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 34
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
Driving in our skirmish line, the enemy charged with great vigor upon our main body of troops, concealed behind extem- porized breastworks, hastily thrown up the day before with tin cups and plates, instead of shovels.
The Twenty-fifth and Seventeenth Massachusetts held the extreme left of the line, and received a charge and most galling fire from one of Hoke's brigades. Ruger's Division holding the centre, fought with great gallantry.
After several charges, satisfied he could not flank the Union troops or pierce the Federal lines at any point, Hoke suddenly withdrew from our front, with a loss, as reported by Schofield, of one thousand five hundred men. The Union loss was three hundred.
A few days after this decisive battle, which proved to be the last in which the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts was engaged, General Carter promulgated the following General Order : -
Headquarters Second Division, District of Beaufort, N. C., In the field, March 13th, 1865. General Field Orders, { No. 5.
The General commanding desires to express his thanks to the officers and men of his command for their gallantry in the action of the 10th instant -which with the cooperation of a portion of the brave men of the Twenty-third Corps, repulsed a severe attack of the enemy who advanced in superior force, confident of turning our left. The veteran troops of Sherman's army, and the old Army of the Potomac, vied with each other in coolness and steadiness, while the recruits who were now for the first time under fire, ex- hibited a spirit of emulation which promises to make them the equals of the veterans of so many fields. The General trusts that the campaign thus auspic- iously opened, may keep bright the reputation which the Second Division has already gained.
By command of
Brigadier-General S. P. CARTER. H. H. THOMAS, A. A. G.
[OFFICIAL.]
J. A. MOORE, Captain and 1. A. A. G.
Hoke retreated to the Neuse river, and crossing, burned the bridge behind him. On the night of the 10th (March) the division of General Couch joined Schofield, and the latter
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moved forward in pursuit of Hoke. Reaching the river, the bridge was found to be destroyed, whereupon Schofield set to work to rebuild the same. Having no pontoons (with which he should have been provided) his army was compelled to remain idle until the 14th. At that time the troops crossed the river and occupied Kinston.
Sherman was hastening up as fast as possible. On the 12th of March he was at Fayettesville, N. C., and there received a message from Schofield, sent by a special courier who escaped many dangers in reaching the daring chieftain. Hoke con- tinued moving, hoping to join General Johnston, who was concentrating the Confederate army on the road between Raleigh and Smithfield.
On March 21st, the army of Schofield entered Goldsboro', meeting with no general opposition, and on the next day was joined there by the troops of Terry who had marched up from Wilmington. On the same day the great army of Sherman, tired and weary from its long march, came into the same vicinity and into communication with Schofield. . \ few days after Sherman's approach, the railroad connecting Goldsboro' with the sea at Morehead City, was fully repaired, over which supplies for the concentrated armies could be received as required. The army now united, amounted to an aggregate of about sixty thousand men of all arms, by far too large a force for Johnston to successfully oppose, and so, after the battle of Averasboro' (March 16th) with Sherman's army, and the severe battle of Bentonville, (March 19th) the Con- federates fell back to Smithfield where they assumed the defensive. After this, during the remainder of the month and into April, the cavalry was busy, doing great damage in many localities.
On March 23rd, Captain Tucker having received a commis- sion from the Governor of Massachusetts, was mustered as Lieutenant-Colonel, to date from January 1st, 1865. Lieu- tenant-Colonel Tucker assumed command of the regiment, and was heartily congratulated by Captain Harrington.
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Tucker, immediately after, received a commission as Colonel, to date from Jannary 10th, 1865, on which however, he could not be mustered because the aggregate fell below the mininmim of eight hundred and two men.
Captain Harrington at the same time received a commission as Lieutenant-Colonel, upon which he was not mustered for the same reason.
These officers 'who had thus alternately commanded the regiment, were distinguished for their bravery at all times, and men who are brave, who have tented together and stood shoulder to shoulder upon many bloody fields, could under no circumstance of difference, antagonize each other. Therefore, whether commanding or subordinate, they were friends.
COLONEL JAMES TUCKER.
