USA > Maine > History of the Seventh Maine Light Battery, volunteers in the great rebellion also, personal sketches of a large number of members, portraits, illustrations and poems > Part 3
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"One of these. an intelligent and well-appearing man, bearing indications of the officer as well as the soldier, in conversation with us, remarked, on exchanging buttons with one of our men : ' Tell your folk- it came from a coat costing 8175.00.' 'And mine cost $2.35 was the reply: showing a slight diference in the cost of clothing North and South, though the two were equally well dressed. He said the North Carolina troops were especially tired of the struggle, and thought that the election of Mr. Lincoln in November would entirely discourage them and cause them to lay down their arms, since it would be impossible for them to hold out during another four years of warfare."
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HISTORY.
October 30, the Battery was again mustered for pay, with heavy cannonading on the right and firing of musketry : all of which now was so common a practice that we did not notice it unless it came uncomfortably near to us. November 7, Capt. Twitchell, having secured a twenty days' leave of absence, started for Maine, leaving Lieut. Lapham in com- mand of the Battery. On this day three more recruits, viz. :
1755409 Sawtell, Conant and Merrill, joined for duty.
The next day, November 8, was election day in camp; and it was our privilege, though far from home, to cast our ballots in the Presidential election. When our votes were counted it was found that 77 votes had been cast by the members of the Battery, every one of which were for that good man, wise statesman, and heroic Commander-in-Chief, Abraham Lincoln, whom the boys so loved to honor.
November 12, two spare wheels were turned in at City Point ; and on the same day, in further preparation for winter quarters, commenced digging a well in the rear of the fort. November 29., broke camp at Fort Welch at 12.30 p.M., and started towards the right. Went as far as the Aiken House, and were there ordered back to the fort, then occupied by Sleeper's Battery, Tenth Massachusetts. Capt. Twitchell returned from his furlough at this time. At 9 A.M. the next morning, November 30, broke park and took the road, passing the Yellow, Gurley and Aiken Houses, and went into position at about 1 p.M. in Fort Alexander Hays, relieving the Twelfth New York Battery. Here were found nice winter quarters, all built and ready for occupation. Expecting to remain here, quarters were fitted up; but on the morning of December 2 orders were again received to move to the right; and at about 1.30 p.M. the Battery moved out, at about 4.30 arriving at Fort Sedgwick, otherwise known as Fort Hell: so named by the boys because of its hot position near the enemy's line, being only about 400 yards from the main line and greatly
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exposed. Here four of the guns -the right and center sections -- were at once placed in the fort ("Hell." as we shall call it) ; and the left section, two guns, in Battery No. 21. The caissons and horses went into camp across the railroad, three-fourths of a mile from the guns and east of the Avery House. All this was done under a constant fire from the enemy, both of musketry and artillery, which was kept up all night and during the day of December 3, about 75 shells being thrown at the fort, a large number of which fell within the enclosure, requiring constant vigilance on the part of all the officers and men to escape injury therefrom. From this time until Jan. 7, 1865, the Battery held this same position, the time being occupied by frequent exchange of shots with the enemy, building and fixing up quarters at the caisson camp, getting out lumber for corduroy for the horses, setting posts for picket rope, and doing the other necessary work of field and camp life, with the constant watchfulness necessary at all times when in the face of the enemy and in momentary expectation of attack.
December 18, news was received of the victory of Gen. Thomas over Gen. Hood and the capture of 61 guns, in honor of which a salute of 100 guns was fired. Again, on the 26th, orders were received announcing the fall of Savannah and the capture of 150 guns and 25,000 bales of cotton, when again 100 guns were fired in honor of that event. These were the events which began to reveal to us the silver lining of peace which we knew must be beyond the heavy war clouds; and we longed for the time when those rolling before us, from which the thunderings were so often heard, should break away and make the victory complete.
December 28, Lieut. Bundy was detailed as A. A. A .- G. at Artillery Headquarters ; and on this day the artillery firing was unusually brisk, with hardly any cessation all day. Sergt. Bradbury's gun was struck by a mortar shell, and a
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HISTORY.
piece taken out of it. Jan. 2, 1865, a mortar shell burst in the' fort, thrown from the enemy in front, and several men were hit by pieces of the shell and by dirt; but none were seriously injured. The next day was quite cold, and it began to snow; and continuing through the night, about two inches fell, which only remained about two days, the warm and pleasant weather, following, soon removing it.
