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 14
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The loss in the regiment was reported as: Killed, none; wounded, seventeen. The Roster mentions the following as among the wounded :
Sergeant Major M. E. Haas, mortally.
Company B-J. Conley, V. Glasscock and G. M. Parks.
Company D-J. Burdett and W. Hamblin.
Company F-J. Austin, W. Hershey, J. Ricksecker and L. H. Stands.
Company H-A. Griswold and H. Sai er.
Company K-W. A. Berry.
1
CHAPTER XXIII.
SPRING OF 1864 - MARSONIAN LITERARY SOCIETY - MAR- SONIAN LITERARY CASKET-GRAND REVIEW FEB- RUARY 23d-WE CHANGE THE BLUE FOR THE WHITE TREFOIL BADGE-REORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY- GENERAL GRANT WITH THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC -THE CRIMSON-COLORED SAND STORM.
On the 29th of January an adjourned meeting was called and a literary society organized, named the " Marsonian Lyceum of the First Brigade, Third Division, Second Army Corps," of which anyone in the brigade might become a member. A brigade chapel was about this time built, in which the Lyceum held its meetings on each Friday evening, to listen to a lecture or to follow a regular programme of essays and discussions. Twice every Sunday and once during each week religious services were held in the chapel. There was also published a quarto size four-page paper, named the Marsonian Literary Casket, with the motto, "Dum Vivimus, -Vivamus," and first appeared about the last of February. A history of the brigade from its organization in February, 1862, until May 22d of the same year, occupies nearly two columns. Captain Stroub's account of the affair at Morton's Ford takes up one side; a defense of the morals and morality of the soldiers and a statement of the doings and aims of the Lyceum fill up the greater part of another page; a column is given to the honor of the "Veterans," as those were called who had re-enlisted for another three years; in half a column the editor states how it came that General Sumner, immediately after the battle of Antietam, called ours the "Gibraltar Brigade;" Captain Stroub, as poet, occupies nearly an entire column on "The Gibraltar Brigade of Antietam," whilst one-half of the first column is appropriated to poetic effusions "from the pen of a
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distinguished field officer of the brigade," entitled "The Night Before the Battle." Aside from these there appeared the fol- lowing news of the day: that Company B, Fourth Ohio, had erected a dance-house and almost every evening tripped the fan tastic toe to the music of the fiddlien; that Captain Brearly had purchased a football, which caused for himself and the boys the "veins to swell, the breast to heave and glow ;" that a hall fifty by one hundred feet was being constructed at corps' headquar- ters, and decorated with national and regimental colors and wreaths of cedar boughs, and lighted by three hundred and fifty star candles; that already officers had gone to Washington to make a requisition for ladies to attend the grand hop, where eight sets could at one time "swing your partner" after having partaken of the magnificent supper, given in honor of Wash- ington; and finally we are informed that, "a few nights since, when the 'wee small hours' were drawing slowly by, two 'shoul- der-straps,' evidently having on board more 'commissary' than their weak knees could support, staggered into a sink containing about two feet of dish-water and other slops; after floundering about for some time they managed to get out, when one of them, shaking the moisture from his garments, said: '(Hic) Bill, how are the (hic) mighty fallen?'"
It is not manifest that more than one number of the paper was issued; probably it was not a financial success. The Lyceum was well attended, as were the religious services, and the men did make an effort to improve themselves, mentally and morally, and there is no doubt that many officers and men reformed their lives; for much that was done too much credit cannot be given to our indefatigable Chaplain, D. G. Strong, called by the In- spector General the "best chaplain in the Army of the Potomac." This brother of every man was elected to the chaplaincy by the unanimous vote of the regiment when the old fatherly chaplain, Rev. Dr. Lorenzo Warner, was compelled to resign on,account of ill health.
Some of our officers attended the corps' ball, which was graced by the presence of Vice-President Hamlin, Meade and his generals, and some two hundred ladies, the most of whom were present at the grand review of the army near Stevensburg, on Tuesday the 23d, when the men stood in the cold "two mortal hours" at attention, waiting for the cavalcade to appear
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GRANT AND HANCOCK WITH US.
or the procession to move. No one knew the cause of the delay, but one of the married boys remarked, "We are only waiting, as usual, for the women to get their fixings on."
