USA > New York > Perry's saints; or, The fighting parson's regiment in the war of the rebellion > Part 8
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[November,
the fort, and around the localities marked by special events connected with the siege and assault. But memory was too busy with painful scenes to permit of much satisfaction. As we talked together of old times, and recalled the names of those with whom we had been intimate at Pulaski, it seemed im- possible to realize that the clean white sand on which we were then treading had drank in the life-blood of so many, and the clear, bright, sparkling water, that idly played upon the beach, had reached out its eager tongue to lick up the cruel stains. The air was mild, not a cloud obscured the sun's rays, and the silence that reigned about us was profound, almost oppressive, but, as we recalled the past, the din of battle rang in our ears; the flash of musketry pierced through the darkness of night and lighted up a scene of carnage; the groans and cries of the wounded and dying mingled with the shouts and yells and fierce oaths of combatants. The spirit of peace rested upon the landscape which lay spread out before us, and upon the face of the quiet waters which, with gentle embrace, pressed
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lightly against the shore; but the past came back to us like a mighty surging torrent; a tempest raged; darkness and horror enveloped us, and we turned away. We could not en- dure it, and were glad to get back to camp, to lose the thought of the past in the per- formance of present duty.
During this visit, as we talked together of the friends who had fallen, one name more than any other occupied our thoughts and con- versation. It was that of Lieutenant-Colonel Green, whom Captain Eaton had known quite intimately when he was quartered with us at Fort Pulaski. Like those of us who had known him longer, he had not only formed a strong personal attachment for him, but, from the peculiar and somewhat opposite traits of character which he exhibited, had become specially interested in watching his career. It was not singular, for no one could be asso- ciated with him, for any length of time, without being attracted towards him and becoming interested in him. Possessed of a frank and generous disposition, he was not only beloved by those under him, because of his thoughtful
186
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[November,
consideration of them, but equally by his fel- low-officers, because of his sprightly, sunny temperament. He was welcome everywhere, and, on all social occasions, his quick and sus- ceptible nature caught and communicated the spirit of humor that prevailed, until no one could withstand its influence. He bubbled over with mirth whenever the occasion or sur- roundings stirred the humorous vein within › him, and was the frequent instigator of the harmless practical jokes with which the officers sometimes sought to enliven the dulness of garrison life. I can see him now, as, after a period of duty, he starts out from his quar- ters in search of recreation, the very person- ification of mischief. He never needed to go far, for every latch-string was out for him, and none but the hardest and most obdurate could withstand the appeal of his merry eyes and bright, cheery countenance. He was a good soldier, always ready for duty, and in its dis- charge both earnest and exact. From "grave to gay " was sometimes a rapid transition with him ; but he saw every duty to its ending, and, especially when hardship and danger were in-
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volved, every fibre of his mental and physical nature was absorbed in its performance. Few will be remembered longer by his comrades than he, and none with more general warmth of affection.
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CHAPTER XIII.
Relations between the 47th and 48th regiments. Re-enlistment of veterans. Court-martial. Departure of veterans on furlough. Expedition to Florida. Battle of Olustee. A great blunder. Heavy losses. Admirable conduct of the troops. Dr. Defendorf. The retreat. Return of veterans. Sergeant Thompson. At Palatka. Expedition into the country. Dunn's Creek. Its mar- vellous beauty. Ludicrous scenes. Good-by to Palatka. At Gloucester Point, Va. A happy change. Shelter tents. General Grant. Army of the James under Butler. General Terry.
OF the several months that followed, until January 31, 1864, little can be gathered from the journals which furnish the materials for this history. Aside from the usual routine of duties incident to life in camp, a few changes took place in the distribution of the companies to the outposts within the district. On Thanks- giving Day the members of the 47th New York State Volunteers were our guests, and on Christmas we partook of their hospitalities, cementing by these courtesies that bond of union between the two regiments which was unbroken during our term of service, and was one of the pleasantest facts in our army expe-
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rience. The rivalry between the two reg- iments seemed to manifest itself only in generous expressions and friendly offices.