Jan. 7, 1865, orders were received from Headquarters for a change of position; and the left section, which had been stationed in Battery 21, was relieved from that position, coming out about dark and going into park at camp near the Artillery Brigade Headquarters, the right and center sections remaining in Fort Hell. January 9, three recruits joined the Battery. On the night of February 1 the center section left the fort and came into park with the left section, having received orders at noon to be ready to move at a moment's notice : and here the two sections were constantly under marching orders, ready to move at the shortest notice, with frequent heavy firing from the enemy's works, both day and night, until the afternoon of February 11, when the left section was placed in Fort Davis and the center section back again in Battery 21. February 21, four more recruits joined the Battery ; and on this same day orders were received announc- ing the occupation of Charleston, S. C., with the capture of 200 heavy guns and a large amount of ammunition. A salute was fired in honor of the event. February 24, another order was received, announcing the fall of Wilining- ton : and this was celebrated by a shotted salute at 4 P.M. along the whole line. Everything at this time indicated a movement on the part of the enemy. Gen. Hardee was reported as moving with a large force against the rear of the Union army, stationed before Petersburgh; and Gregg's cavalry was also said to have started in the same direction. This news came mostly from rebel deserters, who were coming
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in fast --- from 10 to 100 per day; and the general belief was that both Petersburgh and Richmond were soon to be evacu- sted. All this was good news, though we were obliged to be in constant readiness for orders, and the guns were kept busy replying to the shot and shell from the rebel forts. Thirteen rounds were fired by the right section on the evening of the 25th. This firing, which we called artillery duelling, was not of course constant, but was usually commenced in the early evening and lasted several hours. The enemy's lines were plainly in sight, and the forts glistened in the waning sunlight with the dogs of war. So near were the lines that the meu often talked together when not engaged in exchanging shotted compliments, and, meeting between the lines, exchanged such articles as each might have. The "Johnnies," as we called them, were ever ready to swap anything they had for the hard tack which our boys-the " Yanks," as they called us-could save from our daily rations. This practice grew to be quite common while we lay in Fort Hell, and the men became such good friends that finally they would notify each other when hostilities were to be renewed. " Lay low, Yanks, we are going to fire!" would be heard from the enemy's picket line ; while from our pickets would be sent out this cautionary signal, " Look out, Johnnies!"
February 28, the Battery was mustered for pay. On March 2, Sergt. D. B. Bieknell received the twenty-five days furlough, which was granted as a reward for the best soldierly conduct, which pleased us all; for "Bick." was a general favorite, as well as a good soldier. March 9, the left section of the Battery, which had been in Fort Davis since February 11, was moved out and placed with the right section in Fort IIell. 1
March 14, there was much excitement concerning the enemy in our immediate front: only a few tents were to be seen. All our batteries were ordered to be on the alert,
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HISTORY.
and those not in position to be harnessed up and ready to move. All our officers were at the guns, and the utmost vigilance was required. On the 16th, all sutlers were ordered to the rear, and every preparation for action taken. All this time the firing was growing more frequent; and the pickets were kept busy with their musketry practice. Lieut. Bundy and Sergt. Pierce, who were tenting together in the fort, not content to wait the expected attack, are said to have amused themselves, when not on duty at the guns, by shooting at the mice which infested the quarters; and Pierce has been heard to say that Bundy actually shot one, while he, less fortunate, never hit the mark. They frightened the little nuisances away, however, which answered the same purpose.
There was another enemy in the camp which it was no easy work to conquer; for bullets could neither kill nor frighten them. It was the army louse, which, soon after getting settled to camp life, began to make its appearance : first, one by one, then in squads, and followed by companies and regiments, until recruited to a great army. This little enemy was no respecter of persons ; and having enlisted for the conflict, went into position in the pant seams of the highest officer as quickly as that of the lowest private. And such a battle! for as soon as one was slain by the sanguinary thumb nail. a whole family took its place and renewed the attack. This lousy fight was most brisk about bed time, when the boys. stripped of their regimentals, sitting upon the little bunk or stretched upon the ground, played "pick-it" with every fold beneath which this enemy, whose attacks were most always in the rear, lay con- cealed. Our history would be incomplete without this record.
