USA > New Jersey > History of the men of Co. F, with description of the marches and battles of the 12th New Jersey Vols. Dedicated to "our dead." > Part 19
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He was one of those bright, cheerful spirits, very careful to do no wrong ; kept his religion right with him, and his in- fluence was always for good. He seemed peculiarly fitted for every position in which he served. A fine musician and helped materially to keep up this important part of our military life, and as a nurse at the field hospitals in time of battle there were no better. Young, strong, enthusiastic, he cared for our wounded with all the sympathy of a comrade, the tenderness of a mother ; relieved our physical necessities and ministered to our spiritual welfare, on duty night and day, giving water, preparing food, dressing wounds or watching with fervent prayers beside the dying bed of some of our heroes, writing last messages to anxious relatives at home ; no thought of his own weariness, if haply able to soothe and cheer the last sad hours of a life fast ebbing from battle's ghastly wound. In the ranks the evidences of battle soon disappear, the wounded are quickly removed from our sight, and there is no place for the sick and suffering. We follow a dear comrade to his grave, in the slow and measured tread of the "Dead March," but return with the quick step of " Fisher's Hornpipe " or the
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"Girl I Left Behind Me." No gloomy broodings of trouble and sorrow ; we are soldiers, and "why should we be sad, whose business 'tis to die." But not so in the hospitals, where the surgeon's knife makes quick work of mangled limbs ; the screams of anguish, the terrible suffering, the awful, dreary feeling of lonesomeness; the sleepless, anxious nights, far away from friends and the comforts of home ; the poor, bruised spirit longs for sympathy, for some one to talk to. Only he who has fully experienced these things can ever know how we appreciate the trying labors of those who, like our dear Comrade Harris, make their nightly rounds, giving the cooling draught of water, wetting the feverish wound, turning to some less painful position, writing some message to anxious friend, wipe the death-damp from a pale forehead, or clasp the sympathetic hand of a brave comrade just entering the dark valley and shadow of death, made lighter by his ministrations and cheer- ing messages of that heavenly home, where pain and parting are no more. Yes, dear comrades, the hospital had its heroes, no less than line of battle, and Comrade Harris was one of them.
FIRST GUARD DUTY.
The first guard duty performed in the company or regiment was done on Wednesday night, July 30, 1862, when a corporal from another company was arrested on the streets of Woodbury for being drunk and disorderly, and brought back to our camp by a constable, who gave him in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel Willetts. He asked Adjutant Paxson if there were any men in camp for a guard, as we had not yet fully entered into our sol- dier duties, and nearly all the boys had been given passes to go home over night. The adjutant said there were a few of the Company F Quakers present; and the first regimental detail, calling for a sergeant and three men, was filled by Charles D. Lippincott, Elwood Griscom. Henry M. Avis and William P. Haines. We marched up to the headquarters and reported, but had no guns. So the colonel told us to each take a small stick of cord-wood from a nearby pile, and " If the prisoner tries to get away, knock him down." I feel sure that no more faithful service was ever given than ours that night. All four of us were wide awake, and standing or walking around our prisoner, who had relapsed into a drunken stupor, which lasted till morning; but we maintained our sleepless vigils, with a firm determination to not fail in this, our first real military duty, and our prisoner was there in the morning.
REMINISCENCES OF CO. E.
BY WILLIAM H. BROOKS.
An incident of our hard service occurred on picket, opposite Fredericksburg, during that cold and stormy winter of '62 and '63. We were on the first relief, and the reserve post was up one of those ravines, piercing the bluffs, when near 2 a. m., I started out to wake up my squad of six men, and could find only three, but after tramping around for some time, I noticed a mound of snow near the path, which I investigated, and found my men completely buried in the snow, yet sleeping as soundly as though in bed at home.
At another time we were posted on the river front, at the Lacey House, and on being relieved at 2 a. m. we were each given a cup of nice hot gruel by those good angels, the women of the Christian Commission, who were there ministering to the comfort of the soldiers; and seeing an ambulance standing near by, I thought it would make a good bed, so, with a com- rade, I crawled in and covered up, and we were soon asleep, and knew nothing till about daybreak, when we found our bed was moving off at a rapid rate, which roused us up with the inquiry of " What's up ! where are we going ?" which scared the driver nearly off his seat, but he recovered sufficiently to inquire, " What in heaven are you doing in there ? " while we quickly jumped out and left, without paying for our lodging.
