USA > New Jersey > The history of the Ninth New Jersey Veteran Vols. A record of its service from Sept. 13th, 1861, to July 12th, 1865, with a complete official roster, and sketches of prominent members > Part 18
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BEARDING THE CONFEDERATE LION.
last heard of the reinforcements so faithfully promised by the general commanding the corps, who had no desire that General Butler should win a victory and reap the honors thereof.
Captain Lawrence, early in the evening, marched his Com- pany-H-down into the open field beyond Kingland's creek, a beautiful rivulet of water coursing along at the base of the hill upon which Fort Darling rested, and down and into the James river, where its crystalizing influences were absorbed. The captain and his men proceeded upon their dangerous duty without flourish of trumpets, and speedily covered themselves in holes which they noiselessly dug in the ground with their bayonets. It soon became apparent to Captain Lawrence and his men that the enemy was busily engaged in preparing for battle, and this fact was promptly reported to General Heck- man, who with a full knowledge of the situation before him, was in a state of feverish anxiety. Who of us that saw him, as he passed along his decimated line, bidding us gather limbs and trunks of trees and erect them as a sort of breastwork, can forget his solicitude and the awful anxieties of the night ? Who can cease to remember the Cimmerian darkness which enveloped us-the heavy, murky and chilly atmosphere that made us more wretched than our previous fatigues and lack of nourish- ing food ? How slowly passed the hours, as the night wore on-sleep and rest being impossible owing to the unremitting fire of the enemy, and the wretchedness of our situation.
The men of the Star brigade, however, feeling the critical condition in which they had been placed, went to work with all the energy they possessed, and long before the attack was made, a rude though quite formidable breastwork, had been improvised from decayed trunks of trees, limbs, stumps, etc. It was all the men could do, but how gladly would they have hailed picks and shovels. This task accomplished, the men sat down behind the logs, rifle in hand, to await the coming of daybreak, and the appearance of the 110w vigilant foe. Throughout the long and eventful night, there was no rest for the just or the unjust-the crack of the rifle and the sping o bullet being constant, and to keep up their own spirits, as well as to depress us, the Confederates indulged in frequent hideous
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yells, beside which that of the Comanche is child-like in com- parison. Occasionally the more venturesome among them would make a dash towards our skirmishers, who, by their vigorous fire, were enabled to check them, for the time being.
It was along towards four o'clock in the morning when the eartlı became enveloped in a dense fog-heavier, darker and wetter than any of us had ever before experienced. Should it continue until after daylight, what might we not fear ?
May 16 .- It was a quarter before five o'clock when four brigades of Confederates, commanded by General Ransom of North Carolina, debouched from the works in which they had been penned up, and with firm, set array, and swift, steady motion, bore down with terrible front across the open field. Captain Lawrence, seeing the futility of attempting to check such a force, ordered his brave men to commence firing and fall back upon the brigade line in the woods, perhaps two hundred yards in rear. The enemy continued their movement, paying no attention to the firing of our skirmishers, who retreated slowly and in good order. In a few moments the roar of the Confederate artillery, massed on the height in their rear, caused the earth to tremble, but there were no iron Union dogs of war to respond. Our hearts almost sunk within us at this thought -especially as we knew a dozen superb batteries were near enough, had the commanding officers chosen to order them up, to have rendered us every necessary assistance in this moment of our tribulation and extreme danger.
A shower of shot and shell facilitated the flight of our skirmishers, who had made a stand at the edge of the woods, determined to prove worthy of the confidence reposed in them, by checking the advancing host, if such a thing was possible. But grape and canister have a demoralizing influence upon soldiers-no matter how well trained-and again did they fall back until they reached the logs behind which the brigade had anxiously awaited their return. With our skirmishers safely within our rude works, every man leaned forward, peering through the darkening fog, listening intently, and hoping to catch a glimpse of the infuriated enemy, whom all knew to be
:
BY NEW JERSEY TO HER
PRESENTED
NINTH RE
G2
BRANCH O
ROANOKE
RE
8. NEWBERA
N
ROANOKE
NEWBERN MARCH 1
1862!
BATTLE FLAG OF NINTH NEW JERSEY.
SERGT. EDWARD D. MATTSON,
COMPANY I.
