USA > New York > History of the 121st New York State Infantry > Part 15
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Of these weeks of rest and recuperation, Beck- with writes: "We passed the holidays in pretty good shape, but the first lot of boxes of goodies that were permitted to be sent us had been rifled of their contents, much to our discontent, and it would have gone hard with the thieves, if we could have gotten hold of them.
"However, others soon came, which consoled us
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SURGEON JOHN O. SLOCUM, Who served from July 1, 1863, to the end of the war.
D. M. HOLT, Assistant Surgeon, from September 2, 1962, to October 16, 1864.
REV. ISAAC O. BEST, the compiler and author of this history.
CLINTON BECKWITH, From whose writings many extracts are used in com- piling this history.
for the loss of the first. Some socks and mittens came to us from the Sanitary Commission. There were plenty of sutlers with the army, so we managed to pass the time away. The weather as a rule was. bad and picket duty the toughest work we had to do. We had to keep on the lookout for the Johnnies constantly. Quite a number of North Carolinians came in and entertained us with a description of the condition of the Rebel forces. Their bill of fare, their clothing and their personal appearance bore out, the startling stories they told. They seemed glad to get away, and swore that they would not fight any more secession battles. The Union and the Old Flag was good enough for them; but they had been conscripted and forced to come. The months of January and February were but repetitions of December, without special incidents. Many men came back to the regiment, who had been sick, wounded and on detached duty, and on dress parade we made a very tidy looking battalion."
At this point in his narrative Colonel Beckwith gives a very amusing account of his experiences while on furlough granted on the 25th of April, which he managed to prolong to the 14th of March. During the winter an effort was made to fill up the regiment so that the officers who had been com- missioned, but could not be mustered in, because the number of enlisted men was below the required standard, might receive their full rank. These were Lieutenant Colonel Olcott, Captain Cronkite and Captain Kidder, who had been commissioned respectively Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel and Major. Several recruiting officers were sent home to Herki- mer and Otsego Counties to obtain recruits, but their efforts did not avail to fill the regiment and the 1st of March found the regiment still deficient in numbers. Application was then made to the
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Secretary of War for the assignment of four hun- dred recruits to the regiment. This application was endorsed as follows: By General Mckenzie, commanding the brigade. "Approved," by General Wheaton, commanding the division, "I think it greatly for the interest of the division that the 121st New York Regiment be filled. Its services have been most marked and conspicuous, not sur- passed by any regiment I can name, and its gallant commander is entitled by continuous and valuable services to be mustered as Colonel, he having held the commission for more than a year, and has fre- quently commanded a brigade in battle, and with great credit." By Gen. H. G. Wright, commanding the corps, "Respectfully forwarded, with urgent request that recruits or drafted men sufficient to fill up this regiment be promptly assigned to it. And I hereby endorse all that has been said by Generals Mckenzie and Wheaton in regard to the services and standing of the regiment, and the merits of its commander." General Meade for- warded it to Washington with this endorsement: "It is especially requested that this regiment may be specially designated to be filled up by assign- ment of men to its ranks, in consideration of its gallant reputation, and the distinguished services of its commander." This application, thus en- dorsed received consideration by the War Depart- ment, and four hundred additions were ordered to be sent to the 121st; but they did not arrive until after the surrender of Lee, and while the corps was at Burksville Junction. Then the officers were duly mustered.
During the winter also changes were made in the field and staff, by appointment and promotion. Dr. James P. Kimball was commissioned Assistant Surgeon. Vice Dr. Holt resigned. Frank E. Lowe was promoted to be Adjutant, Sergeant Major J. L.
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Morthon, Sergeant Newber, N. A. Armstrong, Thomas J. Hassett and Philip R. Woodcock were promoted to lieutenants. Morris C. Foote, of Cooperstown was also commissioned as lieutenant. Lieut. E. C. Weaver resigned on account of sick- ness and Lieutenant Kelly died of disease.
