I'^s 1)1 Nik t oz2 y_^ r^ .1 ^/z i Colonel and Brigadier General CHARLES H. VAN WYCK. A CONDENSED HISTORY -OF- THE 56th REGIMENT NEW YORK VETERAN VOLUNTEER INEANTRY, Which was a Part of the Organization Known as the (( TENTH LEGION" IN THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865, Together with a Register or Roster of all the Members of THE Regiment, and the War Record of Each Member as Recorded in the Adjutant General's Office at Albany, New York. BY JOEL C. FISK AND WILLIAM H. D. BLAKE, MEMBERS OF THE REGIMENT. 1906. NEWBURGH JOURNAL PRINTING HOUSE AND BOOK BINDERY. SEP 3 t9J> CONTENTS. DEDICATION Page 7- RALLYIXG SONG Page 8. CHAPTER I Page 1 1. Organization of the Tenth Legion by Charles H. Van Wyck, Congress- rrian — His Appointment and Commission as Colonel — Camp Van Wyck— Life in Camp— Captain A. Van Home Ellis the Regimental Instructor — Health of Men h'airlv Good. CHAPTER II Page 15. Departure from Camp Van \V}ck — Arrival in New York City — Beautiful Banner Presented to the Regiment by " The Sons of Orange and Sul- livan " — It was Carried All Through The War — The Trip to Wash- ington — Hazardous March Through Baltimore — In Camp at Kalorama Heights — Camp on the Banks of Rock Creek — Carver Barracks De- scribed — A Famous Dog. CHAPTER III Page 21. March Through Washington — Trip Down the Potomac — First Experience un- der Fire — Arrival at Newport News — Camp in Front of Yorktown — First Battle Engaged in by the Regiment — Battle of Williamsburgh — Naglee's Brigade — Bottoms Bridge — White Oak Swamp Creek — Carter's Hill — Visited by President Lincoln — Hooker's Advance on Malvern Hill — First to Cross the Chickahominv. CHAPTER IV Page 38. Gen. Naglee's Brigade About Yorktown — Raid to Gloucester, Kings and Queens Counties — Foraging Expedition — Journey to Morehead City, N. C. — Rough Experience on Vessel in Storm — Arrival at Morehead City, N. C. — ^Capture of Kniston — Camp at Newbern — Gen. Naglee Ceased to Command — Gen. Naglee's Final Order to the Regiment. CM APTER V Page 45. Trip to Port Royal Harbor, S. C. — Camp on St. Helena Island — Trip to Sea- brook Island — Various Attacks on that Island — Experience with Snakes and Reptiles — Capture of Works on South End of Morris Island — Re- pulse Georgia Troops — In Camp on Folly Island. CHAPTER VI Page 49. Embarked for Beaufort — Few Members Fit for Duty — Picket Duty on St. Helena and Ladies Island — Visits With Rebel Pickets — Regiment Veter- anized in February, 1864 — On Veteran Furlough — Return — In Command of Lieut. Col. Tyler — Regiment Recruited. CHAPTER VI 1 Page 51. Journey from Beaufort to Johns Island — Aground in Edisto Inlet— Most Try- ing and Severe March of the War— Many Sunstrokes — Two Colored Soldiers Mutilated by Rebel Guerrillas— Two Mounted Aids Fired at by Colored Troops— Bivouac on" M.itthew's Plantation— A Surgeon's Mis- take in Answering a Challenge — Attacked by the Enemy — Demoralized Them— Return to Old Camp at Beaufort After Successful Expedition — Assi.sted in Siege of Charleston. CHAPTER VIII .Page 57. Bid Good-bye to Old Beaufort — Journey to Morris Island — 'Camp on Morris Island — Experience in Camp beyond adequate description — Under Fire from Rebel Batteries all the Time — Much Disease and Many Deaths- Regiment Speedily Reduced in Numbers — Regiment Recruited — Order to Make Demonstration in Aid of General Sherman. CHAPTER IX Page 60. Left Morris Island When Dark via Steamer — Aground in Broad River — Ar- rival at Boyd's Point — ^Marcli Toward Honey Hill — Opened on by Rebel Battery — Several Killed and Wounded — Fierce and Bloody Battle — Regi- ment Loses so Killed and Wounded — Failed to Dislodge Enemy — Troops Fell Back — ^^Capture of Cattle and Sheep — Seized Position Under Heavy Fire — ^Attacked by Enemy — Fierce and Bloody Struggle — Rebels Re- pulsed — 'Capture the Battle Colors of 5th Georgia Regiment — ^Col. Van Wyck Arrives from the Nortli — Packages Received from Home — Slash- ing Through Woods — Savannah Captured — Advance in Woods to Ascer- tain Enemy's Strength — Captain Cox Shot — Shelled by Enemy's Battery, but Shells do not Explode — Destruction of Charleston and Savannah Railroad — Take Possession of Fort Coosawhatchie — Successful Foraging Expedition — Visit from Gen. Wm. T. Sherman and Gen. O. O. Howard — ^Col. Van Wyck Assumes Command of a Brigade — Captain Calkins Presented with Watch — Description of Pocataligo — ^Cross the Combahee River — ^Cross South Edisto River — Enter Charleston — Account of Awful Havoc done in that City — Pursuit of Hardee's Forces — Taken to Mount Pleasant — Five Companies Sent to Georgetown, S. C. — " Kingsville Ex- pedition." CHAPTER X. Page 74. Expedition to Kingsville — Encountered the Enemy — Rebels Slowly and Sul- lenly Retire — Heavy Rain Storm — Continuous Fighting Every Day — Stern, Earnest War — Sleep Under Difficulties — Enemy in Force — Capture of Guns at Dingle's Mill — The Fall of Petersburgh and Richmond Pro- claimed — ^Capture of Battery Flag by L. Coe Young — Plea from Col. Rhrett to Stop Advance — Advance Postponed — Gen. Potter's Orders No. 3 — •Salute Fired from Guns Taken at Dingle's Mills in Honor of Vic- tories — Kingsville Reached — Plenty to Eat — Printing a Newspaper — Ex- tracts from the Paper. CHAPTER XI Page 84. Order to Take Captured Guns to West Point — Taken to Washington's Head- quarters, X^ewburgh — Trace of them Lost by the War Department — -Law Passed Allowing them to Remain There. CHAPTER XH Page 85. Headquarters at Mount Pleasant — Rations Issued to Refugees — Flag Raising at Fort Sumter — Reconstruction Business — Contraband Property Sold — Journey to Summerville — Connnand Turned Over to Col. Van Wyck — Arrival of the Paymaster — March to Newberry — Accused of Damaging Institute Building — System of Military Regulations — Trials Before Col. Van Wyck — A Few of the Orders in Connection with Trials of Offenders — Trip to the Village of Chester — Orders Received to be Mustered Out. CHAPTER Xllt Page qS. Regiment Relieved from Reconstruction Duty — Return to Charleston — Pre- paring for Muster-out — Permission Granted to Take Regiment to New York to Await Discharges — The Start North — Arrival at New York — Quartered in Battery Barracks — Absent Without Leave — Papers Arrive — Transferred to Hart's Island — Members Receive Honorable Discharge — A Last Farewell — List of Engagements. CHAPTER XIV Page 105. Reminiscences — Col. Van Wyck Knows a Good Watch — Queer Old Darkey — A Captain's Discomfiture — The Colonel Gives Good Advice — A Speech that Lasted Two Years — The Chaplain in an Engagement — Colonel Van Wyck Disconcerted While Delivering an Address — The Colonel's Cook Loses a Goose — Charley Van Wyck's Chicken Thieves Get Away With General Naglec's Ducks. ROSTER OF FIFTY-STXTH REGIMENT Page 117. Regimental Officers Page 1 19, Company A • Page 1 26. Company B Page 151 Company C • Page 1 75 Company D Page 200, Company E Page 221 Company F Page 244, Company G • Page 268 Company H Page 294 Company I Page 317 Company K Page 339 Company L Page 366 Unassigned Page 389. PERSONAL INDEX Page 397. DEDICATION. This work is dedicated to the surviving members of the 56th Regiment, New York \'eteran Volunteers and their immediate rela- lives. It is fondly hoped that it will prove to be of great interest and a source of enjoyment to them. It required much research and labor to acquire all die data, and while a small portion is made from memory, all the material portion has been compiled from official records' and memoranda matle at the time of occurrence or directly thereafter, and is undoubtedly correct. Acknowledgment is with pleasure made of courtesies extended and valuable assistance render- ed by Capt. James Gowdy, Capt. James J. Cox, Col. R. Tyler, Rev. Jesse F. Shafer, and others in the compilation of this work; without their kind assistance it would be still more incomplete. The authors have condensed the history as much as it seemed possible, confining it to the immediate service of the regiment as a unit, without men- tioning individuals, unless seemingly unavoidable, except in the Ros- ter. Details of minor importance, which would not apply to the regiment as a whole, but which will readily occur to the mind and n.emory of the members of the regiment as the main events are brought to their recollection in the perusal of the history of their service in the regiment, are omitted, as otherwise the work would be C'f enormous proportions. We acknowledge with thanks the kindness of L. S. & J. D. Stiv- ers, of Middletown, N. Y., in furnishing the photograph of General C. H. Van Wyck, which appears in this volume. Joel C. Fisk, William H. D. Blake, Authors. RALLYING SONG OF THE TENTH LEGION, N. Y. S. V. BY A. D. DUBOIS. Air — " Old Rinpirc State," as sung by the Hutchinson Family. I. We have come from the mountains, We have come from the momitains, We have come from the mountains Of the old Empire State. With the Stars and Stripes above us, And the prayers of those who love us, Every single soldier of us Is prepared for any fate. II. We have left our cheerful quarters By the Hudson's smiling waters. And our wives and sons and daughters, For the fierce and bloody fight. But they need not deplore us, With the foe encamped before us. For the God who watches o'er us Will himself protect the right. III. From the Delaware we rally, , From the Mamakating Valley, And to combat forth we sally When our bleeding country calls — From the Shawangunk Mountains hoary. And the Minisink, whose story Tells what recompense of glory Waits the soldier when he falls. IV. From Old Sullivan we muster — She is loyal, we can trust her — And from Orange and from Ulster, And from bright Cochecton's banks. And there's plenty in those regions For a dozen more such Legions, All as sturdy as Norwegians, And prepared to fill the ranks. V. Then whene'er our Country needs us And where'er our banner leads us. Never heeding what impedes us. We will follow to the death ; For the patriot must not falter. When his Country's foes assault her, And profane her sacred altar With their pestilential breath. VI. ]May our flag float on forever O'er a Union none can sever. And may vile Secession never Spread its ruin through our land ; May our Country's wrongs be righted, And her children reunited. And her flag no more be blighted Bv the touch of treason's hand. CONDENSED HISTORY OF THE 56th REGIMENT New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry. CHAPTER I. Organization of the Tenth Legion by Charles H. Van Wyck,' Congress- man — His Appointment and Commission as Colonel — Camp Van Wyck — Life in Camp — Captain A. Van Home Ellis the Regimental Instructor — Health of Men Fairly Good. The Tenth Legion was organized by Charles H. \"an \\'vck in July, 1861, he being at that time the Congressman of the loth Con- gressional District of the State of New York, with headquarters at Newburgh, N. Y., and consisted of 10 companies of infantry, one company of sharp shooters, 2 companies of artillery, and 2 com- panies of cavalry. A camp of rendezvous and instruction was es- tablished on the sandy plateau near New Windsor, on the west bank of the Hudson River, until November 6, 1861, when the Legion was taken to V^'ashington, D. C, where the military authorities detached the artillery and cavalry companies, placing the artillery companies in the artillery divison, and the cavalry companies with the cavalrv corps. The sharpshooters' company was designated Co. L, at- tached to and fonned a part of the infantry regiment, then consist- mg of eleven companies and designated the 56th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, and attached to and formed a part of the Provisional Brigade, commanded by W. H. H. Davis, Colonel of the 104th Penna. regiment. The brigade consisted of the nth Maine, 56th New York, looth New York, 52d and 104th Pennsylvania regi- ments. The regiment thus lost its identity as a part of the Tenth Le- gion, which name was never known or recognized by the War De- partment, although among the officers and members and their rela- tives and friends it was always considered and called the loth Legion regiment, and the large white " X " was worn on the uniform coat, until the coats were worn out, and on the knapsacks throughout the war. Charles H. \'an\\'yck was appointed and commissioned colonel of the regiment, and commanded it until he was brevetted Brigadier- 12 Fifty-Sixth Rcg't, N. V. Vet. Vol. Infantry. General, serving as such during the reconstruction period after the cessation of hostilities, and even during that time he was in close proximity to the regiment and kept close watch and strict supervision over his boys, as he was wont to call them, and was mustered out with them at Charleston and accompanied them home. The first company organized was Company A, which was raised in the Village of Newburgh, Thomas S. Marvel acting as recruiting officer, who was elected and commissioned captain of that company. The members of the company consisted almost entirely of the young men of that village, and went into camp at New Windsor in July, 1861. Company A was there joined by the other companies in regu- lar order as fast as formed. Charles F. Thayer recruited Company B, also at the Village of Newburgh, and was elected and commission- ed its captain, and that was the second company to go into camp in the month of July, 1861. Company C was recruited at Montgomery, Orange County, N. Y., by Frederick Decker, who was elected cap- tain and commissioned as such, and with his company joined the other companies in camp in August, 1861. John J. Wheeler recruited company D at Warwick, Orange County, N. Y., was elected and commissioned as its captain and joined the other three companies in camp in August, 1861. Com- pany E was recruited by William J. Williams at Newburgh, who was duly elected and commissioned captain of that company, which went into camp with the other companies in September, 1861. Company F was recruited by Melvin S. Wells, at Liberty, Sullivan County, N. Y., who was elected and commissioned its captain, and went into camp with his company, with the other companies, in September, 1861. Company G was recruited by William D. Fuller, at Ellenville. Ulster County, N. Y., who was elected and commissioned captain, and with the company joined the other companies in camp in Octo- ber, 1 86 1. Company H was recruited by William K. Joscelyn, at Callicoon, Sullivan County, N. Y. He was elected and commission- ed captain of that company, which went into camp with the other companies in October, 1861. Company I was recruited by John Ernhout, in the town of Fallsburgh, Sullivan County, N. Y. He was elected and commissioned captain of that company, which went into camp with the other companies in October, 1861. Company K was recruited by Asa Hodge, at Neversink, Sullivan County, N. Y., and he was elected and commissioned its captain, and with the com- panv joined the other companies in camp in October, 1861. Com- Fifty-Sixth Ri\i^'t. -V. )'. I'd. I'ol. Infantry. 13 pany L, or the sharpshooters company, was recruited by Rockwell Tyler, from the whole of Sullivan County, N. Y., with headquarters at Cochecton. The members were selected for their superior marks- manship, all being experienced hunters and w(X)dsmen and experts with the rifle. Tyler was elected and commissioned captain of the company, he being himself an expert marksman, and with the company jointed the regiment in camp in the latter part of October, 1861. shortly before the regiment left for Washington. The camp was situated on a dry, sandy plateau, particularly well adapted for and was an ideal camp ground, with a slight incline, pro- viding excellent facilities for drainage, considerably elevated, well provided with excellent water and furnishing an extensive parade and drill ground, and was called Camp Van Wyck, in honor of our esteemed colonel. Each company was provided with " A "" tents sufficient in num- ber to accommodate the members, with straw to cover the ground inside, which we slept upon wrapped in woolen blankets, and made quite comfortable sleeping accommodations when the weather was dry and pleasant. But the wind had an uncomfortable habit of over- turning the tents, especially in a hard shower, and wetting our beds, and the water of running under the tents and flooding us out. Uni- forms were furnished to all of the members with the letter " X '" on the left breast, embroidered in white on the coat, of which we were very proud, and nearly every one had his picture taken and sent home to his parents or family. The members of the regiment were fed, or boarded, by Benjamin B. Odell and John Blizard. of Xewburgh, who had the contract to furnish meals for the organization. Each company had a separate table, and at meal time were formed and marched by twos, in com- mand of an officer, to the pavilion, each rank occupying opposite sides of the table, seated on long wooden benches, and were provided with abundance of good, substantial food, and we used to have some good, high old times at meals, laughing, joking, and expressing our feeling in various ways hilarious and otherwise, which was done as is supposed to assist digestion. Captain A. Van Home Ellis, an officer who served in the 71st Regiment, New York State Militia, in the battle of Bull Run. \'a., July 21, 1861, then residing in the near vicinity of the camp, was de- tailed as instructing officer. He daily gave the officers instructions, and practiced them in the severii movements of the company and 14 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. regiment. He also drilled the regiment, and supervised the officers in drilling the men by companies as well as in the regimental move- ments ; and the officers and men rapidly became proficient in all the movements, after which we were furnished Belgian muskets, with which we practiced and were taug'ht the manual of arms. Shortly before leaving Camp Van Wyck, we were furnished short Enfield rifles with sword bayonets, were thoroughly drilled and instructed in their use, including skirmish drill and in street firing while marching through the streets of a city, and fighting and repelling attacks from a mob, as the regiment was expected to march through the streets of the city of Baltimore, where an attack was possible, as the 6th Massachusetts regiment was attacked a few months before, and we were thoroughly prepared and willing, even anxious for them to try the experiment on us. The health of the men was fairly good during the time the regi- ment was encamped at New Windsor, but few cases of sickness, and those not serious, furnishing but little work for the surgeons. At the examination of the men for muster, quite a large number were found not to be up to the standard of physical ability fixed by mili- tary authority of the War Department, and were rejected and dis- charged for disability : quite a large number, not liking military life as experienced, deserted, a few on the same day they were mustered in, before we left Newburgh. Colonel Ellis, having instructed and drilled the men and officers and thoroughly taught them the duties of soldiers and all the routine of military business, and brought the regiment to a high state of discipline and efficiency, was proud of his achievement, as well as of the officers and men and of the regiment as an organization, and very much desired to command it as its colonel, and used all his best en- deavors and influence to that end. But Col. Van Wyck, however, would not consent, and his influence, coupled with the fact that he had recruited the regiment, enabled him to retain the command of the boys he so much loved, and assured them that he would not desert them, but would look after them during their tenn of service according to his promise to their parents, families and friends ; and Col. Ellis, much to his regret, was obliged to sever his connection with the regiment. Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 15 CHAPTER II. Departure from Camp Van Wyck — Arrival in New York City— Beautiful Banner Presented to the Regiment by " The Sons of Orange and Sul- livan " — It was Carried All Through The War — The Trip to Wash- ingon — Hazardous March Through Baltimore — In Camp at Kalorama Heights — Camp on the Banks of Rock Creek — Carver Barracks De- scribed — A Famous Dog. On the 6th day of November, 1861, the regiment, numbering 1,130, officers and men, marched proudly away from Camp \'an Wyck, in their bright new uniforms, with full packed knapsacks on their backs, cartridge box, haversacks and canteens, new Enfield rifles, with brig'ht steel sabre bayonets, amid the plaudits, cheers and goods wishes of thousands of the citizens of the village of Nevvburgh, and the parents and friends of many of the boys from the country around, and went aboard the steamers which were at Mailler's dock, at the foot of Third Street, to convey the regiment to Ne\v York City. On arrival at that place, Thursday, November 7th, 1861, the regiment di'sembarked and marched to Union Square, where it was presented with a beautiful white silk banner by Gen. Stuart L. Woodford, who delivered an eloquent, patriotic speech at its presen- tation in behalf of the patriotic society known as " The Sons of Orange and Sullivan," of which Col. \^an Wyck was a member. The banner was carried all through the war and at the close thereof was, with the other flags of the regiment, deposited in Washington's Headquarters at Nevvburgh. After the presentation the regiment marched down Broad- way, which was lined with thousands of people, who cheered and shouted themselves hoarse, and complimented the boys on their good appearance and perfect marc'hing. While marching through Broadway one of the members of Company A picked up a small spotted puppy, which had strayed into the street, and carried it along to Washington, named it Jack, and it remained with the regiment during its entire service, became a special favorite with every mem- ber, was in every skirmish and battle, was wounded in the hip at the battle of Fair Oaks, while sitting on the battle line howling, which was the only time he was touched bv balls or shot, and survived all 16 Fifty-Sixth Rcg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. the vicissitudes of camp, bivouac and battle field and returned with the regiment and died of old age. We crossed the Hudson River on a ferryboat to Jersey City, where we boarded the cars and started for Washington. Arriving at the city of Philadelphia, we were furnished with a good, sub- stantial meal, in a large hall, by the benevolent ladies of the Quaker City, who furnished the same to all the troops passing through that city on their way to the National Capital. On our arrival at the city of Baltimore we were obliged to march across the city on the same streets in which the 6th Massachusetts regiment had been mobbed with such sad and disastrous results. We disembarked from the cars at the depot, formed in column, loaded our rifles, fixed the sabre bayonets, received instructions and caution, and in fomiation for street firing, marched proudly through the city, in momentary expectation of being attacked, as the sidewalks were thronged with people, and the windows and doorways packed and sidewalks filled with gaping crowds. The officers directed the men to sing our regimental song, " We have come from the mountains of the old Empire State," probably to direct our thoughts and keep our courage up to the proper point. The men all joined in the song and made the welkin ring with the g';eat volume of a chorus of i,ioo voices, much to the amazement of the multitude. The spectacle of i,ioo stalwart men and boys, each carrying a rifle and gleaming fixed bayonet, with firm tread, determined mien, proud bearing, evidently ready for trouble and willing to meet it, seemed to have a cowering effect, as not a sound was made or word spoken by the spectators during the entire passage of the regiment through the city, save from one old, long-haired native, who, at the end of the refrain " We have come from the mountains," exclaimed, " Any fool would know that." Arriving at the depot on the outskirts of the city, we again board- ed the cars and sped away, being then in a hostile country. Arriving at Havre de Grasse, where the river or bay was some three miles wide, the train of cars was divided in half ; one half was run onto one side of a large steam float, the other half was pushed on the other side, the locomotive left behind and we were transported across the water to the landing on the other shore, where the cars were run ofif the boat onto tracks, the two sections joined together, and with another engine, we proceeded on our way to Washington. On arriving at that city the regiment was marched to a large brick ware- u Q z' o s- o z X < z < I en ii O < < CQ OS > OS < u Fifty-Sixth Rci^'f, .V. V. I'ct. Vol. Infantry. 17 house where we spread our blankets on fhe brick floor and slept as well as we could, free from the terrible anxiety we experienced dur- ing our journey, having been in constant danger of attack by the enemv the entire distance from Baltimore to Washington. The next day the regiment, with the exception of Company L, marched to Kalorama Heights, a short distance northerly from Georgetown, where we went into cainp in tents, and remained there about two weeks. The weather was quite cold and bleak, the wind had a fair sweep over the heights, and as we had only tents and were obliged to sleep on the cold ground with no straw or anything for bedding but our blankets, with little wood for fires, and no stoves, there was much suffering. Many caught severe colds, which in many cases resulted in pneumonia; others contracted rheutnatism, some w?re attacked with lung trouble, which resulted in consumption, of which many ultimately died. Many of the men were here disabled from the ills contracted from the exposure in the camp, and were discharg- ed from the hospitals during that winter, and quite a number died and a few were buried there and some were sent home for burial. In the latter part of November we went into camp on the banks of Rock Creek, a small stream of water in the northern suburbs of Georgetown, in a deep gulch, in a fine grove of large trees ; where the camp was well protected from the cold winds, and where we had plenty of pure, running spring water for all purposes. Here the usual camp duties were performed, company drills each day, camp guard, policing and occasionally picket duty, living in the " A '" tents and sleeping on the ground as before, until the 4th day of January, 1862, when the regiment marched to Meridian Hill and into Car- ver Barracks, which were large, long, wooden buildings in numbers sufficient to accommodate our entire brigade. These barracks had been built by details of men froin the several regiments of the bri- gade. The buildings were situated on four sides of a large square, each regiment occupying the buildings on the side of the square to which it was assigned. Each barrack or building w-as a long, narrow structure with the end toward the square or parade ground, and parallel to each other. The commissioned officers of each com- pany had a room 'in the eml of the building assigned to their com- pany and there was a building for each and every company. The room had sleeping accommodations for the officers, bunks or berths being built on one side, with a stove for burning w-ood. making quite comfortable quarters. The non-commissioned officers' room was 18 Fifty-Sixth Rcg't, N. Y. Vet. J'ol. Infantry. in the other end of the building and was furnished the same as the officers' room ; and the intervening long room was occupied by the men, with the same furnishings, bunks or berths built one above the other from the floor up in tiers on one side and two ends. There were stoves, with plenty of good wood. Each company had its own cook and assistant cook detailed from the ranks, who cooked the rations issued, and at meal time formed in line, marched to the cook house, each man with a tin plate and a tin cup for coffee or tea. Each in his turn received hii cooked portion of that meal and his cup of coffee or tea, returned to his quarters, ate his meal and then wash- ed his dishes and put them away until the next meal. On our side of the square there were i8 barracks, one for each of the ii com- panies, one for the field and staff officers, two for the artillery and two for the cavalry companies, one guard house, and one for the " non com." staff' and musicians. The regimental post office was in a room in one end of the field and staff barrack, with A. J. Clem- nients as postmaster, who was supposed to obtain Col. Van Wyck's frank " M. C." on each letter sent home by the boys, thus saving them postage. The duties were light, consisting of guard and police duty, but the men were compelled to drill each pleasant day, at squad, com- pany, regimental and brigade drill, and in the manual of arms, in which we became so proficient that the whole regiment could go through them in perfect unison, and correctly without orders, sim- ply by the tap of the big drum. The officers and non-commissioned officers diligently studied Casey's Tactics, which had been adopted by the military authori- ties in the place erf Scott's, in order to enable them to pass the exam- ination for the several positions successfully, which the greater num- ber of them did succeed in retaining, but few of the commissioned officers being rejected and discharged, ostensibly for disability. The officers and men were all so enthusiastic, earnest and diligent in practice that it was conceded that the regiment was one of the best drilled regiments in the army, thanks to Col. Jordan, and the brigade the best drilled in the army, especially in the manual of arms. Dress parade as performed by our brigade was not excelled by any similar body of troops in Washington. Large crowds of citi- zens and military officers and navy officers, the President and family and General Scott and daughter often attended to witness the grand and imposing spectacle. The performance of the mountain boys in Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. V. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 19 the several company and regimental maneuvers and the extraordin- ary precision and unison with vv'hich the many motions in the manual or arms were made, was so machine-like as to indicate that all the muskets were controlled by one lever. The regimental band, too, was quite an attraction as it played during dress parade, while marching back and forth along the front of the line. It consisted of 15 pieces and rendered excellent music and made a fine appearance on parade, as did the members of the regiment in their new uniforms of blue with the large " X " in white embroidered on the left breast of the coat, which with the Enfield rifle, shining sabre bayonet ami all equipment bright and new, was indeed an inspiring spectacle. The health of the men while in the barracks was fairly good, there being but few cases of illness other than measles and smallpox. The greatest number of cases reported was from typhoid fever, from which several died and were buried in the cemetery at the Soldiers' Home. One of the greatest and most notable events that probably ever occurred within the bounds of the District of Columbia, other than the Grand Review after the close of the war, was the grand review of the army organized by General McClellan. which review and parade took place in the latter part of March, 18O2, just previous to the removal of the arm\' to the Peninsula. The army was review- ed by President Lincoln and General Scott,, who were accompanied by the Cabinet, and which was witnessed by thousands of the citizens of Washington. There were upwards of 140,000 troops of infantry, cavalry and artillery, occupying all day in passing the reviewing stand, marching in close column, by regimental platoons, 250 files abreast. Immediately after the review preparations were begun for active operations at the front. Tlie members of the regiment were all ex- amined by the surgeons, those unfitted for long marches and active service in the coming campaign being either sent to hospital or dis- charged. The cornet band belonging to the regiment had been mus- tered out March i, 1862. Clothing of all kinds was issued, ammuni- tion furnished and the command made ready for active service in the field. On the suggestion of and at the invitation of the President the regiment marched to the White House, passed through the rooms and shook hands with him. who had a pleasant word for every man. We then marched to the Smithsonian Institute, visited iiU the rooms, thence to the Capitol, and went through all the public 20 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. halls and rooms, and had a delightful time sight-seeing during the- entire day. It was a novel and delightful experience, one never to be forgotten, and furnished a theme for conversation among the boys for many a day. Shortly before leaving Washington we ex- changed our Enfields for new American-made Springfield, muzzle- loading rifles, calibre 58-100, with angular bayonets. Fifty-Sixth Reg't. N. Y. I'ct. Vol. Infantry. 21 CHAlTIiR III. March through Washington — Trip down the Potomac — First Experience un- der Fire — Arrival at Newport News — Camp in front of Yorktown — First Battle Engaged in by the Regiment — Battle of VVilliamsburgh — Naglee's Brigade — Bottoms Bridge — White Oak Swamp Creek — ^Carter's Hill — Visited by President Lincoln — Hooker's Advance on Malvern Hill — First to Cross the Chickahominy. On the 2Qth day of March, 1862. Casey's Division, consisting of four brigades, in all 14 regiments, led by the Marine Band of the City of Washington, marched through the streets of that city to and across the Long Bridge over the Potomac River on to the sacred soil of Virginia, and down and along that river 8 miles to t;he city of Alexandria, called the " Finished City," and through the city to a large open field, where we went into bivouac through the night, sleep- ing in the open air, on the ground, with no cover other than our blankets. During the night snow fell to the depth of four inches or more, covering all of us, and in the morning the field had the ap- pearance of a snow-covered cemetery, full of newly-made mounds, with no monuments or head stones. The large number of troops marching antl countermarching, with iDaggage wagons, soon mixed the melting snow with the soil in tlie field and the dust and dirt in the streets, so that the mud became very deep, through which the brigade marched to the dock at .\lexandria City. Here it stacked arms, and assisted in loading the baggage and camp equipage on the steamer, concluding which, about 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the 30th of March, it marched aboard the steamer Constitution, and on the morning of the ist of April, started down the majestic old Potomac River and our journey for the Peninsula was continued. During the night the steamer rait aground hard and fast on the mud banks off the mouth of Ac|uia Creek. There was much excitement among the men and officers, as it was supposed that the pilot had purposely grounded the vessel to enable the reljels to put off from the shore in small boats and cap- ture the steamer, which could have been easil\- accomplished with armed launches, as we had no artillery on board, the vessel being only a transport, with no armament. The men were all aroused. 22 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. knapsacks packed, guns loaded, and the men stationed in line all' around the railing or sides of the vessel, with orders to be and re- main in readiness to fall in to repel boarders at a moment's notice. Sentinels were stationed, cautioned to keep a sharp lookout for any object approaching, and give the alarm ; but no alarm was given, and after many hours of sleepless anxiety the morning dawned and showed that we were too far out for the rebel artillery on the shore to do us any harm and none was offered. The whistle was blown and signals made for any passing vessels. After a long wait a tug appeared, coming down the river, which was hailed with shouts and cheers b}- all the soldiers. The tug attached a cable to the steamer, but after repeated efforts failed to pull it out of the mud, and went away in search of help. In the afternoon it returned with two small steamers, and by the united efforts of the three vessels, after the nth Maine had been temporarily taken on the Kent, the steamer was at last hauled off the banks into the channel and again proceeded on its way, much to our relief. The steamer reached Hampton Roads late in the evening of April 2nd, lay at anchor through the night, under the guns of Fortress Monroe and the Rip Raps, and the next day, April 3d, proceeded up the Roads to Newport News. In passing Sewell's Point, where the rebels had a fort or earthwork and a 'battery, they shelled us vigorously, but the distance was too great for them to inflict any damage, the shells bursting in the air and the pieces falling in the water before reaching the steamer. That was the first experience we had under fire, which, although harmless, was somewhat terrify- ing, and gave us a taste of what we might expect in the near future. When near the landing the steamer passed near the sunken men-of- war, Cumberland and Congress, which had, on March 9th, been sunk by the rebel ram Merrimac, which was so badly whipped on the next day, March loth, by the little Monitor, as to cause her to com-- mit suicide. On landing at Newport News the regiment went into camp on a large plantation and remained inactive during the arrival of the bal- ance of the army in suflficient force to warrant an advance toward Yorktown, which was but a few days. At this place clothing and shoes were issued to those in need, ammunition distributed and full preparation made to meet and fight the enemy. On the march from Newport News to Yorktown, in heavy marching order, with full knapsacks, we were taught a severe lesson in marcliing, which we Fifty-Sixth Rcyt. \. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 23 never forgot, that was to carry in our knapsacks and otherwise just as httle as we could possibly get along with and no more. Many of the men on that march threw away overcoats and blankets, be- side many other articles, and the roadside was strewn with them for miles. The young fellows, stripplings they might be called, stood the march much better than the middle aged, full grown, large men of heavy build, many of whom were entirely disabled from the eflfects of the long march with their heavy loads, and were sent to hospital and were discharged for disability. Arriving in front of the fortified City of Yorktown, we went into camp and war in earnest was soon experienced by the boys, whO' were continually under fire while on the picket line. Nearly every day a detail would be sent out skirmishing and scouting, also parties to dig the trenches and approaches. The roar of cannon and crack of the rifle continuously in the ear, along the whole line from river to river, day and night, kept us all in a fever of excite- ment. Continued and careful watch was kept to discover any at- tempt of the enemy to make a sortie or to attack and turn the right or left flank of our line. On April i6 the enemy came out of the right of his works in large force, near Lee's Mills, and fell upon the left of our division with a desperate attempt to turn our left, double it up and raise the seige. Our regiment was sent out, with other troops, and after a short, but severe engagement, the enemy was repulsed and driven in confusion behind his formidable earthworks. This was the first battle engaged in by the regiment and the first baptism of fire, and the boys conducted themselves with great credit, earned and received the commendation of the commanding officer and the officers of the regiment, and a reputation for bravery, cool- ness and staying qualities under fire which was ever after fully sus- tained. On the 4th day of May, while preparing for the usual Sunday morning inspection, a staff officer came riding furiously into camp and up to the colonel's tent, and left orders for the regiment to be ready to march in two hours in light marching order, with three days' rations in haversacks. Promptly on time the regiment marched out of camp, through the woods into an open field in front of and within easy artillery range of the enemy's works ; a line of battle was quick- ly formed, each man, in response to orders, threw off his roll of blankets, haversack and canteen, which were placed together, each company's things in a pile, and a guard left with them, preparatory 24 Fifty-Sixth Rcg't, A'. }'. Vet. Vol. Infantry. to making a charge on the works along the entire line. Be- tween our regiment and the earthworks was a wide slashing made by felling the trees outward from the line of works, which made a tangle of trees and tree tops, which it was very difficult to make our way through, especially as the limbs of the trees had been cut off near the outer ends with a sharp axe, making a sharp point to each limb. At the order, the line immediately moved forward on a charge, crawling through, under and over the almost impenetratable tangle, which was at last accomplished, much to our astonishment but satisfaction, without a gun being fired on either side. Climbing the embankment and forming a line inside was the work of but a lew minutes, when it was found that the enemy had evacuated the works, taking everything with them, probably the night before. Pursuit was at once begun, the regiment marched all day and until after dark, when we went into bivouac in the woods without blankets or tents, haversacks or canteens, and with nothing to eat, having eaten nothing since early in the morning. During the night a cold, drizzly rain began to fall, which continued until the afternoon of the next day. At daylight of the 5th. the regiment marched through the mud and rain, often over the shoes in the mud, until about 3 o'clock m the afternoon, when heavy firing was heard at the front, when the order was given to double quick, and we went on a run until we reached the line of battle in the open field in front of Fort McGruder, in the suburbs of the city of Williamsburgh, where we lay holding the center of the line of battle in support of a battery of light artil- lery, and keeping the enemy from our inxmediate front, when they fell heavily upon the right of our line of battle, held by General Hancock's division, which then was in danger of being overwhelmed, and General Naglee's brigade was ordered to his relief. Our regiment, with the brigade, double quicked through the deep mud to the right and fell in behind Gen'l Hancock's line, and with his troops charged the enemy with fixed bayonets and the Union yell, with such good effect that the enemy turned and fied in confusion from the field, leaving some 600 prisoners in our hands, besides many dead and wounded. When the charge was well over its was quite dark, and the field we were halted in was all tramped and furrowed up as though plowed and the mud was deep and the rain beginning to fall again. We remained in line of battle all night, standing in the mud and the rain drizzling, with no shelter, no blankets and still without food, our greatest concern being the care of our guns and ammuni- Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. J'ol. Infantry. 25 tion. The next forenoon the clouds cleared away and we stacked our anns and engaged in collecting the wounded and conveying them to the field hospital for treatment, and in burying the dead, un- til shortly after noon, when the wagons arrived with the " hard tack," when we were called in and just three of the " B C " biscuit ^ere issued to each man, as a starter toward satisfying a three-days' fast. This was the first mouthful, or taste of food we had since Sunday morning, the 4th, sixty hours before, and with scarcely any sleep or rest during that time, having marched during two days and fought the battle of W'illianisburgh. It seems almost incredible that men could endure such hard- ships, privation, exposure and exertion : but it is nevertheless true, they did, and only a small percentage were disabled in consequence, although probably not one but felt the eflfects of it in after years. Some incurred rheumatism, and some were stricken with typhoid fever and sent back to hospital, but that was our experience all along the march up the Peninsula ; men falling out stricken with swamp or malarial fever, every day, and w-ere left at houses along the route, which were utilized as hospitals. Our knapsacks, which contained our change of underclothing, blankets, towels, soap and other neces- saries, and our tents, were left in camp at Yorktown, and we did not see them again until our return to that city the next September, and some of the men never recovered theirs, and many were ruined, with tlieir contents. Our haversacks, containing rations of crackers, pork, tea, coffee and sugar, which we left in piles before the earth- works near Lee's Mills, preparatory to the charge on the works, were never recovered. In truly light marching order we were in the advance from Wil- liamsburgh on the 9th of May, following closely on the heels of the retreating rebels, over roads deep with mud and strewn with broken wagons and dead horses. Skirmishing all day long, exchanging shots with the enemy's rear skirmish line, sleeping on the ground at night, when not standing camp guard or on the picket line, wading streams, some of them waist deep, struggling through swamps and forcing a way through " deep tangled wild woods," with but little to eat, often days without anything but what we could jayhawk, un- til the 19th day of May, w-hen we drove the enemy cross the Chick- ahominy River at a point opposite Richmond, near Bottoms Bridge, some 25 miles from the mouth of the river. At that place the river was some 50 or 60 feet wide, a sluggish, oozy mill stream, at that 26 Fifty-Si.vtii Rcg't. \. V. Vet. I'ol. Infantry. lime fordable : but the bottom and approaches were miry and swampy, with woods and underbrush on the bluffs. All the bridges by which it was previously crossed had been destroyed by the rebels in their retreat, before our steady advance. On the 20th day of May, 1862, our brigade waded through the river near Bottoms Bridge, without much opposition, none other than the infantry and cavalry rear guard, who made a feeble show of resistance, although they had earthworks all along the brow of the hill, built to resist the passage of the river, but they were all deserted. The balance of the corps followed three days later over a bridge which had in the mean- time been constructed of logs fastened together with grapevines, and was ever after known as the " grapevine bridge." During the next three days, the 24th, 25'th and 26th, we were con- stantly on the move, making reconnaissances and scouting from right to left for miles to locate the position of the enemy, as it was thought they must be securely intrenched not far in our front. A detail, of which 170 were from our regiment, went on a scout toward our left and to within two miles of the James River, and obtained much valu- able information. During those three days we scouted in force to with- in four miles of the city of Richmond, where we could see the steeples of the churches and the formidable earthworks on the outskirts of the city. On the 28th Casey's Division was assigned a position on the right of the WilliamSburgh Turnpike, his left resting on that road and his right on the Richmond and White House R. R., and immediately began intrenching, throwing up earthworks and digging rifle pits or trenches. Xaglee's Brigade was posted on the Williams- burgh road, with the exception of the 5fith Regiment, which was sent out on the picket line, nearly a mile in advance of the camps, with the reserve on the railroad about a quarter of a mile in rear of the picket line : the picket line extending across and at right angles with the railroad. We remained on the picket line until some time after the attack on the 31st, which was made between 12 and i o'clock in the day time, on the Williamsburgh Pike, more than a mile to the left of our position, and until the advanced line had been driven back a half mile or more to the edge of the woods, and had formed a line of battle on the brow of a ridge. Our pickets on the advance of the rebel force in our immediate front, fell slowly back to the reserve which had been formed in line of battle in' the bushes on the left of the railroad, where we captured a nunnber of the enemv's shirmishers as thev came out of the bushes right into our Fifty-Sixth Rci:'t. A'. )'. J'et. I'ol. Infantry. 27 line. Before the enemy's line of battle reached lis we were ordered by a staff officer to march to the rear and to the left of our division and about a quarter of a mile in advance of our line of battle, where we took position in an open field about half way between the two pieces of woods, the one in our front and the other in our rear, which position was also about half way between the two lines of battle, as the rebels were then forming in the edge of the woods in our front. We were placed in that position to support Spratt's Battery, which had been ordered to occupy a position just at our right and rear, but the battery never gained the position assigned to it, as the captain feared the low, swampy ground in the rear of the position, and that If he was forced to retire his guns would be lost in the miry ground, and so he stayed in the rear and left us lying flat on the ground fully exposed to the plunging fire of the artillery from the redoubts occu- pied by the enemy near the Williamsburgh road, which being unop- posed by our artillery, soon became terribly effective and most dead- ly, the shells striking in our ranks and killing the men at a fearful rate. While lying there we discovered a long line of troops in the edge of the woods in our front, marching to their left and to our right and across our flank, \^'e were about to open fire on them without orders, but were ordered not to fire as they were our men ; but when they debouched from the woods into the open field on our right flank and delivered a volley at us, it became apparent that they were not Union men, and the order was at once given to fall back and form in the edge of the woods on the right of and extending the line of battle at that place, which we did as quickly as possible, with- out regard to tactics, and for some two hours fought in that position until relieved by Heintzelman's Corps, when we marched back to the Nine Mile road and went into bivouac in the edge of the woods. In this battle the forces in the immediate front of Casey's Division were the brigades of Generals Rhodes, Garland and Anderson, and the second largest regimental loss incurred in the Confederate army during the war was sustained by the 6th Alabama, Col. John B. Gor- don, Rhodes' Brigade, of D. H. Hill's Division, in front of Naglee's Brigade, of Casey's Division, on that day, in that battle, and our regiment undoubtedly did its full share in contributing to that fear- ful slaughter, itself losing many in killed, wounded and missing. Col. \^an Wyck was severely injured by being struck bv a piece of shell, which bent his sword .scabbard, knocking it against his leg, and he was lame for a long time. Col. James M. Brown, of the 28 Fifty-Sixth Regt, N. V. Vet. Vol. Infantry. looth New York, was killed, and the Major of the 104th Pennsyl- vania, mortally wounded. Casey's division that day opposed a force of not less than thirty thousand brave soldiers, who were determined to either capture us or drive us into the swollen river ; but they did neither. In spite of their superior numbers, their fierce and deter- mined charging and fighting, we held our line, which was three times charged upon by the rebels right up to within bayonet reach, and as many times driven back with great slaughter, as our brigade was ordered to do at all hazards, as it was necessary in order to give the balance of the army time to cross the Chickahominy and come up to our line and form, otherwise Casey's and Couch's divisions would have both been captured or wiped out, and in all probability the Army of the Potomac would have been defeated. Our division made one of the most desperate, bloody and obstinate fights of the war, and while we mourned the loss of nearly one half of our number, we had the proud consolation of knowing that by our heroic conduct and stubborn resistance, our division saved the Army of the Potomac from great disaster. During the night of the 30th it rained very hard all night, caus- ing a flood in the Chickahominy River and filling the bottom land on each side clear to the bluffs, sweeping all the newly constructed bridges away, leaving all the Army of the Potomac on the other side, with only Casey's and Couch's divisions on the Richmond side, with Casey's division a mile or more in advance of Couch's, which was encamped at Seven Pines, and it seemed to the rebels, who had ob- served our position from a balloon, an easy proposition to suddenly, with a vastly superior force, swoop down upon, surprise and crush the two divisions in detail, which were so widely separated from each other and isloated from the balance of the army, which would be un- able to cross the flooded river, and to drive them to the river, cap- ture them, and bear them in triumph to Libby prison. But they learned that northern Yankees, whom they had been taught would not fight, and that one Johnny could whip five of them, could and would fight as well, as bravely and stubbornly as themselves, they of the southern chivalry. This night it rained again continuously. As we had no blankets or tents, and the ground was covered with water, but little if any sleep was obtained. During the night the balance of the army crossed the Chickahominy and formed a line of battle in our front. In the morning at sunrise the rebels appeared Fifty-Sixth Rc^^'t. N. V. J'ct. J'ol. Infantry. 