USA > New Hampshire > The Third New Hampshire and all about it, pt 2 > Part 63
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The first change of location was when, in April, 1864, the major part of the troops in the Department of the South were sent to Virginia. The rendezvous was at Gloucester Point, Va., and there we find three divisions, - Terry's, Turner's and Ames', - with a force present for duty of 16. 12 infantry, 1,114 artillery, and 46 guns. The detaching of troops to reinforce the troops who fought at Cold Harbor (detached shortly after the Drewry's Blutf actions) operated in such a way as to dissolve the Third Division; but on the 19th of June a division of the Ohio 100 days men was tempo- rarily attached to the Tenth Corps and designated as the Third Division.
On 3 Dec. 1864. the Tenth Army Corps lost its identity (see Twenty- fourth Corps).
The Corps was revived again in March, 1865, in North Carolina. and was composed of Birge's First Division of three brigades from Grover's Division, Nineteenth Army Corps: Ames' Second Division of white troops, which fought at Fort Fisher; Paine's Third Division of colored troops wholly, and Abbott's separate brigade : in all 12,099 men.
999
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH.
COMMANDERS.
Rank. Name.
From
To
Brig. - Gen. Thos. W. Sherman
Nov. 61
31 March 62
Maj .- Gen.
David Hunter
31 March 62
5 Sept. 62
Brig .- Gen. * James M. Brannan
5 Sept. 62
17 Sept. 62
Maj .- Gen.
Ormsby M. Mitchel
17 Sept. 62 27 Oct. 62
Brig .- Gen. * James M. Brannan
27 Oct. 62
20 Jan.
63
Maj .- Gen. David Hunter
20 Jan.
63
12 June 63
Brig .- Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore
12 June
63
22 Sept. 63
Maj .- Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore
22 Sept.
63
I May 64
Brig .- Gen. * John P. Hatch .
1 May
64
26 May 64
Maj .- Gen. Jolın G. Foster .
26 May
64
9 Feb. 65
Maj .- Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore
9 Feb.
65
(see end)
Gen. Gillmore appears in command as late as 27 June 1865.
* Temporary appointments.
The Department of the South was created by General Order 26, Adju- tant-General's Office, 15 March 1862; and the same order assigned Gen. Hunter to its command. Previous to his assuming command (31 March 1862), there was only one special designation for the place or troops - all letters and orders being thus : " Headquarters E. C. (Expeditionary Corps), etc." Technically, Gen. Sherman never commanded the Department of the South.
SUB-DIVISIONS AND CHANGES.
Gen. Hunter's first General Order, 31 March 1862, divided the Depart- ment into three districts, as follows : -
Northern District : All South Carolina and Georgia and part of Florida. Headquarters to be at Port Royal. Assigned to Brig .- Gen. H. W. Benham, and the troops to be called the First Division.
Southern District : A part of Florida (southerly), with Headquarters as at present, and Brig .- Gen. J. M. Brannan assigned.
Western District : \ part of Florida (western), with Headquarters at Fort Pickens, and Brig .- Gen. L. G. Arnold assigned.
This was the condition when the battle of Secessionville, 16 June 1862, was fonght. Closely following this came an order of the 21st, dis- solving the district plan entirely. The district plan was revived later, though the geographical limits of each were varied.
In 1863 the island of Hilton Head is found grouped with Ft. Pulaski and Tybee Island, for a part of the time, certainly in November. Hilton Head appears alone. directly after, surely from 20 Dec. 1863 to 3 Jan. 1864.
Brig .- Gen. Rufus Saxton appears in command of all the forces on Port Royal Island during a portion of 1863, and for a second time.
During 1863 the forces at llilton Head were under: Gen. Terry, April ; Gen. Chatfield (Sixthi Connecticut), May; Gen. Terry, 2 July to 6 July : Col. Metcalf (Third Rhode Island), 6 July to 7 Ang. : Col. Straw- bridge (Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania). 7 Ang. to 11 Nov .; Col. Barton (Forty- eighth New York), 11 Nov. to end of year.
