USA > New Hampshire > A history of the Eleventh New Hampshire Regiment, Volunteer Infantry in the rebellion war, 1861-1865, pt 1 > Part 6
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ELEVENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE.
third and last attempt has failed. The divisions return, leaving the plain and hill-side strewn with thousands of brave men who have fallen in the ineffectual struggle."
REMINISCENCES.
( BY CAPT. GEORGE E. PINGREE.)
One evening while I was on picket duty on the Rap- pahannock before the battle of Fredericksburg, a rebel band came down to the river and played "Dixie." A brigade band on our side responded with "John Brown's Body." The rebel band retaliated with the " Bonny Blue Flag," and our band came at them with the " Star Spangled Banner." So they played back and forth at each other until late in the evening. Suddenly all music ceased, and silence reigned ; when all at once a musician on our side played splendidly on a key bugle " Home, Sweet Home." As the sweet sounds rose and fell on the evening air, and were wafted down the Falmouth Heights and over the Rappahannock, all listened intently, and I do n't believe there was a dry eye in all those assembled thousands. For a moment or two after the bugle ceased a dead silence reigned, broken then by a wild, exultant cheer from both armies.
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On one occasion, when I crossed the river under a flag of truce for conference with the officer in command on the other side, I heard one of my men, who had rowed me over, ask a rebel, " Why don't you fellows get better guns?" The answer was, "There will be a battle mighty soon, and after it is over we'll pick up all the guns you'uns leave on the field." Those posted on the Fredericksburg battle know that they did so. .
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REMINISCENCES.
One remarkable incident happened to me while con- nected with the Second New Hampshire. At the first Bull Run I came very near being captured, and in order to escape flung away my musket and fled. My initials were cut in the breech of the gun. The next spring, while fighting at Williamsburg, my musket got too foul to be loaded, and seeing a nice, clean gun by the side of a dead rebel I picked it up, and it was my own gun left at Bull Run. I decided I would keep it always, but when wounded, later, was forced to drop and leave it forever.
One day, while on picket duty in the Eleventh on the Rappahannock, a flag of truce was waved on the other side. The parties were directed to cross, and a boat-load came over containing General Kershaw, commanding at Fredericksburg, Mayor Slaughter, and the city coun- cil. They stated that they came over to reply to a sum- mons from General Burnside to surrender the city. We sent a soldier with the news to General Burnside, who sent down his chief of staff, requesting the parties to recross the river and return the next day, as it was too late in the afternoon for conference that day. The next day General Kershaw came over alone, and was escorted to General Burnside's head-quarters. Soon after he had gone there, an officer on the other side waved a flag of truce and came over. Introducing himself as Captain King on General Longstreet's staff, he said he wanted to see General Kershaw at once. Knowing that Captain King's presence meant the approach of General Long- street, and not wishing General Kershaw to know that fact until after his talk with General Burnside, I in- formed Captain King that I had no authority to pass him through our lines, and so kept him at the bank of the river until late in the afternoon, when General Kershaw
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returned. Immediately on his arrival Captain King rushed up to him and said, "General, have you sur- rendered the city?" ". No," replied Kershaw, " I told Burnside if he wanted the city, to come and take it!" "All right," responded King; " General Longstreet is approaching,-is probably in the city now,-and Lee is coming." Kershaw and King then recrossed the river. I was told that King was killed in the battle which soon followed.
When we crossed the river towards evening of the day that Burnside bombarded the town. we camped on the river-bank that night in Fredericksburg. Looking for a place to sleep in the street, and having no blanket with me, I came across a soldier lying there, comfortably enveloped in three blankets ; spoke to him, but, as he seemed to be sleeping very soundly, I lifted up his cov- erings and crawled under the blankets with him. Awak- ening in the morning, I found my " room-mate " to be a very dead rebel, whose head had evidently been taken off by a cannon-ball.
When Burnside was " stuck in the mud," I was listen- ing to a mule-whacker whose wagon was fast in the mud. The driver certainly poured out the most varied assort- ment of oaths I ever heard in my life. Suddenly Gen- eral Burnside appeared, and sternly rebuked the man for his profanity. The general dismounted, placed his shoulder to the hind wheel, directed me to do likewise on the off side, and we both lifted and strained to our utmost, but the wagon didn't budge an inch. Flushed and muddy, the general remounted. then turned to the driver, and naively said .- " As soon as I get out of hearing, you just pitch into those mules, and make them pull out that wagon ; I believe they can do it."