29 in force, coming out of the woods in a long line of battle, but the line in our front drove them back with a magnificent charge. Naglee's brigade was ordered to defend the crossing on the Chickahominy at the lower or Bottoms bridge, and on June i it marched from the front to the rear of the army, and that afternoon, occupied our new position, which we held against all assaults for nearly two weeks. Earthworks were constructed on the side hill, trenches and rifle pits dug near the river, the bridge loosened at the eastern end and swung around and fastened on our side to prevent a sudden rush across by the enemy in the night. A span of lOO feet of the railroad trestle, further up and spanning the river, was cut out, and a battery placed in an earthwork and a combined watch night and day by all the men was vigilantly kept, which, with the fatiguing work, had a disastrous effect on the health and strength of the men. Many became exhausted, many were attacked with ma- lignant swamp or malarial fever, and at the end of the seven days" fight the regiment was materially reduced in number of effective men for duty. It was a fearful experience ; working and fighting night and day : whatever sleep or rest we obtained was enjoyed amid the incessant roar of cannon, the bursting of shells and rattle of small arms, and when General Jackson passed around the right of the army and ap- peared across the river from us with his whole command and per- sistently attempted to cross and reach the rear of the army of the Potomac, the situation became critical : but we frustrated everv at- tempt and drove them back into the woods. Shortly after the re- treat began, the stores and ammunition were loaded in all the cars that were on that side of the river at Savage Station, or so much thereof as the cars would hold, and the balance piled in a heap and fired. The bursting shells, in addition to the noise of battle, made a pandemonium never to be forgotten by those within hear- ing. The train was drawn by the only locomcitive present, to the top of the incline leading to the bridge, when the engineer pulled the throttle wide open and jumped off. The engine, with full head of steam, together with the impetus given by the heavy train pushing down the steep incline, obtained such fearful headway that it cleared the lOO feet of open space where the span had been cut out, and lanil- ed fair on the stone pier on the other side : actually jumped loo feet ; and there hung on the edge of the pier, and as the rear of the boiler settled in the water the boiler burst with a tremendous report, making 30 Fifty-Sixth Rcg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. such a concussion of the air that it actually knocked men off their feet flat on the ground, many hundred feet away. The steam from the exploded boiler rose in a vast round ball to a great height, gradu- ally expanding, becoming larger and larger, but keeping its shape, until apparently the whole heavens became obscured. The ex- plosion of war material with W'hich the train was loaded dismounted a two-gun battery the rdbels had planted on the east bank on the railroad in an earthwork thrown up on each side of the track, and the artillerymen fled in terror to the woods in their rear. On the afternoon of the 29th day of June, the last troops passed our posi- tion, cheered, and thanked us for holding the crossing, and march- ed down the river road through the woods toward the James River. Our artillery moved directly after them, under cover of darkness, and our brigade followed as rear guard of the whole army on that road. Our pioneer corps, following in the extreme rear, felled huge pine trees across the road, destroyed all bridges across small streams, gullys and runs ; and we marched slowly, with frequent halts, all night long, with the enemy so close to our rear that we could hear them chopping the trees .out of the road and removing obstructions. On reaching White Oak Swamp Creek we found the baggage train of wagons passing over the trestle bridge, hurrying as fast as possi- ble, with a large number standing in the open field waiting to get into line to cross, but the enemy were so close that it was impossible for them all to cross, so a large number were parked, that is packed closely together and set on fire, the horses and mules being success- fully taken across. All the animals and as many wagons as possi- ble being across, the supports of the bridge were cut with saws and after the last of our men were safely over, the bridge was pulled from its supports with ropes and toppled over into the creek and set on fire. Our brigade marched on to the field and up the creek and halted while the troops were being disposed, the artillery form- mg in line near the stream, and lines of battle across the entire field were quickly formed at intervals. After waiting a long time our brigade marched across the field, past line after line of battle stretched across the field clear to the woods, directly in front of which our brigade formed in line of battle on the west side of the road. The artillery was posted near the creek on the bluff in a con- tinuous line from the lower to the upper crossing, some 150 pieces of different calibre. Fifty-Sivtli Rci^'l. A". }'. J'ct. I'ol. Infantry. 31 The enemy s(X)n had his opposing artillery on the opposite bank and opened up all along the line with a most terrible cannon- ading. The artillery on our side immediately replied, proba- bly not less than 200 cnnnons thundering for some ten hours, with intervals for the guns to cool, keeping the air full of fly- ing pieces of shell, and balls tearing up the ground and the air full of sulphurous smoke. The pieces of shell could be plainly seen in the air from our position. like unto a flock of birds. They flew over our heads, struck in the woods and in the ground, but fortunately none of our regiment were wounded. The cannonade was more terrifying and awe-inspiring than destructive. W'e lay all day flat on the ground, expecting every minute to be called into action to' repel assaults which were being made all along the line, in attempts of the enemy to cross the stream. The most desperate and deter- mined elYort was made at the upper crossmg on our left front, where the rebels succeeded in crossing, driving our troops and cap- turing a battery. They were gradually forcing our men back and were on tlie left flank of our brigade, when the Irish Brigade, which lav well down to the front, came up on the double quick, between ^.unset and dark, filed right, and passed in rear of our line, formed line of battle at right angles to and on the left of our brigade, fixed bayonets and charged with a fearful yell and went right through the first line of rebels which was fleeing in confusion, captured and passed to their rear some 300 prisoners and all of the captured artil- lery with the exception of two pieces which the rebels succeeded in getting across the creek. Darkness put an end to the conflict and the army of the Potomac continued the retreat under cover of darkness, the line of battle immediately in the rear of the line of batteries of artillery filing into the road and marching in column down the road past us into the woods on the way to Malvern Hill, each of the other lines of battle moving up and occupying the place of the line previously in its immediate front. When the line in our front filed into the road our line moved up and took its place and this was the onlv line remaining and was immediately in rear of the line of artillery, which, as soon as we were in position, began to move bv the right flank into the road and passed as noiselessly as possible toward the rear. We remained in that position a long time after the last of the artillery had left the field, some two hours or more, stand- ing waiting for orders to move, in apprehension that the rebels would cross in force above and swoop down in our rear, but the pick- 32 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. ets kept up a desultor}' firing on both sides, giving the enemy the im- pression that our forces still held our position. At last the order came to move and we filed out into the road in column and marched away as silently as possible for Malvern Hill, where the whole army was disposed on and about the hill, with the artillery, tier above tier on the sides and brow of the slope, and we were the last troops to leave the White Oak Swamp line. It was about 2 o'clock in the morning when we took up the line of march. On entering the woods the darkness was intense. We were marching as quickly as possible, making no noise, no talking was allowed, when suddenly the intense silence was rudely broken "by a most terrific clatter in our rear, apparently of horses' feet, a- rattling as of chains or clattering of sabres, and rapidly approach- ing. We all thought it was rebel cavalry charging us. Our regi- ment was in the rear and parted, half on the right side of the road and the Other half on the left side, in the edge of the bushes, and quickly dressed in line ready to pick ofif the horsemen as they passed. For a few moments there was some confusion, in get- ting out of the road and forming lines, and much apprehension. It was a terrifying experience to be suddenly pounced upon in utter darkness and profound silence, utterly unprepared as we were for an attack, and we were more afraid of being trampled under the feet of the horses or being knocked down and run over than of the cavalrymen. But as soon as all were well out of the road, order was at once restored and lines formed, and all our fears vanished and turned to shouts of laughter as a four-mule team with the trace chains dragging at their heels dashed down the road between our lines, and we fell in again in the road and resumed our dreary march. Our Colonel, who was riding at the head of our regiment, had allowed quite an interval to occur between the regiment ahead and ours, and in the intense darkness failed to observe the road at the left leading from the one we were on toward Malvern Hill, known as the Quaker road, on which the other regiments had marched and which we were to follow on past the Willis Methodist Church, and he marched us a mile or more towards Chapin's Bluff until he was abrupty halted by a rebel picket calling out the familiar challenge, "Who goes there?" But his ever quick wit served him admiraJbly in the critical moment. He at once answered, Yankee fash- ion, by asking the picket which way the Yankees had taken : what road they had marched on. The picket without suspicion answered Fifty-Sixth Rcgt, X. V. Vet. fol. Infantry. 33 quickly that they had taken the W'ilhs Church road and gone toward jNIalvern Hill. The Colonel asked where that road left the one we were on and was told it was about a mile back, and the Colonel at once gave the command, about face, march. After marching back a short distance we were met by an orderly who had been sent in search of us and who led us across a large open field where the bat- tle of Glendale had been fought the day before and which was dotted with dead bodies of men and horses. On debouching into the field the regiment started on the double-quick step, which was kept up until we reached the Quaker road near Willis Methodist Church and came up with the balance of the brigade, and from that point the bri- gade marched in double column, past the church, through the woods into the field in front of Malvern Hill just as the sun was rising and the rebel troops were forming in the edge of the woods on our right, having marched alongside of us on a road parallel to the one we were on and about half a mile away, we having plainly heard them for a long time, and reaching the field as soon or sooner than we did. On. the fateful and terrible July i, 1862, we marched up on the hill and lay down near a large house, on the roof of which our signal corps men were signaling to the gunboats in the James river, direct- ing their fire. The shells from the gunboats fell in the field and woods, doing but little damage to the enemy other than creating a panicky feeling. We lay all day witnesses to the terrible cannonading of 160 of our guns, exposed to shot and shell, expecting every mo- ment to be called upon to assist in repelling the frequent and terrible assaults made by the whole of the Army of Virginia in three divi- sions, only to be torn to pieces and hurled back again to the cover of the woods by the awful storm of shot, shell and volleys of the infantry supports. Our services were not needed and we lay in re- serve in our position until late in the afternoon, when we were moved to the southern slope of the hill near the road, where we remained in bivouac until the morning of the 2nd, when Key's corps, the last of the army, having passed us on its way to Harrison's Landing, we took up our march, acting as rear guard, our brigade being in charge of the artillery and wagon trains. .\t Carter's Hill our brigade was savagely attacked by the enemy's advance force, who were following us and determined to capture the artillery and wagon train. The battle was sharp, short, but decisive. We whipped them handsome- 1\-, sent them flying back again, and when we were all given up for and reported lost and captured, the whole brigade, artillery wagons 34 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. and all, we marched proudly to the landing and delivered up our charge without the loss of even a mule, on the evening of Julv 3, 1862. The next day all who were able to work in the entire army, in- cluding our regiment, were busily engaged felling trees at the front, throwing up breast-works, earth-works for masked batteries, rifle pits and forts, with the expectation that the retoels would attack us im- mediately, but no forces appeared other than a brigade of cavalry who did nothing more than to watch for a day or so, when they re- tired out of the reach of our guns, to Malvern Hill, and our picket line was advanced to near the foot of the hill. After completing the fortifications we had a season of comparative rest. The only duties were the usual camp work, such as cainp guard mount every morning, standing camp guard, policing, and dress parade, on picket once in a while, and the usual Sunday morning inspection. But little drill- ing was done, the weather was altogether too hot to permit it. One Sunday General Naglee ordered out the brigade to participate in a division drill in a large field some distance up the river, but after maneuvering an hour or more the men began to fall out from ex- haustion and sunstroke. Several fell out and went to a spring, drank freely, and at once expired. The general was obliged to desist and ordered the regiments to return to camp. It was a disastrous event in our history, as many of our men were sunstruck, some died, many were disabled and never recovered, some were discharged in conse- quence, and all felt the efifects of that terrible experience on that extremely hot Sunday for a long time, which will always be remem- bered by every man who took part in that drill on the banks of the Jam;s River. On the /th day of July President Lincoln visited the army in the camps at the landing, inspected the outer works, went through the camps of the many regiments, amid the saluting of the artillery and gunboats and the shouts and cheers of the soldiers. He praised the men for their brave efforts, complimented them for the cleanly ap- pearance of the camps, and assured them he had only kindly feelings and best wishes for them and no reproaches for their failure to cap- ture Richmond. His visit was a pleasing incident, cheered up the men, put new confidence into them, made them feel prouder of them- selves and more willing to further do and dare. The rebels after waiting for us to make a move, they expecting the Armv of the Potomac to again advance on Richmond, and it not Fifty-Sixth Keg't, N. V. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 35 doing so or making; any demonstrations whatever, and they evi- dently not being wilHng to let us rest in peace undisturbed, resolved and proceeded to wake and stir us up. During the night of July 31, the rebel General French moved 43 cmnons across the river and down to and opposite Harrison's Bar, and the next day proceeded to throw shells across the river into the Union camps, and the vessels moored at the wharf and anchored in the river. The sudden, un- expected and unlooked for bombardment created much excitement and a great diversion for a time, and much confusion and calling to arms. Ten men were killed and fifteen wounded, but none of the shells fell in our camp and none of our regiment was injured. The excitement was soon transferred to the rebel troops, as our gunboats which were lying a short distance below the landing immediately moved up at the commencement of the firing and had tlie rebel bat- teries disabled and dismounted in short order and sent the artillery- men flying in confusion for Richmond. General MoClellan there- upon at once sent a force across the river to Goggin's Point, which was then fortified and lield by the I'nion forces, and we were not troubled further by the enemy fluring our stay at Harrison's Landing. On August 5th General Hooker's division and Pleasanton's cav- alrv advanced toward Mah'ern Hill with orders to make a night attack, but the guide missing the route in the darkness made the first attempt a failure, only succeeding in apprising the enemy of the ap- proach and probable intentions, hut the next night proved a success. While the rebels were not surprised they were driven off and away after a short but sharp engagement, with a loss of 100 prisoners and two brass field pieces. Our regiment was on picket in close prox- imity to the Hill and heard and in one sense participated in that en- gagement, as being the advance picket line we served as reserves and stood readv and willing to fight if opportunity offered. Col. Averill with a portion of the cavalry followed up the advantage gained and pushed north as far as White (")ak .Swamp Creek, driving the 10th Virginia cavalrv from that position, capturing 28 men and horses. This successful advance filled us with renewed hoi^e and courage, as we fully believed that a general advance of the whole army was contemplated and that Richmond was to be ours at last. And we were firmly of the belief that we could nnrch right into and capture and hold that city, and that belief was held by the entire army. It was believed also that the rebels expected such a move and prepared to evacuate, and it is a fact, which has since been verified from the 36 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. To/. Infantrx. evidence of the enemy, that an attack made at that time would have placed McCIellan in possession of the city of Richmond and its de- fences forthwith. The reason the expected advance and attack was not made was that General MtClellan had already received orders to withdraw his army by water to Aquia Creek and to attack Rich- mond from the Rappahannock, and although he and the whole army were most anxious to resume the offensive the embarkation was be- gun — after driving the rebels away far enough to render the army safe from sudden attack and pursuit — by shipping the sick and most of the artillery at Harrison's Landing, the most of the troops marched to Fortress Monroe. Porter's and Heintzelman's corps, .preceded by Averill's cavalry, going on the 14th of August, and Gen. McCIellan with the rear guard, consisting of Key's corps, breaking camp and following the army on the iSth, crossing the pontoon bridge across the Chickahominy, which was guarded by gunboats. The bridge was crossed on the morning of the i6th by the advance regiments of the corps ; our regiment crossing late in the evening, and were the last infantry troops on the retreat to cross. General Pleas- anton with his cavalry bringing