USA > New Hampshire > A history of the Second regiment, New Hampshire volunteer infantry, in the war of the rebellion > Part 18
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The following day (10th) the army returned to the Bermuda Hundred lines. It had destroyed about six miles of railroad, and Butler telegraphed the Secretary of War: "Lieutenant-General Grant will not be troubled with any further reinforcements to Lee from Beauregard's forces."
On the 12th General Kautz started out with two brigades of
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ADVANCE TO DREWRY'S BLUFF.
cavalry to cut the Danville railroad, and at the same time Butler moved north, toward Drewry's Bluff, with Weitzel's and Brooks' divisions of the Eighteenth Corps and Terry's and Turner's of the Tenth-in all about twenty thousand men. Butler encountered a cloud of rebel skirmishers, covering his entire front, almost as soon as he was clear of his works. These were pushed back, slowly but steadily, and by night the army had advanced three miles-half the distance to Drewry's Bluff-and went into bivouac on the south side of Proctor's Creek.
Early on the morning of the 13th the advance was continued, up the turnpike, until portions of Weitzel's skirmish line came in sight of the outer defences of Fort Darling, which were seen to be too strong for a direct assault if fully manned. But Gillmore, by a circuitous route to the left, turned the outer line and occupied its extreme left, nearly two miles from the turnpike. Gillmore's success led to the abandonment of the rest of that line by the rebels ; and when, the next morning, the Eighteenth Corps advanced-Brooks upon the left of the road, and Weitzel on the right-it met with no opposition except from skirmishers, the enemy having retired into his second, or intermediate, line of works.
The prominent feature of this intermediate line was a bastion Corpl. William H. Piper, Co. F. Resides at Laconia. salient of great strength, called Fort Stevens, upon an eminence immediately in front of Weitzel. It was also seen that the first line was really a great arm, or prong, of the second, with which it connected at a point near the fort. The enemy opened a heavy fire of artillery from Fort Stevens, which was kept up until Weitzel's skirmishers, advancing under cover of stumps and two or three log huts, reached a position from which they could command the embrasures with their rifles. The
224
SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
proper connections of brigades and divisions were made, and the line established about six hundred yards from the rebel works, with the picket line well advanced. There were plenty of logs for breastworks, which the troops set about constructing.
A general attack had been ordered for the morning of the 15th, but was abandoned as too hazardous, and probably wisely, as Beauregard, who was present in person, had ten brigades then assembled behind his fortifica- tions. The day was spent by Weitzel's troops in perfecting their breastworks, and the most judicious part of their labor was the setting of the same trap that had worked so beautifully in the Samuel H. Oliver, Co. I. defence of Fort Sanders, at Knox- Now a locomotive engineer, residing at Athol, Mass. ville. It possibly saved Butler's army from a disaster. From stump to stump in front of the breastworks, telegraph wires were strung at the right height to trip a charging force. The whole of Weitzel's front, with the exception of a portion of Heckman's brig- ade uncovered by extending his line to the right, was so protected, and it was of more service than a thousand muskets in the "fog fight" of the following morning. There was a lively picket fight going on all day, and the Second had one man killed-John Mc- Evay, of Company E.
On the morning of the 16th, Beauregard boldly assumed the offensive. The formation of Weitzel's division at the time of the attack was as follows :
Turnpike.
WISTAR.
HECKMA | N.
-
12
148
2
11
21
8
98
25
27
23
9
* Cavalry L'edettes.
N.H. N.Y. N.H. CT.
CT. ME.
N. Y.
MS.
MS.
MS.
N. J.
*
* * * *
*
THE "FOG FIGHT." 225
The three center regiments had been sent to Weitzel from other divisions to enable him to extend his line to the right so as to cover the river road-the direct route to Bermuda Hundred-and were under Heckman's immediate command. The vedettes were one hundred and fifty negro cavalry, spread over a distance of three- fourths of a mile, from Heckman's right to the James. This was the weak point of Butler's position. Between the cavalry and the rebel works was an open coun- try very favorable for the formation and rapid movement of large bodies of troops.
