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 17
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General McClellan, in his report, blames Burnside for unnecessary delay, and says: "If this important move- ment had been consummated two hours earlier, a posi- tion would have been secured upon the heights, from which our batteries might have enfiladed the greater part of the enemy's line, and turned their right and rear; our victory might thus have been much more decisive."
During the afternoon the Reserves were withdrawn from the woods and put in position behind the first line in an open field, giving place to fresh troops. This was necessary, as their ammunition was entirely expended and they had been upon the field for nearly twenty-four hours, and suffered severely.
Thus terminated the long and desperately fought bat- tle of Antietam, in which for fourteen hours nearly two hundred thousand men and five hundred pieces of artil- lery were engaged. The position occupied by the enemy was selected by their commander, General Lee, a most experienced engineer. They were driven from it on one flank, and a lodgement was effected within it on the other. Our soldiers slept that night conquerors on the field won by their valor .*
* See Appendix A.
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THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.
The loss of the division was six hundred and one, officers and men, and of the army twelve thousand four hundred and sixty-nine. Almost one-third more of the enemy's dead were counted and buried upon the field by our own men than we lost. This is conclusive evidence that the enemy sustained much greater loss than we.
Thirteen guns, thirty-nine colors, upwards of fifteen thousand stand of small arms, and more than six thou- sand prisoners were the trophies we captured.
General Meade received a contusion from a spent grape-shot, and had two horses killed under him.
Captain Byrnes and Lieutenant Ross acted with con- spicuous bravery, and the conduct of the non-commis- sioned officers and men is deserving of all praise. All the companies with the exception of one were left with- out officers. Never on any field did the men display more courage, discipline and self-reliance. Not one shirked, lagged or faltered, but all seemed determined, as they expressed it, to see what they could do on their own hook. Never for one moment during both day's fight, did their lines falter or break, or show any more irregularity than is incidental to all fields, excepting upon the occasion alluded to, when they were borne down by the weight of fire.
When we broke and were driven across the field, a chicken was scared up, which displayed equal alacrity with the men in its flight to the rear, and a most ani- mated race for life or death took place between them, but the Sergeant-major seizing a favorable opportunity threw himself. upon the ground and captured the prize, which furnished a most sumptuous repast.
On the 18th the attack on the enemy was not renewed, as the troops were much exhausted by the severe and protracted battle, together with the long day and night marches which they had been subjected to during the previous three days. They were in need of rations, which could not be supplied to them until late in the day, and many of them had suffered from hunger. A large num-
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ber of the heaviest and most efficient batteries had expended all their ammunition, and it was impossible to supply them until near night. The infantry were also short of ammunition. Besides this, reinforcements to the number of fourteen thousand men, and the whole Pennsylvania militia under General Reynolds were ex- pected during the day ; therefore, the day was spent in collecting the dispersed, giving rest to the fatigued, removing the wounded, burying the dead, and prepar- ing for a renewal of the battle.
By night almost all the wounded were collected in and around the different farm houses and buildings, where equal attention and kindness was shown to our own and the enemy's. Rude tables were put up, on which the operations were performed, and from which dripped the blood, while near by them were the ampu- tated arms and legs. The wounded laid near these gazing at the sight, and patiently awaiting their turn to be lifted upon the tables, around which the surgeons stood with their sleeves rolled up, performing their operations with perfect coolness and seeming indifference. If a surgeon was to permit the feelings of sympathy to enter his heart, it might unnerve him and prove fatal to the poor sufferer. Where there are thousands of cases which require immediate attention, and which it will take the limited number of surgeons several days to attend to, the individual is overlooked for the good of the mass. When the probabilities are strongly against saving a man, he is not operated upon, but made as easy as circum- stances will admit, and the same principle is applied to the saving or losing of a limb. This is an imperative necessity that the exigency of the occasion requires. After the operations were got through with, the patients were laid on straw or hay in the buildings or on the grass in rows, and over them were stretched blankets to protect them from the rays of the sun. Water, food, and stimulants were distributed to them by the nurses, and the stretcher-men removed and buried those that died.
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ADVANCE TO THE POTOMAC.
Large numbers of farmers of Maryland and Pennsyl- vania visited the hospitals, bringing with them bread, cakes, pies, cooked poultry, milk, etc., which they dis- tributed to the wounded, and every one of them appeared proud to get a soldier to take home with him to nurse.
