USA > Maine > History of the Fifth regiment Maine volunteers, comprising brief descriptions of its marches, engagements, and general services from the date of its muster in, June 24, 1861, to the time of its muster out, July 27, 1864 > Part 7
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thinking of us, of safety up to the moment of writing; while I doubt not that missives, sent from that camp- ground, by men now lying in their silent graves, for- warding that evening the last line which it was ever their pleasure to do on carth, are cherished as precious mementos by many, many people, who love now and then to draw forth the dear writing from its sacred, secret hiding-place, and read again and again the words of affection which their dead soldier-boy hasti- ly indited on the field, before the battle. Heaven bless those who suffered such terrible losses, but which redound to the nation's gain !
At eight o'clock we were pushing forward to the front. There was certainly a peculiar satisfaction in going forward which is not experienced in going back- wurd. The one stimulates, the other most fearfully depresses. It was, however, apparent to every one, that an important movement was at hand; and the fact became gradually unfolded, that it was our duty to keep up appearances and make a show in order to deceive the enemy. Having fallen back from our po- sition of the previous night,-and of which fact the en- emy certainly could not be ignorant .- it became at once conelusive, that, if we did not present ourselves "in battle array " at an early hour, the enemy might presume that we were in much worse condition than we should feel ready to admit ; and hence might cause us an immense amount of unnecessary trouble, which we did not then desire. So we marched out upon an elevated plot of ground, occupying an extreme tront
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position, and in direct and full view of the rebels, and perhaps a quarter of a mile from their lines. Stack- ing arms, we proceeded to pitch our tents, and gave every indication of going into permanent camp. Even if the Johnnies did not laugh at our movements, they must have been very strongly impressed with our im- pertinence. Possibly two hours might have elapsed, when we again struck tents, and moved some little dis- tance to the rear, marching down over the rear brow of the hill, leaving our knapsacks and other equipage upon the top of the hill where we had previously pitched our tents. After stacking arms, orders were given for each commanding officer of the companies to march his men to the site of the camp, obtain the knapsacks of the men, and return ; the first company to go first, and, upon its return, to be followed by the see- ond, and so on. The object of that move, a great many of us were never able to comprehend, nor do I think we can at the present day. If it was to furnish ani- mated humanity as a target for artillery practice, the design worked well, and the aim was seenred. Three or four companies, without arms, had gone forward and obtained their knapsacks, and another company was just gathering theirs, when whiz, bang, whiz came shot and shell from the land of rebeldom, as much as to say, "you have been there long enough with your foolishness-get out of that," and we did get out of that, lively too. There was no discount upon our re- treating qualities then. Leaving a large portion of our Knapsacks (they were afterwards recovered), we struck
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for the woods on double-quick, though in good order, traversing ravines in order to escape the fearful fire to which, we believed, only folly had exposed us. Fi- nally, we succeeded in getting out of range, and, mov- ing about a mile to the rear, we received the order "in place rest," which we were happy to obey. It was at this place that we learned for the first time, that "the change of base " was to be made,-that the whole army were upon the move excepting our division, which, under the command of the brave and gallant Sloeum, was to cover the retreat, or render aid in consummat- ing a military necessity of visiting some other locality than the environs of Richmond during the warm weather. Notwithstanding the disheartening work of the day, when the division was in readiness, our reg- iment, -- ever ready to answer every call to duty,- never backward, -- and who never knew when they were whipped,-advanced cheerfully with the rest far to the front, and went into position. Our duty was to check any advancing movement which the enemy might see fit to make upon our retreating army. More or less fighting took place late in the afternoon and early part of the night. Every moment we expected it to assume the severe type. Our position was now on what was called " Golden Farm." Truly, the hours were long. Certain it was, that there were some things to be dreaded almost as much as actual comliet. Among them was the terrible anxiety which accompa- nie an expected attack. At two o'clock, however, on the following morning, we were quickly formed in
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line, the pickets were drawn in, and we, too, were on the march to the rear. All our baggage-wagons had gone the evening previous. The artillery was moving when we were awakened from our fitful slumbers, while everything which we could not carry was burnt, indicating that we were not intending to return again to that locality. Those who were able or thoughtful enough to replenish their haversacks with food, did so from the abundance which was lying about. It was some days before another opportunity presented itself, and many were the hungry mouths before it occurred. All being in readiness, we received the order, "forward march " (if backward is forward), and with light step moved out upon the road. Thus we bade farewell to all of the attractions of Golden Farm, which we could not enjoy save at great hazard and perplexity.