The ordinary duties of camp life, drills, picket and fatigue, in trenches and forts, was broken once when in February 5th to 8th the brigade was sent to support the 5th Corps on an expedi- tion to Hatcher's Run. At one time the line of the 5th Corps was broken and some of the troops fell back in confusion. The brigade restored and stiffened the line and became lightly engaged. It crossed the Run to the front twice and lost seven men wounded. The weather was very bad, and the return to camp was a great relief. Perhaps some of the surviving members of the regiment remember what happened when they were sent on St. Patrick's day with the teams to get pine poles to be used for strengthening Fort Fisher, and failed to get past the Irish Brigade that was celebrating the day with races and games of all sorts. They had an enjoyable day, but the toting of a log of cord wood all night, and extra picket duty some- what cancelled the pleasant remembrance of it. Major Cronkite then in command of the regiment, did not escape denunciation by the transgressors.
General Grant says in his memoirs that at this time he was in great anxiety lest Lee should leave his position protecting Petersburg and Richmond, and leaving only a thin line for the purpose of deception send or take the greater part of his army to the assistance of Johnston and overwhelm Sherman in his advance through the Carolinas. If he should do this before the roads became passable for artillery and trains, a great disaster to the Union cause might result.
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But General Lee determined to make one more desperate effort to break the vice-like grip that the Union army had on Petersburg; and so directed General Gordon with a chosen force to attack, and if possible break through the besieging forces at Fort Steadman. This attempt was made on the morning of the 25th of March. Fort Steadman was taken, but immediately was retaken by the Union forces in the vicinity.
Upon the breaking out of the tumult of the at- tack on Fort Steadman, the 6th Corps, or the 1st Division of it, was ordered out and advanced rapidly towards the point of attack. But before it reached there, the affair was over, and the divi- sion returned to the rest of the corps. We had become familiar with one feature of General Grant's strategy, the relieving of an attack on one portion of his line, by an attack on some distant portion of the enemy's line, and were not surprised therefore when orders came to form line of battle and advance on the works of the enemy. Let Colonel Beckwith tell what was done. "About noon we marched back to camp, and then moved to the left and formed line of battle and charged the skirmishers in front. We ran over their skir- ยท mish line for some distance, taking some prisoners. We then advanced on their main works, getting up to the house near them, under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry. We occupied this position until ordered back to the enemy's former skirmish line, but after a short time went forward to the top of the knoll and threw up breastworks. At midnight we returned to camp, leaving some of the regiment on picket in the new line we had built."
Colonel Cronkite then in command of the regi- ment gives a fuller account of this affair. The 2d Brigade was on the right of the corps, and the 121st on the right of the brigade. The advance carried
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the regiment to within seven hundred yards of the main work of the enemy, and the right of the regi- ment was exposed to a severe fire from front and flank. When the line had fallen back and thrown up the breastworks, it was within a hundred yards of the Rebel fortifications and the right flank was still exposed to an enfilading fire of artillery and musketry. An effort by a body of the enemy to turn the right flank of the corps was met by the two companies on the right changing front and opening fire on the advancing enemy, which drove them back to the shelter of their works. Beckwith continues : "The only man killed was Lieutenant Duroe, who commanded our company. He was the largest man in the regiment, and a brave and im- petuous officer. We brought his body to camp and gave him a soldier's burial.
"We reached the conclusion that the enemy's lines were thinly held, else he would not permit us to peaceably hold the strong position we had taken and entrenched, within easy striking dis- tance of his main line."
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CHAPTER XIX
THE CAPTURE OF PETERSBURG BY 6TH CORPS
THE 31st of March was spent by the 121st on the skirmish line, and on its return to camp, or- ders were received to hold itself in readiness for moving at a moment's notice. On the 1st of April firing was heard off to the left, and it was rumored that the 5th Corps had already begun the antici- pated attack upon the enemy's works.
At 10 o'clock of April 1st the 6th Corps, under orders to leave all unnecessary accoutrements un- der guard in camp, and to move as quietly as possi- ble in light marching order, moved quietly out of camp and formed in column of assault in the rear of our picket line. This was done so silently, as not to be detected by the pickets of the enemy. The position occupied by the corps was the one captured on the afternoon of the 25th of March, behind the picket line then formed, not more than two hundred yards from the works of the enemy. A fierce artillery fire had been opened along the whole line to cover the point of attack, and the roar of the cannon from both sides, and the flight of the shells distinguished by their burning fuses made the night one long to be remembered by those who saw and heard the grand duel of the artillery. The time set for the assault was 4 A. M., but on account of the darkness and fog the order was not given till 4:45.
