USA > Pennsylvania > Northampton County > History of the One hundred and fifty-third regiment Pennsylvania volunteers infantry which was recruited in Northampton County, Pa., 1862-1863 > Part 8
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25
The highest compliment that could be paid to a command was given by Howard in the following words :
"On the 1st day of July, with the First Corps and Buford's Division of cavalry, you held double your numbers in check from 12 m. until night, and thus opened the way for the victory that followed. On the zd you held an important position during the cannonade, and repulsed the enemy when already within your batteries, and breaking through your lines. On the 3d, the same post was strongly held under the severest cannonade of the war. Our batteries, aided by our infantry, contributed a full share to the repulse of the enemy's last attempt to drive the army from its position. The Eleventh Corps, as a Corps, has done well-well in march- ing, well in fighting; the sacrifices it has made shall not be forgotten."
85
THAT MEMORABLE SECOND DAY
That Memorable Second Day.
Every day has its predecessor, and in war the actions of one day are best comprehended by the events which preceded it the day before. The curtains of night had shaded the bloody scenes of the previous day's horrors. Nine officers and 79 men were among the killed and wounded from the fearful conflict of the first day. The ground over which our brave men fought and on which some of our noblest ones had died, was now in the hands of the enemy whose lines ran through the town. The
Marker of the 153d Regt. Foot of Cemetery Hill.
night of the Ist was a sleepless one for friend and foe. From survivors of our wounded who lay upon the field accounts have been gathered as to the care of the wounded during that night which was some source of comfort to those comrades who had dear ones somewhere over the field upon which they had fallen. The wounded received as much attention as is usual and possible during the turmoil of a battle.
In the narrative of these events published during the fall of
86
HISTORY OF THE 153D REGT.
1863, by two members of the regiment, William Simmers and Paul Bachschmidt, there appears the following account :
"The wounded being cared for and the brigade reorganized, we were ordered to occupy a position on the right of the cemetery, with instruc- tions to support the batteries planted there and to hold the place at all hazards. It was now 6 o'clock; the firing had ceased, and the exciting scenes of the day were followed by a comparatively quiet night.
The position occupied by us that morning was, as already stated, at the right, or cast, of the cemetery, facing the town. Immediately in our front was Battery 1 of the First New York Artillery, while in our rear was Battery B, of the First Pennsylvania, and a battery of the First Regu- lar Artillery. Thus posted we patiently awaited the opening of the ball. About 6 o'clock heavy firing on our left informed us that the contest had commenced, half an hour later our whole line was engaged. Once begun the cannonade was continued at long range during the greater part of the
Eleventh Corps Artillery.
day. Stretched at full length behind a low stone fence, the enemy's fire did us very little damage, and up to the time of their final charge we were permitted to remain comparatively idle spectators of the terrible scenes enacted around us.
The hour of four arrived, and with it increased the fury of the enemy's fire. Shells were no longer thrown into our lines at long intervals- they were now showered upon us as 'thick as hail.' Hundreds of cannon were belching forth their deadly missiles, while the very ground beneath us seemed to shake. The enemy's shot and shells which, hitherto had injured us but little, were now doing terrible execution in our ranks. Everywhere men were seen writhing in the agony of death, while the wounded were shrieking for help which no one could render them.
The enemy's fire was briskly answered by our batteries. Time and
87
THAT MEMORABLE SECOND DAY
again did they attempt to mass their columns for the final assault, when as often they were dispersed. The intentions of the enemy to outflank ns becoming momentarily more apparent, a change of front became neces- sary, and was accomplished with but trifling losses on our side. Nor was the movement made a minute too soon, for hardly had we occupied our new position than the enemy was seen advancing upon it in solid phalanx.
