USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > History of the 127th regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers > Part 16
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Insurance agents were conspicuous in camp by their absence, and the question with poor Wilhelm was one of compensation for his pet, or a substitute which he could burnish and equally prize. His captain solved the problem and made it all right, to the delight of the victim, by re- quiring Uncle Sam to pocket the loss.
2II
127TH REGIMENT, P. V. MY FIRST EXPERIENCE ON PICKET DUTY.
BY MAJOR J. ROHRER.
(Delivered at our reunion at Harrisburg.)
The regiment had only occupied Camp Boas a few days when an orderly rode up to Colonel Jennings' tent and delivered a sealed message, which read: "Headquarters, Abercrombie's Division, August 29th, 1862. Major J. Rohrer, 127th Regiment, will report at these headquarters at nine A. M. tomorrow for instructions, with a detail of two companies for picket duty.
"J. A. SLIPPER, Capt. and A. A. Gen'1, "Abercrombie's Division."
At 9 A. M. I reported at headquarters for duty. Captain Slipper gave me orders to take the two companies to Langley, and run a picket line from Langley to the Potomac river; to be on the alert, as spies are passing through the hills constantly. I said, "Where is Langley?" He said, "You go out the Leesburg pike about three miles and you will find Langley." The two companies detailed were Company "H," Captain Shott, and Company "E," Captain Greenawalt-two good companies for any duty- even for foraging ! We took up our march, and after pro- ceeding a mile, an orderly came galloping toward us. I called, "Can you tell me where Langley is?" He replied, "Don't know," and went on. We continued our march. The farm houses on both sides of the pike were set back some distance, and about half a mile apart, but some clos- er. I called "Halt!" to rest. On a road leading south- west to our left, and at a distance, cavalry horses were seen tied to the fence. I rode up and found it was General Sigel's headquarters, in a large frame house, painted
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white, which could be seen for miles from its high eleva- tion. I came back, and we marched on; met another or- derly coming towards us. I inquired, "Can you tell me where Langley is?" "Don't know," and like the other, never stopped his speed. The march was resumed, and after marching about five miles (as I thought), we dis- covered that the houses were much closer, and in front of us was a cross road, and beyond was a toll gate on the right of the road; near the cross-roads was a house with porch and a jib door from corner room to the porch, which I inwardly concluded suited us for headquarters. I said to Captain Shott, "This must be Langley." My instructions were to take posession of any house or room for headquar- ters that suited me. We marched up the lawn (through rows of locust trees), to the house ; the boys enjoyed the shade, for it was a very hot day in August. I said to Captain Shott, "Come, we will make inquiries ; this I think is Langley." We stepped to the dining room door, and a lady appeared. I said, "Who lives here?" She said, "Mr. Hodges (from York State)." I said, "We would like to take a look at that corner room." She said, "Oh, my, that's Mr. Crook Shank's parlor." "Where is Mr. Crook Shank?" "He lives in Georgetown." "Oh, well we won't hurt the parlor or furniture ; where is the key to this door ?" "I don't know," she said. "All right, we will open the door. Captain Shott pry open that door." (This was the inside door leading to the parlor.) "Oh my, don't do that!" She then called, "Margie, Margie! do you know where the key is to Mr. Crook Shank's parlor?" "Yes, m'am, here it is." Margie was the daughter, and when she saw so many soldiers coming up the lawn, she fled upstairs. We entered the parlor, opened the jib door to the porch. I said, "This suits us; Mrs. Hodges, you
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lock this door and keep the key for we have no use for it." The door was locked, and I never afterwards knew it to be unlocked. During all this excitement, I forgot to ask Mrs. Hodges where Langley was, for had I done so, we would have probably moved farther on. This was a beautiful location for headquarters. The parlor had mat- ting on the floor, walnut table, a very wide settee, which suited me to lie on, a few chairs of walnut, that never had been varnished (just oiled).
