USA > New York > Memories of the 149th Regt. N. Y. Vol. Inft., 3d Brig., 2 Div., 12th and 20th A. C > Part 11
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CHAPTER XVI.
GETTYSBURG.
THE morning of the Ist day of July, 1863, found the writer in command of a picket line in rear of Littletown. The weather was wet and lowery, the men had their blankets rolled, their luggage packed, and were anxiously waiting the approach of the brigade officer of the guard whose " WHOEVER SAW A DEAD CAVALRYMAN?" "I." SAID THE FLY, "WITH MY LITTLE EYE: I SAW HIM AT GETTY-BURG." duty it was to relieve them. Time passed and the hour of noon was near at hand. yet no officer appeared ; but instead a messenger dispatched to camp returned with the information that the command had moved and the pickets were left behind.
After drawing in the outposts, the little detachment proceeded to the place lately occupied by the division and found tent pole- standing, beds of straw where the soldiers had found rest. and smouldlering embers of fires over which they had prepared an early breakfast, but not a thing to show the route by which they had departed. The roads all bore evidence of heavy marching, but whether the command had made an advance or retreat it was impossible to determine. In view of the ex- perience with the enemy the previous evening, the situation was not agreeable.
The little command first marched back to Littletown and halted in the streets, while the officers sought information.
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The people from fright, ignorance or confusion gave contra- dictory answers to questions put them, but after a short delay, it was concluded to leave the road heretofore pursued and turn to the left on one leading to Gettysburg. It was now noon ; the sky had cleared and the men marched in the sweltering heat and moisture, under the glare of a midday sun, until about three o'clock in the afternoon, when the division was overtaken, resting in an open field, on the left of the road, at a place called Two Taverns. The heat was so great, and the effect of the moisture rising from the ground so enervating, that at least one-third of the picket> fell out, and the writer, being threatened with sun-stroke, was in great distress and hardly able to stand.
Soon after joining the regiment the bugle blew the call to " fall in", and the division marched in the direction of Gettys- burg, where battle had been progressing since morning. As the men marched along they were met by wounded soldiers and Confederate prisoners. At one place a short halt was made where there were several hundred of the latter, among whom were officers of intelligence. They were talkative, but chagrined over their capture. They expressed great confidence in their generals and seemed sanguine of the ultimate triumph of their cause. The clothing of the men was of motley character, but on the whole good considering the marching they had recently done.
As the column moved forward it passed artillery, troops and stragglers occupying the road. Part of these had been engaged with the enemy, and made suggestive remarks about the men going to the front where they would get all they wanted in the way of fighting, and other equally comforting statements. At this time the roar of artillery and the rattle of musketry was very distinct and seemingly near at hand. The sound was uncomfortable to nervous men, and a number of the sneaks managed to get away, although the officers redoubled their efforts to prevent it.
As the men pressed forward, in addition to artillery, troops, wounded and stragglers, they met women and children making
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their way to places of safety. In the faces of many were evidences of weeping, and in all a look of horror and despair. Husbands with their wives, and mothers with their children fleeing for safety to some place they hardly knew where. Among others was a mother with an infant in her arms, drag- ging a small child by the hand just able to walk, while back of her came other children crying because they could not keep up with her in her mad flight. As the men looked upon these seenes, they realized that in a few moments, and at most in a few hours, there would be fatherless children around the fire- sides at home. At a moment like this how priceless seem the right- and privileges of a free and united country which cost so much to establish and maintain !
The line of march was down a long hill, over a creek by a mill, and thence bearing to the right to the center of a low piece of land half a mile in diameter nearly surrounded with hills. Here the men let down a pair of bars, to the left near a barn, and marched by the flank at double-quick up through a wheat field, nearly ready to ent and emitting an almost insufferable heat. and had nearly reached a piece of woods on top of the hill when an aid came galloping up and directed the column to file to the left, which it did for a mile or more and halted. Here the men were closed by division in mass and ordered to load their pieces and dispose of their extra luggage so as to leave them unencumbered for work when charging over the hill.
