USA > New York > Camp and field life of the Fifth New York volunteer infantry. (Duryee zouaves.) > Part 16
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On Thursday, the 19th, we were blessed with a supply of shelter tents, giving room for two men in each, but open front and rear. From the time the regiment landed on the Peninsula, with the exception of the three weeks spent in front of Yorktown, they had been destitute of shelter, except such as could be improvised from the branches of trees lashed together and plastered with mud for mortar, or by spreading their ponchos over low branches of trees and lying under them.
Picket duty for nearly the whole of the regiment was or- dered on Friday, the 20th. Seven companies went into the swamps for twenty-four hours. In this service the artillery had a part, and a duel between the opposing batteries was al- most always inevitable. The armies were very close, and a general engagement might ensue at any moment, and great vigilance was necessary to guard against a surprise. Six shell dropped into our camp, which was hidden from the view of the enemy by the woods, but their fire may have been guided by the smoke of our camp fires rising above the
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trees. The first shell went directly over the camp, and passed so close that some of the men dropped down, ex- pecting it to burst. It killed a regular. Another shell burst in the Ist Connecticut camp, lying near the Fifth, and killed one of their men. About 7 P.M. Companies G and H were ordered to move in light marching order, with details from other regiments to build a battery for the protection of the artillery on picket. The rifles were loaded as usual, and ambulances in attendance, as they were liable to a sudden attack at any time. They succeeded partially without acci- dent or discovery, but the day dawned before it was quite completed, and obliged them to discontinue their labors, to avoid being discovered by the enemy and shelled. After masking it with small trees and boughs, they retired.
Sunday, the 22d, gave us rest from the bloody work of war. There was very little picket firing, and the day was unusually quiet. The regiment was very much reduced in numbers, and had not over five hundred men fit for duty out of the nine hundred who left Baltimore to enter on the cam- paign. Many were mere shadows flitting about camp. Pri- vate Hunter, of Company A, died in the morning, of typhoid fever, and the funeral, which took place in the evening, was largely attended. General Sykes and staff, Colonel Warren, and other officers were present. His death was soon fol- lowed by that of our color-bearer, Sergeant Wm. T. Reynolds, of Company K, who died on Monday, the 23d. His re- mains were sent to his friends in New York, who were wealthy. At I A.M, on the 24th, a fearful thunder-storm burst over the camp, by which everything was thoroughly drenched, and soon afterward the men were called out and ordered to hold themselves in readiness, under arms, to repel an attack threatened to be made by the enemy at daylight, but which did not occur, although firing was heard in the direction of Mechanicsville. The camp remained quietly listening to the reports of the distant guns that were occasionally heard, until
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the 25th, on which day we were favored with a strong breeze, which made the atmosphere cool and refreshing. About noon we were ordered to fall in, in light marching order. We stacked our arms, and felt assured that there was earnest work before us.
On the morning of Thursday, the 26th, the clear sky and refreshing breeze were a pleasant prelude to its duties. We received orders to pack knapsacks and be ready to move with three days' rations. Various orders were received during the day, showing a state of uncertainty as to the movements to be made. There was very heavy firing in the afternoon about 3 P.M., which lasted until 9 P.M., on the extreme right, where an engagement was going on. Sykes' division was at length ordered to march. We left camp and went in the direction of the firing, which was at Mechanicsville, carrying overcoats, but leaving knapsacks in camp, under the charge of the provost guard, and laid in a corn-field under arms until about 4 A.M. of the 27th, in support of our forces en- gaged. In the early evening the firing was very heavy. The night was beautiful, a full moon casting its beams over the field, which was to many gathered there the scene of their last hours on earth. On the morrow, at the same hour, that same calm, peaceful moon, if not hidden by the passing clouds, would probably shine on thousands of the ghastly dead and the mangled forms of the wounded. As the night ad- vanced, the din of battle at a short distance ceased, and all was quietness and seeming peace. But it was only the prelude of the storm which was to follow on the morrow, and hurl all its power and fierceness on the Fifth Corps. Many of the 5th Regiment, who were lying there that night, full of life, health, and strength, at the same hour on the morrow's eve were lying in the sleep of death, to wake not again until the last reveille. Some of them had a premonition of their fate. Captain Partridge appeared to be in an unusually serene frame of mind; he would exclaim at times to Lieutenant McCon-
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nell, as he lay gazing at the moonlit scene, " Oh ! is not this beautiful ! Is not this a glorious night !" He had given directions as to the disposition of his body in the event of his falling on the field, and remarked that he would not live to fight in many battles.
