USA > Pennsylvania > York County > Shiloh > The Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania at Shiloh. History of the regiment. The battle of Shiloh > Part 6
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Meanwhile Frederick S. Pyfer was recruiting a company at Lancaster, Pa., which place he left. on October 30, 1861, for Camp Wilkins at Pittsburg. There his men were armed and equipped. On November 10 they were started for Louisville on the steamer Argonaut. On the 11th orders came to pro- ceed down the river as rapidly as possible, to Guyandotte, which place had been attacked by a force of the enemy. The recruits, however, arrived too late to take any part, but just in time to see the repulsed enemy retiring in the distance. A large part of the town had been fired and was burning fiercely when the boats with reinforcements arrived. On the evening of the 12th. Captain Pyfer's command arrived at Lonisville, reaching Camp Nevin the next evening by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. As this company had been recruited for the 79th Regiment, the men refused to go into any other, and were therefore not mustered into the 77th until December S as Company K of that regiment at Camp Negley, to which place, about two and one-half miles south of Camp Nevin, the brigade had been moved about the last of November.
During November an important reorganization of the army occurred. New departments were created and commanders assigned. The troops in Kentucky were designated the Army of the Ohio, and General Don Carlos Buell placed in com-
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mand. The following order was issued by the War Depart- ment:
Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, November 9, 1861.
(General Orders No. 97.)
The following departments are formed from the present departments of the West, Cumberland and Ohio: * * 4. The Department of the Ohio. To consist of the States of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, that portion of Kentucky east of the Cumberland river, and the State of Tennessee; to be commanded by Brigadier General D. C. Buell; headquarters at Louisville.
In pursuance of this order General Buell assumed command of this Department on the 15th of November. He re-organized the army under his command into six divisions, and numbered the brigades from one to thirty-seven.
First Division to be commanded by Brigadier General George H. Thomas. Second Division to be commanded by Brigadier General A. McD. McCook. Third Division to be commanded by Brigadier General O. M. Mitchell. Fourth Division to be commanded by Brigadier General Wm. Nelson. Fifth Division to be commanded by Brigadier General T. L. Crittenden. Sixth Division to be commanded by Brigadier General T. J. Wood.
By virtue of this new organization, General McCook issued these orders:
Headquarters Second Division, December 3, 1S61.
(General Orders No. 32.)
I. A new organization is hereby announced in pursuance of orders from the General commanding the Department of the Ohio.
II. This command will be styled the Second Division, and consist of the following brigades, regiments and companies:
Brigades.
Fourth Brigade, Brigadier General L. H. Rousseau.
Fifth Brigade, Brigadier General T. H. Wood.
Sixth Brigade, Brigadier General R. W. Johnson.
Seventh Brigade, Brigadier General James S. Negley.
Brigade Organization-Fourth Brigade.
First Ohio. Col. B. F. Smith.
Fifth Kentucky, Col. II. M. Buckley.
Sixth Indiana, Col. T. T. Crittenden.
1st Battalion, 15th U. S .. Maj. John II. King.
1st Battalion, 19th U. S., Maj. John H. King.
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Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment.
Fifth Brigade.
29tlı Indiana, Col. John F. Miller. 30th Indiana, Col. Sion S. Bass. - 34th Illinois, Col. E. N. Kirk.
77th Pennsylvania, Col. F. S. Stumbaugh.
Sixth Brigade.
15th Ohio, Col. Moses R. Dickey. 49th Ohio, Col. Wm. H. Gibson. 32nd Indiana, Col. August Willich. 39th Indiana, Col. Thomas J. Harrison.
Seventlı Brigade.
Ist Wisconsin, Col. J. C. Starkweather. 38th Indiana, Col. B. F. Scribner.
78th Pennsylvania, Col. Wm. Sirwell.
79th Pennsylvania, Col. H. A. Hambright. -
III. The following commands will be under the immediate control of the General commanding:
1st Kentucky Cavalry, Col. Buckner Board.
Battery A, 1st Ohio Artillery, Capt. C. S. Cotter.
Battery 1, 1st Kentucky Artillery, Capt. D. C. Stone.
26th Pennsylvania, Capt. Chas. F. Mueller.
By command of BRIGADIER GENERAL MCCOOK. DANIEL MCCOOK. Captain and Asst. Adjt. General.
Pursuant to this order, Muehler's battery was permanently detached from the Seventy-seventh, and made an indepen- dent battery on December 4 1861.
