USA > Pennsylvania > Our Campaigns: or, The marches, bivouacs, battles, incidents of camp life and history of our regiment during its three years term of service > Part 10
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General Reynolds soon rode up, and ordered our regi- ment to advance through the wood, clear it out and take up a position on its extreme edge. Colonel McCandless not entirely liking the order, asked the General's permission to move in at right angles to the position assigned to us, on the left of it. The General was silent for a moment, his face bearing the expression of great perplexity and dissatisfaction, when he replied, " Colonel, General Porter is fighting the battle on certain parallels, and his orders
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will have to be obeyed." "I would to God," remarked the Colonel afterwards, "I had not asked him the ques- tion, but had taken my regiment in by mistake." "For- ward," passed down the line, and moving on we advanced. into the wood, strewed as it was with the dead and the dying, and reaching its outer edge, laid down to await the coming storm.
The First Reserve lay on our right, the Sixth Regu- lars in our rear, and several other regiments near by. A regiment of New York Zouaves were posted in an open field about five hundred yards in our front and facing us. Easton's battery of Reserves to our front and right were firing in the opening between us and parallel to our front. The enemy, as we well knew before we entered, were on our left flank. We may have been judiciously posted, and good soldiers should not think, but we could not help noticing that we were in a better position to attack our own troops than to inflict damage upon the enemy.
Steadily the solid columns of the foe were advancing on our left, their leading lines dressed in our uniform, showing no flag and treacherously crying out they were our friends, and not to fire upon them. But we were not deceived, and poured into them a left oblique fire with good effect. But onward they pressed until almost apon us, when they poured into us a deafening roar of musketry, above which the artillery fire at times could scarcely be distinguished. Line after line delivered their fire, and falling to the ground gave range to those behind them. It sounded like one long continuous roar, not a susceptible interval being perceived for several minutes. Overpowered, flanked, and with the enemy in our rear, with scattered remnants of other regiments in the excitement of the moment firing into us, we broke and were scattered through the woods, fighting the best we could from behind trees, until finally we were driven headlong out, with our muskets thoroughly heated, and our ammunition almost exhausted.
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We were driven from the woods to the right and par- allel with the line we entered on, but did not retire more than three hundred yards, before we came to a depressed road, where once more we raised our banner to the storm and rallied the boys around it. Cut off from our brigade and division, we laid here, and with Easton's battery, which was directly on our right, held the foc at bay, who seeing reinforcements coming up, dared not advance into the open field.
Soon a gallant brigade passed by, with their arms at a right shoulder and lines dressed with the precision of a parade. Steadily, silently and firm paced, they advanced with their glorious banners and glittering bayonets gleaming in the sun, and like a mass of living valor en- tered the woods and disappeared from sight. Soon their loud cheers and volleys told they had met the foe. If our brigade had entered the woods as they did, we would have met the enemy on our front and not our flank.
At this time we were ordered into a low woods in the rear of. Easton's battery, but had not remained there long before we were moved to the left on an open field. Soon afterwards we were ordered to the right, and fur- ther to the rear of the battery. An hour had now passed by, and soon a few stragglers were seen flying from the woods, and in a few moments the foc burst upon us in overwhelming numbers. The guns of Easton's battery vomited forth their hail of double-shotted canister against which it appeared impossible for men to stand, yet on- ward with undaunted bravery the enemy pressed, closing up their vast gaps and sweeping everything before them. The gallant Easton was killed, his brave cannoniers bay- oneted at their guns, the majority of the horses disabled, and, despite the most heroic resistance, the battery was taken. A dozen or fifteen horses cut loose from the battery, dashed through our line followed closely by the enemy, and again driven, we slowly and sullenly, but in good order retreated down over the fields, under a mur- derous fire that brought many a brave man to the ground.
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Having reached a position whose sloping ground afforded some slight protection, Colonel McCandless rallied the men and reformed the line, collecting a large number of stragglers from different regiment, and soon after Colonel Simmons of the Fifth Reserve appeared and took charge. A squadron of Rush's Lancers and a squadron of Indiana cavalry, now came up and formed in our rear, and Gen- eral McCall stopped two batteries that were in retreat and bringing them into battery opened upon the enemy, who just then appeared on the opposite hillside, and checked their advance at this point.
