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 15
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The danger was not over. Burnside's Artillery threw some of its shot among us and did some damage; some of the boys of the Fourth turned several of the captured guns toward the enemy, loaded and fired for some time before they noticed the danger they were in in firing over open caissons, which might be caused to explode at any moment. The rebels several times tried to rally: they soon brought up more troops and seemed to get ready for a counter attack; in the meantime our artillery
-
PLAN OF THE BATTLE AND LINES SPOTTSYLVANIA COURTHOUSE
wil. Seu
"Watt
Tully's Milo
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Fought May 8th - 21st 1864.
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1. Scale of Miles.
H
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hitrenched Lines.
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Old C.H.
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KONGSTREET
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Harris 1
Clark
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1
To Fredericksburg
1
Glady Run
INCOCK
2
Petry Spiritle
Brown
Me. Kinney
ANCOCK
12
I71
WE HOLD OUR GROUND.
came to our rescue by sending shot and shell into the enemy ; we were formed in line on the reverse side of the rebel works, strengthened them as much as circumstances and time permitted while missiles came among us from several directions. Firing and skirmishing was kept up all day; at some points the lines were so near that our men were on one side of the breastworks and the rebels on the other, each endeavoring to capture or drive away the other. Several times during the day did the rebels try to have concerted action and charge upon us, but were so closely watched that each attempt was nipped in the bud; they were not even able to move their wounded that lay thickly on our front. Again and again did the drizzling rain interfere with our comfort. During the night the rebels kept up a con- stant firing, doubtless to make us believe that they intended to hold that position, when they were, in fact, withdrawing as best they could without provoking a general charge upon their thinned ranks; they made a number of efforts to recapture several guns in our front, but failed, and early in the morning a number of our boys dragged them to our rear.
Our ranks, too, were rapidly thinned out; there were now only four officers present for duty in the regiment; we began to realize that at such a rate of decimation as that to which we had been subjected for less than a fortnight there would be but few remaining to be mustered out of the service in three weeks; although our time was so near out, never did the boys brave danger with greater determination or more fearlessness; they cared more to squelch the rebellion and end the war than to shield themselves from injury and danger. The Fourth lost dur- ing this engagement three killed, three missing and thirty-one wounded, of which the following, taken from the rolls at the end of this history, is a partial list:
Company A-A. B. Wallace, wounded.
Company B-F. N. Clayton, killed; L. Morey and G. M. Parks, wounded.
Company C-Lieutenant Anderson, Lieutenant Perry, C. R. Breyfogle, A. Keiser, L. Keiser, H. Lamb, H. Lynn and S. Wells, wounded.
Company D-D. K. Gibbs, E. Wilson and J. White, wounded.
Company E-S. Bird, C. Fogleson, T. M. Lowrey, G. Much- ler, J. T. Swearingen and N. Tryon, wounded.
172
FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Company F-W. Miller, killed; P. Snyder and J. Thurin, wounded.
Company G-J. W. F. Williams, wounded.
Company H-W. Shendoller, killed; H. Fields, missing; H.
S. Kenyon, C. Manly and S. Shertzer, wounded.
Company I-R. Jennings, missing.
Company K-A. Kightlinger, missing; F. Brenneke, H. H. Cunningham, A. P. Freeman, D. Hall, J. Welchonce, wounded; H. J. Shook, wounded and prisoner.
RECONNAISANCE TOWARD THE NY RIVER.
Friday, May 13th. Overhead the bright sunshine once inore greeted us; the enemy had left our immediate front; within a few rods a sickening sight met our eyes which caused us to more fully realize the terribleness of the conflict of the previous day ; clothing, small arms, limber boxes, caissons, cannon, dead horses, dead men, wounded men, were heaped together as well as scat- tered about; the dead were thickly strewn in every direction; in a small compass of about six by sixteen feet lay forty-four Con- federate dead and three more were in the last struggles; one poor fellow breathed his last just as four of his dead comrades had been removed from him; numbers of the dead had in their hands an open Bible or Testament, making many of us wish that our deluded brothers would give up the struggle for a bad cause, return to their allegiance, and we would most gladly forgive them. We, too, had sustained sad losses; Colonel Coons, of the Fourteenth Indiana, a noble and brave man, had fallen.
