USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 29
USA > Pennsylvania > Fulton County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 29
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 29
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144
Corporals: Philip Shonts, John Mortimer, William Lyon, Thomas J. Swope and Alexander Moyer, dr. in Aug., 1868, were m. o. w. co. George W. Kellogg, m. March 24, 1864; m. o. w. co. Abraham Patton, sub., m. Feb. 9, 1865, m. o. w. co. John W. Boehm, Jacob F. Cypher, Levi J. Agnew. Theodore Klahre, Henry Burket, John Leader and John W. Mittong, all m. Oct. 9, 1861 ; were m. o. Nov. 28, 1864, ex. of term. . Bimon Warner, dr., m. Aug. 27, 1868 ; disch. on surg. cert. April 24, 1865. John E. Hills, dr., m. Sept. 26, 1864 ; disch. by G. O. June 28, 1865.
MUSICIANS.
Samuel Wolf, m. Oct. 9, 1861 ; m. o. w. co .; bu. record, died at Andersonville, Ga., June 10, 1864; grave 1791; vet. William M. Lyon, m. Feb. 19, 1864 ; m. o. w. co. David S. Elliott, m. Oct. 9, 1861 ; m. o. ex. of term, Nov. 28, 1864 ; John Stoudenour, m. Oct. 9, 1861 ; disch. on surg. cert. July 80, 1868.
PRIVATES.
Enlisted in 1861: William Adams, John Bloom, Joseph Buck- enmoyer, John D. Brown, Alexander Bolinger, Edward Chester, Jonathan Cutler, Andrew Crick, George W. Ceemna ; William Cor- bett, missing at Fort Wagner. S. C., July 11, 1868 ; Charles W. Cold- well, Henry 8. Cypher, James Duffy, Patrick Donahoe, John F. Eckels, Michael Feidler, Simon 8. Fleigle, John Fink, Joseph J. Fetter, Joseph Fetter, Jacob Fleigle, Daniel V. Foor, Lawrence Gabe, Joseph Gates, Dominick Gillen, John Gepbart, William Hefflefinger, William Hutchison, Daniel Humbert, Jacob Hoff- .man, Samuel Jones, David O. Kelser, John F. King, John H. Ken- dig, Watson King, John M. Leary, Joseph Long, Thomas Martin, Charles B. Meredith, Bernard McBride, Henry H. Nulton, David F. Negley, William K. Parker, John Pfarr, Henry C. Pennell, Christian Packard, William Riceling, Ernest Rousch, Clark Royal, Henry C. Rodgers, Calvin Sohn, Jacob Stoudnour, Joseph W. Snave, Seth 8. Smith, Joseph Sutton, Daniel H. Steckman,
Digitized by Google
143
WAR OF THE REBELLION.
Barth'w Thatcher, James Taylor, William Washabaugh and James Wiltner.
Enlisted in 1862: Francis 8. Eckels, John Fetter, Matthew Spidel, William H. Wray.
Drafted in 1863: William Demmings, David Johnson, Richard Kelly, James A. Lewis, John E. Lemon, William 8. Lewis, Andrew Miller, Samuel Mills, Hiram K. Moore, Henry Morris, Benjamin F. Malin, Preston A. Miller, William Moore, Charles McCoy, Warren Olds, Jacob D. Peterman, Daniel 8pangle, Ivory N. Stanchfield, Morris B. Smith, Russel Van Tassel, Gabriel Vastbinder.
Joined in 1864 : John Ayres, Simon Bennage, Abraham Baker, George Basore, John F. Boes, J. H. Buckland, Gervase Bisbing, John B. Burket, O. W. Chapman, Martin Conrad, N. Dieffenderfer, Paul Dieffenderfer, Frederick Derho, Adonijah B. Drake, Frede- rick Furcht, George H. Hosack, Adam Himes, James Hershey, Thaddeus Hills, Henry 8. Helsel, George M. Hazlett, Isaac B. Jayne, James Kennedy, Levi Kiester, James Kelley, Horace Merithew, Stephen Ments, George Null, George W. Parsons, George Plants, Benjamin Beigel, John F. Randolph, Robert V. Strahan, Theodore Soistman, Jacob Shunk, Charles W. Walker and Thomas J. Young.
