USA > New York > History and personal sketches of Company I, 103 N.Y.S.V., 1862-1864 > Part 9
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From this time he remained with the company, sharing its privations, participating in all engagements or actions till he was mustered out about two months after the expiration of his term of three years enlistment. Com- rade Dickerson was a brave, trustworthy soldier, never flinching from duty or danger. He was honorably dis- charged at New York City, March 17, 1865, and re- turned to his home.
He worked on farm and engaged in teaching school several years, went to Dakota and engaged in fruit farming.
GARDNER A. LONGWELL.
Gardner A. Longwell, son of John and Margaret ( Gard- ner) Longwell, of Rutland township, Tioga county, Pa . was born in Sussex county, N. J., Sept. 15, 1825. A few years later his father moved to Bellville, Canada, where he lived till about 1537. The family then moved to Bradford county. Pa., where he purchased a farm and worked it for a number of years-probably less than ten Selling out his farm the father moved to Rutland, Tiog: county, Pa., where he again purchased a farm. The father died about a year after this, and the subject of this
sketch took up the burden of responsibility and care of his mother, clearing up the farm and adding improve- ments year after year. He early showed a disposition to buy and sell farm stock, which has been a characteristic of his life to the present time.
He has always been a farmer, and has followed that vocation, owning different farms in Rutland and Rich- mond townships, more on the line of raising, buying and selling stock than other lines of husbandry.
March 27, 1878, he married Mrs. Sarah A. Marley, daughter of Thomas and Matilda ( Wilson) Jeradd, of Mansfield, Pa., by whom he had two children, viz .: Thomas Herbert, who died at less than three years of age, and Harry Willis, who lives with his father.
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About the time of marriage Comrade Longwell moved to a farmi about two miles east of Mansfield, where he still resides. Mrs. Longwell died January 12, 1892.
He enlisted at Elmira, N. Y., January 25, 1862, in Capt. Crosby's Company "I," 103rd N. Y. Vols. March 21st he went from Elmira with the company. At Washing- ton, D. C., it joined the regiment, and April 1st was at Newberne, N. C., just captured from the enemy by the expedition under Gen. Burnside. Comrade Longwell served with the company till September, 1862.
LUCIUS L. FLOWER.
Lucius L. Flower was born in Newark, Tioga County. His father, of English ancestry, was born at Feeding Hills, Mass. His mother, whose maiden name was Clara Hoagland, was of Dutch descent, and was born at Berk- shire, Tioga County, N. Y. In 1848 his parents moved to Mecklenburg, N. Y., but the next year settled at Rey- noldsville, same county, where he attended the public school as circumstances would permit until at the age of nineteen years, he enlisted January 24, 1862, at Elmira,
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N. Y., in Company I, 103d Regiment, New York Volun- teers.
This sketch is intended to describe something of the ex- perience of the writer, as well as other members of the same company, as may be deemed necessary:
The company was quartered on West Water Street, El- mira, in a brick building that was then known as "Cold Spring Brewery," and ate at the hotel diagonally across the street to the right, now called the West End. They had old mattresses placed on the floor to sleep on, which caused much grumbling at the time. The company left Elmira on March 21st, and joined the regiment at Meri- . dian Hill, Washington, D. C. This regiment was com- posed mostly of Germans, who although good soldiers were not as congenial companions to those as of the same nationality. They here received their guns and full equip- page of a soldier, and drew from the commissary their first genuine soldier's ration of coffee and "hard tack." When they left their camp on March 25th Secretary of State Seward delivered a short address and presented a United States battleflag, also a State flag, to the regi- ment.
