History of the 27th regiment N.Y. Vols. , Part 14

Author: Fairchild, Charles Bryant, 1842- comp
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Binghamton, N.Y., Carl & Matthews, printers
Number of Pages: 654


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The mother who conceals her grief While to her breast her son she presses, Then breathes a few brave words and brief, Kissing the patriot brow she blesses ; With no one but her secret God To know the pain that weighs upon her,


Sheds holy Mood as e'er the sod


Received on Freedom's held of honor !


THOMAS BUCHANAN READ.


161


A SOLDIER'S LETTER.


CAMP OF THE 27TH REGIMENT, N. Y. VOLS., 1 NEAR WHITE OAK CHURCH, VA., April 24, 1863. 1


MY DEAR FRIEND :- You see by my heading that the prophecy of the breezes is not yet fulfilled. The Army of the Potomac is still in camp and likely to be for some time to come, for the prayers of the soldiers seem to be more weighty than those of Gen. Hooker, and in answer to them the rain keeps falling, falling, falling. Many are rejoicing, and well they may, for it is the only prayer they have ever had answered.


The most of the men who have any heart in their work are tired of rain and mud, and would much rather be on the move and accomplish something looking to the end ; but every time " Joe" gets ready to move, down comes the rain, and while I write, it is pattering on the canvas and seems to whisper, "Our day ; no move ; no move." We have had a few fine days, but they are a scarce article with us.


Last Sunday, the most beautiful day of the season, we left camp early to go on picket. Had "grand-guard mounting" at headquarters, and did not reach the picket line, some three miles distant, till noon. It was a busy Sabbath for us, for the afternoon was spent in building brush huts for shelter. Early next morning, as usual, the rain commenced falling. and continued all day, giving us a good soaking. You can imagine how pleasant it is sitting in a brush hut beside a smoking fire, with the rain- drops scattering through, not an inch of space that they do not fill, and so annoy one with the constant drizzle, drizzle, drizzle. Oh, I tell you it is romantic ! " Who wouldn't be a soldier?"


The remainder of our three days' picket duty passed pleasantly, and we are now snugly quartered in camp. While out on this tour, I went to the front to take a look at the " Johnnies," our quondam friends on the other side of the river. Our picket line is about a mile and a half back from the river, while near the river is a line of videttes or cavalry pickets. So we have no opportunity to converse with the enemy's pickets, and besides do not have to be very vigilant while on post.


The scenery of the valley of the Rappahannock from the point where I viewed it (a high bluff half a mile from the north bank of the river) was with one exception the most beautiful I ever beheld. Spread out before me was the broad plain, its fields already green with spring vegetation, and dotted here and there with beautiful mansions, surrounded by the now deserted negro quarters-the wealthy occupants of the for.ner as well as the chattels from the latter, having tled at the approach of the invading "Yankees"-but from this distance, these houses nestled among the


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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.


peach-trees now in full-bloom, look cheerful and inviting. Across the river there is the same extent of beautiful plain and the same indication of happy homes. But from its further boundaries rise the heights spotted with the rebel camps and smoking with the rebel fires, every angle faced with frowning forts, from which the bristling cannon command every inch of the plain below.


Oh ! War ! War ! Why didst thou set thy devastating foot in this beau- tiful valley? Why didst thou pollute these lovely plains with the blood of those who have dwelt here securely for many years? Why didst thou not go to the wilderness and there satisfy thy cruel greed by the sacrifice upon some barren soil, of the blood of the noble and brave? In vain do we question ; there is no answer.


Yesterday, that ever welcome visitor to our camp, the paymaster, came down on us, and the boys as usual are very happy, and are singing, " Green- backs have come again once more." Many of the two years' men are not anxious to see another fight, and the feeling is increasing every day. Some claim that their time is out on the ad day of May, but we are to be held until the 21st, as that is the date on which the regiment was mus- tered into the I'nited States' service. We have been ordered to be in El- mira on the 21st, and shall probably leave here on the 12th or 15th. The boys are now counting the minutes and seconds that we have yet to serve. and estimating the number of hard-tack they have yet to eat. This is an easy problem in multiplication and addition, for ten of these tough teeth- destroyers generally come to the pound, and a pound is a daily ration.