James Tucker, the youngest commissioned Colonel in the regiment, evinced a love for military science in early life, and when only eighteen years of age, [1854] obtained the consent of his parents to unite with a military organization of Boston, and joined the Fifth Regiment of Artillery, then acting as infantry, under command of the late General Robert Cowdin. It was not long that he waited for promotion, for, upon the first parade of the regiment after his connection with it, he held a commission as Fourth-Lieutenant of the company to which he was attached, and this was upon the occasion when the militia was called out by superior authority, to assist in returning Anthony Burns, a fugitive from slavery, who had been successfully hunted down upon the free soil of Massachusetts.
Young Tucker continued actively identified with the militia of Boston until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted as a private in Company D, under the late Captain Albert Dodd, which united with the Third Battalion of Rifles, Major Devens. After his enlistment, he was promoted to be First- Sergeant of his company.
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Holituve Printing Co. Buston.
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During this service of three months, he was presented by his company in Baltimore, with an elegant sword, indicating the high regard entertained for him by the men of the company.
Before the discharge of the battalion, he was offered a captainey in the Nineteenth Massachusetts Volunteers, and after . his muster out, was solicited to accept a captain's commission in the Twenty-second Massachusetts, both of which offers he declined, preferring to unite his fortunes with other officers of the Third Battalion, who were about to engage in recruiting the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers. In this regiment he was commissioned First-Lieutenant, and his honorable record is fully noted in these pages. After the war closed, Colonel Tucker commenced a successful business career in Boston, and is now a member of the firm of Hawthorne & Tucker, Plumbers, on Province street.
On the Twenty-fifth of March, the armies of Sherman and Schofield united. It may as well be admitted, that until this juncture was made, an uneasy feeling had fastened upon the troops of Schofield, for the danger was imminent. The troops intrenched as well as they could, without sufficient tools to work with. Lieutenant Seagrave of the Twenty-fifth Massa- chusetts was sent out to forage for spades and axes. He was ordered to give receipts for all he took, but he found the owners so very bitter against the Yankees, that he took and receipted not. He was able to return with a large supply of tools, which were made useful in the work of intrenching.
On the 2nd of April, the very pleasant connection of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers with the brigade under Colonel Splaine was brought to a close, the regiment being assigned by the following Order to General Thomas' Brigade of Ruger's Division of the Twenty-third Army Corps.
Headquarters Twenty-third Army Corps, Goldsboro', N. C., April 2nd, 1865.
Special Orders, Į No. 1. 1 [EXTRACT.]
IV. The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry having been assigned to the Twenty-third Army Corps by Special Orders No 19, par. I.,
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from Headquarters Department of North Carolina, is hereby assigned to the Third Brigade, First Division, Twenty-third Army Corps and will report for duty without delay.
By command of Major-General Cox. THEO. Cox, Major and A. 1. G.
[OFFICIAL.] GEO. W. BUTTERFIELD, Lieutenant and A. A. A. G.
That order was received at nine o'clock, P. M., and the regiment was required to report at Mosely Hall, easterly of Goldsboro' some twenty-seven miles, at nine o'clock the next morning. Tucker hastened the march and reached Mosely Hall at the time appointed, and received a very flattering reception from General Thomas and other Western officers.
The brigade was made up of the following regiments ; One-hundred-and-seventy-fourth and One-hundred-and-seventy- eighth Ohio Volunteers, Eighth Minnesota Volunteers and the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers.
On the 9th of April the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts returned to Goldsboro', and on the 10th of April, Sherman commenced his last offensive movement. Upon reaching Smithfield it was found that Johnston's army was in retreat towards Hillsboro'. At Smithfield [April 11th] Sherman heard of the surrender of Lee. He immediately pushed on after Johnston, and on the 14th, received a note from the latter, asking for a temporary suspension of active operations. Sherman made a favorable reply, stating that he would halt his advance at Morrisville, a few miles west of Raleigh. (The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts remained in Raleigh until May 3rd.) On the 17th of April the two commanders met at Durham's station, half-way between Raleigh and Hillsboro', and on the 18th of April a memo- randum of agreement was signed by Sherman and Johnston, drawn up in such manner as to yield to the Confederates all that had been in dispute during the war, and which was promptly rejected by the government at Washington.
