USA > Maine > The story of one regiment; the Eleventh Maine infantry volunteers in the war of the rebellion > Part 28
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been written with any degree of success had it not been for their diaries ; theirs and that of Captain Newcomb-all three agreeing perfectly from day to day, their unity proving their exactitude. Newcomb's ceased with the preceding May, the desperate wound he received on June 2d, preventing his further service. The oncrous duties now devolving upon Captain Maxfield, with the reorganiza- tion of the regiment, caused him to give up keeping his diary, and Sergeant-Major Morton had gone home with the original men (he should have received a commission and remained as adjutant). We will miss their faithful chronicling while completing the remainder of the story of the Eleventh.
The changes in the line and non-commissioned officers were marked ones. Many line officers returned home with the original members. The vacancies were largely filled from among the veteran sergeants. This gave an opportunity to advance deserving corporals and privates, with the result that the framework of the regiment, the commissioned and non-commissioned officers, were composed almost entirely of trained veterans -- of men quite com- petent to drill into soldierly bearing and to thoroughly discipline the raw material our ranks were now filled up with.
This material, as has been already indicated, came from all parts of the world : Frenchmen with barely enough English to make their wants known, English cockneys, Germans, Irish, all nations. In Company A there was an Arab, a swarthy fellow with hardly a word of English at his conmand, but whose quick intel- ligence served him so well that he seemed to get along as well as any of his comrades.
A story of one of these adventurers, a little Irish tailor, I remem- bor. It was regimental inspection. The inspecting officer looked. him over in disgust, and, taking his gun, found it very dirty. He threw it back so viciously that it sent the ninth part of a soldier sprawling on his back, where he lay shrieking, " Murther," " Per- lace," the outeries he naturally gave vent to in his native alley when undergoing a familiar assault.
Captain Maxfield tells a story of a recruit that fell to his com- pany. An utter incapable, he was placed beside a well-drilled soldier, and told to do just exactly what his comrade did, while the veteran was told to keep an eye on the man. At a regimental inspection, when this recruit threw up his gun. he did so awkwardly, failing to bring his hand to the height of his eye as provided by
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THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
the tacties. "Your hand to the height of your eye," whispered his mentor ; and the recruit lifted his hand to the proper height, at the same time letting the rifle slip through his hand until he was holding it by the muzzle, and so presented it to the astonished reviewing officer.
But unpromising as this new infusion was considered, the stern yet judicious discipline they had to submit to at the hands of the experienced and inflexible officers they were now subject to made good soldiers of them, so good that in the closing campaign they played no inconspicuous part, marching with a tirelessness that spoke well for the long, hard drills that had hardened their muscles, and fighting with the fearlessness that was to be expected of such bold adventurers. " Altogether, they were no mean substi- tutes for the men we had lost, and, thanks to them in part, the final record of the old regiment equals its best.
The camps our troops occupied this winter were commodious and well arranged. The men built log houses, which they roofed with canvas. In these houses were small sheet-iron stoves, Bunks were arranged and boughs made soft beds, while empty hard-bread boxes served for cupboards, and all the meager oppor- tunities for comfort were made the most of. The officers' quarters were log houses, with fireplaces. The company cook-houses and the officers' mess-rooms were well fitted up, and everywhere there were signs of rude comfort ; and, with plenty to eat, and careful sanitary arrangements, both officers and men passed a healthful and comfortable winter.
