USA > New York > History of the Ninth Regiment N.Y.S.M. -- N.G.S.N.Y. (Eighty-third N. Y. Volunteers.) 1845-1888 > Part 21
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The enemy, driven at first, and his line broken by the gal- lant assault, soon recovered, and crowded on both flanks of Meade's advance brigade, which was finally compelled to retire, being aided in that delicate operation by diversions on both flanks, on the left by a portion of Birney's division of the Third corps, which had crossed the river as the battle opened, and on the right by Taylor's brigade of Gibbon's division of the First corps. During the advance of Meade's line several battle- flags and two or three hundred prisoners were captured, but Meade's loss was very heavy and he suffered even more while falling back.
. Taylor's brigade pressed forward towards the woods which co cealed the enemy, until it encountered Gregg's brigade of South Carolinans at the railroad cut, in which they were
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THE NINTHI NEW YORK.
December
posted, and from which secure position they poured so destruct- ive a fire upon the advancing troops that General Taylor was compelled to halt. This advanced position, however, was maintained until the ammunition was nearly exhausted, when Colonel Lyle's brigade relieved the now decimated line. The First brigade, under Colonel Root ( Ninety-fourth N. Y.), fol- lowed Lyle, coming up gallantly to the support of their com- rades of the division. In this brigade was the Sixteenth Maine, and this was its maiden battle. That it fought well, and sustained the honor of the Pine Tree State, is attested by the heavy loss in killed and wounded. But Colonel Root's brigade, too, was finally compelled to fall back, and then Franklin's part in the battle was, at about half-past two o'clock, practically ended. The total loss in the First corps was upwards of four thousand. General Gibbon was wounded early in the engagement and General Taylor assumed command of the division. Major Hendrickson, in command of the NINTH, was severely wounded in the leg during the advance, and was succeeded by Captain Moesch, who was also wounded during the engagement.
From a diary kept by Sergeant Henderson, of Company E, who was mortally wounded on June 2nd, 1864, the following account is taken :
"On the morning of the 13th we advanced towards some woods where the enemy were posted, and after reaching the center of a large plowed field between the turnpike and the river, we halted, and the Thirteenth Massachusetts were thrown out as skirm ishers, one hundred yards in advance of the line. The enemy were about two hundred yards distant from our skirmishers. We lay in the mud for five hours, exposed to a terrible fire of shell, while the rebel sharpshooters picked off our men whenever they got a chance. In the afternoon we were ordered to advance. We marched forward and opened fire on the enemy who were posted in the railroad cut -- there just deep enough to form an excellent rifle pit- and upon the hillside back of the railroad. The enemy opened on us with their cannon and musketry, making a terrible slaughter in our ranks. It was impossible to advance, as our boys fell as fast as they attempted it. About six feet to the right of where I lay, two men were killed by a shell which took the head off one and passed through the body of another, while between them and me a Lieutenant was shot through the head by a sharpshooter. The enemy's rifle pits were in tiers, one above the other, on the hillside beyond the railroad, and on the crest was their artillery ..
" As soon as the brigade in our rear came up, what was left of ours fell back taking our wounded with us. Our regiment was in the most exposed position, and the poor old NINTH was again slaughtered. We went into the fight with two hundred and
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BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.
ninety-two officers and men, and the loss in killed and wounded was one hundred and thirty, including eight officers. Company E took in twenty-six, all told, and lost the Lieutenant commanding and twelve men; there were only two men who came out with their persons or clothing untouched by bullets, and I was one of them."
From a description of the regiment's part in the battle, written by another member and printed in the New York Mercury, we extract the following :
" By eight A. M., slowly and steadily we advanced across an open field, the damp, clayey soil adhering to our feet in such masses as to seriously impede our progress, the rebel skirmishers all the time pouring a galling fire into our ranks, while they slowly fell back to the woods. The place was growing uncomfortably warm, so slow was the advance, when bang ! whiz ! bang ! a shell from the right tore through two men and then exploded, prostrating the colors and their guard. Halt ! Lie down! was the order. Then the artillery in rear of the line and the skirmishers in front went to work on the enemy ; the railroad cut, woods and hill beyond, were swarming with gray- backs, whose fire was most destructive, killing and maiming many as they lay on the ground-such butchery could not be longer withstood-a charge is ordered -. On to glory,' cries out the wounded commanding officer, Acting-Colonel Hendrickson, he being unable to move_ as his boys moved to the charge. It was not fully successful, but the brigade on the left reached the woods."
