USA > Massachusetts > Massachusetts in the war, 1861-1865 Pt. 2 > Part 15
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647
THE FORTY-EIGHTII REGIMENT.
Springfield and Bayou Sara roads, the cavalry driving in the enemy's 'pickets but finding no call for the services of the infantry. Having advanced to within five miles of the Confederate lines about Port Hudson, the column returned to Baton Rouge. At Montecino Bayou on the return the expedition met the head of Grover's Division, which was en route for a demonstration against the land defenses of Port Hudson, and on the following day the Forty-eighth took its place in the rear of the column, as guard to the baggage train. After the diversion General Banks returned to Montecino Bayou, where his army encamped for a few days, and on the 20th the Forty-eighth returned to their camp at Baton Rouge. At this time most of the troops were withdrawn from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, whence they were to operate in other portions of Louisiana, leaving only the First and Third Brigades of Augur's Division at the former place, so that the Union lines were contracted and the camp of the regiment was moved into the town.
This position was occupied till the 18th of May without any im- portant event, when the regiment reported to Colonel Dudley, com- manding the Third Brigade, and was attached to his command for the advance toward Port Hudson. That movement began on the 21st, the brigade leading the column, and when near Plains Store a hostile battery checked the advance. This was soon driven back, and not long afterward a section of Arnold's Battery was planted on the direct road from the Store to Port Hudson and the Forty- eighth were detailed to support it, the line extending across the road and the regiment being directed to bivouac there for the night, the understanding being that the flanks were adequately protected by other troops. Fire was presently opened by a battery of the enemy in front, and while the regiment was lying low to avoid the missiles a column of infantry passed the flank of the prostrate line and gained its rear, being only discovered when with a yell it opened a heavy musket fire at short range. The Forty-eighth were unavoidably thrown into some confusion, and fell back to the Store, while two regiments of the First Brigade advanced against the assailants, who retired without further conflict to the Port Hudson fortifications. The total loss of the regiment was 20, of whom two were killed, seven wounded and the rest taken prisoners.
On the 25th Augur's Division moved up the Bayou Sara road and tock its place for the investment of Port Hudson. A general
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6-48
MASSACHUSETTS IN THIE WAR.
assault of the works being ordered for the 27th, the division was called on for 200 volunteers for a storming party and the Forty- eighth promptly furnished nearly one-half that number, including Lieutenant Colonel O'Brien, 15 line officers and 77 enlisted men. One-half of this force was intended to carry fascines for filling the ditch, while the others were to dash across and mount the enemy's works. The approach to the hostile position was so difficult, how- ever, that storming party and main lines became mingled, and all finally broke and fell back without reaching the works, after suffer- ing severely. Lieutenant Colonel O'Brien was shot dead while cheering forward his forlorn hope carly in the engagement, and the regiment lost six others killed and 41 wounded.
After the failure of this assault regular approaches by siege began, and after serving in the duties required by the undertaking till the 5th of June the regiment was ordered back to Plains Store for guard duty, where it remained until the 13th. It was then ordered to the left and temporarily attached to Emory's Third Di- vision, commanded by General Dwight in the illness of Emory, and on the 14th formed part of the assaulting column of that division, making a strong demonstration to cover a more determined attack by the other divisions. Some ground was gained, but no impres- sion made on the intrenchments at any point, the loss of the Forty- eighth being two killed and 11 wounded. The following day the regiment returned to its brigade, with which it shared the toil and exposure of the remainder of the siege, but without further loss by battle. Disease wasted the command, in common with all others, among the victims being Lieutenant Maginnis, who died June 21.
Port Hudson surrendered on the 9th of July, and that evening Augur's Division, under command of General Weitzel, sailed down the river on transports, debarking next morning at Donaldsonville, . a short distance below which place the Confederates had planted batteries behind the levees cutting off communication with New Orleans. On the 13th the First and Third Brigades of Augur's Division moved up the right bank of the Bayou Lafourche under command of Colonel Dudley, with a detachment from Grover's Division on the left bank. After proceeding three or four miles the enemy was encountered in force with artillery, and as it was not intended to bring on an engagement the Union forces began to fall back. Those on the left bank making better time than
649
THE FORTY-EIGIITHI REGIMENT.
Augur's men, the latter were exposed to a flank fire from across the stream, by which three of the Forty-eighth were killed and seven wounded ; and in extricating itself the regiment lost 23 capt- ured. The enlisted men were paroled and soon returned to duty, but the two officers, Lieutenants Wilson and Bassett, were taken to Texas and remained in captivity some time longer.
