3 9002 05423 7 37 M s; 1 »f«fc TO >*#¦.¦' . . .., ,,,»MV .i..V' '«?.'..¦¦ > ¦» ..i>Jn^-. • • YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Gift of Edith and Maude Wetmore in memory of their father George Peabody Wetmore b.a. 1867 MEMOIRS or RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS WHO WERE ENGAGED IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY DURING THE GREAT REBELLION OF THE SOUTH. ILLUSTBATED WITH THIETY-FOUB POETBAITS. BY JOHN EUSSELL BARTLETT. SECRETARY OP STATE OF THE STATE OP RHODE ISLAND. PROVIDENCE: SIDNEY S. EIDER & BROTHER. 1867. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by JOHN RUSSELL BARTLETT, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the District of Rhode Island. Printed by Pbovidence Pbess Company, 16 Weybosset street, Providence, S. I. PREFACE. In preparing this volume to commemorate the services of Rhode Island officers during the late rebellion, the author has, for obvious reasons, confined his sketches of living officers to such as held commands either of regiments or batteries. He thus embraces only those of the following grades, viz. : Major-generals and brigadier-generals. Colonels commanding regiments or otherwise in command. Captains of batteries of light artillery. As the batteries of light artillery were generally detached from their regiments, and not under the direct command of a colonel, it seems proper that the services of each should be mentioned, otherwise several that served in distant campaigns would be left without notice. Besides, the services they rendered were so important that they deserve a prominent place in every history of the war. With the officers who have fallen in battle, the case is different. These patriotic men claim from the state a full and separate acknowledgment of their services. The author has, therefore, endeavored to present sketches of all the commissioned officers belonging to Rhode Island who have fallen during the war, alike of those who were killed in action,, and of those who died of the wounds they received or disease contracted in the service. Of several of these he has failed to obtain full particulars, although he has made every effort to do so. Of some of the fallen, the memorials are necessarily more extended than the sketches of the living. Of others of whom no details have been fur nished, he has been able to give only the parentage, birth-place, age, place of education, occupation previous to entering the service, date of enlistment, dates of promotion, and the circumstances of their death. IV. ' PREFACE. Of some of the living officers whose services are mentioned, the author regrets that he has been unable to present further details. No materials were furnished by these officers, and the author was compelled to seek information principally in official reports. These sketches, though brief, will be found to contain the most important facts respecting the officers to whom they relate. It might be supposed that in a series of biographical sketches like the present, the officers of the highest rank should have the precedence. But even if this arrangement had been adopted, it could not have been carried out without causing great delay, inas much as the materials for the sketches of some officers of high rank were not received until the volume was nearly printed. •The author has made free use of the " Official Register of Rhode Island Officers and Soldiers who served in the United States Army and Navy from 1861 to 1866," particu larly for the dates of appointment, promotions, casualties and military operations. This " Register " is a most creditable volume to the gentleman who prepared it. He is also indebted to Mr. E. W. Stone's " Rhode Island in the Rebellion," for the notices of several of our fallen officers. He embraces this opportunity, also, to make his acknowledgments to officers, and to friends of officers, who have furnished him with some of the memorials in this volume, and who have otherwise aided him in the collection of facts and in arrang ing them for the press. Of the cavalry officers no sketches are given, for the reason that some of the officers could not be found, and that others did not comply with the request made to them for materials. In the sketch of General Duffle", however, who commanded the first cavalry, many particulars will be found of the services of that regiment. Those interested in the history of this branch of the service, will find a detailed account of the service of each regiment in the Official Register before referred to. Of the naval officers from Rhode Island who distinguished themselves in the war, the author was desirous to give some sketches, but no officers from this state had com mand in any of the great battles which gained so much glory for the country. We had officers in the great naval actions at New Orleans and Mobile, and in the successful attacks on the forts at Port Royal and Charleston, and on Fort Fisher. We had officers, too, con nected with all the naval operations on our coast, in which they rendered important service. But it did not seem proper to single out a particular officer and give his history apart from the general history of the battle or the operations in which he was engaged. These form a part of the general history of the war. A few sketches of naval officers were prepared, but as no completeness could be given to this branch of the service, it was deemed advisable to omit them all. Of the naval officers, however, who fell in the service, full notices have been given. PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE. Ex-Governor William Sprague. - - . - - 105 Ex-Governor James Y. Smith. ... - 161 His Excellency Ambrose E. Burnside, Governor of Rhode Island. - -. - 9 Brevet Major-General Richard Arnold. .... 363 Major-General Silas Casey. - - - - - 95 Major-General George S. Greene. - ... - 139 Major General I. I. Stevens. - - - - 165 Brevet Major-General Frank "Wheaton. .... 443 Brevet Brigadier-General John G. Hazard. i - - 383 Brigadier-General Alfred N. Duffie. .... . 209 Brigadier-General Isaac P. Rodman. - - - - 357 Brevet Brigadier-General James Shaw, Jr. - - - - - - 186. Brevet Brigadier-General Charles H. Tompkins. .... . 373 Brevet Colonel George W. Adams. .... 414 Colonel William Ames. - - - - - - - ' - 241 Colonel Nathaniel W. Brown. ...... 147 Colonel George E. Church. - - - 293 Brevet Colonel D. Archie Pell. ..... 257 Colonel Elisha H. Rhodes. - - 333 Colonel Horatio Rogers, Jr. ----- - 305 Colonel John S. Slocum. ...... . 121 Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Crawford Allen, Jr. - ... 402 Lieutenant-Colonel' T. Frederic Brown. --.--.- 393 Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph B. Curtis. ... . . 225 Lieutenant-Colonel Welcome B. Sayles. - ... 430 Major Jacob Babbitt. ... ... 265 Major Sullivan Ballou. - - - - - - - -249 Captain Levi Tower. ........ 127 Lieutenant Erasmus S. Bartholomew. --..--- 344 Lieutenant Munroe H. Gladding. ... - - 179 Lieutenant Peter Hunt. - - . - - - - -171 Lieutenant Henry A. Prescott. - - - - - - • 131 Lieutenant Robert Rhodes, United States Navy. .... . 297 Ensign Frank G. Adams, United States Navy. ..... 317 Landing of the Roanoke Expedition at Roanoke Island. - - - - - 16 MEMOIRS. Page. Ex-Governor William Sprague. - - 105 Ex-Governor James Y. Smith. ... 161 Brevet Major-General Richard Arnold, U. S. Army. - 363 Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside, U. S. Volunteers. - 9 Major-General Silas Casey, U. S. Army. - - - 95 Major-General George S. Greene, U. S. Army. - 139 * Major-General I. I. Stevens, U. S. .Volunteers. - - 165 Brevet Major-General Frank Wheaton, U. S. Army. 433 Brevet Brigadier-General John G. Hazard, U. S. Volunteers, 383 Briagdier-General Alfred N. Duffie, U. S. Volunteers. - - - 209 * Brigadier-General Isaac P. Rodman, U. S. Volunteers. .... 357 Brevet Brigadier-General James Shaw, Jr., U. S. Volunteers. - - 185 Brevet Brigadier-General Charles H. Tompkins, U. S. Volunteers. - - 373 Brevet Brigadier-General Nelson Viall, U. S. Volunteers. - - - 339 Brevet Brigadier-General Henry T. Sisson, U. S. Volunteers. - - 325 Brevet Brigadier-General Nathan Goff, Jr., U. S. Volunteers. - 423 Brevet Colonel George W. Adams, Commander of Battery A. - 414 Colonel William Ames, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - 241 Colonel Zenas R. Bliss, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. - - - 267 Colonel George H. Browne, Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers. - - . 426 * Colonel Nathaniel W. Brown, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. . 147- Colonel Charles R. Brayton, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - 331 Colonel George E. Church, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - - . 293 Brevet Colonel Martin P. Bufifum, Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers. 243 * Colonel Sylvester G. Hill, Thirty-fifth Iowa Volunteers. . . 447 Colonel Edwin Metcalf, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - - 252 Brevet Colonel D. Archie Pell. - ... . 257 Brevet Colonel George E. Randolph, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery E. - 408 Colonel Elisha H. Rhodes, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - . 333 Colonel Horatio Rogers, Jr., Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - 305 * Colonel John S. Slocum, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. ... 121 Colonel William H. P. Steere, Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers. . 199 Colonel George W. Tew, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 320 * DECEASED OFFICERS. MEMOIRS. ' VII. Page. Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Crawford Allen, Jr., Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery H. 420 Lieutenant-Colonel T. Frederic Brown, Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery B. 393 * Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph B. Curtis, Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 225 Lieutenant-Colonel John A. Monroe, Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery D. - - 405 Lieutenant-Colonel William H. Reynolds, Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery A. 387 Lieutenant-Colonel John A. Tompkins, Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery A. - - 391 * Lieutenant-Colonel W. B. Sayles, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 430 * Lieutenant-Commander Thomas P. Ives, U. S. Navy. - - 273 * Major Jacob Babbitt, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. - - - 265 * Major Sullivan Ballou, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 249 Brevet Major Harry C. Cushing, Fourth U. S. Artillery. ¦ - . 424 * Brevet Major Peleg E. Peckham, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 362 Brevet Major William B. Rhodes, Rhode Island Light Artillery Battery E. - 410 * Surgeon William T. Thurston, First Rhode Island Light Artillery. ... 181 * Captain William P. Ainsworth, First Rhode Island Cavalry. - 446 Captain William Albert Arnold, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery A. - - 391 Captain James Belger, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery F. 412 Captain W. W. Buckley, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery D. - 405 * Captain Francis B. Ferris, Twelfth Illinois Volunteers. - - 445 * Captain Charles W. Gleason, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 448 Captain Jeffrey Hazard, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery H. - 418 * Captain Isaac D. Kenyon, Twenty-first Connecticut Volunteers. - 449 * Captain Howard Greene, Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Volunteers. - 370 * Captain Joseph Mclntyre, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - - 452 * Captain A. Richmond Rawson, Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 157 * Captain John P. Shaw, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - 155 * Captain Henry Simon, Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 220 Captain Thomas Simpson, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery F. - - 412 * Captain Edwin K. Sherman, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - 449 * Captain Samuel J. Smith, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. ¦« 129 * Captain Charles Tillinghast, Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 159 * Captain Levi Tower, Second Rhode Liland Volunteers. ... . 127 Captain Richard Waterman, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery C. - 400 Captain William B. Weeden, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery C. - - - 396 * Lieutenant Clarke E. Bates, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - 446 * Lieutenant E. S. Bartholomew, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - 344 * Lieutenant Jabez B. Blanding, Twenty-first U. S. Veteran Reserve Corps. 436 * Lieutenant Richard A. Briggs, Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers. - 437 * Lieutenant George Carpenter, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 178 * Lieutenant Thomas H. Carr, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 443 * Lieutenant Joseph A. Chedell, Jr., First Rhode Island Cavalry. - 440 * Lieutenant Darius J- Cole, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. • 444 * Lieutenant James Farley, Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers. - - - 446 * Lieutenant George W. Field, Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 261 * Lieutenant Henry C. Fitts, Third Rhode Island Cavalry. 425 * -Lieutenant Monroe H. Gladding, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - 179 * Lieutenant Lorenzo D. Gove, First Rhode Island Cavalry. - 441 * Lieutenant Charles D. Hammett, Jr., Third Rhode Island Cavalry. - - 184 * Lieutenant Henry Holbrook, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - - ' 443 * Lieutenant Stephen M. Hopkins, Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 449 * DECEASED OFFICERS. VIII. MEMOIRS. Page. * Lieutenant William Ware Hall, Fifth Rhode Island Volunteers. - 207 * Lieutenant Peter Hunt, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery A. - 171 * Lieutenant Robert Hale Ives, Jr., Staff of Brigadier-General I. P. Rodman. - 350 * Lieutenant Charles H. Kellen, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 451 * Lieutenant Benjamin E. Kelley, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery G. - 439 * Lieutenant John K. Knowles, Fourth Rhode Island Volunteers. - - 451 * Lieutenant Charles E. Lawton, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 452 * Lieutenant Walter B. Manton, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - I53 * Lieutenant Samuel Mcllroy, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. - 223 * Lieutenant Frederick Metcalf, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - 442 * Lieutenant Joseph S. Milne, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery B. 4 19 * Lieutenant Henry L. Nicolai, First Rhode Island Cavalry. - - 450 * Lieutenant William H. Perry, Second Rhode Island Volunteers. 447 * Lieutenant Henry R. Pierce, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 432 * Lieutenant Henry A. Prescott, First Rhode Volunteors. - - 131 * Lieutenant James M. Pendleton, Jr., Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers. 197 * Lieutenant William W. Prouty, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 183 * Lieutenant Charlefc A. Sawyer, First Rhode Island Cavalry. ' 451 * Lieutenant Albert L. Smith, Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers. 451 * Lieutenant Stephen H. Southwick, Twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteers. ... 438 * Lieutenant James P. Taylor, First Rhode Island Cavalry. - ' 448 * Lieutenant George F. Turner, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. - 263 * Lieutenant James A. Wade, Third Rhode Island Cavalry. 444 * Lieutenant Robert Rhodes, United States Navy. - - 297 * Ensign Frank G. Adams, United States Navy, - 317 * Master's Mate George W. Cole, United States Navy. - 445 History of the First Rhode Island Regiment. - , 115 * DECEASED OFFICERS. £> fa/lsuJ^^ GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF RHODE -1 STAND. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 4 -m»m- ? EARLY LIFE AND SERVICES. ¦ mbrose Everett Burnside was bora at Liberty, Union county, Indiana, on the 23d day of May, 1824, and was, consequently, in the full prime of his early manhood when the War for the Union commenced. He is of the old blood that flowed in the veins of heroes at Bannockburn and Elodden Field, and which, in many a hotly-contested battle, has proved the Scotch to be among the best soldiers in the world. His grand-parents were born in Scotland, but, removing to America near the close of the last century, settled in South Carolina. Heje General Bumside's father was born, and educated. In the early part of the present century, the great fields of the West attracted the attention of the citizens of the old states. Mr. Burnside early felt the influence, and in the year 1813 he removed with his family to what is now the town of Liberty. There, following the profession of law, he acquired a respectable reputation as a counsellor, and enjoyed a large and profitable practice. We find him honor ably and creditably filling the offices of clerk and judge of the probate court, in his new hom^. The son, Ambrose, was carefully nurtured, and received his elementary education in the best schools of the neighborhood. He was admitted to the military academy at West Point in his eighteenth year, and was graduated in 1847, in the artillery, the fifteenth in rank, in a class numbering forty-seven members. In the following year he received a full second-lieutenantcy, and 10 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was attached to the third regiment of artillery. During his stay at West Point, the war with Mexico commenced, and immediately upon his gradua tion, he proceeded to the scene of action. On his arrival at Vera Cruz, Lieutenant Burnside was put in command of an escort to a baggage-train, and sent into the interior. Although the route was in the nominal possession of the United States troops, the Mexicans, by a guerilla warfare, which they continually carried on, had succeeded in cutting off or disabling several trains that had previously been sent. The duty was hazardous, and the post responsible ; but the young lieutenant carried his small command through without injury, and manifested so much fidelity and skill as to win the commendation of his superior officers. Before the column to which Lieutenant 'Burnside joined himself could reach the capital, the battles in front of the city of Mexico had been fought, and the war was virtually finished. He was thus deprived of the opportunity which he desired of participating, to any great extent, in the active operations of the armies in the field. When peace was proclaimed, he was ordered to Fort Adams, Newport, Rhode Island, and was employed at that post until the spring of 1849. His natural refinement of manner, his urbane deportment, and his frank and manly bearing, gained him many friends, and here he laid the foundation of that remarkable esteem with which he is regarded in the state of Rhode Island. In the year 1849, he was transferred from the agreeable duty of the post at Fort Adams, and ordered to New Mexico, to join Bragg's famous battery, o£ which he was now appointed first-lieutenant. It was/ found that the country was not favorable for the operations of light artillery. Bragg's command was reorganized as cavalry, and Lieutenant Burnside was put in charge of a company. The service was very exciting and perilous, but our lieutenant acquitted himself with such coolness and bravery as to receive warm enconium for his conduct. He reached New Mexico on the 1st .of August, and immediately went into active service. On the 21st of that month, while stationed near Los Vegas, with a force of twenty-nine men, he came in contact with a band of Indians, sixty or seventy-five strong. He immediately determined to attack them; and, after a single discharge of their rifles, his men, led by their gallant commander, charged with sabres, and swept the Apaches like chaff before them. In this brief and brilliant engagement, eighteen Indians were killed, nine were taken prisoners, forty horses and all the supplies of the party were captured, and the whole band AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 11 was effectually dispersed. The commander of the post, Captain Judd, com plimented Burnside, in dispatches, in the highest terms, and recommended him for promotion. In the winter of 1850-51, we find Lieutenant Burnside acceptably filling the office of quartermaster of the boundary commission then occupied in running the line between the United States and Mexico, as established by the treaty of peace negotiated by the two nations. In September, 1851, he was ordered across the plains of the Far West, as bearer of dispatches to the government. It was a duty requiring the utmost vigilance, prudence, and persistence. It was necessary that the dispatches which he bore should reach Washington at the earliest possible moment. With an escort of three men — one of whom was his faithful negro-servant, who has followed his fortunes for several years- with singular devotion — he started on his difficult enterprise. Twelve hundred miles of wilderness, occupied by hostile Indians and wild beasts, lay between him and civilization. He accomplished the distance in seventeen days, meeting with many adventures and hair-breadth escapes on the way. At one time a party of Indians was upon his trail for more than twenty-four hours, and he only escaped by taking advantage of the night to double upon his pursuers. He fully accomplished the object of his mission, and received the thanks of the authorities for his efficiency and success. During his service in New Mexico, he had found that the carbine with which the troops were armed was a wholly inadequate weapon for the peculiar warfare of the plains. While upon his journey to Washington, he occupied his mind with an atteinpt to supply the defect. The result of his reflection and study was the invention of the new breech-loading rifle, which bears the name of its inventor, and seems almost a perfect weapon. Lieu tenant Burnside was desirous that his own country should receive the benefit of his labors, and he offered to contract with the government for the manu facture of the arm. Pending negotiation, he returned to his former post at Newport. While here, on the 27th of April, 1852, he was married to Miss Mary R. Bishop, of Providence. The expectation of a contract for the manufacture of the newly-invented rifle, and his marriage, decided Lieutenant Burnside to leave the service, and he resigned his commission November 1, 1853. Removing to Bristol, he built a manufactory, and made all necessary arrangements for completing his busi ness negotiations with the government. Unfortunately for him, the contract was not consummated ; and, after three or four years of struggle and loss, Mr. 12 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Burnside became so deeply involved and embarrassed as to prevent any further progress in his adopted occupation. He was still more embarrassed by the action of John B. Floyd, who became secretary of war in 1857, and found himself compelled to withdraw entirely from the manufacture of arms. With characteristic high-mindedness, he gave up every thing which he possessed, including his patent, to his creditors ; and, selling even his uniform and sword, sought to retrieve his fortunes at the West. He went to Chicago, April 27th, 1858, and obtained a situation as cashier in the land department of the Illinois Central Railroad. His old friend and schoolfellow, Captain George B. McClellan, occupied an honorable position in the same railroad company, and the two soldiers once more made their quarters together. Burnside, limiting his expenses to a certain amount, devoted the remainder of his salary to the payment of his debts ; and when afterward he was enabled to free himself entirely from the claims of his creditors, his unblemished integrity in business was as conspicuous as his former gallantry in the field. In June, 1860, he was promoted to the office of treasurer of the railroad company. The intelligence of the bombardment of Fort Sumter and the proclama tion of the President of the United States awakened Mr. Bumside's patriot ism, and he felt once more impelled to take the field. His country had given him his education, and he felt that to his country his life and services were due. His residence in Rhode Island had endeared him to the people of that gallant state, and he had already held the highest command of the state militia. When the first regiment of Rhode Island troops was offered to the secretary of war by the governor of that state, it was to him that all eyes turned for the command. He was appointed colonel, immediately closed his desk of business, and repaired to Providence. There, in connection with the governor, he devoted his time to the organization and equipment of the regiment ; and so effectively was the work performed, that on Thursday, April 18th, the light battery of six guns, and one hundred and fifty men, was embarked on board a steamer, and sailed to New York, on the way to Washington. On Saturday, the first detachment of the regiment, five hundred and forty-four officers and men — armed, uniformed, provisioned for a three weeks' campaign, and abun dantly supplied with ammunition — left Providence by steamer. Transferred to the government transport Coatzocoalcos at New York, the command pro ceeded to Annapolis without delay, arriving on Wednesday, April 23d. On Thursday morning the troops took up the line of march, and, bivou acking on the road, reached Annapolis Junction early on Friday morning. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 13 Taking cars at that point, they went on to Washington, reaching the capital at noon. The light battery, which had stopped at Easton, Pennsylvania, and the remainder of the regiment, arrived at Washington in the early part of the following week ; and twelve hundred Rhode Island men under the command of Colonel Burnside were thus ready for any emergency. The regiment, under the thorough discipline of its commander, soon took high rank in the army for character and efficiency. Its camp, located in the northern suburbs of the city, became a favorite place of resort, and was considered a model of its kind. The excellent reputation which the regiment had acquired, was mainly due to the unwearied efforts and the unceasing vigilance of its colonel. In June, the regiment joined. General Patterson's column, intended for the reduction of Harper's Ferry ; but, on the evacuation of that place by the rebels, it was recalled to Washington, in anticipation of an attack upon the the capital. Upon the advance toward Manassas in July, Colonel Burnside was placed in command of a brigade, consisting of four regiments and a battery, viz. : the first Rhode Island ; the second Rhode Island, with its battery of light artillery, which had reached Washington in June ; the second New Hamp shire, which had also arrived in June ; and the seventy-first New York, which had accompanied the Rhode Island troops on the march from Annapolis, in April. Colonel Burnside had been offered a brigadier-generalship upon his first arrival at Washington, but had declined it, on the ground of duty to his own regiment and state. But when it became necessary to organize the army, preparatory to an advance into Virginia, he did not hesitate to accept the post which was now pressed upon him.., His brigade was joined to the division under Colonel David Hunter, and with the. rest of the army left Washington on Tuesday, July 16th. The division bivouacked at Annandale, and on Wednesday with Colonel Bumside's brigade in advance, pushed on to Fairfax Court House. On Thursday the Whole army encamped at Centre- ville, after a skirmish between a part of General Tyler's division and the rebels at Blackburn's Ford. On Sunday morning, July 21st, the army moved toward Manassas Junction. In the disastrous battle of Bull Run, Colonel Burnside and his brigade were conspicuous for their bravery and steadiness. They were among the troops to whom that day's events brought no disgrace. Bumside's own regi ment showed, by its gallantry and coolness, that its colonel's labors had produced the finest results. The other regiments of the brigade also proved 14 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. what good soldiers could do in the hands of a brave and able officer. The battery of the second Rhode Island was most efficiently served, and the regi ment itself was particularly distinguished for its gallantry. General M'Dowell had already complimented Colonel Burnside upon his command, and declared that he should rely upon the brigade in the time of action. Accordingly, in the flank movement toward Sudley's Ford by Colonel Hunter's division, Bumside's brigade took the advance — the second Rhode Island regiment, under Colonel Slocum, a most gallant and accomplished officer, leading the ¦ column. Soon after crossing Bull Run at Sudley's Ford, about half-past nine o'clock, a. m., the leading regiment was attacked by the enemy. Colonel Hunter, who was in the advance, was wounded very early in the action ; and Colonel Burnside, being in command of the troops till Colonel. Porter, who was in the rear, came up, at once led the residue of his brigade forward, and, posting them most advantageously, succeeded in beating back the enemy's attack, and driving him from the part of the field where he had taken position. Colonel Porter's brigade was deployed to the right, and Colonel Heintzleman's division took post still farther upon the right. Colonel Burn- side's brigade, assisted by Major Sykes's battalion of regulars, stood the brunt of the enemy's attack in complete order for more than two hours, when, having completed the work assigned to it, with a loss of three hundred killed and wounded, and being relieved by Colonel Sherman's brigade, it was withdrawn to replenish its now exhausted supply of ammunition, and to await orders to renew the contest. But the order which came was not to advance, but to retreat. Colonel Burnside at once collected his brigade, formed his regiments in column by the side of the road, waited till the larger portion of the disor ganized troops had passed, and with Major Sykes's battalion of regulars and Captain Arnold's regular battery in the rear, prepared to cover the retreat along the forest-path over which the division had marched in the morning. The admirable disposition thus made by Colonel Burnside and Major Sykes, under General M'Dowell's direction, contributed greatly to the safety of the broken army in its perilous march through the woods. On emerging from the forest-path, the artillery and cavalry passed to the front, and the infantry were left unprotected. The retreat continued in good order till the army reached the bridge on the Warrenton turnpike, crossing Cub Run. Near this place, the rebels had brought up a battery of artillery, a regiment or two of infantry, and a squadron of cavalry, and attempted to cut off our AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 15 defeated forces. They succeeded in obstructing the bridge sufficiently to prevent the passage of many baggage-wagons, ambulances, and gun-carriages, and at this place the greatest loss of cannon by the national troops occurred. When Colonel Burnside reached the bridge, it was in such condition as to preclude the possibility of crossing, and he ordered the men to ford the stream, and rally at Centreville. The scattered forces sought the camps which they had left in the morning, and prepared to pass the night. General M'Dowell soon sent orders to continue the retreat to Washington. The brigade reached Long Bridge about seven o'clock on the morning of Monday, July 22d, and two hours later entered Washington, in the order in which it had quitted the city on the Tuesday previous. The regiments composing it immediately marched to their respective camps. Colonel Bumside's bearing, in all the experience of the day and night, was all that could be expected of a man and a soldier, and he at once attracted the attention of the country to his gallantry, generalship, and skill. The term of service for which the first Rhode Island regiment had enlisted, expired on the day before the battle ; but the regiment having suffered little or no demoralization, was ready to remain longer at Washing ton, if its services should be required. Colonel Burnside was unwilling to return to Rhode Island till he was assured that the capital was beyond danger of an attack. His officers and men shared his feelings. But the war depart ment had resolved upon a reorganization of the army, and the three months' regiments were all ordered to their homes. The second regiment from Rhode Island, with its battery, was left in the field ; while the first returned to Providence, and was there mustered out of the service of the United States. Colonel Burnside, with his regiment, received the thanks of the General Assembly of Rhode Island for the fidelity and bravery with which he and they had performed their duties. Colonel Bumside's services were also recognized by the general government, and he was at once promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, his commission dating August 6th, 186*1. His adopted state also declared its estimate of his worth. Besides the action of the General Assembly, other public bodies gratefully acknowledged his worth. Brown University, at its commencement in September, honored him with the degree of Master of Arts ; and, at the annual meeting of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, in the following year, he was elected an honorary member of that literary guild. 16 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Immediately upon receiving his commission, General Burnside was sum moned to Washington, to assist in reorganizing the forces in front of the capital. He was employed in brigading the troops as they arrived, and assigning them places of encampment. To his excellent judgment in this respect, and his great executive skill, the efficiency of the army was to a great degree due, in those dark days of the republic. II. EXPEDITION TO NORTH CAROLINA. Later in the season, several expeditions were projected, to operate at different points upon the Southern coast. The most hazardous and difficult of these, designed to effect a lodgment upon the dangerous shores of North Carolina, and, carrying a force into the interior, in the rear of the rebel army in Virginia, to cut off communication with the South, was intrusted to the genius and ability of Burnside. For more than two months he was indefati- gably employed at his head-quarters, in the city of New York, preparing for this important enterprise. The expedition finally set sail from Annapolis in the early part of January, 1862. Fifteen thousand men were embarked upon a large fleet of transports, and, convoyed by numerous gunboats, proceeded to the place of their destination. The route of the expedition lay through Hatteras Inlet into Albemarle Sound. It was a short voyage indeed, but a most perilous one. Cape Hatteras, noted for its storms, is the terror of every mariner whose course lies along the North American coast. The wintry season added to the dangers of the navigation. The expedition had hardly left the land-locked waters of Chesapeake Bay, when a most terrific storm burst upon the armada with frightful fury. The tortuous and shifting chan nel leading through the inlet into the sound was to be found and followed in the very teeth of the wind, when the storm was at its height. The inlet itself had been produced by the sea breaking across the narrow spit of sand from which Cape Hatteras projects, and the depth of the channel shifts and changes with the varying influence of the wind and tide. It was found, therefore, that several of the vessels which at New York had been certified . to be of light draught, sufficient to pass the channel, could not be got over ill! i! iik .Hifii'. a 5 u X o z < o x oz o O M u £ a ^ x * u £ a R en CQ LJX oa Qz 3 AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 17 i the bar. The consequence was, that a large portion of the fleet was in imminent danger of shipwreck. For nearly two weeks the storm continued, and the deplorable situation of affairs seemed to indicate the destruction of the entire expedition at the very outset of its career. In this most trying crisis, General Bumside's admirable quahties shone forth in illustrious light. It is the universal testimony of all who were connected with this expedition, that the bearing of its brave commander was beyond all prajse. He seemed to be ubiquitous. Wher ever the troops were to be rescued from their perilous position, wherever the danger was .most threatening, wherever encouragement was needed, wherever help was most timely, there always appearedvthe general; and, by exertions beneath which any man with a less lofty purpose and a less persistent energy would have sunk exhausted, the expedition was brought to a safe anchor age within Pamlico Sound, and one or two regiments landed. Only a few vessels. foundered, and two or three lives were lost by the accidental swamp ing of a life-boat. Encompassed by perils and threatened with disasters, General Burnside never lost his courage, his hope, and his faith. Buoyed up in the midst of misfortune by his unswerving trust in the care of a superin tending Providence, he stood serene and unmoved at his post of duty, and conquered even the elements by an unwearied patience. Harassed by the delays caused by the storm, active operations against the rebels could not at once be commenced. The plan agreed upon by General McClellan and the authorities at Washington was, to threaten Norfolk by an attack upon the rebel stronghold of Roanoke Island, before proceeding to the mainland. Every thing was prepared for this initial step by the 4th of February ; and on the 5th of that month, the troops being embarked on board the transports, and the gunboats; under the command of Commodore L. M. Goldsborough, being ready to move, the whole fleet steamed slowly up toward the entrance of Albemarle Sound. On the 7th, the gunboats entered Croatan Sound, engaged the fleet and bombarded the water-batteries of the enemy on Roanoke Island. On the afternoon of the 7th, the troops were landed. Their debarkation presented a stirring and ani mated scene. • The transports approached the shore as nearly as their draft of water would permit, the men were put into small boats and rowed close to the land. The troops waded to the shore, immediately formed in their respective regiments, marched a mile or two into the island, and bivouacked in order of battle. On the morning of the 8th, the' attack was made upon 18 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. the key of the position, a battery in the centre of the island. The battle lasted four hours, and resulted, by a charge of the twenty-first Massachu setts, the fifty-first and the ninth New York regiments, in the complete victory of the national forces, which placed in General Bumside's hands six forts and batteries, forty cannon, over two thousand prisoners of war, and three thousand stands of arms. The. national loss was forty-seven killed and two hundred wounded. Commodore Goldsborough immediately sent a fleet of gunboats up the Pasquotank and Chowan rivers, by which all the rebel gunboats in those waters were sunk, captured or driven away ; and Elizabeth City, Hertford, and Edenton, fell into the possession of the Union troops. Soon afterwards, the important town of Plymouth was occupied by the national forces. These brilliant successes were hailed with the utmost enthusiasm by the people of the North. Following swiftly upon the defeat of the rebels under General Zollicoffer at Mill Spring, Kentucky, they served to revive the spirits of the loyal men, and to assure them of greater victories to come. By none was the intelligence of Bumside's triumph more gratefully received than by the people of Rhode Island. The General Assembly, which was in session, at the suggestion of the then governor, Hon. William Sprague, voted General Burnside a sword in honor of the victory, and the thanks of the representa tives of the people to the officers and men under his command. Massachu setts and Ohio, through their legislatures, expressed their gratitude. The Congress of the United States and the heads of the government acknowledg ed by their action their sense of the importance of this great success ; and the President nominated General Burnside a major-general of volunteers. The Senate confirmed the nomination on the 18th of March, 1862. Meanwhile, General Burnside was not idle. Releasing his prisoners by exchange, in order that the record of Bull Run might be thoroughly effaced, he prepared to make further advances upon the enemy's forces. In pursu ance of the instructions of the general-in-chief, Burnside once more embarked his troops on the 6th of March, and made ready to strike another and more decisive blow. This time it was Newbern that was destined to feel the weight of his loyal hand. On Wednesday, March 12th, the expedition passed the scene of its first disasters. On the morning of Thursday, the troops were landed at the mouth of Slocum's Creek, on the Neuse river, a distance of ten miles south of Newbern ; and, in the afternoon of the same day, a fatiguing march of seven miles, flanked and protected by the gunboats in the river, AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 19 brought them within a short distance of the enemy's intrenchments, passing one or two deserted batteries on the way. Here they bivouacked in the midst of a drenching rain, and, early on the morning of Friday, March 14th, they were aroused and prepared to make the attack. The battle commenced about half-past seven o'clock, and continued until noon. The enemy was strongly intrenched in batteries and rifle-pits, at least a mile in length, and bravely defended his works. But nothing could withstand the valor and endurance of our brave troops, and the consummate skill of their leader. The contest was decided, as at Roanoke, by a bayonet- charge, made by the fourth Rhode Island regiment, under Colonel Isaac P. Rodman, and the rebels fled in precipitate haste. They escaped by means of the bridges crossing the river Trent to Newbern, and retreated in disorder and panic by the railroad to Goldsborough. Our troops were prevented from following by the destruction of the bridges, which the rebels burnt as they retreated. The gunboats and transports were delayed by a dense fog, but, as soon as they came up, carried the troops across to the city. It was too late to overtake the flying foe, and only two hundred prisoners were captured. By this success — hardly bought, indeed, by the loss of eighty-six killed, and four hundred and thirty-eight wounded — all the rebel intrenchments and batteries, mounting between fifty and sixty pieces of cannon, large quan tities of stores, ammunition, arms, tents, and baggage, and the city of Newbern, came into the possession of the victorious and gallant chief. Two steamers, eight schooners, the water-batteries, and a considerable quantity of cotton, were the prizes of the naval portion of the expedition, under the command of Captain S. C. Rowan. The victory was complete, and the intelligence was received with heartfelt joy throughout the North. Some anxiety had been felt lest a part of the rebel army, which had evacuated Manassas the week previous, should march into North Carolina, and intercept Burnside on his way. The enthusiasm was heightened by the relief which his success had given, and the assurance of his safety, which was thus placed beyond question. Continued victory seemed to wait upon his steps. General Burnside is a man who knows how to improve his successes ; and as soon as Newbern had been reduced, an expedition was sent to Washington, to occ'upy that place. , Beaufort also became an object for the general's victorious arms ; and on Sunday, March 23d, General Parke's brigade peaceably took possession of More- head City, opposite that town. Fort Macon was immediately summoned, and, upon the refusal of the officer in command to surrender, measures were imme- 20 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. diately taken to force a capitulation. General Burnside repaired to the scene of operations, that he might personally superintend the investment of the place. Meanwhile, the enemy's forces were concentrating at Goldsborough and Kingston, threatening the recapture of Newbern. General Burnside did not allow his vigilance to relax in guarding the approaches to either place ; and, leaving a sufficient force at Beaufort, he hastened back to Newbern, to fortify that important position. Every arrangement was made to give the foe a warm reception. General Burnside, having placed Newbern in a state of complete defence, returned to Beaufort. During his temporary absence, General Parke had constructed his batteries and approaches upon Bogue Island, and the naval forces had zealously cooperated with him. Fort Macon was thus invested by sea and land, and, on the 25th day of April, after a vigorous bombardment of four hours, was surrendered by its garrison, and the stars and stripes, floating above its ramparts, proclaimed its reoccupation by the government of the ' United States. The entire number of captures made by General Bumside's command in these rapid and successful movements, amounted to one hundred and seventy-nine guns, three thousand six hundred prisoners and a large quantity of stores, small arms, flags, and other trophies of less importance. The tenor of the instructions issued to General Burnside by General McClellan was to the effect that, after completing the occupation of the coast lying upon Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, operations should be directed against the great line of railroad communication running through Wilmington and Goldsborough to Richmond. It was hoped that the railroad west of Newbern might be occupied for a considerable distance, and that Wilmington itself might be reduced. But the forces under General Bumside's command and his means of transportation were inadequate for such extended oper ations. The movement into the interior was also dependent upon the result of the Peninsular campaign. It was necessary to make Newbern itself per fectly secure against the enemy's attack, and one or two months were spent in the work of strengthening its defences. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 21 III. THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. Towards the last of June, General Burnside had completed his prepara tions for moving into the interior, to make a demonstration upon Raleigh. Meanwhile, General McClellan had entered upon his campaign against Rich mond, for which he had required the services of nearly all the available troops in the east. Our forces had succeeded in penetrating to within six or seven miles of the rebel capital, when they were compelled to retreat to the James river, whence the commanding general sent for additional re enforce ments. General Burnside was on the eve of starting for Goldsborough, but he immediately put his troops on board of transports, and on the 8th day of July, he landed with seven thousand men, at Newport News. A few days afterwards, a division of troops under command of General Isaac I. Stevens, from Port Royal, was added to this force. General Foster had been left in command of the posts in North Carolina, and the three divisions of Generals Reno, Parke, and Stevens were, on the 22nd of July, organized as the Ninth Corps, which, under its gallant leader, has won imperishable renown, east, south, and west. General McClellan, having decided to evacuate the Peninsula, and having obtained an order from the government to that effect, received the willing aid of General Burnside in making this hazardous movement. The Ninth Corps was transferred to Aquia Creek, thence to Fredericksburg, and after wards to the Upper Rappahannock, where, temporarily under the command of General Reno, it did most effective service in the campaign of General Pope. It suffered severely in the death of General Stevens and many valuable officers and men. General Burnside remained at Fredericksburg, superintending the transmission of reinforcements, till General Pope was defeated and forced back to the defences of Washington. Fredericksburg was evacuated on the 30th of August, and General Burnside, assisting Gen eral McClellan in gathering the scattered portions of the army of the Potomac, marched into Maryland in command of the right-wing of that army, and, on the 12th of September, reached Frederick City, where he was received with enthusiastic demonstrations of welcome. Immediately pushing through Frederick in pursuit of the retreating rebel army, our advance came into 22 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. collision with the rebel rear in the passes of the South Mountain, between Middletown and Boonesboro, on the 14th. General Burnside immediately ordered an attack, and after a spirited engagement, the enemy was driven at all points, and a signal advantage was gained. General McClellan arrived on the ground near the conclusion of the action, and signified his approval of the measures adopted by his subordinate. The battle itself was fought by General Burnside, who issued the orders and posted the troops. He was ably seconded by Generals Reno and Hooker. But the glory of the victory was dimmed by the fall of General Reno, at the very moment of its achievement. He was a most brave, gallant, and meritorious officer, and his loss was deeply mourned by his chief, who, in North Carolina, Virginia, and now in Maryland, had learned to love the character of the man, and to admire the heroism of the soldier. The enemy's troops — consisting of Generals D. H. Hill's and Longstreet's corps — finding themselves severely handled, withdrew in the night, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. On the next day — the 15th — our own army pushed on in pursuit. But on the night of the 15th, the enemy was found strongly posted on the west side of Antietam Creek. Dispositions for battle were immediately made, and the troops rested on their arms. Gen eral Bumside's corps held the extreme left of the line, opposite to the bridge which crosses the Antietam on the Sharpsburg road. The 16th was spent in completing the preparations for the impending engagement, and in heavy skirmishing between the advanced lines of both armies, and on the 17th, the great battle of Antietam was fought. The work given to General Burnside to accomplish, to carry the bridge across the creek and advance along the road beyond towards Sharpsburg, was exceedingly difficult. Upon the other side of the bridge, the land rises abruptly, almost precipitately, and the heights command all the approaches. Besides holding these heights, the enemy had the advantage which was given by a stone fence running parallel to the stream, and by rifle-pits and breasts works of rails, logs and earth, which covered the turns of the road as it . wound up the bank of the river. These works and the wooded slopes were filled with the enemy's riflemen, and his batteries were posted to enfilade the bridge and its approaches. Farther to the right of the enemy's line lay Har per's Ferry, which a few days previously had been captured by the rebel .troops, and from which re enforcements might be drawn to attack our left flank, should it succeed in carrying the bridge. But General Burnside was AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 23 not the man to shrink from any duty because of its difficulty, and, as soon as the order to attack was received, the Ninth Corps was put into the battle. General McClellan's plan of battle was to attack with the right under Generals Hooker and Sumner, and, when " matters looked favorably there, to move the corps of Burnside against the enemy's extreme right, upon the ridge running to the south and rear of Sharpsburg, and having carried their position to press along the crest towards our right, and whenever these flank movements should be successful, to advance our centre with all the forces then disposable." The battle accordingly commenced at daylight upon the right of our line, and continued for some time without any very flattering prospects of success. A few minutes past nine o'clock, General McClellan ordered the attack upon the left, and at ten o'clock, General Bumside's corps was actively engaged with the enemy. Colonel Crook's brigade attempted to carry the bridge by assault. The attack at first failed, for General Burnside found himself in front of the enemy's strongest position, with a small force to carry it. Further attempts in this direction met with no better success. The forenoon was wearing away, and but little was gained. But below the bridge was a ford, which, if our forces could succeed in crossing, would open to us a way of attack upon the enemy's right flank and would uncover the bridge. General Rodman's division was sent down to this ford, and while vigorous demonstrations were still made in front, General Rodman gallantly took his troops across, in the midst of a heavy fire of musketry and artillery. Our own artillery concentrated its fire upon the woods above. Just before General Rodman crossed, two regiments of Colonel Ferrero's brigade were ordered forward as a storming party, the remainder of the brigade to which they belonged and General Sturgis's division, pushed on in support, and at twelve and one-half o'clock, p. m., under the pressure of their combined attack in front and flank, the bridge was handsomely carried, the nearer bank occu pied, and the enemy's right wing forced back to the next line of the crests beyond the creek. General Rodman's division joined on the left of General Sturgis, and General Willcox's division was ordered across the bridge and took position on the right. At three o'clock, the line again moved forward and succeeded in driving the enemy. Our advance was approaching Sharpsburg, and even gained the outskirts of the town. The enemy's right flank was turned. A little more of the same kind of pressure as the enemy had been feeling in this quarter during the whole day, would give to us a decisive victory. The great prize was within our grasp. But the Ninth Corps was all 24 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. in. General Burnside begged for reenforcements. General Fitz John Por ter's corps had not been engaged and was almost intact. General Franklin's corps had arrived on the field between twelve and one- o'clock but had mostly gone over to the right. General McClellan declined General Bumside's application for help, and General A. P. Hill made his appearance on the field, having marched in all haste with his light division from Harper's Ferry, and fell vigorously upon the left flank of the Ninth Corps. The attack was promptly met and handsomely repulsed by our men. The enemy now sent troops over from his left, hoping to annihilate or capture the brave little band, that, separated from the rest of the army and unsupported, had carried and held the bridge, and threatened to roll up the rebel line. But the Ninth Corps gradually falling back from its most advanced position near the town, could not be dislodged from the heights across the creek. It still securely occupied the bridge, its approaches, the banks, and the road to Sharpsburg, and stubbornly held its ground. Night put an end to the contest. The battle of Antietam had been fought. The scale of victory trembling in the balance through the long hours of this September day, at last inclined to the side of the Federal arms. General Lee had fought a defensive battle, and had been forced back from his lines. The credit of the achievement belongs in no small degree to the persistent bravery of the Ninth Corps and its skillful commander. To show the severity of the conflict, in that part of the field in which General Bumside's command was engaged, it is but needful to glance at the list of casualties. The Ninth Corps had in the action thirteen thousand eight hundred and nineteen men. Of this number, two thousand one hundred and seventy-four were ' killed and wounded. Among these were many valuable officers. Indeed, this corps suffered the loss of a larger proportion of officers than any other corps that was engaged. Among these none was more deep ly lamented than. Brigadier-General Isaac P. Rodman, of Rhode Island. He, with his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Robert H. Ives, Jr., had fallen mortally wounded, in repelling General Hill's attack in the afternoon. General Rodman had entered the service as captain in the second regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, had been appointed colonel of the fourth regiment Rhode Island volunteers, and had greatly distinguished himself in the campaign in North Carolina. He had been promoted to brigadier-general after the battle of Newbern, and had risen rapidly to the command of a division. He was a most brave, promising, and gallant officer, and a thoroughly Christian man, AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 25 and had greatly commended himself to the admiration and regard of all the officers and men of the corps. His death, which took place a few days after the battle, was most sincerely mourned, and by none more than by his friend and commander, General Burnside. Lieutenant Ives was one of our most promising young officers. A graduate of Brown University, the heir of great wealth, occupying the finest social position, he gave himself a sacrifice to his country, and died in the discharge of a sublime duty. After the battle of Antietam, the army of the Potomac lay idle upon the banks of the Upper Potomac for five or six weeks, obtaining clothing and other supplies. General Lee had retreated across the river into Virginia, on the 19th of September, with but little molestation; and a month afterwards, General McClellan prepared to follow. On the 26th of October, two divisions of the Ninth Corps were thrown across at Berlin, and occupied Lovettsville, and the remainder of the corps followed in the course of the next few days. For the two subsequent weeks, the army moved on the east side of the Blue Ridge, and parallel to it, making Warrenton the objective point. General Burnside, with the Ninth Corps, was in the advance, and after considerable skirmishing with the enemy at the different gaps in the mountains, the army of the Potomac, on the 9th of November, was well concentrated in Warren ton and its neighborhood. The line extended from Waterloo, (held by the Ninth Corps,) to New Baltimore, the cavalry picketing the front as far as Hazel river,, within six miles of Culpepper Court House, and on both flanks, from Rappahannock station, on the Rappahannock river, to Flint Hill, upon the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge. The enemy was posted, with General Longstreet in front at Culpepper, Generals Jackson, A. P. and D. H. Hill in the Shenandoah valley, near Chester and Thornton's Gaps. On the 5th of November, by order of the President, General McClellan was relieved of the command of the army of the Potomac, and General Burnside was designated as his successor. On the 7th this order was received at head-quarters, and on the 9th General McClellan transferred the command. 26 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. IV. IN COMMAND OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. The order relieving General McClellan took General Burnside completely by surprise. There had been no intimation of any movement of this nature, and his elevation to a post of such importance as was that of the command of the army of the Potomac, was as unexpected as it was unwished for. That command had been repeatedly offered to him and declined. General Bumside's sole principle had been, from the beginning of the struggle, to serve the country with all the ability at his command, in whatever position the government chose to place him. But this command carried with it so many labors and such weighty responsibilities as to make acceptance a matter not of quick and inconsiderate decision. He gave the subject a deliberate consideration, and, viewing it in the light of a duty, which he owed to the country, he finally accepted the command. But it was with unfeigned reluc tance. It was an honor to which he had never aspired. It was a responsi bility which he did not wish to bear. It was a vast army. All the forces that were guarding the Upper Potomac, and those that were in the defences around Washington, were then subject to the orders of the general command ing the army of the Potomac. Not only was he to fight the foe immediately before him, but he was also to guard the approaches to the capital by flank and rear. In round numbers, there were, on the 10th of November, two hundred and twenty-five thousand men fit for duty distributed around the points which have been named. Of these, one hundred and twenty-seven thousand five hundred and seventy-four officers and men were in the imme diate front, facing the enemy. The command of this immediate army was a position and duty of no small magnitude. It was a force which must be used with effect upon the foes of the country. It must not be allowed to remain inactive. Though the season was far advanced, it was yet hoped that a decisive blow might be struck. Early in the autumn, a levy of three hun dred thousand men for nine months' service had been made, and it would be ruinous to the finances and faith of the country to leave this immense force unemployed. General McClellan had been greatly averse to another cam paign. He did not wish again to cross the Potomac, but desired to spend the whiter on the upper banks of that river, and in the neighborhood of Wash- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 27 ington, for the purpose of roerganization, and with possibly the expectation of sending out expeditions to occupy a larger portion of the southern coast. But the country, the President, and the General-in-chief, had become impa tient of such a policy, and it was thought best that the army of the Potomac should take the aggressive. General Burnside believed that there was ample time yet to carry on a campaign against Richmond. But was he the man to undertake it ? With a genuine and manly modesty, which does him infinite credit, he expressed a consciousness of his inability. It was a great conflict of feeling through which he passed. That which by most men would be eagerly grasped at as a much-desired prize, was regarded by him as a burden which he hardly dared assume. The strength of the Union seemed to be in the army of the Potomac, and he who could lead that army to a success which would break the military power of the rebellion residing in Lee's army, would be hailed as the deliverer of the Republic. It was a glittering prize. But it must not be seized in any spirit of ambition. It was with genuine humility — such as has been felt by the noblest men in history — that General Burnside undertook the great enterprise which had Providen tially fallen to him for direction. Yet with this noble self-distrust was mingled a faith in the Divine superintendence and help, which, even in the darkest hours of his career, never left him. In such a spirit — humbly, prayerfully, trustfully — General Burnside, on the 9th of November, assumed the command of the army of the Potomac, hoping for success, with "the cooperation of the officers and men, under the blessing of God." Having decided to take the command, the next step was to devise some plan for future operations. A movement on Gordonsville seemed hardly feasible, as it was liable to the risk of fighting an uncertain battle at a long distance from the base. Indeed, it is possible that General McClellan himself was averse to a further advance in that direction, as he had already given orders for the removal of his pontoon train from Berlin to Washington, with a view to crossing the Rappahannock near Fredericksburg. The superintendent of transportation did not report very encouragingly respecting the condition of the railroad from Alexandria. The President had also very strongly expressed his opinion of the movements of the army, in a letter to General McClellan, which was placed in General Bumside's hands at the same time with the order to take the command. In that letter, Mr. Lincoln, after speaking of the superior advantages of position which the army of the Potomac had in relation to Lee's army, and the little fear which there 28 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was of the enemy's going to Pennsylvania, proceeds to suggest that General McClellan was nearer Richmond than the enemy, "by the route that you can and he must take. Why can you not reach there before him, unless you admit that he is more than your equal on a march ? His route is the arc of a circle, while yours is the chord. The roads are as good on yours as on his. ***** The chord line, as you see, carries you by Aldie, Haymarket and Fredericksburg, and you see how turnpikes, railroads, and finally the Potomac, by Aquia Creek, meet you at all points from Washington. * * The facility of supplying you from the side, away from the enemy, is remarkable — as it were with the different spokes of a wheel extending from the hub to the rim. * * * I think it preferable to take the route nearest the enemy, disabling him from making an important move without your knowledge, and compel ling him to keep his forces together for dread of you." This letter was writ ten to General McClellan on the 13th of October, and was put into General Bumside's hands, at the time of his assumption of command, for his direction. The suggestions were made, not as orders, but as indications of the President's plan' of action, and possessed all Mr. Lincoln's characteristic clearness. One portion had been followed — to keep close to the enemy. Was it not time now to adopt the other — to move towards Richmond on the chord of the circle ? With these suggestions in mind, General Burnside prepared his plan. He was decidedly against any policy of inactivity, and in favor of the utmost celerity of movement compatible with the safety of the capital and the effi ciency of the army. What should he do with the command ? was the ques tion which now agitated his thoughts. Should he go into winter quarters ? That was distasteful to himself, and would hardly be borne by an impatient country. Yet the winter was rapidly approaching, and the season for active operation nearly at an end. What was to be done, must be done quickly, if at all. Should he march to Gordonsville ? That was hardly to be thought of, under. existing circumstances. Was there not a shorter way to Richmond? Was there not, indeed, a more direct way, which was undefended by the enemy, and one along which an army could march almost without opposi tion ? General Burnside thought that there was such a route, and that it lay by way of Fredericksburg. His plan of operations was therefore projected upon this basis, viz. : To make a rapid march to Falmouth, to cross the Rap pahannock upon pontoons, and, — with "small stores," ammunition and beef- cattle, to be sent from Washington to Falmouth, — push on towards Richmond, AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. . 29 upon the numerous roads leading to the rebel capital; have supplies in wait ing at York river, then cross the peninsula rapidly to the James, and, with that for a base, march directly upon the city of his destination. The first part of the plan — to march from Warrenton to Falmouth, and there, meeting the pontoons, small stores and beef-cattle, to cross the Rappa hannock and seize the heights in the rear of Fredericksburg — was communi cated to the authorities at Washington on the 11th of November. After reaching Fredericksburg, wagon trains were to be " organized and filled with at least twelve days' rations, when a rapid movement" was to be made "upon Richmond direct, by way of such roads as would be open" to the army. "The details of the movement beyond Fredericksburg," writes the General to Gen eral McCollum, "I will' give you hereafter." On the 12th, General Halleck visited General Burnside- at Warrenton, the whole subject was discussed, and it was understood by all parties, that the army of the Potomac was to make a quick march to Falmouth, and there cross the Rappahannock by means of the pontoons to be sent thither from Washington. Of these pontoons, a por tion were then lying in the stream at Alexandria, a portion were parked in Washington, and a portion had been already ordered by General McClellan to be sent from Berlin down the Potomac or by means of the canal. General Halleck, in his report to the Secretary of War, November 15, 1863, endeavors to make it appear that this plan was not approved, but that another verbal plan was submitted at this interview, according to which the army was to cross the Rappahannock at the upper fords. But from General Halleck's own testimony before the committee on the conduct of the War, given December 22, 1862, and from the testimony of other officers who overheard the discus sion, it is evident that the plan was to cross the army at Falmouth, and Gen eral Halleck even telegraphed from Warrenton to General Woodbury, at Washington, in charge of the pontoons, to send them to Aquia Creek. This plan, matured after hours of self-communion and anxious thought, and after consultation With other officers, was submitted to the President for final approval General Sigel had, suggested the practicability of pushing forward to Gordonsville, and thence to the James above Richmond. This was rejected on account of insufficiency of supplies for so long a march, and the risk of being caught by inclement weather in a hostile territory. General Bum- side's plan was fortified by the suggestions contained in the President's letter, and by the probable intentions of General McClellan. It had also the addi tional advantage of placing along the entire line of march, a river between 30 • RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. our forces and those of the enemy. A flank march in the presence of an alert foe is always a hazardous manoeuvre. But General Burnside would have been at least twenty-four hours in advance of the enemy, and would have as protection to his flank, the Rappahannock, Rapidan, Mattapony, and Pamunkey rivers. His own army was well in hand, communications with Washington would at all times be open, and the enemy's forces had not yet wholly emerged from the Shenandoah valley. In the personal interview with General Halleck, General Burnside had been assured that every facility should be given him for carrying out his plan of operations, provided the President approved it. Every augury of success became apparent. On the 14th of November, General Burnside received the following dis patch from General Halleck : "The President has just assented to your plan. He thinks that it will succeed if you move rapidly;' otherwise not." On the same day, he received a dispatch from General Woodbury, on whom devolved the duty of forwarding the pontoon train, informing him that that train would start from Alexandria on the 16th or 17th. General Woodbury also waited on General Halleck to urge him to delay the movement of the army for a few days, until it" should be rendered certain that the pontoons would meet the army at Falmouth in season for the contemplated advance. General Halleck declined to issue any order enjoining such delay. Accordingly, General Burnside, supposing that the General-in-chief at Washington was doing everything to forward the consummation of his plans, put the army in motion. First making a small movement across the Rappahannock as a feint, he moved the whole army rapidly down to Falmouth. On the 15th, the advance started under General Sumner. General Burnside left Warrenton on the next day. On the 17th, General Sumner reached the vicinity of Fal mouth, where General Burnside himself arrived on the 19th. But there was no pontoon train at Falmouth ; there were no means of crossing the river. The fords were at that time impracticable for crossing, and below Falmouth there was no ford, or any place where a wheeled vehicle could cross. More over, rain was falling ; the river began to rise ; supplies were short ; and the roads, were in bad condition. The enemy's cavalry had followed the army, occasionally skirmishing with our rear guard. The movement was developed, but the pontoon train was most unfortunately delayed, and the well concocted plan of operations had utterly failed. The whole movement depended for its success upon the celerity with which it should be conducted. That celerity was conditioned upon the seasonable arrival of the pontoon train at Falmouth. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 31 That train was to be forwarded from Washington. It was already in Wash ington or in Alexandria, when General Halleck authorized the movement of the army. General Woodbury had promised to start in time, but had been delayed for several days at Washington, because he was not apprised by General Halleck that any important movement was to be made, and because he had no authority for impressing horses, teamsters and wagons for the necessary transportation. General Halleck had assured t General Burnside that he would urge General Woodbury forward. But he had failed to do so, and the pontoon train actually lay in camp for five days, while the army was on the march, and anxiously awaiting its appearance at Falmouth. The responsibility for this delay unquestionably rests with General Halleck. For he, knowing the importance of the movement, did nothing to hasten the departure of the pontoons from Washington, or to apprise the commander of the engineer forces that anything depended upon his speedy action. A brief summary of the dates of these transactions may not be without interest or importance. On the 6th of November, the pontoon train was ordered to Washington. A portion of it reached there on the 14th. November 12th, General Woodbury was ordered to have it in readiness' to go forward. November 14th, the President assented to the plan. November 14th, General Woodbury telegraphed to General Burnside that the train would probably start on the 16th or 17th, about the same time going to General Halleck, to ask him to delay the army. November 15th, General Sumner started with the advance column. November 16th, General Burnside left Warren ton. November 17th, General Sumner reached the neighborhood of Fal mouth, where General Burnside arrived, November 19th. On the same day, the pontoon train actually started from Alexandria, became mired on the road several times, found the Occoquan too high to cross with safety, except by laying bridges, and was ultimately floated down the Potomac to .Aquia Creek and reported at head-quarters on the 25th. Could the failure in any way be remedied ? The pontoons having failed, were the fords practicable ? General Hooker, with two corps and two divis ions, had been halted at or near the United States ford. Could that force be thrown across, seize the opposite bank, march down and occupy Fredericks burg ? General Hooker himself suggested the question as to the practica bility of crossing and marching with his grand division to Sexton's Junction, about half-way between Fredericksburg and Richmond. But this plan was decided not to be feasible on account of an insufficiency of supplies, and also 32 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. because it would be in effect dividing the army in the face of an enemy — a movement which General Hooker subsequently tried with disastrous result. General Burnside at once made an examination of all the fords, and he was able only to say, writing from Falmouth, on the 19th, that "an examination of the fords here to-day demonstrated that the infantry and artillery cannot pass. By keeping the horses well separated, the cavalry can cross over." Yet he hoped to " cross over by the United States ford some cavalry and infantry with some light pieces of artillery." No enemy had yet appeared on the opposite bank in any great force, and General Burnside still expected to move his command across the Rappahannock. He could not now throw a small force across. If he moved at all, it must be with his whole army. For General Lee was also moving. But the means of crossing were upon the banks of the Potomac, and he waited in vain for their coming. Precious time was passing. General Lee and the rebel" government were somewhat puzzled to understand the reason of the sudden disappearance of our troops from Warrenton, and their as sudden reappearance at Falmouth. The con tinued halt of the army of the Potomac before Fredericksburg, after having summoned that city, was still more inexplicable. But whatever might have been the reason, General Lee's duty was, evidently, to meet this force as speedily as possible and check its advance. Accordingly, he hurried across the country and occupied the heights behind Fredericksburg. The golden opportunity had passed. The United States ford could not be crossed with artillery. The unguarded avenue to Richmond was barred. The gates were closed. When General Burnside awoke on the morning of the 22nd of November, and looked across" the river, he saw rebel cannon frowning on his position and rebel bayonets gleaming in the early light. The delay in mov ing the pontoons had defeated the entire plan of operations, and rendered its future -success extremely problematical. General Burnside had moved rapid ly, according to the President's suggestion. He had expected that the Gen- eral-in-chief would assist him by sending the pontoons with equal alacrity. But General Halleck seemed to take no further interest in the movement, and, by his neglect, he frustrated the entire operation. It is possible that General Burnside erred in not sending an aide-de-camp to Washington to give a personal supervision to the transportation of the pontoon train. Per haps he should not have moved his army until he had positive information that the pontoons had started. But he trusted in General Halleck's assur ances, and in General Woodbury's dispatches. Between the two, the move- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 33 ment failed, and General Burnside paid dearly for his misplaced confidence. He felt constrained to write to General Collum, to say that he could not make the promise of success with the faith that he had when he supposed that all the parts of the plan would be carried out. , The question with General Burnside now was : "Shall I put my army into winter quarters, or shall I order it to do the work which the country expects of it?" The decision to which he came was: "I did not take command simply to idle away another winter in inaction, but to do what I could to end the rebellion. The strength of this mighty iniquity resides in the rebel army on the other side of the Rappahannock. I must at least try to break it. If I fail, it will not be for want of effort. If I succeed, I ask for nothing but the consciousness of having faithfully performed my duty." He was now convinced that the army of the Potomac must fight. The indolence of win ter-quarters was as distasteful to himself as it could possibly be to the public. He determined to fight, and, with his characteristic and accustomed energy, he set about the preparations. In the course of the next two weeks he made himself and his command ready to deliver battle. Where and how ? It soon became evident that General Lee had no intention of assuming the offensive. He had been badly shattered by the unsuccessful invasion of Maryland, and the battle of Antietam. He wished to recuperate his forces by giving them a winter's rest along the Rappahan nock, and, for convenience of subsistence and supplies, on the line of the rail road between Fredericksburg and Richmond. He therefore brought down his army to the heights behind Fredericksburg, and occupied the country in the rear and below, reaching as far as Bowling Green in one direction, and Port Royal in the other. The hills behind Fredericksburg were soon covered with earth-works, large and small redoubts, connected by rifle-pits. Rude works were also thrown up opposite the fords. The south bank of the river was picketed for a distance of fifteen or twenty miles. Guinea's station became the chief depot of supplies, and General Lee made his head-quarters at Alsop's, five or six miles distant from the river. The rebel army was pre paring itself for a desperate resistance against any attempt to dislodge it from its position, or to seize the road to Richmond. The country in the rear of the Rappahannock was admirably calculated for defence. Like the banks of most American rivers, the land rose in suc cessive natural terraces, cut here and there by little streams, making their way to the main channel. On the first of these, immediately upon the bank, 34 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. but sufficiently high above the river level to escape the inundation of the spring freshets, lies the chief part of the city of Fredericksburg, regularly planned, with the streets running at right angles with each other. The plain which it occupies is about a mile and a half in length by a half-mile in width. Two bridges once spanned the river ; one belonging to the Richmond, Fred ericksburg and Potomac railroad company, the other the continuation of the county road. The railroad bridge was a half-mile below the public bridge. Both had been destroyed in the course of the war. The railroad, after cross ing the river and passing through the town^ followed down the bank for a distance of two or three miles, then turns southward towards Richmond. From the lower part of the town, a road runs out near the river towards Port Royal. About two miles below Deep Run, another road strikes off to the right, crosses the railroad and Massaponax Creek, and thence makes a connection with a road leading to Richmond. It has thus received the name of the old Richmond road. Its point of crossing the railroad is near the edge of the hills, and is known as Hamilton's crossing. The county road, after crossing the river, is continued through the town, under the name of Han over street, then becomes a plank road, which climbs the hills, and, turning to the west, extends through Chancellorsville to Orange Court House. Half a mile beyond the town, after ascending the gentle acclivity, a road diverges to the left, turning southward, and gradually reaching up to the second ter race. A gentleman's house and spacious grounds stand above this road, near the northern extremity of the first fortified line of hills. This is "Marye's." These grounds are supported, where they come down to the road before spoken of, by a heavy bank-wall of stone. On the opposite side of the road from the lawn is a similar wall, in length nearly half a mile. This road, after leaving the plank road, winds along the edge of the second terrace, with a gradual ascent, then crossing a small stream called Hazel Run, climbs the third terrace, and extends into the country beyond in a southerly or south westerly direction. It is called the telegraph road. The lawn beyond the stone wall was crossed by a line of rifle-pits, and the southerly portion of the grounds was occupied by a small redoubt. Other rifle-pits and small earth works were raised on the northerly and westerly side of the plank road. Southeastwardly from the telegraph road, nearly parallel with the river, and two miles distant from it, rises the second terrace. This is cut by Deep Run, which, after reaching the plain, makes a long curve towards the town, and flows into the Rappahannock a mile below Hazel Run. One mile and a half AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 35 below Deep Run, the Massaponax cuts the terrace, makes a'long curve in the opposite direction, and flows into the Rappahannock four miles below. The plain which is formed by the first terrace is about six miles in length, from the upper part of the town to the Massaponax, and varies in breadth from one to two miles. It slopes nearly up to the edge of the second terrace with almost the gentle incline of the glacis of a fortress, except that it is broken here and there by low ridges, small ravines and garden fences. A few houses are scattered over it. A part of it is cut by a canal, which runs from the dam at Fal mouth to a point just within the upper portion of the town. The second ter race was crowned with earth-works and rifle-pits, which were armed with field artillery and a few heavy guns. The natural position was very strong, and could be defended, by a resolute force against double its number. Beyond the second terrace rose a third, of a* similar character to the others, but of much smaller dimensions. The third crest was fortified to some extent, but by no means so strongly as the second. Upon the two lines of defence, there were twelve or fifteen large and small works, lunettes and redoubts, connected with rifle-pits. In the rear of the first line of works, from the old Richmond road to the telegraph road, the enemy had constructed another road, begin ning near Hamilton's crossing, connecting his right with his left, and affording easy communication between the two wings. Above Fredericksburg, the rang§ of hills which General Lee had fortified subsides as it approaches the river, and four or five miles further up, the country becomes less broken. But beyond that, is an extensive tract of forest land — the Wilderness. Into this country, a way is opened by means of two fords, Banks's, about five miles, and United States ford, about ten miles distant from Fredericksburg. A mile above the latter ford, the Rapidan empties into the Rappahannock. A mile beyond this.debouche, is Richards's ford, crossing the Rappahannock, and, four miles above, crossing the Rapidan, is Ely's ford. The road from Richards's to Ely's ford may be considered as the base of a triangle, whose two sides are formed by the two rivers. These fords were all strongly guarded by the rebels. Twelve miles above Richards's — or twenty-four miles from Fredericksburg — is Kelly's ford across the Rappahannock, and four miles above Ely's, across the Rapidan, at Germania Mills, is still another good ford. But these two latter points were considered by General Burnside as too far from Falmouth to make a successful demonstration against the enemy's line in that direction. Moreover, none of these fords were practicable at that time for crossing a large force without pontoons. 36 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Below Fredericksburg, the Rappahannock gradually widens, and the country on the right bank is comparatively open. But the river deepens as it widens, and is indeed navigable for steamers and other vessels of light draught. A crossing at any point below Falmouth must be made by means of pontoons. Just above Falmouth, a dam is built across the river at the head of tide water, and immediately below the dam the deep water com mences. Eighteen miles below Fredericksburg, are the two towns, Port Royal, on the rights and Port Conway, on the left bank of the river. The "gun-boats of the Potomac flotilla could easily reach that point. Thence to Bowling Green is a good road. The distance is fifteen miles. If a successful crossing could be made in the neighborhood of Port Royal, the rear of the rebel army would be threatened, and the entrenchments at Fredericksburg would be of little value. Here then was an important point. General Burn side turned his attentiqn to it and gave it a careful examination. Viewed by an eye not strictly military, it seems as though Port Royal or Tappahannock — twenty miles further down the river— would be a better point for turning the rebel position at Fredericksburg than any point above. General Burnside so considered it, and decided to seize Port Royal, if possible; with the purpose of turning the enemy's right, without hazarding his own communications. He disposed his troops accordingly. General Franklin, who had been stationed at Stafford Court House, was ordered tft move his command down the river within convenient distance of Port Conway. A portion of the Potomac flotilla, under command of Lieutenant Edward P. McCrea, proceeded up the Rappahannock and took a position in the river between Liberty Hill and Port Royal. On the 1st of December, our lines extended from King George Court House to Stafford Court House, thence with guards upon the road to Alexandria. General Sigel was at Fairfax Court House. General Slocum was in command at Harper's Ferry. General Morell commanded the defences of the Upper Potomac. Upon this side of the Rappahannock, the topographical features of the country differ but little from those upon the south bank. Opposite the plain upon which lies the city of Fredericksburg, is another plain, very similar to the first, though much more limited in extent. From the river bank extends the first terrace, crescent-shaped, and sloping gently upwards to the crest of the second plateau. This plateau commences at Falmouth, a short distance from the bank, and sweeps around in an elliptical curve, — broken, about the centre, by the railroad that runs up from Aquia Creek — and reaching the AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 37 river bank again, nearly opposite the mouth of Deep Run, two and a half or three miles below Falmouth. Upon the two extremities of this semi-circle were established batteries ; that at Falmouth known as Pettit's, that below as Tyler's. About midway between them, upon the lower terrace, somewhat nearer to Falmouth than to the point below, and nearly upon the bank of the river, stood the Lacy house, an old mansion, surrounded by all the appur tenances of a wealthy Virginian planter. At a point about two-thirds of the way below Falmouth, upon the edge of the upper plateau, stood the Phillips house, a large, beautiful and costly mansion, elaborately decorated and richly furnished. It was distant from the river about half or three quarters* of a mile. It was occupied for the permanent head-quarters of General Sumner, and became the head-quarters of General Burnside on the day of the battle. It commanded an entirely unobstructed vieV of the town of Fredericksburg and all its environs, and it dominated the first and second terraces upon the opposite side of the river. This point was also the central signal station of the army during its encampment in the vicinity. In times of peace, the prospect from the Phillips mansion must have been particularly charming and delightful. The ¦ two houses were doubtless the abodes of a generous hospitality. What was once a smiling landscape of green fields and waving grain, of peaceful towns, and the verdanf slopes of forest-crowned hills, was now almost a waste, desolated by the ravages of war. The turf was trampled by the feet of man and beast, the lawns and hill-sides we're broken by rifle- pits and redoubts, the forests were fast losing their pride and glory, the fields were bare. The cruel hand of war was reaping an abundant harvest of destruction and death. * Beyond the secorM terrace, the land stretched back to Aquia Creek in an undulating plain, broken by occasional hills, some of which were heavily wooded, and produced an agreeable diversity in the landscape. This plain was divided into two nearly equal parts by Potomac Creek, which, flowing through a deep ravine, emptied into tlie Potomac at Belle Plain. Thi# creek was spanned by a bridge, which, for strength, rapidity in its construction, and ¦its adaptability to the uses for which it was built, was a miracle of engineer ing. The first bridge built by us during the war, was constructed in May, 1862, while General McDowell was at Fredericksburg. It was composed chiefly of round logs, and the legs of the trestles were braced with round poles. It was in- four stories, three of trestles and one of crib-work. Its total height, from the bed of the stream to the rail, was nearly eighty feet. Its length 38 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was about four hundred feet. It bore, daily, from ten to twenty trains with supplies, and successfully withstood several freshets. It contained more than two million feet of lumber, and was constructed in nine days by the soldiers, under the superintendence of General Hermann Haupt, chief of railroad construction and transportation. This bridge was destroyed or dismantled upon the evacuation of this section by General Burnside in August. It was rebuilt, substantially in the same manner and according to the same plan, in six days after General Haupt recommenced work upon it, on the 18th of November. ?The month of November had passed in cold and storm. December, at its first coming, had brought no more genial weather. Ice began to appear in the Potomac, in Aquia Creek, and in the Rappahannock. Affairs began to look doubtful for any movement Tor several months to come. The gun-boats in the Rappahannock were even in danger of being caught and frozen up. Still General Burnside continued to make his preparations, carefully keeping his secret, and looking forward hopefully to the future. As December went on, the weather moderated. The ice disappeared. More genial suns shone down upon the hostile camps. An Indian summer took the place of winter, and it seemed as though October had returned. With the advent of a milder temperature, fogs began to prevail". They crept up the river in the after noons, and retired most reluctantly before the mornings' sun. This circum stance was both favorable and unfavorable. For, while it concealed our movements from the enemy, it also threatened to become the occasion of con siderable confusion among our own troops when they should be brought into action. Still, through all, General Burnside kept up his courage and faith, and dared to hope for success in the conflict which he was now determined to hazard. To replace the command of General Franklin, at Stafford Court House and vicinity, General Sigel was ordered down from Fairfax Court House ; to occupy General Sigel's vacated position, General Slocum was ordered from Harper's Ferry, of which General Morell took charge. Finally, all was ready. But meanwhile, the enemy had not been idle. General Lee had concentrated • all his available forces around his position in the rear of Fredericksburg. He seems to have suspected that General Burnside contemplated crossing at or near Port Royal, and General Jackson was sent to- that point with a large force) to act as circumstances might determine — either as an army of obser vation or to dispute the passage of the river. Indeed, the largest part of the AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 39 rebel forces was stationed at the threatened point. The plan of crossing at Port Royal was abandoned, while yet feints were kept up in that direction. Then General Burnside conceived the bold plan of throwing his bridges across the river, a part immediately in front of Fredericksburg itself, and the remainder at a point two miles below, between Deep Run and Massaponax Creek. It was supposed that the main body of the enemy's force was in the vicinity of Port Royal, and that an attempt to cross immediately in front of our position would be a surprise. There was another circumstance which doubtless had its weight. The town was an admirable tete de powt. It had a rebel popula tion. It was rebel property. General Lee's batteries upon the hills could not prevent the crossing of our troops without destroying the lives and property of the friends of his cause. He would naturally hesitate* before committing such an act. But, on the other hand, the town lay at our mercy. If the houses of Fredericksburg should become a shelter for the enemy's infantry, which alone could operate against our troops, our artillery was at hand to demolish them. The town, once occupied, afforded shelter to our own forces. For General Lee would still be restrained from destroying it by his reluctance to injure the property of his friends. Moreover, our columns, after crossing, could quickly pass through the town and advance over the open ground to the works, by which the heights were defended. General Burnside did not expect to meet with much difficulty or opposition in crossing the river. That was comparatively an easy task. The chief labor was to be performed after the crossing had been effected. There was a difficulty, however, which may not have been properly appreciated. It is possible, that it had in it an element of great weakening influence for our own troops. It consisted in the occupation of a town, from which the inhabitants would have fled, by a hostile army. The unoccupied houses and stores — many of them belonging to persons of considerable wealth — would offer opportunities for plunder which could not well be missed. It was a great temptation, and there was in it an influence of demoralization, which was not to be disregarded. This may be thought a minor consideration. But upon matters of less moment have the most important movements turned. Beyond the town lay the slope which I have before described. Above the slope, frowned the enemy's bat teries. The main task was to carry those heights, bristling with bayonets and dark with cannon. It was a hazardous enterprise. For the first time in its history, the army of the Potomac was to "move on the enemy's works" for a determined assault. It had shown itself unequalled for defence. Could it 40 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. successfully take the aggressive ? The answer to that momentous question was to be given in fire and blood ! What assurance of success had General Burnside, in carrying his plan into execution ? By the consolidated morning reports of the army of the Potomac for the 10th of December, it appears that there was immediately in front of the enemy an effective force of one hundred and eleven thousand eight hundred and thirty-four officers and men, of all arms. The artillery consisted of three hundred and twelve guns of different calibre, mostly field pieces. This force was divided into three grand divisions, of two corps each, the left under the command of General Franklin, the centre under the com mand of General Hooker, the right under the command of General Sumner. The artillery of the. centre grand division was under the command of a Rhode Island officer, Colonel Charles H. Tompkins. The left grand division num bered forty-six thousand eight hundred and ninety-two officers and men, and one hundred and forty-eight pieces of artillery, consisting of two corps, com manded respectively by General J. J. Reynolds and General W. H. Smith, and comprising the divisions of Generals Meade, Gibbon, Doubleday, Newton, Brooks, and Howe. The centre grand division numbered thirty-nine thou sand nine hundred and eighty-four officers and men, and one hundred and four pieces of artillery, consisting of the two corps of Generals Stoneman and Butterfield, comprising the divisions of Generals Sickles, Birney, Whipple, Sykes, Humphreys, and Griffin. The right grand division numbered twenty- two thousand seven hundred and thirty-six officers and men, and sixty pieces of artillery, consisting of the two corps of Generals Willcox (the Ninth) and Couch, comprising the divisions of Generals Getty, Burns, Sturgis, French, Hancock, and Howard. The brigade of engineers, numbering one thousand one hundred and five officers and men, was under the command of General D. P. Woodbury, to whom was assigned the duty of laying the bridges for the crossing. A Rhode Island officer, Captain Samuel T. Cushing, commanded the signal corps, numbering one hundred and fifty officers and men. General Patrick's provost guard numbered about two hundred officers and men. Gen eral Ingalls' quartermaster's department numbered one hundred and fifty officers and men, and the head-quarter escort about two hundred officers and men. A certain portion of the whole army was occupied in guarding the railroad, and performing picket and outpost duty. There was probably, in round numbers, an available force of one hundred thousand men, who were either actively engaged in battle or were exposed to the fire of the enemy at some time during the day of the battle of Frericksburg. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 41 At last the time for action came. On the 10th of December, the army was concentrated along the river front, but concealed from the enemy by the undulations of the land. During the night, the artillery was posted along the edge of the plateau^ from Falmouth to a point opposite the mouth of the Massaponax. Orders were issued to the engineers under General Woodbury, to be ready for work at three o'clock on the morning of the 11th, and a sufficient force of infantry and artillery was detailed to cover the crossing and protect the working parties. Three points were selected for throwing the bridges : — the first, at a short distance above the place where the county bridge once stood; the second, opposite the lower end of the town; and the third, about a mile below Fredericksburg, near the mouth of Deep Run, and nearly opposite the mansion house of a planter named Bernard. At. the first of these points, two; at the second, one; and at the third, three bridges were to be laid. Upon these six bridges, the army was to cross the Rappahannock, occupy the town, and move rapidly to the assault. The left was to pierce the enemy's line near Captain Hamilton's house, seize the road in the rear, and compel the evacuation of the batteries on the crest. Then the right and centre were to sweep the crests, and pursue along the telegraph or the plank road, according to the direction of the enemy's retreat. The success of the plan of attack was to depend upon the celerity and vigor with which it was put into execution. The morning of the 11th dawned raw, cold, and foggy. The engineers were promptly at work upon the bridges"., But little opposition was made to the operations of General Franklin's working parties below the town, and, after considerable labor, his three bridges were laid, secured, and strength ened. .. At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, he reported to General Burnside, that he was ready to cross his grand division. But, operations had not pro ceeded so satisfactorily immediately opposite the town as General Burnside had hoped, and General Franklin was ordered to hold his bridges but not to cross his troops till the upper bridges were completed. An unlooked-for delay here occurred. As the sun came up, the whole design of crossing was revealed to the enemy's forces in the town. These were distributed among the houses along the river bank, and the sharpshooters of General Barksdale's Mississippi brigade, that held the. town, at once opened a well-directed and destructive fire upon our working parties, who, by this time, had accomplished about two-thirds of the distance across.' Then our artillery opened along the whole line opposite the town. Amid the deafening roar of cannon, the 42 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. shrieking and bursting of shells, the crash of falling timbers as solid shot pierced the walls, our men attempted to finish the bridges. Soon the exploding shells set several houses on fire, and a portion of the city was in flames. But the persistent sharpshooters of the enemy obstinately held their position, and poured in a withering fire. Our engineers were brave, but they were unable to work in the jaws of death, exposed to the deliberate, deadly aim of riflemen that rarely missed their mark. General Woodbury reported to General Burnside that the bridges could not be built. "They must be built," replied the chief. "Try again." Once again our men engaged in the useless endeavor. Once again they were obliged to desist. Even our well- served artillery could not dislodge those Mississippian riflemen from the shelter of the houses and rifle-pits which they occupied. General Woodbury again reported his inability to complete his task. At noon the fog lifted, and the enemy's fire became more deadly. General Burnside had been at the Lacy House through most of the morning, anxious and impatient to put his troops across the river. Upon receiving the last report of General Woodbury, he immediately went down to the river-side himself. He at once saw the difficulty. He also saw the remedy. Consulting with General Hunt and others, he decided to call for volunteers to cross the river in boats, drive out those obsti- inate riflemen, and hold the town till the bridges should be laid. Soldiers from three regiments sprang forward at the call, the seventh Michigan, the nine teenth and twentieth Massachusetts. Men of the fiftieth New York were ready to take the places of oarsmen. With the flag of the Union floating in the van, those brave fellows turned the prows of their boats to the enemy and pushed off from the shore. A few minutes' strong pulling through the storm of death, and the opposite shore was reached. A party from the eighty-ninth New York crossed at a point a little lower down, and our troops soon had the enemy in flank and rear. They rushed eagerly up the bank along the streets, through the rifle-pits, into the houses, and in half an hour's time, the city of Freder icksburg was in our possession. The remnants; of the Mississippi brigade were in our hands as prisoners of war. The engineers immediately pro ceeded in their work, and the bridges were laid. It was now four o'clock in the afternoon. The precious day had almost been wasted. Nothing more could be done than to cross a portion of troops. General Devens's brigade on the left — in the van of which was the second Rhode Island, under LieutenantColonel Viall — crossed and held the position below the town. General Howard's division on the right crossed and held AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 43 the town. By this time the night had come, and our troops, after establish ing their picket lines well out towards the enemy, bivouacked in the streets and gardens of Fredericksburg. The 12th was passed in crossmg the remainder of the troops; with the exception of General Hooker s grand division, which was held in reserve on the hither side of the river. The residue of General Franklin's grand divis ion, consisting of the balance of General Smith's corps, the whole of General Reynolds's corps, and General Bayard's brigade of cavalry, began the crossmg at daylight and completed it at ten ' o'clock, p. m. The troops were put in* position : two divisions of Smith's corps in line of battle and one in reserve, near the old Richmond road ; Reynolds's corps at nearly right angles with Smith's, — as it were en potence, — his right resting on Smith's, and his left on the river. These dispositions were made in the face of a spiteful but nearly harmless fire from the enemy's skirmishers and artillery. The road was bordered by an earthen parapet and a ditch, but the ground was generally , level. In front of General Reynolds's right was a considerable tract of forest land, traversed, by the railroad, and bordered nearer the hills by the old Rich mond road. General Sumner, on his part, had added to General Howard's division in the town, one brigade of the Ninth Corps, during the night of the, 11th. On the 12th, the remaining part of his command, consisting of the balance of the second corps, under General Couch, and the Ninth Corps, under General Willcox, was sent across the river, and put in position — the second corps holding the town, and the Ninth connecting with General Franklin's right. These movements were made under an occasional fire from the enemy's batteries on the heights, but without any material loss. General Hooker moved General Butterfield's corps and General Whipple's division of General Stoneman's corps, to the support of General Sumner's movement, and the remainder of General Stoneman's corps, to the support of General Franklin. Another day was thus consumed. General Lee, on his part, made the neces sary dispositions for defence. He moved General Jackson up from Port Royal and massed his troops upon the right of his line. * At an early hour on the 13th, written orders were issued to the several grand division commanders, in accordance with the plan of battle adopted by General Burnside, and after full verbal instructions. General Franklin was ordered to keep his "whole command in position for a rapid movement down the old Richmond road," and he was to -"send out at once a division at least, to pass below Smithfield, to seize, if possible, the heights near Captain Ham- 44 • RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. iltoh's house, taking care to keep' it well supported, and its line of retreat open." He was informed that two of General Hooker's divisions were in his rear at the bridges, so that he might not have any concern about his supports or his own line of retreat. General Summer was directed to extend his left to General Franklin's right, and to send "a column of a division or more along the plank and telegraph roads, with a view to seizing the heights in the rear of the town." This column was to "be in readiness to move," but not actually "to move till the general commanding" should order. General Burnside made this reservation for the purpose of moving this column when General Franklin's attack should have been successfully delivered. General Hooker was ordered to distribute his command in such a way as to move promptly to the support of either of his brother officers. The orders were dispatched between six and seven o'clock, on the morning of the 13th. The artillery of the army, under the ^direction of General Hunt, was to operate in connection with the respective corps to which it belonged. The watch word for the day, given in order to prevent collision 'in the fog, was "Scott." General Franklin's head-quarters were fixed near the Bernard house, or, as it is sometimes called, "Mansfield"; General Sumner's were at the Lacy house; Generals Hooker's and Bumside's were at the Phillips house. The troops were put in readiness, and all parties anxiously waited for the fog to lift. The instructions seemed to be ample and clear. General Franklin's task was to seize the heights near Captain Hamilton's house, preparatory to a movement by the entire left-wing along the old Richmond road. As soon as that could be accomplished and the heights occupied, General Sumner, first demonstrating in support of Franklin with a division or more, was to advance his whole command, drive the enemy along the plank and telegraph roads, and seize the heights on the enemy's left. The main battle then was to be on our own left. General Franklin was an experienced officer, cool, brave, and determined. He had the largest and the best portion of the army. Two divisions of General Hooker's command were immediately in his rear, holding his bridges and securing his lines of retreat. But General Frank lin's temperament, 'as is well known, is somewhat sluggish. He either couild not or would not comprehend General Bumside's plan of battle. He thought — or professed to think — that he was making a reconnoissance. He had been averse to the movement from the first. He could not be enthusi astic now in promoting its success. 