USA > Texas > The Confederate capital and Hood's Texas brigade > Part 19
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sent an aid also to hasten the maich of Longstreet's division. These came the last mile and a half at a double-quick. in paral- lel columns, along the plank road.
General Longstreet went forward with that impertasbable cool. ness which always characterized him in times of perilous action, and began to put them into position on the right and left of the road. His men came to the front of disordered battle with a steadiness unexampled even among veterans, and with an ecla! which presaged restoration of our battle and certain victory. When they arrived the bullets of the enemy on our right flank had begun to sweep the field in the rear of our artillery pits on the left of the road, where General Lee was giving directions and assisting General Hill in rallying and reforming his troops.
"It was here that the incident of Lee's charge with Gregg's Texas brigade occurred. The Texaus cheered lustily as their line of battle, coming up in splendid style, passed by Wilcox's disordered columns, and swept across an artillery pit and adja- cent breastwork. Much moved by the greeting of these brave men and their magnificent behavior, General Lee spurred his horse through an opening in the frenches and followed close on their line as it moved rapidly forward. The men did not per- ceive that he was going with them until they had advanced some distance in the charge; when they did, there came from the entire line, as it rushed on, the cry: 'Go back. General Lee! Go back!' Some historians like to put this in less homely words: but the brave Texans did not pick their ; brases: "We won't go on unless you go back!' A soldier seized bis bridle rein. The gallant General Gregg who laid down his life on the th of Oc- tober, almost in General Lee's presence, in a desperate charge of his brigade on the enemy's lines in the rear of Fo :: Harrison turning his horse towards General Lee, remonstrated with him. Just then I called the general's attention to General Longstreet. whom he had been seeking, and who sat on bis borse on a knoll to the right of the Texans, directing the attack of his divisions. He yielded with evident reluctance to the entreaties of bis men. and rode up to Longstreet's position.
"With the first opportunity I informed Gereral Longstreet of what had just happened, and he. with affectionate Huntress. urged General Lee to go further back. I need not say the Tex- ans went forward in their charge and did well their duty. They were eight hundred strong, and lost half of their number, killed and wounded, on that bloody day. The battle was soon restored. and the enemy driven back to their position of the night before. Wilcox's and Heth's divisions were placed to lice a stort dis- tance to the left of the plank road. General Lee's immediate
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presence had done much to restore confidence to these brave men and to inspire the troops who came up with the determination to win at all hazards. A short time afterwards General Anderson's division arrived from Orange Court House. The well-known flank attack was then plauned and put into execution, by which Longstreet put in, from his own and Anderson's divisions, three brigades on the right flank of the enemy, rolled it up in the nsual manner, uncovering his own front, thus completely defeat- ing Hancock's force and sending it reeling back on the Brock road. The story of this, and of Longstreet's unfortunate wound- ing is familiar to all. His glorious success and splendid action on the field had challenged the admiration of all. As an evi- dence of the spirit of the men on this occasion, the Mississippi brigade of Heth's division, commanded by the gallant Colonel Stone, though the division was placed farther to the left, out of the heat of the battle, preferred to remain on the right, under heavy fire, and fought gallantly throughout the day under Long- street."
Extracts from officer's note-book: "May 7th .- Lay behind breast-works; enemy attacked line several times on the left, and were easily repulsed. 8th .- Marched to Spottsylvania Court House, advanced under shell and grape on the enemy; no casual- ties. Moved to the left, advanced in line and entered the breast- works. 9th .- Strengthened breastworks, skirmishing and sharp- shooting. roth. - Enemy attacked our line. Batteries in front, and enfilading fire on our left played on us famously; attack repulsed after about an hour's fighting, in the afternoon, on our left, across a creek, the enemy handsomely mown down by our men. They again engaged in line to attract attention, and turned forward under cover of the cedars. A storming column struck the line of the Ith regiment. Soon crossed the works, and others charged to a gap in the breastworks. Those who entered, with very few exceptions, were either killed, wounded or cap- tured. Attack along the line repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy. Had a fine view of Hill's corps attacking and routing the enemy on our left across the creek.
"11th .- Lay in the trenches sharp-shooting and skirmishing.