Early in December the army prepared to march, and on the ninth, General McCook issued orders to advance. Next morn- ing the Sixth Brigade moved toward Munfordville, situated on the north bank of Green river on the Louisville and Nash- ville Railroad. That night it encamped at Bacon creek. One hundred men from the 32d Indiana were sent forward twelve miles to the river and occupied the town. The Confederates retired as the Union troops approached. The entire Sixth Brigade and trains arrived on the twelfth. The railroad bridge across Green river, at this point, had been destroyed. Fortunately a pioneer corps of about forty men. all mechanics, was attached to the 32d Indiana .. They were provided with
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proper tools and had wagons, built with water-tight bodies to serve as pontoons with which small streams could be readily and quickly bridged. Within thirty-six hours these men, by working constantly, day and night, constructed a temporary bridge across the river, which served until replaced by regular and more substantial pontoons.
On December twelfth, the remaining brigade of the Second Division moved to Bacon creek. On the seventeenth they marched to Munfordville, when within four miles of that town the sounds of battle reached their ears. From the irregu- larity of the firing it was for sometime uncertain whether it was target practice or an actual engagement with the enemy. Ere the firing had ceased all the troops reached the town, where they learned the true nature of the case. The Seventy- seventh was just in the act of erecting their tents, when the long roll sounded, calling them into line of battle. A sharp engagement was in progress on the south side of the river, between a part of the 32d Indiana and a body of Confederates, but by the time the other regiments reached the river the enemy had been completely routed. This fight was called the battle of Rowlett's Station.
The camp at Munfordville was called Camp Wood, in honor of the father of General T. J. Wood, commander of the Fifthi Brigade, who resided in the town. While there the Seventy- seventh exchanged their old muskets for Belgian rifles, a much better arm. These were much heavier than the Springfield rifles and came from Liege, Belgium. Especially because of their great weight the transition from Liege to siege was easy, and the men promptly dubbed their new arms "siege guns."
Captain Henry W. Derby joined the regiment in Kentucky. . early in December, 1861, with a small body of men, recruited in Luzerne county. While with the 77th they were known as Company HI. Their number was too small to constitute' a complete company and they were consequently, never fully organized as such. Their officers resigned early in April, 1862. Others were appointed to take their places. In this condition the men remained with the regiment for several months, participating in all its marches and duties, until the company was finally disbanded. Some of these men remained
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Seventy-screnth Pennsylvania Regiment.
with the regiment as late as November, 1862. The balance joined other companies, and the 77th saw the last of old Com- pany H, and once more consisted of only eight companies.
On December twenty-fourth, General Wood was ordered to Bardstown, Kentucky, and Colonel Edward N. Kirk, of the 34th Illinois, succeeded him in command of the Fifth Brigade.
On the eleventh of February, the Third Division arrived and camped on the south bank of the river. On the 13th it moved southward toward Bowling Green. That day the camp was all exeitment. The most active preparations were made for a movement. Troops, clothing and equipment were thor- oughly inspected. All who were sick and unfit for duty were sent to the general hospital. About nine o'clock. that even- ing marching orders came. The men did not know their desti- nation, but all was delight and enthusiasm, any change being welcome.
On the 10th the men were roused early to prepare for the march. The night had been intensely cold and stormy, freez- ing the ground hard. The weather was the coldest yet ex- perienced in Kentucky. Tents were struck, wagons loaded and the march northward began. Soon after the column had started, news came that our army under General Grant had attacked Fort Donelson on the Cumberland river, and that the battle was then in progress. The effect of this news upon the men was almost magical. They marched more rapidly from their eagerness to get there in time to take a hand in the fight. That night the command stopped at Upton, four- teen miles north of Munfordville. Owing to the bad condi- tion of the roads the trains were unable to reach them, and the men had to lie upon the frozen ground without covering other than the blue vault overhead. The night was clear and very cold. The ground froze hard. The men tried to keep comfortable by burning the "top rails" of the fences. Orders had been issued to burn only the top rails of fences, but they did not restrict the boys. as they soon discovered that there were always top rails so long as any part of the fence was left.
Early on the fifteenth the report of the attack on Fort Don- elson was confirmed. but the forward march was not resumed. On the contrary a bitter disappointment came at one o'clock in the shape of orders to countermarch. Fort Donelson had
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been attacked and captured without the assistance of the Second Division.
