f 1 v^ ^t# -w . t^^.. f Qfurttell Uttittcraity library THE JAMES VERNER SCAIFE COLLECTION CIVIL WAR LITERATURE THE GIFT OF JAMES VERNER SCAIFE CLASS OF 1889 1919 -s'^ 371h.B7r"^ '-'""'* The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026471056 Baffle mjs ol 37tii Kes't Mass. Vol's, as iiesami at tie State House, Boston. HISTORY Thirty-Seventh Regiment MASS. VOLUNTEERS, CIVIL WyiR OF 1861-1865, WITH A COMPREHENSIVE SKETCH OF THE DOINGS OF MASSACHUSETTS AS A STATE, AND OF THE PRINCIPAL CAMPAIGNS OF THE WAR. By JAMES L. BOWEN. CLARK W. BRYAN & COMPANY, Publishers, HoLYOKE, Mass., and New York City. 1884. A.ZdHS'l^. Copyright, 1884, By JAMES L. BOWEN. CLARK W. ERVAN ^'co., PRINTERS, HOL^^i^^^TlSI^r III Broadway, New York. TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE BRAVE MEN WHOSE NAMES FORM OUR ROLL OF HONOR THIS RECORD OF THEIR SACRIFICE AT DUTY'S CALL IS REVERENTLY DEDICATED BY THEIR COMRADE E\it ^uti)or OUR ILLUSTRATIONS. It is believed that no illustration which could be presented as a frontispiece would be more universally pleasing to members of the Thirty-seventh regiment than a faithful portraiture of. the colors which for nearly three years they faitlifuUy followed. The tattered standards were therefore carefully taken from their resting place in the State House, at Boston, photographed by E. F. Smith of that city in several different positions, and from the most satisfactory pro- duction the accompanying picture was made. The excellent view of " Camp Edwards," directly after its occu- pation by the regiment, before the later decorations were added, is reproduced from the larger lithograph drawn by Hospital Steward W. A. Champney. Both of the present lithographs are from the establishment of Milton Bradley Company of Springfield. TO THE READER. The first attempt at a historical sketch of the Thirty-seventh Massachusetts Regiment was a paper read by General Edwards at the reunion in Springfield, September 19, 1871. While the docu- ment thus presented was necessarily little more than an epitome of the service of the organization, it excited great interest and woke the demand for a more complete and detailed production. The following year, at the reunion at Pittsfield, September 24, the first appointment of a historian was made, E, P. Bridgman being selected. Two years later, at the Bernardston gathering of 1874, Colonel Montague was appointed historian, and the following year the office passed to Lieutenant S. E. Nichols, the following vote being taken: "That Lieutenant Nichols be urgently requested to fill the office of historian of the regiment. In case of his refusal so to do the matter to be left in the hands of the Executive Committee." At the Northampton reunion of September 8 and 9, 1876, " It was voted that Comrade W. E. Lewis be appointed historian of the Association, that he be authorized to employ any assistance he deems necessary, and that this organization pledge itself to give him all details in their possession of interest to the companies or regiment, and that he shall have authority to draw upon the treas- urer through the secretary for such disbursements for this purpose as in his judgment shall be deemed proper. Upon Comrade Lewis's acceptance of this office a vote of thanks was tendered him by the association." At the Northampton reunion of 1877 Lieutenant Lewis was re- elected historian, though no report was furnished regarding his work. At the meeting of 1878 at Westfield a communication was read from him stating that " the history would probably be ready for publication by the next annual reunion," and he was again elected to the position. The following year no definite action was 10 TO THE KEADEE. taken regarding the history, but the records show that a letter was read fropi Comrade Lewis, containing, it would seem^ no specific information. At the gathering of 1880 a letter was read from the historian " expressing expectation that the history of the regiment would be completed during the coming year." At the same time " the committee on the history was newly constituted to consist of the following members : W. E. Lewis, S. E. Nichols and William Bliss." The record of the meeting of 188 1 says : " It was voted that General Oliver Edwards, Colonel George L. Montague, Cap- tain William Bliss, Colonel Thomas G. Colt, Lieutenant S. E. Nichols and Lieutenant William E. Lewis be a committee to have full charge of the revision and publication of the completed history of the Thirty-seventh Regiment." At the meeting of the association at Westfield, September 19, 1882, a report of progress was made by the committee, of which Comrade James L. Bowen was elected a member. At a meeting of the committee held some three months later Comrade Bowen presented briefly his idea of the form which a regimental history should take and it was voted to instruct him to prepare a history of the regiment on such a plan. At the 1883 reunion Mr. Bowen made a report of progress, saying that it was hoped to have the book ready for delivery during the early part of the coming year. To fill the Vacancy in the committee caused by the death of Colonel T. G. Colt, Captain Walter B. Smith was appointed, and Captain H. M. Abbott was added to the number. Somewhat longer time than was anticipated has necessarily been consumed in the preparation of the book, but it is hoped that the work may be found sufficiently satisfactory in charactei;- to compen- sate for the delay. S. E. NICHOLS, Secretary. Buffalo, N. Y., August, if PREFACE. In this age of book-making no apology is needed for presenting, in permaiient form the present narrative. As will be seen by the statement of the History Committee, the matter of preparing a history of the Thirty-seventh Massachusetts Regiment had been long discussed, and numerous steps taken looking to that end, when at a meeting of the Committee held at Pittsfield, December IS, 1882, I was asked to undertake the task. The invitation was accepted, not without serious misgivings. Arduous duties in con- nection with daily journalism promised very little leisure for the new undertaking; my retirement from wounds previous to the later campaigns of the regiment prevented that full personal knowledge of its movements so desirable ; my position as a private soldier was not one to especially qualify for the historian's office ; the rec- ords of the regiment were found to be missing or incomplete ; its members were widely scattered,, many of them with details of soldier life quite driven from mind by the stress of 20 years of active civil pursuits. For these reasons leniency is craved for any shortcom- ings which may appear in the following pages. The book has been written with a sincere desire to do justice to a deserving organization ; having no prejudice and no individual ends to serve, I have sought to record the work of the regiment faithfully and impartially. The scope of the volume has been broadened to include features which, while not directly connected with the Story of the Thirty-seventh regiment, it seemed after this lapse of time desirable to present, that the doiiigs of the regiment might be traced with an understanding of contemporaneous and 13 PREFACE. relative events. The details of personal history have not been closely followed, and in most cases no attempt is made to trace the fortunes of individuals subsequent to the disbanding of the organization. It did not seem to me either desirable to undertake to do so in connection with the extended scope of the work or possible to make such a record if attempted in any way satisfac- tory or complete. At the same time I have striven to follow the regiment closely in its varying fortunes, and to reproduce its ex- periences on the march, in camp or on the field of action, with the unfolding of military life as it presented itself to the citizen- soldier. I desire to express my sincere thanks to all comrades and others who have kindly assisted me in collecting material for the volume. Necessarily I have been obliged to make many demands on the time and patience of others. In this direction I have met only kindness and encouragement. I feel under especial obligation to General Charles Devens, General H. S. Briggs, Mrs. K J. Morse and Rev. J. W. Lane ; and among members of the regiment to Lieutenant Colonel Hopkins, Sergeant A. G. Taylor and George C. Clapp, in addition to the History Committee, all of whom have responded promptly to all demands made upon them. I must especially mention the tireless and invaluable services of the Secretary, Lieutenant Si E. Nichols. In the hope that to the survivors of the regiment and the friends of the fallen the book may prove an acceptable record of their deeds in the day of supreme trial, it is sent fortt. J. L. B. Springfield, Mass., September, 1884. CONTENTS BY CHAPTERS. I.— FROM SECESSION TO ANTIETAM. . 17 The Election of Lincoln. Revolt of the Southern States. Opening of the War. The Operations of the Army of the -Potomac. II.— MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR. 42 The Record of the Commonwealth. Its Public Men. Its Soldiers. Its Citizens. III.— THE THIRTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. • 58 The Gathering at Camp Briggs. Character of the Command. The Original Roster of Officers. Personal Notes and Incidents. IV.— FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE. 68 The Journey to Washington. Life at Camp Chase.' Via Frederick and South Mountain to the Army of the Potomac. v.— THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. . 82 The Expedition to Hancock and Cherry Run. Into the Land of Secession. A Change of Commanders. Incidents by the Way. White Plains and " Camp Misery." 14 CONTENTS BY CHAPTEBS. VI.— ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK. . '04 The Battle of Fredericksburg. In Winter Quarters. The Mud March. Camp Edwards. VII.— THE ARMY UNDER HOOKER. 127 Events in the West. Chancellorsville, Marye's Hights and Salem Church. VIII.— TO GETTYSBURG. . . iS3 After the Defeat. The Skirmish with A. P. Hill. The Northward Movement. Exit Hooker, Enter Meade. The March to the Battle-field. IX.— THE TURN OF THE TIDE. 175 The Battle of Gettysburg. The Thirty-seventh Tried by Fire. The Pursuit of Lee. Climbing the Mountains. Once More in Virginia. X.— THE REGIMENT IN NEW YORK. . 202 The Union Victories. Northern Treachery and Disloyalty. The Riot in New York. The Thirty-seventh sent to the City. Its Creditable Servdce There. XL— AGAIN AT THE FRONT. . . . . 223 The Return Trip. The Fortunes of the Army. The Victory at Rappahannock Station. The Dismal Expedition to Mine Run. Changes and Promotions. ^ CONTENTS BY CHAPTERS. 15 XII.— WINTER ON THE RAPIDAN. 245 The Closing Year. Progress of the War. The Winter Camp and the Life in it. A Futile Expedition. XIII.— NINE DAYS OF CARNAGE. 267 The Reorganization of the Army. The Grapple in the Wilderness. By the Left Flank to Spottsylvania. Death of Sedgwick. "The Angle." XIV.— A GLANCE TO THE REAR. 299 The Wounded and Dying. Hospital Scenes and Incidents. The Christian and Sanitary Commissions. XV.— SPADES AND BULLETS. 313 The Closing Struggles at Spottsylvania. " By the Left Flank." Crossing Swords at North Anna. The Death Harvest at Cold Harbor. XVI.— GOING TO MEET EARLY. 337 In Front of Petersburg. At Reams Station. Early in Maryland. Fort Stevens. The Spencer Rifle. XVII.— THE CAMPAIGN UNDER SHERIDAN. 357 The Wagon Trains. Seeking Early by March and Countermarch. Sheridan at the Helm. The Fight at Charlestown. The Battle of Opequan. 16 CONTEKTS BY CHAPTERS. XVni.— THE SERVICE AT WINCHESTER. 382 On Provost Duty. Changes and Promotions. Battle of Cedar Creek. Sherman's Campaign. XIX— THE PETERSBURG CAMPAIGN. . 39^ Again in the Trenches. Days of Siege. , At Hatcher's Run. Preparing to Strike. Fall of Petersburg. XX.— ONE COUNTRY AND ONE FLAG. 413 Lee's Flight and the Pursuit. The Grapple at Sailor's Creek. The Surrender at Appomattox. In Search of Johnston. XXI— THE CLOSING SCENES. ... 425 Facing Northward. Reviews at Richmond and Washington. The Final Roster. Mustered Out. The Welcome Home. CHAPTER I. FROM SECESSION TO ANTIETAM. THE ELECTION OF LINCOLN. — EEVOLT OF THE SOUTHEKN STATES. — OPENING OF THE WAE. — THE OPERATIONS OF THE ARMTT OF THE POTOMAC. The election of Abraham Lincoln of Illinois and Hannibal Hamlin of Maine, the Eepublican candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States, NoTember 6, 1860, fur- nished the pretext for an attempt on the part of the Southern states for a division of the Union. In this movement South Carolina had been a leader, and its Legislature was the first to adopt an ordinance of secession, which was done on the 30th of December. Mississippi, Florida and Alabama followed her ex- ample on the 9th, 10th and 11th of January, 1861, Georgia on the 19th, Louisiana on the 26th and Texas the 1st of February. The action of these seven states, in declaring themselves no longer a part of the Federal Union, was thus taken long before the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln, and while the national gov- ernment remained in the hands of their political friends. Pres- ident Buchanan, undoubtedly loyal at heart, sat in his high oflace, dazed and helpless before the sweep of the tempest. Uncertain as to his duty, he met the most conflicting opinions from those to whom he turned for advice. Questions had arisen on which the Constitution shed no light — the situation was one which had not been provided for in the formation of the nation. But had his duty been never so clear, the President had no power with which to oi)pose the revolution. He sat in the midst of disloyalty. The cabinet, Congress, the depart- 18 FROM SECESSIOK TO ANTIETAM. ments, the army and navy were swarming with secessionists, and it was impossible to determine who was true and who false to the country he professed to serve. Men were daily resigning high positions of trust and hastening to join the councils of the conspirators. In the mean time the government property throughout the southern states and along the coast was being taken possession of in the name of the various states, and so well had affairs been manipulated in the interests of treason that at very few points was it possible for any resistance to be made. Forts, arsenals, naval vessels, navy-yards, custom-houses and the brunch mint at New Orleans shared a common fate. Three forts on the Florida coast held out, — Pickens, Jefferson and Taylor,— and Fortress Monroe at Old Point Comfort, Va., was also saved to the Union; with these exceptions the entire gov- ernmental possessions were seized throughout the sea-board states south of the Potomac. A convention of delegates from the seceded states met at Montgomery, Ala., on the 4th of February, and five days later the " Confederate States of America" were proclaimed a nation, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi being elected president, and A. H. Stephens of Georgia vice-president. On the 18th they were inaugurated, amid the most enthusiastic demonstrations throughout the Confederacy. Blinded and deluded, the Southern people indulged the wildest visions of a speedy and bloodless success, and the demagogues who were luring them to ruin were hailed as the heroes of a glorious cause. A very different feeling prevailed at Washington and through the loyal states. The magnitude of the conspiracy and the threatening attitude of the insurgents, who were organizing in every part of the South, excited fears of some desperate at- tempt to prevent the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln ; but the prompt measures of General "Winfield Scott, in command of the available fragments of the United States army, prevented any hostile demonstration, and the ceremony transpired March 4 in the presence of an immense gathering of people without dis- turbing incident. The inaugural address of President Lincoln was conciliatory, almost to weakness, and its tenor was revoiced THE OPENIlfG OE THE CONFLICT. 19 in the closing sentences : "We are not enemies, but friends. We must ni)t be enemies. Though passion may haTe strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as they surely will be, by the better angels of our nature." But words of reason and Kindness had no power over ears split by the din of demagogues, and the inevitable conflict drew near. The initial clash was to come at Charleston, S. C, where Major Anderson, whom the opening of the troubles found in command of the fortifications of the harbor, had with a few men been for months practically besieged in Fort Sumter. As early as January an attempt had been made by President Buchanan to send provisions to the garrison, but the unarmed steamer carrying the supplies had been fired upon at the entrance to the harbor and returned to Kew York. On the 6th of Feb- ruary President Buchanan refused a demand made by Isaac W. Ha;yne for the surrender of the fort to South Carolina, and rapid preparations were made for its reduction. General P. T. G. Beauregard was assigned to the command of the rebel forces early in March, and as Major Anderson refused to surrender his trust without explicit orders from his government, fire was opened on the fort April 12, and the following day terms of evacuation were agreed on. The fall of Sumter marked the end of hesitation, and ban- ished all hopes of conciliation. The most important events fol- lowed rapidly. On the 15th Presidenb Lincoln called for 75,000 militia to serve for three months and ordered Congress to assem- ble in special ■ session July 4. On the 17th President Davis of the Confederacy authorized privateering, and on the same day Virginia, which had been dallying over the question, finally de- cided upon secession. This precipitated like action in North Carolina, which was taken May 20, while Arkansas had also se- ceded on the 6th. The situation now became intensely critical. On the 19th of April the President proclaimed a blockade of the Southern ports, but it was at first only a paper blockade, for the 20 ■ FROM SECESSIOSr TO ANTIETAM. government had no navy worthy the name, though the rapidity with which one was created was little short of marvelous. At; the same time the first of the troops called from the loyal states began to arrive, the Sixth Massachusetts regiment fighting its way through a mob in the streets of Baltimore ; , reaching the Capital that evening, but leaving the route behind it closed and Washington cut ofE from communication with the loyal portion of the country till General Butler with the Eighth Massachusetts regiment and some other forces opened a new route by way of Annapolis. Port Pickens had been strengthened on the very day that the attack opened on Sumter. Fortress Monroe was saved from the designs of the Virginia forces under Magruder by the arrival of the Third and Fourth Massachusetts regiments, fol- lowed by others ; Baltimore was garrisoned and brought to its senses, though unwillingly ; and the Capital was soon safe from immediate danger ; the whole galaxy of the Free states rose to the support of the Union ; — but on the other hand many of the ablest officers of the army, including Hood, Lee and the John- stons, had resigned their commissions to enter the Confederate service ; the fragments of the United States army in Texas were captured in detail ; the sturdy efforts of Governor Houston to hold that state loyal to the Union were overcome and himself finally swept from his loyalty by the current ; the border states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri were strongly urged to secession, and it was a question whether or not they could be saved for the Union. Tennessee, in fact, voted secession in June, though the people of East Tennessee, like those of West Virginia, remained loyal and fought bitterly and bravely for their principles. No sooner had the ordinance of secession passed in Virginia than active military operations were begun by a night expedition for the capture of the government armory and arsenal at Har- per's Ferry. The loyal soldiers in charge of the post amounted to some iO men under Lieutenant Roger Jones, and while the insurgents were preparing to march upon the place three com- panies of Virginia militia stationed there voted to disband. On the night of the 18th of April, learning that a large force was THE GOVERKMENT PASSES A CRISIS. 31 within a mile of the place, Lieutenant Jones fired the shops and arsenal and retreated with his little command into Pennsylvania. Thwarted in their attempt to capture the arms and buildings, the Confederates held and fortified the adjacent hights and gathered there a considerable force, threatening Washington and cutting off communication in that direction. The situation had become most perplexing. Scores of regi- ments were ready to set out for Washington, but the way was blocked and they had no weapons. The arsenals in the loyal states had been depleted to put their contents within reach of the plotters, and the President, Secretary of War, and General Scott were hemmed in at the Capital. Fortunately General John E. Wool, in command of the Eastern Military District, comprising the region east of the Mississippi, was at New York, and feeling that the occasion demanded prompt action, he at once ordered the troops supplied with whatever arms could be obtained, and in securing transportation and forwarding soldiers he rendered a service that won the admiration of the people. Invaluable as was this service, it provoked so much ofiicial jealousy that Gen- eral Wool was rebuked for taking such responsible steps without orders and sent to his home at Troy ; but the popular indigna- tion at the injustice was so strong and so vigorously expressed that he was in a short time given command of the district of Southeastern Virginia, with head-quarters at Fortress Monroe. But the severest blow to the government was the loss of the Gosport or Norfolk navy-yard, which was evacuated and burned on the night of April 21, it being deemed impracticable to hold it longer. Here was a vast amount of naval property, heavy can- non to the number of 2,000, and 11 of the most valuable war vessels qf the United States navy, though none of the latter were in a sea-going condition. A few were got away, and the rest with the buildings and stores were set on fire and abandoned; but the work of destruction was by no means thoroughly done, and the Confederates under General Taliaferro rescued milliona of dol- lars worth of property, including the partially burned Merrimac, which was afterward to become so famous. Thus far the government had struck no offensive blows, and 23 FEOM SECESSION TO AlfTIETAM. those which it had dealt in defense of its possessions had been piti- ably weak. With the management of aif airs so largely in the hands of Southern men and sympathizers with rebellion, the way had been skillfully paved for the humiliation of the nation during the last months of Bjichanan's administration. The arsenals at the North had on some pretext been nearly stripped of arms and munitions of war to supply those in the disaffected states, and the first care of the conspirators had been to secure these sinews of war for their own use. This work being conipleted, the Con- federate Congress on the 6th of May formally declared war against the United States. In the mean time the situation at Baltimore was becoming unbearable. Following the assault upon the Sixth Massachusetts regiment and the desti-uction of the railroad bridges near the city, cutting off rail communication with New York and the East, the spirit of secession for a time ran wild and the city be- came an active rebel stronghold. Armed men poured in from all points, troops were organized and cannon maneuvered in the streets, while the display of the Stars and Stripes for 30 dnys was forbidden, on the ground that it would be dangerous to the peace. On the 5th of May General Butler, who had remained at Annapolis and gathered a considerable force there, finding that there was much latent Unionism in Baltimore and through the state, resolved to give it such encouragement as would if possible make it the controlling power and save the shedding of blood. For this purpose he moved a part of his forces to the Relay House, nine miles from the city, and established head- quarters there. The effect was at once noticeable in the encouragement of loyalty, and plans were matured for the occu- pation of the city itself. Before Butler's plans were perfected. General Patterson, com- manding the department of Pennsylvania, decided to attempt a passage of loyal troops through Baltimore, and on the 9th of May some 1,200 infantry and artillery under Colonel F. E. Pat- terson, a son of the general,, landed near Fort McHenry and marched through the city, not only unopposed but receiving many words of encouragement as they went. During the even- THE FIEST three-years' TROOPS CALLED. 33 ing of the 13th General Butler with about 1,000 men and two field -pieces entered the city by train, the Sixth Massachusetts forming a part of the column. A heavy thunder storm was prevailing and few in the city knew of the presence of Federal soldiers till the morning papers printed a proclamation from the commander, dated at his head-quarters on Federal Hill, where the troops were encamped. The effect of the movement was all that had been counted upon. Considerable quantities of arms intended for the rebels were seized, the state wisely gave its voice for the Union, and General Butler, appointed by the President a major-general, was given command of a district em- bracing Eastern Virginia and the Carolinas, with head-quarters at Fortress Monroe. It was early apparent that the Federal government was now in the hands of those who would protect the interests which had been confided to them. A week after the fall of Sumter the original telegrams for a year previous, on file in the principal telegraph offices, were seized by the United States marshals, and evidence damaging to many prominent sympathizers with trea- son was obtained, A few of the more active were arrested and committed to military prisons, the keepers of which refused to recognize the writs of habeas corpus which were obtained by their friends. This measure, like many another which the exi- gencies of the struggle necessitated, evoked sharp discussion in the papers and elsewhere, but its lesson was not lost upon the disloyal, while encouraging the loyal. Already it had become evident that the 75,000 militia which had been called into service for three months would not prove sufficient for the purpose of restoring peace, and on the 3d of May President Lincoln called for 43,000 volunteers for three years,! 8,- 000 sailors for the manning of the fast increasing navy, and some 33,000 recruits for the regular army. This call was responded to with alacrity, for the loyal states were full of volunteer organizations anxious to be taken into the service of the nation. The Capital was swarming with military life; the public build- ings had become vast barracks, and the work of training and dis- ciplining a large army went steadily forward. On the 33d of May, 84 FEOM SECESSION TO ANTIETAM. earning that the Confederates contemplated the occupation and "ortifleation of the hights on the Virginia side of the Potomac iv^hich commanded the city, some Union troops were ordered icross the river to take possession of Alexandria and guard the ipproaches to the city. The movement was unopposed by the nsurgents, who were gathering in force at Manassas Junction, 50 miles from "Washington, a point giving them direct rail- road communication with the Shenandoah valley, Richmond md the entire Confederate states. But a sad loss was sustained Dy the Union army in the assassination of Colonel B. E. Ells- worth of the New York Eire Zouaves at Alexandria on the noi-ning of the 24th, by which the country was deprived of the services of one of its most promising young officers. This loss was speedily followed by another of like nature and jven more mortifying in character. General Butler, in com- mand at Fortress Monroe, learning that the rebel Colonel Ma- jruder was in a threatening attitude at the Bethel churches, sent I night expedition of two columns, June 9, to surprise and de- stroy the force. The result was a series of disasters. The two 3olnmns fired into each other in the darkness, alarming the 3nemy, who had concentrated in a strong position at Big Bethel, where they were attacked without plan or concert, the result being a defeat of the Union troops with a loss of 50 killed and ivounded. Among the former were Major Winthrop, of General Butler's staff and his military secretary, and Lieutenant Greble of the arMUery, — ^both very gallant and promising young officers. A month passed without serious demonstrations on either side, when the loyal heart was gladdened by the sharp and very snc- jessful campaign of General McClellan in Western Virginia. Thirty-nine of the Northwestern counties of Virginia had refused to follow the rest of the state in seceding from the Union, and a, considerable force of Confederate soldiers was scattered through the region to manufacture public sentiment favorable to the Southern cause. Under McClellan's vigorous attack the rebel commander, General Garnett, was killed at Carrick's Ford, his forces captured or dispersed, and the people temporarily freed from the presence of the foe. THE FEDERAL DEFEAT AT BULL EUN. 25 Mean time the terms of enlistment of the three-months' militia, were about expiring, and it became necessary, not only from that fact but to appease the clamor of the impatient people of the loyal states, that a blow should be struck against the Confed- erate force threatening Washington. On the 1st of June Gen- eral Beauregard, flushed with his conquest of Sumter, arrived at Eichmond and took command of what was styled the Depart- ment of Alexandria. His main force was gathered near Man- assas Junction, with fortified outposts advanced to Oentreville and Fairfax Court House. General McDowell, in cdmmand of the Ujiion army, advanced slowly, the enemy readily abandoning their outposts, till on the 18th of July General Tyler's command encountered a force under General Longstreet strongly posted at Blackburn's Ford, and a sharp skirmish convinced the Federal commander that a direct assault was impracticable. It was decided, therefore,, to throw the main body of the army well to the right, so as to strike the Confederates on the left flank and gain their rear; but being obliged to wait for supplies it was not till the night of the 20th that McDowell was ready to inove. By a strange coin- cidence Beauregard also issued orders on the same day for the advance of his army on the following morning, and he in turn planned to strike his enemy on the left flank. After the issu- ance of this order General J. E. Johnston arrived on the ground from Winchester, where he had been facing the Union force under General Patterson, bringing a portion of his army with more following. Being the senior oflicer he took command, approved the plans of Beauregard, and prepared to advance next day. The attack by McDowell, intended to be delivered at daylight, was several hours late, but it anticipated the Confederate move- ment and served to put Johnston on the defensive. With vary- ing fortunes, but generally favorable to the Union arms, the conflict raged till near 4 o'clock, when the coming of their fresh troops from the Shenandoah valley, with reinforcements from other points, enabled the Confederates to throw a heavy force on the Federal right flank, which broke in some disorder— the 26 PKOM SECESSION TO ANTIETAM. panic spread rapidly, and soon the day was irreparably lost. The retreat was well covered by the troops that stood firm, and the wreck of the army gathered unmolested within the strong de- fenses, in front of the Capital. On the following day General McClellan was summoned to Washington and given the command of the Army of the Poto- mac, his recent success in Western Virginia ha^dng brought him into deserved prominence. He assumed command on the 27th, and at the same time many other changes t6ok place. General Scott, who up to this time had b.cen general-in-chief, was on ac- count of age and infirmity relieved from active duty: General Patterson, whose term oif service had expired, was succeeded by General Banks in the department of the Shenandoah; General John A. Dix took command at Baltimore in place of Banks, and General Rosecrans succeeded to McClellan's former command. The new commander devoted his wonderful powers as an or- ganizer to the constructing of a new army, the perfecting of the defenses about the seat of government, and bringing order out of chaos generally. The magnitude of the under- taking was now more justly realized, and to the work of prepar- ation the remainder of .the summer, the succeeding autumn and winter were given. Gradually an impregnable line of works containing more than 50 forts grew up around the Capital, and withm them gathered an army fine in material, admirable in dis- cipline, perfect in equipment and formidable in numbers. About the middle of October a portion of the Federal army advanced into Virginia as far as Fairfax Court House, the enemy retiring to Centreville, and a few days later a small force with- out support or means of retreat was thrown across the Potomac near Leesburg, and the result was the terrible disaster of Ball's Bluff, which sent a chill to every loyal heart. The fight was opened by Colonel Devens with the Fifteenth Massachusetts regiment, which had been sent forward on reconnaissance, and Colonel E. D. Baker, United States senator from California, who commanded the brigade, decided to reinforce him and make a stand. In the struggle which followed Colonel Baker lost his life, his troops were driven back to and into the river with sad loss. THE FIRST YEA.K CLOSES IN SUSPENSE. 27 many were captm-ed, and Colonel Deveus only escaped by swim- ming his'liorse across the Potomac. With the exception of some insignificant skirmishes, — in one of which near Drainsville Gen- eral Ord's brigade quite severely punished the command of the Southern cavalry leader Stuart, — nothing more was done by the Army of the Potomac till the following spring, and in a short time the main force was drawn snugly within its intrenchments about Washington. The close of 1861 brought • mingled hope and fear to the Union heart. Along the entire frontier from Virginia to Missouri rival forces were almost daily coming into conflict, and the Federal arms seemed, on the whole, to be making progress. On the 7th of November was achieved the first great naval suc- cess — the capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard, at Hilton Head, on the South Carolina coast, and on the same day General Grant, by his attack, upon the intrenched camp of the Confeder- ates at Belmont, which he occupied and destroyed, successfully cutting his way through an overwhelming force which closed in about his small command, laid the foundation for those great military successes that followed at Forts Henry and Donelson, to be crowned at the decisive, though critical, battle of Shiloh the following April. Of the operations in the great western field it is sufficient for the purposes of this sketch to say that the Union cause steadily advanced, with few defeats and no disasters. When winter came it found the nation greatly disturbed over the " Trent affair." The Southern commissioners to England and Prance, Mason and Slidell, had been taken from the British mail steamer Trent, by Captain Wilkes of the United States navy; an act which at once aroused the ire of the offended Brit- ons, and the demand for the yeturn of the captives to ^the pro- tection of the English flag was accompanied by the most vigorous preparations for war on the part of her majesty's government. As this was a distinct avowal of the " American principle " on which the war of 1813 had been fought, and a complete change of the British base,, the moral victory was considered satisfactory compensation for the loss of the prisoners, and they were at once surrendered. 28 FROM SEOESSIOIf TO ANTIETAM. Edwin M.Stanton succeeded Simon Cameron as Secretary of War, January 13, 1863, and early in the following month, while General Grant was in the midst of his successful campaign, General Burnside's expedition, which had sailed nearly a month previous, relieved the popular anxiety by the capture of Roanoke Island, whence a month later his forces moved to victory at Newbern. The close of February also saw General Butler's ex- pedition against New Orleans well on its way to one of the most substantial victories of the war. Thus far the navy, in its opera- tions both at sea and on the rivers, had been remarkably success- ful; but a sad disastei- was now in store for it. On the 8th of March the rebel iron-clad Merrimac, constructed from the Federal steam-frigate of that name, which had been captured with the Gosport navy-yard and repaired, came down upon the Union fleet in Hampton Roads, destroying the frigates Cumber- land and Congress, and retiring to her lair at night intending to finish the fleet next day. But when in the early morning she came steaming down to the encounter a new antagonist met her — the original Monitor, then on its trial trip. A desperate en- counter followed, in which the Merrimac, though not disabled, was so much damaged that she steamed away toward Norfolk, and never again ventured forth. With the opening of spring came the long-looked-for move- ment of General McClellan's Army of the Potomac. It had been decided to adopt the plan favored by the commander of moving against Richmond by way of Fortress Monroe and the Yorktown peninsula with the main force, leaving in the defenses about the Capital a sufficient force to defend the place from any assault by the Confederates, whose main body still held Manassas and Centrevi^le. On the 8th of March, however. General Johnston evacuated these points and retired toward Richmond. The Union army crossed the Potomac next day, and the cavalry followed the enemy as far as the Rappahannock, but there was no other pursuit, and on the 17th the embarkation of the army at Alex- andria began. The force under McClellan's immediate command consisted of something over 200,000 men, and had been divided by the President into five army corps, commanded respectively OPENIITG OF THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN. 29 by Generals McDowell, Sumner, Heintzelman, Keyes and Banks — the latter operating with his Fifth Corps in the Shenandoah valley and one division of Sumner's Second Corps being sent to Fremont in the mountain department. The 1st of April found Sumner's two remaining divisions and the Third and Fourth Corps safely landed, though the troops on the transports had nervously looked for the re-appearance of the dreaded Merrimac. McClellan came the next day, and on the 3d the army moved toward York- town, 34 miles distant. Magruder still held the rebel command on the peninsula, and he had made his position as strong as pos- sible with the small force available. At Yorktown his principal line of works was encountered, running entirely across the pen- insula along the line of Warwick Creek. The advance thus far had been through swamps and mud over corduroy roads, and before the apparently formidable intrenchments the 100,000 men halted. A siege of Yorktown, which lasted a month, ensued. In the mean time Franklin's division of McDowell's First Corps arrived on transports, but the remainder of the corps, which McClellan expected, was retained for the defense of the Capital- This retention disconcerted the commander's plans for a flank movement on the enemy's position by water, and the siege went on, On the 16th of April an attempt was made to pierce the line of defense, and a part of the Vermont Brigade was thrown across the creek at Lee's Mills, making a lodgment in the works, but the brave fellows were not supported and were obliged to retire with serious loss. The preparations for opening fire were all completed, when on the 4th of May it was discovered that the works were deserted, and the Confederates in full retreat up the peninsula. Pursuit was at once ordered, and Stoneman's cavalry, in the advance, came upon the enemy toward night, in strong force behind intrenchments near Williamsburg. Next day the battle of Will- iamsburg was fought, principally by Hooker's division, which maintained a desperate struggle all through the day, being hard pressed till Hancock's brigade brought them relief by a skillful movement across a narrow dam and a vigorous attack upon the Confederate flank, Late in the afternoon McClellan e^me up, 30 JEOM SECESSION TO ANTIETAMl. and preparations were at once made for a decisive battle on the morrow, but when the morning of the 6th dawned it revealed only abandoned earthworks in front of the Union army. The skillful taqtics of the Southern chieftain, General Joseph E. Johnston, had thus delayed the Federal advance till his own army could be concentrated at its chosen position in front of Richmond, to which all the troops available were summoned. Huger was withdrawn from Norfolk and the dreaded Merrimac blown up, allowing that post to fall into the hands of General Wool's troops, advancing from Fortress Monroe, and the Union gunboats ascended the James river till checked by Fort Darling at Drewry's Bluff, 13 miles below Eichmond; the force in front of Burnside in North Carolina was mostly recalled to the threat- ened Capital, and every preparation made for a desperate defense. McClellan's advance over the miserable roads was slow, so that two weeks were occupied in traversing the 50 miles from Will- iamsburg to the front of Johnston's lines on the Chickahominy. Something of a reorganization of the Federal army had mean- time been made. General Porter was made commander of a new corps, called the Fifth, composed of his own division of the Third Corps with those of McCall and Sykes; while the Sixth Corps, composed of the divisions of Smith of the Third Corps and Franklin of the First, was commanded by the latter. The army on the peninsula thus consisted of five corps, generally of two divisions each, and the men present for duty at the time of encountering the enemy seem to have been something over 115,000. The base of supplies was at White House, the head of navigation of the York river, up the right bank of which the army had thus far moved. Between McClellan and Richmond flowed the Chickahominy river, a sluggish, swampy stream, and as the army swung into position, Heintzelman and Keyes with their corps were thrown across that water course at Bottom's Bridge, about the 20th of May, the other corps remaining on the left or northern bank. General McDowell with some 30,000 men had meantime been sent forward in support of the peninsular movement as far as Fred- ericksburg on the Rappahannock, his left being then at Bowling THE BATTLES BEFORE BICHMOND. 31 Green. To establish connection with him, General Porter was instructed to surprise the Confederates at Hanover Court House under General Branch, which he did on the 27th, after a night's march in a heavy rain, thoroughly dispersing the Southern troops. But the defeat of General Banks by " Stonewall " Jackson in the Shenandoah valley recalled McDowell toward Washington, and McClellan was, for the second time, deprived of the assistance expected from him. General Johnston, anticipating the junction of McDowell with McClellan, prepared to strike the latter with all his force before the conjunction occurred, and the result was the battle of Fair Oaks, which opened on the 31st of May. Changing the original programme somewhat, Johnston threw the bulk of his army upon the two Federal corps south of the Chickahominy; Casey's division, which received the first blow, was scattered, and although the Union soldiers fought desperately, the assailants steadily gained ground till late in the afteruoon. At that time General Sumner, who had succeeded in getting a bridge across the river, brought forward Sedgwick's division of his corps, which met a flanking movement of the Confederates with a sharp attack, when the struggle ceased for ihe night. Beyond a terrible artil- lery fire, it was not seriously renewed the following day. Both sides had lost heavily. General Johnston being among the severe- ly wounded, his command being taken by General Eobert E. Lee, who was thenceforward to lead the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to the close of its career at Appomattox, almost three years later. Each army re-possessed its former lines, and almost a month of inaction succeeded. Finally McClellan seemed ready for the forward movement, and on the 35th of June Hooker's division, supported by other troops, was advanced a mile on the Richmond road, meeting slight resistance and holding the ground covered. Simul- taneously with this success, the Union commander learned that Jackson had left the Shenandoah valley and was rapidly moving to strike his exposed right flank and cut him off from his base of supplies at White House. Immediate preparations were made for a change of base to the James river, hastened by the prompt 32 FROM SECESSION TO ANTIETAM. and ponderous blows which attested the energy with which the Confederate plan was to be carried out. Porter's corps alone now held the north bank of the Ohickahominy, and the brunt of the battle of Mechanicsville, on the 26th, fell upon McCall's division. These troops, the Pennsylvania Keserves, which did good service on many a hard-fought field, received a resolute attack by D. H. Hill's and Longstreet's forces, which was repulsed with heavy loss to the assailants. But no sooner had night fallen than the victors began to retreat from the field, and the next morning found the corps in a new position at Gaines's Mills, near the crossing of the river. There, on the following day, was fought one of the most stubborn contests of the cam- paign. The Southern troops under Hill, Longstreet and Jackson, impetuously and repeatedly attacked less than half their num- ber, and the lone Fifth Corps as often held its ground in triumph. Near night the left gave way before the persistent hammering, and had been pressed back for some distance, when the arrival of reinforcements saved the corps from utter rout. Daylight of the 28th found Porter's command across the river and the bridges destroyed behind it, when the enemy turned their attention to the supplies at White House. To their annoy- ance, most of the stores had been removed and the rest were fired at their approach. Divining now the real purpose of the Federal commander, they bent every energy toward cutting off or over- whelming his retreating columns. A succession of desperate struggles ensued. Magruder in direct pursuit came upon Sumner, who was protecting the rear at Savage's Station, on the 29th. Magruder attacked, only to be repulsed, and during the night Sumner followed the retreating army, though obliged to abandon his sick and wounded in hospitals. Desperate conflicts marked the 30th at White Oak Swamp and at Glendale. On the former field Franklin held Jackson at bay through the afternoon; at the latter, McCall's division contested manfully the desperate onsets of Longstreet, McCall himself being made prisoner, and his Pennsylvania Reserves suffering sadly, but gaining the neces- sary time. During the night the entire Union army went into position at Malvern Hills, where, in a position of immense natural fiEGIKifllifG OE' pope's CAMPAIQK. S3 strength, the inevitable afternoon attack was received next day. With comparatively slight loss to the defenders, the assaulting columas were bloodily repulsed as often as they advanced, an when the hopeless nature of. the struggle was realized. General Lee withdrew his shattered legions toward Kichmond, while McClellan retired his army to Harrison's Landing, and the peninsular campaign was at an end. The incubus of defeat rested upon the Union arms, and the President called for 300,000 additional men to serve for three years. Scarcely had the thunders of battle ceased on the peninsula when they broke forth between the two capitals. The need of unity in the direction of the minor Federal forces scattered through the northern portion of Virginia induced the Washing- ton authorities to summon General John Pope from the West, to command the forces of Fremont, Banks and McDowell. The former, displeased at the promotion of a junior in rank, resigned his command, and was succeeded by General Sigel. Pope had won signal success in his former field, especially at New Madrid and Island Number Ten, and much was hoped from him in the new position, but it seems unquestionable that his transfer created great jealousy in many of the officers with whom he now came in contact. He took command of the Army of Virginia on the 28th of June, and two weeks later General Halleck was sum- moned to Washington to assume direction of all the National armies — a position which he retained till early in 1864, when General Grant was made lieutenant-general, thus superseding him. General Pope was directed to pivot his left upon the Kappa- hannock near Fredericksburg, withdraw his force to the east of the Blue Eidge and swing his right forward, sweeping the country in the direction of Gordonsville. Jackson, having accom- plished his purpose against the Army of the Potomac, was again sent northward to operate against him. The two forces con- fronted each other on the 19th of July, at which time Pope's advance had passed Orange Court House and was moving toward Gordonsville, when Jackson reached the latter place before him. Preparations for a struggle at once began, Pope con- centrating his army near Culpeper, midway between the Eappa- 34 PROM SECESStOlf to ANTtETAM. hannock and the Rapidan, while Jackson, feeling that his strength was insuflBcient, waited at Gordonsville for reinforcements. Jackson was across the Rapidan with his whole strength on the 8th of August and Banks's corps was thrown forward to meet him. In the afternoon of the following day the Confederates were found strongly posted on the slopes of Cedar Mountain, and Banks at once delivered a skillful and vigorous attack which broke the enemy's lines, and for a time it almost seemed that a complete rout would follow. But Jackson had heavy reserves at hand, which were promptly brought iuto action, checking the Federal pursuit of the broken battalions, and though Gordon's brigade, the only Union reserve, was thrown in and suffered severely, it was unable to withstand the overwhelming masses which bore down upon it, and Banks's whole force retired behind Cedar Run. There they were reinforced by Sigel and Ricketts, and when the Confederate troops attempted a pursuit, the recep- tion they received was so warm that the purpose was immediately relinquished. Two days later Jackson withdrew to the south bank of the Rapidan, across which stream the pickets of the two armies watched each other for a week, when Pope, finding that Lee's entire army, set free by the withdrawal of McClellan's forces from the peninsula, was in his front, fell back behind the Rappa- hannock. Skirmishing continued till the 25th, when Jackson's corps, starting from Jefferson and marching by way of White Plains and Thoroughfare Gap, descended upon the railroad at Bristoe Station, in the rear of Pope, which point was reached on the evening of the 26th. From the Station to Manassas Junc- tion large captures of stores and prisoners were made, after which the daring corps drew back toward Groveton to await the inevit- able attack. Pope, thus assailed in the rear, faced his army about and strove to crush Jackson before the other Confederate corps under Longstreet could join forces with him. On the 29th began the battle of Manassas, or the Second Bull Run, and the result of the first day's fighting, while indecisive, was at least equally favorable to the Union arms. The main engagement had been prefaced by two sharp passages at arms, each of which may fHE SB66Nb feATtLE OF BtjLL Rtfjf. SS properly enough claim the dignity of an independent battle. Near evening of the 27th General Hooker's division came upon the Confederate rear guard at Bristoe Station, under General Ewell, and drove them speedily in the direction of Manassas Junction in search of the main body. McDowell's corps had been thrown across the line of Jackson's retreat at Gainesville, and on the afternoon of the 28th, as King's division moved toward Centre- ville, two of its brigades were savagely struck in the flank by the divisions of Ewell and Taliaferro. In the plucky fight which ensued, known as the battle of Gainesville, both the Southern division commanders were wounded, Ewell "losing a leg, and their repeated assaults were repelled with heavy loss on both sides. During the battle* of the two succeeding days. General Pope had under his command, in addition to his original force, six divisions from the Army of the Potomac — two each under Heintzelman, Porter and Keno. The fight of the 29th is gener- ally spoken of as the battle of Groveton, especially by Southern writers, and was opened by the troops of Sigel and Eeynolds, who had succeeded in locating the wily Jackson, and when sharp encounters had shown that the latter was not, as Pope had sup- posed, anxiously seeking a way of escape, there was a pause while the necessary troops for a decisive engagement were thrown into position. Before noon Heintzelman and Eeno came up, but Porter was some hours later. Near the close of the afternoon, brilliant attacks upon the Confederate position were made by the divisions of Hooker and Kearney, that of the former, led by Grover's brigade, cutting through the opposing lines like a knife, while Kearney's blow was at least equally powerful and effective. But the attacks were not supported as they should have been, an expected advance by Porter against the enemy's right was not made, for Longstreet was already on the field and had joined forces with Jackson, so that night fell with the two armies in substantially the positions of the early afternoon. The morn- ing of the 30th brought a renewal of the battle, but it was hope- less on the Union side from the outset. The men were exhausted and dispirited, out of food, and many of the best divisions with- out an adequate supply of ammunition, But the men fought 36 Pkom secessioiT io aiWietam. bravely — even desperately — under all these disadvantages. Porter's corps, especially, strove tenaciously to dislodge Longstreet from his strong position, and from every assault it recoiled in torn fragments. Night found the Federal army in full retreat upon Oentreville, the few available brigades scarcely equal to the cov- ering of the retreating columns. The corps of Franklin and Sumner had been pushed forward from Alexandria, by direction of General McClellan, as far as Centreville, and under the protection of their firm battalions the broken army rested the following day, thence falling back to the vicinity of Fairfax Court House and Germantown. A drenching storm had set in, but even this did not dampen the ardor of the Confederate victors. Again Jackson resdrted to his favorite strategy of a long detour by his left flank to fall suddenly upon the Federal right, and on the evening of September 1 he joined battle at Ox Hill, near Germantown, fighting what is known as the battle of Chantilly. The action was brief, the use of ammunition next to impossible, owing to the storm, and the repulse was made complete by a fine bayonet charge of Birney's brigade of Reno's corps ; but the Union army counted among its lost two noble oflicers in Generals Stevens and Kearney. The former was shot dead wJiile leading a charge of his division, and the latter met a similar fate by riding into the enemy's lines in the storm and darkness. On the following day the army, by direction of General Hal- leck, retired within the Washington defenses, where it was secure from further attack in its exhausted condition. General Pope on the same day resigned his command, the Army of Virginia was merged with that of the Potomac, and General McClellan was given command of the united forces. In the reorganization and rcinspiriting of the remains of the two armies the wonderful genius of McClellan found ample field, and the hand of the master was at once apparent. In a remarkably short time the shattered corps emerged upon the soil of Maryland, marching with confident step in pursuit of Lee's invading army. The Confederate genei-al had good cause for congratulation. In three months from the time of taking command, he had General lee invades Maryland. SI driven McClellan's magnificent army of investment from in front of the Confederate capital into the shelter of the Federal gun-boats, whence it had withdrawn to the strong defenses at Alexandria, from which it originally came forth full of bright anticipations of victory; then turning upon a second army, equal to his own in numbers, he had sent that in turn broken and dis- organized before his triumphant legions. It was natural for him to feel that there was little to fear for the present from this supposed fugitive crowd, though the strength of the Washington fortifications and the extent of his own losses precluded the idea of a direct attack upon the Federal capital. General Lee, therefore, resolved upon the invasion of Maryland. He moved promptly, the 7th of September finding the South- ern army all on Maryland soil, and the following day, from his headquarters at Frederick, General Lee issued a proclamation to the people of the state, in which he assumed the tone of a liber- ator, and invited them to espouse the cause of the South. The response was not encouraging. The bulk of the fighting Mary- land secessionists had already joined the army in Virginia, while the people of the state at large, even had their sympathy been greater, had no ambition to see their fair fields devastated by the tramp of opposing armies. Nor was there much time for the development of results. No sooner was the purpose of Lee manifested than McClellan put the Army of the Potomac in motion to meet the > invaders. Crossing to the Maryland side and proceeding with the reorganization of the army on the march, he pushed sturdily forward toward Frederick, covering all the available roads. The Confederates meantime were not idle. On crossing the river they had seized the railroad at Point of Eocks, cutting off the garrison of some 1 2,000 men at and about Harper's Ferry from communication with Washington. Finding that the posi- tion was not abandoned, Lee sent Jackson with a large force to cross the Potomac in front of Sharpsburg and invest the place from the "Virginia side, while McLaws co-operated from the Maryland side. The move was a complete success, and resulted in the surrender of the entire force with little show of resistance. 38 PEOM SECESSION- *6 ANtlETAit. as their position was capable of no effective defense against the batteries on the surrounding bights, which opened fire on the morning of the 15th. Colonel Miles, in command of the garrison, was mortally wounded, and his second in command, General White, speedily gave up the contest. Lee, meantime, finding that McClellan was advised as to his plans, withdrew the bulk of his army to the vicinity of Sharpsburg, in order not only that his forces might be reunited as soon as pos- sible after the accomplishment of Jackson's enterprise, but that he might be able to retreat by way of the Shenandoah valley into Virginia, in case retreat became necessary. To check McClellan's advance as much as possible, General D. H. Hill was posted at Turner's Gap of the South Mountain, with his own division re- inforced by two of Longstreet's divisions, while at Crampton's Gap, near Burkittsville, was stationed a portion of McLaws's force. General Franklin moved against the latter force with the Sixth Corps on the afternoon of the 14th, and after some three hours of sharp, though not heavy fighting, the pass was carried. At Turner's Gap, six miles to the northward, where the principal struggle in the battle of South Mountain occurred, the task was much more serious and the force on each side much greater. The assault was made by the right wing of the army, under General Burnside, composed of Reno's coi-ps, the Ninth, and Hooker's, the First. Prom early morning, till darkness put an end to further operations, there was a sharp struggle on the part of the Federal forces to gain possession of the rocky fastnesses, and a stubborn resistance on the part of the defenders. The Confederate General Garland, whose brigade received Eeno's first attack, was killed, and the crest held by bis forces was wrested from them, but here the Union advance was checked till Hook- er's corps, which came upon the field in the afternoon, climbed the mountain sides in the face of strong opposition and secured a position to the north of the Confederates which commanded the pass proper. At that time, when the Union forces were in a position to secure the fruits of their persistent efforts, night came on, and in the morning their antagonists had withdrawn. Hill had gained for his chief a day's time, though at a heavy TBE BATtLB OK IfiE AKlIEtAit. 39 cost in casualties and prisoners ; while the Federals, in addition to the delay, had to mourn the death of General Reno, a brave and valuable ofBcer, who fell about sunset, almost in the moment of triumph, as the Stars and Stripes waved from the conquered hights. Pursuit was made next morning, as soon as it was found that the defenders were in retreat, and there was skirmishing during the day as the Federals pressed the Confederate rear guard, but there was no serious engagement, and the close of the afternoon displayed the bulk of Lee's army drawn up in a strong position on the right or Sharpsburg bank of Antietam Creek. In the mean time, McLaws, driven from Crampton's Gap by the Sixth Corps, was cut ofE from Lee's main body, and his safety seriously complicated. He, however, formed a strong line of battle across Pleasant Valley, covering Harper's Ferry, where the beleaguered Union troops were on the point of surrendering, and when that event occurred McLaws hastily retreated across the Potomac, by way of the Ferry, into Virginia, whence recrossing at Shepards- town, he rejoined his superior at Sharpsburg. Jackson, having received General White's capitulation, very hastily paroled his captives and flew to the support of the imperiled Southern chieftain, on the banks of the Antietam, with whom he formed a junction during the night of the 16th. As the two armies faced each other on the morning of the 16th of September, Lee had in his front the Antietam Creek, while the Potomac protected each flank, rendering a direct attack necessary. The creek was spanned by four stone bridges, three of which were strongly defended by the Confederates, but to the left of their position there was another which was unprotected, and across this, when the preparations were completed, which was not till late in the afternoon, the right wing of the Federal army was ordered to pass to assault the Confederate left flank. Hooker with his own corps led the way, as so often before he had done, his crossing being unopposed, and his lines were estab- lished, pushing back his opponents for a considerable distance. With a plan of battle developed and thus much of initial action taken, the operations of the day ceased. McClellan's programme 40 FROM SBCfiSSiON f 6 AijKlEllAlt. was to cross Sumner with his own Second Corps and the Twelfth under General Mansfield, to the support of Hooker, delivering a heavy attack against the Confederate left, and when the action was well under way to throw General Burnside with the Ninth Corps across a bridge in his front to engage the forces of Long- street, on the opposite flank. Porter's Fifth Corps formed the Union center, while the Sixth, under Franklin, were still in Pleasant Valley, with one division posted at Maryland Hights, opposite Harper's Ferry. It cannot be said that McClellan's programme was efficiently carried out. With the early morning Hooker advanced vigor- ously, and was as vigorously met. The enemy was pushed back, with heavy loss on each side. Finally the attack lost its momen- tum. Hooker was severely wounded, his corps broken, and the fight at a stand-still till reinforcements came up on both sides. Sumner and Mansfield came upon the scene, but the latter was killed, General Richardson, commanding one of Sumner's divisions, mortally wounded, and both corps were sadly shattered. Sedgwick's division had reached an advanced position, whence with adequate support it would seem that it might have attained decisive results. But the support was not at hand, the division was forced back, and Sedgwick, twice wounded, was carried from the field. In this piecemeal attack of single regiments, brigades and divisions, a murderous loss had been infiicted on both sides, but no advantage gained. Meanwhile it was not till afternoon, when the action on the Federal right had ceased, that Burnside succeeded in getting across the creek. The crossing was difficult, and a small force had sufficed to hold his corps at bay till it was too late for them, to carry out their part of the programme. They did, indeed, drive back the troops in their front for some distance when once across the stream, but were themselves in turn pushed down to the shelter of the bluff, near the crossing. Here the battle ended. Franklin's two available divisions had come up, and had been put in position on the right, where the struggle had been so terrible, and Porter's- corps had not yet been engaged; but McClellan shrank from a renewal of the fight LEE RETURNS TO VIRGINIA. 41 on the morning of the 18th, and the day was devoted to burying the dead and caring for the wounded, the Union loss having been upward of 12,000, and that of the Confederates nearly as great. If it was McOlellan's intention to resume the battle on the 19th, he was doomed to disappointment, for the coming of that day found the Army of Northern Virginia once more on the " Sacred Soil," and no pursuit was attempted. For a few days, more or less skirmishing across the Potomac occurred, and small* forces from each army crossed the river to annoy their antagonists, only to return speedily to their own side. Lee, with the remnants of his army, moved up the Shenandoah valley to the vicinity of Winchester, while the Union troops remained in Maryland, so distributed as to guard against possible incursions from marauding parties of the enemy. Both armies were sadly in need of rest and supplies of various kinds. According to their own reports, the inyaders had been in a terribly ragged and destitute condition for a long time, while the Army of the Potomac was far from being well supplied after its summer's campaign. Eecruits were sent forward from Washington to strengthen the various commands, among the new regiments of three-years' troops permanently attached to the army being the Thirty-seventh Massachusetts. The history of this organization becomes from that time identified with that of the larger body. Let us now sketch the work of Massachu- setts as a loyal member of the national Union, before taking up the especial story of her Thirty-seventh Eegiment. CHAPTEE II. MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR. THE KECORD OF THE COMMONWEALTH. — ITS PUBLIC MEN. — ITS SOLDIEES. — ITS CITIZENS. The record of Massachusetts in the war for the Union was one of which all who love its good name may justly be proud, lu the field and in the legislative halls, in conflict on land and sea as in the ceuncil chambers, the sons of the Old Bay State led the advance ; while in the blessed oflBces of mercy which sought to alleviate the sufferings of those dreadful years and as far as possible to rob war of its horrors, in whatever way the purpose might be advanced, the whole people, irrespective of age, sex or social condition, joined with an exemplary energy. Yet in the group of all who did such valiant, faithful service one figure must ever stand gloriously above all the rest — the central figure of the stout-hearted, olear-headed war governor, John A. Andrew. Born in Maine in 1818, a graduate of Bow- doiu College in 1837 and admitted to the Suffolk bar.in 1840, Mr. Andrew in 1860 undoubtedly stood at the head of the legal profession in the state. Never in the narrow sense a politician, his experience in public place had been confined to a single term in the state Legislature and the chairmanship of the Massachu- setts delegation in the National Republican Convention at Chi- cago which nominated Lincoln for the presidency. Yet to the mighty task to which he was called. Governor Andrew brought a statesmanship, a power of resource and an unwavering pur- pose which won the admiration of the country. Mr. Andrew was elected to his first term on the day of Mr. Lincoln's election to the presidency — November 6, 1860, — by a GOTEKNOE JOHN A. ANDREW. 