USA > Massachusetts > Massachusetts in the war, 1861-1865 Pt. 2 > Part 21
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After this sad experience the Fifty-ninth returned to the works in which they had been doing service, and remained there till the movement against the Weldon Railroad was made, resulting in the battle of the 19th of August. In that engagement only a portion of the regiment took part, a considerable number being detailed for work on artillery roads, and the loss was but four wounded and two missing ;- though included in that list was Adjutant Warren, who died on the same day from his injuries. His abilities as an officer were recognized by the complimentary commission of major, dating from the 4th of August.
The troops which had gained possession of the railroad held the point, fortifying and remaining there till the 28th of September, when a second movement to the left was made, in which the Fifty- ninth participated. It was engaged in the battle near the Peebles House, losing one killed, eight wounded and two missing. Captain Lewis E. Munroe died of wounds received October 12. In this en- gagement the brigade was forced to fall back temporarily, but the
714
MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR. .
ground was afterward recovered and works were thrown up which the Fifty-ninth assisted in manning till the 26th of October. reconnaissance was then made toward the Southside Railroad, but it was not successful, and the regiment returned with the rest of the command, building winter quarters, but was soon after ordered back to the right of the lines, where works were occupied near the scene of the regiment's first contests before Petersburg. The position of the Fifty-ninth was at the right of the brigade-then known as the Third Brigade, First Division, and commanded by Colonel MeLanghlen of the Fifty-seventh. The works were in very bad condition when the regiment ocenpied them, but by labor- ing day and night they were in a short time made as complete as circumstances would admit. The ground was very low and close to the enemy's lines, where the constant firing rendered bomb-proofs necessary, and these from the marshy nature of the soil were con- stantly more or less filled with water. Incessant efforts, however, finally overcame many of the difficulties, and the quarters of the men were made habitable.
During February, 1865, Lieutenant Colonel Colburn obtained a leave of absence, and as he resigned before its expiration the com- mand of the Fifty-ninth thenceforth devolved on Major Gould. On the 15th of March the regiment was relieved by the Fifty-seventh, and quitting the trenches for a well-earned season of rest took the camp vacated by the relieving regiment, in the vicinity and to the rear of Fort Haskell. Ten days later came the Confederate capture of Fort Stedman, and as soon as the nature of the disaster was known the Fifty-ninth were ordered to Battery XI, a small work to the left of Fort Stedman which had been manned by the Twenty- ninth Massachusetts, most of whom had been captured by the as- sailants. When the regiment arrived there the few Confederates left in possession of the lunette were quickly driven out or captured, but it was soon found that the works on both sides were virtually in the hands of the enemy, having either been captured or deserted by their defenders. Colonel MeLaughlen and his staff were made prisoners on entering Fort Stedman, which they supposed still in the possession of Union troops, and the lines of rebels in the rear were converging to gather in the little band of the Fifty-ninth. There was but one method of escape, and that was promptly adopted; the regiment sprang over the works to the front and thus made its
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THE FIFTY-NINTH REGIMENT.
way between the two lines of intrenchments to Fort Haskell, where the scattered fragments of the brigade were gathered.
After the enemy had been driven out Major Gould and his com- mand were ordered into the trenches, this time between Fort Sted- man and Battery XI, where they remained till the fall of Peters- burg and Richmond, on the 2d of April, being kept on the alert almost day and night during that time by the activity which pre- vailed on both sides, though there was not much severe fighting in which the regiment participated. On the morning of the 3d it marched forward over the works and into the evacuated city, en- camping in the vicinity for a few days, after which it did duty at varions points guarding the Southside Railroad. Late in April the corps was ordered to Washington, going by transports to Alexan- dria. After encamping for a few days near that city it crossed to the vicinity of Tennallytown, with its division, and resumed the routine of camp life, with occasionally a turn of picket duty, which had now become rather a form than a necessity. During the month of June the Fifty-ninth was formally consolidated with the Fifty- seventh, closing the record of its existence as a separate regiment.
Out of a membership of less than 1,000, the Fifty-ninth had 48 killed in action and 198 wounded ; while 99 died from wounds and disease, 47 of the number as prisoners of war. Like the other " Veteran Regiments," this command had no occasion to blush for its record. Called into action almost directly from the camp of organization, and engaging in the most persistent and exhausting campaign known to the war, it dwindled away to a mere handful in the discharge of its trying duties, so that it was finally merged in another organization before the close of its service.
