USA > New York > Cayuga in the field : a record of the 19th N. Y. Volunteers, all the batteries of the 3d New York Artillery, and 75th New York Volunteers > Part 25
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3D NEW-YORK VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY.
All the Batteries sustained a furious fire, and were hotly en- gaged from the 18th to the 21st. Warren's Corps at that time had gained the Weldon railroad on our extreme left, and was fighting to hold it.
The ISth Corps having relieved the roth Corps on the Ber- muda Hundreds lines, Battery K, on the 22d, marched thither, crossing the Appomattox at night. It got in just at daylight and ran four guns into Battery Marshall, at the central point of the lines. Two guns were placed in Fort McConihe, 200 yards in front and to the right of the others. The Battery became engaged at once. Its first shot entered a rebel embrasure ; it silenced the guns in fifteen minutes. It remained here till September 28th, in action constantly. To give an idea of the work done by the Battery, it may be stated that in the month of July it fired in action 1,511 rounds of ammunition ; in August, 453 ; consisting of fuze shell, spherical case and percussion shell,-in all, ten and a half tons of metal. The experience of the rest of the 3d New York battalion was similar in every respect.
Battery E after discharging from 50 to 250 rounds at the Chesterfield Battery and the town, until September Ist, with- drew from the lines and went into camp in the rear for rest.
August 23d, M occupied Fort Wilcox, near the crater of the Mine, and engaged the enemy only a few rods distant for two days. On the 25th, it went to Hatcher's farm, on Bermuda Hundreds, sending thence one section to Fort Anderson, in rear of McConihe, and two sections to north of the James, where it took position to defend our workmen employed in digging Butler's Dutch Gap Canal.
Battery E was brought up to the peninsula September 15th, relieving a regular battery at Cobb's Hill, which had been shelled out the day before. The rebels tried that on E next day, but found we had too heavy metal for them and they were discomfitted. Battery H came up to the peninsula from the Petersburg lines on the 25th.
The whole battalion had now concentrated on the Bermuda Hundreds defenses.
Having extended the left flank of his army to the Weldon Railroad by the victories of August, and secured the ground gained by impregnable intrenchments, Gen. Grant resolved on a further extension of that flank and simultaneous extension of the right. To Warren's Corps was committed the duty of the operations ou the left. That Corps did its duty bravely and well. To Butler, with his roth Corps, commanded by Birney,
257
CAPTURE OF FORT HARRISON. .
and the 18th Corps, now under Ord, constituting the Army of the James, was entrusted the work on the right. Butler accord- ingly crossed the James on the night of September 28th, at Aiken's landing, near the straggling little village of Varina. The following day, the 18th Corps, supported by Batteries H, M and K, 3d New York, with other artillery, advanced up the Varina road, and encountering the outer line of the defenses of Richmond, just below Chapin's Bluff, carried it by storm, in- cluding Fort Harrison, its principal work, capturing fifteen guns. The roth Corps assaulted on the New Market road and gained some trophies, while Kautz on the Charles City road charged nearly into Richmond. It was a day of desperate fighting and deeds of unrivaled valor. Our interest centers in the doings of the 18th Corps.
The artillery brigade followed the infantry of the corps in the road slowly up from the river. Our advance dispossessed the skirmishers of the enemy of four lines of rifle pits, one after another, and pressing on through a heavily wooded, deserted region, at length, three miles from the landing, confronted the main outer rebel line. A hill, commanding the road, was crested with the large work, Fort Harrison, mounting eight guns, and from it ran right and left a chain of intrenchments, running southward a mile and a half to the river, and northward inter- minably. Forming in the woods, the corps charged under a horrible fire, concentrated upon it not only by the rebel infantry and artillery posted behind the intrenchments, but the rebel rams in the river, which kept up a vigorous shelling. We carried everything. The rebels fled like sheep, leaving many prisoners in our hands. A section of Battery K, under Lieut. Starrin. followed the infantry in to the Fort. It went in on the run through the sally port. Before the pieces had fairly halted, the men sprang off from the limbers, unhitched the horses, and drove them off to a place of safety in the rear. This was a wise precaution, for the rebels had only retired from the Fort, which was open in the rear, to some log barracks, and they now as- sailed the new comers into the work with their shot. Had the horses remained, there would have been great slaughter amongst them. The guns of the section quickly opened with percussion shell at the barracks. Several of these destructive missiles were sent crackling through their walls. It stampeded the rebels in a moment and they evacuated and ran with singular unanimity and eagerness. The rebel rams and batteries in the enemy's second line of works, on the other side of the gully, in rear of Fort Harrison, were now throwing their iron into our
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3D NEW-YORK VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY.