It was a very cold season for Virginia, making the outpost duty one of severity. But with great fires on the reserve line, and a frequent changing of the men on post, the suffering was reduced to a minimum, although there were cold, stormy nights that tried the fortitude of the pickets to the utmost. But when morning came and the relieved meu reached camp, and were called to the hospital steward's quarters to receive a stout ration of whiskey before eating a plentiful breakfast, they forgot their sorrows, and many of them became even frisky. It was the duty of the ser- geant of the picket guard to stand by the steward while he was dealing out the rations and identify the men, to see that none came forward twice. But, in spite of all precautions, now and then some brazen fellow would swear his way to a second ration. And for a time thrifty ones, of temperate tastes, would carry their
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rations away to sell ; but after one or two scenes in the company streets had been traced to this illicit trade, cach soldier was obliged to drink his ration at the surgery or go without it. Then the traders would fill. their mouths, and get away to pour the unswallowed liquor into bottles. But they did not always escape. One morning one of these suspects was struck smartly on the back by the sergeant as he turned away, with the result that he swallowed his mouthful so hastily as to strangle until he was nearly black in the face.
What with drills, reviews, and routine duty, the winter passed slowly away. During it, as stated in General Plaisted's farewell order, the corps was reviewed by Lieutenant-General Grant and the Secretary of War. Then, as the days lengthened, our division was reviewed by President Lincoln. And the day was a proud one for us. Every officer and man was on his mettle, and the review was a great success. It was an impressive scene, none the less so that it was not a show review, one held near a large city for the admiration of crowds of citizens, but was held in a great wood-surrounded field, and was witnessed only by the President and Mrs. Lincoln and their brilliant escort of officers. The President was on horseback, and Mrs. Lincoln rode in an open carriage.
The President rode along our lines with the bands playing "Hail to the Chief," then to the reviewing point. when our regiments wheeled into marching column and passed before him. Our own men were erect and steady, the officers alert, everyone conscious that it behooved him to do his best under the eye of his beloved Commander-in-Chief, and it did seem as if the old regi- ment never marched better. At the close the officers of the Eleventh felt that their winter's work had been thoroughly done, and that the regiment would go into the field not only strong but well disciplined, and could be depended upon to uphold the reputation of the " Old Eleventh."
The vague rumors of impending movements that we had heard frequently soon became more and more specific. Sheridan had reached our armies, the roads were hardening to the necessities of artillery and wagon trains, the North was waxing impatient, and suddenly, on March 27th, an order came to strike camp, leave knapsacks and camp equipage in charge of a guard, and, as night fell, we were once more en route for the south side of the James.
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THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
At the opening of the campaign of 1865 the organization of the regiment was as follows :
FIELD AND STAFF.
Jonathan A. Hill,
Lieutenant-Colonel.
Charles P. Baldwin, Major.
Sanford Hanscom, Adjutant.
Wm. II. H. Andrews,
Quartermaster.
Nathan F. Blunt,
Surgeon.
Richard L. Cook,
Assistant Surgeon.
Woodman W. Royal,
Assistant Surgeon.
Alex. Von Siebold,
Sergeant-Major.
John Williams, Quartermaster Sergeant.
Samuel Cushing,
Commissary Sergeant.
George B. Noyes, Hospital Steward.
Samuel Clark,
Principal Musician.
Sidney F. Downing.
Principal Musician.
COMPANY A.
Charles A. Rolfe, Captain. Lewis H. Holt, First Lieutenant.
Sergeants. Willard Barker, First Sergeant ;
Samuel Frye,
Dexter Walker, John P. Stevens.
Albert 0. Jordan,
Corporals. Joseph HI. Johnson, Frank C. Stevens.
John A. Brackett,
Edgar A. Stevens,
COMPANY B.
Charles Sellmer, Captain. Fred T. Mason, First Lieutenant. Nelson H. Norris, Second Lieutenant.
Sergeants. Lewis W. Campbell, First Sergeant ; John W. Hayward, Rufus M. Davis,
Philip HL. Andrews, Nathan Averill.
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LAST DAYS ON THE NORTH SIDE.
Corporals.
George Jackson, Joseph H. Crosby, Anson Crocker, Henry A. Carter,
Nehemiah R. Maker, William Rushton.
Joseph F. Barney, Charles A. Davis.
Alba W. Shorey, Wagoner.
COMPANY C.
Grafton Norris, Captain. William H. H. Frye, First Lieutenant. George W. Haskell, Second Lieutenant.
