USA > Ohio > History of the three months' and three years' service from April 16th, 1861, to June 22d, 1864, of the Fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the war for the Union > Part 10
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Sunday, May 3d. On Sunday morning Hooker had deter. mined to take a new position, that of a triangle, with the base at the river, and the apex at the White House, for he feared a
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raid on his communications. At daybreak the enemy charged our forces at Fairview and Chancellorsville, where a series of charges and counter-charges were made and guns of another corps captured, which drew our brigade into the fray. Shortly before 7 o'clock in the morning General French, commanding our division, ordered Colonel Carroll to form four of his regi- ments into line of battle, parallel with the plank road. The Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Eighth New Jersey remained in the rifle-pits, but were afterward ordered into action; the Eighth and Fourth Ohio, Fourteenth Indiana and Seventh West Vir- ginia were formed in line, but the Eighth was soon detached to French's headquarters, and during the forenoon supported a battery; the remaining three regiments moved forward at 7 o'clock at a quick pace, in as perfect alignment as if on dress parade, to the right of the White House, down a gentle slope, the Fourth entering the timber just to the left of where the southeast corner of the plantation angles into the woods, Captain Jones, riding a white horse, having charge of the right, and Major Grubb, on foot, in command of the left wing.
Our column had gone into the woods about thirty yards when it received the fire of some eight battalions of rebel infantry, killing and wounding a number of our men. We reserved our fire, and sprang forward into the low bushes until we could see the rebels, and before they could load again took deliberate aim and mowed them down, whereupon some of them surrendered, and the rest broke, continuing to load and fire at us as they retreated. Several, after surrendering, raised the gun to shoot, , but were knocked and kicked until they were glad to "play fair,". but it so aggravated our men that they were not disposed after that to show quarter. We kept up a random fire, taking sure aim, and driving the fellows before us in spite of the des- perate efforts made by their officers to make a decided stand; we pursued them down a gentle slope over marshy ground, then up a hillside, where another line gave us a murderous volley, killing and wounding more of our men than at the entrance to the woods; we charged upon them with a feeling of vengeance, mowed them down with a deadly fire, took a number of prison- ers, and captured a stand of colors ; we still followed them while loading, and came upon another line at the edge of the woods to the west of the Chancellor House; here many of them hud-
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dled together, and others ran round and round their comrades, trying to shield themselves, and so bewildered that they hardly knew what they were doing, when we delivered another murder- ous volley into the thickest of their huddles, literally slaughtering them ; it was an awful scene; more surrendered; the rest broke and stampeded across the field, over the road, and were joined by another line that was behind the. embankment of a wattling fence, and we let them have another round, and followed after, over the field, to some dead horses, abandoned cannon, dead Union gunners, a large number of small arms and much amuni- tion, at Fairview, which it was impossible to bring away. Here was, also, a regiment of zouaves, whom we at first thought were on hand to help us, but soon learned that we had just saved them from a trip to Libby or Andersonville prisons.
The rebels, seeing that we were not supported, began to rally, and endeavored to flank us on our right, just as the order came to fall back ; the boys were loth to do so, feeling sure if we only were supported we could have things our own way, as the rebels were evidently at the point of giving up in despair, and now was the time to end the war, capture the rebels, and not make them "ignominiously fly."
Immediately upon falling back our colors were shot down three times, when Major Grubb seized them, waved them to and fro, singing " Rally Round the Flag, Boys," and was joined in the singing by numbers, as we moved slowly toward the rear, fol- lowed by the Confederate skirmishers at long range, while a battery on the plank road enfiladed us with shot and shell, cut- ting the leaves and branches all around and overhead as we entered the woods.
It was near II o'clock when the survivors rallied at the posi- tion held in the morning. The New Jersey and Eighth Ohio regiments had also returned. One sergeant and six men had lost their way on the retreat, and did not come in until the mid- dle of the afternoon. Chaplain Strong made his appearance about noon, with gun in hand, cartridge box by his side and face begrimed with powder, having endeavored to carry out the purpose he had had when he enlisted as a private at the breaking out of the war. We had accomplished the work assigned us, to hurl back the rebel tide until our forces could establish then- selves in the new line Hooker had chosen when he got shaky
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. Some of the boys saw him about this time in a half unconscious condition, lying by the roadside, and another officer was sitting by and saying " Ha, ha, the Napoleon of the West!" Alek Hays, who was captured, was seen in a similar condition. Some thought they had " had too much commissary."
