USA > New Hampshire > History of the Twelfth regiment, New Hampshire volunteers in the war of the rebellion > Part 25
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The next morning the Twelfth threw up an intrenchment and lay be- hind it all day, except fifty men who were sent out under Captain Fernal as skirmishers some two hundred yards in advance of the regiment, and about twice as far from the enemy. Some were wounded, but none killed.
There was heavy firing at times during the day upon the left, and a constant sputtering of the skirmishers and sharpshooters all along the line. About 2 o'clock p. M. there was a heavy outburst of artillery so near to the Twelfth that the men began to think that they would soon be called upon to advance : but it was a false, if not foolish, alarm, so far as they were concerned, which soon subsided with the noise that caused it. But there were other reasons than continuous powder explosions along the lines to keep the men apprehensively on the alert, for the air was full of rumors of expected or intended charges from one side or the other, and not all unfounded either ; for during the day and night previous there had been as many as three orders received by General Smith and other corps commanders to prepare to attack at a certain hour, and each one countermanded except the last, which was to attack at 4.30 the next
* Commanded until May 20 by General Weitzel.
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morning. How unfortunate for General Grant and his army that this order was not also countermanded !
Toward night there was quite a shower, which was most gratefully welcomed, and would have been received as a perfect " Godsend" had it come a day or two before, when the men on the march were suffering so severly from heat and dust.
Another night had now come, and a solemn one indeed it would have been to many thousand brave men could they have known that it was the last one that would ever come to them. Many, however, had that impression concerning themselves, too strong and deep to admit of sleep. and some such there were in the ranks of the Twelfth New Hampshire .*
June the 3d, 1864. was a terrible day of sacrifice and suffering for the Army of the Potomac. It was undoubtedly the greatest and most inexcusable slaughter of the whole war. Even Grant himself made public record of his sorrow for ever having ordered the charge that caused it. It was a forlorn hope for nearly the whole length of the line, and for many brigades and divisions certain destruction to prolong the mad attempt to carry the enemy's works in their front. It was like a person attempting to kick, with his bare feet, the bottom out of an iron kettle full of scalding hot water, the portion of the foot and leg saved depending mainly upon the depth of the kettle and the instinctive quick- ness of his locomotor muscles.
Into just such a seething caldron did the brave Colonel Steadman. using a ramrod for a sword, lead four regiments of his brigade, massed in column by division and headed by the Twelfth New Hampshire, in the early light of that fatal morn. In less than ten minutes from the word " Forward," there was no brigade to be seen, and of its leading regiment nearly one half lay dead or disabled on the field, while of the remaining scattered ones, two at least out of every ten were more or less severely wounded .; Some of these poor victims of a great and lamentable error lay within a few yards of the enemy's works, the living not daring to show any signs of life for fear that a rebel bullet would number them with the dead. Here they who continued to survive were obliged to lie all day upon the burning sands and under the scorching rays of the sun until night or death brought them relief. One poor fellow (we forbear to give his name because of relatives still living) who had been hopelessly shat- tered by a shell. was seen to forever end his sufferings, that he could no longer endure. by deliberately cutting his throat with a jackknife.
To give a description of this terrible charge is simply impossible, and few who were in the ranks of the Twelfth will ever feel like attempting it. To those exposed to the full force and fury of that dreadful storm of lead and iron that met the charging column, it seemed more like a vol- canic blast than a battle, and was about as destructive. The men went down in rows, just as they marched in the ranks, and so many at a time
* See "Presentiments," in another chapter. t See table of losses.
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
that those in rear of them thought they were lying down, either from instinct or command, to avoid the fire that they could no longer withstand.
Sergeant Piper, of Company B, says :
The men bent down as they pushed forward, as if trying, as they were, to breast a tempest, and the files of men went down like rows of blocks or bricks pushed over by striking against each other.
Lieutenant Jewett describes the men in his division as falling " half a platoon almost at a time, like grain before the reaper or grass before the scythe."
Sergeant Tuttle, of Company K, says :
I thought the order was to lie down and dropped myself among the dead, and did not discover my mistake until my living comrades had advanced some little distance beyond me.
