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 21
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" Dear, indeed, is that old musket, It had sure voice long ago ; Not a friend so true and trusty, On the field to meet the foe."
And in time of battle what a feeling of strength and security in the nearness and companionship of our comrades; that mys- tic life and encouragement of the touch of elbow. We feel them near-a gallant band of comrades. Our family circle is often broken by death, but we close up; gather nearer together. And we never feel so safe as when in our place, right among those brave heroes, where we watch, care for and strengthen each other ; and if from any cause we fall out for a few minutes, what a hurry and anxiety to get back in the ranks, even right in the very height of battle. Our safest place is with our own comrades, our own officers. This was why we never liked to have officers from another regiment put over us. We did not know them; they did not know our different temperaments and dispositions. They always seemed to be wanting to show off ; to appear brave and harsh at our expense At two different times it fell to my lot to go on the skirmish line with men of other regiments, all of us strangers to each other. We were nervous and excitable; the officers seemed tyrannical; the men scarey. We lacked that feeling of security and companionship, and were unable to do as good work as when with our own officers and comrades.
There was a peculiar fascination about our army life which was often talked about and experienced by many other com- rades, as well as myself .. We get badly wounded and sent away to the hospitals, where we have the best of care, get plenty to eat, have nice beds to sleep in, are entirely out of danger from whistling shells and flying balls, no weary march or lonesome picket, no thrilling charge or dangerous skirmish, nothing but ease, rest and enjoyment; yet we are dissatisfied. We read and hear of what is going on at the " Front," and we eagerly seize the first opportunity to get back in the ranks. We go home for a ten or twenty days' furlough, but always get back before the time is out. Home is a fine place, but things seem so changed: everything is so still and quiet. All
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the news seem old; no drums, no noise, no excitement. are soldiers, and our place is with the soldiers-at the " Front." But as soon as our work was accomplished-the war ended. the rebels whipped into submission, the Union restored, our grand old flag flying in all its glory through the whole length and breadth of our happy land, then we began to get homesick. War had lost its charms. We were ready and anxious to re- turn to peaceful pursuits, to the charms and endearments of home and family; no worse citizens because of being good soldiers.
My only wish to ever again be a soldier was a few weeks after coming home, when, in the Friends' Meeting House at Mullica Hill, I sat for a few minutes and listened to a so-called Quaker preacher (of the tramp variety, from Canada) tell of seeing a drunken soldier on the streets of Philadelphia, and what a terrible danger to our country in the return of this great army, with all their vices and wickedness, their pilfering, drunkenness and debauchery-and just then I walked out- doors and wished and prayed for just two minutes on the skir- mish line with my old musket, and that preacher in front.
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'GRISS."
One of the famous men of Company F and the Twelfth New Jersey Volunteers was Elwood Griscom, born and raised a Quaker, of good old Quaker stock, where plainness of speech, behavior and apparel were lessons early instilled into his young mind, and there rooted so firmly as to remain his unique and striking characteristic through all his busy life. He spoke his mind in such plain, forceful language as left no doubt of its meaning ; his behavior plain and natural, no putting on airs, or showing off, and his apparel plain and neat, but never that of a dude. Of southern birth and education up to his fourteenth year, his father a slaveholder, he early saw the baleful effects of that institution and its corrupting influence on nation, State and family, and upon coming North to live with his uncle he was quick to note the great contrast with northern free labor. He was gentle and courteous in disposition, always smiling and happy, yet with a mind so strong that when he resolved to enlist and be a soldier, the most strenuous efforts of the " overseers " of the society failed to shake his purpose in doing what he believed to be right, and I doubt if any man in the company or regiment had greater influence for good. His strong, honest, forceful character left its impress on all with whom he associated ; his plain speech conveyed no doubtful meaning, his ringing laugh dispelled our cares in camp or march, and his oft shown bravery on battle's dangerous field strengthened and encouraged his weaker comrades and put to shame all signs of fear. His tent-mate and "pard " through most of his army life, who owes much to the contact and ex- ample of this grand old hero, tells some stories of those stirring times where "Griss" (as he was always called) was a prom- inent figure, and never known to run from the enemy, except at Ellicott's Mills, where an unruly cow drove him from the