The watchword of the enemy was "Remember Jackson," and they fought us with vengeance and desperation; they believed that they would succeed in driving us into the river; that morn- ing their their corps commander was cheered to the echo, when at the head of his troops he sang, "Old Joe Hooker must get out of the Wilderness, out of the Wilderness, out of Old Vir- ginia." To accomplish these ends of vengeance and destruction they fought with a desperation that set no value upon life, and it was no wonder that our loss was so heavy. Of this contest Gen- eral Doubleday says : " It was a combat of giants; a tremendous struggle of patriotism on the one hand and of vengeance on the other." General Mahone says : "The Federals fought like devils." General French, commanding the division, recom- mended in his report that the greater part of our brigade "ought to be awarded medals for their gallantry." Colonel Carroll reports : " My men behaved in the most gallant style, and I had more trouble to make them retire when it was found useless to advance than I had to move them forward."
The three regiments captured in this action two stands of colors, one major, five captains, seven lieutenants, and two hun- . dred and seventy enlisted men, and also recaptured a regiment of zouaves. It was difficult to determine who had captured the prisoners, as they were started to the rear and taken in charge by our Brigade Pioneer Corps, whilst the captors kept their places in the ranks; it is also just to remark that the most of the prisoners were glad after their capture to get back out of range of the destructive fire. Thomas McClaren took the flag of the Fourteenth Louisiana Tigers, which he had captured, with him when he was carried back to the division hospital, where he turned it over to Adjutant Wallace. After we had rallied at the rifle-pits we were again formed into line, then moved out of them under a heavy fire, which killed and wounded several in the brigade, which now entered the works that had been occu- pied by Sykes' Division, on the Mineral Spring Road, at the edge of the woods north of the White House, where we con-
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nected with the Eleventh Corps on the left and Hancock's Divis- ion on the right. The Chancellor House, and woods we had occupied in the morning, were now on fire, which saddened our hearts very much, because some of our wounded would most likely suffer the untold horrors of being literally roasted alive, and yet we could not go to their rescue. During the afternoon the works were strengthened. About 4 o'clock General Hooker, accompanied only by an orderly, rode along our line, reeling to and fro like a drunken man; historians inform us that he was suffering from a concussion received whilst leaning against a pillar of the Chancellorsville House when it was struck by a cannon ball; it is well that this statement be made here, since many of us believed what was so tersely expressed by some of the boys, who said "Joe Hooker is shot in the neck ;" " Hooker has had too much commissary." We all wished to believe that he was sober.
Monday, May 4th. We were several times disturbed during the night by picket-firing. When morning came we hoped more troops would be brought up, and an advance made against Lee's forces, for all felt mortified at what seemed an unnecessary failure to accomplish the purpose of our crossing the river. In the afternoon there was considerable skirmishing, which culminated towards evening in a terrific attack on our lines with shot and shell, which soon subsided after our gunners had replied; several were killed and wounded in the brigade. We again laid down to spend another night on the ground, just in rear of our breast- works ; about midnight, when all was silent as the grave, and naught could be heard but the whippoorwill, a volley by some nervous men on the left, fired at an imaginary foe, rent the air ; instantly, without a word of command, our brigade arose en masse, with the bedewed rubber blankets glittering in the moon- beams, stood a short time in silence; the firing having ceased all lay down quietly, and were in a moment asleep, barely a word having been spoken. The moon shone brightly, so that that we could distinguish objects for fifteen or twenty rods.
Tuesday, May 5th. At 10 A.M. our pickets were driven back a short distance, but being at once reinforced the line was imme- diately re-established. A heavy detail assisted the pioneers in repairing the road to the United States Ford. About three the rain began to pour, and at eight we had orders to be ready to
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fall back to the river ; at midnight we started, and crossed the river before day. Colonel Carroll bade good-by to the boys that were left behind on picket, feeling quite sure that they would be captured. At near daybreak Lieutenant Anderson discovered that all our troops had gone, ordered the pickets he had in charge to the rear, and reached the river and crossed just as the pontoons were being taken up. We soon left the river, marched toward camp, and entered our old quarters about noon. Our loss was two officers and fifty-eight men wounded, two missing. and eighteen killed. The brigade lost two officers and thirty- nine men killed, twenty-nine officers and one hundred and seventy men wounded, one officer-Captain Fisk, Aide de Camp -and sixty-four men missing.
