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 19
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 19
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My little fly tent, scarcely large enough for two persons to lie side by side, was stretched over a platform of rough boards, ele- vated about two feet above the ground, in that little grave yard on the Wilcox farm, near Petersburg. I was quietly sleeping within it, dreaming, perhaps, of home and all its dear associations (for only a soldier can properly appreciate these), when a deep rum- bling sound, thiat seemed to rend the very earth in twain, startled me from my slumbers, and in an instant I beheld a mountain of curling smoke ascending towards the heavens. The whole camp had been aroused, and all were wondering from whence came this mysterious explosion. It was the morning of Saturday, the 30th day of July, 1864. The long-talked-of mine had been sprung, a battery blown up, and the enemy were already in possession of eight hundred yards of our entrenchments.
Two hundred cannon roared in one accord, as if every lanyard had been pulled by the same hand. The grey fog was floating over the fields and darkness covered the face of the earth, but the first bright streak of dawn was gently lifting the curtain of night.
The fiery crests of the battlements shone out for miles to our · left, and the nitrous vapors rose in huge billows from each line of battle, and sweeping together formed one vast range of gloom.
The sun rose brilliantly, and the great artillery duel still raged in all its grandeur and fury. An occasional shell from a Blakely gun would swoop down in our camp and richochet down the line to our right, forcing us to hug closely the fortifications.
Soon after, Captain Tom. Bernard, General Mahone's courier, came sweeping up the lines on his white charger to the headquar- ters of Brigadier General D. Weisiger. Then the drums com- menced rolling off the signals, which were followed by "fall in" and hurried roll calls. We were required to drive back the Fed-
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THE SIXTY-FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT.
erals, who were then holding, and within the very gates of the city of Petersburg. It was startling news; but our soldiers fal- tered not, and moved off at quick step for the seat of war.
Wright's Georgia Brigade, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Hall, and our Virginia Brigade, the latter numbering scarcely eight hundred muskets, constituted the force detailed to dislodge the enemy, who held the broken lines with more than fifteen thousand men, and these were elosely supported by as many more. I remember that our regiment, the 61st, did not exceed two hundred men, including officers and privates, which I am quite sure was the strongest in the two brigades. I suppose we had marched the half of a mile when ordered to halt and strip off all baggage exeept ammunition and muskets. We then filed to the left a short distance to gain the banks of a small stream in order to be protected from the shells of the Federal batteries by placing a range of hills between. These the enemy were already viewing within four hundred yards with covetous eyes, and mak- ing dispositions to attempt their capture, for they were the very keys to the invested city. When nearly opposite the portion of our works held by the Federal troops, we met several soldiers who were in the works at the time of the explosion. Our men began ridieuling them for going to the rear, when one of thom re- marked : " Ah, boys, you have hot work ahead-they are negroes, and show no quarter." This was the first intimation that we had to fight negro troops, and it seemed to infuse the little band with impetuous daring, as they pressed onward to the fray. I never felt more like fighting in my life. Our comrades had been slaughtered in a most inhuman and brutal manner, and slaves were trampling over their mangled and bleeding corpses. Re- venge must have fired every heart and strung every arm with nerves of steel for the herculean task of blood. We filed up a ditch, which had been dug for safe ingress and egress to and from the earthworks, until we reached the vale between the elevation on which the breastworks were located and the one on the banks of the little stream just mentioned-within two hundred yards of the enemy. The ill-fated battery of six guns which had been de- molished by the explosion of eight tons of gun-powder, projeeted from the line of earthworks for the infantry at an acute angle. It overlooked the enemy's line of works which were on the northeastern slope of the same elevation, distant about one hun- dred yards.
