USA > New York > History of the One hundredth regiment of New York state volunteers > Part 15
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As though our pitiful condition was realized by the officers in command, at twelve, midnight, we were withdrawn, and to the rear around smouldering fires we kept life in our shivering bodies till the coming of
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CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE ADVANCE ON FORT DARLING. - THIE SKIRMISHERS OF . THE ONE HUNDREDTH. - THE WOUNDING OF LIEUT. HOYT. - THE TAKING OF THE RAIL FENCE. - THE AD- VANCE OF MAY 16TH. - THE FATAL RESULTS. - AGAIN WITHIN INTRENCHMENTS. - DUTY IN CAMP AND ON THE PICKET LINE. - THE REPORTED ASSAULTS OF THE REBELS ON OUR LINE. - GEN. WALKER TAKEN PRISONER. - GEN. BUTLER REINFORCES GRANT.
Our work had just begun. Ambulances were busy transporting the wounded to more comfortable places. than in front of Fort Darling. In mist and fog we moved out of our temporary intrenchments, and slowly moved into position before the next line of works on our front. Through a small wood and into a field of low shrubs Ewhere the regiment lay down. while Cos." I" and " HI" were thrown forward as skir- mishers across an open field to gain position at a rail fence in front of the line of works to be taken. While waiting. the welcome sun began to warm our bodie- and dry our clothing. Most stubbornly did the rebels
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contest the possession of that open field, and as persist- ently did Capt. Brunek and Lieut. Hoyt, of Co. "I," and Lieuts. Howell and French of Co. "H," crowd the enemy to and beyond the rail fence. Capt. Brunck sent Lieut. Hoyt to Col. Dandy for aid. The skirmishers at this time were lying down to secure themselves from the hot fire of the enemy. With quiet and admirable coolness, Lient. Hoyt, in that tierce fire, passed to the rear, and executed his order, when Col. Dandy ordered Co. " K," commanded by Lieut. Stowits, to support Capt. Brunck, and at once charge and take the rail fence. It was when this movement was commenced, and Lieut. Hoyt was re- turning to his company, that he was mortally shot through the abdomen, and at once borne to the rear, where he died from his wound. With a cheer the line moved forward, driving the rebels within their works, and the rail fence was ours. In that charge we lost Lient. Edward Pratt, who was shot in the arch of the foot, just as we reached the fence. We shall never forget the chagrin and disappointment manifested by the lieutenant in the excitement of the charge, to think at its success he was lost to further active ser- vice. Twice before had he been wounded. in the charge on Fort Wagner, and now so early in the cam- paign to be thrown into hospital was too much for so brave and useful an officer to endure.
Under a deadly fire the skirmishers held the fence. keeping the rebels within their works, except now and then it was seen that officers drove them from, and
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beyond the works, when behind the stumps of trees they poured their fire into our line, now heavily rein- forced. A battery was planted near our left, at the edge of a wood, and for the rest of the day it played upon the intrenched front of the rebels with telling effect. At the fence the men were shot generally through the head, and fingers and thumbs were lost while firing in crouched positions. At 10 P. M. the skirmishers were relieved, after one of the most de -- perate, exciting and fatal charges ever made. Rifle- pits were dug, and preparations made to hold the posi- tion thus gained. The casualties for the number en- gaged were large.
Orders had been given for a general attack next morning, May 14th, but the line was thought too thin, and hence deferred till the morning of the 16th of May, a disastrous day to the " Army of the James." The evening of the 15th was still and clear. Toward morning a heavy fog arose from the bosom of the James, so dense that the soldiers eould scarcely dis- cern each other at the distance of a few feet. Under the cover of this and the darkness, Gen. Beauregard commanding in person fell upon our right, picketed by a few negro cavalry, and attempted to flank our posi- tion.
Gen. Smith commanded the right, and Gen. Heck- man's brigade of Weitzel's division, after a gallant tight, was overwhelmed and the general taken prisoner. Equal disaster followed all along the line. The One IIundredth Regiment moved out, feeling its way in
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the fog, and in line of battle lay down, faces to the ground, two-thirds across the field skirmished on the 14th. There, covered from the fire of the advancing rebels in the fog, not, as yet discernible, the regiment waited orders, but no orders came. Subsequently it was known that orderlies had been sent, and that wounded, they had returned without executing their missions. As the rebels emerged from the fog, a few rods in advance of the regiment, and beyond the rifle- pit, the right wing sprang for the rifle-pit, and checked the enemy by a well-directed fire. Many, rather than rise from the ground in that storm of shot, were taken prisoners; others preferred the risks of retreat to the barbarisms of a southern prison. The work of deci- mating the One Hundredth Regiment was quickly performed.
