USA > New York > Camp fires of the Twenty-Third: sketches of the camp life, marches, and battles of the Twenty-Third Regiment, N. Y. V. Added to these are statistics of enlistments and all valuable information connected with the regiment > Part 9
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Ilis original plan was undoubtedly a good one, and had the pontoons arrived at Falmouth with the head of the colum, as was expected and doubtless promised. bis undertaking would have proved successful be-" jond a doubt, and long ore this he would have gained a great adven- tage over the enemy, and made some progress toward Richmond. But the bridges not being there. and failing to arrive until after the rebels had seen his design, and before his eyes had prepared for him by erect-
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ing strong works on bluffs which are so strong by nature as to be almost impregnable, and massing their entire army behind them, it was in my judgment almost unpardonable in him to lead his army into the face of such a volcano of destruction, merely to appease the craving clamor of some fire-side newspaper patriots of the North, for I fail to see how he could hardly hope for a victory.
It would be idle for me to attempt a detailed description of the " butchering" with the few words I could employ for the purpose ; be- sides, you have doubtless read all the different accounts in the papers, and as far as that goes know more about it than myself, for I have read none of them ; in fact, it is an unpleasant theme for me, for you know when a fellow has had a fight and got whipped, he is like the boy the calf ran over, "Haint nothing to say," and is not very fond of relating the particulars how it occurred. The whole of it is told, wben I say that much the largest, if not the best army that has gone into battle on our side during this war, marched over the river and paraded and drilled around on that beautiful plain for three days and three nights for the butternut cusses to shoot at, until they were satisfied and seemed to have killed all they wanted to, when we sneaked back in the night to this side of the river again. 1
I knew the lay of the ground over there as well as I do that around Elmira ; and so do you. Major, if you remember, for our camp last sum- mer, in its different locations, covered almost the entire battle-field; and knowing it so well I was among the last to believe that we were to cross over at the point we did. It looked to me like a hazardous under- taking-one which any school-boy who had never heard of battles, af- ter viewing the ground from this side of the Rappahannock, could have advised General Burnside of the fallacy of attempting. You see that I, like all others, grow wonderfully wise and sagacious after the battle is over ; but let me say that my opinion was expressed and recorded as soon as I knew of the crossing. and long anterior to the battle. On Friday morning early all of General Franklin's left grand division was closely packed in the fog on the flats this side of the river previous to and pending the crossing, we being the last to cross, remaining on this side until about one-r.M. I had an opportunity of seeing and talking with a great many officers ; those with whom I spoke were almost all unanimous in the opinion that the enemy had left or were leaving, from the fact of their offering no resistance to our passage of the stream, for not a gun was fired, and it was as still as death. I insisted that un- less there was some strong movement being made from some other point, and of so formidable a character as to endanger their national capital (and I had no idea there was, although the rumor was current, and by many believed, that Fort Darling had fallen, and that a force
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of 80,000 was approaching Richmond from Suffolk, etc.), that they were not fools enough to fall back, as their present position was the strongest national defense they had this side of their elaborate fortifications around and in front of Richmond, and that if they dare not fight us where they were they could not afford to anywhere, and that Iknew the ground and position in which they and we would be in, and gave it as my opinion that they felt secure and confident of holding their ground, as they had a right to do, and that they were no less anxious that we should effect the cro-sing than we were ourselves, knowing that we would be upon a dead-level plain, without a particle of cover or protec- tion, and every man exposed and in range of their most distant guns.
We effected the crossing, the last of us getting over about two P.M. Sure enough, so reliant were they, that when our skirmishers were sent out to feel their position, they never fired a shot. but allowed them to come up close to them, even to conversational distance. told them (the skirmishers) to take their time and get fixed just as they wanted to, and says one of them, " To-morrow we will drive you into the Rappahannock, or you will drive us into hell." Our lines were formed without inter- ruption.