The following is a partial list of the killed and wounded :
Company A-C. Runyan, T. H. Shaffer, killed; F. O. Jacobs, wounded.
Company B-F. Beach, P. Ball, D. Fullmer, W. T. Hart, G. W. Parks, G. H. Sargeant, O. L. Stoughton, A. Scott and G. Wilcox, wounded.
Company C-T. Collins, J. Griffin and J. Kempf, killed ; Captain J. S. Jones, H. Lamb and D. Thomas, wounded.
Company D-O. McKee, wounded.
Company E-H. Butler, killed; A. Dice, J. Jahala, J. Krug. W. H. McClure, J. Moffitt, E. McKelvey, Thomas McClaren and P. Myers, wounded.
Company F-J. Johnson, J. Rich and G. Sexhaur, killed; T. Scanlan, died of wounds; J. A. Bouer, G. Barth, W. H. Bruce. E. Estep, A. Fournace, F. B. Hane, S. Kauffman, W. Laird, J. Hafer, J. Hays, C. F. Oldfield, J. M. Ricksecker, J. Trownsell, J. Wetzell and C. Yost, wounded.
Company G-W. D. Daniels, F. Hahner and T. McCoy, killed; Lieutenant Edgar, A. Martin, C. Collier, T. J. Carson, W. D. Edgar and W. H. Morrow, wounded.
Company H-H. C. French, William M. Gurley and J. H. Jones, killed; L. Bair and G. H. Smallwood, wounded.
Company I-C. Brooks, killed; J. Brooker, died of wounds: G. Beddow and H. A. Shoub, wounded; Martin Main, missing. Company K-A. Craig, killed.
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CHAPTER XVII.
MOVE TO A NEW CAMP-GENERAL HANCOCK ASSUMES COMMAND OF THE SECOND CORPS - LEAVE CAMP AS REAR-GUARD OF THE ARMY - MARCH BY WAY OF DUMFRIES, CENTERVILLE, GUM SPRINGS, ED- WARDS' FERRY, FREDERICK CITY, TOWARD GET. TYSBURG - HOOKER RESIGNS - MEADE ASSUMES COMMAND.
May 6th was a rainy, chilly, and very disagreeable day; the old log huts were again covered by the shelter-tents, and made as comfortable as the water-soaked interior would permit. On the 7th several regiments of nine months' men returned home on account of the expiration of their term of service, which had more of a demoralizing than exhilarating effect upon those that remained. On the 14th, the weather having become settled and the ground dry, the brigade moved camp about two miles to the northwest, where there was an abundance of wood and good water, a grassy plat and desirable shade; two shelter-tents, stretched over a stick, supported by two uprights, constituted the dog-tent; sometimes these tents were secured by two guns with bayonets "fixed," and run into the ground some four feet apart, and the cloth fastened at the gable-ends by the gun-ham- mers; for better protection from the sun a large number of pine boughs, and even trees, were placed about the tents; many had not even the shelter-tents; these kept themselves protected as much as possible by trees and boughs; it was in reality a camp in a pine grove, and as a change from the dingy log huts, very much enjoyed.
Spring had come; the songsters made the woods ring; many were the men that wandered off alone to write to loved ones, to read or meditate; congenial companions would stroll away, talk over plans and prospects, until they found themselves even
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beyond the picket's-post; pickets had good times basking in the sun, the outpost as well as the reserve, watching for the officer of the day as much as for the enemy; down at the river there was a suspension of hostilities, whilst men waded the river to exchange coffee and tobacco, and get the latest news. In camp men were reading, writing, sleeping, or discussing the proba- bilities. Duties were easy ; there was plenty to eat and to wear; the regiments were reinforced from the well ones that had re- turned from the hospitals; bushels of mail came each day for the brigade; the general health of officers and men was very good. There was occasionally the too free use of "commissary" and "stomach bitters," which with "meerschaum pipe" drove dull care away for those who got enough wages to enable them to afford such luxuries. Taken all together the camp out in the grove was happy, and not very anxious for a forward movement. About the 20th came encouraging reports of the condition of things about Vicksburg.
On the 26th came a communication from General French, commanding the division, complimenting the brigade for the part it had taken at Chancellorsville, and recommending that most of the men be presented with medals for their bravery.
