USA > New York > History of the One hundred and twenty-fourth regiment, N. Y. S. V. > Part 16
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1st Lt. CHAS. B. WOOD.
18T. SENGT. L. S. Wiener.
SERGT. W. T. Ogden.
IST. LT. JAMES FINNEGAN. SERGT. W. W. Rilch. .
SERGT. J. J. Crawford.
Capt. W. A. JACKSON.
Major JAMES CROMWELL.
B-
Ist Lt. W. E. MAPES.
Colonel A. VAN HORNE ELLIS.
M. Ross, Bugler.
Contr. James Comey. Cukr, N. Hershler. Judson P. Adams. Levi Cartwright. Henry R. Broadlicad. Smunel S. Crawford. William C. Van Sickle. Amsey W. Qakk. Isaac G. Gillson. Charles Roberty. Conr. J. Il. Taylor. Con. T. R. Alhington. Conr. O. U. Knapp. Conr. Ezra fiyatl. Norman A. Sty. John C. Degrow. John W. Irejer. William E. Hyall. Jums. S. Leroux. Carl G. Hoofmim. Tinas M. Hyatt. Thomas S, Sturmts, "leunas P. Powell. Cour. it. Il. Hyntt. Conr. G. H. Pollon. Conr. A. V. MIRspaugh. Jedathan Mill-paigh. James T. Thitchener. Cornelius S. Allen. Rausalaer D. Baird. Natlumiel Jackson. Chatles lalwards. Jolm T. Laroc. Henry K. Turner. Junies S. Barrett. Conr. S. Chambers. Conr. Willimm Mead. Duncan W. Boyd. Frederick Lamereaux. Thomas Rodinan. Wm. W. Amerman. William R. Owen. CORP. George W. Briggs. Conr. Noah Kimbark. Judson B. J.mpion. Willian McVay. E. D. Van Keuren. S. S. Youngblood. Witham B. Brown. Charles W. Tindall. Thomas O'Connell. James E. Iloman. Fraticis S. Brown. Thornton Dawson. Win. S. M. Hatch. Oraudison Judson. Conp. A. Arinstrong. Conr. A. R. Rupalje. Conr. John HI. Little. Conr. W'm. H. Jlowell. Con. Genrge Brown. Chrus Ackerman. Jannes B. Moors. Abraham Rogers. Jacob M. Cochlinglon. James M. Ciachlington. Conr. Theo. Dolson. Conr. Bergamoin Jull, Cont. Adam W. Miller. Conr. Moses Criel. Conr. JJohn W. Pilts. CORP. J. R. C'onning. Ambrose S. Holbert, Jacob Cameron. John C. Hawley. Wm. W. Carpenter. Nathan M. Hallock. Henry W. Smith. Talmage Burhaus. Conr. J. C. Veriny lla. Battle Line of the 124th N. Y. V., at the Opening of the Second Day's Contest at Gettysburg, on afternoon of July 2d, 1863. CORP. Abraham Denney. Cont .. Alexmaler Jones, Harvey A. Brock. Albert W. Parker. Daniel Ragenhaugh. William Campbell. Garret E. Benelt. Gro. R. Fitzgerald. W'Miam Jackson. Charles Benjamin. Cornelias Inghe's. Willimn D. Dawkins. W'ın. JI. Benjamin. Conr. J. M. Miller. Cant. Win. Tyane, Cour. J. Y. Cule.
SERGT. Jon. Birdsall, Gf "A," Right Gen. Quidc. IST. SEROT. John C. Wood.
Capt. J. W. BENEDICT.
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Captain Silliman, who yet commanded our color company, stood where he could observe this, advance much better than I could, and I will insert here an account he gives of it in a pub- lished article concerning the death of Major Cromwell. "At length the enemy appeared in heavy columns of battalion advan- cing on us from the opposite slope. As we held the position by a single line of battle unsupported, the enemy's superiority in numbers, as seen at a glance, seemed overwhelming. As they approached they deployed in four distinct lines of battle, and came resolutely on under a rapid fire from our batteries. All seemed lost but in the steady lines of the Third corps not a man flinched, and among them all, none were more ready for the fierce encounter than Major Cromwell," and let me add Captain Silliman, for-notwithstanding his faults as a commander of intel- ligent men-a braver officer than he showed himself to be on the battle-fields of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, has seldom drawn a sword.
