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 16
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Exhausted by the march and nearly dead for want of sleep, I dismounted near the battery and fell asleep, undisturbed by the music of the guns.
Within an hour or two I was aroused by the glare of the burning of Carlisle barracks off to the right, and in another moment I found we were leaving by the road we came. Turning to the right we took the road to Gettysburg, marching all night, and arriving there on July 2, just in time to repel an attack of Federal cavalry on our left and rear.
The cause of Gen. Stuart's attack on Carlisle is given in his official report. (See Official Records. Series I., Vol. XXVII., Part II., page 696.) He says:
"I arrived before that village, by way of Dillsburg, in the afternoon. Our rations were entirely out. I desired to levy a contribution on the inhabitants for rations, but was informed before reaching it that it was held by a considerable force of militia (infantry and artillery), who were concealed in the build- ings, with the view to entrap me upon entrance into the town. They were frustrated in their intention, and although very peaceable in external aspect, I soon found the information I had
* It is believed that neither General Stuart nor his officers were ever proud of his having fired on the place as he did.
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received was correct. I disliked to subject the town to the con- sequences of an attack; at the same time it was essential to us to procure rations. I therefore directed Gen. Lee to send in a flag of truce, demanding unconditional surrender or bombard- ment. This was refused. I placed artillery in position com- manding the town, took possession of the main avenues to the place, and repeated the demand. It was again refused, and I was forced to the alternative of shelling the place ..
Although the houses were used by their sharpshooters while firing on our men, not a building was fired, except the United States cavalry barracks, which were burned by my orders, the place having resisted my advance, instead of peaceable sur- render, as in the case of Gen. Ewell. Gen. Fitz Lee's Brigade was charged with the duty of investing the place, the remain- ing brigades following, at considerable intervals, from Dover. Maj .- Gen. W. F. Smith was in command of the forces in Car- lisle. The only obstacle to the enforcement of my threat was the scarcity of artillery ammunition.
The whereabouts of our army was still a mystery; but dur- ing the night I received a dispatch from Gen. Lee (in answer to one sent by Maj. Venable, from Dover, on Early's trail), that the army was at Gettysburg, and had been engaged on this day (July 1) with the enemy's advance. I instantly dispatched to Hampton to move ten miles that night on the road to Gettys- burg, and gave orders to the other brigades, with a view to reaching Gettysburg early the next day, and started myself that night.
My advance reached Gettysburg, July 2, just in time to thwart a move of the enemy's cavalry upon our rear, by way of Hunterstown, after a fierce engagement, in which Hampton's Brigade performed gallant service, a series of charges com- pelling the enemy to leave the field and abandon his purpose. I took my position that day on the York and Heidelsburg roads, on the left wing of the Army of Northern Virginia.
The situation of affairs in Carlisle during the bombardment is rather briefly described by Gen. Wm. F. Smith in his official report. (Official Records, Vol. XXVII., Pt. II., p. 220); and
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on page 224 he gives a few additional details. Gen. Smith states that we fired 134 shots, and that his battery (Landis') replied with only three.
This firing was very wild. He states our force at 3. 300 men, with an interrogation mark (?). It was scarcely half of that number, as our other two brigades took no part in the invest- ment .*
Gen. Stuart commented in his official report-and, it would seem, with good reason-on Gen. Early's omitting to leave word for him at York, or to send him some intimation of his march to Gettysburg on the thirtieth June. He heard our guns in the fight at Hanover, and, as Gen. Stuart says, "rightly con- jectured whose they were." A word from Early to Stuart would have saved us the long march to Carlisle and back to Gettys- burg, and would have placed Stuart's three brigades on the field in time for the fight of the first July. And it is not im- probable that if Stuart had been there that evening, Hancock would not have been given the chance to rally the retreating lines of the first and eleventh corps on Cemetery Hill.
* *
*
Chief among the reasons assigned by Confederate generals for the repulse of Gen. Lee's army at Gettysburg is this one : the absence of Gen. Stuart from his accustomed place in front of the army.
