USA > Maine > The story of one regiment; the Eleventh Maine infantry volunteers in the war of the rebellion > Part 5
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General Naglee ordered his men to retire into the intrench- ments with the battery. One of the guns had to be abandoned, as the horses were all killed. The other guns were got into the intrenchments. the infantry following, while the batteries of Fitch and Bates opened on the pursuing rebels with grape and canister, and with such terrible effect that, though facing the fire again and again, the rebels were forced to fall back from each effort.
As our slim brigade line was reforming in the intrenchments, the rebels advanced on the open left and rear of the redoubt and took position to command it. Their fire was now most fatal. Colonel Bailey was shot through the head just as he was giving the order to spike the guns if they must be abandoned ; Major Van Valkenburg, his second in command, was killed a few moments later ; his adjutant, Rumsey, was wounded, and the batteries were without a directing officer until General Naglee
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took personal command of the artillerymen and inspired them to vigorous work until forced to abandon the guns to the now in- pouring enemy, only succeeding in getting off a part of the guns of our brigade battery, Regan's, and these only by the men supporting the wounded horses to keep them from falling in their traces.
As the redoubt was abandoned, the rebels rushed into it and turned the captured guns upon the left flanks of the Fifty-sixth New York, Fifty-second Pennsylvania, and the Eleventh Maine. These regiments had taken position in the rifle pits, to cover the retreat. " This," writes a historian, " with the fire in front, was not to be endured"; and after, as General Mcclellan reports, "having struggled gallantly to maintain the redoubt and rifle pits against overpowering masses of the enemy," these regiments were withdrawn from the intrenchments, and, with the reinforcements remaining in the field from Couch's division-regiments of the brigades of Devens and Peck, both of these generals giving Naglee gallant support through the day-took position along the Nine Mile road, about three hundred yards from the Seven Pines, which trees stood at the junction of the Nine Mile and Williams- burg roads.
General Couch, in attempting carly in the afternoon to person- ally relieve the pressure on Casey's right flank with four regiments of Abercrombie's bude and a battery, became heavily engaged and was forced tomars the right to near the Chickahominy, where he took position 15 cover the Grapevine Bridge, and as gallantly as successfully opposed all attempts of the rebel left, under General G. W. Smith, to interfere with the head of General Sinner's column as it came across the Chickahominy to our assistance.
While Generals Naglee, Devens, and Peck. under direction of Generals Keyes and Casey, were holding their positions on the Nine Mile road with such troops as they could get together, Kearney's division came into action, General MeClellan says, at nearly five o'clock. This division had remained all this time on the railroad near Savage Station, listening to the roaring progress of the battle. At last, the long delayed order to " forward " reached them. Birney's brigade was ordered to move up the rail- road to support Keves's right, but was halted by Kearney before getting into action, while Berry's brigade and the two regiments of Jameson's, under Jameson (he sending the other two regiments
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THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS.
of his brigade to Birney), pushed to the support of the hard- pressed left. Both of these commanders, Berry and Jameson, made gallant efforts to stem the tide, aiding materially in holding the enemy in check. Berry pushed his regiments through the woods until his rifles commanded the left of our abandoned camp and the flank of the pursuing enemy ; but, soon finding himself cut off, he fell back towards White Oak Swamp, where Hooker lay unmolested.
Jameson found his two regiments overmastered on the Wil- liamsburg road, and he, too, fell back towards the swamp. To anticipate a little, Berry, Jameson, and Hooker moved their com- mands to the rear and gained our new line of defense near Savage Station during the night.
The enemy was now advancing in masses down the rear of the position held by Naglee, Devens, and Peck, compelling them to order a retrograde movement, which was continued in fair fighting order, the retreating lines turning frequently to check the boldest pursuers with withering volleys. In this way the shattered regi- ments arrived at a new line of defense. This was along the edge of a wood, about a mile from the lost intrenchments, a line the general officers selected as one at which to make a last desperate stand. Here were rallied fragments of regiments and of com- panies, groups and so ads of men, and many a man now fighting, like John Barns af Gettysburg, entirely on "his own hook." Bat such as they y y they served, and, as General Webb says in his history of thforampaign : "Casey, Conch, Kearney, Birney, were all represented, and the men stood shoulder to shoulder in the fading light."
