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 19
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The loss of the First Corps was :
FIRST DIVISION,-GENERAL A. DOUBLEDAY.
Officers, .
12
Men,
. 199
Total, .
211
* Taken from the official report of Major-general John F. Rey. nolds commanding First Army Corps.
للم فصل
mg ollal
243
LOSS OF THE RESERVES.
SECOND DIVISION,-GENERAL JOHN GIBBON.
Officers, .
76
Men, .
. 1,180
Total, .
. 1,256
THIRD DIVISION,-GENERAL GEORGE G. MEADE Killed.
Officers, .
13
Men, ·
158
Total, .
171
Wounded.
Officers, .
52
Men,
·
.
. 1,150
Total, .
. 1,202
Missing.
Officers, .
12
Men,
. 457
Total, .
469
Aggregate.
Officers, .
·
·
77
Men, .
.
·
. 1,765
Total. .
. 1,842
Recapitulation.
First Division,
211
Second Division,
. 1,256
Third Division,
.
.
. . 1,82
Total, .
. 3,309
·
·
.
FA
"*
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OUR CAMPAIGNS ..
It will be observed that our division lost more than both the others added together .*
There are some incidents that occurred during the battle that are worth relating. When we laid under a terrific shelling, prior to the charge, private John A. Camp, Company A, Eleventh Reserves, was killed in the rear of our regiment, and General Meade, through . some queer fancy, ordered one of our officers to have him buried. A grave was dug with bayonets and hands, and wrapping the soldier in his blanket he was laid in his honorable grave, while the shells were singing his requiem over head. Nearly eighty dollars was found upon his person, which was turned over to the officer commanding his company.
Young Charles Upjohn, Company K, captured the Nineteenth Georgia's flag, but the captain of Camp's company unjustly and ungenerously took it from him, and claimed the honor himself.
A boy of about fifteen shot a Union soldier, and dropping his rifle, ran, but was pursued by two men, who were on the point of bayonetting him, when an officer interfered and saved his life. It was some time before the boy could comprehend what the intention of the officer was, and so thoroughly convinced was he that the Yankees would kill him, that he followed the officer through the hottest portion of the battle, preferring to run his risk with him, than to trusting himself with any one else.
An amusing incident occurred during the charge. A captain of the - - regiment received a slight wound on his knee, and down he went to the ground, but for- tunately a stretcher was near, and he was lifted help- lessly upon it, and started for the rear. They had not proceeded far, with their precious charge, before a shell exploded in close proximity, when the wounded officer, springing to his feet, cried out, " Hike out, boys, that's too
* See Appendix A.
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INCIDENTS.
hot for me," and, suiting his action to his words, ran like a deer, leaving the amazed carriers far in the rear .*
Color-sergeant William Derr, who was as brave a boy as ever wore a blue coat, was shot on the plateau as we were crossing the fence. Colonel McCandless ordered a couple of men to carry him to the rear, but he refused to permit them, telling them to "take the flag and go on."
Our flagstaff was cut in two, by a round shot, when we were lying down. The boys, jumping to their feet, gave three cheers and then laid down again.
Dr. Donnelly having been detailed to division field hos- pital, Dr. Coleman was left in charge of our regiment, and before night all our wounded men were collected together in one house, where they received all the kindness that could be bestowed upon them. Coffee and gruel was soon furnished them, and hardly a groan escaped their lips.
Every thing passed off quietly through the night, and the next day, although we were under arms several times, and cannonading continued off and on all day. Colonel William Sinclair, having been severely wounded, the command of our brigade devolved upon Colonel McCandless, and Captain McDonough having received an injury in his eye the day before, Captain Mealey took command of the regiment.
On Saturday night, General Burnside determined upon the insane renewal of the assault upon the works in the
* No one is more entitled to our pity than he who, having en- tered the army without consulting his own heart, discovers in the hour of danger, that he is deficient in courage. If he continues in the service, he will assuredly be covered with disgrace ; and if the army regulations would permit him to resign, except for disability, the reason will be discovered, whatever pains he may take to con- ceal it; thus in either case he will find himself exposed to the deri- sion and contempt of his comrades. A clergyman may impose upon the world by the exterior of gravity, and may feign a piety which he does not feel, but the coward cannot long maintain with success that of bravery, for the trial is too severe.
