USA > New York > Services of the Tenth New York Volunteers (National Zouaves,) in the War of the Rebellion > Part 8
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107
THE SEVEN DAYS-MALVERN HILL.
to the right and saw the National banner unfurled from numberless points on the crest of Malvern, the rainbow folds rippled by the fair, fresh breeze, and the scene limned.in beautiful relief against an azure sky decorated by the departing sun with broad bars of gold. The glorious notes of the "Star Spangled Banner" were is- suing from perhaps a dozen bands, collected near head- quarters. A tumultuous wave of cheers arose from the divisions of the Army of the Potomac in line of battle- then subsided-then again ascended and spread along miles of bayonets, drowning for awhile the strains of music, while seemingly each regiment unfurled its torn banner of stars and stripes, and waved it high in air. The scene, the music, the inspiration sent the rushing and tingling blood through the veins of thousands, and defeat, retreat and hardship were all forgotten. It was another "Apotheosis of the Flag." "Old Glory" had seldom looked so beautiful or seemed so precious-nor ever ronsed the sentiment of the army so wonderfully as at this memorable episode.
That portion of the army which had covered the re- treat during the past two days, and fought the battles of White Oak Swamp and Glendale, at length reached Malvern Hill -- the rear of the way-worn column coming in on the morning of July Ist, closely followed by the converging columns of Confederates. In the afternoon, about three o'clock, the enemy attacked the new position with fierce impetus. Three divisions of Jackson's Corps, with Gen. Huger on his right, flanked still further on the right by Magruder's three divisions, composed the attack- ing force, and the general order under which they acted was to break our lines by a concentric fire of artillery and then to charge and take the position regardless of loss.
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108
THE NATIONAL ZOUAVES.
The advance was bravely made, and as bravely met by Gen. Porter, with Morell's and a portion of Sykes' divi- sion, and Heintzelman's, Sumner's and Franklin's corps, and, although ground was gained at some points along our front, the carnage in the Rebel ranks caused by the fire from our artillery and infantry was frightful. The Army of the Potomac had now a preponderance both of artillery and troops, and the former was served with ter- rible precision and effect, probably being the main cause of the defeat of this desperate attempt. The gunboats stationed in the bend of the river, a few rods from the left of the position held by Warren's brigade, also con- tributed their death-dealing quota, and the smoke of battle, the trembling of the earth beneath the heavy shock of artillery, the long continued rolling of musketry, and the cheers and yells of the combatants, made up an epi- sode never to be effaced from the memory of those who witnessed it.
The correspondent of a newspaper, over the initials "N. P. D.," writes of the battle as follows:
"Towards sunset the earth quivered with the terrifie concus- sion of artillery, and huge explosions. The vast aerial auditorium seemed convulsed with the commotion of frightful sounds. Shells raced like dark meteors athwart the horizon, crossing each other at eccentric angles, exploding into deadly iron hail and fantastic puffs of smoke, until ether was displaced by a vast cloud of white vapor, through which even the fierce blaze of a setting summer's sun could but grimly penetrate. Softly puffing above the dark curtain of forest which masked the battlefield, there was another fleece which struggled through the dense foliage like heavy mist- clouds, and streaming upward in curious eddies with the ever- varying current of the winds, mingled with and absorbed the canopy of smoke which floated from the surface of the plains and river. The battle-stained sun, sinking majestically into the horizon
109
AN ELOQUENT DESCRIPTION.
behind Richmond, burnished the fringe of gossamer with lurid and golden glory; and as fantastic columns capriciously whiffed up from the woods, they were suddenly transformed into pillars of lambent flame, radiant with exquisite beauty, which would soon separate into a thousand picturesque forms, and fade into dim opacity. But the convulsion beneath was not a spectacle for curious eyes. The forms of smoke-masked warriors, the gleam of muskets on the plains where soldiers were disengaged, the artistic order of battle on Malvern Hill, the wild career of wilder horsemen plunging to and from and across the field, formed a scene of exciting grandeur. In the forest where eyes did not penetrate there was nothing but the exhilarating and exhausting spasm of battle. Baleful fires blazed among the trees, and death struck many shining marks. Our haggard men stood there with grand courage, fighting more like creatures of loftier mould than men. * * * * * * * *
" Perhaps one of the noblest spectacles in martial history was improvised in Fitz-John Porter's camp, when his veteran volun- teers were ordered to the battlefield. They had eaten nothing for thirty-six hours. Thursday some of them had fought. Friday they fought all day long and into night. That night they marched across the river. Next day they marched again. That night they kept watch in White Oak Swamp. And Monday they marched again. The fiery sun had parched their feet, hunger and thirst and labor had enfeebled their bodies, but Monday afternoon, when orders came to move again to the field, the color-bearers stepped to the front with their proud standards; the drums beat a rallying rata- plan, and those devoted followers of the " banner of beauty and glory" swung aloft their hats, and shouted with soul-stirring en- thusiasm."