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BATTLE OF DREWRY'S BLUFF.
advancing-his superior force giving him every confidence and justifying the recklessness which he so defiantly exhibited.
On, on, came the sanguine Confederates, encouraged by the absence of an artillery fire on our part, until they reached the wires stretched along our front just within the shadow of the woods we occupied, when the infantry became befouled, throwing their compact lines into confusion. Curses loud and deep, sounding above the roar of their guns, admonished us that this was the proper moment to teach the impetuous enemy it was not to have everything its own way, and we embraced it with all the zeal of which we were capable. In an instant a sheet of flame from the muzzles of our well-aimed rifles proved "our flag was still there," and that wearied as we were with ten days hard fighting we had no thought of surrendering the advantages so dearly gained. As the light of day increased the fog became thicker and more disagreeable, and to its kindly shelter the enemy had every reason to be devoutly thankful. The front line of Ransom's division melted before our ruthless fire, as snow before the genial sunshine, and yet the Confed- erates disdained to fly, rallying again and again to dispute with unparalleled bravery possession of the red and rent field. Again did the earth vibrate with the thundering of their artil- lery, under the convenient cover of which they repeatedly reformed their shattered columns.
General Heckman, indignant at the manner in which his command had been treated, raged like an unloosed lion, and his eyes, always terrible in battle's commotion, burned with increased lustre, while his clear and steady voice, heard, as it often had been, amid the turmoil of strife, was worth more than a thousand rifles to cheer on the men who, finding themselves left to their own resources, fought like demons incarnate for their honor and the protection of the two flags presented them by the state of New Jersey. Colonel Zabriskie and Lieutenant- Colonel Stewart exerted themselves in directing the fire of their men, over whose safety they had often watched in battle's dire confusion, until both were rendered hors du combat by ghastly wounds.
"Fire low, boys," shouted the gallant Heckman, as he
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passed along the line, "and don't waste a single shot." But it needed no inspiration of this character to incite the men of the Ninth to duty, for each was doing all in his power to drive back the brave but insolent foe. Time sped on as volley after volley was poured into the baffled and discomfited enemy, who was still laboring to reform his shattered lines and extricate himself from the entangling wires.
Such obstinacy the Ninth New Jersey had never before wit- nessed. How much longer could the Confederates withistand the slaughter ? At length the firing in front almost ceases, and the Jerseymen, feeling the old-time impulse, instinctively prepare for the charge, which movement, however, is prevented by an attempt of the enemy (Gracie's Alabama brigade), to reach our rear by marching around the right flank of the Ninth. Colonel Zabriskie, weltering in the blood of his death wound, and borne to the rear, had been succeeded in the command by Lieutenant- . Colonel Stewart, who, detecting the dangerous march of the Confederates, promptly reserved the position of three companies on the right, and opened a vigorous fire in the new direction, which had the effect of temporarily checking the enemy. But the Confederates, discovering that the Union line of battle was a thin one, and without support of any nature, continued to press the Ninth, which, assailed in front, flank and rear, was now compelled to fire in three different directions. The Ninth stood immovable, exchanging volleys with the Confederates, who, despite their strength, faltered and fell back in dismay un- der the remorseless fire which smote hundreds of their number.
Captain Lawrence, who fought with desperation until he received a mortal wound, was carried to the rear by Manning Veomans and Minor Garrabrant, to whom he said as he was borne along amid bursting shell : "Don't leave me, boys ; don't leave me !" Fearing the gallant captain would bleed to death, the two brave fellows made a tourniquet with their handkerchiefs and a bayonet, a screw not being available.
The impetuous Captain Harris and soldierly Captain Carrell were dead on the field of battle, while Colonels Zabriskie and Stewart, Captains Hopper and Townley, and Lieutenants Burnett, Brown, Sheppard, Hawk and over one hundred and
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RALLYING AROUND THE COLORS.
fifty men dead and dying, lay upon the ensanguined field, or were receiving attention from surgeons at the field hospital.
Despite its terrible losses, and the imminent danger of being cut to pieces or captured, the Ninth continued the fight, each man feeling the weighty responsibility resting upon his indi- vidual exertion. But even the Ninth New Jersey could not withstand the final resistless charge which the massed Confed- erates at length made, and the command, sorrowfully, but slowly retired, delivering effective, staggering volleys, as it turned its back to the enemy.
