USA > New Jersey > Reminiscences of the war, comprising a detailed account of the experiences of the Thirteenth regiment New Jersey volunteers in camp, on the march, and in battle > Part 10
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men of the command and word was sent back that the men had been killed by guerrillas, but no one would at first be- lieve it. Quartermaster Byrnes went up to an open spot to find out what was going on, and saw three or four men in blue uniform running across the fields, and it was his impression that they were our own men shooting chickens or game of some kind. When the detachment came up to Davy Crockett's old place, where the firing had been heard, the dead bodies of both men were found. At once Major Beardsley deployed the command, and the woods around were thoroughly searched until dark with- out finding a trace of the fellows. The detachment then moved on to Tullahoma where they awaited further orders.
Several companies of some of the regiments about Tulla- homa were mounted and sent down to Lincoln county for the purpose of breaking up this gang of guerrillas, and they succeeded in capturing a number of them. It was for the trial of these men the Military Commission was or- ganised. The first man tried was named William Lem- mons. He was a deserter from the Confederate army, and a villainous looking fellow. The next one tried was named Cathie. He had a mean sort of countenance and realized that he was in a very bad fix. There was another chap named Edmondson. a tall lean lank man with an expression- less face, who looked as though he could do most anything that was bad as a matter of duty. The gang was under the leadership of two men named Mosely and Elliot. both of whom were afterward caught. Altogether. about fifteen of these desperadoes were confined in the stockade near the depot. There were frequent rumors that attempts to res- cue them were to be made, but it would have been a fool- hardy experiment for any few men to have sought to re- lease them by a bold attack. The scheme devised for the purpose however was of a different sort. About mid- night on the 15th of March a party of guerrillas captured the patrol on the railroad about three miles below Tullaho- ina and succeeded in stopping a train of cars which came
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along at that time. The wildest reports about the affair were circulated in Tullahoma, it being reported that a Quartermaster was robbed of $1,500 and that three trains were wrecked and burned. The Second Massachusetts (this Regiment had been ordered to Tullahoma some time before from Estelle Springs) and the Twenty-seventh Indi- ana were at once ordered under arms and the people in town rushed to the big fort for protection. I was isolated from everybody in the rooms of the Commission, and felt that if the attack on the road was a device to draw troops from Tullahoma, in order that an armed party might be able to rush into the town and release the prisoners, it would be a bad thing for me to be caught with the re- cords of the Commission in my possession. I accordingly gathered them up, secreted them in my knapsack, and threw the whole bundle under the house. I then went out to ascertain the latest information. The report then in circulation was that the One Hundred and Twenty-third New York Regiment, Col. Ed. Living- ston Price's command. was engaged with the robbers and that one of the trains had as passengers over a hundred unarmed recruits, many of whom were killed. Daylight, however, robbed these reports of most all their terrors. A patrol had been captured and a train of cars fired into and stopped ; but, instead of three trains being burned there were only three cars. The raiders were driven off without getting much booty. and I began to doubt very much whether the movement had anything to do with the rescue of the guerillas in our hands. A few nights after this occurrence, however. the hotel opposite the depot was set on fire and burned down. It was believed that the place was fired on purpose to create an excitement in town, during which the prisoners might scale the stockade and get away. If such was the intention it was foiled. The guards about the stockade were doubled and the prisoners commanded to keep their heads below the rails or they would be instantly shot. That had the desired effect.
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The trial of these men occupied the time of the Commis- sion until May. A few months afterward I read an account of the execution of six of them at Nashville. The charges on which they were convicted were based on the mur- der of the soldiers mentioned in Gen. Thomas's order. An interesting incident of the trial was the presence of Judge Cooper, of Shelbyville, (Member of Congress from Tennes- see after the war) to defend the prisoners. A question arose between him and Judge Advocate Ryerson, as to the legali- ty of admitting the evidence of colored witnesses. Judge Cooper raised the point that under the laws of the State of Tennessee their testimony could not be accepted. Judge Advocate Ryerson took the position that as the prisoners were being tried by a Military Commission appointed by the United States authorities, and that the offences with. which they were charged were committed in a State then under martial law, the testimony of these witnesses, in the absence of any United States law to the contrary, was per- fectly legal and would be accepted. His point was main -- tained.
CHAPTER XIV.
Changes in the Regiment-Re-organization of the Army-Marching Or- ders-From Duck River to Chattanooga-The Battle of Resaca- Advance to Cassville.