Sergeants. Joseph O. Smith, First Sergeant ; Lovell L. Gardiner, Charles A. Davis, Gustavus Hayford. Corporals.
Adolphus L. Cole, John A. Hammond,
William H. Newcomb, Hugh McGonagle,
Ruben C. Bunker, Henry Albec,
Thomas Donahoe, Henry Miller.
Benjamin J. Smith, Wagoner.
COMPANY D.
Albert G. Mudgett, Captain. Ellery D. Perkins, First Lieutenant. Judson L. Young, Second Lieutenant. Sergeants. Josiah F. Keene, First Sergeant ; Gardiner E. Blake, Alphonzo C. Gowell, Timothy McGraw.
George Day,
Corporals.
TTorace Whittier, Shepard Whittier, Stephen R. Bearce, James B. Williams, Lyman M. Bragdon, Alphonzo O. Donnell,
Jeremiah Stratton.
William H. Hardison, Wagoner.
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THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
COMPANY E.
George W. Small, Captain. Joseph S. Bowler, First Lieutenant. Charles O. Lamson, Second Lieutenant.
Sergeants.
Charles F. Wheeler, First Sergeant ; George W. Chick, John N. Weymouth,
Simon Batchelder, Jr., Solomon S. Cole.
Corporals.
Elias HI. Frost, John L. Lippincott,
Charles Sullivan,
Henry B. Stanhope, Snrbyna Packard, George D. French,
Charles Bowker. Samuel Babb, Wagoner.
COMPANY F.
Archibald Clark, First Lieutenant. Charles H. Scott, Second Lieutenant. Sergeants. Clarence C. Frost, First Sergeant ; Nathan P. Downing, Joseph H. Estes, William E. Feeley. Corporals.
Sylvanus Smith, Warren H. Moores,
James B. Stetson, George H. Balkam,
John F. Arnold, Edwin L. Parker,
William II. Jackson,
Samuel G. Richardson.
COMPANY G.
Henry C. Adams, Captain. Peter Bunker, First Lieutenant. George Payne, Second Lieutenant. Sergeants. Thomas T. Tabor, First Sergeant ; Daniel Burgess, Horace B. Mills,
Thaddeus S. Wing, Thomas J. Holmes.
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LAST DAYS ON THE NORTH SIDE.
Corporals.
Horace A. Manley,
Lewis L. Day,
Nathaniel Hooper, Luther A. Robbins,
Everett B. Small,
Charles W. Royal,
Benjamin B. Coombs, George Phillips.
Henry B. Rogers, Wagoner.
COMPANY H.
Albert Maxfield, Captain. Thomas Clark, First Lieutenant. Jeronie B. Ireland, Second Lieutenant. Sergeants.
Seth A. Ramsdell, First Sergeant ; Albert L. Rankin, Charles H. Cummings,
Nathan J. Dumphey, James Lawrence.
Corporals.
John F. Wedgewood, Charles Bodge,
Isaac W. Wardwell, Joseph F. Stevens,
Benjamin F. Dumphey, Samuel R. Buker, William H. Lord. John E. MeKenney, Musician. John T. Milton, Wagoner.
COMPANY I.
George S. Scammon, Captain. Robert Brady, Jr., First Lieutenant. Monroe Daggett, Second Lieutenant.
Sergeants.
Amaziah Hunter, First Sergeant ; Nathaniel R. Robbins, John A. Monk,
Charles E. Elwell, Charles Mead.
Corporals.
Lewis M. Libby, Albion W. Pendexter,
Samuel B. Haskell, Charles Gilpatrick,
William H. Dunham, James A. Clark.
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306
THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
COMPANY K. Robert II. Scott, First Lieutenant. Sergeants.
Amos R. Pushaw, First Sergeant ; George W. Blaisdell, John F. Buzzell,
Augustus D. Locke, John B. Alden.
Corporals.
