USA > New York > The Ninth New York heavy artillery : a history of its organization, services in the defe battles, and muster-out, with accounts of life in a rebel prison, personal experiences, names and addresses of surviving members, personal sketches and a complete roster, pt 1 > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27
This trip up the bay could not have been more pleasant. though our boat had been a stock transport, and still bore un- mistakable traces of the stable. As we passed the mouth of the Potomac, it became evident that Washington was not our desti- nation. Having rations in abundance, with plenty of leisure. there was nothing to prevent the soldiers having a good time. Many letters were written, and it was not an infrequent sight to see a score of lines trailing along behind the boat. To each one there was attached at least one soldier's shirt; we were not fishing. though some, knowing well our entomological condition, did suggest live bait for sharks. It was an opportunity to give one's garments a good soaking and their denizens a pickling. and we felt cleaner for the operation. Night shut down upon us while we were steaming southward, and we gave ourselves to dustless sleep. Early on the morning of the Sth of July, we were docked somewhere, but no one seemed to know just the place.
122
NINTH NEW YORK HEAVY ARTILLERY.
The rising sun soon disclosed such an abundance of chimneys and steeples that we were sure that Baltimore was the name, and our impressions were soon confirmed. The docks are early_ a scene of lively preparation for eating and departure. Soldiers of an investigating nature make tours, more or less predatory, in the neighborhood, and secure variations in the monotony of army rations. Our stay here, however. is brief, for soon after 7 A. M. we are off in a westerly direction. Passing the Relay House and keeping the main line of the Baltimore & Ohio rail- road, we are certain that Harper's Ferry is sought. Possibly there could be no stronger contrast than that of the dust-cov- ered, war-devastated region which we had left in Virginia and the verdant, fertile country through which the train was rapid- ly bearing us. Here were people at home and at work, a novel sight to our eyes, and the flag of the Union was in evidence on many a house and yard. Our train, made up of freight and cattle cars, was not running at express rate, for danger lurked near every southern and border road, so it was considerably past noon when we drew up at Monocacy Junction, fifty-four miles west of Baltimore. Though many alight to purchase food of the hucksters, who have numerous tents here, the train soon moves across the Monocacy river, and then, instead of keeping the main track to Harper's Ferry, deflects to the right and passes on to Frederick City, that famed place which Whittier had already rendered immortal in his "Barbara Frietchie." Though we were ahead of some parts of our division, we were by no means the first to pass over this route. At S A. M. the 10th Vermont and the 14th New Jersey of the 1st Brigade had gone on to Frederick, and had been doing their best to make the enemy believe that a large force was opposing.
At this point a statement should be made as to just why we were thus so far away from the Army of the Potomac. The Lynchburg campaign of General Hunter had left open the valley of the Shenandoah, and Lee was not slow to improve the opportunity to replenish his stores from the granary of Vir- ginia after the familiar fashion of preceding years. Accord- ingly, Early with the old soldiers of "Stonewall Jackson" are sent out to forage, pillage, and if possible to make a diversion of Grant's forces before Petersburg, through an assault upon Washington, for the vise-like hold of the new Union leader had become extremely irksome to the Confederate commander and
+
.
MAJOR GENERAL LEW WALLACE,
Commanding at Monocacy.
123
TO AND THROUGH MONOCACY.
his followers. That Lee had thus disposed of a part of his force, the Union authorities could hardly be made to believe. Numerous dispatches are in existence whereby President J. W. Garrett of the Baltimore - & Ohio railroad finally convinced Halleck, Grant and Meade that some attention must be paid to the Union rear; hence the sudden departure of the 3d Divi- sion on the 6th of July, and the later following to Washington of the 1st and 2d Divisions.