The morning of Friday, the 27th day of June, 1862, broke hot and sultry, and found Generals Porter and McCall (the latter of whom and been fighting the day before) stripped and ready for the fight. The wagons and heavy siege-guns had nearly all been removed to the other side of the Chickahominy during the previous night, and it now remained for General Porter to select his ground and place his troops in line for the deadly affray. The position selected was a strong one. A small, curving stream (Powhite Creek) empties into the Chickahominy, the banks of which are, in most places, bordered with a fringe of swamp, but in others rise steeply, the bed of the stream forming a ravine. East of this the ground rises in a gradual slope, crossed by gullies, and spreads into an undulating plain, with patches of woodland and clearings. The line of battle was formed on the higher ground, on the left bank of the stream, and was in the shape of the arc of a circle, covering the approaches to Wood- bury's* and Alexander's Bridge, which connected the right wing of the army with the troops on the opposite, or Rich- mond, side of the Chickahominy. Butterfield held the extreme left of the line extending to the swamp of the Chickahominy, which was swept by our artillery on both sides of the river ; then came Martindale, occupying the edge of the Powhite wood ; then Griffin, deployed across the forest ; all these belonging to Morell's division. On the right of them was Sykes' division, which, partly in woods
" Woodbury's Bridge, named after Colonel D. P. Woodbury, of the 4th Michigan 1. Sent, was the most extensive structure of the kind built during the siege. It *J., with its approaches, a mile long, and in width fifteen feet ; and was constructed Ly his regiment in six days, during three of which it rained in torrents.
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and partly in open ground, extended in rear of Cold Harbor. It was composed of Warren's brigade (the 5th and ioth New York) on the left, and next to Griffin, next to whom were the two brigades of regulars ; this composed the first line. Behind this was McCall's division of Penn- sylvania troops, composed of Meade's brigade on the left, with Reynolds' on the right, observing the road that led from Cold Harbor and Dispatch Station to Sumner's Bridge; Seymour's brigade on the right and rear in reserve to the second line ; General P. St. G. Cooke, with five companies of the 5th Regular Cavalry and two squadrons of the Penn- sylvania Lancers, were posted behind a hill in the rear near the Chickahominy to aid in watching the left flank and de- fending the slope to the river. Sixty pieces of artillery were advantageously posted in the intervals between the divisions and brigades upon the surrounding eminences, in addition to Tidball's Horse Battery, which was posted on the right of Sykes, and Robertson's on the extreme left of the line in the valley of the Chickahominy. The line of battle extended for more than two miles, and Porter had in all under his command at this time, including infantry, artillery, and cavalry, about 27,000 men. " It was, in fact, 27,000 against 60,000, an overweight of opposition that lent to the task assigned to Porter almost the character of a forlorn hope."*
The Confederates marched to the attack in three heavy columns, Longstreet's and A. P. Hill's divisions, numbering 24,000 men, parallel with and near the Chickahominy River, Hill in advance. D. H. Hill's division, 10,000 strong, about a mile further inland, bore toward the Confederate left to join Jackson, and formed a junction with the latter at Be- thesda Church ; while Jackson, 30,000 strong, moved directly toward Cold Harbor. In addition there were about 2,000 cavalry, under Stuart, making in all, according to Confeder- ate reports, nearly 70,000 men.
* Swinton (p. 148).
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About 2 P.M., A. P. Hill's division, 14,000 strong, advanced to the attack.
The Fifth Regiment was ordered back to camp in the woods, at daylight on the morning of the 27th ; slung their knapsacks, and about 7 A.M. turned off on the road which led toward Cold Harbor, passing over familiar ground. The men did not know the reason for this change, but supposed that the enemy were making a movement to get in the rear of the army.
