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 15
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The next morning our appetites were sharpened by the sight of several beeves driven in to our butchers, but before the hides were fairly taken off of them orders were received to march, but the boys cut some good slices from them and took along. Marching down the road, we passed through Fairfax to Anandale, where we turned to the left, and after a halt of an hour we moved on past Ball's cross roads to near Arlington Heights, where we bivouacked for the night. On the road we passed large numbers of wagons, artillery and fresh troops. The new regiments were easily distinguished by their white faces and full knapsacks, the one of which Old Sol had tanned for us, and the other we had learned to do without.
During the day there was some artillery fighting in the direction of Vienna, but before nine o'clock at night, all the command was inside the intrenchments of Wash- ington, excepting three corps on the Vienna and Chain Bridge roads, that did not arrive until the next day.
It may as well be stated here that General Banks was stationed along the railroad, charged with the safety of the wagon and railroad trains, and as during no time on the 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st of August, the road was interrupted between Bristoe Station and Alexandria they were withdrawn with very little loss.
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The next morning, the 3d, we moved about three miles to near the Arlington House, the late residence of the Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, where we laid in the woods until four o'clock the next afternoon, when we marched to Upton's Hill.
Here terminated our campaign with the army of Vir- ginia, under General Pope, which, though short, was arduous and severe, and its failure is not to be attributed to the want of generalship on the part of the command- ing general or his subordinates. The conduct of Gene- ral Fitz John Porter, on the 29th, when the golden op- portunity of crushing a divided foe was lost, proved fatal to the army the next day, and so clear a case was made out against him, by General Pope in his report, as to leave no doubt upon the subject. He was subsequently dismissed from the service by a court-martial, and dis- qualified from ever holding any office of honor or trust under the Government.
It may seem impossible to some that General Porter could be guilty of so dark a crime, but it must be remembered that the heart of man is now governed by the same impulses it ever has been from the earliest record, and that history furnishes many instances of men sacri- ficing their fortunes, lives, souls and even country, to avenge an insult their pride could not brook, and the only explanation we know, of the conduct of Porter, was the unfortunate address to the Army of Virginia, issued by General Pope upon assuming command of it, in which he indirectly insulted General Mcclellan and his counsellors of the Army of the Potomac.
General Pope estimated his forces on the morning of the 30th as follows : " McDowell's corps, including Rey. nold's division, twelve thousand men; Sigel's corps, seven thousand men; Reno's corps, seven thousand ; Heintzelmen's corps, seven thousand men; Porter's corps, which had been in no engagements, and was, or ought to have been, perfectly fresh, I estimated at about twelve thousand men, including the brigade of Piatt,
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which formed a part of Sturgis' division, and the only portion that ever joined me. But of this force the brig- ades of Piatt and of Griffin, numbering, as I understood, about five thousand men, had been suffered to march off at daylight on the 30th to Centreville, and were not available for operations on that day This reduced For- ter's effective force on the field to about seven thousand men, which gave me a total force of forty thousand men. Banks' corps, about five thousand strong, was at Bristow Station, in charge of the railroad trains, and of a portion of the wagon trains of the army still at that place."
Of these the general says: " As may be supposed, our troops, who had been so continually marching and fight- ing for so many days, were in a state of great exhaustion. They had had little to eat for two days previous, and the artillery and cavalry horses had been in harness and saddled continually for ten days, and had had no forage for two days previous. It may easily be imagined how little these troops, after such severe labor, and after un- dergoing such hardships and privations, were in condi- tion for active and efficient service."
In our regiment early on the 29th, it was well known that some trouble existed between Generals Pope and Porter, and that the latter would not render a cordial cooperation. This was the common conversation among the officers and men, who had gathered it upon the field, and we may here remark that among old troops it is almost a matter of impossibility to conceal the object of any extraordinary movements from them. There are always among the many thousand eyes that are watching, some who can divine the truth.
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MARCH THROUGH MARYLAND.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CROSSING THE POTOMAC. MARCH THROUGH MARYLAND. BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN. REMARKABLE INCIDENT.
THE army having been withdrawn to the defences of Washinton, General McClellan was assigned to the com- mand of it on the 2d of September. It soon after being ascertained that the enemy intended to cross the Upper Potomac into Maryland, our army was put in motion to again meet them.