During the battle James McMahan, of Company E, of the Tenth, was killed by a shell. With the exception of this, and possibly two or three wounded, the regiment suffered no loss in the action-the attacks of the enemy being directed upon other portions of the line; still the strain of long continued expectancy and watchfulness,
110
THE NATIONAL ZOUAVES.
added to the almost sleepless experience of the past week, bore heavily on our soldiers. Food was scarce, and even when cattle were slaughtered for the brigade, the meat was useless, owing to the fact that no fires were allowed.
Daylight of July Ist gradually disappeared-the se- cond night at Malvern witnessing a field of unprecedented horror and bloodshed. The enemy had been completely repulsed at all points, leaving the ground covered with dead and wounded; and now, as if in anger at the slaughter which had taken place below, Heaven opened its artillery, and the rain fell in torrents, continuing most of the night and the next day. The different divisions of the army recommenced the retreat soon after nightfall, and artil- lery, ambulances and baggage again blocked up the roads. Sykes' division moved out before daylight on the 2d, and brought up the rear of the army, taking the road towards Harrison's Landing, on the James.
Our army had veritably won a battle, and occupied a position on and around Malvern Hill, from which offen- sive operations could have been directed against a beaten, and, to a certain extent, demoralized enemy; but it was compelled to throw away its victory and steal away under cover of night, leaving the dead partly unburied and numbers of wounded to fall into the hands of the en- emy. There were officers high in command who protested against this false step, but their advice and counsel were unavailing. Some of the men of D. II. Hill's and Magruder's divisions, which had made the desperate charges upon our lines, slept through the tempestuous night within a short distance of the National batteries. When day broke, they looked with inexpressible aston- ishment upon the hill from which they had been so fear- fully repulsed. Their enemy had vanished-the volcano
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111
THE SEVEN DAYS-IN RETREAT.
which had hurled death into their ranks the afternoon before was silent and deserted. Of the demoralized state of the defeated Confederates, we have been assured by undisputed evidence. Brig .- Gen. Trimble, of Ewell's division, giving an account of the conduet of his brigade, says : "The next morning by dawn I went to ask for orders, when I found the whole army in the utmost dis- order ; thousands of straggling men were asking every passer-by for their regiments ; ambulances, wagons and artillery obstructing every road, and all together, in a drenching rain, presenting a scene of the most woful and heartrending confusion."
The march to Harrison's Landing, though compara- tively short, was unexampled in mud, slush, vexation and misery. Rain fell incessantly, and the so-called road was mainly used by artillery and wagons-Sykes' division being compelled to take its way generally through fields and woods. Mud was everywhere, and the loss of shoes in the mire was a common occurrence, stockings soon fol- lowing, and then the trousers, becoming heavy with the ae- cumulation of earth, were torn off at the knee. Men who fell on the way were almost buried in the elayey dark brown mixture, which seemed sometimes to be of almost undiscoverable depth. The men of the Tenth, in common with the rest of the division, were ill able to stand up under these hardships, weakened as they were by a week's steady marching and manuvering and an infinitesimal allowance of sleep. Hunger added its pangs to every- thing else, and seemed to fill their eup of misery. And yet the writer can recall the laughter which rang out sometimes at an unlucky fall, accompanied, perhaps, by a hoarse growl or curse from the victim. Silence would follow for a time, and then an undismayed soldier would
112
THE NATIONAL ZOUAVES.
call out : "Hey, Jim, what are you here for, anyhow ?" Jim would answer with grim facetiousness: "Sixteen dollars a month and found-dead." A voice would fol- low with the question and answer: "Heard the latest whisper? We are going to be transferred." Another silence, and then would burst out the chorus : "John Brown's body," sung by everybody who had voice enough left, followed by: "Rally round the flag," and under the inspiration of the air and words, the regiment would jog along for a while, as though unconscious of the surroundings. These were some of the ineidents of this never to be forgotten day's march from Malvern, but the misery, blood and horror seen along the route can never be fitly described.