Some movement seemed to be on foot in the Confederate camp about the 30th, when preparations were being made by us to meet any attack; surplus baggage was sent to Washington as rapidly as possible; the sick were also removed to the rear, and the troops were under orders to be ready to march at a mo- ment's notice.
By the 5th of June our camp was becoming bare and dusty, and the leaves of the pine boughs dropping, became a nuisance, as they mixed too freely with rations and clothing; camp-life became once more intolerably monotonous. On the 6th some of the troops made a reconnaisance below town, and found the enemy still in force. The burden of letters continued to be "all quiet on the Rappahannock." Designation of companies was as follows: F, G, H, A, K, I, E, D, B, C, the last being the right flank. So dull became camp-life that even the general commanding the brigade would made an effort to be lively; morning after morning rang out his stentorian tones for his aides to "Get up, get up, and hear the little birds sing their praises to God, bless your souls; get up!"
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On the 9th General Pleasanton, in a skirmish with cavalry and infantry at Brandy Station, captured some of the Confed- erate dispatches that indicated a movement on their part up the Shenandoah Valley. On the roth General Couch, our Corps Commander, having been assigned to the command of the De- partment of the Susquehanna, General Hancock assumed com- mand of the Second Corps; this gave perfect satisfaction to officers and men, who had learned to know and trust him at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.
Many troops had returned home on account of the expiration of their term of service; on the 11th the Twenty-fourth New Jersey left, amid the cheering of the brigade; the Army of the Potomac now numbered about eighty thousand men, whilst Lee's forces reached nearly seventy thousand, who were able to march and fight, making the two about equal in number, since the Con- federates did not count those on detailed duty and the Unionists . did. Our regiment now numbered about four hundred officers and men present for duty, including those on detached service.
On the 12th Professor Lowe ascended, as usual, in his balloon, was taking his accustomed observations of the Confederates, when there were two puffs of smoke from their cannon on Marye's Heights, the whirring sound of solid shot in the vicinity of the yellow, glittering gas-bag, underneath which in a basket was a lively object that wished to get on terra firma as soon as possible; in a moment all hands that danced attendance had hold of the rope, and by it pulled down balloon, basket and professor; this was the last aeronautic exhibition in the presence of the army; since the destination of the Confederates was now known, and part of our forces on the move, it was useless to waste any more gas; some of our teamsters said that the last they saw of the old balloon was when it was anchored to a tree north of Dumfries. The Confederate Commissary General, it is said, about this time wrote upon Lee's requisition for rations for his troops, that "if Lee wishes rations, let him seek them in Penn- sylvania." And it is certain that he was now acting upon the suggestion, for on the 14th of June General Ewell, commanding Jackson's old corps, was at Harper's Ferry, having captured twenty-nine of our cannon, and some four thousand prisoners; Longstreet was at Culpepper and Hill in our front. General Hooker desired at once to fall upon Hill and crush him, but
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President Lincoln said to him: "I would not take any risk of being entangled upon a river, like an ox jumping half over a fence, and liable to be torn by dogs front and rear, without a fair chance to gore one way or kick the other." General Hal leck also opposed the movement, but preferred a flank attack, the very thing that Lee desired to be done.
On the evening of the 13th of June the Third Corps is at Culpepper Fords, the Fifth near it, the Eleventh at Catlett's Station, the Twelfth at Bealeton, whilst our corps is under orders to march at a moment's notice. On the morning of the 4th we struck tents, watched the rest of our corps moving toward the rear, and at dark we followed, halting near midnight until the pickets, that had remained at their post, could join us; another halt was made early in the morning near Stafford Court House; about noon we started again, on a rapid march through heat and dust for six miles, when we halted at Acquia Creek and camped for the night.
The column moved before daylight on the 16th, halted at Dumfries for breakfast, and drew three days' rations; at noon the march was resumed; clouds of dust arose; the heat was stifling and oppressive; clothing and blankets were thrown away; Ewell was reported as having crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, with his advance at Chambersburg, and Long- street at Snicker's and Ashby's Gap; it was also reported that the Home Guards had been called out; this was greeted with a "Bully for the Home Guards;" "Bully for Lee."