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barnyard and defied his best effort to procure some new milk, though maybe the lateness of the hour might have irritated the temper of the cow. At another time while out with the wood -. choppers he and his "pard " captured a deserter just at night, who offered them a one-hundred dollar greenback to let him escape, but "Griss " sternly formed his marching column, with the " pard " ahead, next the deserter, then himself with gun at a "ready," and in single file through woods, field and darkness, for over five miles, he brought his prisoner safely to our camp, where the provost marshal searched him and found a loaded pistol capped and ready in a pocket, but he had found no chance to use it. At another time at Ellicott's Mills one of the bitter secessionists of that town (Dr. Dorsey, a wealthy slave-holder) was arrested for some of his treasonable utter- ances, and "Griss " and his " pard " escorted him to the office of the provost marshal (Captain R. S. Thompson, of Company K), who gave him a hearing so full of treason and brimstone that the marshal's patriotism and loyalty could stand it no longer, and twice he ordered the foul-mouthed wretch to de- sist, but still he kept on, and the marshai turned to "Griss" with " if he utters another word of treason, run him through with your bayonet," and the prompt " I will " caused the old rebel to stop, and turning around he saw that gentle, sympa- thetic look which "Griss" wore on such occasions, and the marshal's command of "silence " was promptly obeyed, and 'twas well it was, for "Griss" always obeyed orders. At Chancellorsville he escaped unhurt, carrying his wounded "pard " from off the bloody field. At the Wilderness, right in the thick of the fight he saw a young soldier of another regi- ment deliberately shoot off a finger so as to get to the rear, but "Griss" collared him and shoved him into the line of battle, with the consoling remark, "as you seem to want a wound so badly, I will give you a chance for an honorable one," and for an hour he kept that miserable wretch right by his side, tears and blood falling fast, but failed to get him the honorable wound.
At Spottsylvania, in that famous charge of May 12, 1864. he received a terrible wound in the head, which would have killed
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any ordinary man, but he calmly walked off to the hospital without any assistance, remarking to his "pard," "Oh, this ain't much; I'll soon be back." Sure enough he did return and gallantly carried our colors, a worthy successor to brave Charlie Cheeseman. He soon got his well-earned promotion as First Lieutenant of Company E, and continued a brave and efficient officer through all those trying scenes which led to the capture of Petersburg, where his parents had been living through all that long and dangerous siege; while two of his brothers were serving as officers in the rebel army. "Griss " immediately se- cured a pass and was one of the first Union officers to enter that city. He found his parents in good health, but in great poverty and distress from scarcity of food, which he soon dis- pelled with a ham and a barrel of flour, rare luxuries which they had not seen before for many months.
The story is told that as he and a brother were taking a walk to see the effects of the bombardment, a drunken negro came swaggering down the sidewalk, full of impudence and-" com- missary," happy in the absence of police, and elbowing a wide swath through the crowd of terrified women and children; just to show his importance he bumped up against "Griss," who promptly knocked him sprawling in the gutter, amidst the wonder and applause of his brother, who remarked, " I thought you Yanks loved the niggers." "Griss " answered, "We do; that's why I knocked him down."
He spent the night with his parents, who were overjoyed to meet him; relieved their urgent necessities with the kind of money that would buy (greenbacks), and next morning re- turned to the regiment, now many miles away in that hot chase after the fleeing rebels, and as officer of the day bravely led our skirmishers. At Appomattox there was no wilder or happier soldier than our old comrade, "Griss," who still re- mains a prominent figure at our reunions, a part and factor in all our honors and glory; known and loved by all his com- rades.
A "SHORT-TERM" PRISONER.
BY WILLIAM P. HAINES.
