History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 21

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336

USA > New York > Orange County > History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 21

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At New York, the regiment was marched to the Park Barracks, and slept that night upon the pine- mattresses furnished to them.

The regiment was supplied with arms in the city,- heavy Austrian guns with sword-bayonets.

Sunday afternoon the regiment left for Philadelphia. Arriving there late in the night, the soldiers were soon found resting, with sidewalks for beds and knap- sacks for pillows. But very early they were invited to a sumptuous breakfast furnished by the ladies of Philadelphia. At noon they were in Baltimore, and in the hot march across the city a number of the men fell from sun-stroke and had to be left behind. At two o'clock Tuesday morning the regiment might have been seen sleeping soundly on the ground and on the stone blocks in front of the Capitol at Wash- ington.

In the afternoon of that day they marched to Camp Chase, on Arlington Heights. There they remained two or three days, when their encampment was changed to another point about four miles away, which the soldiers christened Camp Ellis. Here the regiment was attached to Pratt's brigade of Whipple's Division, Heintzleman's corps, and they remained until the 25th in this camp, engaged in active drill, learning the actual duties of a soldier's life.

At 2 p.M. Thursday, September 25th, the regiment again broke camp and moved off some six miles, to a piece of woods on the west side of Miner's Hill, where they built huge log-fires and bivouacked around them for the night. The next morning about a hun- dred of the men were ordered to report for picket duty.

During the afternoon of the 26th the regiment moved to the opposite or eastern slope of Miner's Hill, where they named their new grounds Camp Crom- well. In these moves sixteen four-mule teams were employed to transfer tents, traps, and the baggage of the officers. This was in strong contrast with the simple work of a few months later, when officers of the line were only allowed transportation for a small valise each, while the field and staff were obliged to crowd their baggage, tents and all, into a single wagon.

The regiment remained at Miner's Hill for several weeks engaged continually in the various drills re- qnired for army movements.

IHISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

On the 16th of October orders were received to break camp. This was immediately done; but the regiment passed a long and uncomfortable night, a part of the time in the rain, the order to march being delayed until morning. At six o'clock the orders to march came, and the regiment moved off at a rapid gait towards Washington. It was a wet morning, and with wet blankets from the storm of the night before, the marching was difficult, and a number of men gave out and were picked up by the ambulances following. The regiment halted at the entrance to the Aqueduet bridge. Georgetown. The sun came out; blankets were dried on the fences and the grass-plats. About four in the afternoon they marehed into Washington and halted in front of the Capitol. About midnight they took the cars, and at the end of a tedions ride of eleven hours found themselves at Knoxville, Md.

The regiment was now transferred from " the Army of Defense" around Washington to the " Army of the Potomac."

The regiment first halted for a while on a hill- side, where it was so steep that anything convenient was thrust into the ground to keep it from sliding down-hill. There was a lovely view, but there was little chance to admire the beauties of nature or of cultivated fields. The soldiers were sore and tired after their wet march and their sleepless ride in the cars. Wrapped in their blankets they lay down to rest early, and slept soundly.

Sunday afternoon, October 19th, they moved about three miles, and encamped in a large field on the farm of a crusty old " secesh," who, not satisfied with having guards placed over all his movable property, objected even to drawing the cool water from his well.

Monday afternoon, the 20th, they marched to a more congenial spot near Burkettsville, where they re- mained several days. Here they had an opportunity to visit South Mountain, where the great struggle of Antietam had occurred only a few weeks before. It was full of sad suggestions as to the fierceness of the battles in which the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was not many months later to engage.

On the evening of October 24th, at half-past nine o'clock, the regiment left camp, and at midnight bivouacked near Berlin, on the banks of the Potomac, across which a pontoon-bridge was being laid. This bridge consisted of sixty-two seow-built boats, an- chored some twenty feet apart, and connected by large beams, across which were laid strong planks. Pleasonton's cavalry dashed across this, followed by the Army of the Potomac, one hundred thousand strong.

