USA > New York > History of the 27th regiment N.Y. Vols. > Part 4
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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. V. VOLS.
the letters found on his person were some from a young lady friend in New Haven.
Lieut. Bailey was from Binghamton, N. Y., and a young officer of great promise, and a favorite with the whole reg- iment. He had received his commission only a few days before, and this was his first tour of duty as an officer. The ball that killed him passed through the Company Roll-
16 %
ROLL-BOOK OF Co. "D," SHOWING BULLET-HOLE AND BLOOD STAINS.
REVOLVER FOUND ON (THE REBEL) HARTLEY'S BODY. Book, which he carried in his left side pocket, and through the name of Crocker. This ghastly relic is still preserved by one of the comrades of Co. "D." Corporal Crocker still owns the revolver that was found on the body of his
35
ADVANCE TO THE LINE OF BATTLE.
victim ; and, by the way, has made New Haven his home since the war, and is now living in the same city as the lady whose lover he killed on that memorable field. The body of Lieut. Bailey was placed in a rough board box, and ten- derly buried by his comrades, at the side of the York River, beneath two weeping-willow trees, and marked by a board. The body of Hartley was interred where he fell. This tragic death of Lieut. Bailey, and the swift retribution that met the handsome, daring Rebel scout, was a marked inci- dent in the history of the regiment.
At daylight on the morning of the 7th, we advanced our line of skirmishers into the woods, and soon had our picket line established in a half-circle, with the York River on the left, and the Pamunkey on the right.
1758002
About 9 o'clock Capt. Jay, of Co. F, with a detail from different companies, made an advance through the woods. Seeing a few cavalrymen on a hill in advance, his force was so disposed as to capture them, if possible. As the little force advanced, the cavalrymen leisurely fell back over the brow of the hill, and the Captain bid his men go on,-say- ing he was a little lame, and would follow as fast as he could. When the advance reached the top of the hill, they found themselves within short range of a heavy line of battle. Our boys fired their pieces, and then retreated .- some to the cover of the woods on the right and left. and others straight down the field, in the direction from which they had advanced, followed by a shower of rebel bullets. Sergt. Ronk, of Co. "C." sought shelter behind a clump of bushes, where he remained till nearly every branch was shot away by the enemy's balls. Then jumping up and running for his life, he cleared a rail fence at a single bound, and came down in a deep ditch on the other side. He often afterwards declared that he was the worst frightened man in the Army of the Potomac. In this retreat Capt. Jay led the line. He was not lame then : hatless, and with coat- tails flying, he came through the woods upon the reserves, shouting: "Get out of these woods! Get out of these woods !"
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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
When our men discharged their pieces, an officer seated on a gray horse fell to the ground ; and the next day, when the advance was made, we found a fresh grave, and the headboard was marked, " Major -- , of the First Regi- ment of Texans." Two of our men were lost.
The enemy followed up closely, and a general engage- ment came on. The plan of the Rebels was to drive our skirmishers from the dense woods, and endeavor to get a position in the open ground between the woods and the river, from which they could reach our place of landing and our transports with their artillery fire. The open plain was covered with Union regiments, batteries of artillery and battalions of cavalry, the division having all landed. The battle now commenced in dead earnest. The forest was all ablaze with musketry. They succeeded in driving us away from the woods, but when they attempted to advance, our fire was too much for them, and they were driven back. with the aid of the artillery and the gunboats, which sent over the heads of our men, their ponderous messengers of death. The battle continued till 3 o'clock, when the enemy retired.
After being relieved, we had little to do except to watch the shells as they exploded between the contending' lines ; and, aside from the danger connected with it, it is one of the grandest things, in the fireworks line, one ever saw. We could not see the shell, but by aid of the sound its path could be traced. At first it rushes along high in air, at a rate that puzzles the eyes and ears to follow it. when-presto ! change! and where nothing had been seen before, a little cloudlet of whitish blue smoke appears, and the sharp report soon comes to our ears. The furious whistle or screech of the shell, its tremendous rapidity, its instant explosion and apparently dead stop, make it wonderfully exciting and brilliant.
The casualties of the battle of West Point did not fall heavily on our regiment.
The following extracts are from the reports of the com- manding officers, in regard to the battle of West Point :
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GEN. FRANKLIN'S REPORTS.
