History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 26

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 922

USA > New York > Clinton County > History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 26
USA > New York > Franklin County > History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 26

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The railroad crossed the creek on a trestle-bridge about sixty rods in our front. For miles around the country was

HISTORY OF CLINTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

covered with primitive, tangled southern forests. Front, rear, and flank, all was wood. When night came on, the wind dwindled to a whisper, which rustled in the leaves and sighed in the pine-tops ; the owl hooted in her leafy tower ; the whippoorwills sang in concert along the margin of the stream ; the roaring of the water over the rapids rose and fell on the air, and brightly the evening fires gleamed, and their arrowy sparkles quivered, along the forest branches.

Our tour of duty came, " doomed for a certain time to walk the night," and take charge of the picket for Marston's brigade, which extended from the railroad, fifty rods to the right, through the deep wood, and, as we have said, about sixty rods from the stream. At ten o'clock P.M. we posted them, and spent most of the time during the night walking up and down behind them, in the forest shades, ranging our " Suliote band."

One of our batteries was in position a little behind the point where the line of battle crossed the railroad. Twice during the night the enemy ran his cars, loaded with troops, down to the bridge, and, unloading them, charged along the road upon us to take the battery. We could plainly hear the approach of his cars, hear him stop them and order the troops to get out, and give the command to advance.

At the second charge, our troops near the railroad moved up to the picket line and discharged a volley along the road and into the woods. Suffering heavily, the enemy was re- pulsed each time with rifle and cannon. But the terrors of that night-battle, the shouts of the enemy, the flash and roar of the rifle and cannon, the deep darkness of the woods, the uncertainty that our troops were holding their position, filled our pickets with fear and caused them to abandon their posts. After the enemy had retired and the battle died away, it was our duty, a Herculean task, to find them again, collect them together, and replace them. Up and down the line, back to the line of battle, forward to the picket line, we went a dozen times, tangling, groping, pick- ing our way. All the while the cries of the enemy's wounded and dying came from the front and made night hideous. As the morning hours chilled the gaping wounds, their cries became more loud and piercing and frequent. From eleven to three the battle and firing along the railroad were incessant; every moment of these four hours was a screaming horror. Tired, hungry, exhausted, at times de- serted, in all our round, we never passed such a night on duty before. For months afterwards the shrieks, yells, moans, and cries of the enemy's wounded rang in our ears. The brigade picket, unnerved by the surrounding horrors, their senses appalled, became panic-stricken, and officers and men left their posts regardless of duty, danger, and honor. That night-battle in the woods of Petersburg baffles descrip- tion. Every sound scemed to have treble effect in the deep darkness of the unknown wood. Front, flank, and rear were alike uncertain, and all the elements of a panic, eon- fusion, terror, and dismay pressed upon us on all sides round, like Ocean round a diving-bell. It was a miserable night.

"So full of ugly sights, That as I am a Christian, faithful man,

I would not spend another such a night, Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days, So full of dismal terror was the time."

To illustrate its effect upon our troops, we relate that about four A.M. the corps officer of the picket rode to Gen. Marston, who was sleeping on the ground beside a fallen tree. He requested the general to go with him and show him the pickets of his brigade. Marston was a New Hamp- shire lawyer, about forty-five years of age, and, at that time, a member of Congress. All had been quiet since three o'clock. Marston mounted his horse, and, followed by the corps officer, struck off through the woods towards the rear. After riding half a mile, Marston began to look for his picket, and expressed shortly afterwards a wish to know what had beeome of them. " In the name of God, general," said the eorps officer, "you are not looking for your picket here, I hope !" " Certainly," replied the general ; " where else should I look for them ?" " Why, we are here in the rear of your line of battle a half-mile or more," rejoined the indignant post commander, and, turning round sharply, rode back to the front. Marston said for excuse and apol- ogy, that he himself was bewildered and turned round.

Between nine and ten A.M. Butler's forces began to re- tire. An hour after the troops had gone, we were directed to collect our pickets, fold them up, and follow the main body. This movement was soon discovered by the enemy, and, not long afterwards, we heard him crossing the bridge and forming his line of battle. He followed us to the sound of drum, fife, and trumpet, carefully, however, with skir- mishers in front. The corps, in this retreat, tore up several hundred feet of the railroad, bent the bars and burnt the tics. By three P.M., all moving back to camp again at Bermuda Hundred, we

" Whispered in an undertone, Let the hawk stoop-his prey is flown."

