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 6
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WEARING THE BLUE.
happy without it. It's a paradise for those who have no money and no expectation of any.
As Burnside's Armada occupied this inlet, the terrible storm continued. Some of the vessels dragged their anchors and were cast upon the beach, one, the Zouave, with Companies D and H of the Twenty-fifth Regiment on board, went to the bottom, but fortunately all the troops were saved. The com- panies and most of the baggage were taken off by the gunboat Putnam and the ferryboat Eagle. The water rushed into the Zouave so rapidly that some of the equipments and all the rations were lost. The next morning Companies D and H on the Eagle, made a breakfast from a small allowance of raw salt pork and hard bread, without coffee. The following day they lived upon ham in which lusty maggots found a haven of rest.
During this fearful storm, the City of New York, a large steamer filled with ordnance stores, supplies and horses, a val- uable cargo, struck upon the outer bar, and within twenty-four hours was a total wreck. Her signals of distress were seen, but no human being could reach her with aid.
One morning [January 14] a gunboat struck the New York and tore away her aft cabin, occupied by the band ; afterwards, a schooner drove her jib-boom into the wheel-house; the schooner left, minus her boom. The supply of water gave out [January 20] and none could be had. Some of the soldiers caught rain-water after it had washed the upper deck, and one of them has it recorded in his diary : -
" I found a tiny stream which was formed by the water running off the deck, which had not been cleaned during our stay on the steamer, and the officers had walked upon it, and it had caught their cigar stubs and tobacco-quids, but nevertheless, the liquid was fresh water, and after I had filled my cup by staying there until the shower was over. I was offered seventy-five cents for it, which I refused."
Nearly all the time that the New York was at the inlet, the drinking and cooking water was obtained by distillation of
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fresh water from salt water. The process was slow and the Regiment was put upon an allowance. Guards were stationed over the water tanks, and water could be obtained only at cer- tain times and in limited quantity. For eight long, dreary days, no sun was seen, nothing but black clouds, wind and rain. One of the vessels of the fleet, the Pocahontas, was lost above the Cape, near Loggerhead inlet, and for many days nothing was heard from those on board, several of whom belonged to the Twenty-fifth Regiment. No lives were lost, but there were narrow escapes from death. Private Diah Ball, of Company K, having in charge some horses, reached the shore nearly exhausted, and his arrival with Private Sampson A. Merrill of Company B, both having walked down the sand- bar many miles, receiving kindness from the poverty-stricken inhabitants, was the first news obtained of the safety of the others. Ninety, out of one hundred horses on board the steamer, were lost.
SIGNAL CORPS.
The expedition was provided with a Signal Corps, using the new code of signals provided the government, by Major Myers. The code is very blind to those who do not understand it, but the details are easily acquired. Two Second Lieutenants of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, M. B. Bessey of Company A, and W. F. Draper of Company B, were detailed as Signal Officers. By means of the signals, troops can be manœuvred by a com- mander many miles distant, and the signals were equally serviceable in the night as by day, large torches being used at night instead of flags.
THE FLEET.
The naval vessels of the expedition consisted of the following gunboats, all light draft, and having an armament of ninety- four guns :-
BV'T. BRIG. GEN'L. WM. F. DRAPER:
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Pickett . commanded by Thos. P. Ives.
Brickner
" J. C. Giddings.
Ceres
S. A. MeDermaid.
Chasseur
66
John West.
Commodore Barney
" R. D. Renshaw.
Commodore Perry
Chas. II. Flusser.
Delaware.
S. P. Quackenbush.
Granite.
"
E. Boomer.
Gen. Putnam
W. J. Haskins.
Hussar.
Fred Crocker.
Hunchback
E. R. Calhoun.
Hetzel.
..
" H. K. Davenport.
J. N. SSeymour
F. S. Welles.
Louisiana
" Alex. Murray.
Lockwood
..
" S. L. Graves.
Lancer
"
B. Morley.
Morse.
Peter Hayes,
Philadelphia
Silas Reynolds.
Pioneer
C. S. Baker.
Rocket.
James Lake.
Ranger
J. B. Childs.
Stars and Stripes
Reed Werden.
Southfield, (Flagship,)
" Captain Behm.
Shawsheen.
T. S. Woodward.
Underwriter
------ Jeffers.
Valley City
" J. C. Chaplin.
Vidette
B. Fenner.
Whitehead.
French.
