USA > New York > History of the 121st New York State Infantry > Part 7
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CHAPTER VII THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN
THE reoccupation of its old position. in the vicinity of Fredericksburg by the Army of the Potomac was of short duration. General Lee made that impossible by beginning another ad- vance toward Washington by way of the Shenan- doah Valley and to defeat this movement, General Hooker, who had recovered his energy, and had spent the intervening time in refitting and restor- ing the shattered morale of his army, began a rapid movement northward, virtually over the same ground on which the advance had been made. The first feature of this movement was another crossing of the river at the old place, called Frank- lin's Crossing. This movement began on the 6th of June, and the crossing was made by Howe's Division on the 6th with little loss. The 1st Division crossed on the evening of the 6th, occupy- ing about the same ground as on the previous crossing. Rifle pits were immediately dug and preparations made to resist attack. But none was made. Several days transpired and then the Corps recrossed the river and prepared for the march northward by sending everything and everybody that were not needed to Washington. In the race with Lee's army for Pennsylvania and Gettysburg, the Sixth Corps brought up the rear and the rear- most position was assigned to the 121st. It was sent down the river several miles with orders to establish a picket line from the river towards White Oak Church. By the 14th of June it became
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BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID A. RUSSEL, Commanding Ist Division, 6th Corps. when killed at Battle of Opequon, 1864.
MAJOR GENERAL J. A. BARTLETT, Commanding 2d Brigade, Ist Divi- sion, 6th Corps, in 1862 and 1863.
MAJOR A. E. MATHER
evident that the Confederate army had crossed the river and was pushing rapidly northward, and the regiment was recalled and joined in the move- ment northward. The position of rear guard is always a wearisome one, because of the fact that the uncertainty of the movement of the troops ahead often leaves long distances between the different corps which must be closed by forced marching by those in the rear. But in this case the disadvantage was increased by midnight start, in pouring rain, and dense darkness, lit only by vivid flashes of lightning with accompanying peals
of thunder. The roads were rendered difficult for both man and teams, and for two days the march was tedious and toilsome. To quote again from Comrade Beckwith, "Abandoned and burning camps along our line of march and the moving of the general field hospital, indicated a general movement, and our march was continued to Staf- ford Court House, to Dumfries, thence to Fairfax Station. Here a day's rest was very grateful to us, because we had been passing over ground which had been the continual scene of march, camp and battle, and had been stripped of every- thing that would sustain troops. The roads were deep with the red-clay dust which created a choking thirst, as it rose in a thick cloud from the tread of the moving thousands of all arms. Water that was fit to use was scarce, and difficult to obtain, and in consequence we suffered greatly. To relieve ourselves we threw away all our bag- gage not necessary to existence. The day's rest at Fairfax Station, and the rain of the night and early morning greatly refreshed us, so that on the 18th of June when we moved out again it was with lighter steps and more cheerful feelings." The march that day was only continued until noon and ended at Fairfax Court House, where a halt
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of a week was made, and everything that could be spared was shipped to Washington, and the Corps was stripped to light marching order. On the 25th of June the regiment was sent in skirmish formation about three miles towards Leesburgh, through a rather difficult country and returned to camp very much fatigued. Colonel Cronkite calls this a skirmish drill, but it was probably a feeler to determine whether any large portion of the Confederate army was in the vicinity. If it was not near, evidently Lee had abandoned all hope of interposing between the Army of the Potomac and Washington, and had advanced into Maryland. "Here (at Fairfax Court House) we gathered some idea of what was going on from the Washington newspapers. A lot of Rebel pris- oners under a cavalry escort coming along, gave us information of a cavalry fight and confirmed the newspaper reports of Lee's movements. We moved on to Germantown, to Bristoe Station and Centerville, to Dranesville and on the 27th crossed the Potomac at Edward's Ferry and camped for the night near Poolsville, Md., and the next day marched beyond Hyattstown to near the defenses of Washington and began making plans to visit the city. But the next day we moved rapidly from camp by way of New Market to New Windsor. On the next day we moved with quickening steps from New Windsor to Manchester, and the first indications of serious business began to show. The men were urged and commanded to keep well closed up and in ranks, and mile after mile was passed over faster than a walk. Several hours we covered a distance of five miles an hour, as indicated by the milestones we passed, but we were now seasoned and more comfortable than at the beginning of the march. Jests were passed along the ranks about the officers horses'
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playing out, and frequently a song would be started and taken up by several companies, and swing- ing along by its rhythm would make the distance seem shorter and the time pass quicker. Few thought of the morrow, or realized that our hur- ried steps were taking us rapidly to the fated field where the hopes of the South were to be shattered.
