USA > Pennsylvania > History of the twenty third Pennsylvania volunteer infantry, Birney's zouaves 1861-1865; comp. by the secretary > Part 22
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Re-dedication of the Twenty-third Pennsyl- vania Monument at Gettysburg, June, 1888
The State of Pennsylvania, having appropriated $1500 for the erection of a monument to each of the commands from the Keystone State that participated in the battle of Gettysburg, the design selected by the Twenty-third was a granite statue of a Birney Zouave, to surmount their monument erected in 1886 at Culp's Hill. Upon this occasion the survivors of Shaler's Brigade and their friends came on special trains to dedicate the monuments of the Twenty-third and Eighty-second Pennsylvania, Sixty-fifth New York, " The Chasseurs", Sixty- seventh New York, "The First Long Island" and One Hundred and Twenty-second New York. The reunion of three days was a most pleasant and happy one, it being the first time the brigade had met since mustered out. The Twenty-third acted as the host, keeping open house, and in honor of the event gave a grand complimentary ball in the Rink Building. At the camp-fire held in the Court House, the brigade committee selected the secretary of the Twenty-third to preside; quite an honor and compliment to the regiment.
On the march out to the dedication grounds, the battle- flags of the regiment were carried by Comrades David Colville, and William H. Bantom, of Philadelphia, and John Moffitt, of Pittsburg, Pa.
The exercises at the dedication opened with music by the McKnightstown Band, followed by the Rev. Dr. H. W. Mc- Knight, President of the Gettysburg College-a veteran of the Sixth Corps-who eloquently delivered a fervent prayer.
Colonel John F. Glenn, of Philadelphia, President of the Survivors' Association, Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, then delivered the following address :
COLONEL JOHN F. GLENN'S ADDRESS.
Comrades of the Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers and Friends of Shaler's Brigade :
" We assemble here to-day to unvail a Statue that surmounts our Monument, that we had the honor to dedicate some two years ago, and it is with feelings of gratification that I extend congratulations to
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الخمج لسا
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SURVIVORS OF TWENTY-THIRD P. V. AT DEDICATION OF MONUMENT AT GETTYSBURG.
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the Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers and Comrades of Shaler's Brigade, for such a large attendance of their survivors on this hallowed ground-and in their name I most heartily thank our friends who have honored the occasion by their presence. To the State of Pennsyl- vania we extend our grateful thanks for the gift which I now unveil, - that of a Birney Zouave-and in saying this I assure the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania of the grati- tude of all the Survivors of the Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volun- teer Infantry."
The Statue was then unveiled amid the applause of the crowd and music of the bands, by the follow- ing ladies : Mrs. Colonel John F. Glenn, Mrs. Colonel William J. Wallace, Miss Emma Wray, (daughter of the Secretary) of Philadelphia, Mrs. Captain James M. Craig, of Allegheny City, and Mrs. John Moffitt, of Pittsburg. JOHN GIBSON, Corporal Co. G. After order was restored, Presi- dent Glenn introduced Comrade William J. Wray, of Philadelphia, Secretary of the Survivors' Association, Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, who presented the Statue to the Battlefield Memorial Association in the following address :
WILLIAM J. WRAY'S ADDRESS.
Mr. Secretary and Members of the Gettysburg
Battlefield Memorial Association:
On August 6, 1886, the Survivors' Association of the Twenty-third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, and their friends, had the honor to dedicate and turn over to the keeping of your Association this Tablet, that marks the position of the Twenty-third during the action of July 3, 1863. On that occasion, General Alexander Shaler, as orator of the day, after reviewing the action at Gettysburg, and history of the Regiment, in most eloquent words, generously paid tribute to the com- mand as its Brigade Commander.
