USA > Maine > History of the Thirteenth Maine regiment from its organization in 1861 to its muster-out in 1865 > Part 5
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This guard, about sixty in number, had an easy duty. They were on the plantations from Oct. 20, 1862, to Apr. 7, 1563, and might have remained longer if it had not been for the impudence of a rash young corporal of Co. B. The negroes on the plantation where he was stationed, not having been paid according to the agree- ment, as they understood it, refused to work longer ; so
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the corporal ordered some of them to be tied up and flogged. As soon as information of this reached the au- thorities at New Orleans they immediately ordered the detail from the Thirteenth to be relieved.
When the regiment first went to the forts they were quartered.in their tents, which were pitched on the par- apct ; but as the tents were badly damaged, they were soon condemned and barracks with comfortable bunks were built on the banquette. The lumber for the bar- racks, except the roofing shingles, was procured by tearing to pieces some rebel fire-rafts ; a number of which, some partially burned and others entirely unin- jured, were ashore within a few miles. These fire-rafts were ordinary Mississippi flat-boats filled with pitch- pine ; and they furnished, besides lumber for barracks, a large amount of fuel. Some of the rooms in the bar- racks were provided, by their occupants, with good iron stoves, made from the smoke-stack of one of the rebel rams which had been destroyed close by at the time of Farragut's gallant passage.
After the regiment had been in the defenses of New Orleans long enough to become accustomed to its new location a great improvement was made in our diet. Vegetables and fruits, as well as oysters and several kinds of fish, were plenty and cheap. The best of oranges could be bought for ten cents per dozen till the river was opened to trade by the capture of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, then the price more than doubled. Enorinous quantities of the finest blackberries grew within a few miles. They commenced ripening in March and continued about six weeks.
Brick ovens were built soon after our arrival ; and as our cooks had by that time learned to make bread, that essential article was furnished in full rations and of excellent quality. The mischief had, however, been done, by our being so long deprived of fresh food while on Ship Island, and many cases of scurvy developed
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after our arrival at the forts; some of which, being complicated with other diseases, proved fatal in spite of the skill of our surgeons. Still, the principal cause of disease was the deadly malaria. Chills-and-fever, chronic diarrhea and general debility were very prevalent during the fall and winter of 1862, and deaths were frequent. During the remainder of our stay the condition of the regiment as to health was much better. Yellow fever we fortunately escaped, although there were several cases at the Quarantine Station, which is about six miles up river.
The thoroughness in drill, which had been commenced by Col. Rust on Ship Island, was continued at the forts ; the amount of time devoted to drill being usually six hours per day, which was divided between infantry drill, bayonet exercise and heavy artillery drill. The regiment soon became so proficient in all that the Inspector Gen., Lient. Col. Abert, who inspected it in January, 1868, pronounced it the equal in drill, discipline and general appearance. of any regiment in the Department of the Galf. This commendation was taken only as an en- couragement to strive for further improvement ; and when the regiment was reunited in New Orleans, in September, 1863, it might have drilled in competition with any regiment in the army without the least fear of meeting anything more than its equal.
Opportunities for recreation were not wanting for the small amount of spare time which remained to the men after performing their necessary military duties. Be- sides the sports available in and about the forts, and the bathing and fishing in the river, frequent visiting was allowed between the forts, as well as other excursions in boats. From Fort Saint Philip parties were often allowed to go down the bayou to Shell Island. Here they could spend the day as they chose, fishing, bathing, digging oysters, cte .; the only condition being that they must return to the fort before sunset.
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Much of the time there was no sutler at the forts, so parties were quite often permitted to go up river a few miles, to trade at some stores on the west side. This was the case while we were under the control of our own officers; but when Gen. Dow left the forts for Pensacola, Oct. 9, 1862, it left the forts in command of Col. O. P. Gooding, of the S1st Mass., who with five companies of his regiment occupied Fort Jackson. He almost immediately issued an order that the men should not be allowed to go up river in boats but might go by land ; and this order continued in force till he left the fort, Jan. 23, 1863. As there was no road for several miles above Fort Saint J'hilip the practical result of this order was to prevent our men from going up river at all ; while, as there was a road from Fort Jackson, his men could go at any time. The place which he gained in the affections of the men of the Thirteenth by this detestable injustice may easily be imagined.