It was during Col. Barton's command the division was made, so as to have a district designated as " Headquarters Hilton Head, Ft. Pulaski and Tybee." This had certainly been changed by 15 Jan. 1864.
The District of Florida was created 16 Feb. 1864, and Brig .- Gen. Sey- mour assigned to it, with Headquarters at Jacksonville. He was re- lieved 28 March 1864 by Brig .- Gen. J. P. Hatch.
In 1864. Hilton Head. Ft. Pulaski, Tybee and St. Helena Island were grouped together for awhile, certainly from January 25 to January 30, and under Gen. Seymour. thus appearing as late as February 7.
On 26 Jan. 1864. Hilton Head itself appears in command of Col. Barton ( Forty-eighth New York).
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THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
On 15 Feb. 1864, there was established the Northern District, bounded north by Charleston Harbor and south by St. Helena Sound. under Gen. Terry. Also, by the same order, a District of Florida, embracing all of the Department of the South within its borders; and Gen. Seymour was as- signed to it.
On 1 April 1864, Gen. Saxton appears in command of all the forces on Port Royal Island.
On 20 April 1864, there appears at Jacksonville a " Second Provisional Division," under Col. James C. Drake.
The " District of Hilton Head" was commanded 26 April 1864 by Col. J. B. Howell ( Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania).
Port Royal Island was under Gen. Birney 1 April 1864.
In January or February, 1864, the troops on Folly Island were under Brig .- Gen. Israel Vogdes; and the same troops appear about 13 Feb. 1864 under Brig .- Gen. Schimmelfenig.
On 27 May 1864, Gen. Hatch was assigned to " Hilton Head. Ft. Pulaski, St. Helena and Tybee."
The District of Florida was commanded by Gen. Birney 21 June 1864, and on the same date is mentioned a " Provisional District " at Jack- sonville. Gen. Wm. Birney was relieved of this command (District of Florida) on 31 July 1864, and ordered to report to Gen. Butler in Virginia. He was relieved by Gen. Hatch, who came from the command of Hilton Head, being relieved himself by Gen. C. E. Potter, who also at same time commanded the District of Beaufort.
The District of Beaufort was commanded 13 July 1864 by Gen. Saxton. About 1 Sept. 1864, the Northern District appears under Gen. Schim- melfenig, being relieved that day.
The Northern District was commanded by Gen. Saxton from 1 Sept. 1864, till he was relieved by Brig .- Gen. E. P. Scammon, 3 Oct. 1864, at which time Gen. Saxton reassumed command of the District of Beaufort.
On 20 Sept. 1864, under General Order 251. War Department, Adju- tant-General's Office, of 31 Aug. 1864, Gen. Foster, by his General Order 137, designated thus : Troops in the Northern District, as First Separate Brigade: District of Beanfort. Second Separate Brigade; District of Hil- ton Head, Third Separate Brigade: District of Florida, Fourth Separate Brigade. This was for courts-martial purposes: and thereafter, orders convening a court, or promulgating sentences, etc., were all within or emanating from " Headquarters First Separate Brigade," etc.
- In 1865 the districts were again changed (on 21 January) by the addi- tion of Savannah and its dependencies to the Department of the South (by Gen. Sherman). A new district was thus created. called the " District of Savannah," and Brevet Maj .- Gen. Cuvier Grover was assigned to its com- mand, and Tybee added to it, including of course Ft. Pulaski. A new division of boundaries now became necessary, and on the same day an order established the same as follows : -
Northern District : Islands and coast to North Edisto River.
District of Beanfort : From North Edisto River to Broad River.
District of Hilton Head : Islands between Broad River and Savannah River. District of Savannah : The islands between Savannah River and St. Mary's Sound.
