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 17
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At no moment was there anything approaching a panic in the ranks of the 6th Corps, and in saying this there is no re- flection, direct nor implied, upon the organizations that first received the shock of the enemy's attack. We had time to form, and we did so; we acted steadily and constantly under orders, and never fell back a.step, except as the overlapping or flank- ing of the foe necessitated it. Individuals may have run away, but no regiment nor other body of men belonging to the corps was for a moment stampeded. The most that has been uttered about the battle, in an adverse manner, has come from those who never saw this nor any other fight, and in fancy they have worked wonders. They are scarcely Don Quixotes even, but
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rather the windmills that the latter assailed. Should they care to question those who were there, they would find a thorough agreement of sentiment as to the situation when Sheridan came up. The alignment of the 6th and 19th Corps was retained as he found it, and the advance was made therefrom. That some poor fellows were obliged to run, no one denies. They were assailed while sleeping quietly in their tents. Naked they sprang from them, and without arms or clothing they sought shelter as best they could; but they did not make up an army. They were the very first attacked, and their more fortunate comrades further back had more opportunity to dress and be ready. Among those regiments, as Sheridan rode up, were men who were to bear a prominent part in coming years in the affairs of the country. He states in his Memoirs that, at one point. a group of colors arose as he approached, and among the officers he recognized R. B. Hayes, afterwards president, then commanding a division in the Sth Corps, and with him must have been another future president, for William McKinley, a member of the same 23d Ohio, was an officer on Hayes's staff.
What General Wright himself thought upon this subject is evident from the following letter, now for the first time printed.
A member of the regiment, Charles A. Ford of Homer, N. Y., several years since addressed a letter to General Wright, to which the latter was pleased to reply as follows:
Washington, Dec. 5th, 1889.
Dear Sir: I am in receipt of yours of the 30th ult., in which von present the following question: "Do you think the events of the 19th of October, 1864, would have been materially changed had General Sheridan remained in Winchester?"
The position taken up by the 6th and 19th Corps. after the events of the early morning, was in accordance with my in- structions. and I had no thought of falling back further; and I fully intended to assume the offensive as soon as the troops should be fairly in position. The formation was nearly com- pleted when General Sheridan arrived and was carried out under the orders already given, none of them being changed by General Sheridan: indeed, he approved of all the arrange- ments as I explained them to him. I should have attacked sooner than he did; and while the delay was advantageous to us by allowing needful rest to our troops. it must not be for- gotten that the enemy derived a like advantage. That we should beat the enemy I felt no doubt; the 6th and 19th Corps were both well in hand, had suffered little from the
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events of the morning, and my confidence in them was unim- paired.
I think the foregoing is an answer to your question; and I have proposed to contine this reply strictly thereto, not going into a general consideration of the events of that day.
Very respectfully,
H. G. WRIGHT, Brig. and B'v't Maj. Gen. U. S. A. (Retired).
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Fortunately the report of Major James W. Snyder command- ing the regiment is particularly explicit, and it is given in full with an expressed regret that other officers of the Ninth were not, on occasion, equally clear and comprehensive:
Our regiment was aroused at daylight by musketry on the ex- treme left of our line and in front of the Sth Corps. I immediate- ly ordered the men under arms. Lieutenant Wiley of Colonel Keifer's staff, commanding 2d Brigade, rode up and ordered the regiment into line. We formed line in front of our camp, struck tents and slung knapsacks. The sick were sent to the rear, and, as the sailors would say, the "decks were cleared for action." We immediately moved off by the right flank, by file right, forming a line perpendicular to the first line and faced to the rear. At this time Colonel Keifer, commanding brigade. succeeded to the command of the 3d Division. General Ricketts being wounded, and Colonel Ball took command of the brigade. I was then ordered to move the regiment by the left flank to the ground in front of our camp, and after halting a few min- utes, I was ordered to countermarch by the left flank, and moved out and formed a line parallel and some 150 yards to the right and rear of our first line. From this position, we opened fire and held in check the rebels, who were advancing upon the knoll near the camp. At this time we were on the right of the brigade with no connection on our right. and after a few volleys we were ordered to fall back and take a position on a knoll some 200 yards to the rear of this line. Here we again opened fire upon the enemy, whose colors could be dis- tinctly seen between us and our camp as we advanced. At this point their fire was very severe, but we returned compliment for compliment in the shape of leaden bullets. The ground was literally covered with our dead and wounded, but we con- tested the ground, inch by inch, until an aide from the brigade commander ordered us to fall back below the crest of the hill, which we did in good order. At this moment General Wright, commanding the army in the absence of General Sheridan. rode up and ordered me to advance and hold the crest. The com- mand "Forward" was given. The men responded with a cheer. and advanced with enthusiasm under a galling fire in front
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and upon our flanks. The balance of the brigade having fallen back. and there being no connection on our right. our flank was left exposed to a severe cross-fire from the rebel columns, which had got almost to our rear.