Colonel Olcott's report gives the part of the 121st in it: "The brigade being in two lines, the 121st New York was on the right of the second
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line. When the order to advance was given, the regiment moved rapidly forward, maintaining a good line till within about 200 yards of the enemy's works when the second line was moved a short distance to the left and then forward again. This together with the darkness and the character of the ground, divided the regiment somewhat. Most of the men with the colors entered the works farther to the right than intended and captured two guns. One of these was immediately turned upon the enemy, loaded and fired by Sergeant Redfield M. Dustin, Company F. Sergeant Dustin served for nearly two years in the 1st Massa- chusetts Battery, and is a skillful artillerist. These guns were carried off and receipt obtained for them. The portion of the regiment engaged in taking the guns mentioned, with a part of the 95th Pennsylvania, 2d Connecticut and 95th New York advanced along the enemy's works for nearly a mile, capturing all the artillery in them and hold- ing the works until ordered to join the part of the regiment to the left. The regiment in this charge captured about two hundred prisoners."
The more circumstantial account of this affair given by Colonel Beckwith, is as follows: "About midnight we moved out of camp and marched to Fort Fisher, near the lookout tower, and moved out of the works. The strictest silence was en- joined. As we approached the line taken by us on the 25th of March, we formed in line of battle in rear of the 2d Connecticut and had scarcely gotten into position when we were ordered to lie down. At the same time the pickets began firing, as we supposed, to cover the noise of our forming, and we were treated to the sensation of lying upon a field for a long time exposed to the fire of the enemy's skirmishers without any shelter. Every once in a while some one would get hit with a ball,
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and we could hear his cry of anguish as the lead tore through. Finally our men, by stopping their fire and crying, 'April Fool, Johnnies,' restored quiet, and for a long time we lay perfectly quiet, waiting for the time to come when we could move forward. The night was cold and damp and we were chilled and numb. There was some firing away to our right but not more than usual. Word was passed along, that when the battery opened at Fort Fisher it was the signal to charge. We were. to advance without further orders and as silently as possible. It seemed to me as though that bat- tery would never open. Anson Ryder, who lay beside me, said 'I would rather charge than lic here in this suspense and misery.' As the first gray dawn began to show, out belched the guns, and we could mark the course of the shells as their fuse left a dim spark passing to the Rebel works. We were up in another moment, in closed ranks, feeling for the man on our right we plunged for- ward in the darkness. In another instant the Reb skirmishers delivered their fire and their battery in our front opened. Almost its first shot cut Jimmie Hendricks of Company A in two. A little farther on, and the Rebel works were marked by the jets of flame from their rifles as they fired upon us. Another instant and we were up to their abatis, and we got into a tangle looking for a place to get through. Finally some fellow to our left sang out, 'Here's a road,' and a lot of us made for it and followed it on a run to the Rebel works at that point a fort. Climbing up the sides, it being now light enough to see a few paces ahead, I went in through the embrasure of the guns, one of which had been firing on us. The Johnnies had run back among the huts and were firing back at us. We ran down toward them and they ran back into the field. Quite a number hid in the huts, and our
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fellows hunted them out. Afterwards a lot of us fellows charged over the field to the road, and fired into the running Rebs, and also into some wagons which were passing. We also twisted off the telegraph wires with our bayonets, continuing our firing at everything in sight. The Johnnies made it too hot for us in the road, as there were but a few of us, and so we went back to the house where a good many of our men had gathered and from which we were directed to move to the right along the enemy's lines. This we did for a long distance without much opposition, until we came to a fort, which commanded and enfiladed the line on which we were advancing. Our advance was checked until a division of the 24th Corps came up from the direction we had come, and word was passed along for the 2d Brigade men to move back and assemble, which we did. Getting back to Fort Fisher we found the balance of the regiment and the brigade. Some of the regiment had gone to the left when they got into the works. The friendly darkness had destroyed the Rebels' aim, and by reason of it many a man's life had been spared, but we had lost enough. Anse Ryder had been hit in the leg near the thigh, Robinson had lost one arm, Frank Lowe had been hit, and a number of others, I do not now recall. We had taken a lot of Johnnies prisoners, had killed and wounded some, and taken their guns; but we did not stop to bother with them-just told them to get to the rear and hunt up the provost marshal, which they were apparently very glad to do, and without escort at that. We dumped the brass guns over the fort and ran them towards our line to guard against accident. The wounded were carried back to the hospital near the observatory where we found Anse Ryder. Doctor Slocum said it would kill him to amputate his leg, and that he would
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die if it was not done, and Anse wanted to die with it on; so the doctor fixed him up and sent him to the hospital, and he is living to-day with the Rebel bullet and the bone of his leg cemented together like old friends."