District of Florida : St. Mary's Sound to Juniper Inlet.
On the same day. Gen. Saxton was relieved from the command of the District of Beaufort by Gen. E. E. Potter, and the district enlarged so as to include the intrenched camp near Pocotaligo.
In January, too, the State of North Carolina was added to the De- partment of the South, Gien. Foster assuming it on the 16th.
In April. 1865, the Headquarters of the Department were temporarily transferred by Gen. Gillmore to Fort Sumter (14-16) for celebration purposes.
Gen. Vogdes was assigned. 17 April 1865, to the District of Florida.
The Headquarters of the Northern District, First Separate Brigade, was in Charleston 29 March 1865 and also 9 May 1865.
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THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
On 13 May 1865, the Districts of Hilton Head and Beaufort were consolidated, to be called " District of Port Royal," with Headquarters at Hilton Head: Gen. E. E. Potter was assigned to it. At this time it appears it did not occur to the powers that be to consolidate the " Separate Brig- ades"; but it did occur later, on the 29th, when the troops of the First and Second Separate Brigades were made one (in theory only) and desig- nated the Second Separate Brigade.
It will be seen that on 29 May 1865, there were four districts in the Department, viz. : Northern, Port Royal, Savannah and Florida. North Carolina was discontinued as a part of the Department of the South 31 Jan. 1565 (G.O. 12, W.D.)
Maj .- Gen. E. O. C. Ord relieved Gen. Gillmore soon after 16 April 1865, temporarily. Gen. D. E. Sickles was assigned to relieve Gen. Gillmore (Department of the South) 9 Nov. 1865. He was directed to remove the Headquarters from Hilton Head to Charleston; and the Headquarters ap- parently so remained thereafter.
The Army and Nacy Journal of 19 Jan. 1867 says : " During the tem- porary absence of Gen. Sickles, the command falls on Col. J. C. Robinson, Forty-third U. S. Infantry ; and Brevet Maj .- Gen. R. K. Scott is military commander of South Carolina. The troops at Hilton Ilead are Co. E, Third U. S. Artillery, Co. E, Sixth U. S. Artillery, and Co. H. Thirty- seventh U.S. Colored Troops, with Capt. and Brevet-Col. Jolin Hamilton, Third U. S. Artillery, commanding."
TWENTY-FOURTH CORPS. .
This corps was organized 3 Dec. 1864, and was composed of all the white troops of the Tenth and Eighteenth Corps. Gen. E. O. C. Ord was assigned to it. The troops of the Tenth Corps formed the First and Second Divisions. and the troops of the Tenth Corps formed the Third Division. First Division, Gen. Foster: Second Division, Gen. Ames: Third Division, Gen. Devens. All remained as a part of the Army of the James, under Gen. Butler.
For the first attack on Fort Fisher, Ames' Second Division was de- tached and returned. For the second ( and successful) attack, Ames' Second. Division of three brigades, and Abbott's Brigade of the First Division (Third New Hampshire in this), all under Gen. Terry, were ordered away early in January, 1865. The latter troops never returned to Virginia: but after Fort Fisher thus became the nucleus for revival of the Tenth Corps (see Tenth Corps). In January, 1865, Butler was relieved by Ord, and later Ord by Gibbon.
This Corps was discontinued 1 Aug. 1865.
INVALID CORPS - VETERAN RESERVE CORPS.
This Corps was organized under General Order 105, War Depart- ment, 28 April 1863. and its conception was a happy thought. The reasons for its birth were apparent. The army was being decimated by the dis- charge of many officers and men, who were not quite tit. physically. to remain. The general service required that many officers and men should do duty on fortifications, in hospitals, and in fact all around the borders of the country in various departments, and none of which actually required strong, healthy, or even perfect men in a physical sense. An officer with one arm could bny horses for the government fully as well as one having two, and a soldier with a wooden foot could act as a guard at a hospital. or could nurse a wounded or sick comrade. The idea of the projectors of the Invalid Corps was, that the strong and healthy should go to the front, and, rice verse. the others go to the rear; and this rear be a separate department, and named the Invalid Corps.