The trip to Annapolis, Mld., was made in cattle cars. where they arrived on the morning of the 26th of March. Here the subject of this sketch performed his first duty as a soldier, and to illustrate his idea of military duty it may be said that his orders were not to allow anyone to pass on board the boat or scow without a pass, and it took the sergeant of the guard, the officer of the day, the quartermaster sergeant, and several swearing German cooks to convince him that the boys wanted their break- fast. Here, while the regiment was being transferred to the large Steamer Ericson, Private Herman Wager dic; from poisoning, the first death in Company I. After .. stormy vovage and a general casting up of accounts all around. the regiment was landed at Newberne, N. C., on
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April 1st, joining General Burnside's old Ninth Army Corps, and engaged in doing picket duty and getting uscd to army life. Here Colonel Eglofistein organized about 140 men as a mounted guerilla squad and made a raid on Pollocksville, situated a few miles southwest of New- berne, where they lost several in killed and wounded, the Colonel himself being severely shot in the leg resulting in amputation. His horse was killed under him. Their re- turned to eamp with a long line of negroes, cattle, and mules hauling wagons, containing the wounded in their bloody clothes and dirt-begrimmed faces, wearing that peculiar expression of suffering characteristic of the wounded, gave an impression of dread and foreboding that was only dissipated by a larger experience with scenes of a like nature.
After a week doing outpost picket duty at Evans Mills, some seven miles from Newberne, Company I. with Com- panies E and K of the 103d Regiment, were ordered to Hatteras Island for garrison duty. This proved to be a very unhealthy location for the boys of the company, many of them being sick and a number of them succumbed to the malaria and typhoid from the contaminated at- mosphere, among them being 2d Lieutenant W. L. Dud- ley and First Sergeant Simeon E. L. Wilbur. Here the thermometer registered 110° to 130° in the shade for sev- eral days. On September 7th the three companies of the 103d Regiment left Hatteras Island to join the regiment already in the Army of the Potomac, going via Roanoke Island and Ship Canal to Norfolk and Fortress Monroe; thence up the Potomac River to Washington. On the 28th they left the Capital City, and joined the regiment near the mouth of Antietam Creek, Md., two days later. This was the first real marching they did, and they being unused to it made the knapsack much heavier. They had no tents, so slept in the open air until October 21st, suf- fering from cold. chilly nights and heavy rains. On the
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7th of October they marched over the mountains and en- camped at Pleasant Valley, Md., only five or six of Con- pany I keeping in the ranks. They remained at this camp till the 2Sth of the month, when they marched forward. crossing the Potomac near Knoxville, and encamped about one and one half miles south of Lovettsville, Va. From there the route was towards Leesburg, through Unionville and Uptonville, encamping on the other side of the railroad beyond Rectortown; thence through Orleans. where they skirmished for Johnnies. and encamped about one mile south. On the 7th of November they moved camp about four miles during a snow storm, and en- camped near Parker's Mills. Homer Case fell out of the ranks just after leaving camp, and was never heard from again. It was supposed he perished in the storm. The chief characteristic of this campaign at this time seems to have been a lack of food, extreme chilly rains, snows and mud, and a general played out condition of all hands, including the mules, and to keep the men from getting homesick they were marched out about a mile from camp to lie on the ground over night and marched back to their old camp next day.
On the 14th of November Comrade Flower was detailed to do guard duty at General Getty's headquarters, and the next day when the regiment marched toward Freder- icksburg, he was left as safeguard at a residence, but fol- lowed on through mud and rain, rejoining the company on the 26th. For his Thanksgiving dinner he had one "hard tack" roasted, followed by a few days of pour health, not so much on account of the stomach being overloaded as on account of the general run down condi- tion. caused by the hardship of active military campaign at this season of the year.
The pontoon boats having arrived on the night of the 10th and morning of the 11th of December. General Hooker's command crossed the river abont 10 o'clock of
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that day and occupied Fredericksburg, and for the next three days were entertained by Longstreet's forces on Mayres Hill, creating history for future generations. The ground was like a plowed field, as it was raked by shot and shell, one of which caused him to turn a somersault by tearing through the ground under his feet, but on re- gaining the use of his legs and having a dread of being shot in the baek, he forged ahead and found the regiment lying on the ground for the purpose of shielding them- selves from the terrible fire of musketry.
The next advance they gained cover under a bank, and waited for other troops to come up on their left. A New Hampshire regiment could not stand the ordeal and took to their heels. The line being broken, the regiment re- mained in the same position until dark, when they re- turned to town. Repeated efforts were made to connect with their line, but the effort proved futile, as the firing would be so intense at such times that the air was filled with dirt as well as lead, and he remarks that he never hugged old mother earth so close before. He realized they were whipped and that badly, as they fell back among the heaps of dead with the ground slippery with blood and the sickening smell attending it, but was con- soled by the thought that they had done as well as they could and thanked God they were left to try again. On the night of the 15th of December the regiment recrossed the pontoon bridge, and returned to the old camp to re- sume the routine of camp and guard duty. With rain, mud, and snow, and cold, freezing weather, he notes that on the 19th six men froze to death on the picket line along the river.