Joined in 1865 : George Alcorn, John Cunningham, Samuel Carris, Benoni Covey, John J. Faust, Edward Feese, George W. Fletcher, Henry W. Fenton, Harvey Goldsmith, Thomas Glidenell, Nelson Hobbs, Martin Koehler, Nicholas Leippert, Cyrus Miller, Haynes P. Meade, John Moore, Samuel Myers, Joseph McCabe, William H. Porter, Joseph Prilles, Joseph Pierrant, Theo. Pol- hamus, Patrick Rogan, George W. Reilley, John Rough, John Strellie, Charles Shay, Henry C. Taylor, Albert Wall and Henry H. Wise.
Killed in Batlle: Joseph Fetter, Daniel V. Foor, Daniel H. Steckman and William Washabaugh, at Fort Wagner, 8. C., July 11, 1863; Charles McCoy and Gabriel Vastbinder, at Drury's Bluff, Va, May 11, 1864; William Demmings, at Drury's Bluff, Va., May 16, 1864.
Died : Gervase Bisbing, April 20, 1866, bu. in Cypress Hill Cem., Long Island ; Martin Conrad, at Raleigh, N. C., May 5, 1865; John F. Eckels, as a pris. of war, at Salisbury, N. C., Jan. 21, 1864; Fran- cis 8. Eckels, as a. pris. of war, at Richmond, Va., Dec. 30, 1868; Joseph J. Fetter, at Hilton Head, 8. C., June 9, 1862; Jacob Fleigle, at Hilton Head, 8. C., July 9, 1862; Jacob Hoffman, at Hilton Head, 8. C., June 28, 1862; Nelson Hobbs, at Raleigh, N. C., April 12, 1865 ; David Johnson, June 23, 1864, of wds. rec. in action, May 7, 1864, bu. at Hampton, Va .; Isaac B. Jayne, at Faison Station, N. C., April 8, 1865 ; Watson King, at Hilton Head, 8. C., June 18, 1862; John E. Lemon, as a pris. at Andersonville, Ga., Sept. 5, 1864; William S. Lewis, July 6, 1874, bu. at Hampton, Va .; Nicholas Leippert, at Raleigh, N. C., July 8, 1865; Stephen Mentz, at Wil- mington, N. C., April 17, 1865; Joseph McCabe, Aug. 18, 1865 ; Henry C. Pennell, on board U. 8. transport Ben Deford, June 29, 1862; Christian Packard, as a pris. of war, at Richmond, Va., Jan. 28, 1864; Jacob D. Peterman, at Phila., Pa., Sept. 16, 1864, of wds. rec. in action, May 8, 1864; William Riceling, captured July 11, 1868, died Nov. 2, 1863, bu. in nat. cem., Richmond, Va .; Morris B. Smith, wd. and taken pris. at Drury's Bluff, Va., May 16, 1864, died at Richmond, Va., May 28, 1864.
According to the records but four men deserted from this com- pany during a period of nearly four years' service.
EIGHTY-FIFTH REGIMENT.
Co. H, of the 85th, a three years' infantry regiment, was recruited in Somerset county in the fall of 1861. The regimental rendezvous was established at Camp La Fayette, near Union- town, Fayette county, where, on November 12, the company was mustered into service.
About November 25, the regiment broke camp at Uniontown, and, under command of Col. Joshua B. Howell, proceeded under orders
to Washington, D. C. Soon after its arrival at the national capital it was moved across the Anacostia bridge, and encamped at "Camp Good Hope," where it remained during the succeeding winter, engaged in the construction of earth- works for the defense of Washington.
In March, 1862, the 85th became part of the 2d brigade (Gen. Keim's) of Casey's (3d) di- vision of the 4th army corps, under command of Maj .- Gen. Erasmus D. Keyes. With that corps the regiment embarked at Alexandria, on March 29, and proceeded down the Potomac and Ches- apeake bay, to Fortress Monroe, arriving there on April 1, and joining the Army of the Poto- mac. The movement up the peninsula com- menced on the morning of the 4th, and in the evening of the following day Keyes' corps con- fronted the enemy's lines at and in the vicinity of Warwick Court House. There it remained until the morning of Sunday, May 4, when it was found that the enemy had during the pre- vious night evacuated his works at Yorktown, and along the line of the Warwick river, and the Union army at once moved on in pursuit. On the following day the Confederate forces were found strongly intrenched at Williams- burg. They were attacked soon after daybreak and the battle raged through the entire day, re- sulting in victory to the Union arms, the enemy retreating during the night, leaving his wounded on the field. In this, its first battle, the 85th was but slightly engaged, and suffered a loss of only two wounded.