Besides their duties at the forts the garrisons had some experience in breaking up guerilla parties. Aug. 16, 1862, a detail, commanded by Lieut. Brainerd of Co. E, started, at 10 P. M. to break up a company which was organizing about forty miles up river. Hav- ing a trusty guide, the camp was reached about daybreak and the guerrillas so surprised that they surrendered withont resistance. Eleven of them were placed in confinement in the fort, and the rest were released upon taking the oath of allegiance. About forty guns were captured ; with several swords, pistols and uniforms, and much other property. July 3, 1863, a Sergeant of the Thirteenth, whose name I am unable to give, who, with ten men, was guarding one of the canals. learned from a Union man that a party of thirty guer- rillas were planning to capture him and his men. He immediately took the offensive; and, after a hard march through the swamps, surprised and scattered the guer- rillas and captured all their arms.
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Large numbers of disloyal citizens were kept in con. finement at the forts; mostly at Fort Jackson, though for a time several-including the Mayor and Chief of Police of New Orleans-were at Saint Philip. As there were no quarters for them in Saint Philip except tents, they were after a time removed to Fort Jackson, where the casemates furnished more secure places of confine- ment. Afterwards a large number of the more import- ant prisoners were put on a steamer with a strong guard and taken to Fort Pickens.
The time spent by the companies of the Thirteenth in the forts on the Mississippi was as follows, viz : July 9, 1862, Co. A arrived at Quarantine, and Cos. G, H and I at Fort Jackson. July 15, Cos. Band E arrived at Fort Saint Philip, where they were joined Aug. 7 by Co. A, and Ang. 24 by Cos. G, H and I, who had been relieved by five companies of the 31st Mass. Jan. 23. 1863, Cos. A, G and I relieved the Massachusetts men in Fort Jackson, leaving Cos. B, E and H in Fort Saint Philip. In February, Cos. D and F arrived from Ship Island and joined Cos. A, G and I, in Fort Jackson. The stations of the companies then remained unchanged till Ang. 23. when we all left the forts for New Orleans, where we were joined, a few days later, by Cos. C and K, from Fort Macomb. Both at the forts and at New Orleans we relieved the 26th Mass .; and when we left the forts we were relieved by the 4th Louisiana Corps d'Afrique.
Fort Jackson was commanded by Maj. Grover from July 9, 1862, to July 16; by Lieut. Col. Hesseltine from July 16 to Aug. 21; by Col. Rust from Jan. 23, 1863, to Ang. 1; then by Capt. Stevens of Co. A till Aug. 23. Fort Saint Philip was commanded by Maj. Grover from July 16, 1862, to Aug. 24 ; by Lient. Col. Hesseltine from Ang. 24 to Oct. 27, when he went to Fort Macomb; then by Maj. Grover from Oct. 27 till
-
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we left the forts, Aug. 23, 1863. The two forts con- stituted one military post and were commanded by Gen. Neal Dow from our arrival till Oct. 9, 1862; by Col. Gooding of the 31st Mass., from Oct. 9 till Jan. 23, 1863; by Col. Rust from Jan. 23 to Ang. 1, and then by Major Grover.
August 16, 1863, the regiment received orders to go to New Orleans, so everything was packed up ready for transportation. Shortly before midnight of the 22nd, the steamer Gen. Banks arrived at Fort Jackson with five companies of the Ith Louisiana Corps d'Afrique, and relieved the companies in that fort ; but just as they were going to embark, a telegraphic dispatch sud- denly ordered the steamer back to the city, leaving them in bivouac on the levec. At 7 P. M. of the 23rd. the steamer Arago arrived with the other five companies of the colored regiment, who relieved our companies in Saint Philip. The officers of the colored regiment were evidently a choice lot. When they relieved us. several of them were so full of spirit that they could scareely walk without help ; and the official records show that within a short time there was a serious mutiny in Fort Jackson, caused by their brutal treatment of their men.
The steamer immediately took on board the compa- nies at Fort Saint Philip, then crossed and took on those at Fort Jackson, and at & A. M. of August 24th, we started for New Orleans, where we arrived at 11 A. M. At 3 P. M. we disembarked and marched to the Cus- tom House, which was to be our quarters. Next day, Co. E was ordered to Lakeport, the lake end of the Pontchartrain R. R., and Ang. 30, Cos. E and K ar- rived from Fort Macomb and rejoined the regiment. As Col. Rust was on detail from Aug. 1, 1863, to Jan. 1, 1864 (first as member of of a Court Martial and af- terward as Provost Marshal and President of the Board of' Enrollinent in the Second District of Maine) Lieut.