Since that time the State of Pennsylvania having appropriated the sum of $1, 500 to each Pennsylvania command that participated in the action for the erection of monuments, our Association appointed the required committee and selected a design of a Statue to surmount
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their Tablet. The Pennsylvania State Commission on Gettysburg Monuments having approved of our selection, the work was ordered done, and we are here to-day to transfer to the keeping of the Battle- field Memorial Association, this granite work of art, just unveiled-a Statue of a "Birney Zouave." You will observe the figure represents a youthful soldier, who advancing up the slope at trail arms, grasps his musket impulsively, as he sud- denly receives the fire of the enemy. It is quite a departure from the dress parade figure usually cut in granite, and while not regulation as to the position of the musket, it is realistic -thus showing the soldier under fire-and one more appropriate on a battlefield. The surroundings being woodland-the figure is sup- ported by a broken tree, appar- ently struck by a piece of shell- MICHAEL MCCORMICK, Co. A all details as to uniform and accou- trements have been brought artis- tically out,-and in placing this work of art in the keeping of your Association, we deem it a pleasant duty we owe to thank you for the faithful manner in which you have labored for the preservation of this field-and in the name of the Survivors of the Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry we gratefully acknowledge the gift of the State of Pennsylvania which so generously appropriated the funds for its erection.
Secretary John M. Krauth, of Gettysburg, received the Statue on behalf of the Battlefield Memorial Association, in a brief address.
Seventy-five ladies of the Twenty-third, as choristers, than sang the following verses of the National Hymn-"America."
My country ! 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing : Land where my fathers died ! Land of the Pilgrim's pride From every mountain side Let Freedom ring !
My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love ; I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills ; My heart with rapture thrills, Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees Sweet freedom's song :
Let mortal tongues awake ; Let all that breathe partake ; Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong.
Our fathers' God, to Thee, Author of Liberty, To Thee we sing ; Long may our land be bright With Freedom's holy light ; Protect us by Thy might, Great God, our King.
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With music of the band, and everybody joining in the singing, the inspiring melody that went up in the woods, made a scene long to be remembered. Then followed the singing of the "Doxology."
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow ; Praise Him, all creatures here below ;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host ; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Benediction was then pronounced by the Rev. H. W. McKnight. Taps was then sounded on the bugle by Bugler Blanck, of Philadelphia.
GENERAL SHALER'S ORATION.
Comrades of the Old Brigade,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We meet to-day upon historic grounds. Some of us have met here before. Twenty-five years ago, within a few days, two great armies confronted each other in this vicinity. One in defense of State Rights, the other in defense of United States Rights. One assaulted the Union, the other defended it.
I shall not attempt to describe, in full, the great battle which en- sued, relate the causes which led to it, nor discuss the effect upon the country of the resulting victory of the Union Army ; but content my- self with a brief synopsis of the part taken in this and other battles by that portion of the Sixth Corps in which we had the honor of serving.
Let us go back to the autumn of 1861. The "tocsin of war had sounded." The cry to arms had reverberated throughout the land. Fathers, husbands, brothers and sons turned their backs upon their · children, their wives, their parents and all that was dearest to them on earth, and rushed impulsively to PATRICK HICKEY, Co. F. the defense of the Union. To show how spontaneous and how general this outburst of patriotism was, it may be stated, that between July 27, 1861, and October 27, (a period of three months) there were added to the army, than organizing, about 120,000 men ; and that in December following, there were in the vicin- ity of Washington, and in the Shenandoah Valley, over 200,000 men in battle array.
المح صل
LADY FRIENDS AT DEDICATION OF TWENTY-THIRD P. V. MONUMENT, GETTYSBURG.
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Washington and its suburbs was one grand encampment. Troops from every loyal State were being marshalled and prepared for active service. General George B. McClellan, whom we familiarly called "Little Mac," owing to his success in West Virginia, in the summer of 1861, had been called to Washington to organize and command an army for the double purpose of defending the Capital and of taking the field. As regiment after regiment arrived, they were organized into brigades and divisions without much reference to the States from which they came, and were encamped contiguous to each other. At Queen's farm, on the Bladensburg road, just on the outskirts of the city, the Twenty-third Pennsylvania, Colonel Birney ; the Thirty-first Pennsyl- vania, which afterwards became the Eighty-second Pennsylvania, Col- onel Williams ; the Sixty-fifth New York, Colonel Cochrane, and the Sixty-seventh New York, Colonel Adams, were encamped and formed what was known as Graham's Brig- ade, under the command of Briga- dier-General Pike Graham, an of- ficer formerly of the United States Cavalry service. This Brigade formed a part of the Division com- manded by General Don Carlos Buell.
As early as October, 1861, the organization of the army was practically completed, and from that time until April, 1862, when the Peninsula campaign was begun, were drilled and schooled in the practices of war. The monotonous routine of camp life was varied only by an occasional wild rumor of ap- proaching rebels, and a reconnais- sance of the surrounding country.