Young Rocer
I. B. Studley.
In addition, there were five floating batteries of three guns each, viz: the Schrapnel, Bombshell, Grapeshot [went down off Cape Hatteras,] Grenade and Rocket, also pontoon bridge schooners Sco. Bird and Mary H. Banks.
The transport steamers with troops, were the
New York, Captain Clark. Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteers. Northerner, Captain Marston Twenty-first Massachusetts Volunteers.
Guide, Captain Vaille .. Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers. New Brunswick, Captain Winchester. Tenth Connecticut Volunteers.
Ranger . .. . Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers.
Highlander and Hussar Twenty-third Massachusetts Volunteers.
Cossack, Captain Bennet. Fifty-first Pennsylvania Volunteers.
Louisiana. Sixth New Hampshire Volunteers.
Eastern Queen Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers.
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
The right wing of the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts was upon the gunboat Ranger, and the left wing upon a barque towed. by the gunboat. There were many other steamers and sailing vessels having regiments and detachments on board, and quite a fleet for transportation of horses, commissary and quartermasters' stores.
The schooners Recruit and Scout were used as division 'hospitals, having four hundred and forty berths. These hos- pital ships were under the immediate supervision of Samuel A. Green, M. D., of the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Volun- teers, a surgeon highly skilled in his profession, possessing the advantage of having a heart fully devoted to the work and ability in gaining the confidence and love of all who came under his care. His assistants were Dr. Dodge of the Fifty- first New York, and Dr. Theron Temple of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts.
THE SWASH.
Between the little harbor inside of the inlet, where all the fleet rode at anchor, and the waters of the Sound, was, as we have before said, a sand-bar, with seven feet and one inch of water at high tide. This bar was between the troops and the enemy, and there was a difficulty in getting vessels drawing from eight to ten feet, over a sand-bar covered by only seven fect of water! All the transports were chartered by the government, upon the stipulation that they did not draw over seven feet of water, loaded. Many of them did draw more than eight feet, the contractors, as usual, cheating the government. The difficulty must be overcome, or the expedi- tion prove a failure.
This was one great burden upon General Burnside-and he was the man to melt away the trouble. On board the little Pickett, which he used as a sort of flag-ship, he moved among the vessels of the fleet. With his yellow belt, blue shirt, slouched hat and high boots, he stood like a sca-god in the
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bows of his puffing and whistling little steamer, encouraging those disheartened, and always asking affectionately after the welfare of the men. At one time, when some one begged him to take some rest, he replied, " the contractors have ruined me, but God holds me in His palm, and all will yet be well." He felt that the contractors and the elements were conspired against him, yet he had a living faith that success would attend his efforts ultimately. It was that faith that sustained him, and, when the troops saw the firm determination resting upon his countenance, they had faith too. There was not a thought of failure.
Another cause of delay, was the ignorance of the pilots concerning the iulet, whose bottom was loose and changeable. Information obtained some months previous, was of no value at the time of our occupancy of the inlet, for the sifting sands fill up the old channels in a night, and rushing waters make new ones as rapidly. The steamers Louisiana, Northerner, George Peabody and, Eastern Queen were all aground at one time, and others were constantly thumping bottom.
Finally, Burnside determined to make an issue with the master of the largest transport, which was the New York. Captain Clark was notified that he " must put his steamer over the Swash, at once." Clark expostulated -" my steamer draws eight feet, two inches: I can't go where there is only seven feet of water, without losing my vessel." " Very well," said the General, " the owners of your steamer have contracted that she draws not over seven feet, if they have lied about it, let them suffer the consequences-the steamer shall go over the Swash, or be lost in the attempt!" Clark, a loyal, estimable man, refused to make the attempt-he refused to obey the imperative order of the commanding general. A file of soldiers came on board, arrested Captain Clark and conveyed him away in a small boat. Our troops looked on, and some one said-" that means business," and another remarked, that " the general had got his back up," and
----
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
still another offered to " bet ten to one, that the New York would go over the Swash." Colonel Upton, who had a high personal regard for Clark, soon after left the transport, and was rowed to the head-quarters steamer. Burnside insisted that his order must be obeyed, or the captain should hang at the yard-arm ! And that settled the matter-men don't like to hang by the neck, without an effort for life, and so Clark promised to make an attempt to cross the Swash.
