USA > Pennsylvania > History of the One hundred & sixth regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, 2d brigade, 2d division, 2d corps, 1861-1865 > Part 22
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The Government not wishing to lose the services of so many well-tried veterans, whose terms of enlistment were soon to ex- pire, solicited their re-enlistment during this winter for three years longer, and offered as inducements large bounties, a fur- lough for thirty-five days, and allowance of the time yet to serve, on the new enlistment. On December 18th, after "Retreat", the Regiment was addressed by Major Stover, who gave all the necessary information and stated that the bounty was $625. At first few were disposed to take advantage of the offer, but as the winter and spring wore on, a large percentage of those then pres- ent for duty, agreed to try it, as nearly all thought that the war would be over before their present term of enlistment would ex- pire, and they might as well have their furlough and the additional bounty, and by December 30th, thirty-eight men of the One Hun- dred and Sixth Regiment had re-enlisted, and were waiting for the thirty-five days' furlough, and before the middle of March
THE OLD BATTLE FLAG. Now in Flag Case-Capitol, Harrisburg, Pa. Carried through the following Battles : Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Peach Orchard, Savage Station, Glendale, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Flint Hill, Haymarket, Gettysburg, Auburn, Locust Grove and Brandy Station. From Aug. 28, 1861 to Dec. 26, 1863.
New Flag received Dec. 26, 1863, and carried through the following Battles : Wilderness, Po River, Spottsylvania C. H., North Anna, Totopotomoy, Cold Harbor and Petersburg.
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thirty more had concluded to remain in the service, going home in squads as their furloughs were received. On March 20th, Company F, Captain Farr, almost as an entire company, re-enlist- ed, and thirty of them started home on the Ist of April; this made a total of one hundred and four men that re-enlisted out of two hundred and twenty-nine present. On the morning of February 6th, we were awakened about half past 4 o'clock and told to be ready to march at 7; this was somewhat of a surprise to us. At the appointed time we started, and marched to the Rapidan and crossing at Morton's Ford, driving in the pickets of the enemy. Our Brigade being on the advance, formed, and rested ; remained there over night and returned to our camp the next day ; we were not engaged and therefore sustained no loss. This was merely a feint as though threatening an advance to cover some of Butler's movements on the Peninsula. This was the only interruption in our five months' encampment.
On Washington's Birthday, the Corps Officers gave a large full- dress ball, at Corps Headquarters, in a large frame structure about one hundred feet long by fifty feet wide, that was erected from rough pine boards, that had been sawed at an old mill near the camp. The mill was operated, and the building built and decorated by the members of the different regiments whose former occupations were in that line. The inside was beautifully de- corated with the Regimental and Headquarters flags, as well as those from the Batteries and Cavalry. A camp-scene was ar- ranged on an elevated platform with shelter tents, camp utensils, drums and bugles, stacked arms, accoutrements, and two brass Napoleon guns, highly polished. The ball was a compliment to the many ladies, families of the officers, who were in camp, and many more came down from Washington for the occasion. It was a very brilliant affair, to which the handsome dresses of the ladies and the showy uniforms of the officers greatly contributed. No thought was given to the dangers of the past, or those of the near future; but all gave themselves up to the enjoyment of the hour.
The next day the whole Corps was ordered out for review, by General Meade, and the review was witnessed by over one hun- dred of the ladies who were present at the ball, the night before.
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The Corps looked well and did well. Meade may well be proud of "Sumner's Fighting Corps", then commanded by General Han- cock.
On the 24th were again paid.
On the morning of the 28th, orders were received to hold our- selves in readiness to march at daylight the next morning, with three days' rations. This threw the camp into a state of excite- ment ; but it soon subsided, and in the afternoon, held a Division Inspection and Muster. Nothing further was heard of the move the next day, except to muster for pay.
On March the 5th, the Sixty-Ninth Regiment, who had largely re-enlisted, went home on their thirty-five days' furlough.
On Saint Patrick's Day we had extra amusement and enter- tainment by an arranged horse race and hurdle jumping among the officers of the Brigade. Each riding his own horse, the ex- citement and mistakes gave us much pleasure and amusement.