0 n the 25th of February 1864, the Thirteenth Regiment had served half its term of service. About this time there was a furore throughout the army over the subject of re-enlisting, and many of the old regiments whose term of service had almost expired re-enlisted bodily. The Thirteenth had not served long enough to entitle the men to this privilege or no doubt the majority would have also re-enlisted. During the stay of the Regiment at Duck River there were numerous changes among the officers. Major Grimes received his commission as Lieutenant Colonel, Captain George A. Beardsley of Co. D. being pro- moted Major, and Lieutenant Pierson of Co. E, commis- sioned Captain of Company D. Major Beardsley subse- quently resigned and Captain David A. Ryerson of Co. C. was promoted Major, Lieutenant George M. Hard, of Co. K. commissioned Captain of Co. C. Captain S. V. C. Van Rensselaer of Co. A, was promoted to Major of the Third United States Cavalry and First Lieutenant William H. Miller succeeded him as Captain of Co. A. Surgeon JJ. J. H. Love resigned on the 18th of January 1864. Assistant Surgeon J. Addison Freeman, being promoted to fill the vacancy thus occasioned. A Dr. Edward S. Smith. was commissioned Assistant Surgeon and Samuel C. Hay Chap.
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lain, but neither of them were mustered. Lieutenant Chas. H. Canfield was appointed Adjutant, and Sergt. Henry Van Orden of Co. K, Sergeant-Major, vice Van Houten reduced. Lieutenant James Kilroy of Co. A, resigned. Franklin Murphy was promoted First Lieutenant of Co. A, vice Miller promoted ; Second Lieutenant Sebastian Duncan was made First Lieutenant Co. E, vice Pierson promoted, and First Sergeant John L. Warren of Co. G. was promoted Second Lieutenant of Co. C.
On the 17th of March, 1864, Gen. Grant was appointed Lieutenant General and placed in command of the whole army. Gen. Sherman was assigned to the command of the Military Division of the Mississippi, which embraced the Departments of the Cumberland. Tennessee and Ohio, and the work of re-organizing the army was at once entered upon. The Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were consolidated forming the Twentieth Army Corps, and Gen. Joseph Hooker was appointed to the command. Gen. O. O. Howard of the Eleventh Corps relieved Gen. Gordon Granger in command of the Fourth Corps, and Gen. Slo- cum of the Twelfth was ordered to Vicksburg. Gen. A. S. Williams still retained command of the First Division, and Gen. Ruger of our Brigade. The Army of the Cum- berland, Major-General Thomas commanding, was com- posed of the following Army Corps :
Fourth. Major-General O. O. Howard; Fourteenth, Major-General Palmer; Twentieth, Major-General Hook- er
Army of the Tennessee. Major General McPherson com- manding. Fifteenth Army Corps, Major General Logan ; Sixteenth Corps, Major General Dodge; Seventeenth Corps, Major General Blair.
Army of the Ohio. Major-General Schofield command- ing. Twenty-third Corps, Major-General Cox.
The Corps badges then in use and afterward adopted were: The Fourth Corps. a Triangle; Fourteenth an Acorn ; Fifteenth, Cartridge-box; Sixteenth, two Cannon crossed ;
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Seventeenth, an Arrow; Twentieth, the Star, and Twenty- third a Shield.
Gen. Sherman at once began to put his forces in trim for a long and important campaign. The Nashville and Chattanooga railroad was taxed to its utmost capacity in carrying supplies to Chattanooga, and the rolling stock was found to be insufficient to perform the vast amount of work required. But Gen. Sherman was not to be hindered in his plans by any such difficulties. He ordered that all cars and locomotives entering Nashville should be pressed into his service, which was done, and the riddle, how to supply his army was solved. This detention of trains at Nash- ville, however, caused embarrassment at Louisville, Ky., and the President of the Louisville and Nashville road was instructed to hold on to all trains which came into Jeffer- sonville, Indiana, no matter to whom they belonged. Cars and locomotives from almost every road in the North were thus pressed into the service. and Gen. Sherman, in his Memoirs, says : "Months afterward I was amused to see, away down in Georgia, cars marked 'Pittsburg & Fort Wayne,' 'Delaware & Lackawanna,' 'Baltimore & Ohio,' and indeed, with the names of almost every railroad north of the Ohio river."
