USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 23
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126
CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.
In January regular and thorough company and battalion drills were instituted and maintained, and the regiment soon became as expert as regu- lars. Here the regiment lay through the winter. On the 9th of May 1862, the rebels evacuated and burned Pensacola, including the navy yard. New Orleans had been captured, and General Butler could now easily obtain forcible possession of Pensacola, with its valuable stores. These, so far as possible, the enemy removed, the balance was abandoned and burned. The main force from Santa Rosa then moved over to Pensacola and established themselves there in comfortable quarters, without opposition, gladly exchanging the Sahara-like island, for the cheerful inland verdure. Here they found solid earth to tread upon, welcome shade to exclude the fierce rays of the sun and, as regarded physical comforts, the men were well provided for. Here they remained nearly four months. Major Babcock was provost- marshal and Captain Dwight served on General Arnold's staff, as Assistant Adjutant-General and Assistant Inspector-General ; and Chaplain Hud- son took possession of the Episcopal church edi- fice in which to hold the regimental services.
With a wily General in his vicinity, having a force superior to his own, General Arnold knew the hazards of his position and took the precau- tion to fortify it carefully. He sent out frequent reconnoitering parties in search of information, and foragers for whatever would contribute to the sustenance of the army. He acted on the con- viction that he was in an enemy's country and that it was all right to sustain his men upon its available resources. Cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, and the fruits of the region were therefore liber- ally appropriated. The various expeditions sent out from Pensacola during the four months of encampment there, though successful in captur- ing supplies, did not encounter the enemy.
Lieutenants Stevenson and Miles, who had been home on recruiting service, returned on the 24th of June with forty-one recruits, who were organized as Company K, placed under the command of Captain Stevenson and sent over to garrison Fort Pickens, relieving Company I, which, with a Company of regulars, had formed the previous garrison. Here their discipline and drill were thorough, being instructed by officers of the regular army.
The climate, as the hot season came on, began
to tell on the health of both officers and men, producing much debility and sickness. Chaplain Hudson resigned in July, and Sergeant Powers obtained leave of absence. Colonel, Dodge was also so severely affected by the climate as to ask leave of absence, for recovery, but General Hun- ter denied it. The Colonel was therefore com- pelled to offer his resignation, which was accepted, and he returned home. Captain Mc Dougal, who had received a flesh wound in the thigh, by the carelessness of a picket, returned home for recovery and there accepted the position of Lieu- tenant-Colonel of the IIIth New York Volun- teers. On the 31st of August, the 75th em- barked for New Orleans, where they arrived on the 3d of September, and were placed under com- mand of General Butler, who mustered out the regimental band. Here Captain Dwight took formal leave of the regiment to return and assume command of the 160th New York Volunteers, much to the regret of his associates of the 75th, to whom he was greatly endeared. Illness com- pelled Captain Choate to resign. Lieutenant Corning succeeded Captain Dwight. Lieuten- ant Miles became Captain of Company H, and Lieutenant Stanford of Company K.
On the 28th of September, General Butler organized a reserve brigade, the 25th, compris- ing four regiments, of which the 75th was one, two batteries and several companies of cavalry, intended for the celebrated " La Fourche expe- dition" into the interior of Louisiana to secure control of the railroads in that section, and of the large supply of sugar and cotton there produced.
The brigade was under the command of Gen- eral Godfrey Weitzel, a competent and gentle- manly officer ; Major Lewis E. Carpenter acted as Brigade Quartermaster.
On the 25th of October the brigade landed a few miles below, and marched to Donisonville, occupying the town which, the night before, had been abandoned by the rebels. Here a levy was made by Quartermaster Carpenter on what horses and mules could be found, and the men on such poultry and pigs as came in their way.
On the next day the army was put in motion down the eastern side of the Bayou La Fourche, between which and the river was the levee or artificial embankment. Abundant stock was secured and crowds of slaves came within the lines, the planters generally retiring, as our
127
THE LA FOURCHE EXPEDITION.
soldiers advanced. In the afternoon they were advised by a negro that there was a large force of the enemy down the Bayou and scouts con- firmed the report. They did not however make a stand until the next day, when in a favorable position for them, near Labadieville, they dis- puted our passage ; but after a sharp action of an hour's duration, they were flanked and put to flight, losing 60 killed and wounded and 150 pris- oners. The 75th was so posted in this action as to lose but a single man, Abram Terwilliger, yet the brigade lost 18 killed and 74 wounded. Af- ter the action the dead were buried, and the wounded cared for, when the army encamped near the field.