The "Crater," or excavation, eaused by the explosion, was about twenty-five feet deep, one hundred and fifty feet long and fifty feet wide. About seventy-five feet in rear of the support- ing earthworks there was a wide ditch with the bank thrown up on the side next the fortifications. This was constructed to pro- tect parties carrying ammunitions and rations to the troops. Be-
13
186
NORFOLK COUNTY, 1861-5.
tween this irregular and ungraded embankment and the main line the troops had constructed numerous caves, in which they slept at night to be protected from the mortar shells. The em- bankment from the bottom of the ditch was about ten feet high and commanded the outer or main line. The space from the out- side of the fortifications to the inner edge of the ditch was more than one hundred feet wide.
The "Crater," and the space on both sides for some distance, were literally crammed with the enemy's troops. They were five lines deep, and must have numbered between fifteen and twenty- five thousand men. Their historians admit that their charge was made by the whole of the ninth corps, commanded by General A. E. Burnside, and that the fifth and a part of the second corps were massed in supporting distance.
Mahone's old Brigade, after being deployed, covered their front from the centre of the Crater to their right. Their silken ban- ners proudly floating on the breezes, supported by countless bayo- nets glistening in the sunlight, might on an ordinary occasion have daunted our little band and made them forfeit a trial at arms ; but they were desperate and determined, and reckoned not the host that confronted them. I recollect counting seven stand- ards in front of our regiment alone. Our column was deployed in the valley before mentioned, in full view of these hostile thous- ands. As the soldiers filed into line, General Mahone walked from right to left, commanding the men to reserve their fire until they reached the brink of the ditch, and after delivering one vol- ley to use the bayonet. Our line was hardly adjusted, and the Georgians had not commenced to deploy, when the division of negroes, the advance line of the enemy, made an attempt to rise from the ditch and charge. Just at that instant General Mahone ordered a counter charge. The men rushed forward, officers in front, with uncovered heads and waving hats, and grandly and beautifully swept onward over the intervening space with muskets at trail. The enemy sent in the ranks a storm of bullets, and here and there a gallant fellow would fall; but the files would close, still pressing onward, unwavering, into the jaws of death.
The orders of Major-General Mahone were obeyed to the very letter, the brink of the ditch was gained before a musket was dis- charged, the cry "No quarter !" greeted us, the one volley re- sponded, and the bayonet plied with such irresistible vigor as in- sured success in the shortest space of time. Men fell dead in heaps, and human gore ran in streams that made the very earth mire beneath the tread of the victorious soldiers. The rear ditch being ours, the men mounted the rugged embankment and hurled their foes from the front line up to the very mouth of the Crater. In the meantime, the Georgia Brigade had charged, but were re- pulsed ; and soon after it was re-formed in column of regiments
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THE SIXTY-FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT.
and again charged, but was met by such a withering fire that it again recoiled with heavy slaughter.
Our bloody work was all done so quickly that I had scarcely an idea of the time it required to accomplish it, some say it was twenty minutes. It was over I am sure about noon, and then for the first time we realized the oppression of the scorching rays of that July sun, and many almost sank from exhaustion. The bri- gade captured fifteen battle flags, and our own regiment owned five of the seven that I had counted in its front. How many men rallied to each of these captured flags I have no means of ascertaining ; but the Ninth Corps had been recently recruited, and its regiments must have been well up towards the thousands, and from these captured flags alone the reader may form an idea of the numbers we had overcome. In that supreme moment, when exulting over a great victory, how great I shall leave for others to judge, as our eyes fell upon the bleeding comrades around us, our hearts sickened within, for more than half our members lay dead, dying, wounded and writhing in agonies around us.
The wonderful triumph had been won at the price of the blood of the bravest and best and truest. Old Company F, of Norfolk, had carried in twelve men, all of whom were killed or wounded. The Sixth Regiment, to which it was attached, carried in ninety- eight men, and mustered ten for duty at this time. The Sharp- shooters carried in eighty men, and sixteen remained for duty. Nearly half of our own regiment had fallen, and the 12th, 41st and 16th Regiments suffered in like proportion. Up to this time only an inconsiderable number of prisoners had been captured.