43 I vote of 104,537 and a clear majority over his three competitors, representing the three factions of the Democratic party, of 39,445 — the largest vote up to that time ever cast in the Common- wealth. The state delegation in Congress, the Executive Coun- cil and nearly the entire Legislature were Republican in politics and therefore in general accord with the new administration. Nor was the support of Governor Andrew by any means con- fined to the party which elected him t6 office. The vast major- ity of the democratic party of the state were faithful to the cause of union, and the soldiers in the field represented all shades of political belief subordinated to national loyalty. Before the inauguration of Governor Andrew, January 5, 1861, the war cloud grew threatening, and thoughtful men began to despair of averting an appeal to arms. Yet so dreadful seemed that alternative that, while nerving themselves for the struggle should it come, the people of the. state neglected no opportunity to urge conciliation and concession, and late in the month a petition bearing 15, 000. prominent names was sent to the Massachusetts delegation in Congress, urging conciliatory measures. The people were ready to sanction any reasonable sacrifice for the, sake of peace, but they were not ready to see the nation, in the building of which their fathers had borne so honorable a part, fall in ruins about them. If that were to be the alternative, they would prove that the sons were ready to sacrifice for the preservation as much as their ancestors for the creation. In his inaugural the new governor spoke for the whole state when he said: "The people will forever stand by the coun- try." There was no more comj)rehensive expression of the pop- "ular feeling than that given by Adjutant-General William Schouler when, responding to a toast in honor to Major Ander- son, then besieged in Fort bumter, he said: "We have no boasts to make. History tells what the men of Massachusetts have done, and they will never disgrace that history." These were the calm utterances of earnest men, typical of the invincible purposes of loyal men everywhere; they put into words that earnest determination which led the soldiers of the old Common- wealth, hopeful and unshrinking, through every disaster and 44 MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR. discouragement to final consummation. Quite the reverse of of this, in speech and action, found favor among the dema- gogues who were plotting the destruction of the nation. Calm utterance following earnest thought could never have served their purpose, and we find instead fiery bluster and impetuous, passionate acts, in the field as on the forum. "While the latter were anxious only that the national Union should be destroyed, Governor Andrew had no greater ambition than to know and Jaithfully do his duty under the general government for its preservation. In his message of the following year, when the issue had been joined and the fearful magnitude of the struggle began to be realized, he uses these noble words: — Let him lead to whom the people have assigned the authority and the l)ower. One great duty of ahsorbing, royal patriotism, which is the public duty of the occasion, demands us all to follow. Placed in no sit- uation where it becomes me to discuss his policy, I do not stop even to consider it. The only question that I can entertain is what to do, and, when that question is answered, the other is what next to do, in the sphere of activity where is given me to stand; for by deeds, and not by words, are this people to accomplish their salvation. Let ours be the duty in this great emergency to furnish, in unstinted measure, the men and the money required of us for the common defense. Let Massachu- setts ideaS and Massachusetts principles go forth, with the industrious, sturdy sons of the Commonwealth to propagate and intensify, in every camp and upon every battle-field, that love of equal liberty, and those rights of universal humanity, which are the basis of our institutions; but let none of us who remain at home presume to direct the pilot or to seize the helm. To the civil head of the national state, to the military head of the national army, our fidelity, our confidence, our constant, de- voted, unwavering support, rendered in the spirit of intelligent freemen, of large-minded citizens, conscious of the difficulties of government, the responsibilities of power, the perils of distrust and division, are due without measure and without reservation. To this magnificent expression of loyal devotion Governor Andrew remained intensely faithful to the end. At the confer- ence of loyal governors at Altoona, Pa., in September of the same year, when the peninsular fiasco, the defeat of Pope and the doubtful result at Antietam might well have cast a gloom over the most ardent, his was the voice of unfaltering courage, and his the hand which wrote the petition to the President ask- SBNATOKS SUMNER AND WILSON. 45 ing for another levy of 300,000 men for the strengthening of the Union armies. But with this intense earnestness of pur- pose Governor Andrew mingled no vindictive feeling, and when the end was reached, when the test of arms had decided that the TTnion was to live, stronger, grander, purified . and redeemed by its awful baptism of blood, he could say, after pronouncing a touching eulogy on the martyred President Lincoln: — Order, law, freedom, and true civilization, must rise into life aU over the territory blasted by despotism, barbarism and treason. The schemes of sentimental politicians, who neither learn nor forget, whose ideas of constructive statesmanship are only imitative as are the mechanical ideas of the bee or the beaver, the plans of men who would rebuild on the sand, for the sake of adhering to a precedent, — must be utterly, promptly and forever rejected. Let the government and the people resolve to be brave, faithful, impartial and just. With the blessing of God, let us determine to have a country the home of liberty and civilization. Let us deserve success and we shall surmount every ob- stacle, we shall survive delays, we shall conquer defeat, we shaU win a peaceful victory for the great ages of the future; and, for the cause of humanity, we shall requite these years of toil and war. The blood of all this noble army of martyrs, from the soldiers of Massachusetts who fell in Baltimore to Abraham Lincoln, the President, who has mingled his own with theirs, — ^the blood of this noble army of martyrs shall be, as of old, the seed of the Church. In the national councils the state was well represented. In the Senate it had Charles Sumner and Henry Wilson, the former holding the chairmanship of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. When the delicate condition of our foreign relations during the whole time of the war is borne in mind, it scarcely needs to be said that in this field the magnificent intellect of Mr. Sumner found an ample task. This position naturally brought him in very close relations to the President, and on the last week of Mr. Lincoln's life he said to Mr. Sumner, during a very cordial interview: "There is no person with whom I have oftener ad- vised throughout my administration than with yourself." If it be just to give to Senator Sumner the prouder place as a national statesman, it will be equally just to give Senator Wil- son a place closer to the warm heart of the loyal people, especially those of his own state. Daring the war he was chair- 46 MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR. man of the Committee on Military Affairs and of the Committee on the Militia — no man did more faithful serTice than he, none had a keener comprehension of the national situation. No sketch, however brief, of the part taken by Massachusetts in the conflict would be complete without an appreciatiTC reference to the great work of Mr. Wilson. He had already serTed upon the Military Committee for four years, under the chairmanship of Jefferson Davis, and with no power to prevent had seen the nat- urally feeble military power of the government manipulated in accordance with the purposes of the conspirators and made still more feeble for the government's protection. When Fort Sumter fell Mr. Wilson urged the President to call for 300,000 men in- stead of the 75,000 actually asked for, but the magnitude of the numbers was staggering, and the advice was not heeded. When the call was issued he prevailed upon the Secretary of War to double the quota of Massachusetts, and then hastened' home to consult with the state authorities. Prom that hour his duties were multitudinous and unceasing. Eeturning to Washington, he devoted much of his time to caring for the soldiers, especially those in the hospitals; yet on the assembling of Congress in extra session, July 4, 1861, he was ready with the important military bills demanded by the condition of affairs. At the ad- journment of the special session he returned to Massachusetts to give his personal influence to the promotion of enlistments, and raised by his own efforts, among other troops, the Twenty- second regiment, of which he was commissioned colonel. This commission, however, was soon resigned, and Mr. Wilson, the better to familiarize himself with the service in all its branches and its needs, became a volunteer aide on General McClellan's staff, which position he held till January, 1862, when duty again called him to active work in the Senate. His position had now become one of immense responsibility. All the important legislation required in connection with the" enormous military service of the ensuing four years was either originated or passed upon by the committee of which Mr. Wil- son was the head and the heart. In the single matter of com- missioned officers, 11,000 nominations of all grades from second MASSACHUSETTS MEN Ilf CONGEESS. 47 lieutenant to lieutenant-general were referred to them for in- vestigation and report ; interested parties naturally flocked to the committee with requests and complaints, and eyen the com- mon soldiers felt at liberty to seek out Senator Wilson, "The Soldier's Friend," — the man in whose great heart there was a warm corner for the humblest human being. Among the mul- titude of bills prepared by Mr. Wilson in person were those for bettering the pay and condition of the soldiers, and all of those relating to the military service of the blacks, freeing the fami- lies of colored soldiers, as well as the men themselves, and abol- ishing slavery in the District of Columbia; for Mr. Wilson never forgot that the rebellion was built upon slavery as a corner-stone; and he wrought unceasingly for its destruction and for the con- stitutional equality of the negro race — a work in which he was the efficient co-laborer of Mr. Sumner, having from his position an influence and an opportunity second to none in the country. In the Thirty-seventh Congress, which began its labors with the special session of 1861, Massachusetts was represented in the House by Thomas D. Eliot, James Buffinton, Benjamin F. Thomas, Alexander H. Rice, Samuel Hooper, John B. Alley, Daniel W. Gooch, Charles R. Train, Goldsmith F. Bailey, Charles Delano and Henry L. Dawes. Two years later Mr. Buffinton was succeeded by Oakes Ames, Mr. Train by Geoige S. Boutwell, Mr. Bailey by James D. Baldwin, and Mr. Delano by William B. Washburn. The faithful service of these men can only be hinted at in this brief sketch. Mr. Rice was chair- man of the Committee on Naval Affairs, Mr. Hooper on that of Ways and Means, Mr. Dawes served on the Committee on Elec- tions, Mr. Alley on Post-offices and Post Roads, Mr. Gooch on the Conduct of the War, and Mr. Eliot on the Committee on Confiscation and that on Emancipation. Among the representatives of the United States at foreign courts, the Commonwealth furnished Charles Francis Adams, who at London had the most delicate, difficult and important position in the entire foreign service, J. Lothrop Motley, minis- ter to Austria, and Anson Burlingameto Qhina, the latter doing a work of world-wide importance, though remotely related to 48 MASSACHTTSETTS IN THE WAB. the great struggle at home, in opening that country to the com- merce of the world. The first official act of Governor Andrew after his inaugura- tion was to dispatch trusty messengers to each of the governors of the New England states urging preparation for the worst and a hearty support of the government at Washington. The re- sults of this movement were of the most satisfactory nature. The next measure, and indeed the only one which was in order in the absence of actual hostilities, was thorough preparation for the expected event. In this, as in all the military measures which ensued, the strong right arm of the Governor was Adju- tant-General "William Schouler, who had been appointed to office by Governor Banks, and whose indefatigable and well- judged labors did so much for the success of the plans of his chief. The organized militia of the state at this time consisted of about 5,600 men, divided into nine regiments, seven battalions and thirteen unattached companies. January 16, a general order was issued requiring every company to be put in efficient condition for active service if called upon. Those who from age, physical defect or other cause were unable or unwilling to serve were to be honorably mustered out, the companies recruited to their maximum and held subject to the orders of the Governor. To show the spirit of the officers and men it may be stated that within a week from the issuance of the order Colonel Jones of the Sixth regiment tendered his command for immediate service if required. In the mean time the Legislature had passed a resolution pledging to the general government "her entire means, civil and military," that the President might "execute the laws of the United States, defend the Union and protect national property," which it was declared the universal senti- ment of the people of the state that we should do. Legislation and preparation for the demands likely to be made upon the military forces of the Commonwealth went on with zeal, but it was not till the Stars and Stripes were humiliated at Sumter that the call came. The 15th of April brought the expected message, the first dispatch being from Senator Wilson asking for twenty compa- THE FIRST REGIMENTS SENT FORTH. 40 nies, but later in the day the Secretary of War sent a formal requisition for two full regiments. Orders were at once issued to Colonel Wardrop of the Third, Colonel Packard of the Fourth, Colonel Jones of the Sixth and Colonel Monroe of the Eighth to report at Boston with their commands, and on the morning of the following day the companies began to arrive, the first to reach the city being the three Marblehead companies of the Eighth regiment. The enthusiasm was something wonder- ful for steady-going Massachusetts. Money and service were offered from every hand in unstinted measure; everywhere the eye rested on the national colors in many a patriotic device. While the hum of preparation was at its hight on the 16th word came from Senator Wilson that the state was to furnish four regiments under the command of a brigadier-general. General B. F. Butler was assigned to the latter position, and orders were forwarded to Colonel Lawrence of the Fifth to re- port at Boston with his command, the Massachusetts regiments not having the number of companies required for the United States service. On the afternoon of the 17th the Third and Fourth regiments set out for Fortress Monroe, the former by steamer direct, the latter from Fall River by way of New York. The Sixth regiment also left Boston on the evening of the 17th, going by rail to Washington direct. The story of the brutal attack of a Baltimore mob on the 19th, in which Massachusetts gave the first blood and the first lives in the great sacrifice, has given this regiment a fame that will never die. That story needs no rehearsal here. The Eighth regiment, accompanied by General Butler, left Boston on the afternoon of the 18th, intending to follow the Sixth. At Springfield they were joined by Captain Henry S. Briggs of Pittsfield with the Allen Guards, completing the organization. Philadelphia was reached on the afternoon of the 19th when news came to them of the assault upon the Sixth in Baltimore. A night of intense anxiety followed, during which General Butler decided upon a plan for reaching Washington, by " flanking " the hostile city ; but Colonel Lefferts of the Seventh New York, whose command had reached Philadelphia, 50 MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR. declined to accompany the Massachusetts soldiers, though fol- lowing a few hours later. The ensuing afternoon cars were taken for Perryville, where the regiment was transferred to the large ferry-boat Maryland, which was placed at General Butler's service by President Samuel M. Felton of the Philadelphia and Baltimore railroad, who seems to have suggested the course which was adopted. As soon as the regiment and its property were aboard the Maryland steamed away for Annapolis, where it anchored the following morning near the famous frigate Consti- tution, then used as a school ship, and for the safety of which fears were felt. Two companies of the Eighth were at once put on board, and the historic craft was in due time taken to New York for safety. From Annapolis to the Junction, 33 miles, the regiment repaired the Annapolis and Elk Ridge railroad, which had been destroyed, put the engines and cars in running order, built bridges and opened railway communication between the Capital and the North. On the 36th they reached Washing- ton, much worn by their arduous duties, but having performed a service winning for them imperishable renown. In the mean time the news of the situation reached Boston and produced the most thrilling excitement, not only in official circles but among the people of every class. The Fifth regi- ment was rapidly put in readiness and sent forward on the 20th to the support of the Eighth, and on the same day Major Asa P. Cook's battery of light artillery and the Third battalion of riflemen, three companies under Major Charles Devens, Jr., started for the front, joining the Fifth at New York, whence the entire force went by water to Annapolis. Major Devens with his command was soon sent to Fort McHenry, while the Fifth and the battery accompanied the Eighth to Washington. Thus was met the first call upon the patriotism of Massachu- setts. It came to a people who knew not war, whose lives had been lives of peace and luxury. Within five days after the call was received the state had sent forward five full regiments of infantry a battery of artillery and three companies of riflemen, — a fourth following a few days later and proceeding up the Potomac to Washington. Wherever they went these troops were THE THREE-TEAKS* VOLUNTEBKS. 51 the pioneers; the arrival of the Third and Fourth regiments at Fortress Monroe secured to the government the possession of that important stronghold, on which the conspirators were look- ing with eager eyes, while the Sixth, quartered in the Senate chamber on their arrival after the deadly struggle through the streets of Baltimore, gave the first positive assurance of the safety of the national Capital. On the 3d of May, fearing that the return home of the 75,- 000 who had been summoned for three months would leave the governrnent with an inadequate military force. President Lin- coln called for some 40,000 volunteers for three years' service, and Massachusetts was instructed to furnish six regiments. "It is important to reduce rather than enlarge this number, and in no event to exceed it . . . and if more are already called for, to reduce the number by discharge," was the language of Secretary of War Simon Cameron in transmitting the requisi- tion. Thus pautious and groping were the steps taken by the national government in the early days of the struggle. Even this permission to send troops to the defense of the country was not received at Boston till the 22d, 19 days after the call. On the 35th the Second regiment. Colonel George H. Gordon, was mustered into the United States service, being the first New England regiment accepted for three years. The other regiments of the quota were mustered during the month of June in this order: Ninth, Colonel Thomas Cass, June 11; Eleventh, Col- onel George Clark, Jr., June 13; First, Colonel Robert Cowdin, and Seventh, Colonel D. N. Couch, the 15th; and the Tenth, Colonel Henry S. Briggs, the 21st. The First left the state June 15, marched through Baltimore on the 17th, and was the first three-years' regiment to reach Washington. Extremely dissatisfied at the meager force called for. Governor Andrew, in common with many prominent men through the country, urged the acceptance of more troops, and a vigorous prosecution of the war— for that there was to be a bitter and cruel war, could no longer be doubted. It was with much satis- faction, therefore, that on the 17th of June permission was received to forward ten additioinal regiments. Colonel Fletcher 5a MASSACHUSETTS IN THE WAR. Webster, the heroic son of the great orator, had his Twelfth regiment already organized, and it was mustered June 26. Then during the months of July and August, followed, in order of their acceptance, the Fifteenth, Colonel Charles Devens, Jr.; Thirteenth, Colonel Samuel H. Leonard; Seventeeth, Colonel T. J. C. Amory; Nineteenth, Colonel Edward W. Hinks; Six- teenth, Colonel P. F. Wyman, Twenty-first, Colonel Augustus Morse; Eighteenth, Colonel James Barnes; Twentieth, Colonel W. K. Lee, and Fourteenth or First Heavy Artillery, Colonel W. B. Greene. The state Legislature, meantime, had been called to meet in extra session. May 14, and no more important session of that body was ever held. The multitude of new and pressing ques- tions which had to be met, the rapidly increasing magnitude of the struggle, the raising, equipping and sending forward of vast levies of men, the provisions for their comfort and for the care of those dependents whom they left behind, — all joined in demanding the best intelligence and the most unswerving patriot- ism on the part of the legislators. How faithfully those duties were performed history records, but the details cannot be given in a single general chapter. In addition to other sources of anxiety, it was necessary to send an agent abroad to procure arms; a mission which was promptly directed by the Governor as soon as it became apparent that the national government could not arms its defenders. Boston, too, was open to the mercy of any nautical foe, the forts erected for its protection being garrisonless and in a sad condition of neglect. Pressing representations to the general government of this fact brought no response, and finally, as a matter of self-defense, the state was obliged to take the respon- sibility of ordering details of its soldiery to occupy the works and put them in as defensible a condition as possible — a work for which the Washington authorities have yet made but partial acknowledgment and compensation. Thus in ceaseless activity the first year of the war rolled away. Before the close of 1861, the Twenty-ninth regiment had been mustered into service, and the new year saw the Thirtieth THE DARK SUMMER OF 1862. 53 Thirty-first and Thirty-second nearly ready to follow. The anniversary of the first call found 27 infantry regiments from Massachusetts in the field, for three years, in addition to the cavalry and artillery which had gone forward in proportionate numbers. The spring and early summer of 1862 brought a short respite from the work of enlistment and organization. The eyes of the people were upon General McClellan's army on the penin- sula, hoping to see a fatal blow given to the rebellion. That hope vanished, as the shattered army recoiled before the fierce onsets of Johnston and Lee. An order was received from the President, May 28, 1862, calling for two new regiments — ^the Thirty-third and Thirty- fourth — and the four companies required to complete the Thirty- second, already in service, as well as six companies to garrison Fort Warren, in Boston harbor. These were being fiUed when the President called a levy of 300,000 men, to serve for three years, and on the ^th of July Governor Andrew officially asked for the quota from Massachusetts. Every effort was put forth by the state, city and town authorities, and in two months the last man called for had been rqustered into service. In addition to the 4,000 men sent to the old regiments, in the field, seven new regiments, in numerical order, from the Thirty-fifth to the Forty-first, inclusive, went in response to this demand. Following the call for the three-years' men, and only a month later, a draft was ordered for 300,000 more to serve for nine months, and the quota of Massachusetts under this demand was fixed at 19,080. There was no hesitation, no delay. The five militia regiments which had responded so promptly to the first caU for three months' service the previous year were about going into camp for the annual state muster. Their ranks were filled, and they again went forward to serve their country. In addition, 12 new regiments, from the Forty-second to the Fifty-third, inclusive, were organized and sent. This ended the work of 1862, so far as the sending out of regiments was concerned. With the opening of 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation took effect, and toward the close of January the long-desired permission was given for Massachusetts to raise a colored regi- 64 MASSACHUSETTS 111 THE WAK. ment. Before the middle of May the regiment was filled, and on the 28th it left Boston by steamer, for South Carolina. It was ably commanded by Colonel Robert G. Shaw, who fell at its head in the terrible night attack on Fort Wagner, July 18 fol- lowing. This was the Fifty-fourth, and on the 31st of July the Fifty-fifth, also composed of colored men, under Colonel N. P. Hallowell, left for the same destination. The Fifth Cavalry was also a colored regiment. Regarding the part taken by these soldiers, it is simple justice to say, in a word, that wherever they were placed, they performed faithfully every duty which came to them. With the appointment of General Hooker to the command of the Army of the Potomac, came his recommendation that re- cruits should be sent to fill the regiments already in the field, rather than that new organizations should be formed, and that, with few exceptions, was the course thenceforward pursued in Massachusetts. In the winter and early spring of 1864, four regiments of "veterans" were organized, and went at once into the Wilderness campaign, where they suffered frightful losses. These were the Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth. In July of that year five regiments were sent out for 100 days' garrison duty, to allow veteran troops to go to the front— the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Forty-second and Sixtieth. Nine unattached companies were also formed for garrison duty on the Massachusetts coast. For these forces the state received no credit from the general government. The Sixty-first, for one year, was raised and sent forward by detachments the ensuing fall and winter, and the Sixty-second was being recruited when the collapse of the rebellion ended the long sacrifice. In addition to the infantry regiments, the state had in the ser- vice 16 batteries of light artillery, three regiments of heavy artillery, numerous unattached companies of the latter and of sharpshooters, and two regiments of cavalry, besides the infantry afterward reorganized as such. The total of men furnished by Massachusetts for all terms of service reached 159,254^-a surplus over all calls of 13,492. Of this number 31,165 served in the navy, 6,039 were colored, and > SOME PIQTJEES FROM THE RECORDS. 55 only 907 were non-resident "foreigners." The last-given figures are answer suflBcient to the imputation sometimes heard that the ranks of our volunteer regiments were filled with foreign hire- lings. To offset the few aliens thus employed, it may be stated that, in the early period of the war, more than 3,000 men from the state enlisted in other states, for which no credit could be received by Massachusetts. Of the officers and men, 3,543 were killed in action, 1,986 died of wounds, 5,672 of disease, 1,843 in rebel prisons, and 1,026 were missing and never accounted for. In this connection it is worthy of note that the men of Mas- sachusetts received from all quarters the highest commendation for the manliness, courage- and intelligence, with which they bore the sufferings incidental to soldier life, especially in hos- pital; the cheerfulness and strong rallying power manifested, their •prompt return to duty on recovery, and Christian heroism in meeting death when that became the sad alternative. Of those who returned to their homes, it is equally gratifying to know that their after lives gave no indication of general demoralization from the associations met during their soldier days. Where the early life gave good promise, it was generally broadened and strengthened by the experience, and if there were exceptions to the rule, so there were unquestionably genuine reformations of character. The total expense incurred by the state in raising and equip- ping troops reached $27,705,109, and that of the cities and towns as such was nearly as much moi-e, making $50,000,000 in round numbers as the money cost to the state. Properly a part of the record of Massachusetts, as the work was performed by her mechanics under the direction of the general government, may be counted the production at the Springfield armory, in the five years succeeding July 1, 1860, of 805,636 muskets, with extra parts and repairs equal to 120,845 more. The rifled musket, as there produced, was" the standard weapon of the service, and undoubtedly the best muzzle-loader ever manufactured. The draft riots of the summer of 1863, which in New York were so disgraceful, found a slight echo in Boston, and for a 66 MASSACHtTSBTlS IN THE WAR. time there was ground for alarm. But the action of the Gover- nor was prompt and efficient. Troops were hastily assembled^ and every important point protected. In but a single instance did the mob, which gathered in considerable numbers, venture on violence. The armory of the Eleventh Battery on Cooper street, which contained the only available artillery in the city, with a quantity of ammunition, was assaulted on the evening of July 14 by a mob of several thousand. Major Stephen Cabot was in command inside the armory, and when the mob ventured upon an assault on the doors, the or'der to fire was given. One volley, which killed several of the rioters and wounded many, ended the trouble in Massachusetts, though the precautions were continued in Boston and other cities till all indications of a riotous purpose had disappeared. While the outline thus given exhibits a devotion, patriotism ■ and heroism, of which any commonwealth might well be proud, no record of these troublous times would be complete that failed to acknowledge the equal consecration of the daughters of the Old Bay State. No women bore a more faithful part, whether we consider the devotion of those who, as nurses, went into the hospitals, the labors in the great fields of the Sanitary Commis- sion and the Christian Commission, or the Soldiers' Aid Socie- ties, which, in all the towns and cities, labored indefatigably for the comfort of the sick and wounded soldiers, and the welfare, spiritual and physical, of those in the field. No less patriotic in purpose and commendable in spirit was the action of those who, like the teachers in the schools of Boston and elsewhere, volun- tarily sacrificed a large percentage of their salaries, in order to lighten the burdens of the state and city. Even the inmates of the state prison volunteered to perform extra labor in the cause. The first act in aid of the families of volunteers was that passed by the Massachusetts Legislature, May 23, 1861. The first president of the United States Christian Commission was Kev. A. Eolin Neale, D. D., of Boston; Massachusetts had more delegates in the service than any other state, and furnished the four field agents. In providing for the navy, in this direction, the first and principal work wag done by Massachusetts. DEEDS OF MERCY AND HONOR. 57 Following the great battles, contributions of money were made at Boston for the relief of the wounded— after Gettysburg, $35,000 was received in small amounts; for the Wilderness, over $60,000; at the taking of Richmond, $30,000. The 1864 Thanks- giving dinner for 17,000 soldiers, in the Washington hospitals, was furnished by Massachusetts friends. In labor for the welfare of the soldiers all classes and ages joined. Among the contributions of socks, were 191 pairs made by Mrs. Abner Bartlett of Medford, aged 85; several pairs by Mrs. S. A. Frazer of Duxbury, who was 93 at the opening of the war, and a pair knit by a Conway woman of 97. Hospitals were opened on Pemberton Square, Boston, at Read- ville and Worcester; the first home for discharged soldiers in the country was at Boston, followed soon after by another at Weston. In November, 1864, the National Sailors" Fair, to secure a sailors' home, was held in Boston, netting $383,370. For the relief of Savannah in 1865, Boston joined with New York and Philadelphia, and $100,000 was raised, and so the list might be continued. Governor Andrew had served faithfully throughout the entire war, and when peace came, he declined further service in the position he had filled with such honor. Alexander H. Bullock was chosen his successor, and entered upon the office, January 6, 1866. In his inaugural address referring to the soldiers, and the deposit of the regimental colors at the State House, he said: In storm and sunshine, in success and repulse, they carried those banners through 12 hostile states. In the hour of utmost need they, before all others, had planted them on the National Capitol, staining on the way with the life-blood of some the pavement of a city in rebellion. They had carried them with Hooker to the summit of Lookout Mount- ain, and had fixed them, with Strong and Shaw, on the ramparts of Wagner. With Bumside, they had crossed the mountains of Tennessee, and had sheltered the hearthstone of Andrew Johnson. With Butler, they had forced the channel of the Mississippi and proclaimed law and order in the city of the Cresent. In all the campaigns of the East, in Sherman's grand march, with Banks at Fort Hudson, with Grant at Vicksburg — whenever and wherever there was hazard to be encountered* or laurels to be won, they had carried the battle-flags of Massachusetts with unyielding devotion and national renown. CHAPTEK III. THE THIRTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. THE OtATHEBINOt AT CAMP BRIGGS.— CHARACTER OF THE COM- MAND. — THE ORIGINAL ROSTER 0¥ OFFICERS. — PERSONAL NOTES AND INCIDENTS. The progress of General McClellan's campaign on the penin- sula early demonstrated to careful observers that the Union forces, thus far mustered into the service, were far from adequate to the task of suppressing the armed rebellion, and on the 28th of June, while the two ai^iiics were still in their desperate grapple in front of Richmond, the governors of 16 of the loyal states, with representatives of Tennessee and Kentucky, strongly advised President Lincoln to call for 300,000 more volunteers. Such advice, at a time when the need of more men was becom- ing severely felt was not to be disregarded, and on the 1st of July, 1863, the call was made. The energies of Massachusetts were at once directed to furnishing the quota of the Bay State. In his proclamation announcing the call, after urging the people of the state to every exertion in behalf of the national cause, Governor Andrew said: "Massachusetts, which has never slum- bored or slept, must now arise to still higher efforts, and pledge to all the duties of patriotism, with renewed devotion, the indi- vidual efforts, the united hearts, heads and hands, of all her people." Throughout the Commonwealth the echo of this sentiment was everywhere heard. Public meetings were held, the press came nobly to the support of the government, municipalities and towns bent their best energies to the filling of the quotas sever- ally required of them. The most complete arrangements were made for the care of the volunteer's family during his absence, THE KENDEZVO08 AT PITTSFIELD. 59 and considerable bounties were offered, payable on the muster in of the recruit. At this time Massachusetts had three incomplete regiments in process of being filled — the Thirty-second, some companies of which were already in the service, the Thirty-third and the Thirty-fourth in camp,- the latter at Camp John E. Wool, at Worcester. A considerable portion of the recruits under the call were mustered for the regiments already in the field, and pushed forward to their destinations in squads, in connection with which the work of filling up the new regiments, just mentioned, was carried on. In pursuance of this purpose, the delegations from the western portion of the state all gathered at Worcester, and after the selection of the companies constituting the Thirty- fourth regiment, there remained a large number of skeleton companies or squads, mostly under the temporary command of men who expected or hoped for commissions. The organization of the Thirty-fourth being reasonably complete, a division was made of the remaining fragments of companies; those from Worcester county remained on the ground to occupy the camp when vacated and become the Thirty-sixth regiment, while the representatives of the four western counties — Berkshire, Hamp- den, Hampshire and Franklin — ^repaired to the rendezvous at Pittsfield, where a new camp had been formed. Camp Briggs was so named from General Henry S. Briggs of Pittsfield, the original colonel of the Tenth regiment, who had just received a promotion well earned by bravery on the field, and who was at that time at his home recovering from a severe wound received at the battle of Fair Oaks. It was located on what is now (1884) the Pleasure Park, on the Washington road, something over a mile eastward from the village, and was in every way a desirable site. The location in itself was favorable, the ground having a very slight southerly slope, dry and airy, well supplied with good water, surrounded by the beautiful mountain scenery which makes the county a favorite resort for the lovers of nature from all portions of the country. To this delightful spot, in the early days of August, came the advance guard of what was to be the Thirty-seventh regiment of 60 THE THIETY-SBVENTH EEGIMBNT. Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. It was a peculiarly fitting scene amidst which to teach the first lessons of a noble soldier life. The breath of the eternal hills whispered to the enthusiastic campers of strength, of patriotism, of freedom. The earnest, manly life of the sturdy sons of New England had no better representatives than those who had grown to early manhood amid such environments, and who now left the shop and the farm to consecrate themselves to the demands of their common country. To breathe such air, and to gaze upon such scenes of natural beauty, was to grow yet stronger in patriotic devotion. The camp was for a time in charge of Lieutenant Alonzo E. Goodrich of the Allen Guard, Pittsfield, who, in providing for the arriving recruits, was assisted by Quartermaster Daniel J. Dodge of the same town, both of whom were identified with the early history of the regiment. As the number in camp increased, however. Colonel William Raymond Lee, of the Twentieth regi- ment, was placed in command of the post, and continued in that duty for a few days, till the arrival of Major Oliver Edwards, about the 12th of August. At that time there were the skeletons of 11 companies on the ground, and the different commands grew daily in numbers and in military education. With characteristic energy. Major Edwards brought his soldierly qualities to the work of organization. Company and battalion drills at once began and were continued with vigor, while great care was manifested to preserve a healthful and an orderly camp. If some of the regulations and requirements at the time seemed unduly stringent and exacting to men coming from the utter freedom of rural life and without military experience, or any adequate conception of the requirements of the service, the result showed their wisdom, and with most of the recruits they were cheerfully accepted from the first. The commander and his command were well adapted to each other. While the former was especially qualified to create an eflBcient and well- disciplined regiment, the material which came to his hand was admirably adapted to the purposes of such a creation. Almost without exception the men had enlisted from the most patriotic motives, and each was anxious that his service should THE EARLY BATS IIST CAMP. 61 be of honor to himself, as well as of benefit to his country. While the great majority had never seen military experience, even of the simplest sort, not to speak of the battle-field, there were a few who had gone out in the earlier regiments, from which they had been discharged for wounds or other cause. These men, wherever they might be during the abundant leisure of the camp, formed centers of interested groups. Their words had a charm which no civilian voice could equal, for the speakers had personal knowledge of the sphere of life for which the listeners were training, and he who bore the marks of recent wounds was, to a most gratifying extent, the hero of his mess. Let it not be supposed that the life upon which the men had entered was an idle or a wearisome one. Every day brought fresh accessions to the companies, there were many acquaintances to develop, the closeness and importance of which none could esti- mate in advance; the duties of the camp, the rapid succession of new developments, the preparations for a long, and perhaps a final adieu to home and friends; — all these combined to fill the waking hours of the citizen-soldier with thought and labor. Nor was amusement of a healthful nature wanting. In the intervals of the busy day, groups would be visible here and there, keenly enjoying some athletic sport, or laughing heartily at the whim- sical oddities of those whose best work in the camp, it may be, was to lighten the spirits of their comrades. Especially was the early evening given to this species of enjoyment. Who that remembers his experience in those stirring scenes does not recall with e,special interest the uncouth elephants composed of soldiers covered by their army blankets, that in the dimming twilight roamed about the grounds indulging in such laughter-moving pranks as no bona fide elephant could ever have perpetrated; the vigorous tossing in a blanket by a half-dozen stalwarts of some willing or unwilling victim, whose evolutions were more rapid and varied than graceful; the bounding foot-ball, propelled by hundreds of vigorous feet; the thousand and one kindred means of diversion and companionship? The 15th of August found Companies C, P and B filled, and within a week. Companies D, G and H were also completed. 63 THE THIRTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. These six companies were mustered into the United States ser- vice on the 30th, and the remaining four were ready for the services of the mustering officer, Captain Thomas of the United States Army, on the 2d of September, with the exception of Company K, which was not filled till the 4th, the term of the regiment consequently counting from the latter date. This company was the result of a consolidation, attempts having been made to raise two exclusively Irish companies for the regiment, — one by Peter Dooley of Cheshire, and the other by John B. Mulloy of Springfield. As neither could be filled in time, it was decided to unite them. At the final examinations a few men were rejected, much to their mortification and disappointment, but, as a whole, the command was highly complimented by com- petent judges, among others by General Briggs, who was often on the gi'ounds and watched the formation of the regiment with much interest. Meantime preparations were actively pushed for the depart- ure of the Thirty-seventh for active service, the anxiety of the government for additional troops increasing with the unfortu- nate developments that crowded fast upon each other from the Virginia fields. The men, having been uniformed, were given furloughs of three or four days each, going out in squads, and almost without exception returning promptly on time. The officers' commissions were issued August 27, and were as follows: Colonel, Oliver Edwards of Springfield; lieutenant-colonel, Alonzo E. Goodrich of Pittsfield; major, George L. Montague of South Hadley; surgeon, Charles P. Crehore of Boston; assistant- surgeons, Thomas C. Lawton of Sheffield, Joshua J. Ellis of Marshfield; adjutant. First Lieutenant Thomas G. Colt of Pitts- field; quartermaster, First Lieutenant Daniel J. Dodge of Pitts- field; chaplain. Rev. Frank C. Morse of Blandford. Non-commissioned stafE — Sergeant-major, Robert A. Gray of Springfield; quartermaster's sergeant, Thomas Porter, Jr., of Chesterfield; commissary sergeant, James C. Chalmers of Pitts- Held; hospital stewards, W. A. Champney of Hatfield, Richard E. Morgan of Pittsfield; principal musician, John L. GafEney of Chicopee, THE FIKST EOSTEE OF OFFICEES. 63 Company A — Captain Jarvis P. Kelley, First Lieutenant Eli T. Blackmer, Second Lieutenant Carlos C. Wellman, all of Chicopee. Company B — Captain Franklin W. Pease of Lee; First Lieu- tenant Thomas F. Plunkett, Jr., of Pittsfleld; Second Lieuten- ant P. Woodbridge Morgan of Lee. Company C — Captain Edwin Hurlburt of Great Barrington; First Lieutenant John C. Robinson of Adams; Second Lieuten- ant Eufus P. Lincoln of Amherst. Company D — Captain Algernon S. Flagg of Wilbraham; First Lieutenant Charles L. Edwards of Southampton; Second Lieutenant George H. Hyde of Lee. Company E — Captain Archibald Hopkins of Williamstown; First Lieutenant Jonas A. Champuey of Adams; Second Lieu- tenant Walter B. Smith of Pittsfleld. Company F — Captain Eugene A. Allen of Springfield ; First Lieutenant Mason W. Tyler of Amherst; Second Lieutenant Elihu E. Rockwood of Greenfield. Company G— Captain Marcus T. Moody, First Lieutenant William Bliss, Second Lieutenant Edward Bridgman, all-of Northampton. Company H — Captain Joseph L. Hayden of Williamsburg; First Lieutenant Joshua A. Loomis of Northampton; Second Lieutenant Andrew L. Bush of Westfield. Company I — Captain Hugh Donnelly, First Lieutenant J. Milton Fuller, Second Lieutenant Charles Phelps, all of Springfield. Company K — Captain Peter Dooley of Cheshire; First Lieu- tenant John B. MuUoy of Springfield; Second Lieutenant George B. Chandley of Springfield. It is but simple justice to say that few volunteer regiments left Massachusetts with a more capable complement of oflBcers than those just named. While it would have been too much to expect that every selection should prove the best possible for the position to be filled, the few weaknesses were more than offset by the general strength of the roster, and the Thirty-seventh may properly claim ever to have been a well-offlcered regiment, 64 THE THIRTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. A fair proportion had already seen active service. Colonel Edwards, going to the front a year previous as the adjutant of the Tenth regiment, was serving as senior aide on the staff of General D. N". Couch when he was directed by Governor An- drew to proceed to Pittsfield to organize a regiment under the new call. Lieutenant-Colonel Goodrich had served with the Eighth regiment the previous year as first sergeant and second lieutenant. Quartermaster Dodge having been a sergeant in the same company— the Allen Guards of Pittsfield. Major Mon- tague had abandoned his teacher's desk at the firing on Sumter, and entered the, service as a first lieutenant in the Sixth Wiscon- sin, serving till autumn-of 1861, when he took a position on the military staff of the governor of that state, engaged in recruit- ing service till that official lost his life by an unfortunate acci- dent at Pittsburg Landing in the spring of 1862, when Mr. Montague came east to offer his services to his native state. Adjutant Colt was also a graduate of the Tenth, as were Cap- tain Moody and Lieutenants Loomis and Smith. Captain Allen, in addition to service in the same school, had long been con- nected with the Springfield militia, while the sturdy Drum- major Gaffney, also formerly identified with the Tenth, had taken his youthful lessons in the British service. Lieutenant Edwards had found his early military excitement in the days of the " Border Ruffian" troubles in Kansas, and others had re- ceived knowledge from the state militia and other sources. One of the number, at least. Lieutenant Smith of Company E, had good personal reasons for lifting the sword against the fanatic horde who were bent on the destruction of the Union. The fall of Fort Sumter found Mr. Smith engaged in mining on the Yahula river, near Dahlonega, Ga., where he was super- intending works in which he had a considerable financial interest. Obliged to abandon everything and escape as best he could, he made his way with much difficulty to Richmond, where he suc- ceeded in obtaining a pass through the rebel lines and finally reached Washington and the shelter of the Stars and Stripes, having had many narrow escapes. Passing through Philadel- phia on his way to join the Tenth regiment in camp at Washing- " FOE MY OOtJNTKt AND MY GOD ! '^ 65 ton, he was severely wounded in the leg by a shot fired from a window, but on recoyery was mustered into the service in time to receive a wound in the shoulder at Pair Oaks. Lieutenant Smith was not with the regiment at Pittsfield, however, joining it subsequent to the arrival at Washington. Soon after taking command Major Edwards had announced, as an incentive for men and officers to strive for excellence, that the company standing best in drill and discipline should be made the color compaiiy, while the second best should be given the right of the line. The first position was won by Company F, then under the command of Captain George L. Montague, while Captain Moody's Company G took the right. At the organization of the regiment Sergeant Charles S. Bardwell of "Whately and Company F was appointed color ser- geant, and all who saw him in that position will remember how every inch a soldier he looked as he bore the national flag in that capacity. In reply to a friend who expressed regret at his ap- pointment to so dangerous a position he said: "This is the proudest day of my life. To this work I have devoted myself, and if I fall it is for my country and my God!" The men. borne on the regimental rolls were principally from the four western counties of the state, Berkshire furnishing 384, Hampshire 332, Hampden 259 and Franklin 87. It has already been remarked that in every respect they were a fine body of men. To an especial degree they embodied the best New Eng- land patriotic devotion. Largely they represented the thrifty, native-born element, with home ties and material interests cen- tering about them. There was no longer hope or expectation that the war was to be else than long and bloody. They were called to no holiday scenes, but to face in the field a desperate and at that time dangerously victorious enerny. The money compensation for the service, while liberal from the military stand-point, was no consideration as offset by the comfortable homes which they were leaving, the pain of parting from the dearest friends and all the sad uncertainties of the camp and the field. Under these circumstances the claim to the pure patriot- ism so worthily voiced by Sergeant Bardwell will readily be 66 THE THIBTT-SEVBNTH EEGIMENT. allowed for the great majority of his comrades, who on many a desperate field were to prove that claim but just. The closing days of the regiment in Camp Briggs were full of touching interest. Daily the streets and grounds were thronged by visitors, a few from motives of mere curiosity, no doubt, but the great majority bearing thoughtful offerings for the comfort of the soldiers in that strange life to which they were going forth, or seeking for a few brief hours that communion with dear friends which they might never more enjoy. They mani- fested the liveliest interest in all the military movements of the command, but especially in the dress parade of the afternoon, when the rear of the parade ground was invariably lined by a sea of proud and interested faces. The usual gifts were bestowed upon the departing soldiers by the citizens, including Bibles or Testaments, with which each was provided, and many of the officers had special tokens of re- gard either from their commands or from friends. A fine sword was presented to Captain Moody by his company, their Spring- field friends remembered Captain Donnelly with a complete uniform and Lieutenant Mulloy with a full sword equipment, and the day before camp was broken a splendid sword was given to Colonel Edwards. Chaplain Morse, who had left his pasto- rate of the Methodist Episcopal church at Blandford and en- listed as a private in Company A from a pure and conscientious desire to serve his country, was presented with a horse by his friends in the regiment, and there were other pleasant tokens of like character bestowed. The Springfield muskets with which the regiment was equipped were issued on the 3d of September, and were received by the men with delight. Not only were they without doubt the most efficient muzzle-loading military rifles ever made, and the most satisfactory in form and construction, but there was a patriotic aversion to the foreign-made weapons vrith which some of the troops were armed. At dress parade on the 6th a fine silk flag was presented to Colonel Edwards by Mrs. J. R. Morewood of Pittsfield, and was accepted with an appropriate response. The body of the flag had been made by the young ladies of Mrs. MoSEWOOD tHESENTS A FLAG. 67 Pittsfleld under the direction of Mrs. Morewood, and it was affixed to a staff made from wood cut on Mount Greylock. On the stafE was a silver plate thus engraved : " Presented to Colonel Edwards, 37th Mass. Vols., by his friend, Mrs. M." This flag was never borne in battle by the regiment, but was used to mark the head-quarters of Colonel Edwards, was some- times under fire and received some bullet holes, was inscribed with the names of the battles in which the regiment participated, and still remains in the possession of General Edwards, a treasured memento of the ladies of Pittsfleld who in all stages of the great conflict did so noble a part in caring for the needy, wounded or sufEering soldiers and in helping to maintain the honor and unity of the nation. At the same dress parade the first marching orders of the reg- iment were read, announcing departure on the morrow for Washington. CHAPTER IV. FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE. THE JOURNEY TO WASHINGTON. — LIFE AT CAMP CHASE. — ^VIA FEEDEKIOK AND SOUTH MOUNTAIN TO THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. A busy scene was witnessed at Camp Briggs on Sunday, Sep- tember 7, 1 862. Great numbers of visitors were present — friends who came from distant towns, it might be, to speak a parting word with dear ones on the day of departure^ patriotic citizens, with a just pride in the regiment composed of their friends and acquaintances; the curious and the indifferent who came to view the scene and to indulge in gossip and speculation. There were final gifts of trinkets and keepsakes to swell the already plethoric knapsacks, and as the forenoon waned the last articles were packed, and with impatient weariness the soldiers waited the word of command that was to be their farewell to the spot. The tents only were left, for a draft had been ordered early in August for 300,000 militia for nine months' service, and the Berkshire regiment under that call was to occupy the camp, and the advance squads were already on the ground — the nucleus of the Forty-ninth regiment. At noon the line was formed, with every man for the first time in his place, and a proud line it was that stretched entirely across the camp and bent to the front on each flank. Never again was that line to be so long and strong and handsome as on that calm Sabbath day! They thought not of that, be sure, nor did they imagine that almost three long years would pass before their work should be done, and through the sacrifice of so many of their noblest and bravest the integrity of their country at last be iissured. THE JOURNEY TO NEW YORK. 69 The marcli to the Pittsfield depot, where cars were to be taken for Hudson, N. Y., though very wearisome to the men from the weight of their heavily-laden knapsacks and the heat of the day, was a continuous ovation. Not the village only, but the entire neighboring country, seemed to have gathered to witness the departure of the "boys." The streets were packed with men, women and children, the national colors freely displayed, not only from buildings and flag-staffs, but worn, especially by the young of both sexes, in rosettes and ribbons, knots and bows of every description. It was a gala day, yet over all there spread a touch of sadness, and painful to all witnesses were the partings of many dear friends, as the last farewells were spoken. At the public square, in the center of the village, the regiment halted and formed, and brief services were held, prayer fervent and eloquent being offered by the venerable Rev. John Todd, D. D. The ride to Hudson was uneventful, and that city was reached just as the shades of evening were falling. The popular greeting there seemed every whit as earnest, though the passing regiment came from another state. The streets were filled to overflowing with a cheering throng, and amid great enthusiasm the Thirty-seventh marched through the place to the steamer Oregon, the procession headed by the Hudson firemen, accom- panied by their mayor and a deputation of prominent citizens. A collation was served by the people of the city, and everywhere the most earnest well-wishes were manifested. After the boat was well under way down the river it was made known that considerable quantities of bad liquor had been smuggled aboard by some who had not the best good of the com- mand at heart, and much to the grief, and possibly the anger, of the possessors it was relentlessly poured into the Hudson. With that exception the trip down the river was markedly delightful. The night was pleasant and many of the men, finding sleep out of the question amid their novel surroundings, gazed in silence on the matchless beauty of the Highlands and the Palisades as the sturdy boat steamed steadily past them. Quite a party of friends from Pittsfield accompanied the regiment as far as New York, as did Superintendent Henry Gray of the Western rail- % PEOM PirtSFlELD TO DOWNSVlLtE. road from Springfield, two of whose sons were members of the regiment. Early morning of the 8th found the Thirty-seventh landing at the wharf in Jersey City, and stacking arms on a street in the immediate vicinity they waited till noon for further transporta- tion. Still the same lively interest in the welfare of the soldiers was manifested. A very acceptable luncheon was furnished by the citizens, and those not already supplied with Bibles or Testaments were sought out and given a copy; one little girl engaged in this work especially winning kindly remembrance for her charming, earnest manner. Cars were finally taken for Philadelphia, and that place was reached about dusk. The blessings of all the soldiers who passed through the City of Brotherly Love rest upon the heads of its devoted and patriotic inhabitants. While all the loyal cities, and all the towns as well, did noble service in the way of care for the volunteer soldiers, by common consent the palm of excellence must be awarded to the Pennsylvania metropolis. In health, in disease, or sufEering from wounds, the Union soldier who came within its confines was sure of the most thoughtful provision for his comfort, the most kindly ministrations for his welfare. The greeting received by the Thirty-seventh was no exception to the rule. On leaving the cars the command marched to the Cooper Shop refresh- ment saloon, where a bountiful repast was in waiting, seasoned with many a kind word from those in attendance. Afterward the regiment rested on one of the public squares in the vicinity till near midnight, when it marched toward the depot. Late as was the hour, the streets were packed the entire distance with men and women, who pressed close to the marching column to utter words of encouragement and to clasp the soldiers' hands. A train, principally composed of freight cars, was found in waiting, into which the men stowed themselves as well as they could in the darkness, and most of them were soon asleep, while the train rushed away toward Baltimore. A few miles only had been passed, when there came a crash, a sharp shock, and the train stopped so suddenly that the occupants were piled in heaps in the front ends of the cars. It was found that some detached A SERIES OF EAILUOAD ACCIDEKTS. ?! cars from a preceding train had been run into by the train bear- ing the Thirty-scTenth and terribly wrecked. They were prin- cipally loaded with Pennsylvania troops on their way to defend the ferries at Elkton and Havre de Grace against the threatening Confederate cavalry, then in Maryland, and many of the unfor- tunate men were killed or wounded. The engine and forward cars of the colliding train were badly broken, but no member of the Thirty-seventh was seriously hurt, and as they could only wait for the coming of a relief train, the men presently composed themselves to sleep till such time as the journey could be re- newed. They were awakened by a roar, another crash and shock, to find that the relief train had come down upon the same track and driven its engine into the rear of the already disabled train, completing its wreck and further blockading the road. Fortu- nately, and almost miraculously, no serious harm had come to the Thirty-seventh, even then. The baggage cars of the regiment were in the rear, and had saved the lives of the men, though only a single car in the center of the train had escaped more or less breakage. It was nearly noon before another engine and cars were in readiness to take the impatient command from the scene of the d9uble disaster, and when they were once more ready to proceed Colonel Edwards placed Captain Hayden, an experienced engi- neer, in charge of the locomotive. Wilmington was soon reached, and there much enthusiasm was shown by the populace, who provided generous refreshment, though the soldiers did not leave the cars. Not till evening did they arrive at Baltimore, and the streets were nearly deserted and almost ominously quiet. But a bountiful supper had been provided near by, and after that was disposed of the line of march to the Washington depot was taken up. To the men this was a most impressive event. They did not forget that but a little more than a year previous their brother soldiers of the Old Bay State had been murdered in Baltimore streets by a frenzied mob, and there had been many earnest speculations as to the spirit that would be awakened in the city by the victories of General Lee and the presence of his hosts in Maryland. That speculation was in no way answered, I'a FROM PITTSFIBLD TO DOWNSVILLE. for the streets were utterly deserted, and darkness and gloom covered the city like a pall. On the evening before leaving Pittsfield ten rounds of ball cartridges had been drawn and afterward carefully treasured, "for the Baltimore mob" if wanted, but there was no occasion for their use. The remainder of the night and the early part of the follow- ing day, September 10, were passed in the vicinity of the depot, waiting for transportation, which came at length in the shape of still less inviting freight cars, and about 5 o'clock that afternoon the national Capital was reached. High anticipations had been raised in regard to the reception which might be expected at Washington. Since all the other cities had been so enthusiastic in applauding and providing for the volunteer soldiers on their passage, it was, perhaps, natural to expect that on reaching their destination they should meet especial manifestations of welcome. All such anticipations faded rapidly. The first movement was to the " Soldiers' Eelief " for supper, and this proved to be insufi&cient in quantity and abominable in quality. Citizens there seemed to be none, though wounded and conva- lescent soldiers were abundant, their sallow features and doleful words by no means calculated to create enthusiasm in the breasts of the Massachusetts listeners. The sanitary condition of the region, which was on the outskirts of the city, was anything but creditable. Goats and hogs were running at large, and the air was heavily laden with poisonous odors. The approach of dark- ness and a storm caused the command to seek shelter in huge barracks near by, and the men were soon well settled, in antici- pation of an unbroken night's sleep, of which they felt the need. Scarcely were they comfortably disposed, when other regiments came pouring in, and narrower quarters were assigned, till the entire great building was wedged to its utmost capacity with troops. Through the uncomfortable night there may have been memories of the time, early in the struggle, when Massachusetts soldiers were luxuriously quartered in the Senate chamber, but there was little restful sleep, and the impressions of "Washington in the autumn of 1862 were anything but agreeable. Next morning another visit was made to the " Soldiers' FIKST IMPEESSIOlSrS OF WASHINGTON. 73 Eelief," and the breakfast proved a measurable improvement on the supper. A long wait followed upon the street-side, during which venders of all manner of trifles, useful and otherwise, diligently improved their opportunities, and then the column moved away. Brave, indeed, was the heart that did not shrink before the doleful surroundings. Everywhere were wounded soldiers wearing slings and bandages, armless, legless, or the more wretched fever patients, creeping about like miserable ghosts of once robust men. Along the business streets, physi- cians, surgeons, undertakers, embalmers and kindred professions, seemed to have a monopoly, and to vie with each other in adver- tising their horrible specialties. Hearses and ambulances were abundant, with here and there an army wagon rearing its soiled canvas top to break the ghastly monopoly. A passing glance afforded ample food for reflection, and the column moved on, past the unfinished Washington monument and across Long Bridge, guarded by cannon, and then their feet, in most cases for the first time, pressed the " sacred soil of Virginia." The march of some five miles to the designated camp was quite trying to the participants. The rain of the previous even- ing was supplemented by showers during the march, giving the weary men their first experience with Virginia mud, and, like all new soldiers, they had undertaken to carry so many appar- ently needful articles as to make a distressingly heavy load. They were quite ready when camp was reached to throw them- selves upon the bare earth and defer the work of putting up tents till the morrow. The ground occupied had last seen service as a corn-field, and many of the men, wrapped in their blankets, went to sleep in the furrows. A sudden and furious shower in the night, which converted each hollow into a miniature canal, gave them a forcible lesson in the selection of a bivouac. The Thirty-seventh had been assigned to Genei-al Henry S. Briggs's Brigade of Casey's Division of Reserves, forming a part of the defenders of Washington, while McClellan, with most of the veteran troops, was moving through Maryland in pursuit of the invading army under General Lee. General Briggs had taken command on the day before the arrival of the Thirty- 74 FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLE. seventh — September 10 — other regiments in the brigade being the Thirty-ninth Massachusetts, Tenth Vermont, Eleventh New Hampshire and Twenty-first Connecticut. These were all fresh troops, containing the germs of excellent service, but requiring hardening and development. For this important work, they could have' been in no better hands than those of General Brigga. " Camp Chase," the new home, was delightfully located on the eastern slope of Arlington Eights, a little beyond Fort Albany, overlooking Washington, the Capitol and most of the public buildings clearly defined above the surrounding mass of the city, the whole forming a delightful panorama upon which the defenders never tired of gazing. There was much of the charm of soldier life in the few weeks spent there. The mellow warmth of early autumn was delicious, the duties light and inter- esting, on account of their novelty, while mail communication with home was prompt and uninterrupted. Besides, many of the men had acquaintances in neighboring regiments, and frequent visits were exchanged, not always strictly according to camp rules, on the part of the enlisted men. Not that there was at any time a wanton disposition to violate the restrictions imposed. Most of the men intuitively comprehended the need of thorough discipline, and were prepared to obey all regulations that might be necessary for their welfare and eflBciency. But it was undoubt- edly a weakness of the volunteer system that the man who wore the shoulder-straps and he who carried the musket came from the same walks of life, had perhaps associated together from boyhood, and hence did not at once drop into the perfect rela- tions of military commander and subordinate. This feeling was naturally intensified in those cases where the officer failed to grasp the prestige of his new relation, and to win the confidence of his command. To feel that in the hour of supreme trial on the battle-field the officer could not "handle his men," was to sunder the one tie which made unquestioning obedience a pleasure as well a duty. But this digression is not intended as an apology for want of discipline. No such apology is needed, for the Thirty-seventh, from its organization to the close of the contest, bore the proud honor of being one of the very best dis- "CAMP CHASE "—ARLINGTON HIGHTS. 