USA > Ohio > The story of the Sherman brigade. The camp, the march, the bivouac, the battle; and how "the boys" lived and died during four years of active field service > Part 12
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Savannah was now only four or five miles away, while by a di-
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A GHASTLY PICTURE OF WAR.
[April,
rect line we were but a dozen miles from the field where the dead- ly strife was being renewed. Clear and distinct came the roar of cannon, and we could even hear the volleys of musketry. Moved by a common impulse, the soldiers hastily emptied their cups, seized their guns, and, scarcely waiting for the word of com- mand, fell into line.
"Attention -- battalion! Shoulder-arms! Right-face! Right shoulder shift-arms! Forward-march!" and off we went at quick time, through the mud, making all possible haste to reach the river. The rain was still falling at intervals, and we had neither blankets nor overcoats. We halted but once or twice, ar- riving at Savannah about 10 o'clock.
Here was a scene of the utmost confusion and excitement that it is possible to imagine. All through the night steamboats · had been running to and from Pittsburg Landing, carrying up troops, artillery and ammunition for Buell's army, and returning with hundreds of wounded men from the first day's battle. All the buildings in the little straggling village had been taken possession of for hospital purposes. Here and there, on porches and in yards, lay the bodies of those who had died during the night. In almost every house surgeons were at work dressing wounds and amputating shattered limbs. As we marched down the main street toward the river we could hear on every side the groans of the suffering. To us all this was a revelation. We were looking upon the ghastliest picture of war.
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The town was full of stragglers, who, in the demoralization of the previous day, had found their way hither. Officers and men on horseback were dashing about engaged in gathering up these fugitives and organizing them into companies-they were from scores of different regiments-for their return to the field. Staff officers and orderlies were hurrying to and fro, conveying orders for pushing troops and ammunition to the front. As I write, the scene of that dull April morning comes before me as clear as though it were but yesterday. So it will be with many who may read this sketch. Time cannot efface, nor scarcely dim, the impressions made by such events.
At the landing we stacked arms and were obliged to wait half an hour before taking passage for the field, ten miles up the
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143
WE EMBARK FOR THE FIELD.
1862.]
river, where the battle was raging. The steamer on which we were to go had arrived shortly before, filled with wounded, who were being carried on shore as fast as possible. There were scores with bleeding arms and legs, hobbling along as best they could, while others were borne upon stretchers to the various buildings and placed in the care of the surgeons. I remember a brave fel- low, one of whose legs had been frightfully mangled from the knee downward, by a piece of shell. As he was carried past us he raised himself upon one elbow and exclaimed :
"They want ye there, boys! Hurry up, and when you get there just give the rascals h-1. That's what they gave me yesterday. We're going to · lick 'em like blazes today."
The boys gave him a hearty cheer in recognition of his pluck, and as he was borne up the hill he waved his hand in response. Three or four corpses were carried ashore from the boat, the men having died during the short passage from the field. These scenes made us look rather sober, nor, I think, THOMAS R. SMITH, CAPTAIN, SIXTY-FOURTH. did our looks belie our feel- ings. Yet we chafed under the delay, and anxiously awaited the moment when we should reach the scene of conflict.
As soon as the wounded were removed from the boat we took arms and went on board. The decks were everywhere stained with blood. Our own artillery had not yet come up, but a battery which had been waiting was hastily run in upon the main deck, some two hundred boxes of ammunition were carried on board, and, casting off the lines, we steamed up the river. The boat was
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144
UP THE RIVER TO THE BATTLEFIELD.
[April,
crowded to its utmost capacity with men, horses, cannon and caissons. Every available foot of space was occupied. The roar of battle was incessant, becoming more and more distinct as we neared the field. Half way up we met a steamer coming down, filled with freshly wounded.
"How is it going ?" shouted a dozen voices.
"It's bully today !" was the answer. "We're drivin' 'em all along the line. I reckon you'll have to hurry if you want to take a hand before the game is over !" And a mighty shout went up from our boat as we glided past. Many of the wounded waved their hats and shouted lustily in response.
