USA > Massachusetts > Massachusetts in the war, 1861-1865 Pt. 2 > Part 10
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Early in the evening of July 9 the regiment took cars for Point of Rocks, opposite Harper's Ferry, where it arrived 24 hours after and at once climbed to Maryland Hights and bivouacked. A day or two later it was brigaded with the Eighth, Forty-sixth and Fifty- first Massachusetts-nine months' regiments whose enlistment had nearly or quite expired but who had volunteered their services to assist in driving the Confederate army from the loyal states. The brigade, which was commanded by General Henry S. Briggs, marched toward Funkstown, late in the evening of the 12th, where on the following day it joined the Army of the Potomac, confront- ing the Confederates under General Lee. It was attached as a provisional brigade to the Second Division, First Corps, General Robinson commanding the division and General Newton the corps.
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Next morning the Southern army was found to have recrossed the Potomac, and after advancing to Williamsport the Union army began a parallel movement southward by way of Berlin, where it crossed the river, through White Plains, Warrenton and Bealton to Rappahannock Station, where the Thirty-ninth arrived on the 27th of July. The nine-months' regiments had now returned to Mas- sachusetts, and at Bealton the Thirty-ninth was attached to the First Brigade of the same division, its associate regiments being the Thirteenth Massachusetts, Sixteenth Maine, Ninety-fourth and One Ilundred and Fourth New York and One Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania. The command of the brigade was at that time held by Colonel Coulter of the Eleventh Pennsylvania, but passed at short intervals to General Briggs, Colonel Davis, Colonel T. F. McCoy of the One Hundred and Seventh, and Colonel Samuel H. Leonard of the Thirteenth, who held it during the autumn and winter.
Buford's cavalry crossed the river August 1, the Thirty-ninth fol- lowing them across and intrenching on the south bank, where they remained for a week, returning to the north side on the 8th and encamping there till the 16th. They then moved to Stevensburg, halting for a week, marching thence to Raccoon Ford on the Rapi- dan, where with some changes of position they remained till the 9th of October. Then the movement northward began, the regi- ment fording the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford on the 11th, cover- ing the crossing there for a day and then marching in haste to Cen- terville, which was reached at noon of the 14th. The two armies were now confronting each other on the old battle-fields in that vicinity, and that afternoon the Thirty-ninth moved out to Bull Run and went on picket. About noon of the next day the outposts were drawn in and the regiment marched to Cub Run, where before camp could be pitched it was ordered out to the support of the picket line. No engagement transpired, and after waiting for some days in hourly expectation of a battle the regiment on the 19th marched to Hay- market, near Thoroughfare Gap, and next day passed through the Gap, encamping there till the 24th. By this time the Confederate army had fallen back behind the Rappahannock and General Meade had moved his forces in that direction, leaving detachments to re- pair and guard the railroad by which supplies for his army must be forwarded. The Thirty-ninth moved to Kettle Run October 24, where they were detailed to guard the railroad bridge, and remained
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till the 4th of November. The 8th found them again in the vicinity of Rappahannock Station, and next day they reached Licking Run, where they encamped till the 23d.
The Mine Run campaign was then under consideration, and pre- liminary to that movement the regiment marched to Rappahannock Station once more, so that when the Army of the Potomac set forth on Thanksgiving morning, the 26th, it was in its place in the First Corps. On the morning of the 28th the enemy were encountered near Mine Run, the regiment being on the right of its division, in the center' of the line of battle, with two companies deployed as skirmishers. Its only loss was one man wounded on picket, though the command suffered much from the inclement weather during the four days that with slight changes of position it remained before the enemy in order of battle. Falling back with the army at night of December 1, the regiment reached Germania Ford that evening and the following day its corps covered the crossing of the Fifth and Sixth Corps, after which it followed toward the old camps, the Thirty-ninth being the last regiment of the First Corps to recross the river, its left wing crossing in the ponton boats. Encamping on the 3d near Kelly's Ford, the regiment for a time occupied log cabins which the Confederates had erected some time previous for their own winter quarters ; but on the 24th it was advanced to Mitchell's Station, the extreme southern outpost of the Army of the Potomac, where it constructed other quarters and remained till the opening of the spring campaign of 1864.
