USA > New York > Camp and field life of the Fifth New York volunteer infantry. (Duryee zouaves.) > Part 21
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
While bivouacking here the men were startled by a shot, just back of the spot where they were lying, and a cry of "Oh ! I'm shot !" but hearing nothing further, they went to sleep again. The following morning, the 16th, we ascer- tained that Corporal Frank Hyatt, of Company G, was called by one of the pickets. He went to him and took charge of a negro, who had been stopped in an effort to pass through the lines in the direction of Richmond. He was bringing him in to the guard, when the negro shied off into the woods. He was called back and warned not to try it again ; but the messenger was determined to accomplish his errand if possible, and a second time darted off on his way, when Hyatt shot him dead. He had a carpet-bag contain- ing papers, which were delivered over to Colonel Warren. It was supposed that he was conveying important informa- tion to the enemy.
Marched at 6 A.M., and having reached a point about two miles beyond Williamsburg, we bivouacked twelve miles dis- tant from our resting-place the night previous. While pass- ing through the town, a young woman called out that we were going the wrong way. One of the men answered, he guessed not. "Oh, yes, you are !" "Why, what makes you think so ?" " Because that aint the way to Richmond !" was the
₹
262
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
reply. He had to acknowledge that the young lady was right.
Sunday, August 17th, about 6 A. M. we renewed our march ; passed through Yorktown, and bivouacked about eight miles beyond at Smith's Mills, having traveled twenty miles. The 8th New York militia garrisoning the works at Yorktown had dinner and coffee prepared for the regiment, but Colonel Warren refused to stop; probably on account of orders to reach a certain point. This refusal to accept the hospitality of friends, after a long march under a burning sun, and over dusty roads, provoked the ire of the men, and brought out curses not lond, but deep. Monday, the 18th, we started at 5 A.M., and passed through Big Bethel to Newport News and bivouacked, after a march of sixteen miles. We spent two days at Newport News, where we saw the hulk of the frigate Cumberland, sunk by the Confederate ram Merrimac. We enjoyed the luxury of salt-water bathing in the James River, and were joined by about 100 recruits. We left Newport News on Wednesday, the 20th, about 6 P.M., on the steamer Cahawba, for Aquia Creek. It rained all day on the 2Ist, notwithstanding which everybody was cheerful. After a much crowded voyage, there being two regiments, the 5th and roth New York, packed on the steamer for forty- two hours, we arrived on the 22d off Aquia Creek, and were finally landed by a steam-tug in detachments. While being ferried to the dock by the tug, some of the men found their way to the storehouse and helped themselves, and were supplied with sugar-cured ham enough to last a week. At Aquia Creek we were put in baggage and on platforin cars, like so many cattle, some of the men sitting with their legs dangling over the sides, there being no railings, while the center of the platforms was crowded with men.
We reached Falmouth Station about II P.M. on the 22d, after a trip of an hour and a half, and the regiment went into bivouac. While waiting here a " Union " man came around
.
263
On the March to Manassas.
with a wagon and a barrel of cider, which he was selling to the men at five cents a cup. Some mischievous fellows took out the pin that fastened the front axie to the body of the wagon, and on his starting, the fore wheels moved out, and down came wagon, cider, and man, to the astonishment of the latter.
On the 23d we marched two miles, and halted near Fal- mouth ; Sunday, the 24th, we started at 4 A.M. to Deep Run, and bivouacked under arms after a march of ten miles ; the 25th we reached Ellis Ford (four miles), and bivonacked under arnis ; the 26th, left at 6 A.M., and after a march of about ten miles, we joined the division about six miles from Bealton, and bivouacked under arms.
