USA > New York > Dutchess County > The "Dutchess county regiment" (150th regiment of New York state volunteer infantry) in the Civil War; > Part 10
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The last week of the army in Atlanta was one of antici- pation. Rumors were flying thick and fast as to the time set for our departure, as well as to our mysterious destina- tion. On November 8th General Sherman issued the following :
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SPECIAL FIELD ORDER, No. 119.
The general commanding deems it proper at this time to inform the officers and men of the 14th, 15th, 17th and 20th Corps, that he has organized them into an army for a special purpose, well known to the War Department and to General Grant. It is sufficient for you to know that it involves a departure from our present base, and a long and difficult march to a new one. All the chances of war have been considered and provided for, as far as human sagacity can. All he asks of you is to maintain that discipline, patience and courage which have characterized you in the past; and he hopes, through you, to strike a blow at our enemy that will have a material effect in pro- ducing what we all so much desire, his complete overthrow. Of all things, the most important is, that the men, during marches and in camp, keep their places and do not scatter about as stragglers or foragers, to be picked up by a hostile people in detail. It is also of the utmost importance that our wagons should not be loaded with anything but provisions and ammunition. All surplus servants, non- combatants, and refugees, should go to the rear, and none should be encouraged to encumber us on the march. At some future time we will be able to provide for the poor whites and blacks who seek to escape the bondage under which they are now suffering. With these few simple cautions, he hopes to lead you to achievements equal in importance to those of the past.
By order of Major-General W. T. Sherman,
L. M. DAYTON, Aide-de-Camp.
It will be seen that the execution of this order involved " a departure from our present base and a long and diffi- cult march to a new one;" and that was all the clue we had to the future.
His army at that time consisted of four Army Corps, the 14th, 15th, 17th, and 20th. Of these the 15th was divided into four divisions, the others having three divi- sions each. The corps were grouped in two "wings," as they were termed: the right wing and the left wing. The right wing, composed of the 15th and 17th Corps, was under command of General O. O. Howard, and the left wing, composed of the 14th and 20th Corps, was under command of General H. W. Slocum,
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Our regiment belonged to the 2nd Brigade, which was commanded at first by General Ruger, and afterward by Colonel Hawley of the 3rd Wisconsin. This brigade was a part of the Ist Division which was commanded by Gen- eral N. J. Jackson, and this division was one of the three divisions which constituted the 20th Corps, commanded by General A. S. Williams. Our brigade included, beside our own regiment, the 2nd Massachusetts, 3rd Wisconsin, 107 New York, and 13th New Jersey; five regiments of infantry. The cavalry, which constituted a corps by itself, was commanded by General Judson Kilpatrick.
The strength of the army, as officially reported on November 10th, consisted of 55,329 of the infantry, 5,063 of the cavalry, and 1,812 of the artillery service; in all 62,204 officers and men. Every preparation that human ingenuity could devise with the means at hand had been made, and especially so as to the artillery and wagon trains. Each gun, caisson and forge was drawn by eight horses, the 2,500 wagons had each six mules, and the 600 ambulances had two horses each. Every soldier of the infantry carried on his person forty rounds of am- munition, and in the wagons were enough cartridges to make up 200 rounds per man. The wagons also carried 200 rounds of assorted ammunition for each of the guns in the artillery.
In addition to the generous amount of ammunition stored in the wagons, they also carried about twenty days' rations for the army, and there was a good supply of beef cattle to be driven along on the hoof. So say the official reports, but some of us would like to know what became of all the food, for we got terribly hungry before Savan- nah was captured.
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On the night of November 14, 1864, a large force of men had leveled the great Atlanta railroad depot, round-house, and the machine shops of the Georgia rail- road, and fire was applied to the wreck. One of these machine shops had been used by the Confederates as an arsenal, and in it was stored a vast quantity of shot and shell, some of which proved to be loaded, and the night was made hideous by the bursting of the bombs. There were many narrow escapes from death by this fusillade caused by the fire, but, as far as I can recall, there were no casualties.