The Ninth performed prodigies in disputing the passage to the rear of this overwhelming host, and those who participated in the desperate struggle have the proud satisfaction of knowing that their stubborn resistance stopped Beauregard's advance, and saved the Army of the James. The Ninth had never retreated, and knew not how or when to commence that movement. But when brave Color-Sergeant George Myers, who had proudly borne aloft through the fiery ordeal of many battles the tattered silk emblem of his country's greatness, saw that capture was imminent, he tore the precious relic from the staff and secreting it about his person, seized the rifle of one of his guards, who had just fallen, and fought like a demon in attempting to stem the torrent which had over- whelmed his companions. Reaching a defensible spot, Lieutenant Coyte, who had the previous day received a commission as adjutant, and who had fallen back step by step with Sergeant Myers and the color-guard, called a halt, aud in a moment or two nearly one hundred men had gathered about him. Sergeant Myers, hearing the command, discarded the rifle he had been using, and quickly producing the shred of the Ninth's glory, and tying it to a stick, held it aloft, while at his side stood a little band of heroes, who, imagining themselves to be the only survivors of the regiment, reopened a fire that again brought the exultant foe to an abrupt standstill, and checked, for the time, at least, the onward march of the mad- dened enemy. The heavy firing at this point speedily brought to the scene one of General Butler's aids, who encouraged Adjutant Coyte and his Spartan band to hold the position for a
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few minutes and he would save them. Dashing furiously away, he speedily returned with a battery of field pieces, which unlimbering, opened with spherical-case-the men of the Ninth lying upon their faces while the guns blazed away directly over them. The Confederates, believing this to be a new and strong line of battle, and seeing the awful havoc made in their column, and being unable to longer withstand such a fire, fell back. This ended the battle.
Company D, occupying the extreme left of the Ninth's line, and Company G on its immediate right, in ignorance of the retreat of the regiment, kept on firing, and it was only when the fog partially lifted and revealed their solitude-no troops being within sight-that they began to realize the peculiarity of their situation. Lieutenants Drake and Peters held a council of war, and while thus engaged, were surprised at the sudden appearance of a number of Confederates, who rose in front of their breastwork, and leveling their rifles, demanded a sur- render. The two companies, having no desire to comply with this rude and ill-mannered request, and seeing that further resistance would be vain, broke and rushed to the rear, where, strange to say, they heard sounds of continued strife. Between the smoke and fog, and their ignorance of the situation and the whereabouts of the regiment, the men ran in a helter- skelter sort of way-intent only on escaping capture from their pursuers. They had gone, perhaps, half a mile, when they suddenly plunged against a Confederate line of battle, advancing in the same direction they were taking. It would be difficult to decide which party was most surprised at this unexpected and strange encounter, but as the Confederates were the strongest party, and looked as if they would have great pleasure in running their bayonets through the fifty or sixty men standing beside them, the survivors of the two companies concluded to gratify the desire of the enemy, and reluctantly yielded up their arms, accoutrements and individuality to a regiment in Gracie's Alabama brigade. An hour later- Kissam, Drake and Peters, with their few followers, were standing upon the wharf under the shadow of Fort Darling, frowning one hundred and fifty feet above them, and at noon
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197
REPORT OF COLONEL STEWART.
were in the occupancy of the east room of Libby prison, lying upon the hard oaken floor beside their beloved brigade com- mander, who had been captured some time before them.
1
N . ORR . CO .
LIBBY PRISON.
Report of Lieutenant-Colonel James Stewart, Jr.
CHESAPEAKE GENERAL HOSPITAL,
HAMPTON, VIRGINIA, May 25, 1864.
HON. JOEL PARKER, Governor of New Jersey:
SIR-The Ninth New Jersey has experienced her full share in war's dreadful havoc during the past three weeks. Many of New Jersey's brightest and bravest spirits have been cut down while defending the flag of their country. In this hospital are Major Curlis, Captains Law- rence, Townley, Hopper and Sheppard. Lieutenants Brown and Burnett -all seriously, and we fear some fatally, wounded; while Colonel Zabriskie, who was brought here with the above-named officers, breathed his last yesterday. It therefore devolves upon me to submit a report of the operations of our regiment since landing at Bermuda Hundred.