That sad hour forced unwilling representatives into southern prisons, to increase the number of sacred dead on southern soil. It has been affirmed, we fear with too much truth, that in consequence of the ap- parent dangers of the campaign, that large numbers of soldiers had expressed a determination to be taken prisoners at the first opportunity, and take the chances of prison, to the campaign. If such was the fact, we think their experience filled them with regrets, and that the fear of death in an occasional battle was nothing to the daily death at Salisbury, Andersonville and Millen.
The rebel colors were flaunted in our faces, as we were borne back through a tempest of shot to rising
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ground, where our reserves were forming to check thit further advance of the enemy. Here Lieut. James II. French was shot in the leg, suffered amputation, and died May 22d, in Libby Prison : Lieut. Babbitt was wounded and Lieut. Pierson taken prisoner: Serg. Donald McKay, the color bearer, was wounded, and when the writer offered to relieve him of the colors. that he might the better secure his escape, "No," he responded, "I must place them in the hands of the Colonel," which he did, and an ambulance conveyed him to the rear. Such was the disaster at Drury', Bluff. Our thinned and broken columns were forced back to intrenched positions. Beauregard pressed Smith's right with a heavier force, which caused him to fall back and form a new line, extending from the Half Way House on the turnpike, nine miles from Richmond, almost to the river. Gillmore was con- pelled by this movement to fall back, upon which Beanregard crowded the whole national line closely and heavily, with increasing numbers. Butler per- ceiving the danger to his communications, withdrew his whole force within his lines at Bermuda Hundred, in front of which Beauregard threw up parallel work- almost at speaking distance from the national intrench- ments. At this time Gen. Kautz was upon another raid on the railways leading to Richmond, from the south and south-west. While retreating, the house where Lient. Hoyt was dying was almost surrounded by the enemy. The order had been given to fall back. Chaplain Linn was at his side. He determined to
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save him. A sergeant procured a stretcher. The Lieutenant was laid upon it and almost immediately expired. The Chaplain covered him with a blanket and turned to leave him. The rebel cavalry were in sight. Though dead the Chaplain could not trust him for burial in rebel hands. He asked of his company who would volunteer to go with him and secure the body. Offers were plenty. The Colonel consented. His body was secured and borne into camp, and buried by Capt. Brunck and Chaplain Linn and the proper escort, though the Lieutenant requested if he fell, that his body might be buried where he was slain.
In a wood at the road side were the scattered rem- nants of the One Hundredth Regiment, which a few days before, and even on that fatal morning, was the size of many brigades, now was hardly cognizable as a regiment at all. Gen. Butler and staff riding by, said: "Where is your regiment?" He was shown the handful in the wood and told that there was what remained of seven hundred men. He said he was sorry for us, that we were a brave regiment, but he could not help us in the hour of need. As we marched and neared the camp we left on the morning of the 12th, our numbers kept increasing, though the -ad gaps in companies at roll call, told a tale of loss uninistakable. Co. "K," commanded by Lieut. Stowits, had lost during the 13th, 14th and 16th, twenty-four men and one officer, in killed, wounded and missing; a fair average of the loss of each com- pany in the regiment.
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Col. H. M. Plaisted, commanding brigade, in hi- report of the repulse at Drury's Bluff, says of the One Hundredth : "That the skirmish line upon their right giving way, the One Hundredth was overwhelmed by the enemy upon its front and flank, and this gallant regiment, refusing to retire without orders, suffered the loss so much to be regretted. Throughout the ex- pedition this regiment had the advance, and always willing, always ready, was the first and foremost in the fight, and last to leave the field. Upon every oc- casion, under its gallant leader, its conduct was indeed most creditable to itself and the great State it repre- sents. Credit is due Col. Dandy and the One Hun- dredth New York for the admirable manner in which they performed every duty."
The works extending from the James to the Ap- pomattox river were to be substantially built. Gen. Butler's position was almost impregnable, with the rivers on each flank filled with monitors and gunboats and his rear free for the transportation of supplies. The spade was active night and day. At first nought but a picket line of posts was established in front of the intrenchments, but soon the activity of the rebel- on our front, made it necessary to dig rifle-pits, and prepare for a stubborn defence of an outer line. The enemy began the work of attempting to drive in our pickets, and force us within the main line at once. Our picket duty became a constant battle.
