USA > Pennsylvania > History of the One hundred & sixth regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, 2d brigade, 2d division, 2d corps, 1861-1865 > Part 6
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During the night, the Seventy-First Pennsylvania and First Cali- fornia, of this Division, with the Nineteenth Massachusetts, Sixty- Third and Forty-Second New York were ordered back towards the Chickahominy, to hold the line of communication and protect the ammunition and artillery, nearly all of which was mired on the south side of the river.
The Seventy-First Pennsylvania and the First California are the same, and they were not taken back that night; but, as will be seen, General Burns only took the Seventy-Second back.
That night, between 12 and I o'clock, General Burns was order- ed by General Sumner to take two regiments and return to the bridge to cover the crossing of the artillery. While en route they came upon the enemy's pickets in an open field to the left,
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which proved to be an attempt of the enemy to gain Sumner's rear and capture or destroy the bridge across the Chickahominy. General Burns halted and immediately threw out skirmishers and drove them back, until he got a secure lodgment for the Sixty- Ninth Regiment, which was left there until morning, and took the Seventy-Second back to the Trent House overlooking the bridge. At daylight the next morning, June Ist, General Burns advanced the Sixty-Ninth Regiment up to Gouldey's house and established his picket line beyond, and on returning to the Trent House, met General McClellan, who had just crossed the bridge (the Grape- vine), and rode back with him to the position to which he had ad- vanced the Sixty-Ninth Regiment on Gouldey's farm. General McClellan pronounced it the key to the position, and directed him to take possession with his brigade and a battery of artillery. General Burns immediately sent orders for the rest of the bri- gade to assemble there, and the Seventy-First, and our regiment were withdrawn from the support of Kirby's Battery, and the Seventy-Second from the Trent House, and placed in position alongside of the Sixty-Ninth.
The fight was resumed that morning, but not with much vigor, Richardson's Division being about all that was engaged, and by noon all was quiet and the battle of Fair Oaks or "Seven Pines", as the Confederates called it, was ended.
During the day Adjutant Pleis asked Captain Ford to take a walk with him over the field. They had not gone far when the Adjutant said, "I cannot stand this ; it makes me sick to see such terrible sights ;" for they beheld the dead lying thick, piled on top of each other just as they had fallen, all mangled and torn-de- composition already taking place-the groans of the dying and the wounded, who had not yet been removed, were agonizing to hear; so he turned back, but the captain continued on and soon came upon an old man, sitting up, leaning against a tree, and across his lap lay a young lad, whose fine features, pale face and light waving hair would very readily be taken for those of a young girl. Addressing the old man, the captain inquired his regiment : "Hampton Legion", he replied ; to a question as to where he was wounded he replied by unbuttoning his coat with his left hand and displaying an ugly wound in the right arm. The Captain then
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asked the lad what regiment he belonged to, and he replied, "Hampton Legion". "Then you know each other?" "Yes, he's my boy", said the old man, "he fell badly wounded in the leg, and I went to help him and was wounded myself. I have tied it up as well as I could in my crippled condition. We have both lost so much blood I am afraid we cannot stand it much longer". Captain Ford asked him if he had not received any attention yet, he said "No", and then told how he had dragged his boy to the tree, taken off his own shirt, torn it into strips, tied up the wounds as well as he could and then sat down, taking the boy's head on his lap; had remained there waiting to be taken to the hospital. The captain explained that we had our own wounded to look after first, and as soon as possible he would receive at- tention. He then made his way back to the hospital and related the circumstances to our surgeon. Dr. Dwinelle, and asked for some whiskey to take to them. The doctor gave directions to the steward, who filled a tin cup about half full of brandy ; he then went to the pump to get some water. Here a guard was placed to prevent anyone, except the surgeons or nurses, taking any water, who refused to let even the Captain have any. Captain Ford said, "I want this for a rebel; for a father and son lying out in the woods, both badly wounded and, perhaps, dying". The guard immediately filled the cup; and accompanied by a nurse, whom Dr. Dwinelle had directed to go with him, with some bandages to dress their wounds, the Captain returned to the woods; raising the boy he gave him about half and the old man the balance, who thanked him and said, "Captain, you have saved our lives. I did not think a Yankee would be so kind". The nurse then dressed their wounds and left them far more com- fortable. This is but one of the many cases that could be told where our men, at great inconvenience to themselves, promptly rendered assistance and comfort to those of the enemy, when wounded, sick or hungry; even the guard, who had repeatedly refused our own men water, who were able to go elsewhere and get it, when told it was for a wounded rebel, freely gave it.
