USA > Maine > History of the First Maine cavalry, 1861-1865, V. 1 > Part 32
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DEEP BOTTOM.
getting some fresh beef, and on the whole they thought they had a good time for a day on the skirmish line. Several times during the day, when the firing in front became very severe, the boys got ready to be called upon, but the enemy was repulsed every time, and they were not wanted. During the afternoon a mail was received, and in fact it was no uncom- mon thing to receive a mail on the skirmish line. The regiment was called from the line after dark and went into camp on the ground of the night before, but the boys had scarcely got to sleep when a portion of the regiment was ordered to go on picket, dismounted. What this meant. the boys wondered greatly, and some of them have not got over the wonder yet. It succeeded in keeping them up all night, and they got back to the regiment just in time to start out at daylight.
On the sixteenth occurred the fight known as the fight at Deep Bottom, which is thus described by an officer who took part in it :
On the morning of the sixteenth of August the First Maine was called from the rear of the brigade to assume the advance with the Sixteenth Pennsylvania, and shortly after met the enemy on the Charles City road, about half-past five o'clock, and after a sharp contest drove them back three miles. Col. J. I. Gregg was wounded at this time, and in the absence of Col. Smith the command of the brigade devolved upon Col. Kirwan, Thirteenth Pennsylvania, while Maj. Thaxter commanded the regiment in the absence of Col. Cilley, wounded. Gen. Chambliss, commanding the brigade opposed to us, was killed, and his body fell into our hands. Our troops pressed on to White's Tavern, seven miles from Richmond, and were there ordered to support the infantry lines, being drawn up facing and close in front of a dense undergrowth of pines, with the infantry skirmishers lying immediately in their front. At the first shots the infantry broke and fell back, leaving the cavalry to bear the brunt of the whole attack. There was slight confu- sion for a few moments among the cavalry, but it was soon checked, and the entire brigade was shortly after put into position by columns of squadrons, in a sort of basin, and the enemy ran up two guns to the summit of the hill in their front and opened on them with shrapnel. Under this fire the com- mand lost heavily till Maj. Thaxter moved two squadrons of the First Maine up under cover, within short range, who quickly drove the guns back. In this position the brigade was exposed for some time to fire, unable to return a shot, while the enemy could be seen working down through the woods on the left of the road, to gain our rear and cut off retreat. Maj. Thaxter was solicited by the commanding officers of other regiments to withdraw his command and the others would follow, but he replied he had been placed there by order of the brigade commander, and would remain there while a
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FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
man was left him. unless ordered away. At length, after sustaining heavy loss. the brigade was ordered back, and took up a new position in front of White Oak swamp. At the crossing was stationed a section of artillery, while the brigade. mounted, stretched away far to the right. In our front was an open field. perhaps two hundred yards in extent, and beyond this our dismounted skirmish line was placed. in the edge of the woods. The rebels advanced in three lines of battle (infantry), while their guns opened with shell. Our own artillery replied vigorously, but was soon compelled to limber up and fall back across the swamp, where they took position in some earthworks. Our skirmishers were driven in, and the overwhelming infantry force advancing rapidly, our mounted line, which was drawn up with a high rail fence in rear, and behind all the swamp, which was impassable except at the road, with earthworks, abatis, and telled trees obstructing the hillside. soon gave way, escaping as best they could. Many were killed at the road. many rode into the swamp, where their horses perished, and many followed several miles down the swamp to find some road around it by which they could rejoin the command. The men were, however, quickly rallied on the other side of the swamp, and held the earthworks, pouring in such a heavy fire that the enemy did not attempt to force the crossing.
