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 20
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General Meade had cooperated in the movement by sending Kilpatrick's cavalry across the Rapidan at Ely's ford, and Merritt's Division at Barnett's ford, while two divisions of the second corps crossed at Germanna ford. These troops suffered a loss of two hundred and fifty men, and recrossed when Wistar returned from Bottom's bridge. During this march, not a man of the Twenty-fifth straggled from the column, and, upon their return, Roberts addressing his regiment, highly complimented their allies, saying, that while his men were picked up by scores, not a man of the Twenty-fifth was found out of his place during the march, and, continuing, he said :-
" I call upon my regiment, officers as well as men, to notice the discipline and good behavior of the Massachusetts men, who, without an officer of their own, can go on a severe march and return, without a straggler, and in better condition thau our own regiment."
The Massachusetts men maintained their dignity and self- respect -- though they felt isolated, they loved the good name
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of the old Twenty-fifth, and, if they could not march under its banner, they would at least sustain its honor untarnished.
Before daylight of February 13th orders were received to prepare for a march, with three days' rations. The men of the One-hundred-and-thirty-ninth New York Volunteers con- . gratulated themselves that their allies were to be with them again -but other orders followed directing the detachment of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts to garrison Fort Magruder, and therefore they did not join in the movement. Soon after this, a company of heavy artillery occupied the fort, and the Twenty- fifth detachment during the remainder of its Yorktown pilgrim- age, occupied an encampment known as Camp West. Two lieutenants of the One-hundred-and-forty-eighth New York Vol- unteers were assigned to the detachment, which was divided into three companies of about seventy-five men each, employed upon picket duty outside of Williamsburg. The duty was very severe and the men suffered very much for the want of clothes, shoes, etc. The officers assigned to the detachment would not assume the responsibility of drawing clothing, so the men, though sadly in need, could get nothing. Those who had no shoes, when required to go upon picket duty, borrowed of their more fortunate comrades who came off duty. The orderly sergeant of Company A, Samuel HI. Putnam, records, that one day be found an old pair of shoes in a dirt-heap and gave them to one of his men who received them gratefully. The clothing was in rags, and men going on duty were forced to swap pants and coats with each other to keep up an appearance of decency. The season being cold, made the hardship the more severe, and yet the men performed duty without uttering a complaint. The arms were very much out of repair, but they were clean and bright. Men stood barefooted for inspection, and many of them wore clothing which was in tatters, but
" A man's a man for a' that,"
and its not always the cloth that makes the true soldier, or even the true man.
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It was while the detachment occupied Fort Magruder, that some of the Federal officers who had escaped from Libby prison, found their way into our lines. One of the non-com- missioned officers of the detachment, [Corporal Wilson of Company G,] thus writes in his diary, under date of Feb- ruary 14th, of the safety of one of them : -
.
"This morning one poor fellow who had been concealed in sight of the old flag that floats over Fort Magruder, came out and made him- self known to a squad of our cavalry. He found himself among friends. He was a Lieutenant-Colonel of a Western regiment, and was conducted to the fort. As he entered the gate, he started forward to the flag-staff, and, kneeling where the shadow of the National emblem fell upon him, with upturned face and uncovered head, he clasped his hands while the tears coursed down his cheeks, and exclaimed -' thank God that I am again free, ready and willing . to fight for the best flag that was ever unfurled by the breeze of heaven !' Instinctively, every head was uncovered, and there were few dry eyes on that parade ground. It was one of those incidents of which I have read, but never before saw an instance."
The same diary, [February 26th,] speaking of the hardship of being out of money and the pleasure of looking forward to a coming pay-day, says : -
"I used what little money I had to purchase buckwheat flour and yeast powder, and for a time we luxuriated on buckwheat cakes, my tent-mates being Sergeant Lee, Private Garland of Company C and Drummer Haas of Company G."
On the 26th February the detachment went out on a little raid, capturing a Confederate artillery officer, assisting three negro families to safety within our lines, and seizing three wagon loads of corn. The march was twelve miles.
