Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 26

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930

USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I > Part 26

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For a few days more ensued marches and skirmishes near Hagerstown and Funkstown, until the last squad of Confederates was driven across the Potomac, July 4th, when we marched by way of Harper's Ferry and down the Virginia valleys again. In the days sub- sequent to the Gettysburg battle on the march we lost more men from sunstroke than wounded, the heat being onr most terrible enemy.

of the 11th they attacked us again and we slowly retired, crossing the river again be- fore daylight. Our march continued north- ward through the day and night, making three days and nights without rest or sleep. except that obtained under arms. We moved on in much the same style, serving in rear guard or on skirmish line and marching al- ternately, without daring to unpack our knapsacks, till we reached Gainesville, Va .. October 19th. Resting one night we about faced and marched to New Baltimore, where We were moved to the front, where the cav- alry fight had just ended, placed on skirmish lines : but the enemy withdrew and we were called in again and sent on like duty at War- renton. This was probably the longest con- tinued duty of this kind we ever did, and weary, hungry and without food, we re- ported to our brigade, from which for sev- eral days we had been detached.

November 7, 1863, we marched to Rappa- hannock Station; found Rebels in some force on this side of the river. The company par- ticipated both in driving in their skirmish lines and in the subsequent charge upon the fort, losing some wounded.

July 23d, we were attacked by a squad of cavalry while we were guarding supply trains The Rebels retreated to the Rapidan and we went into camp near Brandy Station and from that place moved on the Mine Run cam- near White Plains, Va., with occasional re- lief served as train guard to camp near War- renton, Va. This was our long turn at this paign, suffering more in three days than pen or words can ever tell. Crossing the Rapidan at Jacob's ford, we had a little brush with the enemy where we seemed to be sent in sup- port of a portion of the 3d Corps; then by movement to left and thence to Mine Run, and in the night were formed for charge on the enemy's lines; but morning discovered to ns a frozen, icy stream, dams on it and a formidable abattis beyond, which with the

kind of duty, and the boys of Company A did not admire it, preferring the battle line to managing mule trains and Confederate guerrillas. In camp near White Sulphur Springs the company was recruited very much by new men and return of sick and wounded, and had an inspection each Sun- day, the Lord willing. One inspection here was by the colonel of the 7th Maine Volun- teers, a regular army officer, and he kept us severe cold and freezing to death of wounded standing in line three hours.

pickets who had got hurt in crossing the stream were sufficient to defer the charge. We formed in circles and ran continnous races to keep from freezing, getting no real rest day or night until we recrossed the Rapi- dan.

September 16th, left Sulphur Springs, marching to Culpeper C. H., Va., and here turned out at "present arms" to receive our warm friends and comrades, the Vermont brigade, as they returned from an expedi- tion North to quell riots gotten up in behalf The latter part of February and March 1, 1864, we were in reconnoitering party with Custer's cavalry to Freeburg Mills, the cav- alry pushing forward almost to Charlottes- ville. of and to further the interest of Jefferson Davis, Esq., & Co. Went on advance picket October 5th, at railroad bridge at Rapidan, where for once, sharpshooting ceased and we conversed with the enemy. Retired to Rap- During the winter several members of Com- pahannock Station night of October 10th, pany A reenlisted for the war and the com- crossing the river closely pressed by the en- pany received recruits enough to fill it up;

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Indiana county furnishing the men. The regiment's loss here was nine wounded and morale of the company was always good and one killed. We immediately moved back to the left again and then followed almost contin- nous active work-in skirmish May 26th, then

an inducement to friends to see that it was kept recruited with good men.

May 4, 1864, we crossed the Rapidan and train guard, in skirmish on the 28th, severe on the 5th at noon engaged the enemy in the Wilderness and continued till night, driving them from their position and holding them. On the morning of the 6th the fight was re- newed without relief, ammunition being for- warded to the lines. During the day we were relieved from front and formed in re- serve line. At sunset the Confederates mus- tered their force for a charge, and in the dusk of evening pushed forward, flanking the 3d Division, and thus compelling our brigade of the 2d Division to fall back and partly change front, which could not occur in that dense woods, without somewhat scattering our men, who soon rallied, and Company A with others deployed, this deployed line checking the advance of the Confederates in the flank, our troops resting nearly on the old ground at nine P. M. Company A's loss in the two days was heavy-among others Lieutenant Brown, mortally wounded.