In the open fields near Donaldsonville, the regiment went into camp till the 1st of August, when it returned to Baton Rouge, re-occupied its former camp till the 9th, when it went aboard the transport Sunny South and the following day sailed up the river for Cairo. Reaching that point on the 17th, the command took cars for Boston, where it arrived on the morning of the 23d. The men were furloughed till the 3d of September, while the final papers were prepared, when they re-assembled at Camp Lander and were mustered out.
THE FORTY-NINTH REGIMENT.
T IIE Forty-ninth Regiment was composed of troops from Berk- shire County enlisted under the call of August 4, 1862, for nine months' service. The first rendezvous was at Camp Briggs, Pittsfield, to which the various companies repaired as their ranks were filled, each coming in with a complete company organi- zation, the officers of the nine-monthis' troops having been elected by vote of the commands on the militia system. Company A, of Pitts- field, which had been waiting for a few days, using Burbank Hall for barracks, took possession of the camp on its vacation by the Thirty- seventh Regiment, September 7, and other companies followed so promptly that on the 18th and 19th of that month the first seven were mustered into the national service and Captain William F. Bartlett of the Twentieth Regiment took command of the post. On the 14th of October the last company arrived, and on the 28th the muster-in of the regiment was completed. Camp was quitted November 7 for more comfortable quarters in the bar- racks at Camp Wool, Worcester, where the Fifty-first Regiment also sojonrned, the camp being under command of Colonel G. II. Ward. A formal election for field officers was held by the line officers on the 10th, and the result was the following original roster :--
Colonel, William F. Bartlett of Pittsfield; lieutenant colonel, Samuel B. Sumner of Great Barrington; major, Charles T. Plunkett of Pitts- . field; surgeon, Frederick Winsor of Boston; assistant surgeon, Albert R. Rice of Springfield; adjutant, Benjamin C. Miflin of Boston; quartermaster, Henry B. Brewster; sergeant major, Henry J. Wylie, both of Pittsfield ; quartermaster sergeant, George E. Howard of Lanesboro; commissary sergeant, H. H. Northrop of Cheshire; hos- pital steward, Albert J. Morey of Lee; drum major, E. N. Merry of Pittsfield.
Company A, Pittsfield-Captain, Israel C. Weller; first lieutenant, George W. Clark; second lieutenant, Frederick A. Francis.
Company B-Captain, Charles R. Garlick of Lanesboro; first lien-
651
THIE FORTY-NINTII REGIMENT.
tenant, Charles W. Kniffin of West Stockbridge; second lieutenant, Robert R. Noble of Williamstown.
Company C-Captain, George R. Lingenfelter of Pittsfield; first lieutenant, Daniel B. Foster of Cheshire; second lieutenant, William W. Wells of Pittsfield.
Company D, Great Barrington-Captain, Samuel J. Chaffee; first lieutenant, Joseph Tucker; second lieutenant, Thomas Siggis.
Company E-Captain; Horace D. Train of Sheffield; first lieuten- ant, Robert T. Sherman of Egremont; second lieutenant, II. Dwight Sissons of New Marlboro.
Company F-Captain, Benjamin A .. Morey of Lee; first lieutenant, Edson 'T. Dresser of Stockbridge; second lieutenant, George II. Sweet of Tyringham.
Company G-Captain, Francis W. Parker of Adams; first lieuten- ant, Robert B. Harvie of Williamstown; second lieutenant, Henry M. Lyons of Adams.
Company HI-Captain, Augustus V. Shannon of Lee; first lieuten- ant, Burton D. Deming of Sandisfield; second lieutenant, De Witt S. Smith of Lee.
Company I-Captain, Zenas C. Rennie of Pittsfield; first lienten- ant, Leroy S. Kellogg of Lee; second lieutenant, William Nichols of Williamstown.
Company K-Captain, Byron Weston of Lee : first lientenant, Roscoe C. Taft of Sheffield; second lieutenant, Isaac E. JJudd of Egremont.
Camp Wool was quitted on the 29th of November, the regiment going by rail to Norwich, Ct., where the steamer Commodore was taken for New York, the metropolis being reached early next morn- ing. A halt was made for a few days at the Franklin Street barracks in that city ; but on the 4th of December the command marched by way of Broadway to Peek Slip, crossed the East river and pro- ceeded some miles out on Long Island to Camp Banks, where tents were pitched in the midst of 25 or 30 other regiments waiting to make part of "Banks's Expedition." "Many of the officers and en- listed men were detailed for service in New York on provost duty- principally arresting deserters- and the remainder shivered in their tents till the 23d of the month, when, some of the regiments having departed, they moved to more comfortable quarters in " Snedeker's Barracks."