On the 15th, the division encamped at Bacon creek. The next morning they were early on the move and happy because informed that their destination was Bowling Green and Nash- ville. They arrived at Bell's Tavern, a station of the Louis- ville and Nashville Railroad, late on the evening of the sev- enteenth. Here the men were put to work repairing the rail- road and clearing a tunnel, which the enemy had partially filled. Bell's Tavern was the station nearest to the Mam- moth Cave, and all who could took advantage of the oppor- tunity to visit this great natural wonder.
On the 23d. the division marched twenty-seven miles to the Big Barren river, and encamped opposite to Bowling Green. As usual the bridge across the river had been destroyed. and had to be rebuilt. On the 24th, Colonel John F. Miller, of the 20th Indiana. returned from sick leave, and, because of seniority in rank, superseded Colonel Kirk in command of the Fifth . Brigade.
The movement south began again on the 26th, when the di- vision crossed the river in boats, and bivouacked on the south bank. The following day the march was resumed, and camp was pitched that night near Franklin, Kentucky, twenty-one miles from the river. On the 28th the command marched twenty-two miles, about seven of which were through fields and on railroads, as the turnpike had been ploughed up in order to retard the progress of the Union Army. As the wagons could not keep up with the marching column of troops, the men were on very short rations. each receiving only a very small piece of soft bread during the entire day. On the first of March, fourteen miles were covered before breakfast to Camp Negley, at the railroad junction, ten miles north of Nashville. Here the boys were supplied with abundant ra- tions, and had a glorious feast, making up for the privations of the previous day. On March second, the troops were early on the move, and encamped that night. near Edgefield, on the north bank of the Cumberland river, opposite Nashville. The following night was spent at Camp Johnson, five miles south of the city.
On the ninth the long roll was sounded in consequence of a
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Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment.
spirited skirmish on our picket line with a force of Confeder- ates. In it the Seventy-seventh had four men wounded and one officer, Captain Phillips, of Company G., who was struck by one bullet in the hand, another went through his coat and a third struck his sword scabbard. A number of the enemy were seen to fall, but their loss could not be ascertained, as they carried all their dead and wounded away with them in their flight. The next night another attack was made on the Union pickets, but no damage was done.
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GEN.D.C.BUELL.
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The Battle of Shiloh.
CHAPTER II.
Pittsburg Landing-Battle of Shiloh-Company E joins the Regiment- Siege of Corinth-March across Alabama-Battle Creek.
0 N March twelfth, the division marched to Franklin, Ten- nessee, the Seventy-seventh being the rear guard. The bridge across the Harpeth river, at this point, was saved from destruction by the advance column of cavalry, who ar- rived as the enemy were about to set fire to it. Next day the column reached Rutherford creek, where it was again delayed long enough to build a bridge across that stream. On the twenty-second the division arrived at Columbia only to find the bridge across the Duck river destroyed. The pioneer corps of the 32d Indiana were at once put to work rebuilding it. On the twenty-ninth, Colonel Miller was ordered to other duty, and was succeeded in command of the Fifth Brigade by Colonel E. N. Kirk.
The bridge across Duck river having been completed, the division, on March 31st, was ordered to march. Crittenden's and Nelson's divisions had, two days previously, moved for- ward toward Savannah, Tennessee, to there join the forces under General Grant, preparatory to a united attack upon the enemy. Their progress was slow as the roads were in bad condition, being either very rough or very muddy, and in some places, almost impassable. This weary march was continued until the morning of the sixth day of April, 1862. The column was then twenty-two miles from Savannah. The day was bright and clear. The sun's rays were rapidly drying the roads and the men rejoiced at the propect of a bath that night in the Tennessee river.
Suddenly. just after leaving camp, booming cannon were dis- tinctly heard in the distance. All the line was attention. "Hark, what's that?" "Boom! Boom! Boom." "It must be a battle. why don't we get orders to hurry on?" "We will be too late to take part in the fight." The orders came in due time. As the column moved forward, a courier came riding
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Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment.
hastily up, bearing orders to "take an extra supply of ammu- nition, and hurry forward as rapidly as possible; take only ammunition and ambulance trains." The roar of artillery was heard throughout the entire day. Responsive to these sounds, the men, almost unconsciously stepped out more briskly. The last fourteen miles to Savannah were made by the Seventy-seventh almost entirely at double quick, or on the run. The Fourth Brigade arrived at seven o'clock in the evening, and the Fifth, Kirk's, one hour later.