Thursday, October 30th, they marched away to- wards Winchester, and bivouacked near Hillsborough. Sunday afternoon, November 2d, the regiment ad- vanced twelve miles to near Snicker's Gap. On the 3d they again moved three miles to Bloomfield, and on the 4th to Upperville, where the camp-fires of the enemy were still smouldering. On the 5th to near Piedmont, where they halted thirty minutes, and then moved on for Manassas Gap. That night, in near proximity to the enemy, they passed without fires and with no rations. Resuming march the next morning, they shared in the crossing of the mountains for the purpose of cutting off the retreat of a portion of the rebel infantry, but the latter had escaped. Soon after the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was ordered back to Piedmont. On the 8th they marched to Orleans, where they stayed three days. On the 10th, Lient .- Col. Cummings went out on a foraging expedition, and secured fresh meat for the regiment. On the 11th the regiment moved about six miles to near Waterloo.

On the evening of the 15th a squad of the enemy ran into the picket line. Lieut. Weygant and his men captured two of the enemy, which seems to have been the first actual contact with the rebel forces by the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth.

On the morning of the 16th the regiment moved again, not towards the front, but to the left, and after a four hours' march they encamped at Warrenton, and became a part of Hooker's grand division.

On the 17th they resumed their march and halted at Libertyville; on the 18th to Hartwood Church; from the 19th to the 23d to near Falmouth, within four miles of Fredericksburg. On the morning of the 24th they were able once more to arrange a regular encampment. The recent march had been a fearful one in rain and mud, exposure costing many precious lives. The regiment remained nearly two weeks at or near this spot. This was the delay in the movement of Gen. Burnside against Richmond via Fredericks- burg which doubtless prevented the success of the enterprise. The delay, Mr. Weygant states, was due to the non-arrival of the pontoon-train, which only reached the required point December 10th. This de- : lay gave Gen. Lee time to fortify in the rear of Fred- ericksburg.

The story of the battle that followed cannot here be given in detail. After the bombardment of the place, under cover of which the pontoon-bridges were finally laid, and the routing of the rebels from the ruins of the town, a night intervened before the cross- ing of the main body of the army.

In the general movement on Friday, the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fourth attempted to cross about ten o'clock, but the bridge became blocked, farther pro- gress for the time was impossible. While standing

Towards night, Sunday, October 26th, the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fourth crossed, and a march of three miles brought them to Lovettsville, where they halted for the night in a cornfield. The wind blew, the , there the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was for rain fell ; there were no fires. It was a night of severe suffering, disabling thirty or more.

the first time under fire, the fog and smoke, lifting a little, had disclosed the bridge with its massed forces

ORANGE COUNTY IN THE ROHELLION.

and the rebel battery on an adjacent height. There were none injured, however, in the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth, and soon after the regiment was or- dered back. At six o'clock Saturday morning the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth crossed, and with the rest of the brigade halted on a level strip of ground a few rods up from the southern shore under cover of a steep bank.

Once during the fearful battle of that day the bri- gade was ordered to storm a battery, and moved to the point designated for forming the line. The order to charge did not come, and they remained virtually spectators of the battle of Fredericksburg. The One Hundred and Twenty-fourth passed the night on the field. Sunday afternoon they returned to the river-bank, and in the retreat of the following night the One Ilundred and Twenty-fourth was among the last regiments to recross the river,-a retreat so suc- cessfully conducted that the rebels evidently did not suspect it until the Union army was nearly back to its old camping-ground at Falmouth.

During the movements of Saturday, Companies E and F of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth, under command of Capt. MeBirney, were sent to the Ken- mere House, in the southern part of the city, to sup- port a battery, and were for a time under fire, but none of the regiment were injured.

The One Hundred and Twenty-fourth now lay with the Army of the Potomac nearly four months at Fal- mouth. During this time, however, there are varions items to be mentioned in the history of the regiment. In January new rifles were received-the Enfield-in place of the old Belgians.

January 20th an order to again advance against the enemy, and the Que Hundred and Twenty-fourth shared in the cold, wet wintry march of the next three days, in the rain and in the mud, only to return, the ' weather, the roads, everything conspiring to render the advance impossible. Jan. 26, 1863, the Army of the Potomac had a new commander, Gen. Joseph Hooker. The winter-quarters were now made toler- ably comfortable. The 6th of April a grand review took place, and also on the 7th. In the order of Brig .- Gen. Whipple of the 9th, the One Hundred' and Twenty-fourth New York, Twelfth New Hampshire, and the United States Sharpshooters are mentioned as having been deemed worthy of especial praise by the President and the commander-in-chief of the Army of the Potomac.

