USA > New Hampshire > The Third New Hampshire and all about it, pt 2 > Part 2
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Discharged for disability : J. B. Douglass of F.
Gained from desertion : Geo. W. Emerson of F and John Graw of G. The former is found to be on detached service at Morris Is- land, and the latter turned up in Philadelphia in a general hospital. wounded.
A
B
5
5
C 5
D
E
F 5 6
0 1 37 G 5 8
5
4
8
2
1
1 1
On duty 37 49 55
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
Transferred to
Veteran Reserve Corps
Absent with leave - furlonghed probably
Absent in arrest 0
Prisoners of war 0
1 0
0 0
0 0
0 3
0 0
1 0
1 0
0 0 0 2 €
0
8
8
8
7
2
2
2
1
1
37 40
47
1
0 0 S
0 0 00 0 1
1
1 0 0 3
.
I K Totals.
Sergeants
Corporals
2 2 Wagoners 1
Musicians
2
2.
2
1
1
1
43
5 S
8
1 46 37 428 6
Died of wounds
0 1 0 1 0 3
2
AUGUST, 1864.
N a Port Royal item of the 1st is noted the receipt by Admiral Dahlgren of a Confederate letter, saying that Farragut was soon to report to him for duty, for pur- pose of giving the impression that Charleston was to be attacked, while the real point of attack was to be Cape Fear. Another item (of the 2d) was that arrangements had been completed for an exchange of the 50 officers placed under fire (both sides). This exchange took place on the 3d, the Naval Band playing. the men .--- army and navy -cheering, etc. There were 80 men marked " off duty " on the 3d. On the 4th a diary said : " All in camp for first time for months."
THE MUSTER-OUT.
Lient .- Col. Plimpton wrote Gen. Hawley on the 4th that the original term of the 1861 men would expire on the 23d, and gave the following data : Whole number on the roll now, 784; present (all), 540; absent sick, 189; on detached service or prisoners of war, 55 ; present for duty (men), 453. Of those whose terms expire, he gave the whole number as 271 : now present, 191; on detached service, 17; all others, 63. Deducting all whose terms expire, leaves 513. After the expiration of term and muster-out, there will be present 349. All officers, present and absent. 35 : present, 27 ; absent sick, 3; absent with leave, 2 ; detached, 3. Only 3 of the 35 hold the grade they entered with. Two of the 35 have received new commissions, but are not yet mustered into the new grade. Substantially, Lient .- Col. Plimpton asked for instructions as to muster-out, not only of the men, but of the officers, and of the status of the regiment, etc.
This communication passed through the various military channels and was referred, on Ang. 7th, by Gen. Birney, to the Commissary of Musters of the Tenth Army Corps. He replied the 8th as follows : -
Respectfully returned. In accordance with Circular No. 36, W.D., A.G. O., of May 2d, 1864, where less than three-fourths of a regiment have re- enlisted. the re-enlisted men and all recruits (drafted and volunteers) who have joined the regiment since the date of its original muster-in, will be formed into one or more companies of the legal maximum standard and of- fleered by such officers as may be selected by the Department of Army Com- mander. Officers who have never been re-mustered, but have held one grade from the organization of the regiment, can at the expiration of their term of three years' service be mustered ont. W. R. HOWE.
Capt. and A. A .- G., Com. Musters, Tenth Army Corps.
(515)
516
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
[Aug. '64.
Col. Hawley, Commanding Second Brigade, First Division, en- dorsed as follows : " Respectfully forwarded, approved. It seems to me for the good of the service decidedly that the organization of the Third New Hampshire be preserved entire, and the vacancies be filled by the new levy [draft]. As a regiment it has fully earned a high reputation in all respects. I sincerely hope that its companies may not be consolidated, and that as few changes as possible be made."
Gen. Terry, Commanding First Division, endorsed as follows : " Respectfully forwarded. I entirely concur in the recommendation of Col. Hawley. This regiment is one of the best I have ever seen ; and I most earnestly recommend that the entire organization be pre- served, in order that it may be filled up from the draft."
Gen. Birney, Commanding Tenth Army Corps, approved and added : "The officers think they can fill up the regiment."
Gen. Butler, Commanding Department, directed that the regi- mental organization be preserved.