But why did we march up and then march down again ? While along Swift's Creek, the night of the 9th, Butler telegraphed to Washington, "Lieut .- Gen. Grant will not be troubled with any more reinforcements to Lee from Beauregard's forces."

Butler, encouraged by his success, determined to drive the enemy across the Appomattox into Petersburg and capture that place. But, during the night, news came from Wash- ington that Lee, vanquished by Meade, was in full retreat towards Richmond. If so, he might fall heavily upon the Army of the James and crush it to atoms. Butler decided to stand from under, to recall his troops from Swift's Creek, to strengthen his lines at Bermuda Hundred, and to prepare for active operations against Richmond.

Returning to camp at Bermuda Hundred the 10th of May, the Army of the James rested and refitted on the 11th, and, early on the 12th, took up the war-path again.

Striking boldly and freely out from the intrenehments to the railroad and pike leading from Petersburg to Richmond, it halted for an hour to let Kautz's division of cavalry pass. Kautz, holding the pike for a few miles, turned to the left, swept near Chesterfield Court-House, destroyed the Rich- mond and Danville Railroad near Coalfield and Powhatan Stations, crossed the Weldon road at Jarratt's Station, passed by Prince George's Court-House, and returned to City Point on the 17th.

Leaving a heavy force under Gen. Ames to guard their rear from the direction of Petersburg, the 18th Corps fol-

MILITARY HISTORY.

lowed the turnpike, and the 10th Corps marched up the railroad, northward, towards Fort Darling and Richmond.

For that day the weather was rainy and disagreeable. In the morning we passed over a part of the ground where the rear of Gillmore fought on the 10th with the pursuing enemy. The woods had been fired, and our dead, unburied, still lay on the ground, half burned,

We marched with flankers on the right ; two companies of the 98th were detailed for this purpose, under command of Capt. Hildreth. In the evening, in a drizzling rain, we bivouacked along Proctor's Creek. The enemy had fallen back behind this creck, and taken a position in a fortified line, the outworks of Fort Darling.

All day Gen. Heckman had the advance, skirmishing with the enemy. During the night a steady, pouring rain fell ; and, on the morning of the 13th, the 98th, wet to the skin, was ordered to report to Gen. Heckman. About seven A.M. the advance began. At ten A.M. we crossed, with but little opposition, Kingsland's Creek, and ascended the ridge near the Half-way House. As we marched over the rising ground, we saw the troops before us, in a wide, open field, observing, apparently perfectly, the skirmisher drill, drive the enemy before them. Our men stood boldly up, and, marching at a rapid rate, kept up their fire, and pressed the Confederates in the woods beyond. The line of battle advanced with the light troops, and rested for the night on both sides of the main road, eighty rods in front of the Half-way House. Here, for the night, the 98th was directed to support a battery. The enemy threw solid shot at the battery ; none did any damage. A few random rifle-balls came over from the skirmish line : one of these Corp. Hiney, of the color-guard, caught in his coat. Just at sunset the Confederates tried to break our line by a charge down the pike towards the battery. They drove back the light troops, and were succeeding, apparently very well, when the battery opened, and our whole force rose and cheered and yelled. The Confederate advance ceased, and the battle died away.

During this day the 10th Corps turned the enemy's right, and on the morning of the 14th both corps advanced, and drove him into his rifle-pits and forts. .

In this advance, Companies D and H, of the 98th, under Capts. Gile and Davis, in the forenoon, and F and I, under Capt. L. A. Rogers, in the afternoon, were on the skirmish line. The remainder of the regiment supported the battery until five P.M., when it reported to Gen. Heckman again. This general had the extreme right, on the right of the turnpike, somewhat advanced. Col. Cole's colored cavalry connected his brigade with the James. On the evening of the 14th, Butler inclosed the enemy's earthworks on three sides, and, during that night, the 98th was the extreme right of the infantry linc; nothing between it and the James, on a mile or more of meadow lands, but scattered videttes from Cole's cavalry.

We were to assault the works in front on the 15th, at four in the morning. But Gens. Butler, Gillmore, and Smith held a consultation during the night at the mansion of Dr. Freund, which we passed near Proctor's Creek. They decided that their line was too thin to make the · attack, and postponed the assault until the morning of the

16th. With this delay Butler lost his opportunity again. It cost him a bootless battle and four thousand men.