This absence was in no just sense imputable to any fault or delay on his part. He carried out his orders to the very letter, and nothing but the change in Gen. Lee's point of concentra- tion, made necessary by a singular accident, prevented Stuart from joining the right wing at Carlisle. It was there, he had every right to expect, would be fought the battle of the century.
I have the honor to be.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
THEODORE S. GARNET,
Late Aide-de-Camp to Gen. J. E. B. Stuart.
* They were within supporting distance, and should therefore be counted as participating.
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The following is an extract from the official " report of Brig .- Gen. William F. Smith, U. S. A., command- ing First Division of the Susquehanna, of operations from June 26 to July 15," contained in the Rebellion Records:
HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION OF THE SUSQUEHANNA, | GREENCASTLE, Pa., July 18, 1863 ..
MAJOR :- I have reported that, in obedience to orders from the general commanding, I assumed command of the troops south of the Susquehanna and in the vicinity of Harrisburg on Friday, June 26, and was busily engaged until Tuesday, 30, in strengthening the defences at Bridgeport, opposite the city of Harrisburg, and at Marysville, to protect the bridges of the Pennsylvania and North Central Railroads.
On Sunday a rebel cavalry force, with a section of artillery, came to our picket-line near Oyster Point and drove in our cavalry pickets, but did not succeed in moving the infantry pickets.
On Monday I sent the regular cavalry, under Lieut. (Frank) Stanwood, on the Carlisle road, and he engaged and drove in the pickets of the enemy, but was obliged to retire under a fire of artillery which was opened on him.
On Tuesday, learning that the rebel infantry had left Car- lisle, the cavalry was ordered forward and found the enemy at Sporting Hill. Gen. Ewen, New York militia, in command of the Twenty-second and Thirty-seventh New York State militia. went forward to support Lieut. Stanwood and a section of Landis' Battery, under the direction of Lieut. Muhlenberg, was immediately ordered up. The enemy was found in position. and attacked about 4 P. M. The artillery arrived on the ground about 5 P. M., and soon silenced the fire of the enemy. . *
Gen. Ewen had passed through the town (Carlisle) on the Bal- timore turnpike about one and a half miles, and, while going on to examine his position, word came from my scouts that a large cavalry force of the enemy was in the immediate vicinity, on
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the York road, and, turning back, before I entered the village, their guns had opened upon us. The road for several miles back of us was filled with stragglers from the brigades of Gen. Ewen and Col. Brisbane, and the men with me were wearied with a long march, to which they were unused.
Under these circumstances I determined to content myself till morning with simply holding the town, but before I could get a line of skirmishers out a summons was sent by Gen. Fitz-Hugh Lee to surrender the town, or send out the women and children. I sent an answer that the women and children would be notified to leave. In less than half an hour another message was sent to the purport that, if not surrendered, the town would be burned. The answer was returned that one answer had been given. I then sent a volunteer aid, Mr. Ward of Harrisburg, to com- municate with Gen. Knipe and order him to march at 3 A. M., and to report to Gen. Couch the condition of affairs. In the meantime, the enemy opened a battery on the town, to which, by my orders, our artillery did not reply, as I deemed the fire too inaccurate, and wished to save my ammunition .*
About II o'clock, I sent another volunteer aid, Mr. James Dougherty, to try and get to Gen. Knipe with orders to move immediately. Mr. Doughtery was captured, and his orderly wounded, and about 12 M. a third and last summons came to surrender, to which the reply was given that the message had been twice answered before.
About I o'clock the firing ceased, with the exception of three guns about 3 A. M. ; soon after which reports came in that the enemy was moving off on a country road which came into the turnpike about two and a half miles from Carlisle, and by day- light there was nothing opposed to us.
The casualties were twelve wounded, none fatally. Some of the citizens did good service in the skirmish line as volun- teers.
Thursday, July 2, the entire command was put in near the barracks, which had been burned during the night, and on
* In fact several shots had been fired with the effect to drive the enemy's artillery from their first position.
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Friday a train of provisions came up to Carlisle. The supplies which we could draw from the citizens were extremely limited, though every disposition to aid us was manifested.
