USA > New York > History of the one hundred and twenty-eighth regiment : New York volunteers (U.S. infantry) ; in the late civil war > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24
170
HISTORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED
littered with the wreck of the beaten army-rifles, cartridge-boxes and broken wagons abandoned by the enemy in their flight,-while dead men, horses and mules were promiscuously scattered along the route of march presenting a most horrid spectacle." On the 21st the infantry again returned to their camp at Cedar Creek.
Early tried to gather his fleeing forces at Fisher's Hill, but toward morning he started for New Market, leaving Rosser to cover his rear. When Torbert approached, however, in the morning, Rosser retired, closely pursued, to Edinburg. Early's complete defeat had now destroyed his reputation among the confederates, and his army was shattered beyond the possibility of a re-organization.
171
AND TWENTY . EIGHTH REGIMENT.
SECTION XX.
WINTER QUARTERS.
The last thrashing given Early by the Army of the Shenandoah taught him an enduring lesson as well as the other rebel generals under him. The Valley was also too much devastated to make it a comfortable place for wintering. The service performed by Sheridan and his men was just what Grant designed, and this com- pelled the confederates to remain at New Market where they could easily retreat east of the Blue Ridge. It was with quite a strong feeling of security that our infantry settled down in their camp at Ceder Creek on the 21st of October, and, even without the annoy- ance of picket firing, could turn their thoughts to the political situation of the country as it was brought in a practical form before them. On the forenoon of that day Mr. Augustus Brush, of Fishkill, . representing Dutchess Co., and Mr. Joseph B. Wildes, of Stockport, from Columbia County, arrived in camp, being commissioned to take the vote of the regiment for President of the United States. This was in obedience to the provision made by the Legislature of the Empire State in the winter of 1863-4 to secure at the general election the votes of the soldiers and seamen who might be absent on actual duty at the time. New York, from having within her borders the chief commercial city and great metropolis, had been obliged to bear the heaviest burdens of all the States in the amount of taxes and losses in business, and in sending forth so many men. She had also been obliged to contend fiercely against the copperhead influence which had even led to shouts for Jefferson Davis during the riots in the city. But the Union sentiment was rapidly making headway and continued to triumph in her legislative body. It was only fair that those of her citizens who were making the greatest sacrifice to main- tain the Union and had so risked all in the front of the foe should now have a voice in deciding who should be the Chief Magistrate of this nation. For some days before the battle of Cedar Creek the papers necessary to voting had been in the camp and were being partly filled out. For the time being the appeal to the ballot box Seemed to be overbalanced by the din of an appeal to arms, and with hundreds of our brave men was forever silenced on that gory field. The decrease in the soldiers' votes made by that carnage was
172
HISTORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED
a hundred times made up, however, by the political influence of our decided victory. If Grant regarded the Opequan battle as the turning influence in the political campaign of 1864, the Cedar Creek victory must have added much to swell the vote for the Union side. Turning now to the ballot box, it is needless to say that the regiment was almost a unit for Father Abraham. The lesson was taught, but alas ! is too easily forgotten, that only by a righteous performance of duty at the ballot box can the appeal to the sword be averted.
In the general confusion of the 19th, there was a scattering of valuable papers and articles. Among these was the loss of a colonel's commission which had come to Lieut .- Colonel James P. Foster, who was in command of the 128th. He was never allowed to be mustered in as colonei as the regiment did not contain the number of men required by a general order of the War Department. This valuable relic was supposed by Colonel Foster to be forever lost, until February 28th, 1890, when the Albany Evening Journal contained the following item :
Mrs. Mollie Merreweather, of Mitchell's Station, Alabama. writes to the Gazette of Baldwinsville, N. Y., as follows : " I have a colonel's commission, picked up on a battle-field. It is a commission to James P. Foster, appointing him colonel of the 128th Regiment New York State Volunteers. If he or any of his family are living and would like to have it, they can get it by writing to me." This valuable paper was picked up on the Cedar Creek battle-field by a Georgia soldier and given to his cousin, Mrs. Merreweather, who kindly returned it, upon application, to Colonel Foster after the lapse of the many years.
For days the army was occupied in clearing the battle-field and in doing heavy picket duty, having learned the wisdom to ever be on the alert. The weather was becoming quite cold, especially the nights. The wagon trains with extra clothing were hailed with delight.