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Col. Hesseltine was during that time in command of the regiment.
The duty of the regiment while in New Orleans, was the usual variety of provost duty in a large town. The duty of Co. E at Lakeport, was of a different character. They had to guard about ten miles of the lake shore. from Bayou St. John on the west to Bayou Cochon on the east, including the Pontchartrain R. R. Every vessel entering or leaving Bayou St. John and Lakeport, had to be strictly examined to see if her crew and car- go agreed with what was permitted by her pass, and thus prevent smuggling into or out of the hostile terri- tory on the other side of the lake. The regiment re- mained in New Orleans till Oct. 23rd ; but I am not aware that anything happened to the regiment during the time, deserving of special mention. During the re- mainder of its term of service, however, the regiment was to take a more active, though probably not more important, part, in the events of the war.
.
FRANCIS S. HESSELTINE,
BosTos. MASS.,
Late Lieut .- Colonel Thirteenth Maine,
ES now the senior member of the thriving Boston Law Firm of " Hesseltine & Hesseltine" (tbe junior member being his son ) and is at this writing (November, 1898) the sole sur- vivor of the Field Officers of the Thirteenth Maine. Entering as Major in isol. and promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. Au- gust, 1862. he served continuously until the muster-out. Jan. 6. 1865. When the first call to arms was made he was a stil- dent at Waterville College (now Colby University) and is said to have been the very first man to enlist at Waterville. He was elected Captain of Co. G. Third Maine, made up largely of students; in the battle of Bull Run. in 1861. this regiment (then Col. O. O. Howard's) was in the right wing of the army. and Capt. Hesseltine, for his gallantry, was honorably men- tioned in the Colonel's report of the engagement.
In the Thirteenth. Lieut .- Col. Hesseltine's record is that of the regiment. He was frequently its commanding officer, Do- tably in the Southern Texas Campaign, and was not only hon- orally mentioned by Gen. Washburn, commanding the Divi- sion. bat by Gen. Ransom, who recommended him to the Di- vision Commander for promotion. As to the Arransas Pass Expedition. Gen. Ransom said: - Lient .- Col. Hesseltine was the first man to land through the surf and plant his colors on the island."
After the muster-ont, Lient .- Col. Hesseltine studied law in the office of Judge Fox. at Portland; was admitted the same year. in 1865: commenced practice at Savannah, Ga., where he continued for five years. Was Register of Bankruptcy until 1.70, when he resigned and came North, locating in Boston.
For gallantry in the affair at Matagorda Peninsula. Texas. in 1863. (mentioned on pages 62-61 Lient .- Col. Hesseltine has been awarded a medal of honor, by the War Department.
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CHAPTER V.
".Way Down in Texas."
Good news! Good news from Dixie's land, From Dixie's land, from Dixie's land; Our flag is on the Rio Grande And treason's going down.
[Union War Song.
FTER the capture of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, . the 13th Army Corps, composed wholly of veter- an troops from the Western States, was trans- ferred from Gien. Grant's command to Gen. Banks'. The corps was moved from Vicksburg to the vicinity of New Orleans; then while it was resting and refitting the question was considered of where it should be used. It was finally decided to use it in operations against Texas.
This was desired by the government on account of the French operations in Mexico, thus being more for political than for military reasons ; and the military au- thorities at Washington, though not giving positive or- ders, recommended a movement by way of Red River, the same which proved so sad a failure the next spring. As the Red River could not then be navigated above the Alexandria rapids without great difficulty and even danger, Gen. Banks realized the impossibility of sup- plying an army on that line, and decided in favor of op- orations on the coast.
He first attempted, carly in September, the seizure of
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Sabine Pass, between Texas and Louisiana, by a force of four thousand men from the 19th Army Corps, ac- companied by gunboats ; but owing to the incompetence of the commanders, both military and naval, the expe- dition was a disgraceful failure. He then decided to move upon southwestern Texas, concealing his intentions by a feint on Opelousas. For this expedition he used the 13th Corps ; first with a detachment seizing a port which might serve for a base of supplies, then forward- ing the rest of the corps as fast as supplies and trans- portation could be furnished.