While this subject of our camp life engages our atten- tion, it is well also to say that, though in the midst of war and constantly reminded of the dangers which surrounded us, not knowing how soon the deadly minnie ball or the cruel shell might muster us out, it was not all a time of sadness.
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Our camp-fires were bright and even joyous at times, when, returned from duty, all gathered around and, in song and story, whiled away the hours; or when some comrade opened his box of good things, sent from the loved ones at home and, sharing the contents, talked of the precious gift. Then all forgot the terrors of the present in the glad memories of the past. Even the music of the minnie seemed to sing of " Home, Sweet Home;" and the tread of the senti- nels, keeping guard over us, was but the footsteps of angels which brought the blessed memories. And, again, when the mail arrived, with what eagerness we waited its opening for the letters which were always so full of the news from home and which kept so many of us in the paths pointed out by the loved ones who were praying for our safe return. `All this was a part of our army life: it was the sunshine which penetrated the dark clouds, and made us feel that beyond them all there was the silver lining of victory and peace, which was soon to dawn upon us.
All were true friends-one family, as it were, sharing each others' joys and sorrows ; the only rivalry, except perhaps in a very few instances, being as to who should " best work and best agree." And here, in the midst of our daily history, we cannot better describe our own camp life than to quote these lines from a simple poem delivered by the Historian before the New Hampshire Veteran Association, at their annual reunion in 1882, which were prompted largely by the memories of his service in the Battery : -
It was not all sorrow : those fearful days Were fraught with the sunshine in many ways ; There were pleasures in camp, we all must allow. - Pleasures that cause us to smile even now; For many a joke, and many a song,
That cansed those hours to speed lightly along, Went the rounds of camp. And oft in our play
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HISTORY.
We forgot the foe just over the way, Ready to give us a shot from their gun And end, in a jiffy, all of our fun. Or when Uncle Sam with the mail arrived, Bringing letters from home, how we all strived To come to the front, so eager to find The letters from loved ones left behind; And oft as they came what memories sweet Filled every heart, while the war-worn feet Took up the march with a much lighter pace, And new courage shone from every face : For every one shared in the news that came To each and all. from our far-away home. This sharing in all things strengthened the tie Which bound us then, and as the years go by ; Which, drawing the closer, prompts us to meet In glad re-union, each other to greet,
And talk of those sorrows and joys that came When we marched to the music of fife and drum; Not forgetting that tramp, when drums were still, We stole from the camp our stomachs to fill From the manna which there fell by the way. They called it foraging then; but today I want to feel that it was not a crime, To take what was sent in that awful time Of hardship and hunger, to make our lips smack With something besides that tender hard-tack; If 'twas any crime, there are some I fear Who, when the great judgment day shall draw near, And the question comes from the "Great White Throne,"
" Did you ever take what was not your own?" Since there is nothing from high Heaven hid, The answer must surely be, "Lord, I did." But I feel that He who in that past day Caused us to be torn from our homes away, That traitor hands might not tear foully down The noble heritage our fathers won, Will erase the mark which may now be set Against the name of that once poor private,
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Who, when his stomach was hungering for food, Went out and borrowed whatever he could; And if he divided among the rest, As he always did, he will stand the test : For in Heaven, as here, the intent must be The law which convicts or sets us free. We never intended to steal that day - We only took that which fell in our way, Never forgetting the owner to thank For his contribution to hungry " Yank." I know of one, though, whose excuse, I fear, Will not be so good in Heaven as here; Who, in spite of an order, forbidding theft, Went out and got a big sheep that was left Out from the fold by some good rebel friend; And straightway his steps to quarters did tend, With Mister Sheep safely swung on his back, Never once thinking to cover his track, His joy was so great; when suddenly came Major H., asking him what he had done. 'Twas a critical time : the case was clear - The order was broken; and filled with fear The sheep-stealer trembled, and stammering, said, "Dear Major, I know how your order read : But 'self-defense' is the answer I give, For no danmed sheep can bite me and live." The plea was held good, and the court was paid By having sheep steak on his table laid Next day, at morning, at noon and at night; While all of the boys, I guess, got a bite. That Southern country was full of good things, Both four-legged food and some that had wings; But neither the legs nor the wings could flec From Uncle Sam's boys when they got hungree. Methinks I can see them now, starting out, Carefully looking around and about,