Notwithstanding all this disadvantage under which I felt we were la- boring. I still felt that we were to be successful, for we had the num- bers well equipped and provided for, and then the very desperateness of the undertaking led me to suppose the battle was to be fought on desperate principles. I do not think the battle was planned or fought right. I think. as you sometimes, Major, say, " West Point defeated us." or rather stood in the way of success. The battle was undertaken to be fought on those scientific principles which are supposed to be adopted when you are on something near equal terms with your enemy in num- bers and advantage of position. It was undertaken on the same prin- ciples of attack that Antietam and other engagements have been fought, and as I think most battles should be fought ; but a soldier. like experts in any other profession. should be able to govern his actions by circum- stances and his surroundings. In the position in which we found the enemy and ourselves on the field of Fredericksburg. I believe the plan should have been (if we had not time or inclination to lay a siege), and what I supposed would be done, was to have formed our lines, under cover of the night, close up to our picket line (which was well ad- vanced), in two or three close-sustaining lines of battle, according to the number of men. with the remaining troops in reserve and massed on the flank and center, with the artillery concentrated at each of the dif- ferent points where they could advance with the line, and at a given signal at day-dawn, with fixed bayonets, let the entire army loose like an avalanche upon their works, making our superior numbers, if we
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had them, tell upon them. I do not think there should have been a gun loaded until the crest had been carried. but let the men understand that they had the cold steel alone to rely upon, and they would have WENT IN. A man with a load in his gun is very apt to want to stop and go to shooting whenever he is fired upon ; whereas, every time he stopped to shoot, at Fredericksburg, the enemy had five-fold the advantage of him, he being entrenched, and the other in an open plain. I am of the opin- ion, had this plan been adopted. it would almost certainly have won ; we would have stood five chances out of six of defeating them in toto. True, it would have been running this hazard-it would have entirely ruined our army or the other ; either they would have been demolished, or we ourselves annihilated. But I supposed that was the plan, to end this war before the first of January. I never dreaded going into battle so much as I did crossing that stream ; but as soon as across I never was so willing to fight. I had no desire to come back until there had been a complete and decisive victory for one side or the other. I wanted the fighting ended on the spot, so far as these two armies were concerned, and, with all my dread of battles, was anxious to run my . share of the risk.
The way the battle was fought-by sending one column of attack at this point and another at that to receive the enemy's fire when at a given point from in front and an entilading fire from both flanks, their artillery in intrenched works and their infantry in rifle-pits sweeping our columns down like grass before the scythe-was very wrong. In this manner of attacking them they would have used up. in my opinion. an army of 400 000 men before we could have taken their works. It was the greatest scathing this army ever has taken, and the greatest wonderment to me is, that so many escaped unharmed. We had to lay and take it. There was nothing made by dodging, for their guns cov- ered the whole plain on which we stood. and we covered the entire area ; so that all they had to do was to shut their eyes and fire. for no shot conld fall in the valley without doing execution. They could do as well in the night as in the daytime : and did Saturday night on the extreme left, where old Stonewall sowed grape-shot broadcast over the plain until some time after dark. as the lamented old cook used to say when a scratch was made. " He on hit them as well where they haint as where they are." There was a perfect shower of solid shot, shell, grape- shot, shrapnell, log-chains, and railroad ties all Saturday afternoon.
It is remarkable how polite and respectful this soldiering makes a man. Now both of you know that I am naturally modest. not at all forward in my manners, and am not given to make much of a splurge upon strangers. yet when one of those whizzing cannon-balls came along, I seemed to owe to it that supreme respect, although it being an
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entire stranger to me, if it comes in recognizing distance, I inadvertently but respectfully bow to it. This seems to be a lesson in etiquette that all easily learn.
I hope General Burnside will not suffer materially by my severe criti- cism upon his conduct of the late engagement. If he feels bad. I will give him a written certificate, that, "with all his mishaps, I love him still." I think very highly of him as a gentleman and an officer, and had rather trust to him yet than any in the army of the Potomac. He is my favorite. He failed once. as the best will. If he leaves. Sumner is my next choice. I shall be happy to get, and shall expect an answer from you, gentlemen. either severally or jointly, or both.
I am, gentlemen, yours truly, H. C. HOFFMAN.
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CHAPTER XIX.
BELLE PLAIN LANDING.