We are all at sea, for no one appeared to really know how many men were in Early's army, and there was only a general knowledge as to his whereabouts. During a large part of the war a considerable force was maintained at or near the Junction. Colonel C. K. Thomas, about whose home the battle of the 9th was fought, has said that he left Baltimore in '61 to be out of the whirl of war, but that for most of the time between '62 and '65 there were encamped within sight of his house from 2,000 to 15,000 troops. At this particular time there were in the immediate vicinity the first separate brigade of the Sth Corps. under the command of Brigadier General Erastus B. Tyler, and a small cavalry detachment under Lieutenant Colonel David R. Clendenin of the Sth Illinois Cavalry. To these was joined in the fight the 3d Division of the 6th Corps, all except a part of the 2d Brigade, including the 6th Mary- land, the 67th Pennsylvania, and a portion of the 122d Ohio. Colonel Horn of the 6th Maryland states in his report that it was the breaking down of an engine on the transport that caused the delay of this detachment. The Union forces were under the command of General Lew Wallace .*
*Lewis Wallace, better known by the abbreviated "Lew," was born in Franklin Co., Ind., April 10th, 1827, the son of David Wallace, a graduate of West Point, and a very prominent office-holder in that state. The younger Wallace, after receiving a common school educa- tion, was studying law when the Mexican War began, and, suspending his studies, he went in as a first lieutenant. On hisreturn, he resumed his law study and was an attorney in Crawfordsville when the Rebel- lion began. He became adjutant general of the state, then went to the front as colonel of the 11th Indiana Infantry, was promoted brig- . adier general, Sept., 1869; he led a division at the capture of Fort Donelson, and his bravery there secured a commission as major general of volunteers early in 1862. He was at Shiloh, and the poet, Wilson, in his "Old Sergeant" says,
"There was where Lew Wallace showed them he was of the canny kin."
124
NINTH NEW YORK HEAVY ARTILLERY.
During a considerable portion of the 8th, Colonel Harvey and his men of the 10th Vermont, with those of the 14th New Jersey, were doing their best to make a big showing west of Frederick, for the purpose of impressing the presumably on- looking rebs with the magnitude of the Union forces. To some extent the tricks of Bannockburn were resorted to, and the re- sults were satisfactory, at least to the extent of keeping the Confederates back till the remainder of the division arrived.
The hour was well along in the afternoon when our train reached Frederick and marched through the streets of Dame Barbara's city. Many an eye was cast right and left, wondering whether a gleam of her flag might not be seen, but we had no key to the situation nor directory of the city, though we did remark the plentiful display of colors.
"Forty flags with their silver stars, Forty flags with their crimson bars, Flapped in the morning wind: the sun Of noon looked down and saw not one."
Merely advancing the time to afternoon and eve, the fore- going description applies to our observations, though the even- ing part was told by our men captured on the skirmish line, but there was no woman left in the city to take up the flag "the men hauled down." The body of Barbara Frietchie, only four years short of a century old, for nearly two years had been lying in the Lutheran cemetery of Frederick. Our three com- panies, A, B and C, march to the westward on the Hagerstown pike, and filing to the left form in line in a field of corn whose tassels reach to our chins. Captain Hyde of A Company com- mands the detachment. A line of pickets is thrown out, which later largely falls into the hands of the enemy. The scene as we
He commanded in Cincinnati on the expected rebel attack in 1863, and the next year brings him to Monocacy and its sacrifice. Later he was of the board that tried the Conspirators, and also he presided at the trial of Wirtz, the Andersonville fiend. Returning to civil life, he has been governor of Utah and U. S. minister to Turkey. Possibly it was this eastern residence that suggested his great story, Ben Hur, whose wonderful popularity has given him a foremost place among writers of fiction. That his military spirit is not dead we may gather from the fact that he was an applicant for service at the beginning of the Spanish War. In a letter to the writer, he mentions his recollec- tions of Monocacy and his appreciation of the services of the Ninth in that battle. His home is still in Crawfordsville.
--
125
TO AND THROUGH MONOCACY.
thus face the setting sun is indelibly impressed on many minds. To the westward are the Catoctin mountains, only a few miles beyond which, at Antietam, was fought the bloodiest single day's battle of the entire war, nearly two years before. Up those very steeps where now is seen the dust from rebel tread, in 1755 rode Braddock to defeat and death. Our surroundings are fragrant with history, but it is not that which chiefly concerns us now, The men speedily learn that marauders have not. recently dis- turbed this locality, so they dip freely into the toothsome con- tents of well-stored spring houses, in some cases leaving com- rades to carry their guns should the line fall back.
Darkness was upon us when we heard the order to retire, and then began a march not so long as many we had taken, but very trying on account of the hard road upon which we were called to march. The soft and yielding highways of Virginia had afforded no preparation for the macadamized pike upon which we traveled, back through Frederick and towards Baltimore till we had passed the Monocacy river, upon a great stone bridge, which arched the stream most beautifully. A toll-gate was evident as we passed through the parapets, and that poor toll-taker must have grown weary of the stale remark, "We'll pay you when we come back."*
Finally we file to our right, and in the darkness plod along with sadly blistered feet and heavy eyelids. Apparently our guide is not proficient in his knowledge of the way, for there are many halts, not long enough for rest, but just sufficiently frequent to be vexatious when we all wanted to camp. There was a decided variation when a gun of the Baltimore Battery accompanying us was tipped over and men of the Ninth had to right it. It was long past midnight when in a drizzling rain we got the welcome order to halt and in place rest. This we did effectually until the east began to redden, when we fell in and marched a short distance, coming out on elevated land near the stopping-place of the train the day before.