On Wednesday, the 27th, we moved at 4.30 A.M., and marched to Catlett's Station, twelve iniles, and bivonacked under arms. We resumed our march at 4 A.M. on Thurs- day, the 28th, eleven miles to Bristoe Station, and bivouacked under arms. As we approached this place, we saw numerous ambulances, and wounded men were lying near a house un- der the care of surgeons. Details were burying the dead slain in an encounter between Hooker's division and Ewell's forces that had taken place the day previous. Some Confederates were lying dead alongside of the railroad track in their gore ; also a number of their wounded were lying about in the sun, and Colonel Warren ordered some of the men to place boughs over them to shield them from its burning rays. Two locomotives, their trains, and the bridges had been destroyed by the enemy. We fell in line and marched at 7 A.M. on Friday, the 29th, and after moving as expeditiously as possible, halted at Manassas Junction. The destruction of property at this point was enormous ; large numbers of locomotives were ruined, and long trains of cars were burnt, and damaged stores for the army were lying about in promiscuous heaps. After marching and counter- marching all the afternoon up and down a narrow road, lead-
264
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
ing through woods, looking for a fight-the men in a bad humor at what to them looked like useless exercise-the regi- ment drew up in line of battle in the afternoon on an ele- vated position, from which the country could be seen at intervals for a long distance. In front of us the ground sloped off into a little valley, and was cleared of timber. The opposite heights were covered with dense woods. Gen- eral Porter was observed at one time pacing backward and forward over a little clearing a few yards from the road. A battery stationed within a few yards of us fired about a dozen shell into the distant timber, but there was no response ; although from the reports of stray skirmishers the woods were supposed to mask an enemy ; if so, it would have been very poor judgment for them to expose their position, as any force marching to or through the woods could have been taken at a great disadvantage. We heard heavy firing late in the afternoon, apparently a few miles to our right, and it was the general impression among the rank and file at the time that an engagement was going on; but as to the firing heard, it was nothing unusual, as we had been accustomed to hearing it in various directions for several days, and the common talk had been that Jackson was in a bag, and all that remained to to be done was to pull the string and secure him. Finally, after having traveled over about twelve miles of ground since morn- ing, we laid down at night on the side of the road and slept under arms. There was no movenient of the regiment during the afternoon that could be misconstrued as a retreat.
The following will show the position of the forces under General Longstreet at this time, as described by his own pen :
NEW ORLEANS, LA., July 30, 1870.
GENERAL F. J. LIPPITT, Boston, Mass. :
The head of my column reached the field of the second Ma- nassas about 11 o'clock A.M. on the 29th of August. The forces were advanced and deployed as rapidly as possible, and I think
--
On the March to Manassas. 265
that I was fully prepared for battle by 1 o'clock P.M. . ... There were twelve brigades, Anderson's division of three brigades coming up after dark on the 29th .*
Extract from a letter to the Philadelphia Weekly Times of Feb. 23, 1878, written by General Longstreet :
". .. . When the head of my column reached that field it was about 12 o'clock on the 29th. As we approached the field we heard sounds of a heavy battle, which proved to be General Jack- son very severely engaged with the enemy. As my column de- ployed on the field, the enemy at once withdrew in good order, however, and took up a strong position a little in the rear of where the heaviest fighting had been going on. During the lull that succeeded, General Lee rode up to where I was and told me that he had determined to attack the position taken by the enemy, and indicated his purpose to have me open the fight. My men were then arranged for battle, but I asked General Lee to withhold the order for attack until I had made a careful reconnaissance and de- termined exactly how the troops had best be handled. He con- sented, of course, to this, and I went forward to make the recon- noissance. After a careful examination of the ground I rode back to General Lee, and reported that the position was very strong and the prospects hardly such as to warrant the heavy sacrifice of life that a serious attack would involve. General Lee was not satisfied, however, but seemed disposed to insist upon an attack. He began to suggest moves by which an advantageous assault might be made. Before the question was at all decided a dis- patch was received from General Stuart, giving us notice that a very strong column was moving up against my right. General Lee ordered me at once to reinforce that part of my line and be ready to repel the attack. I ordered the reinforcing column to the march, and rode out rapidly in advance that I might see pre- cisely what was needed. The threatening column proved to be General Fits Join Porter's command. After seeing it I reported
* Atlantic Monthly for September, 1878. Pope's "Virginia Campaign," and Porter's part in it, by Francis J. Lippitt. Letter from General Longstreet.
1 2
.
266
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
back to General Lee that it was too light a column, in my opinion, to mean a real attack. This presumption was correct, and the advance soon halted, and then withdrew. General Lee then re- called the question of an immediate attack upon the main posi- tion of the Federals. I was thoroughly convinced that the position was too strong to be taken without very severe loss, and I sug- gested to General Lee that the attack be postponed, and that we make a forced reconnoissance just at nightfall, and that we could then prepare to attack at daylight, if it seemed advisable. after thorough investigation, to make the attack at all. He con- sented very readily to this, and I left him to prepare for the forced reconnaissance. The reconnoissance was successfully made at nightfall. During the night several of my Brigadiers came in, and they all agreed in reporting the position very strong. At about midnight Generals Hood and Evans, and possibly one or two others, came to my headquarters and made similar reports, ex- pressing apprehensions as to the result of the attack. Everything developed by this closer reconnoissance went to confirm the im- pression made upon me by my reconnaissance during the day. I therefore determined not to make the attack, and ordered my troops back to the original line of battle."
