History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, Vol. I, Part 118

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn
Publication date: 1869
Publisher: Harrisburg, B. Singerly, State Printer
Number of Pages: 1360

USA > Pennsylvania > History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, Vol. I > Part 118

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* Shortly after nine A. M., the partial rising of the mist disclosed a large force moving in line of battle against Jackson. Dense masses appeared in front of A. P. Hill, stretching far up the river in the direction of Fredericksburg. As they advanced, Major Pelham, of Stuart's horse artillery, who was stationed near the Port Royal road with one section, opened a rapid and well directed enfilade fire which arrested their progess -Lee's Official Report, Battle-field of Fredericksburg, (rebel,) page 28.

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Corps .* The enemy's line was broken and thrown into confusion, and the Seventh alone sent over one hundred prisoners to the rear.

Though the advantage gained was lost, and the final event proved the battle a failure, yet the Seventh made no more glorious record during the war than in this fight, and can point with pride to its trophies won, and prisoners captured. The enlisted men of company A, particularly, came out of the fight laden with spoils. Jacob Meloy found the sword of a rebel captain; Edward B. Rheem received the sword from a captain of the First Kentucky Regiment, and a Vir- ginia captain delivered up his sword into the hands of Henry Hyte. But more glorious than all, the battle flag of the Nineteenth Georgia was gallantly seized from the rebel color bearer by Corporal Jacob Cart, who immediately delivered it to Captain Beatty. Upon General Meade's application, this flag was next day sent to general headquarters and officially recognized as the only trophy at Fredericksburg. The War Department afterwards awarded a medal to Cor- poral Cart for his gallantry.

A memorable incident occurred, during the action, to private David D. Cur- riden, also of company A, who in advance, had become separated from the regiment, and in a counter charge of the enemy was captured. While in the hands of his captors, a lucky turn in the fight brought forward a force of union troops, and the rebels, to their surprise, suddenly found themselves transformed from captors to captives. Private Curriden not only regained his freedom, but. had the honor of escorting to the union lines as prisoners, not less than three rebel officers, one of whom gave his name as Colonel E. W. Atkinson, Twenty- sixth Georgia Volunteers, in command of Lawton's Brigade.

In his report of the battle of Fredericksburg, General Meade says: "The Seventh engaged the enemy to the left, capturing many prisoners and a stand- ard, driving them from their rifle-pits and temporary defences, and continuing the pursuit till encountering the enemy's reinforcements they were in turn driven back." The losses of the Seventh in this battle were grievous. Lieu- tenant Comfort was killed; Colonel Bolinger received a painful wound in the ankle; Adjutant Stout was wounded as already mentioned; Lientenant Zug, of company H, was wounded in the arm, which was so shattered as to require amputation; Lieutenant Snyder, of company B, was severely wounded, losing a leg. The casualties among the enlisted men were six killed, seventy-two wounded and twenty-two missing.

On the 14th, picket and heavy artillery firing was kept up nearly the entire day. On the following day, Captain King, with a detail from the brigade, was sent out to the truce line, for the purpose of exchanging the wounded and bring- ing them off the field. They had lain there since the 13th, and the hands and feet of many were frozen. On the 15th of December, the Seventh, in connec- tion with the entire army, re-crossed the river, and next day resumed its quar- ters in the old camp near Belle Plain. The only notable event which trans- pired during the ensuing winter was the attempt to again cross the river and

* Hill in forming his division to receive the attack had placed the brigades of Archer, Lane and Pender from right to left in advance, with Gregg in the rear of the interval between Archer and Lanc, and Thomas in rear of that between Lane and Pender. While Field's Brigado, under command of Colonel Brockenbrough, was ordered to support the fourteen guns of Lieu- tenant Colonel Walker on his right. Meade continuing to push forward his linc drove back Lanc's right and Archer's left, and wedging his way through, crossed the railroad and reached the portion of the New Military Road held by Gregg's men, capturing, as he did so, several standards and two hundred prisoners .- Battle-field of Fredericksburg, (rebel,) page 61.

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BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS.

offer battle, but which ended in the "mud march." The sufferings and hard- ships of that march were such, that the army would, doubtless, have preferred to have been summoned to a pitched battle, than to have again endured its trials.