Gen. Hooker has been making some very mysterious movements of late, but what it all means it is hard to tell. The night before we came in from picket, a train of pontoons, numbering thirty boats, was brought out near where we were, and started for the river. The men said they had orders to lay them that night, and that another train had gone below. This looked like a move, sure, and we expected the next day would find us on the go ; but the train is still there. Whether a rebel battery that they found waiting for them, on the other side, deterred them from com- pleting the plan ; or whether it was only a feint to deceive the rebs., is a mystery to us, At any rate, the enemy found out the train was coming in time to get a battery in position, near the river, before it had moved two miles; and it did not start till after dark. From this you will see that they keep well posted as to any movement we may make. The plan of crossing the river here again does not suit many of the troops. They prefer to Hank the rebs., or siege them om. The health of the troops is excellent, and they are cheered with the news from om armies in the


163


A WOMAN'S ANSWER.


South and Southwest. The spirit of the majority of our men who have survived the arduous services of the past two years, is still unbroken, and their love of country undiminished, but you cannot imagine what a desire they have to see home and friends once more. Notwithstanding this, I fancy most of them will be back in the service again in less than six months.


Yours, truly, * **


*


Monday, April 27th .- Orders have come to be ready to march, early to-morrow morning, and the boys are busy getting their rations ready. Gen. Bartlett made a speech to our regiment and the 16th, in regard to re-enlisting, and also about our going into the next battle, saying that he " could not leave us behind, and had no fears of our fighting qual- ities." He spoke well, but the boys "can't see the re- enlist," at least till after we have been home.


Let it be noted here that the companies forming the reg- iment had all enlisted and been mustered into the state ser- vice during the month of April, 1861, and all had expected that their two years' term of service would expire during April, 1863, but the Federal Government claims to hold us for two years from the 21st of May, the date of muster into the United States service. This decision has given rise to a good deal of discussion among the men as to whether they should be taken into another battle; but when the orders come to march we will not think of this, and are ready to fight as cheerfully as we have ever done. All are in good spirits, and expect to see fighting, soon.


April 28th .- At 12 o'clock we got orders to be under way at 3 P. M. Packed up and got off at that hour, in a light rain-storm. Our division is to cross the river at the same place where we crossed before. Bivouacked about 8 o'clock, about a mile back from the river. Were ordered into line about ten o'clock, and the plans of attack were read to us. Our division is all that is to cross at this point at present. The pontoon boats are to be unloaded and carried down to the river by the men, as it is feared the rattling of the wagon train would be heard by the enemy. Russell's brig- ide is to cross first in boats, and we are to follow them in


CAPT. BURTON FREEMAN, CO. I.


165


CROSSING THE RIVER IN PONTOON BOATS.


boats and take possession of the first two lines of rifle-pits ; then the bridge is to be built, and the balance of the divis- ion is to come as a support. There was great delay in get- ting the boats down, and we did not reach the river till 5 o'clock, just at daybreak.


Russell's men immediately embarked. A very heavy fog over the river concealed their movements until they reached the shore, when they received a sharp volley from the rebel pickets. The balls came across and just over our lines as .we stood on the shore, which made the boys lie down in a hurry. We were ordered to load our pieces, and the right wing of the 16th was ordered to fire a volley high enough to pass over the heads of our men. This drove the pickets away, and a landing was effected. The boats returned and were filled at once, about forty men in each boat. No sooner did we start than the enemy opened fire, but we were packed so closely in the boats that we could not return it. We were soon across, and the men scrambled up the steep bank and, engaging them sharply, were soon in possession of their works, and had many of them prisoners. Two of our men were killed, four or five were wounded, and two fell overboard and were drowned.


The skirmish line advanced about a mile, and we lay down along the rifle-pits. Several stand of arms were found, which the Johnnies had thrown away in their haste. Two bridges were soon laid, and in about an hour the whole division was over and deployed in line of battle.


The boys feel very thankful that they got over the river with so little loss, as we expected to meet a strong force. The first corps, which crossed the river about a mile below this point, had a hard fight, for they found a battery wait- ing to welcome them.


