USA > Pennsylvania > History of the twenty third Pennsylvania volunteer infantry, Birney's zouaves 1861-1865; comp. by the secretary > Part 3
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PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
not want to bring on an engagement until prepared to attack, but as the rebels would open on the regiment as soon as they got on the picket line the men could not be kept from exchang- ing shots, so that it was a picket fight every time. When not on picket they were engaged in working on entrenchments and building corduroy roads. This position along War- wick Creek was part of the lines facing Yorktown. Nearly the whole time they laid here rations were very -very scarce, the men going to ex- tremes to appease hunger. This shortage of rations no doubt was on account of the swampy condition of the country, retarding the supply wagons from getting to the front.
Upon the general advance on the enemy's line, at York- town, May 4th, the regiment WILLIAM LINTON, Co. H. Killed at Fair Oaks, May 31, 1862. was selected to storm one of che main forts, near Lee's Mills, but after floundering around in the mud, it was ascertained the enemy had evacuated his works. All the night of the 3d the enemy's batteries were shelling our lines and when we reached their works and found them gone it meant a stern chase. To retard pursuit they had buried torpedoes in the abatis fronting their works and along the sides of the road where the officers and men marched ; while a number of men of other regiments were wounded by these missiles, fortunately none of the Twenty- third were injured. There was quite a rivalry to have the first flag on the rebel works. Left General Guide Ed. Wilson (afterwards lieutenant) who was a swift runner, took the colors and reached the works first, amid the hurrahs of the boys.
The division bivouacking at Chesseman's plantation and the next day made a forced march arriving on the battle field of Williamsburg late in the afternoon of May 5th. While the regi- ment did not become engaged, under a heavy artillery fire lost
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MAJ .- GEN'L PHILIP H. SHERIDAN, Commanding Army of the Shenandoah, 1864.
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PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
several men wounded. The next morning about daylight the regiment was part of the skirmish line, its position being im- mediately in front of Fort Magruder. The two left companies under Captain Maxwell being near the fort were the first to enter, the enemy having left and were running across the field in the direction of the town, quite a number of their wounded being left behind in their works.
General Keyes, the corps commander, in his official report states: "Two companies of the Twenty-third Pennsylvania, Colonel Neill, were the first to take possession of Fort Magruder, as that regiment had been the first to plant the Stars and Stripes on the works at Lee's Mills."
Skirmishing with his rear guard through the town, where it stacked arms south of Mary and Williams College, every in- dication showed a hasty retreat with his abandoned dead and wounded, wagons and caissons stuck in the mud, and occas- ional pieces of artillery. This town is one of the oldest settlements in Virginia ; here was held the seat of the govern- ment during the colonial days. In the House of Burgess, at that period holding session in the old town, Patrick Henry, the orator, of Virginia, in his
famous speech, declared, "Give me liberty, or give me death !" It was from Will- iamsburg that Washington started on his expedition into the wilderness to protect the frontier settlements from depredations by the Indians and French. We found all the people had gone to Richmond, with the exception of the women and old men. Safety guards were placed all over the town and the people, from. that time until LIEUT. JAMES JOHNSTON, Co. E. Killed at Cold Harbor, June 1, 1$64. the close of the war, were supplied with rations by our Government. Like all towns in the Confederacy, the hatred for the Yankee was quite intense.
One of the oldest educational establishments, Williams and Mary College, founded in colonial days, is here located;
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HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT
we found it used as a depot of supplies by the Confederates. A mill just outside the town was put to use grinding flour, and with the Johnnies' iron pans, found in their camps, had a good time, while here, in making slap-jacks. That night we skir- mished with the enemy, go- ing on picket, picking up several pieces of artillery, with spokes cut, which were --- abandoned by the enemy be- ing stuck in the mud, the roads were so cut up, it was about as much as the men. could pull through, much less wagons or artillery.
On the 10th we advanced and had a skirmish with the enemy; losing several men. While at Ropers Church on Sunday following the battle JOHN G. BOYD, Lieut. Co. D. Killed Cold Harbor, June 1, 1864. of Williamsburg,the regiment gave an exhibition drill before Sykes' Division of Regulars. " Bucky," our Colonel Thomas H. Neill, who was a West Pointer, wanted to show his friends in the regular establish- ment what could be done by volunteers. Word was passed around and soon the boys were polishing up their buttons, blackening their shoes with pieces of pork rind, trimming up their hair, as they wanted to look spruce; and to please " Bucky " our colonel, every man made himself as present- able as possible. From the applause the regiment received, it was evident their efforts were appreciated, and the way the old man smiled as he passed around the boys in bivouac, proved he was delighted.
