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 22
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The discipline of an army is despotism.
Washington, the great revolutionary leader, with a heart as tender as that of a most indulgent father, was a severe disciplinarian, and upon one occasion declared to his army, in urging a strict regard to the rules of discipline :-
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" It is necessary that a most perfect despotism should exist in an army."
Controlled by reason, based upon the idea of making the army more effective, military despotism in our army was wel- comed by every good soldier, and the best fighting regiments, those most relied upon by the commanding generals in extreme emergencies, were those whose discipline was the most marked.
Lord Nelson, the once great leader in the British navy and an exacting disciplinarian, when engaged in the campaign against the French, pressing the fleets of England against. the armament of France under the brave but unfortunate Admiral Brueys, paused long enough to address this admonition to one of his midshipmen : ---
"There are three things which you are constantly to bear in mind ; first. you must always implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of your own respecting their propriety. Secondly, you must consider every man your enemy who speaks ill of your King, and thirdly, you must hate a Frenchman as you do the devil."
Such an admonition would not have been needed by the sol- diers of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts or of the Star Brigade, for they obeyed orders without questioning, and allowed no one to speak ill of the country they served and defended.
The knowledge of this qualification possessed by the " Star " soldiers, gave the officers of regiments and the brigade, a degree of confidence they could not otherwise have had, and confidence possessed, wins half the battle.
The Russian army is noted for its excellent discipline. Duty is performed because " such is the order." We remember reading of an instance of discipline in that army which occurred during the conflagration of the Palace of the Czar in the winter of 1887. A priest who had snatched from the flames the Holy Pyx of the imperial chapel, perceived, while crossing a corridor already filled with smoke, a soldier remain-
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ing at his post of duty. The priest shouted to him to escape as soon as possible-"No," answered the soldier, "I am on duty ; but come and give me your benediction." The priest hurriedly performed this duty and departed, leaving the soldier to die at his post of duty.
An instance of strict obedience to orders was found in our Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, which we have already narrated. It was the case of Corporal Townsend of Company C, (Lieu- tenant Thirty-sixth U. S. C. Volunteers) who, when asked if he did not know the danger with which he was surrounded, answered --- " I understand the danger, but I am stationed here to hold this post, and I couldn't go away until relieved." An army of such men as we have instanced, could never be defeated.
UP THE JAMES RIVER.
On the fourth day of May [1864] the Twenty-fifth Massa- chusetts embarked on two transports, the seven right com- panies on the Wenonah and companies A, E and H, with General Heckman and staff, on the Wyoming. At sunset the fleet of transports having on board the regiments of the Star Brigade anchored at Newport News. The next morning at sunrise, the fleet moved up the James river and about five o'clock, P. M., reached City Point, and moved beyond, to
BERMUDA HUNDREDS,
the point of a peninsula between the James and Appomatox rivers, situated about ten miles from Petersburg and twenty miles south of Richmond. The locality itself, about the landing, was only a little hamlet deriving its importance at that time, because it formed a good base for operations against either Richmond or Petersburg.
The debarkation was quickly over, skirmishers advanced and the brigade moved forward, stacking arms in a large field of grain that as yet had not been trampled down by the
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iread of armed men. Very soon, the command to " fall in" echoed over the field, and the soldiers again moved forward, but soon again halted and went into bivouac, seeking repose upon the ground and not permitted to make fires.
While the main body of troops had disembarked at Bermuda Hundreds, General Wild's Brigade of colored troops was left at Wilson's wharf, two regiments at Fort Powhatan a few miles below City Point, Hincks' Division remaining at the latter place, where they commenced to intrench. The night of the landing, the vessels of the naval fleet moved up the Appomatox river and anchored.
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
In this movement made by Butler, it is important to remem- ber that it was to be auxiliary to that of the Army of the Potomac-his movements were to be governed by those of Meade's army operating on the North Anna. He was to wait until he heard Grant's guns on the north of the James, before he moved against Richmond on the south side.