Captain Dudrow, on the brigade staff, rode up again, and or- dered me to fall back. I pointed him to General Wright, saying, "The general has ordered me to hold this crest, and I shall obey his orders." Our fire. in the meantime, being delivered with so much spirit. had checked the advance of the rebels, and gave the troops in our rear a chance to form a line. The line being formed, we were ordered to fall back, and marching by the rear rank at a left oblique, we joined the 1st Division on our right. We then halted, faced to the front in a road or lane, and immediately moved by the left flank into a piece of woods about half a mile to the left. There we halted. faced to the front, and sent forward as skirmishers about seventy men under command of Lieutenants Flynn (Company K) and Parrish (Company M). Again under orders we fell back and marched by the right oblique nearly a mile, when our brigade joined the 2d Division on our left. We then faced to the front and the whole line advanced, taking position about one mile and a quarter north of Middletown. There we threw together a breastwork of rails, which we occupied from 10.30 A. M. till 3.30 P. M .. when the whole line was ordered to advance through a piece of woods, which we did in good order. the 122d Ohio being on our left. When we were nearly through the wood and about to emerge into an open field on our right, a heavy fire of musketry and shell was poured into us and caused our whole line to waver. At first a portion of our left fell back, but they were soon rallied and pushed forward and drove the rebels about three-quarters of a mile, until they, taking position be- hind a stone wall, disputed our advance for more than an hour. A portion of my command, having gained a stone wall running perpendicular to the wall behind which the enemy was posted, delivered an enfilading fire, which threw them into confusion and finally into a perfect rout. Their officers tried in vain to rally them, while my men, cheered with the prospect of victory, pressed on after the retreating foe, driving them down the ravine on the north side of the pike, and halted not till our colors were planted first upon the parapet of the rifle-pits in front of the 19th Corps.
Mention of individual bravery would be superfluous, for both officers and men did their duty.
Some 400 men, recruits, who were never under fire before- in fact never had arms in their hands except from Harper's Ferry to this place-fought splendidly and behaved like vet- erans.
It is due to the memory of Lieutenant Orrin B. Carpenter. Company D. who was killed in the early part of the engage-
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ment, to say that although suffering long from fever, and but just able to walk, and having been repeatedly urged for weeks before to go to the hospital, invariably requested to remain with his company, and when the battle commenced was found in line with his men. He was shot through the heart by a rebel sharpshooter while doing his duty and now fills a patriot's grave. Peace be to his ashes.
Lieutenant Oldswager, Company M, just promoted from the ranks, but three days before was killed by a cannon-ball when we advanced upon the crest. He was a noble and brave officer and never flinched from duty.
Captain Howard, Company E. was instantly killed by a cannon-ball, the last shot that was fired from the rebel guns as we made the last advance near the Middletown and Strasburg pike, and when victory had crowned our efforts. He died as all brave soldiers die, with his face towards the enemy, and will long be remembered as one of America's bravest sons.
Thus far we have the great battle as seen by officers, or in general terms. How did it seem to the enlisted man? Fortu- nately that query can be answered, for we have the stories of observers written upon the spot and very soon after the strug. gle. The following letter explains itself :
THE BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK. Written on a Drumhead by one who was there.