"Going into camp near Manchester on the eve- ning of June 30th we prepared for a good night's rest in the thick cool woods. We had our supper and spread our blankets, and were lounging about and chatting till bedtime, when an order came to pack up, and in a little time we moved out into the road and started on the longest continuous march we made during the war. About an hour after westarted, while restingin theroad, there was a noise in the direction from which we had come, and someone said 'Look out for Rebel cavalry.' Instantly the whole column as far as I could see or hear, made a rush for the side of the road, and if there had been a squadron or two of Rebel cavalry coming along, they would have owned the road sure enough. On the evening of July 1st. we rested a few hours and then marched all night long towards the field of Gettysburg. Passing Winchester, where we heard rumors of the day's battle and its disastrous result, we stepped off the weary miles which separated us from our com- rades at the front. The night was dark so that crossing a little stream I got my feet wet, and soon they began to hurt me like the mischief. The dust worked into the shoes and wet socks, and irritated the blisters, and to me the miles grew longer and longer and my misery more intense and I longed for the daylight. When it came I went to the first water I could find, washed my feet, put on my last pair of socks and for a while was more comfortable. As soon as daylight fairly
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broke we began to see evidences of the battle in men along the roadside who had run away from the battlefield the day before; and reaching Little- town we saw a great many men wearing the crescent, the badge of the eleventh corps; and some wounded men had reached there from the field. From them we learned of the battle, of the fearful loss of the First Corps, and the skedaddle of a part of the Eleventh, and the saying of one member of the corps, 'I fights mit Siegel but runs mit Howard,' seems to have been verified in many instances on the first day at Gettysburg. We were rushed and crowded along, no time was given us to prepare anything to eat, and raw pork and hardtack was our bill of fare that day. Many men became exhausted and dropped down from fatigue in spite of the energetic efforts of the officers to urge them on. Orders were given the officers to shoot stragglers, and every man was impressed with the seriousness of the situation. As we approached Gettysburg the sound of artil -- lery and musketry became more distinct, and from its weight and volume we knew a terrific combat was progressing. The roadside and fields along our route were occupied by various trains of wagons. Scattered along, there seemed to be a vast number of stragglers, and the wounded among them became thicker. Crossing a considerable stream called Pipe Creek we shortly after filed off the Baltimore pike to the left and in sight of Cemetery Hill where we could see our batteries at work. We moved over toward the left near Little Round Top and had a long rest." (B.) Not till its arrival at Manchester did the men of the Sixth Corps learn of the change of the commander of the army, that General Meade had superseded General Hooker. The change was a surprise to most of the men and created no little discussion,
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but looking back upon the affair from the view- point of the present, it is not to be wondered at that the Government at Washington could not risk the destiny of the country, in so grave a dan- ger as was involved in the battle of Gettysburg, to a commander who had so signally failed in the crisis of the previous battle, and the event proved that the change was wisely made. The battle of Gettysburg decided the issue of the war, and ought to have ended it. The repulse of Pickett's charge was virtually the downfall of the Confederacy and insured its failure.
At Gettysburg the 121st occupied an advanced position under cover of a narrow strip of woods, along which were scattered a number of large rocks. Behind these the men were comparatively safe from the fire of the enemy, and its only loss was two men wounded by stray bullets. "The next day little fighting was done on the left of the line but the culmination of the battle in the charge and repulse of General Pickett was watched eagerly by the regiment as by all the unengaged part of the army; and with infinite relief they saw the charging force, shattered and torn by shot and shell, fall back in confusion." (B.)