When the order to advance was given, and the contending armies met, the shock and the scene that followed were such as to defy description. It was no longer a battle. It was a hand-to-hand conflict, carried on with the valor and vindictiveness of desperation. The arms of ordinary war- fare were no longer used. Clubs, knives, stones, fists,-anything cal- culated to inflict pain or death was now resorted to. Now advancing, then retreating, this sort of conflict continued for fully three-quarters of an hour. At one time defeat seemed inevitable. Closely pressed by the enemy we were compelled to retire on our first line of defense, but even here the enemy followed us, while the more daring were already within our lines, and were now resolutely advancing towards our pieces. The foremost had already reached a piece, when throwing himself over the muzzle of the cannon, he called out to the bystanding gunners, 'I take command of this gun!' 'Du sollst sie haben,' was the curt reply of the sturdy German, who, at that very moment, was in the act of firing. A second later, and the soul of the daring rebel had taken its flight. . . . Here our reverses ended. Determined to conquer or die in the attempt, our men now threw themselves upon the enemy with a resolution and fury that soon compelled him to retire. The batteries were saved. The day ours; Chancellorsville redeemed."
This brief account, supposedly witnessed by the men who wrote it is probably the best which can be produced, so far as it concerned the part taken in it by our regiment.
88
HISTORY OF THE 153D REGT.
Cemetery Hill the Great Center.
The opinions of the officers who had charge of the batteries are of more value than many others on the field. One says : "Captain Wiedrick was assigned on his arrival on the field, to a position on the hill immediately in front of the cemetery en- trance and overlooking the town. On the morning of the 2d, I applied to General Hunt, chief of artillery, Army of the Potomac, for a greater amount of artillery than we then had, as our position was finely adapted to its use, and I did not con- sider that we had sufficient to assist our small infantry force, in holding the position if the enemy should attack us in heavy force. In response to the call 32 guns were added to the cannon placed on this important hill ... . As soon as the enemy developed the position he would probably occupy with his batteries, I placed mine in position commanding them .... By this assignment of artillery, I commanded with a reputable number of guns every point on which the enemy could place artillery commanding Cemetery Hill. I also occupied every point of the hill available for artillery, and during the engagement every gun, at different times, was used with good effect, and the fire of no one gun interfered with another .... On our entire front the enemy held a fine crest five miles long for the protection of artillery, at a distance of 1,000 to 1,400 yards from us; but at the time the heavy attack was made on the extreme left of our line, the firing was very severe, and especially upon the hill. They en- gaged the greater portion of our whole line, and from both the right and left of the town much of the fire was concentrated on our position, but we soon gained a decided advantage over them, and long before the infantry struggle on the left was decided, we had silenced most of their guns ... . Between 7 and 8 o'clock in the evening, a rebel brigade charged from the town, upon the hill and upon Captain Wiedrick's battery. The charge was very impetuous, and the infantry at first gave way, and the battery was held for a moment by the enemy, when the cannoneers rallied with the infantry, and seizing upon any weapons they could
89
CEMETERY HILL THE GREAT CENTER
reach, threw themselves upon the enemy, and assisted to drive them back."
It was also due to the cannon, which the 153d assisted so bravely to defend and save, that did the deadly execution of the advancing lines of Pickett in his famous charge on the afternoon of the 3d. This is what Major Osborn has to say further about that affair :
"And a few moments later the infantry of the enemy broke over the crest from where their artillery had been playing, and made their grand charge across the plain upon our lines. The left of the charging column rested on a line perpendicular to our front, then stretching away to the right beyond our view, thus offering an excellent front for our artillery fire. We used, according to distance, all descriptions of projectiles. The whole force of our artillery was brought to bear upon this column, and the havoc produced upon their ranks was truly surprising.
The advance was most splendid, and for a considerable distance, the only hindrance offered it was by the artillery, which broke their lines fearfully, as every moment showed that their advance under this con- centrated artillery fire was most difficult ; and though they made desperate efforts to advance in good order, were unable to do so, and I am con- vinced that the fire from the hill was one of the main auxiliaries in breaking the force of this grand charge. But while the enemy was ad- vancing, and after having been repulsed, I insisted that the artillery fire should be turned intensely upon the infantry, and no notice whatever was to be taken of the artillery."
While it would afford the historian great satisfaction to give at least a synopsis of the engagements respectively over the vast field during the three days battle, it becomes a perplexing question as to whether such a course would be desired by the comrades.
