USA > New Jersey > New Jersey troops in the Gettysburg campaign from June 5 to July 31, 1863 > Part 3
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I have the honor to be,
Respectfully your obedient servant,
E. MARTINDALE,
Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding Regiment.
The conspicuous gallantry of Captain Fordham is well illustrated by the following incident :
CAPT. SAMUEL UZAL DODD, Co. H, 26th N. J. Vols., Inf. (From a War-time Photograph.)
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
When the boat containing Major Morris and his men had reached within a few feet of the river bank Captain Fordham, who had accompanied a part of the regiment over in a previous boat, stepped from under the bank of the river and asked what the command should next do? The Major responded, " Wait, Captain, until I land." Just at that moment the Major of the Fifth Vermont, hearing Captain Fordham's call for orders, started up the road in the direction of the enemy's works. Captain Fordham saw the movement, and tak- ing one man with him, started off to get in advance of the Vermonter, and as they came abreast of each other both moved rapidly for the enemy's position. This action nerved the rest to follow his example, and with- out waiting for the whole regiment to cross they started on a run and all together charged the position. Lieutenant Rochus Heinisch, of Company "A," Cor- porals William H. Brown and W. H. Whittemore, Company "B," were first into the enemy's works. Corporal Brown was wounded.
The charge of the Twenty-sixth was gallantly per- formed and has received the highest words of praise, but Colonel Grant, commanding the brigade, in his report of the affair, seeks to award the credit to the Fifth Vermont as being the first to enter the works. He says: "We left camp yesterday, soon after noon, and marched to the river, a distance of about five miles. The pontoons were on the ground ready to be taken down the bank and thrown across the river. The rebels had constructed rifle-pits in front of and com-
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manding the point where the bridges were to be placed. These rifle-pits were occupied by rebel infantry. As soon as the artillery could be got into position it opened a terrific fire upon the rifle-pits. It had but little effect, however, except to keep back reinforce- ments that were coming to the assistance of those already in the works. But very few of those in the pits were injured by the artillery fire. They managed to keep up a galling fire upon the engineers that attempted to construct the bridges. It was determined to drive the rebels from the rifle-pits. The Fifth Vermont, Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, and Twenty-sixth New Jersey, Lieutenant-Colonel Martindale, were ordered forward for that purpose. They rushed gallantly down the bank and, with the assistance of the engineers, and under a galling fire from the rifle-pits, they launched the pontoon boats into the stream, jumped into them and rowed across and landed upon the south bank. But a few companies of the Fifth had crossed when they sprang up the bank, and with shouts charged the rifle-pits, driving the enemy from them in great con- fusion, taking many of them prisoners. The Twenty- sixth New Jersey came gallantly to the support of the Fifth and did well, but it is believed the Fifth cleared the rifle-pits."
This is faint justice from a brigade commander for a gallant and most heroic service, and the evident intent to award the chief credit to the Fifth Vermont for a service performed by the Twenty-sixth New Jersey in conjunction with them, is not the work of a broad or
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
generous disposition. An eye-witness of the fight, one of the Fiftieth Regiment, New York Volunteers, says of it :
" General Howe at once ordered the Twenty-sixth New Jersey to cross and storm the pits, and most gallantly and fearlessly did they go in. The rebels stuck to their position until those fearless Jerseymen set foot on the south side of the river, which was about half-past six o'clock, when, notwithstanding the shower of canister sent after them, they fled before the impetu- ous charge of those gallant Jersey Blues ; indeed, they could not well leave before, for our cannon completely swept the plain and their pits was by far the safest place for them. Skirmishers were immediately deployed and soon brought in sixty or seventy prisoners, belonging principally to Florida regiments. My own position was such that I could see the whole affair. Our regi- ment suffered considerably-we lost 28 killed-many in our brigade who were killed or wounded are within a few days of the expiration of their terms of service ; the same is true, as I am informed, of the Twenty-sixth New Jersey, but still neither the one or the other faltered in the least in going forward in the performance of their duties, and they deserve and should receive honor from all men."
3
CHAPTER III.
LEE'S PLAN OF CAMPAIGN-DISPOSITION OF HIS FORCES -GENERAL HOOKER MYSTIFIED BUT NOT DECEIVED -THE CAVALRY FIGHT AT BRANDY STATION-THE FIRST NEW JERSEY CAVALRY'S BRILLIANT CHARGE.