One of the most terrific artillery duels we had ever witnessed occurred on the 5th, in the afternoon. Each side must have held its breath. A deal of dodging and skipping about to avoid the shells and fragments.
The appearance of fever among us was noted on the 6th. On the same day one wrote thus of the approaching muster-out: "Our terms of service most expired. In seventeen days more I shall have completed the three years for which I enlisted. We are expecting to be mustered out on the 23d; and that little interesting ceremony should be performed in Concord. To make that possible. we must leave here by or before the 20th. The thought of going home and sceing our friends again, after three long, dismal and bloody years, makes us fairly shiver with pleasureable anticipation. The exciting idea alinost drives us mad with joy." This was the general feeling ; and coupled with it was a corresponding distaste for military life. It may with truth be added that as the day approached there was an increasing yet secret desire that no battle should intervene. But there did !
We had a very tempting offer about the 7th, which was of extra pay and rations of whiskey for " volunteers to dig and remove earth." The names of several willing ones were sent in; but the detail was never made, so far as we were concerned. This was the forerunner of the Dutch Gap Canal project (see separate account of it). Three other important items of the 7th were : first, a guard mount by divi- sion for first time ; second. we began to drill twice daily; third, the making out of the discharges for the '61 men. Some men were pain- fully explicit in their diaries ; for instance, one said : "Some better today. I want to go home." He was really getting childish as the day approached.
We were saddened on the 8th by the execution of a deserter in the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts, not far from our camp. Such inci- dents cast a gloom extending for miles.
517
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
Aug. '64.]
A terrible accident occurred at City Point on the 9th, a barge loaded with ammunition exploding, killing and wounding about 200 mnen. About this time our duties were made somewhat lighter, owing to the sickening of the men and perhaps to the approaching fractional muster-out. In proof of this a diary said, under date of the 9th : " We are having less duty and more dress parade and prayers."
As we hadn't heard from or seen our "Second Brigade Band" for some time, it may be well to say that the band was at Hilton Head. Band Master Ingalls was in Boston on the 23d, on a 30 days' trip, to recruit for the band.
A Confederate telegram of the 10th (Lee to Ewell) says : "Ou supposition that the force at Dutch Gap is marines, ask if Capt. Mitchell could n't shell it, while Pickett opened on land batter- ies, and Ewell attacked it."
A detail of 250 men for picket on the night of the 10th took nearly every available man. Sickness was increasing, but no fatal cases had yet oc- curred.
One of our officers visited friends in front of Petersburg. and thus describes the trip : " I rode out nearly to the front line of works in front of Petersburg : but the whizzing of bullets re- minded me that I was too con- A BULLET PROOF. spicuous for safety. I rode through camp after camp, inquiring for regiments and friends.
None seemed to know their right- hand neighbor from their left-hand neighbor. By much persistent inquiry I found the regiments and persons desired. Many a regi- ment I passed through had no more than about 50 guns, the rest of the regiment being wounded, killed, sick, etc. What havoc, and among human beings, too! I looked through a telescope to see the time of day in the Cockade City. It was 9.45 A.M. I rode that day over the same ground as our regiment passed on the 9th of June last, and was saddened by the thought that since that day thousands of lives had been sacrificed upon that identical ground, and as yet without capturing the city of Petersburg. The Army of the Potomac had advanced two miles beyond that particular front without the suc- cess desired. Perhaps I took a grain of comfort in the thought that what Butler had scolded Gillmore for not doing, had not been since accomplished with many times the number of troops then engaged. Before returning to my regiment, I obtained a few delicacies of the Sanitary Commission, and distributed them to my sick and wounded friends in the hospital."
The 13th of August marks the beginning of a series of active operations, resulting in many fatalities. Orders to pack up - heavy marching order -came to us without warning. We started about
518
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
[-Aug. '64.
11 P.M., and marched to the river near Deep Bottom, where we crossed on pontoons to the north side. The river was full of steamers, gunboats and transports, laden with troops and war material. Their presence was a ruse of Gen. Grant, and the story is too long for insertion here. We marched about a mile and halted for the night. A large force had been concentrated here, and small intrencliments had already been begun. The place of our halt was said to have been near Malvern Hill and Charles City Cross Roads. We had three days' rations with us and the usual number of rounds. We passed several cavalry regiments ; and as they lay at our very feet as we passed, we took special notice by the dim light of the moon that rider and horse were almost one, lying together, the rider partially upon the horse, his arm through the bridle rein. We were marched outside of and considerably beyond the intrenchments. The moon had disappeared, and the night became intensely dark and black. Our march had been a very tedious one, and many had fallen out, completely exhausted. At one time we were cut in twain by a company of light artillery, and it was with difficulty we all got together again. At the halt each man looked out for his bed, but not far. We were tired enough to not be fastidious.