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OUR CAMPAIGNS.
rear of Fredericksburg, on the following morning, and the column of attack was formed, but through the urgent solicitation of General Sumner, who represented that he did not know of any general officer who approved it, be countermanded the order. Through Sunday night there was considerable picket firing, and on Monday a flag of · truce was agreed upon, to bring off the wounded and bury the dead, for which purpose details were made from the various regiments.
On Monday night, the 15th, soon after dark, we were got under arms, and leaving our camp fires brightly burn- ing, moved slowly and noiseless towards the river, which we crossed on muffled pontoons, and moved back about a mile. The crossing on the right was soon afterwards commenced, and by morning the whole army was safely over, without the loss of a man or a gun. A more com- plete or successful evacuation of a position had not been made during the war.
The battle of Fredericksburg was lost, the bright hopes of the Nation and the army were blasted, and the victory that was within our grasp was gone forever. Let us review briefly, some of the causes of it. On the 17th of November, General Sumner arrived at Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, which at that time was garri- soned by about five hundred Confederate troops. The general expected to find the pontoons there when he arrived, or very soon afterwards. If such had been the case, he would have seized the crest in the rear of the town, and the enemy would have been forced to have given battle at some other point nearer Richmond. The pontoons did not arrive for over three weeks afterwards, thus enabling the enemy to concentrate his forces and to fortify his extraordinarily strong position.
If General Burnside had kept himself properly posted as to the whereabouts of the pontoons, and had not ad- vanced on Fredericksburg, thereby divulging to the enemy his plan of campaign, until the time of their arrival, and had made feint movements towards Culpeper,
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STRENGTH OF THE ARMIES.
he might have taken the enemy by surprise at Frede- ricksburg, and have accomplished the same end.
It has been shown if General Franklin had properly supported Meade's charge, a victory was almost certain to have resulted to our arms.
While these faults are apparent on our side, it is equally clear that the enemy did not make proper use of his victory. If he had set fire to Fredericksburg, at any time between the close of the battle on the 13th and the night of the 15th, and have opened with all his guns and made a grand charge with his infantry, the result must have been most fearful to the Union army.
The Union force upon the south side of the river was about one hundred thousand men, not more than fifty thousand of whom were engaged in battle. The Confede- rate forces have been variously estimated at from one hundred to two hundred thousand men, but probably eighty-five thousand is nearer the mark. The Union army never went into battle in better spirits than they did that day, they being confident of victory and believ- ing it would be the last great battle of the war.
CHAPTER XXII.
PICKET TRUCE AND FIGHTING. FAREWELL OF GENERAL MEADE. THE MUD EXPEDITION. GENERAL BURNSIDE RELIEVED BY GENERAL HOOKER. ORDERED TO ALEXANDRIA. TO FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE. PICKET AT BULL RUN. CAPTURE OF GENERAL STOUGHTON. PROMOTIONS.
UpON our re-crossing, our regiment and the "Buck- tails" were immediately detailed to guard the river below the lower pontoon bridges, and opposite the Bernard House, and before daylight we had a number of good rifle pits dug to shelter the men in. As daylight ap- proached, a few stragglers could be seen hurrying towards
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OUR CAMPAIGNS.
the river, and some hours afterwards the enemy's scouts appeared; but lo-the blue birds had flown. On the left of our line, the most amicable relationship was established between the pickets, they coming down to the river banks and conversing freely, expressing their mutual regrets that they had no means of visiting one another.
"How are you Yanks; I guess you found it rather 'unhealthy over here."
" How are you Rebs ; how did you like Antietam ?"
" About as well as you liked Bull Run."
" Can't you sing us ' My Maryland.'"
" D-n Maryland, can't you rig up a raft and come orer and trade ?"
Late in the afternoon some of the boys of Company C, gut permission of one of our officers to come down and talk with them.
" Why don't you officers go home, and let us privates settle the war."
" How do you want to settle it ?"
" Why, you Yanks go home and let us alone, and we won't come up north to fight you."
"Then you want your independence acknowledged ?" " Certainly ; that's what we are fighting for."
And this is the universal sentiment throughout the whole South. They have been willing and anxious for peace from the beginning, but only on these inadmissible terms.