A sergeant who was in this engagement thus wrote home about it at the time : -
The rebs had left the position they held the day before, and we advanced over that ground to the Charles City road, or, as some papers have it. the Newmarket road. The Sixteenth Pennsylvania had the advance, dismounted as skirmishers, and we came next. mounted. The advance had a sort of run- ning fight for a couple of miles, while we kept close up with them. The rebel Gen. Chambliss was killed that morning, and his body lay by the side of the road as we passed along. Finally the rebs made a stand in some woods, and would go no further. A brigade of the Second corps was along with us. and a portion of them was sent into the woods to help our dis- mounted men. Lively skirmishing was kept up for a while. We were in the road. ready. if wanted, but the skirmishing began to die away, and as a battery opened on us, throwing shell rather near, we were taken back a short distance and formed a line of battle in the field, dismounting, and I made up about an hour of the sleep I lost the night before. There had been scarcely any firing for an hour when the infantry was most all called back to strengthen another part of the line, and we were ordered up again. Got most up there when the Johnnies opened on us fiercely, emptying three or four saddles and laying out two or three horses. Whew! didn't the bullets sing! We were taken out of the road lively, and formed a line in the field on the right of the road. We had noticed fires all along the edge of the woods, and supposed they had caught from the guns: but we were soon made very well aware what the matter was. The rebs had set the woods on fire and formed a strong line under cover of the smoke, and when they did open they opened big. Bullets flew thick and fast. We could do nothing but sit there on our horses, awaiting orders. Our dismounted men
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- DEEP BOTTOM.
were in front of us, so we could not fire !. On the left of the road was a corn-field, and we had infantry in the wood's that side of the road, but they broke and ran back through the corn-field, letting the rebels down on our left, an opportunity of which they quickly took advantage. That field was just alive with rebels, yelling like demons, and pouring a cross-fire into us that was telling fearfully. Our regiment was alone in the field, though the rest of the brigade was in supporting distance. Men and horses in the regi- ment were getting laid out strangely. We were told not to fire, as we might hit our men; and in fact we could not fire to much advantage, being side- ways to the enemy. But it was too good a chance, and some of the boys could not help it. I began to get nervous. I had been under fire long enough without doing anything, and wanted to be busy. I was bound to fire. if I did no good. Was just getting a cap on my carbine when we got the order: " Fours-RIGHT ABOUT!" which showed plainly our officers saw it was no use to stay there, as we could do nothing. I dropped my carbine, and just as we were wheeling a bullet struck my elbow. It numbed my arm and hand so quickly, and struck so solid. I thought I was pretty well used up. I told the one next to me I was hit. and he left the field with me. When we got out of range we stopped, looked at my elbow (and I will own I did dread to pull up my sleeve), and finding I was more scared than hurt he went back, and I kept on down to the hospital. That is all I know about the fight, only that they drove our men back to where we fought them the day before.
The loss of the regiment in this engagement was five men killed, one officer and twenty-four men wounded, and two men captured. Six horses were shot, and on the retreat sev- eral had to be left in the swamp to perish. Those who were there will remember how the infantry men (or rather heavy artillery men) ran through the cavalry lines, and long after- wards it was a saying in the regiment that the "heavies got round shouldered going under our horses in their skedaddle."
In the skirmish on the fifteenth, Charles H. Cobb, of Co. B. became separated from the company when they retired from the line, and reported to the Thirteenth Pennsylvania, when he was marched to the front and remained on the skirmish line all night ; when the First Maine relieved the Thirteenth Penn- sylvania in the morning, he was relieved with the rest, and in answer to the question " Where have you been, Cobb?" he replied: "Fighting the d-d rebs, where you ought to have been "; he then joined his company and was engaged in the fight at Deep Bottom until about four o'clock in the afternoon. when he was wounded by a cannon ball, from the effects of which he did not recover for a long while.
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The regiment remained in line near the swamp till about dark, and then was relieved and went into camp on the ground of the night before. The next day was a quiet one, though a scare on the right, along toward night, caused a lively sad- dling up. On the eighteenth a portion of the regiment was on picket at Malvern Hill, on the right of the Second Pen- sylvania, while the rest of the regiment was serving as sup- port. About four o'clock in the afternoon the picket line was attacked, and quite a skirmish ensued, during which the regiment lost three killed, and the picket linė was taken in somewhat. The regiment remained in line as support for the pickets the nineteenth, the men in constant readiness and expec- tancy, and on the morning of the twentieth moved a short distance and took position in an open field, where all around were skulls and bones of the soldiers killed at the battle of Malvern Hill during the peninsular campaign of 1862. This was not an encouraging sight for the boys, though some of them obtained pieces of bone suitable to make a ring of. for ghastly keepsakes. It was a blue day in every respect. The boys felt as if the whole movement had been unsuccessful and many lives wasted (they did not know, till afterwards, that it had been a success in the highest degree), they were tired and worn, they had lost their long-tried brigade commander and the brigade was in the hands of a man of whose ability they knew nothing, and, all in all, it was one of the bluest days in the history of the regiment. Along about noon there was a scare, a hurried mounting, and a getting ready for emergencies which did not come, and then the men returned to their list- less, blue, homesick state. Suddenly Col. Smith, just recovered from the wounds received at St. Mary's church, rode into camp, and the transformation was instantaneous. Three as hearty, soul-felt cheers as ever greeted a man, greeted him. and the boys took new courage. They were glad to see his well-known form and features, and they were glad to know he would, by virtue of his rank, take command of the brigade. which he did at once, and they recovered their spirits won- derfully.