It is claimed that General Sherman consented to the mem- orandum for the purpose of gaining time, and with no idea the
WEARING THE BLUE. 423
terms would be approved. On the 11th of April, President Lincoln was assassinated at Washington, and an attempt also made upon the life of Mr. Seward, Secretary of State, and also upon that of his son, Frederick Wm. Seward. The assassina- tion of the President increased the intensity of public feeling and complicated any advance made towards a settlement of difficulties.
Lieutenant-General Grant reached Sherman's headquarters on the day fixed by the latter for a grand review of his whole army at Raleigh. Grant arrived during, and participated in the review. It is remembered with lively satisfaction, that when the veterans of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts marched opposite the brilliant array of General and Staff officers, the battalion received a hearty round of applause for its splendid marching qualities. The Twenty-third Corps had the right of the line, and the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts held the right of that corps.
After this review, Sherman, under the instructions of Grant, notified Johnston of the decision of the government, that the truce would close in forty-eight hours, and demanded an imme- diate surrender of his army. The corps commanders were ordered to move against Johnston on the 26th.
Johnston asked for another conference, which request was granted, and the two commanders met at the house of James Bennett, near Durham's station, on the 26th of April. At this conference, Johnston consented to the same terms of capitula- tion that were agreed to by General Lee at Appomattox Court House. Johnston surrendered about twenty-five thousand men, one hundred and eight pieces of artillery and some fifteen thousand small arms. This included Johnston's command. excepting Wade Hampton and some of his cavalry, who, refusing to surrender, rode off to join Jeff Davis.
The Twenty-fifth Massachusetts having emerged from the toils of active war duties, marched to Greensboro', and thence by rail to Charlotte, N. C., arriving there May 13th, where it
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remained for guard and such other duty as the exigency of the service required. While there, early in July, Lieutenant Charles C. Murdock, having been commissioned and mustered as Captain, was assigned to the command of Company A; Second-Lieutenant Lyman F. Hooker, commissioned and mus- tered as First-Lieutenant, was assigned to the command of Company D ; and Quartermaster-Sergeant John Simonds, com- missioned and mustered as Second-Lieutenant, was assigned to Company C for duty.
At Charlotte, the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts had a camp just outside the town, and here our tired soldiers found rest -- rest at the end of weary marches and anxious bivouacs.
In that pleasant town, the shire of Mecklenburg County, they found a pleasant military home- no more wars' alarms- pickets to the rear !
Charlotte is south and west of the centre of North Carolina, located upon Little Sugar creek, a tributary of the Catawba river that flows southerly, and, uniting itself with the Santec river, merges its waters with those of the Atlantic, many miles north of Charleston.
Charlotte has been celebrated for its mines of gold, and the United States government established a mint there. The town was celebrated also, more than a century ago, for its golden mine of revolutionary patriots. Two gold mines in one locality. So too, it was distinguished, if that could distinguish it, as being for a brief time the military residence and headquarters of Lord Cornwallis, commanding the British army.
The inhabitants of the Carolinas were generally united in sustaining the patriot cause, and, under Sumter, Rutherford and others, rendered valiant service to Generals Gates and Greene, in checking the advance of the British under Corn- wallis and Tarleton.
Charlotte derives its greater significance in revolutionary history, as being the town where was held the Mecklenburg County Convention, from which, in May, 1775, issued the
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first Declaration of American Independence. That first decla- ration sent to Philadelphia, found the delegates in Congress, not prepared for so bold a step. Samuel Adams and Benjamin Franklin, among the great leaders of that day, stood almost alone for Independence.
The majority in Congress at that time, believed in recon- ciliation. They saw the great chasm between England and America, and helped to make it. They believed in shaking hands over it! The Mecklenburg declaration came too soon. Ideas often come before their time. They are smothered. And so this early declaration was smothered, the North Carolina delegates accomplishing it in a delicate way, by a joint letter to the Mecklenburg patriots, complimenting them upon their patriotism, and expressing a belief that the whole continent would soon follow their example, if the grievances complained of were not speedily redressed. They were not redressed, and Philadelphia, representing the United Colonies, during the succeeding year, (1776) followed the Mecklenburg patriots in giving to the world the immortal Declaration of American Independence.