About 8 o'clock came the order, "Fall in! Forward!" The Fourth was deployed as skirmishers, and moved forward over ground that had been partly cleared and burned over the year previous; for some time the firing was very brisk; our column was ordered to halt; we lay for hours on the blackened and charred limbs and leaves; during this time Carroll had his left arm badly shattered above the elbow, and he was compelled to leave the field of strife and carnage for life; the boys had re- joiced with him in the fact that the government had at last recognized his gallant services on the field of battle and made him a brigadier general several days previous, but every heart was saddened because he could not be with us to the end of our
173
OUR LAST "ON TO RICHMOND."
time of service, if no longer; every man in the brigade loved him and gloried in him, and would have followed him wher- ever he might go against the enemy, and he would go wher- ever he was ordered or die in the attempt; he was as tender in feeling as a woman, whole-souled and true, dearly loved his men, always looked well to their interests, and led them to honor and victory ; his fault, if fault it may be called, was that he was too daring, regardless of his own life and welfare; a good fault.
There was considerable murmuring when Colonel Ellis of the Fourteenth Connecticut took command, but much rejoicing when in a few days he was relieved by Colonel Smythe, of the First Delaware, whom the boys had learned to respect from what they had seen of him as a soldier and a gentleman, safe and brave.
One report made on the field gives our loss in the Fourth in the reconnaisance as three killed and one wounded; the rolls give: Girard Durfey, of Company C, and F. Enwright of G, as wounded.
Saturday, May 14th. The brigade having been relieved, re- mained in a pleasant camp in a ravine in the triangle just back of the breastworks, and in range of the rebel sharpshooters, from whom many a stray shot came uncomfortably near. There were many instances of narrow escapes. Two comrades were arranging a requisition for ammunition; for a moment the one leaned over toward the other, when a ball cut the bark of the sapling at the very point where the middle of his back had been resting. Two comrades had put down their bunk for a good rest after days of excitement, exertion and loss of sleep, laid down, and were just in the act of placing their heads on their knapsacks, when a ball grazed both knapsacks; there instantly came from one, "A miss is as good as a mile," and, from the other, "Can't do that again," and down went both heads and in a moment both were asleep. Another comrade, while asleep, was pierced through the chest by a ball; " never knew what hurt him;" and in a few minutes more he was wrapped in his blankets and placed in his grave underneath his very bed. There were during these days hundreds of like occur- rences; there was safety nowhere; men, too, became more serious, careful and determined. All day long the boys could be seen writing letters, cleaning guns or sleeping; there was but
174
FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
little moving about; it was rest day, with the constant expecta- tion of having to make a rapid movement in some direction.
Sunday, May 15th. In the morning we took up our line of march and arrived at the Fredericksburg Pike at about 9 o'clock and remained for several hours; then we went back to support two regiments of the brigade that had been left on picket and had been flanked because some troops whose time was about expiring had given way and did not care to take any further risks "because they wanted to go home." We went into camp on a branch of the muddy Ny River, but had clear water and a good sod.
Monday, May 16th. Remained in camp until toward evening, when we went to the rescue of the Fifth Corps Hospital and brought away over six hundred and fifty wounded, who had been molested by Confederate cavalry. New troops came in during the day.
Tuesday, May 17th. A very warm day; sharpshooters and pickets kept up a fusilade all day and the men were in constant readiness to make or repel an attack or start on a rapid and distant march. At 10 o'clock at night we started and marched to a position near the triangle and works taken on the 12th, the authorities thinking to make another surprise with equal success.
CHAPTER XXV.
SECOND BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA, OR THE NY-BATTLE OF NORTH ANNA, OR TAYLOR'S BRIDGE AND JERICKS- FORD-SKIRMISHES ON THE TOTOPOTOMOY-BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR-RELIEVED AND START FOR HOME.
Wednesday, May 18th. As on the 12th, we started at day- break against the rebel works, but found ourselves at once con- fronted by a heavy abatis and high breastworks; we moved over one mile beyond the position formerly taken by us; our batteries threw their missiles over our heads but occasionally into our ranks, discouraging and provoking the men who already saw the hope- lessness of the task, when the order was given to halt and fall back a short distance. This action was very brief; skirmishing kept up during the entire day, and in the evening we marched several miles toward the left and bivouacked on the Anderson Farm.
The Fourth lost in the Second Spottsylvania or Ny River battle eight killed and four wounded.