During the Wilderness campaign our company lost many brave comrades, and among those who fell to rise no more, was our color sergeant, . Charles Cheeseman, a man to whom fear was unknown ; handing his flag to one of the corporals, during that fierce assault of May 6th, he seized a gun and sprang forward, just as the fatal bullet passed through his stomach, causing his death in great agony a few minutes af- ter. Charlie Cheeseman, along with two others of Company E, had been members of Colonel Baker's California regiment,
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which early in the war had suffered so terribly at Ball's Bluff, and these comrades used to tell us of how in that terrible bat- tle, Cheeseman ran up a narrow ravine, then turned and de- fied the rebels to take him, killing at least six of them before he was captured. He spent several months in Libby Prison, where his genial disposition won the good will of his keepers, and thus secured many favors for himself and comrades.
Another comrade I love to recall, was that bosom friend and Christian soldier, Sergeant Charles Fish, who fell in that grand charge at Spottsylvania on May 12, 1864, pierced by many bullets. He seemed to have a presentiment of death, as two · days before the battle he told me that in the next engagement he would be killed. I tried to cheer him up and turn his mind from such a thought, but he replied, "I know it, and would willingly lay down a dozen lives if I had them, to save our country from disunion and dishonor. My only regret is in leaving my dear old widowed mother to struggle alone through her declining years." Oh, what a debt the country owes to those widowed mothers !
As a proof of our hard service in the Wilderness campaign. let me say that Company E crossed the Rapidan on May Ist with two officers and thirty-three men, and reached the James River on June 13th with but one officer and seven men. Sev- enty-seven per cent of loss in six weeks. The other compan- ies' losses were almost as great, as there were only three offi- cers and ninety men left in the whole regiment after the fight at Cold Harbor.
مصر
LIBBY PRISON EXPERIENCE OF FRANK M. RILEY,
CAPTAIN CO. F, TWELFTH NEW JERSEY VOLS.
Reams Station is located on the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad, about ten miles, in a southeast direction, from Peters- burg. It was here, on Thursday, August 25, 1864, that the battle, known in history as the battle of Reams Station, was fought. The three old divisions of the Second Corps, having become numerically so reduced by Grant's campaign, had been consolidated into two divisions, known as the First and Second Divisions, and numbering in the whole about six thousand men. These, with about two thousand cavalry, were sent down to destroy the railroad. This we effectually did by tear- ing up about three miles of road, cross-piling the ties, on these balancing the rails; and then, by setting fire to the ties, the rails were bent so as to cause them to be unfit for further use.
The troops, being much fatigued from the hard day's work, camped for the night behind our works at the station. Our behavior during the day was disapproved of by the rebels. . During the night the corps of A. P. Hill, numbering some twelve thousand men, together with Wade Hampton's cavalry command, some four thousand more, came down to be ready in the early morning to call us to account. This they did most heroically, inflicting upon the old corps the worst disaster in its history, fighting us from early morn until night. Three times during the day were we attacked; at 10 a. m., at 2 p. m., and again just before sunset. This last attack was made with a determination to either do or die. The first two assaults we repulsed, defeating the enemy with heavy loss; but in their final assault for the day, massing heavily at a given point, they crushed in our centre, capturing our works and enfilading our lines by their firing. Now the fighting became fast and furious, and our brigade was called to the rescue. Without waiting to change position, right in front, about-facing, bring-
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ing the rear rank in front, we charged through the dense smoke into and beyond our shattered forces, forcing back the deter- mined foe and re-taking part of our lost line, but at what a fear- ful cost.