On the 6th, company G, Captain Reitzel, rejoined us, they having marched down the Peninsula with the wagon trains, and the same night about nine o'clock we fell in and marched off through the woods to the pike, passing a long line of ambulances, carriages and wagons filled with our wounded from the late field, and passing over to Washington on the Long Bridge, we proceeded through the city to its outskirts on the Leesboro road where we laid down about two o'clock A. M. After a short repose, we were up and moved soon after light to Leesboro, ten miles distance, where we laid in a scrub woods until noon on the 9th, when we marched through Mechanicsville to near Brookville, and bivouacked about sunset. We were forced to leave at Leesboro, under charge of a guard, all our ammunition, rations and bag- gage, as our wagons were unloaded and taken to Wash- ington, ostensibly for clothing, and did not rejoin the regiment until after Antietam.
About noon the next day we moved to the head waters of the Patuxent river and bivouacked, and the next day to near Poplar springs. We were now ap- pmaching the neighborhood of the enemy, a company of whom were at the springs the night before. There, and all through Maryland where they had been, we found they had taken whatever they wanted, leaving the
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farmers almost destitute, paying for the articles in Con- federate money and quartermaster's orders that were not worth the paper they were written on.
On the 12th, at the urgent request of His Excellency Governor Curtin, General Reynolds was detached from the command of the Reserves, and ordered to Pennsyl. vania for the purpose of organizing the militia of the State and preparing them for armed resistance to the enemy, and General Meade was ordered to assume his position. On the morning of the same day we marched, and striking the Baltimore and Frederick turnpike passed through Ridgeville and New Market, bivouack- ing about four miles beyond the latter place. All along the route we heard the complaints of the inhabitants of the plundering operations of the "Liberating Army," that came to free "My Maryland" from the "oppressor's heel," and bring back into "their" old Union all the States. Their liberating operations, however, seemed to partake much of the nature of the vultures, coveting and devouring.
The next morning we marched about four miles, crossing the Monocacy and halting for the day and night on its banks. A brisk artillery skirmish took place during the day about eight miles from here on the side of the mountains, where we could plainly see the smoke of the guns. The day before a skirmish took place here, the enerny trying to blow up the turnpike bridge over the Monocacy, but were frustrated in their design by our cavalry. They were also driven out of Frederick, where there was a smart little street fight. While in possession of the city, the "Liberators" ordered all the stores to be opened, which they soon emptied of their contents, pay- ing for the same in their worthless trash. They also opened a recruiting office, but did not do a very thriving business.
On our march from Washington, Lieutenants Black, Company E, and Manton, Company B, were taken sick,
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and with others of the regiment were sent back to the hospitals.
Our army, which had been slowly moving through Maryland in five columns between the Potomac river and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, covering both Washington and Baltimore, was now concentrated near Frederick following closely the retiring foe. During the march the progress of reorganization, rendered necessary after the demoralizing effects of the disastrous campaign upon the Virginia side of the Potomac, rapidly progressed, the troops regaining their confidence and spirit, and being anxious to again meet the enemy.
BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN, SEPTEMBER 14TH .- On Sunday, the 14th of September, the reveille was sounded at three o'clock, and after coffee and crackers we took up our march, passing through Frederick, whose inhabi- tants were hardly up, yet we found many flags waving and bright eyes peering from the windows. We moved on the National road winding up the Catoctin Mountains past Fairview to Jerusalem on the summit, where the day before an artillery fight had taken place much to the discomfort of the enemy, one of whose caissons was exploded. This mountain separates the valley of the Monocacy from that of Catoctin, and the scenery on both sides is magnificent, equalling almost any of the kind we ever saw. Beyond was the South Mountains from whose side issued puffs of smoke from guns of the enemy, whose reports came booming over the valley. About noon we marched through Middletown, a pretty and thriving place, whose inhabitants turned out en masse to welcome us and cheer us on our way to battle. Never was a more cordial welcome given to troops than ras given to us. Bread, cakes, milk, water, fruit and tobacco, were freely given by the good people who crowded the doors and windows and lined the pave- ments, and flags and handkerchiefs were waved and flowers thrown as we passed. We felt then, for the first time during the war, we were fighting among friends.