"12th .- Battle of Spottsylvania Court House. A tremendous day's work, both of artillery and small arms all day. Enemy attacking us in breast-works. Their loss heavy, ours compara- tively light. Moved to the right at night and erected new works.".
Extract from letters: "On the 12th, was fought, I think, the most stubborn battle that has ever occurred on the continent. Our forces were attacked along a line several miles in extent, be-
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hind temporary breastworks, on account of which our losses are small, while that of the enemy is immense. A few more such days, and Grant will be without an army. Learned to-day the mails are not being distributed at Richmond-postolice closed and employes in the trenches --- no letters since the 4th."
"Ah See," Company A, 5th Texas, gives the following:
"The soldier, in active service, very soon becomes accustomed and hardened to the most painful and excruciating scenes of suf- fering and death. Under other conditions the same experience would strain every nerve to the utmost tension and excite the holiest horror. Even in war, however, there is occasionally an incident that causes him to shudder and revives the sensibilities of happier days. Such a one occurred at the bloody battle of Spottsylvania, in 1864.
"The line of battle of Hood's brigade occupying feeble and extemporized breastworks, was charged for three days, in gallant but futile attempts to break through our lines. Between the attacks, the Federal artillery kept up an incessent :car, their balls frequently doing much damage. During one of these at- tacks, and while the enemy's big guns were sending hot shot and shell at our puny defenses the incident, to which this article referrs, took place.
"In Company A, 5th Texas, was a gallant and already scarred young fellow, Sam Bailey. While standing at his post of duty plying his Enfield rifle, fast and furious, the smoke of battle drifting in weird and fantastic shapes around his young, devoted head, an oblong ball from one of the enemy's rifle guns, pierced the frail work immediately in his front, passed through. severed the brave fellow's head from his shoulders, scattered his brains upon his nearest comrades, drove his rifle through his body, and bent it in shape of a hoop or ring.
"The hearts of those who stood nearest him, and who knew his devotion and gallantry, could not but feel the shade of a mighty grief; eyes unused to weep at scenes like this. could not restrain a falling tear, a grief and tear that constitutes the only monument that ever reared itself above the prostrote bleeding body of the noble and chivalrous Bailey."
Extract from letters: "North Auna River, May card. -- We have had to undergo all in the way of watching. marching and fighting our natures are capable of, since we left Gordonsville. Have not seen our wagon train since, and during that time have had no change of a single garment. We reached here last night after a continuous march of over thirty hours, and I have seen my horse for the first time since the fabt commenced. Hare stood it remarkably well, and am thankful I have survived the
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bloody days of the 6th and 12th. Will not now discuss what the army is doing, but will say, however, General Lee has not taken his new position on account of any defeat, nor because of any want of spirit among the troops, and I feel confident the sequal will prove this conclusion."
While General Grant had been engaged on the Rapidan, Gen- eral Sheridan had, with a large force of cavalry, moved round to the rear of General Lee's army, doing damage at Beaver Dam to army stores, and destroying the railroad at Ashland.
On May toth, he encountered at "Yellow Tavern," on the road to Richmond, a force of Confederate cavalry, under the dashing leader, General J. E. B. Stuart. In a severe fight, where the odds were estimated to be eight hundred against eight thousand, he was persistently and stubbornly resisted, and effectually repulsed, Sheridan making his way across the country to Turkey Island where he joined Butler.
General Stuart sent couriers to Richmond, so the defenses might be manned. The fire alarm was again sounded, and soon everything was in a state of excitement and alarm, while the home defenders took their places in the fortifications.
The news of the repulse, and the wounding of the brilliant cavalry commander who had braved so much, was received with mingled emotion. General Stuart had continued to lead the charge after receiving his mortal wound, invoking his men to continue the fight. "Long accustomed to connect him with daring exploits and brilliant successes, there was much surprise and deeper sorrow when the news spread through the city. Ad- mired as a soldier, loved as a man, honored as a Christian pa- triot to whom duty to God and his country was a supreme law, the intense anxiety for his safety made all shrink from realizing his imminent danger."
Amid the grief of the people he was buried on President's Hill, at Hollywood Cemetery, -wept over by all who appreciated brave chivalry, another grand martyr upon his country's altar.
