USA > New York > Oswego County > History of Oswego County, New York, with illustrations and Biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 19
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On being relieved they encamped in the pine-woods, and soon after on Arlington Heights, where they were brigaded with the Fourteenth New York (Brooklyn Zouaves), the Twenty-second and Thirtieth New York Volunteers, and some three months later the Second United States Sharp- shooters, under the command of General Keyes.
During the fall the regiment broke camp and moved to Upton's Hill, where they built Fort Upton, and passed the first winter. During the winter Brigadier-General Keyes was relieved by General C. C. Augur in the com- mand of the brigade. While here General Mcclellan assumed command of the Army of the Potomac, and the Twenty fourth at once entered upon a life of dress-parade and reviews, held in awe by the ominous-looking Quaker guns at Manassas and Centreville. In the spring of 1862 the grand Army of the Potomac moved. The Twenty- fourth advanced to Bristoe Station, where they remained about one week, and then marched to Catlett's Station, six miles farther west. Ilere began its severest duty and heavy marching. They started for Fredericksburg, and, after a weary march of twenty miles, halted, and had scarcely divested themselves of their accontrements when they were startled by a rifle-shot immediately in front. It was soon learned that a Federal sharpshooter in the van of the brigade had shot a courier for refusing the countersign, and upon his body was found an order requiring the com- mand to press forward. There was no time for questions or delays. They immediately pressed forward, and on the following morning reached Falmouth, where they had an engagement with the enemy, defeating and driving them across the Rappahannock river. The artillery at once opened a destructive fire, dislodging the enemy and driving them from the river. The Twenty-fourth was warmly re- ceived in Falmonth by the colored population, who lined the
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HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
streets on either hand, and as the troops marehed through, with flags flying and the banils playing "Dixie," could but elasp their hands in thankful prayer, while some upon their knees, with tears streaming down their black faees, ex- claimed, " Bress de Lo'd ! Bress de Ly'd ! I knowed ye was comin', and here ye is." They had endnred one of the severest marches of the campaign, and, in consequence of the condition of the roads, and the incredibly short time in which it was made, received from the commanding gen- eral the name of the " Iron Brigade," a designation worthily bestowed.
Camp-life at Falmouth was varied by frequent mareles and eountermarches from eamp to Spottsylvania and Front Royal, in Shenandoah valley, to intercept Jackson and his raiders. While camped at Falmouth this brigade passed from the command of General Augur to the com- mand of General Hatch, the son of a former Oswegonian, M. P. Hatch. The command of the division passed from General MeDowell to General King, the former assuming command of the corps, and General John Pope the Army of Virginia. By these changes the Twenty-fourth became the senior regiment of the First brigade and First army corps of the army, which they maintained until the First corps was terminated by the expiration of term of service of the two-years' men.
General Burnside relieved them at Fredericksburg, and they marched to Cedar Mountain, where Pope fought the battle of Cedar or Slaughter Mountain. From this place, Angust 9, 1862, commeneed what is known as Pope's re- treat, the First Oswego Regiment occupying the post of honor, the rear-guard. About this time was fought the battle of Sulphur Springs, in which the Twenty-fourth Regiment was under fire, supporting a battery of artillery. At times the cloud of dust that betrayed the position of the foe was plainly seen, and oftentimes was uncomfortably near. At Rappahannock Station the regiment was under fire, and Company B, being deployed as skirmishers, beheld without protest the planting of a rebel battery; the first shot from which killed a man in Company D. After an artillery duel, which lasted during that day and part of the next, the march was taken up along the main thoroughfare known as the Warrenton turnpike, and continued until August 28, when Gainsville was reached. Here commeneed a series of engagements known in history as the second battle of Bull Run.
The following was the position of the opposing forees: The Army of Virginia, numbering forty thousand strong, under General John Pope, was in retreat towards Manassas railroad, for the purpose of forming a junetion with General Mcclellan. Pope was closely followed by Stonewall Jaek- son, with an army of thirty thousand; while General Longstreet was pressing up the valley of the Shenandoah, his objective point being Thoroughfare Gap, in Bull Run mountain. Pope in the mean time thought to arrest Jack- son by decoying him to press our retreat until Franklin's division, hourly expected from Alexandria, could attack him in the rear, and thus destroy Jackson before Longstreet could arrive with his foree. The latter, however, was one day's mareh nearer the Gap than General Pope had supposed, and when he charged Jackson, that wily general drew in
his flanks, thereby leading Pope to believe him in retreat, who rapidly pressed forward, with the assurance that Franklin would soon open a rear attack. Franklin, how- ever, was not there, but Longstreet was with his force of thirty thousand men, and the entire army under the com- mand of General Robert E. Lee.
