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 3
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front to support the troops there. The order, most ur -. gent and imperative, furnished the only information I pos- sessed that our troops had again entered the woods in front. I deemed it of the utmost importance that my com- mand should move forward with the least possible delay. I therefore, in person. gave the order to the Regiment near- est me (the Thirteenth New Jersey) without waiting the formation of my entire Brigade, intending to bring up other Regiments to support or continue the line, as circum- stances might require. The Second Massachusetts and Thirteenth New Jersey Volunteers were immediately put in motion. the Third Wisconsin and Twenty-seventh Indi- ana, which, as before stated, had suffered severely from & severe encounter with the enemy, were lying about 200 vards in front concealed from view of the enemy by a slight ridge. The One Hundredth and Seventh New York were posted some distance to the left. The Thirteenth New Jersey Volunteers and Second Massachusetts pushed for- ward with great alacrity, sufficiently far to find that the troops to be supported had retired, that a large force of the enemy lay concealed in the woods, while a not inconsidera- ble number showed themselves in the open fields beyond .* These Regiments were received with a galling fire, which they sustained and returned for a period, then fell back upon their support. So strong was the enemy that an ad- dition of any force I could command would only have caused further sacrifice without gain. I halted iny command to report to you the position of the enemy, and was by you ordered to form a supporting line behind batteries in position on my left. The rebel lines again ad- vancing I then forwarded a portion of my Brigade to sup- port those nearly in front, while the One Hundred and Seventh was directed to support Capt. Cothran's Battery on the left.
" About this time in the order of events, as narrated. I
" This explains the orders given us not to fire when the Regiment was first engaged.
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received an urgent call from Gen. Green to send him any reinforcements I might have to spare. Gen. Green was at this time holding a portion of the woods to the left, the right of which was occupied by the enemy in force. I di- rected the Thirteenth New Jersey Volunteers, Col. Carman. to support him. This Regiment, also for the first time this day under fire, moved coolly and in an orderly manner towards Gen. Green's position, and I am much gratified to report that the General has spoken to me of their conduct in terms of high commendation."
A renewal of the battle on the morning of the 18th was generally expected, but as hour after hour passed, and no indication of a forward movement was apparent. the imper- ative orders forbidding any one to leave the ranks were re- laxed, and the men visited important points of the battle field to view the carnage of the day before, or strolled to the hospitals where our wounded were undergoing treat- ment. The losses in both armies were heavy. The Union loss is put down at 11.420, and the Confederate, in round numbers, at 10.000, the disparity arising from the great excess of Burnside's loss on the left. The scenes of death as witnessed on this battle-field presented a ghastly spec- tacle, and produced an everlasting impression on the mind of each member of the Regiment. The Regiment changed position once or twice during the day, and with each move- ment the probability of a renewal of hostilities forced it- self upon us. But the day, otherwise, passed in idleness. and during the night the Confederate army crossed the Potomac river in safety.
On Friday. September 19th, we received orders to move, and in the afternoon started off. Our march led us over the greater part of the battie-ficht. and as we passed group after group of lifeless bodies we were enabled to judge somewhat of the desperate nature of the conflict. The guard left behind at Rockville with the Regimental prop- erty re-joined us, and after a short march the command
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halted for the night. The next day we had quite a severe march, and there was considerable straggling. We passed through the pleasant little town of Rohrersville, entered Pleasant Valley, going through Brownsville, and encamped near Sandy Hook, where a halt for a few days was made. At this place a new Color Sergeant was appointed, Haulen- beck possessing all the requisite qualifications for the po- sition but physical strength. He was shortly after this de- tailed as clerk at Brigade headquarters, and thus his con- nection with the active service of the Regiment was sev- ered. On the 23d of September the Regiment, with the Brigade to which it belonged, went into camp on Maryland Heights, opposite Harper's Ferry. We had up to this time been in the service of the United States but twenty nine days, and had passed through a most trying ordeal. None of us regretted the prospect of a short respite from active campaigning.
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CHAPTER III.
Maryland Heights-Incidents of Camp Life-New Hardships-Gen. Slocum takes command of the Corps-Visit of President Lincoln to the Regiment-Marching Orders-The Camp at Sharpsburg.