The morning of October 19th was cold and misty; the fog was so thick and impenetrable that we could not see across our camp to distinguish a man. Just at the break of day I was awakened by the firing of the 19th Corps and Sth Corps on our front and left. We were ordered to immediately "fall in" under arms, which we did. The regiment was formed in line; we were then ordered to "break ranks." and go to our company streets and pack up-strike tents as soon as possible. We soon had all of our effects on our backs, and were in the ranks again. By this time the fire had become hot and rapid. the balls were whistling through our company and regiment. We faced to the right and marched by that flank to the rear, and filing to the right, halted and formed a line facing to the south. We were here but a moment ; we again faced to the right and moved back to our first position, the double quick; halting here but a mo- ment we were moved back again to the position we had just left; forming a line here we, being on an elevated piece of ground, were ordered to lie down and let the storm of lead and iron pass over us. Now the battle begins to get interesting; the 19th and Sth Corps have broken and are flying across Cedar creek, seeking protection of the 6th Corps. The rebels follow with deafening cheers; already they have turned the guns
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which they have captured on to their former owners; they hurl their shot and shell with deadly effect into the flying columns of the 19th and Sth Corps. The rebels are frantic with delight at the success; but, alas! they come to Sheridan's head- quarters, and looking over on the hill they see the cross of the gallant 6th Corps; they did not expect this, but they now feel confident that even the iron courage of the 6th will not be able to stop them in their course of victory. They rush on after the corps just routed; they meet the 6th; our regiment is in the front line, and is the first to meet the foe. The order comes to "rise and fire." Like one man the whole line rises up and pours in its deadly fire, which stops the rebels and sends them stagger- ing back to the stone wall and protecting hill. Our boys send up cheer after cheer, and keep up the most deadly fire ever poured into a foe. But soon the order comes to "about face" and "retreat"; this order is obeyed very reluctantly, for the rebels are on our old camp-ground, and the boys feel enraged at their impudent trespass; but casting our eyes to the left, we see why we fall back; the rebels have flanked us on our left, and already they pour in a deadly cross-fire on our lines; our men are falling thick and fast on every side; we fall back to a knoll, and again halt and pour in our fire. Here our color- bearer, Thomas Paden, of Company M, was shot and killed. Our colors fell to the ground stained by the blood of the brave color-bearer, but they hardly touched the ground before they were caught up by one of our Company F, and waved triumph- antly in the face of the foe. Here my tent-mate, Wilmer Stout. was wounded. Firing three rounds after he was hit, he refused help to go to the rear, and hobbled off from the field alone; such is the material the 6th Corps is composed of; God bless them. Again the rebel flanks us on the left; again we are com- pelled to fall back slowly, fighting at every step, contesting every inch of ground. The enemy has got range of us now, and pours in such a hail of canister, shot and shell, the air is boiling and seething with bullets; solid shot tear through our ranks, and make fearful vacancies, which are quickly and steadily filled up. The men move as steadily as if they were on drill or parade, their comrades falling on every side; they heed it not, but stubbornly fight and repeatedly ask to charge the rebels. They do not know what defeat is; they do not know how to retreat. Here one of our boys, Anthony Riley. was shot and killed; his father was by his side; the blood and brains of his son covered the face and hands of the father. I never saw a more affecting sight than this; the poor old man kneels over the body of his dead son; his tears mingle with his son's blood. O God! what a sight; he can stop but a mo- ment. for the rebels are pressing us; he must leave his dying boy in the hands of the devilish foe: he bends over him, kisses his check, and with tearful eyes rushes to the fight, determined
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on revenge for his son. We continue to fall back slowly, fight- ing at every inch; the musketry fire now slackens, and we rec- tify our alignment and fall back in splendid order. The ques- tion is being constantly asked. "Why are we retreating?" We_ get no answer. We now reach the woods. Our ammunition is exhausted, and has been for some time; we sent a detail for cartridges, and the company is on the skirmish line. We skir- mish out and soon find the enemy. Our object accomplished, we return to the regiment, which has moved to the left quite a distance. I have omitted to say anything of our officers. During the whole engagement they behaved themselves with great courage and gallantry. I wish to speak especially of Captain Lamoreaux. No braver officer than he ever carried a sword, no kinder-hearted man than he can be found; during the whole fight he was at his post encouraging the boys; in- deed. it seemed he had no fear, and fighting gave him pleasure. He was complimented on the field of battle by the adjutant gen- eral of General Wright's staff. Such an officer deserves the respect and admiration of all his men, and our captain has all of that.