skirmish again beyond North Anna river, May 31st. Being at this point on the ex- treme right, we became rear guard again to Cold Harbor, coming in too late to participate in the day's fight of June 1st, but we pushed to the front in the evening. The evening of June 3d were were in the general engagement along the line being covered by breastworks our loss was slight; by June 5th the works were extended till the opposing forces were but a hundred yards apart and in the con- tinued rattle of musketry along the line Lieutenant Price was wounded. We have spoken of his bravery before, but let us re- cord here, when told his wound was so serious he must go to the hospital, he cried with grief at being separated from his company. He gave his life for his country, and our flattering words affect him not. The regiment retired from the immediate front at Cold Harbor June 6th, the loss to that time in the campaign being, according to Bates' History, Pennsylvania Volunteers: "In killed, wound- ed and missing, about thirty officers and four

On the night of May 8th, in getting into position near Spottsylvania C. H., Com- panies A and I ran into a Confederate force trying to move to their rear in the open space hundred enlisted men." between the lines and a hand to hand fight

The regiment now moved towards the ensued in which Sergt. L. Brady was killed James river, crossing familiar ground of the and several others wounded. The day and night of the 9th was subject to heavy artil- lery fire, one shot killing five men in the regi- ment.

campaign of 1862, and on this march some of Company A had no rest or sleep for three days and nights except under arms by the May 10th, was a day of continuous fighting with a charge on the enemy's works in the evening, where our regiment captured a bat- tery and a line of pits. Company A's loss for the day was slight. The regiment rested on the 11th and dried its wet clothing and prepared for the fatal 12th of May where in an effort to hold the ground thus far taken from the enemy it was fought over repeatedly, each in turn having possession of the works, our regiment in one charge losing ninety men. Firing never ceased all day and the regiment remained in the works over night and part of the 13th, and on the 14th we moved to the left of Spottsylvania where, on Sunday, we had prayer instead of inspection. wayside, a few moments at a time. We crossed the James river with the rear of the supply train on the night of June 16th reach- ing the vicinity of Petersburg on the 17th, weary and footsore, yet we moved to the front near the Appomattox river. The next day we supported some colored troops that stormed the pits and small forts in our front, which we occupied under fire from skirmishes till midnight, June 21st, when we moved a few miles to the left, where our skirmish line was left to expend all its ammunition and fall back, losing considerable ground before support was got forward. While the regi- ment's loss was slight, we felt very severely the loss to the 4th Vermont, which was eap- tured almost entire in the dense thickets in On the 17th we moved back to the right, our front and near the Weldon railroad. There was a feeling akin to brotherhood ex- isting between the 61st and the "Vermont

passed Alsop farm and a little to the right of the battleground, and advanced on the enemy's line on the morning of the 18th, but brigade."

retired under cover from the artillery fire, June 29th, hearing the sound of Wilson's finding the enemy strongly fortified. Our guns in the rear of the enemy, we were pushed

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

forward to Ream's Station, but too late to euvering, "making history," it was called help them. Captured a few Confederates then, the troops finally got to Fredericksburg. scattered in the woods, recapturing a few of Md. It could scarcely be called marching. Wilson's cavalrymen, buried some of his dead, for all seemed to finally get to doing about gathered up some "contrabands" hidden in the woods, and brought in some caissons abandoned by both sides; also tore up three or four miles of railroad track, burning the ties and heating and bending the rails.

July 9th, embarked at City Point and landed at Washington, D. C., July 11th, when we were told that the Confederates were men- acing the defences of Washington, militiamen and citizens holding them back. Flags and banners were flung to the breeze, kerchiefs waved by the ladies, and cheers rose from groups on the sidewalks, as our veteran 6th Corps advance moved out of Seventh street in our usual "arms at will" and forced march style, and soon occupied ground within the line of forts. On the 12th moved out and found the enemy in considerable force in front of Fort Stephens. The Confederate outposts called to each other, "The Army of the Potomac" so loud as to be heard by our company. The fight was sharp, the loss to Company A three killed, six wounded, and this loss, considering our reduced numbers at this time, was heavy, for very few of the wounded in the summer's campaign had yet returned to the company. Horace A. Ellis, of Company A, 7th Wisconsin, in hospital recovering from wounds, got a gun and went into the battle by the side of his brothers Asaph and John of whom John Ellis was killed.