During the night of the 28th of August, the Twenty- fourth supported Gibbon's brigade. Some time during the night word was silently passed that the enemy had out- flanked them, and were close on them both front and rear. In the dead hour of the night, silently and stealthily King's division erept out from between these superior forees. Not a sound was heard as on a double-quiek they escaped from this trap, marching upon the soft sod and in the grass until daylight brought them to Manassas Junetion. After a brief halt at this point they proeceded to Centreville.
At five o'clock in the evening of August 29, 1862, General Pope, believing that Porter was advancing, in compliance with orders sent him, ordered an attack on Jackson's right, supposing it to be the right of the entire Confederate foree in the field. The attack was made along the Warrenton turnpike by King's division, then com- manded by Hateh, of MeDonald's corps, who, trusting to find the enemy in full retreat, took the men forward with an impetnosity akin to rashness. Instead of finding the enemy retreating he was confronted, after marching nearly one mile, by a large foree, under the command of Generals Hood and Evans, of Hill's division. The regiment was un- der the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Beardsley. A fieree struggle, lasting nearly one hour, took place, mainly between Hatch's brigade, commanded by Colonel Sullivan, of the Twenty-fourth, and Doubleday's brigade, on the Union side, and A. P. Hill's division on the Confederate. This fieree contest is thus vividly described by an eye-witness :
"All day Friday the Twenty-fourth supported a regiment of artillery in sight of the battle, which was raging in a natural basin of many miles' extent. At evening, when the long shadows of twilight were ereeping over the land, the regiment moved forward to harass the retreating foe. The red dust lay in suffocating thickness in the road through which we passed on the double-quiek, stirring it up beneath onr feet until it hung in great elouds about us, shrouding the landscape from view. Down the road we dashed and through a ereek, on the opposite bank of which, on his horse, sat General MeDowell, hat in hand, with elenehed fist menacing the air ; as the regiment ap- proached he inquired, -
"' What regiment is that ?'
"' The Twenty-fourth New York,' was the reply.
""" Hurrah for the Twenty-fourth New York ! Give it to them, boys ! give it to them ! They are on the run ; don't let them stop; remember your country, and remember Bull Run"
" An answering cheer rose to our lips, as through the suffoeating dust we rushed along. Soon a retiring battery is met.
" ' What's the matter, boys ?'
"' Out of ammunition.'
"' Close up, and forward ! Forward " and away we go; and still the twilight deepens and the shadows gather round.
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HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Suddenly an ominous flash of fire, and a report of artillery immediately in front, and the whiz and whistle of grape and canister greeted our ears, and exploding shells burst among us. We immediately flanked out of the road and into the bed of a creek out of the immediate rake of their batteries, until covered by the embankment of the creek, about ten feet in height, up which we scrambled. No attempt at order then, and short time was there for organ- izing on its brow.
" The top of that bluff revealed a stone wall, at the right from which hundreds of guns poured their murderous fire among us. Upon the rise of ground in front appeared a very wall of fire, and in the open brush and wood at the left was a large force of the enemy, and fire answering fire. Upward ! forward ! nothing fearing till the very crest of the hill was reached and bayonets crossed. Two brigades of intrepid, enthusiastic youths crossed bayonets with an army numbering sixty thousand men. Who could endure it? what amount of patriotism or love of country could stand in that holocaust of fire and death ? Back ! alas, back ! Slowly but surely back ! Ah! what is that ? Forth steps a youth, his pale face lighted up, and made paler by the flashing lines of fire from three sides of that fatal square. His musket and his hat raised in front, his foot- steps press forward, while back he casts his face and shouts, ' Be brave, men ; don't run like cowards; forward! and follow me ! I'll lead you !' 'Twas but a second, yet many saw how Marvin Cozzens fell. While like a wall came up a line of bristling bayonets, and the words from the hoarse throat of a mounted officer rang out, 'Steady, steady, Hampton legion !' and on they passed over the dead and over the wounded and the dying. They passed, and back- ward we slowly yielded the ground, until the darkness in- creased and threw its merciful folds over the scene of carn- age, and silence reigned. The battle of Grovetown was fought and lost."
In this engagement the regiment lost twenty-nine killed, one hundred and eighty-six wounded, and one hundred and twenty-four missing. Among the killed was Major Bar- ney, who fell gallantly fighting at the head of his command.