*There are few if any finer specimens of bridge-making in America; built in 1808, it is still as firm and beautiful as when erected. Here in December, 1824, the citizens of Frederick met Lafayette, on his mem- orable tour, and escorted him to their city. Some may note the great stone decanter or cruise on the eastern end, placed there probably to indicate the plenty known to abound in Frederick county. The pass- ing events are to add to its history.
126
NINTH NEW YORK HEAVY ARTILLERY.
The other companies of our battalions are here; with a beau- tiful view of the land on which the day's fighting is to be done, we take an early breakfast, in many cases enriched by the pre- ceding night's visits to Maryland dairies. How blissfully igno- rant we are of the coming conflict! Farm-laborers are working energetically to secure the crop of wheat which covers the large field west of the Washington pike and south of the river. Apparently the owner suspects trouble in this vicinity. We can see that had we followed the road from Frederick down, we might have reached our present station easily and quickly, but the Confederates had made of that road "no thoroughfare." In other words they held the road, having worked in at our left while we were facing westward, and the wonder was that all of us were not taken; there was reason enough for the careful way in which our night's march was made. Two ex- tremely attractive young women are very much in evidence as they flit from place to place, obviously in deep distress over something. The last that we saw of them was their rapid cross- ing of the railroad bridge to the westward.
There is a big stone mill, Gambrill's, at our left, and a well- shaded way leads up to the mansion of Colonel C. K. Thomas. It is in the vicinity of 9 o'clock when we find ourselves in line on the Georgetown pike, with the covered bridge at our right. Between us and the wheat-field is a well-made mortised rail- fence. We are directed to lift it up and lay it down, an order we readily obeyed. Lieutenant Fish with his boys of Company B are on the other side of the river guarding the bridge; be- yond them on the skirmish line, along with many of the 10th Vermont and some others, is Captain A. S. Wood and his Com- pany M. Our regiment is well to the right of the line, and in the earlier part of the day the fighting is largely at the left of the 1st Brigade, in and about the premises of Colonel Thomas. A wheat-field south of his home is a prominent theatre. and it is an interesting sight to see shocks of wheat used as a defense by our soldiers. Also the hedges and trees in the Thomas yard are thoroughly utilized. Again and again the rebel advances are repelled, but they eventually outreach and completely flank our position.
In the meantime rations are brought to us as we lie under the brow of the hill, as usual trying to burrow by means of haversack utensils. The fact that we are under fire drove to
127
TO AND THROUGH MONOCACY.
safe places in the rear the contingent that during active service was chiefly in evidence when food was distributed, so that once in regimental life the supply of luxuries like sugar and coffee exceeded the demand, but later in the afternoon, when the rebs swept down over our position, they licked our platters clean in no time, and, it would seem, never lost their alignment for a moment. They knew a good thing when they saw it. It is
FREDERICK
IMILE.
8
7
5.
Fred Branch
ยท2 3742
Line of Retreat.
5
E
8.O.R. R.
Reben
BRECKENRIDGE.
m
CK.
V
-
Line of March.
T
6
S
GORDON.
To Washington.
U12 1012.
Rebel.
MONOCACY BATTLEFIELD.
1. Turnpike Bridge.
2. Wallace's Headquarters.
3. Gambrill's Mill.
4. Blockhouse.
5. Battery.
6. Col. Thomas' Home.
7. Olivet Cemetery.
8. Line of Battle, the 8th.
9. Road to Harper's Ferry.
10. Hospital.
226075
Baltimore Pike.
R 4
aliseur.
Push
B. . O. R.R.
vivid in many minds to this day, the view of those stragglers who, like Job's war-horse, sniffed the battle from afar, and went without their rations. Way beyond our skirmish line,
128
NINTH NEW YORK HEAVY ARTILLERY.
quite near the city of Frederick, is Mount Olivet cemetery, and in it lies the body of Francis Scott Key, who wrote "The Star Spangled Banner," and we wonder whether the proximity of stars and bars does not make his remains uneasy.
