USA > New Hampshire > A history of the Second regiment, New Hampshire volunteer infantry, in the war of the rebellion > Part 9
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The casualties in my regiment on the 25th instant were 4 killed and 32 wounded, 4 mortally. {Revised statement showed 34 wounded.] Of these 17 occurred in Company B.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GILMAN MARSTON. Colonel Second Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers.
JOSEPH HIBBERT, Jr.,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
CHAPTER VII.
JUNE 27 TO AUGUST 22, 1862 .- THE " CHANGE OF BASE "-BATTLE OF PEACH ORCHARD, OR ALLEN'S FARM-WITHDRAWAL ACROSS WHITE OAK SWAMP-THE SECOND LOSES THE ROAD-BATTLE OF GLENDALE -THE ATTACK ON MCCALL-SECOND REGIMENT DETACHED TO SUPPORT DE RUSSY'S BATTERY-IT REJOINS THE BRIGADE-GROVER REPULSES AN ATTACK AND ADVANCES-EXPLOSIVE BULLETS FIRED BY THE REBELS-A COLONEL WHO HAD HEARD OF THE SECOND-A NIGHT OF HORRORS-BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL-COL. MARSTON'S CONFIDENCE-AT HARRISON'S LANDING-MARSTON'S TILT WITH GROVER-HOOKER'S RECONNOISSANCE TO MALVERN HILL-THE PENINSULA EVACUATED-COLONEL MARSTON'S OFFICIAL REPORT OF BATTLE OF GLENDALE.
11. J TUNE 26th, was fought the battle of Mechanics- ville. Lee, banking upon McClellan's timidity and inertness, withdrew the greater part of his troops from the Richmond lines, and concentrated them against Porter, on the north side of the Chickahominy. McClellan's fears had swelled the force opposed to him to overwhelming proportions. He had informed the War Department that the army on his front numbered two hundred thousand men ; and in his official report, written some time later, he still adhered to the belief that he was confronted by twice his own numbers. The cold figures of the rebel official records show that Lee's force was ninety thousand, of which he massed sixty-five thousand against Porter, leaving only twenty-five thous- and, under Magruder, in the Richmond defences. Thus, while threatening McClellan's line of communication with White House, he audaciously left his own base in imminent peril from an enter- prising adversary. A determined effort by the force on its front
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RETREAT FROM FAIR OAKS.
would probably have resulted in the occupation of Richmond. This was what prominent rebel officers feared, and Magruder says in his official report : " His [Mcclellan's] failure to do so is the best evidence that our wise commander fully understood the character of his opponent."
Hooker's men, at Fair Oaks, heard the deep " thrum" of Porter's artillery, and in the evening it was announced to the troops, under instructions from headquarters, that " Porter has whipped them on the right." He had, in fact, fought a magnificent battle and given Lee a bloody repulse when the fight closed on the 26th ; but the men were made very skeptical by the retreat to the James which so quickly followed, and "Porter 's whipped 'em on the right" was for a long time the derisive cry in Hooker's division when news was given out which seemed to require verification.
During the 27th, while Porter was fighting a vastly superior force at Gaines' Mill, Magruder kept up a tremendous hullaballoo along the Richmond lines, repeating with great success his early Yorktown tactics. There was a constant fusilade on the picket line ; threatening demonstrations were made at various points ; the rebel artillery was freely used ; and a balloon was ostentatiously sent up, as if to spy out the Union positions. So artistically did Magruder perform his part of the program that he kept the sixty thousand men on his front in momentary expectation of an attack, and it was not dared either to assume the offensive or to weaken the lines by sending adequate reinforcements to Porter. Porter withdrew to the south side of the Chickahominy that night, and McClellan, having thus abandoned his base on the Pamunky, commenced a retreat, or more politely speaking, " change of base," to the James.
Sumner and Heintzelman occupied their intrenchments until the morning of the 29th. During the 28th the air was full of rumors, some of a sinister character, but the idea of a retreat by that great army, without a general engagement, did not enter into the speculations and calculations of its rank and file. Early on the morning of the 29th Grover's brigade was under arms in its camps, prepared, as the men supposed, to take the customary round of trench and picket duty. At the last moment before marching an
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
intimation was given the Second, from some source, that the men had better take their shelter tents along-a hint which was quickly acted upon. In this matter they were more fortunate than many of the regiments, who marched off leaving their camps standing. The brigade marched to the trenches and relieved the New Jersey brigade. It was noted that the artillery had been removed from the redoubts, and before long the pickets were withdrawn. Then the brigade filed back into the Williamsburg road and abandoned the works to the enemy.