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THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
In effect, this would be equivalent to so many new recruits and less to be called for by draft or otherwise.
In the Department of the South, the first act in conformity with the new order was General Order 98, Department of the South, 5 Nov. 1863. assem- bling the men selected upon St. Helena Island. The original order actually forbade the discharge of any officer or man for disability if he was fit for the Invalid Corps. The assemblage of men upon St. Helena Island was under command of Capt. John H. Gould, Third Rhode Island Artillery : and he organized them temporarily and, when so ordered, shipped them to New York City.
The Corps was placed under charge of the Provost Marshal-General, and the general organization was in two battalions, denominated First Bat- talion and Second Battalion. Those of the First were the better, physically. The general rendezvous was near Washington (Meridian Hill). The shoulder straps of the officers were on dark blue velvet, and their pantaloons had two parallel and narrow stripes of dark blue next the outer seams. The order was silent as to uniform of the men.
The name of the Corps was not so happy a thought as that of its creation. It necessitated the use of the initals " I. C.," and the Corps was scarcely established ere it was discovered that those initials were identical with those in use by Boards of Survey, which meant in the latter case " Inspected - Condemned." It was too much to expect that any one (the more especially, soldiers) would be willing to have a tag, as it were, attached to them with the eabalistic letters " I. C." printed thereon !
The name of the Corps was changed by General Order 111, War De- partment, 18 May 1864, to Veteran Reserve Corps, and the change was re- ceived with much pleasure. Indeed, many willing and fit persons who had hesitated because of the objectionable name, now came forward.
The first order affecting the Third New Hampshire was Special Order 4, Department of the South, 3 Jan. 1864, transferring Win. Henderson of Co. E.
The general plan of transfer was this: Men were sent to the camp and reported as " attached to the Invalid Corps," but not dropped from re- turns. Descriptive lists accompanied, and copies were sent to Washington after medical re-examination at the rendezvous, when, if everything appeared correet, the War Department issued an order, transferring the list (giving it in full) to the Invalid Corps. When the War Department Order was received at the regiment, the men were dropped.
The Corps had many vicissitudes. At the close of the war there were at once large numbers mustered out; and when the Freedman's Bureau was established, large numbers of the officers were placed on duty in that Bureau all through the South. These (many of them) actually continued on duty till after the reorganization of the Army and the muster-out of the Veteran Reserve Corps. The greatest volume of discharges was in November and December, 1865.
The reorganization of the Army embraced four regiments of infantry (Veteran Reserve Corps regiments) ; and these were designated the Forty- second, Forty-third, Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth U. S. Infantry. It will be seen that at this time there were two sets of Veteran Reserve Corps officers in existence. The writer had considerable difficulty in tracing the matter ; but apparently all of the old were mustered out about I Jan. Ists. It must not be understood that in the reorganization of the Army the then Veteran Reserve Corps was merged into the regular army. Such was not the case. The four regiments were organized by regular process,- by en- listment and appointment,- but consisted especially of Veteran Reserve Corps officers and men who had actually been in that Corps or were eligible to it. In January, 1866, there were of the Veteran Reserve Corps, in service, 621 officers , 609 of whom were of the First Battalion and not attached to companies) and 448 men. The four regiments named were merged in 1>69 by General Order 16, War Department. 10 March, as follows: The Forty- second consolidated with the Sixth, the Forty-third with the First, the Forty-fourth with the Seventeenth, and the Forty-fifth with the Fourteenth. The supernumerary men were discharged, and the surplus officers were either retired, or discharged, or resigned. Thus ended the Veteran Reserve Corps, second and final edition.