ELIAS LOMAX, Co. I.
With the exception of a skirmish at Lewinsville, Virginia, just be- yond Chain Bridge, in which a part of the Brigade (the Chasseur regi- ment ) was engaged, the troops had so far experienced only the drudg- ery and the jollities of camp life. But this was ended in the spring of 1862, by the cry of "On to Richmond," when our Brigade, with the rest of the army, took transports at Alexandria, for Fortress Monroe. In the meantime the Sixty-first Pennsylvania, Colonel Rippey, had joined us.
The campaign was begun with three Corps of the army, to wit :- the Second, commanded by General Sumner ; the Third, commanded by General Heintzelman, and the Fourth, commanded by General
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Keyes. Couch's Division, to which we were attached, belonged to Keyes' Corps. Our advance up the Peninsula was slow and tedious, although no enemy was seen until we reached Yorktown. Pending the siege of that place we were occupied in watching Warwick River. The battle of Williamsburg followed the evacuation of Yorktown, and our Brigade, after marching all day through a drizzling rain and mud ankle-deep, reached the battle- field in time to support some of Hooker's troops in making their final charge.
Before we had advanced far enough from Fortress Monroe to see the enemy, General Graham was relieved from duty and Gen- eral Wessels, also of the regular army, put in command of the Brigade. General Wessels was in a short time succeeded by an- JAMES J. BOLESTRIDGE, Co. K. other regular officer, General Abercrombie, who was with us at Fair Oaks, and retained the command until after the second battle of Bull Run, fought by General Pope.
We crossed the Chickahominy at Bottom's Bridge about the 25th of May, and advanced within five miles of Richmond, where, at Seven Pines and Fair Oaks, on the 31st of May, was fought the first import- ant and severe battle of the campaign. In this battle the regiments of our Brigade were separated. We were encamped along the Nine Mile Road, extending from Seven Pines, on the Williamsburg Pike, to Fair Oaks Station on the Richmond and York Railroad.
Owing to the suddenness of the enemy's attack, the Twenty-third Pennsylvania and the Sixty-seventh New York, were thrown forward, while marching towards Fair Oaks on the Nine Mile road, into a dense pine grove on the left, through which the enemy was advancing. They succeeded, with the Thirty-first Pennsylvania and the Sixty-first Penn- sylvania, already in line, in checking that advance, but were subse- quently forced to retire with very heavy losses. In this onslaught the Sixty-first Pennsylvania lost its Colonel (Rippey) and was badly cut up. Their resolute stand, however, enabled the rest of the Brigade to reach Fair Oaks Station, where, after holding position a short time, the Thirty-first Pennsylvania and the Sixty-first Pennsylvania having previously taken position in advance of their camps near the railroad station, they were withdrawn under the personal supervision of General
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Couch, the division commander, with a section of Brady's Battery, the Sixty-third New York, Colonel Riker, and the Seventh Massachusetts, Colonel Devens, along the road leading to the Grape Vine Bridge, as far as the Adams House.
The Thirty-first Pennsylvania, the Sixty-fifth New York, and two companies of the Sixty-first Pennsylvania, which had been on the picket line, were posted in the order named on the right of the road facing and on the edge of a dense woods ; while the Sixty-second New York, Brady's guns, and the Seventh Massachusetts were posted in the order named on the left of the road, on a knoll overlooking an open field and flanking the woods along which the first-named regi- ments had been formed.
The enemy's advance through the piece of woods was resolute and persistent. Regiment after regiment was brought forward to drive us back and get on the flank of Brady's guns, but without avail. The dogged tenacity with which the men of the Thirty-first Pennsylvania, the Chasseurs and the Sixty-first Pennsylvania clung to their position, outmatched the fierceness of the enemy's assault.
Despairing of success in their efforts to flank the artillery, the enemy essayed a direct attack, but with no better success, although a few dead rebels were found within twenty yards of the muzzles of the guns. This attack was made about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and so sudden that the Brigade Com- mander, General Abercrombie, was caught in the woods between the lines and received a slight wound in the face. Between 4 and 5 o'clock, the leading Brigade of Sedgwick's . Division and Kirby's Battery of twelve-pounders, which had crossed the Chickahominy on the Grape Vine Bridge, arrived on the field.
