USA > New York > History of the one hundred and twenty-eighth regiment : New York volunteers (U.S. infantry) ; in the late civil war > Part 10
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Wharton and A. J. Smith. Birge, with the advance column, had pushed on in a very rapid way with the purpose of seizing the ford. He had gone more than forty miles in twenty-six hours, but not in time to make his way clear, and hence the necessity of dislodging the enemy before any further advance could be made. The approach to the Crossing was over low and flat ground largely covered with a thick growth of cane and willow. Near the river the soil became swampy on which was growing an almost impenetrable cane-brake. "On the high bluff opposite, masked by the trees, stood Bee with the brigades of Debray and Terrell, Major with his two brigades under Baylor and Bagby, and the twenty-four guns of McMahon, Moseley, West and Nettles." The position was a perfect Gibralter and could be defended by a handful against fearful odds. In vain a search was made through the morass for a practical path. Some other plan must be adopted. To keep the attention of the enemy, the first and second brigades of Emory's division were deployed and threatened the Crossing, while Closson advanced his guns and kept up a steady fire upon the confederate stronghold. Birge was directed with a temporary division, without artillery and without horsemen, except a few mounted men of the 13th Connecticut, to ford the Cane River two miles above the Bluff and by a wide detour move upon the con- federate left. The position of the enemy was a strong one from this point of attack, being situated on a hill with the right flank resting on a deep ravine, and the left upon a marsh and a small lake, drained by a muddy bayou that wound about the foot of the hill. Directly in front was an open field inclining by a gentle slope toward the front, while nearer the works the ground was covered with trees, bushes and fallen timber. One brigade, under Fiske, consisted of the 13th Connecticut; Ist Louisiana, 38th Massachusetts and 128th New York. The other, under Fessenden, was composed of the 162d, 165th and 173d New York and the 30th Maine. In deploying, after emerging from the thicket, Fiske found himself before the enemy's centre and Fessenden confronting their left. As we made the charge across the open ground we received a heavy fire from the rebel rifles, but in less than twenty minutes the bluff was ours with a large number of prisoners. The colors of the intrepid 128th were the first planted upon the heights. Fessenden's brigade met with the heaviest loss. this being 153 out of the 200. Fessenden himself was severely wounded. "At the close of this fight the rebel Texans in our front did the most cowardly act I ever witnessed. After they were sur- rounded one gang deliberately fired upon us from the cover of a rai
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AND TWENTY - EIGHTH REGIMENT.
fence. How we escaped death was a miracle. They then threw down their rifles and in the most abject manner begged for quarter, - which I firmly believe would have been denied us had our positions been reversed. Though they ill deserved it, this was granted."
Bee now made a hasty retreat to Beasley's, thirty miles away to the southward without attempting to trouble our army any further on our march. The pontoon bridge was at once laid by Banks across the river and the journey commenced by some of our troops that night.
Though the enemy had fled it is evident that our officers were on a strict lookout for ambushes and sudden attacks. Our regiment was on the march at II A. M. of the 24th. After making some three miles we broke from the column to line of battle, moving in that order until 4 P. M., when we resumed our advance by the flank. We made twenty miles and bivouacked. The 25th found us on the way again at II A. M. which we pursued until 8 P. M., when we reached Alexan- dria. The rear of our army under A. J. Smith came in this place on the 26th. For six days we had kept up the marching and fighting in a section of country where often the sand was deep, and then, the woods almost impassable and water scarce. The rest of the next two days was most enjoyable.
ALEXANDRIA.
Taking the whole campaign toward Texas into consideration, the confederates had gained such advantages that Taylor, under whose control they were at this time, did not mean to allow any op- portunity to pass for weakening our forces and driving us from his territory. Hanging on the skirts of our army, he was ever ready to keep up a state of alarm and to cut off our supplies. About noon of the 28th the regiment received orders to fall in line in order to repel a threatened attack. At 3 o'clock, a part of the sixteenth corps went out on a reconnoissance while the whole army remained under arms. All the indications pointed toward a fight. None however took place and we resumed our camp duties. In addition to picket- ing, extra work now came upon the men. Heavy details were made daily for loading the boats with provisions and ammunition. .