up the rear. Our march that day was a severe one. It was extremely hot and dusty and the march was a hurried one, one of great anxiety to reach and cross the river as we firmly expected that the rebels would learn of our departure, follow us up and attack, and we were especially anxious to get under cover of the gunboats. No straggling was allowed or attempted, the men struggled along in the almost intolerable heat, through clouds of choking dust, that proved fatal to many mules and horses, until we had safely gained the other side of the river, when the most of the officers and men fell out, dropped all but exhausted in the bushes by the roadside, fell asleep and rejoined the regiment the next morning. When the regiment emerged from the woods that evening, about 9 o'clock, into a large open field near a large plan- tation house and stopped to bivouac for the night, not more than 100 men stacked arms, and scarcely an officer other than the mounted ones bivouacked with the regiment. The next forenoon, after all the stragglers had come in, many with blistered feet, the march was re- sumed, and Key's corps reached Yorktown on the 17th and Heintzel- man's corps embarked at that place on the 21st Our corps, the 4th, Key's was left at Yorktown to cover the embarkation at that place and at Fort Monroe should any rebel force be sent down the Penin- sula on the track of our armv, and to garrison and hold the works Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 37 at Yorktown, but no attempt was made to molest us, and the famous Peninsula campaign was ended, and we claim the honor of having been in the advance, of having been the first to cross the Chicka- hominy, and of reaching and holding the nearest position to Rich- mond, of participating in all the battles fought, and of being the last in the retreating column, and of successfully executing all and every one of the trusts and duties imposed upon us. 38 Fifty-Sixth 7?r-7. A'. }'. J'ct. Vol. Infantyy. CHAPTER IV. Gen. Naglee's Brigade About Yorktown — Raid to Gloucester, Kings and Queens Counties — Foraging Expedition — Journey to Morehead City, N. C. — Rough Experience on Vessel in Storm — Arrival at Morehead City, N. C. — Capture of Kniston — Camp at Newbern — Gen. Naglee Ceased to Command — Gen. Naglee's Final Order to the Regiment. General Naglee's brigade remained in and about Yorktown, doing camp and picket duty, digging ditches, demolishing earthworks and building and repairing others, drilling, recruiting our health, replen- ishing equipments and clothing, to be in readiness for our next cam- paign. Here a portion of our knapsacks were recovered. They had been loaded on a canal 'boat or transport at that place and sent to or toward our camp at Harrison's Landing, but were turned back when it was learned that we were preparing to return. The boat finally reached Yorktown and was unloaded where the knapsacks had been put aboard. Many were lost altogether and were never found or heard of, many were utterly ruined by water and a few turned up in good shape, dry and sound, and we received them and their con- tents with heartfelt gratitude, greeting them as lost friends, as they contained many things we had brought from hoine with us. On the nth day of December, 1862, Naglee's brigade, consisting of the 52nd Pennsylvania, nth Maine, 56th and looth New York regiments, was ordered on a raid into Gloucester, Kings and Queens counties. We crossed the York river on a ferryboat to Gloucester Point and marched all day, reaching Gloucester city about dusk in the evening, and had a pretty little skirmish, driving the rebels out of the city. Our regiment marched into a large field in the suburbs of the city, having received orders to bivouac in that field, but shortly after dark when we were about disposed for the night, orders were received for the regiment to march into the city, form line in the street opposite the court house square, stack guns, put a guard over the colors, the men to remain at ease on the sidewalk until furtlier orders. Tlw regiment overlapped the square, extend- ing nearly a block on each side, Company F being directly in front of General Naglee's headquarters, which was in a large mansion on the corner of the street on one side of the square. There was a Fifty-Sixth Ri\L:'t. \. )'. I'ct. I'd. Infantry. ;-{!♦ Hock of ducks ill the yard in the rear of the house and Gen. Naglee observing them, ordered the cavalrymen constituting his body guard to place them in one of the front rooms of the house and to ]:)lace a guard on the front porch, adding, that if such precaution was not taken Charley \'an \Vyck"s chicken thieves would have them all be fore morning. He wanted those ducks for breakfast for himself and staff; but when morning came the ducks were nowhere to be found. During the following two days details from the several regi- n'cnts were sent out in different directions to gather up and bring into the city and camps all the serviceable horses and mules, all the fat hogs, sheep and cattle to be found. This was done, and a large number of fat chickens, (hicks and geese were also secured, which furnished substantial and greatly relished subsistence for the boys who for so long a time had been fed on hard tack and salt beef. In the evening of the 14th, the other regiments having all left with the horses, mules and cattle for Yorktown, the 56th regiment was ordered to drive the 500 fat hogs, which had been fattened on the surrounding plantations by the rebels for their army an_.r the creeping, crawling, swimming and flying kind, the bayous full of alligators, water snakes, lizards and frogs ; the ground infested with many kinds of poisonous snakes, tarantulas, and other poison- ous reptiles, and the air full of buzzards, birds of prey, mosquitos and malaria. The water was very bad and the heat intense. r)ur duties were very arduous, and many of the men were sick and unable for duty : the well ones were almost continually on duty of some kind, and the enemy kept us in a continual state of excitement and anxiety. On this island some of our men captured and tamed two young alligators about eighteen inches in length, and when orders were received to prepare to break camp, they were bo.xed up and shipped to Barnum in New York City for his museum, where they remained on exhibition until the museum, situated on Park Row, was destroy- ed by fire, in which they perished. Large quantities of fish and clams were taken from the inlets, and blackberries from Edisto Island were ripe and plentiful, which furnished a grateful change in our diet. While on this island our regiment was temporarily brigaded with that of General Howell, in General Ferry's division, under General Q. A. Gilmore, in command of the Tenth Corps, in the operations before Charleston. He ma- tured his plans and perfected all details, even to having rafts of logs constructed before the 'bows of the monitors and gunboats, and on both sides also, which was done in Edisto har^bor to protect the ves- sels from torpedoes. He decided to make a descent by surprise on the south end of Morris Island, which was well known to be strongly fortified and held, which being taken was to be firmly held as a base of operations against Forts Wagner and Gregg. Fifty-Si.rtli Rci^'f. X. ]'. I'd. I'ol. J i, fan fry. 47 It was thou,c:lit that tlu- capture of Vort W'ag-ner woulil iiiovitalilv cause the fall of the earthworks at Cumniing:'s Point and enable the planting of a battery or batteries within a mile of Fort Sumter, anil within shelling- distance of Charleston city itself, all of which was acomplished in due time. To distract the attention of the enemy from the attack, as well as to prevent a concentration of troops from a distance at that place to assist in repelling the proposed attack, CJen. A. H. Terry, with his division, which included our regiment, was sent up the Stono River to James Island, to make a demonstra- tion, and Gen'l Higginson went up the Edisto River to cut the rail- road to prevent reinforcements from Savannah. The movement of our division proved a success, as we prevented the enemy from leav- ing by distracting his attention from the real point of danger, and in also causing a large force to withdraw from Morris Island, whcri they were badly needed, to confront us on James Island, where the\ were not needed. While we were maneuvering and making a great demonstration. General \'ogdes and General Saxton were mounting guns in bat- teries within speaking distance of the rebel pickets, and disposing their troops behind tJie sand hills in the woods on the south end of the island. When all was ready General Terry, with his division. 4,000 strong, was quietly transferred to Folly Island in the night and kept out of sight of the enemy pending the necessary disposition of the troops for the attack. All being at length in readiness, our division was conveyed up the Stono River on the afternoon of the Sth of July, and made a demonstration or show of attacking the works on the south end of James Island, and General Strong, with 2,000 men, silently embarked on the evening of the 9th of July, in small boats, in Folly River, and rowed silently to the junction of Lighthouse Inlet, and halted behind a screen of marsh grass. On the morning of the loth. General Vogdes opened with his batteries on the rebel earthworks, and the ironclads Catskill, Mon- tauk, N'ahant and \^^eehawkcn opened a crossfire, which was kept up all day; the ironclads paying their compliments mainly to Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg. After about two hours cannonade. General Strong landed his men, and under a hot fire of the enemy's batteries and musketry, carried all of the enemy's works on the south end of Morris Island, and our regiment, with General Terry's division, remained on James Jsland. 48 Fifty-Sixth A\--7, iV. ]'. I'ct. Vol. Infantry. On July i6th, at daybreak, our division was attacked by a super- ior force, consisting of Georgia troops, juSt arrived from Virginia, who, expecting to surprise us, advanced rapidly, driving in the 54th Massachusetts, then on the picket line. But they found us wide awake and ready for them, and with the assistance of the gunboats Pawnee, Huron, Marblehead, John Adams and Mayflower, made it so hot for them that they were easily driven off, with a Ins; of some joo prisoners, which fell into our hands. Shortly after that battle we proceeded direct to Folly Island, where we remained in camp until the i6th of August. During our stay on Folly Island the bomliardment of Forts Wagner and Gregg was in progress ; mortars and siege guns were brought to Morris Island and mounted, the swam]3 angel battery was being constructed. Fort Wagner was assaulted by (general Strong's brigade, led by the 54th Massachusetts, which assault was repulsed, the loss to our forces being some 1,500. Those were perilous times. The weather was extremely hot and the almost continual roar of guns from our batteries and gunl)oat=, and the rebel batteries and forts, gave us but little rest, and our duties were very arduous. Fifty-Si.vlli Rfi^'t. N. )'. \\-t. r„l. Injanlry. W) CHAPTI'K \T. Embarked for Beaufort — Few Memiljcrs Fit for Duty — ^Pickot Duty ou St. Helena and Ladies Island — Visits With Reljel Pickets — R<;giment Veter- anized in February, 1864 — ^On Veteran Furlougli — Return — In Command of Lieut. Col. Tyler — Regiment Recruited. On the i6tli of Atiijiist, 1863, we embarked for Reatifort. S. C, ar- riving' at that city on the ii;th and went into camp in a heaiitiftil sjrove of large Hve oak trees, in the suburbs of the city, with but few mem- bers fit for duty. Severe, continuous hard fighting, fever and ague and other diseases consequent upon exposure, extreme heat, bad water, insufficient, ]5oor food, deadly malarial air of the swamps, hard marches, guard and picket duty, liard labor, and loss of rest and sleep made it necessary to recruit our health as well as the strength of the regiment, which was sadly reduced in numbers. Many had died, and very many sent to hospitals suffering from fever, diarrhoea and diseases of various kinds incident to the climate and hard ser- vice. Our regiment remained at Beaufort in camp, doing camp, picket, fatigue and provost guard duty, with the exception of our ex- pedition to Johns Island the fore part of July, 1864, until September 3d, 1864. We had fairly good times at lieanfort, living well, with comfort- able, clean quarters, cool evenings and sea breezes. We maintained pickets on St. Helena and Ladies Island, at Pigeon Point, Shell Pjridge. and all around the eastern, northern and western sides of the island we were camped on. This was called Port Royal or Beaufort Island. Nearly the whole regiment would frequently go on picket on the northern shore of the island, with re- serves at the ferry, about a half mile in the rear, on the shell road, remaining two or three weeks at a time. At such times we were en- abled to gather large (|uanti'ties of oysters, catch fish, get fresh sweet potatoes and peanuts, which the natives called " goobers," and have a good time generally. The rebel pickets were posted opposite our lines on the shore of the river, within hailing and rifle shot distance, but in accordance ^vith a mutual understanding and agreement no shots were fired by the pickets at each other. At night the picket posts on each side 50 Fifty-Sixth Rci:,'t. S. Y. I'ct. J'ul. Infantry. were advanced at the ferry to the ends of the cause\va\-, bringing them within about 150 feet of each other, and the men on each post would build a fire at the end of the causeway, sit around it and converse with each other every night. They visited the boys in gray after the grand rounds by means of a dugout some of the boys found astray in the marsh, and exchanged coffee for tobacco and newspapers. One night three of our boys, while on a visit at the rebel post and sitting around the fire in conversation with rebel boys were surprised by the " rounds '" putting in a sudden and unex- pec'ted appearance at an unusual hour, and were by the rebel officers taken prisoners and sent to the rebel general in command of the forces at that place, who, when he learned all the circumstances at- tending their alleged capture, ordered them returned to their com- mand, and they were, in accordance with that order, delivered to m at the Ferry. . A large number of sick and wounded were sent to the City of P>eauf<"irt from the army of the south, and many of the large hou.ses or mansions were occupied and used as hospitals. Large tents were also used for that puipose, and a smallpox hospital was established at Pigeon Point, and quite a number of our regiment were dctiiled as attendants or nurses in the various hos|iitals, and several were detailed as clerks in the several offices in the city, also as teamsters, surveyors and mechanics. In February, 1864, the regiment veteranized, that is, the mem- bers, or the greater portion of them re-enlisted for three years or during the war. It became a veteran regiment Feb. 29, 1864. and was duly mustered in as such. On March 10, 1864, it went North on veteran furlough, returning on May i8th in command of Lieut. Col. Tyler. In the meantime, during our stay at Beaufort, recruiting for our regiment had been steadily prosecuted by some of our officers de- tailed and sent North for that purpose, and some 400 new men joined our regiment and were apportioned to the several companies, and thoroughly drilled and disciplined, making our regiment again an efficient organization. Fifty-Sixlh A\\t;7, N. V. I'd. I'ol. Infantry. CIlArTI'.K \II. Journey from Beaufort lo Johns Island — Aurouiiil in Eilisto Tnlet — Most Try- ing and Severe March of the War — Many Sunstrokes — Two Colored Soldiers Mutilated by Rebel Guerrillas — Two Mounted Aids Fired at by Colored Troops — Bivouac on Matthew's Plantation — A Surgeon's Mis- take in Answering a Challenge — Attacked by the Enemy — Demoralized Them — Return to Old Camp at Beaufort After Successful Expedition — Assisted in Siege of Charleston, Fri(ia\', Iul\- 1st, 1864. tlic rc,t;iinL-iit cniharked at Beaufort on a freight steamer and left there (hiring the forenoon of that day, un- der orders to proceed to Johns Island, near Charleston, to make a demonstration and draw out the enemy in order to facilitate the capture of Fort Johnson on James Island, which was approached by the 52d Pennsylvania of our brigade by means of small boats. We reached Hilton Head and lay there until dark when the steamer went outside, and when some three miles away we struck on a sand bar and stayed there all night, with the sea running high and the waves breaking on the bar, and the vessel leaking so badly that above 150 men with buckets, in addition to the steam pumps, were required to keep the water from putting out the fires under the boil- ers. About sunrise the tide floated the vessel ofif the bar. when on making more steam so as to proceed, a steain pipe burst and the boat was then so badly disabled that the captain hailed a passing steamer, which took us in tow and landed us at the dock at Hilton Head about 8 o'clock a. ni. The regiment then went aboard the steamer Beaufort and about noon we started again on our voyage. About sundown we reached North Edisto Inlet, where we ran aground again hard and fast on the south end of Seabrook Island and not more than three hundred feet from the end of the dock. The tide was going out, and we had to remain in that position until the tide was full, which was early the next morning, when the steamer floated clear and was run up to the dock and the regiment went ashore and marched about five tniles to the Seabrook plantation and rested imtil noon ; then marched four miles farther, crossing to Johns Island on a temporary bridge, and bivouacked for the night at a place called Parker's. 52 Fifty-Sixth Ri\!