While advancing through this section of the peninsula, the boys, learning that a detail of a New York regiment was on guard over some sheep, at night, formed a squad and relieved the guard, so the regiment had lamb, sheep and mutton for breakfast next morning. Of course, when it was discovered that the trick had been played, inspection was ordered, but as usual nothing found. Proceeding through New Kent Court House, Baltimore Cross Roads to Bottom Bridge, skirmishing along the way, losing several men, the
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PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
regiment encamped on the farm of the Rebel General Garnett.
On the 23d of May, a Rebel officer was brought into the lines blindfolded. What his mission was we did not learn ; but shortly afterward the Twenty-third Pennsylvania, Seventh Massachusetts, and Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry crossed the Chickahominy at Bottom Bridge on a reconnois- sance; the enemy was driven from his position, the ground being held about four miles in the direction of Richmond. Next day heavy skirmishing was continued until night to the left of the Williamsburg Road. The object being obtained, the command moved to the right at Seven Pines, where it threw up breastworks, details being engaged in cutting down the woods.
On the 28th of May, it moved with the brigade, now under command of General Abercrombie, and went into posi- tion along the Nine Mile Road from the Williamsburg Road to and across the York River Railroad.
About noon of May 31st, while the men were engaged in cooking rice, the only ration on hand-the wagons being way behind, fresh meat being about to be issued-the enemy attacked Casey's Division, which was in position about a quarter mile beyond the Nine Mile Road, and the battle of Fair Oaks was opened. As soon as the action began, a shell from the enemy landed in a clearing in front of the camp, and the men at once got into line. General Keyes came riding up the Nine Mile Road, passing the Twenty-third's camp. Seeing the men in line, he ordered it to the sup- port of Casey's right. Moving across the Nine Mile Road and through some low bushes they came upon the enemy who were driving in Nagley's brigade of Casey's division. With cheers the Twenty-third charged, MAJ .- GEN'L ERASMUS D. KEYES, striking them in the flank, driving Commanding Fourth Corps. Army of the Potomac. them through a clearing and woods, where they continued the fighting until recalled,passing back over our dead and wounded forming a new line on a wagon road, running through the woods. Here, while being moved to the rear in the direction
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HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT
of the Nine Mile Road to connect with the brigade, it was met by Generals Couch and Abercrombie. The enemy being very close, Couch, in order to deceive them, began giving in loud tones orders as though manœuvring a division, and leaving the Twenty-third, he, with the Sixty-first and Eighty- second Pennsylvania, Sixty- fifth New York and Seventh Massachusetts, formed a new , line to the right and rear of Fair Oaks Station. The regi- ment, again advancing through the woods, drove the enemy into the clear fields, where could be seen large masses moving in the direc- tion to cross the railroad. Fire being opened upon them, here the regiment became HENRY A. MARCHANT. Capt. Co. I. Killed at Cold Harbor, June 1, 1864. so hotly engaged that it was driven back slowly to the Nine Mile Road. Lying down, facing and firing on the front and both flanks, the enemy could be seen passing down the railroad across the Nine Mile Road and to the left crossing the road. They maintained . this position with no support on either flanks under a most severe fire. Fortu- nately it was high, the balls going through the limbs of the . trees ; they had held the enemy in check in this neck of woods for two hours. Finally Colonel Neill, finding the regiment was attacked on the front, right and left flanks, with no support, ordered the men to retire through an abatis or fallen timber to their old camp on the Nine Mile Road.
It appears now that Couch, in order to gain time, so that he could form the balance of our brigade, Sixty-first and Thirty-first (afterwards known as the Eighty-second) Penn- sylvania and Sixty-fifth New York, the "Chasseurs," to the rear and right of Fair Oaks Station at the Adams farm house, left the Twenty-third in this angle in the woods to hold the enemy in check. This they did until ordered to retire. The regiment at this period was isolated from its brigade, division and corps commanders-in fact, was fighting on its own
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PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
hook. 3 Reaching the camp, they faced to the rear to receive the attack of the enemy who had passed around the abatis. While thus engaged a regiment moving up the Nine Mile Road broke and coming back on the Twenty-third threw the line into confusion, but the men quickly rallied, holding the position for a half hour until ordered out. The resistance of the regiment in its old camp, in conjunction with the First Long Island, Sixty-seventh New York on its left, was evi- denced in the number of the enemy's killed that was strewn over that portion of the field. A new line having been formed to its rear, the regiment was brought back and placed in the middle of the line; here it remained until ordered back to the Williamsburg Road. At this time none of our troops were to the right of the Williamsburg Road or beyond the Nine Mile Road.