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THE SIXTIETH REGIMENT.
T HE Sixtieth Regiment was a militia organization formed in the summer of 1864 for 100 days' service, some of the com- panies of which had previously had an existence, while others were recruited for the purpose. The rendezvous was at Readville, where the companies assembled during July, C being mustered first on the 14th, others following almost daily till the 23d when E. HI and I completed the regiment. The list of officers was not com- pleted till some time later, so far as the field and staff were con- cerned, but when mustered the roster was as follows :-
Colonel, Ansel D. Wass of Boston; lieutenant colonel, David M. Woodward of Worcester; major, Uriah Macoy of North Bridgewater; surgeon, Frederic W. Mercer; assistant surgeon, George II. Powers, both of Boston ; adjutant Thomas Sturgis of New York ; quarter- master, John C. Heymer of Cambridge; sergeant major, William II. Cadwell of New Bedford; quartermaster sergeant, David M. Kelly; commissary sergeant, Joseph Chase, both of Haverhill: hospital stew- ard, John S. Chick of Sturbridge; drum major, William H. Penni- man of Quincy.
Company A. Abington-Captain, Josiah Sonle, Jr .; first lienten- ant, Joseph B. Warne; second lieutenant, Brainerd Cushing.
Company B, Quincy-Captain, F. Edward Bent; first lieutenant, Warren W. Adams; second lieutenant, Albert Keating.
Company C, North Bridgewater-Captain, Charles L. Sproul; first lieutenant, Thomas P. Barnefield; second lieutenant, Beriah T. Hill- man of Bridgewater.
Company D, Fall River-Captain, Joseph O'Neill; first lientenant, Benjamin F. Simmons: second lieutenant, William H. Munroe.
. Company E-Captain, Moses W. Comsett of Boston; first lieuten- ant, Darius P. Richards of Cambridge; second lieutenant, Robert R. Andrews of Dorchester.
Company F-Captain, Robert H. Chamberlain of Worcester: first lieutenant, Joseph A. Titus; second lieutenant, George M. Roberts, both of Leicester.
Company G-Captain, Barker B. Kent, Jr., of Boston; first lien- tenant, John Dorr of Lexington; second lieutenant, Ezra Perkins of Boston.
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THE SIXTIETHI REGIMENT.
Company HI-Captain, Stephen D. Gardiner of Boston; first lieu- tenant, Joseph L. Johnson; second lieutenant, Eben P. Cutter, both of Newburyport.
Company I. Haverhill-Captain, David Boynton; first lieutenant, Ira Hurd; second lieutenant. Joshua M. Stover.
Company K-Captain, Chandler J. Woodward; first lieutenant, Henry Tracy, both of Shelburne.
The regiment, being filled, left under orders to report to the ad- jutant general of the army at Washington, August 1, 1864, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Woodward, with 878 enlisted men ; but on reaching Baltimore, where it was joined by Colonel Wass, it was directed to wait there for further orders. Arms were stacked in the gutter and the regiment slept on the sidewalk the first night, and next day marched to the vicinity of Relay House, where a stop of about a week was made. The men had no tents, but the weather was favorable, with the exception of one heavy rain-storm. The location was then changed to Carroll Hill, near the city, where another week was passed, when the regiment was ordered to Indian- apolis, Ind., where danger was apprehended from disloyal secret organizations. The Sixtieth, accompanied by a Pennsylvania regi- ment, repaired to its destination and was at first quartered at Camp Carrington, but shortly after removed to Burnside Barracks and with a Veteran Reserve regiment furnished guards for a stockade containing 5,000 Confederate prisoners of war.
It remained there, thus engaged, during its entire term of enlist- ment, and was mustered out of service November 30 of the same year. Before leaving for home Colonel Wass received from Gov- ernor Morton of Indiana a very complimentary letter of thanks for the fine deportment of his command.