The picket line was then established. Captain Slipper sent me the password sealed ("Delhi"). Company "E," Captain Greenawalt, took the cross-road leading north to- wards the Potomac, until they came near to Mr. Reed's farm, about half a mile from the pike. Here the road turned at right angles, west to another Reed-they being brothers. The line took in the first Reed between the house and spring-house. So the Reeds' could not get to the spring-house, unless the captain of the guard was called. The boys kept a good watch on the house, and a better watch on the spring-house, by night and day. (I rode past that spring-house many times afterwards ; after mid- night alone, on guard rounds; it was built of stone and near a run. I was told that the water in that spring-house was the best in the world, and the milk and cream also; even the butter was very good.) Company "H," Captain Shott, joined picket on Company "E's" left to Leesburg pike, and west to toll gate, and the reserve at headquarters. The line was finished, over hills and hollows, through timber and brush. It was just such a country where spies could stay, and get all the information from the sympa- thizers they wanted. The next morning (Sunday) Cap- tain Greenawalt reported his experience. After midnight, a lantern was swaying to and fro from an upper window,
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or from the house top ; this was from the upper Reed, out- side our line. (These houses had flat or gravel roofs.) The swinging of the lantern was a signal to spies who frequented these places. It was reported that the Reeds had sons or sons-in-law in the Confederate army. Captain Greenawalt took a detail of pickets and marched over to Reed's house, knocked at front door ; no answer ; went to rear door ; knocked, no answer; all dark and very quiet. Captain Greenawalt then called aloud, "If any more dem- onstrations here tonight, I will arrest the whole house- hold." The line was then extended beyond this house, so both the Reeds were inside of our lines. No doubt the Reeds had communicated with our enemies all the time, for it was a country just suited for such purposes. Sun- day morning Captain Shott and I walked out the pike to the gate house, and examined the line. I saw beyond, about one-third of a mile, a village. "What town is that ?" I asked. Some one answered, "Langley." "Langley? I thought we were at Langley." We then walked to Lang- ley and took a survey of the country. Langley is a village of about eighteen houses, mostly one story, old and dingy looking, except a large frame house, said to have been a hotel. At this house a road turned south towards Louins- ville (three miles distant), called the Louinsville road. Louinsville is a better town than Langley, better houses, more of them and a fine church (stone), large grave-yard with stone walls around it; cavalry horses grazing in the grave-yard. Of course the horses took good care not to break any of the marble tomb stones, for they were quite numerous. Retired to headquarters; this was about 9 A. M. Captain Slipper arrived about 10 A. M., rode over the line with him to the Potomac and back ; told him what had occurred, and that I had trouble to find Langley, and
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only found it this morning. We then rode to Langley ; he said, "Better extend the line to here on the pike, and hereafter we will run from Langley over the hill to the Potomac." We then returned to headquarters. He said, "Good quarters here, better hold on to them; no better quarters around here." The captain then left and said, "Everything done appears all right." After dinner the first Reed called on me (in company with a soldier in our uniform; the soldier said he was sick and boarded there). Reed complained that the soldiers had taken his chickens that morning. I had heard the story in the morning ; the boys told me before Reed came, that he had hundreds of chickens and would not sell them any, and I know the boys told the truth. It was in this way: On Sunday morning the Reeds fed their chickens early, and our boys looked on ; hundreds of fine pullets just ready for chicken corn soup, for the corn was then fine, like sweet corn ; they talked this over, and their mouths began to water, so they proposed to buy some pullets, but no, he wouldn't sell any. Money was no inducement. One of the boys had a stick in his hand, and bang went the stick on the nearest chick- en's head. Then there was a general raid on the flock. I never heard how many chickens were confiscated, but I believe some of Company "E" ate corn soup and stewed chicken for several days. The green corn in that vicinity had to suffer very much-and the boys afterward !
