USA > New York > History of the Twenty-second regiment of the National guard of the state of New York; from its organization to 1895, pt 1 > Part 13
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CHAPTER XVI.
FORTIFYING BRIDGEPORT.
O N June 26, the stream of horses, cattle and terrified farmers became so great that it seemed as if a second Exodus was at hand. The fugitives talked as if a million of Lee's army was within gun-shot. The members of the regiment considered that they were cowards, and paid but little attention to their stories. which seemed to them to resemble the fables, that Jackson was coming up the valley, that used to be daily brought into their camp at Harper's Ferry. But those reports really had a considerable foundation, and the general officers appreciated it, though the men did not.
Orders were issued to all the troops to be in readi- ness to move or attack at a moment's notice, and all commandants of forts were required to see that their guns were in position, and provided with ammunition. The Twenty-third (Brooklyn) was sent out upon a reconnaissance four miles out on the Carlisle road, and was called in on the 27. That night, some spies, who had, for some inscrutable reason, concealed themselves in the camp of the Twenty-second, endeavored to escape under the cover of the night. They were detected, but safely ran the gauntlet of the fire of every sentry that
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could get a shot, while the regiment, aroused from its sleep by the firing, sprung at once to arms, expecting to be attacked.
On June 27, the report came that the enemy were only four miles off, but as Company C (Capt. Post) and G.(Capt. Howland) were holding a picket-line five miles out, and had not been driven in, the report was received by the Twenty second with a slight discount. There was no doubt, however, that the invaders were near enough. Forty rounds of cartridges were issued to each man, and all that portion of the regiment not on picket was set at work throwing up a line of rifle pits to com- mand the York road. They worked vigorously until 2 P. M. with the zeal which the occasion called for, and by that time had completed quite a respectable entrenchment. The men had been a good deal an- noyed by the conversation of the proprietor of the farm upon which they were camped. His politics were of a pronounced " Copperhead " stripe and had allowed them to affect his common sense so much as to lead him to frequently declare "that he did not believe there were any rebels in the State and that the whole affair was an election dodge of Andy Curtin." It was there- fore quite a satisfaction to the New Yorkers who had listened to these declarations, to dig a large ritle pit across his nice garden, as a practical demonstration to him that the situation had not been exaggerated by the patriotic Governor of his State.
In the afternoon the Twenty-second was given a rest (?) by being set to cut down a grove of large hickory trees which screened the road from the fire of the guns of the fort. The men had by this time become
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impressed with the fact that the resemblance between digging a rifle-pit on a hot day and a laborer's work in excavating a sewer was very close, and they were glad to exchange it for chopping, " which was more like fun." Several boxes of new axes were furnished, and they fell to the new work with zeal, Col. Aspinwall himself setting the example. There had been no woods to fell at Harper's Ferry, and candor compels the statement that what the men did not know about chopping, would fill many books. The idea of " taking out a chip," the fundamental principle of chopping, was unknown to all but a few. Moreover, the axes were not properly fastened to the helves, and the way they flew off, made proximity to the working parties quite exciting.
The surrounding population volunteered their aid to the number of four (?), two of whom were negroes. but none the worse choppers for that. The emergency was great and a guard was detailed by Col. Aspinwall which impressed all the able-bodied civilians that could be found, and, with them for examples, and under the pressure of company rivalry, the big hickories were soon crashing in all directions, causing telegrams of " heavy firing at Harrisburg " from enterprising corre- spondents to go flying North over the wires.
At 7 P. M. the regiment stopped, with blistered hands and muscles aching from the unaccustomed labor, and re- turning to camp, were soon plunged in a dreamless slum- ber, although sleeping in their clothes and on their arms. so as to be able to respond in an instant, if called upon.
No alarm, however, broke the stillness of the night. On the morning of Sunday, June 28, a detachment from Company G, and some of the other companies,
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composed of men who had not been able to march with the regiment, arrived from New York and reported for duty. The same morning the Twenty-seventh Penn- sylvania Volunteers passed the camp and reported that the enemy were but three miles off, so that matters assumed quite a serious aspect. At noon the Twenty- second assembled in front of the colonel's tent for relig- ious service, feeling rather more disposed to be pious than usual, for none knew what might occur before another day was passed.