It was about one o'clock in the afternoon when we tied up at Pittsburg Landing and the gang plank was run out. General Garfield was the first man ashore, with Colonel Harker close at his heels. The troops hastily followed, clambering up the steep bank and forming in line at the top, in little more time than it takes to tell it. Everything about the landing was in utter chaos. There was a frantic throng, numbering thousands, of stragglers and wounded, on foot and on horseback; officers were dashing about giving their orders; and the troops just arrived were form- ing to move to the front. The wildest excitement prevailed. Be- fore us stretched away for miles the battlefield of Shiloh. We learned by hasty inquiry that, reinforced by three divisions of Buell's army, the Union lines had gradually advanced since the renewal of the battle in the morning. The enemy had been steadily forced back, and it was believed he would soon be in full retreat.
A staff officer was in waiting to direct our movements, and we delayed not a moment after we were formed.
"Double-quick-March!"
Away we went over the field thickly strewn with the dead and dying. All the terrible scenes of the three succeeding years did not obliterate from my memory the picture of the first ghastly corpse I saw. It was that of a Union soldier who had been struck by a cannon ball, which carried away one leg and the lower part of his body. He lay where he fell, a short distance away being the mangled limb.
As we advanced, on the run, the dead lay about on every
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1862.]
145
A QUICK DASH TO THE FRONT.
side, the blue and the gray often closely intermingled, showing how desperately the ground had been fought over, as the tide of battle ebbed and flowed. Hundreds of stretcher bearers were carrying the wounded from the field, and ambulances were hur- rying to and fro on their errands of mercy. We could not look upon these scenes then, nor can we think of them today, without a shudder.
As we neared the point of actual conflict the air was filled with smoke. Now and then we heard wild shouts and yells which we correctly judged to indicate the continued success of the Union forces. The roar of battle was abating. Our lines ap- peared to be constantly advancing. Men with bleeding wounds who were able to help themselves streamed past us to the rear. "We've got 'em on the run, boys!"' they shouted, "Go for 'em! Give 'em the best you've got in the shop!" their sufferings wholly lost in the all-pervading thought of victory.
More saddening were the sights that met our eyes upon the field, as we reached the ground that, within an hour, had been the scene of the last mighty grapple between the contending armies. The dead lay thickly about, and among them were the desper- ately wounded, screaming and moaning with pain, many of them near to death. Some of these even smiled feebly and uttered faint words of cheer as we passed.
The victorious shouts of the lines in front grew louder and louder, and then came a few terrific volleys of musket- ry. General Garfield spurred his horse and dashed aliead at a gallop, while we, already panting and well-nigh breathless, fol- lowed at our greatest speed. Soon we came in full view of the line of battle, and stray bullets from the enemy, away beyond, began to fall around us. A few of our brigade were struck by these spent missiles and received slight wounds, but none were killed.
General Garfield came dashing back and we halted a few mo- ments to see that our muskets were in order, for they had been drenched by the rain the previous night. Hastily wiping out our pieces we obeyed the command "Load !" and then away we went again, on a double-quick, with arms at a right shoulder shift. But now our whole line was charging, with a prodigious cheer. (10)
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ORDERED TO THE OUTPOSTS.
[April,
The rebels gave way at all points and fled in confusion. The bat- tle was over, and the day was won.
"Well, boys, I guess it's your turn now !" said a good na- tured "butternut" who sat leaning against a stump, with a bullet in his leg, "We took all the tricks yesterday, but I reckon you Yanks hold too many bowers for us today. But we'll get even with you sometime."
We pressed on, joining in the pursuit for two or three miles, when we were recalled. We did some heavy shouting and yell- ing with the rest, for we felt that we had at least earned the right to do that. It was not our fault that we did not get a chance to use our muskets. No one will dispute the fact that we tried hard enough to get there in time. There was a feeling of genuine dis- appointment throughout the brigade that, after all our efforts, we had only reached the field in time to see the enemy's heels.
The lines were established for the night, our position being about two and a half miles from the river, at a point that had been fiercely fought over during the two days. We were considered "fresh" troops, because we had not been engaged in the battle, yet none have forgotten how utterly exhausted we were, after the fatigue of two days and a night of the hardest possible marching, without sleep. But we were in for a night of duty at the extreme front, only the cavalry outposts being in advance of us. The soldiers who had been fighting during Sunday and Monday were withdrawn to the rear and permitted to bivouac for such rest as they could get-for men can sleep even under such circumstances, and with such surroundings. We thought we had about as much need of rest as anybody, but the front must be guarded by sleep- less eyes and we nerved ourselves for another awful night.
