The loss of the day had been 11 killed and 28 wounded, the latter including all the commissioned officers except First Lieutenant E. M. Jillson, who assumed command of the survivors.
On the evening of the 19th the Eighteenth Corps was relieved and fell back to Point of Rocks, where numerous changes occurred. The Fifth Maryland Regiment was added to the brigade and its Colonel Fry took command, in place of General Stannard, assigned to a division. Captain Bailey having returned to the Twenty-seventh
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took command of the four line officers and 114 men present for duty, some returns having been made from details and hospitals. At the same time Chaplain Woodworth, to the general regret, re- signed his commission. On the 21st the regiment again returned to the works in front of the doomed city, and from that time till the 24th of August it was under the command of various captains and lieutenants, engaged in the arduous and dangerous duties of the siege. During the time it had some 20 men wounded and two or three killed, having generally from 180 to 200 present for duty. With the rest of the corps, it massed in rear of the Ninth at the explosion of the mine, July 30, and a few weeks later an attempt at reprisal was made by the enciny under a covered way occupied by the Twenty-seventh ; but fortunately the distance was misjudged, and the magazine was placed forward of the works intended to be destroyed, so that the defenders were only covered by dirt by the explosion.
Early in the morning of the 25th of August the regiment was relieved from duty in the trenches and recrossed the Appomattox, encamping near Cobb's Hill once more. There it remained in amiable relations with the opposing picket lines till the 17th of September, when steamer was taken and the command went that evening to Portsmouth, where Colonel H. C. Lee, finally released from rebel prisons, was awaiting his regiment. Through his in- fluence the men whose terms of service had nearly expired received permission to return at once to Massachusetts, the rest of the bri- gade having gone or being ordered to North Carolina. The home- ward bound detachment numbered 179, who under the command of Captain William McKay reached Springfield on the 28th and were enthusiastically received. On the 29th they were mustered out of the United States service.
The re-enlisted men and recruits still composing the regiment in the field sailed by the steamer United States to Beaufort. N. C., and on the 21st under command of Major Moore went into camp at Carolina City, where in the midst of yellow fever they remained till November 28, suffering considerably from the disease. On that date camp was broken and the regiment, now commanded by Lieu- tenant Colonel Bartholomew, who had been exchanged, went to . Beaufort where it performed provost duty till the 4th of December. It was then sent in light marching order to Newbern to take part
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THIE TWENTY-SEVENTHI REGIMENT.
in a movement against Rainbow Bluff in support of the projected attack on Fort Fisher, near Wilmington. Battery _1, Third New York, were dismounted and consolidated for the time with the Twenty-seventh, and the force of some six regiments was com- manded by Colonel Frankle of the Second Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. The column started from Plymouth early in the morn- ing of December 9, the Twenty-seventh in the advance with the Ninth New Jersey. The enemy were encountered five miles out and pressed back to Foster's Mills, where they made a stand behind a creek, the bridge across which had been destroyed. Under cover of artillery fire the bridge was repaired, when the foe fell back, the Twenty-seventh having lost one killed and one wounded during the engagement.
That night the column camped at Williamston, where it remained the following day, but at night again advanced and soon after midnight approached the Confederate position at Butler's Bridge. There the force was divided, the Twenty-seventh with the Ninth New Jersey by a roundabout way secking the rear of the position, which they successfully gained, capturing the commandant with 130 of his garrison, and dispersing the rest, as well as a body of rein- forcements for whom they had at first been mistaken by the Con- federates. As the force could do no more for the want of supplies, a retrograde movement was made from point to point till Plymouthi was reached. Early in January, 1865, the regiment was ordered back to Newbern, and after some perplexing and contradictory orders was finally assigned to outpost duty-six companies under Lieuten- ant Colonel Bartholomew at Rocky Run and the remainder under Captain Mckay at Red House. Several changes occurred among the companies on this duty, and on the 15th of February 30 re- cruits were received, raising the total effective strength of the regi- ment to 264 men.
General Schofield with the Twenty-third Corps having entered North Carolina and begun an advance in co-operation with that of General Sherman through the Carolinas, the Twenty-seventh with the Fifteenth Connecticut under command of Colonel C. L. Upham, forming the Second Brigade, Second Division, district of Beaufort- was ordered on the 3d of March to report in light order at Core Creek. From that point a column under General Cox advanced on the 6th, the Twenty-seventh leading as skirmishers during the day.
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On the 7th the regiment was not engaged while the column was ad- vancing with some fighting .to Wise Forks, but the following day, when Southwest Creek had been gained, rumors were received that a flank attack might be expected, and the Twenty-seventh were posted across British road to guard against that danger. While thus isolated, with only the Fifteenth near, they were attacked and almost surrounded by Hoke's Division. A most gallant defense was made, the little band holding its antagonists at bay for almost an hour, and making desperate efforts to extricate itself, finally rallying about its colors after two standard-bearers had been shot down and fighting till the foe swept over and captured such as sur- vived, only the stretcher-bearers, six or seven in number, escaping. Seven had been killed, 40 wounded, including Lieutenant Colonel Bartholomew severely, and 147 captured. All the wounded with a single exception fell into the hands of the enemy.
The captives were marched to Libby Prison at Richmond, from which they were paroled, and on reaching the Union lines were given a month's furlough to Massachusetts. There was still left in the service a nucleus bearing the regimental name, which in a short time by the addition of convalescents and recruits numbered some 30, and this handful was engaged in guard duty and kindred detail till the 26th of June, when it was mustered out of the service at Newbern and left for Massachusetts. Readville was reached on the 7th of July, where the final papers were prepared, and on the 19th the Twenty-seventh Regiment was paid off and formally disbanded.
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