"The brigade as soon as assembled was ordered to the right to support a portion of the 9th Corps. In this movement it passed by its camp, but was not permitted to stop for the accoutrements left there, but was hurried on to the vicinity of Fort Sedgwick and passing through entered the first line of the enemy's works that had been captured by the men of the 9th Corps, but they had there been checked. Many of the dead and wounded were still in these works, and it was by no means a pleasant duty to occupy them the rest of the day and during the night, until 3 o'clock, when the brigade was formed in skirmish order and ad- vanced on Petersburg. It thus happened that the 2d Brigade of the 1st Division of the 6th Corps was the first organization of the army of the Potomac to enter the city of Petersburg, and unfurl its flag on a public building there. About the same time an officer of another corps had ridden in and placed a flag on another building, but he was not accompanied by a body of troops. It was with him an individual adventure, but our flag was raised in the regular course of official service."
Our flag was unfurled on the Court House, the other on the Post Office. Beckwith continues: "We secured a lot of Confederate currency and postage stamps, and routed out a lot of stragglers and sneaks, hid about the city. At the Com- missary we secured some nice hams and some apple jack that was quite smooth, and under its softening influence we forgave a good many of our foes. Some of the women, whose houses we en- tered, to get the Johnnies the darkies told us were
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hidden there, gave us a startling exhibition of their ability to blackguard us. About noon we were in line again and on our way to our old camp. Pass- ing along through the city we saw President Lincoln and General Grant, and gave them a marching salute. Soon reaching camp, we slung our traps, and the same night reached our division fagged out, but ready to push on after Lee's broken columns. On the morning of the third we were on the road from Petersburg to Burkesville. Our progress was not very rapid and we saw but little evidence of Lee's retreat. During the day we heard firing in our front but as we advanced it seemed to recede. After a ten-mile march we went into camp by the roadside near an old church."
The 4th and 5th of April were passed in march- ing, sometimes slowly, at other times passing along rapidly as if to meet an emergency, and all along were evidences of the disorganized condition of a large portion of the enemy and the straits he was in. But General Longstreet's corps, which had occupied the works north of the James River, and therefore had not been engaged in the previous disastrous battles, had come up and now formed the rear guard of the fleeing army. His troops were still capable of strenuous resistance and maintained a bold front against attacks of cavalry and infantry. General A. P. Hill had been killed and his corps assigned to the two other corps mak- ing the corps of Longstreet and Ewell by no means insignificant bodies of troops. Ewell had the ad- vance, and Longstreet brought up the rear. Ewell's corps was the one that suffered the most, because it was Grant's purpose to cut off the retreat of Lee and compel a surrender. The 2d and 6th Corps up to this point had been following the rear of the retreating Confederates. General Sheridan
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had asked for the 6th Corps to be sent to him at Five Forks, but the 5th was nearer, and was sent instead.
