USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Nashua > History of the city of Nashua, N.H. > Part 55
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May 3 companies A, F and K, under Lieutenant-Colonel Lull, took possession of Fort Pike on one of the channels leading into Lake Ponchartrain. Other troops coming up to garrison it, the bat- talion moved on to Fort Macomb, Fort Bienvenu and Tower Dupre. June 28 it rejoined the regiment at Camp Parapet, Carrollton. Lieut. Dana W. King says that "company A had the honor of being the first occupant of four forts, viz: Forts Pike and Bienvenu, Tower Dupre and the Mexican Gulf Battery, mounting in all sixty-five guns." Sept. 19 companies A, B, G and K drove in the enemy's pickets at Pass Manchac, which was repeated Oct. II by companies G and H.
On Oct. 27 at Georgia Landing occurred the first serious engagement of General Weitzel's brigade, of which the Eighth New Hampshire was now a part. Success crowned the day for the union forces, but with severe losses on both sides, including Capt. J. Q. A. Warren of company E-one of the best line officers in the Eighth. The regiment went into this engagement with only four hundred men, to which number the original strength of one thousand men had been reduced within its first year by the inroads of death and disease.
For several months after this, the regiment was stationed near Baton Rouge; company B mean- while taking part in the expedition up to Bayou Teche, under General Weitzel. March 14 it partici- pated in the expedition against Port Hudson, under Banks and Farragut, returning to Baton Rouge. April 7 it entered upon the first Red river expedition, under General Paine, taking part in the three days' engagement at Bisland, and being the first to plant its colors on the enemy's works. Further advance was made, with little resistance, to Opelousas, and May 8, after a day's forced march, Alex- andria was reached. At this time Lieutenant Eayrs was acting brigade commissary, and Lieutenant King as brigade ordnance officer on the staff of General Paine.
May 15 began the movement towards Port Hudson, where, on the twenty-third, position was taken on the right of the line of investment at the Big Sandy. May 27 a general advance was ordered, the Eighth making a brilliant charge against the outer works, carrying everything before them, but suffering severer losses than any other regiment, one hundred and twenty-four being killed and wounded out of an aggregate of two hundred and ninety-eight taken into the fight. A long and try- ing siege followed, with frequent casualties. Lieut. George W. Thompson, 2d, of company E was killed May 29 while in the rifle pits. June 14 an assaulting column of 3,000 men, under General Paine, was formed, the Eighth New Hampshire, under Capt. Barrett, and the Fourth Wisconsin in advance as skirmishers. The assault at daybreak was met by a desperate reception, but was success- ful to the scaling of the parapets by the Eighth and Fourth. The capture would have been easily complete if the supporting columns had followed up the advance; failing to do which the remnant were captured or obliged to retire. The Eighth lost one hundred and twenty-two out of two hundred and seventeen men, Lieut. Luther T. Hosley, company A, being among the killed. June 15 General Banks issued a congratulatory order upon the results attained, and at the same time called for a storming column of one thousand men, a "forlorn hope," to make another assault upon the works. The column was speedily raised and organized, three volunteering from the Eighth, one of whom was Lieut. Dana W. King of company A. The siege continued, the lines being drawn closer and closer to the enemy's works, with continuous firing going on at every exposed object. Pending the careful preparations being made, the expected attack by the "forlorn hope " was deferred from day to day, until the news came on July 7 that Vicksburg had surrendered to General Grant, which immediately resulted in the capitulation of Port Hudson on July 9, rendering the assault by the "forlorn hope" unnecessary. It was given the post of honor, however, the head of the column, marching in to take possession of the captured works, immediately followed by the Eighth New
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Hampshire, in recognition of its gallant service during the siege. Its part in this crowning act of the opening of the Mississippi to navigation will ever remain an almost matchless honor.
Aug. 22 the regiment marched back to Baton Rouge; early in September it embarked with the unsuccessful expedition to Sabine Pass, thence was ordered to Algiers and back to Camp Bisland. Oct. 3 it left Bisland on the second Red river expedition, reaching Opelousas the twenty-fourth, and New Iberia on Nov. 12. Dec. 21 the regiment was detached and ordered to Franklin to be mounted, and was then designated as the First New Hampshire cavalry, but from March 31 to June 30, 1864, as the Second New Hampshire cavalry. Jan. 4, 1864, two hundred and nineteen of the veterans re-enlisted, but without receiving the usual furlough. Jan. 6 it left for New Orleans, where it remained until March 2, when it left upon the unfortunate Red river campaign, taking part in the actions at Henderson's Hill, Natchitoches, Crump's Hill and Wilson's Farm.