On the morning of March 3rd, the detachment bid farewell to Camp West and marched to Yorktown. There was no boat to take them down the river, and they rested until the next day
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when they made a march of twenty-four miles, coming within sight of James river at two o'clock, P. M. Soon after, they were welcomed to the old camp of the Massachusetts Twenty- fifth by those who had returned from Massachusetts. Fortu- nately, no soldier of the Twenty-fifth, left his bones to whiten upon the fields, or mingle with the soil of Yorktown. Certainly they had endured hardships, had been deprived of many privi- leges, but, as a general rule, a great degree of health had been enjoyed. The reunion upon the banks of the James was a joyful occasion-joyful to those who had reenlisted, and alike joyous to those who had not felt it a duty to enlist for a second term, for now, whatever of hot feeling might have been engen- dered, the regiment was reuniting for one more grand struggle against the enemies of the country -to march together under the same leaders and to touch elbows once again under the same old flag. Both of these parties were undoubtedly honest and patriotic in the determination of the line of duty. It is a very difficult thing to learn, that a man who differs with us in opinions and even in principles, may be just as honest as we are, and is entitled to as fair treatment as we claim for our- selves. A more difficult matter is it, for one who has been for two years studying the character of the officers and men who made up the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers, to enter- tain an opinion that either party in this controversy could have been actuated by other than patriotic motives.
GETTY'S STATION.
The first and second detachments on furlough returned to Newport News February 25th. Forty new recruits arrived March 4th.
On March 26th, [1864] so many of the regiment as were present for duty, marched to Getty's station three miles west of Portsmouth, Va., and very soon after, the remainder of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts arrived from "absent on furlough" in Massachusetts.
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At Getty's station the encampment was named Camp Well- ington, as Colonel Pickett said in General Orders, No. 3,-
" In honor of one who, by his kindness and generosity, his acts of charity and brotherly love, his devoted patriotism, has proved himself our true friend."
This tribute to a citizen was well deserved. It had reference to T. W. Wellington, Esq., of Worcester, whose acts during the war illustrated the fact, that the faithful "home soldier" was worthy to share a moiety of the honors distributed to those who bore their part in sustaining the government and its defenders at the front.
While at Getty's station, an elegant silk flag, (a blue State color) was received from the ladies of Worcester. The flag was accompanied by a letter of presentation by Hon. D. Waldo : Lincoln, then Mayor, in behalf of the ladies, addressed to the Commander of the regiment, for which the Colonel made a suit- able acknowledgment.
April 7th, Company E marched out of camp to do picket duty in the Dismal swamp, and on the night of the 12th, Companies A and D marched towards Suffolk for picket duty. At this time, Lieutenant Forbes was assigned to duty as ordnance officer and Lieutenant Daly was appointed to the command of Company K.
April 13th, the regiment left Camp Wellington at four o'clock, P. M., proceeding in cars to Portsmouth, where it embarked on steamers and went up Pagan creek to Smithfield. The regiment landed and marched out to Scott's mills, a distance of six miles. There, receiving information of another column of troops having . preceded him, Colonel Pickett ordered a return to Smithfield, and next day to Camp Wellington.
On the 22nd of April the regiment embarked for Plymouth, N. C., to succor the troops of General Wessells, besieged there by the enemy. On reaching Pamlico sound, Colonel Pickett learned that our troops in Plymouth had been com- pelled to surrender, and so landed at Roanoke island. The
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Twenty-fifth Massachusetts was then marched inland and made camp by the side of the Ninety-ninth New York Volunteers.
Upon Roanoke island were the families of the North Carolina soldiers occupying Plymouth, who were ordered away by Hoke. They were now destitute. The government however was soon able to furnish them shelter and food.
April 25th the regiment left Roanoke island. Returning through Currituck sound, the steamer Chowan was found high and dry. The captain of the steamer feared guerillas, and begged a guard to protect him. A dozen men- of Com- pany A, were left on board, and the regiment passed on, reaching Portsmouth at half-past five o'clock on the morning of the 26th and marched to Camp Wellington.
On the next day, April 27th, the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts was assigned to the brigade commanded by Brigadier-General C. A. Heckman, attached to the Second Division, Eighteenth Army Corps. This corps was commanded by Major-General William F. Smith, an officer who had gained much distinction during the war, and who was very popular with his soldiers.
Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant had been appointed to the command in chief of the army, and on the 23rd of March made his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac, that important brauch of the armies in the field being under the command of Major-General Meade. The Army of the Potomac was reorganized into three corps, designated the second, fifth and sixth, commanded respectively by Generals Hancock, Warren and Sedgwick. The old Ninth Corps had been recruited by General Burnside, and by the middle of April was ready for the field, and on the 23rd of that month, joined the Army of the Potomac.
Immediately upon the assignment of the Twenty-fifth Massa- chusetts to Heckman's Brigade (March 27th) the regiment embarked upon transports and steamed to Yorktown, going into camp with shelter tents two miles north of the town, where it remained until May 4th. The guard of Company A left on the steamer Chowan in Currituck sound, returned April 29th.
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Quartermaster William O. Brown remaining at New Berne as post commissary, Lieutenant James M. Drennan was ap- pointed acting quartermaster of the regiment and remained in that capacity during the summer campaign of 1864. Sergeant Henry H. Pratt, who for a long time had been acting regi- mental quartermaster and had a thorough knowledge of the business, was promoted to be First Lieutenant in place of Lieutenant Daly who was commissioned Captain in place of Captain Wagely, discharged April 21st, 1864. Lieutenant Daly declined to be mustered in as Captain, because the War Department had decided that all volunteer officers would be held to service for three years from the date of their commissions, and consequently Sergeant Pratt did not receive at that time the commission of Lieutenant .*
This was considered a very unjust decision, and probably determined many valuable officers not to accept promotion.
Before proceeding with an account of the campaign which commenced May 4th, 1864, it may be well to return to North Carolina and review events there.
ATTACK ON NEW BERND.
In the autumn of 1863, it was evident that there was a new hand at the Confederate bellows in North Carolina. It is to be presumed, that the chief instigators at Richmond, were far
* Headquarters Twenty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, In the field near Bermuda Hundreds, Va., May 25th, 1864.
Sir : - I have the honor to transmit herewith the commission recently issued to Lieutenant Daly of this regiment. Lieutenant Daly declines promotion. I recommend that a commission as Captain be issued to First Lieutenant Merritt B. Bessey, to date the same as the commission issued to Lieutenant Daly.
I also recommend that Second Lieutenant James C. Woodworth be commissioned First Lieutenant, vice Upton, and Sergeant-Major Charles B. Kendall to be Second Lieutenant, rice Woodworth promoted.
1
Very respectfully your obedient servant, JOSIAH PICKETT,
Colonel Twenty-fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers.
General WM. SCHOULER, Adjutant-General, Massachusetts.
Boston, Mass.
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from being satisfied with the feeble operations of Nethercott's men and Whitford's battalion. In North Carolina the Confed- erate troops had seemed to have a wholesome dread of Federal soldiers, while the latter had a very poor opinion of the fighting capacity of North Carolina troops. Sometime near October, 1863, a Confederate general of undoubted capacity and undaunted courage, General George E. Pickett, was assigned to the command of the Confederate department of North Carolina, with headquarters at Petersburg, Va. His command extended from the Blackwater, in Virginia, to the Cape Fear river, in North Carolina, which, as will be seen, embraced all the territory occupied by our forces along the eastern coast, south of Norfolk to the Cape Fear.
Early in the autumn of the same year, General John G. Foster was assigned to the command at Fortress Monroe. Previous to this he had gone to South Carolina, taking with him the brigade of General Stevenson, which included those splendid battalions, the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts, Tenth Connecticut and Ninth New Jersey regiments. After doing their work before Charleston, Hunter placed his iron hand of power upon them, and refused to permit them to return. Foster expostulated with Hunter and at Washington, all to no purpose, and finally, as we have said, was himself sent to Fortress Monroe. This left the North Carolina army very small, and when the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts was taken away a few months after, not a single regiment that formed the original organization of Burnside's expedition, remained to defend the territory their arms had conquered.
In and about New Berne, were the Seventeenth Massa- chusetts Volunteers, the Ninety-second New York at Fort Anderson, the Fifth Rhode Island at Fort Totten, and the Ninety-ninth New York, under Colonel Wardrop, a Massachu- setts oficer who commanded one of the earliest Massachusetts regiments in the field, during the first three months' service. Brigadier-General Wessells, with a small force, held Plymouth.
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The Fifty-eighth Pennsylvania was at little Washington, and % the One-hundred-and-thirty-second New York at Bachellor's creek.