W HETHER General Lee had forebodings of dis- aster when making his plans for an offensive campaign will, perhaps never be known, but certain it is that while everybody about him, and public feeling in the South, was full of confidence and hope, he was depressed in spirits. He evidently realized that the future of the Southern Confederacy depended upon the success of his operations. The situation elsewhere, from the southern point of view, was not the most encouraging. General Grant was hammering away at Vicksburg and the possibilities of its fall were alarming. General Longstreet thus sum- marizes the situation :
" While General Lee was reorganizing his army he was also arranging the new campaign. Grant had laid siege to Vicksburg, and Johnston was concentrating at Jackson to drive him away. Rosecrans was in Tennes- see and Bragg was in front of him. The force Johnston was concentrating at Jackson gave us no hope that he
1429557
MAJOR WILLIAM W. MORRIS, 26th Regt. N. J. Vols., Inf. (From a War-time Photograph.)
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
would have sufficient strength to make any impression upon Grant, and even if he could, Grant was in position to reinforce rapidly and could supply his army with greater facility. Vicksburg was doomed unless we could offer relief by a strategic move. I proposed to send a force through East Tennessee to join Bragg, and also to have Johnston sent to join him, thus concentrat- ing a large force to move against Rosecrans, crush out his army and march against Cincinnati. That, I thought, was the only way we had to relieve Vicksburg. General Lee admitted the force of my proposition, but finally stated that he preferred to organize a campaign into Maryland and Pennsylvania, hoping thereby to draw the Federal troops from the southern points they occupied. After discussing the matter with him for several days I found his mind was made up not to allow any of his troops to go west. I then accepted his proposition to make a campaign into Pennsylvania, provided it should be offensive in strategy but defensive in tactics, forcing the Federal army to give us battle when we were in strong position and ready to receive them."
A successful invasion of Pennsylvania, and the defeat of the northern army, were the primary objects of the campaign. These would not alone counterbalance the effect that the fall of Vicksburg would have upon the southern mind, it would give the representatives of the South in foreign countries a vantage ground in securing the recognition of the Confederacy, which meant an open market in which to purchase supplies and muni-
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tions of war, and, perhaps, bring about the intervention of the great powers for a cessation of hostilities ; peace- ably if possible, by armed support if necessary. Eng- land and France were only awaiting an opportunity to extend a helping hand to the South. A victory for General Lee on northern soil would be all-sufficient. The plan of campaign was prepared, the preliminary movements had been made. General Lee had divided his army into three parts : Hill was left at Fredericks- burg, Longstreet and Ewell moved toward Culpepper, from which point Ewell was to proceed to the Shenan- doah Valley to clear the way for the balance of the army to follow. On the seventh of June General Lee's cavalry moved to the Rappahannock river, their artillery being posted so as to cover the crossing at Beverly Ford. On this same day General Wright's division, of the Sixth Corps, relieved the troops of Howe's division, at Franklin's Crossing, below Fred- ericksburg, Hooker thus keeping up a show of force sufficient to detain Hill, while Lee ordered Longstreet and Ewell to halt near the Rapidan river long enough to ascertain what the Union Commander's intentions were, and to be in supporting distance of Hill, if wanted. On the eighth of June Hooker directed Pleasonton-who had been placed in command of all the cavalry-to make a reconnoissance in the direction of Culpepper for the purpose of ascertaining the possible plans of the enemy. The resistance made by General Hill at Fredericksburg was obstinate enough to con- vince Hooker that the enemy were in strong force at
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
that point, but his suspicions were not allayed. He believed that some movement of great importance was contemplated by Lee, and that movement, he rightly divined, was an invasion of the North.
The Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac comprised three divisions, commanded as follows : First Division, General John Buford; Second Divis- ion, Colonel A. N. Duffie; Third Division, General D. McM. Gregg, and a Regular Cavalry Reserve with six batteries. For the purpose of this recon- noissance the corps was divided into two wings, the right comprising the First Cavalry Division and the Reserve Brigade, supported by a detachment of infantry under the command of General Ames, of the Eleventh Corps, the wing being commanded by
General Buford. The left wing comprised the Second and Third Divisions of cavalry, with General D. A. Russell's detachment of infantry from the Sixth Corps, the whole commanded by General Gregg. General Pleasonton made his headquarters with Buford's wing. On the afternoon of the eighth of July the corps moved out on their mission, the right wing halting near Beverly Ford and the left wing at Kelly's Ford, on the Rappahannock. So far the advance toward Culpepper had progressed satisfactorily, but the next movement lead to a con- flict where none was anticipated, the separated wings of Pleasonton having to encounter Stuart's whole force and engage him in separate conflict. General Buford crossed the river early on the ninth
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and met the enemy between the Ford and Brandy Station, but was compelled to retire by reason of the great superiority of numbers against which he was pitted. General Gregg crossed the river at Kelly's Ford between five and six o'clock in the morning and was moving toward Stevensburg, at which point he was directed to establish the left of his line, the infantry detachment under General Russell being ordered to move direct to Brandy Station. Gregg heard the firing of Buford's men, and after a march of five miles overtook Duffie's division, whose advance had reached Stevensburg without meeting the enemy, and he ordered them to move at once upon Brandy Station, taking the same road as the Third Division. When the head of Gregg's division reached the Station the enemy were there in great force, having only a short time before repulsed the First Division. In the charge of the Third Division upon Stuart's forces the First New Jersey Cavalry carried off the honors of the day for impetuous dash and consummate skill. Of the heroic part taken by this command in this, the first great cavalry fight of the war, no improvement can be made upon the realistic description given by Chap- lain Pyne, in his "History of the First New Jersey Cavalry." He says :
" It was on the eighth of June that Gregg's divis- ion broke camp at Warrenton Junction, to march to Kelly's Ford. Arriving there after nightfall the men, formed in column of battalions, holding their horses
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
during the night, bivouacked without fires or sound of bugles. In consequence of these and other pre- cautions, Duffie's division was well on the road to Stevensburg, and Gregg moving toward Brandy Station, before the rebels had taken the alarm. Capturing or cutting off the videttes, Captain Yorke led the advance around the position of the rebel cavalry, and debouched through the woods beyond Brandy Station, while the enemy was still between that place and the Rappahannock river. As Jones' brigade hastily formed to receive us, the First New Jersey Cavalry dashed out of the woods, charging down among them. Without even an attempt to charge, the rebel line broke in confusion; and driv- ing them back, pell-mell, the regiment pressed upon their rear. With a hundred and fifty prisoners, taken by a body of only two hundred and fifty-nine enlisted men, the regiment then rallied and re-formed for the greater work before them.
"Nearly half a mile apart, on two eminences of a continuous line of hill, stood a couple of country houses, surrounded by their customary farm buildings and enclosures, though both had been dilapidated by the frequent presence of the soldiery of both armies. At the one facing the right of the line General Stuart had established his headquarters, and each of them was . protected by a battery of horse artillery. Leaving the First Pennsylvania Regiment to support his battery, Wyndham formed the First Jersey for a charge. Lieutenant-Colonel Broderick was at its
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head, and in column of battalions it advanced, with a steady trot, its line more accurate than ever on parade. As it passed over the difficult ground in the vicinity of the railroad, there was danger of its front being compressed by the narrowness of the defile. Without a pause, Hobensack led the left squadron of the first line down the steep bank of the cutting and up the other side-a steep descent and rise of nine feet each way, taken by the whole body without a waver or hesitation. While the right squadrons of the other battalions followed Broderick against Stuart's headquarters, the left wings, under Lucas and Malsbury, accompanied Hobensack and dashed at the hill on which stood the other battery. So rapid was the advance of both columns that the batteries of the enemy endeav- ored in vain to get range upon them; while our own guns, admirably directed by Martin and his officers, played with terrible effect upon the station- ary rebel line. With a ringing cheer Broderick rode up the gentle ascent that led to Stuart's headquar- ters, the men gripping hard their sabres, and the horses taking ravines and ditches in their stride. As the rebels poured in a random and ineffectual volley, the troopers of the First Jersey were among them, riding over one gun, breaking to pieces the brigade in front of them and forcing the enemy in confusion down the opposite slope of the hill. Stuart's head- quarters were in our hands, and his favorite regi- ment in flight before us. At the same time, far
COLONEL PERCY WYNDHAM, Ist N. J. Cav. (From a War-time Photograph.)