The above description of the work of the 128th has been taken almost entirely from the Journal of Lieutenant Benson, as the writer was on detached duty as shipping clerk in the Ordnance Department at Alexandria. A motley quantity of captured and confiscated goods came under his notice in this position. The guns
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of the rebels as they came into our hands, showed that they were of all varieties-smooth bored and rifled, small caliber and large, guns seven feet long to those of two. It would seem to have been an impossibility for any officer to supply ammunition to a regiment armed with weapons of so many kinds, unless he furnished them with loose powder and lead with which each man, possessing his own mould, might manufacture his own balls. Doubtless these were guns which were brought by the men themselves from their homes, and may have indicated that many of those fighting were the men of local organizations who were answering Kirby Smith's appeal of the preceding September. These weapons did also imply that the men of the South were far more used to handling the rifle than Northern men, and were, therefore, on the start, much better marksmen at a distance. The books of value which had belonged to educated men in this city, and which were now being tossed about by thoughtless hands who could not appreciate them, have often come back to the mind of the writer and produced a longing for their possession.
The 128th had again gained marked honor which was not distinctly recognized in any formal way until the issue of General Order No. 12, on November 22d, 1864, when among other regiments named, we were instructed to put upon our flag "Cane River Cross- ing, La."
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SECTION XII.
ALEXANDRIA EVACUATED.
When Banks reached Alexandria with his army, he found his whole fleet, excepting the Eastport, which had been destroyed, awaiting him. But these vessels were in a most perilous position, above the rapids, with the river constantly falling. Positive orders were brought to Alexandria on the 27th of April by Hunter for Banks to bring the expedition to an immediate end, to turn over his command at once to the next in rank, and himself to go to New Orleans. When the circumstances became fully known to Grant, this plan was modified so as to allow Banks to remain at Alexandria and rescue his fleet of vessels, which were absolutely necessary to the protection of the Mississippi.
The honor of saving the fleet is due largely to Lieutenant Colonel Bailey. Already had this officer succeeded, beyond the expectation of many, in floating the two confederate transport steamers Starlight and Red Chief, which had been lying on their sides and almost dry in the middle of Thompson's Creek. Colonel Bailey states in his official report the origin of the plan adopted at Alexandria. "Immediately after our army received a check at ' Sabine Cross Roads' and the retreat commenced, I learned through reliable sources that the Red River was rapidly falling. I became assured that by the time the fleet could reach Alexandria, there would not be sufficient water to float the gun-boats over the falls. It was evident, therefore, that they were in imminent danger. Believing, as I did, that their capture or destruction would involve the destruction of our army, the blockade of the Mississippi and even greater disaster to our cause, I proposed to Major General Franklin, on the 9th of April, previous to the battle of Pleasant Hill, to increase the depth of the water by means of a dam, and submitted to him my plan of the same. In the course of the con- versation, he expressed a favorable opinion of it. During the halt of the army at Grand Ecore, on the 17th of April, General Franklin having heard that the iron-clad gun-boat Eastport had struck a snag on the preceding day, and sunk at a point nine miles below, gave me a letter of introduction to Admiral Porter, and directed me to do all in my power to assist in raising the Eastport, and to com-
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municate to the Admiral my plan of constructing a dam to relieve the fleet, with his belief of its practicability. Also that he thought it advisable that the Admiral should at once confer with General Banks, and urge him to make the necessary preparations, send for tools, etc. Nothing further was done until after our arrival at Alexandria. On the 26th the Admiral reached the head of the falls. I examined the river and submitted additional details of the pro- posed dam. General Banks issued the necessary orders for details, teams, etc., and I commenced the work on the morning of the 30th. During the first few days I had some difficulty in procuring details, etc., but the officers and men soon gained confidence, and labored faithfully. The work progressed rapidly, without accident or inter- ruption, except the breaking away of two coal barges which formed part of the dam. This afterward proved beneficial. In addition to the dam at the foot of the falls I constructed two wing dams on each side of the river at the head of the falls. The width of the river at the point where the dam was built, is seven hundred and fifty-eight feet, and the depth of the water from four to six feet. The current is very rapid, running about ten miles per hour. The increase of depth by the main dam was five feet four and a half inches ; by the wing dams one foot two inches ; total six feet six and a half inches. On the completion of the dam we had the gratification of seeing the entire fleet pass over the rapids to a place of safety below, and we found ample reward for our labors in witnessing this result. The army and navy were relieved from a painful suspense, and eight valuable gun-boats were saved from destruction. The cheers of the masses assembled on the shore when the boats were passed down attested their joy and renewed confidence."