On the 27th we had orders to be ready to move at a moment's notice; this was to give aid, if necessary, to the raid that was being made toward Richmond by our cavalry. During the months of March and April there was more drilling, especially of the conscripts and recruits of other brigades, which so vividly reminded us of our first efforts to keep step and eyes right; there was also a "rivival of music," if one could judge from the "everlasting racket" made by brass horns, fifes and drums, from reveille until tattoo, with their "Too, taw, tee, taw, toot" and "Er'-rub, dub, dub," that threatened to collapse the entire nerv- ous organization of every soul that had to put up with it, how- ever much he might vow to smash the squawking things. Occa- sionally some one did take dire vengeance, to the utter disgust of the owner of horn or drum.
About the last of March, General Grant made his headquar- ters with the Army of the Potomac, reviewed the troops, who were eager to see him; General Hancock also resumed com- mand of the Second Corps; the First and Second Divisions of the Third Corps were assigned to our corps, whose brigades and divisions were in turn consolidated. Our brigade was now desig- nated the Third Brigade, Second Division, Second Army Corps, commanded by Colonel S. S. Carroll and composed of the fol- lowing regiments, in the order named: Fourth Ohio, Seventh West Virginia, One Hundred and Eighth New York, Twelfth New Jersey, Tenth Battalion New York, Eighth Ohio, Four- teenth Connecticut and the First Delaware. We were now re- quired to remove our blue trefoil badge and place in its stead the white trefoil. Our force now numbered, all told, about one hundred thousand men, of all arms, the Confederates possibly sixty-two thousand.
About the last of April officers' wives had returned home, surplus baggage had been turned over and sent to the rear, and a standing order issued to be ready to march with four days' rations in haversacks, and forty rounds of ammunition in cart- ridge-boxes, and knapsacks.
On the 2d of May there occurred a strange phenomena; about five in the evening, just as many of the troops were returning from
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FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
drill, a terrible storm loomed up westward toward the mountains and soon hid them from sight; the clouds gathered denser black ness, approached rapidly, rose higher and higher, the highest assuming a fiery redness, so that, above the blackness of dark- ness, crimson masses rolled over and over and hurried onward until they were directly above us; drops of rain began to fall, the wind to be tempestuous, trees to bend, crack and fall, and a hurricane of sand entered every crevice and hid the day so that one could not discern an object at a distance of four feet. "The world is coming to an end," "Gabriel will blow his horn," was heard when the storm came near, but when upon us in full blast, not a word was heard during the three minutes that the fury of sand continued; the storm gone by, sand covered every- thing, was everywhere-in everything.
CHAPTER XXIV.
BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS -TOD'S TAVERN - BATTLE AT PO RIVER - BATTLE AT LAUREL HILL -CARROLL A BRIGADIER-GRAND CHARGE AT SPOTTSYLVANIA.
Tuesday, May 3d, we received orders to march at eleven at night; at that hour we set out from our last camp and winter quarters with three hundred and seventy-two men and officers ready for duty, crossed the Rapidan at Ely's Ford at nine the next morning, May 4th; the heat being great, overcoats and blankets were strewn along the road as we entered the Wilder- ness; we made Chancellorsville before noon and the brigade halted; the Fourth, being wagon-guard, accompanied the train to Chancellorsville and bivouacked.
General Hancock had orders to move at five in the morning to Shady Grove Church, extend his right toward the Fifth Corps at Parker's Store; the rest of the brigade with the corps reached Tod's Tavern before nine, and remained near it for some two hours, awaiting orders, which were received near II o'clock, when it at once moved to the right, out on the Brock Road, and was soon on the very route taken by Jackson, to the right of the Union position at Chancellorsville; our march was most of the time hurried, at times on the double-quick, with horsemen, guns and caissons obstructing the way. Shortly before 4 o'clock the column halted on an old plantation, where the furrows of an old tobacco-field were thickly covered with pine trees that were from ten to thirty and more feet in height; musketry could now be distinctly heard in the direction we were marching, at the intersection of the Brock and Orange Plank Roads, on the Cook Plantation, some three miles southeast of Parker's Store, two and a half southwest of Chancellorsville, and two west and south of Old Wilderness Tavern, and one-half mile from a railroad
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FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
bed. In front of our place of halting the Brock Road passed over a high ridge with ravines on either side, the head-waters of the Ny River. On this ridge were several large apple trees, and back of it a run where the boys filled their canteens.