On the 26th, our Brigade received an additional Regiment, the One Hundred and Fifty-Second New York, numbering nearly six hundred men. This was a large acquisition, but they were not Philadelphians, and therefore we could not now be distinctly known as the Philadelphia Brigade, much to our regret. We had also lost our Brigade Commander, General Webb, who had been assigned to the First Brigade; this was a sad loss to us, for we had learned to admire General Webb, and the Brigade was much attached to him ; but war makes many changes, and our regret was somewhat lessened by receiving in his stead our old friend, Gen- eral Owen, who again assumed command of his old Brigade, as. per orders read on dress parade of April 6th, assigning General Gibbon again to the command of the Division and General Owen to the Brigade.
On April 8th, Colonel Morehead, having tendered his resigna- tion, which had been accepted and he discharged, left for home. The men were drawn up in line without arms, and he attempted to address them, but succeeded in saying only a few words, being overcome by his feelings in parting with his men; the men gave him three hearty cheers, and, shaking hands with the officers and some of the men, he left. He had faithfully served in all posi- tions to which his three years' active service had called him, but.
.
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through some technicality or cause that was never made known, he never received the promotion or recognition that that service deserved. Many who were far less competent and did far less service were advanced ; so he returned home with the satisfaction of duty well done, the affections of his men, the respect of his superior officers, and the honors of another war; the separation was mutually regretted; he was subsequently commissioned Brigadier General, but not assigned to any command.
On April 14th, Major John H. Stover was promoted to Colonel of the One Hundred and Eighty-Fourth Pennsylvania, and left to assume command of his regiment, and a few days later, his brother, a private in Company F, was promoted to a Lieutenancy in the same regiment.
Captain John J. Sperry of Company A, was then commissioned Major, but owing to reduced command was never mustered, and never returned to the Regiment from the time he was wounded at Gettysburg until he was mustered out with it, September 10, 1864, in Philadelphia.
On March 10th, President Lincoln assigned Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant to the command of all the Armies of the United States, and toward the first of April he established his head- quarters with the Army of the Potomac ; and on April 22d, he re- viewed the whole Army. It was a grand spectacle; about one hundred thousand men then composed it.
On April 25th, our Division was compelled to witness the ex- ecution of a man named T. R. Dawson, of the Nineteenth Maine Regiment, who was hung for desertion and outraging an old wo- man.
On the Ist of May, our Brigade report showed our strength to be as follows :
Total Present and Absent.
Present.
Officers.
Men.
69 Pennsylvania 342
20
304
71 Pennsylvania 589
I3
303
72 Pennsylvania 631
15
28.1
106 Pennsylvania 429
9
229
152 New York
518
21
370
-
2509
78
I 490
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It was during the reorganization of the army that General Grant, realizing the great advantage of a large and compact cavalry force, issued an order for all the cavalry details as orderlies at Brigade and Division Headquarters to be relieved and sent to their regiments, and that volunteers be called for from the infantry to take their places.
It was then that the writer, long tired of his duties as a drummer boy, and still too small to go into the ranks, saw a chance to assume more active duties, so was one of the first to vol- unteer. In a few days he was ordered to report to Brigade Head- quarters, and took his place in the line with the others who re- ported from the other regiments, to be inspected by the Assistant Adjutant General, and, being the smallest, was on the left of the line, and when he came to him, asked, "where is your gun", replied that he did not have any. "What did you do with it?" Never had any. "What are you?". A drummer. To h-1 with you, go back to your regiment, we don't want any drummers down here". So he returned to his regiment and with tears in his eyes reported to the Adjutant his failure. The Adjutant kindly sympathized with him, and told him he would remember him and give him another chance at the first opportunity. Two days later an order was received for one man to report to Division Headquarters, and the Adjutant, true to his promise, sent the writer to report, and that time he was accepted, no objection being made to his size and was at once given his horse and equip- ments and assigned to duty and for the balance of his term of enlistment served as orderly on the staff of General John Gibbon, and by him three times commended for the manner in which he discharged his duties and finally promoted him to Corporal and placed in charge of all the other orderlies at those headquarters.
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CHAPTER XIX.
THE WILDERNESS.