The Forty-ninth with other troops embarked January 23. 1863, on the steamer Illinois, and touching at Fortress Monroe three days later for orders continued on to New Orleans. That city was passed February 7, and at Carrollton, seven miles above, the regiment landed, encamping in the vicinity till the 16th, when transport was
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652
MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR.
taken for Baton Rouge. Arriving there the Forty-ninth became a part of the First Brigade, First Division, Nineteenth Corps; its fellow-regiments being the Forty-eighth Massachusetts, Twenty-first Maine and One Hundred and Sixteenth New York-Colonel Chapin of the latter regiment commanding the brigade and General Augur the division. At Camp Banks near Baton Rouge some weeks were passed in routine duties, with no further excitement than an oc- casional exchange of shots with some scouting party on the picket lines ; but in common with all the northern troops the Forty-ninth suffered seriously from fevers and malarial complaints.
Early in the morning of the 14th of March Augur's Division broke camp and followed those of Emory and Grover in the direc- tion of Port Hudson, to assist at the demonstration in favor of Far- ragut's fleet. That night a portion of the fleet succeeded in passing the batteries, so as to patrol the river between that point and Vicks- burg, and the regiment, having bivouacked within eight miles of the Confederate stronghold, returned next day to Baton Rouge. On reaching the latter place orders were received to return im- mediately to Bayou Montecino, some five miles away, where a large part of the troops had halted in coming in, and the command trudged back through a pouring rain. There they remained till the 20th, returning then to Baton Rouge, where Company G was de- tailed for provost guard in the city. The remainder of the regi- ment selected a more favorable camping place on the 4th of April, in which it remained till Banks's decisive move against Port Hudson.
In the mean time sickness was working especial havoc with both officers and men. In early May 300 of the members were off duty, so that when the regiment joined in the movement on the 20th of May not over 450 accompanied the colors, including Company G, which was presently returned to duty at Baton Rouge. Participat- ing in the little engagement at Plains Store on the 21st, the Forty- . ninth suffered the loss of a few men wounded, Lieutenant Tucker losing a leg. With some additional skirmishing the regiment went into position in front of the Confederate works, and had its full share of the hardships of the siege which followed.
A call being made on the 26th for volunteers for a forlorn hope for the assault of the following day, 65 men and officers responded, some 20 more than were required. In the futile attempt to carry the works by storm on the 27th the regiment bore a gallant part
633
THIE FORTY-NINTH REGIMENT.
and suffered severely. Advancing over very difficult ground, it reached the most advanced position occupied by troops of the divis- ion, losing 16 killed and 64 wounded out of a total present of 233. The colonel and lieutenant colonel were wounded, devolving the command upon Major Plunkett, who thenceforth led the regiment till the end of its service. Many of the line officers were wounded, Lieutenant Deming being killed and Lieutenant Judd fatally hurt, dying on the 13th of June.
Though not joining in the assault of June 14, the Forty-ninth occupied the front line of the division and opened fire on the enemy, suffering a loss of one killed and 17 wounded; and in the incessant skirmishing and sharp-shooting which continued till the surrender they bore a conspicuous part. . After the surrender of Port Hudson the regiment descended the river to Donaldsonville, in which viein- ity the Confederates had been operating, and on the 13th of July made an excursion into the interior along the Bayou La Fourche. During the afternoon they encountered a vastly superior force from General Taylor's army, by which they were nearly surrounded and were obliged to fall back in confusion with a loss of three killed, the adjutant and four others wounded and 16 taken prisoners.
Returning to Donaldsonville, the regiment encamped in an open field near by, where it remained doing picket duty till the 1st of August, when it returned to Camp Banks at Baton Rouge, from which it had been absent on an active campaign for more than ten weeks. The term of service having expired, Company G rejoined the regiment on the 6th, the missing of the last engagement re- turned the following day, having been paroled, and on the 8th steamer was taken for New Orleans. There it was found that the expected transportation had been assigned to another command and the Forty-ninth embarked on the Steamer Temple for Cairo, Ill., which was reached on the 16th. Cars were taken for home on the evening of the 18th, the journey by way of Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo and Albany to Pittsfield being completed on the forenoon of the 22d, when the regiment was given an enthusiastic reception at its Berkshire home. On the 1st of September, the final papers having been prepared, the command was formally mustered out of service.