John J. Hill, Adelbert P'. Chick,
Charles Watson, Judson W. Barden,
Lysander Il. Pushaw, Charles F. Bickford,
Alva G. Glovor, " Samuel Buzzell.
Joseph G. Ricker, Wagoner.
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE FALL OF PETERSBURG AND OF RICHEMOND.
Winter Operations in the South --- Sherman's March to North Carolina- Ifis Consultation with Grant and Lincoln-Their Plan of Campaign ---- Grant Takes the Initiative-Our Historical Night March from the Extreme Right to the Extreme Left of the Union Line-Sheridan Advances with the Second and Fifth Corps in Support -- The Battle of Five Forks-Our Experiences on the Night March and on the Sce- ond Corps Front-General Hill Commands our Advance -- Orders a Rifle Fire that Silences a Battery-A Rebel Night Attack-Its Repulse-Baldwin Wounded and General Dandy Disobeyed-Grant's Plan of Assault -- Captain Maxfield Commands on Our Front-His Night Attack-Its Repulse -- Captain Norris Reconnoiters and Reports -The Signal Gun and the Grand Assault-Its Success-Captain Max- field Attacks and Captures his Front, a Battery of Artillery and its Supports-The Advance of the Skirmishers of the Eleventh-Quickly under Fire -- The Assault of the Rebel Barracks-Set on Fire-Fight- ing among the Blazing Structures-The Assault on Gregg led by Lieutenant Payne of Our Regiment-That on Whitworth led by A and B of the Eleventh under Command of Captain Rolfe, of A, and Lieu- tenant Brady, in Command of B-The Surrender of the Two Forts after a Desperate Resistance -- The Close of the Battles of the Day -- Casualties.
THE winter operations of the armies in the South had resulted in Sherman's establishing his army at Goldsboro, N. C., about one hundred and forty-five miles south of Petersburg. Here, in the last days of March, he joined General Schofield, who, with General Terry in command of troops of the Twenty-fourth Corps, had been operating in North Carolina during the winter.
A Confederate army, nnder General Johnston, held a line cov- ering Raleigh and Weldon, with headquarters at Greensboro. General Sherman proposed to conduct his further operations in unison with those of General Grant. He says, in his memoirs, that he purposed making an effort to place his forces " north of the Roanoke River, and in fall communication with the Army of the Potomac." Johnston held his forces in position to oppose
308
THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
this anticipated movement, and to make an attempt to unite with Lee, should it be found advisable to try to do so. The other annies of the United States and of the Confederacy were more or less actively engaged in Alabama and Georgia, but the real theater of the war was now confined to the ground held by the armies of Grant and Lee, Sherman and Johnston.
Sherman, leaving Schofield in command, took boat for City Point, where, on the 27th of March, he held a personal con- sultation with General Grant in the presence of President Lin- coln, and the plan of the final campaign was arranged. Sherman was to reach the Roanoke River near Weldon, sixty miles south of Petersburg, from which point he could move to the Rich- mond & Danville Railroad at its junction with the Petersburg & Lynchburg Railroad, and cut Lee off from Danville and Lynch- burg. This plan he was directed to carry out, if he should receive no different instructions. And the movement that Gen- eral Grant had ordered for March 29th was explained to Sher- man. But, after Sherman's departure, Grant, fearing that Lee might abandon his introuchments, and feeling sure that he would do so as soon as he found that Sherman was moving toward the junction, determined to anticipate a little-not to delay until the 29th, but to immediately take the initiative.
Orders were promptly sent to General Ord to take General Gib- bon, with Foster's and Turner's divisions of the Twenty-fourth Corps, Birney's division (colored) of the Twenty-fifth Corps, and Mackenzie's cavalry (formerly Kautz's), and make a secret march to the left of the Army of the Potomac, taking post in rear of the Second Corps, which position must be reached by the evening of March 28th. General Sheridan was instructed to move his cavalry at an early hour of the 29th of March, across Hatcher's Run, move on Dinwiddie Court House, and reach the Confederate right and rear as soon as possible. The Second and Fifth Corps were to support the movement, which was calculated to draw the enemy from his intrenched position and force him to fight in the open field. Failing in that, Sheridan was to " out loose and push for the Danville road," to cross the South Side Railroad between Petersburg and Burkeville, cut the communica- tions, then to return to Grant or join Sherman, as he might find it best to do.
