USA > West Virginia > History of the Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry > Part 17
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
(590) Some mention here of Lieut. H. R. McCord will perhaps be not without interest. He was mustered in as first sergt. of Company G. During the war he re- ceived promotions up to first lieutenant, and when Col. Curtis was put in command of a brigade, McCord was appointed adjutant general on the colonel's staff. The lieutenant had relations living all during the war within the Rebel lines, and he would hear, through letters from them occasionally. He came to believe and so expressed himself during the last year of the war, that the Rebels would never be conquered. Doubtless the die-in-the-last- ditch spirit breathed in those letters was responsible for that belief. He never gave up that idea until the morn- ing of Lee's surrender. This want of faith in final suc- cess, however, in nowise interfered with his faithfulness and efficiency as a soldier, for he was ever ready to do his whole duty bravely and well. The cloud of despair that had hung over him was all swept away that memorable morning, as a fog before the breeze. And perhaps there was not a gladder man, nor one that rejoiced more heart- ily that day in the entire army than he, over the glorious victory and the downfall of the Rebellion.
(591) Two divisions of the Twenty-fourth Corps and some other troops remained on the field of surrender while the Rebels were in course of being paroled. At first for about one day our guards kept the soldiers of the two armies apart and from mingling with each other. After that there was no restraint put upon them, and the late deadly enemies met and chatted in a quite amicable and seemingly friendly way, just as if they had never been at war with each other. The Johnnys were dis- posed to contend that if the number of their men and
214
WEST VIRGINIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
their means had been equal to those of Uncle Sam, they could not have been conquered. But they said nothing at that time about one Southern man being able to whip five Yankees.
(592) There was considerable trading going on be- tween the soldiers of the two armies. The boys on either side were disposed to trade almost anything they had. The Johnnys would sell their Confederate money for about anything they could get for it, and they would go to our sutlers and spend any "green-back" or postal-scrip money thus obtained for tobacco, being anxious to get, as they said, some "Yankee tobacco." They quite generally expressed a willingness to give up the struggle; to have the war end immediately, and to submit to the authority of the United States.
(593) The world has heard much of the hero of Ap- pomattox and the famous apple tree. Gen. Grant rather spoils that story of Lee's surrendering to him under the apple tree, by saying in his memoirs that it had very small basis of fact, viz., that Gen. Lee had met Grant's staff officer, Gen. Babcock, under an apple tree which stood near a road running up through an orchard, which was near the Rebel camp. After all, though this story has a pretty good basis of fact, many a good tale has less. At all events it was quite generally believed by the Union troops, and there was accordingly a scramble among them for fragments of the tree. Many of the Twelfth managed to get pieces of it, for when it came to "con- fiscating" things and appropriating them to private use this regiment was never far behind.
(594) As anything relating to that historic field and that memorable day is of interest, the following as re- lated by a soldier of the Twelfth is given :
(595) On the day of the surrender or perhaps the next day, I was strolling about the field and chanced to ap- proach near to where a colonel of our army and a citizen were in conversation. This citizen, it seemed, was no
215
HISTORY OF THE TWELFTH REGIMENT
other than McLean, at whose house Gen. Grant drew up the terms of the surrender of Lee's army. Just as I came up McLean was saying, "I own the ground where the first battle of the war was fought, Bull Run, and I own the ground where the last battle of the war was fought, at this place." This remark arrested my atten- tion. I knew that it was generally regarded among the Union troops that Lee's surrender was the virtual col- lapse of the Rebellion, but I was interested in having a confirmation of this opinion from a Rebel himself, being like the rest of the boys anxious to have the cruel war over ; so I could not refrain from saying: "And so you regard the war as. being over?" addressing my remark ot the citizen. "Yes," said McLean. The colonel an- swered also, saying, "And one of the greatest generals of the world, General Lee, so regards it." I felt a vaguely defined sense of displeasure at and disapproval of this re- mark of the colonel, but said nothing.
(596) Perhaps if this soldier had looked into his mind for the motive of this feeling, he would have found it in the fact that it was hardly consistent with loyalty to his country, its cause and his comrades to be praising this Rebel general whose hands were red with his comrades' blood, who had been fighting against the only free gov- ernment at that time worthy of the name on the face of the earth, endeavoring to set up a government founded on the barbarism of human slavery ; and whose so-called government had so cruelly treated his comrades at An- dersonville and other prisons.