My only experience as a prisoner of war was so brief that I hardly had time to appreciate it, until afterwards. 'Twas at the battle of Reams Station on August 25, 1864, when two di- visions of the Second Corps (about eight thousand men) were sent on a raid to destroy the railroad, and cut off the line of rebel supplies. We accomplished this work very completely, tearing up several miles of the road, burned the ties, bent the rails, burned the depot and several cars, and then, instead of returning to Petersburg, as we should have done that night, we waited to see what the rebels would think of it next morn- ing. And we found out, much to our sorrow, that they did not appreciate our work, as they came down on us with fifteen thousand men, and at times had us almost surrounded, and after a very exciting day's work, our troops fell back from the slight earthworks, and began the retreat soon after dark. The division provost guard (in which I was serving at the time) formed a line in the rear, near the little church, and several of us were sent back nearly to the station to assist in bringing in two of our cannon, which had been left on the field by reason of their horses being killed. We succeeded in bringing the cannon back to where a spare team of horses was hitched on, and they went back with the ambulance train, whilst we were formed as a rear guard, and held back, while the troops got a good start (probably one hour), when we followed, soon cross- ing a little stream, and being very hot and thirsty from our hard day's work, myself and a comrade (Dave Coles, of the Thirty-sixth Wisconsin) stopped to drink and fill our can- teens, and thus got behind the others, who were retreating at a lively rate. It was a warm, close night, and very dark, with occasional flashes of lightning, and the narrow crooked road through the woods was hard to follow, so when we came to a
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fork in the road, we "kept to the right as the law directs," but found it wrong. We had not gone two hundred yards, when we ran right into a vidette of three rebel cavalrymen, scaring them fully as badly as they did us. By a flash of the lightning we saw who they were, and also saw a large squad of them farther down the road, while visions of Libby and Andersonville ran through our minds.
They kept us there a short time, asking questions, but it was so dark they didn't notice our guns, which were at "a trail." Then one of them started to take us back to the reserve post, but they were much excited and evidently new troops, as instead of marching us ahead of him, as was the usual man- ner, he went ahead and told us to follow, which we very inno- cently did-for part of the distance, when I whispered to Coles that I was ready to leave ; he said ditto, and we sprang from the road into the thick woods, where we knew it was too dark for him to follow. He seemed to realize that we were playing him false, as he called us some real hard names, commanded us to halt, threatened to shoot, did shoot, so did the reserves, but we kept on the even tenor of our ways, and none of their bullets came close enough to stop us ; though for a real lively foot-race, where you feel the press of important business ahead, and rebel guns behind, I think a thick woods and a dark night are not real favorable for speed. We kept close together, and missed some of the larger trees, but a swinging grape vine about knee high put us both on our backs, and our guns, which we still held on to, would get cross-wise, or on the wrong side of the small trees, causing us to back up and come again, until at last we were out of hearing of the rebels, when we halted for breath and rest, talked over plans and the direc- tion of our lines, which luckily proved right ; and for four hours or longer we toiled and trudged through the woods and darkness in silence and expectancy of-we knew not what, until just at daylight we saw ahead of us the blue clad pickets of our Ninth Corps, who were sent out to cover the retreat of our corps. We gave them quite a scare, as we hid behind the trees and hailed them to let us come in, which they did "with- out the countersign," when they learned who we were and
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why we were out there. By 8 a. m. we found our troops rest- ing by the roadside, and gladly took our places in the ranks, after an absence of nine hours, about ten minutes of which was spent as prisoners of war.
"For he who fights, and runs away, May live to fight some other day; But he who is in jail confined, Can do no fight of any kind."
RETROSPECTIVE.
How many of you, dear comrades, who were active partici- pants in the Army of the Potomac during that "fighting month " of May, 1864, ever thought, or believed it possible, that thirty-three years hence so many of us would be alive and able to gather at our annual reunions; to feel the thrill of the warm hand-clasp, the hearty greeting of comrades brave and true, as we renew our friendships, recall old times and celebrate the anniversary of our muster-in to Uncle Sam's service ?
Why, comrades, there were many, many times during that thrilling week in the Wilderness and those terrible days and nights at Spottsylvania when death seemed very near to us, as day after day we saw our dear comrades and tent-mates shot down by our side, borne to the grave or hospital, with that sad, stoical feeling of certainty that our turn would come soon,
"As slowly and sadly we laid them to rest, On the field of their fame, fresh and gory."
And next day we were into it again, with a firm faith that Grant would at last outflank them-which he did, but it was long, long in the future.
