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 21
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The official report of General Keifer is as the foregoing, though he says: "This brigade, save the 13Sth Pennsylvania, occupied the line of works including Forts Fisher, Welsh and Gregg, and about three-quarters of a mile from the enemy's forti- fications. The enemy's picket-line was strongly entrenched, and manned by an unusually large number of men." He further states that "the first regiments advancing are the 110th and the 122d Ohio. When the second advance is made, the 67th Pennsyl- vania, 6th Maryland, 126th Ohio and one battalion of the Ninth are in line and go forward under a heavy fire. This they do at 3 P. M. and without halting to fire. More than 200 prisoners are taken.
"Notwithstanding a heavy fire from the enemy's guns cou- centrated on the troops, the captured line was held. It subse-
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quently proved to be of great benefit to the corps by enabling troops to be formed behind it for an assault upon the enemy's works." In favors bestowed he mentions approvingly the leadership of Colonel Snyder.
Colonel Snyder's report is particularly interesting, setting forth the part borne by the entire regiment.
"Two battalions of the regiment were sent into Fort Fisher to repel any attack in case we should be driven back into our main works. The other battalion (1st) was formed in rear of our picket-line. We advance in good order under a heavy fire of musketry to our picket-line, where we halted for about thirty minutes, when at a given signal we crossed a deep marsh or swamp. The battalion oc- copying the extreme left of the line, being somewhat farther from the enemy's line than the other portion of the line. did not reach as soon as the other parts, but we were not far behind, capturing the rebel pickets in our front.
"Sergeant Cornelius Flannery, Company I, particularly dis- tinguished himself in the assault by his bravery; Captains Chauncey Fish and Henry J. Rhodes (the latter having been wounded, but would not leave the field) deserve great credit for their gallantry, and for their exertions in urging the men forward to the assault."
On the next day, the 26th, "two Confederate officers came directly towards our regiment waving a white flag. The order to cease firing was passed along the line. All the men, both Federal and Confederate, climbed upon their respective breast- works and stood watching the two parties going to meet each other between the lines. Just when the parties were about to meet. two Confederate videttes fired into our men from a pit directly in front. One bullet struck Corporal Willard Rand of Company G in the right arm. passed through it and through his body and lodged against the skin on the left side near the heart. killing him instantly. Immediately every man was be- hind the works with rifle in hand. ready to avenge the dastard- ly murdering of his comrade, but the prompt and vigorous action of the officers prevented the slaughter of every man between the lines.
"Rand's body was carried to the rear in an ambulance and was buried by Chaplain Devoe and John H. Devoe. The full details of his death and a short biography of his life were
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written, placed in a glass bottle, and buried at his head. Rand was a noble fellow beloved by every man in the company."
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The opposing lines are very near each other. March 27th the long roll was beat at 4.30 A. M., for the enemy made val- iant efforts to retake our picket-lines, but failed, this particu- larly before the 2d Division. Then came a flag of truce and agreement to cease picket-firing. For some reason the heavy guns of Fort Lee are sent to City Point, and Quaker or wooden guns take their places. No guns are left in the battery. The 29th, heavy firing on our left indicates trouble in front of the 5th Corps, and the Johnnies make unsuccessful efforts to take Fort Stedman again, but they make nothing. The 30th sees a continuance of yesterday's firing, though the rain falls in tor- rents. Musketry and cannon drown even the waterfall, and kept everyone along the line on the qui rire. Everyone is packed up and ready to move at the word. The expected charge was not made, prevented in part by the rain, but more especial- ly by information imparted by some sneaking deserter from our side, at least this is the statement by rebel deserters. At 4 P. M. we pitch our tents again.
From "Hardtack and Coffee," by permission.
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BREAKING THE LINES, AND SAILOR'S CREEK.
CHAPTER XXI.
BREAKING THE LINES AND SAILOR'S CREEK.
April 1st. Peach-trees inside the rebel lines are in blossom; trees of all sorts about us have been cut off entirely. Peach- trees are more cominon here than apple-trees in the North. It is no All Fools' day with us, though the foe does not reply to our artillery challenge at & P. M .; firing is so common that unless it comes in volleys, we give. little heed. Deserters say the forts in front of us are being filled with cannon.