The 13th and 15th Maine were transferred from the 19th Corps to the 13th for this expedition; the Thir- teenth being assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division. The other troops in the brigade were the 94th Illinois, 19th and 20th Iowa, 20th Wisconsin, and Battery B, 1st Missouri Light Artillery. The Thirteenh was re- lieved from duty in New Orleans by the 9th Connecti- cut on the 20th of October.
The morning of Oct. 23rd dawned dull and gloomy. During the forenoon there were occasional showers, each heavier than the one preceding, and by the mid- dle of the afternoon the rain began in earnest. At 4 P. M. the regiment left its comfortable quarters, marched to the levee in the pouring rain, and went on board the new steamer Clinton, of the Crescent City Line, where we found the 15th Maine already embarked. The steamer was so badly crowded that there was not room for nearly all the men to lie down, and many had to sleep that night in a sitting position. About dark, the steamer moved up river and anchored at Carroltou. where next day the regimental baggage and horses were taken on board. Three companies of the 15th Maine were transferred to the Steamer Gen. Banks (formerly the Creole), thus making it possible for those who re- mained to lie down, by close packing.
About 4 P. M. the steamer returned to the city and
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took on board several life-boats, then continued down river, passing Fort Jackson about midnight, and at 2 o'clock next morning anchoring. at the head of the passes, where the expeditionary force was assembling. Af- ter daylight, on attempting to fill the water casks, the water in the river was found to be salt ; a strong south- east gale having driven the water from the gulf up into the river. The steamer, therefore, went back up river in search of fresh water, but did not find any fit to use until the Quarantine Station, forty miles from the mouth of the river, was reached; and even there it was slight- ly brackish.
In the morning of the 27th, we took on board, from the steamer New Sam Gaty, a lot of stores and a few stragglers who had been left in the city, then dropped down through the Southwest Pass and anchored again. In the afternoon the expedition sailed, being convoyed by several gunboats. Many of the steamers, including the Clinton, had each a sailing vessel in tow, loaded with stores.
Nothing of note occurred till the morning of the $0th, when there was a shower, followed by a heavy wind ; the water becoming so rough that the men on the hur- ricane deck were ordered into the cabin, as they were in danger of being pitched overboard. The schooner which was in tow sprung a leak, and by evening had taken so much water that it had to be abandoned, the crew being saved with much difficulty.
The next morning, though the wind had gone down, not another vessel could be seen from the Clinton's deck ; but during the day most of the expedition reassembled, and in the afternoon we came in sight of Padre Island, on the coast of Texas. Shortly after noon, Nov. 1st, the Clinton anchored off Brazos Santiago Pass, a few miles northeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande.
About noon of Nov. 2nd, the Gen. Banks and the Clinton were ordered to cross the bar and land their
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troops. The Gen. Banks, a steamer of light draught, went ahead and crossed the bar without difficulty. Then came a trial for the Clinton. The channel was narrow and crooked, with barely water enough for the steamer, while the breakers were running dangerously high. Her commander, Capt. Baxter, a brave and skillful old sailor, gave the order to go ahead slowly ; and with only good steerage-way the steamer cautiously approached the bar.
The scene at that moment can never be forgotton by those who then stood on the deck of the Clinton, uncer- tain whether the next hour would see them safely ashore or trying to escape in life-boats from a stranded vessel. The unclouded, noon-day sun, shone from a sky of as brilliant a blue as poct or painter ever gave to the sky of Italy. On the right, the low, sandy shore of Padre Island, extended farther than the eye could reach ; on the left, the high; round-topped sand-hills of Brazos Isl- and hid the distant mainland from view ; and a little farther away, beyond the mouth of the Rio Grande, lay the chapparel-fringed Mexican coast, with the dark- blue wall of the Guadaloupe mountains in the back- ground ; straight ahead, a few miles distant, stood a lofty landmark, the white light-house of Point Isabel, while close at hand tossed the fierce breakers of Brazos Santiago bar.
With a sailor at each cathead, constantly heaving the lead, the Clinton moved slowly ahead in the narrow, crooked pass, and soon reached the most dangerous place, where just at the shoalest point the channel made a sharp bend. The order was given to starboard the helm, but the quartermaster who was then on duty, confused by his responsibility, made a mistake and turned the wheel the wrong way. " Starboard ! Starboard ! ! Hard-a-starboard !!! " shouted old Captain Baxter, " What kind of a man are you ? Fourteen years a quartermaster and don't know starboard from port."