With our handful of men it was found to be impossible to accomplish the end desired. Led by General Miles, the fight- ing was transferred to the outside of our intrenchments, in or- der to take in flank and rear the Confederate left. Urged on by the personal appeals and efforts of General Hancock, who, galloping to the front, exposed himself most conspicuously, in his attempts to restore the fortunes of the day; his horse being shot from under him, a ball cutting his bridle rein in two, the corps flag pierced with five balls, and the flag staff shattered. our party, scarcely exceeding a captain's command, for a moment actually succeeded in driving the enemy into the rail-
road cut. Through the inability of Generals Hancock and Miles to have us supported, the rebels soon added our squad to their already grand capture of prisoners. Official reports show our total loss for the day in killed, wounded and prisoners to have been two thousand five hundred and sixty-six. In my officers' mess of four, two were killed-Lieutenant Rich and Lieutenant Stratton, and myself taken prisoner.
The day was lost, and, moreover, while the troops of the Second Corps had before this failed to carry the entrenched . position of the enemy, never, before the battle of Reams Sta- tion, had we had the mortification of being driven, and our lines and guns taken. General Hancock felt so humiliated over his defeat that, before leaving the field, he placed his hand on the shoulder of one of his staff officers and said, "Colonel, I do not care to die, but I pray to God I may never leave this field." This was the first time that he had felt the bitterness of defeat.
I will now proceed to give a short narration of some of my experiences while a prisoner. The rebels were exceedingly jubilant over their success with the Second Corps, and I recall a remark made by one rebel captain, "We will soon have Hancock and the balance of you." Immediately after the cap- ture I was conducted to the rebel rear, over Gravelly Run, and
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placed in charge of their provost guard, with twenty-one other fellow-officers.
I soon made the acquaintance of what I supposed, under the circumstances, to be a rebel soldier, but who subsequently proved to be "a friend in disguise; " one L. W. Shead, form- erly of Eastport, Me. When the war broke out he, in com- pany with his brother, was in business in Mobile, Ala. His brother returned North. He tarried to close up his business, but tarried too long ; was unable to get away, was finally con- scripted and forced, to save his life, into the army, and was now only awaiting the opportunity to escape North. He was Union to the heart. He provided me with something to eat, was to get me what information he could regarding the roads and position of the rebel troops, and when he again came on duty during the night, was to allow me to pass the guards, escape and make the effort to regain our lines. He failed to return, however, having been detailed for other duty, and I did not again see him until the following morning. He stated that my chances for getting back would have been very good, . there being only a few rebel cavalry between the lines during the night. But my chance was gone and I grieved over the lost opportunity. He continued with the guards that con- ducted us to Petersburg, where we were turned over to Colonel Humphreys. Provost Marshal of Wade Hampton's division of cavalry. My friend here bade me farewell, stating that he should go North at the first chance offered him. I gave him my address home, he promising, should he successfully escape, to write there immediately; for I supposed, in the confusion of the fight, it was unknown whether I was dead or alive. To make a long story short, as the saying goes, he did make his escape the following day. For, upon my return home, among the first questions asked was, "Who is L. W. Shead, of Maine ? We had such a nice letter from him a few days after your cap- ture, saying he had left you at Petersburg on your way to Libby Prison, describing Libby, stating you were well. in good spir- its, and would yet come out all right"-writing them a very encouraging letter, which letter I now have in my possession. I replied, "He is the rebel soldier who stood guard over me,
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giving me something to eat, and who has succeeded in making his escape North." Feeling under great obligation to him, I wrote him, thanking him for his many kindnesses, asking for his experience. The correspondence has ever since been kept up. He has been in Bridgeton since that time and is now a successful manufacturer of satinets in Athol, Mass.