In the consolidation of the Army of the Potomac to three corps, preliminary to that movement, the First Corps was one of those discontinued, General Robinson's Division being made the Second Division, Fifth Corps. The brigades were little changed in their make-up, the First being still commanded by Colonel Leonard, and in addition to the two Bay State regiments was composed of the Sixteenth Maine, One Hundred and Fourth New York, Ninetieth and One Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania. The story of the breaking of camp and the march to the Wilderness battle-field on the 4th and 5th of May is similar to that of other regiments of the corps, which crossed the Rapidan at Germania Ford. The brigade was in lead of the division on the 5th, and after passing most of the forenoon near the Lacy house was ordered at 1 o'clock to the support of General Griffin, who had attacked Ewell's advance on the
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Orange turnpike, and had been repulsed. The arrival of the Sec- ond Division, Fifth Corps, restored the line of battle and the enemy were driven from that portion of the field, which remained debat- able ground until the end of the battle. Position was then taken at the front and later in the afternoon the brigade made an assault on the enemy, but there was a failure of other troops to co-operate and no good results were accomplished, although the brigade suffered a loss of about 300 in killed, wounded and missing, of which the regiment had two killed and 18 wounded.
Colonel Peter Lyle of the Ninetieth Pennsylvania took command of the brigade on the 6th, Colonel Leonard being ill, and led it during the remainder of the campaign. It was relieved in the morning of the 6th and went to the rear, near the Lacy house, but in a short time was sent to the left to hold the Broek road, in con- tinuation of the Second Corps line, and formed part of the command of General Birney, where it intrenched and remained till the move- ment toward Spottsylvania began at night of the 7th. General Cutler's Division, followed by Robinson's, led the column, next to the cavalry, in this movement, and next morning as Spottsylvania Court House was approached the enemy's cavalry, artillery, and finally Anderson's (formerly Longstreet's) Corps disputed the ad- vance. The division was formed with Lyle's Brigade on the left of the road to the Court House in column of regiments, and ad- vanced against the Confederate position, but the intrenchments were too strong and too heavily manned, and after an obstinate contest, during which the Thirty-ninth hung to the position close up to the enemy, the division was flanked and forced to fall back, the Maryland Brigade, which had been in reserve, checking the advance of the Confederates. General Robinson being severely wounded at this time, and General Baxter commanding a brigade having been wounded in the Wilderness, General H. HI. Lockwood, who had just been assigned to duty with the Army of the Potomac, was placed in command of the division ; but two days later he was ordered to duty near Washington, when the division was broken up, one of its brigades being assigned to each of the other three divisions, the First Brigade being attached to the Fourth Division, of which General Cutler had succeeded to the command after the fatal wounding of General Wadsworth at the Wilderness.
Another engagement in which the Fifth Corps took a prominent
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THE THIRTY-NINTII REGIMENT.
part occurred on the 10th, in which the Thirty-ninth suffered severely, lying in front of the works, exposed to a heavy fire, and taking an active part in the assault. In the two engagements of the 8th and 10th at Laurel Hill the loss of the regiment reached 135 in killed, wounded and missing, six being killed on the 8th and nine on the 10th. The first officer of the regiment to fall in action was First Lieutenant Isaac D. Paul, who was mortally wounded on the 8th and died soon after in the hands of the enemy, while Lieu- tenant Colonel Peirson was wounded on the 10th. There were a few casualties, one man being killed, on the 12th, in the assault upon the hostile lines, the Thirty-ninth being in support. After the re- pulse the regiment was moved to the left to maintain connection with the Sixth Corps, a part of which had been withdrawn to sup- port the Second Corps in its assault at the Angle. The next night the Fifth Corps moved around through the forest in a heavy rain to the Union left, and in that vicinity the Thirty-ninth remained, making demonstrations but not becoming engaged, till the move- ment toward the North Anna on the 21st. When this movement began the pickets were necessarily left behind to conceal the ab- sence of the main body till it should be well on its way, and several members of the regiment were captured by the enemy in consequence.