The musketry has now ceased, but the artillery fire is very brisk; the shell and canister are poured in very freely where we are forming. We now converted hastily a rail-fence into temporary breastworks; behind this we lay now, waiting the attack of the "Johnnies." Here Lyman Coleman broke one of his false teeth. We had not long to wait here, for they soon charged at the right of our lines. Just at this time General Sheridan came up and rode along our lines; the tired and battle-worn soldiers greeted him with rousing cheers. He told us we would sleep that night in the same old camp-ground we left in the morning; that we would soon gain all that we had lost. This seemed to inspire every soldier with fresh cour- age, and all were anxious to charge the victorions rebels, and we had not long to wait, for the "Johnnies" came down on our right with their cat-like yells.that sounded more like demons than men. Our boys returned vell for vell, and greeted them with a deadly volley of musketry; in all my army experience I never before heard such firing; the earth shook and reeled; the forest trees trembled with the shock; no living man could stand such firing as this. They were hurled back to their ranks bleeding and broken. and now comes the order to charge. Our captain said to me. "We are now going to charge. . God only knows who will come out alive." "Forward""' he commands in loud tones. Up spring the boys, over the rail-piles we go; the cau- tionary command rings out. "Steady, men, steady." Oh! what a sight to see these men press on in the face of death, nothing daunted. We get outside of the woods into the open field, the rebels pouring into our faces a deadly fire from behind the stone wall, which has a deadly effect on our ranks; but they
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close up and press on with cheers and shouts; we gain a bill in front of the enemy; here we halt and pour in our fire. Our company halts on a point of the hill, and of all the fires I was ever under, I think that was by far the hottest; the air boils and seethes with minie-balls and screeching shells and solid shot and deadly canister; all tear and plunge through our ranks. Our boys fall thick and fast; but look! the brigade is falling back; the brigade wavers; I hear the voice of the gallant old colonel from the tumult of the battle urging up them who are falling back. He says: "Will you leave those boys to face the foe alone? Back. you cowards." He succeeds in rallying them, and we again move forward. The rebels fight well, but we flank them, and they must give way. We gain a position behind a stone wall and give them a cross-fire; we fight hand to hand and man to man. Oh! these are dreadful moments. The rebels give way on the right; we capture the battery which has played such fearful havoc in our ranks; their whole line wavers; now they run. Hurrah for the Union! Hurrah for old Abe's boys! Now begins one of the worst stam- pedes of the war. Talk about Bull Run; it is no comparison to Cedar Run. The rebs throw away everything that would impede flight and skedaddle for life. Our cavalry charge their flank; they fall into complete confusion, every man for him- self. There is no rallying the gray-backed rebels of Jubal Early. How my heart leaps for joy to see the glorious. stars and stripes following close on the heels of the flying rebels; the plain is dotted with flags, the air resounds with the shouts of the victorious "Yanks," which sound the death-knell of the flying foe, which only stops and fires an occasional shot. The prisoners pour in by regiments; whole trainsof wagons and artil- lery fall into our hands at once. Darkness is now closing over the scene. O night. you came just in time to save the remnant of this once grand army. They make quick work in climbing Fisher's hill; drivers abandon their teams, and all flee the wrath to come. Early says: "Take to the mountains;" and to the mountains they go, the worst whipped rebels the world ever saw.
It is now dark. We are all ordered to our old camp; slowly we wend our way, stepping over the bodies of friends and foes. Now and then the groans of the dying and wounded break the stillness of the night; a gloom hangs over the field of battle; I come to the old camp; I come to the very ground where my fent stood in the morning, but I now miss my tent-mate and comrade. I feel lonesome, and utterly exhausted I lie down on the ground. Victory was on our banner, but our comrades living and dead mingle together on the ground. . I was very tired. I hadn't eaten anything all day, yet I could not
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sleep, nor could I eat; I could but mourn for my poor comrades, our shattered and bleeding regiment.