Adjutant Cross and Lieutenant Wimpfheimer were buried in the village church yard, at Keedysville. The Adjutant was subsequently removed to Philadelphia, and over Wimpfheimer was placed a handsome stone.
In the latter part of the day, as the enemy were pass- ing troops from the Virginia shore, our division was ordered into line, it being presumed they meditated some offensive movement, but during the night, they appeared to have altered their intentions, and abandoning their position retreated across the river, accomplishing the movement before daylight.
When our cavalry advance reached the river early on the morning of the 19th, it was discovered that nearly all the enemy's forces had crossed into Virginia during the night, their rear escaping under cover of eight batteries, placed in strong positions upon the elevated bluff's on the opposite bank. The whole army was moved forward to occupy a new position nearer the river, our division marching early in the morning to the front and right, about three miles, crossing the Hagerstown and Sharps- burg turnpike, and halting near the Potomac, above Sharpsburgh.
Our route took us over and along the enemy's line of battle, and we found the fields and woods literally covered with their dead. At one point, where they had crossed the fields and pike obliquely, and where they must have received a terrific fire of musketry, the formation of their lines was distinctly marked by their dead, who were stretched in long rows, showing at the time they received the fire, they were well dressed. The effect of this fire must have been crushing, none of their dead laying in front of their line, though to the rear, the ground was covered with them.
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General Griffin, with a detachment from his own and Barnes's brigade, of the Fifth Corps, was ordered to cross the river at dark, and carry the enemy's batteries, which was gallantly done under a heavy fire; several guns, caisons, etc., being taken, and their support driven back half a mile.
From information obtained during the progress of this affair, it was conjectured that the mass of the enemy had retreated on the Charlestown and Martinsburg road, towards Winchester. To verify this, and to ascertain how far the enemy had retired, General Porter was au. thorized to send out on the morning of the 20th, a recon- noitring party in great force. This detachment crossed the river, and advanced about a mile, when it was am- bushed by a large body of the enemy lying in the woods, and driven back across the river with considerable loss, which showed that the enemy was still in force on the Virginia side of the Potomac, prepared to resist our further advance. It was in this affair that the One Hun- dred and Eighteenth Pennsylvania volunteers, ("Corn Exchange Regiment,") was so badly cut up.
It having been reported that the enemy, under Gene- ral Stuart, numbering four thousand cavalry, six guns, and ten thousand infantry, had crossed the Potomac to the Maryland side, at Williamsport, General McClellan sent Couch, with his division and a part of Pleasanton's cavalry, and with Franklin's Corps within supporting distance, to endeavor to capture them. General Couch made a prompt and rapid march to Williamsport, and attacked the enemy vigorously, but they made their escape across the river.
On the 20th General Williams' corps occupied Mary- land Heights, and on the 22d General Sumner took pos- session of Harper's Ferry.
The main body of the enemy was at this time concen trated near Martinsburg and Bunker Hill, and occupied itself in drafting and coercing every able-bodied citizen into the ranks, forcibly taking their property, where it
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VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT.
was not voluntarily offered, burning bridges and destroy- ing railroads.
. General McClellan not feeling it prudent to cross the river in pursuit of the enemy, stationed his army along the north bank in position to cover and guard the fords, and commenced the work of reorganizing, re-equipping - and drilling.
On the 1st of October His Excellency the President visited the army and remained several days, during which he went through the different encampments, re- viewed the troops, visited the hospitals, and went over the battle-fields of South Mountain and Antietam.
On the 10th, General Stuart crossed the upper Poto- mac at McCoy's Ferry, with two thousand cavalry and a battery of horse-artillery, on a raid into Maryland and Pennsylvania, and although immediate disposition of troops were made to intercept him, from the orders not being carried out, he was enabled to escape, recrossing the river at White's Ford below the Monocacy.
CHAPTER XX.
CROSSING THE POTOMAC. MARCH THROUGH VIRGINIA. WARREN- . TON. GENERAL MCCLELLAN SUPERCEDED. REMOVAL OF GENE- RAL FITZ JOHN PORTER. OUR VIRGINIA FRIENDS. BOMBARD- MENT OF FREDERICKSBURG. LAYING PONTOONS.
