History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, Vol. I, Part 91

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 91

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577

CAMP PIERPONT.

1861

battle of Bull Run, and promoted Captain for gallant conduet. John K. Brown for a year was eonneeted with the brigade commissary. Wm. Edwards eutered the Curtin Light Guard as Orderly Sergeant, and George W. Kite the Ninety- first Pennsylvania. Isaae J. Harvey of company K, was detailed to the Signal Corps." *

On the 28th, orders were received to march to Darnestown, where it remained until the 19th of September, when it was aroused at midnight by the " long roll," and was marched to Muddy Branch to guard a supply train. On the 25th, it moved to Tenallytown, where it joined the division of the Penusyl- vania Reserves, under General M'Call. The Second Regiment was assigned to the First Brigade, t commanded by General Reynolds. About this time, Lieutenant Colonel Magilton resigned.

On the 9th of October, the line of the army in Virginia was extended to the right, occupying Prospeet and Miner's Hills. To hold the line thus extended the Reserves were ordered forward. Crossing Chain Bridge the Second Regi- ment bivonacked for the night near Langley, and on the following day tents were pitehed and Camp Pierpont established. During the first ten days the long roll was beaten and the men ealled to arms five times. On the night of the 11th, the pickets in the neighborhood of Lewinsville were driven in, and the next day the enemy, with at least three regiments of infantry, some eavalry and a battery of six guns, was discovered in a wood near Miner's Hill, indi- cating that an attack was meditated. General M'Clellan aud staff, including the Comte de Paris and the Due de Chartres, eame ou the ground and remained during the night. At midnight the drums and the trumpets sounded, and at two A. M., the national columns were in motion, four thousand cavalry and thirty picees of artillery, with a proportionate foree of infantry. At daylight it was aseertained that the enemy, attraeted by the extension of the Union line, had sent out a reeonnoissanee in force, but had then withdrawn.

On October 18th, a reconnoissanee was ordered by General M'Clellan, in which the First Brigade led the way, supported by the Second and Third .- Crossing Difficult Creek,the brigade proceeded about three miles beyond Dranes- ville, when it was ordered back to Thornton's house. On the following day de- taehments were sent out to reconnoitre and make a topographical survey of the country. On the morning of the 21st, in obedienee to orders of General M'Clellan, the brigade returned to camp. On the same day the disaster at Ball's Bluff oeeurred. Had the Reserves remained in the advanee position which they had occupied, they would have been within supporting distance of the column under the lamented Colonel Baker, and would doubtless have saved that fruitless slaughter and achieved a glorious vietory.

On the 22d an election was held for Lieutenant Colonel, which resulted in the unanimous choice of William M'Candless, On the 1st of November Colo. nel Mann resigned. On the 25th a grand review was held of a portion of the Army of the Potomac. The troops, numbering seventy-five thousand, were drawn up in line, forming three sides of a square. Upon the right were

*Our Campaigns; Woodward, page 60.

t Organization of the First Brigade, General John F. Reynolds; Pennsylvania Reserves, General George A M'Call. First (30th) Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel R. Biddle Roberts; Second (31st) Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel William B. Mann ; Fifth (34th) Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Seneca G. Simmons; Eighth (37th) Regi- ment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel George S. Hays.

1862

578

THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT-SECOND RESERVE.

the eavalry and artillery, and on the left the Pennsylvania Reserves. The President and his seeretaries mounted, with the General and his Lieutenants, forming a cavalcade of some three hundred, dashed down the line, while the artil- lery thundered, the bands played, and the soldiers cheered, ereating an event of thrilling interest. After passing around the entire force a position was taken up in front by the reviewing party, when the column, led by the Reserves, com- meneed passing in review, and then filed off to their several eamping grounds.

The battle of Dranesville was fought on the national side by Ord's Brigade of the Reserves, with the Buektails and Easton's Battery of four guns. The First Brigade was at this time at Difficult Creek; but immediately upon hearing the sound of battle, General Reynolds put his column in motion, striking across the country to the left, for the purpose of intercepting the enemy as le retreated on the Alexandria and Leesburg pike; but this movement was eountermanded by General M'Call, who had received positive instructions from M'Clellan not to bring on a general engagement.