M aryland Heights, where a place for our encampment had been chosen. is the name given to the high bluffs which face Harper's Ferry. The Heights form the southern extremity of the Elk Mountains, and the Regi- ment was encamped on a plateau near the summit. The view from this point was magnificent. On the opposite side of the Potomac, Bolivar Heights. dotted with white tents, presented an attractive sight : to the left Harper's Ferry nestled at the foot of the hills, and the ruined gov ernment buildings. the burned bridge and the debris of the cars lodged in the rocks of the river bed, all brought viv- idly to mind the important events that had so recently transpired there. The surrender of Miles with his large force of men seemed more difficult of explanation than ever except on the plea of cowardice or treacherous design.
When the Regiment arrived on Maryland Heights we were without tents. most of the men had no blankets of any description, and our clothing was in a sorry plight. In general appearance we resembled the oll Peninsula vete- rans more closely than many cared to acknowledge, while a number who were inclined to forego the perils of a daily bath or who could not see the necessity of keeping their
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clothing as free from dirt as possible by frequent washings, soon reached a pitiable plight and became objects of su- preme contempt and disgust. These men seemed to have lost all their self-respect. They became indifferent to the taunts and ridicule of their comrades, who openly mani- tested their repugnance to being forced to associate with them on duty. The only shelter the Regiment had from the heat of the sun, and from the wind and cold storms which frequently swept over the Heights was such as could be obtained from rude brush-wood huts. The need of tents was very much felt. and the exposure to which the men were subjected led to the breaking out of a fever from which two men of Co. F died-Oscar Benedict and Merton L. Smith, and Martin V. B. Demarest of Co. K. The for- mer died on the 20th of October, and his body was taken home for burial. Smith died on the 25th and Demarest on the 20th. Both are buried in section 11, lot A, graves 13 and 14, Antietam National Cemetery.
The greatest source of discomfort was the deprivation of our krapsacks, which had been left at Rockville, and the delay in getting shelter tents. Complaints became general and a wide-spread dissatisfaction was manifested. In or- der to appease this, orders were given to erect log houses, and details from the several companies were made to get ont the timber for that purpose. On the 17th of October. after four weeks of exposure and much suffering our knap- sacks and shelter tents arrived. Work on the log houses was suspended and we pitched our little tents in a new lo- cation. All disaffection at once ceased and new life and vigor permeated the camp. The first resignation among the officers of the Regiment was that of Lieutenant Wil- liam Bueklish. Co. C. which took effect on the 9th of Oc- tober. On the 21th of the same month five other officers resigned, and the announcement created quite a stir among the men. In some of the companies much bitterness of feeling existed toward those who thus left their commands. This was notably so in my own company, the captain of
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which was very popular. The announcement of his resig- nation came like a shock to every man, none of whom had ever suspected such a thing of him, and when he came down to the company to bid us good bye, a large number refused to speak to him. The resignations on this date were : Captain Alexander Vreeland, Co. F, Captain James Brannin, Co. H, Captain Charles Mackey, Co. I, First Lieu- tenant Flavell W. Sullivan, Co. F, First Lieutenant Henry Reynolds, Co. I.
The duties of the Regiment consisted of daily drills, picket and camp guard duty and the general routine of camp life. A good story was told of one of the camp guards, which will bear repeating here. One cold, stormy night after the guards were posted a member of Company "A," I believe, was stationed near the Commissary tent. The rain came down unmercifully, the wind blew a gale, and he soon became chilled to the marrow. It seemed an age before the relief came, and he was about making up his mind that the guards were all asleep at headquarters when he heard a body of men approaching. "Halt!" he shouted. "who comes there ?" As the squad of men ad- vanced, the guard congratulated himself on his speedy re- lief from duty, but his dismay can be better imagined than described when the reply came " Officer of the Day, on grand rounds." The "grand rounds " were generally per- formed at midnight, the Officer of the Day being escorted to all the posts by a squad of men from guard headquar ters. The poor fellow, wet through, almost stiffened with the cold, and angry with himself and everybody else, was in no condition to appreciate the situation properly, and instead of saying, "Advance, Officer of the Day, and give the countersign," he retorted, " The devil take the grand. rounds, I thought it was the Third Relief."
On the 27th of October President Lincoln and our new Corps commander, Major-General Henry W. Slocum, visited the several camps in the vicinity, among them the Thir- teenth. Most of us had seen the President before.