(597) The officers of the Army of the Potomac seem to have had a very high opinion of the military ability of Gen. Lee. Gen. Grant says in his Memoirs that it was no uncommon thing for his staff officers to hear from Eastern officers : "Well, Grant has never met Bobby Lee yet," implying that when Grant should meet him he would meet a greater military antagonist than he had previously met and perhaps an over-match. Events-the hard tug of
216
WEST VIRGINIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
war for about a year, however, proved that "Old United States Grant" was too much for "Bobby Lee."
(598) Impartial history will, no doubt, record with substantially one voice that the blacks were innocently the cause of the war. Anything therefore relating to the "contrabands" in connection with the war will not be im- pertinent, so an incident in regard to one of them is here given. One day during the several days we were camped at Appomattox a colored man came into the camp of the Twelfth. On being engaged in conversation and asked if he knew that his people were now all free, and told that President Lincoln had two years before the then last New Years' declared all the slaves in the land forever free, and being told that he was now, since the Rebels were whipped, as free as any man, he seemed almost struck dumb with amazement, managing, however, to utter some devout ejaculations. He appeared to be though more incredulous if possible, than amazed.
(599) It may seem to be almost incredible that this black man living not more than 80 miles from our lines, for the then past year, should be ignorant of the Procla- mation of Emancipation, at a time more than two years after it had been issued, especially as news is said to have generally traveled fast among the slave population. He, however, did not know of the granting of this great and long prayed for boon to his race by "Massa Linkum," or else he was a very skillful adept in assuming ignorance. It may be remarked here that in whatever degree the slaves may have been ignorant of the existence of the Proclamation, they seemed to know by intuition or other, wise that their interests lay with the success of the Union cause.
(600) Within three or four days after the surrender Lee's army was all paroled and sent home. April 12th the Second Division (ours) marched for Lynchburg, ar- riving there on the 14th, and destroyed much war mate- rial at that place. The Second Brigade entered the town
217
HISTORY OF THE TWELFTH REGIMENT
in advance, and as our men marched along the streets the blacks in great numbers, many of them sent from various place-some from North Carolina-for safe keeping, thronged the streets. They were wild with joy. They threw their arms around each other, shouting "Glory to God! the Yanks am come and we're all free."
(601) The 16th the command started back from Lynchburg and scarcely, if at all, halting at Appomattox, pushed on toward Richmond. Our division halted a few days at Burkesville, during which time the Twelfth was paid to the first of the past January. We then marched on to Richmond, arriving there the 24th. Our brigade was camped near the city. We remained here nearly two months and during this time, the 16th of June, the Twelfth was mustered out. And it was while we were here that one pleasant June afternoon we were marched to a point nearer the city than our camp, and just as the shades of night were beginning to spread over the landscape, the boys of the Twelfth who had won medals at Fort Gregg were presented them, receiving them as before, written from the hand of Gen. John Gibbon's daughter. This was a proud day for those boys.
(602) On the 20th of June, the Twelfth took trans- ports for home. They landed us at Baltimore. We took cars there for Wheeling, arriving there the 24th. In a few days the men were paid off and, receiving their dis- charges, were soon on their way to their several homes to enjoy the peace they had to fight for ; and yet as long as they should live, from time to time, fight battles over again. It should be said, however, that before leaving for their homes the boys were given a grand dinner by the generous citizens of Wheeling.
(603) Col. Curtis died August 25th, 1891. There was always a high respect and filial regard entertained on the part of the members of the regiment for their late commander; and the survivors will be gratified to have
218
WEST VIRGINIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
here recorded Col. Caldwell's memorial address, before referred to, upon his life and character.
COLONEL CALDWELL'S ADDRESS.
(604) Comrades and Friends :- General Curtis is gone. He was a grandson of John Curtis, a patriot sol- dier of 1776.
(605) General Curtis was born April 18, 1821, on now historic ground where the great battle of Antietam was afterwards fought.
(606) In 1832 his parents removed to the town of West Liberty, in Ohio county, where on becoming of age he engaged and continued in business as a merchant until he became a soldier in 1862. In 1861 he was a member of the State convention at Wheeling, which organized a loyal State government for Virginia.
(607) In 1776 one of the members of the Continental Congress advocated unanimity in supporting the immortal declaration of our country's independence by reminding his fellow-congressmen that "they must all hang together, or they would all hang separately." In that Wheeling convention every man had to face the same situation. Each one who cast his lot and his vote there on the Union side risked his life, his fortune and his sacred honor on what was then a doubtful result, and against the vast majority of the people of his State, against the seductions of State sovereignty, and often against the strongest in- fluence of family ties. General Curtis had a brother who was colonel of the Twenty-third Virginia Confederate Regiment and was killed at the battle of Slaughter Mountain.