From the battle-field of Bull Run the history of the Iron brigade is the history of the army. Associated with the First corps, it followed its marching, camping, battles, and glory. At South Mountain, with but a handful of men, they again met the same enemy that had so severely han- dled them on that fatal Friday night, and at the point of the bayonet utterly routed and defeated them. In this charge the regiment was under the command of the gallant John D. O'Brien. The battle of Antietam soon followed, and the Twenty-fourth rendered gallant service in driving the Confederate forces back into Virginia. In this battle the regiment was also under the command of Captain O'Brien, who was wounded.
After an encampment of six weeks at Sharpsburg, Mary- land, the First corps, with a squadron of cavalry, crossed the Potomac at New Berlin, and fought the enemy in skirmishes and raids along the different gaps in the mountains, forcing the Confederates back upon their Richmond defenses. From Warrenton, where the command of the armies passed to Gen- eral Buruside, the First corps and the Iron brigade marched
across the country to Brook's Station, on the Aquia creek and Fredericksburg railroad. In Burnside's attack on Fred- erieksburg it occupied the extreme left. At first Freder- icksburg, Company B held the picket-line, under command of W. L. Yeekley. The whole army retired and left them, fearing that by withdrawing the picket the retreat would be discovered. And it was not until the pontoons were about to be withdrawn that the company was recalled from their perilous position, and the bridge immediately re- moved. After this unsuccessful assault the army retired to Belle Plain, on the Potomac, and went into winter quarters.
In December occurred what was known as Burnside's famous " mud march." In this march the army advanced nine miles in three days and then returned to their old camp. During the remainder of the winter nothing oc- curred to relieve the ceaseless monotony of camp life.
In the following May, under " fighting Joe" Hooker, the Potomac was again crossed, and the Iron brigade occupied the extreme left in Reynolds' division, and in that order went into the second battle of Fredericksburg. During the engagement the brigade was withdrawn from the left of the army and sent to support the Eleventh corps, on the ex- treme right at Chancellorsville, and when the retreat was ordered it covered the movement as the rear-guard, and was the last to cross the Rappahannock river. The Twenty- fourth did picket duty along the Rappahannock river from this time until May 17, 1863, when, their term of enlist- ment having expired, they were ordered to Elmira, New York, where they were mustered out of the United States service, on the 29th day of May, 1863.
The battle-flag of the Twenty-fourth bears the following inscriptions : "Falmouth; Sulphur Springs; Rappahannock Station ; Gainesville ; Groveton ; Manassas; South Moun- tain ; Antietam ; first Fredericksburg; second Fredericks- burg; Chancellorsville."
CHAPTER XVII.
OSWEGO IN THE REBELLION.
The Eighty-first Regiment.
THE result of the battle of Bull Run, while it carried enthusiasm to the south and gave the Confederacy freslı evidence of the valor of its soldiery, fired the northern heart with a determination to at once organize an army of six hundred thousand strong, and no longer be compelled to submit to the humiliation of acting on the defensive, but open at once an aggressive campaigu.
President Lincoln issued a call for three hundred thou- sand men, and soon after followed with another call for three hundred thousand more, and under this proclamation the Eighty-first, otherwise designated as the Second Oswego Regiment, was raised.
It was mustered into the United States service, on the 14th of September, 1861, by Captain D. B. McKibbin, of the Fourteenth United States Infantry.
The following were the field and staff officers : Colonel,
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HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Edwin Rose; Lieutenant-Colonel, Jacob J. De Forest ; Major, John MeAmbly ; Surgeon, Wm. 11. Rice; Assist- ant Surgeon, Carrington Macfarlane ; Adjutant, Edward A. Cooke; Quartermaster, Roger A. Francis ; Chaplain, David MeFarland ; Sergeant-Major, James L. Belden ; Commissary-Sergeant, N. H. Green ; Quartermaster-Ser- geant, John F. Young; Hospital Steward, C. S. Hart ; Drum-Major, W. S. Winters.
Line Officers .- Company A, Captain, William C. Raul- ston ; First Lientenant, Hamilton Littlefield, Jr. ; Second Lieutenant, Elias A. Fish.
Company B, Captain, Augustus G. Bennett; First Lien- tenant, Hugh Anderson; Second Lieutenant, Martin J. De Forest.
Company C, Captain, Franklin Hannahs; First Lieuten- ant, Orin J. Fitch ; Second Lientenant, Seth J. Steves.