Another comrade recalls the following incident : "While some of the NINTH were carrying a wounded officer off the field, one of the number discovered a flask in the wounded man's pocket, which, upon examination, was found to be about half full of whiskey. The party were yet within range of the enemy's bullets, but nevertheless stopped, laid their burden upon the ground and offered him a drink ; he was too much exhausted to appreciate what was being done for him, and the men, fearing that the "skie," if not disposed of at once, might fall into strange hands and tickle less appreciative throats, deliberately drank the contents, and then proceeded to the rear with their charge."
After dark, volunteers from the regiment went over the field, between the lines, and brought in all the wounded that could be found. The party carried stretchers and lanterns, and were unmolested by the enemy. The regiment passed the night near Deep Run.
A short review will now be given of the battle that occurred on the right, opposite the town : Soon after Frank- lin's attack began, General Sumner was ordered to attack the
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THE NINTH NEW YORK.
December
enemy posted on Marye's Heights. This duty fell to the lot of the Second corps, under General Couch, Getty's division, and a part of Sturgis' division of the Ninth corps, Willcox's division being held in reserve. French's division of the Second corps led the attack, moving towards the enemy by the plank and the telegraph roads. Hancock's division fol- lowed. As the Union troops marched through the streets of the town to form line on the outskirts, many were hit by the enemy's artillery fire. A little rise of ground outside the town sheltered the line for a few moments, and enabled the commanders to form their divisions, and then a charge was ordered.
When within musket range of the enemy's first line, both artillery and rifles enfiladed the right flank of the advancing troops. The Confederates had posted their advanced line behind a stone wall, along the telegraph road, at the foot of Marye's Hill, and, as the brave men of French's and Hancock's divisions rushed toward that point, they were mowed down by hundreds. Howard's division of the same corps was now sent forward as a support to the others, while those portions of the Ninth corps, mentioned above, advanced on the left of the Second. . Getty moved directly towards the stone wall, fol- lowed by Sturgis, but they were both beaten back.
Hooker was now ordered to send over what reserve troops he had, and Humphrey's division of the Fifth corps was ordered in, with empty muskets, to carry the stone wall at the point of the bayonet. He made a gallant assault, but flesh and blood could not withstand the torrent of lead that met his brave soldiers, and they, too, were compelled to fall back.
By this time night had kindly dropped her sable curtain and put an end to the useless sacrifice. Burnside, however, was not satisfied, and, during the hours of darkness, massed the Ninth corps in the town with the intention of leading it in person against the enemy as soon as daylight appeared. At the earnest solicitations of his subordinate General officers he finally gave up the plan, and thus another slaughter was averted.
22 7
DEFEAT AND RETREAT.
1862
The Union loss was over twelve thousand in killed, wounded and missing, while the Confederates lost less than half that number. (5,377).
The NINTH regiment remained stationary till about four o'clock in the morning-14th -- when the whole division moved off to the left in support of Doubleday's line, which still occu- pied the extreme left flank of the army. A brisk skirmish fire was kept up nearly all day, but there was no advance of any bodies of troops. Nothing of any importance occurred during the 15th, and shortly after dark the troops began to recross the river ; so quietly was the operation performed that, although the enemy may have suspected the movement, there was little to indicate what was actually taking place. By daylight of the 16th the troops were all on the north side and the bridges taken up.