In Beauregard's plan, the first blow was to fall upon Weitzel, to turn Butler's right and double it back upon his center, giving the rebels con- trol of both the river road and turnpike, and effecting the capture or dispersal of Butler's force. Under cover of the night Ransom marched his di- vision of four brigades out from Fort Stevens and placed it in position for an attack on Weitzel at daybreak. If, as Daniel W. Newell, Principal Musician. Generals Smith and Weitzel Enlisted, from Manchester, as a musician in Company I, and was promoted to principal musician. He now resides at West Medway, Mass., and is prominent in various Veteran organizations. both state, they had no infor- mation that night of the rebel movements, they were not as well posted as the men behind the breastworks, who were not surprised when the attack came. It was in the air, doubtless by touch with the picket line, that something unusual was going on inside the rebel lines.
Just before daybreak a fog came rolling up from the James, of such exceeding opacity that objects could be seen through it at a distance of only a very few yards. About five o'clock there was a scattering fire at the front, and the pickets came straggling back over the breastwork with the cheerful intelligence that "The
15
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Johnnies are coming !" The troops at once lined the breastworks, all ready to receive company. A rattling volley was heard, away to the right-then another-and another. Soon, through the fog screen, on the front of the Second, the rebel yell was heard, and a charging line burst into view. The Second pressed the triggers, and the network of wires did the rest. It broke up the procession. The terrible tragedy which was being enacted was not without its humorous features, when those deadly wires got in their work. The dead, the wounded, and the uninjured, were piled up together, litter- ing the ground as far out as the eye could penetrate the fog in front of the breast- works. Those who got upon their feet and attempted to go back were shot down without mercy. Reinforcements were brought up by the rebels, but there was no further attempt at a rush-one dose of that John H. Whicher, Co. E. was enough. But they held a position well up, and main- tained a sharp fire.
Wounded at Williamsburg, and discharged on account of wounds in September, 1863. He was from Hopkinton. Present residence, West Somerville, Mass.
The living rebels lying between the two lines of fire were in a trying position, and the surest harbor of refuge was with the Yankees behind the breast- works. Charles H. Eastman, of Company F, tells how while he and Levi Witham, with their cartridges arranged on a little shelf between the logs, were "giving the Johnnies the best there was in the shop," one of them came tumbling over the breastwork, crying, " My God, boys, what are you doing?"
Lieutenants James E. Saunders and Thomas Lees coveted a rebel flag which seemed to be rooted to a stump out at the front, and forming a charging column of two, they plunged outside the
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DREWRY'S BLUFF.
barricade to gather it in. But before they reached the spot it had disappeared, and was well hid among the men who covered the ground. But, determined not to return empty-handed, the lieutenants poked up about twenty from the prostrate crowd and rushed them back into the Second as prisoners.
The prisoners taken by the Second were Virginians- probably from Kemper's brig- ade. For some reason the losses of this brigade are not included in Beauregard's tab- ulated statement of casualties, although known to be very Capt. James H. Platt, Co. E. heavy. In front of the Sec- Killed at Drewry's Bluff, May 16, 1864. The original first lieutenant of Company C. His body was sent home under charge of Henry H. Everett, and is buried in the Valley Cemetery at Manches- ter. ond Regiment the rebel loss was enormous. As the fog gradually lifted, disclosing more and more the ghastly work at the front, the ground was seen to be thickly strewn with the men in gray for a long distance out.
The Second's loss was, proportionately, very small-four killed and fourteen wounded (one mortally). Among the killed was Captain James H. Platt, of Company E, whose brain was pierced by a bullet as he was directing the attention of Lieutenant Lord to the terrible execution among the rebels. Charles O. Gould, of Company B, James Gaylor, of D, and Frederick Gove, of E, were killed, and Peter Daley, of F, mortally wounded.
But while this most successful fight was going on, Heckman had not fared as well upon the right. Gracie's Alabama brigade passed around his right and assailed him both in flank and rear. After a hard fight Heckman's right was crushed and several hundred men captured, including Heckman himself. But at length Gracie,
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
blindfolded by the fog, groped his way up against the Ninth Maine and One Hundred and Twelfth New York, which had been sent over from the Tenth Corps, and was so warmly received that Ran- som, the division commander, ordered a halt and sent to Beauregard for reinforcements. He appears to have been unnerved by his heavy losses and the uncer- tainties as to his front. He was relieved from his command the following day by Beaure- gard.