In pursuit of the enemy we crossed the Potomac at White's ford, wading it-water some places to our belts, and at Lessburg, Va.,

found Confederate guerrillas secreted in the years service for the first hundred men of the

houses. These murderers were the most con- temptible of all men, and the annoyance to soldiers in the ranks. The fact is that some of our commanders sacredly guarded their property with Union troops as we marched up and down the valleys, until circumstances compelled the scorching they afterwards got. Company A, of the 61st regiment rarely found a man of Union proclivities in these Virginia valleys. They were easily recognized if only suspected of being Union men, for the Con- federates drove off their stock. Finding the enemy's rear guard at Sniker's Gap and Early safe in the Shenandoah valley, we re- traced our steps to Leesburg, and thence to Fort Gaines, D. C., on July 23d.

as they pleased, and army curses heaped upon the imaginable head of General Wright, who was generally far enough ahead to be out of danger. Men fell by scores from the effects of sunstroke, unable to march, and not half enough ambulances to carry the sick ; not over one hundred men of our brigade stacked arms when halt was ordered at Frederick, MId., on the evening of July 30th. These are days of hardships that will never be for- gotten while soldiers live to tell the story. The well-founded complaints of the men fin- ally wrested from the commanding officer an order respecting the subsequent marches, which being enforced by the men themselves made matters much better. The boys of 61st will likely never forget the first morning's march after the order was issued, when the regulation hour by the order had come for breakfast, how they stopped in a field, when almost to a wood; the hour had come and they meant to enforce the order, and after that an aid came back to inform us of the hour.

August 3d, we started for Shenandoah valley again, coming up with a Confederate force at Cedar Creek, Va., they having by this time got the harvest pretty well off in the valley, General Early being as good a harvester as the Confederates ever had. Had quite a severe skirmish with the Confederates here August 13th, driving them to Strasburg, when it seemed about time for us to retro- grade, and we reached Charlestown on the 18th.

August 21st, 1864, the last day of the three- company-we copy notes taken on the field : "We were very much surprised this morning by the Confederates coming down on our pickets on the pike and driving them back. Our regiment was chosen from our brigade to go to their support. Regiments followed each other until three from our brigade were on the line, our regiment engaged with the enemy. Are losing a good many men. Lieu- tenant Price wounded again, we fear mor- tally. The regiment remains in the line at noon, and ammunition is being taken to it. We have lost four officers at noon. The regi- ment is being relieved at dark. Two more of Company A wounded but not forced to leave the field. Regiment's loss four killed and eighteen wounded." At one o'clock on the

July 26th, marched through Maryland to Harper's Ferry, Va., and after much man- morning of August 22d. those whose term of

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enlistment had expired received orders to Cold Harbor, Va., June 1 to 5, 1864; Fort march from the line of battle, and the regi- Stephens, D. C., July 12, 1864; Opequan ment was ordered back at daylight. Thus ended the three years of service. We re- mained with the company and regiment till September 3d, when others' time expired; and on that day, near Berryville, Va., we took leave of the regiment, Company A, about fifteen, and probably seventy in the regiment. Were supplied with one hundred rounds of ammunition, if need be to fight our way to Harper's Ferry. Were mustered out at Har- risburg September 7th, and reached Indiana September 9, 1864.

The veterans and recruits, nearly all vet- erans in service now, retained the name and place in the battalion, receiving by consolida- tion the veterans of Company H, few in num- ber, and we would note here that Company A was the only one in the regiment that kept recruited as the war progressed, consequently formed a large part in the battalion which 67th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. -This regiment was recruited under orders of the secretary of war, authorizing J. F. Staunton to recruit a regiment. The larger was engaged in the fight at Opequan Creek, September 19th. Was in the storming of Fisher's Hill, September 22d, and also in the engagement at Cedar Creek, October 19, part of the regiment was recruited in the 1864, and "for gallantry in this engagement was highly complimented by the command- ing general."

It was then moved back to Petersburg, was recruited to the proportions of a regiment again by the addition of companies of one-year men and March 25, 1865, was in the attack and storming of the Confederates' outworks and in the front of the assault upon the main works at four o'clock next morning, in both cases successful. Pushing forward after the retreating forces, the regiment took during the day "two Confederate colors, a wagon train, fifty-two men, sixteen horses, and three brass twelve pounders with caissons."

