USA > Ohio > Concise history of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry : from the date of organization to the end of the rebellion ; with a complete roster of each company, from date of muster ; battles and skirmishes participated in, lists of the killed, wounded and missing, and other incidents of the camp and field > Part 3
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
At eleven A. M., the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regi- ment with its Brigade again advanced on the Germania road until it nearly reached the Orange Turnpike, when it moved off to the right of Germania road and halted on a hill. Heavy musketry firing was now going on all along the lines in front. At two P. M. the Regiment advanced and soon reached the line engaged, and came under a heavy fire from the enemy. It took a position on the extreme right of the army, in the midst of a densely wooded region that entirely concealed the enemy from view. Far, far in front stretched the blind, interminable forest, through which the eye vainly peered for an unseen foe that was already grecting the Regiment with volleys of musketry. The Regiment engaged the enemy until after nightfall, but being on
Allright LIEUT. COL. 126TH REGT. O.V. I.
33
EVENTS OF 1864.
the extreme right did not suffer heavy loss. That night the Regiment slept on their arms, frequently disturbed by volleys of musketry fired by the enemy's skirmishers.
BATTLE OF FRIDAY, MAY SIXTHI.
Early on the morning of the sixth, the Brigade was formed for an assault on the enemy's works in front. Two lines of battle were formed, the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regiment being in the front line. All the previous night the noise of axes and falling timber was heard along the enemy's line, for he was preparing to contest his position behind strong works. The command "forward" was given, that word fraught with death for many. The lines moved swiftly forward through the dense growth of trees and underbrush. A withering blast of leaden hail opened in the face of the advancing column with fearful effect. With great fortitude, the assailants still pressed forward in the face of a terrible fire, nearer and nearer that parapet of detonating death. The enemy was found in too great numbers and too strongly posted to be driven from his position, and al- though the assault had been most gallantly made, it was repulsed with dreadful loss. The Regiment emerged from this fiery ordeal with its ranks fearfully thinned, leaving the tangled forest strewn with the bleeding forms of its killed and wounded. After the Regiment had been engaged for nearly two hours in close range of the enemy's works, it was withdrawn a short distance to the rear. A detail from the Regiment was now sent out on the skirmish line, and kept up a brisk skirmish with the enemy for nearly four hours, when it was relieved. The Regiment threw up earthworks and remained in same position till evening. Brisk skirmishing was constantly kept up in its front all day, the Regiment being exposed to the fire from the enemy's skirmishers. The roar of musketry along the line toward the left was almost constant during the day. During the afternoon, Gen. Shaler's Brigade, of the First Division, took position on the right of the Brigade to which the Regiment belonged and became the ex-
3
34
EVENTS OF 1864.
treme right of the army. At twilight in the evening, a heavy column of the enemy, led by Gordon, moved under concealment of the dense woods, around the right flank of the National army, and unexpectedly attacked the right and rear of the Brigades of Shaler and Seymour. This attack from the rear was so sudden that no time was given to change front to meet it. Both Brigades were compelled to give way and fall back some distance before they were reformed. The One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regiment with its Brigade remained at its position as long as possible, and successfully resisted a simultaneous at- tack from the front. It delivered a vigorous fire on the enemy's advancing lines, until the troops on its right were doubled up and retreating in disorder along its lines. The One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regiment was now in peril. Rebel lines were on its front, flank and rear, and it was compelled to fall back or be captured. In the gathering darkness and amid the blinding flashes and sheets of flame that blazed from the guns, friend was mistaken for foe. Some confusion occurred in the retreat, but the lines were &soon reformed and the progress of the enemy was stopped. A large number from the Brigade were taken prisoners, including Gen. Seymour. Col. Smith succeeded in command of the Brigade. The One Hundred and Twenty- Sixth Regiment lost a large number taken prisoners in this affair, and it also suffered very severely in killed and wounded. At eight P. M. another attack was made by the enemy which was repulsed. Night now closed this terrible conflict. On that day, the altar of the Nation had dripped with the best blood of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regiment. The horrors of that day's work of carnage, that slaughter of loved ones, that fatal disaster in the evening, that hell of terror and of fire, can but faintly be realized from the most thrilling description. " Even the actors in that fearful drama cannot remember it as a whole, save as an awful experience, a wonderful escape from the jaws of death.
Before daylight on the morning of the seventh, the Regiment with its Brigade left its position and silently moved some dis-
35
EVENTS OF 1864.
tance to the left, where it took a new position, near Wilderness Tavern, and threw up carthworks. The enemy made a show of an attack in the forenoon, but after being severely punished by our artillery, fell back. Brisk skirmishing was kept up all along the lines throughout the day, the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regiment being constantly exposed to the fire of the enemy's skirmishers. And so ended at evening the battle of the Wilderness.