Mention of special acts of bravery would, perhaps, be out of place here, for all who marched from that vale crowned them- selves heroes, and need no encomiums from my feeble pen.
During the charge, about fifty yards from the ditch, Captain John G. Wallace, of Company C, 61st Virginia Regiment, was stricken down with a broken thigh. He lay upon his back, refus- ing to allow his men to take him from the field till the battle was over, waving his hat and urging his men to " go on ; go forward."
Lieutenant St. Julien Wilson, of the same company, was mor- tally wounded, and died the next day. He was a young officer, generally admired for his gallant conduct on the field and manly christian virtues in camp.
Captain John T. West, of Company A, encountered two burly negroes at the brink of the diteh, and while parrying their thrusts with his sword, was bayoneted in his shoulder by one of his own men, who was too eager to assist him. Privates Henry J. Butt, Jeremiah Casteen and D. A. Williams, three of the bravest of the brave, from the same company, were instantly killed.
Private John Shepherd, a noble soldier of Company D, was slain just before reaching the main line of breastworks.
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NORFOLK COUNTY, 1861-5.
Captain W. Scott Sykes, of Company F, Forty first Virginia. Regiment, was wounded in the shoulder while gallantly leading his men.
Colonel Harry Williamson, of the Sixth Virginia Regiment, lost an armı.
Captain David Wright, Company H, Sixth Virginia Regiment, was instantly killed while leading his men. He had been pro moted from the ranks to captaincy on account of his gallant and meritorious conduet.
Our townsmen, Judge (. W. Hill and John T. Hill, members of the same regiment, the Sixth Virginia, were wounded almost. at the same instant ; the former through the left arm, which was afterwards amputated, and the latter through the wrist.
Major W. H. Etheredge, of the Forty-first Regiment, displayed great gallantry, as was always his custom on the field. As he jumped in the ditch, a brave Federal in the front line fired through the traverse and killed a soldier at his side. He immediately dropped his empty muskel and snatched another from a cowering conrade to kill Major Etheredge, At this juncture, the Major, with remarkable self-possession, ennghi up two Federals who were crouching in the ditch, and hold their heads together between his determined opponent, swinging them to and fro to cover the sight of the musket, the Federal doing his best to uncover it so as to unharm his friends by his bullet. Peter Gibbs, of the Forty-first. Virginia Regiment, Company E, of Petersburg, rushed to the as- sistance of the Major, and killed his foe. Gibbs was a gallant soldier, and fought with great desperation. It was said at the time that he slew fourteen men that day.
Captain W. W. Broadbent, the brave commander of the Sharp- shooters, was mercilessly murdered, his skull was broken in and almost every square inch of his body was perforated with a bayo- net stab.
Although our principal task was completed, yet more heavy work remained to be done to fully re-establish our lines. Briga- dier General Bartlet, with about five hundred men, were cooped up in the Crater, and their capture was the crowning event of the bloody drama. Our wounded was sent to the rear as fast as pos- sible, and after piling the enemy's dend on each side of the tronches, to make a pass way, our ranks were closed up in proper order. We were then ordered to keep up a sharp fire on the enemy's works in front to keep them close, and on the Crater to our right to prevent Bartlet's escape, as our position commanded his rear, while Saunders' Alabama Brigade formed in the valley und charged. The Alabamians made a grand charge under a ter- rible fire, reaching the rest of the Greater without faltering, and here a short struggle ensued. They tumbled muskets, elubs, elods of earth and cannon balls into the excavation on the heads of the
189
THE SIXTY-FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT.
enemy with telling effeet. This novel warfare, as before stated, lasted only a few minutes, when Bartlet ordered up the white flag, and about five hundred prisoners marched to our rear. The negroes among them were very much alarmed, and vociferously implored for their lives. One old cornfield chap exclaimed : " My God, massa, I nebber pinted a gun at a white man in all my life ; dem nasty, stinking Yankees fotch us here, and we didn't want to come fus!''