While the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts had a camp inside the town, as we have stated, the entire Twenty-third Corps was in the vicinity of Charlotte. During some of the time, Colonel Tucker was the Post Commandant, but during the greater part of the time at Charlotte, Tucker commanded Thomas' Brigade, General Thomas commanding the Division, the command of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts devolving upon Lieutenant-Colonel Harrington, who, previous to this had served upon division and brigade staffs.
Many of the details for forage duty were made from the Twenty-fifth, and one detail of a Lieutenant (Seagrave) and fifty men was ordered to report to the department quarter- master for duty. That duty was to convoy the rebel archives from Charlotte to Raleigh, a distance of sixty miles. At Raleigh, Lieutenant Seagrave turned the papers over to Gen-
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
eral Schofield, who was so well pleased with the manner in which the duty was performed, and the appearance of the men, that he offered to send the detail to Washington to join the Grand Review. For many reasons, one good one being, that the men not having been paid off, had empty pockets, the proffered honor was declined.
Before Wise's forks, the Western soldiers looked with some little feeling of jealousy upon the Twenty-fifth and other Eastern soldiers -- but, after they had been with them on a march, and found them their equals upon the road -after they beheld their undaunted conrage at Wisc's forks, all un- kind feeling was removed, and there was no place too good for the Massachusetts soldiers.
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Corp'l GEO. W. BREWER.
Corp'l F. ANDREWS.
First Serg't ORLANDO HODGKINS.
J. N. TOURTELLOTTE.
HENRY A. BROWNING.
COMPANY D.
Hulwtype Printing Co., Boston.
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CHAPTER XXII.
REVIEW OF MOVEMENTS ON THE JAMES RIVER - FIVE FORKS - APPOMATTOX - THE SHELL BROKEN - - FINAL MUSTER 1 OUT.
AVING witnessed the final annihilation of Johnston's army in North Carolina, after the successful union of the armies of Sherman and Schofield, let us return to the armies of the Potomac and James, where we left them in September, 1864, holding the positions at Petersburg and Ber- muda Hundreds. During the winter, the Army of the Potomac under General Meade, held the Weldon railroad, and the Army of the James under General E. O. C. Ord, guarded the lines at Bermuda Hundreds, and also occupied a strong position on the left bank of the James river, throwing forward its pickets very near Richmond.
During the month of December, 1864, the Confederate naval vessels [three iron-clads and five wooden steamers] came down the river and made an unsuccessful attempt to divide the Union forces upon the two sides of the James. The obstructions at Dutch gap were broken, and some of the vessels passed through, but the Drewry, carrying two guns, grounded, was abandoned, and finally blown up by a shell from one of our batteries. The affair lasted all the day, but at night the Confederate vessels were withdrawn, and moved up the river.
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
On the 5th of February, 1865, a movement was made on the left of our lines at Petersburg, its object being to obtain posses- sion of the Southside railroad, which, if secured, would cut off the means of furnishing Petersburg with supplies. The Fifth Corps under Warren, and the Second under Humphreys, and Gregg's Cavalry, was the force engaged. There was some severe fighting which resulted at last in the extension of our lines to Hatcher's Run.
About the middle of February, Sheridan moved with some ten thousand troopers, upon a raid against the Confederate communications north of Richmond, intending to strike Lynch- burg, if possible. The First Division was commanded by General Merritt, and the Third was under General George A. Custer. Moving via Staunton, they found Early at Waynes- boro', where Custer paid his respects to him with his usual impetuosity. Early had twenty-five hundred troops and Custer made prisoners of sixteen hundred of them. He also took eleven guns, seventeen battle flags and two hundred loaded wagons. Early was finished. Custer ended the military career of Early, who, drawing about him whatever was left of his cloak, rode rapidly away. Sheridan destroyed bridges, facto- ries, depots and railroads, but, believing Lynchburg too strong for successful attnek, he pushed columns in different directions, passing behind Lee's army to White House on the Pamunky river, and thence to the Army of the James.
The events crowding upon him so rapidly, satisfied Lee that he must make a retreat from Petersburg and Richmond. He determined to retreat into North Carolina and unite his army with that of Johnston. His plan was, to make a general attack upon the lines confronting Petersburg to mask a movement in retreat, which he intended should be down the line of the Southside railroad.
Grant in the meantime, determined upon a general attack on the 29th of March, and issued instructions to Generals Meade, Ord and Sheridan, for the movement.