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
away at Beverly Ford, were heard the guns of Buford, as Pleasonton hurled his division, in column of regiments, against the shaken enemy. By the same orderly who carried off Stuart's official papers, Wyndham ordered up a section of his battery and the regiment of Pennsylvanians. Leaving the artil- lery to the support of the First Maryland, the noble Pennsylvanians came to the attack. It was time that they did so; for a fresh brigade of rebels was charging the hundred men of Broderick. Gallantly did the Lieutenant-Colonel meet the charge. As the enemy advanced, down against them rode our men : Broderick and his adjutant in front, Hart, Wynkoop, Cox, Jemison, Harper, Sawyer, Brooks and Hughes, all in their places, leading their respective men. With a crash, in went the little band of Jerseymen into the leading rebel regiment, the impetus of the attack scattering the faltering enemy in confusion right and left. Through the proud Twelfth Vir- ginia they then rode, with no check to their head- long onset; and with dripping sabres and panting steeds emerged into the field beyond. No longer in line of battle, fighting hand to hand with small parties of the enemy, and with many a wounded horse sinking to the earth, they met a third regi- ment of the rebels, no longer faltering before an unbroken enemy, but rushing eagerly upon the scat- tered groups of combatants. Even in this emergency the confidence of the men was not shaken in their leaders. Against that swarm of opposers each indi-
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vidual officer opposed himself, with such men as collected around him; and slowly fighting, breaking the enemy with themselves into bands of indepen- dent combatants, the Jerseymen fell back up the bloody hillside. Not a man but had his own story of the fight to tell. Kitchen, left alone for a moment, was ridden at by two of the rebels. As one was disabled by his sabre, he spurred his horse against the other. As the animal bounded beneath the goad a bullet penetrated his brain, and, throwing his rider twenty feet beyond him, the steed, all four feet in the air, plunged headlong to the earth. As the adjutant, trembling from the fall, slowly recovered his senses, he saw another rebel riding at him. Creeping behind the body of his dead horse, he rested his revolver on the carcass to give steadiness to his aim, and frightening off his enemy, managed to escape to the neighborhood of the guns and catch a riderless horse to carry him from the field.
"In the middle of the fight Broderick's horse fell dead beneath him. Instantly his young orderly bugler, James Wood, sprang to the earth and remounted him. While the bugler himself sought for another horse, a rebel trooper rode at him with an order to surrender. As Wood was taken to the rear, he came upon a carbine lying upon the ground. Seizing it and leveling it at his captor, he forced the man to change places with him; and thus, with an empty weapon, repossessed himself of arms and horse, together with a prisoner. Jemison, on foot and alone, was chased around the
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
house upon the hill, when he saw Broderick again unhorsed in the midst of a crowd of enemies, and Sawyer riding to the rescue. At the moment when Jemison was giving himself up for lost, he saw his pursuers stop, wheel and hurry away, and running himself around the corner, he beheld Taylor, sword in hand, leading the charge of the Pennsylvanians. Around the base of the hill the sturdy regiment swept along, driving the enemy before it, and making a com- plete circuit of the position, returned again toward Brandy Station.
" In the mean time, the left wing of the regiment had directed its efforts upon the other battery of the rebels. Keeping to the trot, their unbroken ranks moved steadily against the hill, on the top of which stood the cannoneers and a few horsemen observing their approach. As they came nearer, all these men disap- peared except one, who maintained his position ; and as they came within two hundred yards of the summit, this man lifted his hat, beckoning with it to those in the rear. In one moment the whole hillside was black with rebel cavalry, charging down as foragers, pistol and carbine in hand. . Hobensack glanced along his squadron. Not a man was out of place, and every horse was taking the gallop without a blunder or over- rush of speed. At the sight of this united band of enemies, the confused rebel crowd hesitated and shook. With an ill-directed, futile volley, they began to break away, and the next moment, a shrieking mass of fugi- tives, they were flying before the sabres of our men.