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CHAPTER III.
FROM DECEMBER 16, 1862, TO AUGUST 14, 1863-IN VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY-THE MISSISSIPPI CAMPAIGN-EXTRACTS FROM LIEU- TENANT PAIGE'S LETTERS-THE RETURN TO GENERAL BURN- SIDE-BIOGRAPHIC SKETCHES OF REGIMENTAL OFFICERS.
Routine duty in camp and on picket was again resumed, and on the night of December 29th the regi- ment was ordered to be ready to march the next morning with three days' rations and sixty rounds of ammunition -forty in the cartridge-boxes and twenty in the pockets of the men ;- but the order was countermanded, for the reason that somebody had been intriguing against Burn- side at Washington, and President Lincoln sent this to Burnside,-" I have good reason for saying that you must not make a general movement without letting me know it." On the 5th of January following, Burnside tendered his resignation as a major-general of volunteers, which was not accepted by the president. Burnside, still believing that success was certain, determined to cross the river either above or below Fredericksburg, and finally decided to make the crossing at Banks's ford.
On the morning of January 20 the army was on the move ; everything worked well the first day, but at night a furious storm burst upon the army ; the wind roared and raged, and the rain fell in torrents ; the roads were one bed of mud and mire. No trains could be moved ; and Burnside, on the morning of the 22d, ordered the army back to its old encampment,-and back it went, the men making the best time they possibly could, the artillery and supply trains floundering on the retreat, and at times buried, as it were, in the mud ; and the harpies
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ELEVENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE.
and the critics and the sore-heads called it " Burnside's march in the mud." On January 25th Burnside was relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac, and returned to his home in Providence. General Hooker was now in command of the Army of the Potomac, and General John Sedgwick was in command of the Ninth Corps until March. 1863, when he was relieved by Major-General John G. Parke, who had a long connec- tion with the corps.
February 10. 1863, the Ninth Corps was detached from the Army of the Potomac and sent to Newport News. February 7 the regiment received orders to provide itself with three days' cooked rations, blankets to be rolled, canteens filled with water, knapsacks packed, everything ready to move on one hour's notice .- all of which was done, and then the men waited for the order to strike tents ; but the regiment did not move until the tenth, when it marched to the station and took the cars for Acquia Creek, thence on transports to Newport News via Fortress Monroe. The change was a happy one for the Eleventh and the entire Ninth Corps. New tents were provided for the corps. These looked finely, pitched up and down the James river. With clean, broad streets. an abundance of shade-trees, and fresh, bracing salt air, the men enjoyed themselves finely. With all the rest, there were plenty of nice oysters and bountiful rations as well. and the spirits of the men rose as they real- ized more and more the great change that had been wrought in their surroundings ; and they made the most of the short time they were to remain there. However, there was considerable sickness in the regiment. and several brave men died. lamented by all their comrades. Drill and picket duty took up quite a portion of the time. Up to the 12th of March, 1863, the captains of the regiment had remained in rank as Col. Harriman had appointed
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IN KENTUCKY.
shortly after the regiment was organized. At that time an order was received from the War Department that the officers should be ranked in accordance with the date of their muster. By this order Captain Dudley, who had been second in rank. became the ranking captain, and this arrangement was continued during the war.
But rumblings of war were again heard. Longstreet was reported as advancing on Suffolk, and one division of the Ninth Corps was sent to reinforce the troops already there. The excitement soon died away, but the camp was full of rumors of the corps going here, there, and no one knew where. Shelter tents and clothing were issued to the men. One division had already gone, and on the morning of March 26 the Eleventh broke camp and embarked on the steamer John Rice, with orders to report at Cincinnati, via Baltimore, there to be again under its old commander, General Burnside. Cincinnati was reached on the morning of March 31, and the regiment marched up through a portion of the city to Fifth Street market where a most excellent break- fast, provided by the good people of that city, was par- taken of. At I p. m. the regiment, followed by thou- sands of the loyal people of the "Queen City of the West," marched down past the Burnett House. There Burnside made his appearance, and was greeted with lusty cheers, the men presenting arms at the same time. The march was resumed down to the ferry-boat, and the regiment was soon in Covington, Ky., where it remained until the next morning, when it boarded the cars and at night halted at Paris. Some of the men remained over night in the cars, some in a church near at hand, others wherever a good place could be found.