Our regiment went into a hastily improvised camp at night, and, after a hearty ration of whiskey, slept soundly through the rain until the next morning, the 3d, when the familiar sound of cannonading awoke every one, and the brigade immediately stood to its arms. A battery of the enemy had opened fire upon Porter's line, but it was immediately charged and captured by a small foree sent against it. During the day Col. Warren went into eamp in a good position, near a small run, and a mile or so from the river.
The week of battle was over. According to McClel- lan's report the total loss of our army in the engage- ments, from the 26th of June to the 1st of July, in- clusive, was 15,249. Of this number Porter's Fifth Corps had lost 4,278.
Gen. MeClellan had piloted the Army of the Potomae through a sea of peril. doubt and hardship, and it had reached the goal towards which it had turned on the night of the 26th of June. To gain the desired end, the
113
THE SEVEN DAYS-IN RETREAT.
army had been skillfully managed, and the corps and division commanders had proven themselves heroically adequate to the tasks imposed upon them. If the op- portunities, which more than once offered, for success- ful counter-blows at the Confederate capital, had been neglected, it may be attributed to an excess of caution or over-solicitude for the lives of soldiers, deterring the commanding general from attempting that in which there was a possibility of failure and defeat. But what shall we write of the grand army of citizen soldiers which he led. If for no other reason, this campaign should ever be memorable for the heroic qualities dis- played by the officers and men who marched and fought day after day, hoping and expecting that the next sun- rise would see them in possession of the Rebel capital. Several times during the first two or three days rumors were prevalent throughout Porter's corps that "the left was in Richmond," and to this ever present hope may be attributed much of the spirit which buoyed our troops until the final hour. When, at length, the worst was known, and the worn-out army reached the James, the expectant feeling had given way to one born almost of despair, and the unanimous sentiment was expressed in the words : " Well, the agony is over; let us do the best we can." *
One of the National Zouaves writes the following
* A. H. Guernsey, in The Galaxy, May, 1871 : " Reviewing the campaign, it may fairly be affirmed that there has rarely been better fighting, and never worse generalship than were displayed on both sides. Where everything from beginning to end was a series of blunders, the commander who happened to make the last great error faust lose. When MeCI-Un tid from Maivern Hill, without even attempting a bles against a beaten energy, he committed the final blunder, and > Ite won in spite of himself. The siege of Richmond was raised, and thereby the Confederacy gained almost three more years of life."
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114
THE NATIONAL ZOUAVES.
home on the 4th: "Since Tuesday we have been in misery indeed, with knapsacks gone (we left them at Gaines' Mill ), and with hardly an overcoat, blanket or tent in the company. We marched through soil knee- deep, and as sticky as glue, to this place. * Add to all this the want of a single cracker or a cup of coffee for a day and night, and you can judge of the revulsion of feeling when to-day, the glorious Fourth, breezy and sunny, we are camped once more in a clover field, with plenty of rations, though coarse, shoes for all who need them, and what is more a cessation of the Rebel cannonading which has kept us steadily fighting and marching for a week."
During the six weeks passed in this camp the Tenth lost a number of its members by death from disease. The seeds of fever contracted upon the Chickahominy, added to the subsequent excessive fatigue and har -hip. brought many brave men to the hospital-tent, and from thence to the grave. Several officers of the regiment for- warded their resignations soon after reaching Harrison's, and the vacancies thus made were filled by promotion.
Col. Bendix addressed the following letter to the Governor of New York:
HEADQUARTERS TENTH REGIMENT, N. Y. V. CAMP NEAR HARRISON'S LANDING, VA. July 13th, 1802.
HON. SIR :- I beg leave most respectfully to nominate the fol- lowing officers and sergeants for promotion, for good conduct on the field of battle at Gaines' Mill, June 27th, 1862, viz .:
Fir-t-Lieut. Alfred Chamberlain to be captain, vice Patrick, re signed.
First . Lieut. Charles Hill to be quartermaster, vice Seely, pro- moted to captain and aide-de-camp.
115
PROMOTIONS.
First-Lieut. Charles D. Stocking to be captain, vice Miner, resigned.
Second-Lieut. George F. Tait to be first-lieutenant, vice Cham- berlain, promoted.