A BOUT the first of May it became evident that General Grant was about ready to commence his "destruction of Lee's Army". He had now about 100,000 men (99,438) in the Army of the Potomac, including the Cavalry and Artillery, they having been largely reinforced with new regiments, many being relieved from their sinecure positions guarding the fortifications around Washington, their full ranks contrasting greatly with our veteran regiments, some of these regiments having about as many men as one of our entire brigades. Also many recruits were received and distributed in the old regiments. Our Regiment re- ceived seventy-four, assigned to the different companies, as follows: A, 6; B, 5; C, I ; D, 8; E, 1; F, 16; G, 4; H, 26; I, I; K, 6.
The Army of the Potomac was now consolidated into three Corps; the Second, under Major-General W. S. Hancock; the Fifth, under Major-General G. K. Warren, and the Sixth, under Major-General John Sedgwick. All of these officers had at some time commanded our Corps, the Second.
The Third Division of our Corps, lately commanded by General Alexander Hays, was disbanded, six of the regiments being as- signed to the First Division, and six to the Second Division ; and in addition thereto the One Hundred and Fifty-Second New York was assigned to the Second Division and to our Brigade ; and the Third Corps was consolidated into two Divisions, and made the Third and Fourth Divisions of the Second Corps. The Divisions of the Corps were then commanded as follows : First, containing four Brigades, by Brigadier General Francis C. Barlow ; Second, composed of three Brigades, by Brigadier General John Gibbon ; Third, two Brigades, by Major-General D. B. Birney ; and Fourth, two Brigades, by Brigadier General G. Mott. The Brigades of our Division, the Second, were commanded : the First, by Brigad-
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ier General A. S. Webb; the Second, by Brigadier General J. T. Owen; and the Third, by Colonel S. S. Carroll.
General Hancock, our Corps Commander, had long been identi- fied with our Corps as Brigade and Division Commander, and for over a year had command of the Corps. A brave and gallant soldier, a leader in whom the men had the utmost confidence, his bravery inspiring them to deeds of heroism, and his command always found where the fighting was the hottest, and so won for us the name of the "Fighting Corps of the Army of the Potomac". Colonel Banes pays him the following compliment :
The Second Corps. in remaining under the command of General Hancock, had their confidence strengthened by the experience of more than a year that they would be ably led and have every op- portunity to maintain their high renown as one of the Fighting Corps of the Army of the Potomac. There are some officers whose appearance on the battlefield, or at the head of a column, imparts hope and secures the admiration of those serving under them. Hancock not only possessed this influence, but had the prestige that came from past success, and that inspired anticipations of brilliant achievements in the future. During the period the Corps had been under his immediate command, it had never met a surprise from the enemy or lost a gun in action. For a consider- able share of his success General Hancock was indebted to careful attention to details and his habit of demanding prompt obedience to minor orders, as well as those of a more important character. Until these traits were understood and known to be the principles of his military action, the General bore the character among volun- teer officers of a martinet.
We therefore felt that, come what may, we would be well led.
The advance was now to be made, and we, who were to bear no small part in it, soon made ready, and about 10 o'clock on the night of May 3d, we left the camp that had been our home for so many months, the longest time we had remained undisturbed in any one camp. Knowing that some severe fighting and very hard work would have to be done, yet buoyant with the hope that but four months intervened before we should be home once more, if God spared our lives ; it was to be our final campaign, yet many left that camp whose lives were required of them before the time for going home arrived, and they were instead taken to their eternal home ; it was also their final campaign on this earth. Our
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direction was south, towards the Rapidan once more. Our Corps, which constituted the left column, made for Ely's Ford, and the Fifth and Sixth Corps composed the right column, and were to cross at Germania Ford.
At daylight, on the morning of the 4th, we were still continu- ing our march and soon reached Ely's Ford, when we found that the Cavalry, Gregg's Division, had preceded us and crossed, and the engineers were completing the pontoon bridge. As soon as finished, about 9 o'clock, we crossed, the troops on the bridge and the artillery and wagons fording, marched to Chancellorsville, and camped for the night on the old battleground, about a quarter of a mile from the Chancellorsville House. During that day, all along the road could be seen the things thrown away by the men to lighten their loads and make marching more easy; overcoats, dress coats, blankets, cooking utensils, knapsacks, books, old boots and shoes, and many things that had accumulated during our winter camp, and for which there was no immediate use.