A CHAPTER devoted to Belle Plain Landing is well, for what soldier of the Twenty-third will soon forget his mongrel cabin-half logs, half cellar, and the other half shelter tent ; the long winter evenings before the blazing fire ; the severe gnard duty ; the drill when off guard ; the courts-martial ; the longings for home ; the lagging days and weeks ere the expiration of our term of service ? The winter and spring of '63 were spent here. There were bright and beautiful days of sunshine and balmy, bracing breezes ; dark and gloomy days of cloud and fog ; cold, frosty days ; terrible stormy days, when the snow and sleet and rain came down upon us most unmercifully. Such days as the 22d of February, the occasion of the great snow-storm, will not be forgotten, especially by those who stood guard on the night of the 21st and day of the 22d. In contrast with this was the 19th of April, a day that would grace paradise.
The prevailing feature of Belle Plain is MUD. At times we literally waded in mud. Many horses and mules have sunk in the sloughs to die there ; men have barely escaped. Sand-walks and log-walks were finally put down, but outside of these the mud continued. At one time as many as twelve teams were hitched to each wagon, and with this force they would attempt the ruts and sloughs, and not unfrequently get mired.
Another feature of our stay here was " high living."
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Quartermaster Bingham (who, by the way, is a WORK- ING man) secured every possible luxury that comes in the line of rations. Added to this was the confiscated property of sutlers, which was usually distributed to the provost guard. There were also many conveni- ences and luxuries obtainable from the sutler boats in the harbor. In the spring the fishing season came on, and was improved with a vengeance. This bay is a noted fishing-ground, and yields some of the finest fish -shad, sturgeon, eels, perch, herring, etc. "Bobbing for eels" continued to be the pastime of the boys till our departure from the landing, and much rare sport it furnished.
As soon as the brigade was taken out of General Reynolds' corps, Colonel Crane returned to duty in the Twenty-third and took command of a detachment of four companies at what was then known as the Low- er Lauding. The following complimentary order was issued by General Reynolds in acknowledgment of the valuable services of the Colonel:
HEADQUARTERS 1ST ARMY CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Jan. 17th, 1963. GENERAL ORDER No. 10.
In returning Colonel Crane to his regiment, the Major-General com- manding takes this occasion to tender him his sincere thanks for the very efficient manner in which he has performed the duties of Assistant In- spector-General, as well as for the valuable assistance rendered him in carrying his orders on the battle-field.
By command of Major-General REYNOLDS.
C. KINGSBURY, JR., Lt. Col., A. A. G.
But the Colonel remained with us only a few weeks, when General Patrick demanded the assistance of his ready hand and willing heart in the arduous duties of his office, and obedient to the following order he re- signed his command into the hands of Major Gregg and proceeded to headquarters, where at the time of
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this writing he is still performing the duties herein mentioned :
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. OFFICE PROVOST MARSHAL GENERAL, March 4th, 1563.
SPECIAL ORDER No. 57.
Lieutenant-Colonel N. M. Crane, Twenty-third New York Volunteers, is hereby detailed to perform the duties of Deputy Provost Marshal Gen- eral upon the staff of the Provost Marshal General of the Army of the Potomac, and will report forthwith to this office for duty.
By command of Brig .- Gen. M. R. PATRICK. Prov. Marshal General.
J. KIMBALL, Assistant Adjutant-General.
Thus the weeks and months sped away, the grand preparations for advance were completed, and after in- numerable reports to that effect, " the army moved." By an order of General Hooker, the Twenty-third New York, with the other regiments of the brigade, were assigned to the defenses at Aquia and along the rail- road, with the injunction that " they are to be surren- dered under no circumstances whatever." Agreeably to the spirit of this order, on the evening of the 29th of April we packed our traps, passed on to the boat, and with nine hearty cheers bade good-bye to Pratt's Land- ding. The camps at the fortifications at Aquia were very pleasant and beautiful.
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CHAPTER XX.
" HOMEWARD BOUND."