The next morning an order was received to remain at this point, and as there were no means of transportation with the regiment, the quartermaster, Major Briggs,
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with one captain and a detail of two men from each com- pany, started in search of teams, with orders to treat everybody civilly, but to "bring in some teams at all events." The day's tramp was a severe one, but the order was obeyed, and when the work was done six good teams stood ready for the regiment's use. The country was rich and fertile. All the work on the land was done by horses and mules. Still, nearly every man of whom a team was asked for. declared he had but one horse or one mule, but diligent search and a few plain words brought forth the team all the same.
This was in the "blue-grass region," which, for its rich soil, fine forests, broad, rolling fields, and healthy climate, is one of the brightest spots on earth. The next day, April 3. the regiment resumed its march, and camped that night near Mount Sterling, after a tramp of twenty-two miles. The next morning it moved into the village, and as it was passing through its principal street, past a large, elegant house, the owner and his entire family were out to bid us welcome. A young lady, one of his daughters, stood by the side of the street waving a flag and saying, " God bless the Yankees ; I love to see you here !" which was royally responded to by the boys of the regiment. The camp was in a rock-maple grove, and the boys tapped a good many trees to remind them of their homes. The warfare in Kentucky at this time was of the guerrilla stamp. Neighborhoods were at log- gerheads ; old acquaintances passed each other unno- ticed ; some who had been the best of friends previous to the war. were now at variance, and a bad feeling gener- ally prevailed.
The regiment picketed by detail on the farther side of the town on the Sharpsburg pike, having charge of the toll-gate through which every one was admitted into town. But no one was allowed to go out without a pass
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IN KENTUCKY.
from the provost marshal in the town. This gate was kept by three sisters living close to it, only one of whom could read, write, or reckon, and they were as ignorant of the world outside of their immediate vicinity as were the mass of the people of that state. They complained bitterly because a woollen mill above them had been burned a short time before, and one of them said to the officer in charge of the picket, "I wish you could have seen that mill before it was burned ; it was a great one." When asked how many hands were employed in it before its destruction, she said. "As much as fifteen or twenty ;" and the officer replied, "We have cotton mills up in New England that have 300 employés in one room." The reply came, "Oh, you git out! We've hearn you Yanks tell that story before, but it's no such a thing." Sunday morning, April 12, an order was received allow- ing a portion of the regiment to attend church in the vil- lage, but directing the men to go armed; which they did, thus repeating the history of the olden times in New England.
While lying in camp at Mount Sterling the following incident occurred : A comrade of the Fifty-first New York came into the camp of the Eleventh about mid- night pretty well intoxicated, and thus accosted the guard in front of Colonel Harriman's quarters : " I have just been paid off, and I am afraid I shall spend my money foolishly ; and I want to give it to your colonel to keep for me. I won't trust any of my officers with it. Your colonel is the best man God ever made. I want him to take it." The guard refused to wake the colonel, and the soldier said. .. You must be a pretty good fellow, or you wouldn't be here on guard : take it and give it to the colonel." And the guard did as he directed.
April 17 the regiment broke camp and marched to Winchester, a distance of eighteen miles, and went into
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camp, remaining there until May 4, when it again took up the march. Passing through Lexington and Nich- olasville. it crossed the Kentucky river at Hickman's bridge; thence through Lancaster to Paint Lick creek, where it arrived on the 7th. Having remained there until Sunday, the 10th, it then marched back ten miles to Lancaster, and went into camp. On Saturday, May 23, a warm, sultry day with clouds of dust flying. it marched twelve miles to Crab Orchard. which was left Monday, the 25th, and a march made to Stamford, twelve miles, where a halt was made until Wednesday, June 3, when it broke camp. After bivouacking that night at Lancaster. it reached Nicholasville the next day, and took the cars for Cincinnati, arriving the next morning. At 6 p. m. of that day it took the cars again, and on Sunday morning. June 7, reached Cairo, Ill. The next day it went on board the steamer Imperial and steamed down the Mississippi. and on Sunday morn- ing, June 14, arrived at Sherman's Landing, three miles above Vicksburg, on the Louisiana side of the river, and went into camp. The next morning the regiment marched down the right bank of the river four miles, then crossed to Warrenton, Miss .; but in a couple of hours it recrossed the river and returned to its camp left in the morning. The next morning it sailed up the Mis- sissippi to the mouth of the Yazoo. then up that river twelve miles to Snyder's Bluff, Miss .. remaining on board the steamer that night. and the next morning marched three miles and went into camp at a place called Milldale.