The wounded had nearly all been carried to the rear, but the ground about us was thickly strewn with the dead. Until morn- ing we stood nearly the whole time in line of battle. Al- though an attack was not looked for, the fullest precautions were taken to guard against a possible dash by the enemy. But the rebels did not molest us. They had had enough for one day, and no one knew it as well as themselves. Two or three times during the night there was a sputtering fire on the outposts, which caused us to prick up our ears, but it amounted to nothing.
1862.]
ANOTHER NIGHT OF SUFFERING.
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It was another long, long night, longer, if possible, than the preceding one, when we were stumbling through the storm and darkness. A cold rain fell continually. Every thread of our clothing was saturated, and we were chilled to the very marrow. Our teeth chattered, and every muscle quivered as with a Maumee ague. Blankets and overcoats-our own had been left back the previous day-were gathered from the field. They were stripped from the dead, who needed them no longer, to cover and warm the living. Three or four would stand together, or squat upon the muddy ground, throw a blanket soaked with water over their heads, and thus by close contact seek to infuse into each other a little ·warmth.
I have in mind a picture of General Garfield and Colonel Harker as I saw them that night. They sat together upon a log, shiver- ing with the cold, with one dripping blanket covering their shoulders. They fared no better than the rest of us, and bore their discom- forts bravely and without BREWER SMITH, ADJUTANT AND CAPTAIN, SIXTY-FIFTH, AND BREVET MAJOR. a murmur. Staff officers and orderlies stood around, all on the alert for any emergency that might arise. It was a night that put patience, patriotism, and physical endurance to the severest test.
While all the men were directed to hold themselves in readi- ness for instant response, part of them at a time were permitted to find such comfort as they could, without standing at arms. Some- time during the night Captain Orlow Smith, of Company G, Sixty-fifth thought he would have a little rest, even if he had to lie
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SCENES ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
[April,
down in the mud. Sergeant "Zeke" Moores, of his company, had been fortunate enough to secure a blanket, and the captain essayed to find him and share it. He poked around in the darkness among the prostrate forms, living and dead, until he was sure he had found the man of whom he was in search. He gently lifted the blanket and crept under and was soon asleep. Two hours be- fore daylight all were aroused to stand in line. Captain Smith tried in vain to awaken "Zeke," and was not a little surprised to find the sergeant in his place with the company. When the daylight permitted him to investigate the matter he found that he had been sleeping by the side of a dead rebel !
During the evening, when the men were looking about for blankets, I witnessed an incident that has always remained in my memory. At the foot of a large tree reclined a rebel soldier, mortally wounded. He was unconscious, and apparently at his last gasp. He was covered with a United States blanket, which some sympathetic friend or foe had thrown over him. Two sol- diers in blue stood near, waiting for him to die to get his blanket. "I wish he would die if he is going to!" said one of the shivering men.
They were not hard-hearted enough to take it while the poor man was alive, even though he had been an enemy. An hour later I passed that way again and the blanket was gone. I bent. over the motionless form. The man was dead. These true tales sound strangely enough now. Possibly they may shock the sen- sitive feelings of some who have not been through these experi- ences. But such things, thousands of them, happened on the great battlefields of the war.
The last two hours of that terrible night we spent on the color-line, at parade rest, with pieces loaded and capped. Never was daylight more heartily welcomed than on that raw, dismal morning of the 8th of April. And yet our hearts ached as the dawn revealed to us anew the frightful picture of death and deso- lation upon that field of conflict, for we had not yet become hard- ened to such scenes. As far as the eye could reach, in every di- rection, lay the silent forms of those who went down before the storm of battle. On every hand the trees were scarred by bullets, and rent by shot and shell, giving mute evidence of the fierceness of the struggle,
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1862.]