Soon after four the brigade, except our regiment, was hurried forward to and beyond the Plank Road, skirmishers deployed into the dense wood of scrub oaks, with rigid branches reaching from near the roots to the very top, and a position taken to the right of Getty's Division of the Sixth Corps and a general fusi- lade at once began, the Eighth Ohio and Fourteenth Indiana advancing in support of the skirmishers, who soon recaptured two of Rickett's guns; then rifle-pits were constructed near the road; several had been wounded and killed before the peculiar gloom of approaching darkness made the dense underbrush seem more difficult to penetrate, and the firing was mostly by random in the direction where the enemy could not be seen, but the crack of the musket or rifle revealed his close proximity; at dark firing had mostly ceased, as neither side seemed ready for a general onset.
Friday, May 6, 1864. At break of day, our regiment having been relieved by wagon-guard, hurried forward on the double- quick from its bivouac on the Chancellorsville battle-ground and took its position on the right of the brigade, before 5 o'clock, just as it was joining in the general charge that was to be made, bu' had been anticipated by a charge of the rebels on the troops on our right and a demonstration on our front that seemed not seriously intended, because there was an immediate falling back, as our brigade moved forward rapidly into the dense underbrush and fired at any rebels that could be seen.
The Confederates constantly fell back on our front until we came near to a field, when about 9 o'clock we were ordered to halt and dress up our lines. The firing was kept up for nearly two hours, when, just as we were ready to advance, a terrific volley, and another, and still others, were poured into our ranks by Longstreet's entire corps, which had been per- mitted to form in line unobserved on our front. On either side. but especially on the left, the troops fell back, bringing us under an enfilading fire and compelling us to fall back or be captured; many of our boys continued to punish their pursuers after having been wounded. Again did our regiments endeavor to make a
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BATTLE OF WILDERNESS.
stand, until they were again flanked. Carroll and other officers, on foot and on horseback, gave directions and formed rallying points, only to be again out-flanked, and compelled to retire before a superior force. Once, when the troops on our right began to break from only a front fire, the wrath of our boys waxed hot, and many for the time forgot that there was death and dying all around them, and imprecations were heaped un- sparingly upon the men who ran to the rear when there was no great occasion for it ; even if their time of service did expire in a few days-so would ours in a month. Good authorities state that the men were out of ammunition; others say that they felt it was useless to make a stand, so back they went, leaving the brigade to contend with Johnnies to the left of them, Johnnies to the front of them, Johnnies to the right of them, compelling it to retire or be captured; the road was reached, troops to the right and left of the brigade were falling rapidly back beyond it, and some of the brigade were disposed to follow, but were ordered by Colonel Carroll to halt and stand their ground; and halt they did, the Fourth being the first to make a stand, proba- bly because it heard the order first, for the rest of the regiments also at once turned upon their pursuers and would not yield another inch; in the meantime Colonel Carroll, although suffer- ing from a wound just received, rode to the fleeing troops and shouted: "For God's sake don't leave me and my men to fight the whole rebel army; stand your ground."
Hancock, Meade and Grant were near and expressed their high appreciation of the services just rendered by the brigade. Some of the boys were halted by a guard as they were going to the creek to fill their canteens. Hancock called out, "Let those men fill their canteens; they are my fighting men." The Con- federate onset had already weakened before they came to the road, on account of Longstreet having received a severe wound and Lee having taken command, they were not ready to follow up their advantage until toward night. In the meantime our rifle-pits were strengthened, cartridge-boxes replenished, and all was again in readiness for an advance.
Just before five in the evening the skirmishers began a vigor- ous firing, and were immediately joined by the troops in the rifle-pits on our front; the woods had been for some time on fire, the dense smoke being driven into our faces, followed by
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FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
the roaring flames, whirled by the wind, rendering the air for some time stifling hot; of this state of things we were certain the enemy would take advantage, and make a charge upon the line in the pits but a few rods in front of us; the conjecture proved correct, and all were in readiness awaiting the event; presently the "yell" was heard, and on the rebels came, until many of them charged to and over the rifle-pits, which were now being deserted; it was high time for action, and the brigade, with rousing cheers, came to the rescue of the front line, captured a number of prisoners, and sent the remainder reeling back under a well-directed volley, following them beyond the works. After this there was but little more than a random firing of the pickets thrown out; the line was dressed and further events and orders awaited until about 9 o'clock, when we were moved a mile to the right and constructed a line of earthworks during the night.