Daybreak saw us some three or four miles from the old camp-ground, moving in the direction of the James river. Such sights as met our vision ! the vast bodies of troops upon the move, the innnense trains of bag- gage-wagons, ambulances, and artillery, a mighty mass, yet all moving like clock-work, were seldom seen even by the soldier. Slowly we marched forward, suf- fering intensely from the hot sun. It seemed to be our fate to have our heaviest work to do upon the Sabbath, and which seemed to be, inevitably, either the hottest or the stormiest day. This may arise from the tet, perhaps, that we notice I the labors of Sunday more than of other days.
6
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At an early hour in the afternoon, we crossed the Chickahominy swamps, and glad indeed were we to safely arrive at the other shore. We had heard the "music," as the poets would call it, of the roaring can- non, intermingled with sharp rattling musketry all day; but we had not been molested thus far. Our march, though every moment expecting an attack, was one of pence. Having marched some twelve miles, our division was halted, and the Fifth Maine was or- dered out on picket. Of course we had but little rest and but little sleep. During the night there was one or two alarms, at one time putting the whole com- mand under arms. Every man seemed to comprehend the situation, and vigilance was the universal watch- word. The enemy were upon both flanks, in front, and pressing our rear. Certainly, our position was not one to be envied. Yet brave hearts beat upon those fields, and strong arms were ready to do their whole duty.
Early in the morning, June 30th, our picket line was relieved, and tell back upon the reserve. About sun- rise, General MeClellan, attended by a single orderly, rode through our camp, tarrying a moment to make inquiries regarding our location and other minor mat- ters. It certainly gave great cheer to the boys to see their beloved commander. No one can question the place which he held in their affections at that period.
That morning our division was assigned the duty of rear guard, and directed to hold the enemy in check until all our trains were safely by. We were moving
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on a single road; and hence the necessity of keeping the Confederates at a respectful distance. Forming onr lines, we moved back to a point called Charles City Cross Roads, about two miles distant from our location of the morning; and, as no enemy was in sight, we made a temporary camp. The precious time was diligently improved in preparing our coarse meal ; for the last few hours had given us but little oppor- tunity to recruit the inner man. Dinner over, we were quietly resting, when word reached us that the rebels were advancing rapidly upon us in great force, and that we must be on the alert. Down came our tents lively. We had been so drilled in that peculiar duty of late, that a camp could be struck pretty expe- ditionsly. About this time, a terrible skirmish was in progress in our rear, as we occupied a point upon the right flank of the route of march. On our right, Gen- eral Kearney was holding a large force, while we were expecting the rebels in our front. For a single di- vision, our position was certainly a very disagreeable one. We were posted on the edge of a piece of woods near the brow of a gentle rise of ground, and directly in the rear of our batteries, which occupied the sum- mit. Over the brow of the rise, the country was quite open, and, for some distance, gently descending. We " had, as I have been informed, some forty pieces of ar- tillery in position; and these were supported by our division numbering about seven thousand men. Sou our cannon announced that the enemy was in sight. Our shots attracted the attention of the advancing col-
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umns, and with what vigor they replied to our guns I will not attempt to describe. The air seemed full of shot and shell. The roar increases. The missiles of death fly faster and thicker. Limbs of trees, torn off by the solid shot, fell all around us. Fragments of shell came hissing in every direction into our ranks. For an hour it was a perfect thunder-roar. Then came a brief cessation. Why is it? Ah! see; stead- ily in broad, deep column, thousands upon thousands, the infantry of the enemy advanced toward our lines. Like an irresistible mass, on they came. Double-shot- ted was every cannon in our front. In a moment our guns opened. Down before the grape and the cannis- ter, drop hundreds of the best of Southern braves. In- stantly their places are filled. Now comes the con- test. As swiftly as possible, our boys load and fire their guns. An hundred shots per minute was the rate of those cannoneers. The guns grow hot. On sweeps the enemy's lines. Faster work the gunners. Like tigers ready to spring upon their prey, even though death stare them in the face, our brave in- fantry lie low, ready for instant action. The roar of the cannon, the terrific yell of the charging columns, is deafening. The ground absolutely trembles. Like grass, the ranks of the enemy are mown down; yet on they come. A dozen rods only separate them from our cannon. Every eye of our men is upon that sim- mit. Every hand grasps, with a desperate energy, the faithful musket. Every vein seems to >well with de- termination. On sweep the enemy. Will they sweep