The main features of the conflicts in which our regiment took part would make a more extended narrative if there had been more reports from the respective officers. I trust, however, that when the comrade reads these brief accounts which have been gotten with difficulty, he will be charitable to the writer, and
90
HISTORY OF THE 153D REGT.
content himself with the numerous narratives which have been furnished by the several members. Some of these reminiscent letters were longer than our space would warrant in the publi- cation and have had to be reluctantly cut down ; the most inter- esting features have been, however, preserved and presented in the language of their authors, which will make the articles all the more natural and interesting. We sadly deplore the recent death of several of the comrades who had furnished accounts of their experience in the army with us.
To present more of the outlines, at least, of the positions and part taken by our regiment, in the absence of exact information concerning the individual comrade, the writer has sought out the positions held by the division or brigade to which the regi- ment belonged. Where such credit has been accorded the or- ganization of which they were apart, I could but infer that our brave boys, embraced in the number, were equally worthy of the honors bestowed upon the regiment, as individual members.
Honor to Whom Honor is Due.
It is true that some regiments engaged at Gettysburg have been more fortunate in receiving the honors bestowed, but that is a matter for which we can easily account, as each of these so well reported. by some surviving officer who furnished a written account of the actions of his command. In many in- stances these reports were not made until months after the battle. Why these delays occurred does not always appear, while some of them are without date except that of the year. It is possible that the long period which passed between the battle and the making of the record. was more favorable to accuracy, than would have characterized the report if it had been made the next day after the events. Many regiments that did noble service have suffered the want of honorable mention because the reports were lost. In the publication of State Reports the editors have in some instances labored under great embarrassment, hav-
91
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE
ing been obliged to make up their history wholly from the re- ports of the organizations with which they had been associated. This is so nearly the case with our regiment that for the his- torian to give proper credit to his command, he has been obliged to resort to the less dignified method of showing what our neighbors did in order to record individual deeds shared by our own men by their side.
It is not infrequently the case that bodies of men associated in a larger organization in an important engagement, receive more praise than they would if they had been separately engaged. It is equally true that in many instances the honor of a Corps has depended more on a single regiment of its body, than on the Corps itself. It is also a very generally accepted fact that on account of the misconduct of a portion of a corps, the whole body shares the odium of such behavior.
There is nothing so depressing to an army, and to its commanders as well, as the unauthorized and garbled state- ments by the newsmongers who undertake to conduct the bat- tles for the country. Our Generals were all great and true men. The displacement of commanders after an undecisive bat- tle was not always conducive to the best results. There is scarcely an important commander, who, according to the Gov .. ernment Reports has not felt obliged to complain of improper treatment whether the complaints were well grounded or not. Mainly these unpleasant occurrences grew out of criticisms by parties seeking to hide their mistakes; neither was it an uncom- mon thing in the reports of associate organizations to create in- ference that the results accomplished were due entirely to the actions of the men responsible for the creation of such infer- ence. Simply to say nothing of the good work of a company or regiment by its side in a very hard conflict in which the enemy was repulsed, has the semblance that the organization thus en- gaged and reported is deserving of the whole honor. It could have cost an honest officer very little painstaking while in the act of making his report of the part taken by his command to
92
HISTORY OF THE 153D REGT.
have made mention of such other bodies of men as were by his side.
As to the newsmonger's audacity, and great desperation for the want of exciting news, we have in the following paragraph a very wholesome rebuke:
"Headquarters Army of the Potomac, June 19, 1863.
Major-General Halleck :
I have just been furnished with an extract from the New York Herald of yesterday concerning the late movements of this army. So long as the newspapers continue to give publicity to our movements, we must not expect to gain any advantage over our adversaries. Is there no way of stopping it? I can suppress the circulation of this paper within my lines, but I cannot prevent their reaching it to the enemy. We could well af- ford to give millions of money for like information of the enemy.
JOSEPH HOOKER, Major-General."