Next day the march was renewed and, except- ing slight skirmishing, met no opposition, and in the afternoon the army entered and occupied Thibodeaux, a village of about 3,000 inhabitants.
The 75th went into camp, with the Brigade, one mile below, and remained here for more than three months. Here was the center of the sugar producing region, and Captain T. K. Fuller of the 75th was especially charged by General But- ler with the duty of securing it for the govern- ment. Very large quantities were taken ; libera- ted negroes, confiscated mules, and wagons being used for the purpose. It is stated that General Butler confiscated over a million dollars worth of sugar while at New Orleans. He believed in the war maxim " that to the victors belong the spoils " and he took them without stint.
While in camp here scenes of not unusual occurrence elsewhere during the war were daily presented. The masters had left, and the slaves, for the time, had taken their places, and were greatly elated at the eminence so suddenly at- tained. The mansions were deserted by their owners and many things about them were appro- priated by the darkies and brought into camp, including every variety ofclothing and provisions, and even personal and household ornaments.
Three miles from the camp was the residence of General Braxton Bragg, commanding the rebel forces in that quarter. His mansion and the grounds had been extremely elegant, but the vandalism of the soldiers had made a wreck of the mirrors, pictures, carpets, and costly furniture, and transferred its useful articles as chairs, stoves, &c., to the Quartermaster's department.
Early in November, Chaplain Q. S. S. Goss 22
arrived to supply the place made vacant by Chap- lain Hudson's resignation.
On December 7th, commissions were received for Lieutenant-Colonel Merritt, who was made Colonel ; Major Babcock, Lieutenant-Colonel ; and Quartermaster Carpenter, Major. Lieuten- ant J. H. Hinman was made Captain of Com- pany I. Camp rest was soon to be broken and an active campaign begun.
On December 16th, 1862, General Banks as- sumed command of the Department of the Gulf and, receiving large reinforcements, formed the 19th Army Corps. Among the reinforcements, was the 160th New York, which was brigaded with the 75th, and was included in the First Di- vision, Second Brigade.
On the 10th of January, General Weitzel, with the Second Brigade, was sent on an expedition designed to capture the rebel iron-clad gunboat Cotton, then in Bayou Teche. Four small gun- boats, Calhoun, Kingsman, Estella and Diana, were to cooperate in the attack. The troops reached on the afternoon of the 13th the ham- let of Pattersonville, on the bank of the Atcha- falaya.
Here the brigade was formed in order of bat- tle, and advancing two miles, reached the Teche, when skirmishing commenced with the cavalry posted here, ending in a volley of musketry, and a few shells, which dispersed the enemy. Our army encamped here for the night. In the morning, Captain Fitch was detailed by General Weitzel, with sharp-shooters, to pick off the gunners on the Cotton, and Captain Savery, with Company G, and Lieutenant Thurber, Company A, were sent out on the picket line to push the enemy lying in the earthworks.
The gunboats now came up as near the Cot- ton as the obstructions in the river would per- mit, and opened on the vessel and the rebel bat- teries further up. The foremost of the boats ran upon a torpedo and was disabled, and Commo- dore Buchanan was killed. The boats took no further part in the action. Captain Fitch, with sixty sharp-shooters, now came up on a run and poured such a fire upon the gunners on the Cot- ton as to kill or drive them all below. The boat tried to escape, and finally cut the hawser and proceeded up the stream. Our soldiers followed closely. In this service, Lieutenant Whiteside, a brave and noble young officer, fell mortally
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CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.
wounded, urging on his boys to finish their work and not to mind him as he was past help. The gunboat Cotton finally came under the protec- tion of an artillery redoubt which drove off our sharp-shooters. Further effective work at that point was discontinued ; but between the rebel infantry and Captain Savery's skirmishers during the forenoon, a brisk affair occurred in which the Captain and his men drove the rebel line from ditch to ditch across the cane field, for over two hours, occupying in succession the ditches from which they drove the foe when, the latter being reinforced, our boys retired.
We lost in this day's engagement in killed, Lieutenant James E. Whiteside, and private John Noble ; wounded, 16. The brigade en- camped on the field expecting further work in the morning, but before daylight the enemy set fire to the gunboat and retreated. The object of the expedition, the destruction of that vessel, was thus accomplished, and the expedition returned to camp where, for the next three weeks, little of interest occurred.