April 8 occurred the action at Sabine Cross Roads, where the Second New Hampshire cavalry suffered the capture of about fifty men (including Capt. Dana W. King, whose horse was shot under him), who were confined six months in the prison pen at Tyler, Texas, an experience of suffering too frequently incident to the defense of the flag, quite beyond the power of adequate description.
Hard service continued to be the lot of the regiment. It shared in the engagements at Monett's Bluff, April 23, Cane river, April 24, and in those at and near Alexandria, continuously for nearly two weeks following. In the retreat, it was assigned the most difficult of all services, the rear-guard, being constantly exposed to attack. Finally, after the actions at Marksville, Bayou de Glaize and Yellow Bayou, the Atchafalaya was crossed on May 19, at Morganzia, whence it left June 16 for New Orleans, to be returned to an infantry organization, thus ending a disappointing campaign of three and a half months, "the most arduous, toilsome and exhausting in which the regiment had ever participated; one of ceaseless marches, constant watchfulness by day or night, and daily exposure to the enemy's fire and harrassing attacks; one of suffering from hunger and thirst, from exposure to the elements, without blankets, tents or sufficient clothing, and under the depressing, demoralizing influence, much of the time, which a long retreat always brings; a campaign of such exacting and constant service that, of the seven hundred horses with which the regiment started out, but two hundred of the original animals were returned; with casualties occurring almost every day, and aggregating about one-fourth of its force; yet, under these adverse conditions, maintaining such heroic bearing, such unyielding purpose and such unflinching courage, that it received the commendation of three commanding generals, expressed in general orders. No New Hampshire regiment was put to a severer test of true courage and heroism; none made a better or more enviable record under adverse and demoralizing influences."
July II the re-enlisted men were furloughed for thirty days, reaching Concord July 23. Returning, they reached Camp Parapet Sept. 6. The regiment was then ordered to Natchez, Miss., where it was engaged in garrison and picket duty until the expiration of its term of service Dec. 23, shortly after which officers and men who had not re-enlisted were ordered to Concord and mustered out on Jan. 18, 1865, when the regimental organization ceased to exist.
Jan. I the veterans re-enlisting, together with recruits, were organized into the Veteran battalion, Eighth New Hampshire volunteers, company B of which was commanded by Capt. Dana W. King. It did duty at Vidalia and Natchez until Oct. 28, when it was mustered out at Vicksburg. Oct. 29, it embarked for Cairo, under command of Captain King, and reached Concord Nov. 7, where it was appropriately received, and on Nov. 9, 1865, was paid off and discharged, after nearly four years of such faithful service as to win from its brigade commander, General Paine, the tribute that "the Eighth New Hampshire have learned how to fight and not how to retreat," and that "for them to be brave was only to be true to their hard-earned fame." The regimental historian, Captain Stanyan, says, "it marched and fought over the whole length of Louisiana, and got nearer to Texas than any other portion of the army ever did."
The officers of the Veteran battalion were given brevet commissions by Gov. Frederick Smythe, in recognition of their distinguished services, Capt. Dana W. King, the only officer remaining who went out with the regiment, being made lieutenant-colonel, Second Lieut. Nelson H. Peterson being brevetted first lieutenant, and Lieut. James H. Marshall, captain.
As in every other regiment, simple justice demands more extended mention of the worthy service of many a man than is here made, or than is contained in the official record annexed. The reader is
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necessarily referred for this to the regimental histories, which abound with recital of brave deeds and faithful devotion to duty, producing in us a just pride that such men were of our flesh and blood, so far did their valor and devotion outdo what we had considered humanly possible.
The names of King and Nolan, Warren and Hosley and Marshall, and many another, will always remind us of the Eighth New Hampshire, and the gallant part it took in fighting for the flag.
NINTH REGIMENT.
The Ninth New Hampshire was organized in the summer of 1862, at Camp Colby, Concord under Col. Enoch Q. Fellows of Sandwich. Capt. Augustus S. Edgerly, a veteran of the First New Hampshire, from Nashua, but now a resident of Sanbornton, assisted by First Lieut. Charles D. Copp, enlisted many Nashua men, who were largely assigned to company C.
