USA > New York > Camp and field life of the Fifth New York volunteer infantry. (Duryee zouaves.) > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
The result of the battle was two hundred of the enemy buried on the field ; about eight hundred prisoners captured ; one twelve-pound howitzer and caisson, a great number of small arms, and two railroad trains loaded with a large amount of tobacco, were captured and destroyed. The Union loss was less than four hundred in killed and wounded. One wing of the Fifth and the Lancers went about four miles and captured an entire company of the enemy, besides paroling many wounded who were in houses on their route. The next day, Thursday, the 29th, Colonel Warren, with the Fifth,
188
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
Ist Connecticut, the Lancers, a section of Weeden's battery, and other detachments, went on a reconnoissance on the Ashland road, about seven miles. It was the same path by which the enemy retreated. We found knapsacks and cloth- ing strewn along the road. The advance was cautiously made, with skirmishers deployed ahead and on the flanks, as we might come upon the enemy at any time, or run into an ambush. At one time we laid in line of battle.
Colonel Warren, with the cavalry, finally pushed forward and entered Ashland, the birthplace of Henry Clay, captur- ing some prisoners, and obtaining information of General McDowell's advance. We then marched back to camp, and after resting two hours, we were again on our way to Old Church, which we reached about midnight, having marched fifty miles since we left it on the 27th. The men suffered greatly for the want of food, and straggled, limping along the road toward camp. By some mismanagement of the Com- missariat the men had received no rations since leaving camp. In the railroad trains captured on the battle-field there was a large quantity of tobacco, from which the men filled all the available pocket-room they could command. They impro- vised the art of cigar-making, and produced some prize specimens of mammoth size.
The object of the battle of Hanover Court-house was to clear away the enemy from the right and rear of the army, and to leave no obstacle in the way to the junction of Gen. McDowell's First Corps, which was lying south of Freder- icksburg, with the right of General McClellan's army be- sieging Richmond. If he had been allowed to advance, the march could have been easily accomplished in two days, and in all likelihood the seven days' retreat. a month later, would never have occurred, and General McClellan would have been promptly in Richmond. At all events, that was the belief of all in the Fifth Corps, and of the Confederates themselves.
-
189
The Peninsular Campaign.
The smooth-bore rifles, heretofore in use by eight com- panies of the regiment, were exchanged on the 30th for Springfield rifles. The command expected to march the same day at 4 P.M., but a terrible thunder-storm coming up, it was delayed. The thunder and lightning were grand in the extreme, and at times truly terrific; it rained in torrents, and continued until late in the night. It seemed ominous of the storm of battle which was about to open about Rich- mond.
The next morning, reveille roused us at two o'clock and at five o'clock we marched four miles, the roads all under water and muddy, and were ordered back again ; and finally, after covering six or seven miles, encamped upon an evacuated camp-ground near Cold Harbor, joining the rest of the divis- ion.
In the afternoon an engagement took place on the other side of the Chickahominy. There was a constant roar of artillery, and the roll of the musketry was incessant. The division was held under arms, and all ready to move when wanted. The engagement alluded to was the battle of Fair Oaks, and the division would have been sent across the river, and probably engaged, had not the bridges been carried away by the unprecedentedly high flow of the waters, occasioned by the recent heavy storm of rain already men- tioned.
Sunday, June 1 .- The conflict commenced again at day- light, but in a few hours appeared to recede in the distance. Our forces drove the enemy and approached to within five miles of Richmond. The aggregate losses on both sides in killed and wounded was 12,500 men. We marched at 4 P.M. about two miles, and encamped in a dense pine wood near New Bridge, which was an admirable spot for a camp. The thing on the other side of the river led the men to expect that they would be called upon at any moment to take part in the great struggle which appeared to them would perhaps
190
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
decide the fate of one of the two great armies. We were so near the enemy that no drum or bugle call was allowed to be sounded.
On the 2d the weather was very warm, and the sound of battle was almost entirely subdued, very little firing being heard during the day. A small detail was made up and em- ployed in digging about the camp. Colonel Warren sup- plied the men with a quantity of flour, and bread-baking was the order of the day. Those who had tin plates were the favored ones ; the rest were obliged to wait and borrow them from their comrades. The flour was simply mixed with water and made into unleavened cakes and baked ; but the men relished thein with great satisfaction, as it was an acceptable change in the diet to which they had been ac- customed ; and at times was heard from some epicure who could not restrain from giving vent to his satisfaction, the expressive, but not very elegant remark, " Aint this bully."