1210628
The strength of the Regiment when it crossed the Rapidan was twenty-three officers and five hundred and fifty-five men. Its loss in this battle was, one officer and twenty-two enlisted men killed, seven officers and one hundred and twenty-nine enlisted men wounded, and three officers and sixty-seven enlisted men missing. Three officers and fifteen enlisted men died of wounds received in this battle. Total loss: two hundred and twenty- nine killed, wounded and missing; nearly one-half the Regiment.
INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS.
On the fifth of May, while moving forward in line of battle, the Regiment passed over what had recently been the position of a Rebel line of battle. It was clearly defined by the ghastly looking bodies of the dead and terribly wounded, which lay prone as it were in a closely deployed skirmish line.
A member of Company D tells that on the afternoon of the sixth of May, he was sent with another member of the Company after water. Taking all the canteens of the Company, they went back to a brook a short distance in the rear. In going back they passed a number of dead bodies. A soldier was weeping over a dead body in a most piteous manner. They learned from him that it was his only brother. The scene was so affecting, that both were moved to tears.
W. T. Young, of Company H, gives this incident: "On the evening of the sixth of May, 1864, the One. Hundred and Twenty-Sixth occupied a position behind the earthworks, ex- pecting every moment to be attacked in front by the Rebels. We were ordered to be in readiness, but not to fire until we re-
36
EVENTS OF 1864.
ceived orders. We were suddenly attacked in the rear, driven from our position and thrown into confusion. A great many were killed and wounded and a number captured. Retreating a short distance, we met a regiment of our troops coming in on the double quick, when we stopped and commenced firing on the Rebels. The firing was promiscuous, as Union and Rebels were considerably mixed. After firing a few times, we made a charge and drove the enemy a short distance, and then commenced firing again. I had loaded my gun and was returning the rammer, when a ball struck the gun near where the leather sling is fas- tened to it, the ball cutting the sling nearly off. By this time we had got back to the position formerly occupied by the One Hun- dred and Twenty-Second O. V. I. It was now dusk, and friend could not be distinguished from foe. Looking over the breast- works into the woods, I saw two soldiers whom I supposed to be some of our men, who had been on the skirmish line and were trying to get into our lines. I said to the boys, 'do not fire on these men, they are our boys.' I then called to them to jump over the breastworks to where we were, which they did. Im- agine our surprise as well as theirs, when we found they were Rebel instead of Union soldiers, and they thought we were Rebels. The circumstance is like the two Irishmen who met, and each thought they knew the other, and it turned out that they were entire strangers; when one of them remarked, 'I thought it was you, and you thought it was me, and faith, it was neither of us.' I marched them back a short distance and turned them over to the Provost Guards."
BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS, AS PARTICIPATED IN BY THE EN- TIRE ARMY.
Orders were issued on the night of the fourth after crossing the river, for the Second Corps to march to Shady Grove Church and extend its line to the left, so as to connect with the Fifth Corps at Parker's Store, and for the Fifth Corps to connect with the Sixth Corps at Wilderness Tavern, and for the Sixth Corps
37
EVENTS OF 1864.
to preserve a flank communication with the river, where the teams and herds were yet crossing. This disposition of the army was to be preserved until all the trains were across, when the army would move on, avoiding a battle in the wilderness to the right. Grant hoped by another day's march to pass the wilder- ness, flank the enemy's position on Mine Run, and by advancing rapidly on Gordonsville, take a position in the rear of Lee's army. But his plans were foiled. Lee's scouts and signal officers had promptly reported the advance of the Potomac Army, and with singular boldness and skill he left his strong defenses to strike the flank of his foe and compel him to give battle in the wilderness, where the advantage would be in his favor. Lee's army now occupied a line nearly twenty miles long, held by the Corps of R. S. Ewell and A. P. Hill, with his left extending from Orange C. H. westward, and covered by the mountains on the Rapidan, and his right extending eastward and covered by the strong defenses on Mine Run. James Long- street's Corps, recently returned, was lying in the vicinity of Gordonsville in easy supporting distance. From Lee's center at Orange C. H., two roads run eastwardly, almost parallel to each other and intersect the Germania road. The Orange Turnpike was the more northerly and intersected at Old Wilderness Tavern, and the Orange Plank Road was the more southerly and intersected a mile or so beyond Wilderness Tavern. These two roads crossed Mine Run and passed through the wilderness, and were the same on which Meade advanced to Mine Run in November last. On the fourth, while the Potomac Army was crossing the Rapidan, the rebel army was moving along these two roads, R. S. Ewell's Corps on the Orange Turnpike, and A. P. Hill's Corps on the Orange Plank Road, leaving behind them the strong defenses on Mine Run as a place of refuge in the event of disaster, striving to confront the Potomac Army before it should reach the intersection of these two highways with the Germania road, and compel Grant to fight in that wooded, tangled region, where the superior artillery of the union army would be
38
EVENTS OF 1864.