" There is a tide in the affairs of men;"

and in the tented field there are golden chances to advance and win, which sagacity must seize.

Gen. Beauregard is in command of the Confederates, and he prepares a similar movement. During the 15th the troops changed their positions several times ; they pressed closely the enemy's works, so that they were all day under fire. At night, the 98th was at Heckman's left; on its left were the 8th Maine and the 21st Connecticut ; farther left were the 18th and 10th Corps, forming a line five miles longs, concave toward the front. They constructed a rude brcastwork of logs; the skirmishers were from twenty to one hundred yards in front; the enemy's main work was one thousand yards distant. About dark, the outpost firing, which for twenty-four hours had been constant, ceased en- tirely, but the utmost vigilance was maintained. They were to assault at four A.M., the 16th.

Between two and three in the morning, we heard a few rifle-shots in the front, and calling to Isaac, our colored man-servant, who slept on the ground near by, asked him to get up and ascertain, if possible, what was going on. Isaac arose and listened. Not reporting, we called out, " Isaac, what do you hear,-what is going on ?" " Nuffen, sir, unffen : only I guess de 'skeeters are troubling de picket line a leetle !"

At that time a dense fog began to rise from the river and crcep over the country. At daybreak, however, the ball opened with heavy picket-firing, vigorous shell- and case-firing from the redoubt. Soon after, the enemy ad- vanced in force, drove back our outposts, approached our breastworks in the fog, and assaulted our line. He was repulsed from all points by a well directed fire. During this demonstration the enemy hurled against the right of Heckman a column which had crossed from the north side of the James during the night. Himself and more than half his brigade were captured or killed.

The enemy marched down Heckman's line from right to left, and scattered all his regiments, taking them, one after another, in flank. Arriving at the 98th, his advance was checked, as reported by Col. Wead. " I changed the front of my regiment to rear on its left company, and received the leading regiment, the 23d Virginia Volunteers, with an unexpected fire, which threw it into confusion. The enemy then marched by his right flank, with the purpose of turn- ing our left, but he was again repulsed, by the Sth Maine, which occupied the breastworks at right angles to our line. At the same time my right wing was attacked by the 14th Georgia, which it handsomely repulsed. After the enemy was thus checked, the 98th and the 8th Maine were with- drawn, by order of Gen. Smith, through the woods back to the Half-way House, and posted across the turnpike, form- ing a line of battle with the 9th New Jersey and 21st Con- necticut."

Wead's report and statements went to army headquar- ters, and were never contradicted. They explain how the advance was checked. But Grecley and Lossing say, " The 112th New York, of Ames' division, which had

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HISTORY OF CLINTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

been sent to Smith, eame up. Being at that instant joined by the 9th Maine, the two regiments checked the assailants by a stubborn resistance."

The enemy pursued, and attacked us again in our new position, near the Half-way House, and, after an hour of severe fighting, was repulsed in disorder.

In the second battle of the day, the writer commanded the 98th, and Col. Wead had charge of a provisional bri- gade, formed by Gen. Weitzel, Butler's chief of staff, of the 9th New Jersey, 8th Maine, 21st Connectieut, and 98th New York.

This brigade, a light battery, and Col. Cole's colored eavalry (Cole of Hiseoek notoriety), under the direction of Gen. Weitzel, saved the Army of the James. The posi- tions it took and held under his direction were vital. Holding the turnpike, eheeking the enemy for a few hours, prevented Gillmore, who had been sorely pressed, from being eut off, and allowed him to retire. From Greeley and Los- sing the reader is led to infer that two regiments stemmed the tide of confliet and saved the day.

Col. Wead, in his report to corps headquarters, said, " The 9th New Jersey sustained its well-established reputa- tion; the 8th Maine exhibited great steadiness and tenacity ; the 21st Connectieut fought gallantly ; my own regiment obeyed its orders, and my senior offieer managed it with bravery and ability."

With other troops, this brigade, commanded by Col. Wead, formed the rear-guard in the retreat, that afternoon, for the Army of the James.

The 98th lost that day, in killed and wounded, one hundred and three offieers and men. But one man strag- gled, and none were made prisoners. During the early evening all returned to eamp, sorely beaten, but not dis- heartened, east down, but not destroyed.