Do you remember that line, the last Union bulwark of that fatal day, the gathering, blessed darkness, the exhausted, powder-black- oned faces to the rigls and left of you-faces hard set in firm determination to make one last stand for the bullet-riddled flags flying over them ? The hoarse, hard-riding officers were galloping their foaming horses up and down, while rallying the stragglers, leading from the rear groups and squads of men who had aban- doned the day, but whom the fierce upbraiding's of the pursuing officers shamed into returning to the field. And yonder, what ? Esultant masses of victorious rebels forming to break our last. . stand ? No, as it proved ; only a chaotic mass of exhausted bri- gades and regiments, that Naglee's fierce defense of the outlying
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line, and the stubborn resistance of Devons, Peek, Berry, and Jameson, had battered and bruised out of any desire to make the immediate forward movement without which their victory was a barren one. Nor must we forget what we owed to Sumner's prompt crossing of the Chickahominy, his men half-wading over the submerged Grapevine Bridge, and to his vigorous interposition of the Second Corps between the rather hesitating advance of the rebel left, under General Smith, and our ill-used corps. Night fell without the expected onslaught, and by morning the whole Union army was facing the force that the divisions of Casey, Couch, and Kearney alone had fought the day before.
Of the part the companies of the Eleventh on picket took in the battle ibere does not seem to be any report other than that of General Plaisted ; but I take it that the story of D is in substance that of all up to the time their picket line was broken, and will therefore tell its story here from information furnished by First Sergeant Brady of that company.
D went on picket the evening of May 30th, occupying the extreme right of the line (as it was the right company of the regi- ment), an entirely unsupported position. The men passed a a miserable night, watching in darkness and storm, sheltering themselves as they best could and still remain alert, for all the signs pointed to an Carly attack : the pressure of the enemy's skirmish line, the pan movements of their troops, and the fact that they must city dislodge us or lose Richmond. Towards morning the stori cased, and The day broke with the promise of clearness. Soon Lieutenant Washington, of General Johnston's staff, rode unexpectedly into the line of D, having mistaken a road in carrying orders to some rebel command. Quickly halted, he ruefully yielded himself a prisoner, and made an unwilling way to General Casey' headquarters. The capture of Lieutenant Washington made the pickels doubly alert. Besides, General Naglee himself, who rode out to their line to make observations, warned them that they were liable to be attacked at any moment. Soon after Naglee left, great activity was displayed by the rebel pickets in the immediate front, and sharp picket fighting took place during the forenoon. A little after noon the roar of the attack on the left was heard. It was uncertain what the pickets should do. Lieutenant Johnson and Corporal Keene moved out on the right, to learn, if they could, what force, if any, guarded
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THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS.
their flank. They found it entirely open until they reached Gen- eral Couch's small force, covering the Grapevine Bridge. After this they were occupied in giving information concerning the movements of the enemy and the bearing of the roads to General Sumner's aids.
Sergeant Brady had been left in command of the company by Lieutenant Johnson. Shortly a rebel line of battle appeared, moving towards the line held by D. Under Sergeant Brady's orders, some of the men began to barricade the road they centered on, by falling trees across it, the others keeping up a rapid fire on the enemy, to give the idea by their boldness that they covered a line of battle. This ruse succeeded to an unexpected degrec, the rebel line of battle balting, throwing out a strong skirmish line, and making an elaborately cautious advance. Of course their skirmishers easily flanked our forlorn pickets, and, curling them back in spite of their stubborn resistance, finally scattered them through the woods.
Before the rebel onset, Sergeant Brady, realizing by the sound of the battle that they were cut off from camp, had carefully cantioned the men to make their line of inevitable retreat towards the right and rear ; and, fortunately for most of them, they followed these orders, reaching Sumner's line in safety.
This is the story of the Battle of Fair Oaks, so far as the Eleventh was concern in it. As it was our first battle, and was a great battle too. would suppose that some diarist of the regiment would ha' particularly noted the movements of the regiment during the day ; but none seems to have done so. Dun- bar hardly mentions it, and Morton simply tells us this : "The enemy commenced throwing shells into camp about noon. After being held as a suppost, we came to the front by order of General Naglee, where we stopped until a retreat was ordered. About then I got a musket ball in my side, then I got to the rear. " But the calmest and most indifferent record in any diary is in that of Corporal John Lary, of Company H, he noting under date of June 1st : " A day of rest after a hard fight." Only this. and nothing more !