compelled to silence, and where the clouds of sharpshooters be- longing to Lee's army might ply their deadly vocation with im- punity. On the night of the fourth, while Warren's Corps reposed near Old Wilderness Tavern, Ewell's advance Division, under Ed. Johnson, bivouacked within three miles of that place, neither party suspecting the close proximity of the other. On the morning of the fifth, Warren, whose orders were to extend his line from Old Wilderness Tavern to Parker's Store, threw out the Division of Griffen on the Orange Turnpike to watch in that direction, while Crawford's Division in advance, moved in the direction of Parker's Store, along a road that diverged to the right from Germania road at Old Wilderness Tavern and intersected the Orange Plank Road at Parker's Store. These movements were scarcely begun when the foe was felt. Griffen's skirmishers were driven in and Crawford's cavalry in front came galloping back with word that the foe was in front in strong force. Crawford sent forward a reconnoitering party of cavalry, which soon became warmly engaged and called for help, when he sent to their aid the Pennsylvania Bucktails. The force in front . of Griffen was Ewell's column, while that in front of Crawford was Hill's column. Such was the condition of affairs, when at eight o'clock in the morning Grant and Meade came up and established headquarters under the shadow of pine trees by the road side near Old Wilderness Tavern. As the Potomac Army, in strong force, was now well on the flank of Lee's Army, these commanders at first supposed that these attacking columns were only strong rear guards to cover Lee's retreat. The forenoon was spent in getting up troops, reconnoitering and skirmishing. By ten o'clock in the forenoon, Grant was well satisfied that Lee was disposed to give battle in the Wilderness, and made dispositions accordingly. Hancock was ordered to diverge up the Brock road from his prescribed march to Shady Grove Church and join Warren on his left wing. The great danger that now threatened the National army was that the enemy, by throwing a strong body of troops against the left flank, would obtain possession of
39
EVENTS OF 1864.
the Brock road before Hancock should come up, thus cutting the army in two. To meet this danger, Getty's Division of the Sixth Corps was detached and sent in on the left of Crawford to seize and hold the junction of the Brock road with the Orange Plank Road until Hancock should come up. That is the vital point-that junction to be held against all odds unto the death, or else the army is severed. To prevent the enemy from massing troops on that point and to hold him in check all along the line, the Fifth Corps is ordered to attack the enemy on its front, while the Sixth Corps is forming on the right. At noon the Fifth Corps began the attack. Griffen's Division was stretched across the Orange Turnpike, with Wadsword's Division on his left, McCandless' Brigade of Crawford's Division on the left of Wadsworth, and Robinson's Division in the rear line. Forward the lines pressed through the blind, interminable thickets, over abatis of fallen timber, through swamps, ditches and brush- heaps. In the deep recesses of the woods was heard the roar of cannon-a volley at last-Griffen's Division had opened the fight. Griffen's and Wadsworth's Divisions gallantly charged the enemy, driving them and advancing over two lines of works. Johnson's Division was shattered, but the timely arrival of Rodes' Division and Stewart's Brigade on the scene of strife, stemmed the tide of Warren's troops. The enemy now took the offensive, and the conflict was desperate and sanguinary. Owing to the difficult passage through the woods, Wright's Division of the Sixth Corps failed to come up in time on Warren's right. Against Warren's exposed right, the enemy struck a quick and vigorous blow and hurled back the Brigades of Ayers and Bartlett, of Griffen's Division, capturing two guns and a nuni- ber of prisoners. Meanwhile, Wadsworth's Division was misled in advancing, and being unable to co-operate with Griffen on ac- count of the tangled woods between them, found his flank sud- denly exposed to a murderous fire, which caused his command to recoil in some confusion. At the same time the Brigade of McCandless found itself in an isolated position on the left of
40
EVENTS OF 1864.