On the 25th of April marching orders were received, and on the 26th the Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Col. Grimes, reached Tullahoma. On the 27th, the command left Tullahoma and with the rest of the Division proceeded on to the front. I remained at Tullahoma a few days longer in order to complete the records of the Military Commission, and rejoined the Regiment at Bridgeport, as it was crossing the Tennessee river, and went with it into camp at Shell Mound. Near the camp was a large cave called "Nickajack," which was visited by a large number of the soldiers. On Monday, May 3d, we marched to Whitesides, halting for the night at the foot of "Mount Sun." The famous railroad bridge which spanned the valley between the mountains had been burned by the rebels some time before, and was recently re-built
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For miles along the route between Bridgeport and Chat- tanooga the road was lined with the decayed carcasses of government mules, in various stages of decomposition. On Tuesday we went through Wauhatchie and entered Lookout Valley, where we saw the Thirty-third New Jersey Regiment for the first time. We crossed Lookout Moun- tuin this day. As we marched up the serpentine road, the evidences of Hooker's " Battle among the Clouds" became numerous. On each side of the road were many graves with wooden head-boards, on which the name and regiment of the dead were penciled for future identification, and the trees were perforated with the marks of bullets and shells. The view from the mountain ridge was grand. Chattanoo- ga lay at its base, and the serpentine windings of the Tennessee river looked like a silver vein in a carpet of green. On the 5th, we passed over the battlefield of Chickamauga.
The Army of the Cumberland was now concentrated for united action. The three armies of Sherman numbered nearly one hundred thousand men, as follows:
Army of the Cumberland. 60,773
Army of the Tennessee 24,465
Army of the Ohio 13,559
98,797
In these figures are included the artillery and cavalry connected with thearmy. The enemy, under the command of Gen. Joseph Johnston, comprised two corps commanded by Lieutenant-Generals Hardee and Hood, and Wheeler's cavalry, in all about 44.000 men. Gen. Sherman first pro- posed to drive the enemy from Tunnel Hill and then to threaten a direct attack upon Johnston's main position be- fore Dalton, while MePherson should move through Snake Creek Gap to operate against Resaca. The Four- teenth Corps was ordered to move directly upon Tunnel Hill, the Twentieth to Trickum, while the Fourth was to support the Fourteenth. On the 6th of April, the Regi-
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ment moved to Taylor's Ridge, where we remained over night. On the 7th, Gen. Palmer, of the Fourteenth Corps, encountered the enemy at Tunnel Hill and a desperate battle seemed imminent, but the appearance of Howard with the Fourth Corps caused them to fall back to Buz- zard's Roost. On reaching Trickum, Hooker threw out detachments of the Twentieth Corps toward Buzzard's Roost on the left and Villanow on the right, to observe the enemy's movements. Kilpatrick's cavalry remained at
Gordon's Springs. On the 8th, Harker's Brigade of the Fourth Corps encountered the enemy on Rocky Face Ridge, and as the skirmishers of Wood's, Davis's and But- terfield's Divisions moved determinedly forward the Con- federates were pressed into their entrenchments at Buz- zard's Roost, and the Union troops moved up to the en- trance. McPherson was at this time moving on Snake Creek Gap, and Gen. Geary's Division of the Twentieth Corps was ordered to scale Chattooga Mountain at Dug Gap. Geary moved forward on the 9th, but met with a stout resistance. Two attempts were made but they resulted in failure. Geary then brought McGill's rifled battery to bear upon the enemy in his front, to cover an effort of the Thirty-third New Jersey to reach the summit-a half mile to the right, where the enemy made less show of strength. A few men only gained the crest and this attempt also met with failure. The enemy by this time had been re-in- forced by Hardee, and Geary, whose losses had been heavy, withdrew to the Valley at nightfall. On the 10th, there was more or less fighting by the Army of the Cumberland, strong feints being made to deter the enemy from concen- trating against McPherson in his movement through Snake Creek Gap. To strengthen McPherson, Kilpat- rick's Cavalry was ordered to join him while our Division of the Twentieth Corps ( Williams's) was sent to his rear in supporting distance. McPherson passed through the Gap on the afternoon of the 9th and reached the vicinity of Resaca, but deeming it strongly fortified he withdrew to
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the mouth of the Gap. Johnston, learning of the appearance of our troops in the Gap, which strange to say was not forti- fied or protected in any way, sent Gen. Hood with three divisions to Resaca. Sherman expected that McPherson would strike Johnston's line of communications, and thereby cause the enemy to give battle at Dalton. His failure to do this necessitated a change of plan.