It was now five o'clock in the afternoon and the roar of artillery and the rattle of musketry on the right had slackened and was spasmodie, indicating that a movement of troops was taking place, but in what direction the men were unable to judge. When the metallic ring of ramrods was heard along the line carrying home the leaden messengers of death, it is a reasonable supposition that many hearts were affected by it as much as by the double-quick through the fields to that place. It certainly was a relief when the last ramrod had been returned to its place and the men were advancing close behind the skirmishers to the front.
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The charge was first up a gradual ascent to a stone wall, over a road into a piece of woods, at the right of a farm-house, and thenee between and over immense bowlders and outerop- ping rocks down a sharp deseent to the outskirt of the timber, where could be seen the sloping fields to the valley beyond. The place has since been recognized as at the right of Little Round Top looking into the valley of Plumb Run. Soon after arriving at this point the skirmishers discovered a column of soldiers advancing in front, but whether friend or foe could not at first be determined in the horizontal rays of the sun shining in front. The skirmishers were about falling back on the main line, which was elamorous as at the outset of battle, when it was discovered that the approaching column was the advance of the 2d Corps just arriving. As it passed and took position on the right, several wounded were seen among its numbers and several Confederate prisoners were in its custody. Among the wounded were two accompanying each other ; they proved to be brothers: one a Union soldier, and the other a Confederate. They seemed happy and, as no restraints were put over " Johnny's " movements, it is apprehended that he wore the gray by compulsion rather than by inclination.
After dark the men laid down in their places with their guns in their hands expecting momentarily to be aroused to the work of death. The night was cool, but the slumbers of the men were not peaceful, although they had undergone great fatigue. They managed to doze a little through the night, occasionally turning over as the upper side became chilled from exposure and the under side painful from lying on the hard uneven surface of the ground.
At daybreak the men were aroused and marched in the un- certain light of morning back over the hill to the rear of the woods. Many will reeall the hazy and mysterious appearance of the soldiers, who had come in and joined the line during the night, sleeping on the ground or groping about preparing food to eat. After a little delay for the men to get breakfast, the ed Division marched through the fields, in the direction it
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came the night before, over the Baltimore pike and up a little ascent into a piece of woods where it built breastworks on the right of the line occupied by the Union army on the second and third day, now known as Culp's Hill.
On arriving Gen, Geary called a conference of his brigade commanders and, it was understood, submitted to them the question of building rifle-pits and expressed himself as adverse to the practice on the ground that it unfitted men for fighting withont them. Gen. Greene was credited with replying that the saving of life was of far more consequence to him than any theories as to breastworks, and so far as his men were con- cerned, they would have them if they had time to build them. In a few minutes the officers and men were hard at work and afterwards had reason to be grateful to Gen. Greene, or some- body, for a splendid line of earthworks, without which the 3d Brigade could never have held the position on the 2d day of July against the overwhelming numbers brought against it. The men grumbled a little and said it was the old trade of building works never to be used ; nevertheless they brought sticks, stones, and chunks of wood, and felled trees and shoveled dirt for three or four hours. The works built by the 3d brigade were at right angles to those occupied by Gen. Wads- worth's Division of the Ist Corps, which joined the brigade on the left, and ran along the brow of a hill which descended to the front quite sharply for a short distance and then more gradually to a stream called Rock Creek, thirty or forty rods away. Near the right of the brigade line the works made a deflection to the rear forming an acute angle at the head of a small gulf or gully. To the left of this angle were three trav- erses constructed to prevent the right flank of the brigade be- ing turned by the enemy. In many places in front were large rocks, and both in front and rear was a heavy growth of stand ing timber in full foliage. The position to the right of the 3d Brigade was occupied by other troops belonging to the 12th Corps which had breastworks built in connection with the ones in question. When work was commenced a new one-horse ex -
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press wagon was discovered among the rocks in front, evidently put there to keep it out of the hands of the enemy ; this was drawn to the rear.
