USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry > Part 3
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cumstance rare to be seen while on the march, and to the old soldiers suggestive of possible battle, but the gunners were lolling upon their pieces or sitting about the ground chatting, apparently indifferent, and if they were so, why need others feel concern? Thus time passed until 2 o'clock p. m., when suddenly one of those unlimbered pieces, with a crash that brought every man to his feet, sent a screaming shell far out over the woods beyond. This defiant shot seemed at once to be accepted by the enemy as a challenge to action, for immediately there followed a spattering discharge of musketry along our front, the bugle notes sounded and the command to "fall in" rang out along the lines.
"And there was mounting in hot haste, the steed, The mustering squadrons, and the clattering car Went pouring forth with impetuous speed, And swiftly forming in the ranks of war; And deep thunder, peal on peal, afar; And near, the beat of the alarmning drum Roused up the soldiers."
In advancing to take our position in the line of battle each man seized a rail of a convenient fence that stood in the way, and when halted, out of these con- structed an improvised shelter, behind which we crouched to meet and repel the enemy's desperate onslaughts. From that hour until darkness covered. the scene, the battle raged furiously and almost inces- santly. Charge after charge was made upon our lines, often coming so near that faces were clearly discern- ible through the smoke of battle, so determined was the enemy to break our lines and reach the road in our
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rear, over which our wagon trains and unengaged forces were pressing toward the James river.
Perhaps in no battle of the war was there so long and continuous fighting by the same troops as in this engagement. It was all important that the army should be safely guarded past this most vulnerable point, and posted on the river bluffs and under the protection of our gunboats. The enemy, as well, seemed to realize the need of breaking our lines or lose the fruits of their victory purchased at such fear- ful cost, and therefore pressed our line hard and con- tinuously, so that if disposed to do so, there was little time given to relieve us by the substitution of other troops.
In this engagement Major Simonton was wounded in the shoulder about 6 o'clock in the evening. Lieu- tenant Colonel Woods was absent on sick leave, and the command of the regiment devolved upon Captain Ralph Maxwell, of Company F. Before midnight the troops were withdrawn from the line of battle and were on the march to Malvern Hill, the place of ren- dezvous of the army, near the James river. As we moved quietly along in the darkness General Kearny rode up and asked Captain Maxwell what regiment we were. When informed, he complimented us very highly for the part we had taken in the recent battle, then ordered him to return us to our old position and hold it until daylight, when he would have us relieved. We "about faced" and were soon back in our old place as nearly as could be determined in the darkness. The supposition was that the whole brigade was with us
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and we did not discover differently until an hour or more later. Of this occurrence Captain Maxwell says : "I thought along toward midnight I would go and have a talk with whoever commanded the 105th. I went to the right of the 57th, but could find no one; all was vacancy. I immediately retraced my steps and, passing to the left, found the 63d gone also. Nobody there but one poor, little, lone regiment! It then came to me that we were placed there to be sacrificed for the safety of the rest of the army. I knew the penalty for violating General Kearny's orders, but at the same time I could not think of sacrificing these men to cer- tain capture and imprisonment. I did not like to break orders and I could not do the other. Soon after we heard the trundle of artillery, and the tread of the marching men to our front, and then lights gleaming to our front. Evidently this was the enemy. I made up my mind I would try and save the regiment, orders or no orders, and let them court-martial me and be d-d. I ordered the regiment to form silently in two ranks, then gave the order to march and file right. They did so and all filed past me and got on the road. I then ran along the line to the head of the regiment and gave the order to double quick, and we went down that road on the run, and none too soon. Five minutes more and we would have been prisoners! We caught up to the main body of the army and took our usual position in the brigade. I was afraid to ask any questions and never heard anything about our dis- obedience of orders. But one thing is certain, I am glad I did what I did that night!"
1
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In this engagement our regiment lost seven killed and fifty-six wounded, a number of whom subse- quently died.