75 ciplined volunteer regiments in the service, and the foundation of its subsequent eflSciency in the most trying places was laid iu these early days of its history, under the thorough yet salutary discipline enforced by Colonel Edwards and his associates. The principal duties, apart from those of the camp and drill, consisted of work upon the inner lines of defense in the neigh- borhood of "Camp Chase," with an occasional brigade drill or division review, which were found extremely tedious at this stage of the soldiers' experience. But it was something of recom- pense to see the long lines of brightly uniformed troops, to note the great strength of the endless fortifications, and then in camp when the day's toil was over to listen to the music of many a band, softened and sweetened by the distance, playing one after another the familiar tunes which annihilated distance and carried the listener back to childhood, friends and home. These pleasant scenes were not long to continue. The armies of the Union and of the Confederacy had met near Sharpsburg and the bloody battle of Antietam had been fought. To make the result substantially a victory. General McClellan needed immediate reinforcement, and on the 39th of September General Briggs was directed to report in command of the division and five additional regiments, with the Ninth Massachusetts battery, at the army head-quarters. The following day camp was broken, and the Thirty-seventh, with the remainder of the division, marched once more over the Long Bridge into Washington. They were to go by rail to Frederick; Md., but there were not cars enough to move so large bodies immediately, and that night was passed in the Capitol grounds, the sleep of the men watched over by the statues of Washington and the Goddess of Liberty beneath which they reposed. Before leaving " Camp Chase " the knapsacks belonging to the regiment had been sent to Washing- ton, to be forwarded to the army at some future time, and the men were restricted to such possessions as could be wrapped in their blankets or provided for in haversacks or pockets. But with even these limited accommodations, nearly every man had managed to stow away somewhere a portfolio with writing materials, and during this'tedious wait for transportation many 76 FROM PITTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLB. were to be seen sitting along the street curbing penning or pen- ciling letters to the friends at home to apprise them of each change of fortune or situation. The massive buildings of the government were near, and not a few visited them, finding in the Capitol, now doing duty as a hospital, not less than a thousand wounded from the recent battles. In the early part of the afternoon of October 1 cars were taken for Frederick, and the train crept slowly away — so slowly, indeed, that next morning found it not more than a dozen miles beyond Eelay House. The remainder of the ride was charming, for it was through one of the most lovely of countries, the neat dwellings and massive barns, surrounded by rich and far-reaching fields, everywhere speaking of prosperity and competence. The afternoon was well advanced when Frederick was reached, and exciting as had been the recent scenes in that quiet city, with the passage of Lee's _army, closely followed by that of McClellan, and all the annoyances inseparable from the pres- ence of large bodies of armed men, the majority of the inhabit- ants manifested great pleasure at the sight of the fresh regiments, which, after a brief stop in the city, went into bivouac in a neighboring meadow. There the troops rested after their cramping ride in the cars till late the following afternoon, when they marched in the direction of Sharpsburg. lu the mean time General Briggs's command had been dissolved and the individual regiments were assigned to the weakened brigades already in the field, losing sight of each other from that time forward, save as the fortunes of war might chance to throw them temporarily together. * From Frederick the line of march led over the Catoctin Mountains, and on their pleasant slopes the regiment halted the first night, having made a few miles quite comfortably during the early evening. These easy stages were very pleasing to the men, many of whom were suffering from the effects of a changed • General Briggs, with whom as an aide de-camp went Captain Hopkins of Company E, of the Thirty-seventh, was assigned to the command of the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fifth Corps, composed of new Pennsylvania regiments. Before the movement of the Army of the Potomac in pursuit of Lee, however, his health again gave vray, and he was obliged to further recruit his strength at home in Massachusetts, returning in the 'winter to take command of the department of Baltimore, extending from Annapolis to .Frederick, forming a part of General Schenck's Eighth Corps, occupying the Middle Department. CLIMBING THE MABYLAKD M0UNTAIK8. 77 climate, different water and new methods of life, bowel com- plaints being very prevalent. The medical staff did all in their power to preserve the health of the command, and the sufferers generally struggled along pluckily, frequently receiving assist- ance from their more robust comrades. It was the beginning of that long era of mutual helpfulness, by deed and word, which marked the entire experience of this organization, as of most in the army, which still survives in fraternal associations, and forms one of the brightest elements in the character of the American soldier. No sight was more common at the end of a long and fatiguing march than to see -some stalwart private bending under the weight of two or three guns, another file jointly supporting an extra knapsack or blanket roll, that some exhausted comrade might be spared the discredit, or the danger, of falling from the ranks. All honor to the brave men whose heart-prompted kindnesses still live iji many a grateful memory, or softened the rigors of many a patriot who finally yielded his life on the common altar. The bivouac of the night was on the ground occupied by " Stonewall " Jackson's corps a few weeks before, from which they had set out on the expedition against Harper's Perry, and this fact was an interesting one to the Massachusetts occupants. At 7 o'clock next morning the march was resumed, across the beautiful valley watered by the Catoctin creek and its tributa- ries, in the midst of which nestled the neat village of Middle- town, surrounded by vast corn-fields in which the ripened grain had been gathered in shocks. Notwithstanding the passage of 80 many armed men, there were few evidences of wanton depre- dation, General Lee hoping by a politic course in this respect to win the inhabitants to his cause, and the Union troops, feeling that they were in the presence of friends, respecting the citizens as such. Soon after leaving the Catoctin the towering sides of South Mountain were approached, and before noon the regiment was climbing the sharp ascent which had witnessed on the 14th of the previous month so desperate a struggle and the loss of the gallant Reno's life. As the mountain side was scaled the evi- 78 FROM PITTSFIBLD TO DOWNSVILLE. dences of the battle were everywhere apparent, and to other senses than those of sight. The forest trees were torn and scarred by artillery fire, large branches were cut away, and oc- casionally a tree trunk, broken and splintered, lifted high in the air its testimony to the severity of the cannonade. Through the forest and over the fields bullet marks were visible on every side, and the sadly suggestive debris of the battle-field freely scattered about. The slain horses had been gathered in piles and partially burned, the fuel still smoldering in some places; but this process had been so imperfectly carried out that a terrible stench filled the air for a great distance. At noon the summit was reached, and there the regiment halted till 5 o'clock. Both ofBcers and men occupied much of the time in strolling over the historic ground in the vicinity, collecting such relics as came to hand, many of which were for- warded to friends at home, as the first keepsakes from a recent battle-field. Here, too. General Briggs finally parted company with the Thirty-seventh, riding ahead with his staff to join his new command. Resuming its march the regiment passed through the little village of Boonsboro, where much earnest Union sentiment was manifest, but where, as in most Maryland communities at that time, there was likewise a strong minority with exactly the op- posite principles, which found so bitter expression between the factions that the 'children of tender years took up the exultant refrain as the presence of the Gray or the Blue gave pretext. " There now, Secesh, what do you think of Old Jackson coming back here again ?" piped one youthful voice, animated by the steady sweep of the passing column; and immediately a brisk war of words rose on the dust-laden air, for " Secesh," like his corporate namesake, had no idea of acknowledging defeat short of "the last ditch." A mile beyond the village the bivouac for the night was made and named " Gamp Crehore," in compliment to the surgeon. It was in a fine forest grove, untouched by the hand of man, with great rocks distributed here and there at some time away back in the unknown, among which the now ancient trees had A NOTABLE FOREST BITOUAC. 79 grown, flourished and faded. Here one had fallen and was slowly crumbling back to dust, while there the smoother trunk and pliant limbs showed how as in human life one generation gave, way to another. A hundred camp-fires were soon blazing cheerily, the ruddy light bringing out in majestic relief the nat- ural beauties of the scene. " This is grand !" remarked more than one weary soldier as he lay beside his camp-fire and gazed up into the leafy expanse till the visions of the present mingled with those of scenes far away, and sleep wrapped oflBeer and private alike in its mantle. Later in the night a gentle rain fell, but those who awoke to find it beating in their faces merely drew their rubber blankets a little closer and slept on. The morning of Sunday, the 5th of October, dawned clear and beautiful. The rain of the previous night had ceased, only that now and then a passing breeze threw down a few drops from the trees upon the busy host below. The fires were quickly crack- ling in every direction, the coffee cups nestled about each cheery blaze in wonderful number, and the simple breakfasts were soon prepared and disposed of. Battalion line was then formed and the men with uncovered heads listened reverently while Chap- lain Morse offered prayer, and at the close all were invited to join in singing "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." The spirit of the occasion seemed to impress each one — the Sab- bath day, the scene, the approach to the Army of the Potomac, with whose fortunes from that time the destinies of the regi- ment were to be blended; the nearness of the great battle- ground, on which so recently thousands of brave men had laid down their lives; all these thoughts with others combined to make the moment one never to be forgotten. Men who seldom sang joined their voices, and as the rich chorals of "Old Hun- dred " rose from hundreds of earnest voices and thrilled through the mighty forest arches the spot seemed indeed a temple of praise. The rich sunlight poured a flood of gold upon the tree- tops, while occasionally a yellow ray glinted through between leaf and branch and trunk to lighten a mossy rock or warm some youthful soldier. These appropriate Sabbath niorning exercises over, the march 80 FROM riTTSFIELD TO DOWNSVILLB. was resumed, passing presently through Keedysville, where every available building was still filled with the wounded from the battle of the Antietam and with the sick who had been temporarily placed there. At this point the regiment turned to the right, crossing Antietam creek on the bridge used by Gen- eral Hooker in reaching his position on the Confederate left, and passing near the battle-field proper. Chaplain Morse who, riding in advance of the regiment, mistook the route and went by way of Sharpsburg and the Hagerstown pike, wrote thus of his passage through the scene of conflict : The appearance from the road was such that I had no desire to go into the field on either side to examine particularly. I could count dead horses by the scores. There were graves and trenches almost innumera- ble in every direction. All the single graves appeared to have a board at the head with a name written on it. Some of the trenches had numer- ous boards adjoining each other. Some graves looked rough and care- lessly filled, and others appeared rounded with care. Some had an inclosure around them of rails put together in the form of a cob-house. There were fragments of broken wagons and gun carriages lying about profusely. The fences that remained standing were completely perfora- ted with bullets. The woods presented a strange appearance. Some trees as large as my body were completely cut off 20 feet high. Limbs were cut off and strewn upon the ground, and others were lopped and left hanging. The com-fleld looked as if a large drove of cattle had foraged through it. All along the road for miles there were indications of a terrible carnage. ... If the appearance be such three weeks after an engagement I almost shrink from the thought of beholding the bodies of dead and dying men covering the ground and of witnessing the terrible carnage of battle. Marching leisurely a distance of some ten miles, the com- mand observed indications of the presence of large bodies of troops. Through the trees glimpses of tents could be seen, and curious-eyed knots of soldiers were assembled at intervals beside the road. Presently from the head of the column a strong, hearty cheer rang out, and traveled quickly from company to company, taken up by many who only guessed the cause. " It's the Tenth regiment!" ran from file to file, and the cheers were redoubled. The marching column halted and the two commands mingled. They were brothers, schoolmates, friends. Tha hills of Berkshire and the valley of the Connecticut were the homes CAMP DODGE AT DOWNSTILLfi. 81 of each. The older regiment had given some of its best material toward the formation of the new. Their fortunes were hence- forth to be identified; their banners to go side by side into the supreme test of battle. Yet there was a marked contrast in the two bodies as they thus came into association. Exposure, dis- ease, the march and battle had wasted the Tenth to a remnant of its original self; its banners and clothing gave unmistakable testimony to the arduous service through which it had passed. The Thirty-seventh, on the other hand, had full ranks, bright banners, fresh uniforms; but the hearts which beat along the different lines were filled with the same love of country, the same consecration to principle, the same devotion to "the old flag " as the emblem of national unity. Turning to the left from the road on which they had come, the Thirty-seventh filed into a magnificent open grove of oak and walnut, in the midst of which their camp was made and christened " Camp Dodge," in behalf of the quartermaster. The spot was one of the most charming that could be imagined. The trees had many of them grown to giant proportions, but the ground beneath .them was covered with a soft carpet ef grass, quite unknown to New England forests, and overlooking this scene of beauty the tents of the "field and staff" were pitched upon a smooth, round eminence near by. The men were with- out tents, but the weather was warm and delightful, and very satisfactory shelters were speedily constructed from their rubber blankets. Thus pleasantly began the life of the regiment as a factor of the Army of the Potomac. CHAPTBK V. THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. THE EXPEDITION TO HANCOCK AND CHEEET RUN. — INTO THE LAND OF SECESSION. — A CHANGE OE COMMANDEES. INCI- DENTS BY THE WAT. — WHITE PLAINS AND " CAMP MISEET." The Army of the Potomac^ at the time it was joined by the Thirty-seyenth regiment, was undergoing something of a recon- struction; or, it might be more accurate to say that the reorgan- ization attempted* by General McClellan, and which had been partially accomplished with his army on the march in pursuit of Lee, was not yet completed. Changes were continually occurring in the make-up of brigades and divisions, especially in those corps which had suffered most severely at Antietam. In some in- stances the reinforcements of new regiments were organized into brigades by themselves, but more generally they were incorpor- ated in those already formed and decimated in the field. The army was now composed of three principal divisions, designated as the right and left wings and the center, each under a com- mander. The right wing under Major-General Burnside con- sisted of the First Corps, Major-General Hooker, and the Ninth, Brigadier-General 0. B. Willcox. Each of these corps com- prised three divisions, those of the First commanded by Brigadier-Generals A. Doubleday, James B. Ricketts and George G. Meade; those of the Ninth by Brigadiers W. W. Bums, S. D. Sturgis and George W. Getty. The center, under Major- General E. V. Sumner, consisted of his own Second Corps, its divisions commanded by Brigadier W. S. Hancock, Major- General John Sedgwick and Brigadier W. H. French, and the Twelfth Corps, Brigadier-General A. S. Williams, with its two divisions (five brigades) under Brigadiers S. W. Crawford and THE ASSOCIATES tN THE BRIGADE. . ft3 George S. Greene. The left wing, under Major-General William B. Franklin, consisted of his own Sixth Corps and General Fitz John Porter's Fifth Corps, the two divisions of the latter led by Brigadiers George W. Morell and George Sykes. The Sixth Corps proper at that time consisted of two divisions commanded respectively by Major-Generals H. W. Slocum and "William F. Smith, each of three brigades. Attached to the corps, and afterward consolidated with it, was Major-General Darius N. Couch's division of the Fourth Corps, composed of the First Brigade, General Charles Devens, Second, General A. P. Howe, and Third, General John Cochrane. With General Devens's First Brigade the Thirty-seventh regi- ment was to be henceforth identified, and its fellow-regiments were found to be the Second Khode Island, Colonel Frank Wheaton; Seventh Massachusetts, Colonel David A. Russell; Tenth Massachusetts, Colonel H. L. Eustis;"and Thirty-sixth New York, Colonel W. H. Browne — a regiment enlisted for two years. This brigade had already made a record highly credit- able to both officers and men. The Second, the senior regiment, began its service on the bloody field of Bull Run, where it lost more than a hundred men, among the killed being Colonel Slocum and Major Ballou, and faithfully from that time onward it had responded to every call for service. The Seventh had early given its first colonel, Darius N. Couch, to a broader field, and the Tenth had yielded to higher claims its loved and gallant Colonel Briggs, who so bravely led it in its first baptism of fire at Fair Oaks. These officers in accepting promotions had left their commands in able, hands — Wheaton, Russell, Browne, Eustis and Edwards — what brigade could boast an abler list of regimental commanders? And the men whom they commanded were worthy of such leadership. Six weeks of inactivity followed the exhausting contest on the Antietam, General Lee's army resting in the Shenandoah valley near Winchester. The Fifth Corps had made an effort directly after the Confederate retreat to pursue across the Potomac, but the reception met with was so warm as to discourage the Federal commander from a more vigorous movement. After a month 84 THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. of recuperation, finding he was not likely to be disturbed, Lee ventured to send his daring cavalry leader. General J. E. B. Stuart, on one of his characteristic raids. The latter, crossing the river at the fords above Williamsport with something less than 2,000 men, dashed across Maryland and penetrated Penn- sylvania as far as Chambersburg. Some 300 sick and wounded Union soldiers in hospital there were captured and paroled, and considerable public stores destroyed. Thence the slender column swept swiftly around in the rear of McClellan's army, and re- crossed the Potomac into Virginia at White's Ford, below the Monocacy, without the loss of a man. Stuart was closely pur- sued all the way by a body of Pleasonton's cavalry, but though the latter rode nearly 80 miles in 24 hours, they were unable to come up with the raiders. This raid by Stuart, though not of great importance from a national stand-point, proved of especial interest to the Thirty- seventh, as one result thereof was their first experience in active campaigning. As early as the 10th of October, marching orders were promulgated, and it was known that there was intense anxiety at Washington and through the country that the army should move against the enemy while the weather and roads were favorable. But nothing came of these orders, and on the 15th they were repeated, followed the next day by considerable can- nonading in the direction of Harper's Ferry, to which the newer troops listened with much interest. These orders having been countermanded almost as soon as promulgated, the enlisted men, especially, had come to look upon them as a part of the school of the soldier, and were quite surprised when late in the after- noon of the 18th the call came for an immediate departure. It afterward appeared that at the first summons, on the 10th, Howe's brigade had marched up the Potomac in the hope of in- tercepting Stuart on his return, but that wily commander, as already noted, had moved in quite a different direction. Now a fresh alarm came from the same direction and the balance of Couch's division was hurried that way with all possible celerity. With whatever they chanced to have in the way of rations and blankets the command hastily formed, and at 5 o'clock the PKEPARING TO FORD THE POTOMAC. 85 march began. It was soon dark, but the cohimn pressed reso- lutely forward, throughWilliamsport, across Conococheague Creek to Clear Spring, which was reached after midnight, some 13 miles from the starting point. The men, unused to such " forced marches," were sadly exhausted before the bivouac was reached, but the novelty of the event gave them inspiration, and the regimental pride, which was in many a trying place to bring them credit and renown, was already pleasantly manifest. Scarcely a straggler fell from the ranks, in pleasing contrast to the experi- ence of some, if not mo'st, of the older regiments in the column. A laughable incident occurred near the close of the night's jaunt. The regiment was plodding wearily along its way, unable to see through the darkness what was before it, when suddenly there came a swashing, rustling, indefinable sound from a point just in advance, and extending, some distance away. At once the suggestion was offered that the leading regiments were ford- ing the Potomac, and apparently the sound was recognized as coming from the splashing of shallow water through which men and horses were passing. There were no signs of a halt to pre- pare for the crossing, and immediately the roadside was lined with soldiers stripping off their shoes and stockings and rolling up their pants. Meantime the rustling became each moment nearer ajid louder as the column advanced, what appeared to be the smooth, shining surface of the stream could be dimly seen, and the of&cers were already riding into — not the Potomac, but an immense corn-field, in which the bivouac was to be made! The troops in advance, on halting, had begun to pull down the great shocks of harvested corn to serve them for bedding, caus- ing the sound which had been so ludicrously misinterpreted. As the bare-footed stragglers came tenderly picking their way and looking for the 'J ford," they learned the truth at the cost of many a hcnrty jest. Morning found the command lame and weary, and not in the best of humor, for the night had been quite too chilly for com- fort. A h:i8ty breakfast of hard bread was swallowed, and at an early hour the march was resumed. Some two miles beyond Clear Spring was Fair View Inn, a humble hostelry beside the 86 THE ADVANCE TO PALMOtTTfl. highway, and "fair" indeed was the view which opened before the gaze of the delighted soldiers, as they paused for a moment to feast upon its beauties. The stand-point was the summit of North Mountain range, which there breaks and slopes on either shore toward the Potomac. The river was but a few miles away, and it seemed even nearer in constrast with the magnificent ex- panse of the Shenandoah valley, which stretched far to the southward, mountain-bound on every side. A continuation of the range upon which he stood, but seeming to the beholder an independent conformation. Little North* Mountain swept away toward the southwest, boldest and clearest defined of all the wide panorama, because the nearest. Par in the dim blue to the southward Massannutten Mountain bounded the view, while to the left the far-reaching Blue Ridge, softened by the distance, stood in everlasting grandeur. What a magnificent prospect! what historic ground was embraced in that outlook ! With many an exclamation of appreciation, the sturdy New En glanders feasted their eyes upon the scene, and forgot for a time their weariness. Some 20 miles still remained between the division and its destination, and it was not till about sunset that the weary force halted near Hancock village. A picket line was established along the river, between it and the canal, to which unpleasant position Company P was assigned. An uncomfortable night followed, as a cold wind swept down the river, chilling the men to the bone, whether on outpost, crowded around the insuflicient fires, or wrapped in their blankets to sleep. The day following, October 21, was eventless till midnight, when orders were re- ceived to change the location of the brigade to Cherry Run- Ford, some ten miles down the Potomac. Colonel Edwards at once issued the necessary directions for the moving of his com- mand, and by the time Company E, which had relieved P on the picket line, could hurry into camp the column was formed and at once moved away. Steadily through the night the brigade plodded along, and at daybreak met its supply trains — a very welcome meeting, since the rations taken from Downsville were wholly exhausted, and SOME DAYS NEAR CHEKET RUK. B1 not a few had gone supperless to sleep the previous evening. With the wagons had also come a mail, and in the shelter of a noble forest the men gathered about the cheerful camp-fires to enjoy the warmth, prepare a hearty meal and read over and over the news and words of cheer from friends and home. From this point it was only some half a mile to the river, in the vicinity of which the brigade went into temporary camp. Across the Potomac were commanding bights from which an aggressive enemy might have made the position very uncomfort- able, and there were umquestionably fears among both officers and men that the first night would be broken by the rude howl- ing of solid shot or shell; but nothing of the kind occurred, and a cavalry force, supported by the Second Rhode Island, was pushed across to look for signs of the foe. Early on the morning of the 23d the regiment was roused with the announcement of marching orders, and at sunrise the road was taken. Less than a mile had been made when the brigade halted in the forest, and after waiting there till well into the afternoon returned to the camp just vacated. One' or two sad incidents which occurred about this time deeply touched the members of the Thirty-seventh, for they had not yet become familiar with death in its more appalling forms. On the way to Cherry Run, at the foot of a sharp hill they passed the remains of a broken wagon, with a dead man lying beside the ruins. In the darkness the wagon had left the road and rolled down the steep bank, carrying down and killing a sick soldier who was riding in it, and it was no discredit to the soldierly qualities of the men that in looking upon the spectacle they gave utterance to many a word of sorrow for his sad fate. But the interest in this event was not so close as in the death of a member of the Tenth regiment during the halt beside the highway on that 33d of October. He had but just returned to duty after an illness, complained of exhaustion when the halt was made, and died in a few minutes, to be buried in that lone spot with the last honors of his comrades in arms. Pour days more were passed at Cherry Run, and they were days of discomfort, a cold rain-storm setting in and continuing 88 THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. most of the time. The officers were far from comfortably pro- vided for, while the men were without tents, and not a few without woolen blankets, though nearly all had rubber blankets, and these were forced to do duty as tents, for outside protection for those on guard, and in many another way. Of course a single rubber was wholly inadequate to so many uses at the same time, and as a consequence every man was soaked early in the storm. But with an occasional exception the spirits of the soldiers seemed to rise in proportion as the external circumstances were disheartening; the unpleasant situation was cheerfully accepted, exhibitions of selfishness were rare, and everywhere was mani- fested the utmost consideration for the welfare of the ill and the less robust. On Monday morning, the 27th, definite orders came to march, and night found the command at Williamsport, where it bivou- acked. The storm had just ceased, the ground was still soaked, and everything about the soldiers wet, heavy to carry upon the march' and uncomfortable. But in knots of from one to four, according to circumstances, the weary men spread their rubbers upon the damp earth, drew the wet woolen blankets over them, and slept soundly, despite the sharp cold which followed the storm. In the morning many of the damp blankets were so stiffly frozen that they could be lifted by a corner, but blazing fires were soon aglow in every direction, before which they were thawed and dried and everything put in the best possible condition for the continuance of the march. No movement was made during the 38th, however, though there was a bustle of preparation going on throughout the Sixth Corps, the removal of all the sick to permanent hospitals having been ordered, with other measures indicating an impor- tant movement. In fact. General McClellan had already begun his long-expected crossing into Virginia, the advance of the army having passed over the ponton bridges at Berlin on the 26th. On the afternoon of the 29th the brigade returned to the old camp at Downsville, and the ensuing forenoon was de- voted to a thorough inspection, followed by fresh marching orders for the next day. MOKNINQ AMOKG THE MOUNTAINS. 89 Very early iu the morning of the 31st the regiment stood in line beside the road waiting to take its place in the long column which moved past in ceaseless procession, and finally the word was spoken that bade farewell to the pleasant camp and its sur- roundings. The line of march led back along the route fol- lowed by the Thirty-seventh in going to DownsviUe, across the Antietam and through Keedysville, turning thence more toward the south and reaching the end of the day's journey near RohrersviUe. But no stop was to be made there, and before the coming of light next morning the camp was astir. The scene was an impressive one to all who looked upon it in the darkness of that fading night. Here and there the ruddy gleam of a camp-fire could be seen, and every moment the number in- creased. One after another was added as the awakening soldiers began to stir, and then more rapidly they flashed up adown the valley, along the slopes of the hills and far up to the summit, where they seemed to mingle with the fading stars. Here a bright fiame would shoot up clear and radiant like a beacon light, revealing the merry group beside to the casual gaze of those far away; close by a heavy, uncertain column of smoke would indicate the unsuccessful efforts of some less fortunate squad, forced by circumstances to use inferior fuel, or per- chance wanting in the experience and tact necessary to win the best results. Finally the light of day came in its full splendor, the camp-light faded, the pillars of smoke died away; from behind the hills, out of forest recesses, almost from the bosom of the earth, it seemed, came the long columns of men in blue, moving steadily away to the southward till lost among the hills and swells of the South Mountain range. The journey of that day was very wearying, as the route led over hills and mountains, not in gradual ascent but with much climbing and descending, and all concerned were heartily glad to reach the shore of the Potomac near the village of Berlin a little after noon, with the prospect of a few days' rest and a supply of clothing which the increasing severity of the weather and the wear and tear of the march had made neceswary. The regiment encamped somewhat below Berlin, on low 90 THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. ground between the railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, and there the following day, Sunday, November 2, was passed. It was a day of thoughtful rest. Par off over the Virginia hills could be heard the constant booming of cannon; troops were continually moving; the head-quarters of the commander-in- chief were in the little village just above; the massive stone piers of what had been a great bridge rose in desolate blackness at intervals across the river, all showing the grim presence of dread war in a manner to impress the Massachusetts soldiery to whom, generally speaking, these sights were new and interest- ing. Everywhere the pen was busy, officers and men alike em- bracing what might be the last opportunity for a long time to respond to the missives which had just come to hand; for that great bond of union between home and camp, the mail,- followed the army wherever it went — on the march or into the battle. The 3d of November was a memorable one to the Thirty- seventh. Prom early in the morning a ceaseless procession had been moving across the long ponton bridge, but it was not till about noon that Colonel Edwards led his command into its place in the column and across the historic river on to the " sacred soil." Anticipation and a mild excitement filled every frame with an unwonted thrill. The impatient demands for a forward movement of the army were answered at last, and every develop- ment was followed by the keen-eyed men of New England with the utmost interest. The ponton bridge itself came in for no little share of admiration — the heavy boats anchored upon the bosom of the river, supporting the timbers upon which the planks were laid and firmly held in place by binders across the ends — the whole so simple and meeting the requirements so per- fectly. Then as they gained some commanding bight, what a Tiew it was to look back and behold the long lines still moving toward the river, while on the other hand they stretched away farther than the eye could reach, one unbroken thread of blue winding through the brown and gold of the landscape, the after- noon sun glancing back from tens of thousands of shining muskets and polished breastplates. It was indeed a sight to fill the patriotic heart with pride and hope. It could not be that SCOWLS AND SMILES IN VIEGINIA. 91 such a magnificent army could be marching but to victory ! Alas, the subordinate knew but little how much jealousy and incompetence in high places were doing to make of that mag- nificent army a weakling ! It was at once evident that the country through which the army marched was not pervaded by love for the old Union. In Maryland the people met with had been mostly friendly to the soldiers, and were glad to show them little favors as opportunity presented. That disposition was no longer manifest, but every- where secession was freely talked and defended; the able-bodied men were almost without exception absent with the Confederate armies, or at home recovering from sickness or wounds resulting from their service in such armies; any application for food was curtly dismissed; and in not a few cases the buckets were taken from the wells and hidden, that the Union soldiers might not obtain water as they passed. From only a single class was there ever kindness and frankness — the numerous blacks, of all ages and both sexes, who swarmed about the more well-to-do places, were ever ready to aid the soldiers, and to convey such limited knowledge as they might possess. And the passing Yankees, to whom the institution of slavery and its belongings was a new spectacle, were never weary of listening to the droll fancies and rude conceptions of the colored people whom they encountered. "Where is your master?" was asked of one aged man whose life had been worn out in unpaid servitude. " He is in de Southern army, sah." "Do you suppose he would like to have you talk- ing with the Northern soldiers?" " No, sah, I don't think he would like dat!" " Perhaps he may whip you when he learns of it." The bent form straightened with the assertion of a manhood that felt the day of its redemption at hand. " No, sah; he neber did that, and he don't dare try it now." Not always was the purport of a question framed from a New England stand-point comprehended by the dusky chattel of a different civilization. " What town is this?" asked a file-closer, for the twentieth time, on a long march, as a group of slaves appeared at the roadside. " Dis?" was the response, with a nod toward the great " master's house," standing a few rods back; "dis is no town, dis is a 92 THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. private house!" The honest fellow had no knowledge of the Massachusetts institution which forms the unit of local govern- ment and gives its name to the foundation-stone of democracy, the town-meeting, but supposed the mansion to be mistaken for some characteristic Virginia " city." On the afternoon of that 3d of November, a march of some 13 miles was made after crossing the river, and the following day 15 miles were added, bringing the command to the vicinity of Union — a name decidedly out of keeping with the spirit mani- fested by the few inhabitants that were to be seen. The weather, which had been cool and comfortable, now became sharp and threatening, and though only about five miles were covered on the 5th, the soldiers were glad to reach their stopping-place. Nor were they sorry to leave it on the following morning, for the bivouac had been made on a hill where the chilling wind swept with penetrating force, and even tolerable comfort wae out of the question. But this was only the beginning of discom- fort. The march of the 6th covered some 18 miles, to liVhite Plains, and was very trying, the cold wind being so keen that in crossing the hills the men could scarcely hold their guns in their benumbed hands. Camp was reached just before dusk, and bright fires were built, but there remained one serious want. The supply of rations had given out, and the disheartening word came from the rear that the wagons were impeded by the bad condition of the roads, and could not come up for a day or two. What were men to do with a mild form of starvation staring them in the face? They were not in a friendly country where appeal could be made to the inhabitants for help — of that fact they had had many a forcible reminder. Their logic was sharp and decisive; seces- sionists were not entitled to protection in property while Union soldiers suffered with hunger, and they would help themselves. Very early in the evening, there was a general strolling out by the men from the immediate scene of the bivouac, and shortly thereafter smells of suspicious savoriness began to permeate the air. It transpired later that a large flock of sheep had been dis- covered in a pasture near the camp, and when the naturally MUTTON' RATIONS AT WHITE PLAINS. 93 incensed owner went out the following morning to inspect his herd, he found some 300 pelts and fragments of carcasses await- ing collection. Of course, this wholesale foraging met with official disapproval as soon as it was known, but before guards could be posted and in control of the situation, there were few hungry men in the brigade. This incident was the more noteworthy, as it was probably the only occasion in his experience as a regimental commander when Colonel Edwards allowed himself an official jest, but on this occasion an order for regimental inspection the following day was accompanied with, the request that the mus- kets should be " well greased with mutton tallow!" But the 7th witnessed a severe snow-storm, following the rain of the previous evening, and the proposed inspection did not take place. Great discomfort was suffered as a result of the storm. Several inches of snow had fallen, but no sooner was it on the ground than the temperature rose and it began to melt. During the 8th it quite disappeared, leaving a sea of mud, through which the unfortu- nate men floundered, and in the midst of which they existed as ' best they could. On the morning of the 9th, the regiment was again on the road — still without rations — and during the day marched as far as New Baltimore, where at last the wagon trains were found and food supplied. This journey, though not long, was very tedious and difficult. The roads were in execrable condition from the recent storm, and the men in poor condition from their exposure and want of food. But there was a feeling that their condition could not well be worse than it had been at White Plains, and they made the best of their way through the mud and over the difficult roads. Those who were unable to keep in the ranks found assistance from their comrades, and many an officer lent a hand to the help of some member of his command. On all such marches. Chaplain Morse gave the best possible exposition of the spirit of the Master by his compassion for the suffering. Nothing was more common than to see him walking beside his faithful horse " Billy," carrying a gun or two, while the saddle was piled with the blanket bundles of men 94 THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. who were in need of help. In extreme cases, the soldier himself would be assisted to mount, but usually the lightening of the load would enable the man to recover his place in the ranks and finish the march with his fellows. The encampment of the Thirty-seventh at New Baltimore was on a hillside some four or five miles northwest of Warrenton, beside the turnpike leading from the latter place by the way of Gainesville, Centerville and Fairfax Court House to Alexandria. Northward rose the Bull Eun Mountains, with no break till Thoroughfare Gap was reached; but toward the other points of the compass the view was far-reaching, embracing many popu- lous camps, with columns of soldiers and trains of all kinds constantly passing by day, and the whole vast area lighted up with hundreds of fires at night. At the foot of the slope flowed an unnamed creek, which presently joined a twin stream from the Gap above, and then made its tortuous way to Occaquan Creek, which it joined near Brentville, p3,ssing Bristoe Station on its way. The position was admirably adapted to a tempo- rary camp, and under the influence of good rations and rest the morale of the troops rapidly improved. In the mean time, an event of great importance to the entire army had transpired. On the night of November 7, while Gen- eral McClellan was sitting in his tent at Rectortown in the rear of the storm-bound Sixth Corps at White Plains, a messenger from Washington entered and handed him General Orders, No. 182, which read as follows : — Wab Depaktment, Adjtjtant-Gbnbkal's Office, ) Washingtow, November 5, 1862. ) By direction of the President of the United States, it is ordered that Major-General McClellan be relieved from the command of the Army of the Potomac, and that Major-General Bumside take the command of that army. By order of the Secretary of War. E. D. TovrarsBND, Assistant Adjutant-General. It is not within the scope of this record, which aims simply to tell the story of a single regiment, to criticise men or measures, The President, long dissatisfied with the slowness of EXIT McCLELLAN — ENTER BUKNSIDE. 05 McClellan's movements, had at last decided upon his removal. The history of the army was almost identical with the history of the deposed commander. Under his direction it had grown into existence, and under his command it had met the foe on a dozen bloody fields. That his was a great and just pride in the creation of his organizing genius, was entirely natural, and in a wonderful degree he had won the enthusiastic admiration of the men of his command — a degree which no subsequent com- mander ever approached. "With a reorganized army, inspirited by the success at Antietam, stronger in spirit and in military experience than ever before, and already moving against the foe with a definite plan of campaign, the transfer of the command to another at that time was a serious blow both to the young commander and the men who loved him. Many an indignant discussion and denunciation might have been heard in the vari- ous camps when the fact became generally known. " The army will never fight so well under any other commander as it has under him," said many men of sound judgment; but the mis- take of all such predictions was convincingly shown within a few weeks at Fredericksburg, where the intrepid bravery of the Army of the Potomac, under its new commander, fighting a battle almost hopeless from the first, won the admiration even of those fought against. To General Burnside the order was far from welcome. His success in North Carolina had given him great popularity through the country, and made him many friends in military circles. Twice before had the command of the army been offered him and declined, his own feeling, which he did not hesitate freely to express, being that he was incapable of the proper handling of so great a force. The Confederate army at this time was considerably divided, about half of it having been sent forward to Culpeper, to check McClellan's advance, while the remainder was still held on the west side of the Blue Ridge, in a scattered condition. The plan of the retiring general had been to move sharply from Warren- ton to the southwest, interpose between the divided wings of the Southern army and attempt their defeat in detail, This plan 96 THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. General Burnside did not choose to follow out, but decided to move by way of Fredericksburg 'in the direction of Richmond, though his plan seems never to have been defined farther than to seize the hights beyond Fredericksburg — a change of pui"pose to which the authorities at Washington assented. On Monday, November 10, McClellan took formal leave of his late command. Riding slowly with bared head past the long lines, he received an ovation of which any commander might well carry proud memories through all his remaining life. He was accompanied by his successor, whom many saw for the first time, and when the procession had passed the soldiers returned to their camps, as true in their loyalty to the new as they had been to the old, even if less enthusiastic. The week of rest which followed the arrival at New Baltimore, whatever the effect on the military fortunes of the army may have been, was very grateful to the weary soldiers. They were now weU supplied With rations, the sanitary conditions were good, and health and spirits rapidly improved. On the march at all times, and often in the more temporary camps, each man was his own cook. Receiving his rations of hard bread, raw meat and tea or coffee and sugar, with such variable minor articles as were furnished, he cooked and ate at such times and in such manner as his fancy and appetite prompted His " kit" was not an extensive one. In addition to the canteen and haversack, for holding water and solid food, respectively, each man had gener- ally a tin cup holding about a quart, a plate of the same material, a knife, fork and spoon — the three latter in some in- stances combining into a single article adapted to the pocket. Here and there a mess were the joint owners of a frying-pan, which they took turns in carrying upon short marches, but when the journey became tedious it was usually cast aside, to be replaced by purchase or some happy find in the future. Usually the ofl&ce of the frying-pan was delegated to the tin plate, to which a split stick had been affixed by way of handle, and many and laughable were the mishaps which resulted from the burn- ing away of the improvised handle, a momentary inattention, or the want of skill in fitting. The frying accomplished and the The CDLlNAEt DEPARTMEHl. d'! handle removed, the plate returned to its normal duties, and not infrequently many an undreamed of use fell to its share. The cup, in addition to its legitimate functions, served for the boil- ing of coffee, potatoes, beans or meat, for heating water, and, in case of necessity, for an intrenching tool. In fact, it was won- derful to how many uses and how efficiently these two articles could be applied. It was fascinating to watch the preparation of a hasty meal when bivouac was reached at the close of a march, or when a halt was made for the purpose. Naturally the men were divided into squads of two to five — ^usually four — who tented together, and in other ways felt a community of interests. No sooner were the ranks broken than a scramble ensued for fuel. If hap- pily a "Virginia rail fence" could be espied, how rapidly it disappeared, and how quickly the bright blaze shot into the air from myriad points. Unless the canteens had been filled at some spring or creek on the way, in anticipation, a part of the squad bounded off in search of water, while the remainder pre- pared the fire. By the time the first clear jet of fiame leaped into view it was hidden beneath a cluster of cups; some with a bit of wire serving for a bail were suspended from sticks, oth- ers placed in some convenient position on the blazing wood and closely watched, while if the facilities were limited, and many obliged to utilize the same fire, still others might be supported by the fingers in a manner to be " warming," till there should be opportunity to secure more favorable quarters. As the coffee boiled and was withdrawn, it would be replaced by meat broiling on the end of a sharpened stick, or frying on a swaying plate, to be followed by whatever variety of cookery the culinary skill, the fancy or the resources of the soldier might decide; and truer zest never flavored the repast of epicure than seasoned many of those simple meals eaten beside the dying embers of the disused camp-fire. The routine of camp life gave promise of becoming monoto- nous, and on Saturday, November 15, drill was resumed by the Thirty-seventh, only to be followed the same evening by march- ing orders for the morrow. In accordance with the programme, 98 THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTH. camp was broken next morning, and three days of continuous tramping followed, of the most wearisome sort. The route lay through one of the most desolate portions of Virginia. The in- habitants were few and, as a rule, wretchedly poor and ignorant. The roads, or it were more proper to say the ways, were barely tracks through brush and trees, narrow, muddy and difficult, especially when torn to pieces by the passage of wagons and artillery. Again there was a scarcity of food, and this time it is but just to say that the severest want was felt by some of the officers. Accustomed to depend largely upon the inhabitants for their supplies; and in that way faring almost sumptuously while in a loyal region, it proved quite difEerent now that the boundary had been crossed. The few people to be met ■prith had very little to spare, and what they had was zealously conserved. Their blind devotion to the Confederacy would not allow them to feed its enemies, if it could be avoided, and as for the worth- less greenbacks issijed by the Lincoln administration, they would not think of receiving them for anything. Coin or Con- federate scrip only was acceptable, and it is to be feared that some of the latter which changed hands in this way saw its origin no farther south than Philadelphia or New York, though in the end it proved just as valuable as the issues made at Richmond. No feature was more noticeable to the New England men than the entire absence of school-houses in the region through which they were marching. At home no by-ways could have been found so obscure that they would not have passed every few miles structures devoted to the free education of every child resi- dent in the community. Here nothing of the sort was to be seen in hundreds of miles of travel, and the absence did not go unre- marked. It was easier to realize now how the common people of the South had been swayed by the will of a few reckless demagogues. Naturally chivalrous and patriotic, these people had lived in a narrow world, and knew little of the great national government of which they had formed a part. With common schools and general information among the mass of the Southern peoplp, the slave-holders' rebellion would have been an impos- 'EhAnks6ivii}^& in *he camp. 99 sibility. Thank God ! out from the ruins of that wicked struc- ture the enduring twin temples of universal freedom and universal education have now arisen! On the 18th of November, after a wearying march as " wagon guard," the Thirty-seventh reached temporary camp near Staf- ford Court House, and on the following day, changing location somewhat, they proceeded to mak-e themselves as comfortable as possible till further orders. The degree of comfort attained was not great. The weather had now become disagreeable, with frequent rain and cold, the location of the encampment was in a low region illy adapted for the purpose, and the only tents for the enlisted men were, as previously, such as they could construct from their rubber blankets. " I hope you uns don't have to stop here this winter," said a native with a showing of humanity, as time passed and there were no indications of a further move- ment of the army. " I have often seen this whole region where your camp is flowed over and frozen into one sheet of ice — it is a very bad place for a camp." But Thanksgiving came and passed, and the same ground was occupied. The great New England holiday was not allowed to go by without observance, and as it was the first occasion of the kind in the history of the regiment, it had an unusual interest. By strenuous exertions many of the boxes of home comforts sent for the purpose by friends of the soldiers reached camp, accompanied by Mr. William Birnie of Springfield, and at 10 o'clock the especial exercises began. The command formed into a hollow square, inclosing the field and staff officers mounted, who dis- mounted and all uncovered while the chaplain offered prayer. Colonel Edwards then read the Thanksgiving proclamation of Governor Andrew, after which a detail from each company superintended the distribution of the boxes, from the contents of which the fortunate recipients prepared a dinner appropriate to the anniversary; the only drawback to the general enjoyment being the realization, as attested by here and there sad faces, that all had not received the kindly bounty, and even while the pleasant exercises were taking place, a detail were engaged in the construction of a more roomy regimental hospital to accom- 100 THE ADVAlfCE TO FALMOUTH. modate the increasing number of victims who came under the care of the medical staff. As though to round out the features of the day, the long-delayed knapsacks which the men had parted with on leaving Washington two months before were, through the efforts of Quartermaster Dodge, received and distri- buted, and the supplies of extra clothing and comforts which they contained proved very acceptable at that time. Two days later the pleasing intelligence went forth that the paymaster had arrived, and no detail ever went to its work more cheerfully than those who were allotted to prepare a tent for his use. On Sunday, the last day of November, the first payment of the regi- ment in the field was made, and the money then received enabled many of the men to procure gloves and other articles much needed for comfort during the cold weather and dis- agreeable storms that had become prevalent. Yet, in most instances, a large percentage of the amount received was sent home to assist the dependent ones there, if arrangements had not previously been made assigning a part of the soldier's pay to be deducted and appropriated for this purpose direct. In yet other cases the funds received formed a capital for speculative purposes, and not a few enterprising individuals might have been seen stealing far out into the country in search of anything which could be made merchandise of and sold to their associates at a profit. Doubtless every regiment had such enterprising members, and the make-shifts to which they resorted, and the often ludicrous termination of apparently promising ventures, will be recalled by every one; — such as one unfortunate specu- lator from the Thirty-seventh experienced when, after pursuing a bovine for several miles in the expectation of obtaining a sup- ply of milk, he discovered at last that the animal was of the wrong gender, and returned to the marching column to endure the endless chaffing of his comrades. At length, as the army finally moved into position along the Rappahannock, the Sixth Corps was ordered to take position on the extreme left and front, and on the 4th of December, after the men had received a fresh supply of clothing, the command marched leisurely to Belle Plain, where a halt was made for CAMP MISERY ON SMOKY HILL. 101 tie night. At an early hour next morning the movement was ssumed, the column proceeding slowly and halting before noon, rith every indication of a permanent stop. The threatening )ok of the morning had already changed to a cold, drizzling ain, and the men hastened to put up their customary blanket snts and prepare dinner. The location was in a pleasant wood, Q favorable contrast with the disagreeable camp at Stafford, and aany an exclamation of satisfaction was indulged. But the en- oyment was short-lived. By some mistake a wrong position lad been reached, and the command to " Pack up and fall in!" iestroyed in a moment the pleasant bivouac. It was obeyed, ,nd the column crept slowly forth through the chilling storm md the resultant mud, moving a little distance and then halt- ng, so that the march of a mile occupied not less than two hours. Finally, the regiment paused at the foot of a considerable hill, lovered with a growth of small pines, so dense that it was neces- lary for the pioneers to cut a way by which the column could inter the thicket. Crowding and climbing for a short distance ;hrough the dripping, uninviting tangle, up the rocky, slippery lill-side, the command halted and the men were invited to make ;hemselves comfortable! A more cheerless bivouac it would be lard to imagine. The rain had now changed to snow, which oaded the tree-tops and dripped dismally upon everything lelow. The ground was like a soaked sponge, and not a splinter )f wood was to be had save from the standing green pines. The nen were wet through long before, and chilled to the marrow; while the oflScers were even more uncomfortable, as the wagons jontaining their tents were somewhere in the rear and did not irrive till long after dark, so that they were forced to stand ibout such fires as could be maintained with the heavy storm beating upon them. With plenty of fuel the situation might bave been made in some sort tolerable; but the only supply was to be obtained by felling one of the larger of the small pine srees, cutting out a portion of the heart, and in the most shel- tered nook to be found seeking to coax it into flame. As only two or three dull axes to a company could be obtained, supple- mented with au occasional light hatchet, the procuring of any- 102 THE ADVANCE TO FALMOUTS. thing like an adequate supply was out of the question. Fortunate indeed were the squad who could develop combustion enough to boil a few cups of coffee, for the most strenuous efforts could do no more. All through the night the storm continued, and dismal enough were the long hours, with sleep, in most cases, out of the question, and the constant storm wrapping everything in its disheartening chill. Men who up to that moment would never have confessed to a thought of homesickness, could not quite repress "their feelings as the night wore away, while the more impulsive were loud and emphatic in their expressions of disgust. To add to the general gloom, intelligence was received that a member of Company K, J. Elliot Bliss of Longme9,dow, who had been obliged to fall from the ranks dm-ing the march of the morning, had been found later in the day by the wayside fatally wounded and robbed by some unknown assassin. The following day proved cold and stormy, and as the location occupied by the Thirty-seventh could by no possibility be made endurable, they moved a few rods, over rocks and fallen trees, to a somewhat more favorable position on the summit of the hill, where in the midst of the snow which had fallen to a depth of some inches the officers' tents were pitched and the men impro- vised such shelters as they could from their blankets. Whatever the official name bestowed upon that encampment, it will live in the memory of all who suffered its discomforts as "Camp Misery on Smoky Hill." The large fires necessary to be made from the green pine wood filled the atmosphere with an acrid smoke terribly irritating to the eyes and lungs of the men, and a great many were obliged to sit in their apologies for tents with handkerchiefs wrapped about their heads, utterly unable to bear the light of day. In a day or two more the weather moderated somewhat, the snow disappeared, a limited supply of hard wood was found at a considerable distance from camp, which the men were only too glad to bring in on their shoulders, and when on the 9th of December marching orders were received for the fol- lowing morning — to be countermanded later and repeated for the 11th — they found the command once more in tolerable physical condition. THE FIRST DEATHS AND CHANGES. 103 With such experiences it scarcely needs be said that the health of the regiment suffered severely. The report of October showed but 15 men in hospital — that for November gave 43, while those who remained in their quarters or under medical treatment outside the hospital had increased in even larger pro- portion. In many cases no doubt greater pains in the enforce- ment of sanitary measures might have prevented illness and saved valuable lives; but at the same time it must be remem- bered how new and strange to the participants was camp life, and under how many disadvantages the regiment had been placed in its experiences thus far — disadvantages which it had shared in common with others and which were no fault of its ofiScers or those in immediate command. On the day of the opening of the battle at Fredericksburg, December 11, the deaths from disease had reached eight, of which five were from typhoid fever, with one each .from brain fever, diphtheria and congestion of the liver. Thus early and sadly was the truth being demonstrated that disease was more to be feared than the bullets of the enemy. Already a few changes had taken place in the roster of ofiScers. Captain Hurlburt of Company C resigned October 14, and dating from the following day Second Lieutenant Kufus P. Lincoln of the same company was promoted to fill the vacancy, his place in turn being filled by the promotion of Erastus W. Harris of Company G, who had been serving for a time as order- ly sergeant of Company E. First Lieutenant Eli T. Blackmer of Company A resigned November 17, and three days later Second Lieutenant Wellman of the same company wast promoted to the vacancy and Commissary Sergeant James C. Chalmers succeeded to the vacant second lieutenantship. The vacancy thus created in the Commissary Department was admirably filled by the appointment of Dwight H. Parsons of Company D as commissary sergeant, — a position which he retained to the closed of. the regiment's service with the highest credit to him- self and satisfaction to all who were interested in the efiBciency of his important department. CHAPTER VI, ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK. THE BATTLE OF FKEDEEICKSBUBG. — IN WIIfTEE QUAETEES. — THE MUD MAECH. — CAMP BDWABDS. While waiting at Warrenton for the authorities at Washington to approTG his plan for a movement on Fredericksburg, General Burnside carried out a reorganization of the Army of the Poto- mac into three grand divisions — the right under General Sum- ner being composed of the Second Corps, General Couch com- manding, and the Ninth, General Willcox ; the center under General Hooker had the Third Corps, General Stoneman, and the Fifth, General Butterfield ; General Franklin had the left, comprising the First Corps, General Reynolds, and the Sixth, General W. F. Smith. General Couch being assigned to the command of the Second Corps, General John Newton succeeded him as commander of the Third Division, Sixth Corps, General A. P, Howe -taking the Second Division, as General Smith's successor. Consent having been given to General Bumside's plan for an advance by the way of Fredericksburg, Sumner pushed forward rapidly, and on the 17th of November reached the bights, opposite the city, A regiment of cavalry, four companies of infantry and a light battery, seem to have constituted the Con- federate force in that immediate vicinity at that time, and Sum- ner was anxious to ford the river at once and establish his lines on the opposite hights. To this the commander did not assent. He wished a base of supplies established at Aquia Creek, before proceeding further, and did not wish to throw a portion of his force across the Rappahannock until his ponton trains should arrive from Washington, as in the event of a rise in the river— THE FIELD AT FHEBERICKSBUEG. 