USA > New Hampshire > A history of the Second regiment, New Hampshire volunteer infantry, in the war of the rebellion > Part 14
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The brigade advanced slowly beyond Sherfey's, and then, leaving the road, passed across the fields to the right, toward the
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
foot of Cemetery Ridge, where the brigade commander reported his arrival to General Sickles. This junction occurred at about nine o'clock. The mists, clouds and showers of the early morning had been dissipated, and the sun shone in a cloudless sky. Massed in column of regiments, the brig- ade rested for three hours, or until nearly noon. An ominous quiet, almost oppressive, rested upon the field. The fringe of forest beyond the Emmitsburg road formed a leafy curtain behind which it was certain Lee was setting the stage for this day's great tragedy. It was felt that the rebel chief would attempt to follow up his partial success of the previous day ; but where would the blow fall? The time was approaching when this problem would be solved. Sickles, by an energetic reconnoissance to Sergt. John O. Stevens, Co. B. the front, led by Berdan, uncov- Wounded at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, and died of wounds July 3. He was from Wentworth. ered the movement of an immense rebel column toward the left, held by the Third Corps, and he at once placed his command in position to meet the coming assault. His Second Division was posted along the Emmitsburg road, its left at Sherfey's ; the First Division thrown back so as to face nearly south, with Graham's brigade at the peach orchard, holding the salient angle of the corps line, DeTrobriand's in the centre, and Ward's upon the left, a considerable distance in advance of the Round Tops.
Burling's brigade was at first moved to position as support for the other two brigades of its division, but was shortly ordered to report to General Birney, commanding the First Division. By his direction the brigade was massed in a piece of woods west of Little Round Top, and not far from the wheat field, where, later in the day, the Fifth New Hampshire fought and Cross fell. Colonel
169
THE ENEMY'S OPENING SALUTE.
Cross, with others of the Fifth, came to greet acquaintances in the Second, but there was time for only a momentary chat.
The brigade was formed in columns of masses, facing west. There was but little, if any, artil- lery firing as yet, but the rifles of the skirmishers were beginning to talk. The brigade was ordered forward out of the woods, and advanced, first at quick, then at double-quick time. If the move- ment was intended to develope the enemy's position by drawing his fire, it succeeded to perfection. The instant the brigade uncovered it was greeted with a storm of shells from rebel guns about a thousand yards distant. The Sec- ond's colors were shot out of their bearer's hands, the staff being broken into three pieces, and several men were wounded. The blue mass halted, until the purpose Sergt. Nathan E. Kuse, Co. E. of the movement being accom- Wounded at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, and died of wounds July 31. He was from South Newmarket. plished, as was supposed, it was about-faced and marched back to the slight cover afforded by the grove and the conformation of the ground. Simultaneously a battery of brass guns came tearing up and went gallantly into position a little to the right. One of Sickles' aides rode up to Burling and in an excited manner inquired by whose authority the brigade had been moved back. "By my own," was Burling's reply ; and he was ordered to take his command forward again.
But orders were now flying thick and fast. Before the move- ment could be executed one of Birney's aides dashed up with orders for the brigade to change direction to the left, by which it would be brought to front with the division line of battle. This had barely been accomplished when another aide was up with orders for Burling to detail two of his largest regiments to report to
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
General Graham, and the Second New Hampshire and Seventh New Jersey were detached to that duty. The Second at once withdrew from the brigade column of mass. By the somewhat circuitous route taken to avoid a swampy run the distance to Graham's position was probably more than half a mile, most of which was covered by the Second at the double-quick. As the regiment approached the peach orchard, marching in column of fours, it was formed, first by companies into line, and then by com- panies forward into line, all in double-quick time, and marching up the slope in one of its best lines of battle, the Second was reported to General Graham. He directed it to be placed in immediate support of Ames' New York battery -six brass twelve-pounders, then in position at the north-west angle of the peach orchard.
Lieut. Edmund Dascomb, Co. G.
Wounded at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, and died of wounds July 13. He was finely educated, and possessed of high literary talents. At the recep- tion of the regiment in Manchester, in 1863, he made a speech which carried the audience by Storm, and subsequently took an active part in the political campaign, on the stump. His body rests in the national cemetery, Grave 11, Section A, New Hampshire Lot.
