USA > Massachusetts > Record of the service of the Forty-fourth Massachusetts volunteer militia in North Carolina, August 1862 to May 1863 > Part 8
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1 Out of respect to his friends the name of the man is suppressed.
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
and other of our officers were away for longer or shorter periods; while yet others, being in charge of special work, did not do duty with their companies. Among the various positions to which the detailed men were assigned were those of clerks at the different headquarters and departments, pioneers, ambulance men, musi- cians and members of the band, signal-corps, wagoners, nurses, orderlies, cooks, harness-makers, etc. John F. Bacon, of Com- pany D., was first assistant to the chief carpenter, Mr. Wilson ; Wheelock and Curtis, of F, were on duty .is draughtsmen; C. E. Wheeler, of D, was sign-painter-in-chief of the department; and it was currently reported that one of the men had been called upon to run Mrs. General Foster's sewing-machine. In some respects it was much more agreeable to be detailed than to re- main with the regiment; but, on the whole, we rather think those who " stuck by the old flag," even if the " appropriation " was small, had the best time. Among the papers which the colonel has kindly loaned the committee is a list of the drummers, fifers, and members of the band, which will undoubtedly be interesting to our readers : -
DRUMMERS.
FIFERS.
BAND.
E. C. Lee . . Co. A
C. E. Wetherbee Co. B
N. H. Dadmun . Co. A
G. W Brooks . =
B J. E. I.eighton .
S. T. Shackford A
I. Jones C C. B. Curtis H T. F. Gibbs A
G. W. Springer .6
C E. P. Upham . I E. Graef . B
W. W. Woodward 46
D F. A. Hartshorn ..
K A. Hemenway . D
G. F. Pulsifer 4.
E
C. H. Park . E
J. H. Myers
E
E. A. Ramsay E
C. F. Morse F
N. H. Ingraham F
J. M. Gibbs
F
W. F. Ingraham F
E. S. Fisher
G
C. Cobb F
E. Hayden
H
D. Cobb . F
F. O. Peterson
"
H
F. W. Clapp
H
D. F Redman I
C. E. Hook . H
C. A. Annable 6. I
C. E. Hovey ..
H
A. Fisher K
E. S. Hemenway H
G. F. Hall
I
H. A. Spear
K
J. A. Lewis 6
K
J. Fowler K
H. B. Hartshorn " K
From those who failed to stand the fatigues of the Tarboro' ex- pedition a detachment was selected, styled the " Invalid Guard,"
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which was sent to garrison a block-house at Brice's Creek, a picket station some miles outside of New Berne. The duty was light, but the men say they were very lonesome. A list of these will be found on page 251. Several whose names appear here did not join the "block-house squad," as they were detailed to various positions in the town. As might be imagined, time hung heavily on the hands of those doing garrison duty at this out-of-the-way spot, and the men were always ready to welcome any incident that would break the monotony. An anecdote is told, more amusing to those who perpetrated the joke than to its victim. One day several of the men crossed the creek. After enjoying themselves for some time on the farther side, an alarm was given that the " Johnnies " were coming. All but one of the party rushed for the boat, and before their comrade could reach the shore, they were on their own side of the creek. It was too deep to ford, the man could not swim, the boys were calling to him that if he remained on the other side he would surely be cap- tured, and his entreaties " to bring over the boat " were heart- rending. After tormenting him until they were tired, the boat was sent for him and the joke explained; but it is doubtful if he ever forgave the perpetrators.
November 27 was Thanksgiving Day, and was celebrated very generally by the members of the Forty-fourth. On the 26th, at dress parade, General Order No. 9 was read : -
" To-morrow being Thanksgiving Day in this department, there will be no duties. Captains will issue twice the number of passes, and taps will not be beat till 10 P. M."