105 very liable to occur at that season — they would be hopelessly cut off from the main body. By some oversight, the boats were long delayed ; those that finally came to Belle Plain were unac- companied by wagons and covild not be moved. Before it was possible to construct bridges for the crossing of an efficient force, as the fords at the best were impracticable for artillery, Longstreet's wing of Lee's army was planted directly in the path of the proposed advance, and the remainder under Jackson was within supporting distance. It was not until the 10th of December that everything was in readiness for a forward movement, and the final orders were issued. Now that the boats were provided, it seemed that there could be no great difficulty in constructing the bridges and pass- ing the river. On each side of the Eappahannock ran a well- defined range of hills, and these were occupied by the rival armies. On the Falmouth or Stafford side they approached within a short distance of the bank of the river, but on the other shore a plain from half a mile to a mile and a half in width extended for five or six miles along the stream. Some little distance above Fredericksburg the course of the river car- ries it between the hills, shutting off the plain, and at the lower extremity it is terminated by Massaponax Creek and the hills below. Southward along this plain, near the foot of the hills, ran the Kichmond Railroad, and parallel to it, but about half way to the river, was the old stage road to Richmond via Bowling Green, from which a mile and a half above Massaponax Creek a newer road ran to the southwest, passing the railroad at what was called Hamilton's Crossing. The hill where crossed by this road was much less elevated than nearer the city, and the plan of General Bumside seems to have been to make a strong movement at this point against the flank and endanger- ing the rear of Lee's army. How the plan was carried out will be seen presently. The other roads leading over the bights were the Orange plank road, running almost directly over Marye's hill, in the rear of Fredericksburg, diverging from which was the Telegraph road, cut into the hill-side and running toward the southwest. Such in general features was 106 ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK, the environment of Fredericksburg, henceforth and forever to be crowned with a sacred fame. During the night of December 10 the ponton trains were moved down to the river bank, and the engineers set vigorously to work constructing bridges at two points — opposite the city, whore it was intended that Sumner's grand division should cross, and some three miles below for the passage of Franklin's troops. Along the Stafford hights were ranged 29 batteries of Federal artillery, a total of 147 guns, trained upon the town, the hights beyond, sweeping the plain, — ^to cover and protect the crossing. In the darkness of the waning night, intensified by a heavy fog which hung over the river, it was hoped that the bridges might be completed without serious opposition ; but that hope was speedily crushed. Scarcely had the work begun to take form when the engineers opposite the city were assailed by sharp volleys of musketry, so well aimed as to prevent all further prog- ress on the part of the unarmed artisans. A force of Mississippi riflemen had found shelter behind the stone-walls and in the cel- lai's and low houses next the river,- savagely determined to pre- vent as long as possible the laying of the bridges. At the same time that their volleys rippled forth, two heavy cannon-shots in rapid succession roared out from the hights above, signaling to the various Confederate camps that the anticipated attack was about to be made, and rapidly the defenders hurried to their designated places to meet the assault. For many hours all attempts to dislodge the murderous marks- men failed. Two regiments from Zook's brigade of the Second Corps opposed them with the musket, with no other effect than to lose from their own ranks 150 men. With a bravery worthy of immortal renown the engineers went forth again and again upon their hopeless mission, but every effort ended in disaster and the death of brave men. At 10 o'clock Burnside gave the order to dislodge the sharp-shooters with artillery, and for an hour shot and shell crashed and tore through the devoted city, firing the buildings, wrecking and destroying everything within reach. But the riflemen crouching close to the river bank were protected from the cannonade, and when in the heat of the bom- WAITING FOR THE SIGNAL. 107 bardment the bridge men attempted to finish their work they met the same deadly reception as before. Every weapon had failed save one — the bayonet — and it was at last decided to resort to that, sending men across the river in the ponton boats to dislodge the Confederate sharp-shooters from their positions. It was a deadly mission, but Hall's entire brigade, consisting of the Seventh Michigan, Nineteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts and some other troops, volunteered for the service. A selection was made, as there were not enough boats for all, the forlorn hope landed on the other bank and the Mississippiana were driven from their shelter with a heavy loss of prisoners. The engineers sprang to their work, the bridge was finished in an incredibly short space of time, the rest of the brigade rushed across to secure the vantage, followed in a short time by the whole of Howard's division of Couch's corps, which occupied the town after some fighting in the upper streets. Long before light that morning the troops had been roused from their bivouacs, the Thirty-seventh with the others, extra cartridges had been furnished, and the march over the frozen ground began. The distance to be covered was not long, for the army had been already concentrated as much as possible in an- ticipation of the battle, and early in the forenoon the Thirty- seventh filed over the Stafford hills and moved down upon the narrow plain next the river. The scene was an inspiriting one. A considerable portion of the left grand division was already there, massed along the brown plain between the river bank and the Riverside road which ran near the foot of the hills; while an incessant column still flowed down the hill-side as though from some hidden reservoir. Brigade followed brigade, one division succeeded another; the banners of a'score of states, each in sup- port of the national emblem, dotted the vast sea of blue. Offi- cers in bright uniforms and with rich swords swinging at their sides rode about to exchange views with their fellow-officers, while others, more thoughtful in manner and sober in dress, gazed earnestly at the frowning range of hills in the distance, as though dreading, while never shrinking from the ordeal to come. As the hours wore away the men strolled about some- 108 ON THE RAPPAHANSrOCK. what, mingling with those of neighboring commands, occasion- ally a few sticks were gathered and a little fire built over which numberless cups of coffee would be made, and not a few slept upon the warming earth while shot and shell from the opposing batteries howled through the air over their heads. The short winter's day was almost gone when the intelligence came of the completion of the bridges opposite the city. Early in the day those intended for the use of the left had been fin- ished, the numerous Federal batteries on the river bank com- manding the position rendering any serious opposition impossible, and during the struggle above the signal for crossing had been suspended. At last it was given, and Devens's brigade alone of the great mass covering the plaiA rose to its feet, moving quickly down toward the river bank. Its heroic commander had volun- teered to perform the perilous task, — ^f uU of honor, though no one could say what might be the reception on the other shore. Cheered on by their comrades the brigade moved down the slip- pery roadway leading to the bridges. The pickets on the oppo- site bank fired a volley or two, and bullets dropped suggestively near to many a man, but nobody was hurt and not a second thought given to them. A part of the Second Rhode Island regiment was to deploy as skirmishers, and that regiment led the way over one of the two bridges in waiting. The Thirty-seventh, Gen- eral Devens riding at its head beside Colonel Edwards, was first on the other bridge, and at a double-quick the two commands, followed by the rest of the brigade, rush across, while the bat- teries on the blufE send rapid discharges of shot and shell over their heads. How the long bridges of boats pulsate and throb, sway and bound, beneath the hurrying streams of humanity that pour across them! The footing is difficult, and there is danger that the outermost men will be thrown into the water, but they join hands with the inner files or clutch them bodily, and the crossing is made without casualty. The skirmishers at once deployed, drove the Mississippians from their hiding places and established a line well in advance, while the thin line of battle, hastily formed, pushed up the bluS to the plain above and halted in a position to protect the bridge A NIGHT TO BE REMEMBEEED. 109 head. By that time it was dusk, for the days were at their shortest, and no more could be done. The remainder of the divi- sion had followed the brigade across the bridges, to give the im- pression of a crossing in force, but presently returned to the Falmouth shore where they remained through the night, leaving only the indomitable brigade, like a short thread of blue on that vast plain through the long night. For some hours there was almost momentary anticipation of an attack, and the novelty, of the position warmed the men with its gentle excitement; but as the night deepened and all remained quiet the monotony and disagreeableness of the situation made themselves felt. Mid- night came and passed, and no sound from the front broke the silence. The sharp chill of the winter air benumbed the men, and when permission was at length given for a part of them to lie down and rest on their arms sleep was wholly out of the question, for the ground was covered with a white frost that gleamed in the dim starlight like snow, and one could as well have slept in an ice pack. Finally muskets were stuck in the ground at each flank of the company fronts and in Indian file an endless circle of men went around on a trot to start the half -congealed blood into fresh circulation. Now and then one would slip and fall upon the frosty grass, and half a dozen might tumble over him before the momentum of those in the rear could be checked; but the exercise dispelled the numb drowsiness which could not be relieved by sleep and warmed the chilled limbs, and so the night wore away. "With the coming of dawn the lonely vigil ended, for soon after the troops of the left grand division began to cross in force, filing away past the weary brigade and taking position to the left. As the location of the little command became visible to the Confederate gunners on the bights in front a battery was directed upon it, which presently succeeded in dropping some shots uncomfortably close to the officers' horses and servants, gathered about a haystack just in the rear of the line, and a lively scamper to the rear ensued, while the soldiers moved forward a short distance to the shelter of a slight swell of ground. There the day was passed with little of especial mO' 110 ON THE kappahaknock;. ment, yet there was much to hold the attention of the Thirty- seventh, for it was their first experience on the battle-field. With what interest they watched the various commands as they filed past — now a squad of cavalry hurrying out to the front to return presently with a few saddles emptied; the long columns of infantry broken at intervals by batteries and occasionally dotted by regiments still wearing the gay Zouave costumes which had been so popular at the outbreak of the war. At the bridges opposite the city the scene was similar, the day being thus con- sumed in getting the Federal army into position. Yet amid all the excitement of these preparations the communion of the sol- diers with friends at home was not neglected, and twice during their occupancy of the field the Thirty-seventh were cheered by the distribution of a mail. What other army ever presented a like spectacle? Here in the pauses of a great battle were the men in the ranks encouraged by love-freighted messages from home, or snatching the opportunity of a few hours' respite to assure anxious ones of their safety thus far or to send early tidings of those who had fallen! The outline of the terrible battle of the 13th of December may be briefly given. The initiative was taken by General Franklin, who was ordered to attack in the direction of Hamil- ton's Crossing, but so vague was the order that to the present day it is impossible to decide as to Burnside's exact purpose. It seems probable, however, that he expected Franklin to reach and hold the military road which General Lee had constructed from that point to the left of the Confederate line, thus threat- ening the bights in the rear and forcing their evacuation; but whatever the purpose or expectation it was not clearly embodied in the orders issued and was not to be realized in action. At about 10 o'clock the First Corps moved to the attack. Gen- oral Meade's division in advance, General Gibbon's in support ;ind General Doubleday's protecting the left flank, which was threatened by Stuart's cavalry. General Meade's attack was di: rected against Jackson's corps of Lee's army, formed in three lines; A. P. Hill's division in front, supported by thbse of Early nud TtiUaferro, while D. H. Hill's division was posted in reserve THE BATTLE OF FKEDEKICKSBURG. Ill between the Kichmond road and Massaponax Creek. The first Confederate line was broken by Meade's assault and the second was reached, but there the attacking column lost its force, wavered and broke. General Gibbon of the supporting line was wounded, his command also became disorganized and fell back, inviting a counter charge by the Confederates, which was met and checked by Birney's brigade of the Third Corps thrown upon their exposed flank. The troops engaged had suffered se- verely, but they had also smitten the enemy heavily. Now, however, the battle paused and on the left it was not again seri- ously renewed. Preparations were indeed made for another attack, but they were not completed till dusk, and it was then too late. In the mean time terrible and unavailing fighting had been in progress all the afternoon in the rear of Fredericksburg. The Second Corps occupied the town, and about noon was ordered to assault the rebel position on Marye's bights. The ground was especially unfavorable to the maneuvering of troops, as they were obliged to cross the canal on narrow bridges, deploy almost in the face of the enemy and advance over broken and difficult ground. The whole distance from the streets of the city to the foot of the hill was swept by a terrible cross-fire of artillery, and at the latter point a Confederate line of infantry was posted behind a stone-wall. French's division went first, supported by Hancock's, and one after the other was torn to pieces before the wall was reached. The Ninth Corps advanced on the left of the Second, and made one asskult after another, but nothing could be gained save a worthless advanced position in the open field. General Hooker's command was then ordered across the river and directed to renew the attack. Its indomitable commander reconnoitered the field and protested against the waste of life, then hurled Humph- reys's division with empty muskets and fixed bayonets against the impregnable wall of fire. Like those which had gone before, it drifted back in fragments with, nothing accomplished. The commander-in-chief, grown desperate, formed the Ninth Corps in column of regiments and prepared to lead it in person against 112 ON THE EAPPAHAN-NOCK. the enemy's lines. They were his North Carolina victors, de- voted to him, and would follow him to the gates of death with- out shrinking. Personally he had ever been very popular with his troops, for well they knew his kindness of heart, his bravery and integrity. But his lieutenants protested against the mad attempt, there was no cooperative movement on the left, the men lay on their arms through the night and the assault was never made. While the battle raged with such fury to both right and left, the Thirty-seventh remained in nearly the position it had occu- pied since the crossing, exposed frequently to artillery fire, from which it found a partial shelter by lying close to the ground in rear of a slight swell which there ran across the field. But it was while thus lying that its first member was killed in action — Stephen G. Warner of Company H, from Williamsburg, being struck in the head by a fragment of shell, while David B. Dwight of the same company was wounded. Toward evening, when the preparations were made for renewing the conflict, the brigade was hurried to the left, through a scattering artillery fire, and formed in a large corn-field, where it lay for a consid- erable time under the hot fire of Stuart's horse artillery in its front, the regiment being finally advanced to the shelter of a ridge a little nearer the hostile guns. This position was main- tained for some time after dark, no noise being allowed, and the men looked for a night encounter, but at length the order to move to the rear was received and the regiment returned nearly to its original position, where the night was passed. Sunday morning, the 14th, it moved nearer the river, a little below the bridges, where rations and a mail were distributed, and the day passed very quietly along the entire field. It was seen on the Federal side that further attack would be madness, and the Confederates did not think best to leave their vantage ground. Jackson, who commanded Lee's right wing, seems after the failure of Meade's advance to have contemplated the aggressive, and about sunset sent word to Stuart to -push forward his bat- teries and help to drive the Yankees into the Eappahannock. But the greeting received from the Union artillery as the first of First to CRCss — Last to eeiueiJ. 1i3 Jackson's lines came into view, convinced that warrior of the unwisdom of his proposed attempt, and it was abandoned. The Thirty-seventh moved to the front again Monday morn- ing, taking position on the Eichmond road in support of a New Jersey battery, which occupied a favorable location just beyond the road. The high embankments formed an admirable shelter for the infantry, which lay behind them regardless of the sharp artillery dueling which from time to time broke out. Thus keeping up a strong front through the day, no sooner had darkness settled over the scene than the batteries and their supports were quietly withdrawn and moved swiftly back toward the bridges. There a fresh honor was in waiting for the Thirty- seventh and its feUow-regiments of the brigade. They had been the first to cross at the lower bridges, and they were to be the last to retreat. Knowing the character of the men composing his command. General Devens, at an evening consultation of general ofiBcers at Franklin's head-quarters, when the proposed withdrawal was announced, volunteered to cover the crossing. " As you led the advance," was the reply, "your brigade will not be entitled to that honor should any other be volunteered." But no other was volunteered — it was not a duty for which even brave men aspired; and to General Devens, assisted by Colonel Torbert and his New Jersey brigade, from the First Division of the Sixth Corps, was assigned the delicate task. Forming in line of battle near the spot on which they had stood through that first night, the undaunted handful faced to the rear during the long hours, while artillery and infantry in ceaseless throngs poured past them and wound back over the Stafford hills, the strong south wind bearing away from the enemy every sound which might betray the movement. Finally the procession became scattering, and the pickets in squads and singly hurried anxiously toward the bridges, fearing lest they might be too late. They were assured by the firm line of the two brigades standing there to ensure the safe delivery of every man from what might so appropriately be called a death- trap. When the last straggler had passed, Torbert's regiments followed, and, last of all, Devens and his heroic band. Tlic 114 ON THE RAPPAHAKiroCK. engineers were standing at their posts, ready to cast the bridges loose, and in a very few moments the unspanned river flowed once more between the two armies. The night was far advanced when the Thirty-seventh, sadly wearied by its four days and five nights on the battle-field, climbed the Stafford hights, and after a short march turned into the forest for a bivouac. Before the ranks were broken, the ringing voice of Colonel Edwards was heard in the more than welcome order, " Captains will see that their men build as large fires as they please, and make themselves as comfortable as pos- sible!" No second bidding was needed; a score of great fires lighted up the forest as by magic, but the weary men did not long enjoy their luxury, and in a few minutes nearly every one was soundly sleeping, unmindful of the driving rain-storm which had set in. That was little to be regarded in comparison with the storm of battle to which they had so long listened. The battle of Fredericksburg was over, and its purpose had sadly failed. The Union army had suffered a loss of 13,300 and their enemies of but 5,300, while the prestige of victory re- mained with the latter. The Army of the Potomac had fought with its accustomed bravery, winning even from its antagonists the most unqualified admiration; and the recrossing of the river during the night of December 15 by 100,000 men, without the knowledge of the enemy and without the loss of a gun or a straggler, challenges admiration, as one of the military feats of modern times. A critical analysis of the battle would have no place in this work, yet there are facts which the general reader will not overlopk, and first of all, he will admire the manly frankness with which General Burnside accepted the responsibil- ity for the failure. Taking the command with an oft-repeated disavowal of his ability properly to fill the high place, the prompt carrying out of the plans which had been decided on thwarted by delays for which he was in no sense responsible, with rankling and undisguised jealousy among his subordinate com- manders and a questionable conduct of some portions of the battle, General Burnside could still utter these worthy sentences: " To the brave oflBcers and soldiers who accomplished the feat of THE FIRST WINTER QtlAllTERS. llS recrossing the river in the face of the enemy I owe everything. For the failure in the attack I am responsible, as the extreme gallantry, courage and endurance shown by them was never exceeded and would have carried the points had it been possible. _ To the families and friends of the dead I can only offer my heartfelt sympathies; but for the wounded I can offer my earnest prayers for their comfort and final recovery." How far these facts and this utterance shall go to disarm criticism, each must decide for himself. On the morning of December 18 the now familiar order to " Pack up and fall in!" was again heard, and this time there was no murmuring. Earlier in the autumn, when the long mai-ches were wearing upon the men, they had often expressed a wish that instead they might go into battle. Now that they had seen something of the horrors of the field of strife, a different disposition prevailed. They were ready to endure the severest march and to accept it as a luxury in contrast with the scream- ing of shells, the hissing of bullets and the sight of dead or mangled comrades. Marching some two miles by the narrow roads, which seemed to run in every direction, the Thirty- seventh came to a halt beside a pine grove which might as properly have been called a thicket, moved by the right of com- panies to the rear, and was on the site of what was to prove the long talked of "winter quarters." The location was some three miles due east from the village of Falmouth, and was officially known as " Camp near White Oak Church" — the name coming from a small, plain wooden building still further to the eastward bearing that designation. The trials of the march and the field now gave place to the ex- periences of the winter camp. The men were at once set at work "policing" the site, the ground to be occupied by the company streets being cleared of the undergrowth and comfort- able houses roofed with their rubber blankets built by the men from saplings and the mortar-like earth. The quarters of the company oflBcers were at the rear of their respective commands, while the field and staff occupied a gentle elevation at the left of the line, sheltered by a knot of pines of moderate size. Here also 116 ON THE KAPPAHANNOCK. the hospital was located, and it filled rapidly, for the exposure of the past two months, combined with other unfavorable influ- ences, continued to make sad havoc with the health of the regiment. During the weeks which followed, death came often to claim its victims, and it seemed that the more robust fell rather than men of feebler physique. This cause, in combina- tion with others, made the winter anything but a cheerful one to the majority of the army. There was another cause of dis- quiet, not previously referred to, which should not escape mention. The time was approaching when the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln was to take effect, and hand-bills were posted throughout the army calling attention to the fact. With the new year, the shackles of the bond man were to fall. While generally this act was hailed as one of justice too long delayed, and a wise and important military step, such was not the unanimous verdict. By a noisy minority the proclamation was derided, the war was declared to have changed into an abolition crusade, and there can be no doubt that many of the desertions from that class may he properly set down to this cause. Others who remained faithful to the flag saw in it a factor of gloomy import, felt that it was a mistake and an unnecessary complica- tion, and lost courage. Yet, while despondency and desei-tion seemed epidemic through the army, the former was by no means serious and the latter was almost unknown in the Thirty-seventh. From the time of joining the Army of the Potomac to the close of Burnside's command, but four desertions occurred from the regiment. Gradually the weeks wore away. When the weather would permit the day was largely occupied with drilling and the duties of the camp and of guard, with an occasional tour to the out- posts for picket service, usually for three days at a time, and it was there that the new year of 1863 found the regiment. The 2d of January was marked by the occurrence of what proved to be a false alarm. The main body of the regiment, forming the reserve, were comfortably settled to sleep in such quarters as they had been able to improvise, when word came back from the rivur-side that the Confederates were laying ponton bridges to A FALSE ALaBM on tlCKBT. 117 cross the stream. In a very few moments the men had been roused, formed in column and were hurrying at the double- quick toward the rirer, a mile away. The incident was a memorable one. The night was clear and the air sharply cold, the ground being slightly frozen, so that the cadence of the foot-falls, uniform and perfect as on review, rang out with a sharp resonance. It was one of those sudden tests which mark the quality of the command, and riding beside their men the field ofl&cers of the Thirty-seventh had just cause for pride in the perfect response of the rank and file. However the alarm originated, it was carried back to the camps, the long roll broke the slumbers of the entire corps, the regiments were formed and stood for hours shivering in the cold, only to be told at last that nothing was the matter. The following day the regiment returned to camp, and the enlisted men were much gratified to find a supply of shelter tents awaiting them. Up to that time they had been obliged to make their rubber blankets serve as such, and despite many an ingenious makeshift, the deficiency had been the cause of much unnecessary exposure and suffering. The winter was not to pass without another efEort on the part of General Burnside against the enemy. Within two weeks of the retreat from Fredericksburg he had decided upon another plan and began arrangements for carrying it into execution, when he was dissuaded by the President from making the attempt on account, it would seem, of the disapproval of many of the subordinate oflBcers. This plan contemplated the crossing the Eappahannock several miles below Fredericksburg and a movement against the Confederate right flank, while the Union cavalry were to operate in the rear of the enemy and, if possible, destroy his lines of communication. The cavalry was, in fact, on its way when the disapproval of President Lincoln necessi- tated its recall. General Burnside being thus made more fully than before aware of the distrast in the minds of his subordi- nates, felt the necessity of such immediate action as would re- store his waning prestige, and finally decided to once more cross the river and offer battle, intending to cross at one of the upper 118 OK THE EAPPASANKOCK. fords, move to the rear of the Fredericksburg hights, and strike Lee's army on the flank. Banks Ford was decided on as the point of crossing, but to deceive the enemy as to the real inten- tion, demonstrations were made at every other possible crossing, above and below, batt.eries were planted, roads prepared, and the bustle of preparation filled all the camps. The Thirty-seventh were on picket when, on the morning of January 20, 1863, orders were received to repair to camp and prepare to march immediately, and at noon camp was broken. Many of the soldiers, thinking that they were in permanent winter quarters, had sent to their homes for various comforts and luxuries, and a quantity of express boxes containing them had just been received. How most of them were disposed of it would be difficult to say. "What the possessor could not eat, wear or carry, he divided with others or abandoned on the spot, superfluous clothing and camp conveniences were discarded, the log huts were dismantled, and in some cases burned. After the regiment was well under way it halted to hear the reading of a general order from the commander-in-chief, announcing in the usual hopeful terms that the army was again to meet the foe. With the rank and file there was a mingling of doubt and hope. The weather was fine, the army strong in numbers and well appointed; but on the other hand there was the memory of Fredericksburg and the known want of confidence in the ability of Bumside to cope with the Southern commander. It would be useless to speculate on what might have been. The weather — the factor apparently most favorable to tlie Fed- eral cause — was yet the one from which the disaster was to come. A good distance was easily covered during the afternoon, but just as the troops went into bivouac for the night the weather suddenly changed, and a gentle rain began falling. It continued all night with increasing intensity, and when the march was re- sumed in the morning the extent of the mischief became appar- ent. The clayey road-beds, indifferent at the best, were soaked to the extent that every passing regiment, every wagon, even, stirred the slippery depths and made them more treacherous. As far as possible, the roads were given over to the pontons and THE EXPE&lBN-CES OF THE " MUD MARCH." 119 artillery, the infantry making their way through fields and across untraveled regions, partly that the men might have better foot- ing, but principally because it was impossible for them to go in any other way. The rain still poured down and the ground everywhere became a bottomless sea of mud. Soldiers carefully picking their way slipped and fell into the tenacious mass, carry- ing comrades with them, their ridiculous plight when extricated affording about the only relief from the somber gloom of the scene. Every road was blocked. The immense weight of the artillery, ammunition wagons and pontons, sunk them hopelessly in the mire. In vain the efforts of the drivers, profanity included. Their animals sank bodily from sight in the sloughs or dropped dead in their places. Long ropes were rigged, and great details of men put to the task of assisting them. Sixteen horses and 50 soldiers pulled a 10-pounder Parrott gun along only by spas- modic jerks. A regiment with 50 horses could not move one of the boats. Humanity can do no more; flesh and blood have been struggling with the elements and their struggle proves vain. Bnrnside has wrestled with fate for many long hoixrs since all hope of success had gone, and the unequal contest is finally given over. The infantry could possibly move, but noth- ing on wheels; the river is too deep to be forded; the intention of the Federal army has been penetrated, the opposite fields are being filled with entrenchments, and many a sarcastic jest is thrown across the stream by the exultant Confederates. A large board is erected on which has been rudely scrawled, "Burnside stuck in the mud!" "Come over, Yanks, as soon as you can," cries a picket with a loud voice; " Old Stonewall is right back here and wants to see you!" "Wait till to-morrow," suggests another, " and we uns will come over and help you bring up the bridges." Not a shot is fired by either side, for the men have no desire to indulge in wanton murder, and it would be no less than that to shoot each other under such circumstances. It was about noon that the Thirty-seventh abandoned the attempt to proceed farther, and turned into the woods beside the road. A pitifully bedraggled and muddy lot of men they were, yet others who had floundered through vaster depths, 120 ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK. manning the ropes and lifting the bemired carriages, had fared far worse than they. After a short respite for food, rest and a general cleaning up, the regiment moved a little distance to a steep hill-side, and the men were urged to make themselves "as comfortable as possible. " Comfortable! The storm showed no sign of abatement, and all through the night it raged on, seem- ing each hour to increase in force. The slope was so steep that many of the men were obliged to sleep with their feet against logs or rocks to prevent slipping away with the rivulets that trickled down the hill-side in every direction, and not a few awoke in the night to find that the foothold had given way and they had rolled out into the pelting storm. The following day the rain ceased, and a spark of comfort came to the miserable host from the realization that matters could become no worse, and that in their demoralized condition there was no possibility of their being forced into battle — which, under the circumstances, all felt would prove only a useless slaughter. They also realized as never before, from generals to priv&tes, the madness of an overland winter campaign. To imagine the army many miles advanced and dependent upon wagon trains for its supplies, was to picture an ignominious retreat toward the base of supplies as an alternative to starva- tion. Even now that was almost the condition. The rations with which the men had started were nearly exhausted, and no wagon train could reach them. That evening the wooded slopes occupied by the army pre- sented a picturesque scene. The various organizations were compactly massed, and now that the rain had ceased a multitude of fires were ablaze, drying the garments and blankets and warming the chilled limbs of' the men. Opposite to the slope occupied by the Thirty-seventh rose another, similar but less abrupt, and through the evening its surface was lighted up with hundreds of fires, ranged with almost mathematical accuracy, the red light of each disclosing groups of men in blue, and the whole forming a picture upon which hundreds of those across the ravine gazed with a sort of fascination, and from which they drew what seemed an inspiration of cheer and fresh courage. THE DARK SIDE OF CAMP LIFE. 181 The return to the old camps took place on the next day, the 33d, and it is probably safe to say that the like march was neyer seen in the Army of the Potomac. The men were without food and in every way demoralized. Obliged to pick their way as best they could, it was not long till the regiments dwindled to skele- tons of the most meager dimensions, and a mixed throng repre- senting everything and nothing scrambled through fields and along the roadways as best it could. The old quarters were reached at length, the stragglers came in singly and in groups, the old huts were reoccupied, those that had been burned or destroyed were rebuilt, and the campaign under Burnsido was at an end. The regimental reports at this time, with one company on de- tached service, show a total present for duty in the regiment of 578. A few had been discharged for disability, 17 had' died, 110 had been sent to general hospital, and as was inevitable, a fresh outbreak of sickness followed the experience just ended. The regimental hospital was soon filled, and the death-roll rapidly lengthened. Thus far the weather had been jnoderate and comparatively comfortable, and the rigors of winter had not made themselves felt to a serious extent, but now a marked change was noticed. Storms were frequent, the ground was' alternately a mass of tenacious mud and frozen. When in the latter condition, the cold winds which swept over it chilled the men through, render- ing every outdoor duty of fatigue, guard or picket a severe tax. And there was no lack of such duty. Every fall of snow neces- sitated the clearing up of the company streets, and when thaw- ing and freezing had produced a compound of snow, ice and frozen mud, the task was no slight one. Much labor was neces- sary, too, in providing the fuel essential to comfort. The hundreds of fires necessary in officers' quarters, cook-houses and the tents of the rank and file, rapidly exhausted the wood in the vicinity, and it became necessary to transport it long distances on the shoulders of the men. Every morning, regardless of cold or storm, squad after squad could be seen einerging from the quar- ters of the different companies, each group in possession of a 132 ON THE KAPPAHANNOCK. single dull ax in the hands of the man best skilled in its use. Presently the procession would come staggering back, each in- dividual bending under a stick of oak or walnut as large as he could carry, having learned by unpleasant experiences to dis- criminate against those soft, sappy varieties which nothing could coax into a flame. As the vast stretches of beautiful forest melted away before the incessant attacks of the axmen, many an exclamation of regret went up from sincere hearts over the necessary devastation. Not even Virginians themselves could have felt more keen regret than did the New Englanders at the unceasing destruction. The picture of gloom which hung over the camps of the great army was not unbroken. Here and there were agencies and in- fluences which brightened it all with a better and purer than earthly light. While such efforts were put forth"for the physical well-being of the men as no similar army had ever before ex- perienced, their spiritual care was not forgotten. Six stations were opened by the Christian Commission from which not only food for the sick suitable to their needs was distributed, but earnest endeavors were made to improve the moral condition of the well and to awaken a religious interest. Papers and tracts were distributed to the soldiers directly as well as through the chaplains of the regiments, prayer-meetings were established in many places through the assistance of the Christians in the ranks, and often the voice of supplication, the hymn of praise, and the avowal of consecration to a nobler life were heard above the camp jest and thoughtless song. Such was the case in Captain Flagg's Company D, which had been detailed at the time of the advance into Virginia for guard duty at General Franklin's head-quarters. The use of a large tent had been procured for the holding of meetings, which were carried on by the devout members of the company, assisted and strengthened by an occasional visit from Chaplain Morse and others from the regiment, much good and great enjoyment re- sulting. "The praying captain and his company of Chris- tians," was the remark of more than one as they returned to the regiment. From no lips did such words fall mockingly. SICKNESS AND BEATS IN CAMP. 123 However lightly the speaker might himself regard religious matters, he could but respect a consistent Christian life in others, and nowhere was this respect more perfectly shown than in the regard of the men for their chaplain. The duties of that officer, as he saw and interpreted them, were of no trifling nature. Serving as the postmaster of the regiment, much of his time was consumed in the duties of that place. To secure the mail for the Thirty-seventh as soon as it should arrive at brigade head-quarters, day or night, and see to its proper distribution to the several companies, had its counter- part in the reception of the letters written from the regiment, and the seizing of every opportunity to send them forward whenever a mail was to leave the army. The postal laws at that time required the prepayment of letter postage, but an excep- tion was made in the case of soldiers in the field, whose letters were forwarded when certified, and as the soldiers were seldom provided with postage stamps, the familiar inscription was to be written, in cold or storm or darkness, hundreds of times daily, " Soldier's Letter. F. C. Morse, Chaplain 37th Reg't Mass. Vols." During the winter inactivity it was the custom of Mr. Morse to daily visit the hospital, reading the Scriptures, praying and conversing with the inmates, experiencing often most touch- ing scenes, and in the evening to pay an informal visit to one of ' the companies, talking with the men, distributing tracts and papers, greeted everywhere with the most hearty welcome. Despite all sanitary efEorts in behalf of the army, the most painstaking medical care and attention to all camp details, the health of the regiment failed to improve, it rather grew worse; fevers prevailed, and they were not confined to the enlisted men; the officers began to fall victims, and as a last resort a change of camp was decided upon. The location selected was some half a mile southeast of the original site, and covered a well-drained plateau, sloping gently toward the south, from which the wood had recently been cut. The regiment returned March 1 from three days' duty on the picket line, and the following day every able-bodied man save a camp guard was set to work in the preparation of the new quar- 124 ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK. ters. Three axes were provided for eacli company, and the work was systematized and supervised so perfectly that on the 9th the old camp was quitted and the Thirty-seventh removed to what may properly be designated as the model regimental camp in the Army of the Potomac, named "Camp Edwards/' in compli- ment to the colonel. The work had been carefully laid out in advance, and not only were the company streets uniform, but every hut was built to a common plan. There were 158 of them, each intended for four occupants, built of small pine logs, either whole or split according to size, interlocked at the comers, with a door-way in front, a fire-place and chimney at one side, and two bunks built of poles and covered with boughs, elevated a certain distance from the ground, at the rear. Each house was eight feet by twelve, five feet high at the eaves and nine at the ridge-pole, the roof being formed by four sections of shelter tent. The crevices were stopped and the chimneys lined by a liberal application of clay, a floor made of small poles, and thus a habitation was created quite as comfortable aa the dwell- ings of the poorer classes of Virginians. After its occupation the camp was decorated with arches of evergreen across the company streets, and as uniformity was not required a brisk rivalry developed in this respect which had the effect of bring- ing forth a profusion of neat designs, the whole giving the camp a considerable fame throughout the army. But best of all, the good effect sought in a sanitary way was fully realized; there were few additional cases of sickness, the hospital patients gen- erally improved, and from that time forward the Thirty- seventh may properly be spoken of as enjoying exceptionally good health. In front of the parade a small stream flowed, giving an abundance of pure water, and on the eminence beyond, opposite the right of the regiment, were the head-quarters of Colonel Edwards and his staff, with the hospital adjacent. From the little cluster of tents the ofiBcers could look out upon a beau- tiful and animated scene, and may well have indulged feelings of pride at the spectacle. Important changes among the ofl&cers had taken place during the winter. The first following those noted at the close of the s MORE CHAKGES IN THE ROSTER. 135 previous chapter was the resignation from December 29, 1863, of First Lieutenant J. Milton Fuller of Company I. The va- cancy was filled by the promotion of Second Lieutenant Charles Phelps and of Orderly Sergeant F. Edward Gray of the same company to first and second lieutenants respectively. The res- ignation of Lieutenant-Colonel Alonzo E. Goodrich* took effect January 16, 1863, Major George L. Montague advancing and Captain Eugene A. Allen becoming major. First Lieutenant Mason W. Tyler of Company F in turn became its captain, and in consequence Second Lieutenant George H. Hyde of Company D was promoted, but was assigned to Company B, taking the place of First Lieutenant Thomas F. Plunkett, Jr., who after having commanded Company E for a time was detailed as an aide on the staff of General Devens. First Sergeant George N. Jones of Company P was commissioned second lieutenant and filled the vacancy in Company D's roster. Quartermaster Daniel J. Dodge resigned January 38, and his place was filled by the promotion of Second Lieutenant Edward Bridgman of Company G; First Sergeant John S. Bradley of Company B becoming second lieutenant in Company G. First Lieutenant Joshua A. Loomis of Company H was on the 35th of February assigned to the command of Company E, which had thus far in its history b^en unfortunate in having a succession of tem- porary commanders in the absence of Captain Hopkins on staff duty. It may not be amiss to say that under the firm and skill- ful hand of Lieutenant Loomis the command improved rapidly in efficiency and morale. March 9 Captain Peter Dooley of Company K was discharged. Previous to this he had from November 20 been absent from the regiment on account of an injured ankle, though much of the time on duty in charge of convalescents reported to their regiments. In 15 trips between the hospitals and the front, often in charge of detachments numbering hundreds,, he did not lose a man by desertion or *Mr. Goodrich was a substantial and respected citizen of PittsSeld. In every relation of life he was enthusiastic, patriotic, loyal. To his native town, which was his life-long home, he gave liberally of his service and his- counsel. Chosen selectman in 1869, he was annually re-elected to that position by an appreciative constituency as long as he lived, the last 12 years of his life being devoted to the service of the town. He died February 25, 1881, after a long illness, at the age of 66, deeply mourned by a wide circle of personal friends. Truthfully might it be said 5 publig servant, a true friend and an upright roan," ol him that be vras ''a faithful and jealous i 126 OS THE KAPPAHANNOCK. otherwise. First Lieutenant Mulloy succeeded him as captain of Company K, Lieutenant Chandley was advanced in turn, and First Sergeant Michael Harrigan of the same company became its second lieutenant. Assistant Surgeon Joshua J. Ellis ceased to hold that position on the 27th of March, and was succeeded by Dr. Albert L. Mitchell of Boston. Dr. Ellis died at New- port, R. I., during the summer. In the non-commissioned stafE John E. Banks of Company G succeeded Thomas Porter Jr., as quartermaster sergeant, January 1; but the latter remained in the department as clerk throughout, rendering valuable and ap- preciated service. CHAPTEE VII. THE ARMY UNDER HOOKER. EVENTS IN THE WEST. — CHANCELLOBSTILLE. — MARTE'S HIGHTS AND SALEM CHUKCH. We must now glance very briefly at the progress of the great struggle- on other parts of the vast arena. Over the disputed territory of Tennessee and the adjacent regions great armies were surging back and forth, the advantage shifting from one banner to the other, but generally favoring the Union arms whenever the test of decisive battle was reached. Following the battle of Pittsburg Landing, April 7, 1862, Beauregard with the remains of his army had fallen back to Corinth, Miss., which place he evacuated late in May on the approach of the Union army under General Halleck. During the following month General Pope, who had joined the combined armies operating against Beauregard, was summoned to Washington to take com- mand of the Army of Virginia, and in July Halleck followed to assUn^e direction from the national Capital of all the Federal armies. The armies at Corinth now separated. General Grant being assigned to the Department of West Tennessee while Buell with the Army of the Ohio operated against General Bragg, who had succeeded Beauregard in the command of the Confederate army. Tennessee and Kentucky were now free of any consid- erable bodies of Southern troops, and after arranging his army • to protect Nashville, Buell contemplated the occupation of Chat- tanooga, an important strategic point near the Georgia bounda- ry, when he found that Bragg, moving by way of northern Ala- bama, had already passed through the place and was pushing to the northward past the left flank of the Union army. Crossing the Cumberland at Carthage, the Confederates moved directly 138 THE AKMY UNDER HOOKBB. toward Louisville, Ky., while at the same time a smaller force under E. Kirby Smith had entered the state through Cumber- land Gap, and on August 30 defeated General Nelson at Kich- mond. At Munfordsville, Bragg encountered a small but deter- mined garrison commanded by Colonel John T. Wilder, which after three days' resistance was forced to surrender on the 17th of September; but the time gained had enabled Buell to over- take his antagonist, and for several days the two armies maneu- vered and a battle was expected. Finally the Confederates withdrew to the eastward, Buell marched to Louisville and pro- visioned his troops, and on the 30th moved once more in search of Bragg. A severe battle ensued at Perry ville, Ky., October 8, and during the night Bragg retired leaving his dead and wounded on the field, and retreated toward Cumberland Gap. Buell fol- lowed the retiring invaders without further engagement till he felt obliged to concentrate his army toward Nashville, and Octo- ber 30 he was relieved of his command and succeeded by Gen- eral Eosecrans. On the departure of General Pope for Washington his western command had been given to General Rosecrans, and about the middle of September the latter was ordered by Grant to move with the Army of the Mississippi against the Southern General Sterling Price, who on the lOth-had occupied luka. Miss., cap- turing considerable amounts of government property. Rosecrans moved vigorously and on the 19th fought the battle of luka. Price retired during the night, in season to escape- the cooperat- ing column of General Ord, who was moving to the assistance of Rosecrans, giving to the Federal forces the prestige of victory though the engagement itself had been indecisive. Rosecrans concentrated his forces at Corinth, where on the 3d of October he was attacked by the combined armies of Price and Van Dorn, under the command of the latter. From early morning till noon of the following day the assailants fought desperately. Corinth was the military key to Western Tennessee, and it con- tained vast quantities of stores and supplies, but though one assault followed another with destructive fury and at great cost to the Confederates, they achieved no pernianent success, and by BOSECKANS IN TEITNESSEE. 129 noon of the 4th were in full retreat. On the following day Gen- eral Ord intercepted the fugitives at the Hatchee, and inflicted further loss upon them, being himself severely wounded, and Eosecrans pursued Van Dorn's flying columns for 60 miles, till recalled by General Grant. With the prestige of these vigorous acts fresh in the public mind, Eosecrans succeeded to the command of Buell's army, much to the popular satisfaction, so impatient had the loyal people become of the delays of campaigns East and West. Hence- forth this command was designated as the Army of the Cum- berland, and it was at this time organized as the Fourteenth Corps, though on the 9th of January following it was divided into the Fourteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-first, under the command, respectively, of Generals Thomas, McCook and Crit- tenden. Following the battle of Perryville, Bragg concentrated his army at Murfreesboro, 30 miles from Nashville, threatening the latter city, and on the T'th of November General McCook reached the city with Eosecrans's right grand division just in time to prevent a threatened attack by General Forrest. The two armies watched each other till late in December, when Eose- crans, annoyed by the extensive cavalry raiding of Forrest in his rear, with Morgan operating in Kentucky, moved forward his entire force and on the last day of the year opened the terrible battle of Stone Eiver or Murfreesboro. The opposing forces were in position the night before, and by one of the singular coincidences of war each commander decided to make a very vigorous attack in the morning with his left on the right wing of his antagonist. Bragg was the first to deliver battle, and while Eosecrans was moving his own forces to the assault he was astonished to find his entire right swept back by a resistless on- slaught. 5B[is purpose of attack was at once abandoned, and every energy devoted to resistance of the Confederates, who still continued to sweep back McCook's right wing, though Sheridan's division fought bravely, repelling three desperate attacks and holding the enemy at bay for four hours, when with ammunition exhausted they were obliged at last to give way. As this last division of the right wing gave way the Confederate advance 130 THE AEMY TTNDBK HOOKER. struck and seriously involved the center, where the iron courage of General Thomas and his command inspired some of the most obstinate fighting of modern times. At last the firm lines withstood the shock of the repeated rebel onsets, and the heroic Federal commander saw the attacking legions break and drift away in fragments, and knew that the impetuosity of their dash had spent itself. The Union loss had been severe, in some com- mands terrible, and included the commander of McCook's Sec- ond Division, General Sill, and Colonel Kirk commanding a brigade, as well as Gareschd, the chief of staff to Eosecrans, whose head was carried away by a shell that barely missed his commander. To the position thus tragically made vacant Gen- eral Garfield was appointed a few weeks later. For two days Bragg sought in vain to pierce the Federal lines. In every case his demonstrations were met with such determination that he realized the hopelessness of his task. Toward the close of the 2d of January one more desperate effort was made to drive the Union forces from a position across the river threatening the Confederate right; but it only resulted in severe loss to the at- tacking party, which was forced back for a considerable distance and the whole position occupied by Bragg put in such peril that he gave the order for a general retreat on the night of the 3d, Concentrating and intrenching near TuUahoma, some 40 miles south of Murfreesboro, General Bragg placed his army in winter quarters, while General Eosecrans devoted his energies to the repair of his communications and to strengthening the weak spots in the organization of his army, in which the next few months were spent. West of the Mississippi the situation had not greatly changed during the fall and winter. In Missouri General BJunt had operated vigorously, defeating the Confederates under Marma- duke at Boston Mountains, November 28, and following this victory by one over Hindman at Prairie Grove on the 7th of December, practically freeing the state from any organized rebel army. Texas, however, where so earnest a stand had been made against secession, seemed now utterly abandoned by the national goverumeut. Galveston had been occupied by three companies OPENtNG tHE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 131 of the Forty-second Massachusetts regiment, supported by a fleet of gun-boats in the harbor, but on the first day of January, 1863, the fleet was dispersed by that of the Confederates and General Magruder easily captured the handful of infantry left unprotected in the streets. With the exception of an insignifi- cant force at certain points on the Rio Grande, no Union soldiers were left in Texas. All other interests in that region were now subordinated to the supreme object of opening the Mississippi. With that vast waterway under the national control, cutting off the great trans- Mississippi region whence enormous quantities of supplies were furnished the Confederates, a powerful blow would be struck against the cause of disunion. Already great progress had been made, so that at only two points — Vicksburg and Port Hudson — did the secessionists retain control. These posts, admirably adapted to the command of the river, had been strengthened by every device known to engineering skill. At Vicksburg the first battery on the Mississippi had been built, from which on the 18th of January, 1861, the steamer A. 0. Tyler had been fired on. Here General Lovell had retreated with his army when the approach of General Butler drove him from New Orleans, and in May he was followed by Farragut's fleet, the batteries at Port Hudson not being completed. Fire was opened by Farragut, but the siege was not prosecuted, and toward the end of July, 1862, he returned to New Orleans. On the 7'th of September the first fight with the batteries at Port Hudson occurred, and the Federal naval commander found the river practically closed to his vessels at that point. Early in November General Grant began the concentration of his available forces for a vigorous campaign against Vicksburg, and was pressing forward with all speed when the capture of his depot of supplies at Holly Springs by Van Dorn obliged him to retire to Grand Junction till the loss could be repaired, and this respite gave General Pemberton time to concentrate his command for the defense of the threatened stronghold. At this time Grant divided his Army of the Tennessee into four corps — the Thirteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth, com- 132 ■ THE ARMY UNDEE HOOKEE. manded respectively by Generals McClernand, Sherman, Hurlbnt and McPherson. On the 20th of December, — the day of Van Dorn's successful raid on Grant's supplies, — Sherman left Memphis, Admiral Porter's fleet transporting his troops down the Mississippi and up the Yazoo to the rear of Vicksburg, where they debarked on the 26th, and three days later unsuccess- fully attacked the Confederates in a strong position at Chickasaw Bayou. This movement having thus proved a failure, the idea of a flank attack on Pemberton was abandoned. A week later McClernand joined forces with Sherman and took command, being the senior officer, and January 11, 1863, the land forces in conjunction with the fleet captured Fort Hindman, on the Arkansas river, with its garrison of some 5,600 men. The next notable attempt was to cut a canal across the long peninsula opposite Vicksburg, in the hope of diverting the river from its natural course; but after two months of incredible exertions in swamps, bayous and forests, the rise of the river compelled the abandonment of the scheme. On the 2d of February General Grant reached Young's Point and assumed personal command of the operations, and the following night the Queen of the West of Porter's fleet ran the batteries, destroyed four Confed- erate vessels below, and returned without serious damage. On a second passage this vessel was lost through the treachery of a pilot, and similar attempts followed, attended with more or less success, but it was demonstrated that the batteries could be passed, and Grant presently decided on one of the boldest move- ments known to military history. This was no less than to move his army on the west side of the river far below Vicksburg, cross the Mississippi by transports which Porter would undertake to run past the batteries, throw his force between the Confederate armies in Mississippi, defeat them in detail and capture Vicks- burg. This plan, daring as it was, the indomitable genius of its originator carried out almost exactly. Porter successfully passed Vicksburg with the vessels required, but at Grand Gulf, near the mouth of the Big Black river, he found other strong batteries which he ineffectually attacked on the 29th of April, but that night ran his transports past 6BANT*S EEMARKABLE CAMPAIGlt. 133 them and immediately moved the waiting army across the river. General McClernand's command encountered and defeated the Confederates under General John Bowen on the 1st of May, which defeat necessitated the abandonment of the works at Grand Gulf. On the 8th General Sherman, who had been oper- ating against Haines BlufE with the gun-boats, joined Grant on the Big Black, and the march toward Jackson was promptly taken up. General J. E, Johnston, the ablest of the Southern chieftains in the West, was reported on his way to assume per- sonal command of all the troops in that vicinity, but when he came he found only broken fragments. On the 12th McPherson's corps defeated General Gregg at Raymond, and two days later the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps defeated the Confederates at Jackson and captured the place. Finding that Pemberton was seeking to strike him in the rear, Grant now faced about, and on the 16th met and defeated his antagonist at Champion Hills. Pemberton fell back to a strong position on the Big Black, but on the following day he was attacked and driven with such vigoc that he was unable to destroy the bridge over which his troops retreated, and on the 19th he found himself forced back upon Vicksburg by the victorious Federals. A com- bined and desperate assault upon the fortifications there was made on the 22d, but it was bloodily repulsed, when Grant, changing his base of supplies to the Yazoo, settled down to a siege of the place. Among the troops which came to his rein- forcement at this time were two divisions of the Ninth Corps under General Parke, detached during the winter from the Army of the Potomac. The course of the siege cannot be fol- lowed hero ; suflBce it to say that it was pressed with desperate energy and valiantly resisted. On the 15th of June General McClernand, who had, in an order to his command, allowed some reflection on General Grant, was relieved from command of the Thirteenth Corps and succeeded by General E. 0. C. Ord. General Butler was relieved from the command of the Depart- ment of the Gulf, November 9, 1862, and a week later General N. P. Banks succeeded him, with head-quarters at New Orleans. A thorough campaign was at once planned. Baton Eouge being 134 THE'AEMT tJNDE& HOOKER. reoccupied by a force under General Grover, and during the succeedina; months General Dick Taylor, the Southern com- mander, was driven from point to point till his army was effect- ually scattered. Crossing the Mississippi at Bayou Sara, Banks moved down from the north toward Port Hudson, while General Augur approached on the south, and on the 24th of May the investment was complete. Here, too, strong assaults were made, but stubbornly repulsed by the garrison under General Gardner, and the slower process of siege became necessary. This, then, w.as the situation in the West and Southwest at the end of June, 1863: Burnside, relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac^ had been assigned to East Tennessee, where he was gathering a considerable army; Van Dorn's com- mand — that officer having been killed in a personal quarrel by a Dr. Peters — had joined Bragg at TuUahoma, against whom Rosecrans was preparing to move; Grant was besieging Pember- ton at Vicksburg, and Banks performing a like service for Gardner at Port Hudson. Return we now to the Army of the Potomac, of which, on the 26th of January, 1863, General Joseph Hooker had taken com- mand, Sumner and Franklin retiring at the same time. The former died soon after of disease while preparing to take a command in the West, and the latter had no further connection with the Army of the -Potomac. The new commander at once bent his energies to the reorganization of his command, and as his accession followed close on the " mud march," there was abund- ant opportunity for the exercise of his genius. There was unmis- takably much demoralization. Desertions had been frequent and the absentees from the army at this time, including all causes, amounted to nearly 85,000. Many of these were sick or wounded, or on furlough, but these causes did not by any means cover the entire number. Better food, better clothing and better sanitary regulations were at once ordered, and what seemed mountains of discouragement to former commanders were now made to give way. Vegetables in some form were issued with regularity, ovens were built for the baking of soft bread, rations lost or damaged when in the possession of the soldier were re- GENERAL HOOKER IK GOMMAKD. 136 placed, sinks and drainage received careful attention, and with these and many other evidences of a lively interest in the phys- ical welfare of his command. General Hooker won the confidence and strengthened the morale of his men. At the opening of the Chancellorsville campaign the Army of the Potomac was un- doubtedly in the finest physical condition known to its history. The desertions, which were reported as reaching 200 per day at the time Hooker took command, soon nearly ceased, and a judicious system of brief furloughs gave an added incentive to excellence in soldierly duties. In the organization of the army many changes occurred. The system of grand divisions was abolished, and in the place of the Ninth Corps, which left the Army of the Potomac during the winter, the Eleventh had been added. General Sigel, its recent commander, being succeeded by General 0. 0. Howard, to the serious displeasure of its large German element. But two of the corps commanders at Fredericksburg remained — General Rey- nolds of the First and General Couch of the Second. The Third was under General Daniel B. Sickles. General George G. Meade advanced from the Third Division of the First Corps to com- mand the Fifth Corps. General John Sedgwick left the Second ■Division of the Second Corps to command the Sixth Corps, suc- ceeding General W. F. Smith, assigned to duty in North Caro- lina. The Twelfth Corps was under General H. "W. Slocum, advanced from the command of the First Division, Sixth Corps. The make-up of the Sixth Corps during the Chancellorsville campaign may be thus described: The First Division, under General Brooks, previously commander of the Vermont Brigade, was composed of the First or New Jersey Brigade, General Tor- bert, the Second, General Bartlett, and the Third, General David A. Russell, promoted November 29, 1862, from the colonel- cy of the Seventh Massachusetts. General Howe's Second Divis- ion consisted of the Second or Vermont Brigade, Colonel L. A. Grant, and the Third, General Neill. The First Brigade of this division had been broken up, and a " Light Division " formed, under the command of Colonel Burnham, composed of the Fifth Wisconsin, Sixth Maine, Thirty-first and Forty-third 136 THE ARMY UlTDEE HOOKEft. New York and Sixty-first Pennsylvania. The Third Division, now under General John Newton, one of the most thorough engineers in the army, saw many changes among its command- ers. Genera] Devens having been appointed to the command of a division in the Eleventh Corps, his brigade became the Second, and passed to the command of Colonel Browne of the Thirty- sixth New York, the senior regimental commander at the time. Colonel Wheaton having been commissioned a brigadier-general at the time of Colonel Russell's promotion, and assigned to the command of the Third Brigade. The First Brigade was com- manded by General Alexander Shaler. Colonel Horatio Rogers succeeded Wheaton in the Second Rhode Island, and Colonel Thomas D. Johns was assigned to the Seventh. Especial effort had been made by General Hooker to organize the cavalry of his command as an important arm of the service, which thus far it had never been. The entire available force of this arm was consolidated under General Stoneman, and at the opening of the campaign it comprised an efficient total of some 13,000 men. Including the cavalry. Hooker's army now num- bered not far from 125,000, of which he might well say that it was "the finest army on this planet." It was during this period of reconstruction that the system of corps badges was adopted by General Hooker's order for the in- stant identification of the different commands. The figures adopted for the seven corps of the Army of the Potomac were: First, a disk; Second, a trefoil; Third, a diamond; Fifth, a Maltese cross; Sixth,, a Greek cross; Eleventh, a crescent; Twelfth, a star. The color for the first division of each corps was red, for the second white, and for the third blue — employ- ing in regular order the three national colors. Small cloth badges of the proper figure and color were sewn upon the tops of the men's caps or on the left side of hats when worn, and the head-quarters flags of the divisions and brigades were thus dis- tinguished: First division, a red figure on a white ground; second, a white figure on a blue ground; third, a blue figure on a white flag. The flags of divisions were rectangular, of brigades triangular. The brigade flags being of the same color as those THE INTRODUCTION OF CORPS BADGES. 