(60S) If the South succeeded, death or exile, confisca- tion of property and business and social proscription were sure to each member of that convention. It was a con- vention of Southerners true to the old flag without an appropriation. From its results was born West Virginia,
219
HISTORY OF THE TWELFTH REGIMENT
fair and patriotic, devoted and loyal, in the sisterhood of States.
(609) It is one of the proud memories that we cherish of our comrade that he served not falteringly among those true and devoted men. In 1861 he raised and ten- dered to the old war governor, Francis H. Pierpont, a company of volunteers. Again in 1862 he enlisted a com- pany which became Company D of the Twelfth West Virginia Infantry. He was elected captain.
(610) In 1863 the nine captains of the regiment, other than himself, and the other commissioned officers, elected him major. As such he commanded the regiment until January, 1864, when his worth was again recognized by his election by his fellow-officers of the regiment as colonel, and their choice was ratified by Governor Bore- man. Holding that distinguished rank, he commanded generally a brigade, soemtimes his regiment, until the close of the war.
(611) Even while thus serving he suffered from dis- ease, but was a soldier who never lost a day's duty in those trying years, or answered a surgeon's roll call. Whoever else was absent, he was always "present for duty."
(612) At New Market, Piedmont, Lynchburg, at Snicker's Ford, Kearnstown, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and above all at Fort Gregg, he was the leader not only in rank of his brigade, but in fact. He served under the quick, brilliant and glorious Phil. Sheridan, the Stone- wall Jackson of our side, throughout the great campaign of 1864 in Shenandoah Valley.
(613) At Snicker's Ford on the banks of the beautiful Shenandoah, we were all ranged along the shore of the river behind a low fence of stone surmounted by rails. The Confederates had lately had a blockade runner get through, and wore light blue trousers and jackets, once gray, which time and service had rendered of no particular color. Their skirmishers approached us, walking back-
220
WEST VIRGINIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
wards and turning to fire. Our boys, when they got near, wanted to fire on them, but Colonel Curtis forbade it, say- ing : "Those are our men."
(614) Directly one of them turned and took deliberate aim at the colonel, who was standing by a rail upright by his side, and blazed away. Tung! went the oak rail as it was struck by the ball close to his head. It was the only time I ever knew the colonel to forget his tactics. "Shoot them, boys, shoot them now!" he said with energy. It was not the regulation command, but it was appropriate and efficient.
(615) The foremost of all who served, General Grant, in his Personal Memoirs, calls the assault by Curtis's Brigade on Fort Gregg in front of Petersburg, Va., "des- perate." In this assault there were 715 men and officers killed and wounded on Sunday, April 2, 1865, yet Col. Curtis captured the fort. His own regiment had three color bearers killed in planting their flag on the ramparts.
(616) After he had ordered the charge General Foster regarding it as impossible of success, ordered that it should be abandoned after the troops had got near the fort. But American soldiers are men of intelligence. With one mind they thought that they were more certain to be shot down if they turned their backs, than if they went on. They rushed forward through chevaux de fris and ditch and threw themselves on their faces against the sandy front of the ramparts. General Foster exclaimed when they refused to about face: "Well, go on. You'll all be killed anyhow." A two hours' hand to hand contest over the walls of the fort resulted in its capture.
(617) General Gibbons called it "if not the most des- perate, one of the most desperate assaults of the whole war." A few days afterward at a grand review at Rich- mond, one officer and two privates of the regiment were called to step four paces in front of the line of battle. A general order was then read, naming them for conspicu- ous personal gallantry in the assault, and soon afterwards
221
HISTORY OF THE TWELFTH REGIMENT
bronze medals were presented to them by our National Congress. One of these three was that brave and fearless soldier, Lieut. Mont. Curtis, now deceased, a son of Gen. Curtis.
(618) For the part he took the eagles upon Colonel Curtis's shoulders were replaced by the general's stars by the President of the United States. The official record in the War Department of the promotion reads : "For gal- lant service in the capture of Fort Gregg, Virginia." The regiment was presented with a bronze eagle for its con- duct. It bears the inscription :
(619) "Presented to the Twelfth Regiment, West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, by their corps commander, General John Gibbon, for gallant conduct in the assault upon Fort Gregg, near Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865."
(620) Richmond was immediately evacuated when this fort surrendered. General Curtis was afterward elected a member of the Legislature, and rendered impor- tant civil srvices to the State, and has continually held positions of honor and importance bestowed by his com- rades in the G. A. R.