I told Reed "we came here to put down the rebellion ; we left our homes and families to sustain the Government, and you people are against the Government. Now my men wanted to buy your chickens, but you would not sell them at any price; they then confiscated the pullets, and they had a grand feast, which they greatly enjoyed in old Virginia. Now I want to say to you, that the least said
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about this matter the better; we did not come here to protect enemies' property, and if I had my own way of doing things I would confiscate the property of enemies, and the leaders I would punish according to the rules of war." Reed said to his man in blue, "Come, we can't get justice here," and they left even without saying goodbye. About 4 P. M., whilst sitting on the porch, a man six feet high at least, and very fat, wore a white stiff felt hat (and several other men following) came running from ยท Langley and blowing, and puffing, the perspiration run- ning to his boots-all out of breath-after a time he said, "Rebs are coming in on the pike." I called the reserves together, marched to the pike to receive the Rebs. Sure enough there was a cavalry company coming, dust so thick you could not tell who they were, friend or foe, covered with dust. But it was one of our cavalry companies going towards our headquarters, or to Washington. The man with the white hat was hid behind the house peeping around the corner ; after the cavalry passed, this man said, "Gad, I thought they were the Rebs." It must have taken him twenty-four hours to cool off. Everything passed off well during the night ; went over grand rounds after mid- night on foot, accompanied by Captain Shott, when we passed down the line about half a mile. We came to a picket posts, where there were three of Company "H's" men posted. Instead of at least one man standing guard, all three had put their guns against a white oak tree, and the three were lying (on a gum blanket) backs up and fast asleep. It was a beautiful moonlight night, the post was at the foot of the hill. When we saw the glittering of the guns and bayonets against the tree ; we looked and found the post fast asleep. Captain Shott drew his sword, and with the flat side brought it down heavily on the fleshy
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRA Y
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS R L
CAPTAIN HENRY A. SWARTZ. Late Corporal Co. "G, " 127th Regiment. P. V. Captain Harrisburg Zouaves.
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part of the three sentinels ; at same time we made consid- erable noise, and brandishing our swords in the moonlight. They jumped up dazed, and stood like statues. They were told the penalty was death for sleeping on a picket post, in face of the enemy. As the regiment was new, and this being the first offense, the matter was overlooked, and not reported, but the regiment was carefully instructed in all their duties and warned of the penalties.
Monday morning, II A. M. The relief came, and we marched for Camp Boas, fully satisfied with our forty- eight hours of picketing among the hills of the Potomac.
A man may play soldier about home a long time, and even may think he "knows it all," but when he is brought to the front in active service, he soon finds that he has yet much to learn in the art of warfare.
INCIDENT OF THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.
BY CORPORAL HENRY A. SWARTZ, OF COMPANY "G."
When the 127th Regiment, at the battle of Fredericks- burg, emerged from the town, on that fatal morning of the 13th of December, 1862, they marched up the hill with ranks lined, as in dress parade, under that terrible holo- caust of iron hail and death, and laid down under the com- mand of the Colonel, on the crest of the hill, with the Irish Brigade only a few feet in front. In a few moments it was blown back on us, trampling us under foot, and carrying the regiment back with them in their mad rush to the rear. I was there, I saw Lieutenant-Colonel Alleman and Major Rohrer doing all that was possible for officers to do. I still hear their clarion voices far above the din of
0
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battle, urging, entreating and commanding the men, "Steady, men! in the name of God don't retreat! rally here!" But down the hill they went, over the dead and wounded, and it was only at the foot of the hill that these gallant officers were able to rally their command. The whole regiment was not carried back by this retreating Irish Brigade, for up on the hill lay Company "B," none of its officers were wounded, and the company clung to what they had won. But Colonel Jennings took them back to the foot of the hill, joining the rallied men, formed along the mill race. Here he was slightly wounded in the foot; but after nightfall, he marched the regiment back to its old quarters in Fredericksburg.
He was disabled for duty, so that when the regiment was ordered on the battlefield again, twenty-four hours later, Colonel Alleman took command of the regiment, and marched them over the same ground and in advance of the line occupied on the previous day, and placed the men in position on the advance battle line, a little more to the right, resting on the Richmond pike, relieving the 6th United States Infantry. Although an attack was made on our front, during the night, our men fired vigorously, and the enemy retreated ; and we laid in position without any further attack, beyond continuous shots from sharpshoot- ers, whenever any man attempted to raise his head. Colonel Alleman had vidette pits dug during the night along our entire line, each occupied by two videttes, who were relieved at short periods. About the middle of the afternoon the enemy opened fire from siege guns on our right, and getting the range of our line, were enabled to pick off every man. Colonel Alleman called a conference of the officers, who decided that it was certain death to re- main in their present position. So he, after strengthening
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the videttes and making Company "B" the reserves, per- mitted the captains to take their commands to the rear, and the lieutenant-colonel reported in person to the com- manding General.