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when he passed through Newark on his way to the Capital to be inaugurated, but his presence on this occasion was an event of more than ordinary importance to us. We had learned to love President Lincoln, and every man in the Regiment was glad of the opportunity to look more closely into his kind face. The command was assembled on the parade ground, and as he passed along the line he was saluted and then most heartily cheered. The visit of the President stirred up our enthusiasm, and when, two days later, marching orders were received, tents were struck and knapsacks packed with an alacrity and cheerful- ness that showed the men to be in fine spirits and desirous for active service. About 9 o'clock that night, amid the lurid glare of immense bonfires, the Regiment moved from Maryland Heights and proceeded to Sharpsburg, Md. There were some funny experiences on this night's march. Several of the men had received from home large "march- ing boots," with thick soles and tops reaching to the knee. They started off in great glee. the envy of those who wore only the uncouth looking government shoe. But before the Regiment halted for the night, the men with big boots were limping along the road in dreadful agony, and only obtained relief by cutting the uppers into strips from the instep to the toe. Several pairs of $15 boots were ruined that night, and no more experiments of the kind were ever again attempted. Two or three men, who had gathered up a lot of discarded odds and ends from the old camp, and packed their knapsacks full almost to bursting. trudged along, wise in their own conceit, the butt and laughing- stock of the Regiment. They kept up pretty well for awhile, but finally stopped, exhausted and worn out, and with a number of others went to the rear and followed the troops at their leisure. When they next made their ap- pearance with the Regiment they were without the great bulk of their baggage. Only one man, I believe, stuck to his pack all through that march and brought it in safety to Sharpsburg. That was a member of Co. H., a man pretty
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well along in years, who had somehow gained the sobriquet of "Jeff Davis." He was an eccentric man, of a stoical disposition, and many jokes were current about his pecu- liarities. One of the best of these was related of him at Sharpsburg. An inspection of the whole Brigade had been ordered, and Gen. Gordon. I believe, conducted it in person. When the inspecting officer-a young man. who was accompanied by Col. Carman-approached "Jeff." the latter remained perfectly stationary, turning neither to the right nor left. his rifle resting on the ground. For a sec- ond or two the officer eyed him closely and then ordered him to elevate his piece for "inspection." "Jeff" evi- dently had never drilled in the manual, and did not pay at tention enough to what had been going on to know what was required of him. He told the officer to "inspect the piece, if he wanted to." but finally he was made to under- stand how to present his gun, which he did in a bungling manner, and the officer then asked him his name. " What's that to you ?" said "Jeff." After a few seconds the officer asked him, sharply. " How old are you ?" "Jeff" leered one eye at the officer, and turning his head so as to get a full view of him, responded gruffly, "I'm old enough to be your father, young man." There was an outburst of laugh- ter from the men, but the officers were a little mortified at the incident, and Gen. Gordon gave instructions to have "that man " attended to.
At Sharpsburg the Twelfth Corps. to which the Thir- teenth belonged, relieved the troops of Fitz-John Porter who were doing picket duty along the Potomac opposite Sheperdstown and at the fords of the river in that vicinity. The Army of the Potomac. with the exception of the Elev- enth and Twelfth Corps, who were left to guard Harper's Ferry and prevent further raids by the enemy into Mary- land, crossed over into Virginia at Berlin, and what prom- ised to be a vigorous campaign was inaugurated. For a time the duty which devolved upon the Regiment was se- vere. This was the first time that we did picket duty in
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front of the enemy, and though the Potomac, which at this point is a wide stream, separated us we felt the importance of our position. After a week of constant duty during which time I had not one night's unbroken rest I was stricken with fever. At first I remained in my tent but afterward was removed to the Regimental hospital-a two- story frame building, about half a mile from camp. There were quite a number of sick at the hospital, and several deaths occurred. Assistant-Surgeon J. Addison Freeman of Orange, was in charge of the hospital, and to his skill and the very kind attentions of William Tichenor, one of the nurses, I believe I owe my recovery. The following deaths occurred at Sharpsburg :
Co. A-Alexander Mann, December 5, 1862.
Co. C-Ellsworth Brower. Nov. 8th.
Co. E-John Fitzgerald, Dec. 1st, and Moses L. Rogers, Nov. 21.
Co F-Frederick W. Bines. Dec. 4th.
Co. G-Jacob R. Sythoff, Nov. 26th.