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The rebel battery of four guns was left with but two men near it, and with their eyes fixed upon it our officers pressed upon the fugitives. When within a hundred yards of the guns, and when looking over the hill, Lucas could see yet another brigade coming in the distance to reinforce the broken enemy, an ejaculation from Hobensack caused him to turn his eyes to his own rear. There was the main body of the force that had broken the right wing coming into full line of battle upon their rear.
"' Fours, left-about, wheel!' was the instant order. ' Boys, there's a good many of them, but we must cut through. Charge!' and obliquely against their line rushed down the Jersey troopers.
" Enthusiasm and desperation supplied the place of numbers, and cutting their way out, the little band opened a path toward the section of our battery. Three times was the guidon of Company E ·taken by the enemy. Twice it was retaken by our men, and the third time, when all seemed desperate, a little troop of the First Pennsylvania cut through the enemy and brought off the flag in safety. Once the rebels who hung upon the rear attempted to charge our retiring men, but the wheel of the rear division sufficed to check their assault, and the left wing of the Jersey reached Clark's two guns, annoyed only by the revolvers of the rebels.
" Under cover of the fire of the artillery, and assisted by the charge of the First Pensylvania, Hart had suc- ceeded in bringing off the remnant of the right wing.
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
He was the senior officer of that half of the regiment. Broderick was dying in the enemy's hands; Shelmire lay dead across the body of a rebel; Sawyer and Hyde Crocker were prisoners; Lieutenant Brooks was dis- abled by a sabre stroke on his right arm; Wyndham himself had just received a bullet in his leg. Men and horses had been fighting for over three hours, and were now utterly exhausted. Duffie was in line of battle two miles and a-half to the rear, but there was no support upon the field. Kilpatrick's brigade, which had charged on our right and rear, had beaten the rebels opposed to it, the First Maine bearing off a battle-flag, but it was now formed on our flank, some distance from the field, to cover us from being entirely cut off. The enemy were indeed terribly demoralized, and the charge of a dozen of our men again and again routed a hundred of the rebels; but now there were not a dozen horses that could charge-not a man who could shout above a whisper. The guns were across a ditch, which rendered their removal very difficult, and it was their fire which kept the rebels from crossing the hills to charge against us. So, with a desperate hope that Duffie might come up after all, our worn- out troopers stood by the gallant cannoneers of the Sixth New York (Martin's, formerly Bramhall's) Inde- pendent Battery-New Yorkers by commission, but Jerseymen of Rahway in their origin.
" Presently the apprehended moment came, and the last reserves of the rebels, fresh and strong, poured down on three sides upon the exhausted little knot
4
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of Jersey troopers. While cavalry fought hand to hand across the guns, the artillerymen continued steadily serving their pieces and delivering their fire at the enemy upon the hill. Time after time, as a rebel trooper would strike at a cannoneer, he would dodge beneath a horse or gun-carriage, and coming up on the other side, discharge his revolver at his assailant and spring once more to his work. At length, from mere exhaustion, Hart, Hobensack and Beekman, with their comrades, were forced back a little way from the guns, and while they were form- ing the men afresh the rebels rode again upon the cannoneers.
" As one of the gunners was ramming home a charge, a rebel officer cut him down with three successive sabre strokes. Then, springing from his horse, he wheeled the piece toward our troopers, not fifty yards away. Hobensack turned to Hart, stretched out his hand, and said: ' We must shut our eyes and take it. Good-bye!' and clasping each other's hands they awaited for their death. The roar of the piece thundered out, and the smoke wrapped them in its folds, but the charge flew harm- lessly over their heads. The piece had been elevated against the hill, and the rebels had not thought of changing its angle. They were so savage at the harmlessness of the discharge that they actually advanced half-way toward our men, but beyond that they dared not come, and the Jersey regiment marched calmly off the field without an effort being made to pursue them.
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IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
" No other comment can be needed to tell the impression made by them upon the rebels. If there had been five hundred fresh men upon the field they might have- swept the whole rebel cavalry force into the Rappahannock river.
" Of the three senior officers on the field, Wynd- ham received a ball in the leg, which unfitted him for months for active service, and Broderick and Shelmire never came off the field alive. As is fre- quently the case in cavalry combats, but little quarter was asked or given. Men fought as long as they could, and then fell beneath the sabre or pistol, the loss of the enemy almost trebling that of the National troopers.
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