At 4 o'clock the next morning, May 5th, we left camp and con- tinued our march southward along the Brock road, the One Hun- dred and Sixth Pennsylvania was on the advance, Companies A and D were thrown forward as an advance guard, and Company H as flankers. Passed Todd's Tavern about 9 o'clock, and had only proceeded about two miles further, when orders were re- ceived to halt. The enemy had intercepted the advance of the right column, under General Warren, and the cavalry on our left had also overtaken the enemy, and was engaged.
General Lee, being more familiar with this tangled wilderness, and knowing that he would have the advantage of us, determined to force a fight there. According to his morning reports, his whole force, including artillery and cavalry, amounted to 61,953, which he could now bring against Grant, and first attack him in the Wilderness. It is fittingly described by Colonel Banes as follows :
The gloomy region of country called the Wilderness, into which over one hundred thousand Union soldiers had entered, is a laby- rinth of forests, in many places filled with tangled underbrush. penetrated by few roads, and these for the most part narrow and easily obstructed. The advantage possessed by an advancing force
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of concealing its movements was more than neutralized by the ease with which the enemy, familiar with the ground, could form am- buscades or direct sudden attacks on columns while marching.
And in this wilderness, instead of waiting an attack, Lee de- termined to make one, so that the advance on our right, under Warren, had not gone very far on the morning of May 5th, before they struck the advancing columns of Lee, and discovered his intentions. He was advancing in two columns along the old Turnpike and Orange Plank roads, which join about two miles from Chancellorsville, the turnpike crossing the road leading from Germania Ford at the Wilderness tavern, and the plank road crossing the Brock road, about two miles further south. It was between these two roads that Warren first encountered the enemy, by throwing out Griffin's Division on his right flank, as he was advancing south, whose skirmishers soon met those of the enemy, and further movement was stopped. Warren withdrew his ad- vance, that had now reached the plank road, and sent them to the support of Griffin. About noon Griffin began the attack, and drove the enemy in confusion for some distance, when they rallied, and receiving heavy reinforcements, forced Warren back, he not receiving the support of that portion of Sedgwick's Corps that was to connect on his right. Getty's Division of Sedgwick's Corps was, in the meantime, sent to hold the ground at the junction of the plank and Brock roads until Hancock's Corps could be brought back.
About II o'clock we received our orders to retrace our steps. Moving rapidly back on the Brock road, we could hear the contest going on; and our leader, knowing the importance of securing the position held by Getty, to prevent our being cut off from the rest of the Army, urged his men forward, and the latter part, our Division, made at double-quick, and with cheers announced to Getty, who was then hotly pressed and hardly able to hold out, our arrival; about 3 o'clock, we were hastily formed on the Brock road, with our right resting near the plank road, and began at once to strengthen our position, forming works of the logs, dead trees and other debris which abounded, which we had scarcely accomplished when Getty's Division advanced; but unable to make any headway, Hancock sent Birney's and Mott's Divisions
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to reinforce him. Subsequently our Brigade was sent to the support of Getty on the plank road, and Carroll's was advanced in the woods to the right of the plank road to support Getty's right, and both soon became engaged. Repeated and fruitless assaults were made and repelled by the enemy from his concealed position, until darkness closed the contest for the night, and both sides, exhausted by the severity of the struggle, lay upon their arms awaiting to renew the struggle with the coming of the day. General Hancock had appointed General Gibbon to command the left wing, consisting of his own and Barlow's Divisions, and General Birney to command the right, consisting of his, Mott's and Getty's Divisions.
As soon as it was daylight of May 6th Hancock opened the battle by advancing Mott's and Birney's Divisions of his Corps and Getty's Division of the Sixth Corps, under General Birney, who connected with Wadsworth's Division of Warren's Corps, on the right, supported by the Brigades of Owen and Carroll; Webb's Brigade having been sent to protect our right and relieve Getty's Division of the Sixth Corps. This advance proved suc- cessful, and after about one hour's hard fighting gradually drove the enemy from their works, and our Brigade pushing them out of the woods, across a large opening, crossing a small stream and swampy ground to the woods beyond, inflicting heavy loss. Gen- eral Humphreys says :
All (meaning Wadsworth's as well as Birney's command) at- tacked the enemy with great vigor, and after a desperate contest the enemy's line was broken at all points, and he was driven in confusion through the forest, suffering severe loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners.