The North Anna was reached on the 23d, and during the after- noon was crossed at Jericho Ford without much opposition. Line of battle was formed half a mile from the river, but before all of Cutler's Division was in position the Confederates delivered an at- tack which was repulsed, the Thirty-ninth taking a share in the fighting, having one man killed and some wounded. Various changes of position occurred during the three days which followed, while the two armies confronted each other, and the regiment was for a portion of the time under fire; but at night of the 26th the river was recrossed and the progress of the Union army to the left was continued. While across the North Anna the Thirty-ninth had been surprised and gratified to welcome back to duty those of their members who had been made prisoners at Laurel Hill on the 8th, who with other Union prisoners of war had been recaptured by Gen- eral Sheridan's cavalry at Beaver Dam while en route for Richmond.
During the next few days the regiment was continually on the march or the picket line, but not till the 30th at Bethesda Church did it again face the foc. There it took position, intrenched, and
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remained till the 5th of June, with almost daily skirmishing, but no general action and no fatal casualties to its members. The movement on the 5th was some miles to the rear and left, in prepa- ration for the crossing of the Chickahominy; hut before entering upon an undertaking of so vast proportions as the proposed trans- fer of the Army of the Potomac south of the James, General Grant allowed the weary troops a few days of very much needed rest, although the operations of the two armies in front of Cold Harbor were continually going on. Lieutenant Colonel Peirson returned to the regiment on the 10th, and at that time the Fifth Corps was again reorganized into four divisions, commanded respectively by Generals Griffin, Ayers, Crawford and Cutler. Under this arrange- ment Colonel Lyle's command became the First Brigade, Third Division. While on the march on the 11th the Thirty-ninth Regi- ment was transferred to the Second Brigade, but within an hour was returned to the First, where it remained.
During the 11th and 12th the Fifth Corps moved south to Long Bridge, where it crossed the Chickahominy, and turned sharply to the west, moving in the direction of Richimond till the Confederate outposts were encountered near White Oak Swamp. The division then deployed covering the roads leading toward Richmond, so as to give the impression of a movement in force against the Southern capital from this direction, while in fact the Army of the Potomac, protected from observation, moved swiftly past on its way to the James river. The other corps being well out of the way, General Warren withdrew his command after dark of the 13th and followed, crossing the James at Wilcox Landing on the morning of the 16th, and after an all-night march reached the scene of action in front of Petersburg on the morning of the 17th. That day was consumed in getting the corps into the best position for the active work con- templated, and the regiment passed the night in a ravine well up toward the enemy's outposts, where several members were wounded and one was killed by musketry. Next morning an advance of the corps pressed the Confederates back across the Norfolk and Peters- burg Railroad to their inner line of works; but the contemplated assault on these was given up, and the Thirty-ninth, taking position near the Marshall house, and establishing their picket line at a point afterward known as the Crater, sheltered themselves with a strong line of earthworks.
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THE THIRTY-NINTH REGIMENT.
The regiment remained here till the 24th, meeting almost daily losses from sharp-shooters, so that when the movement to the rear and left was made the list of casualties since reaching Petersburg amounted to five killed and a large number wounded. The next location was in the neighborhood of the Jerusalem Plank Road at the left of the Union line, and in that vicinity the command remained for several weeks. It was strengthened in numbers on the 25th of June by the transfer from the Twelfth Massachusetts Regiment, whose term of service was abont expiring, of 241 veterans and recruits, 125 of whom were present for duty, and on the 13th of July 103 were in like manner transferred from the Thirteenth Massachusetts.
A sad loss came to the regiment on the 11th of July, when a shell from the Confederate Fort Mahone, better known as Fort Damnation, exploded in the regimental head-quarters, mortally wounding Colonel Davis, who died before he could be taken to the hospital. " A pure patriot, a brave and faithful soldier, none more respected among his fellows," was the testimony of one who knew him intimately in the camp and field. The day following his death the regiment moved into a large earthwork on the west side of the Jerusalem Plank Road, a third of a mile south of Fort Sedgwick, which was named Fort Davis in his honor, and remained there for a month, strengthening the works and picketing the front. It was relieved August 15 by colored troops of the Ninth Corps and moved to the rear, preparatory to the demonstration against the Weldon Railroad which was to result so disastrously to the Thirty-ninth.