Opening fire on the enemy to the right of the Nine Mile Road, caused him considerable trouble. At this juncture, part of Heintzelman's Division arrived, and, again crossing the Nine Mile Road, facing in the direction of the railroad, drove the enemy's advance back to his main line. As we halted in the woods, Colonel Neill came riding along the line on a new mount, his horse having been killed, fol- 1 lowed by a colt belonging to the mare he was riding. As he neared the colors, Lieutenant Marchant, in com- mand of the color company, which numbered about seven men at this moment, called his attention to the color ser- . geant and guard-all being killed or wounded. The col- THOMAS J. ARMSTRONG, Lieut. Co. G. Died January 2, 1864. onel inquired who are themen guarding the colors, and the lieutenant, saluting, replied " My company." "All right, they have taken good care of the colors so far; we will trust them in their custody for the balance of the day."
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HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT
While here the regiment was relieved by troops from Heintzelman's Division and went into bivouac at the breast- works. It was dark when the command reached its final position. As the regiment, with its colors, came into the works they were greeted by the boys who had become lost in the charges in the woods, and many a hearty handshake was had, as they believed the regiment had been captured. The regiment lost no prisoners, except those badly wounded, who were unable to leave the field ; thirty-five of the enemy were captured. We find from official reports that Couch's, Casey's, Hooker's and Heintzelman's Divisions were contending with the whole Confederate Army - Long- MAJ .- GEN'L W. B. FRANKLIN, Commanding Sixth Corps. street's, Hugar and Smith's Corps, under the command of General Joseph Johnson, who being wounded just before dark, was succeeded by General Gustavus Smith, who, about noon of June I, was succeeded by General Robert E. Lee, who ever after held command of the Army of Northern Virginia.
The rain of the night before the action had washed away the bridges crossing the Chickahominy, and these divisions being isolated from the rest of the Army of the Potomac, the Richmond authorities deemed it a good time to effect their capture. By four o'clock, however, the bridges were repaired and reinforcements began to arrive with the advance of Sedg- wick's and Richardson's Divisions of Sumner's Corps, and when night closed the lines were secure. The next day the battle was resumed, and before the action ended the Con- federates were driven back to their works at Richmond, leav- ing their dead and wounded in our lines.
Seven officers of the regiment were wounded, viz : Major John Ely, Adjutant Thos. K. Boggs, Captains Edwin Palmer, Wm. J. Wallace, John F. Glenn and Lieutenants George Wood and Wm. J. McFalls, and one hundred and seventy men killed and wounded.
Company C did not participate with the regiment in the action, they being on picket on the right. When the enemy
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PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
attacked, they were driven in, passing down by way of the Nine Mile Road and the railroad, joining Birney's Brigade of Kearney's Division. The company was complimented by General Birney for its efficient service. Company B was left in camp as camp guard when the regiment moved for the front. As the action proceeded it went in to the support of Miller's Battery, gathering up arms from the wounded and stragglers. Captain Hildebrand placed his men in the trenches in front of the battery and when the enemy drove in Casey's line and pressed on to take Miller's guns, the latter opened on them with canister, and aided by the fire of Company B-each man having at least six guns loaded, when the rebels charged-they were driven back. Company B remained with the battery until it was retired, when it joined the regiment as it was falling back from its old camp.
Colonel Neill, in his official report, says : "A portion of the regiment under command of Captain Glenn, Twenty- third Pennsylvania, having become accidentally separated in the dense woods in which we were operating, was called upon by an aide of General Heintzelman to sup- port a battery. Captain Glenn rallied one hundred men around him and volun- teered this service. The duty was well performed until they were relieved."
The troops the regiment engaged beyond the Nine Mile Road and in its camp was the Twenty-seventh Georgia, Sixth South Caro- lina, Twenty-eighth Georgia and Palmetto Sharp-shooters (Jenkins), under the command of Colonel Micah Jenkins, THOMAS HABBERMAKER, Company B. Killed, Winchester, Sept. 19, 1864. who was afterwards killed in the Wilderness, while serving as brigadier-general under Longstreet.
