USA > Rhode Island > Battery F, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery in the Civil War, 1861-1865 > Part 1
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00824 9952
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
http://archive.org/details/batteryffirstre00chas
BATTERY F,
1 st FIRST REGIMENT
RHODE ISLAND LIGHT ARTILLERY,
IN THE
CIVIL WAR,
.
1861-1865.
BY
: .
PHILIP S. CHASE,
Late Second Lieutenant in the Battery.
.
PROVIDENCE : SNOW & FARNHAM, PRINTERS, IS92.
39542
1
1758000
Dawes F 8349 .89998
CHASE, PHILIP STEPHEN.
Battery F, First regiment Rhode Island light artillery in the civil war, 1861-1865 ... · Provi- dence, Snow and Farnham, printers, 1892. 332p.
--
Appendix: My four months' experience as a prisoner of war, by Captain Thomas Simpson. A summer in southern prisons, by Charles C. Vars.
CHEIS A
1322DON
Capt period Harty Com Battery
Dames - 8349.89998
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year IS92 BY PHILIP S. CHASE, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
1
185915
Edition limited to three hundred and fifty copies.
PREFACE.
T HE reason for the existence of this book is an expressed desire on the part of many survivors of the battery whose history it attempts to record, manifested at an informal reunion held in February, 1891, that an account of their experiences during the Civil War of 1861-5 should be put in enduring form. The duty of preparing such record seemed to fall upon me, without, however, formal appointment.
At a second meeting held in February, 1892, Simeon Gallup and Edward Wilcox were appointed to advise with me in adopting and publishing the record. My thanks are due to these comrades for valuable advice and assistance; and to all who in any way assisted in the work I am grateful.
The publishing of the history would have been a difficult task but for the action of the General
iv
PREFACE.
Assembly at its January session, 18g1, in passing a Resolution (No. 14) to purchase two hundred copies of any battery history published to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State.
The work is a plain statement of facts connected with the service of the organization, and if it proves satisfactory in a reasonable degree to the survivors and the public, I shall feel fully compensated for the labor.
P. S .. C.
PROVIDENCE, R. I., October, 1892.
-*
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE. Organization - Recruiting Excursions in Rhode Island - Camp Sprague, Washington, D. C .- Camp California, Virginia,
I
CHAPTER II. -
Burnside's Coast Division - Annapolis, Md .- Sea Voyage to Hatteras Inlet - Ashore on Hatteras - Roanoke Island,
15
CHAPTER III.
New Berne, N. C., its Capture and Occupation - Duty as
Cavalry, .
·
32
CHAPTER IV.
Raids and Expeditions in North Carolina, .
.
·
50
CHAPTER V.
From New Berne, N. C., to Newport News, Va.,
.
IOI
CHAPTER VI.
Newport News, Va .- Point Lookout, Md .- Yorktown, Va., 110
CHAPTER VII.
Bermuda Hundred and Drury's Bluff,
.
151
vi
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII. PAGE.
.In the Works at Bermuda Hundred - The Advance on
Petersburg,
.
191
CHAPTER IX. -
In the Intrenched Line Before Petersburg,
205
CHAPTER X.
From Petersburg to Chaffin's Farm-Muster Out of Orig-
inal Men,
·
220
CHAPTER XI.
From October, 1864, to Muster Out, June, IS65,
236
ROSTER,
.
249
ROSTER OF TEMPORARILY ATTACHED MEN,
2So
MORTUARY RECORD,
.
285
APPENDIX.
Four Months a Prisoner of War, by Lieutenant, subse- quently Captain, Thomas Simpson, . 287 A Summer in Southern Prisons, by Private Charles C. Vars, of the Battery, · 313
,
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
Portrait of Capt. James Belger, Frontispiece.
Portrait of Lieut. Charles H. Pope,
6 Portrait of Lieut. George W. Field. 23
Landing of Horses at Hatteras,
.
27
Quarters of Battery at New Berne,
39
Portrait of Capt. E. L. Corthell, Sergeant in Battery F
until October, 1862,
·
Portrait of Lieut. Peter C. Smith,
45
Portrait of Sergt. William H. C. Smith. 57
.
53
Portrait of Corp. George C. Manchester,
63
Portrait of Lieut. Philip S. Chase,
.
S7
Portrait of Dr. Albert Potter, Surgeon Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, 95
Portrait of First Sergt. Simeon Gallup,
·
104
Portrait of Corp. John O. Winsor,
IOS
Portrait of Corp. Edward Wilcox,
·
113
View from the Battery Quarters at Fort Yorktown,
.
IIS
Portrait of Corp. Clovis Stone,
I21
Portrait of Bugler Thomas W. Locke,
.