Captain Newcomb, then a sergeant in Company C, furnishes the most circumstantial story. His diary states : "Just as we had finished our dinner of vegetable soup, two shots from the rebels came whistling over our heads. We were soon in line and march-
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THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
ing to the front. The first effect I saw of the heavy fire was a riderless horse dashing past us, and then some of the men of our three companies were wounded. General Naglee rode out in frout of us and beckoned us on. We advanced to a fence, where we first fired, and we continued to fire until a retreat was ordered. After retreating one and a half miles, and some of the other com- panies coming up, we bivouacked near the spot on which we encamped just a week before."
The fact is that, as it was our first battle, the men had no expe- rience to compare it with, so just took it as a fairly sample engage- ment, about the sort of thing they must often go through, all in the day's work, and nothing to make any particular fuss about.
The regiment did not take part in the second day's fighting. The second day was not a very serious fighting one, anyway. In fact, the rebels had failed in their purpose by the night of May 31st. Longstreet and D. IL. Hill had performed their task fairly well, which was to crush Casey and Couch, though they had shattered rather than crushed them, these divisions still showing a bold fighting front at nightfall. And in attaining so much of a triumph, Longstreet's and Hill's commands had sustained such losses as unfitted them for further immediate aggressive work. Huger had entirely failed in his attempt to advance down the Charles City road wyffil he should reach a point opposite the rear of our left flank, when he was to press in as soon as we seemed fully occupied ing Ant. He failed to march to the position assigned him, the gh four of his six brigades did go into action later in the day ; too late, though, for the success of his part of the plan, had he tried to carry it out, as by then our left had swung, and been forced too far back to have enabled him to reach our left rear. And General G. W. Smith, commanding the robel right, who was to engage our reinforcements crossing the Chicka- hominy by the upper bridges, and if he encountered no resistance in making this movement was to engage the right of our corps line, did not go into action until three o'clock, when he only sue- ceeded in cutting Couch, with Abercrombie's brigade and a battery, off from their division, driving them into a threatening position on his own flank ; and before Smith could drive Couch out of the way he was himself driven back by the advancing columns of the Second Corps.
That the rebel commander, General Johnston, was severely
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THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS.
wounded about sunset of the 31st may have had a bearing on the next day's fighting, but it had none on the result of the 31st. The battle of that day had been fought by then, and so far from a victory was it for Johnston that the military chances are that, had he not been wounded, he would have withdrawn his troops to within their own intrenchments before morning; for he would have known that during every hour of that night reenforcomcuts were crossing the Chickahominy, and that by morning he would have nearly all the divisions of the Army of the Potomac before him.
When Johnston was wounded the command devolved on G. W. Smith, who seems to have possessed neither timely boldness nor wisdom, for he did not attack as promptly on the 31st as he should have attacked. Nor did he retreat that night, which he should have done, but remained on the field and attacked Richardson's division with heavy columns the morning of June Ist. He was repulsed after an hour and a half of severe fighting, attacking again after an interval of half an hour, to be finally routed by a charge on his left and rear led by General French in person, the exact movement that Huger failed to perform the previous day on our left and rear. The enemy now retired to within the lines of intrenchments they had sallied from the morning before.
We will round out ofr story of our part in the Battle of Fair Oaks, by adding Colo l Plaisted's report to brigade headquarters of the part taken ing by the companies of the Eleventh. That it is a warnily wri gh report, differing entirely from the usual cold and formal statements of military movements making up such documents, makes it none the less readable.
HEADQUARTERS, ELEVENTH REGIMENT MAINE VOLUNTEERS, NEAR SEVEN PINES, VA., June 2, 1862.