(621) Owing to declining health he had for some years lived in retirement before his death on the 25th of last August at his home in West Liberty, at which time he was one of our vice presidents. Our deceased comrade was a modest man, but we have no reason to be modest in speaking of him.
(622) It was the fortune of your speaker to sleep in the same blankets with General Curtis for two years and a half during his service, being his adjutant, and he was the most indulgent, considerate and generous of men, manly and Christian in all his character. He had the rare faculty of attaching those he led to himself in un- wavering confidence, and that enthusiastic, affectionate personal regard without which no military captain of any degree can be a success.
(623) Like the Old Commander who received the
222
WEST VIRGINIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
sword of Lee at Appomattox, he was level-headed, and never lost his head in the hour of danger ; had full posses- sion of his faculties and capabilities in the hour of battle, as well as on dress parade.
(624) In time of peace he was a man of peace. When war came he became a soldier. When peace returned again, he returned to the paths of peace. He was a splen- did type of the citizen-soldier. At the end of his "three score years and ten" he leaves a memory which will be revered, honored and cherished by his comrades, and perpetuated in the history of a grateful country.
CONCLUSION.
A few words in conclusion are ventured. From a mili- tary point of view it would appear that one of the lessons of the war, if not the most important one, teaches that we should not over-estimate our own valor, strength and resources, or under-estimate those of the enemy. Ac- cordingly, when it becomes necessary to go to war, mak- ing full allowance for any possible inadequacy of estimate in these regards, we should strike with ample and over- whelming force. The force should be double or triple that which would seem to be enough, rather than of doubt- ful sufficiency. In fact, where there is uncertainty as to the possible magnitude of a war, it is best to be on the cer- tain side, and to strike the first blow with utmost strength, rather than feebly-with the big end of the bludgeon of war, rather than with the little end; and not do as was done by the government in the late war, begin it with an inadquate force. The example of the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian War teaches a lesson in warfare. They struck in the beginning with overwhelming force, and made short work of the war.
Perhaps the most striking fact in connection with the
223
HISTORY OF THE TWELFTH REGIMENT
conduct of our late war was the lack of appreciation of this guiding principle of precaution, or the disregard of it on each side of the contending powers. There are many examples illustrating this fact. The failure of the gov- ernment to fully measure the task of the suppression of the Rebellion prolonged the war through four years, seri- ously jeopardized the result, and caused the sacrifice of a million of men, and the expenditure of many millions of money to finally suppress it, which otherwise might have been accomplished with one-tenth of the cost of men and money. Twenty thousand more men on the Union side at Bull Run, for instance, which additional number could easily have been had, would probably have gained the day there, and put an end to the war.
On the other hand, if the Rebels had not under-esti- mated the valor of their foes, thinking that one of them could whip five Yankees, and had they made their supreme effort at an earlier stage of the war instead of at the last of it, when they were "robbing the cradle and the grave" to recruit their armies-if for instance they had had at Antietam 110,000 men instead of 60,000 or 70,000, over which McClellan failed to gain a decisive victory, which larger number they could have had as easily as they could bring on the field of Gettysburg 100,000 men almost a year later, after meeting heavy losses at Chancellorsville and on other fields, it is no violent presumption to say that they might have won the day and gained their independ- ence.
However, regarding the war from a moral and political standpoint, it sometimes seems as if the war did not last long enough. It took years of the terrible scourge of war, it would appear, to convince the people of the seceded states, and to wring from them the acknowledgement that they were better off without slavery than with it. And perhaps if the war had lasted a little longer, and the Rebels had felt still further the scourge of war, those who now have so much respectful regard for the flag of trea-
224
WEST VIRGINIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
son, and the Lost Cause and their defenders, might have finally become convinced that one flag and one cause and its defenders are enough to honor; and that there should be no place in the patriotic regard and affection of the peo- ple in this free land of ours for the Rebel flag, the Lost Cause or their defenders. Big as this country is it ought to be too little to give room for any display of honor to the Rebel flag, the Lost Cause, or their champions, dead or alive. Therefore, no soldier who would be faithful to his country and the cause for which he fought should join in any ceremony of decorating Rebel graves, of holding reunions with Rebels, or of putting up monuments to them.
A few years since Gen. Sherman, at a Soldiers' reunion, said that it was commendable to decorate Union soldiers' graves, to encourage reunions and to put up soldiers' monuments, as to do these things was to create and nur- ture a patriotic sentiment. Granting the truth of this, it follows then as the night follows the day that to take part in these or similar ceremones, when done in honor of or with Rebels distinctively as such, in contradistinction to being Union soldiers or citizens, is to engender and to nurture disloyalty. No Union soldier should do it. The reason given by those of them who do so, is that they wish to remove the animosities of the war, and to culti- vate a fraternal feeling between the sections. The motive is good, but is it not paying too dearly for kindly feeling and fraternal regard when they are obtained at the cost of the inculcation of disloyalty ?