All the men had been very much interested in the arrange- ments for this holiday. Companies A, C, E, F, and G had com- pany dinners, and Companies B and D divided up into squads. Diarists in H, I, and K fail to give an account of their doings. Each company celebrated on its own account. The most elabo- rate programme was laid out by Company A, a full account of which is contained in the diary lent the committee by Sergeant E. R. Rand, which, by the way, with that of Everett, of C, are two of the fullest and most interesting placed at their disposal. Most of the comrades of Company A followed the example of
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our friend Silas Wegg in the " Mutual Friend," and on this occa- sion " dropped into poctry." Although somewhat of a machine character, the effusions were replete with wit and personal allu- sions, and created a great deal of merriment. First Sergeant Edmands presided. A. L. Butler, afterwards killed at Whitehall, was orator of the day, and his speech is reported in full in the "Bay State Forty-fourth,"- a magazine to which reference will be made later in this chapter. Sergeant Clark read a poem after the style of " On Linden, when the sun was low," which began, " In New Berne, when the sun was high." Henry Lyon read an ode appropriate to the occasion, and then C. C. Murdock gave an account of the operations of the regiment up to that time, his style being evidently modelled after that of the " New Gospel of Peace." Hiram Hubbard, Jr., officiated as toast-master, and responses were made by Sergeant Clark, Captain Richardson, Lieutenant Coffin, Corporal Conant, and Sergeant Rogers. A letter was read from Colonel Lce, and there was frequent singing by the company. A song written by A. S. Bickmore was ren- dered by S. T. Shackford, and then Sergeant Rand read some machine poetry full of local hits, and introducing the name of every member of the company, with the exception of one which was inadvertently omitted.
The bill of fare as given in bulk consisted of one barrel ham sandwiches, ten gallons oysters, one hundred pounds fresh beef, one and a half barrels apple-sauce, two barrels Baldwin apples, two kegs ginger-snaps, twelve "big" plum-puddings, and numerous smaller articles, with cigars ad libitum. Ser- . geant Rand, in commenting on the dinner, notes: "Sat down with tightly buttoned coats, but -" Language probably failed him.
One mess of eighteen men from Company B went down town to dinner. They paid fifty cents per plate, and the menu con- sisted of fried trout, roast beef, beefsteak, roast goose, onions, sweet and Irish potatoes, and apple and potato pies.
In Company F the after-dinner, exercises were of rather a formal character, and were decidedly the most finished, from a literary standpoint. Private Francis C. Hopkinson presided, and his speech was really eloquent. Company F had many graduates
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and undergraduates of Harvard College in its ranks, and the University might well have been proud of its representation in that company. During the exercises every available inch of space was occupied by men from other companies, and those who could not get into the barrack thronged the doors and win- dows. The Cobb brothers were as usual among thie enter- tainers, and their music added not a little to the pleasure of the anniversary.
In Company D there were a few set speeches, and some extemporaneous ones in response to a series of toasts, but no attempt at any elaborate performance. In Company G the lit- erary exercises followed immediately upon the dinner. Private E. G. Scudder presided, and responses were very general from members of the company. In the evening Companies E and D united in giving an entertainment in Company E's quarters, of which the following was the programme :
PART I.
Song. - " Happy are we to-night, boys " . Declaration. - " England's Interference "
Song. - " Oft in the stilly night "
Declamation. - " The Dying Alchemist "
Readings. - Selections
Song. - " Viva l'America "
Declamation. - " Spartacus to the Gladiators J. H. Waterman.
Declamation. - " The Beauties of Law H. T. Reed.
" Contraband's Visit "
Myers and Bryant.
Song. - " Gideon's Band "
F. S. Wheeler.
S. G. Rawson.
J. W. Cartwright.
Intermission.
PART II.
Song. - " Rock me to sleep, mother " .
Declamation. - " Garibaldi's Entrée to Naples " G. H. Van Voorhis
Song. - " There 's music in the air "
Imitation of Celebrated Actors H. T. Reed.
Declamation. - " Rienzi's Address to the Romans" . N. R. Twitchell. Old Folks' Concert ( Father Kemp) .
Ending with " Home, Sweet Home," by the audience.
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
Companies ( and H each had an entertainment in the evening, but no reports have been found, and the members of these com- panies, together with those of B, I, and K, have failed to record the proceedings so far as the historical committee have been able to discover.
At the Thanksgiving festivities in Company E's barracks Lieu- tenant Cumston ww called upon for some remarks. Towards the end he said there was a Boston inan in camp gathering statistics, and among the things he wished to find out was how many of the men smoked. The lieutenant thought it would be better to reverse the question, and ask how many did not smoke, and requested such " to stand up and be counted." Several arose, and among them some of the most inveterate smokers in the company, evidently desirous that the " statistics " should indicate Company E to be very abstemious. As soon as the men were on their feet, the lieutenant remarked that he had some cigars, not quite enough to supply the whole company, but as there were so many non-smokers he thought they would go round; those who did not smoke of course must not take any.