The position of the brigade being in rear of the main line, the men felt a sense of comparative security, so, after the works were completed, they made visits to other regiments in the vicinity. Some of the officers went down to the skirmish line in front of Wadsworth's Division and saw the enemy's troops forming in line in the suburbs of Gettysburg. These were the Louisiana Tigers who, later in the afternoon, made the charge on East Cemetery Hill which resulted so disastrously to that organization.
During the afternoon all the 12th Corps, except the 3d Brigade, was removed from the right, and sent to the left of the army near Little Round Top. The 3d Brigade still con- tinned to occupy the works built by it.
A little after five o'clock in the afternoon a detachment of skirmishers was sent down the hill in front of the brigade line and had receded from view only a short time when they came running back followed by a Confederate line of battle, yelping and howling in its peculiar manner. Some of the skirmishers were killed in sight of the brigade, and occasionally a stray bullet came whizzing by the heads of the men in the rifle-pits, who were so eager and clamorous that it was all the officers could do to prevent them from opening fire before the men in the skirmish line could come in. The skirmishers seeing their danger cried out in an agonizing and beseeching manner. The light was dimmed by the dense foliage, the woods wore a sombre hue, and all was still as death, except the sounds made by the men in the two lines.
When it was discovered that the enemy was coming, and the men had taken their arms and stood in the rifle-pits wait- ing for their friends to come in and the enemy to appear, moments passed which were years of agony. The pale faces, starting eye-balls, and nervous hands grasping loaded muskets, told how terrible were those moments of suspense. At last
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the fire broke out in one place, then in another, and then quickly extended to the whole line. As each man.fired, he in- voluntarily drew back and sought safety behind the works as if alarmed at the sound of his own musket and the murderous work he had done. After discharging one or two shots, the men regained their composure and began to load and fire more steadily and with greater rapidity. Soon after the action com- meneed the smoke became so dense that the men were unable to distinguish the enemy and were governed more by hearing than sight in directing fire. The discharge of musketry was continued with great rapidity until some time after dark, when it slackened and finally ended altogether abont ten o'clock. The work was hellish ! and the men were glad when it ended for the night, for they felt sick both in body and mind.
About nine o'clock, in the midst of a hot fire, an order came from some source to retreat ; for what purpose no one could tell and it was suspected that the enemy was in the rear. The regiment commenced falling back in good order and had gone several rods when it was directed by Col. Randall to return, which it did with a cheer. About this time the enemy took possession of the works to the right of the angle above de- seribed, and which had been evacuated by the 12th Corps pur- suant to orders. After the enemy got possession of the works to the right, from which position he was not dislodged until about noon the next day, a small detachment of the 3d Brigade was taken from the rifle-pits and moved to a point in rear to prevent the enemy from flanking the brigade line. The other men observing the movement, and not understanding its pur- pose, mistook the order for one to retreat and so passed it along the line. It came near being fatal to the position, and well illustrates the delicacy of movements in the presence of the enemy. The men were in good spirits at the time and went back to the works with grateful feelings.
Upon the cessation of hostilities for the night, which occurred by degrees and by common consent, it was found that eighty rounds of cartridge had been expended to the man. About
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MEMOIRS 149th N. Y. INFT.
eleven o'clock the regiment was relieved by another sent to take its place during the night, and fell back over a rise of ground to a slight hollow running nearly parallel with the works and ten or twelve rods in rear. Here the men cleaned their guns, received fresh ammunition, and laid down with their rifles in their hands ready for instant action. They were per- mitted to remain quiet about three hours, and then were dis- turbed by firing on the right which soon became general with the whole line. This lasted only a few minutes, but the men were so thoroughly aroused by it they were restless until morn- ing. The disturbance was caused by the return of the 12th Corps, which was then getting into position to evict the enemy from its works.