The President, by his order, fixed the 22d of February as the day not later than which the army of the Potomae should move against the enemy, the im- mediate object being the seizure of the railroad south-westward of Manassas Junetion. The retreat of the rebel army to Gordonsville, in anticipation of the contemplated movement, rendered a change of plan necessary, and it was de- eided to move by the Potomae, and operate against Richmond from the Penin- sula. The First Corps, under M'Dowell, to which the Reserves were attached, was left upon the Rappahannock, to cover Washington.

Joining in the general movement upon Manassas, the regiment broke eamp on the 10th of March, and proceeding in a southierly direction, arrived on the 29th of April in the neighborhood of Falmouth. On the way the fortifieations and eamps which had been erceted and held during the winter by both armies, and, at Manassas Junetion, the vast ruins of the depot and other buildings, in which had been stored an immense amount of provisions and clothing, burnt by the enemy in the haste of retreat, were passed. Smouldering ruins, wrecked ears and machinery, vast piles of flour, pork, beef, wagons, lumber, trunks, demijohns, tents, dismantled fortifications and rifle pits, presented a seene of confusion rarely witnessed, even in war.

On the 2d of April, Captain George A. Woodward was elected Major, and about the same time Lieutenant John M. Clark, who had been attached to the First District of Columbia Volunteers, with a company of Pennsylvanians, was nominally transferred to the regiment as company F, but was assigned by General M'Call to take charge of the extra line of caissons for the artillery battalion of the Reserves. Subsequently Dr. Edward Donnelly was transferred from the Fifth to the Sceond Regiment in place of Dr. Thomas B. Reed, pro- moted to be Brigade Surgeon.

About the middle of May, General M'Dowell was instrueted to advanee by the route of the Richmond and Fredericksburg railroad, and connect with the right of M'Clellan's line, then advaneing upon Richmond via Peninsula. But the movement of Stonewall Jackson into the Shenandoah Valley, with a power- ful force, caused that purpose, for the time, to be abandoned, and three divi- sions, Shield's, King's and Ord's, with the Buektails from the Reserves, were detached and sent to the relief of the Shenandoah Valley.

On the 26th of May the regiment erossed the Rappahannock with the divi- sion, and passing through Fredericksburg, eneamped on the heights back of

1862

579

BATTLE OF MECHANICSVILLE.

the town. General Reynolds was appointed Military Governor of the city. On the same day, the advance posts of the command were eight miles beyond, and on the 29th the cavalry had advanced twenty miles, skirmishing and driv- ing the enemy. But on the following day, it having been ascertained that the enemy had withdrawn all his forces from our front to join his army around Richmond, and burned the bridges in his rear, it was determined to re-call the forces to the north side of the river, and send re-inforcements to M'Clellan by water. The Pennsylvania Reserves were chosen for this purpose.

Moving to Gray's landing on the morning of the 8th of June, the regiment embarked on the steamer Chancellor Livingston, and on the evening of the 11th arrived at White House, on the Pamunky, at the point where the Rich- mond and York River railroad crosses it. The base of supply for the entire army had been established at this point. On the following day the regiment moved to Dispatch Station and encamped. On the 13th an attack was made upon Tunstall's Station, eight miles to the rear, by the enemy's cavalry, under General Fitz Hugh Lee, and the second regiment was ordered into line at mid- night to march to its defence. Some destruction of property was effected, in- cluding the station, a car load of grain, and portions of the track; but upon the arrival of the Third Brigade the party fled. A few day's previous, the mother of Lee had visited White House, and been furnished with a pass and an escort through our lines for her safe return to Richmond. The information which she was able to give on her arrival was doubtless very useful to the raiders. The purpose of the raid was the destruction of shipping and the im- mense depot of supplies at White House. It was only prevented by the timely arrival of the Reserves.

On the 17th the division moved in a north-westerly direction, parallel to the Chickahominy, and on the 19th arrived in the neighborhood of Beaver Dam Creek. On the 24th the regiment was sent to Mechanicsville to picket the left bank of the Chickahominy, the enemy holding the right bank.

As early as the 24th, General M'Clellan had received information which con- vinced him that the enemy was about to make an attack upon his right and rear. The 26th was the day on which he had decided to move upon Richmond ; but the enemy anticipated this action by himself attacking.