THE MISSISSIPPI CAMPAIGN.
And why was the Ninth Corps ordered to Mississippi? Grant had laid siege to Vicksburg, a ditlicult and ardu- ous task, but brilliant in conception. The siege com-
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THE MISSISSIPPI CAMPAIGN.
menced May 22, and. the rebel government foreseeing the danger that would result to the Confederacy if the siege was successful, all of the available rebel troops in the Southern department were ordered to report near Jackson, Miss., and placed under the command of Gen- eral Joseph E. Johnston, who, with the exception of Longstreet. was Lee's ablest officer. To General Johns- ton was assigned the task of raising the siege of Vicks- burg by attacking Grant in the rear. Grant at once saw his danger, and telegraphed the president for assist- ance, " to be sent in immediately."
Burnside was on the point of marching his corps for the redemption of East Tennessee, when he received a dispatch from Washington asking him if he could spare any troops to assist Grant. He immediately sent word that he could, for he considered Grant's necessity for more troops greater than his own; and on June 3, at Lexington, General Burnside received an order to rein- force Grant with eight thousand men. The order was instantly obeyed, and the next day the Ninth Corps was on its way to Vicksburg under command of Major-Gen- eral John G. Parke. Burnside desired to lead his old corps himself, but he was needed more in his depart- ment. It was with the greatest sorrow that Burnside parted with his men, but on the 7th he had the proud satisfaction of receiving from Secretary Stanton the fol- lowing despatch : .. You will accept the thanks of the president and vice-president for your alacrity and prompt- ness in sending forward reinforcements to General Grant."
It was the part of General Johnston to make the attack upon the Ninth Corps, but this he declined to do, for he had been foiled in every attempted demonstration against the Federal lines, and as a result the troops had two weeks of quiet. On the 25th of June a reconnaissance
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1 was made by the Sixth New Hampshire and the Seventh Rhode Island, under command of Colonel S. G. Griffin. The enemy was found strongly intrenched and on the alert, and the troops returned to their own camp. Earth- works were thrown up in Grant's rear to render his posi- tion more secure. There were two of these lines of works, the one along Oak Ridge to guard the roads leading across the Big Black river. and the other extend- ing from Haines's Bluff through Milldale, on the' high land east of Vicksburg, commanding the approaches from the east and north.
Vicksburg surrendered on the 4th of July, and before Grant had fully taken possession of the city the Ninth Corps was on the march in pursuit of Johnston. The corps crossed the Big Black at different points. On the evening of the 7th, it bivouacked not far from Jefferson Davis's plantation, which was near Bolton. The march was uneventful until it neared Jackson, where both armies lay for several days watching each other. On the 16th General Sherman ordered a reconnoissance in force, for the purpose of ascertaining the rebel position. The enemy replied with his shot and shell. doing some damage to the Union troops, who were withdrawn, and arrangements were made for an assault on the following morning.
The Second Brigade of the Ninth Corps. to which the Eleventh New Hampshire belonged, was in the trenches. under command of General Ferrero. Early in the even- ing some deserters who came into our lines reported Johnston evacuating Jackson. The darkness prevented any movement until two o'clock the following morning. June 17, when Ferrero's Brigade occupied the skirmish line. and at daylight made a dash for the enemy's works. which they found evacuated ; and at six o'clock Ferrero entered the city. The Eleventh New Hampshire being
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EXTRACTS FROM LIEUT. PAIGE'S LETTERS.
in the advance, would have been the first to raise its flag in the city but for the illness of the color-bearer, who was unable to do so until too late, and the flag of the Thirty-fifth Massachusetts was raised, followed by that of the Eleventh New Hampshire. We take great pleas- ure in appending the following from the letters of Lieu- tenant C. C. Paige :
EXTRACTS FROM LIEUT. PAIGE'S LETTERS.