Major Burgess has moved along with his battalion towards the left; Alexander's Battery has gone in before we are ordered to advance. The foe has found a ford in the Monocacy down the stream, and is now making his way up the river's side. A large field of standing corn confronts us just to the westward of the wheat-field in which we had been lying, and we under- stand that the enemy is approaching under cover of the tas- seled stalks. Before this, however, the turnpike bridge has been fired by Lieutenant Fish's men, and the story is best told by one of the company as follows:
"Colonel William H. Seward, Jr., received orders from Gen- eral Wallace about 9 A. M. to detach two companies from his regiment for perilous duty. Colonel Seward immediately de- tached Company B by the following order (the line was resting in place): 'Lieutenant Fish, order your company in line and move it down to that bridge, and hold it at all hazard.' The order was promptly executed. The company arranged to stubbornly defend the passage of the bridge. The rebels tried to dislodge the company by directing shells on the bridge, which raked the structure with terrific force, but failed in their design. 'Hold it at all hazard,' was the order. As the battle raged furiously. the lines changed front, and from the situation of the respective armies it became evident that the bridge must be burned to prevent General Breckinridge, who was waiting near Frederick City with two divisions, from crossing the bridge and intersecting our rear. Members of the company procured sheaves of wheat from a near-by field. and placed them under the southeast corner of the roof of the bridge.
About 12.30 P. M. Lieutenant Fish received an order from Colonel Seward to burn the bridge, which was promptly ex- ecuted. Privates Alven N. Sova, Samuel R. Mack, and Sergeant Albert L. Smith participated in setting the fire. which wrapped the roof in flames like magic. It was impossible to rejoin the regiment at this time. The only escape was to the rear, but Lieutenant Fish declined to move his company without orders. About 2 P. M. a field-officer rode up and ordered Lieutenant Fish to move his company to the rear immediately, which he
FREDERICK CITY.
GRAVE OF BARBARA FRIETCHIE (Right). GRAVES OF FRANCIS SCOTT KEY AND WIFE. CONFEDERATE MONUMENT. OLD STOREHOUSE, MONOCACY JUNCTION.
129
TO AND THROUGH MONOCACY.
1
did while being urged forward by rebel bullets. On intersect- ing the railroad it was found that Lieutenant R. E. Burton and two privates were missing or taken prisoners. On cross- ing the railroad the situation seemed perilous, and to prevent the further reduction of his ranks Lieutenant Fish gave this unique order: 'Sergeant Stanford, put the bayonet through the first damned man that attempts to leave the ranks.' On reach- ing the woods and filing to the right soon came out into an open field. and were intersected by General Wallace on his return from the stone bridge, where he had been to personally give orders to Colonel Brown. On nearing the company the general asked, 'What troops are these?' Lieutenant Fish re- plied, 'It is Company B of the 9th New York Heavy Artillery.' General Wallace said. 'Lieutenant Fish, it is no fault of your company nor the 9th New York Heavy Artillery regiment that this battle has been lost.' Lieutenant Fish replied, 'General, I trust not.' On starting to leave the company, General Wal- lace remarked, 'Lieutenant Fish, I certainly will remember you in my report,' and rode away rapidly."
The other company to which special duty was assigned was M, whose captain, Anson S. Wood, thus describes its perform- ance of duty :
"I was directed to take files enough from Company E (six men, Lieutenant Freeoff) to make with my company my 100 men for picket duty. and an orderly from General Wallace's staff was directed to show me where to go. I had no orders, and no intimation was given me that we were in the presence of the enemy.
"I crossed the bridge, and marched up the pike toward Fred- erick. anticipating a pleasant day on picket when suddenly a rebel skirmish-line opened full upon us. I immediately ordered my men to lie down, and went forward a short distance to ascertain whether there were any of our troops near by. I soon discovered a Union captain, and learned from him that he had some sort of a skirmish-line on the left of the pike look- ing toward Frederick, and that he outranked me. I told him that I reported for orders and awaited his instructions. He said he thought I had better move my men up and reinforce his line. I did so, and within five minutes the captain and the few men he had there disappeared from my sight and hearing forever. The rebel skirmish-line was a few hundred yards in 9
130
NINTH NEW YORK HEAVY ARTILLERY.
our front, and we exchanged shots from time to time, but the firing was very light. I had been upon the skirmish-line but a short time when I received -a visit from General Ricketts, accompanied by two or three members of his staff. He in- quired of me who was in command of the line, and I stated to him the disappearance of the captain to whom I had reported for orders. He directed a soldier standing near to knock down the fence so he could ride on the pike, directed me to stop the firing, or advance the line, said he would send a field-officer to take charge of the line, whereupon Captain Damon of the general's staff pointed to a mounted officer a long distance in the rear, and said: 'That is Colonel ---- , who is field-officer of the day.' General Ricketts said, 'I will send him to you.' Just at that moment the rebel skirmishers gave the general a salute, and he turned and rode away. I immediately deployed the larger number of my men to the east side of the pike. I never saw the officer after that, never received any orders from that time on from any source, but fought my part of the battle untrammeled with orders from any source. Not long after the general left, Lieutenant Parrish . discovered that an attempt was being made to fiank us on the extreme right. and I directed him to change our line so as to prevent it. Some time prior to the commence- ment of the battle proper. the rebel skirmish-line was rein- forced by troops moving up from the direction of Frederick.