The infantry were posted on the right and in the rear of our line, and the artillery on the knoll beside Brady's two guns. Other infantry were put in position on the left of the artillery, and connection made JOHN MAXWELL, Captain Co. G. with the troops which had been forced back by the impetuosity of the assault. Fresh troops were ad- vanced by the enemy and the battle raged until dark, but not an inch of ground was yielded. The conduct of our men in this battle furn- ishes an example of the benefits derived from proper instruction and
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rigid discipline. Under guidance of their officers, they reserved their fire until the enemy could be seen through the thicket in front of them. As a result, a large proportion of the shots were effective. The Chasseur regiment captured a battle flag and the next morning buried over one hundred rebels found in their front.
The following day the Brigade was again united and moved to an advanced position. On the 26th of June the extreme right of our army at Mechanicsville was attacked by the rebels in force, and from that time until July Ist, when the battle of Malvern Hill was fought, we ex- perienced all the trials and suffer- ings incident to a forced march of six days, without sleep, shelter or regular food. At Malvern Hill, our Division having been among the first to arrive was naturally assigned the most important position. There BROTHERS ROBERT AND WASHINGTON ELLIOTT, several times it was assailed by the Co. C.
rebels, who were repulsed with fear- ful loss. On the right of the line, held by Couch's Division, the Chasseur regiment was at one time compelled to change front under fire, and did it with such wonderful coolness and precision as to com- mand the admiration and the compliments of the Brigade commander.
The six weeks' encampment of the Army of the Potomac at Harri- son's Landing, on the James River, its transfer to the City of Wash- ington, the part it took in supporting Pope's army in the second battle of Bull Run, and its subsequent reorganization by General McClellan, furnish nothing of special note in reference to our Brigade, except that General John Cochrane, who had been promoted from the Colonelcy of the Chasseur regiment after the battle of Fair Oaks, was put in com- mand of our Brigade in the place of General Abercrombie, who had been assigned to duty at Centreville, after Pope's campaign, and Couch's Division was transferred to the Sixth Corps, then commanded by Gen- eral Franklin.
In the reorganization of the army, early in September, while on the march, the One-hundred and twenty-second New York regiment, Colonel Silas Titus, was added to our Brigade, and we became the First Brigade, Third Division, Sixth Corps.
After the defeat of Pope, at Manassas, Lee boldly struck out north- ward, in the direction of Leesburg, necessitating great caution on the
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part of McClellan, who had been again verbally placed in command of the troops about Washington, embracing those designated as the Army of Virginia.
The battlefield of Antietam was reached by our Brigade early in the afternoon of the 17th of September, after a tramp through Pleasant Valley and up to the top of Maryland Heights, in search of the rebel General McLaws, on one of the hottest days and over the dustiest road we had ever marched. At Antietam we relieved that part of the line to the right of a corn-field and immediately in front of Dunker Church. This line we occupied until the morning of the 19th, when our Divis- ion was put in pursuit of the fleeing rebels, the rear guard of which we had a fight with, and drove across the river at Williamsport.
McClellan's tardiness after the battle of Antietam caused much uneasiness and great dissatisfaction with the authorities at Washington, and resulted in his being relieved at Warrenton, and General Burnside being placed in command of the Army of the Potomac on the 9th of November, 1862.
Upon the reorganization of the army which followed, General Couch was assigned to the command of the Second Corps and General John Newton was put in command of the Third Division, Sixth Corps.
In the calamitous failure of Burnside's attack on Fredericksburg, December 13th to the 15th, the Sixth Corps, then in command of Gen- eral W. F. Smith, popularly known as "Baldy Smith," formed a part of the Left Grand Division, commanded by General Franklin.
We crossed the Rappahannock about three miles below the city, near the Bernard House, and supported General Meade in his attack upon the enemy's right, without serious loss, although constantly under a heavy artil- lery fire. On the 20th of Jan- uary following, General Burnside considered that "the auspicious moment had arrived" and issued his orders for recrossing the Rap- pahannock at Banks' Ford. No sooner had the troops broken camp than the rain commenced to fall in torrents, and, after TALKING IT OVER. floundering around a whole day, they returned to camp at night, having added nothing to our prestige or that of the commanding Gen- eral, and nothing to history, except the record of a "mud march."