Sheridan moved out as ordered, followed by the Fifth Corps,
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THE FALL OF PETERSBURG AND OF RICHMOND.
which, at about noon, was ordered to move up the Quaker road. Sheridan met only small parties of the enemy's cavalry during the day, but the advance of the Fifth Corps came in contact with the enemy, and after a sharp engagement forced them back into their intrenchments. The Second Corps movement met with no oppo- sition during the day. In its course General Grant had modified his orders to Sheridan, instructing him not to move against the railroads for the present, but on the following morning, that of March 30th, to move for the rear of the Confederate right.
On the 30th the Second Corps drove the enemy inside their intrenchments, along Hatcher's Run, but did not assault. The Fifth Corps moved up the Quaker and Boydtown roads on recon- noissance, and established a line covering the Boydtown road. Sheridan spent the day taking position near Five Forks. Consid- crable skirmishing took place between his forces and those of Fitzhugh Lee. Sheridan learned that the enemy were being heavily reenforced by infantry, and so reported to General Grant, who thereupon made such a disposition of the Second and Fifth Corps as to place them in support of General Sberidan's position.
On the 31st the Fifth Corps was heavily attacked, but, sup- ported by Miles's division of the Second Corps, drove the enemy back with a considerable loss. During the day Mott's division of the Second Corps attempted to carry the intrenchments covering the Boydtown road crossing of Hatcher's Run, but without suc- cess. While these operations were going on, the cavalry of Sheri- dan and W. II. F. Lee were constantly engaged, with varying success.
On April Ist the Battle of Five Forks was fought by Sheridan and Warren, with the result that Pickett, commanding the Con- federate right, was routed with a loss of 8,500 men killed, wounded, and prisoners, besides 13 colors and 6 guns. The Second Corps was pushed forward to carry the enemy's intrench- ments to the left of the position the Twenty-fourth Corps now occupied, but the attempt failed.
The march of Ord's force on the night of March 27th and the day of the 28th was a forced one, and was made over roads that were in a terrible condition., The night was a dark one, with rain. The soft roads, ent up by artillery wheels and wagon trains, stretched here and there into wide morasses of knee-deep mire, into which we would plunge unexpectedly, to wallow through as
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THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
best we could. It led through woods, and in the darkness those deviating from the road ran against trees ; and, curiously enough, while the men would wade and flounder along the road in grim silence, when they found themselves violently opposed by a tree- trunk they would use language both lurid and rhetorical. Yet our formation during the night was well although loosely kept, the officers sternly insisting on the men retaining their relative positions, so that at daylight, with a little closing up and with a little rectification of ranks, the regiment, although leg weary and heavy eyed, presented a soldierly appearance to the curious on- lookers of the Army of the Potomac, that from daylight on watched the march of the troops of the Army of the James.
The day was passed with making long marches with short rests, but hot coffee, daylight, and the pride that led us to put the best foot foremost under the eyes of our critical, if sympathizing, friends of the Army of the Potomac kept our men up to the mark. Towards nightfall we balted in rear of the Second Corps winter quarters after a march of thirty-six miles.
So far as our own regiment was concerned, this severe march proved that our new men were sturdy fellows, and that the steady exercise of the legs in the severe drilling we had given them during the winter had not been thrown away. The night of the 28th we bivouacked around our camp fires. In the morning the Second Corps moved out on the left, and we occupied their bar- racks. In the afternoon we were ordered to the front, and after floundering through swampy ground for a few hours returned to the barracks.