ON the 6th General Mcclellan received orders to "cross the Potomac, and give battle to the enemy, or drive him south." The order stated, that if he crossed between the enemy and Washington, he could be rein. forced to the extent of thirty thousand men; but if he moved up the valley of the Shenandoah, not more than twelve or fifteen thousand could be sent to him. It was not, however, until the 26th, that the advance guard of
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the army crossed the Potomac. On that day, two divi- sions of the Ninth corps, and Pleasanton's brigade of cavalry, crossed at Berlin. The First, Sixth and Ninth corps, the cavalry, and the reserve artillery, also crossed there between the 26th of October and the 2d of Novem- ber. The Second and Fifth corps crossed at Harper's Ferry, between the 29th of October and the 1st of November.
The plan of campaign adopted by General Mcclellan was to move the army, well in hand, parallel to the Blue Ridge, taking Warrenton as the point of direction for the main army ; seizing each pass on the Blue Ridge by detachments, as we approached it, and guarding them after we had passed, as long as they would enable the enemy to trouble our connections with the Potomac.
Upon the death of Adjutant Cross, Lieutenant John J. Ross, who was the only officer with the regiment, except- ing Captain Byrnes, was appointed Acting Adjutant until the return of Sergeant-Major E. M. Woodward, who had been promoted Adjutant. About the same time, Colo- nal McCandless, with a number of officers and men, who had recovered from their wounds, also returned.
Our regiment broke camp on the 26th, and marched, during a heavy rain-storm, to Berlin, which we reached on the 27th, the rain continuing all night. On the 29th, we crossed the river on the pontoons, and encamped near Lovettsville, Virginia, where we were inspected by General Seymour, and mustered for pay on the 31st.
On the first of November, we marched through Water- ford, and encamped about a mile from Hamilton, where we laid the next day. While here, Lieutenant H. P. Kennedy, Sergeant James McCormick and Corporal A. McK. Storrie were detailed to proceed to Harrisburg to bring on drafted men, which they did not get.
The next day, at noon, the division marched, and before dark we passed through Philomont and bivouacked about a mile beyond, near Snicker's Gap, on a field where there had been an artillery skirmish in the morn-
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A WEARISOME MARCH.
ing, the ground being strewed with dead borsa shells, etc. The next morning early, we moved about a mile to Uniontown, and halted there until three P. M., when we marched on, passing Franklin's corps and Couch's divi- sion at their bivouacs, and laid for the night on a high table land. That night, a number of the officers and men of the One hundred and-nineteenth, Colonel Ell- maker's, and the Twenty-third, Birney's old regiment, visited us, all being from Philadelphia.
The next morning, (the 5th,) we moved at seven o'clock, in a southeasterly direction, fording the Panther- skin, a deep, broad creek, and, passing through Middle- burg, halted on its confines for dinner. In the town, we found quite a large number of wounded "Greybacks" from Bull Run, with whom the boys conversed freely. At four in the afternoon, we took up our march again, moving slowly and tediously, halting continually, some- times every few hundred yards, as there was a long wagon-train ahead of us, and the roads were exceedingly bad. At last, long after dark, we passed through White Plains, on the Manassas Gap Railroad, and moving two miles beyond, were halted, and then countermarched nearly a mile and put into a heavy woods to bivouac. Hardly had the boys built their fires, before orders came for our regiment to go on picket. It was then about midnight, and all were weary, for we had been fourteen hours marching sixteen miles, but as orders are given to be obeyed, we consoled ourselves with the thought, that "there is no rest for the wicked," and moved off about a mile to the front; and spent the balance of the night watching for the foe, who did not appear.
The next morning we marched into camp, and imme- diately took our position in the line, and moved off towards Warrenton, the infantry keeping on the fields to leave the road clear for the artillery. When we arrived within three miles of the town, at the gap between Water and Pig-Nut Mountains, through which the road passed, our regiment being in advance, we were deployed as
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skirmishers, General Reynolds supposing the enemy would make some show of resistance there. Companies A, B, and H, under the command of Captain McDonough, were deployed to the right of the road to feel the woods for the enemy ; and companies D, E and G, under Major Neide, to the left for the same purpose, the reserve, con- sisting of C and K, following close in the rear. The whole, under McCandless, advanced rapidly through the dense underbrush over the crest of the mountains, which being found clear of the enemy, they reunited beyond the Gap, our regiment then advancing upon the road, with the "Bucktails" on our right and the First on our left, until we came to the clear ground, when the flank- ing regiments filed into the road, and we entered the town of Warrenton at four P. M. Of course, our entrance was not received by the inhabitants with the joy that the entrance of their friends, the "Greybacks," would have been, the female portion of the community remaining in their houses, and those of the men who showed them- selves, looking on in silence. Our eyes, however, were gladdened by the sight of sundry Confederates who were captured, and who, perhaps, remained behind for that purpose. Moving on about a mile, we encamped near the ground we occupied in August last, a few days pre- ceding the second battle of Bull Run.