Some of us thought we were being bombarded by some newly concentrated rebel army. At any rate, the environ- ments of the last night which we spent in Atlanta were not conducive to sleep, and when, on the morning of the 15th, we had started on our long march, we were not as much refreshed as we would have been save for this careless firing of buildings which contained explosives. Meantime the destruction of the city had been going on, with the burning of public buildings and other property that was liable to be of use to the Confederacy, such as cars, engines, houses and machine shops. As the fire ex- tended to the other buildings it made a brilliant sight in the night.
The different bodies of troops which were to comprise the army when we left Atlanta, were brought together, and on their arrival all were submitted to a careful exam- ination by the surgeons, and those who were not deemed fit to stand a long campaign were sent to the North, as it was intended that the army for such an unusual cam- paign should consist of selected and able-bodied men only. Here was an entirely new army, selected from men who
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were already seasoned to hardship, and in efficiency its equal has never been seen on this continent-or any other. It was to be cut loose from all connection with its base, and compelled to subsist on the country which it was to traverse.
The citizens were all ordered to leave the city, and transportation to either the North or the South-as they might elect-was furnished by the army. I turn to my diary and find that the last train left for the North on November 12, 1864, the tearing up of the railroad tracks commencing immediately; our brigade being sent back three miles to assist, where our regiment tore up and de- stroyed about one mile of track. The rails were then torn from the ties, when the ties were piled in heaps and the rails being laid on the piles, fire was applied. When the rails were red-hot they were taken out and bent in such a way that they could not be used again. When we learned that the last mail was about to be sent North, we embraced the opportunity to write home once more, as we could not know when we should have another chance, nor when we could again hear from our friends in the far North. At last all railroad and telegraphic communications were severed, and as no more supplies were to be had, we must thenceforth depend on the country.
The campaign which followed achieved such a strategic success that it seems sure of posthumous fame in both history and song, being known in the former as " Sher- man's march to the Sea," and in the latter as Marching Through Georgia.
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Bring the good old bugle, boys, we'll sing another song- Sing it with a spirit that will start the world along- Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand strong, While we were marching through Georgia.
Orders from General Sherman were to the effect that Corps Commanders were given power to destroy mills, cotton gins, and buildings when it was deemed necessary or advisable. When the army was not molested the de- struction of property was not permitted, but should the army be molested by the obstruction of roads or the de- struction of bridges, then the Corps Commanders were to destroy property in proportion to the obstruction made.
While the right wing, under General Howard, followed the railroad in a southerly direction towards Jonesbor- ough, the left wing, under General Slocum, led off to the east, by Decatur and Stone Mountain, toward Madison. Sherman says of this movement, "These divergent lines designed to threaten both Macon and Augusta at the same time, so as to prevent a concentration of troops at our intended destination, or 'objective,' which was Mil- ledgeville, the capital of Georgia, distant southeast about one hundred miles."
So complete was the deception that the several diaries kept by members of our regiment all assert that our des- tination was Augusta, Georgia, 170 miles distant. It was Sherman's intention that both wings of his army should traverse the distance between Atlanta and Mil- ledgeville in seven days, or at a rate of about fifteen miles a day.
Much has been written regarding the burning of At- lanta, some claiming that it was an act of inhumanity, and others that it was a military necessity. As a matter of
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fact, Sherman ordered that all public property which was likely to be of use to the enemy, be burned; this was a legitimate part of the war. But beyond this nothing in the city was destroyed save such buildings as were burned by accident. War is not one of the gentle arts, but-as General Sherman forcibly reminded Hood in one of their exchange of letters-"War is cruelty; you can not refine it."
The war was forced upon the government, and we make no apologies for its successful prosecution by the loyal North ; nor do we consider it becoming in those who precipitated it, and would not permit of any other solu- tion of the difficulties involved, to complain, when it came, that "It hurts."