The Reserves by this time had become so much reduced by hard fighting, that earnest efforts were made by the Governor and military authorities of the State to secure their return to Pennsylvania in a body, with a view to recruit- ing their ranks. This purpose was not effected; but the division was, on the Sth of February, 1863, by order of the War Department, transferred from ac- tive operations in the field to duty in the Department of Washington. Em- barking at Belle Plain on the 7th of February, the regiment proceeded to Alex- andria, and on the 11th marched to Upton's Hill, where it remained in camp until the 14th of April, and was then for a time on duty at Camp Convalescent. On the 18th of June it returned to Alexandria, and was assigned to duty in the command of General Slough. Various changes here took place in its or- ganization. Lieutenant Colonel R. M. Henderson resigned his commission, to accept the office of Provost Marshal of the Fifteenth District of Pennsylvania, under the general enrollment law. Major C. A. Lyman was commissioned Lieu- tenant Colonel, and Captain L. B. Speese, Major. Lieutenant E. Beatty, pro- moted to the Captaincy of company A, was ordered on special duty as A. A. A. General at the headquarters of General Martindale, Military Governor of Washington. During the summer and fall of 1863, the regiment remained at Alexandria, where its duties consisted mainly of provost and guard duty, which were discharged with an efficiency that elicited the warm commendation of the commanding general.

In the latter part of April, 1864, orders were received directing the regi- ment to prepare again for active operations in the field. On the 18th, the line of march, which for more than a year had been suspended, was again resumed, to join the grand army, which was preparing to launch forth on its campaign in the Wilderness. At Manassas it halted and remained several days. The Reserves, now commanded by General S. W. Crawford, were attached to the Fifth Corps, under General Warren, the First Brigade, to which the Seventh belonged, being commanded by Colonel William M'Candless. On the 2d of May, the regiment broke camp and advanced along the Rapidan, crossing on the following day, and encamped at night in the wilderness, near the Chancel- lorsville battle ground, the Reserves occupying the centre of the line. On the following morning, quite early, it was advanced about three miles, the First Brigade resting in an open field for an hour, when it marched to the right, was deployed and advanced into the woods, where it soon met the enemy, and the battle opened. The Second Regiment was immediately deployed and advanced as skirmishers, while the Seventh and Eleventh were advanced in line of battle. Soon the skirmishers were driven in, but the enemy were met by our main force and routed, retreating into the woods in their rear. In moving forward through the dense forest in pursuit, company B on the left, and also the right of the line, became detached from the body of the regiment, and failing to receive any orders to return or change its course pushed steadily on. Fired with pat- riotic ardor the men paused not, until suddenly they found the enemy closing in on their rear, with every avenue of retreat cut off. At first the firing from the rear was supposed to be from our own men, but this idea was soon dissi- pated by the appearance of the rebels. An effort was made to break through to the left, but was met by an unyielding resistance. The right was then tried 92

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and a detour made through the woods, but with like ill success. Finding that he had been the victim of a skillfully laid ambuscade, and that he was com- pletely surrounded, Colonel Bolinger was compelled to surrender, as further resistance would have involved a hopeless butchery of his men. But had they known the fate to which their inImman captors were to subject them, they would, doubtless, have preferred slanghter upon the field to the endurance of the horrors of captivity which it was their lot to experience. Two hundred and seventy-two offieers and men were captured, and were immediately marched to the rear of the rebel army at Orange Court House, and thence to Lynch- burg, Virginia. The enlisted men were speedily conveyed to the infamous rebel prison pen at Andersonville, Georgia, and the officers were sent to Macon, and were subsequently placed under fire of our guns at Charleston, for the protec- tion of the city-a novel material for the bulwarks of a town in civilized war- fare. The triumphant march of Sherman to the Sea opened the miserable prisons of the captives, after a confinement of seven months and twenty-three days; but long before relief came, many had fallen victims of cruelty and star- vation. Of the privates, sixty-seven died at Andersonville, the numbers of whose graves are given in the accompanying rolls, a much larger number, doubtless, at Florence, not ascertained, while many expired on their way home, and others have died lingering deaths, the results of exposure and privation.