Warrenton, like all other towns we occupied, we found completely stripped of everything in the way of food, clothing, etc .: the chivalry having completely cleaned it out. The stores were all closed for want of goods, and business of all kinds was suspended. We found it im- . possible to obtain bread, or any other article of food, at any price, and although our occupation proved a great relief to the inhabitants, and those of the surrounding country, in obtaining supplies, we were not welcomed.
With the exception of a violent snow-storm, nothing of note occurred while we laid at this camp, until the morning of the 10th, when we were called out to bid farewell to General Mcclellan, the then love and idol of
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PLANS OF THE CAMPAIGN.
the Army of the Potomac, who had been relieved of his command, and superceded by General Burnside. His departure from the army was a scene never to be for. gotten ; the deafening shouts of the columns he had so often led to honor; the caps tossed high in the air; the tears, those true tests of affection, stealing their courses down the weather- beaten cheeks of the veterans of the Peninsula, truly told the deep hold he had upon the hearts of the men. The officers of some of the regiments sent in their resignations in a body, but their generals returned tbem, with a gentle admonition.
General Fitz John Porter soon after was relieved of his command and was subsequently dishonourably dis- missed the service, by sentence of a court-martial, for his conduct at Bull Run, and forever prohibited from occupying any position of honor or trust under the Government, but we are not aware of there being any particular amount of "weeping and wailing and gnash- ing of teeth" at the event.
It is not clearly known to the author what plan of campaign General McClellan would have pursued if he had continued in command of the army, though it is certain he at one time contemplated an advance on Rich- mond, via Culpeper and Gordonsville. It is also known that he gave preparatory orders for the rebuilding of the wharves and the Aquia Creek Railroad, which clearly indicated an advance via Fredericksburg.
The plan of operations proposed by General Burzside was to throw a considerable body of troops across the river at Rappahannock Station, and make a feint as if to advance by way of Culpeper, and then by a rapid movement down the north bank of the Rappahannock to cross the river, seize and fortify the heights in the rear of Fredericksburg, and advance on Richmond, hold- ing the railroad as his line of communication. This plan was approved by the authorities at Washington and car- ried out to a certain extent by General Burnside.
At eleven o'clock on the morning of the 11th, our
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division moved in a southwesterly course to near Fay- etteville, about two miles from the Rappahannock, where we arrived a little before dark and bivouacked among some scrub oaks.
The next day our regiment went on picket for twenty- four hours, and had a very pleasant time.
On the 16th, General Seymour, at his own request, was relieved of the command of our brigade, his health not permitting him to undertake a winter campaign. The general was a gallant and accomplished officer, a high strung and honorable gentleman, and as he had served with us in every battle up to Antietam, we parted from him with regret.
Colonel William Sinclair, Sixth Reserves, superceded him in command of our brigade.
At eight o'clock on the morning of the 17th, during a drizzling rain, we took up our march, pursuing a gene- ral course down the river, passing by Bealton Station, Morrisville, the Gold mines, and Grove Churches. About dark, and it soon became intensely dark, we were taken into a dense woods to bivouac, but such was the thick growth of underbrush it was found impossible for the men to advance, and we were " about faced" and marched out again, and ordered to seek a position somewhere in the neighborhood: The colonel selected a hill near the head-quarters of General Meade, where we slept soundly through the rain. It is the duty of the staff officer, who selects the bivouac ground to examine it and see if it is suitable, which was not done in this instance.
The next morning we moved at nine o'clock along the fields to Hartwood, where we took the road to Staf- ford Court House. About noon we were forced to halt, to repair the road, after which we moved on, crossing Potomac creek, and ascending an almost perpendicular hill, filled with deep ruts and large boulders, which re- quired the united teams of several guns to haul one piece up it. The men toiled on manfully through the deep mud, for it had been raining all day. Towards
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dark we bivouacked on the banks of Occakeek creek, three miles from the court house.
