USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County Wisconsin, including its civil, political, geological, mineralogical archaeological and military history > Part 27
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
Digitized by Google
289
THE IRON BRIGADE.
In the battle of South Mountain there were no killed and wounded among the Grant County men in the Second and Sixth. In the Seventh the casualties were as follows :
Company C-killed, Wallace Holmes; wounded, Wm. P. Durley, John M. Altizer, J. L. Rewey, Wm. Beasley, D. C. Ashmore. D. H. Bryant, Wm. Bristol, Malcolm Ray, W. W. Davis, Wm. Neal, H. H. Edwards, Jacob Rihl, Freeman Jones, Wm. B. Newcomb, Ezekiel Parker, J. C. Palmer, Madison Kay, Theo. W. Smelker, George Wells. Company F -killed, Geo. W. Cooley; wounded, Lieut. John W. Mckenzie, George F. Halbert, Peter J. Schlosser, Wm. H. Smith, George Atkinson, Henry Black, Jacob A. Drew. Milo Dexter, George A. Henderson, Fletcher S. Kidd, Alex. Lewis, R. B. Pierce, Jas. A. Simpkins, Thomas Price. Com- pany H-Sergt. Wm. L. Jacobs, James H. Brunemer, John Andrews, Isaac Coates, Henry Freudner, James A. Heath, Stanbury Hitchcock, John B. Matthews, S. K. Potts, Luman Russell, John Todd, Frederick Thiess, Newton B. Wood. Company K-killed, Fred. J. Garner.
General Callis (first captain of Company F. Seventh Wisconsin) has stated that the brigade composed of the Second, Sixth, and Sev- - enth Wisconsin, Nineteenth Indiana, and Battery B, Fourth U. S. Light Artillery, won its title, "the Iron Brigade of the West," in this battle, although the title has been used in describing previous actions. Gen- eral Callis stated that in a conversation with General Mcclellan after the war, that commander narrated a conversation he had with Gen- eral Hooker at South Mountain. McClellan said that at the battle of South Mountain his headquarters were so located that he could see along the pike to the gorge in the mountain, and General Hooker came dashing down the pike to his headquarters to get a moreexplicit knowledge of some order. McClellan then asked Hooker what troops those were, advancing on each side of the pike near the gorge, under that murderous direct and enfilading fire. Hooker replied :
"That is Gibbon's brigade of Western men from Wisconsin and In- diana."
McClellan remarked that they must be made of iron.
"By the Eternal!" said Hooker, "they are iron, and if you had seen them as I did at the second Bull Run, you would know them to be iron."
McClellan remarked that they seemed to beequal to the best troops in the world. This seemed to elate Hooker so much that he mounted 19
Digitized by Google
290
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
his horse and rode off without waiting for the information for which he came. The next morning, after the gap was won, Hooker again saw Mcclellan and asked him :
"Now what do you think of the Iron Brigade?"
McClellan replied : "I think as I did last night, that they are equal to any troops in the world."
"And so," McClellan told Callis, "I have given them that designa- tion ever since."
BATTERY B.
As Battery B contained for a considerable time a good many Grant County men, temporarily detailed from the infantry, a short descrip- tion of it is here copied from a letter by a member of the Iron Brigade to the Teller :
"At the breaking out of the war the battery was in Utah. It was ordered to the seat of war to do its share of mixing Virginia mud, and when it arrived there were, if I remember rightly, only nine men in it. It was familiarly called Battery B, but was Company B, Fourth U. S. Light Artillery. For some reason, I never knew what, it was filled up out of the Iron Brigade, 180 men being required. It was kept full by frequent additions from the brigade, as required, until the summer of 1864, or through the Wilderness campaign, when it was filled up with regulars and ceased to be a member of the brigade. The understand- ing from the first was that it was to be a part of the brigade, the men detailed to it being still members of their original companies and re- porting from the battery to their regiments, the only difference being that they were commanded by regular officers.
"A new lieutenant was sent to the battery. He was a regular and he thought, of course, the members of the company were all regulars, and he began by treating them as regulars, and became much exasper- ated by their uncivil behavior toward him, when Lieut. Stewart com- manding told him we were volunteers, were good soldiers and would do our whole duty, but he could not make regulars out of us, for we were too independent. This was too much for the new lieutenant and he didn't stay long. As to the battery being the pet of the brigade, I will say that the brigade was just as much the pet of the battery. Each felt safe when the other was near, always knowing that one would stay with the other as long as there was any staying to be done.