On the 12th Sherman had his army concentrated in Snake Creek Gap, occupying the following positions: McPher- son in the advance with Hooker in supporting distance. and Palmer's and Schofield's troops close in the rear of Hooker. Howard's troops held the line in front of Buzzard's Roost. On the night of the 13th, Johnston withdrew his whole army from Dalton to Resaca, which thus became strengthened by the addition of several thousand men and disposed his forces as follows: Hardee in the centre, Polk on the left and Hood on the right. Polk's line rest- ed on the Oostanaula and Hood's right flank on the Conna- sauga river. At 8 o'clock Hooker's Twentieth Corps, pre- ceded by Kilpatrick's cavalry moved out upon the Resa- ca road. in support of McPherson, who was advancing
against the town. Kilpatrick encountered Wheeler and drove him nearly to the town when he was wounded. As Kilpatrick passed to the rear he was greeted with pro- longed cheering by the soldiers. The Fourteenth Corps moved up on the left of the Twentieth and when near the railroad, encountered the enemy who were strongly posted on the hills and a lively fight ensued. Butterfield's Di- vision of the Twentieth Corps and Schofield's two Divisions moved forward to the support of Palmer. Howard ad- vanced to the vicinity of Resaca and communication was then established along the whole line. On the morning of the 14th, Gen. MePherson crossed Camp Creek and encoun- tered Polk's forces whom he forced from the hills com- manding the railroad bridges from the west, and secured a lodgment close to his works. The line formed the pre- vions evening was then swung round and each Division
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advanced until it encountered the enemy. Gen. Carlin first met the foe and a desperate conflict was waged, but Carlin was repulsed. Other troops moved up and after a steady fight our forces gained an advanced position which enabled the artillery to do very effective work. Howard's flank was endangered as he had no reserves to protect it with. and Gen. Hooker despatched Williams's Division of the Twentieth Corps to the point of danger. Johnston had assumed the offensive and was making a terrific on- slaught on Howard's position. Williams moved rapidly on the most direct route and arrived on the extreme left just as, that flank had been turned and pressed back. Major Stan -- ley of the Fourth Corps, whose troops occupied this part. of the line, had exhausted all his reserves in extending his line against the overlapping of the enemy. Just as our- Division came in sight of the conflict. the support to Si- monson's Battery broke and Hled. Gen. Williams ordered. the Division into action on the double-quick and as the men reached the field the enemy were found in strong force. A few well-directed vollies of musketry checked and then routed the enemy, thus completely defeating John- ston's attempted flank movement. The other Divisions of the Twentieth Corps. Geary's and Butterfield's, followed Williams later in the evening. During this brilliant engage- ment I was on duty with a detail of men from the Regi- ment guarding our Division supply train, and was not a witness to it. The following incident was related to me by the members of my Company a day or two later, when I was relieved :
As the rebels advanced the support broke and run, thus placing the Battery in great peril. Gen. Hooker, who was with the Division, took in the situation at a glance and ordered the Red Star boys on the double quick, while he rushed up to the Battery and ordered the Captain. in his inspiriting manner-" Captain, double-shot those pieces ; they can't take your Battery. My Corps supports you!" and then, as the gunners heroically bent to their work,
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"Fighting Joe" urged up the Division, and proudly watched their eager faces. As the troops reached the Battery, Hooker, full of the old war feeling, exclaimed : "I would rather be a private in that Battery at this mo- ment than a Major-General !" Another minute and the enemy would have captured the entire Battery. The Di- vision came promptly up and met the enemy face to face. A few well directed vollies of musketry were poured into them and they disappeared as if by magic. As the boys crowded around the Battery, Capt. Simonson was rather indignant that he did not owe the safety of his command to his own Corps, but learning that the Thirteenth New Jersey Regiment was among his rescuers, he exclaimed, in a very gratifying manner, "All right, I'm a Jerseyman myself.' "
Johnston ordered a renewal of the attack upon our lines the next morning, but learning that a force of Union troops were crossing the Oostanaula river, near Calhoun, he revoked it, and dispatched Gen. Walker to the threatened point. Sherman issued orders for a general advance on the morn- ing of the 15th, but owing to a reconnoissance being made by Geary's Division, preparations were not comple- ted before noon .*
"At that hour the Twentieth Corps advanced-Geary on the right, Butterfield on the left, and Williams in reserve. Before the enemy's works were reached. General Hooker directed General Williams to deflect to the left to cover and protect that flank, again threatened by the enemy, as Gen. Johnston, having learned that there was no immediate danger from infantry at Calhoun, had repeated his order to General Hood to advance against the National left. Facing to the cast, Williams's division moved to the point menaced-Knipe's brigade on the right, Ruger's in the center, and Robinson's on the left. The ground traversed by the advancing columns was hilly, with woods and open spaces alternating. Williams's brigades formed lines on a
* Van Horne's History of the Army of the Cumberland.