Guerillas were hanging about our flanks, picking up horses, mules and men; at noon fences, barns and houses were on fire in our immediate rear; it was currently reported that they were set on fire and the owners killed because they had bayoneted one of our men who was too sick to keep up with his command. We reached Woolf Creek Ford, on the Occoquan, before dark, having marched about twenty miles. The First, Sixth and Eleventh Corps were now at Centerville, the Third at Manassas, and the Fifth, Twelfth and advance of the Second at Fairfax Court House; occasional firing could be heard in the west, where Pleasanton was compelling the Confederates to keep west of the mountains, which gave our forces greater freedom of concerted action.
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GHASTLY SIGHTS ON OLD BATTLE-FIELD.
At 8 o'clock of the 17th of June we again took up our line of march, as rear-guard of the army; after having passed a line of earthworks many of the men began to straggle across woods and fields, on account of the heat, and helped themselves to cherries, strawberries, and whatever else they could forage, in spite of danger from guerillas. Fairfax Station was soon reached. On the 19th the Twenty-eighth New Jersey started for home, to the delight of the remainder of the brigade, who were getting tired of the continual talk about going home that some indulged in whilst the country was in great danger; yet no one failed to give them credit for what they had done. After enjoying the prolonged rest, we started at 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 19th, and reached Centerville at nine, just as the rain began to pour; the country was bare, and no top rails could be had; one must either stand up all night or lie down in the mud; all night long somebody was stirring about, or growling about wet hips or leaky blankets. At daybreak everybody was astir; some sought for water, others for wood; soon small fires were covered with black quart cups; occasionally some one would get a blessing because he had upset a cup, and nearly extinguished an already miserably smoking fire. There was an unusual amount of stretch- ing and yawning by those who curled themselves up like hedge- hogs under rubber blankets, that afforded very poor ventilation. "Fortune favored the true and brave" when the rain ceased and gave an opportunity to dry our water-soaked garments.
About noon (June 20th) the brigade took the advance, with the Eighth Ohio thrown out as skirmishers; we soon crossed the old battle-ground, where ghastly sights met our gaze; the sod thrown upon bodies of the Union soldiers the year previous had been washed away by the rains, leaving fingers, toes, nose and skull exposed; of some the greater part of the skeleton, with tattered uniforms adhering, could be seen; near a tree was a group of remains, dried and wasted, of comrades who probably had died of wounds and the necessities of life. No inspiration here. Was anyone to blame that these, who had been inside of Union lines for a year, were not yet accounted a decent burial ? We thought, heathen Greeks took time and had disposition to bury their dead; a Christian nation might profit by their example. Nature was doing her utmost to mantle the forms of these that had so nobly perished. At 6 o'clock we reached Gainesville,
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where we remained encamped until the 25th of June; during this time we had a heavy picket-guard, and kept ourselves it readiness for any emergency; guns were examined, ammunition sorted, and cartridge-boxes and haversacks replenished; no om seemed to know definitely the whereabouts of the enemy.
On the 24th General French, having been assigned to the com mand of Harper's Ferry, General Alexander Hays became com- mander of our division.
On the 25th Longstreet and Hill had followed Ewell into "Maryland, my Maryland," where they expected a general up- rising in their behalf, a glorious victory, and recognition of the Confederacy by the Powers of Europe. While the rebel forces were now near Chambersburg, the Army of the Potomac began to cross at Edwards' Ferry. We had present for duty twenty officers and two hundred and forty-nine men.
We struck tents on the morning of the 25th, and began our march at 10 o'clock, halted at Mountain View to permit teams to pass, and then it was trudge, trudge, through rain and mud, from 3 o'clock until eleven at night, when we bivouacked at Gum Springs. On Friday morning we learned to a certainty that the enemy was in Pennsylvania. About 10 o'clock we started at a rapid gait for Edwards' Ferry, where we arrived at 5 o'clock, took supper, fixed ourselves down for the night, just got into a sound sleep when we were routed out, fell into line, waited awhile for orders to march, marched half a mile, halted about an hour, stood for some ten minutes-some of us getting out of sorts, some kept quiet, others blessed somebody, whilst everybody wondered, " Why don't the Army of the Potomac move?" it didn't move for an hour; that is, our part did not until most of us got comfortably fixed, when we marched slowly across the pontoons, then halted, and stood in or squatted down into the mud for about "an age" (two hours); then moved a few steps, fumbled around in a wheat field; some swore until things "seemed to get blue;" some yelled and all soon stacked arms, lay down, repented and went to sleep. Some of the boys called it "a h-1 of a time." Such "briggling about" was almost unpardonable. Who was to blame? No one knew.
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