The next day [January 27] the companies of the Twenty- fifth Massachusetts were removed from the New York to smaller craft, four companies, B, F, G and K, going on board the ferryboat Curlew, Lieutenant-Colonel Sprague being in command. The other companies were bestowed on other vessels, whereupon, the New York was lightened of all freight, and, January 31st, getting up a full head of steam, went gaily over the "Swash," without touching bottom. This success was greeted with hearty cheers from the troops. The next day, the regiment returned to the transport steamer, except companies D and H that remained on the Eagle, and companies C and I, on the schooner Skirmisher. All of the steamers and vessels were soon over the bar, and the troops were in good spirits, for the greatest difficulty had been overcome. Water vessels having arrived, a full allowance of this article was supplied for all necessary purposes. The cooking facilities for so many men were very meagre, and. most of the time while on shipboard, the troops were on short allowance of food. For two days on the New York, the soldiers lived on boiled potatoes and salt. It was wonder- ful, how nobly the men accepted the situation, and made the best of it, without grumbling- upon the ground, probably, that what cannot be cured must be endured.
On the 1st of February, orders were issued in regard to landing. The troops were to land in light marching order, and with three days' cooked rations. The company cooks
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went ashore with proper cooking utensils, and prepared the three days' rations.
.A certain number of men were detailed from each company, as oarsmen, and when the waters would permit, the vicinity of the fleet was alive with small boats filled with soldiers, practising with the oars.
In the meantime the Confederates had information that the Armada was at Hatteras, and every effort was made by them to strengthen the defences of Roanoke island.
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CHAPTER IV.
LANDING, AND BATTLE OF ROANOKE ISLAND-HOSPITAL SCENES
-NAVAL OPERATIONS -- DRUDGERY - LEAVE ROANOKE.
ps E have already described the situation and topograph- ical surroundings of Roanoke island, and have now only to add a brief account of its earliest settlement, almost three hundred years before the time of which we write.
Sir Walter Raleigh, obtaining from Queen Elizabeth a patent, sent two vessels in 1584, which visited Pamlico and Albemarle sounds, and, after trafficking with the Indians, returned to England with such glowing accounts of the country they had seen, that Elizabeth, elated with the event, and as a memorial of her unmarried state, named the region Virginia. In 1585, Raleigh sent a colony under Ralph Lane. This colony occupied Roanoke island, but after a year of great distress, embarked for England. In 1587, a colony under John White was sent to the same place. White returned to England for supplies, and after an absence of two years, returned, and, upon reaching the island, sounded a trumpet, but no answer was heard to disturb the melancholy stillness brooding over the deserted spot. No man can say, with certainty, what became of the people left there by White. All that he found to indicate their fate, was a high post, bearing on it the letters C R O, and, at the former site of their village, he found a tree, which had been deprived of its bark, and bore in well cut characters, the word CROATAN. It is probable these colonists went further south, to Croatan, as
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a historian writing in 1714, says :- " The Hatteras Indians who lived on Roanoke island, or much frequented it, tell us, that several of their ancestors were white people, and could talk in a book, as we do."
. As we have seen, Roanoke island was a most important position, and on the 5th day of February, the fleet of naval vessels under command of Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough, and the transports loaded with troops, all under command of General Burnside, moved from Hatteras inlet for Croatan sound, fifteen gun-boats leading, under the immediate command of Rowan. The Pilot Boy, with General Foster. on board, took the lead of the transports, followed by the New York, with the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, the large fleet making a beautiful display, as it cut through the waters presenting a surface as smooth as glass.
At five o'clock, P. M., the fleet anchored eight miles below Roanoke island, and in view of its southerly point.
The next day [February 6th] was occupied by a recon- noissance by the gunboats, and in getting into position.
While waiting for the navy to get ready for action, we may spend a moment in examining the defences and inspecting the defenders of Roanoke island. For the defence, there was, first, a blockade of Croatan sound from near the centre of the island to the opposite main, made by sunken vessels and driven piles. AAbove this blockade was the Confederate "Mosquito Fivet" of eight small vessels having eleven guns, commanded by Lieutenant W. F. Lynch, a former officer of the United States Navy. As a new-fledged commodore, he was charged to defend the eastern coast of North Carolina, and we shall see how he did it.