Second-Lieut. Harvey Y. Russell to be first-lieutenant, vice Hill, promoted.
Second-Lieut. Norwood A. Halsey to be first-lieutenant, vice Stocking, promoted.
Second-Lieut. Gabriel Cunningham to be first-lieutenant, vice Moneghan, resigned.
Com .- Sergt. James M. Smith to be ensign, vice Cunningham, promoted.
First-Sergt. Alphonse Bietry to be ensign, vice Hill, promoted June 21st, 1862.
First-Sergt. Frederick C. Hamilton to be ensign, vice Halsey, promoted.
First-Sergt. Putnam Field to be ensign, vice Tait, promoted.
I am sorry to state that those officers who have resigned, were compelled to do so on account of ill health.
Hoping, Sir, that this will meet your approbation and favor, I remain,
Your obedient servant, JOHN E. BENDIX, Col. commanding Tenth Regt., N. Y. V.
Five days afterwards the colonel also recommended Sergt. Josiah Hedden, of Company C, for promotion to . ensign, "for good conduct and bravery on the field of battle," viee Lient. Heury A. Spencer, resigned.
Among the promotions was that of Com .- Sergt. James M. Smith to the position of second-lieutenant : Sergt. Charles W. Cowtan, of Company A, being appointed to fill his vacated position. The duties of commissary- sergeant, rather thankless at best in any regiment, were enlivened occasionally in the Tenth by the humor and oddities of the "assistant," or regimental butcher. Fred. Danenhauer, who has been heretofore mentioned. Fred.
116
THE NATIONAL ZOUAVES.
was a strong. hurly fellow, unmistakeably "Dutch," and filled with good humor, though noisy and demon- strative at times. He filled his rather onerous position with considerable taet, for it required something of that quality to deal out rations to ten hungry companies and satisfy all. A hurried distribution of rations did not always allow of a strict measurement of each company's allowance: but Fred. had a good eye, and a head for quantities, and dealt out his chunks of bacon or "salt horse" with a nerve and gusto which seldom admitted of a quibble on the part of the sergeant who received it. True, the sugar, coffee, salt and beans were generally measured in the same tin quart cup, and occasionally molasses and vinegar, when another vessel was not handy ; still, Fred's rapid movements and his quaint comments during the operation of issuing served generally to quiet any grumblings which might at times have appeared justifiable. Ilis particular point seemed always to be to come out a "little over"-this being always sufficient evidence for him that he had not been over generous to any one company at the expense of another.
The weather proved altogether too hot for comfort during the time spent in this unhealthy camp, and, in ad- dition to other ailments, camp dysentery was terribly prevalent. Water grew scarce for drinking purposes. and the little run, near which Warren's brigade had pitched their camp, grew to be but a sink of filth in places. Most of the members of the Tenth who were disposed to be cleanly in person chose, after a few days, to go for a time without washing their clothes, rather than trust themselves to a too near acquaintance with this stream of water. As the days passed, provisions grew plentiful, and bacon took the place of the fresh
117
MUSTER OUT OF THE BAND.
meat which had been issued steadily for weeks past. This, with vegetables of several kinds, assisted to re- cuperate the men who were slowly recovering from the mental and physical strain which had recently borne so heavily upon them. There was very little labor to be done-drills and useless parades were for a time almost wholly discountenanced, and all lent themselves to the duty of killing time in the easiest and most agreeable way.
On the 27th of July, Sykes' division was reviewed by Gen. McClellan. This was followed on the next day by a review of the entire Fifth Corps.
A sudden cannonading startled the army on the night of August 1st, and caused much hurrying to and fro for an hour or so. The enemy had silently posted several heavy guns on the opposite side of the James, and opened upon the shipping and honses of the landing: the gunboats immediately returned the fire, and the Rebel guns were soon silenced. It was a grand scare, and, al- though the damage done was slight, the small force of the enemy had the satisfaction of shaking up an entire army and causing considerable trepidation in the minds of its generals. Batteries were erected within the next few days on the opposite side of the river by the Union forces, and a repetition of the attack was made impos- sible.