It will be seen from the foregoing reports that the condition of affairs which the Twenty-second found on entering Carlisle was not cheering. The streets, which they had left a few hours ago filled with an enthusiastic and patriotic throng of men, women and children, were deserted; the sky was red with the flames, first from the burning gas-house, and then from the Government barracks, and the reports of the artillery and the explo- sion of the shells in the town made it a pandemonium .*
* The following extract from the diary of Charles P. Noyes, Company G, gives the experiences of the many who had been overcome by the fatigue of the march:
"I kept up until within about four miles of Carlisle, when I suddenly became dizzy, and fell down, but got over under the fence by the roadside before I became unconscious. When I 'came to,' I found my head in Souter's lap. He helped me to the nearest house, where I washed my face (first time for two or three days). I took off my shoes, and bathed my blis- tered feet, and then lay down and slept awhile. I was awakened by an officer who was gathering up the stragglers, and told that my regiment was drawn up in line of battle about two miles ahead. I hurried along, as I wanted to see all the fun, and found them in line, only about one hundred strong, nearly five hundred having fallen off on the march. It was one of the hottest days ever known, and we had been since Sunday on the march, day and night, with but little sleep.
"Before reaching the city, I had fallen out again, and when I got there I found our regiment had passed on through the town. I met Sturges, and he and I walked around through the streets, ate some sandwiches in the park, where the citizens had tables spread with refresluments for us. We got up a flirtation with a couple of very nice, pretty girls. One of them, a relation of Gen. Doubleday, had asked us to go and have a cup of tea at her house near by, and we were on the way, happy as larks, when we heard the report of a cannon, and a shell flew over us. 'The Rebs are upon us.' What a panic! Men, women and children ran in every direction for shelter. Before we could collect our senses, our girls were gone, we knew not where, and have never seen them since. The shells were striking in dif- ferent parts of the town, and coming pretty thick."
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It was known that the force in the town could not be over 2,000 to 2,500 men, with six guns, while the attacking force was supposed to be 4,000 of the best troops in the Confederacy, with two batteries," so that
Leland states in his memoirs:
"I was leaning against a lamp-post when a charge of grape went through the lamp. Remembering the story in 'Peter Simple,' and that ' Lightning never strikes twice in the same place,' I remained quiet, when there came at once another, smashing what was left of the glass about two feet above my head (p. 254). * * *
" There was in our battery a young gentleman named Stuart Patterson, noted for his agreeable, refined manners. He was the gunner of our can- non No. 2. At the distance of about half a mile the rebels were shelling us. Patterson brought his gun to bear upon theirs, and the two exchanged shots at the same instant. Out of the smoke surrounding Patterson's gun I saw a sword-blade fly perhaps thirty feet, and then himself borne by two or three men, blood flowing profusely. The four fingers of his right hand had been cut away clean by a piece of shell (p. 256). * * * " As we were not firing, I and the rest of the men of the gun were lying on the ground to escape the shells, but my brother, who was nothing if not soldierly and punctilious, stood upright in his place just beside me. There came a shell which burst immediately and very closely over our heads, and a piece of it struck my brother exactly on the brass buckle in his belt on the spine. The blow was so severe that the buckle was bent in two. It cut through his coat and shirt and inflicted a slight wound, two inches in length. But the blow on the spine produced a concussion or dis- organization of the brain, which proved, after years of suffering, the cause of his death. At first he was quite senseless, but as he came to, and I asked him anxiously if he was hurt, he replied sternly, 'Go back imme- diately to your place by the gun'" (p. 257).
R. W. Gilder (now editor of the Century) says in a letter to Mr. Leland ;
"That night, after we were told to retire out of range of the cannon, while we were lying under a tree, near one of the guns, an officer called for volunteers to take the piece out of range. I stood up with three others, but seeing and hearing a shell approach, I cried out, ' Wait a moment !'- which checked them. Just then the shell exploded within a yard of the cannon. If we had not paused some of us would surely have been hit. We then rushed out, seized the cannon and brought it out of range" (Leland's Memoirs, p. 267).
* This is Col. King's estimate of the artillery used. There were seven batteries attached to Stuart's division.
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the chances of continuing the march of the regiment via Richmond were quite promising. It was the great- est relief, however, to find that "Baldy" Smith was there, and in command. A well-known and veteran general, his presence inspired confidence, and he showed himself fully equal to the emergency.