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THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
Any one desiring to make a research of the whole matter, will find all he wishes by consulting the following General Orders. War Department : 105 of 2 April 1863, 130 of 15 May 1863, 158 of 29 May 1863 (see G. O. 36 of 7 April 1-62, and G. O. 69 of 20 March 1863), 173 of 11 June 1863 (revoked G. O. 69 of 1>63), 212 of 9 July 1863, 219 of 16 July 1863, circular Provost Marshal-General 9 Aug. 1863, 290 of 19 Ang. 1863, 348 of 26 Oct. 1863, 111 of 18 March 1864 (change of 'name), 306 of 27 Dec. 1864, 43 of 21 March 1865, 116 of 17 June 1865, 155 of 26 Oct. 1865, 165 of 24 Nov. 1865.
There were twenty-four regiments. The first organized in Wash- ington 10 Oct. 1863, and the twenty-fourth at Washington, 24 Feb. 1864. all of First Battalion. The Second Battalion had 174 companies. The first was as Co. G, Third Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, 9 June 1863. There were also seven independent companies, the first organized at Washington, + Dec. 1865, and the last at Elmira, N. Y., 1 Dec. 1865.
BURIED : HOW, WIIEN, WHERE.
The word " buried" may mean much or little, and the variation is largely governed by circumstances. It may mean a hastily-dug and shallow excavation, - the dumping into it of a comrade's body, a rapid movement to push back the earth that had been removed, and the disappearance from the spot of the living. That only, and nothing more, happened thousands of times under varying conditions.
When a regiment or company was encamped for any considerable time in one place, a suitable burial spot was selected near by and the dead buried in it, and almost always with ceremony. Generally the departed's company - those not otherwise on duty - fell in and followed the remains, preceded by fife and drum, to the last resting place. The fife played a dirge and the drum accompanied, usually to the extent only of keeping the time. A common. white, pine coffin was used ; and as the survivors marched to the solemn notes of the dirge, many an eye was moistened with the tear of sympathy. The coffin having been placed where it was to lie, a volley was fired over the grave by a detail of say a dozen, blank cartridges being used. The chaplain then prayed, and all was over. The procession reformed and marched back to quick time, the fife and drum playing a lively tune, such as " The girl I left be- hind me." This may seem singular, but it was in accordance with custom older than this country. The firing detail marched with arms reversed. When the conveniences permitted. a wooden headboard was placed at the head of each grave, distinctly marked. After the burial it devolved on the captain to write to the family and express as well as he might the sorrow of himself and surviving comrades, the particulars of the death. of the sickness per- haps. and the final ceremony. The duty of writing such a letter was a painful one, and in many cases the circumstances were such that one could hardly do justice to the subject in hand. The writer feels jnstitled in copy- ing a letter of this kind, omitting the name : -
CAMI' THIRD REGIMENT NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS, ST. HELENA ISLAND, S. C., 1 July 1863.
Mrs. -
Dear Mudam : It becomes my painful duty to inform you of the loss of one of our number, your husband, He was taken sick nine or teu days ago, and complained of pain in his limbs, head and back. J furnished him with ice to keep his head cool, and had the surgeon come to see him, and in the evening had him taken into the hospital. His disease was typhoid fever : and for a week he had everything done for him that a sick man could wish. From the first the surgeon felt as though he could not recover. and several regimental surgeons were called in from time to time to advise upon his case. As the days advanced it became painfully evident that he could not recover, and that we should soon be called upon to mourn the loss of another comrade, and that another family at home was to be made deso- late by the fell hand of disease. He grew so weak that he could only converse
1004
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
in whispers, and thus rendered it very difficult to hear many of his thoughts. It will be gratifying to you to know that when he spoke of his family it was always with the deepest solicitude and keenest anxiety. He failed gradually. and at five minutes past twelve yesterday noon. 30th of June, he ceased to live. He died very calmly and peacefully. as though falling asleep, and seemed to suffer no pain. He expressed a wish before he died that his re- mains might be sent home: but at present his friends cannot hope for the accomplishment of that request ou account of the hot weather. This morn- ing we paid the last honors to our departed comrade. Enveloped in the folds of that flag for which he has sacrificed his life, we carried him to his last resting place, on the banks of a small stream; and the mocking birds build their nests and sing their songs in the oak branches which wave over his head. Our tenderest sympathies, dear madam, are enlisted in your be- half ; and we hope you may find consolation in the thought that your husband died doing his duty, in defence of the honor of his native land. At his re- quest, a few days before his death, all of his effects were turned over to - -, together with 841.50 in treasury notes, which he will forward to you as soon as possible. I enclose a statement of his words to you previous to his death, as furnished by the hospital department. I have the honor to be, madam, etc.,
Captain Co. - , Third New Hampshire Volunteers.