A. J. Farrar, of Company H, with many others, thought the same thing. when, as he expressed it. " I saw them all go down." -
But Captain Barker in command of the regiment, knowing of course that no such order had been given, but supposing the men were lying down of their own accord to avoid the withering blast of the rebel bat- teries, yelled out with angry vehemence to Captain Bedee, leading one of the divisions, to bring his men up and forward into line, pointing at the same time with his sword to several files who had just fallen flat upon their faces. The next moment Captain Bedee was among the prostrate men vainly trying by a vigorous use of his sword and feet to do as he had been ordered. "I soon found," as he afterwards told Captain Barker. " that nothing but the judgment trump of the Almighty would ever bring those men upon their feet again."
The regiment went forward until literally cut to pieces or torn into fragments, and had no semblance of form or organization left : and the other regiments of the charging column, not caring to imitate its example. though comparatively intact, quickly sought shelter with the survivors of the Twelfth, behind the entrenchments in the woods from which they had emerged but a few moments before.
The following outline diagram, as sketched by Sergt. Benjamin B. Clarke, of Company G, the day after the battle, will assist the reader in getting a correct idea of the relative positions of the regiments of the charging column, and the line of works and artillery of the enemy at the time the charge was made.
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Bastion. 5 Guns. IIIII
Rebel
0
0
=
0
Works.
Salient.
3 Guns.
1
11
Rifle
Holes.
0
O
12th N. H.
- B
F
F
1
. H
D
Open Field.
Open Field.
11th Conn.
8th Maine.
2dl N. H.
Swamp.
148th N. Y. in trenches.
Line of Intrenchments.
IIIIII Battery.
Pine Woods.
0
0
0
=
Pits
Vedett
C
I
1
(
0
Redan.
2 Guns.
The letters to the right and left of the straight lines representing the di- visions of the regiment, show of what companies those divisions were formed and their flank positions. The One Hundred and Forty-eighth New York Regiment were sent forward as skirmishers, but never went farther than the outer line of intrenchments, the other regiments going over them when they made the charge. To advance a massed column of troops into such a semi-circle of destruction as here portrayed, with front and back flanks entirely exposed to the converging fire of eight or ten pieces of artillery and more than half a mile sweep of battle-lined mus- ketry, was something fearful to even contemplate, but how much more so to actually experience none can tell save those who were there. No wonder that Captain Barker who had a heart to feel as well as courage to act, when he saw the field covered with his own brave men and heard the cries of the wounded, some of whom were less fortunate than the dead, stood up before his superiors in rank while the enemy's shot was still flying around him, and wounding some of his listeners as he spoke. and denounced in righteous wrath the general, high or low, who was guilty of ordering such a murderous charge as that. He was so highly wrought up by his anger and the excitement of the occasion, that he de- clared with an oath that he would not take his regiment into another ¿ such charge, if Jesus Christ himself should order it.
Captain Barker, as hereafter seen, was decidedly opposed to making the charge, massed in column, and so expressed his opinion. Adjutant-Gen-
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
eral Reynolds referred to Napoleon, as making all his charges in solid column, and thought it the most effectual way. "The most effectual way of murdering men. I agree, and there is the evidence of it." sharply 1 replied the captain, as he pointed to the field in front, thickly spotted with the dead and wounded. The next moment General Reynolds was wounded in the shoulder, from the effects of which he afterwards died.
Notwithstanding the bloody repulse of the Union troops the whole length of his line, although the Second. Sixth, and Eighteenth corps had been chiefly relied upon for the grand charge, General Grant with characteristic stubbornness allowed General Meade to order the attacks renewed ; and repeated efforts were made to get the corps commanders to push forward other heavy assaulting columns, either in concert as at first attempted, or independent of each other as at last directed, but all to no effect. These generals had no heart to see their brave troops so needlessly slaughtered again, and they too well appreciated the intelligence and temper of the men they commanded to believe they would obey an order for another such charge should it be made. In fact it might be stated upon good authority, + that the men " unanimously refused to obey any such an order, for they knew success was hopeless and refused to be sacrificed to no purpose." Yet there were constant movements, feints by brigades and divisions in the different corps, which kept the Confederates constantly on the alert and the artillery on both sides unremittingly active. Grant, convinced at last that he was attempting the impossible. ordered a cessation of " all further offensive operations," and directed that corps commanders " entrench their positions and that reconnoissances be made with a view to moving against the enemy's works by regular approaches."