May 21st. A fierce attack was made on our line led by the rebel Gen: Walker, a Texan by birth. In
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lindling his men in the wood he became separated from his command and rode up to our line, and think- ing it his own, ordered us on, when at once seeing his error, he wheeled, threw himself on the neck of his horse, striking him deeply with spurs, and attempted to flee, but a well-directed volley brought horse and rider to the ground. His horse was killed, and the general was badly wounded. He affirmed that if he had not been taken, soon our line would have been doubled up and broken, and our position flanked. He lot a leg, was sent to Fortress Monroe and recov- erud. He was a fine-looking, intelligent officer, about forty-five years of age.
In the meantime the rebels were fortifyng their works and getting guns into position to shell our riffe- pits. The rebel pits were only a few rods distant, and the quiet of several days was ominous of the storm to follow. They opened on us, drove us from the pits, but reinforced by a brigade under Col. Howell, they were retaken and the line held. It was one of the sharpest of contests for the small numbers engaged, and i- known as the battle of " Ware Bottom Church." The trees were scarred and peeled with bullets.
The enemy repeated the attack the following day with no better success. Our inner line of works were nearly complete with abatis and wire in front, so that the troops were seeure. All along the line be- twoon the river the enemy tried to assault every con- evivable weak point. We had become quite familiar on the picket line with the rebels. Though all com-
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munication was forbidden, still many stratagems were planned to obtain papers in exchange for tobacco. While lying quietly in our pits, at times, the rebel- would open their batteries, sending shells into the woods, crushing and crashing with deafening noise, as though the whole rebel army was upon us. Soon the danger would be less apparent, and as there was no advance of the enemy, the men would crouch down and protect themselves from the bursting shrapnels sending their showers of bullets through the air.
Our picket line, having an irregular shape, was straightened the last of May, so that we were nearer camp, and less liable to a flank movement of the rebels. On the evening of the first of June, at the hour of 9 P. M., it being dark and rainy, the rebels opened with volleys of musketry upon our pits. We responded all along the line. For seven hours the firing continued. We averaged one hundred cartridges to each man. At times it seemed, in the darkness. that the rebels were upon us, and the boys would till the woods in front with streams of fire. Details were sent to the rear for cartridges, for the men were so fearful that the enemy might spring upon them when empty of means to repel a charge, that we were obliged to deal cartridges singly to economize and be ready should the enemy dash into our pits. As the morn- ing light made our front visible, there was "Johnny " bobbing up his head, resting from the last night's furious fusillade.
Butler was preparing for the capture of Petersburg
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when he received orders to send two-thirds of his ef- fective force to Gen. Grant, who was still pressing Lee by flank movements and bloody front battles. This order kept us, who remained, in the rifle-pits night and day. The batteries of the rebels were shelling us when we were relieved and during our watchful vigilance. Well might Gen. Butler exclaim after, or at the time of complying with Grant's order, " That the necessi- ties of the Army of the Potomac have bottled me up at Bermuda Hundred."
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CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE REGIMENT STILL AT BERMUDA HUNDRED. - CONSTANT FIRING OF THE REBELS ON OUR PICKETS. - THEY EVACUATE THEIR WORKS. - WE ENTERED THEM, REACHED THE RAILROAD, AND TORE UP TRACK FOR THREE MILES. - ASSAILED BY PICKETT'S DIVISION .- THE REBELS REPULSED. - WE HELD THEIR PITS. - THEY ASSAULT ON THE 17TH OF JUNE. - ARE RE- PULSED. - THE BRIGADE ORDERED TO DEEP BOTTOM. MADE A LANDING AND INTRENCHED. - CAPT. GRAN- GER CHARGED THE GROVER HOUSE AND DROVE THE REBELS.