During the morning the men amused themselves with football, base-ball, etc., and in the evening Company A gave a variety entertainment in the quarters, beginning with a mock dress parade under command of Sergeant Wilkins, and ending with dancing, singing, readings, and acrobatic performances, the bar- .racks being crowded by men from the other companies.
Not an incident happened to mar the festivities of the pro- gramme; the presence of friends who had heretofore passed this holiday with us being all that was needed to make our enjoyment perfect. Colonel Lee complimented the regiment in General Order No. 11, read at dress parade the following day : -
" Colonel Lee desires to congratulate the companies of his command on the success of their Thanksgiving festivities, and to express his extreme satisfaction at the orderly manner in which the day closed, and the sol- dierly discipline shown in the perfect silence of the camp after taps."
It is no easy matter to enforce strict discipline in a regiment, especially when the thousand men who compose it are young. active, and overflowing with animal spirits. The writer enjoys a
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very wide acquaintance among his comrades of the Forty-fourth, and can conscientiously say that, so far as his knowledge extends, he does not believe there was a single member of the regiment who was maliciously inclined, or who disobeyed any order through a spirit of insubordination. The feeling of the men was well shown in the case of a member of Company D, a boy of only sixteen, who had been sent to the guard-house for im- pertinence to First Sergeant Tripp. On his release, he imme- diately hunted up the orderly and said to him, "You did just right to put me in the guard-house. I shouldn't have had a d-d bit of respect for you if you had n't. It's just what I de- served." As a rule, obedience in our camp was prompt and discipline excellent, but there were times when punishments were inflicted.
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One of the most difficult problems to be solved by an officer is how to punish an infraction of the rules when committed by but one or two men, and these undetected. The innocent then have to suffer with the guilty. One night about midnight there was a loud explosion in one of the barracks. Had it occurred twenty years later, it would doubtless have been attributed to dy- namite. Every one jumped from his bunk. The officers rushed in, and the captain, in a voice that expressed his feelings, de- manded the name of the person responsible for the disturbance. There was an awful pause. Probably not more than two or three men in the company knew the offender. " If I do not find out the name of the man who caused this trouble within one minute, I will have the whole company out for drill," thundered the cap- tain. The minute passed very rapidiy. "Orderly, fall in Com- pany D for drill," was the command. The men fell in, the sergeants searched the bunks carefully so there should be no skulking, one poor fellow who had been sleeping through all the disturbance was rudely awakened and ordered to join his com- rades, - for what he knew not, - and the company marched out on the parade-ground. It was rather cold, and in going through the different manœuvres the men showed very much more enthu- siasm than was absolutely necessary. After about half an hour the company was ordered back to the barracks, the captain being satisfied that his experiment was rather enjoyed by the boys.
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
For a long while the standing conundrum was, "Who put the powder in the stove ?" Company G and one or two of the other companies had a similar experience, with a like result.
Company I held the championship for throwing hard-tack. As soon as taps had sounded, "whiz" would go a piece of hard- tack from one end of the barrack, followed by a profane ejacula- tion from the man it chanced to hit at the other. At first the shots were scattering, then began "firing by file, firing by platoon," and finally, "volley by company." The officers endeavored to stop the performance, but their efforts were at first unsuccessful. One night a watchful lieutenant entered the barrack with a dark- lantern, prepared to turn its flash in the direction from which came the first shot. One of the men, suspecting his design, crept from his bunk, and throwing open the stove door, the light from the fire unmasked the intruder. The lieutenant seized the man and had him marched to the guard-house, where he passed the night in spite of his carnest protestations that he was merely going to replenish the fire. As "midnight drills" were apparently enjoyed by the men, the officers adopted the novel plan of cut- ting off the hard-tack rations. This unheard-of severity created a consternation. Men who would never touch a piece when able to get anything else, immediately declared it was their main arti- cle of diet, and that they would inevitably starve if it were not furnished. The sudden hunger for hard-tack was amazing. Company I appealed to the others by means of notices posted throughout the camp, and it was not long before the most gen- crous contributions began to arrive. The excitement lasted a day or two; but the captain finally talked to the men, they ac- knowledged they had been wrong, and the rations were restored. Allusion to this incident is made in the opera.
Almost as soon as our camp was established, contrabands began to throng in. They could be hired for a very small sum, and in a few days there was scarcely a mess in the regiment that had not engaged a servant. It was quite convenient to call on some one to wash your tin plate or dipper, or polish your boots, or dust your coat, instead of having to perform these menial duties for yourself; but there were so many employed that they soon became a nuisance, and on December 4, much to the
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regret of most of us, an order was issued sending out of camp all negroes not servants of commissioned officers, or provided with a pass granted by one of our field officers. Some of the ser- geants and a few of the corporals succeeded in retaining the contrabands they liad engaged ; but as a rule the order was rigidly enforced.