HEADQUARTERS FRANKLIN'S DIVISION. { At BRICK HOUSE, May 7, 1862. 1
GENERAL. :- I have the honor to report that, this morning, about seven o'clock, our pickets were driven in on our left flank ; and that, after skir- mishing for about two hours, the action became quite sharp at the right extremity of that flank. Our reserves were driven in several times, but returned to their positions with ardor. Finally we held the position which we had taken in the morning, and at several points of the line advanced our positions. Wherever we advanced, the enemy was found in rifle-pits. The day has been a success, and but for the extreme want of forage and provisions, we might have followed it up. As it is, I congratulate myself that we have maintained our position. Gen. Newton's command was most severely engaged, and his conduct and that of Gen. Slocum, who have charge respectively of the right and left wings, was admirable.
All of the officers and men behaved admirably, and with transportation and forage we could move on to-morrow. The killed and wounded and missing amount to 186.
Very respectfully,
W. B. FRANKLIN, Brigadier-General Commanding Division.
HEADQUARTERS OF DIVISION, WHITE HOUSE, Va., May 17, 1862.
GENERAL. :- I have the honor to make the following report of the land- ing of my division on York River, near West Point, on the 6th instant ; and of the action with the enemy, near the point of disembarkation, on the 7th instant.
In obedience to the orders of the General-in-Chief, the division left Cheesman's Creek during the night of the 4th, using for the infantry and a portion of the cavalry the transportation which had brought them from Alexandria ; 'and for the artillery, canal boats fastened together in pairs, decked over so as to serve as wharves for landing ; and a few barges and schooners. I arrived at the point designated for the landing at three P. M. of the 6th. The landing commenced as soon as a reconnoissance of the shore was finished. My ignorance of the topography of the place of land- ing, and the fact that the enemy's cavalry and infantry were seen in the woods surrounding the plain on which we landed, as soon as the landing
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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
began, convinced me that something was to be feared from the enemy in the morning. During the night one of our pickets and one of the enemy's were killed, and two prisoners were taken by our pickets. From these we learned that the enemy was in large force in our front, and that we were to be attacked in the morning. Precautions were taken during the night to prevent the success of an attack. The roads approaching the landing were obstructed by felled trees ; the vigilance of the sentinels was redoubled ; the wood surrounding the plain upon which the landing was made, was thoroughly watched by pickets which were posted by Col. Bartlett's Twenty-seventh New York Regiment, the Colonel being general officer of the day, and to their watchfulness and efficiency our success of the next day is, to a great extent, due.
Nothing was heard from the enemy until about nine o'clock in the morning : then firing between the pickets in the vicinity of the road en- tering the plain from the interior commenced, and increased in violence until the action became severe, between ten and eleven o'clock. The Twenty-seventh New York Regiment, Col. Bartlett, was on pieket during the night of the 6th. Three companies helped to commence the contest on the next day. They behaved well ; and Capt. Jay, of that regiment, was distinguished for his good conduct and good sense. The other seven companies of this regiment supported Wilson's Battery during the day. I recommend to your favorable consideration Gens. Slocum and Newton, who commanded the left and right wings ; both showed superior skill in placing troops on the field. I regret that our loss was so heavy, but it is no larger than might have been anticipated, considering the severity of the attack and the numbers engaged on both sides.
Very respectfully yours, W. B. FRANKLIN,
Commanding Division.
HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, 1 NEAR WEST POINT, Va., May 7, 1862. )
StR :- I have the honor to report that, in the engagement which occurred to-day, I was in command of the centre and left wing of our forces. It was apparent, soon after the commencement of the engagement, that the efforts of the enemy were to be directed mainly against our right wing ; and at the request of Gen. Newton, I sent reinforcements to him, consist- ing of the Fifth Maine, and the Sixteenth and Twenty-seventh New York,
39
GENERAL NEWTON'S REPORT.
which are attached to the brigade under my command. All of our troops, so far as my observation extended, behaved with great coolness and bravery. The First Massachusetts Battery, under command of Capt. Porter, is entitled to great credit for the accuracy of its fire.
I am greatly indebted to Capt. H. C. Rogers and other members of my staff, all of whom were actively engaged during the entire day.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant, H. W. SLOCUM, Brigadier-General Volunteers.
HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE. 1 WEST POINT, Va., May 8, 1862.