The day succeeding the evening of June 1st was very quiet, and at night the regiment was relieved by the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts. The enemy would open their batteries at their pleasure, and the crash of exploding shell in the woods was startling. The men would lie close in the pits till the storm passed over. The duties of the regiment were divided between fa- tigue and picket. There was no relief from constant and severe labor and exposure. The regiment changed camp to the rear, a few rods nearer the bank of the James. Those companies detailed on picket on the
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right, and next the bank of the river, were in full view of the exposed line of the rebels in passing from Rich- mond to their works on our front, in consequence of the great bend in the river. They had planted a battery above and near this point, at what was known as the Howlitt House, and at the head of navi- gation limit by our navy. The position of the One Hundredth at this time was on a high bluff over- looking Dutch Gap, Fort Harrison and the rebel works on the opposite side of the James river. Capt. Gran- ger, who had been absent since the charge on Wagner, July 18th, 1863, and had been on duty in New York and Riker's island most of the time, joined the regi- ment, and took charge of Co. "K," which had been commanded by Lieut. Stowits for most of the year. Its numbers had been much reduced in common with other companies of the regiment. In the details for pieket and fatigue, only a limited number of officers were sent out. Toward the middle of June every captain in camp was sick, and the details for picket were commanded by lieutenants.
The guns of Cool Arbor were booming on the air. The soldiery hoped that the end was near. But, " as coming events cast their shadows before," so the has- tily constructed pontoons across the James river gave evidence that our army was changing position and that present hopes of entering Richmond were not to ', entertained. Grant was moving his forces on Petersburg. Lee, as soon as aware of Grant's intent, began to move the army of northern Virginia toward
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Petersburg. Hence from the Bermuda front the rebels were withdrawn to save that city.
The One Hundredth went on picket the night of the 14th of June. The 15th they were relieved by the Tenth Connecticut.
On the morning of the 16th the videttes of the Tenth Connecticut discovered that the enemy had evacuated their pits, and " our boys sailed in," took three officers on our right and forty men, who had not received the order to move, as some were sound asleep. Gen. Terry was at once commanded to force Beauregard's lines, and destroy and hold, if possible, the railway in that vicinity. Terry reached the road with the Eleventh Maine, Twenty-fourth Massachusetts, two batteries and one regiment of cavalry; the Tenth Connecticut still holding the picket line, and the One Hundredth Regiment in camp under arms. Their works were levelled. The railroad was destroyed for three miles. when the rebels were reinforced by Lee with ten times our numbers, and Terry was obliged to retire at +1 P. M. The Twenty-fourth Massachusetts was in ad- vance. The Eleventh Maine was lying in ambush at Ware Bottom Church, just outside of our rifle pits. The Tenth Connecticut, having moved farther to the front, now fell back to the line of the Eleventh Maine and faced to the ground also. The Twenty-fourth Massachusetts fell back as skirmishers, and the " John- nies " came on, with that yell which was unlike any human sereech ever known, across the ravine, and as they arose the hill in front of the Eleventh Maine and
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Tenth Connecticut, the rebels repeated their yells of triumph, and intended to dash into the pits, when the Tenth Connecticut and Eleventh Maine rose and poured two volleys into the very teeth of the rebels driving their yells and thoughts clear through them, when with dead and wounded they beat a hasty re- treat. They got no farther than their main works, while we held their pits. At 5 P. M. the One Hun- dredth Regiment, under Maj. Nash, was ordered out to support our brigade. We lay all night in rear of the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts, and all day the 17th of June, when the rebels made another ineffectual at- tempt to regain their pits. They made a dash on the left of the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts and in front of the Thirty-ninth Illinois, and drove the latter from the pits. But the Thirty-ninth, with that veteran cool- ne-s, skirmished back and retook their position, sup- ported by Co. " I," Capt. Brunck, who, always cool, was there, not to be driven ; while the left of the Twenty- fourth Massachusetts was strengthened by Co. "K," Lient. Stowits, whose men at once commenced to throw up a rifle pit, the balls flying like hail, though too high for effect. The adjutant of the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts had his lips cut close to his teeth with- out breaking the enamel, a marvel of close shooting. We held them when the One Hundredth Regiment was relieved at 10 P. M. The forces that struck Terry on that exciting day were Pickett's division of Longstreet's corps, on its way from Richmond to Petersburg.
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Assistant Surgeon William D. Murray, who had faithfully served the regiment, and won the confidence and esteem of both officers and men, left the One Hundredth at Bermuda Hundred, June 15th, 1864, and was mustered out of the regiment and into the One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment of New York Volunteers, as surgeon, July 16th, 1864; and soon after the regiment was ordered to the department of the Gulf, where the experience of Surg. Murray was made successfully available in the sanitary welfare of those committed to his charge. Surg. Kittenger and Surg. Murray served the full term of three years, con- pleting their obligations to government.
