USA > New Hampshire > A history of the Eleventh New Hampshire Regiment, Volunteer Infantry in the rebellion war, 1861-1865, pt 1 > Part 16
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On the morning of the 29th the enemy made a furious assault on Fort Sanders, located at our left, and, though the morning was quite dark, we could see something and hear much of what was going on. Fort Sanders was armed with ten guns, consisting of a part of three batte- ries, and was well fitted for defence. In its front, where the trees had been cut down, telegraph wires were stretched from stump to stump. Small pits, or holes, had also been dug, the earth from them being left in little mounds in their front, and everything possible had been done to obstruct the passage of troops. Having driven in our pickets, their assaulting column appeared, but the little garrison in the fort was ready to receive it. The brave defenders consisted of a portion of two regiments of infantry and the men of the batteries. The Confeder- ates charged bravely in column by divisions, filling the ditch, and a few succeeded in mounting the parapet-but only to meet a sudden death-and already many of their number had been killed or wounded. With undaunted courage the survivors pushed steadily on, never stopping for the murderous fire of artillery and infantry, Every step in advance was marked by death, until the assault-
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ing column was well-nigh annihilated. The battle once opened, there were no intervals of quiet. but furious vol- leys followed one another, and each shot from the artil- lery went through their lines with awful effect. Large gaps were made, which were soon closed. The brave men still pressed on, eager to reach the steep, sloping glacis, intent on destroying the equally determined and disciplined garrison.
The obstructions proved to be of great service, but the enemy seemed insensible to fear, or infuriated by the resistance they were meeting. Soon another column like the first came up, and the attack was renewed more savagely and more desperately than before, if such a thing were possible. Again they filled the ditch. Again a few mounted the parapet, only to surrender or be shot. The second assault terminated as quickly as the first. Greater courage and valor have never been shown, than were displayed that morning in front of that little fort. It is impossible for men to endure for more than a short time such an avalanche of lead and iron as was hurled upon them. Entirely and hopelessly broken up, the survivors retired in confusion. leaving about two hundred of their number in and near the ditch. These were obliged to surrender. The Confederate loss, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, was nearly one thousand, though they do not admit so large a number. On that ground, which permitted them to outnumber our forces more than five to one. they had made a good fight, but had paid dearly for the assault on Fort Sanders. Our own officers were always on the alert, and their daring and almost reckless bravery was shown by their gallant and successful defence against these most stubborn attacks : their good judgment and skill were shown by the perfect order and systematic disposition of their brave men, which insured a final victory, with a loss of not
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more than thirty men, including some of the pickets capt- ured. ·
A little later in the morning I visited the field, and the broken muskets, torn equipments, parts of garments stained with blood, as well as the terrible mortality, bore witness to the fearful nature of the assault. As might be expected from the nature of such a conflict, a large portion of our adversaries had been killed, or severely wounded. Our first duty after the repulse was to reestab- lish our lines ; and, soon after, a flag of truce was sent to the enemy, giving them an opportunity to remove their dead and wounded, which was accepted. A few prison- ers were exchanged. the wounded removed, and the dead buried. At night, when this had been accomplished, and the signal gun was fired announcing that the truce was over, both armies were in position for another trial. The prisoners captured are said to have represented ten or eleven different regiments, from Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Some of them we had faced at the disastrous battle of Fredericksburg one year before, when we were the assaulting column.
Notwithstanding this repulse, we expected that Long- street would soon make another attack on some other positions, and, as they had tried their batteries once on the batteries near us, we rather concluded that it would be at some point near by. Our success had given us courage, and we felt able to repulse any assault which he might make, but watched with greater vigilance than before. From November 30 to December 3 there was greater quiet on the picket lines than usual, which caused the rumor of an immediate attack. On the 4th we could see the enemy in our front march across the Clinton road and up the valley, as though they were preparing for an at- tack on our extreme right, which was held by the Twenty- third Army Corps. Had they done this, their reception
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would have been a cordial one, for the position, naturally strong, was well fortified, and the loyal men from Kentucky and East Tennessee, who constituted a large portion of that command, were able and ready to defend themselves.