It rained heavily all the day of the 29th and nearly all that of the 30th, making the roads impassable for artillery and wagon trains. This forced General Grant to delay the general forward movement be had in mind. In the afternoon of the 30th we moved to the front and took position in Ord's line, the right of which connected with the Sixth Corps and the left with the Sec- ond. We lay behind our stacked guns for the night, without fires. There was an alarm in the night, occasioned by a nervous picket firing at some rustling bush.
Early in the morning of the 31st a skirmish line was formed, and, moving forward, was quickly engaged, and so heavily on our regimental front as to soon require reenforcing, which was con- tinued until the larger part of our regiment was in action. Our
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THE FALL OF PETERSBURG AND OF RICHMOND.
line soon forced its way through the woods and as close to the enemy's works as the slashing in their front would permit. The skirmishers of our regiment were here joined by Lieutenant Payne and his corps of brigade sharpshooters -- picked men from among the veterans of the regiments of the brigade. So effective was our combined fire that we soon drove the rebels in our immediate front into their works, from which they opened a severe musketry fire, and swept our lines by a well-served battery. So distressing did the artillery fire become that Colonel Hill determined to silence it with musketry. Concentrating our fire on the battery, it was not long before its fire slackened and finally ceased ; and these guns did not reopen until nightfall.
After dark the skirmishers returned to their regiments, which lay in line of battle a short distance in rear of the position the skirmish line had forced its way to. A heavy picket-line was now thrown out, and a numerons fatigue party was set at work throw- ing up intrenchments on the ground the skirmish line had last occupied. The regiments went into bivouac behind their stacked guns, and were allowed just fire enough with which to cook coffee. There was sharp picket-firing during the night. Their fire would now and then lull here and there along the line, to suddenly break out with fresh fury. To the right and left the roll of musketry rose and fell, but our tired men slept on, hardly conscious of the varying fire until toward morning, when there was a sudden outburst in our immediate front, and then came the yell of a charging rebel line of battle.
It was a night attack. Instantly every veteran sprang to his feet, calling on his sleeping comrade to rise and face the enemy. Short and sharp the orders of the officers sounded along the line. There was no sign of panic, the men were well in hand, and when, almost instantly as it seemed, Colonel Hill's voice rang out with the order, " Charge !" our men set up an answering yell, and rushed through the darkness at the coming enemy.
The enemy had crept up close to our picket line before charg- ing, and, running over the pickets, had expected to find our line of battle close behind them ; but, finding nothing, they halted in the edge of the woods, just beyond our new and as yet unoccupied intrenchments. Then came our counter charge, and for the brief moment which we needed to reach the works the enemy stood irresolute. Had they reached the works before us,
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THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
and had they occupied their reverse side, they could have given us a warm reception. But, as it was, the fire they met our onset with was a desultory one, and in the darkness was largely thrown away. As soon as we reached the intrenchment we saw their line looming up darkly just beyond us. Colonel Hill's instant order was, "Fire." At this General Dandy cried out : "Don't fire ; they are our own men." Then there was hesitation. " What regiment is that ?" shouted an officer of our regiment. "The Eleventh," was the astonishing answer, confirming General Dandy in his belief, and he was now loud in his orders for our regiment to hold its fire. " The Eleventh what ? " persisted the officer. No answer came. Could it really be that a part of the Eleventh Maine had moved over the works ? We could not clearly sce the length of a company, much less the length of the regiment, so could not make out the length of our line. Then our officer took another tack. "Who's your colonel ?" " Colonel . Davis," was the answer. And "Fire !" " Fire !" sounded along our line, the shrill voice of Colonel Baldwin sounding above the din ; and in spite of the frantic threats of General Dandy to put any officer in arrest who commanded "Fire," our men opened on the mass of the enemy, and with such fury that they turned and fled into the darkness, only saving their colors from the enterprising rush of a body of our men by throwing them on the ground and ignomin- iously dragging them away. It was the Eleventh Mississippi that faced the Eleventh Maine, and their colonel, Davis, was in command of the assaulting brigade.
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