" We remained at Milldale, which place we had forti- fied, three weeks; then marched to Oak Ridge. where we remained one week. We started from this place on the trebly memorable 4th of July, marched six miles, and camped. The next day we marched eight miles, and camped within two miles of Big Black river, where we remained two nights. Tuesday, the 7th, we marched at 2 p. m., crossed the river, and made twelve miles. The plains on either side of the river are one mile and a half wide ; when we crossed them there was no air, and the sun's rays were unmercifully warm, and as a result very many of the men fell with sun-stroke. Shortly after 6 o'clock, and while we were still on the march, it commenced to thunder and lighten, the storm increasing in severity, and about 9 p. m. the rain began to fall in torrents. This continued for two hours with short inter- missions, making a sight grand and sublime. We plod- ded on, though the rain came faster and the mud grew deeper and more slippery, and at about 12 m. camped. The next day, at 4 p. m., the march was resumed. and we made some eight miles and camped at ten p. m.
"Marched the next morning at 6, made some eight miles, and camped within sound of the enemy's guns, which we could hear occasionally in response to our
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ELEVENTH NEW HAMPSHIRE.
artillery, which was shelling the rebel position. Friday
miles, when we came up with the enemy, who were but morning, the roth, we marched very cautiously some six
a short distance in our front, and a line of battle was formed. The Eleventh Regiment was thrown out on the
our rear. A solid line was soon formed, skirmishers men, to prevent the rebs from flanking us and getting in left of the line with intervals of thirty feet between the
were thrown out, and the work commenced briskly : the rebels were quickly driven to their works around Jackson, and we were drawn in and marched about one mile and a half towards the front, where we camped for the night.
"The next morning we were ordered to the front as a reserve, and took up a position within one third of a mile of the skirmishers, and remained there until the next morning, the Sabbath. We were under fire at this place, the bullets being thick in the top of the trees, but they did no harm and served to keep us on the alert. On position was in an open field on a ridge between the two
that Sabbath morning. July 12. our regiment was ordered to the front to relieve the skirmishers at 3 a. m. Our skirts of woods on the opposite side from us. The enemy were secreted in the bushes and behind the trees, while we were lying flat between the rows,-for the land had been cultivated the previous season-and they got a good range on us. In addition to this their sharpshooters in the trees fired at us with a great deal of accuracy, while our fire was largely at random. The sun seemed to shine with all power, and some were sun-struck ; others were wounded ; and thus the day wore away with the missiles of death constantly flying about us. At dark a portion of the men were advanced a few rods, and the night was spent in digging rifle-pits for the sharpshooters to occupy the following day. At 3 a. m. we were relieved by the Sixth New Hampshire, and we retired a
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EXTRACTS FROM LIEUT. PAIGE'S LETTERS.
few rods to the rear, acting as their support. Shortly after the order was heard, . Fall in, quick "' and we were in line at once. The enemy started to charge us, but the volley of the Sixth sent them back to their lines.
"So, after having been under fire continuously for seventy-five hours, we retired about one mile and a half to rest, where we remained until the Tuesday morning following, at 2 a. m., when we were again placed in front to support the skirmishers. At 4 a. m. we received orders to be in line, and, at the firing of the signal gun, to advance with the bayonet. The gun pealed forth its solemn voice twice, and the yells and the volleys soon sounded all along the line. beginning at the right. It had extended half way along the line when the 'rebs' opened with great ferocity, and for a while the air was. full of the thunder of cannon and musketry. The object was gained and the firing ceased. It was supposed the enemy were evacuating the city, but all soon learned to the contrary.
"The next morning, Friday, the 17th, we were ordered into the pits to relieve those who had been there, and at 6 a. m. were ordered out again and advanced at ' charge bayonets,' constantly expecting to get a volley from the · rebs,' but not a fire opposed us, and soon we were in their works, capturing their brigadier-general. Proud and jubilant were we, the first to occupy the rebel works in Jackson! Our color-bearer was ill, and could not keep up with our charge, and for this reason the Thirty-fifth Massachusetts got the praise of first planting the Federal flag in the city. The boys enjoyed themselves nicely. Each got what his fancy liked best : sugar, molasses, and tobacco were quite free among us.
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