Company "B" of the regiment was sheltered, and the only company of the regiment which had the least protec- tion, so they remained in position. There were also a few men of company "G" in line, of which I had command, as its officers-Captain Ball and Lieutenant Denny were wounded-had left the field. From my position, I had a full view along the line where the regiment had laid, and saw a thin line of the other companies ; but whether they were wounded or dead, I could not tell, as they lay mo- tionless.
About an hour afterwards, Colonel Alleman performed an act of heroism and bravery unchallenged. He calmly returned to the broken line, walking up the hill, which was thickly strewn with dead and wounded; regardless of the many Minie balls fired at him by the sharpshooters, or the whizzing shells hurled at him by the belching bat- tery. I could not see another single officer or man in an upright position. Even the stretcher bearers were gone, and nothing but the dead and wounded were to be seen stretched out on that slope, three-quarters of a mile in length. He walked up to the crest of the hill looking up at those terrible heights, and down at the sunken road, and turning to the left, came down to where Sergeant Groft, of Company "B," and myself were lying. Colonel Alleman in a gentle voice said, "Boys are you still alive ; I am afraid the day is lost." I got up on my knees, and caught his hand, and pulled him down, saying, "Lie down here, or you will surely be shot." Just in front of us lay a dead man, the bullets striking his knapsack every mo-
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MEMORIAL HISTORY
ment. On our right lay a dead horse, the bullets coming through his body, showing how close we were to the en- emy. Every few minutes Colonel Alleman bobbed his head up to look and view the situation, and then I would give him a dig in the ribs to make him lie down. This sounds strange in after years, and the future soldier will say, "it looks like poor discipline, for striking your su- perior officer means death." Yes, but we were right in it, death was all around us. I was in command of what was left of Company "G," and I was not taking any chances for my small command, or any risk for my superior officer.
It was nearly dark when I called Colonel Alleman's at- tention to a number of soldiers a few hundred feet below on the hill, who came from the town, and were robbing the dead. He commanded us to "fire at the fiends," who then ran-what was left of them !
Colonel Alleman remained on the line until dark, then went back to the hospitals to look after the wounded, and find what was left of the regiment. We were relieved at midnight, and fell back to the town, when we were told to make no noise. We remained until three o'clock in that town, and then those who were sleeping in the houses were awakened, and we were hurriedly rushed to the pontoons. The ropes were cut, and the bridge floated to the Falmouth side, leaving behind us many brave boys in blue. The survivors rested in an open field until morning, and then marched back to Camp Alleman.
During all the years that have passed, I have often won- dered whether Colonel Alleman thinks of that dreadful day, and of his comrades who shared the dangers with him !
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I27TH REGIMENT, P. V.
ANECDOTES.
Captain Ball, of Company "G," was fond of a practical joke. He secured a small piece of the thin end of a liver, and meeting one of the colored servants, who prided him- self upon his pomposity, as well as his full negro blood, saluted the captain, who stopped and appeared to get into an altercation with him. He suddenly pulled a knife out of his pocket, opened the blade, and pressed the back of the blade against the end of the darkey's ear, at the same time pinching it, and dexterously held up the piece of liver, which was an exact imitation of the lower end of his ear. The darkey yelled, and raised up his hand to his ear to wipe off the blood, feeling sure that the captain had drawn blood and had a part of his anatomy in his hand. The captain enjoyed the joke hugely ; but the poor darkey walked away without a word, feeling mortified at his im- aginary loss of a portion of his ear.
The adjutant remarked the expressed anxiety of the boys at guard mount to be detailed as orderly at headquar- ters while the lieutenant-colonel was in command. The requirements were a white collar, blackened shoes, well brushed clothes, with clean hands and face, in order to secure the detail. Each morning there were several anx- ious candidates for the place, and it became a matter of curiosity to the adjutant why this place was so anxiously sought. Of course, there was but little to do, and the or- derly had the advantage of hearing a good deal of news at headquarters, and in the absence of newspapers, a little news went a great way ; but yet that did not seem a suffi- cient reason for the scramble to be orderly at the lieuten- ant-colonel's quarters. It was finally ascertained that the
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boys learned the fact, that although the lieutenant-colonel was a total abstainer, he required all the confiscated liquor taken at Chain Bridge to be delivered to him, and he was careful not to entrust it to any one else. Instead of open- ing the flasks and demijohns, and allowing the contents to run out, he placed them under his bunk, and indulged in daily whiskey ablutions, and when assured of any officers who would use the whiskey outside instead of inside, he was generous in distributing the spirits among them; but only for ablution purposes.