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The error was quickly rectified and the bow slowly swung in the right direction ; but it came near being too late, for the deeply loaded steamer struck heavily twice, though fortunately not sticking fast. The most dangerous place being passed, Capt. Baxter gave the order : "Hook her on, Mr. Snyder, and go ahead strong !" And, although rubbing the bottom several times, we were soon over the bar and in good water.
Preparations for landing were quickly made. Capt. Baxter, hurriedly lowering his boats, endeavored to land the first troops, and succeeded in doing so ; but for some reason, our flag was not carried ashore till after one had been landed from the Gen. Banks, thus losing for the Thirteenth the honor of displaying the first flag in the permanent occupation of Texas. As the landing was unexpected the enemy had no force there sufficient to attempt resistance, and soon the troops on both steamers were ashore.
The Thirteenth landed on the east end of Brazos Isl- and, near what was said to be the ruins of some salt- works, marched about a mile, to where there were two holes containing brackish water; and as we had no tents, went into bivouac. Next day quite a large detail from the regiment was at work unloading supplies from ves- sels ; and as the regiment was all together in open ground for the first time since leaving Ship Island, near- ly sixteen months before, Lieut. Col. Hesseltine im- proved the opportunity by having a battalion drill. He soon ascertained that the regiment had not been per- ceptibly injured by its short stay in New Orleans. Ev- ery movement, from the simpliest marching to the form- ing and reducing of a square, was performed with al- most the accuracy of a machine.
Nov. 4th, reveille sounded at 3 A. M., and at 5, the regiment started for the mouth of the Rio Grande. There was a dense fog which hid all the landmarks ; and, as there was no competent guide, the regiment
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marched for some time almost at random. As this was our first experience in real marching. a large part of the men had started with knapsacks too heavily loaded. The marching in the loose sand was very hard ; so at every halt the ground was strewn with articles which had previously been considered indispensable, but which now suddenly became serious incumbrances. Bv-and- by the fog lifted, and toward noon we reached Boca Chica Pass, at the west end of the island
As there was only one small boat available for the crossing of our nearly six hundred men, Lieut. Col. Hes- seltine ordered the men to strip and wade, carrying their clothes; while the guns, equipments, etc., were carried across in the boat. The water was only about three feet deep, but the bottom was thickly covered with oysters; so the sixty rods of the ford became a real "Via Dolorosa " to our naked feet, and but few were so for- tunate as to escape without more or less cuts from the sharp edges of the shells. Each wing of the regiment ate dinner while the other wing was crossing, and as soon as possible the march was continued, the route be- ing along the beach.
The marching on the beach was much easier than it had been in the dry sand of Brazos Island, but still bv no means easy ; and every man had had enough of it. when we reached Clarksville, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, just before dark. As most of our canteens had been empty since noon, our first proceeding was to drink, almost intemperately, of the cool water of the river -- the best water we had seen since leaving Maine nearly two years before-then, after filling our canteens, we marched back a short distance from the river and lay down for the night. There was a heavy shower in the night, but the weary souliers were so sleepy they were scarcely disturbed by it.
Clarksville, at that time, consisted of three old wooden houses ; but Bagdad, on the Mexican side of the river,
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looked like quite a thriving place. We found at Clarks- ville the 20th Wisconsin, which had landed there the previous evening. Their landing, like ours at Brazos, had been unopposed by the enemy ; but, in landing through the surf, some of their boats were capsized and a few men drowned. In the night the 94th Illinois marched past on the way to Brownville. That was also our intended destination, but, instead of marching again next morning, we remained at Clarksville nearly all day, the reason being that the three days' rations, which had been issued about the time of our landing, were nearly exhausted. As no rations could then be obtained at Brownville, it was not thought prudent to start for that place with empty haversacks.
In the afternoon the Quartermaster went aeross to Bagdad and purchased a supply of bread, which was immediately issued; then we were ordered to leave our knapsacks to be brought up by a steamer and make a forced march to Brownville. About 6 P. M. the regi- ment started, and after marching nearly ten miles on a road made terribly muddy by the rain of the previous night, we were obliged to halt for the night, asit was too dark to follow the road. Next morning the march was resumed, and at 3 P. M. the regiment reached Brown- ville, arriving only eight hours later than the 94th Ili- nois, which had started from Clarksville eighteen hours earlier than we did. For that night we quartered in an empty warehouse near the river.
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