'He was not the man to disobey an order from his superior officer. But he obeyed without any apparent desire to AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. • 45 make his obedience effectual. He sent "a division at least," to seize the heights near Captain Hamilton's house. But it was one of the smallest divisions in t^ie army. It was under the command of General George G. Meade. * At nine o'clock, a. m., General Meade moved out on the old Richmond road. General Doubleday supported him with a division. But, on advancing, General Doubleday moved to the left to protect the left flank of «the army against a demonstration made by General Stuart, with cavalry and artillery. General Gibbon's division took the place vacated by General Doubleday. General Meade's skirmishers were soon engaged with those of the enemy, and the division became exposed to an artillery fire in front. General Meade's advance was very slow. At eleven o'clock, he had gained but half a mile, without, however, any loss of great importance. General Reynolds, soon after this, developed his whole line, placing General Doubleday on the left, General Meade in the centre, and General Gibbon on the right, General Meade being in advance, "and General Gibbon in the rear, his left overlapping Generaj^Meade's right. General Franklin supposed that he was greatly out numbered, and feared an attack from the enemy's forces on his extreme left. Instead of boldly attacking, as General Burnside designed, he was thus far acting on the defensive, and seemed to be more concerned about holding his position than advancing. He ordered General Stoneman to cross one divis ion, — General Birney's, — to support his left, and General Franklin's line was formed as follows, from left to right: Doubleday, Meade, Gibbon, Birney/ Newton, and Brooks. By twelve o'clock, Birney was fairly in position, and Meade began to advance. Meanwhile, the divisions of Generals Sickles and Howe, of General Stoneman's corps, crossed the river and took position in General Reynolds's line. General Meade's division consisted of three brigades, of which the third was on the left, the first on the right, followed closely by the second. General Gibbon's division was ordered forward as a support. The troops advanced with great spirit and resolution. They charged up the road in handsome style, crossed the railroad, broke through the enemy's line, penetrated very nearly to the enemy's reserve, under General Taliaferro, and gained a position near Captain Hamilton's house, capturing and sending back three hundred ¦prisoners and more. Nothing could be better than this gallant charge. It was made in face of a hot fire of musketry, and in spite of a severe enfilading fire of artillery, and, for a time, it carried every thing before it. For an hour and a half did the gallant little division push forward, victo- 46 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. rious everywhere. But it was bearing the brunt of a contest with the entire corps of General "Stonewall" Jackson, and it could not maintain itself with out support. General Doubleday was not engaged on the lef^ There was no attack from the enemy in that quarter. Two corps were resting quietly near theriver, engaged in keeping the line of retreat open. General Meade desired support. General Reynolds ordered General Gibbon in, and that officer hastened to the aid of the imperilled division of General Meade. But it was too late. All the enemy's right-wing was now concentrated upon two small divisions of our army, and, after an unavailing struggle of another hour, General Meade was forced back. General Gibbon was slightly wounded, and the two divisions were badly cut up. General Newton's division of General Smith's corps was sent forward to enable the " engaging forces to extricate themselves from the position. The remainder of our troops on that wing were not actively in contact with the enemy. General Burnside, at 2.25 p. m., sent a written order to General Franklin, to advance with all his available force, and carry the heights. But the favorable opportunity had passed. The enemy had now massed in front of General Franklin, and,(#instead of awaiting an attack, threatened to deliver one upon our left, and had also detached a force to hold the divisions of Generals Howe and Brooks in check. Growing more bold, as he perceived the hesitation of our forces, he actually made an assault upon General Franklin's batteries in front, but was speedily repulsed with the loss of prisoners. The short winter's day was fast drawing •to a close, and nothing further could be done by General Franklin. At half- past four o'clock, General Franklin reported that it was "too late to advance either to the left or front," and so far as the left grand division was concerned, the battle of Fredericksburg was over. The centre of our line was formed of the Ninth Corps, consisting of the three divisions of Generals Sturgis, Getty and Burns, under General Willcox. General Sturgis's division was pushed across Hazel Run, and gallantly engaged the enemy in that quarter. General Getty's division confronted the enemy's batteries upon the crest to the left of the telegraph road. General Burns's division was moved farther to the left and rear, under General Franklin's command, engaged in guarding the bridges. General Franklin most faith fully obeyed the order to keep his line of retreat open. With the exception of Burns's division, the Ninth Corps was actively engaged, and shared with the rest of the army in the perils and disappointments of the day. Generals Sturgis and Getty handled their divisions with great skill, but the nature of AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 47 the ground . which they occupied, and the obstinate resistance of the enemy, rendered their efforts unavailing, and they were beaten back from the enemy's impregnable position with severe loss. The troops showed all their accustomed valor, but success was not now to be their reward. On the right of our line the battle was indeed sanguinary. The stone wall that lined the telegraph road was like the wall of a fortification. The ground in front sloped away from it with such an inclination as to enable the enemy's artillery to make it a field of carnage and death. But to the task of storming this position, the troops marched with alacrity and daring. The army of the Potomac proved that it could attack, and though the attack was unsuccessful, it yet exhibited the elements of the highest heroism. General Sumner's grand division consisted of the two corps of Generals Willcox and Couch. Willcox's corps, as has already been stated, occupied the centre of our fine. Couch's corps moved gallantly out of the city, up the plank road, and deploying in front of the stone wall, bravely undertook to carry it by assault. In consequence of the partial failure on the left, the demonstration on the right became an attack. Never was a more fearless charge. But, as our line approached the enemy's position, he poured in an infernal fire of musketry and artillery. The slain was a sheet of flame. Our men replied with spirit. Our guns were taken to within one hundred and fifty yards of the enemy, and battered and breached the wall before them. It was to no purpose. No troops in the world could stand in the midst of such destruction. Our line wavered, stopped, fell back. It again reformed and advanced, only to meet with the same terrible resistance. It was three hours past noon. The morning had passed away with only the result of General Franklin's partial success, which was lost because not followed up. General Sumner, who had been on this side of the river at the Lacy house, longed to cross and lead his troops in person. To have died on that field of fire, would have satisfied the brave old. soldier's ambition. General Burnside would not allow such need less exposure. But the time had come to relieve General Couch, and Gen eral Hooker, crossing the river, ordered General Butterfield to advance his corps. General Couch's command was composed of the divisions of Generals Howard, Hancock and French, formed from right to left in the order named. General Griffin's division relieved General Howard's; General Humphreys's relieved General Hancock's; General Sykes's relieved General French's. General Whipple's division of General Stoneman's corps, crossed the river early,* and remained through the day in the city to guard the bridges. The 48 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. fresh troops attempted the assault with equal bravery, but with no better success than their predecessors. The sun was sinking in the west. The day was closing, and as the twilight fell, a few scattered shots proclaimed that the battle was drawing to a close. The shadows gathered, and the deadly strug gle ceased. All was still, except the groans of the wounded and dying, and the sharp report of the picketfiring as the extreme outposts came in contact with each other. General Burnside retired to his tent, disappointed by the result, but firmly resolved to renew the battle on the following day. In this battle, the Rhode Island troops belonging to the army of the Potomac played a conspicuous part. The second regiment was held among the reserves and was not actively engaged. The fourth was under fire, and lost its commanding officer, a most gallant and good • soldier, LieutenantrColqnel Joseph B. Curtis. The seventh was severely cut up, losing its Lieutenant- Colonel, Welcome B. Sayles, and its Major, Jacob Babbitt. The twelfth received its baptism of fire and blood, and its Colonel, George H. Browne, signalized his bravery and skill. Nearly all our light batteries were in the hottest of the action. Batteries A, Captain W. A. Arnold; B, Captain John • G. Hazard; C, Captain Richard Waterman; D, Captain W. W. Buckley, were across the river with the right attack, and M Captain George E. Randolph, was in the left attack. They were admirably handled, and received a compli mentary notice in General Hunt's report of the engagement. Captain Ran dolph was chief of artillery of the first division of General Stoneman's^corps. Captain (afterwards Brevet Brigadier-General) Hazard's battery was at one time within one hundred and fifty yards of the enemy's lines at the stone wall, and suffered severely in the loss of men and animals — all the officers having their horses shot under them. This, battery was "so much disabled," says General Hunt, in his report, "that one gun had to be brought off by hand, and its limber, left temporarily on the field, was then brought off by Sergeant (afterwards Lieutenant) Anthony B. Horton, who volunteered for the pur pose." Battery G, Captain Owen, was posted on this side of the river, upon the right of our line. The first cavalry was not actively engaged. The signal corps, under Lieutenant Cushing's directions, served with distinguished. fidelity and courage. The signal stations were frequently the objects of the enemy's artillery, and the officers and men narrowly escaped. Telegraph wires were laid from the head-quarters, at the Phillips house, to the field, and the operators, while under fire, transmitted their messages with remarkable ' coolness and accuracy. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 49 When General Burnside left his tent on the morning of the 14th, he had fully decided upon renewing the battle, with the hope that a persistent attack would yet carry the heights. He had selected the Ninth Corps as the storming party, and intended to lead the troops in person to the assault. A column of eighteen regiments was formed, and every thing was ready for the attack, when his grand division commanders, with one voice, earnestly appealed to him to abandon the. attempt. He could not refuse to listen to their persuasions and arguments. General Sumner was a most brave and experienced soldier. General Hooker was unsurpassed for daring. General Franklin was cool and steady. After mature deliberation, General Burnside suffered himself to be dissuaded from making the attack. ' The orders were countermanded, and the day passed without incident. The next day passed in a similar manner. Under a flag of truce, the dead were buried. Night came on, dark and stormy ; and, under cover of the darkness, General Burnside silently withdrew his army, without material loss, across the Rappahannock. The bridges were taken up, and on the morning of the 16 th, the weary sol diers found rest in their old camps. The casualties in this battle were not so large as they were reported at the time, and were not more disproportionate to the number of men engaged and exposed to fire, than in other battles of the war. During the three days, one thousand three hundred and thirty-nine were killed, nine thousand and sixty were wounded, and one thousand five hundred and thirty were reported as missing and prisoners. Most of the wounds were slight, and many "missing" men came into camp in the course of a few days. The loss of the enemy was, in the aggregate, five thousand three hundred and nine, killed, wounded and missing. It is hardly necessary to discuss the causes of General Bumside's defeat at this unfortunate battle. It is evident, however, that had General Franklin's attack upon the left been made and supported more vigorously, the result would have been more creditable to our arms. General Meade actually reached a point within the enemy's lines, and held it for some time, awaiting support. But that support did not come, and General Meade was forced to retreat. The heights near Captain Hamilton's house were unquestionably the key to the position. Had they been occupied successfully, the rebel army would have been handsomely routed, and the road to Richmond would have been opened. It was an additional illustration to those, in which the war has been fruitful, of the loss of great advantages through a want of cooperation, or a misappreciation of the importance of the occasion, on the part of subor- 50 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. dinate officers. General Franklin had one of the finest opportunities ever offered to a man for gaining a world-wide distinction — and he neglected to improve it. He was not equal to it. Such an opportunity comes but seldom in a life-time. It never came again to General Franklin, and since that day, he has quietly settled into obscurity. General Burnside, however, wished to spare his subordinate commanders, and was unwilling to adopt the cheap expedient of throwing upon them the blame of the defeat. In a letter addressed by him to General Halleck, December 17th, he says: "To my brave officers and soldiers I owe everything. For the failure in attack I am responsible, as the extreme gallantry, courage and endurance shown by them was never exceeded, and would have carried the points had it been possible." After the battle of Fredericksburg, General Burnside still believed that the rebel position could be carried. He could not bear the thought of going into winter quarters while the weather continued so favorable as then it was for military operations. He soon made preparations for a demonstration across the river, in connection with an extensive cavalry raid, which General Averill suggested. Several cavalry regiments of picked men were designated for this expedition. The plan contemplated a raid entirely around the rebel army. The troops were to cross the Rappahannock at Kelly's ford, and the Rapidan at Raccoon ford ; thence to make a complete detour around the rebel position, to strike the James above Richmond, and destroy a portion of the canal and railroad in the vicinity, and to join our forces, either at Suffolk or in North Carolina. The time was favorable. The roads were in splendid condition. A portion of the enemy's cavalry was engaged in making unsuc cessful attempts against our own posts on the Potomac, and everything prom ised an excellent result. Orders were issued to the army to hold itself in readiness to march, and on the 30th of December, early in the morning, Gen eral Averill started oh his expedition. But some meddlesome and insubordi nate officers had, meanwhile, repaired to Washington, obtained an interview with the President, and had persuaded him that a movement of the army should not be made. On the afternoon of the day upon which General Averill had marched, General Burnside received a dispatch from the Presi dent, forbidding him to make any movement without previous consultation with the authorities at Washington. The plans of Generals Burnside and Averill were thus disconcerted. General Averill was recalled and the orders to the troops were countermanded. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 51 Still, General Burnside was not discouraged. He determined to make a still further effort to accomplish some favorable result. His new plan was, to cross the army at Banks's and United States fords, and, drawing the army of General Lee out of its intrenchments, fight a battle under better auspices than had accompanied the last. With this view, he made demonstrations upon the right of the enemy, drawing his forces down the river towards Port Royal. Then he hoped, by a rapid movement, to cross the river above Fred ericksburg, and take the batteries on the heights in reverse. He succeeded in deceiving the enemy, and, with an advantage of forty-eight hours, he moved his troops to the upper fords. The army marched out of its encampments on the morning of January 20, 1863. For the first day, all proceeded well. The troops arrived at their respective rendezvous, and preparations were made for crossing. But, at night, a furious storm broke upon the scene, and rendered further movements impossible. The rain fell in torrents. The roads became a mass of mud and mire. The artillery, the wagons, horses and mules, and men were stopped as effectually as though a hundred armies blocked the way. Winter, which, with extraordinary kindliness, had held off until that moment, now came on with relentless rigor. It was impossible to fight the elements, and General Burnside, on the morning of the 22nd, finding further efforts useless, ordered the army to return to its former position. It immediately went into winter quarters. General Burnside was relieved from command on the 25th. General Hooker was appointed in his place. General Sumner at once applied to be relieved, and his request was complied with. General Franklin was relieved by order of the Secretary of War. General Burnside immediately proceeded to Providence, where he arrived on the 31st, and was received by his fellow-citizens with every demonstration of welcome and joy. 52 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. THE DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO. After an interval of a few weeks of rest at Providence, General Burnside was appointed to the command of the Department of the Ohio. He assumed the duties of his new position on the 25th of March. Affairs were not in a very favorable condition. Rebel raids were devastating a portion of Ken tucky. Secession sympathizers were endeavoring to corrupt the public sen timent of the states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and were ready to afford aid and comfort to the rebel prisoners confined on Johnson's Island and in the neighborhood of Chicago. Martial law existed only in Kentucky, and freedom of speech and the press, in the communities north of the Ohio, had become license. The northwest was in great danger, and the situation required great tact and skill on the part of the commander of the depart ment. Beyond that, it was expected that the opening of the spring cam paign would witness a movement for the liberation of East Tennessee. General Burnside saw the necessity of a larger military force than was then present in the department, and he accordingly requested and obtained two divisions of the Ninth Corps, which were hurried westward without much delay, arriving within the limits of the department in the early part of April. General Bumside's first care, upon the assumption of his command, was to clear Kentucky of the raiders there under the command of the rebel General Pegram. A few troops were in Kentucky to repel the bold partisan. They were acting mostly on the defensive. General Burnside proceeded to Louis ville and ordered Generals Gillmore and Boyle to attack the foe at Danville. The command was gallantly executed on the 28th and 30th, and, in a smart engagement at Somerset, on the last-named day, Pegram was completely routed, with a loss of five hundred killed, wounded and prisoners. Much of his plunder Avas recovered, and his troops were driven across the Cumberland river in confusion. The Ninth Corps was now arriving, and, in May, the organization of a new corps, the twenty-third, was commenced, with a view to the future protection of Kentucky against the incursions of the enemy. The commander of the department had already turned his attention to the civil affairs of his administration. Domestic enemies were busy in attempting to thwart the plans of the government, to prevent enlistments of AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 53 troops, and to give "aid and comfort" to the public enemy, and in defaming the character of the commanding general. For the latter, General Burnside did not care. But he would not endure the former, and on the 13th of April, he issued general order number thirty-eight, for the purpose of counteracting the evil designs of disloyal persons in his department. He declared that the habit of expressing sympathy for the enemy should not be allowed, and that all offenders would be arrested and tried without unnecessary delay. "It must be distinctly understood," he said, "that treason, expressed or implied, will not be tolerated in this department." Foremost among the public speakers that were employed in the treasonable business of embarrassing the government in the state of Ohio, was Clement L. Vallandigham, who, on more than one occasion, had seen fit to declaim against the government, and to defy its power. In a speech delivered at Mount Vernon, on or about the 1st of May, he was more than usually violent. General Burnside imme diately ordered his arrest, and the prisoner, taken at Dayton on the 4th, was brought to Cincinnati, tried by military commission on the 6th, convicted of uttering disloyal sentiments and opinions, by which he furnished aid and comfort to those in arms against the government, and sentenced to imprison ment during the continuance of the war. The President, however, commuted his sentence to banishment beyond our lines. Mr. Vallandigham was carried to Tennessee, and delivered into the hands of the rebel authorities on the 25th. But they did not desire his presence, and he was finally sent out of the country. He found an asylum in Canada, and remained there for some months, when he was quietly permitted to return to his home. During his trial, his friends endeavored to procure his release on a writ of habeas corpus, before Judge Leavitt, of the Circuit Court of the United States. But the Judge wisely declined to issue the writ. The democratic party also nomi nated him for governor of Ohio in the autumn election. The people of Ohio indignantly repudiated him, defeating him by an immense majority. Other attempts to make the condemned traitor a martyr to free speech utterly failed, and the stigma, which the action of General Burnside has affixed to his name, is indelible. It was a bold deed. But the exigency required it, and General Burnside was not the man to avoid the performance of duty. Some persons naturally felt that he was carrying matters too far. But the event has fully justified his action, and hushed all cavil. The effect of the proceeding itself, in the department, was highly beneficial, and general order number thirty-eight, with its ' results, remains as a monument of General 54 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Bumside's courage, sagacity and patriotism. The fate of Mr. Vallandigham was a significant and serious warning to those sympathizers with the rebellion who thought to pursue their schemes with impunity. Their loud-mouthed treason suddenly became silent, and sank back abashed and impotent. The authority of the government was more firmly established than ever through out the entire northwest. The arrest and trial of Mr. Vallandigham caused great excitement among the press of the whole country. Many journals supported, many condemned the action of General Burnside. The discussion, in the main, was temperate, and the whole subject was thoroughly examined. Some, disloyal papers were particularly violent, severe and denunciatory. Foremost among these, were the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Chicago Times, and the New York WorM — all of which had long pursued a course which was aiding the rebellious cause. The first of these was placed under partial censorship. The second was suppressed on the 1st of June, and/ a military guard was placed in possession of the office. The circulation of the third was prohibited within the department. The government, however, disapproved of this salutary order, and the papers in question were allowed once more to circulate throughout the west. But the lesson which had been taught was not lost, and a more moderate tone was thenceforward perceptible in their criticisms. The stigma of treason could not be removed, and the public sentiment of the country uttered its approval of General Bumside's course. During the month of May, the rebels attempted a renewal of their pre datory raids into Kentucky, and General Burnside, in his civil troubles, did not neglect any enterprise calculated to counteract and defeat their scheme's of plunder. He begged earnestly for the division of the Ninth Corps which, under General Getty, had been left at the east. But his request was denied, and, with the small force under his command in Kentucky, he was compelled, not only to keep off the raiders, but also to preserve intact the communica tions of General Rosecrans's army in Tennessee, with his own and his base at Louisville. Both these objects were happily accomplished. Raids under Wheeler, Morgan, Cluke, and Pegram were effectually thwarted, and not for a day was General Rosecrans embarrassed by an interruption of his long line of communication. The summer now came on. It was to be the time for active operations. The War Department was urging General Rosecrans to do something to relieve General Grant, then moving against Vicksburg, of the pressure which AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 55 General Bragg might bring to bear upon him. General Burnside was also anxious to march upon East Tennessee, and deliver the loyal people there from the cruelties of rebel rule. He had completed his preparations by the last of May, and left Cincinnati, to take the field, on the 2d of June, hoping, with his veterans of the Ninth Corps, to enter the valley of the Holston and do his work there with effect. But on the eve of his departure, he received a despatch from General Halleck, inquiring if any -troops could be spared from the department of the Ohio to assist General Grant. On the 3d of June, while General Burnside was at Lexington, the order came to reenforce • General Grant with eight thousand men. It was obeyed on the instant, and on the 7th, the Ninth Corps, under General Parke, was put en route for Vicks burg. General Burnside desired to accompany his command, but the Secre tary of War would not permit. For this promptitude and energy, the Presi dent telegraphed his most cordial thanks. The Ninth Corps arrived at General Grant's lines on the 14th, and was immediately employed in pro tecting the besieging forces from any hostile demonstrations in their rear. With other troops, it kept General Johnston at bay, forced him back and drove him beyond Jackson, and then returned to Vicksburg. Its presence assured the successful termination of a siege which, on the 4th of July, gave back to the Union the control of the Mississippi. General Burnside was left with but eight or ten thousand to hold the lines of his department in front. The pendency of the draft caused considerable trouble among the disaffected people of the states north of the Ohio, and it required the greatest vigilance of the commanding general to counteract their disloyal and, in some instances, riotous schemes. But, amid all embarrassments, the department was held secure, good order prevailed, and a rebel raid, that attempted the invasion of Indiana, brought to defeat. Our own forces, under Colonel Sanders, made counter-raids, destroyed the railroad and bridges near Knoxsville, Strawberry Plains and Mossy Creek, and captured ten guns, one thousand stand of arms, and five hundred prisoners. The rebels, on their part, were not idle. They sought to take advantage of the comparatively defenceless condition of the department, and prepared to make a raid upon our own lines and through our territory, of such magni tude as to eclipse all former efforts of that kind. Their plan now was to force our lines in central Kentucky, cross the Ohio, plunder the southern counties of Indiana and Ohio, and escape into West Virginia, or march through Pennsylvania, and there join General Lee, who was then invading 56 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. that state, after defeating General Hooker, at Chancellorsville. It was a daring plan, and its execution was entrusted to General John H. Morgan, who had proved himself a bold and enterprising partisan. Such a raid had doubtless been preparing for some time. General Halleck had repeatedly telegraphed to General Burnside, during the month of June, that Kentucky was safe, and that the time was ripe for a movement into East Tennessee. As late as the 6th of July, the General-in-chief stated that there was "no need of keeping large forces in Kentucky." It is possible that General Burnside, partially misled by the erroneous judgment of his superior officer, may have thought his lines safer than they really were. The appearance of Morgan, with his cavalry, effectually dispelled any such fallacious idea, and measures were immediately taken to check the advance of the raiders and prevent his retreat. The movement of the enemy seems to have been, in some degree, a surprise of our officers in Kentucky, and Morgan succeeded at first in eluding his pursuers. He was overtaken in the end, and his com mand was almost entirely captured or destroyed. The raid commenced by an attack upon our lines in the neighborhood of Marrowbone, Kentucky, on the 3d day ' of July. Morgan crossed the Cumberland river, at Burkesville and in its neighborhood, with a force of five thousand men, well mounted, armed, equipped, and prepared with every thing requisite for a long expedition. On the 4th, he was handsomely checked at Green River Bridge, by Colonel Orlando H. Moore, with five companies of the twenty-fifth Michigan regiment, who gallantly contested the passage of the river, and repulsed the enemy, inflicting upon him a loss of over two hundred killed and wounded. On the 5th, Morgan was at Lebanon, where he captured the garrison of that place, after a spirited contest. Threatening Louisville, Columbia, and other points, he was compelled by the approach of Generals Hobson, Judah, and Shackleford, to concentrate his forces, when he made a bold push for the Ohio, by way of Bardstown. On the 8th, he struck the river at Brandenburg, and finding two steamers at the landing, he used them for -transporting his forces across into Indiana, and then destroyed them. Our troops reached the river bank in pursuit, just, in time to witness the spectacle of the burning boats, and to hear the derisive shouts of triumph from the enemy upon the opposite shore. The vigor with which the raid had been conducted thus far, seemed to be more conspicuous than the energy of the pursuit. General Burnside was some what disappointed by the delays which had occurred in Kentucky, and had AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 57 allowed Morgan to cross the Ohio. But it was no time to indulge in regrets. He immediately sent down some transports, and on the 9th, our troops were crossed into Indiana. When Morgan had fairly got his command over, it seemed as though he had the country before him, and that he could plunder at will. He did, indeed, commit many outrages upon friend and foe alike. He burnt the town of Salem. He even made a demonstration towards Indianapolis, and at the outset created somewhat of a panic by his sudden appearance. But he soon found that a quick eye was upon all his movements, . and that the most that now he could do was to escape. Bold at first, he penetrated into Ohio, crossing the boundary on the 13th, with our cavalry but three or four hours behind him. Such dispositions were made at Hamil ton and Cincinnati as to- ensure the safety of those cities ; the militia turned out ; General Judah kept, with one column,, between Morgan and the river^ but a few hours in. the rear, while Generals Shackleford and Hobson pursued the flying invaders further from the river bank ; a division of gun-boats, under Lieutenan1>Commander LeRoy Fitch, steamed up the river on the flank of the rebels ; fresh horses and men were sent up from Cincinnati, and landed at different points for reinforcements. Thus harassed, Morgan fled through southern Ohio.. He tried to make for the river, first by way of Batavia, but was there foiled and driven back. He was next brought to bay at Chester, on the 19th, having been turned back from Buffington Island by the gun-boats, leaving much of his plunder strewed along the road and the river bank. Generals Shackleford and Judah, closing up, delivered battle with great energy and courage, and to such effect that, by noon, seven hundred of the raiding party, with horses, arms, equipments and plunder, had surrendered to our forces. But the guerilla chief himself had managed to escape. Another fight took place, later in the day, at a point fifteen miles further on, and more .prisoners were taken. During the night, the main body of the rebels managed to escape, and attempted to reach the Ohio, near Eight Mile Island. At three o'clock on the next afternoon, General Shackleford overtook the fugitives upon a high bluff, near the river, and demanded an unconditional surrender, allowing forty minutes for consultation. During the interval, Morgan, with six hundred men, deserted his command, the remainder of which, to the number of twelve hundred officers and men, was captured. General Shackleford then called for volunteers who "would stay in the Saddle without eating and drinking" until Morgan was taken. One thousand 58 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. sprang forward at the call, but only four hundred horses were serviceable, and that .number of men were accepted. On the 21st, they started afresh for the pursuit. On the 24th, they overtook the rear of the rebels, and picked up, in the course of that and the two subsequent days, two hundred and thirty prisoners, in straggling parties. On the 27th, near New Lisbon, they had the satisfaction of taking Morgan himself and the remnant of his party — four hundred in number. The partisan pretended to have surren dered to a militia officer, who is said to have given him his parole. But General Shackleford soon found that the story was a fabrication, and Morgan and his officers were immediately sent to Cincinnati. By order of General Halleck, the captured men and officers were soon afterwards placed in close confinement in the penitentiaries of Ohio. Thus disgracefully and disastrously to. the rebel cause, did this raid come to an end. Too much praise cannot be given to Generals Shackleford, Judah and Hobson, and their officers and men, for their unflagging pursuit. The governors of Indiana and Ohio, and the loyal people of those states, did all that could be done on their part. But the guiding mind of the pursuit was the commander of the department, who, by sending timely information, by the disposition of the 'militia and the pursuing columns, by forwarding reinforcements of fresh horses and men, and pushing on the pursuers, gave such direction to the enterprise as to ensure its complete success. Very few of the raiders escaped into the rebel lines again, and most of their plunder was recaptured. VI. THE DELIVERANCE OF EAST TENNESSEE. During the time of Morgan's raid and its discomfiture, General Burnside had been suffering severely from illness. But that and the embarrassments necessarily connected at this period with the administration of his departs ment, had not prevented the active preparations which had been making for the campaign into East Tennessee. The twenty-third corps — of which men tion has already been made — had been organized, and General Hartsuff was placed in command. The return of the Ninth Corps had been promised as soon as the siege of Vicksburg had been successfully brought to an end. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 59 General Burnside was fully alive to the importance of the enterprise, and had already made one or two attempts to commence his operations in that direction. The time seemed now favorable for renewing his endeavors. He wished to deliver the long-oppressed citizens of Tennessee. He was also desirous "of cutting the great rebel line of communication between the e"ast and the west, of holding the country through which it passed, and of thus bisecting that portion of the " Confederacy" which lay east of the Mississippi river. The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was the main artery of the rebellious forces, affording an easy and interior line between the grand army under General Lee in the east, and that under General Bragg in the west. In the rear of the' railroad were the comparatively prosperous communities in the interior of the gulf states and the Carolinas, as yet untouched by the ravages of war. The valley of East Tennessee itself, was situated between ranges of lofty mountains, which made it easily defensible. It was the abode of a people intensely loyal to the government of the United States. But now the heel of the oppressor was upon their necks, and by sad experience of" hardship, outrage, torture, and the most painful deaths, they had learned that even the tender mercies of the tyrant were cruel. The occupation of such a territory would be a damaging blow to the rebellious cause, second only to the opening of the Mississippi. The loyal and long-suffering people demanded from the beneficence of the government protection against their oppressors. The work of opening this region to the arms of the Union devolved upon Generals Rosecrans and Burnside. To the former was given the task of marching on Chattanooga, demonstrating towards Atlanta ; to the latter was entrusted the enterprise of crossing the mountains and proceeding directly to Knoxville. General Rosecrans, during the summer, had pushed his lines forward as far as Winchester, and there made further preparations. On the 16th of August, he commenced his advance, reached the Tennessee river on the 20th, and established his head-quarters at Stevenson, and there halted for a few days. On the 9th of September, General Crittenden's corps of his army occupied Chattanooga, and pressed on in pursuit of the retreating enemy. The other part of the work had been as promptly performed. On the 16th of August, General Burnside started from Lexington. The route, which he had chosen for his own column to march, lay through Crab Orchard, Mount. Vernon, Loudon and Williamsburg, with other columns moving on his right flank by way of Somerset, Columbia and Tompkinsville. The design 60 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was, to cross the mountains by unfrequented roads, then to form a junction at Montgomery, Tennessee, march with infantry upon Kmgston, while a cavalry force was to cross at Jacksboro' and descend upon Knoxville, where the infantry would join. While these operations were carried on in this quarter, a sufficient force was to appear in front of Cumberland Gap, and occupy the attention of the enemy there posted and well fortified. The design was admirably carried out. Colonel DeCourcy was sent to Cumberland Gap. Colonel Foster had charge of the cavalry. General Hartsuff commanded the column on the right flank. General Burnside accompanied the troops that marched direct from Williamsburg. Head-quarters were at Crab Orchard on the 21st of August; at Williamsburg on the 25th; at Chitwoods on the 26th, 27th and 28th, delayed by the non-arrival of the supporting columns and the supply trains. By the 30th all the trains were well up, and a junc tion was formed at Montgomery. Thence, the command marched rapidly on Kingston, and entered that town on the 1st of September. On the same day, " the cavalry column entered Knoxville, where the rest of the army arrived on the 3d. The march was made with but slight opposition from the enemy, who occasionally skirmished with the advance. It was indeed a surprise, and our troops, crossing the mountains, and descending into the beautiful valley of the Holston, found themselves conquerors of the region without a battle. But the difficulties which nature interposed were more serious than the opposition which the enemy dared to make. The roads were exceedingly bad, rough and toilsome. The horses and pack mules connected with the army were tasked to the utmost, and many of them gave out, exhausted by the severities of the march. In several instances, the animals failed to drag the artillery up the acclivities, and their places were filled by men, who, with hands upon the ropes and shoulders to the wheels, dragged or lifted guns, caissons, and wagons from height to height. But the soldiers were in good heart and cheerful spirits. Their commander was determined not to fail, and together they surmounted every difficulty. At last, crowning the summit, they easily descended into the plain below, and stood in triumph, the deliverers of East Tennessee ! The rebel General Buckner, astonished by the strange appearance of the army — as though it had dropped from the clouds — evacuated the position, rapidly retreated, and joined General Bragg, in front of Chattanooga. The garrison at Cumberland Gap were left with out information or orders. General Burnside, after a march of two hundred and fifty miles in fourteen days, was glad to feel himself the master of the AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 61 situation. The march had had its beauty as well as its difficulty. The natural scenery of that section is highly picturesque, and as the army crossed the heights, the views which burst upon the sight were exquisitely charming. Alternate beauty and wildness "were presented to the eye, and as the troops emerged from the fastnesses of the mountain range, the valley of East Ten nessee lay before them in all the luxuriance and. mellowness of the early autumn. The march had its compensations, too. The army was an army of deliverance. It was everywhere received with joyful acclamations. The old flag, concealed under carpets, between* mattresses, buried in the earth, was taken from its hiding place, and was flung to the breeze. Gray-haired men, little children, women who had lost their all, greeted the troops and the general with every demonstration of joy. From Kingston to Knoxville, the progress of the army was a continued ovation, and when General Burnside entered Knoxville, it seemed as though the people had run mad with enthu siasm. It was a scene of grateful joy that baffles all attempt at description. As the general sought his quarters at the close of the day, he had the grati fication of feeling that he rested in the midst of as loyal a people as could be found in the land, who gratefully hailed him as their savior from a terrible and grinding despotism. The satisfaction of such a triumph might well repay for the disappointment and defeat at Fredericksburg. But the time for action had not yet passed. The rebel garrison at Cumberland Gap, under General Frazer, had refused to surrender to Colonel DeCourcy, and General Burnside, first sending General Shackleford forward with a cavalry force, repaired thither in person. On the 9th of September, General Burnside posted his forces and demanded the unconditional surrender of the post. The rebel commander at first demurred. But finding his situa tion hopeless, he finally, at evening, gave up the position, with it^ garrison of twenty-five hundred men and fourteen pieces of artillery. Part of the troops had been taken on Roanoke Island and paroled a year and a half before. While at Cumberland Gap, General Burnside heard of General Rosecrans's advance. A despatch from General Crittenden informed him that the oper ations of the army of the Cumberland had been greatly successful, that the enemy was retreating, and that the right of our advancing columns was in Rome. General Burnside — supposing that General Rosecrans was making the most'satisfactory progress, that East Tennessee was permanently secure, and that only a garrison of troops would be needed to hold it — since the enemy had been driven into the* interior of Georgia — and as at the same 62 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. time he himself was reduced by sickness — offered his resignation to the President. Mr. Lincoln was not inclined to accept it. There was still a great deal of work to be done in this quarter, and no one was so well fitted for it as the general who was there in command. On the 12th of September, telegraphic communication was opened with Washington, and on the 13th, General Burnside received a despatch from Mr. Lincoln, in the following words: "A thousand thanks for the late successes you have given us. We cannot allow you to resign until things shall be a little more settled in East Tennessee." • About the same time, a despatch was received from General Halleck, dated on the 11th, as follows: "I congratulate you on your success. Hold the gaps of the North Carolina mountains, the line of the Holston river, or some point, if there be one, to prevent access from Virginia, and connect with General Rosecrans, at least with your cavalry." General Burnside, imme diately upon his occupation of Knoxville, had despatched a force up the val ley, which had proceeded as far as Bristol, on the boundary line of Virginia, capturing rolling stock and destroying the bridges upon the railroad. It had now become imperative to communicate with General Rosecrans, to hold the line of the Holston river permanently, to occupy the gaps of the North Carolina mountains, and to prevent the access of the enemy from Virginia. This was a work of no small magnitude with General Bumside's inconsider able command. It was to scatter his forces along a line of one hundred and seventy-six miles in length. Communication with General Rosecrans was easy and was kept up without break. But "to prevent access from Virginia" . was not so easy. It was known at Washington that General Longstreet had left General Lee's army to reenforce General Bragg. For East Tennessee must be regained, if possible. From Virginia now appeared General Sam1: Jones, with a force of ten thousand men, making hostile demonstrations on our extreme left. On the 13th, troops were sent up from Knoxville. On the 17th, General Burnside left for Morristown to direct affairs in person. But now General .Rosecrans needed ree'nforcement. The enemy, instead of retreating into Georgia, stood at bay. He had not thought of falling back on Rome. General Halleck, on the 13th and 14th, telegraphed General Burnside to move down his "infantry as rapidly as possible toward Chatta nooga." General Burnside received the order on the 17th, and on the 18th, ordered all his troops at Morristown and below, to Knoxville and Loudon. On the 20th, he hastened up to Henderson's station, immediately took horse AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 63 there, and Without slacking rein, rode thirty-six miles to Carter's, on the Watauga river, to draw in all his garrisons and put them on the march. On the 21st, while at Carter's, he received peremptory orders to join General Rosecrans without delay. He had already started most of his troops down the river, and now he was moving his last man. On the opposite bank of the Watauga r,iver, however, was intrenched a considerable force of the enemy, commanding the bridge which there spanned the stream. If General Burnside burnt the bridge, his movement in retreat would be discovered. If he left it intact, he gave to the enemy an avenue for pursuit. His safety lay in attack, and he resolved to force the enemy's position at daylight. The 22d dawned. But no fight took place. The foe had burnt the bridge during the night, and had himself taken flight. Our troops were immediately put upon the march, and before noon were well on the way to Knoxville.- On the 24th, General Burnside met the Ninth Corps, then arriving from Ken tucky. All the troops were concentrated at Knoxville during the next few days, and General Halleck was notified of the fact. By that time, General Burnside had become informed of the cause of the contradictory and embarrassing orders that he had received from Wash ington. General Rosecrans, in continuing his advance, had encountered the enemy upon the banks of the Chickamauga creek, and on the 19th had been attacked with great fury. General Longstreet had reenforced General Bragg, and the combined armies had fallen upon our troops. A two days' bloody battle ensued, the result of which was, that General Rosecrans was checked, defeated, and pushed back to the defences of Chattanooga. The enemy's forces had evidently stolen a march upon General Halleck, for when he was telegraphing in hot haste over the country to General Grant, at Vicksburg, to General Burnside, and others, to hasten to the relief of General Rosecrans, General Bragg had already been strengthened. It was clearly impossible for General Grant to help General Rosecrans from Vicksburg, even if he had received the despatch from Washington within two or three days after it was sent. General Burnside was not within one hundred and twenty miles of General Rosecrans on the day of the battle, but was employed in gathering his forces, which General Halleck's previous order had scattered. It was useless to go to Chattanooga after the battle, for the supplies there were inadequate for the army already at that post. It would have been necessary to evacuate East Tennessee for want of subsistence, and to fall back upon Nashville. The fruits of the summer campaign would have been lost, and 64 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. General Halleck's strategy would thus have involved our western army in ruin. By persistently holding Knoxville and the railroad in East Tennessee, General Burnside materially embarrassed all the rebel movements in that direction, and saved the loyal cause from threatened disaster. General Burnside, now ready and desirous to take the offensive, submit ted to General Halleck, on the 30th of September, three distinct plans of operations. 1. To abandon the railroad, and, marching down the north side of the Tennessee river, effect a junction with General Rosecrans. 2. To leave garrisons at Cumberland Gap, Bull's Gap, Rogerville, Knoxville, and Loudon, move down the railroad, and attack the enemy's right-wing at Cleveland, acting in concert with General Rosecrans, and according to his advice. 3. To move a force on the south side of the Tennessee, past the right flank of the enemy, demonstrating against that flank, while the main body, seven thou sand infantry and five thousand cavalry, should move rapidly down to Dalton, destroy the enemy's communications there, — sending a cavalry force to Rome, — proceed to Atlanta, there entirely destroying the communications, breaking up depots, magazines, etc., and thence make for the coast, living upon the country on the march. General Burnside, preferring the last, thought that it would relieve General Rosecrans, if the enemy should see fit to pursue, and thus enable him to advance, while the celerity of the movable column, coupled with the destruction of bridges in the rear, would give to it favorable chances of escape. It is impossible now to say, what would have been the result of such a movement as was here contemplated. But it can very readily be seen, that here is the germ of what afterwards became, under the wise direction of Lieutenant-General Grant and the facile execution of Major-General Sherman, the grandest campaign of the war. Whether the autumn of 1863, or that of 1864, was the proper time to break the shell of the "Confederacy," is, of course, a matter of question. The latter time had, indeed, a condition which the former did not possess : the fact, namely, that General Grant, and not General Halleck, was then in command of the armies of the United Statesi The only reply that General Halleck vouchsafed to General Bumside's com munication was, that General Burnside was "in direct communication with Rosecrans, and" could "learn his condition and wants sooner than" General Halleck could. "Distant expeditions into Georgia are not now contemplated. The object is to hold East Tennessee." The month of October passed with few events of extraordinary impor tance. Both sides were, evidently, preparing for a decisive struggle in the AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 65 west. In the east, very little had been'done after the battle of Gettysburg and the defeat of General Lee, except to follow the retreating eneihy to the line of the Rapidan. The mountain region of northern Georgia was destined to be the theatre of conflict. General Grant was moving up from Vicksburg; General Sherman, after a successful expedition across Mississippi, was march ing with his corps from Memphis towards Chattanooga; General Hooker had ree'nforced General Rosecrans with two corps from the army of the Poto mac. On the 18th of October, General Grant was appointed sole commander of the three armies of Generals Rosecrans, Burnside, and Sherman. The two latter officers were retained in command ; General Rosecrans was relieved by General Thomas, who had saved the army at the battle of Chickamauga. Grant assumed direction of affairs at Chattanooga. On the other side, Gen eral Bragg had been'reenforced by troops from the divisions of Generals Hill and Ewell, besides the corps of General Longstreet, and by some of General Pemberton's paroled prisoners from Vicksburg. In General Bumside's own department, affairs were conducted with the customary energy of its commander. Early in the month of October, the rebel General Wheeler attempted to break the communications of General Rose crans, but was promptly driven back. On the 2d, General Halleck informed General Burnside that it would not be necessary for him to join General Rosecrans. During the month, the rebel forces in Virginia made repeated attempts to drive in our troops on the extreme left, but were foiled, and, in their turn, forced back. On the 10th, a serious engagement took place at Blue Springs, in which the enemy was badly beaten, and compelled to retreat in confusion, leaving his dead and wounded on the field. He was vigorously pursued for several days by General Shackleford, who drove him beyond Bristol into Virginia, burning six bridges, capturing and destroying three locomotives and thirty cars, and threatening the rebel salt-works and the towns of Abingdon and Saltville. On the 16th, a regiment of loyal North Carolina troops captured Warm Springs, and occupied Paint Rock Gap. Several regiments of East Tennesseans were organized. The greater part of the troops were concentrated at Knoxville and Loudon, picketing down to the left of the army at Chattanooga, with scouts and outposts south of the Tennessee, and cavalry clearing the country between the Little Tennessee and the Eiwassee. The line through Tazewell to Cumberland Gap was well guarded, and the country about and above Greenville closely watched. Occa sional hostile 'demonstrations- were made upon the south side of the Tennessee, 66 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. as the enemy, forced back from Chattanooga, seemed desirous of extending his right flank. Towards the last of the month, serious indications of a reso lute attempt of the enemy to regain Knoxville and the railroad began to be evident. On the 20th, Colonel Woolford was attacked near Philadelphia, during the pendency of some negotiations respecting prisoners. After a severe fight of several hours, during which he inflicted greater loss in killed and wounded than he had received, he was forced to retreat to Loudon, leav ing in the hands of the enemy six small howitzers, with thirty-eight wagons, and between three and four hundred prisoners. Our cavalry afterwards took the offensive, and drove the assailants beyond Philadelphia, capturing many prisoners. But it was soon manifest, that, there was a larger force of the enemy near, and that he was feeling our lines. Our troops were withdrawn to the north bank of the Tennessee, opposite Loudon, and put under the com mand of General Sanders, a gallant and promising young officer. General Burnside hoped to draw a sufficient force away from General Bragg to enable General Grant to fall upon him with damaging effect. On the 28th, the gen eral commanding visited Loudon, anticipating a serious movement on the part of the enemy. More troops were sent down. But the emergency for the time passed, and General Burnside returned to Knoxville on the 31st, leaving General Potter in command of the defences of Loudon. The month of November was destined to be more eventful. On the left flank, the demonstrations of the enemy became more determined. He was attempting to divert General Bumside's attention from the more important operations slowly developing below. On the 10th, Colonel Garrard, at Rogersville, was attacked and forced back to Morristown, with a loss of five hundred prisoners, four guns, and thirty-six wagons. It was a severe blow, but beyond the temporary shock which it gave our lines, was of no great moment. Our communications with Kentucky were preserved intact, our posts were again made fully secure, and the enemy gained little by the move ment. General Willcox, who was in command in that quarter, faithfully kept the enemy off from our lines of communication. The only £wo reverses which General Burnside suffered in his entire campaign, were those of Phila delphia and Rogersville, and the balance of captures, not including those at Cumberland Gap, was largely in his favor. But the campaign was not yet over. The enemy was vigilant. He was also determined to reb'ccupy East Tennessee, if that were possible. Without it, the rebel cause was doomed. Such a position, held by the United States AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 67 forces, was the assurance of the final triumph of the Union. While General Jones was attempting our lines in the upper valley, General Bragg was intent upon occupying the lower region. For* such a work, |ie detached his ablest lieutenant with a large force. Quietly did General Longstreet make his preparations and approaches, hoping, by and by, to swoop down upon his intended prey. General Grant himself seemed to be somewhat anxious in regard to the subject, and at one time desired General Burnside to concen trate all his forces at Kingston, with a view to moving down nearer Chatta nooga. He even sent Colonel Wilson, of his staff, and Mr. Charles A. Dana — then Assistant Secretary of War, and on a visit to the west — to General Burnside to eonsult on the situation. They arrived at Knoxville on the 13th. General Burnside fully laid before them his opinions, viz. : That it was best to hold the line from Knoxville through Cumberland Gap, thus having two lines of supply, instead of only one by way of Nashville ; that the occupation of the railroad through East Tennessee by our forces was imperatively neces sary ; that, most of all, it was desirable that General Longstreet should be drawn as far away as possible from the main body of the enemy, under Gen eral Bragg, and be sufficiently occupied while General Grant should "fall on" with his whole force and annihilate or certainly defeat the force in his imme diate front. These opinions were assented to en the part of Mr. Dana, and, on the 14th, he returned, with Colonel Wilson, to General Grant. General Burnside, with a few members of his staff, accompanied them as far as Lenoir's, leaving General Parke in command at Knoxville. But, while this consultation was going on at Knoxville, events of the greatest importance were occurring below. On the night of the 13th and the morning of the 14th, the movements of the enemy were developed. General Longstreet appeared near Loudon, with a force of fifteen thousand men, threatening the passage of the Tennessee river. At tke same time, the enemy's cavalry 'appeared on the south side of the Holston, opposite Knox ville, and slowly forced our own cavalry, under General Sanders, back towards the defences of the town. This force remained in observation till the 16th, when it disappeared. General Longstreet turned the position opposite Loudon by crossing his advance at Hopp's Ferry, six miles below, and our forces withdrew towards Lenoir's. General Burnside arrived at the front about noon, and ordered our forces to assume the offensive. They gallantly attacked the enemy, and by the latter part of the afternoon had driven him back to the river. The night came on very dark and thick. The 68 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. enemy had been checked, but he was in too. large force to be held back. Dur ing the night and the following day, General Burnside drew off his troops, artillery and trains to Lenoir's. Here a halt was made, and the army was put in position. The enemy made- his appearance late in the afternoon, but his advance was stopped by our artillery. Our troops prepared to fall back to Campbell's station. At midnight the enemy attacked again, but was speedily repulsed. At Campbell's was the junction of several roads, which it was necessary to reach and occupy. The enemy endeavored by a flank march to anticipate us. Early in 'the morning of the 16th, the troops began to move. But, though the roads were horrible, our troops made good time, and the leading brigade, under Colonel Hartranft, reached the cross-roads about fifteen minutes in advance of the foe. ' General Burnside immediately sent this brigade out on the Kingston road, on which the enemy was march ing, forming the troops across the road with the left thrown forward, to cover both the junction and the Loudon road, on which were our trains and the rest of our little army. This disposition checked the enemy, until every man, animal and wagon had passed the threatened point, and our forces had seized the cross-roads. Then General Burnside arranged his line of battle, forming it en echelon along a low range of hills about half a mile in the rear of the junction of the roads, posting out upon the country roads what little cavalry he had, withdrawing his troops, regiment by regiment, and sending on his wagon-trains to Knoxville. At eleven o'clock, the enemy made a des perate charge upon Colonel Christ's brigade, our extreme right. The attack, furious as it was, was entirely "unsuccessful, and the assaulting column was handsomely broken and driven back. Soon after this, a similar attack was made upon General White's brigade of the twenty-third corps, on our left- centre with similar results. * General Burnside posted each brigade and divis ion, and the soldie^, fighting under the immediate eye of their commander, performed prodigies of valor. The enemy was thwarted and repulsed every where. At two o'clock, p. m., there was a lull in the storm of battle. General Longstreet was massing his troops upon our left, hoping there to find the weak place. General Burnside withdrew as before to a second range of hills, about a thousand yards in rear of the first position and commanding it. The line was formed en potencc on either flank, having the rear open, making almost the figure of a square of three sides. The front was across and perpendicular to the road, the right and left refused and parallel to the road. The light artillery was posted on the left, the heavy artillery in the centre. The enemy AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. * 69 came on with yells to the attack. He was received with musketry and artil lery fire of the hottest description, at short range. It tore into the ranks of the assaulting column with fearful carnage. The enemy's troops went down like grass before the scythe of the mower. The dead and wounded lay in heaps. The assailants were staggered and broken, and finally fled down the slope hi confusion. No further attempt was made upon our position, and General Burnside, after collecting his wounded, slowly fell back towards' Knoxville, and, late in the night, the -troops, trains, artillery and wagons were all within the lines of the town. The General entered the town about eleven and one-half o'clock, and was joyfully received at head-quarters by those members of his staff who had remained there anxiously awaiting tidings from below. General Sanders's cavalry had been ordered across the river, and sent out on the Kingston and Loudon roads, to check the pursuing columns of the enemy. General Longstreet, foiled in the attempt to cut off and capture the little army that had been posted near Loudon, — not even having succeeded in defeating it, — was preparing to besiege Knoxville. The battle of Campbell's station had taught him that the work of reoccupying East Tennessee was not so easy as he had supposed. The results of that battle had ensured the safe withdrawal of our forces, and ' the security of Knoxville itself. They had also given assurance to General Burnside, that he had, in the Ninth Corps, supported by the twenty-third, soldiers whom he could trust anywhere upon an equal battle field, and, behind the defences of Knoxville, against double their number. He therefore strengthened his fortifications, called upon the inhalants of the town for aid, announced that there was to be no retreat, and, with great alacrity of spirit, responded to General Grant's order, to hold on at all hazards. Further and further away from General Bragg was General Longstreet now allured, and, with an increased force, he marched to the investment of Knoxville. The town and its garrison were ready. The fortifications were connected with a continuous line of rifle-pits. Skirmishers were kept out from five hundred to a thousand yards in front. The roads were well picketed. The heights on the opposite side of the Holston were held and fortified. The men were in good -spirits, and supplies had accumulated, which, with economy, would suffice for four or five Weeks' consumption. On the 17th, the enemy's cavalry appeared on the roads leading up from the south and the southwest. ' General Sanders, who had been sent out to cover the rear of our retreating forces, soon came in contact with General 70 * RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Longstreet's advance. His outposts were smartly attacked, and,.withdrawing towards Knoxville, his little force was concentrated about a mile from the town. On the 18th, the enemy again attacked. A sharp engagement followed, in which the rebels were severely punished. But General Sanders himself paid for the temporary victory with his life. He was mortally wounded while, in the thickest of the conflict, he was leading his troops, and ' encouraging them by word and example. He was tenderly conveyed into the town, and all that could be done for him was faithfully applied. But - human skill could not avail. The consolations of religion were administered. General Burnside and his staff gathered around his bedside, and the brave and gallant young soldier breathed his last, with the words upon his lips: "I have done my duty. I am not afraid to die." His death cast a gloom upon the hearts of all who had known and learned to love him for his fidelity and daring. A portion of the fortifications received the name of Fort Sanders, in honor of his memory. The enemy gradually enlarged his lines of circum-' vallation. His forces were moved up the- right bank of the Holston, and were posted between the river and the Clinton road. Our communications with Cumberland Gap were cut. A considerable force was also sent over upon the south side of the river. The weary days of the siege passed slowly away. Skirmishing with the outposts, and cannonading between the hostile batteries, were almost contin uous. Head-quarters were at several times the object of the enemy's aim, and though no one was struck, the missiles were sent sufficiently sear to cause a lively sense of danger. A few conflicts between the opposing parties gave variety to the situation. On the night of the 20th, a brilliant sortie was made by a detachment of the seventeenth Michigan, which destroyed some houses that sheltered the enemy's sharpshooters. On the night of the 23d, the enemy made an 'attack upon our lines, gaining a temporary advan tage. On the 24th, Colonel Hartranft, with the forty-eighth Pennsylvania and the twenty-first Massachusetts regiments, made a counter assault, which reestablished our lines. On the same day, Colonel Mott had a smart engage ment, near Kingston, with the enemy's cavalry, under General Wheeler, and handsomely whipped them. But General Longstreet was now getting impa tient. He began to perceive the blunder which he had made. General Grant had dealt a staggering blow upon the enemy at Lookout Mountain, on the 23d and 24th. General Sherman was fast clos'ing up on Chattanooga. General Longstreet could not retreat to General Bragg. His pride would not allow AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 71 him to raise the siege without a battle, and retreat. through East Tennessee, north of the Holston. He determined to risk an assault. Fort Sanders was the point selected. Saturday, the 28th, was the day appointed, but every thing was not ready, and the attack did not take place until the next day. It had been anticipated and provided against. Early on Sunday morning, the 29th, the skirmishers on our front were driven in. During the night, indeed, there had been more or less firing, but . no serious demonstration. In the gray of the morning, the assaulting col umn, composed of three picked brigades appeared. The garrison of the fort was on the alert. The parapet had been strengthened, the ditch enlarged, trees felled in front, and wires stretched from stump to stump. Supports were brought up to be ready for any emergency. It was the brave Ninth Corps, and the day was glorious in its calendar. Onward came the masses of the foe. They struck and stumbled over the wires. But this obstruction was sopn passed. Amidst the deadly fire of our men, they pressed steadily on, with a courage that extorted admiration from their opponents. They cut away the abattis, they filled the ditch. Their way was marked by carnage and death. Would nothing stop those brave men? They looked into the mouth of the cannon, which blazed with fire and slaughter. They pushed each other up to the parapet. A few gained its top. But they could go no further. A terrible hand to hand conflict ensued! Grenades were flung into the ditch. Muskets were clubbed. Bayonets, sabres, even axes and spades were employed in the dreadful work. A.part of our troops made a sortie. An infernal and enfilading fire was poured upon the enemy. The assaulting columns were taken in flank. They faltered, reeled, hesitated, stopped, were hopelessly broken, and at last retired in great confusion. » General Longstreet had attempted too much. He had sent his chosen men to useless slaughter. He lost that day a thousand men and more. He had been told that Knoxville was impregnable to his assaults. General Burnside offered to the enemy — by flag of truce — the privilege of burying the dead, and removing the badly wounded. The permission was graciously received, and before night, Fort Sanders wore its wonted aspect. This was the last important event of the siege. General Grant had sent General Sherman to relieve Knoxville, as soon as that officer, with his com mand, became available. General Longstreet, baffled, disappointed, defeated, on the night of the 4th of December, raised the siege. On the 5th, General Sherman arrived within one day's march of the town, and was warmly thanked 72 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. by itsbeleagured commander. The enemy retreated through East Tennessee, almost free from pursuit, except from the direction of Cumberland Gap, for General Burnside had no troops available, and General Sherman was nearly two days in the rear. There were two smart engagements — one at Blain's cross-roads, the other at Bean's station — but General Longstreet got safely off, wintered in the valley of the upper Holston, leisurely made his way into Virginia, and finally joined General Lee for the momentous campaigns of 1864 and 1865. After his departure, East Tennessee was not again, troubled by the presence of a hostile force. During the siege, General Will- cox had held the command in the upper valley, had repulsed the enemy from that part of our lines, and had participated in the annoyance of the enemy on his retreat. On the 16th of November, General Burnside had been relieved of the command of the department of the Ohio, by General John. G. Foster. But General Foster was stopped at Cumberland Gap, by the operations of the siege, and it was not till nearly the middle of December, that he could assume command. General Burnside left Knoxville on the 14th, and arrived at his home in Providence on the 23d, to recover health and strength for the arduous labors that still demanded his fidelity. For the duties already performed in the department of the Ohio and in East Ten nessee, Congress tendered him its thanks. VII. THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC AGAIN. The spring of 1864 opened with the indications of a vigorous campaign against the enemy. General Qrant had been appointed, confirmed and com missioned LieutenantGeneral on the 2d of March, and, on the 12th of that month, was assigned to the command of all the armies of the- United States. Order, vigor, a settled purpose and plan at once took the place of the feeble and unstable policy that had characterized General Halleck's administration of military affairs. Two grand campaigns were now inaugurated. One in the west under General Sherman, towards Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, etc., and one in the east under the immediate direction of General Grant, towards Richmond. It was destined that General Burnside should take a prominent part in the latter enterprise. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 73 After a few weeks of quiet and repose in the midst of his friends, General Burnside, wishing for more active employment, submitted to the Secretary of War, a plan for the reorganization of the Ninth Corps, and for operations upon the coast of North Carolina. He desired to fill up the old regiments of the Ninth Corps, to recruit new regiments, and to raise one entire division of colored troops. With this force, advanced according to the original estimate to the number of fifty thousand men, he proposed to operate against Wil- i mington and in the interior of North Carolina. The department was favor able to the raising of colored troops, and .the recruiting of the old regiments. But it was not disposed at first to allow the Ninth Corps to be moved to. the east, or to favor the organization of new regiments. Operations against any point on the southern coast were to be made a subject of future consideration. Authority to go forward and fill up the Ninth Corps was given to General Burnside on the 29th of January, and for the next three months' he was engaged, with all possible energy, in fitting and arranging his command for the field. In the course of his labors, he had occasion to visit the different New England states, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Ohio, and other states in'the west. The legislatures of some of these states were in session, and General Burnside was made the recipient of many flattering testimonials of the public regard. By the middle of April, a great part of the work was done. The old regiments were enlarged, a few new regiments were added, and a division of colored troops was organized and equipped. The Ninth Corps numbered nearly twenty-five thousand men. Annapolis was desig nated as the rendezvous, and thither were moved all the troops from the west and the east, which already .belonged to the corps, and those which were to join its organization. , On the 11th of April, General Burnside left his home in Providence for his last campaign. Bythe 22d, all the command was concentrated at Annapolis, and on the 23d, its movement commenced. Up to the last moment, it was supposed at Annapolis, that the troops were to go by sea, and many a curious eye scanned the harbor and the bay to seek the transports that- were expected to convey them to their destination. But the troops marched, — their immediate destination being Alexandria. It soon became evident that the plan of a coast-wise expedition had been given up. On the night of the 24th, the troops encamped on the Bladensburg road, about six miles distant from Washington. The greater part of the 25th was occupied in passing through Washington. The corps was organized in four divisions, three of white — one of colored troops. It passed down Fourteenth 10 • 74 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. street, and marched in review before the President, General Burnside, and a number of civil and military dignitaries. Multitudes of spectators thronged the streets, and greeted the column with enthusiastic cheers., The colored division, under General Ferrero, was the first body of colored troops that had marched through Washington, and it elicited many expressions of welcome and approval. Mr. Lincoln himself seemed highly gratified,, and returned the cheers and plaudits of the passing soldiers with thankful and -courteous acknowledgment. The corps crossed Long Bridge, and went into camp near Alexandria, where General Burnside made his head-quarters. From that time until the 1st of May, the corps, engaged in guarding the Orange and Alex andria' Railroad, between Alexandria and the Rapidan* On the 27th of April, head-quarters were transferred to Warrenton Junction. On the 3d of May, the army of the Potomac broke camp, and commenced that grand movement which was finally to crush the rebellion. On the 4th, the Ninth Corps was ordered to follow and reenforce. On the 5th, General Lee struck the army of the Potomac, while on the march through the Wil- ¦ derness, and for two days, a battle of tremendous fury on both sides was fought. General Burnside made a forced march, arrived on the field on the morning of the second day, and by his timely coming, enabled General Grant to strengthen his disordered lines. While on the march, General Burnside perceived, at no great distance upon his right, clouds of dust betokening the movement of a large column of men. It was his old foe, General Longstreet, hurrying upon a parallel road to the aid of his commander, General Lee. On the next day, the rival commands came into collision. General Longstreet's forces were very severely handled, and their general badly wounded. On the 7th, General Lee fell back to an intrenched position around Spottsylvania Court House, followed closely by Generals. Burnside and Hancock, who were engaged at intervals during that and the following day, while on the march. The battles of this first week culminated on the 10th, by a sustained and vigorous attack on the enemy's position, in which General Burnside's com mand held the extreme left. The enemy lost, on this day, several guns and a thousand prisoners. The losses in killed and wounded on both sides were very heavy. No severer calamity befell the army of the Potomac, than the death of General John Sedgwick, a most admirable, brave and faithful soldier, and a genuine man. The Ninth Corps was called to mourn the death of General Thomas G. Stevenson, commander of the first division, who was killed on the morning of the 10th. He had belonged to the first North Ambrose Everett burnside. 75 Carolina expedition, and had gradually won his promotion, from the command of a regiment to that of a division, by faithful and devoted service. He was an honorable, high-minded, and brave soldier, and his death was like the loss of a personal friend to his chief. It is hardly within the province of this sketch to describe in detail the operations of General Grant in this stupendous campaign of the summer of 1864. Step by step, he pushed the enemy back, till he forced the rebel forces within the intrenchments of Richmond, crossed the James, and formally laid siege, with the army of the Potomac and that of the James, to both Peters burg and the rebel capital. But all this was done not without bloodiest battles. On the 12th of May, the very sanguinary and hotly-contested battle of Spottsylvania Court House took place. The Ninth Corps bore, in this fight, a very conspicuous and honorable part. It was engaged from "morning till night in different parts of the field. So gallant and desperate were the charges that it made, that, at one time, Colonel Griffin's brigade, of General Potter's division, had gained a foothold within the enemy's intrenchments, and came near to breaking his line and winning a decisive victory. Cojisid- erable ground was gained and held, but the enemy's second line of defence was too strong to be carried, and General Burnside was forced to be content with the advanced position which he had gallantly won. The results of the day's fighting all along the line were the capture of three thousand prisoners, eighteen pieces of artillery, many battle-flags, a large portion of the enemy's fortifications, and an advance from our line for a mile and a half. Second to none, in that glorious encounter, were the services of General Burnside and the gallant Ninth * Corps. For the next few days there was an interval of comparative quiet in the operations. But on the 18th, the fighting was renewed, with considerable loss, but without decisive results. In the course of the battle, the Ninth Corps made a remarkably daring but ah unsuccessful assault upon the enemy's position. General Lee was obstinate, and gave way only by being turned on the flank and pressed in front. But he was slowly pressed back, until, on the 23d, our army had reached the North Anna river. In this movement, in the skirmishing at the fords, and the crossing of the river, General Potter's division of the Ninth had borne itself in the most creditable manner, and had won for itself and its officers high encomium. In these operations, General Burnside had perceived the difficulty of moving and fighting two independent commands. Up to this time, in this campaign, the Ninth Corps had been a separate organization from the army 76 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. of the Potomac. It was, in fact, a distinct army. General Burnside had, indeed, always been ready to help his brother officers, by sending his divisions away for purposes of reenforcement — sometimes even denuding himself of a command to serve others. But he was under no orders but those of General Grant. He now wished to relieve the general commanding the army of the Potomac from all embarrassment, by consolidating the two commands. But how was this to be done ? Both General Burnside and his chief of staff, General Parke, outranked General Meade. If the two forces were joined, General Burnside would be the ranking officer. Accordingly Generals Burn side and Parke voluntarily waived their rank, and at General Bumside's own suggestion, the Ninth Corps, on the 25th of May, was incorporated into the army of the Potomac, General Burnside acknowledging obedience to General Meade. •By this act, General Burnside, for the sake of serving the country more effectually, voluntarily placed himself under the command of an inferior, as he had done once before in the case of General Pope. It was a deed of generosity of not common occurrence, and merits a particular commendation. General Grant had hoped to make a rapid movement to the upper James above Richmond, cross and connect with General Butler's army of the James near Manchester. But General Butler had been unable to attain a higher point than Bermuda Hundred, and General Lee's strong positions and fortified lines forbade a movement by our right. General Grant decided to move by the left, and by the 31st of May, the army had crossed the Pamunkey, and occupied the country between the Chickahominy and Bethesda Church. General Burnside, with the Ninth Corps, held the extreme right of our line, as it was then established — his right partially refused, his left at Bethesda Church. Before wholly abandoning his attempt to cross the James above Richmond, General Grant decided to make one more assault upon the enemy's position. In moving the troops and properly disposing them, on the 1st and 2d of June, several severe skirmishes took place. But there was no general engagement until the 3d, when was fought the battle of Cold Harbor. In this severe fight the contest raged along the entire line — eight miles in length — from daylight until noon. The key of the enemy's position was a redoubt or earthwork opposite General Hancock's corps, near Cold Har bor. In the course of the morning, the two divisions under General Barlow and General Gibbon, of Hancock's corps, made a magnificent charge, which swept before our advancing troops all opposing forces. They gained the crest, they mounted the parapet, they held the very point, of all others, AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 77 which would give us a complete victory. But the supports of these brave men were, for some reason, delayed. The advantage was lost. The divisions were driven out and back, and were forced to retire to our own lines under a murderous fire, from which they suffered severely. On the right, General Burnside — again opposed by General Longstreet's corps, supported by Gen eral Ewell's — made several gallant advances, and gained considerable ground. The enemy was driven out of his rifle-pits, forced back upon his main line of defence, his artillery silenced, and several of his caissons destroyed. General Burnside had made the necessary dispositions for a final charge, which prom ised a complete success, when, about noon, orders were received from General Meade, directing all offensive operations to cease. Brisk skirmishing contin ued through the day, but night fell upon the two armies in the same relative positions as were held in the morning. At midnight on the 6th, the enemy made a severe attack upon the Ninth Corps, but was bravely and speedily repulsed. A second attack was made, with the same result, upon the 7th. The next few days were occupied in caring for the wounded, burying the dead, dismantling the railroad to West Point in the rear of our lines, . and in preparation for a movement, which was soon developed into a change of base. General Grant gave up his plan of crossing the James above Richmond, and determined on throwing his entire army to the south side of the James, and attempting to carry Petersburg by assault or siege — as circumstances favored. On the night of the 12th, the movement commenced, and the great campaign north of 'the James river was over. In all the operations, the Ninth Corps had participated in a manner to reflect the highest honor upon all its officers and men, and especially so upon its brave and hopeful commander. No cam paign during the war had been at all so severe upon human endurance and courage, as these last forty days of marching and fighting. To say that the Ninth Corps had done all that had been required of it — had always done it promptly and gallantly — is to speak sufficient praise for both the living and the dead. The loss of the corps in killed, wounded and missing during this time was not less than seven thousand five hundred men. From the 12th to the 16th, the army was engaged in marching to its new position in front of Petersburg. It crossed the Chickahominy upon the bridges below White Oak Swamp, without material opposition from the enemy. Thence moving to the James river, it crossed on pontoon bridges, and marched at once to Petersburg. The Ninth Co^ps crossed just above Fort Powhattan, on the night of the 15th, and at ten a. m., on the 16th, the 78 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. advance was in front of Petersburg. In the course of the next three hours, the corps was put in position for attack upon the extreme left. But, for some reason, no attack was ordered by General Meade, until six o'clock, p. m., and then but a slight demonstration was made, and the troops were soon in bivouac. During the night, preparations were made for a general assault, and at daylight on the 17th, the Ninth Corps was alert and eager. The task assigned to General Potter's division by General Burnside, was, to carry the works in his front. Most nobly was the task performed. Griffin's brigade,' supported by Curtin's, sprang away to the attack, burst like a tornado upon the enemy, and swept his works, capturing four guns, fifteen hundred small arms, six hundred men with their officers, and a stand of colors. The other corps did not take much part in this affair. The fighting was done mostly by the Ninth Corps, of which General Potter's division gained and held the most advanced position in our lines during the entire siege, and General Ledlie's made some important captures. From the position gained, General Burnside was to throw a few shells into the city itself. On the 18th, a more severe and sanguinary battle was fought, in which the entire army was engaged. The advance made by the Ninth on the day previous, which could not be repulsed, had forced the enemy to abandon his first line of works, and to retire to the second. Against this, the army beat in vain through the weary hours of the long June day. At the close of the contest, the only advantage gained was by General Willcox, who steadily pushed forward his division, supported by one brigade of General Potter's, and actually gained and held new ground, establishing the line of the corps within one hundred yards of the enemy's works, and well across the Norfolk railroad. It was a very creditable engagement on the part of the corps, which, on this occasion, was under the immediate direction of General Parke. In the course of the next day, General Ferrero's division of colored troops, which had been occupied in guarding trains and other similar duty, since the opening of the campaign, was brought up to the front, and again incorporated with its proper command. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 79 VIII. THE PETERSBURG MINE. General Grant had now become convinced that Petersburg and Richmond could not easily be taken by assault. The slower and surer operations of a siege were therefore resolved upon. Our lines were accordingly regularly laid out, trenches dug, and approaches arranged. Head-quarters were estab lished at City Point, the army of the James held the lines north of the James, the army of the Potomac intrenched itself on the south. The enemy was harassed by frequent attacks, both from our right and left ; our lines were gradually extended, and though General Lee made several desperate attempts to release himself, he soon found that he was held with a gripe which could not, by any possibility at his command, be released for an instant. To move out of his intrenchments was certain and speedy destruction. To stay and be besieged, was equally as certain, though the process was slower and longer. The rebellion was doomed. Its utter collapse was now only a question of time. Our intrenched lines at Petersburg were very close to those of the enemy. Sharpshooters on either side were especially vigilant, and the expos ure of any part of the person near the works was extremely hazardous. Skirmishing and artillery fire were almost incessant. The Ninth Corps occu pied the salient of our works, and was distant about one hundred yards from a strong- redoubt of the enemy, situated just below the crest of Cemetery Hill, which was the dominating point of the enemy's entire position at Petersburg. Could some bold plan be devised by which this work and the crest of the hill in its rear might be made useless for the enemy's purposes, or might change hands altogether ? An officer in General Potter's division, who had looked over the whole ground with a professional eye, thought that there was a way by which so desirable a result could, be attained. He conceived the plan of mining the enemy's redoubt, and blowing it and its contents into the air. The regiment which he commanded had come from the mining region of Pennsylvania; he was himself a practical miner; his soldiers had talked over the matter around their camp-fires, and he and they were anxious to undertake the work. It was Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Pleasants, and the forty-eighth Pennsylvania regiment, which ,he commanded at the time, to 80 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. whom the credit is due of originating this bold project.. Colonel Pleasants communicated with his division commander, General Potter; he in turn with General Burnside, who laid the subject before General Meade. That officer consulted his engineer, Major J. C. Duane, who gave an adverse opinion respecting the plan. It was not the right place to construct a mine. More over, the whole plan was ridiculed as impracticable, and even impossible of execution. Nevertheless, General Meade, though professing to disapprove it, gave the enterprise his sanction, and authorized it to proceed. Colonel Pleasants and his men commenced work on the 25th of June, about meridian, and so vigorously did they conduct their labor, that by the 23d of July, a subterranean gallery of five hundred and ten feet in length, with two lateral galleries, one of thirty-seven the other of thirty-eight feet in length with eight magazines, had been constructed. The fact was reported at the head quarters of the army. Colonel Pleasants' account of his labors is very interesting. It seems that no general officer, except Generals Potter and Burnside, gave him any encouragement. He was obliged to carry out the earth in bread boxes, and to cut down bushes to strew over the newly excavated material, to prevent the suspicions of the enemy. He could not be allowed the use of the theo dolite at head-quarters for his measurements, and was obliged to send to Washington for an instrument. He met in the course of the digging with considerable muddy and marshy ground. The excavation was ventilated by means of a tube made of old lumber picked up about the camps, or captured from saw mills beyond our lines. The timbers to prop the mine were all prepared outside, and put up in the interior by hand, without the sound of hammer and axe. The whole quantity of material taken out was eighteen thousand cubic feet. Four magazines were placed in each lateral gallery, exactly beneath the enemy's earthwork. ' It was supposed, at one time, that the enemy suspected the existence of the mine, but after listening intently, it was ascertained that the garrison above was engaged upon its ordinary drill and labor, little imagining what was preparing immediately under their feet. The mine was tamped on the 27th and 28th of July, and on the 28th eight thousand pounds of powder were deposited in the magazines, and three fuses laid. General Bumside's plan, as submitted to the commanding general, con templated as many as six fuses and two wires, to ensure the explosion of the mine beyond question and without delay. But the fuse was furnished in AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 81 i pieces, and the only materials for splicing the ends. together were some old blankets. No wires at all were furnished. It would almost seem to an ordi nary observer, as though it had been determined at head-quarters, that the enterprise should fail, and that the adverse opinion, which had been given at the outset, should thus have its justification. Colonel Pleasants, in the face of all discouragements, persevered in the work, and at last reported it ready for explosion. Then General Meade seemed to have received some new light. For he then acknowledged, that he "had every reason to believe, that the explosion of the mine and the subsequent assault on the crest would be suc cessful, and would be followed by results which would have consisted in the capture of the whole of the enemy's artillery, and a greater part of his infantry." What then was to hinder his approval of the- plan of attack which General Burnside submitted, his assumption of the entire direction of the assault at the time of the explosion, and his reaping an abundant harvest- of distinction and glory from the brilliant results which he anticipated ? To answer the above question, it is necessary to go back a little in the course of the narrative, and consider for a moment some transactions that occurred earlier in the month. General Grant had been desirous of making a second assault before settling down to the comparatively quiet operations of a siege. He had therefore addressed a note to General Meade upon the subject, some time in June, and General Meade, on his part, had asked the advice of his corps commanders. General Burnside, on the 3d of July, replied, that he thought it best to wait until the mine was completed, unless it was a question of changing the plan of operations, in which case he was in favor of an immediate assault. Then he added : " If the assault be made now, I think we have a fair chance of success, provided my corps can make the attack, and it is left to me to say when and how the other two corps shall come in to my support." General Meade at once took offence at this remark, and appeared to believe that General Burnside was reflecting upon his skill as the commanding general, and wished to assume a prerogative which did not belong to him. In his reply, July 4, General Meade declared that, in all offensive operations, he should "exercise the prerogative of" his "position to control and direct the same," and intimated that an "acceding" on his part to General Bumside's "conditions" "would not be consistent with" his "position as commanding general of the army." General Burnside, of course, imme diately sent his disclaimer of any such ideas, feelings and motives, as General Meade had imputed to him — since they had existed nowhere but in the 82 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. slightly suspicious imagination of the latter officer. The correspondence closed, but General Meade did not forget it. On a subsequent day, his punc tiliousness became more painfully manifest, and was no small element in that combination of unfortunate circumstances, which changed an anticipated victory into a gloomy and deplorable defeat. The proximity of the Ninth Corps to the enemy rendered the men peculiarly liable to become the object of many a sharpshooter's aim. Con tinually exposed to an unerring fire from morning to night, it became a habit with them to seek cover at every possible opportunity. Duty in the trenches • also, during the opening days of a siege, is especially arduous. The season was unusually hot and dry. The consequence was, that the white soldiers, unaccustomed to such severe labors and such a trying exposure, became somewhat weary and partially exhausted. The colored troops, on the con trary, not having had much fighting, or much heavy work, were compara tively fresh. They were more accustomed to the hot summer's sun of the south. They were eager to take a more decided and conspicuous part in the conflict than had thus far been allotted them. General Burnside determined to make them his assaulting column at the explosion of the mine, and accord ingly directed their officers to examine the ground over which they were likely to cross, and to drill them in the rear of our own lines for the particular service which was expected of them. General Ferrero accordingly prepared his men for the assault, and, in the course of a week or two, had infused into them such a spirit of enthusiasm as promised the most flattering success. They were even proud to feel that at last their opportunity had come. They were more than gratified at the expression of confidence in them, which was implied by General Bumside's selection of them for the post of danger and honor. On the 26th, General Burnside was able to submit to General Meade the plan of attack, which he had proposed to himself, and, for which he had pre pared his troops. That was, to explode the mine just before daylight in the morning, or about five in the afternoon. Then he would immediately send in his division of colored troops in two columns of attack, the leading regiments of each to deploy into line as soon as they had passed through the breach, each column to wheel outward and sweep the enemy's line in both directions right and left, thus taking the foe in reverse and flank. Meanwhile, the other three divisions of white troops would follow and complete the work, by occu pying Cemetery Hill, and compelling the enemy to evacuate his line of works. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 83 The colored division would then enter the town. The other corps of the army, of course, were to furnish support and aid as these were needed. Up to this time, General Meade had determined to explode the mine without an assault. On the -28th, he had an interview with General Burnside, in which the subject was discussed. General Meade had now decided to make an assault, but dis approved of General Bumside's plan in its main features. He would not allow the colored division to lead the assault, nor would he allow the forma tion of the troops as proposed. A white division must attack, and instead of sweeping the enemy's lines, the troops were to "rush for the crest." In vain did General Burnside urge upon his attention the fact, that the white troops were almost worn out by their labors in the trenches, and were to a certain extent demoralized by their long and unwonted- exposure both to the heat and the enemy's unremitting fire, while the colored troops were fresh, strong, unwearied, and eager to participate in the contest more conspicuously than as yet they had had an opportunity of doing. But General Meade was inexorable. From the persistence with which he opposed the adoption of General Bumside's plan, one would suppose that he still believed that "acceding" to it might not be "consistent with his position as commanding general" of that army. After considerable discussion he agreed to refer the matter to the decision of General Grant. That officer had no personal knowledge of the subject, and could judge of the case only as it was sub mitted by General Meade. Of course, the decision was adverse to General Burnside; the colored troops were ruled out, and the whole plan of attack was deranged. On the 29th, General Meade again met General Burnside, and declared the result of his conference with General Grant. It was not far from noon. The mine was to be exploded at daylight on the 30th. The time for preparation was now very short. The commanders of the three white divisions met General Meade at General Bumside's head-quarters, and received verbal instructions. Written orders were transmitted from both officers ¦ to the corps and division commanders later in the day. The orders of General Meade were for General Burnside to assault with his white troops, make for the crest at once, sieze it and effect a lodgment there; for General Ord^ with the eighteenth corps, and General Mott's division of the second corps, to relieve the troops in the trenches, form in rear Of the ninth corps, and support the attack ; for General Hancock with the second corps to follow up the attack as circumstances favored ; for General Warren with the fifth 84 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. corps to concentrate his troops on his right and support the Ninth Corps; and for General Sheridan to move his cavalry corps against the enemy's right The question with General Burnside and his division commanders was now directed to the selection of the assaulting column. Which division should attack ? Each was equally good with the other. There was no choice between them. It was agreed to decide by lot, and the lot fell upon' the first division. General Ledlie immediately set about making his preparations, but the day closed before he had finished his examination of the ground. General Burnside issued his orders. The mine was to be exploded at half- past three o'clock in the morning of the 30th. General Ledlie was to move immediately and crown the crest, occupying the cemetery. General Willcox was to follow General Ledlie, bearing to the left, in order to protect the left flank of the leading column, and seize the Jerusalem plank road. General Potter was to move to the right of General Ledlie, and "establish a line on the crest of a ravine, which seemed to run from the Cemetery Hill, nearly at right angles to the enemy's main line." General Ferrero was to follow Gen eral Willcox to the front of our advanced line, then pass "over the same ground that General Ledlie moved over," and, moving through our line, to occupy, if possible, the village to the right. The short summer night passed anxiously away. General Burnside was somewhat chagrined that his care fully elaborated plan of attack should have thus been summarily disposed of. General Ferrero and his division were disappointed, and the other command ers were more or less disturbed. Nevertheless, General Burnside accepted ' the situation, complied strictly with General Meade's instructions, and issued his orders exactly in accordance with those of the commanding general If there was to be any failure, it would not be because the commander of the Ninth Corps had not made every preparation, as directed by his superior officer. The night deepened ; the morning drew on, and General Ord had not yet relieved the troops in the trenches. But, under General Meade-'s direc tion, General Ledlie was moved out, and the trenches were vacated. Soon after two o'clock, a. m., on the 30th, General Burnside left his head-quarters, and repaired to a battery on the front, known as "the fourteen gun battery," to direct the operations of his corps. General Meade soon after occupied the former head-quarters of the corps — a shady grove, nearly a mile in the rear, where nothing of the contested ground could be seen. Here General Grant AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 85 joined him. The "commanding general" was not in an amiable mood that morning, and he became more petulant and impatient as the day wore on. At half past three, Colonel Pleasants fired the fuses of the mine. The rebel redoubt was silent, and its garrison was all unconscious of the danger which was threatening. All eyes were anxiously directed upon the doomed work. Fifteen minutes passed, and all continued as before. No movement indicated any uncommon disturbance. Indeed, most of the enemy's forces had been moved to the north side of the James to repel a feigned attack made in that quarter on the previous day. Half an hour passed. There was no explosion. The garrison opposite began to bestir itself. The enemy's troops were returning from the other side. What was the cause of the delay? asks General Meade. General Burnside cannot reply because he is himself ascertaining the cause. The fuses had gone out. The powder had become damp in the places where the splices had been made. At quarter past four o'clock, two men, Lieutenant Jacob Douty and Sergeant (afterwards Lieu tenant) Henry Rees of the 48th Pennsylvania regiment, volunteered to go into the mine, to ascertain where the fuses had failed, to put them once again in order, and to relight them; They coolly and bravely performed that duty, relighted the fuses, and at sixteen minutes before five o'clock the mine exploded. Then ensued a scene that beggars description. The ground heaved and trembled. A terrific sound — like the noise of great thunders — burst upon the morning air. Huge masses of earth, mingled with cannon, caissons, camp equipage and human bodies, were thrown up. It seemed like a mountain reversed, enveloped in clouds of smoke and sand, upheaved by the explosion of four tons of powder. A moment more, and where stood a formidable fort now yawned a great crater, two hundred feet long, fifty wide, and twenty-five deep, with the debris of the material of what had been one of the strongest of the enemy's works. The effect upon the enemy's troops was wonderful. Some were paralyzed with fear and astonishment. Others fled, and for half an hour scarcely a gun was fired from the enemy's lines. General Ledlie's gallant men at once started to their work. Parapets were levelled, abattis were removed, and the division prepared to charge forward through the smoking ruins, to gain the crest beyond. But here the leading brigade (Gen eral Marshall's) made a temporary halt. It was said, at the time, that the men feared a counter-mine, and were themselves somewhat shocked by the terrible scene which they had just witnessed. It was, however, but a delay 86 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. of a few minutes. In less than quarter of an hour, the division was beyond the intrenchments and pushing bravely and rapidly forward across the open space in front. The ground was more difficult and broken than was supposed, but the troops made their way over every obstruction, and approached the enemy's lines. They descended into the crater. They struggled on through the disintegrated soil and sand. Many men of the enemy's forces were lying about among the ruins, half-buried, and vainly trying to extricate themselves. They called for mercy and for help. The soldiers stopped to take prisoners, to dig out guns and other material. Their division commander, General Ledlie, was not with them. He had remained behind when his men went forward. There was no head. The ranks were broken, the troops were becoming confused. Precious time was passing. The rebels were recovering from their panic. Our artillery, which had opened immediately after the explosion of the mine, began to receive a spirited response. General Willcox's division followed General Ledlie's, bearing slightly to the left, as ordered. General Potter led his division forward, and began to pass beyond his intrenchments. But the enemy was now showing signs of activity. The crater, and the open space between it and our lines, were filled with men. The enemy opened upon them from the right and left of the crater, and from the crest beyond. Our artillery could not keep down the fire which the enemy poured in from his batteries on the flanks of our advancing columns. Our men in the centre were checked. They struggled through the yielding sand, and climbed the slope. They stood upon the further lip of the crater. Here they were met by a severe and destructive fire of shrapnell and canister from a battery posted on the crest. The result anticipated by General Burnside was painfully evident. Despite the orders to press forward, the men began to seek cover. They halted to intrench. The enemy's ground was cut up by rifle-pits, covered ways and traverses, in every direction, and the opposing forces had to be driven out man by man. The movement to sweep the enemy's lines had been disapproved, and the advance movement could not be made except with extreme difficulty. More men poured into the crater. General Meade's orders to General Burnside were short and peremptory: "All your troops are to be pushed forward to the crest at once." The supporting corps did not attempt to make a diversion. The enemy at one time had abandoned his works in front of the fifth corps to engage in the battle around the crater. They could have been taken with a rush. But the fifth corps did not stir. General Meade's orders to General AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 87 Warren were, to attack if he thought it "practicable," or found an "oppor tunity." They were discretionary. General Warren did not think it practi cable, and made no attack nor even a demonstration. One division of General Ord's command attempted an advance, but it was made with no enthusiasm, and accomplished nothing. The lines are formed anew, with General Potter's division on the right, General Ledlie's in the centre, and General Willcox's on the left. Again our troops advance to the charge in the midst of the infernal fire from all sides. They pass the crater. They push up the acclivity. Some almost gain the crest. General Meade, from his head-quarters in the shady grove, where he can hear the roar of battle, but see nothing, orders General Burnside to "push forward" his "men at all hazards, white and black," and to have them "rush for the crest." General Ferrero is ordered in. Lieutenant-Colonel (now Brevet Major-General) Loring — General Bumside's inspector general — who had been forward and knew the nature of the ground and the confused state of affairs, remonstrates and countermands the order. But it is peremptory. It is a written order to General Burnside, curt and short, and must be obeyed. The colored troops go upon the field handsomely and enthusiastically. They pass through the crater and make a "rush for the crest." They capture and send to the rear a stand of colors. Then they are checked, repulsed and driven back. General Ord is ordered by General Meade to move forward his troops and prepares to do so, but finds that his position in rear of the Ninth Corps prevents his advance, and he can do little more than put men under fire without results. The troops, by their formation according to General Meade's order, are crowded together and cannot deploy, or form, or charge. They are suffering severely from the cross-fire to which they are subjected. Can nothing be done to relieve the struggling, all-sacrificing Ninth Corps? At half past six o'clock, General Burnside notifies General Meade, that it is about time for General Warren to be ready to attack. General Meade replies that "there is no object to be gained in occupying the enemy's line." Is the Ninth Corps then to be sacrificed, and no attempt made to stop that enfilading fire from the enemy's line? General Potter's division on the right and General Willcox's on the left, each hold about two hundred yards of the enemy's rifle-pits, but that is small relief. Again our troops essay an advance, white and colored attempting to gain the crest At 7.20 o'clock, General Burnside telegraphs to General Meade: "I am doing all in my power to push the troops forward, and, if possible, we will carry the crest. It is hard 88 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. work, but we hope to accomplish it." Ten minutes later, General Meade sends a written despatch: "What do you mean by hard work to take the crest? Do you mean that your officers will not obey your orders to advance? If not, what is the obstacle ? I wish to know the truth, and desire an imme diate answer." At 7.35 o'clock, General Burnside replies to the above ill- tempered effusion: "I do not mean to say that my officers and men will not obey my orders to advance to the crest." Then he adds: "I have never in any 'report said anything different from what I conceived to be the truth. Were it not insubordinate, I would say, that the latter remark of your note was unofficer-like and ungentlemanly" — which it undoubtedly was. While General Meade was thus working himself into a rage, time was passing, and the men in front, pressed back from the slope, were crowding into the crater, there mingling with those who had been sent forward by General Meade. At eight o'clock, we held the breach in the enemy's line and no more. The enemy was now emboldened to make an attack upon our troops in the crater, but was vigorously repulsed. General Burnside asked that the fifth corps might be ordered to attack, that a diversion might thus be made. His request was refused. The troops in front, finding that no supports were to be given them, and no demonstration made on any part of the line, began to give way. General Meade at nine and one half o'clock, directed all offensive operations to cease, and Generals Burnside, Warren and Ord to withdraw their troops to their own lines. Fifteen minutes later, he repeated the order peremptorily to General Burnside. The supporting corps were accordingly marched off in the sight of the enemy. General Meade, having crowded as many men as possible into a very limited space, having sent one entire corps and part of another into a chasm of yielding earth, directly under the guns of the enemy, and having tried to fight a battle without seeing a foot of the ground, retired to his own head-quarters in a pet, leaving the Ninth Corps still in the crater, and with no assistance from the rest of the army, to enable it to retire in safety. Through the entire action, General Burnside had not been allowed the slightest discretion in moving or fighting his troops, and he was now left to withdraw them as best he could. How to extricate his troops from the dangerous position .in which Gen eral Meade's orders had placed them, was now an anxious question for the commander of the Ninth Corps to answer. The intervening space between our lines of intrenchment and the crater, was swept by the enemy's fire. AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 89 The supporting corps, with the exception of a part of the eighteenth, that was holding the line of intrenchments, had marched to their former positions, or were on the way. Offensive operations had ceased upon our side. General Burnside at one time thought that the crater could be held as a salient, and be connected with our advanced works by lines of intrenchment. He gave orders to working parties from General Ferrero's division to throw up some rude breast-works to cover our men as they retired. But General Meade was positive in ordering the withdrawal of the troops, and there was no option but to obey. He also seemed impatient to have the men out of the crater, sending at different times to know about their condition. General Burnside accordingly communicated the orders to his division commanders, and the troops commenced retiring. The enemy, finding that he was not to be molested by the other parts of our army, concentrated his forces, and made several fierce attacks upon our men in the crater. These brave fellows were now exhausted. They knew that there could be no reenforcement. They could not withstand the enemy's attack. They hastily withdrew, suffering severe loss in so doing. A few gallant spirits — among whom was the fourth Rhode Island regiment, under LieutenankColonel M. P. Buffum — stubbornly held their ground, and fought desperately against the fearful odds. Colonel Buffum and some of his officers, the brave General Bartlett, the gallant Colonel Weld, of Massachusetts, and many other officers and men fell into the hands of the enemy. A large number of our troops were captured. At two o'clock, p. m., all was over. General Burnside had retired to his head-quarters, sorrow-stricken by the contemplation of the lamentable result. It was especially mortifying to feel that so promising a plan, and one so well prepared, should have failed so completely. General Meade attempted to try General Burnside by court martial, and prepared elaborate charges and speci fications. But they were extremely frivolous, and were disapproved by Gen eral Grant. The losses in this engagement amounted to about five thousand, in- killed, wounded and missing, nine-tenths of which fell upon the Ninth Corps, and were in large proportion incurred during the withdrawal. The second and fifth corps did not lose over fifty men. The cavalry met with inconsiderable loss in a smart engagement with the enemy's cavalry upon our extreme left. During the next fortnight, but little was done, except occasional skir mishing, in which the Ninth Corps had its share. The enemy sprang a counter-mine with but feeble results.. Our lines were gradually extended, and the enemy driven into closer limits. A court of inquiry, ordered by the 12 90 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. President "to examine into and report the facts" attendant upon the assault of July 30th, was in session at the head-quarters of the second corps, at different times, from the 6th of August to the 9th of September. General Burnside was relieved from the command of the Ninth Corps on the 13th of August, and immediately left the army for his home in Providence. He was not again called into active service, though the President refused to accept his resignation. The active operations of the army of the Potomac closed with the -surrender of General Lee and his army, on the 9th of April, 1865. General Burnside now pressed his resignation; it was finally accepted, and on the 15th day of April, he was freed from nil official connection with the army of the United States. Two bodies have investigated the facts and circumstances of the assault of the 30 th of July. One, the congressional committee on the conduct of the war, examined a large number of witnesses in the month of December, 1864, and in the report which was submitted to Congress, exonerated General Burnside from blame in the matter, and declared that the disastrous result of the attack was owing to the frustration of his plans, and the total disregard of his suggestions, "by a general who had evinced no faith in the successful prosecution of the work, had aided it by no countenance or open approval, and had assumed the entire direction and control only when it^was com pleted, and the time had come for reaping any advantages that might be derived from it." The other, the court of inquiry, censured General Burnside for not forming his troops so as to ensure a reasonable prospect of success; for not preparing his parapets and abatis for the egress of his assaulting columns; for not employing engineer officers; and for neglecting to execute Gen'eral Meade's orders, respecting the prompt advance of General Ledlie's troops from the crater to the crest, or, failing in that, for not withdrawing those troops and allowing others to take their place, who were more willing and able to perform the work. The court also censured the division officers, Generals Ledlie and Ferrero, f6r not accompanying their divisions to the crater, and General Willcox for not pushing forward his division with suffi cient energy. This is hardly the place for discussing the points made by the court. It may, however, be stated briefly, that General Burnside formed his troops according to the direction of General Meade, who ordered every move ment that was made, and who thrust in the troops, declaring that time must not be lost in "making formations," but that the troops must "rush for the crest;" that it was not possible to level the parapets and remove the abatis, AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 91 without making the movement known to the enemy, such was the proximity of the hostile lines; that this must have been an unimportant omission, since more troops passed out of the lines of intrenchment and beyond the abatis,' than it was possible to handle to advantage; that one regiment, with its proper officers,, accompanied each division, armed, equipped and supplied as engineers; that General Burnside executed every order of Gen eral Meade respecting the movement of his troops, through his division com manders — the only way in which he could execute them — that his orders were, on this point, remarkably clear and direct; that he could not order his troops out, as General Meade was continually ordering them in ; and that, finally, General Burnside cannot be blamed for allowing the enemy to con centrate his fire against the troops in the crater, since it was the business of the remainder of the army to employ the enemy sufficiently to prevent any such concentration. Certainly, that three corps should stand by, and permit the entire army of the enemy to pour its fire into one corps that was in a perilous position, is a fact not discreditable to General Burnside, who was not allowed to make a suggestion about his own corps, much less respecting those of other commanders, without a rebuke, but to General Meade himself, who had exercised the supreme control of every movement of every corps. The division commander, — for there was but one, — General Ledlie, who did not accompany his troops into the crater, was indeed censurable, but it is hardly just to blame General Burnside for his neglect of duty. General Ferrero, by the affidavits of his staff officers and others, is proved to have been with his division through the entire fight, and to have conducted himself — as was to be expected from his record — like a brave, skillful and gallant officer. It may also be stated, that the composition of the court Avas not such as would ensure an impartial verdict. General Hancock, its president, was in command of a supporting corps. General Miles was in command of a brigade in Gen eral Hancock's corps. General Ayres was in command of the division on the left of the Ninth Corps, and which was expected to take part in the battle. Colonel Shriver, the judge advocate, was inspector-general on the staff of General Meade. It was not a disinterested court. General Hancock, who is a gallant and honorable soldier, protested earnestly, but in vain, against its composition. The testimony was ex parte. Members of General Bumside's staff, who were actually in the midst of the engagement, were not called upon to testify, while General Ayres, himself a member of the court, took the stand as a witness. Finally, the decision is contrary to fact in some 92 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. instances — as in the case of General Ferrero — and is discrepant with itself. The public mind, upon a fair examination of the facts, as here recorded, will decide with the committee on the conduct of the war, rather than with the court of inquiry. Subsequently to his withdrawal from the army, General Burnside had been quietly engaged in business in New York and at the West, until, in the spring of 1866, the people of Rhode Island demanded an opportunity of expressing their approval of the course of their favorite general. A conven tion was held at Providence on the 20th of March, at which General Burnside was nominated by acclamation and with the utmost unanimity, as a candidate for the office of governor of Rhode Island. On the 4th of April, the people at the polls ratified the doings of the convention, and General Burnside was elected without serious opposition to the honorable station of governor of his adopted state. On Tuesday, the 29th of May, he was inaugurated into his high office at Newport, amid a greater amount of enthusiasm than had ever before stirred the hearts of the people. The city sergeant made the custom ary proclamation from the balcony of the State House, that "His Excellency Ambrose Everett Burnside, had been duly elected captain-general and com mander-in-chief of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." The cannon roared, the people that thronged the streets cheered, and Gov ernor Burnside was gratified to know that his fellow-citizens considered it a delight and satisfaction to do him honor. It is scarcely necessary, in closing this sketch, to sum up General Burn- side's characteristics. He has shown himself to be one of our bravest and best generals, and a man of eminent integrity of character. Whenever, in the course of the war, he has had the control of affairs, unhampered by the unwarranted interference of his superior officers, and assisted by the cordial cooperation of his subordinates, he has been gloriously successful. It was not his fault that he suffered defeat at Fredericksburg and Petersburg. In North Carolina, Ohio, and East Tennessee, he has written for himself an imperishable record of fidelity, patriotism and success. The manliness and generosity of his nature shines through every part of his private life. The ways of his career never ran "in the corrupted currents" of the world, but have always flowed from the purest purposes and principles. Selfish men, who live only for their own aggrandizement ; men who are jealous of public favor, and cannot endure to hear a rival commended ^ men who are punctil ious of their position and rank, and would be willing to see a battle lost and their country's cause imperilled, rather than waive a tittle of their conven- AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 93 tional authority, cannot appreciate the nobleness of that self-abnegation for the sake of duty, freedom and the country, which has been so well and brightly illustrated in the private and pubhc life of General Burnside. Still more is that life adorned by the presence within it of a deep religious principle, and an unfeigned trust in God. He has thus secured in his retire ment from the army and in his civil position, the grateful esteem, confidence and love of all who know and can rightly estimate his worth. It remains simply to enumerate the Rhode Island officers and men who have served under General Bumside's command. Upon his immediate staff have been Brevet Brigadier-General Lewis Richmond, of Bristol, assistant adjutantgeneral; Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan A. Pell, of Newport, aide-de-camp ; Brevet Lieutenanf>Colonel Robert H. I. Goddard, of Providence, aide-de-camp ; Captain Daniel S. Remington, of Providence, assistant quarter master; Captains James D. DeWolf, of Bristol, and William H. French, of Providence, commissaries of subsistence ; Doctors Henry W. Rivers, of Provi dence, head-quarters surgeon, and James Harris, of Providence, medical director of the Ninth Corps. In the early part of the war, the first and second Rhode Island regiments and the first battery; in the North Carolina expedition, the fourth and fifth, and battery F, first Rhode Island light artillery; while in command of the army of the Potomac, the second, fourth, seventh, and twelfth, the first Rhode Island Cavalry, and all the batteries except F and H, were under his command. The fourth, seventh and twelfth, and battery D, were incorporated into the Ninth Corps, and, with the exception of the fourth and twelfth, participated in the East Tennessee movement, and the subsequent operations of the corps. The fourth was left at Suffolk when the corps went west, but afterwards rejoined it when in front of Petersburg. Commanding divisions in that corps were Major-General Isaac I. Stevens, of Newport, one of the ablest men and finest soldiers in the country, who was killed in the battle of Chantilly, Virginia, September 1st, 1862; and Brigadier- General Isaac P. Rodman, a most worthy citizen and a brave and promising soldier, who was mortally wounded in the battle of Antietam, September 17th, 1862. These Rhode Island men and soldiers General Burnside loved and trusted. The living he holds in high esteem. The memory of the dead he cherishes with a grateful reverence. Ekkatum^ The last sentence of the second paragraph on page 80, should read: "On the 27th of July, eight thousand pounds of powder were deposited in the magazines, and three fuses laid; and on the night of the 27th and the 28th, the mine was tamped." y»Xtvb C< ^v>» MAJ GEM. SILAS CAuEY, SILAS CASEY. ^ajor General Silas Casey was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, on the 12th of July, 1807. His grandfather, Silas, and his father, Wanton Casey, were natives of the same place, The former was an extensive importing merchant before the revolution. The latter pursued his education in France during the revolution, and there became an intimate acquaintance of Dr. Franklin, while minister to that country. His maternal grandfather, Major Nathan Goodale, was a native of Brookfield, Massachu setts. He served in the army of the revolution, and was distinguished in the engagements which preceded the surrender of Burgoyne. The subject of this sketch entered the military academy at West Point in June, 1822, when nearly fifteen years of age. He graduated in 1826, and was appointed a Brevet Second Lieutenant in the seventh regiment of United States infantry, stationed at Fort Towson, then the territory of Arkan sas, now within the Choctaw nation. While stationed at Fort Towson, the Osage and Pawnee Indians were quite troublesome, and Casey was often actively engaged in their pursuit. On one occasion, a party of the Pawnees came within a few miles of the post, and killed a corporal and drummer, who belonged to the company commanded at that time by him. Lieutenant Casey obtained permission from Major Burch, the officer commanding the post,- to follow the enemy. He collected a party of fifteen frontier men, who then resided near the fort, to whom were added eight soldiers, all well mounted. The next morning he commenced the pursuit of the enemy, and by the assists ance of a Delaware Indian, a celebrated tracker, who accompanied the party, came upon them on the afternoon of the second day, near one hundred miles 96 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. from the fort. The Indians had halted in a creek bottom, and when discov ered were dancing around the scalps of the murdered men. Fortunately the party were not discovered until the attack commenced. A number of the Indians were killed, and all the bows, quivers, guns, and spoils of their camp captured. He also recovered the scalps, and all the articles taken from the men whom they had killed. The Delaware Chief was the only person of the party who was wounded. He shot a Pawnee through the body with a rifle ball, and, when attempting to scalp him, received a severe wound in the groin, from an arrow which the wounded Indian shot at him while lying on his back. In 1829, Lieutenant Casey was promoted to a second lieutenancy of a company in the second regiment of infantry, then stationed at Madison Bar racks, Sackett's Harbor, New York. On the 12th of July, 1830, he was married to Miss Abby P. P. Pearce, daughter of the Honorable Dutee J. Pearce, of Newport, Rhode Island. The issue of the marriage is seven children, five of whom survive. The eldest son, Thomas Lincoln, graduated at the military academy, West Point, in 1852, at the head of his class, and is now a major in the corps of engineers. The second son, Silas, is a graduate of the naval academy at Annapolis, and now a lieutenant in the navy. His eldest daughter, Abby Pearce, is the wife of Brigadier-General L. C. Hunt, and his youngest daughter, Elizabeth Goodale, is the wife of Major R. N. Scott, on the staff of Major-General Halleck. In 1832, Lieutenant Casey was ordered on the recruiting service, and the following year was stationed at Fort Niagara. In 1835, Lieutenant Casey, then stationed at Fort Gratiot, Michigan, was ordered to the Creek country in Alabama. An attempt having been made to remove the Creeks from Alabama to Arkansas, the Indians broke out into hos tilities. After being engaged for some time in that country in active service, young Casey was appointed a captain and quarter-master of the regiments of Creek volunteers which were sent to Florida to assist in subduing the Seminoles. He remained with those regiments until the battle of the Wahoo swamp, when a severe attack of the dysentery rendering it necessary that he should give up his situation in the Creek regiments, he joined his company, which was then stationed in Lowndes county, Georgia, a few miles from the Florida line. He was actively engaged in the Seminole war, until May, 1842, when the regi ment was ordered to the northern lakes. He performed very arduous ser vices in Florida, following the enemy through swamps and morasses, and was SILAS CASEY. 97 so engaged for five years. He was distinguished at the battle of Pilaklikaha, the last time that the enemy attempted any stand against the regular troops. He was mentioned to the government by General Worth, who commanded, in the following terms: "Captain Silas Casey, an officer of rare merit, equally intelligent and persevering in the pursuit and combat of the enemy, is recommended for the appointment of brevet major." Captain Casey was stationed at Buffalo, New York, until 1845. On the breaking out of the war with Mexico, he was in command of Fort Michili- macinac, Michigan. In March, 1847, he was ordered with his company to join his regiment in Mexico. He arrived at Vera Cruz in June, and joined his regiment at Puebla in July, his company constituting the advanced guard of General Pillow's columns, on their march from Vera Cruz to Puebla. The division to which the second infantry was attached, was the second of regulars, commanded by General Twiggs, and the brigade by General Riley. The division marched from Puebla on the 8th of August, for that memorable campaign made by General Scott in the valley of Mexico, which conquered the Mexican republic. On the 19th of August, Captain Casey being ordered forward with his company in advance of the regiment, then near the village of San Jeronome, was attacked, while in extended order, by a large force of lancers. They came down upon him at full speed, with their lances at a charge. He succeeded in taking advantage of a small low ravine which was near at hand, cautioning his men to remain firm. On the near approach of the enemy, his company gave a deliberate fire, which unsaddled ten of the leading men, including the officer in command, (said to have been General Fronteras,) who, with his horse, fell dead within a. few yards of Casey. Captain Casey was much assisted in keeping his men firm, by his lieutenant,- Steele, now Major-General Frederick Steele, of the volunteer service. The company of the regiment which first arrived to his assistance, was commanded by Captain, afterwards General Lyon, who was killed in Missouri, most gallantly fighting the enemies of his country. At the storming of Contreras on the following day, Captain Casey commanded the leading division of one of the two columns of attack, into which the storming brigade was formed. It was skirmishers from this division, under command of Brevet Captain Steele, Avho first fired on the enemy, and who had the first wounded men. Captain Casey was near Captain Drum, when that officer laid his hand on the brass pieces, which had 98 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. been taken from our forces at Buena Vista, and recaptured at Contreras. Actively pursuing the enemy, and capturing several pieces of cannon, he assisted in hemming in between two brick walls a large party of lancers, who surrendered themselves his prisoners. At the severely contested fight at Churubusco, which commenced about twelve o'clock the same day, he was actively and closely engaged, and the portion of the second infantry, with the colors, under his immediate command, were among the first t/> enter the enemy's works. Captain Casey was breveted a major, for gallant and distin guished conduct in the actions of Contreras and Churubusco. At the storming of Chepultepec, he was selected to lead a picked body of two hundred and fifty volunteers, from the second division of regulars. While leading his men through a tremendous fire, he was severely wounded in the abdomen, when near the batteries of the enemy. The command then devolved upon the next in command, Captain, now Brigadier-General Paul. The wound of Captain Casey confined him to his bed for a month.. He received, for gallant conduct in the action, the brevet rank of lieutenant- colonel, and was also the recipient of a beautiful silver vase from the inhabi tants of his native town, and a resolution of thanks from the legislature of Rhode Island, as a memento of their appreciation of his services and conduct in the war with Mexico. After the termination of the Mexican war, the second regiment of infantry was ordered to California. LieutenantColonel Casey embarked in the ship Iowa, with a part of the regiment, and after, a long and tedious voyage of five months around Cape Horn, arrived at Monterey. He remained in California until 1852, being there at the time of the adoption of the state constitution, and during the most trying period of her history. In 1849, while stationed at Benecia, Lieutenant-Colonel Casey was ordered to the command of an expedition for the first exploration of a rail road track across the Sierra Nevada. The surveying party being attacked by the Pitt river Indians, and the engineer killed, the expedition, from that fact, and also from the ravages of the fever and scurvy, was forced to return ¦without entirely accomplishing its object In 1851, Lieutenant-Colonel Casey was ordered, with a command of four companies, to chastise the Coquede river Indians, who had attacked a party of whites while crossing the river. Finding it difficult to operate by land, owing to the extent of the morasses, and the swampy nature of the grounds, he succeeded in transporting across the country from Fort Orford three SILAS CASEY. 99 whale boats. With these he succeeded in ascending the river, and completely defeating the Indians. His command were said to have been the first white men who had ever ascended that river. In 1852, he was ordered to New York on the recruiting service. In 1854, he was detailed a president of a board for the examination of a system of light infantry tactics, which, by direction of the War Department, had been translated from the French by Lieutenant-Colonel Hardee. This board revised, corrected and amended the translation, and the tactics, thus prepared, were adopted by the War Depart ment. In the same year, Captain and Brevet LieutenantColonel Casey received the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel in the ninth regiment of infantry, the raising of which had just been authorized. The regiment, when organized, was ordered to Washington Territory. After arriving at the place of destination, LieutenantColonel Casey was placed in command of the district of Puget Sound, head-quarters at Fort Steilacoom ; thence to conduct a cam paign against the Indians of that section of country. He so far subdued the Indians in a campaign of twenty-five days, that those who did not surren der, fled across the mountains, and took refuge with the Yakimas. He thus nipped in the bud that which many thought would be a second Florida war. On the communication forwarding the report of LieutenantColonel Casey's 'operations to the War Department, Major-General Wool, who then commanded on the Pacific coast, made the following endorsement, viz. : "Respectfully -forwarded. I approve, in all respects, of Lieutenantr Colonel Casey's conduct. No officer could have conducted the affairs on Puget Sound with more skill, enterprise, and activity, at the same time with greater discretion and sound judgment, than the colonel." Lieutenant-Colonel Casey left California in July, 1861, on a leave of absence, arriving in New York in August. The report of the battle of Bull Run was brought on board the steamer, when off Sandy Hook, by the pilot. Lieutenant-Colonel Casey soon repaired to Washington, gave up his leave of absence, and offered his services to the government. He received the appointment of brigadier-general of volunteers, and was placed on duty in the city of Washington, on the 12th of September. The duty assigned General Casey was that of receiving, encamping, organizing into brigades, disciplining and instructing the volunteers who reported at the city of Washington. About one hundred and fifty thousand men passed through his hands, and he was instrumental in organizing some of the best brigades in the army. On the 20th of March, General. Casey was assigned to the command of a division 100 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. in the army of the Potomac, and marched with the army, under General McClellan, to the Peninsula. The division he commanded was' attached to the fourth corps, commanded by General Keyes. Eight regiments of Casey's division were raw troops. Several of the regiments had received arms only the day previous to leaving Washington. The division suffered much on the Peninsula, both from the inefficiency of the quarter-master's department, and from the want of medical supplies. The division in advance Was intrenched within seven or eight miles of Richmond. Contrary to the opinion and advice of General Casey, he was ordered to move his division forward about three-fourths of a mile, leaving the flanks entirely unprotected. The division was attacked, on the 31st of May, by an overwhelming force of about thirty- five thousand men, and, after an obstinate resistance of three hours, was forced to the rear, after inflicting a terrible loss on the enemy, and with a loss of nearly one-third of their own number. The force that attacked Casey's division drove the division of General Couch from their intrenchments, and they were ordered to retreat, although reenforced by the other division of the corps, commanded by General Peck, and the corps of General Heintzelman, commanded by Heintzelman in person. Casey's obstinate resistance gave time for General Sumner to cross the river, and threaten the flank of the enemy, and it was that event alone which forced the enemy to halt in his career. General McClellan, who promulgated the false telegram with regard to the division, was not within -twenty miles of the battle-field until the next day. One reason for that telegram was the fact, that the division had been placed in an entirely false military position, and those who were concerned in the statement were willing to cover up their military blunder by sacrificing the good name of the division and its com mander. It is proper, however, here to state, that General McClellan after ward retracted much of the censure which he had thrown upon a division ¦which had acted with much devotion to its country's cause. General Kearney, who commanded a division in the corps of General Heintzelman, and the first of the corps who arrived on the battle-field, says, in -his report : " As it was, Casey's division held its line of battle for more than three hours, and the execution done upon the enemy was shown by the number of rebel dead left upon the field after the enemy had held possession of it for upwards of twenty-four hours." Much light has been thrown on the behavior of the division, by state ments from the enemy. General Hill, who commanded one of the attacking SILAS CASEY. 101 columns, said to an officer of General McClellan's staff, who was sent over under a flag of truce, "that he was astonished that any blame should have been cast on General Casey and his division. They fought with as great obstinacy, as he ever wished to see men fight." • The following ois a copy of a letter received by General Casey from an old officer in the army, who had been a prisoner in Richmond : " Cincinnati, Ohio, March 4th, 1863. General Silas Casey, Washington, D. C. : Dear General: — When in Washington, you expressed a wish that I ' should communicate to you in writing, what I then told you in conversation, was the estimate by officers of the confederate service engaged in the battle of Fair Oaks, of your conduct and that of your troops on that occasion. I therefore again state, that while a prisoner in Richmond, I met confederate officers who expressed- their surprise that any censure should have been cast upon you or your troops, for the part they bore in that battle. That so far from the troops under your command having acted badly, they behaved nobly, and resisted with admirable obstinacy an overwhelming attack ; and that this was the opinion of the confederate officers generally who participated in the fight. Very truly yours, (Signea,> I. A.' Simpson, Major Topographical Engineers, late Colonel Fourth New Jersey Volunteers" When it is. considered that a body of less than five thousand men, for three hours resisted the advance of more than five times their number, doing it with an immense loss and under a murderous fire of G#mnon and small arms, the conduct of Casey's division deserved praise instead of censure. The unavoidable rout of the one hundred and third Pennsylvania caused the storm of censure, which has been so undeservedly heaped upon a body of troops, who nobly fought their first battle. Brigadier-General Casey was appointed a major-general of volunteers, on the 24th of March, 1863. The government was so well satisfied with his conduct on the day of the battle, that his commission as major-general was dated the 31st of May, 1862. Casey was also made a brevet brigadier- general in the regular army, for gallant conduct in the field of battle, to date the same day. On the 30th of June, General Casey was relieved from, the command of his division by General McClellan, and ordered in command of the White 102 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. House, for the purpose of superintending the evacuation of that depot. He performed that duty successfully, and reported, July 2d, in person to Gen eral McClellan, at Harrison's Landing, just about the time he was being driven upon the James river, with a portion of his army much demoralized. Inasmuch as General McClellan refused to restore General Casey to his old division, or to give him a command adequate to his rank, he applied for, and received authority to report in person to the adjutant-general, at Washington. On the 11th of August, by an order from the Secretary of War, he was again placed on duty, to receive, organize and instruct the volunteers arriving in the city of Washington. While stationed on the Pacific coast, General Casey had prepared a system of tactics applicable to all the infantry forces of the United States. The system of tactics translated from the French by Major-General Winfield Scott, was the prescribed system in use in our armies, and had so been since 1835. General Scott adhered to his system with great pertinacity, and woe be to that officer who dared to advance any opinion, which would in any manner indicate that the general did not in himself monopolize all tactical science. It was therefore with some difficulty, that the consent of the War Depart ment, to place five hundred copies of Casey's tactics in the hands of the prin cipal officers of the army for trial, could be obtained. From the result of the official reports thus obtained, the government, on the 11th of August, 1862, adopted the tactics of General Casey, for the regular, volunteer and militia of the United States armies. In May, 1863, in addition to his other duties, General Casey was detailed as president of a board, for the purpose of examining candidates for appoint ment as officers of colored troops, whom the government was about introduc ing in the service. The movement was at first very unpopular with a portion of the people of the country, as also with a large portion of the army. The general, although somewhat doubtful at first with regard to operating in large bodies with that species of .force, determined that, so far as he was con cerned, it should have a fair trial. The board of which General Casey was president, examined nearly three thousand candidates, seventeen hundred of whom they recommended for commissions in various grades. From the con current reports received from various sources, there is but little doubt that the success of the colored troops in the field has been brought about, in no small degree, by the action of the board. SILAS CASEY. 103 Nearly three hundred thousancfvolunteer troops were recruited, equipped, organized, and in a prehminary manner instructed. Those brigades which remained for any length of time with the general, invariably distinguished themselves in the field. The plan of drafting, by appointing a provostmar- shal general to Congressional districts, was .first proposed to the government by General Casey. The General's wife died in the city of Washington on the 10th of March, 1862. She had been his faithful and devoted companion for nearly thirty-two years. Called to pass through many trials and hardships incident to his pro fession, .she performed her duties with singular fortitude and perseverance. General Casey was married to his second wife, Miss Florida Gordon, of Washington, on the 12th of July, 1864. The following is the testimony of the Rev. J. Marks, D. D., who was in Richmond at the time of the battle of Fair Oaks : " Many of the confederate officers whom I met in Richmond, and before it, uniformly spoke in the highest terms of the bravery of General Casey ; and said that his troops fought as well as they had ever known fresh and undisciplined regiments, and that they met from them a far more vigorous resistance than they had anticipated. " They said that the position of General Casey was one of the greatest peril. Thrown in advance of Hooker and Kearney three miles, if they threw against him a large force it Was almost impossible to reenforce him in season to prevent defeat. That they had expected to cut his division to pieces, and before reinforcements could possibly arrive, drive back the shattered regi ments, to bear with them consternation and panic. "But, so far from this being realized, the unyielding firmness of this division prevented their cutting through our left-wing, capturing a part, and demoralizing the whole ; for it held out against them until reinforcements came up. I was glad to hear them vindicated, and relieved from those charges which were so unjust and painful." '% -""- -"- ¦-"¦ -"- tfc " ¦¦ ¦ I ( HA ' WILl JA1\ I S PRAGT \E , of R. J . WILLIAM SPRAGUE. « »«^ » 'he Honorable William Sprague was bom in Cranston, Rhode Island, on the 11th of September, 1830, and is therefore now thirty-six years of age. His father was Amasa Sprague. His grandfather, William Sprague, early engaged in cotton manufactures, and particularly in the business of calico printing. He was among the first in the United States to attempt the latter. His works were erected in Cranston, about three miles from Providence, where he commenced with the most simple style of prints, known as "indigo blues." William Sprague was associated in business with his sons Amasa and William, both of whom, being brought up in the mills and print works, obtained a thorough knowledge of the business in all its details. Their cotton mills were in Cranston, Johnston, and in the village of Natick ; but the goods manufactured there were quite inadequate to furnish the supply for their calico works, which were enlarged as their efforts were successful, and the demand for their goods increased. William Sprague, the elder, died in 1836, when the entire business fell into the hands of his sons before mentioned, who then formed a new firm, under, the name of A. & W, Sprague. The death of the father proved no check to the business ; on the contrary, the new house continued to enlarge their works, and to erect new mills. Several of large capacity were erected at Natick ; and soon after, the firm purchased two other mills belonging to C. & W. Rhodes, which gave them the entire water power of that place. But the Messrs. Sprague did not stop here, for they subsequently erected additional mills in the villages of Arctic and Quidneck ; all were substantial structures of brick or stone, of four and five stories, with the usual dwelling- houses for the operatives, thereby forming populous villages. 106 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Amasa died in the year 1843, leaving two sons, Amasa and William. The firm continued without change. The surviving partner, William, like most men of fortune and influence, was induced to enter political life. He first became a member of the General Assembly of Rhode Island, and soon after was sent a representative to Congress. Next, he was elected governor, and subsequently a senator in Congress. The death of his brother Amasa and his greatly increasing business obliged him to relinquish the latter office. He now continued to devote his whole time to business, enlarging and extend ing his works until the year 1856, when, after a very brief illness, his career was closed hy death, at the age of fifty-six years, leaving one son, Byron. At the time of the death of the first Governor Sprague, it was believed that, owing to the youth of his nephews Amasa and William and of his son Byron, the great scheme he had laid out for erecting another cotton mill, which should surpass any that the firm then owned or any in the state, would be abandoned. Indeed the business friends of the young men strongly urged this step, under the impression that their eight large cotton mills and exten sive print works would be as much as they could manage profitably. Most men, thus deprived of their long-experienced guide, and with a business so vast upon their hands, would gladly have reduced their responsibilities and curtailed their business ; but our young men thought differently, even though (owing to the commercial crisis which followed soon after, in 1857) the prospects were anything but favorable. The firm was continued as before. William, the subject of this sketch, then but twenty-six years of age, determined to carry out all the plans of his uncle, in which determination his brother and cousin joined. The great cotton mill at Baltic was erected and filled with machinery, large dams were constructed, and one hundred dwelling-houses were built, involving an expen diture of five hundred thousand dollars. This mill is built of stone, is one thousand feet in length, five stories high, and contains eighty thousand spindles. Having thus given a brief sketch of the history of the firm of A. & W. Sprague during the three generations they have carried on the manufacturing and printing business, we shall now speak more particularly of the subject of this sketch, the present William Sprague, governor of the state of Rhode Island from May, 1860, to May, 1863, embracing the first two years of the rebellion, and now senator in the Congress of the United States from the same state. WILLIAM SPRAGUE. 107 It has been stated that he was born in 1830. His education was confined to what could be obtained at the common school which he attended in his native village of Cranston, and in those of East Greenwich and Scituate, until he was thirteen years of age, when he was sent to the Irving Institute at Tarrytown, in the state of.New York, where he remained two years. Returning then, he was by his uncle placed in what is usually called the "factory store;" that is, the shop attached to the calico works, in Cranston, where goods of all kinds are furnished to the operatives. Here William remained one year, when he was transferred to the counting-room of A. & W. Sprague, in Providence, where he did the work usually performed by the youngest boys, although this work is now performed in most counting-houses by laboring men. Here our lad opened the office, made the fires, cleaned the lamps, swept out the office, and did such other drudgery as appertained to the station; all of which he performed in so satisfactory a manner, that after three years so employed he was promoted to the place of book-keeper. No young .man ever felt the importance of his position more than William did, when, at the age of nine teen, he found himself book-keeper in the great establishment of his father and uncle. But a few years earlier he was dealing out tapes and buttons, pins and needles, molasses, oil and tobacco, to the crowds of men, women and children who, during the recess of their labors, came to make their purchases. Now, he was occupied in keeping accounts which amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The sales of the house were wholly of packages of goods, and their purchases of hundreds of bales of cotton, or of large invoices of dye-stuffs. William continued to fill the place of book-keeper, to the entire satisfac tion of his uncle, for three years, during which time, by his constant attention, he made himself familiar with all the ramifications of their extensive business; so that, when he attained the age of twenty-two years, he relinquished his position in the counting-room, and assumed that of an active participant in the concern. Here his active mind was constantly exercised; there was no portion of the business that did not come under his eye, and with which, from actual experience, he was not acquainted. Four years after (1856), his uncle died, when he was compelled to assume the whole weight of the busi ness; and not content with this, as before stated, he finished the various projects which were commenced by his uncle. These were the erection of their great Baltic cotton mill and the completion of the Providence, Hartford and Fishkill Railroad, in which the firm were largely interested. During the 108 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. years that have elapsed since the death of the elder Governor Sprague, the business of the concern, large as it was in his time, has, chiefly, under the direc tion of William, been doubled, until the firm may now be said to be the largest cahco establishment in the world. The company now own and have in opera tion nine cotton mills, the full capacity of which, together, is eight hundred thousand yards a week; while their printing establishment, when in full oper ation, is capable of turning out twenty-five thousand pieces, or about one million yards of prints, in the same time. It should be remarked that the firm sell their goods through their own houses, in the great markets of New York, Philadelphia and Boston, in addition to their sales in Providence. Such is, in brief, a history of the business concerns of Messrs. A. & W. Sprague. We leave this, and shall now speak of the political and military career of the subject of our memoir. Quite early in life William manifested a strong passion for the military art. When 'twelve years of age, he formed a company of forty boys, most of whom were older than himself; yet such was his influence among them, that he was chosen their captain. This was in 1842, a year memorable in the annals of Rhode Island as that of the insurrection, or, what is more generally known in the state, as the "Dorr War." A military spirit then prevailed throughout the state. Companies were everywhere organized, and constant drilling was kept up. This was deemed necessary, not alone to suppress the insurrection, but also for protection from attacks from without, which were threatened, particularly from New York. Our young soldier, not content with commanding his forty boys, resigned his place, compelled his youthful adhe rents to elect him governor, and then assumed to himself the appointment of his own officers. At this time, the insurrectionists, under the command of Mr. Dorr, had assembled at Acote's Hill, in Chepachet, whither the state forces were advancing. Young Sprague, determined not to be outdone, also marched his band of young patriots towards Acote's Hill, which he might have reached in advance of the state troops, had not the regularly constituted authorities overtaken them when about half-way there, and turned them back. In 1848, Mr. Sprague, then eighteen years of age, joined the Marine Artillery Company in Providence, as a private. This company derives its name from having been originally formed by seafaring men; and, although its organization had long been kept up, the members scarcely drilled, or per formed any duty beyond that of uniforming themselves and parading on pubhc occasions. Mr. Sprague took a deep interest in this company, the WILLIAM SPRAGUE. 109 t members of which now determined to make it more efficient. He was soon promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and then to that of captain. In this position a wider field was apened to him, and, mainly through his exertions, the company increased in numbers and efficiency. In a few years he was elected lieutenant-colonel, and finally colonel of the company. He had now reached the height of his ambition, the full command of a military company, and determined to make it as efficient as possible. Neither his time nor his money were spared; and, as he indulged in no sort of dissipation, amusement, or extravagance, his sole thoughts when not in his counting-room, were devoted ' to his company, which he succeeded in increasing to a full battery of light artillery. • In 1859, the cares of business had so much impaired the health of Mr. Sprague, that he felt himself compelled to visit Europe, for its recovery. Doubtless the earnest desire to witness the great events then transpiring in Italy, had as much influence with him as the recovery of his health; but in the desire to witness some great battle he was disappointed, as the war was over before he reached Italy. Nevertheless, he visited all the recent battle-fields, as well as those made memorable in the wars of the first Napo leon. While in Italy, Mr. Spra'gue became acquainted with Garibaldi, and contributed liberally toward the fund then being raised for that distinguished patriot. After an absence of seven months in Europe, Mr. Sprague returned, with his health restored, and received a warm welcome from his numerous friends. He arrived early in 1860, at a time when the state of Rhode Island was much agitated by the contending political parties, the republican and the demo cratic. The former, in nominating its candidate for governor, had selected a gentleman whose political sentiments were not considered by some as pre cisely in accord* with a considerable portion of the members of the party. It was thought by those who were dissatisfied with the action of the nomi nating convention, that moderate counsels should prevail in the treatment of the perplexing question that was then agitating the country. A convention was accordingly called, of the so-called conservative portion of the republicans, which nominated Mr. Sprague, who, though a Republican, and opposed to the administration of President Buchanan, was .very conservative. The democratic party, anxious to defeat the gentleman nominated by the repub licans, readily came forward, and nominated Mr. Sprague and the whole conservative ticket, except that for attorney-general. The election soon after 110 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. took place. It was the most warmly contested of any election that ever was held in the state, and resulted in the choice of Mr. Sprague. The following year (1861), Governor Sprague was reelected with little opposition. The result was a most happy one for the state, for there was no man more competent than its governor to carry it so successfully through the trying scenes connected with the rebellion. Few men in civil life had had a better military experience than the governor, who had been connected with one of the most active companies in the state for eleven years. His experience as a business man, and his command of a moneyed capital, were equally important towards raising, equipping, and subsisting the large mili tary force called out by the state for the defence of the country and its constitution. In February, 1861, while the Southern states, one after another, were passing ordinances of secession, and a determination was manifested to break up and destroy the Union, Governor Sprague visited Washington. He saw that a crisis was rapidly approaching in our affairs; that the states then in rebellion might attempt to take the capital; and that a large military force would be required there, at a very short notice, in order to thwart their plans. Knowing the patriotism of Rhode Island, an'd of the desire of the people to furnish every aid in their power in the emergency, Governor Sprague called upon Lieutenant-General Scott, made known to him the excellent organiza tion and discipline of the military of his state, and tendered to him a full regiment of infantry and a battery of light artillery, in case they should be wanted* In conversation with President Lincoln, he made a similar offer. General Scott expressed his fears that the insurrectionary spirit shown by the South might culminate in something very serious; and further remarked that, should a war break out, and it should become necessary to put down the rebellion with arms, an army of at least three hundred thousand men would be required before a movement could be made against it with any prospect of success. On his return to Providence, finding matters growing worse, Governor Sprague sent Major Goddard, then a commissioned officer in the cavalry, to Washington, in order to lay before General Scott a fuller state ment of the military resources of the state. * The editor of this work accompanied Governor Spraguo when he called upon the general-in-ohlef of the United States army, and remembers, with great satisfaction, the oarnest conversation of the general at that trying moment, and his plans for suppressing the encroachments of the South, should they culminate in open rebellion. WILLIAM SPRAGUE. Ill On the 11th of April, Governor Sprague addressed a letter to President Lincoln, of which the following is a copy: " State of Rhode Island, Executive Department, "Providence, April 11th, 1861. "Sir : At the time of the anticipated attack on Washington, previous to your inauguration, I had a messenger in constant communication with General Scott, giving him a minute detail of our military organization, and requesting him to make such demands for troops as the exigencies of the case should demand. "I should not now be correctly representing the public sentiment of the people of this state, did I not assure you of their loyalty to the government of the Union, and of their anxiety to do their utmost to maintain it. "I have just returned from New York, where I had an interview with Governor Corwin; and now take pleasure in saying that we have a battery of light artillery, six pieces, with horses and men complete, and a force of one thousand infantry, completely disciplined and equipped — unequalled, or at any rate not surpassed, by a similar number in any country — Who would respond at short notice to the call of the government for the defence of the capital. The artillery especially, I imagine, would be very serviceable to take the place of a similar number required elsewhere. I am ready to accompany them. "That God will grant his protecting care and guidance to you, sir, in your trying and difficult position, and a safe deliverance from our unhappy difficul ties, is the constant prayer of your most obedient servant, "William Sprague. " To the President, Washington, D. C." The attack of the seven thousand rebels, under General Beauregard, upon the seventy famished men, under Major Anderson, in Fort Sumter, took place on the 11th of April; and, as the news of this dastardly assault and beginning of the war of the rebellion was conveyed by telegraph to all parts of the Union, the people, with one accord, rose to arms. President Lincoln's proclamation, calling for seventy-five thousand men for the defence of Wash ington, reached Providence on the 15th, and was immediately promulgated. Governor Sprague, on his return from Washington, anticipating a call, had requested the officers of all the active military companies in the state to keep up their drill, and be ready at a moment's notice; so that, when the alarm 112 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was sounded through the President's proclamation, Rhode Island was ready to obey the call. On the 18th of April, three days after the proclamation was published, the first battery of light artillery, of six guns and one hun dred and fifty men, under Colonel C. H. Tompkins, newly clothed, completely equipped and officered, took their departure for the capital. Two days later (the 20th), the first detachment of the first regiment of infantry, six hundred strong, under Colonel A. E. Burnside, with provisions for thirty days, followed. Governor Sprague accompanied this detachment in person. The following week, the second detachment under Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph S. Pitman, took its departure. The entire force of this regiment and battery numbered nearly fourteen hundred men. The first detachment, taking a steamer at New York, reached Annapolis on the 23d, and reenforced the command of General B. F. Butler, then occupying the place. ' From Annapolis .they took up their line of march for Washington, and encamped in a beautiful grove near the city, which was occupied by Rhode Island troops until the army of the Potomac advanced in March, 1862. It bore the name of "Camp Sprague." After remaining a few weeks with the regiment, during which time he was assiduously occupied in making arrangements for providing for the wants of officers and men, the governor returned to Rhode Island. During his absence new military companies were formed. Governor Sprague now took hold with vigor, and determined to form a second regiment. With this view, he appointed Major John S. Slocum, of the first regiment, colonel, and selected the most competent men for the other regimental and the company officers. He visited their armories every night, and by his presence, encour agement, and ardent zeal in the cause in which he had embarked, induced hundreds to come forward and join the ranks. The regiment was soon filled up, and, after remaining in camp a few weeks to perfect themselves in drill and marching, embarked fon Washington, accompanied by Governor Sprague. The governor remained with the Rhode Island troops most of the time, and accompanied them on their march with the army to Centreville on the 16th day of July, 1861. The battle of Bull Run took place on the 21st; and, as it is a matter of history, we shall enter into no details here. The two Rhode Island regiments, with the second battery of artillery, were among the foremost in this memorable fight, and, as is well known, suffered severely. No one was more prominent in the action thari Governor Sprague. He was every where in the thickest of the fight; and when his horse was shot from under. WILLIAM SPRAGUE. 113 him by a musket-ball, the governor immediately procured another animal and still continued conspicuous upon the field, encouraging the men by his pres ence and bravery. The two bullet-holes found in his clothes, after the battle, show that he did not shun danger. On his return to Rhode Island, Governor Sprague did not relax, in the least, his efforts to rouse the people to action. The President called for five hundred thousand troops, and' he was determined that his state should furnish her full quota. Enlistments for the new regiments of infantry and additional . batteries of light artillery were pressed with vigor. The latter arm of the service having proved so effective in the battle of Bull Run, the governor now determined to raise a full "regiment of ten batteries of six rifled guns, of one hundred and fifty men each, which in due course' of time were raised, equipped and sent forward to the seat of war. It is unnecessary to enter into the details of these proceedings; we simply record the result. A third regi ment of infantry, under Colonel N. W. Brown, went forward, and was at once sent to Port Royal. A fourth, commanded by Colonel Isaac P. Rodman, and the first battalion of the fifth, accompanied General Bumside's expedition, and were engaged in the battles of Roanoke Island and Newbern. Other regiments followed, for the spirit of Rhode Island, under such an energetic and patriotic leader did not for one moment falter. Two regiments of cavalry were also raised under Governor Sprague's orders; the first was organized in the autumn of 1861, under Colonel R. P. Lawton, who was suc ceeded in command by Colonel Duffie, a young French officer, fresh from the Italian battle-fields, who was strongly recommended to Governor Sprague, and by him placed in command of the regiment. The second cavalry was organ ized a year later, and the command given to Lieutenant-Colonel Corliss. In May, .1862, Governor Sprague was elected to the Senate of the United States, by the General Assembly of Rhode Island, for six years from the 4th of March, 1864. He received ninety-two votes out of one hundred and three polled. It is not proposed in this place, to enter into a history of Governor Sprague's senatorial history. He was for some time on the military committee of the Senate, where, from his knowledge and experience in military affairs, he rendered great service. He has always been, and is still with the majority of the distinguished body of which he is a member, in their efforts for the maintenance of the Union. Space does not admit of enlarging upon the family of Governor Sprague. •His ancestor, Jonathan Sprague, is first noticed in Rhode Island history in 1681. 114 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. He was for many years a member of the general assembly, and in 1703 was chosen speaker. By intermarriage, the family is connected with Roger Wil liams, the founder of the state. The Reverend Doctor William B. Sprague, of Albany, and Charles Sprague, the well-known poet of Boston, are descend ants of the Spragues of Rhode Island. FIRST REGIMENT OF RHODE ISLAND DETACHED MILITIA. « »«» > 'hen the President of the United States issued his call for seventy-five thousand men to defend the nation, on the 15th day of April, 1861, the proclamation stirred up the fires of union and patriotism nowhere sooner than in Rhode Island. The excitement was so great, that little else was thought of but the all- important subject of the preservation of the country in the hour of her peril. Anxious faces crowded the streets, seeking what they could do to aid in main taining the national honor. Flags were everywhere displayed, the printing offices were thronged, and the enthusiasm of the people was thoroughly aroused. The state, through its energetic governor, at once placed at the disposal of the government the services of its sons, and a three months' regiment of volunteers was immediately raised. Men vied with each other for the privi lege of entering its ranks. The most important personal arrangements were sacrificed to the cause. Some who had engaged their passages for foreign travel, forfeited their antici pated pleasures in order that they might be able to shoulder a musket in the defence of the flag, against the attacks of treason and rebellion. The regiment was made up of the choicest material. To be a young man was the envious wish of many who longed to enter the ranks, but who were restrained by advancing years. Wherever the soldiers appeared in the streets, they were attended by crowds of applauding people. The ladies aided 116 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. materially with their needles in preparing the tunics for the men. They also presented to the regiment a beautiful silk banner, accompanied by these words: "With this banner Rhode Island places her honor in your hands. May God protect you in your noble course. God save the Union." By the 20th of April, a part of the First regiment was ready to start for the front, and under the command of Colonel Burnside, the detachment left Providence at four o'clock in the afternoon. They were followed by the tears, prayers and benedictions of the whole state. Thousands crowded the way to bid the men farewell, and amid the cheers of the assembled spectators and the notes of the national airs, the "Empire State" glided from the wharf, bearing with her one of the first offerings of Rhode Island in the great sacrifice. It was indeed a strange sight, to see a state that had been slumbering for so many years in peace and abundance, rising to prepare herself for the great struggle for the preservation of the Union, and sending forth her sons girded for the conflict. The next day the detachment arrived in New York, where it remained until transferred to another transport. The men were not allowed to leave the steamer during the day. It being Sunday, divine service was held on board by the Reverend Augustus Woodbury, chaplain of the regiment. At five o'clock, in the afternoon, the men were transferred to the steamer Coatzacoalcos, and were soon gliding over the sea off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. One incident, which created quite an excitement at the time, occurred in the afternoon of Monday. A suspicious-looking steamer was seen approaching, which was taken for a rebel pirate. The drum beat to arms, ammunition was distributed, and the men prepared for their first engagement. The alarm was unnecessary, however; the steamer proved herself to be a loyal tug-boat. Being favored with fine weather during the rest of their passage, the regiment arrived at Hampton Roads in the evening of the 22d. On the 23d, the transport steamed under the guns of Fortress Monroe, and thence proceeded, under convoy of the United States cutter Harriet Lane, to Annapolis. The night of the 24th was spent by the First regiment in some unoccu pied buildings belonging to the Naval Academy. The next day the men were early on the march to Annapolis Junction. After leaving the gates of the Naval School, the regiment was ordered to halt, and were directed to load with ball cartridges, there being the possibility of an attack from bodies of armed rebels in the vicinity. At one time during the wearisome march, while FIRST RHODE ISLAND REGIMENT. 117 passing through a deep defile, the alarm was given that a charge of the enemy was about to be made on the right. Every gun was cocked and ready for an encounter, but the rumored assault proved to have issued from an advanced detachment of their own men. Bivouacking over night on the route, the regi ment reached the Junction the next morning, and taking the cars, were soon on their way to Washington, where they were well received, and immediately quartered at the Patent Office. Colonel Burnside, in his official report to the governor of the state, speaks as follows of the conduct of the regiment while on the march through Maryland : "I desire to speak in terms of high commendation of the bearing of both officers and men, upon the toilsome and somewhat perilous march through Anne Arundel county, from Annapolis to the Junction. The fatigues of the day were borne with great equanimity, and any indication of hostility was sufficient to put every man on the alert. It is gratifiying to feel that the march was accomplished in safety, and without affording to the inhabitants of the section of country through which the detachment passed, the slightest cause of complaint. Nothing whatever occurred to detract from the good reputation of the state, whose patriotism had called into active service the fine body of men whom I esteem it an honor to lead." # A few days after the arrival of the first detachment at Washington, it was joined by the second detachment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph S. Pitman, which made the regiment complete. The whole regiment was then reviewed by the President of the United States, and on the 2d day of May, the men, to the number of eleven hundred, were mus tered into the military service of the United States, for three months. On the 8th of May, orders were received for the encampment of the regiment. Henry A. DeWitt was detailed to act as engineer, and, under his direction, the camp was finely located in a beautiful spot, in the north-eastern suburb of the capital* Here the regiment spent the time in the ordinary routine of camp life, and in perfecting itself in everything pertaining to the duties of a good soldier. The wide reputation secured by the First regiment with the authorities at Washington, and throughout the surrounding country, as a model in disci pline and deportment, reflected honor upon the state. The evening services at dress parades, conducted by the chaplain, were highly impressive, and were * Which received the name of Camp Sprague, in honor of His Excellency, the governor of the state. 118 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. frequently attended by President Lincoln and his family, cabinet officers, mem bers of the diplomatic corps, representatives and senators in Congress, and other distinguished persons. The confidence and love of the men under Colonel Burn- side's command, for their gallant leader, knew no bounds. In the admirable narrative of the campaign of the First Rhode Island regiment, by the Reverend Augustus Woodbury, chaplain of the regiment, the author says on this point: "We read in the story of the Psalmist, King of Israel, that the love of Jonathan for David, 'was wonderful, passing the love of women.' I knew not the meaning of the passage, till I perceived the devotion which Colonel Burnside, by the manliness of his life, attracted from every man under his command." On Thursday, May 23d, the quiet of the camp was somewhat disturbed by an order for the men to hold themselves in readiness to march. Twenty- five rounds of ammunition were distributed, and excitement was at its highest point. The hopes of the regiment, that the day had at last come when they would be allowed to move, were however doomed to disappointment, for the morning of the 24th broke, and brought the intelligence that twelve regi ments had been thrown across the Potomac during the night, and that the services of the First Rhode Island had not been required. The Saturday following, which was the day of the funeral of Colonel Ellsworth, the men thought that they were to be certainly called into action. An alarm of an engagement progressing on the Virginia side of the Potomac was raised, and the regiment was instantly in- line, and ready to march on the moment of receiving orders. The alarm proved to be without foundation, and the men were obliged to disperse to their quarters,' without enjoying the opportunity they had so long coveted. But a few weeks passed however, before the desire of the men to march was abundantly satisfied. On the 10th of June, the regiment was ordered to take part in an expedition towards Harper's Ferry, to join other forces under General Patterson, for the purpose of dislodging the rebels under General Johnston, then holding that place. The regiment advanced as far as Williamsport, Maryland, but the evacuation of Harper's Ferry by the rebel forces, rendered the further prosecution of the campaign unnecessary. From Williamsport on the 15th, the First regiment made their celebrated march of thirty-three miles, passing through Hagerstown, and encamping at night in the suburbs of Frederick City. The next day, they were en route for Washington, and were soon again established at Camp Sprague. It is almost unnecessary to speak of the high esteem which the First regiment won for itself in the minds of the people in Washington, during its FIRST RHODE ISLAND REGIMENT. 119 sojourn in the environs of the city of Washington. Their camp was daily visited by numbers, who spoke in the highest terms of the appearance of the men. The cleanliness of the camp, its sanitary condition, and the gentle manly demeanor and soldierly qualities displayed, by the men, were the admiration of all. As the time for the expiration of the term of service for which the regiment was enlisted drew near, preparations began to be thought of for the reception of the regiment at home. As yet, the men had been unable to serve their country in the battle-field. Few thought they would have an opportunity. But man is not the disposer of human events, and, although the time had almost arrived when they would be free to return to their homes, the First regiment was destined, before its return, to be tried in the fiery ordeal of one of the fiercest conflicts that at that time had ever been waged upon this continent. How nobly the Rhode Island troops secured to their state the reputation of her sons for bravery and fortitude on the day of battle, is a matter of history. The rebels had been gradually accumulating their troops at Manassas, and were threatening the capital of the nation. At the same time, Union forces had been collected in and around Washington, and towards the middle of July, an aggressive movement on the part of the government was inaugu rated. On the 16th, the army, consisting of thirty-five thousand men, with eleven batteries of artillery and four companies of cavalry, began to move. At one o'clock in the afternoon the First regiment left Camp Sprague, and with faces towards the enemy, commenced the march for the front. They encamped at Annandale for the night, and the next morning found them driving the enemy from Fairfax, at which place they encamped until the next day. On Thursday, July 17th, the regiment proceeded to Centre- ville, where they remained until Sunday morning, when the whole army advanced on Bull Run. Colonel Burnside having been assigned to the com mand of a brigade, and LieutenantColonel Pitman being absent on detached duty, the cdmmand of the First Regiment devolved upon Major Balch, who led the regiment gallantly into action. Both Major Balch and Major Goddard were complimented very highly by Colonel Burnside, in his official report to General Scott. The Second Rhode Island regiment was the first to engage the enemy. The bravery, with which they fought for nearly half an hour, without support, in this disastrous battle, is well known to all. Colonel Hunter was wounded early in the conflict, and, as he retired from the field, he left the 120 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. command of the division temporarily to Colonel Bumside, who immediately ordered the remainder of his brigade to the support of the gallant Second. The First regiment was now brought into the contest, and when the battle raged the most furiously, there its flag was seen waving triumphantly For two hours the men fought with the steadiness of veterans, when the rebels retreated, and the brigade was ordered to fall back into the woods, and replenish its exhausted ammunition. Victory had crowned their arms, and at this time, the regiment had not dreamed of defeat. They had rested but. a short time in the woods, when a confused mass of ammunition-wagons and parts of different regiments came pouring through their ranks. The retreat had begun which ended in a complete rout. Still the Rhode Island regiments kept well together, and fell back in good order, aiding in covering the retreat, until they reached the Cub Run Bridge, when they became disorganized. They went into camp at Centreville, and were afterwards ordered to retreat to, Washington. The First regiment had received its first and only trial on the field of battle. It had not been found wanting. No man had turned his back upon the enemy in action, and it was only after their temporary victory, and when the rest of the army was flying towards the capital, that their faces were turned towards Washington. In the perils of this battle Governor Sprague shared, joining himself to the regiment as a volunteer, and rendering himself conspicuous on the field. Chaplain Augustus Woodbury, besides performing the duties of his sacred office, proved himself fearless in the face of* the foe, acting as aide-de-camp to Colonel Burnside during the day, and rendering efficient service. Reverend Thomas Quinn, the Catholic assistant chaplain, was there encouraging the troops by his presence and words. The heroic christian soldier, Lieutenant Henry A. Prescott, fell while leading on his men. Doctors Rivers and Harris rendered most efficient service among the wounded. The First regiment remained in Washington, until the city was considered out of danger from any attack of the rebels, and then on the night of the 25th of July, it broke camp and started for home. The regiment arrived in Provi dence' on Sunday morning, the 28th, where it was received with outbursts of applause, and a welcome that showed how deeply its services had been appre ciated. The men were escorted to Railroad Hall, where they were addressed by LieutenantGovernor Samuel G. Arnold and Bishop Clark, and an abundant collation provided. A few days later, the regiment was mustered out of the service. yl Ret ' R I.Volo. JOHN S. SLOCUM. GWohn S. Slocum, whose gallantry in the service of the United States, Jjl) attested in two wars, and crowned by a glorious death in Virginia, was ^=^ born in the town of Richmond, Rhode Island, on the 1st of November, 1824. Not long after his birth m$ family removed to Bristol where John spent most of his earlier life, receiving his education at the schools of the place, and subsequently at the Fruit Hill and Marlborough classical schools, and at a commercial academy in Hartford. His mind was active, and he learned more than books. To manage a boat, to handle fire-arms, and to perform all the evolutions of the manual, were part of his self acquired educa tion. During the Dorr war, — one of those earlier manifestations of that destructive spirit which! now seeks the utter annihilation of our common wealth, — young Slocum rallied, as he ever did through life, to the cause of the government. As a member of the National Cadets, he felt greater obliga tions to render himself in fact, as in name, a citizen soldier. His inclination for the career of arms was decided, and he but needed a field to achieve fame and render his country service. When the Mexicans sought to check the advance of the Americans, on their territory along the Rio Grande, and war began, Slocum hastened to Washington, and without friends, influence, or position, by his own exertions at the door of the presidential mansion, made his way to the presence of the chief magistrate of the Union, and by his honest, manly offers of service, obtained what he alone desired, — a commission in the army. An act of Congress, passed on the 11th of February, 1847, authorized the raising often additional regiments of regular infantry, and in the first of these, the ninth 16 122 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. on the army lists, Slocum was appointed first lieutenant on the 18th, a week after the passage of the act. His captain was Joseph S. Pitman; the colonel, almost from its organization, was Truman B. Ransom, who left the classic halls of Norwich University, of which he was president, to fight the battles of his country; while the major was Thomas H. Seymour, since governor of Connecticut, a personal friend of Slocum, and the one from whom perhaps . more than any other he acquired his military tastes. The new regiment was soon raised, organized, and fitted for service. Its destination was the army of General Scott in Mexico, which it reached in time to share in the series of glorious victories that attended the American arms. At the battle of Con treras, on the 19th of August, 1847, the ninth was one of the regiments ordered to attack the front of the enemy's works; and in consequence of an accident to General Pierce, Colonel Ransom commanded the force which received the enemy's fire, while Brigadier-General Smith assailed their rear. At the moment agreed, Ransom pushed on with General Shields, each on a different side. They routed a superior force of Mexicans opposed to them, Ransom in twenty minutes dislodging them from a village where they were strongly posted and covered. In the brilliant actions of that and the follow ing day, Lieutenant Slocum was eminent even amid the gallant men around; and his name is one of those to whose activity the success was attributed by the commanding officers. This gallant and meritorious conduct won him the brevet rank of captain. At Chepultepec, Ransom, leading the storming party up the heights in the face of a perfect sheet of fire, fell at the head of his gallant regiment, in which Lieutenant Slocum, since the promotion of his captain, commanded the company, and shared in all the glory of the day. They drove the enemy from his exterior intrenchments and positions, and held the counterscarp under the heaviest fire. The ninth, led by Seymour on Ransom's fall, scaled the parapet, entered the citadel, and struck the Mexican flag from the walls. The coolness and bravery of Slocum on that terrible day won him the com mission of captain, but his well earned rank was of short duration. The victories of the American arms extorted peace, and with peace came the reduction of the army to its former scale. The ninth was disbanded, and Captain Slocum again returned to private life. As an officer, he had endeared himself to his men not only by his skill and bravery, — qualities which always command the soldier's admiration, — but by his singular attention to their wants. The drooping soldier on the march was often relieved of his musket JOHN S. SLOCUM. 123 by Lieutenant Slocum; the soldier almost perishing with thirst, who lay down in despair, was restored and refreshed by a draught held to his lips by his lieutenant, who ventured through all hazards to get it. After the battle of Chepultepec he returned to the United States, having been detailed to the recruiting service,' which was his last duty as an officer of the army. The experience which he had acquired was appreciated in his native state, and several corps of militia desired to avail themselves of his able direction^ but it was only by repeated urging that he took command of the Mechanic Rifles. In 1860, he was one of the examining board at West Point, and as secretary, made the report of the visitors. When the rebellion began, he was deeply pained, and too grieved in heart at the prospect before him to rush madly forward. He had seen war in its reality. In arms he would meet as foes the men beside whom he had fought and bled for the glorious cause of their common country. Yet, when Colonel Burnside and Lieutenant Colonel Pitman offered themselves to the governor of Rhode Island, that noble patriot despatched a messenger, late in the night, to ask Slocum to call upon him. A commission of major in the first Rhode Island was offered and accepted without a moment's hesitation. On the 20th of April, the regiment marched to the relief of the threatened capital. As in the Mexican war, Major Slocum won the affection of his men, and by his skill and experience aided to make them effective soldiers. Under the first call of the President of the United States for troops to serve three years, or during the war, a second regiment was required from Rhode Island. Governor Sprague at once gave the colonelcy to Major Slocum, and authorized him to raise the regiment. He immediately returned to Rhode Island, set to work with great promptitude, and in a very brief period recruited his regiment, saw it equipped, and, with the aid of Colonel Blanding and Captain Steere, drilled to a degree of efficiency seldom acquired by a volunteer force in so brief a period. To add to the comfort of his men, a thousand India rubber blankets were presented to them by the firm of A. & W. Sprague. Many other tokens of interest and regard were also received by officers and men, and the citizens of Lonsdale made a liberal donation to the hospital department. An elegant stand of colors was pre sented to the regiment by the ladies of Providence, through Colonel Jabez C. Knight. 124 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. The regiment struck their tents at two o'clock, p. m., June 19th, 1861, marched to Exchange Place, in Providence, where, in the presence of a large crowd of spectators, a short and spirited address was delivered by the Right Reverend Thomas M. Clark, Bishop of Rhode Island, who also invoked the Divine blessing. Resuming their march to Fox Point, they embarked on board the steamer State of Maine for New York ; the battery, under Captain William H. Reynolds, acccompanying the regiment, on board the steamer Kill von Kull. The regiment was»accompanied by Governor Sprague, Secre tary Bartlett, and Bishop Clark. At Jersey City they took the cars for Washington, where they were warmly received, and encamped in Gales's woods, near Camp Sprague, where the first Rhode Island regiment was encamped. On the 25th of June, the first and second Rhode Island regiments, with their batteries, paid their respects to President Lincoln, by whom they were reviewed. While in camp the regiment was brigaded with the first Rhode Island, the second New Hampshire, the seventy-first New York, and Captain Reynolds's battery, and the brigade placed in the command of Colonel Burnside and assigned to the division of General Hunter. On the afternoon of the 15th of July Colonel Slocum left Washington with his regiment, and at night encamped with the rest of General Bumside's brigade, at Annandale, proceeding next day to Fairfax Court House, where they encamped. After occupying Centreville till the 'famous Sunday, July 21st, the whole army moved on towards the strong position occupied by the enemy, beyond the deep ravine, through which the small river known as Bull Run held its course. The second Rhode Island regiment, under Colonel Slocum, led the advance of the division which crossed Cub Run and reached Bull Run at Sudley's Ford on the extreme left of the enemy's line. From the heights - the rebels could be seen moving rapidly forward, and,, after a .short rest, Colonel Slocum was ordered to throw out skirmishers upon the flanks and in front. These soon engaged the enemy, and Slocum bravely led on his regi ment through the woods to the open ground, opening the terrible battle of Bull Run. Their steady advance was met by General Evans, but the enemy soon gave way under the steady, resolute charges of Colonel Slocum. But in the moment of his triumph, he fell mortally wounded, his dying eye cheered with the hope of victory, and his mind clouded by no foreboding of the disaster that ensued. Well had he done his part, the gallant leader of a gallant corps! JOHN S. SLOCUM. 125 In this battle the second regiment lost twenty-eight men killed, fifty-six wounded and thirty missing. Besides their colonel, the regiment lost Major Ballou, and Captains Levi A. Tower and S. James Smith. Doctor James Harris, surgeon of the regiment, was unceasing in the performance of his professional duties through the day, often exposed to danger in the field, and always having words of cheer for the wounded and dying. After the retreat commenced, he gave himself up a prisoner rather than be separated from those who required his attention. The death of the brave Slocum left the regiment in the command of Captain Frank Wheaton, of the United States army, then acting lieutenant-colonel, to the colonelcy of which he was subsequently promoted. An incident which happened in this battle, is deserving a place here. While the second regiment was at the foot of the hill the standard bearer, a timid German youth, got behind a tree to shield himself from the shot of the enemy. The officers ordered him to advance to the brow of the hill where the colors could be seen. The trembling lad was so overcome with fear, or from some other cause, that he did not obey the order. At this moment Cornelius G. Pierce of -Bristol, of Company G, stepped from the ranks, seized the standard and bore it to the top of the hill, waving it defiantly in front of the enemy, where showers of shell and bullets were flying about him. But the hero, enveloped in smoke, stood firm and defiant, waving his standard. The German, witnessing the bravery of this young man, now recovered from his fear and begged the privilege of resuming his deserted post* In his official report, Colonel Burnside thus speaks of the brave and gallant Colonel : " The death of Colonel Slocum is a loss, not alone to his own state, which mourns the death of a most gallant and meritorious officer, who would have done credit to the service, while his prominent abilities as a soldier would have raised him high in the public estimation. He had served with me as major of the first regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, and when he was transferred to a more responsible position, I was glad that his services had been thus secured for the benefit of his country." His monument will. proudly bear the words : Contreras, Churubusco, Chepultepec, Sudley Ford. * From the Boston Post and Fall River News. J&lru cv LEVI TOWER. 'aptaln Levi Tower, only son of Captain John C. and Sarah G. Tower, and grandson of the late Colonel Levi Tower, of Newport, Rhode Island, was born in the village of Blackstone, town of Mendon, Massa chusetts, August 18th, 1835, where his parents temporarily sojourned during their absence from Pawtucket, North Providence, Rhode Island. In 1843, when their son was eight years old, his parents returned to Pawtucket, where they still reside. In infancy he was given to God in baptism in St. Paul's church, of which his father and , mother were members. He was a son of vows, and was accordingly trained up. As soon as he was old enough, he was sent to Sunday-school, which he constantly and punctually attended for several years. On the Lord's Day he was always in his place at church. His religious education was faithfully attended toy and nothing was left undone that parental love could do. At an early age, he displayed more than ordi nary intellectual abilities, and no means were left unemployed to improve them. He attended for several years the public school in the district in which he lived, and received the instruction of competent teachers. At a later period of life, he went through a thorough course of classical training under Messrs. Frieze and Lyon, in the University Grammar School in the city of Providence. In due time he entered Brown University, which he was sub sequently compelled to leave in consequence of ill health. He then turned his attention to one department of practical mechanics, in which he made commendable proficiency. He next became clerk to Jacob Dunnell, Esq., owner of an extensive calico printing establishment in Pawtucket, Massachu setts, where, by his faithfulness and devotion to business, he won the confi- 128 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. dence of his employer, and by his gentlemanly deportment gained the strong and almost parental affection of him and his family. Captain Tower was one of the original members of the Pawtucket Light Guard. He entered the company as a private, and rose rapidly from one gradation to another to a captaincy. Whatever he undertook, he did with all his might. He could not and would not remain stationary. His aim was always — Higher! and he pressed onward and upward, and stopped not till he reached it. This was true of him from childhood to manhood. The boy was father of the man. At the call of his country, he, with the Pawtucket Light Guard, of which he was then ensign, joined the first regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, and proceeded to Washington. This regiment was one of the first three regi ments that reached our national capital for its defence. Here he had the confidence and regard of his superiors, and the respect and love of the common soldiers. A night service — secret, important, and perilous — was to be performed on the banks of the Potomac. Our young hero was selected from the whole regiment for this service. With a few soldiers under his command, he performed it successfully and safely. He shrank from no service, however arduous or dangerous. Inspired by a sense of duty and feelings of the noblest patriotic devotion, where military obedience called, thither he went. He was soon recalled by the military authorities to his own town and state, to assume the captaincy of a company in the second Rhode Island regiment ; which he did, and returned to Washington. On the 21st of July, 1861, he led his company to the battle-field, engaged in the fierce and terrible conflict, and fell a martyr to his country. A noble sacrifice, and worthy the cause ! The last words that fell from his lips were addressed to his fellow-soldiers — "Go in boys!" The last days of his life were unusually serious, prayerful and devout. In his letters to the loved ones at home, his earnest request was — "Pray for me." The evening previous to the battle in which he fell, he spent in a prayer meeting, and took a part in the services. Wrapped in his military blanket, he was buried near the field of battle. A private, Joseph Barnes, a member of his company, moved by feehngs of love for his commander, took of his small funds the sum of two dollars to have his body decently interred. Let his name be remembered in gratitude forever by the friends of Tower. SAMUEL JAMES SMITH. 'aptain Samuel James Smith was born in Seekonk, Massachusetts, on the 14th of February, 1836. He was one of a family of nine children. His father, Samuel Smith, a farmer in moderate circumstances, held a com mission as heutenant in the first regiment, second brigade, fifth division light infantry, in the war of 1812, and was afterwards promoted to a captaincy. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Joshua Smith, was in the service during the revolutionary war. He was taken prisoner, and was not heard from until six years afterwards. After the death of his father, James, at the age of thirteen, was placed at the seminary in Seekonk, where he was a pupil for two years. He was then sent to Thetford Academy, Vermont, for. one year, and, on his return, entered the employ of Joseph Balch & Sonj druggists, of Providence, with whom he continued for about five years, removing, at the end of that time, to Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where he commenced business as an apothe cary. Here he resided until he entered the service of the United States, June 6th, 1861. When in Providence, Mr. Smith became a member of the Providence Cadets, a company forming part of the independent military organization of the state. In this company he received his first instruction in the drill, disci pline and duties of the soldier, qualifying himself for the commission of first- lieutenant, which he received in the Woonsocket Guards on his removal to that place. Of this company he continued a member until his death. He was also a member of the Masonic fraternity. 130 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. In December, 1856, he married Miss Harriet B. Mason, of Providence, who survives him. He left no child to mourn his loss, or to be encouraged by his example. When the first call for the three years' men was made, he gave his time and talents to the service, and was mainly instrumental in enlisting company I, of the second regiment, and on receiving the unanimous voice of the com pany for the captaincy, he left his business in the care of others, and devoted himself to the duties of his position. The history of the gallant second regiment prior to and including the battle of Bull Run, July 21st, 1861, forms the history of the subject of this sketch. On that memorable day, he with many others dear to Rhode Island, offered his life as a sacrifice at the altar of his country, and fell, penetrated by a six-pound shot from a battery. In all the relations of life, as husband, son, brother, friend and citizen, Captain Smith had borne a character which was unimpeachable. As an officer, he was gentlemanly in his deportment, of unswerving impartiality, and earnestly desirous of promoting the physical and moral welfare of the men under his command. By them his loss was deeply lamented, for they felt that with his death they had lost a warm friend. In his first and only conflict, he bore himself with unfaltering courage, and sealed his vows of patriotism with his blood. £gUv^ LIEUT. H£>TBY A. PRESCOTT. I".tRe£.R.LVols HENRY A. PRESCOTT. mong the thousands who, in the late war, have laid down their lives for their country, there have been various distinguishing characteristics. It is as the Christian soldier, that the subject of the present sketch is to be remembered. Engaged in a prosperous business, surrounded by a numerous family, to which he was devotedly attached, utterly destitute of mihtary ambition, nothing but an imperative sense of duty could have induced him to leave all that he so much valued. Not rashly, but with a full appre ciation of the perils to which he went, and with the foreboding presentiment that he would not escape them, he yet freely offered himself when the con stituted authorities of his country called for his service. Nor did he seek for himself a high position, but, putting aside a proposal to place him in an hon orable and safe position in the commissariat department, he buckled on his lieutenant's sword, arid went forth to danger and to death. The record of his life is brief and void of incident. His death entitles him to remembrance, and places him in the number of those whose memory we should cherish, and whose virtues we ought to imitate. Henry Allen Prescott was born November 10th, 1823, in Littleton, Massachusetts. He was the second child and only son of Isaiah Prescott, and lineally descended from. John Prescott, an emigrant from England in 1640, of whom many anecdotes are traditionally preserved, and who is com memorated in the charming biography of his illustrious descendant, the his torian of Mexico and Peru. On the death of Isaiah Prescott, in 1827, his widow removed with her young family to Lowell, where the boyhood of Henry was passed. He attended the pubhc schools of Lowell, first the gram- 132 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. mar and then the high school. He was a boy of good parts, but his love of play prevented his ever taking high rank at school. Though not inclined to apply himself closely to study, he was very fond of reading, and few business men are better read in the higher English literature. The plays of Shak- speare were a favorite study, and during his last three months at Washington, he sent home for a copy of that author, which he read in his tent with his captain, afterwards colonel, Nathaniel W. Brown. He was a boy of affectionate disposition and of joyous temperament, with a great fondness for wit and humor, and a keen sense of the ridiculous, gene rous and full of contempt for every kind of meanness, at the same time diffi dent and shy of putting himself forward. The integrity and uprightness which were characteristic of his matured and manly character, were but the ripe fruits of the germs of good always observable in him from his earliest years. With revolutionary blood in his veins, his maternal grandfather hav ing been in the army of the Revolution, proud of being able to trace his relationship though distant, with the hero of Bunker Hill, he was from child hood imbued with the spirit of patriotism. He was fond of military spectacles and of the plays that imitated them, and his father who died before Henry was three years of age, used to say that he would be a soldier. Left dependent upon the exertions of his widowed mother, he early undertook his own support. After serving for a few years as clerk in Lowell and Salem, he established himself in business in Saco, Maine, about the time he came of age. He remained there a few years, and, in 1850, removed to Providence. This was the home of his affections. But a year or two before his death, he was solicited to remove to another city, where prospects of pecuniary advantage were held out to him. But his attachment to Provi dence was so strong, that he decided to remain there. He was deeply inter ested in all that concerned the welfare of the city, and ever endeavored to do the duty of a good citizen. From the time he was capable of bearing arms, he was a member of some military organization, and on his removal to Providence, he joined the Light Infantry, of which he was a captain at the time of his death. The Monday evening drill at the armory was almost always attended by him, and he took great pleasure in the monthly meetings of the officers at each other's houses, when Scott's and Hardee's manuals were the topic of the evening. In the winter of 1857, he became a communicant of Grace Church, and from that time devoted himself to works of charity and religious duty. HENRY A. PRESCOTT. 133 Wishing to divert into these channels the time and money absorbed in his military pursuits, he offered his resignation. It was rejected. Some time afterwards he again resigned his commission, with the same result. In the winter of 1860, he for the third time offered his resignation, determined not to be refused. It had not been acted upon when the news of the fall of Fort Sumter came with the President's call for volunteers. That Monday evening, Governor Sprague visited the drill-room of the Infantry, and made a personal appeal to the corps to volunteer, saying that he relied upon them for two hundred men, two hundred and fifty being the whole number on their rolls. His appeal was successful. The colonel and most of the other officers volun teered. Captain Prescott rose and said : "I offer myself to go ; I feel that my God calls me to this duty. I have no choice; I must go and 'do His will." It was no sudden impulse. Through the whole winter, while every one was looking forward with anxiety to the apprehended conflict, he had been considering the subject with reference to his own duty, and the conclusion had been reached. When, therefore, the call of the President came, he had no hesitation, though no man probably offered himself more against his own personal inclination, or from a more self-sacrificing sense of duty. He felt that his previous study and experience were some slight preparation for the duties of war, and that his example would have great influence with the men, who, he could but know, were strongly attached to him. His family, feeling that he must do what he believed to be his duty, and wishing to make that duty as easy as possible to him, acquiesced in his decision without a word of remonstrance. The two hundred privates asked for by Governor Sprague had enlisted, forming two companies of the famous first Rhode Island regiment. To Mr. Prescott was committed the charge of clothing the regiment, and his few remaining hours at home were absorbed in this employment. At this time Bishop Clark, seeing how much his work was wearing upon him, and desiring that he might be spared to the community in which he was so useful, made application to Governor Sprague to put Mr. Prescott in the commissariat, and allow hhri to remain in Providence. The arrangement would probably have been made, but Mr. Prescott hearing of the application, sent word to the Bishop that he would accept no such position, and would not yield to such an order if he could help it. So unwilling was he to do anything which might tend to damp the enthusiasm of the men, or to withdraw himself from a danger to which others must be exposed. To a relative at a distance he wrote: "As I may not have another opportunity, I write now, assuring you that I go not in my 134 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. own strength, but believing it to be an imperative duty, and that no more just and righteous cause ever engaged the sympathies of the world. I beheve this whole secession scheme to be the most utterly wicked and inexcusable iniquity. Our government must be sustained, and I for one, am ready to do my part, praying for strength and courage to Him who ruleth all things in Heaven and earth." On Saturday, the 20th of April, the first detachment of the regiment left Providence on the steamer Empire State, accompanied to the wharf by crowds of sympathizing friends, who had just before joined with them in a religious service held in Exchange Place. As evening drew on, Mr. Prescott went to the chaplain and suggested to him to have prayers in one of the cabins. It was done, and this evening service of prayer was never afterwards omitted in the regiment. While encamped near Washington, their evening dress parade was a great attraction for visitors from town ; and most impres sive was the scene, when, at the close of their military evolutions, the regi ment was closed in mass, and the Lord's prayer audibly repeated by the whole body of men. From on board this steamer Mr. Prescott wrote : " If you could have seen the enthusiasm at our embarkation, and after we got off; could have seen and heard our men — the determination, the good feeling, the apparent realization of their position, the calm, noble, trusting spirit shown by most of them — you would have been proud to have me with them, as I was proud to be of them." The progress of this regiment with the few others that first reached the capital, is matter of history; the meeting at Fortress Monroe of the fleet of steamers ; the sail up the Chesapeake ; the disembarkation at Annapolis ; the march to Washington. The night of the 25th was their first bivouac. In a district known to be unfriendly to their presence, there were apprehensions of an attack, and though Mr. Prescott was not detailed for duty, he volun tarily joined the guard and kept watch all night. A sad and anxious week succeeded for those who were eagerly looking for news from their loved ones, but at last regular postal communication was reestablished. Mr. Prescott's letters were filled with cheerful accounts of his daily life, and of the events transpiring about him. His patience and cheer fulness were proverbial in the regiment. His devotion to his military duties was an example to all. He very seldom went from camp except on duty, or for the Sunday. service at the church of the Epiphany when his duties per- HENRY A. PRESCOTT. 135 mitted. He felt the need of drill and discipline to be so great, that the soldiers might be ready for any emergency, that there seemed to him no time for other things. His cousin, George L. Prescott, the only other man of his family bearing the family name, was stationed at Alexandria as captain in the fifth Massachusetts. But during their stay near Washington they met but once, each of them being so strict in his ideas of military duty, that they remained almost constantly in their respective camps. The night before the battle of Bull Run, they had an interview of half an hour. On the 19th of June, 1864, this cousin, then colonel of the thirty-second Massachusetts, having served through the three years with credit and honor, fell mortally wounded before Petersburg, while bravely leading his regiment. The Rhode Island regiment was one of the first that reached Washington^ and after being quartered for about three weeks in the Patent Office, were removed to huts in the northern part of the city. The change was a grateful one ; the advantages of ventilation and superior facilities for drill were fully appreciated. About this time a movement was made among some of the religious men of the regiment to form a Christian union. There was a strong religious element in the regiment. Every church in Providence was represented; more than thirty had gone from Grace Church. With the hope of doing something to withstand the deteriorating and immoral influences of camp life, and of exerting a beneficial influence, they combined their efforts. A hut, larger than the others, was erected to serve as a chapel. Books were distributed liberally. Mr. Prescott sent home to Providence for books for distribution, and many gentlemen exerted themselves in collecting them. So many were sent in that it was found difficult to forward them all. How much good was accomplished, will never be known. Some were certainly kept from vice, by the influence of men whom they respected and loved. And, as most of the regiment reenlisted after their three months' service was ended, the deeds of good were carried into many regiments of this and other states. How much of the reputation for steadiness and good soldiership which this regiment enjoyed was due to the influence of these men, who were both good Christians and good and brave soldiers, it is not easy to estimate. With the monotony of camp life diversified and enlivened by these good works, the weeks passed on. Up to this time, the regiment had seen no service but garrison life, with the exception of their short campaign in Maryland and Pennsylvania, — a part 136 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. of the combined movement to drive the rebels from Harper's Ferry. After their return from this expedition, Mr. Prescott wrote home : " From present appearances, I shall have no very ' moving accidents by flood or field' to relate, our greatest achievements being in the way of forced marches; expect ing to be engaged with the enemy, but never getting very near to them. However, if the mere approach of our troops has the effect of making them retire, we ought to be thankful that the effusion of blood is spared." But the time was approaching when their courage was to be put to the proof. * Congress had been called together by the President, for the purpose of providing the needful supplies for carrying on the war. Unwilling to leave the conduct of the war in the hands of military men, congressmen and politi cians had united in a pressure upon the President and General Scott, too strong for their resistance. The order for the advance into Virginia was given, and then commenced the ill-advised and disastrous campaign, which culminated in the fatal battle of Bull Run. On the 16th of July, an army which at that early period of the war seemed immense and invincible, marched over Long Bridge. , Some friends of the Rhode Island men who happened to be in Washington, accompanied them across the bridge. Among these were some friends of Mr. Prescott, who thus took their last farewell of him. Just before leaving Washington he wrote a few cheerful lines to his family, and from Fairfax, a note in pencil, the last words he ever wrote. His friends believe that he had a strong presentiment that he should not come alive out of the battle, and deeply as his heart yearned to return to his family, and to the rest whom he loved, it is not strange that he should have expressed his thankfulness, when at several times during the three months, his regiment had been spared from the expected engagement with the enemy. But when the time came, no faltering was visible. " On the march he was active, energetic and enduring. On the field he was calm, collected and fear less, bravely leading the men of his company till struck down by a bullet of the enemy." It was about eleven o'clock when the first Rhode Island came into action, and shortly after Lieutenant Prescott fell, struck in the forehead by a Minnie", ball, which passed through the head. His men, and those of com pany C gathered round him, and for a few minutes it seemed impossible to rally them; but they soon obeyed the. order, and were seen loading their pieces, with the tears running down their cheeks. Some of those nearest him carried him to the rear. He never spoke, but breathed for about a quarter of an hour. Dying while victory seemed perched upon our banners, he never knew how vain was the sacrifice. HENRY A. PRESCOTT. 137 Somewhat later in the day, some of his friends again removed him, carrying him back about half a mile. They laid him under a tree, and made preparations for bringing him away. But while some of them were searching for boards to make a coffin, and others vainly trying to find an ambulance, the news of the retreat reached that part of the field, and failing in their efforts, they were forced to leave him lying there, not far from Sudley Church. The next day, Mr. Josiah Richardson, who had nobly given himself up a voluntary prisoner that he might attend upon Colonel Slocum, Major Ballou, and others of the Rhode Island men who were wounded and prisoners., went to the field to search for the body of Mr. Prescott. Not finding it where he had seen it in the morning, and ignorant of its subsequent removal, he sup posed it had been brought away, and gave up the search. As soon as possible after the news of the battle reached Providence, an intimate friend of Mr. Prescott went by request of his family to Washington, but could not get permission to go on, — General Scott refusing to allow another flag of truce to go into Virginia. In March, 1862, when Governor Sprague went to Manassas, accompanied by Mr. Richardson and others, to search for the bodies of the Rhode Island officers, a special commission of three was sent by the Providence Light Infantry, to look for Mr. Prescott. Some of them had helped to remove him from the field of battle, and though they identified the place where he had been left, and found a small piece of his tunic upon the ground, he had been removed, and their search for his grave was unsuccessful. A mural tablet has been erected to his memory in the chapel of Grace Church, with the following inscription : * IN MEMOItlAM. LIEUTENANT HENRY A. PRESCOTT: Born November 10th, 1823 ; KILLED IX THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS PLAIN, VIRGINIA, July 21st, 1861. The Christian, the Patriot, the good Soldier of Jesus Christ. In all his relations, by inflexible devotion to Truth and Duty, he illustrated his Faith. AT HIS COUNTRY'S CALL, IS DEFENCE OS HER CONSTITUTION AND NATIONALITY, HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE. This Tablet is erected by the Teachers and Scholars of Grace Church Sunday Schools, as an expression of esteem for the worth, and gratitude for the example, of their associate and constant friend Mr. Prescott left, a wife and five children, a mother and one sister, to mourn their irreparable loss. 18 *: m '¦&¦ „ ~*> JT W dfP MAJ GEN.GEORCE SEARS G GEORGE SEARS GREENE. George Sears Greene, major-general by brevet, and brigadier-general of volunteers in the service of the United States, was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, on the 6th day of May, 1801. His father, Caleb Greene, of Apponaug, was descended from John Greene, of Salisbury, England ; an associate with Roger Williams and his company in the settlement of Provi dence, and a pioneer in the settlement of Warwick; among whose descendants are men of distinction in the history of this state and of the country. Of them are John Greene, son of the pioneer, one of the grantees of the charter of Charles the Second, and deputy-governor of the colony; the two William Greenes, father and son, governors of the colony and state, the latter in the revolutionary period; General Nathanael Greene and Colonel Christopher Greene, of the revolutionary army; Ray Greene, attorney-general of the state and senator of the United States; Albert Collins Greene, for twenty-five years attorney-general of the state, and United States senator; Richard Ward Greene, district^ attorney of the United States and chief justice of Rhode Island; Albert Gorton Greene, judge of the municipal court of Providence; Henry B. Anthony, governor of the state and United States senator; Samuel Greene Arnold, deputy-governor of Rhode Island and United States senator, and historian of the state; Colonel Tristam Burges, aide-de-camp, severely wounded on the Peninsula; Major Robert H. Ives, junior, aide-de-camp, mor tally wounded at the battle of Antietam; and William H. Prescott, the historian. George Sears received through General Sylvanus Thayer, (then major of engineers and superintendent of the' military academy,) the appointment of 140 RHODE ISLAND' OFFICERS. cadet in the military academy at West Point, having previously pursued the preparatory studies for entering Brown University, and was admitted to the academy in June, 1819. There he pursued his studies with diligence, and performed his duties with exactitude, and during the last three years of his. academic course, he kept his name among the first five in his class, which form the roll of honor of the academy. He graduated in 1823, second in his class, and was commissioned second- lieutenant in the third regiment of artillery. He was appointed acting- assistant professor of mathematics in the last year of his academic course, and after he was commissioned he remained three years at the academy in that capacity, and one year as assistant professor of engineering. In 1827, he joined his regiment, and remained on duty with it until he resigned in 1836, to enter the more active profession of civil engineering; in which he was engaged in mining and the construction of railroads, and on the Croton aqueduct of the city of New York, as engineer in charge of the enlargement of the water works. He had furnished the plans and nearly completed the new reservoir in the Central Park, and the enlargement of the aqueduct across High Bridge, and the new lines of four and five feet water-mains, when the attack on Fort Sumter by the rebels at Charleston, called the country to arms. On the receipt of the news of the attack, General Greene at once offered his services to General Scott and to the governor of New York. From Governor Morgan he received, in January, 1862, his commission of colonel of the sixtieth regiment of New York volunteers, a regiment raised in northern New York from the robust and ener getic population of that region, having previously had the offer of a similar position from Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts. He immediately took command of his regiment, and was occupied in the winter and spring of 1862, in disciplining the regiment, instructing the officers in their duties, and in guarding, with the regiment, the Baltimore and Washingtpn Railroad. He was appointed, by the President and Senate, brigadier-general, on the 28th of April, 1862. He rehnquished the command of his regiment in May, and joined General Banks at Strasburg, Virginia. He had just reported, and was unassigned to a command on the 23d of May, when General Banks was attacked by a superior force, and forced back to Williamsport, Maryland. He accompanied the column on the retreat, and was present at the battle of Winchester, on the 25th of May. For his very efficient services on that occasion he was mentioned with distinction by General Banks, and commend ed in general orders, for having accompanied the column throughout the GEORGE SEARS GREENE. 