position, taking many lives among the infantry. Gen. Burn- ham, among others, was killed, but by a bullet. He was in the act of rejoicing at a shot fired by one of K's guns at a signal officer, visible on Chapin's Bluff, driving him off, when the fatal ball pierced him and he fell lifeless. The two guns of K were then ordered to the rear. At 4 P. M. three of K's guns were then ordered up again.
A detachment of Battery M, under Sergt. Martin, took the works with the infantry and turned some captured guns on the retreating foe, firing seventy-five rounds of ammunition.
Butler attempted to carry the second line of the rebel works, · after capturing the first. A gallant charge was made, but it was repulsed by Gen. Field with a loss to us of 300.
The army encamped on the field of battle.
Butler's advance alarmed the Confederate authorities, beyond comparison with any preceding events of the campaign. Gen. Lee at once came up in person, while his Quartermaster rushed reinforcements in from Petersburg by train loads. Gen. Field wished to attack and retake the captured lines that evening, but he was over-ruled by his superiors, who put off the assault till · next day.
Next day the enemy found us fully prepared to receive him. When daylight dawned, a breastwork of rails, logs and earth had been thrown up across the open rear of Fort Harrison, and Battery K's six guns were ranged behind it with a strong sup- port of infantry. Battery H was in another part of the intrench- ments and the whole corps was judiciously and carefully dis- posed by Gen. Weitzel at important points.
At 2 P. M., the rebels emerged from some woods opposite the Fort, and formed in three columns, for an assault. They were the men of the divisions of Gens. Hoke and Fields. Fields formed opposite to the Fort, Hoke on his left. Owing to some misunderstanding among the rebel commanders, one brigade charged before the rest were ready, so that their assaults failed to be made simultaneously, and they were accordingly very badly cut up for their pains. As the brigade which charged on the Fort advanced, it had to descend into the gully before men- tioned as running in rear of the fort. As it descended the slope, our infantry and Battery K opened a rapid and accurate fire, which mowed the enemy down in swaths. The rebels came to within 200 yards. Their courage oozed out at that point and they ran back, leaving the ravine strewed with dead and wounded. Battery H did equally good service in its front. The rebel assaults, twice .renewed, were everywhere repulsed, but
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BATTLES AT FORT HARRISON.
not until they had immolated 2,000 men in the mad attempt on our lines.
Night fell on a bloody field ; but Fort Harrison and the in- trenchments had been held and saved, and a brilliant victory perched upon the Union banners. For saving the Fort, Battery K deserves to be accorded the principal honor.
Fighting was renewed on the 18th Corps's front the following day, October Ist, and again on the 2d, in which the artillery bore an active part. On the 2d, the rebels opened on Fort Harrison, (now called Fort Burnham,) with a mortar battery, on our working parties trying to throw up works. So many men were brought down by their fire that the survivors could hardly be kept at work. Forty were killed and the floor of a building converted into a hospital was covered with wounded. Battery K was invoked to silence the hostile battery, which it did with a few sharp, quick discharges. The infantry was the wildest lot of men on earth at the result. They commenced to cheer and the cheer went all along the lines. In a short time the mortars began again. K opened once more on them and reduced them to silence a second time. At night four guns of the Battery were moved to camp in rear of the Fort, the place being too ex- posed to the heavy shells of the rebel rams, which they were continually dropping in the vicinity of the works.
On the 7th, the enemy made a sally from Richmond and attacked Kautz's cavalry on the right flank of the army. After a brisk fight, the assault was repulsed. When the firing com- menced, Capt. Angel limbered up the four guns of K in camp and moved at once, without orders, to Fort Burnham and en- gaged the enemy until the battle on the right was over. The Battery remained in the Fort for a long time, and made itself comfortable quarters, a bomb proof and so on.
Butler's victory was of signal importance to our cause. It gave us the outer line of defenses of Richmond for several . miles, which we converted at once into a line of siege, and it placed us within easy striking distance of the city where we could await an opportunity to strike an effective blow. By re- quiring Lee to detach troops from his forces at Petersburg to defend Richmond, it materially aided Gen. Grant in all his offensive operations thereafter against Petersburg.