On the right of the line, these amicable relations were not maintained. A fine horse was discovered on the south side of the river, and some of Company H deter- mined to kill it. Soon after several shots were fired, a bat- tery posted in our rear, supposing we were engaged with the enemy, opened fire, one shell blowing a small fraction of the Southern Confederacy into atoms. Two others at the same time were wounded. Some of the shells, how- ever, were cut short, and a piece of one struck one of our officers on the hand and buried itself between his
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249
WHITE OAK CHURCH.
feet, without inflicting more than a painful blow. Soon after, Captain Mealey, while standing behind a rifle-pit, received a most painful wound in the right arm from a sharpshooter behind a tree. Companies B and H imme- diately opened an enfilading fire upon the tree, and there is no doubt the rascal was killed. Captain Mealey's loss was severely felt, he being one of our most gallant officers. The senior officer present declining to assume the command, it devolved upon the adjutant.
About this time the extreme right, became briskly . engaged with the pickets across the river, some of whom occupied a frame house. The "Bucktails" mounted a "Quaker gun," and going through all the motions of the gunners fired in volleys, skedaddling the enemy from the house, they at first being deceived by them. Towards night, the enemy called over that as we had wounded some of their men whom they wanted to get and take care of, and as it was getting cold, we had better stop fighting, build fires, cook our suppers and go to sleep. The proposition was at once agreed to, and soon bright fires lined both banks of the river, and the boys were talking and joking as if they were old friends.
Towards night Captain Connors rejoined and took command of the regiment, he having recovered from his wound at Bull Run. Late that night we were relieved by some New York troops, and proceeded to a neigh- boring woods, built fires and slept with the Twenty-fourth Michigan Volunteers.
The next morning we marched into camp, where Cap- tain McDonough assumed command of the regiment. The day after at noon we struck tents and marched about five miles and bivouacked in an open field. The next morning, the 20th, we marched early, about one mile, and formed an encampment in a thick pine forest on a hill- side near White Oak Church.
Here the boys made themselves as comfortable as cir- cumstances would permit. Some of them dug pits about two feet deep which they logged up some distance above
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250
OUR CAMPAIGNS.
ground and stretched their shelter tents over. Comfort- able fire-places and chimneys were built, and with an abundance of dry leaves to sleep upon, they got along quite comfortably. Two or four generally bunked together, and by splicing blankets and laying "spoon fashion" they slept quite warm.
Nothing of importance occurred until the 25th, when Major-General Meade being assigned to the command of the Fifth Army Corps, bid farewell to our division in the following order :
GENERAL ORDER, No. 101.
HEADQUARTERS, THIRD DIVISION, December 25th, 1862.
In announcing the above order, which separates the commanding general from the division, he takes occasion to express to the off ers and men, that notwithstanding his just pride at be ig promoted to a higher command, he experiences a de p feeling of regret at parting from those with whom } . has been so long associated, and to whose services he here acknowledges his indebtedness for whatever rep ition he may have acquired.
The commanding general will never cease to remem- ber that he belonged to the Reserve Corps; he will watch with eagerness for the deeds of fame which he feels sure they will enact under the command of his successors, and, although sadly reduced in numbers from the casual- ties of battle, yet he knows the Reserves will always be ready and prompt to uphold the honor and glory of their State.
By command of MAJOR-GENERAL MEADE.
(Signed.)
EDWARD C. BAIRD, A. A. G.
The command of our division now devolved upon · Colonel Horatio G. Sickel, of the Third Reserves, who
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251
BURNSIDE'S MUD EXPEDITION.
was one of our most gallant officers, he having served with great credit and ability through all the battles we had fought.
While we laid here we experienced constant and heavy rain and snow storms, that turned our encampment into a vast mud puddle, and rendered the roads almost impassable. Almost daily details were made from the regiments to corduroy the roads, and we passed our time about as disagreeably as possible.
As early as the 26th, orders were received to have three days rations in haversacks and sixty rounds of cartridges per man, and to be prepared to move at a moment's notice.
On the 30th, a thousand picked cavalry with four pieces of artillery under General Averill, crossed the Rappahannock at the upper fords intending to make a complete circuit of Richmond, destroying bridges and railroads on their route, and join General Peck at Suffolk, where they were to be transferred back to Aquia creek by steamboats. It was the intention that the main army should advance at the same time, and turn the enemy's right or left flank, but through the unauthorized inter- ference of Generals Cochrane and Newton, who had pro- ceeded to Washington, the President was induced to suspend the movement.