Early on the morning of the 26th, the Second was relieved by the Eighth, and marching through Mechanicsville, turned to the right and moved up the river road to Shady Grove Church. Here the Eighth Illinois cavalry was met retreating before the enemy, who was advancing in heavy force by the Meadow bridge. Colonel M'Candless had previously deployed company B, Captain M'Donough, as skirmishers, and now formed the regiment across the road in connection with the cavalry, to induce the enemy to caution in his advance, and to give time for our forces to withdraw. At Mechanicsville the line was again formed, but soon afterwards the entire force withdrew to Beaver Dam Creek, where it was determined to give battle. The position was naturally a strong one, the left of the line resting on the Chickahominy and the right ex- tending to a dense woods which was occupied. The passage of the creek in front was difficult, except by the road at Ellerson's Mill, on the left and the upper Mechanicsville road on the right.

The Second Regiment was posted on the extreme right, with a heavy wood in front and a ford near the right of it, and joining the Bucktails on the left. Companies K and H, Captain Smith and Lieutenant Kennedy, were detached,

580

THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT-SECOND RESERVE.

1862

under command of Major Woodward, and posted at the ford, with orders to hold it at all hazards, and company C, Captain Byrnes, was placed in a swamp to the left, connecting with the Bucktails. At three P. M., the enemy's lines were formed on the opposite side of the swamp and advanced, delivering their fire as they came. It was apparent that their main attack was to be made upon the extreme right of our line, held by the Second. Upon this they soon opened a heavy fire of shot and shell, the usual prelude to the infantry attacks, when column after column of Georgia and Louisiana troops were sent forward, who waded the stream and boldly advanced through the woods. They were re- ceived by the Second with a withering fire, which it maintained without a mo- ment's cessation for three hours. Assault after assault was made by the enemy and three times they succeeded in forcing their way through on the left of the regiment, and gaining the cleared ground; but were as often driven back at. the point of the bayonet, Colonel M'Candless gallantly leading in the charge. While the storm thus raged in front, Major Woodward, with his two compa- nies, was hotly engaged at the ford, the men delivering from behind trees, a slow but destructive fire, or pouring in rapid volleys when hard pressed. Gene- ral Reynolds, whose ever watchful eye was upon the threatened points in his line, several times rode to the left, at one time exclaiming as he pointed with his sword, "Boys, look at them in the swamp there, they are as thick as flies on a ginger-bread, fire low, fire low." Just before dark, the enemy's last charge having been triumphantly repulsed, and the ammunition nearly exhausted, relief was ordered up, and Kern's Battery, of six twelve-pounder howitzers, supported by the Third, took position about three hundred yards to our right, and opened a terrible fire of shell upon the confused and broken masses of the enemy on the opposite side of the swamp. Colonel M'Candless now led his regiment to the ford, held by Major Woodward, with the intention of crossing and charging the enemy; but supports failing to arrive, the purpose was aban- doned, and the regiment was deployed on the edge of the swamp and again opened fire. The musketry soon after ceased, but the artillery fire was con- tinucd until nine o'clock, when the battle closed. The loss in this day's work, out of three hundred and seventy-one officers and men engaged, was fifteen killed, twenty-three wounded, and four taken prisoners, an aggregate of forty-two .*

Preparations were being made during the night to renew the battle in the morning, but orders were received at a little before daybreak to withdraw to Gaines' Mill. Screening the movement by the exercise of great caution and deliberation, and by a scattering fire of infantry and artillery, it was success- fully executed without loss. The enemy was now advancing in great force to cut M'Clellan's communication with White House, his base of supply.

In the battle which ensued at Gaines' Mill, M'Call's Division was held in reserve, and was posted six hundred yards in rear of the first line, Reynolds' brigade holding the right and covering the approaches from Cold Harbor and

* EXTRACT FROM GENERAL M'CALL'S OFFICIAL REPORT .- In a short time the enemy, who was commanded by General Robert E. Lee in person, boldly advanced in force, under cover of a heavy artillery fire, and attacked my position from right to left. It was not long, however, before I was satisfied that his main attack was directed upon my right, and in con- sequence I ordered Kern's Battery thither, and supported it by advaneing from the Reserve, the Third Regiment, Colonel Sickel. Here, for a long time, the battle raged with great fury. The Georgians now rushed headlong against the Second Regiment, but only to be mowed down by those gallant fellows, whose commander soon sent to the rear some seven or eight prisoners taken in the rencounter.

581

1862

BATTLE OF GAINES' MILL.