It is a warm and beautiful day. Both the balloons are up, and we can see large numbers of the enemy passing to the left (their right). We are looking for hot work in that direction. All the plans seem to be working well, and our men are in excellent spirits. About three it began to rain, and we moved out in advance of the rifle-pits and pitched


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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.


our tents, where we remained till after dark. We then moved back to the captured rifle-pits again. Then with shovels, tin plates, and hands, about-faced the pits, and lay down in the mud and took the full benefit of a rain-storm all night.


April 30th .- A wet, dreary morning. We were drawn up in line, and mustered as quietly as though we had been in camp. About noon we were ordered into line, and an order from Gen. Hooker was read to us, praising the men for their feats, and stating "that certain results had been accomplished by the 5th, HIth and 12th Army Corps, so that the rebels would be obliged to retreat, or come out and give us battle on our own ground, which would be certain destruction." This was very encouraging to the men, for they had had some fears that they were to be pushed against the heights. but feel perfectly able to defend themselves if the enemy should attack them on the plain.


About 4 o'clock the rebels commenced shelling our works on the left, and kept it up till dark, without doing much harm. About dark we were ordered on picket, and advanced a line of skirmishers near the ravine in which we lay at the first battle of Fredericksburg. The outposts had to be keenly alert all night, -- so there was little sleep. The enemy were moving a great deal during the night, and many con- jectured that they were leaving; but at daylight they showed a bold front, and we could see them moving about on the heights in front of us, where they were partly hidden by the bushes and trees. As they showed no disposition to fire on us, we showed them the same respect, and remained very quiet all day. About dark we were relieved, and fell back toward the river, where we lay down and had a good night's rest.


Saturday, May 2d .- The weather is very fine. The reb- els threw a few shells at us early in the morning, one striking the ground right in front of Company -, undermining some of the men, and making a big hole, into which they were dropped and half covered up with dirt. No one was hurt. This made us pack up lively and move forward to a


167


A STAR SHOT OUT OF THE FLAG.


more sheltered position. Soon the troops on our left re- crossed the river, and moved off to the right, up the river, to assist Gen. Hooker, who was now fighting the battle of Chancellorsville, some ten miles distant. We could plainly hear the continual roar of artillery, and sometimes, when the wind was favorable, the sound of musketry would reach us, and told us that hard fighting was going on. Towards night more troops came over to our support, and General Hooker sends word that he is pushing the enemy, and orders us to advance. We expect hard work to-morrow.


May 3d .- The column commenced advancing at daylight, and the whole army is moving, and deploying well to the right,-our division holding the extreme left. The ball opened early, and they gave us a good shelling. Our regi- ment advanced to the same ravine we occupied during the first battle, on December 14th. The rebs. had a battery that now commanded the ravine, and they shelled us beau- tifully. Two of our men were killed, and about twenty wounded. The 96th Pennsylvania, who were on picket, were soon driven in, and we were ordered forward to take their places. As soon as we were out from cover, a battery on the heights opened upon us, and the range was directly on the colors. Most of the shells went over, but one passed through the flag, and cut out a star, leaving it whole; and it was picked up by the color-bearer, A. L. VanNess. We hugged the ground every time we saw the flash of the guns. None of our men were hurt here, and all kept very cool. We were ordered to deploy, and advanced near a hill, where we remained till afternoon.


. Here Gens. Brooks and Bartlett came up to the line, to reconnoitre the position. They stood with their field- glasses to their eyes, and though the shells were bursting all around them, not a muscle was seen to move: while staff and line officers were hugging the ground or trying to dodge the shells. To the coolness of such leaders may be attrib- uted the bravery and steadiness of many a regiment in the division.


On this line, the left of the regiment was greatly annoyed


LIEUT. HENRY HANINGTON, CO. " K."


16g


STORMING MARY'S HEIGHTS.


by a rebel sharp-shooter, who, posted in a tall tree to our left, kept up a regular fire, killing one man-Charles A. Hosmer, of Co. " E"-and wounding several others. The men were more uneasy under the fire of this one man than all the rebel batteries on the heights. Finally a detail of a few men crept up in range of his position, and he was soon wounded and brought down from his lofty station.