And thus ended the battle of Cold Harbor. Nearly fifteen thousand. or enough to populate quite a large city had been cut down or disabled in the prime and pride of their manhood, and this appalling sacrifice without the slightest advantage gained, or a single point or purpose ef- fected ! Many regiments had suffered severely, but none had lost so many in proportion to its number engaged as the Twelfth New Hamp- shire. Such was the hopelessness of their undertaking and the peril of their position as they debouched from the woods at the head of the charg- ing column, that one of the Confederate officers said to some of the regi- ment on the day of the truce for burying our dead, " it seemed almost like murder to fire upon you." " Thousands slain and nothing gained," must be the short but true verdict of history upon the last effort of General Grant to crush oat the Rebellion by defeating its main army before it fell back to meet him again, behind still stronger works on the other side of Richmond. The following extract from a letter written by Colonel Barker headed and dated : " In a trench one hundred yards from the rebel skirmishers, func 4, 1864," explains briefly the part taken by the Twelfth :
. Greeley's American Conflict, Vol. 1. page 582.
1
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At 4 o'clock yesterday morning our brigade left our breastworks, marched a few rods to the left and at about 5 o'clock started on a charge with pieces un- capped and bayonets fixed. The One Hundred and Forty-eighth New York Regiment had deployed as skirmishers. Next in line followed the Twelfth New Hampshire in column by division, followed by the Eleventh Connecticut and the Eighth Maine with the Second New Hampshire in the rear. We passed through a distance of some four hundred yards with but very little loss. As the One Hundred and Forty-eighth appeared at the edge of the open field volley after volley belched forth from the rebel works about five hundred yards ahead and the regiment gave way. I tried my best to get Colonel Steadman, commanding column, to deploy; for 1 deemed it rashness to charge the enemy's works so strong and threatening in column. He would not allow it but said, " go as you are," and we did go into the most deadly fire that ever met an opposing force on the field of battle; and when within about fifty yards of the enemy's works that we were all rushing for, a battery opened upon us with grape and canister on our left and musketry from the right. Seeing that to advance further in this formation was annihilation to the regiment, I endeavored to deploy the column, but it was too late, it could not be done. The men fell back and what were left, about 110. re-formed in the rear of our breastworks.
The color bearer, Sergeant Hoyt, was shot and got separated from the regi- ment and for a time we thought we had lost our colors, and not until we had formed in support of Stanard's brigade did we know where they were. Then a corporal by the name of Wallace, of Company K. came bringing them in and pre- sented them to me. You ought to have heard the glad cheers with which the old flag was greeted .* I made the corporal color sergeant on the spot, placed him in the centre of the remaining little squad and told them to consider themselves all the color guard. 1 sent out last night a detail to bring off the wounded who had ' lain on the field all day where many doubtless died before they could be rescued. Up to the present time we know of twenty killed, eighty wounded and about one hundred missing ; about all the last are probably killed or wounded.
The following graphic description of this battle from the pen of George E. Place. of Company B, is taken from his personal experience in the war, the remainder of which will be found in a subsequent chapter :
A cannonading was going on as we reached the field. [Afternoon of June Ist.] We halted at least two miles from where the rebel guns were in action ; vet an occasional shot came quite near us. One missile struck and buried itself in the ground about twenty feet from me, and not over six feet from where a comrade was standing. It was dug out, and proved to be a shot from a Whit- worth rifle gun. Presently we moved on, and took up a position, " resting at will," in some pine woods where occured that terrible enfilading fire from a con- cealed rebel battery. Colonel Barker was standing near me, and I heard him re- mark, that he thought he had experienced some heavy artillery firing at the battle of Bull Run, but none equaled the closeness of that fire, yet strange as it may appear, as far as I could learn, not a man of the regiment was hurt while in that position. The shot were evidently all solid, as 1 do not recollect hearing
* The regiment had no State colors at that time.