Two of the boys (of Eastern Shore celebrity in mischief) procured about a bushel of flour, and some sugar and sale- ratus, borrowed a sheet-iron kettle of one of the officers' serv- ants, obtained a lot of fat salt pork, and went into business. They first washed all the salt from the pork, tried it out, mixed their flour with sugar and saleratus, let it rise, and then made some of the finest doughnuts, as they supposed, that were ever served up ; at all events they were " done brown." When they had made a great pile of them, they opened shop, and never before was there such a rush to procure some of those elegant doughnuts. The pile was soon gone at five for twenty-five cents, and the demand far exceeded the supply. Occasionally a man was found who had the temerity to express the opinion that they were rather tough, and were good specimens of home-made Indi: rubber ; but he was immediately frowned down as a bar- barian, and a man devoid of epicurean tastes. The sale kept up so briskly that by night the batter was almost
:
191
The Peninsular Campaign.
exhausted, and the firm closed up their business for the day, estimated their profits, and talked over their plans for the future: But they were in a quandary. The batter was nearly gone, and no more flour could be obtained within range of their guns. Suddenly the contracted brow of H. relaxed from its thoughtful aspect, and his face lit up with a genial smile. He had struck an idea, and was like a gold- miner when he pans out a rich lot of " pay-dust." " Eureka !" he exclaimed, quoting Archimedes. They had still on hand a quantity of saleratus, which up to this time was looked upon is dead stock, but now it was worth its weight in gold. " What idea have you struck, pards ?" asked H.'s colleague. "Why, you noodle-head, its very plain-put in more sale- ratus !" " That's the cheese. Why didn't you think of that before ?" The saleratus was added m generous quantity, and they turned in and went to sleep, probably dreaming of light doughnuts for the million-so light, in fact, that a piece of dough the size of a walnut would turn into a doughnut the size of a pumpkin. At all events, they must have dreamed on promiscuous subjects, for they had partaken liberally of their own stock in trade to show their faith in home manufactures. I am not positive that this was the ulentical night that the whole camp was aroused by fearful screams, and the men grasped their rifles, and the officers mushed out of their tents clad in Georgia costume, swords and revolvers in hand, supposing at first that the enemy had captured the camp and were bayoneting the men in their tents, until it was discovered that a somnambulist of Com- pany F had jumped up in a nightmare and was trying to climb a tree before he was awakened, having dreamed that one of Hood's Texan Rangers was trying to scalp him. At „'I events this was the camp where this identical thing hap- (.ned. and this naturally ought to have been the night, for never before were the men's stomachs so full.
In the morning the firm were roused from their dreams of
192
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
wealth by the reveille, and jumped up in a hurry. But what a sight met their eyes ! Dough, dough, dough everywhere ! The fact of it was, their stock had risen about one hundred and fifty per cent, above par, and kept on rising. The floor of their tent, blankets, rifles, cartridge-boxes, and everything else, were covered with a layer of dough, and they could be traced out to the line for roll call by a string of dough. This was something that had not entered into their calculations. They, however, did well in business that day, and added saleratus, as their batter decreased, until the compound was so sour that all the sugar they could beg, borrow, or steal was not sufficient to sweeten it enough to suit the most depraved taste. Accordingly one night, after a very dull day's trade, they buried what remained of their stock in a hole outside of their tent, in the company street. But their astonishment was great in the morning at finding that the stuff refused to stay buried, and had burst through the crust of earth over it, and, like a fountain, was sending out its streams, where- upon they were obliged to heap several bushels of dirt over the spot to prevent its resurrection. The next morning they looked out of their tent with anything but confidence, ex- pecting to see a new eruption. They were agreeably disap- pointed, and thus ends the long, but true story of the "Zouave" doughnuts.