On the other hand, in referring to General Porter's con- duct on the 29th, General Pope says, in his official report, dated at New York, January 27, 1863 :
". . . . I do not hesitate to say that if he had discharged his duty as became a soldier under the circumstances, and had made a vigorous attack on the enemy, as he was expected and directed to do, at any time up to 8 o'clock that night, we should have ut- terly crushed or captured the larger portion of Jackson's force be- fore he could have been, by any possibility, sufficiently reinforced to have made any effective resistance.
". . I believe-in fact, I am positive-that at 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the 29th, General Porter had in his front no con- siderable body of the enemy.
" I believed then, as I am very sure now, that it was easily practicable for him to have turned the right flank of Jackson, and
267
On the March to Manassas.
to have fallen upon his rear ; that if he had done so, we should have gained a decisive victory over the army under Jackson before he could have been joined by any of the forces of Long- street. ."
It is an undoubted fact that General Pope was unaware that Longstreet had arrived on the field, and expected Gen- eral Porter to advance and attack Jackson, who was opposed to himself, on his right and rear. Jackson's right was within a few miles of Porter at this time, and it is alleged that the latter did not receive General Pope's order to make the at- tack until it was too late in the day to obey it. Also we have seen by the testimony of General Longstreet himself, that if Porter had advanced, he would have encountered his overwhelming forces, which had made a junction with Jack- son's right, and as he (Longstreet) testifies before the board of officers appointed for the rehearing of the court-martial proceedings against General Porter : " In view of the impen- etrable woods, it would have been very hazardous for General Porter to take his command around the road to Groveton, and if he had attempted it his force would have been broken up. General Porter's position checked the forces of the witness till it was too late ; if General Porter had attacked that day any time after 12 o'clock, the forces of witness would have annihilated him, for the Federal lines were then too much extended and disjointed."
General Porter's infantry force this day and the following one consisted of but twenty-four skeleton regiments, Griffin's brigade not being present. These regiments, although nom- inally composing five brigades, only made in reality, as com- pared to the enemy's similar organizations, four and one- half; as Warren's brigade of two regiments was smaller by . he-half than any brigade in the Confederate army. On the other hand, General Longstreet's infantry force that he men- tions as being present on the afternoon of the 29th, was
268
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
twelve brigades, to which were added, by the arrival of An- derson's division during the night, three more, making in all an infantry force of sixty-five regiments. Jackson had under him at this time only about fifty regiments, while, on the other hand, General Pope had in hand, exclusive of Porter, about one hundred.
CHAPTER XII.
SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN.
THE FIELD-DISTRIBUTION OF FOTCES-THE HENRY HOUSE-POSITION OF THE FIFTH - GENERALS JACKSON AND LONGSTREET - THE FIFTH ENGAGED - FEARFUL SLAUGHTER-ALLISON, THE COLOR-BEARER, KILLED-ANNIHILATION OF OUR COLOR COMPANY-BALD RIDGE-THE TEXANS-" DON'T LET THEM TAKE MY FLAG !"-OVERPOWERING NUMBERS-" LET THERE BE NO FALTER- ING IN THIS LINE !"-A ZOUAVE TARGETED-A ROUT-A TERRIBLE SCENE -THE REMNANT OF OUR REGIMENT AFTER THE BATTLE-COLONEL WAR- REN'S REPORT-GENERAL POPE'S REPORT-PERSONAL SKETCHES AND INCI- DENTS - SPELLMAN - CHAMBERS - MCDOWELL-WILSON-HAGER - SAPHER- HUMANITY-STONEWALL JACKSON-JAMES CATHEY-A STRANGE COINCIDENCE -A RIFLE SHOT-JAMES PATTERSON-POLLARD'S TESTIMONY-BULLWINKLE -STURGESS-TYNDALL-STRACHAN-HUNTSMAN-A WALK AMONG THE GRAVES - FAULK'S LETTER -- CONFEDERATE TESTIMONY - MARCH TO FAIRFAX -- MCDOWELL'S BROTHER-GENERAL MCCLELLAN'S RETURN TO THE COMMAND -NEAR FREDERICK CITY.