The sad and unlooked for event of the capture of nearly the entire regiment, from no fault of any of its officers, but happening in the chances of war, at the very threshold of General Grant's campaign, terminated its military career. Captain Samuel B. King, of company H, who had been relieved at his own request, on the day on which the battle of the Wilderness was fought, from recruiting service in Pennsylvania, returned to the division and was as- signed to the command of those who escaped capture, and the recruits, in all numbering one hundred and ten. This miniature battalion, the representative of the regiment, had its plaec in the brigade, and participated in the desperate fighting which ensued, up to the expiration of its term of service, when, with the division, it was ordered to proceed to Harrisburg, where on its arrival an enthusiastic welcome, from the Governor and military authorities, awaited it. Proceeding thence to Philadelphia, it was duly mustered out of the United States service on the 16th of June, 1861.

NOTE .- Samnel Elliot, of Carlisle, a private in company A, kept a Diary of his prison life, and after his release published it in a neat pamphlet of seventy-five pages. The following extracts in confirmation of the statements in the text, and as illustrative of life, or rather death at An- dersonville, are here given :

Sunday, May 22 .- Arrived at Andersonville, sixty miles from Macon. Here we were drawn into lino and counted off into nineties, which constituted a detachment. After we were counted off a rebel officer said, "if there is any man among you who can write his name let him step two paces to the front;" the whole ninety, with one or two exceptions, stepped to the front; he then called for a Sergeant who could write his name; after getting one, placed us in his charge; our names were taken and we were marched into a prison containing about thirteen acres of ground, surrounded by a high stockade built of heavy pino logs and closely guarded by numerous sentinels who stood on elevated boxes overlooking the camp. About eight feet from the stockade was a low, rough built railing called the "dead line," to lay a hand on or pass which was death from a guard's musket. The camp contains about fifteen thousand men, most of whom have been prisoners from eight to ten months, and were once strong, able bodied men, but are now nothing more than walking skeletons, covered with filth and vermin, and can hardly bo recognized as white men. The horrible sights are almost enough to make us give up in dispair-tho ground is covered with filth, and vermin can be seen crawling in the sand. In the centre of the camp is a stream of dirty water so warm and greasy we can scarcely

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PRISON LIFE AT ANDERSONVILLE.

1864

drink it. The sights I saw on this, my first day in Andersonville, so filled me with horror that I can give but a poor idea of this prison den.

Monday 23 .- Twenty-three years old to-day-a miserable place to celebrate one's birth day.

Thursday 26 .- Rained all night, and as our shelter leaked we were completely soaked, be- sides being eold and hungry. Wirz has a squad of his men digging a deep trench inside the "dead line " so as to prevent further tunneling.

Sunday, June 12 .- Drew half a pint of mouldy rice and a small piece of pork for a day's ration.

Wednesday 15 .- A poor cripple shot for stepping inside the " dead line;" he said he was so miserable he wished to die, and took this means of having his wish gratified.

Thursday 16 .- The small rations, of such poor quality, with the rainy weather, is killing tho men off at a terrible rate-there are now over one hundred bodies at the gate to be carried to the " dead house."

Friday 24 .- The majority of the camp drew fresh meat which the rebel Quartermaster calls beef, but he can't fool "old soldiers" with his mule and horse flesh. It might have been pretty good had they brought it in within a week after its death, or had given us a large enough piece to allow for the maggots; we were too hungry to consider long about eating it ; also drew "chicken feed," and a small piece of wormy pork-quite a variety for one day; went out for svood : the first time I have been outside the stockade since here. What a relief it is to see the outside world and get a breath of fresh air.

Monday 27 .- For a long time the camp has been in a great state of excitement caused by a band of wretches who term themselves "Mosby's raiders." They watch every squad of pri- soners brought in and take from them everything of any value. Several men have been killed by them and others badly wounded.

Sunday, July 10 .- The "six raiders " found guilty of murder to be hanged to-morrow.

Wednesday 27 .- More prisoners from Grant's and Sherman's armies, among them a number of one hundred day men, whose term of service has almost expired. They say the rebels should release them on that account.

Thursday 28 .- The rebels fired a solid shot over the camp for the purpose, I suppose, of showing us they had ammunition on hand. They are very much afraid of us making a break when the gates are opened to pass prisoners through. When the shot was fired a lond cheer was given, and cries of " lay down," "stand to your guns," &c., could be heard in all parts of the camp.

Wednesday, August 3 .- On different battle fields I have witnessed many horrible sights, but none to compare with what I saw to-day-a man lying on the bank of the stream being eaten to death by maggots. They could be seen issuing from his eyes and mouth, and his body was eaten completely raw in several places. We could do nothing with him but let him alone to die a miserable death.