On our way from Reams Station to Petersburg I was relieved of a fine rubber blanket, purchased at Horstmann's, in Phila- delphia, for sixteen dollars, on my return after being wounded at the battle of the Wilderness. This blanket was taken from me by the order of one who has since represented the South in the United States Senate, none other than the present M. C. Butler. I presume that at this late date he would deny the charge and refuse to pay the bill, but it is true all the same. On being turned over to Provost Marshal Humphreys, we were relieved of our pocket knives, combs, etc., as well as any Con- federate money in our possession. These things being of a personal nature and not the property of the United States, I entered a protest against such treatment. In reply I was in- formed, "Such are my orders." What angered me most was. the fact that one of Wade Hampton's staff officers, whom I saw pocket my knife, offering me some biscuit and bacon, while my knife adorned his pocket. I declined the offer with con- tempt, saying that I did not care, after such treatment, after being robbed, to be under any obligations, I could very plainly see how they helped to sustain their rotten Confederacy, and I felt indignant. The following night we spent on a small island in the Appomattox River, there being twenty-two offi- cers in all, and under a separate guard from the enlisted men. The next day we were marched to Petersburg, our guns still covering that city, and were there loaded into cattle cars and once more were on our way to Richmond, but this time from the rear. As we stopped at the stations along the road we were importuned by small boys, offering to exchange Confed- erate money for greenbacks at the rate of eight dollars of their money to one of ours.
In our party was General Francis A. Walker, lately de- ceased, who had been General Hancock's Assistant Adjutant
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General-also one Captain Tripp. These were both found missing from our number soon after leaving Petersburg ; no one could account for their absence. Great was the inquiry, "What has become of them ; what has happened to them ?" This suspense was not relieved until the following day, after our arrival in Libby Prison, when in was brought Captain Tripp, under guard. His story was. as follows : He and Walker had watched their chance, while waiting to take the cars, slipped the guard, and under cover of some small bushes secreted themselves until dark. They then passed through Petersburg and followed down the south bank of the Appo- mattox to its mouth, which point they reached before daylight. Tripp was so exhausted that he was fearful if he made the at- tempt to swim the James River he would be drowned, but Walker swam it and Tripp supposed he had escaped. After daylight the captain felt so weak and hungry that he went to a farm house in sight to procure something to eat. While they furnished him the food, at the same time they gave the alarm, and some rebel cavalry came and took him in charge, and here he was.
Yes, and here comes Walker, and a hard looking Walker he was. This occurred late in the afternoon, and while we wel- comed him back, we felt sorry for him because of his attempt to escape having been unsuccessful. What clothing he wore was of a very poor quality and very much a misfit, and had been given to him by the rebels. His statement to us was as follows : Seeing two picket fires on the opposite side of the river, and being very positive that these belonged to our men, he plunged in and swam across, but on reaching the other side he was so exhausted that he called for assistance. It came, but to his sorrow, wearing the gray and not the blue. They informed him that they were North Carolina soldiers, but that if he had struck the fire below he would have found himself in the hands of friends, Union soldiers. He had just missed it; it was certainly very hard luck, and we sympathized greatly with him. After daylight he was sent up to General Gordon's headquarters. The general, on questioning him to learn what he could, was surprised, on account of his appearance, when
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Walker disclosed who he was, as General Hancock and he were at West Point together.
Well, we arrived at "Hotel de Libby " in the early evening of Saturday, August 27, 1864, and were turned over to the ten- der care and keeping of Dick Turner, the proprietor. Here we were subjected to another examination to be robbed again. Turner stated that any greenbacks we had in our possession must be placed in his keeping, but that we could keep our Confederate money. You see the arrangement for robbing us, for in Petersburg we were allowed to keep our own money, but were forced to give up Confederate money, whereas now the thing was reversed, so finally we had nothing. Turner kindly informed us that we would subsequently be searched, and anything then found would be "confisicated ;" this last word, as spoken by him, amused us greatly.
We were put through an examination, three at a time, in a room on the same floor where Turner had his office, being re- quired to remove our outside clothing and our shoes, and the examination being made by three rebel soldiers, and they went through us most thoroughly. I had with me at the time of my capture about fifty dollars, and my conclusions were that it would be best to divide up, so I handed over to the tender mercies of Dick Turner twenty-five dollars of it and de- cided to take my chances on the other twenty-five. I had al- ready stowed one ten dollar bill in the bowl of my pipe, plac- ing a little tobacco over it, another ten in the soles of my shoe where the stitching had given way, and was seeking a place for a five, when my name was called. I hastily rolled this five up and secreted it in my mouth, and passed in for my examination. Good luck favored, and when they were through I passed up stairs with my three notes. I had a narrow es- cape with my pipe, which was new and recently bought, and enclosed in a nice case. They opened the case, took out the pipe, and holding it up to the light, remarked, " It's a daisy." I thought, good-bye pipe, but instantly, as the only hope, pleaded the sympathetic act, and it worked as I desired. for he, too, was a smoker and knew how much pleasure and comfort was derived therefrom. He placed it back in its case, and I
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took it with me upstairs, and I still have it, together with some of the tobacco, as a memento of my prison experience.