Company A-R. Kimball, wounded.
Company B-W. Case, M. Craven and M. Fry, killed; L. Hutcheson, wounded.
Company C-S. H. Orton, killed; W. H. Owsten, wounded.
Company D-A. K. Lewis, soon died of wounds.
Company H-Hiram Fields, killed.
Company I-Reuben Jennings and A. Potter, killed; H. W. Alexander, wounded.
Thursday, May 19th. An attack was made on the wagon train in the evening and we were ordered out to help repel it, but our services were not needed and we returned to camp. Reports up to this time showed our losses in the brigade to have been one thousand and forty-eight since we left our winter quarters.
I76
FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Friday, May 20th. We had orders to march early in the morn- ing; they were countermanded, but we held ourselves in readi- ness to march at a moment's notice, and in the meantime to rest as much as possible. At eleven at night the column moved southward, passed Massaponax Church at midnight, reached Guinea Station shortly after daylight the next morning, (Satur- day, May 21st,) Bowling Green at ten, and Milford Station at one in the afternoon; crossed the Mattapony and entrenched ourselves at once a short distance beyond the river. The pickets soon had a skirmish with some Confederate cavalry. Colonel Smythe and his Adjutant General, Captain Reed, came near being captured. By night our works looked quite formidable, for out of the sandy loam they were easily constructed.
Sunday, May 22d. The brigade made a reconnaissance a dis- tance of three miles; returned at 3 P.M., having found only a few cavalrymen; several of our officers returned from recruiting service. Rations, ammunition and clothing were issued after midnight, and gave the first opportunity for change of attire since we had left camp.
BATTLE OF NORTH ANNA RIVER, OR FAYLOR'S BRIDGE AND JERICKSFORD.
Monday, May 23d. Early this morning we started for Han- over Court House, crossed Polecat Creek at ten, arrived at the bridge over the North Anna River at two in the afternoon; immediately there was an artillery duel, and skirmishing became brisk, and continued until 9 P.M., our regiment being in the advance; three of the men who had volunteered to go down to the railroad bridge, to determine its condition, were wounded by a volley from the other side of the river, viz: W. T. Hart of B, B. McPherson of C, and A. Ustick of H.
Tuesday, May 24th. Late in the previous evening the enemy destroyed the bridge; early on this morning our brigade crossed the river a short distance below the Chesterfield bridge over pontoons, under the fire of the enemy, threw out skirmishers, advanced in line some distance, and at once constructed earth- works, within about six hundred yards of the Confederate works, on the Dawswell or Dowsdell Plantation, noted for its race-course and fast horses. At six in the evening the brigade got into a severe skirmish, drove the enemy a short distance. The day was warm.
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PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF THE
NORTH ANNA
Fought. May 23! - 26 th 1864. Frapret for Canymsigns of the Army of the Posonar " Scale of Miles
Intrenched Lines . - Union - Confederate
CKSBURG R.
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177
BATTLE OF NORTH ANNA.
Wednesday, May 25th. New lines were constructed during the night. There was but little sleeping; the entire brigade again moved forward, drove the enemy from the first and then from the second line of works, and continued skirmishing all day.
Thursday, May 26th. There was but little firing during the night; we were on the skirmish line the entire day, and toward night the brigade again advanced under a severe fire, drove the Confederates once more, sustaining a loss of two killed and five wounded. At about 8 o'clock at night the army began to re- cross; the brigade followed at ten, in pitch darkness, the men staggering about against the comrade in front, then in a moment taken arrears ; having reached the position we held before cross- ing the river we settled down gladly, and were soon asleep.
Friday, May 27th. Nothing transpired during the early morn- ing save the moving troops of the Fifth, Ninth and Second Corps passing us. The pickets of the brigade, detailed from regiments, were yet on the other side of the river, until about ten, when as they recrossed the Confederates began to shell us, until we started, soon after eleven, when we rapidly brought up the rear of the army; took dinner about noon. The division soon moved out, and not receiving orders for two hours to fol- low, we were compelled for more than that length of time to make a forced march in order to close up, then proceeded slowly, in the immediate rear of the division, until eleven at night, when we bivouacked.