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over us like an ocean billow? Their force is immense. " Spherical case and cannister," rings the voice of our artillery commander through his trumpet. Quick as a flash, almost, a murderous fire is poured into the ad- vancing columns. A few more feet, and the enemy will reach us. Our guns are again loaded. "Fire," shouts the brave commander of the artillery, as he sits upon his noble steed, calmly surveying the scene, "fire" is the word. And such a fire. It was too much. The form of the enemy's column reels and trembles. It had accomplished all that human power could do. Back, back, it falls, and the guns of Slo- cum's division, handled and supported by brave men, were victorious.
Instantly our infantry was ordered forward into the woods to our left, charging with a perfect recklessness, until they reached a point about one-third of a mile. where they took a position to prevent any demonstra- tion of the enemy from that direction, a point which it was important that we should then holl. But the cannon had proved too much for human endurance, and the enemy fell back to recover from his terrible shock, leaving us, for the time being, masters of the situation. Never was the nerve of our regiment more severely tested than at this fight, and never did it be- have with greater credit to itself and all concerned, than under the terrible cannonading of Charles City Cross Roads.
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CHAPTER XIII.
Surrounded by enemy's lines. Our escape. Flag of truce to an escaped command. Malvern Hill. Arrival at Harrison Land- ing.
AFTER a brief cessation of conflict, the enemy again opened his artillery upon us, and from the various direc- tions from which this firing proceeded, we discovered, to our dismay, that we were nearly surrounded. It is said that the enemy, in firing at ns, so narrow was the diameter of their surrounding circumference, fired over our heads into their own ranks. It would be dif- fieult to describe our feelings, when we discovered our true position. We knew that the force of the enemy was heavy; we knew, also, that our own was very light. Strategy could alone relieve us. Though we might make for a little while, a most desperate resist- ance, and send a host of Southern soldiery to their last home, yet we could not, of course, hold out long against overwhelming numbers. Richmond prisons, hunger and thirst, everything terrible and horrible was pictured before our imaginations. Yet hope never deserted us; and hence we trusted that ulti- mately, all would be well.
Abont one o'clock at night, upon the assurance of our general that that was no place for his boys, the
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men were arousel from their slumbers, and bid be ready to move. Wearied and tired. even amid the dangers which surrounded them, the great majority of the men were glad, even then, to get one hour of quiet rest. Strict orders were issued that no noise should be made; and, upon the march, orders were trans- mitted from one officer to another in a low whisper. It seems that there was an aperture of about a thou- sand yards in the rebel lines which had been discov- ered, and through that, under cover of the darkness, we proposed to escape. The utmost caution was re- quired that the movement should not be revealed to the watchful enemy. Everything which would make the slightest noise was ordered to be tightly secured or thrown away. Death was the penalty of speaking aloud. or striking a match. The march commenced. Every bush seemed to us to be a watchful Southern sentinel. Upon either side of the route a slight skir- mish was kept up between the pickets to deceive the enemy. As we moved on, we soon passed the battle- fields of the day previous. What if now we should be discovered. But no, on we go in safety. The camp- fires of the rebels shone brightly but a short distance from our route. General Kearney rides along as we pass the most dangerous points. " Move on steady, bass," whispers the general as we pass; " but if the hounds tread on your heels, kick." Aye, thought we, surely we will. Yet almost perfect silence reigned. The dawning morning found us well upon the road, the chemy in our rear, and Slocum's little band, for the
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most part, safe. I should here note, that there were some few of our men who, in the haste of the moment, were overlooked, and hence not awakened. Being taken prisoners by the rebels in the morning, after a short confinement they were liberated. They reported, that, in the morning following our escape, the enemy sent in a flag of truce to demand our surrender, sup- posing it impossible for us to escape; and they were very much taken by surprise to find that their bird had flown. By sunrise, after a cool and easy march, we were upon the summit of Malvern Hill. Here we found almost the entire army in lines of battle, and the months of hundreds of cannon pointing to the en- emy's land. We were ordered to the rear some dis- tance, where we erected a barricade to meet any at- tack which might be made in that direction, and to add our strength to the supporting column of the army during its fearful contest of the day, and which is known as the battle of Malvern Hill. AAs the day waned and we found ourselves victorious, we laid down upon the ground, and sweet was that sleep to the poor, weary, tired soldier, the first sleep which could be called sleep, for five nights. Many were the knapsacks which were empty, and hunger stared many in the face. But we were assured that we should · soon see better times, and in rest we forgot all our troubles.