€
THE FIFTIETH REGIMENT.
T HE Fiftieth Regiment, an Essex county organization, was formed from the nucleus furnished by the Seventh Regiment of Militia, taking the new number as there was already a three-years' regiment in the field known as the Seventh. Its ren- dezvous was at Camp Edwin M. Stanton, Boxford, where it was rapidly filled to the required standard. Companies A and B were mustered on the 15th of September, 1862, six companies on the 19th, and HI and I on the 29th and 30th respectively. The colonel and lieutenant colonel had risen from the militia ranks through their military ability, both having commanded companies in the Fifth Regiment at the first battle of Bull Run, and the Fiftieth showed the marks of their efficient management. The entire field and staff were mustered November 11, and the roster of officers follows :-
Colonel, Carlos P. Messer of Haverhill; lieutenant colonel, John W. Locke of South Reading; major, John Hodges, Jr., of Salem; surgeon, William Cogswell of Bradford; assistant surgeon, Nathaniel W. French of Concord, N. H .; chaplain, Robert Hassall of Haverhill; adjutant, Henry A. Wentworth of Malden; quartermaster, Henry D. Degan of South Reading; sergeant major, Oliver A. Roberts; quar- termaster sergeant, David M. Kelley; commissary sergeant, Leonard Rand; hospital steward, B. Addison Sawyer, all of Haverhill; princi- pal musician, Henry Johnston of Topsfield.
Company A, Salem-Captain, George D. Putnam; first lieutenant, Robert W. Reeves; second lieutenant, William B. Upton.
Company B-Captain, John L. Ward; first lieutenant, Edward W. Phillips: second lieutenant, William HI. Hurd, all of Salem.
Company C-Captain, Darius N. Stevens; first lieutenant, Samuel C. Trull, both of Stoneham; second lieutenant, Frederick Cochrane of Methuen.
Company D-Captain, Josiah W. Coburn of Reading; first lieuten- ant, John S. Coney of North Reading; second lieutenant, Oramel G. Abbott of Reading.
655
THE FIFTIETH REGIMENT.
Company E, South Reading-Captain, Samuel F. Littlefield; first lieutenant, Horace M. Warren; second lieutenant, James D. Draper.
Company F, Haverhill-Captain, Samuel W. Duncan; first lieuten- ant, David Boynton; second lieutenant, Ira Hurd.
Company G. Haverhill-Captain, George W. Edwards; first lieuten- ant, George W. Wallace; second lieutenant, Andrew F. Stowe.
Company H, Chelsea-Captain, Cyrus Hobbs; first lieutenant, Henry T. Holmes; second lieutenant, William P. Daniels.
Company I, Worcester-Captain, Nicholas Power; first lieutenant, John J. O'Gorman; second lieutenant, Martin Hayes.
Company K-Captain, John G. Barnes; first lieutenant, John P. Bradstreet, both of Georgetown; second lieutenant, James H. Rund- lett of Bradford.
The regiment left camp for New York on the 19th of November, and after stopping for a few days in the city at the Franklin Street Barracks moved to Camp Banks on Long Island to await transpor- tation to New Orleans. It is illustrative of the straits to which the national government was reduced at times for transportation, that the Fiftieth were sent forward by detachments, as a result of which and the resultant delays the regiment was not again reunited till two-thirds of the term of service had expired. On the 29th Companies A, E, I and K went to New York for transportation, I going aboard the steamer New Brunswick and sailing on the 1st of December. This company reached Baton Rouge on the 16th and was attached to the Thirtieth Regiment till other detachments of the Fiftieth should arrive. The other three companies went aboard the Jersey Blue at the same time, but that craft did not sail till December 11, and on getting to sea it became unmanageable and put in to Hilton Head where the troops debarked and remained for three weeks, when they were taken on the bark Guerrilla, reached New Orleans January 20, 1863, went into camp at Carrollton till February 5, and were then transferred to Baton Rouge.