The next morning the regiment, with General Palmer's command and squadron of cavalry, was ordered through White Oak Swamp. Here it intercepted troops coming in on
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HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT
the roads leading from Richmond, preventing a flank attack and losing several men wounded. While on this duty it was the extreme left of the army in the battle of June Ist, when the enemy were driven off the field. That night the Con-
MAJ .- GEN'L JOHN SEDGWICK, Commanding Sixth Corps. Killed at Spottsylvania, May 9, 1864.
federates fell back to Richmond, and the regiment returned to the position in the line behind the works on the Williamsburg Road. On returning to the old camp it was found devastated and all the equipage lost.
LOSSES AT FAIR OAKS.
Killed, wounded and missing as per General Mcclellan's report : Union-Sumner, 1223
Heintzelman, I394
Keyes, 3120-Total, 5737.
Killed, wounded and missing as per General J. E. John- son's report.
Confederate-Longstreet and Smith, 4283 D. H. Hill, 2500 --- Total, 6783.
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PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
The following is an extract from Report of General Keyes, the corps commander : * * * " At a little past two o'clock I ordered Neill's Twenty-third and Rippey's Sixty- first Pennsylvania Regiments to move to the support of Casey's right. Neill attacked the enemy twice with great gallantry. In the first attack the enemy were driven back ; - in the second attack, and under the immediate com- mand of General Couch, these two regiments assailed a vastly superior force of the enemy and fought with ex- traordinary bravery, though compelled at last to retire, they brought in thirty-five prisoners. Both regiments were badly cut up. After this attack the Twenty -third took part in the hard fight- ing which closed the day near CAPT. JAMES M. CRAIG, Died of Wounds Received at Cold Harbor. Co. H. Seven Pines. * * "Some of the Tenth Massachusetts, now under the command of Captain Miller; the Ninety-third Pennsyl- vania, under Colonel McCarter, of Peck's Brigade; the Twenty-third Pennsylvania, under Colonel Neill, of Aber- crombie's Brigade ; a portion of the Thirty-sixth New York, Colonel Innes ; a portion of the Fifty-fifth. New York, and the First Long Island, Colonel Adams, together with frag- ments of other regiments of Couch's Division, still contended on the right of this line. while a number of troops that I did not recognize occupied the space between me and them.
"As the ground was miry and encumbered with fallen trees, I dismounted and mingled with the troops. The first I questioned belonged to Kearney's Division, Berry's Brigade, Heintzelman's Corps ; the next to the Fifty-sixth New York, now under command of its lieutenant-colonel, and the third belonged to the One Hundred and Tenth Pennsylvania, of Casey's Division.
" I took out my glass to examine a steady, compact line of troops about sixty-five yards in advance, the extent of
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HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT
which toward our right I could not discover. The line in front was so quiet that I thought they might possibly be our own troops.
" The vapors from the swamp, the leaves, and the fading light (for it was then 6 o'clock) rendered it uncertain who they were, so I directed the men to get their aim, but to reserve their fire until I could go up to the left and examine-at the same time that they must hold that line or the battle would be lost. They replied with a firm determination to stand their ground.
" I had just time to put up my glass and move ten paces toward the left of the line, where my horse stood, but while I was in the act of mount- C ing as fierce a fire of musketry was opened as any I had heard during the day. ' The fire from our side was so deadly that the heavy masses of the enemy coming in on the right, which before had been held back for nearly two hours (that being about the time con- sumed in passing over less than a thousand MAJ .- GEN'L HORATIO G. WRIGHT, Commanding Sixth Corps From May, 1564, to close of war yards) by about a third part of Couch's Division, were now arrested. The last line, formed of portions of Couch's and Casey's Divisions and a portion of Kearney's Division, checked the advance of the enemy and finally repulsed him. And this was the beginning of the victory which, on the follow- ing day, was so gloriously completed."
General Abercrombie, in command of the brigade, in his report says :
* "Shortly afterwards the Sixty-first was placed in position near the Twenty-third, then already engaged." "The dead of the enemy on the portion
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NOTHING DOING-GAME OF CARDS.
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HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT
of the battlefield occupied by the First Long Island and Twenty-third and Sixty-first Pennsylvania are proofs I have of the gallantry displayed by these regiments.