During this period, the officers used all their influence to induce re-enlistments as veterans, and, as a result, some three hundred or more of the best men in the regiment signified their willingness to sacrifice anew their comfort and . safety, their prospects in life, and life itself, if necessary, in the service of their country, if perchance, by such a sacrifice the blessings which they and their fathers had enjoyed, and by which the world had so largely benefited, might be transmitted to future generations. If, after the lapse of years, and in the dim light of the past, such a sacrifice seems a common thing to those who, in security and comfort, at this time, thought of little but of the oppor- tunity afforded, through the waste and destruc- tion of war, for the accumulation of riches, or to those who, too young to take interest in the events of which we write, know nothing of them except as a part of the history of days gone by; it was not a common thing to those who, having already given of the best of their
190
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[January,
years, and the freshness and vigor of their strength, declared their willingness to plunge anew into those scenes the effect of which they knew full well was to harden their na- tures, blunt and benumb their sensibilities, and paralyze those finer instincts through which come the enjoyments most prized in life ; it was not a common sacrifice for these men to turn again from the sweet influences and tender affections of home and friends that others might be benefited. Nor let it be said that the considerations to which I have referred could have entered the minds of only the intel- ligent few, while to the great body of the army they were far beyond their thought; for, while we must admit that there were different degrees of intelligence, and that that which formulated itself in clear, distinct, and logical following in some minds was but faintly out- lined in others, who so dull that, from the lessons of the past three years, had gathered so little as not to appreciate this new demand upon them! Had children forgotten father and mother, husbands their wives and little ones !
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About this time I was made familiar with a feature of army life to which I have made only slight reference. As a member of a gen- eral court-martial, day after day and week after week was occupied in the examination of charges of the gravest character, involving the liberty and life of scores of officers and men. It was the highest tribunal by which those composing the rank and file of the command could be adjudged. Questions of the gravest moment, and of supremest interest to those con- cerned, were discussed and determined. It was a responsibility shared only by the highest judges in the land, and life and death often hung upon our decisions. A photograph of army life is incomplete without this feature, and while the duty is the gravest and the most solemn which an officer is called upon to perform, it is as necessary to the well-being and efficiency of an army as the ordinary courts of justice to the preservation of the state.
January 30, the Enfans Perdus, an indepen- dent battalion, was consolidated into the 47th and 48th New York regiments. The number received by us was about one hundred and
192
PERRY'S SAINTS.
[February,
fifty. On the 31st, the veterans left for New York, under the charge of several officers. February 4, those left behind received orders to prepare six days' cooked rations, and be in readiness to march, and on the 5th, with the left wing of the 115th New York, they em- barked on board the steamer Delaware. On the 6th they left Hilton Head, in company with a number of transports, under the convoy of a gunboat, and proceeded to Florida; the force numbering in all from six to seven thousand men, and comprising artillery, cavalry, and in- fantry. The artillery and cavalry were under the immediate command of Colonel Henry, and the infantry under Colonels Barton, Hawley, and Scammon, with General Seymour in com- mand of the whole expedition. Its object was to aid the Union people of the state in with- drawing it from Confederate control. General Gilmore accompanied the troops as far as Jack- sonville, where they disembarked, and, after seeing that all necessary arrangements were made which could promote the success of the enterprise, returned to Hilton Head, leaving with General Seymour instructions not to
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attempt an advance beyond Baldwin without further orders, nor unless well assured of suc- cess. His intention was to hold and fortify several important points, including Jackson- ville, as centres of Federal authority, and re- open those sections to trade. But General Seymour, apparently satisfied that he could not be successfully opposed by any Confederate forces within the state, conceived the idea of destroying the railroad, and cutting off com- munication with Georgia. As soon as notified of this intended movement, General Gilmore sent a despatch to stop it, but was too late to prevent the massacre which followed. On the 20th a general advance was ordered, and the troops proceeded towards Lake City, about five thousand in all; Colonel Henry with the cav- alry in advance, followed by three columns of infantry ; Colonel Hawley, with his brigade, on the left; Colonel Barton in the centre; and Colonel Scammon, with his regiment, on the right. In the rear was a brigade of colored troops, under Colonel Montgomery. Near Olustee they came upon a strong force of Con- federates favorably posted in the woods, with