On June Ist, under cover of the darkness, General Grant with- drew to the north side of North Anna river, and moved east- wardly down the Pamunkey river. At Hanover Junction, Gen- eral Lee was joined by Pickett's division, which had been on de- tached service at Newbern, North Carolina, and a small force under Breckinridge, and a brigade on duty at the Junction.
"On the 2d. Grant's army was across the Pamunkey, while General Lee's army was in line of battle with his left at Atlee's Station, on the Central railroad, in Hanover county, nine miles below Richmond. By another movement eastward, the two armies found themselves face to face at Cold Harbor, Grant try-
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ing to force his passage across the Chickahominy, which, if suc- cessful, would enable him to lay siege to Richmond, having reached the scene of General Mcclellan's base in his famous campaign two years before. He had reached a point of converg- ence of all roads in the vicinity, -a strategic point where he was almost sure of a decisive victory.
The engagement on the morning of June 3d showed how fruit- less were his efforts to drive back the forces of General Lee. On every part of the line, the enemy was repulsed with quick and decisive blows. Hancock's corps was hurled back in a storm of fire, the 6th corps did not get nearer than one hundred yards of the works, while Warren and Burnside were staggered on the line of the rifle-pits. The day's work was effected in about ten minutes by signal strokes. Fourteen assaults were repulsed, and the loss of the Federals was terrible.
When the order was given to renew the attack, Swinton says, in his "Army of the Potomac": "The order was issued through the wonted channels, but no man stirred, and the immobile lines pronounced a verdict, silent, yet emphatic, against further slaughter. The loss on the Union side in this sanguinary action was over thirteen thousand, while on the part of the Confeder- ates, it is doubtful whether it reached as many hundreds."
With matters in this existing state, General Grant asked a truce to bury his dead. He soon after moved his army to secure a crossing to the south side of the James.
Taylor, in "Four Years with General Lee," says: "The strug- gle from the Wilderness to this point, covered a period of over one month, during which time there had been an almost daily eucounter of arms, and the Army of Northern Virginia had placed hors-de-combat, of the army under General Grant, a number exceeding the entire numerical strength at the com- mencement of the campaign of Lee's army, which notwithstand- ing its own heavy losses, and the re-enforcements received by the enemy, still presented an impregnable front to its opponent.
The Secretary of War, United States, reported that General Grant had, when he crossed the Rapidan., 141, 160.
To meet this force, Lee had less than 50,000. The same au- thority discloses that Grant had a reserve of 137,672. Lee had practically no reserve, as he had to send detachments to West Virginia equal to all the re-enforcements he received.
In Southern Historical Papers, under authority of the editor, there appears the following statement:
"Grant says he lost, in the campaign from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, 39.000; but Swinton puts his loss at over 60,000, and a careful examination of the figures will show that his real
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loss was near 100,000. In other words, he lost about twice as many men as Lee had, in order to take a position which he could have taken without firing a gun of losing a man."
The cause of General Lee losing so few men against such large forces, was the fact that he did all his fighting behind temporary breastworks, a thing unknown until Fredericksburg, the Confederates, in all their great battles, having acted on the offensive.
General Grant, at the time, was severely censured for his reck- less disregard of human life, and won the sobriquet, "The Butcher," from the Southern press. It was said, by prisoners, that during the fight at the Wilderness, in front of Hood's Texas Brigade, where his dead lay four and five deep, a courier told him several times how hot and fatal the fire was. He was lying under the trees, smoking, and his reply was, "Put in another regiment at once."
The sacrifice of life was so great, and not being able to bury his dead, the country became so foul from stench that the people, unable to undertake so huge an attempt, were forced to move away from the vicinity of the battle- field. The dead were buried a year later, when a detail was made from Sherman's army, when they passed through Richmond after hostilities had ceased, to go to the Wilderness and perform that duty.
"Ah See," Company A, 5th Texas Regiment, makes this tribute to his friend, Lieutenant Sykes:
"No man more fearless; no heart braver or more faithful to every duty. Known among friends and comrades by the title given above, he was yet such merely by courtesy, being a volun- tary aid upon the staff of his relative, General John Gregg, the last brigadier of our old brigade.