Five of the remaining companies were put aboard the steamer Niagara December 12, with the field and staff officers, leaving Company II behind for want of room. The Niagara sailed on the 13th, but the first night she sprung a leak, putting in at the Dela- ware Breakwater and going thenee to Philadelphia where she was examined and condemned. It was not till the 1st of January that the ship Jenny Lind reached Philadelphia with Company HI on board, and not till the 9th that the six companies sailed for Fortress Monroe, reaching there on the 13th. As the craft was badly
656
MASSACHUSETTS IN THIE WAR.
crowded, Companies B, D and H were put on board the ship Monte- bello, which sailing on the 16th reached New Orleans the 27th, but with small-pox among some of the other troops on board. The detachment of the Fiftieth, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Locke, went with their companions into quarantine, suffering some- what from the disease but having no fatal cases. They did not join the regiment, however, till the 2d of April. The Jenny Lind reached New Orleans February 9, and the portion of the regiment which she brought was transferred to Baton Rouge by the steamer Iberville on the 14th, where it was attached to the Third Brigade, First Division. The other regiments of the brigade were the Thir- tieth Massachusetts, One Hundred and Sixty-first and One Hun- dred and Seventy-fourth New York and Second Louisiana. The brigade was commanded by Colonel Dudley of the Thirtieth and the division by General Augur.
After four weeks of drill and routine the regiment on the 14th of March set forth with other troops of General Banks's command to make a demonstration in the rear of Port Hudson, to aid in the attempt of Admiral Farragut to run the batteries, and that attempt being partially successful the regiment returned to its camp at Baton Rouge, but immediately took passage by steamer to Winter's Plantation, a few miles below Port Hudson and on the other side of the Mississippi, where it went on picket till communication was had with Farragut in the river above. This being accomplished the command returned to its camp on the 26th. With the excep- tion of an expedition for the construction of a bridge on the Port Hudson road in which some of the companies took part April 9, nothing notable occurred till the 12th of May, when the regiment marched with its brigade and the other troops toward Port Hudson. On reaching White's Bayou at the crossing of the Clinton road, ten miles southeast of Port Hudson, the regiment was posted to guard that point against roving forces of the enemy, while the lines were drawn about the stronghold.
The preparations for assault being completed, the Fiftieth moved up on the 26th within range of the enemy's guns, and on the fol- lowing day took part in the attack, though not closely engaged, losing four wounded-one mortally. They were then engaged in supporting the Union batteries till the second assault, June 14, when they were in the reserve, taking no active part. Thenceforth
657
THE FIFTIETHI REGIMENT.
till the surrender on the 7th of July the regiment was occupied in the duties of the siege, principally in support of the artillery. The day after the capitulation the Fiftieth were selected for garrison duty within the captured fortifications, in which they were engaged dur- ing the remainder of their term of service. Setting out for home on the 29th aboard the steamer Omaha, they ascended the Missis- sippi to near Helena, Ark., when the vessel grounded on a sand-bar, August 3, necessitating the transfer of the command to the steamer G. M. Kennett, by which they were safely delivered at Cairo, Ill., on the 5th. Going thence by rail, Boston was reached on the 11th and the regiment was mustered out at Wenham on the 24th. Its service had been very fortunate as regarded fatality in battle, but one man having been killed in action, though 88 had died of disease, including Assistant Surgeon French at Baton Rouge, April 21.
I
THE FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
T IIE Fifty-first Regiment comprised that part of the nine- months' quota recruited from the southern portion of Worces- ter County, including the city, and rendezvoused at Camp John E. Wool at Worcester, the camp being under the command of Colonel Ward of the Fifteenth Regiment. Six of the companies were mustered on the 25th of September, 1862, B, D and G on the 30th, F on the 14th of October, and the field officers on the 11th of November. The original roster is as follows-the field and staff with the exception of the surgeons being Worcester men :-
Colonel, Augustus B. R. Sprague ; lieutenant colonel, John M. Studley ; major, Elijah A. Harkness; surgeon, George Jewett of Fitchburg; assistant surgeons, J. Homer Darling of East Douglas and Paul C. Garvin of Boston ; chaplain, Gilbert Cummings, Jr .; adju- tant, J. Stewart Brown ; quartermaster, Benjamin D. Dwinnell ; ser- geant major, George E. Barton; quartermaster sergeant, Edward S. Washburn ; commissary sergeant, Henry W. Stayner ; hospital stew- ard, Edward P. Cotting.
Company A-Captain, Edwin A. Wood of Worcester; first lieuten- ant, John W. Sanderson of Westboro ; second lieutenant, Calvin N. Harrington of Worcester.
Company B-Captain, George Bascom of Holden; first lieutenant, Francis W. Adams of Brookfield; second lieutenant, George W. Dodd of Paxton.
Company C-Captain, Thomas W. Higginson ; first lieutenant, John B. Goodell; second lieutenant, Luther H. Bigelow, all of Worces- ter. (Captain Higginson was commissioned colonel of the First South Carolina Volunteers November 17; during January, 1863, the two lientenants were promoted in order and J. Orlando Bemis became second lieutenant. )
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