The next day, the 4th of July, was dark and cloudy and the smoke of the previous day's battle settled down upon the field so as to hide the movements of the enemy, and the retreat of Lee's army was not observed. But on the 5th the Sixth Corps began the pursuit, the First Division having the lead, marching by the Fairfield road. The rear guard of the enemy was soon encountered and brisk skirmishing ensued, but no general at- tack was made. General Sedgwick decided to attempt to cut off the crossing of the Potomac by the enemy, by a flank movement over South Moun- tain and led the Corps by a steep and rugged pass
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farther to the south. The march up the pass was very difficult and was rendered more so by a heavy rain, so that late in the night a halt had to be made to give the men time to eat and rest. They were worn out by fatigue and hunger, and could not continue the ascent until rested and fed. The next morning the ascent was completed and the corps descended the western slope and in the vicinity of Middletown rested and received the much needed supplies. The advance continued until near Boons- borough the enemy was again encountered. Prep- arations for attack were made but the enemy retired without fighting. Following at daybreak the next morning the advance soon found the enemy in position, and the 121st, or a part of it, was thrown out as skirmishers, and in the engage- ment that followed the enemy were driven back with slight loss to our forces. On Sunday, the 12th of July, the enemy was again found in the vicinity of Williamsport, entrenched and ready for battle with both flanks resting on the Potomac River. The Corps advanced, passed to the left of Funkstown from which the enemy had precipitately retreated before our cavalry, and we soon found the main body of the enemy. The deploying of the various commands for attack took considerable time and the little distance between the lines made the firing of the Confederate skirmishers exceedingly annoy- ing. They were located in a wheatfield behind
the shocks, and along a rocky ledge. Three strong mortised fences and a field of standing wheat separated the opposing forces at one point. About 5 P. M. Companies I and E of the 121st and a de- tachment of the 5th Maine were ordered on
skirmish duty and Captain Cronkite, being the senior officer of the detail, reported for instruc- tions to General Wright then in command of the 1st Division. The General led to the nearest eleva-
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tion and pointed to the position of the enemy's skirmish line, said, "Captain, the sun is now an hour high, and you must occupy that ledge be- fore sunset." Some minor instructions followed, and immediately after the line was deployed and moved forward on the run with orders not to fire until the last fence was passed. The men were obliged to scale fences and run through the stand- ing wheat and on reaching the last fence were nearly exhausted. Here a halt was ordered to correct the line and then a bold sally followed, and the position was ours. Seven or eight of the 121st were wounded, five in Company E. Three Rebels were found among the slain. The above facts are from Colonel Cronkite's account of the affair. The next day was spent in skirmishing, throwing up rifle pits and preparing for an assault in the morning. But when morning came no enemy was there. General Lee had succeeded in again escap- ing across the river with his shattered army in spite of what seemed an insurmountable difficulty on account of the swollen condition of the water. A small detachment at Dam No. 4 was attacked and captured.
Two changes were made in the staff of the regi- ment during June. Chaplain Sage resigned and was honorably discharged and Dr. John O. Slocum was commissioned and assigned to the 121st, vice Dr. E. C. Walker resigned. General Meade has been considerably criticized for not renewing the battle on the repulse of Pickett on the ground that the Sixth Corps had come up and had not been engaged in the battle, and so might have been used to Lee's utter defeat.
To any Sixth Corps man it is sufficient answer to their criticism that General Sedgwick advised against such an attack, on the ground of the abso- lute exhaustion of his men by the previous forced
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marches to bring them onto the field at all. The delay in attacking the Confederates at Williams- port was necessary in order to bring up a sufficient force to make the attack successful. Lee had his army in the same formation which the Sixth Corps held at Salem Heights: both flanks on the bank of the river, the three sides protected by earth- works of a formidable character, and manned by veteran infantry supported by numerous batteries. It is a serious matter to assail such an enemy in such a position except with an overwhelming force. When the necessary force arrived the foe was gone as if by magic.