A DEAD CHAPLAIN. 149
Near us was the body of a fine looking man in full officer's dress. On a slip of paper pinned to his coat was written "Char - lain Forty-third Illinois." His clothes were open at the breast, and a small hole, encircled with blue, told where the messenger of death had entered. He was doubtless killed at the first charge of the enemy. A few feet away was a rebel who had been instantly killed by a bullet through the head, while in the act of loading his musket. He lay upon his back, still holding, with the grasp of death, his gun in one hand and his ramrod in the other. Such scenes became very familiar to our eyes on the later battle- fields of the Army of the Cumberland.
We seemed more dead than alive that morning. No fires had, of course, been allowed during the night on the line we oc- cupied, and very few had slept at all. Stiff and sore, chilled through and wet to the skin for thirty-six hours, we were scarcely able to move hand or foot. Not far from our position was the camp of a portion of Grant's army, from which its oc- cupants had been driven by the swift onslaught of the rebels on Sunday morning. In and around the tents were many dead, of both armies. Here we found a few camp-kettles, and details were sent some distance to the rear to make coffee. No water was to be had except such as had gathered in pools on the battlefield. But the coffee was made, and had its usual cheering and reviving effect.
It should be remarked, for the information of some who may not be familiar with the circumstances, that the engagement here fought is usually styled the battle of Shiloh, taking this name from a rude building for worship, the name of which was Shiloh church. Around this took place some of the severest fighting. The battle of Pittsburg Landing means the same thing, it being sometimes so called. The battle of Corinth was fought at that place in the early part of October of the same year, six months later, when General Rosecrans repulsed a desperate attack by the rebels under Van Dorn. We were at that time chasing Bragg in Kentucky.
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[April,
CHAPTER XIII.
AN ESCAPADE AND A RECONNOISANCE.
THE BRIGADE LEAPS INTO FAME-AN IDIOTIC FUSILLADE THAT AROUSES THE WHOLE ARMY-GENERALS AND COLONELS IN A FRENZY-WE HAVE A SHAM FIGHT, IF NOT A REAL ONE-OFF ON A RECONNOISANCE-GARFIELD EXHORTS TO VALOR-NO CHANCE TO BE BRAVE THAT DAY-BACK TO THE REAR-REST AFTER SIXTY- EIGHT SLEEPLESS, TOILSOME HOURS.
A BOUT eight o'clock Tuesday morning, April 8th, we were drawn up in line and directed to put our muskets in order, many of them having been thoroughly wet during the night. We were ordered to "draw" the loads. A screw or "worm" to be attached to the end of the ramrod for this purpose, was a part of every soldier's "kit."
Then followed an exploit on the part of Garfield's brigade which had no parallel during our four years of service. A thoughtless soldier, instead of extracting the bullet from his gun as ordered, imagined that he knew a better way. So he put a fresh cap on the nipple, held his piece up and pulled the trigger, to see if it would "go off." It went! Several others immediately tried the same experiment, with like result. It quickly became contagious and ran along the whole line until a good part of each regiment was engaged. Many of the men, as they afterward de-
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OUR GREAT SIIAM BATTLE.
1862.]
clared, actually believed we were attacked, and began loading and firing with might and main. Having "got left" in the battle the day before they now thought they had one on their own account, and for a little time they supposed it was the genuine article. It was a most idiotic thing to do, and nobody could give a reason for his part in the singular freak except that he did it because the rest did. Howbeit, for a few minutes the boys blazed away with great energy at an imaginary foe, the real enemy being miles away, splashing through mud and water in his haste to get to his in- trenchments at Corinth.
A number of men from the brigade had gone some distance to the front, for one reason or another, before the firing started. As soon as the bullets began to whistle over their heads tliese came back at a tearing gait, in a decidedly panicky condition. Those who were loading and firing so zealously supposed that the fugitives were being driven in by the rebels and redoubled their efforts for the rapid distribution of lead.
In vain the officers tried to stop the senseless fusillade. Some of them were wrought up to a wild frenzy of excitement and indignation. They dared not go in front of the line, for the bullets were streaming out in every direction, as most of the men, on account of their physical condition. were somewhat shaky and indiscriminate in their aim-even upon the supposition that they were shooting at anything. The officers danced along in rear of the line, but in the noise and excitement half the men, who were yelling too, supposed they were only urging them to stand up to the rack and do their duty like men, and so they loaded and fired with undiminished ardor. It seemed odd that nobody was getting killed or wounded on our side, while in the woods in front of us the invisible foes were being slaughtered in lieaps.