From our position we had a splendid view of the fighting on the right, where our men were advancing on the heights back of Fredericksburg. About II o'clock the cannonading was perfectly terrific. Our men advanced rapidly, and soon the first line of works was carried. Then on went the boys up the hill, regardless of the terrible shower of iron hail that welcomed them. Soon one of our shells blew up a caisson in one of their forts, and apparently used them up,-for they soon began to skedaddle; and, presently, the old flag waved upon every fort. Their guns were turned upon them, and on pressed our lines, and kept them moving. Our men, going to the right and moving along the plank road, ad- vanced a mile or more. The troops on the plain were then ordered to withdraw, our regiment bringing up the rear, with one company deployed as skirmishers. We moved up the river into Fredericksburg, the rebels following us right in,-our men feeling all the time that it was a great mistake to take us all from the valley, and allow the enemy to come in our rear. We passed through the city, and up the heights, by the plank road, which was strewn with the dead and the wounded, showing the bitter struggle that had taken place for the possession of Mary's Heights. We passed the for- tifications, and Gen. Bartlett rushed his brigade past all the other troops, and, about three miles from the city, came up with the enemy, near Salem Church, where he had a furious struggle with them, and was obliged to retire ; but another line coming up, the enemy was driven back.


We did not get up in time to take part ; but the other regiments of the brigade lost terribly. We were drawn up across the way to stop stragglers : and as the broken lines came back, they were re-formed in front of us.


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RECORD OF 27THI REGIMENT N. V. VOLS.


Night soon set in and the firing ceased, when we lay down and had a good night's rest. As the slaughter had been terrible, the stretcher bearers were busy all night car- ing for the wounded, and as we lay there behind our stacks of guns we could hear the grinding of the ambulance wheels, as they moved back and forth filled with their bleeding and suffering burdens. The dead were left on the field.


The following extracts from the official Confederate Reports relative to this, battle at Salem Church, will illus- trate Gen. Bartlett's vigorous style of fighting :


After shelling the woods to the right and left of the road a short time, the Union troops advanced. A brisk skirmish ensued. The Confeder- ate skirmishers were pushed back to the woods, and then upon the line of battle. The Federal line followed quickly. Reaching the edge of the woods they gave a cheer and rushed forward to the charge. Ou, on they came, to within eighty yards of the opposing line. Here they received the Confederate fire, which had been reserved. Well directed and at close quarters, its effect is terrible. A scene of carnage presents itself. The line wavers under the withering fire, but it is only for a moment. Bartlett dashes on. He surrounds the school-house and captures the gar- rison. Then pushing forward to the line in the rear, he delivers all the impetus of his attack on the regiment stationed there. It wavers, yields, breaks. A little further on, and the victory had been won. Wilcox has a regiment (9th Alabama) in reserve just behind this part of his line. In a moment he hurls this upon the advancing troops. The Alabamians de- liver a deadly fire, at close quarters, and rush forward to gain what had been lost. Gallantly does Bartlett strive to hold the advantage won at such a cost. A fierce struggle, and in turn the Federal line gives way. No time is allowed it to rally. Wilcox follows closely, increasing at each step the carnage in the Federal ranks. The school-house is reached. The captured garrison is set free, and some of their captors are in turn captives. On the other side of the wood, the attack, which was not vig- orons, has also been repulsed. * * * Wilcox has lost in his brigade between three and four hundred men. Bartlett, whose brigade has been principally opposed to him, has seven hundred men hors du combat.


Our regiment being on skirmish duty, bringing up the rear, Gen. Bartlett made the charge alluded to, with his


171


COVERING THE RETREAT TO BANKS' FORD.


three remaining regiments, numbering 1440 muskets, of which he lost 260. But he had broken two lines of battle and penetrated the enemy's centre, and would have main- tained himself there, except for the reason given by the Confederate historian, in the following sentence : "On the other side of the wood, the attack, which was not vigorous, had already been repulsed."