The appearance of this rough, irregular hole beggars descrip tion. It was estimated that it contained six hundred bodies. The importance of re-construeing this broken line of earthworks at once, prevented the removal of these bodies-therefore, they were buried as they had fallen, in one indiscriminate heap. Spades were brought in, and the earth thrown from the side of the Crater until they were covered a sufficient depth. By 3 o'clock in the afternoon all was over, and we were enjoying a welcome truce.
The extreme heat of the sun had already caused putrefaction to conunence, and the bodies in our front and rear, and especially the blood-soaked earth under our feet in the trenches, exhaled such a nauseating smell that I was forced to abandon my supper, al though I had not tasted a morsel of food since the previous night.
There were thousands of captured arms around us, and during the night some of our men would shoot ramrods at theenemy just. for the fun of hearing them whiz. One that was sent over drew from a Federal the exclamation, " Great. God! Johnnie, you are throwing turkey spits and stringing us together over here. Stop it. ! ''
A correspondent of one of the New York dailies, writing a de seription of this battle from accounts obtained from wounded officers, who arrived at Washington on the 2d of August, 1864, uses the following language : " Often have the Confederates won encomiums for valor, but never before did they light, with such uncontrollable desperation. It appeared as if our troops were at their mercy, standing helpless or running in terror and shot down like dogs. No such seene has been witnessed in any battle of the war. The charge of the enemy against the negro troops was ter- riffic. With fearful yells they rushed down against them. The negros at once ran back, breaking through the line of white troops in the rear. Again and again their officers tried to rally them. Words and blows were useless. They were victims of an uncontrollable terror, and human agency could not stop them."
Next morning was a bright and beautiful Sabbath, and nothing of moment occurred. At least three thousand of the Federal dead were still on the field putrifying under the scorching rays of the sun. I remember a negro between the lines, who had both legs blown off, crawled up to the outside of our works, stuck three muskets in the ground, and threw a small piece of tent
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NORFOLK COUNTY, 1861-5.
cloth over them to shelter his head from the hot sunshine. Some of our men managed to shove a cup of water to him, which he drank, and immediately commenced frothing at the mouth, and died in a very short time afterwards. He had lived in this con- dition for nearly twenty-four hours.
On Monday morning a truee was granted, and the Federals sent out details to bury their dead between the lines. They dug a long ditch, and placed the bodies crosswise, several layers up, and refilled the ditch.
After the Federals had finished burying their dead and were moving off, General Mahone noticed that they had left the dirt piled high enough for breastworks, midway between the two lines. He quickly discerned the danger of this, as it would have af- forded shelter for another assaulting column. He stopped the burial detail and made them level the ground as they found it. General Pendleton, commander of the artillery of General Lee's army, was standing near and paid a high compliment to General Mahone's foresight.
The official reports of the various regiments give the losses in the brigade as follows, omitting a number of slightly wounded :
Killed. Wounded. Missing.
Sixth Regiment, Col. Geo. T. Rogers, commanding .. 13 50 12
Twelfth Reg., Major R. H. Jones, commanding .. 12 26. Sixteenth Reg., Maj. J. T. Woodhouse, commanding .. 21. 18. Forty-first Reg., Maj. W. H. Etheredge, commanding .. 13 31 Sixty-first Reg., Lt. Col. W. H. Stewart, commanding .. 19. 43.
78 168 12
Total losses-258.