Saturday, May 28th. The usual day's rations of beef having been cooked and stored in haversacks, breakfast eaten, the march was resumed at 7 o'clock. Frequent halts were made in a low, swampy country, where one could see but a short dis- tance. Roads and by-ways were numerous. We crossed the Pamunky at about 3 o'clock, moved forward some three miles. and then arranged ourselves in battle array, on the Huntley Farm, to the left of the Sixth Corps, at once dug entrenchments, near a road leading from Crump's Creek to Hawes' Shop. Ra- tions, except beef and coffee, were getting very scarce. We held our position and rested until at noon on the next day.
SKIRMISH ON TOTOPOTOMOY (May 29-31.)
Sunday, May 29th. At noon our brigade supported the ad- vance of the other brigades. The day was very warm, and the
178
FOURTHI OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
skirmishing brisk until night set in, the enemy evidently being in front of us in force. The ground was low and wet.
Monday, May 30th. At seven in the morning the Seventh Virginia took the advance as skirmishers ; our progress was very slow, over a good road by a 40x60 church; a halt was called at four in the afternoon, about three miles distant from the last camp. Rations having been brought from the White House Landing, there was once more plenty to eat. Flour and bacon, currant and ginger wines, and onions, were found in considerable quantities at a low mansion on the plantation over which we now extended our skirmish line. An attack in force, which it was intended should be made here at this time, failed because the Sixth Corps became entangled in almost impassable swamps on our right; in front there was considerable skirmishing, and on our left it assumed the magnitude of a general engagement, whilst the cannon were active in silencing the guns of the en- emy, making us think that we were getting into the very midst of affairs.
Tuesday, May 31st. We remained in our breastworks the greater part of the forenoon; shortly before noon we moved forward, occupied the works of the enemy, and supported the First and Second Brigades of the division, in their advance over the marshy ground toward the enemy beyond Totopotomoy Creek. Entrenchments were hastily constructed and the posi- tion held until the next evening, nothing of note happening, the men taking a rest during the cool day.
Wednesday, June Ist. Lieutenants Spalter, Brophy, Watkins, Dickerson and Patton returned to the regiment, with recruits and furloughed veterans, who now began their three years of service. We were under artillery fire all day. Toward night the entire brigade went to the front, leaving pickets on the line. At half past nine at night, we began the march toward the left, through oppressive heat, choking dust, and pitch darkness; halted occasionally on account of some obstructions, getting but little sleep or rest ; the men were more in a mood to sleep than to do any hard fighting, and began to feel that "Grant, or any other man" who was responsible for such constant drudging of his men, ought to begin to be made to feel that they were human, and absolutely needed rest.
1
-
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PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF
Yo Guines's Mill
COLD HARBOR
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NEW COLD HARBOR
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A COLD HARBOR.T.
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Bosher
Banks
Gilman's Mill
WA
5:"
Alleri's Mill
Leary
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Scale of' Miles
3
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BURNSIDE
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WAAREN
1- 12
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5. M. \'T.H'
W
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Fought May 315 June K!1864. Engraved for Congrugns of the Army of the Potomac Intrenched Lines.
Confederate
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179
BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR.
BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR.
Thursday, June 2d. After a lengthened halt, and before the ration of beef was distributed or crackers could be " crunched down, without water," the brigade was formed with other troops in line of battle about 7:30, and being immediately attacked by the Confederates, moved rapidly forward under flying balls, took up a position and constructed huge earthworks, from which a constant fire was kept up until far into the night. There was an effort made to save ammunition, take good aim, and to fire only when it was very certain that a Johnny's head was in range, or his position made very uncomfortable. All began to turn them- selves into sharpshooters, beginning to think that the only way to whip the Confederacy was to kill off the soldiers, for every man that was disabled counted one less of a force with which to contend. The order to attack at 5 P.M. was countermanded on account of a wind and rain storm.