It is needless to say that the men were very much discour- aged by the miserable failure. Complaints of Burnside's in- competency were heard on all sides-except, perhaps, in the Ninth corps, whose men blamed Hooker and Franklin for not rendering better support to the plans of the commanding gen- eral. The weather was cold, and a rain-storm-the usual after- piece to a battle-rendered the condition of the men very un- comfortable. When soldiers have been defeated in battle, and are hungry and cold withal, it is an casy matter for them to find fault with every one in authority, from the President down to the ration-sergeants of their companies. The wounded had been well cared for, and were finally sent to the hospitals at Alexandria and Washington. A detail from the brigade was sent over the river during the day, under a flag of truce, to bury the dead that remained on the field.
Following is the report of Captain Moesch, and extracts from those of the brigade and division commanders :
1
Near Falmouth, Y'a .. December 18, 1862.
SIR -- The NINTH Regiment. New York State Militia, of the Third Brigade, Second Division, First Army Corps, crossed the Rappahannock River on Friday, the 12th instant, at nine A. M. The regiment was marched to the left of the line of battle, where it remained under arms for the night.
1
228
THE NINTH NEW YORK.
December
Early on Saturday morning it advanced in line of battle, for the purpose of en- gaging the enemy. The regiment was commanded by Major John Hendrickson, and took into the action twelve officers and two hundred and eighty men. After being engaged for thirty minutes, the regiment was relieved, and came off the field with a loss of one officer (Lieut. Felix Hirt, Company H) and eight enlisted men killed ; also five officers and one hundred and sixteen enlisted men wounded.
In merit to those who distinguished themselves on this occasion I would respectfully mention the name of Major John Hendrickson, acting Colonel, who, while urging on his men in the most gallant manner, was seriously wounded, and carried from the field.
The command then devolved on Capt. Joseph A. Moesch, acting Lieutenant-Colo- nel, who was particularly noticed by the officers and men for bravery exhibited through- out the fight ; and, though wounded, still remained in command, cheering on his men until relieved by another brigade (the Second).
The regiment then fell to the rear, for the purpose of re-forming. Captain Moesch's wound being of such a painful nature, he was forced to turn over the command to senior Lieut. Isaac E. Hoagland. After a rest of a few hours, the regiment was again ordered to the front, on the extreme left of the line of battle, where they bivouacked until the night of Monday, the 15th instant. During the intervening time, Lieutenant Hoagland was relieved, by permission of the Colonel commanding the brigade. The command then devolved upon First Lieut. Henry P. Clare, in which capacity he acted until relieved by Capt. Joseph A. Moesch, who had so far recovered from the effects of his wound as to be once more enabled to take command of the regiment.
Great credit is due Capt. Angus Cameron, of Company F, for the able manner in which he performed the duties devolving on him as acting Major. In the first part of the engagement he was severely wounded, and carried from the field. Also to Lieut. Thomas Layton, of Company E, acting Adjutant, who fell, mortally wounded, and has since died.
I cannot give too much praise to both officers and men of the command for their bravery and steadiness while under the galling fire of the enemy, and for the manner in which they obeyed every order emanating from their superior officers.
J. A. MOESCH, Captain Commanding NINTH New York State Militia. CAPT. W. T. HARTZ,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Brigade.
Inasmuch as the above report contains a very flattering allusion to the officer whose name is appended, it is quite evi- dent that it must have been written by the Adjutant or some other officer, and presented to Captain Moesch, who signed without reading it.
Extract from report of General Nelson Taylor :
Line of battle was formed about two miles southeast from Fredericksburg, parallel to the Bowling Green road, but south of it before advancing. The regiments in the fol- lowing order : the left -- Eleventh Pennsylvania, Eighty-third New York, Ninety- seventh New York, Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania-the right; with the Thirteenth
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REPORTS, ETC.
1862
Massachusetts thrown out as skirmishers. At one I'. M. again advanced. The enemy seemed to concentrate the mo t of his fire on the two regiments on the left, the Eleventh Pennsylvania and the Eighty-third New York; which, from casualties, and other causes, soon melted away, when the second brigade, commanded by Colonel Lyle, was advanced, and took their places on the left of the regiments on the right, the Ninety-seventh New York and Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania, which regiments were moved to the right to unmask. The division left the field at two-thirty P. M.