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
any explosion of shells. One shot struck a tree ten inches in diameter at about eighteen inches from the ground, not over four feet from where I was sitting, cutting it half off. I heard some of the boys express a wish that a charge would be ordered on that battery, as they would rather do that, than lie quietly there and be murdered in cold blood. After about half an hour we were ordered to advance. and so we got out of range. We moved on a few rods and halted again. While there, some movement on the picket line called out several volleys of musketry, and the bullets came spatting around quite thickly. "Sherb" Locke was sitting at my left; a bullet struck his tin dipper which was fastened to his haversack, making of it a shapeless mass. My elbow was so near the dipper as almost to touch it.
And now I will pass on to that fateful morning of the third of June. We are in line of battle, "close column by division." We are ordered to take the caps from our guns, and fix bayonet. We are now in the woods, and can see nothing of the rebels. Every thing is quiet. Ah! it is such occasions as this which try men's nerves. I made a study of the faces around me. Every face was more or less pale, but all had a determined look. except a New York recruit by the name of Hayes. He was trembling, and his face was pale as death. I encountered him not long afterwards in the field hospital. He was unharmed. I questioned him some, and was satisfied, from his evasive answers that he had skulked out of the fight. I learned afterwards that he deserted about that time -probably that night. Thus we stood, all ready for the charge; I know not how long, but it seemed a long time to me, for at such a time, with men's nerves strained to their utmost tension, a minute seems an hour. Finally, the Colonel drew his sword,- " Forward, march," and the regiment started. We had not gone ten feet, when a rebel battery on our left flank opened fire. I wondered how the rebels knew so soon that we had started, for being in the woods, they could not see us. The guns were so arranged that the iron storm swept past us about two rods in front. How it crashed and howled through those pine trees ! For a moment, the regi- ment quailed and halted. As it did so, I turned and looked at Colonel Barker. I shall never forget the expression that came into his face as he beheld that halting. His eyes dilated, and it seemed as if I could almost see the fire flash from them. He flung his sword above his head and shouted with a voice that seemed as if the rebels must have heard,-" Forward !" Instantly the regiment started again, velling as it went. There was no more halting after that, until, swept down in killed and wounded, it lost all semblance of order, and could do no otherwise than fall back. That artillery discharge was immediately followed by the opening of musketry. I passed close by one of the vedettes in a rifle-pit, hugging to the ground as close as he could. and trembling like an aspen leaf. Past the vedettes, we immediately enter an open field. It is bare of vegetation. All over that field little puffs of dust are thickly rising, occasioned by the rebel bullets striking the ground. A line of breastworks runs zig-zag ; one in front, the other on our left. We cannot see a man in these works, for a dense cloud of battle-smoke rests all along the line. From the works in front, and the works on our left, arose a musketry fire so heavy. it seemed almost like one continual crash of thunder, while artillery on our left poured in the shells. Just as we entered the field, a shell plunged into the ground at the left of our column, and immediately burst. throwing the dirt and pebbles all over us.
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Some small missile struck me just under the left eye. causing a sharp sting, and I felt the blood trickling down my face.
James Rollins was at my left. Charles Marden next to him, and the next beyond, Charles Bunker. Soon after we got into the field, Rollins threw up both hands, uttered a yell, and fell over on his face. I thought surely he was killed, but found him afterwards in the field hospital. A bullet had gone through the calves of both legs. I looked for Marden and Bunker to "dress" by, but they were missing ; indeed, there was such a wide gap on my left (I was almost on the right of the column) that I thought I had fallen behind my column, and hastened to catch up. only to find myself in Company A, who were in the front column. We were now so near the breastworks that I could see the flash of their musketry quivering through the bank of smoke that lay above them, like lightning through a cloud; and I was just thinking of the hand-to-hand struggle that would come when we reached the breastworks, when a bullet went through my right arm. My hand instantly flew open, and my gun dropped to the ground. All the fingers on that hand turned back to nearly a right angle with the back of my hand, and quivered, caused, probably, by a sudden contraction of the muscles. I thought for a moment, that my arm was broken, and I caught hold of my fingers and straightened them out. About this time, the regiment began to fall back. Just before I reentered the woods a flank bullet grazed the small of my back. It left quite a scar, which is there to-day As I received that third blow, that old, familiar expression, "hit 'im agin, blue jacket. he's got no friends," passed across my mind. I reached the field hospital. and sat down among a group of wounded men, so as to get my wounds dressed. As I raised my eyes, I saw I was seated near an amputating table. The spectacle was too harrowing, and I arose to go away, but immediately grew faint, and had to sit down again. I was compelled to sit there nearly an hour before my condition would allow me to go away. Twice during the time I was there, a load of arms, legs, hands, and feet, was carried off on a shelter tent and dumped into a ravine.