Soon after French's and Meagher's brigades came up, and the fire of the batteries was stopped as they passed down the hill in front, but upon their reaching the foot of it, they were met by General Porter, who halted them, as the enemy had retired from view and the sun was setting.
The other regiments and brigades of the Reserve fought with great gallantry, the First and Eighth being relieved and brought out by General Reynolds, and the Fifth retiring only when their ammunition was exhausted. The Eleventh, Colonel Gallagher, having relieved the Fourth New Jersey, Colonel Simpson, while engaged by the enemy became so completely enveloped in the smoke of the battle as not to observe the rest of the line had retired, and being completely surrounded by a vastly superior force of the enemy, the major part of them and the Fourth New Jersey were captured, but no censure whatever, was attached to either of the gallant com- manders of the regiments.
About eight o'clock, the battle ceased and we were moved some distance towards the rear, near a field hospital where the wounded were being continually brought in for surgical treatment, after which they were laid upon the grass, a blanket thrown over them, and a canteen of water put by their side, where some slept and others died. The poor fellows displayed most heroic fortitude, and though many of them were horribly mangled and
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suffering intense pain, only suppressed murmurs escaped their lips. All of our regiment were collected and laid together, and were cared for by their comrades until we moved. While the surgeons were at work by the flick- ering light of candles, the ruthless enemy opened fire upon them with shell, but they continued, hiding the lights as best they could with their caps and bodies.
Through the night General Reynolds was surprised, with Captain Charles Kingbury, his Assistant Adjutant- general, and taken prisoner by the enemy. The com- mand of our brigade, therefore, devolved upon Colonel Simmons of the Fifth Reserve.
The number of troops engaged on our side was not more than thirty five thousand 'men, and that of the enemy has been computed to be from seventy to seventy- five thousand men. The loss on our side was heavy, but as no general returns were made until after the Seven Days' battle, the losses during the series of battles were estimated together. The number of guns captured by the enemy on the field were nineteen, and three were lost by being run off the bridge during the final withdrawal.
Although we were finally forced from the first line after the enemy had been repeatedly driven back, yet the object sought for had been attained. The enemy was held at bay, our siege guns and material were saved, and the right wing could now be withdrawn and joined to the main body of the army .*
The wearied and exhausted men who had fought for two days, and many of them without a mouthful to eat, threw themselves upon the ground and sank to sleep with their cartridge boxes strapped upon them and their muskets in their hands. But their slumbers were of short duration, as soon orders came to wake them up and get into line without noise. It was hard work to rouse the sleepy boys, it being necessary to roll some of them over, shake them, pound them, and even to lift
* See Appendix
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them upou their feet. Having got the men in line, our division waited here until near morning to cover the withdrawal of the army from the left bank of the Chicka- hominy, and then crossing the bridge opposite Trent's Hill about seven o'clock we blew it up ; moving on about a mile and a half we halted on Trent's Hill, where we laid during the 28th.
CHAPTER XIV.
CHANGE OF BASE. MARCH TO THE JAMES RIVER. BATTLE OF ALLEN'S FARM. BATTLE OF SAVAGE'S STATION. A NIGHT ON PICKET. THE BATTLE OF GLENDALE. THE RIVER REACHED.
WHILE the battle of Gaines' Mills or Chickahominy was progressing on the left bank of the river, the enemy were not idle on the right bank, they having a large force between our left wing and Richmond showing their numerical superiority. Sharp musketry and artillery fighting took place there, along nearly the whole of the line, which was threatened by such heavy masses that the corps commanders deemed their forces were smaller than were adequate to the emergency. Therefore, to have sent more reinforcements to Porter would have imperilled the movement across the Peninsula. After the battle it was necessary to unite the two wings of the army which could have been done on either bank of the river, but if it had been on the left bank, although our united force could have defeated the enemy and have marched to the White House, as they held the roads leading there, our supply trains could not have been sent in advance of the army, but would have had to fol- low us, and the guarding of these trains would have seriously embarrassed our operations in battle. We would have been immediately followed by the enemy on the Richmond side of the river, who would have operated
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on our rear, and if we had been defeated, we would have been forced to fall back to the White House and pro- bably to Fort Monroe; and, as both our flanks and rear would then have been entirely exposed, our entire sup- ply train, if not the greater part of the army, might have been lost. The enemy anticipated this movement cu our part and were prepared to take advantage of it, but they were disappointed.