137 of the division, with the corps badge in the center, the number of the brigade was thus designated: Fil-st, a plain flag; second, a stripe or border next the staff; third, the same on the three sides of the flag; fourth, a sector at each of the three corners. The color of these borders was that supplementing the body of the flag and the corps badge, the Second Brigade, Third Division, thus having a white flag with a blue cross in the center and a red bar next the staff. This excellent system, which was soon adopted by nearly every corps of the Union armies West and South, was the outgrowth of a device of General Kearney during the penin- sular campaign to distinguish the ofl&cers of his division, who for a time were all obliged to dress in the uniforms of enlisted men. After the death of that gallant oflBcer at Chantilly, those who had fought under him continued to wear the badge in his memory. The Confederate force at this time opposed to Hooker con- sisted of something over 60,000 men, so disposed as to be easily concentrated at any point where they might be needed, while for 25 miles along their front, from United States Ford above Fredericksburg to Port Royal below, extended a system of in- trenchment as perfect as military skill highly favored by the contour of the country could produce. Behind these defenses lay the four divisions of " Stonewall " Jackson's Second Corps, commanded respectively by Generals A. P. Hill, D. H. Hill, Trimble and Early, with two divisions of Longstreet's First Corps, under Generals Anderson and McLaws, Longstreet in person with his other two divisions having been sent to the south of Richmond in February, to operate against General Peck. The plan of attack which Hooker decided upon might be called an elaboration of Burnside's January attempt which had ended in the mud. Briefly stated, it was to throw the main, body of his army far around the left of the Confederate position, while a demonstration in force was made at the old battle-ground near the city, to cover the real intention; meantime 10,000 cav- alry under Stoneman were to raid as far and as vigorously as possible against the enemy's lines of communication. The cavalry on both sides had already become active. On the 8th of March the guerrilla leader John S. Moseby dashed into 138 THE ARMY UNDER HOOKER. the village of Fairfax Court House with a small force, captured several prisoners, among them Colonel Stoughton, the com- mander of the Vermont nine-months' hrigade which was doing duty in that vicinity, and escaped without loss, the affair occur- ring at the dead of night and Colonel Stoughton being taken from his bed. At Kelly's Ford on the l^th occurred the first purely cavalry fight in the history of the Army of the Potomac, a force under General Averell encountering the brigade of Fitz Hugh Lee, with whom a sharp but not decisive engagement occurred. Meantime the events transpiring in and about Camp Edwards convinced its occupants that they must soon expect again to meet the enemy. The early part of March, following the occu- pation of the new quarters, was especially stormy and disagree- able, but toward the close of the month the skies brightened and the mud gradually gave place to firm earth. Nearly every day was marked by the occurrence of inspection, review or brigade drill. On the 2d of April, which was Faet day in Massachu- setts, the division was reviewed by General Sedgwick, and on the following day by General Hooker; the memorable review of th6 army by President Lincoln taking place on the 8th. The latter occasion was one of much interest to those who then for the first time saw the President. The Thirty-seventh regiment was on the right of the massive line, and the reviewing party rode down almost in front of its colors, Mr. Lincoln uncovering his head as its flags drooped low, the artillery thundered and the bands at the right began to play. Great was the contrast be- tween that plain, modest man, — almost awkward in his move- ments, his naturally furrowed face more deeply worn by the load of care which he had so long borne, — and his magnificent e§cort of richly dressed officers, the embodiment of military pomp and splendor. Many a man in the ranks noted that contrast as the cavalcade moved down the line, and it is not too much to say that from that momentary glimpse many a heart beat more warmly and kindly toward "Honest Abe." The division was called out again on the 11th for review by a visiting Swiss general, and on the 14th the expected marching FAREWELL TO GENERAL DEVENS. 139 orders came. The campaign had begun, a cavalry force being pushed across the Rappahannock at Kelly^s Ford to feel the way for the infantry, but that night a severe rain-storm set in and the movement was postponed, the furious storm raising the river so rapidly that the cavalry with some diflBculty recrossed to the northern side. One sad experience was still in store for the brigade before it should again meet the enemy. General Devens had been as- signed to the command of the First Division of the Eleventh Corps, and on the afternoon of April 21 a brigade dress parade was held at which the honored commander in affecting words took leave of his command. From the opening days of the peninsular campaign the present relation had existed, with but temporary interruption in the previous autumn when General Devens had commanded the division; and as the speaker referred to the faithful services of his command in whatever position it had been placed, and the sincere regret he felt in leaving them, with an expression of his* confidence that in the future they would render equally faithful service to the cause of Union, those who heard felt that he spoke no perfunctory words.* That evening the detachment of the Fiftieth New York reg- iment of Engineers which had been encamped just south of the Thirty-seventh in charge of a ponton train broke camp and dis- appeared in the direction of the river, and an invitation to fol- *GeneTal Devens was severely wounded in the foot at Chancellorsville^ May 2, and after the draft riots of the foUowine July, not being able to return to active duty in the field, he was as- signed to command the Massachusetts draft rendezvous in Boston harbor, where he remamed till the following spring when he rejoined the army in the field, taking a command in the Eighteenth Corps at the sjKdaJ request of General W. F. Smith, its commander, having part in the engage- ments at Port Walthal, Arrowfield Church, etc., under General Butler, then operating from Ber- muda Hundred. When, a little later, three divisions were sent under General Smith to jom the Army of the Potomac, General Devens commanded one of them — a provisional division of three brigades from the Tenth Corps. With this he fought bravely at Cold Harbor, but was soon after prostrated by rlieiimatic fever, serving during convalescence as president of a military commission for the trial of various classes of oiienders and when recovered was assigned by General Ord to the command of the First Division of the Eighteenth Corps. At the reorganization of the Army of the James he took command of the Third Division of the Twenty-fourth Corps, which was the first command to enter the city of Richmond. For gallantry and good conduct at this time he was at request of General Grant brevetted major-general, remaining in command of the division till the corps was mustered out of service. He was then appointed to the command of the North- east military district of Virginia, and at the end of August was ordered to the command of the military district of Charleston, embracing the eastern section of South Carolina, where he re- mained till the spring of 1866, when he was mustered out, after almost five years of very honora- ble service. In Apnl, 1S67, he was appointed a judge of the superior court of Massachusetts, and promoted in October, 1873, to the bench of the supreme judicial court of the state. Resigning this position to serve as attorney-general of the United States in President Hayes's cabinet, he was on the expiration of his term re-appointed a judge of the supreme judicial court of Massachu setts, which position he holds at this writing (1884). 140 THE ARMY 0NDER HOOKBE. low them was hourly expected. That afternoon the regiment was sent on picket duty for three days, during which time it rained almost without cessation, so that on the return to camp no further changes had taken place. The paymaster made a welcome visit on the 25th, paying the regiment for four months' service to March 1, and on the 27th the brigade was drilled and had a dress parade under its new commander, Colonel W. H. Browne. Final orders were received at the same time to be ready to move early in the morning. It was not till 3 o'clock of the following afternoon, however, that the order to march was heard. Then, by a circuitous route, through a drizzling rain, a few miles were made and the regi- ment halted for the night on the north slope of the Stafford hills, out of sight of the Confederates across the stream but within easy distance of the Rappahannock. It was not quite comfortable for the men to lie down in their wet garments with- out the privilege of making fires to boil a cup of coffee, but every one submitted cheerfully and slept well till early morning, when rapid firing in the direction of the river brought eveiy sleeper to his feet. Presently the brigade marched down to the vicinity of the river, halting very near the spot where in December they had waited for orders to cross. But this time a lodgment had already been made on the opposite bank. During the night ponton bridges had been quietly laid at Franklin's crossing of the previous battle and at Pollock's Mills, a mUe below. Small parties had been pushed over in boats, capturing the enemy's pickets at each point and saving the engineers from the annoyance of their musketry. Bridges being hastily laid, Brooks's division of the Sixth Corps crossed at the upper and Wadsworth's division of the First at the lower, and established their lines on the Spottsylvania side. The enemy showing no disposition to dispute the occupancy of the historic plain, the Third Corps, which had been detached to support the movement, marched rapidly up the river to United States Ford, to co- operate in the main movement directed by Hooker in person. During that night and the following day everything remained quiet in Sedgwick's command, those of his troops on the left ONCE MORE ACROSS THE RIVER. 141 bank of the river pitching their shelter tents and experiencing no further excitement than an occasional artillery duel and the sounds of distant skirmishing as the detachments across the river felt the position of the enemy in their front. On the evening of the 30th the Thirty-seventh were detailed to accom- pany a ponton train up the river, some of the bridges having been taken up. The journey was made to the vicinity of Banks's Ford, and it was 8 o'clock next morning when the thoroughly weary regiment returned to its place in the brigade, and the men slept most of the day, falling in near night to march around the base of the hill and up over its crest, thence down to the plain, repeating the operation till darkness shut the perform- ance from the sight of the enemy for whose benefit it was under- taken, to give the impression of a movement in force at that point. In fact the left was being weakened, for the First Corps was now ordered to the right to assist in Hooker's main attack, leaving Sedgwick with but his own corps and Gibbon's division of the Second. Let us now sketch the fortunes of the main army. According to the programme, during the night of April 28, the Fifth, Eleventh.and Twelfth Corps crossed the Rappahan- nock at Kelly's Ford, and the following night forded the Rapidan — the Fifth at Ely's Ford and the others at Germanna. The Second Corps moved by way of United States Ford, a short distance below the junction of the two rivers, and as soon as the Rapidan was passed above they also crossed and pushed forward, the four corps on the night of the 30th bivouacking at Chancel- lorsville, a point on the Orange turnpike ten miles southwest of Fredericksburg, marked by a single brick house, which Hooker made his head-quarters. The Third Corps now moved up from the left, crossed at United States Ford and hastened to the sup- port of those in advance. The general commanding was greatly elated by the success which had thus far attended his move- ments. Although the operations of the cavalry had been de- layed by high water, so that Stoneman failed to render the efficient service that had been counted on, the column was now on its way toward Richmond, while more than 50,000 infantry under the immediate command of their valiant chieftain had 143 THE ARMY UNBER HOOKER. reached a position of his selection directly in rear of the Con- federate intrenched line. There was a substantial foundation for the congratulatory order issued by Hooker and read to every regiment in his army, in which he said : " It is with heartfelt satisfaction that the commanding general announces to the army that the operations of the last three days have determined that OUT enemy must either ingloriously fly, or come out from behind his defenses and give us battle on our own ground, where cer- tain destruction awaits him." The enemy had no thought of flying, though even so able a general as Lee might well shrink from the peril of his position. His army was at once disposed to meet the changed situation. Leaving what seemed an adequate force under General Early to hold the hights in front of Sedgwick, Lee with all his available troops prepared to dispute the Federal advance. Hooker, finding the ground about Chancellorsville unfavorable to military oper- ations, pushed forward his left, composed of the Fifth Corps, | within view of Banks's Ford, while the Twelfth Corps advanced along the plank road till it encountered Stonewa^ Jackson's troops, when, after a brisk engagement, it. was decided to con- centrate and intrench near Chancellorsville and await the rebel attack, if one was intended. The position of the Union army on the 3d of May may be briefly stated. The First Corps had crossed the Eappahannock at United States Ford and was held in reserve near there; the left of Hooker's main line was formed by the Fifth Corps, which extended from the shai'p bend in the Rappahannock where Mineral Spring Run empties into the parent stream. Its line of battle faced in a southeasterly direc- tion and was joined and prolonged by the Second Corps. Then the line bent around so as to face due south in front of the Chancellor house, where the Twelfth Corps was posted, and on the right of this the Third Corps began to face to the southwest. The curve in this direction was still more pronounced at the extreme right, formed by the Eleventh Corps. This flank was the weak point in the Federal position, being " in the air '' — that is, having no protection against the attack of an enemy on the flank or rear. True there seemed very slight probability of JACKSON STKIKES HIS LAST BLOW. 143 any such attack, as the weak flank might be considered safely swung around behind the main line, — but that proved ezactly what the Confederates were to successfully attempt. A direct attack could hardly be thought of, and the shrewd Jackson pro- posed to execute his favorite movement, and passing entirely around the Federal army, strike one of his characteristic blows, swift and terrible, on the flank which from the position of the army could not but be weak. It was impossible to entirely conceal the movement of his column, as it passed over an elevation some distance to the south of the Union lines, but its purpose was wholly mistaken, being construed by the enthusiastic Hooker into an attempt to retreat. General Sickles with his Third Corps moved forward to attack it, and achieved some success, but in doing so left a great gap between the threatened Eleventh and Twelfth Corps, which came near sacrificing the entire army. Gaining his cov- eted position with no suspicion on the Federal side of his destination, Jackson, late in the afternoon, hastily formed his lines and swept down upon the fated corps. Devens's division of two brigades, on the extreme right, was the first to receive the shock. The men with stacked arms were idling about or cooking their suppers when the Confederate lines came crashing through the thicket. Not more than a round or two could be fired before the great waves of gray swept over and around the slight defenses and through the camps which a moment before had seemed established in the midst of profound peace. Almost at the opening of the attack General Devens, while trying to rally and hold his command against the onset, was severely wounded, and every colonel and general in the division was either disabled or captured. The broken division rolled back upon that of Schurz, next to it, and the latter crumbled away almost without a blow, but Steinwehr's division, the Second, formed a line in the face of the triumphant foe and momentarily checked his progress. Yet the two brigades, strengthened by a few of the fugitives from the rest of the corps, could not long withstand the triumphant fury of the attack, and presently the entire Eleventh Corps was driven to the rear, a panic-stricken 144 THE AEMT UNDBK HOOKEK. mass of fugitives. A scene of the most terrible excitement and confusion followed, during which, amidst the general rout, occurred some of the grandest instances of heroism known to history. A handful of men here and there opposed the relent- less advance, laying their lives down with a smile in order that time might be gained for bringing fresh batteries into position and forming new lines in the rear. By superhuman exertions a respectable opposition was at last made to the Confederate advance, and there came a lull in the storm of battle. Jackson's attack had thus far been made by the divisions of Kodes and Colston, and as these were much dis- organized, the troops commanded by A. P. Hill were placed in front, and though it was now d»rk, Jackson contemplated a continuance of the fight. Before his arrangements were com- pleted he was fired upon by his own men and received wounds from which he died a week later, depriving the Confederacy of one of its ablest chieftains. Hill received a disabling wound shortly after, and General J. B. B. Stuart, who took temporary command of Jackson's corps, decided not to fight any more that night. Morning witnessed a renewal of the struggle, and till noon it raged incessantly. General Hooker was stunned by a shell striking a pillar against which he was leaning, seriously compromising the safety of his entire army, the center of which was steadily pushed back, in spite of the most desperate fighting, till the divided wings of the Confederate army were reunited and orders were issued for a combined advance along the whole line to complete the victory. It was at this time that news came to the Southern commander of Sedgwick's movements, which caused him to pause, and the battle of the main armies was not again renewed with earnestness. Among the Federal ofiBcers killed on the 3d, were Generals Berry and Whipple, command- ing the Second and Third Divisions of the Fifth Corps. We come now to the part taken by the Sixth Corps and the Thirty-seventh regiment as an integral part thereof. During Saturday, the 2d of May, there was more or less of what seemed a purposeless activity. Several times the command was placed under arms, perhaps moved a short distance, after which the "FOBWAKD, THE SIXTH COEPS! " 145 muskets would be stacked and a period of suspense follow. As night approached there were evidences of skirmishing across the river, and about 9 o'clock the regiment moved quietly across the fcridges, took its position with the other troops whose long lines could be dimly seen stretching away in the darkness, and the command was whispered to "Load at will." Then another rest. About 11 o'clock the expected summons from Hooker came, ordering General Sedgwick to move at once by way of Freder- icksburg, seize the hights, crush whatever force might oppose him, take the plank road and ' form a junction with Hooker by daybreak. It is not the purpose of this narrative to criticise; but it is surely not amiss to call attention to the magnitude of the task thus outlined. The distance to be covered was from 12 to 14 miles, or more than the corps could have accomplished by an unimpeded march during the time, named. At the very outset were to be encountered the terrible hights against which in the foiTuer battle half the army had dashed in vain, and which the present commanding general had at that time pronounced im- pregnable to direct assault. During the winter, and especially in the few previous days, in anticipation of an immediate attack, the works had been strengthened, and were now held by six brigades of choice Confederate troops under Early, with artillery support, making a force equal in strength to that actually engaged on the Confederate side in ihe repulse of Burnside. But the stout-hearted commander of the Sixth Corps, though ordered to undertake a prima facie impossibility, promptly obeyed the spirit, if he could not meet the letter, of his instruc- tions. As rapidly as his skirmishers could push back those of the enemy the column moved toward Fredericksburg, and finally halted in the streets. A skirmisher who had fallen at the very entrance of the town and was dying from a terrible wound in the chest, faintly encouraged his comrades as they passed. " God bless you, boys," he said, " I believe you are going to capture Eichmond now, and it is my only regret that I cannot go with you to the end." Brave in death as in life, he was a type of that vast army of martyrs who gave their lives willing sacrifices on the altar of their country. 146 THE ARMY UKDER HOOKER. To advance further in the darkness was out of the question, as a demonstration proved, and the men dropped upon the side- walks, in the streets, anywhere, for a few moments' sleep. With the first light of day all were astir, and the men of the Thirty- seventh, who trod the streets of the famous city for the first time, were beginning to take note of their surroundings, when the artillery on the hights opened and the frightful crashing of the missiles through the buildings dissipated all emotions of mere curiosity. Moving rapidly out of the city toward the hights the regiment for a time took shelter in a railroad cut, where it was effectually protected from the enemy's fire. The posi- tion, though safe, was not one to induce reflections of a pleasing nature. The memory of that terrible 13th of December would intrude. There were the same hights which had then defied the Union army; at their base was the deadly stone- wall before which the charging lines had been swept away in ruin. That experi- ment was to be repeated — would the result be different? There was no alternative to a direct assault. With the first light Gib- bon's division of the Second Corps had laid bridges from Fal- mouth and crossed the river, taking position on the Federal right, between the city and the river, Newton's division occu- pied the city front, and to the left, beyond Hazel Run, was Howe, with Brooks's First Division protecting the bridges at the crossing below. Gibbon, to .whose assistance the Tenth Massa- chusetts and Second Rhode Island had been detached, felt for an opening in the Confederate left, but his advance was checked by the canal and a railroad cut. Howe on the left of Newton had advanced and been driven back. " We must depend upon the bayonet alone!" said Sedgwick, and proceeded to forma storming party to charge the entire crest. Somewhere the wedge must be driven through. Directly in front of Newton's division rose Marye's hill, with a fine brick mansion near the crest, distant about a thousand yards from the Federal lines. For two-thirds of the distance the ground slopes gently upward, then rises quite sharply till the summit is gained. From the principal street of the city, straight up and over the hill, runs the plank road which Sedgwick is ordered to take. At the foot THE STOEMING OF MAKTE's HIGHTS. 147 of the hill proper is a toll-house and to the south of this along the base of the hill runs the sunken Telegraph road and the fatal stone-wall. Behind the wall lies Barksdale's brigade of Missis- sippians; in front of it, sheltered by a swell of the ground. Col- onel Burnham holds four regiments of his Light Division. They have attacked and been repulsed, but await the moment for a more determined advance. On the plank road a column of four regiments was formed under Colonel Spear of the Sixty- first Pennsylvania, consisting of his own regiment and the Forty-third New York, supported by the Sixty-seventh New York and Eighty-second Pennsylvania. Between Spear's com- mand and that of Burnham the Seventh Massachusetts and Thirty-sixth New York under the command of Colonel Johns of the Seventh are formed to move parallel to Spear's advance up the plank road, the men leaving knapsacks, haversacks — everything that can impede their movements. Beyond Burn- ham to the left Howe's division is also in waiting. It is 11 o'clock, and at length everything is ready. The Union batteries have been playing with dreadful energy upon the Confederate entrenchments, but the Washington artillery on the bights holds on defiantly. Suddenly Spear's column emerges on the plank road, moving straight forward at the double-quick with fixed bayonets. The two regiments from Browne's Brigade are beside it, also pushing forward by the right flank in column of fours. As they approach the toll-gate a terrible artillery fire tears through the head of each column, and Barksdale's men from behind the stone-wall send a hot musketry fire into their flank. The regiments in advance are sadly shattered. Colonel Spear is mortally and Colonel Johns seriously wounded, and the com- mands falter, but they hear the cheers of the sturdy lines on their left and press on once more. Barksdale had almost for- gotten the line in his front in his anxiety to demolish the columns on his left, when Burnham's men spring forward with a bound, scatter the Mississippians with their bayonets, capture half the brigade and send the rest flying helter-skelter along the Telegraph rOad. Then on up the hill they go with a sweep, breaking through the intrenched line, the flag of the Sixth 148 THE AHMY UNDER HOOKER. Maine being the first to wave from the rebel stronghold. Howe's three brigades were pressing up the slope to the left, and Gibbon, although unable to reach the enemy, was holding his attention at the right, Lieutenant-Colonel Harlow of the Seventh is wounded but not disabled, and with a few files of his i-egiment cuts through the Confederates and effects a lodgment with a cool bravery never sui-passed. The shattered residue of the reg- iment catch the spirit of their heroic commander and rally to his assistance, swarming over the works and driving the astound- ed chivalry before them. It had been asked if the Thirty-sixth New York would stand such desperate service, for in a few days more their term of enlistment would have expired. Never was doubt more bravely dissipated. Straight up to and over the hostile works goes their tall color-sergeant and his flag, which he plants proudly on a captured gun, while the shortened line springs over the breastworks and the men with clubbed muskets dash the panic-stricken defenders to the earth and receive their surrender with a cheer which is answered from the plains below as the reserve lines come rushing up to complete the occupation. The remnants of Spear's column nerve themselves for one more effort and they, too, make a lodgment in the fortifications. Howe has carried the hights in his front, and the broken Con- federate line is crumbling away, hurrying squads here and there trying to reach the Telegraph road or fleeing over the plank road in advance of the pursuers. As the Thirty-seventh charged up the slope in support of the advance regiments and reached the first line of fortifications, it paused for a moment to reform its line and change direction toward the left, where from a second series of defenses on still higher ground the flying Confederates were scampering forth and hurrying towai'd the Telegraph road, their forms outlined like dwarf silhouettes against the clear sky. Looking behind them the men saw the batteries which had thundered valiantly all the morning against the hights driving desperately up the plank road, the horses lashed to a gallop, the men and their beloved guns hidden from sight in the heavy clouds of dust. Here and there a blue line with the Stars and Stripes in the THE VICTOR'T of THE MORNIKQ. 149 center swept steadily up the slope, while an occasional farewell shot from the flying foe came hack like a note of defiance. All these were elements of satisfaction, hut there was a sadder feature comprised within the picture. All that green slope was dotted over with little points of blue, and those who looked back upon them knew that each represented a comrade who had fallen by the way. Brilliant as had been the success won, it had been achieved at the cost of over a thousand men killed and wounded on the Union side. Already the stretcher-bearers were hurrying over the field in quest of their ghastly burdens, under a system so perfect that within an hour every wounded man was sheltered in the hospitals which had been organized in the town. Moving some distance to the rear of the fortified line, the Thirty-seventh halted till the other regiments of the brigade came up. Then with eager haste messengers passed back and forth between the different commands, to learn the fate of friends or the general fortunes of the various organizations. There was a brief respite, during which General Sedwick was busy with preparations to follow up his advantage. Gibbon's division was left in charge of Fredericksburg, the red crosses of the First Division moved out in advance along the plank road, the other divisions followed, and the hights of Fredericksburg were left behind. It was a beautiful Sabbath day, the sun shining clear and warm; Nature was in her most charming dress. Beside the road as the troops advanced were fields of grain waving with promise, and bird-songs trilled forth to fall unheeded on the ears of men whose thoughts and senses were not for scenes of beauty or notes of joy. Presently the boom of cannon in advance is heard, and a few solid shots go over and uncomfortably near the marching column; the speed slackens somewhat, but there is no halt, and the men think little of the familiar greeting — probably some re- treating party is making a little stand somewhere to gain time. Some miles have been passed and the afternoon is well ad- vanced when a small stream, tributary far below to Hazel Run, is crossed. Here the brigade leaves the highway and halts upon the steep slope beside the streamlet in column by regiments, the 150 THE AEMY UNDER HOOKER. Thirty-seventh, on account of its fuller ranks, being formed in two lines, the left wing under Lieutenant-Colonel Montague in rear of the right. Very soon, one by one, the regiments rise, but instead of returning to the plank road they advance in line directly up the hill and disappear. Close on the heels of its predecessor the Thirty-seventh climbs to the plateau and the mystery is solved. Not far in front there is a terrific Are of musketry, and as the regiment moves steadily forward toward the scene it encounters a spectacle to chill the stoutest heart. The Federal lines have broken and tlie horrible fragments are pouring to the rear. Some of the fugitives are bleeding from sickening wounds, others unhurt are seeking panic stricken for some shelter from the bullets which are still hissing sharply around them. What was the matter? That may be briefly told. Wilcox's Confederate brigade, posted' near Banks's Ford, had been sum- moned to assist Early in defending the hights, but had not arrived in time. It at once planted itself in front of Sedgwick to delay his march as much as possible, while news of the disaster was sent to General Lee — the news which had caused the post- ponement of his intended attack on Hooker. Four brigades under ■ General McLaws were at once hurried down to Salem Church, midway between Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, to which point Wilcox fell back, and when Brooks's division reached that vicinity he found his advance checked. He attacked valiantly, won some success, but was driven back. As the Thirty-seventh gained the field it confronted the triumphant hosts of the foe pushing forward to flank the shattered Union lines. It was a moment of supreme importance. Colonel Browne had fallen with a severe wound, and the command of the brigade devolved upon Colonel Eustis of the Tenth. The command was scattered, the individual regiments being thrown in at the most important points. Williston's battery of brass guns comes up the road at a mad gallop, the captain riding on in advance. He shrinks from the prospect. "Captain, bring in your guns," exclaims Colonel Edwards in his most emphatic tones; "the Thirty-seventh is here!" The fierce gallop of the battery horses THE BATTLE OF SALEM CHTJKCH. 151 never ceases till the pieces are wheeled into position, and almost before the trails drop to the ground the gunners are sending storms of cannister into the faces of the enemy. Still the charg- ing line overlaps and the left is threatened. General Brooks, rough as a lion and as brave, gallops to the spot. "Is there "a regiment here that I can have?" he demands. "Take my left wing; it's as good as a whole regiment!" says Edwards. The right wing advances close to the battery and gives it a steadfast support, while the left wing, led by the soldierly lieutenant- colonel, moves by the left flank through a bushy ravine under a shower of bullets, and occupies a commanding position beyond. As it halts the stream of fire which bursts out along its line shows the flanking column of graycoats that they are beaten at their own game, and in a few moments they go drifting back toward the woods from which they came. It is an exciting moment, and Lieutenant Loomis observes that some members of his command are firing at random. His men are brought to a "shoulder arms," drilled in the manual for a few moments till calm self-possession is restored, and then direct their fire once more upon the retreating foe. Nightfall comes on, the sounds of battle cease, — only the sad refrain from the hundreds of agonized ones stretched helpless on the field, and the low bustle of preparation among men and oflBcers for the expected renewal of the struggle on the morrow. In the establishing of the Union lines the Thirty-seventh was reunited and moved forward a short distance to a commanding position, where with the Thirty-sixth New York it formed three sides of a square at the most advanced angle of Sedgwick's lines. From that point the Third Division with one brigade of the First extended in a long, weak line to the river above Banks's Ford, fronting to the west; the remainder of the First Division — little more than a picket line in strength — faced to the south and extended eastward till it joined Howe's Second Division, which was Btni in the rear of the Fredericksburg hights and facing them, its front being to the east. Thus disposed the Sixth Corps formed three sides of a vast, irregular quadrangle, with a total frontage of more than six miles. 152 THE ARMY UNDER HOOKER. I Little sleep came to the men as they lay on their arms through the night. Early in the evening word was brought that the Thirty-sixth, who had thrown o£E knapsacks and haversacks to charge the hights in the morning, were still without food, and in a short time the well-filled haversacks of the Thirty-seventh had contributed a generous supply, and from the moment of that simple act the friendship between the two regiments was of the warmest nature. Directly in front, and some 500 yards dis- tant, were the woods into which the Confederates had retired, pursued by the fire of the Federal batteries, and which had been set on fire by the bursting shells. The cries of the wounded could be plainly heard, and the feeling that they had been burned in the flames haunted many a brain long after the last flicker had died away. The morning of the 4th found the situation unchanged, and not till afternoon were there serious demonstrations on either side. Occasionally a rebel skirmish line would show itself from the edge of the woods, but invariably received a sharp greeting from the Union pickets and artillery, and once or twice when a line of battle also appeared a wave of fire burst from the rifles of the Thirty-seventh, and the shelter of the forest was promptly resumed. General Sedgwick had repeatedly acquainted General Hooker with his situation, and asked cooperation from the main army; but the only response was in effect that the Sixth Corps must take care of itself, and the Federal guns at Chancellorsville remained dumb, while reinforcements poured back from Lee's army and enveloped the isolated corps, threatening each moment to crush in its frail sides. Early's scattered division had been, collected and reinforced, and had taken possession again of the hights above the city from which it had been driven. A deter- mined attempt to crush Howe's division and cut the corps off from the river followed, and Neill's brigade was broken, but the Vermont Brigade, with its accustomed bravery, saved the field. As the day neared its close, the Thirty-seventh could hear the sullen mutterings of the battle-storm as it closed in around them, till they seemed to be surrounded by a vast circle of hostile fire. Beyond the woods in their front the arrival of rein- RBTBEAT OF THE SIXTH CORPS. 153 forcements could be constantly heard; cheer answered cheer, and a brass-band played the favorite Southern airs with an energy which left no doubt of the Confederate elation over the situation. The rank and file of that exposed quadrangle "realized well the danger of their situation, but there was no uneasiness, no despair. They were in the hands of oflBcers whom they could trust — whom they did trust implicitly on the field of battle, and many a man in his own way expressed the unwavering conviction that General Sedgwick would take care of the corps, and Colonel Edwards would be sure to do the best possible for his beloved regiment. Finally the crisis came. It was almost dusk, and it was known tbat the line was to be evacuated as soon as darkness would cover the movement from observation. The pressure in front had been growing stronger and was applied more frequently. Again the Confederate skirmishers came out from their woody covert, and again they were met by a sharp fire, but this time they did not retire. On they came through the growing dusk, and behind them came line after line of battle, showing the purpose of McLaws to strike a crushing blow. The time had come to move! Fortunately dusk had come with it, and the enemy, checked by the admirable fire of the skirmish line, composed of Companies D and P, advanced so slowly that an orderly retreat to the vicinity of the bridge near Banks's Ford was made without loss, where the corps was concentrated to await permission from Hooker to recross the river. The safety of the Thirty-seventh evoked the most lively satis- faction at corps head-quarters, since from its peculiarly exposed position it had been feared that it must be cut off, but the most remarkable fact was that the skirmish line had been able to do so valiant work in delaying the advance of the enemy and still bring away every man. The admirable steadiness and efiBciency of Company F had been closely watched and warmly praised by their comrades in the regimental line, but the position of Com- pany D was not so favorable for observation. The latter, which had rejoined the regiment while waiting to cross the river three or four days before^ had served at Sixth Coi-ps head-quarters 154 THE ARMY UNDEK HOOKER. after Franklin's retirement, and had been much flattered by warm compliments bestowed by General Hooker on one of his visits to General Sedgwick. Captain Plagg had given especial attention to the skirmish drill, and in recognition of this fact his command was deployed to cover the angle to the left of Company F's line on the regiment's front and right. After the line was established it was supported by Company H and rein- forced by four companies from other regiments. No loss was suffered by the skirmishers in retreating, but as the first halt was made near the bridge a member of Company H, — Jonas H. Thayer of Belchertown, — died suddenly from ex- haustion. His comrades, much affected, prepared as suitable a grave in the bed of a gully as circumstances permitted, loosen- ing the earth with their bayonets and performing the last sad rites while the Confederate shells whistled savagely overhead and the moonlight struggled fitfully through the broken clouds. Decidedly the most uncomfortable position of the entire cam- paign was that of waiting in the darkness for orders to recross the river. The enemy, not quite daring to press the retiring corps in earnest, amused themselves by keeping up an artillery fire directed at the bridge, but a providential ridge of ground saved the pontons from being struck, and finally, long after mid- night, the disorganized column crept silently across to the Stafford side and the battle of Salem Church was ended. In the matter of casualties, remarkably good fortune had at- tended the Thirty-seventh. Company K had lost Corporal Dennis Driscoll of Springfield and Private Michael Conway of Chelsea mortally wounded, besides which some 25 wounds, mostly slight, were reported. OHAPTEE VIII. TO GETTYSBURG. AFTER THE DEFEAT. — ^THE SKIRMISH WITH A. P. HILL. — THE IfORTHWAKD MOVEMEKT. — EXIT HOOKER, ENTER MEADE. — THE MARCH TO THE BATTLE-FIELD. General Sedgwick, haying safely crossed the Eappahannock, halted his corps near the river to await further developments — so near, in fact, that some of the men were wounded the follow- ing day by the scattering artillery fire from the other side. Rations and ammunition were supplied, mails were distributed and the usual quota of letters written to anxious friends at home, after which the soldiers shivered through a very uncomfortable storm for two days and blankly wondered "what next." The battle was not to be renewed. General Lee, having driven Sedg- wick from the dangerous position in the Confederate rear, once more consolidated his army in front of Hooker and on the mpm- ing of the 6th of May his skirmishers pushed forward to develop the Federal position and renew the battle. They failed to find an active enemy — only the Union dead and wounded remained on that side the river. The swollen, discolored river once more rolled between the hostile armies, the Confederates reoccupied the old line of fortifications, and the loyal army was disposed practically as before. The Thirty-seventh returned to Camp Edwards on the 8th, making a spiritless, wearisome march, though the distance was only some eight miles. The experiences of the ten days of ceaseless activity and battle, followed by the drenching storm, had not been productive of exuberant physical energy. Fortu- nately the camp was found intact, the men having merely removed the canvas coverings of their huts; when these were replaced, with 156 TO GETTYSBUEG. such new dispositions as the casualties of the campaign had ne- cessitated, the regiment immediately found itself very comfort- ably at home. The usual camp routine was at once resumed, the first battalion drill being varied by a short address from the colonel, warmly expressing his satisfaction with the conduct of his command during the recent experiences. Company D speedily provided itself with quarters the exact counterpart of the others, and evergreens were displayed in profusion in the different streets, though there was the ever-present likelihood that each day in the comfortable camp might be the last. Severe as was the disappointment in the army over the out- come of the movement which had opened with so much of promise, there was nothing of demoralization manifest. Apart from the disaster to General Howard's command, the field had been bravely fought, and it was known that the victory had been won by the enemy at terrible cost. Naturally the Eleventh Corps received an unjust award of blame for their unfortunate defeat and dispersion. So intense was this feeling that for a time the mere sight of the crescent corps badge was hateful to the rest of the army. With the feeling that upon this one corps the onus of the defeat should be placed, and with especial pride in the work of the Sixth Corps in carrying the dreaded bights and making so gal- lant a fight in their effort to reach the main army, the soldiery settled down once more to the routine of camp life with their confidence in the final result unshaken. Chancellorsville had been a great improvement upon Fredericksburg — sooner or later the fortunes of war would bring the two armies together on equal ground, then should the true test of battle come. Thus feeling, the loyal army maintained its calm hopefulness. On the Confederate side, while there was a sorrowful apprecia- tion of the cost in the loss of Jackson — Lee's most efficient lieu- tenant — and the sacrifice of the very best troops of the Confed- eracy in numbers so vast that the official report was never given to the world, there was much to be hoped from the moral effect upon outside nations. Victory again wreathed the Confederate banners after a great battle, and the sympathy of the European governments for the Southern cause must be intensified. Already FOREIGN SYMPATHY WITH SECESSION. 157 this had reached a point intensely dangerous to the United States. While only the Pope of Rome had oflBoially recognized the Confederate government, every considerable power in Europe with the exception of Russia, while nominally neutral, was act- ually in sympathy with secession. While British ports were sending out Confederate cruisers to destroy American commerce and blockade runners to supply the waning resources of the in- surgents, France, in the persou of Maximilian, had planted the standard of monarchy on Mexican soil and was watering it with the blood of those who dared to oppose the propagation of des- potism. Surely it could not be long till this half -covert cooperation must break forth in public recognition, in which the nations of the world should join, and the success of the rebellion be won at last. Thus hoped the people of the South — thus feared those loyal to the Federal government. So general was this feeling of hope on the- Southern side that the pickets could not refrain from shouting it across the river, coupled often with taunting inquiries as to the purposes of the Federal commander. " Say, Yank, when is Old Joe Hooker coming over the river again ?' would be shouted across to the northern bank. " He isn't coming over next time," might be the quizzical reply; " he's only going to send Uncle John Sedgwick over with two com- panies of the Sixth Corps while the rest of us watch him clean you fellers out!" Not a little such badinage occurred between the opposing picket lines, generally ending good-naturedly as it began, but sometimes the whistle of a bullet would warn some sburp-tongued Yankee that he had touched a sensitive point in his interlocutor's nature. General Hooker's army was now much reduced in numbers. The total loss at Chancellorsville had been 17,197, — of which the Sixth Corps, leading all the others, had sustained 4,601. Some of these had been " missing " at the close of the battle and afterward returned, while others were but slightly wounded and soon reported for duty; but the permanent loss could not have been less than 15,000, while the term of service of the nine- months' and two-years' troops — the latter to the number of over 30,000 having been furnished by New York — was about expir- 158 TO GETTYSBUEQ. ing. From these two causes the Army of the Potomac had already lost or would within a few weeks lose considerably more than a third of its numbers. The army under Lee, on the con- trary, was at this time strengthened by reinforcements and es- pecially by the return of Longstreet. The latter had been dis- patched soon after the battle of Fredericksburg to operate against General J. J. Peck at Suffolk, who with a small force was protecting the land approaches to Norfolk. Disappointed in his hope of surprising that vigilant officer, and unable to carry his defenses by assault, Longstreet spent the winter and early spring in a series of siege operations which proved so inef- fective that they were finally abandoned on the 3d of May — the day of the fierce struggle between the rival armies on the Kap- pahannock. The Confederate army, augmented in numbers and elated over the recent victory, was now organized into three corps under Lieutenant-Generals Longstreet, A. P. Hill and Ewell respect- ively. Each corps consisted of 13 or 14 brigades in three divisions, the major-generals commanding the divisions being: In Longstreet's corps, McLaws, Pickett and Hood; in Hill's corps, Anderson, Heth and Pender; in Ewell's corps. Early, Bodes and Johnson. The eight brigades of cavalry formed a corps under the command of General J. E. B. Stuart. This was the army with which Lee was to make the most important mili- tary move in the history of the rebellion, — ably officered, admi- rably organized, inspirited by a long series of victories, supj-eme- ly confident as to the future. Clearly it was not the policy of the commander of such an army to act on the defensive. The foreign sentiment, from which so much was expected, would look for vigorous efforts on the part of the Confederacy to win a place among the nations of the earth. The apathy, the dis- couragement, the secession sympathy at the North might by a single brilliant stroke be so intensified as to paralyze the national | government and force the abandonment of the war for the Union. It needed no prophet to show that before the hardest came the Confederacy would be in serious need of supplies, while the rich farming lands of Maryland and Pennsylvania, only a few days' ONCE MORE ACROSS THE RIVER. 159 march away, abounded in food for man and beast. Here were three good reasons for the invasion of the North, and there were possibilities behind them which the eye of faith could easily discern of dazzling brightness. An offensive campaign was decided upon. As early as the 20th of May the authorities at Washington were warned of the intended invasion, and General Hooker sus- pected the purpose of his antagonist on the 38th, but it was not till the 3d of June that the mutual watchfulness changed to ac- tivity. On that day Ewell's corps of the Confederate army began to move toward Culpeper Court House, where Stuart's cavalry covered Lee's left, and General Hooker at once set about penetrating the design of his adversary. In the camp of the Thirty-seventh that peculiar activity which had come to be recognized by the dullest intellect as the prelude to " marching orders," had been noticed for some time. On the 2d and 3d of the month the brigade had been drilled by Colonel Edwards, and at 2 o'clock of the morning of the 4th the regi- ment was called from slumber to pack up everything and be ready to leave camp at 5 o'clock with eight days' rations. The preparations were promptly made and the order to move awaited, but it did not come till early morning of the 6th, when camp was finally broken. "The model camp of the Army of the Potomac," it had often been called, — to which memory would often turn, but which was never again to be visited by the departing braves! The line of march was once more to the familiar "Franklin's Crossing," below Fredericksburg, where the command halted along the Kiverside road. Howe's division had already crossed the Eappahannock, the earthworks on the opposite bank being swept with such a can- nonade that not a head could be raised above them to offer opposition till the bridges were completed, and the Federal soldiers rushed across and captured the demoralized post with scarcely the firing of a shot. A rapid advance of the skirmish line, while it showed that the enemy was wholly unprepared for the visitation, also revealed him in what seemed full force, and this being the object of the reconnaisaancej the two commands 160 , TO GETTYSBURG. assumed a defiant attitude and waited. A heavy thunder-storm in the afternoon drenched everything effectually, and through the night and the following day only an occasional picket shot or a brief artillery duel broke the monotony. A detail of a thousand men was made from the brigade on the evening of the 7th to cross the river and construct intrench- ments, of which number the Thirty-seventh furnished 350, following this detail by that of 100 more to support a battery. The fatigue party worked faithfully, though very silently, through the night, and morning light showed to the surprised Confederates a line of earthworks extending from the Bernard ruins far above the bridge head. These works were continually strengthened during the day, notwithstanding the artillery pro- tests from the hights, which did no material damage. Thus far, and for three days following, the regimental head-quarterS were on the north bank of the river, though the men were almost in- cessantly on duty. On the evening of the 10th the brigade crossed the bridges, taking up a position in the rear of the en- trenched line, relieving a portion of the troops who had been doing service there. Constant details were now made for duty on the skirmish line, and the men, who were already thoroughly wearied, had little opportunity for rest day or night. Although a general quiet prevailed, with the exception of occasional artillery firing, the rival picket lines watched each other closely. On the left, in the vicinity of the Bernard house, there was no firing, and as the lines were but a few yards apart, exchanges of papers, tobacco and coffee were occasionally made, till strict orders to the con- trary were issued by the Union officers. Toward Hazel Run, on the right, however, there had been sharp and incessant picket firing, in which the Confederates had the advantage. The buildings used as^ coverts by their riflemen were torn to pieces by the Federal artillery, without effect; but finally a detachment of the Second company of Massachusetts sharp-shooters, under Lieutenant L. E. Bicknell, were brought over to apply lex talionis, which they did so effectually that the annoyance ceased, a flag of truce from the Confederates humbly asking for mercy. LEE AGAIN MOVES NORTHWARD. 161 Thus in a state of expectant and wakeful inaction the days passed till the evening of the 13th, when in a heavy rain the division recrossed to the north bank, climbed the Stafford hills out of artillery range, where with everything about them soaked by the incessant pouring, the men enjoyed the first unbroken sleep for nearly two weeks. The skirmish line had not been notified of the contemplated withdrawal till their companions were safely across and the bridges taken up, when they were quietly retired and taken over in boats. Scarcely a inan was left behind, hut Lieutenant Loomis had a very narrow escape from that unpleasant fate. He was posted at the extreme right in a secluded position near Hazel Kun, and with one or two men was overlooked when the general retirement was made. Being missed he was sought for by one of General Newton's staff and discov- ered, but in the intense darkness the party missed the waiting boat and wandered about for a long time before finding means of crossing the river. On reaching his regiment about daylight, the lieutenant was greeted as one recovered from the dead. A movement of the Union cavalry toward Culpeper by the way of Beverly and Kelly's Fords had encountered the Confederates in such strength as to convince Hooker that his suspicions of the rebel intentions were correct. The indecisive cavalry action at Beverly Ford, or Fleetwood, was followed by the advance of the Third Corps up the Rappahannock in pursuance of the positive instructions from Washington, insisting that in no event must the national Capital be uncovered. In the mean time, the Con- federate movement was being pushed with characteristic energy. Ewell's corps moved from Culpeper through the Blue Ridge at Chester Gap, thence by way of Port Royal toward Winchester, where on the 13th the advance confronted some 10,000 Federals under General Milroy. That oflBcer, underestimating the strength of the force moving against him, hesitated at first to retire with- out offering battle, and when two days later he became convinced of the folly of resistance, a large part of his men were sur- rounded and captured in the effort to escape. On the same day that Milroy'a force was demolished Jenkins's cavalry, feeling the way for the advance of the invaders, penetrated as far as Cham- 1G3 TO GETTTSBtTRG. bersburg, Pa., whence they fell back to Hagerstown and en- camped. The Washington government was now awake to the gravity of the situation, and President Lincoln called for 100,000 militia from the nearest states to repel the invasion.' The response was so tardy and ineflBcient as to show the wavering condition of public sentiment. Well might Lee's battle-hardened legions ignore the militia of the northern states as a factor in the great problem they were to undertake. On the 31st Ewell crossed the Potomac at Williamsport and Shepardstown, and on the 27th his divided column had on the one hand pushed for- ward its advance to within four miles of Harrisburg, the Penn- sylvania Capital, while the division under Early had reached Wrightstown, opposite Columbia on the Susquehanna. A small force of militia was assembled at the latter place, and saved the city by burning the railroad bridge across the river, a fine struc- ture over a mile in length. The village of Wrightstown was fired by the conflagration but the Confederates extinguished the flames and made no effort to cross the river. Hill, finding that he was relieved of the pressure of the Sixth Corps on his front, followed rapidly by the Shenandoah valley route. Long- street placing his corps on the east side of the Blue Ridge tp guard the passes and protect the flank of the marching column, — ^then following in turn and forming the Confederate rear. A sharp cavalry fight at Aldie on the 17th had developed the rebel position sufficiently to give Hooker a clear conception of the purpose of his antagonist and his own army was moved promptly and efficiently to check and defeat the wily schemes of the Southern commander. We left the Thirty-seventh regiment sleeping in their wet blankets on the water-soaked earth, enjoying a profound slumber which continued till bugle and drum sounded the signal for the march toward Washington. And such a march ! Considerable rain had fallen, and over the muddy Virginia roads the great army had been moving with its multitude of horses,, wagons, artillery and amhulances. Let the reader who does not realize from actual participation picture one vast expanse of mud, in the midst of which runs a poorly defined highway, "for in the search A GLANOE AT THE LINE OF MAECH. 163 for better footing thousands of men and horses and wheels have made common way of the bordering lands. Far as the eye can reach a great blue throng surges hither and thither, but who can say whether it recedes or advances? No cavalry are there, for they are away on the outskirts, engaged in many a deed of daring, but infantry, artillery, ponton and wagon trains are mingled in one mass of confusion. The soft mud almost engulfs the heavily loaded wagons, and the ponderous wheels of the gun carriages sink deep in the mire. The drivers whip and scream and swear — principally the latter — and not infrequently the pressing infantry come in for a share of the maledictions. Nor are the latter backward in consigning to a place where no artil- lery could possibly be used the unwieldy vehicles which block the way. If the region is level and unobstructed the infantry take to the fields and make reasonable progress, but here is a defile through which all must pass, and the mud is especially deep. A great Parrot gun blocks the way, stuck fast in the slime. The horses and drivers and tugging artillerists who are striving to rescue their beloved piece occupy all the available room, and only now and then a common soldier can dodge past. Meanwhile the pouring infantry fill all the approaches, and when at length the cannon roUs on there is a rush from the im- patient mass. Fortunate, indeed, if some luckless comrade does not lose his footing and roll over and over in the half-liquid sea. A few pass, and then another gun or cassion or wagon lurches into the same slough, and the struggle is repeated as the long day wears itself away. But at such a time day and night are alike, in so far that they must be subordinated to the orders of the general commanding. The corps must be at a designated point at a specified time, whether five hours or twenty be required to make the distance. At 5 in the afternoon, on that 14th of June, the corps reached Stafford Court House, and halted for five hours, when the tramp was resumed. All through the night the column crept on at a snail's pace, the men keeping ever a sharp lookout for the bright camp-fires which would announce the approaching bivouac. But no camp-fires were lighted that night, and morn- 164 TO GETTYSBURG. ing found the command at Aquia Creek, where a halt was made for breakfast. But not for rest! Not yet. Just a few moments in which to breathe after swallowing their coffee, and then " Forward!" once more on the interminable road. The sun rose bright and clear and a sultry day ensued. Like magic the mud dried and crumbled under the multitude of feet, and a choking cloud of dust arose and settled in volume on every perspiring face and hand. It penetrated everywhere — eyes, nose, mouth and lungs, all were filled; thirst became in- tolerable, but water was not to be had. Even if by good fortune a little spring or stream was discovered, in a moment the banks were trampled and the water all too soon lost its purity and be- came mere liquid mud from the struggles of the rushing hun- dreds who swarmed about it, eager only to touch a finger's tip in the cool mass, if it was no longer possible to moisten the parch- ing throat with the undrinkable mixture. Dumfries was reached at noon, and on a south-sloping hill- side, on the parched ground in the terrible glare of the sun, the men threw themselves to sleep, glad> even of that opportuniry. At midnight the march was resumed, and with a brief halt in the morning for coffee it was continued till noon, when Wolf Run Shoals on the Occaquan was reached. There a halt was made of some three hours, and very grateful was even that brief breathing spell to the exhausted men. There was opportunity for bathing their blistered feet in the clear waters of the creek, for cooling the throbbing temples and drinking satisfying draughts. Here was the outer line of the Washington defenses, garrisoned at this point by the Vermont nine-months' brigade of General Stannard, who had succeeded to the command of Colonel Stoughton, captured in his bed a few months before. The two commands mingled with hearty good fellowship, for the common home in New England made them feel an addi- tional fraternity. Marching a few miles farther toward evening, bivouac was made near Fairfax Station, where the regiment remained all day of the 17th, the men generally making the most of their respite from the wearisome marches recently endured. COLONEL EDWARDS QUELLS A REVOLT. 165 Quit&an exciting incident occurred during the day, which at one time- threatened serious results, but through the good offices of the Thirty-seventh bloodshed was averted. Trouble had arisen in the camp of the Thirty-sixth New York, quite a num- ber of the members — dissatisfaction which had existed for some time being intensified by whisky which they had somehow ob- tained — refusing to do further duty, claiming that their time of enlistment had expired. The provost marshal was called upon and went among the men, striving to restore subordination, but he was promptly knocked down, when he called upon Colonel Edwards for assistance. The latter formed his regiment so quickly and silently that some of its exhausted members were left asleep on the ground but a few yards away, hastened to the scene and formed square about the revolters. They were then informed by Colonel Edwards that they would be required to serve till the expiration of the full two years of the last com- pany of their regiment mustered into the United States service, and were given the alternative of stepping five paces to the front in signification of acceptance or of being put under arrest. Without much hesitation the entire command stepped forward, though earnestly asserting afterward that they would have fought any other regiment than the Thirty-seventh. Next day, the 18th, the regiment marched to Fairfax Court House, and tents were pitched on the battle-field of Chantilly, not far from the spot where the brave Kearney fell. The march, though little more than five miles, was very trying, the day being sultry and intensely hot, so that many of the men fell from the ranks vrith sun-stroke or exhaustion. The location was far from an agreeable one, since both fuel and water were difficult to obtain, and the latter very poor when got, but six days were passed in this vicinity with slight changes of position, in perpetual suspense as to what the next hour might bring, and with no more exciting event than an assembly of the brigade on the 33d to witness the drumming out of camp of a worthless member of the Tenth regiment. During this time General Hooker had been anticipating an attempt on Washington from the west by the Confederates, but it was now evident that they were 166 TO GETTYSBURG. moving into Pennsylvania, and in that direction the Army of the Potomac began to seek them. The Thirty-seventh marched to the vicinity of Centreville, some six miles, on the afternoon of the 24th, and the following day relieved a brigade, now ordered to join the Second Corps, which had for nearly a year, since entering the service, been very comfortably quartered there, enjoying all the luxuries of soldier life with few of its trials. While they had abandoned great quantities of camp conveniences, which the Thirty-seventh hastened to possess themselves of, it was remarkable to see the enormous knapsacks which the men started out with the inten- tion of carrying on the sweltering marches before them. Their burdens were very much lightened before many miles had been passed. In the course of the day the regiment was comfortably settled with tents pitched near the old earthworks, fitted up in many instances with the equipage abandoned by the departing troops. Every foot of the ground in the vicinity was historic, and the men inspected with much interest the weather-worn intrenchments and the numerous soldiers' graves near by. De- spite the rain which fell at night, a feeling of intense satisfaction prevailed. There was erery indication that the regiment was to remain for a time in that place on permanent duty — which would be a very agreeable relief from active campaigning. Alas for the soldiers' expectations ! At 2 o'clock that night the familiar tones of Adjutant Colt were heard as he stumbled through the darkness to the different company head-quarters, calling out as each in turn was reached : " Captain, wake up your men, have them pack everything, make their coffee and be ready to march at 4 o'clock!" There was many an exclamation of disgust as the command turned out into the drizzling rain, folded such of their possessions as it seemed best to take upon the march, destroyed everything else that was destroyable, and theji waited till near 8 o'clock before the signal for departure was given. Dranesville, 20 miles away, was reached that night, after an exhausting journey; the gentle rain, while saving from the tortures of excessive heat, making the roads exceedingly slippery and difficult. THE FIRST RETPKIT TO MABTLANt). lUt Four o'clock next morning saw the command again under way, the day being cloudy and quite comfortable for marching. In the early part of the afternoon a halt for a couple of hours was made overlooking Edwards Ferry, where the troops in ad- vance were crossing the Potomac once more into Maryland. Far as the eye could reach vast wagon trains wound over hill and through valley, or were parked beside the road waiting their turn to join the procession, and the vivid panorama gave to many a beholder a truer realization of the- magnitude of that branch of the army service. Finally the ' tired infantry started forward once more, crossed the pontons on to loyal soil, made some three miles more, and at dusk turned into some vast clover fields, where the weary soldiers were not long in providing them- selves with luxurious couches, on which they slept soundly till the sharp notes of the reveille broke through the darkness of the waning night. The day which was dawning when the tired column resumed its way at 4 o'clock in the morning of Sunday, June 28, brought little likeness to the quiet New England Sab- bath of which many in the regiment could not help thinking by way of contrast as the tedious hours wore away. The line of march was through a fine agricultural region, where the thrift of the Maryland farmers contrasted sharply with the indifferent methods of Virginia, especially as the latter had been aggravated by two years of desolating warfare. Cherries were now ripening, and it was one of the relieving features of the march that the soldiers were occasionally able to spring into a tree loaded with the luscious fruit and gather a few handfuls, adding a delightful relish to the not especially appetizing army rations.. Very early in the morning the regiment went through Pooles- ville and later reached Barnesville, a pretty little village whose charm to the soldiers was enhanced by the fact that there for the first time since crossing into Virginia the previous Novem- ber they were greeted by smiling faces and words of sympathy. Plainly they were now in the land of friends once more, and their hearts beat with fresh courage. Hyattstown was passed in the afternoon, and some distance beyond, five miles short of its destination, the exhausted corps halted for the night. 