The battle indeed was over, but the suffering and agony of the poor wounded men, who still lay upon the field where they fell, did not so quickly end. Hardest of all, worse even than the dreadful charge itself. was the sight of comrades and tent-mates, endeared by many kind, unselfish deeds and cherished for their brotherly care and affection, lying helpless in their suffering within plain sight, with no means or power to aid or even comfort them by an assisting hand or sympathetic word. Many of the wounded left on the field and unable to get under cover. were deliberately shot dead by the inhuman rebel wretches; and this was done so long after the charge and its excitement was over that every such shot made the one who aimed it little better than a cold-blooded murderer. So worse than savages and revengefully malicious were some of those heartless fiends in human shape, that they not only shot at those who showed any signs of life, but amused themselves by making targets of the bodies of those that were dead. A number of the Twelfth received their death wounds from these cowardly miscreants, and some that, but for them, might have recovered from their wounds received while advanc-
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
ing in the charge. Of all the means. persuasive or coercive, that could have been used to induce soldiers of that army, who had once breasted the storm. to make another determined charge upon the enemy's intrenchments, none would have been half as effective as an appeal to that deep feeling of commingled pity and anger that was created by the suffering condition and inhuman treatment of their comrades who lay between them and the foe. . Revenge or death " would, at that time, have been a most potent battle-cry. and nerved the best and bravest of the troops to desperate and determined efforts to break through the enemy's lines or perish, like their comrades, in the attempt.
As showing the situation of the Twelfth during the whole day after the fatal attack, as well as of the silent and suffering ones who lay upon the field where they fell, for five days and four nights, except when rescued by their comrades, under cover of darkness. we quote the following from General Smith's account, already referred to in this chapter :
At the close of the battle the front of General Martindale was less than two hundred yards from the enemy's line, and in the open space between were many dead and wounded. For three days no cessation of hostilities was asked for; and common rumor gave as a reason that there was fear of a refusal. as there were no dead or wounded of the enemy between the lines to be cared for. Some of our wounded were brought in by men who risked their lives in the act, and some were rescued by digging trenches to them. The groans of such as could not be reached grew fainter and fainter until they ceased.
Here then is such a picture of war as does not often present itself even to the veteran of a hundred battles. Two armies so closely confronting each other that their main lines in some places are scarcely a rifle shot apart, and the exposure of a hand or head, upon either side. is pretty sure to result in a furlough for thirty days or eternity ; while upon the narrow space between, in plain sight of both friend and foe, are lying thousands of the dead. wounded, and dying, all stricken down from the ranks of one of the opposing armies. and all unprotected and uncared for.
That the wounded were thus allowed to remain in suffering helpless- ness upon the field day after day, unless sooner rescued by their pitying comrades, was because of such a shameful and criminal negligence as no common words can fully and justly characterize. And this we say, more in sorrowful remembrance of the dead who there suffered and died, than from any feelings of angry indignation that the same remembrance can, after so many years. quickly revive in the minds of the living. For ordering the charge, or ever allowing it to be made at the time and place it was, there may perhaps be found, among all the surrounding circumstances, some show of excuse, if not of justification : but for per- mitting wounded heroes of that charge to suffer and die as they did, one must search in vain for either one or the other. Fears of refusal were certainly no excuse for not asking. when both mercy and pity, with all the
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