USA > New Hampshire > History of the Twelfth regiment, New Hampshire volunteers in the war of the rebellion > Part 31
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From the 17th to the 22d it rained more or less every day and night, and then cleared off cold and windy, reminding the New England men of the long and cold fall rains of their native clime, followed by days -
"Cruel as Winter, and cold as the snow."
But Thanksgiving - a day never to be forgotten by the sons and daughters of New England, wherever their future station or home may be- was close at hand, and though mothers and sisters could not be present to prepare for the oven and transfer to the table, as of yore, yet the love and labor of their hearts and hands were manifest as wagon- load after wagon-load of well filled boxes were hauled into camp from City Point, all containing " something good and nice for the boys." Most of these were received and distributed through the different state agencies at Washington, but many of them were direct from home to a father, brother, or son, at the front.
The Twelfth received for its share of the distribution : one hundred pounds of turkeys and chickens, one barrel of crackers, one bushel of cranberries, five pounds of dried apples, and several other supplies, among which were the medicinal as well as the edible. This not only
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
gave the regiment enough to eat for one day, but many lunch and dessert bites beside : so many, in fact, that when pieced out by the smaller but choicer boxes received by individual members from home, many were made dainty of their old rations, and some became sick. It is not sur- prising, however, that such an uncommonly good opportunity should be grabbed at too eagerly by some to be judiciously improved.
This was the last Yankee Thanksgiving in " Dixie ": and. believing it to be such. the few who were alive and present to enjoy, made the most of it that their situation and surroundings allowed.
On the 27th General Ferrero's division of colored troops arrived. and the Twelfth changed their quarters for those of one of the new regiments that had been ordered away. It remained on the old line, however, until December 3, when it again moved to the north side of the James, where it was assigned the next day to the Second Brigade, Third Division. Fourth Army Corps - the Eighteenth and Tenth having been discon- tinued. and the Army of the James re-organized into the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Corps, the former consisting of white troops and the latter of colored troops, and commanded by Generals Ord and Weitzel respectively.
The Twenty-fourth Corps was now commanded by Major-General Ord, its Third Division by Gibbon, and Colonel Potter. upon being relieved from service at Bermuda Hundred, was assigned to the command of the Second Brigade of General Gibbon's division : so that the new organization still left the Twelfth under the brigade command of its old Colonel, who ought before then to have been wearing the " stars," as he probably would had General Whipple lived long enough, after his death wound at Chancellorsville, " to do justice to Colonel Potter and his brave men," as it was his dying wish that he might.
After the colored troops took the places of the whites on the Bermuda front, all friendliness between the opposing piekets at once disappeared. and a constant interchange of shots between them was kept up on some parts of the line, where there was any chance of inflicting injury upon each other, for nearly every hour in the day or night. The rebel soldiers were ordered to fire upon the colored pickets at every opportunity.
It was verily the active demonstration of the " irrepressible conflict " that Seward had spoken of and others had predicted : and those who had so long been pressed down, were rising slowly but surely toward a com- mon level before the law, for which they were already contesting. on equal footing with their oppressors, on the field of battle.
Soon after returning to the north side of the James the regiment com- menced again, and for the third time, to build winter quarters, but they were not finished until the 15th, upon which day Lieutenant-Colonel Barker was presented with an elegantly finished sword, with sash and belt to match, and a pair of spurs, the whole costing two hundred and forty-six dollars. itemized as follows : Sword. $150: belt. $60: sash.
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$30 ; and spurs, $6. These tokens of appreciation were given him by officers and men of his regiment, that he had so long and ably com- manded, and most faithfully had he earned them.
The new encampment was upon " Chapin's Farm," so called, because owned by a rich planter by that name, and occupied by him or his family until vacated upon the arrival of our troops upon that side of the river just before the battle, known by that name, that resulted in the capture of Fort Harrison. A further mention may be made of this place in another con- nection.