168 TO GETTYSBURG. That evening the fact became generally known throughout the army that General Hooker was relieved of the command and succeeded by General George G. Meade, the commander of the Fifth Corps. The change produced scarcely a ripple of excite- ment among the rank and file or the minor officers. For many reasons which have been already suggested General Hooker had won the enthusiastic approval of his men; at the same time, it is but truth to say that his capacity to manage so vast a trust had come to be doubted, hampered as he was by the never coincident supervision of General Halleck. This divergence 'of views had culminated in outbreak when Hooker asked to have the garrison of Harper's Ferry, some ten or eleven thousand men under GTen- eral French, added to his advancing columns. This demand fialleck refused. Hooker asked to be relieved and the request was granted. The troops in question were at once placed under the command of General Meade, who was given entire control of the movements of the army. That General Hooker continued" to do valiant battle for his country sufficiently attested his pa- triotism — his bravery friend nor foe ever questioned. The promotion of General Meade placed the Fifth Corps under command of General Sikes, at the head of its three divisions being Generals James Barnes, R. B. Ayres and S. W. Crawford. Other changes in important commands had meantime occurred. When Lee's purpose was divined, and it was hoped to raise a strong militia force to oppose him. General Brooks, commanding the First Division of the Sixth Corps, had been placed in com- mand of the Department of the Monongahela, with head-quarters at Pittsburg, and was succeeded in the corps by General Horatio G. Wright. General Couch was also taken from the Second Corps and placed in command of the Department of the Sus- quehanna, with head-quarters at Harrisburg, General Hancock taking charge of the corps, with its three divisions commanded by Generals J. C. Caldwell, J. Gibbon and Alexander Hays. The Third Corps was consolidated to two divisions under Generals BirneyandA.A. Humphreys, the latter transferred from the Third Division, Fifth Corps. General Francis C. Barlow had succeeded General Devens in the command of the First Division, Eleventh THE ARMY UKDBB GENERAL MEADE. 169 Corps, and the cavalry corps, which had been placed in charge of General Pleasonton on the return of Stoueman from his com- paratiyely unsuccessful raid in early May, had its three divisions commanded by Generals Buford, Gregg and Kilpatrick. In the Sixth Corps, Colonel Burnham's Light Division had been abol- ished and the regiments composing it assigned to the First and Third Divisions. The charige in commanders caused not the slightest inteiTup- tion to the movements of the army, nor were the plans under which Hooker had been operating essentially modified. Those plans may be in a few words thus outlined: The Union army, marching by way of Frederick, would thence be moved rapidly northward covering all the available roads to the eastward of the South Mountain range, till the line of its march should inter- sect that of the Confederates. Then, on Freedom's soil, with no advantages save those which Nature had provided and which the genius of the respective commanders might seize upon, the mo- mentous battle would be fought. It was not later than 3 o'clock in the morning of June 29 that the slumbering regiment was aroused, the few preparations nec- essary for another day's tramp hastily made, and then for long hours they waited expectant while brigade after brifi^ade and division following division filed steadily past. Eustis's Brigade was to form the rear guard of the corps that day, and it was after 10 o'clock when the scene of bivouac was left. The long wait had worried the men not a little, as they knew that a late start meant a still later reaching of bivouac in the evening and greater personal weariness, since the rear of the column is ever the most trying position in a march. "Why couldn't we have spmit some of these seven hours in rest ?" many a poor fellow asked. "Because it wouldn't have been military!" some philosopher in the ranks was ready to reply. " You don't suppose old cares whether his men live or die!" the officer animadverted on ranging from the colonel of the regiment to the new com- mander-in-chief, according to the speaker's dislike or distrust. A few miles brought the regiment to the village of New Market, where a little incident lightened the spirits of the men 170 TO GETTYSBUKG. wonderfully. Before reaching the place cheers were heard in advance, and on entering the town two or three young ladies were discovered standing in front of their home waving small Union flags. It was an electrifying sight, and the enthusiasm which had pervaded the troops in advance was emphasized from the strong throats of the Thirty-seventh. There was no ques- tion now that they were in the land of friends. A little further on the traditional town pump was encountered, but not as had often occurred in Virginia dismantled to prevent the thirsty sol- diers from obtaining a drink of water. Its long handle was swung unceasingly up and down by a tall, tattered negro, his homely lineaments beautified by a smile of supreme happiness as he watched the surging throng before the pump, and caught their hurried words of heartfelt thanks. The sweat coursed down his massive features, for he had been thus engaged from early morning, declining all offers of assistance. "No, sol- diers," he responded, " I don' wan' no help. Put yo' cup right under there and git some water — I'll gib yo' all you want if I hab to pump up de bottom ob dis yer well!" Bless his kind heart! No man in Maryland did nobler service for the cause of his country that day. The afternoon was more or less rainy, and the progress of the column slow, so that the 28 miles which made the day's march were not completed till considerably past midnight for the regi- ments in the rear, after which, according to the custom General Hooker had instituted some time before, a day's rations were drawn from the supply wagons and distributed before the men slept. With morning light of the 30th the men were again aroused, poorly prepared by the few hburs' rest for another tedious day's march, and at 8 o'clock, after the distribution of a mail and the preparation of such food as they possessed, their onward way was resumed. There was a heavy rain-fall during the forenoon, wetting everybody completely and making the roads quite diffi- cult, though the afternoon was pleasant and comparatively comfortable for marching. Soon after noon the beautiful village of Westminster was passed through, where in the morning Gregg's cavalry had skirmished with a small force of Stuart's A CHEERLESS NKJHT MARCH. 171 Confederate Horsemen, where the 'Thirty-sixth New York regi- ment also left the brigade and started for home. That night the Sixth Corps bivouacked near Manchester, about 20 miles from the starting point of the morning. General Sedgwick had now reached the right of the position in the rear of Pipe Creek, a tributary of the Monocacy, where General Meade's plan contemplated the fighting of the decisive battle, and the following day was given to inspection and pre- paration for the expected strife. The other corps, covering the ground for thirty miles to the westward, were feeling for the enemy under instructions to fall back with a show of resistance when he should be struck, and take up position behind Pipe Creek. The opening blows of the great conflict were indeed struck while the men of the Sixth Corps were cleaning their weapons, sleeping or eating cherries about Manchester, but the outcome was so different from the anticipation that instead of remaining to fight in the position they had reached by such in- tense effort, they were called to still greater exertions in order to reach the field — to make, in fact, one of the most famous marches known to. military history; and it must be borne in mind that they were not fresh for the effort, but already sadly exhausted by nearly a month of continual skirmishing and marching, having for five days made an average of 35 miles per day through alternate rain and intense heat, followed by 34 hours of comparative rest. During the afternoon there had been a quite constant sound of cannon far to the northwest, but it only evoked the remark that the cavalry were having another brush. As dusk fell many of the men were asleep, for they were still weary, when the clat- ter of hoofs, the hurried dash of staff officers, the bustle of preparation at head-quarters, and the vigorous command to "Pack up and fall in!" drove away in a moment all hope of a refreshing night's sleep. Before the slower men are in their places, even, the column is in the road and sweeping back in the direction whence it came the previous evening. There is a hope which is more than half a belief that the destination may be Westminster, which is but ten miles away, and the men move 178 TO GETTYSBURG. out with cheerful step. Presently a kind-hearted farmer, who is giving each boy in blue a cup of milk, announces that a battle has begun at Gettysburg, nearly 40 miles away, and it is natural to suppose that to be the destination of the corps. " About 40 miles — he said it was 40 miles — and what did he call the name of the town?" goes from lip to lip, and the step which has been light becomes heavy and mechanical, and the soldiers are transformed into mere machines, to plod on as steadily as possible all the interminable night. There is no moonlight, and only a pale glimmer of the stars, half obscured by clouds; but the long column presses forward and never halts, for if it stops the men will drop into heavy slumber and may be left behind in the darkness. As it is, some of the oflScers doze in their saddles, and the men as they walk are like those moving in a dream. The night is well advanced, and the leading brigade has been toiling for miles along a narrow road, when a shouting aide presses through the struggling footmen. "Make way here,^ make way, for God's sake; you are all wrong!" Then reaching the head of a regiment : " Halt your men, colonel; you are on the wrong road!" Presently the head of the column comes slowly back, those who have dropped to sleep are roused, the regi- ment countermarches and plods back over the three or four miles that have taken so much of the soldiers' vital force all in vain. Two or three hours have been lost and six or eight miles of ground covered that the general historian will make no account of when he tells the story of the night. Morning lights the east; dawn flushes the sky; day comes in its full glory; but the column does not halt. At last the advance brigade turns from the highway, and a hundred little fires for the preparation of cofEee flash up in a moment. The water comes from a generous brook in the valley, and how grate- ful after the intense hunger is partly satisfied it will be to bathe the heated face and blistered feet in the cool stream! Vain hope! Even before the cofEee is made the bugle rings out its unwelcome call and the weary procession is resumed. The half- made coffee is swallowed on the march or carefully poured into WE ART, HUITGET, AND FOOT SOEE. 173 the canteen, for in many cases it is the only food or drink the soldier can hope to taste that day. With that care for the stomachs of his men which was characteristic of him, General Hooker had kept the army supplied with three days' rations, even on the march, the supply trains being brought up every night and food drawn for the third day in advance. In most cases the two or three days' rations which nominally were in the men's haversacks had quite disappeared, so that when under General Meade the order was issued that no more should be drawn until they were due by the commissary's records, it in effect obliged most of the enlisted men to subsist for three days on one day's allowance, supplemented by whatever individual skill or good fortune might add. Far out on either flank of the moving column the more ambitions went, searching out every dwelling that promised a mouthful of food, finding here a few cherries, there some half-ripened blackberries, and welcoming whatever would appease the cravings of hunger. These men had no money with which to buy, they could offer only a soldier's rude thanks and a promise to fight for the threatened homes when the enemy should be met; but whatevet the loyal people could spare was freely bestowed, often to the last eatable morsel. Especially was, this true of the village of Littlestowu, ten miles southeast of Gettysburg, the only place of any size through which the Sixth Corps passed that day. The inhabitants there seemed actuated by a common impulse to empty their larders for the benefit of the soldiers, but not more than a brigade or two had passed when the last of the available supply was ex- hausted and they could only lift up empty hands in blessing of those on their way to defend their homes and property. The Southern cavalry had scoured the country pretty effectu- ally during the few days of their presence, and almost from the time the Federal column entered Maryland every oflBcer who could be approached had listened to tales of especial hardship in the way of horses and other property ruthlessly appropriated with at the best no other compensation than the worthless Con- federate scrip. As one such unhappy applicant turned away from the Thirty-seventh, at a temporary halt, he exclaimed, very 174 TO GETTYSBURG. vigorously, " Well, colonel, if you can't do anything toward getting back liiy colts, I hope when your men come across the rascals they'll give them hell!" Only the participant in like experiences can realize the misery of the ceaseless march of the long, sultry hours. It was a hot, breathless July day. The sun poured down with merciless, un- broken heat, and the dust that rose in great lazy clouds from the highway enveloped man and horse, general and private alike, in its all-embracing mantle of torture. How the exhausted lungs panted for one full breath of pure, cool fresh air! Panted only to be mocked by the bitter, burning, dust-laden blast that seemed to come from the mouth of a furnace. What wonder that the sun-stroke was omnipresent along the line — that strong men gasped and staggered and fell, while the thick blood burst forth from mouth and nostrils and the tortured frame was placed tenderly in some shaded nook by comrades whose visions swam and who trembled on the verge of a like fate. But the winding column never paused, for not the life of one man but the life of the nation was at stake that day. About midday the regiments filed into the fields beside the road and the men sank upon the ground. "Make no fires, for there will be no time to cook anything — only a few minutes for rest," was the instruction as the line halted, and every moment was devoted to the relief of the painful feet and weary limbs. All too soon came the summons to fall in again, and the men struggled to their feet. They had not realized before how tired they were, how sore and stiflE their limbs. From early morning the booming artillery had proclaimed the work of death to be still in progress, and each hour as the dis- tance lessened the thunder grew louder. Already the corps was meeting the tide of wounded hastening with desperate energy to the rear — that most demoralizing experience to a body of troops approaching a battle-field. With scarcely an exception the tale they told was one of disaster to the Federal army. " You fellows will catch it; the whole army is smashed to pieces!" said more than one brawny fugitive with a bleeding arm or a bandaged head, glancing over his shoulder as though fearing the BEHOLDING THE BATTLE-FIELD. 175 pursuit of a rebel column. Oaly a few miles remain, and occa- sionally through an opening between the hills what looks like a white bank of fog can be seen. It is the smoke that hangs over the scene of the great contest. There is a sharp hill in advance over which the pike winds, and when its crest is reached the field will be in view. The word runs back along the line, and what a transformation is wrought! Gone now the fatigue, the weariness forgotten; the blood bounds once more in the veins, the muscles harden, the eyes flash! Down into the valley — up the sharp ascent beyond, and with eager eyes the men of the Sixth Corps look upon the greatest battle of the rebellion. Yet it is not much that they see. A low range of hights, battery- crowned and partially wooded, with masses of soldiers that look like threads of blue drawn at hap-hazard across the green of the landscape; a cloud of smoke about the batteries at the left, with now and anon the white pufE of a bursting shell — then they go down the slope, across Kock Creek, and turn into the fields beside the Baltimore pike on which they have been marching. "Eest!" is the brief and welcome command, and they drop on the un- shaded ground, glowing with heat, though it is. Here and there one, less exhausted than his fellows, gathers as many can- teens as he can carry and starts for a supply of water — a precau- tion that must not be neglected. A canteen of water is the wounded man's best friend, and who can tell what the remaining hours of the declining day may have in store? The column proper has halted, indeed, but there is no cessation of the pro- cession coming up the pike. The thousands who have been un- able to keep pace with the swiftly moving corps throng the high- way in groups and masses, all actuated by a common motive — to find their respective commands and do their duty. The record of the Thirty-seventh in regard to straggling on this occasion is one to which it may well revert with pride. Out of its over 600 men only seven were absent when the roll was called on halting. AU too short has been the interval of rest, when a staff officer dashes down the turnpike. There is a momentary consultation, a hurrying here and there of orderlies, then the command, sliarp and clear, " Fall in !" To their feet spring those who a few 176 TO GETTYSBURG. minutes before seemed helpless from exhaustion. Forgotten the pain, ignored the stifEness of limb, for help is needed, and never did the Sixth Corps fail at the call of duty. As by magic the line is formed, but the march is no longer by the broad high- way; it is down across the fields and thence up into the forest toward Weed's Hill, where Sickles and his Third Corps are in a death grapple with the Confederates under Longstreefc. There are hundreds of objects which attest the presence of the great battle-field — groups of men in gray guarded by those in blue, disabled cannon which have been dragged back from the front, and the other debris of war. The men can only glance at them as they go hurrying past. How heroically they hold their places — those sons of New England who after such mighty efforts to reach the scene are now going up toward the smoking crest to face death, mutilation, — all the horrible chances of the battle! Presently a messenger comes galloping back from General Sedgwick,' who is at the front. " Tell Colonel Eustis to bring up his brigade as soon as possible!" These words mean some- thing, coming from that source. "Double-quick!" is the simple order, and the Thirty-seventh, which is leading the bri- gade, dashes forward in fine array with never a lagging step. , "Fix bayonets!" and with a clash and clatter the steel is fitted to every musket, in readiness to force its way through whatever may oppose. In a few minutes Little Round Top is reached, the column is changed quickly to line of battle, the right rest- ing close to General Sedgwick's head-quarters, thence extending back of the crest toward the southeast, ready for any duty which may be required. The fierce struggle of the afternoon was dying away with the daylight, only the occasional dropping of a bullet in the forest — one of which killed a sergeant of the Tenth regiment — showed to the waiting line how near it was to the scene of active service. In that position the men laid on their arms that night, and most of them slept soundly, notwithstanding the surroundings and the ceaseless procession of stretcher-bearers passing through the line of the Thirty-seventh with their ghastly burdens. CHAPTER IX. THE TURN OF THE TIDE. THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBUEG. — THE THIETT-SEVBKTH TRIED BY FIRE. — THE PURSUIT OF LEE. — CLIMBIKG THE MOUNTAINS. — ONCE MORE IN VIRGINIA. General Lee became couvinced on the 28th of June that the rapid northward movement of the Army of the Potomac would cut off his communications with Virginia and seriously imperil his command should he cross the Susquehanna, as he had con- templated, and a concentration of his forces in the direction of Gettysburg was ordered to begin the following day. At that time Early's division of Ewell's corps was at York, to the north- east of Gettysburg, the other two divisions of the same corps at Carlisle, north of Gettysburg, and the two corps of Hill and Longstreet at Chambersburg on the west. Hill and Ewell moved leisurely toward the point of concentration and Longstreet pre- pared to follow. Meanwhile from the south and southeast the Union troops were approaching the same spot. General Meade, with the intention before referred to of fighting on the line of Pipe Creek, if possible, had established his head-quarters with the Second Corps at Taneytown, due south from Gettysburg. The Fifth and Twelfth corps were at Hanover, east of Gettys- burg, the Sixth at Manchester, while the Third at Emmettsburg supported the advance of the First and Eleventh toward Gettys- burg from that point. General Buford occupied Gettysburg with his cavalry division on the 29th, pushing out pickets on the different roads running in the direction of the enemy, and awaited the arrival of General Reynolds. Shortly after 9 o'clock of July 1, the advance of Heth's division of Hill's corps began to press the Union cavalry 178 THE TURN OF THE TIDE. on the Chambersburg turnpikCj but a skillful use of Buford's artillery held them on the other side of Willoughby Run till General Reynolds arrived on the scene with the two brigades of Wadsworth's division of the First Corps. Cutler's brigade was formed across and on both sides of the pike, while the " Iron " Brigade commanded by General Meredith, went into position on its left and in the rear of the seminary which gave its name to the gentle sweU' of land between the scene of conflict and the village. The formation of the Union line had taken place un- der fire, and a desperate conflict at once opened, in which the Confederates met with serious loss. There General Archer and 800 of his brigade were captured by a flank move of the Iron Brigade, and two Mississippi regiments of Davis's brigade were obliged to surrender in the railroad cut parallel to the pike in which they had taken position; but all the Federal success was more than counterbalanced by the loss of the noble General Reynolds, killed by a sharpshooter's bullet at the very moment of greatest promise. The command of the field now devolved upon General Doubleday, who had come up with the other divisions of the First Corps, and soon his entire force was hotly engaged. The advance of Rodes's division of Bwell's corps was coming in on the Carlisle road, and connecting with Hill's left it extended the line of battle far around and beyond the Union right. General Paul's brigade very neatly captured three regiments of Iverson's North Carolinians, and the Union troops fought desperately and successfully against the immensely supe- rior numbers that pressed them. About 1 o'clock the Eleventh Corps came up, and General Howard, by virtue of his rank, assumed command of the field, turning his corps over temporarily to General Carl Schurz. The Eleventh was composed of three divisions of two brigades each. One division — Stein wehr's — was posted as a reserve on Cemetery Hill to the eastward of Gettysburg, while the other two were thrown into position to prolong the Union line around to the northward of the village. This line was now three miles in length, facing in two directions at nearly right angles, every- where weak, and swept by the Confederate artillery posted on THE FIRST DAT AT GETTYSBURG. 179 the commaoiding eminence of Oak Hill. The weakest point was at the junctioii of the two corps, or where the junction should have been, for they do not seem to have connected, and here Rodes forced in his division like a wedge and broke the right of the First and the left of the Eleventh Corps. Then the whole Confederate line pressed forward and crumbled the opposing force by the power of its blows, pushing on through the town, capturing several thousand prisoners and finally halting for the night at the base of Cemetery Ridge. As soon as General Meade was apprised of the severity of the conflict and the death of General Reynolds, he sent forward General Hancock, who was with him at Taneytown, with in- structions to assume command at the front. Hancock nobly displayed his powers as a commander in rallying the fugitives that came pouring over Cemetery Hill, forming them in connec- tion with the small reserve already there in such firm array as to discourage the further advance of the Confederates. General Slocum arrived on the scene with the two divisions of the Twelfth Corps late in the afternoon, strengthening and extend- ing the Union line, and turning over to him the command at the front, General Hancock rode back to Taneytown to consult with General Meade. On the way he met his own Second Corps, which Meade had ordered forward, and placed it in reserve as a protection to the flank and rear of the main position. The Third Corps under General Sickles also came up about the same time and went into position on the left. General Stannard's brigade of Vermonters likewise reached the scene and took position with Doubleday's division of the First Corps, to which they were assigned. Their ranks were full, and though they had never borne the test of battle, and their nine-months' term of service had almost expired, they were to prove themselves soldiers of the most heroic mold. On reaching head-quarters General Hancock found that the Fifth and Sixth Corps had been ordered up, and Meade's dispo- sition to fight at Gettysburg was strengthened by Hancock's report of the strong defensive position now occupied by the portion of the Federal army already on the field. At 1 o'clock 180 THE TURir OF THE TIDE. that night Meade reached the scene, and early morning of the 3d of July saw the two armies facing each other and waiting for the terrible test which was now certain to come. From the village of Gettysburg radiate no less than 11 import- ant roads, and that the reader may correctly appreciate the relative positions of the armies and the more striking topograph- ical features, he will suppose himself approaching the town by the Baltimore turnpike, by which the last part of the journey of the Sixth Corps to the spot was made. A mile southeast of the center of the town he will pause at the top of a considerable eminence, known as Cemetery Hill, its summit on the left of the beholder being occupied by Evergreen Cemetery, the village burying-place. Something more than two miles away as the bird flies, almost due south, rises the round wooded brow of Round Top, 164 feet higher than the crown of Cemetery Hill; a half-mile north of Round Top is a secondary elevation known as Little Round Top or Weed's Hill, 116 feet lower than the parent mountain, but still 48 feet higher than the cemetery, with which it is connected by an elevation or swell in some parts sinking so nearly to the common level as to require the practiced eye of an engineer to locate. To the rear, however, the slope was more pronounced, affording admirable shelter for the reserves, trains, hospitals and the like. Nearly parallel and about a mile to the westward of the range just described rose another, not so com- manding in hight and less broken in outline, with its crest almost entirely wooded, extending in nearly a direct line north and south far as the eye could reach, known as Seminary Ridge. The valley between these two ranges broadens and stretches away toward the eastward at the village of Gettysburg, sweeping around to the northward of Gulp's Hill, the latter a rocky, wooded, irregular eminence breaking back toward the rear a half-mile to the northeast of the cemetery. Along this valley run the lines of Swell's corps — the left of Lee's army — extending through the village and connecting at Seminary Ridge with the center under Hill. Here the Confederate line bent southward, following the course of the bights and connecting with the right under Longstreet, the latter's command reaching down opposite THE BATTLE OF THE SECOND DAT. 181 to Round Top; Longstreet and Hill faced nearly east, Ewell almost south. Cemetery Hill, commanding in hight every other eminence in the vicinity except the Round Tops and unlike them admirably adapted to occupation by bodies of soldiers and commanding every road entering Gettysburg, had been marked by the trained eye of General Reynolds when he rode rapidly to the front as the key point of the entire field, and by his direction Stein wehr's division was posted there when Howard's command came into action. On this reserve the broken battalions had been rallied as they streamed back through the town, and from this starting point had been built a battle front which the stoutest hearted chieftain might well hesitate to attack. The right of the Union line on Gulp's Hill was formed by the Twelfth Corps, hastily in- trenched in a position so naturally strengthened by rocks and by the swampy borders of Rock Creek at the right that it seemed almost impregnable. The First and Eleventh Corps, or what was left of them, prolonged the line to and covering Cemetery Hill, from whose commanding hight batteries looked grimly forth in command of the neighboring valleys, the town and all its approaches. The First Corps, commanded by General Double- day during the first day, had now been placed under General Newton, who had left his own Third Division of the Sixth Corps in charge of General Wheaton, the latter's brigade in turn com- manded by Colonel Nevin of the Sixty-second New York. South of the cemetery Hancock's Second Corps was placed, the Fifth, which arrived early in the morning of the 2d after a sharp night's march, being in reserve, while General Sickles's Third Corps formed the Union left. Here was the critical point in the Union line. General Sick- les, ordered to place his corps in the best position, found that at this point the center of the valley proper along which the Em- mettsbnrg road ran was really higher ground than that in the rear which would have continued the Federal line directly toward Little Round Top, and there he placed his two divisions. This disposition of the corps has been much criticised, but it seems doubtful if with the force at his command Sickles could have 183 THE TUKJT OF THE TIDE. made a wiser one. Had the impetuous blow of Longstreet tliat afternoon been received with the corps in the direct line to Little Round Top the line must have been weaker, it could scarcely have failed to yield before the assault, throwing both those commanding eminences into the hands of the enemy, whicJi would instantly have rendered the whole Federal position un- tenable. Yet there was a fatal weakness in the formation of the corps, since after extending along the road to a peach orchard almost directly in front of Little Round Top and a mile distant it bent back at a sharp angle and ran toward that hill, ending "in the air," as the right of the Eleventh Corps had done at Chancellorsville. These points were noted by the Con- federates, and Longstreet prepared to attack, opening his artil- lery fire shortly after i o'clock. General Meade was even then consulting with Sickles as to the possibility of correcting the faulty alignment, but as that was clearly impossible prompt measures for reinforcing the left were taken. Hood's division led in the attack, striking a frightful blow on the angle at the peach orchard and crushing in the Union lines there while at the same time it enveloped the whole flank and crept around between Sickles's left and Little Round Top. The latter had thus far been used only as a signal station, and the occupants were folding up their flags to depart when General Warren, the chief engineer on General Meade's staff, apparently the first on the field to comprehend the importance of the hill, ordered the flags to wave while he hastened in search of assist- ance. The Fifth Corps was just coming upon the field to rein- force Sickles, and Warren took the responsibility of detaching Colonel Vincent's brigade and threw it forward to the" im- periled hight. Hazlitt's battery was also secured and by tre- mendous exertion placed in position on the crest, the guns being lifted over the rocks by the men or dragged by ropes up the pre- cipitous slopes. As Vincent's men climbed one side Hood's Texans scrambled up the other, and almost hand to hand the contest raged. The Confederates were driven back to the base of the hill, but there amid* the rocks they clung with a dogged determination, working still around the exposed flank. Vin- THE KEPULSE OF LONGSTREBT. 183 cent and Hazlitt were both killed, with hundreds of their brave fellows, and the ammunition of the infantry was exhausted. Colonel J. L. Chamberlain's brave regiment — the Twentieth Maine — had extended its thin line till the men stood in single rank, then when their guns were empty bayonets were leveled and they rushed upon the foe. Maine met Texas, and New England won. Meantime in the peach orchard a terrible conflict ensued. The enemy penetrated farther and farther the disrupted Union line, breaking ofE fragment after fragment and sending it bleeding and helpless to the rear. Keinforcements came in striving to regain the lost ground, fought desperately for a short time and gave way in turn. Cross, Zook and Willard commanding brigades were killed or mortally wounded; General Sickles suffered the loss of a leg, the command of the corps devolving upon General Birney. Steadily the terrible wave of fire rolled up toward the line of Cemetery Ridge till the Fifth Corps was fully enveloped From the Second, First and Twelfth Corps detachments came hurrying up to strengthen the line which was now assuming permanence and solidity, while the attack, so long continued and so desperate, was becoming spasmodic and weak. The Con- federates, too, had lost heavily in men and officers. General Barksdale was fatally wounded, and Longstreet, riding to the front to examine the work still before his decimated legions, saw with dismay the firm ranks of undaunted blue. It was at this time that the Sixth Corps — never more welcome — ^began to reach the scene. Nevin's brigade (lately Wheaton's), which had led the corps in that memorable march, swept over the hill, pushed the Confederates back and held the ground. Close in their wake Eustis's Brigade was in line of battle ready to test its mettle, but it was not needed. The Union line was now strong enough to defy any earthly foe, both the Round Tops were securely occupied, the flank and rear beyond them were held by the cavalry supported by the veteran Vermont Brigade and Torbert's New Jerseyans, and as dusk closed in on the long summer's day the sounds of strife gradually ceased and the demoralized assailants withdrew. Both sides regarded the 184 THE TURN OF THE TIDE. result with satisfaction. The Confederates had fought desper- ately and had gained considerable ground, but they had secured no important advantage. Their assaults had finally been re- pulsed and their advance driven back. Said a wounded Federal officer as he was borne through the line of the Thirty-seventh that night to sufEer the amputation of a terribly shattered leg: "I don't begrudge it a bit ! "We drove the graybacks a mile and a half, and it was worth a leg to see them go!" This spirit was manifest everywhere among the Union soldiers. They were on Freedom's soil, fighting her decisive battle, and no matter what the cost, victory must be won. " Boys, we have come here to slay! " said brave Colonel Stone to his brigade as they took position in front of the enemy • in the first day's fight. That pregnant sentence was caught up and became the watchword of the loyal army. The battle of the afternoon was not confined to the scene of the conflict just sketched. More or less fiercely it raged all along the line. Hill menaced the Union position in his front and Ewell attacked savagely with Early's and Johnson's divisions. The former advanced against Cemetery Hill, but was repulsed, though the batteries on East Cemetery Hill were penetrated by Hays's brigade, the artillerists fighting desperately with clubs, sticks and stones, over their beloved guns. Then reinforce- ments came to aid the imperiled gunners, the Louisianians were driven back into the fire of converging batteries where they suf- fered terrible loss, the " Tigers " as reported taking back only 150 of the 1,750 who joined in the charge. Johnson's division directed its efforts against the northern face of Culp's Hill, and there the greatest Confederate succegs was won. The Twelfth Corps having been drawn upon to sup- port Sickles before danger in that part of the field was antici- pated, the determined attack pushed the defenders out of their earthworks, and though fighting continued far into the night, the Confederates maintained the lodgment thus made. That night a council was held at the head-quarters of the Union commander and it was decided to continue the fight, though the loss on the Federal side had been at least 20,000 men THE BURSTIlfG OF A DEATH STORM. 185 already. The first work of the morning, therefore, was the recovery of the lost ground on Gulp's Hill, and there, both sides reinforcing their troops already in position, a stubborn contest raged till nearly noon. Shaler's brigade of Wheaton's division was doing its best in conjunction with the Twelfth Corps, but Johnson held on doggedly, and a request was sent to General Meade for another brigade. " Send Eustis," was the order, and the brigade, which with scarcely a change of position had all the morning lain listening to the roar of cannon and the rattling fire of skirmishers in front, moved briskly away toward the right, the Thirty-seventh in advance. Again they were not needed. Johnson had retired while the orders were in trans- mission, so the brigade was halted for a time iu a grove near Cemetery Hill, whence it presently started back toward the point from which it came. A terrible and wholly unexpected trial was in store for the Thirty-seventh. In going over, as in coming back, the Taneytown road had been followed part of the way. This road diverges from the Bmmettsburg road at the outskirts of the village at the base of Cemetery Hill, winds around the hill and crosses the ridge a little distance south of the cemetery, running directly in the rear of the Eound Tops. At the point where the Thirty-seventh entered the road the ridge to the westward sinks to a scarcely perceptible elevation, so that the movement of the column was fully exposed for a short distance to the Confederate artillery on Seminary Eidge, a mile away. Suddenly, with no more warning than a preliminary shell or two that went so far overhead as to scarcely attract an upward glance of the eye, a murderous fire burst from the distant batter- ies, striking the regiment in the flank with wonderful precision and doing frightful execution. It was the opening of Lee's furi- ous cannonade preceding his last desperate assault, and whether the missiles were aimed at Eustis's command or at the formid- able array of Federal batteries just over the slope to the front is uncertain. Shells burst in the faces of the men, tore terrible, bleeding gaps through the ranks, crashed in resonant fury against the stone-wall and rocks bordering the road, rent the old board fence at the left into hurtling fragments, — there could have been 186 THE TUKN OF THE TIDE. no severer test of human courage, and there could have been no nobler response than was made by the Thirty-seventh regiment. Not a man faltered. " Steady, Thirty-seventh ! Forward, double-quick !" rang forth from the lips of Colonel Edwards, and straight through that horrible tempest of death the regi- ment went with the steadiness of a battalion drill. It was only a few rods till shelter was reached — a rocky piece of woods slop- ing toward the east, and here the regiment halted. As it did so a staff officer rode to the side of the colonel and said in tones heard by all the members : " Colonel Edwards, I am directed by Colonel Eustis to express to you his compliments for the splendid conduct of your regiment under the most terrible artil- lery fire he ever witnessed." It was a prompt, unqualified and gratifying compliment, but it had been earned at a sad cost. Six men were killed or mortally hurt, while 25 others were wounded, an unusually large proportion of them having received disabling injuries. Never was the perfect organization of the medical corps better illustrated. Scarcely had the regiment come to a halt and the injured who had been able to keep their feet till a place of shelter was reached been conducted to the rear, where their wounds received such hasty treatment as was possi- ble, when the stretcher-bearers began to arrive with their bleed- ing burdens. One after another was brought in and tenderly deposited upon the leafy ground. "We can find no more; are they all here ?" is the report. A hasty consultation — ^then the name of a missing one is uttered. Back again over the shell- swept field the undaunted stretcher-men go, bending low to es- cape, if possible, the flying missiles, looking everywhere in the vain hope of finding the absent comrade. He is at the rendez- vous before them. Struck in the head with a fragment of shell and stunned, he had recovered consciousness to find himself ex- posed to further wounds or death at any moment. Struggling to his feet and groping around till his gun is found, the unfortu- nate fellow staggers along the course taken by his uninjured comrades till he reaches the regiment, presenting a most ghastly spectacle, face, clothing and hands covered with blood, his ap- pearance horrifying, though in fact his wound is not serious. THE LIST OF CASUALTIES. 187 Suddenly a cry of horror breaks from the group of wounded and finds quick echo from their friends. A wounded horse at a mad gallop comes tearing straight toward them. His iron-clad hoofs strike the ground with a force which seems to shake the entire hill, and apart from the danger of being crushed beneath their terrible blows the eight presented by the poor wounded brute is a horrible one. A cannon-shot has torn through his lower jaw, leaving it hanging only by a few shreds. "With head thrown high in air, uttering frenzied cries of pain, the severed jaw swinging and whirling at every stroke of the hoofs, his mag- nificent white breast covered with the spouting blood, he plunges straight toward the score or more of mangled human beings. "Shoot him ! shoot him !" goes up from many a lip suddenly grown pale, but no shot can be fired without endangering life, nor is there time for deliberate aim till he has swerved somewhat from his course and goes harmlessly past through the forest. While the ambulances are on their way to the spot to take the wounded back to the division field hospital, which has been es- tablished near Eock Creek, there is time to survey the group of sufEerers. In Company A, Thomas B. Jenks, Josiah T. Hunt and George W. Truell were wounded. In Company B the wounded were : Enos Besoncon (mortally), Almon Cadwell, George T. Carter, Calvin Goodbo and Charles A. Taggart. From Company C, Corporal John A. Hall, John Kelley, Frederick S. Shephard, James Ferry and John M. Taylor were wounded. The severest loss was borne by Company E, in which James H. Perkins was killed and Charles Gurney fatally wounded, with Sergeant Dar- win E. Fields, James L. Bowen, James M. Fletcher, Daniel Lewis and Edwin E. Phelps wounded. Elihu Coville of Com- pany F was mortally wounded. Lieutenant Andrew L. Bush of Company H received a severe wound in the thigh from a fragment of shell, and in his company Charles N. Clark, Horace C. Eamsdell and Alonzo F. Turner were wounded, as was Wil- lard Armstrong of Company I. In Company K, Patrick Hussey was killed and James Crampton mortally wounded. * •It is thought that a few others, whose names cannot be ascertained were wounded. No care- ful returns ofcasualties in the regiment seem to have been made ti]l the campaigns of the follow- ing year were entered upon. 188 THE TUBS' OF THE TIDE. The escapes from death or severe wounds were especially num- erous. Color-Sergeant C. S. Bardwell was knocked down by a fragment of shell which struck his pistol, bending the barrel and bruising the wearer, but doing no further harm. "Cap'n, I can't do much with sich a gun as that ! " says a sturdy young Irishman, holding up his musket, through the breech of which a shell had made its way without knocking it from his hand. The coat collar of another was torn from the garment without damage to the wearer and without his knowledge. While the wounded were lying in the ambulances ready to set forth for the hospital the Thirty-seventh was again summoned toward the right, but as before, the crisis passed without the necessity for its assistance, and again it moved back. The su- preme effort of the Confederates had been made — and had failed. It was a mad attempt. General Lee seems to have been rendered desperate by the situation, especially after his lodg- ment on the right had been driven out in the morning. Against the judgment of his ablest oflBcers he resolved upon a direct at- tack against the Federal left center. Prefacing the charge by a terrible cannonade of an hour and a half from 150 pieces of his artillery, to which 80 guns on the Union side made undaunted response, he finally at about 3 o'clock launched Pickett's division of Longstreet's corps across the wide plain against the Second Corps, located to the southward of the cemetery. The attack- ing division was composed principally of the flower of Virginia troops, had been the last to reach the field, and had not before been engaged. They were supported by Pettigrew's division and Wilcox's brigade of Hill's corps, while a co-operative demon- stration was made by other troops from Longstreet's command farther toward the Union left. The latter was promptly frus- trated by a very gallant attack on the charging lines by the cav- alry command of General Kilpatrick, which made so valiant an assault as to completely check that part of the rebel programme, though at a loss of the brave General Farnsworth and the se- vere handling of his brigade. The story of the war presents no grander example of devoted bravery than the charge of Pickett's command, — nor any more THE REPULSE OF PICKBTT'S CHARGE. 189 unjustifiable waste of human life by a commander. Moving unfalteringly across the wide expanse under a most terrible artillery fire, it swept on up the slope, struck and penetrated the thin line of Hancock's corps. For a moment its banners waved in a sort of triumph, then the lines of blue closed around and enfolded the wedge of gray till it was utterly crushed and de- stroyed. Pettigrew's supporting line had gone to pieces some time before, demoralized by the discovery that they were not operating against Pennsylvania militia, as they had been led to suppose, but their old enemy, the Army of the Potomac. Hays's division of the Second Corps gathered in from this mass of fugitives 2,000 prisoners and 15 battle flags. Wilcox's brigade having reached the shelter of the Emmettsburg road waited there for the storm to cease, and thus when Pickett's command reached Cemetery Kidge both its flanks were exposed. A part of Stannard's Vermont Brigade was moved promptly against the Confederate right flank where it poured in a terribly demoraliz- ing fire. Entire regiments dropped to the ground and threw up their hands in token of surrender, while Pickett, unharmed though nearly every other oflBcer in his division had been struck down, seeing the madness of further effoi't to pierce the Union lines, sadly gave the command to retreat. Of his three brigade commanders, Garnett was killed, Arinistead mortally wounded after penetrating the Union lines, and Kemper severely so. Twelve colors and 3,500 prisoners from the division remained in the hands of the victors, while the remnant of those who had escaped death or wounds fled wildly back across the plain, again exposed to a terrible artillery fire. Wilcox now moved forward his brigade, with what object it would be hard to say, and it very speedily shared the fate of Pettigrew's command, being torn to pieces by the hot fire poured upon it and several hundred of its men made prisoners by two regiments of Stannard's brigade. The last mighty shock of the battle of Gettysburg had been felt, and through that night and the following day the remnants of the Confederate army gazed sadly forth from their position on Seminary Eidge at the Union lines massed in firm array along the blood-stained bights from Culp's Hill to Round Top. Any 190 . THE TURN OF THE TIDE. further attack on Lee's part was utterly out of the question, and his preparations were at once made for a retreat to Virginia with whatever he could rescue from the disaster, though it was not till near daylight of the 5th that his picket lines were withdrawn. Blame has sometimes been attached to General Meade that he did not make the defeat of Lee more complete by a strong counter attack after the failure of Pickett's assault; but it should be borne in mind that he had only a few fresh brigades, that the Army of the Potomac had already lost 30 per cent of its num- bers, including many of its most yaluable officers — Hancock and Gibbon having been severely wounded in repulsing the final at- tack. Under such circumstances to abandon an impregnable defensive position to accept the chances of offensive warfare when it was not a matter of necessity would certainly not have been wise. Even the reserve brigades were in no condition for severe duty. The Thirty-seventh, which had made so brave a record on the march to the field, was sadly exhausted before the close of that weary 3d of July. Back and forth in the rear of the line it had hastened from point to point wherever the danger was greatest, often at double-quick, through the terrible heat till many of its members were prostrated by sun-stroke, among the number being both the colonel and the lieutenant-colonel. The Second Bri- gade was soon after the repulse advanced to the front, taking position near the foot of the ridge and just to the northward of the scene of the terrific struggle of the day before. Late in the afternoon Crawford's division of the Fifth Corps, lying to the left of Eustis, charged forward over a portion of the ground wrested from Sickles, capturing a battery and driving the Con- federates pell-mell back to their main line. The night which succeeded was one of the saddest. Every- where the field was covered with the dead and wounded, and after dark the soldiers of the two armies mingled freely on the ground between the skirmish lines; looking for fallen comrades or actuated by the promptings of a common humanity in seek- ing to allay the terrible suffering which no imagination could realize. A severe rain-storm during the night proved a blessing BEGINNING THE PDKSUIT OF LEE.. 191 to many who were suffering from thirst, though under the cir- cumstances it was a source of great discomfort to others. The 4th passed with little of interest. About noon the Thirty- seventh were retired somewhat from their advanced position and ordered to intrench without delay, it being understood that ar- tillery fire was shortly to be resumed. The men had only their bayonets and their hands for intrenching tools, but the former loosened the earth, while the latter, assisted in many cases by the owner's tin plate or cup, piled it up in a defensive form. Eails were gathered from the fences, and even dead horses utilized, till in a short time they had constructed a creditable line of breast- works behind which the regiment settled as comfortably as pos- sible considering the nearly incessant rain. Lee during the day retired from in front of Gulp's Hill and withdrew his forces from the village of Gettysburg, taking up a strong position along Seminary Ridge, where he seemed to be awaiting attack. The village was occupied by Howard's forces about noon, but no farther demonstration was made upon either side. Daylight of Sunday, the 5th, failed to bring the usual scatter- ing fire from the picket lines, and the suspicion was at once awakened, which investigation Confirmed, that the enemy had gone. The skirmishers were pushed forward till the fact was es- tablished and then the Sixth Corps was organized for thfe. pursuit. Moving out by the Emmettsburg road through the center of the battle-field, a horrible spectacle was witnessed by the soldiers. Everywhere the sad debris of the conflict met the eye. The wounded had all been gathered into the vast field hospitals, but the dead were still unburied on every hand, though large details from the Second Corps were then at work on that sad duty, marking the resting place of each comrade with a piece of board which had recently formed part of a cracker box, bearing so far as it was possible to decide the facts the name; rank, company and regiment of the fallen hero. Great numbers .of the Con- federate dead still lay exposed to the elements, scores of horses were strewn around as they had fallen, weapons and equipments of every kind were scattered in every direction. As Gettysburg was left behind and the regiment pushed along the Fairfield road 192 THE TURN OF THE TIDE. in the pursuit additional evidences of the terrible losses of the enemy constantly multiplied. Every building was filled with their wounded ; in sheltered spots in the corners of fences, wher- ever an approach to comfort could be found, the unfortunate men had been left to the tender mercies of the victors — mercies, be it recorded, which never failed to succor and care for the mis- guided men as tenderly as though they had fallen in defense of the Stars and Stripes. Yet Lee's long wagon trains had been packed to their utmost capacity with wounded, whom he was at- tempting to transport back to Virginia. The day's march was short, not more than seven or eight miles being covered. The roads were muddy and very tedious, and early in the afternoon the advance came so close upon the rebel rear that it was necessary to proceed with caution. Evening showed the enemy's rear guard strongly disposed to dispute the passage of the pursuers through the South Mountains, which had now been reached, and a halt for the night was ordered. Many had been the demonstratiods of delight along the route by the loyal people, some of whom came from miles away to look upon the valiant veterans who had freed them from the presence of the hateful foe. There was everywhere the realization of a crushing defeat sustained by the invaders, their own wounded and prison- ers frankly admitting for the first time that they had been worsted by the Yankees in fair fight, but charging it all to the mistaken policy of leaving the defensive in Virginia and assum- ing the offensive on Northern soil. The corps were early astir next morning, with many anticipa- tions as to what the day might have in store for them, and pres- ently moved forward toward the mountains. An inconsiderable advance was made, then a halt for an hour or two ; after which the regiment retraced its steps nearly to the starting point of the morning and deployed as skirmishers, in which position it re- mained till nearly evening. Then the march was resumed, but it was no longer in direct pursuit of the retreating foe. General Meade had changed his plan, if the purpose of a close, sharp pur- suit had ever been entertained. Lee had taken the most direct route for the Potomac on leaving Gettysburg, the distance to A NIGHT MAKCH TO EMMETTSBUKQ. 193 Williamsport by way of Fairfield being about 40 miles ; but in- stead of following over the same route and pressing the retiring columns, the Union commander decided upon a circuitous route to the eastward, fully twice as long. Leaving a small force, principally cavalry, to watch the Confederate rear, the pursuing column proper was turned in the new direction, and the Thirty- seventh, having covered the withdrawal of the rest of the corps, followed it toward Emmettsbnrg. Passing through Fairfield, another halt was made till after dark, when the journey was taken up in earnest. And such a night's march ! None who had part in it can ever forget that terrible tramp. The men were hungry at the start, having received but a very limited supply of rations at Gettys- burg. The road was narrow and rough, evidently but little traveled, and was literally a bed of mud resting on a foundation of small sharp stones. The soft mud soaked the men's shoes, all of which had seen much wear, and the flinty stones cut them to pieces till many a poor fellow was forced to plod along barefooted or with only his stockings to protect the blistered and bleeding flesh. Unhappy the naturally tender-footed ! The long marches of the recent past had reduced all such to a condition of inces- sant suffering. , Long after midnight the groaning column plod- ded on, passing through a dark piece of woods where the intense gloom seemed to add to the roughness and the muddiness, and where files and companies mingled in an inextricable mass. OflScers sought in vain for their commands, or maintained bear- ings only by the familiar tones of some light-hearted private whose spirits no hardship could subdue. Finally they staggered rather than walked through Emmettsburg and half a mile be- yond, halting in an open field at 3 o'clock and sinking down wherever it might chance to sleep during the few hours that re- mained before the bugles would again sound the advance. Early morning of the 7th found the tired regiment once more astir. Those who had not been able to find their places during the night now did so, a limited supply of rations was drawn and many of the men ate their first food for 36 hours. A large mail — especially welcome at this time of great privation and exertion 194 THE TURN OF THE TIDE. — was distributed, and at 8 o'clock the march was resumed. Pitiful as was the condition of the men, and meager as had been the time allowed for rest, the day's programme contemplated a march of fully 25 miles, and as nearly as possible the distance was made. But it was not till midnight that the column halted, and then it were more correct to say that it merely dwindled away till there was nothing left to proceed further. The condi- tions during the day were rather favorable than otherwise save that the men were very weary ; but near night the ascent of Catoctin Mountain began, — an experience which after the lapse of 20 years may well cause a shudder at the remembrance. A drizzling rain had been falling during the day, but as the men began to climb the mountain it increased till it seemed to de- scend in torrents. Nothing worse in the form of roads could be conceived of than that which infantry and artillery in a confused huddle were trying to follow. The darkness was intense — liter- ally nothing could be seen. The mounted ofiEicers could not dis- tinguish the men upon whom each moment their horses were in danger of stepping ; neither private nor captain could tell who was struggling along at his side save as the voice made revela- tion. The plunging and crushing of the ponderous artillery forced the infantry to the woods and fields for the possibility of a passage, and -there the apology for a column melted away and dwindled till there was no remedy but a general halt. The woods and fields everywhere were full of men, singly or in groups, who had given up all effort at further progress. Happy were they who by rare good fortune had succeeded in kindling a little fire, but they were few. In the darkness and pouring rain men who could stagger no further laid them down to die, unheeding whether their life might be trampled out by groping horsemen or their stumbling comrades on foot. Very forlorn indeed was the column which at 7 o'clock next morning took up its way toward Middletown, some six or seven miles away. The rain still continued and the mud was steadily becoming more liquid and abundant. The way led down the mountain, and the road was terribly hard for the footsore sol- diers, but they moved slowly, reaching Middletown about noon. FACING THE FOE AT WILLIAMSPORT. 195 Soon after the halt it ceased raining, the sun shone brightly forth, and as no further march was made that day the oppor- tunity for drying clothing and blankets was improved. A full supply of rations was now secured, the men prepared generous suppers for the first time in many days, after which they enjoyed a full night's rest which was highly appreciated. The 9 th saw another adyance of a few miles, the army pivoting on the .right, composed of the Sixth and Eleventh Corps, while the left, ex- tending to the Potomac, closed up toward the enemy. A halt was made at Boonsboro about noon, shelters were pitched and a comfortable afternoon and evening passed. As the Union caval- ry had driven the enemy from that place the previous evening there could be no doubt of the proximity of the two armies, and the early opening of a great and decisive battle was confidently looked for. Antietam Creek was crossed by the left the next day — Friday, July 10 — while the right advanced to the vicinity of Funkstown, which was reached three hours after the enemy left. The pres- sure of the Confederate skirmishers against the Union advance now showed the near presence of Lee's entire force, and by noon the Sixth Corps was in line of battle, a portion of the Thirty- seventh being thrown forward to the outposts. The entire opera- tions at this time took place in one of the richest and finest agri- cultural regions of Maryland, and the necessary destruction of grain and crops was immense. Untold acres of the finest wheat, nearly ripe for the harvest, were trampled by lines of battle, by marching columns or wagon and artillery parks, and well might the unfortunate citizens exclaim, " Prom friend and foe alike deliver us." Beyond a little skirmishing and artillery firing to develop the Confederate position the afternoon passed without event. The Southern army, forced to assume the defensive, was found to be well intrenched in front of Williamsport. Four days previous they had reached the river, almost before the roundabout Federal pursuit began, but found the stream too deep for fording and they had not pontons enough to construct a bridge. The incessant rains continually swelled the flood, so Lee had no alternative to facing about and assuming the boldest 196 THE TURN OF THE TIDE. front possible. That the condition of his troops was critical their own warmest partisans admit. They had courage in plenty, but next to no ammunition. The 11th was passed in the same quiet way, with Companies A, I and G of the Thirty-seventh on the skirmish line, the left of the Army of the Potomac being moved a little nearer to Lee's right. Early the following morning the Thirty-seventh passed through Punkstown and after feeling its way for Wo or three miles took position in front of the enemy's intrenced line between Hagerstown and Wiliiamsport. The two armies were now in position, face to face, and it re- mained for somebody to give the order to strike. General Meade held a council of war and decided not to attack. All the fol- lowing night was devoted to intrenching the Union lines and the 13th passed with only the exchange of a few shells by the opposing artillery. That night each commander reached a de- cision, — General Meade decided to attack next day, and General Lee — finding that it would be possible to ford the river and having also succeeded in constructing one ponton bridge at Fall- ing Waters — decided to go back to Virginia — which he did. The Union army moved down to Wiliiamsport through a dis- heartening rain, which added to the gloom felt at the escape of the foe whose complete destruction the rank and file had confi- dently hoped to see accomplished. With the evening a severe thunder storm came on, drenching out and washing away what little spirit still remained in the tired bodies. Disappointing as was the escape of Lee across the river, it must be recognized that Meade had great reason for the caution with which he acted. While the Confederate army had suffered a decisive defeat at Gettysburg, his own had been sadly wounded, and he was even then unaware of the straitened condition of his antagonist. The close of the battle left the Army of the Potomac with but 47,000 muskets; and though General French with his division joined the Third Corps, of which he took com- mand, on the 8th, Meade still believed the enemy fully equal to him in numbers, with the advantage of a selected and fortified defensive position of much natural strength. The Union sol- diers were by no means in good fighting condition. The Sixth MEETIlTG MASSACHUSETTS FRIENDS. 197 Corps was counted as the main dependence of the army, since it was efficiently organized; had been but slightly engaged at Get- tysburg, and its morale was fever admirable; yet it was perhaps more than the others worn out by almost incessant marches and hard duty. In the Thirty-seventh regiment 180 men at that time — ^nearly a third of the whole number — were entirely desti- tute of shoes, while their clothing was correspondingly demoral- ized. Other regiments were certainly in no better condition. Ewell's corps forded the Potomac at Williamsport, while the Confederate right and center under Longstreet and Hill retreated by the ponton bridge at Falling Waters. The rear guard of the latter was vigorously attacked by Kilpatrick's cavalry, two guns, three colors and a large number of prisoners being captured and General Pettigrew mortally wounded, with slight loss to the as- sailants. The direct pursuit of Lee's army was now ended, and was to be succeeded by a parallel scramble southward, — the counter- part of so many other movements, the Union army east of the Blue Ridge and the enemy in the Shenandoah valley. " Cover Washington and take up a threatening position!" were Halleck's directions to Meade, and early on the morning of the 15th the Thirty-seventh in its place in the corps moved back over the road it had come, through Funkstown and Boonsboro, halting near the latter place for the night and receiving rations for two days. Soon after setting out upon the march that morning an interesting meeting took place between the Thirty-seventh and the Forty-sixth Massachusetts, Colonel W. S. Shurtleff, a nine- months' regiment from Springfield and vicinity containing many friends and acquaintances of the Thirty-seventh. During the closing days of its service the Forty-sixth had been moved from North Carolina to Baltimore, where it formed part of a brigade under General H. S. Briggs, moving to Frederick City and thence to the Army of the Potomac before Williamsport, where it was attached to the First Corps. A few days later Colonel Shurtlefl's command left for Massachusetts, bearing many a warm message from the Thirty-seventh to friends at home. At 3 o'clock of the 16th the camps were astir, at half-past 4 the 198 THE TUEN OF THE TIDE.' column was on the way, and at noon, having made a march of 16 miles, the Thirty-seventh halted within a mile of Berlin. The associations of the place came vividly to the minds of all the members of the regiment. Less than nine months before they had stopped at the same place on the way into Virginia. During the interval what an epoch of history had transpired. Then as now the Union army was in pursuit of a demoralized, retreating foe. The adored McClellan was then in command. The disastrous experiments of Burnside and Hooker had suc- ceeded, followed by the signal victory under the present conser- vative commander. Everywhere in the regiment, from field oificers to privates, there was the feeling that the victory might and should have been made more decisive. There was a fear that the experiences of the previous year were practically to be repeated. The thought of another campaign in the desolate and unfriendly regions of Virginia, following the brief sojourn in a friendly country, was far from pleasant; yet underlying all preferences and wishes, there was ever manifest in the breasts of the soldiery a firm faith in the approaching triumph of the cause in which they were enlisted, and a disposition to accept patient- ly whatever of hardship and sacrifice might be necessary till the flag of the Union should float in triumph over the entire land. It was Thursday noon when Berlin was reached, and no fur- ther movement was made till Sunday, the 19th. The two entire days of rest, free from care or anticipation of an immediate battle, were heartily appreciated by the men. Friday was rainy and disagreeable, but the men received a supply of rations and clothing, both very much needed, and Saturday proved sunny and pleasant. That evening found a marked improvement in the external appearance of the regiment. The river had given opportunity for bathing, the worn-out clothing was in many in- stances discarded for fresh suits, the barefooted ones had once more comfortable shoes and socks, generous mails had been re- ceived and dispatched, comfortable food had been prepared, and Sunday morning found the command, brightened and en- couraged by these circumstances, cheerfully responding to the orders for an early march. A LIVBLY SCENE AT BIVOUAC. 