The enemy were deployed along the east side of the town, with skirmishers in front. Company _1 (Capt. Otis) of the Twenty-second was stationed in a small, two-story house on the southeast side, which they barricaded as best they could. They filled its win- dows with their best shots, and were to cover the other companies and the cannon. Companies C (Capt. Post) and G (Capt. Howland) were deployed as skirmishers in a line extending north and south, and within one hun- dred yards of the Confederate skirmishers, with whom they occasionally exchanged shots. Then came two guns of Landis' Battery, under Lieut. Perkins, one pointing south, down the Papertown road, and protected from an expected cavalry charge by a hastily-constructed barricade composed of trucks, wagons and fence-rails and the other commanding a lane running to the east. In rear of them Companies HI (Capt. Grant) and I (Capt. Gardner), under Col. AAspinwall, were lying down in a potato field, as supports, deployed into single rank, with intervals of about six feet between the men. They also prolonged the line to the southwest, so as to flank the barricade and road, and protect this part of the town.
Company F (Capt. Francis) was strengthened by an additional force from different companies of the Twenty-second and Thirty-seventh, composed of men who had fallen out during the march and had come
STATE HISTORIAN'S OFFICE, ALBANY, N. Y.
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$11
FIRST SECTION LANDIS' LIGHT BATTERY ON PAPERTOWN ROAD (AT CARLISLE, PA.), SUPPORTED BY From the Painting by Powell.
THE TWENTY-SECOND.
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into the town too late to join their companies, making together a detachment about two hundred strong. These were placed under the command of Captain Francis, and were stationed behind the heavy stone wall of the cemetery, on the east side of the town, and about 200 yards from the Confederate batteries, with orders to hold the position to the last. This wall made a strong fortification, and commanded the two roads which led into the city, and which converged at that point. The rest of the Thirty-seventh after the fire had made the square untenable, were deployed as skir- mishers in front of the cemetery, with orders to fall back into the churchyard if attacked, and in the mean- time to lie down and keep as quiet as possible.
The bearers of the flag of truce sent in by Gen. Lee to demand the surrender of the town, came in by one of these roads, and passed along the wall. The men holding the cemetery, however, crouched in the grass and kept out of sight.
It was remarked with great disapprobation, particu- larly by the officers of Landis' Battery, that the bearers of this flag of truce were brought through the town and into the square without being blindfolded. That they availed themselves of what they saw to correct their ranges, was shown by the much greater damage which was sustained when their artillery again opened.
Among the defenders of the town was a detachment from the Twelfth N. G. S. N. Y., who had been the comrades of the Twenty-second at Harper's Ferry in the preceding years.
Capt. L. K. Bingham, of Company I of that regi- ment, who was commanding a detachment at Miller's
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Gap, had sent Lieut. Burns, with a detail of fifty men from I and B Companies, to Sterret's Gap. Among these was Edward Fackner (afterwards lieutenant- colonel of the Thirteenth N. G.). While on their way to rejoin their regiment, the detachment met Col. Bris- bane's brigade on its hurried march to reinforce Gen. Ewen, and joined the column as it entered Carlisle. When the attack began, they fell in on the left of the Thirty-seventh.
The Thirty-seventh, thus reenforced, at first formed line in the square, where two guns of Landis' Battery were posted. Some of the Confederate officers had served in the United States Cavalry School at Carlisle, and were familiar with its topography. It is supposed that they inferred that the square would naturally be occupied by troops, and concentrated a heavy fire at that point. As previously stated, the battery fired a few shots, and was then withdrawn, but not until it had had several men wounded and a number of horses killed and disabled.
The infantry lay flat in the street until the fire be- came too heavy to allow the square to be occupied, an ordeal which they sustained like veterans. They were finally withdrawn, part of the Thirty-seventh being de- ployed as skirmishers as above stated, and part, with the men of the Twelfth, were put in the Court House, which they held, although it was struck by several shells, one of which blew a hole six feet square in the front of the building. The rest of the troops were sent to the outskirts or utilized in felling trees across the main streets to obstruct the charge from Stuart's renowned cavalry that was momentarily expected.