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Marching on with happy hearts we crossed the Catoctin where the enemy had burned the bridge, mill and sur- rounding houses, and halted near its banks to make coffee.
During the morning General Pleasanton, with his cavalry and horse artillery, had been skirmishing with the enemy, and had at last driven them to Turner's Gap, of the South Mountains, where they determined to make a stand. The mountain at this point is about one thou- sand feet high, and there are two country roads, one to. the north and the other to the south of the turnpike or National road, which gave access to the crests overlook- ing the main road. The one on the north is called the " Old Hagerstown road," and the one on the south the "Old Sharpsburg road."
General Cox's division was sent to support Pleasanton, and the First brigade arrived about nine A. M., and was sent up the old Sharpsburgh road to feel the enemy and ascertain if he held the crest on that side in force. Such being found to be the case, upon the arrival of the other brigade, General Cox, being assured by Reno he would be supported by the whole of his corps, advanced to the assault. Two twenty-pound Parrots and four light guns were put in position near the pike, where they did good execution against the enemy's batteries in the gap. Colonel Scammon's brigade was deployed, and well covered with skirmishers, it moved up the slope to the left of the road to turn the enemy's right. It succeeded in gaining the crest in spite of the vigorous efforts of the enemy, who was posted behind stone walls and in the edge of timber, with a battery which poured into them canister and case shot. Colonel Cooke's brigade followed at supporting distance. A section of a battery was moved up with great difficulty and opened with canister. at very short range on the enemy's infantry, but was forced to withdraw.
The enemy several times attempted to retake the crest, but were each time repulsed. They then with-
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drew their battery to a point more to the right, and formed columns on both our flanks. It was now about noon, and a lull occurred in the contest, which lasted until about two P. M., during which time the rest of the corps came up. Upon the arrival of General Wilcox's division, General Reno ordered him to move up the old Sharpsburgh road and take a position to its right, over- looking the turnpike. Two regiments were detached to support General Cox, and a section of Captain Cook's battery was placed in position near the turn of the road, on the crest, and opened fire on the enemy's batteries across the gap. As the division was deploying, the enemy suddenly opened with a battery at short range, and drove Cook's cannoniers with their limbers from their guns and caused a temporary panic, in which the guns were nearly lost. But the Seventy-Ninth New York, and the Seventeenth Michigan rallied, and advancing soon restored order, and the division was formed in line on the right of Cox, and was kept concealed as much as possible under the hill side, until the whole line advanced. It lost heavily from the fire of the battery in front, and those on the other side of the turnpike.
Shortly before this, Generals Burnside and Reno ar- rived at the base of the mountains, and the latter was directed to move up the divisions of Sturgis and Rod- man to the crest by Cox and Wilcox, and to attack the enemy with his whole force as soon as Hooker, on the right, was well up the mountains. General Sturgis reached the scene of action about half-past three o'clock, and Clark's battery was sent to assist General Cox's left, and the Second Maryland and Sixth New Hampshire were detached and sent forward a short distance to the left of the turnpike. The balance of the division was formed in rear of Wilcox's, and Rodman's division was divided; Colonel Fairchild's brigade being placed on the extreme left, and Colonel Harland's on the right.
General McClellan ordered the whole line to move for- ward and take or silence the enemy's batteries in front,
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which was executed with enthusiasm. The enemy made desperate resistance, charging our advancing lines with firmness, but they were every where routed and fled.
The chief loss was in Wilcox's division. The enemy made an effort to turn our left about dark, but were re- pulsed, as also in their efforts to regain the lost ground in front of Sturgis and Cox. A lively fire was kept up until nearly nine o'clock, several charges being made by the enemy, and repulsed with slaughter, and we finally occupied the highest part of the mountains. General Reno, a brave and skilful soldier, was killed just before sunset.
While these operations were progressing on the left. the right, under General Hooker, was actively engaged, About two o'clock we moved forward from the Catoctin, on the main road, and turned off to the right, on the old Hagerstown road, passing through the woods and over the fields, along the base of the mountains about one mile and a half, where we rested. While moving to this position, the enemy opened upon us with several pieces of artillery, throwing their shell in close proximity, which caused great consternation among the citizens, who accompanied us to see the fun. The children laid down upon the ground, the women shrieked, and the men displayed wondrous agility in leaping the fences, which caused considerable amusement among us.