Company D, Captain, L. C. Adkins ; First Lieutenant, John G. Phillips ; Second Lieutenant, R. D. S. Tyler.
Company E, Captain, Lyman M. Kingman ; First Lieu- tenant, W. C. Newberry; Second Lieutenant, D. G. Harris.
Company F, Captain, T. Dwight Stow ; First Lieutenant, Edward S. Cooke; Second Lieutenant, D. C. Rix.
Company G, Captain, Henry C. Thompson ; First Lien- tenant, Henry H. Hamilton ; Second Lieutenant, H. W. Green.
Company H, Captain, John B. Raulston ; First Lieu- tenant, John W. Oliver; Second Lieutenant, Peter French.
Company I, Captain, D. B. White; First Lieutenant, Willard W. Ballard; Seeond Lieutenant, B. F. Wood.
Company K, Captain, J. Dorman Steele; First Lieu- tenant, George W. Berriman ; Second Lieutenant, L. J. Steele.
On the 20th of January the regiment left Oswego for Albany, and while here, February 1, 1862, received an ac- cession of three hundred and fifty men from Oneida county, forming Companies C, E, and I. This completed the regi- ment, and on the 21st of the same month it departed from Albany for the front. They arrived in New York the day following, and went into barracks on Staten Island, and here remained until March 5, when the order came to move to Washington, which city they reached on the 7th, and on the 8th encamped for the first time near the city, on Kalorama Heights. Here the regiment halted twenty days, and was attached to the Third brigade, Casey's division, Fourth corps.
March 28 they marched to Alexandria, and two days thereafter embarked on the steamer "C. Vanderbilt," for Fortress Monroe, where they arrived April 1. From this point the regiment was ordered towards Newport News, seven miles distant, and eneamped in an unhealthy locality, where they remained fourteen days, during which period many became ill and were sent to the hospital.
It was with glad hearts they broke camp on the 15th of April, when they marched to Young's Mills, and on the following morning eontinned their march to Warwick Court-House, two miles distant, and here remained five days. On the 21st they marched four miles, and camped in front of the enemy's works at Lee's Mills. While at this camp many left the regiment on sick leave, Colonel Edwin Rose among the number.
May 4 and 5 they marched sixteen miles, passing to the left of Yorktown, and encamped on the plain before Wil- liamsburg, where they remained during that sanguinary struggle, the division, commanded by Casey, being the reserve. On the 10th he engaged in a series of short marches via Roper's Church, New Kent Court-House, Bot- tom's Bridge, to Seven Pines, where they arrived on the morning of the 28th, where they remained until the battle which was fought May 31. In this contest the Eighty- first was assigned to the left of Casey's division, unsupported and in an open field.
A member of the regiment thus deseribes this engage- ment : " The enemy in front, sereened by a thick under- growth of bushes, poured several volleys of musketry into the regiment, and, although this was the first regular en- gagement in which they had participated, yet they stood like veterans. Volley after volley was poured into the bushes with deadly effect. Soon finding that they could not maintain their exposed position, the regiment fell back in good order to the edge of the woods in their rear. During this time both field-officers fell. Lieutenant-Colonel De Forest was shot in the breast ; Major John MeAmbly and Captain Kingman were killed and left on the field, to- gether with many privates. Captain Wm. C. Raulston, being the senior offieer present, then assumed command, and in the position then taken they kept up a constant fight with the enemy in front for two hours, when a large force, afterwards ascertained to be a brigade, entered the field they had left and deployed in such a manner as to approach them both in front and flank. To save themselves from being taken prisoners, the order was given to fall back towards the centre of the line, which was on the Williamsburg road, half a mile distant. While moving in that direction the centre gave way and was being forced down the road. To meet this they were obliged to change direction, passing through a thick wood and, slashing, gaining open ground half a mile in the rear of the first line of riffe-pits, which they entered and continued the fight until the day closed,-the enemy in possession of the battle-field, including the camp, with all the tents, the personal baggage, and extra clothing of the men and officers."
Darkness put an end to the conflict. Although this was the Eighty-first's baptism of fire they behaved like veterans, and all during that memorable afternoon they were found in the thickest of the fight, and their thin and decimated ranks at the close of the battle told only too well of the fierceness of the struggle.
At night they lay on their arms, and the following day was spent in burying the dead.
June 2, General Mcclellan issued an address to the army annonnceing that the final and decisive battle was at hand, which served to inspire the troops with new vigor.