P. S. - When cooler weather arrives, if we are still in this department, I should be happy to aid you in recovering the remains of your husband, if such should be your desire. In a zinc coffin it would cost from $12.00 to $15.00 to New York; from thence would be the express age. In a metallic coffin, it would cost from 885.00 to 890.00 to get it to Manchester. The pay due him (two months) can be obtained on application at Washington : and in my opinion you are entitled to a pension.
[NOTE .- The composition of this letter stands to the credit of Roger W. Woodbury of Co. A : and it needs no explanation and no comment by the . writer of this history .- D. E.]
So much for the ordinary burial of a comrade from an established camp. The burial of the dead after a battle is another matter - entirely so. Generally, by mutual consent, the opposing parties act upon honor, without the formality of a flag of truce. and each proceeds to bury its dead. Some- times the bodies of the two armies are intermixed. This is particularly true when the victory has hung in the balance, and the two lines swayed backward and forward, traversing twice and perhaps thrice the same ground. In such cases a line of division is generally agreed upon, and each burying all found on his particular side of this line, friend and foe alike. though a dead rebel can no more be properly called a foe than cani a dead Yankee. The burial is entirely devoid of ceremony. A long trench is dug as near the spot as convenient and is proper for such purpose, and into it are placed, lengthwise, the bodies of the unfortunate dead. Buried as found - clothing, accontrements, and sometimes the trusty gun goes into this long and narrow trench. The bodies having been put in, the earth is shovelled back, and all is over. This constitutes a burial after a battle. Hundreds buried together, intermingling men of different regiments. companies. colors and nations, all, all in their coats of blue. One of the particular phases of such burials is the remarkable absence of conversation between the men engaged in the work. The silence is almost painful. Each is filled with a solemnity not easily described, each struggling with his own thought. each endeavoring to keep back the tears which are struggling for liberty.
There were burials at sea; but the Third New Hampshire was spared that, though it came very near having such an experience. Niles of G died on shipboard ( the Atlantic) in November, 1861. while we lay off Port Royal. and was buried on shore (see November, Isol ). After we had estab- lished our little cemetery at Hilton Head near our camp, tender hands re- moved the remains to the enclosure, and the grave was properly marked. This case is of especial interest inasmuch as the remains were again removed (by the Government) to the National cemetery at Beaufort, S. C., where the writer found the largest number of the regiment buried of the several places found by him.
.
1005
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
The Beaufort National Cemetery contains 9,072 graves, and is beauti- fully situated, about three-quarters of a mile from the town of Beaufort, and one-half mile from Beaufort River. It contains 31 acres. The ground is high and a little rolling. It was begun in 1863, and completed in 1868. It contains bodies originally interred at Charleston (race course and potter's field), Port Royal, St. Helena, Cave, Otter, Bray's. Paris, Henry, Morris, Edisto, Folly, James. Sullivan's, Beaufort and Hilton Head Islands, points on the Savannah Railroad. Pocotaligo Bridge, Stoney Creek, Mitchell's Place, Elliott's Farm and Millen (Ga.) Prison Cemetery.
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