The Twelfth was now encamped within seven miles of Richmond, and nearer the doomed city than ever before, except for a few days while working upon and occupying the intrenchments north of the fort as pre- viously described.
During the winter of 1864-5 there was but little fighting north of the James, or on the Bermuda line, but the Union works were often so thinly manned by reason of sending troops from there to the extreme left, where Grant was almost constantly pounding away upon Lee's right flank, and his lines of communication and supply, that great vigilance, and some- times double duty, were required of the small force allowed to remain. The men were frequently obliged to turn out an hour or more before light and stand to arms until roll-call.
The irksome drill was still kept up, and much attention was given to the bayonet exercise, so that the men might be able to do effective work at close quarters should the enemy attack ; and this, together with picket, police, and other camp duties, and interspersed with many inspections, left little or no time for amusement. But though their duties were many and sometimes burdensome, they were neither severe nor exhausting as in the earlier days of Grant's campaign, and the men bore it all with sub- missive patience, for they fully believed that the time was short that their services would be further needed.
They were strengthened in this belief as they heard of the successes of Sherman in the South, Thomas in the West, and Terry at Fort Fisher and Wilmington. But more than all these to encourage them were the increasing desertions from the rebel ranks, already alluded to in this chapter ; for if General Lee could no longer hold his own army together, how could he much longer continue to resist ours, the strong cordon of which was strengthening and tightening every day? Nor was it strange to those who heard the discouraging stories of these deserters, that their numbers were daily increasing. It was not all because they had got sick of fighting for what was already to them the " lost cause," but because, also, that the rebel commissary supply, during the months of December and January, was so scant and insufficient, that it had actually become a debatable question in the rebel ranks whether they should stay and starve, or leave and live.
Confirmatory of this is the following from General Humphreys's " Vir- ginia Campaign of 1864-5" :
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
The winter of '64-5 was one of unusual severity, making the picket duty in front of the intrenchments very severe. It was especially so to the Confederate troops, with their threadbare, insufficient clothing. and meagre food - chiefly corn bread made of the coarsest meal. Meat they had but little of, and their subsistence department was actually importing it from abroad. Of coffee. tea, or sugar. they had none except in the hospitals.
It is stated. that in a secret session of the Confederate Congress the condition of the Confederacy. as to subsistence was declared to be :
That there was not enough in the Southern Confederacy for the armies it had in the field.
That there was not in Virginia either meat or bread enough for the armies within her limits.
That the supply of bread for those armies to be obtained from other places. depended absolutely upon keeping open the railroad connections of the South.
That the meat must be obtained from abroad through a seaport by blockade runners.
That the transportation was not now adequate, from whatever cause, to meet the necessary demands of the service.
That the supply of fresh meat to General Lee's army was precarious. and, if the army fell back from Richmond and Petersburg. that there was every prob- ability that it would cease altogether.
The condition of the deserters who came into our lines during the winter. appeared to prove that there was no exaggeration in these statements.
Some time in February the Confederate commissariat was got into better con- dition. and Lee's army was better rationed from that time until the fall of Rich- mond and Petersburg, and reserve depots were maintained at Richmond. Lynchburg. Danville, and Greensborough. containing three and a half million rations of bread.
But the rolling stock of the railroads was so worn that it could no longer bring the necessary number of rations to Lee's army in addition to the other require- ments made upon it. and wagon trains were resorted to wherever practicable.
Christmas day the finishing blast - so far as it ever was finished - was made in Dutch Gap, its bulkhead being blown out upon that day, if Gen- eral Butler's own account is correct. instead of New Year's day as related in some regimental histories, and confirmed by the diary entry of Sergeant Noyes. of the Twelfth. This mistake arose. probably, from the fact that both of the days came on Sunday.
This last convulsive effort to make the " big ditch" a success was all in vain : for not another thing was ever done upon it during the war. no attempt being made even to dredge out the dirt that fell back and dammed back the water of the river that might otherwise, to some small extent, have flowed in. It was a foolish undertaking from the start. and its total failure adversely affected the reputation of its projector.