The following morning we awoke to find a severe rain-storm. Now for a march in the mud. Our journey was not finished, and so again we pushed on.
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Marching some five or six miles, we finally pitched our tents in the mud at Harrison's Landing, our re- treat being ended, and our fighting done for the pres- ent. Here the whole army, with all its baggage- teans and artillery, were massed in one large field, forming a scene which can never be forgotten. Wea- ried and almost discouraged, it mattered but little to the boys, for a day or two, what became of them. It was a dark hour, not only for the soldiery of the army of the Potomac, but also for the whole nation.
On the afternoon of the third of July, we moved out from the river some three miles, and after one or two moves, we finally went into camp on high and dry ground, much to our comfort and joy. Here we were to spend some time in getting ready for some other movement, and which we could only hope would re- sult more favorably than any in which we had en- gige I thus far.
6*
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CHAPTER XIV.
Hot weather. Bad food. Band leaves for home, Wood-chop- ping incident. Another illustration of the sincerity of South- ern love for the soldier. Regimental commander returns to camp. Wooden guns. Again on the move. Back to Alexan- drin. Advance toward second Bull Run. Responsible posi- tions of regiment. Return to camp Franklin.
IT was not until the thirteenth day of August, that we received orders to be again on the move. In some relations, these orders came as good news; in others, they were not so pleasant. Campaigning beneath an almost tropical sun was not so agreeable, though per- haps preferable to winter work. During our stay in this camp, the weather had been fearfully hot. Ev- ery resource that ingenuity could devise was resorted to, to make life even tolerable. But though the days were almost like furnaces, yet the nights were cool and pleasant, and which, of course, added greatly to our comfort. There was, however, a great deal of sickness in emmp, much of which arose, unquestionably, from the outrageous food which was provided for the men. It was a disgrace and shame for men to be imposed upon in the manner that they were by army contrac- tors, who were paid the highest price for everything by the government, and who betrayed the trusts re- posed in them by base impositions. Smoked (so the
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" returns" said) sides of hogs, were furnished as meat ; and when issued to the boys, were frequently literally covered with blisters. This may have arose from the exposure to the sun of the meat, yet it does not alter the faet regarding the character of the food men had to eat ; nor yet the fact that the bacon fur- nishell was of the meanest description. At home it would make a decent man sick to look at it. But it was that or nothing. No wonder the army was re- duced when fel on such meat. Nor was this all. Wormy hard bread,-I dislike to record such things, but the truth must be toll plainly,-the greater part of the bread issued during our stay at Harrison's Landing, was literally alive with worms,-such bread a> that. I say, was poor food for the human stomach. No doubt that many a nabob, who now rolls in his car- ringe, obtained his fortune from some swindle upon government in a provision contract. No wonder such is he wanted the war to continue. No wonder he considered every new issue, which might prolong the waar a day or two, a blessing and smile of fortune, add- ing new stores to his ill-gotten treasure. While he gained wealth, the soldier, his victim, found his grave. The Fifth Maine boy has, or should have but little re- zard for that man, who made his fortune off of the ab- -White necessities of the soldier.