Early in February, the 75th and the 160th, were sent to Brashear, and were here joined by the 114th New York. The post was called Camp Reno, and commanded by Colonel Smith of the 114th. The time was here spent in drills and reconnoissances, in guarding the gunboats at night, and various expeditions in the boats to look after the movements of the enemy in that quarter. On one of these expeditions, a party from the 160th New York, on the Diana, were captured with their vessel.
Learning from deserters that the rebels from the vicinity of the Teche, 5,000 strong, were ar- ranging to attack Camp Reno, Colonel Smith called for reinforcements, and two regiments and a battery were added to his force.
Major Carpenter was assigned to the Quarter- master's department in New Orleans ; Colonel Merritt was made Brigade Inspector. Their places were supplied by Captains Cray and Sa- very. Surgeon Benedict had been promoted to chief medical officer of the brigade. Assistant Surgeon Powers was Surgeon of the 160th, and Doctor D. M. Root was his successor. Captain Fitch, on the 9th of March, was detailed as pro- vost marshal at Brashear, and afterwards as acting Commissary of Subsistence. Lieut. Fitch was made acting ordnance officer on Weitzel's staff.
Negro troops were now being rapidly enlisted. Captain Luther Goodrich was made Colonel of a colored regiment, the 17th, and Lieutenant Fran- cis A. Hopping succeeded to the command of Company E. Willis G. Goodrich, Silas R. Bar- ber and C. S. Bentley, held commands in the 17th colored regiment.
Chaplain Goss, who had been very sick, resigned his commission early in March, unable to endure the effects of the climate. Captains Miles and Porter, for the same reasons, resigned their commissions ; the former was succeeded by Lieutenant George H. Curtice, and the latter by Lieutenant Frank Silsby.
No event of especial importance in which the 75th was engaged, occurred until General Banks began his famous expedition for the conquest of what was called the Attakapas country, one prep- aration for which had been the destruction of the gunboat Cotton, as we have related. This coun- try was the garden of Louisiana. Its planters were rich and rabid secessionists. It was a flat region, filled with bayous, and sluggish though navigable streams.
General Banks' forces exceeded 12,000 men, including Weitzel's brigade, in which was the 75th and 160th New York. The forces reached Burdick on the 9th and Ioth of April, and on the IIth an advance was ordered to Pattersonville, nine miles above, skirmishing continuing nearly all the way, the 75th being deployed. The next morning, April 12th, General Banks made a careful reconnoissance and then moved forward in force, General Weitzel's brigade in the advance. The enemy soon appeared in numbers and drew up in line of battle in front of a large sugar house. The Union cavalry was sent forward to attack them, but on their approach the rebels fled across the Teche.
The enemy had constructed a strong line of earthworks, extending on both sides of the river, some three-fourths of a mile, in which were mounted about thirty guns, defended by a strong rebel force, commanded by Dick Taylor, son of the ex-president. The river had been obstructed by an old bridge, and the now rebel Diana, with her powerful armament, patrolled it above the obstructions. One brigade, Goodwin's, crossed the river on pontoons and were to operate in the rear of the works. Four of our gunboats on the river cooperated.
129
THE ATTAKAPAS EXPEDITION.
During the afternoon of the 12th, from three o'clock till dark, there was heavy firing on both sides, the commanding General having advanced his men sufficiently near the enemy's works to draw their fire, and thus learn their position and the strength of their batteries, the Diana also joining on the rebel side.
On the 13th the battle was renewed and rein- forcements crossed to the opposite side of the river. The contest was mainly with the artillery. The charges which had been made by the enemy met so valiant and strong resistance as each time to repel them. The Diana was soon dis- abled and compelled to withdraw, and our strong and sustained fire began to tell upon the works of the enemy, many of whose guns were dismounted, and the fire of their batteries lessened.
General Banks had learned that General Grover was advancing on Franklin, but ten miles above them on Bayou Teche, and that, therefore, his plan of attacking the rebel front and rear would be likely to succeed. He was by no means inclined to abandon it. The severe re- sults to the enemy's works of the firing on the 13th had assured them of the extreme doubt of their withstanding another day's siege, so they quietly withdrew during the night and escaped.
The casualties in these series of contests were not large, when the exposure of the men and the duration of the fight are considered ; it did not exceed 250 killed and wounded, and the 75th lost but 3 killed and 15 wounded.