On the morning of April 3, 1865, the regi- ment "fired its last shot at the enemy," and its active service ceased.

Many of the survivors of Company A live in Indiana county, and, we believe without exception, are respectable and useful citi- zens. The name of Dr. George R. Lewis, of Indiana, Pa., belongs in this history. He served as surgeon of the regiment from Sep- tember, 1863, to the close of the war, having been promoted from assistant surgeon of the 54th Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Creek, Va., September 19, 1864; Fisher's Hill, Va., September 22, 1864; Cedar Creek, Va., October 19, 1864; Petersburg, March 25 and 26, 1865. Skirmishes-Seven Pines, June 27, 1862; Charles City Cross Roads, June 29, 1862; Sharpsburg, Md., September 18, 1862; Williamsport, Md., September 20, 1862; Frederickburg, Va., December 13, 1862; Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863; White Plains, Va., July 23, 1863; Brandy Station, October 11, 1863; near Jacob's ford, Decem- ber, 1863; Spottsylvania, May 8, 1864 ; Spott- sylvania, May 18, 1864; Po River, May 26, 1864; North Anna river, May 31, 1864; Petersburg, June 18, 1864; Weldon Railroad, June 21, 1864; Cedar Creek, August 13, 1864; Charlestown, Va., August 21, 1864; Cedar Creek, August, 1864; skirmish April 3, 1865.

eastern part of the State, with a portion from Westmoreland, Indiana, Jefferson and Clar- ion counties.

The officers of the regiment were: J. F. Staunton, colonel; IIorace B. Burnham, lieu- tenant colonel ; Harry White, major; John F. Young, adjutant, and Robert Barr, surgeon, the three last named all of Indiana county.

In April, 1862, it went into service at An- napolis, Md., doing duty as railroad guards ; afterwards furnishing guards for camp parole. The number of men from Indiana county being small, Sergt. W. H. Fairbank was sent as recruiting officer to the county, where, under direction of Maj. Harry White, he recruited about one hundred men, which were distributed in seven companies of the regiment.

In February, 1863, it moved to Harper's Ferry, thence to Berryville, Va., where it joined Milroy's force in the Shenandoah val- ley, after which for a time its duty was guard duty at the passes from the Shenan- doah to the Virginia valleys, and twice rec- onnoitered as far as Upperville, Va. To- wards the first of April, 1863, it was stationed at Berryville with the brigade to which it was attached from that time till June, engaged in the attempt to prevent the cavalry raids of the Confederates Jones, Imboden and Mos-

Battles and principal skirmishes: Battles -Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862; Malvern Hill, Va., July 1, 1862; Fredericksburg, Va., May 3 and 4, 1863; Wilderness, Va., May 5 and 6, by, who frequently attempted raids into 1864; Spottsylvania, Va., May 10 to 12, 1864; Maryland and Pennsylvania.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Gen. R. H. Milroy at this time commanded the force in the valley, consisting of about ten thousand men, under orders from Gen- eral Schenck, at Baltimore, as department commander.

The bulk of Lee's army quietly slipped away from the lines at Fredericksburg and moved northward. So well did he elude any vigilance there might have been on the part of General Hooker that the first intimation Gen- eral Milroy had of the movement was the presence of Confederate troops in large num- bers pressing into the valley by the gaps connecting with the Virginia valleys. Even then he might have retreated, but it seems was loath to believe an extensive movement northiward could be made without him being apprised of the fact by Hooker or Halleck.

At a signal from Winchester, the troops near Berryville started for that place, but found their way already occupied by the ad- vance of the Confederate force moving in rear of the position at Winchester. The 67th regiment made a detour to escape an attack, marching thirty miles to join Milroy, reach- ing him at ten o'clock P. M. After a short rest it was ordered into the pits surrounding Star Fort, one and a half miles northwest of Winchester. Advancing at noon to the relief of the 87th Pennsylvania Volunteers, in the suburbs of the town, it held that position under a hot fire till night, when it was or- dered back to the fort.

portance without his vote, was subjected to greater indignities, hardships were imposed upon him in prison, and bloodhounds put upon his track in an attempted escape. Those escaping reached Harper's Ferry and joined the remnant of Milroy's force, where the reg- iment was reorganized and assisted in forti- fying Maryland Heights, and afterwards, when these fortifications were dismantled, guarded the removal of the ordnance to Washington, where they received the news of the victory of our arms at Gettysburg, and the fall of Vicksburg. The regiment then joined the Army of the Potomac near Fred- erick, Md., and was assigned to duty with the 3d Army Corps.