Wednesday 10 .- This evening we were called upon to witness the death of another of our comrades, Van B. Eby. He bore his prison life bravely, but has at last fallen a victim to ill- treatment and starvation. He was loved by all who knew him, and his loss is mourned by many friends.

Saturday 20-Heard the glorious news that the "Dutch Captain," Wirz, is dangerously ill, and has been sent to Macon. Many thousand wishes have this day been made that he may never recover.

Thursday 25 .- Charles Jarimer, a recruit of our company, and a bunk-mate of mine, died to-day, after a long and painful illness; helped to carry his body to the "dead house"-a house built in the rear of the hospital, outside the stockade. There were about twenty-five other bodies, most of which had been stripped of all their elothing, and were so black and swollen they could not be recognized. While I was there I saw them piling the bodies one on top of the other, into the wagon, to be hauled to their graves or ditches. I passed through the hos- pital on my way back, and the sights I saw there were enough to make one sick: the tents were filled with what could once have been ealled men, but were now nothing but mere skelc- tons. The short time I was there I saw several die. A man is never admitted to the hospital until there is no hope of his recovery, and when once there it is seldom, if ever, he returns.

Sunday, September 4 .- Attended the funeral services of a member of company F, who died during the night. It is terrible to see how our regiment is thinning out ; every day brings the sad news of the death of one or more of our comrades. Death ! nothing but death! throughout the prison. Rations small-almost starved.

Monday 12 .- No transportation ready for us; had to lay at the gate all night, where we were almost eaten up by musquitoes, fleas and lice. At seven o'clock the gates were opened and we once more breathed the pure, fresh air. I have often heard of the slave traders packing the

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slaves in rows in vessels, but never had any idea of what it was until wo were packed into the cars at tho depot : one man sits down with his knees up, and another would sit with his back to him, so as to fit closely, and so on until the car was full. After a very uncomfortable ride we arrived at Macon, where we were allowed to stand up and stretch our limbs, which gave us a great deal of pain, after sitting so long in one position. Each car was supplied with a slim allowance of corn bread. Left Macon at four o'clock in the afternoon.

Wednesday 14 .- Passed through Charleston at day-light, but had no opportunity of seeing the city. Arrived at Florence, South Carolina; distance travelled last night and this morning two hundred and fifty-nine miles.

Thursday 15 .- Have had nothing to cat for two days; am so weak I can scarcely walk, and hungry enough to cat anything. Some talk of another prison at this place. Taken into a large woods where we remained until three o'clock, when we were again placed on cars and taken about two miles from the town, where we went into a large field to encamp. On our way here each man of our "bunk" took a rail from the fence, which helped considerably in building our shelter, besides furnishing us with fire wood. The camp is strongly guarded by boys from ten to fourteen years of age, old men and blood hounds. No rations; tired and almost starved.

Sunday, October 9 .- A largo squad of prisoners brought in from Charleston, who report General Sherman in possession of Macon, and that he re-captured about two thousand of our sick.

Tuesday 11 .- A large supply of clothing from the Sanitary Commission arrived for our sick, but instead of giving it to them, the rebels picked out the best for themselves, and gave the balanco to the Irish "Regulators." This is a body of men who have formed themselves into a band to preserve order throughout the camp, and they treat the poor weak prisoners a great deal worse than the rebels do. I havo seen several of our men taken to the swamp and whip- ped until they were not able to stand. If one of the Regulators wants a tin cup or pan, all he has to do is to pick one out and go to tho Judge (one of their number) and claim it; tho man who is tho rightful owner is obliged to give it up, and if he says a word about it he is taken to the whipping post to receivo ten or twenty lashes.

Tuesday 18 .- Cold, disagreeable day; a lot of sanitary blankets were brought in camp to be distributed among the men who were entirely destitute of shelter. Six blankets were to be drawn by lot, by each one hundred men, but before drawing, tho following oath was ad- ministered : "You do solemnly swear that you aro entirely destitute of shelter, that you do not possess a blanket, or do not bunk with any one who does." I believe there has been enough blankets sent for all the men who aro without shelter, and that the rebels have kept as many as they wished for their own use. Drew meal and fresh beef ; cold rain in the evening.