General John Gibbon says in his report :
The Second division was on the right of the First corps and the left of the Sixth. Taylor's brigade advanced at nine A. M. Lyle's moved next, Root last. I ordered Taylor forward when a severe fire was at once opened upon it by the enemy, posted beyond a railroad embankment, and in the woods. The left of Taylor's line was sub- jected to the heaviest fire, and was thrown into confusion. Lyle's brigade, except Twelfth Massachusetts, all retired in confusion. Root's brigade, joined by the Twelfth Massachusetts and remnants of other regiments, advanced at a charge, taking the posi- tion which was held some time. One hundred and eighty prisoners were captured.
From General Palfrey's Antictam and Fredericksburg, pages 154 and 181, the following is taken :
General Franklin was practically ruined as a soldier by the battle of Fredericks- burg and his connection with it, but so far as any accessible evidence enables one to judge, he was most unjustly blamed. The fault was in the orders, and not in any failure on Franklin's part to understand them or obey them. * * * To defeat Jack- son, with the men he had and the ground he held, would have been a desperately difficult enterprise, for Franklin. * * With a loss of only two men for Sumner's three, there was inflicted upon the enemy more than twice as much loss ; Longstreet (on the 13th) losing 1,555 ; Jackson, 3.415.
The correspondent of the London Times, at Lee's headquarters, wrote that the day would be memorable to the historian. From it would date the " Decline and Fall " of the American Republic,-that an attack by the bravest disciplined troops of Europe could not have succeeded.
The following letter is of interest ; it shows that General Burnside had the moral courage to assume all responsibility for the failure :
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Falmouth, Dec., 17, 1862.
To Major-General HALLECK, General-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States, Washington :
GENERAL :- I have the honor to offer the following reasons for moving the Army of the Potomac across the Rappahannock sooner than was anticipated by the Presi- dent, Secretary of War and yourself, and for crossing at a point different from the one indicated to you at our last meeting at the President's.
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THE NINTH NEW YORK.
December
During my preparations for crossing at the place I had first selected, I discovered that the enemy had thrown a large portion of his force down the river and elsewhere, thus weakening his defences in front, and also thought I discovered that he did not anticipate the crossing of our whole force at Fredericksburg. And I hoped by rapidly throwing the whole command over at that place to separate, by a vigorous attack, the forces of the enemy on the river below from the forces behind and on the crest in the rear of the town, in which case we could fight him with great advantage in our favor.
To do this we had to gain a height on the extreme right of the crest, which height commanded a new road lately made by the enemy for the purpose of more rapid communication along his lines, which point gained, his positions along the crest would have been scarcely tenable, and he would have been driven from them easily by an attack on his front in connection with a movement in the rear of the crest.
How near we came of accomplishing our object future reports will show. But for the fog and unexpected and unavoidable delay in building the bridges, which gave the enemy twenty-four hours more to concentrate his forces in his strong positions, we would almost certainly have succeeded, in which case the battle would have been, in my opinion, far more decisive than if we had crossed at the places first selected. As it was, we came very near success.
Failing to accomplish the main object, we remained in order of battle two days, long enough to decide that the enemy would not come out of his strongholdl to fight us with his infantry, after which we recrossed to this side of the river unmolested, and without the loss of men or property.
As the day broke, our long lines of troops were seen marching to their different positions as if going on parade. Not the least demoralization or disorganization ex- isted.
To the brave officers and soldiers who accomplished the feat of thus recrossing the river in the face of the enemy, I owe everything. For the failure in the attack I am responsible, as the extreme gallantry, courage and endurance shown by them was never exceeded, and would have carried the points had it been possible.
To the families and friends of the dead I can only offer my heartfelt sympathies, but for the wounded I can offer my earnest prayers for their comfort and final re- covery.
The fact that I decided to move from Warrenton on to this line, rather against the opinion of the President, Secretary of War and yourself, and that you left the whole movement in my hands without giving me orders, makes me responsible.