November 15, 1864, we were early in line, and, catch- ing the spirit of the day, set fire to our remaining camp impedimenta and the little huts we had constructed to live in. Soon we marched out of the city eastward, and in a short time reached the village of Decatur, at which place as we paused for a rest, we gazed at the rolling smoke of the burning city which blackened the western sky. It will be appropriate to quote here from a letter which one of the boys wrote home after we had reached Savannah.
"Our first day's march brought us to Stone Mountain, and here our whole brigade went on picket for the night. We spent the next day in destroying railroads, and so began our second day's march after sundown, and finished it in time to eat breakfast and begin the third day's march."
The reader will discover by this pithy extract the chief characteristic of the campaign now begun; it was more a
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campaign of labor than it was of fighting. Stone Moun- tain is eighteen miles from Atlanta, and takes its name from a remarkable granite peak which, rising a thou- sand feet above the surrounding country, forms a striking feature where the horizon outline is otherwise low or gently undulating.
By the night of the third day from Atlanta we reached Covington, and though we went into camp at a late hour in the night, we were aroused for an early start the next morning, and did not make camp again until nine in the evening. On November 19th, we passed through the town of Madison, a fine type of the old Southern town of ante bellum days, and it was there that some Southern newspapers were picked up, and in them we found the news of Lincoln's re-election. At this place our course was changed and we moved southward toward Milledge- ville.
There now began one of those autumnal downpours of rain, which with the peculiar mixture of clay and quick- sands which constitute the soil of Georgia, would have defeated anything but a selected and seasoned army under the most energetic of commanders. On the 20th and 2 Ist the roads were very bad, but by dint of corduroying with rails, and dragging wagons out of mud-holes by ropes, we managed to fetch most of them through. We passed through Eatonton on the 21st, and on the 22nd reached Milledgeville, which was then the state capital, in the afternoon. As our brigade was on the lead that day, we were escorted through the town by the regimental band, which played Yankee Doodle for the edification of the remaining inhabitants, and, crossing the Oconee, went into camp two miles beyond. On the 23rd we remained
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in this camp, and the weather was very cold, water freez- ing in pools all day.
The American soldier can defy hardships of all descrip- tion, but he must sometimes express his intense apprecia- tion of the humorous. This was well illustrated here, for, learning that the governor, legislators, and all of the state officials, had fled from the town, a group of officers one of whom was Captain Woodin of our regiment, took possession of the Hall of Representatives, elected a Speaker, and constituted themselves the "Legislature of the State of Georgia." A proposition to repeal the ordi- nance of secession resulted, after a playful debate, in its repeal by a fair vote.
The Atlanta campaign had confined our army so long to a diet of hard bread and salt meat that it had become greatly infested by scurvy. Under the conditions of this campaign, however, we met with a welcome change, and soon after leaving Atlanta we secured fresh food in abun- dance, and it was "manna to our cracker-and-salt-pork- wasted stomachs and scurvy-infested bodies."
Foraging was one of the duties to be performed by each regiment, for in this way the army was to be sup- plied with food. Details of from five to ten men from each company of the regiment were made, and the body thus formed was always placed under the command of a commissioned officer. It would take a road parallel to the one on which the regiment was moving, and would visit the farm houses, which got pretty well ransacked, and sometimes burned by the stragglers who followed on after the regular foragers. Everything in the line of food material was gathered together, to be delivered to the regiment when the foragers returned to it. There
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was a great variety of provisions, sheep, poultry, cattle, sweet potatoes, bacon, etc., and sometimes wagons, with horses or mules, were used to draw the forage to the road on which the main line of march was made.
As these independent bodies of foragers were new in army organization, straightway a word must be created to fit the article, and presently the new order of men were known as " Bummers;" or sometimes it was made more explicit by calling them "Uncle Billy's Bummers." In plundering plantations, it sometimes happened that wines and liquors were found, and when that was the case it was liable to add somewhat to the gayety of the party. In addition to the foraging thus done by the regular details, there was also some done by individuals on their own account.