From the 13th to the 31st of May, Meade and Lee con- fronted each other with their immense armies, manœuvred and counter-manœuvred, watched for weak points in the dispositions of each other, intrenched, skirmished, fought from Spottsylvania Court-House to Cold Harbor.

On the 27th we received orders to be ready, with three days' eooked rations in haversaeks, to march at a moment's notiee. Later, we are informed that we shall go by trans- ports, that we must leave under guard the heavy baggage and surplus stores. On inquiry, we learned that the order was given to four divisions, one of the 10th and three of the 18th Corps, twelve thousand in number, and that Gen. Smith was assigned to their command.

On the 28th the four divisions marehed back to Bermuda Hundred ; on the morning of the 29th they embarked and steamed down the James. Passing Fortress Monroe during the night, and aseending the York River and the Pamun- key, they landed at White House during the morning of the 30th.

Sheridan's seouts and a few of his cavalry were on the ground at our arrival. We learned that Sheridan's cavalry and Wright's corps, the 6th, were at Cold Harbor, and that Meade was pressing Lee everywhere with suecess, and driving him baek towards Richmond; that the Army of the Potomae had erossed the Pamunkey at Hanover town, New Castle and Piping Tree Fords, and that Lee was some-

where south of the Tolopotomy on the old battle-ground of Cold Harbor, between Porter and Jackson, in 1862. We were directed to take three days' rations in haversaeks, ten days' rations in bulk, sixty rounds of ammunition to a man in pockets and cartridge-boxes and forty in wagons, and mareh, on the morning of the 31st, by way of New Castle, to the right of the Army of the Potomae. The troops manifest the greatest haste, and are anxious to share in the overthrow and capture of Lee. At seven or eight o'clock on the morning of the 31st they took up the line of mareh, Brooks' division in front, along the river road up the Pa- munkey towards New Castle.

The 98th bivouacked in the edge of a wood fringed at the left by a little stream. The smoke rose perpendicularly in the ealm, elear, azure air from our evening fires, and our banners drooped along their stavcs. Long before the bee had left his bivouae under the leaf, long before the flowers had opened their petals to the morning sun, while that lin- gering star, with lessening ray, that loves to greet the early morn, was shining in the east, we ate our morning meal and resumed the mareh.

When near the Piping Tree, a staff officer from General Grant came riding along our line in hot haste. His order- lies were far behind him, his horse was white with foam, and bloody from the spurs. His manner indicated the greatest haste, excitement; and earnestness. His rank was lieutenant-colonel, and his sash and sword-belt placed him in the general staff. He inquired for Gen. Smith. We soon learned that we were off our road, that there was a mistake in giving the order; instead of going to the right, we must join the left of the Army of the Potomac.

We halted a short time, then, going a little farther, turned to the left, and, after marching about ten miles, struek the direet road leading from White House to Cold Harbor. This road was wide, well made and well traveled. At a point where we turned from it, towards evening, to take the Gaines' Mills road, we saw a sign on which was painted, " Twelve miles to Richmond;" and the men said, " Let us take that road ;" " Richmond is a liard road to travel ;" "If that's the way to Richmond, what the devil are we going to Gaines' Mills for ?"

Following the Gaines' Mills road till near six o'clock, we arrived on the battle-ground of Cold Harbor, at the left of the 6th Corps, and behind the light troops of Sheridan, who had held the position all day. As we approached, we could hear the report of the rifles on the skirmish line in front, and we soon after discerned the 6th Corps in battle. Later, we learned that the troops whom we saw in the skirmish belonged to the 9thı New York Artillery, raised in Wayne and Cayuga Counties. They advaneed in good order, with alaerity, fired rapidly, and pressed the enemy baek upon his intrenehments.

We had marehed twenty-five miles that day, and, though the weather was warm, the roads dry and dusty, we were directed to hurry up the men behind, form our ranks, take our position in line, and assist in charging and endeavoring to carry the enemy's position in front. We moved about twenty rods to the right of the road, ate hastily in our hands, sitting and standing, from our haversaeks, our even- ing meal, then stood standing, listening, observing, while '

101

MILITARY HISTORY.

" Rampant War Yoked the red dragons to his iron car."