The Government was continually harrassed with injurious and unofficial reports respecting the conduct of the service in the field. The country was eager for news and almost any sort of intelligence from the seat of war was better than no news. The sarcasm of which General Hooker was capable seems at times to have served a very valuable purpose. An instance of it occurred as in the following laconic telegram to the Secretary of War on the 16th of June, 1863 :
"Honorable E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War :
If General Cadwalader has gone to Pennsylvania, please request him to send information of the rebel movements to the south of there. Also please have the newspapers announce that I am moving on to the James River line. I will mask my real movements in these parts.
JOSEPH HOOKER, Major-General."
"Washington, June 16, 1863.
Major-General Hooker, Fairfax :
General Cadwalader has not gone to Pennsylvania, but is here waiting for orders. You shall be kept posted upon all information received here as to the enemy's movements, but must exercise your own judgment as to
5
General Hancock.
93
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE
its credibility. The very demon of lying seems to be about these times, and generals will have to be broken for ignorance before they will take the trouble to find out the truth of reports.
EDWIN M. STANTON."
Fortunately there were plenty of men in those times, who, as occasion arose, could give direction to the forces which were by an overruling Providence to carry the war to a successful issue. There were hours during the momentous struggle of the three days battle when appalling uncertainty rested like a dark cloud upon the entire field. The military conditions of the first day were anything but encouraging to the Federal com- manders, and on the evening of the day the dispositions of their troops were made under great difficulties ; the commanding Gen- eral (Meade) having not yet arrived, but having sent General Hancock to represent him on the field, had apparently slightly disturbed the harmony of the chief commanders who had just ended the operations of this the first day. Howard was the Senior on the field, and undoubtedly assumed the position of chief commander with the full confidence that his rank entitled him to be the Commanding General in the absence of General Meade. Hancock's arrival at 3 p. m., with the authority from Meade to take his (Meade's) place until he could get there, was likely to end in a dispute between Hancock and Howard, but the noble impulses of their superior manhood in the awful environ- ments of the fearful situation, moved them to a division of the work before them. Howard said :
"All right, Hancock. This is no time for talking. You take the left of the pike and I will arrange these troops on the right."
Slocum arrived at about six in the evening ; meantime Han- cock had returned to Meade 13 miles away, and Slocum being Howard's senior was requested by the latter to take supreme com- mand. At 5 p. m. Howard sent the following message to Meade :
"General : General Reynolds attacked the enemy as soon as he arrived, with the one division, about 10.45 a. m. He moved to the front of the town, driving in the enemy's advance for about half a mile, when he met
94
HISTORY OF THE 153D REGT.
with a strong force of A. P. Hill's corps. I pushed on as fast as I could, by a parallel road ; placed my corps in position on his right. General Rey- nolds was killed at 11.15 a. m. 1 assumed command of the two corps. and sent word to Slocum and Sickles to move up. I have fought the enemy from that time till this. The First Corps fell back, when out- flanked on its left, to a stronger position, when the Eleventh Corps was ordered back, also to a stronger position. General Hancock arrived at 4 p. m., and communicated his instructions. I am still holding on at this time. Slocum is near, but will not come up to assume command. Respectfully,
General Meade.
O. O. HOWARD, Major-General."
The slightest glance over the various reports as rendered by the officers at this time cannot fail to impress the reader with the sad fact that the relations of several men charged here with the responsibility of affairs at this critical hour, were somewhat strained to put it mildly. Some reasons existed. Slocum did not hurry up his forces with the view of personally assuming command, and must have known that in the battle thus far con- ducted Howard being senior at the time, was in command of the field. Yet for sufficient reasons he must have recognized the fact that a division of responsibility was at the time shared by Howard and Hancock, for he says:
"On the morning of July 1. the corps (12th) was moved to Two Taverns (about four miles distant from Gettysburg) and remained at that place until information was received that the First and Eleventh Corps were engaged at Gettysburg, when the march was at once resumed, and agreeably to suggestion from General Howard, the First Division was put in position, on the right of our line. near Rock Creek. The Second Division was moved forward as rapidly as possible, and placed, pur- suant to orders from General Hancock, on the extreme left of the line. The corps remained in this position until the following morning, when. by direction of the commanding General. ( Meade, who had arrived at 3 a. m .. ) the Second was moved to the right of our center."