The regiment left Concord Aug. 25 for Washington, and immediately crossed the Potomac to Camp Chase, Arlington Heights, thence was put into the field without delay to join in the movements to check Lee's advance. On the fourteenth of September, twenty days after leaving Concord, it alone charged a rebel brigade, driving it from the crest of South Mountain, and three days later it did veteran service at Antietam, joining in the carriage by storm of the "stone bridge" over Antietam creek. No other New Hampshire regiment met the enemy in battle so early in its experience. Its conduct was so creditable as to gain immediate official commendation.
After a few days the regiment went into camp at Pleasant Valley, Md., remaining here until Oct. 27, when it crossed the Potomac at Berlin and joined in the pursuit of Lee. Nov. 15 it was engaged with a rebel battery at White Sulphur Springs, Va., and on the nineteenth went into camp at Stafford Heights, Falmouth. It crossed the Rappahannock Dec. 12, occupying the streets of Fredericksburg that day and night. It shared in the next day's fighting, a regiment at a time, meeting the hottest kind of a reception, but with magnificent credit to itself at the "Slaughter Pen," one of the bloodiest fields the war had thus far seen. Many casualties resulted. When several of the color-guard had been killed or disabled, and Sergt. Edgar A. Densmore, carrying the national colors, fell, mortally wounded, Lieut. Charles D. Copp of company C, caught up the flag, and, advancing in front, called out, "Hurrah boys! Come on," leading them forward into the very front of the engagement. So fearless was his courage and so worthy the act as to gain for him the award of the medal of honor given by congress for conspicuous bravery.
Movements resulting in no advantage followed until the withdrawal of the army on the night of the fifteenth to the old camp on Stafford Heights, where the Ninth remained nearly two months, suffering much from the severities of the winter, and conditions to which they were unused. Feb. 9 an agreeable move was made to Newport News, where it remained until March 25, when it embarked for Baltimore, en route to Lexington, Ky. Service followed here, at Winchester and Crab Orchard Springs and vicinity, until June 4, when the regiment left, via Cincinnati and Cairo, to join Grant's army investing Vicksburg. It participated in various movements incident to the capture of this stronghold, suffering not a little from the summer heat and other privations. After the surrender it joined in the pursuit of Johnston's retreating army until July 13, when he made a stand at Jackson. Very disagreeable picket duty, and the repulse of a night attack were the lot of the regiment here, followed by withdrawal, upon Johnston's further retreat. Aug. 8 it embarked for Cairo, en route to Kentucky, reaching Nicholasville Aug. 23, much reduced by sickness, and consequently assigned to light guard duty on the Kentucky Central railroad, with headquarters at Paris. Jan. 25 its old Windsor rifles were exchanged for the new Springfield. The same day it set out for Point Isabel, leaving there Feb. 27 for Knoxville, Tenn., via Cumberland Gap, arriving March 17 after a very cold and wearisome march. Four days later it set out to return by another route through the Gap, and reached Camp Burnside at Nicholasville again March 31. April 2 it started for Annapolis, Md., where the Ninth corps was being re-organized. It was quickly hurried forward to join the army of the Potomac, arriving in season to participate in the second day's battle of the Wilderness May 6, on which day Capt. A. S. Edgerly was killed while serving on the staff of Col. S. G. Griffin commanding the brigade.
May 10 it came under the enemy's artillery fire. May 12 it was engaged in the severest day's struggle of its three years' history, the battle of Spottsylvania, where it took part in the general
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charge along the whole line, advancing beyond it, however, into the "Bloody Angle," there meeting a most murderous fire, which in a few minutes caused a loss of over two hundred men. Constant skirmishing followed until the eighteenth, when it was again heavily engaged.
It participated in the engagements at North Anna river May 24-26, and won laurels in a successful assault, under a galling fire, upon the enemy's rifle-pits May 31 at Totopotomoy creek. It shared in the disagreeable work at Bethesda church June 2-3, and did picket duty incident to the battle of Cold Harbor. It was then moved to the vicinity of Petersburg, which was its principal field of action for the remainder of its service. June 17 it took part in the successful assault upon the Shand house, but with numerous casualties among its small aggregate of one hundred and twenty- five effective strength now remaining.