Monday 31 .- While at Andersonville I did not suppose the rebels had a worse prison in the South, but I have now found out that they have. This den is ten times worse than that at An- dersonville. Our rations are smaller and of poorer quality, wood more scarce, lice plentier, shelters worn out, and cold weather coming on. I have stood my prison life wonderfully, but now I am commencing to feel it more sensibly, and am getting too weak to move about. To add to my misery I have the scurvy in the gums.

Thursday, November 3 .- Passed a miserable night; was obliged to lie down in the water, and this morning I am so stiff and sore that I am searcely ablo to stand. I am soaking wet and my cold is much worse. We have a little wood, but it is so wet we cannot cook with it. Drew nothing but meal.

Tuesday 8 .- Great excitement over an election held in camp for Lincoln and M'Clellan, and if tho votes had only been countod they would have given Lincoln a nice little help. The elec- tion was held as follows: Two bags of beans, one of white and one of black, were placed inside the dead line; an empty bag was nailed to the stockade, and as the men marched by they took their bean and deposited it in the empty bag. Ten thousand votes were cast, and when counted they gavo a majority of over two thousand for Lincoln. Men were ont electioneering, and there was quito as much excitement as there would have been over an election at home, only the whisky and fighting were dispensed with.

1 Wednesday 23 .- Rained all night, and we were obliged to take turns staying up to bail the water out of our eellar, which came in almost as fast as we could dip it out. We were obliged to huddle togethor to keep warm, but it was a hard matter, as we were obliged to lay in about six inches of water. This morning I am cold and wet, and I can truly say I never felt so mis- erablo in all my lifo. We have not had a bite to eat for seventy hours, consequently I am almost famished. Drew a pint of meal.

Friday, December 2 .- We are all so weak from starvation that we have been obliged to sus- pend work upon our shanty.

PA - 1

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PRISON LIFE AT FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

Wednesday 7 .- Cold, rainy, windy morning; called out before day-light with the glorious news to fall into line to be examined for parole. Can it be possible that the day of deliverance has at last arrived ? While our hundred were marching inside the dead line I trembled with fcar lest I should not be taken, but my fears were allayed when the surgeon pressed upon my arm and told me to go. I cannot say how I felt when he told me this-I trembled, not with fear, but joy. Eleven hundred and eighty of us were marched outside the stockade, where we signed the parole papers, and stood around small smoky fires until late in the afternoon.

Sunday 11 .- Rained nearly all night ; could not sleep on account of the cold and lice. It seems as if for every one we burned two came in its place Still raining this morning. Fell into line at one o'clock and were again marched to the rebel truce boat and steamed into the harbor. Passed Fort Sumpter (now nothing but a mass of ruins) and Moultrie, when we met our boats. It would be impossible to describe the feelings of the men when our dear old flag came into view; tears of joy filled many eyes, and cheer after cheer rent the air. After we were marched on our boats we each had a pound of boiled pork, nine hard tack and a quart of coffee issued to us. It was an amusing sight to see us devour these rations-any person would have thought we had not had a bite of anything to eat for a week.

Monday 26 .- Arrived at Harrisburg some time in the night aud took lodgings at the " White Hall." After breakfast I went to the depot and met my brother, who passed me without knowing me. It is not necessary for me to tell of the joy it gave me to meet my friends, or of the joy it gave them to see me, after so long an absence.

FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS.

NAME.

BANK.

DATE OF MUSTER ISTO SERVICE.

REMARKS

Elisha B. Harvey ...

Col

June 26, '61, April 24, '61,

Pr. to Lt. Col., May 5, '62-to Col., Aug. 1 1862- Bv. Brig. Gen., Mar. 13, '65-disch. Aug. 19, '64. Pr. to Lt. Col., June 26, '61-resigned May 5, '62. 3

Joseph Totten.

Lt. Col.

May 8, '61, April 21, '61,

3 Pr. from Capt. Co. A to Lieut. Col., July 4, '62- brevet Colonel and brevet Brigadier General, March 13, 1865-resigned April 30, 1863.

Chaun'y A. Lyman

.. do

April 24, '61,

Promoted to Major, June 26, 1861-to Lt. Colonel, July 25, 1863- resigned February 21, 1864.

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History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, Vol. I, Part 118

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn Publication date: 1869 Publisher: Harrisburg, B. Singerly, State Printer Number of Pages: 1360

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn
Publication date: 1869
Publisher: Harrisburg, B. Singerly, State Printer
Number of Pages: 1360