When the enemy's advance line drew near the base of the hill we were on, it appeared to almost halt for a minute, and then started rapidly forward again, and with fierce yells began ascend- ing the slope; and there was heard an opening crash of riflery all along our front, which was the death knell of hun- dreds; yet on, on they came, but very slowly, only a few feet at a time. Now Cromwell hurries to Colonel Ellis, who stands behind the color company and asks him to order a charge; but the Colonel shakes his head and tells the Major to go back to his place again. Now the enemy has been brought to a stand, but he is only a few rods away. Again Cromwell walks toward Ellis. This time he is accompanied by Adjutant Ramsdell. Once more he requests the Colonel to charge, and is again told to go back to the left of the regiment; yet a moment later their horses are brought up and, against the remonstrances of Captain Silliman and several others, they mount. The Major's only reply is, " The men must see us to-day," and he rides slowly to and wheels his horse about in rear of the centre of the left wing;
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where with drawn sword and eyes fixed on the Colonel he im- patiently awaits his superior's pleasure.
Presently Ellis by a simple nod gives the desired permission ; at which Cromwell waves his sword twice above his head, makes a lunge forward, shouts the charge, and putting spurs to his horse, dashes forward through the lines. The men cease firing for a minute and with ready bayonets rush after him. Ellis sits still in his saddle and looks on as if in proud admiration of both his loved Major and gallant sons of Orange, until the regiment is fairly under way, and then rushes with them into the thickest of the fray.
The conflict at this point defies description. Roaring can- non, crashing riflery, screeching shots, bursting shells, hissing bullets, cheers, shouts, shrieks and groans were the notes of the song of death which greeted the grim reaper, as with mighty sweeps he leveled down the richest field of scarlet human grain ever garnered on this continent.
The enemy's line, unable to withstand our fierce onset, broke and fled, and Cromwell-his noble face flushed with victory, and his extended right arm waving his flashing sabre-uttered a shout of triumph. But it had barely escaped his lips when the second line of the foe poured into us a terrible fire which seemed in an instant to bring down a full quarter of our number.
Once more we hear our loved Cromwell's shout, and once again we see, amid the fire and smoke, his noble form and flash- ing blade ; but the next instant his brave heart is pierced by a rebel bullet, his right arm drops powerless, his lifeless body falls backward from his saddle, and loud above the din of battle we hear Ellis shout, " My God ! My God, men! Your Major's down; save him ! save him." Again the onset of Orange Coun- ty's sons becomes irresistible, and the second line of the foe wavers and falls back ; but another and solid line takes its place, whose fresh fire falls with frightful effect on our now skeleton ranks. So terrible is it that two-thirds of the artillerymen in our rear are either killed or wounded, and the balance driven
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1
from their guns, by the shells and bullets which pass over and through our line.
Lieutenant Colonel Cummins, with the experience and eye of an old soldier, realizes that a skirmish line without reserves, be the men who compose it never so brave, must eventually be swept away by a continually renewed solid battle line, and un- willing the regiment should be disgraced by the loss of guns it is expected to protect, attempts to get them started to the rear, and while in the act is so badly injured by a shell-which strik- ing a gun-carriage hurls it against him-that he is carried from the field. But our brave Ellis yet remains, now seen in bold relief, now lost amid the clouds of powder smoke. A moment longer the central figure, he directs his regiment. Again the rebel line begins to waver and we see his proud form rise in his stirrups ; his long sharp sword is extended upward, a half uttered order escapes his lips, when suddenly his trusty blade falls point downward, his chin drops on his breast, and his body with a weave pitches forward, head foremost among the rocks ; at which his wounded beast rears and with a mad plunge dashes away, staggering blindly through the ranks of the foe, who is now giving ground again, firing wildly as he goes. But we are too weak to follow him, yet with desperate effort the Orange Blos- soms struggle forward and gather up such as they may of the wounded, and with them and the bodies of Ellis and Cromwell, we fall slowly and mournfully back to the main line, from which we never should have advanced -- and there reform our shattered bleeding ranks, and prepare to receive as best we may the next onset of the foe. Three times we have beaten him back, but now we are exhausted. For forty minutes the brigades of Ward and De Trobriand, at first scarce three thousand strong and now reduced to but little more than half that number, have held their ground against Longstreet's entire corps. But what of his next assaults ? Where is the gallant Sykes with his "glorious old Fifth corps?" One of our convalescents, David Dewitt, who arrived upon the field from hospital, without arms, just before Ellis fell, and has been busying himself carrying off the wounded,
12
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says, " A brigade with Maltese crosses, the regulars, I think, lie just over the hill there, boiling coffee." My God ! I hear some one reply, as the rebel battle line in front increases fire and shows signs of again advancing against us.