ON the morning of Saturday, August 30th, the men of the Fifth arose from their bivouac and took up. their line of march to the rear and right, via. the Gainesville and Sudley Springs roads, to the scene of the previous day's engagement of General Pope's forces, which took place near Manassas Plains, and known by the name of the battle of Groveton. As the regiment marched toward the front, they passed by a large number of troops who had bivouacked in the fields each side of the roads (among whom was recognized King's division), many of whom cheered our regiment as they marched by them ; and they noticed that the cannon were begrimed with powder, as if they had been recently in use, while the soldiers wore that general look of weariness and lassitude which is the habitual and natural reaction from the excitement of battle. As they neared the front, they met many details of men carrying off the wounded and dead of the previous day's fight. Among them were recognized the
(260)
270
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
uniform of the Brooklyn 14th, some of whom were lying on a hill in sight at the front. Our brigade (the 5th and roth New York) took a position well to the front, on the borders of a hill running up in front of them. The Warrenton turn- pike, at the point where the engagement took place, known as the Second Bull Run, or Manassas Plains, intersected the Union lines at their center, and ran in a westerly direction. It was the great highway, in this immediate vicinity, by which the army must advance, or, if defeated, retreat, as it led in their rear over Bull Run Creek across a stone bridge, the river being difficult to ford, and the banks on each side quite steep. "As the road approaches the battle-field. going west. it goes up the valley of a little rivulet of Young's Branch, and through the battle-field is mostly close to the stream. The ground rises from the stream on both sides; in some places, quite into hills. The Sudley Springs road, in cross- ing the spring at right angles, passes directly over one of these hills, just south of the Warrenton pike, and this hill has on it a detached road, with fields stretching back away from it some hundreds of yards to the forest. This is the hill on which the Henry House stood," which was the key to the Union position, particularly in case of a retreat. If the enemy could gain possession of it, the result would be disastrous to the Union forces, as it would drive them from access to the turnpike. To the west of this hill was the Bald Hill, so called ; between the two hills was a small stream, a tributary of Young's Branch.
The Confederate line of battle was in the shape of an "obtuse crescent," at least five miles long, the apex of the crescent convexity toward the west. Jackson was on the Confederate left, his extreme right about one-fourth of a mile from the Warrenton turnpike ; Longstreet's command. fifteen brigades, extended from a point north of the turnpike near Jackson's right, far to the right beyond the line of Ma- nassas Gap Railroad. In the interval, to the rear, between
271
Second Battle of Bull Run
Jackson's right and Longstreet's left, the Confederate artil- lery was placed, eight batteries, on commanding elevations behind a ridge ; front of it was open ground between two forests, which stretched on each side of the Warrenton turn- pike, the space between opening like the letter V, and about half a mile between them. At the apex facing the open ground the Confederate artillery was placed.
General Pope's army, comprising, besides batteries, at least one hundred and forty skeleton regiments of infantry, was in the following position :
General Heintzelman (3d corps) was on the extreme right of the Union forces ; General McDowell (1st corps) on the extreme left ; Fitz John Porter, Sigel's corps, and a division of Burnside's corps ( Reno's) were placed in the center north of the pike. Porter's corps, composed of less than two di- visions, Morell's (Griffin's brigade not being present) was on the left center, pushed forward in the concave crescent, facing west, and on the north side of the pike, with two brigades (Sykes' regulars), their left resting on the Warren- ton pike ; Morell's two brigades, Butterfield's and Martin- dale's, were on the right of the regulars ; Warren's brigade was held in reserve, with the batteries of Weed, Smead, and Randoll. Reynolds' division of Pennsylvania reserves was on the left, or south of the pike.
As Warren's brigade remained in this position, batteries posted on the left and the right of them were throwing their shot and shell in the direction of the enemy. They returned the fire, and their shot and shell came whizzing about us, sometimes compelling the men to lie down. While this was transpiring they made their little fires and boiled coffee in their tin cups, which was their principal nourishment during their long and tedious marches. After lying in this position some time, they were advanced to the top of the hill in front, supporting a battery which still kept up a rapid fire on the
L
272
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
enemy. The regulars were now further to the right, sup- porting batteries.