After marching and countermarching about four miles, and making several halts, they reached a piece of high ground, where a large number of troops were getting into position. Colonel Warren, in command of the 5th and roth New York regiments, which composed the Third brigade of Gen. Sykes' division, Lieutenant-Colonel H. Duryea, acting in command of the Fifth, took up a position well to the front of the regulars, facing the line of the enemy's approach, the Tenth being on the left of the Fifth. The 3d, 4th, 12th, and 14th regiments of United States infantry, First brigade, un- der the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Buchanan, formed a second line of battle on the slope of the high ground to the right and rear. The 14th infantry were posted in an or- chard to the extreme right ; the Twelfth to their left front, and the 5th Zouaves to the left front of the Twelfth, and nearest to the enemy, and consequently were the first to be at- tacked. Between the 5th and 12th regiments there was a large interval.
Colonel Warren selected his position with great care, plac- ing his brigade just below the brow of a slight eminence in open ground, there being a small depression in the rear of his line, through which ran a stream of water bordered by in.irshy ground. The rifles were sighted to reach a pine wood in front at an easy killing distance. The provost guard, which was under the command of Lieutenant Whitney, who had been left behind for the purpose of burning the offi-
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cers' and sutlers' tents, and any property that could not be removed, joined the regiment, and reported that the enemy shelled the camp before they left. The sick turned out in a hurry and were obliged to hobble to the rear as best they could ; some of them, however, were able to make excellent time. We were now certain that a battle was imminent. All the fighting men on any detail joined their companies voluntarily, among whom was James Tuits (the butcher), from the Quartermaster's Department, with his Sharp's rifle ; Sergeant Joe Vail and Jack Whigam, of the Provost, who determined to take their full share of honor in the victory, or suffer their share in any disaster that might happen ; and Luke Gilligan, from the hospital tent, who was recovering from typhoid fever. His body was weak, but his spirit strong, but ere night it had fled, and his lifeless body was lying on the battle-field.
On the right of the pine wood was a clump of evergreens, and beyond them and in the woods was a ravine. Beyond the evergreens, and stretching back about four hundred yards, was an open field, bordered on its further side by woods, and at some distance from our extreme right were thick woods running perpendicular to our line, and to the rear toward the position of some regular battalions.
Company E, under the command of Lieutenant John Collins, were deployed as skirmishers, and went out into the evergreens and wood on the right, and before long the sound of their rifle-shots fell on the ears of the men. Com- pany I, commanded by Captain Partridge, occupied the pine woods directly in front of our position.
After waiting in line of battle a short time, a Confederate officer and staff were seen to ride to the edge of the further woods beyond the open field, and directly after them a bat- tery* dashed up, unlimbered, and a puff of smoke was fol-
* Crenshaw's, which was roughly handle I during the engagement.
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lowed by the rushing sound of a shell. In the meantime the skirmishers of the regiment had encountered the enemy in force lying behind a ridge, who opened fire upon them, which was returned. Lieutenant Collins ordered them to fall back on the regiment, but in endeavoring to do so he lost his way, and was conducting his company toward his right, where they would all have been taken prisoners had it not been their good fortune to meet Lieutenant Porter, in command of the skirmish line of the regulars, who had just been wounded by a shot from the enemy posted in the direction that Collins was leading his men. Being warned in time, they turned to the left through the woods, and struck a narrow road, which they took, and passed around the left flank and rear of the regiment, and took their proper place in the line on the right.
The correspondent of the New York Times, in speaking of the battle, stated that "the Duryee Zouaves were the first attacked."
A. P. Hill, commanding twenty-six regiments and six bat- teries, distributed in six brigades, says in his report :
"I had delayed the attack until I could hear from Longstreet, and this now occurring, the order was given. This was about half-past 2 P.M. Gregg, then Branch, then Anderson, succes- sively became engaged. Branch being hard pressed, Pender was sent to his relief. Field and Archer were also directed to do their part in this murderous contest. . . . . Gregg having before him (what he pleases to mention as) the vaunted Zouaves and Sykes regulars. . . .. General Maxey Gregg's brigade in ad- vance, made the handsomest charge I have seen during the whole war."