Dispatch Station to Sumner's Bridge. By noon of the 27th the enemy was in position, and began to advance along our whole front. At three P. M., the en- gagement had become so severe that the entire second line and reserves were moved forward to sustain the first line against repeated and desperate assaults. General Reynolds soon rode up and ordered the Second to advance through the wood, clear it of the enemy, and take up a position on its extreme edge. Colonel M'Candless, knowing that the movement would bring the enemy on his right flank, asked the General's permission to move in at right angles to the position assigned to it. The General was silent for a moment, his face bearing the expression of great perplexity and dissatisfaction, when he replied, "Colo- nel, General Porter is fighting the battle on certain parallels, and his orders will have to be obeyed." "I would," remarked the Colonel afterward, "I had not asked him the question, but had taken my regiment in by mistake." The soldiers in the ranks well knew that the movement was bringing the enemy on their flank, but

Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why

and " forward" was the word, though the regiment soon found itself in a better position to attack our own troops than to inflict damage upon the enemy. Scarcely had it reached the point designated, when solid columns of the foe advanced upon the left, their leading lines dressed in the national uniform, showing no flag and crying out that they were friends. Not deceived by their treachery, a left oblique fire was poured into them with good effect. Line after line of the enemy delivered its fire, and falling to the ground gave range to the next behind it. Overpowered and flanked, the regiment was forced to fall back, the men fighting as they retired, delivering their fire from behind trecs as best they could. Three hundred yards to the rear it came to a depressed road where a stand was made, and afterwards supported Easton's Battery. At eight o'clock the battle ceased, and the Second was moved to the neighborhood of a field hospital. The wounded of the regiment were brought in for surgical treatment, after which they were laid upon the grass, and cared for by their comrades. During the night the troops were withdrawn across the Chicka- hominy, and the Reserves, waiting until near morning to cover the movement, crossed the bridge opposite Trent's Hill, at seven o'clock of the 28th, when it was blown up, and the weary troops rested. The loss in this engagement was seven killed, nineteen wounded, and two taken prisoners, an aggregate of twenty-eight.

The army was now on its march across White Oak Swamp towards Malvern Hill on the James River, with its siege artillery and trains stretching for miles on all the roads. Day after day the enemy made desperate attacks to break through the retiring lines, and sever and destroy the army. The Second Regi- ment was posted on the roads leading to Richmond, prepared to repel attacks from that direction, but did not become seriously engaged until the 30th of June at Charles City Cross Roads. M'Call was ordered to take position on the left of the New Market Road near its crossing with the Charles City Road, in front of the Quaker Road leading to Malvern Hill and Turkey Bridge. Meade's Brigade held the right, Seymour's the left, and Reynolds', now Simmons', in reserve. After sending forward two regiments to feel our line, the enemy made a furious attack on the left with a heavy column of infantry, under cover of a terrific artillery fire. He was met and driven back with great slaughter, over

582

THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT-SECOND RESERVE. 1862

two hundred being taken prisoners. The Reserves were now called out, and the Second, Colonel M'Candless, was ordered to the left front. As it was about to move, the cannoniers of a battery which had that day been assigned to M'Call's Division having cut the traces to their pieces, came dashing through the regiment with their horses, tramping several men to the ground, and break- ing the line. ' Recovering from the shock, the Second advanced with loud cheers, and swept across the field under a murderous fire of round shot and shell, reaching a point near Nelson's house, where it was ordered to lie down, a per- fect storm of missiles passing harmless over head, and the battle raging with terrific fury. When the enemy, with a full brigade, had arrived within fifty yards, Seymour cried out "up and at them," and rising, they poured in a mur- derous fire that caused the rebel line to stagger. Rushing upon the enemy with the bayonet, a desperate hand to hand struggle ensued. Already had Major Woodward, Captains Smith and Neide and Lieutenants Fletcher and Nightingale fallen. Overpowered and crushed by the masses of the enemy, the Second was at length swept back, and in retreating across the plain and up through the wood, it was exposed to a terrific fire of shells and camister. The heroic Simmons, commanding the brigade, and Adjutant General Biddle re- ceived mortal hurts, and Meade was borne bleeding from the field. The loss was twenty-one killed, nineteen wounded and six taken prisoners, the very large proportion of killed evincing the terrible ordeal to which the regiment was subjected.