Not all of our army experience was as infantry, for though not exactly in the navy, we saw some service on the water. Our first nautical experience was on September 7, 1862, when, following the example of the great George Washington, we "crossed the Delaware," and later in the same day we made the turbulent passage of the grand old Susquehanna at Havre de Grace, without a single case of mal-de-mere. Some months after this we shipped as able seamen on the "Star," that fa- miliar old Red Bank boat, under command of Captain Bender, and bravely plowed the raging main clear down to Acquia Creek, and then harrowed our feelings by having to sleep out-
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doors that night in the snow. Again at City Point, when our whole corps marched on board those transports with playing bands and flying colors, we started down the James River just at dark, and were so glad to be going somewhere without marching, that we were soon down on the deck and fast asleep, with our bright dreams of Hampton Roads and Fortress Mon- roe all rudely shattered by the awakening of those screeching shells next morning at Deep Bottom. But I think our wettest. our most watery experience, was on February 6, 1864, at Mortons Ford, where we breasted the icy waters of the Rapi- dan; so swift that it was difficult to keep on our feet; so deep that the short fellows had to swim, and so cold that it seemed to take our breath. And we had some experience as engineers. several of us helping to lay the pontoon bridge at United States Ford, when we crossed to Chancellorsville. From the Rapi- dan to Appomattox we built earthworks, forts and redoubts; dug ditches, trenches and gopher-holes without number-and without shovels. Never too tired to work all night so as to have a nice, strong earthwork ready to-leave in the morning.
What grand old leaders we had in 1863-'64. "Hancock. the Superb," at the head of the corps, seemed to scent the battle from afar, and he always had the old "Second " there on time, and the official records show the results. Hays at the head of division, Smythe at the head of brigade, and grand old Tom Davis leading the regiment. Oh, what a galaxy of stars shown 'round our horizon: all stars of the first magni- tude. And how grandly they finished their work. As like the setting sun they lit up our firmanent with a blaze of warmth and grandeur, then like the meteor's flash, were gone: leaving behind a reflection of light and glory to survivors and future generations, an example manifest and rugged, as one after another they took their allotted niches in Fame's temple, grand and glorious. Alexander Hays, first seen at the head of the division at Gettysburg, where his daring ride across our front. just at the repulse of that famous charge, with a rebel flug trailing in the dust behind him, gave us an idea (that we never lost) that he was a believer in personal magnetism and enjoyed a battle fully as much as we did. And oh, what a grand old
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fighter and leader was lost to the Second Corps by that fateful bullet in the Wilderness!
Thomas A. Smythe, of the First Delaware regiment, always closely identified with us ; first seen at the head of the brigade after Chancellorsville, of noble bearing and commanding pres- ence, how proudly we followed him, and how promptly we obeyed him. That charmed life which carried him safely through so many hard fought battles, so sadly snuffed out just as the end was in sight, and another grand old leader and fighter was lost to the Second Corps by that fatal bullet at Farmville, while our own gallant Tom Davis went down in that lurid hell of Spottsylvania.
And not all our affections were lavished on Hancock, as for a period after Gettysburg we had Warren as temporary com- mander of the corps. Warren, brave Warren, with his classic brow and poetic, literary cast of face, how grandly he led us that proud and busy day (October 14, 1863), when we were playing rear-guard and whipped the Johnnies before breakfast at Auburn, and again at Bristoe after supper. I can see him now, as on that busy day, omnipresent, omnipotent ; some- times at the head of column with Barlow, then with Car- roll in the rear, watching and check-mating every move of the rebels as we swung out at Auburn, and again as we swung in at Bristoe. But come with me, in fancy free, at early dawn of that eventful day, and see the grand old Second Corps, with Warren at its head, peacefully sleeping midst the fragrant pines of Auburn, "Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain," suddenly awakened to find themselves completely sur- rounded by the rebels, but conscious of their strength and leaders, they leisurely arise from their downy couches, sweep out the rooms, make up the beds, enjoy their breakfast of poached eggs, hot rolls, coffee and steak, then pack up the furniture and silverware and calmly move out over that narrow, wooded road, winding amidst the tall trees, the steep bluffs and diffi- cult fords of that rushing stream, up those slippery banks, only to find the rebels with their cavalry and artillery well posted on both sides of the road, ready and anxious to give us a hearty welcome. All these things so gladdened the heart of
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General Alexander Hays, whose division was on the lead, that he reciprocated their every effort and gave them love for love, and by his native courtesy and kindness soon convinced them that they had no business fooling with the Second Corps. A little incident of this battle, showing the courtesy and polite- ness of our boys, was when Colonel Ruffin, with his First North Carolina Cavalry, undertook to ride over our skirmish line ; result-a failure, and the brave colonel, with a bullet through his knee and another in his shoulder, lay by the road- side with a very fine gold watch and chain partly exposed, and as we gathered around him in sympathy, one of our good boys spoke up very politely with, " Colonel, do please hurry up and die ; we want that watch."