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CHAPTER VIII MEADE AND LEE'S GAME OF STRATEGY
MTHIS time however there was no long delay to refurnish and recruit. Lee crossed the river on the 15th of July. On the next day, the 16th of July, the Army of the Potomac began its advance into Virginia by the same route it had used after the battle of Antietam. The 121st, now reduced to fourteen line officers present for duty, with Major Mather in command, took up the line of march through Boonsborough, Middletown and Burketts- ville to the old crossing of the Potomac, at Berlin. Lieut .- Col. Olcott, Captain Gordon and Lieut. Bates were left behind sick. Captain Galpin and Lieu- tenants Paine and VanScoy with an escort of men, were sent to Washington to bring a squad of con- scripts to the regiment. Having crossed the river at Berlin on a pontoon bridge, the advance con- tinued past Lovettsville, Uniontown, Snickersville, and on the 23d of July Ashby's Gap was reached. The movement was continued through New Balti- more to Warrenton where a rest of a couple of days was enjoyed. Then the Second Brigade was sent back to New Baltimore five miles distant from the rest of the corps where it remained for some time. Its location rendered picketing necessary on all sides of the camp, as Moseby with his guerrillas was known to be in the vicinity. An attack was made which Comrade Beckwith graphically describes.
"On Sept. 4, a squad of Rebel cavalry broke through our picket line and attempted to capture
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General Bartlett, who had his headquarters near the picket line in the yard of a mansion about six hundred yards from our camp. A farm road ran from the New Baltimore Pike to this house and continued to another house a quarter of a mile farther on. We picketed this road between these two houses. About one hundred yards from the General's tent, near the house, and to the left, the brigade band was camped. In the orchard at the right the headquarters tents were pitched. The house and orchard were surrounded by a high and strongly built fence. The attack was made about two o'clock in the morning. The 96th Penn. was on picket duty. The squad rode boldly up to the picket on post. He halted them and asked who they were and their reply was, 'Cavalry men, friends, returning from a scout.' He ordered them to dismount, advance, and give the countersign. The leader rode up quickly presented his revolver at the picket's head and ordered him to surrender. Instead he leveled his gun and the leader fired into his face, jumped his horse on him, knocked him down, and with his company rode up to the house. Coming to the band tents and mistaking them for the General's, the attackers fired into them and one shot pierced the bass drum. Others of the party discovering the mistake rode round in front and made the General's tent their target. Roused by the firing he jumped up, seized his revolver, and running out into the orchard began to return the fire. By this time the camps were aroused and the long roll sounded. We all tumbled out and on a run made for headquarters, but the Rebs had made good their escape. General Bartlett, ready and intrepid soldier that he was, had seized his revolver instead of his pants, and fought his would-be captors in the uniform nature had fur- nished him. He got scratched up some with briars,
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but next day laughed heartily over the adventure."
As a participant in this affair the writer feels justified in correcting somewhat the Colonel's version of it. The officers' tents were located just behind the first row of trees in the orchard, three or four yards from the fence. The guerrillas did not any of them get inside the fence but fired into the tents from the outside. The General and several of the other officers took position behind the nearest apple trees and returned the fire. Cap- tain Richards, the odd genius of the staff, the night before, having declaimed his usual speech, "Han- nī-bul and Skipī-o were two great com-pe-tī-ters. They passed over into Af-ri-ca and wag-ged war against each other," took out his revolver and laid it on the stand at the head of his cot, exclaiming, "There, I am ready for the guerrillas when they come." His revolver spoke more than once in welcome to the raiders and in louder tones than did that of the General, who the next day lamented the smallness of his weapon, and declared that at every shot he felt more like throwing the weapon at them than firing it again. The writer was roused from sleep by the firing and driven out of his tent by a bullet passing through it, and with an orderly ran down to the yard where the horses were kept, and got there just as two of the raiders rode up to the gate. A couple of shots from the orderly's revolver convinced them that they did not want the horses, and they joined the band as they rode away. Whether any of the band was wounded we never knew; but the man on picket and one of the band were wounded. Two attempts were made to capture some of the guerrillas, but without success. In one of these expeditions Moseby's home was visited, located on the side of the mountain between Thoroughfare Gap and the New Baltimore Pike; and some of his turkeys were
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captured, but severely settled for by Colonel Ol- cott's orders.
The seven weeks spent at New Baltimore were improved by daily drills and tactical exercises. It was here that Captain Wilson obtained the young puppy that afterwards became a feature of Brigade Headquarters, and attached himself to General Upton whenever he started out on any movement.