Of the part taken in the battle of "Seven Pines" by my regi- ment, on the 31st ult .. I have the honor to report :
I was on the picket line near the Williamsburg Road, about noon of the 31st, being General Officer of the Day, when our pich - ets were attacked by the enemy and driven in. I met General Casey soon after emerging from the woods. He immediately ordered out the Eleventh Maine and the One Hundredth New York. Returning to my camp, opposite General Casey's head- quarters, I met three companies of the regiment. under the com-
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THE STORY OF ONE REGIMENT.
mand of Major Campbell, already in motion for the scene of action, viz. : Companies A, Captain Libby ; C, Lieutenant West ; and F, Captain Hill. The balance of the regiment (seven com- panics) were on picket. Taking command of the battalion, I moved it up the Williamsburg road a short distance, halted and loaded under a scattering fire, happy in having the opportunity of bringing my men under fire gradually. Orders then came to move my regiment up and support Captain Spratt's battery, then hotly engaged on the right of the road, about two hundred yards in advance. I moved to post my companies on the right of the bat- tery, as it was supported on the left by the One Hundredth New York. To avoid shots directed to silence the battery, I filed to the right across the road to the woods about one hundred and fifty yards, and, under cover of the woods, advanced in line of battle to the front until opposite the right of the battery, then by the left flank to my position-about thirty yards from the right of the battery ; losing, in thus getting into position, but two men wounded. I ordered my men to lie down behind a ridge that pro- tected them, and reserve their fire until the rebels emerged from the woods. Soon after, General Naglee rode in front of my line amidst a shower of bullets, and ordered me to charge. With the greatest enthusiasm the order was obeyed. With the One Hun- dred and Fourth Pennsylvania on my right, we advanced across the open space two or three hundred yards to the fence, and not more than fifty yards from the woods, where we opened fire. We main- tained our fire and our position until two-thirds of my commissioned officers and one-half my little battalion were cither killed or wounded, my flag per prated by eleven bullets, flagstaff shot away, and the supports nf a my right had left. Then, reluctantly, I gave the order, " Ref At." I retreated to my old camp-ground with the remains of na three companies, and, after a little while, retired to the " Ny Mile " road, one hundred yards to the rear, where I supposed the rally would be made. Twice the shattered flag was raised to rally the fugitives of other regiments, but only those who stood by it before would stand by it now. In good order we retired to fear Savage Station, where I heard from Lieu- tenant-Colonel Jourdan, commanding the Fifty-sixth New York, that four of my companies that were on picket volunteered to fight under him. That gallant officer reports of them as follows : "I would most especially call the attention of the Command- ing General to the detachment of the Eleventh Maine Volunteers -four companies, under Captain Spotford -- who were with my regiment during the engagement, and behaved nobly and retired from the field in good order ; but not until compelled by superior forces."
These companies were: B. Captain Cole ; G. Captain Spof- ford : HI. Lieutenant Fuller ; and K. Lieutenant Mudgett.
Company D, under command of Lieutenant Johnson, did good
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THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS.
service during the day, in capturing Lieutenant J. Barrall Wash- ington, aid-de-camp to General Johnston, and sending him in to headquarters. They held their posts until forced to retire, with a loss of one killed, one wounded, and eighteen missing. Some of the latter will doubtless report themselves.
My remaining companies that were on picket, viz., Company E, Lieutenant Sabine, and Company I, Captain Merrill, in all fifty men, occupied the extreme right of our picket line, and the good conduct of the officers and their commands was so conspicuous, and the services they performed so important, it gives me great pleasure to call particular attention thereto. They maintained their picket line during the entire day, and, it may be, saved Gen- eral Sedgwick from being surprised by a flank movement of the enemy while he was hotly engaged in front.
Before nightfall a rebel brigade of four or five regiments, with several hundred cavalry, advanced through a wheat-field towards the rear of Sedgwick's position, while the latter was doing such splendid execution with his batteries, seemingly with the intention of passing through the woods where the two companies were posted, and attacking him in the rear. The two companies assembled at the edge of the woods and fired upon the advancing rebels, tumbling three officers from their saddles. They then retired to the woods amid a shower of bullets, still watching the enemy's movements, and sending immediate notice to Sedgwick. They maintained their picket line across the woods during all that & rainy night without rations, taking a number of prisoners. (Lieutenant Johnson of Company D, with a few men, was also with them.) In the morning they returned to their regiment with not a man missing, by Aging with them as many prisoners as their own companies nun red. These companies, during the whole day, were watching" e rebel movements from trees and other con- spicuous points, e during the heavy firing were in ignorance of the state of the battle, knowing only that they were cut off from their camp, until a scouting party, seut out for the purpose. reported the position of Sedgwick's forces. By maintaining their position, thus leading the enemy to suppose them heavily sup- ported, they may have prevented an attack, and certainly a sur- prise, upon that general's force. Such devotion to duty as was exhibited by Captain Merrill and Lieutenant Sabine and their commands is deserving of the highest praise.