The second day opened bright and fair. The quiet but por- tentous hours of the night just passed, who that was there can
95
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE
forget ? At dawn the noise of battle is heard in all directions where cannon were placed.
Copyright, 1888, by THE CENTURY CO.
While rest was enjoyed by many weary men over all the ground which must become the scene of the conflict of the suc-
General Meade's Headquarters on the Tanneytown Road. From a war-time photograph.
96
HISTORY OF THE 153D REGT.
ceeding days, the officers were sleepless. A council of war was held early in the evening, and the contents of a circular which General Meade had issued to the generals on that morn- ing were fully and seriously discussed. It was plain to all that the commanding General was not in favor of holding Gettysburg as the permanent field of operations, and that the General's opinion was honest but clearly enough based on insufficient knowledge of the exigencies which had arisen, compelling the army to take the offensive at Gettysburg. The majority of the conference urged the expediency of remaining where they were while some of their number had become convinced that the com- manding General's plan would be the best-to concentrate on Clay Pipe Creek. Meade had been charged to intercept Lee and head off his invasion of Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and hav- ing learned that the rebel army was returning from its object of attack of those northern cities, he concluded to take more time for preparation and concentration and as a possible base of rebel attack had selected the location of Clay Pipe Creek. In fact Meade did not at first approve of the Gettysburg site for the battle, which fact a number of his ablest Generals shared. That the contents of Meade's order, or circular, to his subordinates had reached Reynolds before his untimely death is not known, neither could it have shaped the lamented General's plans to meet the sudden attack of the enemy if he had been apprised of Meade's wish. As an experienced General said on the oc- casion : "This proves how often the plans of a general are frustrated by unlooked-for contingencies."
The details of the service our regiment rendered on the 2d and 3d days are difficult of description, but that they were among the troops who in very exposed positions lay behind the stone-walls, on the skirmish lines and before and behind the cannon in defense of the batteries planted on the most formidable and important part of the crest of Cemetery Hill, is clearly shown by the reports of the operations of the Brigade to which they belonged.
The writer was on the ground during the days of the fierce
97
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE
cannonading, assisting the ambulance corps in the removal of the wounded which had been carried from the field to the Lodge of the cemetery gate. Among these I have a distinct recollec- tion of finding two of my acquaintances, Samuel Lantz and Philip Ensley. I found John Koken near a fence where I dressed his wounds and as soon as there was room for him had him carried to the improvised hospital in the barn. The arched brick building forming the entrance to the citizens' cemetery was used at the time of the skirmishing on the front of the earthworks where the batteries were located. The house and its cellar was literally crowded with wounded men. Numbers of them died and were temporarily buried, while the wounded were conveyed by wagons to the barn hospital. In the work of removal of these men I returned each day under fire and these visits to this high ground gave me a chance to make ob- servations. I could only ascertain the whereabouts of my regi- ment by the few whom I had charge of, and judging from the locality where these wounded comrades were found-immediately in the vicinity of the cemetery. I distinctly remember hearing that some troops were coming to the support of ours which were supporting the battery. Late reports as published give the name of the troops as those of Colonel Carroll sent over by Hancock. Lieut. Moore (lately deccased) stated to the writer that one of the hottest places he and his detachment of skirmishers were placed in was immediately in front of the batteries on the hill. One of the strongest lines defended by our boys was that of the outer one of the several which were held in defense of our guns on the elevated ground. Individual comrades have repeatedly told of this fact ; and as our regiment was struck by the advance of the rebel charge at dusk on the 2d and retired to higher de- fenses, and also joined the infantry in the driving of the enemy down the hill after repulse, it is quite evident that our men were in the thickest of the fight of that day. Our regimental marker is therefore located on the outer skirmish line occupied by our detachments. Lieutenant Moore's reference to lying flat on the ground behind a stone fence facing rebel skirmishers agrees
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.