Our loss was very light indeed considering our position, yet enough to cause sadness. Companies A and B, being on detach- ed service at White House, were not engaged. Captain Achuff,
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Albert Conklin, Co. D. Daniel Fitzpatrick, Co. D.
Charles Hickok, Co. C. W. W. Smith, Co. C. Newton Hickok, Co. C. THE COURTNEY HOUSE. Used as General Hospital at Fair Oaks, Va. 1862.
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of Company E, was badly wounded in the leg. Private William D. Polen, of Company D, and Musician Fred. L. Waugh, of Com- pany C, were killed, and the following wounded: Sergeants Sloanaker, of Company C, and Witter, of Company I, and Pri- vates Seaman, of Company C, Holcomb, of Company D, and Reed, of Company H, wounded.
The field presented a mournful sight ; the dead were lying un- buried, the hot weather causing them to quickly decompose, im- pregnating the air with their foul odors. Details were made to hurriedly bury them in trenches.
The wounded were gathered into the temporary hospitals, which we had established at Courtney's House, with little con- veniences for the relief of their sufferings, yet all was done that could be done for them. Chaplain Harris, of the One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania, was appointed Quartermaster, and had charge of the rations for the wounded. The greatest difficulty was to procure meat for them: the condition of the roads and bridges made its transportation very difficult ; it was absolutely necessary that some should be had for soup at once, and, none other being at hand, a young horse. belonging to General How- ard, who had been wounded, was killed and soup made of its meat, and found to answer the purpose, being greatly relished by the poor men, who little thought it was horse meat. As fast as the wounded had received attention, and were in condition to be moved, they were sent by cars to White House, thence by transports to Northern hospitals.
General Howard was among those wounded in this engagement and .lost his right arm ; and, it is said, as he was being carried to the rear, he met General Kearney, who had lost his left arm in Mexico, and said to him: "Kearney, when you go to buy a pair of gloves I will go with you, and between us we can take a pair".
General Burns in his official report said: "I am entirely satis- fied with the conduct of my brigade. It has been christened under fire, and will do what is required of it".
The official report of the loss to our army is 890 killed. 3.627 wounded and 1,222 missing, making a total of 5,732. That of the enemy must certainly have been much greater, but they only acknowledge 4,283 in killed, wounded and missing.
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On the evening of the 2d, the One Hundred and Sixth and Seventy-First were moved rapidly to the left to support Hooker's Division, who anticipated an attack, which, however, was not made, but we remained there. During the night a heavy rain storm set in, completely drenching us; the next morning we were moved back to our Division, passing through low, swampy ground that bore evidence of the severe struggle of May 31st, the dead, in large numbers, still lying unburied or only partially buried, now terribly disfigured and rapidly decomposing with the heat; the sickening odor making it almost unbearable, clinging to our wet clothes and even tainting the food in our haversacks.
That day, June 3d, General Burns was ordered to feel the enemy at Old Tavern and cover the crossing of our troops in front of Porter's position, for which purpose the engineers had been sent on to throw up works. On the 6th was relieved by General Baldy Smith. Arriving there General Sumner ordered him to clear the woods in front of his line, which he succeeded in doing, capturing their rifle pits, but our pickets were driven from the pits the next morning by the enemy's artillery ; but we re- took them at night only to leave them the following morning and again occupy them at night, and so on for the whole time, twenty- eight days, that we remained there, when we returned to our posi- tion on the right of Richardson, the First Division of our Corps at the edge of Garrett's farm, our right extending towards the Chickahominy.
On Sunday, June 8th, while advancing the picket line to straight- en its irregular shape, the enemy made an attack and partially flanked our line, and poured an enfilading fire upon us, our, line being formed by two companies from the Seventy-First, one from the Sixty-Ninth and two from the One Hundred and Sixth Regi- . ments, and each sustained loss. Of our Regiment, Captain Mar- tin Frost and Private William W. Fairchilds of Company K, were killed, and a number of men wounded, and Lieutenant Marine C. Moore, of the Seventy-First, and Lieutenant Moran, of the Sixty-Ninth, were also killed.