On the 14th the army advanced to Franklin with no other interruption than slight cavalry skirmishing, and encamped a mile beyond the town. The main reliance of the enemy, in this quarter, had been their defensive works and their gunboats on the river, all of which were now destroyed. Little other opposition here was therefore expected.
On the morning of the 14th of April the march was resumed and continued for eighteen miles, and on the 15th extended to twenty miles, passing two miles beyond the town of New Iberia, a few miles to the west of which were salt works of great value to the Confederacy. These the cavalry destroyed. Here Lieutenant- Colonel William H. Seward brought dispatches to General Banks from Washington, and he was a very welcome guest in the camp.
The army had now reached a rolling region
away from the swamps and morasses over which they had been so long marching, and large fields of cane and herds of cattle abounded.
The advance continued on the 17th until two o'clock, when they found the bridge over the Bayou Tortue destroyed ; but in two hours it was repaired and passed, and the march contin- ued without much interruption to Opelousas, which was reached on the 20th of April, coinci- dently with the capture of Butte la Rose by the navy. General Weitzel's brigade was posted in the vicinity of Opelousas. Here some two weeks were spent in gathering together and shipping the vast amount of cotton stored in the vicinity. Some had been burned, but the amount collected was large ; all the transporta- tion and negroes that could be found were im- pressed into the service of collecting and ship- ping it.
On Monday, May 14th, the march was renewed and, after four days of continuous and toilsome tramping in the heat, but without opposition from the enemy, the army reached Alexandria, and rested until Saturday, when Generals Weitzel's and Dwight's brigades were sent in pursuit of the enemy who had fled up the Red River. After a two days' march, during which the enemy fled before our advance, orders were received from General Banks to return to Alexandria, as the decision had been made to attack Port Hudson, abandoning for that purpose the Red River ex- pedition. The movement upon Port Hudson was in cooperation with General Grant's opera- tions against Vicksburg ; Generals Weitzel and Dwight therefore returned to Alexandria.
On Sunday, May 17th, Gen. Weitzel's brigade began its march for Port Hudson, and Gen. Banks' entire forces had concentrated in its vicinity by the 25th and were so disposed as to make upon the place a simultaneous attack. On the 27th General Weitzel's brigade, which included the two Cayuga regiments, was on the right of the army, General Grover commanding.
At the appointed time Gen. Weitzel's brigade was in position, but the time of attack had been changed from five to six o'clock, A. M. Between our lines and the enemy's work, lay a line of woods. Through this screen, promptly at the ap- pointed hour, General Weitzel advanced, meeting, as he emerged from the woods, a fierce fire from the rifle pits, and a storm of grape and cannister
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CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.
from the enemy's batteries, on a hill beyond. This checked his advance for a time, when the second line advanced and stormed and captured the first line of rifle pits ; but there now appeared before them a deep gorge or valley, 100 rods wide, broken by numerous ravines and obstruct- ed by trees, forming a nearly impenetrable abat- is hidden in which were two regiments of sharp- shooters. Beyond this, rose an eminence, on which were the nearly finished works of the ene- my, in which batteries were placed. Into such a terrible jungle the 75th Regiment, led by Col. Babcock, plunged on the run. The color-bearer was the first to fall, but his place was quickly filled. Lieutenant Avery was killed, and many of the men wounded. In this valley, for hours a contest was maintained with the sharp-shoot- ers, many of whom were killed and hundreds captured. The ravine was wooded and a sort of Indian combat was maintained from tree to tree and from stump to stump. Gradually and in scat- tered groups, they ascend the slope toward the main work of the enemy, maintaining throughout the day their position, and keeping by their accu- rate firing, the heads of their enemies behind their parapets, and the gunners from their batter- ies. Heavy batteries were, during the fore- noon, placed in position, and these maintained a furious and effective bombardment upon the forts of the enemy; and from the river flats a simul- taneous bombardment was kept up upon the town into which were dropped hundreds of 13 and 15-inch shells.
At nightfall the army held the positions it had gained during the day. In this encounter, the 75th bore the brunt of the battle and suffered severely, having 15 killed, including four officers, Lieutenant William E. Avery, First Sergeant, William H. Storke, Color-Sergeant, Lyman Hill, and Sergeant A. H. Earll, and 86 wounded.