Saturday, May 7th. There was but little demonstration even on the skirmish-line during the night, which was mostly spent in caring as far as possible for the wounded, who were taken to the corps' hospital, where a large detail of surgeons were busy all night in dressing wounds, amputating limbs and removing the wounded to the rear toward Fredericksburg. Many of the slightly wounded remained with their comrades in the ranks. During the forenoon we were under orders to be ready to march at 12 o'clock; noon came, and also night, when we moved nearly two miles to the right and bivouacked. Our loss in the regi- ment was eight killed, twenty-six wounded and several missing.
Company A-H. Koontz, killed; R. A. Hall and Ohio Pan- coast, wounded.
Company B-,V. Glasscock and R. Sebring, killed; A. J. Booze, A. Evarts, J. Fletcher, W. Jones, B. M. Murphy, P. Robinson and J. Ross, wounded.
Company C-N. Conine, killed; Charles Vining died soon of wounds; W. J. Ward, wounded.
Company D-G. V. Devore, killed; A. Ridges and J. Ben- der, wounded.
Company E-D. Best, H. Cook, J. Johnson, J. Kope, T. McClarren, M. M. Smith, H. Swickey, W. Singer and W. F. Smith, wounded.
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BATTLE OF PO RIVER.
Company F-E. W. Alexander and J. Miller, killed; J. G. Darr, B. C. Goodwill, J. Richards, W. M. Shorb and J. Trown- sell, wounded.
Company G-J. McArthur, killed; J. Rice, wounded.
Company H-J. French, killed; J. Beckley, wounded.
Company K-J. Rall and S. E. Smith, killed; J. Beaver and L. F. Fullmer, wounded.
Sunday, May Sth. Early in the morning we awoke and found the Fifth Corps passing us; at seven we followed, reached Tod's Tavern before noon, halted at two whilst Warren's Corps was skirmishing with the enemy toward Spottsylvania Court House, some of the shell dropping near us. Again we moved forward until we had gone about three miles, halted for half an hour, moved another half mile and bivouacked for the night. Four days' rations were soon issued and abundance of ammunition furnished and well taken care of by the men, who knew its value now as never before, for a large number had fired not only all the rounds they had, but many that were taken from the boxes of the wounded and dead.
BATTLE OF PO RIVER.
Monday, May 9th. Early in the morning we moved one and a half miles toward Tod's Tavern, in support of General Birney's Division, until ten, when we marched about three miles toward Spottsylvania Court House, halted on the Hart Farm, near to where a battery was shelling a wagon-train, making it move in a lively and amusing manner and spilling out large quantities of corn and black beans. In the afternoon the brigade moved forward in support of the First Brigade of the Third Division. General Grant was near at hand, sitting upon the grass in silence for more than an hour, save to inquire of General Hancock the propriety of using more artillery. We waded the Po River, which is some fifty feet wide, before dark, and soon the heavens were lit up by blazing rails, making the troops at a distance look like giant spectres; into these the enemy poured a parting vol- ley, but did no harm; unmolested, the night was spent in rest- ful slumbers.
Tuesday, May Ioth. Many of the boys enjoyed the contents of an ice-house near at hand; at ten our artillery opened out with telling effect, as we could see the Confederate infantry take
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FOURTHI OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
to their heels and make off for the rear. We soon marched toward our left to the support of General Warren; in this move- ment the Second Corps lost its first cannon, which had been mired on account of the horses taking fright at the fires that were raging in the woods. We passed the spot where General Sedgwick was killed on the morning of the 9th, near the crossing on the Alsop Farm, formed in line of battle, and advanced into a dense wood on our right, where our skirmishers were soon involved in a brisk engagement.
CHARGE AT LAUREL, OR PROSPECT HILL.
At 5 o'clock a general charge upon the enemy's works was ordered; bayonets were fixed and the line moved up the slope under a galling fire, with cheering, over rifle-pits, past Union soldiers into the dense tanglewood of cedars, and were met with terrific volleys of musketry, yet moved onward until some of our boys of the Fourth scaled the breastworks and fell lifeless among the enemy; being without support, the line fell back a short distance; soon after there were many stragglers of other regiments who vowed that they would not take any such risks, as their time of service had nearly expired; Warren and staff urged them in vain to make a stand. Just before dark came another order to charge; the line moved forward a few rods into the impenetrable darkness, up to the breastworks and some upon them, and saw the rebels in some twenty lines deep, heard Carroll's order to fall back, and in so doing the whole Confed- erate mass riddled us with their fire. Colonel Carroll was this day promoted to a Brigadier Generalship for "gallant and meri- torious conduct at the battle of the Wilderness," in which every man in the brigade gloried. Our loss was five killed and thirty wounded.