Lee's intention was to take his army to Danville, to which place Davis had removed the Capital of the Confederacy, and he was expecting to retain the control of the railroad to that point. But at Jet- tersville, a station on the railroad, he found that Sheridan had anticipated him. Quite a severe battle was fought at Jettersville in which the Rebels were defeated, and were compelled to turn the head of their column toward Appomattox. Of the next day's march Beckwith says, "On the morning of the 6th we marched at 6 o'clock in rear of our 2d Division, and in the expectation of hearing musketry firing break out in our front at any moment. For several miles we moved through the woods over a very rough country, crossing deep ravines, and streams through swampy bottoms and dense thickets, but did not find the enemy. About 10 o'clock we moved out to the road. We followed our 3d Division by way of Jettersville toward Deatonville. Everything and everybody now seemed to be in a hurry. Everything on wheels was halted in the open places except the artillery and ambulances, which were making desperate efforts to keep up with the in- fantry, and it became evident to us that at the rate we are going we should soon catch up with the enemy. Crossing Flat Creek we kept on with our rapid march, the sound of musketry and artillery increasing in our front. Finally coming to an open place we could see a road in our front cross- ing the road upon which we were marching, and we were told that it was the road along which the enemy was retreating, and that our cavalry had overtaken them and captured a portion of their wagon train and many prisoners, and that we were
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close to Lee's infantry. As we came out of the woods into the open field that stretched down to Sailor's Creek, we could see the troops in our front, the 3d Division, deploying in line of battle to the right of the road and moving forward. Beyond on the opposite hillside we could see across the valley about a mile away, the enemy's line of battle formed and awaiting our attack. We in- stantly realized the work we had to do, and a tough job it looked to be. Rushing along we were soon in line of battle, with the 37th Massachusetts on our right and across the road along which we had come. The troops on our left had deployed first and we had to run to get into line with them, but we were on good ground and got along all right until we came into the vicinity of the creek and into the range of the enemy's fire, which now was rapid and heavy, but on account of the con- formity of the ground not very destructive. Here after halting for a short time to reform we were ordered to charge, and drive the enemy from their works. Forward on a run we went as rapidly as the steep hill would permit, and in a moment we were up to, and over their slight earthworks, the occupants offering no further resistance, after emptying their guns in our faces. On our right the 37th Massachusetts did not get on as well. They were more exposed, had a farther distance to go and suffered very heavily. Colonel Olcott, find- ing the ground in front of him clear and the enemy holding on to the works on the right, half wheeled the 121st to the right and moved lengthwise and partly in the rear of the enemy's line and they im- mediately abandoned their works and surrendered. These last troops we encountered were Marines, or land sailors, and had never before been in battle. They were mostly boys and were commanded by G. W. Custis Lee who fell into our hands with a
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large number of prisoners and several stands of colors. One of these was a beautiful silk banner belonging to the 8th Savannah Guards, whose or- ganization dated back to 1804. This was captured by H. S. Hawthorne of Company F and by him turned over to Colonel Olcott. The inscription on this flag was as follows:
"'To the Defenders of Our Altars and Our Hearths. Presented by the Ladies of Savannah, Ga., to the Eighth Savannah Guards.'
"This indicates how complete was the miscon- ception at that time on the part of its donors, of the objects and purposes of the Union Army. It indicates that they regarded us as marauders, with no high or patriotic purpose, but bent upon the destruction of the sacred things of the family fireside. Our captures numbered at least 500, and our little regiment had again covered itself with glory. Our losses had again been very severe and left a great gap in our already thinned ranks. Our captain, TenEyck Howland, than whom no more intrepid soldier ever faced a foe, had fallen dead into the arms of his men, his heart pierced by a musket ball. Lieut. Tracy Morton had also been killed. My friend, Jimmie Norris, had suffered a like fate. The total casualties were two officers and seven enlisted men killed, and one officer and twelve enlisted men wounded, nearly one-fifth of those who entered the battle. After the battle we assembled on the top of the hill up which we had charged and stacked our arms in the open field, just outside of the woods. Here we built fires and some of us took off and wrung out our wet and muddy pantaloons. It was dark and we did not expect to move again until daylight. But I had just got ready to cook my supper, and had my pantaloons drying by the fire when a mounted officer rode up and enquired for Colonel Olcott. He not being present at the moment, Major Cronk-
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