When our army was concentrated on the Richmond side of the Chickahominy, and a large portion of the enemy were drawn away and separated from them by the river, we could have marched directly upon the city with very reasonable hopes of capturing it, but as the amount of rations we had with us was very limited and the enemy could at any time have severed our commu- nications with the supply depot at the White House, our victory might have been turned into disaster. It is therefore clear that the movements of General Mcclellan were dictated by sound military judgment.
During the day, rations, of which we were greatly in need, as some of the men had been forty-eight hours without food, were received and issued, but as we had left every thing in our camp near Mechanicsville, which was subsequently burnt by order of General McCall, we had no haversacks. However, as soldiers are never at a loss for ways and means, they substituted the extremi- ties of their shirts which answered most admirably. The same day our most efficient Quartermaster, Dr. Chas. F. Hoyt, was promoted Captain and Commissary of Subsist- ence of the brigade vice Captain Jas. B. Clow.
We remained on an open field under a broiling sun during the 2Sth, which really afforded but indifferent rest, as we could not sleep, except as Montezuma on his bed of roses, and at nine o'clock that night, during a drenching rain, we moved off towards White Oak Creek. Our division took with it Hunt's Reserve Artillery, con- sisting of thirteen batteries, which with our own trains extended the column many miles in length, and as our
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flanks were constantly exposed to attacks, the Third Brigade was placed by regiments between the batteries, to afford them support.
Our movement, owing to narrow and bad roads, was necessarily slow, and all night long we toiled through dark woods and swamps unable to see but a few feet on either side of us. While thus moving, one of the wagon guard of the Fourth Reserve, stepped into the woods a. little way and his musket being accidentally discharged he was mistaken for a foe, and a number of shots fired at : him. This frightening some of the teams, they dashed in among us, which, with the unexplained firing, for a time created considerable excitement.
About daybreak we reached Savage's Station, on the York River and Richmond Railroad, where we found hundreds of wagons and ambulances almost choking the roads and covering the fields in every direction. Here were collected vast piles of commissary and quartermas- ter's stores, which were opened and the men allowed to take whatever they wanted. We also found here a large number of wounded of the preceding battles, and: among them were our own, many of whom were subse- quently taken prisoners. The boys went to see them and did all they could for them, improvising crutches for such as could hobble off, and giving water and money to those who had to remain. There was also a large: amount of ammunition here which was later in the day loaded on twelve cars and with an engine run into the Chickahominy, a fuse being attached, and so well timed' as to blow the whole up at the proper instant. Moving on past the station, we met a large number of prisoners captured during the battles, and about noon we crossed White Oak Creek Bridge, some distance beyond which General McCall was ordered to place his division in posi- tion to repel any attack by the enemy from the direction of Richmond. It was here we learned that General McClellan had caused to be read to the army a compli- mentary return of thanks to the Pennsylvania Reserves
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for their conduct at Mechanicsville, in defeating and holding a vastly superior force in check, until he could perfect his arrangements for the withdrawal from the left bank of the river.
Before proceeding further, we will detail the general events of the day. The essential operation was the pas- sage of our trains across the swamp, and their protection against attack from the direction of Richmond, and the establishment of our communication with the gunboats on James river. For this purpose the corps of Sumner and Heintzelman, and the division of Smith were ordered to an interior line, with their right resting on Savage's . Station.