The fight had gradually extended to the left, involving Brooks' division and the Tenth Corps. At about 10 o'clock orders were given for the retirement of the whole army. Weitzel's division was not pressed at all by the enemy in ** executing this movement. A quarter of a mile to the rear of the battlefield, Brooks' division was formed in line across the turnpike, while Charles H. Danforth, Co. B. Weitzel, moving to the right, One of the '62 recruits, enlisting from Concord and serving until after Lee's surrender. He now resides at Contoocookville. similarly covered the river road. At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon the Second, with one or two other regiments, were sent forward across the fields, toward the woods where Heckman had fought. The purpose was to recover the wounded, if practicable. But as the regiments approached the woods a rebel battle line was developed, and the force returned with no loss except, perhaps, a few wounded.
Late in the afternoon the army retired down the two roads, and before morning was again behind the Bermuda Hundred intrench- ments. In the morning Beauregard appeared and commenced intrenching on Gillmore's front. On the 19th and 20th the rebels made serious attempts upon the Tenth Corps lines, but were
229
TO REINFORCE GRANT.
repulsed. The Army of the James was, however, "bottled up," and any further advance by it toward Richmond rendered well-nigh impossible. The Eighteenth Corps was not disturbed, as was the Tenth, by rebel demonstrations, the ground upon its front being of such a character as to prevent any close approach of the enemy in force except under great disadvantages. A portion of its front was commanded by gunboats on the Appomattox, and the rest was covered by almost impassable ravines. The camp of the Second Regiment was near Point of Rocks, immediately behind the intrenchments, in a beautiful grove just to the left of the road leading down to Port Walthal, on the river flats below.
During these operations by the Army of the James, the Army of the Potomac had been fighting its bloody way down through the Wilderness, until it had reached the Pamunky river. Butler was now ordered to de- tach a large portion of his command to reinforce Grant. The two white divisions of the Eighteenth Corps, and Ames' and Turner's of the Tenth-in Lieut .- Col. James W. Carr. The original captain of Company C. He died at Grand Rapids, Mich., July 5, 1875. all about sixteen thousand men -were assigned for this movement under General Smith. The combined command held the designation of the Eighteenth Corps, the detachment of the two Tenth Corps divisions being but a temporary separation from that command.
There was a change of both the division and brigade command- ers of the Second Regiment, General John H. Martindale taking command of the division, and Colonel Griffin A. Stedman, Jr., of the brigade. The brigade was also strengthened by the temporary assignment to it of the Eighth Maine regiment, from the Tenth Corps. The remnant of the Army of the James still left with Butler
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
was ample for simple purposes of defence behind his intrenchments. The expeditionary force was assembled about a mile to the rear of the works, where it camped until the afternoon of the 28th, when a portion of it (including the Second) crossed the Appomattox on a pontoon bridge and proceeded to City Point. There was a little flurry as the head of the column approached the City Point lines, some of the " hundred years men" [a familiar designation of the troops enlisted for one hundred days] firing on the approaching column. But their aim was as bad as their nerve, and nobody was hurt. That night the corps embarked on the transports which had been assembled for the purpose at Bermuda Hundred and City Point.
Sergt. Frank A. Fletcher, Co. G.
He enlisted from Antrim, and was severely wounded at Gettysburg. He is now president of the Great Bend Paper Co., whose mills are at Great Bend, Jeff Co., N. Y., and his residence is at Watertown, eleven miles distant.
CHAPTER XV.
MAY 29 TO JUNE 8, 1864 .- EIGHTEENTH CORPS JOINS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC-BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR-LAST FIGHT OF THE "OLD SECOND"-THE DISASTROUS CHARGE ON THE ENEMY'S WORKS-TIN PLATES FOR INTRENCHING TOOLS-DEATH OF CAPTAINS GORDON, HAYWARD AND SMITH-" OLD LAPSTONE" ESTABLISHES HIS REPU- TATION-THE OLD MEN START FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE-MUSTERED OUT AT CONCORD-STATISTICS OF THE ORIGINAL SURVIVORS.
T sunrise on the 29th of May the transports upon which the Eighteenth Corps had embarked pro- ceeded down the James, the Second Regiment being on the steamer "General Lyon." By 9 o'clock in the evening the fleet was anchored before Yorktown, and the next morning was on its way up the York. After entering the Pa- munky, at West Point, there was more or less trouble for the large boats like the "General Lyon." She was continually grounding on the shoals and sand bars, and at one time was hung up with her keel in the mud for five hours before she could be pulled off. About two miles from White House she grounded for good, and the Second slept on her until morning (May 31), when a ferryboat came down and transferred the regi- ment to the landing at White House.