As the brigade proceeded down the road, marching rapidly, it was seen that the tents were still stand- ing in some of the abandoned camps, but men were running through them, slashing the canvas into shreds, and setting fire to everything combustible. Major Josiah Stevens, Jr. Barrels of sugar and coffee were The original major of the regiment. From Concord. He resigned July 25, 1862. He had, the month previous, been appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Ninth N. H., but declined. He was for several years in the employ of the Concord Railroad, at Manchester, in which city he died October 26, 1875. emptied upon the ground and scat- tered in the mud, and as an all- around carnival of destruction the evacuation was a success. Even the sutlers were keeping open shop, shouting to the men to help themselves to what they wanted, without money and without price ; and it looked as if they would be pressed for time to dispose of their stocks, even on such liberal terms. Everybody was in a hurry.
A mile or more to the rear, the corps of Sumner, Heintzelman and Franklin halted and took position to cover the withdrawal of the rest of the army and the great train of five thousand wagons across White Oak Swamp. Sumner posted his corps on Allen's farm, between Orchard and Savage Stations, with his left upon the railroad, where it connected with Heintzelman, whose line extended across and covered the Williamsburg road. Grover's brigade was on Heintzelman's extreme right, next to Sumner. The Second
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BATTLE OF PEACH ORCHARD.
Regiment was posted upon an uneven ridge, covered with a dense tangle of bushes, from which there was a view up the railroad nearly or quite to Fair Oaks Station. The pioneers of the regiment cleared the brush from a portion of its front, upon which a battery was placed in position to command the railroad, while the men settled down to await developments.
The regiment had not been in position an hour when, through the haze of smoke which enveloped everything in the direction of Fair Oaks, shadowy forms were seen upon the railroad, indicating that the rebels were feeling their way forward, in pursuit. A hush of expectancy fell upon the waiting line. It was about eleven o'clock when the silence was broken by the report of a cannon, followed by the rush and explosion of a shell a little distance to the right. A lively artillery duel was immediately on. Several shells swept over into Grover's brigade, wounding a number of men. Then came the shrill rebel yell, with a rattle of musketry, lasting but a few minutes, when a swelling chorus of good round Yankee "'Rah's !" told that the rebels were repulsed. After a time the attack was renewed, and again repulsed. No part of the engage- ment could be seen from the Second's position, but the firing was very near-just over the ridge to the right.
The attack was made by Magruder's division, and he was so rudely checked by Sumner that he did not try conclusions again until four o'clock in the afternoon, when he was tempted by the premature withdrawal of Heintzelman's corps-made under some misapprehension of orders-and was again soundly thrashed and driven from the field.
Sumner, after the last repulse at Allen's farm (or Peach Orchard, as the engagement is officially known), decided to move back to Savage Station, a distance of about a mile, and his troops were put in motion to that end. The green flags of Meagher's brigade suddenly lifted in front of the Second, and his Irishmen came pouring up out of the bush and back into the Williamsburg road. After a time, Heintzelman also withdrew, but instead of halting farther back and stopping with Sumner and Franklin until night, he pushed on and crossed White Oak Swamp. But for the failure of Stonewall Jackson to rebuild Grapevine Bridge in season
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
to cross over to Magruder's assistance, this might have been a costly error ; but as affairs turned out, it was in one way an advantage to the general movement, as there remained but two corps, instead of three, to crowd the narrow defiles of White Oak Swamp at night.
Heintzelman's withdrawal commenced at three o'clock. One hour of that march brought as much anxiety to Colonel Marston, probably, and as much hard work to the legs of his men, certainly, as either experienced in the same length of time during the war. There was a considera- ble interval between the Second and the regiment preceding it in the column, and coming to a fork of the road, with no troops in sight ahead, Marston was in doubt which road to follow. He sent the adjutant some distance down one, who returned with the report that he had seen no troops. So away the Second went on the Sergt. Jesse E. Dewey, Co. I. other road, hit or miss, The above portrait is from a faded ambrotype, taken in the old state uniform. Dewey settled in Lebanon soon after the war, where he has been active in public and business affairs. Has represented the town in the legislature, and is engaged in insurance and express business. closely followed by the Twenty-sixth Pennsylva- nia, and the progress of those two regiments was a marvel of pedestrianism. It was a great relief all around when they came out at Brackett's Ford and there found the rest of the brigade, which had taken the other, and more direct, road.