We were up early (and perhaps bright, too) on the morning of the 14th, which was pleasant though warm. Our advanced troops met the enemy early in the day, and the killed and wounded were con- veyed on stretchers through our bivouac - not a what might happen to very pleasant reminder of us, and soon.
About 9 o'clock we were ordered up to there just in time to other chaps. We fired forms, but with what 1 straggling fire was the rebels replying, the front, and arrived see the coat tails of the a little at the retreating result we did not know. kept up for some time, SHRAPNEL SHELL having made a stand in the woods. A few were wounded at this time, and only a few, as we were protected in part by a slight eleva- tion on our immediate front.
Our regiment finally came to a stand in an open field, facing the woods in which the rebels were located, though out of sight. Our position substantially remained the same during the day, the changes being of minor importance. Fighting was going on all around us apparently, and the import or importance of it all was un- known to us. At night we moved a little to the right, the left wing getting into the woods as skirmishers. . The right wing and a part of Co. I were ordered on picket. To add to our discomfort, it began to rain soon after dark ; and before long we had absorbed a deal of water. The night was very dark, and the pieketing was done under peculiarly trying circumstances. The account of one officer will give the reader an idea as to the night and its perils : -
While proceeding to my post it began to rain, and soon it fell in tor- rents. Matters were so mixed up that night. I was obliged to post my own pickets after getting a general idea as to what was wanted. I posted my men in the edge of a wood, bordering upon a cornfield which alone separated
519
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
Ang. '64.]
us from the rebels, who occupied a battery. The darkness was intense. We knew not the points of the compass even, and had we been obliged to retreat would have been uncertain as to which direction to take. My men were so worn ont that nothing could have kept them awake, except the im- minent danger we were in. both of attack and possible capture. The small- ness of my detail rendered it absolutely necessary for every man to be on the alert. The rain ceased about 10 o'clock, and then the darkness was re- lieved of its intensity and I was enabled to visit the posts with considerably lessened danger. Once only during the rain did I visit the posts. and then only by an impelling sense of imperative duty. Upon leaving one post, and supposably nearing another, I would proceed in as catlike a manner as pos- sible, and, halting, whisper the name of one of my men; and receiving no response, repeating the forward movement till successful. What if upon advancing in response to my whispered call, a stalwart rebel had embraced me! [The thought makes the cold chills run up and down my spinal column even now, in 1889, as I write it .- D.E.]
Soon after the rain had ceased we heard the rebels at work upon their battery. The peculiar sound of a shovel could not be misinterpreted. We were familiar with it. About midnight I discovered that my right did not connect with any other force. Here was a gap through which the rebels could come and " gobble np" the whole of my men. I scarcely knew what to do ; but do something I must. and at once. I could not withdraw, and I dared not change the line even by lengthening it. All I could and did do was to send word along to my left that my right flank was exposed. The reply, if such it can be called, reached me abont half-past one, in the shape of an order to withdraw and abandon the whole line. This was done with as much haste as consistent with safety and secrecy.
Before daylight of the 15th we reached the spot where we thought our regiment was: but it had gone -somewhere. Our guide took us on again ; and by daylight we had reached a point near Deep Bottom. There, inside the intrenchments. I halted the men. We rested till after breakfast, when we became anxious to find our regiment ; but not so anxious that we did not endeavor to nap a little after our morning meal. Asleep; ah, yes! sweet sleep, but not for long, as we were rudely awakened by a cry of " Fall in, Third New Hampshire detail !" We [the reader must not forget this is a part of our picket detail actually separated from the regiment. - D.E.] marched on to and crossed the pontoon at Deep Bottom. to the southerly side of the river. Then down the river bank to another pontoon, and re- crossing it. were again on the north side; and then were marched to Straw- berry Plain and given an hour to rest, during which many of us bathed in the river. A little later, and a march of about two miles brought us to the regiment. Our comrades were glad to see us, having heard we were all captured.