"There are several men in Grant County who were in the battery,
Digitized by Google
291
THE IRON BRIGADE.
one of whom is Sheriff Dolphin, who was the gunner of our squad, and who once confined your humble servant in the guard house. This he did by order of his superior officer, however, and not by his own authority."
ANTIETAM.
On the 15th of September, the day after the battle of South Moun- tain, the Iron Brigade bore a prominent part in the close pursuit of the enemy through Boonesboro and Keelyville to Antietam Creek, where the brigade had some skirmishing, but suffered no loss. In the fore- noon of the next day it lay to the right of the Sharpsburg road, near Antietam. In the afternoon, with Hooker's corps, it crossed to the south side of Antietam Creek, to attack and turn, if possible, the ene- my's left flank. The enemy was met, engaged, and driven, but dark- ness coming on, our troops rested on their arms for the night. At day- break on the 17th they were aroused by the sharp firing of the pickets on their left, and immediately fell into line and advanced. Before they had gone a hundred yards a shell passed over their heads and another dropped and exploded among the Sixth, killing and wounding thirteen men. Just before reaching the White Church the Sixth became hotly engaged with the enemy's infantry. After an hour's severe fighting, and suffering a heavy loss, being short of ammunition, it was relieved by a second line and went back to the reserve. During part of the day it supported a battery, suffering from a heavy artillery fire toward night. The brigade bivouacked on the battle-field. The Sixth cap- tured two sets of colors; its own flag received three bullets in the staff and fifteen in the cloth. The colors of the Second had three bullets in its staff and more than twenty in the flag. The Sixth lost nearly sixty per cent. of its men that day. Every man fought like a hero. The dead of the regiment were buried together under a locust tree and their names marked upon boards at the heads of the graves.
Private Robert S. Stephenson, of Company C, Second Wisconsin, deserves special notice. He bore off from the field the colors of the reg- iment at the first battle of Bull Run, and on the fall of the color-bearer at Gainesville he volunteered to carry the colors, which he did during the two days of battle that followed. At South Mountain, although quite unwell, he bore the colors through the whole battle. On the morning of the battle of Antietam he was in the field hospital, a mile or so in the rear of the front line; but when the battle opened he left bis cot, in spite of the surgeon, and went to the front. Finding his
Digitized by Google
292
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
captain, he said : "Captain, I am with you to the last!" He took the colors and carried them till he tell pierced with sever bullets. Corporal George Holloway fell by his side, and when last seen alive Stephenson was assisting Holloway to take off his accouterments. The regiment moved forward, but were soon driven back. As they came back past where the two fallen heroes lay, they were found dead with their heads resting on their blankets.
At one time in the battle, when the Second and Sixth were pressed very hard by the enemy, the Seventh got in a heavy flank fire on the Rebels and routed them.
The following order of General Gibbon, issued soon after the battle of Antietam, will show that the Iron Brigade came under the special notice of General Mcclellan, and received his highest commendation :
HEADQUARTERS GIBBON'S BRIGADE, -
NEAR SHARPSBURG, MD., October 7, 1862.
It is with great gratification that the Brigadier General Commanding announces to the Wisconsin troops the following indorsement upon a letter to His Excellency the Governor of Wisconsin. His greatest pride will always be to know that such encomiums from such a source are always merited :
"I beg to add to this indorsement the expression of my great admiration of the conduct of the three Wisconsin regiments in General Gibbon's brigade. I have seen them under fire acting in a manner that reflects the greatest possible credit and honor upon themselves and their State. They are equal to the best troops in any army in the world.
(Signed) "GEO. B. MCCLELLAN."
By command of BRIGADIER GENERAL GIBBON.
(Signed) J. P. WOOD, Ass't Adj't General.
In this battle the losses among the Grant County men were as follows :
Second Wisconsin, Company C-killed, Geo. W. Holloway, Henry B. Neaville, R J. Simpson, R. S. Stephenson; wounded, Capt. George W. Gibson. R. A. Neaville, A. H. Barber, Geo. Booth, Mathias Baker, J. C. Dillon,' T. B. Day, Richard Graves, Fred. Pettigrove, George W. Wilson, Joseph Schilling
Seventh Wisconsin, Company C-killed, Alhert C. Stout; wounded. August Erb, John Howard, Henry Rewey, Wm. T. Mckinney. Com- pany F-John Runion. Company H-Wm. Salmon.