Marching up from Williamsburg toward Rich- mond in pursuit of the retreating enemy, the regiment with its brigade crossed the Chicks- hominy at Bottom's bridge on May 20, and marched thence to a position in the army line at Fair Oaks, within about five miles of Richmond. There, at a little past noon on Saturday, May 31, Casey's division was suddenly attacked by an overwhelming force of the enemy, and though fighting most stubbornly was forced back with great loss and in some disorder. The battle continued through the afternoon of the 31st, and the attack was renewed by the enemy on Sunday morning, but resulted in less success to him than that of the previous day. In the battle of Saturday the 85th occupied rifle-pits and held them bravely, but was driven from them by as- saults from superior numbers. "To be brief," said Gen. Casey, in his report, "the rifle-pits were retained until they were almost enveloped
Digitized by Google
10
144
HISTORY OF BEDFORD, SOMERSET AND FULTON COUNTIES.
by the enemy, the troops with some exceptions fighting with spirit and gallantry."
In the series of engagements known as the seven days' battles, commencing at Mechanics- ville, on the Chickahominy, on Thursday, June 26, and ending at Harrison's Landing, on the James, on Wednesday, July 2, the 85th was not actively engaged and suffered but little. Its total loss during the peninsula cam- paign was eighty-seven killed and wounded, the principal part of this loss being sustained in the battle of Fair Oaks.
When the Army of the Potomac evacuated the peninsula in August, 1862, the corps of Gen. Keyes was left stationed at Fortress Monroe. From that place the 85th with other troops was moved to Suffolk, Virginia, and remained there until the commencement of winter. At this time its brigade (to which the 85th and 92d N. Y. regts. had been added) was under command of Gen. Wessells. On December 5 this brigade left Suffolk under orders to move to New Berne, North Caro- lina, to reinforce Gen. Foster's. 18th corps. It was embarked on transports on the Chowan river, and reached its destination on the 9th. It remained in North Carolina about seven weeks, during which time it was several times engaged - at West Creek, Kinston, White Hall and Goldsboro',- the 85th sustain- ing slight 1088.
In the last part of January, 1863, the regiment with its brigade and others of Foster's command was transported from New Berne to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where it arrived February 1. The brigade was then under command of Col. Howell. Early in April it was moved to Cole's island, and thence across Folly river to Folly island. There the men witnessed the bombard. ment of Fort Sumter by Admiral Dupont, and after its unsuccessful close the brigade of Col. Howell was left to garrison the works on the island, the other troops, as well as the fleet, being withdrawn. It remained on duty on Folly and Morris islands through the remainder of the spring and the entire summer and fall. During this time the 85th regiment suf- fered very severely, both from the missiles of the enemy and the excessive heat of the weather. From August 20, when it was placed in the advanced trenches in front of the rebel Fort Wagner (which Gen. Gillmore was attempting to take by regular approaches), until September
2, its losses were fifty-six killed and wounded by the enemy's shells, and the losses by sickness were still greater. It went on the outer works (August 20) with an aggregate strength of four hundred and fifty-one, and when relieved (Sep- tember 2) it could muster but two hundred and seventy fit for duty. Immediately after this, Fort Wagner was subjected to a bombardment of forty hours' duration, which compelled its evacuation by the enemy and the abandonment of the entire island, which was then at once oc- cupied by the Union troops. There the 85th remained until about December 5, when it was transported to Hilton Head, and went into camp near Port Royal, South Carolina. During its stay of more than four months at that place and its vicinity, the health of the men was greatly improved, and the effective strength of the regiment largely increased. It was not called on to take part in any engagement, but sustained a loss of two wounded and one made prisoner in a skirmish at White Marsh, near Savannah, in February, 1864.
In April following, three divisions of Gen. Gillmore's troops were ordered to the James river, Virginia, to reinforce the army under Gen. Butler. The divisions designated were Ames', Turner's and Terry's, in which last named was Howell's brigade, containing the 85th Penn. regt. On its arrival in Virginia its strength was increased by the return of the veterans of the regiment, who had been home on furlough, also by the accession of a considerable number of conscripts. It was removed to Bermuda Hundred, and there went into position in the army line. Its first engagement with the Army of the James was on May 20, when, in an assault on the enemy's rifle-pits in its front, it sus- tained a loss of twenty-three killed and wounded.