On the following night, while Lieutenant-Colonel William L. Curry, of the One Hundred and Sixth, was visiting the pickets towards dawn, he got outside of the lines, was surprised and cap-
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tured. The pickets at that point had fallen back during the night without his knowledge, and in going from one point to another he was outside the lines, and, before he knew it, was in the enemy's hands; he was taken to Richmond, thence via Petersburg to Salisbury, where, in company with General Michael Corcoran and Colonel John K. Murphy, he experienced some very harsh treat- ment, and, in about three months, was released and rejoined the Regiment. Companies A and B, with Major Stover, were reliev- ed from their duty at White House and rejoined the Regiment.
On the 12th we were paid off.
The duty here performed by the Regiment, for about four weeks, was similar to that before Yorktown, only far more hazard- ous. In our front lay a dense wood of irregular shape, extend- ing, in part, into the enemy's lines ; in another part our picket line extended to its edge, about half-a-mile in advance of our line of works hastily thrown up of logs and earth; the trees for a con- siderable distance in front were cut down, their tops towards the enemy. During our whole stay there it may be said that we slept on our arms, as no day or night passed that we were not hastily summoned into line by an attack on our pickets or an unusual heavy firing in front, sometimes brought on by the sharpshooters, who concealed themselves in the trees or hastily constructed am- bushes, to pick off any one who came within range, and their fire, at times, was so deadly that sorties would be made to drive them from shelter. As these shelters were generally taken be- fore daylight, once driven from them there was rest until the next day. The balloon was here again brought into requisition, and ascents made every day to spy out the enemy's position and move- ments. The same trouble as to drinking water continued; sick- ness to an alarming extent prevailed, grog or commissary was again regularly issued, and those who never before took it stood now beside those who were accustomed to its taste, and regularly took their rations.
Early in the morning of June 12th, about I o'clock, while called under arms by an attack of the pickets, we witnessed a total eclipse of the moon ; we remained in line until it had all passed.
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CHAPTER VIII.
THE SEVEN DAYS' FIGHT.
T OWARDS the latter part of June it became evident that some extensive movement was contemplated. It seemed to per- vade all hands, although no extraordinary preparations had been made, and rumor after rumor circulated as to what movement was in contemplation. It was soon known that the enemy was massing on our right and threatening that flank.
On June 25th, General McClellan began his advance on Rich- mond, and our left was advanced to see if the enemy was still in force there, and soon brought on a very heavy engagement, which involved part of Heintzelman's Corps, Richardson's Division of our Corps and a brigade of Keyes' Corps; they found a strong force of the enemy still there. We drove in their first line and established a new picket line within four miles of Richmond. This was called the battle of Oak Grove, and was the nearest General McClellan ever got to Richmond. Late in the afternoon General McClellan rode past and was cheered along the whole line; this brought on very heavy firing in our front, the enemy advancing to endeavor to ascertain the cause of the cheering. Our artillery opened, it was taken up along the whole line, and became very heavy on the extreme right.
The next day, 26th, heavy and continuous firing was heard on the right and was kept up all day, telling us that long and continu- ous fighting was going on, and towards evening we were ordered in line, without arms, and orders read announcing a victory of McCall over Jackson, at Mechanicsville, which was received with cheers.
This was the beginning of a series of engagements that took place during McClellan's change of base to the James River, known as "The Seven Days' Fight". Whether the enemy were aware of his intention to assault Richmond, and made this move-
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ment to counteract it, or had determined on a bold strike of their own, was not then known; but as they pressed forward with the combined forces of Longstreet, Jackson and the two Hills, and repeatedly attack our forces at every available point, we then knew that they planned the attack to force McClellan back.
They first began their attack on General Stoneman's Cavalry Division at Mechanicsville, drove him back and then upon Mc- Call's Division, who held them in check for over four hours, de- feating them at every point, inflicting heavy loss and finally drove them from the field, General Porter coming to his assistance with part of his Corps.