On the 15th of September the army advanced beyond Culpeper to Stony Mountain, and after sev- eral days, to Cedar Mountain. Lee had retired behind the Rapidan where he remained until the beginning of October. On the 5th of October he began a movement to interpose his army between the Army of the Potomac and Washington by crossing at Germania Ford and pushing on rapidly to Centerville, the key to the old Bull Run battle- ground.
To counteract this movement Meade maneuvered as if about to cross the river farther up. The Sixth Corps was ordered to build extensive fires as if a large force was concentrated at that point, but the corps was to be held in readiness to move at a moment's notice. The next night the fires were rebuilt, but the corps moved rapidly toward Culpeper, a force of cavalry being left to bring up the rear. All night long the march was continued, and with only a short halt for breakfast, was con- tinued to Rappahannock Station where at noon it crossed the river, and joined the rest of the army, advantageously posted for any attack that might be made upon it. The rear guard of cavalry was closely followed by a large force of the enemy. But no attack was made and thus the first move in the strategic game was won by Meade. General Lee, however, turned the head of his army to the left and attempted to pass the right flank of the Union
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army in an attempt to thus gain the vantage point at Centerville. Meade crossed the Sixth Corps over the bridge at Rappahannock Station and it advanced toward Brandy Station in line of battle. This was the most spectacular movement the writer saw during the war. The country was open, and nearly level, the morning was fine and the sun shone brightly. The line of battle, extending about three miles, advanced slowly and steadily, the flags floating in the gentle brecze, the sunlight flashing from their arms, and the batteries in regular formation following close behind the infantry. In front of the advancing line a force of cavalry were in almost 'constant conflict charging and repelling the charges of a like force of Rebel cavalry, but constantly advancing until Brandy Station , was reached. The writer followed closely after the cavalry, and was equally interested in watching the frequent charge and recharge of the cavalry and the steady advance of the beautiful line of battle. In the morning however he was wakened by a squad of cavalry, to find the brigade gone, and he alone of the foot soldiery at Brandy Sta- tion. The return to Rappahannock Station that he made was much more rapid than the advance had been. Meanwhile Meade had divined the purpose of General Lee and began a rapid race back to Centerville along the line of the railroad. The infantry used the railroad track as a road, leaving the dirt road for the trains and batteries. The route lay through Bristoe Station, Manasses, and Bull Run, and the head of the army filed into the old fortifications of Centerville just before the advance of the old corps of Stonewall Jackson came in sight of them.
Colonel Beckwith tells of several experiences of this march that will interest other members of the regiment. We "passed Bristoe Station about 3
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o'clock and crossed a stream, called Broad Run, on the high trestle that carries the Orange and Alexandria Railroad over the stream. I had an experience crossing that bridge that I shall never forget. We marched in double file, stepping from tie to tie. Now and then the ties would be close together, making a gap of several feet to the next tie. This would make the men hesitate until the two in front had gotten fairly across and out of the way before the necessary jump was made, and those behind would crowd up to the waiting men. I got on all right for a time, but suddenly felt myself getting dizzy, and knowing that I should certainly fall to the ground and be crushed if I advanced farther, I crouched down to the track and placed my musket across the gap in the ties and made up my mind that I would stay there until I could go on safely again. The fellows behind were not suited with my partial obstruction of the bridge, but I paid no attention to their orders to get up and go on. After remaining there a short time and accus- toming myself to the distance, I got up and went on without trouble, thankful at my escape from sure death. It was reported that night that sev- eral persons had fallen and been killed. Ordina- rily I could have gone over all right, but the lifting of the foot of the man ahead confused me and I lost power to judge the distance. Just after cross- ing the bridge a considerable battle broke out in our rear and the musketry firing indicated that a large infantry force was engaged. This battle was between the Second Corps and the pursuing Reb- els, and resulted in their defeat. We encamped near a deep railroad cut, and one of the men ran headlong over it while escaping from a friend upon whom he had been playing some prank, and plunging down to the bottom was badly injured." The arrival of the Army of the Potomac at Cen-
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