Picket lines were established and the regiment went into camp to the right of the railroad, its position being on the
left of the Philadelphia Brig- ade of Sumner's Corps. While here, on June 7th, it was sent to the support of the picket lines in front of a brigade of the Second Corps. Passing through their camps and crossing the breastworks, the regiment bivouacked for the night in the woods, with in- structions to sleep on their arms. At dawn it moved to the edge of a clearing, and soon the Rebs charged with a yell, driving in the pickets. Colonel Neill would not, how- JACOB HARP, Cos. F. and K. Killed at Cold Harbor, June 1, 1864. ever, allow the latter to pass through our lires, compelling them to lie down in front as the Johnnies made their appearance on the opposite end of the field. As the Rebs attempted to advance no further, the colonel ordered Captain John F. Glenn to take Companies A and B and re-occupy the picket posts, which command was promptly executed. When the detail returned, the regiment was ordered back to camp, and on the way out we saw that the whole army was in line of battle. The severe picket fight of the early morning was no doubt explained as a general advance of the enemy, but if so intended it was recalled.
The regiment remained on the battlefield until the 16th, when it was relieved by fresh troops and ordered to a new camp on the left of the line, beyond Seven Pines, being con- stantly engaged in picket fighting. At the commencement of the Seven Days' Fight one wing of the Twenty-third, com- posed of Companies A, C, H, I and K, under command of Colonel Neill, was posted on the eastern edge of White Oak Swamp, to prevent the enemy from turning the left flank of the army then on a retrograde movement to the James River
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PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
during which it lost several wounded. That night the left wing of the regiment, commanded by Captain John F. Glenn, held the picket line in White Oak Swamp, while the army passed to the rear. This was a most important picket. All night long the Army of the Potomac was passing to the rear for the purpose of assuming a new position, while the Army of Northern Virginia was massing in front for the next day's engagement.
The roar and rumble of both armies could be distinctly heard, so close were the picket lines of the contending armies that the commands given by one side were easily distinguish- able by the other. The anxiety was so great that Colonel Glenn, the Field Officer of the day, with the "grand rounds" came along about every fifteen minutes. That night the countersign was " Austerlitz " and it kept the boys guessing what was the word; the nearest we could get to it was " oyster snitz." This wing participated in the opening of the Battle of Charles City Cross-Roads, losing several men, and after marching all night through the dismal shades of the swamps, it arrived at Haxall's Plantation, on the James, where the two wings of the regiment were united. As we marched up the road in the direction of Malvern Hill, General McClellan and staff passed us, being received with the greatest enthusiasm. Moving to the top of the hill, we participated in the action of Turkey Bend, having several men wounded. This action was fought principally by the batteries, Holmes' Division having been sent out from Rich- mond to secure Malvern Hill. Our division-Couch's -having MAJ .- GEN'L DON CARLOS BUELL, Commanded the Division in 1861. arrived first with the artillery, made the position secure, and, with good battery practice, soon drove Holmes off. This was the extreme left of our line during the action at Charles City Cross-Roads. On the top of the hill, overlooking the valley of the James, was an old
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CAMP GRAHAM-TWENTY-THIRD PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS. BIRNEY'S ZOUAVES.
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PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
colonial mansion called the Malvern House, which was used as a signal station to communicate with the gunboats in the James River.
The next day was the last day'of the Seven Days' Fight, known as Malvern Hill, which is notable as one of the best stand-up fights be- tween the Army of the Poto- mac and Army of Northern Virginia. No breastworks or trees abounded to afford pro- tection, therefore it was an open field action, because up to that time neither army had realized the importance of hastily constructed entrench- ments.
Shortly after daylight the regiment swung into line of battle, lying down facing a woods. Shortly afterwards it was moved into a road, hug- JOHN MCGINNIS, Co. E. Killed at Cold Harbor, June 1, 1864. ging its right bank, as while in this position it was exposed to a heavy artillery fire from the left flank. About 2 P. M. it was detached and sent to General Howe-who was hotly engaged on the right-and ordered to the support of a battery. While passing through a field of grain the enemy opened on us with spherical case-shot and as the regiment emerged into the clearing, it was found that the battery-"Snow's" Maryland-was hotly engaged with a rebel battery across a ravine, and that sharpshooters con- cealed in the latter were picking off the battery boys. Captain Glenn was detailed, with his company, to drive the sharp- shooters out, and after quite a spirited fight forced them to abandon the ravine. Then began one of the shortest and sharpest battery practices possible, resulting in the rebel guns being disabled and destroyed. During the time that this was transpiring the regiment was hugging the ground in the rear of the guns, while an enfilading fire from batteries on the left was sweeping the ground a few feet in their rear, throwing the sand all over them.
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