THE SIXTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
T HE Sixty-first Regiment was organized for one year's service during the fall and winter of 1864-5. and was the last regi- ment to leave the state. Recruiting for it began about the middle of August, and rendezvous was at Gallop's Island in Boston Harbor, where the recruits were sent by detachments as they were obtained. The entire state was represented in the membership of the command, though Company A was made up of men from Pitts- field and some neighboring towns, while Company D was composed of Adams men. Company B was the first filled, being mustered at various dates during the latter part of August and early in Septem- ber, and during the latter month four other companies were com- pleted-C being mistered from the 1st to the 17th, A on the 12th, D on the 14th and E before the last days. These five companies, forming a battalion under command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles F. Walcott, left the state on the 7th of October, going by the gov- erment transport steamer Charles Thomas and reaching their desti- nation at City Point, Va., five days later after a stormy passage. The battalion was at once assigned to the Engineer Brigade under command of General Benham, encamping a mile or two from the landing and naming its quarters Camp Schouler. for the efficient adjutant general of Massachusetts. The other companies were for- warded as they filled. and when the regiment was completed its roster of officers was as follows :-
Colonel, Charles F. Walcott of Cambridge; lieutenant colonel, Ebenezer W. Stone, Jr., of Roxbury: major. James G. C. Dodge of Boston; surgeon, James Oliver of Athol; assistant surgeon. Rufus A. Olloqui of Boston; adjutant, HI. Burr Crandall of Boston; quarter- master, Frederick Chandler of Cambridge; sergeant major, Benjamin F. Dexter of Medway; quartermaster sergeant. Charles M. Brown of Adams; commissary sergeant, Patrick J. Donovan of Medway; hos-
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TIIE SIXTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
pital steward, Austin Moody of Westfield; principal musicians, Edward S. Joy of Pittsfield and Jeremiah Sullivan of Taunton.
Company A-Captain, George T. Barker of Boston; first lieuten- ant, William II. Brown of Pittsfield; second lieutenant, John L. Daniels of East Lyme, Ct.
Company B-Captain, William P. Drury of Chelsea; first lieuten- ant, Edward II. Morrill of Haverhill.
Company C -Captain, Asahel Wheeler of Ashburnham; first lieu- tenant, Henry T. Johns of Pittsfield; second lieutenant, Frank J. Palmer.
Company D-Captain, Simeon N. Eldridge of Adams; first lieuten- ant, Henry W. Howard of Waltham; second lieutenant, Horace A. Sunbury of South Reading.
Company E-Captain, James B. Moore of West Roxbury; first lieu- tenant, Miles Farwell of Keene, N. H .; second lieutenant, Frederick Chandler of Cambridge.
Company F-Captain, Sebastian R. Streeter of Roxbury; first lieu- tenant. Albert E. Daniels of Agawam.
Company G-Captain, Eugene G. Teutin of Chelsea; first lieuten- ant, Isaac P. Gragg of Roxbury; second lieutenant, William J. Duek- rell of Chelsea.
Company H-Captain, Linus E. Clark of Lynn ; first lieutenant, Anthony Earle of Worcester ; second lieutenant, Thomas B. Hart of Lynn.
Company I-Captain, Alanson H. Ward of Worcester: first lieuten- ant, Benjamin Vaughan of Cambridge; second lientenant, George A. Johnson of Worcester.
Company K-First lieutenant, Charles A. Clarke of Med way; second lieutenant, John D. Ryan of Boston.
Although nominally employed as engineers, the Sixty-first were also required to perform camp and picket duty, and when there was necessity they were as well taken to the front to hold the lines while the regular occupants were away on detached service. As these duties were in addition to the constant work upon the fortifications, they made the winter a very trying one for the battalion; but as a large proportion, including nearly every officer, of the command had seen former service in Massachusetts regiments, there was com- paratively little sickness, and the sanitary condition of the Sixty- first remained favorable. From the 10th to the 12th of December the brigade was on duty at the front near Fort Sedgwick, when the men suffered much from the keen cold of the winter weather, but the battalion returned to its camp without casualty, though with some frost-bites incurred while on the picket line. From the 5th to the 11th of February, 1865, the battalion, then consisting of
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR.
seven companies, was engaged at the front while the movement to Hatcher's Run was being made, returning to its camp when the lines at the Run had been established.
Company H joined the main body of the regiment at City Point on the 15th of February, having made the passage from Massachu- setts on the deck of the transport steamer Mississippi, where as the weather was quite severe during the passage nearly a quarter of the men had received frost-bites, some of them very serious. Com- panies I and K reported a month later, completing the regiment, which on the 17th of March was transferred from Benham's Engi- neer Brigade with which it had thus far served, and became part of an independent brigade under Colonel Charles H. T. Collis of the One Hundred and Fourteenth Pennsylvania Regiment. From this time until the final assault upon Petersburg, the regiment was en- gaged in provost and guard duty about head-quarters at City Point, but when the final operations began on the 29th of March it was placed under arms and held itself ready for active duty.