A number of promotions were made in the Regiment at Sharpsburg to fill vacancies occasioned by the resignation of officers. Wm. H. Miller, was made First Lieutenant and Sergeant George G. Whitfield of Co. D, Second Lieutenant Co. A; William Hayes was promoted to First Lieutenant Co. C; James L. Carman commissioned Second Lieutenant Company E: Samuel H. Baldwin. of Battery B was promoted Captain. Henry Guver. First Lieutenant and Samuel R. Beardsley-private of Battery B-Second Lieutenant Co. F ; Charles H. Bliven, Captain Co. H: Ambrose M. Matthews. Captain Co. I; George MI. Hard, First Lieutenant Co. K.
On the 14th of November the Regiment was divided, Companies B. D. F and H being sent about a mile nearer to Sharpsburg. On the 15th Company E was also attached to these companies, Lieut. Col. Swords being placed in command of the wing. Major Samuel Chadwick command- ed the left wing at the old camp. The Colonel moved his
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headquarters to a point about half way between the two wings. Winter was fast approaching and the impression gained ground that the command was to be stationed at. this point for some months. Officers and men fixed up their quarters more comfortably, to resist the severities of Winter, and friends from Newark were invited to visit the camp. Several of the officers in the Brigade sent for their wives to come on and a season of rest and jollity seemed about opening. This condition of things lasted until the 10th of December following, when orders to move were received. The sick in the Regimental hospital were taken in ambulances to Smoketown, near the old Antietam battle- field, on Monday the 8th, and on Wednesday the Regiment moved out of their camps to Sharpsburg halting there until about noon, when the march to Harper's Ferry was begun. A light snow had fallen the night previous which made: marching very disagreeable.
During the stay of the Regiment at Sharpsburg impor- tant changes had taken place in the Army. Gen. McClel- lan had been relieved from command on the eve of an important movement, and Gen. Burnside appointed to suc- ceed him. This occurred on November 7th and on the 15th Burnside transferred his base of operations to Fal- mouth opposite Fredericksburg. On the 10th of Decem- ber. the day on which the Thirteenth Regiment moved. from Sharpsburg. the Army of the Potomac was in position to assault the enemy's lines. The 11th and 12th of Decem- ber were passed by the Army in effecting a crossing of the Rappahannock and on Saturday the 13th the battle of Fredericksburg was fought, resulting in the defeat of Burnside with a loss of 12,321 killed, wounded and miss- ing. The Confederate loss was only 5,309.
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CHAPTER IV.
From Sharpsburg to Fairfax Station-A Mud March-Reconnaissance to Wolf Run Shoals-Narrow Escape of Knapsacks from Burning -In Camp at Wolf Run Shoals-Arrival of the Paymaster- "Burnside Stuck in the Mud"-Another Change of Commanders.
W hile the movements related in the preceding chapter were in progress the Twelfth Corps was on its way to the front. On Thursday, December 11th, the Regi- ment was at Loudon Heights, Va., and on Friday marched to within two miles of Leesburg. On Saturday, while the battle of Fredericksburg was going on, the Corps marched through Leesburg with flags unfurled and the bands play- ing lively airs. Crossing Goose Creek the Corps marched some fourteen or fifteen miles on the road to Aldie where a halt was made. On Sunday, Dec. 14th, the Regiment passed through Chantilly and entered Fairfax Court House in the afternoon, halting at Fairfax Station about dusk. The next day the march was resumed, and crossing Occo- quan Creek at Wolf Run Shoals the Regiment bivouacked for the night about two miles below that stream. On the Itith a tremendous rain storm broke out, swelling the. streams and miring the roads to such a depth that scarcely any progress was made. The Regiment marched only two
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miles that day and the men suffered more from fatigue than if they had traveled twenty miles in good weather. The wagon trains and artillery were unable to move at all, and the next day the command countermarched, recrossing at Wolf Run Shoals, and reached Fairfax Station during a snow squall. On the 24th the first Review of the Division since the Thirteenth joined it was held by Gen. A. S. Wil- liams, Col. John Murphy, of the Twenty-ninth Pennsylva- nia Regiment being temporarily in command of the Bri- gade, and on the 27th a new camp was started about a mile from the Station, where an abundance of good water and wood was found. On the 28th the Regiment made a re- connoissance to Wolf Run Shoals, fears of a raid by rebel cavalry having been freely expressed. The Regiment started off in light marching order. the knapsacks of the men being left with a guard in camp. which was in charge of Major Chadwick. The Major became impressed with the idea that a raid was imminent, and in order that the enemy should find as little as possible caused the knapsacks to be gathered together in a large heap, determining to set fire to them in the event of any trouble. No enemy was found and the Regiment returned to camp, when there ensued a lively time as each man sought to find his knap- sack. The mutterings of the men were not only loud but deep.