General Sickles has been seriously wounded. Birney now commands our corps, Ward our division, Berdan our brigade, and I find myself, who twenty minutes before was fourth officer in rank, in command of what is left of our regiment. The battle has now become general, and is raging nearly all along the line. Three hundred cannon are rending the air and shaking the earth. From every knoll and hill-top, in front and rear, there come flashes of fire, and buffing clouds of smoke.
Our immediate foes keep up a brisk fire but do not again . attempt to ascend the hill in front of us. My ten little com- panies, now numbering but a trifle over a hundred, all told, are gathered together in little squads like picket posts along the front they are yet expected to hold; but their deliberate aim is not without its effect on the solid Confederate battle line at the foot of the hill below them.
Passing down the line, I notice that there is no commissioned officer in command of Company I, and ask, "Where is your plucky new Lieutenant ?" and the answer comes, " You will find him lying down yonder with four or five of I, beside him." " What!" I answer, "Is he dead ?" and am told that he fell fighting nobly at the head of his company. Reaching Company K, I learn that Lieutenant Finnegan has been borne to the rear wounded in two places. Coming to G, which moved into line that morning with more men than any other company in the regiment, I see a corporal's guard in charge of a corporal, and learn that Captain Nicolls' dead body lies wedged in between two rocks at the farthest point of our advance. "Two of the boys tried to get him out," says one of the survivors, " but they .. both fell killed or wounded beside him. Lieutenant J. O. Den- niston, also of that company, had early in the action received two wounds and been carried from the field never to return to duty with the regiment.
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The slope in front was strewn with our dead, and not a few of our severely wounded lay beyond the reach of their unscathed comrades, bleeding, helpless, and some of them dying. One of this number who lay farthest away, among the rocks near the body of our truly noble and most esteemed Captain Nicoll, could be seen ever and anon, beneath the continually rising smoke of battle to raise his arm, and feebly wave a blood covered hand. It was James Scott, of Company B, one of the ten thousand chief heroes of that great battle. "When Cromwell dashed through the ranks to lead the charge," says one of his comrades, " Scotty was the first to spring forward after him, and when the Major fell it seemed to me Scotty changed to a wild beast. He had been wounded in the arm and his hand and face were cov- ered with blood, but he did not seem to know anything about it, and kept on fighting until a ball hit him in the breast, and went clear through and came out of his back. That must have para- lyzed him like, for his hands dropped and, as his gun struck the ground, he fell heavily forward upon it, as if he had been killed instantly." But no, Corporal James Scott yet lived. At the time he received the wound in his breast, the foe were falling back, and before he recovered consciousness, a piece of shell had struck his left arm, near the shoulder, (the first wound he received was in the wrist of the same arm) another bullet had passed through his body-entering the left side, breaking two ribs and coming out of the right groin. And yet another piece of shell had struck him in the back, inflicting a most ugly wound and paralyzing every part of his body, except that right hand and arm which, as consciousness slowly returned, he was waving in token of victory.
The lifeless remains of Ellis and Cromwell were now lying on a huge boulder but a few yards in our rear, and in plain sight of all those remaining in our battle line, who chanced to look that way. But the gallant boys fought on. If there were any cowards in our ranks when the battle began they were not there then. Every few moments a man would drop a rifle which had become clogged or so hot that he could not hold it steadily, and bidding those beside him be careful where they fired, rush forward
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and pick up, in place of it, one that had fallen from the hands of a dead or wounded comrade.
Presently the foes in our front slackened their fire, and turn- ing for a moment to view the bodies of our late leaders, I saw the brains protruding from a small round hole in Ellis' forehead, and discovered glistening on Cromwell's blood-stained breast a gold locket, which I knew contained the portrait of one who but a few moments before was his beloved young wife, but then alas ! though she suspected it not-his widow. Calling Lieutenant Ramsdell to me, I directed him to detail bugler Ross, and such other unarmed men as he could find, take charge of the bodies, have them carried to the rear, and if by any means he could get them north and deliver them to their friends, to do so. And when he replied " I will do my best, Captain," I felt sure he would succeed. How he performed the difficult task will appear in due time.