On the 7th of November, the so recent battle-field witnessed the peaceful maneuvering of the nineteenth corps as Emory passed it in review before Sheridan. "Sheridan," says Irwin, " spoke freely and in the highest terms of the soldiery bearing and good conduct of the officers and men. On the same day the president broke up the organization of the remnant of the various detachments still known as the ninteenth corps, left under the command of Canby in Louisiana and Mississippi, and appointed Emory to the permanent command of the nineteenth army corps in the field in Virginia."
173
AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.
At 4 A. M. of the Sth of November, reveille sounded in the camp of the 128th, with orders to strike tents. For some reason unknown to us we did not move, but bivouacked and remained under orders. About 10 A. M. of the 9th, the entire army began to retire in the direction of Winchester. We arrived and went in camp on the range of hills in the vicinity of Kernstown. Early, who ever kept men on the lookout, and eager to find out the meaning of this new movement, followed as far as Middletown, but on the 12th of November, Torbert once more turned upon the braggart Rosser and falling upon both flanks of the confederates sent them flying. Dudley's brigade of the infantry was advanced as a support and showed Early that all the forces had not been withdrawn from the valley. The hint was enough and the rebel commander started back that night for New Market just in time to save Sheridan the trouble of bringing out his cat-o-nine-tails on the next morning.
During the three days in camp our forces were building light breastworks. Each morning at 3 o'clock, Emory continued to turn out his men under arms where they remained in line of battle until daybreak to guard against a surprise. The men now began to suffer much on the picket lines because of the bitter cold. The ponds and streams adjacent to our camp were completely frozen over. During the afternoon of the 13th our entire brigade received orders to strike tents and march to Martinsburg as escort to the supply train. We marched to Winchester and bivouacked for the night. The next morning we started at seven o'clock with a train of empty wagons, five miles in length, and reached Martinsburg at sunset, after a fatiguing march through ice and slush. After waiting two days we returned with a heavy loaded train of supplies to Winchester, and at this place guarded the train for two more days.
LOG CABINS.
In the afternoon of the 20th we marched back to our old camp at Kernstown, where we began building log huts to protect our- selves from the cold. The winter weather came early this year and it was an unusually severe season. Snow was lying on the ground. Wood was scarce. Logs for our huts had to be hauled with log chains from one to two miles over the frozen ground. After much laborious work our huts were completed. The cracks between the logs being "plugged " with mud, and the chimney in like manner, the buildings were almost impenetrable to the cold storms that swept over the country. At one end of the cabin was an open nre-
174
HISTORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED
place with a cheerful wood fire that made the interior of the "shebang " delightfully warm and cozy, and served as a place to prepare our meals of coffee, fried bacon, beans, rice, etc., etc. We now looked forward to the comfortable enjoyment of the long winter evenings.
Lee had called the whole of Early's corps, together with Kershaws, back to the defenses of Richmond and Petersburg. Wharton and Rosser had gone into winter quarters at Staunton. We had merely Moseby's gang to pester us like so many rebel fleas, and about as difficult to locate or to catch.
In the second week of December, the sixth corps was ordered to the army of the Potomac. Soon after the eighth was divided and sent to Petersburg and West Virginia. These removals left Torbert and Emory in the valley.
OFFICERS ON A "LARK."
" On the 21st of December we were ordered to Winchester to relieve a brigade of the sixth corps doing picket and fatigue duty. Without exception this was the most wretched day the regiment ever experienced. A cold rain fell in the morning. In the after- noon a driving snow-storm set in. In the midst of this we marched to Winchester. The mercury fell almost to zero. When we arrived within a mile and a-half of the town, orders reached us to encamp. In emulation of our ancestors at Valley Forge, we scraped away the snow and tried to pitch our tents, but found it well nigh impossible to drive the pins into the frozen ground. " After much labor," continues Lieutenant Benson, "Captain Sincerbox and myself got a tent partly up, and lay down under our blankets on the frozen ground and tried to sleep. But the snow and sleet driving through the ends of the tent, drove us out with blankets and clothes frozen hard as boards. After midnight a little wood was hauled to the camp, and a few fires started. Captain S- and I also started, but it was for the town, on a voyage of discovery. We almost perished before we reached it." The town was as silent as " Gold- smith's deserted village," and these straggling officers wandered some time before their eager eyes discovered a dim light in a cellar, and where, peering through a crevice in the poor door, they saw the only occupant an old " contraband." With the audacity of a Yankee soldier, impelled by almost frozen limbs, they sought entrance that they might enjoy Dinah's roaring hot fire in the old fashioned fire-place. But after a little toasting of shins and eye-
175
AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.