The right wing of the regiment moved directly forward in line, and was ordered to lie down, being then parallel to and facing the Emmitsburg road. The left wing, by the movement then known as "by the right flank by file left," followed the rear of the left of the right wing, and upon being halted, faced to the left, being thus brought into line at right angles with the right wing. Com-
pany B was detached as sharpshooters and stationed near the right of the battery, about the Wentz buildings, a one-story wood farm house and two or three small outbuildings on the east side of the
I7I
SUPPORTING AMES' BATTERY.
Emmitsburg road, which at this point is intersected by the Fairfield (or Millerstown) road, running east and west. The Sherfey build- ings, more often quoted in general mention of this position, were about thirty rods north, on the west side of the Emmitsburg road.
It was soon apparent that, as the enemy's fire was developing, the right wing of the regiment was unnecessarily exposed, and to secure better shelter it made a change of front forward upon the color company, bringing the whole regiment to face south, with its right in the garden to the rear of the Wentz house. This move was made at about 3.15 p. m. Ames' battery was having quite a lively duel with rebel guns away to the south, near the Emmitsburg road, and was apparently having the best of it, when a four gun battery came out of the woods directly to the west and opened from a distance of five hundred yards, completely enfilading the Sec- ond and its battery. Ames at 1 once turned his right section upon this new arrival, and these two pieces, with the assistance of Company B, gave the rebel battery a wicked reception. One of its guns was dismounted by a lucky shot, and its gunners First Sergt. John P. Stone, Co. A. knocked over, right and left, Killed at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. He was from Swanzey, and the original eighth corporal of the company. until they decided to go out of business for the time being. , For two hours and more the regiment lay in this position, the men closely hugging the ground and biding with the stoical philosophy of veterans the time when they could "get in their work." As they lay, the foliage of the peach orchard screened from their view everything in front of the battery, but an officer would occasionally saunter out to the guns to take in the situation.
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Wilber F. Brown, Co. B.
Enlisted from Epsom. Captured at Gettys- burg, July 2, 1863, and died in Andersonville prison, August 26, 1864. His grave is No. 6,871. Though but a boy, he was a marvelous shot with a rifle. He exhibited his skill when the regiment was at home by shooting a wild goose at Sugar Ball Eddy, in Concord, from a distance of nearly three hundred yards.
There were lulls in the artillery firing, but Ames gave the rebels the best he had whenever they became too demonstrative. Other Union batteries could be seen at work, both to the left of the peach orchard and along the Emmitsburg road, but the interest of the Second was centered upon Ames. The regiment, from its position, caught a good share of the missiles hurled at the battery, and many men were hit; the wounds being mostly of the horrible character incident to artillery work. Several car- tridge boxes were exploded. A shell struck and burst on the box of Corporal Thomas Bignall, of Company C. The cartridges were driven into his body and fired, and for nearly half a minute the devilish " musket shells" issued at
Washington were exploding in his quivering form. But death was mercifully quick. The next moment a fragment of shell explored the cartridge box of Sergeant James M. House, of Company I. The rapidity with which he tore off the infernal machine hanging by his side was astonishing, and he escaped with only a severe wound.
John A. Barker, of Company C, here received a notable wound, necessitating a trephine of the skull. The case is recorded in the " Medical and Surgical History of the War," and the piece of bone removed is now in the Army and Navy Medical Museum, at Wash- ington. Barker has given the following interesting account of his
I73
A WOUNDED MAN'S EXPERIENCE.
experiences : " I was leaning up against a small peach tree at the time. A shell burst within a dozen feet of me. I hardly know how to describe my situation. The last thing before my eyes was the form of Colonel Bailey and the prostrate forms of the men as they were lying down for safety. The shell exploded at my left ; I was struck on top of the head by a fragment, and was knocked insen- sible. The first thing I knew afterwards was that my comrades
Corpl. John A. Barker, Co. C.