From this time until the 14th of June, Port Hudson was closely invested ; the 75th was re- lieved from duty at the front in consideration of its valor and sacrifices on the 27th. Heavy siege guns and mortars were brought round from the river flotilla and placed in commanding positions; in all 103 pieces of ordnance were brought to bear upon the enemy. These, with the coope- rative fire of the fleet, kept up a nearly incessant roar, and cast into the enemy's works a vast num- ber of shot and shell.
It was believed that the enemy was short of artillery ammunition as, for some time past, their artillery fire had greatly slackened. To test this, General Banks ordered and main- tained for thirty-six hours a continuous bombard- ment, but nothing was developed by it. A feigned attack was then made along the entire front about midnight on the 9th of June, and a fire of infantry and artillery was delivered, to which the besieged replied vigorously with their infantry, but feebly with their artillery. This done, the infantry was ordered to lie down and the fight was continued over them by sharp-shooters in the rifle pits, and by the artillery. A rain began and the advance withdrew. Few casualties re- sulted from this night attack ; none in the 75th.
On the night of Saturday, June 13th, another attempt was made to take the works by assault, and in this, as in the first assault, the 75th were assigned a responsible and dangerous part ; they executed it bravely but without success, and after an entire day of resolute and fierce combat, which fully convinced the commanding General that the works in his front were too strong to be taken by assault, he withdrew his men.
Our losses were severe, numbering in the 75th, II killed and 74 wounded, amongst whom were Lieutenant Hutchinson, Sergeants Orville W. Munroe, P. D. Olmsted, and Corporals Albert O. Remington and Charles Hilliard, killed; and Lieutenant-Colonel Willoughby Babcock, severe- ly wounded in the thigh ; also Captain John E. Savery in the arm and knee, severely; First Lieu- tenant Benjamin E. Thurber, in the knee, seri- ously ; First Lieutenant Anson Fuller; Second Lieutenant, Charles W. Crocker.
After this repulse little effective work was done, except to keep up at intervals the bom- bardment and the duel of sharp-shooters, driving saps, and talking of a third assault, to which the army, in view of recent experience, were not much inclined. But news came on the 7th of July that Vicksburg had surrendered, with its 27,000 men and 125 guns. Port Hudson followed as soon as the terms could be settled, and over 6,000 prisoners were secured.
The 75th led the column into the captured town, a post of honor, won by its distinguished gallantry and purchased by the blood of so many of its comrades. At night the troops were put aboard transports in the river.
131
TEXAS EXPEDITION.
While our army had been engaged before Port Hudson, the enemy had regained Alexandria, Opelousas, Thibodeaux, Berwick and Brashear. Donaldsonville had been attacked, but success- fully defended. The next movement was to regain the lost ground, no longer tenable to the rebels since Vicksburg and Port Hudson had fallen and the Mississippi was opened for its entire length.
The army proceeded with no important oppo- sition to Donaldsonville, which it occupied on the ioth of July. In the absence of General Weitzel in New Orleans the command of his brigade devolved upon Colonel Merritt, whose Acting Assistant Aid-de-Camp and Provost-Marshal was Lieutenant Lansing, whose place as Adjutant was filled by Lieutenant Hosmer. Lieutenant-Col- onel Babcock was called to New Orleans to act as Provost Judge.
Three weeks were spent here with but a single feeble effort of the enemy, on the 13th, upon two of our brigades, Dudley's and Morgan's, which was promptly repelled and with small loss. On the 30th of July, the 2d brigade, Weitzel's, was placed in charge of La Fourche district as far as Brashear, and moved its camp thirty miles to Thibodeaux, on the 3d of August.
Furloughs and leaves of absence were here granted many of the men and officers under the belief that active operations would during the intensely hot weather be suspended. But on the 31st of August they were started on an ex- pedition, the object of which was to regain at least possession of the seaports of Texas. The Sabine Pass, at or near the mouth of that river, was to be the first point of attack.
The force sent on this expedition was about 4,000 men from the 19th corps, and General Weitzel's brigade; the force to be under the command of Major-General Franklin. Commo- dore Bell, commanding the West Gulf Squad- ron, was to reduce the fort, when the troops were at once to occupy the town. But in attempting to land, the troops were barred by an impassable swamp, the Granite City protecting them in their attempts to find solid ground. The other three steamboats drew up towards the fort and threw into it their huge shells, without eliciting any response. They finally opened on the gun- boats with eight heavy guns. The Sachem, the lightest draft of the four gun-boats, was gradually working into a position where she could attack
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