The 2d is the day of the great ad- rance. Just before day the 6th Corps charges the rebel lines and carries everything before it. The enemy's guns are turned upon them and their men are captured by the hundreds. Two miles of works are taken by the 6th Corps unaided. Fort after fort falls into our hands, and the way is cleared to Petersburg, though the foe makes stubborn re- sistance, and surrenders only as driven to it. One youngster scan- dalized his officers by donning rebel clothing which was found in pass- ing through the works; but it was fun, though brief, for he was quick- ly compelled to shed his trophies. General A. P. Hill, one of the best Confederate generals, loses his life on this day.
From "Hardtack and Coffee," by permission.
The part taken by our particular portion of the corps is best told in the report of General Keifer as follows:
Previous to the 2d inst., my command, with the exception of the 138th Pennsylvania, occupied the line of works from Fort Fisher to Fort Gregg, inclusive of the forts named; and also Fort Welch, which was about the centre of my brigade. . .
The brigade was formed for the assault to the front and left of Fort Welch. about 3 A. M., in three lines of battle, with the
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right resting on an almost impassable swamp and ravine, which. separated it from the left of the 2d Division, 6th Army Corps. The 1st Brigade, 3d Division, was formed on the left of my brigade. The brigade was formed just in rear of the old in- trenched picket-line of the enemy, which had been taken from him on the 25th ult.
Much difficulty was experienced in getting the troops formed, in consequence of the darkness and the deep swamp to be passed through, and also a severe and annoying fire of the enemy. A number of men were killed and a number of officers and men were wounded during the formation of the troops; notwithstanding which the troops preserved good order and remained cool and steady.
The 110th and 126th Ohio and 6th Maryland Regiments were formed in the front line from right to left in the order named. The 9th New York Heavy Artillery constituted the second line and the 122d Ohio, the 138th and 67th Pennsylvania Regi- ments were formed in the rear line from right to left in the order named.
The signal to assault the enemy's works was given by direc- tion of Major General Wright at precisely 4 (General Wright says 4.40) A. M. by discharging a piece of artillery at Fort Fisher .* Immediately after the signal was given, the troops in the front line moved forward upon the enemy's outer works, which were held by a strong line of pickets, and captured them; and without halting or discharging a piece, although receiving a heavy fire, the whole command moved upon the main works. Not even a temporary check transpired in passing through and over the double line of abatis, ditch and strong breastworks. A hand-to-hand fight ensued within the main works, in which many gallant officers and men were killed and wounded. The rebels in our front were soon killed, wounded, captured or dis- persed. Although the enemy had a large amount of artillery in the works in our front, we suffered but little from it. The whole of his artillery in our front fell into our hands imme- diately upon our entering the works.
This brigade assaulted the enemy just to the left (the enemy's right) of a salient angle in his line of works. After gaining an entrance within the line of works. the enemy was still firing over them to our right and upon the 1st and 2d Divisions of the 6th Army Corps, but in a few moments were driven from their entire line of works in front of our corps. This brigade cap- tured ten pieces of artillery immediately after entering the enemy's works. for which it received receipts; also a large
*As this fort was garrisoned by the Ninth, to our regiment belongs the credit of sounding the knell of the Confederacy. The movement beginning at this 4 A. M. ended only at Appomattox.
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number of prisoners, three battle-flags, and Major General Heath's division headquarters flag.
The troops of the brigade were in some confusion after enter- ing the works, but the main body was at once directed along the enemy's fortifications to the left, and upon a strong fort con- taining four pieces of artillery, which were soon captured, Although a number of troops of the division were hurried to this fort, yet when attacked by the enemy, they were, owing to their unorganized condition, driven back, and the fort was retaken and held by the rebels a very short time.
At this juncture, I directed Major William Wood and Brevet Major S. B. Lamoreaux, 9th New York Heavy Artillery, to place in position a four-gun battery captured from the enemy, which they were prompt in doing, and fired it with good effect.
As soon as the recaptured fort was again retaken by us, the main body of the troops of the brigade, with the other troops of the division, swept along the enemy's fortifications to the left as far as Hatcher's Run, and small parties of the brigade with the brigade sharpshooters crossed it and captured a large number of prisoners. Twelve pieces of artillery were captured during this movement to the left of the troops of the 3d Divi- sion.
From Hatcher's Run the troops were hastened back to the place where the attack was first made, whence the division was sent to the front, and formed fronting Petersburg, and upon the left and in support of the 9th Army Corps.