I will visit you very soon and give you more definite information, and finally I will send you my detailed report, in which a special acknowledgement will be made of the services of the different grand divisions, corps and my general and personal staff, of the departments of the Army of the Potomac, to whom I am much indebted for their hearty support and cooperation.
I will add here that the movement was made earlier than you expected, and after the President, Secretary of War and yourself requested me not to be in haste, for the reason that we were supplied much sooner by the different staff departments than was anticipated when I last saw you.
Our killed amounted to one thousand one hundred and fifty-two, our wounded to about nine thousand, and our prisoners seven hundred, which last have been paroled and exchanged for about the same number taken by us. The wounded were all ic- moved to the side of the river, and are being well cared for, and the dead were all buried, under a flag of truce. The surgeons report a much larger proportion of slight
Revised statement : killed, 1,284; wounded, 9,600 ; captured, 1,769-12,653.
1862
231
LOSS AT FREDERICKSBURG.
wounds than usual, only one thousand six hundred and thirty being treated in hospi- tals.
I am glad to represent the army at the present time in good condition.
Thanking the Government for that entire support and confidence which I have always received from them, I remain, General,
Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General Commanding Army of Potomac.
The loss in the regiment was three officers killed, or died of wounds, and five wounded ; of enlisted men, thirty-two killed or died of wounds, eighty-four wounded, and six missing ; total, one hundred and thirty.
List of killed, and the officers wounded, as follows :
OFFICERS KILLED, OR DIED OF WOUNDS.
First Lieutenants, Felix Hirt, Company B ; Henry Osgood, Company D ; Second Lieutenant Thomas Layton, Company E.
OFFICERS WOUNDED.
Major John Hendrickson ; Captains, Joseph A. Moesch, Company B ; Angus Cameron, Company F ; First Lieutenant George E. Allen, Company I ; Second Lieutenant Thomas W. Quirk, Company A.
ENLISTED MEN KILLED, OR DIED OF WOUNDS.
Company A-First Sergeant James M. Williams ; Pri. vates, Silas J. Beckwith, Worthington Hodgkinson, James H. Rabell.
Company B-Corporal Eugene Braillard ; Privates, Alex- ander Asal, Edward Briener, Patrick Kelly, George Smith, James Wisdom.
Company C --- Corporal Peter Egan ; Privates, John Bierau, Clarence F. Tyson.
Company D -- Privates, James Askwith, John Butler.
Company E -- Privates, Augustus Faton, Albert Lewis, John Malone. David A. Morgan.
Company F -- Sergeant John Benner.
Company G -- Private George P. Reuss.
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THE NINTH NEW YORK.
December
Company H-Private James Walsh.
Company I-Sergeant John Knipe; Privates, Samual B. Jones, John P. Jordan, Lucien N. Tower.
Company L-Privates, William S. Bailey, John T. Bell, Charles Connor, William Craig, Jeremiah Osborn, Charles Skinner.
On the 19th the corps marched to Fletcher's Chapel, near Belle Plain, on the Potomac, about twelve miles from the Rap- pahannock. General John C. Robinson was assigned to the command of the division. It was thought that there would be no more campaigning until Spring, and the men began to fix up winter quarters. On the 22nd, a mail arrived, and the news- papers were eagerly scanned for reports and descriptions of the recent battle. On this day, too, the President issued the fol- lowing message to the army. It shows again the sympathy felt for the soldiers by the Head of the Nation :
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, Dec. 22, 1862.
To the Army of the Potomac :
I have just read your commanding general's report of the battle of Fredericksburg. Although you were not successful, the attempt was not an error, nor the failure other than accident. The courage with which you, in an open field, maintained the contest against an intrenched foe, and the consummate skill and success with which you crossed and recrossed the river, in the face of the enemy, showed that you possess all the qualities of a great army, which will yet give victory to the cause of the country and of popular government. Condoling with the mourners for the dead, and sympathizing with the severely wounded, I congaitulate you that the number of both is compara- tively so small.
I tender to you, officers and soldiers, the thanks of the nation.
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