Hunting for hen-roosts, a pig-pen or barn -- Anything live on a good rebel farm That was made to eat ; and when it is found, Like June-bugs on -- ice, they gather around,
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The death-song is sung, the prayer quickly said, The owner, chief mourner, bows down his head, The rear rank opens, while no drums beat The funeral march as they quickly retreat. Bearing the body, which soon finis a grave Low in the stomachs of Yankee boys brave. This picture, though rough. I think some of you Will now recognize as more or less true. For most of you know just how it was done. I'll mention another case just for the fun : A pig was once found. which was very sick, So the owner said; wher Yank replied quick, " I'll take the poor fellow and dose him up, Perhaps he'll make pig pork on which to sup. 'Twill be a great comfort to you to know That your sick pig is well cared for;" and so Yank gave him a dose of powder and lead. And when poor piggy was comfortably dead, He thanked the man for his generous gift. And shouldering the pig. - about all he could lift. -- Went home to his quarters as bard's he could dig, Where the boys soon ate up the poor sick pig. All this is most pleasant now to recall. And the laugh goes round as we tell it all, While around our camp-fire's cheerful blaze We talk over all of our soldier days. Bht the langh dies out and the tear-drops start, When those sadder memories touch the heart Which come rushing back from the field of strife. Where so many brave boys gave up their life, And many more won most terrible scars While following bravely the stripes and stars. On many a fehl you have seen them fall, And many a death scene you now recall : While, but as yesterday, comes back to you That mournful after-the-battle review. When gathering back to the camp again. Those who were not numbered among the slain, You stood in line. and the roll-call was read. How many names called were silent - the dead
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And the wounded came not. You saw them start When the orders came, and every heart Beat true and brave, though they knew full well That many must fall 'neath the shot and shell Of opposing force. You'll never forget Those terrible days, when the sun was set, And darkness came like a funeral pall, To cover the field. How well you recall The drum-beat at morn, in the sun's bright glow, The march, the halt in the face of the foe, The rally, the charge, the hand-to-hand strife, That terrible carnage and loss of life; While the roaring cannon and bursting shell, The groaning and death-cries of those who fell, Still ring in your ears : and, try how you will, Those terrible memories hannt you still. I recall how it was, one Sabbath morn : 'Twas that last bitter day before the dawn Of peace; and if there was ever a hell. On the earth, we were in it then, and - well, 'Twas the old fight over again; I've thought 'Twas the war of *Heaven and Hell re-fought. It was where our pickets were placed so near That over across we could plainly hear The rebel voices, and conld see the gleam Of their bayonets in the sun's bright beam ; And where, ofttimes, when the guns were all still, Yankee and rebel, with greatest good will, Met half way out between the battle lines. Swapped knives and relies, and on many times The Southern weed and script our boys took back, In exchange with rebel for good hard-tack. . "Tis a fact that those visits so friendly grew, - And this may be known to many of you, - Each to the other became such a friend, That when the stillness of peace came to end, And all along both the lines there would come
*Heaven and Hell were The names given by the soldiers to the two nearest op- posing fortidleations before Petersburgh.
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The rattle of arms and the rolling drum, A friendly voice from the Johnnies would shont, "We are going to fire! Yanks, look out !! " And I have not a doubt that many's the Grey Who lives amid blessings of home today, Because of the quick, warning cry that fell On his ears from our boys before Fort Hell.