141 march, and "rendered most valuable services." On the 29th of May, General Banks placed him in command of the third brigade of Williams's division, of the army of the Shenandoah, which he led in the advance to Front Royal. Here he remained till the 25th of June, when the War Department directed him to report at Washington, and he was ordered to report to General Pope, who placed him in the second army corps, of the army of Virginia. He was assigned by General Banks, its commander, to the third brigade of Auger's division, which he joined near Warrenton, in July. Here his old regiment, the sixtieth New York volunteer infantry, again came under his command, they having been sent up the valley shortly after General Greene left them. This reunion was mutually satisfactory, and he was welcomed with many demonstrations of joy by his old regiment. His rigid discipline and his attention to their instruction and necessities, were duly appreciated by the officers and men. During the next two months sickness made sad havoc in this brigade, greatly diminishing its force, but the survivors having been well organized and disciplined by their general, were ever ready to do their duty, and were led by him in the battle of Cedar Mountain, on the 9th of August. Here the general greatly distinguished himself by bravery and coolness, holding the left of the line, and keeping in check a greatly superior force of the insurgents, when it became necessary to fall back. To him was assigned the duty of covering the withdrawal of the army and artillery from the field, which he successfully accomplished, checking the enemy, and saving every gun and caisson. The casualties of this fight placed General Greene in command of Auger's division, a position which he held with great credit to himself and great advantage to the army, during the remainder of General Pope's campaign, and in the great battle of Maryland. General Pope mentions him in his report of the battle of Cedar Mountain, as having "behaved with distinguished gallantry;" and General Auger makes the following mention of his valuable services: "The subsequent operations of the division will be reported by General Greene, who, with his little com mand, so persistently held in check the enemy on our left, and who, after the capture of General Prince, succeeded to the command of the division." Gen eral Pope acknowledges himself under great obligations to General Greene, for his intelligence and active cooperation, and for the skill and gallantry with which he managed his command. At the battle of Antietam, on the 17th of September, General Greene was engaged almost constantly with his division, from seven, a. m., till two, p. m. 142 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. After Sedgwick's division retired, the enemy advanced in force about noon from the Dunkard church, attempting to take the battery attached to his command. The enemy were driven back with great slaughter, and he took and held the woods by the church, the most advanced position, for two hours; and although his skirmishers were twice driven out, he retook the position, each time by the skillful use of his artillery, and by the gallantry displayed by himself and his troops. It was not until the ammunition of the troops was a second time exhausted, and a large portion of the small command had fallen, that he was finally forced to retire by a vastly superior force, and take up a position in support of Franklin's corps. For his services on this day, General Greene received the warmest commendations of his corps commander, General Williams, and the hearty affections of his troops. He constantly exposed himself, setting an example of bravery to his men, and had his horse killed under him while at the extreme front. General Greene continued in command of his division on the advance to Harper's Ferry, and until the 1st of October, when he resumed command of his brigade. In the spring of 1863, General Greene commanded his brigade in the operations which led to the battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, on the first three days of May. The works thrown up by his command, though for the most part they had but their bayonets and tin-plates to work with, attracted the favorable and particular notice of the commanding general. In the action of the 3d of May, his brigade, holding the right of the division line, was exposed to a heavy enfilade artillery fire, from which its losses were heavy, but it remained unmoved till ordered to retire. Attacked by the enemy while retiring, it turned upon them, captured a stand of colors, many prisoners, and inflicted such loss upon the rebels as enabled the division to retire without further molestation. Whilst in position, several attacks of Longstreet's forces were repulsed with loss. The division commander being slightly wounded, General Greene again succeeded to the command of the division. On Sunday, the 4th of May, the division moved to the extreme left of the line, near United States ford, when General Greene resumed the command of his brigade and the direction of the troops working on the intrenchments, constructing rifle-pits, abatis, etc., forming an intrenched camp covering the road to the ford. These works, traced by General Greene, received the encomiums of the chief engineer of the army, who pronounced them perfect in plan and construction. During the summer campaign Gen eral Greene continued in command of his brigade. His services at the battle GEORGE SEARS GREENE. 143 of Gettysburg were brilliant and conspicuous, and are well known to the army and the country. The twelfth corps having been ordered, on Thursday, the 2d of July, from the extreme right of the army to reenforce the left, General Greene was left with his brigade to hold the lines previously occupied by the whole corps. Almost simultaneously with the departure of the troops, and before the intrenchments of Candy's brigade and Ruger's division could by any possi bility be occupied, the brigade was attacked by Johnson's division of Ewell's corps, consisting of Jones's, Stewart's, Walker's, (the former "Stonewall's,") and Archer's brigades, numbering from eight to ten thousand men. Though attacked by the enemy with great fury and determination, the brigade of General Greene, numbering but thirteen hundred men, held its position unflinchingly, through four distinct charges of the enemy, who three times reached the works, only to be driven back with terrible slaughter. Having effected a lodgment in the trenches vacated by Ruger's division, the enemy attempted a flank attack, but were repulsed at every point ; and, after suffer ing great loss, ceased from further efforts at nine and one-half o'clock, p. m. Two stands of colors were taken in this engagement — one, that of the Stone wall brigade — and about one hundred and fifty prisoners. General Johnson, commanding the enemy, was wounded, and his adjutant-general was killed. To appreciate the services rendered by General Greene and his com mand, it must be remembered that, had the brigade been destroyed, a large force of the enemy would have been admitted immediately in rear of the first and eleventh corps, and upon the Littlestown turnpike. It was owing to the skillful tracing of the works on the right by General Greene, and the heroic defence of them by that officer and his command, that the army was saved that night from great disaster. General Slocum, the commander of the twelfth corps, who commanded the right wing in that battle, wrote to General Meade : " Greene's brigade, of the second division, remained in the intrench ments, and the failure of the enemy to gain entire possession of our works was due entirely to the skill of General Greene and the valor of his troops." On Friday, the 3d of July, the attack was renewed by Johnson's division, reenforced by Rhodes's. Though the attack was general on the twelfth corps, (which had in the night returned to the right,) the fiercest fighting was on General Greene's line. In addition to his own brigade, he had then under his command Candy's and Lockwood's brigades, and several regiments from the first and eleventh corps. The attack lasted till ten and one-half o'clock, 144 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. a. m., — six hours and a half, — but the troops, ably handled and inspired by the example of their commander, bravely held their own, and, at the close of the action, remained masters of the field, having taken one color, a large number of prisoners, and inflicted a signal defeat on the enemy. The services of his command on this occasion, are well known to and appre ciated by the officers in command. General A. S. Williams, who commanded the twelfth corps in this battle, thus wrote in his report: "General Greene s.eized with skill and judgment the advantages of the position, and held it with his small brigade, against overwhelming numbers, with signal gallantry and deter mination. At length, after three hours of night conflict, having been reen- forced by detachments from the first and eleventh corps, (seven hundred men,) and subsequently by Kane's brigade returning to its position, General Greene succeeded in repulsing the enemy from his immediate front. This gallant officer merits especial mention, for the faithful and able manner in which he conducted this defence, and protected, under difficult circumstances, a most important part of our line." In September, 1863, General Greene was transferred wTith his command to the army of the Cumberland, and was at once sent to the front, where his brigade, as a portion of the twelfthand afterwards of the twentieth corps, became renowned for its daring and successful actions. In October, it formed part of the column under General Hooker that opened our communications with Chattanooga. While in bivouac at Wauhatchie, on the night of the 28th of October, they were suddenly aroused near midnight by the advance, fol lowed by a vigorous attack from Longstreet's corps, a force four or five times their superior in numbers. After a desperate struggle, the rebels were repulsed, losing heavily in killed and wounded. General Hooker reported "that in this engagement General Greene was severely wounded in the heroic discharge of his duty." A rifle-ball passed through his face, entirely disabling him for present duty. As soon as he was able to leave his quarters, General Greene reported to the War Department for duty, and was on courts-martial in Washington and New York, from the 9th of December, 1863, until January, 1865, when, hav ing, as soon as he was able to take the field, reported for field duty, he was ordered to report to his former commander, General Slocum, then commanding the army of Georgia, the left wing of Sherman's army. He repaired to New bern, North Carolina, en route to meet the army, where he volunteered to join General Schofield's column, then advancing to meet Sherman, and to open the GEORGE SEARS GREENE. 145 communications between Beaufort and Goldsborough, to which place Sherman was advancing. ¦ At Wyse cross-roads, near Kmgston, the enemy under Bragg attempted to drive back the advancing column, when they were, on the 10th of March, 1865, repulsed with a severe loss of two hundred and fifty prisoners, and a large number in killed and wounded, and retreated hastily in the night, leaving the road open to Goldsborough. General Greene had his horse shot under him whilst a volunteer with General J. D. Cox, who commanded on the field. General Greene was, at Kingston, placed in command of a provisional division, and, on the junction with Sherman's army in the advance on Raleigh, had command of a brigade in Baird's division, of the fourteenth army corps, in the army of Georgia. His brigade was in the advance from Smithfield, and was, through the day, skirmishing with the rebel cavalry. This was the last fight of Sherman's army. General Greene, having been wounded in the first fight at Wauhatchie, near Chattanooga, which was the commencement of the operations of Sherman's army, (then under Grant,) and which ended in the capitulation of Johnson in North Carolina, he was deprived of the opportunity of contributing personally to the success of these campaigns, but he has the satisfaction of knowing that his brigade, on whose discipline and instruction he had bestowed great care, under the command of Colonel Ireland and of General Barnum, had* everywhere distinguished itself for gallantry and good conduct. General Greene marched with Sherman's army to Washington, where in June, he was detailed for president of a general courtmartial, on which duty he remained until the close of the war. In addition to his valuable services as an officer, General Greene has the satisfaction of knowing that, as a father, he has done no small service to his country. Of his sons, Samuel Dana Greene is identified with the history of the Monitor, having been her executive officer from the time she went into commission till she foundered off Cape Hatteras. In her memorable fight in Hampton Roads, after Captain Worden was wounded, he took com mand, and continued the fight until the Merrimac, having superior speed, left the scene of the action. A younger son, Brevet Major Charles T. Greene, who enlisted and served in the field in the twenty-second regiment New York national guard, was promoted to a second-lieutenantcy in the sixtieth New York volunteers, and appointed by the President assistant adjutantgen- eral of volunteers and major of volunteers by brevet, for gallantry, and served on his father's staff. He was distinguished for his courage and good con duct in the battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wauhatchie, and 19 146 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Ringold, Georgia. At the latter place, where he had been sent by his brigade commander to lead the brigade across the field in front of the enemy's batteries, he had his right leg taken off by a cannon shot. As soon as he was able to wear an artificial limb, he applied for field service and rejoined the army, performing his duties until the disbandment of the forces. His son, George Sears Greene, a civil engineer, volunteered for the' service, but all the other male members of the family who were qualified, being engaged in the service, family circumstances counteracted his desires. Two of Gen eral Greene's nephews, Benjamin Ray Phelon and Albert Rowland Greene, were promoted to lieutenantcies, after serving in the ranks during the term of service of their regiments, and were distinguished for good conduct in the advance from Chattanooga. General Greene's skill as an engineer, — displayed in the works at Chan cellorsville, United States ford, Gettysburg and Fairplay, Maryland, — as an artillerist, tactician and disciplinarian, and his general abilities as a thorough soldier and commander, were appreciated by his corps commanders, — Gen erals W. H. Slocum and A. S. Williams, — who asked for his promotion. On his arrival in Washington with Sherman's army, he received the appointment of major-general of volunteers by brevet, in the service of the United States, to date from the 13th of March, 1865, "for gallant and meritorious services during the war." ¦wv^y COLA-TATHANIEL W BB C7W1T. 3rd Re? "R "Vol NATHANIEL W. BROWN. Nathaniel Williams Brown, was born at Dighton, Massachusetts, at the house of his maternal grandfather, for whom he was named, on the 22d day of February, 1811. He came of good stock. His lineage on the paternal side, was of the family of Brown, whose influence has long been exercised in the state of Rhode Island, and always for the benefit of the community. His maternal grandfather was an active participant in the great scenes of the revolution, and faithfully performed the duties of a patriot and soldier. At the time of his death, which took place September 18th, 1823, he filled the responsible position of collector of customs in the town of Dighton. He was an honest, capable and trustworthy public officer. The young Nathaniel was taken to Providence, where his parents resided, and was there carefully nurtured and educated." He was a very bright, intelli gent boy, of generous impulses and affectionate disposition. At school, he was distinguished for a wonderfully retentive memory, mastering the Latin gram mar of that day in two lessons. His parents designed for him a term of collegiate study, and at the age of eleven he Was ready to Commence the preparatory studies. But he was suddenly checked by a severe attack of inflammation of the eyes, which put an end to all plans of study. From. the age of eleven to that of fourteen, he never opened a book, and the dream of college life was at an end. At fourteen he entered the counting-room of his father, Isaac Brown, then extensively engaged in the sale of cotton. Here he remained until the year 1833, when he commenced business for himself, beginning his commercial adventures in the wool trade. During these years, he recovered the use of his eyes, but the strain upon his nervous system was 148 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. of such a nature, as to render him ever afterwards subject to acute nervous and inflammatory disease. A severe brain fever, at the age of nineteen, increased this liability to disease, and rendered him peculiarly susceptible to the influence of circumstances and events. This susceptibility sometimes became to him a source of much grief and self-conflict. But towards the close of his life, it gradually wore away, and left his mind clear, peaceful and composed. Mr. Brown was married in Boston, Massachusetts, on the 5th day of June, 1834, to Miss Sophia S. Frothingham. In the year 1837, the great commercial crisis took place, the consequences of which have scarcely ceased to be felt in our own day. Among the many business men that were tossed and beaten by the storm, Mr. Brown is to be numbered. Honorably compounding with his creditors, he again entered business in the year 1839, with Mr. Jacob Dunnell, becoming a member of the firm, which was afterwards reorganized under the name of the Dunnell Manufacturing Company. He continued to transact business in this firm with a reasonable amount of success, till the year 1857, when another wave of commercial misfortune swept over the country. The affairs of the firm became for a time somewhat deranged, and serious disagreement ensued. Mr. Brown's 'health was considerably impaired, and he soon retired from business altogether, making his residence in Dighton, in the very house where he was born. Mr. Brown's interest in military affairs became decidedly manifest at the time of the bloodless rebellion against the government of the state of Rhode Island, known as the Dorr war. He did not hesitate to place himself on the side of "law and order," and in common with a large number of his fellow- citizens, he was enrolled in the City Guard. In the year 1842, he joined the First light Infantry Company of Providence, and passing through several grades, and holding the office of lieutenani>colonel for several years, was elected to the command during a temporary retirement of Colonel William W. Brown, previous to June, 1858, when he retired from active service in the militia organization of the state. After his withdrawal from business, he occupied his days at Dighton in reading and study, paying particular attention, in the winter of 1860-61, to. the campaigns of Washington and Napoleon. The breaking out of the rebellion found him enjoying the quiet of his family in his pleasant home at Dighton. No man loved his home more than he, as, indeed, no one had NATHANIEL W. BROWN. 149 better cause. Yet his active nature longed for more stirring scenes. The call to arms aroused his patriotic fervor and his military ardor. Upon the formation of the first regiment of Rhode Island detached militia, his military experience commended him to the notice of the state authorities. He was summoned to Providence. He immediately obeyed the call, and accepted with alacrity the command of company D, in the memorable regiment that first left Rhode Island for the seat of war. On the march, in the camp, on the field, Captain Brown approved himself as a brave, faithful and meritorious officer. The company was drilled to the greatest efficiency, and in all the various duties to which he was called, he was always prompt, reliable and active. At the battle of Bull Run, he greatly distinguished himself for cool ness and courage. His company was on one of the flanks of the regiment, and it suffered a greater loss in killed and wounded than any other in the regi ment. Captain Brown was particularly noticed on that disastrous day, for his gallant and efficient bearing. During the retreat, his company being on the left and in the rear, was engaged in a slight skirmish with a few rebel cavalry soldiers, who attempted to harass the retiring column, but who were quickly repulsed. ¦ On the return of the regiment to Rhode Island, Captain Brown retired to his home in Dighton, to rest from the fatigues and hardships of his brief but laborious and honorable campaign. In the summer of 1861, the third regiment Rhode Island volunteers was authorized and raised. It was temporarily under the command of Colonel Asher R. Eddy. He was relieved early in the autumn, and Captain Brown was deemed the most suitable man to take his place. He was accordingly once more summoned from his retirement, and was commissioned Colonel on the 17th of September, 1861. The regiment was then in camp at Fort Ham ilton, New York, whither Colonel Brown immediately repaired, and* assumed the command. Here the regiment remained, with the exception of a short visit to Washington, until October 12th, when it embarked as a portion of General T. W. Sherman's expedition, destined for the occupation of Port Royal, South Carolina. The regiment made its first landing, however, at Old Point Comfort, where it went into camp till October 23d, when it reembarked for the place of its final destination. After an exceedingly stormy passage, the expedition arrived off Hilton Head on the 5th of November. On the 7th, occurred the memorable bombardment of the rebel forts at the entrance of the harbor, by Admiral Dupont, which resulted in the surren der of the entire island to the national force. On the same and subsequent 150 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. days the regiment was landed, the two captured rebel forts and the neigh boring territory were occupied, and Colonel Brown was appointed to the command of the post. The regiment remained at this point and others in the vicinity, taking an active and honorable part in the numerous skirmishes and battles which occurred on the main land and the islands in the neigh borhood of Charleston. In the bombardment of Fort Pulaski, and in the engagements of John's Island, James Island, Pocotaligo Bridge and Morris Island, different detachments of the command participated in a conspicuous and most creditable manner. The regiment soon acquired a shining reputa tion, and was considered as the most reliable of our forces in the department of the south. It was increased, early in 1862, to twelve companies, and became, in technical language, "heavy artillery." But it was equally expert in the drill of infantry, light and heavy artillery and riflemen ; and had the nature of the sendee required the duties of cavalry, it would undoubtedly have performed with similar excellence the work of mounted troops. The effective and reliable character of the regiment reflected honor upon its commander; for it was owing to his assiduous and unremitting labors that it acquired and held so high a rank. Its morale, its drill, its 'discipline, its efficiency, were the fruits of Colonel Brown's fidelity. He was zealously assisted by the willing cooperation of his subordinate officers. All recognized the admirable executive power of their chief, and by their united exertions, the body of troops with which they were connected became second to none in the service. The nature of the climate and the onerous character of his duties, began to tell upon Colonel Brown's physical frame. He returned to his home in the summer of 1862, for a brief period of rest. With improved health and spirits, he returned to his command, and on his arrival at Port Royal, September 15th, he was received with every demonstration of affection and respect by his officers and men. He was immediately appointed chief of artillery in the department by General Mitchell, then in command of our forces in that quarter. But to both, their honorable connection was destined to be of short duration. The village of Pocotaligo lies on the main land of South Carolina, distant about thirty-five miles from Hilton Head, and sixty miles from Charleston, in a southwesterly direction from the former place. The Charleston and Savannah Railroad passes near the spot. General Mitchell organized an expedition to proceed up the Broad river, for the purpose of reconnoitering NATHANIEL W. BROWN. 151 the position of the rebel force, and, after landing, to march into the interior and destroy such portion of the railroad as could be done in the course of a single day's work. The expedition consisted of about four thousand five hundred men, with several cannon, under General Terry, with Colonel Brown as chief of artillery. The troops left Hilton Head on the night of October 21st, landed at Mackay's Point early on the next morning, and marched thence for the railroad, distant twelve miles. They had proceeded little more than half the distance, when a fierce attack was made upon the advance by the rebel' forces, which occupied the wood, with a battery of twelve guns. The column was immediately deployed, and a brisk charge was made upon the enemy, forcing him back a considerable distance. A second charge drove him across the river Pocotaligo, about half a mile from the village of the same name. The rebels crossed the river by means of a bridge, which they immediately destroyed. Our troops had no means of proceeding further, and they were reluctantly compelled to give up the pursuit, and retire to their transports. The return march was accomplished in perfect order, and with comparatively small loss. During the battle, Colonel Brown was espe cially conspicuous for his gallant and noble bearing. His own account simply was: "I think I did my duty." It was certainly an opinion in which all present who witnessed his bravery would coincide in the heartiest terms. " I never saw any one," writes a friend and officer who accompanied the expedition, " look more thoroughly the soldier than he did on the morning of the 22d, when for the last time I saw him mounted and eager for the advance." Through the action, and on the retreat, here or elsewhere, he showed that he possessed all the traits of a daring and accomplished soldier. He was one of those men in whom was exhibited " the rapture of battle." But this conflict was destined to be his last. On his return to Hilton Head, he was attacked by a virulent fever, "which had already prostrated several officers and men. The fatigue and reaction from the excitement of the expedition, may have predisposed him to the disease ; for he rapidly sank under it, and on the 30th day of October, he quietly breathed his last, far from home and kindred indeed, but in the presence of those who had learned to love him well, and supported by a true faith in that Divine mercy, which makes the bed of death the scene of triumph. His remains were interred at Hilton Head, amid the grief and lamentations of the entire com mand, which mourned him with sincere and heartfelt sorrow. They were afterwards brought to Providence, and, on the 30th of January, his funeral 152 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was solemnized in the presence of the state authorities, and a large number of his former comrades in arms, both of the third and first regiments. A brave and true man had passed from the conflicts of earth to the peace of Heaven. Colonel Brown was a man of striking and prominent character. He seemed to intensify life." His love for his family and friends, was of a warm and even passionate nature. In his home he wras free, generous and hospita ble. He inspired and rejoiced in the confidence which his friends bestowed. In his business he was thorough and methodical, ruling his affairs with a firm and just hand. He was earnest and enthusiastic in every enterprise which he undertook. Yet with such an ardent temperament as he possessed, there was a remarkable quietness of character when forced to yield to necessity. He accepted the inevitable, with a composure that was almost stoical in its firm ness and patience. When he had a clear conviction of his duty, he was particularly persistent in its performance. He never turned aside from difficulty and danger. In the hour of trial, the noblest part of his nature came into play, and those who knew his worth were surprised to see the high and brave and manly character which he exhibited. They hoped for much. He accomplished more. With the fervency of feeling which he possessed, it was natural that he should sometimes manifest considerable haste and impetuosity of temper. No one regretted more than himself this fault of his disposition. No one strug gled more faithfully to overcome it He#believed at last that he had con quered in the strife. Towards the close of his life, in his retirement at Dighton, in the quiet of camp-life, both at Washington and Hilton Head, he had thought long and deeply upon the subject of religion and • religious cul ture. If memory sometimes had for him ci painful retrospect, hope opened to him brighter views. In his day of life, the light had not been "clear nor dark, not day nor night." But at evening "all was light." He found his peace at last in a clear and undisturbed faith in the love of God, through Jesus Christ. He was always especially mindful of the religious welfare of his regiment, and he felt for himself a conscious need of the Divine aid and love. He became assured that that need was finally furnished with a full supply. He died at peace with God and all mankind, and, after faithful service done, he entered into rest. WALTER B. MANTON. < ^«^ ? 'ieutenant Walter B. Manton, son of Joseph and Mary Whipple Manton, was born in Providence August 10th, 1832. His early school-days were spent in Providence, but later years were passed under teachers in Massachusetts. Soon after the completion of his education he went to New Orleans, intending to make his permanent residence in that city, but ill-health forced him to return in a few months, and the succeeding year he went to Europe and South America. He married soon after his return, and was employed as an accountant in Providence. When the first call was made for a three months' volunteer regiment, he was among the first to offer his services, and enlisted as a private soldier. In June, a company of carbineers was formed from the regiment, in which he received the commission of first heutenant, under Captain F. W. Goddard. He was engaged in the first Bull Run battle, and returned home with the regiment in August. Remaining but a few months, he was again impelled to enter the service of his country, and after urgent application, received from Governor Sprague the commission of second lieutenant February 11th, 1862, in the third Rhode Island heavy artillery, stationed at Hilton Head, South Carolina, where he remained until his death, which occurred October 25th, 1862. Borrowing from letters received from a superior officer and others, we may give some idea of the esteem with which he was regarded ; also some of the particulars of his illness and death: "With our hearts oppressed with sadness, we have just returned from the funeral of Lieutenant Walter B. Manton, the acting quartermaster of our regiment. The beloved lieutenant 154 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was at his place of business last Wednesday, and we need not say his sudden death has shrouded in gloom the entire regiment. Although he had been somewhat indisposed for a few days previous, yet he and his friends thought he would soon be well again. But last Thursday he became very ill, and was carried by invitation to the quarters of our excellent physician and surgeon, Doctor Stickney, with whom he was on terms of intimacy. The doctor gave him a very cordial welcome to his premises, and was unwearying in his efforts to do all that could be done for the suffering man, calling to his aid the best medical advice that Hilton Head afforded. But human skill proved unavail ing; his symptoms became more and more alarming. Saturday morning he was taken delirious, and lingered until Saturday evening, about eight o'clock, when he ceased to be among the living, leaving a wife and one child to mourn the loss of a beloved husband and father. His disease was pronounced by his physicians to be the yellow fever. Lieutenant Manton possessed a well-balanced mind, a good education, strict integrity, and performed every business trans action with promptness and honesty, — qualities rendering him a valuable acquisition to the regiment. He acted as our quartermaster without a com mission until a few days since, when the governor appointed him permanently to that office, with the rank of first lieutenant, and his commission was expected to arrive in the next steamer from the north. Always neat in his personal appearance, chaste in language, of quiet, unassuming, gentlemanly bearing, and exemplary in his habits, he won the esteem and respect of all with whom he became acquainted. Although the post he filled was a perplexing one, it being difficult to please all, yet he was so well liked, that it has often been said, both by officers and privates, since he was taken sick, that he had not an enemy in the regiment." The funeral services were held Sunday, p. m., at four o'clock, conducted by the Reverend H. L. Wayland, chaplain of the seventh Connecticut regi ment,- and son of Reverend Doctor Wayland. Most of the regiment at head quarters, especially the officers, also members of other regiments, manifested their respect to the. departed, by being present on the occasion. His remains were brought home to Providence, as soon as it was deemed advisable, and 'after funeral services at his father's residence, conducted by Reverend A. H. Clapp, were followed by his family and friends to that beau tiful city of the dead, Swan Point, there to mingle with kindred dust. JOHN P. SHAW. < ¦*•— » 'aptain John P. Shaw, third son of General James Shaw, was born in Providence January 3d, 1834. He was educated at the common schools of Providence, and was a jeweller by trade. He entered the service April 18th, 1861, as sergeant-major in the first Rhode Island regiment. June 6th, he was promoted to a second lieutenantcy, and assigned to the second regiment Rhode Island volunteers, then forming. With this regiment his fortunes were identified. He served with the lamented Captain Tower in the battle of Bull Run. In the Peninsular campaign he shared with his regiment in the work and perils of besieging Yorktown, and, on the evacua tion of that stronghold, was with the pursuing advance under General Stone- man. At Williamsburg, the regiment was distinguished for important service, and here, as in subsequent situations, Lieutenant Shaw was made familiar with the severer experiences of a soldier's life, which were cheerfully endured. He was eye-witness, too, of the barbarities practiced by the rebels on the Union dead. Captain Sherman being detained in the hospital at Warwick Court House, the command of the company temporarily devolved on Lieuten ant Shaw. His services in this position were highly appreciated by Colonel Wheaton, who concluded a special order in the following words : " The colonel commanding desires on this occasion to congratulate Lieutenant Shaw upon the entire success with which he has performed the duties of a higher grade. 'K' company is much indebted to Lieutenant Shaw for its present efficient condition." His success and efficiency as a drill officer was marked, and very generally conceded, and he was frequently detailed for that duty. Early in August, 1861, he was ordered to Rhode Island on recruiting 156 RHODE ISLAND. OFFICERS. service, and, in the short space of ten days, recruited eighty-three men for the second regiment. On the 22d of July, 1861, he was promoted to first lieutenant, and on the 24th of July, 1862, was commissioned captain of company K. From first entering the field until the 27th of November, 1863, Captain Shaw was present with his regiment in all its. encounters with the rebels, and showed promptness and energy in the performance of all his duties. At the first attack on Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, Colonel Wheaton, before crossing the river, selected the companies of Captains Read, Young, and Shaw, to take the lead as skirmishers, and the spirited manner in which they performed the service was warmly complimented by Generals Newton and Devens. At Gettysburg, Captain Shaw's exposures were imminent, but he providentially escaped injury from the showers of bullets that fell around, him. The campaign of 1864 against Richmond was entered upon with all the ardor of his nature, but it was not permitted him to see the. Union army establish its lines before the works defending the rebel capital. The sanguin ary battle near Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864, closed his mortal life. In the hottest of the fight he was shot through the heart and instantly expired. He fell as a patriot would wish, with his face to the foe. Colonel Oliver Edwards, of the third brigade, first division, sixth corps, who had witnessed his gallant conduct, spoke of him with strong commenda tion in his farewell order to the second regiment at Cold Harbor. In a private letter he said: "Captain Shaw died fighting so bravely, was so conspicuous among the bravest, that I could not help noticing him particularly. He was a loss, and a great one, to his country's causey and should have ranked much higher I, and all that knew him, are fellow-mourners, .... for we learn to love the brave and fearless, our comrades in battle, as brothers." * Captain Shaw married Arnand 0., daughter of William P. Brightman, September 13th, 1854, and left no surviving children. * Stone's " Rhode Island in the Rebellion.' A. RICHMOND RAWSON. 'aptain A. Richmond Rawson, son of the late Samuel Rawson, was born in Providence, February 20th, 1836. He was educated in the public schools in his native city, but on the death of his father, which Occurred when Richmond was sixteen, he left the school and went to Messrs. Hunt & Owen, jewellers, in whose employ he remained until the breaking out of the rebellion. At the first call for troops he joined the first regiment, and, as a sergeant in company D, Captain Nathaniel W. Brown, he served during the three months for which that regiment enlisted, participating in the disastrous battle of Bull Run. On the 2d of October, two months after his return, at the recommenda tion of his former captain, who had been made colonel of the third Rhode Island volunteers, he received a commission as second lieutenant, and joined that regiment prior to its starting on the expedition to South Carolina, under General Sherman. On the 11th of March, 1862, he was promoted to first lieutenant. On the first of July, 1863, he was detached from his regiment, and ordered to report to Lieutenant Guy V. Henry, battery B, first United States artillery. He remained with this battery during the summer and fall, joining in the attack on Fort Wagner and siege of Charleston. On the 26th of October, 1863, Lieutenant Rawson was appointed captain in his regiment; but before his commission reached him, he had received and accepted an appointment in the regiment of colored troops, (the fourteenth Rhode Island,) and in December came north to be examined. He passed his examination before the examining board of which General Casey was 158 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. president, and on the 16th of January, 1864, was ordered to report to Colonel Nelson Viall, at Dutch Island, where the regiment was in camp. Captain Rawson embarked for the south on the following day, but an unin terrupted service of twenty-seven months in a southern climate, without leave of absence, and the exposure in the trenches before Wagner, had seriously impaired his constitution, and rendered him unfit to endure the severity of a northern winter. After having performed but three days' service, he returned home, sick, and lingering through an intensely painful illness of nearly four months, he died on the 5th of May, 1864. Captain Rawson married, November, 1860, a daughter of General James Shaw, (who lost another son, Captain John P. Shaw, a week later, at Spottsyl- vania,) and left a widow and two little daughters. CHARLES TILLINGHAST. t ^.^ > 'harles Tlllinghast, captain of company H, fourth regiment Rhode Island volunteers, killed at the capture of Newbern, March 14th, 1862, was the eldest son of the late Doctor George H. and Louisa Lyman Tillinghast, and was born in Providence, June 16th, 1828. On the paternal side, Captain Tillinghast was descended from Stephen Hopkins, one of the signers of the immortal Declaration of Independence. His grandfather on the maternal side, was Colonel Daniel Lyman, a revolutionary officer of distinction, and subsequently chief justice of Rhode Island. Colonel Lyman, then holding a captain's commission, took an active part under the command of, Benedict Arnold, in the campaign of 1775, which resulted in the capture of Ticon- deroga, Crown Point and Saint Johns, on the west side of Lake Champlain. Captain Tillinghast was for several years engaged in business pursuits in Providence, where his pleasing manners and genial disposition endeared him to troops of friends, and where he would have remained, had duties permitted; but a preferable situation being tendered in New York, he accepted it, and, for several years, held a responsible post in the office of Harnden & Company, of that city, to the entire satisfaction of his employers. Thus was he engaged in peaceful labors, seeking the rewards of honorable and worthy enterprise, when he heard the summons of his country. More men were demanded from Rhode Island, and, with patriotic zeal, he resigned his situation, forsook the endearments of family and friends, hastened to Providence, and tendered his services to Governor Sprague. He was appoint ed first lieutenant in the fourth regiment, and assigned to the command of company H. Shortly after, he was promoted to the captaincy. He girded on his armor and went to the scene of duty and danger, and, as a portion of 160 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. General Bumside's command in the expedition to North Carolina, took part in the battle of Roanoke Island. Subsequently, at the attack on Newbern, his regiment' was hotly engaged, under command of the lamented Rodman. Captain Tillinghast was killed in the charge made in support of General Reno's brigade, which was in a perilous position. Brave as a lion, he led his company to the very face of those terrible rifle-pits. Only a moment before he fell, he said to his lieutenant : "'If I fall, press on with the men." A fatal volley, fired at that instant, struck him down, even in the arms of victory. A correspondent from Newbern writes : " One of the saddest cases is that of Captain Tillinghast, who was killed. Only the day before the landing at Slocum's Creek, he received news of the death of his brother, (Henry Lyman Tillinghast, who died from disease contracted during his services with the first Rhode Island regiment,) and he seemed sad and abstracted, as if a presentiment of his own death were weighing upon him. In the excitement of the advance upon the enemy, his cheerfulness returned, and all through the fight he kept at the head of his company, cheering his men, and setting them the example of unflinching courage. He was a man beloved. Clear as crystal in whatever he did, he sought by no mean personal ambition to rise on the ruin of other men. Frank and manly in his conversation, uniformly kind and courteous in his conduct, he was a man not only to trust, but to love. Rarely has a captain succeeded better in gaining the confidence and affection of his men, and many a tear was seen to fall from eyes that seldom weep as we lowered his body to its narrow bed. He was a fine officer, and is deeply regretted by all." Captain Tillinghast is buried in Swan Point Cemetery, by the side of that brother he loved so well. They have laid down their lives for their country, and are now resting in eternal peace. They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more. No more din of battle, nor pain, nor dying for them. We think how young they died ; but that life is not too short which admits of the accomplishment of a glorious destiny, and that death is never inopportune which finds its victim at the post of duty, ready to live, and not afraid to die. Another hero gone ! Closed is the dark brown eye, Which flashed like falchion bright when danger, death was nigh; Stilled is the dauntless heart that ever clung to right, Nerveless the sinewy arm which forced a path in fight ; Our gentle Mother Earth has clasped him to her breast, — There let him slumber till he rises with the blest. SOVEBNOR OF 'THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAM). JAMES Y. SMITH. 1 overnor Smith was born in the town of Groton, in the state of Connecti- M) cut, on the 15th of September, 1809, and, like many of our successful merchants and business men, acquired at a village store those habits of industry and devotion to business, which have been attended with such good results, not only to himself, but to the community in which a greater portion of his life has been spent. In the year 1826, at the age of seventeen, Mr. Smith became a resident of Providence, where he entered the counting-room of Mr. James Aborn, then carrying on the most extensive lumber business in the state, in which establishment he was assistant for fourteen years, or until the year 1840, when he became an active partner in the house; and, by untiring efforts, greatly extended its business during his connection with Mr Aborn, which continued until the year 1843. Five years before this time, Mr. Smith had also become engaged in the cotton manufacture; a business which has absorbed so large a share of the capital and enterprise of his adopted city, as well as of the state. On the 13th of August, 1835,. Mr. Smith was married to Emily, third daughter of the late Thomas Brown, of Providence. From his earliest entrance into mercantile pursuits, Governor Smith has been most thoroughly devoted to the great interests of the state in general, and to the city of Pr%videncef in particular. After leaving the lumber trade, he greatly enlarged his business by embarking in our different manufactures, though chiefly of cotton, andi has realized abundant fruits of his business sagacity. For a long period his name has been, and is still associated with 21 162 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. the improvements of the city of Providence and with its public institutions; while his benefactions have been alike numerous and liberal, whether for literary, religious, or charitable objects. Governor Smith's political principles were acquired in the Jackson school, and believing that governments should be changed only through the established laws, he joined the National Cadets, one of the military organiza tions of the state, and at the time of the Dorr war took an active part in the suppression of that rebellion. Early in life he was chosen by his fellow- citizens to fill places of trust and responsibility. In 1848, he was elected one of the representatives from the city of Providence to the General Assembly, and filled this position during several subsequent years. In 1855, he was nominated for the office of mayor, as the nominee of the citizens, in opposition to both the regular party nominations, Whig and Democrat, and was elected over both by a large majority, and was reelected in 1856. He declined a nomination for another term. During his mayor alty many important improvements were completed, and others suggested, which have since been carried out. In 1861, he received, with great unanimity, the nomination of the Republican party for the office of governor, but his party failed to carry the election. In 1863, he again received a nomination, and was elected by the largest majority given in Rhode Island in a fully contested election. In 1864, he was again elected to the same office over two candidates in opposition, and a third time in 1865, when he received a majority in every town and ward in the state. As governor, he has employed his business talent in meeting successfully the drafts in men and money required of the state by the exigencies of the war. These calls were not only met but anticipated, so that the gallant state was always found ready for any emergency. One of the regiments, the corps d'Afrique, usually called the fourteenth, enlisted during his first term of office, numbered over eighteen hundred colored troops. On the 16th of March, 1864, Governor Smith, in order to relieve the anxiety wrhich existed in the minds of the people of Rhode Island regarding the draft ordered on February 24th, for five hundred thousand' men, issued his proclamation announcing that the quota of the state had been filled by voluntary enlistments. On the 18th of July, of the same year, another call was made upon the states for five hundred thousand men ; and, in September, just as the draft was expected to commence, the Governor again officially JAMES Y. SMITH. 163 proclaimed to the people that he had filled this quota also. On December 19th, 1864, still another requisition was made, for three hundred thousand men, Rhode Island's share of which Governor Smith announced, on the 23d of January, 1865, as filled. On the next day, however, a communication was received from the War Department, showing the state to be still in debt to the government for men, although an excess, sufficient to have met any previous call for double the number of men, had been raised. Believing an injustice to have been done the state, he at once despatched his military secretary to Washington, and found that, owing to the large excess furnished by some of the states, the system of assigning quotas had been changed by the provost-marshal-general so as to make the demand upon Rhode Island as large as it would have been upon a call for one million four hundred thou sand men. This change of plan was adopted the day after the issue of the proclamation of the Governor. From this new and unjust demand Governor Smith did not for a moment shrink, although it caused great confusion and alarm throughout the state; but, becoming convinced that he could not reduce the number of men required, bent every energy to the work of filling the requisition, with out resorting to a compulsory draft. He laid the matter promptly before the General Assembly, which was then in session, and invited the cooperation of that body. The Governor's efforts were successful. By constant personal attention and the aid of liberal bounties, the quota was filled by volunteers, leaving the state at the close of the war, which soon after took place, a record of patriotism that few could equal, and none excel. MAJ.-GKNL ISAAC I- STEVENS- ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS. fSAAC Ingalls Stevens was born in North Andover, Massachusetts, on the 15th of March, 1818, and sprang from the family of that name which originally founded the town in 1639. His childhood and youth were remarkable for studious habits. He received an excellent elementary educa tion, in both classical and mathematical studies, at the schools and academies of his native town, and in 1835, at the age of seventeen, he entered the military academy at West Point. Here he distinguished himself, and in 1839, he graduated at the head of his class. His course at the academy is remembered as remarkable for industry, scholarship and high personal char acter. General Halleck was his classmate, and stood next but one to him at their graduation. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the corps of engineers in the United States army, and promoted to a first lieutenant July 1st, 1840. From August, 1839, to September, 1841, Lieutenant Stevens was employed as an assistant at Fort Adams, Newport harbor. While here, he became acquainted with and married Margaret L., daughter of the late Benjamin Hazard, Esquire, of Newport. From September, 1841, to March, 1843, he had charge of the government works at New Bedford. In March, 1843, he was placed in charge of those at Portland, Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and in October of that year, of the new work, Fort Knox, at the narrows of Penobscot river. Of these several works he continued in charge till December, 1846, when he was ordered to join General Scott's army at the Brazos, and with that army he served on the staff of General Scott, from the investment of Vera Cruz,. to the capture of the City of Mexico. He 166 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was at the siege of Vera Cruz, and at the battles of Contreras, Cherubusco, Molino del Rey, Chepultepec, and the capture of the city of Mexico. At the San Cosmo gate, he was severely wounded. For his gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Cherubusco, he was breveted captain, and for the battle of Chepultepec, which resulted in the taking of the city, he was breveted major. Having been disabled by his wound, he returned to the United States in January, 1848, and resumed charge of his old works in Maine and New Hampshire. In September, 1849, Major Stevens accepted the position of assistant in charge of the office of the United States Coast Survey, in Washington city, and there continued on duty until March, 1853. Here he developed execu tive and administrative talent of the highest order. He was a warm political and personal friend of President Pierce, and was by him, soon after his inaugu ration, appointed governor of the new territory of Washington. As governor of that territory, he was ex-officio superintendent of Indian affairs ; and at the same time, having volunteered for the service, he was placed in charge of the exploration and survey of the northern route for a Pacific railroad: In the organization of his party in Washington, preparatory to his departure for his field of service in the far west, he displayed great knowledge of every thing necessary for the undertaking, sound judgment and discrimi nation in the selection of men and means, and is said to have devoted himself personally to the work "with an energy and perseverance rarely equalled. Governor Stevens found his hands well occupied with these several responsibilities. His survey was the most comprehensive, and embraced the largest area of any of the Pacific railroad surveys. The field was almost entirely new. He was, however, first in the field of any of the parties, and his report the first submitted to congress. He determined the entire feasi bility of the route for a railroad, and, by his surveys, established the practi cability of navigating the upper Missouri and Columbia rivers by steamers. As Indian superintendent his labors were very successful. From Decem ber, 1854, to July, 1855, he negotiated treaties of cession of lands with some twenty-two out of the twenty-five thousand Indians of the territory, and extinguished the Indian title to more than one hundred thousand square miles of territory. His Indian policy was one of great beneficence to the Indians. He guarded most carefully their rights, provided for their civiliza tion, and guaranteed to them homesteads on their assuming the habits and adopting the usages of civilized life. His treaties were confirmed and his policy adopted by the government, and with the most benign results. ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS. 167 Governor Stevens also, in October of the same year, (1855,) negotiated a treaty of amity and friendship with the Blackfeet Indians, on the upper Missouri, and also as between them and the hunting Indians of Washington and Oregon. This was the largest council which had assembled for many years. Some eight thousand Indians were actually present. They repre sented, in themselves and those absent, twenty thousand souls. It was a complete success. There was present no military escort. For weeks, tribes which for centuries had been enemies met together in peace. No discord marred the harmony of the council. A peace was made which has continued unbroken to this day ; and, in November, the Governor set out on his return from his peaceful and beneficent mission, full of hope for the future of the aborigines committed to his care. On the second day, however, of his return trip, a messenger, weary with his rapid journey, staggered into his camp, with news that the Indians of his territory had broken out into hostilities, and that the path home was through numerous bands of hostile Indians. The Governor determined at once to push on the straight road for home ; to conciliate such tribes as had not committed acts of war; and, though his party numbered but twenty-five men, to force his way through the rest. By great vigilance and care, with the help of friendly Indians, and at times by forced marches, he succeeded in dropping upon the first two tribes before they were aware of his approach and had time to organize resistance, and, by conciliation and kindness, he strengthened their former friendship. His way now became clear, and, in January, amid the rejoicings of the people, he reached Olympia, the capital of the territory. To the suppression of this war, the governor now devoted his energies. He raised troops for six months. He recognized no offers except those for the general service. He exacted obedience and subordination on the part of both officers and men. He prohibited all cruelty to the Indians taken in arms. With a firm and vigorous hand he protected the Indians not in arms, from the fears and suspicions of the white race ; collected them in reservations, and supplied them with food and clothing. Nearly all the inhabitants of the territory were living in block-houses, and general fear and alarm prevailed. The fact that during a period of twelve months of alarm and exasperation, only some six cases of unauthorized killing of Indians by white men occurred, is the best evidence of the vigor and success of Governor Stevens's action. After two campaigns against the Indians, one waged west and the other east 168 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. of the Cascade mountains, and both eminently successful, the war was brought to a close, and the Indians were reduced to subjection. During this war, Governor Stevens proclaimed martial-law in two of the counties of the territory, and it is not a little remarkable that in his printed vindication, he places his justification on the very grounds, and in much the same language of the justification of martial-law during the late rebellion. Governor Stevens's term of office expired in March, 1857, but he served till August, when he resigned, having been elected delegate to congress from Washington territory. As delegate, he served two terms, which he devoted diligently to attending to the varied interests of his territory, and to such general subjects as had attracted his attention. No man on the floor of congress, brought with him more varied and valuable information upon all topics relating to our vast interests in our territories and possessions on the whole Pacific coast. No man used it more effectually. He was not himself a debater. He was emphatically a worker, and was capable of more hours of continued, effective mental labor, than any man we ever knew. On the railroad question, he was the advocate of three roads to the Pacific, one being the route he had himself surveyed. General Stevens's politics were Democratic. He was a member of the last famous national convention which met at Charleston, and by adjourn ment to Baltimore. He represented the Breckenridge interest in that body, and was considered one of its most efficient members. During the presiden tial contest that followed, he was chairman of the Breckenridge executive committee at Washington, but, according to the Philadelphia Press, (Mr. Forney,) he did not falter in his patriotism. The Press says : "He urged upon the President the prompt dismissal of Floyd and Thompson from the cabinet, and pressed him to trust to the counsels of Gen eral Scott. He was, during the winter, in daily consultation with the officers of the army in relation to the defences of Washington, and exercised a con trolling influence over them. For these acts he deserved the gratitude of the country, no less than those other noble Democrats, Holt and Stanton. He was, fortunately, stimulated in his loyalty by his admirable wife and her sister, daughters of one of the most eminent lawyers of Rhode Island." When Congress adjourned, Governor Stevens proceeded to Washington territory. On the fall of Fort Sumter, he offered a carte-bianche to the gov ernment, came in person as soon as possible, accepted the colonelcy of the seventy-ninth Highlanders, New York volunteers, and steadily devoted himself ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS. 169 to the duties of the field. The corps afterwards demonstrated the value of his disciphne, and the soldiers of the regiment testified their appreciation of his services and love of his person, by presenting him with a magnificent sword and accoutrements. In September, 1861, in command of a force of eighteen hundred men, he made the reconnoissance of Lewinsville, where he handled his troops with acknowledged skill, and rapidly and easily withdrew them from the attack of a superior force.- September 29th, he was made a brigadier-general. In October, he was ordered on the expedition against the coasts of Carolina, Georgia and Florida. On the 1st day of January, 1862, he attacked, and, with the aid of the gun-boats, carried the enemy's batteries on the Coosaw, and, in command at Beaufort, he held possession of the site, until ordered to the Stono, in June. Placed then in command of a division, he landed on James Island, forming the right wing of the army under General Benham; and, whilst his force was landing, drove in the advance of the enemy, cap tured a battery of five guns, and established his permanent picket line. On the 16th of that month, he attacked, with his entire division, the enemy's intrenched position at Secessionville, but, though his advance'gained the very parapet of the work, the fire was so terrible and the slaughter of his troops so great, that he was obliged to withdraw them. General Benham went into this operation against General Stevens's advice and remonstrance. The troops of General Stevens behaved on this occasion with extraordinary heroism, and never retired from the unequal contest till ordered to do so by the general. In July, General Stevens with his division was ordered to Virginia, and reported to General Burnside, at Newport News, who was then forming the ninth corps, of which General Stevens's command was styled the first division. The following month he was ordered to Fredericksburg, and thence marched up the Rappahannock, and joined Pope's army at Culpepper Court House. From this time, General Stevens participated in the scenes of that disastrous campaign. At the second battle of Bull Run, he was almost incessantly engaged for two days; his troops suffered terribly, and his own horse was shot dead beneath him. Among the last to leave the field, he was placed in charge of the rear, the day after the battle, with a force of two divisions of infantry, a brigade of cavalry, and several batteries of artillery. On the following day, September 1st, 1862, General Stevens, in conjunction with the second division, ninth corps, was sent to arrest the advance of a force of the 170 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. enemy, threatening the road to Washington by which the army was retiring. This force, consisting of Stonewall Jackson's troops, was advancing with great resolution and rapidity, and was already within sight of the road when met by General Stevens. Forming his division into a column of brigades with the greatest rapidity, he charged the enemy with the bayonet, knowing full well that tht, safety of the army depended upon their repulse. The enemy, meanwhile, had taken position behind a fence in the edge of a wood, and opened a deadly volley upon our advancing troops. General Stevens, seeing the head of the column waver and hold back, rushed forward, seized the colors of the seventy-ninth Highlanders from the hands of the wounded color-bearer, and calling on his troops to follow him, led them in a resistless charge, which swept back the enemy like chaff, and gained the position, — a position dearly bought, for, in the very moment of success, he fell, pierced through the brain by a rebel bullet. Owing to their numerical superiority, the rebels were enabled to renew the contest, but the second division and Kearney's division, which came up soon after, finally and effectually repulsed them. In recognition of his services, General Stevens was made a major-general, to date from July, 1862. His remains were brought off the field and buried in Newport, Rhode Island, where a plain granite obelisk perpetuates his memory in the following inscription : IN MEMORY OF MAJOR-GENERAL ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS, Born in Andover, Massachusetts, March 25th, 1818 : Who gave to the Service of his Country a quick and far-reaching mind, a warm and generous heart, a firm will and a strong arm ; And who fell, while rallying his command, with the Flag of the Republic in his dying grasp, at the battle of Chantilly, Virginia, Septemper 1st, 1862. THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED AS A TOKEN OF ADMIRING GRATITUDE BY THE CITY OF NEWPORT. Lieutenant Ist R.I.U'Arf? PETER HUNT. < ¦»¦ — » 'ieutenant Peter Hunt, son of Daniel I. and Nancy W. Hunt, was born in Seekonk, Massachusetts, May 15th, 1843. He inherited his grandfather's name, Peter Hunt, of honored memory. Before completing his fifth year, the rod of affliction removed from the s family of five children a most kind and tender father. The. following year, Peter's mother removed to Warren, Rhode Island^ in order that her children might enjoy educational privileges. Three years later, the family were settled in Providence, that, as the young sons became ready for business, they might obtain suitable employment. At the early age of sixteen, having made creditable improvement in the grammar and high schools, Peter reluctantly left his studies to accept an offered situation. Before his second year in business had expired, the notes of war rang through the country, and the first Rhode Island regiment was prepared for the field. His youthful mind was at once kindled with the idea of fighting for the stars and stripes, but his mother counselled him to wait until there was a greater scarcity of volunteers, and a more urgent call for the boys of seventeen to go forth to battle. Her advice prevailed,, but he continued firm in his determination to give himself to his country's service whenever the need should appear more pressing. After the disastrous battle of Bull Run, in which one of his dearest associates laid down his life, he replied to the question, "Do you feel quite as much like going as before?" with but one word, " More." Being assured that if needed he should not be withheld, he at once devoted himself to preparatory exercises, and soon joined battery C, first 172 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. • Rhode Island light artillery, in the position of sergeanf>major. The battery left their camp in Rhode Island, August 31st, 1861. Every comfort that the affection of home could devise was provided for him, and, like thousands of others, he went forth followed by the blessings and prayers of loving hearts. Then came his first letters home, filled with joyous anticipations of. the future, impatient to be at the front, to prove the military discipline to which his battery had attained. In October, Sergeant Hunt left Camp Sprague, crossing the Potomac with his battery, and encamped near Fort Corcoran. With a fresh enthusi asm for the cause in which he was engaged, he wrote home of his delight at being at last in the enemy's country. Fond of adventure, he frequently made excursions into the neighborhood, which were scarcely characterized by the caution of more mature years, and his captain had frequently to warn him against the danger which he incurred. The tedious winter of 1861 was passed, by battery C, at Miner's Hill, with but little of interest to relieve the monotony of camp life. Sergeant Hunt wrote home: "Sometimes I think I am tired of being a soldier, it is so dull. Nothing but drill, drill, drill, all the time. I would like to be out west, for there is more action going on there than anywhere in the army." He was learning, however, one of the most important lessons of a soldier's experience, that of patience. The first fight in which battery C took part occurred on the 5th of April, 1862, in front of the defences of Yorktown. Sergeant Hunt was at this time just recovering from a threatened attack of fever. He had not fully regained his strength, but sufficiently to fulfill all his duties. The guns of his battery were the first to open on the enemy's works, ¦and were engaged nearly the whole day, firing very handsomely and eliciting high praise from General Porter. For the next few days great preparations were made for the anticipated siege of Yorktown. All available troops were concentrated in front of the defences, and a terrible artillery battle was expected. The rebels, however, evacuated the city and the Union forces obtained easy possession. At the battle of Hanover Court House, May 27th, 1862, battery C was present, but did not participate. It was here that Ser geant Hunt saw, for the first time, the carnage of a battle-field. He went over the ground the day after the engagement, and thus writes of its appear ance : u # * * gucn scenes I never expected to see. The secesh lay all night just where they fell. They were in all sorts of positions. Some sitting up, PETER HUNT. 173 some just getting up, some on their knees, etc. They were mostly in the edge of a piece of woods, and the big trees were well peppered with big bullets, while the tops of the shrubs were all shot off, and the fence-stakes full of bullets. The dead lay motionless, as thousands of Union soldiers walked around them and viewed the kind of men they were fighting with. Some were old men, and some quite young. I noticed one young man, about seventeen years old, who fell between two trees with his head upon a stump. He looked just as natural as life. His eyes were open, his lips closed, his legs straight, and his hand placed over his fatally-wounded breast. His shirt was white and fine, and his appearance better than that of his dead comrades. He was placed in a. deep hole with twenty-four more, and covered up, with nothing to mark the spot. Blood lay in the road in puddles. * * * * fhe enemy fought behind a fence about four feet high, and behind it the scene was terrible to look upon. The men fell in rows, some on their faces, but most sideways, with awful expressions of countenance." On the 27th of June following, the battery fought with great bravery at Gaines's Mills. In this action, the infantiy being overwhelmed with superior forces, fell back on the batteries, which were stationed about seventy-five yards from the edge of the woods. The rebels pressing closely upon the heels of our men, they were ordered to lie down, when the batteries opened a deafening storm of grape upon the enemy, who were slaughtered in great numbers. Sergeant Hunt's gun was stationed at the right of the line, and when the command was given to withdraw the battery, he did not hear the order, and consequently kept on firing after the rest had withdrawn. The rebels then made a charge upon his gun, but, "limbering up" in double-quick time, he succeeded in getting the piece off the field, only to have it captured soon after, the saddle-horses of the foe proving themselves more than a match in speed for the team-horses of the gun. Sergeant Hunt narrowly escaped capture on his faithful steed. In the battle of Malvern Hill, which followed but a few days after, the subject of our sketch fought 'with distinguished bravery and coolness. As the action began, it was his good fortune to witness one of the grandest scenes of the war. For more than a mile, he could distinctly see the long dark line of the Union forces stretching far into the distance, composed of infantry and artillery, and dotted at occasional intervals by the bright and triumphantly waving flags of the Union. But the scene, for a few moments so peaceful, soon assumed a solemn reality, as the engagement opened with the roar of 174 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. the murderous cannon and the crack of the deadly rifle. Sergeant Hunt had some narrow escapes. His horse was killed by a forty-two pound shell, which exploded within twenty feet of him, bursting so near as to send the powder into his face and neck, tearing off the whole of one leg and part of the head of his faithful animal. A fragment of the shell cut the sole of the sergeant's boot. Later in the day, four men were shot dead at his side while working the gun, and still he remained untouched. He had the pleasure of putting into the gun with his own hands a double-shotted canister, which told among the enemy with terrible effect, and which, he wrote, compensated him some what for the loss of his gun at Gaines's Mills. The following is an extract of a letter written by an officer in battery C, and published in the Providence Journal at the time : " Sergeant Hunt behaved with distinguished bravery after his horse had been shot dead under him, serving his gun as a private, and supplying the place of three men who were killed or wounded." In the severe battle of the second Bull Run, Sergeant Hunt was knocked from his horse by the concussion from a cannon ball, but he soon recovered from the blow, the only evil effect being a lame shoulder for a few days. On the 1st of October, 1862, came a promotion to a second-lieutenantcy, and with it a transfer to battery A. With this battery Lieutenant Hunt was thenceforth associated, and through victory and defeat he followed its fortunes. In November, he was promoted again, and assumed the duties and dignities of a first-lieutenant. The first battle in which Lieutenant Hunt participated after joining battery A, was that of Fredericksburg, December 13th, 1862, in which his section fired two hundred and eighty-five rounds, with the loss of but one man. In the battle at Chancellorsville, May 1st, 1863, battery A was ordered to open on a large mass of men, to feel their strength. Lieutenant Hunt was directed to fire the first gun. In a letter, describing his part in the action, he wrote that he felt fearful about firing, for three generals were waiting for the effect of the shot, and had he made a poor estimate it would have been very conspicuous. With beating heart, he calculated the distance at twenty- five hundred yards, with six degrees' elevation, and let fly a percussion shell. After a lapse of several seconds, the shell exploded in the midst of the rebel column. It was a splendid shot, and quite a feather in the hat of the young lieutenant. In July, came the fiercest battle of the war, that of Gettysburg. Bat tery A was in the thickest of the action, and all fought with great bravery. PETER HUNT. 175 They were stationed but thirty yards from . the house, so celebrated in the annals of that battle-field, in which General Meade established his head-quar ters. Out of that tempest rain of shot and shell Lieutenant Hunt escaped untouched. To a merciful Providence he ascribed the protection from death which he felt was almost miraculous. One shell burst directly on the right side of his' head, singeing his hair and filling his neck and face with powder. The shock was a severe one to his system, but did not prevent his engaging actively during the rest of that bloody conflict. The following extract is from one of his letters, written after the battle : " The army of the Potomac never knew what war was before. Such fightings as Antietam and Chancel lorsville are nothing but skirmishes compared with Gettysburg. In my paper I saw an account of General Meade's head-quarters, stating what a hot place it was, yet it did not speak of any batteries which were in front of that house. Every shot that struck around his head-quarters passed directly over or through our battery. The water which we used in our guns came from the yard of that house. Thirty-one out of our battery were killed and wounded, poor fellows, — the result of this terrible artillery battle — and tljirty-four horses shot." Towards the latter part of July, Lieutenant Hunt, worn out with the fatigues and hardships of his life, was taken sick, and remained at Frederick, Maryland, unable to obtain a leave of absence. His hardy constitution and vigorous frame triumphed, however, and he was soon able to rejoin his bat tery. In August, he obtained the much coveted furlough, and spent several weeks in the enjoyment of home. On returning to his battery, he found it, as usual, in the extreme front, and prepared to engage the enemy at any moment. Then followed the severe artillery duels at Bristoe's Station and Mine Run. We wish that space aUowed us to give in full Lieutenant Hunt's descriptions of both these engagements, but we can only make the following extract from one of his letters, showing the spirit of our men in the action at Mine Run: "The choice of ground was in favor of the enemy, and they showed a very large force, so much so, that General Warren decided not to attack them, saying he would not sacrifice his brave men by attacking such strong works. The men were perfectly willing to charge the works, and were eager for it. They took off their knapsacks, gave their money to the chaplains and surgeons, and, pinning their names to their caps, swore they would never come back if once allowed to advance." Such was the spirit that animated the Union forces. 176 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Early in 1864, Lieutenant Hunt obtained a leave of absence, returning to the front in time to take his part in the fight at Morton's ford, Virginia, February 6 th. On the 3d of May, battery A commenced the grand march with the entire army towards Richmond. Then followed the succession of heavy battles known as the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, North Anna, etc. ; when, after six days of hard fighting, General Grant uttered the memo rable words: "I propose to fight it out on this line, if it takes all summer." May 11th, Lieutenant Hunt wrote to his mother from the Po river, as follows : "My Dear Mother: "I am all right. Have had six days' fighting. On the 9th instant, I received a little touch from a fragment of shell on the left leg. It went through my pants, and just brought the blood. I am a little sore, and dirty as I can be. The battery was in a very severe fight yesterday, and lost one gun." Later. "Everything is all right. The enemy is falling back this very instant, and the battery is shelling them as I write. Up to knees in mud." May 13th. "I survived yesterday's battle, and am well. Rebels badly whipped. Captured thirty-one guns and four thousand men. I drew off seven guns myself." The three years for which he had enlisted had now nearly drawn to a close, and friends at home were counting the days which still remained ere he would be united again with them in the family circle. But an all-wise Providence had ruled otherwise. On the 30th of May, the battery was engaged at Cold Harbor, where Lieutenant Hunt received a wound from a shell, which completely shattered his foot. He was removed to Washington, and, in a room in the Metropoli tan Hotel, was found by a friend, who had him taken to the more comfortable quarters of a private house. Here, on the next day, his leg was amputated ; and, although he bore the operation well and appeared perfectly calm under his suffering, it became evident that he was in a critical condition. His mother arrived during the next night, and found him asleep. Not wishing to disturb him, she placed her hand within his when he woke, and, although he had not expected her arrival and it was dark in the room at the time, yet PETER HUNT. • 177 he eagerly inquired: "Whose hand is this? It seems like my mother's , hand. I know it is. Light the gas, and let me see my mother." His affec tion for his mother had always been very great, and his love for her had protected him like a shield from the corrupting influences of a soldier's life. He would often refuse to join his comrades in their social gatherings, when in camp, if he had failed to receive his usual letter from her. Alas! she had arrived only in time to soothe the few remaining hours of his life. Failing rapidly under the influences of his wound, Lieutenant Hunt sank peacefully to his rest on the 14th of June, in the comfort of a perfect hope in Jesus, in whom he said, as he passed away, he "had put all his trust." An upright and true man and a brave andsioble soldier, Lieutenant Hunt had proved himself to be a hero On the battle-field and patient on the bed of suffering. He fought not for the laurel-wreath of the victor, but simply to perform his duty to his country, in the honesty and straight-forwardness of his manly heart. Possessed of a constitution naturally strong and vigorous and excelling in all athletic exercises, he was eminently fitted, though but a youth, on his entrance into the army to meet all the requirements of its exposed life. His remains were brought to Providence, where, on the 21st of June, the funeral ceremonies were solemnized in the Central Congregational Church, in the presence of the members of his battery. GEORGE CARPENTER. 'ieutenant • George Carpenter was born in Seekonk, Massachusetts, in the year 1832. He was a comb-maker by occupation, but for several years before the war he had paid considerable attention to the study of the fine arts, in which he had shown decided manifestations of taste and skill. He enlisted in the first regiment of Rhode Island volunteers (company D, Captain N. W. Brown) immediately on its formation, and throughout the campaign bore himself as a most exemplary man and a brave and high- spirited soldier. He was wounded in the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, but returned with the regiment, and afterwards to his home- in Seekonk. Upon his recovery he was again induced to enter the serviee under Captain Nathaniel W. Brown, who had been appointed colonel of the third regiment. Mr. Carpenter was commissioned heutenant October 3d, 1861, and received the appointment of quartermaster. He continued faithfully to perform the duties of this office until stricken by disease, which proved fatal. He died at Fort Seward, Bay Point, South Carolina, June 28th, 1862. He was a young. man of the finest qualities of character, and his memory is cherished by his surviving comrades as that of an honorable man, a faithful friend, and a fearless soldier* * Woodbury's "Campaign of the First Rhode Island Regiment.' 'iHi'>llllli""\*< 11 ~0 LIEUT. MUNRO H.CLADD1NC 5tk Re 5. "R-I- Vols MUNRO H. GLADDING. »unro H. Gladding, son of George W. Gladding, was born in Providence,- December 24th, 1828, and received his education in part at the public and private schools of his native city. At an early age he evinced an energetic and persevering spirit, which proved his most marked character istic. Nothing daunted' by peculiar difficulties and hardships through which he was compelled to struggle, after several years of indefatigable industry and close attention to the interests of his employers, Messrs. Phetteplace & Seagrave, merchants of Providence, he was associated with them in their business, which position he occupied when called by his country to take up arms in her defence. Though warmly attached to home and kindred, and with promising prospects of future success and enjoyment, he unflinchingly relinquished all, from a sterner sense of duty to his country. He had been an active member of the First Light Infantry Company, of Providence, for more than six years, and was well schooled in aU the tactics of a true soldier. Fully inspired with the patriotism which characterized that whole corps, he was prompt at the first summons to enroll his name as a private among those of the first regiment of Rhode Island volunteers. His first enlistment was for the term of three months, the close of which was marked by the memorable battle of BuliRun, in which he actively partici pated. From this campaign he returned unharmed. He remained at home until the following January, when he again felt that his services were impera tively required to sustain the great cause for which the north was contending, and again, with firm and manly determination, sacrificing every consideration of home and its endearments, he reenlisted as quartermaster of the fifth 180 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Rhode Island regiment, with the rank of first-lieutenant, under appointment of General Burnside. This regiment was assigned a position in the Burnside expedition to North Carolina, and embarked with it in January, 1862. The perils which that expedition encountered are still fresh in the minds of all who felt an interest in its success. • After reaching its destination, the fifth Rhode Island regiment participated warmly in the battles of Roanoke Island and Newbern, and was afterwards stationed in defence of the latter place. While engaged in the faithful discharge of the duties appertaining to his office, Lieutenant Gladding was prostrated by the fever incident to that chmate. He was removed to the mihtary hospital at Beaufort, where he died on the 4th of October, 1862, in the thirty-fourth year of his age. ALFRED HENRY THURSTON. urgeon Alfred Henry Thurston was born in Newport, Rhode Island, October 2d, 1832, the youngest child of Charles M. and Rachel H. Thurston. He was a graduate from Columbia College, in the city of New York, in 1851, and afterwards from the medical department of the University of New York. He was appointed by the board of governors of the New York City Hospital, on the 6th of December, 1853, and served there in the several capacities of junior and senior walker and resident home surgeon for one year each successively. He was married April 10, 1856, to Eliza S. Blunt, daughter of N. B. Blunt, Esquire, of New York. At the commencement of the rebellion he was surgeon of the twefth regiment New York state militia, and served with the regiment in 1861, for three months, in the defence of Washington. He was appointed brigade surgeon of volunteers, with the rank of major, October 5, 1861, and ordered to the army of the Cumberland. He was placed in charge of University Hospital, at Nashville, Tennessee, March 8, 1862; was medical inspector on Major-General Rosecrans's staff October 30, 1862 ; was assistant medical director of the department of the Cumberland ;n 1863; and was medical director of the twelfth army corps, Major-General Slocum commanding, January 7, 1864. Doctor Thurston was married a second time, in Nashville, Tennessee, April 25, 1864, to Mary S., daughter of James Bankhead, Esquire, of Nashville. He was ordered to the army of the Potomac, and stationed at Belle Plain in May, 1864 ; afterwards medical inspector in Washington, and finally, 182 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. was placed in charge of Grant Hospital, Willett's Point, New York harbor, July 5, 1864. He remained in command until the hospital was closed, in June, 1865. He was appointed, June 15, 1865, "for faithful and meritorious service during the war," a lieutenant-colonel of volunteers by brevet, to rank as such from March 13, 1865. He died in New York, August 2, 1865, of. disease contracted while in the, pubhc service, aged thirty-two years and ten months, leaving a widow and three children. Doctor Thurston was a direct descendant, in the fifth generation, from Edward Thurston, born in 1617, and his wife, Elizabeth Mott, who were among the earliest settlers at Newport, Rhode Island. ¦ WILLIAM L. PROUTY. 'ieutenant William L. Prouty, the son of Captain John Prouty, was born in Scituate, Massachusetts, on the 8th of June, 1832, and with his father removed to Newport in 1842. He was educated at a private school in Newport, and, on the breaking out of the war, was one of the firm of Woolsey & Prouty, tobacconists in Providence. He was among the hundreds of young men, who, when the call was made for a force to defend the capital, joined the first regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, on the 19th of April, 1861, and, with his regiment, took part in the memorable battle of Bull Run. He returned with his regiment when its period of service had expired, sick with typhoid fever. In September following, he again enlisted, in the fifth regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, for three years' service, and was made a quartermaster- sergeant. He was with his regiment in General Bumside's expedition to North Carolina, in which campaign that regiment rendered distinguished service * In February, 1862, Mr. Prouty was promoted to a lieutenancy, and made regimental quartermaster of the same regiment. Lieutenant Prouty was in all the battles in which his regiment took part up to the time of his death, which took place at Newbern, North Carolina, on the 31st of December, 1863. His remains were brought to Newport, and interred with military honors. * For the particulars of this service, see the memoirs of Colonel George W. Tew. CHARLES D. HAMMETT, JR. 'harles D. Hammett, Jr., was born March 29th, 1843, at Jamestown, Rhode Island. He was appointed acting master's mate in the United States navy in the summer of 1861, and, on board United States steamer Winona, was at the passage of forts Saint Philip and Jackson, at the capture of New Orleans. He was present} also, at the passage of Vicksburg, in the summer of 1862. Mr. Hammett left the navy in October of the same year. He was drafted in 1863, and joined the army of the Potomac. In April, 1864, he was commissioned as second-heutenant in the third Rhode Island cavalry, and joined his regiment, near New Orleans, in May. Lieutenant Hammett continued with this regiment until his death, which took place at Saint James Hospital, September 13th, 1864. Brevet Brig. Gen. U.S.Vols JAMES SHAW, JR. 4 ~mm .» C^ames Shaw, Jr., was born in the city of Providence, Rhode Island, on the ~m 25th of September, 1830. He received his education in the common ^=^ schools of his native city. His trade early in life was that of a jeweller, though for several years prior to the rebellion, he was employed as an accountant. , At the breaking out of the war, Mr. Shaw was very anxious to enroll himself, as all of his intimate friends had done, in the first regiment Rhode Island volunteers, but found it impossible to do so. He was among the first to recognize the importance of a general knowledge of military matters in the community, and, soon after the departure of the first regiment, he sug gested to the citizens of the sixth ward, the plan of forming a ward company for drill. The idea was carried out, and Mr. Shaw selected as captain of the company. This step led to the general organization of ward companies throughout the city, by means of which, in the spring of 1862, the state was enabled to offer a regiment of men for the defence of Washington, in less than thirty hours from the first call. In the fall of 1861, the several ward companies met together for battalion drill, and the first regiment of National Guards was formed, when Captain Shaw was elected colonel. In May, 1862, an urgent call came from Washington, for men to defend the capital. ._ The National Guards came forward immediately and offered their services for three months, most of its members leaving important posi tions, and sacrificing personal comforts for the sake of their country. On the 26th day of May, Colonel Shaw reported six hundred and thirteen men ready for. duty, and they were immediately organized as the tenth regiment Rhode 24 186 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Island volunteers. The officers were desirous that Colonel Shaw should accept the colonelcy of the regiment, but he felt himself, that never having seen active service, some one else should be chosen. Governor Sprague accordingly appointed Captain Zenas R. Bliss, of the United States army, to fill the position, and Colonel Shaw was elected lieutenant-colonel of the regiment. During the temporary absence of Colonel Bliss, all the duties connected with the command devolved upon Colonel Shaw. On the 29th of May, the regiment arrived in Washington, and the next morning took up its line of march for Tennallytown, six miles distant from the city. A site for a camp was selected in a grove on a gentle slope, just beyond the village, and tents were pitched as well as the darkness and rain would allow. In honor of the quartermaster-general of Rhode Island, the camp was named "Camp Frieze." On the 1st of June, the ninth regiment Rhode Island volunteers, together with further re enforcements for the tenth, arrived under command of Colonel Bliss. On the 9th, the regiment was mustered into the military service of the United States. Soon after, the tenth Rhode Island battery, Captain Gallup, arrived, and was attached to the tenth regiment. The blanks in the staff were filled by the appointment of the Reverend A. H. Clapp as chaplain, and Lieutenant James H. Armington as quarter master. Doctor Miller having declined the appointment as surgeon, Doctor George D. Wilcox was chosen in his place, and Doctor Sprague was appointed assistant-surgeon. Major Merriman and Adjutant Thurston both resigning, their places were filled by Jacob Babbitt as major, and John F. Tobey as adjutant* On, the 25th of June, the regiment received orders to proceed to Washington, from which place they passed through Alexandria to Fairfax Seminary, encamping near Fort Ward, making a march of eighteen miles in six hours. All the forces south of the Potomac not garrisoning fortifications, were now formed into one division, consisting of two brigades; the first under command of General Cook, and the second under Colonel Bliss. The second comprised battery L, second New York, battery C, first New York, sixteenth Indiana battery, second Excelsior battery, ninth and tenth Rhode Island * Among the volunteers who came forward in this emergency, was the Honorable Elisha Dyer, formerly governor of Rhode Island, and one of the principal manufacturers in the state. Governor Dyer was com missioned as captain, and proved to be one of the most active and energetic officers in the regiment. JAMES SHAW, JR. 187 regiments, thirty-second Massachusetts volunteers, and twelfth Pennsylvania cavalry. The camp was finely situated on a high plane, where they expected to be allowed to remain and perfect themselves in the drill of the battalion and evolutions of the line, a pleasure they had long looked for. They were doomed to disappointment however, for on the 29th, orders were issued for the tenth regiment to take possession of the fortifications then garrisoned by the fifty-ninth New York artillery. On the 1st of July, the companies of the regiment were assigned to the different forts and batteries. This transfer, from camp to garrison, was anything but agreeable to the men, who were obliged to forego all hopes of perfecting themselves in infantry tactics and begin the study of artillery practice, with which they were wholly unacquainted. The duties were very severe, on account of the line of fortifications stretching over a distance of some six or eight miles, the garrison being so small that guard duty came every other day. In August, an epidemic fever broke out at Fort DeRussey, and twenty-two men from Company D were at one time on the sick list. It afterwards appeared also at Fort Pennsylvania, and increased steadily during the month of August. The men were really over-worked, laboring to complete Battery Vermont, when the thermometer was varying from one hundred to one hundred and thirty degrees in the sun ; work which " contrabands " alone were fitted to perform in such extreme heat. On the 6th of August, Colonel Bliss resigned his command of the tenth regiment, having received the appointment of colonel of the seventh Rhode Island regiment. From this time, Colonel Shaw assumed the command of the tenth, receiving a commission from Governor Sprague as colonel. On the 21st of August, a note was received from LieutenantrColonel Haskin, aide-de-camp, asking if the regiment would be willing to be sworn in for an extra term until relieved by another regiment, and they instructed in heavy artillery drill. To this request, Colonel Shaw responded as follows : "Head-Quarters Tenth Khode Island Volunteers,") Fort Pennsylvania, August 22, 1862. ) "Colonel: — Yours of the 21st, requesting the regiment to remain two weeks or one month after the expiration of their term of service, is received and has been laid before the regiment. I regret to say that it has not met their approbation, though, when all the circumstances are considered, I am not surprised at the result. You will remember that the regiment started 188 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. from Rhode Island at twenty-four hours', notice, coming simply for the emer gency, and expecting to be released within a month. Many of them left important business matters and permanent situations that they feel must be attended to. They will have staid, on the 26th instant, the longest time, as they understood it when they left home, that would possibly be required of them, and have made their arrangements expecting to be at home at that time. We have many amongst us who are expecting positions in the regi ments to be sent from our state, and many that wish to obtain the large bounties that are now being offered by many of the towns. These all wish to go. The epidemic fever which now prevails at Fort Pennsylvania has a great influence ; sick men always wish to get home. Under these circum stances, I trust you will do the regiment the justice to believe that its disin clination to stay is not from any lack of patriotism or desire to comply with every wish of the government. So much, we think, was manifested by the readiness with which they volunteered for what then appeared immediate active service, and the cheerfulness with which they have served through the longest time mentioned as the limit of our stay. I trust our reply, when thus explained, will, meet the approbation of General Barnard. " I am, Sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, "James Shaw, Jr., " Lieutenant- Colonel Commanding." " To Colonel J. A. Haskin." This reply proved perfectly satisfactory to General Barnard, who had but just assumed the command, and did not know the circumstances under which the regiment had been raised. On the 24th instant, the one hundred and thirteenth New York volunteers relieved the tenth regiment from further duty, and on the following day they departed for home, and were mustered out of the service on the 1st of September, 1862. Thus ended the brief campaign of the tenth regiment. They were permitted to perform but a humble part in the great struggle, but the promptness with which they performed all the duties that devolved upon them, and their excellent discipline, combined wTith the character and morale of the regiment, showed that they would not have been found wanting had greater demands been made upon their courage and devotion to their coun try. Too much praise cannot be awarded to Colonel Shaw for his efforts in behalf of the regiment while under his command. He won the respect and JAMES SHAW, JR. , 189 confidence of -his officers and men by the uprightness of his conduct and character, and his ability as a commanding officer. Feeling that the country still needed the services of every military man, Colonel Shaw offered himself again to Governor Sprague, soon after he was mustered out of the tenth regiment. On the 31st of December, 1862, his wishes were gratified by receiving a commission as lieutenankcolonel of the twelfth regiment Rhode Island volunteers, with orders to report for duty to Colonel Browne, whose regiment was stationed near Falmouth, Virginia, forming part of the ninth army corps. With the twelfth regiment Colonel Shaw went to Newport News, from thence to Kentucky, and in July returned home, and was mustered out of the service on the 29th of July, 1863. In the month of September following, Colonel Shaw obtained permission to appear before the board for the examination of officers to command United States colored troops, then in session at Washington, of which Major-General Silas Casey was president. He passed as colonel, being the fifth officer of that grade who had passed out of seven hundAd examined. In November, 1863, Colonel Shaw receimed his commission from the President of the United States, as colonel of the seventh regiment United States colored troops, to rank from October 27th, 1863, and the same month joined his men, who were stationed at Camp Stanton, Benedict, Indiana. He found his command to consist of the very best material. It was mostly com posed of slaves, recruited in Maryland and Virginia. They were of fine physique, and had few bad habits. A strong though uneducated religious feeling was a prominent trait in their characters. Their officers had all seen active service, and had passed the board of examination. They were men who had the interests of the country at heart, and had come forward at a time when it had not become creditable to belong to a colored regiment, and when the enemy had threatened to murder all their officers and men. The first part of the year 1864, was spent by the seventh regiment in recruiting and perfecting themselves in drill. Colonel Shaw was eminently qualified for the task, and he entered into the duty of disciplining his men with an enthusiasm which rendered his success complete. On the 4th of March, 1864, the regiment embarked on the steamer Daniel Webster for Hilton Head, South Carolina. It was obliged to stop at Fortress Monroe for water, .and here Colonel Shaw received orders from General Butler to disembark at Portsmouth and march towards Suffolk, to repel the rebels, said to be advancing in that direction. He found no 190 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. enemy, however, and reembarking arrived at Hilton Head on the 10th of March. Staying here but three days, they again embarked for Jackson ville, Florida, arriving on the 16th instant. Here the regiment went into camp, and Colonel Shaw took advantage of every spare moment to ren der still more perfect, the discipline and drill of the troops. The inspector- general of the department of the south, Colonel Morgan, in his report of June, 1864, after enumerating instances of the lack of system and neglect of duty, as shown by most of the regiments in the department, proceeds to state : " There are, however, brilliant exceptions. The seventeenth regiment Con necticut volunteers and the seventh United States colored troops are an example of the unflagging energy and steady perseverance of their officers in the discharge of their various duties. Strict and impartial in the enforce ment of all orders, a perfect state of discipline prevails, and harmony reigns throughout the respective commands." General George H. Gordon, command ing the district, said of the seventh regiment, at the same time : "It is the best colored regiment in the service." In the early i part of May, Colonel Shaw was placed in command of all the troops stationed at Jacksonville, consisting of four regiments of infantry, two detachments of cavalry, one light battery, and one regiment of infantry acting as heavy artillery, and, in addition, he was made commandant of the post. This was a heavy responsibility for so young an officer, and he felt its weight, though, in regard to its duties, he wrote : " I find them easy and pleasant to bear with such a commander over me as General Gordon." With the exception of a reconnoissance in force to ascertain the number and position of the enemy at the front, nothing of interest occurred until the first of June, when a movement was organized to destroy the works of the rebels at Camp Milton, some ten miles distant from Jacksonville. Colonel Noble, of the seventeenth Connecticut, was sent with a brigade of infantry up the Saint John's river to land at McGert's creek, and move towards their rear, while a few hours later, Colonel Shaw was ordered to move directly on their front with a brigade of infantry, battery A, third Rhode Island, and two hundred cavalry, under Major Fox. The movement was carried out with success ; the enemy was flanked, and a line of four miles of well-built fortifi cations fell into the hands of the Union troops. These were destroyed and the expedition returned. Soon after this, General Gordon was sent to other fields, where his talents could be of more use. His officers and men parted from him with regret, for JAMES SHAW, JR. 191 he had won the regard and admiration of all during his command. After the departure of General Gordon, Colonel Shaw resumed the command of his regiment, the new district commander acting as commandant of the post. On the 28th of June, an expedition was formed at Hilton Head, in which Colonel Shaw, with his regiment, wras ordered to take part. Embarking on the steamer Canonicus, he was detained by storms and gales, so that he did not reach Hilton Head till the 1st of July. The brigade to which the seventh regiment was attached, proceeded up the North Edisto river, under the command of General William Birney, and, on the evening of July 2d, landed near White Point. The next morning our forces advanced towards the works at that place. After ascertaining the position of the enemy, under a heavy fire and exposed to the terrible heat of the sun, the troops were withdrawn, and reembarked. The officers and men suffered very much from the extreme heat, Colonel Shaw being so much exhausted as scarcely to be able to reach the boat. A few days after this affair, the seventh regiment returned to Jacksonville. Soon after returning to his old post, Colonel Shaw sailed up the Saint John's river to Black Creek, for the purpose of destroying the Cedar Creek railroad. After accomplishing this object, he proceeded to cut the Tallahassee railroad at the Saint Mary's trestle. On marching to Baldwin, they found that the enemy had fled, finding his communications entirely cut off. The seventh regiment remained in camp at Baldwin until August 4th, when Colonel Shaw received orders to report to General Butler at Fortress Monroe. On the 12th of August, the regiment disembarked at Bermuda Hundred, and a place was assigned it in the tenth army corps. On the 13th, they were shelled by the Howlet House battery. Colonel Shaw wrote that it was the most uncomfortable day he ever passed under fire. The men were very much exposed, being destitute of any cover, and could do nothing in retaliation. That night the men were ordered to march against the enemy, and Colonel Shaw was ordered to take command of the colored brigade, consisting of the seventh, eighth and ninth United States colored troops, and the twenty-ninth Connecticut colored volunteers. For the next four days the brigade was under fire, and on all occasions the officers and men acquitted themselves with the greatest credit. The following com pliment paid the colored brigade by Major-General Birney, is sufficient to prove that they were not foimd wanting: 192 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. " Head-Quarters Tenth Army Coups, > " Fczzel's Mills, Virginia, August 19th, 1864. ) " General Orders. " The major-general commanding congratulates the tenth army corps upon its success. It has on each occasion when ordered, broken the enemy's strong lines. It has captured, during this short campaign, four siege guns, protected by formidable works, six colors, and many prisoners. It has proved itself worthy of its old Wagner and Fort Sumter renown. Much fatigue, patience and . heroism may still be demanded of it, but the major-general commanding is confident of the response. " To the colored troops, recently added to us and fighting with us, the major-general tenders his thanks for their uniform good conduct and soldierly bearing. They have set a good example to our veterans by the entire absence of straggling from their ranks on the inarch. "By order of Major-General D. B. Birney, "E. W. Smith, " Lieutenant- Colonel and A. A. General." On the 20th of August, the Union forces recrossed the James river, and took up a position on the Bermuda Hundred front. Four days later, they crossed the Appomattox, and took their position opposite Petersburg, near the Hare House battery. One-half of Colonel Shaw's command was con stantly in the trenches, and the other half, when out, but a short distance in the rear. The Union lines were not more than fifty yards from those of the enemy, and the men were constantly exposed to the fatal accuracy of the firing of the sharpshooters. Here, on the 5th of Septemberj Colonel Shaw lost one of his finest officers, and a noble, true-hearted man, Captain A. R. Walker. The artillery on both sides seldom allowed a day to pass, without opening all along the line. A single shot would often provoke an answer from two hundred pieces of artillery, from the fifteen-inch "Petersburg Express," to the cohorn mortar. Strange as it may seem, while fully twenty tons of iron fell within Colonel Shaw's lines during the bombardment, but seven men were wounded, and none killed by the shells, while not a day passed but some fatal casualty occurred from the more deadly rifle. On the 24th of September, after a month in the trenches, the division was broken up by the withdrawal of all the regiments of the second brigade, and Colonel Shaw resumed the command of his regiment. After four days of rest, they were again on the move, recrossing the Appomattox and James jr. 193 rivers at Deep Bottom, and advancing, with the eighteenth army corps, on the defences of Richmond. The first lines of the enemy were carried at Fort Harrison. In this attack, the brigade, of which the seventh colored regiment formed a part, was not actively engaged, but was held in the reserve. On the afternoon of the same day, the 28th, the brigade was ordered to move on to the "Mill Road," and Colonel Shaw received orders to form on the right into line, under a heavy fire of artillery, and then to charge the work in their front, Fort Gilmar. Before the order could be executed, it was countermanded by another to send four companies deployed as skirmishers, to attack and take one of the works. Four companies were deployed under Captain Weiss, and advanced in fine order for nearly a mile, under a most terrific fire. From the right, left and front, the shot and shell were poured into that line, yet not a man wavered or turned his back, save when struck by a fatal bullet. They moved in as good order as if on drill, until they neared the fort, when, with a common impulse they charged into the ditch, from which they could neither advance nor retreat. Deeds of heroism were performed here, which showed that the negro, even under the most trying circumstances, was no coward. They raised each other upon their shoulders, only to be shot when their heads appeared above the parapet. In this posi tion Colonel Shaw was obliged to deploy the remainder of the regiment. The afternoon closed, and nothing had been accomplished, and when the darkness permitted, the army was obliged to gather the wounded and retire to the line captured in the morning. The work had been attempted in detail, when a charge of the brigade would undoubtedly have proved more successful. The rebel General Lee, in speaking of the fight, paid the follow ing compliment to the valor of the men composing the seventh regiment : " The charge on Fort Gilmar, the other day, proved that negroes would fight. They raised each other on the parapet, to be shot as they appeared above." This was published in a Richmond paper in an argument in favor of arming southern slaves. The 8th of December arrived, and the army still occupied very nearly the same ground. Our line of works had been strengthened, and several engagements taken place, but without any result. The seventh colored regiment at all times manifested its characteristic steadiness and coolness under fire. In December, the twenty-fifth army corps was formed, composed of colored troops. Colonel Shaw was placed in command of the first brigade, , second division, which position he held to the close of the war, excepting 25 194 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. the time that he was in command of the division. Until the opening of the spring campaign of 1865, all was quiet in the twenty-fifth army corps, with the exception of the 25th day of January, when the iron-clad fleet of the rebels attempted to come down the James river and cut off the army of the James from that of the Potomac, while Lee massed his forces on the right of the Union forces. The attempt failed, and the attack was not made, but at one o'clock, p. m., the rebels opened their artillery on Fort Burnham, formerly known as Fort Harrison, which Colonel Shaw had garrisoned with the seventh regiment. In one hour they had exploded at least one hundred shells in the fort, with but little loss to our side. On the 25th of March, 1865, the Union forces having previously sent their baggage to the rear, moved back from their fine winter quarters and were reviewed by the President. Monday, the 27th, they moved, in the evening, across the James at Varina, and the Appomattox at Broadway land ings, and the next morning passed the sixth army corps, and were then near the extreme left of the army of the Potomac; the second and fifth army corps and Shearman's cavalry, being still further to the left, and pressing the enemy heavily in that direction. On the 31st, the lines were advanced nearer the rebel works, under a sharp fire, of artillery and infantry. Colonel Shaw was directed by General Birney to form his brigade for a charge, but, before it could be made, notice was received that General Gibbon was in command, and that the movement could not be executed without his orders. General Grant's plans having ripened on the 2d of April, the army was formed for an attack. Sheridan's cavalry, with the second and fifth army corps, had turned the enemy's right, the sixth and ninth were pushing vigorously forward, and Colonel Shaw's brigade on the left, advanced in line of battle and swept the enemy's works, which were being rapidly deserted. "On to Petersburg" was now the order, and for that place the army started. Soon came the report that the city was evacuated, and a cloud, of dense smoke in that direc tion seemed to give color to the rumor; but the heavy booming of the artillery, and the shrill whistling of the screeching shells, soon gave the lie to the story, and every preparation was made for immediate action. Colonel Shaw, in a letter to a friend written at the time, thus speaks of the scene: "It was a splendid sight; column after column appeared in view, line after line was formed, and the great army of the Potomac, and three divisions of the army of the James, coiled itself around the doomed city. Each height in our front was surmounted by an earthwork, and the shell came thick and fast; in our JAMES SHAW, JR. 195 rear the burning of camps, and in the city the burning tobacco warehouses, adding to the grandeur of the scene. Forster's division, twenty-fourth army corps, charged and took Fort Gregg after a desperate struggle; and here ended the fighting for the day. Our lines were extended and closed, and embraced the city in one continuous circle, within rifle shot of its inner defences. In this position we rested for the night, but at three the next morning, a rumor reached us that the enemy were evacuating, and we were at once under arms. Deploying the seventh in front of my own brigade, I connected with the lines of the second brigade, and moved up to the works. The eighth struck first a salient, which was much nearer them than the line in my front was to me, and cheer after cheer announced the line was ours. Now, I had the advantage, for the city was more to my right, and I drove forward, passing prisoners to the rear as I went, and was the first to enter the city ; but we could not get the credit except from one newspaper. Petersburg was ours." An hour or .two after entering Petersburg, the army received orders to start in pursuit of Lee. When about seventeen miles from the city, Colonel Shaw was directed to take his brigade back to Sunderlands, and hold that point until relieved by General Willcox, then to push on and join his division as soon as possible. By the time that he was relieved by General Willcox, Colonel Shaw found his brigade two days behind the advance, which was more than thirty miles ahead, and on the move. By adopting a particular plan for marching, the brigade made ninety-six miles in four days, including a stop at Berksville for rations and orders, and had no stragglers. As they neared the front, the news reached the tired and footsore men that Lee had surrendered, and lay surrounded by the victorious armies of the Union. We make another extract from one of Colonel Shaw's letters : " A finer place for this closing act in the drama could not have been selected. In the eve ning I went out to the hill to gaze at the scene. The rebel army is situated on a hill in the centre of a large valley. All around them and on another range of hills is stationed our glorious and victorious army. The lights of thousands of camp-fires light up the scene and reveal our lines, enclosing, like a serpent, the crushed and conquered foe. To have helped, in ever so slight a degree, to produce this glorious result ; to have aided in conquering this rebellion and restoring our old glorious Union, is a source of joy and pride to me that money could not purchase." 