The general calls particular attention to the brilliant services of Colonel J. W. Snyder, Majors William and Anson Wood and Brevet Major S. B. Lamoreaux. "So near were the colors of the 110th Ohio, 9th New York Heavy Artillery, 67th Pennsyl- vania and 6th Maryland that each claims the honor of being first. . Sergeant Judah N. Taylor, Company A, 9th New York Heavy Artillery, is reported by his regimental com- mander as having captured a battle-flag, which he gave up to two officers whose names are not known to him."
The report of Colonel J. W. Snyder is to the following effect:
We moved out of camp at 12 o'clock midnight to the rear of the picket-line of the 3d Division and halted, the regiment forming the second line. At 4 o'clock the order to advance was given, and we moved forward under a galling fire of artillery. As we moved towards the enemy's works we left-obliqued, and entered the fort in front of the left of the 3d Division line, be- ing the first to enter the work, capturing four guns, which were immediately brought to bear upon the retreating foe with great The guns were manned by men and officers of the regi-
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ment, and they handled them with great skill. We wheeled to the left and swept down the right of the rebel line, charging across a deep swamp, then wading to our breasts, and carried an- other fort, capturing two guns. The rebels rallied and charged upon us and drove us across the swamp again, where we held them for some time. The artillery under charge of Major Wil- liam Wood of the regiment dismounted one of the pieces at the first fire, which left them but one gun, which was soon silenced, when we charged again across the swamp and cap- tured a great many prisoners. We moved on down the enemy's line for a couple of miles, when we were halted and formed; then moved down the left of the enemy's line towards Petersburg, before which we reached about 3 P: M.
To mention individual instances of bravery in the battle by any single individual would be but doing injustice to others. Both officers and men did their whole duty without a single exception ; but I must speak of the field-officers in my command in the highest terms. Major William Wood performed his duty nobly in urging the men forward to the assault, and after car- rying the works, in turning the enemy's guns upon them with telling effect: Major A. S. Wood was active in urging the men forward: also Brevet Major S. B. Lamoreaux performed his . duty well. The line-officers all behaved themselves nobly; so did the whole command. Lieutenants Guy A. Brown and (L. H.) Bigelow were wounded while charging upon the enemy's works at the head of the command. They should receive honor- able mention for their gallantry.
Altogether this was a pretty good Sunday's work, not much like that to which most of the boys had been reared, but a prac- tical destruction of the power of evil, against which all Christian efforts are supposed to be directed. In General Wright's report he states that without the action of March 25th, viz., the cap- ture of the intrenched rebel picket-line, the success of this day had been impossible, for here there was opportunity to as- semble in mass and thence to advance. Also he lays stress upon this being the very weakest portion of the enemy's line, a fact detected by long and close inspection. That there is science in war becomes evident when we see the manner in which experts set themselves about carrying into effect their theories. Axmen to cut away the abatis accompanied each advancing line, but so great was the darkness that, he states, the signal for advancing was not given till 4.40 o'clock. It was while the 3d Division was making its left swing and penetrat- ing some parts of it to the Southside railroad that Confederate General A. P. Hill was killed by Corporal John W. Mauk of
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BREAKING THE LINES, AND SAILOR'S CREEK.
the 138th Pennsylvania. Recalled, and again aligned, the 3d Division was immediately south of the city of Petersburg, with the left of the division resting on the Appomattox river. Gen- eral Wright says that so wearied were the members of his corps, having been under arms eighteen hours, it was deemed inad- visable to attack till the following morning, so they betook themselves to merited rest.
One officer, writing home, says of the fight: "Our men seemed to care for nothing; went right in; charged through ditches and over breastworks; never saw such fighting; they were like a lot of wild men."
From "Hardtack and Coffee," by permission. FORT STEDMAN, SHOWING GABION, ABATIS AND CHEVAUX DE FRISE.
Any man ever in an engagement knows that a deal of urging is necessary at times. Men need driving occasionally to keep them up to the requisite pitch, and the following, written in his journal the very day of the charge, seems a reasonable account of one man's observation, himself one of the most honored sur- vivors of the regiment. Like a sensible man, having loved ones at home, he writes, on the 1st: "Before the light of another day, we shall charge the rebel works; all are talking about it; all dread it." Are we reminded of Bayard Taylor's words in his Crimean Episode,
"We storm the forts to-morrow,"
and as the singer there proved himself a true Briton, so these
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dreading Northmen did their duty in the face of danger and death.