General Weisiger, commanding the brigade, was wounded. The next battle of importance in which the regiment took part, was fought on the 19th of August, on the Petersburg and Wel- don Railroad. This battle is sometimes called Davis' Farm and sometimes Johnson's Farm, as it took place on both. Warren's corps had been advaneed to the left to ocenpy a position on the railroad, but was attacked by parts of Mahone's and Heth's Di- visions and his works handsomely carried. Twenty-five hundred prisoners belonging to Crawford's and Ayers' Divisions were cap- tured, among them, Brigadier-General Hays. Mahone's Brigade suffered more severely in this battle than in any other in which it was engaged. While the main battle was being fought else- where, this brigade was detached to check the advance of rein- forcements and was placed by General Weisiger in a very disad- vantageous position in which it was unnecessarily exposed; and its losses were heavy. After it had been badly cut up, General Mahone, going to that part of the field, ordered it to fall back to a better position. It accomplished the objeet, however, of pre- venting the reinforcements getting up in time. The 61st Regi-
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THE SIXTY-FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT.
ment carried nineteen officers, fifteen ambulance corps and one hundred and fifty enlisted men to the fight, of whom seven were killed, fifty-five wounded and fourteen missing. Total, seventy- six.
On the 25th the 61st Regiment took part in the defeat of Han- cock's corps at Reams' Station, in which battle Hancock lost about three thousand men, of whom seventeen Imndred were captured, with twelve guns and numerous standards.
On the 17th of December Grant sent a large force of infantry, cavalry and artillery to destroy the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad south of Reams' Station; but upon reaching Hicksford December 9th, it was driven back by a Confederate force, among whom was the 61st Regiment.
It participated in the battles of Burgess' Mill, October 27th, 1864; Hatcher's Run, February 6th, 1865; Amelia Court House, April 5th; Cumberland Church, April 7th, and surrendered at Appomattox April 9th. One Colonel, one Lieutenant-Colonel, three non-commissioned staff, three Captains, two 1st and four 2d Lieutenants, thirteen Sergeants, ten Corporals, seventy-eight privates, two musicians and one teamster. Total, one hundred and eighteen.
Below will be found their names.
Colonel-Virginius D. Groner.
Lientenant-Colonel-Wm. H. Stewart.
Captain-Alex. E. Etheredge, Assistant Quarter Master.
Hospital Steward-Henry S. Etheredge.
Ordnance Sergeant-Bartholomew J. Accinelly. Quarter Master Sergeant-Benjamin T. Tatem.
COMPANY A-SERGEANTS.
W. R. Dudley, Wm. A. West, Thos. H. Sykes.
CORPORALS.
J. N. Wood,
W. H. Harrison, Leroy M. West.
PRIVATES.
Columbus C. Cooper, Alex. O. Lee, Simon Mathias,
J. H. Miller, T. E. Halstead, L. Miller,
J. J. Miller, Josephus Scott, E. Sivills.
COMPANY B. Second Lieutenant-James A. Stott.
W. D. Barnard,
SERGEANTS. F. H. Williams, T. Williams. First Corporal-J. Beasley. PRIVATES.
Jacob A. Aydlott, W. A. Cooper, T. W. Hodges, R. Smith,
A. Fanshaw,
F. F. Hall,
A. Stewart, C. W. Wicker.
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NORFOLK COUNTY, 1861-5.
J. M. Banks,
G. W. Eason,
COMPANY C-PRIVATES. S. K. Cox, R. Bradley,
J. W. Lupton, W. Powers.
COMPANY D. Second Lieutenant, Julius J. Bilisoly.
PRIVATES.
J. H. Davis,
Benj. March,
W. C. Costen, A. D. B. Godwin, Thos. Only, G. Parker. Teamster, Alex. E. Lester.
COMPANY E. Captain, Jetson Jett. SERGEANTS. W. L. S. Wilkins,
A. Ives.
CORPORALS.
Joshua Charlton, Littleton Charlton. Musician, L. R. Edmonds.
PRIVATES.
M. Ballance, J. E. Foreman,
Milton Cutherell,
M. Etheredge,
J. F. Grimes,
C. W. Hall,
J. S. Hall, F. G. Ives, Geo. Owens,
W. D. Rudd, Chas. C. Williamson.
COMPANY F. First Lieutenant, R. R. Owens. First Sergeant, J. J. Anderson. CORPORALS.