"In the first blush of manhood, with heart aflame with love and fealty to his native section, he left his happy and luxurious home at Aberdeen, Mississippi, where his family is an old and influential one, and took service with General Gregg, as ex- plained.
"Being attached to the same staff, I learned to know and love the young man to whose memory I offer this poor but sincere tribute. His character was one of the most perfect I ever knew. He was as gentle as a woman; none but kind and courteous words framed his responses to friends; generous to a fault, he knew no other way than to be kind, charitable and forgiving. Simple in dress, open in conduct, always ready to render aid and kindness where the chance occurred, he soon commanded the esteem of all who crossed his path. Before the world, as well as in private, his head was bowed at proper moments in adoration
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and duty to God, and many times, in that long ago, I remember seeing him seated 'neath a tree or bent reading with rapt inter- est the Word of God.
"In action, he rode along the front line of battle, intent upon duty, though without recklessness or foolish exposure.
"The battle of June, 1864, was the last action in which he was engaged. The victory had been won, and only the occasional firing of the Federal artillery to cover the retreat of its forces, re- mained to tell of the bloody wave that had swept over us that day.
"Near the original line of battle was a deserted cabin. Around that humble abode, within an hour after the close of the action, was assembled some half dozen distinguished Confederates, Gen- erals Lee, Longstreet, Field (our new division commander), Gregg, and perhaps one or two other brigade commanders.
"In the course of an hour these eminent leaders departed, leav- ing General Gregg and staff remaining, all of whom were munch- ing on hard-tack, or whatever else possible to procure, no one having tasted food since early morning.
"The cannonading continued, though at intervals of one or two minutes; and though an occasional shell found us out and made a fearful racket at the moment of explosion, yet we paid little attention thereto. Little did we think that one of those shells was the bearer of sad and fatal tidings to our party; little dreamed we that the shadow of a mighty grief was even then encircling our small group with its black pall; that the soul of young Sykes, as he rested there from the fatigue and dangers of that day's bloody work, was ready and waiting to wing its way to the shadow-land beyond.
"Yet such was the truth, for as the deafening sound of an ex- ploding shell, near our midst, died away into distance, we gathered the prostrate and bleeding body of our brave comrade and gently bore him to a field ambulance, which speedily car- ried him into a home of mercy, presided over by the loving hearts of loving women.
"There, with every care and attention that love and skill could suggest, with the brave Gregg bending over the form of the dying boy, catching the last messages of cheer and hope that his dying breath sent forth to the loved ones of his far off South- ern home, he passed away and beyond, his name and deeds em- balmed in the memory of those who knew and loved him ten- derly and truly."
EXTRACT FROM LETTER.
"COLD HARBOR, June gtli.
"The impression is general that Grant can not get much more
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fighting out of his hirelings. Some think be will attempt to cross the James and try the south side, while others say he will retire in the direction of the 'White House.' and eithe: wait for 'something to turn up,' or withdraw entire .... Fregetting is quiet. Eight covers the number of cassaities in the ath since it has been down here. General Field is wounded, and General Gregg in temporary command of division."
On June 12th, Grant crossed the river on pontoon bridges, near Wilcox's Wharf. General Lee's artillery shelled his troops as they passed over, and by June 15th his army was upon the south side of the James.
During the first week in May General Butler had landed, at Bermuda Hundred, below Richmond on the James, a force to move up, cut the railroad communication between Richmond and Petersburg to the south, and capture the latter city, which was but meagerly defeuded. He was confident he could reduce the defenses at Drury's Bluff. on the river. and thus open Richmond "by the back door," as he proudly boasted.
Penetrating his design, General Beauregard was offered from Charleston to take command at Drury's, and was in time to put a quietus to his aspirations by driving him back from his ad- vanced positions on May 16th, with a loss of several thousand men in killed, wounded and captured.
An expedition from Butler's lines. in June, against Petersburg. was the cause of concentrating there by General Lee, in conjunc- tion with Grant's crossing the James to the south side of the river. In a series of engagements in front of Petersbarz. includ- ing a severe assault, on June 17th, he lost at least ten thousand men, and gained no advantage.