The old year expired and was shrouded in snow, and the Borean blasts that heralded the new, convinced the shivering hosts in army blue. that old General Winter's department reached much farther southward than " Mason and Dixon's line."
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January 7 General Butler was relieved from his command in the army by order of President Lincoln, and directed to " repair to Lowell, Mass .. and report by letter to the adjutant-general of the army."
This was done at the request of General Grant, sent to Secretary Stan- ton three days before, in which he says: " I do this with reluctance, but the good of the service requires it. In my absence General Butler neces- sarily commands, and there is a lack of confidence felt in his military ability, making him an unsafe commander for a large army. His admin- istration of the affairs of his department is also objectionable."
The same request, without the reasons, was telegraphed to the president himself on the 6th.
Thus was General Grant obliged to ask the abrupt rejection of his own special selection : and General Butler, whatever his faults and failings. was subjected thereby to greater humiliation, than could in proper regard for his past services be well justified.
Though strongly affiliated with, and one of the leaders of, a great national party, the greater portion of which took an active part in, or sympathized with, the secession movement that precipitated the war, he was among the very first of the prominent men of the North to step forth in defense of his country, and had. to the best of his ability, long and earnestly labored and fought in her defense.
That he had not always been successful in his efforts, and had signally failed when much was required and most expected of him, as in his last campaign, no one, conversant with his military career, will deny ; but that he was not alone to blame for these failures, as has been shown in a previous chapter, and that he succeeded at other times and places, as at Baltimore, New Orleans, and New York, where few, if any, could have done so well, and many would have totally failed, must in truth and jus- tice be admitted.
Sometimes proudly alone, and always strangely unique, Butler long stood conspicuously and defiantly forth in the public arena, a target for his foes and a shield for his friends.
But he has at last fallen from the ranks of time. and as a soldier pa- triot. if for nothing else, let him be remembered with all kindness and charity.
His farewell address issued on the Sth, is here given :
Soldiers of the Army of the James :
Your commander, relieved by order of the president, takes leave of you. Your conduct in the field extorted praises from the unwilling. You have endured the privations of the camp and the march without a murmur. You have never failed to attack when ordered. You have stormed and carried works deemed impregnable by the enemy. You have shown the positions to be so by holding them against his fiercest assaults in the attempt to retake them.
Those skilled in war have marvelled at the obstacles overcome by your valor. Your deeds have rendered your names illustrious.
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
In after times your general's proudest memory will be to say with you : " I. too, was of the Army of the James." To share your companionship is pleasure. To participate in such acts is honor.
To have commanded such an army is glory. No one could yield it without regret. Knowing your willing obedience to orders. witnessing the ready devo- tion of your blood in your country's cause, I have been chary of the precious charge confided to me. I have refused to order the useless sacrifice of the lives of such soldiers, and I am relieved from your command.
The wasted blood of my men does not stain my garments. For my action I am responsible to God and my country.
To the Colored Troops of the Army of the James :
In this army you have been treated not as laborers but as soldiers. You have shown yourselves worthy of the uniform you wear.
The best officers of the Union seek to command you. Your bravery has won the admiration even of those who would be your masters. Your patriotism and fidelity have illustrated the best qualities of manhood. With the bayonet you have unlocked the iron-barred gates of prejudice, opening new fields of freedom, liberty. and equality, of right to yourselves and your race forever.
Comrades of the Army of the James, I bid you all farewell.
BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major- General.
January 17 Colonel Potter was relieved from the command of the Second Brigade to accept the position of chief-of-staff to General Gibbon. who had been promoted to the command of the Twenty-fourth Corps in place of General Ord, who assumed command of the Army of the James, and the Department of Virginia and North Carolina as recently held by General Butler. Lieutenant-Colonel Birney, of the Ninth Vermont, assumed command of the brigade after Potter left.