winkers, the vision of these refuges was enlarged so that they took in enough more of the situation to understand that their hostess was busy mixing batter for "pan cakes." "To come in contact with such unexpected luxuries," says our comrade writer, "was a great shock to our shivering frames, and S -- gently (he had a very seductive way about him ) intimated that we were mighty fond of cakes and would like to sample a few. This propo- sition was favorably received, and after stowing away about a dozen apiece, we smoked our pipes and sat by the chimney fire to be thawed out. We also succeeded, by persuasion and greenbacks, in securing from the old woman a bottle of soda-water, by the aid of which, before daybreak, we made our way back to camp, without our absence having been discovered." This kind of a "lark " on the part of officers, will do to be described now as there is no danger of relaxing military discipline among the privates. We would intimate however, that many of the boys during these trying days, took advantage of some of these circumstances to add a little to their comfort. In this camp, the regiment remained doing picket and fatigue duty until January 5th, 1865, when they received marching orders.
On the 30th of December, the whole of the nineteenth corps, the most of whom had been in their huts at Kernstown, broke camp and moved back near Stephenson's in order to be nearer the base of supplies. Here at Camp Sheridan, comfortable quarters were built in which they remained during the rest of the Winter.
But on the 6th of January, we, with the whole of Grover's division, broke camp and marched to Stephenson's, where we arrived at II A. M. We now bade farewell to the nineteenth corps and took cars, in the afternoon, for Harper's Ferry, which we reached at sun- down. Here we were stowed upon the cars of the Baltimore and Ohio railway and set out for Baltimore. Most of the cars were open flats, a few box cattle-cars being reserved for the general's staff and the officers. It was a ride never to be forgotten. With no protection from the fierce winter wind that swept over the train and whistled through the snow-clad forest on either hand, there was the most intense suffering by all. Some of the men built fires on the floors of the cars, burning holes almost through the thick wood. After a six hour's ride through this freezing atmosphere, we arrived at Baltimore at S p. M. of the 7th, and went into barracks at Camp . Carroll.
Remaining here until the 13th, we then packed up and marched
176
HISTORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED
to Henderson's wharf, where in company with the 24th Iowa and the 159th New York, we embarked on the steamship Snownoda. The whole of Grover's division was on transports and steamed down the Chesapeake. We anchored off Fortress Monroe at 10 P. M. of January 14th, and felt quite at home in these waters as we re-called our long stay at this place near the beginning of our army life. The next day, taking on a supply of provisions, we put to sea at 5 P. M. with sealed orders.
SAVANNAH. .
At II A. M. of the 19th, after a stormy voyage, we arrived off the mouth of the Savannah river. Finding we could not ascend the stream owing to some obstructions, we were ordered to Ossaban sound. We sailed along the sound some fifteen miles, but could get no further, owing to the heavy draught of our ship, and were obliged to anchor and wait for lighters.
In the forenoon of the 20th, the troops and stores were trans- ferred to river boats, and we made another start for Savannah, which we reached at 4 P. M. and disembarked. We now marched to the Central railroad depot where we were quartered, to await the arrival of the rest of Grover's troops. On the 26th we moved to the northern part of the city, and enjoyed the luxury of camping in tents, in a beautiful grove. Within afew days we had passed from the severe weather of the Shenandoah, back to the Sunny South, and found this place far preferable for winter quarters. With all our advantages we were not without some unpleasant features. While in this camp, small-pox was very prevalent and fatal. It was no unusual sight when the wagons passed with from four to six pine coffins piled up and followed by a military squad. During our stay here we constructed earthworks through the far-famed cemetery of Bonaventure. It was by no means a desirable task as the great live oaks with their long tresses of moss, seemed to utter their protests against such sacrilege. But as war is no respecter of persons, living or dead, the ancentral monuments of the first families, with scant courtesy, were unceremoniously thrust aside, and the works completed. " It forcibly reminded us," says Benson in in his Records which we are quoting, "of the grave-yard scene in Hamlet on an enlarged scale."