Was taken prisoner at the first Bull Run battle. Severely wounded at Gettysburg. Now City Messenger of Manchester.
were trying to carry me to the rear. I could see nothing. Sud- denly I was dropped, and I never knew why until I got home, months afterwards, and met my comrades. It seems that the man who had hold of my right leg, Charles Moore by name, was killed, and the remainder of my would-be rescuers were ordered back to the regiment and had to obey. Moore is now buried in the national cemetery at Gettysburg. I laid on the ground. The Rebs
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
were coming up fast. It seemed to me as though matters were becoming pretty warm, and I commenced to crawl. I did not know where I was going, but had the queer impression that I was headed for the rear. Soon I crawled up against a man. I tried to arouse him to have him assure me that my direction was correct. The man, however, was dead. I did not dare to go around him, for fear I would lose my way by swerving, and I strad- dled over him. I came to another fellow, who was wounded. I was about to crawl over him, when he asked me where I was going. I told him that I was going to the rear. He called an officer, and the latter ordered two men to take me to the rear. All the time I had been crawling along the Lieut. Charles W. Patch, Co. K. rear of the battle line. I was Received a gunshot wound in the abdomen at Gettysburg,' July 2, 1863, from which he died July 10. He was from Portsmouth, and was mustered in as third sergeant of Co. K. taken to the corps hospital. I was struck by the shell at four o'clock in the afternoon, and did not get under the surgeon's care until the next afternoon, when I was told my skull was fractured."
During this time rebel batteries were moving to position around that devoted angle, until fifty-six pieces were within a range of not more than a thousand yards. At five o'clock it was apparent the crisis was near. Ames' battery, having exhausted its ammunition, was withdrawn, the men of the Second making way for its passage to the rear through their ranks, and Battery I, Fifth U. S. Artillery, an estray from the Fifth Corps, took its place. The Rodman rifled guns of these regulars were hardly in position when the rebel artil- lery opened a terrific concentric fire upon that doomed angle. The veterans of the Second, who had learned to read the signs, knew there was an infantry assault behind all that hubbub. Hood's
175
MCLAW'S ASSAULT.
division of Longstreet's corps was already furiously assailing the left, where the Fifth Corps and a portion of the Second had been sent to Sickles' assistance. The fight for the possession of Little Round Top, in full view of the Second, was at its height, the rocky pinnacle belching flames like a volcano, and the crash of musketry was heavy and continuous.
Now every gun upon that great outer circle seemed to concen- trate its fire upon that little acre about the Wentz house. The Third Maine, which had been skirmishing in front of the battery, was withdrawn and formed to the rear of the Second, while the Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania took position upon its left. It was
toward six o'clock when, under cover of the artillery fire, the long-concealed infantry of McLaw's rebel division dis- closed itself and moved forward for a simultaneous, converging attack upon both faces of Sickles' salient. Kershaw's brig- ade, followed by Semmes', crossed to the east side of the Emmitsburg road, and pressed forward to get within striking distance of the peach orchard from the south, while Barks- dale's brigade, with Wofford's in support, advanced against the Emmitsburg road front.
Colonel Bailey, while taking a view from a point of observa- tion near the Emmitsburg road, First Sergt. David W. Colburn, Co. C. noted the rapid advance of a Killed at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. He was from Goffstown, and entered the service as a corporal of Company C. column of massed battalions. He watched it just long enough to determine that it was a genuine column of attack, with no skirmishers thrown forward, and that it was pushing directly for the battery the Second was supporting and would be upon it in a very few minutes. He ran with all speed to
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
General Graham, meeting him some distance to the rear of the Second, gave him warning, and suggested that the Second should charge. "Yes, for God's sake, go forward !" replied Graham.
The Second came to their feet with a great sigh of relief. They had begun to chafe in the leash. Despite many casualties, there were probably more than three hundred men still left to "go for- ward." No time was wasted on frills-only a moment for a hasty alinement. There was not time even to rally Company B into the line, and most, if not all, of its men were left at their work about the Wentz house. Besides, they appeared to be fully engaged, just then. The lieutenant in command of the battery was seen to be spiking his guns, indicating that he considered them as good as lost. He was not acquainted with his supports. It is safe to say that no battery commander in the Third Corps would ever have done that so long as he had the Second New Hampshire with him. But this battery had been very nearly silenced for some time by the overpowering rebel fire, and its commander simply lost his nerve.