The next morning found the regiment in line on Malvern Hill. This position was almost impregnable. On the south side flowed the James river on which floated the Union fleet of gunboats. On the north side was an impenetrable swamp. To attack, the Confed- erates had to charge from the west and in our front over long stretches of open ground in the face of our batteries posted along the hill side, their right flank enfiladed by the fire from our gunboats. General Por- ter, speaking of the strength of this position, says that when by inspections he realized its natural advantages, and had seen his division properly posted, he returned to the Malvern House, where he had established his headquarters, and, lying down on a cot, dropped at once into so sound a sleep, that although the battle following surged up to the front yard of the house, he was not awakened, although at any other time during the campaign the snap of a cap would rouse him in- stantly, so great was his sense of the security of his position. Notwithstanding these natural advantages, the elated, but weary forces of Jackson, Longstreet, and Hill, reinforced by the fresh troops of Magruder and Hugar, charged and recharged our lines with desperate persistence deserving of a better cause, but each time were repulsed with fearful slaughter. The losses of the 57th in this engagement were two killed and eight wounded, Lieutenant Charles O. Etz and the orderly sergeant of Company D being the two
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fatal casualties. The death of Lieutenant Etz and his companion occurred under peculiarly sad circum- stances. Wearied with the battle of the preceding afternoon and the night vigil following, these two comrades had lain down together, the sergeant's head resting on the lieutenant's breast, and were snatching a moment's sleep. A shot from one of the enemy's batteries struck the two sleepers, killing them in- stantly. Thus, all unconscious of their danger, they were swept by one swift stroke into that sleep that knows no waking.
The battle over and the enemy severely chastised, the grand Army of the Potomac, with thinned and broken ranks, a mere shadow of its former greatness, continued the retreat, Harrison's Landing, a place of historic importance in that the line of its occupants has given to our country two chief executives, lying a few miles below Malvern Hill on the James, being the place selected for final rendezvous. During the night following the battle the 57th was again on out- post duty, but early the following morning was quietly withdrawn and in a drenching rain that continued throughout the day, again took up its wearisome march, arriving in the vicinity of the landing toward evening, weary, wet and worn!
The Harrison mansion, a substantial structure of brick, reared in colonial days, stood on an eminence overlooking the broad sweep of the James river. Between the mansion and the river was a stretch of grass-covered field gently sloping to the water's edge. Adjoining this to the west, or northwest, was a large 4
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wheat field. A greater part of the standing grain had been cut and was in shock. These golden sheaves were quickly appropriated by our troops and spread upon the water-sodden ground, whereon to rest their weary bodies. A few brief hours sufficed to obliterate every trace of this harvest scene, and where the hus- bandman had so recently been reaping in peace the fruits of his field, batteries were now thickly packed and soldiers' tents, not white, but wet and earth soiled, stood in long ranks.
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CHAPTER IV.
BY J. M. MARTIN.
Camp Life at Harrison's Landing -- Major Birney Assigned to the Command of the Regiment-Transferred to Gen- eral Birney's Brigade-Evacuation of Harrison's Land- ing and the Peninsula-The Army of the Potomac is Sent to Reenforce General Pope.
The regiment, upon its arrival at Harrison's Land- ing, presented a most pitiable spectable. But three months before it numbered almost nine hundred; now but little over half a hundred responded for duty at first roll-call, and there was not a field officer present. Says Surgeon Lyman: "All were exhausted and dis- heartened, scarcely a well man in the regiment, with two hundred and thirty, for the first few days, on the sick list." For a time Captain Ralph Maxwell was in command of the regiment, but was succeeded later by Captain Strohecker. Funerals were of such fre- quent occurrence that the solemn notes of the dead march were almost continually to be heard, until, for the benefit of the living, burials with military honors were suppressed by general order. To the great an- noyance of brigade commanders they could muster no more men for brigade drill than would compose an ordinary battalion: the regiments presenting no Letter appearance as to numbers than a company. and a company than a corporal's guard. As a consequence there were frequent charges of "shirking duty" pre-
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ferred, and the officers of the line watched and counted with greatest care their rolls for available men. An amusing anecdote of this watchful regard of the superior officers is told by Colonel Strohecker. He says :
"For a few days our regiment was attached to the 63d, and under the command of Colonel Alexander Hayes. On one occasion he had the two regiments "fall in," and passing along the line counted the men in each company with great care, comparing their number with the adjutant's report which he held in his hand. When he counted my company I lacked three men to fill the report, and then the colonel com- menced cursing me for reporting more men than I turned out. I replied that I did not report more men than I had in line. At this he exhibited to me the adjutant's report and said he would see me later. True enough, there were three more men reported for duty on the adjutant's report than I had turned out. The figures were against me. He dismissed me and I went to my quarters crestfallen. I took up my morning report book, and discovered there was a mistake somewhere. My morning report and the number of men I had in line tallied exactly. I im- mediately called upon the colonel and armed with my morning report proved that I was right. He called his adjutant and asked him to explain. That officer replied that in consolidating the company reports he could not make them agree, so he just put three more men to my account ! "What!" exclaimed the colonel. "You falsify the morning report of a captain and
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his orderly? I'll let you know"" and then the very air seemed blue! To me he only said, "Captain won't you have a drink?"