April 27, 1863, the Third Corps, of which the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was a part, was re- viewed, and on the 28th marching orders reached this regiment. Each man carried eighty pounds of am- munition. Leaving camp about 4 p.M., they found that the whole Army of the Potomac was in motion. About midnight they bivonacked near the Rappahan- nock not far from Belle Plains. These were a part of the movements preliminary to the battle of Chancel- lorsville. May 1st the One Hundred and Twenty-

fourth crossed the Rappahannock at the United States Ford, and moved off in a northerly direction about three miles and halted in an oak wood. They had laid in the woods but a short time when skirmishing was heard, and then heavy infantry firing from the direction of Fredericksburg. The Union army had gained an important ridge which Gen. Lee had very much desired to hold, but for some inexplicable reason Gen. Hooker then ordered a retreat. The details of the battle, which has received the name of Chancellors- ville, can only be dwelt upon here as they affect the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth. Gen. Lee engaged the attention of Gen. Hooker in an attack of consid- erable vigor in front, while Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson executed one of the boldest and most successful flank movements of the war.

During the progress of this movement the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fourth was detached and ordered to hasten to a thickly-wooded hill and support some troops posted there. They soon reached the hill, but did not find the troops they were to support. They were, however, hailed by an aide from Gen. Sickles with orders to remain where they were and await the conduet of another aide who should arrive. The next moment the sound of musketry-firing attracted the attention, and a portion of the division was discovered actively engaged with the enemy. Without waiting for orders, Col. Ellis hurriedly formed the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fourth into line of battle and or- dered a charge. As the regiment rushed down the slope and reached the level ground, Gen. Whipple, in person, ordered a halt, informed Col. Ellis that their division was falling baek, and ordered them to retire with it. They had not fallen back more than a mile when news of a terrible disaster came pouring in upon them by fugitives, who reported that the enemy had turned the Union right, routed the Elev- enth Corps, and was even then between the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fourth and headquarters.

The offensive movement had changed to one of de- fense, and twenty-five thousand Union troops met the attack of full fifty thousand Confederates. Forty-five thousand Union troops stood idly looking on simply because they were not ordered forward.

In the darkness of the night the battle raged fiercely. "Stonewall" Jackson of the rebel forces re- ceived his death-wound, probably from the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fourth.

At one time two companies of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth-F and A-formed a skirmish line elose upon the enemy's front, and barely escaped capture or death by a sudden flight to a ravine.

The One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was really caught between the lines, and the terrible Sunday morning battle of Chancellorsville followed.

Says Weygant's History,-

" Turn right or left grim death stared at us. The heavens above seemed filled with hot-breathed ehrieking demons. Behind us was an advancing sheet of flame, and the hills in front opposed an angry line of fire and

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

smoke. The battle was now at its height, and the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was in the thickest of the fray ; but not a son of Orange County was seen to show the white feather, pot a man failed, deliberately they aimed and rapidly fired."

" Back ward-forward, down, down our brave men fell : thinner and yet thinner grew the ranks, but not a foot of ground was y ieldled."

" About twenty feet behind the colors stood Col. Ellis with foldled arms and cap front turned up."

"Not a Union soldier was to be seen on our right, the long line on our left had fallen back."

Reluctantly came the order for the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth to fall back. Still more severe fighting followed, and while thousands of fresh troops lay in the woods not far away the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth with its wasted ranks was ordered to picket duty during the night. Monday morning they were relieved, but only to be put to work in the rifle- pits, where death still hunted them down in the shape of stray shots from distant rebel sharpshooters. Mon- day night those who remained in line were allowed to sleep. The battle of Chancellorsville was over, Hooker's magnificent army was in full retreat, and by the afternoon of Tuesday were back to their old camp at Falmouth.