Butler received his instructions from Grant, and Richmond was made the objective point. The programme as marked out for Butler by Grant, was this : First, intrench at City Point, and we may infer that this direction included the Bermuda Ilundreds front, though it was not specially mentioned ; second, move against Richmond by investing it south of the James river, the left resting on the James above Richmond. If Butler was really expected to do this, if for a moment it was even deemed within the limits of possibility that Butler could form a semi-circle on the south side of Richmond with two army corps, and hold a base of supplies and line of operations for ten miles in the rear, it must have been imagined that the commander of the Army of the James was an Achilles or an Agamemnon inspired by the immortal gods! If he formed the semi-circle with his left resting on the James above Richmond, he would so expose his rear and his communications, that
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Beauregard, hurrying up from North Carolina, would find him an easy prey. But all this, as we have seen was based upon the hypothesis that Grant's guns would be heard thundering against Richmond from the north. Those guns were not heard. The Wilderness and the North Anna river were obstacles that Grant did not take into calculation, and the fact was, as we shall see, that the Army of the Potomac was not strong enough to stay within eight miles of Richmond, without the aid of General Butler upon its north side, rendered through the Eighteenth Corps.
MOVING FORWARD.
We left the troops debarked at Bermuda Hundreds, in bivouac ou the night of May 5th. At six o'clock of the next morning, Heckman's Brigade moved forward, the Twenty- seventh Massachusetts in advance, and the Twenty-fifth Massa- chusetts following. Reaching Cobb's hill at noon, a halt was made to allow a concentration of troops. Here could be seen the enemy's battery at Fort Clifton on the banks of the Appomatox, and beyond, the church spires of Petersburg ; and right here it is proper to say, that Petersburg at this time was not prepared for defence, as the only force there, was one regiment of Clingman's Brigade, not numbering over six hundred men. General Pickett was in command at Peters- burg, but under orders to join Lec, waiting the expected arrival of Beauregard.
On the line of the Blackwater, was the balance of Cling- man's Brigade, and the Twenty-ninth Virginia Regiment, with one battery. On the 6th of May, these were hurried up to positions between Richmond and Petersburg, and the North Carolina regiments, with citizens improvised into militia, were put into the intrenchments about Petersburg on the City Point road, which they held with twelve pieces of artillery. On the same day, a part of a South Carolina brigade under General Haygood, arrived at Petersburg and moved out to
-
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Port Walthal junction. The next day, May 7th, a brigade of Virginia troops commanded by General Wise, reached Petersburg, and went into the works on the City Point road, and on the same day Beauregard arrived and assumed com- mand.
The movement upon City Point and Bermuda Hundreds was a complete surprise to a foe unable at the time to make resistance. Had the instructions to Butler covered an imme- diate attack upon Petersburg, that attack could have been made May 6th, and must have been successful, and, as Petersburg was really the " key " to Richmond, the capture of it would have compelled the evacuation of that capital and a movement of Lee's army to the south of the James river. But the instructions to Butler did not include the capture of Petersburg. Left to act upon his own discretion, Butler concluded he would attempt to prevent reinforcements from reaching Lee from the south. General Kautz with his cavalry went out and struck the Weldon railroad, cutting it at the very moment he found rebel troops moving up to reinforce Peters- burg. With the force he had, he could not hold the road, and so [ May 8th] returned to City Point.
PORT WALTHAL JUNCTION.
At four o'clock, P. M., [May 6th] Heckman's Brigade was ordered to make a reconnoissance to the Richmond and Peters- burg railroad, a few miles beyond Cobb's hill, the brigade marching with one section of Howard's Fourth United States Artillery, Battery L.
A graphic account of this reconnoissance is given by Edwin T. Witherby, of Company K Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Vol- unteers, in a diary which he filled during the war, and from which we are permitted to quote : -
" Passing some timber land, down a steep hill, beyond an ohl mill to another hill, we hear the first shots, indicating that our advance
-.... .