On the westerly side of Roanoke, the Confederates had greeted three sand forts, the lower one named " Bartow," [commanding Ashby's harbor] the second called Fort " Blan- chard," and the third, Fort " Huger," the three forts having twenty-six guns, some en barbette, and others in ombrasures,
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
three of them being one-hundred-pounder rifled cannon. These forts commanded the water approaches in their front, and the lower road, from one end of the island to the other, in their rear. Opposite Roanoke on the main, at Redstone point, another fort commanded the sound channel. On the casterly side of the island was Shallowbag bay, opposite Nagg's head. Between this bay and Croatan sound, was a road traversing the island. Here, upon the borders of what they called an impenetrable swamp, or pocoson, the enemy had a strong redoubt and intrenched camp, the three guns of the redoubt sweeping the narrow causeway which appeared to be the only way of reaching the enemy and the upper end of the island. Upon the shore forts, that at Redstone point and the redoubt just mentioned, the Confederates had about forty guns in position. The redoubt and intrenched camp was the point to be carried by the infantry.
Let us look at the defenders, composed of the Eighth North Carolina Regiment, Colonel H. M. Shaw ; the Thirty-first North Carolina, Colonel J. V. Jordan ; a battalion of the Seventeenth North Carolina, Major G. HI. Hill ; a regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, and Wise's Legion from Richmond.
Fortunately for the Union army, Ex-Governor Henry A. Wise was the commander of these forces. He was in West Virginia earlier in the war, and there he had a quarrel with Floyd, who was sent to Tennessee, and distinguished himself by running away from Grant, at Fort Donelson.
Fortunately for Wise, he was taken sick about the time Burnside was ready to move on his works and went over to Nagg's head where he remained, until he found how affairs were going on the island, when he made a rapid flight up the coast to Norfolk. The Confederates on the island, in the absence of Wise, were commanded by Shaw.
In December, 1861, the Richmond government sent Wise to Roanoke island with his famous legion, instructing him to
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recruit to ten thousand men in North Carolina. He was also instructed to make the island impregnable, and to hold it at all hazards. He failed in finding his recruits and we shall see that he failed also in making anything like a creditable defence of the island.
On February 7th, just before noon, the Federal gunboats commenced a bombardment of the forts and Confederate flotilla. The seene was grandly magnificent. The shot from the Union gunboats told with disastrous effect upon the forts. In less than two hours, most of the guns of Fort Bartow were silenced and the barracks were in flames. Those who wit- nessed the exciting bombardment, particularly the members of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, the nearest to the scene, will never forget the splendid manœuvring of the little sloop carrying a one-hundred-pounder gun, as it circled between the line of battle and Fort Bartow, discharging its heavy shot with wonderful precision into the fort. The Confederate flotilla was soon driven beyond the range of our guns, while the Curlew, its largest vessel was disabled and soon after beached under the guns at Redstone point, and was taken by Goldsborough next day.
At three and one-half o'clock, P. M., General Foster ordered the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts to be ready to Jand. The com- panies on the New York were immediately transferred to the Pilot Boy [General Foster being on board,] and the Eagle and Skirmisher with a line of launches and small boats were taken in tow. Lieutenant Andrews of the Ninth New York Volunteers, had sounded out the channel and reconnoitered for a suitable landing place, and we were to receive the benefit of information obtained by him at great risk.
The Pilot Boy moved slowly toward the island, receiving the cheers of the troops on the other transports as we passed along. Every heart beat quickly and the eyes of every soldier listened as we steamed slowly towards the place of danger. General Burnside came alongside and pointed out to General
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
Foster a place where he thought we had better make a landing. Foster suggested Ashby's harbor as a better place ; "Very well," said Burnside, "act on your own discretion, I don't hamper you with orders!" It was said so pleasantly, and such a smile played upon the features of the great leader, even at that mo- ment of supreme excitement, that all who heard it had a more ardent affection for the commanding general, who long ere this had won their respect and love. We drew nearer the shore --- there, behind the bushes was a long line of bristling bayonets ; one, two, three battle flags were seen ; a little more to the right was heard the rattling of artillery wheels. Here then we were to meet our baptism of fire! Every breath was hushed and men began to calculate how many would fall under the first fire, and just how long it would take us to get over the side of the steamer and wade to the shore; but just at this moment the Delaware came down and threw some schrapnel into the bushes, and put a few shell into the woods beyond, and the shells burst with a fearful bang! bang! echoing through the timber. Then the brave defenders put up their bayonets, and one, two, three battle flags passed quietly out of sight, and not a gun was fired to dispute our landing.