General Porter having received orders from General Pope to attack Jackson, on the supposition that he was retreating from his position, ordered General Butterfield to attack. While he was making his preparations to do so, General Reynolds, who held the left of the line, withdrew, by orders, two of his brigades (Meade's and Seymour's) to a position in the rear, nearer the pike. It was.at this juncture that Warren, seeing the wide gap on the left flank of Porter, leaving the ap- proaches to the turnpike open and exposed, advanced his little brigade, about one thousand strong, to occupy the po- sition, and also to protect Hazlitt's battery, which had been ordered to the left and was without support. The brigade, accordingly, was marched to a bill on the left, and in ad- vance of the former position .*
While marching up the slope of this hill they met a stray skirmisher, belonging to Reynolds' division, who was una- ware that his division had moved ; he came from the wood in front, and as he passed on to the rear, he reported that the enemy were advancing in force. A battery was posted
* General Sykes' Report. "Pope's Campaign " (No. 35, p. 146) : " The Pennsyl- vania reserves, under General Reynolds, had been posted on my left, south of the Warrenton pike. Just previous to the attack these troops were withdrawn, leaving my left flank entirely uncovered, and the Warrenton road open. Colonel Warren, 5th New York Volunteers, commanding my 3d brigade, seeing the paramount ne- cessity of holding this point, threw himself there with his brigade, the remnants of two regiments, and endeavored to fill the gap created by the removal of Reynolds."
Swinton (p. 1y0) : "General Reynolds' division was detached from the left of Porter by McDowell, and, with a portion of Rickett's division. placed sc as to check a flank maneuver that menaced to seize the Warrenton turnpike, which was the line of retreat of the whole army. Some other troops should have been taken rather than remove Reynold, from that position. But the detachment of Reynolds from Porter's left for that purpose, had an unfortunate result ; for it exposed the key-point of Porter's line.
"Colonel G. K. Warren, who then commanded one of Porter's brigades, seeing the imminence of the danger, at once, and without waiting for orders, moved for- ward with his sinail, but brave brigade of about one thousand men, and occupied the important position abandoned by Reynolds," etc.
1
:
273
Se ond Battle of Bull Run.
on the right of the brigade, and a little to the rear, and con- tinued its fire over the open space, between the woods be- fore mentioned, on the enemy's batteries beyond.
This new move of Warren's placed the brigade on the south side of the turnpike, which was on his right, and some distance from it, to the extreme left of our assaulting col- umns. On a hill to the rear, commonly called Bald Hill or Ridge, about twelve hundred feet away, was Colonel McLean, commanding a brigade, consisting of four regi- ments and a battery of four guns, and in his vicinity was Colonel Anderson, in command of Jackson's brigade, Rey- nolds' division, composed of four regiments and a battery.
The 5th Regiment was drawn up facing a wood which ran down near their position to a distance of from thirty to ten feet, and again to the rear on the left ran along at nearly right angles. Company I, on the left, were mostly in the wood ; a little to the right of the regiment was the boundary of the timber land, and then came the open space stretching back some distance, and also across to the wood on the north side of the pike.
Directly to the rear was an open field, which sloped down to a brook, the banks of which were quite steep. The water varied in depth from one to six or eight feet, and was skirted by some light timber on the other side of the stream ; then came Bald Hill or Ridge, on the slopes of which was scattered a scant growth of bushes.
Six companies of the roth New York were posted in the woods, in front of the left wing of the regiment. The re- maining four companies were sent out as skirmishers. About this time Butterfield, on the north side of the pike. having made his arrangements, moved toward the enemy with his own and Martindale's brigade, of Morell's division, and attacked them with great spirit, supported by Sykes' regulars ; but instead of being on the retreat, the enemy were strongly posted in an old railroad cut, which shielded
12%
274
Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
them to a great extent from his fire ; and although he main- tained himself with great gallantry for some time, aided by the regulars, and made three assaults, he was finally obliged to retire, suffering a loss of one-third of his command. At the most critical moment of this attack, the Confederates on the left, under Longstreet, who had been 'masked, biding their time, opened a heavy fire of shot and shell from a bat- tery posted on a commanding eminence, which enfiladed his line, and which decided the contest, so far as his attack was concerned .*
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.