SER :- I have the honor to report the result of the action with the enemy on the 7th instant. Early in the morning of that day, the division having landed at this place the night previous, I made, as far as time permitted, an examination of the ground upon which we had landed ; and aided by information obtained from Captain Jay, of the Twenty-seventh New York Volunteers-whose gallant conduct during the day deserves honorable mention-I became satisfied that the map of the locality furnished us was entirely incorreet, in a military point of view; in consequence of which it became necessary to change the location of my brigade to the right of the position.
A little before 9 A. M. the pickets commenced firing on the front of the right of our position, and I immediately directed Capt. Hexamer's battery to harness up and proceed to that point. Pickets then signaled the en- · emy approaching in large force, with cavalry and artillery, upon the right, which was occupied by my brigade. Soon the firing of musketry in front became very quick and rapid, and in heavy volleys, indicating the presence of a large force before ns. After a gallant and obstinate resistance, our pickets and several reconnoitering parties which had been sent out, were driven in by overwhelming forces. The pickets fell back in good order, and, being reinforced by two regiments, were again sent forward. By II A. M. the force of the enemy engaged had become so great that my men were forced back to the edge of the woods, retiring slowly and in excellent order. I then threw into the woods, in front of the right, four regiments, with directions to "feel" the enemy, and maintain their ground at all hazards. I am happy to say that this was effectual, and that for three hours-until 3 P. M., when the action terminated-my position was firmly held, ¡when the enemy slowly retired.
.
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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
Gen. Slocum, who commanded the left and centre ot the division, gen- erously furnished me with all the assistance I required. Among the troops engaged on our side were three companies of the Twenty-seventh New York. All the troops engaged behaved with great steadiness.
Our loss in the action was over 200, in killed, wounded and missing. I regret to add a long list of killed and wounded among the officers en- gaged.
Capt. Hess, of the Thirty-first New York, with a single company in front of ? regiment of the enemy, was killed. and his two lieutenants were wounded -- one mortally, and the other severely. Of this one company all the non-commissioned officers, save one, were killed, and forty privates killed and wounded, -evincing a degree of heroisin which is worthy of all praise.
All the troops engaged behaved with great steadiness, and there were many other instances of heroism among the officers and men brought to my notice, but they are too numerous to be included in a report.
The enemy committed inhuman barbarities upon some of the wounded. One was found with his throat cut, and another bore the marks of eight bayonet stabs in his body.
I have no means of ascertaining correctly the force of the enemy. We know, however, that it was at least Gen. Whiting's division, including the Hampton Legion. Besides this large body of the enemy, a reserve at least 20,000 strong was supporting the attacking force. The attack which they made was evidently with a view to prevent the division inolesting their line of retreat, and to drive us into the river, if they obtained the advantage. The gunboats rendered efficient service by throwing shells into the enemy, at a distance of two miles. At the end of the day we occupied a position in advance of that held at the commencement of the action.
I am, very respectfully, Your obedient servant,
JOHN NEWTON,
Commanding Right Wing General Franklin's Division.
ROSTER OF SIXTH ARMY CORPS. MAJOR-GEN. WM. B. FRANKLIN, COMMANDING. IN THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, 1862.
FIRST DIVISION.
Major-General H. W. SLOCUM, Commanding.
First Brigade .- Col. A. T. A. TORBERT .- Ist, 2d, 3d and 4th New Jersey Volunteers.
Second Brigade .- Col. J. J. BARTLETT .- 16th and 27th New York, 5th Maine and 96th Pennsylvania.
Third Brigade .- Brigadier-Gen. JOHN NEWTON .- 18th, 3Ist and 32d New York Volunteers, and 95th Pennsylvania (Gosline Zouaves.)
ARTILLERY.
Platt's Battery D, 2d United States-Six Napoleon guns.
Porter's A, Massachusetts-Four 10-pound Parrott guns ; two 12-pound howitzers.
Hexamer's A, New Jersey-Four 10-pound Parrott guns; two 12-pound howitzers.
Wilson's F, New York-Four 3-inch Ordnance guns.
SECOND DIVISION.
Major-Gen. WILLIAM F. SMITH, Commanding.
First Brigade .- Brigadier-Gen. W. S. HANCOCK .-- 5th Wisconsin, 49th Pennsylvania. 43d New York, 6th Maine.
Second Brigade .- Brigadier-Gen. W. H. BROOKS .- 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th and 6th Vermont Volunteers.
Third Brigade .- Brigadier-Gen. DAVIDSON .- 33d, 77th, 49th New York Volunteers, and 7th Maine Volunteers.
ARTILLERY.