The order to hold ourselves in readiness to move, was however, repeatedly renewed up to January 20th, when at twelve M., we broke camp and moved up the river ten miles, where we halted at dark and bivouacked in a thick scrub oak forest. About four o'clock it commenced raining, and continued so to do without intermission all night. By the next morning the roads and the whole face of the country was impassable. We, however, were got under way about daylight, marching some three miles, and halting near the river back of Bank's Ford. Here the army was brought to a stand still, it literally having stuck in the mud. The pontoon trains could not move at all. The supply trains were in the rear unable
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OUR . CAMPAIGNS.
to come up, and twenty-eight horses stalled with a cannon. It was next to impossible to get our camp- fires lit, and the cold rain descended in torrents all day. The enemy, who for some time, had known of a contemplated movement, were more definitely posted from the fact of General Sumner having moved his wagons and artillery on the crest of the hills back of Falmouth, in full view of them, and they were in force on the opposite bank at the Ford to meet us, and tantalizingly offered to send a brigade over to help us lay our pontoons.
We remained here until the morning of the 23d, when finding the utter impracticability of carrying out the en- terprize, the commands were ordered to retrace their steps back to their various old camps, and we reaching ours late in the afternoon. Our division ambulances were sent out and brought in twenty loads of prostrated men. During this movement not a particle of forage was furnished for the field and staff horses.
Thus ended "Burnsides' mud expedition."
Soon after Major-general Joseph Hooker was ap- pointed to the command of the Army of the Potomac, General Burnside being relieved at his own request.
Nothing of interest occurred in camp until dark on the 5th of February, when a telegram was received from General Doubleday, our division commander, stating that in consideration of the arduous and gallant services of the Reserves, they were to be withdrawn to Washington "to rest and recruit," which news was received with great joy. In .despite of the raw and unpleasant weather, the camp fires were soon burning brightly, around which the men were gathered, talking of the good times com- ing. The next morning early, the men were all up and soon every thing was packed to move. At three, P. M., the order to march came, and soon after the bugles rang out the joyful "assembly," and bidding farewell to our old camp, and the gallant One-hundred-and twenty-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, who had been temporarily attached to us before the battle of Fredericksburg, we
253:
BULL BUN PICKET.
took up our march for Belle Plains, which though but four miles distance, on account of the bad state of the roads, was not reached until after dark. Here, in the freezing cold and deep mud, we had to stand until two o'clock the next morning before we could embark, soon after which we were on our way up the Potomac, and landed at Alexandria at nine, A. M., the same day. After some delay, we marched through the city to near the Cemetery, where we laid last April, and there on a bleak hill bivouacked.
Captain McDonough being taken sick was sent home, and the command of the regiment devolved upon Cap- tain P. I. Smith. Our stay here was very unpleasant, we having little or no wood to cook with; and on the morning of the 12th, at eight o'clock, we marched to the depot of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad and em- barked upon the platform cars, and proceeded to Fairfax Station, where we alighted, and marching to Fairfax Court House proceeded about one mile beyond and en- camped in a heavy woods.
On the 20th Lieutenant colonel Woodward arrived in camp and superceded Captain Smith, and the next day, at daylight, our regiment started for Bull Run to go on picket. On arriving at Union Mills, our colonel reported to General Hays, who sent a dashing young aid, all covered with gold to receive us. Upon his arrival he inquired for Captain Reitzel, who was temporarily in charge of the regiment. It should be mentioned here, that the officers of the Reserves were never particularly noted for their fine uniforms and gold lacings, and es. pecially after going through the memorable campaign of 1862. In fact, Captain Reitzel wore nothing to indi- cate he was an officer but his sword, and that was con- cealed under his overcoat. Besides, the captain, like many other old campaigners, went out provided with the implements of comfort, an axe and frying-pan. The aid was duly saluted by the captain, who-informed him he was the individual sought for, but his indignation at
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OUR CAMPAIGNS.
the impudence of the "pioneer," as he called him, waxed exceedingly warm, and he was on the point of running him down when he discovered his mistake, which created a hearty laugh all round, in which the little German aid joined. In the mean time, a fine brass band, sent by the general, arrived and escorted us to our encampment. As this was the first time we had ever been escorted any where, except to the battle-field, the boys stepped off quite lively to the soul-inspiring strains.