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has joined issue with the pickets of the enemy. There is little time for thought. We are at the farm house where the narrow road enters the county road at right angles. We (the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts) file to the left and then advance into the open field. The Twenty-seventh Massachusetts has preceded us. The Twenty- third Massachusetts filed to the left before reaching the farm house, that the movement might not be discovered by the enemy. They are to protect our flank. The battery has got into position and the Ninth New Jersey is moved to the right, Heckman seeming to be a little suspicious of that flank. We are placed en echelon. Far away across the field a distance of some five hundred yards, a rail fence marks its boundary. The railroad runs parallel with it. Behind this we see a cloud of dust, the dim forms of men, as, running, they take position behind the fence. Any further advance is to be contested by the foe. The dust subsides, and all being ready, our line of skirmishers advance towards the enemy. The Twenty-seventh Massachusetts supports the skirmish line. We move in the same. direction. Reaching a hollow, we halt and the artillery opens fire. The practice is excellent, the shells bursting directly over the enemy's line, or, striking the fence, throw the rails in every direction. The artillery, however, fails to dislodge the enemy, and an advance of infantry is ordered; at the same moment a line of rebel skirmishers is seen approaching. The two skirmish lines draw nearer and nearer, each watching the other closely, and finally halting and crouching ujoon their knees when only the distance of a stone's throw separates them, ready for an instant spring, like a tiger waiting for its prey. Fifteen long minutes they thus crouch and watch, tightly grasping their arms, as innovable as statnes, until at last, the rebel line turning, creeps slowly and noiselessly back to the main body. A short interval and our men spring to their feet, fire, and as quickly throw themselves upon the ground to avoid the reply. Not a moment too soon, for their volley drew the concentrated fire of the rebel line, but so hastily delivered that the bullets passed harmlessly over our heads, and no one was injured. At a quarter after six o'clock, r. M., amid a scattering fire, the skirmish line was withdrawn, and the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts advancing, commenced firing by wing. The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts now formed by close
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division column, to the rear and left of the Twenty-seventh was held in reserve. In a few moments the Twenty-seventh moved down to the foot of the hill and the rebel fire increased.
"It is now nearly sunset. The sinking sun in the west almost blinds us. Peacefully it goes down, its last rays glittering on our muskets and flashing over a field of death. The rail fence becomes a sheet of fire, heating the atmosphere like a furnace; jets of flame and puff's of smoke issue forth; the engagement has commenced in earnest. The Twenty-seventh is warmly engaged. We are exposed to an annoying fire without the privilege of returning it. Our men are dropping continually, some dead, others, more fortunate, wounded. 'Not a man fire !' comes the order, and so we look on terribly impatient. Standing inactive within the range of fire on the field of battle puts to test the courage of the soldier.
" Far away in an oblique direction to the right, we see solitary puffs of smoke from the trees, and the whizzing bullets of the sharp- shooters sheltered there come uncomfortably near. One shot cut the gun-strap of my left hand man, and burned my own knuckles. At length, a movement relieves our suspense : 'On third division deploy column!' When formed in battalion line, the left wing was detached, ordered to advance and open fire. The Ninth New Jersey now mov- ing forward, meets the General, who receives the cheers of the men. In an instant the rebel fire is concentrated upon them. They press on, and at the foot of the hill in our front, take position, opening fire for the first time. The sun is now down and night draws on its mantle of darkness. Heckman sends to the rear for reinforcements, but word comes back not to bring on a general engagement. We can hear the cars and the whistle of the locomotives bringing fresh troops to the enemy, and it is a warning that we had better get away. General Heckman and staff are on the right of our regiment, a mark for sharp-shooters. Heckman's horse rears and sinks to the earth, dead. The general, with no change of countenance, disengages him- self from the fallen animal, and, turning to his aide-de-camp, requests his horse ; the aide dismounts, Heckman vaults into the saddle, reins in the steed to the same position just occupied by the dead horse, and, as immovable as a statue of marble, watches the issue. A courier appears, approaching with speed. He reaches the General -a few
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hurried words, and immediately orders are issued to withdraw. At seven o'clock we fall back and the enemy follows. At eight o'clock, the enemy retires from our front, and at ten o'clock, tired and exhausted, we bivouac.
"The loss of our regiment is four killed and fifteen wounded. Thus closed the initial engagement of our campaign in Virginia."
In that reconnoissance known as Port Walthal Junction, two of our wounded men were mortally injured, and the dead were left upon the field. Lieutenant-Colonel Moulton was in com- mand of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts in this affair. The force of the enemy was not large and he brought no artillery into action.
LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS AT PORT WALTHAL, VA., MAY 6TH, 1864.
Killed.