Ayres's F, 5th United States-Four to-pound Parrotts and two Napoleons.
Mott's 3d New York Battery-Four 10-pound Parrotts and two Napoleons.
Wheeler's E, Ist New York- Four 3-inch Ordnance guns.
Kennedy's Ist New York Battery-Six 3-inch Ordnance guns.
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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
The next morning after the battle a detail from our regi- ment accompanied Gen. Slocum beyond our lines, to ascer- tain the position and numbers of the enemy. Marching through the woods, evidences of the conflict of the previ- ous day were noticeable on all sides. Large trees were splintered by the gunboat shells, dead soldiers were strewn ' here and there, and the ambulance force was busy gathering the bodies for burial. As the escort was moving leisurely along, they met two colored men coming in from the en- emy's lines. They were carefully questioned by the Gen- eral, as to the location and numbers of the enemy. One of the colored men replied : " Dar's heaps ob dem out in de field. Dis poor uneducated nigger can't count 'em, but dey's like the locusts of Egypt, and dat's as near as I can cipher it, Massa." The escort did not advance further, but soon after returned to camp. Two days the regiment lay in camp three miles from the battle-field, at Brick House Point, and on the 11th moved to Eltham. While here Gen. McClellan rode through our camp, and the same day it was announced that the enemy had evacuated Norfolk. We then began to move up the peninsula, in the rear of the rebel army, which was gradually drawing closer to Richmond.
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A LOYAL SECESSION SONG.
As we advanced, in a deserted rebel encampment we found numerous loyal secession songs, which their soldiers were encouraged to sing. The following is a sample :
Come, all ye sons of freedom, and join our Southern band ; We are going to fight the enemy, and drive them from our land. Justice is our motto, and Providence our guide,
So jump into the wagon, and we'll all take a ride.
CHORUS-Wait for the wagon, The dissolution wagon ; The South is our wagon, And we'll all take a ride.
Secession is our password, and our rights we'll all demand, And to defend our firesides we pledge our hearts and hands : Jeff. Davis is our President, with Stephens by his side, Brave Beauregard, our General, will join us in the ride. CHORUS.
Our wagon's plenty large enough, our running-gear is good. It's stuffed with cotton around the sides, and made of Southern wood: South Carolina is the driver, with Georgia by her side, Virginia will hold our flag up, and we'll all take a ride. CHORUS.
There's Tennessee and Texas also in the ring : They wouldn't have a government where Cotton isn't king ; Alabama, too, and Florida have long ago replied ; Mississippi is in the wagon, and anxious for a ride. CHORUS.
Kentucky and Maryland are slow ; They must join ere long, or where will they go? The Missouri boys are ready to join our noble tide. So come along, brave Jackson, and join us in the ride. CHORUS.
Our cause is just and holy, our men are brave and true ; To whip the Lincoln invaders, is all we have to do. God bless our noble ariny, -in Him we all confide. So jump into the wagon, and we'll all take a ride.
CHORU'S-Wait for the wagon, The dissolution wagon ; The South is our wagon, And we'll all take a ride.
E
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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
On the 13th started at 3 A. M., and after a ten-mile march in the scorching sun, we reached the sandy plain of Cum- berland. Here we formed a junction with our main army, that had come up from Yorktown by way of Williamsburg. Soon after getting into camp, the enemy made a dash on our wagon train, which created some alarm. We were called into line. but the excitement was soon over. Cum- berland was made a base of supplies for the Army of the Potomac; and while here Gen. McClellan organized two additional army corps: the Fifth Corps to be commanded by Fitz John Porter, and the Sixth Corps to be commanded by Franklin. By this change, Franklin's division and W. F. Smith's division constituted the Sixth Corps, and Gen. Slocum assumed command of the First Division. Col. Bartlett was put in command of Slocum's brigade, and the 27th Regiment was commanded by Lieut .- Col. Adams.
May 15th, broke camp at daylight, and marched to White House (about eight miles), on the Pamunky River,-a place where it is said Gen. Washington first met the widow Custis, who afterwards became his wife. Rained hard all day ; the roads muddy, and baggage delayed. All agreed that it was one of the most fatiguing marches the regiment had ever made. We were not allowed to take the fence rails for fires, and we passed a cheerless, tedious night.
