USA > Virginia > City of Portsmouth > City of Portsmouth > A record of events in Norfolk County, Virginia, from April 19th, 1861, to May 10th, 1862, with a history of the soldiers and sailors of Norfolk County, Norfolk City and Portsmouth, who served in the Confederate States army or navy > Part 18
USA > Virginia > City of Norfolk > City of Norfolk > A record of events in Norfolk County, Virginia, from April 19th, 1861, to May 10th, 1862, with a history of the soldiers and sailors of Norfolk County, Norfolk City and Portsmouth, who served in the Confederate States army or navy > Part 18
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Early in November the Secretary of War seems to have become alarmed for the safety of Richmond, and on the 5th he sent orders to General Lee to send the 61st Virginia Regiment and the Nor- folk Light Artillery Blues to that city. General Lee replied on the 10th that he had not obeyed the order because he had not been able to supply their places on the upper Rappahannock.
On the 10th of November the three Florida Regimentsin Gen- eral Roger A. Pryor's Brigade were organized into a separate brigade, and placed under command of General Perry, of that State, and General Pryor, by order of General Lee, was relieved from dnty with the army of Northern Virginia and ordered to report to the Secretary of War, in Richmond, who, on the 12th, issued an order to General Lee to send the 1st and 61st Virginia Regiments to Richmond, to be forwarded to Petersburg, as the nucleus of a new brigade for General Pryor ; but, having need for them on the Rappahannock, General Lee did not comply with the order. General Pryor became impatient at the delay in send- ing those two regiments to him and wrote to General Lee, No- vember 23d, asking that they be sent at once to him, as he wished them to operate in the vicinity of the Blackwater river. General Lee sent him the following reply :
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, November 25th, 1892.
Brig. Gen. R. A. Pryor, Richmond, Va .:
GENERAL-Your letter of the 23d inst. has been received. I regret my inability to detach from this army the two regiments you desire to constitute a brigade, to operate on the Blackwater, under your command. As far as I am able to judge, troops are more wanted here than there, and it might be better to bring the troops which it is contemplated to unite with those in question, to this army. I regretted, at the time, the breaking up of your for-
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mer brigade, but you are aware that the eireumstances which pro- duced it were beyond my control. The 61st Virginia has, in ac- eordance with the desire of the colonel of the regiment, been attached to Mahone's brigade, which was organized from the sec- tion of country from which it came. I hope it will not be long before you will be again in the field, that the country may derive the benefit of your zeal and activity. I thought, and still think, that your services would be more valuable to the country south of James river, after your brigade was dismembered, and that troops could be organized in that region sufficient to form your com- mand.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient ser- vant.
R. E. LEE, General.
On the 15th of November General Burnside started with his army from Warrenton towards Fredericksburg, and General Lee ordered the 61st Virginia and the Norfolk Light Artillery Blues to that town. The advance of Burnside's army, Sumner's eorps, reached Falmouth on the afternoon of the 17th, and an attempt was made as if to cross the river. According to the official report of General Lee it was checked by the 15th Virginia Cavalry, four companies of Mississippi infantry and Lewis' battery of light ar- tillery. General Sumner says he made no attempt to cross, that his batteries drove Lewis' men from their guns, and he was anx- ious to cross and take possession of them, but was prevented by positive orders from General Burnside. The 61st Regiment reached Fredericksburg on the morning of the 18th, and found a large force of the enemy on the opposite side of the river. Colo- nel Groner, in order to create the impression upon their minds that a large Confederate force was present, had large fires built all along the heights and burned up nearly every fence rail in the vicinity. The ruse was successful and the enemy waited for rein- forcements and to establish his communications before attempting to cross. In the meantime General Lee's army began to arrive from Culpepper and Orange Court House, and continued coming in, until he had collected an effective force of 72,564 men for duty, including infantry, artillery and cavalry.
General Lee was apprehensive that Fredericksburg would be occupied by the enemy before the 61st Regiment could reach there, and gave Colonel Groner orders how to proceed in that event. The commander of that cavalry operating on the river was ordered to keep Colonel Groner advised as to the movements of the enemy so as to guard against surprise. Shortly after the army reached Fredericksburg, the 61st Regiment was attached to Mahone's Brigade, which was then composed of the 6th, 12th, 16th, 41st and 61st Virginia Regiments, and was a part of Ander- son's Division.
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THE SIXTY-FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT.