May 3-Orders came from Department headquarters to prepare to break camp and move at a moment's notice. We were encamped at this time on the York river, and brigaded with the Twenty-third, Twenty-fifth and Twenty-seventh Massachusetts volunteer infantry. Our organization was known as the Red Star brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General Charles A. Heckman. May the fourth, at six A. M., the troops fell into line, marched to the landing and embarked on the vessels there waiting to receive them. All superfluous stores, camp
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NINTH NEW JERSEY VETERAN VOLS.
equipage, etc., were sent to Portsmouth and the command was in light marching order, stripped for the spring and summer campaign. The Ninth embarked on the "Nellie B" with barge "Pilgrim" in tow -- the "Wyoming" carrying General Heckman and staff, took the advance and served as flag-ship. The fleet formed line and got under way about four P. M., moved down the York river and anchored near Hampton Roads that same night. This movement of the fleet in starting on a course -directly opposite to that really intended, was done for the purpose of deceiving the enemy, and convey the impression that the troops were being sent to some point along the Atlantic coast. At six the next morning we weighed anchor and headed direct for Bermuda Hundred, the point selected by Major-General Butler as his base of operations for the memorable campaign of '64. It was not certain but that we should have to fight to get a foothold on this part of Virginia's soil, therefore the men fell in by companies-their arms, accoutrements, etc., were subjected to a rigid inspection-ammunition was distributed, the arms loaded, details made for landing and everything in readiness on our part to "carry out orders." As we steamed past City Point and towards the landing at Bermuda Hundred only a few of the enemy's videttes were noticed, and the Ninth effected a landing about six P. M. and at once took up the march and continued it for about one mile when they halted for the night. Early the next morning the regiment fell into line, was assigned to the advance of the army, and with Company D, Lieutenant J. Madison Drake, deployed as skirmishers, advanced several miles to a point designated as Cobb's Hill, where we halted. After resting some two hours our brigade (General Heckman com- manding) was then ordered to make a reconnoissance towards Petersburg, endeavor to ascertain the position of the enemy, but to avoid bringing on anything like an engagement. The Ninth still held the advance, and with Company E, Captain Benjamin W. Hopper, deployed as skirmishers, the brigade moved steadily forward-the enemy falling back as our skirmishers advanced. This continued for some two miles, when we reached the Walthall plantation ; advancing into a large field, or open space, the enemy was discovered in a fortified position at Walthall Junction, a short mile in front of us. Between us was a clear field, almost without an obstruction, while on our left and the enemy's right, was a strip of timber. In this timber and at a nearer point towards us, the enemy had under cover several batteries of light artillery. Our line of skirmishers moved across the fieldl for some dis- tance, the enemy's skirmishers falling back towards their fortified line. Captain Benjamin W. Hopper had pushed the enemy's skirmishers about two-thirds across the open space, when he was ordered by the brigade commander to open tire. As Company E obeyed the order, the Confederates dropped flat to the earth, and at the same instant a brigade of the enemy rose up but a short distance in their rear and responded with a destructive volley into our ranks-killing and wounding some thirty men of the Ninth. Captain Hopper discovered the presence of this large force of the enemy in time to order his men
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199
FIGHTING BEFORE PETERSBURG.