Sometimes, on the return of the lieutenant-colonel to his quarters, he would notice that the orderly was either sleeping, or in a drowsy condition, but he was always as- sured by the orderly that he was "sick," but never com- plained enough to be released from duty. As this was of frequent occurrence, the lieutenant-colonel concluded that there must be some first cause, and could not understand why an orderly in seeming first-rate health in the morn- ing, should almost invariably be ill before the relief hour at night. He at last ascertained that the orderly discov- ered the whereabouts of the spirits, and learned that they considered it a great waste of the raw material to use it for bathing purposes, when they could enjoy drinking it. On this discovery, the lieutenant-colonel instantly refused to house any more of the spirits, and ordered all confis- cated liquors thereafter to be emptied on the ground, and from that time forward, there was no further illness among the orderlies at headquarters.
Shortly after the regiment encamped at Fort Ethan Al- len, the colonel, who was then in command of a brigade, the lieutenant-colonel being in command of the regiment, and the major were chatting together at headquarters,
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when Chaplain Gregg, arrayed in a new uniform, with prominent shoulder straps, a regulation hat with a golden circlet, and a gold cord, sashed, belted and spurred, and with a sword dangling at his side, was seen approaching headquarters, but was then to them a stranger. Lieuten- ant-Colonel said, "What damn fool is that ?" He stepped up to the Colonel and announced himself as "Chaplain Gregg," and presented his commission as chaplain of the 127th Reginient. He was full of enthusiasm, and run- ning all over with patriotism. He announced that he in- tended preaching three sermons every Sunday, and one every evening, and was determined to convert the whole regiment. The lieutenant-colonel quietly remarked, "You will be devilish lucky if the regiment doesn't convert you before the end of the service." He evidently set the lieu- tenant-colonel down in his mind as a hardened sinner, who required the full effort of his official ministerial duty to bring him up to his Christian standard. The lieutenant- colonel then instructed him to visit the hospitals frequent- ly, take charge of the mail matter, and do his preaching when it would interfere as little as possible with the com- pany and regimental duties. The colonel and major ac- quiesced in this setting down, and the chaplain seemed to be glad to get away from officers who seemed to have so little respect for his official importance, or sympathy with his unbounded enthusiasm.
The Chaplain was in the habit of saying in his sermons that he would both preach and fight, and that it would go hard with the Rebels when he met them. His bravery was put to a test at the battle of Fredericksburg. He appeared on the northern bank of the Rappahannock, mounted, and in full sight of Captain Fox, who was mortally wounded by a Rebel shell ; and as those shells came thick
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and fast, the horse wheeled suddenly to the rear, and gal- loped off at full speed, over hill and dale. Chaplain Gregg afterwards declared that he lost control of his horse, who ran away with him, so that the chaplain did not return to camp for a day or two after the regiment had returned from the battlefield. He was never heard to boast after- wards of what he would do with the "Rebels," but seemed to have made up his mind that he would live down the cowardly act of his horse; and at the battle of Chancel- lorsville, he gallantly shouldered a stretcher, and carried it to the relief of the Lieutenant-Colonel, and assisted in carrying off the wounded, and proved himself a useful, brave and patriotic citizen soldier.
Captain Nissley, of Company "I," received a box of provisions from home, when he was recovering from an attack of camp fever, which notoriously creates an abnor- mal appetite. He ordered his cook to make him apple dumplings, and twenty were placed before him, not large, but yet they were all well formed dumplings. After eat- ing nineteen of them, he observed the cook give a longing, lingering look at the single dumpling left. He then very considerately inquired how many dumplings were made, and when the cook declared that every one had been placed before him, he generously directed the cook to remove the remaining dumpling, and eat it himself ; but at the same time declared that he had capacity and appetite enough for the other one.
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