General Burnside's retirement from the command of the army soon followed, and General Hooker, already known as "Fighting Joe" for
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his gallant and persistent assaults upon the rebel earthworks at Wil- liamsburg, on the Peninsula, and at South Mountain and Antietam, superseded him. Then followed another reorganization of the army, in which the Sixty-first Pennsylvania was taken from our Brigade and made a part of the Light Brigade, organized for special purposes.
The resignation of General Cochrane, on the Ist of March, 1863, placed the speaker in command of the Brigade. General Hooker's first field operation was an effort to crush the Army of Northern Virginia at Chancellorsville.
It was part of his plan to have Sedgwick, who now commanded the Sixth Corps, assault and carry the Heights of Fredericksburg, move out on the road to Chancellorsville, and strike the rear of Lee's army while he, Hooker, engaged it in front. For that purpose the Sixth Corps crossed the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg, near the old Franklin crossing, on April 29th, and on the night of Saturday, May 2d, at I A. M., commenced a flank march into Fredericksburg.
Our-Brigade was honored with the advance and instructed to let nothing impede the march through the town, over the heights and out on the Chan- cellorsville road ; an easy order for a General to give, but not easy of execu- tion, in the presence of a wide awake enemy, holding earthworks across your path, an effort to take which had JESSE CORNELL, Co. K. already cost 15,000 lives. After driving in the outposts, in which the Chasseur regiment, under the lamented Hamblin, showed conspicuous gallantry, losing many men and leaving Major Healy on the ground mortally wounded, as was supposed, we continued our march until the enemy's line of defences at the foot of Marye's Heights was encountered, when, by order of the Division commander, the head of the column entered the city, leaving one of our regiments, the Twenty-third Pennsylvania, de- ployed in the open field facing the never-to-be-forgotten stone wall. When daylight appeared the men of the Twenty-third found themselves exposed to the enemy's fire, and for five long hours, without an oppor- tunity to even make a cup of coffee, they maintained this harassing position. About 10o'clock Sunday morning the columns and deployed lines were formed by General Newton for storming the heights. The column on the extreme right was composed of the Sixty-first Pennsyl- vania and Forty-third New York, of the Light Brigade, under the command of Colonel Spear, and was supported by the Eighty-second
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Pennsylvania and the Sixty-seventh New York, of our Brigade, under command of the speaker. The Twenty-third Pennsylvania formed a part of the deployed line on the left of the second column of attack. The Chasseur regiment and the One hundred and twenty-second New York were directed to follow with the rest of our Division and join the Brigade after the heights had been carried.
Upon the opening of Newton's batteries both columns debouched from under cover, and the deployed lines advanced to the assault. Spear's column on the right was enfiladed by batteries stationed in the road at the top of the hill and in the works on each side of the road ; rifle pits at the base of the hill also confronted him. The column moved out on the double quick, but the road was narrow and before the col- umn had passed over half the distance it was literally swept away by the iron hail showered upon it. Colonel Spear fell mortally wounded. Major Bassett, with the Eighty-sec- ond Pennsylvania, found himself at the head of the column, and strug- gled manfully to carry his men for- ward, and finally, encouraged by the presence of their Brigade Com- mander with his two aides, Lieuten- ants Armstrong and Johnson, rushed forward with the Sixty-seventh New York and carried the heights, cap- turing two pieces of the Washington battery of artillery, one officer and a number of men. The Twenty- third Pennsylvania, in deployed line, with the Fifth Wisconsin, Sixth Maine and Thirty-first New York, moved gallantly to the charge. An EDWIN PALMER. Captain Co. D. eye witness belonging to the Sec- ond Division, in speaking of this line, says, "Four more gallant regiments could not be found in the service. Leaving everything but guns and ammunition they started forward, encountering a shower of bullets, grape and canister, as soon as they rose above a slight knoll. It was a noble spectacle and filled our hearts with pride for our brave comrades."
The Brigade was subsequently united and marched out on the road to Chancellorsville. The enemy's occupation of Salem Heights stop- ped our advance, and in the battle which ensued we took position in an open field to the right of the road, which was held until the evening of the fourth, when the whole Corps recrossed the Rappahannock at Banks' Ford and returned to our old camps. Throughout this short
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