Two months of severe siege duty followed, mostly in front of the "Mine," where, on July 30, at its explosion, the Ninth bore conspicuous part leading the assault and being the first to plant its colors upon the enemy's works at the "Crater." In the desperate attempt made to retain possession the regiment lost ninety-two in killed, wounded and missing, about one-half its strength engaged, Lieut. George H. Drew being among the captured.
Aug. 20-21 it did sturdy service at Weldon railroad, and for several weeks following was employed in picket duty, building earth-works and corduroy roads.
Sept. 30 it joined in the charge at Poplar Springs church, but under a flank movement by far superior numbers, found itself obliged to retire to the Pegram house, its effective strength decimated to less than sixty muskets, twice that number being killed, wounded and missing.
It remained in this vicinity till Oct. 27, receiving some recruits and doing some skirmishing in the movement in Hatcher's Run, two days later returning to its former quarters near Petersburg, whence, Nov. 29, it moved to Fort Alexander Hayes, where it passed the winter.
In the final movements of the army of the Potomac it took no active part after April 8, when it assisted in guarding eight thousand prisoners of Ewell's army, captured by Sheridan. April 20 it set out for City Point, leaving there the twenty-sixth for Alexandria, where it went into camp. May 23 it participated in the final grand review of the army at Washington and June 10 the regiment broke camp preparatory to return to New Hampshire. June 14 it returned its colors to the governor at the state house and was discharged, leaving a record of which the state and every member may well be proud.
TENTH REGIMENT.
The Tenth regiment was organized at Camp Pillsbury, Manchester, under the call of July I, 1862, for 300,000 three years' men. Command was given to Col. Michael T. Donahoe. Nashua furnished one company, B, under Capt. Timothy B. Crowley, First Lieut. George Edgecumbe and Second Lieut. Michael Moran, with Daniel W. Russell as first sergeant; and nearly all the Nashua men in the regiment were in this company. Sept. 22 the regiment left for Washington, arriving, after an uncomfortable journey, with two railroad accidents, on the twenty-fifth, marching next morning to Camp Chase, Arlington Heights. Almost its entire three years of active service were destined to be upon the soil of Virginia. After a few weeks spent mainly in preparations for active campaigning, the regiment had its first experience under fire Nov. 15 in its support of a battery at the crossing by the Ninth corps of the north fork of the Rappahannock at White Sulphur Springs. Nov. 19, after a severe four days' march, Falmouth was reached, where it camped for three weeks. On the evening of Dec. II it crossed the pontoon bridge, laid under heavy fire, remaining in the streets of Fredericksburg until the thirteenth, when it occupied an important defensive position until, late in the afternoon, it joined in the last desperate but unsuccessful assault upon Marye's Height, in which, thanks to the darkness, its loss aggregated only about fifty. Two days later it re-crossed the river to its old camp, where it remained, suffering not a little from cold and lack of fuel and clothing, until Feb. 9, when it went to Acquia creek, thence to Newport News, where it was much more com- fortably quartered.
March 14 General Longstreet's forces having threatened an attack upon Suffolk, General Getty's division was sent to reinforce it. April 11 Longstreet advanced in force and invested it. Companies B and E of the Tenth were sent to man Fort Halleck. The siege, which was extremely wearing .
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was kept up until May 4 when the rebels were forced to retire. The regiment shared in the work for the defense of Portsmouth, and later in the hardships of the movement to Yorktown and the Pamun- key river, returning thereafter to its former camp at Getty's Station, near Portsmouth. July 30 its camp was moved to Julian's creek. Work on fortifications was resumed until their completion in November, and the winter was spent in drill and target practice. March 19 its camp was removed to Great Bridge, where it did picket duty and scouting for the month following.
April 19, 1864, the regiment set out via canal to Portsmouth, Va., thence via Newport News and Big Bethel to Yorktown, being assigned to the army of the James, under General Butler. Thence it embarked to Bermuda Hundred, where it arrived May 6. The next day it led the advance along the Richmond & Petersburg railroad, meeting the enemy near Port Walthal, and being under fire all day.
May 9 a further advance was made, and the enemy again encountered, the regiment being hotly engaged all day. After dark an attack was made by South Carolina troops, and the Tenth counter- charged upon them, driving them across Swift creek and inflicting great loss upon them. The next day, after tearing up the railroad, the whole force retired, companies B, D and F, under Captain Crowley, acting as rear guard.