"After being up all night in expectation and making prepa- rations, at 4 A. M. we advance upon the enemy's works. We have not gone far upon the charge before we are broken up. We lose our line and all formation. At our own picket-line the men hesitate, and it takes much urging and some coaxing and some beating with the sabre to get them along. Have to go and train many. Crossing the plain, the shells from the enemy's forts screech over our heads, streaks of seething fire. As we get nearer, like a tempest grape and canister plunge, patter and bound around us in all directions. Behind every stump lie one, two or three men very affectionately hugging mother earth as if by close application they were deriving the milk of life. 'Come on, boys, we will carry their works,' has little effect. 'Get up, you cowardly devils;' 'Get out of this;' 'Go on;' with a vigorous application of the flat of the sabre, have power. I started an officer from behind a stump, urged by the flat of my sword; he was very indignant, and asked me if I knew whom I was talking to. Like a lot of sheep, over a stone wall, we go into the enemy's works. I made myself very hoarse by giving commands, cheering and urging on. I prac- ticed some cheating, which had better effect than anything else I could do. When they hesitated and were reluctant to go on, I cried out, 'Come on, boys; they've only one gun in the fort, and nothing but a skirmish line in the works.' The next bat- tery was playing upon us, 'Come on, boys, let's take another.' It is hard work to get the men out of the shanties in the first works, but some go forward and soon the next battery is taken. On we go, and our men enter the next battery and camp, but forgetting all order, organization and discipline and beginning to think of plunder, the enemy in small force turns upon us and drives us back, capturing some. When at the second fort, by the direction of General Keifer, we get into position the six guns we had there taken, and by this time there was need of them to operate against the enemy, who had driven our men out of the third fort and were working the guns against us. We turned their guns against them, used their own ammunition and made it tell well. We fired rapidly, probably half an hour. As a result, one of their guns was found to be capsized and the carriage broken. By the other gun lay its gunner with half
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+
RICHMOND
River
APPOMATTOX C. H.
HIGH BRIDGE
CAMELIA C.H.
IMVILLE
ONO
JETERSVILLE
PETERSBURG
SUTHERLAND'S
BYRKSVILLE JUNCT.
Harchers
FIVE FORKS
AOAO 78 IN0102000 Run DINWIDDIE C.H.
LINE OF THE PURSUIT OF LEE.
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BREAKING THE LINES, AND SAILOR'S CREEK.
JAMES
onno woddy
B
RICE'S STA
SAILONS EN.
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of his head blown off, and near by, another with his thigh smashed, also a rebel officer who had bitten the dust. The enemy was driven again. Then having no horses we had to leave our captured guns and again press on as infantry, and on we went. After taking six forts, twelve guns and many prisoners we halted. The prisoners we greeted with 'Good morning, a fine Sunday morning,' etc. We then turned back and directed our course along the line of works lately occupied by the enemy and towards Petersburg. At night we shovel a little dirt for protection, in case the enemy should come down upon us. We lay down to rest, feeling that we have worshiped God with a vengeance." The long drill in the forts, on light guns as well as heavy, on this day bore excellent fruit. The men fell into their places like clockwork, and worked the captured guns as though they had been trained on them.
The morning of the 3d reveals the rebel forts evacuated, and there is nothing to hinder our advance, which we make at day- break. Our folks under General O. B. Wilcox were in the city of Petersburg early, and General Godfrey Weitzel entered Richmond at 8 A. M. Our march in the enemy's wake was a long and weary one. Millions of dollars' worth of impedimenta was thrown away by the retreating foe. They stopped not on the order of their going, nor did they hesitate to throw away anything that could impede. The pursuit was kept up through the 4th with the utmost speed.
Our start the 5th, as usual, is early, before daybreak even, and at sunrise we halt for coffee. A paper is read before us asking us to endure a little hardship, and stating that we must march twenty miles to rations. We halt at 11 A. M. and draw rations, but before we can utilize them the bugle calls "Away," and we are off, leaving abundance of food for crows and buz- zards. We march one and a half hours, and then halt fifteen minutes. Again a paper is read stating that Sheridan has captured six guns and that the enemy is only six miles ahead. We cheer, the bugle sounds, and again we advance at a great rate. A cavalryman whom we meet tells us that it is twelve miles to camp. Another day's break-neck march on the 6th, and we sample all points of the compass, ending at 11.50 A. M. very near our late camping-place. Another march of a few hours takes us into the battle-line and the fight at Sailor's creek.