As the regiment was about to assemble for evening parade. one of the drummer-boys made his appearance in his accus- tomed place barefoot, his shoes having mysteriously disap- peared. The Drum-Major dismissed him with the admoni- tion to present himself in just one minute and a half decently shod, or suffer the consequences. He hurried off in great anxiety as to what he should do ; for, being a small boy, he had great doubt in his mind about being able to borrow a pair from any of the men off duty that would be anywhere near a fit. But time was precious, and seeing a contraban:, one of the officers' servants, who wore number fourteens, he
193
The Peninsular Campaign.
prevailed upon him. with tears in his eyes, to lend him his brogans. He made his appearance in the niche of time, and as he shuffled down the line with the drum corps, for he could not raise his feet for fear of losing his shoes, trying to put on an unconscious air, as if there was nothing extraordinary in his . appearance, it was as much as all could do, from the Colonel down, to keep a straight face. Such enormous feet were never seen before on a small boy, outside of a negro min- strel show, and I venture to say that had he been shot, he would have died upright, for nothing short of an earthquake could have destroyed his equilibrium, with such a broad and lengthy foundation.
At night we slept under arms, and during the following day, the 3d, the division was drawn up on parade, and Gen- eral McClellan's battle speech was read. It was, in substance, that the army was about to go into battle, and that when it matched, knapsacks, baggage, and wagons were to be left on this side of the Chickahominy. All that the men were to carry would be their arms and accoutrements, haversack, with three days' rations, and canteen of water. He said the enemy were now at bay before their citadel, and that he would be with his men in the hour of battle. General Sykes said that he could add but little ; but that little was said to the point. He spoke about as follows : "Soldiers of Connecti- cut and New York ! We are about to go into battle, and if there is any hard work to do, we have got to do it. We must stick by our General, and march by his side into Rich- mond." Cheers then rent the air, and the troops were marched back to their respective camping grounds.
. The rain fell in torrents at night, and continued to do so the whole of the next day. The Chickahominy had risen to an unprecedented height, and overflowed the swampy ground on its borders, and it was feared that the flood might en- danger the communications between the right and left wings of the army. Blankets and overcoats were wet through ; for,
9
194
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
having no tents, the only shelter the men had, was one of the most temporary kind. They were troubled with diarrhea and malaria ; there were about forty new cases of fevers in the regiment ; many of the officers were absent sick, and others had sent in their resignations. Whisky and quinine were given out night and morning as a tonic. There were about 650 men present for duty.
The regiment went out on picket on the morning of Thursday, the 5th, on the Chickahominy, at New Bridge. The enemy opened with their batteries, and it was not long before three of our batteries were replying; the artillery duel continued for two hours, which made the position of the men on picket and the reserve anything but agreeable. They were obliged frequently to shift their positions from the road leading to the bridge, as the guns of the enemy completely commanded it, and nothing could live there a moment. Finally the Confederate guns were silenced. They wounded some of our men, killed three horses, and did other damage .*
Two Confederates who were on picket deserted their post and came over and delivered themselves up to George Finley, of Company H. They were fired at by their comrades, but escaped injury. The Confederate and Union pickets were quite close, being in plain view of each other, and sometimes made an agreement not to fire on one another. If an officer made his appearance the men jumped for cover, as they were not included in the armistice, and a general fusilade follows from both sides. One shot breaks the truce, and this may continue for some days, until they renew the agreement.
The next morning we were relieved from this duty, and several of the pickets that relieved the Fifth, were shot by the rebels, who received similar compliments in return. On the 7th three men died in the camp hospitai, of fever. We
* General Mcclellan's Report, (p. 227) : " NEW BRIDGE, Yune 5, 1862 .-- Eu- emy opened with several batteries on our bridge, near here this morning ; our bat- teries seem to have pretty much silenced them, though some firing is still kept up."
195
The Peninsular Campaign.
were joined by the roth New York, from Fortress Monroe. On Sunday, the 8th, after the usual inspection, the nien oc- cupied themselves in mending and washing their clothes.
Ou the 9th, the division was reviewed by General Prim, of Spain, the Count of Reus and Castillejos, accompanied by General McClellan and staff. General Prim paused be- fore the Fifth, and appeared to be highly delighted. He was astonished to see a regiment uniformed exactly like the 2d Regiment of French Zouaves. He inquired respecting their organization, and complimented Colonel Warren personally on their appearance, offering him his hand in acknowledg- ment of his gratification. After the review the Zouaves went through a drill, bayonet exercise, etc. General Prim atten- tively watched the unity and precision of their movements. He clapped his hands enthusiastically, and the men felt highly complimented.