There now ensued a lull of three weeks in the larger opera- tions of the department. Mutual bombardment and picket firing alone relieved the monotony.
Ever since the taking of Fort Harrison, our left flank had been annoyed by the shells of a flotilla of rebel iron clad rams and
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3D NEW-YORK VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY.
gunboats in the river. A new fort was built on the bank of the river to surprise these boats and drive them off. It stood a mile above Dutch Gap Canal, on the north side, and was called Fort Brady. Into this, during the night of October 20th, Battery E was ordered from the Bermuda Hundreds lines. The guns were in position by daylight. At that hour the rams and gunboats came out from under a distant bank of the river. Battery E and two large guns in Fort Brady with it opened fire. The rams replied and also the rebel 100-pound Brooks Battery on the south side of the river. Our shot drove the wooden gun- boats out of range very soon. The rams stood our fire for an hour and a half, our zo-pound and 30-pound shells crackling on their iron armor like hail. At length the smoke-stack of one was nearly shot away, and one of our shells burst in the after- port of the Drewry, disabling seven men, and they all having been struck about twenty times apiece, they fled up stream, one by one, and sought safety beyond the range of our guns. Bat- tery E was subjected to a powerful shelling during the engage- ment and fought with determined bravery. The only man hurt was Michael Lynch, Capt. Ashby's Orderly, a brave, fine fellow, who, while on horseback, had his foot carried away by a 100- pound shell from the Brooks Battery. His horse was killed by the same missile.
The further services of the 3d New York Batteries in this department are briefly told.
Battery E, October 25th, moved to the vicinity of Fort Burn- ham. The right section went on to the lines, north of the work ; the left section, south of it, in Battery No. 2. November Ist, it marched to Camp Holley, at Spring Hill, on the right of the Darbytown road, on the extreme right of the 10th Army Corps, three miles north-west of Deep Bottom. Here it went into win- ter quarters. December 10th, the Battery was turned out by picket firing, and found that the rebel Field was making a recon- noissance in force. He came to within 300 yards of our lines. We opened on his picket and other parties wherever they ap- peared, firing 160 rounds. At night, the enemy retired. After that there were occasional alarms, but no more fighting till the close of the war.
Battery M, after the taking of Fort Harrison, remained on the lines of earthworks, north of the James, all winter. Most of the time it was at the fortified post of Deep Bottom, in an im- penetrable swamp on the extreme right of the Union line. In November, the latter part, it was on the Bermuda lines, and was in action several times. Marching thence, December 10th, one
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IN WINTER QUARTERS.
section took position at Camp Holley. Two sections went into Battery No. 8, near by. On the 12th, two sections moved to Batteries No. I and No. 2 on the main line of the siege, one section remaining at Battery No. 8. The material of which this command was composed was of the very best quality. Owing to the hardships of the service, the sufferings of the men in this campaign were sometimes severe. Exposed to inclemencies of the weather, through heat of summer and cold of winter, often without tents or shelter, in the trenches, at the outposts, on the march, situations all of them common, indeed, to all, they bore themselves, nevertheless, with peculiar courage, fortitude and devotion. They had a fighting Captain, and always stood by him faithfully and patriotically. They were splendidly disci- plined, too, and made one of the best batteries in the service. As evidence of this, it may be mentioned that during the winter of 1864, an order was issued by the corps commander, that a furlough of twenty days would be granted each week, to be given to him, who should be deemed the best soldier of each brigade by a board of three commissioned officers. In the ar- tillery brigade, the prize was given successively for several weeks to Capt. Howell's Battery, until an order from headquarters withdrew that Battery from the lists, that others might have a chance.
Battery H, after shifting its position on the Richmond lines several times, on the 31st of October put four guns in Fort Burn- ham and two in a battery near Fort Brady. December 4th, the Battery moved to a lunette fort on the main line, on the left of the New Market road, a mile from Fort Burnham, where it re- mained for the winter. Camp was pitched some distance in rear of the fort.
Battery K about the same time moved to a redoubt on the right of the same road, for the winter, camp being made of log huts in rear of the work, the caissons and horses being quar- tered at Spring Hill.