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series of hills west of the railroad and running parallel to it ; batteries were planted with supports to command the ground in front of the line.
" The enemy before Hooker, occupied intrenched hills. having spurs extending in all directions. and batteries were so placed on the higher points as to enfilade assaulting lines. Geary's and Butterfield's Divisions advanced with spirit, and though receiving a heavy fire from artillery and musketry, carried the nearest hills. Then Butterfield's Division-Ward's. Coburn's, and Wood's brigades-sup- ported by Ireland's brigade on Geary's left, drove the enemy from a battery. which from a ruling position was pouring an exceedingly destructive fire : but another line of intrenchments was so near that the captors could neither remove the guns nor remain with them. But, withdrawing to tenable ground, they covered the guns so fully with their fire that the enemy could not approach them, and during the remainder of the day the guns remained between the lines. They were taken during the night by a detachment of the Fifth Ohio under Colonel Kilpatrick.
"In the meantime. the entire line became engaged. from Howard's right to Hooker's left: while throughout the whole front of the ' Army of the Cumberland,' heavy skir- mishing and artillery action was maintained. General Howard. being nearest the assaulting corps, kept up a con- stant fire of artillery and musketry, and in one instance made a positive attack, and although he did not succeed in holding any point of the enemy's line, he prevented tie diversion of troops from his front. to sustain their com- rades before Gen. Hooker, against whose left they were maintaining the offensive with great determination. Near the railroad in front of Williams, he massed his forces and advancing as much as possible under cover, made repeated assaults but was unable to disturb the line. Williams's artillery was used with most destructive effect in the repulsion of these assaults. In front of Williams's right and Geary's left, there was a long cleared field,
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compassing two hills and a ravine, and extending to a wooded hill, upon which rested the enemy's main line. This field was flanked on the right by wooded hills, which extended to the captured battery. About 5 P. M. Stevenson's division left the main line and charged in column to gain possession of these lateral hills.
"This movement, if successful, would have insulated one-half of Geary's Division, which had been concentrated under Colonel Cobham, in the rear of the guns wrested from the enemy. But Stevenson was repulsed mainly through the concentration of fire from Williams' right and Geary's left. His leading regiments were almost annihila- ted. On both sides, artillery charged with canister and schrapnel was freely used. Stevenson's repulse closed the general contest. This attack of Stewart's and Steven- son's divisions was made after General Johnston had de- cided to evacuate Resaca, but his order forbidding the assault was not received in time to prevent it."
The Thirteenth was hotly engaged in this battle. On the morning of Sunday the 15th, Companies B, C. F, and I. were deployed as skirmishers. They advanced and at once became engaged with the enemy. The skirmishers pressed forward and gained a position nearly parallel with the rail- road, when the enemy, who had massed a large force in their front, advanced and deployed into line. The skir- mishers were powerless to resist them and it was a close race between the blue coats and the gray which should reach the Federal line of battle first. Company F's men were forced to the front of the breastworks of the One Hundred and Fiftieth New York Regiment, and as they came up to them the rebels were close behind, pushing forward desperately and yelling like demons. The One Hundred and Fiftieth instead of waiting for the skirmish- ers to get in, opened an irregular fire full in their faces and two men of Co. F. Thomas Gorman and George Wade, were killed outright. The rest of the Brigade then began firing, and in about half an hour the enemy were repulsed
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with fearful slaughter. As they were falling back, Robert C. Baldwin, also of Co. F, sprang upon the breastworks and with his cap in his hand proposed a round of cheers. While thus engaged he was struck on the head with a piece of shell and instantly killed.
Among the wounded in the Regiment were also Private Charles Remer. Co. F, Capt. A. M. Matthews, Co. I, Lieut. R. G. Wilson. Co. G, and Corporal John A. Spence, Co. D.
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