The nice little aid, before parting, made us generous promises of plenty of tents, clothes and food, with fresh beef and bread to boot, and we really began to think we had got into good quarters, when along came an abomin- able orderly, with orders for us to fall in to relieve the pickets. It was now night. We had just got our fires started and were preparing our coffee, but strike tents and fall in was the order, so off we started through the forests and over the hills of Bull Run to the fords. Soon a blinding snow-storm set in, bewildering and almost benumbing us. It was daybreak the next morning before our left companies reached their posts, our line extending over seven miles. The snow con- tinued falling all the next day, giving us but little opportunity to erect comfortable shelter. Our posts at the fords were almost nightly visited by the guerrillas, who exchanged a few shots with the pickets and dis- appeared. When a shot was fired, not knowing the strength or object of the enemy, the reserve at the post was turned out, and as this occurred several times through the night, the men's sleep was constantly liable to be disturbed. This tour of duty lasted sixteen days, and we were all glad when it was over.
At the camp near Fairfax Court House there were left over forty men under the charge of the adjutant, com- posed of the guard, the sick, and those in arrest for going home on " French." At midnight on the 1st of March we were all aroused by heavy firing in the front, and the men being got under arms were started for a swamp in
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CAPTURE OF STOUGHTON.
the rear of the camp, when an order came from Colonel . Woodward, commanding our brigade, for us to report to Captain Taylor, commanding the "Bucktails," where we stayed until morning.
The next night, about twelve o'clock, orders were re- ceived to send two officers and twenty-five men on picket, on the Aldie road. Not having that many men to detail, those in arrest were offered their release if they would go, which they gladly accepted. All, however, passed quietly through the night. These alarms occurred almost nightly.
Near midnight on the 8th, a body of the enemy's cav- alry quietly came into Fairfax Court House, and seized Acting Brigadier-General Stoughton, a number of his staff and guard, at the house of Miss Ford, and carried them off. The affair was a bold, dashing act, and the officer in command deserves great credit for the adroit- ness with which he managed it. No one was to blame for the mishap but the colonel himself, whose nomina- tion to a brigadier-generalship was consequently with- drawn by the President.
The regiment was relieved at dark on the 8th, and marching down to Union Mills, we laid there through the night, and returned to camp the next day under Cap- tain Smith, he again being the senior officer.
During the absence of the regiment, Captain John M. Clark's caisson company (F) reported in camp. They were a fine set of Pennsylvanians, numbering sixty mus- kets, and were welcomed by all. Before our return wedge tents had been drawn for the regiment, and put up by F, in a fine heavy woods were the boys found every thing comfortably prepared for them.
On the 16th, Colonel Sinclair returned and took com- mand of the brigade, and at noon the same day, we broke camp, and moved to the outskirts of the town, and com- menced throwing up rifle pits which commanded the Centreville road. The cause of these precautions were that the enemy's cavalry having crossed the Rappahan-
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OUR CAMPAIGNS.
nock, were operating on General Hooker's right, and as far north as this neighborhood.
With the exception of the usual night alarms, and heavy rain and snow storms, nothing of note transpired until the morning of the 28th, when we broke camp and marched across the fields and through the woods to Fair- fax Station. The distance was but four miles, but as it had been raining hard all night and day, it took us as many hours to march it. It was amusing to see the men laugh and joke and swear by turns, trying to keep up their good spirits as they toiled, under their heavy knap- sacks, and plunged through the mud up to their knees, and wet to the skin. It was late before our wagons arrived, and temporarily pitching our tents for the night, we managed to get along pretty comfortably. The next day our camp was regularly laid out in a heavy pine woods, and all things put to rights.
About this time Lieutenant Justus was appointed acting quartermaster, vice A. Q. M. Ross, who was de- tailed on recruiting service.
On the 23d of April, Captain McDonough arrived in camp and assumed command of the regiment.
Considerable labor was expended in arranging our camp, in felling the trees not required for shade, cutting the stumps off close to the ground, burning the brush and rubbish, and thoroughly policing the whole neigh- borhood. The avenues and streets were planted with rows of heavy cedar trees, which afforded a cool and pleasant shade, and buried our camp in a grove.
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