During the forenoon the troops were put in light marching order. Knapsacks were packed to be sent to Norfolk for storage, and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, leaving General Ames with twenty-five hundred men to garrison White House, Smith started with the remainder of the Eighteenth Corps to join Grant
A march of about ten miles was made, and at 9 o'clock in the evening the corps went into bivouac near Old Church. The western skies were alight with the myriad camp fires of the Army of the
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Potomac, which was now all south of the Pamunky and confronting Lee with its infantry left to the north of Cold Harbor. This place commanded roads which might be of great importance to Grant. Sheridan's cavalry had been contending there that day against a superior force, both cav- alry and infantry, and was still holding on until reinforced, under orders from Grant.
The reinforcements were to be the Sixth and Eighteenth Corps. The Sixth Corps was withdrawn from the right of the army early in the evening, and passed along its rear to the left. But by some blunder Smith was or- dered, the next morning, to proceed to New Castle Ferry and place himself between the Fifth and First Sergt. Allen B. Hayward, Co. A. Sixth Corps. New Castle Wounded in the right arm at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, by a minnie ball which shattered the bone into twenty-three pieces. The arm was amputated near the shoulder joint, within an hour, by Surgeon Merrow. He had previously been wounded at Sec- ond Bull Run and Gettysburg. He is now at the U. S. Pension Bureau in Washington. Ferry was on the Pamun- ky, about five miles due north ; Cold Harbor, to which it was intended to direct him, a somewhat less distance due west. The Eighteenth Corps marched with the greatest expedition as directed ; but on arriving at New Castle Ferry it was evident there was a mistake somewhere, and Smith sent to Grant for instructions. In due time he was advised that it was intended to order him to Cold Harbor, and the corps at once retraced its steps. The day was intensely hot, and the dust stifling. On the road Smith received the following order from Meade, dated 12 m. :
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AT COLD HARBOR.
GENERAL: As soon as Gen. Wright opens the road from Old Church to Cold Harbor, you will follow him, and take position on his right, endeavoring to hold the road from Cold Harbor to Bethesda Church. General Wright is ordered to attack as soon as his troops are up, and I desire that you should cooperate with him and join in the attack. The enemy have not been long in position about Cold Harbor, and it is of great importance to dislodge and, if possible, to rout him before he can intrench himself.
As the Eighteenth Corps approached Cold Harbor, Wright was found in position and sharply skirmishing with the enemy. The corps, dusty and weary from its long march, pushed rapidly forward to take its designated position on the right. As Martindale's clivision came upon the field, a rebel battery opened upon it unex- pectedly, sending the cooks. waiters, camp-followers and other non-combatants fly- ing out from the column in wild excitement. The ludicrous plight of that cloud of frightened men, spavined horses and bro- ken down mules, loaded with camp kettles and other truck, was too much for the gravity of the fighting men.
Devins' division formed upon the right of the Sixth Corps, with Brooks' divis- ion upon its right, each in two lines, and under cover Flavius A. Soesman, Co. B. of a narrow strip of woods Wounded at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, and died of wounds June 30. He was a re-enlisted veteran, and from Dover. with open ground beyond. By the time these two divisions were in position (nearly 6 o'clock), Wright notified Smith that it was exceedingly important for him to attack at once ; so, leaving Martindale to form his division to cover the Mechanicsville and Bethesda Church roads, the two divisions in position advanced with the Sixth Corps to the attack. They went forward several hundred yards, capturing a line of rifle pits and several hundred prisoners, and were finally checked by a line of works too strong to be carried. The losses in the leading brigades
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
of each division were heavy. Martindale's division, being exposed only to an irregular fire of artillery, met with but little loss. The Second Regiment had three or four men wounded.
June 2d was spent in rearranging the lines for a general assault on the rebel position. This had been ordered for 5 o'clock in the afternoon, but was postponed to the next morning. The Second Regiment remained all day in an open field, from which a portion of the fortified line held by the rebels was visible and almost within long rifle range. Toward night the brigade moved a little to the right and bivouacked in woods to the rear of a network of rifle pits.