BATTLE OF ALLEN'S FARM, JUNE 29TH .- General Sumner evacuated his works at Fair Oaks at daylight, and marched his command to Orchard Station, halting at Allen's field, between Orchard and Savage Stations. The divisions of Richardson and Sedgwick were formed on the right of the railroad, facing towards Richmond, Richardson holding the right, and Sedgwick joining the right of Heintzelman's corps. The first line of Richard- son's division was held by General French; General Caldwell supporting the second. A log building in front of Richardson's division was held by Colonel Brook with the Fifty-third Pennsylvania volunteers, with Hazard's battery on an elevated piece of ground, a little in the rear.
At nine o'clock, A. M., the enemy commenced a furi- ous attack on the right of General Sedgwick, but were repulsed. The left of General Richardson was next attacked, the enemy attempting in vain to carry the posi- tion of Colonel Brooks. Captain Hazard's battery, and Pettit's battery, which afterwards replaced it, were served with great effect, while the Fifty-third Pennsylva- nia Volunteers kept up a steady fire on the advancing enemy, compelling them at last to retire in disorder. The enemy renewed the attack three times, but were as often repulsed.
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BATTLE OF SAVAGE'S STATION, JUNE 29TH .- During the morning, General Franklin hearing that the enemy, after having repaired the bridges, was crossing the Chickahominy in large force, and advancing towards Savage's Station, moved Smith's division to that point, and communicated the intelligence to General Sumner. A little after noon, General Sumner reached the station, and united his troops with those of Franklin, and as- sumed command. The troops were posted in line of battle, in the large open field to the left of the railroad, fronting Richmond, the left resting on the edge of the woods, and the right extending down to the railroad. General Brooks, with his brigade, held the wood to the left of the field, where he did excellent service. General Hancock's brigade was thrown into the woods on the right and front. About four in the afternoon, the enemy advanced upon the Williamsburgh road and commenced the attack in large force. They were gallantly met by General Burns' brigade, supported and reinforced by the reserve, and the Sixty-ninth New York Volunteers and Hazard's and Pettit's batteries. The other batteries were also brought into play, and the battle, which was fought with great obstinacy until nearly nine o'clock at night, terminated in the enemy being driven from the field.
Our division remained in its position on high open ground in the hot sun until four o'clock, when we were ordered to proceed to the Quaker road crossing of the New Market road, and take a position to repel any attack from Richmond. The object of this movement was to cover the Turkey Bridge road, leading to the James river, along which trains were moving all night. On our march the road was nearly blocked up with innu- merable wagon trains and artillery, besides a drove of twenty-five hundred cattle, through which we wound our way, and arrived at the designated point about six o'clock. We halted on Nelson's farm, the battle-field of the next day, and where a sharp skirmish had taken place with the enemy's cavalry early in the morning,
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showing that their efforts were about to be directed towards impeding our progress to the river. General McCall made his headquarters at the farm house during the night.
Leaving the Second and Third Brigades in reserve, at dark our brigade and a battery of artillery, under the command of Colonel Simmons, silently moved off to the front, about a mile, crossing a small creek and turning to the left through a deep woods, where we were posted on picket, on a by-road. The night was intensely dark, and we were unable to see but a short distance from us. The men were laid down on the edge of the road with orders for no one to speak or sleep, but to be ready to spring into line at an instant's notice. In front of us, at the distance of fifty paces, pickets were posted under command of Lieutenant Clendining. The countersign was-to bare the right arm and raise and lower it twice. When all was the stillness of death, a rapid fire of mus- ketry opened a few hundred yards in our rear, and we were unable to tell whether it was an attack of the foe, or our friends firing upon one another. We found out afterwards it was our own men.
About the middle of the night, a number of the bat- tery horses got loose, and came dashing down the rear of our line, like a charge of cavalry, and several shots were fired into them in rapid succession. One of the horses being wounded, kept up a most unearthly cry through the night, making the most distressing noise possible to imagine, and the farm dogs far and near were continually barking, indicating the proximity of the foe. In fact, and. we strongly suspected it at the time, we were surrounded on all sides by the enemy, who knew our exact position, and had it in their power to cut in pieces or capture us, but they wished to bag the whole division, and were waiting for the arrival of one of their columns in the position assigned to it. Fortunately it was de- layed on its march, for which the general commanding was severely censured by his Government. The tedious
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hours of watching at last passed away, and the welcomed light of day broke in upon us, and with it, we withdrew our line and returned to the field where we halted the preceding afternoon, and which before the setting sun was drenched with our blood.