The next day after the battle of Antietam, September 19, the Iron Brigade moved to the Potomac near Sharpsburg, where it rested till the 20th of October. On the 26th it marched to Keelysville, and
Digitized by Google
293
THE IRON BRIGADE.
on the 30th it crossed the Potomac at Berlin and marched to Fayette- ville, Virginia, which it reached on the 11th of November. It then moved to Brooks's Station, where it encamped on the 22d.
On the 9th of December, 1862, the brigade took part in the move- ment immediately preceding the battle of Fredericksburg. On the day before this battle the Iron Brigade crossed the Rappahannock under the fire of the Rebel artillery and took a position at Bernard House, below Fredericksburg On the 13th the brigade held a very exposed and important position on the extreme left. It frequently changed lines, and although under an artillery fire, it did not suffer seriously from musketry, except when engaged in skirmishing with the supports of Pelham's horse artillery attached to Stuart's cavalry, which was posted opposite their left flank. Soon after sunset of that day, the brigade withdrew toward the right and advanced to the Bowling Green Road to support the batteries that covered the Federal lines in front of Fitzhugh's Crossing. While making this change of position, it received a terrible fire of canister, but the darkness prevented the Rebels from obtaining an accurate range, so that the brigade suffered slight loss. On the 14th and 16th it was under arms constantly. On the evening of the latter day it retired to the north bank of the Rappahannock, where it camped in line facing the river tor four days.
On the 20th the brigade moved toward Belle Plain, where it went into winter quarters, building huts for shelter.
At noon of January 23, 1863, the brigade moved out with three days' rations on what was called the " Mud Campaign." It marched to Stoneman's Switch on the Acquia. Creek Railroad. A cold rain, with a northeast wind, had just set in, and some of the men guarding trains marched till midnight, wet and chilled, and remained till morn- ing without fire or shelter. The rain and mud prevented the success of the attempt to attack the enemy in force, and the campaign was abandoned, and the Iron Brigade returned to camp, after a hard march of forty miles.
On the 12th of February the Second and Sixth Wisconsin started down the Potomac, by water, on a foraging expedition, from which they returned successful on the 15th.
On March 12 Adelbert Staley, of Co. F., Seventh Wisconsin was killed by falling and striking his head against a log while carrying a heavy timber across a foot-log. He was a good soldier.
Digitized by Google
294
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
March 25 the Second Wisconsin went on a foraging expedition into Westmoreland County and returned with much "plunder."
April 9 the corps to which the brigade belonged was reviewed by President Lincoln, and on the 22d Governor Salomon visited the brigade and addressed them.
April 28 the Army of the Potomac began a campaign and the battle of Chancellorsville soon followed.
FITZHUGH'S CROSSING.
Early on the morning of April 29, the First Corps, with the Iron Brigade, reached Fitzhugh's Crossing, on the Rappahannock, below Fredericksburg. The engineers, preceded by the skirmishers, had prepared to lay a pontoon bridge, and were driven back by the enemy on the other side. The brigade, with a few other troops, was ordered to force a passage of the stream and drive out the Rebels. The Sixth Wisconsin and Twenty-fourth Michigan were in advance, closely followed by the Second and Seventh Wisconsin and Nineteenth Indiana. They were to cross in slow-moving, square-bowed pontoon boats, twenty-five feet long, four feet wide, and three feet deep, which must be rowed or poled over. The rifle-pits on the opposite side were full of sharpshooters, who, from their protected position upon the bank, forty feet above the river, could rake the Union men while cross- ing unprotected in the boats. The Union men advanced to within a quarter of a mile of the river, and there selected the oarsmen, four to each boat, and appointed a chief for each boat. Knapsacks and haversacks were left behind. They then filed into line of battle and moved forward to what seemed sure death for most of them. Not a man faltered. The order was given: "By the right of details to the front ; double-quick ; march !" and each boat's crew started on a run for their boat. A rain of bullets met them, but they rushed on. Tumbling into the boats, they pushed off, with three hundred yards of water to cross to reach the enemy. Splinters flew as the bul- lets struck the boats' sides, and many of them found a living target. The Union men reached the other side and immediately rushed up the slippery bank and charged the rifle-pits at the top. In a minute the pits were taken with two hundred prisoners, while the rest of the Rebels fled to the entrenchments higher up the hill.
While getting into the boats, Second Lieutenant William O. Topping, Company C, Seventh Wisconsin, was killed. He was a much esteemed young officer.