When Foster went to Fortress Monroe, Major-General Jolin J. Peck, a graduate of West Point, versed in engineering, a most pains-taking and deserving officer, who had greatly distinguished himself in command of a brigade in the Army of the Potomac, during the Peninsula campaign, and afterwards during the siege of Suffolk, was appointed to, and assumed command of the District of North Carolina.
The Confederate General Pickett determined to open his campaign by a demonstration against New Berne. It was his expectation to capture the place, and the Confederate newspapers of that date predicted the casy conquest of all the Federal possessions within the North Carolina Department.
Before daylight on the morning of February 17th, 1864, our outposts at Bachellor's creek, held by the One-hundred-and- thirty-second New York Volunteers, Colonel Claassen command- ing, were alarmed by the sudden advance of the enemy. The videttes and pickets managed to escape the onslaught and crossed the creek, destroying the only bridge over that nar- row but deep water-course. The block-house guarding the approaches to the creek, immediately bristled with bayonets, and soon its lines of fire reached the enemy in front. It seems that the Confederate forces thus attacking at Bachellor's creek, consisted of Hoke's and Clingman's brigades of North Caro- lina troops, and a part of Corse's Brigade of Virginians, with a battalion of Reid's Thirty-eighth Virginia Artillery, all under command of General Pickett. While this force was at Bachellor's creek, another force consisting of cavalry and three regiments of infantry, under General Deering, were over on the left bank of the Neuse, to make a threatening demon- stration in that direction; but history, and no reports that we can find, has thrown light upon the nature of any demon- stration whatever, on the part of that column of Confederate troops.
.
Serg't GEO. M. EVELETH.
WM. H. EVELET !!.
Lieut. FRANK L. SMITH.
GEO. L. Grovr.
GRO. C. LARNED.
COMPANY H.
Ecliutype Printing Cu., Custon.
WEARING THE BLUE. 249
At the same time, a force of the enemy under General Barton, scouted down the southerly side of the Trent river, cut the railroad between New Berne and Morehead City, scattered our little outposts all along the road, and terribly frightened the troops, who retreated to New Berne without stopping to think of making any defence.
The force commanded by Barton, consisted of his own brigade, Terry's Brigade of Virginia troops and Ransom's Brigade of North Carolinians, some of the latter having previously received our compliments at Gum swamp, as here- tofore related. While all these formidable columns of attack were moving as stated, Colonel Wood moved down the Neuse river by night, with a force of volunteer marines in launches and small boats. This force was to destroy our navy in and about the waters of New Berne. The launches and small boats came noiselessly down the river, and, without being observed, suddenly boarded the gunboat Underwriter, which lay in the river within casy range of a small fort just outside the town, manned by a portion of the Rhode Island artillery, under command of a lieutenant.
The Underwriter was surprised, and the fight upon her deck was short but fierce. The Lieutenant commanding the fort, taking in the situation at once, opened fire with grape and schrapnel, and though he blew up the magazine of the gunboat, he at the same time prevented the enemy from completing her capture, compelling them to leave as hastily as they came. The conduct of the Lieutenant was highly commended.
At Bachellor's creek, the little force in the block-house made a brilliant defence, and retarded the progress of the enemy for more than four hours, and until the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Fellows was able to approach and aid in the defence. During this action, which was fought bravely upon both sides, the enemy lost sixty killed and wounded, Colonel Shaw whom we saw at Roanoke island, being among the Confederate killed. No one in the block-
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house was injured. Our force, even after it was augmented by the Seventeenth Massachusetts, was insignificant in comparison with that of the enemy, and, after Hoke's Brigade had flanked the block-house, it was only a question of legs, about getting away. Lieutenant-Colonel Fellows, who had bravely led his regiment, together with a large number of the Seventeenth Massachusetts were captured, and a small Union force at Beech grove, where we had a block-house, surrendered without firing a gun.