During the night all the troops fell back and crossed White Oak swamp, and by five A. M. on the 30th, Gen- eral French commanding the rear-guard, crossed the bridge over the creek and destroyed it. General Keyes having been ordered to move to the James river, and occupy a defensive position near Malvern Hill, to secure out extreme left flank, arrived there in safety early in the morning with all his artillery and baggage. Other troops and long trains had also passed to the left.
· BATTLE OF CHARLES CITY CROSS-ROADS OR GLENDALE, June 30th .- It being the 30th of June, the regiments were formed for muster, and while this was being gone through with, the pickets commenced exchanging shots, and so close were they to us, that Corporal John Collins, Company H, received a bone wound in his arm, and we had hardly time to get through with the muster before the division was moved a short distance, and assigned its position for the battle.
General McCall was ordered to take up a position on the left of the New Market or Long Bridge road, near its crossing with the Charles City road, in front of the Quaker road leading to Malvern Hill and Turkey bridge, and to maintain it until the whole of the immense supply trains of the army, then slowly advancing from White Oak creek, had passed towards James river, and to repel any attack on it. For this purpose General Meade's bri- gade was posted on the right, General Seymour's on the left, and Reynold's, now Colonel Simmons', held in reserve. The artillery was placed in front of the line, Randall's on the right, Cooper's and Kern's opposite the centre, and Dietrich and Kennerheim's, German batteries, acciden- tally with the division, on the left of the line. The Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Colonel Childs, was drawn
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up on the left and rear, but not being called into action, were subsequently ordered to fall back.
The field was a large open plain, with a front of about eight hundred yards, and depth of one thousand yards, intersected on the right by the New Market road and a narrow strip of timber, parallel to it, and on the left, near the centre, with a marshy woods, near which was Nelson's small farm house. In the rear of the plain was a steep wooded hill running to a broad plateau or table land, across which run the Quaker road leading to the river. Upon the upper edge of the woods laid the First Brigade in reserve.
On the right of the Reserves was posted Kearney's division, and on the left and somewhat retired was Sum- ner, and further to the left, and slightly advanced, was Hooker.
About half past two o'clock, P. M., the cavalry and infantry pickets of the Reserve were driven in, and soon after the enemy opened a heavy fire of shell upon our centre, under cover of which they sent forward two regi- ments at different points to feel the line. These were driven back, one by the Third regiment, Colonel Sickel, and the other by the Seventh regiment, Colonel Harvey.
Our division being too small to occupy the plain, both our flanks were exposed, and soon after a furious attack was made on the left by a heavy column of infantry. This advance was made under cover of a terrific artillery fire, and was gallantly met and driven back with great slaughter, and over two hundred prisoners taken. The "Bucktails," Major Stone, at this time were sent to the left and posted in the marsh woods, the First, Colonel Roberts, was sent to support Kern's battery, the Fifth, Lieutenant-colonel Fisher, and the Eighth, Colonel Hays, were ordered forward to the support of the left centre, and the last regiment of the reserve, the Second, Lieu- tenant-colonel McCandless, was ordered to the left front.
In anticipation of this order we had been advanced down the hill to near the edge of the woods, where the
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· cannoniers of a section of a Dutch battery belonging to Porter's corps and assigned that day to the Reserves, having cut their traces, came dashing through our regi- ment, trampling several men to the ground and breaking the line. Their guns were abandoned in the plain before us, but the regiment advanced with loud cheers and swept across the field under a murderous fire of round shot and shell, and reaching a point near Nelson's house, and immediately on the right of the marsh woods, were laid down under a slight elevation of the ground. Here we were joined by a detachment of the Twelfth, under Adjutant McMurtrie, who were placed on our left.
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