The regiment itself had marched from the picket position direct to Strawberry Plain, without crossing and recrossing the river, reach- ing the new position before daylight.
The 15th was a hard day. Firing was going on at the front; but our regiment did not advance much until about noon. By appearances we inferred that the (our) troops had been concentrated at Strawberry Plain and that a battle was imminent. We marched about five miles, toward Malvern Hill, and through a considerably wooded tract, and then into an open field. and beyond which - obliquely on our right - the rebels were located, they being in the woods. The open field was an unfortunate position for us, as there was no protection whatever from the rays of an unmerciful sun. Many were prostrated by the excessive heat, while yet others were actually sunstruck. We were, it was said, supporting a battery, and must remain, though many a protest was offered. Late in the after-
520
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. [-Ang. '64.
noon, our artillery opened severely upon the rebels in the woods, and by so doing learned the location of a rebel battery, which made itself manifest later on. During the afternoon we changed position several times, but substantially did not leave the open field. Quite late in the afternoon we were inoved forward into the edge of the woods. Both Grant and Hancock were seen by us during the day, the latter with a part of Second Corps. Among the captures of the day by our forces was one of Gen. Hill's Staff. Malvern Hill was said to be about three-fourths of a mile from us as we lay in the open field. The troops about us appeared to be of our own division and a part of Hancock's Second Corps. Our division was under Gen. Terry ; and our brigade under Col. J. R. Hawley. The troops of the brigade were the Third and Seventh New Hampshire, Sixth and Seventh Connecticut. On being ordered to the woods we dragged our weary limbs thither with willing spirits ; for we pre- ferred the shells of the enemy (and got them, too) rather than the rays of old Sol. Near where we picketed for the night was a dwell- ing and a barn, the former being occupied by an aged and infirm lady. No one disturbed her; and her well was not left dry, as was usually the case. Though the Third New Hampshire had not yet been actually engaged with the enemy, it had suffered much decima- tion by straggling.
The 16th dawned upon us : fatal day ! Before its sun had set, many of the regiment were sent to their long homes or the hospital. We were engaged on that 16th of August - very much engaged, as will be seen.
Gens. Grant and Hancock, with a troop of orderlies, passed us early in the morning. We were satisfied that it meant battle. Not long after their passage to the front, we were put in motion and marched through the woods by ways and paths and roads we knew not of. Fighting had begun ; and we momentarily expected to strike the fighting zone. We were marched and countermarched, filed and flanked so many times in those woods that we could n't actually tell whether the enemy was in front or rear. We got very near the " other fellows " about 10 A.M., who had been met face to face with our advance line (not Third New Hampshire) and had been repulsed. We passed over the abandoned rifle-pits of our enemy, in which were some of the guns so recently fired at our forces, and not yet cooled. On, on, we passed, through briar and brake, through bush and over logs and fallen trees, through bush and tangled brush. tearing our clothes, scratching our faces and hands, rutfling our tempers, with the excitement each moment increasing, as each of said moments brought us nearer the foe. The line, of which the Third New Hampshire was but a small part, was so long that it was managed with great difficulty and danger. Occasionally a " break" occurred; and then we must be halted and deployed in order to fill the gap. As we were not in the advance, full particulars of the fight as a whole cannot be given. Appearances indicated that the rebels had been driven back to their main line of works. Our first intima- tion that the rebels were coming, was an order to lie down. Down
الرعية.
GEORGE W. HEALEY Co. B (War).
GEORGE W. HEALEY, Co. B (Peace).
1
JOUN G. GRAHAM, Co. B.
CYRUS GORMAN, Co. . 1.