That day the Fifth Reserves was detached from our brigade, and put into the Third, which gave their colonel, J. W. Fisher, the command of the brigade. Consider- able cannonading was heard through the day, in the direction of the upper fords of the Rappahannock.
Weremained in this camp until the 22d, during which time it rained constantly, and heavy details were made from the regiment for fatigue duty, to corduroy roads. To prevent depredations from being committed on pri- vate property, orders were issued to have hourly roll calls in each regiment.
On the morning above-mentioned we moved at eight through the fields bordering on the Telegraph road, passing through Stafford Court House to Brooks Station, on the Aquia creek and Frederickburg Railroad, where we arrived about noon and encamped on the brow of a hill overlooking an extensive meadow. Here we found the remains of the enemy's huts in which they spent the previous winter. The next day our sutler arrived with a load of goods, which were soon disposed of to the boys, who were particularly in need of tobacco.
On the 25th Major Horace Neide resigned on account of disability from wounds received at the battle of Glen- dale.
On the 1st of December Major Pomeroy arrived and paid our regiment off, four months being due them.
While we laid here we received a full supply of clothing, some of the men being almost barefooted and without blankets, and many of them in need of stock- ings, under-clothing and great coats. Our rations were also made full and liberal, and the men appeared in most excellent spirits.
Our regiment went on picket once a week, and although in pleasant weather it is preferable to laying in camp, it is far from being so in winter, particularly during a rain or snow storm. Upon one occasion we
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were notified the line was to be changed, and the regi- ments were formed soon after daybreak and an aid-de- camp to General Meade came to conduct us. A snow of six inches had fallen through the night, which made our marching through the heavily ladened pines any thing but agreeable, but after plodding on for a couple of miles we reached the left of the new line and com- menced dropping out the companies and regiments in their position. The line was about three miles long, and when we reached the right of it, where our regi- ment was stationed, we found ourselves about a half mile from camp. It is unnecessary to observe that the aid received many blessings upon his head of a ques- tionable character.
A diagram of the line was given to an officer to estab- lish the new line by, who, after consultation with the proprietor of the property, proceeded to do so, being assured that there was but one road through the planta- tion. After the pickets were posted, however, he was dissatisfied with the line as its right rested on no natural obstruction. Finding no further information could be obtained at the house, he proceeded to examine the woods, and following what at first was supposed to be a ravine, in a half mile Aquia creek was found. The cause of the proprietor's deception was very apparent, as a small barn, several stacks of hay, a number of cows, calves, and chickens were found in this out-of-the-way place, and a large fishing house was located on the creek. The line was immediately changed, to the infinite dis- gust of our friend, who of course, aside from his own interest, would like to have had it defective. It is un- necessary to observe that no account of stock was taken upon our arrival or departure.
The field and staff of our regiment and the Eighth, made Mr. S-'s house headquarters, where, in despite of circumstances, they were soon on most sociable terms with the family. This is a matter most easily accom- plished if rightly managed; all that is necessary being
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to show a due respect to their feelings and sentiments, and to get the right side of the old lady. Before we had been in the house long, some of the officers were busily engaged in assisting in the household affairs, cutting wood, cleaning the clock, white-washing the parlor chimney, and chasing the sheep back into the pen. In fact we made ourselves at home and generally useful, and only one incident occurred to mar our pleasure, and that was, at precisely eight o'clock, P. M., the old gentle- man bid us good-night, and with his family retired. This was equally annoying to the young ladies as it was to us, and was a serious evil that required remedy- ing. Many were the plans of operations devised during the ensuing week, but our picket turn came before any was matured. To turn the clock back was a stale trick that probably the old gentleman had had played upon him before, and something new must be devised. But " fortune favors the brave" and luckily the old gentle- man was slightly indisposed. Of course he applied to our most estimable surgeon for relief, and then it was that a bright idea entered the doctor's head. After due examination a couple of opium pills were administered. with a good glass of old Cognac to rinse them down. About seven o'clock the old gentleman commenced nod- ding, and soon afterwards showed decided symptoms of drowsiness, and every few minutes rallying himself he would inquire the time, and fearing we reported wrongly he got up frequently and examined the clock himself. He then tried to walk the floor, but all to no purpose, and at last with eyes half closed and unable hardly to speak, he retired much to the satisfaction of all.
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