From this camp, by orders from the War Depart- meat, our band, which had cheered us so many hours, which had so often sent a thrill of pleasure through war beings, when melancholy and home-sickness may
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have come over us, was discharged, and left us for home. Sadly we parted with those true men, who had contributed so much to our happiness. During the sad seenes of the seven-days' fight, they rendered splendid service in taking care of the wounded and other important labors. We all felt proud of Cole and his noble companions.
The time was passed quietly in camp, interrupted only by occasional inspections, and the usual routine of picket duty. The latter duty was very pleasant, as it took the men out from the hot camp, into the pleas- ant woods in our front. But little fatigue duty was required. An incident occurred in the early part of our encampment at this place which may not be out of place here.
The Fifth Maine was detailed to chop down a piece of woods which was in front of the encampment, and in the way of the range of our artillery. The woods being about half a mile to the front, covering consid- erable ground, and it being rumored that the enemy might pounce at any moment upon fatigue parties, a Pennsylvania regiment was sent out to protect them, and repel any attack. Armed with their axes, under the lead of their escort, our boys proceeded to the woods, and went to work with a will. The troops ad- · vanced about half way through the woods, and there halted. In the course of two or three hours, the boys had leveled the woods up to the point where the troops were stationed. Of course, the troops were re- quested to advance their line. This their commanding
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officer absolutely refused to do, upon the ground that it was dangerous. This was a bounty regiment, which had probably enlisted more for the pleasure of the soklier's life, than for any work, or for meeting danger. But the Fifth Maine had been detailed to do a piece of work, and do it they would, support or no support. So on they moved (not the troops but the choppers), and rapidly tree after tree was laid low. By some management, which seemed to be understood by the boys, but which I cannot explain, the trees were fallen in such a manner as to form a barricade com- pletely around the troops, and there they were. On went the choppers, singing away and indifferent whether the rebs were ten rods or ten miles away, un- til they had the satisfaction of seeing every tree down, and seeing, also, their brace support imprisoned among the prostrate trees. Having enjoyed their discomfit- ure sufficiently, the boys fell to, and in a few moments cut a passage through, by which the troops might es- cape. Whether such a course upon the part of the choppers was censurable or not, it becomes not me to say. An opinion would favor the negative. Possibly such a support may have been better off hemmed in than otherwise; for had there' been an attack, they could not have disgraced themselves by running, as un- . questionably they would have done. But then, there was no absolute danger.
As another illustration of the love (?) which the Vir- gian farmers pretended for the " oll flag," many will remember the following incident, which took place while we were encamped at this place.
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An apparently intelligent white man, who lived just outside of our lines, was often visited by our pickets for the purpose of obtaining food. This patriotic, union-loving man, over whose class so much fuss used to be made in the North, and upon whom so much deep sympathy was wasted, sold our hungry boys the cheapest kind of corn-meal cakes, at one dollar each ; and he had by this method of outrageous extortion, accumulated a snug sum of genuine greenbacks. One day the Fifth Maine being on picket near this point, a veteran of Company G., organized himself with an ex- pedition for foraging purposes. Having had some ex- perience in this line of duty, he was not at all serupu- lous in dealing with such people. Hearing of the trieks of this farmer, the veteran immediately made it in his way to call upon him, and ordered five dollars' worth of corn-meal cakes. These cakes are made by simply mixing up meal with water, and baked before the fire. They were about the size of a common plate. As soon as the cakes were baked, the veteran ten- dered in payment a fifty dollar bill on the - Kathairon Bank." These bills, I should say, were simply adver- tisements printed in the form of bank notes, by an en- terprising hair oil proprietor, and were of no value. The over-eager patriot took it, remarking, as he exam- incl it carelessly, " I suppose all Yankee money is good," and going to his bed-room he took from be- tween the bed-clothes, a well-filled pocket-book, and counting out forty dollars in government greenbacks. and five dollars in Virginia State bills, handed the
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