The Regiment was at this place when I rejoined it from hospital on Saturday, January 3d. Soon after the sick had reached Smoketown orders were issued to break up the hospital there and we were then conveyed to Frederick City. The Smoketown hospital was, really. a field hospi- tal, large wall tents being used to shelter the sick. Those of us who were convalescent had splendid opportunities to go over the oldl battle-field of Antietam which we were not slow to take advantage of. Miss Jane Boswell Moore, a contributor to a religious paper. " The Presbyterian." I believe, was very attentive to the wants of the sick soldiers, furnishing them with delicacies, reading to them and writ-
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ing letters for those too ill to do it themselves. There were about 600 patients under treatment-most of them men who had been wounded at Antietam. The accommo- dations were poor and during our short stay a number of deaths from typhoid fever occurred.
Sunday morning, January 4th, marching orders were again received and the Regiment moved out to Wolf Run Shoals where a new camp was established. While at this place Paymaster Stone put in an appearance and we re- ceived two month's pay. A large number of the men sent the bulk of their money home, every dollar of which was safely received .- thanks to the generous provision of Hon. Marcus L. Ward, by whose agency this was accom- plished without cost to the men. The kind heartedness and genuine patriotism of this gentleman manifested itself in many noble deeds for soldiers and their families during the war. He proved himself the Soldiers' Friend in deed as well as in name, and no doubt has had many grateful ac- knowledgments-which be richly deserves-from those he so cheerfully and generously aided.
The opportunity had at last arrived when were able to in- dulge in an oft-hoped for pleasure-that of a " good square meal." This was a familiar phrase among the boys whenever they became nauseated with the constant repetition of salt- pork, fresh meat and hard tack, which constituted the stand- ard army ration at that time. A party of four of us made the acquaintance of a family whom we called " Fairfax." and as their place was only about six miles from camp (near Fairfax Station), we determined to pay them a visit and ar- range with Mrs. Fairfax to provide us a bounteous dinner. When we first broached the subject to her she did not know whether she would be able to accommodate us. For some nights past a large number of her chickens had been stolen, and the day before she had lost a cow, the stealing of which she charged to a Michigan cavalry regiment sta- tioned near by. , We gave her to understand that we meant business, and finally succeeded in getting her to consent to
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the arrangement. The three days which intervened were given up to the most delightful anticipations. Army food palled upon our appetites, and on the day appointed we started off eagerly to Mrs. Fairfax's. The walk gave us good appetites and we reached the house about eleven o'clock. Promptly at twelve dinner was announced, and I doubt if a meal was ever more heartily relished by any one. The " bill of fare " comprised roast veal, roast chick- en, fresh hot biscuit, bread and butter, boiled eggs, coffee and pie. For one hour we sat at the table eating, talking, relating stories of army life, and particularly rejoicing that we had stolen a march on the rest of the boys in camp. The dinner cost us a dollar and a half apiece, and we all felt that Mrs. Fairfax had fully earned her money. That was the first " square meal " we had had since leaving Newark.
While the Regiment was stationed at Wolf Run Shoals, Adjutant Charles H. Hopkins was promoted Captain of Co. K. vice Scott, resigned, and Lieutenant Thomas B. Smith of Co. D, succeeded Hopkins as Adjutant. Other promo- tions were made as follows : James F. Layton of Co. B, First Lieutenant Co. G. vice Chandler, resigned : John T. Den- mead. Second Lieutenant Co. B : James L. Carman. First Lieutenant Co. D: James D. Cole. Second Lieutenant Co. E ; John Cooke, Second Lieutenant Co. I. vice Fields, resigned.
The weather up to this time had been all that any one could have desired, and rumors began to reach us of an- other forward movement. On the night of the 19th of Jan- uary orders to move at daylight were received. When we started off on the morning of the 20th, the weather was fair and the roads in fine condition. We had not proceeded far, however.when a severe shower broke over us. and in the afternoon great heavy clouds loomed up in the West betokening a fierce storm. We passed through Dam- fries, which had been occupied by Gen. Seigel's corps, and went into camp on the outskirts of the town. near Quantico Creek. During the night the much dreaded storm burst
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