It was not until afternoon of the 2d of April that the regiment was called into actual conflict. It was then in support of the Ninth Corps, which had made a lodgment in the Confederate works be- fore Fort Sedgwick, and about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when the enemy had retaken Fort Mahone, the Sixty-first were called on to attempt a second capture of the fort. They made a superb charge under a deadly fire, gaining and holding the parapet of the fort, the Confederates retiring behind the nearest parallel. There they held on determinedly till sometime after dark, an advance of skirmishers under command of First Lieutenant Henry W. Howard finding the works evacuated; morning light showed that the retreat had ex- tended to Petersburg and Richmond, and that the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia had become a fugitive band, in com- mon with the late government at Richmond. In the action of the 2d the loss of the Sixty-first had been five killed and 30 wounded, two of the latter mortally. Among the slain was a brave young officer-Second Lieutenant Thomas B. Hart.
The regiment with its brigade followed the retreating rebel army till the surrender, returning to City Point on the 12th in charge of the captives taken from Ewell's Corps at Sailor's Creek. After four days' rest the brigade set out for Burkesville, where it arrived on the 20th and encamped till the 1st of May, when the
721
THE SIXTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
regiment started toward Richmond, en route to Washington, having at that time been attached to the First Brigade, Second Division, Fifth Corps. Twelve days of marching brought the command to the vicinity of the national capital, and it went into camp near Fort Barnard. It participated in the review of the army on the 23d of May, but no other event of note occurred till the 5th of June, when the first five companies were returned to Massachusetts for muster out. Arriving at Readville on the 8th, they were discharged on the 17th.
The battalion which remained in service maintained its organiza- tion, and was on the 1st of July attached to the Third Brigade, Third Division of the Provisional Corps occupying the defenses of Washington. But this assignment only continued till the 20th when the second battalion started for home, arriving at Readville on the 22d and being mustered out on the 1st of August. Although its term was comparatively short, the regiment performed a great deal of hard labor, and won compliments from its commanders in whatever position it was placed.
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THE SIXTY-SECOND REGIMENT.
T HIE Sixty-second Regiment was, like the Sixty-first, intended to serve for one year, and its advance squads went into camp . at Readville after the departure of the last companies of the Sixty-first. Some of its reernits were mustered early in March, 1865, and additions were made till the 11th of April, when news of the surrender of General Lee's army stopped enlistments. At this time four companies had been filled, and nine officers were in com- mission and mustered, as follows :-
Surgeon, Joshua B. Treadwell of Boston; captains, Warren S. Pot- ter of Roxbury, Christopher T. Hanley of Boston, and Thomas F. Winthrop of Andover; first lieutenants, John C. Heymer and Darius P. Richards of Cambridge and Theodore W. Fisher of Northfield; second lieutenants, Melville Eggleston of Stockbridge and Andrew C. McKenna of Boston.
Ansel D. Wass of Boston, who had already served honorably with several regiments, had been designated as colonel, and I. Harris Hooper of Roxbury as lieutenant colonel, but they were not mus- tered to those grades. Other line officers had likewise been com- missioned but not mustered, while several proffered commissions had been declined. The four companies maintained their organization at the camp till the early days of May, when orders were received for their muster out, and on the 5th the men were dismissed to their homes. All told, 400 officers and men had been mustered into the regiment, of whom two enlisted men had died of disease in camp, while eight had deserted. The Sixty-second Regiment could hardly have been said to have a history, yet it had contributed some- thing in the great sacrifice on the altar of a common country.
THE FIRST HEAVY ARTILLERY.
T HE First Regiment of Heavy Artillery was a reorganization for that arm of the service of the Fourteenth (Infantry) Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers [which sce]. The transformation was ordered on the 1st of January, 1862, and as soon as possible thereafter the companies were raised to the re- quired numbers by an addition of 50 men each, two new companies, L and M, of 150 men each being added. As a part of the command of General Wadsworth in the defenses of Washington the regiment remained during the spring and summer, engaged in building and strengthening fortifications, repairing roads, and the kindred duties naturally devolving upon troops in that position, in addition to gar- risoning the various forts placed under their care.