.
·
143
-
viii
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
Portrait of Bugler William H. Young,
146
Portrait of Sergt. Albert R. Walker,
154
Portrait of Corp. Joseph Church, Jr.,
166
Portrait of Corp. Albert C. Leach, · 192
Portrait of Corp. Frederic Wilcox,
. 202
Portrait of Private Henry C. Wilkie, .
. 21I
Portrait of Sergt. William J. Bastian, 226
Portrait of Capt. Thomas Simpson, . 239
Portrait of Lieut. Gideon Spencer,
. 242
Portrait of Lieut. Frank A. Waterman,
. 247
MAPS.
Roanoke Island, N. C.,
Facing page 30
Battlefield of New Berne, N. C.,
36
New Berne, N. C.,
48
North Carolina, .
66 66 6S
Washington, N. C.,
S
Drury's Bluff and Petersburg,
160
CHAPTER I.
ORGANIZATION .- RECRUITING EXCURSIONS IN RHODE ISLAND-CAMP SPRAGUE, WASHINGTON, D. C .- CAMP CALIFORNIA, VIRGINIA.
IN October, 1861, Battery F, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery was organized. It was recruited as the "Seventh Rhode Island Battery," but on muster into service was designated by the letter. During the first three years of its service it was better known as "Belger's Rhode Island Bat- tery." The men were enlisted under the call of the President of the United States for volunteers to serve for three years or during the war. The ren- dezvous during the organization was Camp Perry, located on the west bank of Mashapaug pond in Cranston, R. I. .
n
2
BATTERY F,
To facilitate recruiting and for the purpose of creating enthusiasm for the artillery branch of the service, excursions from Camp Perry were made in three directions during the month of October, 1861. One party consisting of two guns, with men and horses, commanded by Lieut. Thomas Simpson, visited villages on the line of the Blackstone River, going as far as Woonsocket. Another consisting of one gun and caisson fully manned, also commanded by Lieutenant Simpson, traveled through the eastern part of the State. This detachment encamped one night in each of the following towns, viz. : Warren, Bristol, Tiverton, Portsmouth and Little Compton. Exhibitions of light artillery drill were given and salutes fired in each place which were witnessed by large numbers of the citizens.
These journeys throughout the State were indeed pleasure excursions for those participating. The patriotism and excitement of the people led to the entertainment of the party all along the route. Dinners and suppers were given by prominent citi- zens, to which all the men were invited, and at which addresses full of patriotism and loyalty to the Union, and confidence in an early settlement of the difficulty
1
3
FIRST R. I. LIGHT ARTILLERY.
were delivered. To illustrate the popular feeling at that time some of the experiences of the command which visited the eastern portion of the State, as related by one of the number, are here given :
"Leaving Camp Perry, Tuesday, October 22, 1861, the command marched to Warren, R. I., and en- camped. Wednesday it proceeded to Bristol and encamped on the 'Common.' Salutes were fired and an exhibition drill given, including dismounting and mounting of guns and carriages, which was witnessed by a large and enthusiastic gathering. Thursday afternoon we proceeded on our journey, passing through Fall River, Mass., and encamped that night in the suburbs of that city, on the Rhode Island side of the line. The night was bitter cold, and, not pre. pared for unusual weather, we had our first expe- rience in camp life under unfavorable circumstances. Some of the residents of that vicinity, upon viewing their fences and wood-piles the next morning, were no doubt very grateful that our orders prevented us from stopping with them longer. Friday morning we marched to Portsmouth, arriving at the village of Newtown about noon, where the command was sump- tuously entertained by the town clerk, Philip B.
4
BATTERY F,
1.
Chase, Esq., at his residence. At night we en- camped in Fort Butts, an extensive earthwork of Revolutionary times, located on a hill about one and a half miles southerly from Bristol Ferry. The memory of scenes enacted on this spot, as described in history, served to increase the patriotism of our little band and strengthen the determination to do all in our power for the preservation of the country in its time of peril. Saturday morning we proceeded to Tiverton Four Corners, where we were again en- tertained, this time by Holder N. Wilcox, Esq., at his residence. Two of his sons became members of the battery, one of whom was severely wounded at Drewry's Bluff, May, 16, 1864. After firing the usual salute the command proceeded to Little Comp- ton Commons, pitched the tents and prepared to spend Sunday with the people of that village. In the evening we were taken to the Town Hall where a fine collation was served.