Were I to name all my officers and soldiers who did their duty, I should call the roll of the regiment ; but I must in justice men. tion Major Campbell, who distinguished himself for his coolness, efficiency, and bravery. When under the hottest fire at the front, I directed him to the left of the line to caution the men to fire lower. He moved from right to left amidst a storm of bullets. His calm, clear commands, as he moved along the line. touching almost every file on the back, " Fire lower, boys, fire lower," "Aim
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lower, boys, aim lower," can never be forgotten by me. He was unharmed.
Captain Hill, who commanded Company. F for the day, and Captain Libby of Company A, behaved with great coolness and bravery.
I have to report the loss of J. William West, lieutenant of Company C. He fell near the fence where we opened fire. He was a good officer and an excellent man, distinguished for con- stant attention to the wants of his company, and especially for his care of the sick. He was shot through the breast and died almost instantly, without a struggle-more happy in his death than so many of his fellow soldiers who have fallen a prey to lin- gering disease in camp. He gave his life to his country. Who can do more ? May he be remembered.
Lieutenant Win. H. II. Rice, of Company G, whose company was on picket, buckled on a cartridge box, took a rifle, and bravely fought in the ranks until borne from the field, shot through the thigh.
Lientenants Thomas A. Brann, of Company F; Lewis II. Holt. of Company A ; and Harrison Hume, of Company I, and Sergeant- Major Henry O. Fox are worthy of most honorable mention for their coolness and bravery. Lieutenant Brann was shot through the knee; Lieutenant Holt and Sergeant-Major Fox were also wounded. Lieutenant Hume's good conduct was so conspicuous, I was happy in having it in my power to make him adjutant of the regiment on the field.
As a specimen of coq ind deliberate firing by my men. I. would mention that where frebel color made its appearance out of the woods, Willie Parkers If Company C, a mere boy, exclaimed, " That flag must come dow' !" After taking doliberate aim, seom- ingly for many seconds, he fired, and " down " came that flag.
I cannot close my report without calling the attention of the commanding general to the good conduct of my surgeons, Drs. Bates and Richardson, and to that of Acting Quartermaster Sewall and his teamsters. Through their fidelity and coolness I saved all hospital and commissary stores, regimental books and papers, under a severe fire that killed two horses at the door of my tent. smashing our tenis and wounding two persons. My three wagons were loaded and moved off. Fifty sich in our regimental hospital were moved to the rear in safety by my surgeons, assisted by Dr. Charles P. Hubbard, hospital steward.
The bravery of my color-bearer, Sergeant Alexander T. Katon, was so conspicuous, I should do injustice to a brave man. and to the whole regiment, did I not call particular attention thereto. He bore our standard bravely in front of the line until ordered to halt on a line with the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania : and when I gave the order, .. Forward to the fence, " several vards in advance of that regiment, he was the first man to reach the
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fence, against which he firmly planted our flag, moving with the greatest steadiness amidst such a storm of bullets as it would seem " no mortal man could see and live." The shattered and torn con- dition of the colors attests the terrible fire directed against him.
I have to lament the loss of a large portion of my regiment that was engaged. Of the three companies engaged under me, number- ing ninety-three men, I lost six killed, thirty-nine wounded, and seven missing-total, fifty-two. The loss of the picket companies engaged, under Colonel Jourdan, was seven wounded, twelve miss- ing --- total, nineteen ; aggregate, seventy-one : this not including ten pioneers who were on fatigue duty on the Chickahominy and not yet heard from. Including them, my total loss is, therefore: Killed, six; wounded, forty-six ; missing, twenty-nine - aggre- gate, eighty-one, out of a total engaged of two hundred and twenty-nine.
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