DAMMING THE RIVER.
This was a stupendous undertaking. From the time the fleet had ascended, and that with difficulty, the water had fallen more than six feet. For more than a mile the rocks lay bare. In the worst places there were not more than forty inches of water, while the heavy gun- boats could scarce float with seven feet. In places the channel was a mere thread. The whole fall was thirteen feet. At the point where the dam was constructed there was a fall of six feet. Lieutenant- Colonel Irwin gives the following description of this piece of work : " From the north bank a wing dam was constructed of large trees. the buts tied by cross logs, the tops laid towards the current, covered with brush, and weighted to keep them in place with stone and brick,
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AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.
obtained by tearing down the buildings in the neighborhood. On the south bank where large trees were scarce, a crib was made of logs and timbers filled in with stone and with bricks and heavy pieces of machinery taken from the neighboring sugar houses and cotton-gins. When this was done there remained an open space of about one hun- dred and fifty feet between the wings, through which the rising waters poured with great velocity. This gap was nearly closed by sinking across it four of the large Mississippi coal barges belonging to the navy."
By the 9th of May the water had risen five feet and four inches at the upper fall. This gave a depth of eight feet and one-half inch. Three of the light draught gun-boats, Osage, Neosho and Fort Hindman, took advantage of this rise and made the run down the upper fall to the pool below, by the fleet of transports. On the 9th the pressure of water became too great for the dam and two of the barges broke the chain and swung around allowing a rush of water down the fall. The Lexington, having steam up, took the lead in the rush of water, and made a run for a place of safety below. It was a hazardous gauntlet to run. She reeled and swayed and almost disappeared in the foam and surge, but swept on below the rocks and then rounded to and anchored. Several yawl boats from the iron- clads had preceded the gun-boat. From one of these three men were thrown out. Two of these reached the shore in safety. Two other gun-boats followed the Lexington and soon were safely anchored. The writer stood on the bank of the river, with thousands of other soldiers, at 6 o'clock in the morning when the exciting race was run and helped raise the shout of joy. But the six heavier boats of the fleet and two tugs were not prepared for this sudden movement. This was a great discouragement, but brave men and Yankees could not yield to such feelings. Other plans, and as Colonel Bailey says, better, were adopted. The fertile brains of the engineer soon had regiments of men again at work. The new plans were completed in three days and nights, and on the 12th and 13th the rest of the fleet was safely brought down past the obstructions and where they could float at ease.
During these operations the army, when not engaged at this engineering work, was occupied in repelling the annoying attacks made by Taylor. These were almost daily, while rebel sharpshooters hung around our picket lines trying to pick off our men. Though Banks had five times as many men as Taylor, his official report of April 30th giving him 33,502 for duty, yet he attempted no move-
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ment for the capture of Taylor's forces nor even for giving him such a whipping as to make him keep at a safe distance. The imperative orders of Grant to evacuate Texas and the Red River, and the im- plied censure in the orders of Hunter, seem to have impressed Banks with the single desire of getting out of the country with as little loss as possible.
ALEXANDRIA.
On the Ist of May a transport boat ascending the river was obliged to put back on account of the rebels on the shore below Alexandria. On the same Sunday morning a cavalry skirmish took place a few miles outside our lines, and on the east side of the river a battle took place with a squad of cavalry and a battery.
Orders were received for our brigade to be ready to march at a moment's notice. The 2d of May had also its brisk skirmish with little effect. On the 3rd. the enemy, under Major, captured the transport City Bell near David's Ferry. The most of the 425 men of the 120th Ohio, who were on board, were killed or captured, a few only escaping through the forest. The steamboat was then sunk by the enemy across the channel. Major awaited other boats and was rewarded on the 5th, just above Fort De Russy, in the capture of the gun-boat Signal and the transport John Warner. These vessels were also sunk across the channel. The gun-boat Covington, which was also disabled in this fight, was set on fire by her commander and destroyed.