Another advance was made on the twelfth towards Richmond, meeting the enemy strongly intrenched at Proctor's Creek, and making a gallant and successful charge upon them, clearing the way for the passage and deployment of the entire corps.
The next day the advance was resumed, the regiment being under a heavy artillery fire in the afternoon. May 14 the corps advanced and occupied the outer line of defenses at Drewry's Bluff. On the sixteenth the enemy charged, under cover of a dense fog, upon the right wing of the corps, carrying everything before them until the Tenth was reached, who, with the Thirteenth New Hamp- shire, repelled charge after charge, and held them in check for two hours after the remainder of the brigade had been withdrawn, when they also retired, acting as rear guard of the corps to Bermuda Hundred. The remainder of the month the picket lines of both armies were frequently engaged. June 1, after a hard march, the Tenth joined Grant's army lying in front of Cold Harbor, and was at once put into the fight, making a charge upon the enemy and driving them into their works. The next day was devoted to the construction of rifle pits under the enemy's fire, in which Lieut. Daniel W. Russell, a valued and courageous officer of company B, was instantly killed. June 3 the Tenth led the assaulting column upon the enemy's works, meeting with the hottest reception thus far in its history, but carrying the first line of defense and holding it throughout the day. For nine days more the regiment remained at the front, with losses every day, then returned to Bermuda Hundred, but not to rest. June 15 it led the brigade in the assault and capture of Battery Five, the Thirteenth New Hampshire leading the skirmish line. The following morning companies A, E and K assaulted an inner line and captured more prisoners than they themselves numbered.
The following two months and more the regiment was engaged in the siege of Petersburg, with only brief respites at Bermuda Hundred, to which place it returned Aug. 27. Aug. 5 company B suf- fered the loss of one man killed and nine wounded from the explosion of a shell in its midst. Sept. 28 it was armed with Spencer repeating rifles, which next day it used with most telling effect in the storming and capture of Fort Harrison, and in its most gallant defense the day following, incident to which was a sortie in which the regiment took part, capturing about five hundred prisoners and many battle flags. The losses of those two days were very severe, including about one-sixth of its strength, and its regimental, brigade, corps and division commanders.
Oct. 27 it shared in the desperate charge upon the rebel works at Fair Oaks, going into the fight with ten officers and one hundred and twenty-four men, but coming out with only two officers and twenty-five men, Captain Crowley, who commanded the regiment, being among the wounded. Many were captured, nearly all of whom died later in Salisbury prison. The next day the regiment returned to Fort Harrison, where the winter was spent.
When Richmond fell, April 3, 1865, the Tenth was among the first to enter, taking post at Man- chester, opposite the city, and there doing provost duty until June 21, when it was mustered out of service, returning to New Hampshire with the Twelfth and Thirteenth regiments, and being accorded such reception at Nashua, Manchester and Concord as was its due after such heroic and faithful ser- vice as stands to its credit.
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ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH REGIMENTS.
The Eleventh and Twelfth regiments had but few Nashua men. The service of the former was in Virginia, excepting one year, March 31, 1863, to April 1, 1864, in Kentucky, Mississippi and Ten- nessee. The latter served its entire term in the armies of the Potomac and the James. Both regi- ments reflected great credit upon the state and themselves.
THIRTNEETH REGIMENT.
The Thirteenth New Hampshire was organized at Camp Colby, Concord, in September, 1862, its ten companies coming from seven different counties. Its members were almost entirely natives of the state, of excellent character. Nashua had special interest in it because of her large contribution to its field and staff, Col. Aaron F. Stevens being given command, with George Bowers, lieutenant- colonel; George H. Gillis, adjutant; George G. Jones, chaplain; George H. Taggard, commissary sergeant ; and John J. Whittemore, hospital steward. Most of the Nashua men were in company I, of which Luther M. Wright was captain, and Major A. Shaw was second lieutenant.
The regiment left Concord for Washington Oct. 6 and was first assigned to duty at Camp Chase, in General Casey's division, the defenses of Washington. Here it remained until Dec. I, when it joined the army of the Potomac (via "Camp Freeze-to-Death) at Acquia creek, near Fredericksburg. Here, on Dec. II, it met its first engagement, and acquitted itself with credit against heavy odds in General Getty's night assault, Dec. 13, upon the enemy's batteries on Marye's Heights, where Lieu- tenant Shaw was among the wounded.
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