194
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[February,
a swamp in front, over which our troops must pass to reach them. Before they were well aware of the vicinity of the enemy, a mur- derous fire was opened on them, at a distance of little more than a hundred yards, and for more than two hours they could scarcely do more than stand up to be slaughtered, the nature of the ground and the strength of the enemy effectually preventing any advance. No severer test could be applied to men than they suffered at the battle of Olustee, and when, at evening, the troops were withdrawn, nearly one-fourth of their number were dead or wounded. The most of the latter were left on the field, under the care of Surgeon Defendorf of our regiment, who volunteered to remain with them ; an act of bravery and self-sacrifice which cannot be too highly commended. The testimony of those engaged in this affair, as we gather it from journals and other sources, is that it was the most trying position in which they were placed during the war, and the heroism displayed by our men is accounted marvellous. The retreat to Jacksonville was such as might have been expected from broken, .
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dispirited, and defeated troops, with a strong body of the enemy in their rear, flushed with victory, and determined upon their destruction. On the way back, the stores at Baldwin were burned, and when the broken columns were gathered at Jacksonville, it was found that twelve hundred men had been sacrificed, five pieces of artillery and a large number of small . arms left in the hands of the Confederates, while the purpose of the government in or- dering the expedition was completely frus- trated. Our own regiment, whose conduct in the affair was beyond all praise, suffered terribly.
While these events were transpiring, the veterans, and the officers sent with them, were enjoying the comforts of home and the society of friends once more. But the time was all too short, for on the 9th of March we were securely housed in Fort Schuyler, waiting for transportation to the South, which was fur- nished on the 11th, when we embarked on the steamer Arago, and on the morning of the 16th landed at Hilton Head. Some of us took the opportunity to visit our wounded men in
196
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[March,
the hospitals. Among them was Sergeant Thompson, whose journal has been of so great service in the composition of this history. It is a pleasure to record of him that he was a faithful soldier, and that, in the recent battle of Olustee, he was conspicuous for coolness and bravery. His services as a soldier ended at this time, and we hope that his subsequent career has been both successful and happy.
Late on the evening of the 16th, we started on the steamer Dictator, to join the other por- tion of the regiment, which was stationed at Palatka, on the St. John's River, where we arrived on the 18th. The camp was located on the outskirts of the town, and protected by entrenchments. The village consisted of some thirty or forty houses, with three churches, and was almost entirely deserted by its former inhabitants, only a few Union men remaining with their families. Very little occurred, du- ring our stay at Palatka, of special interest. There were occasional alarms, and several attacks by small bodies of Confederates. Pick- ets were stationed at some distance on the hills back of the town, and the country between
-
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was frequently patrolled by guards who were mounted for the purpose.
On the afternoon of the 25th, an expedition was started for the interior, consisting of forty men, with guides, under the command of the writer. We were conveyed up the river about fifteen miles, in the gunboat Ottawa, to what was called Dunn's Creek, through which we . proceeded in small boats. The beauty of this stream is impressed on my memory with won- derful distinctness. At its point of junction with the St. John's, and for some little distance, it was narrow, with considerable current, but, as we proceeded, it broadened out, and moved so sluggishly that, at times, it seemed caught and held by the rank growth of grasses and other plants which filled its bed and covered its surface. The branches of the overhanging trees intermingled above our heads, and the pendent moss and dense foliage formed a can- opy, through which the sunbeams struggled with dim and softened light, while on either bank the shrubs and trailing vines presented an almost impenetrable wall of bright green leaves and fragrant flowers. Only the songs
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[March,
of birds that fluttered about us broke the still- ness, for every one was strangely impressed and subdued by the marvellous beauty by which
A FLORIDA SWAMP AND JUNGLE.