196 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. After remaining a few weeks in camp, first near Petersburg, and then at City Point, Colonel Shaw's brigade was ordered to Indianola, Texas, leaving Virginia, May 26th. A few words may not be inappropriate in regard to the character and conduct of the men under Colonel Shaw. A drunken man or a fighting scene were things unknown in the regiment, and but one man was ever tried by general court-martial. When the regiment was first organized, not fifty men among them knew their letters; but, through the exertions of their com manding officer, and the liberality of his friends at home in sending books, they all knew their alphabets at the close of the war, while many had learned to read, and some to write. In drill and discipline, the colored troops of the seventh regiment were excelled by none; and they elicited, on all occasions, the highest commendations for their soldierly bearing. Since their pay was raised to equal that of the white troops, they have deposited thirty thousand dollars in different savings banks. On the 22d of July, 1865, Colonel Shaw received an appointment from the President as brigadier-general by brevet, to rank as such from the 13th day of March, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services. JAMES M. PENDLETON. 'he subject of this sketch was born in Botetourt county, Virginia, August 8th, 1843. He was the son of William F. and Sarah A. Pendleton. At the age of eleven, he left Virginia, and came to Westerly, Rhode Island, to reside with his uncle. He attended school in this town for about' five years, when he entered the store of J. L. Moss & Co., in the spring of 1859. He was always much interested in military matters, and read with deep interest the histpry of all wars that he could obtain. When the rebeUion first broke out, James manifested great anxiety to , enroll his name among the members of the first regiment, but his friends thought him too young. When the ninth regiment was called for, however, his entreaties could not be resisted, and he was allowed to enter the ranks. He served faithfully as a private for three months. Soon after his return, the twelfth regiment was raised, and he reentered the service as a member of this regiment. Without his knowledge or expectation, a commission was obtained for him as second-lieutenant. He was the youngest commissioned officer in the regiment, being only nineteen years of age. He was very popular with his men, and a favorite with all who knew him. At the battle of Fredericksburg, he went into the fight with about one-half of his company. Lieutenant Pendleton was at once promoted to be first-lieutenant, for gallant conduct on the battle-field, and very soon after was called to the staff of General Nagle. He had been in this position but a short time, when he was seized with a severe attack of camp or typhoid fever, and died while on a furlough at his uncle's residence in Westerly, March 11th, 1863. 198 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Lieutenant Pendleton was a trustworthy young man in civil life, and loved by all who knew him. The following letter from Colonel Browne, the commander of the twelfth regiment, will show that his short career in the army, proved him to be an invaluable officer: "Head-Quarters Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers,) Newport News, Va., March 20, 1863. j " Dear Sir : — Your favor of the 17th instant is received. The sad intelli gence of the death of your nephew, Lieutenant Pendleton, had reached us through General Nagle. It cast a gloom over the whole camp. His urbanity, his soldierly acquirements, and his bravery, had won the love, respect and admiration of the whole regiment. When, after the battle of Fredericksburg, General Nagle requested me to send him an aide-de-camp, I selected your nephew for his energy, activity and excellent conduct, both in camp and in battle. He soon became as great a favorite at head-quarters as he was with the regiment. I have seen no one's loss more sincerely mourned than his seems to be by the general and his staff The position was an honorable one, and, in his case, General Nagle assured me, it should be a permanent one. I was very reluctant to spare him from my command ; but, as I thought he richly merited the advancement, I cheerfully deprived myself of his aid to promote his interest. His lamented fate adds another illustration to the truth, that " the paths of glory lead but to the grave." We tender you our sincere sympathy under your great bereavement. But we also feel that, when time shall have done its gentle, healing work on the now bleeding hearts of hisvmany friends, they will recall with pride his noble, manly career. " Your obedient servant, " George H. Browne. " Honorable J. M. Pendleton, Westerly, E, I." WILLIAM H. P. STEERE. 'illiam H. P. Steere, son of Enoch Steere, was born in Providence, on the 5th of May, 1817. He received his education chiefly at private schools in his native city. Previous to the war, he was an officer in the employ of the Boston and Providence Railroad Company, which office he filled to the entire satisfaction of the company, for fifteen years. Immediately after the departure of the first regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, under Colonel Burnside, for the seat of war, in April, 1861, Gov ernor Sprague issued an order for the organization of the second regiment. Mr. Steere was commissioned as one of the captains, and at once opened the armory of the National Cadets, in Arnold's Block, in Providence, for recruits. A week previous to this time, he had enlisted one hundred selected men for his company, whose names he had forwarded to the adjutankgeneral.' Captain Steere, from the day of the opening of the armory, was constantly engaged in drilling from five hundred to one thousand men, embracing a squad com posed of prominent men of the city, including several clergymen, who had voluntarily come forward to make themselves familiar with the military art, in case their services should be required. On the 5th day of June, 1861, the regiment was mustered into the service of the United States, under the command of Colonel Slocum. The company commanders drew for their post in line, when Captain Steere drew company D, or fourth in rank. On the 19th of June, the regiment took its departure for Washington, and, on its arrival, encamped near the first regiment. A month had scarcely passed when it took part in the memorable battle of Bull Run, and was the 200 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. first infantry regiment engaged in that severe conflict. The particulars of that memorable battle have already been given elsewhere, and need not be repeated here. The losses in killed and wounded were severe, among the former being Colonel Slocum, Major Ballou, and Captains Tower and Samuel J. Smith. The skill and bravery shown by Captain Steere in this conflict, led to his immediate promotion to the office of lieutenant-colonel. After the battle of Bull Run, the regiment returned to Washington and took up its former quarters at Camp Sprague. In September following, Colonel Steere was prostrated by a severe attack of chronic diarrhoea, which, for weeks, baffled the skill of the medical staff in and around the city, and, at their last consultation, gave him but twenty minutes to live. But the Colonel rallied, and, in an enfeebled state, was taken back to Providence, where he was borne on a hand-bier to his father's residence, in an almost hopeless condition. The change of air, however, had a most beneficial effect in restoring his strength, so that he was enabled to return to his regiment in the following January. In March, 1862, Colonel Steere accompanied the remains of Colonel Slocum, Major Ballou and Captain Tower to Rhode Island, where they were buried with military honors. In March, 1862, the regiment moved with the army of the Potomac, to enter upon the campaign of the Peninsula, and, on arriving there, it was stationed near Warwick Court House, chiefly engaged in picket and other important duty. The regiment remained here until the evacuation of York- town, when it was ordered to the front at double-quick, as it was reported that our forces were meeting a repulse. No men were lost in this engage ment. The regiment here formed a part of the advance guard of Stoneman's brigade, and participated in the capture of Fort Magruder, at Williamsburg, saving a regiment that had been badly cut up by unwisely drawing upon it the fire of the fort at eight hundred yards distance. "The hardships of this march," says an officer who took part in it, "were among the most severe the regiment had ever experienced ; for days and nights neither men or horses had rest; they were often without food, and the constant skirmishing with the enemy told severely on them." The regiment continued with the advance of General Stoneman during its operations on the Pamunky and Chickahominy rivers, was the first to take possession of the White House, took part in the battles of Mechanicsville and Seven Pines, and, at Turkey Bend, was detached, with the seventh Massachusetts, to guard Turkey Bend bridge, where it remained until Porter's corps crossed. WILLIAM H. P. STEERE. 201 On the 12th of June, Lieutenant-Colonel Steere was promoted to the colonelcy of the fourth regiment Rhode Island volunteers. His commission reached him on the 18th, when he left, joined the fourth at Newport News, Virginia, and assumed the command. The regiment was now in the second brigade, comprising itself, and the eighth and eleventh Connecticut, all under the command of Colonel Harland. General Parke commanded the division, which was the third, to which the brigade was attached. But a brief period elapsed, ere the regiment was moved with its corps to Falmouth, near Fredericksburg, Virginia, which place it evacuated after General Pope's defeat at the second battle of Bull Run, when it moved to Washington, and became a portion of the grand army of General McClellan. The great struggle for the ascendancy in Maryland followed, in which Colonel Steere and his regiment took part. It shared in the spontaneous ovation bestowed by the citizens of Frederick, upon the Union forces as they entered that city, and in the battle of South Mountain, fought on the 14th of September, they sustained the honor already gained in North Carolina. The memorable battle of Antietam took place on the 17th of September, in which the regiment fought with a valor second to no other on the field, and closed the sanguinary day with a severe loss in killed and wounded. The part taken by the fourth Rhode Island regiment in this battle of Antietam, is thus related .by a member who took part in it, in a letter to the Providence Journal: "Wednesday, the 17th of September, will be ever a memorable day to us ; memorable not only on account of the dangers through which we passed, and the previous situation in which we were placed, but still more, because it was the first time since the organization of the regiment, that it had been known to retreat. But on that day it did retreat, and the reasons for its doing so are set forth, I trust satisfactorily, in the following lines. The very beginning of the day was inauspicious. The night before the engagement, we had been drawn up near the enemy in line of battle. We slept on our arms, and on awaking in the morning, found ourselves targets for the enemy's artillerymen. "We had taken our position unknown to the enemy, on the previous evening. But in the early gray of the morning, discovering our whereabouts, he commenced shelling us, with the evident intention of doing us all the harm in his power. We were soon withdrawn, not, however, before several casual ties occurred in our own, as well as in other regiments stationed near us. 202 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Soon after our withdrawal, we were ordered to support a battery that was playing upon the enemy. But we had not remained long in this position, comparatively a place of safety, when we were directed to ford Antietam Creek. Our passage of the stream was slightly opposed by the enemy's skirmishers, who, falling back, gave notice to the main body, of an arrival across the river. Hardly had we been drawn up in line of battle, sheltered by a stone wall, when we were again opened upon by the enemy's, batteries. Instead of flanking the enemy, we were ourselves flanked, and were, of course, forced to abandon the position we had taken. All the rest of the day, up to our entrance into the thick of the fight, we were more or less exposed to the fire of the enemy's guns. " About four o'clock in the afternoon, the order came for us, in company with other regiments, to advance upon the enemy. Unconscious of the overwhelming numbers with which the enemy was prepared to meet us, we advanced. The sixteenth Connecticut, on our left, finding itself flanked, broke and fled before it had fired a round. Owing to this disaster, our left was exposed to a flanking fire from the enemy. Thus deserted, we were compelled either to retreat or surrender ourselves prisoners. Finding our selves flanked by an entire brigade, with an opposing force in front, while batteries were playing upon our right ; and knowing that, against such over whelming odds, it was madness to think even of holding our position, we retreated. But, to our credit be it said, not a man turned back upon the deadly volleys poured upon us, before the order was given to do so. " And now commenced the work of destruction. In our retreat we were forced to pass over a space where nothing shielded us from the showers of shot and shell hurled upon us with such deadly effect. One-third of our entire number were either killed or wounded, and of those who came out unscathed, there were none but had marvellous escapes to narrate. " The fight was the occasion for the display of numerous deeds of valor and heroism. Before the retreat, it was affirmed by some, that the flag in front of us was our own. In order to learn whether it was a friendly regi ment, — we not being able to see the troops themselves, surrounded, as we were, on every side, by standing corn, — James Tanner, one of the color cor porals, seizing the banner of the regiment, rushed forward, waving it aloft, expecting to see it answered, if the flag in front was a friendly one. The task was a perilous one. It was almost certain that the rebels were in front of us, and that they had employed the flag of the Union only to deceive us. WILLIAM H. P. STEERE. 203 If they were, to advance was certain death. Notwithstanding the uncer tainty, he rushed forward, and fell dead, pierced with a dozen bullets. Lieu tenant Curtis, who accompanied him, seeing him fall, grasped the colors and bore them safely from the reach of the enemy." Colonel Steere, who had shown the most undaunted bravery throughout the battle, after receiving a severe wound, attempted again to lead his men to the attack, but, fainting from the loss of blood, was carried to the division hospital, when the command devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel J. B. Curtis. After the regiment had been withdrawn from the field, the lieutenani>colonel, finding it in a state of disorganization, seized a musket, and, accompanied by a few who rallied around him, returned a second time into the thick of the battle. All through the fight, he animated the soldiers by his undaunted courage, and urged them on, in the face of the enemy's hottest fire, by his coolness and disregard of danger. But this heroic act put the climax to his deeds of heroism, and his name became the theme for the praises and admiration of the soldiers. The whole strength of the regiment, before going into the action of the 14th, (South Mountain,) was four hundred and forty. The killed and wounded amounted to one hundred and six. At Antietam, one-third the force that went into battle were killed or wounded. Captain Bowen was taken prisoner and paroled. Lieutenants George H. Watts and George P. Clark were severely, and acting Lieutenant George R. Buffum mortally, wounded. Rhode Island sustained other severe losses in this battle. Briga dier-General Rodman, the former commander of the regiment, and his aide- de-camp, Lieutenant Robert H. Ives, Jr., being among the victims. Colonel Steere was removed to Philadelphia, where he was taken to the residence of Colonel Peter Fritz, and where he remained until his wound would permit a further removal. Seventy-four days after the battle, the ball was extracted by Doctor Paul B. Goddard, and proved to have been one of the explosive ones used by the enemy; but, happily, it failed to do its intended work. The regiment remained in command.of Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis, and being with the army of the Potomac at Fredericksburg, took a prominent part in the battle of the 13th of December, 1862, when General Burnside crossed the river, and attacked the enemy's works. In this action, Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis was killed by a shrapnell shell, while forming the regimental line. His remains were taken to Providence, where they were received with military 204 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. honors, and after laying in state, with those of Colonel Sayles, were buried on the 20th of December. Colonel Steere being still confined by his wound, the command of the regiment was assumed by Major Buffum, who was soon after commissioned as lieutenant-colonel. Captain James T. P. Bucklin was promoted major. On the 9th of April, 1863, at the earnest request of Colonel Steere, and against the advice of Doctor Goddard, his medical attendant, permission was granted him to return to his regiment, which he found at Suffolk, and, as usual, at the front. A severe storm coming on at this time, and the accom modations in camp being poor for a man in feeble health, Colonel Steere, by the advice of the medical staff, returned to Norfolk, where he remained three weeks, when he returned to camp. Early in July, Colonel Steere reported for duty, when, being the senior officer of the brigade, by order of Brigadier-General Getty, he assumed com mand of the third brigade, ninth army corps, leaving LieutenantColonel Buffum in command of the regiment. From that time until March, 1864, Colonel Steere remained near Portsmouth, Virginia, part of the time in com mand of the department, comprising that part of the country from James river to the Albemarle Sound. Frequent raids were made by the enemy on our front, which was a long one; and, as there was but a small force, the brigade was kept constantly on the move. With all this duty, a line of works was constructed by our force, from the east to the west branch of the Elizabeth river, (some seven miles,) a work highly commended. In February, 1864, the fourth regiment was taken from the brigade, but, by special orders of General Butler, Colonel Steere was retained as its commander, and another regiment sent him. This was paying a very high compliment to the colonel, and shows how highly he was appreciated by his superior officers. Advancement often goes by favor ; but it is gratifying to the friends of this gallant officer, to state that Colonel Steere had not at this time ever exchanged a word with General Butler; hence his advancement to the responsible position of a brigadier, was wholly owing to his military skill and gallantry. About the 1st of March, an attack was made on our outpost at Bernard's Mills, near Suffolk, Virginia, by a force of the enemy, consisting of some eight thousand infantry and twenty pieces of artillery. Colonel Steere received a telegram from Colonel Cole, commanding the above outpost, stating that two squadrons of his cavalry had been entirely cut off, and that the enemy were WILLIAM H. P. STEERE. 205 shelling their camp, and doing some damage. Colonel Steere immediately ordered all the available forces forward to the relief of the outpost, but the enemy retreated on finding our troops in such a good position, and so well distributed. Subsequently, Colonel Cole with his two squadrons of cavalry appeared, they having cut their way through the rebels, with great courage and some hard fighting. The intention of the enemy was evidently to enter Norfolk. This same force had been manoeuvering back and forth, for some ten days previous to this final attack. Near the close of March, Colonel Steere received orders to move his command to Yorktown, Virginia, reporting to General Smith, who was then organizing the James river expedition, and who relieved him from his command of the brigade. The colonel was now placed in command of the department of Yorktown, which, according to the instructions from General Butler, comprised all the troops from York to James river, including Williams burg. Here we have another instance of a colonel being taken from his regi ment, and given a higher command. During the first part of April, an expedition was planned against the enemy, and the command assigned to Colonel Steere, — General Heckman being sick at the time. After several days of fatiguing marches and counter- - marches, what appeared to be a good opportunity for a fight resulted in nothing but a few skirmishes. Part of the object of the movement was, to discover the torpedo-boat, which ran into the Minnesota a few nights pre vious, and which was supposed to be secreted in some one of the numerous creeks. About the 1st of July, orders were received to dismantle Yorktown, and forward all the troops to the front, except four companies as a guard or picket hne. At the same time, Colonel Steere was ordered to return to his regiment, which was then in front of Petersburg, Virginia. Reporting for duty, he was ordered to take command of the second brigade, seventh division of the ninth army corps. He took part in the battle of the 30th of July, but soon after, being attacked so severely by his old complaint, (chronic diarrhoea,) as to cause alarm to his medical attendants, he was compelled to leave his command and return home. He protested strongly against the decision of his doctors, and was on duty when the ambulance came to take him to the hospital. This was the close of Colonel Steere's military career. He returned to Providence in August, and before he had sufficiently recovered to return to his command, 206 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. his term of service expired; and, on the 15th of October, 1864, he was mus tered out of the service. Of no officer sent by Rhode Island to the field, has she reason to be more proud, than of Colonel Steere. Through the entire three years of service, during which he filled the various positions of captain, lieutenant- colonel, colonel, brigadier-general and department commander, he made the record of a brave and efficient officer. WILLIAM WARE HALL. 'leutenant William Ware Hall, son of the Reverend Edward B. Hall, D. D., was born in Providence, Rhode Island, October 27th, 1834. Passing through the public schools of that city, he was prepared for college at the high school, and entered Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1853. After teaching two years, he fixed upon the ministry as his profession, and pursued the regular course of study in the Cambridge Divinity School, for three years. To this preparation, he added the advan tage of foreign travel and study — passing two years abroad, visiting scenes and localities of interest in most of the countries of Europe. He was in Rome in the midst of the commotions of 1860, and narrowly escaped serious injury from the rude assault of the French soldiery, of which he wrote home a graphic account. Returning to the United States in 1860, he entered with an earnest spirit upon the work for which he had fitted himself, and preached with acceptance in various places, but without fixing upon a specific settlement. In the midst of plans for the future, the rebellion broke out, and, moved by the patriotism that then inflamed the entire north, he offered himself for service in a Rhode Island battalion, subsequently known as the fifth regiment Rhode Island volunteers. He was commissioned first-lieutenant of company B, and at Annapolis joined the expedition against North Carolina, under General Burnside. At Roanoke and Fort Macon he was subjected to expos ures and trials which, together with subsequent hard service, gave a shock to his constitution from which it never successfully rallied. His letters home, however, were uniformly cheerful, and awakened in his friends no apprehen sion of declining health. 208 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. In the summer of 1862, he resigned, and returned home for a short time. Anxious to serve his country in any way compatible with debilitated strength, his services were accepted as a teacher of freedmen on Saint Helena Island, Port Royal. Here, for a year and a half, he did an important work, and by his unwearied faithfulness, as well as by his kindness of heart, won alike the esteem of his associates, and the affection of the numerous pupils under his charge, who, said the chief conductor of the enterprise, "will remember him till they are gray." His health failed under the pressure of this work, which he continued till he could scarcely stand or talk audibly ; and he returned home, arriving the first day of July, 1864, and living only to the 9th of August. Through these six weeks of rapid decline, which he fully under stood, he talked cheerfully of the approaching end, showed a grateful thought- fulness of all his friends, and expressed no regret except that he had not done more for his country and for man. His remains repose in the cemetery at Swan Point, near those of two brothers, in the " Pastors' Rest." Trustfulness, humility, tenderness, conscientiousness, with persistent devotion to the right, were the chief traits of Mr. Hall. His repugnance to oppression, and his sympathies with the oppressed, were of the most positive character. The crowning labor of his brief life, if it had not the glare and excitement of arms, was second in importance to no other to which patriot hands have been given. In that work, his name is registered with a noble company, who, in coming ages, will be honored as human benefactors. We add the portrait which a fellow student has drawn of him, from long and intimate knowledge. " The frankness, simplicity, and delicate kindness of his character, and the gentleness and refinement of his nature, always drew me to him. * * He had very good knowledge of books and literature. His scholarship, though not pretending to depth, was very accurate. He had, it seems to me, an exceeding love of truth; an innate love of it, which showed itself in the smallest matters, as well as in great — his daily habits and per sonal manners, and constant speech. This, with a natural gentleness and delicacy of moral feeling, seems to me to have been his characteristic traits. Now, as I write, his form appears to rise before me, and I hear again his gentle voice. His character impresses itself very vividly on my mind. No, not ' lost,' but in going away,' he comes to us. Death disrobes our friends of mortality, and takes them from us for a season, that it may give them to us forever, glorified." BRIG. GEN. A.N. DUFFIE, U.S. V. ALFRED N. DUFFIE. ^ rigadler-General Alfred N. Duffie was born in Paris, France, on the 1st of May, 1835. At the early age of fifteen years, after more than usual hard study, his taste for a military profession led him to request per mission of his parents, who were persons of wealth, to make a study of military science, and thus prepare himself for the service. Having obtained their consent, he was, in the year 1850, sent to the military school at Saint Cyr, where he was graduated in 1853, in the sixth dragoons ; in which, two years after he enlisted, he was successively promoted to corporal, marechal des logis, and mareehal des logis ehef. On the 30th of August, 1857, he was appointed and commissioned sub-lieutenant in the third hussars, and soon after a lieutenant. On the 21st of April, 1854, his regiment, which was under the command of Colonel de Plat, was ordered to the Crimea, to which field of operations it proceeded without delay. Without entering into particulars, it is sufficient to state, that this regiment was engaged in the severe battles of Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman, Chema'ia and Kbungit, in which young Duffle- received three wounds. For his bravery shown in the last named battle, our young officer received from the Sultan, the title and cross of the Chevalier of the Medjidie", and not long after, the English medal. In addition, his name was sent to the War Department at Paris, for the French medal. At the close of the war, in 1856, Mr. Duffle" returned to France, when he received his commission as lieutenant in the third hussars. In 1859, Lieutenant Duffie was sent to Austria, to participate in the struggle then going on between France and Austria; and was engaged in the 27 210 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. sanguinary battles of Palestro, Magenta and Solferino, in which he was twice wounded. Towards the close of the year 1860, Lieutenant Duffie* left France for the United States, previous to the breaking out of the rebellion. On arriving at New York, to his surprise, he found the people in a great state of excite ment; but not understanding a word of English, he did not readily compre hend the cause of the commotion. Anxious to learn what was going on, he walked down Broadway, where he fell in with a young Frenchman, who was a fellow passenger with him in the Europa. Upon questioning his friend as to the cause of the excitement, he was informed that "some troubles were brewing between the northern and southern states." Returning to his board ing house, in Bleeker street, he pondered over the news he had heard, which greatly interested him, and induced him to make further inquiries into the matter. The following morning, he waited upon Mr. de Montholon, the French consul, in order to learn from him some further particulars of the American troubles, and, at the same time, made known to him his earnest desire to enter into the service of the United States. In reply, Mr. de Montholon said that he had just received a proclamation from the French Emperor, prohibiting any French officers from taking service in the United States army. Finally, after a long talk with the consul, "whose remarks," he observed to the writer, " puzzled him much," Mr. Duffle" returned to his boarding house, with his mind deeply absorbed in the stirring news he had heard. He thought of La Fayette, and the sacrifices he had made in our revolutionary contest. With such an example before him, he believed he would not be blamed for entering the service of the United States; and was willing to risk the consequences of incurring the displeasure of the Emperor of France in not obeying his proclamation. " While meditating on these matters," writes General Duffle" to a friend, " I was aroused by the martial music of a band, then passing my door. I hastened out to see and hear it, when I saw a splendid regiment marching along, bearing the flag of the United States. I was deeply touched by this patriotic demonstration, and at once made up my mind to risk my life and fortunes under the same beautiful flag, and to fight the south, who had, in so cowardly and treacherous a manner, abandoned the flag which I loved as my own. I determined then to enlist in the army of the United States, and, if necessary, sacrifice my blood and my life for the glorious cause of the Union. ALFRED N. DUFFIE. 211 With these feelings, and, after deep and earnest reflection, I embarked in the contest. God has inspired me, and I thank him." But serious difficulties now surrounded our patriotic young officer. He was unable to speak the English language, and, having no friend to aid him, determined to rely upon his own firm will and perseverance to accomplish the task of acquiring it. He resolved to commit to memory one hundred words each day, by doing which, he was enabled, at the end of a month, to make himself understood. With this brief study, he was ready to enter upon his military career in the United States. In June, 1861, Mr. Duffie" received a commission as captain in the Harris light cavalry, or second regiment of New York cavalry, under Colonel Davies, and was sent to Scarsdale, Westchester county, near the city of New York, to organize the regiment, which duty he accomplished. Soon after this, he was ordered to Washington, and placed in General Baker's command. He accompanied the lamented Baker to Poolesville, with his squadron, and was with it in the terrible slaughter at Ball's Bluff, on the 21st of October, 1861. From thence he was recalled and joined his regiment on Arlington Heights, on which occasion he was promoted to the grade of major in the same regi ment, which then formed a part of Major-General McDowell's command. While so connected, Major Duffle" was in many skirmishes, and when General McDowell moved towards Fredericksburg, had a more serious engagement with the enemy. Some time later, when McDoweU's division had arrived at Falmouth, Major Duffle" was ordered to cross the Rappahannock and capture a detachment of the enemy. In his reconnoissance he found the enemy moving upon General McDowell's position, when he determined to make an effort to stop them. The result of this gallant affair is thus alluded to in the despatch of General McDowell to the Secretary of War: "The enemy advanced upon my position by way of the Bowling Green road, but retreated after having been engaged by the gallant Major Duffie', of the Harris light cavalry, who captured their rear guard." After this affair, the Major was ordered to the command of General McDowell's body guard, and accompanied that officer to Front Royal and Strasburg. On the 1st of July, 1862, in consequence of the high recommendations he had received, of the efficiency and military acquirements of Major Duffle", Governor Sprague appointed and commissioned him colonel of the first regiment of Rhode Island cavalry. 212 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Colonel Duffle", on assuming command of this regiment, which, from various causes, had become much disorganized, immediately began a thorough course of drilling, thereby adding greatly to its efficiency. In August, it moved to Rappahannock village, thence to Raccoon ford, and thence to Cedar Mountain, when the rebels were encountered, and a sharp fight ensued, in which seven men were killed. The conduct of the regiment on this occasion was complimented by General Banks. On the 22d of August, at the same place, it was'in line of battle all day. At Groveton, on the 29th, and at Bull Run, on the 31st of August, it was again under fire. At Chantilly, September 1st, it drew the fire of the enemy, and, becoming engaged in the fight, suffered some casualties. On a scout between Leesburg and Aldie, in October, Captain Gove and several privates were killed ; and in an affair at Beverly ford, a few others. On the 19th of December, the regiment received a beautiful flag from the ladies of Providence, through Governor Sprague. In the severe battle at Kelley's ford, on the 15th of March, 1863, great gallantry was dis played by Colonel Duffies regiment, which charged across the river, repulsed the enemy, and took twenty-four prisoners. It lost, in this action, twenty- one killed, eight wounded, and eighteen missing. On the 17th of June, Colonel Duffle" made a reconnoissance in force to Middleburg, where he encountered a vastly superior rebel force, when a severe fight took place. On the following day, he was .attacked and in danger of being surrounded, but bravely cut his way through, and escaped by Hopeville^ Gap. The particulars of this reconnoissance, are related in the following official report to General Halleck : " Head-Quarters First Rhode Island Cavalry, \ ' Near Centreville, June 18th, 1863. } "Sir: — I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 17th instant, I received from the head-quarters of the second brigade, second cavalry division, the following order: '"Colonel A. N. Duffii, First Rhode Island Cavalry : "'You will proceed with your regiment from Manassas Junction, by way of Thoroughfare Gap, to Middleburg. There you will camp for the night, and communicate with the head-quarters of the second cavalry brigade. From Middleburg you will proceed to Union, thence to Snickersville ; from Snickersville to Percyville, thence to Wheatland, and passing through Waterford to Nolan's Ferry, where you will join your brigade.' "In accordance with this order, I left camp on the morning of the 17th instant, with my regiment, two hundred and eighty strong, and proceeded to ALFRED N. DUFFIE. 213. Thoroughfare Gap. At this place, the enemy was met in force, and being much stronger than my command, I was obliged, in order to pass my regiment on to the Middleburg road unseen, to make a demonstration on my left flank. This manoeuvre was successful; the enemy retired, and I was enabled to gain the Middleburg road. Nevertheless, they followed in my rear, but at a considerable distance, causing me no uneasiness. It was then nine and one-half o'clock, A. m. At eleven o'clock, their skirmishers disappeared, and I proceeded unmolested until four o'clock, p. m., when, approaching Middleburg, my skir mishers again met and engaged the enemy, capturing his first picket in the road. I ordered Captain Allen, commanding the advanced squadron, to charge through the town. By this movement, the rear guard of General Stewart was cut off, and then a brisk cavalry fight ensued, between his rear and my advance guard. This engagement lasted half an hour, when the enemy was completely routed, and forced to retreat in the greatest disorder and confusion, scattering in every direction. " Learning that Stewart, with two thousand cavalry and four pieces of artillery, had left town but half an hour before my arrival, and proceeded towards Aldie, I ordered that the different roads leading into the town be barricaded and strongly picketed, and instructed the officers commanding the outposts, to hold the place at all hazards, hoping that after effecting communi cation with the brigade, which I supposed to be at Aldie, I should receive reinforcements. Captain Allen was selected to carry a dispatch to General Kilpatrick, and directed to avoid as much as possible all main roads. " The town was held by my command, from four and one-half, to seven o'clock, p. m., during which time the skirmishers had been constantly engaged. At seven, I learned that the enemy was approaching in force from Union, Aldie and Upperville, and determined to hold the place if possible. I dismounted one-half of the regiment, placing them behind stone walls and barricades. The enemy surrounded the town, and stormed the barricades, but were gallantly repulsed by my men, with great slaughter. " They did not desist, but confident of success, again advanced to the attack, and made three successive charges. I was compelled to retire on the road by which I came, that being the only one open to retreat; and, with all that was left of my command, I crossed Little river, northeast of Middleburg, and bivouacked for the night, establishing strong pickets on the river. " At ten, p. m., having heard nothing from the despatch sent to General Kilpatrick, at Aldie, I sent twenty men, under an officer, to carry a second .214 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. despatch. I have since learned that Captain Allen succeeded in making his way through the enemy's lines to Aldie; the party bearing the second despatch was probably captured. "At three and one-half o'clock the next morning, the 18th instant,Twas informed by scouts whom I had previously sent out, that the roads in every direction were full of the enemy's cavalry, and that the road to Aldie was held by a brigade with four pieces of artillery. Under these circumstances, I abandoned the project of going to Union, but made up my mind not to surrender in any event I directed the head of my column on the road to Aldie, when an engagement commenced at once, the enemy opening on both flanks with heavy volleys, yelling to us to surrender. I at once directed Captain Bixby, the officer commanding the advance guard, to charge any force in his front, and follow the Aldie road to that point where it connects with the road to White Plains. This order was executed most admirably. Captain Bixby's horse was shot, and he himself wounded. " We were then in an extremely hazardous position, the enemy being in front, rear, and on both flanks, and were intermixed with us for more than an hour, till we reached the road leading to Hopeville Gap. I must freely praise the gallant conduct of the brave officers and men who were fighting side by side with overwhelming numbers of the enemy, with the most deter^ mined valor, preferring rather to die than to surrender. "I returned here, exhausted, at one and one-half, p. m., to-day, with gallant debris of my much-loved regiment — four officers and twenty-seven men. My colors did not fall into the hands of the enemy, but were destroyed when they could not be saved, the color-bearer having been captured. " I can praise no one more than another ; but I desire to call your atten tion to the gallant conduct of all the officers and men of the first Rhode Island cavalry. " I am, Sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, "A. N. Duffie, " Colonel Commanding Regiment." Major-General Halleck, Washington. In conclusion, it may be stated, that the first Rhode Island cavalry, under Colonel Duffle", opened most of the battles under General Pope, and was placed in the post of honor, — that is to say, in the rear of the retreating army, — up to the time it reached Alexandria, to cover the retreat. It was subsequently under Generals Burnside, Hooker and Meade. ALFRED N. DUFFIE. 215 On the 23d of June, 1863, Colonel Duffle" was appointed brigadier-gen eral, and ordered by the War Department to report to Brigadier-General Kelley, then commanding the department of West Virginia. On the 7th of September following, he was ordered to proceed to Charleston, Kanawha valley, West Virginia, for the purpose of organizing a cavalry force of three thousand men for the second Virginia cavalry, the third Virginia cavalry, and the thirty-fourth regiment of Ohio mounted infantry. After two months of hard labor in personally superintending the drill, discipline and administration of the three regiments referred to, General Duffle" succeeded in making one of the best cavalry commands in the service. In November, with a force of two thousand cavalry and one thousand infantry, he was ordered to proceed to Lewisburg, a stronghold of the enemy, to capture the place and the force stationed there, distant about one hundred and twenty miles from his base of supplies. General Duffle" suc ceeded in capturing the place, after having badly whipped Ewell, the general commanding the confederate forces at Lewisburg, by destroying nearly all his force, capturing his artillery, camp, wagons, etc. The enemy was pursued as far as Union, when the further pursuit was abandoned, and the General returned, with his command, to Charleston, West Virginia, having lost about twenty men killed or captured. In December, General Duffle" was ordered to proceed again, with his cavalry to Lewisburg, where the enemy had returned, with a view to dislodge him. This was accomplished with but little trouble. From here, General Duffle" joined Brigadier-General Averill in his raid to Salem. This raid has been pronounced one of the most splendid affairs of the war. Many men perished in consequence of the intense cold. Their wagon-train was destroyed, as well as the carriages of the artillery, for with them, it was found to be impossible to cross the mountains, which were covered with snow and ice. The artillery, however, was all secured, and on the 25th of December, they returned to Charleston. In April, 1864, at which time the spring campaign opened, General Duffle" was ordered to report to Brigadier-General Averill, and took part with this accomplished officer, in the battles of Saltzville and Wyethville, from whom he received the highest praise for his gallantry in these engagements. In May, General Duffi6 was ordered to report to Major-General Hunter, and soon after, during the same month, was ordered to turn his cavalry com mand over to Brigadier-General Averill, and to assume command of the first 216 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. cavalry division of West Virginia, composed of the first New York veteran cavalry, the first New York Lincoln cavalry, the fifteenth and the twenty-first New York cavalry, the twentieth and the twelfth Pennsylvania cavalry. General Duffie assumed command of this cavalry division at Stanton, Vir ginia, and accompanied Major-General Hunter in his raid to Lynchburg; in which raid General Duffies command took the most prominent part. He captured two large wagon-trains, in which were the effects of the Stanton bank, and the records of the city, which were destroyed. He also captured a large number of officers, and had a fight with the enemy at Hillsboro, Virginia ; captured a thousand magnificent horses, destroyed property, mill ions in value, belonging to the confederate government, and whipped Jenkins's cavalry division, some eighteen miles from Lynchburg. In the latter fight, General Duffle" took one hundred prisoners, including many officers, destroyed more wagons, and tore up and destroyed the railroad between Charlottsville and Lynchburg. T From thence the General was ordered to join Major-General Hunter, at Lexington, Virginia, some fifty miles from Lynchburg, and from thence to follow the main body of General Hunter to Lynchburg. Arriving in front of the latter place, General Duffie* was ordered to take command of the left wing of the army, and to open the fight at once. The attack was unsuccess ful, for want of assistance from the officer who had left him when the main body of the army retreated, and he was thus abandoned without being aware of his situation. He determined, however, not to give it up until orders came to abandon his position. At 9 o'clock at night, General Duffle" sent Captain Ricker, one of his staff officers, to General Hunter, to apprise him of his position. Captain Ricker succeeded in reaching General Hunter, who at once ordered General Duffle" to retreat, at the same time informing him that one of his staff had been sent him to apprise him of his (General Hunter's) retreat. The officer carrying the order was doubtless captured on his way. Under cover of the night, General Duffie succeeded in making a retreat, and in joining General Hunter at Liberty, Virginia, some seventeen miles from Lynchburg. In this march, General Duffie" was for ten or twelve days covering the retreat, which was under his charge, accompanied by a large wagon-train; all of which was brought off in safety to Charleston, West Virginia. From Charleston, General Duffle" was ordered to proceed to Maryland, and attack General Early. He succeeded in overtaking him, or his rear, ALFRED N. DUFFIE. 217 between Leesburg and Snickersville, capturing three hundred wagons loaded with his plunder, and two hundred men. Two hundred wagons were destroyed, and one hundred brought in safety to Harper's Ferry. Two hun dred mules were also captured. From there the General had fights at Snick ersville, and at other gaps,, in which he lost many of his men. From thence he proceeded to Winchester, Virginia, under command of General Crook. Had a fight with the enemy near Middletown, Virginia, covered the retreat of Gen eral Crook from the valley, and saved a battery of artillery which had been abandoned by General AveriU's captain of artillery. These guns were, with the help of a rope, dragged to Martinsburg ; all of which was accomplished while covering the retreat of the army. At Martinsburg, General Duffle's cavalry made a charge, led by himself, against the enemy, which charge had the effect of arresting the progress of the enemy for a few hours, who was ready and awaiting the moment to enter the town, and capture the railroad stock there. General Duffle" now followed Major-General Sheridan in the Shenandoah valley, covering his retreat from it as far as Halltown, Virginia, in which retreat General Duffle's command suffered greatly. He afterwards followed General Sheridan, with his 'division of cavalry, and took part with that gallant officer in all his battles up to the 19th of October, 1864. The cavalry of the valley being, at that time, in a state of inefficiency, General Duffle" was called upon by General Sheridan, who remarked to him that he had been informed that he (General Duffi6) was an excellent officer for organizing cavalry, and wished him to proceed at once to organize such a body. In the furtherance of General Sheridan's wishes, General Duffie proceeded without delay to Cumberland, where he organized a division of cavalry in a very short time. From there he was ordered to proceed to Hagerstown, Maryland, to organize another large force of cavalry. On the 21st of October, being desirous to see Major-General Sheridan in regard to the organization intrusted to him, General Duffle" set out for the head quarters of General Sheridan, near Fisher's Hill, escorted by a squadron of the first New York (Lincoln) cavalry. On his return, four days after, from General Sheridan's to his own head-quarters, General Duffle" stopped at Winchester, to get, an escort, which having obtained, he again moved forward ; when the officer in command at that place requested the General to take with his escort some ambulances, in which were several officers who were wounded on the 19th of October, which request he complied with. 28 218 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. ' Finding that, to accompany the ambulances, he would be much retarded in his journey, and being desirous to reach his head-quarters as soon as possi ble, General Duffle" ordered Captain Stevens, his provost-marshal, who was with him, to see the officer of his escort, and obtain from him ten well- mounted men to follow him, leaving the remainder of his escort with the ambulances. When about five miles from Winchester, General Duffle" was surprised by a party of three hundred of Moseby's men, who were waiting for a large wagon-train which was on its way to the army, and made a prisoner. He was captured in a private wagon, and not in an ambulance, as reported. His driver and two horses were killed, and his provost-marshal severely wounded. His captors hurried the General off to Richmond, where he arrived on the 1st or 2d of November; and where he was grossly insulted by the people, for the reason, they said, that he was one of Sheridan's cavalry leaders. Here he was thrown into Libby prison, and, without any reason known to him, was confined in a cell, again to be outraged and insulted ; not only by the notorious Dick Turner, but by many other officers of high rank in the service of the confederate states. From Richmond, without any regard to his rank, he was thrust into a rude and filthy box car, with the private soldiers, and taken to Danville. Here he again found himself in the hands of a most vindictive people, and was made to suffer the privations and indignities of other prisoners. Language, he says, cannot express the privations that he, with other prisoners, was compelled to suffer. Finally, he could stand it no longer, and a combination was formed among the officers to make their escape, and General Duffle" appointed their leader. The plan was to make a break and overpower the guard. The attempt was made, but unfortunately failed. The guard fired upon them through the windows and the floor, and killed many. On the 22d of February, General Duffle" was paroled, and ordered to proceed to Cincinnati, there to wait an exchange. On the 20th of March, he was declared exchanged. On the 1st of April, he was ordered by the Secre tary of War, to report to Major-General Pope, in the military department of Missouri. Arriving there, he was next ordered to proceed to Fort Gibson, to organize a force of six thousand cavalry, under Major-General Blunt, for an expedition to Texas. On the 25th of May, while on his way with the expe dition to Texas, General Kirby Smith surrendered his forces to the Federal army, when the cavalry were ordered back. On the 3d of June, they pro ceeded to Lawrence, Kansas, where they were mustered out of the service, on ALFRED N. DUFFIE. 219 the 5th of June. General Duffle* was now relieved from further duty in the west, and directed to proceed to the city of New York, there to report to the adjutant-general of the army in Washington, for orders. On the 24th of August, 1865, by a general order from the War Department, General Duffle", together with eighty-six other major-generals and brigadier-generals of the United States volunteers, were honorably mustered out of the service of the United States, their services being no longer needed. Thus closes the military record of one of the bravest and most gallant officers of the war. Born and educated for a soldier, he distinguished himself in the desperate battles of the Crimea, and in the equally hard-fought and decisive battles of Italy, which resulted in the establishment of that kingdom. During the war of the late rebellion, no officer has seen more hard service than General Duffle", or who has rendered more important service to the country. HENRY SIMON. ;aptain Henry Simon descended from a noble family of Germany, bearing the name of Rinscoff. His father, Pierre Simon Rinscoff, emigrated from Frankfort-on-the-Main to France, where he dropped his patronymic, and retained only the christian and middle name, by which he was thenceforth known. The subject of this notice, son of Pierre and Emily Simon, was born in Bordeaux, France, in the year 1812 ; and when about three years of age was brought by his father to New York. At a suitable age he entered a bookstore, but subsequently learned the jewellers' trade of a Mr. BouUie, of that city. After completing his term of service, he engaged in business on his 'own account, and obtained considerable celebrity for the manufacture of "curb chain," in which he was particularly skilled. In 1845, he went to Providence, and, for seven years, was associated with Mr. James E. Budlong in the manufacture of jewelry. After the dissolution of the connection, he continued in the same occupation. While residing in New York, Mr. Simon held connection with the Light Guard, a distinguished military organization of that city, and in the discharge of his duties, cultivated a natural fondness for military life. When the first symptoms of a purpose to resist the national government were manifested at the south, his indignation was strongly excited, and he carefully watched the movements that issued in the overt act of rebellion at Charleston. The attack on Fort Sumter, the assault upon the sixth Massachusetts regiment at Baltimore, and the disaster at Bull Run, directed his thoughts more specifically to his personal obligations to the Union. At the organization of the fourth regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, his services were tendered and accepted, HENRY SIMON. 221 and October 2d, 1861, he was commissioned captain, and accompanied General Burnside in his North Carolina expedition. His spirits were buoyant, and the discomforts of the voyage to Hatteras — the short allowance of water, inferior quality of rations, and the offensive atmosphere of closely packed quarters on ship-board — were themes of mirthful description, while the sterner realties of the battles at Roanoke Island, Newbern and Fort Macon, called out expres sions of the finer qualities of a soldierly spirit. Captain Simon continued with his regiment, sharing its fatigues and exposures until August 11th, 1862, when he resigned and returned home. In the formation of the fourteenth (colored) regiment of heavy artillery, he took an active interest, and was commissioned captain of company B. He proceeded to New Orleans, where he arrived December 29th, 1863, and was thence ordered on an expedition to Texas ; and after spending some time on the island of Matagorda, returned to New Orleans about the 1st of June, 1864, and, July 2d, removed to Fort Jackson, about seventy miles below the Crescent City. The position was one of great importance ; but, situated in the midst of low, marshy surround ings, the intense heat of the sun and a malarious atmosphere told severely upon a constitution already enfeebled by previous exposures. A sun-stroke, from which he never entirely recovered, was followed by an attack of chills and fever, which, with his ordinary duties, and the anxiety induced by the sickness of more than forty of his men, paved the way for the utter prostra tion of his system, and ultimate death. Describing his situation at that time, he says : " I would far rather be placed in the front, liable at any moment to be engaged with the enemy, than in this. It is nothing, in comparison, to fall in the field, where at least one has an honorable death." Here, his eldest son, a youth of fifteen years, to whom he was devotedly attached, sickened of malignant typhoid, and died September 6th. The loss of rest in constantly taking care of him, and the mental depression caused by the bereavement, together with anxious thought for his family, which occupied his mind to his latest hour, probably hastened the fatal termination of disease that, under brighter skies, might have been averted. Soon after the decease of his son, Captain Simon Avas siezed with the same malignant disorder. He was removed to Saint James Hospital, in New Orleans, where, October 6th, 1864, at the age of fifty-two years, he yielded up his mortal life. Captain Simon was a man of courteous manners, cherished a high sense of honor, and, as an officer, an excellent disciplinarian. The possibilities of the battle-field were ever present to his mind, and a filial trust in an all- 222 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. gracious Providence, disciphned him to contemplate calmly results that might prove fatal to himself. In the darkest experiences of life, a cheerful and hopeful nature looked forward with confidence to the lifting of the cloud. His purest enjoyments were in the midst of his family, to whom, in an extra ordinary degree, he was tenderly devoted. To a surviving widow and nine children his loss is irreparable. He was an active and highly useful member of the Providence Association of Mechanics and Manufacturers, and will ever be remembered by his associates for his ready words of counsel and sugges tion. With the fire department, under the volunteer system, he was honor ably associated, and discharged the duties of his position with energy and fidelity. The strong hold he had upon the respect of those who knew him most intimately in private life, was equally apparent in his regiment, the officers and men of which, in token of regard, defrayed the expense of remov ing his remains from New Orleans to Providence, while the enlisted men of his company contributed and forwarded to his family, a purse of nearly one hundred and fifty dollars, — a spontaneous and touching tribute to the worth of their commander as a man and an officer. To no. one of the long list of self-sacrificing patriots, who have gloriously given their lives to vindicate constitutional law, and restore the integrity of their country's government, do these lines more truthfully apply : " A nobler soul, a fairer mind, A life with purer course and aim, A gentler eye, a voice more kind, We may not look on earth to find. The love that lingers o'er his name Is more than fame." * Stone's " Rhode Island in the Rebellion.' SAMUEL McILROT. Lieutenant Samuel McIlroy was a native of the north of Ireland, of Scotch descent. Previous to coming to this country, he served, with credit, a term of six years in the British army. He was a naturalized citizen, and devoted to the institutions of his adopted country, he, from praiseworthy patriotism, enlisted in company I, seventh regiment Rhode Island volunteers, at its organization, with the promise of a sergeant's warrant, but leaving the state with only that of a corporal. By a strict attention to the discharge of every duty, and a truly soldierly bearing, together with his fine commanding personal appearance, he, by merit alone, unaided by men of influence, finally received the appointment of second-lieutenant of the company above named, and in which capacity he had some time previously acted. He was as brave as faithful, and shared the dangers and honors of every battle and skirmish in which the regiment had been engaged until wounded at Bethesda Church, June 3d, 1864. Though his wound proved very troublesome, he was con stantly with the regiment, (with the exception of a few days,) until the 30th of September, when he was again wounded, in an engagement near Peters burg, by a musket ball which struck him in the left knee, necessitating- the amputation of the limb. His constitution, already enervated by the effects of the previous wound, proved insufficient to withstand the shock of a capital operation, and he died on the 23d of October, in his thirty-ninth year, leaving a wife and five children to mourn his loss. At the time of receiving the fatal wound, he was acing as first-lieutenant, and a short time before his death, received a commission to that position, but owing to the exhausted state of his system, was unable to be mustered in as such. 224 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. The remains of Lieutenant Mcllroy were brought to the residence of his family, in Pawtucket, and were interred Sunday, October 30th, with masonic and military honors. About two hundred of the masonic fraternity were present from Providence, Woonsocket, Milford and Mansfield. At the house, the first part of the impressive knights templar burial service, was performed by E. Commander George A. French and Bela P. Clapp, Prelate of Encamp ment of the Holy Sepulchre. The remains were then escorted to the Metho dist Church, the procession moving in reverse order, with arms and swords reversed. At the church, a sermon was preached by the pastor, Reverend Mr. Ela, from Romans, twelfth chapter, first verse, in which Divine and human governments were reviewed. This service over, the procession proceeded with the remains to Mineral Spring Cemetery, the band playing funeral dirges, accompanied by a large number of citizens. At the cemetery, the remaining portion of the templar service was performed, the sprig of evergreen deposited, and the usual volley fired by the company, when the mourners were escorted back to the house, and the various bodies dispersed, amidst the fast falling shades of night* * Stone's " Rhode Island in the Rebellion." LIEUT. COL. JOSEPH B.CURTIS 4™ E.I. Vol5 JOSEPH BRIDGHAM CURTIS. ©Joseph Bridgham Curtis, was the second son of George Curtis and Julia Ml Bowen Bridgham, daughter of Samuel Willard Bridgham, first mayor of ^=^ Providence, Rhode Island, and was born in Providence, on the 25th of October, 1836. A peculiarly delicate child in health, he early disclosed a seraphic sweetness of disposition, which is a fond family tradition. A native sense of justice gave him an undisputed ascendancy over stronger and readier children, and the gentleness of his nature, with his fondness for history and a frequent dreamy abstraction, seemed to predict for him scholarly or poetic pursuits. But it was soon unexpectedly clear, that he had no marked taste for literature, and all his studies tended to engineering. He entered the Lawrence Scientific School, at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in Sep tember, 1854, a month before completing his eighteenth year. He remained here for two years, in steady and laborious study, and graduated in July, 1856, with the degree of bachelor of science in the department of engineering. Immediately upon graduating, he went to Chicago to work at his profes sion. Like all beginners in civil engineering, he was severely tried by the details of his labor, but his slender person was capable of great endurance, and his blithe humor lightened the load which he and his comrades were compelled to bear. He went from Chicago in April, 1857, to a post upon the Allentown road, in Pennsylvania. One day the surveying party, some half- dozen engineers, came suddenly to a broad and deep stream. " What's to be done, now?" asked one. "I'll tell you what's to be done," said Curtis, and stripping off his coat, he dashed to the other side, swimming when he could not wade, and then stood dripping upon the farther side, humorously beckon- 29 226 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. ing to the others to come over. Carrying heavy instruments over hill and field, winding through tangled thickets, wading and standing for hours in the water and mire, eating how and where he could, bivouacking under the stars, or lodging in the hardest quarters, he was unconsciously preparing for other work; and the campaigns of the railroad engineer in Illinois and Penn sylvania, were training the adjutant and lieutenant-colonel, for the grander campaigns of North Carolina and Maryland and Virginia. In the autumn of 1857, the work upon the Allentown road was suspend ed, and the young engineer, having completed his twenty-first year, was appointed an assistant architect upon the Central Park, in New York, under Mr. Frederick Law Olmsted and Mr. Calvert Vaux, the superintendents of the work. Quiet and friendly, but never obtrusive, he twined himself in the old way about the hearts of his companions. " It is a common experience," wrote Mr. Olmsted, upon hearing of his young friend's death, " that we find ourselves more attached to him than we knew while he was with us ; although I think the peculiarity of his manner induced a peculiar quietness and uncon sciousness of sentiment toward him. There is a feeling of completeness and acquiescence in his death at this time, as if we had all made up our minds to it a long time ago." The election of 1860 was full of excitement for young Curtis, who then cast his first and only vote for Abraham Lincoln. The events that followed were eagerly watched b}>- him. The secession of the states, the seizure of United States property, the resignation of officers in the national service, the grim and portentous proceedings in congress, the heroic flight from Moultrie to Sumter, the constant revelation of treachery, were all like an absorbing and terrible romance. His mind was thoroughly awake. His face flushed and his voice trembled as he read and discussed the news. His slight figure dilated with earnest resolution, and, while others doubted and feared and gazed appalled at the gathering gloom, his hearty voice cheered on their failing courage, and his heart was calm and steady, and even exultant, when he heard the Sumter shot of treason and slavery against liberty and the country. His lovely nature had consecrated him a soldier of liberty. His uncompromising conviction had fitted him to be its martyr. He had seen his elder brother march away to the field with Winthrop and Shaw, and scores of personal friends in the New York seventh regiment; and Joseph, at his immediate and earnest request, was at once commissioned engineer, with the rank of captain, upon the colonel's staff of the ninth regiment New York JOSEPH BRIDGHAM CURTIS. 227 state militia; while his younger brother, then pursuing his medical studies, volunteered as a surgeon, and was one of the first-named -medical cadets in the United States service. It shows the spirit of the mothers of the loyal states, of the women whose patient and tireless industry so effectively aided the Sanitary Commission through the war, that in those first, bitter, uncertain days, a mother in Providence, whose own boys were already on their way to the battle-field, wrote to the mother of Joseph Curtis, on the 24th of April, 1861: "How happy you must be to have three to offer to your country!" And how happy must the country be that has such mothers and such sons. The ninth regiment was delayed by many difficulties, and did not leave New York until the 27th of May, 1861. Joseph was indefatigable in prepara tion for the departure, but was seriously troubled by the uncertainty of his own position. The office of regimental engineer exists only in the state militia service of New York, and he therefore could not be mustered into the United States service. But on the 11th of June, he writes from Rockville, in Maryland, that the regiment had moved from Washington, for, " although they would not swear me in, I could not resist going along with the boys." He begs all at home to do what they can to further his hopes, saying that he is too closely employed to attend to his own interests. A few days afterward, June 24th, 1861, he writes from Camp Van Buren, on the Potomac, where he was stationed with a detachment of the regiment : " I am acting as engineer, quartermaster, commissary, chaplain, and, in fact, I am the staff; beside which, I do duty every other night as commandant of the patrol on the river, the compliment being paid me of assigning the most dangerous position to me, instead of to a lieutenant who has been in the militia for years." Still anxious about his uncertain position, and meaning to push his fortunes at Washington in person, he was yet fascinated by the prospect of active service, and writes from Martinsburg on the 9th of July : " I have made a cross with my sword on this sacred or cursed soil of Virginia. I think that an engagement is near at hand, therefore I do not wish to leave the regiment. - Colonel Stone, who commands our column, joined General Patterson yesterday, here. We probably move to-morrow. * * * I will go [to Washington] as soon as I can, but I would not miss the fight for the world." There was no fight, and the indignation and disgust of Patterson's soldiers were intense. There was now nothing to retain the young soldier with the regiment in which he had been so long an unpaid volunteer, and he left it to go to Wash- 228 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. ington. Long afterward, when the ninth finally returned from the field, one of the veterans was asked if he remembered an officer by the name of Curtis, who went off as a volunteer with the regiment when the war broke out. "Curtis!" replied the soldier, "yes, indeed!. I remember him, if any one of the regiment does, and every one does who was in it. I will tell you what kind of man he was. During a long day's march I lost my blanket, and at night we camped in a swamp, with the rain putting out all the fires. Curtis, passing with some of the officers, saw me, and asked why I slept without a blanket on such a night, saying that I should catch my death of cold. When I told him that I had lost my blanket, he kindly lent me an extra one that he had. You can see every man was sorry to have such a man go, for he was the best and finest fellow that ever entered it. One of the officers asked him whether with twenty-five men he could meet a supply-train, about thirty miles off, and have it down at the camp by the next afternoon. He replied that if the officer ordered it, he should obey orders. Curtis brought the train into camp next day, at noon. He was a pleasant, good-humored fellow, terribly strict, and a general favorite." Discouraged by the delays in getting a commission, and wishing still to be in some service of the government, the ex-volunteer was appointed by his old chief at the Central Park, to a post in the working corps of the Sanitary Commission, of which Mr. Olmsted was secretary. Here Mr. Curtis was necessarily familiar with the actual condition of the army, and of public affairs at the most depressing and doubtful moment of the war. He did not write much, but he observed constantly, and what he did write, was full of sagacity. On the 14th of August, he says : " Regular army officers turn up their noses, and say that our volunteers do not know how to manage. True, but they are the only soldiers we are likely to have to do our fighting, and the sooner we remember they are what they are — incapable of taking care of themselves — and take care of them, and make them happy and willing to serve, the sooner we do our duty." He was not blind to the peculiar perils of the time. He stated them with appalling distinctness. But the brave heart exclaims fervently: "My voice is still for war, in spite of our traitors, our folly and mistakes, and I mean to see New Orleans under the federal flag, or see nothing." Meanwhile the kind and active friends of his mother in Rhode Island had so forcibly urged his claims upon Governor Sprague, of that state, that the governor, with an instinctive perception of what a soldier in such a war JOSEPH BRIDGHAM CURTIS. 229 should be, summoned him to Providence. Mr. Curtis left Washington imme diately, and, upon his arrival in Providence, was made acting adjutant, to assist in the formation of the fourth Rhode Island regiment of volunteers, of which Justus IngersoU McCartyy formerly of the United States army, was appointed colonel. His commission as second-lieutenant was dated September 16th, 1861, and that of first-lieutenant, October 2d, 1861. Upon the receipt of the latter, he was appointed adjutant. The regiment was rapidly recruited, and was soon full. By the end of September, the order came to move ; and on the 5th of October, at ten in the morning, the tents were struck, and, after taking the cars from the camp to the city, the line of march was taken up through the chief streets. " I saw Joe ride slowly along by the side of his regiment, on a small black horse," wrote a friend, "with a bouquet in his hand, and looking very steadfastly before him, not heeding the cheers nor the clapping of hands, nor yet the ' Good-by, Joe ! ' which we threw to him from the window." Upon reaching Washington, the regiment went immediately into camp, at Camp Casey. At the end of October, Colonel McCarty was relieved, of the command, and was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Isaac P. Rodman. It was the good fortune of the fourth Rhode Island to be attached to the brigade of General 0. 0. Howard, now the head of the Freedmen's Bureau, and at that time recognized as one of the best of soldiers and of men. He praised highly the Rhode Island regiment, and said that its adjutant was the best he had ever known ; " he does every thing by system." The industry and capacity of the young officer were already appreciated. The adjutants of two other regiments were sent to him to learn the routine and best method of their duty. At the end of November, General Howard was ordered to join General Sumner's division. " To Virginia we go," writes the adjutant,- on the 27th of November, 1861. "I am glad of it, for I was fearing we might form some deuced railroad guard or other, and not see real service." His duties were unsparing. " 'Tis one steady drain for sixteen hours daily, and quieter work beside, sometime in the evening." On the 2d of January, 1862, Adjutant Curtis writes from Camp Califor nia, at four o'clock in the morning : " Off, is the word. As I was finishing a monthly report at one this morning, an orderly brought an order for the colonel to report personally at division head-quarters. We are to join Burn- side's expedition, and are detached from General Sumner's division. We are to march at nine, so I have remained up, packing and arranging papers." 230 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. The regiment moved rapidly through Washington to Annapolis, and on the 7th of January, he writes : " Off to-day,, on board the Eastern Queen. Where we go, I do not know, but the blow will be from a heavy arm wherever it falls." The Burnside expedition sailed from Fortress Monroe, on the 10th and 11th of January, 1862. For a fortnight after leaving Fortress Monroe, the fleet was baffled by fogs and gales. Some of the vessels were lost, and several disabled, by a storm that struck them just at the entrance of Hatteras Inlet. The Eastern Queen grounded and struggled violently, but, fortunately, escaped through the Inlet. The fleet gradually collected within Pamlico Sound. But so serious had been the derangement of operations by the storm, that even on the 1st of February, a full week after the rebel chiefs had been informed by our papers of the entire detail of force upon the expedition, no forward movement was practicable. At length, on the 8th of February, 1862, Adjutant Curtis saw his first battle. During the previous day, the fleet had been engaged, and, after a gallant fight, at about four o'clock in the afternoon, the brave sailors raised the flag upon Roanoke Island. Meanwhile the military force, under Generals Foster, Reno and Parke, was landing. Toward evening — and the night was thickening again, with the chilly fog driven by a wild winter's wind — the fourth Rhode Island, of General Parke's brigade, stood on the low, marshy shore of Roanoke Island, and, pushing a little forward, bivouacked upon a bleak, sandy field beyond. It rained heavily all night. The enemy felt Bumside's picket line, but found it thoroughly alert. At dawn of the 8th, the jubilant thunder of the fleet began again, and, in the gray, cold twilight, General Foster's brigade advanced through swamps and underbrush and deep mud and wrater, toward the centre of the Island, where the main rebel fortifi cation lay. Soon after, General Reno moved ; then General Parke, and the action became general on land and water. The fort was in a morass, and approached only by a log causeway enveloped with batteries. The ground was, therefore, almost hopelessly difficult. "We turned into the vilest swamp I ever saw," writes the Adjutant; "we sank from the ankle to the knee. It was full of trees and thorny bushes seven or eight feet high, and growing close together. We were two hours forcing our way through this swamp." But the spirit of Bumside's troops was irresistible, and the victory was com plete. At one point upon the narrow causeway, Lieutenant Curtis stood for twenty minutes in the full fire of the enemy, to direct the passage of the troops. "The enemy's balls, both cannon and musket, flew here very thickly JOSEPH BRIDGHAM CURTIS. 231 with their pleasant whistle," he writes calmly, saying at the end of the clear description of the battle which he wrote to his mother, and illustrated with an interesting sketch: "The fight was gay and exciting, and the balls sounded as I expected." The tranquil tone in which he speaks of the battle-music, perfectly illus trates the effect of an actual engagement upon him. It tranquilized him. The exhilaration put him in full possession of his powers, making him cool and thoughtful, with mind and eye equally alert. On the fiery causeway at Roanoke, his voice rang out firmly and clearly: "This way fourth Rhode Island !" as two regiments approached, the fourth to make a flank movement, the other to file off another way. So, he is described as cutting a path through the jungle with his sword, for the men to follow, as quietly as if he were striking through a swamp upon a railroad survey. General Burnside, who naturally watched the conduct of his Rhode Island boys, said of the adjutant of the fourth : " No one knew him thoroughly till after a battle. He wras so quiet and retiring in his ordinary demeanor, that you would not have expected such gallantry ; but he was always up — up in battle — and he and Richmond (the general's adjutant) were the two most conspicuous men at Roanoke. I marked Curtis from the first, and knew he would make a splendid field-officer, as he did. I saw him often, but he was not a man to spend much time at head-quarters, for he was always attending to his own duties." This fidelity told at length upon his delicate frame. After the battle of Roanoke, he served constantly upon courts-martial, and at last fell seriously ill. He was kindly ordered home by the general, upon the representation of the surgeon that the result would otherwise be fatal. Lieutenant Curtis therefore reluc tantly returned to New York in early March, and was absent from the army when the battle of Newbern was fought and won. A soldier, wounded in that battle, said to his attendant : " Ain't Curtis the bully man ? We missed him at Newbern, for he always shouted the orders so that we heard him over everything." In the soft repose of home the soldier rapidly recovered. But loving hearts almost regretfully saw the' roses blooming again in his young cheeks, for they knew he would not stay longer than his sense of duty required. The yearning eyes that watched him were to see him no more, and, as if by some vague foreboding, the few weeks of family intercourse were hallowed by an infiiiite tenderness of affection. Lieutenant Curtis sailed from New York, to rejoin his regiment, on the 3d of April, 1862 — several days before the expiration of his furlough. Colo- 232 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. nel Rodman was surprised and pleased by his adjutant's unexpected return, and, when they were alone in his tent, told him that he had himself been named for brigadier. " If I am confirmed, I wish you to be my assistant adjutanf>general." Of this offer the lieutenant writes in a manly strain : " It is a great pleasure to me to have had the position offered to me by Colonel Rodman, whether I get it or not. It proves that my labors in the regiment — and they have not been child's play — have been appreciated, and show that the reason why he has never nominated or offered to nominate me for the captaincy of any of our companies, when such a commission was vacant,- was that he wished to keep me attached to himself. The promptness and sponta- neousness with which the appointment was offered, show that he has always. intended advancing me with himself when the opportunity occurred." In the same letter, he says: "If anything could compensate me for losing the battle of Newbern, it is the warmth with which I have been welcomed by all those whom I know in the department of North Carolina. Part of his regiment were already on the sand banks before Fort Macon, preparing for the siege, and the Adjutant joined them. " I have always felt curious in the subject of sieges, and now behold I shall see one !" As he passed leisurely from one battery to another, the dark blue overcoat glittering with a double row of brass buttons moving upon the white sand, furnished a mark, and the rebel fire from Fort Macon, opened in the direction of the movement. Some fragments of the shell struck the parapet of the battery, and dropped among the men. The Adjutant congratulated himself upon drawing the rebel fire. The operations before Fort Macon occupied a month, during which there was a desultory cannonade from the rebels upon the besiegers. " The look out," writes Adjutant Curtis, "who constantly watches the fort, cries 'Down!' as soon as the puff of smoke shows that a gun is fired. You then lie down in your hole as close to the lee of the hill as possible. By and by, you hear a very loud and peculiar whistle, not sharp, but easy and slow, as if the shell were having a comfortable time. If you look straight up in the air, you catch sight of this ball rushing with great velocity and power. Then a little puff of red flame, a loud report, and a little cloud of smoke floats off. Then you hear the pieces hurtle down about you, to me, the most fear-inspiring sound that war produces. You hear them coming a long way, slowly, slowly toward you. You can not see them, and can only wonder whether they will hit you or not. There is nothing like the excitement of battle in this lying JOSEPH BRIDGHAM CURTIS. , 233 powerless against a sand bank, with a powerful enemy shelling you and having all the fun to himself." Fort Macon surrendered on. the 26th of April, 1862. As its fall had been prematurely arid falsely reported, there was the usual public impatience, which the Adjutant humorously satirizes: "You are all in such a hurry, that you think all is lost if a general has to besiege a place twenty-four hours. The newspapers say: 'Great success! Fort Macon taken after ten hours' bom bardment!' So you think that General Parke breakfasted early one morning; took a hand-car; came down from Newbern; crossed over; put eight mortars and four siege guns behind a sand hill; fired away; took the fort; paroled the prisoners; hoisted the flag, and returned to Newbern to dinner, arriving five minutes after the dinner-bell rang, and catching a reprimand for being late. Whereas, we besieged the place a good month, worked like dogs, and made half our regiment sick; were on picket duty every third day, besides furnishing camp guard, fatigue parties to work in trenches, . and ' patrols. Whenever you hear again of doing a thing in ten hours, understand that doing the thing is easy work, hut getting ready to do it is desperately hard work. And now, instead of supposing that we are to go somewhere else, because we have taken Fort Macon, know that is the very reason why we are not able to move." On the 16th of May, Colonel Rodman heard of his confirmation as brigadier, and he promptly nominated Lieutenant Curtis as his adjutant. The lieutenant was commissioned assistant adjutant-general, with the rank of captain, on the 9th of June, 1862, and reported by letter to General Rodman, then in Rhode Island. The captain, meanwhile, served upon General Parke's staff, at the general's request. General Bumside's army remained in Nqrth Carolina and southern Virginia, until the misfortunes of July, 1862, upon the Peninsula, and General McClellan's retreat to Harrison's Landing. Burnside was then ordered to Fredericksburg, in Virginia. But, meanwhile, serious changes had occurred in the fourth Rhode Island. The promotion of Colonel Rodman left the colonelcy vacant. Gov ernor Sprague appointed LieutenantColonel Steere, of the second Rhode Island. The appointment displeased many of the officers, and fifteen of them sent their resignations to General Burnside for approval. He returned them. They were again sent, and again returned. For the third time they ¦ were offered, and the general asked the governor to come to head-quarters, which were then at Newport News, and compose the difficulty. The gover- 30 234 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. nor arrived, and consulted with General Burnside. The next morning, every officer who wished it, received his discharge ; and, at dress parade in the even ing, the division and regimental orders announcing the new officers were read. Colonel Steere was confirmed, and Captain Curtis, at' the request of General Burnside, was announced as lieutenant-colonel. In conversation with his friends, the resigning officers of the fourth, Captain Curtis spoke very plainly and frankly, although with the utmost regard for men whom he so highly respected. " If you feel wronged," he said, " it is still your soldierly duty to submit to your superior officers ; and why, to revenge your own griefs, should you wrong the country by unofficer- ing the regiment, and making it more inefficient than a new one, by leaving in it heart-burnings and jealousies?" When he spoke, he hoped that his friends would reconsider their determination. But they were resolved, and persisted. The regiment was reofficered. On the 12th of August, the lieuteMntKJolonel could truly write, what he supposed none but maternal eyes would ever read : " In eleven months, by simply keeping my own counsels, doing my duty, and minding my business, I have risen from second- lieutenant to lieutenant-colonel; and that in a regiment which has been ranked, in a list of the best, as sixth in the whole volunteer army of the United States. Moreover, I was nominated by the general commanding my army corps. I am satisfied." So was the regiment. Whatever they thought of the circumstances which had preceded his appointment, the man was dear to them. " In justice to Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis, our late adjutant," wrote one who had sympa thized with the resigning officers, " I must say that no more popular man, or one better fitted to fill the vacancy, could have been selected. Every man in the regiment respects and loves him." "Mr. Curtis is beloved and respected by the regiment," wrote another. The truth was that they had proved him, and he them. As adjutant, he had been always a strict officer, but neither vain nor despotic. " I am popular," he wrote. " I made myself so when adjutant. How, I don't know, for I never yielded an inch to the men, but always listened to what they had to say. I suppose that is it." At midnight of the 31st of August, 1862, the fourth Rhode Island, still part of General Parke's division, left Fredericksburg, acting as infantry rear guard to the division, which had been ordered to the neighborhood of Wash ington; "where," writes the lieutenant-colonel, "they must need troops badly, if this small force is to make any difference." But, in truth, every man was JOSEPH BRIDGHAM CURTIS'. 235 wanted. Virginia was full of disaster. General Pope's army was rapidly falling back from the Rappahannock. " The rebel Stonewall Jackson, by a stern and masterly march through the Shenandoah valley, fell upon Pope's wearied flank, and the blow of the previous year was repeated at Bull Run. On the 2d of September, General McClellan was placed in command of the fortifications of Washington; But the rebel General Lee skillfully avoid ing a battle, pushed a heavy column across the Potomac into Maryland, and General McClellan moved westward to confront him. The fourth Rhode Island had arrived at their camp on Meridian Hill, near Washington, on the evening of the 5th of September. They were at once under marching orders, and moved out and bivouacked upon the Rockville road on the 7th. It was just a year and three months since Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis had marched with the ninth New York volunteers, along the same road upon his first service. On the 10th, the march was resumed. On the 14th, General Burnside won the sharp action at South Mountain; and, on the 17th, the battle of Antietam was fought. The fourth Rhode Island was in the left wing, under Burnside, throughout the tremendous day, and, as the bridge over Antietam Creek, which he held, was the key of the position, the fourth was in the mid-fury of the battle. " In the final part of the engagement," writes Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis, on the 2d' of September, "we were moved over a ploughed field which was swept by a tremendous fire of shell, grape, canister, shrapnell, and bits of railroad iron; then into a corn-field which descended into a gully, and rose again on the other side, at the top of which were the rebels. We were ordered into the gully to support a perfectly green regiment which twice before, in the earlier part of the day, had crowded through our regiment and stampeded. No sooner were we in the gully, and before the colonel and I could form a good line, (a difficult matter in a high corn-field,) than the green regiment, giving way before the tremendous fire of the rebel infantry, crowded back upon our right. We moved our line to the left and formed. The rebels showed our flag, and as we had seen one of our brigades charge as we descended the corn-field, we thought our own men were firing upon us. Our men were ordered to squat in the gully, until we could discover who were firing upon us. I called for a lieutenant to volunteer to go up the hill and see who they were. Lieutenant Curtis [not related to the lieutenantrcolonel] and Watts stepped forward and placed themselves, sword and pistol in hand, on either side of the color-bearer, Corporal Tanner. These three carried the flag 236 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. to the hill top and waved it. They were within five feet of the rebels, who fired and killed Corporal Tanner, [Thomas B. Tanner, a heroic youth, from Newport, Rhode Island.] Lieutenant Curtis [George K] seized the colors and brought them back, and Lieutenant Watts came back the next moment. Then we up and fired. I asked the colonel to let us charge. He said he would if the green regiment would support us. I ran to them, and asked if they would help us charge up the hill. At the very idea they crowded back, ¦. and some almost ran over me. I struck at them with my sabre, cursed them, and called them cowards. I told the colonel they would not help us. But our men cried out to charge the rebels. The order to fix bayonets was given. Just then, a whole brigade of rebels burst out upon our left flank, one regiment firing over the other as they descended, while the front fire steadily continued. The green regiment broke in wild confusion, running again through our men. Our colonel told me that we must march in retreat, and . gave the order. I ran down the line and repeated it. As we moved through the corn, the men broke. I begged them to keep in the ranks. I tried to keep them back with my sword. It was no use. I waited till the last com pany passed me, trying to rally them; then I walked back after them up toward the lines, amid such a storm of bullets, shell and grape, as I never conceived of. The men fell all around me, and I stepped over them as they dropped at my feet. " When I got out of the corn-field, I saw some troops advancing to our support. I faced about, and cried out: 'I go back no further ! Whatever is left of the. fourth Rhode Island forms here.' Three or four men joined me. I picked up a musket, and, falling in on the left of the fifty-first Pennsylvania, began firing. I had fired but once, when Captain Buffum (senior captain) joined me. The fifty-first lay down behind the crest of the hill and fired. But I felt so awfully to think the fourth was broken, although I do not wonder at it, that I wished they would hit me, and loaded and fired twenty times, standing up in full view. Captain Buffum stood up with me. When our ammunition was gone, I marched our little squad through the same storm of grape we had advanced through, and forded the Antietam Creek, which we had crossed, under fire, in the morning, looking for the regiment. I found what was left of it, and was hailed as one risen from the dead. I reported to Colonel Harland, acting brigadier, who assigned me camping-ground for the regiment. JOSEPH BRIDGHAM CURTIS. 237 " I then mounted my horsej (I had been dismounted all day,) rode two miles back to the wagons, and ordered up rations for the men. Hearing, on my return, that three of my men were lying wounded not far off, I went to them, and succeeded in having their wounds dressed by applying to the surgeon of another regiment, who was attending his own men ; (our surgeons were at different hospitals by this time, not knowing that these men had been brought here.) I helped dress the wounds, and those of one or two others. All the food our men had on the day of battle, was what they obtained from some abandoned camps. All I had was a slice of raw pork, two crackers and a cup of coffee. On this meal we fought, and were under fire almost all the time from six, a. m., when the enemy shelled us out from behind a hill, until half-past five, p. m., when we were broken in the corn-field. General Rodman is, I fear, mortally wounded.* Our colonel, Steere,f is severely wounded — a ball in the thigh ; and Lieutenant Ivest has an ugly grape-wound. We lost a third of our regiment in the corn-field. Some of our wounded lay thirty- six hours, and the rebels would not give them water, calling them damned Yankees, and firing at those who went into the corn after them. I can arm their slaves now." The newspaper correspondents generously praised the conspicuous valor of Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis and Captain Buffum. The lieutenant-colonel wrote : "All the papers you sent, make a row about a very natural thing done by Captain Buffum and myself. If Miss thinks every man who fires at the rebels a splendid one, she will have to adore a multitude." On the 19th of October, he writes : " I am happy to say that Captain Buffum has been appointed major of the regiment." Again, on the 9th of November : " The chief trouble in this regiment is the capability of the officers. Major Buffum has been taken from it to act as provost-marshal of this division." After the battle of Antietam, the army lay encamped along the Potomac for thirty miles, until the end of October. On the 7th of November, General McCleUan was relieved of the command, and was succeeded by General Burnside, a soldier whose abihty detraction can not permanently obscure, * This brave and beloved officer died on the 29th of September, 1862. f Colonel Steere, after long suffering, happily recovered. ^Robert Hale Ives, Jr., volunteer aide of General Rodman, a youth of singular promise, and of the loveliest and most endearing qualities, was wounded at the same time with his chief, and died two days before him, on the 27th of September, 1862. The day of his burial was just a month from that of his departure from home. 238 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. and a man whose purity of patriotism and noble simplicity of character will always be an affectionate tradition. The fourth Rhode Island, which, since the colonel's wound at Antietam, was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis, lay at Gaskins Mills, Virginia, in a snow storm, when the change was announced. Their hearts responded to the words .of the commanding general : " To the ninth army corps, so long and intimately associated with me, I need say nothing. Our histories are identical." The army moved, and the fourth Rhode Island arrived before Fredericksburg on the 19th of November. It had marched for five days, from the camp near Waterloo, through a chill, wintry storm. The new camp was pitched in the rain, upon the banks of the Rappahannock. " Every thing soaked through," writes the lieutenant>colonel, " the men hungry, no dry wood to kindle fires with, and the mud up to your ankle." The regiment was in the right grand division, under command of General E. V. Sumner. " The reduction of camp equipage is very great. Three wagons are all that are allowed to a small regiment, like the fourth. 'Tis the only way to render our army efficient. Our long trains have always ruined us heretofore, by destroying the mobility of the army. I hope to winter in Richmond after a few fights." The camp was presently moved to higher, drier ground, nearer woods, and warm. On the 6th of December, he writes : " Why the army remains so quiet I do not know. We are, however, constantly prepared with rations and ammunition to move any time, day or night." It was dreary weather, but nothing could quench the ardor of the young soldier. He speaks of a friend, who, from the time of his entering the army, had been on garrison duty : " I have often thought of . I am glad I have always been on active service, and have seen some good old fights, with the prospect of more." One more only, those brave brown eyes were to see. With the dawn of Thursday, the 11th of December, 1862, the battle of Fredericksburg began, by a tremendous bombardment of the town from General Bumside's batteries. At half-past ten in the morning, Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis, awaiting orders to move, but always tenderly thoughtful of the hearts that must ache with suspense at the first rumor of a battle, wrote to his mother for the last time : "The battle of Fredericksburg has been raging for five hours. We were ordered under arms in our camp at half-past seven, and we are now waiting orders, arms stacked in company streets, and men with equipments and blankets, and haversacks on. We do not take our tents; officers' servants JOSEPH BRIDGHAM CURTIS. 239 are left, and every officer and man carries his blankets and three days' rations; mounted officers with their horse forage on their horses. What the result so far is, I do not know. Of course I can not leave my command, and none of the regiment are allowed out of camp, so listening to the music of artillery is the only occupation. Now it is perfectly silent; the next moment the roar is tremendous. General Sumner's grand division is first to cross here. Franklin crosses below, I believe.. The pontoon bridges are more than half way over. The enemy in the town, fire at the bridge builders, and we. shell the town. 'Tis a fine, warm winter day, clear as a- bell. The snow-birds twitter in the bushes near my tent, and the shells burst and howl about a mile from here, at the front, near our old camp ground of«last summer. The contrast is strange. * * * Go round as much as possible, and comfort your self with your friends as much as you can. * * * The wise, who, you say, think Fredericksburg is not the road to Richmond, had better be here. They would change their minds. Remember me to all friends. I will finish this in Fredericksburg, or after the fight." Saturday, the 13th of December, 1862, dawned obscurely, through a heavy fog. It was a still morning, soft with the lingering haze of the Indian sum mer. General Franklin, with the left wing of the army, was at the extreme outskirts of the town, down the river. His part in the battle was to turn the rebel right flank. General Sumner, with the right wing, was in and beyond the town, and his duty was to attack the rebel works in front. These works were a triple line, upon terraced, wooded heights, and between the town and the foot of the hill, stretched a plain a third of a mile wide, upon which, for ten hours, the fierce fight raged. The battle began in the fog. From the first shot, it was plain that it would be a desperate struggle, for the army was upon the south bank of the river, with but four pontoon bridges behind it. The crossing had not been very seriously disputed, except by the rifle men. The rebels were formidably intrenched, but the soldier who dares nothing, wins little. The cannon thundered, the bugles rang. To an inflexi ble purpose, to hearty cooperation, to tried and devoted heroism, victory seemed as practicable as at Roanoke. The fourth Rhode Island lay in the city near the river, partly sheltered by a bank, over which the shell and bullets shrieked and sang. All day long it waited. The assaulting columns of Sumner charged up the fiery slope, recoiled and charged again, to recoil once more, withered by the deadly rebel blasts. Far at the left, Meade pierced the rebel flank, and, could he 240 " RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. have been amply supported, would have inflicted a mortal wound upon the rebellion. And still the fourth Rhode Island waited, ready to move. Across the river, if the soldiers turned to look, they saw the long low lines of tiie landscape shaded softly away in the dim gray haze. Virginia hid her desola tion in the kindly mist, and lay before the eyes eager for battle, like a vision of peace. But still, while the soldiers wraited and gazed, the ground shook and the air throbbed with the awful shock of the contest. The roar neither advanced, nor receded, nor died away, and they knew that the event was undecided. Toward sunset, the order came to advance. The long struggle was ending. The winter day was closing, and the exhausted army had fought in vain. Whoever knew the young lieutenant-colonel, whose soul was fire and whose heart was dew, knows that he had waited at the head of his regiment all that terrible day, ardent yet serene, his sensitive face flushed with emotion, his pulse as calmly beating as if he idly lay in an autumn reverie in the peaceful fields beyond the river. As the order comes, his clear voice rings steadily out: "Forward!" Through ruined streets, over stones and timber, over ditches and fences and wild confusion, toward the thunder and fire of the front, he leads the way, followed by soldiers who loved him. Forming his line in the outskirts of the town, he sees a regiment near him supporting a battery. It is the New York ninth, with which, an unrecognized volunteer, he had seen his first service in the Shenandoah valley, seventeen months before. "What regiment is this?" he earnestly asks. He is sitting quietly upon his horse at the head of his own regiment, and, as he speaks, a bullet strikes him in the left cheek just below the eye, and pierces the brain. Pain lessly, as if sleeping, he sinks gently- from the saddle into the arms of his comrades, while the soft, sweet smile of his earliest childhood steals over his face. He was brought to the home in New York, in which all his love had centered, and there a solemn and tender burial service was performed. But Rhode Island, whose son he was, wished to honor his memory, and his body lay in state at the state house, in Providence. The General Assembly passed resolutions of grateful respect, and a thousand touching private tributes snowed how truly he was beloved. On the 20th of December, 1862, a wild, wintry day, his body was taken by his family from the honorable custody of the state, and laid, with prayers and tears, and happy remembrance of a spotless, earnest, and completed hfe, by the side of his father and grand parents, in the North Burial Ground, in Providence. ZCL /VILLI "iM AWES v-ipep'P I li.ti.Tl' WILLIAM AMES. < *»«»-»- 'illiam Ames, second son of the Honorable Samuel Ames, late chief justice of Rhode Island, was born in Providence, May 15th, 1842. After the usual preliminary studies, he entered Brown University, as a freshman, September, 1858, and pursued the collegiate course during nearly three years. At the outbreak of the rebellion, he received (June 6th, 1861,) a commission as a second-lieutenant in the second Rhode Island volun teers. This was an infantry regiment, and the first which was enlisted in Rhode Island for the whole war. ¦*>*m)w"' ••- ¦ ¦¦"- Lieutenant Ames was in active and efficient service during the short campaign of Bull Run, in which the gallant conduct of the second Rhode Island reflected honor upon the state. On the 25th of October, 1861, he received a first-lieutenancy in the same regiment. During the ensuing spring and summer, he shared its fortunes throughout McClellan's disastrous attempt upon Richmond. It was conspicuously engaged in the battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg and Malvern Hill; was the rear guard during the retreat, and was engaged during many days in encounters with the enemy, until the safety of the United States army was secured. On the 24th of July, 1862, Lieutenant Ames was promoted to a captaincy, in recognition of efficient and gallant conduct. Captain Ames continued in active service with the second Rhode Island, until the 28th of January, 1863, when he was again promoted to the majority of the third Rhode Island heavy artillery, then on duty in South Carolina. With the third Rhode Island he was actively engaged in the siege of Fort Sumter. During five months, he was commandant of Fort Pulaski, on the Savannah river. On the 22d of March, 1864, he succeeded 242 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. LieutenantrColonel Charles R. Brayton, as lieutenant-colonel of the third Rhode Island; and, with his regiment, bore the chief part in the bombardment of Charleston, Fort Sumter and Morris Island, and in the subsequent occupa tion of the city. In consequence of this vigilant and efficient service, he was appointed chief of artillery of the department of the south, on the 27th of September, 1864. On the 10th of October, he became colonel of his regiment. In this capacity he served under Major-General Quincy A. Gillmore and General John G. Foster, and was engaged in many detached skirmishes and expedi tions. He commanded the artillery brigade at the battles of Honey Hill and of Deveaux Neck, South Carolina, in the spring of 1865, and in many less important encounters ; and remained in active duty, in the same depart ment, until the close of the war. The third Rhode Island was mustered out of service, September 14th, 1865, when Colonel Ames received from the War Department the highest testimonial of its appreciation of his uninterrupted and efficient services during the entire period of our national calamity. MARTIN P. BUFFUM. ^JFYartin Page Buffum, son of Horace' Buffum, and grandson of the ljl L venerable Captain Martin Page, was born in Providence on the l/; 10th of November, 1830. He enlisted as a private, in April, 1861, in the first regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, and took part with it in the first battle at Bull Run. On the 7th of September, 1861, he was commissioned as first-lieutenant in the fourth regiment Rhode Island volunteers, which regiment embarked from Providence for the seat of war, near Washington, on the 2d of October. Shortly after its arrival, Colonel McCarty was superseded, and the command of the regiment given to Colonel Rodman. On the 11th of October, Lieu tenant Buffum was promoted to a captaincy. In January following, the fourth was selected as one of the regiments for the North Carolina campaign, under General Burnside, and embarked at Annapolis for its field of opera tions. It took a prominent part in the successful battle of Roanoke Island, February 7th and 8th, 1862, and had the honor of planting the Union flag on Fort Bartow, which first announced to the fleet our victory. In the more important battle on the 14th of March, which resulted in the taking of New bern, the fourth was still more conspicuous, for, by its bayonet charge, led by the gallant Rodman, the fate of the day was decided. On the 25th of April, Fort Macon was invested, and surrendered after an engagement of ten hours. Captain Buffum's company was one of the two ordered to take formal posses sion of the town of Beaufort, and, subsequently, was appointed provost-mar shal. In April, Colonel Rodman was promoted to a brigadier-general, when the command of the regiment was assumed by LieutenantrColonel Tew. The 244 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. regiment left North Carolina with the ninth army corps, under General Burn side, to cooperate with General McClellan, on the Peninsula. On reaching Newport News, July 8th, the command was taken by Colonel William H. P. Steere, who had been transferred and promoted from the second Rhode Island volunteers. Thence it proceeded to Fredericksburg, and, after the second action at Bull Run, marched to Maryland, and took a prominent part in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. The latter day closed with a loss of ninety-eight killed and wounded in the fourth ; Colonel Steere being among the latter. On the 10th of October, 1862, Captain Buffum was promoted to a major. In November, the regiment, with the army of the Potomac, was in front of Fredericksburg, and took an active part in the battle of December 13th, when Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis, who had, since the battle of Antietam, held the command, was killed. Colonel Steere being still confined with his wound, Major Buffum now assumed the command of the fourth, and, on the 24th of December, was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. From this time until July 30iii, 1864, Colonel Buffum retained command of the regiment, Colonel Sttyere being absent from wounds, or commanding a brigade. The regiment was now brigaded with the thirteenth New Hampshire and twenty-fifth New Jersey, under Colonel Dutton; and, on the 8th of Feb ruary, accompanied the ninth army corps to Fortress Monroe, near which, at Newport News, it once more encamped. On the 13th of March, it made its camp near Suffolk, Virginia. From that time to the 16th, it was in active operations. May 3d, it participated in an engagement at Hill's Point, across the Nansemond river, the particulars of which are given in the following report of Colonel Buffum to the adjutant-general of Rhode Island : " Head-Quarters Fourth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, ) Near Suffolk, Virginia, May 4th, 1863. ) "General: — I have the honor to forward the following report of the late engagement of the fourth Rhode Island, on the opposite bank of the Nansemond river. "On the evening of May 2d, orders were received for the regiment to be in readiness to march in light marching order, with two days' cooked rations. I received further verbal orders from Brigadier-General Getty, commanding division, to this effect: I was to launch a number of boats which I would find near the dwelling of Doctor Consal, (about three-fourths of a mile from this MARTIN P. BUFFUM. 