On the 6th of February the regiment broke camp and Went by rail to Acquia Creek, there took the Steamer Hero to Fortress Monroe, and the next day landed at Newport News. They were assigned barracks, with
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nothing to do but drill, go on fatigue, inspections, have the ague, the itch, and kill lice.
So far very little has been said about the rations re- ceived or the manner of cooking. The principal rations were "hardtack," coffee and sugar, salt pork, beef and beans; also at times rice, which, though generally good, was often spoiled in cooking. Split peas were generally ripe and full of little black bugs, though the process of splitting was supposed to prevent the larva from hatch- ing. Occasionally a dried mixture called "dessicated veg- etables" was issued, packed in boxes like plug tobacco. It was made up, as near as could be conjectured, of cab- bage leaves, turnips, carrots and numerous other unrec- ognizable substances. These, when boiled in a sheet-iron kettle and well scorched, looked like good, rich hog- feed, and, together with the flies it usually contained in solution, was a big load for the stomach of a soldier. They also drew molasses, occasionally bacon and ham. When in camp for winter or in permanent quarters, the Commissary could issue rations of soft bread and fresh beef, which was usually very good, as the bread was baked in ovens built by the troops for the purpose, and the beef was killed near by as wanted for use. At times. but very seldom, rations of codfish, onions or potatoes were issued, but of these the rank and file got but little. The officers' mess seem to be well supplied. The same about whisky, and if there is any luxury left out in this enumeration, any old soldier knows it can be found in the officers' mess. .
The company cook was an individual unique in many respects. In the stirring times of which we are writing the Examining Boards accepted men that were not quite up to the standard in all cases. Sometimes his legs were crooked, and he spoiled the looks of the line when os dress parade. Possibly he was near-sighted, or perhaps lacked just a little in mental calibre. Then again he
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might be one of those whole-souled, big-hearted individ- uals, one of those whose heart occupied so much room that there was no place left for "sand." Such men were sometimes detailed for company cook, and never were men more careful to follow the old adage, to keep on the right side of the cook. His "kit" consisted of an axe, and from none to half a dozen sheet-iron kettles, which were carried in the regimental baggage wagon, together with his personal effects. This applied to such times as when the troops were in heavy marching order. On pitching camp at night his first work was to make sure of his ket- tles. If he did not, they would invariably be lost or bor- rowed by some other cook, in which case he must do as others had, borrow, beg or steal, Two stakes driven in the ground, with a pole across from one to the other, completes the outfit for the kettles, in which are cooked the meat, the bean soup and the indispensable coffee, using water from the nearest swamp, creek or spring. Sometimes the kettles were washed. but oftener not. As to sanitary conditions, he neither knew nor cared. He could tell a snakeif he saw it in his kettle and would emp- ty it out, but when it came to microbes or fever germs he had .vet to hear of them.
On March 14th the regiment left Newport News by steamer for Norfolk, thence by railroad to Suffolk, Va. On arrival, Comrade Flower was detailed for guard dur- ing the night, being now once more in the Eastern Depart- ment under the command of General Peck. Here the brigade comprised the 103rd Regiment, the 9th N. Y. Volunteers, better known as "Hawkins' Zouaves," and the 8th N. Y. Vols. The three regiments could probably turn out ten or twelve hundred men. It was here that Licut. Col. Kimball, of the Zouaves, was shot dead by General Corcoran, a cowardly and unwarranted act.