December 5 was cloudy and cold, but at an early hour we discover that the rebel pickets are all gone. More than this : we have the welcome news of the arrival of General Sherman with a portion of two army corps of veterans for our relief. The siege is now raised, we are well reinforced, and there is no longer any fear for the safety of the Department of the Ohio.
At eight o'clock we were ordered out to make a recon- noissance. Following the retreating column a few miles, we picked up a few prisoners, but did not find the enemy in any force. Returning to Knoxville, pickets were posted ; but all interior guards were relieved, and we had our first night of quiet rest in three weeks. We remained in our old quarters the next day and night, and on the morning of the 7th the corps was ordered forward by the road towards Tazewell, which was the one taken by Longstreet and his army. After a march of thirteen miles we halted for the night, the weather being freezing cold. The morning of the Sth opened cloudy. but the temperature began to moderate, and we were on the road again. Before night there were indications of a storm, and we halted early, and our regiment took pos- session of a heavily wooded ridge on the left of the road, one half of the regiment being posted for picket duty until midnight, then to be relieved by the other half. who established a resting-place in a valley a little to the rear.
We had only started some little fires near each picket post, when a storm of rain broke upon us. It not only rained, but at times it poured. After a lull in the storm, snow and sleet began to fall, and so severe was the down-
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fall, that our little fires, in many cases, were completely extinguished. The night was one of the dreariest for outpost duty I had ever seen.
But midnight came at last ; we were relieved, and retired to the bivouac of the regiment. There we found the few officers that constituted the field and staff in but little better condition than our own had been. After a good warming by the huge fire that had been kept burn- ing, we began to look for a place to get a little rest and sleep. I met with a real accident here, or at least with quite a loss. I had chosen what seemed to be a good location, where I should be partially sheltered from wind and storm. and, pulling my cape over my head, laid down under my rude cover and finally went to sleep. I was soon disturbed, however, by feeling as though I was too near the fire, and discovered that a falling cinder had lighted on the back of my overcoat. burning a hole, and that it had also discolored my blouse. This to me was the worst thing that had happened during the campaign, for there was no chance to draw another coat, and patches of the requisite size were not attainable. I was therefore obliged to wear it as it was for a short time, until, when in camp a few days later near the house of a loyal family, the ladies transformed the cape with a new back, and once more I had a respectable garment. The next morn- ing we were on the road again in good season, but did n't make much headway. We halted for dinner at 2 p. m., but many of us found our haversacks entirely empty, the small supply of rations we had when we left Knoxville having been entirely consumed.
Later in the day I was fortunate in securing two ears of corn, which I shelled, and, after grinding the kernels in our coffee-mill, boiled the meal for supper. We were now near Rutledge, and remained in this vicinity for a few days. On the 11th a ration of beef was ordered.
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The poor animals were slaughtered, and two of them desig- nated for our regiment. Our quartermaster had received the dressed meat. and it was laid out on some rails to be cut up and issued, but. as the work was going on and the butcher was cutting one of the loins from the round, he struck an immense abscess on the hip nearly ready to open of its own accord. They concluded not to issue any of this kind of meat, but had it condemned, and ordered it buried, which was done without military honors. A tablet. however, was erected with the following epitaph : ·· Hic jacit duo boves. Damnati ad tumulum per Captain Alle- baugh, generalissimum inspecturum. Requiescatin pace." (The old letter that this is copied from was written to my friends at home, and dated at Rutledge, December II. In it I had mentioned the matter of short and poor rations, which I may refer to again.) Our beef and pork were all driven from Kentucky over the mountains, and that now issued had been with us since our first arrival, early in November. No forage had been provided, except what the beeves could gather in the frost-bitten fields. and in many cases these were cut up by the passage of the two armies ; hence, generally the animals had about as . much fat on their ribs as on their horns, and but little more. The pork was but little better in quality. being of the ". razor back" kind. When it arrived, it was driven direct to Knoxville and slaughtered.