Monday, May 4th, at 4 A. M., we were called in line and stood until daylight. We then cooked breakfast, and soon after moved off to a ravine. During the night the enemy had moved around our left and into the rear, giving us a warm morning salute from the left. We were formed in line of battle, facing the left, and our regiment was de- ployed as skirmishers and advanced towards the enemy's lines. There was picket firing all day, our boys holding their ground till near night, when they were forced back a short distance. Soon on came the enemy, in line of battle, when the battery in our rear opened on them with several rounds of grape and canister, and their line broke in great disorder. They had now gotten so far to our rear, and were holding all the forts on the hill that we had taken from them, and were pressing us from three sides: it became evident that we would have to retire from the field. At dark we were ordered to fall back up the river in the direction of Banks' Ford. Our regiment still being on the skirmish line in rear of the corps. fell back fighting as we went. The front rank would fall back while the rear would load and fire, then the rear rank would pass to the rear of the front rank. While executing this movement, Corp. - , of Co. D., loaded three or four charges into his gun, and when he had discovered his mistake, he was afraid to fire, but one of the sergeants ordered him to fall behind the line a little and fire his piece, which he did without harm to his musket. An- other man put the ball into his gun without powder. When he discovered his mistake he sat down, took the screw out of the tumbler, put in powder, blew out the ball, and though the balls of the enemy were flying around him, de- liberately loaded his gun, turned and fired on the advancing


H


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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.


foe, then ran and overtook his company. In this way we fell back two or three miles, firing at the flash of the ene- my's guns. We then rallied and formed regimental line, having lost in the retreat one killed and one wounded. It being very warm and the men weak from continual duty, the rapid march soon began to tell, and some of them, to save themselves, were obliged to throw off their knapsacks and all of their load. Coming up to the rifle-pits near the ford, a line of battle was formed and we lay down, waiting for the balance of the corps to cross the river. The rebs. kept shelling us all night, trying to get their range on the pontoon bridge. We could trace the curve of the shells by the lighted fuse. Very little harm was done by these shells. We expected the enemy would advance on us every moment, and it was a night of anxious suspense. Still, if the shells did not burst too near, the men would fall asleep from sheer exhaustion.


About three or four o'clock we again commenced to retire, and were safely across the river before the rebels came up. As we reached the shore, the first words we heard were: " 27th, where did you come from ? I expected to hear from you at Richmond." "Ah, General, our legs were too long for them," we replied. It seems that we had been left far in the rear, to cover the retreat, with the ex- pectation that the whole regiment would be obliged to sur- render on the best terms it could.


The conduct of the 27th in going into this fight, after its time was nominally out, is a record of which every man may well be proud; and it will go down to later generations as a noble sacrifice. Whatever credit may be given this regiment for former services, everything dwarfs in the light of this crowning act of its history- "Obeying orders to move against the enemy, when, in jus- tice, they should have been on their way home."


We marched back about a mile from the river and went into camp -- a thoroughly used-up army. The men are very much chagrined at having to give up a position they had gained so gallantly. Again they feel that they have


173


GEN. HOOKER HIELD BY A SKIRMISH LINE.


been made the dupes of bad generalship. Had Gen. Sedg- wick been content to have stopped in the works on the top of the hill, he could have held them against all their forces, and now been in possession of the heights and the city(?) As it is, we have accomplished nothing; or, rather, have lost all that we did accomplish. It seems to be one of the most foolish blunders of the war. All our wounded have fallen into the hands of the enemy.


The above strictures on the generalship of our corps com- mander, Gen. Sedgwick, are from the diary of a private sol- dier. We did not then know that Gen. Sedgwick was acting under positive orders from Gen. Hooker, which were: "That he should carry the heights, and then immediately push on to join Hooker at Chancellorsville, and strike Lee in the rear." This Sedgwick attempted to do; and had Hooker engaged Lee on the 4th, instead of being held by a strong skirmish line, and allowing Lee to bring the bulk of his army over and hurl it upon the 6th Corps, the result would have been far different.


It is now thought that Gen. Hooker will be able to hold his ground on the right, and probably we shall go to rein- force him, but are not able to march to-day.


May 5th .- The rebels kept throwing shells at us all day, but we, having become quite used to them, don't mind them. We are looking anxiously for news from the right. We have heard but hittle fighting there to-day, and still hope for success. God grant that we may not be repulsed again. Our loss has been heavy-622 in our brigade.




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