One of our party, whose regiment had recently been paid off, was more unfortunate. He had picked up an old canteen along the road, which had been repeatedly run over and flat- tened out, his intention being to make a tin plate out of it. In the mouth of this he had secreted four one hundred dollar bills. When he was examined this was taken from him, with the remark that "this is the kind of stuff you fellows use to dig out with." He offered to give them some information re- garding that same canteen if they would go halves with him, but he was rudely hustled upstairs, and the canteen and its contents was "confisicated."
While I was confined in Libby I kept a diary, and upon be- ing released therefrom brought the same home with me, and still have it in my possession, and will here quote from it my first day's experience in the prison: "Sunday, August 28, 1864. Arose this morning from my bed upon the bare floor, and surveyed Libby. Was somewhat disappointed in finding the place cleaner than expected. We were organized into messes of twelve, one drawing the food for all; received about 9 o'clock our breakfast, consisting of a half pound of corn bread and a quarter pound of bacon, the latter rank and spoiled. This was our morning meal. We got nothing more again un- til 4 o'clock p. m., then the same amount of corn bread, and some kind of black bean soup, full of bugs and disgusting to the taste, but hunger drove us to eat it. Have two roll calls. during the day, just before meal time. Our mess, when we drew our first ration of soup in an old broken jar, not one had anything to eat it with, used shavings for spoons, all eating from the same dish. After supper we had tin plates issued to us, with a half blanket to a man, each article belonging once to the United States. Many went to work making spoons from wood." Such was my first day's record of " Hotel de Libby."
We were shown somewhat better treatment than the private soldier, a little more courtesy and more privileges. We were furnished with a lame rebel sergeant, who would come up
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every afternoon, take any order for purchases out in the city, if we had the wherewithal to pay, bringing in the same the following day. Some of us had some Confederate money, picked up while on the cars coming to Richmond, and sent out an order by the rebel sergeant into the city. I see, by my diary, prices were as follows: Bread, $1.00 a loaf, and the same about the size of any ordinary country rusk ; one onion for $1.00 ; three small apples, $1.00 ; soap, $6.00 per pound ; milk, $3.50 per pint ; butter, $24.00 per pound, and other things in like proportion. An extra meal would not be very elaborate, but, on the whole, quite expensive. Why did we not use our greenbacks? Ah, we were afraid of Dick Turner, and had not forgotten "confisicated." Here rests an inter- esting experience : One afternoon we had a call from a young rebel officer, who had been at the front and seen active service, but was now doing special duty in Richmond. He called out of curiosity and to have a chat ; made himself very pleasant and agreeable, going over some of the battles both had taken part in, and in this way spending about an hour. Before he left, it was intimated that some of us who had greenbacks would like to take the advantage in exchange for " Confed " money. He replied, "You know what the law here is, dollar for dol- lar ; as you seem to have confidence in me, I will trust you, and return in a short time and see what I can do for you," which he did, allowing us six for one. Query-who was this rebel ? None other than a son of an ex-governor of Virginia. the present John A. Wise, of whose commendable career since the war, we all well know. I wonder if, at this late date, he would recall the occasion ; I think he would.
We officers fared much better than the private soldiers, shel- tered from the winds and storms, and while the food furnished us was insufficient and of miserable quality, it sufficed, for the time being, to sustain life. I had a standing order for two loaves of bread daily, at one dollar per loaf, besides other small purchases, outside of the supplies furnished by the rebels, and so I got along fairly well as long as my funds held out. How about the private soldier-our treatment was hard enough to bear, but what of theirs? Ask the records of Belle Isle and
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