At daybreak the regiment was moved back to its old place in the trenches and preparations made for the systematie work- ing of the men during the day. Col. Randall came down the line and gave to the officers a drink of whisky from a bottle, saying it was probably the last drink they would take together, as in all human probability some one before night would be sleeping his last sleep. the sleep of death. He said he hoped it would sustain them in doing their duty and to meet the conse- quences. As the last officer in that line drank the last drop in that bottle, the enemy opened on the right and was replied to by the whole Union line. It was cool and cloudy, but the men worked until the prespiration ran down in blinding streams across their faces.
After a period of two long hours, when the ammunition was nearly expended, the men were ordered to discharge their pieces and fall back on the ground, while the men of another regi- ment mid deafening cheers leaped over them into their vacant places. Under cover of the fire from the relief, the men made a lively retreat back to the hollow before described amid cheers and exultations. Here the men were safe except from glane- ing shots from the trees overhead.
Col. Randall proposed three cheers for the colors, which told of the fearful place in which it had been. They were given
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with a tiger ; whereupon one of the line proposed three cheers for the gallant Randall, which were given with enthusiasm.
The men were then told to tear their shirts and clean their, guns, which were so foul that a ball could not be driven home without difficulty, and the barrels so hot as to be painful to the touch.
Fresh ammmmition was given the men, but they trusted their work was done. This was a mistake, as the regiment subse- quently went into the trenches two or three times; on one of which occasions it assisted in repelling the desperate charge of the "Stonewall Brigade", the pride of the Confederate army. Word had just been passed along the line that no man should fire unless he saw his man and then take deliberate aim. One of the men rose in his place, and after waiting a moment, raised his musket and fired. Col. Randall, seeing the man, came for- ward and in a cross-questioning way asked if he saw anything to fire at. " Yes," said the man. "Where?" said Randall. "Right there." said the man, pointing to the place. Randall looked and to his astonishment saw under the lifting smoke the Confederate line advancing to storm the works. "There they come boys," said he. "Give them h-I boys, give it to them right and left ;" whereupon the boys rose up and poured forth their reserve fire with deliberate aim and such telling effect that only one of their minber came near the Union lines, and he, an orderly sergeant, fell dead against the outside of the rifle-pits while attempting to reach the flag of the 149th planted on the works. He was a large noble-looking man, and no one who afterwards saw him lying with his head and arm against the works, could help admiring his manly appearance and evi- dent courage.
A determined effort was made to carry the works ovenpied by the ad Brigade, both in the evening of the 2d and forenoon of the 3d, and five or six distinct charges were made for that purpose, all of which were successfully repelled, but while the brigade hold the line alone in the evening, they were assisted in the morning by other men of the 12th Corps and troops sent from other command -.
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MEMOIRS 149th N. Y. INFT.
About eleven o'clock in the forenoon the men were surprised and delighted to learn that the 122d N. Y. joined them in the trenches on the right. No sooner was it known to the two regiments that they were in such close proximity to each other . than the woods rang with cheers that drowned even the din of battle. Those cheers did more to turn the tide of battle than has been credited to them, for soon after the enemy gave way and did not renew the attack during the day. The two regi- ments coming from the county of Onondaga so near one an- other in point of time gave to them a mutual pride and conti- dence that rendered them under the circumstances almost invincible. If there was ever a moment when the courage and enthusiasm of the 149th was bubbling over it was then, and it is presumed that the feeling was reciprocated by its sister regi- ment. This was the only meeting of the two regiments during the war.
A painful incident occurred just here, which was the cause of much sadness. Capt. Doran went down the line to visit the 122d, and while in the net of cheering the men with his cap in his hand, a ball struck his uplifted arm shattering the bone and crippling him for life. Col. Randall hearing of the acei- dent went to see about it and was himself badly wounded near the shoulder while stooping over the wounded Doran. Ran- dall's position during the greater part of the battle had been by the side of a tree in rear of the colors.
The tree was perforated from top to bottom, so that it was difficult to find a place upon it as large as a man's hand with- out a bullet mark, yet while standing there and in the discharge of his duty he escaped injury. It was supposed at the time that his injuries were fatal, and the officers and men regretted hi- loss.