This was the only time we ever heard Colonel Harker swear, from the day he took command at Camp Buckingham till he fell at Kennesaw. At the first discharge he mounted his horse and dashed along the line, ordering the men to "cease firing," and as the racket increased he launched profane expletives at the top of his voice. He evidently felt, and it must be admitted most just- ly, that no ordinary language could do justice to the occasion. Colonel Ferguson was more successful than anybody else in mak-
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WE STIR UP THE WHOLE ARMY.
[April,
ing himself heard. His penetrating voice sounded above the din as he endeavored to bring the men of the Sixty-fourth back to their senses, for they, like us of the Sixty-fifth, seemed to have gone clean daft. The affair lasted ten or fifteen minutes, before the officers were successful in checking the outbreak. The bri- gade at length realized that it was making a very big fool of itself, and rested from its labors. It should be said that there were many in each regiment who did not lose their heads. These took no part in the firing and did what they could to stop it, but more than half the men caught the contagion and fired from six to ten rounds eachı.
The immediate effect of the escapade upon the army in the rear may be imagined by the reader, if he was not there. Those who were present during that brilliant engagement do not need any effort of the imagination. No sooner was the firing fairly under way, and the boys were warning to their work, than far and near were heard the roll of drums and the piercing blast of bugles, calling the troops to arms. Judging from the noise we were making it was imagined that Beauregard's whole army had sud- denly turned about, for the purpose of sweeping the Union forces into the Tennessee river. The unexpected alarm came near throwing the army into a panic. It is a fact that some of the soldiers in the rear were stampeded and sought the shelter of the gunboa's at the Landing.
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Generals and staff officers came riding out at a mad gallop to see what it was all about. Soon whole brigades were moving to the front in line of battle to engage the foe. When the ridiculous truth was known, our regiments were the target for such a volley of profanity as the ear of man has seldom heard. General Wood was there, charging around on his black horse, and contributing his full share to the music. General Garfield's robust voice was also heard. He never used profane language, but on this occasion he seemed to enjoy hearing others who were proficient in the art of swearing. It may be doubted whether we ever received so much attention, before or afterward. Colonel Harker improved the occasion by giving us a brief but very forcible lecture on the subject, closing with the assurance that condign punishment would be meted out to any who should offend in that way again.
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PROFANITY WAS JUSTIFIABLE.
1862.]
As a scare the performance was an unqualified success. Of course, under the circumstances, nobody was punished. An ef- fort was made to find who fired the first shot, that an exam- ple might be made of him, but it was not successful. He was probably too much ashamed of his folly to make himself known, and it is likely that consideration for his personal welfare further led him to act the part of wisdom by holding his peace. In after years this masterly achievement was discussed and laughed over around many a camp fire. It was always agreed that if there was ever in the history of man one single emergency . that justified the use of pro- fanity, this was that parti- cular case, and that the re- cording angel ought not to score it against Colonel Harker. The latter always good-humoredly insisted that the affair proved the pluck of his regiment. The boys thought they were fighting the whole rebel army, and not one of them broke to the rear.
Company C of the Six- ty-fourth, Captain Robert C. Brown, did not share in ANDREW HOWENSTINE, CAPTAIN, SIXTY-FIFTH. the glory of this exploit. When the brigade started on that swift march to Savannah, that company was detailed to as- sist the ammunition train and did not rejoin the regiment for sev- eral days.
The excitement of this bloodless battle warmed us up to a point of comparative comfort. While we were talking it over, we were ordered to fall in and be ready to march immediately. Gen- eral Wood was directed to make a reconnoisance with two bri- gades, of which ours was one. We went at a brisk gait five or
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OFF ON A RECONNOISANCE.
[April,
six miles to the front, where the skirmishers developed the pres- ence of the enemy. It was presumed to be only a small force stationed for observation, and we were ordered to attack at once. After the sham contest of the morning we began to think we might get a taste of real figliting, after all. While the dispositions were being made General Garfield rode out in front of the brigade and made a stirring speech, urging every man to do his duty, and, if need be, meet death bravely.
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