On June 14, the Army of the Potomac, under Gen. Grant, began crossing the James from the peninsula. Two days later the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under Lee, crossed the same river above Drury's bluff, and the op- posing forces at once commenced the long and deadly struggle in front of Petersburg. On the 17th the enemy assaulted a part of the works held by the 85th, and the regiment was com- pelled to retire with a loss of seventeen killed and wounded. On July 9, it lost one killed and three wounded by the accidental explosion of a shell. Again on August 14 and 15, at Deep
Digitized by Google
145
WAR OF THE REBELLION.
Bottom and Strawberry Plains, the regiment was engaged, charging with Terry's division, capturing the enemy's works, and sustaining a loss of twenty-one killed and wounded. On the following day (August 16) it lost nine killed and fifty-four wounded in a charge upon another part of the hostile works, the regiment captur- ing three stands of colors and a number of prisoners. The troops recrossed to the right bank of the James on the 20th, and four days later the 85th, with its corps (the 10th) was moved to the south side of the Appomattox, where it occupied a line of works. On Septem- ber 13 it was ordered to occupy Fort Macon, a work mounting fourteen heavy guns.
A short time previous to this last-named movement, Col. Howell had been assigned to the command of a division of colored troops. On September 12, while returning at night from the corps headquarters, he was thrown from his horse and so severely injured that he died soon after. He was a brave and faithful officer, and his loss was keenly felt, not only by his own regiment, but by the officers and men of the en- tire brigade which he so long commanded.
On September 27, the regiment was relieved from duty at Fort Morton and returned to its division, with which it took part in the move- ments of the 10th and 18th corps across the James, which resulted in the capture of Fort Harrison and a long line of other works of the enemy. In this series of operations it was en- gaged with the enemy on the 1st, 7th and 12th of October, and twice advanced to within three miles of Richmond, but sustained no loss.
The term of service was now drawing to its close. On the 14th of October it was relieved from duty in front of Petersburg ; its veterans 'and recruits were transferred to the 188th Penn., and the remainder, whose time was soon to expire, were moved to Portsmouth, Vir- ginia, and there encamped. About the middle of November the remnant of the regiment was ordered home, and on the 22d of that month it was mustered out of service at Pittsburgh.
Following are the names, etc., of its officers and men from Somerset county, all of whom were originally mustered into service on the 12th of November, 1861, except private John W. Dial, who enlisted as a veteran February 2, 1864.
FIELD AND STAFF.
James B. Tredwell, pro. fr. capt. Co. H to maj. June 8, 1862 ; disch. on surg. cert. Sept. 5, 1862.
William E. Beall, pro. fr. 1st It. Co. H to r. q. m., Dec. 4, 1862 ; ab. in arrest at m. o.
Henry L. Regar, pro. fr. corp. Co. H to prin. musician ; date unknown; m. o. w. regt.
COMPANY H.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
Captains : James B. Tredwell, pro. to maj. June 3, 1862. Henry Jackson, pro. fr. 1st sgt. to 2d It. June 3, 1862: to capt., Aug. 1, 1862; res. March 13, 1863. Ross R. Sanner, pro. fr. sgt. to 1st sgt. Aug., 1862; to 2d It. Aug. 15, 1862 ; to 1st It. Dec., 1862; to capt. May 1, 1863; wd. at Morris Island, S. C., Aug. 21, 1863, and at Peters- burg June 18, 1864; res. Sept. 22, 1864.
First Lieutenants : James Hamilton, killed at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. William E. Beall, pro. fr. com. agt. to Ist It. June 3, 1862 ; to r. q. m. Dec. 4, 1862. Norman B. Ream, pro. fr. agt. to 2d It. Dec., 1862, to 1st It. May 1, 1863 ; wd. at Petersburg, Va., June 17, 1864 ; res. Aug. 31, 1864. James Nicklow, pro. fr. sgt. to 1st It. Sept. 1, 1864 ; disch. June 24, 1865.
Second Lieutenant: Milton C. Black, died at White Oak Swamp, Va., June 23, 1862.
First Sergeant: George W. Shaw, disch. Nov. 12, 1864, expira- tion of term.
Sergeants: James Glisan, Albert T. Sechrist and Joseph King ; m. o. w. co. Ross R. Sterner, tr. to Co. F, 188th regt. P. V. June 28, 1865; vet. Holdsw'th Crockett, missing in action May 20, 1864; vet. Samuel C. Wirsing, died at Beaufort, 8. C., Sept. 80, 1868.