On the morning of the 30th the entire army and its material were across White Oak Swamp, the fords and their approaches obstructed by felled trees, and White Oak Bridge torn up. From
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THE LINE OF RETREAT.
the bridge to Malvern Hill-following first the Long Bridge and then the Quaker road-is a distance of between four and five miles, and the various corps were disposed so as to cover this line for the protection of the immense army trains, which, stretched out in a single line, would have extended forty miles. The following diagram will assist the reader to an understanding of the line of retreat and the approaches to it from Richmond :
I
2
3
James River.
Long
Bridge
1
Road.
White Oak Creek.
Quaker R.
**
Malvern Hill.
I. New Market Road.
2. Darbytown Road.
3. Charles City Road.
Keyes' corps was upon the James, covering the mouth of the hole into which McClellan had determined to run his army. Porter was at Malvern Hill with two of his divisions and a powerful park of artillery. Franklin's corps, with Richardson's division of Sum- ner's, defended the various White Oak crossings, Slocum's division extending as far as the Charles City road at a point considerably in advance of its intersection with the Long Bridge road. Heintzel- man's corps, Sedgwick's division of Sumner's (with which Sumner made his headquarters), and McCall's division of Porter's, were at the position where the Long Bridge, Charles City and Quaker roads come together, and where it was probable the great effort would be made to cut the retreating army in two. The commanding general passed on to the James river early in the morning, and Sumner, Heintzelman and McCall manœuvred and fought independently, where there should have been a paramount authority to control and systematically direct the whole field.
Heintzelman, commanding the only full corps present, designed placing his troops so as to cover the Long Bridge road and, in connection with Slocum, the Charles City road-Kearney's division across the angle formed by the two roads, and Hooker's in
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
extension upon its left. But while Kearney was getting into position, McCall moved down the Long Bridge road, across which he posted his division, a considerable distance in advance of Kearney's left. This threw Hooker out of position and made the separation of Heintzelman's two divisions advisable. Hooker was accordingly posted along the Quaker road, Grover's brigade upon the right, and its right upon a narrow cross road or lane affording a
1
CHARLES SCITY
50H
EK
SLOCUM
8
RNFY
ROAD
LONG
CALL
REAR / LONG
BRIDGE ROAD
STREET
MC
SEDGWICK
O FRASER Summer's Hdqrs
HOOKER
WILLIS Ch
D NELSON Heintzelman's Haars
QUAKERROAD
BATTLE of GLENDALE / CHARLESCITY CROSS ROADS - Showing approximate positions of troops- NOT DRAWN TO SCALE
short cut between the Long Bridge and Quaker roads. Sedgwick was in an open field to Hooker's right. Hooker, strangely enough, was not aware even of McCall's presence on the field, until about eleven o'clock, when some army wagons were observed on his front, and making an examination he found McCall's division several hundred yards in front, its line stretching off at an obtuse angle with the direction of his own.
0
109
BATTLE OF GLENDALE.
Meantime four rebel columns were pushing forward against as many different points on the line of retreat : Holmes' division on the New Market or River road ; Longstreet and A. P. Hill on the Darbytown or Central road ; Huger upon the Charles City road. Jackson was to attempt the passage of White Oak Creek in the wake of the retreating army. Holmes was easily scared off by Porter's artillery and the gunboats. Huger found his road badly obstructed, and was not heard from after a brush with Slocum's artillery. Jackson made desperate efforts to force a passage at White Oak Bridge, but was stubbornly held to his own side of the creek. Longstreet's column, the supreme importance of which was indicated by the presence with it of General Lee and Jeff. Davis, was the attacking party in the bloody battle variously known as Glendale, Charles City Cross Roads, and Fraser's Farm.
Hooker's division, once in position, enjoyed a rest of several hours in the grateful shade of forest trees. A stream of army wagons crowded the road to their rear, just across which an immense train was parked waiting its turn to join the procession. This commenced to break about noon, and the last wagon got away before sunset.
