USA > Massachusetts > Wearing the blue in the Twenty-fifth Mass. volunteer infantry, with Burnside's coast division, 18th army corps, and Army of the James > Part 13
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Nethercott was the head of a battalion of North Carolina greasers -- a motley combination of turpentine dippers and clay-eaters, mostly of the poor white-trash order, naturally taking to bush-work and ignoring all the well known rules of legitimate warfare. Their highest inspiration was to steal behind trees and shoot at pickots standing at their posts, as they had been in the habit of shooting at 'possums and coons, and, for a pastime, they shot down inoffensive negroes guilty of looking at them from their house-yards or door-ways as they passed along the roads. Nethercott was not too good to be at the head of such a battalion-the battalion was not above the level of its leader, and neither Nethercott or his battalion were a whit above the cause they served. Nethercott was an over-
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grown, coarse looking individual with a low forhead and lifeless eyes peering out from a head that a phrenologist would say indicated a preponderance of the animal nature, with a mighty small development of the human or divine. If he had a heart and a tender spot in it, or a conscience which ever impelled to honest acts, these characteristics might bring suit for slander against his appearance, with a fair prospect of obtaining judg- ment. Nethercott wore no uniformn as he came to our outpost. Ile needed none, for without any brass buttons or bars, or insignia leaf, he would be taken for a bush-whacker and a leader of the greasers of eastern North Carolina. His face was his insignia ..
After transacting business with such a man, we were glad when he moved away to rejoin those who could better appre- ciate him, because he and they were joined in the same bad canse.
Some time after this, when Major Whitford was in command of the enemy's forces in the immediate vicinity of our lines in North Carolina, the firing upou our piekets was as much a habit as it was under Nethereott. During this latter period, Honor- able Peter Lawson of Lowell, a patriotic and philanthropic gentleman who kept a warm heart in the right place, visited the North Carolina Department. . It was understood that he was upon an important mission for the government, and it was also understood, that, occupying a high position in a social fraternity whose mystic ties embrace all the world in its benificence, he was also engaged in an errand of love and merey, which, while it could compromise no interest of the government, might do much in mitigating the suffering's pro- duced by war. . Coming under these auspices, Mr. Lawson enjoyed not only the freedom of our lines, but was permitted to visit the enemy beyond our lines-in fact, within or beyond our lines, Peter Lawson was a free-rover, going where he pleased and coming when he would. He met Major Whitford, and perhaps we do not improperly expose any secrets in saying,
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that those gentlemen met upon the square. After that meeting there was no more firing upon pickets, except upon an advance of either army for the purpose of attack.
As an earnest of his sincerity, Mr. Lawson caused full restoration to be made of the property, regalia, jewels, etc., of a Lodge in North Carolina, despoiled by thoughtless per- sons who did not understand the importance of their preserva- tion.
We regret to say that in consequence of the visits of Mr. Lawson to Major Whitford and the latter's kind treatment of his guest, the Major lost caste among his own people, some of whom went so far as to doubt his loyalty to the Confederacy. We can affirm that while Major Whitford was true to his better personal obligations, he was no less true to his bad obligations to the cause of the rebellion. No word or act of his caused Mr. Lawson to doubt the fealty of Whitford to the Con- federacy.
JOSEPH P. EATON.
DANIEL T. EATON.
First Sergeant FRANK WRIGHT.
POTI't Major LOUIS J. ELWELL ..
Corp'l WALTER S. BUGBEK.
COMPANY .A.
CHAPTER VIII.
GOLDSBORO' EXPEDITION - BATTLE OF KINSTON - FORAGING-
WHITEHALL -- BURNING THE BRIDGE -- PROMOTIONS.
N Thursday, December 11th, [1862] the division of troops in and about New Berne under command of General Foster, commenced the march into the interior of the State, being reinforced by the brigade of General Wessells, from Peck's Division at Suffolk, Va. The troops in column of march were as follows : --
BRIGADE OF COLONEL AMORY.
Seventeenth Massachusetts . Lieutenant-Colonel Fellows.
Twenty-third Massachusetts Major Chambers.
Forty third Massachusetts. Colonel Holbrook.
Forty-fifth Massachusetts Colonel Codman.
Fifty-first Massachusetts. Colonel Sprague.
BRIGADE OP COLONEL STEVENSON.