Privates Jere. P. Sanborn, George Howe, Company C; Alonzo Skinner, Company D; Robert Wallis, Company G.
Wounded.
Corporals Charles D. Gunn (severe), Company G, and Lorenzo K. Lovell (shoulder), of Company II. Privates Bernard Moore (neck), Andrew Anone (legg), of Company C; C. N. Johnson (slight), Thomas Cotton (foot), of Company D ; Nahum Nixon (headl), Company F; Edward Klein (knce), Karl Kochber (arm), William Lang (hand), Frederic Weisser (hand and arm), of Company G; Edwin Wilber (hand), Company H; Francis Barnes (hand), Cutler Barnum (arm), of Company I; Otis D. Cooper (leg), Company K.
CHESTERFIELD JUNCTION.
The next day, May 7th, Heckman's Brigade returned to the railroad, the place of the reconnoissance of the previous day, named by the brigade " Heckman's Farm." The First Divi- sion, General Brooks, moved to the right. In passing over the field at Port Walthal, the dead of the previous day were found as they fell, and burial parties proceeded to give them decent burial. Is it strange that an enemy refusing interment to a
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fallen foe, should strip the dead of clothing and rob them of the little valuables they possessed ? Thus stripped of clothing, broiling in a noon-day sun, our dead were found after being in possession of the enemy twenty-four hours. Upon that field, our soldiers saw what made them doubt if any feeling of humanity existed among the masses armed against us. Nature has planted in every humane man, a respect for the dead upon the field of battle. In every instance, and to this statement we bespeak the attention of all our comrades, our lifeless enemy was laid in his carthy home with as much care and tenderness as was shown to our own dead: Our foe, wounded and in distress, was no longer our foc, but the subject of our kindest care until made comfortable. The brave man is always kind, and never permits the inhuman treatment of his enemy, either living or dead; but cowardice is the mother of cruelty. It was cowardice that gave a final death wound to our disabled soldiers left upon the field -- that left our dead unburied as they fell, robbed them of money, of little pictures of dear ones at home --- left them in the sun-heat as naked as they were born ..
The wars of the middle ages give us no darker stain upon the escutcheon of humanity. The horrors of the French revo- lution pall before the cruel deeds enacted upon the soil of America in the nineteenth century. The atrocious barbaritics of the old religious wars, though incited by the fury of ideas, mark no deeper stain upon humanity, than the deeds that passed under our own observation. The acts of those who plundered our dead upon the field of Port Walthal, are not exaggerated-the wickedness of the act is not too strongly depicted, and those who repassed the field and saw the condi- tion of the dead of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, will bear witness to the fact that the enormity of the act is not more strongly denounced by these written words, than it was by the thoughts and openly expressed feelings of the battalion as it remarched over that field.
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Upon reaching the point near the railroad, the enemy was found in force, and dispositions of troops were made to resist any attack that might be made. The artillery hurried into position and the infantry was formed in support. Very soon the artillery opened and the enemy replied and during nearly all the day, the booming of cannon, the bursting of shell, and the firing of musketry, kept up a constant din. The noise however was the most severe trial of that day, in the position held by Heckman's Brigade, if we except the terrible heat. The sun poured down its most scorching rays, and the soldiers, already exhausted by the marchings since debarking from the steamers, and the efforts of the day previous at Port Walthal, founil it very difficult to sustain themselves with that vigilance which the surroundings demanded. During the day many of the brigade were overcome by the heat and were compelled to retire to the rear.
Upon the right, Brooks' Division was warmly engaged with the enemy. After an effort which seemed at first almost futile, Brooks succeeded in driving the rebels from the railroad, which he proceeded to destroy. For a very long distance, the ties wore burned, the rails heated and twisted into knots, and the road was thus demoralized to an extent that it could not be again used for some days, at least. The telegraph poles and wires, were also destroyed.
The success of Brooks was undoubtedly owing to the fact, that our brigade and other troops on the left, continued to keep the enemy so well occupied, that they could not spare any of their force to march against the right.
ARROWFIELD CHURCH.