As I wheeled about toward the regiment, I heard some one ahead of me say, " they are advancing," and glancing to the left saw that the 40th New York was retiring before a heavy battle line, and that a column of the foe had already moved past their flank. The 99th Pennsylvania too was giving ground. The next instant an aid rode up, (Captain Cooney, I think it was) with orders to fall back without a moment's delay. Repeating it to the regiment and directing Captain Silliman to see it properly executed, I hastened to the woods at our right for the purpose of withdraw- ing several men of Company A, whom I had, before the action began, personally posted at intervals behind the trees and rocks along the otherwise unoccupied space between our regiment and the 86th. As soon as I could get these men together, I started with them after the regiment which was now some distance away, but the enemy had in the incan time advanced to the top of the ledge our regiment had occupied, and it was by mere chance that we escaped capture.
That division of the Fifth corps which had been sent to rein- force us, but had stopped on the way to boil their coffee, was now advancing, but it would have to fight hard and desperately
.
!
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if it regained the ground which with its assistance we might have held. When I reached the regiment, General Ward had halted and was haranguing it-he was saying that he expected almost impos- sible things of his old troops, but that such a heroic, noble resist- ance as we had made, was beyond any thing he had ever dared to hope for, even from them. Such praise, at such a time, was sweet indeed, but alas ! it did not bring back to us our trusted leaders, or resuscitate our most valiant comrades, who lay dead upon the bloody hillside and along the rocky ledge we had just left.
The active part that the 124th was to play in this great three days' battle, had now been performed. Moving to a piece of woods about a mile in the rear of the Union battle line, we pre- pared, and with saddened hearts and gloomy thoughts, quietly partook of our evening meal.
That Sickles erred in advancing beyond the position assigned him, no student of the art of war denies. That his entire corps fought most nobly; and that Ward's brigade was left unsup- ported and held its own for over an hour in a most deadly con- test with a force of the enemy which outnumbered it four to one -until its line of battle was reduced to a mere skeleton and then with the exception of one regiment was not driven, but withdrawn because there was no force at hand to prevent the enemy's moving past its flank, must be acknowledged by all honest writers who are acquainted with the facts.
General Lee, in his official report of the battle, referring to the second day's contest, says : " In front of General Longstreet the enemy held a position, from which if he could be driven it was thought that our army could be used to advantage in assail- ing the more elevated ground beyond. . After a severe struggle Longstreet succeeded in getting possession of and hold- ing the desired ground."
General Meade in his official report of Gettysburg, writes : "Notwithstanding the stubborn resistance of the Third corps, under Major-General Birney, (Major-General Sickles having been wounded early in the action) superiority in numbers of corps of the enemy enabling him to outflank its advanced position, Gen-
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eral Birney was counseled to fall back and reform behind the line originally desired to be held.".
The Third corps hospital, to which nearly all our wounded were taken, had been established in a grove about half a mile to the left and rear of where we were then lying. Just after dark, I decided to walk over to it, and try and find the poor fellows and learn how they were being cared for. When about half way there I fell in with a party of stretcher-bearers with loaded stretchers. They were moving in single file along what appeared to be a beaten path, and said they belonged to the Third corps. There were but two men to each stretcher; and they all seemed nearly worn out and were trudging along very slowly with their heavy loads toward the hospital. As I hurried by one after another I stooped and peered into the faces of the wounded, to see if there were any of the 124th among them, but it was too dark for me to determine positively in that way, and so I asked each one to what regiment he belonged. The first was a mem- ber of the Third Michigan; the second, was a sergeant of the 63d New York ; the third was a Pennsylvanian ; the fourth made no answer to my inquiry, though his eyes were wide open and I was sure he was looking at me. Instinctively I placed my hand on his forehead, expecting to find it hot and try, but instead it was cold and clammy-he was dead.