199 It was half -past 7 when the column moved on to the ponton bridge, across its swaying length, and was once more on the "sacred soil." Over the same route they had traveled the pre- vious autumn the regiment pushed along some ten miles or more, passing through Lovettsville, the few visible inhabitants more scowling and ill-natured, if possible, than on the previous occa- sion. The halt for the night was made near the little hamlet of Wheatland, and though the march had not been long it had been very wearying, the sun seeming to shine with renewed fierceness after the weeks of almost constant cloud and rain. But if Sun- day had been hot, Monday was hotter. That day's march took the regiment to Union, about ten miles further down the valley, past Snicker's Gap, through which, as so often before and after, the two armies played peep with each other. Fortunately Gen- eral Meade was not in a hurry, the Thirty-seventh led the corps that day, marching leisurely with frequent halts, and the region was well watered by the various small streams tributary to Goose Creek. These factors combined to make the day's march quite cotnfortable considering the broiling heat. The brigade halted for the night in a well-fenced lot of sev- eral acres, the sole occupants of which had been about a dozen lean, long-legged Virginia hogs. Never was the command to " Stack arms " more promptly obeyed, and what followed, the moment ranks were broken, can be pretty well imagined. The pigs were fleet of foot, and they ran for life, but the odds were fifty to one, and the boys in blue remembered that Lee's soldiers had recently been drawing rations at the expense of the loyal people north of the Potomac. The scramble was very exciting while it lasted, but within ten minutes the hundred camp-fires were sending up the aroma of roasting pork. The 21st was given up to rest, the soldiers exploring the sur- rounding country in search of forage, though finding little ex- cept blackberries, which were abundant and delicious. Next day at noon the regiment again led the corps, marching to Upper- viUe, near the base of the Blue Ridge, on the road from Fairfax via Paris to Winchester. Here a halt was made for the night, but at 3 o'clock the bugle rang out reveille and the line of march 200 THE TUKN OF THE TIDE. was soon taken up. The Thirty-seventh, however, now took its place as rear guard, following the wagon-train, and consequently, as a march of 20 miles or more was made, did not reach bivouac till 2 o'clock at night. The tired men dropped upon the ground and slept, almost wherever they chanced to be, during the two hours or so till daylight, when they were aroused to prepare a hasty breakfast and journey on again. The fires were lighted and the little cooking was about half done, when the sharp order to " Fall in! " came, and the half-cooked food was eaten as it best could be on the march. About 10 o'clock Manassas Gap was reached, where it was made known that a sharp skirmish had occurred the previous day, resulting in the driving back of the Confederate forces to Front Royal. The services of the Sixth Corps not being required, after waiting a few hours they marched back over the road they had come, and once more turned their faces in the direction of Warrenton, toward which the Army of the Potomac was concentrating. Halting for the night near Orleans, the march was resumed early next morning, Saturday, the 25th, — a day long to be remembered on account of the sul- try, breathless heat. At ClifEe Mills a bridge was wanting, and a detail from the regiment, under direction of the engineers, soon had a substantial structure in place. Then forward again over the miserable roads, hungry, weary, the men continually falling by the way from sun-stroke, till at last a halt was made on a steep hill-side within a mile of Warrenton. Here for four days the regiment remained and rested. The following day being Sunday, religious services were held by Chaplain Morse, for the first time in many weeks. The re- maining days were devoted to explorations of the surrounding country, ostensibly in search of blackberries, though it was noticed that many a ration of fresh veal, pork and mutton found its way into camp without having passed through the commis- sary department. The men rapidly recovered from the exhaus- tion of their recent marches while the general health of the regiment, greatly improving, had now become remarkably good, considering the severe nature of the service. Up to this time the following changes had occurred in the ros- CHANGES IN THE SHOULDER-STKAPS. 201 ter of oflBcers : Second Lieutenant Harris was advanced to first lieutenant dating from June 3, and was assigned to duty with Company F. On the same day Captain J. P. Kelley of Com- pany A resigned and First Lieutenant J. A. Loomis was made captain, continuing to serve with Company E. Second Lieu- tenant Bush, who was absent wounded, was commissioned first heutenant, while Orderly Sergeant Albert C. Sparks of Company E was commissioned second lieutenant and assigned to duty with Company C. Sergeant Major Eobert A. Gray was made second lieutenant and assigned to Company H. Sergeant Hub- bard M. Abbott of Company G- succeeded Gray as sergeant major. Second Lieutenant Morgan of Company B resigned June 19, and Color Sergeant Charles S. Bardwell was commis- sioned second lieutenant dating from June 30, and assigned to Company B, CHAPTER X. THE REGIMENT IN NEW YORK. THE UNION VICTOEIBS. — NORTHERN TREACHERY AND DIS- LOYALTY. — THE RIOT IN NEW YORK. THE THIRTY-SEVENTH SENT TO THE CITY. — ITS CREDITABLE SERVICE THERE. The uight of July 2, 1863, closed upon the most momentous crisis in the history of the Southern Confederacy. At every principal point along the military frontier the opposing forces were locked in desperate and fateful struggle. At Gettysburg the most sanguine partisan of either army could only hope for victory; at Vicksburg, Pemberton's beleagured garrison were heroically struggling against despair while Johnston, with 30,000 men was seeking for an opportunity to strike the besiegers in the rear and make a way for the escape of the besieged; from the embrasures at Port Hudson the Confederate cannon still looked forth with grim defiance. With anxiety, there was still hope everywhere for the Southern cause. The night of July 3 found that hope shattered and the doom of the Confederacy clearly forecast. At the very moment when Pickett's shattered legions were hurled back from Cemetery Ridge, Pemberton and Grant met between the lines at Vicksburg to discuss the surrender of that stronghold. For almost 50 days the siege had continued, pressed constantly with the indomitable energy of the Union comman- der, and repelled with characteristic determination by the Con- federates. Twelve miles of trenches had been dug in the in- vestment, and 89 batteries, mounted with 220 guns, constructed. The besieged and besiegers in many parts of the line looked each other in the face across the same parapet, and fought with hand grenades, bayonets and pistols. Twice had mines been exploded THE SUKRENDER OF VICKSBURG. 303 under the defenses with no greater result than the slaughter of a few men, but preparations were now made for a general and simultaneous assault along the entire line on the morning of the 6 th of July. Three days before the time appointed for the terrible attempt the flag of truce appeared. The condition of the garrison fully justified the step on the part of their commander. The men, closely confined to the trenches for seven weeks, much of the time on short rations, had lost health, courage and subordina- tion. Consultation with his division commanders convinced Pemberton that they could not even be nerved up to attempt cutting their way through the cii'cumvallating lines, while the danger of revolt could not but be recognized. General Bowen, with a flag of truce and a letter to Grant, appeared before the Federal lines on the morning of the 3d, and nearly 24 hours passed in conference and correspondence, Pemberton anxious to make the best terms possible for his conimand and Grant practi- cally insisting upon unconditional surrender. These terms were finally accepted, and at 10 o'clock on the 4th the Confederates by divisions marched out in front of thoir works, stacked arms and colors and retired to the town. General Logan, receiving the surrender, marched his division into the town amid the wild enthusiasm of the Union army. The surrendered force com- prised about 31,000 men, only 22,000 of whom were fit for duty in the trenches, and 172 cannon; making the total loss to the Confederates from the opening of the campaign not less than 46,000 men, 60,000 stand of arms and 260 pieces of artillery — a terrible blow to the Southern cause. Johnston, meanwhile, had gathered as much of an army as possible about Canton, a day's march north of Jackson, where the first of June found him in command of some 36,000 efficient men. Instead of striking the best blow possible in aid of the beleagured garrison, he allowed them to starve and wear out in the trenches for four weeks while he maintained an argumenta- tive correspondence with the Eichmond government. On the 28th of June, with no increase of force, he moved toward Vicks- burg, but found Sherman with 30,000 troops strongly intrenched 304 THE KEGIMEKT IN NEW YORK. facing to the rear. Johnston's plan had been to make as strong, iin attack as possible on the northern portion of the investing line, in the hope of weaketiing the southern portion so that the garrison could cut its way through and escape. The plan mis- carried totally, for not only was Pemberton's force too much ex- hausted to throw itself upon the Federal bayonets, but Johnston was unable to find any point where it would be less than mad- ness to attack. He did not even begin to feel the Federal posi- tion till July 2, and while he was yet reconnoitering the ground those whom he sought to succor surrendered. Sherman was ap- prised of the suri'ender immediately and directed to move vig- orously against Johnston, which he did, but the latter did not wait to receive the blow. Falling back rapidly to Jackson which he reached on the 7th, the disheartened commander pro- ceeded to strengthen the fortifications while he appealed to Rich- mond for help. The victorious legions under Sherman closed around the place on the 10th, and a strong reconnaissance show- ing it strongly intrenched, a regular investment was decided on. But Johnston did not await siege. Despairing of any relief from the Confederate government, he evacuated Jackson on the night of the 16th and pushed rapidly to the eastward. He was followed sharply for some miles, but as a scrub race was no part of Grant's plan the pursuing column was recalled, the railroads about Jack- son thoroughly destroyed, and Sherman took his elated forces back to Vicksburg. While these events had been transpiring in Mississippi another substantial drop had been added to the nation's cup of rejoicing. Port Hudson also had fallen, and the Mississippi " flowed un- vexed to the sea." This place, whose works were of immense strength, had been invested by the Army of the Gulf — the Nineteenth Corps, under General Banks — on the 25th of May, the garrison easily repelling determined attacks on the following day and on the 13th of June, at a cost to the besiegers of fully 4,000 men. But day by day the lines drew nearer the doomed stronghold, and the scanty supply of provisions rapidly disap- peared till starvation stared the defenders in the faca. Sudden- ly on the 7th of July, from the lines of the Union army broke ' THE MISSISSIPPI RIVEK OPENED. 205 rapid discharges of artillery and ringing cheers which drove •from the breasts of the defenders the last ray of hope. The news had been received of Vicksburg's fall, and when the au- thenticity of the tidings was assured General Gardner announced his willingness to give up the hopeless struggle, commissioners were appointed to arrange terms of surrender, and on the morn- ing of the 9th the capitulation took place. It embraced some 6,500 men, 5,000 muskets and 51 cannon; but of vastly greater importance than the mere loss or gain of men and munitions was the breaking of the last barrier across the Father of Waters, giving to the Union fleet full command of that great waterway. The Confederates had not relinquished these points without strenuous efforts to secure others, though all had been thwarted. While the siege of Port Hudson was being prosecuted the Con- federate General Taylor gathered what force was available in Louisiana and moved down toward New Orleans, capturing a few small garrisons and threatening the Cresent City itself. General Emory, who was in command there, became alarmed and sent to Banks for help, but the latter held steadily on till Gardner surrendered when a competent force was dispatched down the river, which speedily dissipated all danger and sent the insurgents beyond pursuit into the interior. A similar but more pronounced effort was made in Arkansas^ where Confederate General Holmes with a strong force made an attempt to capture Helena, hoping thus to secure control of the river at that point. A resolute assault was made on the 4th of July, but was bloodily repulsed by General Prentiss, with a gar- rison ofless than one-half the Confederate number, when Holmes also sought safety in the fastnesses of his department. General Kosecrans, meanwhile, ha^ been far from idle. His antagonist, Bragg, with his base of supplies at Chattanooga, had his field depot and a strongly intrenched camp at Tullahoma, with his advanced lines, also well fortified, a dozen miles in front. On the 23d of June Rosecrans ordered an advance of his army, pressing the front sharply with a single corps, while the bulk of his army moved around the Confederate right with the inten- tion of flanking the entire position and at the same time threat- 206 THE REGIMENT IN NEW TOEK. ening the enemy's communications. In the midst of a terrible rain-storm this movement was carried out with perfect success, and with trifling loss to the Unionists the Southern army was forced from its advanced line. The successful Eoaecrans pushed forward in battle array against the main position, but on the 1st of July received the intelligence that Bragg was in full retreat toward Chattanooga. Having pressed his fleeing antagonist as closely as practicable, the Union general finally paused to rest his army and repair communications in his rear, presently ad- vancing to the Tennessee river near Stevenson, Ala., freeing the state of Tennessee with the exception of the small corner about Chattanooga from the presence of the rival armies. With success thus everywhere crowning the Union banners there came with midsummer a respite from the incessant thunder of actual conflict. Banks concentrated his forces at New Orleans; Grant remained at Vicksburg though his army was considerably scattered, the Thirteenth Corps going to Texas, while a consid- erable part of the remainder reinforced Kosecrans in his cam- paign against Bragg. . How the armies in Virginia had settled down to watch each other across the upper Rappahannock we have already seen. The political situation in the loyal states had meantime be- come critical. Added to the great number of actual sympa- thizers with disunion, there were very many well intentioned people who from one cause or another had become dissatisfied • withthe administration of governmental affairs, or the slow prog- ress of the war with its immense cost of blood and treasure; while others were simply discouraged and despaired of the ability of the national government to reassert its authority over the seceded states, feeling that the sooner the war was terminated and peace restored on the best terms possible the better it would be for all parties. Everywhere through the loyal states the feelings of distrust and discouragement were nurtured and intensified by the disloyal element, whose boldness and bittei-ness increased as the gloomy days of the great crisis wore on. President Lincoln had issued a proclamation on the 8th of May ordering a draft in July, and as the time approached the TREASON IN THE NOKTHEKX STATES. 307 opposition to this vigorous measure was shown to be organized and formidable. The draft itself had been rendered necessary through the discouragement thrown over enlistments by the "Peace party," urged on by the activity of the "Copperheads," as the avowed Southern sympathizers were called. While this state of affairs was everywhere prevalent in varying degree, its centers seemed to be in Ohio and in New York city. In the former locality it was under the direct nurture of Clement L. Vallandigham, an ex-Cougressman of Ohio, but who now loved to be called the "Apostle of Liberty." Vallandigham led all others in shameless disloyalty, his seditious utterances becoming ■finally so unbearable that it was decided to make an example of him. Ohio was at that time in the Military Department of the Ohio, under the command of General Burnside, with head- quarters at Cincinnati. On the 13th of April Burnside had is- sued a proclamation for the suppression of seditious speech and action, and on the 4th of May Vallandigham was arrested, tried by court-martial at Cincinnati and sentenced to close confine-' ment in a fortress during the continuance of the war. President Lincoln, ever merciful, commuted the sentence to banishment within the Confederate lines. This decree was carried out May 25, and the distinguished exile was dropped in neutral ground in front of Eosecrans's lines, Bragg declining to receive him under flag of truce. Not finding life in the Confederacy to his liking, Vallandigham soon escaped through the blockade to Canada, where he found plenty of congenial spirits among the renegades and plotters who swarmed in that convenient haven. Everything tended steadily toward a crisis. With the draft at hand, with Lee's army in Pennsylvania and Morgan's cavalry raiding through Indiana and Ohio, with the ignorant and vicious classes in many of the larger cities ripe for open revolt, and urged on by unscrupulous foes of the government, open and secret, the closing days of June were portentous indeed to those who loved their country. But a great mistake was made by the Confed- erates in their armed invasion of the loyal states. Especially the raid of Morgan to plunder and destroy awoke many an indiffer- ent citizen to active patriotism. The militia of the threatened '208 THE REGIMENT IN NEW YORK. states gathered in swarms about his path, cutting ofE his retreat when he sought to regain his own soil, driving him wildly from point to point till his force was utterly scattered and himself be- came a prisoner, with most of his men. Through all this reign of foreboding and despair the sullen roar of the artillery at Gettysburg fell on the strained ears of the nation. How the people listened and hoped and prayed! How on that pregnant night of the 3d of July hearts true to the old Union dared to hope when the electric wire flashed the news that Lee's great attack was repulsed and the Loyal lines stood unshaken on Cemetery Ridge. Great was the joy on the following day — the Nation's Anniversary — when the intelligence was confirmed; while succeeding days heard the glad news from Vicksburg, with confirmation of the reported flight of Bragg from before the victorious Union forces in Tennessee. Surely that was joy enough for one week. A riotous uprising had been expected on the Fourth in New York city, but it did uot come — the tidings were not congenial to disloyal demonstrations; it was delayed, not averted. Yet on that potent day, mixed with the rejoicings and the renewed consecrations to the service of the common country, were many covert or open denunciations of the government at Washington, many an insinuation cloaked in spe- cious language, many a bold declaration that the war was a failure, was unjust, was wicked; many an exhortation to aban- don the struggle for the life of the L'nion: and these came not from pot-house politicians or nameless demagogues seeking for notoriety, but from men enjoying high places in the confidence of the people, and wearing noble titles of honor. The seed thus sown bore fruit. The draft was appointed to begin in New York city July 13, and on the morning of that day the officials having the matter in charge assembled and quietly proceeded to their unwelcome task in an office on the corner of Forty-sixth Street and Third Avenue. Almost simultaneously with the first revolution of the fateful wheel a pistol shot was heard in the street outside, a howling mob burst into the building, driving out the officers and their assistants, destroying everything on which they could lay OUTBRKAK OF THE DRAFT RIOT. 209 hands and firing the building. The police were powerless to quell the disturbance, and the superintendent, Mr. Kennedy, who sought to restore order, was beaten almost to death. The firemen were not allowed to extinguish the flames which the in- sane rioters had kindled, and building after building was swept away. The telegraph lines leading from the city had already been cut, and in a moment the metropolis of America passed under the full control of a blood-thirsty, brutal mob, composed of emissaries, refugees, and the lowest and vilest of its own res- idents. The scenes which followed transcend description. The mob spread rapidly through the city, breaking into the man- ufacturing establishments and forcing the employes to swell its ranks, stopping railroad trains to search for soldiers, wounding and plundering the passengers, and finally destroying the Har- lem bridge. The residence of Postmaster Wakeman was pillaged and burned, while that of the mayor was stripped of everything which could be carried away or destroyed. Plunder, violence, lust and murder rioted everywhere. Its most devilish fury, however, was wreaked upon the inoffensive colored people of the city, who were hunted down, maimed, mutilated and murdered with a fiendishness which even at this lapse of time makes the blood run cold. The poor creatures were hanged to lamp-posts, tortured, and in some cases fires were built into which they were thrown and kicked till they were burned to death. The Colored Orphan Asylum on Fifth Avenue, containing some 200 homeless negro children, was plundered and given to the flames, while the wretched inmates were hunted about the streets by the howling, drunken demons as though they had been so many dangerous wild beasts. , Thus Monday, Monday night and the forenoon of Tuesday wore away. At noon of the latter day, while the rioters, led by a Virginian emissary, were gathered in front of the Tribune ofiice — the entrances to which were barricaded by bundles of printing paper, while the occupants were thoroughly armed for its de- fense, as was also the condition in the ofiice of the Times and other loyal papers — contemplating its destruction, word was cir- culated that Governor Seymour was at the City Hall and would 210 THE REGIMENT IN NEW YORK. address them. At once the crowd surged that way, and the GoTernor stated that he had sent his Adjutant-General to Wash- ington to have the draft suspended and stopped. In closing he 1 now ask you, as good citizens, to wait for his return, and I assure you that I will do all that I can to see that there is no inequality and no wi'ong done any one. I wish you to take good care of all property, as good citizens, and see that every person is safe. The safe keeping of property and persons rests with you, and I charge you to disturb neither. It is your duty to maintain the good order of the city, and I know you will do it. I wish you now to separate as good citizens, and you can as- semble again whenever you wish to do so. I ask you to leave all to me now, and I will see to your rights. Wait till my Adjutant returns from Washington, and you shall be satisfied. The mob applauded the Governor uproariously and promptly resumed their work of devastation and murder. During the day Governor Seymour issued a proclamation forbidding rioting, but the brutal wretches cared nothing for mere words. By some unaccountable neglect no precaution whatever seemed! to have been taken to guard against the riot, which had certain- ly given abundant notice of its probability. No military force was within reach, but when it became evident to the tardily awakened authorities that nothing else would suffice to restore peace such detachments as could be gathered were collected and directed to disperse the insurgents. Colonel F. H. O'Brien of the Eleventh New York Militia offered the services of his regiment, which were gladly accepted; but the gallant colonel, venturing far in advance of his command on his mission of peace, was brutally murdered, his body subjected to every indignity and finally hanged to a lamp-post by the human fiends. At first the troops, reluctant to resort to sterner measures, fired over the heads of the mob or used blank cartridges, but these dis- charges were greeted with howls of rage and desperate assaults upon the troops till in self-defense the volleys were sent home with a will. Gradually the bullet and the bayonet broke the ranks of the marauders, and by Thursday a measure of quiet was restored. Important points near the river fronts were pro- tected by armed vessels whose guns commanded the streets, and THE FIRM MEASURES OF fiBNERAL DIX. 211 the state militia which had been dispatched to Pennsylvania was by that time returning in such numbers as to insure efficiency.* The number of lives lost during this wild carnival can never be known. Governor Seymour himself estimated it at 1000, but it it quite possible that these figures may be too high. Fifty buildings were wholly destroyed, in addition to many that were sacked and plundered, the city being obliged to pay $2,000,000' in damages. The Governor demanded that the President should suspend the draft on account of its inequality of operation, and also that it should be postponed till the matter of its legality could be passed upon by the proper tribunals. On the former ground the President conceded an adjournment till the justice of its operation could'be decided; but declined to commit the matter to the courts, since that course would utterly paralyze the efforts of the government to reinforce its armies to meet the exigencies of the occasion. The 19th of August was designated as the day for the resumption of the draft, and General John A. Dix suc- ceeded General Wool in command of the Department. The well-known energy of the new commander left no doubt that whatever measures might be necessary to the public peace and the support of the authority of the general government would be vigorously adopted. Evidently the disturbing elements looked to New York as the center from which the cue for other cities was to be taken. In many of the cities there had been more or less disorder, notably at Boston, where a single volley at the critical moment saved the city from further turmoil; but nowhere else had open riot occurred to merit the name. One of the first acts of the new commandant. General Dix, •The writer, with a train full of wounded from the battle of Gettysburg, reached Jersey City on. the morning of the 13th, destined for New York. As the steamer on which North River was crossed drew near the pier intelligence was received of the outbreak which rendered the landing of wounded soldiers in the streets impossible, since they would undoubtedly be murdered by the rioters. After a long delay the helpless cargo was taken to a nearly vacant convalescent camp on Bedloe's Island, where under the ^ns of Fort Wood they would at least be safe, though owing to the absence of provision for theu* coming many suffered severely for the want of proper care. From the island, by day and night, the smoke and glare of hres kindled by the mob could be seen and often the wild yells of the crowd came over the waters. Such of the wounded on^ the island as were capable 01 doing service were taken over to the city during the day, returning at night accompanied by others who had been hurt during the various conflicts. As the horrible scenes witnessed by the delegation were discussed in the wards during the evening, the vain wish broke from many lips for the presence of the speaker's " old regiment " from the Army of the Potomac to mete out proper pumshment. 213 THE REGIMENT IN NEW" YORK. was to ask of the War Department a detail of four of tlie most efficient regimfents in the Army of the Potomac for service in and abont the city pending the draft, the preference to be given to New England and Western troops. The request having been granted and duly forwarded, selection was made of the Thirty- seventh Massachusetts and Fifth Wisconsin from the Sixth Corps, the Fifth New Hampshire from the Second Corps and the Twentieth Indiana from the Third Corps. The energy manifest- ed in forwarding these troops to their destination was something quite out of the usual line, as we shall see by following the move- ments of the Thirty-seventh, with which alone this narrative will be concerned. At midnight of July 30 the regiment with the exception of the few camp guards was soundly sleeping, when Lieutetiant-Colonel Montague rode into camp. Following the battle of Gettysburg that officer had been detailed as inspector general. on the staff of Brigadier General J. J. Bartlett, temporarily commanding the division, where he had just been notified of the detail and given permission to accompany the regiment. Colonel Edwards being thus informed of the selection, ordered the men aroused, and when an hour or two later the official notification came it found the command about ready .for the march to Warreuton Junction, ten miles away, to take the cars for New York. At first the half-awakened men could scarcely realize that they were not being hoaxed, but the vigor of the preparations going on at regimental head-quarters and all through the camp dispelled the doubts. Coffee was made and a hasty breakfast, for which the unexpected good news left little appetite, was swalloweti, after which the few possessions that the soldiers had been able to re- tain during their recent trying experiences were gathered in the most compact form possible, and the order for marching impa- tiently awaited. The line was formed at dawn, and with a glee such as they seldom before or afterward experienced the men obeyed the order to " March ! " Already they had come to un- derstand that the present favor was due to the high standing of the regiment in discipline, its reputation for excellence in drill, subordination and general morale, and many a kind word was JOl'RNEYIXCi TO THE METKOPOLIS. 213 spoken for the officers that morning by men who were not ac- customed to the use of such expressions. The Junction was reached about 11 o'clock, and cars were taken for Washington. The ride was a memorable one. Every foot of the ground traversed was historic, and about each insig- nificant station clustered the recollections of daring deeds per- formed by Blue or Gray. Back and forth over the region the tides of war had ebbed and flowed, leaving their traces every- where in blackened ruins and desolated fields. There would have been no surprise if at any moment the train had come to an abrupt halt, and the fusillade of some marauding party had broken upon the ears of the passengers; but the ride was made without intt-rruption, Alexandria was passed through near evening, and at 7 o'clock the Capital was reached. It was 3 o'clock before the train which was to continue the journey northward was ready, yet little sleep was had during the long hours of the wait; the men were too much elated, and had too keen a realization of the difference between their present journey by rail and the long, terrible marches recently endured, to give much heed tQ ordinary weariness or one or two nights of broken rest. Baltimore was reached early next morning, August 1, and there another wait for transportation detained the regiment till about noon, but it was not an unpleasant halt. The name of the city had up to this time had a hateful sound in the ears of Massachusetts soldiers. It was not forgotten that more than two years before her streets had been consecrated by the blood of the first martyrs in the great contest; but the spirit which had demanded that sacrifice was no longer manifest. The streets were not filled with a riotous mob as in 1861, nor did the people wear the cold look of suppressed hatred which had been manifest in 1862 when the Thirty-seventh passed through on its way to the front; instead there was a cordial greeting and an earnest manifestation of loyalty quite surprising and very gratifying. In fact, everywhere on the trip the regiment as representatives of the "grand old Army of the Potomac" were received with the utmost enthusiasm, and this greeting was "214 THE REGIMENT IN NEW YORK. •doubly grateful to the recipients. It assured them not only of the fact thiit they were among friends, but that the loyal people -of the great North were appreciative of the faithful but so often unfortunate work which the army that they represented was doing for the perpetuity of the government. It was late in the evening when Philadelphia was reached, but the hospitality of that noble city was never wanting, at whatever houi- of the day or night loyal soldiers could be ministered to, and the passage of the Thirty-seventh proved no exception to the general rule. A bounteous supper was provided, well -seasoned with those kind words of cheer which the sons and daughters of Philadelphia so loved to bestow. At its conclusion the journey was resumed. As the Steamer Belknap bearing the regiment steamed up New York harbor toward noon of the fol- lowing day, ^hich was Sunday, August 5J, the command was formed on deck and Colonel Edwarils, as his keen glance ran proudly down the line, exclaimed in his most impressive tones: " We are going among friends — friends who may have to be treated as enemies! Battalion load at will — load!" The grim smile with which the commander watched the exe- • •cution of his order was reflected from the features of the men .as the ramrods rattled merrily in the musket barrels, and when the steamer swung up to the pier every man was prepared for whatever might be demanded of him. But there was no call to duty of an unpleasant nature. The streets were filled, but as the regiment debarked near Castle Garden and stacked arms on the adjacent streets it experienced only a kindly greeting. What real sentiments lurked under the friendly exterior it might not in every case be easy to determine, and there were sullen faces in the background of which glimpses were sometimes caught, but these the sons of Massachusetts little heeded. Colonel Edwards, on reporting the arrival of his command, was directed to proceed to Eort Hamilton, one of the defenses ■of the harbor, located on the Long Island shore at the Narrows. The regiment accordingly re-embarked during the afternoon, reaching its destination after a pleasant trip down the harbor which had all the zest of a holiday excursion. A satisfactory THE CAMP AT FORT HAMILTON. 31&- camping ground was selected a short distance from the grim walls of the fort, and immediate preparations were made for the comfort and creditable appearance of the regiment. An issue- was promptly made of A tents for the entire command, and re- quisitions were filled for new dress suits, — the uniforms then worn giving unmistakable evidence of the severity of their recent ex- periences in march and storm and battle. During the evening most of the men seized the opportunity to bathe in the abundant waters of the harbor, and the beach presented an interesting picture as the scores of bathers plunged in and out of the water, the evening air echoing their fragments of laugh and jest and song. The following day was devoted to settling the regiment com- fortably in the new quarters and the pitching of the tents, which in comparison with what the Thirty-seventh had recently ex- perienced seemed quite palatial. If any additional evidence of the changed order of things was needed it came that afternoon when rations were drawn, consisting of soft bread, fresh meat, vegetables in plenty, and many an unwonted article. While- these provisions were being made for the immediate needs of the regiment the men had been making themselves acquainted with their surroundings. The entire force at the post was found to consist of a detachment of the Fifth United States and a bat- talion of the Twelfth Regulars under Captain Putnam, the " permanent guard," with two volunteer regiments, the Eleventh and Thirteenth New York Heavy Artillery. Colonel Edwards- had on arrival at New York been assigned to the command of the post, succeeding Major Bruen, whose staff he retained, with First Lieutenant H. M. Stacey of the Twelfth Eegulars as post adjutant. The Thirty-seventh were thus placed under the im- mediate command of Lieutenant-Colonel Montague, this being the first occasion when for any considerable time the regiment as such received its orders from any save its organizer and orig- inal commander. The relations of commander and command, then for the first time assumed, which were afterward to be ce- mented in bonds of enduring esteem on both sides by many a fierce trial by fire, seem to have been mutually pleasant, though 216 THE REGIMENT IN NEW YORK. rendered far different and more complicated by the changed sur- roundings than they would have been in the field. The ensuing two weeks brought little of especial note to the organization, beyond the sharp change from the life the men had temporarily left to that upon which they had now entered. The carelessness inseparable from life at the front gave way to the most exact military discipline, the utmost neatness in quarters and dress, with faithful devotion to drill. Four hours daily were given to the latter whenever weather permitted, — company drills coming in the morning from 6.15 to 7.45 and from 9 to 10, with battalion drill for an hour and a Jialf iu tlie afternoon, followed by dress parade. With this thorough practice following upon its previous effi- ciency, it is needless to say that the Thirty-seventh rapidly ac- quired fame for its excellence in drill, and many visitors from the city came down to the fort at the hour of dress parade to watch the Massachusetts regiment of whose skill they had heard wonderful accounts. No such were ever known to go away dis- appointed, while many a hearty compliment was left behind, all of which very speedily found their way to the ears of the men and officers, inciting to still further endeavor. Even the pro- fessional prejudice of the Eegulars who formed part of the gar- rison at the fort gave way, and they were forced to admit that there was at least one volunteer regiment whose discipline, drill and general soldierly qualities were unexceptionable. Inevitably the influence of the Thirty-seventh was exerted on the other regiments with which it was brigaded. Sergeants Ciiapin of Company Q and Warner of Company H were detailed as " instructors in tactics " for the heavy artillery regiments, while Captain Loomis (whose own Company E was drilled in the management of the heavy guns in the fort as a recognition of its proficiency") was apjiointed instructor for the non-commis- sioned officers of those regiments. As the regiment was so near the homes of most of its mem- bers, many friends took advnntage of the opportunity to visit those in whom they were interested, and not a day passed that some familiar face from Massachusetts was not seen in camp. COLONEL EDWAEDS ASKS A FAVOK. 217 The wives and families of some of the officers were with them during the stay of the Tliirty-serenth in the city, while some of the men received short furloughs; in these ways many an oppor- tunity for meeting was improved by friends who were never again on earth to join hands. Thus, with no more exciting event than the drumming out of camp on the 14th of August of a worthless member of Company K, the days passed till the date fixed by the government for the resumptioiji of the draft, August 19. On the previous day Colonel Edwards visited the police head-quarters and inquired as to the prospect for peaceful proceedings. He was informed that there was pertainly danger of an outbreak; that the rioters claimed to have 30,000 men well armed and organized; that they had given the authorities to understand that they should proba- bly offer no violence unless Massachusetts soldiers came into the city, in which event they declared that not one of them should leave it alive. No knight of antiquity ever accepted the gaunt- let of defiance more unhesitatingly than Colonel Edwards re- sented this implied threat against his pet regiment. Hastening at once to the head-quarters of General Canby, who had com- mand of the city, he reported what he had heard. "And now, General, I have a favor to ask," he added. Being asked to state his wishes, the impulsive colonel thus formulated them: "I wish to bring my regiment — the Thirty-seventh Massachusetts — to the city, to station them as special guard of the drafting pro- ceedings, that no other troops be in sight, and that they display only the Massachusetts flag except in case of actual conflict, when they will also fly the United States colors." The request being promptly granted preparations were at once made for mov- ing the regiment to the city. The men, finding that they were likely to see active service, requested that they might lay aside their dress suits and resume the well-worn raiment with which they had become so familiar, and such permission was given. That evening, just after dress parade the orders were received to " Pack up and fall in! " and in a very few minutes, equipped for duty with 60 rounds of ammunition and three days' rations, the regiment marched down to the wharf, took the steamer 218 THE KEWIMENT IX STEW YORK. which was in waiting and were transported to the city proper, where they bivouacked for the night on the ground at the Bat- tery. Early in the morning of the following day the command was .under arms and marched up Broadway to the Washington Parade Ground, where they halted and awaited the development of events. Companies G and C were detached for duty at the drafting rooms on Sixth Avenue, where according to orders they displayed only the Massachusetts standard. There was no hos- tile demonstration. Not a few eyed the lone Indian, the up- lifted sword and the Latin motto on the strange banner and asked, "What flag is that?" or "What soldiers are these?" and the reply was civil but emphatic, " That is the flag of Massachusetts, and this is a part of her Thirty-seventh regiment — how do you like them ? " Doubtless the presence of the sol- diers, well prepared to meet any crisis, with the knowledge that several other regiments of vetei-ans were within easy distance, influenced the rioters to submit quietly to the inevitable; let us also hope that time and conscience had shown them the terrible wickedness and the supreme folly of their previous conduct. At the usual hour that evening several regiments of the New York militia marched on to the Washington Parade Ground for their dress parades. Their appearance was very fine in their un- tarnished and showy uniforms, accompanied by full brass-bands, exhibiting in a marked degree the fascinating phase of holiday soldiery. Their friends, many thousand in number, applauded loudly as they went through their various exercises in a highly creditable manner, the entire vicinity being packed by a deeply interested crowd. As the last regiment marched off the Thirty- seventh marched on. The contrast could not have been greater. From the holiday parade to an exhibition of the veteran fresh from the fields of deadly strife, the change was instantaneous and striking. The curious throng became silent in a moment, and every movement of the visiting regiment was watched with the most earnest and sympathetic curiosity. The men, women and children seemed to realize that they looked upon a leaf from the great book of war, startling in its vivid reality. Those sturdy, bronzed men were in the midst of their term of service. A SCENE OS THE PARADE GEOUNI). 219 Neither flushed with the ardor of departing volunteers, to whom hope and chance gave a rosy future, nor gladdened by the ter- mination of an honorable service, with the blessed anticipation of a speedy return to the joys of home, the veterans who now came upon the stage could only look forward to continued sacri- fice, to wounds and suffering and death. Their dilapidated gar- ments, while made as presentable as possible, had protected their wearers in the trenches across the Rappahannock, in the terrible marches in pursuit of Lee, had been torn by the can- nonade at Gettysburg, soaked and rent in the hand-built in- trenchments of that fateful field and on the horrible by-ways of Catoctin Mountain. Marked, indeed, was the contrast between those rags and the holiday attire of New York's pet regiments. Never did the sturdy arms of Drum Major Gaflney wake more animating response than when his drum corps performed its part that evening, and the entire command seemed nerved to its very best. From the first command given by the colonel every movement was executed as though by an automaton. From the assembled multitude burst an irresistible wave of applause, so earnest and long continued that the succeeding orders were de- layed to allow it to abate. Finally the order was given to "Raise arms !" — the most difficult known to infantry tactics for a regiment to perform in perfect cadence. As though one intelligence animated the entire line, every back was bent as one and every form assumed its perpendicular. The enthusiasm of the surrounding multitude could no longer be restrained. Like a peal of thunder, applause and cheers burst forth, drowning every effort of Colonel Edwards to make his own vigorous voice heard, and the parade was summarily dismissed. Through the following day and till afternoon of the 31st the Thirty-seventh remained on duty, with no serious menace of a riot, when they were relieved and retiirned to the quarters near Fort Hamilton. The days which succeeded were uneventful. The usual routine was strictly followed, the men going some- times to the city on passes, but more frequently strolling away to gather blackberries, which grew abundantly at no great dis- tance from the fort. On the 30th of August Colonel Edwards 220 THE REGIMENT IN NEW YORK. received a two-weeks' furlough, and Colonel Day was assigned to the command of the post. On the 11th of September Colonel Edwards returned, and the men having learned of his marriage during his absence thoroughly appreciated the following order, which was read that evening at dress parade : In view of the brilliant success attending the recent expedition to the West of our gallant and Union-loving commander, Colonel Edwards, and of his return to us with his fair bride, it is hereby ordered that all pris- oners confined at this date in the regimental guard-house be uncondi- tionally released and returned to duty. By order of Lieutenant-Colonel Montague, Commanding. Atthe same time orders were issued for the regiment to hold itself in readiness to move at short notice, it being understood that it was to report for duty in New York city, but it was not till next day that transportation was furnished and farewell was bid to Fort Hamilton. The rumor as to destination proved correct, the command landing in the upper part of the city and marching to "Camp Canby," on Columbia College grounds. Forty-ninth Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Neglect- ing to pitch their tents that night, the men sleeping upon the ground received the full force of a hard shower, but merely, drew their rubber blankets a little closer with the remark that it seemed like Virginia to feel the rain once more driving in their faces. Two days were devoted to getting the camp in order, and when it was done the Thirty-seventh found itself delightfully situated. The grounds were in the most pleasant portion of the city, being high and salubrious, the air pure and invigorating, the sur- roundings all that could be asked. It was at that time the gen- eral expectation among both oflBcers and men that they would remain there through the winter. It was known that General Canby, after a critical inspection of each regiment in and about the city, had given the Thirty-seventh the award of the best order and discipline and had forwarded to the War Department a request to retain that regiment and the Fifth Wisconsin. On the 2d of September Captain Mulloy had been dispatched to AVashington to bring on the company and regimental property which had been left behind when the regiment hurried through. BIDDISG ADIEU TO THE CITY. 231 and the command seemed now comfortably settled for a perma- nent stay. About this time Governor Andrew of Massachu- setts visited the camp, his presence awakening no little interest among the members, while less noted citizens of the old Bay State continually sought out the regiment. Three companies were detailed for special duty on the loth, — D at the head-quarters of the Provost Marshal, P at the police head-quarters and G at the depot of government supplies. Smaller details of officers and men were made for other duties in various parts of the city between Central Park and White Street, and thus engaged the regiment passed a month of routine. October 13 was a day of quiet bustle about the regimental head-quarters, the various detachments throughout the city were called in, and at dress parade that Evening orders — the existence of which had already been suspected by the men — were read directing Colonel Edwards to report with his command to Major General Halleck at Washington. Hearty cheers were given for the Army of the Potomac, but it must be admitted that the tidings were far from welcome. It was simply human nature for the men to hope that they might pass a few months more, convenient to friends and the amenities of such a life as they had for a time been allowed to enjoy, rather than in the dangers and exposures of the trenches and the unending march through a hostile region. There was little sleep that night, from a multi- tude of causes, and early morning found the command in readi- ness to move. Fortunately the regiment had been spared the necessity of shedding blood during its stay in the city, and it had performed faithfully every duty which came to it, winning high praise from all under whose notice it came ; but it had none the less been exposed to serious dangers and had in a certain respect suffered. The scattering of the men about the city on duty and the lauda- ble wish to allow them every privilege consistent with reasonable precaution for their well-being exposed them to the influence of the designing scoundrels and Southern sympathizers with whom the city was filled, and who spared no effort to corrupt and entice from duty. Citizens' clothes were furnished to all who could 332 THE REGIMENT IN NEW YORK. be induced to wear them and leave the service, v^hile transpor- tation to Canada — that land of refuge for deserters and traitors — was ready to take the refugee beyond danger of recapture and punishment. The total loss to the regiment from this cause was 47 during the 70 days of its absence from the Army of the Po- tomac. This was more than one-half of the loss of the Thirty- seventh by desertion dui-ing the entire service of the regiment, (as will be seen by reference to the Appendix,) and it must also in justice be stated that it was confined almost entirely to the foreign-born element. The victims — for in many cases they were more sinned against than sinning — fell among their coun- trymen, of whom the disloyal and riotous element in New York was so largely composed, were plied with vile liquors and viler persuasions, and in this way many who were naturally brave and true were led from their allegiance. But while this loss seemed so serious, coming within so brief a period,— ^a large percentage of the absentees disappearing after it was known that the regi- ment was ordered back to the front, — it assured the loyalty of those who remained. From that time forward desertion was almost unknown in the history of the Thirty-seventh regiment. All whose fidelity wavered, or could by any inflnence be made to waver, had now left the regiment ; the loss had after all been far less than might have been expected, and the firm battalion which on that crisp October morning turned its face toward Washing- ton was one of whose courage and steadiness any commander might well be proud. CHAPTER XI. AGAIN AT THE FRONT. THE RETURIf TRIP. — THE FORTUNES OF THE ARMY. — THE VIC- TORT AT RAPPAHANNOCK STATION. — THE DISMAL EXPEDITION TO MINE RUN. — CHANGES AND PROMOTIONS. Fai-ewell was spoken to Camp Canby at 8 o'clock in the morn- ing of October 14, and in their best attire the Thirty-seventh marched down Fifth Avenue and Broadway to the foot of Murray street. Here a steamer was in waiting near the Russian fleet which had for some time been lying in the harbor, and while the members of ,the regiment were awaiting the departure of their own boat much time was spent in watching the unfamiliar for- eigners, whose sympathy with the United States government was thus agreeably manifested. It was not till 3 o'clock in the afternoon that all was ready for the departure, when the steamer left the wharf and moved steadily down the harbor to Port Mon- mouth, where the regiment disembarked, took the cars and rode through the night. Philadelphia was reached at 7 o'clock next morning, and, in accordance with the unvarying custom of that City of Brotherly Love, a sumptuous repast was furnished at the Volunteer Refresh- ment Saloon. Not till noon was a train in readiness for the con- tinuation of the journey, and it was after dark when Baltimore was reached. Supper was provided there, — not of the Philadel- phia standard, but good and satisfactory, — and a few hours later the command was packed upon freight cars and crept toward Washington, which was reached soon after daylight of the 16th. With a halt of but a few minutes the regiment proceeded on its way, being directed by General Halleck to report to General Moade. Crossing Long Bridge and passing through Alexandria, 224 AGAIN AT THE FRONT. it steamed slowly back over the route it had followed in coining north ten weeks before, but it is needless to say that the emo- tions of the men were quite different from those experienced on the upward trip. To add to the discomfort of 'the occasion, it commenced raining heavily just as the cars halted at Fairfax Station, shortly before noon. The officers suffered most. In their best dress, with no covering save their fine new overcoats, which had scarcely been worn, they were more exposed than the men, who generally possessed rubber blankets which gave them a partial protection. A laugh was raised and good feeling kept up by Captain J. L. Haydeu, the best of campaigners and san- guine enough to find something cheerful in any outlook, who came up where the disconsolate group of officers were standing in the mud and jerked out with his habitual quick utterance, " Let us all cry!" Stopping in the pelting storm for the men to draw rations, — a not very pleasant duty under the circumstances, — the march was taken up toward Fairfax Court House, which was reached about dark and a halt made for such a supper as was possible under the circumstances. The rain-fall, severe at first, had steadily increased in volume until it seemed an unbroken sheet, and already the clayey soil had become a spongy bed of mud several inches in depth, through which in the intense darkness it was next to impossible to travel. After stumbling on for a mile or two a halt was ordered, and the men with a refinement of irony advised one another to "make themselves comfortable for the night." Standing with heads bent toward the storm till the fury of it somewhat abated, a bivouac was made in the mud, the contrast from the carpeted tents in New York to which the mind would revert being disagreeable enough. The storm ceased during the night, the following day proving as delightful as a Virginian October day could be, and although the mud remained in provoking quantity, it rapidly disappeared before the bright sunshine and the gentle breeze. The march was resumed at daybreak, in the direction of Chantilly, and. about midday the Thirty-seventh sighted the Army of the Poto- mac, disposed in battle array on the ground swept over by the MANEUVERS OF THE TWO ARMIES. 235 conflict of September 1, 1863. The arrival of the regiment being reported to General Meade, it was ordered to the Sixth Corps and by General Sedgwick assigned to its old place in Eustis's Brigade. Its return was gladly hailed by the other regi- ments, and with a feeling of being at home once more it took its place in the second line of battle. While oflBcers and enlisted men alike are busy during the une- ventful afternoon in drying their clothing, writing letters to the friends from whom they have so recently separated, gossiping with acquaintances in the other regiments, or resting idly in the grateful warmth of the sunshine, let us see how it is that the- Army of the Potomac is again almost at the gates of Washington in defensive position against an expected attack. At the close of July, when the Thirty-seventh had set out upon its mission of peace, it had left the two armies concentrated respectively near Warrenton and Culpeper, with the Eappahan- nock as a dividing line between the outposts. On the 1st of August General Buford of the Union cavalry made a strong re- connaissance across the river, driving back the enemy's mounted outposts till his infantry lines were reached, and not long after- ward General Lee retired to a stronger defensive position south of the Eapidan. Early in September Longstreet's corps was de- tached from the Army of Northern Virginia, Pickett's division being sent south of Richmond, while the other two went to the assistance of Bragg at Chattanooga. Although his own army was seriously weakened by the dispatch of so many of his best regiments to New York, while other detachments had been sent to South Carolina, Meade on learning of Longstreet's absence planned to move against his antagonist. Accordingly, on the 13th of September the cavalry, supported by the Second and Sixth Corps, crossed the Rappahannock, pushed the enemy's out- posts before them and advanced to the Rapidan, where the in- fantry took position, while Buford's horsemen set out to feel the way for a movement of the army by the right flank via the upper Rapidan. Before this movement had taken form, however, it was cliecked by orders from Washington, while the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were detached from the Army of the Potoniae 226 AGAIK AT THE FEOXT. and dispatched under command of Hooker to operate against the Confederate army in Tennessee. Meade's army having been somewhat strengthened by the re- turn of a portion of his detached regiments, he was cautiously feeling the ground on his right when on the 9th of October he learned that some movement was being made by Lee, and the following day it became evident that the latter was moving, past the TJniou right flank and threatening its rear and the com- munications with Washington. General Meade seems to have supposed that Lee intended to offer him battle near Warrenton, and moved his own army in accordance with that supposition ; but the mistake was discovered in season to make new disposi- tions before the enemy became aware of the error. Meade, find- ing that he could not fight on ground of his own choosing in the vicinity of Warrenton, resolved to take up a position at Centre- ville and Chantilly, north of the disastrous Bull Run fields, and accordingly moved his forces with all speed in that direction. It was a curious race which resulted. The opposing armies were moving over parallel routes, almost abreast, and so near each' other that collisions of outposts and detached parties were con- stantly occurring, keeping both armies sharply on the lookout, yet neither aware of the purpose or the exact location of the other. While this scramble for position was going on a remarkable incident occurred. On the 1.3th the Confederate cavalry leader Stuart, who was feeling the way in advance of Lee's infantry, came upon the head of General French's Third Coi-ps and was obliged to retreat with his force of some 2,000 men. Halting for the night in a growth of scrub pines, the bold cavalryman was astounded to find that he had taken refuge between the two main columns of the Union advance, the Second Corps, now commanded by General Warren, interposing between his small force and the main body of Confederates, while Gregg's cavalry was on the other side. Sending scouts through the Union lines to make known his critical situation and solicit assistance, Stuart waited till near daylight when he opened fire upon Caldwell's division in his front, the men of which were just lighting their THE FIGHT AT BRISTOE'S STATION. 227 fires to prepare breakfast. Quite unpi-epared for any such hos- tile demonstration, the exposed troops were moved to shelter on the other side of the hill, where they were again fired upon by Ewell's advance, coming np in the other direction. In the con- fusiou Stuart made good his escape with slight loss, and the im- periled division of the Second Corps found itself in turn almost surrounded by the enemy. Some very sharp fighting followed, before the entanglement was cleared up, but no general engage- ment ensued, since that was the farthest from the thoughts of either party at that time and place. Meade's several corps were striving to move up past Bristoe's Station before the Confederates should come down upon his flank with sufiicient strength to cut his army in two, while Lee was straining the powers of his men to the utmost in the hope that he might reach that point in ad- vance of the Federal columns. That object, indeed, failed, but Hill's corps, coming down from New Baltimore on the north- west, while Ewell advanced from the southwest, was in time to interpose between the Fifth Corps, which had just passed, and the Second Corps, the rear of the Union army, which had all day been skirmishing with and holding back Ewell's corps in their rear. Warren's command thus found itself attacked front and rear with the entire Southern army closing about it. A very gallant fight was made by the three brigades which Warren was able to bring into action, and the rebel attack was repulsed with the capture of 450 prisoners, five pieces of artillery and two Confederate battle flags. So prompt and effective was the resistance that all the remainder of the afternoon was spent by the Southern army in getting into position; but as soon as it was dark Warren with his wounded and prisoners followed swiftly in the tracks of the rest of the Union army, and morning of the 15th found all in position near Ceiitreville, after four days and nights of almost incessant marching and fighting. Here it was that two days later the Thirty-seventh had re- jomed the army, the Sixth Corps holding the right of the line near Chantilly. A forward movement had been planned for the 16th, but the severe rain of that day prevented, and next day General Sedgwick reported the enemy still in his front. As '/J28 AG\IK AT THE FRONT. Meade wished to fight on the defensive, if possible, there was another wait in expectation of an attack. But none was made, the Southern commander also feeling a strong preference for the defensive unless he could find an opportunity to strike a sharp blow with the promise of almost certain victory. Companies F and G of the Thirty-seventh were detailed for picket on the 18th, the line being established about a mile in advance of the main position. Everything was quiet in front, and during the •day all indications of the presence of the enemy ceased, quite unexpectedly, since during the previous night the picket line had become frightened at some real or supposed demonstration by the foe and was ordered to .fall back upon the camp, calling the corps to arms before daybreak, the line being re-established after the excitement, with no further demonstration. In fact, Lee having failed in the principal object of his expedition, now contented himself with destroying as much as possible of the Orange and Alexandria railroad and falling back nearer his own base of supplies. His purpose being penetrated by the Union commander, orders wci-e issued Sunday evening, the 18th, for an advance in pursuit next morning, the men, owing to the un- certain nature of the communications being provided with eight days' rations. In respect to this matter of rations, it was not in human nature to refrain from fault-finding, since in addition to the enormous load which the men were required to carry, the quality was of the poorest — the crackers being wormy and the meat consisting of salt ham of very indifferent quality. The pickets were called in at daybreak Monday morning, and the men made an early breakfast preparatory to tho march. While they were thus engaged a sudden and furious shower burst, tearing down tents and drenching everything in a flood of rain; but such experiences had become too common to elicit more than passing remark. The exposed soldiers merely pro- tected themselves and their possessions as well as they could till the first fury of the storm abated, when the order to march was issued. Passing to the westward of Centreville and taking the War- renton turnpike, the column pushed steadily forward all day THE ADVAKCE TO WAERENTO]Sr. ' 229 with no event of importance to thrill the jaded frames, though there was much in the region passed through to interest the members of the Thirty-seventh, covering as it did the scene of the two battles of Bull Eun and so many minor encounters and strategic movements extending over almost the entire period of the war. In every direction were to be seen strong fortifications standing as they had been left by one or the other of the con- tending parties, wasting away by the slow erosion of time and storm; graves, marked or unmarked, were scattered everywhere; while skeletons of animals and even of men once partially buried dotted the neglected and desolate fields. Gainesville was reached near night and the men, well exhausted by the heavy march of 14 miles, had pitched their shelters, eaten their sup- pers, and were about lying down to sleep, when heavy artillery firing was heard at the left, and almost simultaneously the com- mand to " Pack up and fall in ! " rang sharply forth. It was obeyed, the column made a rapid march of half a mile, stood in line for an hour, then returned to the former bivouac. It was merely " the cavalry again!" Kilpatrick had during the after- noon been pressing the enemy's rear guard sharply, inflicting considerable damage, but toward night was drawn into a trap and attacked from two or three directions by a superior force, driven back to and through the lines of the First Corps, the pursuers following so closely as to " gobble up " quite a number of the disordered infantry and take them away in triumph. Satisfied with what they had accomplished, the triumphant Con- federate horsemen wheeled about and the retreat of Lee was without further resistance continued beyond the Kappahannock. Bight o'clock next morning, the 20th, saw the Thirty-seventh again on the road, and after a leisurely march till about 2 m the afternoon a halt was made near New Baltimore, not far from the spot where they passed several days the previous fall at the time of Burnside's taking command of the army. About dusk, after the bivouac was well disposed for the night, the un- welcome order to "Pack up!" was once more heard, and the column dragged along through the darkness toward Warrenton, which was reached at 10 o'clock, the regiment halting for the 230 AGAIN AT THE FfiOKT. night about half a mile east of the town. There the following day and night were passed, but on the 33d camp was changed to the hills a mile or so to the northwest of the town, very near the point of the regiment's location at the time it was sum- moned to New York. Here tlie camp was more carefully located and a week of quiet ensued, with very little duty for the men, while the railroad was being repaired and other preparations made for the continuation of the campaign. At this time Gen- eral Meade wished to change his base to Fredericksburg by a rapid movement, but permission for the transfer was not granted by General Halleck. Ten days passed with no other change than the visible waning of the year. While the days were generally pleasant and bright, the nights were frequently so cold as to make the duties of the pickets and guards anything but pleasant; and it was evident that whatever campaigning was to be done before winter must be undertaken soon. Nor were other evidences of an intended movement absent. A brigade review and inspection was held on Sunday, the 1st of November, and the following day there was a division review by General Sedgwick. Tuesday the camp was changed about a mile, being located nearer Warren ton on the Salem turnpike, and then came another respite till Friday, the 6th, when definite orders were issued for a movement at an early hour next morning. As before stated, the Confederate army had retired behind the Kappahannock, and was at that" time engaged in building huts for the winter quarters of the men, Lee evidently anticipating no further trouble from the Army of the Potomac. General Sedgwick with the Fifth Corps in addition to his own, forming the right of the army, was directed to move against Rappahan- nock Station, while General French with the First> Second and Third Corps was to attempt a crossing at Kelly's Ford, a few miles to the south. The latter column moving from Warrenton Junction while Sedgwick advanced from Warrenton, the routes were almost parallel and of practically equal length, and the march being unopposed by the enemy, there was every proba- bility that the two crossings would be reached at about the same THE DESOLATION OP VIRGINIA. 