On this same 5th of May, the 12Sth was ordered out at I A. M. and, in company with the 156th and 175th New York, left camp at 3 o'clock. We marched above the rapids and about six miles when the regiment was deployed in a heavy skirmish line, and continued to advance. As soon as the enemy discovered us, they opened with a sharp fire of musketry. Sending back a rattling fire, we charged through a heavy cane-brake, and drove them back, fairly running over them as all their killed and wounded fell into our hands. We also secured some prisoners and horses. The object sought was to advance our picket line. It was, to the credit of the regiment, very handsomely done. Several men were wounded, among them being Lieutenant Van Tine of company F. We remained on the ground until 7 P. M. when we returned to camp.
On the 6th Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, of the 128th, returned to the regiment and gave a report of the work going on down the river. He had been a passenger on the ill-fated John Warner
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AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.
bearing important despatches from General Banks to General Reynolds and other officers. When attacked by the rebels, he had taken a hand in the fighting and was highly complimented by the officers of the boat for the gallantry he displayed, but had received a flesh wound in the leg from a piece of a shrapnel shell. Colonel Jacob Sharpe, of the 156th, had also been on this vessel and taken a prisoner. Three Colonels and many men were killed when the boat swung to the opposite shore, where 150 to 200 men escaped to the woods. The mails on this boat had also fallen into the hands of the enemy. Many of the torn envelopes were afterwards found by us when on our later retreat.
Though the forces of the confederates were not large, they were sufficient to cut off our supplies from the surrounding country. By the 7th, our rations were reduced one-third. At 4 A. M. of this date, the 128th, in company with the 38th Massachusetts, was ordered on a foraging expedition in order to keep up our supplies. We marched fourteen miles down the river with a long train of mule teams, and succeeded in finding a large amount of corn and other forage, which was promptly confiscated and loaded on the wagons. Returning with a rich supply we reached camp at 10 P. M. This was an unusually heavy day's work, being a march of twenty-eight miles over roads of deep sand and very warm. Added to this was the frequent skirmishing with rebel scouting parties who tried to prevent us from securing the plunder. Very weary, though exultant men, lay down that night to rest.
Day and night details of men were kept busy in loading boats and in preparing to move away from this place. On the 6th it was reported that only fifteen day's supplies were on hand. Late at night on the moth the writer worked to see the ordnance stores on the vessels while other boats were taking on provisions and forage not actually needed during the few days. On the toth General A. J. Smith had a severe skirmish with a small rebel force and captured 100 prisoners and several pieces of artillery.
Reveille aroused the camp of the 128th at 4 A. M. on the rith. At 5 o'clock the brigade started on its long march down the river. Two brigades were ahead of us. With easy marching and many rests we kept on until II A. M., when we stacked arms on the bank of the river about seven miles out. In the afternoon we counter- marched and went back about four miles and bivaucked for the night. This day's work was preparatory to moving off as soon as the boats could follow us.
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On the 12th we were aroused at 3 A. M. and remained in line of battle all day. At 7 P M. the long roll was sounded, and it looked as if we might have a fight. An hour later arms were stacked in line of battle and we rolled ourselves in our blankets in the rear of the stacks and prepared for sleep or a sudden alarm.
On the 2d of May, Franklin was compelled by his wound to give up the command of the Nineteenth Army Corps and go north. Emory was now assigned to this command.
ALEXANDRIA EVACUATED.
At 6 A. M. of the 13th Banks began a retreat from Alexandria to Simmesport. The cavalry led and were followed by several batteries. The second brigade of our division came next. We, the third brigade, followed with the first in our rear. The order of march as given by Irwin is : " Lawler leading the infantry column, Emory next and A. J. Smith's division of the sixteenth and seventeenth corps bringing up the rear. The gun-boats were now in safety and with the transports loaded, all was in readiness. A large quantity of cotton had been brought to Alexandria and piled near the river bank. probably with the expectation of shipping it. Fire was now set to this cotton. The' flames swept over much of Alexandria. The smoke was almost blinding in places before all the troops had left the place. A halt was made at 11 A. M. which continued for two hours in order to construct a bridge across a bayou, and we moved on again until 3:30 P. M., when we stopped in a corn field for the night. Our march was near the levee nearly all day, and we could easily get water from the river. The infantry were kept close to the stream as far as Fort De Russy on this march, in order to cover the withdrawal of the gun-boats and transports against the molestation of the enemy. Steele's confederate cavalry constantly hung on the rear of our retreating army while Polignac, Major and Bagley hovered on the flanks and in front, with Harrison on the north bank of the Red River.