Orders were sent us on Thursday, the 12th, to be ready at a moment's notice in light marching order. We left camp at 7 P.M. and marched to the Chickahominy with other troops, numbering in all about 1,500 men. Arms were loaded and ambulances in attendance. After posting strong pickets and reserves, the remainder were set to work throwing up an earthwork to protect a battery, which they also masked; it was finished just before daylight, and we marched back to camp. If the enemy had been aware of what we were doing, they certainly would have attacked us.
On the following day, about 5 P.M., the regiment fell into line, loaded rifles, and stepped off in light marching order, without waiting for rations or evening coffee, after Stuart's cavalry, about 1,500 strong, with four guns, who made a dash by the right flank of the army and got in its rear. They at- ticked two squadrons of the 5th U. S. Cavahiy, under the command of Captain Royall, near Hanover Old Church, and Werpowered them. The first squadron was surprised and dispersed ; the second charged vigorously, without regard to
196
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
the enemy's numbers. Capt. Royall killed the commander of the first squadron of the enemy with his own hand, and was himself wounded in several places a moment after. It was feared the enemy might damage the railroad by which the supplies for the army were transported from White-hous Landing. We bivouacked near Old Church, after a forced march of thirteen miles. A detail from the regiment, who were stationed as an outpost, and guard of protection over Mrs. Robert Lee, her daughter-in-law, the wife of Colonel Lee, and two nieces, who were living in Ruffin's house, saw all the enemy's cavalry pass along on the other side of the river a few hours before the regiment came up. This was the residence of Edmund Ruffin, the Virginian who went to Charleston and begged the honor of firing the first gun at the opening of the attack on Fort Sumter. A few weeks after the close of the war, with that insane hatred of the Union and the flag which animated so many at the time, and determined that he would never again live under the Stars and Stripes, he deliberately loaded his pistol and fired a bullet into his head, falling dead on the spot. It was the last tragic act of the Rebellion.
When the troops first arrived in this part of Virginia, about May 24th, a squad of the Fifth, under an officer, were de- tailed to search Ruffin's house, under the supposition that papers containing valuable information for the Union cause might be discovered. The search was submitted to with an ill grace by Mrs. Lee, and as the officer was about to depart, the following note was placed in his charge, addressed to the General in command of the division :
SIR :- I have patiently and humbly submitted to a search of my house by men under your command, who are satisfied that there is nothing here that they want, all the plate and other valuables having long since been removed to Richmond, and are now beyond the reach of any Northern marauders who may wish for their possession.
WIFE OF ROBERT LEE, General C. S. . 1.
---
1
197
The Peninsular Campaign.
Instead of not noticing her insulting and impudent com- munication, a guard was established over the house and grounds for the protection of the property as well as for her- self and family.
After two hours' sleep we continued the march, and ar- rived at I P.M. on the 14th, at Tunstall's Station, about five miles from the White House, having marched eleven miles under a scorching sun. The enemy turned off from this point, and finally crossed the Chickahominy by Long Bridge, having made the entire circuit of the army, thus ex- posing the weakness of Gen. McClellan's right. They killed several teamsters and cavalrymen, and a sutler ; burned fourteen army wagons and their contents, and two schoon- ers laden with forage ; cut the telegraph, and commenced pulling up the railroad track. They also fired into a train of our sick and wounded. This was about the whole of the damage done by Stuart in his celebrated raid, beside expos -. ing the weakness of our right wing.
After a short rest, the regiment started back to camp, the lame and laggard left to follow at will, as it was a forced march throughout. Notwithstanding this, we were left in the rear of the enemy as witnesses of the burning wagons they left in their path. We halted at three o'clock in the morning, cooked some coffee, and continued the march, arriving in camp at forty minutes past 7 A.M. of Sunday, the 15th, having marched about forty-six miles in thirty-six hours. The morning was a beautiful one ; the moon rose about mid- night, and there was a cool, refreshing breeze. The troops on this tramp, besides the Fifth, were the roth New York, Ist Connecticut, Rush's Lancers, and four pieces of Weeden's Rhode Island battery.