331 time, and the importance of vigor iu all subsequent proceedings was impressed upon all concerned. The initial operations were remarkably successful. Eeveille broke the dark air at 4 o'clock on the morning of the 7th and the Thirty-seventh was soon in readiness for the orders to move, which were not received till 7 o'clock. The morning was bright and pleasant, but not even the rich sunlight could remove the gloom of desolation which hung over the town of Warrenton, which had so long lain in the path of receding and advancing armies. , The business which had formerly made its streets lively had entirely disappeared, and a large proportion of the inhabitants seemed to have gone with it. Many of the houses were uninhabited and more or less wrecked, while the few inhabitants who were visible seemed to have abundant cause for the sourness and sadness written upon their faces. Poor Virginia! She had taken the sword, and terribly was she perish- ing by the sword ; her homes shrouded in one universal pall of mourning, her fields desolate and her streets deserted. Brave indeed were her sons, and no less heroic her daughters in the cause of their mistaken espousal; the world will ever accord them that just praise, and none more cheerfully and fully than those who bore arms against them; yet none can look back upon those desolate scenes, even after the lapse of a generation, without a vivid realization of the wickedness and pity of human warfare. The sharp chill of the night and early morning disappeared as the day advanced, and the column pressed steadily on till about noon, when the thunder of artillery but a few miles in advance showed that the head of Sedgwick's column had struck the Con- federate outposts. The pace was at once quickened, a strong wind and dusty roads making the movement anything but agree- able. A part of the way the march was beside the railroad, or rather the road bed, for every rail and tie had been removed by the enemy, as a precaution against their use by the Yankee army. At 3 o'clock the scene of action was approached and soon the shells from the enemy's batteries began to explode in the vicinity of the Thirty-seventh. Close column by divisions was formed and the regiment advanced under the shelter of a slight hill, 232 AGAIN AT THE FRONT. lying in the rear of a battery which was doing fine execution. The fight was already in earnest progress, and as the Thirty- seventh was moved to its place in the supporting line the ene- my's skirmishers were driven back, but it was not till dusk that the Confederate works were assaulted. The position occupied by the detachment of Lee's army which Sedgwick now confronted .was an unusual and as the result proved an unfortunate one. On the north bank of the Rappa- hannock at this point some earthworks previously constracted by the Union army had been taken possession of by the Confed- erates and altered and strengthened so as to form a formidable barrier in case the Federals should approach the river at that place. They could only be reached by a front attack over low ground swept for half a mile by the Confederate artillery. On confronting them. General Sedgwick deployed the Sixth Corps to the right of the railroad and the Fifth to the left, and obtain- ing possession of commanding ground near the bank of the river on each flank iiosted his heavy guns and endeavored by a severe artillery fire to drive out the defenders. This attempt, however, proved fruitless, as the Confederate guns sent back shot for shot with unabated vigor. The garrison in the works when Sedgwick's forces deployed in their front consisted of Hays's Louisiana brigade of Early's division of Ewell's corps, and Hoke's brigade of North Carolinians of the same division was sent over to reinforce them — making a force of about 2,000 men, and as the Confederate commanders believed enough to hold the position in the face of all the Yankees who could be brought against it. General Sedgwick having command of the entire operations at this point, the Sixth Corps was in the immediate command for the first time in action of General Horatio G. Wright, of the First Division, General David A. Russell of the Third Brigade taking charge of the division. Russell, after a thorough inspec- tion of the ground in his front, decided that an Assault was practicable, and on receiving permission to make it selected his own brigade and the Second of the same division, commanded respectively by Colonels Ellmaker and Upton. With a heavy BATTLE OF RAPPAHAXNOCK STATION. 233 artillery fire from both flanks coyering the movement, the assault- ing column advanced through the gathering dusk, crossed the ditch, scaled the parapet and poured into the works almost before their intent was comprehended. General Russell went over the works with the men of his command, and in the fierce hand-to- hand fight that briefly followed one of his colonels, thinking his general in too dangerous quarters, called out to his soldiers to " Rally on the General ! " To which' the brave leader replied, " Rally on the rebs, men, rally on the rebs ! " The Sixth Maine and Fifth Wisconsin led in the principal attack, supported by the other regiments of their brigade, while the One Hundred and Twenty-first New York and Fifth Maine of Upton's brigade carried the rifle pits to the right and completed the occupation. The skirmish line of the Fifth Corps, also, catching the en- thusiasm of the moment, broke through on the left of the rail- road, and almost in a moment more than three-fourths of the garrison were killed, wounded or captives, the remainder having succeeded in escaping across the ponton bridge to the south side of the river, including General Hays, who escaped by his horse taking fright after the general had been made a prisoner. The total TTnion loss was 371 in killed.wounded and missing, while General Early reported his loss art 1,672 men, four cannon and eight battle flags. Considering that the defenders fully equaled in numbers the assaulting column, and that the attack was everywhere successful at the first attempt, the capture of Rappahannock Station must be regarded as one of the most brill- iant actions of the war. The mission of General French had been equally successful. Arriving in the vicinity of Kelly's Ford about noon, he found the crossing guarded by a detachment from Rodes's division of Ewell'e corps posted behind rifle-pits on the south bank of the river. The Third Corps, commanded by General Birney, while French had the general command, was in advance, and acted with commendable vigor. Posting his artillery to sweep the southern bank, where a wide plain was commanded by the higher ground on the northern side, Birney forded his First Division across the river, the water up to their waists, and immediately 234 AGAIN AT THE FRONT. charged the rifle-pits with six regiments, capturing 500 prisoners with next to no loss on his own part. The initial operations had thus been eminently successful at both points; the Confederates had sustained a loss of over 2,000 men, and the crossing of the river had been accomplished under circumstances to inspirit the Federal soldiers in the highest degree. But the early promise was not to bear its fruit. The Thirty-seventh remained during the night in about the position it had taken on reaching the field. Late in the even- ing, after the fighting was over and the fruits of the victory secured, permission was given to build fires sufficient for the making of coffee, and the little warmth which they were thus enabled to obtain was very grateful to the chilled, weary and hungry soldiers. With rapid wings the news of the good work in front traveled to the supporting lines, which could only judge of the progress being made by the sound of the firing and cheer- ing, and ])resently squads of prisoners came trooping back to the rear, showing that the favorable reports were in no wise exaggerated. " AVhere is your army going now? " asks a good- natured Yankee as the long string of captives files past. " Going to see Father Abraham and get some soft bread," replies one; "To see the drafted men from New York!" retorts another with a little bitterness in his tone. Daylight of the 8th found the Thirty-seventh again on the march, making its way down the river toward Kelly's Ford, from which the additional good news of French's success had been received during the night. Before noon a halt was made in the woods not far from the Ford, the men improved the op- portunity of fuel and freedom to cook as good a dinner as their stores of provision would allow, and then waited all the after- noon for further orders. These came near sunset when the regi- ment was moved a short distance and assigned the duty of pick- eting the road leading to the Ford, in which position it remained during the night, and, contrary to all expectation, for two days and nights ensuing. Lee had again escaped, fearing to await the attack of Meade's elated army, and retired beyond the Rapi- dan, making Gordonsville his base of supplies.- WAITING AT BRAND-^ STATION. 235 Early Wednesday morning, November 11, the regiment re- traced its steps to Rappahannock Station, crossed the river on a bridge which had been constructed by General Meade's pontort corps on the site of the one burned by Early after his disaster, advanced some six miles to the vicinity of Brandy Station, where camp was pitched and the men directed to make them- selves as comfortable as possible, as they would remain there for at least two weeks and perhaps more. This intelligence was not greeted with cheers, since the location was scarcely an ideal one for a camp, the situation being exposed and wood having to be brought a long distance. But the days wore away with their dull routine, the chills of early winter sharpened the air more and more, cold, heavy rains made day and night alike uncom- fortable, and November approached its close, while uncertainty and expectation hung over the camps. Yet there was no indi- cation of an intention on the part of General Meade to put his army into winter quarters till he had again crossed swords with his wily antagonist. A regimental inspection on the 16th was had by Captain Young of the Second Ehode Island, the brigade inspector, and on the 20th a review of the Sixth Corps was held by General Sedgwick. Meantime the paymaster had visited camp, but brought little money to the members of the Thirty- seventh, as their extra expenses for clothing and other supplies while in New York had drawn heavily upon their allowances. During this interval of inaction General Meade had not been idle. While waiting for the completion of the railroad to Rap- pahannock Station, which was made his base of supplies, he had gained pretty accurate knowledge of the position of Lee's army, which he found to be spread out for some 20 miles over the country beyond the Rapidan, with the fords of that river imper- fectly guarded. Meade's plan of operations contemplated a rapid movement of his own army by different routes, penetrating be- tween the separated corps of his antagonist and fighting and defeating them in detail. Orders were issued on the 23d for a movement the following morning ; the men" were provided with several days' rations, as the plan contemplated the moving of the ai'my without wagon trains or any incumbrance which could 236 AGAIN AT THE FROXT. by any possibility be avoided. The morning of the 34th brought a cold, disagreeable storm, which lasted most of the day, and though camps were struck before daylight and the men in shiv- ering squads awaited orders to fall in, none came during that day or the next. The storm had caused a delay till the roads had opportunity to settle somewhat, but the orders were renewed for the 26th, and that morning knapsacks and haversacks were slung and the "Mine Run movement" began. It was Thanksgiving day in Massachusetts, as the sons of that State well remembered — was that a fortunate omen for their ex- pedition? Before setting forth the men were cheered by news of the success of General Grant in the West, and there was need enough of whatever encouragement they could receive at the outset, for they found little enough afterward.* The roads were still muddy, and as the Sixth Corps followed the Third they found the way more trying than it would otherwise have been. Making slow progress, though at great expenditure of physical energy, the column toiled along all day and far into the night. The latter portion of the journey was the more unpleasant as it was through a dark wood where the uncertain road was rough and extremely muddy. The movement had now become very spasmodic, the column halting and. starting at uncertain inter- vals but with no indication of approaching bivouac. The woods were filled with stragglers who had issued tlieir own orders for a halt, kindled fires and were cooking their suppers and making themselves generally comfortable. Finally at about 10 o'clock the Rapidan was crossed at Jacob's Mill Ford and a mile beyond the thoroughly exhausted regiment came to a halt, those who were not too much exhausted making fires over which their "Thanksgiving Dinner" of coffee and "hard tack" was pre- pared. The most sumptuous repast could not have been more welcome. An early start next morning was expected, and the camp was astir betimes, but the entire day wore away, as well as the early part of the night, with no change of the regiment's position. Heavy firing could be heard in front at intervals, giving evidence that the advance was being contested, but only surmises came back to the listeners. The situation was terribly A BUGLE CALL AX KIGHT. 237 uncomfortable. The weather was cold, chilling and almost freezing the men, especially at night, while the momentary ex- -pectation of orders to continue the march precluded the possi- bility of making themselves more comfortable. Silence at last reigned over the forest, the men were sleeping and the fires had generally burned out, when at 1 o'clock the bugle rang its unwelcome call, the men scrambled to their feet, packed their frozen blankets as best they could, and presently moved forward. Under the circumstances the march was nec- essarily slow, but it continued till daylight when a halt was made for breakfast, followed by a rest of an hour, after which the slow toil was resumed and continued till near noon. The route folio wed — if route it could be called — was an extremely diffi- cult one, leading through the forest, often filled with under- growth which the column could with difficulty penetrate, gener- ally along some obscure by-way and often through regions where apparently the foot of man had never before wandered. A con- siderable conflict was evidently going on in front, and the regi- ment had reached a point in the immediate rear of the Union lines from which the men expected each moment to be ordered into action, though the all-enveloping thicket prevented any view of what might be transpiring in the immediate vicinity, when a heavy, cold rain began to fall and the firing very soon ceased, with the exception of an occasional cannon shot and the inevitable fusillade of the skirmishers. The Thirty-seventh fell back into the forest -for a short distance, built fires and remained through the afternoon and part of the night. Let us see what had been transpiring in the mean time. General Meade's intention, as we have said, was to pass the right flank of Lee's army, penetrate between the corps of Hill and Ewell before they could unite, and defeat them in detail. Lee's front at that time extended from Barnet's Ford, northeast of Orange Court House, down the Rapidan to Mine Run, a small stream entering the river at a point almost due so nth from Kelly's Ford on the Rappahannock. Leaving the Rapidan there, the Confederate line bent sharply to the south along Mine Run, occupying a strong position which had been well fortified for 238 AGAIN AT THE FRONT. some miles back from the main stream. Evidently considei'ing this a sufficient defense of his right flank, Lee had left the fords of the Eapidan from that point to its junction with the Rappahannock undefended, save by small cavalry outposts. South of the Rapidan and nearly parallel to it, at a distance of six or eight miles, run the old turnpike and the jslank road lead- ing from Fredericksburg to Orange Court House and passing to the rear of the rebel intrenched line. Meade's programme was for the Army of the Potomac to cross the Eapidan at the dif- ferent fords, push quickly by the cross roads to these highways, and joining forces press rapidly westward, scattering the dif- ferent sections of the Confederate army as they were encountered. In pursuance of this plan the Third Corps, followed by the Sixth, was to cross at Jacob's Mill Ford, a mile or two below Mine Run, and proceed to Robertson's Tavern on the turnpike. There the Third Corps, whose movements were to time those of the others, was to be joined by the Second under General Warren, which was to cross at Germanna Ford, some two miles below Jacob's Mill Ford. The Fifth Corps, followed by the First, was to cross at Culpeper Mine Ford, still further down the river, push on to Parker's Store on the plank road, at that point some two miles south of the turnpike. Such was the well-laid plan ; like many another it was to meet unexpected obstacles in the execution. In a scheme so complicated it was essential that there should be a perfect execution of the plans. The Third Corps, upon which so much depended, failed at the start, being behind time in reaching the Rapidan. Then it was found that the engineers had miscalculated the length of bridge necessary for the crossing and time was wasted in piecing out the structure with i)oles. At best the approaches to the bridge were so diflEi- cult that the artillery of the two corps was obtiged to go down the river, cross at Germanna Ford and make its way back on the south side of the stream to rejoin the column. It was morning of the 27th, therefore, when the army found itself across the Eapidan. The Fifth Corps pushed forward with the cavalry along the plank road, reaching Parker's Store in the middle of READY TO ''GO IN " AT MINE KUN. 239 the foreaooQ, encountering there the enemy's outposts, which were steadily driven back for several hours till New Hope Church was reached, where the cross road from Eobertson's Tavern on the turnpike intersects the plank road. Here Sykes was directed to halt his command and await co-operation. The Second Corps had reached the Tavern shortly after noon, en- countering the Confederates in considerable force, and the op- posing forces were quickly thrown into line of battle, but hours passed with no tidings from French and the two corps under his command. In fact, he had proceeded but a few miles from the crossing when he became confused in regard to the road which he was expected to follow, took the wrong one, came upon the enemy, who made vigorous demonstrations against his flank, creating apprehensions of an attack in force, so that the entire day was wasted without suflBcient advance on his part to allow the Sixth Corps to take the road at all, as we have seen. Finding it impracticable by the roundabout communication which alone was possible to bring the Third Corps forward promptly, General Meade sent a dispatch to General Sedgwick to move his command immediately to Eobertson's Tavern, and French was directed to follow the Sixth Corps. Sedgwick needed no second bidding ; hence the midnight reveille and the consequent march which had brought the Thirty-seventh so near to the front. The Union army was at last in position, the demonstrations in French's vicinity having ceased, allowing his corps to come for- ward ; but it was a position which should have been occupied at least 24 hours before, and those hours had not been wasted by the Confederate chieftain. Early apprised of the movement of the Army of the Potomac, and divining its intent, Lee had rapidly strengthened his line in the rear of Mine Eun, ex- tending it so as to fully cover the turnpike and the plank road. Having by the prelitninary skirmishing gained time for this pur- pose, he now withdrew to his main position and with smiling confidence awaited the onset of his antagonist. The position of the Confederate army was along a range of hights half a mile or more in the rear of Mine Eun. The stream itself was difficult of passage, its biinks being marshy and 240 AGAIN AT THE FRONT. fringed with bushes and Tines. Beyond it a gentle slope led up to the enemy's position, swept every foot of the way by their fire and filled with abatis and other obstructions. Having ad- vanced as far as practicable without a conflict. General Meade disposed his army in front of the Run in this order : General Newton's First Corps formed the center, lying just south of the old turnpike, with the Fifth Corps on its right and the Third •on its left. General Sedgwick with his First and Second Divi- sions was thrown well to the right, while his Third Division, which had for some time been under the command of General Terry, was detached to co-operate with the Second Corps in feeling for a more vulnerable point to the left. Accordingly the men of the Thirty-seventh found themselves aroused at 1 o'clock in the morning of Sunday, the 29th, drew a small additional supply of rations, and before daylight were on their way, passing Robertson's Tavern, through to the plank road and beyond it, around the head of Mine Run, the advance skirmishing continually with the enemy's outposts and driving them back till near night, when General Warren, believing that he had found a comparatively weak point, so reported to Meade and disposed his forces for the attack whenever it should be ordered. General Sedgwick from the right also reported that he deemed an assault in his front practicable. General Warren was strengthened with two divisions from the Third Corps and directed to attack at 8 o'clock next morning in connection with a heavy artillery fire from the center, while Sedgwick was to "go in" an hour later. The Thirty-seventh were in reserve during the night of the 39th, lying on their arms and sleeping as much as possible in the intense cold, which had now become so intolerable that men were fi-ozen to death on the picket line. Early in the morning the regiment was moved forward to the froht line, taking posi- tion on the extreme left. It was terribly uncomfortable lying upon the frozen ground hour after hour waiting for the signal to spring to their feet and dash forward into the face of death, land the men would almost have welcomed the command, since it would have stirred the blood and warmed the benumbed limbs; THE CAMPAIGK ABANDONED. 241 but it did not come. The morning's inspection of the works in his front revealed to Warren that his intention to attack had been anticipated, that the enemy had used the entire night in extending and strengthening the fortifications, that the latter were filled to the utmost capacity with exultant defenders and bristling with cannon which had not been there the previous evening. Warren reported the discouraging outlook to his com- mander and awaited orders. Meade sent a hasty order to Sedg- wick, who was waiting the passage of the few intervenmg moments to hurl his human avalanche against the foe, directing him to suspend the attack, and hurried to a personal consulta- tion with Warren. The judgment of the lieutenant was confirmed on inspection by the general commanding. The plan of attack which on the previous afternoon had seemed feasible was now seen to be haz- ardous to the degree of rashness. The two points of assault were fully five miles apart, rendering perfect co-operation very difficult; there were no reserves to follow up and secure any ad- vantage which the attacking columns might gain; but above all there was the extreme doubt of any lodgment being made in the hostile works. The common soldiers saw the desperate outlook as clearly as their generals. They had never shrunk from the call of duty — they never would; but with firm fingers each man iad written his name and pinned it upon his blouse that his dead body might be identified when the burial parties should do their sad work! To make other dispositions of the army — to search for an un- defended flank or a practicable point of attack on a concentrated foe whom Meade believed his equal in numbers — would require time, while the rations with which his men set out were nearly exhausted, and his supply trains were under cavalry guard beyond the Rapidan. The steadily increasing cold weather seemed to indicate the setting in of a severe winter, and reluctantly the orders were issued which should record upon the movement the verdict of "failure." All day the Thirty-seventh remained in their uncomfortable position, the skirmishers and sharp-shooters in front keeping up 242 AGAIN AT THE FBONT. an incessant fusillade, though by rare good fortune the loss was only one or two men wounded. There were plenty of narrow escapes, as always at such times, among them being that of Chaplain Morse, who on one of his several visits from the hos- pitals in the rear to the regiment at the front was fired at and narrowly missed by a sharp-shooter on two occasions. At night the regiment was relieved and with the rest of the division marched back to the turnpike, some three miles, where the Sixth Corps was reunited, the other two divisions having been recalled from their advanced position at the right. Large fires were made and the men went to sleep about them, but aa soon as the flames died away the torturing cold reasserted its Cruel power, and long before daylight the camp was voluntarily astir, building fires and preparing breakfast, in the expectation of being presently called to sterner duty. But all that day, December 1, wore away with no summons till evening, after many of the men had disposed themselves to sleep, when the familiar invitation to " Pack up and fall in lively I " rang through the oak forest, and at 9 o'clock the col- umn sped swiftly back toward the Eapidan, but not by the route which it had traversed in coming through the wood and which had proved such an entanglement to the Third Corps. Following the turnpike back to its junction with the Brock road, a mile or so east of the Old Wilderness Tavern, and then turning nearly due north, the regiment crossed the Eapidan at Ely's Ford about daylight, and after making a mile or two on the north side of the river halted for breakfast and rested till noon. Most of the men and the oiBcers as well slept during the wait, for the night's march had been swift and continuous and they were severely exhausted. The mounted officers had shared their horses with line officers, enlisted men and servants, who were unable otherwise to accompany the column, and thus nearly every member of the command was in his place when the regi- ment halted, and the few who were behind soon came up. The march was resumed at midday,. and the tottering column, sore, stiff and weary, plodded along till after dark, crossing Mountain Run where they had crossed it a week before in going THE RETURN TO BKANDT STATION. 243 out, and soon afterward the Thirty-seventh halted in a piece of woods for the night. The ground was low and marshy, with frequent pools of water into which the men stumbled, but they gave little heed to the discomforts. Wrapping themselves in their blankets, ofiB.cers and men alike threw themselves upon the ground and slept the sleep of exhaustion till morning. As it was now certain that the regiment was near the old camp, and hence probable that they were to return there, the men devoured for breakfast what little food remained in their haversacks, in many cases ardently wishing it were more, and shortly afterward resumed the march, which led directly back to the old camp, — quitted seven days before for one of the most tedious, exhaust- ing, depressing and apparently fruitless expeditions in the his- tory of the army. History will justify, — ^it has already justified, — ^the wisdom of General Meade; but the thinking men who made np the army could not then comprehend as they now do the unfortunate combination of circumstances which conspired to defeat the skillful plans of the general commanding, and it was not remarkable that there was bitterness of feeling and of speech among those who had endured the severe sufferings of the bootless campaign. Tents were hastily pitched during the afternoon and three days' rations drawn, but the camp was not at once to settle into dull routine. When in possession of the new supply of rations, the men prepared bountiful suppers and crept into their tents under the warning to be ready to move at a moment's notice. A little later they were called up to draw more rations and took the occasion to eat some more supper, after which they returned to their blankets and were not again disturbed that night. Next day details were made for guard and picket, the camp lines were established and a settled conviction began to be felt, despite all manner of camp rumors as to possible expeditions in the near future, that winter quarters would now be established. Within a few days that conviction deepened into certainty, the site for a new camp was selected and the men set to work upon it, pat- terning closely after "Camp Edwards," the famous habitation of the previous winter. 244 AGAIN AT THE FRONT. Up to this time several additional changes had taken place among the officers of the regiment. Second Lieutenant Harri- gan of Company K resigned October 30, and as that company, like most others in the regiment, was reduced below the number for which the government allowed the muster of a new second lieutenant, the latter vacancy remained unfilled, as did other vacancies in the same rank, except when promotion is noted. First Lieutenant Charles Phelps of Company I resigned Novem- ber 17, Second Lieutenant P. Edward Gray of the same company being advanced to fill the vacancy. Major Eugene A. Allen re- signed November 25, and was succeeded by Captain Marcus T. Moody of Company G, whose commission bore date December 5 though he was not mustered to the new rank until January. First Lieutenant Bliss of Company G was at the same time commissioned captain, but before the receipt of the commission he resigned as first lieutenant, December 23, being influenced by family considerations, among them the death of his only brother. Captain George S. Bliss of the Fifty-second Massachu- setts regiment. Second Lieutenant James C. Chalmers of Com- pany A was promoted from December 5 to first lieutenant and assigned to Company G. The resignation of Lieutenant Bliss making another vacancy in the roster of captains, First Lieu- tenant John 0. Robinson of Company C was promoted to date from December 24, taking command of Company G. Second Lieutenant Jones of Company F was made first lieutenant of Company C. CHAPTER XII, WINTER ON THE RAPIDAN. THE CLOSING TEAR. — PROQ-KESS OF THE WAR. — THE WINTER CAMP AND THE LIFE IN IT. — A FUTILE EXPEDITION. Mention has been made of cheering news which came from Grant in the West as the troops of the Army of the Potomac were about to set forth on the Mine Run expedition. To see what it was we must return to Bragg and Rosecrans, whom we left, the former at Chattanooga, Ga., with the principal Con- federate army west of Virginia, the latter near Stevenson, Ala., preparing to cross the Tennessee river in pursuit of his antagon- ist. In co-operation with Rosecrans, General Burnside took the field actively in Eastern Tennessee, capturing Frazer's brigade and Cumberland Pass September 9, thus interposing his own army between Bragg and Virginia, besides dispelling the frag- mentary forces of armed Secessionists who had been maintaining a reign of terror in the region about Knoxville, and the faithful Unionists who had been obliged to flee for their lives now vent- ured to return to their homes again. Bragg's position at Chattanooga was one difficult of approach by a hostile force from any direction, since it waa shut in by commanding mountain ranges, with numerous creeks and rivers; but Rosecrans decided to push straight across the Tennessee, over the mountains beyond, and threatening the enemy's com- munications either drive him toward the interior of the Confed- eracy or force him to a decisive battle. With numerous feints completely deceiving Bragg as to his real intentions, the Union commander crossed the Tennessee at four different points, and the first days of September saw his army pushing its way over the ranges to the eastward. Bragg immediately evacuated 346 WINTER ON THE EAPIDAN. Chattanooga, moviiig due south some 15 or 20 miles and estab- lishing his army along the east bank of West Ohickamauga Creek, facing the advancing Union army. By this movement General Eosecrans was sadly deceived, thinking that the Confederates were in full retreat. Fearing that Bragg might attempt to escape to the westward/ and again carry the theater of war into Tennessee, Eosecrans sent to Sherman for co-operation to prevent such a result, and scattered his own forces for 40 miles through the 'mountains to operate against the supposed fugitives. But nothing was further from Bragg's mind than flight. He had been heavily reinforced by the merciless conscription which was being carried on through the South, by most of Johnston's available force, and finally by the two divisions from Lee's army commanded by Longstreet in person, who had made their way through the Carolinas and were now coming up via Atlanta. Most of these troops were veterans, they vastly outnumbered the Union army, even if the latter had been consolidated, while in its present scattered condition there was every hope that it might be broken up in detail with little cost to the Confederates. Eosecrans did not Jsnow of these reinforcements, but he became aware of the presence on the Chickamauga of the enemy in strong force, and easily divined Bragg's intention. By skillful disposi- tions and great exertions he succeeded in rescuing the scattered detachments of his army, and by the time the Confederates were ready for the attack their antagonists were tolerably ready for the defense. In fact the initial blow was struck by the Union army, though with no conception of the results which were to follow. The morning of September 19, 1863, opened the struggle. General Thomas, commanding the Union left, had thrown out a detachment in search of an isolated brigade of the enemy which had been reported on that side of the creek, but after a brief engagement found that a strong force was developing in his front. Ill fact Bragg had intended to throw his right under General Polk with crushing weight upon the Union left, but the engagement which ensued showed that he had somewhat mistaken the position of his antagonist, whose flank extended farther to the northward than he had anticipated. The Southern THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAOGA. 347 army was across the creek, however, in much stronger force than Thomas had in jreadiness for immediate operation against it, and the boys in blue were driven back. They were speedily rein- forced and drove their antagonists in turn, and so through the day, with the advantage favoring first the Stars and Stripes and then the Stars and Bars, the battle raged with terrible despera- tion but without decisive result. The Union right was also repeatedly assailed, but on that part of the field every attack was repulsed and the lines stood firm. That night Longstreet came up with a division and two bri- gades of fresh troops and took command of the Confederate left, in place of Hood, who had the immediate command of that wing during the first day. The fight of the 20th opened by a deter- mined effort on the part of Polk to turn Thomas's left flank and interpose between the Union army and .the Rossville Pass through Missionary Ridge to Chattanooga, but every attempt was stub- bornly contested and defeated with the assistance of troops drawn from other parts of the line. On the right, meantime, owing to misunderstood orders in connection with the reinforcements sent to the left, a considerable gap was left in the line, and Long- streefs quick eye grasped the opportunity. Hood's command in overwhelming force was pushed into the opening, cutting ofE five brigades and inflicting upon them terrible loss. Then the whole right crumbled before the riving of this monstrous wedge of exultant victors. Brigade after brigade was struck in the flank and swept back in confused masses ; Rosecrans and his corps commanders, McCook and Crittenden, were carried back with the flood which they had no power to stem ; while General Garfield, the chief of staff, was dispatched to Thomas to bear the news of disaster, urge that general to maintain his ground as long as possible, and then to hold Rossville Pass at all hazards while Rosecrans disposed his scattered forces for the defense of Chattanooga, on which they were in full retreat. It was during the closing hours of this disastrous day that General Thomas won the sobriquet of "The Rock of Chicka- mauga." With a force not exceeding 25,000 men, in a position strengthened by such slight intrenchments as circumstances 248 WINTER ON THE RAPIDAN. would permit, he received attack after attack without iiinching or yielding, holding his ground determinedly against the pres- sure of at least twice his numbers ; finally retiring one division at a time to Eossville Pass in accordance with orders, — the last to leave the field being "Wood's division, whose faulty movement had opened the way for the breaking of the right. The Pass was firmly held during the following day, when all retired to the fortified lines about Chattanooga. The battle of Chickamauga was one of the bloodiest known to modern warfare. Out of some 55,000 men engaged, the Union loss was 16,336 ; from the best data attainable it is estimated that Bragg lost from his 70,000 effectives present over 20,000, though in this as in so many other important battles no ofiicial report of the aggregate Confederate loss is made. The victors did not press the vanquished, but contented them- selves by takiug position on the mountain ranges within a few miles of Chattanooga, whence they could look down upon the Union camps, while their position upon Lookout mountain completely closed the Tennessee river, so that Rosecrans was obliged to throw a ponton bridge across in the rear of the town and haul his supplies over the mountains 50 or 60 miles by the most wretched roads, which as soon as the autumn storms began to prevail would become utterly impassable. As it was, the army almost at once was distressed for rations, and many thousand horses and mules were lost from want of fojage and by excessive work upon the roads. Clearly this situation could not long be borne without the uttep- overthrow of Rosecrans's command, and the Washington authorities acted with commendable prompt- ness. The Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were withdrawn from the Army of the Potomac, as we have seen, put under the com- mand of Hooker, and placed in position to protect Rosecrans's long lines of communication, — having marched to Washington and been transported thence by the roundabout route necessary in eight days from the time of leaving the Rappahannock. They were sadly needed, since the immense Union wagon trains, in addition to all other drawbacks, were constantly exposed to the raids of the vigilant Coufederate cavalry, from which serious GRANT AT CHATTANOOGA. 249 losses were suffered. General Burnside was also directed to move to the assistance of the Army of the Cumberland, as was Sherman fi-om his position in Mississippi. There was change in all direc- tions. On the 28th of September the Twentieth and Twenty-first Corps were consolidated into the Fourth and placed under com- mand of General Gordon Granger, while McCook and Crittenden, the relieved corps commanders, were ordered north to await the result of a court of inquiry. The crowning change was made, however, on the 16th of October, when the Departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland and the Tennessee were consolidated as "the Military Division of the Mississippi," and placed under the command of General Grant. At the same time General Rosecrans was relieved of the command of the Army of the Cumberland, to which General Thomas was assigned, the former issuing a farewell address to the command on the 19th and at once departing for his home at Cincinnati. General Grant's first order to Thomas on taking command was to hold Chattanooga at all hazards, to which Thomas, whose army had already been on half rations for a month, made answer, "We will hold the town till we starve." The important events which followed were so entirely governed by the remarkable conformation of the region about Chatta- nooga that a general idea of the geographical features becomes necessary. The town is situated at the head of the valley of the same name, through which flows Chattanooga Creek, emptying into the Tennessee a few miles below the town. This valley extends in a direction somewhat south of west, and its eastern boundary is formed by Missionary Ridge, a well-defined range extending far past the town at a distance of three or four miles to the eastward. Half a dozen miles south of Chattanooga was Ross- ville Pass, opening through the Ridge into Chickamauga Valley, in which the battle of that name had taken place. Bending southward around the town the Tennessee flows three or four miles till it reaches the base of Lookout Mountain' forming the western boundary of Chattanooga Valley, when it turns almost due north in the shape of the letter U, the inclosed tongue of 250 WINTER ON THE BAPIDAN. land being known as Moccasin Point. Lookout Mountain, which rises very abruptly, has at the top a table land of rarying width, extending back for several miles, upon which, near the northern extremity, was situated the village of Summertown. Near the western base of the mountain ran Lookout Creek, giving name to the valley through which it flowed. Beyond this valley rose the less elevated Eaccoon Mountains, on the other side of which the Tennessee again resumed its general southwestern course. The Confederate main force was disposed across the valley in front of Chattanooga, their pickets close up to those of the Union army, their right extending to the north- ward along Missionary Kidge, while their left ran over and along the northern and western faces of Lookout. It was this left wing, composed of part of Longstreet's troops, which command- ed from their elevated positions so much of the river and of the roads beyond as to necessitate the interminable mountain trans- portation from "which the Union army was suffering. The first movement of the campaign was planned before General Grant took command, and, as he approved it, was im- mediately carried out. Its object was to open a line of com- munication from the rear of Chattanooga across Moccasin Point and Brown's Ferry, thence through Lookout Valley, crossing the Tennessee again at Bridgeport, Ala., thus avoiding the mountains and reducing the distance one-half. To gaiu posses- sion of the left bank of the river at Brown's Ferry a very brill- iant night expedition was planned and successfully executed. At 3 o'clock in the morning of the 27th of October 50 squads of 34 men each were quietly embarked in as many ponton boats under the command of General W. B. Hazen and without the use of oars floated down the current as near the right bank as possible till the ferry was reached. For seven miles the flotilla drifted past the Confederate picket lines without receiving a shot or being noticed, but as the oars were used to bring the boats to the landing the picket post at that point delivered a volley. The little force promptly lauded, took a position to cover the ferry and began to intrench, while the boats hastened' to bring over the brigade of General Turchin which had marched THE Is-IGHT BATTLE OF WAUHATCHIE. 351 overland to the opposite bank. A sharp attack was made on Hazen's command, but the gallant fellows held their own and the bridge was soon completed. At the same time General Hooker set out from Bridgeport to cross the Tennessee and open the route through Lookout Valley. General Geary's division of the Twelfth Corps was in advance and during the 28th penetrated to Wauhatchie without encoun- tering serious opposition. After midnight, however, it was savagely assaulted by McLaws's division of Longstreet's corps, which crept upon it in the darkness hoping to take the sleeping camp by surprise. Geary and his men were wide awake, well realizing the danger of their position, and though enveloped on three sides fought unfalteringly till one brigade of Schurz's di- vision of the Eleventh Corps, encamped some miles in the rear, came up on the double-quick and relieved the pressure upon Geary's left. The other brigade had been detached en route to operate against a second body of Confederates who were advanc- ing against the camp of the Eleventh Corps. As Steinwehr's division was moving to join in the fight nearest it fire was open- ed by a strong force of the enemy posted on an almost inaccessi- ble hill 200 feet in hight. Two regiments under Colonel Orlan- do Smith, — ^the Thirty-third Massachusetts, Colonel A. B. Under- wood, and Smith's own, the Seventy-third Ohio, — were ordered to clear the hill with the bayonet, which was magnificently done. Colonel Underwood was severely wounded, and at the request of General Hooker received a promotion to a brigadier general- ship for his gallantry. Probably no more picturesque night battle than that of Wauhatchie was ever fought. All along the valley and up the slopes of the hills the bursts and flashes of fire ran, while from the frowning hights of Lookout, as though from batteries built amidst the clouds, the Confederate artillery joined in the strife. But the attack was everywhere repelled, and within a day or two the rout© though the valley was opened and firmly held. The partial freeing of the river also allowed the employment of a small steamer which some of the Michigan troops in the army had built and named the "Chattanooga," by which supplies were brought to the ferry. 252 WINTER ON THE RAPIDAN. A considerable force had meantime been sent from Bragg's army under command of Longstreet to operate against Burnside, to prevent him from reaching Chattanooga and if possible to destroy or capture his command. The latter, making the best defense possible en route, fell back to his intrenchments at Knoxville. Longstreet made a sharp attack November 18, get- ting possession of some outposts and killing General W. P. Sanders, who with a small command had bravely defended the place till Burnside's arrival. Finding that the works were too strong to be carried by assault, Longstreet immediately began siege operations, hoping to bag the garrison before assistance should reach them, as he knew Burnside's stock of provisions to be small. While the siege was yet in progress the country was electrified by the tidings from Chattanooga. Late in September General Sherman with the Fifteenth Corps had moved from Vicksburg by water to Memphis and thence by rail toward the Tennessee, in support of Kosecrans, but when Grant's plans for a campaign against Bragg were perfected he was ordered forward to Chattanooga and on his arrival opera- tions at once commenced, the first offensive movements being made November 23. On that day Sherman crossed the Tennes- see and the Chickamauga, after various demonstrations to mis- lead the enemy, and moved forward along the line of the latter stream against the Confederate right at the upper end of Mis- sionary Ridge, making his way slowly but holding tenaciously whatever ground was gained. On the afternoon of the same day General Thomas formed a strong line of his own command which was advanced against'the Confederate center in front of Chattanooga, carrying everything before it as far as Orchard Knob, a minor elevation some distance in front of the Ridge but beyond the first line of rebel rifle pits. Here a battery was placed and intrenchments thrown up to hold the ground thus gained. The first decisive blow was struck by Hooker on the 24:th. From his position in Lookout Valley he was directed if possible to drive the Confederates from their occupancy of Lookout Mountain. The force at his command consisted only of Geary's "THE BATTLE ABOVE THE CLOUDS." 253 division of tho Twelfth Corps, Osterhaus's of the Fifteenth and two brigades from the Fourth, — troops that had never fought together and whose numbers seemed wholly inadequate to the terrible undertaking ; but at 4 o'clock in the morning he reported readiness and shortly afterward the movement began. Almost from the brink of Lookout Creek the mountain side sloped upward so sharply that it seemed almost impracticable for the unimpeded foot of man, breaking finally into a perpendicular palisade from 50 to 100 feet in sheer ascent to the table land forming the summit of the mountain. At every available point below the palisade this slope was tilled with abatis, rifle-pits, breastworks and epaulments defended by McLaws's veterans. The stoutest heart might well have shrunk from the struggle which must ensue, but Geary's division never faltered. Crossing the creek and extending its lines up the mountain side till the palisade protected the right flank it faced northward and assisted by the fire of the batteries from the valley began to press forward. A heavy mist hung over the face of the mount- ain almost concealing the struggling heroes from the sight of their anxious friends, but now and thefe through a rift their ad- vancing banners could be seen, the line of fire moved steadily forward with never a retrograde, and at noon the utterly de- moralized defenders were driven around the sharp northern end of the mountain and the pursuers looked over upon the lines of their fellow-Unionists in the Chattanooga Valley. Here Geary was directed to stop and reform his lines, but there were indica- tions that another stand would be made as the eastern face was turned, and his victorious command, necessarily broke into an exultant rabble, rushed forward with never a pause and sent their antagonists in a mad scramble over the rocks and through the gullies into the valley beyond. Then the line was estab- lished, the right still resting against the palisade and the left reaching to near the mouth of Chattanooga Creek in the valley, facing and enfilading the Confederate position on the right of Thomas. During the night an attack was made on Hooker's right but it was easily repulsed, and at daylight next morning the Stars and Stripes waved from the summit of the mountain, 254 WINTEK OK THE RAPIDAN. •which had been hastily abandoned, Bragg concentrating his en- tire force on Missionary Ridge, with his pickets still clinging to the eastern shore of Chattanooga creek. Hooker's command was now ordered forward across the valley to the Eossville Gap, which it reached and occupied about the middle of the afternoon, having been delayed on the way by sharp skirmishing and missing bridges. Then facing northward it advanced steadily till sunset, driving the enemy from one po- sition to another with resistless force. All day Sherman had been battling sturdily at the north end of the Ridge, with his face to the south, though making but little advance owing to the difl&culty of the ground and the tenacity of the resistance. As the afternoon wore away without sufficient progress to satisfy General Grant he ordered Thomas to assault the enemy's center in front of Orchard Knob. The position here was very strong. At the foot of the ridge, half a mile from the Knob, was a strong line of works ; half way up the ascent was a second, consisting chiefly of rifle-pits ; while the summit was very strongly fortifi- ed, with 50 pieces of cannon in position. The four divisions of Baird, Wood, Sheridan and Johnson were formed from left to right in the order given and at half -past 3, under orders to carry the first line of works if possible, advanced at the booming of six signal guns. Through a terrible fire of shot and shell, grape, canister and musketry, the lines moved firmly across the plain to the base of the mountain, captured the works which were their objective point and sent such of the defenders as could escape rushing frantically up the hill. Then the victors endeavored to halt and lie down at the foot of the Ridge in obedience to their orders, but there was no shelter from the plunging fire rained on them from above, and presently detached groups following the lead of some dauntless standard-bearer began to climb the hill-side. The movement spread like wildfire. Officers cheered on their men, color-bearers waved their flags and shouted back for their fellows, till presently a hundred detached groups with a common object •went scrambling up the ravines and gullies, dodging from one 2);irtially sheltered covert to another, screaming, cheering, shout- CAPTURE OF MISSIONARY RIDfiE. 255 ing like so many madmen. General Grant looking on from Or- chard Knob, was astonished. " By whose command is that movement?" he asked the equally surprised Thomas. "It looks like a spontaneous advance," was all the reply that the latter could make. " All right if it comes out well ; if not some- body will sufEer for it ! " the chieftan growled as he watched the progress of the disorderly scurry up the hill. Sheridan's men were the first to reach the summit, and for a time they found themselves with plenty of occupation, but soon a lodgment was made, some of the batteries captured and the guns turned upon the breaking lines of the Confederates. In one hour from the firing of the signal from the Knob the entire crest in their front was in possession of the Boys in Blue. Wood's division, to the left of Sheridan, met a more deter- mined opposition, and the struggle there continued till after dark, when the Confederates broke before the repeated assaults, the panic extending even to the troops in front of Sherman to the north, so that when night settled over the mountains it found Bragg's army in full retreat toward Dalton, while that officer himself barely escaped capture with the other generals at his head-quarters. This was the news which next morning was read to the Army of the Potomac as it set forth on its dismal pilgrimage toward Mine Eun. That night a force of 30,000 men under General Granger set out for the relief of Burnside at Knoxville, while Hooker, Sher- man and Sheridan pressed the retreating Confederates. Several sharp actions occurred between the pursuers and the rear guard, especially at the mountain passes near Einggold where Hooker dislodged Cleburne after a very stubborn engagement, following which the pursuit was abandoned and the Union army concen- trated near Chattanooga, in the vicinity of which they enjoyed a a winter of well-earned rest. General Sherman joined Granger's column on the march toward Knoxville, taking command. On the 3d of December the advance entered the Union lines at Knoxville and the siege came to an end. Longstreet on hearing of the disaster to Bragg realized that time was becoming precious and resolved upon carrying the works in his front by assault, 256 WINTER ON THE RAPIDAN. which was made and bloodily repulsed on the 29th of November. From Knox villa he retreated in the direction of Virginia, where we shall find him presently. As the news of Grant's magnificent victory, following so closely upon his successes in Mississippi, was made known to the country, he became everywhere the hero of the year. Thanks and a gold medal were voted him by Congress, while the public and private expressions of appreciation were of the most flatter- ing nature. The finger of destiny seemed unmistakably point- ing to him as the chieftain ordained to lead the Union armies to triumph, and his subsequent promotion to Lieutenant-General, with command of all military movements, was everywhere re- garded as one eminently fitting. The other military operations of the closing year were scarcely noteworthy. In North Carolina, General Foster as Burnside's successor was engaged in a more or less desultory strife with small bands of Confederates, with no important advantage accru- ing to either. In South Carolina all efforts were concentrated against Charleston harbor, and these under General Gillmore and Admiral Dahlgren, were of the most earnest nature and some progress was made. Morris Island was wrested from the Confederate grasp after the blood of Colonel Shaw and his col- ored troops of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, with others, had been poured out in vain in the ditches of cruel Fort Wagner ; Port Sumter had been pounded to a shapeless mass of ruins, and shells from the " Swamp Angel " had gone screaming into Charleston, "The Cradle of Secession." General Banks Kaving restored a satisfactory degree of quiet in Louisiana had turned his attention to other points in his department, and had made some progress toward re-establishing the old flag in Texas, opera- tions in this quarter continuing while winter had locked up the armies in other sections. On the whole the outlook had brightened wonderfully during the last six months of the year, and the improved military situa- tion was reflected in the autumn elections by a stronger expres- sion of confidence in the National government. Vallandigham, the opposition candidate for governor of Ohio, who from Canada BUILDING "CAMP SEDGWICK." 257 was posing as a martyr to militai-y despotism, was buried under a loyal majority of a hundred thousand ; New York gave a sub- stantial Union majority, as did Maryland, where the question of emancipation caused sharp strife. In the Confederacy, on the other hand, the outlook was con- tinually darkening. Following the defeat of Lee and the losses in the Mississippi valley. President Davis had ordered the con- scription of all able-bodied men in the Confederacy between the ages of 18 and 45, and before the close of the year the latter limit was extended to 55. During the winter General Bragg was made general-in-chief of the Confederate armies by Davis, but the ap- pointment was not one to inspire hope or produce satisfaction. The pressure of the continually strengthening blockade was more and more crippling the southern resources, the hope of for- eign assistance was daily waning, the finances were becoming seriously crippled, and the abundant Confederate " paper money " had a varying specie value of from four to six cents per dollar. To return to the winter quarters on the Rapidan ; directly after the Mine Eun fiasco, the Thirty-seventh, as we have seen, selected the most favorable spot available and began the build- of their winter quarters — ".Camp Sedgwick." The result was a model production, noteworthy among the multitude of camps which dotted the face of the country for miles around, though confessedly not so complete and perfect as its prototype of the previous winter, since the facilities for construction were by no means equal. Desirable material was scarce, having to be brought a considerable distance even at the beginning, and the entire work was done under the omnipresent feeling that the location of the army, or still more probably that of the regiment, might be changed at almost any hour. So while the camp was made complete and comfortable, more individuality was displayed in the construction of the different cabins and in their fitting up. The huts when completed and occupied on the 10th of December numbered 140, exclusive of oflBcers' and other general quarters, 18 less than were vacated in May, showing the net decrease in the number of men to be provided for to have been over 70 since the building of ". Camp Edwards ; " and this despite the liberal 258 WINTEK OS THE KAPIDAN. number of new recruits received during the autumn, who had taken their initial campaigning experience in the yery trying days of Mine Kun. One very cold Sunday soon after the occupation of the camp the men were supplied with reading matter from the Christian Commission in lieu of religious services, and the colporteur thus interestingly writes of the tents visited : It is a curious task to go through the resiment and call at every tent. The tents are made of logs with shelter tents for a roof. I commence at a company street, for instance, on the right. At the first tent I find a door rudely constructed from rough boards, through which I can pass quite readily by stooping low. At the next I find a handsome paneled door cut ofE at both ends and hewed at both sides, and having a beauti- ful glass knob attached ; taken probably from some secessionist's dwell- ing. These doors are at the end of the hut. At the next I find the entrance at the side, and made from the boards of a cracker box. At the next I find the door at the back end, and I get in by pushing aside a rubber blanket which is hung up to stop the opening. At the next tent I look for the door at one end, then at the other, then at eacTi side, and I fail of finding any anywhere. Finally I call out to those inside, "Where do you get in ? " And behold I get in as the sick man got in where Christ was, to be healed, that is through the roof. At another tent I find a door made of small round poles framed together and covered with an old grain sack. The tents inside present some attractive features. Among other things I saw to-day in the various tents a surveyor's rule, a cane-seat chair, a mahogany table, a drawer from a bureau, a rosewood box of small articles from a young lady's toilet, a pair of tongs, a spear for catching eels, and a great variety of articles which I cannot remem- ber. They are brought in by foraging parties from various places beyond our picket lines. * * « » The moral aspect of the regiment is now very good. I have to-day spent about half the day. in the regiment among the men, and I did not hear a single oath. The winter on the Eapidan was marked by an unusual relig- ious interest throughout the Army of the Potomac. Apart from the earnest efforts put forth by the various chaplains for the spiritual and moral welfare of the men with whom they were associated, the Christian Commission had many agents actively at work in co-operation. One of their creditable efforts was the furnishing to each brigade in the army of a " fly" for covering a chapel tent. In Eustis's Brigade, as in some others, it was thought better to assign the gift to one of the regiments, the SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL LIFE. 259 choice being made by the chaplains drawing lots. The Thirty- seventh was fortunate in securing the tent, and during the early part of January a chapel was erected and furnished, capable of seating about 150 persons. The structure was unique in con- struction, though answering admirably its purpose. The sides were built of split logs fixed upright in the ground, forming a stockade some six feet in hight to the eaves of the canvas. The crevices being closed by a liberal application of mud, the interior, 20 by 24 feet, could be comfortably warmed by the small stove with which it was provided. Seats were obtained by splitting logs, hewing the upper side to passable smoothness and mounting them upon legs ; while the desk was quite tastefully fitted up, beai'ing on its front the Greek cross of the corps in evergreens ; above it the state and national colors were draped, while in front were two crossed muskets, each bearing a small copy of the Stars and Stripes. As soon as the building was habitable it came into use each Sabbath and nearly every evening in the week, prayer-meetings being held either there or in the chaplain's tent several times during the week; while a spelling-school and a lyceum attracted many who did not care especially for the religious gatherings. The latter, however, grew in interest, and during the winter a regimental church was organized, adopting a creed and a cove- nant suitable to the circumstances. This church, beginning with a few earnest members, grew continually, especially toward the close of winter, reaching a membership of 55. Baptism was performed on several occasions, and some notable conversions were made. The chapel was dedicated by quite impressive ser- vices on Sunday, February 7, 1864, though it had been in use for some time previous. The chaplains of other regiments were in attendance, the regimental choir under the lead of Lieutenant Edwards sang appropriate hymns, and the dedicatory sermon was preached by Chaplain Beugless of the Second Ehode Island. Much reading matter was furnished by the friends of the regi- ment in Massachusetts, in addition to that provided by the Christian Commission, a box of books being sent to the Thirty- seventh by the Sunday-school of the Congregational church in 260 WINTER ON THE KAPIDAN. . Lee, and a large bundle by Mrs. E. L. Edwards of Springfield, among other contributions. In connection with the debating association, which was presided over by Corporal Shepardson of Company A with Sergeant Warner of Company E for secretary, a weekly paper called " The Eeveille " and contributed by dif- ferent members of the regiment was read, thus reproducing some of the dearest features of New England village life and fur- nishing the men healthful mental discipline and moral training. In connection with this mental exercise the members of the Thirty-seventh provided liberal physical recreation. Nearly every pleasant day in the intervals between drills a game of base- ball or " wicket " formed a center of attraction for the unem- ployed members of the brigade ; these games becoming largely inter-regimental, a variety of " teams " were organized through- out the brigade, some of which became very proficient. If a fall of snow prevented the regular pastime, it only furnished the opportunity for another, and many a battle of snoW-balls was conducted with an energy and skill worth of the more deadly conflict to which the combatants might at any time be called. Yet with all these and many other alleviations of the hours ■which otherwise might have proved monotonous and demoraliz- ing, the lot of the soldier was by no means an enviable one. The season seemed unusually inclement. Storms were many and severe, and the cold often intense. At such times, especial- ly if a strong wind prevailed, even the most comfortable quar- ters did not suffice to prevent suffering on the part of the occu- pants. The, supply of fuel was inadequate at the beginning of winter, and it became deplorably short as the months wore away. The region had been previously occupied by soldiers of both armies, who had cut ofE the best of the wood, but the stumps had been cut so high and so much waste had been made in other ways that for a time a comfortable supply could be obtained by taking ofE another section from the stumps and otherwise glean- ing the field. But this soon exhausted the immediate vicinity, and then the men were obliged to bring all supplies from the