to "lie down," and thus saved them from great slaughter. The regi- ment charged forward very gallantly to the support of the skirmish line. The enemy could not advance against the heavy and well- directed fire which the Ninth poured into them, but contented them- selves by working their guns against us for all they were worth. General Heckman's orders were to ascertain the position and strength of the enemy and then return. We were therefore ordered to fall back on the main force posted at Cobb's Hill. Our killed and wounded were all picked up by our men and brought back with us, reaching camp about nine P. M. On the morning of the seventh our brigade, with the Ninth in advance, and with Company I, Captain Samuel Hufty, and Company D, Lieutenant J. Madison Drake, as skirmishers, took up the line of march again, going over the same ground. We reached the Walthall plantation, from which point we could see that the enemy were strongly posted behind their works across the open field in our front, but the woods on our left appeared to be used as a cover for their artillery and quite a body of infantry as support. General Brooks had been sent with his division on a detour to our right with the inten- tion of striking the enemy on their left flank. Brooks's division soon engaged the enemy, forcing him back into their fortified lines. The Ninth did not get into a general engagement at this time ; their position being an exposed one we were ordered to hold it awaiting the result of the movement of our troops on the right. The enemy annoyed us with their artillery fire and we suffered some loss thereby, but we retaliated in kind as a few well-directed shots from a regular battery which was in service with our brigade blew up one of their caissons, causing them to "limber up" and retreat under cover of their fortified line. Night coming on our regiment was ordered to fall back and bivouac. The next day, the eighth, being Sunday, was spent in rest, cleaning up and preparing for the hard week's work which was to follow. Early on the morning of the ninth, with the other troops of Butler's command, we started forward in the movement which was intended to cut off Peters- burg from Richmond and invest the latter city on the south and southwest, while it was expected that the Army of the Potomac would reach the same city and invest it on the east and northeast. The Ninth met with only slight opposition until we reached Swift Creek, where the enemy made quite a determined stand with their battery of artillery, strongly supported with infantry. We silenced their batteries and they fell back towards Petersburg. The Ninth struck the Peters- burg and Richmond railroad, destroying several miles of track and then continued their movement toward the city. We drove the enemy for quite a distance until we had reached within about two miles of Peters- burg, when we met the enemy in strong force and a general engagement ensued. The enemy repeatedly and gallantly charged our lines, but the old Red Star brigade, consisting of the Twenty-third, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, and Ninth New Jersey, stood as im- movable as a stone wall and repulsed their attack with great slaughter. The fighting continued from noon until dark, and even during the night
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NINTH NEW JERSEY VETERAN VOLS.
attacks were made upon our lines, but our men withstood them all and drove the enemy back behind their breastworks with considerable loss.
The Ninth having had the advance and done such such hard service for several days, our place at the front was taken by other troops and we marched to the rear for a day's rest. On the twelfth the regiment and brigade took up the line of march before sunrise. We almost faced about from our former fields of action ; this time our course was towards Richmond. The weather was very bad, it was raining steadily, and that meant in Virginia bad roads and great difficulty in hauling artillery and supply wagons. In less than three hours we struck the advance line of the enemy, who showed a stubborn resistance against our approaching any nearer to the Confederate stronghold. We gradually forced the enemy back until darkness halted our movement. Early next morning the order was given to advance, and firing commenced at once, as our picket lines were within speaking distance during the night. The Ninth preceeded by Companies D, Lieutenant J. Madison Drake, and G, Lieutenant Peters, pushed forward very rapidly, and by noon had gained some distance on the main body of our troops, when the enemy made a determined stand, and from noon until dark the Ninth made a most gallant fight and held their position, too, against overwhelming odds. Early in the morning the enemy opened with their artillery. The Union forces were ready and commenced to force the fighting. They could not resist the fierce onslaught made by the Union forces, and were driven by our advance line of skirmishers from behind their outer line of defences and took cover under the frowning guns of Fort Darling or Drewry's Bluff. Our forces pushed up in front of the fort, and while our sharpshooters kept the enemy from working their heavy siege guns against us, our generals were busy planning and establishing their lines of investment. The position of the Ninth at this time was opposite the nearest point of Fort Darling towards us, and which was not over three hundred yards in our front. Between ourselves and the fort was, first, a wide deep ditch, a powerful abattis, and the remainder of the distance fallen timber and brush. It was out of the question for us to pass through or over this and reach the enemy in their stronghold. Two companies from the Ninth would be sent out at a time and deployed through this brush keeping under cover, and directing their fire at the heavy guns to keep them from being fired, and also to keep an eye on the enemy's sharpshooters. As these two companies exhausted their ammunition they would be relieved by two other companies, and thus was the Ninth engaged during part of Saturday and during Sunday. In front, and looking to the left from Fort Darling, was a large cleared space. The James river made a bend towards the north so that the right of the Union line might face the left of the fort, and yet there would be an open space between the right of the Union line and the James river of over a mile. On the night of the fifteenth of May the Ninth was ordered to advance their line towards the right, which was done. Our position was now the extreme right of the line and some one thousand yards further to the right than
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