CHAPTER X. THE SEVEN DAYS' RETREAT - BATTLE OF GAINES MILL.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL; THEN AND NOW-FREEDOM AGAINST SLAVERY-SANITARY CONDITION OF THE REGIMENT-PICKET DUTY- A SABBATH JOURNAL-DEATH OF SERGEANT REYNOLDS-SEVEN DAYS' RF- TREAT-FIFTH CORPS ENGAGED-BATTLE OF GAINES' MILL-DEATH OF CAPT. PARTRIDGE-COLOR-SERGEANT BERRIAN-A CHARGE IN THE WOODS-A REBEL TRICK-THE FIELD AT NIGHT-LOSSES-TESTIMONY OF THE OFFICERS-OF- FICIAL REPORTS - CONFEDERATE REPORTS- INCIDENTS-WM. MCDOWELL - "DAVE" BURNS - WALTER S. COLBY - FRANCIS SPELLMAN - SAD SEPARA- TIONS-COLONEL WARREN'S REPORT-GENERAL SYKES' REPORT.
Tuesday, June 17, 1862 .- The anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill was, to our regiment, one of comparative inac- tivity, nothing having occurred to give special significance or importance to the day distinguished in the history of the Union for a conflict which gave so much of character and impress to the impending struggle for independence and liberty. Yet no one of all the great army was an indifferent observer of the day. The American soldier remembered the story of Warren and his heroes, and the soldier of foreign birth, who was fighting for his adopted home, learned, if he had not before, the meaning of the event, and felt stronger for the struggle before him. The century was nearing its close, and the feeble colonies of that day had grown up into a nation of independent States, whose power, grandeur, and civilization rivaled that of the oldest nations of the world, and commanded the unanimous homage of mankind.
All around us and covering the adjacent plain for miles was an immense camp. There were assembled here scores
(198)
İ
199
The Seven Days' Retreat-Gaines' Mill.
of thousands of brave men waiting and watching another army of equally brave men, in about equal numbers, and preparing for some great encounter which might decide the issue of the momentous question which had brought them from homes and firesides, and from the progress and splendid developments of peace to the cruel and barbarous arbitration of war and blood. There were assembled in other camps, and on other fields in various parts of the Union, vast num- bers of men not less brave and not less determined, and the armies who thus were flashing their blades in the sunlight were more in number than all the able-bodied men in the colonies who rejoiced over the achievements of Bunker Hill. But the issue of to-day was not less vital than that of the four- score years passed away, and the people of the next century will no less honor the men who surrendered their all on the altar of their country. The interests of slavery that in- spired the war were compelled to surrender to the grander behests of freedom ; and while hundreds of thousands of brave men died in obedience to the imperialism of their leaders in behalf of slavery, it can never be forgotten that slavery made the attack, and in the contest perished. The system, which was itself a perpetual war against humanity, fell in its attack upon the free institutions under which it had grown into such colossal strength. Although we were idle for the day in camp, amid its routine the sound of dis- tant thunder, borne by the winds, told us that the struggle was continued by some other portion of our wide-spread army of freedom.
On Wednesday, the 18th, some of our companies returned from picket. They were posted on the Richmond side of the Chickahominy, within eighty yards of the enemy's pick -. e:4. As soon as they were posted, the enemy opened from Ancient points. but the men kept themselves sheltered be- hind old trees and logs, some of them being up to their waists in water, but none of them were struck, though the
200
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
balls whistled very close, often striking within a few feet. The firing was continued by both sides during the day, and toward evening an additional interest was given to the scene by an artillery duel, which took place to the right. The firing was continued all night at intervals, and until they were relieved in the morning. While passing over the brow of a hill on their return to camp they were made a target for the enemy's shell, but none were injured.
The sanitary condition of the regiment continued about the same as usual. Some of the officers were absent on the sick-list, and a number of the men were in the hospitals. The locality in which we were placed, and the want of shelter, day or night, with the continuous exposure to the heavy rains alternating with scorching heat, and the dense malarial atmosphere, made an ordinary sanitary condition an impossibility.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.