On the 27th, the whole force of the enemy was thrown upon General Porter who repulsed each assault, and throughout the whole day kept the enemy at bay, fighting against fearful odds, but just before dark they broke through his line and threatened disastrous results, when Meagher's and French's Brigades of Sumner's Corps arrived and restored his line, and ended the Battle of Gaines' Mills, and convinced McClellan that it was necessary for him to make the retrograde movement towards the James River, and General Porter was ordered to retreat after repulsing spirited charges and manfully holding their ground, until finally outflanked and compelled to retire leaving McCall's Division covering the rear, and compelled to leave behind twenty-six guns and many small arms. They succeeded in carrying off nearly all the dead and wounded, spiking nearly all the guns, burning the commissary and quartermaster stores, camp equipage, and breaking up the wagons. We could distinctly hear the heavy cannonading on the right from our position.
On that same day, June 27th, they made a furious attack on the pickets in our immediate front, trying to break through our line evidently to see if we had been withdrawn and sent to rein- force the right ; several additional companies went to the assist- ance of our picket line, and our batteries opened with such good effect that the enemy was soon sent back behind his works.
On the morning of June 28th, orders were received to prepare to move. Quartermasters began to send all extra clothing and spare supplies to the rear while the wagons belonging to the trains were loaded with rations and ammunition and sent on ahead.
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Hospitals were broken up, and the wounded and sick were trans- ferred to Savage Station. Surgeons and their stewards busied themselves preparing medical stores for the ambulances, then pre- paring for the serious work that seemed indicated, but soon the orders were countermanded ; in the afternoon, however, they were again issued, not only to pack up but to destroy all that could not be carried. Quantities of supplies, provisions and clothing were destroyed, barrels of meat, boxes of crackers were broken open and their contents destroyed, new clothing given promiscuously to the men, who put them on and destroyed their old ones by cutting and tearing them to pieces and with axes cut up iron kettles, canteens, cups, tents, tent poles and muskets ; everything that we thought would be of any possible use to the enemy was destroyed, and by evening everything was packed, the wagons all loaded and sent to the rear. As soon as darkness shielded us from the enemy's view, tents were struck, and with knapsacks packed and haversacks well filled all were ready for instant move. Arms were stacked and in line we rested, awaiting orders, yet no orders came; the enemy suspected some movement was on foot and again made an attack on the pickets, only to find our boys there and ready.
During these preparations, a new battery of rifled guns, com- manded by Captain Franks, reported to General Burns, who plac- ed it in position to strengthen our defences. When it had an opportunity to work it was so well handled that it became quite a favorite subsequently with the men. A shot made by Captain Franks with one of these guns while stationed with the brigade was equal to the best sharpshooting practice: a scout of the enemy, anxious to ascertain why our men were cheering and what the Yankees were doing, ascended a tree about one mile distant to take observations-a cannon was sighted at the lookout, and the third shot carried away the poor fellow and his shelter.
General Alexander S. Webb, in his "Peninsula", writes :-
Thus suddenly. the Army of the Potomac, which was actually pressing towards Richmond, as shown by the affair at Oak Grove on the 25th, found itself thrown again upon the defensive, in the midst of its offensive operations, by Jackson's preconcerted and timely reinforcement of Lee.
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Further on he says :
Jackson with an overwhelming force was nearby, and that with Longstreet and the two Hills he was about to make an effort to destroy the Army of the Potomac.
Their entire force was thrown against Porter's single Corps at Gaines' Mills and repulsed each time, lasting from about 10 o'clock until dark. Webb adds:
So far no impression had been made in the stubborn line. Hard pushed as our men had been since noon, there had not been a sign of wavering at any point.
Webb puts Porter's entire command at 17,330 infantry, 2,534 artillery and 671 cavalry, a total of 20,535, and the combined forces of the enemy at 55,000. Continuing, he says :
General McClellan had fought an army with one corps; yet so stubborn had been the resistance of that corps that Lee and Jackson both believed, and so reported to Richmond, that they had en- countered the bulk of Mcclellan's force.
Just before daylight on the morning of June 29th, after sleeping under arms all night, we were told to put up our tents, that at . daylight the enemy might not see that we contemplated moving. But, while working at them, General Burns rode along and gave orders to be ready to move at once, and just after daylight we were once more in line and ready to march, backward instead of forward, and gave up our position at the edge of Garnett's farm about five miles from Richmond, and we never got that near again. We pushed on to Peach Orchard, about three miles in the rear, and formed in line of battle on each side of the railroad on Allen's farm. We were now the rear guard, and were told to hold the enemy in check until the whole army could cross White Oak Swamp. Our pickets were quietly withdrawn just before daylight and all safely rejoined their regiments.