Twenty-fourth Massachusetts .Lieutenant-Colonel Osborn.
Forty-fourth Massachusetts Colonel Lee.
Fifth Rhode Island.
Tenth Connecticut Vols.
BRIGADE OF COLONEL HI. C. LEE.
Fifth Massachusetts. Colonel Pierson.
Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Major Pickett.
Third Massachusetts .. Colonel Richmond.
Forty-sixth Massachusetts. Colonel Shurtleff.
Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Lieutenant-Colonel Lyman.
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
BRIGADE OF, GENERAL WESSELLS.
Eighty-fifth New York.
Ninety-second New York Colonel Hunt.
Ninety-sixth New York. Colonel Gray.
One hundred and first Pennsylvania Vols.
One hundred and third Pennsylvania Vols.
Eleventh Connecticut Vols.
The Ninth New Jersey Volunteers, Colonel C. A. Heckman, united with the column as an independent organization.
The Third New York Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel John Mix, and artillery, consisting of Morrison's Third New York and Belger's First Rhode Island Batteries; a section of the Twenty-third New York Independent and a section of the Twenty-fourth New York Batteries accompanied the column .*
On the first day the division marched eleven miles, finding the road obstructed by felled trees, which were removed by the pioneers.
On Friday the 12th, the troops moved at daylight, and, after marching four miles, the cavalry had a skirmish with the enemy. At the Vine Swamp road, three companies of cavalry moved up the Kinston road as a feint, while the main column pushed up the former road, thereby avoiding obstructions. At Beaver creek the bridge was found destroyed, but was soon rebuilt, when the forces moved on, the Fifty-first Massachusetts, Colonel Sprague, and a section of the Twenty-third New York Battery were left behind to hold the bridge.
On the evening of the 12th, at eight o'clock, the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts reached Beaver creek, and was gladdened by the sight of the camp-fires of the Fifty-first Massachusetts, and, as the soldiers were weary, they fondly expected to make their bivouac by the side of their Worcester County comrades and rest for the night, but in this they were sadly disappointed.
*[The Eighth Massachusetts, Colonel Coffin, was detailed for daty in New Berne, as Provost Guard, during the time the division was on the Gobelsboro' expedition 1
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There was no resting place for them at Beaver creek, and so, taking the customary stride of the soldier, the Fifty-first Massa- chusetts was left behind to enjoy the coffee and the camp-fires. It was not until midnight that a halt was made, when the regi- ment turned into what had been a cornfield, where bivouac was made. One of our soldiers, [Edwin T. Witherby] in his . diary, describing this night, says :- " Such a scramble for rails! Some of us must have gone back a half-mile for fuel, and then nearly had a fight with some artillery-men who were more zeal- ous than just in efforts to provide for their battery." Using the old cornhills for pillows, our soldiers lay down upon the ground, drawing their blankets over their heads to keep out the bleak cold winds of that December night.
Saturday, December 13th, moving early, the main road was left to the right, and, at the intersection of the two roads, the Forty-sixth Massachusetts, Colonel Shurtleff, and a section of the Twenty-fourth New York Battery were left to hold it and make a feint on the main road.
At South-west creek, about six miles from Kinston, the enemy was found posted in force. After a sharp contest, the enemy was driven from his position, losing one gun. The brigade of General Wessells, and the Twenty-third Massachu- setts and Ninth New Jersey Volunteers were engaged. After the action, a number of rebels who had fled to the woods, came in and gave themselves up as prisoners. . In the meantime, Major Gerrard of the cavalry was making a reconnoissance in the direction of Whitehall. On the night of the 13th, the troops rested upon the hard, wet ground, within sight of the enemy's camp-fires. The night was very cold, but, as a measure of safety, no fires were allowed.
The next day, Sunday the 14th, about nine o'clock, A.M., the enemy was met. evidently determined to dispute the further progress of Foster into the interior. Wessells' Brigade, the Seventeenth, Twenty-third and Forty-fifth Massachusetts of Amory's Brigade, the Ninth New Jersey Volunteers and the
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Twenty-fifth Massachusetts of Lee's Brigade, (the latter sup- porting Morrison's Battery) were engaged, supported by the battalions of Stevenson's Brigade.
It was early Sunday morning that the sleeping soldiers of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts were aroused by the sudden roar of artillery at a distance. The battalion was soon on its way to the front. Before noon musketry firing was heard and thus it was known that the infantry was closing in.