" I think it was the intention of Lieutenant Simp- son to visit Newport before returning to Providence, or Camp Perry, but orders received Sunday after- noon to return at once to Providence, prevented, and we were obliged to disturb the quiet of a Sunday
5
1
FIRST R. I. LIGHT ARTILLERY.
afternoon in the country, by immediately breaking camp and commencing the return march. The com- mand arrived in Swansea that night, just after the close of the evening meetings, and obtaining permis- sion picketed the horses in a church-yard, and the men occupied the church as barracks. The command arrived at Camp Perry, Monday, October 28th, and as there were men in the battery from the places visited, the command should be considered as having successfully accomplished its object."
The third expedition visited the villages in the Pawtuxet valley, under the command of Lieut. Charles H. Pope.
The public sentiment of the State was well shown by the reception tendered these parties. The promi- nent residents of each locality visited by these com- mands did their utmost to entertain and encourage, and in so doing impressed upon all the fact that the people of Rhode Island were in earnest, and that the State should do its full share in suppressing the Rebellion which at that time had assumed such a threatening attitude.
A sufficient number had been recruited, and, in the latter part of October, 1861, the battery was ordered
6
BATTERY F,
to proceed to Camp Sprague, Washington, D. C. 1 On the twenty-eighth day of October, at Camp Perry, the one hundred and thirty-eight enlisted men present, constituting Battery F, First Rhode Island
Lleut. Charles H. Pope.
Light Artillery, were mustered into the United States Service by Col. Charles H. Tompkins, except- ing a few who had been previously mustered.
The first commissioned officers were : Captain MILES G. MOIES; First Lieutenants CHARLES H.
7
FIRST R. I. LIGHT ARTILLERY.
POPE and GEORGE W. FIELD ; Second Lieutenants THOMAS SIMPSON and WILLIAM A. ARNOLD.
The men were sent to Washington in two detach- ments. The first left Providence under command of First Lieutenant Pope, Monday, October 28th, via Stonington Line to New York, Camden and Amboy Railroad to Philadelphia, and by rail via Baltimore to Washington.
The second followed under command of Captain Moies, on Tuesday, October 29th, over the same route. These detachments arrived at Camp Sprague October 30th and 31st, respectively, and occupied the barracks built for the First Rhode Island Battery.
Soon after arrival at Camp Sprague the appoint- ment of non-commissioned officers was made as fol- lows, some of whom had acted under detail since before leaving Camp Perry in Rhode Island :
ALEXANDER M. MASSIE, . . First Sergeant. WALTER M. KNIGHT, Quartermaster-Sergeant. PETER C. SMITH, · Sergeant.
WILLIAM C. M. CHURCH,
ELMER L. CORTHELL, .
.
1
8
BATTERY F,
GEORGE HAMMOND, CHARLES E. GUILD,
Sergeant. -
BENJAMIN H. DRAPER, FREDERICK CHASE,
Corporal.
PHILIP S. CHASE, .
BENJAMIN H. ROGERS,
FRANK PRENTICE,
MATTHEW SWEET,
ELISHA A. SLOCUM,
SOLOMON LOID, .
BENJAMIN F. MARTINDALE,
LEVI S. WHEATON,
SIMEON GALLUP,
ISAAC N. GAGE,
WILLIAM H. C. SMITH,
·
·
·
Several changes in the non-commissioned officers were made soon after Captain Belger took command.
Captain Moies resigned his commission about the 12th of November, 1861, leaving First Lieut. Charles H. Pope in command until the arrival, on the 22d of November, of Capt. JAMES BELGER, who had been commissioned in the regiment and assigned to Battery F.
9
FIRST R. I. LIGHT ARTILLERY.
-
Four of the commissioned officers had seen service previous to their connection with Battery F, viz. : Captain Belger had served ten years in the United States Army in the First Artillery, eight years of that time as sergeant and first sergeant of Magru- der's Battery, and seven years of his service in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in Indian warfare. At the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, he was chief of the right piece, left section, Rickett's Battery. He was honorably discharged from the First United States Artillery, at Poolesville, Md., Sept. 28, 1861, by reason of expiration of term of service. His appointment as captain in the First Rhode Island Light Artillery dated from Oct. 17, 1861. First Lieut. Charles H. Pope had served in the three months' campaign of the First Rhode Island Light Battery as quartermaster-sergeant and first lieutenant. First Lieut. George W. Field had served as corporal in Battery A, since June 6, 1861, including Bull Run, July 21, 1861, and was promoted to Battery F from that battery. Second Lieut. Thomas Simpson was a corporal in the First Rhode Island Light Battery. Thus it will be seen that Battery F entered upon its service with
2
IO
BATTERY F,
unusually favorable conditions regarding experience of officers. -
Soon after the arrival of Captain Belger the battery was supplied with four ten-pounder Parrott guns, two twelve-pounder howitzers, and a full com- plement of horses. The first day's experience with the horses "hitched up" will not soon be forgotten by those who were participants. The horses were new in the business, so were the men, and there occurred many perplexing and ludicrous as well as serious situations. An occasional balky horse hitched in a string with a wild one, and these horses mounted by men who perhaps knew little or nothing about horses, formed a combination from which it can readily be seen chaos was more likely to exist than order. All who had any part in the work of first drilling new horses and new men as a light battery will probably agree that it was not only laborious but oftentimes dangerous to life and limb.