That night the regiment moved back to the river, in a
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SKIRMISH AT REAMS' STATION.
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drenching rain, with the division :grecrossed about midnight. reached the Appomattox, and recrossed it before daylight : marched to near Prince George Court House and halted for breakfast ; then marched to near the Jerusalem plank road and halted awhile, when the paymaster joined them, and the boys had the fun of signing the pay-rolls; and after dark marched out to the Gurley farm and went into bivouac for the night. The next afternoon the men received their pay up to June thirtieth, and very many of them sent a large portion of the money to City Point, to be expressed home. The regiment changed position two or three times during the day, and finally went into camp near the Weldon Railroad (which, as already stated, had been captured during , the absence of the cavalry across the river), the horses being unsaddled for the first time in many days, and two or three heavy showers cooling the air and wetting everything just at night.
On the twenty-third the regiment moved three or four miles down the railroad to near Reams' Station, then back again and then down again, this time halting by the side of the road while the boys got a good dinner from a corn-field near by. About five o'clock the pickets were attacked and the regiment galloped to the front, the men dismounted, and a lively skirmish ensued, lasting till about nine o'clock in the evening, when the regiment was relieved and went back to the position so hurriedly left. This skirmish, during which the regiment lost three killed and four wounded, was known as the "fight by moonlight." Several times the enemy attempted to surprise the First Maine under cover of the darkness, and once succeeded in almost reach- ing the line in what may be called a silent charge, but their coming was made known, either by some one of their number firing a shot too soon, or by some exclamation, and each time the boys rose up and poured such a rapid fire into the foe that they were only too glad to get back to their lines, and they finally gave up the attempt, having made nothing by it.1
Next morning the First Maine returned to the position, and
' The remainder of the brigade had a very hard fight, although in front of this regi- av nt it was only a very lively skirmish. Col. Smith commanded the brigade, and lost four vhit of his five regimental commanders, while he himself was struck by a bullet in the
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FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
building rifle pits, made themselves not only comparatively well protected, but comfortable. The boys threw up embankments two feet high or more across the open field, and then they could sit on the ground behind the mounds, with their feet in the holes the dirt was taken from, very comfortably. Thus they awaited the advance of the enemy, but the enemy did not advance that day, and after an hour or two of expectancy the boys amused themselves reading, writing, sleeping, etc., until nearly night. when the infantry took the position and the regi- ment went into camp on the ground of the night before.
This account of the movements of the regiment, from recross- ing the river to the night of the twenty-fourth, is from a private letter written at the time: -
DEAR MOTHER: - I believe in my last letter to you I left off just as we got back this side of the river after our campaign at and near Deep Bottom. Charles City road, etc. At any rate, I will go on from there. We got back the morning of the twenty-first of August, after marching all night, feeling somewhat tired, but as we were evidently steering for our old camp near Prince George Court House, we expected some rest there, and tried to keep in good spirits. But, as if to aggravate us, they marched us to within half a mile from there, halted for us to get breakfast, and then started us for the left of the army, on the Weldon Railroad. That was rough on us. We halted soon after noon near the Jerusalem plank road, where we learned the paymaster was up with us to pay off. That was good news, and sure enough in a few moments the pay-rolls were brought around for us to sign. Got them partly signed when " Get ready to move out immediately!" was passed along the line. We got ready, marched a short distance across the plank road, and again halted. Finished signing the rolls there, and drew forage for the horses. Dark by that time, and we turned in. Got to sleep- ing nicely when we were routed out to start immediately. Some growling. but it had to be done. Marched a couple of miles in about two hours, the road being just awful, and halted again. Did stay there all night, and till the next night. Were paid off the next day. Just before night of the twenty-second we moved about half a mile, to within sight of the works on the Weldon Railroad. Had a series of smart showers just as we halted. while we were in the worst state we could be to receive them, and most of us got wet, while the water stood on top of the ground, making it anything but nice to sleep on. But we made ourselves as comfortable as we could, and
ankle. The surgeon offered him a twenty days' leave of absence on this wound, but Is would not accept it. preferring to remain with his command. For Col. Smith's conduct of this engagement Gen. Gregg recommended him for a brigadier generalship, but there w.i- no vacancy. However, he was brevetted brigadier, to date from St. Mary's church. Jun twenty -fourth, and from this time was given a command according to his brevet rath, another brigade soon afterwards being formed for him for that purpose.