Corporals : William Jeffries and Henry B. Van Sickles ; vets. ; tr. to Co. B 188th regt. P. V. June 28, 1865. Henry L .. Regar, pro. to prin. musician ; date unknown. Job Hill, Evans Rush, W. 8. Mountain and Reason B. Daniels, disch, on surg. certs. early in 1863. John Conn, missing in action at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. Charles K. Pullin, died at New Berne, N. C., Dec. 14, 1862, of wds. rec. in action. Jonathan D. Pyle, died at Fortress Monroe, Va., Aug. 28, 1864, of wds. rec. at Deep Bottom, Va., Aug. 16, 1864 ; vet.
MUSICIANS.
Noah M. Anderson, m. o. w. co. William E. Parnell, died at Yorktown, Va., 1862.
PRIVATER
Thomas Anderson, George W. Anderson, Peter S. Augustine, William Bearl, Andrew W. Burgess, James A. Bird, Asa F. Conn, Noah Caton, George W. Colborn, John Crise, John W. Dial, Ed- ward J. Dean, Joseph Dawson, William A. Denison, Samuel Dan- iels, Jesse Dial, Simon Firestone, John A. Firestone, Frederick A. Ferguson, Hamilton Graham, Samuel Haslet, Eli Hann, William Huleman, Springer Holland, Jacob Hinebaugh ; William Hair, miss- ing in action Fair Oaks, Va., May 81, 1862; Aaron Hyatt, Allen Hyatt, Ross Hyatt ; Jerome Jennings, disch. for wds. rec. in action; John Kelso, Samud Lowry, Francis Morrison, Abraham Miller, Francis May, John Miller, William Muhlenberg, T. J. Mcclintock, John McCoy, Aaron Nichola, Jesse Peck, Brison Rush, Jacob Regar, Lot Rush, Robert R. Roddy, Ross Rush ; Joseph Rebaugh and Frank Rebaugh, both disch. Feb. 24, 1862; Alfred Sloan, Hiram Sloan, Philip Stine, William Sembowers, John Skiles, Henry Schraum, Joseph Stafford, Asa M. Wiley. John A. Walker, Matthias Wable, Henry Wilson ; John H. Younkin, disch. for wds. rec. at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862; Harrison Younkin.
Killed: Jesse Dial, at Petersburg, Va., June 17, 1864; bu. in nat. cem., City Point ; Frederick A. Ferguson, at Deep Bottom, Va., Aug. 16, 1864; John Miller, at Morris Island, 8. C., Aug. 21, 1863; William Muhlenberg, at Deep Bottom, Va., Aug. 16, 1864; Ross Rush, in action June 18, 1864.
Died : William A. Denison, at Baltimore, Md., Oct. 12, 1862. Samuel Daniels, at New Berne, N. C., Dec. 14, 1862, of wds. rec. in action. John A. Firestone, wd. Aug. 24, 1863; died at Beaufort. S. C., Dec. 15, 1868. Aaron Hyatt, at Newport News, Va., June 8, 1862. William Sembowers, at White Oak Swamp, Va., June 28, 1862. Matthias Wable, at Yorktown, Va., 1862; bu. in nat. cem- sec. C, grave 320. Henry Wilson, at Morris Island, S. C., Sept. 17, 1863. George W. Colborn, at New Berne, N. C., date unknown. Simon Firestone, at Lynchburg, Va., date unknown.
COMPANY K.
Levi Tishue, killed on Morris Island, 8. C., by a sharpshooter. Joseph Tannehill, died at Folly Island, 8. C. Easton Parnell, company not known, died at Yorktown, Va.
Digitized by Google
146
HISTORY OF BEDFORD, SOMERSET AND FULTON COUNTIES.
CHAPTER XIV.
WAR OF THE REBELLION-Continued.
One Hundred and First Regiment - One Hundred and Seventh Regiment - One Hundred and Tenth Regiment - One Hun- dred and Thirty third Regiment -One Hundred and Thirty- eighth Regiment - One Hundred and Forty second Regiment - One Hundred and Seventy-first Regiment - One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment - One Hundred and Eighty- fifth Regiment -One Hundred and Ninety-fourth Regiment - Two Hundred and Eighth Regiment - Second Cavalry- Capt. Schrock's Company - Independent Battalion Militia of 1863 - Miscellaneous List, Including Officers and Men of Various Organizations Arranged Alphabetically.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST REGIMENT.