The battle of Fredericksburg took place on the 13th of De- cember, 1862, and its details are a part of the history of the war. On the 12th General Burnside crossed one hundred thou- sand men over the river, and on the 13th attacked the right of General Lee's army, which was drawn up on the range of hills overlooking Fredericksburg, and about a mile or a mile and a half back from the town. Jackson's corps of three divisions, A. P. Hill's, D. H. Hill's and Ewell's-the last under command of Gen- eral Early-held the right of the line, and Longstreet's corps held the left, arranged in the following order by divisions : Hood on the right and joining Jackson's left, next Pickett, next McLaws, next Ransom, and next Anderson, with his left resting on the river. The 61st Regiment was with Anderson and was exposed to the fire of the Federal artillery, but was not actively engaged in the battle. The attack on Jackson was repulsed after heavy fighting, with loss to the Federals. Then an assault was made upon the position held by Ransom's and McLaw's Divisions, but it was easily repulsed. The enemy advanced four times and were driven back with great slaughter. The attacking columns were composed of the 2d corps, General Couch, the 9th, General Wil- cox, and three divisions of Hooker's corps. Burnside's loss in the battle was 12,321, and that of the Confederates was 4,201, ac- cording to General Lee's official report.
After the battle of Fredericksburg the 61st Regiment remained in camp near that town, enjoying rather a quiet time, until the latter part of April, 1863, when the Federal army again got into motion. General Hooker had been assigned to the command, re- lieving General Burnside. He had an army, according to United States official reports, present for duty of one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and artillery, twelve thousand cavalry, and more than four hundred guns. General Lee had previously detached Hood's and Pickett's Divisions under Longstreet to Suf- folk, and Ransom's Division to North Carolina, in February, and had left to oppose Hooker's advance, only fifty-seven thousand effectives. General Hooker left about thirty thousand men under General Sedgwick in his lines opposite Fredericksburg. These consisted of Sedgwick's own corps, the 6th, of twenty-two thou- sand men, as per his official report, and Gibbon's Division, of Couch's corps, numbering between seven and eight thousand ad- ditional, and were designed to mask the real purpose, which was to cross the Rappahannock River higher up and turn General Lee's left. This movement was successfully accomplished, and General Hooker took up a position at Chancellorsville and began to fortify it. General Lee left Early's Division and Kershaw's Brigade, in all, about nine thousand men at Fredericksburg to oppose Sedgwick, and with the remainder of his army amount- ing to forty-eight thousand, including the artillery and the cav-
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alry of Stewart, drew out of his works and marched to attack Hooker's main army. This was on the 1st of May, and the ad- vance of the two armies met late in the afternoon near Chancel- lorsville. A considerable engagement followed, during which Hooker withdrew to the position which he had fortified. The next morning General Lee retained MeLaw's and Anderson's Di- visions to hold Hooker in cheek in front, and sent Jackson with his own corps, composed of the divisions of A. P. Hill. Trimble and Rodes, numbering twenty-two thousand men to make a de- tour and attack his right flank and rear. While Jackson was making his flanking march, Lee drew Hooker's attention from- him by feints upon his front, with MeLaw's and Anderson's Di- visions. About 6 o'clock in the afternoon Jackson got into a po- sition to strike, and sending forward Rodes' Division, overran the Eleventh corps which formed Hooker's right, capturing prisoners, guns and wagons. Night terminated the battle for that day, and Jackson, riding through the Confederate lines with his staff to ascertain the position of the enemy, was, in the darkness, mis- taken by his own men on his way back, for Federal cavalry, and fired upon. He received three wounds, one of which necessitated the amputation of his arm, and he died about a week after the battle. The next day. May 3d. Stuart took command of Jack- son's corps, and extending his right formed a connection with the left of Anderson's Division, near the Chancellor House, whereupon General Lee ordered a general advance of the whole army and Hooker was driven out of his works into a second line, which he had constructed across the angle formed by the junction of the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. General Lee was about to assault this position when his movements were arrested by news from Fredericksburg. Sedgwick had crossed the river at Fred- erieksburg, captured Marye Heights from General Early, who fell back before him, and was advancing in General Lee's rear to- wards Chancellorsville, to assist Hooker. General Lee sent back Mahone's Brigade, Wilcox's Brigade, and three of the brigades of MeLaws' Division, the whole under command of General MeLaws, to check him. They met near Salem Church and Sedg- wick was driven back with a loss of five thousand men, including his loss in his attack upon Early. The next day General Early joined MeLaws and General Lee sent Anderson with his three remaining brigades to assist. With these forces the attack was re- newed. and Sedgwick, overwhelmingly defeated, was saved from total destruction only by the approach of night, under cover of which he recrossed the river at Banks' Ford. This attack was made principally by Early's Division which assailed Sedgwick's left.