About 8 o'clock, the enemy, having discovered our retreat, rapidly advanced until they struck our line. The Seventy-First Pennsylvania, under Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. Jones, which had been ordered back by General Sumner to occupy the former camp, was advancing for that purpose, when they found our deserted
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works already occupied by the enemy, who at once attacked them in front, while another column, moving down the railroad, threat- ened their left flank. Jones fell back in good order to a better position on the left of the railroad, just back of Allen's house, and joined the Fifty-Third Pennsylvania, under Colonel Brooke, fighting all the way, losing nearly one hundred killed and wound- ed, and awaited their attack. They were not kept waiting long, but were furiously assaulted; but they held their ground against heavy odds, until reinforcements to the enemy compelled them to retire. General Burns was sent forward to take command of the front line, and shortly afterwards withdrew it to the position occupied by the brigade, and, as soon as the enemy appeared at the edge of the wood following them up, Pettit's and Hazzard's Batteries opened with such good effect as to compel them to retire, although they made several attempts to dislodge us, and after about an hour's contest the battle of Peach Orchard ended. Our Regiment was stationed on the left of the railroad, support- ing Kirby's Battery, and was subjected to a severe fire of shot and shell.
General Webb calls this fight the "Battle of Allen's Farm", and says that it was fought principally by the Thirty-Seventh Penn- sylvania, under Colonel Brooke, that occupied a log house in front of Richardson's Division, as follows :
Their principal efforts being directed against the position held by Colonel Brooke, who, reinforced by the Seventy-First New York, of Sedgwick's Division, held his own.
This is an error, as there was neither any Thirty-Seventh Penn- sylvania or Seventy-First New York there, nor does either of these Regiments appear in McClellan's official roster ; but there was a Thirty-Seventh New York and a Seventy-First Pennsyl- vania, and there was also a Fifty-Seventh Pennsylvania, but as Colonel Brooke commanded the Fifty-Third Pennsylvania, we infer that that is the regiment General Webb referred to, but that the principal, if not nearly all, fighting was done by the Seventy- First Pennsylvania, instead of Colonel Brooke's Regiment, is shown by their heavy loss-losing ninety-six in killed and wound- ed. General Burns, our Brigade Commander, recognizing this, makes special mention of it in his report as follows :
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The Seventy-First, under its gallant young lieutenant-colonel, won high encomiums from the corps commander, who knows what fighting means.
And has since corroborated the above in a private letter to the writer as follows:
When General Sumner arrived at Peach Orchard it was found that we were in advance of General Mcclellan's preparations for crossing White Oak Swamp, the stores at Savage Station had not been destroyed, so he directed the camps of Sedgwick and Rich- ardson's Division to be reoccupied, and one regiment was sent from each division; the Seventy-First Pennsylvania, Colonel Jones was selected from my brigade. Colonel Jones met the enemy be- fore reaching our camp and captured three prisoners, and gradually retreated before his advance, checking him as much as possible. The regiment from Richardson's Division retired precipitately, leaving Colonel Jones' flank exposed; but the batteries of that division, however, checked their advance, and Colonel Jones made good his retreat. General Sedgwick directed me to go to the edge of the wood in front and cover the movement of the Seventy-First Pennsylvania by advancing their skirmishers, with orders to take command of the front line. I found Colonel Brooke, of General Smith's Division, behind a house, some hundred yards behind the edge of the woods. I directed him to advance his regiment, which he declined to do, saying that he had been placed by his command- ing officer behind the house. I informed him I had been placed in command of the front line, and his position was within the limits of my command and he must obey my orders promptly. He then advanced, and the Seventy-First came in behind his line and form- ed on his left. The enemy were repulsed principally by the artil- lery, but when we were ordered to retire to Savage Station, follow- ed close, nearly intercepting the Seventy-Second Pennsylvania, my rear. General Webb is mistaken in reporting that Colonel Brooke repulsed the enemy; it was the effect of Colonel Jones' slow retreat and frequent stands, together with the artillery fire on the left and the skirmishing in the woods.
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