we were surrounded. Silently we pursued our way, except when an occasional opening broke the spell that bound us, until, shooting out of the darkness which had gradually en-
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veloped us, we emerged into the bright moon- light which lighted up the waters of Dunn's Lake. A sharp row of two hours or more brought us to Booth's Landing, where we disembarked. Our object was to capture a few obnoxious individuals who were making special trouble for the Union men who lived in that region ; and the night was spent in visits from house to house, much to the dis- comfort of the inmates. Some very ludicrous scenes occurred, for, while the utmost consider- ation was used, consistent with the success of our plans, sometimes the occupants of the houses were startled most unceremoniously from their sleep by the tramp of armed men, who entered without knocking, and occupied without permission. A few captures were made, including a Confederate soldier home on leave, and on the following day we rowed back to camp, having accomplished upwards of fifty miles within the twenty-four hours. April 1, one of our pickets was captured, and we never heard of the man afterwards.
April 14, we bade good-by to Palatka, and started for Hilton Head. At Jacksonville we
1
200
PERRY'S SAINTS.
[April,
were transferred to the steamer Ben De Ford, and ordered to Beaufort, where we spent a day. On the following day, bidding a final adieu to the Department of the South, we headed for Fortress Monroe, where we made but a brief stop, our destination being Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown, on the York River.
Glad were we to get into another depart- ment, for, from the first, we had felt that, while often performing the most arduous service that falls to the lot of the soldier, the limits of our operations were circumscribed, and the results meagre. Now we were going into the very midst of the conflict. The nature of the change was made manifest by the substitution of shelter tents for those we had been accus- tomed to use. Each man was served with a single tent, which he carried with his blanket jon his back, and by joining with two or three of his comrades, and uniting their tents, a fair shelter or covering could be obtained. The officers were served after the same fashion, the only distinction being that three tents were furnished them instead of one, and they were not compelled to carry their baggage.
1864.]
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Who does not recall the first experience with the shelter tents, into whose openings we were obliged to crawl on our hands and knees to ef- fect an entrance, or the curious sight which the various camps presented, especially at night, when the innumerable sparks of light which dotted the sandy plain seemed to rise
K.
GENERAL GRANT'S HEADQUARTERS AT CITY POINT.
from subterranean caverns, and suggested any- thing but human habitations? Few were so dull as not to interpret this change from the ample quarters of the Southern Department as meaning for us more active duty, frequent and rapid marches, and fewer comforts. How- ever, there was only a little good-natured grum- bling. We all realized that more labor and care would be necessary to preserve arms and equip-
202
PERRY'S SAINTS.
[April,
ments in that excellent condition which had elicited such general commendation from the inspectors of the regiment; but it was given cheerfully for the most part, and our reputa- tion for superiority in discipline, drill, and general appearance did not suffer in the com- parison with the new troops by whom we were surrounded. General Grant had been made lieutenant-general, and virtually commander-in- chief, and had established his headquarters - with the Army of the Potomac. Having shown his ability in many successful campaigns in the West, he was now to contend with a general who easily held the first place in the Confeder- ate service, and with an army long accustomed to victory - fortunately at last, the choice of the President had fallen upon the right man, and he was invested with authority which ex- tended over all the military power of the gov- ernment. Possessing in a remarkable degree those rare qualities of equanimity and self-pos- session under all circumstances, he united with these a clear understanding of the condition of the Confederate armies, and the ability to or- ganize and carry forward a well defined and
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1864.]
comprehensive plan, which embraced every corps and division in the several departments, by which he was able to hurl against the al- ready weakening forces of the enemy, in simul- taneous attacks, the whole power of the Federal army. Allowing little time or opportunity to the enemy for rest or recuperation, he never confessed or accepted defeat.