The Pilot Boy struck the mud at Ashby's harbor, a place which will be admitted as possessing, if nothing else, an appel- Jation quite euphonical. The name is its most distinguishing feature. We saw there not a town, not even a hamlet, but a little clearing having a deep timbered back-ground with only one house, a fair looking two-storied wooden building, with its chimnies on the outside, like other Southern dwelling-houses, and known as the Hannon house. Imagination exercised itself upon that single dwelling. Was that the residence of the chief potentate of Roanoke island, perhaps the lineal descendant of Sir Walter Raleigh or White; and was he a mayor or a governor, and did he stand dignified guard over Ashby's harbor, where Burnside's great fleet was to make a gateway for the hidden paths beyond ?
-
4.20%.
THEO. N. GATES.
DIAH BALL.
Serg't LUKE T. DRURY.
Grift CHAs. F. TENNEY.
Tuos. C. BoxD.
COMPANY K.
Heutige Printing Co, Boston
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These thoughts rushing through our mind as we stood ex- posed at the bow of the Pilot Boy, reminded us of the experi- ence of the allied armies approaching a landing upon the invasion of the Crimea, at a little port upon the Black sea, known as Eupatoria. It will be remembered by those conver- sant with that campaign, that the Asiatic cholera made fearful ravages among the English and French troops at Varna, and which still was to be found among the soldiers approaching the Russian coast ; so, when Colonels Trochu and Steele went to Eupatoria to summon the town, they were met by the dignified governor of the place without a soldier or a gun behind him. As this official looked out upon the sea, he embraced within his range of vision the great armada of the allied armies of Eng- land, France and Turkey, composed of war ships, transport steamers and sailing vessels almost without number, bearing an armament capable of putting him and his little seaport out of existence by one broadside, and troops to the number of nearly sixty thousand men. But the Eupatorian governor was not to be frightened. When told that the allied powers proposed to land, the governor assumed a position of remarkable dignity and replied that " they might do so ; " but he at once added a proviso - a remarkable proviso for a governor in his situation to add -- that " the fleet must be fumigated ; " he didn't want the Asiatic cholera imported into Russia, and therefore Lord Raglan and St. Arnaud and Omar Pasha, and all other Omar's, great and small, must go down to Lazzaretto and consider themselves in strict quarantine ! Of course they did nothing of the kind, but forthwith landed at and near Eupatoria, and put the anti-cholera governor into his little bed and sang him lullabys. The dignity of this governor was almost equal to that of the great African king of Dahomey, who imagined himself the greatest potentate on earth, around whom all other sovereigns revolved. It is said that after he had dined, he caused an officer of his palace to "ring a gong-gong," when another officer of state stepped out upon the portico of
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TWENTY-FIFTH MASSACHUSETTS.
- the palace and made proclamation -" The Lion of the Forest and the Whale of the Sea has had his dinner, and now all other kings and potentates may eat."
But the sequel of the landing at Ashby harbor showed that there was no governor, mayor or king of Dahomey to put us in quarantine or lay down any rules concerning the order of debarkation-the lone house was tenantless until Foster and members of his staff took possession.
The troops in the small boats had the advantage of being able to make the first landing, and when the forward motion of the Pilot Boy ceased, the boats in tow winged swiftly for the shore. Captain Pickett was the first to land, and Captain Attwood followed, bearing the flag of the armed schooner Skirmisher attached to a boat-hook. This was the first Ameri- can flag placed upon the island. Soon after landing, Lieu- tenant Richter, of Company G, nailed a small Union flag upon the top of the Hannon house.
The flag which Captain Attwood first raised upon Roanoke island, was afterwards sent to Boston and placed in Boylston hall, the armory of the "Old Tiger" battalion, with which the captain was connected before the war. The historic flag was exhibited there as a memorial of great interest and value.
While the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts was wading through the marsh mud to the shore, other regiments of the First Brigade were following, and before midnight, ten thousand Union troops ocenpied the clearing about Ashby's harbor. Immediately upon landing, Company A, Captain Pickett, was sent up the road to the right on a reconnaissance. The Twenty- first Massachusetts was doing picket duty.in the same direc- tion. To the left, through dense thickets of underbrush, Company K, Captain Denny, was sent off on a reconnoissance resulting in nothing but torn clothes and flesh. Upon returning with report that all was quiet on the left flank, for not a Johnny had been scen, the Company was ordered on picket. and so, with nothing to cat, they were out all night in the
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