^'t. A'. V. J'ct. I'ol. Infantry. We formed part of General J. I'. Hatch's division, consistinf^ of General Saxton's and Colonel Davis" brigades, in all, about 3,000 men. On Monday, Jul)- 4th, our division marched, with frequent rests, until noon, and halted on Dr. Mathevv's plantation near the Kiawah River. This short march was probably the most trying and severe one we had during the war. It appeared to be the hottest day we ever experienced, and many were sunstruck, and several died from the effects of the extreme heat. The road was a bed of soft, hot sand and the bushes and trees on ])oth sides were close to the sides of the road and very high, thus completely shutting out any breeze that might be blowing. During the afternoon and evening heavy thunder showers deluged the men and saturated the ground thor- oughly, on which we were obliged to sleep. About four o'clock the next morning we started on our march, and continued until noon and halted about seven miles from Charles- ton and remained until three o'clock in the afternoon, when word reached its that rebel cavalry were in our rear, killing stragglers, whereuf>on we were ordered back to our starting place. On this return march, near the intersection of two roads, about two miles from the Matthew's plantation, we saw the bodies of two dead colored soldiers, who had been killed, stripped of their cloth- ing and mutilated by rebel guerrillas, as was supposed, and one of the dead bodies thrown across the other. The sight of their dead comrades greatly incensed the colored soldiers who accompanied the expedition. Some half mile or so from that place the order was given to open ranks for cavalry, and the colored regiment ahead of us together with our regiment opened ranks on each side of the road, facing inward. Two mounted aids of our troops were seen coming down the road and were recognized by us, but the colored soldiers, in their excitement, opened fire, which con'tinued down the entire line, and the captain and his companion rode the gauntlet through that entire regiment under fire from each side of all the men, and escaped without a scratch to man or horse. That night we bivouacked on the Matthew's plantation, in the formation of three sides of a square, around the inansion, which was occupied by some of the generals and their stafif officers. During the night we were awakened by firing on the picket line, and for a short time much excitement, confusion and anxiety prevailed, which was Fifty-Sixth Rci^'t, S\ Y. Vet. I'ol. Infantry. A:! quicklv (lisiK'llfd when a surfj;con of one of the colored regiments reached head(|uarter.s from the front. He was on his wa\' to rejnin his ret^itntiit, and when he reached the picket post and was cliallen.tjed, instead of answering^. " Linited States, friend with the conntersiijn," which was the order for that night, he s^ave the answer, " hViend witii the countersi^'n," when, in accordance with instructions, the whole force of the picket post fired at him without, however, hittinti" either him or his horse. Thinkint; that he had run u|)()n some guerrillas, and being too close to turn about and run awa\-. he put spurs to his horse and charged through the picket line and kept on past the other posts, each one of which fired at him anil kei)t firing until he reached head(|uarters, without having been any of the time in any real danger, as the ])ickets were all colored men, who were still fearfully WDrked up and laboring un- der great excitement over the sight of their nnirdered, stripix^l, mutilated and unburied comrades. The next day about eight a. m. the regiment started tc^ward the front again and went to within about one mile of the ])lace we had turned back from the day previous, where we remained all night in line, without removing our e<|uipments. In the afternoon we were ordered forward about one and a half miles to a place called the Huts, wdiere we were stationed by the side of the road in the woods near a cleared field, about 200 yards across. Here a regiment passed us, formed line of battle just in the edge of the timber, and charged out over the field. It was a new regi- ment and had never before been under infantry fire. The day was very warm, and the field was covered with running blackberry vines, which made difficult traveling. As soon as their line emerged from the woods the rebeb o]Dened a heavy fire of artillery and infantry, under which, when about half way across the field, thev lost their formation and halted to correct their line. \\'hile doing this their colonel was disabled and they came back, bringing him with them. The right of our regiment took possession of the rifle pits along the brook, which earthworks had been occupied by other troops, and remained there all night, about two hundred yards from the edge of the field, and the left of the regiment went back a short distance and remained until the next morning, when it rejoined the right, form- ing across the road. Companies 1!, C and D were placed on the picket line in the edge of the woods, overlooking the field behind a b.'mk ol earth which had bnn llirnun up :uid ;i ])i)sl and rail fence 54 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, M. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. built upon it. The rebel picket line was on the other side of this field ])eliind a similar bank. No demonstration b}- either side was made, and at about 8 o'clock p. m. the companies of our regiment were re- lieved and came back over the bridge and joined the balance of the regiment in the rifle pit, which extended from the swamp on our left, along the brook east of the road, antl turned slightly southeast up a slope to within sight of the salt marsh on our right. The open- ing at the road by the bridge was occupied by two brass twelve- pounder field pieces, at the left of the rifle pit, which was only long enough to accommodate ten companies, and Company C, being the left company, was stationed in the rear of the battery, in which posi- tion we remained all night. The next morning, July gth, 1864, just after daylight, the rebels attacked our line in force, intending to surprise us in the heavy fog, which hung close to the ground. The pickets first saw their legs, their bodies being indistinguishable in the dense fog, but heard no noise whatever, so silently had they advanced. The pickets belong- ed to the 144th New York, 157th New York, and 104th Penna. regiments, and were veterans, who retired slowly, firing rapidly, hokling the enemy in check to some extent, but who followed close- ly ; giving us ample time to perfect our formation and get ready to receive them. When the pickets reached our line, so we could open fire, the rebels were not more than 100 yards from us. When they received a volley from the whole line and the battery gave them doses of grape and canister in quick succession and at short range, they broke in confusion and fell back to reform for another charge. While they were reforming we could plainly hear the orders of their officers. Company C was placed on the right of the regiment, on the rise of ground, to extend the line, and a two-gun battery posted just behind them on somewhat more elevated ground. When the rebels made their next charge, with their rebel yell, we concluded from the sound that they were school children and weak old men they were sending against us. They were met on their second charge with a withering and enfilading fire that checked them some distance further away than at first and they fell back and formed again. A third time they came, but not so resolutely, or with so terrifying a yell as before, and were met with the discharges of the battery on our right, which had changed its position, and again with an enfilading fire that in connection with the battery on the road and Fifty-Sixth Rct^'f. .V. V. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 65 the awful fire from the rifles, completely demoralized them anil they returned to their works and troubled us no more. We remained in the rifle pit and held that line without molesta- tion until noon, when we were relieved by the 9th Maryland colored troops, and marched back to the edge of the woods, about a quar- ter of a mile in the rear of the battery stationed at the bridge, where we remained until after dark, when the troops began to move toward Legareville, on the Stono River. After all had gone except the regi- ment in the ritfe pits, the 9th Maryland, we followed in the intense darkness, making no noise, until within about a mile of Legareville, when we halted and allowed that regiment to pass us. We then established a picket line around three sides of a cleared field, border- ing on a salt marsh, with a tide water stream through its center. The rebels followed the 9th Maryland and soon after midnight came up to our picket post on the road ; but as soon as they discovered us they halted, established a picket line without firing and awaited our further pleasure, the two picket lines not more than fifty yards apart, as we discovered at daylight. The next morning, Suntlay the loth, at daylight, our pickets were withdrawn to the marsh by the bridge, which the engineer corps had built, and the rebel pickets occupied our vacated line, but gave us no trouble whatever. During the forenoon wc marched over the bridge and Companv C was detailed to form a deployed line on each side of the end of the same, to protect the engineers in taking up the bridge, which was done, they piling the planks and timbers and burning them, the rebels in the meantime calmly looking on without anv attempt at prevention. The regiment in the meantime had marched to Legare- ville, where Company C rejoincti it after the destruction of the bridge. About eleven o'clock a. m. of that day the regiment went aboard the steamer Wyoming, to the nnisic of a couple of mortar .schooners, who were sending an occasional shell into the woods to annise the rebels. As soon as all were on board, the steamer pulled out and sailed down the .Stono River, out to sea and up past Hilton Head for Beaufort, which was reached about eleven o'clock that night, and we marched up to our old camp among the oaks, and the Johns Island expedition was a matter of history. .And ours was again the honor of fighting in the front and of lielping to repel the enem\-, of covering the retreat and of safely guarding and covering the em- barkation of the troops. 56 Fifty-Sixth Rcg't. N. V. Vet. Vol. Infantry. This was one of the most exciting expeditions or scouts we were ever engaged in, and probably the most perilous. Our force was small and many of our men for the first time under fire, and the col- ored troops an unknown and untried quantity, and being far from sup])orts or reinforcements, made it a perilous undertaking, of which >ve had a full realization. We however successfully accomplished the object of the expedition and returned to Beaufort, where we re- mained until September 3, when we moved our camp to Morris Island, and assisted in the siege of Charleston. During the remainder of July and the month of August the weath- er was extremely hot and life in camp was disagreeable in conse- quence, lint little drilling was done and nothing to break the mo- notony of the usual routine of camp duty until July 30th, when five of the companies went on picket some 9 miles away, on the northern side of the island, along the river from Broad River to the brick- yard, with the reserve on the shell road about half a mile from the ferry. On the second day of August the other six companies were sent out to the picket line and the whole regiment remained on that duty until ordered in to camp on the first day of September to get ready to go to Morris Island. During our tour on the picket line many of the men who did not re-enlist or veteranize, were discharged by reason of expiration of term of service, and went to Hilton Head, where they were furnish- ed transportation to New York City. Fifty-Sixth Rcg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 57 CHAPTER \-III. Bill (".oodnbye to Old Beaufort — Journey to Morris Island— 'Camp on Morris Island — Experience in Camp beyond adequate description — Under Fire from Rebel Batteries all the Time — Much Disease and Many Deaths — Regiment Speedily Reduced in Numbers — Regiment Recruited — Order to Make Demonstration in Aid of General Sherman. ( )n Friday, September 2, rations were issued to the men, tents and all camp equi])ase, including; tent floors, stockades, lumber, and everything the men desired to take along to make themselves com- fortable in camp on Morris Island, were packed, and the whole of the next day was consumed in carting the immense amount of ma- terials to the dock antl loading it on the old ferry boat, John Adams. About five o'clock in the afternoon the regiment marched down through the city to the dock and aboard the vessel, and bid good-bye to old Beaufort, where so many pleasant days had been spent and of which we retain so many pleasant and agreeable recollections. About nine o'clock we were under way, moving down the bay to Hilton Head, out to sea, bound for our new base of operations. Daylight found us in Stono Inlet, at the south end of Folly Island ; moving up Folly River. We reached the dock at Pawnee Landing, in the rear of Folly Island, about eight o'clock a. m., and after mak- ing fast, the work of unloading was at once commenced. The goods were put on a flat boat and towed by a light draft steamer on the in- side route up Folly River, past the rebel fortifications at Secession- ville to Light House Creek and down that creek to the dock on Mor- ris Island. The waters of that route being very shallow would al- low the passage of only vessels of very light draught. After the flatboat was loaded, Coinpany D was detailed to accompany it, three companies were left to finish unloading the steamer and the balance of the regiment went on the steamer Charles Houghton, by the out- side route, to the landing on Morris Island, and marched to the camp. The entire day was consumed in getting all the camp equi- page and luggage and commissary stores to camp and the camp es- tablisluHl, ready for occupancy. The location of the camp was about one hundred yards from the southwest side of Fort Shaw and 58 l-ifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. about three-fourths of a mile from the south end of Morris Island. From our camp we had a fair view of Fort Sumter and we could see every shot that struck it that was thrown from our batteries, which kept up a continuous firing night and day. Our experience on that island was simply beyond adequate de- scription. There was not a spear of grass or any living thing in the way of vegetation on the whole island, which was covered with shifting sand that drifted in heaps and ridges like snow, filled our eyes, hair, ears and clothing, and was a source of much discomfort and danger. Our fatigue duty was in itself something awful, and we were under fire from the rebel batteries all the time, night and day. The heat was terrible ; during the day the blaz- ing sun poured down it burning rays, heating the sand, which reflected the heat, and at night the fog and mist from the sea, bay and swamps would wet us as thoroughly as a drenching rain. We shoveled sand, carried sand bags to repair the works, while the mortar shells from Fort Moultree and Battery Bee and the shot and shell from Jort Johnson, were screeching and bursting overhead and in and around the works. We had, however, the grim satisfaction of seeing our shells going into and bursting in the City of Charles- ton, w'hose spires we had been so long watching. Water for drinking and cooking was obtained by digging wells in the safid, and was about on a level with tide water, was brackish and after a time became contaminated from the drainage of the camps. It was the worst and most dangerous water we ever found or used. It was the direct source of much disease and many deaths. The ra- tions, with the exception of bread, which was baked on Folly Island and furnished to us fresh every day, were the regulation army fare. But few vegetables were furnished us at first, and many of the men became affected with scurvy : then more vegetables were supplied. The regiment speedily became reduced in numbers until barely 600 men were fit for dut\- and fully one half that number were de- tailed each day and night for fatigue duty, so that each man was on duty every other dav and night in unloading siege guns and ammu- nition and transporting them some three miles across the sand to the batteries at Cummings Point playing on Fort Sumter ; also in unloading quartermaster and commissar)- stores and removing burst and damaged guns from the batteries to the dock and loading them on vessels. Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. V. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 59 During' our stay on this island recruiting for our regiment was being diligently pursued and new recruits frequently joined us. On October 12th one hundred and twenty-two came to us, but the number of effective men for duty remained about the same, as the old men were being disabled daily in large numbers. During the month of October, while the days were extreineh' warm, the nights were very cold, and being without fuel, caused much suffering. Late in November, 1864, orders came directing General Foster, who was in command of the Department of the South, to make a demonstration in aid of General Sherman, who was e.xpected to shortly appear near Pocotaligo, anil to seize the Charleston and Savannah railroad and destroy it near Grahamsville if possible. Brigadier General John P. Hatch, with a division of about 5,500 men, was designated for that purpose. 