" As we drew nearer, men with faces strangely pallid, though the sweat and dust covered them, went staggering down the road to the rear. The clean, white bandages which were around the heads or enveloped the arms of some of them, were in singular contrast with the weather-beaten and discolored light-blue of their great-coats and pants. We hurried on and filed into a field to the left of the road, where we lay down, out of range. Heckman with the Ninth New Jersey had clinched with the enemy at the junction of the roads at the foot of the hill, and he had been momentarily stopped." [E. T. Witherby.]
Amory's Brigade was quite warmly engaged. The fight was short but severe. Colonel Gray of the Ninety-sixth New York Volunteers fell dead on the Kinston bridge as his soldiers closed upon it with the bayonet. The earthworks on the other side of the river were emptied, and the rebels, confused and broken, fled through Kinston, and that place was captured.
General Evans, the Confederate commander retired his troops a distance of two miles, where he again formed line of battle. Foster sent a flag and asked Evans if he would surrender, but the latter answering nay, Foster shelled him with twenty-pounder Parrots, and then Evans retired again. In this action, the Forty-fifth Massachusetts lost heavily, having fifteen men killed and forty-three wounded. Although a new regiment, in this severe trial of fortitude, the soldiers behaved with great steadiness and gallantry.
Corp'l LORENZO K. LOVELI.
DAVID O. LOVELL.
Lieut. FRANCIS BRIDGES.
WILLIAM A. WAISON.
EDWIN WILBUR.
COMPANY H.
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Late in the afternoon of the 14th, the Twenty-fifth Massa- chusetts entered Kinston, and, marching into the fields south of the town, made bivouac for the night. Quite a number of the regiment started off upon foraging expeditions, and while some returned with chickens, turkeys, sweet potatoes and a number of young bristle-covered grunters just large enough to be savory, and young enough to make a dainty dish for hungry soldiers, others returned rolling before them barrels of apple- jack, and later returners came laden with delicious scuppernong. One of the regiment, whose energies never failed him upon such occasions, repaired to the tavern in the village, and there found a dinner prepared for General Foster, which awaited his coming from beyond the town, where he was superintending the move- ments of the advanced line. This soldier of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, seeing the well spread board and scenting the steaming viands, could not resist the temptation, in fact we may say that he never undertook to resist an impulse to take anything in the shape of forage, that was within his reach. He therefore seated himself at the table and gra- ciously helped himself. Not satisfied with this exploit, he requested the landlord to accompany him to his back yard and assist him in securing a share of his chickens and turkeys. Loaded down with these trophies of the hen-yard, he returned to camp and made others happy (as was his wont) in sharing the benefit of his plunder.
On Monday the 15th, the column advanced upon Whitehall, Sterenson's Brigade leading, and halted for the night about three miles from that place.
The 'next day, Tuesday the 16th, a skirmish occurred at Whitehall, in which Amory's Brigade was engaged, the Forty-fifth Massachusetts having four men killed and sixteen wounded ; the Twenty-third Massachusetts, which supported the Seventeenth Massachusetts and the Ninth New Jersey Volunteers, lost thirteen killed and fifty-four wounded, some of the dead and wounded being left on the field. Major
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Pickett detailed one hundred men of the Twenty-fifth Massachu- setts as sharp-shooters, and a number of them were wounded. Our troops succeeded in destroying the steam-ram upon the river. Moving on, the army bivouaced for the night about eight miles from Goldsboro', and on Wednesday the 17th, advanced upon that town, the objective point being the railway bridge spanning the Neuse river. Lee's Brigade having the advance, found the enemy in small force on the edge of the woods fringing the railroad track.
The crack of rifles ahead gave notice that a further advance. would be contested.
"' Right and left !' ran down the column, and as we leaped into the ditches on either side the road, a battery thundered by on the run and turned into a field commanding the valley in our front. The guns moved forward and a few shots started our foes from their position, As the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts entered the field, we could see our skirmish line moving into the woods beyond. The battery limbered up and preceded us down the road to the bottom of the hill where the road forked, one road leading to Everettsville and the other on the right, to a large house not far distant. The Twenty- fifth, however, taking down the fence, moved straight on, taking neither road, and entered a field in which stood a cotton press - passed on to the other side where our skirmish line had disappeared. The battery going to the right, passed the house, crossed a small stream and wheeled into position on a knoll commanding the rail- road, behind the bank of which stood the rebel brigade of General Pettigrew, awaiting our advance.