The writer had an experience as a " Bummer," and though it was two months after this campaign in Georgia, at the time when we were marching through the Carolinas, I will give it here as a sample of that kind of experience. I was ordered by the colonel commanding the regiment to take command of one hundred men who had been de- tailed from the regiment, and forage after food for the army. We started in the morning as soon as it was light enough to see the road, and, branching off to one side, took a course parallel to the one the main line was on. After getting some distance from the army, and while marching along at a deliberate pace, our attention was attracted by the sound which had become so familiar in the previous campaign; the " Zip "-" Whiz "-" Th " -" Zip," of passing bullets. They came pretty close, some of them striking the trees near us, and isolated from
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the army as we were, the surprise was not a pleasant one to us.
I ordered a skirmish line sent out at once, and it im- mediately took the aggressive so effectually that the enemy's squad were driven for some distance, and at last fled from our vicinity, leaving the field clear. When we were relieved from their presence, we had arrived at a large plantation which must have been the property of some wealthy planter, and as the main army had not yet reached the place, we found cattle and hogs, and a large store-house filled with hams and bacon; also corn meal, flour, etc. The cattle were slaughtered and cut in pieces, hogs were killed and cut in the same manner, and as we had now reached a point the army would pass, we were in readiness as they came along at sunset, to replenish the Commissary Department. The reader can imagine the smiles of the boys as they carried pieces of pork and beef on their bayonets.
CHAPTER XIII. FROM MILLEDGEVILLE TO SAVANNAH.
By GEORGE H. WILLIAMS.
Leaving Milledgeville-Fine Country and Fine Living-Tough Goose-Skirmish, and Chickens-Swamps and More Skirmishing-In Front of Savannah-Capture of Steamboat-Fighting on Argyle Island-Colonel Ketcham Wounded -Capture of Fort McAllister-Hardtack and Home Letters-Surrender of City.
The 20th Army Corps, to which the 150th Regiment of New York Volunteers belonged, left Milledgeville November 24, 1864,-a pleasant morning it was,-and marched in a southeasterly direction over fair roads in the direction of Savannah.
For a long distance the country was fine and the boys were enabled to gather all the sweet potatoes they needed and as hogs were plentiful we lived "tip-top " until well towards the coast, where we struck the swamps and pine- lands, and where eatables were scarce and difficult to pro- cure; so very often the boys would have to lie down at night tired, and with an empty stomach.
I recall that one afternoon my tent-mate, Sergeant George Bierce, got a large goose, and we were thinking of what a fine supper we would have from him. When we halted for camp that night we picked our goose and started boiling it in the kettle. After what seemed a reasonable time Sergeant Bierce examined the prize and reported him " tough;" so we kept the pot boiling, until I was so sleepy and tired that I lay down and went to
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sleep, leaving Bierce still watching the boiling pot. When I arose in the morning he said that the goose was still tough ; so we again started it boiling and kept it up until about the time to march, when we tried to eat him, but it was of no use.
He was still tough; so tough that we were disgusted with him and threw him away; ate a potato or two, and, calling it supper and breakfast, fell in and marched away. Judging from our efforts at cooking the fowl, we agreed that he must have been one of the early settlers of the state.
After leaving Milledgeville we occasionally saw Con- federate cavalry, and when approaching Sandersville they showed themselves in some force, so that our Brigade was deployed and advanced, driving them from the town with little loss to ourselves. While skirmishing with them a portion of the line advanced through the back yards of the residences, and occasionally one of our boys would drop out of line and nab a chicken, wring its neck, and be back in his place in the ranks so quickly as hardly to be missed, for the fighting was not very severe.
After leaving Sandersville some time was spent in the work with which we had become familiar; that of tearing up and destroying railroad track, after which the march towards Savannah was resumed, the enemy making very little opposition.
When we reached Monteith Swamp, a few miles from Savannah, we found that the rebels had fortified the road, and had a battery or two in position to command it. Our division was halted and deployed to make the attack, as we were in front that day (our regiment being on the right of the line), and we turned out of the road and
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made our way through the swamp; the men jumping from one bog to another, and often falling in the mud and water up to their hips; the enemy searching the swamp with shells at the time.