On the 5th General Lee got his army together again and made arrangements to renew the attack on Hooker on the morning of
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the 6th, but when his skirmishers advanced at day break, they found Hooker had decamped across the river, leaving behind his wounded, twenty thousand stand of arms and fourteen guns. His loss was seventeen thousand one hundred and ninety-seven. The Confederate loss was ten thousand two hundred and eighty- one.
The 61st Regiment, as a part of Anderson's Division, was ac- tively engaged in every day's fighting and lost heavily. Major Stewart, Captain Cassell and Lieutenant Murdangh were wounded, as was also Lieutenant Alex. Butt, of Portsmouth, adjutant of the 41st Regiment, who died from his wound. This was the first battle of importance in which the 61st was actively engaged. It was ready at Fredericksburg, but was not called upon. At Chancellorsville the men fought with the steadiness of veterans.
After Chancellorsville, General Lee began the invasion of Pen- sylvania and on the 1st, 2d and 3d of July fought the battle of Gettysburg. The 61st Regiment took part in the battle of the 2d and was held in reserve on the 3d. It was, however, exposed to the fire of the enemy's artillery on that day and lost a number of men killed and wounded. It was heavily engaged on the 2d and its losses were proportionate. The Confederates were snc- cessful in their attacks on the 1st and 2d and the Federals were pushed back with heavy losses in killed, wounded and prisoners, but in falling back, General Meade secured an advantageous posi- tion on the night of the 2d, from which General Lee failed to dislodge him. General Lee's losses in the Gettysburg campaign amounted to nineteen thousand men, killed, wounded and miss- ing. General Meade's were somewhat larger. An account of the third day's fighting will be found in the history of the 9th Virginia Regiment, earlier in this work-chapter XII. General Lee had present for duty at Gettysburg sixty-eight thousand three hundred and fifty-two men (of whom fifty-four thousand three hundred and fifty-six were infantry) including cavalry and artil- tillery and official reports place the Federal army at one hundred and five thousand effectives.
Two days after the battle of Gettysburg, General Lee fell back to the Potomac river. His march was slow and deliberate. IIe was anxions for General Meade to attack him. He was not strong enough to drive Meade from his fortified position, but was very willing to be attacked. He remained on the north bank of the Potomac four or five days on account of the swollen condition of the river, hoping the enemy would attack him, but, finding he would not do so, and unable to remain any longer away from his base of supplies, he crossed over into Virginia, followed at a re- spectful distance by his antagonist.
During the fall of 1863 nothing of special importance was done on the Rapidan. In October General Lee endeavored to bring
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about an engagement, and chased Meade into Fairfax county. His advance overtook the rear of the retreating force at Bristoe Station October 14th, and an engagement ensued, in which the Confederates were badly handled by the officers in command on the field, and the Federals, Warren's corps, held their ground until night, when they retired into Fairfax county. The 61st Regiment was present in that affair. It had an opportunity at Mine Run the following month to repay the enemy two fold. General Lee had detached a portion of his army and General Meade thought himself strong enough to whip the remainder, but he was checked at Mine Run with the loss of upwards of two thousand men, while the Confederate loss was scarcely as many hundred.
After that the army remained in winter quarters near Culpep- per Court House until the following May, 1864, when General Grant began his overland campaign towards Richmond. With an army of one hundred and forty thousand men, of all arms, and a wagon train consisting of upwards of four thousand wagons, he started out to overwhelm General Lee, who had with him an army composed of fifty-two thousand six hundred and twenty-six in- fantry, cavalry and artillery.