" Our brigade moved on and took position. In our place we could see nothing on account of the undergrowth, but just over the fence in our rear was a signal officer dipping his white flag with its red check, telegraphing to his comrades on the more distant hill, information concerning the enemy in our immediate front.
"In a few minutes the enemy retreated, and the battery moving forward, accelerated their movement. We followed the battery down through the meadow, moving in its support. At the end of an hour, Foster called for volunteers to burn the railroad bridge spanning the Neuse river." [E. T. Witherby.]
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WEARING THE BLUE.
Under a heavy fire, Lieutenant George II. Graham of the Twenty-third New York Battery fired the bridge. Many attempts had been made to reach it, but all failed except that made by Graham. Lieutenant B. N. Mann of the Seventeenth Massachusetts volunteered to go with Graham, but before he had proceeded far, was wounded. Graham, after firing the bridge, escaped by jumping from the burning structure down the river bank. The great clouds of smoke from the burning bridge signalled to the army its success. The Third, Fifth and Forty-sixth Massachusetts Regiments were ordered to tear up the railroad. The railroad ties were destroyed by fire, and the rails, when heated, were twisted into knots. Graham, the hero of the bridge, returned down the lines of the army and was loudly cheered.
The army commenced to retire, Lee's Brigade being directed to cover the march in retreat, and so we waited by the roadside until late in the afternoon - quite late in the afternoon, for the earth was
"Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame,"
and not until then was the main body of troops in motion. The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts was awaiting the "attention !" of Piekett, while on the knoll in our immediate front, Belger and Morrison with their batteries, and Mix with his cavalry, awaited with us the orders to move. The Third and Fifth Massachusetts, nine months' men, lay stretched out with little regard for order or regimental line.
" We were feeling tired and easy as to the future. for in a few moments we would be turned towards home. In an instant on the knoll in our front, every living thing seemed to shake off the inertia which had possessed them. Even the horses that had stood with their wearied heads drooping. curved their necks and pricked up their ears as if they knew that something was coming, as if they scented danger in the rustling branches of the trees. Startled by the change, we had barely time to note it, before every man of the batteries had
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TWENTY-FIFTHI MASSACHUSETTS.
sprang to their places. The cavalry vaulting into saddles, drew up in line, and in the clear sunlight on that crest, we caught the gleam of their sabres as they drew them and came to a 'carry.' Men came running back to the fence from every direction as the infantry straightened out into line of battle. There might have been a dozen shots, so rapid they could not be counted, and the smoke rolled back under gun and caisson, and over men and horses until they all stood in dense clouds. The yells, momentarily smothered, broke out between the rapid discharges of cannon and were answered by the cheers of our cavalry, as in that evening's sunset they swung their glittering sabres over their heads and defied the coming storm. This was a new experience to the men of the nine months' regiments at the fence, and Belger feeling a little nervous, sent back to the lane for one of the old regiments. The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts started off at double-quick, rapidly passing down the short lane, across the brook into the field, and laid down in close column by division. We were close up to Belger's Battery, and flattened ourselves out as well as we could in the sand, for one cannot well be too small or too thin on such occasions. Three rebel lines of battle came charging across the railroad, over the ditches-sweeping on through the low land and around the base of the little hill. They gained the slope and were coming directly for the batteries. They wavered, for a moment checked, but on again with fearful persistency. The colors in the first line fall, but are again gathered up. Belger sights his right gun himself and a great puff rolls out -- men in the advancing line throw up their hands, while headless and mangled men are rolled together a horrid snarl of mutilated humanity. The firing was repeated and groups of grey disappeared, but the gaps were filled and the line struggled on. The brow of the little hill was all aglow with flame. The smoke-drifts rolled in but in a moment faded away, revealing the long line nearer than ever. " Steady there !' ' Don't fire too fast !' ' Make every shot tell!' shouted Belger. His orderly sergeant limped to our ranks smartly stung by a passing shot, but after rub- bing his leg a moment, thought he was not much hurt, and went back. ' Give 'em grape double shotted !' rings out from the battery. ' All out!' the disheartening response. 'Give 'em schrapuel !' ' Not another round left, Captain!' 'Give 'em shell then !' cried the chief, which we knew very well was the last resort. We strained
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LIEUT. JAMES O'NEILL.