Company A-R. E. Bigbee and R. Thompson, wounded.
Company B-W. J. Brollier and J. C. Dowling soon died of wounds; J. Armstrong, wounded.
Company C-Samuel Coldflesh and Joseph Tanner, killed; Samuel Traxler soon died of wounds; Captain Byron Dolbear died of wounds several weeks after battle; Benjamin Durfey, Harvey Jennings and Albert Worline, wounded.
Company D-M. Banker soon died of wounds.
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LIST OF LOSSES-WEARY WAITING.
Company E-Howard Fishburn, killed.
Company F-Captain Brearley and P. L. Snyder, wounded.
Company G-F. Bain and J. W. Donaldson, wounded.
Company H-L. Grimes, killed; R. Carlyle, J. S. Elliott, J. Grimes, A. Griswold, A. Halstead, J. Kenyon, S. W. Miller and J. Maunasmith, wounded.
Company I-J. M. Finch and Lieutenant C. L. Pettibone, killed; C. Day, wounded.
Company K-J. C. Carter, J. Goodenberger and G. B. Mer- chant, wounded.
Wednesday, May 11th. There was but little rest during the night, as an attack might be expected at any moment; requisi- tions for rations and ammunition were filled and the breastworks strengthened; one in passing along our works at any time of day could see men in line behind the works, peering with dilated pupil into the dense underbrush in front of them, having gun ready to bring to an aim should there be the first intimation of a charge on the part of the enemy.
The day wore away with but two sensations; the first was occa- sioned by a soldier putting the forefinger of his right hand to the muzzle of his gun, springing the trigger with his ramrod, blew off his finger, and was ordered to the front to remain five days, if not sooner shot. He turned out to be a faithful man, and remained by choice on the front after the time . of sentence had expired. Another, whilst the ammunition was being distributed, yelled out, "Sergeant, bring your ammunition this way; we are out." The Johnnies heard it, so did the General; the latter called his men to attention while the former began a rapid fire, but soon ceased it when they discovered that those on the front were well provided with ammunition. "That fool ought to be shot," said one in authority.
Darkness came and found the men weary with watching and fighting; many were sound asleep, with gun in hand, when the order came at about 9 o'clock to move back as quietly as possi- ble. The column moved slowly in a drizzling rain until after midnight, toward the left, formed in line of battle on the Lan- drum Farm, and awaited the break of day.
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FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA.
Thursday, May 12th. Early in the morning it was quite foggy, so that the advance could not be made at as early an hour as intended; everybody expected a bold and successful movement to be made upon the enemy's works, since the countenances and actions of the general officers showed conclusively to the private soldier that expectation was very high, and the quietness of the enemy, who was known to be near at hand, assured us that we should come upon him unawares. The mist had not yet cleared away when our brigade moved by the right flank over the McCool Farm as the second line of battle, over undulating ground, then up a slope toward the top of which were some felled trees; as the first line entered this abatis it was fired upon by the Con- federate pickets, the front line charged, followed closely by our line, which soon came up and mingled with it, and the mass of men went forward irrespective of organizations and location of regimental standards, cheering vociferously ; charged over breast- works, sent prisoners to the rear, loaded several guns with grape and sent it after those who were retreating through the pine forest. We had come upon them entirely unexpected, and found some of them rousing from their slumbers, others trying to get on their pantaloons, others trying to slip the feet into their shoes, others looking for their guns; the Johnnies were in almost every attitude and condition-dressed, half dressed and nearly naked. We had caught them napping. Some of the prisoners informed us that their officers had told them we had been so badly whipped that we had started for Fredericksburg the evening previous. One Major General ( Johnson), a Brigadier General (Steuart) and many other officers, twenty-two pieces of artillery, with caissons and horses, thirty stand of colors, thousands of small arms, camp equipage, and nearly four thousand prisoners, were the trophies of this most successful sortie.
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