That night brought with it a heavy thunder storm. During the entire night rain poured down in torrents. The men had to stand in the streets without any shelter whatever, and had the greatest difficulty in keeping their powder dry. They themselves were most thoroughly soaked, which made their condition extremely miserable.
PITTSBURG LANDING.
At four o'clock, on the morning of the seventh, the Seventy- seventh, with twenty-one officers and 483 enlisted men, a total strength of 504 rank and file, together with the rest of the bri- gade embarked on steamers, reaching Pittsburg Landing at seven o'clock. In 1862 two small log houses contained the en- tire population of Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, which lies . eight miles south of Savannah, Tennessee, on the west bank of the Tennessee river. High bluffs, at this point, confine the river both north and south of the Landing, where steamboats stopped occasionally to land or take on passengers or freight. From the landing a dirt road ran through a deep ravine in the bluffs. to the country back of the river, the soil of which is a stiff, tenacious clay, almost impervious to water. There were none but dirt roads which, in wet weather, became almost impassable and which were at all times utterly so for heavy hauling. The country was thickly overgrown with tim- ber, full of dense underbrush. There were a number of clear- ings under cultivation. About two and one-half miles from the landing stood the small log Methodist meeting house called Shiloh Church. from which this battle took its name. This church was on the main road to Corinth, Mississippi, twenty-two miles distant from Pittsburg Landing.
On this ground, within a radius of two miles and three-
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GEN. A. MC D. MC COOK.
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The Battle of Shiloh.
quarters, Grant's entire army was encamped, when it was un- expectedly attacked on the eventful Sunday morning, the sixth of April, 1862. During that day's terrible fight the Union forces were driven steadily back, until the Confederates had reached a point within six hundred yards from the land- ing itself, when fortunately, night put an end to the conflict.
As the boats drew near the shore, men crowded the banks of the river, preparing to jump aboard, as soon as the vessels got near enough for them to do so. Guards, with fixed bay- onets had to be stationed all along the gunwales to keep this mob of frightened and demoralized soldiers off the boats. It was estimated that there were fully 8,000 of these skulkers hiding behind the bluffs along the river, near the landing. By this crowd the disembarking regiments were greeted some- what after this fashion: "Oh! you'll catch it when you get over the hill there!" "I pity you fellows, you'll never come back again," etc. The replies, if any, ran thus; "How do you know?" "You don't say so?" "You cowards!" "Fall in here! This Regiment is a good one, and will not run away!" "Come on!"
Crittenden's and Nelson's Divisions had arrived previously and were already in position, some of Nelson's inen having helped to repel the last Confederate onset of the night before. In addition to these the Second Division, McCook's, arrived as before stated early in the morning. These three divisions were all of Buell's army that participated in the battle until just at its close, when Wood's Division arrived and the 21st. Brigade took part in driving the enemy from their last stand.
The line of battle, as formed on the morning of the seventh, was, from right to left, as follows: General Lew Wallace, Gen- eral W. T. Sherman, General McClernand, General Hurlbut and General McCook, General Crittenden, with General Nel- son ou the extreme left. Upon the arrival of General Wood, late in the afternoon, just at the close of the battle, his troops were placed to the left of McCook, and immediately to the left of the 77th to close up the gap in the line there existing, be- tween the left of MeCook and Crittenden's right.
By order of General MeCook. General Rousseau moved his brigade to the front at six thirty o'clock in the morning, and formed his line to the right of Crittenden's Division, and to
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Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment.
the left of Hurlbut's and McClernand's. The attack upon the enemy by our right and left divisions was almost simultane- ous. It is impossible to say whether the first shot fired that morning came from the Union right or left. Our men steadily pushed the Confederates back, until halted by General Buell at the close of the battle. General Nelson's Division, on the extreme left, having advanced too far, thereby exposing his right flank, Crittenden was moved up in prolongation of Nel- son's line. About half an hour later Rousseau had formed his line, Kirk's Brigade reached the front, and was placed in reserve to Rousseau, with the 34th Illinois and the 30th In- diana in the front line, and the 29th Indiana and 77th Penn- sylvania in the second line in reserve. Rousseau, having ex- hausted his ammunition, was relieved by Kirk's Brigade, all except the 77th Pennsylvania.