" Forward, guide center !"-and the Second was off. One of the battery lieutenants, with the aid of a corporal, was training one of the guns upon the head of the advancing column, and just as the Second passed, the double-shotted piece was discharged. Simul- taneously came the order to charge, and with a roar of defiance from three hundred throats the Second went tearing down the slope. They did not have to hunt for the enemy-there he was, right before them. The rebels halted a moment, in dazed surprise at this devil's whirlwind which had been let loose upon them. It seemed to be a halt involuntary and without orders. Those ragged veterans saw it " meant business." The savage, confident dash of the charge was suggestive of a heavy support behind, and there was not much time for them to stop and think the matter over. They did what any other body of troops would have done under like circumstances-about-faced and went back as fast as they could run, for a new start.
On went the Second, in a south-west course, about one hundred and fifty yards, through the peach orchard, its right wing out at its angle and partially across the Emmitsburg road. A sharp fire was maintained upon those fleeing rebels, until they reached a little
IN THE PEACH ORCHARD. 177
depression in the fields and piled into it, out of sight. There was some difficulty in halting the Second. Its blood was up, and many of the men seemed to think that now was the time to go into Rich- mond. But they were at length cooled down, and the regiment was quickly moved a little to the left along the line of a rail fence at the southerly edge of the orchard, its right resting on the road.
The fire was now directed, at the left oblique, upon a body of
N
DWentz
BARKS
Fairfield Road.
DALE
C
A
PEACH
68 PA
ORCHARD
2:N.H.
3-ME.
141 PA.
Emmits buro Road
KERSHAW
THEPEACH ORCHARD, GETTYSBURG, About 6, p.m. JULY 2 A-Ames' N.Y. Battery, relieved by Watson's U.S. B-Thompson's Pa. - C- Hart's N.Y.
troops about three hundred and fifty yards to the front and left, who were moving by their right flank, in two lines, nearly parallel with the front of the Second. This was Kershaw's brigade of five Mississippi regiments. At this time the Third Maine came tearing down the slope, lined up on the left of the Second, and joined in the firing ; while the Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania came in upon the
12
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
right of the Second, forming at right angles with its line, facing west, along the Emmitsburg road. Many regiments fought in a peach orchard at Gettysburg ; but the three above enumerated were the only ones who formed a line in "the" peach orchard that day.
Kershaw had a rough experience. When first struck by the Second, he was trying to reach a position from which to enter the Union lines at the east side of the peach orchard. He afterwards intimated that his discomfiture was a result of Barksdale's failure to attack simultaneously. Perhaps the Second's charge, with its temporary setback to a part of Barksdale's column, was accountable for this hitch in the arrangements.
1
1
George F. Clements, Co. C.
Kershaw was so roughly handled that his troops made good time in getting among the rocks and shrubbery of a con- venient covert to their right. Here they encountered some of DeTrobriand's troops, and after a lively fight fell back two hundred yards, to the cover of the Rose farm buildings. Even here their troubles were not over, as Hart's battery-which had been pounding them with magnificent accuracy from the moment they came in sight- made a veritable shambles of the Rose grounds. Afterwards, the position was found covered with dead South Carolinians.
Killed at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. He was from Somersworth. Following the Second's charge, there came for a brief time a lull in the fire of the rebel artillery. The rebels were evidently sizing up and getting the range of the new disposition of troops which had been thrust forward in their faces ; and Barksdale was meantime reorganizing his somewhat disordered column of attack. Then came the storm. Every rebel gun was let loose, until the peach orchard seemed to be almost moving in the windage
I79
BARKSDALE'S CHARGE.
of hurtling metal. Under cover of this tremendous fire the final, decisive assault was made by Barksdale. Formed by battalions in mass in line of battle, his troops swept steadily for- ward. From their direction it was to be seen that their right, unless checked, would enter the peach orchard somewhere on the line held by the Sixty-eighth Pennsyl- vania. The Second directed its fire, at the right oblique, full upon the advancing col- umn, but it pushed forward with magnificent determina- tion, its gray masses rising and falling with the inequal- Lieut. Charles Vickery, Co. I. ities of the ground, now sinking into a depression, Wounded at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, and died of wounds July 10. He was the original fifth corporal of the company, and from Manchester. and then bursting over a swale, but always onward. The Sixty-eighth, which had been losing heavily, withdrew up the slope before the impact came, and immediately after, the Third Maine also fell back. The charging column, its front now blazing with the fire of small arms, advanced across the unprotected right flank of the Second.