The people of the late seceded States claim to be now as loyal as those of the rest of the Union ; but while there is a growing improvment in respect to the loyalty of the former, there is too much of the old disloyal spirit among them yet. Many instances might be given ; but only that of the utterance of the following sentiment by Gen. Early at the unveiling of the monument erected in 1891 to the memory of "Stonewall" Jackson, and the manner in which
225
HISTORY OF THE TWELFTH REGIMENT
it was received, is given: "If I am ever known to repu- diate the cause for which Lee fought and Jackson died," said Early, "may the lightning of heaven blast me, and the scorn of all brave men and good women be my por- tion." According to the Charlottesville, (Va.) Chronicle, from which the above quotation is taken, this sentiment was cheered by twenty thousand throats. The fair infer- ence is that Gen. Early and those cheering his sentiment are as much Rebels as they ever were.
The same newspaper above named says that there were ten thousand Union soldiers present at the unveiling of this monument. While the loyal sentiment of the land thus suffers the inculcation of treason, and itself to be in- sulted by demonstrations like that of the unveiling of the monument referred to, and others of similar character in honor of late Rebels or the cause for which they fought, by those who lately bore arms against the government- there is no obligation of good feeling or of fraternity that demands of Union soldiers the countenancing and aiding of these traitor-breeding demonstrations, by their pres- ence at them. It is to be hoped that the country is to be spared the humiliating spectacle of many more such dis- gusting manifestations of falsity on the part of the Union soldiers to the cause for which they fought, as that it had to witness at the unveiling of the monument erected to the memory of "Stonewall" Jackson at Lexington, Va.
226
The M.C.COOK COMPANY. STEVDENVILLE. OHIO.
213 91
ARY OFC
OF CONGRESS
OF CONGRESS
THE LIBRARY
INÉS JE LIBRARY
OOF CONGRES' SENON HO
THE LIBRARY
OF CONGRESS THE LIBRARY GRESS,
THE LI
0 GRESS, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRES SESUNOS go. THE L
CONGRESS
THE LIBRARY
F CONGRESS
OF CONGRESS" . THE LIBRAS, & CONGRESS T O N S THE LIBRARY
NE CONGRESS SAID
Deacidified using the Bookkeeper proce Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date:
BOOKKEEPER
PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES, IN 111 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Twp., PA 16066
GRESS THE L.
DAUHR LIBRARY A CONGRESS
LIBRARYOR CONGR 0 LIBRARY OR CONG
NOW ORLESS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HE LIBRARYO NGRESS "THE LIBRARY & CONGRESS. R
ARY
OOF
CONGRESS THE W
THE LIBRARY
OF CONGRES HE LIBRARY
ON
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0 "THE LIBRARY& CONGRESS. OF CONGRESS THE SUN & ₦
THE LIBRARY
A
A
THE LIBRARY
A
OF CONGRESS THE LIBRARY
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS THE
ARY
1AY 91
INC.
IAN
CONGRES -
HE LIBRARY
LIBRA
OF CONGRESS HE LIBRARY & CONGRESS OF CONGRES LAANGELIRAJONO CONGRES
.
...
HE LIBRARY
OF CONGRES
HE LIBRARY
ARY
OF CONG
OF CONGRESS,
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
THE LIBRARY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, OF CONGRESS83NOS SO
AUF CONGRES 380101 30 1
Y OR CONGRESS AB LIBRARY O
OF CL
THE LIBRARY & CONGRESS.
UNGRESS THE LIBRARY "THE LIB THE LIBRARY & CONGRESSA
ARY
OF CONGRESS,
OF VI
. .
NGRESS, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS .?
AUFHEIT SE HE LIBRARY OF
HE LIBRADO LONGE VERDADE OF CONGRESS.
C JAY VAGASTHE LIBRARY OF
dragS. FOODY OF CONGRESS.S
LIP
INGRESS
THE LIBRAR & CONGRESS".
ANGRESS THE LIBRARY "SEHANOO " "CONGRESSO INGRESS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS' THE LI THE LID
THE LIA
N
HE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, THE LIBRARY
ARR LIBRAR' OPYGIT
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS T
THE LIBRARY OF CONG
3
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0 009 935 824 5
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.