Grant crossed the Rapidan May 5th, 1864, and launched his army forward into the region called the Wilderness, a thick, woody section of country in the northern part of Spotsylvania county, well grown up with underbrush and short pines, with a view of turning the right flank of Lee's army and compelling his retreat towards Richmond. Lee, however, had no idea of retreat- ing, but threw Ewell's and A. P. Ilill's corps across his front and ordered Longstreet, with his two divisions, Hood's and MeLaw's, to join the army at once. They were camped near Gordonsville. Pickett's Division of Longstreet's corps was near Richmond and Petersburg. Ewell and Hill attacked the oncoming masses of the enemy, drove in their advance brigades and took up positions for the battle which it was evident would be fought the next day. Anderson's Division, to which the 61st Regiment and Mahone's Brigade were attached, had not then come up, and did not reach the field until some time after the battle had been joined the next day. General Lee formed his line of battle with Hill's corps on the right and Ewell's on the left. Longstreet's corps, which was expected to arrive during the forenoon, was to form on Hill's right, but Grant began his attack on Hill's troops about daybreak, before either Anderson or Longstreet had gotten up, and by greatly superior numbers, forced Hill's line back. It gave ground stubbornly and slowly until about seven o'clock, when the arrival of Anderson's Division enabled Hill to successfully resist his as- sailants. Hancock commanded that wing of the Federal Army, and was reinforced to such an extent that he had under his com-
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THIE SIXTY-FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT.
mand more than one half of Grant's forces, but he made no fir- ther headway. Hill held his ground, and soon Longstreet's men began to arrive and take position. About noon Longstreet ordered an advance of his own and Hill's corps and the Federals were beaten back in confusion and completely disorganized. Longstreet turned their left and doubled it back upon the center, and was preparing a grand movement by which he expected to destroy that entire wing of Grant's army. He had sent forward Ma- hone's Brigade as a flanking party and advanced, himself at the head of Jenkins' South Carolina Brigade, to renew the attack in front. His own and Jenkins' staff were mounted, and had with them several captured United States flags, and, coming near Ma- hone's Brigade, they were mistaken for Federal cavalrymen and fired upon. General Jenkins was killed and Longstreet was wounded and disabled, while a number of the members of their respective staffs were also killed or wounded. This put a stop to the flanking movement and the Federals fell back and began entrenching themselves, and, after some sharp fighting, the Con- federates also began building works. On the left of the Confed- erate line, the enemy made several unsuccessful attacks upon Ewell's corps, and, after repulsing these, Ewell turned the right of the Federal army, broke completely two of its divisions, and captured a number of prisoners.
Grant made several attempts on the 7th to carry the Confeder- ate lines by assault, but without success, and on the night of that day drew out of his works and moved off to the left for the pur- pose of turning General Lee's right, but upon arriving at Spotsyl- vania Court House the next morning, found a portion of General Lee's army again posted across his front. An attack on the Confederate lines was repulsed and during the day both armies were getting into position. Upon the wounding of General Longstreet, General Anderson was assigned to the command of lis corps and General Mahone was promoted to the command of Anderson's Division, which, from that time, was known as Mahone's Division.
On the 12th of May was fought the battle of Spotsylvania Court House, in which General Lee successfully repulsed every effort of General Grant to carry his lines and inflicted on him a very heavy punishment. Grant's losses in the two battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House, according to his official reports, exceeded forty thousand.
The 61st Virginia Regiment was in the thickest of the fight, and its loss was severe. Colonel Groner was wounded, as was also Major Stewart, and Lieutenant-Colonel Niemeyer was killed. The fighting was nearly over at the time he was killed. The regiment, with the brigade, had charged and carried a line of breast- works defended by a thin line of the enemy, and Captain Chas.
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R. McAlpine, of Company I, had captured a very fine horse, fully accoutred. Calling Lieutenant-Colonel Niemeyer to him he pre- sented the horse to him, and as that officer accepted it, and was extending his hand to take it a minie ball from the enemy's skir- mish line pierced a vital spot in his body and his young life passed ont to the great unknown. He was just twenty-four years old and singularly, had a presentiment that morning that he would be killed during the day. He informed Major Stewart of his belief that morning and before night his presentiment had become veri- fied. His remains were carried to Richmond and interred. The funeral ceremonies took place in the Broad Street Methodist Church.
The death of Lieutenant-Colonel Niemeyer occasioned the pro- motion of Major Wm. H. Stewart to that position and Captain Charles R. McAlpine was promoted to Major. In the fall of 1863 Adjutant Wm. S. Wright died with a congestive chill, and in March, 1864, W. A. S. Taylor, of Norfolk, was appointed by Colonel Groner to fill the vacancy.