General Kearny was no admirer of a rifle-pit cam- paign. "An open field and a fair fight," was more to the pleasing of the military taste of this intrepid com- mander; he was, therefore, loth to have his troops exhausted with the labor of their construction, and as occasion offered was not slow to so express himself. One quiet Sabbath morning, while in camp at this place, a detail from the 57th was on its way, armed with pick and spade, to this duty. As they trudged along their way Kearny met them, and, returning the salute of the lieutenant commanding the squad, inquired :
"Lieutenant, where are these men going?"
"To work on the breastworks, general," replied the officer.
"About face your men, and return to your quar- ters," sharply replied the general. "Six days in the week are enough to work on fortifications. These men need their Sunday rest!"
It is needless to say the order was promptly obeyed and regard for their commander rose several degrees in the estimation of these weary veterans.
The camp of the regiment was near a fine stream of water on which was erected a dam that afforded the men most excellent bathing opportunities, which doubtless contributed much to their general health besides personal cleanliness. Ovens were also built and for a time they enjoyed the luxury of "soft
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bread." There was, however, a dearth of vegetables, and aside from an occasional ration of onions, and that conglomeration of pumpkin, squash, etc., com- pounded under the euphoneous name of "dessicated vegetables," but which the boys derisively dubbed "desecrated vegetables," green truck was unknown in their daily bill of fare, in consequence of which diarrhea and kindred complaints were prevalent, and many disqualified for active duty.
During the encampment at Harrison's Landing Major William Birney, of the 4th New Jersey regi- ment, a brother of General David B. Birney, was as- signed to the command of the 57th regiment .* Major Birney was an officer of rare ability, a strict disciplin- arian, an indefatigable drill-master, and withal a gen- tleman, winning and courteous to the humblest when off duty, and abhorring the petty tyrannies in which some officers of brief authority seemed to delight. He also enjoyed to the highest degree the confidence of his superiors, and very soon won the respect and esteem, as well, of the rank and file. A story told about the camp fires, whether true or false, well illus- trates the characteristics of the man and deserves recording. At the breaking out of the war Major Birney was commissioned an officer in one of the New Jersey regiments composing the New Jersey brigade, commanded by General Kearny, but pos- sessed of little knowledge of his duties as such, or ability to drill his men. On one occasion while at- tempting to put his regiment through its evolutions
* See Appendix D.
Military services of WILLIAM BIRNEY, of Alabama and New Jersey, in U. S. Volunteers.
Enlisted, May 20, 1861; Captain, May 22. 1861: Major. Sept. 28, 1861; Lieutenant-Colonel, August 26, 1862: Colonel. January 6. 1863; Brigadier- General, May 22. 1303; Brevet Major General, March 13, 1865, "for gallant and meritorious services during the war.
Mimo. of services, etc.
Cant !: o.l. June 27, 142; prisoner of war to August 12. 1862; from Aug- ust 14. 1. 2. to October 11, 132. commanded the Sith Pennsylvania Volun- teers, covering the battles of Groveton and Bull Run, of August 30 and 31. and the military operations on the Monocacy in September and October. IN2: was wounded at Fredericksburg. Dec. 13, 182; commanded Districts of Florida, Hilton Head, the 3d Division of luth Army Corps and 24 Division, 25th Army Corps.