June 6th the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth left its encampment at Falmouth, and after various expe- riences on the march reached the vicinity of Beverly Ford on the evening of the Sth. The next morning they crossed the river, wading it though it was breast- deep, and found themselves in the rear of contending battle-lines. Up to that time only cavalry had been engaged, and the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was the first infantry in the field. In this battle it had a sharp fight,-an almost hand-to-hand contest in Indian style, each man behind a tree,-and lost two killed and fifteen wounded.

The capture of correspondence at Beverly Ford had revealed Lee's plan of invading the North. Sunday afternoon, June 14th, there commenced a series of marches which finally led the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth, with the rest of the Army of the Po- tomac, to the battle-field of Gettysburg. At 11 P.M. they had made twelve miles and encamped at Cat- lett's Station. At six o'clock in the morning of the 15th they were off again, and marched sixteen miles to Manassas Plains. On the 16th they moved a few miles, and halted on the battle-ground of the first Bull Run fight. Here they had the opportunity of bathing in that historic stream, washing up and resting until the next morning. The 17th they reached Centre- ville, and bivouacked at that point for two days. On the afternoon of the 19th they were off again. The Potomac was crossed at Edwards' Ferry on pontoons, and the regiment bivouacked the night of June 25th in the woods near Poolesville.

On the 27th they halted near Middletown, and on the 28th passed through Frederick. On the 30th they reached Emmettsburg. They were now nearing the fatal and yet decisive days of Gettysburg.

The first day of July sharp bugle-blasts from every direction called the men into line. The first day's

fight at Gettysburg had begun, and two-thirds of the Army of the Potomac were not yet on the field. From Emmet-burg began the forced march. Men fell faint- ing and sunstruck along the route, but ever and anon amid the clouds of dust came the officers' shout, "For- ward ! Forward !"

Reaching the heights of Gettysburg, the men slept that night with their loaded weapons at their side. Most of the men who had fallen out on the march came in, and at eight o'clock on the morning of the 2d of July the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth num- bered about two hundred and forty.

Weygant's History states the position as follows:

"Sickles' corps did not number that morning more than nine thon- sand men present for duty. It was composed of two divisions, of three Inigades each. Birney's division formed the extreme left of the main line, which was drawn up, nearly in the form of a horse's shoe or capital U, on a ridge almt three miles in extent. Ward's ligade was on the left of the division, and occupied the southern slope of a rocky eminence just beyond a small stream called Plum Run, and about one-righth of a mile northwest of Round Top. The One Hundred and Twenty-fourth held position in the right centre of the ligade. There were, when the battle Iegan, no troups to the left of our regiment except the Ninety-muth Pennsylvania. A few minutes after the battle opened the Fortieth New York moved up and took position on the left of the Niuety-ninth Pennsylvania. The Eighty-sixth New York was posted in n piece of woods to the right of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth, but between them was a space of abont a hundred yards. Smith's bat- tery was posted behind Ward's brigade ; its right section stood on high gronud several yards in rear of the Que Hundred and Twenty-fourth."

Of the actual fighting by the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth we quote at length :

" When the enemy's advance line drew near the base of the hill we were on, it appeared to almost halt for a minute and then started rapidly forward again, and with fierce yells began nscemliog the slope ; and there was heard an opening crush of riflery all along our front, which was the death-kuell of hundreds; yet on they came, but very slowly,-only a few fret at a time. Now Cromwell hurries to Col. Ellis, who stands behind the color company, and asks him to order a charge, but the colonel shakes his head and tells the major to go back to his place ngain. Now the enemy has been brought to a stand, but he is only a few rods awny. Again Cromwell walks towards Ellis. This time he is accompanied by Adjutant Ramsdell. Once more he requests the colonel to charge, and is again told to go back to the left of the regiment; yet a moment later their horses are brought up, and against the remonstrances of Cupt. Sil- liman and others they nwunt. The major's ouly reply is, 'The men must see us to-day,' and he sides slowly to and wheels his horse about in the rear of the centre of the left wing, where, with drawn sword and eyes fixed on the colonel, he impatiently waits his superior's pleasure.