The movement began on the morning of the 18th and the rail- road was reached at 9.30 o'clock by Griffin's Division, followed by Ayres's. These two divisions were in advance of Crawford's, Cut- ler's following, and while they were engaged in the destruction of the railroad the latter formed on the right of Ayers's Division, with which Lyle's Brigade connected. Soon after the corps was in posi- tion General Heth of the Confederate army attacked Ayers and Lyle with great energy, and both were forced back temporarily, though the ground was recovered and the assailants were finally repulsed with heavy loss. The Thirty-ninth had six killed, some made prisoners, and many wounded, including Lieutenant Colonel Peirson very severely,-the regiment being left in command of Captain F. R. Kinsley. First Lieutenant Spear was mortally wounded. The position occupied was intrenched during the night,
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and as anticipated a more determined rebel attack was made the following day. The advances in front of the Thirty-ninth were repelled, but late in the afternoon General Mahone broke through the Union skirmish line to the right of Crawford's Division and secured a position on the flank and in the rear of Lyle's Brigade. The latter, driven from their works by the artillery fire from the Union batteries, could only run into the enveloping lines of Confed- erates to be made prisoners. Thus the brigade was almost de- stroyed, and the division was heavily depleted, the loss of Crawford in the engagement being over 1,800. The loss of the Thirty-ninth in killed was only four, but during the two days its wounded num- bered 32 and the missing 245. Among the captured on the 19th was Captain Kinsley, leaving the command of the remnant of the regiment to Captain Nelson.
The Union troops were rallied and the lost ground regained, but next day the Thirty-ninth were withdrawn from the woods where they had fought so heroically, and with other troops formed a line in the open field at the rear, which was intrenched and held, none of the assaults made on this position by the rebels during the 21st meet- ing with success or causing further loss to the regiment. The Con- federates then relinquished the effort to regain possession of the Weldon Railroad, and the Federals proceeded to fortify the vicinity so that any further attempts to dislodge them would have been hope- less. In the month which followed the Thirty-ninth moved from point to point, though never leaving the vicinity.
During this time a final reorganization of the Fifth Corps was made, Cutler's Division being discontinued and its troops attached to Crawford's Division. What had been the First and Second Bri- gades of the Second Division a year before were consolidated to one brigade under command of Colonel Richard Coulter of the Eleventh Pennsylvania, being known as the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fifth Corps, and consisting of the Thirty-ninth Massachusetts, Six- teenth Maine, Ninety-seventh and One Hundred and Fourth New York, Eleventh, Eighty-eighth, Ninetieth and One Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania Regiments. Subsequently the Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania was assigned to another brigade. In October, Colonel Coulter was relieved from command of the brigade by General Henry Baxter, who had recovered from the wound received at the Wilderness. The One Hundred and Fourth New York Regiment,
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having no commissioned officers after the battles on the Weldon Railroad, was reinforced with some 300 recruits and placed under command of Captain W. W. Graham of the Thirty-ninth, with Sec- ond Lieutenant Charles K. Conn of Woburn as adjutant, and thus officered served through the war as corps headquarters guard.
A reconnaissance to the left, in support of cavalry, was made on the 15th of September, and on its return the brigade was detailed as garrison for the forts at the left of the Union line, the Thirty- ninth with some of the small regiments being assigned to Fort Dushane in the flank line of works, beside which the regiment en- camped. Another reconnaissance occurred on the 29th, ending with a skirmish at Poplar Spring Church, and next day the regi- ment took position inside Fort Dushane, where it remained till October 16. It then moved to the vicinity of Fort Wadsworth in the front line of works, garrisoning Fort Conahey for a few days at the close of the month, but with that exception remaining near Fort Wadsworth till the 5th of December, when it again moved to the rear to join the Fifth Corps in an expedition. The regiment was then commanded by Major Tremlett, who on the 5th of Novem- ber had returned from duty at the Massachusetts draft rendezvous.
This expedition was sent southward to destroy the Weldon Rail- road in that direction, as the Confederates had been using it to within a few miles of Petersburg, and set forth on the morning of the 7th, the Thirty-ninth leading the infantry column. Next day the regiment picketed the Halifax road at its junction with the Jerusalem Plank Road over which the column was passing, follow- ing during the night and joining the main body at Jarrett's Station, where the work of destruction was begun. There it again went on picket, and when the column started on its return on the 10th the Thirty-ninth were designated as the rear guard. The return began about noon of the 11th, and during the day there were several exchanges of shots with the enemy's cavalry, while four members of the regiment who fell out exhausted were made prisoners by the hostile horsemen hovering in the rear of the retreating column. The return march ended near night of the 12th, and four days later winter quarters beside the Jerusalem Plank Road were occupied.