The winter slipped away quietly in the Army of the James, only now and then an event happening to create excitement. The 3d New York battalion received a large accession of new recruits, in drilling whom, and in regular camp duties and camp recreations, the time was principally spent.
Offensive operations were resumed in March, the rebels this time taking the initiative. Grant had in contemplation a strong, final effort to extend his left flank so as to surround Petersburg. when a tremendous assault was delivered at daylight of March 25th, on our batteries at the Hare house, by the rebel Gen.
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3D NEW-YORK VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY.
Gordon. It came very near cutting our army in two. Fort Stedman was captured and its guns turned at once on our own lines. But, taking advantage of a moment of hesitancy in the rebel attack, we charged back, drove the enemy out, and even advanced our own lines by the capture of a part of his. Then Grant took up the offensive. The bulk of the 19th Corps was quietly withdrawn from the Richmond lines, and all that could be spared of the whole army was massed on our extreme left. Then Grant struck out on the 29th, and a series of terrific bat- tles raged for four days on our left, while day and night our guns on the Petersburg lines kept up a rapid bombardment.
In our forces north of the James, commanded now by Weit- zel, the excitement day by day grew to be intense. All knew that the end was near at hand. The booming of Grant's guns, continuously heard, showed that the army was gaining ground. And though the rebels in our front played bluff to the extent of their power, and strove to keep up an appearance of being pres- ent in force, their bands playing on all sides at night, and bodies being constantly marched in plain sight to and fro, yet they could not conceal that they had sent the last man that they dared to, to reinforce Lee in the fight with Grant. Officers and men went out every night to watch the bombardment of Peters- burg, one of the most brilliant spectacles ever seen in any war. On the night of Sunday, April 2d, all were on the qui vive. The bombardment was unusually brisk. We could see the flash of every gun and the track of every shell. Mysterious signal- ing went on along the rebel lines continually. Rockets rose from Richmond, and signal lights waved in succession at sta- tions, going south till lost in the distance, with rockets inter- mingled here and there. Back again the signaling would come, and so till late in the night, and mystery and expectation filled the air. One of the officers of Battery H, 3d New York, while at the redoubt under his command, saw a bright light in the di- rection of Richmond, and soon after saw a stream of fire shoot into the air, followed by a boom and jar that shook the ground. These explosions continued, and it seems that they came to the vigilant ear of Weitzel. Our pickets were ordered to advance and capture a rebel, and at last by that agency and from contra- bands who came in from Richmond, we learnt, with unspeakable rapture, that Richmond and Petersburg had been evacuated. The tidings flew along the lines like wildfire, and the troops cheered and shouted like mad as they learnt the glorious news, and excitement prevailed everywhere.
Capt. Angel, Chief of Artillery on Weitzel's staff, now re-
CAPTURE OF RICHMOND. 263
ceived orders to march at daylight with Battery K and the 5th Pennsylvania Battery, as escort to the 3d Division, 24th Corps, (colored,) by the New Market road to Richmond. Weitzel waited till daylight for fear of rebel torpedoes in the road, and then ordered the advance.
The march into Richmond was a race. The regiments of the 24th Corps strove to outstrip each other on the road and the two batteries did the same. And a pretty adventure it led to; too, on the part of the latter. The batteries plying whip and spur at length got ahead of the infantry and found themselves abreast and going down hill on a lively trot towards a suburb of Rich- mond, called Rockets. At the foot of the hill, a stream crossed the road, and the bridge over it was not large enough for two. Battery K used the lash freely and made a rush for the bridge, and by dint of exertion managed to crowd the Pennsylvanians away from it so effectually as to capsize one of their guns and caissons with the teams into the creek. The rest of their train came up standing, while Battery K thundered on by them in triumph. Gen. Devon viewed this proceeding, however, with some impatience. He rode up and made a few highly spiced remarks about going into an enemy's city artillery in front, and Battery K was accordingly reined up until the infantry came up and took the advance. It then resumed the march and was the first battery of Federal artillery in Richmond.
The city was on fire as we entered, having been kindled by the rebels previous to evacuation. The main business street was falling in ruins its whole length. Gen. Weitzel had already arrived and the populace thronged the streets and waved their hats and handkerchiefs and cheered a welcome of great friendli- ness. The colored people's joy knew no bounds and they were very demonstrative.