On the 1st of July the army of the Potomac reached Malvern Hill, where it was drawn up to receive the enemy's final attack, with the artillery, some two hundred and fifty pieces, advantageously posted. The Second Regiment being held with the division in reserve, did not become engaged. The attack, desperate and determined, was made in the afternoon of that day, with a recklessness scarcely paralleled; but the enemy received a disastrous repulse, and his columns were broken and thrown into irredeemable confusion. On the following day M'Clellan withdrew to Harrison's Landing, where the Second Regiment encamped in a dense growth of pine.

On the 10th, a new company under Captain William D. Reitzel, recruited in Lancaster county, joined the command as company G. Colonel M'Candless, who had led the regiment through all the battles of this campaign with only the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, here received his commission as Colonel, to date from November 1st, 1861. Major G. A. Woodward was promoted to be Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Horace Neide, of company A, to be Major. On the 13th of July, Generals M'Call and Reynolds, who had been prisoners in Richmond, arrived, and the division paraded to receive them. The former, on account of the state of his health, did not assume command, and subsequently resigned, General Reynolds succeeding him. General Meade was soon after so far recovered from his wounds as to resume command of his brigade, now the First, and General Seymour that of the Second, to which the Second Regiment now belonged.

M'Clellan was ordered to evacuate the Peninsula and re-inforce Pope, now confronting Lee upon the Rappahannock. On the 14th the Second Regiment, with the division, marched to the wharf, and embarking upon steamers pro- ceeded to Acquia Creek, arriving on the 20th, and thence moved by rail to Fal- mouth. Here the Second Regiment was separated from the division, the latter being ordered to join the Third Corps, under General M'Dowell, at Kelly's

583

SECOND BULL RUN.

1862

Ford. Early on the morning of the 22d, the Second moved on the Bealton road, passing through Hartwood and Grove Church, with the purpose of joining the division at Rappahannock Station; but learning that the troops had fallen back from that position, it bivouacked with General Morell's Division, eneamped near Crittenden's Mills. On the following day Morell moved to the north-east and took up a strong position at the gold mines, near Morrisville. Desiring to re- join the division, Colonel M'Candless obtained permission to move with his regiment to Warrenton, where he arrived on the 26th.

The enemy's forces under Jackson, Ewell and A. P. Hill, having gained the rear of the Union army, were operating in the neighborhood of Manassas June- tion. Early on the morning of the 29th, the Reserves were pushed forward and were under fire during a considerable part of the day. Towards evening the First and Third Brigades were detached and advaneed for the purpose of capturing a battery of heavy guns posted on the enemy's right, and the First and Seeond Regiments to take a piece of woods to the left, and make a diver- sion in their favor; but for want of suitable rifled artillery with which to operate, were unable to seeure it. At night the Second was placed on the picket line. On the following day the army was drawn up on the Warrenton pike, the Re- serves on the extreme left. It was soon aseertained that the enemy were form- ing for an attack on our left flank. At about two P. M., the Second, which with the Bucktails, had been skirmishing with the enemy from daylight, re- joined the division and was soon after ordered to the support of a portion of Por- ter's Corps, which had given way. Hurrying across the field to the right under a heavy fire of shot and shell, a position was taken on a hill over-looking nearly the entire field, but soon after, by reason of the yielding of our line, it was moved to the Henry House Hill, where it was formed in column of brigade, with Ransom's Battery of Napoleon guns in front. Here the Second remained for nearly an hour, exposed to a terrific artillery fire, and many fell; but the position was a vital one to the safety of the army. Soon the enemy was seen eoming on in heavy masses, when the word was give to advance. Reynolds waving aloft a standard shot from its staff, led the charge. The enemy was driven baek into the woods, where, meeting his reserves and being aided by powerful batteries that had obtained the exact range, he succeeded in turn- ing the left flank of the advancing column, and in regaining his lost ground. In the original position the line was reformed, where it held the foe at bay. After dark, having been forced back about three-quarters of a mile, but still covering the turnpike, with ammunition nearly exhausted, the division fell baek and rested on the east bank of Cub Run. Out of one hundred men with which the Second entered the engagement, two were killed, sixteen wounded, and six taken prisoners. Among the wounded was Colonel M'Candless, hit in the groin while gallantly leading his men in the thickest of the fight.

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History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, Vol. I, Part 91

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