Those services never took place. The men were in their positions, their prayer-books distributed, the chaplain had risen, and was on the point of announcing his text, when the colonel dashed up at full gallop, with the order, "Go back to your company 'streets' and strike tents at once."
The men rushed back to their quarters and prep- arations for breaking up camp went on in the great- est possible haste, in the midst of which the chaplain disappeared, never to be seen by the regiment until its return. That the situation was most serious, is shown by the following telegrams.
Gen. Couch to Secretary Stanton :
HARRISBURG, Pa., June 28, 1866.
By night the rebels will have possession up to my defences on the river. My information is that there are 15,000 in or near Carlisle and 4,000 or 8, 000 from Gettysburg to York and Hanover. Their advance has just opened with artillery, four miles from my defences.
In his official report Gen. Couch states :
On the evening of the 22, the rebel cavalry advanced upon Chambersburg, followed by heavy masses of infantry and
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artillery. It was the head of their army under Gen. Lee. A part of Ewell's corps advanced toward Carlisle, which place they occupied on the 27 and 28, by 12, 000 men, our forces under Brig .- Gen. Knipe falling back to near Harrisburg. The remain- der of Ewell's corps (8,oco) crossed from Chambersburg to Gettysburg on the 16, drove in our scouts with their supports with a less to us of 176 men missing and prisoners of the Twenty-sixth Emergency regiment. From that place the enemy moved in the direction of York.
The chief burgess and a deputation of citizens met this force nine miles from town and formally surrendered. It was occu- pied by Gen. Early on the 28. A body of 2,500 of the rebels immediately pushed toward Columbia, drove in the troops at Wrightsville, under Col. Frick, who retreated across the river and burned the bridges. Same day their advance approached to within three miles of Harrisburg, engaging our pickets and reconnoitered the works. Col. Tomas, Twentieth Regiment, in charge of bridges near York, retired toward the Susquehanna.
But to return to the Twenty-second. Company. D (Capt. Thornell) was ordered down the York road to relieve the companies on picket, and, in obedience to subsequent orders, threw up a line of rifle-pits across the road to defend the position. Here they remained, lying on their arms, until they were ordered in on the morning of the 30.
In a few minutes the regimental camp was struck, and shelter-tents and more cartridges were distributed. Knapsacks were packed, and the men marched away little thinking, as they took leave of the pleasant spot, where their nice new tents were being loaded in wagons pressed for the occasion, of the length of time that would elapse before their heads would get under their (or any other) shelter again. Perhaps if they had, the leave-taking would have been more affecting.
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During that Sunday the Twenty-third and other troops in the forts were drawn up in line of battle and assigned to places at the breastworks where arms were stacked. Squads were sent out to demolish buildings in front of the forts, cut down trees, bushes and corn, and to mow the wheat, so as to leave no cover for sharp- shooters. In Harrisburg the State archives were packed up and sent off to Philadelphia.
The following is an extract from the diary of Theo. D. Rand, of Landis' Battery, made by him at the time and shortly after written out :
Sunday, June 28, we drilled before and after breakfast. At half past ten we had Divine service read by our first lieutenant, a remarkably fine officer, and one unusually respected by the men. The service was very impressive, and I believe will not soon be forgotten by those who participated in it. After service the ammunition was examined and the dinner served. In the midst of it we were ordered to the guns, an advance of the rebels being expected. The regiment of infantry which had been down the valley under Gen. Knipe, came pouring into the fort with reports of the near approach of the rebels. In an incred- ibly short time all the guns were manned and all the infantry drawn up in line of battle behind the parapet-a fine sight. The rebels were but three or four miles off. We could hear their firing distinctly. In front a heavy force, armed with axes, was levelling all the trees within close range, and the clang of the axes, mingled with the crash of the falling trees, made a sad music, for a beautiful landscape was being shorn of its great- est ornament and these seemed like its moan. That night we slept at the guns, indeed we did not leave them until Tuesday evening.