Notwithstanding that the prescribed orders of camp routine provided some occupation for almost every minute in the day, we found many leisure hours. Rainy days there were when drilling could not be thought of; the guard was excused on the day following its term of duty; there were always several off on account of illness; and in one way and another we had a good deal of time at our own disposal.
Nothing gave us more pleasure than to receive a large number of letters when our assistant-postmaster Fish distributed the mail, and those whose names were not called might have served an artist as a study for " Disappointment." We have sometimes thought it impossible for any regiment to have devoted more attention to letter-writing than we did. At any hour of the day, from reveille to taps, some of the boys would be found with paper and pencil, jotting down for the information of their friends incidents of their daily life. On the march or in the camp it was the same, and at every halt out would come the unfinished letter and a few lines be added before the order "Forward " was given. We had some regular newspaper correspondents in our ranks, and the list of "occasionals" would have embraced half the membership. Many of the men used to boast that they had sent from ten to twenty letters by a single mail, and had received a number equally large. The general prevalence of this habit was especially remarkable, and there were comparatively few who did not send and receive at least one letter by every mail. It is estimated that on the arrival of each steamer at least fifteen hundred letters reached our camp. At home it was quite fashionable for young ladies to have a large number of army cor- respondents, and columns of newspapers were filled with adver-, tisements asking for the addresses of those who were willing to write. Frequently the boys would receive letters from entire strangers; not unfrequently they wrote first, and their replies
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often resulted in establishing a most entertaining correspondence. Sometimes the real name would be given, but more frequently the correspondence would be conducted under a nom-de-plume. A large number of letters have been submitted to the committee for examination, and it is surprising how " chatty " and readable
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most of these missives are. This constant and frequent commu- nication with home friends was undoubtedly very potential in keeping up the morale of the regiment.
As our respected Uncle Samuel did not supply regimental tailors, and as clothes would wear out, buttons disappear, and holes be unexpectedly found in stockings, no small part of our leisure was devoted to mending. Some of the boys proved them- selves very skilful in the use of the needle, while others made
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but poor work of their attempts. Stockings were darned, but the verbal darning was far more in accordance with the feelings of the workman than the yarn process. Most of us were pro- vided with " housewives" containing a supply of thread, needles, yarn, buttons, etc. ; and it was really pathetic to watch a poor fel- low who had always depended on the kind offices of mother or sister or wife to keep his raiment in repair, trying to mend a rent or sew on a button, and the first sergeant calling on the company to " fall in, lively." It seemed too as if the repairs were always needed at the most inconvenient times and seasons; as for instance just as the assembly for guard mounting or dress parade had sounded.
Next to letters, news- papers were more eagerly wel- comed than anything that could be sent us. Our friends at home kept us well supplied with locals, but the only ones we could get of recent date were the New York dailies. These papers were not glanced at and then thrown aside; they were read carefully, advertisements and all, and then passed along to our less fortu- nate comrades who had failed to secure a copy. We are confi- dent we were as conversant with all published news as any of our friends at the North. News from our own department received especial attention, and some of the correspondents would not have felt flattered could they have overheard the criticisms on their published letters. The correspondent of the "New York Herald " was a most entertaining, newsy writer, but correspond- ingly unreliable; as for instance giving the credit of our success at Kinston to the Ninth New Jersey, when all who participated in that action knew it was the charge of the Tenth Connecticut that decided the battle. If our boys could have interviewed that
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correspondent immediately after they had read his account of the expedition, the surgeons would have had another patient. There was a local paper published at New Berne, which con- tained most of the general orders and some matters of local interest, but had very little general news.