An advance was made on our line, and I ordered the men to fall back to the line of the railroad. I think it was about this time that Surgeon Chamberlain was captured at a farm-house between the lines, but some distance to the left of my line. About this time Captain Parker of the 106th New York, with one or two companies, moved forward on my left. My skir- mish-line in falling back to the railroad displayed about as good soldierly qualities as the most strict disciplinarian could desire. They maintained an excellent line, loading and firing rapidly, keeping the rebel advance in check until they reached the cover of the railroad cut. I recall particularly one soldier, a tall. stern man, formerly a school-teacher in one of the western counties of the state (I think his name was Mellon), who stopped and fired each time with great deliberation and ex- cellent effect. After we reached the line of the railroad. a few of the Maryland 100-day men made their appearance and helped
131
TO AND THROUGH MONOCACY.
to hold our line. Just before the bridge was fired, a message came to me that it was to be burned, that I was to hold my line as long as possible, that if it became necessary to get out, I could come on the railroad bridge or ford the river, and the place where fordable was pointed out to me. I am unable to state from where the message came, but I think it must have come from General Wallace through one of his staff.
"From my position I had an excellent opportunity to witness the main battle. If I had been fortunate enough to have a field- glass, I could have taken it in in all its details. I held my position on the railroad till after our troops were driven from the field. then recrossed the river, Lieutenant Parrish and a part of the men taking to the water. I crossed with the bal- ance of the men under a severe fire, but fortunately without loss. One man was killed fording the river with Lieutenant Parrish. I do not recollect how many were killed and wounded out of the hundred men I took up on the skirmish-line that morning, but I think our loss was not so heavy as in the other companies of the regiment. I was slightly wounded myself.
"I shall always think that no troops ever behaved better on the field of battle than the handful of men who delayed for one day Jubal Early and his Confederate forces on their way to capture Washington. After crossing the river my company reformed in one of the rifle-pits, from which we were ordered by General Ricketts himself on his retreat from the battle- field. I think my company was the only organization that kept together. I know that from time to time other members of the old regiments joined us, and I think ours was the first regiment to recover and get into shape after the battle.
"Among other things I vividly remembered was seeing Colonel Taft's black horse galloping riderless to the rear, and later on Adjutant Pringle on his cream-colored steed following rapidly in the same direction. That day and the night following tried my physical endurance more severely than any other like period of my army service. I never recall it without wondering how I ever could have endured it. It was the best and the hardest day's work of my soldier's life. It was the last time I marched on foot; from that time on I was mounted."
It was well along in the afternoon when we, who had been lying so long on the brow of the hill, were ordered in. We were very near the river. only one regiment. the 110th Ohio, at
132
NINTH NEW YORK HEAVY ARTILLERY.
our right, intervening. Colonel Seward sat his horse as erect as a centaur; Lieutenant Colonel Taft was also in his place and mounted with Adjutant Pringle. Our alignment is excellent, and the colors stream along as we advance over the space sepa- rating us from a standing field of corn. Here is another strong fence whose rails afford us excellent rests for our guns as we rapidly fire into the field through which the enemy is making his way and firing as he comes. We are finding no fault with our part of the game, and our Harper's Ferry muskets are doing such execution that we think ourselves able to hold the place indefinitely. But there is trouble at the extreme left, where we are flanked. Soon the order comes to fall back, which we obey slowly, keeping up a desultory fusilade at the rebels, who climb our fence in a surprisingly brief time after our leaving it. A halt is made near the point where we had thrown down the fence. Lieutenant Harmon of Company H unconsciously used the refrain of Root's Battle Hymn as he exclaimed, "Rally round your flag, boys," for the colors were there. Further along. towards the left, and under the hill. Colonel Seward, who had been injured by his wounded horse falling upon him, and who was supported by two men, was directing an officer and guard to advance to a tree some rods nearer to the enemy to secure Lieutenant Colonel Taft, who was lying there wounded. This order Lieutenant Colvin of Company H essaved to obey, but before the officer could be reached. the rebel line had swept by, and the effort was futile.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.