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Portions of the command were "double quicked" from time to time during the night to places that were considered to be menaced (for the force was very small in comparison with the area that had to be protected), as well as to make the largest display possible.
The citizens of Carlisle showed that they were no cowards. Shortly after the shelling had commenced, and when the streets were a pandemonium, a considerable number of them, armed with shot-guns, hunting rifles and similar weapons, reported to Gen. Smith and asked to be allowed to assist in fighting for their homes. Their services were gladly accepted, and they were sent out as "bushwhackers" on the eastern side of the town. Being familiar with the ground, they were valu- able as skirmishers and did effective service, which Gen.
Smith recognized in his official report. There is but little doubt that they were better shots than the soldiers, for in those days soldiers, at least those from the North, could rarely shoot at all. Others placed themselves in the houses and behind the fences and walls in the dif- ferent streets .*
* Extracts from a letter by Prof. S. D. Hillman, in Carlisle American:
" A Few Days of Rebel Rule. " AUGUST 5, 1863.
" The morning brought no sign of a living rebel in our midst, but it did bring some Union cavalry, and, later in the day, two or three thousand Union soldiers and several pieces of artillery from Harrisburg. They had marched twenty miles, and were tired and hungry; so as the word went out .our soldiers want something to eat,' boys ran, men with families smiled and walked home as fast as they could-almost ran, -and soon came piles of bread and butter and pots of coffee to the market-house. Such requisitions were gladly given. A shrill whistling sound, such as I had read the shells made, aroused me, and I went to my roof to see and hear. One or two more ugly whistlings, together with loud cries of ' The rebels!' intimated their close and disagreeable presence. I started down the street,
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The guns at the south end of the town held their fire, as it would simply have directed the shelling upon them and upon the troops that supported them. Through some mistake this order came very near being disobeyed. The gun pointing down the lane was trained upon the Confederate battery in front, and was about being fired, when Lieut. King ran up and pulled out the friction primer just in time to prevent what might have been a serious disaster. A number of the enemy's shells struck and exploded in the graveyard and cut limbs from the trees, but the mounds and monu- ments protected the men lying there.
The darkness kept down the firing of the skirmish- ers along the southern part of the town, but at the northern part, nearer the gas-house and barracks and where the burning buildings lighted up the scene, there was sharp skirmish-firing on both sides during most of the night.
Next to the cemetery the centre of excitement, at least to those near it, was the last house on the extreme southern end of the town, which was held by Company A of the Twenty-second. This was nearest to the ene- my; so close that they could be plainly seen and heard.
and it was now about 7 r. M. I saw men and women running into and behind the houses for safety, while the shot and shell flew through the streets and over the town. I hurried back, got my gun and about forty rounds, and soon met Phillips again, the fighting preacher. We agreed to go togethier, as the soldiers preferred our fighting by ourselves rather than in their ranks. When we reached the public square the cry was given, ' To the houses!' and into private houses and hotels, behind fences and low walls, the soldiers and citizens betook themselves, waiting and expecting the charge of the rebel cavalry through the streets; had that charge been made, some thousands of soldiers and hundreds of citizens, old and young, would have greeted them from behind doors, and from the windows and house-tops."
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It was therefore used as an observatory by the officers. The writer was detailed in charge of a door, leading from the street under a grape arbor to the L, with or- ders that "everybody who gave two gentle raps was a friend and was to be admitted," and those who did not, were enemies. He stood there most of the night, cocked revolver in hand. As the situation became more exciting, the officers forgot all about the signal and came bolting in without rapping so that he was continually in a state of mind whether to obey orders and shoot or not to do so. He, however, assumed to exercise what lawyers call a sound discretion in the matter. As Gen. Smith, Col. Roome, Col. Aspinwall and a number of staff officers were prominent violators of their own peremptory orders, and none of the enemy attempted an entrance, he escaped criticism.
There was a small house on the west side of the road, in which, during the night, Lieut .- Col. Cox detected a spy showing a light from an upper window. He ar- rested him just in time, for the signal drew a fire which soon struck the chimney of the house occupied by Com- pany A, sending the bricks flying in all directions.
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