From this time, during the time the rebels beseiged Sut- folk. the regiments moved out to the breastworks and
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lay under arms constantly, or stacked them in line, ready at a moment's notice. On the 24th of April a re- connoissance was ordered, in which the 103rd was in- cluded. After a sharp skirmish the enemy was driven back. On Sunday, May 3rd, Comrade Flower, with his company and regiment, with several others, crossed the Nansemond river and attacked the enemy in their entrench- ments, west of the town, but were held in check by a bat- tery in a neck of woods on the right flank. In the effort to dislodge it, they lost their Colonel and several other officers and men. For several hours thereafter there seemed to be no one in command, but instinctively, or from a habit acquired by constant training, they would not move without orders, but covered themselves behind any object that would afford any protection, keeping up the firing whenever an opportunity presented itself. each man being commander of his own force, as it were. During this afternoon a United States gunboat in the river, firing at the rebel battery over the heads of our troops, dropped its shells short of the mark, they burst- ing within our own lines. Flower might have been seen. when this gunboat fired. to flop to the rebel side of the stump behind which he was sheltered, then back again after the Yankee shell had exploded. The next day the rebels had evacuated our front and were reported on their way to Chancellorsville.
During the past month the regiment had been quartered in shelter tents, but on Tuesday, May 6th, they again oc- cupied their old eamp with "A" tents, sometimes called wedge tents. These were made to accommodate four to six men, and when elevated on posts four feet above the ground, and enclosed at the bottom with pieces of shelter tent, made a very good wall tent. In these bunks were built, and sometimes a small fireplace constructed of sticks and mud.
It is not to be expected that these privations and ex-
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posures were passed through without more or less sick- ness, and, to illustrate this point, Comrade Flower gives · a few extracts from his diary about this time :
Tuesday, May 5th, 1863 .-- It is wet weather, with : plenty of mud. Have an awful headache.
May 6th-Occupied our old camp and big tents, which we appreciate. Had an ague chill.
May 7-Had an ague chill.
May Sth-It is cold and foggy. Colonel Ringold's re- mains were sent to New York to-day. Had an ague chill.
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May 9th-Weather fair. Had no chill, but am tired and cannot take my rations. Ordered to be ready to move camp to-morrow.
May 10th-Struck tents and marched four miles down and one mile back from the river (Nansemond). Wood- ticks are plenty, and I am sick.
May 11th-Raised our tents four feet from the ground and built bunks to sleep on. The air is sultry. Can scarcely sit up. Had a chill.
May 12th-It is hot. Am sick with the ague. Went on picket at 9 o'clock p. m., to relieve the 4th Rhode Is- land regiment.
May 13th-Came in from picket about sunset. It rained nearly all day.
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May 14th-Moved camp near the river, in rear of Fort Connecticut. One company is detailed to guard Fort Excelsior. I am sick and weak with the aguc.
May 13th-Made our tents a little more comfortable. No chill but mighty tired.
May 16th-Hotter than Hades and everything smells bad.
May 17th-Went to sick call this forenoon. The doctor gave me an opium pill.
The above shows the grade of doctor in the regiment. The men, as a general rule, had to tough it out. Occa-
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sionally he got excused from duty, but not often. The duty here was drilling, artillery practice, working on the fortifications, doing picket duty, fighting flies and flea> and keeping the darkies all at work. He helped to mount three thirty-two pounders and the same number of twen- ty pounder rifled guns and two ten-inch mortars. More guns came down from Suffolk the next day, and it began to look quite like fortifications again.
On June 22 the regiment left the camp near Ports- mouth, Va., in light marching order, that is each soldier carried his gun and cartridge box with its forty rounds of ammunition, with sixty rounds more in the haversack, and when you consider that in this case they were 64- calibre it is quite easy to understand that with canteen. haversack with rations, blanket, etc., it would become a heavy load before night in a long day's march. Every one carried just about what he chose in the way of cov- ering. If too much he was sure to throw it away on the march. For rations on such marches they generally drew "hardtack" and ground coffee. Nearly every sol- dier had an ordinary tin fruit can, with a bit of wire for a bail, in which they cooked their coffee by suspending the cup over a small fire by a stick or possibly his musket and bayonet held in his hand. While carrying it was suspended to the outside fastening of the haversack.
In one of the last named camps there took place what might be termed hunger versus authority. The cook of Company "K" was very bow-legged, so much so that the boys called him "bullfrog." The Colonel ( Heme). being quite fat and corpulent, they called him by the same name, just for fun. So on the morning in question, as the men sat around their little fires cooking their coffee, the order was given to i'll into line and march away. The could have been heard the cursing of many hungry men. and but few were inclined to obey. They were told by their officers that the "rebs" were coming and woukd!