177
AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.
SECTION XXI.
THE LAST CAMPAIGN.
Grover's division at this time consisted of the following regi- ments : The 75th, 128th, 156th, 175th and 176th New York ; 9th and 13th Connecticut ; Sth and 18th Indiana ; 12th Maine ; 14th Vermont ; 24th and 28th Iowa. All of these were well tested in long campaigns with much fighting, and were closely bound together as brave veterans alone can be. Police and garrison duty was regularly required of these men during the winter, while they awaited with intense interest the next step in the great drama of our civil war.
Lieutenant-Colonel Foster had been honorably discharged from the United States service on the 17th of November, 1864. Major Francis S. Keese was promoted to the position of Lieut .- Colonel. of the regiment on the 29th of November, but as he had been wounded at the battle of Winchester, he did not rejoin the regiment. He was brevetted Colonel for his horoic conduct at Winchester. He was now detailed as a member of the General Court Marshal at Philadelphia, Pa. by order of the secretary of war on the 3Ist of December, 1864. Robert F. Wilkinson, who had been captain of company "I." from the time the regiment was first mustered into service, was promoted to Major, on the 14th of February, 1865, and now had command of the regiment.
HILTON HEAD.
On the 3d of March orders came to be ready to march at two hours' notice. With all preparations made, we waited until the 5th, when at 5 A. M. we struck tents, marched to the river and embarked on the steamer Wyoming. The next morning we sailed for Hilton Head, S. C. where we arrived at noon, and soon proceeded up the sound, and awaited the arrival of an ocean transport. At 10 P. M. we were transferred to the steamship Ericsson and at two o'clock of the 7th, put to sea again under sealed orders. The many migrations of the 12Sth by sea and by land, had made us quite good sailors. We needed all of our seaman's courage as the weather was rough and continually stormy, besides, we were coming North again into a somewhat colder climate. The storm having abated to some extent, but amidst heavy fog, we arrived off Fort Fisher at noon of the 9th,
178
HISTORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED
and anchored. The Colonel commanding receiving orders at this point to proceed to Moorehead City, N. C., we put to sea again at 2 P. M., only to find similar rough weather awaiting us.
MOOREHEAD CITY.
The forenoon of the rith found us off the coast of Beaufort. N. C. where we anchored. About noon the regiment was trans- ferred to the steamer Detroit, and reached Moorehead City at sun- down. Immediately we were stowed in cars bound for Newbern, N. C., and reached this point at midnight. We bivouacked in the public street, the boys helping themselves to the nice new picket fences to cook their coffee. Grover was ordered to this place to join Schofield, in order to open communication with Sherman's army, which was advancing toward this coast. Wilmington had been taken on the 22d of February by our forces. Then Schofield sent a force under Cox, to open the railway from Newbern to Golds- boro, on the south bank of the Neuse. A rebel force had been met under D. H. Hill and considerable fighting took place on the 8th, 9th and roth, on the south side of the river. The con- federates had then retreated to Goldsboro in order to oppose Sherman's progress. Schofield occupied Kinston on the 14th of March, and Goldsboro on the 21st,
NEWBERN.
On the 12th, our brigade went into barracks at Newbern, but the 128th was detached from the brigade for the purpose of build- ing a corduroy road between Newbern and Kinston. We left Newbern on the 13th for this constructive work, marched five miles and bivouacked for the night. From the 14th to the 28th of March. we were engaged in this wearisome work of road-making through the pine forests and marshes, in order to facilitate the transportation of troops and supplies. The 29th found us in camp, with the work completed, five miles from Kinston. On the 30th, we marched to Kinston, where we arrived at 9 A. M. We were now ordered to guard the bridge over the Neuse River .. We continued at this guard duty until the Sth of April. During this period the glad news came to us for which we had so long been wishing. Richmond and Petersburg had been abandoned by Lee. Ewell, who com- manded the rear guard, had burned the bridges, blown up the iron- clads in the James, set fire to four government ware-houses in the heart of the city, and burned one-third of Richmond. Lee, with the
-
FRANCIS S. KEESE Lieut .- Colonel of 12 th Regiment when mustered out. First commissioned as Captain of Company C. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN 13.3.