After a small amount had been issued to the troops the balance was salted. and allowed to accumulate in readiness for an emergency. We remained at Rutledge until the 15th, when an alarm was sounded. We hastily struck tents, and formed in line of battle. Longstreet was reported to be reenforced, and to be advancing again. Quite a force of our cavalry, however, met him and made a good fight, holding him in check until 8 p .. m., when we began to retire towards Knoxville. The mud was so
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deep that we had made only six miles by midnight : some bivouacked by the road-side and waited for daylight. We were then happy to learn that the enemy had also retired, and was marching east. We were ordered to advance again. and. bearing to the left. halted and went into camp at Lee's Springs, near Blaine's cross-roads, where we remained three or four weeks, suffering much from extreme cold. ice forming at times two or three inches in thickness. Snow-storms also were of occasional occurrence. On the 15th, when we expected to be obliged to fight before we could reach Knoxville, some of us placed our extra blankets, etc .. on the wagons, and, as they did not rejoin us for several days. the want of these added to our discomfort. On the 23d, our last ration for the year 1863, excepting our meat, was issued. It consisted of eight hardtack. one spoonful each of sugar and coffee, with a small piece of tobacco-rather a short allowance for men who were expected to do duty when at times the thermometer, had there been one in camp, would have registered the zero point. At no time during the cam- paign. or during our stay in East Tennessee, did we draw the usual small rations of rice, beans. etc .. but. in place of them. once in five days a small piece of tobacco, some of which had been captured by Burnside when he first arrived at Knoxville. Neither were there any clothing, boots, or shoes obtainable to replace our worn-out arti- cles. Our details for pickets were large, and we fre- quently were away from our regiment three days or more at a time.
When on these details we could occasionally get a little meal, corn. or bacon, but the residents were generally as poorly off as ourselves. For this reason the small forag- ing parties that were permitted were profitless expeditions.
On the second day of January, I was one of a detail composed of nearly all the men fit for duty from Com-
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panies F, H, and K. Lieutenant Dimick was in com- mand of the detail, and, on our arrival at the place desig- nated, pickets were at once posted and videttes thrown out. I remained with the lieutenant, who chose for his head- quarters what had evidently been a cavalry outpost in a fence corner, with a few extra rails and some brush for protection from wind and storm. We started a fire and made our rude camp as comfortable as possible, con- sidering that we were fixed for a three days tour unless sooner driven in or relieved. The night was cold and windy, and we found it almost impossible to keep com- fortable, but put in the time taking turns in keeping our fires, visiting pickets, and getting an occasional short nap. Near us was a log or timber house of the regular style in this section, and before daylight we had resolved to visit the family and try to obtain something for break- fast, for, as usual, our haversacks were nearly bare of rations of any kind except the very poor meat that was issued the day before we started. Day came at last, but the sky was overcast with cold, gray clouds, and the air was keen and frosty. As soon as we saw the small spiral of blue smoke curling up from that chimney we made preparations to give the people an early call, though the prospect was not encouraging from any out- ward signs. There were no stacks of hay or grain vis- ible, and no appearance of any live-stock of any kind except a poor little black and white calf six or eight months old, which an old gentleman led out and tied in the field near the house, leaving the poor animal to fill its frame with frozen rowen or starve. We proceeded to the house, and in the yard met the owner and his wife, to whom we made known our errand. They listened to our story, but we received the usual answer,-that their smoke-house was empty, and that there was not a meas- ure of meal in the house. Again we appealed to them,
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offering to pay well for anything they could furnish us that would appease our hunger. Soon a young lady appeared, and, having heard a part of our conversation, seemed more kindly disposed, and ready to accede to our wishes. After a short consultation with the mother, they decided to do the best they could for us. We were invited to enter the house, which we did, and took seats near the briskly blazing fire, the warmth of which seemed to add new vigor to our shivering bodies. Soon the balance of the family, consisting of three more light- haired girls, all dressed in the colorless homespun, made their appearance by coming down a ladder from the loft above us, and immediately retired to the wash- bench outside to complete their toilets. In the mean- time the lady, aided by the eldest daughter, was engaged in preparing the breakfast. They had drawn forth from some unknown recess a fine piece of bacon and a bag of meal, and in a short time generous slices of bacon and a large "Dutch oven" of pones were cooking. While this was going on we entered into conversation with our host, and among other matters asked concern- ing school privileges (and, by the way. I will say that church and school edifices were seldom seen). We were informed that only a few years since they had very good schools and plenty of scholars, but some conta- gious disease had made its appearance, and the "young uns had most all on 'em died up in that part of the kentry." Our breakfast was at last placed upon the table, a huge frying-pan containing the bacon occupying the centre, which was flanked by a large wooden tray of johnny-cakes or pones, which, with coffee made . from parched wheat, constituted the bill of fare. We took seats assigned us, and were soon enjoying the edi- bles which had been prepared. Apologies were offered for the quality and lack of variety, and the proprietor
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said that the " durned rebs had tuck everything they had that they could find, had rode off every hoss critter and druv off every cow critter there was on the place, except the poor little calf tied in the meadder." The loss of the cows had cut off the supply of butter, and as for molasses they did not make " but few" (which were then all gone), as they didn't raise a full crap of sorghum any- where, but in place of these we could, if we wished, dip our pones in the bacon fat.