60 Fifty-Sixth Regt, N. Y. Vet. Vol. infantry. CHAPTER IX. Left Morris Island When Dark via Steamer — Aground in Broad River — Ar- rival at Boyd's Point — ^March Toward Honey Hill — Opened on by Rebel Battery — ^Several Killed and Wonnded — Fierce and Bloody Battle — ^Regi- ment Loses 50 Killed and Wounded' — Failed to Dislodge Enemy — -Troops Fell Back — 'Capture of Cattle and Sheep — Seized Position Under Heavy Fire — ^Attacked by Enemy — F'ieree and Bloody Struggle — Rebels Re- pulsed — ^Capture the Battle Colors of 5th Georgia Regiment — ^Col. Van Wyck Arrives from the North — Packages Received from Home — Slash- ing Through Woods — Savannah Captured — Advance in Woods to Ascer- tain Enemy's Strength — ^Captain Cox Shot — ^Shelled by Enemy's Battery, but Shells do not Explode — Destruction of Charleston and Savannah Railroad — Take Possession of Fort Coosawhatchie — Successful Foraging Expedition — Visit from Gen. Wm. T. Sherman and Gen. O. O. Howard —"Col. Van Wyck Assumes Command of a Brigade — Captain Calkins Presented with Watch — Description of Pocataligo — ^Cross the Combahee River — ^Cross South Edisto River — Enter Charleston — ^Account of Awful Havoc done in that City — Pursuit of Hardee's Forces — Taken to Mount Pleasant — Five Companies Sent to Georgetown, S. C. — " Kingsville Ex- pedition." On November 26th, orders having been received to get ready to leave in the evening, the day was spent in packing up — all the com- panies were in marching order except Company D, which was to re- main in charge of the camp, as the tents were left and much of the regimental property. About seven o'clock that evening, when quite dark, the regiment, under command of Col. Tyler, marched to the landing on Light House Inlet, and across some flat boats or scows, which formed an extension to the dock, on to the steamer Neptune. While marching aboard one of the officers fell overboard into the water, but was fished out, none the worse for his involuntary bath, which caused some delay. After it became as dark as it would be we were taken across the inlet and landed on the north end of Folly Island, and marched about half way down the east shore on the sand close to the sea, thus preventing the movement from being seen by the enemy from their signal tower at Secessionville. We bivouack- ed under the cover of a heavy pine woods that night and remained at Pifly-Si.vlli /?r-'/, X. v. Vet. Vol. Infantry. Gl tliat place until the next evening, Sunday the 27th. when, after dark, the regiment went aboard the steamer Cosmopolitan and sailed away about eight o'clock p. m. \\'e reached Hilton Head Harbor and anchored that night, where we remained until the next afternoon, when the steamer went to the dock and the 144th Regt. X. Y. I. Vols, came aboard, and we steamed out into the harbor and again anchored. Here we remained until next morning at daylight, when we steamed up Broad River and had not proceeded far when the steamer ran aground, stuck hard and fast, with the tide running out. Another boat came alongside, which we boarded and early in the afternoon arrived at Boyd's Point, but were unable to go ashore, as the engineer corps had not yet arrived, they having gone astray in the fog. They finally arrived with the material for docking and im- mediatelv set to work and about four p. m. had the dock so far pro- gressed that our brigade was able to go ashore. We moved out on the road some distance and returned to the landing early in the evening and bivouacked that night. The next morning. November 30. the brigade, under command of General Potter, marched out on the Grahamsville road toward Honey Hill, and when quite near the hill, marching in column of fours, without any warning shots from skirmishers or any other source, a rebel battery oj^cned on us and sent a shell into our regi- ment, killing and wounding several of the men. Somelxxlv blunder- ed in having our regiment too close to the skirmish line, if there was one. The regiment immediately went into line of battle and a fierce and bloody battle was fought by our division ; our regiment losing 50 in killed and wounded and the division 746 in killed, wounded and missing. Our division fought bravel\' and well. Init failed to dislodge the enemy. The troops fell back in good order, the enemv not follow- ing, to an old church, where we bivouacked that night. The next morning we marched out into an open field, found the enemy had quite a skirmish line, but dro\c them back and captured soine cattle and sheep, which were very aceptable, our rations being quite scanty. We halted when some three miles from the landing and threw up breast works by digging a rifle pit, and also constructed breast works for our light artillery. The next day we lay quiet, behind our works, while the enemy shelled us and our Ijatteries replied. There was also some firing on the picket line and the rebels retired. 02 Fifty-Sixth Rcg't. N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. The next day, December 3d. a detail under command of an officer was sent out to locate the position of the enemy ; when they return- ed they brought in some sheep and cattle for our regiment. The next day our brigade marched out to near Coosawhatchie bridge with two pieces of artillery and had quite a lively skirmish with the rebels and returned to our old camp. On the following day artillery and skirmish fire was kept up to prevent the enemy from fortifying until noon, when we were ordered to advance, and we marched out about four miles and found the rebels well entrenched, when we re- turned. On December 6th, our regiment went aboard the steamer Enoch Dean, sailed up Broad River and landed at Deveaux Neck about noon, where the rebels at once were engaged. Our brigade ad- vanced under a heavy fire and seized a position about one mile from the landing after a severe fight, in which we lost many in killed and wounded, many of whom were new recruits. That night we bivouacked in the woods and the next day the rebels attacked us with a large force and with great desperation. After a long, fierce, bloody struggle, in which each man fired the sixty rounds he took with him into the fight, and 3,000 more had been issued to the men and used principally by the right wing of our regiment, commanded by Captain Milton, the enemy was hand- somely repulsed. Captain Milton was complimented on the field by Col. Tyler, for the gallant conduct of himself and the men under his command. The enemy retreated, we following slowly and cautiously, with a heavy line of skirmishers well to the front, until the 9th, when their line was developed and we attacked them with determination and fought till noon, meeting with stubborn resistance, but continued to drive them slowl}' into their earthworks across the railroad. Our regiment encountered the 5th Georgia Regiment in this engagement, drove them from their position, captured their battle flag, or colors, and thereby earned the everlasting respect of the brave bovs of that organization, but with a loss to our regiment of 24 killed and wound- ed. In this engagement Col. William Silliman, of Cornwall. X. Y., was mortally wounded while leading his regiment, the 26th U. S. Colored Troops, in which there were many colored men from Orange County, who were all good soldiers. Fifty-Sixlh Ri\c:'t. X. )'. I'd. Vol. hifantry. (\?, Uur batteries were broufjht up. earthworks hastily constructed for them, which we also occupied, and remained there that nifjht and the next day, tiie loth. During' the day a number of rebel deserters came into our lines from the front, saying that they were tired of fighting, sick of the war, had lost all hope of success and that with them the war was over. The next day, the nth, our division fell back some 500 or 600 yards and established a new line, as the rebel artillery were making things a little too hot for our comfort, and the next day much shelling was indulged in iby both sides at the railroad; our object being to drive them away from the railroad and theirs to hold it. During the 1 2th and 13th several express boxes came to our regiment from friends at home, and the boys had a good time, notwithstanding the shot and shell falling in and al^out the camp. On December 14th, late in the afternoon, heavy firing was heard in the direction of Sa- vannah, .giving us notice that Sherman had arrived at that place. Our camp was thirty-six miles north of that place, fortv-four miles by the wagon road, and by the same road seventy miles from Charleston. The next day, the 15th, Col. Van Wyck arrived from the north with a large number of boxes and a lot of tobacco. During the day, observing a train of cars approaching, the guns of the battery were turned on it and several shells sent toward it, when it at once went back. The i8th. firing was kept up on both sides. In the evening some new recruits for our regiment joined us. Their introduction to the regiment and entering on their duties under fire was something unusual and was considerable of a shock and surprise to them, but they soon became accustomed to it all and proved themselves good soldiers and equal to the occasion. With them came a lot of express boxes from friends at home for some of the boys, which were received with great rejoicing. While we occupied this line we moved out two times to feel of the enemy and see if they were still in our front, and each time we found them in force and they made it so lively for us that we were very glad to return to our rifle pits. On the 19th an advance was made by our regiment and other troops, including the Xaval Brigade, to cover the pioneers or axe- men, who were ordered to make a slashing through the woods in front of the batteries so their guns could have a direct fire on Fort Coosawhatchie, which was sucsessfully accomplished, really under the cover of the woods, as the axemen began chopping at the edge of 64 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. I'ol. Infantry. the wood next to the enemy, cutting each tree nearly off, clear through to the edge next our line, making a strip about one-half mile long by ahout one hundred yards in width. Then the trees next to our line were felled against those partially severed, and they being jammed down against the others and they against those in their front, the jamming went on clear through the wood, and left a clear, open, straight swath of trees, leaving the fort in plain sight and an open road for our artillery to practice on Fort Coosawhatchie. On the 22nd, we observed large numbers of rebels appearing, and at intervals saw them on the railroad track on our front, moving north, which indicated that Savannah was taken and that they were fleeing from the wrath to come. On the 2311 we received orders to draw and cook three days' rations, and to get ready for a forward movement. In the afternoon it was reported that Savannah was captured, which was received joyfully, and that General Sherman had occupied the city, and further orders were given for us to get under arms and in line before daylight, as Hardee's troops might turn in and surprise us. We remained in readiness, so long as any troops were moving along our front, but they did not appear dis- posed to attack us, and we were satisfied and willing to have them go on out of our way. All the horses belonging to the officers and wagons were sent to the landing and trees partly cut off so the road could be speedily obstructed if found expedient or necessary. The following week was one of continued watchfulness, expecta- tion and anxiety. We expected an attack in force at any moment, night or day. We anticipated that the rebel troops leaving Savan- nah, moving north, would turn from their course in on us and at- tack us. But we were pretty well fortified, with a line of rifle pits extending clear across the neck from the Tilifinney River swamp on our right to the Coosawhatchie River swamp on our left : besides, we had the field batteries and a battery in an earthwork at the left, which was about 400 hundred yards from the railroad. We were continu- ally on the alert and the least noise or stir would create intense ex- citement, but no confusion ; every officer and man knew his place and his duty and paid strict attention to business. About everv night as soon as it became dark the re'liels would try to push cars past our position, using man instead of steam power, but our men were on the alert and would detect the slightest sound. When such movements were observed and reported all our batteries would open on the spot located by the sound, which had the effect of driving Fifty-Si.vlli Rcg't, N. Y. Vet. I'ol. Infantry. (io them back, and it is believcil tliat none were allowed to pass our posi- tion. All the troops at the batteries and in the rifle pits were in line ever\- niornin.L;- befnre (la\ li.ii;;lil, in readiness for the expected day- light attack, but to our great relief it never came. The rebels seem- ed satisfied to keep us where we were. This was the situation until the 2[)\h. when, since things had been so uiuisually quiet for so long, it was thought that perhaps there might be ou\x a few of the enemy in our front, and in the aftern^in of that da^•, Col. T\Ier was put in command of a force consisting of the 127th New York, 25th Oliio and our regiment, with orders to advance into the woods on our left and feel of the enemy, ascertain if possible, his |)osition and strength without 'bringing on a general engagement. A skirmish line was put out with Captain Cox in com- mand. The enemy was soon found in the woods and their picket line put up a determined and deadly struggle for the continued pos- session of the woods, which hid their ])osition from our forces. They refused for some time to abandon their picket line, but our re- serves coming up, they slowdy fell back and we followed until we ascertained their position and strength, which being the object of the movement, wt returned to our camps with a loss of seventeen killed and wounded. Captain Cox received a bullet in his shoulder, making a painful and serious wound. The enemy were so strongly entrenched and numerous that our forces were content to leave them in their position and await events. ( )n December 21st, General Foster received the news of Sher- man's capture of Savannah, when he proceeded at once to Ogeeche to meet Iiim. General Sherman directed him to hold his position on the railroad until General Hardee's forces had passed, which was successfully done, but with nuich shelling on both sides by the bat- teries, especially during the night : otherwise the situation remained about the same until the 7th of January, 1865, when a rifled gun of the enemy, far to our left, began shelling our position furiously all day and through that night, the shells falling in our camps, but strange to relate, there were no casualties. The ne.xt day being Sun- day, they rested from their labors and consequently gave us a rest, but on the following day they resumed their practice with as little success. For nearly a week this gun made it very uninteresting for us, both night and day. The soil at our camp was .so sandv and soft that not more than one-half of ihe percussion shells burst: a few of r,C) Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. thc'in struck beyond our line, but nearly all struck inside our rcp;'!- niental camp and not a man was injured by them. During the week from the 7th to the isth, Hardee's troops were passing our front, and many deserters came into our line, being convinced that the war was virtually over. The nth the rebels ran a battery out in the open on the other side of the Tillafinny River, and opened a raking fire on the troops in our second line, which caused considerable apprehension, as we were now certain that the long expected attack from Hardee's forces was about to be made. But it took only a very few minutes for our batteries to put them out of business and send them back into the woods under cover, and they gave us no more trouble. On Saturday, the 14th, it was reported that the rebels were throwing up intrenchments in our front ; but the report could not be verified, as nothing could be seen of them at work. The next day, Sunday the 15th, about eight o'clock in the fore- noon, it was discovered that the rebels had left and that our front was uncovered, and our line was pushed out over and beyond the Charleston and Savannah Railroad track, and the work of destroy- ing the road at once began by upsetting the track, piling the ties in heaps, placing the rails on top and firing the heaps. When the rails were red hot in the middle they were twisted and bent around trees and telegraph poles, thus effectually destroying them for future use. This day, the 15th, our regiment took possession of Fort Coosaw- hatchie. This was an earthwork located on the west bank of the Coosawhatchie River. The Charleston and Savannah Railroad pass- ed through its center from north to south, and the wagon road to Gillisonville ran through from east to west. It was one of the forts located and constructed by General Robert E. Lee during the first year of the war, before he was ordered to Virginia. The embras- ures were so constructed that most of its fire could be concentrated on the railroad and wagon bridges over the Coosawhatchie River. We fixed up quarters as best we could and remained in the fort that night. The next day, the i6th, we resumed operations on the railroad track at the Coosawhatchie River and below, toward Savan- nah, and some of the boys went out on a scout and captured some contraband of war. Some of General Howard's cavalry troops pass- ed through our lines in the morning, being the first of General Sher- man's troops we had seen. They told us that quite a force of Fifty-Sixth A'.-.i;'/, A'. )'. Fct. Vol. hifautry. fi7 Blair's ijtli Corps were at Pocataligo bridge, some seven or eight miles to the north of onr position. The next da v. the 17th, a foraging squad was sent out and came back well loaded with eatables, and the next day, the i8th, another foraging party was sent out and brought in, among other things, r.ooo plugs of chewing tobacco, 10 head of beef cattle, a few hogs, and a number of chickens. The next day was also devoted to forag- ing, and some horses, cattle and chickens were 'brought in for the benefit of the members of the regiment. These foraging expedi- tions were kept up daily, as our rations were exceedingly meagre, and as we were ostensibly a part of General Sherman's forces, we fell right in with his style of warfare and made up all deficiencies in our bill of fare from the products of the country in our vicinity, the boys bringing in horses, mules, wagons, hogs, beef cattle, sweet po- tatoes, etc., so that we had plenty to eat. On Monday, the 23d, we burned the. railroad bridge, preparatory to marching toward Charleston : but for some reason did not start as expected. On the 27tli, General Wm. T. Sherman and General O. O. How- ard, with one orderly, visited us in the fort during the afternoon. General Sherman seemed to be in good humor, was pleasant, talked freely, and told us he would not keep us there niany days. General J. P. Hatch, our division commander, ordered our brigade, except our regiment, to start early on the morning of the 2gth for a point near Pocataligo. He also issued an order, dated January 23. 