During this movement the monitors just below, in the James, would throw their fifteen-inch shells into the enemy's lines, and the rumble and echoes were as if a whole blacksmith shop, tools, anvils, bellows and all were hurled through the air, to the appalling dis- comfiture of the astounded rebels. Both lines, mon- itors and battle were within a breadth of two and a half miles.
On the evening of the 18th of June, the One Hun- dredth Regiment was ordered on picket, and occupied the rear pits from those held on the 17th. We were stationed along a ravine with two companies, and our right resting on the James river. The gunboats were just below. It was a bright and beautiful night. Every stump was a moving rebel, and the shadows of the waving branches in the breeze were squads of ad- vancing rebels. My position, with my two companies,
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was an almost impassable locality, terminating in a wood slide of one hundred feet in descent, at the foot of which was a wharf from which steamers were sup- plied with fuel in the days of peace, when red war was not raging through those quiet vales. It was Sunday. We had been fighting for three days. We were ex- pecting an attack at any moment. Our life was in the rifle-pits. My negro, God bless him, brought my meals when shot and shell were flying in every direc- tion. His bravery always insured my coffee and hard tack, blanket and overcoat. Wiley Walker, like many other colored servants, was a character marked and individual. He was brave, reliable and full of the merits of our cause. In the rear of our tent, often has his soothing voice, with tones rich and musical, lulled our wearied spirits to rest, as did our mother in our infant days. He left his family, joined us at Glouces- ter Point, May 2d, 1864, and entered Richmond the last of April, 1865, meeting his family, having seen what he had long hoped for, the surrender of Lee and the capture of the rebel capital.
Monday, June 20th. The brigade, commanded by Gen. R. S. Foster, was ordered to take and hold Deep Bottom. The One Hundredth New York, Eleventh Maine, Tenth Connecticut, and Twenth-fourth Massa- chusetts moved out of camp in light marching order at 5 P. M., and in heat and clouds of dust marched ton miles below Richmond to a spot on a narrow jeninsula, known in the bend of the James river as Deep Bottom, the water being estimated at eighty
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feet in depth. A pontoon train had preceded us. The boats were soon afloat. The troops on the river bank were divided into details to carry the string-pieces, to place them in position on the boats, to bring plank, to lay them in place, and all with wonderful celerity and precision, so that a little after midnight the bridge was complete, the brigade was over, and the axes of the Eleventh Maine were ringing in echoes through the woods, and the shovel was busily employed in throw- ing up intrenchments for defence. This was another of those prompt movements of Gen. Butler, and was a decided success. The secure position of Gen. Foster enabled Gen. Grant to throw heavy bodies of troops to the north side of the James when desired. Gen. Lee, seeing this advantage, constructed a pontoon bridge across the river at Drury's Bluff to make a bet- ter resistance to Grant's flanking movements. Car- alry videttes were posted in front of our position while our work of heavy fatigue went on. Three thousand Ohio troops of one hundred days men suddenly appeared among us. We threw down the shovel and took up the gun, and soon had active work to do. A post of cavalry had been driven in at the Grover House, one mile from the landing. Gen. Foster applied to Col. Dandy for one company, all he could afford to lose, he said, if unsuccessful in driving the enemy from the house. Capt. Granger, the senior officer of the line. and Co. " K." were chosen to make the charge. 11- the company had been commanded by Lient. Stowits for most of the year, and there being no other officer in
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it, he being then in command of Co." A," Col. Dandy asked Lieut. Stowits if he would accompany Capt. Granger to make the charge. The Lieutenant re- sponded, " Yes, Colonel, if you order it." He replied, " I should like to have you go." The Lieutenant went. The company moved out to the right, and in the mean- time Maj. Nash sent a sergeant and a few picked men to make a detour through the woods and deceive the rebels as to the numbers upon them. We had to pass through three fields before reaching the house, one of oats and the last of corn to the height of the knee. The Major followed us across the ravine and to the spot where we were to charge through the corn field. At a double quiek, amid a shower of balls, while the crack of rifles in the woods told us that our skirmish- ers were at work, we pushed on and reached the fence at the right flank of the house, without firing a shot and with the-loss of only one man, Corporal Bond, shot in the foot. What with the firing of our men in the woods, and the strong front of a full regiment of one hundred days men drawn up in line at the spot where we started, and our quick dash to gain the fence, completely frightened the " Johnnies," and the Grover Hlouse was ours.
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