Digitized by Google
295
THE IRON BRIGADE.
The pontoon bridge was then laid and another brigade crossed over. On the 2d of May the brigade recrossed and moved to join the forces on the extreme right. On the 3d, at four o'clock in the morn- ing, the brigade crossed to the south side of the river, at United States Ford, and reached the battle-field near Chancellorsville at sunrise. There, owing to the marshes and heavy timber in the front, its position was nearly inaccessible, although the battle raged terribly near by almost all day.
The extraordinary feat of crossing the river in boats in the face of the enemy's fire is thus described by Col. W. W. Robinson, of the Sev- enth, in his official report :
"The duty of crossing the river in boats and carrying the enemy's first line for the purpose of covering the laying of the pontoon bridges, was assigned to our brigade. The order was received at 12 o'clock the night of the 28th, the brigade being camped at that time about one and one-half miles back from the river. The plan for crossing, as shown by the order received, was for the two flank regiments (Sixth Wisconsin and Twenty-fourth Michigan) to cross over in the first boats. The other regiments of the brigade (Second and Seventh Wis- consin and Nineteenth Indiana) were to cover them while crossing, and to follow as soon as the boats could return. The crossing was to be made at 2 o'clock A. M. of the 29th. Immediately upon the receipt of the order we moved near the river but from some cause, unknown to me, the boats were not ready to launch until daylight, when the enemy opened a brisk fire upon us from their rifle pits. This was warmly returned by our skirmishers. Our artillery got into position upon an elevation in our rear and shelled the enemy till 8 o'clock A. M., when we were ordered to cross over The men threw off knapsacks and haversacks and the brigade moved down to the bank in double- quick, the Sixth Wisconsin and Twenty-fourth leading. The enemy opened a galling fire and we were ordered to jump into the boats without regard to companies or regiments and cross over; which was done amid a storm of balls from the enemy's rifle pits, and a storm of enthusiasm from the 'Old Brigade.' Boats were seized from the wagons on the bank, thrown into the river and filled with men as soon as they touched the water. As near as I could see, every boat had representatives from every regiment in the brigade. From the time. of receiving the order to cross over till the enemy's line was carried, prisoners taken and our line of battle formed with every man in his place in his own regiment, was about twenty minutes.
Digitized by Google
296
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
"The pontoon bridges were then thrown across and the other brigades of the division crossed over. We entrenched and held our position till Saturday morning, May 2d, (artillery duels being fought daily over our heads between our batteries on the hill on this side of the river and the enemy's on the opposite hights) when we were ordered to recross the river for the purpose of reenforcing General Hooker on the extreme right.
"This retiring across the river by daylight was rather a hazard- ous movement, as the enemy's guns not only enfiladed the entire plain on the south side of the river, but also swept the north side to the dis- tance of a mile back.
"Our brigade was the last to retire, and five companies of the Seventh were left to cover and support the pickets in retiring. The companies left were : A, First Lieutenant Sloat, commanding; D, Cap- tain Bean; C, Captain Newman; F, Captain Young; G, Lieutenant Miller, commanding. Company E, Captain Pond, was out on picket. After the division had crossed over and passed out of range. the picket retired and these companies moved over in good order, deliberately and handsomely.
"I cannot speak in too high praise of the conduct of the entire command; both officers and enlisted men performed their whole duty, and for cool bravery they are unsurpassed by any troops in the world. Lieutenant-Colonel John B. Callis and Major Mark Finnicum, ren- dered efficient assistance in crossing the river and storming theenemy's works. Their coolness, promptness, and efficiency during the seven days under fire, shows them to be officers to be depended upon in any position. Adjutant Robert Monteith was on hand ready for any and all duties, bullets or no bullets.
"I must here be allowed to bear testimony to the valuable service of our very worthy chaplain, Rev. Samuel W. Eaton. During such times as we have just passed through, as well as the more quiet times in camp, he promptly and cheerfully attends the sick and wounded, and freely performs any other necessary duties compatible with his position, and does not hesitate to follow us to the battle-field in the performance of such duties."
After the battle, May 6, the brigade retired across the Rappa- hannock and on the 7th marched to Fitzhugh's Crossing. On the 21st of May the brigade was hurried away to the Northern Neck, to relieve the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, which was reported to be cut off by the
Digitized by Google
297
THE IRON BRIGADE.
enemy. At Westmoreland Court House the brigade met the Eighth and returned to camp on the 27th, having marched 120 miles.