We commenced our march at 5 A. M. on the 14th, our brigade taking the lead, the 175th New York being first, followed by the 12Sth. One company, C. was at first deployed as flank skirinishers about 75 yards distant from the road, causing them to advance through woods, underbrush and cane fields. The company was called in after two hours, the regiment then advancing more rapidly to support the cavalry who kept up a skirmish with the rebels, con- stantly driving them before us. From 2 to 3 P. M. we halted when
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the 128th was placed as guards in front of General Bank's head- quarters. There was held during this brief interval a counsel of. officers. There were present at this gathering Emory, of the 19th Corps ; A. J. Smith, of the 16th and 17th Corps ; Grover, who com- manded the Ist division of the 19th Corps ; Arnold, commander of the cavalry ; Dwight, Chief of Staff, and several other officers. Starting on our way at 3 o'clock, we were kept in an interested, if not enthusiastic, frame of mind by the condition of affairs about us. Buildings were burning on the right in various places. Old camp grounds indicated that they had just been hastily deserted by the rebels. Rifle-pits and places for batteries were along the levee, and the torn letters were strewn about where a short time before our mail and steamers had been captured. The gun-boats were also retreating with us and kept shelling the woods ahead of the line of march. At times shells were thrown into the woods on the opposite bank of the river as some rifle shots had been fired from that side by the enemy, and a horse of one of Banks' staff had been killed.
We were called in line at 4 A. M. of the 15th, but did not move until 10 o'clock, as we allowed a wagon train and some troops to pass us. The first brigade led to-day, the second followed, and we took our position in the third place. We left the road near the levee and marched through woods quite easily until 2 P. M., when we were forced ahead for an hour. The air was hot and oppressive. Our cavalry had continued to drive the enemy in our front until 2 o'clock, when the rebels made a stand on a large and level plain in the rear of Fort De Russy. We came on the edge of this plain about 3 o'clock, and, with the other brigade of our division, were drawn up in line to support the cavalry. The enemy did not wish to come to a regular battle, and soon beat a hasty retreat for two miles more. About sun-set another stand was made, and we were again drawn up in battle array. This stand was also a brief one, as at 7 o'clock the " Johnnies" were again on the run. We now moved at quick and double quick time, and, in this way, passed through Marksville, which is on the border of the Plains of Mansura, driving the enemy pell mell before us. We halted at 8:30 for the night. From the time of leaving the river, we had not been able to find water to drink and had suffered much during the excessively hot day. Our halting place was by a shallow, muddy poole in which was still retained some rain water, and which the swine had turned into a wallowing place. Only by boiling the water could we possibly drink a little, and then straining it through our teeth. The swine
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paid dear for being found despoiling our drinking water as they were soon cooking over the fire, and furnishing us with an evening meal of fresh meat. Our cavalry took our canteens, and by riding many miles found some tolerably good water, but did not get back to us until near morning. This was a day and night of much suffering from thirst.
MANSURA PLAINS.
We started at 6 A. M. on the 16th, and marched in line of battle. About ; o'clock the enemy took their last stand across our path, and opened their guns upon our advancing column from a battery concealed by the woods. Then commenced, as described by all who witnessed it, one of the finest military spectacles they ever beheld. We were on the wide and open rolling prairie of Avoyelles, or as better known, Plains of Mansura. All of Bank's Army was marshalled on this plain, and where every division and brigade, and gun was in plain sight. Battery after battery was pushed forward, and opened fire to dislodge the rebels. The cavalry skirmishers became fiercely engaged. The infantry were rushed rapidly forward and to different parts of the field to protect the guns. Mower was on the right, Kilby Smith next, Emory in the centre, Lawler on the left, and the main body of Arnold's cavalry in column on the flanks. As our forces advanced the cannons were pushed ahead. Caissons with ammunition rushed over the field. The shots of the enemy would strike in front of our brigade, and rebound over our heads, or at times pass beyond us. A solid cannon ball passed very near a squad of stretcher-bearers in our front and one of the men fell to the ground. The others. supposing him seriously wounded, placed him upon a stretcher, and bore him to an ambulance. He was marching again the next day. The severe whiz and wind of the shot had overcome him for the time being.
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