Being unable to dislodge the Confederates from their intrench- ments by any amount of numbers and munitions of war seut against them, he conceived the plan of undermining their works by a subterranean passage. For six weeks be was busy with shovel and pick, preparing a mine to be filled with eight thou- sand pounds of gun-powder, and explodel. to ena'de them to make a breach in the works. Simultane soly, au advancing column was to make an assault, all the artillery was to be tarne i in the direction of the mine, and in the con. :- ion and surprise of the Confederates, a victorious army would take possession of the city and claim a decisive triumph.
To further cripple Lee's chances of recovery, Grant sent a force across to the north side of the James, compelling llis op- ponent to recross a portion of his commaal to protect the ap- proaches to Richmond.
On June 13th, Major-General Early, with the 2d army corps
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of Lee's army, was sent to strike Hunter's force in the rear (op- erating under Sigel's advance in the Shenandoah valley), and, if possible, destroy it, and then move down the valley across the Potomac and threaten Washington.
The account of experiences of the Texas brigade during all these operations is better told by extracts from our private let- ters:
"NEAR MALVERN HILL, June 15, 1864.
"On the morning of the 13th, it being ascertained that the enemy had withdrawn from our front near Cold Harbor, the army was put in motion. The division, or rather the corps, to which we belong, moved at 11 a. m. Taking the direction towards the Chickahominy, we passed in sight of the memorable battle-field of Gaines' Farm, where the Texas brigade first dis- tinguished itself June 27, 1862. Here the mind was unavoidably filled with conflicting emotions, dwelling with pride upon the historical fact that here, after our troops had been hotly engaged nearly the whole day, in a vain attempt to force the enemy's po- sition, until 5 p. m., that the Texas brigade, having previously and up to that hour been held in reserve, was, as it were, electri- fied by the voice of their almost idolized leader, the gallant Hood, as he uttered, in his own peculiar voice, the solitary word of command, 'forward!' it was reserved for the gallant 4th, as General Whiting was pleased to style us, first to penetrate the line held by the foe, causing their whole line to break in confu- sion and flee from the field. These pleasurable thoughts were intruded upon by the painful recollection that here we lost Colonel Marshall, a brave and zealous officer; Lieutenant-Colonel War- wick, as gallant as any of the many sacrifices of the Old Do- minion; Major Key, struck down wounded by a piece of shell. Here also fell the following company officers, who, like myself, brought companions from Texas to Virginia early in the strug- gle: Captain Hutchison, Captain Porter and Captain Ryan, to- gether with a host of others, lieutenants, non-commissioned offi- cers and brave privates. A diminutive scar on the writer's little finger reminds him, as he occasionally looks at it, that he too participated in the glories and dangers of that day.
"We crossed the Chickahominy on one of the bridges erected by the 'Young Napoleon,' while he invested Richmond: passed by what, two years ago, were his headquarters, crossed the York River railroad near Savage Station, marched over the battle-field of Seven Pines, and bivouacked for the night a short distance north of Frazier's Farm, and west of Malvern Hill, the enemy having passed down the Chickahominy, and crossed a portion of his forces at Long Bridge, on the Charles City road. Here we
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lay in the pines all day yesterday. The enemy are said to be crossing the James, above and below the Chickahominy. Ste cannonading going on down the river -- all quiet near us. Talk it not improbable we will cross the James. Grant's new move seems not to be fully developed to us, as yet. General Lee, doubtless, understands him, however, and will be ready for Lim. I feel that Grant is whipped, and Richmond is safe."
"TRENCHES NEAR PETERSBURG, June 20.
"On the 16th we took up line of march, passed near Chatin's Farm, crossed the James on pontoon bridges just below Drury's Bluff, took the south end of road from Manchester to Petersburg. Passing the extension of our works from Drury's where it crossed the road, we came to the ground over which a Federal recon- noitering party had just been driven by Pickett's division. For three or four miles we had the usual indications of a running fight, the loss not serious on either side. We found Pickett i !! line along the road near the Appomattox, took position on his right, threw forward skirmishers, and drove through the woods towards the river some mile or so, and came upon a line of Beast- regard's works, but were disappointed in not finding them cccu- pied by the enemy. When the Federals advanced south of Appomattox, General Beauregard, in moving to meet them, abandoned most of his line between the two rivers. Here we rest- ed, and sent out our scouts. Finding another line unoccupied. we moved forward to it, just before daylight.
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