Early in the morning of February 5, 1865, the regiment was ordered to the Gurley House where it joined the corps for another expedition, marching at 8 o'clock toward Dinwiddie Court House,
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within two miles of which it halted at night. As usual the regi- ment went on picket, but next morning was withdrawn and followed the brigade in its march toward Hatcher's Run, crossing which in the afternoon order of battle was formed with the Thirty-ninth on the right of the first line. The advance which followed encountered the enemy in force and the line was intrenched at Dabney's Mills. An engagement took place, in which General Crawford's Division, after gaining some advantages, was forced to fall back. The fight- ing was renewed the following day, though a severe storm prevailed, the Thirty-ninth being on the skirmish line and driving the Con- federate skirmishers back to their main works. An attack late in the afternoon was not successful, and the contest was abandoned, though the Union lines were extended to the Run, and the brigade a few days after removed its camp to that vicinity.
The regiment still remained under the command of Major Trem- lett, Lieutenant Colonel Peirson being disabled by his wound. In consequence of that disability he was mustered out under a General Order of the War Department January 4, 1865, having been com- missioned but not mustered as colonel of the regiment. Several reviews were held during March, in which the Thirty-ninth partici- pated,-one on the 9th by Major General Robinson, the former divis- ion commander; a corps review on the 14th by General Warren; one before the Secretary of War on the 16th, and another by President Lincoln on the 25th. . On the latter occasion the regiment with other troops from its vicinity had been ordered very early in the morning toward the right to assist in the recovery of Fort Stedman, which had been captured by a dash from the Confederate lines ; their services not being needed they marched back to the Gurley House where they were reviewed by the President and after- ward took position in support of a contemplated attack by the Sixth Corps ; but that movement was carried no further than to gain the enemy's skirmish line, and late in the evening the regiment with its division returned to the camp near Hatcher's Run.
The final campaign of the war, so far as the Thirty-ninth were concerned, began on the morning of the 20th of March, when the regiment broke camp long before light and during the day marched to the left till the Boydtown Plank Road was reached, where the enemy were found in some force but were driven out, the Fifth Corps holding the position till morning of the 31st, the Thirty-ninth being
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on picket during the entire time. Then an advance was made to the vicinity of White Oak Road, over a difficult branch of Gravelly Run, where a heavy attack was made by the Confederates under the direction of General Lee in person, who was on the scene anxious to protect his only remaining lines of communication, threatened by this vigorous movement. Before the fierce onset in front and on the flank, Ayers's Division which was in advance gave way, followed by Crawford's which had been placed in support a few hundred yards in the rear. The Thirty-ninth, having won renown on many a skirmish line, were deployed and thrown forward to check if possible the ad- vance of the enemy till the broken lines could be reformed. The attempt was desperate and fruitless. The thin skirmish line was swept back with the loss of many of its bravest and best. Major Tremlett received a wound necessitating immediate amputation of his leg, from the effects of which he died on the 6th of June; Cap- tain Willard C. Kinsley also received a wound from which he died the following day. Two enlisted men were killed on the field, while the loss in wounded was large. The casualty to Major Tremlett devolved the command of the regiment upon Captain Cooper, who continued in that capacity till the close of the campaign.
The arrival of reinforcements finally enabled General Warren to regain the lost ground and make a further advance, moving his corps to the assistance of General Sheridan, who with his cavalry was at close quarters with the enemy at Dinwiddie Court House. During the night General Pickett, the Confederate commander, fell back to Five Forks, and there next day he was attacked and routed, most of his command being captured. The Thirty-ninth occupied a position in the front line of Crawford's Division, on the extreme right of the Fifth Corps, and did not suffer severely though engaged till after dark. Next day the march was continued toward the north- west, the Southside Railroad being crossed and a halt made at night near Hickanock Creek, where the enemy exchanged shots but dis- appeared soon after a skirmish line had been established by the Thirty-ninth. There were other slight skirmishes during the week that followed while the Fifth Corps with the rest of the Army of the Potomac followed up and closed in about the dwindling Army of Northern Virginia. After the latter surrendered the Thirty- ninth with other troops remained at Appomattox till the work of paroling was completed, starting on the 15th of April on the re-
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