" Presently Ellis by a simple nod gives the desired permission, at which Cromwell waves his sword twice above his head, makes a longe forward, shouts the charge, and putting spurs to his horse, dashes for- ward through the lines. The men cease firing for a minute, and with ready byonets rush after him. Ellis sits still in his saddle and looks on, ns if in proud admiration of both his loved major und the gallant sous of Orange, until the regiment is fairly under way, and then rushes with them into the thickest of the fray.

" The conflict at this point defies description. Roaring cannon, crush- ing siflery, screeching shots, bursting shells, hissing bullets, cheers, shouts, shrieks, and groans were the notes of the song of death which greeted the grim reaper as with mighty sweeps he leveled down the richest fiehl of scarlet human grain ever garnered on this continent.

"The enemy's line, nnable to withstand this our fierce onset, broke and fed, and Cromwell, his noble face flushed with victory, and his ex- tended right arm waving his flashiog sabre, uttered a shout of triumph.

" But it had scarcely escaped bis lips when the second line of the foe poured into us a terrible fire, which seemed iu an instant to bring down a full quarter of our number. Once more we hear Cromwell's shout, and once again we see amid the fire and smoke his noble form and flash- ing blade ; but the next instant his brave heart is pierced by a rebel bul- let, his right arm drops powerless, his lifeless body falls back ward from

ORANGE COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

his saddle, and, loud above the din of battle, we hear Ellie shout, ' My God, men, your major is down; save him ! save him !' Again the onset of Orange County's sons becomes irresistible, and the second line of the foe wavers and falls back, but another and more solid line takes its place, whose fresh fire falls with frightful effect on our now skeleton ranks. So terrible is it that two-thirds of the artillery-men in our rear are either killed or wonoded, and the balance driven from their guns by the shells and bullets which pass over and through our line.

" Lieut .- Col. Cummios, with the experience and eye of an old soldier, realizes that a skirmish line without reserves, be the men who compose it ever so brave, must eventually be swept away by a continually-re- newed solid battle-line, and unwilling the regiment should be disgraced by the loss of the guns it is expected to protect attempts to get them started to the rear, but while in the act is so badly injured by a shell, which striking a gun-carriage hurls it against him, that he is carried from the field. But our brave Ellis yet remains, now seen in bold relief, aow lost amid the clouds of powder-smoke. A moment longer, the cea- tral figure, he directs the regiment. Again the rebel line begius to waver, all we see his proud form rise in his stirrupa, his long, sharp sword is extended upward, a half-uttered order escapes his lips, when suddenly his trusty blade falls point downward, his chin drops on his breast, and his body with a weave pitches forward head foremost among the rocks, at which his wounded beast rears and with a mad plunge dashes away, staggering blindly through the ranks of the foe, who is uow giving ground again, firing wildly as he goes.

" But we are too weak to follow them ; yet with desperate effort the Orange Blossoms struggle forward and gather up such as they may of the wounded, and with them and the bodies of Ellis and Cromwell we fall slowly and mournfully back to the maio line, from which we should never have advanced, and there reform our shattered ranks and prepare to receive as best we may the next onset of the foe.

"Three times we have beaten him hack, but now we are exhausted. For forty minutes the brigades of Ward and De Trobriand, at first scarce three thousand strong, and now reduced to but little more than half that number, have held their ground against Longstreet's entire corps."

The situation was fearful. Gen. Sickles was se- verely wounded. Birney now commanded the corps, Ward the division, Berdan the brigade. Of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Regiment, Col. Ellis was killed, Lieut .- Col. Cummins carried to the rear wounded, Maj. Cromwell dead, and Capt. Charles H. Weygant, of Company A, who had been only fourth in command when the battle commenced, was now in charge of the wasted ranks of the regiment. The ten little companies, now numbering a trifle over a hun- dred men, are gathered together in squads, like picket posts along the front they are yet expected to hold.

On the 7th of July the One Hundred and Twenty- fourth marched away from the hills of Gettysburg. Only one hundred and fifty men were left, and nine commissioned officers. They halted for the night at Mechanicstown, twenty miles or more from Gettys- hurg. On the 8th they went twenty-three miles more, and were south of Frederick, in Maryland; on the 9th twelve miles down the Hagerstown road; the

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 21

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1336

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336