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General Kearny chanced to pass, and halting, watched the major in his attempts with evident disgust. The general was never noted for his patience, especially with inefficiency of an officer in his line of duty, and riding up to the major, reprimanded him sharply, bid- ding him to go to his quarters and never attempt to drill his men again until he had mastered the tactics. It is said, the major, stung with reproof, went to his quarters, not to sulk over this and possibly resign his commission, but to study, and when he next appeared on drill he was the best informed and most efficient drill master in the brigade, receiving the compliments of the general, who ever after held him in highest esteem. Of the major's persistency, if not his effi- ciency, as a drill master, every member of the 57th regiment would willingly certify.
Major Birney's discipline was not confined to camp life, and the drill ground. It extended as well to the march. Every morning on the march the regular detail for guard duty was made, and this detail, under command of the officer of the day, marched at the rear of the column, and proved an efficient preventive to "straggling," a habit exceedingly demoralizing to an army on the march. If any fell sick or gave out by the way they were taken charge of, and if possi- ble, were placed in an ambulance, or in the absence of such, in one of the regimental or brigade wagons. If canteens needed replenishing a detail was made from each company to perform that duty. If forag- ing was to be engaged in it was done in the same methodical manner, and this was not infrequent, for
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the major was a strong believer in the doctrine of the rights of the army to live off the products of the enemy's country, but it had to be done "decently and in order."
When on the march, if an obstruction was encoun- tered, the head of the column was always halted until all had passed the obstruction and the ranks closed up. By this means the men in the rear were saved the necessity of moving at a "double quick" to overtake those in advance, a duty very exhausting, and as a consequence the command was always kept in com- pact order and could, with less fatigue, march twenty miles a day than ten by the old "go as you please" methods so common while on the march.
During our army's encampment at Harrison's Landing the Confederates were quiet and only deigned to make their presence known on one oc- casion and that was in the way of a night surprise, sending by way of a reminder that they were yet alive and alert, a number of shells across from the heights on the south side- of the river. This piece of pleasantry was replied to promptly by our batteries, and the next day arrangements were made to prevent a repetition by sending a division of infantry under General Butterfield over to that side and taking pos- session of those hills for ourselves.
On August 12th the 57th was transferred from Jameson's old brigade (the Ist) to General D. B. Birney's (ed) brigade. General Jameson was injured by the falling of his horse at Fair Oaks and died from his injuries the following November. He was one
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of the finest looking officers in the army. General J. C. Robinson succeeded him in command, and led the brigade in the seven days' battles. General Birney was one of the original brigade commanders of Kearny's division. His brigade now comprised the following regiments, viz: the 57th and 99th Pennsylvania; 3d and 4th Maine; 38th, 40th and IOIst New York. There were seven regiments, but numerically, they scarcely exceeded the strength of two full regiments.
On August 15th, the army broke camp and com- menced the retrograde movement back through Wil- liamsburg and Yorktown, our campaign ground of the earlier spring, its ultimate destination being to join Pope in his disastrous campaign with headquarters "in the saddle."
The breaking camp of a great army is always a stirring scene. The mounted aids and orderlies riding in hot haste; the mustering legions and forming squadrons with flying colors; the bonfires of camp debris; the popping of discarded cartridges with occasional deeper intonation of exploding bomb, alto- gether make a scene not soon to be forgotten.
The time of year was the "roasting ear" season of the Virginia cornfields, and great fears were enter- tained by the army medical staff as to the probable disastrous results to the men of a too free indulgence by them in that luxury. As a consequence they were strictly admonished to abstain from the toothsome viand, but all to no purpose. We had roasting ears boiled, roasting ears roasted, and roasting ears broiled in the husk. We had green corn on the cob and off
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the cob. Green corn for breakfast, green corn for dinner, and green corn for supper, with an occasional lunch of green corn between times. Yet, wonderful to relate, instead of any injury resulting, on the con- trary the effect was decidedly beneficial, in that by the time we arrived at Yorktown there was scarcely a man to respond to sick call.
The evening of the first day's march the regiment camped near a large brick plantation house. The owner and family were absent, but the negro servants were very much "at home" with' the "Yanks" and until late in the night were busily employed baking "hoe cake" for all who applied.