On the fourth day they marched to White Oak swamps, where they eneamped and remained until the 28th. While here Colonel Rose rejoined the regiment. On the morning of the 30th, after a weary mareh of fifteen miles through mud and mire, they arrived at Malvern Hill. It was im- possible, in consequence of the depth of mud, to get the wagons and stores through, and they were destroyed to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy.
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HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
July 1 the Eighty-first was assigned to the reserve corps, and on the following day took up the line of march for Harrison's Landing. On the 8th they encamped near James river, and remained there thirty-nine days. While here Colonel Rose tendered his resignation, and Major Raulston assumed command of the regiment. On the morning of August 16 the regiment broke camp and marched twenty miles in the direction of Williamsburg. The following morning the march was resumed, and at three o'clock P.M. they crossed the Chickahominy, and at eventide, after a weary march of twenty miles, bivouacked. On the 18th the march was resumed, and they passed via Williamsburg to Yorktown, which place was reached on the 19th, after one of the most fatiguing marches of the campaign. Many of the men dropped by the wayside, ut- terly exhausted by the heat and fatigue. No member of this battle-searred regiment will soon forget the march on that August day under the scorching rays of a southern sun.
The Eighty-first went into camp at Yorktown, where they remained till the last of December, doing fatigue duty on the fortifications. During their stay at this place Col- onel De Forest rejoined the regiment. December 29 the regiment left Yorktown, and on "New Year's day," 1863, arrived at Beaufort, North Carolina. They disembarked, and, after a march of three miles, reached Caroline City, where they eucamped and remained twenty days, when they re-embarked and sailed for Port Royal, and subsequently camped on St. Helena island. Nearly a month was now passed in rapid changes of position. April 4 they sailed to North Edisto inlet ; on the 10th returned to Hilton Head ; the 15th sailed for Beaufort ; the 17th moved to Newbern, and on the 2d of May ordered back to Morehead City. At this time Major D. B. White, with three companies, B, D, and G, was ordered to Fort Macon to perform garrison duty. The lamented Captain Ballard, with Companies E, I, and K, was assigned to Beaufort as provost guard, and the remaining four companies, A, L, F, and H, remained at Morchead City, the headquarters of the regiment, then commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W. C. Raulston.
While here several important raids were made into the enemy's country by the Eighty-first and other troops in the distriet. The Wilmington raid was made July 1, and a few days after an expedition was sent to Swansboro'. The most important one, however, was that under command of Brigadier-General C. A. Heckman, which penetrated the enemy's country to within six miles of Weldon, capturing prisoners, destroying cotton, ete. This raid lasted eight days, and the men suffered greatly from fatiguc.
On the 18th of October they embarked for Newport News, Virginia, which place was reached two days therc- after, and they eneamped on the ground occupied by them in April, 1862. Again they were "tenting on the old camp ground." Here the regiment remained, participating in the usual routine of camp duties, until November 18, when it was ordered to Northwest Landing, about twenty- five miles from Norfolk, on the borders of the Dismal swamp. Nothing of particular importance occurred during the march except that the regiment lost two men-one wounded and one taken prisoner-in an attack by bush-
whackers. The 19th of November found them fincly en- camped near Northwest Landing river. While here their Yankee ingenuity was displayed by the construction of a bridge across the river with a draw cunningly devised for the purpose of destroying the enemy in the event of a charge.
While in this camp a pleasing episode occurred in the presentation to the regiment of a beautiful flag by Mrs. C. E. Ingersoll, of Lee, Oneida county. The old banner that waved over the Eighty-first when it went out to battle had been returned to the citizens of Oswego in a dilapidated condition and no longer fit for service.
January 1, 1864, a proposition was made to those having less than one year to serve to re-enlist for three years .. On the 23d of the following month two-thirds of the entire regiment had re-enlisted, and the Eighty-first became a veteran regiment. This entitled them to a furlough of thirty days, and February 23 they started for home via Norfolk, and on the afternoon of the 29th arrived in New York. Here the regiment was mustered for pay, and March 2 was reviewed by the mayor of the city and Gen- eral Burnside, after which they were escorted to the depot, and took the night train for Albany, where they arrived on the following morning, and remained three days, during which time they were reviewed by Governor Seymour and members of the legislature. Upon their arrival in Syra- cuse they were met by a delegation of citizens, by whom they were breakfasted, after which they boarded the cars for Oswego, where they arrived at four o'clock, and marched to Doolittle hall, where the ladies of the city had prepared a splendid repast, with which they welcomed home the " Second Oswego."
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