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At four o'clock on the morning of March 25th, Lee opened by an assault upon Fort Steadman, which was captured, and its guns, taken almost without a struggle, were turned upon neigh- boring batteries. This was Lee's golden opportunity. Such an one does not occur often, but now it did, and had the Con- federates moved to the hill and crowned it with their guns, it is difficult to say what might have happened of disaster to our army. Happily the enemy did not see the opportunity, or if they did, it was not seized. Now came up Hartranft's Division of the Ninth Corps. They rushed to the assault, pouring in a murderous fire. The Confederates recoiled-nineteen hundred men surrendered-Fort Steadman was retaken, and then General Meade, seeing his opportunity, ordered an ad- vance of the Second and Sixth Corps along the front of their lines, on the left of Fort Steadman. The Confederate picket line was seized and held, and then Lee discovered that his game was up.
On the morning of March 29th, Grant commenced his grand movement to flank the Confederate right and gain possession of the Southside road.
Sheridan and his troopers marched down the Jerusalem Plank road, and pushed on to Dinwiddie Court House, which was a few miles in front of Five Forks, the key to the Southside road.
The Second and Fifth Corps crossed Rowanty creek and moved along the Quaker road. Warren first met the Con- federate line of battle, and a severe contest ensued. Sheridan intended, according to the prearranged plan, to cut away from the army on the morning of March 30th, and make a raid on the Southside and Danville railroads. But Grant concluded upon a different movement, and wrote to Sheridan, saying-
" I want to end the matter if possible, before going back. Leave the railways at present ; push around the enemy in the morning (of the 30th) and get to his rear, and we will act all together, as one army, until we shall see what can be done with the forces before us."
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سوط ، الكتاالبول وأجبرت) .
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
Consequently Sheridan sent a part of his cavalry to Five Forks on the night of the 29th, and they were driven back, drenched also with a severe rain storm that for two days had been deepening the mud and dampening the ardor of the troops for active service.
Lee determined that the rain storm should not keep him quiet. He had left Longstreet's Corps (eight thousand) on the north side of the James, unaware that most of Ord's troops had come to the Petersburg front. Mahon's Division was in front of the small force we had in the Bermuda Hundreds trenches, while the divisions of Pickett, Wilcox and Johnson, with what there was left of Ewell's Corps, held the Confederate lines before Petersburg. Lee concentrated some fifteen thou- sand troops, and Fitzhugh Lee's Cavalry, in front of the Second and Fifth Corps on our extreme left. The Confederates fell with a terrible onslaught upon the Fifth Corps, almost crushing the divisions of Ayres and Crawford. The onset was like the last flickering of a candle light-the candle, burned down to its socket, flashed up with unwonted brilliancy. But it was momentary. Griffin's Division moved forward, and put a check upon the Confederates. The enemy fought with the desperation of despair, and no fair man can fail to give them credit for all the dash and bravery that any good soldier can claim.
Warren now took the offensive. The Confederates were driven behind their carthworks on the White Oak road.
Sheridan held the Five Forks, and Lee sent the divisions of Pickett and Johnson to regain the position. The fighting was severe, and Sheridan was hurled back to Dinwiddie.
On the morning of April 1st the Confederates retreated from the front of the cavalry at Dinwiddie, and Sheridan pursued them. Our forces regained Five Forks, and at four o'clock, P. M., made a general assault upon the enemy. Griffin's Division seized the intrenchments and captured fifteen hundred men ; Crawford's Division on the Ford road cut off the retreat
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in the direction of Lee's main force. Warren was upon their flank and rear, and finally, the cavalry charged over their works, just as two of our infantry divisions [Ayres and Crawford] bore down upon them with such fury, that many of the enemy, tired of war, convinced of their defeat, threw down their arms and surrendered, while the remainder fled towards the Appomattox. The only drawback to the full glory of Five Forks is the fact that Sheridan, impatient about a fancied tardiness of Warren in making some movement, put that officer under arrest and sent him to the rear.
Warren at Five Forks was superb. We have studied every movement of his management, on that day, and we have only admiration for his valor, and believe with the utmost sincerity, that no braver or more earnest man exposed his life in that most warmly contested battle.
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