Commencing before noon, heavy artillery firing was heard in the direction of White Oak Bridge, but everything was quiet in the vicinity of the cross roads until nearly four o'clock in the afternoon, when the advance of Huger came within reach of Slocum and was touched up by the latter's artillery. Longstreet, who for some time had been waiting to hear from Huger, at once advanced upon the Long Bridge road and threw his column upon McCall. After a stubborn fight of nearly an hour, in which a part of McCall's troops did some of the best fighting of the campaign, his little division was forced back, losing most of its artillery, and many of its regiments in complete disorganization and confusion.
The Second New Hampshire had no hand in the bloody repulse which the rest of Grover's brigade inflicted upon the rebel force that pursued the fragments of McCall's left. About the time of the commencement of Longstreet's attack the regiment was ordered to- proceed with the utmost haste to the support of De Russy's battery, which had become engaged with Huger on the Charles City road.
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SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Up the Quaker road the regiment went, in a cloud of dust, and finally halted and came into line in an open pine wood, three- quarters of a mile from its starting point. It had not reached the battery it was directed to, and the indications were it would not be needed there, for although the firing on the left was swelling to big proportions, it seemed to have died out almost entirely on the Charles City road. Huger's movement had, indeed, collapsed, after his usual fashion.
Orders came to Colonel Marston to rejoin the brigade, and the regiment hurriedly retraced its steps. The hour of its absence had been big with exciting events. Longstreet had overwhelmed McCall, only in turn to be savagely re- pulsed and thrown back by Hooker's right assisted by two or three of Sedgwick's regiments. Sumner's artil- Warren H. Hurd, Co. A. lery, as the Second passed along its rear, was sweeping A native of Keene, and a printer by trade. He was wounded and taken prisoner near Savage Station, June 29, 1862. In December, 1863, he was appointed First Lieut. 23d U. S. Colored Infantry, and was in command of the first camp of colored troops enlisted in the District of Columbia. Was severely wounded in front of Petersburg, and commissioned captain. He and his command were complimented in General Orders for good conduct at the battle of the Mine. Now lives at Anthony, Kansas, in business as finan- cial agent. the woods in front with a tornado of shells. Its infantry supports lay almost concealed in the tall grass. One regiment sprang to its feet as if to meet an infantry attack, but almost instantly went back out of sight again.
Arriving at the head of the little cross road, one of Hooker's aides was met, who swung his hat and shouted exultantly, " General Hooker has whipped the enemy handsomely, and he wants you to join the division." The men, of course, imbibed the aide's
III
GROVER'S BRIGADE ADVANCES.
enthusiasm, and cheered lustily. The regiment filed into the cross road, up which it marched a little distance, then went into line to its left, with three regiments of the brigade, which were there in position. The Eleventh Massachusetts had been detached and sent to the extreme left to reinforce the Excelsior brigade. The Sixteenth Massachusetts and Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania were along the line of a rail fence on the crest of a low ridge, and the Second took position to the rear, and in support of, the Sixteenth.
Longstreet was following up his success over McCall by vicious assaults, now here, now there, along the Union lines. While the Second remained in position awaiting developments, Sumner's artillery, to which De Russy's and perhaps others of Heintzelman's batteries had been added, was deluging the woods with missiles, and several assaults were handsomely re- pulsed.
At length the blow fell upon Grover. The rebels suddenly advanced upon the front of the Edward N. Taft, Co. A. Sixteenth, delivering a very Killed at the battle of Williamsburg, May 5, 1862. He was a native of Nelson, 27 years of age, and resided in Keene at the time of his enlistment. sharp and destructive fire. Col. Wyman fell from his horse, shot through the heart, and his adjutant and lieutenant-colonel, with many men, also went down. The right wing being most exposed, was badly cut up, and soon gave back in confusion. But when the Second sprang to their feet, and with bayonets at a charge, slowly advanced up the slope in line, the reassured men at once rallied and were ready for business again.
The Sixteenth, aided by an oblique fire from the Twenty-sixth, on their left, speedily broke the rebel attack, whereupon Grover proceeded to clear his front of the enemy. The Second advanced
II2
SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
to the crest, while the Sixteenth withdrew by the right and rear to " get together." The Twenty-sixth went off in a wild charge down the slope, partially crossing the Second's front, picking twenty or thirty rebel sharpshooters out of holes and from behind rocks, and entering the woods from which the attack on the Sixteenth had come. Grover pushed directly forward from the left with the First Massachusetts, passing a long distance to the front, until the regiment ran into a cross fire in the darkness, from which it suffered a severe loss.