It was composed wholly of South Carolina regiments, viz .: the Ist Rifles, Colonel J. Foster Marshall, about 537 men : ist regiment, Colonel D. H. Hamilton ; 12th, Colonel D. Barnes; 13th, Colonel O. E. Edwards ; 14th, Colonel S.
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McGowan. The Ist Rifles had St killed and 234 wounded, nearly all their officers being among the number. The Ist Volunteers were badly cut up, after fighting bravely, and obliged to retire. All of their color-guard having fallen, the brave Colonel Hamilton bore the colors himself ; their Lieu- tenant-Colonel, Smith, was mortally wounded. The Twelfth was routed after severe loss, and Colonel Barnes severely wounded in the thigh. The Thirteenth, in support, also suf- fered heavily, and the Fourteenth, which came up in the thick of the battle, reported a loss received here and subse- quently of 200, their Colonel, McGowan, receiving a wound from which he died, and their Major and many officers were killed and wounded. The loss in the brigade was over 900 in killed and wounded.
The shot and shell now began to fly in rather dangerous proximity, and the rushing sound they made was anything but agreeable music. The men were ordered to lie down, which they did, in an effort to make themselves as diminu- tive as possible. There was not a man in the line that could complain of being too thin at this particular time. A section (2 guns) of Captain Edwards' 3d U. S. battery of 10-pound Parrotts moved up close to the right of the line and opened in return, but they were too much exposed, and were ordered to withdraw to their original position on the hill in the rear. Colonel Warren ordered the men of Company E to try and pick off the enemy's artillerists ; as they were armed with Sharp's rifles, their fire appeared to have some effect. The men placed their knapsacks in front, hoping they might be of some slight protection from the pieces of flying shell. The solid shot, sheil, grape, and canister plowed up the ground around them, throwing the dirt and sand into their faces; while shell, bursting in the marshy ditch in the rear, threw the inud thirty feet in the air. A number of the men were killed and wounded, and many had narrow escapes. A solid shot struck the stock of the rifle of Sergeant Chambers, dash-
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ing it to pieces, and tumbling him and Lieutenant Eichler over one another, covering them with dirt, but, strangely enough, without any injury to either. About the same time Lieuten- ant Agnus received a severe wound from a piece of shell, and commenced rolling over like a barrel toward the regulars in the rear. The men watched him occasionally with much interest until they saw him get into their lines, where he was taken care of. One of the men had a favorite. dog that had followed him from camp, who amused himself by chasing after the solid shot, but he was wounded and retired from the field.
During this time, Edwards', Weed's, Martin's, and other batteries opened on the enemy's guns and infantry, some of them firing very close over the heads of the men of the Fifth. The shrieks of the balls through the air were contin- nous, but the men kept cool, for they knew there was no re- course but to lie still and obey orders. The enemy ad- vanced at one time toward our right, but a vigorous fire by companies, and then by file, drove them back. They did not seem inclined to advance and begin the long-expected attack at close quarters ; but some of them had crept up into the woods on the right, and were picking off the men. Ser- geant S. B. Parker had received a severe wound ; Soden, of Company E, a mortal wound from a piece of shell; Lieutenant Collins had. also been struck, and Winslow's arm fell power- less by his side, yet he made a strong effort to again load his piece, but it was out of his power. The Confederate bat- tery was doing so much execution that Colonel Warren or- dered the command to march by the left flank through the depression in the ground in the rear to a cut in a road that led along at right angles to the former position. There was not room for the whole regiment to lay in line and keep covered in this cut, so one wing was doubled behind the other. On top of the bank was a brush fence, through which they could watch any movement of the enemy if they Came out into the open ground.