The following day the 57th with the 4th Maine were detached and served as "flankers" on the left of the army, marching by a road that intersected the road by which the regiment had advanced from Williamsburg toward Richmond at a point near Bar- hamsville, thence by the last named road to Williams- burg and Yorktown. At Williamsburg there still re- mained many evidences of the struggle of the pre- ceding May, particularly the marks of shot and shell upon the standing timber, many of these marks being high up on the tree trunks and exhibiting a very un- steady aim.
At Yorktown the regiment embarked for Alexan- dria and from thence were speedily transferred by rail on the Orange and Alexandria road to a point near Warrenton Junction.
At Alexandria many of the men took the oppor- tunity to imbibe a liberal quantity of liquid refresh-
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ments, the first chance they had to do so since the issuing of whiskey rations in the swamps in front of Richmond. To the credit of the 57th, but very few indulged beyond their capacity to carry their load steadily, but such could not be said of some of the other regiments in the division, notably one of New York, in which there were not a sufficient number of "sobers" to care for the "drunks." The cars on which we were shipped to the front were the ordinary "flats." By the time their "drunks" were safely deposited on these cars by the "sobers" fully one-half had rolled off into the side ditches, and so the process of reloading had to be repeated time and again with many inter- vening, and sometimes amusing, sparring matches to add to the confusion and delay. While these bacchan- alian exhibitions were going on General Kearny and staff rode along the side of the railway track, doing what they could in the way of encouragement to the overworked "sobers" in their apparently endless task. As the general passed the 57th some member called out to a comrade near to the scene of drunken strife in progress on the adjoining cars, inquiring if any of the 57th were engaged in the fracas then going on. The general promptly turned in his saddle and shouted back, "No, thank God, there's none of the 57th!"
It was not the regiment's privilege to ride all the way from Alexandria to its destination at the front. Disembarking near Catlett Station it advanced by easy marches.
Somewhere on the Virginia Peninsula Captain Maxwell. of Company F, had secured the services of
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an old negro as his cook. At Malvern Hill this old fellow had not put sufficient space between himself and the enemy for safety, and found himself in rather close proximity for comfort to the shells of their bat- teries. While at Harrison's Landing it was the de- light of the boys to get this old man to describe the battle and give his experience under fire. His in- imitable imitation of the screaming shot and shell ac- companied with grotesque pantomime was amusing in the extreme. We little thought, however, the deep impression these scenes and experiences had made upon his mind until again we came in sound of the enemy's guns. As the regiment advanced toward Bealeton the cannonading in our front became at times quite heavy. The old cook was trudging along by the side of the marching column, carrying a camp kettle, when suddenly the batteries opened fire. He stopped, looked and listened, with fear depicted in every linea- ment of his dusky face. "Dis chil' done gone fur 'nuf dis way!" he exclaimed. Then turning about took toward the rear as fast as his legs could carry him. It was the last seen of the captain's cook.
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CHAPTER V.
BY J. M. MARTIN.
Second Bull Run Campaign -- Battle of Chantilly-Death of General Kearny-His Body Escorted to Washington by a Detachment of the Fifty-Seventh-Retreat to Alexan- dria-Conrad's Ferry-Colonel Campbell Rejoins the Regiment.
Our stay in the neighborhood of Bealeton and Warrenton Junction was brief. Lee was moving northward, the main body of his army being west of the Bull Run mountains, while Jackson with Stewart's cavalry was on the east. The 3d corps in which the 57th served fell back to Centerville by way of Green- wich and Manassas Junction. As we passed the latter the buildings and many cars were smouldering ruins, showing that Jackson's outflankers had recently been there, and that the main body of his troops could not be far distant. The night of the 28th we biv- ouacked at Centerville and the next morning marched out the Warrenton turnpike. On our way we met quite a number of paroled prisoners who had just been sent through the lines by Jackson. They were quite jubilant, reporting that desperate fighter com- pletely hemmed in at the base of the mountains and likely to fall an easy prey to our army. With this hopeful intelligence we pressed on with stimulated zeal toward the front. Arriving on the battlefield Kearny's division was deployed on the extreme right of the line, which position it held during the two succeeding
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