General Seymour, whose brigade occupied the ex- treme right, deployed the "Bucktails" as skirmishers to feel the enemy, with our regiment about fifty yards in their rear, as a support. Advancing up the foot hills, we soon became engaged, and drove them from a farm house, where they made considerable resistance, during which the lines of the two regiment became mixed and were not again fully separated. We drove the enemy a long distance, with the left wing of our regiment acting as a support, when coming to a stone wall, at the imme- diate base of the mountains, they rallied and made a stubborn resistance, but the impetuosity of the boys
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BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN.
carried them over it, when one of the most exciting and spirited fights took place we ever witnessed. The ground was of the most difficult character for the move- ment of troops, the mountain side being very steep and rocky, and obstructed by stone walls, rocks and timber, from behind which the enemy, in lines and squads kept up an incessant fire, as also from their guns posted upon the mountain tops. All order and regularity of the lines were soon destroyed, and the battle partook of the nature of a free fight, every one going in "on his own hook," as it suited his fancy. From wall after wall, and rock after rock, the enemy were driven until our glorious banners caught the gleam of the setting sun, that had been hid from our sight by the mountain tops. Our loud cheers of victory arose from the crest, and was rolled down the mountain side. It was dark before the battle was over, and a desultory fire was continued until near nine o'clock. Towards the close of the battle, General Hooker ordered up General Duryea's brigade of Rickett's division, but they did not arrive until after the action closed, and upon their reaching the crest, they lustily cheered the Reserves.
In his official report General McClellan says, "General Meade speaks highly of General Seymour's skill in hand- ling his brigade on the extreme right, securing by his manœuvres the great object of the movement, the out- flanking of the enemy."
While the Reserves were at work on the extreme right, General Hatch's division was engaged in a severe contest for the crest to our left, which they carried soon after dusk with considerable loss. General Gibbon with his brigade late in the afternoon moved up the turnpike and attacked the enemy's centre, and after a severe engagement which lasted until nine o'clock entirely defeated and drove him away .*
Just before the battle opened our Adjutant, A. T.
* See Appendix A.
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Cross was detailed as an Aid to General Seymour and acted with conspicuous bravery.
The troops we fought consisted of D. H. Hill's Corps, our old friend Longstreet's, and a portion of Jackson's, numbering about thirty thousand men. Our force was about the same, and our loss was three hundred and twelve killed, one thousand two hundred and thirty-four wounded and twenty-two missing, making an aggregate of one thousand, five hundred and sixty-eight. About fifteen hundred prisoners were taken by us during the battle, and the loss to the enemy in killed was much greater than our own, and probably also in wounded.
That night we slept on the mountain, and found the heavy dews chilling and damp. To the west in the valley below us the enemy's camp-fires burnt brightly all night. Through the night ammunition was received and distri- buted to the men. About one o'clock, the Adjutant of the Fifth Alabama who was probably waking up the men of his regiment to withdraw them, got among our boys in mistake, who not admiring the rough shaking he gave them, coupled with the information that the " Yanks" were near, one of them got up and knocked him down, and took him prisoner.
In the morning we were up early, and buried the dead. Among the enemy's was Colonel Gale of the Twelfth Alabama, a very gentlemanly looking fellow. Our pity was excited by a young Alabamian who had a musket ball through the forehead. He was uncon- scious, yet vitality in him was strong and he swallowed water freely.
A rather remarkable incident occurred in this battle. In the regiment there was a man who had been through the Mexican and this war, but who had never been in a battle, he always shirking, and neither the threats of his officers or ridicule of his comrades could induce him to go into danger, as he declared he had a presentiment when a boy that he would be killed the first fight he went into. Some of his comrades. however, determined he should go into this battle, and threatened
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to shoot him if he did not. Soon after his regiment got under fire he laid down behind a trunk of a tree where he was perfectly safe, but seeing a large rock a few feet . from him, he got up to go to it, and the instant he rose he fell dead with nine of the enemy's balls in him. What ever could have induced him to go a soldiering a second time after he had discovered his failing we cannot imagine .*
Before we left the field, General Seymour thanked Captain Byrnes and the regiment for their conduct during the battle.