1865, detailing Col. C. H. Van Wyck to the command of the ist brigade of our division, relieving General Potter. Col. Van Wyck assumed command and continued in command of a brigade or division of a de- partment thereafter until the close of the war. Our regiment remained encamped in Fort Coosawhatchie, and tlie balance of the brigade left us on the 29th to take the place of General Sherman's forces at Pocataligo, they moving off toward the northwest on the 31st. On the same day a party of foragers from our regiment had a sharp fight with a force of rebels near a place called Robinsonville, and were in rather a precarious situation, when some of General Sherman's men put in an appearance and helped drive the rebels away. On the 30th the necessity for foraging ceased, as provisions ar- rived and we drew eleven days rations, and confined ourselves to our camp, keeping a good lookout for scouting reljels and speculat- 68 Fifty-Sixth Rcg't, N. Y. Vet. ]'ol. Infantry. ing how long it would be l^efore we could occupy the City of Charles- ton. We arrived at the conclusion that we were going into that city shortly, and so four of the band boys were dispatched to Morris Island to get the band instruments, so we could march into that long sought stronghold in proper style. On the 2nd day of February we observed a party consisting of twelve rebels in our front, and two parties were sent out to surround and capture them ; but when we had them surrounded, as we sup- posed, and closed in and around where they were supposed to be, we found them missing. Nothing of interest occurred until the 13th, when the boys of company C presented a gold watch to Cap- tain Wm. T. Calkins, as a token of their regard and esteem, he hav- ing but lately returned from the north, where he had been on a sick leave since August, 1864. His health being too poor for him to con- tinue in the service he returned to tender his resignation and settle up his accounts. On the i6th the regiment marched out of Fort Coosawhatchie, which we had held so long and in which we had many varied exper- iences with rain storms, hard labor, short rations, gray backs, contrabands, camp and picket duty, skirmishes, sleeping on the ground and other things too numerous to mention, and reached Pocataligo, where we bivouacked during the night a short distance from and just north of the fort at that place. The name of the place was acquired in an unusual and peculiar manner. iMany years ago, before there were any houses there, a darkey was driving a mule and cart, when, at that particular spot the mule stopped and refused to budge an inch. All the whipping, pounding, punching, threatening, coa.xing and swearing which were applied to him failed to induce him to change position. As is usual in such case, several darkies had gathered around, each one with a suggestion. Finally one old darkey said, " poke he tail, he go." The driver followed the suggestion and the mule at once moved off and resumed his journey. The place was for a long time pointed out and spoken of as the place where the mule responded to the action of " poke he tail," and finally as the place grew to proportions large enough to entitle it to a name, the name Poco-tal-igo was given, which it has ever since retained. On the 17th the regiment resumed the march, which was con- tinued throughout the day. Near sundown we reached Combahee P'erry, on the Combahee River, which we crossed and went into camp on the high ground beyond. '■ Fifty-Sixth Reg't, K. Y. ]\'t. I'ol. Infantry. C,\) The next day the regiment marched some eleven miles to the Ashepoo River and bivouacked that nig^ht. On the lyth we marched to the South Edisto River to near a place called Jacksonboro, where we camped that night, and a detail of the regiment worked at repair- ing the bridge. At this place it was reported that the City of Charles- ton was taken and occupied by the Union forces. We continued working on the bridge during the next day, Monday the 20th, and on the 2ist marched across the river and some 12 miles beyond. The next day we marched about seven miles ■ and reached Stono River, where we remained over Sunday at a place called Loundes plantation, about ten miles from where we crossed the Ashley River into Charleston. During the march from Fort Coosawhatchie to Charleston, our progress was very slow. Our rations were nearly gone and forag- ing parties were sent out for supplies of meat and potatoes ; frequent stops were made for rest, and scouts were out on our left and at the front. There seemed to be no need of being in a hurry and we marched very slowly. The roads were very bad ; the frequent rains making them quite muddy and so much travel over them in that con- dition made them nearly impassable. During the entire march we had no tents, they having been left on Morris Island, and we were compelled to sleep each night with only a blanket for bed and cover. But all things have an ending, and on the afternoon of the 28th of February, 1865, we reached the Ashley River, across which lay the City of Charleston, our long wished for goal, which had been evacuated. We crossed on the ferry, it being foggy, and it was quite dark before all were over, and the line formed, when we march- ed through the city to the South Carolina Railroad Depot, near the upper end of the tow^n, in which we slept that night under cover. The next day we found ourselves in a blackened and scarred city, with evidences of destruction and ruin on every hand. The depot of the Northwestern Railroad had been blown up and was an utter ruin, entirely consumed by fire, and the adjoining buildings, covering fotn* squares, bounded by Chapel, Alex- ander and Washington Streets, were consumed before the fire had been extinguished. General Hardee, on evacuating the city, had ordered that every building, warehouse or shed stored with cotton, be fired by a guard detailed for that purpose. The western side of the citv was virtually destroyed, all the public property in the cit\ had been destrowd, all the cotton warehouses, arsenals. (|uarter- 70 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. master's stores, railroad bridges, two iron-clads and some vessels in the ship yard. Horace Greeley, in his "American Conflict, says : "A Yankee cor- respondent, who joined in the triumphal entry into Charleston, thus described the scene before his eyes. Not a building for blocks here that is exempt from the marks of shot and shell. All have sufifered more or less. Here is a fine brown-stone bank building, vacant and deserted, with great, gaping holes in the sides and roof, through which the sun shines and the rain pours ; windows and sashes blown out by exploding shell within ; plastering knocked down, counters torn up ; floors crushed in, and fragments of Mosaic pavement, brok- en and crushed, lying around on the floor, mingled with bits of statu- ary, stained glass and broken parts of chandeliers. Ruin within and without. The churches, St. Michaels and St. Philips have not escaped the storms of our projectiles. Their roofs are perforated, their walls wounded, their pillars demolished, and within the pews filled with plastering. From Bay Street, studded with batteries, to Calhoun Street, our shells have carried destruction and desolation and often death with them." There was a strip some two or three blocks wide, extending clear through the city from one river to the other, in utter ruin from the great fire of 1861, nothing remaining but remains of brick walls and chimneys. The city was utterly desolate and practically ruined ; comparatively few blocks were left unharmed in the lower districts. It was a practical illustration of the heroic defence and tenacious holding, of great sacrifices and suffering experienced by the enemy during the four years they had desperately resisted our occupation of their pet city, which had at last fallen into our possession, but only by the strategy of a march many miles away from it, planned by Generals Grant and Sherman. On the 1st day of March the regiment went on board a train of box cars and started out on the Northeastern Railroad in pursuit of General Hardee's forces, to delay them and if possible prevent them from joining General Johnson's army. The engine was a wood burner and frequently gave out for lack of fuel, when we would get ofT and go in search of rails and wood, load up the tender, and when steam was up again, proceed slowly, feeling the way, in fear of torn up rails or other obstruction, until the fuel gave out again, when the same performance would be re- peated. About midnight we were brought to a standstill by a burn- Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. V. Vet. Vol. Infantry. 71 ing trestle over Goose Creek, which was some i8 miles from Charles- ton. As the trestle was ruined beyond repair and we could proceed no farther by cars, we disembarked and bivouacked by the side of the creek until morning. Some time before noon we took up the line of march and toward evening reached the Mott plantation, where we remained through the night of the 2d of March. The next day the regiment marched to a place called Alonk's Corners and camped near the old church, in which some of the men slept dur- ing the night. During this last march to Monk's Corners, the road was over- flowed with water, so we were obliged to march on the railroad track a part of the day, which was very trying, as the ties were so close together as to make a step from one to another too short, and to step from one over the next and onto the third was impossi- ble. The next day, March 4th, it rained all day and we marched in the deep mud on the road to Nelson's Ferry, on the Sautee River, until noon, when we were ordered to return, not having seen or heard anything of any rebels. Early in the afternoon we reached Monk's Corners again and camped on the east side of the church and remained all night, during which time it rained hard without cessation. On March 5th we started in a northerl_\- direction and soon reached the Santee Canal. We constructed a temporary bridge across the canal and continued our march north all day, but finding no signs of the enemy. Just before noon we arrived at a place call- ed Bonneau's Station, on the Nortlieastcrn Railroad. Continuing our march we arrived early in the evening at St. Stephen's Station. We found no rebels, but they evidently had been gone but a short time, as a large quantity of resin and turpentine, which had been stored at that place for shipment, was burning and was totally con- sumed. The next morning, .March 6tli, the onward march was resumed, and on reaching the Santee River, the advance reported back that the railroad bridge was destroyed and that the water was so high and the swamp so full of water that no crossing could be made. So we were ordered to return. We marched back in a southerly direc- tion on a highway leading to .Strawberry ferr_\- on the western branch of the Cooper River. We followed the highway to within .ibiiut five or six :iiiles of the river ;ind tlien turned and marclieil 72 Fifty-Sixth Reg't, N. Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry. down and along the east side of the Cooper River to a place called Calais, near the mouth of the Wando River. Our rations had long ngo given out and on the return march along the river we were obliged to forage for subsistence. On the 9th the ferry boat John Adams took us down the river and landed us in the City of Charleston, on the opposite side from where we first landed, where we remained until the nth. On this expedition we marched in all some ninety miles, with varied experiences in the swamps and mud and waters of South Carolina ; through a portion of the state that had not been foraged, so we did not lack for food, but had plenty, such as it was. The ex- pedition was composed of General Potter's entire division, consisting of two brigades. Colonel C. H. Van Wyck commanded the first brigade and Colonel Hartwell the second brigade. With all our hurrying, skirmishing, marching, wading and scout- ing we were at no time within shooting distance of the valiant sol- diers of General Hardee. They seemed to be in a great hurry, not to meet us, but to get somewhere out of sight and reach of the Yan- kees. On the morning of the nth we went aboard a boat fully in the belief that we were destined for another raid or expedition, but were agreeably surprised to find ourselves landed at Mount Pleas- ant, a beautiful little village on the northerly shore of Qiarle^ton harbor. This village is a short distance in the rear of Fort Moultrie and almost directly north from Fort Sumter, and is the only village of any importance on the harbor, and has a very beautiful and health- ly location. We were informed that we were to remain at that place to form a part of the garrison, and we felt that all our marching, fighting, hardships, expeditions and exposures were at last over ; that we were going to have an easy, delightful time during the remainder of our service, which we were sure would be of short duration, as we realized that the war was virtually over and that there would be no more fighting. Our thoughts began to turn homeward and we were hopeful of seeing the Northland, or God's country — which we had so long yearned for — in a short time, but we were doomed to disappointment. After a few days, orders were received for us to get ready to move and take everything with us. Preparations were accordingly made with all dispatch, with much speculation as to our destination. Fifty-Sixlh A'c.^^V. .V. )'. I'ct. J'ol. Infantry. 73 But the order to move never came, and we were left undisturl)ed un- til the 17th, when a squad of the regiment was detailed to go to Morris Island for the baggage which had been left there. Two days were recjuired to gather and transport it to our camp, and on the 19th all was safely brought over ; but the greater part of it was practically spoiled. The regiment remained in camp until the sec- ond day of April, when Special Order No. 68, Northern District Dept. of the South, was received, directing that five campanies of our regiment embark at once for Georgetown, S. C, and report to Brigadier General E. E. Potter. Major Eliphas Smith was given the command of the five com- panies, A, B, C, D and E, and embarked, reached Georgetown the same day, and found the 25th Ohio, the 35th U. S. C. Troops, the 157th New York, a detachment of the 4th Mass. Cavalry, and a field batterv at that place, under the comnnnd of General Potter. Com- panies A and E remained at that place as a part of the garrison ; Com- pany C was put on board of a transjiort loaded with rations, to guard them while going up the Sanfee River, and Campnnies B and D were attached to and formed a part of the 157th regiment, under com- mand of Col. James C. Carmichael, and accompanied the e.xpedition known as the " Kingsvillc Expedition." 74 Fifty-Sixth Rcg-t. N. Y. J'ct. Vol. Infantry. CHAPTER X. Expedition to Kingsville — Encountered the Enemy — Rebels Slowly and Sul- lenly Retire — Heavy Rain Storm — Continuous I'"ighting Every Day — Stern, Earnest War— Sleep Under Difficulties — Enemy in Force — Capture of Guns at Dingle's Mill — The Fall of Petersburgh and Richmond Pro- claimed — Capture of Battery Flag by L. Coe Young— Plea from Col. Rhrett to Stop Advance — Advance Postponed — Geu. Potter's Orders No. 3 — ^Salute Fired from Guns Taken at Dingle's Mills in Honor of Vic- tories — Kingsville Reached — Plenty to Eat — Printing a Newspaper — Ex- tracts from the Paper. It was understood that General Sherman had sent orders to Gen- eral Gilmore, who was in command of the Department of the South, to send a force at once, large enou.efh to reach Kinp;sville, S. C., and there to destroy all the contraband ]jroperty found at that important place : to send a sufficient force to destroy it all without fail if it cost 500 men, as he had reliable information that a larsje amount of quar- termaster and commissary stores and ammunition, as well as largfe trains of cars and several locomotives had been run in that out of the way place for safety, as it was out of the route of Sherman's march. It was about 135 miles inland from Georgetown, on a branch railroad, which connected the Charleston and Wilming- ton road with the Charleston and Columbia road, and the rebels had run trains from Columbia and other points on General Sherman's route to that isolated place, imtil there were 25 locomotives and more than 200 cars closely packed together on the tracks and switches. The city itself compared quite favorably in size with manv of the so called cities on the Peninsula in Virginia, consisting of a small station building and few deserted dwellings and out houses. When the order was received directing that five companies be sent on the expedition and the companies were detailed, great was the delight of the boys of those companies at the prospect of another raid into the enemy's country. Rations were cooked and issued, clothing replenished, cartridge boxes filled, guns examined, letters written and mailed for home, blankets rolled to be carried over the shoulder, which, with cartridge box, haversack and canteen, gun and bayonet, constituted each man's outfit. Fifty-Sixth A^'i'V. A'. )'. Vet. I'ol. Infantry. 75 After noon on the 2nd day of April, the five companies marcheil down to the dock at Mount Pleasant, loaded their supplies on the steamer and marched aboard and disposed themselves about the deck. Shortly after the boat steamed away, down Charleston Har- bor out to sea, bound for the City of Georgetown, which place was reached in the early evening of that day. The men remained on board until the next morning, when the companies disembarked on a rickety, rotten old wharf, that appeared as though it ought to have R. C. stamped on it. The paraphernalia of the companies were unloaded and two companies marched out into the suburbs of the city and joined Colonel Carmichael's regi- ment, as before stated. Each regiment was assigned its position in the column, the cavalry were sent out in advance, the bugle sounded '" forward " and the long march for Kingsville was begun. A few miles out the cavalry encountered a force of the enemy, when the command was halted, a line of skirmishers thrown out and fighting began in earn- est and lasted all day. the enemy slowly and sullenly retiring, taking advantage of every advantageous position of shelter and holding the same until they were flanked by our forces and driven out. They threw every obstacle possible in our way to prevent our advance : burning and destroying all the bridges, felling trees across the roads and throwing up hastil\-constructed breast works ; but we advanced slowly, but continuously, the column advancing a short distance, then halting and waiting until the rebels were driven from each position, until at length they were found in force in the edge of a wood across a swam]5, which swamp was crossed by a cause- way. General Potter sent a large detachment to the right, which crossed the swamp and swung around on the enemy's left flank, when they retreated in great haste and in disorder. We crossed the swamp on the causeway and bivouacke