245 camp,) and embark as many men as the boats would .carry; pass down the river, and land on the opposite bank of the Nansemond, at Hill's Point; the boats to return a sufficient number of times to transport the whole regiment to that place. The regiment was to be over by daybreak, and to push forward to the Providence Church road, and hold that road from the point of entrance to Read's Ferry, a distance of about a mile, and to await further orders. " This movement was to be in cooperation with an advancefrom above, by General Getty with about five thousand men, crossing at Suffolk; while at the same time, the twenty-first Connecticut, with a troop of cavalry and a section of artillery, crossed below Hill's Point, and occupied the north bank of the west branch, from the Nansemond to Read's Ferry. " I landed at Hill's Point with the first boat loads, and before sunrise, had the remainder of the regiment with me. We drove the pickets of the enemy from the bank of the river, and occupied the rifle-pits and earth-works. It was supposed that no large force of the enemy would be encountered at this point, and that a way could be readily forced to the Providence Church road. Before the whole regiment had crossed, our skirmishers had occupied a position across an open field beyond the rifle-pits. First, along a rail fence, skirting an orchard ; and afterwards, in the edge of a narrow belt of tangled woods, the ground rising shghtly in front, with a large open field beyond to the pine woods in front and on the right, and the orchard before referred to on the left. " Both the orchard and the pine woods were occupied by the skirmishers and sharpshooters of the enemy, whose fire was continuous and heavy. When I had been joined by the whole regiment, an attempt was made to advance in the direction desired, skirmishers being thrown out through the woods at the right, and the regiment advancing into the open field, to the brow of the little hill in front. The fire from the enemy was now very severe, being poured in upon us from three sides, and betraying the presence of the enemy in consider able numbers. Our skirmishers, too, were able to force their way but a short distance to the right, when they encountered the skirmishers of the enemy in such force as to effectually bar their further progress, and to excite their utmost vigilance to prevent being flanked. " Colonel Dutton, commanding our brigade, had joined us with the last boat loads, and, by his orders, the regiment was withdrawn along the edge of the woods, and partially covered by the rise of the ground to the earth-works. In the afternoon, we renewed the attack, taking with us a light twelve-pound howitzer, from the gun-boat Commodore Barney, worked by a crew from the 246 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. gun-boat, and leaving in the rifle-pits one hundred and thirty men of the one hundred and seventeenth New York, who had crossed to our assistance. With this assistance we were making fair progress, when the enemy opened upon us with artillery from the woods beyond. Exposed as we must be, in crossing the field before us, to the fire of artillery, in front and sharp shooters upon three sides, covering a line of over a mile, it would have been unwarrantable rashness to proceed. By order of Colonel Dutton, we again withdrew to the earth-works. From the extended line of the enemy's fire, and from the severity with which it came from the different points, I am sat isfied that the enemy outnumbered us considerably. I judge that the enemy opposed to us, must have numbered as many as one thousand ; and believe they were prevented from more directly assuming the offensive, only by the presence of the two gun-boats which supported us from the river. I might observe that the banks of the river being quite high at this place, the gun boats could fire upon the enemy where they lay with but little certainty, but could cover an approach to the river with great efficiency. " After sunset, on the evening of the 3d, we vacated the place in obedi ence to orders. We crossed the Nansemond and returned to this camp, which we reached late at night, the men being much fatigued by the constant wake fulness, excitement and toil of the previous thirty-six hours. Our loss was one killed, four wounded and two missing. " I have the honor to be, General, your most obedient servant, "M. P. Buffum, " Lieutenant- Colonel Commanding Fourth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers." On the 22d of June, the regiment moved on an expedition to King William Court House. " Orders were received on the 21st," says Colonel Buffum, in his report to General Mauran, " to march on the following morn ing, at one o'clock, in light marching order. At the designated hour the regiment marched, and, at Portsmouth, took transport to Yorktown, where it bivouacked. By order of General Geary, commanding division, Colonel Steere remained at camp, in command of the line of defences- at that point. Early on the morning of June 26th, the regiment again embarked and landed at White House the same day, where it bivouacked until the morning of July 1st, when it again marched, reaching King William Court House that day. MARTIN P. BUFFUM. 247 " July 2d, -marched to near Brandywine ; July 3d, marched to Taylors- ville; July 4th, marched to the bridge crossing the Pamunky river, near Hanover Court House, where we halted until all the troops passing beyond that point had crossed, when we crossed and occupied a position just on the other side of the bridge. Three companies, under command of Major Bucklin, picketed the road from the bridge to Hanover Court House. Our brigade guarded the bridge. Pursuant to orders, a detail from the fourth Rhode Island, assisted by a detail from the tenth New Hampshire, prepared the bridge for burning. The regiment slept on its arms that night. On the following morning, (July 5th,) we recrossed the bridge, and, holding the posi tion until all the troops had recrossed, fired the bridge. In this early part of the return march, our brigade acted as rear guard. The bridge was consumed. That night we bivouacked at Agletts. July 6th, we marched to King William Court House, and on the 7th, returned to White House. From White House, several officers and a number of men who were unfit for marching, on account of badly blistered feet and other causes, took transport down the river. " July 8th, we again took up the line of march, by the way of New Kent Court House and 'Burnt Ordinary,' and arrived at Yorktown on the 10th. July 12th, resumed the march; encamped that night at Big Bethel. On the 13th, arrived at Hampton, and took transport to Portsmouth. At about nine o'clock, p. m., of July 13th, arrived at this camp. But a small portion of the forces comprising the expedition engaged the enemy. The fourth Rhode Island was not engaged ; and, I am happy to report, suffered no loss. The march, however, was a severe one ; over at times dusty, and at others very muddy and almost impassible roads, under a burning July sun ; and tested to the utmost the endurance of both officers and men. All are footsore and weary, but a few days of rest and quiet in camp, will, undoubtedly, restore the command to its former efficiency." The regiment, soon after, was transferred to the seventh corps, second division, third brigade, under General Naglee, and, until the 1st of March, 1864, reported from near Portsmouth, Virginia. On the 1st of April, it reported at Norfolk. From thence it proceeded to Point Lookout, Maryland, where it reported on the 1st of May. Subsequently it went to the front, and, having joined the ninth corps before Petersburg, was engaged on duty in the trenches, where it was . constantly under fire. The head-quarters of LieutenantColonel Buffum were within musket range, and several men were wounded. " In the assault upon the rebel works immediately upon the explo- 248 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. sion of the mine, on the 30th of July, the regiment, led by LieutenantColonel Buffum, advanced upon the enemy's line, and, under a galling fire, entered the crater caused by the explosion, where a hand-to-hand fight ensued, with great slaughter on both sides. The attempt to hold the position was made in vain. The overwhelming force and deadly fire of the rebels, threatened speedy destruction to the regiment. Here LieutenantColonel Buffum, while obeying an order to withdraw his men, was fiercely charged upon by an over powering foe, which resulted in his capture, together with Captains Bowen, Shearman, Reynolds, Lieutenant Kibby, and twenty-one enlisted men. The total loss in killed, wounded and missing was eighty-three." The regiment was now left to the command of Major James T. P. Bucklin, an efficient, brave and valuable officer. LieutenantColonel Buffum remained a prisoner until the 15th of Decem ber, 1864, when he was released, and reached our lines on the 17th. The period for which the regiment had enlisted having expired, it returned to Rhode Island in October, and was mustered out of the service. This took place while LieutenantColonel Buffum remained a prisoner. On his return, he was honorably discharged the service, and, soon after, was breveted colonel of volunteers, to date from the 13th of March, 1865, "for gallant and meritorious services during the war." On the 1st of June, 1865, he was appointed lieutenantcolonel in the ninth regiment, first army corps, and served until May 10th, 1866, when he received an appointment as second-lieutenant of the fifteenth regiment United States infantry. Few officers who came forward on the breaking out of the rebellion and entered the military service, can show a better record than that of Colonel Buffum. Of such men his native state feels justly proud. During its three years' service the fourth broke camp eighty-five times, and made heavy marches in three rebel states. In the same period, it took part in the great battles of Roanoke, Newbern, Fort Macon, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and the lesser engagements at Suffolk, Weldon Railroad, Poplar Spring Church, and Hatcher's Run ; the names of all which battles were, by order of General Meade, directed to be inscribed upon the colors of the regiment. £ng dV XiOlTefll M A J . £ ° R . I . V. SULLIVAN BALLOU. *ajor Sullivan Ballou, of the second Rhode Island regiment of volun teers, who lost his life at the disastrous battle of Bull Run, was one of the most prominent men of his native state, and one whose future seemed most likely to be honored with her dignities. Eloquent, able, honest and fearless, he had always won distinction at the bar and in the council, before he laid aside the toga for the harness of war.. He was born at Smithfield, Rhode Island, on the 28th day of March, 1829, and passed the years of early childhood in his native town. Like many other New England families, to whom the western parts offer attractions and more enticing hopes of advancement, his family left Smithfield when he was quite young, and resided at Rochester during most of his youth. His educa tion was pursued in the schools of that place, but in 1846, he entered Phillips Academy, at Andover, Massachusetts, where he spent two years, preparatory to entering Brown University. Of that honored institution he was a collegian for only two years, when, without waiting his graduation and the honors con- fered by its faculty, he proceeded to the National Law School, in Ballston, New York, to fit himself for the profession to which his inclination no less than his evident abilities fitted him. On the completion of his studies, he was admitted to the Rhode Island bar, in March, 1853, and beginning the practice of the law at Smithfield, continued to devote himself to his profession there and in Providence, until he left with his regiment, for the seat of war. Few men ever relinquished more flattering prospects of success in their chosen profession than Major Ballou. 250 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. He was clerk of the house of representatives of Rhode Island, during the years 1854, 1855 and 1856, and was elected a member of that house, as representative of his native town, in April, 1857. Upon the meeting of the legislature, he was, by the unanimous voice of the members, chosen to preside over their deliberations as speaker ; and so acceptably did he fill the chair, that when his constituents, in the succeeding year, returned him again to the house, he was again proposed for the speakership, but declined the office. During the session, however, he discharged the responsible duties of chairman of the committee on corporations. He now, moreover, closed his career in a legislative capacity, declining a reelection in order that he might devote himself exclusively to the duties of his profession ; and to avail himself of a more ample field for successful practice, removed at this time to Providence, and became associated with Charles F. Brownell, Esquire. During his short service in the house of representatives, he was a promi nent member, being possessed of unusual powers of debate and eloquence as an advocate, and his gifts were never used except for the cause of justice and right. In whatever position he was placed, he was always distinguished. In April, 1861, he was brought forward by the republican party as their candidate for the office of attorney general, but as the whole ticket was defeated, even his popularity did not suffice to turn the tide in his instance. The only public office held by him at the time, was that of judge advocate of the Rhode Island militia. When the call came for troops, his eloquence and his influence were all given to the cause of our national exist ence ; and when Colonel Slocum returned from the seat of war to raise a second Rhode Island regiment, Sullivan Ballou, at two or three days' notice, accepted the rank of major, — a post assigned to him, not from his military experience, but from the general confidence felt, and most justly felt, in him. He proved before his death, as is attested by the unanimous testimony of his brother officers and the men, that he possessed an unusual capacity for com mand, and a great aptitude for the military art. He accepted rank from a patriotic sense of duty, knowing full well the danger to which he would be , exposed, — feeling at the same time that terrible presentiment, that he should be one of the earliest victims. He could not remain at home ; he had urged others to stand up for their common country, and when the call came to him, he could not even hesitate, though he almost knew he was rushing to a speedy death. SULLIVAN BALLOU. 251 When the regiment was formed, he accompanied it to Washington ; and when the grand army took up its line of march for the intricate series of works behind which the armed hordes of rebellion had intrenched themselves on being baffled in the seizure of the capital, which they had so craftily planned, Major Ballou was, with his regiment, ever on the alert, regardless of danger, eager to learn and to do. He was the first to reach and plant the flag upon the first works of the enemy which they descried, but which proved to be deserted, abandoned by the enemy in their retrograde movement. On the day of the battle, his regiment opened the action, after crossing Bull Run at Sudley Church ; and here, while leading on his men to the charge, he was struck by a cannon-ball, which killed his horse and shattered his leg. He was borne off the field to Sudley Church, which became the hospital, and there breathed his last, at the age of thirty-two years and five months. His remains were committed to the earth, on the unfriendly soil of Virginia. He had married, in the summer of 1855, Miss Sarah Hart Shumway, of Poughkeepsie, New York, who, with their two children, mourn his early loss. Of the many worthy sons of Rhode Island who bravely fell on that fatal day, none was perhaps so well and so favorably known as Major Ballou, and his state could iU spare one who, so young, had shown so great an ability for its highest honors. EDWIN METCALF. '^dwin Metcalf was commissioned, by Governor Sprague, major of the third regiment of Rhode Island heavy .artillery, August 27th, 1861. ' This regiment, during Major Metcalf 's connection with it, was stationed at Hilton Head. The particulars of its operations are related at length in the memoir of Colonel Nathaniel W. Brown. In June, 1862, a battalion of this regiment, under Major Metcalf, per formed important service at James Island, the particulars of which are given in the following official report : "James Island, South Carolina, June, 1862. "Lieutenant: — I have the honor to report, that in accordance with the instructions received on the evening of the 15th instant, from the acting brigadier-general commanding the first division, head-quarters brigade, my battalion was held in readiness to move at three o'clock on the morning of the 16th. Company I, Captain Strahan, being detailed for duty at the battery in advance of the first brigade, and a detachment under Lieutenant Metcalf, of company K, remaining in charge of the battery at this point. My command comprised but five companies, B, E, F, H and K, numbering three hundred and sixty enlisted men, with two field, three staff, and fourteen company officers. " Leading the brigade, three companies, B, F and K, of my battalion, were deployed as skirmishers, under the direction of Major Sisson, at the entrance to the wood, covering the approach to the rebel battery. The other companies marched steadily to the front, halting in a position to support the troops of the EDWIN METCALF. 253# first brigade, who had fallen back, and being joined at this point by the parties thrown out as skirmishers. After again advancing in line, under orders to support the ninety-seventh Pennsylvania volunteers, the battalion was ordered to take position on the right of the third regiment New Hampshire volunteers, and for this purpose crossed the marshy ground flanking the enemy's battery. We had hardly formed in line of battle and commenced firing, when an order came to capture a field battery in their rear, which was firing with a fatal effect on the third New Hampshire regiment. The battalion was immediately ordered to about face, and advanced upon the thicket behind which the enemy's field-guns were concealed. In effecting this object, we encountered a galling fire from the enemy's sharpshooters in the thicket at our front and left, and many were wounded in our ranks, but all pressed forward, the men cheering and firing with spirit. "I urged them into the cover of the woods as rapidly as possible; and with great difficulty they forced their way in, encountering small parties of rebels, many of whom were shot and bayoneted — one prisoner being secured. A few of my men succeeded in reaching the inner edge of the thicket and gaining sight of the field-guns, three in number, without horses, and supported apparently by only two or three companies of infantry. I felt confident of securing them, but the third New Hampshire regiment having fallen back, I deemed it my duty to order my men to retire, which they did in good order, but slowly and reluctantly, bringing off such of our dead and wounded as could be seen on our way. Feeling my utter want of experience, I have great hesitation in speaking of the conduct of those under my command, some of whom were, not like myself, for the first time under fire. I keenly. appreciate the honor of leading such men into battle, and cannot too highly praise their coolness, steadiness and courage. If any faltered, I was spared the shame of seeing it. Where all did their duty so well, I mention a few whose bearing was conspicuous, without detracting from the merits of others. Major H. T. Sisson deserves much credit for his successful management of the skirmishers during the advance, and for his constant efforts to aid me in carrying out the various orders received in the course of the morning. " I take great pleasure in speaking of the adjutant of the battalion, First- Lieutenant J. Lanahan, of company I, always prompt and cool, and sustaining me in every difficulty by his good judgment and long experience as a soldier. FirstLieutenant A. E. Green, commanding company B, was especially ener getic and active. Second-Lieutenant E. S. Bartholomew, of company E, nobly 254 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. proved himself deserving the commission he had received since our departure from Hilton Head, falling mortally wounded while cheering on his men into the thicket, from which the enemy so severely annoyed us. Captain H. Rogers, Jr., and FirstLieutenant C. R. Brayton, of company H, were untiring in their exertions, and zealously supported me. FirstLieutenant A. W. Col- well, of company F, and Second-Lieutenant D. B. Churchill, of company K, particularly attracted my notice by their coolness and energy. I am pleased to name FirstSergeant G. W. Greene and Sergeant J. B. Batchelder, of com pany B, FirstSergeant 0. A. Thompson, of company E, and FirstSergeant W. Wheeler, Jr., of company K, as distinguished for gallant conduct. I shall feel justified in recommending .them to the governor of Rhode Island for promotion. "It is with a bitter feeling of regret, though with no sense of shame, that I have to report the serious loss sustained by my battalion — one sergeant, six privates killed ; two officers, four corporals, twenty-four privates wounded ; one corporal, seven privates missing ; total forty-five. " I have the honor to be, Lieutenant, " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, (signed,) "Edwin Metcalf, " Major Commanding Second Battalion, Third Regiment Rhode Island Artillery." "To Lieutenant Channing Clapp, A. A. A. General." " Head-Quarters, Hilton Head, .July 13th, 1862. " To His Excellency Governor Sprague, Providence, Rhode Island : "Governor: — I have the honor to enclose herewith, the official copy of Major Edwin Metcalf's report of the part taken by his battalion, third Rhode Island artillery, in the battle of Secessionville, James Island, South Carolina, June 16th, 1862. Major Metcalf's command was thrown forward into the position of which he first speaks, with the third New Hampshire regiment, and supported by the ninety-seventh Pennsylvania and forty-seventh New York regiments, for the purpose of keeping down the fire of the enemy's main works, while General Stevens made his second advance. This was so well done by the third New Hampshire regiment, and by Major Metcalf's bat talion while with the New Hampshire regiment, that the enemy were wholly unable to man their guns, and General Stevens succeeded in bringing forward his command to a small embankment about four hundred yards from the work, without the loss, I believe, of a man, while crossing a large open space before reaching the embankment. EDWIN METCALF. 255 "I desire to express to your Excellency, my extreme admiration of the courage and soldierly conduct of Major Metcalf's battalion, and particularly of the major himself. It is my belief, that no officers or men could have behaved better under fire than they, did, and certainly no officer could have led his command with more skill and bravery, than did Major Metcalf. " I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, (signed,) "Robert Williams, " Colonel First Massachusetts Cavalry, Commanding Post." On the 4th of August, 1862, Major Metcalf resigned his'commission, and was, by the governor of Rhode Island, appointed to the colonelcy of the eleventh regiment Rhode Island volunteers, one of the regiments to be raised by the state under the call of the President, on the 4th of the same month, to serve for a period of nine months. Two regiments, to be called the eleventh and twelfth, were to be raised under this order, as the quota of the state. The Dexter training ground, in Providence, was selected for the reception of recruits, and the charge of organizing the eleventh was assigned to Captain A. C. Eddy, a gentleman of much military experience, and long connected with the military organizations of the city. Eight hundred men, including two companies raised through the exertions of the Providence Young Men's Christian Association, were enlisted in that city ; two hundred were sent by North Providence, Smithfield, Pawtucket and Central Falls ; and, on the 23d of September, the ranks were filled. Colonel Metcalf, who had been appointed to the command, came to his new position with the prestige of military expe rience gained in a southern field. From the ladies of Providence, the regi ment received a national flag, bearing its name and the motto, " God and the Constitution." On the 1st of October, it was mustered into the service ; on the 4th, it performed escort duty at the funeral ceremonies of General Isaac P. Rodman, in Providence ; and, on the evening of the 6th, broke camp and departed for Washington, where it arrived on the evening of the 8th, and spent the night in the barracks, near the depot. The next day, it encamped on East Capital Hill, and, the following Sunday, marched across Chain Bridge to near Fort Ethan Allen ; and the next day, made its second camp about a mile from that fortification. Here it was brigaded with the fortieth Massa chusetts, one hundred and forty-first New York, twenty-second Connecticut, a Virginia regiment, and a battery of light artillery. The brigade was com manded by General Robert Cowdin. Drills, parades and picket duties now 256 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. made up the daily routine of regimental life, all tending to harden the men for the more serious work of the front, which they hoped soon to see. Only once were they called to answer the long-roll, when a midnight march to Mills's Cross Roads, accompanied by two regiments of the brigade, proved that the rebel cavalry, whose approach had caused the alarm, were not disposed at that time, to measure strength with them. On the 11th of November following, Colonel Metcalf, having been appointed to the colonelcy of the third Rhode Island heavy artillery, the regiment in which he had formerly held the commission of major, tendered his resignation as colonel of the eleventh, and left immediately for Hilton Head, South Carolina, much to the regret of his officers and men, leaving the regiment in command of LieutenantColonel John T. Pitman. Colonel Metcalf, who had been appointed to fill the place of Colonel Nathaniel W. Brown, in the preceding October, soon reached Hilton Head, and assumed command of the regiment, which position he held until February 5th, 1864, when he resigned, having gained the reputation of a brave and energetic commander. Having thus devoted nearly three years to the ser vice of his country, he returned to Providence and resumed the practice of the law, a profession in which he had always held a high position. Ill 2) Oi Near Petersburg, Virginia, June 30th, 1864. ) "General: — I have the honor of making the following report of the part taken by this regiment in the present campaign in Virginia, from its commencement to date. "With the corps (ninth) we moved from Bristol, Virginia, May 4th, towards the Rappahannock. The next day, we were detached from the ZENAS BLISS. 269 brigade to guard trains, but rejoined it in time to share in the bloody strug gles around Spottsylvania Court House. There, on the 10th of May, we formed part of the supporting line, and were exposed to a light fire with no chance of returning it. Lost one man wounded. The night of the 10th, and on the 11th, we picketed on the left of our lines, and in the actions of the 12th and 18th, we took a prominent part, and lost heavily. On the 12th, occupied and held a position from which two large regiments had already been driven, and on the 18th, held a position in front of our lines for six hours, exposed to a raking fire from a battery not ten rods distant; and great credit is due the officers and men for their gallantry in undauntingly facing that storm of shot and shell, until the position was covered by the construc tion of pits in our rear. Darkness had hardly put an end to the carnage, on the 12th, before we were throwing up intrenchments, and by working all night with bayonets, cups, wooden shovels and a few intrenching tools, morn ing found us behind friendly works which we occupied, continually skirmish ing and strengthening our position, until we left them to participate in the engagement of the 18th. We lost in these struggles, sixty-two — thirteen killed and forty-nine wounded — nearly all in the battles of the 12th and 18th. " On the morning of the 19th, that part of our line (the right) was evacuated, and this (first) brigade started at one o'clock, a. m., and moved southerly three miles, formed new lines, again fortified and occupied our works undisturbed until the afternoon of the 21st, when, with the brigade, we moved another three miles still to the south, and took position in front of the enemy's works on the Po river, to cover the forks in the roads and the passing of our columns during the night. When we first took the position the enemy tried to shell us out, but the thick woods protected us. No one was hit. They opened again the next morning, just after we had left to bring up the rear of the line. Two days' hard marching brought us to the North Anna. The second corps had already got a foothold on the south bank, and, on the 24th, our brigade crossed under a heavy fire of artillery from batteries up the river, and took position on the front line and on the right, and that night built more intrenchments ; and until the night of the 26th, we occupied those lines, busy strengthening the works and continually skirmishing, while a large force was pushing towards the Pamunky; and when, from the north bank of the North Anna we saw the sky crimsoned with the flames from the bridge we had just recrossed, and its carpet of pine boughs that hushed the usual noise of moving columns and the heavy step of feet. Federal artillery covered the crossing of the Pamunky at Hanover City, and by marching 270 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. thirty-one hours out of thirty-six, we crossed there at midnight of the 28th. The forenoon of the 29th, we moved three miles and found the enemy and commenced fortifying, but were soon after relieved and rested during the afternoon. The 30th, we supported the skirmish line, which drove the enemy about a mile, and that night built aline of intrenchments twice our regi mental front. The next day the second brigade took the advance, and drove the enemy about half a mile, but their line being then too short to cover their ground, the fifty-eighth Massachusetts and seventh Rhode Island joined them, and that night built another line of pits, which we held with heavy skirmishing until June 2d, when another swing to the left was made, and that part of the line consequently abandoned. We moved three or four miles, closely followed by the enemy, and about three o'clock, p. m., stacked arms, the whole of the corps together, in an open field near Bethesda Church. We were none too soon. The rear guard had hardly got in, before the heavy columns of Ewell's corps suddenly and in mass were hurled on our flank ; but the echo of the first gun of the pickets had hardly died away, before three lines of battle were confronting the foe, and our batteries were adding their roar to the din of battle, and the enemy advanced on our lines only to be mown down and driven back. Every attempt was foiled, and at dark, having lost very heavily, they were glad to give up the contest. " This (first) brigade of General Potter's division, being in the third line, took no active part in that afternoon's work ; but our time came the next morning, when, at daybreak, the brigade formed line for an assault on the enemy, who were intrenched in two lines just back of the battle-field of the day before ; their first line on the edge of a deep swamp, that was covered by a thicket of brush and sprouts, and the second on a ridge beyond. We crossed our intrenchments, charged through the swamp, carried their first line, and took position within sixty yards of their second, returned their galling fire, and soon after commenced constructing cover, which was at first very slow work. All day, like the swelling and ebbing of the voice of the winds, the noise of battle now rose to a hurricane and now sank to a whisper ; but at dark we were as well protected as our foes, and our bullets had made them shy and their fire inaccurate. That night they evacuated, leaving some of their wounded on the field, and many of their dead unburied ; and the next day we moved near Cold Harbor, where we built two lines of works, and were skirmishing most of the time until the 12th, when that position was evacuated, and by very severe marching we crossed the Chickahominy the 14th, and the James on the 15th, and in the afternoon of the 16th, formed ZENAS BLISS. 271 line and dug pits in front of the enemy's works around Petersburg. On our right, their first lines had already been carried ; and the next morning, before daybreak, part of our brigade drove them from the works in our immediate front. In the fighting of the 17th, we were lightly engaged, part of the forenoon occupying a captured battery or fort on our extreme left ; and, as the enemy occupied the next battery and completely on our flank, and had sharpshooters nearly in our rear, it was rather a trying position. During the afternoon we formed part of the supporting line, and the first and third divisions (of the ninth corps) again drove the enemy, and at night he fell back still further; and, on the 18th, was driven into his last line of works, which he still occupies. At this part of the line, we have thrown up works within about a hundred yards of his position, each brigade occupying a place on the advance line two days out of four. " Both officers and men that crossed the Rapidan with us through the hardships and carnage of this long campaign, have nobly faced exposure, privation and death at every call of duty, and deserve great credit, with one or two lamentable exceptions among the officers now absent, and four or five among the men. The former, though they may be good soldiers in time of peace, though far from the trying scenes of a soldier's life they may do their duty well ; so long as the cracking of rifles mingles with our thoughts of home, so long as our dreams are so frequently moulded by the roar of artillery, so long as battle-fields, where a soldier is stamped as such or branded as an imposter, come so often, will probably deprive us of their assistance. Fear not for them though the rebels expect them. "Life is too precious to shorten its span." Of those officers that are with the regiment now, all have worked nobly ; and some of those now absent, deserve our thanks for their services while here. Captains Potter and Allen, both deserve praise for the part they took while, with us ; and Lieutenant Peckham, on brigade staff, deserves much credit for his share in the work — brave and determined, he has won the con fidence of all. His conduct on the 2d of June, when, alone and with a small pistol, he captured three armed rebels, deserves special mention. * * * " The places of two-thirds of our fighting force of two months ago are vacant. Where are our missing companions? Look on the blood-stained hills, in the desolate valleys, and among the battle-scarred forests from the Rapidan to the Appomattox, and you can see where many of them sleep, and though their places are vacant, their names are sacred and encircled with a halo of glory. Many others have returned to their friends, maimed with 272 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. deformities they must carry to the grave ; but they while here will be cared for and loved, and when they pass away their names shall be remembered. Better, far better, the fate of either, than to be worthy the curses of sire or son, or merit the scorn of mother or sister. Hard, indeed, has been the work and terrible the carnage of the past two months; and not soon shall we forget the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 18th of May, when we shared in the hard struggle around Spottsylvania, nor the fighting of the 24th, 25th and 26th, across the North Anna. The skirmishes of the 30th and 31st of May, and 1st and 2d of June, at Tolipotamy Creek, will, too, be remembered, and the bloody charge of the 3d of June, when nearly one-third of the regiment went down, will never be forgotten. The work of the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th of June, at Cold Harbor, will also claim their place in memory, and the continued work of the past two weeks here will make a deep mark on the records of the brain. Our hard marches also, which have not been few, have left their impression, as well as the many nights we have used the shovel and pick in the trenches and pits. But, through all the seventh has shown a gallantry, coolness, fidelity and perseverance worthy her native state, and we hope no Rhode Islander can look on our record with any but the feehngs of pride, though his joy must be tinged with sadness for the fallen brave. They have added much to the bright laurels won in previous campaigns, and nobly earned a soldier's brightest reward — the approbation of his superiors. Our decimated ranks tell of the hard work we have done. You would hardly recognize our short line of to-day as all that is left of the nine hundred that left Rhode Island with us less than two years ago, but though the chances of war have called us to weep over the graves of so many noble comrades, those that remain are true as steel, as has been proven on many a hard-fought field. May the future be as free from dishonor as the past. For the sake of giving a corrected report, I have infringed on the jurisdiction of two other com manders, — Captain Winn, who commanded the regiment from the opening of the campaign to the forenoon of the 18th of May, and Captain Channell, who commanded from the 15th of June to the forenoon of the 17th of the same. " Enclosed please find a complete list of the killed and wounded in the regiment, from the commencement of the campaign to date. " I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, "Percy Daniels, " Captain Commanding Seventh Rhode Island Volunteers." •'To Brigadier-General E. C. Mauran, AdjutantGeneral of Rhode Island." THOMAS POYNTON IVES. 'homas Poynton Ives, only son of Moses B. and Anna A. Ives, was born at Providence, Rhode Island, January 17th, 1834. He received his early instruction in his native city, and much of it from Mr. Reuben A. Guild, the present librarian of Brown University. His favorite amusement, after the confinement of the school-room, was in the management of his yacht, on the waters of Narragansett Bay. He was thus early led to devote much thought and attention to maritime affairs, and to cultivate that fondness for the sea which influenced his subsequent life. As he grew towards manhood, he exhibited an increasing interest in the study of physical science. After an extensive and thorough course of reading with Mr. Guild, Mr. Ives became a member of the scientific school of Brown University, and received its degree of B. P., at the commencement of 1855. He then pursued the study of medicine with Doctor J. W. C. Ely, M. D., of Providence, and at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of the city of New York, with an attention which would have ensured success, had he desired to receive a diploma and to enter upon the practice of the profession. He was desirous of an accurate acquaintance with the resources of the country, awaiting their development by the schools of science. With this view, he prosecuted, in 1856, an extended journey through the mineral regions of the west. Here he gathered further materials for the superstructure of economic knowledge, for which he had laid an ample foundation. During his first European tour he devoted much observation to industrial and chari table institutions, becoming familiar with statistics and details, which he hoped would one day be useful to his native state. On his return, he was elected a 274 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. trustee of the Butler Hospital, and of other philanthropic institutions, in which he always manifested a warm and generous interest. On the decease of his father, in August, 1857, Mr.. Ives succeeded to his place in the house of Brown & Ives, and to an ample fortune. He was at liberty to indulge in any favorite pursuit, or, had he chosen private life, to consult no one's profit but his own. With a love of hospitality and a keen sense of humor, which he had cultivated by intercourse with men, and by familiarity with the best authors, he, not unreasonably, as it seemed, looked onward to a life beneficial to others and pleasurable to himself. He might have anticipated the varying of the fulfillment of important trusts and the cultivation of his Warwick farm with a voyage to Europe, whenever an espe cial display of its scientific or artistic treasures invited the pleasure-seekers or the students of the world. Such hopes of the future soon gave place to stern and immediate duties. As war became imminent, Mr. Ives resolved, with the conscientious devotion to duty which always distinguished him, to take his part in pre serving our national life. He would not procure a substitute, and sit down an unconcerned spectator, nor did he inquire how he could best make public calamities tributary to his private fortune. In common with so many of his contemporaries in vigorous manhood, Mr. Ives earnestly desired that Rhode Island should be surpassed by none of its fellows in devotion to the Union, from which, in an especial manner, it derived its stability and its title to respect. There was much to stimulate this patriotic feeling. Mr. Ives inherited a pride in his native state, and loved its history and traditions. From the settlement of Providence his family had borne a prominent part in its affairs, and, in its earlier days, had contributed much to its commercial prosperity. Some of them had aided in the adoption of the Federal consti tution, and he had a filial desire that their work should not perish. At the opening of the rebellion, he was just recovering from a severe attack of pneumonia. Although further rest was deemed necessary by his friends, Mr. Ives left his sick-room and commenced preparations for active duty. He offered to the government his own yacht, the Hope, and his personal ser vices, " without pay, in any department in which they might be available." He determined to continue them to the end of the war, if he should be permitted to see it. The navy of the United States, weakened by secessions and unfurnished with the vessels required by the new emergency, was to be reorganized and THOMAS POYNTON IVES. 275 augmented. For every new or vacant place there were multitudes of appli cants, besides those in the regular line of promotion. Every means by which commissions were secured was in eager requisition. Though the patriotism of Mr. Ives's offer was appreciated, there was not, at that time, any expedition in view, in which vessels like the Hope could be available. Through the friend ship of Governor Sprague and the Honorable Henry B. Anthony, he received May, 1861, from Mr. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, a commission in the revenue service. This was not what he sought, but his sense of patriotic duty did not permit him to refuse what was tendered, though it offered no attractive prospect to. ambition. In his own words : " I made application for service. I never applied for revenue service, but was ready and willing to take it any where." He did not regret this preliminary experience, for, as he wrote at a subsequent period : " I have had ample opportunity to observe the folly of inexperienced men in accepting positions which they are incompetent to fill" The Hope was ordered to Williamsburg, New York, to be armed in the United States dock-yard. When fitted for service, she carried two twelve- pound James rifled guns, arid two field howitzers. Her crew, besides the lieutenant and the executive officer, Mr. Henry G. Russell, consisted of two quarter-masters, the pilot and nineteen seamen. Early in June, 1861, Mr. Ives received orders to proceed to Baltimore with the Hope. On his arrival he entered at once on the discharge of his duties. At that critical period the revenue service suddenly assumed an unwonted responsibility and importance. It was laborious and not without danger, while its acts gave little employ ment to the telegraph and filled but small space in the journals. The public attention was fixed on the enlistment of soldiers and upon naval vessels endeavoring to protect American commerce. Little thought was bestowed upon officers engaged in the prevention of an evil as destructive to the inter ests of the United States as piracy on the high seas. The slender mechanical resources of the south could not furnish its military supplies, and for many of these it relied upon the disloyal wealth of great northern cities. The offer ings to the cause of rebellion made by traitorous sympathy or by avarice, seeking to profit by public calamities, — arms, stores, drugs, cloths, percussion caps, correspondence, — were to be intercepted in their transit across the Chesapeake to the camps and arsenals of the south. Ingenuity in the con cealment of contraband goods, and cunning, wearing the disguise of inno cence and ignorance, were to be encountered by a corresponding thorough ness and discernment in detecting subterfuges and equivocations. It was the 276 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. duty of the commander of the Hope to stop and examine all vessels, and to search and seize those in correspondence with the enemy. There was need of unresting vigilance to ascertain the character and destination of nearly fifty vessels a day. All this was to be done in a climate unfavorable even to firm health, and under an almost tropical sun. Southern sympathy was loud and defiant, and the friends of the Union spoke only with "bated breath." The efficiency of the service required that its operations should be withheld from the newspapers. There was no possibility of brilliant exploits, but an occasional exposure to a rebel bullet from the Virginia shore. The civil officers of the United States were reluctant to act against their secessionist neighbors, and threw the whole responsibility on the commander of the Hope. It was soon evident that whatever errors the Maryland functionaries might commit would not be due to excess of patriotic zeal. Such service tested the persistency of a volunteer, but Mr. Ives applied himself to its duties with con scientious and quiet earnestness. He did not turn aside to inquire whether his fulfillment of his orders were acceptable in the port of Baltimore. Unpopu larity on its exchange wras the best testimony to. the thoroughness of his work. The effectiveness of the revenue service in cooperation with the naval blockade became manifest in the slow and embarrassed preparations of the south. Although the transit of supplies and mails could not be wholly prevented, yet the amount was greatly diminished. The moral effect was considerable, in discouraging the exertions by impairing the profits of north ern allies of rebellion. It was wearisome work during the long summer days even for the strongest constitution, but it upheld the government, and that was a sufficient compensation. Mr. Ives thus expressed his feeling in a letter from the Chesapeake, July 28th, 1861 : " I have not gone into this work for fun or pay, but to add my mite to the good cause. I consider it the duty of every one to do so in that line in which he is most fitted to act. If not here, I would join Fremont's expedition on the Mississippi. It is time now for every one to do what he can for his country, or he will presently find that he has no country to do for." The daily routine of service in the Chesapeake was occasionally varied by consultations with General Dix, and other officers of distinction, who knew Mr. Ives, and appreciated his careful observation and watchfulness in the discharge of his duty. His experience in the bays of New England, in which he had gained a knowledge like that of a professional navi gator, left him little to learn of nautical discipline and economy. His men duly appreciated his care for their comfort and welfare, and manifested their THOMAS POYNTON IVES. 277 feeling when he was transferred to a higher position. At this time, Mr. Ives offered to build, at his own cost, a larger and more powerful vessel if he could be appointed to her command. Before any action upon this proposal, an opportunity offered for gratifying his first desire of active service. As the year was drawing towards its close, he received from his friend General Burn side, an earnest invitation'' to join him in a great expedition, whose object was not yet divulged, together with a promise of one of the best steamers in the army fleet. On the 4th of November, 1861, Mr. Ives forwarded his resignation to the Secretary of the Treasury. In his reply, Mr. Chase, after giving final instructions, thus communicated his sense of the conduct of Mr. Ives : " In acceding to this proposition, I must express to you my thanks for the zeal and alacrity with which your personal services, as well as your vessel, were tendered for the public service under circumstances so creditable to your patriotism." Mr. Ives remained in active duty until November 12th. The Hope was in constant service to the close of the war. After a brief visit to Providence, in attendance upon his private affairs, Mr. Ives received from Governor Sprague, the commander-in-chief, a commission appointing him assistant adjutant-general in the state service, with the rank of captain. By an order of the same date, he was " relieved from duty, to take part in Gen eral Bumside's coast expedition, at the special request of General Burnside." Captain Ives entered with zeal upon the wrork assigned to him. On the 2d of December, 1861, he proceeded to Philadelphia to superintend the preparation of the United States steamer Picket, of which he was to take command. This was a propeller of three hundred and thirty tons, equal or superior to any of the army vessels, and designed by General Burnside for his flag-ship. Her length on deck was one hundred and seventy-five feet, breadth of beam twenty-nine feet. Her armament consisted of two twelve- pound Wiard steel rifle guns, one twelve-pound howitzer, and one twelve- pound mountain howitzer ; which, together with her light draft, rendered her a formidable attacking boat in coast and river service. When Captain Ives was ordered to discharge the crew of the Hope, they followed him to his new command, though the pay was less per month than in the. revenue service, and the work more severe. He was gratified with their assurance that "they wanted to go with him." The labor in getting the Picket ready for sea was considerable, but Captain Ives needed no urging from the general, and early in December, she was ordered to New York, whence the expedition was to sail. 278 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. On the 17th, Captain Ives received orders to proceed at once to Annapolis, and report to General Foster, the commander of the post. On his way, he passed most of the steamers of the army fleet, and arrived off the mouth of the Potomac on the 19th of December. On the 22d, he received General Burnside on board, and was thenceforth constantly associated with him in the labors of the expedition. The vessels gradually assembled at Annapolis, where many more days of hard work were spent in making ready before their departure for Fortress Monroe, where they were to be joined by a large body of troops. On Saturday, January 11th, 1862, their destination first became apparent, through their orders. Roanoke Island was to be taken as a base for further operations. Captain Ives left Fortress Monroe at midnight, and, on the 13th, General Burnside, in the Picket, reached Hatteras Inlet simultaneously with Admiral Goldsborough. He lay outside all night. In the morning he crossed the bar with considerable difficulty and anchored within the inlet, being the first of the army fleet which came in. A view of the low, narrow sandspits of this desolate region, covered by the tide at high water, and sug gestive of perils on every hand, was, of itself, sufficient to inspire doubts "and gloomy forebodings, even without the experience of " Hatteras weather " which followed. To approach Roanoke Island, it was necessary to enter the sound through a channel about two miles in length, called the swash. This is so narrow, that in some places one of its banks can be commanded by a musket shot from the other. The depth of water is variable and uncertain. The inlet is obstructed at the entrance of the sound by a sand-bar, which serves as a barrier against the sea, whence its name, the bulkhead. It was expected that this channel would be guarded by the naval vessels, and that, the passage being clear, the army transports would move up under their protection. This expectation was not fulfilled. New and unforeseen obstacles appeared. The sailing quahties of some of the army vessels were but indifferent. Some were of too great burden. All were heavily laden with troops and stores. It was necessary to lighten them, in some instances to the taking out of their guns, and, even with this relief, to wait for the next spring tides before they could be carried through the swash. Not all of those in command of the army vessels were equal to the responsibility which they had assumed. And it was scarcely to be expected that men who had made it the endeavor of their lives to avoid Cape Hatteras, would display the highest self-possession while anchored insecurely on its sands. While the narrow harbor, which is but the entrance THOMAS POYNTON IVES. 279 to the inlet and open to the sea, was crowded with vessels almost in contact, then came the most hazardous moment of the expedition. The coast was swept by one of those fearful gales which have given to Hatteras a dismal celebrity in the songs of mariners, not inferior to that which it once derived from the neighborhood of the buccaniers. More than one vessel was lost in sight of its companions. The nautical skill available for the transports seemed unequal to the emergency, and a feeling of uncertainty as to the result began to pervade the fleet. . In this crisis of the expedition it was saved by the unresting vigilance and activity of General Burnside and Captain Ives. He now proved the value of that nautical knowledge which had been the amusement of his youth. The operation of carrying the army vessels over the bulkhead and into the safe anchorage of the sound went on under his direction. It was in the neighborhood of the enemy, and suffered no intermission by day or night. The tide ran through the inlet with exceeding swiftness, often encountering winds of great violence in the opposite direction, so that it was at times almost impossible to cross the harbor. The eddies rendered the anchorage insecure and drove the transports into frequent collision. After the labors of the day, Captain Ives was often aroused at midnight to give orders, amid the confusion of vessels crashing against each other. He made himself familiar with the shallow and crooked channel, and, with untiring determination, in most unfavorable weather, conducted the work to a successful issue. It was at last accomplished, with incredible effort and in presence of the greatest discouragement. Competent military observers bore ample testimony to the " bravery, skill and imperturbable coolness with which Captain Ives did his own work, and other men's too." " At this perilous time the Picket did twice the work of any other vessel. Though inferior in size and power to some of her companions, she contributed in an eminent degree to the saving of the army fleet, and was so handled as to receive no injury." The value of Captain Ives's services was acknowledged by all, and by none more warmly than by General Burnside. While this was going on, the people, not yet enlightened by the experi ence of three years of war, became impatient of the delay; and, as the telegraph brought no intelligence, they passed • speedily to doubts and fears. Their feeling became known in the expedition. Captain Ives, who was sing ularly indifferent to any publication of his own labors, contented himself with the following brief explanation of the obstacles overcome at Hatteras, 280 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. in a private letter dated 29th January, 1862: "If any one could be made to understand the difficulties we have had to encounter, he would not be impatient at our seemingly long delay. Hatteras is the Cape Horn of the northern coast, and almost as perilous. There is danger of a vessel's ground ing, and if she once touches bottom the chances are that she never comes off again. We have a large fleet of poor vessels, ill-sheltered in a small and crowded harbor. It is capable of holding twelve comfortably, and sixty are here. Vessels that two weeks ago we conceived it impossible to get over the bulkhead, are now safely over and preparing to start." It was not in the power of Captain Ives, to make any rapid progress until the 22d of January. By the beginning of February, through the cease less exertions of the army fleet, enough of the national vessels were taken through the swash and across the bulkhead, after which, the gun-boats spent two days in practice with rifled cannon. By daylight in the morning of the 5th of February, the Picket, General Bumside's flag-ship, was hurrying through the fleet with orders. They moved up the sound, and anchored ten miles below Roanoke Island. On the next day they proceeded five miles further. On Friday, the weather being clear, some eighteen- navy boats got under way, followed by the Picket leading five gun-boats of the army fleet. The water off the shore of Roanoke is very shallow. Caution is required in approaching it, and much was left to the discretion of individual commanders in taking such positions that their guns should tell effectually. They came up in line until within two miles of the first rebel battery on the shore. The position was naturally strong, and was well fortified and supplied with troops and heavy guns, which were used with great determination. Eight rebel gun-boats were drawn up in line behind rows of piles and sunken vessels, under the protection of the battery, and obstructed the advance. Here, at ten minutes before twelve o'clock, the attack began. The firing was rapid on both sides, between the national fleet and the rebel batteries and gun-boats. At one o'clock, a shell from the Picket burst among the corn husks of the barracks and set fire to the quarters of the garrison. Dense clouds of smoke seemed to envelope the entire work. Its fire slackened until the. flames were partially subdued, when it recommenced. The gun-boats replied with increased vigor. The flames gained upon the garrison, and, after three hours, the shower of shot and shell from the batteries was reduced to the occasional discharge of a single gun. Half an hour later, the Picket with other gun-boats worked in much nearer to the shore. From her light draft, the Picket was able to THOMAS POYNTON IVES. 281 approach more closely than some of her companions. Gaining a shorter range, her shot and shell struck with great precision. At last, the battery answered with its single gun but once in twenty minutes ; then once in half an hour. On the next day it was wholly silent. During the bombardment, the rebel gun-boats attacked and were defeated, their flag-ship was driven ashore, and seven of its companions sunk or destroyed. While the gunboats were thus employed, the transports moved up to the place appointed for landing the troops. General Burnside (who had transferred his flag to another vessel) made a circuit of the fleet, and, coming alongside, ordered the Picket, and other army gun-boats, to cover the debarka tion, a mile and a half below the fort. They accordingly shelled the woods which sheltered the enemy, causing him to retreat and to abandon his inten tion to contest the landing. This was effected the same afternoon, the gun boats during the remainder of the day rendering assistance to the troops. The contest for the possession of the island continued until Saturday after noon. During its progress, Captain Ives was in active cooperation with the army until its work was done. On the day after the battle, the Picket, having on board Colonel Rush C. Hawkins and two companies of zouaves, made a reconnoissance to Nag's Head, on the opposite shore of the sound. They hoped to capture General Wise, with the remainder of his "legion," but found that he had fled during the night, after needlessly firing all the dwellings in the neighborhood. After the capture of Roanoke, Captain Ives resumed his former labors. He was now in command of ten vessels, four of which were steamers. All those which were needed for further operations were taken through the swash into the sound. The work was accomplished amid severe gales, and was laborious and exhausting. It was completed by the 18th of February, and was the last of the preparations for excluding the enemy from the waters of North Carolina. Soon afterwards, orders were given for a rendezvous at Hatteras Inlet. The army welcomed the intelligence of the onward progress of the expedition. On the morning of the 12th of March, the whole force left Hatteras Inlet, and the same night anchored eighteen miles from New bern. While passing through Pamlico Sound; the Picket captured two vessels loaded with grain. . Early the next day, the troops were landed on the shore of the Neuse, and marched toward the city along the river side. The fleet kept the middle of the stream, which gradually narrows to less than two miles in width. Its thickly wooded banks being well fitted to shelter an 282 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. enemy, the Picket, with the other army vessels, preceded the column, and shelled the road in advance. The march upon Newbern was covered by the gunboats, which passed safely through the barricades of iron-pointed spiles and sunken vessels. On the 14th of March, the Picket actively participated in the obstinately contested battle, which ended in the surrender of the city after a signal victory of the army and navy of the United States. On the 20th of March, the Picket accompanied General Parke on his way to Fort Macon, and assisted in covering the landing of his troops. When this was effected, the Picket returned to Newbern, and soon afterwards was sent with despatches from General Burnside, containing the news of the bombardment and capitulation. She had now been under steam and in constant employ ment since December 16th, 1861, and, in the judgment of those best able to appreciate her work, had rendered eminent service to the army of the United States. During the remainder of Captain Ives's service in North Carolina, he was stationed in Roanoke river, the Picket acting as guard boat, and taking part in detached expeditions. He accompanied General Foster, with about one thousand men, in an armed reconnoissance to Columbia, on the Scupper- nong river. It was entirely successful, and the place was surrendered after a slight resistance. One of the most important operations in which he partici pated was the effectual closing of the Dismal Swamp Canal. One of the chief outlets from Norfolk to the sea thus became useless to the navy of the rebellion. In services of this kind the time passed until the 19th of April. The army was then, for the first time, beyond the protection of the gun boats, and the work of the army fleet seemed well nigh accomplished. On the 3d of May, Captain Ives received orders to proceed to Pamlico Sound, to relieve Colonel Howard, who had been stationed there since the main body of the army left the island for Newbern ; and soon after," to report to Colonel Hawkins, the commander of the garrison at Roanoke. As the naval work of the expedition was done, Captain Ives desired a position of more active service. He continued in command of the Picket until the 12th of May, when, after a consultation with General Burnside, he was relieved from further duty, On the 17th, the general returned the following reply to his letter of resignation : THOMAS POYNTON IVES. 283 " Departments North Carolina, Newbern, May 17, 1862. "Captain Thomas P. Ives, Assistant Adjutant General, Captain of Gun-boat Picket : "Captain:— Your services in this department have been so conspicuous that I cannot accept your resignation without expressing to you my sincere thanks for your kind cooperation and valuable assistance during your service in this expedition. I sincerely regret parting with you, and shall always remember with pleasure your gallantry, devotion to duty, and your high social qualities. All the work for armed vessels in these sounds having been finished, no one can doubt the wisdom of your course in deciding to change your field of action in the Union cause. " Wishing you all success in your new field of labor, " I remain, Captain, very truly yours, "A. E. Burnside, "Major- General Commanding Department North Carolina." In the arduous labors which won for General Burnside his honorable place in American history, he received no more conscientious or efficient aid than that of Captain Ives, who esteemed it sufficient reward that this, like his other services, was accepted as a free-will offering to union, law and freedom. He not only desired no compensation, but was a generous contributor to the charities created by the war. The services of Captain Ives in the waters of North Carolina attracted the attention of the government. When, after an interval not longer than his impaired health required, he made application for service, it was answered by an appointment as acting master in the navy of the United States. His commission bore date September 3d, 1862. He was immediately appointed to the command of the United States steamer Stepping Stones, and, soon after, to that of the Yankee. This was a gun-boat of three hundred and fifty tons, attached to the second division of the Potomac flotilla. He readily accepted this duty, feeling no desire for the prize money, which was the chief attraction of the blockade. The river service, while less conspicuous, was the more peril ous. In an unfavorable chmate, it exposed its officers to the rifle-practice of enemies in the woods. The Potomac flotilla was organized at the commencement of the war, to prevent communications between the Maryland and Virginia shores, and for occasional cooperation with the North Atlantic blockading squadron, and with 284 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. the army of the Potomac. Its officers were not only to keep guard and send boats to arrest smuggling and military correspondence, but to watch the proceedings of the enemy ; to ascertain if he were building batteries, and to destroy thoroughly those which were taken or abandoned. The river could not be kept open by the army alone, and for a long period it was preserved as a national highway by the unaided efforts of the flotilla. It was to be in constant readiness to make reconnoissances, and to join in expeditions. Minute and unceasing care was requisite in guarding against surprises. Sailor pickets, and every precaution known to naval service, were constantly employed. When parties of the enemy's cavalry came down to reconnoitre, they were to be dis persed. Extreme vigilance was exacted from the commanders, for the enemy was ever on the alert, seizing his opportunity to trade in articles of vital importance, and to capture and destroy our vessels. He succeeded too well on one well remembered occasion, when the Reliance and Satellite were burned in the Rappahannock. In the heroic discharge of these duties, the first commander of the flotilla lost his life. But while the public attention was fixed upon the movements of vast armies, such services, whatever their value or their peril, afforded little opportunity for distinction, and only occa sional materials for a bulletin. On the 12th of September, 1862, Mr. Ives took his station at Aquia Creek. The ordinary duty of the flotilla wras the arresting of contraband trade, from Alexandria to the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. It was also necessary to guard the Rappahannock. The craft engaged in this treasona ble intercourse were expressly fitted to elude detection. Those engaged in navigating them were the most reckless and desperate of their class. On no station was the duty more laborious, wThile, with the utmost vigilance, it was impossible entirely to suppress illicit traffic. On so long a line of communi cations opportunities were sometimes found, and sympathizing associates were ever ready to prevent detection and capture. With all these obstacles, large numbers of vessels were seized while stealing across the bay. The haunts of the smugglers were broken up and their boats destroyed. (See report of Secretary of Navy.) But the Potomac flotilla soon became a partaker in more stirring scenes. Mr. Ives's command in it was contemporaneous with the campaigns of Burn side and of Hooker in northern Virginia ; when nearly the whole population was, in its several ways, engaged in thwarting the efforts of the soldiers of the Union. The country was swarming with enemies, who obstructed the rivers THOMAS POYNTON IVES. '285 and hindered military communications. Batteries and other annoyances, prepared by detached parties from the southern army, were often suddenly disclosed;, and were to be overcome as they appeared ; sometimes by single vessels of the flotilla, and sometimes by organized expeditions having the support of troops. In all these different services, Mr. Ives was constantly employed. Early in December, 1862, there was a sharp encounter between the Yankee and a rebel battery supported by rifle-pits ; one of the attempts of the enemy to interrupt the communications of the army. Failing in its purpose, the bat tery was evacuated and afterwards destroyed, only to be succeeded by many others, against which the same vigilance was constantly maintained. During the winter, reconnoissances in aid of the operations of the army were con stantly required. In February, at the request of General Hooker, a thorough examination of the Rappahannock was made, both to ascertain its soundings and to destroy the vessels of the enemy. Mr. Ives was an active participator in this work, which was of considerable duration. A rebel conscription had been ordered in Virginia, and was to have been enforced in the counties between the Potomac and the Rappahannock, between the 12th and the 17th of February. The scheme was defeated in this region by the ceaseless activity of the flotilla. Important mails for Richmond were intercepted, and services of the highest value were constantly and silently performed. During this critical period of the war, he suffered no relaxation to interrupt his duties, and lived on board his vessel, unless ordered to service elsewhere. His marked efficiency in all departments of his profession, brought occasional relief. Although his command in the navy was but temporary, he had conscientiously mastered the science of the profession, that in no event the country should receive injury through his wanoW skill. His nautical attain ments were so highly regarded by his superior officers that, in February, 1863, he was appointed a member of a board of examiners of masters' mates for pro motion to the grade of ensign. In such employment the winter wore away. Through the constant vigilance of the flotilla, the Rappahannock was kept open from Port Royal to its mouth, and all attempts to close the Potomac effectually foiled. The crisis of Hooker's campaign was now hastening on, and, in every part of Virginia, the greatest activity was manifested by both combatants. The Nansemond river, always one of the principal avenues of communication 286" RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. with the south, gained additional importance, now that the situation of Gen eral Foster, in North Carolina, was regarded as critical ; and the moment had arrived when, if ever, the rebel iron-clads must find access to the sea. Fully aware of its urgency, the usurpers at Richmond spared no effort to erect forts on the Nansemond, and to obstruct the southern communications from Fortress Monroe. A formidable force of artillery and sharpshooters was detached to support the rebel batteries, and to intercept reenforcements for the army in North Carolina. The government, could permit no delay in reopening the river. A military and naval expedition was immediately prepared. Mr. Ives was ordered to despatch the Yankee, without delay, to Newport News, and to report immediately to Admiral Lee, commanding the North Atlantic blockading squadron. He arrived on the 16th of April, and was forthwith ordered to duty in the Nansemond. He reached his station the same evening, and the military and naval forces at once prepared for clearing the river of the batteries which threatened so great injury to the army of the Union. On the first day, the enemy opened fire with artillery and riflemen upon the gunboats and transports. After a vigorous bombardment from the flotilla, continued nearly five hours, during which they lost several officers and seamen, the enemy's chief work was silenced. On receiving further reenforcements from the flotilla, the national forces prevented the enemy's crossing the Nan semond for the relief of his detached forts. A heavy firing from the flotilla, continued during twenty-four hours, defeated all attempts to erect new ones. On the 20th of April, a fort supported by rifle-pits, which was the chief obstruction of the river, suddenly opened on the gun-boats. Regiments frem New York and Connecticut crossed the Nansemond two miles below Suffolk, in boats of the flotilla. They landed under fire of the enemy, to which the flotilla made a vigorous and effective response. The rebel intrenchments were carried by the bayonet, but not without loss to the United States. Five guns and two hundred prisoners were taken. The works were evacuated and blown up. The enemy retreated from the Peninsula, abandoning their purpose to recapture Norfolk, or to hold the Nansemond, of which they never sought to regain possession. Six days were spent in constant opera tions and hard fighting. The chief burden was borne by the flotilla, which received honorable mention from the admiral in command. The Nansemond having been cleared of obstructions, Mr. Ives returned to the Potomac and resumed his ordinary duties. THOMAS POYNTON IVES. 287 He was ordered to the Rappahannock on the 1st of May, to cooperate with General Hooker. On the 9th, he was again at Aquia Creek, actively engaged in assisting the communications of the army of the Potomac. Hav ing borne- his full share of the labors of those eventful days, he received the only recognition of its value which he desired. In a letter of May 26th, 1863, Mr. Welles, Secretary of the Navy, thus informs him that his services were appreciated : " Having been officially mentioned for efficient and gal lant conduct, you are hereby promoted to the grade of acting volunteer lieutenant in the navy of the "United States." Once more before the close of May, a gun-boat expedition ascended the Rappahannock. Landing troops on its southern bank, the town of Tappahannock was seized, with large quantities of military stores. A large number of slaves exhibited the liveliest joy at their emancipation ; an incident which Lieutenant Ives regarded as by no means the least grateful in his public service. On the 30th of May, 1863, Lieutenant Ives was appointed fleet captain, or adjutant of the flotilla, by Commodore Harwood, its commanding officer. In this capacity he was the organ of communication of the commander-in- chief, transmitted his orders to the commanders of vessels, and assisted him generally as chief of staff Retaining his individual command and his right of seniority, he had now the active supervision of eighteen, vessels, large and small ; an amount of duty requiring all his time, and sufficient for the most robust constitution. The greater energy was required, as the position was highly honorable, and many officers would gladly have succeeded to it when its former occupant was transferred to other functions. In this responsible command he fully proved the wisdom of the choice. He received the uni form approval of his superior officer, for his activity in maintaining discipline whenever any of his subordinates yielded to the temptations of the river service, or the seductions of the enemy. An officer whose eminent distinction in the navy.gives the highest value to his approval, well knew Lieutenant Ives at this period, and has paid this tribute to his memory : " His marked efficiency in the command of his gun-boat, induced the commodore in command of the flotilla, to appoint him his aid (captain of the fleet) when that position became vacant. The service required ability and untiring industry in its performance. Lieutenant Ives brought to bear upon his duty, all the higher quahties of the gentleman and officer ; was always prompt and cheerful in carrying out his instructions, and never, that I recollect, in fault. He had no previous training for the service on which he was engaged but in the management of his yacht, 288 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. yet I noticed that he always performed his duties with the quiet composure of a man ' bred to the sea.' He always seemed to act upon the prmciple of doing thoroughly what he had in hand; never looking for applause, or betray ing for a moment the consciousness of having done well. These are among the finer qualities of a good officer, and added, if possible, to the respect, in which Lieutenant Ives was held by his associates in the regular service. That he was subsequently promoted to the grade of lieutenantcommander, and was attached to the ordnance department, are additional proofs of his worth and its recognition." Early in June, Lieutenant Ives was again on the Rappahannock. At the request of General Hooker, the Yankee, with other gun-boats, proceeded to Urbana, in order to protect the crossing of Colonel Kilpatrick's cavalry, which were then on their renowned expedition through Glocester and on the lower Rappahannock. During its progress, the river wras blockaded by the flotilla. The famous raider crossed it in safety on his return. His transit occupied an entire day, in the immediate neighborhood of the enemy, and his landing was at a distance of six miles from the point of embarkation. That there was no attack during this hazardous operation, was due to the presence of the gunboats. (Report of the Secretary of the Navy.) All the details of the second division of the Potomac flotilla were now under the management of Lieutenant Ives, and his performance of the duty was highly commended by his superior in command. Later in the summer, during the critical period of the invasion of Penn sylvania, the vessels of the flotilla were stationed along the upper waters of the Chesapeake, to cooperate with the army where their aid could be available, and to guard against contingencies which would have arisen had the day of Gettysburg been less favorable to the arms of the United States. In work of this exhausting character, amid the heat and malaria of the Potomac, the summer of 1863 wore away. The autumn passed in compara tive quiet in Virginia, and the flotilla was seldom diverted from its accustomed routine. The services which it had rendered while Lieutenant Ives was one of its most efficient officers, were thus acknowledged by the Secretary of the Navy, at the close of the year: "At all times and on all occasions, the flotilla has given active and willing cooperation to military movements. While the army was in the vicinity of Fredericksburg, its services were invaluable. It opened communication with the military forces, cleared the river of torpedoes, THOMAS POYNTON IVES. 289 and drove the rebels from its banks. They convoyed transports with troops and[supplies going to the army, and returning from the battle-field with the wounded and the sick. The vessels in this service are of light draft, and, as their construction is necessarily slight, those who serve on board of them in a hostile country are exposed to more than ordinary peril. But, whether in clearing the banks of the Rappahannock of sharpshooters or removing torpedoes from its bed, no less energy and daring have been exhibited than by others, in vessels of larger proportions and with greater protection." (Report, December, 1863.) As the winter drew on, Lieutenant Ives found his failing health unequal to further command, and, with great reluctance, he sought relief. He had borne his full share of the public burdens, and might have resigned with honor. But his fondness for the naval service, increased his desire to be a partaker in the last labors of the war. He had gained the respect of his brother officers, and the government was desirous of retaining him. By an order of the Secretary of the Navy, December 3d, 1863, he was detached from the Potomac flotilla, and directed to report in person to the chief of the bureau of ordnance. He was then, December 4th, ordered to Providence, to report for duty. This consisted in attending daily at the foundry, and giving particular attention to the casting, boring, turning and finishing, together with the proof of guns and the inspection of shells manufactured there for the government. When this was accomplished he felt entitled to relief, and addressed the following letter to the Secretary of the Navy : " Providence, 26th February, 1864. " Sir : — I beg respectfully to resign my appointment as acting volunteer heutenant in the navy of the United States. " I feel the greatest reluctance in taking this step during the continuance of the rebelhon, but the state of my health, the less urgent necessities of the service, and the favorable aspects of the war, seem fully to justify me in so doing. " When I was detached from the Yankee, I directed the acting assistant paymaster of that vessel to send my accounts to the fourth auditor of the treasury. I presume that they are now in his office, and that there will appear to be an amount standing to my credit as due me for my services since I entered the navy of the United States. " As it is my purpose to draw no pay for any services which I have rendered to my country during the present war, I respectfully request that 290 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. any sums so appearing on the books of the auditor may remain in- the treasury, and that the accounts may be thus closed. " I have the honor to be, with great respect, " Your obedient servant, "Thomas Poynton Ives, "Actinj Volunteer Lieutenant United Slates Navy." " The Honorable Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy." On the 3d of March, Mr. Welles replied : " The department declines to accept your resignation, as your services are valuable to the bureau of ordnance." Lieutenant Ives was officially assured that " his motives were appreciated, and that if the duties assigned to him were too burdensome, he had entitled himself to further relief." On the 4th of April, Lieutenant Ives received an urgent invitation from his friend Captain Wise, chief of the bureau of ordnance, to act as ordnance officer at Washington. He did not feel at liberty to decline an appointment which his mechanical tastes and thorough scientific training amply qualified him to fulfill. A distinguished officer in the navy of the United States has thus borne his testimony to the manner in which these new duties were discharged : " The duties of an inspector of ordnance, especially at Wash ington, require talents of no ordinary character, combined with sound judg ment and discretion. There the standards of everything pertaining to that most important branch of our naval service are prepared and issued for the government of the other naval stations, and all experiments in gunnery are conducted. LieutenantCommander Ives was singularly fortunate in the possession of all these qualities, and never failed in a single instance to per form in a most satisfactory manner every duty assigned to him. His rigid supervision of the workshop and the laboratory, and the accurate manner in which he conducted the experiments with the batteries and pendulums, could not have been excelled." His services in the scientific department were acknowledged, November 7, 1864, by promotion to the grade of lieutenant commander. These labors were continued until January 26, 1865, " at which time," says the eminent officer already quoted, " his devotion to the country and to the duties of the service had so injured his health, that I felt bound to insist upon his going away." Such monitions he could no longer disregard, and, January 26th, 1865, wrote to the Secretary of the Navy : "It is with extreme reluctance that I THOMAS POYNTON IVES. . 291 have to inform the department, that, owing to failing health, I am compelled to ask to be relieved from duty. Although disinclined to address the depart ment upon this subject, I feel it my imperative duty to do so, as I am advised that I cannot hope to reestablish my much broken health without, perfect immunity from responsibility and labor, and a change of climate." In reply, the Secretary, although regretting the necessity, granted a leave of absence for six months, with permission to leave the United States. On the 5th of April, he sailed for Europe. Relaxation from the hard work of the past four years had a restorative effect. The prospect of return ing unity and peace, to which he had sacrificed the last hopes of his own recovery, refreshed his spirits, and gave a brief interval of apparently increas ing strength. While enjoying a summer's rest in Germany, he could the better appreciate the news which every week brought from the United States. From the beginning, he had sympathized with every advance of public opinion towards national emancipation, and he was revived by the intelligence that our institutions were to be reestablished upon a broader basis of justice and of right. As health seemed to improve, he hoped to return to the enjoyment of that American citizenship which he had given his best labors to preserve, and in which, now, more than ever, he felt an honorable pride. He looked onward to a life of the same earnestness in peace which he had displayed during the most laborious service and the darkest hours of war ; by the fulfillment of public and private duties, developing institutions of benevo lence which he had assisted in establishing, and making his private fortune the means of a generous hospitality. With the most kindly expressions from those with whom he had served, his leave of absence was extended. On the day when it expired, he passed beyond the need of its renewal. While still cherishing a hope of the future, he was married at Vienna, October 19th, to Elizabeth Cabot Motley, daughter of the Honorable John Lothrop Motley, Minister of the United States in Austria. Immediately afterwards, he set forth on his return, but all hope vanished before a new manifestation of pulmonary disease, and he died at Havre, November 17th, 1865, in sight of the vessel which was to bear him to his native land. The experience of four anxious and troubled years has taught a juster appreciation of the unostentatious labors of men who were prompted only by a desire that the future of their country should be one of honor and not of shame. In the most disastrous periods of its fortunes, some sought for 292 , RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. the stars of the major-general as the earnest of political popularity — foreign embassies, the senate chamber, the presidential chair. Few such hopes have been fulfilled, those who cherished them often attaining only an unfortunate notoriety, or happy in being forgotten. We have learned ; respect for those who, with a finer sense of duty, accepted labors which promised little but the approval of conscience, and who gave life and health that the ascendancy of anarchy and barbarism might be averted from the homesteads of their fathers. Some fell when victory was yet afar off, and rest in unknown graves ; some gave the hope of future years — as truly the martyrs of civilization as if they had fallen in battle, and sound of muffled drum had given testimony of public sorrow. Among those who answered to the call of Rhode Island there were many such as these, who went forth seeking nothing for themselves, anxious only that the liberty of which their state had seen the beginnings, should be the heritage of the whole land. Their labors have made the history of the future. Let us not doubt that it will honor those who toiled unseen to recon struct our national house upon a sure foundation; grateful that they have done a good work for the coming generations, though they laid but one stone in the rebuilding. tf V* w Cj^P. C— — &t^z^p^--~CZ~^T_ — COLONLL CLORCL E. CHURCH. U ^ Reg' Rhode Island Vols. GEORGE E. CHURCH. < — *^- » 'eorge E. Church was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, December 7th, 1835, and is descended, directly from Colonel Benjamin Church, so distinguished for his success in warfare against the Indians, in the early colonial histpry of the country. On his mother's side, Colonel Church traces his ancestry back to within a few years1 of the time when the first settlers landed on the desolate shores of Massachusetts. His father died while George was very young ; and, in his eighth year, his mother removed from Rochester to Providence, where he received his early education. The beginning of his fifteenth year found him in the senior room of the high school, where he held a high rank of scholarship. His love of adventure, however, would not permit him to graduate, but his wish to see something of the world led him to visit Europe twice during the next two years. In his seventeenth year, he selected for his profession that of civil and topographical engineering, obtaining a position on a New Jersey railroad. Soon after, he was transferred to a situation as assistant engineer on a railway running from the Mississippi to the Missouri rivers. Mr. Church was next employed as resident engineer of the Hoosac Tunnel, of Massachusetts ; and, after taking out the eastern approach and driving in the tunnel a short dis tance, he again went west to accept employment upon an Iowa railway. The crisis of 1857" leaving Mr. Church without employment in the United States, he proceeded to Buenos Ayres, South America, to accept of an offer as chief assistant engineer on a railway in that country. On his arrival, however, he found the political condition of the country such, that the proposed work had to be stopped. At that time, the government of Buenos Ayres was 294 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. forming a commission of military and topographical engineers, to examine the southwestern frontier of the province, with a view to its defence against the depredations of the Indian tribes, who periodically swept across the pampas to the Andes, to plunder the inhabitants. Mr. Church was offered a position upon this commission, and the next year was spent in a life of adventure and excitement. Twice during the expedition, they were attacked by the banded Indian tribes, who, from the whole of Southern Chili and the eastern slopes of the Andes, had united in a grand foray against the Argentine frontiers. It was only after the severest fighting, for prisoners were never taken on either side, that the commission was enabled to prosecute their work. At the time of the second attack, they were surrounded by seven hundred howling Indians, when they had an escort of but forty men. At midnight, for two hours, Mr. Church stood near a wagon with a revolver and double-barrelled shot gun, expecting each moment to be obliged to sell his life as dearly as possible. By some providential alarm, the Indians were turned from their intended massacre, and the commissioners thus narrowly escaped death. Upon the termination of the expedition, each member of the commission was required to submit his own plan for the defence of the frontier. Notwithstanding the greater age and superior experience of his associates, Mr. Church had the honor to find his the only one approved and endorsed by the government, while it received the universal praise of the military men of the country. After having visited Brazil and Uruguay, and while engaged in the lucrative practice of his profession, the echoes of the first war notes of the rebellion reached the banks of the La Plata. Letters at the same time arrived from his mother, urging his return to his country to enter the army. " Your country needs you," was her mandate, and, obedient to the call, he immediately took passage for the United States, sacrificing several fine offers which were made to him the day before he sailed. Upon his arrival in New York, Mr. Church commenced recruiting a company for a New York regiment ; but on receiving the offer of a captain's commission in the seventh Rhode Island volunteers, from Governor Sprague, and anticipating its earlier entrance into the service, he accepted the prof fered commission, and entered upon his duties at Camp Bliss. His commis sion was dated July 26th, 1862. September found the regiment in the field, and on the march to reenforce General McClellan, but it did not reach the army of the Potomac in time to participate in the battles of Antietam and South Mountain. On arriving at the front, the seventh regiment was attached GEORGE E. CHURCH. 295 to the first brigade, second division, ninth army corps. From Pleasant Valley, Maryland, they advanced under McClellan, changed commanders, skirmished along the Shenandoah Valley, and in November found themselves awaiting the landing of the pontoons at Fredericksburg. About the middle of Novem ber, Captain Church was placed in command of a detachment of forty men, detailed to guard the Rappahannock ford, at Warrenton Sulphur Springs. He was attacked by two hundred and fifty of Stuart's celebrated cavalry, together with a battery of field pieces, but, notwithstanding the heavy fire to which he was exposed, Captain Church succeeded in repulsing the charge of the cavalry, and held the bridge and ford until reenforcements arrived. A considerable portion of the baggage-train of the army was thus saved from capture. Then came the battle of Fredericksburg, with all its fearful carnage ; when, from eleven and one-half o'clock in the morning until seven in the evening, the heroes of the gallant seventh faced that famous stone wall, in the very focus of the encircling rebel batteries, and fired every available cartridge, taking them from the dead and the dying, and then stood firm in their ranks, with fixed bayonets, until ordered off the field. In the midst of the battle, Captain Church was made lieutenant-colonel, and soon after received his commission, dated January 7th, 1863. Thirty-four days later, a telegram announced to him his appointment to the colonelcy of the eleventh regiment, then guarding the convalescent camp, near Washington. Hitherto this regiment had been engaged in the ignoble work of guard duty, and had almost given up hopes of ever being allowed the privilege of seeing the enemy in the field. Disgusted with the situation of the eleventh, Colonel Church, on coming into command, called on the Secretary of War, in company with the Honorable Samuel G. Arnold, United States senator from Rhode Island, and requested that he might be sent to the front. So hard did he urge his suit, that the Secretary became quite angry, and, jumping from his chair, exclaimed : " I can't put on a cocked-hat and sword, and go into the field myself." "But you can order me away from Washington," was Colonel Church's reply; and that night, at one o'clock of the 16th of April, 1863, he received orders to report, with his regiment, for embarkation at Alexandria. The officers and men were now overjoyed at the prospect of participating more actively in the overthrow of the rebellion, and were glad enough to leave the convalescent camp behind. The regiment was soon on its way to join the Union forces at Suffolk, then closely besieged by General Longstreet. 296 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Colonel Church, with his regiment, was actively engaged in the defence of this point and in the construction of fortifications, until the siege was raised and Longstreet retired to Richmond. Soon after this siege, preparations were made for a great raid, for the purpose of tearing up the Norfolk and Peters burg and Seaboard and Roanoke railroads. During the accomplishment of this plan, the eleventh regiment was engaged in several hot skirmishes, but < succeeded in holding the rebels in check until the roads were destroyed. When the retreat to Suffolk was ordered, Colonel Church was placed in com mand of the brigade which covered the retreat. A movement to the Peninsula was now inaugurated, in order to threaten Richmond from that quarter. Most of the troops which had been used to garrison Suffolk, were withdrawn to take part in the expedition. Colonel Church, in command of a brigade, was entrusted with the defences of Williams burg during the advance of our forces just previous to the battle of Gettysburg. On the 30th of June, the eleventh regiment was relieved from further duty on account of the expiration of its term of service, and, on the 6th of July, 1863, it was mustered out of service, and Colonel Church found himself again in private life. On the 31st of December, 1864, Colonel Church was again called into the service, and commissioned as colonel of the second Rhode Island volunteers. The appointment was very acceptable to him, as he had declined several lucrative offers in private life that he might serve his country. LjIEUTEH&HT. u. ROBERT RHODES. -+- ^»— » obert Rhodes, son of Richard W. Rhodes, was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, on the 12th of April, 184- He received his education at the common schools of his native town, and, at the age of sixteen, entered the merchant marine service, in the employ of Messrs. Greene & Arnold, of Providence, in the trade to the eastern coast of Africa, in which he continued for three years. Subsequently he was in the employ of Mr. Amos D. Smith, visiting various parts of the Mediterranean and South America. Mr. Rhodes returned from his last voyage just at the outbreak of the rebellion, and had been home but a week when he joined the first Rhode Island regiment, under Colonel Burnside, and proceeded with it to Washing ton. He was in the first battle of Bull Run, and continued with his regiment until it was disbanded. On the 11th of October, 1861, Mr. Rhodes received the appointment of acting master's mate, and was ordered to the bark Femandina, which vessel was soon after sent to join the blockading squadron, off Wilmington. On the 25th of December, the Fernandina captured the schooner William H. Northrop, while attempting to run the blockade. Mr. Rhodes was placed in charge of the prize, and ordered to take her to New York. He encountered a severe storm on the voyage. The weather Was intensely cold, and the schooner's deck was covered with several inches of ice. A New York paper, in speaking of the arrival of the prize at that port, says : " The skill and tact which Mr. Rhodes displayed in bringing his vessel in safety to New York, will commend him to his superiors, and be a source of gratification to his friends." 38 298 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Mr. Rhodes was now ordered to the gun-boat Clifton, Lieutenant C. H. Baldwin commanding, and proceeded to join the West Gulf squadron, under Admiral Farragut. In his official report, Lieutenant Baldwin says he was employed with little intermission in assisting the larger vessels over the bar, and in towing the mortar vessels of the flotilla. Next they were employed in making reconnoissances of forts Jackson and Saint Philip. In April, the Clifton was engaged in towing the mortar schooners into position ; and, during the six days' bombardment by these vessels, in supplying them with powder and shell. At night, their duty was to look after fire-rafts. At this time they were constantly under the enemy's fire. On the 24th of April, the Clifton took her position in the line of steamers for the attack on the forts. She proceeded to within short range and opened fire, which was kept up until the admiral's squadron had passed both forts. Upon the surrender of the forts, the Clifton was employed in bringing up troops of General Butler's command. We next hear of the Clifton off Vicksburg, where she was engaged, with the fleet, in the bombardinent of that city a few days prior to its. surrender to General Grant. Under date of the 30th of June, 1862, Mr. Rhodes, in a letter to his father, says : " We have been engaged to-day in a desperate battle off Vicksburg, in which we lost eight men. At five o'clock in the morning, when we were at the head of the line, the steamer Jackson, then near us, was struck and disabled. Her captain hailed us, and asked us to tow him out of the way ; at the same time the shot were striking around us like hail. Nevertheless, we lost no time in trying to render the Jackson the aid she needed ; but, just as we were giving her a hawser, a sixty-pound rifle- ball entered our starboard side, forward, under the guard, near the water line,, passing through the bulkhead that divides the fire-room from the forward berth deck, striking the starboard boiler in the end, and, passing through it, lodged in the port side. The steam and hot water from the boiler rushed out, filled the berth deck, and scalded in the most frightful manner all but two of the men of the powder division. The forward part of the ship was completely engulphed in hot steam, causing great confusion and alarm among the men. No one knew the exact nature of the disaster that had befallen us. Many, believing the ship to be on fire and fearing the explosion of our maga zine, leaped overboard. In our disabled condition, and the excitement that ensued, it was an hour before we could go down to the berth deck to learn the full extent of the disaster. On doing so, we found six men scalded to death, presenting the most horrid spectacle I ever witnessed. Beside these, ROBERT RHODES. 299 one man was knocked overboard and drowned, and another died of his wounds. Several others were wounded or slightly scalded. On the whole, the Clifton's loss in killed was as great as that of any vessel in the fleet. My surprise^ is, that we did not lose more, for the water around us was in a complete bubble from the falling shot from the rebel batteries. Two other shot struck us beside the one that entered our boiler, but they did no harm. "When the rebels saw the smoke issuing from us, they jumped upon their battery and cheered most lustily ; but we soon stopped their cheers. Just then, as we were swinging around in our helpless condition, our star board quarter came to bear upon the battery, when the order was given to fire. In an instant, away flew shot, shell and grape, making great havoc among the rebels, for we could see the effect of our shot. Our master's mate, W. W. Weld, (who is from Providence,) fought his guns with great bravery. The explosion of the boiler had left him alone with his gun. This he loaded and fired with his own hands, in a manner deserving the highest praise." A portion of Admiral Farragut's vessels were now ordered to the coast of Texas, among them the Clifton, then under the command of Lieutenant- Commander Law. Here she was constantly engaged with the rebel forces. The following extract from one of Lieutenant Rhodes's letters to his father, describes the operations of the fleet to which the Clifton was attached in Matagorda Bay : " We started up the bay at three o'clock, October 24th. It was not long before we saw a sail ahead, and we both put chase after her. We were soon within gunshot of her. We fired at her twice. At the second shot, they set fire to the vessel and abandoned her. The crew took their small boat and rowed ashore. We fired several shot at them as we went dashing by them after the schooner. We soon came up to the schooner, and sent a party of men on board to extinguish the fire, which they did. The vessel proved to be a schooner-rigged yacht and a perfect beauty, worth about three thousand dollars. She was burnt only a very little. " At nine, a. m., October 26th, the Westfield made signals to get under weigh, which we did at once, and proceeded to Indianola, where we arrived about noon. We sent a boat on shore and demanded the surrender of the place, which they complied with immediately as they had no guns to defend it. We staid there but a little while, and started for Matagorda. We arrived there that evening, and the next day, October 27th, we took a prize schooner with eighteen bales of cotton on board. We took the cotton on board of the steamer and destroyed the schooner. She was not worth anything. 300 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. "Friday, October 31st, we got under weigh at high water, crossed over the bar, anchored, and sent a boat to sound and stake the channel out. The rebels the day before took up all of the old channel stakes, so that we could not find the way up. At twelve, meridian, got under weigh and pro ceeded up to Lavaca, and anchored off the city. Captain Renshaw sent Captain Law on shore with a flag of truce to demand the surrender of the place. Captain Law told them that he would give them one hour and a half for them to surrender in, and if they did not at the end of the appointed time, we should attack the town and batteries. At half-past three o'clock, the time being up and receiving no answer, we both steamed up a little nearer to the city and opened fire upon it. We had been shelling the town and batteries for some time, and had not received a single shot from them. We could not see a single man about the batteries, but we could see a large secesh flag flying between the two batteries. As they did not open fire at us, we moved up within about, half a mile of the town, when all of a sudden the batteries opened fire upon us, the shot and shell striking all around, but none of them happened to hit either of us ; but to speak the truth they quite surprised us all. We soon backed out of their range, and kept up a heavy fire upon them until dark, wThen we ceased firing and anchored for the night. After we had anchored, Captain Renshaw came on board and said the last time that they fired their rifled gun, which is a one hundred-pound rifle, it burst, wounding three men and Acting Master Warren, but none of them were seriously injured. It was very fortunate that it did not kill everybody about the deck. I am sorry that we have lost the gun, as it was the only one hundred-pound rifled gun in Farragut's fleet. Just now we need all the guns that we can raise. We expended one hundred rounds of ammunition. "Saturday, November 1st, in the morning we opened fire upon them, arid kept it up until half-past ten o'clock, a. m., when our ammunition was nearly all expended, and there were no signs of the rebels hauling down the flag. They did not return the fire in the morning. I suppose they were waiting for. us to come up under their guns again ; but we took care not to do it. Our shells did a great deal of damage to the town. We could see them strike the houses, bursting and throwing the boards, clapboards and shingles in every direction. At half-past ten o'clock, a. m., Captain Renshaw signalled to cease firing, which we did, we having expended in all one hundred and thirty rounds of ammunition." In April, 1863, the Clifton, with other gun-boats and steamers, was employed in transporting a portion of General Banks's army, consisting of ROBERT RHODES. 