TIME, the old veteran, at last brought round the close of the term of our enlistment, and obedient to the order of the War Department, preparations were made to re- turn home. The regiment in detachments had garri- soned the fortifications at Aquia during the fight at Chancellorsville, and for several days afterward. At the sound of booming cannon and the blaze of battle which could be distinctly heard and seen, the spirit of the Twenty-third was aroused, and many longed to go and help their noble comrades fight out the battle which all were sanguine must result in a great victory to our arms.
The Twenty-first New York preceded us. Before their departure the officers of the brigade assembled at Aquia Landing for the purpose of presenting a splendid set of silver plate to General Patrick, costing $1.200. Colonel Rogers, of the Twenty-first, being senior officer. presented the plate on behalf of the brigade, and in a plain, unvarnished specch expressed the esteem of the donors. The old gentleman was affected to tears at this unexpected expression of the confidence and high regard of the officers of his command. and thanked them in his own peculiar and earnest way. He had carned this testimonial, not by favor shown, but by the conscientious and rigid discharge of his duty, his noble and humane conduct on the battle field. The soldiers
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of his entire command have learned to love " Old Patsy," as they style him. The General expressed him- self very proud of the old brigade, and earnestly hoped that they would return under the old organization, in this the hour of our country's peril, and help end this bloody struggle. And indeed since the disaster to our army across the river, very many of the men feel that to go home now would be almost a mockery of the patriotism that led them to go forth at the first call, and with no hope of earthly reward for their country's defense, and they resolved to return after a short visit home.
The morning of the 11th was a bright and joyous morning. The anxious hearts that for two long years had waited our coming would soon be gladdened, for we were relieved from duty and packed our knapsacks for the homeward march. We embarked on board the United States mail steamer "John Brooks," and as we pushed from shore bade good-bye to " Old Virginia" and "red-visaged war" that bas made a desert waste of her fertile fields. We disembarked and passed to the barracks near the railroad dépôt, where we stopped for the night, and Colonel Hoffman allowed the regi- ment freedom to go about town for the purpose of making any little purchases that the men desired. The journey by rail from Washington was a cheerful one, but joy to the homeward-bound soldier is peculiar-it is mingled with grief. He is going home, but the bones of many a loved comrade and friend bleach on the bloody field he has left, and at the moment that joy overflows the heart, the poisoned barb of remembrance stings him and dries up the gushing fountain of joyous feeling.
A sad accident happened on the morning of the 13th,
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near Marysville. Captain Clark, of Company H, was climbing upon the top of the rear car just at the mo- ment the train was passing under a bridge. His face was turned from it so that he did not discover the bridge. It struck him on the back of the head and knocked him upon the rocks by the side of the road. It was some time before the signal to stop the team was un- derstood by the engineer. We turned back, but he was already dead, and the body was placed upon the cars. The delay compelled the train to put back to Marys- ville and wait for the down train. In about an hour we were again on our way. The people of Williams- port had not forgotten the Twenty-third, and notwith- standing the heavy rain that set in, they turned out in great numbers to greet us.
About half-past six o'clock in the evening the wel- come spires and green shade-trees of Elmira made their appearance, and as the train neared the town the bells sounded the welcome home. Dense crowds of people, heedless of the storm, lined the track and filled the windows and balconies of the houses from Southport to the dépôt, and as the train passed raised their shouts of joy. The regiment formed in line before the Delavan House, and Mayor Spaulding, on behalf of the citizens, gave the following eloquent address of welcome :
" COLONEL HOFFMAN : To you, and the gallant offi- cers and soldiers under your command, we extend a most cordial welcome home.
" A little more than two years ago was seen gather- ing over the political horizon of this hitherto prosper- ous and happy country a cloud ominous of evil, and threatening the disruption of a government more humane in its operations, more beneficent in its re- 8 Its. than any government the world ever saw.
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" Time rolled on, and the cloud, which at first seemed only a speck, gathered and increased, until at length the storm broke forth in all its fury, and Sumter fell.
"Our country's flag-the glorious stars and stripes- which for more than half a century had commanded the respect of the whole civilized world, was stricken down by the dastardly and bloody hand of treason.
" REBELLION against the best government the sun ever shone upon, THEN became a fixed fact. All the hor- rors of civil war, with its attendant evils and sacrifices, were before us.