Captain Belger had very decided opinions of dis- cipline and at once commenced the work of placing the battery in a state of proficiency in drill, etc., for effective work.
. An incident occurred Thanksgiving day, 1861,
II
FIRST R. I. LIGHT ARTILLERY.
which impressed upon those connected with it the fact that they must recognize discipline and acknowl- edge that they were not free to do as they desired without permission of commanding officers. The in- fluence as a result of this incident probably extended beyond the small number directly implicated, and gave the officers an excellent opportunity to "nip in the bud " any feeling of insubordination, although in a mild form, which might be lurking among the men of the battery. It was a trivial, harmless thing in itself, but if allowed to pass unnoticed might have been followed by acts more serious, and in a short time the efficiency and reliability of the battery would have been impaired.
It happened, very naturally, that on the morning of Thanksgiving day a large number of the men desired to visit Washington, and notice was given for those who wished passes for that purpose to send their names to the first sergeant. A comparatively small number of passes were issued. The unsuccessful ap- plicants decided not to be imposed upon, and some six or eight determined to go to the city without a pass. They were successful in passing out of camp and reaching the city, and, after visiting the capitol,
-
.
12
BATTERY F,
started down Pennsylvania avenue with a good deal of confidence and boldness, probably intending to do the city thoroughly, and undoubtedly feeling contempt for passes, when suddenly they were halted by a squad of armed men in charge of a sergeant, who de- manded to see their passes. Here was a dilemma, but one of the number proved equal to the occasion by answering that " Our colonel is coming and has them." The sergeant ordered them to wait for the " colonel," and his squad would keep them company. While waiting a soldier, who had been imbibing freely of "commissary," appeared on the scene, and, while the guard was occupied in attending to his case, our party, with spirits somewhat dampened and de- pressed, suddenly determined to return to camp. They were successful in passing all obstructions, reaching their quarters from the rear of the camp, and supposed they had made their little excursion without the knowledge of the officers. They were considerably astonished on being summoned to head- quarters to learn that the captain knew of their ab- sence, and probably still more so when he, in the presence of the officers, administered a reprimand in language not to be forgotten. Undoubtedly this
13
FIRST R. I. LIGHT ARTILLERY.
little affair in its results exerted an influence through- out the battery which continued as long as the men familiar with it remained.
Life at Camp Sprague passed pleasantly with its daily drills and ceremonies, and soon the men became accustomed to the horses and the horses familiar with the work, so that it was possible to make a creditable appearance on drill and occasions of cere- mony.
The battery remained at Camp Sprague until the second day of December, 1861, about one month, when it crossed Long Bridge, and many stood for the · first time upon the "sacred soil of Virginia." Pass- ing through Alexandria tents were pitched at Camp California, General Sumner's division, located a short distance to the left and in advance of Fort Worth, near Cloud's Mills.
While at Camp California the sound of the "long roll " and "boots and saddles " at night greeted the men for the first time. Dec. 18, 1861, after taps, when most of the men were asleep in their tents, the drums in the infantry camps beat the long roll, and the buglers of the battery immediately sounded " boots and saddles." All was excitement, although there
-
14
BATTERY F.
was no confusion, and the short time occupied in hitching up and moving out on the road, prepared for any duty that might be required, was very satis- factory to all. The battery moved to the front, took position on Edsall's Hill, so called, and remained until the morning of the 19th, when it returned to camp, having neither seen nor heard of an enemy.
To most of the men this was a long, tedious, un- comfortable night, and, occuring early in their expe- perience, was thought by them to be severe. No blankets or rations were taken ; the night was chilly, although pleasant, and standing by the guns under such circumstances with no excitement to occupy their attention, men would magnify the discomforts of an experience which later on would not have been considered worth mentioning.
CHAPTER II.
BURNSIDE'S COAST DIVISION .- ANNAPOLIS, MD .- SEA VOYAGE TO HATTERAS INLET-ASHORE ON HATTERAS-ROANOKE ISLAND.