On the same day there was a review of the corps by its new com- mander ; and as General Gibbon was riding along the line an orderly handed him a dispatch, which he no sooner glanced over than he read aloud to the troops. It was that Fort Fisher had fallen, and that General Terry and his brave men were in possession, holding one thousand of its late defenders as prisoners of war.
" Then," in the language of a Twelfth staff officer who was present, " went up three hearty cheers, followed by the sneering cry : . How is Lowell stock now? How are you, Butler? '"
It will be remembered by the old veterans, and the younger readers can learn it from history, that an expedition had been sent down the coast under General Butler in December to capture Fort Fisher ; but after ex- ploding a boat-load of powder, in the vain and very foolish attempt to demolish the Fort by the concussion, and making some slight demonstra- tion of attack, he returned with the report that it was impracticable to assault as the fort was too strong to be taken even by the combined efforts of the land and naval forces.
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History of the Twelfth Regiment
To this, however, Admiral Porter, who commanded the fleet, did not agree, nor General Grant either : for no sooner did Butler's troops return, than they were sent back under General Terry with the successful result above referred to.
On the same day a system of competitive inspections was instituted by General Gibbon, by means of which the successful soldiers in the contest were given furloughs, and the regiments found most deserving of com- mendation were excused from all duty for one week.
Regimental and company inspections were required on Sunday and Wednesday of each week, and the company commanders at each inspec- tion had to select the soldier "best in order" in his company and send him to the regimental commander, who was to select from those sent him from the different companies the best, in his judgment, and send him up to the brigade commander, and he in turn to select from those sent to him the man who should represent his brigade at division headquarters, where another and the final test inspection of the men from the several brigades, decided who, among all the contestants, should be the proud and happy recipient of a thirty days' furlough home.
On every alternate Sunday, commencing on the 22d, brigade com- manders were required to inspect each regiment in their commands, reporting to division headquarters the regiments found " best in order " and those considered " worst in order"; and those reported best were to be excused from all picket and outside details for one week, and from those reported worst no furloughs were to be granted until they had changed their inspection rating.
And on the Wednesday succeeding these brigade inspections, the best regiments, thus selected, were inspected again by the division com- mander, whose duty it was to select from them the final best, and order it excused from another week's duty.
As was expected and intended, this order created a sharp rivalship between the men and regiments, as to whom or which should be reported " best in order," which phrase, in military construction, meant in the best order and condition in everything pertaining to the soldier - his person, deportment, clothes, knapsack, gun, and equipments-in which he, by his own care, diligence, and attention, could make any improvement.
But it is doubtlessly true that selections were sometimes made among the individual competitors more because of the natural than the acquired appearance of the soldier : and that a bright face and shapely form were more potent to influence the officers who had to decide, than bright brasses and the cleanest gun, to say nothing about the unavoidable bias of favoritism in the minds of the company commanders.
The result of the regimental inspections will be understood from the following :
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
HD. QRS. 2D BRIG. 3D DIV. 24TH ARMY CORPS. Jan. 22, 1865.
Commanding Officer 12th N. II. Vols. :
SIR,- I am directed by the brigade commander to inform you that your regiment is pronounced to be the best in order, according to the reports of the inspectors of the brigade this day. You will, therefore, hold your regiment in readiness to be inspected by the division commander on Wednesday next.
Very respectfully, etc. ABEL E. LEAVENWORTHI, A. A. Adjt. Genl.
Upon receiving the above, Colonel Barker issued to the regiment a congratulatory order in which he says :
To the honored name yon have won in many hard fought battles with the foes of your country, whom we all believe to be our inferiors in many of the ele- ments of true and enlightened manhood, you have now added new laurels by your victory in soldierly appearance over the five other regiments in your brig- ade, composed of men whom you respect and look upon as your equals.
By the success already attained you are elected candidates to compete with the two regiments selected from the other brigades of the division on Wednesday next. Let no efforts be spared to again win.
Less than two days now remained to prepare for another battle of looks instead of acts, but the final test was necessarily delayed by an unexpected and exciting event.