May 20th, marched to Tunstall's Station. Here the mile- posts on the railroad read : "To Richmond 18 miles." Towards evening, advanced three miles, and bivouacked after dark. The next day we moved on to Cold Harbor, on the Chickahominy River; and on the morning of the 22d, in company with the 16th New York, a section of ar- tillery, and two companies of the First New York Cavalry. we were sent on a reconnoissance towards Mechanicsville, under command of Col. Bartlett, and advanced about six miles,-close up to the enemy's lines. After ascertaining the position of the enemy, we returned to camp, where we arrived about II P. M., having lost only two cavalrymen -- one of whom was killed, and the other captured.
Col. Bartlett was complimented in flattering terms by his
COL. A. D. ADAMS.
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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
superior officers for his skill, and the important information he had gained as to the position and numbers of the enemy. The next morning Stoneman was heard pounding away at Mechanicsville, which soon fell into our hands.
On the 27th broke camp, at daylight, during a hard rain storm, and marched into Mechanicsville. Pitched our tents in a beautiful grove, in the centre of which was a large hotel, built on the crest of a high bank, which sloped back some distance from the Chickahominy. It was a lovely spot, five miles from Richmond, and, in ante-bellum days, a favorite resort for people riding out from the capital, to spend a pleasant afternoon or evening. There were only a half dozen houses in the village, all of which showed the marks of the shelling they had received ; and a shot that passed over a wheat field near by, had cut a trough just below the heads, the size and shape of the under side of the shot, as clean as it could have been done with a sickle.
To the left of our position the main army was encamped. Previous to our arrival, the bridges over the Chickahominy had been destroyed, and McClellan built eleven bridges, with logway approaches across the swampy bottom lands which border the stream. These were all soon swept away by a flood, and had to be rebuilt. From this camp we per- formed picket duty along the river, going as far north as Meadow Bridge,-the enemy saluting us with an occasional shell. One day a twelve-pound conical shell came whistling through the air, and buried itself in the ground near a re- serve party. As it did not explode, the men dug it up and took it to a gunner of Upton's battery, who inserted a new fuse, and sent it back, aiming at a supply train that was passing in the distance. It struck and blew up a wagon loaded with ammunition,-the gunner sustaining his repu- tation of being the best shot in the Army of the Potomac.
A prominent object of interest to all the soldiers, since landing on the peninsula, has been Prof. Lowe's captive balloon, which is attached to headquarters, and in which some of the officers make an ascent nearly every day, for the purpose of inspecting the rebel lines and watching their
47
PERILOUS BALLOON ASCENSION.
movements. Occasionally the rebels train a gun on it, and try to reach it with a shell. They do not succeed, however ; but one of these shells, the other morning, came over our lines, and dropped down into the cook-house at Gen. Slo- cum's headquarters, scattering the camp kettles and demor- alizing the cooks,-who were just then preparing breakfast.
Sometimes these ascents are quite perilous,-at least the one made by Gen. Fitz John Porter, in front of Yorktown, early in April, proved to be. The following account of it is taken partly from the New York Herald :
YORKTOWN, Va., April 11, 1862.
The exciting event of the day has been a balloon reconnaissance, by Gen. Fitz John Porter, on a scale of rather larger magnitude than was intended. At 5 o'clock in the morning Gen. Porter took his place in Prof. Lowe's balloon. He supposed the usual number of ropes were attached to it, whereas there was only one ; and a place in this, as was afterwards ascertained, had been burned by vitriol used in generating gas. Taking his seat in the car, unaccompanied by any one, the rope was let out to nearly its full length-the length is about 900 yards-when, sud- denly, snap went the cord ! and up went the balloon ! This was an un- expected part of the programme. The men below looked up with aston- ishment, and the general looked down with equal bewilderment.
"Open the valve !" shouted one of the men below. "I'll manage it," responded the general. Up went the balloon ! higher ! ! higher ! ! ! It rose with great rapidity, and the wind was taking it directly over the en- emy's lines. By this time every staff officer and hundreds of others were looking at the run-away monster. It was impossible to describe the anx- iety felt and expressed for the fate of him, the brave general, who was thus, apparently, being taken directly into the enemy's hands. In the meantime the general, having no wish to drop in among the rebels, thought it best to let the valve take care of itself ; and, throwing out a little ballast, soon rose out of the reach of the rebel bullets, and employed his time in taking notes of the rebel objects below. Crowds of soldiers rushed from their tents, and he could hear their shouts distinctly. The map of the country was clearly discernible. Ile saw Yorktown and its works ; York River and its windings.
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