W. H. Beale,
W. B. Holland.
PRIVATES.
J. Beale, S. Carr, L. Carr,
W. W. Corbitt, B. D. Council, J. Eley,
J. M. Eley, T. Hayes, W. Joyner,
J. Johnson, J. H. Moundfield.
COMPANY G. Captain, R. E. Moseley.
First Lieut., W. F. Baugh, Second Lieut., J. M. Perkins. First Sergeant, P. F. Howell. Corporal, G. W. Collins.
PRIVATES.
K. Cobb, R. H. Cobb, A. Hawkins,
W. A. Harrison, A. Ivey, P. Lee,
J. Mulder,
J. S. Nicholson,
E. Reese,
T. Tudor.
J. M. Wilkins,
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THE SIXTY-FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT.
COMPANY II. Captain, Henry E. Orr. Second Lieutenant, W. W. Rew. First Sergeant, E. F. Berryman.
PRIVATES.
A. Harrell, Thos. Hodges, J. F. Miller,
J. M. MeGlone,
E. Robinson, Mills Turner.
COMPANY I. First Sergeant, Jno. M. Sherwood. Corporal, Thomas Collins. Musician, Joseph J. Smith.
PRIVATES.
Jos. Beaton, Wm. W. Dollett, Robt. Duke,
A. J. Fowler, Joseph Holloway, Edward King, Jos. Tompkins.
Albert Powell,
COMPANY K-PRIVATES.
Richard Stafford, E. Sorey.
At the battle of Cumberland Church, Mahone's Division and General G. T. Anderson's Brigade of Georgians, surrounded a Federal brigade in a ravine and captured the whole brigade, with their colors, and marched them to Appomattox Court Honse, where, upon learning that the army was abont to be surrendered, they asked General Mahone to give them their colors back again, as it was a matter of pride with the regiments to have them at the close of the war. General Mahone complied with their request, and after the surrender of General Lee they were released.
Major MeAlpine, after being with the regiment in all of its toils and triumphs, resigned January 25th, 1865, to raise a battal- ion of Partizan Rangers. A misunderstanding with General Weisiger was the prime cause of his leaving the regiment. Ad- jutant W. A. S. Taylor resigned in February, 1865, and Sergeant- Major Griffin F. Edwards was promoted to that position. He was severely wounded at Cumberland Church, April 7th, and left behind on the retreat to Appomattox Court House.
The 61st Virginia was one of the best regiments in the army of Northern Virginia, and made a record second to none other that fonght beneath its banners.
Lieutenant J. M. Perkins, of Company G, served faithfully with his company throughout the war without having received a wound, and surrendered at Appomattox. After the surrender he started for his home in Surry county, and in attempting to ford a stream near Hicksford, ahnost within sight of his home, was swept under by the current and drowned.
The regiment participated in the following battles, besides nu- merous skirmishes :
194
NORFOLK COUNTY, 1861-5.
Catlett Station, Sept. 29th, '62, Atlee Station, June 1st, 1864,
Fredericksburg, Dec. 11th, 12th,
and 13th, 1862,
Zoah's Church, April 30th, '63, Turkey Ridge, (skirmishing)
McCarthy's Farm, May 1st, 63, Chancellorsville, May 2d and 3d, 1863,
Salem Church, May 3d, 1862,
Gettysburg, July 2d and 3d, 1863,
Bristoe Station, Oct. 14th, '63,
Mine Run, Dec. 2d, 1863,
Wilderness, May 6th, 1864,
Shady Grove, May 8th, 1864,
Spotsylvania C. H., May 12th, 1864,
North Anna River, May 21st to 23d, 1864,
Hanover C. H., May 28th and 29th, 1864,
Cold Harbor, June 2d and 3d, 1864,
June 4th to 13th, 1864,
Frazier's Farm, June 13th, '64, Wilcox Farm, June 22d, 1864, Gurley House, June 23d, 1864, Crater, July 30th, 1864,
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