Just before the enemy gave way, which occurred about noon or a little after, a white flag was seen waving in front ; the men slackened fire and several Confederate companies came in and surrendered. As they came towards the works, they re- tained their arms in their hands. Not being certain of their
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intentions, they were ordered to throw them down; when they did this they were permitted to come over the entrenchments, They reported they were held in position by troops with fixed bayonets and had no alternative but to surrender to save their lives.
At one time a ninety days Maryland regiment was sent to relieve the 149th in the trenches. It came within four or five rods and tired in the backs of the men and seampered away. The fire did no damage as the shots went overhead. The 149th when relieved had the pleasure of standing in line with fixed bayonets when this regiment was again sent forward to pre- vent it from gigging a second time. On the return through Maryland one of the officers took tea at the house of a physi- cian where one of the men of this regiment was delighting his friends by relating how the services of his regiment assisted in turning the tide of battle. The officer did not explain, how- ever, what he knew of its history, for he was enjoying a good supper at the hospitality of the friends of the man.
There were many incidents connected with this engagement which have made an indelible impression upon the memory of the participants.
The appearance of the men, as they worked in the trenches with their clothes ragged and dirty, their faces black from smoke, sweat and burnt powder, their lips cracked and bleed- ing from salt-petre in the cartridges bitten by them, and while loading and firing for dear life, resembled more the inhabitants of the bottomless pit than quiet peaceful citizens of the United States of America. The people at home would not have ree- ognized their friends, and a father would have been perplexed to know his own son. Every pocket was torn open and the content- lost in a manner which none could explain.
At one time while the regiment was in the works a strange man was seen standing on the bank a few feet in rear looking for some object to tire at : after a little hesitation he raised his gun, took aim, and was about to fire, when a sound was heard like a blow given upon fresh meat. He stood motionless for a
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moment, then his gun dropped to the ground and his hands to his sides. A ball had passed through his head entering near the bridge of the nose. He stood for a moment, and then be- gan to tip forward and fell like a falling tree. He was a life- less corpse.
At first the killed were tenderly put back out of the way, but afterwards attention was given only to the wounded unable to get off the field without help. Occasionally the dead were tossed from under foot, but in most instances remained where they fell, and were sat upon by the men while loading their pieces. The bodies of the killed commenced to putrefy at once, so that at the close of the engagement the stench was al- most insufferable. Most of the wounded were injured about the head and upper parts of the body, as the lower extremities were covered by the breastworks. There were those, however, who were injured in the lower limbs. This occurred more fre- quently when going out or coming into the entrenchments. Most of the companies would average at least one man killed or wounded every time it went out or in. Occasionally a man was wounded in these parts in the entrenehment- by glancing shots. A log was blocked up on top of the works to permit a musket to be fired under it, while the log was intended to pro- teet the head. This in some instances was bad, the log, being round and green, caused the bullets to glance, and they were as likely to glance downward as upward ; in this way a number of boys were badly hurt.
Once when the regiment was out of the works and waiting in the hollow before described, a Brooklyn regiment in Zonave uniform was also waiting to be ordered to the front. It was whispered around that they were reputed to be a " bully fight- ing regiment ", and therefore attracted attention. They were mostly young men and presented a tidy and smart appearance. A mu-ket ball struck a tree overhead and glanced downward into the breast of one of them as he reelined in the arms of a companion. He immediately gave a piercing sercam which tore the hearts of thousands about him. It has been said that
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when a man is drowning the events of a lifetime pass quickly in review, but it seems impossible that a greater number of ag- mizing thoughts could be crowded into a short space of time than passed through the minds of many who heard that ery of despair. Visions of kind friends, a doting father, a loving mother, admiring sisters and affectionate brothers with hearts wrung with agony ; yes, thoughts of a young life blighted, just as it had entered upon a period of usefulness and happi- nes., fitted through the mind as if on the wings of lightning. Ah ! those who heard that piercing ery knew it was only the mortal expression of the terrible agony of a young heart as the cords we're breaking which bound it to loved ones at home. His companions bore him tenderly away, and all were glad when they did so lest his condition made cowards of them all.
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