Though we knew it not, there was method in all this march-
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MAJ. GEN'L PHILIP H. SHERIDAN. MAJ. GEN'L U. S. GRANT. MAJJ. GEN'L GEO. G. MEADE.
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BREAKING THE LINES, AND SAILOR'S CREEK.
ing and changing. As ever, we were only pawns on a vast chess-board, wholly ignorant of the intentions of the mighty hand that moved us. We could have done no better had each day's intentions been revealed to us. The ancient orders to do our duty and to question not, applied. The men who fell in this day's doings died ignorant of the great consequences following their obedience. and thus it was on every battlefield. Occa- sionally, as at Winchester, we knew our ground and what the stake, but such cases were rare. Not a dozen men in the regi- ment. officers included, knew where we were and hardly which way we were headed, except as they now and then glanced at their shadows. We did know full well that we had the enemy on the run, and what were fatigue and danger in the exhilara- tion of that pursuit?
It is fair to premise that General Lee was straining every nerve to reach Danville, and Grant was equally strenuous in his efforts to prevent. From Petersburg Lee's trend had been southwest, with the hope of eventually making a junction with Johnston, which being done, though the issue would have been the same, the day had been long postponed. Grant was a bet- ter tactician than Lee, and his generals could interpret and execute his wishes. Sheridan was one of the gods of war, to whom come, by intuition, the purposes of the enemy, and he moved army corps as easily as a housewife arranges the furni- ture of her home. These army corps were commanded by kings of men, each one a master in his vocation, and so on, down to the marching entities who carried guns, each man was a think- ing, reasoning being having perfect confidence in his leaders up to and including the highest, in the righteousness of his cause, and. what counted most of all, in himself. Every com- mander believed in his men and every man would stake his life on the ability of his officer, hence the grandest, mightiest ag- gregation of fighting material the world ever saw.
Then, as to this day, both of the wings of the rebel army, on the previous night by circuitous roads, had marched away from Amelia Court House, around the Union left, and there was danger of their accomplishing the march to Danville. This must be headed off, and Sheridan is the man to do it. His fa- mous 6th Corps with his cavalry is his weapon. In his Memoirs, General Grant says: "When the movement towards Amelia Court House had commenced that morning, I ordered Wright's
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corps, which was on the extreme right, to be moved to the left past the whole army. to take the place of Griffin's, and ordered the latter. at the same time, to move by and to place itself on the right. The object of this movement was to get the 6th Corps. Wright's, next to the cavalry, with which they had pre- viously served so harmoniously and so efficiently in the valley of Virginia."
The battle itself is, perhaps, best told in a paper read by our brigade commander, General Keifer, before the Ohio Com- mandery of the Loyal Legion, and from which in substance the following account is taken. He begins by stating, what few can deny. that not five per cent. of the intelligent people of the United States, North and South, who were of mature years at the close of the Rebellion, and a far less proportion of those of a later day, ever heard of the Battle of Sailor's Creek at all. Most of the well-informed officers and soldiers of that war, of both armies, knew little or nothing of it. This igno- rance is readily accounted for on account of the magnitude of the events which were rapidly occurring in those days leading up to the surrender. Very likely, no other two weeks in Ameri- can history carry so great a burden of imperishable material as those extending from the forcing of the Petersburg lines to the president's assassination; hence this fight of short con- tinuance, involving the loss of many lives on both sides, the cap- turing of thousands of the enemy, including more general offi- cers than had been taken at one time before, is almost hidden in the stronger glare of Five Forks, the surrender at Appo- mattox. and the Lincoln tragedy. It was the hottest kind of an engagement while it lasted, and the enemy resisted up to the limit of human endurance, fully exhibiting the proverbial Anglo-Saxon prowess. The stories of other fields less bloody, less important, are told over and over while this is all but for- gotten. Sailor's creek, on which the battle was fought, is a small stream in Prince Edward's county, and, flowing north- ward, empties into the Appomattox. The battle was fought five miles from Rice's Station on the Lynchburg railroad. On the morning of the 6th, our forces at Jetersville were started towards Amelia Court House. but were speedily counter- marched when the movement of Lee was realized. Our next aim was to intercept the retreating army. Every road and cross-lot routes were seized in the effort to head off the foe.
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