The subsequent evolutions of the regiment could only have been performed by troops of superlative discipline and nerve. The regiment was about-faced and retired, making a change of front to the rear while marching. Half way through the peach orchard, it halted and maintained a sharp fire until again overtopped, when the movement was repeated, bringing the regiment over the crest and almost directly facing the Emmitsburg road. Here there were a few moments of very close and very ugly work, when, being entirely unsupported, the regiment was drawn back a short distance, under cover, somewhat, of the eastern slope of the ridge.
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Concerning the last stand made by the regiment, Colonel Bailey has written : " In executing this movement, and upon facing the regiment about to again confront the enemy, I gave the order for captains to rectify the alinement, but the enemy not following closely, and being a litttle dis- satisfied with the direction of the line, I established a general line and ordered, 'On the center, dress !' I shall not forget that then I heard for the last time the voice of Captain Henry N. Metcalf, who, dress- ing his company as coolly as if upon parade, having finished said in a low tone intended for my ear alone, with a twinkle of satisfaction lighting his eye, ' How does that line suit you, Colonel?' eliciting the response, ' Excellent ! excel- lent !' for it was well deserved. And here he laid down his life. Capt. Henry N. Metcalf, Co. F. I think his feet never left the Killed at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. Was from Keene, a printer by occupation, and entered the service as first lieutenant of Co. A. Immediately after the incident related by Col. Bailey, he said to Corpl. William H. Piper, "A good line, that, Henry." They were his last words; he fell the next instant with a bullet in his brain. line ; for I believe I was among the first to enter the peach orchard after the battle was over, in company with George C. Coburn, before our army was aware of General Lee's departure, and we found the regimental line plainly marked by our dead : here, Captain Metcalf, to the left, Captain Roberts, and from right to left each company's station, as gallant and glorious an offering of discipline and devotion as ever was laid upon the altar of our country."
It was close, stubborn and deadly work-this last stand of the Second. The Compte de Paris well characterized the peach orchard fight by a single word, "murderous," and this tussle was its bloody and terrible culmination. The Third Maine and Sixty-
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A PLUCKY STAND.
eighth Pennsylvania made a gallant attempt to come to the Second's support, charging up into the terrible fire to prolong the line upon the right : but it was too hot for them, and they did not reach the position.
The enemy now had possession of the Emmitsburg road as far as Sherfey's, and beyond. There were no Union troops upon the left of the Second, and those upon its right were being forced back and northward from it. The angle was smashed, and everything going to the rear, where a new line was being hastily put together. Sickles and Graham were both wounded; the latter a prisoner. Nearly three-fifths of the Second Regiment were down, and the men still left, planted amid their dead and wounded comrades, were standing up to their work as steadily and unflinchingly as though not a man had been hit. Had occasion required, they were in the spirit to stop right there until three-fifths of those yet on their feet had been knocked over. But it was only a waste of lives for a handful of men to remain alone and unsup- ported in such a slaughterpen. The Second was about-faced, and in regimental line moved down the slope, in perfect order, Corpl. John Chase, Co. C. and taking with it such of its Killed at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. He was from Auburn. wounded as could be carried along. Approaching the new line, where several batteries were in position, the regiment broke into column from its left (now become the right), and passed to the east, left in front, receiving, as it moved along the line of the artillery, round upon round of cheers from the batterymen, who had been interested spectators of the closing scenes at the peach orchard.
The regiment halted to the rear of the artillery, near a stream
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
(Pine Run) where water-much needed-was found, and where the wounded who had been brought thus far could receive some attention. The adjutant was sent to ascertain the whereabouts of the brigade, which the regiment rejoined in the evening, going into bivouac near Little Round Top.
The Second took three hundred and fifty-four officers and enlisted men into the fight.
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