D URING the latter part of October, 1861, Brig .- Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside was ordered to or- ganize a "coast division" and_ assemble the troops at Annapolis, Md. The troops were to be recruited largely from New England, but as finally organized at Annapolis, the division consisted of five Massa- chusetts regiments of infantry, three Connecticut, three New York, two Rhode Island, and one each New Hampshire, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with Belger's Rhode Island Battery.
Dec. 21, 1861, the battery broke camp at Camp California, in compliance with the following order :
16
BATTERY F,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 1861.
Special Orders, No. 193.
-
III. Battery F, Rhode Island Light Artillery, Captain Belger, is assigned to Burnside's division, which it will proceed to join at Annapolis, Maryland, without delay.
· . · By command of Major-General MCCLELLAN,
(Signed,) S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant General. Official.
ALEX. S. WEBB,
Major and Assistant to Chief of Artillery.
It returned to Washington over the same road upon which it marched to Camp California nineteen days before, and crossing Long Bridge, bivouacked for the night near the unfinished Washington Monu- ment. The first serious casualty in the battery oc- curred during the march to Washington on that day, at Alexandria, Va. The horse which the blacksmith, Joseph L. Straight, was riding was run down by two apparently unmanageable horses, ridden by officers coming from the direction of Washington, injuring the blacksmith so severely as to necessitate leaving
17
FIRST R. I. LIGHT ARTILLERY.
him in hospital at Alexandria, resulting finally in his discharge from the service April 29, 1862.
The next day, Sunday, December 22d, the battery was loaded on cars and taken to Annapolis, Md. Arriving early in the evening, the cars were unloaded and the men quartered in tents on the Naval Acad- emy grounds. No intimation was given that these tents were pitched for practice only, therefore the pins driven very lightly, and it being dark when the men were shown the tents, that fact was not dis- covered, until, during the night a severe storm of wind and rain arose, and many of the tents blew down. The men had worked hard during the day- to load and unload a six-gun battery, with its horses and baggage, both in one day, was not an easy task,-and they anticipated a night's rest, in tents pitched for them, with great satisfaction ; but antici- pation and realization proved quite different, as in- stead of the expected rest a large portion of the night was spent by the men in hunting for a dry spot.
The next day the men were quartered in a college building, where they remained until the twenty-sixth of December, when the battery moved out of the city about one and a half miles and went into camp,
-
18
BATTERY F,
naming the spot in honor of the captain, Camp Bel- ger. Tents were pitched and made comfortable for the men, and a shelter of pine boughs, cut from the woods adjoining the camp, built for the horses, which - proved some protection, but the animals were far from being properly housed as the weather was quite severe during the fourteen days and nights in this camp.
Jan. 9, 1862, the battery returned to Annapolis for the purpose of embarking on the Burnside Expedi- tion. For some unexplained reason it remained on shore that night, and was again assigned to the tents on the Academy grounds. The experiences of its pre- vious attempted occupancy of these tents were re- peated, viz .: a storm of wind and rain, many of the tents blown down, and a large number of the men looking for shelter.
The next day, January 10th, the battery embarked, the men and horses on the side-wheel steamer George Peabody ; the pieces, battery wagon, forge, etc., on schooner James T. Brady. The George Peabody sailed from Annapolis for Hampton Roads on the morning of the 1 1th of January. At Hampton Roads sealed orders as to destination were given the
19
FIRST R. I. LIGHT ARTILLERY.
commander of the steamer, to be opened when at sea. The George Peabody was probably one of the last vessels of the fleet to reach the rendezvous, pos- sibly the last with troops on board, so that when it arrived off Fortress Monroe nearly all the vessels of the fleet had sailed.
The land force of the expedition "numbered twelve thousand strong. For the transportation of the troops and their material, forty-six vessels were employed, eleven of which were steamers. To these were added nine armed propellers to act as gun-boats, and five barges fitted and armed as floating batteries, carrying altogether forty-seven guns, mostly of small calibre. These formed the army division of the fleet, and were commanded by Commander Samuel F. Hazard. A fleet of twenty vessels, of different sizes, mostly of light draft, for the navigation of Al- bemarle and Pamlico sounds, but carrying a heavy armament of fifty-five guns, accompanied the expe- dition, under the command of Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough." *
General Burnside stated in a paper on the Burnside Expedition that his headquarters were established on
* Burnside and the Ninth Army Corps, by Augustus Woodbury.
.
-
20
BATTERY F,
the large steamer George Peabody ; " but I took for my headquarters during the voyage a small propeller called the Picket, which was in reality the smallest vessel in the fleet, and had with me two or three of my staff officers. I was moved to do this because of the great criticism which had been made as to the unseaworthiness of the vessels of the fleet, and be- cause of a desire to show to the men my faith in their adaptability to the service."
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