We cannot here dwell on the particulars of the occupation of Richmond. They are better told in the more pretentious histories of the war. We may say, however, that the city was at once placed under martial law and the artillery did guard duty till order was restored, the flames subdued and the troops from the fortifications brought up to garrison the place. Bat- teries E, H and M were all brought up as soon as possible and the battalion of the 3d New York thus once more consolidated.
The battalion camped in the city. Here it remained till ordered home for muster out. A portion of the time Battery E and one other battery were stationed in Manchester across the river.
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3D NEW-YORK VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY.
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1
. XV.
IN THE ARMY OF THE OHIO.
Schofield in North Carolina-Sherman's Engineers Studying up the Bridge Question -Stewart's Map-Band-Box Artillery-The Movement on Goldsboro-At Wise's Forks-Intrenching in the Woods-The Desperate Assaults of Hoke " -- The Band-Box Artillery Repulsing a Surprise-In Kinston-Advance to Goldsboro-Foraging-The Signal Guns-Sherman's Burnmers -- Junction with Sherman-Advance to Raleigh-Surrender of Johnston-The Great Review-Return to Newbern-Schofield's Farewell.
The closing scenes of the war in North Carolina now engage our attention, and our narrative returns to that State. We are now to glance at the brave services of five companies of the 3d Artillery, with the forces of Gen. Schofield, in co-operation with the forces of Gen. Sherman.
And first a few general incidents and remarks. Butler having failed in November, 1864, to capture Fort Fisher, commanding the entrance to the harbor of Wilmington, N. C., Gen. Grant sent Gen. Terry, with the 10th Army Corps, 10,000 strong, to make a second attempt in January, 1865. Terry was entirely successful. He assaulted the fort on January 25th, and carried it, after a bloody and terrible fight. This was the first important incident of the year in North Carolina, and it had a direct bear- ing on the campaign about to be inaugurated by Gen. Sherman, with the full concurrence of Gen. Grant.
Sherman, then at Savannah, was soon to "dive into the inte- . rior again and disappear from view." In a letter to Gen. Palmer, he said, "Goldsboro is the strategetic point I shall aim to
265
GETTING GUNS FOR NEW BATTERIES.
secure in North Carolina." Anticipating that after his march through South Carolina, he would be in need of clothing and subsistence, he desired to establish himself, after reaching North Carolina, at some point where he could have railroads to the coast to supply him with all the articles he needed. At Golds- boro he would have them, two in number, one to Newbern, one to Wilmington, and Terry was sent to Carolina to make the latter sure, by capturing its terminus, and then by advancing at the proper time to Goldsboro, and opening it up to travel. Terry remained quietly at Fort Fisher for some weeks after his victory, waiting for further developments.
The District of North Carolina had been commanded since. April 25, 1864, by Gen. Innis N. Palmer. In January, 1865, by order of the War Department, it was separated from Butler's Military Division of the James, and transferred to the Depart- ment of the South, under the authority of Sherman. Gen. J. G. Foster took command of North Carolina as part of that de- partment, January 16th. Gen. Palmer, however, retained com- mand of his District, now called District of Beaufort, having under him at Newbern and in the State, about 5,000 men. Among the number were five Batteries of the 3d Artillery, viz : A, C, D, G, and I, each having 180 men, or 900 in all. All were mounted, except Battery A. I, being an old company, had had guns for some time, and C, D, and G had obtained arma- ment through the efforts of Col. Stewart, who, it may be said by the way, had no little difficulty in getting it, especially for D and G. His requisition for guns had been approved by the Generals commanding the district and department, but for some reason it encountered the opposition of Secretary Stanton, and fresh efforts only served to make the iron Secretary obstinate. But Col. Stewart had set his heart on mounting the new batteries, and he very seldom made up his mind to a thing of this sort without effecting his purpose. Horses, picked up here and there, were given to the batteries to learn the riding-school drill, and the Colonel resolved to see the President. Leaves of ab- sence were not granted then. So he managed to be sent to Washington as bearer of dispatches. Arriving in that city, he went first to the arsenal, to assure himself that guns were to be had. He then called on the President. Mr. Lincoln looked on the Colonel's application with favor, and, remembering the early history of the regiment, detained the Colonel for half an hour to hear the recital of its subsequent campaigns and brilliant ser- vices. He was profoundly interested, and concluded the inter- view by writing a few words on a slip of paper, which he asked
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