181
AND TWENTY- EIGHTH REGIMENT.
remnant of the rebel army, was now facing South. Sherman was an opposing obstacle over which the confederates might have to run in - order to get away, while our old Department Commander, Sheridan, was hanging all around the edges of the retreating foe, cutting off supplies, and making ready to give them the last punch, and at the best advantage. And we too stood on the south side of this last ditch, in which the southern chivalry were now fighting.
KINSTON.
We broke camp at daybreak the 9th of April, but did not move until I P. M., when we marched to Kinston, and lay in the depot await- ing transportation until nightfall. When the train did arrive, it was found to be so heavily freighted that only the right wing of the regiment could get on board. We of the left wing were obliged to remain in bivouac. There being no prospect of transportation for us, we proposed to march to Goldsboro, N. C. Every man was anxious to move forward. We, however, delayed until nine o'clock of the 11th, when we started with three days' rations, and made thirteen miles and halted at Mosely Hall. We were on our way again by six the next morning, and, with pace quickened by enthusi- asm, we reached Goldsboro at 5 P. M. The great surrender of Lee had taken place on the 9th. The news made the men wild with joy. But this joy, as it reached our ranks was soon mingled with deep sorrow. After spending a few days in cleaning up our new camp at Goldsboro, and getting things brushed up somewhat, we went on dress-parade to hear the following order read.
LINCOLN'S DEATH.
WAR DEPARTMENT, 1 WASHINGTON, April 15th. S
Abraham Lincoln died this morning at twenty-two minutes after seven o'clock.
EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
At this time General Sherman was negotiating for the formal surrender of Joe Johnson's army, and the terms of surrender had been agreed upon, but it seems they were not favorably received at Washington." General Grant now joined us at Goldsboro and made his own terms which resulted in the final surrender of the last of the confederate forces east of the Mississippi, at Durham's Station, N. C., on the 26th of April.
.
182
HISTORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED
"On the Ist of April," says Irwin, "Schofield's force, composed of the tenth corps, under Terry, and the twenty-third corps, under Cox, was re-constructed by Sherman as the centre of his armies, and designated as the army of the Ohio. The next day the troops of Grover's division, then in North Carolina, were attached to the tenth corps, re-organized into three brigades and designated as the first division ; the command being given to Birge, and the brigades being commanded by the three senior Colonels, Washburn, Graham and Day." This placed the 128th under Day, in the third brigade. It is of interest to know that we thus became, for a brief time, a part of the tenth corps and of Sherman's famous raiding army.
السليم
183
AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.
SECTION XXII.
IN A REBEL PRISON.
As eighty-two men of the 128th were captured at Cedar Creek, and this number more than equalled the men in any company at this time, it is not inappropriate to follow the vicissitudes of this detached company, though they were detached by the authority of General Early rather than by the command of Sheridan. In addition to these, there were some others captured on the Red River and in the valley at different times, and the following description, as given by the writer, who presents only the facts coming under his observation, will picture the winter quarters and fare of a goodly squad of the regiment for several months during their term of service. As this is a personal narrative, the writer will be allowed to use the singular pronoun.
The two picket posts under me as corporal, on the morning of October 19th, 1864, were to the left of the pike and in a hollow at the foot of a hill. The post on the top of the hill was under Corporal George Tremper, of company "C." When the first onset was made on the eighth corps, some of my men suggested a retreat. As no enemy appeared in our front, and not knowing the results on the left, I held them to their posts. But a brief time afterward a shot came toward us from the top of the hill. Then we knew the rebels had broken in on our right along the pike. Deploying, we began to retreat to the rear and up a hill, the fog which had hung low and thick over us seeming to break as we ascended. We sup- posed we heard our officer of the picket line ordering us to fall back and did so in good order. Soon we saw a line of skirmishers, dressed, for the most part in Union blue, moving back. We were soon made aware of our mistake by hearing the orders, accompanied with an cath, to throw down our arms. Surrounded as we were by the heavy rebel skirmish line which had broken in our right, and knowing from the heavy firing on our left that the enemy must be in that direction, we saw no possible chance of escape and chose the only course to save our lives and unconditionally surrendered. Several men were placed in charge of one guard, who was to accompany us to the Provost Marshall. The first words of the guard to me were : " Where is your pocket-book ?" I handed it out at once and waited to see the effect upon the fellow. He opened it
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.