Our corps, the 10th, was commanded by Gen- eral Gilmore, while General W. T. Smith com- manded the 18th, with which we were associat- ed, the operations of these two being under the direction of General Butler, who commanded the department. April 29, the superfluous baggage of the officers was sent with the com- pany property to Norfolk. April 30, general inspection and review.
At this time General Terry was in command of a division of our corps, and Colonel Barton, who at Hilton Head had been district as well as brigade commander, was in charge of the brigade of which our regiment formed a part, the 47th New York and the 76th and 97th Pennsylvania regiments completing the organi- zation. For General Terry we had already
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[April.
formed a strong attachment. From the time that we met him first, when our regiment was ordered to garrison Fort Pulaski, we had fre- quently been under him, had watched him through the Morris Island campaign, as tem- porary commander of the Department of the South, had observed his quiet self-possession, his kindly disposition, and careful forethought for those under him, and had learned to look to him with the respect, confidence, and affection which can only be won by those of superior qualities of mind and heart. We could narrate many incidents in his career, all of which would tend to justify the high estimate in which he is held by the country at large, and, in common with all who have ever served un- der him, we rejoice in his prosperity, and wish for him a continuance and increase of the favor with which he is justly regarded by the people, whom he has so well served.
CHAPTER XIV.
Bermuda Hundred. , Company E as skirmishers. Battle of Chester Heights. Couldn't resist the temptation. Company E fighting on its own account. Bad predicament. Company E did nobly. More fighting. In sight of Richmond. Confederate sharpshooters cleaned out. Battle of Drury's Bluff. Company E again in a bad spot. Wonderful examples of discipline and soldierly con- duct. General Terry to the rescue. Retreat. Back to old quarters. Captain Lockwood.
MAY 3 and 4 the regiment did picket duty, and on the 5th left on the steamer Delaware, and sailed down to Fortress Monroe, up the James River, past City Point, to Bermuda Hundred. On the 6th we landed, and, after a brief delay, marched several miles up the Bermuda Hundred road. Early on the morn- ing of the 7th we started again, and, after marching and countermarching for several hours, approached Chester Heights. Behind the hills which concealed us from the enemy, we left our knapsacks, blankets, and other impediments, and the order to advance was received, when we resumed our march, with
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[May,
Company E thrown out as skirmishers. The instructions received by me from the colonel were general, and somewhat indefinite, the only point well understood being that we were to clear the front of any opposing force. Grasp- ing this idea and at the same time our mus- kets, we worked our way forward through the woods, until we found ourselves on the top of a hill, with the whole Confederate force in view in the valleys below. But we were en- tirely separated from our regiment. After vainly endeavoring to take up the connection, we were finally compelled to the conclusion that if we were to have any further part in the affair, it must be by acting independently.
Before us, in the vast amphitheatre, so com- pletely enclosed by the surrounding hills that there seemed no avenue of escape, was the en- emy, against whom our attack was directed. Every movement was plainly visible, for not a tree or stone obstructed our view. The utmost activity prevailed, and officers were observed hurrying to and fro, while the changes that fol- lowed showed that every preparation would be made to repel attack. One officer, especially,
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1864.]
who seemed to be in command, was conspicuous, as he rode about on his white horse, and our men amused themselves for some time in vain attempts to reach him with their rifles, but he was too far away.
As the scene comes back after the lapse of so many years, it seems impossible that the picture imprinted upon the memory can be that of war. That deep, quiet valley, the rich green of its meadows, the protecting hills which circled it, the little hamlets which told their stories of homes, of comfort, and hap- piness, constituted a picture so peaceful and restful, that those bodies of armed men whose movements we were watching, and the bristling cannon and flashing muskets, seemed strangely out of place.
But there was little time for contemplation. The batteries, one after another, sped up the hill, and, lost for a time, reappeared again, and took position far off to our right, giving us the first intimation of the position of our own troops. . Following the same general direc- tion, the several battalions moved up to the support of the batteries, or took positions on
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