On the 11th of October the paroled men, now exchanged, joined the regiment, which then participated in the remaining movements of the fall campaign, going into winter quar- ters near Brandy Station, Va. During the winter of 1863-64 most all eligible reenlisted, and about 350 of them were furloughed in a body. taking their arms with them, the re- mainder being attached to the 138th Penn- sylvania Volunteers, for duty until their re- turn. serving in the campaign of the spring of 1864. in the Wilderness, before Spottsyl- vania, and in the march towards Richmond and Petersburg, thus passing through one of the most terrible campaigns of the war, in which very few regiments served without heavy losses.

The veterans returned to Belle Plains, Va.,

General Milroy, finding his force sur- rounded, determined to strike some point in at the expiration of furlough; remained on force and cut a way through. Spiking his guns, drawing his powder, and leaving his trains, he got his troops under way before daylight. Four miles out the Martinsburg road, he met the enemy in force. The 67th Pennsylvania Volunteers, and 6th Maryland, were deployed to the right, and were not in the charge. After awaiting orders for awhile and receiving none, they attempted a detour to the right to pass left flank of the enemy, but ran into a strong force where, in an un- equal contest, they fought gallantly but to no purpose. Being completely overpowered, they scattered, some of the officers and men escaping, but a large proportion were taken

duty there a week, thence to Fredericksburg, and to Port Royal, where Colonel Staunton was placed in command of the post, it being at that time a base of supplies. The next duty was at White House Landing, in guard of Sheridan's supply train while he was on a raid in some force to Lynchburg, Va. While there they were attacked by rebel Confederate cavalry, June 13th, which did not make a direct assault upon them, but brought a bat- tery to bear upon their position. Under a severe fire from the battery and skirmishers they succeeded in removing the wagon train to the south side of the Pamunky. Sheri- dan's arrival, just in time, probably saved prisoners, among them Maj. Harry White; them another visit to Confederate prison pens. the 6th Maryland escaping in the meantime On the 15th of June they started to the wagon train on the James river, and with the ex- ception of a skirmish with Confederate caval- ry at White Oak Swamp reached Petersburg, Va., without further trouble, where they were joined by the detachment serving with the 138th Pennsylvania. In the meantime, the hy a further detour to the right. Of the por- tion taken prisoners, the men were released in from two to three months, but their officers were detained about one year. Maj. Harry White, then a member of the State Senate, and that body a tie on all questions of im-

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division to which the 67th belonged was trans- ning fight until the arrival of Sheridan on the ferred to the 6th Army Corps and partici- field, when in the general advance it fully maintained its credit, suffering considerable

pated in the movement to the Weldon railroad in the attempt to reach and relieve Wilson's loss of men.

cavalry.

Returning to Baltimore, the 67th quartered at the relay house until it moved to join the 6th Corps, and participated in the marches up and down the valleys of Maryland and northern Virginia in the campaign of the summer, all of which availed little to the country but entailed hardships that men can- not forget. Captain Barry commanded the regiment at this time, the command devolv- ing upon Adjt. Gen. Young of Indiana county in September, 1864.

The regiment was in the engagement of September 19th, at the crossing of Opequan creek in the taking of Winchester. Being on the extreme right of the 6th Corps, and a space left between it on the left of the 19th Corps which was widened by the 19th not getting forward so rapidly as the 6th, the Rebels interposed a force in the gap, striking the 67th on the flank when it was in the act of wheeling off a Confederate battery already captured. Men are now living who remem- ber having hold of the battery, trying to take it away by hand, when compelled to forsake it and run to prevent capture. The regiment soon rallied again and its third division was first to reach the heights at Winchester, from which it had tried to fight its way out one year before. The regiment's loss in this fight was heavy. The companies were mostly led by sergeants who served as captains, doing commissioned officers work on ser- geants' pay, not being able to get promotion on account of their superiors in prison hold- ing their rank ; hence the usual incentive was lacking, loyalty alone governing their actions, which deserves special attention.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 26

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930