** * *
On Sunday evening we watched for some time a bright light in the south-the burning of Columbia Bridge-though at the time we had no idea of what it was.
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While some of the companies of the Twenty-second remained to hold the rifle-pits, Company G was sent out, in light marching order, about three miles down another road. The other companies marched to Bridgeport Station, oppo- site Harris- burg, and pro- ceeded to bar- - ricade several buildingscom- Fortifying enque house at Bridge port Pa- manding the approaches to
the important railroad bridge at this point, with as much industry as though they had not done a thing for a week. Companies A (then commanded by Lieut. Fuller, Capt. Otis being temporarily absent) and I (Capt. Gardiner), with beams, barrels of earth, bundles of lath, railroad sleepers and sand-bags, by 10 o'clock P. M., had converted the engine-house of the Cumber- land Valley Railroad, in which they were stationed, into a loop-holed and casemated battery, to protect two how- itzers of Miller's battery (which was attached to the Eighth N. Y. N. G.), placed there to command the rail- road. The other companies e fortifiéd engine house were similarly occupied in different adjoining buildings. All the other regiments were also hard at work. The rock cut of the Northern Central Railroad under the fort was barricaded, rifle-pits constructed on the top of the cut, and in several other positions occupied by the
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troops. The narrow pass of the Northern Central Railroad and the road at the end of North Mountain, on the river, a mile below the bridge, was filled by a small work of rock, earth and sand-bags, making a strong position. In the more laborious parts of the work of fortitying the round house, lifting railroad sleepers and carrying sand-bags, the detachment of the Twenty-second assigned to it was assisted by a detach- ment of negroes from the large body at work on the fortifications, who were put under the command of the writer; and it was really touching to see the patient, uncomplaining way in which these poor men worked. All the preceding night and day, with scanty covering, they had toiled, digging, carrying heavy beams and sand-bags, and though almost wearied out, without the slightest compulsion, and without the use of a single harsh word, they still continued late into the night. The white laborers from Harrisburg had long since abandoned the toilsome work; the weary soldiers stopped at nine o'clock, but the negroes kept on until near midnight. During the night, the detached companies of the regiment were drawn in, and joined the others at Bridgeport. A supply of bread and apple- butter was also issued. Several of the companies com- plained that they had found water scarce, and that some of the farmers had demanded payment for the use of their wells.
At 10 o'clock P. M., the Twenty-second and Thirty- seventh were cautiously awakened, and marched stealthily out to cut off the enemy's advance guard of cavalry, re- ported to be reconnoitering in their front. It was an imposing sight to see the long column dimly and silently
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stealing down the roads and through the varying shadows of the night. Not a sound was heard; orders were given in a whisper; and as the troops drew near the position supposed to be occupied by the enemy, the silence was so profound that the heavy breathing of the men was distinctly audible to their comrades.
After a march of five miles, whispered orders were passed down the line, and, amid a death-like silence, the regiments halted and formed line of battle, fixing bay- onets and freshly capping their pieces in readiness for instant service. Every eye was strained, through the darkness, to discern the patrols of the enemy in the wavering shadows of the woods and fields, and every ear was stretched to its utmost tension to catch the ex- pected challenge. But the silence was unbroken, and after a few moments' halt the column proceeded, feeling its way with the utmost caution, and expecting at every instant to hear the volley which would announce that the advanced pickets had been encountered. But this caution was unnecessary-the enemy had fallen back, and there was nothing to be seen.
The movement was well managed, and only wanted one thing to be a magnificent success-that was, an enemy. " As there wasn't anybody to be captured, we could not capture anybody ; " so, after marching out some five miles past the pickets, the regiment returned without seeing anything, and at 4 A. M., after a six-hours' march, lay down by the railroad track to catch a brief rest. Many, however, were so tired and cold that they could not sleep. Company B (Lieut. Remmy) was not allowed even this rest, but was ordered to return to the picket station, down the New Cumberland road, from
STATE HISTORIAN'S OFFICE, ALBANY, N. Y.