"A scheme, gigantic in its proportions, for the dis- integration of the Union, and establishing by force a Southern Confederacy upon its ruins, became painfully apparent. The public mind, in view of the brazen wickedness on the part of the conspirators that could coolly plan, without any cause sufficient to justify them in the eyes of any civilized nation, the overthrow of our government, paused for a moment, amazed and dumb. NOT LONG, HOWEVER. Soon the patriotic fires of '76 warmed the life and animated the bosoms of both young and old, and the cry went forth, 'THE UNION AND THE CONSTITUTION. IT MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED.'
"Then it was that you, the gallant Southern Tier, came to the rescue. Then it was that you bade adieu to home and friends with all their endearments, and took up arms in defense of your country and the maintenance of the laws.
"Honor-all honor to the brave hearts who would sacrifice home, friends, the luxuries of wealth, ay, even life, to sustain the government of our country. No words of welcome we can extend to you can half express the gratitude your patriotic devotion deserves ;
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nor, sir, be assured, can words express the gratitude which is felt by the many citizens and friends who greet you here to-day. Their beaming eyes moistened by tears of gladness, and the fervent grasp of the hand, are more eloquent expressions of grateful hearts and true welcome than words can convey. But while we gladly welcome you, we can not repress the painful thought that there are hearts among us desolate and sad-that the mother who offered her son on the altar of her country (and our counry) has her joy mingled with grief, that her boy who went forth with you in all the pride of early manhood has been stricken down nobly fighting on the battle-field.
"Within the period of two short years what changes have come to the hearth-stones of many (very many) who greet you to-day! Cast your mind back to the day (nearly two years ago) when on this same spot your friends bade you 'good-bye,' and silently their prayers went up to that God ' who holds the nations as in the hollow of his hand,' for your safe and speedy return.
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" Where, now, are many of those manly forms and brave hearts? Ah! go and inquire on the bloody battle-grounds of Antietam and Fredericksburg. Look for the unmasked mounds where lie their bones, 'on the sacred soil of Virginia.' But, sir, great as is the cost in life and treasure, 'the Union must and shall be preserved.' The people can not afford at any cost to lose the benefits which would accrue not only to us, but to posterity, by a firm and united government to reach over all the States. Sir, although this re- bellion has assumed a magnitude colossal in its pro- portions ; although our wisest statesman have mis- · taken the strength and resources of the enemy; and
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although misfortune and defeat have and still do con- tinue to overtake us at every turn ; and although dark- ness as a pall now hangs over our distracted country, and no cheering ray of present success is seen to give 'us hope of the future, yet the time WILL and MUST come when the country will be again restored to peace -when these United States 'SHALL be ONE and IN- SEPARABLE."
" The TIME MUST come when the flag of our country shall wave in triumph over every State, from the At- lantic to the Pacific-from the Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. None must despair of our country. But let us fight on until we have secured the return to loyalty of the rebellious States, and shown to the world that a republican form of government possesses the inherent strength to maintain itself; that an enlightened and free people are able to maintain a government which has made us, as a nation, invincible against foreign aggression, and the admiration of the world."
Colonel Hoffman, in a few pithy and appropriate remarks, expressed the gratitude of the regiment. We can not better describe the receptiou than by giving the following extract from the Elmira Advertiser :
"But at last patience had its reward, and a little be- fore seven o'clock the whistle of the train was heard near the Junction, which soon drew in sight with nineteen cars packed full, drawn by two locomotives. From the railroad bridge to the dépôt continued vociferous cheers and shouts of welcome and reply went up, which were not restrained until the e Hant fellows had left the cars and were drawn up in double lines before the Delavan Honse, to listen to the address of welcome from Mayor Spaulding, who valiantly stood his ground on the balcony of the Delavan during one of the most
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drenching showers of the season. Colonel Hoffman briefly replied, and the procession immediately formed, led by the Elmira cornet band, followed by the civic societies, the firemen, trustees, and citizens, and then Wisner's band, leading the Southern Tiers, armed and equipped in marching order, a long file of car- riages, filled with the officers of the Twelfth and Twenty-sixth, bringing up the rear.
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