F the ten original companies composing this regiment Bedford county sent forth Co. D, besides many of those forming Co. G. The regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, near Harrisburg, in October, 1861, and remained there until February 27, 1862, when it departed for Washington, D. C. Upon its arrival it went into camp at Meridian Hill and was soon after assigned to Keim's (2d) brigade-composed of the 85th Penn. vols., Col. Joshua B. Howell ; 101st Penn. vols., Col. Joseph H. Wilson ; 103d Penn. vols., Col. Theodore F. Lehman ; and 96th N.Y. vols., Col. James Fairman-of Casey's (3d) division of the 4th army corps, under command Maj .- Gen. E. D. Keyes.
From that time - March, 1862 - until March, 1863, the regiment participated in all the move- ments, skirmishes, battles and vicissitudes, in common with the brigade commanded succes- sively by Gen. Keim, Col. Howell, of the 85th Penn., and Gen. Wessells. During the penin- sula campaign it was engaged at the siege of Yorktown and the fight at Williamsburg. Its colonel and many other members sickened and died amid the swamps of the Chickahominy, while, for a time, but few of the survivors were able to perform the duty required of them. In that desperate engagement known as Fair Oaks, fought May 31, 1862, nearly every third man in the regiment was either killed or wounded; the slaughter which it inflicted upon the enemy was terrible. "Col. Morris had ordered his men at the opening of the fight to aim at the waist-belt of the foe, and as he had come up within eighty yards, the fire was most effective, Gen. Wessells declaring it unprecedented."- Bates. After the close of the unsuccessful cam- paign on the peninsula, the brigade was ordered to Suffolk, Virginia, and subsequently to North Carolina, but as these movements have been
briefly alluded to in the foregoing sketch of the 85th regiment, it is not deemed necessary to refer to them further here.
Early in 1863, however, the brigade was di- vided, for while some of the regiments proceeded to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and from that point operated against the enemy in that quar- ter, others, of which the 101st was one, remained to assist in making life burdensome to the enemy in the old North State. But, as the sequel will prove, the Union commanders planned not wisely.
On the 7th of March, a force consisting of the 101st and 103d Penn. vols., and a company of the 3d N. Y. cav. was sent from its win- ter quarters near New Berne, to Hyde county, North Carolina, to break up a formidable and troublesome band of guerrillas infesting that locality. But after moving by transports to Swanquarter, and marching through the sus- pected district, passing quite around Lake Matti- muskeet, the expedition returned without having accomplished the object sought.
One month later, or on the 4th of April, the regiment joined in the movement for the relief of Gen. Foster, who with a small force was then besieged at Little Washington. The relieving force moved by water and reached a point within nine miles of the town, but the rebel batteries, there commanding the river; com- pelled a retirement to New Berne. On the very day of their return an overland expedition for the same destination started forth. The enemy was found at Swift creek, with infantry and ar- tillery, prepared to dispute the passage. An almost impassable swamp, which could only be crossed by a corduroy causeway, raked by the enemy's artillery, also impeded the advance. The 101st with other troops was thrown to the front and a sharp engagement of two hours' duration took place. At the end of that time Gen. Spinola, who was in command, regarding the opposition too formidable to be overcome by his force, withdrew, and returned to New Berne. By this time Gen. Wessells, who had been absent a short time, returned, and Gen. Foster, having run the gantlet of the rebel batteries along the river, himself headed a force, which fought its way through, reached Little Washington, and finally relieved the garrison.
Gen. Wessells with his brigade was soon after ordered to Plymouth, North Carolina, where for a year, nearly, the troops were chiefly en-
Digitized by Google
147
WAR OF THE REBELLION-CONTINUED.
gaged in repairing earthworks, building new ones, and scouting the country bordering on the Albemarle Sound and the Chowan river. In one of these scouts Lieut. Helm, with Co. G, surprised the camp of a guerrilla band and made the entire party prisoners, taking the leader from the chimney of the house where he had his headquarters.
Meanwhile the enemy was preparing to assume aggressive operations in force, and it was well known to the Union commander of the district that the Confederates were busy at Hamilton, a point on the Roanoke river above, in building an iron-clad ram, which, with the co-operation of a powerful land-force, was to be used to open and control the river and Sound below. Ac- cordingly, Gen. Wessells caused obstructions to be placed in the bed of the river, anchored tor- pedoes in the channel and strengthened the earth works, mounting a two-hundred - pounder gun at the point where the works met the river above. A considerable part of the command was suffer- ing from ague and was in hospitals.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.