301 five thousand troops, with artillery, horses and munitions of war, from Ber wick to Franklin, in Louisiana. A second division was next transported in an opposite direction for the purpose of flanking the enemy. In these expe* ditions the gunboats were constantly fired upon by the rebel batteries which lined the rivers. But, notwithstanding the batteries, the torpedoes, spiles, and other obstructions, they fought their way through without loss. The rebels were so hard pressed that they abandoned their baggage, tents, sick and wounded, and destroyed three gun-boats to prevent them falling into our hands. On the 18th of April, the Clifton, Estrella, Calhoun and Arizona left Brashear City, each carrying a company of troops for an attack on Fort Butte La Rose, at the mouth of Atchafayala river, seventy miles from Brashear. The bayous and streams through which the fleet passed were so crooked and narrow that they had great difficulty in pushing their way through. The Clifton ran against a large, hollow cypress tree, a hundred feet in height, which fell its entire length upon her deck, which was filled with men. But, strange to say, not a man was seriously hurt. All the gun-boats were more or less injured, by running into the banks or losing their rudders. At length, they discovered the smoke of the rebel gun-boats over the trees ; and, soon after, in rounding a point of land, found themselves within a quarter of a mile of the fort. The order was, for two of the gunboats to go abreast ; but, owing to the narrowness of the river, this was found to be impracticable. The Clifton then took the lead, and, a few minutes after,.fired her bow gun at the fort. The rebels replied immediately. Their first shot passed within two feet of Lieutenant Rhodes's head, and struck the walking- beam of the Clifton. Nevertheless she pressed forward and reached the fort, the shot from whose guns then passed over her. But now appeared the rebel gun-boats near the opposite bank of the river, from which came a rapid fire. The Clifton met with some casualties, but, with the other vessels, kept up a fire at the fort, which soon raised a white flag and surrendered. The atten tion of our gun-boats was now directed to those of the rebels, which, however, from a better knowledge of the narrow river, managed to escape, closely followed, for a short distance, by our vessels, which kept up a fire upon them. In a letter to his father describing this action, Lieutenant Rhodes says : " Our men stood at their guns and fought them with great bravery. It was a trying time to both officers and men when our guns became muzzle to muzzle with those of the rebels. But when they dashed up to the fort they 302 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. sent up tremendous cheers." On the same day, the Arizona went up the Atchafayala, capturing a quantity of cotton and many prisoners. The injuries to the machinery of the Clifton rendered it necessary for her to proceed to Brashear City, where she could procure from New Orleans the necessary arti cles required for repairs. In the disaster at Galveston which took place a few months later, the Clifton was conspicuous and made a gallant defence. The following is from a letter from Lieutenant Rhodes to his father, and presents the fullest account we have seen of the event : " New Year's night we discovered three rebel steamers approaching us. We immediately went to quarters and made signals to the fleet. The Har riet Lane was about half a mile from us. The Owasco lay a mile below us, and the Westfield, Captain Renshaw, about two miles from us in Bolivar channel. At half past two o'clock, a. m., the Westfield signalized that she required immediate assistance, and at three, we were alongside, when we found she was aground. At half-past four o'clock, the rebels opened fire from the town upon our troops and gun-boats, with artillery and musketry. Captain Renshaw asked Captain Law, of the Clifton, if we could find our way up to the town again. We got up our anchor, and, after getting aground twice, succeeded in getting through. The rebels fired at us from a battery which we soon silenced. By this time it was nearly sunrise, when I discov ered the Owasco fighting nobly off the town, while the Harriet Lane, the pride of our fleet, had a rebel boat on each side of her. The Owasco ran up to her assistance, but having used up her primers could not use her nine-inch guns. Captain Wilson then gave orders to go ahead at full speed and run down the rebel boats. But just then, unfortunately, the Owasco ran ashore a short distance from the rebel boats. On each of these boats were two hundred and fifty men, armed with double-barrelled guns, revolvers, rifles and muskets. The rebels now turned the guns of the Harriet Lane on the Owasco, and the troops from the two other boats poured in a deadly fire upon her, and killed and wounded twenty of her crew. By this time the Harriet Lane had a white flag flying, and presently we saw a boat coming from her with a white flag. It contained a rebel officer and crew, who informed us that the Harriet Lane had surrendered, that Captain Wainwright was killed ' and Lieutenant Lee was mortally wounded, and nearly all her crew killed. The rebel officer demanded the immediate surrender of our fleet. Captain Law informed him that he was not the senior officer, but he would take the ROBERT RHODES. 303 message to Captain Rerishaw. The rebel officer gave three hours for us to decide in. Meanwhile the Harriet Lane had hoisted the secesh flag. * * * At nine, a. m., Captain Law returned from the Westfield, and gave orders to the Owasco, Sachem, and the little schooner, as soon as we hauled down our white flag to haul down their white flags, to get under weigh and proceed down the channel. As the Owasco was heaving up her anchor, the same rebel officer and a rebel colonel came off with a flag of truce and demanded her surrender. Captain Wilson laughed at them, and informed them very politely that he had orders to take his ship outside, and outside she must go. The rebels soon after opened on him with their artillery and musketry, and although the shot fell thick around them, not a man was hit. * * At ten, a. m., we saw the Westfield had just blown up. I suppose Captain Renshaw blew her up to save her from falling into the hands of the rebels. Captain Renshaw, Lieutenant Zimmerman*, Mr. Green, chief engineer, three gunners and twelve men were blown up with the steamer. I suppose the magazine took fire sooner than they intended it should." ... On the 8th of September, an action took place between the United States fleet and the rebels, in which Lieutenant Rhodes was killed. The particulars were obtained from Mr. Barney, master-at-arms on the Clifton when she was captured. The fleet, consisting of twenty-three gun-boats and transports, were steaming towards Sabine Pass, the Clifton in advance. General Weitzel was ordered to land five hundred men below the rebel fort, to make a land attack, while the Clifton was to run past the battery to enfilade its rear. She had reached a point within three hundred yards of the battery, when she ran on a sand key. Scarcely had the order been given to reverse the engine, when a thirty-two pound shot came crashing through the bulkhead and into the steam drum, thus cutting off all hopes of escape by retiring. Mr. Rhodes, who was at his post, was struck by this shot, which nearly carried away his hip and thigh. The shot continued to come thicker and faster, while the Chfton, being near bow on, could only reply with a single gun. As every shot from the rebels was dealing death and destruction, without a chance to escape, the order was given to haul down her flag. Men lay about the deck dead and dying, and the surgeon was doing all in his power to make them comfortable. When he came to Mr. Rhodes, he told the surgeon not to stop with him as he could do him no good, but to help those to whom he could be of use. To Mr. Barney he said : " Tell my 304 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. parents and friends that I fell at my post doing my duty." He died at nine, p^ m., on the night of the 10th, and was perfectly reconciled and willing to die. He retained his faculties to the last, and was perfectly conscious of his approaching dissolution. His constant thoughts were of home and his parents and friends. He was buried with military honors, one company of rebels acting as escort, in the Beaumont Cemetery, on the Naches river. Lieutenant Rhodes was one of the bravest and most energetic young officers in the active naval service, and was constantly employed in the most arduous duties, from the time he entered it to the day of his death. When his first commanding officer of the Clifton, Lieutenant C. H. Baldwin gave up his command he gave Lieutenant Rhodes the following testimonial : " United States Steamer Clifton, ) Off New Orleans, July 29, 1862. j "Sir: — Being about to give up the command of this ship, I cannot leave without expressing to you the satisfaction your conduct has given me on all occasions while engaged in the discharge of the duties belonging to your station as executive officer. You have uniformly endeavored to merit my approval in all matters connected with the welfare and good discipline of the vessel ; and I am happy to have it in my power to offer you this slight testimony of my approbation. My best wishes shall attend you always. " And hoping that you will meet with a speedy promotion, " I remain, Sir, most truly yours, "C. H. Baldwin, "Acting Lieutenant Commanding " " Robert Rhodes, Executive Officer United States Steamer Clifton." f' £ Colonel of the 2^RI. Vols HORATIO ROGERS, JR. •fj p? oratio Rogers, Jr., son of Horatio arid Susan Curtis Rogers, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, May 18th, 1836. He graduated at Brown University in 1855, was admitted to the bar in 1858, and was in the practice of his profession in his native place when he entered the army. In the summer of 1861, when the third regiment was raised, Mr. Rogers received the appointment of first lieutenant, his commission being dated August 27th. On the 9th of October following, he was promoted to a cap taincy. On the 23d of the same month, the regiment, which had previously gone to Fortress Monroe, embarked in the steamer Catawba, to take part in the naval expedition, under General T. W. Sherman, against the forts at Port Royal, South Carolina. The bombardment and capture of these forts soon followed, affording the soldiery, crowding the decks of the transports, their first opportunity to witness a battle. The rebels having abandoned the forts, the third Rhode Island disembarked and occupied the principal one at Hilton Head. In January, 1862, Captain Rogers was stationed at Fort Seward, and shortly after was sent, with his company, to guard the cotton on the islands below Beaufort. In March, he was sent to Tybee Island, Georgia, to take part in the operations, then in progress, against Fort Pulaski, under General Gillmore. The forces consisted of four companies of the third Rhode Island heavy artillery, the seventh Connecticut and forty-sixth New York volun teers, and two companies of Sewell's New York engineers. Two companies of the Rhode Island artillery manned batteries on Bird and James islands, above Fort Pulaski, to cut off communication with Savannah. The batteries to play upon the fort were on Tybee Island. This fort is a strong brick work, 306 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. casemated, surrounded by a ditch, and, at the time of the siege, mounted forty- eight guns. This was to be attacked by sand batteries, the nearest of which was less than a mile distant. The reduction of such a fort at that distance was a stupendous undertaking. General Gillmore, in his official report, thus speaks of the enormous amount of work that was accomplished : " Tybee Island is mostly a mud marsh. Several ridges and hammocks of firm ground, howrever, exist upon it ; and the shore of Tybee Roads, where the batteries were located, is partially skirted by low sand-banks, formed by the gradual and protracted action of. the wind and tides. The distance along this shore, from the landing-place to the advanced batteries, is about two and a half miles. The last mile of this route, on which the seven most advanced bat teries were placed, is low and marshy, and lies in full view of Fort Pulaski, and is in effective range of its guns. The construction of a cause-way, resting on fascines and brushwood, over this swampy portion of the line, the erection of the several batteries, with the magazines, gun-platforms, and splinter-proof shelters ; the transportation of the heaviest ordnance in our service, by the labor of men alone ; the hauling of ordnance stores and engineer supplies, and the mounting of the guns and mortars on their carriages and beds, had to be done almost exclusively at night, alike regardless of the inclemency of the weather and of the miasma from the swamps. No one except an eye witness can form any but a faint conception of the herculean labor by which mortars of eight and one-half tons weight, and columbiads but a trifle lighter; were moved in the dead of night, over a narrow causeway, bordered by swamps on either side, and liable at any moment to be overturned and buried beyond reach in the mud. The stratum of mud is about twelve feet deep ; and on several occasions the heaviest pieces, particularly the mortars, became detached from the sling carts, and were with great difficulty, by the use of planks and skids, kept from sinking to the bottom. Two hundred and fifty men were barely sufficient to move a single piece on sling carts. The men were not allowed to speak above a whisper, and were guided by the notes of a whistle." At length the batteries were sufficiently advanced to receive the ordnance stores and implements, and Captain Rogers and his company were assigned to Battery McClellan, one of the nearest of all the batteries to the fort. The " James guns" were usually spoken of by their old calibre, the elon gated projectile of James being double the calibre of a round shot. In the language of General Gillmore's order : " This battery should breach the work in the pan coupe, between the south and southeast faces, and the embrasure next to it, in the southeast face." jr. 307 Battery Scott was commanded by Captain Pardon Mason, with company F, of the third Rhode Island, and battery Lincoln, by Captain L. E. Tourtelotte, with a part of company B, same regiment, the remainder of company B serving battery Lyon, under Captain Pelouze, of the fifteenth infantry. On the 10th of April, 1862, about eight o'clock in the morning, the signal gun pealed forth, and the batteries successively opened fire. Battery McClellan, as were most of the other batteries, was masked to prevent attract ing the attention of the enemy, and when it became necessary to clear away the cover, one man who was ordered to that duty, refused on the plea of danger. Pistol in hand, threatening disobedience with death, Captain Rogers jumped into the embrasure and on to the parapet, and commenced the work himself, and the timid soldier, ashamed of his fears, followed the example so promptly set amid the cheers of his comrades. All day the batteries maintain ed a steady fire, McClellan firing each gun once in from three to six minutes. The night was spent in great part in replenishing ammunition, while the engineers were busy in revetting the embrasures anew, the old revetment being burned and blown out. April 11th, just after sunrise, the firing again commenced, and continued without intermission until two, p. m., when the fort surrendered, the walls having been effectively breached. We have given many details of this siege, as Rhode Island batteries had a very prominent part in it. General Gillmore on first entering the fort after its surrender and seeing James projectiles everywhere, they largely outnumbering all the other missiles, exclaimed : " Tell Captain Rogers the forty-two-pounders did it." But one man was killed, private James Campbell, of the third Rhode Island. Two others were slightly wounded by the bursting of a rebel shell directly over the entrance of the magazine, destroying it and burying them up with Captain Rogers, who suffered no other damage than a few slight bruises, though the escape appeared almost miraculous. These were the only casual ties on the Federal side. Company H, third Rhode Island, with a company of engineers, were detailed to guard the prisoners of the captured fort to Hilton Head. Colonel Olmstead, the rebel commander there, told Captain Rogers, on learning that he had commanded the "wheel-hub battery," as he termed it, from the peculiar shape of the projectile, that he concentrated all the guns he could bring to bear on that battery, and wished to know if there had not been a number killed there, as four guns and two mortars were playing upon it continually, adding, that if he could have silenced it, he could have held the fort against 308 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. all the others. One of the last "wheel-hubs" fired, he said, went through the breach and a curtain of heavy beams, lodging in the wall of the magazine on the opposite side of the fort, digging an ugly hole. Lieutenant Horace Porter, the ordnance officer on General Gillmore's staff, in his official report thus speaks of the James guns : " The two eighty- four-pounder and two sixty-four-pounder James rifled guns were used entirely in breaching, and gave the most satisfactory results with the exception of one sixty-four pounder, many of the projectiles from which turned end over end. An examination of the walls, proved conclusively that the projectiles entered point foremost, and many solid shot were found buried in the masonry in this . position. The shells exploded after penetrating about eighteen inches, and played an important part in reducing the work." On the 16th of June, a determined assault on the rebel works at Seces- sionville was made, but was repulsed with severe loss. Five companies of the third Rhode Island participated. Major Metcalf commanding the battalion, was ordered to charge a rebel battery supported by infantry that was galling our troops. This was a difficult task, as the battery was posted in a dense thicket, and was sweeping with canister the open fields affording the only access to it. The position, however, was gallantly carried after severe fight ing and heavy loss. In a communication to the adjutantgeneral of Rhode Island, Major Metcalf makes honorable mention of Captain Rogers's conduct in that action, and a correspondent of the Providence Evening Press writing from Hilton Head, South Carolina, thus speaks of him : " But no officer or private receives more praise for his undaunted courage, than Captain Horatio Rogers. For his valorous conduct, commendations come up from all engaged in that terrible charge. When his company left here to join our army near Charleston, he was sick and urged by his friends to remain behind, but he would not consent, though it was well understood that hard fighting was to be done there, and he was carried down to the wharf in an ambulance, being totally unable to march with his company ; and when the fierce charge was made upon the rebels, this gallant officer having somewhat revived, was at the head of his men heroically urging them forward." On the 18th of August, 1862, Captain Rogers was promoted to' be major, as a reward for his hard fighting. After the arrival of General Mitchell to assume the command of the department of the south, an attempt was made to destroy a bridge on the Charleston and Savannah railroad across Coosawhatchie river, and thus inter- HORATIO ROGERS, JR. 309 rupt communication between those two cities. Accordingly a force under Generals Braman and A. H. Terry was embarked to proceed up Broad river in the night, and surprise the rebel guaid at dawn of day, October 24th. Major Rogers with four companies formed a part of the force, Colonel Brown of the same regiment acting as chief of artillery. The affair failed of success, and, after a hard fight at Pocotaligo Bridge, our forces withdrew. Major Rogers with his battalion did not arrive until dusk, when the battle was con cluded, as the gun-boat Marblehead on which he was embarked grounded on a sand bar and stuck fast all day. In bringing off the wounded and as com mander of the picket through the night, he did good service. Then followed the gloomy autumn of 1862, when the yellow fever raged at Hilton Head, sweeping off many gallant officers and men. among whorn were Major-General Mitchell, Coloriel N. W. Brown, of the third Rhode Island, and Quarter-Master Walter B. Manton. While in the department of the south, Major Rogers served on courts- martial about half the time, frequently as judge advocate. On the 7th of July, 1863, he received a commission as colonel of the eleventh Rhode Island volunteers, a nine months' regiment, dated December 27th, 1862. He had scarcely joined this regiment a few weeks later at Alexandria, when he was made colonel of the second Rhode Island volunteers. He immediately joined his new command then lying at Falmouth, Virginia, succeeding Colonel Viall In his official report, Colonel Rogers thus describes the participation of his regiment in the series of engagements that made up in part the great battle of Chancellorsville : " Tuesday, April 28th, the regiment broke camp, and, about three, p. m., marched with the brigade nearly to the bank of the Rappahannock, bivouack ing for the night in a ravine concealed from the view of the enemy. Wednes day morning, soon after daylight, the regiment, accompanying the brigade, wound down the road nearest the river, a little above and opposite the ruins of the Bernard House. We lay here Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and a part of Saturday w Saturday morning we were detailed on picket duty below the lower pontoon bridge, — the sixty-second New York arid the eighty-second Pennsylvania being also under my command. Just before dusk of that day, (the rebel picket across the river having been withdrawn in the most hasty and precipitate manner,) by order of General Wheaton, then commanding division, our pickets were withdrawn, the regiments joining their brigades; this regiment crossing the bridge about half-past nine o'clock, p. m., May 2d. 310 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Resting on the banks of the river till near midnight, we marched' to Freder icksburg, halting for some time on the outskirts of the town. Remaining in the streets of the town till about eleven, a. m., Sunday, May 3d, General Newton sent for me and ordered me to report to General Gibbon on the extreme right, where the regiment was assigned the duty of supporting battery B, first Rhode Island light artillery, which was playing on the heights above the town. Battery G, same regiment, soon came into battery on the right of battery B, and we supported that also. " The heights having been carried, we were ordered to join in the pur suit, and we supported a regiment of General Gibbon's division in carrying a height on the extreme right. When the rebels fled from that hill, we were ordered by Captain Smith, of General Newton's staff, to join our brigade, which we reached about one, p. m. In this affair, which is known as the second battle of Fredericksburg, we had two men slightly wounded, but as it did not take them off duty, they have not been reported. Halting on the right of the plank road leading to Chancellorsville, the rest of the brigade being on the left, we rested here till about three, p. m., when we advanced three or four miles up the road, frequently halting, and being shelled much of the way. Resting on the right of the road, some fifteen minutes after the fight had become general, we were ordered to form line of battle on both sides of the road, facing toward the enemy. Before this order could be exe cuted, General Newton rode down the road, and inquired what regiment we were. Answering him, he said — ' Colonel, form here, and go to the right of that house, close to the woods,' — pointing to the one used as a hospital, and by which we lay Monday night, on the extreme right. 'We are being badly driven ; hurry up, and help them.' Advancing across the wide, open field, at an angle so as to clear the house, we came up just behind it in good order, on the right of the tenth Massachusetts. At this point, a regiment broke through us, utterly panic-stricken, throwing our line into slight disorder ; the three left companies swinging up to the left of the house, and opening fire towards the left ; so that the left rested on the right of the house, and the right obliquely down the hill. As my right could not see the rebels, owing to the low ground, and seeing some of our uniforms on the hill, to the right of the house and in front of it, I pushed the regiment over a brook and up on to the next hill; forming on the left of a part of the fifteenth New Jersey, the regiment on their left having broken and run. Opening fire here, I sent back for the three left companies, and also to caution all to fire to the left, 311 and npt to the right. At our advance the enemy retreated obliquely down the hill, having been flanked by us, as the portion of the fifteenth New Jersey were too few to hold them in check. Just after we had opened fire briskly, American colors were spied on the other side of the field in front of us ; the rebels having been sandwiched between them and us, and at the edge of the woods. An officer came running across the open field, the enemy having retreated to our left, and said that those colors belonged to a New Jersey regiment, the regiment supporting it having retreated and left them in the woods ; begging us to advance across the fields, or they would be cut off. We advanced firmly, taking the part of the regiment on our right, the men not firing until after we had entered the woods, where we found a New Jersey regiment (the number I cannot recall) hotly pursued, and just getting out of ammunition. Forming directly behind them, we let them fall through our ranks, opening fire as they passed. As the rebels retired from our right, we formed towards the left, the fire from that direction being very severe, and I sent the lieutenantcolonel back for our three left companies and for support. The rebels were behind a wicker fence, and their fire was galling in the extreme. Maintaining this position for some time, losing heavily, till I thought support must have arrived, I ordered the regiment back to the edge of the woods ; forming there, the men cheering as they cleared the wood. Here we found our three left companies and the tenth Massachusetts. "When well out of the woods, Colonel Eustis, commanding brigade, Colonel Brown having been wounded, ordered us to fall back to the other side of the field, where were the seventh Massachusetts and the one hundred and thirty-ninth New York, — the fifteenth New Jersey being still on our right. Halting here a few moments, we were all ordered across the brook on to the next hill by the ho'use where we rested for the night, and the next day in the frontline of battle, ammunition being served to us there. Monday, at dusk, we started on our retreat to Banks's ford which we reached in good order, the enemy shelling us the last part of the way. We recrossed the Rappahannock there about two, a. m., Tuesday, May 5th. We performed picket duty at the ford and guarded the pontoon train till Friday, May 8th, when we marched to our old camp, or rather to the neighborhood of it, the army having preceded us. In eleven days' campaigning the regiment did four and a half days' picket duty and fought two battles. The battle of Sunday afternoon, May 3d, is known as that of Salem Heights. "The list of casualties I transmit herewith. The regiment did splendidly. Nothing could have surpassed the determination with which they advanced 312 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. to the extreme front when a regiment was flying panic-stricken through their ranks, the gallantry with which they drove the rebels back, the pertinacity with which they held their ground until support could come up^ and the excellent order and spirits with which they retired when ordered back. The regiment as much, or more than any other, contributed towards checking the enemy when our forces were being driven on the right. It saved the New Jersey regiment in the woods from annihilation and probable capture. " Where all did so well, both officers and men, it is impossible to particu larize ; but I cannot fail -to acknowledge the gallantry of LieutenantColonel S. B. M. Read and Major H. C. Jenckes, who rendered efficient service. The regiment, what there is of it, is now in fine health and spirits." Of about four hundred men taken into that action, seven were killed, sixty-eight wounded, and eight missing who have never since been heard from. Captain William G. Turner and Lieutenant Bates were wounded, the latter mortally. For eleven days Colonel Rogers did not take off his clothes, not even his boots. A correspondent of the Providence Journal from the second, thus speaks of its colonel, and the part the regiment took in the action of May 3d : " Many of the regiments, unable to withstand the heavy fire, broke, and fled in confusion to the rear. Then came our turn to advance. Every eye was on our colonel, for he had never been under fire with us, and we knew him only by reputation. 'Forward second Rhode Island!' was the word, and away we went in line of battle to the brow of the hill, to stop the advance of the enemy who were everywhere driving our brave boys. Gaining the crest of the hill, we gave them a volley and received their fire in return. ' Forward ! ' again shouts our gallant colonel, and we charged down the hill with loud cheers for our starry banner and the anchor which we bear on our state flag, and which we have sworn never to desert or dishonor. The rebels, unable to withstand our fierce assault, turned and fled to the cover of the woods. We were soon in the woods and hotly engaged with them. When we wavered, Colonel Rogers seized our flag and waving it over his head called for three cheers, which were given with a will. Three times he carried the colors to the front, and, aided by the officers, rallied the regiment to renew the battle. After the firing ceased, we retired to the hill and waited for the rebels to appear, but they declined to renew the combat. This was the first general engagement in which we have fired as a regiment, since the first battle of Bull Run, although present and under fire at all the battles fought by the army of the Potomac." HORATIO ROGERS, JR. 313 In a letter to Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, under date of June 6th, Major-General Newton, commanding the third division of the sixth corps, in which was the second Rhode Island, states that the tenth and seventh Massachusetts and second Rhode Island regiments actually saved the right wing of our army from destruction at the battle of Salem Heights ; adding, that " the behavior of the three regiments could not be surpassed in any quality by that of veterans." The General Assembly of Rhode Island passed a resolution of thanks to Colonel Rogers and the officers and men of the second regiment, for the gallantry and bravery which they displayed at this battle. The second remained encamped near Falmouth about a month. June 5th, it again packed up and crossed the Rappahannock at the same place as before. This was only intended as a feint, to prevent Lee from detaching troops, as it began to be rumored that he intended to make another grand northern raid. Although our force was often sheUed, the second fortunately met with no loss. This movement signally failed, for, at that very time, Lee's legions were forming up towards the fertile farms and thrifty villages of Maryland and Pennsylvania, to burn and destroy. Under cover of a heavy thunder storm, on the night of June 13th, the sixth corps, being the rear guard of our army, withdrew across the river and followed on in search of Lee. The following extract from a private letter of Colonel Rogers, gives a view of the events which followed, including the great battle of Gettysburg : " Since the second Fredericksburg and Salem Heights campaign, which ended about May 9th, we have lain in camp but a month, for, on June 6th, we crossed the Rappahannock, and took part in a demonstration below Fred ericksburg. Recrossing, a week later, we began to march northward, and it has been march, march, march, ever since ; stopping a day here and there, and two or three days at Fairfax Court House, till now we have tramped nearly if not quite three hundred miles, in all. About nine o'clock of the evening of July 1st, as we lay in bivouac near Manchester, we were hurriedly got into line, and. away we went, marching all night and all the next day up to four o'clock in the afternoon, till we arrived near Gettysburg, a distance of about thirty miles. ' As we approached, the thunder of artillery and the rattling of musketry seemed nearer and nearer, and then came the stream of wounded and stragglers, some signs of a battle going on somewhere close by. The whole corps was bivouacked for two or three hours to rest after our long 40 314 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. tramp, and we were put into position on the field of battle on the extreme left, where we lay on our arms all night, being drawn up in three lines, our brigade forming a part of the middle one. " During the night many wounded, in blue uniforms and in gray, were brought in promiscuously, and the groans of the wounded and the firing of the pickets struck sadly on the ear. The next day, the day of the great battle, was a busy one for us ; as, at early dawn we were up and moving, and wherever the fighting was thickest, there the second brigade was sure to be sent to reenforce when hard pressed ; but, though we had to traverse that bloody, fatal field, through shot and shell, time and time again — first to the centre, then back again, then retrace our steps, then to the right, and so on — we were not called on to fire a shot. In Lee's grand attack, it rained shell, and the field fairly justified the cheap prints of battle-fields, where bursting shell fill the air, men are running to and fro, dead and wounded are literally piled up, riderless horses dashing off in every direction, and wounded animals are tearing along at full speed. It was fearful. But after the storm came, a lull, and rebel prisoners came streaming in by thousands, and rebel flags were borne along in triumph. " The sight amply repaid the danger. No one who was on that field will ever forget it. The killed and wounded were piled up. In some places it was difficult to keep from stepping on them. There were hundreds and thousands of dead horses and dead men — blue uniforms and gray intermixed. There were batteries apparently with all the horses and men shot down, and the horses lay in their harnesses attached to limbers or caissons, and the cannon- iers were stretched out stiff and cold, still grasping a lanyard or a rammer. Death seemed to be holding a carnival. As for wounded, their names were legion. They were strewn everywhere. The barns and houses were filled with them, and the field was covered. There were men maimed and man gled in every possible manner, lying in every conceivable position, convulsed in every cortortion of agony. The day after the battle, my regiment was on picket on the further edge of the battle-field, and as it rained and the sun shone by turns, the stench was insufferable. Although the enemy's sharp shooters were banging at us all day, I could not but think of every one of those mangled and lifeless forms being the centre round whom the affections of a wife, children, mother or sisters clustered — a reflection which no sane man allows himself to indulge in when going into battle, unless he means to disgrace himself by cowardice. The enemy retreated that night, and we HORATIO ROGERS, JR. 315 followed them riext day, finding thousands of their wounded in houses, barns and tents as we went along. We skirmished with them continually, and at Williamsport we fancied they would fight, but they got across the river, and we have come to this place to cross, the pontoons having been laid last night. We expect to be on the 'sacred soil' to-morrow. We lost one man killed and five wounded at Gettysburg." The army of the Potomac followed Lee down to Warrenton, where it stayed for two months. After various marches in the months of October and November, in which the regiment had some skirmishing with the enemy, it relaspsed into its old quarters at Brandy Station, where it spent the winter. When it became evident that the army would be mud-bound until May, the usual time of beginning a spring campaign in Virginia, Colonel Rogers resigned his commission, as his regiment's term of service would expire early the next June, and as a long and dangerous attack of malarial fever, each severer than the last, and each well nigh fatal, had prostrated him every spring during his military life, an annual occurrence of which was predicted by the physicians while he remained in a southern climate. A correspondent from the second to the Providence Journal, thus writes : " Colonel Horatio Rogers, Jr., who has commanded our regiment since Febru ary 9th, 1863, has tendered his resignation, and the same has been accepted. He took command under circumstances peculiarly trying and discouraging. He leaves after well nigh a year of trial, in which he has been by no means and in no respect found wanting. Barring personal prejudice on the part of a very few, which must have been the lot of any one assuming the command at the time and under the circumstances of Colonel Rogers's coming, he leaves in possession of the fullest confidence and esteem of the entire regiment, as well as of his superiors in command. His reasons for resigning are at home and with himself entirely, and in no wise influenced by any person or thing here. Having served as lieutenant, captain and major in the third, colonel in the eleventh, and now for almost a year as colonel of the gallant and honored second, he now feels it his duty to return to his home and his pro fession, which he left from the same high motive, August 27th, 1861. He is one of the few whose moral character has passed untarnished through all the corrupting influences of two and a half years of military life. As he retires to private life, he carries with- him the affections and prayers of this command, with the hearty wish that his success and prosperity there, may be 316 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. as complete as they have been here. His farewell address to the regiment, is no less characteristic of his constant interest in all that interests them, than it is terse and beautiful. It is as follows : "'Head-Quarters Second Rhode Island Volunteers, | Brandy Station, Virginia, January 14th, 1864.) "'Comrades: — The colonel commanding, having resigned, is about to leave you. He parts from you with regret. During the year he has had the honor to command the second, he has been proud of the regiment. He trusts and believes that your reputation has not suffered at his hands. He regards with pride and pleasure your heroic conduct at Salem Heights and Gettysburg, and the other engagements in which together we have partici pated', and holds in grateful remembrance those gallant heroes who have poured out their life's blood on those fatal fields. " ' Comrades : If it be possible, may your fame grow brighter still, and may the same Divine Providence protect you in the future that has so merci fully preserved you in the past. "'H Rogers, Jr., " ' Late Colonel Second Rhode Island Volunteers.' " " In the absence of LieutenantColonel S. B. M. Read, the command devolves upon Major H. C. Jenckes, who is fully capable of preserving the present high discipline and morale of the regiment, and who will command their utmost confidence and esteem." Bravery was Colonel Rogers's distinguishing characteristic. His own self-exposure at times bordered on recklessness, but he was scrupulously careful of the safety and welfare of his men. He left Rhode Island in 1861 a lieutenant, and did not enter the state again till 1863, after an absence of sixteen months, when he returned a colonel. A few weeks after Colonel Rogers's return home, he was elected attorney general of Rhode Island, to which office he has been twice reelected. FRANCIS GARDNER ADAMS Francis Gardner Adams, the fourth son of Seth Adams, Jr., was born in Providence, on the 8th day of February, 1839. His mother was Sarah, daughter of the Honorable Abijah Bigelow, of Worcester, Massachusetts. He received his education at the schools in his native city, and, when sixteen years of age, entered his father's counting-room there. He continued in the mercantile business until the breaking out of the rebellion, when, with other young men, he determined to offer his services to his country. Having a taste for the sea, he applied for a place in the navy; was appointed a master's mate on the 29th of August, 1861, and reported immediately for duty at the Washington Navy Yard. Here he applied himself to the study of gunnery and small-arms drill. On the 15th of October, he received orders to join the steam frigate Susquehanna, then lying at Hampton Roads. He took passage at the Washington Navy Yard, on the United States steamer Pawnee, to join his vessel. On their passage .down the Potomac, when passing Budd's Ferry, the rebels opened on them from a masked battery with shot and shell. The vessel was struck a number of times, but received no serious injury. The Susquehanna having left Hampton Roads before the arrival of the Pawnee, the latter proceeded with the expedition destined for Port Royal, South Carolina, under the command of Flag Officer Samuel F. Dupont and General Thomas W. Sherman. This fleet consisted of eighty-four vessels, including transports. On their passage down the coast they encountered a heavy gale, in which five vessels were lost. The fleet arrived off Port Royal harbor on the 5th of November. ^ '& ENSIGN FRANK C . ADAM S , U-S N . 318 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. The order of battle having been arranged on the morning of the 7th, Flag Officer Dupont in his flag-ship, the Wabash, leading the hne, steamed in toward Fort Beauregard and opened the engagement, passing within eight hundred yards of the fort. Each vessel was assigned a particular place in the line, which she kept during the fight. The fleet sailed in a circle between Fort Beauregard and Fort Walker, on the opposite island of Hilton Head. Three circuits were made, the second and third nearer the forts. On the third circuit the whole fleet came to anchor opposite Fort Walker, and con centrated their fire upon it, which, after a very short time, was abandoned by the rebels. Fort Beauregard followed the example set them, the men hastily taking to the swamp in the rear. About forty men were killed on board the fleet, two of whom were on board the Pawnee. Two days after, Mr. Adams joined the Susquehanna, which had also participated in the engagement. This ship was now ordered on blockade duty on the coast of Florida. In the month of February, she participated in the capture of Fort Clinch and Fernandina. Soon after, she proceeded to Hampton Roads and joined the North Atlantic squadron under Rear Admiral Goldsborough. She was one of the ships detailed to attack the rebel ram Merrimac. On the 11th of May, 1862, Norfolk surrendered to the Union forces under General Wool, which event was immediately followed by the destruction of the Merrimac and other ships of the rebels, by themselves. On the 28th of May, the Susquehanna sailed for the Gulf of Mexico, where she joined Admiral Farragut's squadron. She remained with this squadron nearly a year, doing blockade duty off Mobile. On the 5th of May, 1863, she arrived in New York, and, on the 9th, was put out of com mission, having been constantly employed since the spring of 1861. After being detached from the Susquehanna, Mr. Adams was ordered to the school-ship Savannah. While here, having been recommended by his commanding officer for meritorious services, he was promoted to the rank of ensign ; and, on the 10th of August, ordered to the gun-boat Aries, then at the New York Navy Yard. This vessel joined the blockading fleet off Charleston, when Mr. Adams was ordered, on the 29th of August, to the iron clad Wehawken. During the few days he was attached to this vessel she was constantly engaged with the rebel batteries. He was next ordered to the rebel ram Atlanta, which had been captured a short time before by Commodore John Rogers with the Weehawken. The Atlanta was taken to Philadelphia, and, on the 10th of October, Mr. Adams was ordered to. the FRANCIS GARDNER ADAMS. Francis Gardner Adams, the fourth son of Seth Adams, Jr., was born in Providence, on the 8th day of February, 1839. His mother was Sarah, daughter of the Honorable Abijah Bigelow, of Worcester, Massachusetts. He received his education at the schools in his native city, and, when sixteen years of age, entered his father's counting-room there. He continued in the mercantile business until the breaking out of the rebellion, when, with other young men, he determined to offer his services to his country. Having a taste for the sea, he applied for a place in the navy ; was appointed a master's. mate on the 29th of August, 1861, and reported immediately for duty at the Washington Navy Yard. Here he applied himself to the study of gunnery and small-arms drill. On the 15th of October, he received orders to join the steam frigate Susquehanna, then lying at Hampton Roads. He took passage at the Washington Navy Yard, on the United States steamer Pawnee, to join his vessel. On their passage down the Potomac, when passing Budd's Ferry, the rebels opened on them from a masked battery with shot and shell. The vessel was struck a number of times, but received no serious injury. The Susquehanna having left Hampton Roads before the arrival of the Pawnee, the latter proceeded with the expedition destined for Port Royal, South Carolina, under the command of Flag Officer Samuel F. Dupont and General Thomas W. Sherman. This fleet consisted of eighty-four vessels, including transports. On their passage down the coast they encountered a heavy gale, in which five vessels were lost. The fleet arrived off Port Royal harbor on the 5th of November. GEORGE W. TEW. k^eorge W. Tew was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on the 13th of November, 1829.' His great grandfather served in the navy during the war of independence, was taken prisoner by the enemy, and closed an honorable career in the service of his country, a victim to the horrors and cruelties of the Jersey prison ships. The subject of this sketch was the second of three sons, and was early apprenticed to the trade of a mason, in which vocation he was engaged at the breaking out of the rebellion. He had from his youth manifested an inclina tion for military exercises. In 1846, at the age of seventeen, he joined the Rhode Island Horse Guards, a cavalry company at that time composed of volunteers from the towns of Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth. The following year Mr. Tew joined the Newport Artillery Company, and soon became its commander ; a position which he held in 1861. When it was understood that a regiment was mustering from our state, in response to the President's call for seventy-five thousand men, Captain Tew began to prepare his company for service, and, by every means in his power, endeavored to stimulate the patriotism of the young men in Newport to swell its ranks. On the 15th of April, 1861, a telegram from Governor Sprague inquiring how many men could be raised, reached Captain Tew while he was quietly at work at his trade. Laying his trowel on the wall, he returned an answTer to the governor that he would raise a hundred men. Two days after, he reported in Providence with one hundred and eight men rank and file. The company was mustered into the first regiment detached militia, and was assigned the honorable position of color company of the regiment. FRANCIS GARDNER ADAMS. 319 Quaker City. While attached to this vessel, Mr. Adams was taken ill and placed on sick leave. On reporting for duty, he was ordered to the gun-boat Chenango, then fitting out at the New York Navy Yard, and was on board of her when she met with her terrible accident in New York harbor, by the explosion of her boiler, by which thirty-two men were badly scalded, of whom twenty-eight died. On the 21st of April, 1864, he was ordered to the iron-clad monitor Manhattan, but was detached from her on the 28th of May, and ordered to the supply steamer Union, where he remained until the 4th of September, when he returned to his old ship, the Susquehannah, for a short time. On the 19th of October, he was ordered to the steamer Union, to take passage to Key West, for duty in the East Gulf squadron. On his arrival there, he was ordered to the gun-boat Honduras. On the 2d of May, Mr. Adams had an attack of acute dysentery. The next day his ship was ordered to sea, and did not return till the 13th, during which time the disease was kept in subjection. As she was to leave again in a few hours, it was thought advisable to remove him to the shore. He was, accordingly, taken to the Naval Hospital, in Key West, and afterwards to a private residence, where he would receive more attention. He improved here until the 18th, when a relapse followed, from which he rapidly sank until his death, which took place on the 22d of May, 1865. He met death with the high courage which had characterized his life, his only regret being that he was not at home to die. Conscious to the last, he expressed a desire to see a clergyman, who was immediately called. He con versed with him freely, expressing his regret that he was not better prepared to die. Resolutions of condolence were passed by the officers of the Honduras, of which vessel he was the executive officer, and transmitted to the family of Mr. Adams, for he was held by his associates in the highest esteem. Such was the life of Ensign Adams. His choice of the navy was a good one. While life and health were spared he performed all his duties, and through all the rigid disciphne of the service, maintained the reputation of a manly and straightforward character. But this is not the place for eulogy. A restored Union, for which he, among a thousand others, so nobly strove, the benedictions of a great people, which he and they so richly deserve, are his best eulogium. 322 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. bined forces, an important and glorious victory to the Union cause. In this engagement the fourth Rhode Island was in the hottest of the fight, making a bayonet charge, which an official report says, " decided the fate of the day." Fort Macon was next destined to fall before the triumphal progress of General Bumside's army. It was invested on the 25th of April, and surren dered after a bombardment of ten hours. At the commencement of the siege, Lieutenant-Colonel Tew was ordered, by General Parke, to take posses sion of a certain position near the fort. With four companies from his own regiment, and four from the eighth Connecticut, detailed to his command for that purpose, he took the coveted position, and drove in the enemy's pickets. On the 20th of April, 1862, Colonel Rodman received his commission as brigadier-general, and the command of the fourth fell upon Lieutenant Colonel Tew. On the 5th of July, he received orders to embark his regi ment, and open his despatches at sea. An incident connected with the embarkation at this time, illustrates his firmness in the cause of right. The government had just previously passed an act forbidding any officer to employ his forces in restoring fugitive slaves. Some thirty negroes had man aged to secrete themselves among the stores on board the steamer which was waiting for the regiment, which, coming to the knowledge of their owners, they demanded that the fugitives should be set on shore. In this request they were seconded by the commander of the steamer, Captain Baxter, who declared that, unless the slaves were restored, he should have nothing further to do with the steamer. The harbor master, also, came on board and entered his protest against the act. LieutenantColonel Tew, however, told all parties concerned, of his firm determination to keep the slaves on board, and inform ed the captain that the ship should sail with the next tide, whether he went or not. Baxter next applied to the United States revenue cutter to inter fere ; but the officer in command, having received a copy of the order of congress, would do nothing for him. Meeting with the same disappointment from a United States gun-boat, then lying off Beaufort, Captain Baxter returned to his steamer and found himself compelled to sail with the negroes or remain behind. He chose the former course, but refused to hold any intercourse with the lieutenantcolonel or any of his officers during the voy age. On getting out to sea, the destination of the regiment was found to be Fortress Monroe, where it had been ordered, with a view of joining the ninth army corps for the campaign on the Peninsula. On reaching that place, the regiment debarked at Newport News, where the command was taken by Col- GEORGE W. TEW. 321 The history of the campaign of the first Rhode Island regiment, has been already noticed in this volume, and need not be repeated here. Captain Tew returned with his company to Newport, on Sunday, the 28th of July, where they were welcomed by the entire city. Religious services were suspended in order to give them a more universal reception. Soon after this, the natives and citizens of Rhode Island then resident in California, forwarded a set of regimental colors to be presented to the regiment. The ceremony took place in Touro Park, in Newport. The members of company F, were paraded to receive the colors, and formed around a platform which was occupied by the mayor of the city, General Burnside, the city council, and several distinguished gentlemen, both civil and military. The colors were first presented by the mayor to General Burnside in an appropriate speech, who, having received them, presented them to the company in a few remarks, in which he spoke of the services of that company. Rhode Island did not close her efforts in support of the government with the service of her three months' men. The third regiment was organized on the 12th of August, 1861, and the fourth a few days later. On the 2d day of October, the latter left for Washington, where they were placed in the brigade of General 0. 0. Howard, and quartered at Bladensburg. In the meantime, the command of the regiment had fallen to LieutenantColonel I. P. Rodman, by the resignation of Colonel McCarty ; and Captain Tew had been promoted, on the 11th of October, to be major. On the 20th of the same month, he was further promoted to the rank of lieutenantcolonel. At Camp Casey the time was occupied with drills, until the 28th of November, when the fourth Rhode Island passed into Virginia, and, in December, at Edsall's Hill, commenced picket duty, in which it was engaged until ordered to another field. This regiment was among the troops selected for the North Carolina campaign under General Burnside. At Annapolis, it was united with the fifth Rhode Island battalion and the eighth and eleventh Connecticut volun teers, forming the third brigade of the coast division. On the 7th of January, 1862, the regimerit sailed for Fortress Monroe, and from that place started with the rest of the fleet for Roanoke Island. LieutenantColonel Tew was present and participated in the battle at this place on the 7th and 8th of February, when the fourth regiment was brought, for the first time, under fire. He led his men into action with great self-possession and bravery. On the 14th of March, the capture of Newbern was successfully accomplished by the com- 324 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. The forty-fourth Massachusetts, the garrison at the besieged post, passed a series of resolutions thanking the fifth regiment for their noble conduct in going to their rescue, and subsequently presented the regiment with a set of colors. The presentation being made after Colonel Sisson had left, it became the duty of LieutenantColonel Tew to receive the gift, which he did with appropriate remarks. On the 16th of April, LieutenantColonel Tew, with four companies, was detailed to take possession of Rodman's Point. This he did in a manner greatly to his credit. As an account of this transaction has been given in the sketch of Colonel Sisson, we shall not repeat it here. The fifth regiment now numbered a thousand men, and was changed, by an order from the War Department, from infantry to heavy artillery. After its return to Newbern, the regiment was assigned in detachments to garrison the forts about that place. In May, 1864, Colonel Sisson left the regiment for the recruiting service, and, without returning, resigned his commission on the fifth of July. On the 14th of October following, LieutenantColonel Tew was commissioned as colonel of the regiment, and assumed the command. For some months before, Colonel Tew had been in immediate , command of Fort Totten, and in the general command of all the forts garrisoned about there. This position he continued to hold with credit to himself and satis faction to the department, until the 26th of June, 1865, when the fifth regi ment was mustered out of service. On the 30th of the same month, they started for home, where they arrived on the 4th of July. The men were welcomed home with every demonstration of joy. A detachment of the mili tary of Providence escorted these returned veterans to Howard Hall, where a bountiful collation was spread for them. They were addressed by His Excellency Governor Smith, and others, who bestowed upon them many deserved compliments for their bravery and good conduct in the field. In the spring election of 1866, the citizens of Rhode Island evinced their appreciation of Colonel Tew's services, by electing him to the responsible office of General Treasurer of the state. His whole course in the service has been a noble illustration, among many others brought out by the war, of how useful a Christian patriot, though not trained to the profession of arms, may render himself in the military service of his country in the hour of her need. GEORGE W. TEW. 323 onel W. H. P. Steere, promoted from the lieutenant-colonelcy of the second" regiment, by Governor Sprague. When this officer reported himself to the regiment, he was received by LieutenantColonel Tew with every courtesy due to a gentleman and superior officer, though he thought he had good reason to feel that he had suffered injustice by the appointment of another to the command of the regiment. The fourth was now ordered to Freder icksburg, Virginia, where thirteen of its officers, feeling the unjust manner in which LieutenantColonel Tew had been slighted, resigned their commis sions ; and he, seing how the other officers were affected, felt it his duty also, to resign, which he accordingly did on the 13th of August, 1862, and returned to Newport, where he remained until again called into the service. He was not long at home, for, on the 1st of October following, he was commissioned as major in the fifth regiment, then at Newbern, North Carolina, at which place he reported promptly for duty. Major Tew assumed the com mand of the fifth until January, 1863, when Colonel Sisson, who had been promoted from major of the third Rhode Island heavy artillery, arrived and took command of the regiment. On the 2d of March, Major Tew was pro moted a second time to the rank of lieutenantcolonel. We have now come to a brilliant and highly honorable portion of the history of this regiment, as well as of that of the subject of this sketch. The deed of which we are now to speak, is the raising of the siege of Little Washington, North Carolina. Early in April, 1863, information reached Newbern that General Foster, commanding the department of North Carolina, who had gone to Little Wash ington to inspect the garrison there, was closely besieged by the enemy. An expedition under the command of General Spinola was sent to his relief, but returned unsuccessful. A second expedition commanded by the same general, penetrated to Blunts Creek, but finding the enemy too strongly fortified to warrant an attack, returned. Other attempts were made with no better result, until success was achieved by the fifth regiment. The narrative is best told in the official report made by Colonel Sisson to the adjutantgeneral of the state* This exploit gained for the officers and men of the fifth regiment immortal honors. The whole country was electrified by the brilliancy and success of this perilous undertaking. Our state felt a new pride in her sol diers, for they had added a proud page to the history of the war. *For Colonel Sisson's report of this affair, see the sketch of that officer. 326 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. of the city, the twenty-seventh and forty-fourth regiments, Massachusetts volunteers, one company of the third New York cavalry, and the gun-boats Louisiana, Ceres and Commodore Hull. An expedition, under the command of Brigadier-General Spinola, was immediately sent to his relief, but returned unsuccessful. Another, under the same officer, penetrated to Blunts Creek, but meeting the enemy strongly fortified, likewise returned without effecting its purpose. On Friday, 10th instant, I received orders from Brigadier-Gen eral Palmer, to proceed with my command to Washington by water. General Palmer signified his intention to take command of the expedition, and Lieu tenantColonel Southard Hoffman, assistant adjutant-general to General Foster, determined to accompany us. Accordingly, at about one o'clock, p. m., we embarked on board the transport steamer Escort, Captain Wall, and started from Newbern. The next morning we arrived in Pamlico river, and anchored a short distance from Manly Point, ten miles below the city of Washington. Here we found a fleet of five gunboats, and some transports loaded with pro visions, ammunition and forage, being prevented from ascending the river by a blockade which the enemy had established at Hill's Point, and three formi dable batteries — one at that point, and another at Swan's Point, nearly oppo site, and another at Rodman's Point — commanding the river and the city. The blockade, consisting of a triple row of piles extending across the river with the exception of a passage about one hundred feet wide, and four hun dred feet from the shore, and directly under the guns of the battery. To increase the difficulty in finding the crooked channel, the enemy had removed all the buoys in the river. Saturday was passed in loading with provisions and ammunition from off the transports, and in piling bales of hay on deck; so as to protect the engine and boilers from shot and shell. On Sunday morning, in accordance with orders from General Palmer, we got under way and slowly approached the opening in the blockade and the Hill's Point battery. A fog had arisen about daybreak, and soon became so dense as to prevent our further progress, and we were ordered to return to our anchor age. When .the fog lifted, the gunboats commenced bombarding the battery at long range, but with no visible effect. Monday morning, fifty volunteers from the regiment were sent on shore under command of Captain W. W. Douglass and Lieutenant Dutee Johnson. Their landing was covered by the gun-boat Valley City, and was effected a short distance below Blunts Creek. The reconnoissance was conducted with success and credit to the commanding officer and the men who were engaged in it. They discovered three batteries HENRY T. SISSON. « ¦»•»» > 'his officer commenced his military career, by joining the first regiment of Rhode Island volunteers. He was commissioned as paymaster with the rank of lieutenant. He was next appointed captain of the firsfr Rhode Island artillery, December 20th, 1861, and major of the third heavy artillery, February 5th, 1862, which place he resigned on the 6th of August following. On the 5th of November, he was appointed colonel of the fifth Rhode Island heavy artillery. This regiment was originally enlisted as a battalion, under authority received from General Burnside from the War Department, as a part of his " coast division," with the understanding that it should be enlarged to a full regiment. In about seven weeks five companies were filled, and, on the 27th of December, they left for Annapolis, Maryland, to join the North Carolina expedition. Others followed, and, on the 9th of January, Colonel Sisson arrived at Beaufort and took command of the regi ment. Among the military adventures of the fifth, the raising of the siege of Little Washington, North Carolina, must ever occupy the most prominent place as a hazardous and brilliant achievement. We give the particulars of this affair in the official report of Colonel Sisson to General Mauran, adjutant- general of Rhode Island : " Head-Quarters Fifth Regimknt Khode Island Volunteers, ) Washington, North Carolina, April 20th, 1863. j "General: — A few days previous to April 10th, information reached Newbern that Major-General Foster, commanding this department, who had gone to Washington, North Carolina, to inspect the garrison and defences there, was closely besieged by the enemy. He had with him for the defence 328 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. bank, and their guns opened on us at about three hundred yards' distance. Although they were better aimed than before, the shots passed harmlessly over us, only a few striking the boat and lodging in the hay. The shore was lined with sharpshooters who fired upon the steamer with no effect, except to pro voke a few answering shots from our men. Another mile passed at full speed brought us to the wharf at Washington, without injury to any one on board. Our passage of the blockade with a large, unarmed steamer, convinced the enemy of its inefficiency ; and, despairing of their attempt to starve out the garrison, they evacuated their works Tuesday night, 14th instant, and left us in undisputed possession of the post. I cannot close before mentioning the gallant conduct of my officers and men during the period of suspense through which we passed. Their self-possession and ready obedience was extremely gratifying to me, and justifying a confidence that they will never prove recreant in the hour of danger. I would speak particularly of Lieutenant Colonel Tew and Major Jameson, whose advice and support materially aided me in the conception and undertaking of our expedition. Of Captain William W. Douglass, who, during the reconnoissance of Monday morning, displayed great coolness and bravery in proceeding in company with SergeantMajor J. J. Hatlinger in advance of his men,' directly under the enemy's guns, to prepare an accurate sketch of their position. Captains H. B. Landers and Isaac M. Potter, Lieutenant Thomas Allen, and Sergeants Mott and Conger were at their posts on deck during the night, and ably performed their respective duties. I beg leave to enclose, herewith, a plan of the position and defences of Washington and the lines of the besieging forces, executed by Lieutenant Meulen, of company E. " I am, Sir, with respect, "Henry T. Sisson, " Colonel Commanding Fifth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers." " To Brigadier-General E. C. Mauran, AdjutantGeneral State of Rhode Island.^" " Head-Quarters, Fifth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, ") " Newbern, North Carolina, April 25th, 1863. j "General: — In completion of my report of our expedition to Washington, I beg to transmit the following report of the movements of the fifth regiment after our arrival here : "Almost immediately after landing, we were assigned positions in the trenches and forts on the right of the line of defence, where we remained HENRY t. sisson. 327 on the west bank of the creek, commanding its passage, and preventing our approach to Washington by land. In consideration of the previous attempts to reach Washington, and of the situation of our noble commander and the brave men from our sister state who composed its garrison, I considered it my duty to offer the services of my command to attempt the passage of the blockade. Accordingly I despatched Major Jameson to General Palmer, who was on board the Southfield, to volunteer ourselves for such an expedition. He reported to General Palmer, who did not feel warranted in ordering us upon an enterprise of this nature, as it was not possible for him to accom pany us, and as the attempt of Sunday morning, assured him of the extreme peril with which it would be attended ; but allowed me to make the trial, if in my judgment it were practicable, and offered me the assistance of the gun boats if I determined to go. After further deliberation and a consultation with my lieutenantcolonel and major, I decided that the object of the expe dition was of sufficient importance to demand the risk I proposed to assume. At eight o'clock, therefore, on Monday eve, we again weighed anchor and started for Washington. The officers and men not on duty were placed below by peremptory orders, so as to insure their safety as far as possible. LieutenantColonel Tew and Major Jameson remained on deck with me, together with the officer of the day, Captain H B. Landers, the officer of the guard, Lieutenant Thomas Allen, and a coiripany of sharpshooters who volunteered for that purpose, under command of Captain J. M. Potter. Our pilot steered us safely through the passage in the blockade, grazing only once on the piles. Just as we cleared the obstructions, the battery opened upon us a terrific fire from a distance of some four hundred yards. Our progress was very slow, owing to the shallowness of the water and the extreme crookedness of the channel. The gun-boats engaged the battery and distracted their atten tion somewhat, but did not pass above the blockade. The shots from the enemy, as I had anticipated, were thrown very much at random on account of the dark ness, and we passed by unhurt. The battery on the opposite shore at Swan's Point attempted to make their respects to us, but succeeded in paying us only an empty compliment. As the channel became wider and deeper, we crowded on all steam and soon passed over the six or eight miles separating us from Rodman's Point. Here the navigation became more intricate, and we were twice obliged to stop completely in order to be certain of our situation. The enemy at Fort Rodman were prepared to greet us ivarmly, as the previous firing below had warned them of our approach. The channel lay close to the 330 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. twelve o'clock. The other companies were relieved April 24th, and joined the regiment in Newbern this morning. We are thus again united at Camp Anthony, ready for other conflicts in defence of our glorious Union when circumstances shall demand action, and our gallant commander shall invite us to new victories. " I am, General, with great respect, your obedient servant, "Henry T. Sisson, " Colonel Commanding Fifth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers." " To Brigadier-General E. C. Mauran, Adjutant-General State of Rhode Island." The Massachusetts forty-fourth, the garrison of the post, felt deeply the importance of the service rendered by Colonel Sisson and his command, and, on the 25th of April, Colonel Francis L. Lee communicated to him a series of • resolutions, thanking him and his regiment for an act of valor that raised the siege, and subsequently presented the fifth with a set of colors. At a later date, while on a visit to Boston, Colonel Sisson received from the lady friends of the Massachusetts forty-fourth, an elegant sword, sash and belt, together with two massive pieces of silver, in token of their appreciation of his ser vices. The General Assembly of Rhode Island at its May session, 1863, passed a resolution of thanks to Colonel Sisson and the officers and men of his regiment, for the gallantry and heroism displayed in raising the siege of Little Washington. After the return of the regiment it resumed its duties at Fort Rowan. General Foster, pleased with the manner in which this fort was garrisoned, directed Colonel Sisson to garrison, in addition, Fort Totten. The fifth, also, did .a large amount of work in perfecting this fortification. Soon after, the command was extended to the forts on the south side of the Trent, all of which the fifth contributed largely to put in a state of defence. From this time until it was mustered out, it furnished a large number of non-commis sioned officers and privates for duty as clerks, store-keepers, wagoners, etc., in the various departments of the service. At the siege of Newbern, in Febru ary, 1864, Colonel Sisson's command, with the fifth as a principal part of it, constituted the right centre division of the defence. For several months Colonel Tew had the immediate command of Fort Totten, being next in command to Colonel Sisson. During the remainder of the time while the latter commanded the fifth, nothing unusual occurred except the attack of the rebels in May, 1864. On the 5th of Octobef, 1864, Colonel Sisson was honorably discharged the service on account of disability. HENRY T. SISSON. 329 until the enemy evacuated. On Thursday afternoon, April 16th, five compa nies (D, E, G, H and I) were detailed under command of LieutenantColonel Tew, to take possession of Rodman's Point. A boat's crew from the gun-boat Ceres had been repulsed in an attempt to land there two hours before, and the assistant engineer was killed. It became evident that the severe rain of the previous night had made transportation so difficult as to retard the movements of the artillery and baggage-trains of the enemy, and to require a strong rear guard for their protection. LieutenantColonel Tew therefore made preparations to meet a considerable force; and by skillful manoeuvering accomplished the landing without loss. Captain Robinson's company (G) was put in advance, and proceeding along the road came in sight of a company of the enemy about three-fourths of a mile from the landing. Deploying his company he advanced cautiously, and immediately attacked them. After a sharp skirmish, in which he displayed great coolness and bravery, he suc ceeded in dislodging them, killing one man and taking three prisoners — a captain, lieutenant and drum-major. Having set fire to the building in which the enemy had quarters, Captain Robinson fell back about one-fourth of a mile, and, under the direction of LieutenantColonel Tew, posted his pickets so as to command every approach to our position. The enemy's pickets were posted about two hundred yards from ours, and exchanged shots with them repeat edly during the night. The whole detachment formed promptly in line at each alarm, but no attack was made ; and, in the morning, our scouts could not discover the enemy within five miles of the point. LieutenantColonel Tew throughout the whole movement was ever at the post of greatest dan ger, displaying the utmost self-possession and skill in disposing of his small force to the greatest advantage. On Saturday, the 18th instant, the remain ing companies of the regiment were ordered to Rodman's Point, with the exception of company C, which was stationed at Grice's house, about a mile from Washington, on the road to Newbern. During the night the breast works of the enemy were destroyed, and one was thrown up by our men defending the point from a land attack. On Sunday, 19th instant, an expe dition from Newbern, under the command' of Generals Foster, Wessells, Negley and Hickman, came through without meeting any force, and ascertained that the enemy had definitely abandoned their designs upon Washington. On Wednesday morning, (22d,) we received orders to embark for Newbern, leav ing three companies at Rodman's Point; and, starting at about ten o'clock, a. m., on the steamer Thomas Collyer, we arrived in Newbern the same night, at 12 332 rhode Island officers. 1862, and in the battle of Pocotaligo, South Carolina, October 22d, 1862; — in the capture of Morris Island, July 9th, and in the unsuccessful attack on Fort Wager, July 18th, 1863 ; — in all the siege and artillery operations on Morris Island, against forts Wagner and Sumter, in the summer of the same year, which terminated in the capture of Wagner and the reduction of Sum ter, during which time Colonel Brayton was assistant chief of artillery, and in immediate command of all the batteries on the island. Subsequently as chief of artillery to Major-General Alfred H. Terry, he was in charge of all the artillery operations against the city of Charleston and the adjacent islands. In March, 1864, he was appointed chief of artillery of the department of the south, which position he held until his term of service expired. CHARLES RAY BRAYTON. 'harles Ray Brayton, the eldest son of the Honorable William D. and Anna W. Brayton, was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, on the 16th of August, 1840. He entered Brown University in September, 1859, and left college at the close of the first term of the sophomore year, to recruit a company in his native town for the third regiment Rhode Island volunteers, subsequently known as the heavy artillery. He was commissioned as first lieutenant in this regiment on the 27th of August, 1861 ; promoted to a captaincy on the 28th of November, 1862; to the lieutenantcolonelcy of the regiment on the 17th of November, 1863 ; and to the colonelcy on the 1st of April, 1864, which position he held until honorably mustered out of service with his regiment at Providence, on the 5th of October following. In recommending LieutenantColonel Brayton for the vacant colonelcy of his regiment, General Alfred H. Terry, after speaking of his great experience as an artillery officer, says : " In every place which Colonel Brayton has occupied, his good conduct and capacity have reflected honor on the state from which he received his commission. There is no officer in his regiment who approaches him in fitness for a high command, and in my judgment the interest of the service will be greatly subserved by his promotion." This recommendation bore the endorsement of Major-General Gillmore and Brig adier-General J. W. Turner. During his term of service, Colonel Brayton participated in the capture of Port Royal, South Carolina ; — in all the siege and artillery operations ending in the reduction and capture of Fort Pulaski, Georgia, April 11th, 1862 ; — in the battle of James Island, South Carolina, on the 16th of June, so! en el ."? n0 R ! V. Inf. 334 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Soon after this disastrous battle, Mr. Rhodes was assigned to the color guard of the regiment, and remained in that position until November, when he was detailed as clerk at the head-quarters of Major-General Buell. He was afterwards transferred to Major-General Keyes's head-quarters, and remained with him during the entire winter. On the 1st of March, 1862, he was maae sergeantmajor of the regiment. In all the marches and counter-marches of the second Rhode Island, the several campaigns, skirmishes and battles in which it took part, Mr. Rhodes was always at his post; and, from his strict attention to duty, his acknowledged bravery as well as his military skill, gained the confidence of his superior officers so that, on the 6th of Novem ber, 1863, he was promoted to adjutant of his regiment, and assigned to duty on the regimental staff. We will not follow him through his previous cam paigns, as the story is told by commanding officers. On the 6th of June, 1864, Major H. C. Jenckes, with other officers and men whose three years' service had expired, returned to Rhode Island, where they were mustered out of service. Captain Henry H Young, Adjutant Rhodes, Lieutenants T. J. and S. J. Smith, with three hundred and twenty- six enlisted men, only remained. Captain Young was appointed inspector^ general on the brigade staff, leaving the regiment under the command of Adjutant Rhodes. A single day only was allowed to organize the regiment, when it was ordered to the trenches at Cold Harbor. Three companies were formed, and non-commissioned officers appointed to command. These were subsequently commissioned by Governor Smith. The lines at Cold Harbor were a series of gradual approaches to the enemy's works protected by abatis. Covered ways were constructed, through which the troops communicated from front to rear. Continual shelling from rifle and mortar batteries, with occasional volleys from both sides, continued until the 12th of June, when the army quietly crossed the Chickahominy and arrived in front of the rebel works, near Petersburg, on the 17th. The next day an assault was made and lines established, which, with little altera tion, were maintained until the termination of the siege. The second Rhode Island took part in the assault, losing several men. Lieutenant T. J. Smith was severely wounded and was carried from the field, leaving Adjutant Rhodes, the only commissioned officer present for duty with the regiment. Lieutenant Smith was promoted to captain by brevet, by the President, for his gallant conduct, and served on the regimental staff as adjutant to the close of the war. On the 24th of June, on the recommendation of Major- ELISHA HUNT RHODES. ^lisha Hunt Rhodes^ son of Elisha H. and Eliza A. Rhodes, was born in Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, March 21st, 1842. He attended the village school until he was fourteen, when he entered the Fountain street grammar school, in Providence. After remaining here a year, he entered a commercial academy in order to prepare himself for a business life. On the death of his father, who was lost at sea while in command of the schooner Worcester, he entered a counting-room in Providence, where he remained until the breaking out of the rebellion. Abandoning, for a time, all idea of business, he enlisted as a private in the second Rhode Island volunteers, but was soon advanced to a 'corporal, and was with his regiment at the battle of Bull Run. This regiment had the lead of one of the main columns when the march began to the enemy's position at Manassas. The men, Colonel Rhodes says, were scarcely expecting to meet the enemy so soon, when they were suddenly saluted by a heavy volley of musketry from the woods. Colonel Slocum immediately halted his command, a line was soon formed, and their first battle began. The officers encouraged their men, and all fought bravely. Colonel Slocum, who was in advance of the lines, as the fire slack ened, climbed over a fence in front, and, in returning was shot, one bullet taking effect in the back of his head, and two others in his ankle. Mr. Rhodes seeing him fall, rushed forward and raised him from the ground. He then called upon private Thomas Parker to assist him, and, together, they bore him to a house on the left of the line, and delivered him to the care of Chaplain Jameson and Surgeon Wheaton. 336 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. On the 1st of December, the sixth corps left the valley for Washington, whence they proceeded by transports to City Point. They immediately took the front, relieving the fifth corps in the trenches before Petersburg. Log huts had already been built by the troops, and preparations were made: to pass the winter iri siege operations. The 1st of January, 1865, found the second Rhode Island celebrating their fourth New Year in the army, and receiving a splendid stand of colors, a gift from the state. The brigade commander and his staff, as well as other officers, were present, when speeches were made by Colonel A. D. Smith, 3d, of Governor Smith's staff, and Major Rhodes, while cheer after cheer rent the air as the flag was taken to its place in line. The regiment had now been increased to six hundred men, fully officered ; and, on the 1st of February, Major Rhodes received another recognition of his gallantry, by a promotion to the lieutenantcolonelcy of his regiment. This promotion was made at the request of all the officers of the regiment, as well as on the recommendation of the division and brigade commanders. During the month of March, the regiment was engaged in frequent skirmishes, but nothing of importance transpired until the 1st of April, when orders were received to prepare for an assault on the enemy's works the fol lowing morning. Preparations were accordingly made, and at ten, p. m., all the forts on the sixth corps front opened on the enemy's works a terrific shower of shot and shell. During this bombardment our troops moved quietly from camp, and passed through the works near Fort Fisher, near the Weldon Railroad. The corps was formed by divisions in three lines, the second Rhode Island being in the second. The enemy, although taken by surprise, opened fire from the fort and rifle-pits. A correspondent of the Providence Journal, in speaking of the charge, says : " The second Rhode Island formed in line with the sixth corps, in front of Fort Fisher, under a severe fire from the enemy's skirmishers. Just before light, we were ordered to advance, which we did, and captured the works. Our regiment started in the second line, but before reaching the enemy, were in front, and were the first to plant the flag on the works. Lieutenant-Colonel Rhodes was the first to mount the parapet." Another witness, in describing the battle, says : " After the enemy's lines were carried, Lieutenant-Colonel Rhodes pushed forward to the Boynton plank road, and halted till the lines were reformed. The regiment, although suffering severely, was intact, and was of much service in following the retreating rebels while the lines were forming. The corps pushed on to ELISHA HUNT RHODES. 335 General F. Wheaton and Brigadier-General Edwards, he was promoted to a captain, to date from May 5. A few days later, the regiment took part in the destruction of the Weldon road, near Reams's station. On the 1st of July, it was transferred to the third brigade, first division, sixth corps, and soon after accompanied it to Washington, to repel General Early, who was then near the capital. They marched to Brightwood, when the regiment found themselves engaged in battle on the old brigade camp ground. The rebels were repulsed with great loss, and retreated into Virginia. The corps pursued the enemy, with whom they had some skirmishing, and arrived at Leesburg on the 17th. The following day they crossed the mountains at Clark's Gap.' The road was filled with arms and wagons, abandoned by the rebels. Arriv ing at the Shenandoah, Captain Rhodes was sent, with his regiment, to the river bank, to watch the movements of the enemy during the night. The following morning, the second Rhode Island and thirty-seventh Massachusetts charged across the stream, the rebels retiring in great haste. The corps pursued them to Berryville, and then returned to Washington. On the 6th "of August, the corps moved to Harper's Ferry, and was attached to the mid dle division, under the command of Major-General Sheridan. On the 21st, the rebels made a demonstration against the sixth corps. The second Rhode Island was deployed as skirmishers, but met with slight loss. There was much skirmishing between the opposing armies until the 19th of September, when the Union forces crossed the Opequan and attacked [Early. The fighting was very severe, and the Union army forced back. At two o'clock, p. m., a grand attack was made by the sixth and nineteenth corps in front, while the eighth corps and the cavalry came down on Early's left flank. Nothing could resist the impetuous assault, and the rebel army, broken and dispirited, went flying through Winchester, leaving the ground covered with their dead and wounded, besides large quantities of arms and war material. The second Rhode Island took part in the battle and lost several men. The regiment was honorably mentioned for its gallant conduct in the official reports. Captain Rhodes was complimented by his brigade commander on the field, and was breveted major for gallant and meritorious conduct in this engagement. He labored under the disadvantage of being almost entirely destitute of commissioned officers, but was well sustained by the sergeants of the regiment. The next morning the army moved to Fisher's Hill, the rebel army fleeing, and leaving most of their artillery. The brigade returned to Winchester, when details, under Major Rhodes, were employed in searching for arms and in arresting suspicious persons. 338 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. duty. The troops were soon after ordered to Washington via Richmond, marching the entire distance. Here they remained till the 15th of July. From Washington the second proceeded to Rhode Island, meanwhile Brevet Colonel Rhodes was commissioned Colonel by Governor Smith, for " gallant services during the war." The regiment reached Providence on the 18th ; was received by a salute and a detachment of militia, and then escorted to City Hall, where a bountiful entertainment was provided. On the 28th, the men were mustered out of the service. In parting with his regiment, Colonel Rhodes issued the following order : "Head-Quarters Second Rhode Island Volunteers, > Providence, Rhode Island, July 28th, 1865. ) "Comrades: — The time has come for us to part, after serving together for over four years. Before bidding you farewell, I wish to express my grati tude to you all for your uniform kindness to me, and your attention to duty. Nobly have you served your country, gallantly have you followed our battler scarred flags through the fiercest of the fight You have never allowed the good name of our native state to suffer, but have added to its historic fame. You may well be proud of the part that you have taken in preserving the Union. Your commanding officer will ever be proud to say that he served through the rebellion in the second Rhode Island volunteers, and will remem ber with pleasure the brave men who so nobly supported him during the time that he had command. We are now to commence a new career. We are to become citizens. Show to the nation that you can be good citizens as well as gallant soldiers. Be true to God, your country and yourselves. Farewell. " By order, "Colonel E. H. Rhodes." "T. J. Smith, Brevet-Captain and Adjutant." The second Rhode Island was one of the first three years' regiments to enter the service for the war, and one of the last to be mustered out. It ¦ served over four years, and took part in all the battles fought by the army of the Potomac. Colonel Rhodes served in every position, from private to colonel. He received eight commissions during the war, six from the governor of Rhode Island and two from the President of the United States ; and no officer from the state can show a more brilliant record. ELISHA HUNT RHODES. 337 Hatcher's Run, but not meeting the enemy, returned towards Petersburg, where they were engaged till dark. LieutenantColonel Rhodes was conspic uous during the day for his bravery and daring, leading his men in every charge, and again complimented by his superior officers." He was immedi ately recommended for promotion to brevetcolonel, "for gallant conduct at the battle of Petersburg," which he received from the President. On the 6th, General Sheridan, with the cavalry and the sixth corps, came up with the enemy on Sailor's Creek. The lines were formed, and a vigorous attack commenced. The second Rhode Island, by the extension of the lines, found itself on the extreme left flank of the division. An officer present, says : " When the eneriiy was observed on the opposite bank of the stream, Colonel Rhodes calling upon the regiment to follow, plunged into it. The men struggled through the mud and water waist deep, driving the rebels from the bank into the woods beyond. Here the lines were reformed, and another dash made up the hill and into the woods — the flank becoming exposed by the cavalry keeping too far to the right. The enemy observing this break in the fines, pushed through and occupied the river bank again, and attacked the regiment in both flanks and rear. Finding it impossible to push ahead, Col onel Rhodes ordered the regiment to face about and cut their way back. The fighting was terrible, but the regiment succeeded in regaining the oppo site bank with a fearful loss. The combatants were so mixed together, that the fighting was hand to hand, many men being bayonetted and knocked down by the butts of guns. Captain Charles W. Gleason and Lieutenant William H. Perry, were killed while leading on their men. Four other officers were wounded, and about fifty men killed and wounded. When it is remeiribered that the regiment only numbered twelve officers and about two hundred men for duty, the severity of the fighting may be imagined. The lines were again formed, the stream crossed, and the enemy driven in confu sion, leaving their wagon-train in our hands. For the remainder of the day, Colonel Rhodes was in temporary command of the brigade, and acquitted himself with credit." On the 7th of April, the march was resumed, and Lee's army overtaken at Appomattox Court House, where they surrendered on the 9th. The corps was immediately ordered back to Barksville, and then sent to Danville to assist in the capture of the rebel force under General Joe Johnson. In the mean time that officer had surrendered. The second Rhode Island was ordered to Welville Station, where they guarded the road and did provost 340 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. he has never entirely recovered, though, at the time, it did not prevent his taking an active part in those gallant operations which ultimately resulted in the delivery of the Mexican capital into the hands of General Scott. After performing garrison duty for several months in Mexico, he returned to his former occupation in Rhode Island. With the exception of four years, from 1850 to 1854, spent in Brazil, where he had contracted to erect and manage an iron foundry, Mr. Viall remained in Providence until the fall of Fort Sumter, in 1861. This event roused him, as it did every loyal man at the north, and he resolved to give his time and energies to the defence of the same old flag under which he had fought in 1847. He then held a commission as lieutenant-colonel in the Providence Artillery, and, with the permission of the colonel commanding, he at once opened the armory for recruits. A company was soon raised for the first regiment, of which Mr. Viall was commissioned as firstlieutenant, and soon after promoted to a captaincy. On the fall of Colonel Slocum and Major Ballou, at Bull Run, Captain Viall found himself the senior captain, and obliged to assume the duties of a field officer. These duties he performed with so much bravery that, on the reorganization of the regiment, he received a commission as major, bearing date from the ill-fated day of the disastrous battle. In the Peninsular cam paign the regiment participated, and, while stationed at Mechanicsville, Major Viall was promoted to a lieutenantcolonel. On the 25th of June, the regi ment engaged the enemy, when Colonel Viall received a flesh wound in the hip. Then began the seven days' conflict, when General McClellan was forced back from his position. During the retreat, Colonel Viall was. ordered to report to General Couch, at the division head-quarters, and directed to act in the place of General Abercrombie, who was sick. The plan of falling back to Harrison's Landing was confided to him, and the detail of different brigades of division doing picket duty at the front was furnished him, with instruc tions to contest the line as long as possible ; and, in case it should be broken by the advancing rebels, to make the best of his way to Charles City road, where a new picket line would be found established. Fortunately the ruse succeeded, long enough for everything in the rear to retire. At the battle of Malvern Hill, the seventh Massachusetts and the second Rhode Island regiments were detached from their brigade, and were stationed at Turkey Bend Bridge, to protect the position for the passage of our trains. The men were kept here until the trains had passed in safety and the battle NELSON VIALL. mono the many officers of high rank by whom our gallant state was represented during the late war, there are few who served under her banner more faithfully or saw harder service in the great cause, than General Viall. He was born in circumstances which placed him at the early age of eleven years among strangers, and obliged to depend entirely upon his own resources for support. This developed in him strength to battle with the world, and a resolute determination in whatever he undertook, which became valuable characteristics later in life, on the field of battle and in the hour of danger. His parents, Samuel and Hannah Viall, resided in Plainfield, Connecticut, at the time of his birth, which occurred November 27th, 1827. Being without a home in early life, his opportunities for educa tion were very limited. In 1846, he was employed as a moulder in Provi dence ; while, at the same time, his love for military affairs led him to connect himself with the company then known as the United Train of Artillery. At the breaking out of the Mexican war, Mr. Viall felt a strong desire to join the troops which were forming in Rhode Island under the command of Captain Joseph S. Pitman, and, in February, 1847, enlisted and served during the war, first as corporal and then as sergeant. The first severe fight in which he participated was the famous battle of Contreras, when, after severe exposure, the American troops, under General Smith, made a gallant and victorious assault upon the too confident Mexicans. This success was followed soon after by the battle of Cherubusco, when, after five hard-fought actions, victory again crowned the American arms. At the storming of Chepultepec," Corporal Viall received a severe injury in his foot while ascending one of the storming ladders. From this accident 342 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. In February, following, Colonel Viall resigned his position as commander of the regiment, owing to troubles arising from the appointment of the chap lain to the rank of major, an appointment which was the cause of much dissatisfaction. On returning to Rhode Island he resumed his trade. By the requirements of the law, he joined the militia, and was elected Colonel of the fourth regiment Rhode Island militia. Upon the advance of the rebels into Pennsylvania, Governor Smith decided to raise three six months' regiments, and offered to Colonel" Viall the command of the first which should be raised. He at once opened recruiting offices, and began the formation of the thirteenth regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, as it was to be called. The small bounties then offered, made recruiting very slow, and one company was raised with great exertion. About this time the draft took place, accompanied by the riots in New York and Boston. Rhode Island was not wholly free from bitter expressions in regard to the draft, and the governor having reason to believe that a system of patrol would be necessary, placed the charge of the state property in Colonel Viall's hands. The thirteenth regiment was moved each night from its camp, to perform guard duty with the militia. Meanwmile orders were received from the department at Washington, to discharge all six months' men and recruit only for three years. The thirteenth regiment was accord ingly disbanded, many of its members enlisting in the third cavalry. When the colored regiment of heavy artillery was organized in Septem ber, 1863, Colonel Viall was assigned the duty of preparing it for the field. On the 19th of December, the first battalion left Providence for New Orleans, and proceeded thence to Passo Cavallo, Texas, where it arrived on the 8th of January, and was assigned to garrison duty in Fort Esperanza. Here it was visited by Major-General Dana, commanding the Union forces in Texas, who expressed himself gratified with its appearance. In a letter to Governor Smith, he says : " I took them entirely by surprise, by going over in a small boat, but they were ready. The soldierly conduct of the sentinels on post and of the main guard at the gate, challenged my admiration. The 'assembly' was sounded, and,'in five minutes, the wThole battalion, four hun dred strong, was in line ; and I have never found a regiment, even on a Sun day morning inspection, in more perfect condition. Excellence is the proper term to apply to its condition and soldierly bearing. The drill was also most creditable. Such discipline and order, reflect great credit on the company officers, and especially on the major in command." NELSON VIALL. 341 had become general, when they were ordered to the right of the line, com manded by General Smith, under whom the second remained until the army reached Harrison's Landing. On reaching the Landing, Colonel Viall was ordered to take command of the tenth Massachusetts, whose colonel had been wounded. The lieutenantcolonel and major had abandoned their men dur ing the seven days' conflict, and the regiment was suffering badly for the want of field officers. Colonel Viall remained in command of this regiment until it arrived at Yorktown, fulfilling the duties incumbent upon the posi tion to the satisfaction of all connected with him. His subordinate officers were so pleased with the ability he displayed while in charge of the regiment, that they forwarded a request to Governor Andrew, that Colonel Viall, might be appointed to the place of their old colonel, who had been, in the mean time, advanced to the rank of a brigadier. This request would probably have been granted had Colonel Viall seen fit to accept ; but he had been assured by those high in authority, that he would soon have the command of a Rhode Island regiment, so he declined the offer, and returned to his lieutenantcolonelcy of the second Rhode Island. The regiment took part in the second battle at Bull Run, Chantilly, Antietam, and other places of less note, and, on the 10th of December, took up a position opposite Fredericksburg. On the next day, the duty was assigned them of charging across some bridges that had been thrown across during the night. Colonel Viall having command of the regiment at this point, after crossing the bridges, deployed his men as skirmishers, and the gal lant second was soon fighting the rebels and pushing them before its steady advance. The movement was watched by the whole division, which was stationed on the heights on the other side of the river, and,- as the picket line of the rebels gave way, our troops sent up the most deafening cheers. For fourteen hours, Colonel Viall was obliged to keep his men at their posts, without fires to guard them from the piercing cold. He himself narrowly escaped with his life, while reconnoitering at the front to ascertain the posi tion of the rebel forces, A volley from a number of muskets suddenly greeted him from one of the ditches bordering the road, but with no other result than to reveal their place of concealment. This advance of the second Rhode Island, proved to be almost the only pleasant feature in the attack, the two following days being disastrous ones to the Union cause. On this field, Colonel Viall received a commission as colonel of the second regiment, bearing date December 16th, 1862. ERASMUS SHERMAN BARTHOLOMEW. 'rasmus Sherman Bartholomew was born in Denmark, Lewis County, New York, on the 31st of July, 1830, and was within a few weeks of thirty- two years of age when he died, on the 17th of June, 1862. His father was Erasmus Darwin Bartholomew, a physician, and also the son of a physician, a surgeon in the army of 1812, who died at an early age of disease contracted while in the service of his country. His mother was Mary Seline Brewster, a descendant, in direct line, of Elder William Brewster, of May Flower memory. In accordance with the wishes of his friends, he acquired a trade, at which he wrought until he> was two or three years past his majority. But his heart never was in it. He aspired to something nobler. Not that he despised labor, but that he desired something which would call his mental powers into greater exercise than any handicraft possibly could. He longed for an education. He longed for it for its own sake, and because other impulses now stirred his soul. Surrounded by pious friends, he had been the subject of many and deep religious impressions, until, in the winter of 1848-9, he became a decided Christian, and at once connected himself with the Bap tist Church in DeRuyter, New York, where he was then residing. He soon determined to put forth an effort to obtain an education, in order that he might preach the gospel ; and, to this end, left his trade, and spent some two years or more in Wyoming and Rochester, New York. At the expiration of this time, from ill-health and other considerations, he felt compelled to aban don the attempt and to give up the long-cherished desire of his heart. He then came to Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where, under the instruction of his NELSON VIALL. 343 The second battalion followed on the 22d of January, under Captain Nelson Kenyon. Soon after it arrived it was sent to Plaquemine, one hun dred and sixty miles above New Orleans, where Major Shaw became post commander and Captain Kenyon assumed the command of the battalion. Here it was engaged in putting the fort in a state of defence, and in guarding the town. The third battalion was detained until April, when Colonel Viall accompanied it. On reaching New Orleans, it was ordered to Camp Parapet, when Colonel Viall assumed command of the post. On the 19th of May, Major Comstock received orders to evacuate Fort Esperanza and return to New Orleans. On reaching Fort Parapet he reported to Colonel Viall, when the first and third battalions were consolidated. Here Colonel Viall estab lished a school for his men, who showed a great desire to learn. On the 30th of June, the Colonel was placed in immediate command of the fortifications on both sides of the river. The line of one of these was over two miles in length, and required constant labor to keep it in repair. Aside from the drill and fatigue duty, a rigid system of guard duty was required of Colonel Viall. For much of the time while the fourteenth regiment was in Louisiana, Colonel Viall was engaged on a general courtmartial at New Orleans. The regiment remained there until the 2d of October, 1865, when it was mustered out of the service. On the 7th, it embarked for the north, and arrived at Portsmouth Grove, Rhode Island, on the 18th, where it was received with a national salute. A few days after, it -visited Providence, where it was met by an immense concourse of spectators. A bountiful collation was provided at City Hall, where the men received the thanks of the state for the valuable services they had rendered the country in the hour of need. With the mustering out of this regiment, Colonel Viall ended his mili tary service in the great rebellion. Up to this time, he had not. received a commission from the United States as colonel, although he had held a state commission of that grade. Soon after the close of the war, he received a colonel's commission from Washington, together with the promotion to the rank of brigadier-general by brevet. The promotion was well deserved, for few officers had rendered the state or the government more laborious service than Colonel Viall. His personal bravery in battle was never doubted. The troops under his command were always in a state of high discipline, and, by long and faithful services, he proved himself among the worthiest of Rhode Island's sons who represented the national honor during the fierce contest of the great rebellion. IC'-" tM/% ryfa-e^t*; — LIEUT E-.S. BARTHOLOMEW. 3ld Keg' Hvy Arty R. I .Vols. 346 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. to the work of raising a company in Woonsocket for the third regiment, in which he was successful. It was expected that he would receive a commission as lieutenant in connection with this company, and a promise was made to him to that effect, — a position to which his services in the first regiment, and also in the raising of this company, fairly entitled him. But such was his unselfish patriotism and the purity of his motives, that, without waiting for the fulfill ment of this promise, he allowed himself to be mustered into the service as a sergeant. While the regiment was at Fort Hamilton, however, where it spent a little time in drilling for artillery service, his personal worth and military qualifications becoming apparent to its colonel, on his urgent solicitation, he accepted the post of sergeantmajor. This appointment was accompanied by the colonel's earnest recommendation of him to the lieutenancy; but this recommendation, as well as the previous promise, was forgotten for many months. The third regiment formed part of General .Sherman's expedition to Hilton Head, where in due time the sergeantmajor Jirrived, and there wit nessed that most brilliant achievement, which reflected such world-wide credit upon our navy, and by which the rebel forts Walker and Beauregard were reduced. After this, there was a long period of comparative inactivity, with no opportunity of exhibiting the soldierly qualities of coolness .and bravery, but a period which tested the man and the Christian. Most nobly did he abide the test, and many were the testimonials that his friends received dur ing that period, of his Christian faithfulness and integrity. The duties of his position were such as to bring him into frequent contact with both officers and men, and he secured the esteem, affection and respect of all. Frequent were the visits which he made to the hospital, wmere he cheered and comforted the sick by his genial smile and gentle words. The prayer meeting often heard his voice, now tremulous with emotion as he lifted it in supplication, and anon clear and exultant as he sent it forth in songs of praise. And once and again, in the absence of the chaplain, did he, chosen from all the regiment for this purpose, stand by the open grave and pronounce the burial service over some fallen comrade. So did he live, that he was pointed out as a model Chris tian. On one occasion, a visitor in the regiment was inquiring concerning its religious interests of an officer, who made no profession of personal piety him self, and was replied to somewhat thus : " If you wish to know about these things and to see a man who lives his religion, go to the sergeantmajor." Such was his reputation ; and the fragrance of his memory and example still ERASMUS SHERMAN BARTHOLOMEW. 345 brother, Dr. Samuel Brewster Bartholomew, he acquired the dentist's art, and where he continued to reside, in the practice of that profession, until the outbreak of the rebellion in 1861. During his residence in Woonsocket, he greatly endeared himself to a large circle of friends, and firmly secured the respect of the entire community. Sumter fell on the 14th of April, 1861. On the 15th, President Lincoln's call for seventy-five thousand volunteers, was telegraphed throughout the country. Lieutenant Bartholomew enlisted at once, and, on the 20th, sailed from Providence with the first regiment Rhode Island volunteers, as first corporal, company K. Said he: "I go from a sense of duty. I have neither wife nor children, and there is no reason why" I should not go." And again, just as he was leaving, he remarked to a brother, in his quiet manner : " I am in for the war, be it longer or shorter." Thus early was his determination formed, and thus entire was his consecration to the cause of his country. During his connection with the first regiment, he suffered much from ill- health. For several days, at one period, he was laid aside by an attack of incipient pneumonia. Rallying from this, he was detailed for a while on hospital duty, in which his peculiar kindness, gentleness and Christian sym pathy and faithfulness shone forth. It was at this time that he was sent home as escort to the remains of a dead comrade, when he looked more fit for the occupancy of an invalid's chamber, than for the hardships of a soldier. But nothing could dampen his ardor, and the expiration of his furlough found him again on duty. He participated in the first battle of Bull Run with unflinching bravery, and was among the last of his regiment to leave that ill-starred field. On that terrible retreat, a little incident occurred illustrative of his coolness amid general panic. He had just waded a stream, and, finding marching difficult on account of the condition of his feet, he calmly sat down by a tree ; and, with the bullets flying thick and fast about him, removed his shoes and stockings, wrung the latter dry, replaced them, and, picking up his musket, with which he never parted, resumed his march. This battle closed the service of the first regiment, and the following Sunday found him at home again — most thoroughly worn and exhausted — under the nursing care of his loved ones. He had now had experience in a soldier's life. It was no longer a novelty to him. He had tried its romance; he had tested its reality. He had seen war in its horrid details; he had heard the shrieks of the wounded and the groans of the dying. As soon as he had sufficiently rallied, he gave all his energies 348 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. the enemy, he wrote: "May God go with us and give us success, though we fall by the way, * * * I am grateful that I live in this age, that I have a life to offer to my country, and that I am able to do it with so much heartiness. I have no fear, for if there is more twork for me to do, I shall return to you all again. If not, (and it seems as though it were enough for one to do to aid in restoring our beloved country, * * * ) I shall only the sooner greet my Saviour, with the veil removed which now intervenes, and occupy the mansion prepared for me. So, in either case, it is a joyous anticipation." On the day he started for Bull Run, he wrote: "I do not go down-hearted, however I may feel when we come .to 'fight. I know in whom I trust." On another occasion we find him rejoicing that "one of our boys has found the the Saviour, and that two or three are very thoughtful," and telling how great a pleasure it is to direct such. When lying off Fortress Monroe, he wrote : " Whatever may be our destination or the work before us, I go gladly, and only pray that the expedition may be a success. Every christian heart should be very earnest, that the God of battles go with us and nerve us with determination and courage in the hour of conflict. I trust I shall be protected through it all ; but God's will, not mine, be done." And again, when near the fatal field : " I have had many thoughts df home since I started on this expedition, and have wished so earnestly that the struggle was over and we all at our homes. It seems so cruel and wicked, yet I have no desire to go home while there is anything to be done for our good cause. My heart sick ens at the horrid detail of war, yet is nerved with strength for the duties of the hour. Of what worth now is my faith in the power of my Heavenly Father and in the atoning blood of Christ, the one to protect and the other to save me. At the worst — I should say best — I shall but enter upon my heavenly inheritance." These extracts show the spirit of the man, his unselfish patriotism, his firm and abiding Christian hope. In a very brief time after pencilling the last he lay in the agonies of death, and eyes unused to tears wept as they listened to his tender and touching appeals. Nor did his hope desert him then. Once he said to those about him: "I shall soon know what those mansions are in our Father's house." At another time, he told them : " All is peace, peace, peace with me." And, at still another, he said : " Tell my sister that death has no terrors for me." He lingered for about forty hours after receiving his wound, and then passed gently away, as one falling asleep. ERASMUS SHERMAN BARTHOLOMEW. 