The Second moved a little to the right and then advanced into the woods in an effort to pick up its connection with the Twenty-sixth. It was now getting to be quite dark, which with the settling smoke and dense underbrush, shut off any extended view of the front. Rebel bullets were flying, as if from a line of pickets or skir- mishers, but the Second was Lieut. John S. Sides, Co. K. cautioned not to reply, as it The original First Lieutenant of Company K. Resides in Portsmouth. was feared the Twenty-sixth or some other Union troops might be on the front. For a time the men were a good deal puzzled to account for sharp reports which were heard in every direction-to the rear, overhead-everywhere. In connection with the deepening gloom, the manifestation was decidedly uncanny. The mystery was solved, however, when a bullet, cutting across the breast of Captain Sayles, suddenly exploded, inflicting a painful lacerated wound.
Soon the regiment was moved still further to the right, coming into an open field, and took position as support to one of Sumner's regiments. Its colonel came to Colonel Marston, evidently with great anxiety. "Colonel, can I rely upon your regiment to stand
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THE SECOND'S REPUTATION.
by me in case of an attack?" " Yes, sir," snorted Marston, " there won't a man of my regiment run away, sir ; not a man." " What regiment is yours?" "The New Hampshire Second." "Good ! I have heard of you before." Immediately after, he was heard encouraging and bracing up his regiment with the announcement that "one of Hooker's regiments " was supporting them, and " a bully one, too !"
But there was no further attack. The battle was over, except for the firing of pickets and the occasional collision of scattered detachments blindly groping their way, in the darkness, over the extremely broken ground of the front. Longstreet had been completely foiled and bloodily repulsed. Except for his early success over McCall, which had been dearly earned and amply avenged, he had nothing to his credit. And yet, it was on the evening of this day of successful defence at every point that McClellan telegraphed the Secretary of War from the cover of the gunboats on the James : "Another day of desperate fighting. We are hard pressed by supe- rior numbers. I fear I shall be forced to abandon my material to save my men under cover of the gunboats. If none of us escape, we shall at least have Josiah O. Taft, Co."A. done honor to the country." It was very fortunate that the army was not as badly rattled as its commander.
A native and resident of Fitz- william. Sick unto death, yet he started on the retreat, and expired near Harrison's Landing. June 30, 1862, while his regiment was engaged at Glendale.
When it became apparent that no further attacks were to be apprehended, the Second moved over toward the left, where the brigade was reunited and lay upon its arms until morning. During the day the regiment had zigzagged all over the field, but had hardly fired a gun. It had lost a man here and a man there, until the number wounded aggregated eleven -- only one mortally-John H. Breeze, of Company E.
The horrors of that night at Glenda'e can never be forgotten by
8
II4
SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
those who lay in line there during the long, weary hours. The ground between the two lines was thickly strewn with the rebel wounded, but few of whom were within reach of succor, and the shrieks and groans and cries for help which came up from that valley of death were appalling. Hooker wrote, in his official report : "From their torches we could see that the enemy was busy all night in searching for his wounded, but up to daylight the following morning there had been no apparent dimi- nution in the heartrending cries and groans of his wounded. The unbroken, mournful wail of human suf- fering was all that we heard John L, Woods, Co. B. from Glendale during that Resides at Hollis. long, dismal night."
During the night the troops were all withdrawn to Malvern Hill, where Hooker's division arrived shortly after sunrise. In the early hours of that day (July Ist) there was witnessed upon Malvern Hill one of the most impressive pageants of the war, several entire army corps being massed upon its broad, open slopes.
Shortly after Heintzelman's arrival, and while his troops were resting upon the plateau in front of the Quaker road, advance parties of rebels made their appearance on that road, emerging from the woods, and were followed in time by a battery, which boldly advanced a considerable distance into the fields, deliberately went into position, and opened fire. Almost its first shot struck in a group of mounted officers surrounding General Hooker, the shell passing through the body of Captain Beam, commanding one of Hooker's batteries. Probably ten thousand men saw the incident and wondered how long Hooker would stand that. Not long ! There was a stir n several of the batteries. Guns were wheeled
115
BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL.
into position on the spots where they happened to be resting, and within five minutes what was left of the rebel battery was tearing for the rear at a wild gallop, the drivers lashing their horses, and the cannoneers scattering out of the line of fire.
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