522
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
[Ang. '64.
totally oblivious of the fact that the rebels were coming. The writer being anxious to communicate the fact, waved his handker- chief as a signal to this regiment to warn them; but no sooner had he done so than he received - from the skirmishers probably, for they were then in sight in the edge of the wood - a gunshot wound in the left forearm. The wound was an exceedingly painful one, hitting both bones and passing between them, fracturing both. The first pain of the wound over, Lieut .- Col. Plimpton, who was standing very near, at the writer's request tied the handkerchief around the arm above the wound. The writer then, being quite weak from loss of blood and the battle well begun, passed slowly along the rear of the regiment to the left, where he, by advice of Lieut. Edgerly, laid down for a few minutes, to see the result of the furious firing then going on. The seven-shooters were worked to their full capacity ; and the regiment stood its ground for the time being. The battery before named was pouring in a heavy fire, and the rebel infantry had arrived in large numbers, but were unable to advance in face of our seven-shooters. A little lull in the fire gave the writer an opportunity to pass to the rear, which he did, assisted by a man who had been slightly wounded. A little way back Dr. Kimball and Hospital Steward Kittredge were found; and they gave temporary dressing and some whiskey (first he ever drank in the service) ; and he was then taken by two men, in a blanket, farther back. Soon a stretcher was discovered, on its way to the front. This was seized in the name of the Government. and the writer was then conveyed to a point in the woods where a field hospital had been established; and the ghastly array was almost enough to un- nerve the bravest. Here more or less attention was paid to the suf- fering ; and later in the day they were conveyed by ambulances, over rough roads, say five miles, to the bank of the James River, at Deep Bottom, where the hospital department was in better shape, in large tents and with nurses and surgeons.
For fear of being too personal, the writer will bring this part of the narrative to a close, by stating that during the night he was put on board a steamer, with others, and sent next morning to Hampton : the officers to Chesapeake Hospital, and the men to the Mcclellan Hospital, near by. Whatever else of a personal nature is to be written will be found in a personal sketch. Suffice it is to say right here that the wound of the writer was received about mid-day ; and that event separated him forever from the regiment. For whatever occurred afterward he is entirely dependent upon what others say, upon diaries, orders, letters, etc., and is therefore unable to write of some phases which would perhaps be of interest.
To return to the battle and the Third New Hampshire. But a brief space was left Lieut .- Col. Plimpton after he tied up the writer's wound. It is said he was within a few minutes thereafter shot dead. The wounded were numerous. Lieut. White was shot, apparently, through the body, and was considered as mortally wounded. Capt. Wadlia was hit by a ball which went through the calf. Lieut. Lam- prey was shot through the body. He was in the boat with the writer, en route to hospital, and raved all the way down. He died in the
523
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
-Ang. '64.]
ambulance before reaching the hospital. Adjt. Copp was hit in the side. Lieut. Atherton was shot through the body and arm and was left on the field as dead. He survived (see his Personal). Lieuts. Ackerman and Donley were wounded, as was also Lieut. Giddings.
It was not long after the writer left that the regiment (and line) was directed to fall back. This was after they had been charged repeatedly. A diary says our loss was 90 out of 225. The prisoners captured earlier in the day were said to have been of the Twenty- second Georgia.
A shower came up soon after, and put a stop to proceedings, temporarily, and also cooled off the atmosphere. After the shower, we were again ordered up as support, and went to very near the same spot where the prisoners were taken .. We found the Second Corps there, already intrenched, and formed on their right. Some part of the regiment went on picket during the night; but during their tour, they discovered that there were two lines of pickets. they being on the inner ; and in consequence, they relaxed their vigilance. A part of the regiment worked with spade and shovel during a portion of the night. Regiment very small indeed, and very few officers. A letter to the Manchester Mirror said : "Ten officers and eighty-three men killed and wounded."
Of 16 August, a writer whose time had nearly expired said : " The severity of the encounter, or series of encounters, is best shown in the losses . . . . Lient. White was wounded and left the field, but afterward returned to the regiment and was again wounded . The Third had less than 200 men in the battle fit for duty, and one-half of these were put hors de combat. We captured and took to the rear 300 prisoners. The regiment never conducted itself better, notwithstanding the fact that the terms of enlistment of many had already expired. [He refers to date of enlistment, and not of muster, which latter is the proper basis. - D. E.] Among those who fell were some who had really served more than three years, and who should have been on their way to New Hampshire; but when called upon they entered the conflict without a murmur. The most pathetic as well as the most disagreeable act of this . . . . campaign was the collection and burial of the dead. At the close of the fighting, . the bodies of those who fell were brought together at the edge of the wood and laid side by side in a row which extended for at least a hundred yards. Then a shallow trench was dug in which the bodies were buried. There was no ceremony of any kind; but there was no want of compassion for the dead and pity for the living who were waiting expectantly for those who were so soon expected home."
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