About midnight of the 23d heavy firing was heard in the direction of Fort Brady, and soon the pickets reported the rebel gunboats coming down the river. and the sound of the long roll and bugle blast broke the stillness of the night and roused the men from their quiet slumbers.
Finding that their movement was discovered the rebels opened upon our lines from Howlet's and other batteries, and though it was not . whis- pered with white lips," yet the sudden and unexpected attack in the night reminded some of the remainder of that familiar line of their school-boy days, " The foe ! They come, they come !"
The morning light revealed three ironclad rams, five armed wooden steamers, and three torpedo boats of the enemy engaged with our moni- tors and land batteries near our chain of obstructions above Dutch Gap, through which two of the rams had succeeded in passing while the other had grounded in the attempt.
The Twelfth, with other regiments, was at once ordered into the trenches, ready to resist an attack of the enemy's forces that were re- ported to be concentrating on our right, where it remained until nearly dark, when the rebel fleet, getting the worst of it in the artillery duel of the day, withdrew up the river, leaving the rebel ram " Drewry," as a trophy of the contest, in our hands.
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History of the Twelfth Regiment
It was a bold, determined attempt to break through all obstructions. disable our gun-boats, and destoy our whole depot of supplies at City Point ; and, with the assistance of their land forces which were intending to move forward as soon as the river was opened by their fleet, the result might have been more disastrous. But the fates were now against them. and this last spasmodic effort to break the cordon of death that encircled them amounted to little more than a night's scare and a day's fun for our forces along the James. the most cowardly and ridiculous part of which will be found written out in another chapter.
Tuesday night was cold, and the men were thankful that the discom- fiture of the rebel rams, leaving more wool than horns, allowed them rest in quarters instead of longer exposure to cutting winds and bursting shells in the trenches.
The next day, which was to have decided the inspection contest, there was another report that the enemy were massing on our right, and com- mands were ordered to be in readiness to march at a moment's warning ; but after another night of watching and waiting the rumor proved unfounded, and the order for ready action was then unheeded.
Being no longer menaced by the foe, preparation for the final inspec- tion test, which had been postponed one week, to decide which was the best regiment in the division, again demanded the time and attention of the men not otherwise occupied by the daily routine of camp duties.
Stimulated and encouraged by having won against five competitors in the brigade trial, both officers and men were now determined not to be vanquished by only two opponents, although each like the Twelfth had been selected as the best in its brigade.
Perfection, so far as means and circumstances permitted, was now the effort and the aim of every man. What, in the former trial, was thought to be the best was labored upon until it looked better, and where improve- ment seemed possible it was either made or attempted. In the meantime another Sunday brigade inspection came round and the Twelfth again took its place at the head of the column as the best regiment on the field. Reassured by this second victory every member of the battalion felt more than ever confident of bearing off the victor's wreath in the final contest ; but still their care and diligence did not abate, for they expected and desired not to win without deserving. The day, Wednesday, February S, at last arrived and the three regiments, Twelfth New Hampshire, Ninety-eighth New York, and Fortieth Massachusetts, were marched out and paraded in line for the division commander to inspect. But no sooner does the Fortieth Massachusetts appear than a murmur of disap- probation runs along the ranks of the other two regiments, for it is at once seen that an unfair advantage is being taken. That regiment had just drawn a full supply of new frock coats, and took the liberty to wear them on this occasion, although they knew that the other regiments would wear, as at previous inspections, the common police blouse of daily use.
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New Hampshire Volunteers.
This unfair attempt to win the first favor by a new and better dress, in- stead of wearing the best looking old one of like kind as the others, should of itself, with any fair and competent inspector, have decided the contest against them. But, as feared, the verdict was the other way, and the Fortieth Massachusetts was selected as " little the best in order " with the Twelfth New Hampshire and the Ninety-eighth New York reported as " deserving special commendation." The decision was generally dis- approved of by officers and men of the division, and was derisively alluded to, as " a victory of dress coats over blouses."
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