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FIGHTING BY MOONLIGHT.
got a good night's rest. Next morning, twenty-third. started early and moved down along the railroad towards Reams' Station. The Second corps was busily engaged in tearing up the track and destroying the railroad as thoroughly as possible. We went to within a short distance of Reams' station, found some reb piekets, skirmished with them slightly, and came back. No damage done on our side, and I guess not on theirs. Came back to where we stopped the night before. Were dismounted and mak- ing ourselves easy, when " Attention! PREPARE TO MOUNT! MOUNT!" came from the major, and we were off again. Went right back down the railroad, this time to Reams' Station, drawing up in line and halting a little beyond. Dismounted, pitched into a corn-field, had a fair time eating roast corn, and laid around till about four o'clock. About that time the pickets in front of us were attacked, and the First Maine was sent out to support them. We went out at a trot, meeting pack mules. led horses, etc., coming to the rear in brisk confusion. We drew up for a charge when we got in sight of the fighting, but the order was countermanded, and " Prepare to Fight on Foot ! " came instead. Stray bullets began to whistle around us. and, indeed, one of the regiment was wounded way back there before dis- mounting. We were not long in dismounting and getting into line, for it is much nearer pleasant to be on foot when minnies are flying than on horseback, - they are more likely to go over our heads. We were marched up to some old buildings, and ordered to hold them at all hazards. At that time there was a skirmish line in front of us, fighting briskly, and in case they got driven back we were to help them. We fortified around the build- ings as well as we could with rails, and kept ourselves under cover, as the bullets kept up a continual whizzing over as. Cos. A and G were there by the buildings together. We could see no rebs, but could tell where their line was, in some bushes, by the smoke of their carbines. We staid at the buildings but a short time when we were ordered to go to the right into the edge of some woods, where part of our regiment was engaged. Did so. and built another cheap set of breastworks. Just got to firing - having tired but two or three shots- when word came that the left of the line was giving way, so of course we had to go back or perhaps get surrounded. Fell back a short distance into more woods, or rather into another corner of the woods, when the major sang out : " Rally, boys. RALLY!" and we stopped and faced the Johnnies again, which was the same as telling them !.. " Come on, if you wish; we are going no further." We sheltered our- w.Ives as best we could behind trees, ete .. and held them where they were. We were just behind a slight rise in the land. where we could lie flat on the ground, and they could not trouble us. We staid there till about nine o'clock. We would rise up, fire, and drop down as quickly as possible. Shooting was brisk, and bullets did everlastingly hum there. By some good fortune we were kept well supplied with ammunition all the time. - all we wanted, and some to keep for any emergency. After dark we could only see the flash of the reb guns to fire at, and that was all they could see of us. " Fighting by moonlight" was just gay. At times we would be all quiet for perhaps fifteen minutes, and then would commence a firing on both bles that would make the woods ring, sometimes by volleys and sometimes scattering. When the rebs fired by volley we could see their whole line in
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the flash. Then all would be quiet again. both sides listening intently to catch the least sound of any attempt of the other side to steal up in the dark. They tried that on us once, but made nothing out of it. if they Just nothing. Then some one would fire, and all would commence. That is the way we had it till about nine o'clock, when we were drawn off the field silently and marched back to the horses. They had moved the horses back a long distance. which caused any amount of grumbling, for we were tired. But grumbling did no good. and walk back to them we were obliged to, - back beyond where we got dinner. Found them at last. mounted, and then were taken right back a good half mile over the road we walked, and halted for the night. "Strategy," that was. Part of the regiment was left down near where we had the skirmish line. on picket. and the rest of us turned in and had a good night's rest. The loss of the regiment was small. - some half a dozen wounded. one of whom died the next morning. Other regi- ments in the brigade lost heavier. Next morning. twenty-fourth. as