After the battle of New Berne the Twenty-seventh Massachu- setts discovered several weather-beaten cornets, bearing the names of " Tolman & Russell, Boston," hanging from some trees, which the " Johnnies" had left in their hasty flight, and they naturally took possession of them. On learning when we re- turned from the Tarboro' expedition that these instruments would be placed at our disposal if we wished them, the idea of a regimental band suggested itself; a sufficient number of men were at once detailed, and practice began immediately. As early as December some of our members appealed to our friends, through the Boston press, to send us a new and complete set. The Goldsboro' expedition delayed progress somewhat; but on January 4 the band made its first appearance at dress parade and was most enthusiastically received. It improved rapidly, and our demands for a complete set of instruments became more urgent. Early in this month, after waiting for someone else to take the initiative, Mr. George B. Foster, father of Corporal Fos- ter of Company K, advertised that he would receive subscriptions for this purpose. Before noon of the day the notice appcared he had received fifty-nine responses, when Mr. George S. Hall, father of George F. Hall of Company I, called on him, requested him to cancel the notice, as he intended to supply these instru- ments himself. They reached us February 14, and being a much fuller set than those we had been using, an additional detail was required. If Mr. Hall enjoyed half as much in giving them to the regiment as the regiment did in receiving them, he was many fold repaid for his generosity. After our return these instruments were sent to the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, but what became of them when that regiment was mustered out has not been learned. One of our men ( Macomber, of Com- pany F), in writing to a Boston paper, under date of Febru- ary 17, says : -
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"Our band received their instruments by this steamer (' Augusta Dins- more ') and Sunday evening appeared on dress parade with them. If the people who so kindly and generously contributed towards presenting them to our regiment could hear the thanks which are literally showered on their heads by the boys, they would never regret their kindness, or the happi- ness they have caused in all our breasts. It is with a feeling of gratitude, of contentment, and happiness, we witness the kindness and remembrance from our friends at home."
The curiosity to see these instruments was most intense among the men, and on the day following their receipt Lieu- tenant-Colonel Cabot, then in command of camp, issued the following order : -
General Order No. 30.
Hereafter no person will enter the enclosure formed by the tents de- voted to the band.
Any person violating this order will subject himself to punishment.
By command of,
Lieut .- Col. E. C. CABOT.
This order caused much indignation, as curiosity had been raised to the highest pitch; but the order was enforced, and we did not see the new instruments till Sunday.
Nothing excited more general interest than the arrival of the express. Indeed, it was currently reported that the coming of the Forty-third, Forty-fourth, and Forty-fifth Regiments obliged the express company to put on some additional steamers. We had many friends at home, and the most common way in which they expressed their interest was by sending a box of "goodies," which it would be superfluous to say was always kindly received. It would be impossible to mention one half the things that were sent us. "Corporal," in referring to this matter, gives the follow- ing list of articles received in one box, as a model to be followed by those desirous of contributing: "A large sealed tin box of mince-pies and cake, a large paper of ditto, a tin box of sugar, a tin box of pepper, a jar of pickles, a box of eggs, together with apples, pears, pins, stationery, and last but not least, letters." The father of Hezekiah Brown of Company G sent down a large box of troches, which the son distributed with the utmost liber- ality and impartiality. B. F. Brown & Co. contributed a gener-
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ous supply of their liquid blacking. Regulations regarding the admission of any kind of spirituous liquor were very stringent, and many were the means adopted to evade them. The mother of one of our boys, although strongly opposed to the use of any intoxicant as a beverage, recognized the benefit of alcohol as a medicine, and fearing that her son would be unable to procure any except through direct application to the medical department, resolved to try and supply him. She took a quantity of nice oranges, removed the peel and quartered them, being careful not to break the thin covering of the pulp, put them into a large jar, and then filled it to the brim with choice whiskey. The jar was tightly sealed, and reached the young man safely. The day after its arrival chanced to be inspection of barracks. As the inspect- ing officer was going his rounds, the soldier inquired of him if he had ever eaten any orange pickle. "Orange pickle !" he replied ; "I never heard of it." "Would you like to try some?" The answer being in the affirmative, a sample was given him. The officer tasted, looked at the soldier, tasted again ; a peculiar smile passed over his face as he said, " I don't think pickling improves the orange, but I'd like another sample of that pickle." Mason of Company E was especially favored by having large quantities of canned fruit and vegetables sent him, and the opening of his boxes always attracted a curious and sympathizing crowd. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the two occasions when our friends especially remembered us, and there were very few mem- bers of the regiment who did not receive some reminder from home. About Thanksgiving Mr. Frederick Grant, of Boston, chartered a schooner, the " Platten Sea," and started for New Berne with a load of delicacies for the Forty-third, Forty-fourth, and Forty-fifth Regiments. Unfortunately, the wind and weather were adverse, and the schooner was very long in making the passage. Most of the perishable articles were spoiled, and many of us were disappointed at not receiving our "Thanksgiving," as we had expected.
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