Connected with this force at Beech grove was a portion of what was known as the Second North Carolina Union Regiment. Many of these men were deserters from the rebel army. Understanding the fate that awaited most of them, if captured, the officer in command, before he concluded to surrender, gave them permission to make their escape, while negotiations looking to a surrender were progressing. Of those who accepted the opportunity and attempted to escape, some thirty-five were captured and taken to Kinston. After- wards, a court-martial being constituted, twenty-three of the number were clearly proved to be deserters from the rebel. army, captured in Federal uniform, fighting against their late comrades. They were hung, and we take some satisfaction in recording that one of their number, who held in our army the rank of sergeant, was the first who dangled at the rope's end. He had in his possession the roster of his company, which he voluntarily delivered to the enemy, pointing out those who had, with himself, served in the Confederate army. Thus appearing as witness against his comrades, he expected to save his own neck from the halter. By this double treachery, more than a dozen men lost their lives. The Confederate officers displayed their good sense, at Icast once, by sending this inhuman sergeant as an advance guard over the flowing river.
The crime of desertion is punishable by death in all armies, and, understanding those men at Kinston had a fair trial and stood convicted upon positive evidence, there ean justly be no
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unfavorable criticism upon the result. The fault was with our government in permitting deserters from the enemy to enlist into our army, except for service where there would be no liability of capture. An indiscriminate enlistment of this class of volunteers was a mistaken policy and cost many men their lives.
General Pickett's force approached near New Berne, and there waited. They occupied the timber beyond the clearing in front of Fort Totten, and had full possession of both the Trent and Neuse roads. Pickett's large force fronted the Federal forces that occupied the line between the two rivers, and upon our side, every man and boy in New Berne capable of bearing a gun, whether white or black, Jew or Gentile, were drafted for service and took their places in the trenches. And thus the two forces confronted each other -- they looked at us, and we looked at them, while the great guns of Fort Totten frowned down upon them. During the anxious hours of the siege, there was some jollity mixed with war's stern discipline. Lieutenant W. C. Hunt, Deputy-Provost, was ordered to raise a company from among the citizens to aid in the defence. He at once appealed to the sutlers and traders to volunteer, and to their credit be it recorded, that they did so with alacrity. Lieutenant Hunt in a very short time had a volunteer company of a hundred men, every one a sutler or trader. This company took the designation of " letter B," and the men were armed and thoroughly drilled by Lieutenant Hunt, who took as much pride in his command as ever Falstaff did with the frolicksome heroes pictured in ancient story.
One evening, a rebel band came to the front and gave us "Dixie," " My Maryland," and the " Bonny Blue Flag"; and then the brigade band at New Berne, posted upon the parapets of Totten, sent back " Yankee Doodle," the " Star Spangled Banner," closing up by giving them "Oh dear what can the matter be ?" What could be the matter ? Early the next
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morning it was found that Pickett and all his force were gone! and then we learned, that the Confederate General had been waiting for Barton to attack the forts and fortifi- cations on the south side of the Trent, and that, waiting in vain to hear Barton's guns, Pickett became disgusted and withdrew his army -- thus ending the attempt to recapture New Berne.
Barton missed his opportunity. We had some forts and intrenchments on the south side of the Trent, and two block- houses, but what were they good for without troops to occupy them. We could not have put fifteen hundred men in all those works, extending over two miles, and it would have been folly to have attempted to defend those lines with twice that number of men against such a force as Barton commanded. Either Pickett or Barton alone, could have easily captured New Berne at that time. Fortunately for us, they did not know it.
Just two months after the attack made by General Pickett, [April 17th, 1864,] the Confederates, comprising the brigades of Hoke, Terry and Ransom, attacked Plymouth, N. C., Gen- eral Hoke being in chief command. Brigadier-General H. W. Wessells was in command of the place, which he held with the Eighty-fifth New York, One-hundred-and-first and One-hundred- and-third Pennsylvania, Sixteenth Connecticut and two com- panies of the Massachusetts Second Regiment Heavy Artillery. This latter regiment was composed of twelve companies, and was commanded by Colonel Jones Frankle. Four companies of this regiment reported at New Berne in September, 1863, and two more companies reported there in November following. The other six companies left Massachusetts January 8th, 1864, with orders to report to General Butler at Fortress Monroe. At the time of the attack upon Plymouth, headquarters of the regiment was at Norfolk, Va., and two companies, G and H, commanded respectively by Captains Ira B. Sampson and Joseph R. Fiske were at Plymouth. One of the assistant surgeons of the regiment, James II. Denny, M. D., accom- panied this detachment, and shared its fate.
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