So between mud, water, shells, and skirmishing, we had a very unpleasant advance, but just before we were ready to make the assault the 3rd Brigade of our divi. sion (which had advanced over better ground) charged forward and captured the position, and when we emerged from the swamp we saw the flags of the 6Ist Ohio, and 3 Ist Wisconsin of the brigade, waving over the redoubt.
We encamped for the night near at hand, and the next morning resumed the march toward Savannah, arriving in front of the city, being halted there by its defenses; the artillery of which opened a vigorous shell fire. We deployed immediately, our corps being on the left of Sherman's army. We skirmished there three or four days, losing a few men; one of the wounded being Ser- geant Isaac T. Swezey of Company I, who lost his leg in consequence of the wound.
While operating in front of Savannah a detachment of our regiment, under Captain Henry A. Gildersleeve, captured a Confederate steamer which had on board Colonel Clinch of General Hardee's staff. At high water in the river, at the approach of the Confederate gunboats, the steamer was burned.
There being very little chance to forage here eatables were very scarce, and the boys had sometimes to tighten their belts in place of eating a meal.
December 16th our brigade was transferred over to Argyle Island, one of those broad delta islands in the Savannah river. It lies opposite the city, and on it at
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that time was a considerable rice plantation, and a large rice mill. There were dikes over which we marched and behind which we lay, at high water in the river, when the Confederate gunboats came up to shell us. On one occasion they succeeded in wounding several of our men, and in burning the rice mill.
We here had plenty of very fine fresh rice to eat, but for a time we had no salt, and even fresh rice, if without salt, is not to be recommended for a steady diet. But the right of our army soon captured Fort McAllister and immediately got in communication with the fleet. A few days after this rations were issued, which was about the first we had seen since leaving Atlanta. Hardtack, bacon and coffee were old friends, and were keenly relished.
While we were on the island our colonel, John H. Ketcham, joined us again, and while the brigade (part of which had crossed to the South Carolina shore) were skirmishing with the Confederates, he was severely wounded. It was certainly hard luck for him, as he had only rejoined his command a short time before, and was "knocked out" about the first time afterward that he came under fire.
The colonel was greatly beloved by the members of his regiment, and much sorrow was expressed on his account; the more so as at the time it was rumored that his wound might be fatal, and all hated to lose him.
While our brigade was still on the island the Confed- erates evacuated the city, crossing over to the South Caro- lina side with their troops, and blowing up and destroy- ing the gunboats in the river; when the 2nd Division of our corps under General Geary advanced into the city,
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which was surrendered to his advance brigade by its Mayor.
After the capture of the city our brigade was brought back to the Georgia side of the river, and I vividly re- member the crossing. It was a cold day about Christ- mas, a cold northwest wind was blowing-making the water in the river very low-and the only means for crossing was one or two old flatboats. The men were obliged to wade through the water out to the boats to be ferried across the channel, then jump out into the water and wade to the Georgia shore, and though this took place so many years ago I still have a very realistic recollection of how cold that water was.
When we finally got across large fires were built and the boys stood around them, warming themselves and dry- ing their clothing, after which we marched to a locality northwest of the city and encamped in a grove of live- oaks. Here we remained for some time, while new clothes, shoes, etc., were issued to us. The men bathed, washed, and generally cleaned up, and again looked to be what they really were, good soldiers; for to tell the truth our recent campaign of about two months with hardly a rest, had made havoc with clothes and equip- ments. We also here received our letters and papers from home, having heard nothing from there since leav- ing Atlanta.
Savannah we found to be a fine city of that day, and in its broad streets a review of Sherman's army was held. The Pulaski monument was also an object of interest to us, as it recalled the memory of that gallant soldier who lost his life in the Revolution. Passes were given to the men so freely that all were enabled to visit points
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of interest in and about the city; one thing being a Con- federate blockade-runner which had slipped through our fleet in the darkness of the night, and come up to the city, not knowing that it had been captured by our army.
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