The Reserves moved off about nine A. M., but we were detained on the mountain until noon, when we marched to the turnpike along which we moved to Boonsboro', where we found the churches and buildings filled with the enemy's wounded. Large numbers of prisoners were also there under guard, and further on we passed many more, the most of whom had voluntarily come in and given themselves up to the citizens. Here early in the day our cavalry overtook the enemy's and charging them, killed and wounded a number and cap- tured two hundred and fifty prisoners and two guns.
At Boonsboro' we turned to the left, and marched to Keedysville, where we halted for several hours. Here the boys were most liberally supplied with hot cakes and bread by Mr. John Cost, a good Union citizen of that place, and from whom Captain Byrnes got liquor enough to give the men a ration. Just before dark we moved off and bivouacked in an orchard.
. * Bravery is born in us and not acquired. It lies in the blood and is a species of instinct. It is involuntary, and depends not upon ourselves. It is always thoughtlessly impetuous and is inspired by the impulse of example, the blindness arising from common danger, and the heat of battle.
Courage, which is generally confounded with bravery, is not always united with it. It is in the soul, and is a real virtue, a sublime and noble sentiment. It is the result of reflection, of education and sometimes of misfortune. It is animated by patriotism, self-respect and a zeal for the cause engaged in. It is not inaccessible to fear ; but it overcomes it. Bravery in the hour of danger is sometimes weakened by reflection ; courage is always strengthened by it.
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CHAPTER XIX.
THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM. FIELD HOSPITALS. THE ENEMY WITHDRAWN TO VIRGINIA. PORTER'S RECONNOISSANCE. VISIT OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
DURING the day the army under Mcclellan had been concentrated in the neighborhood of Antietam creek, where the enemy was found occupying a strong position on the heights to the westward of it. Some artillery firing had taken place between our advance and the enemy, but it amounted to little on either side.
BATTLE OF ANTIETAM, SEPTEMBER 16TH AND 17TH .-- Antietam creek, in this vicinity, is crossed by four stone bridges-the upper one on the Keedysville and Williamsport road; the second on the Keedysville and Sharpsburg turnpike, some two and a half miles below; the third about a mile below the second, on the Rhorer- ville and Sharpsburg; and the fourth near the mouth of Antietam creek, on the road leading from Harper's Ferry to Sharpsburg, some three miles below the third. The stream is sluggish, with few and difficult fords.
The enemy had the mass of his troops concealed be- hind the heights to the west of the creek. Their left and centre were upon and in front of the Sharpsburg and Hagerstown turnpike, hidden by woods and irregulari- ties of the ground; their extreme left resting upon a wooded eminence near the cross roads to the north of J. Miller's farm, their left resting upon the Potomac. Their line extending south, the right resting upon the hills to the south of Sharpsburg, near Sheavely's farm. On all favorable points the enemy's artillery was posted, and their reserves hidden from view by the hills, on which their line of battle was formed, could manœuvre unob- served by our army, and from the shortness of their line could rapidly reinforce any point threatened by our
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attack. Their position, stretching across the angle formed by the Potomac and Antietam, their flanks and rear protected by these streams, was one of the strongest to be found in this region of country, which is well adapted to defensive warfare.
On the right, near Keedysville, on both sides of the Sharpsburg turnpike, were Sumner's and Hooker's corps. In advance, on the right of the turnpike and near Antie- tam creek, General Richardson's division of Sumner's corps was posted. General Sykes' division of General Porter's corps was on the left of the turnpike and in line with General Richardson's, protecting the bridge on the Keedysville and Sharpsburg pike. The left of the line, opposite to and some distance from the bridge on the Rohrersville and Sharpsburg road, was occupied by Gene- ral Burnside's corps. In front of General Sumner's and Hooker's corps, near Keedysville, and on the ridge of the first line of hills overlooking the Antietam, and between the pike and Fry's house on the right of the road were placed Captains Taft's, Von Kleiser's, and Lieutenant Weaver's batteries of 20-pounder Parrott guns. On the crest of the hill in the rear and right of the bridge on the Rohrersville and Sharpsburg road; Captain Weed's 3-inch and Lieutenant Benjamin's 20- pounder batteries, General Franklin's corps and Couch's division held a position in Pleasant valley in front of Brownsville, with a strong force of the enemy in their front.
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