The scene at the hospital was one of the most horrid imagin- able. During the afternoon and evening nearly three thousand wounded men had been brought there, and others were continually arriving. The ground of the entire grove, which was several acres in extent, seemed to be literally covered with them; and such noises filled the air as I had never heard before and trust may never reach my ears again. The wounded of our brigade had been among the first to arrive, and were lying, I had no doubt, near the centre of the grove. The thick foliage caused dark shadows to fall upon those acres of mangled bleeding human forms. Away down through the trees flickering lights could be seen, the reflections of which fell with ghastly effect upon the corps of surgeons who with coats off, and sleeves rolled up, were
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gathered at, or moving rapidly to and fro about the amputating tables. After a moment's hesitation at the edge of the woods I resolved to attempt to pick my way through toward where I hoped to find the objects of my search, but as I moved on among those, for the most part, prostrate men, their groans, and piteous appeals for help, appalled me. Many of them were already dead. Several in a state of delirium were shouting as if upon the battle-field, and others, believing I was a surgeon, besought me to stop just a moment and bind up the wounds, from which their life-blood was ebbing. Presently a man I was about stepping over, sprang to his feet, shook in front of me a bloody bandage he had just torn from a dreadful gaping wound in his breast, and uttered a hideous laughing shriek which sent the hot blood spirting from his wound into my very face; at which he threw up his arms as if a bullet had just entered his heart, and fell heavily backward across a poor mangled fellow whose piercing wails of anguish were heart-rending beyond description. I could endure no more, and wheeling about, hurried over the wounded and dying to the open field again ; and returned to the regiment, glad that I had informed no one of my intended errand of mercy, for I was heartily ashamed of the weakness which had caused me to turn back.
Several times during the night we were awakened by the thunder of artillery and crash of small arms, and at four o'clock, on the morning of the 3d, the battle opened again with consid- erable fury and raged without cessation until about nine A. M. Then an ominous silence prevailed for several hours, during which batteries and columns of troops were hurried hither and thither over the field, and toward the front, plainly indicating that the lines were being strengthened in anticipation of another deter- mined onset of the now most desperate foc.
About two o'clock the enemy opened a most furious can- nonade with a hundred and twenty guns. The Union batteries soon began to reply, and for over two hours the earth seemed to tremble beneath us, and the air was filled with fire and smoke and iron. The enemy's infantry kept concealed, and our
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troops with loaded weapons hugged the ground, impatiently awaiting the opening of the less noisy but more deadly contest with small arms which they all knew was sure to follow. At four o'clock it came, grand, desperate, terrible. But the 124th were not called to participate in it, and I will not therefore attempt to describe it. At five o'clock it was over. Picket's division, the flower of the Confederate army, had been annihi- lated, and Lee and his cohorts defeated-fairly and squarely whipped in open fight-not overpowered by a force superior in numbers, for the slight difference that existed in that particular was in favor of the Confederates.
For once the army of Northern Virginia had met its old adversary even handed and received a crushing defeat. For once the army of the Potomac had gained a great and undisputed victory. The latest accounts, carefully drawn from the most reliable authorities on both sides, give 72,000 Unionists, and 76,000 Confederates, as the full number of armed men actually on the field. Of this number over forty thousand were either killed or wounded.
During the quiet hours which preceded this decisive and final struggle, my thoughits very naturally reverted to wounded comrades at the hospital; and about noon I decided to mount Colonel Cummins' " Old Bay," # ride hurriedly over to the hospital and make another attempt to see them. As I dis- mounted and tied my horse to a shrub at the edge of the grove, I noticed a short distance beyond me a company of about fifty men digging graves, and was informed by one of them that they had been busy since morning burying men who had died of their wounds, during the night and morning.
On penetrating the woods I passed by several who were even then in the agonies of death, and saw two groups of men moving out with dead bodies ; but the chaos of the previous evening had disappeared and comparative order reigned. Nearly all had re-
* Early that morning Colonel Cummins had turned over to me his horse for my personal use until he should be able to return to the regiment, on condition that I should not make a fool of myself by riding him or any other horse in any action during his absence.
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ceived attention, but the majority of the surgeons had not yet quit their posts to seek the rest their pale, haggard faces told they were much in need of. I did not see our surgeon, Dr. Thomp- son, * but was informed by one of our wounded men who lay near the amputating tables-and who said that for eighteen hours he had listened to the horrid noise made by saws gnawing away human bones-that he and Chaplain Bradner had worked faith- fully all night, doing what they could for the Orange Blossoms.
At four o'clock P. M. the regiment was ordered forward, and we spent the remainder of the day and following night, posted as a reserve about ten rods in rear of the main line. Hundreds of the wounded yet remained on a bloody strip of disputed ground between the picket lines, and all night we could hear the distant piteous cry of " water ! water! water !"
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