Grant remained in position in front of Spotsylvania Court House until the night of the 20th, when, finding himself power- less to force Lee's position, he once more moved off to the left, but Lee interposed again between him and Richmond, at Hanover Court House and Cold Harbor, and each time took heavy toll. There was constant fighting from the 24th of May to the 13th of June, in all of which the 61st Regiment and Mahone's Brigade took part. The principle assault on the Confederate lines at Cold Harbor was made on the 3d of June, between daylight and sun- rise. Grant ordered an attack all along the lines. The battle lasted scarcely ten minutes, and in those ten minutes more than thirteen thousand Federal soldiers were killed or wounded. The Confederate loss barely exceeded one hundred.
On the 13th General Grant again moved off to the left, but had already made his nearest approach to Richmond, and further movements in that direction were carrying him away from the city. He reached the James river and crossed over on the 15th and 16th, at Wilcox's landing, below City Point. Official reports from his corps commanders made his losses from the Wilderness until he reached James river, more than sixty thousand men, a number greater than General Lee's army.
General Lee reported from Taylorsville on the 24th of May, to the Secretary of War, that Mahone had driven three regiments of the enemy across the river and captured a stand of colors and a number of prisoners, among them an aide of General Ledlie.
Repeated assaults by the Federals upon the Confederate lines in front of Petersburg, from the 15th to the 20th of June, were defeated, and each time the assaulting columns suffered severely, their total losses amounted to about twelve thousand. On the
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THE SIXTY-FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT.
20th Grant began regular seige operations. On the 22d he un- dertook to extend his left. composed of the 2d and 6th corps. to envelop General Lee's right, but Hill's corps attacked them. Ma- hone's Brigade. with the 61st Regiment on the right. turned the flank of the Federal forces and captured two thousand prisoners. fifteen hundred stand of arms. four Blakely guns and eight stand of colors. The entire Federal losses that day exceeded four thousand. of whom twenty-five hundred were captured. It was in this battle that Major McAlpine complimented the skill and good judgment of Captain John Hobday. of Portsmouth. [See ante. Chapter XXII. Company I, 61st Virginia.]
On the 23d the brigade had another smart brush with the en- emy. in which it carried off a number of prisoners. On the 25th Wilson's Division of cavalrymen. returning from a raid against the Southside Railroad was headed off at Reams Station. on the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad. and scattered. The Confed- erates captured one thousand prisoners, thirteen guns and the wagon train of the enemy.
The 61st Regiment was at the battle of the Crater. July 30th. The Federals had excavated a culvert or mine from their lines to a point underneath the Confederate works. and placing therein two hundred barrels of gun powder, exploded it about day break. The works immediately at that point were blown into the air and the guns and many of the artillerymen were buried beneath the falling debris. An attack was made by three divisions of white troops. Ledlie's. Potter's and Wilcox's. and one division of col- ored troops, composing the whole of Burnside's corps. These troops rushed into the breech, but were held in check by the Confederate batteries on the right and left of the opening. which began playing upon them. Mahone's Division was the nearest available force which could be sent to repel the intruders, and three of its brigades Mahone's Virginia, Wright's Georgia and Saunders' Alabama-were hurried there. Mahone's and Wright's arrived first. and, forming line of battle. with Mahone's on the left, advanced to the charge. Wright's men faltered in face of the withering volleys which met them and fell back. Later its place was taken by Saunders' Brigade, which made a charge and dis- lodged the enemy from that portion of the field. The follow- ing account of the charge of Mahone's Brigade. then under com- mand of General Weisiger, was written by Lieutenant Colonel Wm. H. Stewart, who commanded the 61st Regiment. Colonel Groner being absent on account of his wound received at Spot- sylvania Court House :
BATTLE OF THE CRATER-RECOLLECTIONS OF THE RECAPTURE OF THE LINES-SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
As the wild waves of time rush on, our thoughts now and then run back over the rough billows to buried hopes and unfulfilled
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anticipations, and oft we linger long and lovingly, as if standing beside the tomb of a cherished parent. Thus the faithful follower of the Southern Cross recalls the proud hopes that led him over long and weary marches and in bloody battles. These foot-sore journeys and hard contested fields are now bright jewels in his life around which the tenderest cords of his heart are closely en- twined. They are moments of duty! They are sacred resting places for his baffled energies? They are rich mines from which the very humblest actor gathers the wealth of an approving con- science! He hears no pæns by a grateful country-no bounty rolls bear his name-yet these are sweet choristers ever chanting priceless praises to the zeal and manhood with which he faced his foc. The veteran of an hundred battles always points with greater pride to one as the crowning glory of the many achieve- ments. So the soldiers of Mahone's Old Brigade look upon the great battle which I shall here attempt to describe.
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