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Martin's Massachusetts battery of Napoleon guns was posted on the bank to the rear of the new position, and were firing over the heads of the men, who were repeatedly admonished to keep their heads down ; but several of them, not heeding the advice, were placed hors du combat by the canister shot from these guns. One of the Captains went to Colonel Warren, who was sitting on his horse to the left of the regiment, on the top of the bank, and told him that their own battery was killing the men. A remonstrance was made to the Captain of the battery, about which there are so many versions, that I decline to state any of them. In a little while a column * of the enemy were seen marching by the flank in formation of fours, through the strip of woods on the other side of the field that ran along toward the position of the regulars. Captain B. reported it to Colonel Warren, who replied, " Yes, Capt. B., I am very much obliged to you for the information, but have I not eyes as well as you ?" The Captain returned to his company, and at the same in- stant the guns poured their grape and canister shot into the flank of the enemy's column, and they beat a hasty retreat, where they were out of range of the fire.
Soon after, Lieut .- Colonel Hiram Duryea, acting in com- mand of the regiment, said that the enemy we had already faced were coming out of the woods, and were in the open field where he wanted them ; but it was only a line of skir- mishers. They were, however, followed up closely by their first line of battle, who made their appearance advancing at double-quick out of the wood and over the open ground. The men watched them through the brush fence. After they were well ont in the field, Colonel Duryee cried, "Now, men, your time has come ; get up and do your duty !" The regiment jumped up as one man, and down went the fence on the bank in front. and the order was given to left wheel. On account of one wing being doubled behind the other in
* Eight companies of the 12th South Carolina.
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the road, the order was given for one wing to march double- quick by the flank and form on the other, to make one line of battle, which was performed in good order in the face of the enemy, who were within about five hundred feet. In the meantime, Company I, on the left, charged over the field in advance of the main body to the other side of the ditch or gully, along the borders of which were bushes, to draw their fire ; they waited until the enemy had got quite close to them, and then, by order of Captain Partridge, they picked out their men from right to left and poured in a murderous volley from their Sharp's rifles, which cut large gaps in their ranks and made them come to a sudden halt. They immediately fell flat on the ground, but suffered severely in turn, from the enemy's fire, but then loaded again quickly and jumped up and gave them another volley; this was repeated four or five times, the enemy closing up and then made a charge on Company I. Captain Partridge, before this, had given them orders when they fell back, to join the regiment according to their best judgment if they got scattered, either on the left or the right of it, whichever was the nearest point. He had just given the order, " Skirmishers, retreat !" when Sergeant Stra- chan saw him lift his hand to his side ; he jumped for him, but the Captain fell, opening his mouth as if to speak, out of which rushed a stream of blood ; he was shot through the heart.
Hannon had seen a Confederate, wearing a long beard, taking aim at the Captain, but could not cap his piece in time to fire at him before the fatal bullet sped on its errand of death. As the Captain fell, Strachan and ten others turned instinctively and fired at the Confederate, and he fell dead ; and it was afterward ascertained that his breast was pierced by eight balls. The Captain's death was avenged. His body was afterward taken charge of by Lieutenant Mc- Connell and carried to the rear, and delivered to Quarter- luister Thomas. On his person were found some important papers, which were placed in the hands of Colonel Warren.
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While Company I was so nobly acting its part, the regi- ment had formed in line of battle, and the order rung out to charge with the bayonet, when the men made for the Con- federate line at a double-quick to come to close quarters. The ditch broke up the order of the line somewhat, but the regiment quickly formed again under the fire of the enemy, and after delivering a destructive fire, the order was given, " Advance the colors ! advance the colors ! Charge !" The men rushed forward with a yell, and the enemy appeared to be paralyzed ; they evidently had not come out of the woods to be driven back, but to make a charge themselves. They stood for a moment, but the boys not wavering under their fire, and showing that they were determined to bayonet them, the remnant commenced to waver and break, and finally ran for the cover of the woods, completely demoralized and in a panic. Some of them stood until the Fifth were within thirty yards of them, firing steadily, and with good aim. They were nearly all shot down, as many of the men had reserved their fire ; moreover their right wing received the fire of a portion of the roth Regiment, on our left ; they already had suffered severely, especially in officers, from the fire of artillery and sharp-shooters, in their advance over open ground, before they reached the cover of the pine wood. This regiment was the rst South Carolina Rifles, and were armed with Enfields.
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