It was well known that there was to be a big fight in the morn- ing, and grouped in their comfortless bivouac, mid rocks and bushes wet with a sudden rain, the men discussed the chances of battle. There was a noticeable gravity among the "old men "-the original members of the regiment still left in its ranks. Most of them had now been in the service more than thirty- seven months. The dates of muster of four companies (for three years) had already gone by. Com- pany E's term expired on the 3d, and the others in daily succession. But the regimental muster was held to date with the muster of the last company (June 8), and the old men who had not re-enlisted remained in the ranks to make still another fight. For most of them it was their First Sergt. Moses L. F. Smith, Co. D. last stand in line with the glorious Killed at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, while acting sergeant-major. He had re-enlisted, and was slated for a commis- sion. old Army of the Potomac. And well they knew that for some this was the last bivouac-for whom, would be a mystery of fate until the casting of the bloody die on the morrow. But while the hardship of the situation was fully appreciated and discussed, there was no disposition to dodge it. One of the men expressed the sentiment, " It would n't be good manners to go without saying 'Good bye' to our old friends, the Johnnies."
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A DISASTROUS CHARGE.
The assault was ordered along the whole line of the Army of the Potomac at 4.30 in the morning, each corps commander to select the point on his front where he would make his attack. The ground over which the Eighteenth Corps had to move was the most exposed of any over which charges were made. On the front of the corps was an open plain, gradually narrowing toward the left, across which the troops were to advance. At the appointed hour the corps was in position. The main assault was to be made by Martindale's division, under cover of a depression which Capt. Henry Hayward, Co. E. would afford a slight protec- Entered the service, from Dover, as a sergeant of Company D. His father was an English land- scape gardener at Manchester, where "Harry" was born, and William Hayward, a popular con- cert singer of the last generation, was his brother. He was killed at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864. tion from an enfilading fire to which it would be exposed on the right. Brooks' divis- ion was to advance upon the left of Martindale, keeping up the connection with the Sixth Corps. Devins' division was placed on the right to protect that flank and occupy as much as possible of the lines vacated by the troops moving forward.
The assaulting column moved promptly. The enemy's skir- mishers were rushed back, and on Brooks' front his picket rifle pits were captured. The column was now within striking distance, and was halted until Smith could see what he was leading his troops into. After personally inspecting Martindale's front, he decided that there should be a line of battle faced to the right to protect the right flank of the moving column, and also that no further advance could be made until the Sixth Corps moved up to cover
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his left. Ordering Martindale to keep his column covered as much as possible, and to move only when Brooks moved, he went to the left to reconnoiter in front of Brooks' line. But Martindale, not- withstanding his partial protection, was in too hot a place to remain long inactive, and mistaking heavy firing on the Sixth Corps front for Brooks' advance, he moved forward at once to the assault.
Capt. William H. Smith, Co. B.
Wounded at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, by musket shots in both legs, and died of wounds June 6. His remains were conveyed to New Hampshire by his old comrades on their return home, and his funeral at Exeter was attended by the officers and men with whom he had served for three full years. He entered the service, from Exeter, as first lieutenant of Company E.
Stedman's brigade was formed in mass by battalion, the Twelfth New Hampshire leading, and the Second the fifth battalion. As the brig- ade fully uncovered it was greeted by an awful fire from the rebel works. The enfi- lading fire was so heavy and destructive, even as it swept across Martindale's division into Brooks', that Smith ordered Brooks to keep his men covered and not attempt to advance until the fire slackened, and then came over to Martindale to see what it all meant.
It was a straight dash of four hundred yards to the rebel lines. As the column plunged forward, it left an awful trail of the dead and
wounded at every step of its progress. It was very soon apparent that the charge could not succeed. When only half-way across, so murderous was the fire, the Twelfth had lost half its men, and every other regiment heavily. The column was thrown back in some confusion ; but at the edge of a point of woods from which they had charged the troops halted. The Second Regiment-whose loss had been less than any of the others-arrived at this point in very good order, and as soon as its front was clear of the retreating
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INTRENCHING UNDER FIRE.
troops, opened fire on the enemy. In fact, it was while holding this line, that the regiment suffered a large proportion of its loss.
It was now a fight at good musket range between Yanks in the open and Rebs behind intrenchments. But while keeping up a good fire, the Second also proceeded to intrench itself with the alacrity and adaptability to circumstances characteristic of old campaigners. There was no material but the ground beneath them, and no tools but knives, tin plates, and bayonets. But the men were working for their lives, and it was astonishing how fast the dirt heaps grew, until, by lying, like Bre'er Rab- bit, " mighty low," there was a fair cover against rebel bullets.
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