March 20: The enemy opened fire on the Avery House, then in our possession and occupied as the Headquarters of the Third Division, Ninth Army Corps. At first there was no reply from the Union lines; but after awhile a battery of 30-1b. Rodman guns opened from Fort Avery, followed by the artillery from Forts Morton and Rice, and by the rifled guns from Battery 21. At 5 p.M., the firing from the enemy increased and was very brisk, both from their artillery and mortars; and though not directed especially at us, the mortars rained down the shells very rapidly, a number of them bursting in and over our fort, but doing no serious damage. This was really the, beginning of the
FINAL STRUGGLE
On the part of the enemy-the last desperate attempt to raise the siege before the doomed city. From this time until the end it was one battle scene, the panorama of which, as it unrolls before us in the memories of those exciting days, reveals pictures which no pen can describe, no artist paint. It was then we learned, if never before, that unceasing watch- fulness was as necessary to the preservation of our lives as was "constant vigilance the price of liberty."
On the morning of March 25, under a heavy fire which was opened from the enemy's lines upon our right, at an early hour, our picket line in front of Fort Stedman was sur- prised and captured, and that fort, after a most gallant defence by the garrison, was overpowered and taken, together
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with a portion of our line on each side. An assault was also made upon Fort Haskell and Battery 9, but it was repulsed with considerable loss. The enemy then tried to advance to the railroad, but were checked; and the First Brigade, Third Division, coming up, they were forced back to the fort, from which they were soon after driven out by a charge of the Third Division and Second and Third Brigades of the First Division. The fort and lost ground was retaken, together with about 300 prisoners, but with heavy loss to both sides in killed and wounded. All this occurred before 9 A.M., the Battery doing its share of the work from the fort. and, about 9 A.M., by three well-directed shots, silenced a rebel gun which had been firing over Fort Davis at our troops.
The next day, the 26th, was Sunday ; and, resting from the labors of the day before, both sides at this point remained com- paratively silent, although fighting continued on the left during the day. Sergts. Pierce, Melellan and Twitchell went out over Saturday's battle-field and through the captured and recaptured fort (Stedman), and reported everything as bearing evidence of the terrible struggle. The rebel dead lay where they had been killed, and hundreds of them were being removed from the field. Within the fort and even in the quarters, which were riddled with bullets and fragments of shells, the dead still lay. Blood was everywhere. and in one instance a head was severed from the body and the brains scattered over the quarters. It was a sad sight, but only one of many thousands that occurred during the war. The enemy suffered terribly in this assault, and our loss in killed, wounded and missing was stated to have been 640.
From this time until the 29th there was but little change in the daily and nightly programme: and while the Battery was not constantly engaged, it was doing its part in holding the position taken, and was ready at all times to send its leaden messengers on their destructive errands. At 10 p.M. on the
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night of the 20th a furious bombarding was commenced, and kept up by both sides for two hours. The night was quite dark, and the rapid firing from both lines made a most beautiful sight, as the fiery messengers sped through the air on their deadly mission. From the Appomattox on the right to Fort Sedgwick (IIell) on the left, the sky was lit up by the broad flame of mortars and by the twinkling and shooting shells as they passed to and from, high in the air. The firing was most rapid on the right and left of the line mentioned. Sometimes more than twenty shells would be in the air at the same time, looking like twinkling stars shooting and plunging madly out of their spheres ; and seldom less than five or six could be seen at the same time. Some, at a low elevation, would only rise a few degrees above the horizon; while others would seem to be mounting away up towards the zenith, then down, down, increasing in rapidity, until near the ground. Then a wide, sudden sheet of flame would terminate its flight, and woe to him or them who came within its deadly circle. The firing, varied at intervals by the discharge of a rifled cannon, continued until past midnight. The next day it was found to have been a rebel charge in front of Fort Haskell, but which was repulsed.
This condition of things could not always last. The Angel of Peace was hovering over us, and the end was near. The rebellion was in its death throes, but in its final struggle was destined to make a desperate and deadly fight. April 1 was a pleasant day; and though heavy firing was heard from the left, the lines along our front were quiet until about 11 r.M., when mortar firing commenced furiously, extending from Appomattox to Fort Davis, and was kept up until about 2 A.M. of April 2. Shortly before the firing commenced the Battery received orders to send two mounted orderlies to Headquarters; and then we knew that preparations for battle were being made, and we were soon harnessed up and parked, waiting for orders.
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