They then made a stand, as the position was a strong one, on elevated ground, and were soon heavily reinforced, and under cover of the woods, opened upon our line a rapid and concentrat- ed fire, also bringing into play two pieces of artillery. Our line staggered under that heavy fire and came near giving way in confusion, but General Owen's prompt action, ably assisted by the Regimental Commanders, reunited the lines, but continued to fall back under cover of the wood and through Getty's Division of the Sixth Corps there stationed, and lost heavily, including the
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commanding officers of the Seventy-First and Seventy-Second Regiments, and General Owen his gallant Assistant Adjutant General, Captain Seabury ; shortly after the firing ceased. Soon after, the troops on our extreme left began to give way, each com- mand in succession falling back, until the whole Corps had re- turned to their works along the Brock road, on which the regi- mental colors were planted, and the men prepared to hold that position. The cause of this sudden change of base was the ad- vance of Longstreet on the left flank concealed from view by the dense woods until they struck Birney's left, and although Han- cock and his Division and Brigade Commanders tried to arrest this retreat, they were powerless until the line reached the works, and all this without any firing.
Soon after the Rebs made their appearance, having quickly re- occupied the ground we had vacated, and finding our line en- trenched, fired a few volleys and then all was quiet for awhile. In the meantime, General Burnside, who had arrived with his Corps from Germania Ford, was ordered to send one of his Divisions to report to General Hancock, and Stevenson's Division reported to him about 9 o'clock and participated in the fight with . Birney. About 4 o'clock the fighting began again, renewed in all its intensity, assaulting our line, and as quickly repulsed with heavy loss; our men, now behind their works, were able to re- taliate for what they received in the morning; soon the woods on our left took fire, which soon reached our works and ran along them, the intense heat compelling our line, Mott's Division, to withdraw; the enemy noticing this, advanced like so many devils through the flames, charging over the burning works upon our retreating lines ; something must be done, and Colonel Carroll was directed by General Gibbon to charge with his Brigade, the sud- denness of which not only checked the rebel advance but started them back, followed by our men over the still burning works far into the woods beyond, in utmost confusion and with heavy loss ; this closed the engagement in our front, and soon after the Battle of the Wilderness was over. General Humphreys says that-
Mott's Division and Ward's Brigade of Birney's Division gave way, retiring in disorder. * * * Anderson's Brigade of Field's Division took possession of that part of the first line of intrench-
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ments and planted their colors there. Colonel Carroll, of Gibbon's Division had his Brigade near at hand, and was ordered by Gen- eral Birney to drive them out, which they did, moving forward at double quick.
This is a slight error, as Colonel Carroll was directed by Gen- eral Gibbon to move forward, who, from his position in the rear of the woods, by sound of the contest, said : "They are driving us"; and turning to one of his staff, Captain Lynch, of the One Hun- dred and Sixth Pennsylvania, said: "Captain, ride forward and take Carroll's Brigade straight in that direction", indicating with his hand the direction of the firing. Captain Lynch communicat- ed his instructions to Colonel Carroll and accompanied him in the advance, and they arrived just in time and saved our line. Gen- eral Hancock's dispatch referring to this says: "Both the attack and counter-attack were of the handsomest kind."
It was almost exclusively an infantry fight, the dense wilder- ness of wood with close underbush, rendered both cavalry and artillery of no use whatever, except that a little artillery was used in the afternoon, and two pieces on the Orange Plank road which did good service, while the cavalry operated far on our left at Todd's Tavern ; our experience here was different from any either before or after; at no time could the lines of the enemy be seen, although but a short distance in front ; their line of fire being the only indication we had of the location of their troops, and their volleys would be the first intimation we had of their nearness, and these volleys would as frequently come on our flank as in our front, and our advancing lines were equally as well protected, until close upon them. General Hancock, speaking of this battle- field, says :
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