Wadsworth, where it was nearly surrounded and escaped with great difficulty after losing two full regiments. And so it was that every rood of ground gained by the Nationals was regained by the Rebels, and Warren, with his Corps bereaved of about three thousand men by this encounter, formed a new line a little in the rear but still in advance of Old Wilderness Tavern. At a little after one o'clock, the Sixth Corps under Sedgwick moved forward to the attack on the right. After a weary, struggling march through the dense chapparal, around, beneath and over- head of tangled underbrush, knotted trunks, jagged limbs and ragged foliage, through which the eye vainly yearned to pene- trate, the ponderous battle line of the Sixth Corps swung into level on Ewell's front, and sent a volley of greeting that thinned those ranks as the wind of Autumn rushing through an oak. And now, in the depth of that forest, there was a roaring, crack- ling tumult of cries and explosions, and shrill anvil clatter of musketry seasoned with wild cheers. The volleyed thunders of the combat rolled among the glens and ravines, and the booming of the artillery timed the wild tumult like a tolling bell. Under this ordeal, battle lines melt away and are transformed into battle lines of ghastly slain; and forth from this raging hell there came the ruins it had wrought, in bleeding forms borne on blankets and litters, maimed, tortured, writhing, with eyes dull with the stupor of coming death-a silent, piteous procession that emerges and ceaselessly passes on. Two furious charges of the enemy had been repulsed after a desperate struggle, and at six P. M. the Sixth Corps charged forward half a mile, breaking the enemy's line for a moment and capturing about five hundred prisoners. The enemy quickly filled the breaks in his lines, and fighting like a demon, checked the further advance of the Sixth Corps. The enemy lost in these encounters with the Sixth Corps, Gens. Jones and Stafford killed, and Gen. Pegram wounded. During this severe engagement on the right, even a more dreadful conflict was raging on the left. At noon, Craw- ford's Division of Pennsylvania Reserves, supported by Getty's
41
EVENTS OF 1864.
Division of the Sixth Corps, advanced towards Parker's Store on the Orange Plank Road, to stay the surging tide of Hill's troops pouring down to seize the junction of the Brock road, on which so much depended. These Divisions were hurled back by the same overwhelming pressure that forced Wadsworth back, the Seventh Pennsylvania being captured. The enemy now pressed down in hordes to seize the Brock road before Hancock should come up. Getty advanced to meet them and found him- self more and more pressed, but he held firmly on till three o'clock, when Hancock's advance Division under Birney came up and secured the position absolutely. The whole of the Second Corps was soon there in double line of battle in front of the Brock road, and facing Hill's line stretched across the Orange Plank road. Hancock was now ordered to advance his Corps and drive the enemy beyond Parker's Store. Already Getty's Division had advanced and warmly engaged the enemy. Birney's Division was now sent in on Getty's right and Mott and Barlow on his left, and Gibbons' Division came up as a reserve. At six o'clock Hancock advanced, when a most sanguinary battle ensued, the musketry firing being deadly and continuous along the whole line. An oceanic roar, without an interval of rest, prevailed as the Second Corps and its support moved forward like a great engine, dealing death and taking equal death in re- turn; companies fall, regiments are thinned and brigades melt away. The battle lines swayed to and fro. Mott's Division gave way, and Gen. Alex. Hays, commanding Second Brigade of Birney's Division, was shot dead in the thickest of the fight while leading his Brigade to fill the gap.
Grant and Meade were now satisfied that a heavier conflict was to be had with Hill than Ewell, and Wadsworth was ordered to lead his Division and Baxter's Brigade of Robinson's Division, through the thickets and fall upon Hill on his flank and rear. So difficult was the march through the tangled way, and in the face of skirmishers, that it was dark before Wadsworth was in position for attack. So his men rested on their arms close by
42
EVENTS OF 1864.
Hill's reposing skirmishers, ready for the assault in the morning. Hancock's efforts to drive Hill were unavailing. Darkness closed the conflict, and the wearied troops lay down on their arms, the combatants so near to each other that both drew water from the same brook. At midnight all was silent in the wilder- ness. Blessed was the cooling darkness. Blessed was the silence of the forest. Thousands slept awaiting their work on the mor- row. Thousands slept to sleep no more.
BATTLE OF FRIDAY, MAY SIXTH.