On the 7th of June the Seventh Wisconsin, with Companies A and I of the Second, marched to Kelly's Ford and camped there on the 8th. On the 9th they supported the cavalry in a fight which lasted all day. at Brandy Station. They then recrossed the river at Beverly's Ford.
Moving up through Maryland into Pennsylvania, the brigade moved cautiously to within a mile of Gettysburg on the 1st of July.
GETTYSBURG.
At half past nine on the morning of July 1, the cavalry division of the Union army was fiercely attacked at Gettysburg by the Rebel cavalry. The Union cavalry drove the Rebel cavalry back, but soon met the Rebel infantry and was compelled to fall back to the support of the Federal infantry. The First and the Eleventh Corps were near by, the Iron Brigade in the former. The First Corps advanced to Sem- inary Ridge, half a mile west of Gettysburg, and before it could form its line it was attacked by the Rebels. General Reynolds who com- manded the First Corps, took the Sixth Wisconsin out of the First Division on the right of the line, and, attaching it to Cutler's brigade, went over to the left of the line. At the first volley, General Reynolds, was killed. The First Division had to hold its own two hours against a Rebel corps before the other divisions of the corps came up. The Iron Brigade charged with great bravery, rushed into the woods and drove the enemy before them into a little ravine called Willoughby's Run. There the brigade captured a large number of prisoners, with general officers. It formed on the high ground on the other side of the run, but was ordered back by General Doubleday into a line with the other brigades of the division. The right flank of the Fourth Division had been turned by the Rebels, and the division fell back to Seminary Ridge. The enemy massed in front of the division. The Sixth Wiscon- sin and two New York regiments made a desperate charge upon the Rebels, drove them into a railroad cut, and captured two regiments with their colors and General Archer. The rest of the Rebels then re- treated to their first position. Just then the other divisions of the First Corps and the Eleventh Corps came up. The First Division, chiefly by the desperate fighting of the Iron Brigade, had held at bay Hill's corps of 30,000 men, while the division numbered only 8,200.
The Eleventh Corps now formed on the right of the First Corps, at the north of Gettysburg. Hill's corps now made a terrific attack
Digitized by Google
298
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
on the First Corps, and Ewell's corps attacked the Eleventh Corps with equal fury. The Rebels outnumbered the Union men, coming on in triple lines with reserves and overlapping both the Federal wings, driving into a gap between the First and Eleventh Corps. The whole of the reserves of the First Corps went into this gap, checked the enemy, and captured a thousand prisoners and several flags. But the Eleventh Corps on their right gave way and exposed the right flank of the First Corps, around which swung the long Rebel lines. The Rebel reserve under Hill came up on the left with fresh men against the Iron Brigade, which had been fighting six hours. The brigade gradually fell back, facing about and repulsing six times the enemy that almost surrounded them. There was then a general falling back to Cemetery Hill, a mile and a half from the first Federal position. The Rebels had been too much punished to follow. Darkness put an end to the first day's fight and Meade had time to collect his scattered forces around Cemetery Hill.
In that day's battle the One hundred and Forty-seventh New York was saved, as related by Captain Gray, of that regiment, in his speech when its tattered flag was presented to the Common Council of Os- wego: "At this critical moment, when the salvation of the regiment depended upon immediate action, a little band of men was seen emerg- ing from the woods on the left. They were what remained of the Sixth Wisconsin, a regiment which had been two years in the service, and to whom the leaden rain and iron hail of battle had become as familiar as the showers of heaven. Every man of that band was a host in himself. Steadily, swiftly, and furiously they charged upon the enemy's flank. The Rebel columns recoiled, wavered, broke, and fled. Two entire Rebel regiments were taken prisoners. The One Hundred and Forty-seventh was relieved. All honor to the gallant Sixth Wisconsin. They saved what remained of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh."
That day the Sixth lost of its little band 29 killed, 111 wounded, and 27 missing.
The Second and Seventh Wisconsin were farther toward the left than the Sixth. As they went to the support of Buford's cavalry, the Second was in the lead and the Seventh close behind. The first volley from the Rebels cut down nearly thirty per cent. of the Second, yet the regiment pressed on, checked the enemy and turned them back. In less than half an hour the Second lost 116 of its 300 men in killed and
Digitized by Google
299
THE IRON BRIGADE.
wounded. On the retreat to Cemetery Hill some were taken prisoners, and when the regiment lay down upon its arms at night, there were only fifty of the three hundred who had fallen into line in the morning.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.