During General Pope's Virginia campaign the regiment was ordered under arms for duty in the field, and on the 23d of August marched to Cloud's Mills, stopping there till the 26th, when it was ordered forward to Manassas. On the route small bodies of troops that had been defeated by the enemy's cavalry were met, and about a mile beyond Fairfax Court House the command was obliged to halt and form line of battle, remaining in that position during the day and the following night. One of the regiment was wounded while on pieket and taken to a house in the rear for treatment. While there a sudden dash was made by a body of hostile cavalry and the surgical staff of the regiment, wagoners and others were taken prisoners. The surgeons were released after being taken some distance, and the enlisted men were paroled. Toward evening of the 28th the regiment started back, going as far as Cloud's Mills that evening and the next day resuming duty in the forts. For a week the First garrisoned eight forts, the line extending from Fort Albany in front of Long Bridge to Fort Bennett covering Aqueduct Bridge. The line was then shortened at the right by the assign-
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MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR.
ment of other troops to three of the forts, the First continuing to occupy Forts De Kalb, Woodbury, Tillinghast, Craig and Albany. Soon after Companies II and I were detached from the regiment for garrison duty at Maryland Hights, opposite Harper's Ferry, and a month later were joined by Company C, Company B being added to the garrison there on the 23d of December. The companies first arriving with great difficulty remounted and put in condition for use the guns spiked and rolled down the slope by Colonel Miles previous to the surrender of the post, and the works in the vicinity were ex- tended and strengthened by the united efforts of the battalion, which remained there during a considerable part of the ensuing year.
Many changes occurred in the roster of the First during the year 1862. Colonel Greene resigned his commission on the 11th of October and was succeeded by Colonel Thomas R. Tannatt, trans- ferred from the Sixteenth Regiment, who joined his new command soon after the battle of Fredericksburg. Lieutenant Colonel Oliver had resigned March 13, as Surgeon Dana did on the 30th of Octo- ber. Major Andrew Washburn, promoted from quartermaster, was dismissed the service September 15. Major Levi P. Wright was promoted to be lieutenant colonel June 10; and Captains Frank A. Rolfe, Seth S. Buxton and Nathaniel Shatswell became majors on the 22d of March, 10th of June and 31st of December respectively. Major Buxton died of disease January 15, 1863, and was succeeded by Captain Alonzo G. Draper. The latter, it may be added, was on the 2d of August following made colonel of a regiment of North Carolina Colored Troops, afterward the Thirty-sixth United States Colored Infantry. Captain Horace Holt succeeded him as major. In the line officers the changes were proportionally great, no less than 36 enlisted men being promoted second lieutenants during the year 1862. Second Lieutenant Howard Carroll of Cambridge died of disease at Fort Craig September 23.
During the following year the eight companies opposite Washing- ton remained in the defenses, three companies being detailed to garrison Fort Whipple. For much of the time Colonel Tannatt was in command of the brigade of which his regiment formed a part, and for two months had charge of the line of defenses on that side of the Potomac. The only incidents of note during 1863 were in connection with the battalion stationed at Maryland Hights under Major Rolfe. On the 10th of June Captain Martin with Company
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THIE FIRST HEAVY ARTILLERY.
I was sent to Winchester, where he reported to General Milroy, and when that officer was obliged to make a precipitate retreat before the onset of Ewell's Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, on the 14th, this company was detailed to remain behind and spike the abandoned Union guns, destroying the ammunition. This duty was performed, but Captain Martin and 44 of his men were made prisoners, the remainder of the company reaching Harper's Ferry, , by squads and singly, on the 16th and 17th. On the 29th orders were given to prepare for the evacuation of the post at the Ferry, and the battalion, after loading the best of the artillery upon canal boats and destroying everything else except a few old guns left in position to cover the retreat of the boats, marched on the 1st of July to Frederick, where it reported to General Kenly, commanding the Maryland Brigade, and remained attached to his command till it joined the Army of the Potomac, when the battalion reported to General R. O. Tyler commanding the reserve artillery and was for a time on duty under him.
Meantime Company H had been left in charge of the guns at Maryland Hights, and after manning the pieces till the last of the canal boats were out of range Captain Holt spiked the guns and marched with his company to Frederick. Before rejoining the bat- talion he was ordered back with his command to the Harper's Ferry bridge, and had a sharp skirmish with the Confederates across the river, driving the rebels from their position with two six-pounder guns which his command mounted upon convenient logs. This company remained on duty there for some days, reporting to the battalion on the 11th. Twelve days afterward the battalion was ordered back to duty on Maryland Hights, and encamped there with- out occurrence of note till the 30th of November, when it was re- lieved and ordered to report to the regiment in front of Washing- ton, the captured men from Company I having been exchanged and returned to duty some six weeks before.
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