Friday, June 3d. Just at dawn the entire brigade advanced quietly, moved rapidly over a field, up a slope, and we were at once met by shot, shell and canister; nothing daunted, most of the men hurried forward, drove in the skirmishers and sharpshooters of the enemy, captured their riflepits, came within a few rods of the Confederate earthworks, but being without support, fell back a few rods, formed a new line, in the edge of a wood, in the first line of captured riflepits, threw up breastworks of tim- ber and whatever came first to hand and could be made available. The lines, now but a few rods apart, held each other as in a vise ; neither Confederate nor Unionist dare show his head above the parapets lest he be "peeled," nor was it safe for either to attempt to leave the works, nor for any one to go to them; neither had ever been in closer quarters to remain any length of time. It was soon evident that the men that opposed us were new, on account of their incessant firing, which old troops would not have indulged in for so long a time without intermission. Tricks were sometimes played on them; some of the boys raising hats on ramrods whilst others watched with guns at an aim through holes in the parapet, peeled the fellows that shot at the hats. The works themselves were virtually bullet-proof, and there was no danger save when one gave way to the provocation induced by " the everlasting shooting," raised his head to see where the nonsense came from, determined on vengeance, and
1 80
FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
was himself pecked. There was more disposition to fun than seriousness, as some of the nervous ones juked and dodged when the balls had passed and danger was over; then there was such a scatterment made among the Johnnies, when the howitzers dropped an occasional round of shot among them, and furnished us a good opportunity for rifle-practice as their heads went bob- bing, back into their trenches.
Toward night there was a lull, and a charge upon our works was anticipated, so that the men not only reserved their fire, but many put in extra charges. Soon after sunset a terrific cannon- ading began, and the ground to the rear of our works was raked by a cross-fire from some five or more directions, but few reach- ing the men because the cannon could not be sufficiently depressed, and there was as great danger to their men as to ours. Soon the infantry, some three lines deep, came over their entrenchments, crept noiselessly toward our works, received a volley from our first line, then immediately from the second, whilst the first loaded and again fired, took the guns of the second, and with a keen out- look, kept up an accurate firing at the objects on their front, whilst others continued to load as rapidly as possible, and handed over the loaded pieces and in return received and reloaded the empty guns. This method proved very destructive to the en- emy, killing and wounding many, whilst numbers, not daring to return to their works, surrendered themselves as prisoners. This was the first time we had an opportunity to repel a charge whilst occupying breastworks. After the enemy had besa hurled back all along the line, cheer upon cheer rent the air. During the attack, when it was almost certain death to leave the breastworks, Adjutant Wallace went to the rear and soon returned with a detail from the Ordnance Corps loaded with ammunition. There was now no picket-guard, but some kept a watch of every move beyond the breast- works while others slept; thus the night passed slowly by, with no disturbing cause save the ceaseless crack of the rifle, that became more frequent as soon as the darkness began to flee before the earliest dawn. This "eternal whacking" was always an evidence of new troops on our front, as the old soldiers on either side had given up the practice long ago, and were disposed to censure such of their comrades as engaged in it, since it did but little good in the way of deciding anything,
181
THE "SCARED DARKEY."
and permitted no opportunity for the much-needed rest. But if the Johnnies wanted to keep pecking away, the same arrange- ment was kept up by the boys during the day that they had previously, some resting while others kept the enemy dodging. Thus was Saturday, June 4th, spent, the boys keeping up the maneuvers of the previous day, yet with greater caution, although the temptation was greater than ever to "peel" the new recruits on our front.
Just at dark the Confederates opened as usual with cannon, and for some twenty minutes the heavens were lurid with the flash of the guns, the brigade in the meantime holding itself in readiness to meet another charge. Quietness soon reigned.
Our regiment lost during the day three killed and seventeen wounded :
Company A-H. C. Pollock, wounded.
Company B-F. Beach, wounded.
Company C-T. Williams, mortally wounded.
Company D-H. Ries, killed ; C. L. Baily, H. Heater, H. White and F. K. Yarger, wounded.
Company E-H. Brown and C. M. Line, wounded.
Company F-J. Hafer, killed; F. L. Ensign, J. McCauley and C. E. Yaley, wounded.
Company I-F. J. Winstead, wounded.
Company K-D. D. Booher and J. C. Carter, wounded.
Just before the "ball opened," and all was quiet, a colored servant was riding pompously through the rear line of works, with rations of beef, tack and sweet potato for his "Massa," when the ricochet of a solid shot, passing uncomfortably near, so frightened him that he tumbled from his horse, followed by the rations and horse's heels, scrambling on his knees, hands, nose and toes, blubbering with his mouth, his face turning from a jet black to an ashen hue, flung himself upon two "shoulder straps" that were reclining behind the breastworks, hugged their legs together until they roared with pain, and for some minutes he could not be persuaded, " cussed," or pulled from his death- like grip.
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