Morning comes at last; the sun rises on a horrible scene; the dead cover the ground, -the wounded have lain all night and are now dying slowly. I will here come to the conclusion. I forbear to bring up this scene again. Please excuse the poor way in which I have described this terrible battle. Let your prayers be for the speedy return of peace to this our distracted country.
CHARLES L. SHERGUR.
Fought Oct. 19th, 1864.
From far away Missouri comes this account of personal recollection of the fierce encounter by Stephen E. Hurtubise of Company L:
Corporal Clark, Elisha Springer and myself were tent-mates, and on the morning of the 19th of October I went to a spring for three canteens of water, about one-fourth of a mile from our camp. It was daylight, but quite early. I met three or four comrades whom I did not know, but who were on the same errand as myself. We got the water and washed, as soldiers often did, and while we were at that we heard a gun fired at our left, and one man said: "It was on the picket-line." and I replied, "What are they doing with artillery on picket?" Before many minutes we knew that a fight was on, and we left for our commands. When I got to my regiment. the men had fallen in, but the guns were still stacked and the boys were trying to get some breakfast, but the Johnnies prevented their cooking anything. Bullets were flying in our camp, and the order was to paek up and fall in. We were not long at that, our line facing westward, and the fighting was southeast. As soon as we were in line, we moved by the right flank in double quick, and that brought our line east and west with the com- mand, "Halt! Front!" We were with our backs to the Johnnies; not a good position to fight in, and when the officers saw what they were doing. they countermarched us under fire to bring us face to the fight. I may say right here that not many troops would stand this and not break, but the old Ninth, rank and file, was as good as any of them. Our brigade advanced, and Captain William Wood, commanding our battalion, ordered us to lie down, and a stream of wounded and demoralized troops passed over us and went to the rear. It looked to me as if the whole army was running to the north, and the Johnnies after them. Then came the order to rise and to begin firing, but after a round or two, some were panie-stricken and started to fall back. I had an old Springfield musket, and it didn't go off, so I tried to make it go, but fate was against me. While I was holding it up to fire, a ball struck the stock and it was
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worthless. At this moment, looking around, I found that my- self and two others formed the line of battle, our comrades having forsaken us. It didn't take us long to get back where the other boys were, but by his time the officers had stopped the panic, and the firing was brisk on the right, but there was some sort of commotion in our company, and I went to see what it was all about. I found Lieutenant Howe, with a gun across his body, barring the way of some men who wanted to form a line further north, but he would not hear to it. I asked him to give the gun to me, for mine was broken, and he com- plied. I made the boys mad by telling the lieutenant to let the boys run if they wanted to, whereupon they turned upon me, and said they were as good soldiers as I was, and would not run. So we all stayed, and did our duty like men. No more scare after that. We kept the Johnnies at bay for some time, but we lost some good men right there. One of the Jackson boys was killed by my side, and the other wounded, but the line was firm. Captain Andrew J. Smith of General Keifer's staff rode up to us with division colors and wanted our regi- ment to advance. but no order to do so was given by our officers. He said he would give a dollar if we would tell him what we were firing at; just then Corporal Kibbie of L Company was hit in the arm. and he offered the captain five dollars if the latter would tell who hit him. The officer did not take the proffer. but rode away, thinking we were a hard lot. The boys were as cool as if on parade. My comrade, Sinclair, tried to light his brier pipe, saying. "My breakfast was not very good (he hadn't had any), and I don't know how long this foolishness will last." He always had a cool head for a young man. About this time we must have moved around some, for when I was wounded and started for the rear with James Bell, we found that rear in the hands of the enemy, and we were both taken prisoners. and were carried over the field where we first formed in line of battle, passing many dead and badly wounded. We were taken to the Belle Grove mansion, where Sheridan had his headquarters. Now the rebels were using it for a hospital. I was left. but Bell was taken further. There were many
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