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General McCook, being assured that the enemy had ceased- their efforts on the right of his line and was preparing to turn his left, ordered the Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania to the ex- treme left of the division to repel the assault being made at that point. The regiment moved over an open field, and tak- ing its position at the point indicated, immediately engaged the enemy. At this time the conflict along the whole line be- came terrible. While in this field the regiment repelled two separate cavalry charges, driving the enemy back with con- siderable loss, and farther on it cleared the woods of a lot of sharpshooters, who were picking off the officers in both Me- Cook's and Crittenden's divisions.
From this time, till the close of the battle, the Seventy-sev- enth was completely isolated from the rest of the division, having been sent to the left to prevent the Confederates breaking through the large gap or interval between McCook and Crittenden. While here alone, the regiment charged a Confederate battery and captured two of its guns. Leaving the captured guns in its rear, it pushed on, compelling the rest of the battery to leave the field. Just at the close of the fight, it had the pleasure of capturing Colonel Battle, of the 20th Tennessee Infantry. He had lost his horse and could not keep up with his men who were being driven rapidly back. When he found escape impossible, he picked up a rifle and fired three shots at Major Bradford, before he could be over-
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HAMBURG AND PURDY ROAD SHILOH.
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The Battle of Shiloh.
hauled. The 20th Tennessee belonged to the Third Brigade of Breckinridge's Corps, which formed the rear guard of the retreating Confederate army, and consequently were the last of the enemy to leave the field.
The regiment also captured a considerable number of en- listed men, but as there was neither regimental nor brigade report on this battle, therefore, the number of such prisoners is not of record and cannot be accurately given.
During this battle the regiment carried into effect every order given to it, and performed all its duties in a manner satisfactory to its superior officers. An additional most grat- ifying feature is the fact that its loss was so very slight, only three men killed and seven wounded. Colonel Kirk, after be- ing seriously wounded, remained on the field during the day, but was then obliged to relinquish the command of the bri- gade to Colonel Stumbaugh, of the Seventy-seventh Pennsyl- vania. As Lieutenant Colonel Housum had been left sick at Nashville, the command of the regiment devolved on Major Bradford.
In this connection extracts from General Sherman's and General McCook's official reports may be appropriate. The former says, in part; "I am ordered by General Grant to give personal credit where it is due, and censure where I think it merited. I concede that General McCook's splendid division from Kentucky drove back the enemy along the Corinth road, which was the great central line of this battle. There Beau- regard commanded in person, supported by Bragg's, John- ston's and Breckinridge's divisions."
McCook says in part:
Being now satisfied that the enemy had changed his point of attack from the right to my extreme left, I ordered Colonel Stumbaugh's Seventy-seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volun- teers to take a position on my extreme left, and repel the assault there being made. He immediately engaged them. and at this moment the conflict along the whole line became terrible. Colonel Kirk's Brigade was now ordered to engage. and arrived precisely at the right moment, as the cartridges of Rousseau's Brigade were all expended. General Rous- seau's brigade fell back through openings made in Kirk's
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ranks, and retired to the woods in the rear to be supplied with ammunition."
Further on in his report he says:
"Colonel Stumbaugh with the Seventy-seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers early in the action, being ordered to watch the enemy on my left, was at a later period ordered to engage. His regiment, partially isolated from the rest of the division, moved steadily over an open field in its front under a heavy fire. While here, the enemy's cavalry charged this regiment twice, but were each time repulsed with heavy loss. Colonel Stumbaugh had the satisfaction of receiving the sword of Colonel Battle, of the 20th Tennessee who sur- rendered as a prisoner." The regiment had advanced to a point in the woods within sight of and east of Shiloh Church. Colonel Battle was the highest in rank of any Confederate prisoner taken at Shiloh. · After his capture and at the close of the battle the division was withdrawn to a point near the Landing, and there bivouacked for the night. The men got no rest, however, as there was an almost continuous down pour of rain during the entire night, and all were without shelter of any kind whatever. On the ninth the command was moved out, about three miles from the river, for a better camping site. The following day another short move was made for better ground. Here the men built small bark huts to partially shelter themselves from the elements. The nights were very cold, and, as they had neither blankets nor over- coats to protect them, they suffered intensely. On the fif- teenth, to the great joy of the men, the baggage and wagon trains arrived. Tents were speedily erected, but almost im -. mediately orders came to take them down again, and move off the battlefield to better ground. The following day there was a decided change for the better. The temperature rose rapidly, the weather becoming very pleasant, so that over- coats were not needed.
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