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which they had been recalled to join in the expedition, and which point they did not reach until 7 A. M.
June 29 was stormy, but the work went on. Gen. Ewen posted a section of Landis' battery on the York road, supported on each side by the Eleventh and Thirty-seventh. The Twenty-second awoke at daylight, and was held in reserve, continuing the work of clearing the woods and completing the rifle pits, some of the detailments working upon the latter the entire night. Those not at work sheltered themselves in an unfinished building, or under the bridge, where the headquarters were established, consisting of three shelter tents and
the reserve ammunition. A detachment from the Eighth, Twenty-third and Fifty-sixth N. Y. N. G., 150 strong, was sent out to Oyster Point, where it remained until after the affair of the Twenty-second on July I, being fired on by Jenkins' advance. In the evening a portion of the Twenty-second marched out a short distance, and encamped in a beautiful grove; and at Io o'clock at night the left wing marched out about five miles, to endeavor to feel the enemy's advance, but did not encounter it.
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CHAPTER XVII.
HARRISBURG IN DANGER.
T HE labor of so many men had by this time done much to strengthen Harrisburg and remove the danger that it might be taken by the sudden dash of a raiding force. But it is very doubtful if the fortifica- tions could have withstood the attack of a heavy body of veteran troops. The forts were hastily constructed, and without abattis to stop a charge.
Fort Washington, the main defence, was an earth- work enclosing about sixty acres, situated on a com- manding hill immediately in front of the Harrisburg bridge. The position was strong, as there was on each flank a steep hill, while on the rear was a cut thirty feet deep of the Northern Central Railroad. This fort was defended by twenty-five pieces of field artillery, mostly 6, 10 and 12-pounders. There were other supporting works on neighboring hills, but not sufficiently completed to be of any practical service in the defence. The troops on the south side of the river were under the command of Brig .- Gen. Hall, N. Y. N. G., who has been heretofore referred to, and whose staff was little better than himself.
The guns intended to defend the left flank of Fort Washington, a vital part of the defence, were old-
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fashioned brass pieces, badly out of repair. At the foot of the hill, immediately in front of the guns, was a road which led to the Harrisburg bridge. The defence of this road was of the utmost importance, as the rebels, by burning or holding the bridge, would cut off all communication with Harrisburg. Notwithstand- ing this, these guns could not be depressed so as to strike within 300 yards of it. These guns were at one time changed for twelve-pounders, but on Sunday, when the artillerists in the fort marched out for drill at the guns, they found the twelve-pounders removed and the six- pounders in position again. To add to the difficulty, the six-pounder ammunition had been taken, thereby leaving six-pounder guns with twelve-pounder ammu- nition, although on this day it was confidently expected that the rebels would attack the fort. Capt. Muhlen- burg, U. S. A., was then appointed chief of artillery, and soon set things straight, placing long-range guns in positions where long ranges could be had.
Not only were there few guns, but not a shot had been fired from a single one of them, and the inexperi- enced troops who manned them were ignorant of their ranges. Moreover, the whole force was small in com- parison with the work it was expected to perform. That a strong force of veterans was in immediate prox- imity was known to those in command, and they were much more nervous than their subordinates, who knew but little of the situation.
On June 29, Gen. Couch telegraphed to Gen. Meade from Harrisburg :
My people driven over Columbia bridge. It is burned. I hold the opposite side of the river in strength at present. I am
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looking for a considerable destruction on all railroad lines. Twenty-five thousand men are between Baltimore and this place.
I have only 15,000 men, such as they are, on my whole line, say 9,000 here.
The following telegram from Simon Cameron, ex- Secretary of War, to President Lincoln, shows the in- tense apprehension entertained by Pennsylvanians :
HARRISBURG, June 29, 1863.