Each of the opposing commanders made dispositions to renew the battle in the morning. Burnside's Corps, which had crossed the Rapidan on the morning of the fifth at Germania Ford, was summoned to the front by Grant, and Longstreet's Corps was called up from Gordonsville by Lee, and had bivouacked not far from the entrenehments of Mine Run on the night of the fifth. Burnside was ordered to reinforee Hancock, and Longstreet to reinforee Hill, as the heavier conflict was expected on these * flanks. Meade's line, on the morning of the sixth, was five miles in length and faeing westward, Wright's and Riekett's Divisions of Sedgwick's Corps, held the right, Crawford's and Griffen's Divisions of the Fifth Corps held the center, Haneoek's Corps, with Getty's Division of the Sixth Corps, and Wads- worth's and Robinson's Divisions of the Fifth Corps, all under Hancock, held the left. The National line extended from near the Rapidan river, through the forest and across and beyond the Orange Plank Road. During the night the sound of axes and falling timber in front, showed that the enemy intended to con- test the position in the morning behind strong defenses. In the early morning twilight of May sixth, 1864, the opposing armies were ready to renew the struggle in that densely wooded battle field, where the movements of the troops were guided by the compass alone, and where the three hundred guns of the com- batants were mostly compelled to silence. Of the two hundred thousand men then ready to fall upon and slay each other, prob-
43
EVENTS OF 1864.
ably no man's eyes saw more than a thousand at one time, so ab- solute was the concealment of the thickets. Grant's orders were to attack along the whole line at five o'clock. At precisely twenty minutes before five, the enemy anticipated and took from us the opening honors of the attack by making a fierce musketry attack upon Seymour's Brigade, holding the extreme right of the army, which involved first Rickett's Division and then Wright's. The assailants made desperate attempts to break our lines but were repulsed and thrown back. An attack was now made along the whole length of the line by the Nationals. Sedgwick's Corps on the right made unsuccessful attempts to carry Ewell's entrenched position, which were repulsed with heavy loss. By eleven o'clock about one-half mile of ground had been gained, but the enemy still held his works, and there was a lull in the battle in front of the Sixth Corps until evening, and only brisk skirmishing was maintained. Warren had also made an unsuc- cessful attack in the morning; he remained mostly on the de- fensive during the day, but in front of his lines there had been brisk skirmishing throughout the day. But on the left the heaviest conflict raged the greater part of the day. On the morning of the sixth, Lee had made arrangements to strike the left of his antagonist a terrible and fatal blow, by which he hoped to drive him back to the Rapidan. It was for this pur- pose that Longstreet was summoned to the assistance of Hill. That General's forces were not in position as soon as Lee had hoped, and Hill was unable to check Hancock's impetuous ad- vance. Early in the morning, Hancock still having the lion's share of the troops gathered from all the Corps, began the attack on the left by advancing the Divisions of Birney and Getty, supported by the Brigades of Owen and Carroll of Gibbons' Division ; also Wadsworth's command, occupying a position on the right of the Second Corps, advanced at the same time. By determined fighting Hancock's troops drove the enemy and gained one and one-half miles; a portion of the enemy's rifle-pits being taken with many prisoners and five battle flags. Being
44
EVENTS OF 1864.
short of ammunition, Hancock's victorious troops paused. Longstreet had now come up to Hill's assistance, and when Hancock attempted a further advance, he found his way blocked by an unexpected large and determined force. Before noon the gap existing between Hancock's advanced line and Warren's left was made the opportunity of the enemy. Burnside was expected shortly to come up and fill this gap, but had not yet arrived. The forces of Hill and Longstreet were massed in a grand at- tack intended to envelop Hancock on both flanks. The Brigade of Col. Frank on the left was broken and fell back precipitately. The pressure was so great on Hancock's line that it was broken in several places. Finally at eleven o'clock, after losing heavily he was compelled to fall back before an overwhelming force. Gen. Wadsworth, while galloping appealing and commanding his flying troops to rally, being close pressed by the enemy, was pierced through the brain by a bullet and fell dead from his horse. At this critical time Burnside's Corps came up. Two of his Divisions under Parke and Wilcox were put in on War- ren's left, and Stevenson's Division marched in, connecting with Hancock's right. The enemy's efforts to pierce our center were stayed, and our line of battle was made secure behind the line of en- trenchments from which it had advanced in the morning. There was now a lull in the battle, a re-gathering of forces. The per- sistent enemy did not mean to give up their purpose; they were marshalling menancing battalions in front of Hancock and Burnside. They meant to attack again. It came at half past four o'clock. Our left was again pushed back nearly to the Brock road. A fierce musketry fire ensued at close range with- out any decisive results until the woods were set on fire, which communicated to the logs of our breastworks and set them on fire. Taking advantage of this, the enemy pressed forward and stove in the Division of Gen. Stevenson and planted their flags on the breastworks. A portion of Gen. Gibbons' troops now swung to the right and formed in the rear. Our lines were at length restored along the whole length, and the enemy again
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.