Our breakfast being over, the lieutenant paid the bills. and bidding the family, which had so kindly entertained us with the best they had. Good-morning, we made our way to our post, much pleased with our reception and with what we had observed while we were the guests of this poor but loyal family. So much amused was the lieutenant. that soon after our arrival he sang his favorite song, the first verse of which was about as follows :
"Oh! I've got a wife and I've got a baby Way up North in old Canaday : Won't dey laugh when dey see old Shady A coming, coming? Hail de mighty day!"
We did not visit this family again, for some of the men had done a little foraging, and were thus fairly pro- visioned for a short time.
We were relieved on the night of the 4th by the Fifty- first Pennsylvania, and returned to our camp at Lee's Springs, where we remained until the 16th, answering the usual details, having meantime another good snow- storm, which occurred on January 8. My finances at , this time must have been in a very shaky condition, or else there were no postage stamps to be obtained in camp, for the envelope of a letter I am about to copy from, written home on the 14th of January, bears the fol- lowing endorsement : .. Soldier's Letter, E. T. Lyford,
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Chaplain 11th N. H. Vols." From this letter I learn that another one of our company had died at Knox- ville the day before ; that we were drawing half rations of meal or flour and fresh beef, and that the latter was growing poorer in quality every day for want of forage ; that when we could not get the meal or flour, two ears of corn per man were issued instead; that the smaller rations of coffee and sugar were to us luxuries that we could not always indulge in, and that beans and rice were known only by name; that our men during this time were in very poor quarters, and the clothing they had drawn while in Kentucky was much the worse for wear, and afforded little protection : that their shoes were, in many cases, completely worn out, and they were making moccasins of raw hide to keep their feet from frost and snow ; and, further on, that as destitute as the soldiers of the old Ninth Corps were. yet many of Long- street's men were in a worse condition, if such a thing was possible,-and we were led to think so from the wretched condition some of their deserters were in, for they were giving themselves up occasionally, coming in with feet or hands badly frost-bitten.
The letter closes by repeating the camp rumor that we were to go to Strawberry Plains in a day or two. On the 16th we did leave Lee's Springs, and marched to Strawberry Plains, about twelve miles distant. arriving there early in the afternoon. The march was very tire- some on account of the deep mud caused by a sudden thaw which had melted the snow and top of the ground, rendering our progress exceedingly slow.
On the 18th, Company F, Captain Woodward in com- mand, was detailed for guard on picket duty at McMil- lan's ford. about two or three miles below the plains. and on the west side of the Holston river. This ford takes its name from the owner of the property we were
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to hold and occupy. He was an old resident and a loyal man, the family at this time consisting of himself and wife, one son-who was a refugee in the mountains or in the Union army-his son's wife, and an infant child. He had a very good set of farm buildings, but he, like the rest of the loyal men in Knox county, had been entirely cleaned out of all kinds of stock and forage. Besides the house which he occupied-a comfortable two-story farm- house-there was the original log house, that had been their home in their younger days, now used as a weave- room, and containing the old loom. spinning-wheel, etc., so frequently found among the people in that region. This log house we took possession of for our head-quar- ters, as it was quite handy to the river bank, and the road to the ford passed directly by the door.