We have reliable and undoubted information from three distinct sources that Gen. Lee has nearly, if not quite, 100, 000 men between Chambersburg, on the upper side of South Moun- tain, and Gettysburg, on the east side of the mountain and the Susquehanna River. His columns at present extend from Ship- pensburg to near Harrisburg, and from Gettysburg to near Columbia. They have over two hundred and fifty pieces of artillery, by actual count. Within the next forty-eight hours Lee will cross the Susquehanna River, unless Gen. Meade strikes his columns to-morrow, and compels him to concentrate his forces west of the Susquehanna for a general battle. *
Let me impress upon you the absolute necessity of action by Meade to-morrow, even if attended with great risk, because if Lee gets his army across the Susquehanna, and puts our armies on the defensive of that line, you will readily comprehend the disastrous results that must follow to the country.
For the purpose of impressing upon those who, like the Twenty-second, had rushed to the front to defend the Union, that the country appreciated their services, the following order was promulgated from the War Department, and had a great effect upon the esprit du corps of the troops :
* That this was Lee's intention appears by the Confederate reports printed at page 100 post.
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WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, June 29, 1863.
General Orders No. 195.
The Adjutant-General will provide an appropriate medal of honor for the troops who, after the expiration of their term, have offered their services to the Government in the present emergency; and also for the volunteer troops from other States that have volunteered their services in the States of Maryland and Pennsyl- vania .*
By order of the Secretary of War.
E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant- General.
Like many other promises made by the nation, this was not kept, and the medals promised were never issued.
The writer once spoke to Gen. Grant upon the sub- ject, who promised to do what he could to see that this promise was fulfilled, if he was furnished with an official copy of the order. But, although the writer several times sought to find it, both in the War Department files and those of the newspapers, he was unsuccessful until he encountered it in looking over the Rebellion Records to prepare this narrative. An endeavor was made by a committee representing the different regi- ments that served in this Campaign to induce the Fifty- fourth Congress to pass a resolution to authorize the issue of these medals, but it failed.
That the Confederate forces had fully reconnoitered the defences at Harrisburg, and were at this time about to attack them, is shown by the following extracts from the official reports of their commanders, which are pub- lished in the Rebellion Records. Gen. R. E. Lee states
* Rebellion Records, Series 1., Vol. XXVII., Part 3, p. 414.
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in his report of the Maryland campaign (27 Rebellion Record, Part 2, p. 307) :
Preparations were now made to advance to Harrisburg, but upon the night of the 28, information was received that the Federal Army, having crossed the Potomac, was advancing northward, . it was resolved to concentrate east of the mountains. Accordingly, Longstreet and Hill were directed to proceed from Chambersburg to Gettysburg, to which point Gen. Ewell was ordered to march from Carlisle.
Gen. Ewell had arrived at Carlisle on June 27, with the divisions.of Gens. Rodes and Johnson, preceded by Gen. Jenkins' Cavalry. He states in his report :
On the afternoon of June 21, I received orders from the Commanding Gen. (Lee) to take Harrisburg and on the follow- ing morning marched and reached Carlisle on the 27. From Carlisle I sent forward my engineer, Capt. H. B. Richard- son, with Gen. Jenkins' Cavalry, to reconnoitre the defences of Harrisburg, and was starting, on the 29, for that place; when ordered by the general commanding to join the main body of the army at Cashtown, near Gettysburg.
Gen. Rodes states in his report :
On our arrival at Carlisle, Jenkins' Cavalry advanced towards Harrisburg, and had, on the 29, made a thorough reconnaissance of the defences of the place, with the view of our advance upon it-a step which every man in the division contemplated with eagerness, and which was to have been executed upon the 30; but, on the 30, having received orders to move towards the balance of the army, supposed to be at or near Cashtown, we set out for that place.
How the situation was regarded by Gen. Meade was manifested by the following circular :
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, June 30, 1863.
The commanding general requests that previous to the engagement soon expected with the enemy, corps and all other
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commanding officers address their troops, explaining to them briefly the immense issues involved in the struggle. The enemy are now on our soil. The whole country now looks anxiously to this army to deliver it from the presence of the foe. Our failure to do so will leave us no such welcome as the swelling of millions of hearts with pride and joy at our success would give to every soldier of this army. Homes, firesides and domestic altars are involved. The army has fought well here- tofore; it is believed that it will fight more desperately and bravely if it is addressed in fitting terms.
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