On the 8th of August, in pursuance of a general order from army headquarters, the musicians of the regimental band assembled at headquarters, and were mustered out of service. One band only was thereafter to be allowed to a brigade. Thus, the band of the Tenth, which had been an object of inch solicitude and eare during its in- fancy at Fort Monroe, came to an abrupt-if not .igno-
118
THE NATIONAL ZOUAVES.
minious-end, and we were forced to content ourselves thereafter with fife and drum. The Seven Days' cam- paign had badly demoralized the " fiddlers," and little music had since been drawn from them. Al. Center, of Company A, the artistic manipulator of the bass drum, had signally distinguished himself at Gaines' Mill in his attempt to escape from the enemy when they descended upon the hospitals, his big drum obstinately refusing to be drawn after him through a rail fence, and receiving some ragged sears. The instrument had never since fully recovered its wonted melodious tone.
The paymaster made one of his semi-occasional ap- pearances about this time and sutlers were soon driving an immense trade. Gutta-percha pies and leathern mo- lasses cakes were plentiful in everybody's tent, and many of the soldiers were " fighting the tiger" from morn- ing until night, and sometimes from daylight until day- light came again, when it was possible to shield the fit- ful light shed by the candle from the watchful eyes of the camp guard. Col. Warren, in passing through the camp, had discovered that greenbacks were changing hands at a lively rate, and that, in fact, "poker," "okl sledge" and the mysteries of "faro" were, to a certain extent, monopolizing the attention of his whole com- mand. He ordered that no playing for money should be allowed. Beans were thereafter the innocent substitute for the more valuable greenback ; but, as each bean represented a certain amount of luere, the order merely had the effect of giving a more respectable appearance to the games withont altering their significance. Then the brigade commander levied upon the faro banks, and other card games, wherever they were to be seen outside the tents of his two regiments. In a spirit of
119
POPE'S CAMPAIGN.
mirthful revenge some of the boys of Capt. Win- chester's company spirited away Col. Warren's darkey, and tossed him in a blanket until the contraband was nearly beside himself with fear, and then, after plenti- fully flouring him, allowed him to depart in peace. If the writer recollects aright, a second or third attempt on the same colored individnal brought the actors into some trouble, and the fun in that particular quarter reased.
PERIOD IV.
THE SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN-ANTIETAM-SHEP- ARDSTOWN FORD-FREDERICKSBURG-MUSTER OUT
OF THE TWO YEARS' ORGANIZATION.
Early in Angust the movement of the Rebel army under Gen. Lee assumed the shape of a pressing demon- tration against Gen. Pope's army in northern Virginia, and urgent messages were sent to MeClellan from Wash- ington, announcing the threatened danger. This im- pelled him to order the evacuation of Harrison's Land- ing, although not without protesting against thus leav- ing the Peninsula, and giving up the laurels won at such great cost. There was some mortification in the army at the thought of what seemed to be a retrograde move- ment and the surrender of advantages ; yet, the Seven Days' retreat had prepared many to expect still further movements of the same kind. If plans for an advance upon Richmond from our present base had assumed de- finite shape in the minds of the commanding general, ex- pectations of such a movement were few among the rank
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THE NATIONAL ZOUAVES.
and file. As to the people of the North, they were still fearful for the safety of the Army of the Potomac, and were undoubtedly relieved when it was known that Ilar- rison's Landing was to be evacnated.
On August 14th, Porter's corps marched from camp, Sykes' division moving after dark, and the next morning crossing the Chickahominy, near its mouth, by a pontoon bridge of great length. Knapsaeks had been sent to Alexandria just before the movement commenced, to- gether with all surplus baggage of the officers, and the army was in light marching order with a vengeance. A blanket or overcoat was all that most of the men car- ried, aside from arms and accoutrements, haversack and eanteen. Just before crossing the river, and while it was vet dark, the troops were resting along the road, when suddenly an alarm or seare occurred in the ranks of the National Zouaves. The cry of "cavalry" was heard, and the regiment, almost to a man, cleared the rail fences on either side, and prepared for an expected charge of Rebel horsemen. The enemy burst upon the regiment in the shape of the colouel's iron-gray stallion, which, with ears and tail ereet, and head extended, flew like the wind down the road, narrowly escaping one or two shots aimed at him by as many excited soldiers. He was at length cornered and captured, and the excite- ment subsided as quickly as it aros, but the occurrence afforded a subject for talk and laughter for some time afterwards.
The troops bivonacked on the afternoon of the 15th. after a march of twenty-five or thaty miles. They were thoroughly worn out, and needed the sleep which they obtained during the night. The next day the march was resumed, the route leading through the ancient
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