Hei type Printing Co Lostun.
.
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
in the defence, but now they again marched off the field. Our brigade followed quickly. What the enemy could not do, accomplish our destruction, the flood more nearly succeeded in doing. A stream which we had casily crossed as we moved up, was swollen to a torrent by the destruction of a dam. As our men waded across, the water covered above the waist and the river was still rising. Cartridge boxes and guns were held at arm's length. The current was fearfully strong, and while most of the battalions went over in safety, some of the men were . taken off their feet and emerged from the flood upon the flats below, like so many drowned rats. Some thus borne away never regained a foothold, but were lost in the darkness of night. At the lane the brigade halted again, and the severe cold of that December night stiffened the clothing with frost, and the necessity for motion was so apparent, that the order " forward " was given, and at this time without any regrets on the part of the marchers.
"Oh the weariness of that night's march, who can tell it? Who can remember it but with pain. Tired, wretched and sore ; chafed and fretted by the sand which had filtered into our shoes, galled by our cartridge boxes which had fairly worn a place for themselves into our flesh, we dragged our aching bodies over the rough and uneven roads, neither knowing or caring where we went. Near midnight we turned into a cornfield and sank down to uninterrupted rest." [E. T. Witherby.]
Next day, [18th] the enemy followed close upon the rear guard, but our battalions were in no condition to try strength with them, and therefore hurried the march as much as possi- ble. The bivouac on the night of December 19th, was made at Wise's forks. Here was a sharp cavalry fight the week before, and as our men went for wood they came upon thirteen unburied dead. On the night of the 20th, the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts bivouaced at Merritt's, four miles above Deep Gully, and the next day returned to Camp Oliver.
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The attack upon Lee's Brigade, which has been described, was made by the Brigades of Evans, Robertson and Clingman, supported by Pettigrew's Brigade and a Mississippi Brigade that had just arrived. That advance of the enemy was made for the purpose of saving the county bridge, and in this they were successful, as our soldiers did not at that time " hanker" after any further bridge burning.
December 22d, General Orders No. 55 were read at Dress Parade : -
Headquarters Twenty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers. Camp Oliver, New Berne, N. C., December 22, 1862.
General Orders, { No. 55.
The Major commanding tenders to the officers and men of his command, his sincere thanks for the manner they have conducted themselves during the late expedition and marches through the enemy's country. The prompt obedience to orders, strict adherence to discipline ou the march and in bivouac, the cool and steady behavior under a sharp fire from the enemy which there was no chance to return, merits and receives his heartiest conunendation. He feels sure that in the future, the Twenty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers will maintain and add to the reputation it has already attained.
By order of Major JOSIAH PICKETT, Commanding. HENRY McCONVILLE, Lieutenant and Adjutant.
The official report of Major Pickett gives in detail the part taken by the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts on the march to Goldsboro' : --
Headquarters Twenty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers. Camp Oliver, New Berne, N. C., December 29, 1862.
Lieutenant GEO. W. BARTLETT,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General Third Brigade,
Sir: - I have the honor to forward you the following report of the part taken by the Twenty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers in the late expedition to Kinston and Goldsboro': --
Arriving from Plymouth late in the afternoon of the 10th instant, with six rompanies of my regiment, I found orders awaiting me to be ready to march at seven o'clock on the morning of the 11th, and assigning my regiment to the Third Brigade under command of Colonel Lee.
I left New Berne on the morning of the 11th with six companies of the regiment. Captain Moulton joined me at the Harrison Place (our outpost on
i
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the Trent road) with the other four companies, making an effective force, exclusive of field, staff and line officers, of six hundred and seventy-two men.
Nothing occurred in which the regiment or any part of it took part, worthy of note, until Sunday, the 14th, when our forces arrived in front of, and com- menced the battle of Kinston. Receiving orders to support Battery "H," Third New York Artillery, I formed my regiment in line of battle and took position upon the left of the battery. Receiving orders shortly afterwards to support Belger's Rhode Island Battery, I moved forward and took position on his left. In this latter position I remained until the battle was decided.
1 then moved forward, crossed the bridge and bivouaced that night in Kinston.
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