soon as we got breakfast, "Prepare to Fight on Foot!" was the order again. which meant every "No. 4 man" stay there and take care of his four horses. - the rest take their carbines and "fall in." We did so. and were marched through a small pine grove into a large field back of where we had the skirmish the night before. Marched some little distance from the woods, were deployed as skirmishers, which means spread out some six or eight feet apart, and ordered to build breastworks. We had pickets a long distance in front of us, and knew we could work uninterruptedly till they were attacked, so at it we went. We had the pioneers down there with axes and shovels, and in a couple of hours we had some works we felt safe to fight behind. built of rails, logs, earth. etc. It was hot work, though. The sweat poured off of us wonderfully. Seeing no prospect of any fighting right away, we went to work getting brush, and soon had something to shade us from the hot sun. After that we took things easy. We had a good chance. Front of us was a large open field, which the rebs would have to advance through to get at us to hurt. We felt that if we were obliged to fight. we would like to fight in that position. Some of the boy- went to reading or writing, some went to sleep, and others amused them- selves in various ways. I would like to have had some of the good people of Lewiston taken a look at us there. Do not think they would have imagined we were there waiting for somebody to come and shoot at us. Reckon they would have concluded if that was fighting. it was not so bad business, after all. At noon they allowed half of us to go back to the led horses and get our dinners, bringing back dinner for the rest of them. Luckily I had received three or four papers by mail the day before that I had had no chance to read, which I carried back to the lines, so I had plenty of reading matter for the afternoon. The Johnnies either knew better than to attack us, or had left altogether. All was quiet. Along towards night we were It- lieved by some infantry, and went back to camp. Got another good night's rest, having the privilege, also, of unsaddling our horses.
On the twenty-fifth was the battle, which was the continua- tion of the fight of the twenty-third, known as " Reams' Sta-
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BATTLE OF REAMS' STATION.
tion," the whole resulting from an attempt on the part of the enemy to recapture the railroad, the loss of which was a severe Blow to him. Deserters from the rebel lines reported that the day after the road was captured rations and forage were reduced one-half. Early in the morning Gen. A. P. Hill's corps attacked the Second corps below the station. The cavalry was on the flanks, and went from position to position all day long. This regiment had its share of this, of course, getting under fire several times without getting any fighting of its own. Soon after noon it was ordered into position, dismounted, on the left of the line, but after an hour's hard work building breastworks was relieved by the infantry, who took the works, while the cavalry men, already tired out, were sent further to the front and put into position on the ridge of a hill and in front of some woods, where they built another set of works. They had got these works nicely done when the boys found themselves exposed to a new danger. The Union line had assumed the shape of a siphon, facing outward, and this regiment was on the left, or the short side. Scarcely were the works finished when the enemy commenced a heavy artillery fire on the front of the line, and the two flanks were so near together that the shot and shell that went over the front came over into the left. This drove the boys to the outside of their works at once. whereupon Maj. Thaxter rode down the line, coolly saying : " If the enemy comes out in front, you must get inside the works and stand the shelling." No casualty occurred to the regiment while here, and after a while it was ordered to advance to the woods, which it did, without finding any enemy, and then was ordered somewhere else. It halted under the brow of a hill. where the boys felt perfectly safe, thinking the shot and shell, which had all the time been flying over and around them, could not get at them there, and they settled down for a few moments' rest, of which they felt sorely in need. They had but begun to enjoy this rest when a shell struck the top of a dead tree that stood on the hill, and was lowered into the regiment, killing two men in Co. G (cutting them in two), and then exploded, wounding two men in Co. E. which was the total number of casualties in the regiment during the day.
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