And again at Mine Run, that bitter morning in December, when we stood waiting the signal to charge those formidable earthworks, where the black muzzles of thirty cannon were staring us in the face ; where we wrote our names on little slips of paper pinned in our blouses, and were figuring and talking with each other about how far we would get across that field, when Warren came out on the line and saw matters just as we did, and he had the thoughtfulness and courage to call a halt on what must have proved another Fredericksburg. And the only blot on the fair name of Phil. Sheridan was that spiteful blow he struck brave Warren at Five Forks.
PROMOTIONS.
The following interesting table has been compiled from the official records, showing the number of men from each com- pany who reached the rank of commissioned officers, viz .:
Sergeant Major Stephen G. Eastwick promoted Second Lieutenant Company E.
Quartermaster Sergeant Charles P. Brown promoted Captain Com- pany I.
CO. A.
Corporal Charles F. Sickler promoted First Lieutenant Company I. Private Eli K. Ale promoted Second Lieutenant Company I.
CO. B.
Sergeant John W. Mitchell promoted Captain Company D.
Sergeant Henry P. Reed promoted Second Lieutenant Company D.
Private Samuel Mattson promoted Second Lieutenant Company B.
CO. C.
Sergeant John Lezenby promoted Second Lieutenant Company K. Private William H. Darrah promoted Second Lieutenant Company D.
CO. D.
Corporal Richard M. Subers promoted First Lieutenant Company C.
CO. E.
Sergeant John R. Rich promoted Second Lieutenant Company A.
CO. F.
Sergeant Samuel E. Williams promoted Captain Company B.
Sergeant Charles D. Lippincott promoted Captain Company B. Sergeant James S. Stratton promoted First Lieutenant Company K. Corporal Azariah Stratton promoted Captain Company F.
Corporal James White promoted Second Lieutenant Company F. Private Elwood Griscom promoted First Lieutenant Company E.
CO. H.
Sergeant John D. Somers promoted First Lieutenant Company A. Sergeant George W. Swing promoted Captain Company H. Corporal Thomas O. Slater promoted Captain Company K.
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Corporal George A. Cobb promoted First Lieutenant Company H. Corporal Frances C. Cook promoted Second Lieutenant Company H. Private Edmund C. Tier promoted First Lieutenant Company B. Private Robert R. Kates promoted First Lieutenant Company G.
Private Benjamin F. Van Meter promoted Second Lieutenant Com- pany C.
CO. I.
Sergeant George A. Bowen promoted Captain Company C.
Corporal Robert C. White promoted First Lieutenant Company D.
CO. K.
Sergeant Edward M. DuBois promoted Major.
Sergeant Frank M. Riley promoted Captain Company F.
Private Henry W. Gaskill promoted First Lieutenant Company K. Private James P. Williams promoted First Lieutenant Company G.
By this table we see that all the companies received a share of the promotions except G. Not a man from the ranks of that company was honored by a commission. Why was it? They had plenty of good material, as we know full well. Company H secured eight of the commissions; Company F, six; Com- pany K, four; Company B, three; Companies A, C and I, two each, and Companies D and E, one each. There were but nine privates who reached the rank of commissioned officers; . five of them first lieutenants, and four second lieutenants.
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OFFICERS THEN, AND NOW.
The following table shows the great changes in the officers of the regiment between date of muster in, September 4, 1862, and date of muster out, June 4, 1865. We find a complete change in the field and staff officers, except in surgeons and of the original captains. H. F. Chew, of Company I, is the real (if not the nominal) head of the regiment, and H. A. Matti- son, of Company H, is the only one holding his original place and commission. Of the lieutenants, all are gone except Wil- liam E. Potter and Daniel Dare, both of Company K, but now each a captain of other companies. Of the original officers, six were killed, five were discharged by reason of serious wounds, six were discharged for disability, six resigned by reason of dis- ability, four for the good of the service, and three were dis- missed. At the time of muster out vacancies existed in the following offices : Adjutant, quartermaster, chaplain, and Second Lieutenant of Company A. The office of chaplain was a very important one, but never much sought after in the Twelfth Regiment, though why, I could never make out. Didn't we need one, or was the job too great ?
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