A detachment of our men had secured the few small boats used by the people near by on both sides of the river, and drawn them up high on the bank where they would be secure. All this having been attended to, our little company was divided into reliefs, and the men posted in the most advantageous positions for their observations, defence, and their own protection in case of an advance of the enemy in the vicinity of the ford. The farm was a level meadow extending from the bank- of the river, which was partially sheltered by trees, quite a distance to the rear ; it also included a ridge or bluff a little north-west of the house, extending to a heavy growth of timber.
Nothing occurred to alarm or disturb us for three days. We enjoyed ourselves well. The only discovery of importance made was, that at a farm-house on the opposite side of the river, and a very little above us, there appeared to be a resident who had not been dis- turbed by any foraging parties of friend or foe, as the stacks of hay or grain near the buildings, the herd of
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cattle and fine flock of sheep in the adjoining fields clearly indicated. We considered ourselves very fortu- nate when we could obtain half rations of poor meat with our meal, or two ears of corn, but we wanted a change of diet. We had been eating poor beef for a long time, and now we wanted mutton. Chicken we had no desire for, as we had had all we wanted while in Kentucky four or five months since, and nothing but some good fat mutton would satisfy us, especially when we could see plenty of it near by, and could probably get it by taking it. On the night of the 20th a few of the men were given permission to cross the river and do a little forag- ing, if they found they could do so with safety.
Launching one of the boats, and taking along an army blanket, they started, and not long afterward re- turned, bringing with them a good supply of nice mutton and a blanket full of ears of corn. Without waste of time the mutton was dressed and divided, and before we slept we had brought our little frying-pans into use, and greatly enjoyed an excellent supper. The corn we shelled that night, and early the next morning one of the boys secured an abandoned mule, and started for an old mill a mile or two in our rear, and had it ground.
Quite early in the forenoon of the 21st a few mounted refugees began to appear on the other shore, and they were permitted to ford the river and come into our lines. The first that arrived told us of the falling back of our troops on that side of the river, who had been doing duty in the vicinity of Dandridge, and that they had already crossed the Holston at Strawberry Plains. These refu- gees continued to arrive in small numbers until perhaps ten o'clock, the late comers confirming the reports of those earlier over, and adding also that Longstreet was close after them. The last person who appeared at the ford and wanted to come into our lines was a woman,
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who came to the water's edge and begged of us for humanity's sake to send a boat and take her over the river. Fearing there might be something behind we knew nothing about, or that some ruse was intended. no boat was launched for that purpose. But she was so intent on coming over that she made the attempt to wade across. She entered the cold, icy stream, but, after advancing a short distance, found the water too deep and the current too strong, and returned. It was hard indeed to listen to her pleadings for help and be obliged to refuse, but our duties would not now permit us to run any risks and grant the aid she asked.
Very shortly after this, the enemy's cavalry appeared in quite strong force near the farm-house on the opposite side. They very evidently knew that the ford was guarded, for they placed their men in position about the hay or grain stacks, in fence corners, and behind any- thing that would protect them. Very soon we were engaged in a brief skirmish, all of our men taking a hand in it. At the same time we could hear the artillery briskly engaged above us, and supposed, what was after- ward shown to be the fact, that it was at the bridge at the Plains which our force wished to destroy, and which the "rebs" wished to preserve. When the enemy first appeared in our front, Captain W. ordered one man to be stationed in the edge of the woods on the ridge already spoken of, for from that point a better view could be had, and their movements could be clearly seen. One of our most trusty young soldiers was posted there, and instructed to report the result of his observations. He was at first well pleased with the position assigned him, but. wanting to see more, he advanced to the more open field for that purpose. The result was that he was dis- covered, and drew upon himself a volley from the other side. The serving as a target for so many made the
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