On Monday, May 9th, [1864] a third attempt was made to force the enemy from possession of the Richmond and Peters- burg railroad. As we have seen, two similar attempts had only partially succeeded, and now, the enemy was reenforced. A bird does not dip into a spread net when it sees another
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bird in its meshes, and men certainly ought to have more perspicacity than the little birds of the air; but a third attempt was ordered and executed. In this movement, three divisions of the Tenth Corps and two of the Eighteenth were engaged, but our account will be concentrated mostly upon Heckman's Brigade. A portion of the troops moving to the right, faced toward Richmond, while the remainder, including the Star Brigade, faced southward, and at two o'clock in the afternoon commenced skirmishing with the enemy, driving him into his works at Swift's creek three miles from Petersburg, on the right bank of which he occu- pied a strong position. During the day, forces were engaged destroying the railroad.
The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts left Cobb's hill at half-past five o'clock in the morning, moving towards Petersburg, and when within five miles of that place, line of battle was formed and the battalion moved, supported by the Twenty- third Massachusetts, with the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts on the right-moving forward under a fire of shell from a battery. Advancing a mile, the enemy was met in force, the battalion with the brigade opening fire and becoming hotly engaged. At the position near Arrowfield church, the brigade was formed in two lines, the Twenty-fifth and Twenty- seventh Massachusetts in the first line, and the Twenty-third Massachusetts and Ninth New Jersey in the second line. The 'Twenty-fifth Massachusetts had six hundred men on the field, and these were the sound men of the battalion-no better six hundred soldiers ever formed a battle line. In bravery, in morale, these six hundred men were not a whit behind the six hundred who followed Lord Cardigan upon his reckless and fruitless charge in front of Balaclava. After forming line of battle, Colonel Pickett threw out Company K under Lieu- tenant Daly, as skirmishers.
When artillery opened fire, the skirmishers were withdrawn, the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts formed on the right with the
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Twenty-fifth Massachusetts on the left of the turnpike road. A section of the Fourth United States Regular Artillery occupied the road upon the right flank of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, and opened a rapid and well directed fire, but withdrew the moment it was discovered that the enemy was forming for a charge, the cvident purpose being to capture the guns.
The movement of the enemy was clearly seen, and was observed by Heckman who sent his orders right and left.
It was a moment of intense anxiety, a moment when a thousand thoughts crowd upon the mind. The leader of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts knew his officers and he had confidence in them and the men who formed the well-knit line.
A shout was heard, a yell, and the rebel line was seen advancing-charging down in splendid style across the open field. The moment Pickett saw them coming, he gave the order " cease firing !" " Hold your fire men until you get the word!" " Steady, men! steady !" and the men of the Twenty-fifth and all in that brigade line stood firm to meet the impact of the coming mass.
At this time most of the "right wing " of the Twenty-fifth ovenpied an open space, having a clear view of the movements of the enemy. The " left wing" in continuation of the estab- lished line, was under the immediate command of Major Attwood, and the companies of this portion of the regiment were, by the formation of the ground, under cover of the tim- ber, so that the advancing enemy could not be seen, but could be heard as the charging battalions advanced. The Colonel in command of the regiment, occupied a position very near the centre of the battalion where he had a view of the enemy in front, and, observing that our left wing had over-lapped the right of the approaching rebel column, he arranged with the Major, that at the proper moment, the fire of the left wing should be delivered "right oblique," while at the same time the right wing fired direct.
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The yelling line came on, steady -undaunted-came on to within twenty or thirty yards, and then the clear voice of the Colonel was heard echoing down the line, "Ready the Twenty-fifth ! Fire !" A sheet of flame flashed out --- the blue smoke like a 'curtain veiled the scene, and when it lifted, a few staggering men were all that was left of the Twenty-fifth South Carolina !
The impetuosity of the charge, the momentum of the onslaught will be better appreciated, when we state that it was so great, that some of the rushing mass halted inside of our lines, and one burly fellow came directly into Colonel Pickett's arms, as if he would crush him with his over- weight. The Colonel gave him a whirl and asked him, perhaps not very politely, -- " What are you here for ?" as if the poor fellow, frightened out of his wits, had enough of them left to give an intelligent answer! The Johnny however must say something, and so he told him that the " Confederates are flanking you uns !" "Well, sir," said the Colonel, " We can take care of that, but you get to the rear as quick as you can move, or we will flank you!"
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