As the 18th Corps thus stood in line of battle on the 1st of June, at Cold Harbor, its right was commanded by Gen. Martindale, its centre by Gen. Brooks, and its left by Gen. Charles Devens. Its left connected with the 6th Corps, along the Gaines' Mills road; its right was covered by Warren's corps. The battle-field was broad, open, undulat- ing, rising gently towards the front. A fourth of a mile distant, in the farther edge of a wood, the Confederates had a line of rifle-pits and a low breastwork of logs and rails, thrown up during the day and the evening before. Behind this first line was an open field, and beyond the field, about eighty rods, was another wood, in the nearest edge of which was the enemy's second line.

We stand waiting, looking, listening; the sun is less than an hour high ; and the light troops, between us and the enemy, are engaged in the hazy, dewy, evening air. At our right is the 96th and 139th, and at the left the 81st New York Volunteers.

While the low sun was sinking in the west, the 18th Corps advaneed and captured the whole of the enemy's first line. He opposed us with rifle and cannon, and fell baek before our skirmishers, so that the main troops were not generally engaged. While standing within his works in the twilight, eight or ten of . the 98th were wounded ; among them Capts. Gile and Davis.

Numerous staff-officers hurried to and fro, swept along our line in most greatest haste and reekless manner, and ordered to reform the troops and charge the works in front. It was after eight when both eorps passed on to the second and stronger hostile line. The Confederates fought obsti- nately and held it ; night put an end to the advanee, but not to the confliet ; and, standing in arms, we kept up a desultory fire all night on the ground we had gained.

Lossing, in his History, says that the army bivouacked during the night. Devens at our left, fearing from certain indications in his front a night attaek, sent to Brooks for aid. Brooks directed Marston to send the 98th to Devens. After nine o'clock, pieking our way and tangling into a piece of wood, Wead reported to Devens; all the while, far and near, right and left, were constant cannon- and rifle- firing. Roar of eannon, crash of shell, report of rifle, and yell of charging enemy were ineessant till late in the night.

After ten o'eloek, Devens, putting the 98th in charge of one of his staff, sent it, marehing by the right flank, through the wood to support one of his regiments. Soon the rat- tling of the men among the brush and trees attraeted some one's attention in front, and he poured a volley down along our line length wise. We stop; the ground rises before us, and the aim of the firing is too high. Staff-officer says, " These are our men ; there is some mistake; wait awhile, and the firing will stop." Firing does not stop, and the aim is better. Staff-offieer goes to report, hastens for or- ders and instructions, and never comes back. Our position is terribly embarrassing, frightfully uneomfortable. Our ignorance of the place, the darkness, the wood, the uneer- tainty whether the firing is from friend or foe, inercase the horrors of that night's battle. The writer walked from the centre to the head of the regiment and asked Col. Wead

what the firing meant. Wead replied, " We are the vie- tims of some one's blunder." We suggested, " Let us withdraw the regiment, or fire at the enemy in front. We ean't stay here and make no reply. Our men are being killed or wounded fast." Wead remarked, "I have no orders to do either; they may be our men in front. I am here by direction of Gen. Devens, and one of his staff has gone to report the facts to him. He will return in a short time. If we are all killed, I don't see that I ean prevent it, or am to blame for it."

We asked Col. Wead to have the men lie down. The order, " Lie down," was passed along the line, and we re- turned to our position by the colors. Subsequently, Col. Wead joined us there. The firing continued; the range beeame lower; the men lying down were wounded fast. We all lay down. Col. Wead was struek a glaneing blow on the shoulder-strap by a rifle ball, and, after lying sense- less for a moment, said to the writer, " I am wounded ; take the command." We arose immediately, walked along the line, and quietly withdrew the men to the lower edge of the wood where we had entered.

In that night's blunder the regiment lost forty-two men, killed and wounded; among them Capt. L. A. Rogers ; Sergts. Samuel Sherman, Foster Dow, Peter Fritz, Samuel HIowes, Joseph Perry, and R. S. Cummings. Sergts. Dow and Sherman died June 2d.

During the night and early morning, Col. Wead and the wounded crawled baek to the regiment. The more severely wounded were carried baek half a mile farther to an old barn, besides the Gaines' Mill road, where their wounds were dressed, and whenee they were taken in ambulanees to White House.

Nothing eould equal the horrors of that night's battle ; the blundering mareh into the enemy's intrenchments ; his merciless fire ; the cries of our wounded and dying ; the irresolute stupidity and want of sagaeity of the eondueting offieer, deepen the plot and eolor the pieture.

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History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 26

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 922

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 922