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gobble them up, but they only grabbed their guns, sar- ing: "Let them come; we are going to have our coffee," and have their coffee they did. Then as they got in lire and marclied away they called out "Bullfrog! Bullfrog!" in the various accents in which frogs are want to croak. The Colonel asked one of the officers near who they meant, and was mformed it was him, whereupon he turned around in his saddle and called out: "You may call me bullfrog as much as you like, but when I fiddle you have got to dance." This called out a terrific storm of yells and croaks. However, the incident passed off without further demonstration, and they bivouaced for the night at "White House, ' after passing through Lanesville. From White House the regiment marched to Williamsburg, Yorktown. Big Bethel, Hampton, and from thence went back to their old camp near Ports- mouth, Va.
On the steamer, while going from Portsmouth to Fol- ley Island, S. C., Comrade Flower thus narrates a cir- cumstance: "The sutler had smuggled some five barrels of beer on board, with a lot of other stuff, which the men found, and by representing to the Colonel that it was spoiling on account of the roll of the ship; that officer ordered it dealt out to the men. Of course the mien drank with a gusto, at the same time appropriating all the rest of his goods to their own use. Your humble ser- vant, rather than see it wasted, scoured a piece of cheese, a plug or two of tobacco and some other little things not necessary to mention."
After reaching Folley Island, S. C .. he says his experi- ence with heavy artillery was limited, but he was soon to be initiated into its mysteries, or rather its effects, for on the evening of August 3rd they went over to Morris Island and into the famous parallels in front of Fort Wagner to relieve other troops who had been supporting the batteries. About the first thing he saw was what he
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thought was a sky rocket rise from a rebel fort. Some one called out, "Cover, Johnson !" At the same time I:e heard the report of the mortar gun and the horrid screach of the ten-inch shell, which seemed to go slower and howi louder. He doubled up for a dive into the little bomb- proof, but did so without effort, as the shell burst close to the ground behind him, landed him head foremost into it among three or four others. The force of the explosion lifted the top of the bomb-proof, letting the sand in on top of them.
These parallels or breastworks were built in a zigzag . manner across the island, each time running a little nearer Fort Wagner, the objective point. The Union siege guns were planted in these wherever it was thought best, and the troops lay in front of them to protect them in case of attack by rebel infantry.
On the night of August 14 Flower was hit on the foot by one of these Union shells exploding prematurely. No one took any great pleasure in laying in those trenches from morning till night without shelter, the sun shining so hot that a fairly good quality of coffee could be steeped in the sand in a short time. No one dared to show so much as a hand above the breastwork. To illustrate: There was what was called the "Water Battery" on the right, the guns being on a floor raised three or four feet above the beach. While the tide was out he crawled under to have a good look at the fort, etc .. but the bul- lets came plowing through, tearing up the sand on either sile of him. The boys soon became accustomed to this continaal dropping, and could lay down and sleep quite well. This familiarity with danger would often produce examples of bravery and foolhardiness that was astonish- He has in mind seeing a man in a magazine filling Shall be the light of a candle stuck on a cracker box i in at & t him, dipping the powder from an open keg wi ... a tin can, and at the same time smoking a pipe. He saw all be cared to see in a short time and withdrew to the
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open air, where he breathed easier, although there was now and then a rebel shell in the immediate vicinity. On September 20th he went with the men of his company who were reported able to do duty to Little Foller or Long Island, lying between Folley and James Island. It was surrounded by marsh and covered with all kinds of vegetation, thousands of gnats and musquitoes that had a wonderful fondness for Yankee blood, and many a time he might have been heard saving over and over his little piece to them while he mashed hundreds of them in his vain efforts to maintain supremacy. He was on picket about every other day and night, with fatigue duty dur- ing the rest of the time, of course having a few chills of ague to relieve the monotony.
On the 24th of October the detail returned to the regi- mental camp on Folley Island, where it was picket and guard, fatigue and drill. laving at the breastworks the odd nights just to fill in the time. Sometimes there was a little variation as on October 28 his tent inate, Michael Powers, unable to stand the strain any longer, put the muzzle of his gun to his mouth and blew his brains out.
On Thanksgiving day the colonel read a chapter in the Bible and made a prayer, then marched the boys to the Quartermasters and gave each one a drink of whisky.
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