347 abides with those men. Go to one of them now, mention his name, and at once, unconsciously, the eye assumes a milder light and the voice drops to a gentler tone. That reminds us, that "the memory of the just is blessed." But this period of inaction draws to a close. A movement towards Charleston from James Island is determined on, and a part of the regiment is sent forward to participate, while a part remains behind to guard the post. The duty of the sergeantmajor requires him to remain with the latter, much to his regret, for he is tired of inaction. He longs to be doing something. But after the battalion has departed, to his joy, the long-promised, long-looked- for commission arrives. At his earnest request, he is at once assigned to a company. It is company E. And, borrowing equipments, for he has not time to procure them for himself, he hastens forward to join his men. A few days pass, days of weary marching through the storm, days of anxious watch ing and threatened attack. At length the 16th of June arrives. The battle of James Island takes place. The writer has not the skill to describe that battle, nor is it necessary. Suffice it to say that, at a certain point, the third New Hampshire is in imminent peril, and the third Rhode Island is ordered to charge bayonets across an open field, and drive the rebels from a piece of wood. The charge is made under the lead of Major Metcalf, and is success ful. The third New Hampshire is saved, and the battalion is ordered to return. It does so, but Captain Rogers, as he is crossing, sees an officer lying on the ground, and, to his dismay, beholds in him his most intimate companion, Lieutenant Bartholomew. In that charge across the open field, at the head of his men, cheeririg them on, he had received a mortal wound in the abdomen, and now lies helpless. The captain attempts to raise him, but, unselfish to the last, he expostulates: "You are in danger — leave me — I cannot live — save yourself; but here, take my sword — it is borrowed — let it not fall into the hands of the rebels." With the assistance of two others, he is carried to where the battalion is drawn up in line, and thence is borne off the field on the shoulders of officers ; " too precious a burden," in the words of a fellow officer, " to be entrusted to the hands of privates." He is taken at once to the hospital, where everything that skill and kindness can do, is done for him. And now, while he is lying in mortal anguish, and his comrades are vieing with one another in affectionate attentions to him, let us look into his letters and see what is his preparation for this hour. Of course, as a man of reflec tion and a soldier, he had often thought of death. While he was in the first regiment, and when it was supposed that in a few days they would move upon ROBERT H. IVES, JR. « mmm > 'his volume, which commemorates the services of Rhode Island officers during the rebellion, records no career so brief and no fall so premature as that of Lieutenant Robert Hale Ives, Jr. The period of his active service did not exceed ten days, and a single month did not elapse from the date of his commission to the day on which he received the wound that terminated his life. He was born in Providence, April 3d, 1837, and was the only son of Robert Hale and Harriet Bowen (Amory) Ives. His early education was attended with every advantage which parental wisdom and care could supply, and his domestic training was conducted under influences the most favorable for inspiring generous sentiments and developing high quahties of character. His school and college days were passed in his native city, at whose univer sity he graduated with credit, in 1857, at the age of twenty years. After completing his collegiate education, he twice visited Europe, where he spent two years in improving travel and study, for the purpose of extending and diversifying the intellectual culture he had received. On his final return, in the summer of 1860, he engaged in active business as a partner in the house of his cousins, Messrs. Goddard Brothers, of Providence. His opening man hood was bright with every promise of usefulness and honor which culture and position could afford. His character was marked by generous and manly traits, and adorned with social graces that made him the delight of the circle with which he was connected. Christian piety had also blended itself with his personal virtues, and the aspiration of his heart was not only to be an accomplished merchant and a worthy citizen, but also a disciple and servant of Jesus Christ. ERASMUS SHERMAN BARTHOLOMEW. 349 No sketch would do justice to the memory of the departed, that did not include the following testimonials from two who knew him well in life. The first is from a letter of Major Metcalf, his commanding officer, to his brother, S. B. Bartholomew ; and the second, from an article of Captain Rogers, his bosom friend, published in the Providence Journal. " It is a gratification to me, I trust it will be to his family also, that whatever is said in his praise may be said with sincerity. ¦ For many months we have, most of us, known him well. His position brought him into familiar intercourse with the officers of his regiment, and none knew or heard ought of him that was not to his honor. We have long looked forward to his attaining the place which he reached at last, amid general and sincere con gratulations, only to make it a stepping stone to another, and to him, I think, a happier change of position. The beauty and strength of his character and his life, lay in his perfect faith in the religion which he practiced as well as professed. I confess that this perfect conviction of his readiness to go when ever God called, makes the sense of his loss seem much less oppressive than is natural on the sudden death of one I so warmly esteemed, and whose services were so valuable as his were to me. May the same conviction bring consolation to hearts that loved him with more than a stranger's love." Captain Rogers writes : "He early gained the confidence of his superi ors, for he was always ready to perform his duty; he never shrank from responsibility, and whatever he attempted, was sure to be done well. His death has left a void that cannot easily be filled, for he was beloved and respected by the whole regiment, and his influence was of the purest and holiest nature. If any were sick, or in trouble, or affliction, the unintrusive presence and kindly word of Lieutenant Bartholomew, ever strove to soothe and to 'comfort. He was a Christian indeed, for his gentle and refined dispo sition and his perfect self-control made his daily life a beautiful example; and, after receiving the most agonizing of wounds, a ball through the bowels, his calm, Christian bearing and patient endurance of pain, won the admiration of all." * 352 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. sion sprang from no pervading sympathy of the community; it was prompted by no military aspiration or fondness for exciting adventures. It was the simple result of deliberate and religious corisideration, of a conviction of duty that was in conflict with his most cherished tastes and his most valued enjoyments. He heard no word of opposition from either of his parents, but he understood full well how hard it would be for them, still burdened with the sorrow of a recent bereavement, to acquiesce in his decision ; and only those who knew his affectionate nature and the depth of his filial love, can be aware how great was the struggle that went on in the recesses of his own mind,-— for he scarcely mentioned the subject to others, until his purpose was fixed and his arrangements completed. He entertained only the most modest estimate of his aptitude for mili tary life, and nothing would have induced him to solicit a favor from the government, even for the purpose of engaging, without compensation, in its defence. He, however, possessed qualifications which, in many respects, more than compensated for his want of military experience. His education and acquaintance with business, his habits of executive promptness and thorough ness, his superior horsemanship, and, withal, some familiarity with cavalry drill, were such as to fit him for usefulness in any position in which military training was not specially required. He accordingly offered himself as a volunteer aide to General Isaac P. Rodman, an officer who had just been made a brigadier for gallant services at the capture of Newbern, North Caro lina, and who, at that time, was at home recovering from a fever. This offer was gladly accepted, and he immediately received from the governor of Rhode .Island, the commission of a firstlieutenant, with special permission to " report to General Rodman for duty as volunteer aide." His commission bore date August 19, 1862. The general returned to his post in the army of the Poto mac, near the close of that month ; and, on the 1st day of September, Lieu tenant Ives left home to join him at Washington. He found him there, act ing as major-general, in command of the third division in General Bumside's ninth corps d' armee ; that corps being already in column, and about to move into Maryland, then overrun by the invasion of the rebels. The movement commenced on the 7th of September, and was prosecuted with all the rapidity that was practicable ; for on its success depended the deliverance of the middle states from threatened invasion. The young officer was immediately ushered into scenes of the greatest excitement and the most arduous service, but, from the outset, he made it his special ROBERT H. IVES, JR. 351 In the midst of the occupations imposed by his new position, the civil war suddenly burst upon the country and immediately began to apply its searching tests to the patriotism of every member of the community. When the first call was made by the President for troops, had he followed his incli nations, he wonld eagerly have taken his place, with so many of his kinsmen and fellow citizens, in the first regiment which the state sent forth for the defence of the government. He was, however, prevented from doing so by considera tions which he could not overrule, and he remained at home in accordance with the same sense of duty which, in other circumstances, would have car ried him to the field and attached him permanently to the service. But he still cherished a patriot's sympathy for the country ; he was actively engaged in promoting the charities which the war so constantly demanded, and did all that became a liberal and public-spirited citizen, to strengthen and sustain those who were defending the union and the constitution. The disastrous summer of 1862, the second summer of the civil war, will always be memorable in the annals of the American people. The principal army of the Union had been engaged for several months in its campaign on the peninsula of Yorktown, in Virginia, and the highest hopes had been raised that the campaign was about to close with the fall of the- rebel capital. None now among the living, will ever forget how cruelly those hopes were disappointed, or the agony of dismay with which the country saw that army on its retreat from the peninsula, and at length driven before the enemy towards the defences of Washington, as its only refuge ftem destruction. The forces of the rebellion were again threatening the national capital, and preparing to cross the Potomac for the invasion of Maryland. It was in this gloomiest season of the war, that Mr. Ives, in common with so many other young men in every loyal state, came to the decision that nothing ought longer to detain him from the field,. where the fate of the republic was to be speedily decided. Some of his friends attempted to persuade him that he could do as much, or even more for his country in other ways ; and that, as the only son of his parents, he ought not to leave them. Views like these received the consideration to'- which they were entitled, but his own feelings led him to a different conclu sion. He thought of his perilled country, and of her need of defenders in that hour of alarm and dismay, and he could not satisfy his sense either of citizenship or of manhood, but by offering himself for her service. The enthu siasm of the first rush to arms had died away, and the war had now become a grim reality, that haunted, like a spectre, the homes of the people. His deci- 354 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. at sunrise on the morning of the 17th, but General Bumside's troops were not fully engaged till ten o'clock, when they received an order to carry the bridge and cross the stream. So exposed, however, was the movement to the fire of the enemy, that several successive assaults proved unavailing, and it was not till one o'clock that the work was finally accomplished, and then only with fearful loss both of officers and men. The ford below was soon afterwards carried by General Rodman, and his brigades crossing the river and ascend ing the bluffs to the plateau above effected a junction with those that were passing over the bridge. It was the great success of the day, and most fortu nately was it achieved, for on carrying and holding these passes of the river, all the advantages gained by the battle obviously turned. The troops, who for several days had had but little rest and only irreg ular rations, were thoroughly exhausted, but still other movements were in contemplation at head-quarters ; and at three o'clock General Burnside was again ordered, by the commander-in-chief, to move forward his whole line upon Sharpsburg and the adjacent heights on the left, on which the rebel batteries were strongly posted. In this movement the division of General Rodman, which was still on the extreme left, was brought nearly opposite to these batteries, and became exposed to their raking fire. The division, however, charged up the heights and took the guns, but, the enemy being reenforced, they were afterwards recaptured and the line was forced back to its former position on the crest above the right bank of the river. It was in this fruit less charge that both General Rodman and Lieutenant Ives fell, almost at the same moment, mortally wounded ; the one with a Minie" ball in the breast, the other with a cannon shot in the thigh. The fatal shot tore away the flesh from the bone for several inches and passing into his horse killed the animal on the spot. , Lieutenant Ives had scarcely fallen when he was joined by his faithful servant, George Griffin, a young Englishman, who had accompanied him from England in 1860, and who, still in his service, would not be refused the privi lege of sharing his fortunes in the army. Though a non-combatant, he had kept throughout the day as near as possible to the scene of the contest ; and on the first rumor that his master had been struck, he rushed forward at the risk of his life to find him and assist in his removal. Through the weary days and nights that immediately followed, this faithful attendant was his only companion and watched over him and ministered to his every want with a tenderness and care that proved the greatest solace to his sufferings. ROBERT H. IVES, JR. 353 endeavor clearly to understand the duty which was assigned to him, and then to do it as perfectly and as accceptably as he was able. From the brief and hurried entries in his diary in those exciting days, may be inferred how ardu ous was the work to be done, and how devoted he was to its faithful execution. The early part of the march was delayed with hindrances of every kind ; nearly every day he was in the saddle at sunrise, and it was often near mid night when he had conducted the rear of the division over the encumbered road to its camping ground for the night. His sleep was usually taken under a tree or by the side of a fence, and, on many a day, his only food was the crackers he carried in his pocket. The army reached Frederick on the 12th of September, where they first encountered the enemy and immediately drove them from the city. Retreating with a continued skirmish to the passes of South Mountain, the rebels again made a stand in a strong position ; and, on the 14th, a severe and bloody battle was fought, in which General Rodman's division was fully engaged. The battle lasted through the entire day, and afforded the first occasion on which Lieutenant Ives was directly exposed to the continuous fire of the enemy. He bore this test of personal courage without faltering, and discharged the perilous duties of the day with a coolness and a cheerful alacrity and fidelity, that secured for him a high place in the confi dence and esteem alike of his general and the officers with whom he was associated. The battle and the march preceding had called forth the genu ine quahties of his character and shown the spirit which animated him; and in his position as a member of the general's personal staff, he had become, even in so brief a time, most favorably known throughout the division. The rebels were driven through the gorges of the mountain, and, on the following morning, they retreated towards Sharpsburg and occupied the heights near that village which rise abruptly from the right bank of the little river Antietam, a tributary of the Potomac. Here their entire army was posted in positions made specially advantageous by the nature of the ground; and hither the forces of the Union were immediately pushed forward to meet them, in a battle that must decide the issues of the campaign, perhaps even the fate of the republic. The 16th was occupied in posting the troops and in other preparations, and, at night, both armies bivouacked with their arms at their sides in their respective positions. The command of General Burnside was placed on the left of the line, with its centre opposite the stone bridge which spans the stream, and with its extreme left, General Rodman's division, opposite a ford three-quarters of a mile below. The battle of Antietam began 356 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. he was made comfortable with every needed appliance and with every personal attention which kindness and sympathy could prompt. His wound, however, had inflicted an injury upon his physical frame too great for nature to repair, and the hope which had been cherished of his recovery was soon extinguished. He received the announcement of his approaching end with Christian calmness and submission to his Heavenly Father's will, and spent the closing hours of his life in the exercises of religion and in naming gifts of remem brance for his friends and of charity for the public objects which he wished especially to .promote. He died at Hagerstown, September 27, 1862, ten days after the battle, in the twenty-sixth year of his age. His death was serene and beautiful; the fitting close of a young life modestly and relig iously, yet bravely and heroically, given up for his country in the hour of her calamity and her greatest need. His remains were brought to Providence and here he was buried with his kindred. On the 1st day of October, a month from the day of his departure from home, his funeral took place in St. Stephen's church, the church in whose recent erection he had taken an active and liberal interest, and in which he had been an habitual worshipper and a devout communicant. That church now contains a memorial window, placed there by loving hands to commemorate his piety and worth, his benefactions for religion and his death for his country. ROBERT H. IVES, JR. 355 The wounded officer was borne to a dwelling house near at hand which had been taken as a temporary hospital, where he was soon attended by Surgeons Rivers and Millar ; the former the surgeon of the division, the latter, of the fourth Rhode Island regiment. His wound, though very serious, was not at first thought to be mortal. On the following day, several hospital tents were pitched on an eminence a little distance from the field, and to these General Rodman, Lieutenant Ives, and some other wounded officers from Rhode Island, were removed. Intelligence of his wound was immediately despatched, to his father, but so removed was the scene of the battle from telegraphic com munication and so burdened were the wires with messages from the army, that it was not received in Providence till after the lapse of forty-eight hours. His father hastened to him, accompanied by Dr. L. L. Miller, of Providence, reaching his tent on the following Sunday evening. The army had already moved forward, and so comfortless was a solitary field hospital in the opening autumn, that it was decided to attempt his removal to Hagerstown, the near est railroad terminus, some sixteen miles away. This was effected in an ambulance without special detriment to his comfort, and his previous good health and youthful constitution still kept alive the hope that he might, in a few days, be brought home and even recover from his wound. The portion of.Maryland which had been overrun by the rebels, presented a melancholy illustration of the desolations of a border war. Hagerstown had been visited in succession by each of the two contending armies ; and its hotels were stripped of their supplies and its inhabitants were destitute of many of the commonest comforts of life. It was impossible to procure, save from distant cities, the articles that were indispensable to sustaining the strength of the wounded officer. In these circumstances, he received from a lady of Hagerstown, distinguished alike for her Christian excellence and her patriotic care for the soldiers of the Union, an invitation to remove to her house. He was known to her only by name, but her invitation was thank fully accepted, and she opened to him spacious apartments in her hospitable home, to which, as was afterwards ascertained, she had often before received the sick and wounded officers who had been detained at Hagerstown.* Here * The name of this lady is Mrs. Howard Kennedy, a name that will long he associated with the most grateful recollections in many a northern home. Her services to the Union cause, are briefly alluded to in an article in the Atlantic Monthly Magazine, for December, 1862, entitled: My Hunt after the "Captain," from the pen of Doctor Oliver Wendell Holmes. o/S'«. JAMES BELGER. THOMAS SIMPSON. BATTERY F. 'aptain James Belger was mustered into service as commander of battery F, October 17th, 1861. Early in November, the battery went to Wash ington, and soon after joined the North Carolina expedition under General Burnside. For some time while at Newbern, the company acted as cavalry, and performed picket duty on roads leading to that city. In October, Captain Belger marched to Little Washington, and soon after engaged the enemy on Little Creek, when he returned to Newbern. In December, he had engagements with the enemy at Whitehall Ferry and at Goldsboro' Rail road Bridge. In April, 1863, the battery left for Little Washington under General Spinola, for the purpose of relieving General Foster. The enemy was engaged at Blount's creek, when Captain Belger was severely wounded WILLIAM B. RHODES; 411 position within three hundred yards of the enemy's skirmish line, where, it covered a charge made by the eighteenth corps. Then changing position to a point nearer the city, it covered a second charge of the same corps, under a sharp fire of musketry. Here it threw solid shot into Petersburg, being the first fired into the city. It was there assailed by a battery in front, and by an enfilading fire on its right. On the 19th of June, it opened fire on the city and railroad bridge. On the 20th, Captain Rhodes was assailed by two rebel batteries on his right, one in his rear, and by sharpshooters from a short distance in front. He maintained his position, however, with the loss of four horses. On the 29th, he accompanied the sixth corps to Reams's Station, to reenforce General Wilson, who was returning from his raid. On the 13th of July, he embarked his battery at City Point for Washington, to join its corps which had preceded it. The day after his arrival, he was ordered back to City Point, where he reported with his battery to General Hunt, chief of artillery of the army, and a few days later to LieutenantColonel Monroe, chief of artillery, ninth corps. On the 30th, General Burnside exploded his mine before Petersburg, battery E remaining in position until late in the after noon, when Captain Rhodes joined his brigade and remained. in camp until the 15th of August. On the 1st of August, Captain Rhodes was breveted major. On the 15th, he was ordered to report to General Potter, commanding the second division, ninth corps. On the 18th and 19th, the enemy shelled his battery. The following day, he reported to General Mott, second corps, and remained in the same position, within two hundred yards of the enemy. From this time the battery remained in or near the same fort, engaged more or less with the enemy almost every day, until the 27th of September, when Major Rhodes was ordered to take thirty-three men of his command, whose term of service would expire on the 30th, to Rhode Island, and have them mustered out. He returned on the 18th of October, resumed his command, and was constantly under the fire of the enemy until February, 1865, when he was ordered to take position in Fort Wadsworth. The constant exposure of Major Rhodes had seriously affected his health, which nothing could restore except a complete retirement from the field. He was therefore honorably discharged the service on account of physical dis ability, on the 8th of March, 1865, and Lieutenant Jacob H. Lamb appointed to the command. On the 1st of April, orders were received to open fire on the enemy's lines, and the wish of General Wright was gratified, in having GEORGE W. ADAMS. BATTERY G. . n the 17th of April, 1861, when the Massachusetts soldiers were fired upon in the streets of Baltimore, Mr. Adams was temporarily in that city upon business. Hastening home, he found, to his regret, that the first Rhode Island battery, a three months' company, had already left the city. He at once offered his services to the governor of the state, to act in any capacity where he could be made most useful to his country. Not find ing a position which would require immediate and active service, he went to New York, and applied for a place on some one of the gun-boats then fitting out there. Becoming again impatient of delay, he left New York, and pro ceeded to the camp of the Rhode Island battery, and was received as a private, June 10th, 1861. He remained with the battery until its return to Pfovidence, July 31st. On the 13th of August, he was commissioned as firstlieutenant, and participated in the engagement of Balls' Bluff; was with McClellan dur ing the whole of the Peninsular campaign, suffering from the effects of the climate and from unnecessary exposure, and finally performing an important part in covering the retreat of the army, and also in the battles of Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Peach Orchard, Savage Station, Malvern Hill, Antietam, and the first Fredericksburg. On the 30th of January, 1863, Lieutenant Adams received a captain's commission, and was assigned to the command of battery G. On the 2d of May, the day after he took command of the battery, the second battle of Fredericksburg commenced, and he was ordered to an exposed position to silence a rebel battery, which he succeeded in doing, although subjected to a very hot cross-fire from a battery on the height. The shells of the rebels JAMES BELGER, THOMAS SIMPSON. 413 in the leg, while his horse was killed under him. In this action, the battery expended three hundred rounds of ammunition. In consequence of his wound, Captain Belger was granted leave of absence for thirty days, which was subsequently extended. On the 19th of July, he was detached on recruiting service, and the command of the battery was temporarily assumed by Lieutenant Thomas Simpson. After various marches from different points in North Carolina, in which it had frequent encounters with the enemy, with out serious casualties, the battery was now called upon to take part in the great struggle on the Peninsula. On the 4th of November, it reached Ports mouth, Virginia, and, after stopping at Fortress Monroe and Newport News, disembarked at Point Lookout, Maryland, on the 24th of December. From January 21st, 1864, to May following, while battery F was on the Peninsula, it was engaged in frequent reconnoissances towards Richmond, and in several skirmishes with the enemy. On the 3d of May it left Yorktown, reached Bermuda Hundred three days later, and marched five miles towards Petersburg. It engaged the enemy on the 12th, on the Richmond and Peters burg pike; again at Drury's Bluff on the 14th, and at the same place two days after, when Captain Belger was taken prisoner. The command now devolved on Lieutenant Simpson. The battery crossed the Appomattox and engaged the enemy before Petersburg on the 15th, 16th and 17th of June. On the 22d, it took position in the trenches, skirmishing continually with the enemy till the 28th of August, when it was relieved and proceeded to Copps's Hill. In September, Lieutenant Simpson crossed the James river and engaged the enemy atChapin's Farm, where he had five men wounded and six horses killed. On the 26th of October, he was taken prisoner. On the 3d of April, 1865, Captain Simpson having been released, rejoined his battery, which, on the 7th, broke camp and marched to Richmond, where it was stationed ; and, on the 27th of June, was there mustered out of the service. At Richmond, it embarked direct for Providence, where it arrived on the 1st of July. &£?*&. BREVET COLONEL.IJ. S. V. l5tEegtH I. Light Arty- 416 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. standing near, and high compliments were passed on this battery by General Russell and others. The writer of this met this command at Fort Stevens ; and, having some experience in military matters, could not fail to admire their soldierly appearance, and felt assured that if an opportunity occurred during this campaign, they would distinguish themselves." This battery afterwards took part in the engagements at Winchester and Fisher's Hill. At the battle of Cedar Creek, Captain Adams again brought his battery into timely and efficient action, displaying the most masterly mili tary skill and unsurpassed personal bravery, receiving the highest reward of the soldier in the commendation given him by General Wright, and his assur ance that, by his cool and dauntless courage, he had saved the lives of thou sands of men. " In this sanguinary engagement the battery met with heavy losses. Six men were killed and twenty-one wounded. Three of the wounded men were taken prisoners. Thirty-six horses were killed, and two guns and two cais sons lost. The guns were recovered in the victory of the afternoon. Captain Adams, with a corporal and one private, stood by their piece when all other support had left, and until every horse was shot and the corporal and private shot down beside him. He was then forced to retire." Captain Adams received a commission as major by brevet from the President, to date from the 19th of October, "for gallant and meritorious ser vices at the battles of Opequan, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek." In present ing his claims for promotion to the governor of Rhode Island, his commanding general, Wheaton, writes : " I am glad of this opportunity of calling to your Excellency's attention, the very distinguished merits of Captain G. W. Adams. In my opinion, he has few superiors in the service, and his admirable battery has been so skill fully and gallantly handled in battle, that he has earned in this command the highest reputation as an able soldier and fine artillerist. At the battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, while we were with Sheridan's army, Captain Adams's services to this division were most valuable and important. I never saw a battery more ably and desperately fought, and under circumstances to severely test the fine abilities of this officer, who fairly earned upon that day, the promotion he has long deserved." The following letter accompanied this : " I most cordially endorse all that is said within by General Wheaton, in behalf of Captain Adams, and take pleasure in presenting his name as a candidate for a majority in his regiment. Captain Adams, who is, with one exception, the senior captain in his regiment, is not only thoroughly compe tent to discharge the. duties of an advanced grade, but has claims for' promo- GEORGE W. ADAMS. 415 caused a heavy loss, more severe than had ever been experienced by a Rhode Island battery. After the heights were taken it recrossed the river at Fal mouth. Captain Adariis was reported to have handled his battery with great skill, and the officers arid men were complimented for their bravery. Battery G remained with the army of the Potomac during all its move ments in driving General Lee from Pennsylvania, taking a gallant part in the decisive battle of Gettysburg, and continuing in pursuit of the enemy, it was called into action at Chantilly, Warrenton, Brandy Station and Mine Run. It went into winter quarters near Brandy Station, and, December 26th, the men went home for a veteran furlough of thirty-five days. The next spring, the battery, still in connection with the army of the Potomac, marched with it in its final and successful campaign, and had its full share of the work that was then done, becoming conspicuous in the sixth corps to which it was attached for its many heroic and successful achievements. It was in active service and performed an important part in the battles of Rappahannock Station, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and Peters burg. The battery proceeded to Washington in the beginning of July, to protect that city against the approach of General Early, and joined in the pursuit when he retreated; The following account is taken from the Wash ington Chronicle : "The sixth corps left Fort Stevens on Wednesday, the 13th, and, steadily pursuing the march for twenty-four hours, overtook the rear guard of the enemy at Poolesville. A section of Captain Adams's battery, with cavalry under command of Colonel Lovell, pressed forward some six miles, when they vigorously shelled the enemy from several positions. Night coming on, the firing ceased. The corps crossed the Potomac on Saturday, and continued close to the rear of the enemy, passing .through Leesburg. They overtook them at Snicker's Gap. The enemy held the other bank of the Shenandoah, one mile distant. A part of Hunter's command to the number of five thou sand, were ordered to the river, which they crossed in face of the enemy's fire, though the water was up to their arm-pits. After this force had crossed, the enemy attempted a flank movement on their right and left. At this criti cal moment, Adams's Rhode Island battery came into position on an eminence overlooking the valley below. They immediately opened upon the enemy with shot and shell from three inch rifled guns, creating great havoc among them. The range was very accurate, and each shell burst in their midst. The enemy finding the damage to their infantry so great, attempted to silence the battery by firing upon them with twenty pound Parrotts, which, however, lasted but a moment, as' they in turn were fired upon and forced to cease. The scene was a most exciting one; generals, colonels and others were 418 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. After the fall of Petersburg, battery G took part in the battle of Sailor's creek. Colonel Adams closed his long and active military service only at the surrender of General Lee, when his battery joined in firing the salute in com memoration of the event. He gained during his connection with the army, a distinguished reputation for knowledge of his profession, military skill and great personal bravery. His battery returned to Providence, June, 16th, numbering one hundred and thirty-five enlisted men and three officers ; and was mustered out of service June 24th, 1865. By order of General Meade, the names of the following battles in which the battery had meritoriously participated, were directed to be inscribed on its colors or guidons, viz. : Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fred ericksburg, Marye's Heights, Gettysburg, Rappahannock Station, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Opequan, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek. JEFFREY HAZARD. BATTERY H. €aptaln Jeffrey Hazard, son of John Hazard, was born in Exeter, Rhode Island, September 23d, 1835. He received his education in the Provi dence high school, and, previous to the breaking out of the war, was engaged in the Manufacturers' Bank as teller. He was commissioned second- lieutenant of battery A, in the first regiment of Rhode Island light artillery, on the 5th of October, 1861, and appointed regimental adjutant. While connected with this battery, he distinguished himself by his bravery in the many battles in which it took part. Among these were Ball's Bluff, Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill and Antietam. At the latter engagement, the only officers present with Captain Tompkins were Captain Hazard (then firstlieutenant) and firstlieutenant Charles F. Mason. The battery gained for itself great credit at this battle, holding as it did an advanced and important position under a heavy artillery and infantry fire. On the 1st of October, 1862, he was promoted to the captaincy of battery H. This battery was organized in Providence, under Captain C. H. J. Hamlin, GEORGE W. ADAMS. 417 tion earned in many a hard-fought field, and I am only discharging a duty in commending him to the favorable consideration of his excellency. " A. G. Wright, Major-General Commanding." This recommendation also bore the endorsement of General Sheridan. After the battle of Cedar Creek, Major Adams returned to Camp Barry, where his battery received a new outfit of guns and equipments and pro ceeded to. the front, at Petersburg. The following article appeared in a paper of that date : " I am inclined to believe that some great military enterprise is on foot by the army of the Potomac, from the simple fact that Captain Adams, of battery G, has received orders to proceed to the front. Captain Adams, who, I am glad to state, has recently been breveted major, is one of the first artil lery officers in either the regular or the volunteer service. His whole soul is in his profession, and though a strict disciplinarian, he is loved and respected by the officers of his command. He has striven to make soldiers of his men, and the fact is admitted that he has succeeded. His battery is always ready for the march or to go into action. Half an hour after he receives marching orders he can sound 'boots and saddle,' and half an hour afterwards be on the road. Battery G is not surpassed by any battery in the service, and has a record for hard fighting that the state may well be proud of." ' At Petersburg, during Colonel Tompkins's temporary absence, Major Adams acted as chief of artillery. In the spring of 1865, General Wright was preparing for an assault upon the enemy, and Major Adams, with 'his characteristic daring, proposed to enter their works with the attacking col umns, seize their guns and turn them at once upon the rebel force. General Wright, in consenting to this proposal, warned him of its extreme danger. He selected seventeen men from his battery and carefully trained them for the service. On the morning of the 2d of April, he advanced with the corps, and rushing in with his detachment of cannoniers, succeeded in performing one of the most perilous exploits of the war, and one that contributed mate rially to the success of the charge. The moral effect of this daring deed was inspiring, and awakened the greatest enthusiasm. In recognition of the value of this service, the War Department, in May, 1866, directed handsome bronze medals struck in honor of the event, to be presented to the seventeen men engaged in this daring act. Major Adams was breveted lieutenantcolonel by the President, April 2d, 1865, for "gallant and meritorious services before Petersburg," to which was afterward added the brevet of colonel. 53 CRAWFORD ALLEN, JR. BATTERY H. 'rawford Allen, Jr., son of Crawford and Sarah S. Allen, grandson of the late Reverend Nathan B. Crocker, D. D., was born in Providence, on the 2d of April, 1840. He received his education at Brown University, and, upon leaving that institution, made an extensive tour through Europe ; after which he made a voyage to China, and, at the same time, visited various islands in the East Indies. Soon after his return, he set out for California, but had hardly reached San Francisco, when the news reached that city of the breaking out of the rebellion, and the general uprising of the people to sup press it. Mr. Allen lost no time in returning home, and, immediately on his arrival, enrolled his name in a battery of light artillery then being formed in Providence. On the 7th of November, 1861, he was commissioned by Governor Sprague, as second-lieutenant in battery G, Captain Charles D. Owen, com mander, and, on the 18th of November, 1862, was promoted to firstlieutenant. This battery left for Washington, on the 7th of December, 1861. In March, it joined the army of the Potomac, and took part with it in the campaign on the Peninsula. On withdrawing from the Peninsula, it marched by way of Yorktown to Hampton, where it embarked for Alexandria. The guns were sent forward by transports, in charge of Lieutenant Allen. Captain Owen, with the other officers, having the horses in their care, followed in another. In the battle of Antietam, on the 17th of September, the battery under Captain Owen fought with great bravery. After various marches during the months of October and November, it joined the army of the Potomac, then encamped opposite Fredericksburg, early in December, and took part in the battle which followed. This battery, also, took a prominent joart in the second battle of Fredericksburg, on the 2d and 3d of May, 1863, JEFFREY HAZARD. 419 4 and recruited more than four times its complement of men. From this num ber, men were sent to the several batteries in the. field, to replenish the ranks which had been reduced by the casualties of war. " At the time of the battle of Chancellorsville, one section was ordered, by General Abercrombie, to be taken to Rappahannock Station, where it remained nine days with the 12th Vermont regiment. Upon the return of this section, the whole battery was ordered to Chantilly, where it remained until Hooker's army passed through to Maryland and Pennsylvania. The pur pose was to join the army in its march against Lee, who was concentrating his forces at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It marched on the 28th, to Arlington Heights, reported to Brigadier-General Barry, and was ordered to Camp Barry, near Washington, D. C. Here it remained two days, then marched to Long Bridge and reported to General DeRussy, and afterwards to camp near Fort Ward, reporting to Colonel H. L. Abbott, commanding the third brigade, department south of the Potomac. On the 17th August, 1863, Captain Hazard resigned, and on the 30th of September, Lieutenant Crawford Allen, Jr., of battery G, was promoted to the captaincy of battery H. Up to this time the battery had not been in any engagement, having been retained in the depart ment of Washington. This position gave it fine opportunities for drill and general improvement. In November following, Lieutenant Charles F. Mason, of battery H, who had distinguished himself by his gallantry at the battle of Antietam, was appointed on the staff of Colonel Charles H. Tompkins, chief of artillery, sixth army corps, where he served with honor until he resigned his commission, on the 21st of April, 1864." JOSEPH S. MILNE. Heutenant Joseph S. Milne was a son of the late A. D. Milne, editor of the Fall River News. He was born in Bolton, Warren county, New York, and educated in Glen's Falls, same county. He was by occupation a printer. In September, 1861, at the age of twenty, he enlisted in battery E, first Rhode Island artillery, and was elected sergeant. After the battles of Williamsburg and Fair Oaks, in which he took part, he was promoted to -a second-lieutenantcy in battery B. He was in nearly every battle of the Peninsular campaign, in the second battle of Bull Run, and in the two battles of Fredericksburg. A few weeks before the battle of Gettysburg, he was transferred to the fourth United States artillery, and during that battle, when the commanding officer was killed, he succeeded to the command of the bat tery. In the last of the three terrible charges which the rebels made upon our centre, in the effort to break it, on the 3d of July, 1863, he received his fatal wound, — a bullet passing through the left lung, — from which he died six days after. ato BREVL.T LIEUT. COL. CRAWFORD ALLEN JR. U.S. V. 422 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. and went into park in rear of his first division head-quarters for the night In this day's action, four men and ten horses were killed, and six men were wounded. General Wheaton, commanding the first division of the sixth corps, in his report to Major Whittlesey, under date of the 15th of April, says : " During our advance towards Petersburg, Captain Crawford Allen, Jr.'s battery H, of the first Rhode Island artillery, was admirably handled and his losses were severe. His guns were always in front, frequently in advance of the skirmishers ; and, as our lines moved forward, he invariably forced the enemy's batteries to retire, and followed them closely. Earlier in the day, when the assault commenced, Captain Allen very handsomely compelled a section of the enemy's artillery to retire. If these guns, occupying one of their intrenched works and thoroughly enfilading our lines, had not been silenced, they might have materially retarded our advance." Among General Wheaton's recommendations for promotions of officers in the first division, sixth corps, is the name of Captain Allen, as major by brevet, " for distinguished gallantry and most valuable services at the assault on the enemy's works at Petersburg;" which promotion he received from the Presi dent, bearing date April 2d. Subsequently, he was breveted lieutenantcolonel, by Governor Smith. On the 6th of April, the battery went into action at Sailor's Creek, but suffered no casualties. From the 1st to the 13th of April, six hundred and thirty rounds of ammunition were expended. Great credit was due both to officers and men, for the manner in which they behaved while under a very hot fire. " Tho battle of Sailor's Creek, though less severe than the assault in which the sixth corps engaged on the 2d, was nevertheless a hard-fought action, and resulted in the entire rout of the enemy. Lieutenant-General Ewell was captured, with most of his corps, including four general officers. On the following day, battery H continued with the sixth corps in pursuit of the flying rebels to Farmsville, where a fight occurred, and from which place Lieutenant-General Grant sent a note to General Lee, suggesting that a sur render of his armies would prevent a further effusion of blood, and offering honorable terms. This proposition was held in abeyance until the 9th of April, when it was accepted, and the war of the rebellion in Virginia practi cally ceased. In honor of this glorious triumph, battery H joined with other artillery in a national feu de joie" and, we may add, on the authority of an officer who was present, that the first gun discharged in the country in honor of Lee's surrender, was from battery H. The war being ended, the battery set out for home, and reached Provi dence on the 16th of June, where it was received with military honors, and was handsomely entertained at Washington Hall. It was mustered out of the service on the 28th of June, 1865. CRAWFORD ALLEN, JR. 421 when Lieutenant Allen received a slight wound. Lieutenant Torslow was also slightly wounded, and Lieutenant Benjamin E. Kelley was killed. The other casualties were twenty-four men killed and wounded and sixteen horses lost. Soon after this action, Lieutenant Allen was made adjutant of the regi ment, and acting adjutantgeneral of the artillery brigade, sixth army corps; which positions he continued to hold until the 30th of September, 1863, when he was promoted to the captaincy of battery H, to fill the place of Captain Jeffrey Hazard, who had resigned. During the remainder of the year, the battery was removed to various points, all, however, within the defences of Washington. Captain Allen commanded Fort Richards near the falls of the Potomac, for several months. In the spring of 1864, battery H was transferred to a more active field of operations. On the 6th of May, it marched to Rappahannock Station; thence to the Rapidan, Chancellorsville to Spottsylvania Court House; where* it joined the artillery reserve of the army of the Potomac. A few days later, it continued its march to Marye's Cross Roads, Fredericksburg, to Belle Plain, where it joined General Abercrombie's division. The battery remained here until the 24th of May, when it returned to Washington. After various marches during the summer, it left Camp Barry for City Point, on the 28th of October; reported to the head-quarters of the army of the Potomac, and was assigned to the artillery reserve. Early in the following January, the battery left City Point and marched to Warren Station, where it joined the artillery brigade of the sixth army corps. Passing over the winter life of the battery, the next prominent feature of its remaining history is the part it took in the final grand assault upon the rebel works before Petersburg, on the 2d of April. On the evening of the 1st, orders were received to join the first division, sixth corps. The movement was completed by midnight. At half-past four o'clock, a. m., on the 2d, the battery moved forward with the division, and, after crossing the rifle-pits, opened upon a section of artillery which had a flank-fire on the Federal infantry. It was soon driven off, when the battery ceased firing, moved to the left, brought up the caissons and awaited orders. It then moved forward with the skirmish line and engaged with a rebel battery, which soon had to leave its position. It was followed up until arriving at the Whitworth House, where battery H went into position. The enemy placed a rifle battery in position on the left, and obtained an enfilading fire at one thousand seven hundred yards, being beyond the extreme range of Captain Allen's guns. He was then ordered by Major Cowan to withdraw his guns, which he did, 424 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. received a colonel's commission, and, soon after, was assigned to the command of the thirty-seventh United States colored regiment. At the head of this regimelit, Colonel Goff rendered efficient aid in the capture of Fort Fisher After the surrender of Wilmington, he was appointed commandant of the post, and held this position until his regiment was ordered to another point. Early in March, 1865, Colonel Goff received from the President, a commission as brigadier-general of volunteers by brevet, in consideration of "-long' and faithful services and gallant conduct on the field." General Goff is now in command of the defences of Cape Fear river, head-quarters at Smithville, North Carolina. 4 m»m—*- HARRY C. CUSHING. 'his officer was born at Baltimore, Maryland, on the 8th of November, 1841. He was the fourth son of George W. and Sarah S. Cushing. When he was comparatively young, his parents removed to Providence. There he attended the grammar and high schools, and, at the outbreak of the rebellion, was a student in Brown University. Unable to remain at home, when so many of his young companions were hastening to the defence of the republic, he enlisted in May, 1861, as a private in the renowned second battery, which was then being recruited by Captain William H. Reynolds. His subor dination and attention to duty, soon procured for him an appointment as cor poral ; and as such, he was present at the first battle of Bull Run. There his gallantry was so conspicuously displayed, that he was promoted to be a sergeant in his company ; and was shortly afterwards further complimented in October, 1861, by a commission as second-lieutenant in the fourth United States artillery. Immediately joining his company, which was battery F, he served through Banks's campaign in the Shenandoah valley, and participated in the battle of Winchester; was with Pope in his unfortunate and brief cam paign, and at the battle of Cedar Mountain. He was also with Banks in his retreat on Washington ; and fought his guns under McClellan at the battle of NATHAN GOFF, JR >athan Goff, Jr., was among the first to enlist in his country's cause, receiving, as early as June, 1861, a commission as captain in the second Rhode Island volunteers. In the battle of Bull Run, Captain Goff gained an honorable reputation, which was gallantly sustained on the bloody fields of the Peninsula, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. For meritorious ser vices he was promoted to the rank of major, and was afterwards advanced to the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment. When the government called for officers to command its colored troops, Colonel Goff promptly offered his services, and passed successfully the board of examination under General Casey, receiving a commission* as lieutenant colonel of the first class. He was ordered to the twenty-second regiment of United States colored troops, then at Philadelphia. To bring these troops to a high degree of discipline, Colonel Goff devoted all his energy and abilities. The soldierly bearing to which this regiment arrived may be judged from the following extract from the general order of the commander of the post at Fort Magruder, Virginia, relieving the twenty-second from further duty: " The commanding officer avails himself of this occasion, to express to the officers and men of the twenty-second regiment, his high appreciation of the rapid progress which they have made in attaining soldierly character and bearing during the comparatively short time they had been at this post. A continuance of such progress, cannot fail to make their regiment conspicuous and powerful. Their comrades here, both officers and men, will note their career with sincere good wishes, and will hail tidings of their success, with unalloyed satisfaction and pleasure." While serving in this regiment before Petersburg, he received a severe wound, and was carried to the hospital at Fortress Monroe. While here, he GEORGE H. BROWNE. i » •» i ,n the 4th of August, A. D. 1862,'President Lincoln ordered the levy of a grand army of three hundred thousand men. The twelfth regiment of Rhode Island volunteers was one of those raised in response to this call. It was recruited in the short time of twenty-four days. On the 18th of September, 1862, the Honorable George H. Browne was commissioned as colonel to raise his command. On the 13th of the next month, it was mus tered with full ranks and ordered to the front. The recruiting and march were accomplished with such rapidity, that the men did not receive their bounty or arms till their arrival in Virginia. Colonel Browne was a native of Glocester, Rhode Island, a graduate from Brown University in the class of 1840, and by profession and practice a coun sellor at law. For six consecutive years prior to 1851, he had been a member of the legislature of the state, having been reelected till he was appointed attorney of the United States for Rhode Island district. This office he held through two presidential terms, resigning it upon his election to the thirty- seventh congress, of which he was a member at the time of his appointment to the command of the twelfth. Colonel Browne's earnestness in the Union cause, secured to him a hearty cooperation in promoting enlistments. The regiment w as brigaded in General Casey's division of the army of the defences of Washington. After a few days, they moved to Fairfax Semi nary, where they were daily engaged in drill or in onerous and somewhat perilous picket duty. Here and thus early, commenced under the especial orders and supervision of the colonel, a rigid system of camp police, which secured to the regiment a habit and character for cleanliness, that they retained during their entire term of service. From this time, the men kept their camps with such scrupulous neatness and order, that Generals Casey, Carter and others, deemed it worthy of especial mention and imitation. HENRY c. fitts. 425 Antietam. After the battle of Antietam, having been promoted to be first heutenant, he was ordered to join General Rosecrans's army in the west, and commanded battery H, fourth United States artillery, through all of the cam paigns, from Nashville to Chattanooga, participating in the battles of Stone River, Woodbury, Chickamauga, and the siege of Chattanooga. In the spring of 1864, he was ordered east to join horse battery E, fourth artillery, then serving with General Sheridan's cavalry corps, and shortly after his arrival was assigned to duty as inspector of the horse artillery of the cavalry corps. He participated in the operations of the cavalry from the time of Grant's departure from Culpepper, in May, 1864, until the close of the campaign of General Sheridan in the valley of Virginia, in the winter of 1864, being engaged in most of the conflicts in that well-fought field. In February, 1865, he was ordered on recruiting service, having been in the field continuously from the opening of the war ; and, consequently, he missed being present at the final struggle before Richmond. He was breveted first lieutenant, captain and major, for services at Cedar Mountain, Stone River, and the operations with the cavalry, and is now on duty with his regiment. v We append a list of the various battles in which Major Cushing partici pated : Bull Run, Middletown, Winchester, Cedar Mountain, Rappahannock Station, Antietam, Stewart's Creek, Stone River, Woodbury, Chickamauga, siege of Chattanooga, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Todd's Tavern, Beaver Dam, South Anna, Yellow Tavern, Richmond, Hawes's Shop, Old Church, Cold Har bor, Bottom's Bridge, White House, and besides these, various hotly-contested skirmishes. 4 m~m. > HENRY C. FITTS. 'aptain Henry C. Fitts enlisted from East Douglass, Massachusetts, was appointed firstlieutenant of the second Rhode Island cavalry, November 12th, 1862, and was promoted to a captaincy, July 15, 1863. Soon after, in consequence of severe losses, the regiment was reduced below the minimum allowed, when, by a general order from General Banks, it was con solidated and united with the first Louisiana cavalry. Mr. Fitts was then, with other officers, honorably mustered out of the service. He was again commissioned as captain of the third cavalry, January 6 th, 1864, and died on the 19th of December following. 428 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. ever, nobly seconded by Captains Cheney and Hubbard, and Lieutenants Pendleton, Bucklin and Tabor, while Lieutenants Roberts, Lawton, Alexander, and Abbott, SergeantMajor Potter, and Sergeants Cole, Ballou and Pollard behaved like veterans. General Nagle, in his report, commended the regi ment for behaving well, adding that " Colonel Browne was entitled to much praise for his personal conduct." For several weeks after the battle, the regiment suffered severely for want of suitable shelter, clothing and fuel. It was mid-winter, the weather was uncommonly inclement for that latitude, wood was not to be had except at great labor, and sickness of a severe type ensued. The situation was hardly endurable for men in health, — to the sick it was almost surely fatal. It gave rise, however, to some exhibitions of sympathy and generosity that are pleasing to recall. At this time our large-hearted fellow-citizen, Mr. Nathaniel F. Potter, came to the army on important business, but when the condition of things and the needs and sufferings of the soldiers came to his notice, he hastened home, chartered a vessel, and loading her with the needed supplies, despatched her forthwith to their relief. Owing to contrary winds and rough seas, the vessel did not reach its destination till the corps arrived at Newport News, where its wants were fully supplied. But the well-meant efforts and disinterested generosity of Mr. Potter were none the less appreciated. It cheered the soldier's heart, as it showed him that he was not forgotten. On the 8th day of January, 1863, James Shaw, Jr., reported to Colonel Browne for duty as lieutenantcolonel of the twelfth. He had seen service in command of the ninth Rhode Island volunteers, and his thorough knowledge of tactics and many soldierly qualities, added much to the efficiency of the regiment. On the 9th of February, 1863, the twelfth, with the rest of the ninth army corps, moved to Newport News, where it soon regained its wonted health, and made marked improvement in drill and discipline. From thence, it accompanied General Burnside to the department of the Ohio, and, on the 1st of April of that year, encamped at Lexington, Kentucky. From the 1st to the 23d, it was stationed successively at Winchester, Boonsboro', Richmond Paint Lick, Lancaster, and Crab Orchard. Here preparations were made for a march across the mountains into Tennessee ; but on the very morning when the march was to take place, the order was countermanded, and the whole command ordered by forced marches to Vicksburg. At the end of the second day's march, however, the twelfth was detached from the corps, and ordered GEORGE H. BROWNE. 427 But the regiment was not permitted to enjoy these comfortable quarters long. Ori the 1st of December, 1862, it was put in motion for Fredericks burg, and after a march of great hardship, arrived near Faimouth late in the afternoon, when it was attached to the first brigade, General Nagle, second division, General Sturgis, ninth army corps, General Willcox. The seventh Rhode Island volunteers belonged to the same brigade, and the two regiments for many months pitched their camps side by side. Immediately upon the arrival of the regiment, orders were received to move at daylight the next morning, thus indicating that it was to take part in the impending battle. To men weary, lame, and footsore from a long march, this seemed a severe service, but they set earnestly at work, and when the roar of artillery and shrieking of shells announced that the struggle had commenced, were in line ready for duty. From their arrival till after the battle, they bivouacked, though for some of the time the ground was covered with snow. The attempt to force the passage of the Rappahannock on the 11th, was successful, and on the next day, the twelfth crossed with the corps. To describe the battle of Fredericksburg would be to repeat a. thrice-told tale, and in so brief a sketch as this must necessarily be, it is perhaps suffi cient to say of the part which the twelfth bore in that engagement that, from morning till evening of the memorable 13th of December, 1862, the regi ment occupied one of the hottest positions on the field. Placed near the centre of the Union line, they were, during most of the day, within seventy yards of the enemy's intrenchments, and exposed to the fire of their rifle-pits and batteries. Shell and shot fell around and among them like hail, but they held their ground till into the evening. They fired away all their ammunition, and had to rely on their bayonets to maintain their position. When, how ever, the other forces, covered by the darkness, fell back, the twelfth filed into the rear of the retiring column and returned to the position it had occu pied on the previous night. Roll-call disclosed the sad tale of one hundred and nine killed and wounded, and ninety-five missing. Among the former were the brave and manly lieutenants, Briggs and Hopkins. The former died on the field while leading his men to the charge, the latter a few days after the battle. No lieutenantcolonel for this regiment had at this time been appoint ed, and Major Dyer having early in the engagement been taken by the adju tant's orders to the rear, in consequence of a contusion, Colonel Browne was left during the battle without the aid of a single field officer. He was, how- WELCOME B. SAYLES. 'elcome B. Sayles was born in Bellingham, Massachusetts, in August, 1813. He came to Rhode Island upwards of thirty years ago, and first settled in the village of Woonsocket, where he became a promi nent citizen. In 1845, while still residing there, he was appointed postmaster of Providence, by President Polk. He held the office until June, 1849, and again, after a respite of four years, was reappointed to the office by President Pierce, in 1853, and remained in it until 1857. Subsequently, he was appointed by President Buchanan to transact important business connected with the war, post office and interior department in Arizona and other western districts; and, still later, and near the close of his administration, to visit the principal cities of the south and , effect such settlements and arrangements with postmasters there, as would secure the government from losses and other embarrassments which threatened to result from the secession movement then beginning. This last appointment extended some months into the term of President Lincoln, and, indeed, the service it involved was rendered to some extent, under the advice and direction of gentlemen who expected to be connected with his administration. It is but justice, to say that when this mission had been completed and Colonel Sayles returned to Washington, his work received the unqualified approbation of the postmaster general. And this is true also, of his other labors as a public officer. As postmaster of Providence, his suc cess was not surpassed by that of any other postmaster in New England ; and his promptness and accuracy Were as highly commended by the government, Note. — A sketch of Colonel Sayles was confidently expected from an intimate friend of that officer by whom it was promised. But 'after waiting till the closing sheets of this volume had been sent to the printer, it has been found necessary to gather the leading facts of his life from an obituary notice in the Providence Daily Post, of Deoember 16, 1862. GEORGE H. BROWNE. 429 to report to General Carter, at Somerset, one hundred miles distant. It made the march in the next six days. Here a part of a Kentucky regiment was added to Colonel Browne's command ; and was despatched to Jamestown, fifty-five miles distant, to watch and hold in check Morgan's force. The march was over almost impassible roads, and was made with great difficulty. At Jamestown, the greatest activity and caution were required to guard against surprise, for it turned out that Morgan's force were thirty-five hundred strong, and mounted. A scouting party of the enemy attacked a wagon-train at this place, but was beaten off with a loss by the enemy of two killed, several wounded, and fourteen captured. On the 4th of July, the enemy made a feint as though they intended an attack, but finding Colonel Browne's force in readiness to receive them at all points, they suddenly sheered off, and, sweeping through Columbia and Leba non, and into Indiana, made for Cincinnati. At a later hour in the day, orders were received directing Colonel Browne to move forthwith for the same place. They were promptly obeyed, and the twelfth pitched their camp on Mount Auburn, the same night that Morgan arrived within nine miles of the city. In the morning, however, he moved off in another direction, and was subse quently, with all his force, captured. After remaining here a few days, during which it received a most hospitable reception from the citizens, General Burn side ordered the regiment to return to Providerice, to be mustered out, adding to his order the following address : " On the departure of the twelfth Rhode Island volunteers, at the expi ration of their term of enlistment, the commanding general wishes to express his regret at taking leave of soldiers who, in their brief term ofsservice, have become veterans. After passing through experiences of great hardship and danger, they will return with the proud satisfaction that, in the ranks of their country's defenders, the reputation of their state has not suffered at their hands." On arriving at Providence, the regiment was received by the fourth and sixth regiments Rhode Island militia, and escorted to Howard Hall, where it was met by Governor Smith, and other prominent citizens. Here they par took of a bountiful collation. In response to the thanks tendered the regi ment by the governor in feehalf of the state, Colonel Browne stated that during the two previous months the regiment had travelled thirty-five hun dred miles, more than five hundred of which it marched on foot. Though it lost heavily at Fredericksburg, he now returned to their homes seven hun dred and seventy-eight of the one thousand and seyenty-three men on the rolls at his departure. \ \ LIEUT. COL.WB. SAYLES.1 7'fReg'B.IW! 432 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. most enduring friendships and the most devoted affection. His whole nature was noble, and all his acts in private walks were kindly. His heart and hand were always open to pity and aid for the unfortunate, and he had no enemy with whom he would not have shared his last meal, had he found him in dis tress, or whom, he did not forgive nightly as he laid his head upon his pillow. Such was Welcome B. Sayles, as we have known and loved him for nearly twenty years." HENRY REUBEN PIERCE. 'ieutenant Henry Reuben Pierce, son of Warren Pierce, was born in Cov entry, Vermont, January 2d, 1828. From early life, he was passionately fond of books, and spent a great part of his time in reading. He .pur chased the last three years of his minority, in order to concentrate his efforts and secure a good education. He found employment in Northampton, Massa chusetts, devoting his leisure hours to study; and entered Williston Seminary, at East Hampton, New Hampshire, in 1846. In 1849, he left that insti tution, and immediately entered Amherst College, where he graduated in 1853. He soon commenced teaching school, but after two years entered the law office of Honorable Charles R. Train, of Framingham, Massachusetts. But he seemed to have been fitted by nature for the office of the teacher, and he soon took charge of a high school in Uxbridge. While fulfilling his engagement there, he was married, August, 1856, to Miss Ann Frances Tilling hast, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Two children were the fruit of this mar riage, one passing away in infancy, the other still surviving. In 1857, a more lucrative situation was offered him and he became prin cipal of the high school at Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Here he was winning golden opinions in his profession, and by his genial spirit in social life. But when the war-cloud burst upon the country, his heart was stirred to its utraost depths, and he soon began to feel that he must offer his life upon its altar. He said he could not bear to think that, in his old age, his son should ask what his father did when the liberty of his country was imperilled, and that he must ' be obliged to confess he shunned the path of danger. Patriotic to the core, he enlisted and received his commission in November, 1861, in the fifth Rhode Island heavy artillery, and on the 14th of the following March, he fell, in his first and only battle, at Newbern. His remains were brought to Woonsocket and interred in Oak Hill Cemetery, where a beautiful and appropriate marble monument, erected by his late pupils, marks the place of his rest. He was a true man, a Christian and a patriot, giving all he was and all he possessed, not only for his country, but for his race. WELCOME B. SAYLES. 431 . as were his other qualities and characteristics of service by the public. Mr. Sayles was, however, best known to the people of this and other states, as a consistent defender and supporter of the democratic faith. His first appear ance upon the stage of political strife, was at the time of the free suffrage movement in 1841 and 1842. Mr. Sayles several times represented the democracy of the state in the democratic national convention, and was a leading and influential member of the state assemblages. He was once the democratic candidate for congress in the eastern district, and received a sup port far beyond the expectations of his party. The political sentiment of his district was overwhelmingly against him ; but the majority against him at this election was so small, as to make his opponents fearful of his popularity. Mr. Sayles was the originator and one of the first publishers of the Providence Daily Post, and retained his connection with the paper during the first ten or twelve years of its existence. During a portion of the time, he was its sole editor, and at all other times rendered important service as a counsellor and contributor. He was a good writer, but was not so pleasing with the pen as upon the platform. His thoughts were too swift for the pen, and exhibited far more brilliancy before a public assemblage, than in the editorial chair. Yet he was by no means unguarded and reckless in his expressions, no matter in what circumstances he might be placed. His quick perceptions saved him from many difficulties, into which far less excitable temperaments frequently fall. When Governor Sprague determined to raise the seventh regiment, Mr. Sayles tendered his services to him. They were at once accepted, and on the 5th of June, 1862, a commission was given him as lieutenantcolonel. He set to work immediately, and by his perstinal efforts raised one of the finest regi ments which the state sent to the field. Both officers and men state that Colonel Sayles "soon became the idol of his regiment, and was kindly spoken of as a man and highly praised as an officer by all with whom he came in contact. He accompanied his regiment to Washington, and took part with it in the battle at Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 13th, 1862, when he was killed at the head of his men by a shell, which exploded at the moment of reaching him. His remains were brought to Providence, where they were interred with military honors. " But it was in social life — as a husband, a father, a neighbor, and a friend, Colonel Sayles was most highly prized. His qualities of heart were such as could not fail to establish between him and congenial souls the warmest and % - -^^oo^O L^Zi^L-B-^ysi Brevet i/aj.CKn. FRANK WHEATON, LI. 5. Vol5 434 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. in one season since the organization of the United States army, and fought with and cleared the plains of all hostile Indians. While returning from " Bent's Fort," where they had been to protect the Indian agent and traders, they were met by an express rider with orders for four of the six companies of cavalry of the command to go to Utah. In less than five minutes the detail was made, and Wheaton's company was on it. They# started, got three hun dred miles on their way, and were ordered in to Leavenworth. In the spring of 1858, he was appointed junior aide to General Persifer F. Smith, on whose staff he continued till the death of that gallant and accom plished officer, in May, 1858.. He was then appointed aide to General Har ney, his successor, but was allowed to join his regiment when it was ordered into the field for another summer campaign, on condition that he should return to his position on the general's staff when it should be ended, General Harney in the meantime going to Oregon. In 1859 he was in the Choctaw country, successively at forts Arbuckle, Washita, and Cobb, which .latter fort he built. His cavalry life on the frontier was now drawing to a close, after five years of severe duty, varied by Indian fights, surveys and reconnoissances, with occasional visits to his home in Washington. Qn the first of March, 1861, he was promoted to a captaincy, and on the breaking out of the war was detailed by the War Department, with Captain Sitgreaves, Topographical Engineers, to muster into service the United States troops in Albany. When our army was preparing in Washington for an advance towards Richmond, in June, 1861, Lieutenant Wheaton, at the earnest request of Gov ernor Sprague, was appointed lieutenantcolonel of the second Rhode Island volunteers. At the battle of Bull Run, he showed such skill and bravery in the management of his regiment, the command of which had devolved upon him by the death of Colonel Slocum, who fell early in the engagement that Governor Sprague, who was present, at once promoted him to the colonelcy of the regiment. In November, 1862, Colonel Wheaton was appointed a brigadier-general of volunteers, and received his commission during the battle of Fredericks burg. He commanded a brigade of the sixth corps, and was with it in its various campaigns and battles, until the battle of Winchester, Virginia, Sep tember 19th, 1864, when, by order of General Sheridan, he was assigned to the command of the first division, sixth corps. One month later, after the battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, on the 19th of October, 1864, he was recom mended for promotion. There were no vacancies at this time, and on General FRANK WHEATON. < — •— > 'rank Wheaton, son of Doctor Franeis L. and Amelia S. (Burrill) Wheaton was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on the 8th of May, 1833. He received his education at the public schools in his native city ; and, on graduating from the high school, entered on a partial course of study in Brown University, preparatory to his destined pursuit in life, that of civil engineering. Desiring a more extensive field for the study and practice of his profes sion, a favorable opportunity soori presented itself. In 1850, the United States commission for the survey of the boundary line between the United States and Mexico, was organized by his townsman, Mr. John R. Bartlett. Mr. Wheaton, then seventeen years of age, applied for and received from Mr. Bartlett, a place in the engineer corps. He was also with the commission three years ; and, by his strict attention to his duties, rose to be one of the first assistant engineers. In 1854, he went again on a survey as chief of a party of recon noissance, under Major Emory, for El Paso, to meet the Mexican commissioner, Senor Salazar. In June, 1855, two weeks after the survey had been completed, Mr. Whea ton received from President Pierce the appointment of firstlieutenant of cav alry, to date from April, 1855. His first post of duty was fort Leavenworth, where he served under the veteraris^-Sumner as colonel, and Sedgwick as major of his regiment. Both of these brave men were his true friends to the close of their heroic lives. After more than two years of arduous service on the plains, Lieutenant Wheaton was ordered to the states on recruiting service. The campaign of 1857 was one of the most remarkable on record. Colonel Sumner's command, consisting of cavalry and infantry, marched longer and farther (twenty-five hundred miles) than any mounted troops had ever done JABEZ B. BLANDING. « ¦».— ? fABEZ B. Blanding, son of William and Mary Blanding, was born in Provi dence, Rhode Islandj August 5th, 1841. He was educated in the public schools of that city, and, previously to the breaking out of the rebellion, was employed as a clerk. On the commencement of hostilities, he enlisted as a private in the first regiment of detached militia, and participated in the battle of Bull Run. Returning home with the regiment at the expiration of his term of service, he was appointed August 26th, 1861, second-lieutenant in the third regiment Rhode Island heavy artillery, which accompanied the expe dition under General Sherman to Port Royal. In February, his company was ordered to take charge of a siege-train, and proceeded by a circuitous route through creeks and small rivers in flatboats, to a point on the Savannah river between Fort Pulaski and Savannah, the fort then being held by the rebels. He remained here for nearly three months, effectually cutting off the supplies for the fort. On the 13th of February, a " mosquito fleet," (so called,) under Commodore Tatnall, attacked the battery, but was repulsed without loss to us. On the surrender of Fort Pulaski, Lieutenant Blanding moved with his com pany to that post, and forriied a part of its garrison. He remained there until October 20th, 1862, taking part in many reconnoissances up the river and elsewhere. October 22d, 1862, while serving a battery of heavy guns from the deck of the steamer Planter, at the battle of Pocotaligo, he was severely wounded by a rifle ball, which entered the left arm near the shoulder, causing a compound fracture, and, passing into the left side and lodging near the spine, remained there eighteen months before it was extracted. After lying in the hospital at Fort Pulaski for a time, he received a leave of absence, and returned home, remaining there until March. He then returned FRANK WHEATON. 435 Sheridan's recommendation he was breveted major-general of volunteers for services rendered in that battle. General Wheaton distinguished himself by the part he took with his com mand in the battle of the Wilderness, in May, 1864 ; and, for his services on this occasion; received the brevet of lieutenantcolonel in the regular army. He also received the brevet of colonel in the United States army, for distinguished services at the battle of Cold Harbor, on the 3d of June, 1864. On the 2d of April, 1865, the rebel lines before Petersburg, Virginia, were successfully assaulted by the sixth corps, the first division of which was commanded by General Wheaton. For his services on this occasion, he received the brevet of brigadier-general in the United States army. But the crowning honor of his military career was the brevet of major-general, in the United States army. This was conferred upon him for the masterly manner in which he defeated and drove back the rebel General Early, at Fort Stevens, within the city of Washington, on the night of the 12th of July, 1864. General Wheaton was the immediate commander, on this occasion, of the United States forces, consisting of twelve regiments. On the termination of the war, and until the army of the Potomac was mustered out of service, he continued in command of the first division, sixth corps. When that Organization ceased, he was ordered to the frontier ; and, as brevet major-general of volunteers, commanded a district including the territories of Nebraska, Dacotah and Montana. In November, 1865, he was appointed lieutenantcolonel in the thirty-ninth United States infantry. During the war of the rebellion, few officers were so continually in the field as General Wheaton. He commanded either a regiment, brigade or division, in every battle in which the army of the Potomac was engaged after its organization, from the first battle of Bull Run in 1861, to the surrender of Lee's rebel army in 1865 ; besides participating in all of General Sheridan's campaigns in the valley of the Shenandoah, during the fall of 1864. Alto gether he has been in command in no less than forty-one battles and engage ments, and during this long and active period he Spent but seven days at his home in Rhode Island* * The above sketch fails to do justice to one of the bravest and; most accomplished officers which Rhode Island furnished in the war. The sketch promised not being received, we were obliged, at the last moment, to avail ourselves of the kindness of a friend for what we have given. 438 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. commissioned as a firstlieutenant in the twelfth regiment of Rhode Island volunteers, Colonel George H. Browne, which took its departure on the follow ing day for the seat of war. On reaching Washington, the regiment was brigaded in General Casey's division, of the army of the defences of Washing ton, and established its camp near Fairfax Seminary until the 1st of December, when it took up the line of march for the front, at Fredericksburg, Virginia. It reached Falmouth on the 10th, and was there brigaded with the seventh Rhode Island in the first brigade, General Nagle, second division, General Stur gis, of the ninth army corps. On the morning of the 12th, it crossed the Rap pahannock to Fredericksburg, where it passed the night, and early on the morning of the 13th formed in line of battle and marched to the front, where the fighting had already begun. The twelfth regiment was much exposed in this battle, and company A, that of Lieutenant Briggs, particularly so, as stated by one of his brother officers. Here he fell, mortally wounded from a shot from a rebel sharpshooter. His body was recovered during the night, brought off the battle-field, and sent to his friends in Rhode Island. An officer who had served with Lieutenant Briggs, thus speaks of him in a private letter announcing his fall : "Mr. Briggs came among us an entire stranger, but his genial nature soon gained him many friends, and he became very popular with his men. Whether on the march or in camp, he was ever a welcome companion, sharing in all the hardships of the campaign without murmuring. He was generous, too, to a fault. In the severe battle where he lost his life, his company lost heavily from the fire of sharpshooters. We all feel his loss, for he had endeared himself to us by his manly course of action, and his gallantry." STEPHEN HENRY SOUTHWICK. tephen H Southwick, son of Josiah and Phebe R. South wick, was born in Newport, R. I., December 20th, 1838. His trade was that of a car penter, which he pursued until the year 1859, when he was induced by a friend to remove to the state of Indiana. He opened a store in Paoli of that state, and was rapidly winning his way to popularity and prosperity when the notes of war rang through the country. Abandoning his business, Mr. Southwick at once devoted himself with great activity to enlisting men, and was so successful that thirty-five men were raised in one day in a town con- RICHARD A. BRIGGS. 437 to his regiment, still -suffering from the effects of his wound. On reporting for duty, he was placed in command of the army gun-boat George Washing ton. On the 8th of April, 1863, while on a reconnoitering trip through Coosaw river, the boat was blown up by a rebel shell striking her magazine. After this disaster, Lieutenant Blanding received a sick leave, and returned to Providence. He was then detailed as inspector in the provost-marshal gene ral's department, and ordered to report to Captain Silvey, United States artil lery, then in Providence. He remained in this position until August 19th, 1863, when he received an appointment as firstlieutenant in the twenty-first regiment of the veteran reserve corps. In March, 1866, Lieutenant Blanding joined his regiment at Grenada, Mississippi, where he discharged -the duties of assistant sub-commissioner in the bureau of refugees, freedmen and abandoned lands ; an office of great perplexity and responsibility, but which he filled with firmness and excellent judgment. Here, on the 30th of April, he was basely murdered without cause for provocation. Lieutenant Blanding had been, invited to a walk after supper, and had proceeded but a short distance, when a pistol was placed near his head, and, without a moment's warning, three shots were fired at him, each taking effect. He died next morning at ten o'clock. The deed was perpe trated in the heart of the city, near the. corner of the public square. This brutal act excited universal indignation among the loyal inhabitants of Gre nada. The civil authorities immediately took the matter in hand, but so great was the power exerted by a band of outlaws, then holding a reign of terror, that though the instigators of the murder were believed to be well known, no witnesses could be procured to appear against them before the grand jury. Thus, at the early age of twenty-five years, and with an honorable career opening before him, Lieutenant Blanding fell a martyr to the cause of human freedom, leaving a wife and children, and a wide circle of friends to mourn his untimely end. His remains were sent to Providence, and buried with military honors. RICHARD A. BRIGGS. i ichard A. Briggs, son of Richard Briggs, was born in the town of John ston, Rhode Island, and received his education chiefly at the East Greenwich Seminary. Previous to the war he was employed in a manufacturing establishment. On the 16th of October, 1862,4£r. Briggs was 440 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. Rhode Island volunteers, being the only pupil from the high school in that regiment. When the regiment returned to Rhode Island after its three months' term of service had expired, Mr. Kelly again enlisted in battery G, Rhode Island artillery, acting as sergeant-major of the battery. During his connection with this battery, he went through the Peninsular campaign under McClellan, and, under the same leader, afterwards particularly distinguished himself in the Maryland campaign, at the battle of Antietam. Riding in advance and cheering £>n his men, full of enthusiasm and regardless of dan ger, his horse was shot under him in the, very heat of battle, and he narrowly escaped falling into the hands of the enemy. For his gallant conduct on this bloody field, and in other battles in which he had borne a conspicuous part, he was highly commended by his superior officers, and was promoted to a lieutenantcy in the battery. At the storming of the heights of Fredericks burg, by General Sedgwick, May 4th, 1863, Lieutenant Kelly's first engager ment after his promotion, he was severely wounded in the side by the explo sion of a shell. He survived his wound only about twelve hours; yet with the consciousness that he could not live, he uttered no regrets, but met death with the bravery of a hero and the faith of a Christian. At the time of his death, Lieutenant Kelly had but just passed from youth to manhood. His character in its maturity, was developed and mani fested in the service of his country. At the family fireside, he is remembered only for the kindness and affection which marked his boyhood, and for an assiduous attention to his duties, which gave promise of a useful and honorable life. But on the rolls of the army his record is noble and brilliant, and the unsolicited testimony of his comrades in the war bears witness to his unshrinking devotion to his duty at all times, — to his bravery in every hour of danger, and to the cheerfulness with which he gave his life when his country claimed the sacrifice. JOSEPH ALLEN CHEDEL, JR. ©Joseph Allen Chedel, Jr., was born in Providence, June 24th, 1841. His 51) father, Joseph Chedel, was a native of Vermont. His mother was the ^=^ daughter of Francis Stowe, and was born in Providence. At an early age, Joseph entered a public school in his native city, at which he continued until he reached his fourteenth year, when his father removed to Barrington, where BENJAMIN E. KELLY. 439 taining but five hundred, inhabitants. When the Company was completed it became a part of the twenty-fourth regiment Indiana volunteers. The posi tion of firstlieutenant was offered to Mr. Southwick, but he modestly declined it and accepted a commission as second-lieutenant. The regiment entered the service under General Pope, and was subsequently under Generals Halleck and Lew Wallace. In December, 1861, Lieutenant Southwick visited Newport on a furlough, and was married to Miss Carrie A. Tew. A vacancy having occurred in the regiment during his absence, he was promoted on his return to the first-lieutenantcy of his company. He joined his men in time to soothe the remaining hours of his intimate friend, William Clegg, who was also a native of Newport, and the son of John H Clegg. This faithful young soldier was in his twenty-fourth year, and was universally esteemed in the regiment. His body was sent to Newport, and he now has a resting place in the beautiful cemetery of his early island home. In April, 1862, the twenty-fourth Indiana became a portion of the third division of the combined armies of the west. On Sunday, the 6th of April, the first battle at Pittsburg Landing was fought. On the 7th, the battle was renewed, and on this day the twenty-fourth Indiana occupied a portion of the field to which the fiercest fire of the rebels was directed, yet they charged so gallantly that the enemy removed their guns and fell back. In this san guinary fight, Lieutenant Southwick was struck by a grape shot and instantly killed. Such is the brief record of one of Rhode Island's sons, who nobly died at his post. He reposes in a soldier's grave, far away from his home, in the field which witnessed the valor of his deeds. BENJAMIN EDDY KELLY. Heutenant B. E. Kelly, son of Ebenezer and Sophia P. Kelly, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, February 9th, 1842. At the time of the out break of hostilities between the north and the south, he was quietly pursuing his studies at the high school in Providence. Although hardly past the days of boyhood, the news of the capture of Fort Sumter was like an electric shock to his inborn sentiment of patriotism; and, disregarding all the endearments of his home, he obeyed the call which came from his sense of duty, and enrolled himself as a private in company C, of the first regiment of 442 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. FREDERICK METCALF. Lieutenant Frederick Metcalf, son of Colonel Edwin Metcalf, was born in the city of Providence, September 20th, 1847. At the outbreak of the rebellion, he was a student in the high school of that city, preparing for a collegiate course. Though so young, he soon displayed the spirit so com mon among our students, and made every effort to enter the military service as a volunteer. When the tenth Rhode Island regiment was raised, in the summer of 1862, he enlisted with older school schoolmates, but was rejected by his captain, (Governor Dyer,) who deemed it improper to accept a mere boy in the absence of his father. This, however, did not dampen his ardor, nor diminish his strength of purpose, and Governor Smith, on the 21st of Septem ber, 1863, without hesitation granted him a commission as second-lieutenant in the third Rhode Island volunteers, (heavy artillery,) and he joined his regi ment, then under the command of his father, and was mustered into the service of the United States, on the 1st of October following, being attached to com pany K. His company was then at Hilton Head, South Carolina, but was soon ordered to Fort Pulaski, Georgia, wdiere he served some months as post adjutant, until May 27th, 1864, when he was mustered as firstlieutenant, having been promoted by commission from Governor Smith, dated May 6th, and joined company B, then at Hilton Head. He was there chiefly engaged in instructing officers and soldiers of colored regiments in the service of heavy ordnance. In August, 1864, he was attacked by one of the fevers common in the south, and, on the 19th of that month, being then supposed to be convalescent, was removed for better care and treatment to the officers' hospital in Beaufort, South Carolina. Here he was considered to be recovering, but symptoms of typhoid fever appeared on the 27th, and he died on the 28th of August, in the seventeenth year of his age. His funeral was numerously attended. The body, enclosed in a metallic coffin and suitably draped, conducted by an unus ually large escort of artillery, was laid with full military honors in the Army Cemetery, in the suburbs of the city. Though Lieutenant Metcalf had served scarcely a year in the army, he had shown unusual ability, and earned one pro motion in the field. He had won the respect of his superiors, and the regard of his brother officers, and gave promise of a useful and honorable career* *Stone's " Rhode Island in the Rebollion." LORENZO D. GOVE. 441 he completed his education. At seventeen, he returned to Providence, and after being in an apothecary store for three years, commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Timothy Newell. A few months after, Dr. Newell having accepted the appointment of surgeon in the fiwrt Rhode Island cavalry, Mr. Chedel was induced to accept the place of hospital steward in the same regi ment, for which he was well fitted. He entered the service on the 31st of January, 1862. His prompt and faithful performance of the duties of his office, together with his freedom from those demoralizing habits which are so apt to fasten themselves upon the soldier, separated as he is from the moral influences by which he is surrounded at home, attracted the attention and won the respect of all his fellow officers and soldiers. Colonel Duffie', after assuming the command of the regiment, repeatedly urged Mr. Chedel to accept a commission as lieutenant. He finally yielded to the colonel's solicitations, and was accordingly commissioned as second-lieutenant, on the 1st of Janu ary, 1863. He was engaged in the battles which took 'place at Kelly's Ford and Brandy Station, Virginia, in the former of which actions he especially distinguished himself in the crossing of the river. He fell in the retreat at Middleburg, on the 18th of June, 1863. In this desperate engagement his regiment lost two hundred in killed, wounded, and prisoners, out of a force of three hundred engaged. From November. 12, 1862, to the time of his death, Lieutenant Chedel was the correspondent of the Providence Press. He was remarkable for the steadfastness with which he adhered to his conscientious convictions, for the scrupulousness with which he performed what he believed to be his duty, and for the regard which he always manifested for the rights of others. Such qualities could not fail to produce respect and esteem on the part of his associates, and the light in which they regarded him is well expressed in the letter of the chaplain of his regiment announcing his death, by one short sentence, which might well serve as his epitaph — "He was loved by us." LORENZO D. GOVE. Lieutenant Lorenzo D. Gove, was commissioned a firstlieutenant in the first regiment of Rhode Island cavalry, October 15th, 1861 ; and pro moted to a captaincy, July 15th, 1862. He was killed in a picket engagement near Leesburg, Virginia, November 1st, 1862. 444 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. campaigns and its many hard fought, battles, escaping without a wound. After two years of active service his health became impaired and he returned home on sick leave. He was too much reduced by disease contracted in the line of duty to rally, and died on the 1st of January, 1863. During his whole term of service Lieutenant Carr bore the reputation of a brave, efficient and worthy officer and soldier. JAMES ADDISON WADE. 'rEUTENANT James Addison Wade, son of Laban C. Wade, was born in John ston, on the 16th of March, 1841, and received his education at the com mon schools of his native town. Fired with the same patriotism which had roused so many of the young men about him to lend their aid in suppres sing the rebellion, young Wade, then but twenty years of age, came forward and enlisted as a private in the second regiment of Rhode Island volunteers. When a call was made for more men for a longer term of service, Mr. Wade availed himself of the inducements offered, re-enlisted, and was transferred to the seventh regiment Rhode Island volunteers on the 26th of December, 1863. Having proved himself an excellent soldier he was commissioned by Governor Smith a second lieutenant in the third Rhode Island cavalry, on the 24th of June, 1864. He served with his regiments in all their campaigns and battles, and in the action at Sailor's Creek, in Virginia, on the 6th of April, 1865, received a mortal wound, of which he died in three days after. Lieutenant Wade had not joined the cavalry regiment in which he had been commis sioned, (that regiment being in Louisiana or Texas) at the time he received his wound. DARIUS J. COLE. ap\ arius J. Cole, of Providence, enlisted as a sergeant in company B, in the |fl] seventh regiment Rhode Island volunteers, on the 6th of September, 1862. He was promoted to a second-lieutenant in the same regiment, July 1st, 1863, and was killed in the battle of Spottsylvania Court House, Virginia, May 13th, 1864. THOMAS H. CARR. 443 HENRY HOLBROOK. I^enry Holbrook, son of Benjamin and Mary Holbrook, was born in Men- don, Worcester county, Massachusetts, June the 10th, 1833. At the age of ten years he was left an orphan. He lived with an older brother in Worcester, where he attended school until he was eighteen, when he went to sea. He followed the sea until the spring of 1855, when he abandoned it, and determined to seek a living on shore. The following year he enlisted as a private in the tenth United States infantry, and was with that regiment when it escorted Governor Cummings to Utah. He returned home with an honorable discharge in December, 1861, having served his country for five years. Mr. Holbrook could not long remain quiet when his country was tak ing up arms to crush the rebellion, and on the 17th of March, 1862, but two months after he had left the regular service, he again enlisted as a sergeant in the third regiment of heavy artillery, then being raised in Providence. His military qualities soon commended him to his officers, and on the 28th of November he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the same regiment. On the 3d of April, 1863, he was promoted to a first "lieutenant, which posi tion he filled to the entire satisfaction of his commanding officer. In an engagement with the enemy on Morris Island he received a severe wound, from which he died on the 21st of August, 1863. Lieutenant Holbrook was an excellent disciplinarian, and a brave officer. His brother, M. T. Holbrook, was lieutenantcolonel of the one hundred and seventy-third New York vol unteers, and colonel by brevet. THOMAS H. CARR. 'homas H. Carr was the son of Samuel and Mary T. Carr, and grandson of the late Colonel Jeremiah Olney, of Providence, a distinguished officer of the revolutionary army. He was born in Providence, on the 2d of May, 1826, and received his education at Plainfield and Uxbridge seminaries. Previous to the war he was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He entered the military service on the 7th of November, 1861, as second lieutenant in the second regiment Rhode Island volunteers. On the 24th of January, 1862, he was promoted to a first lieutenant. He was with his regiment in its various 446 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. WILLIAM P. AINSWORTH. 'aptain William P. Ainsworth, enlisted from and was born in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, in 1825. He was the son of William Ainsworth, Esq,, of New Ipswich, New Hampshire. He studied civil engineering with Mr. Starkweather, of Nashua, and, at the time of the breaking out of the rebel lion, was chief clerk and treasurer of the Nashua and Lowell Railroad. He raised a company of cavalry in New Hampshire, which was consolidated with several companies of the first Rhode Island cavalry, and was commissioned by Governor Sprague as captain, on the 3d of December, 1861. He participated with his regiment in the various battles and campaigns in which it was engaged, and was killed at the battle of Front Royal, Virginia, on the 30th of May, 1862. CLARKE E. BATES. 'larke E. Bates was born in Warwick, Rhode Island. Previous to the war he was employed in a manufacturing establishment. He entered the service in the second regiment as a private, in June, 1861, and was soon after made a sergeant. For his gallantry he was promoted to a second lieu tenant, and commissioned as such February 22, 1863. In the battle of Salem Heights, on the 3d of May of the same year, he received a wound in the leg and was obliged to undergo amputation. He lingered from the effects of the wound and amputation till the 18th of July, following, when he died. Lieu tenant Bates always sustained among his associates the character of a brave and efficient officer. JAMES FARLEY. C^ames Farley, of Providence, enlisted as a private in the fourth regiment of Ml Rhode Island volunteers, September 9th, 1861, at the age of twenty-one. ^=^ He was promoted to a second lieutenant on the 31st of March, 1864, and died from wounds received while on picket, near Petersburg, Virginia, on the 26th of July, 1864. FRANCIS B. FERRIS. 445 GEORGE WHEATON COLE. ' eorge Wheaton Cole, son of Captain George A. Cole, was born in Provi dence, Rhode Island, June 1st, 1840. He graduated from the Providence high school in May, 1856, and two years later entered the sophomore class of Dartmouth College. At the beginning of the war he received an appointment as master's mate in the navy, and on the 17th of July, 1861, was ordered to the sloop-of-war Iroquois. This vesse 1 was employed in the blockade service until April, 1862, when she took part in the engagement at forts Jackson and St. Philip, on the Mississippi river. At the capture of Fort Jackson, April 24th, Mr. Cole was killed by a cannon ball while bravely serv ing his gun against the enemy. He was highly complimented by his captain for the gallantry he displayed in this action. The following account of his death is taken from a book entitled, " Heroic Incidents and Anecdotes of the Civil War in America :" " Boys, nevkr mind me." The following incident came to us from an eye witness, who was on board the Iroquois during the bombardment of Fort Jackson. It is a fine example of gallantry and heroic self-abnegation, and deserves to preserve for the gallant sailor, a bright page in the history of the period : Midshipman or Acting-Master Cole, we are unable to say which, was engaged in superintending the men while loading a gun. A grape shot came through the side of the Iroquois while he was thus engaged, and cut him down. It passed through his body aad almost cut him into two. As he reeled back and fell, some of the gun's crew quitted it and sprang towards him. Motioning them away, he partially raised himself, resting upon his right arm on the spot where he had fallen: "Boys, never mind me," he faintly ejaculated. " But you must be carried below, sir," replied one of the men. "No ! what is the use? I'm going. Look — look-after the gun." He again fell back, and the men returned to their work. As he heard the report* he once more looked up. " Did it hit her ? " "Yes, sir." The answer had fallen upon deafened ears. Scarcely had he shaped the last question, than he had rolled backwards upon the deck, dead. Such a death as this, is worthy of a niche in the memory of every true patriot. FRANCIS B. FERRIS. 'rancis B. Ferris, son of Dr. P. W. and Susan A. Ferris, was born at Provi dence, Rhode Island, December 29th, 1830. He was educated at Provi dence, and in September, 1856, removed to Princeton, Illinois, where he practised dentistry till April 25th, 1861, when he received a commission as captain of company I, twelfth Illinois volunteers. He was wounded April 6th, 1862, at the battle of Shiloh, and, twelve days afterwards, died at Paducah, Kentucky. 448 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. JAMES P. TAYLOR. 'ieutenant James P. Taylor, son of Anthony V. and Martha C. Taylor, was born in Newport, Rhode Island, January 3, 1822. Soon after' he had reached the age of manhood, his parents removed to the city of Provi dence, where he learned the art of wood engraving, which was his occupation at the time of his enlistment. He received a commission as second lieutenant in the first Rhode Island cavalry, on the 24th of December, 1861. His frank, genial manners, his integrity and high toned character won him many friends and secured the esteem of all. Lieutenant Taylor was present with his regi ment at the battle of Cedar Mountain, on the 9th of August, 1862. In the terrible scenes of that day he earned a noble record for his unwavering cour age at the post of danger and duty. The fight took place on a day of extreme heat, and many were disabled from this cause alone. Lieutenant Taylor was among the number. The exhausting labors incident to the gallant part which he took throughout the action proved too much for his endurance, and at the end of the battle he left the field at the head of his troop, greatly prostrated. Conscious that he needed different ministrations from those that could be obtained in a bivouac, hie started for the house of Mr. William Flint, about three miles distant, and arrived there on the morning of Sunday, the day after the battle, too feeble to utter a word. He sank rapidly under the effects of the sun-stroke received the day before, and died on the 10th of August. CHARLES W. GLEASON. 'aptaln Charles W. Gleason, of Warwick, Rhode Island, enlisted as a private, June 5th, 1861, at the age of twenty-two, in the second regi ment Rhode Island volunteers. After serving as a corporal and a ser geant, he was promoted to a second-lieutenant in the same regiment, on the 16th of July, 1864, and as firstlieutenant October 1st, following. For gallant conduct at the battle of Winchester, Virginia, he was breveted captain, to date September 19th, 1864. He was promoted to captain January 31st, 1865, and was killed in action April 6th, 1865, at Sailor's Creek, near Petersburg, Virginia. WILLIAM H. perry. 447 SYLVESTER G. HILL. ylvester G. Hill, of the thirty-fifth Iowa regiment, was killed in front of Nashville, on the 15th of December, 1864. Colonel Hill was born in East Greenwich, June 1 Oth, 1820. Being left an orphan at the early age of four years, he was compelled to work his way upward, and did so most successfully. He learned the trade of a cabinetmaker in his native village, and, when nine teen years old, emigrated to the west, locating first in Cincinnati, and afterwards in Muscatine, Iowa, where for thirteen years he was a leading and highly respectable citizen and successful man of business. In the opening of the rebellion, Mr. Hill was with difficulty restrained by his friends from joining the Iowa first; and, in 1862, when the call for troops was made, he raised a company for the thirty-fifth regiment, and was appointed colonel. From that time till his death, he was constantly in active service as regimental or brigade commander. He was in the Vicksburg campaign, had his second son killed by his side on the Red river expedition, marched five hundred miles in the late Missouri campaign after Price, and finally fell a rnartyr to patriotism, in helping to achieve the glorious victory over Hood, in Tennessee. In every relation of life, Colonel Hill seems to have reflected honor upon his native state, and at last he adds another to the heroic Rhode Island spirits who have sealed their devotion to their country with their blood. The colonel leaves a wife and nine children to mourn his loss. His eldest son served a three years' term in the seventh Iowa regiment. WILLIAMx H. PERRY. 'illiam H. Perry, from Pawtucket, enlisted as a private in the second regiment Rhode Island volunteers June 6th, 1861, at the age of twenty-one. He was soon promoted to a corporal, and again to a sergeant. He was commissioned a second-lieutenant in the same regiment on the 1st of October, 1864, and was promoted to a firstlieutenant on the 31st of January, 1865. He was killed in the battle of Sailor's Creek, near Peters burg, Virginia, on the 6th of April, 1865. Captain Gleason fell in the same action. Both entered the service early in the war as privates, and by merit rose to their positions as officers. 450 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. HENRY L. NICOLA I. 'his young officer was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on the 29th of April, 1841. He was naturally inclined towards military affairs, and, at the commencement of the war, was a member of the Newport Artillery Company. When the first regiment was formed, he enlisted in company F, and held the position of fourth-corporal at the battle of Bull Run. On the return of this regiment, after their three months of service, Corporal Nicolai enlisted in the first Rhode Island cavalry, as first-sergeant of troop A. On the 2d day of November, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of second-lieutenant. On the 17th of March, 1862, the severely-contested cavalry fight at Kelly's Ford took place. The first Rhode Island cavalry _ engaged the enemy with great honor to itself. Lieutenant Nicolai led his men to the charge three several times, and was killed by a shell just as victory had crowned the arms of the Union. He was a brave and promising officer, and his loss was keenly felt by his comrades in arms, who, at the time of his death, paid the following tribute to his memory : Camp near Potomac Bridge, Vihginia, March 25th, 1863. To the relatives and friends of Lieutenant Nicolai : The officers of the first Rhode Island cavalry, wish to pay an appropriate tribute to the memory of a gallant officer, and to soften the affliction of those who mourn his loss. We have known Lieutenant Nicolai, since the first organization of the regiment, as a private sol dier and non-commissioned officer, and a commissioned officer. A sense of his duty to God and his native land, impelled him to take up arms ; and his promotion was won step by step, by a constant display of zeal for our cause, and an able and manly discharge of his duties as a soldier. Three times on the day of his death, he had led his men to victory. Thrice the haughty foe charged upon us con- dent of their success, and each time he was foremost among the brave men who routed the enemies of civilization. The battle was won and all danger apparently over, when Lieutenant Nicolai was struck in the shoulder by a cannon ball and instantly killed. -For a soldier, there can be no prouder epitaph than " Died upon the field of honor." On many a weary march, in many a scene of danger, we had learned to admire and respect him. " We shall meet him often in memory's halls, His portrait will hang' on memory's walls." Often shall we recall his virtues when the day's march is done and the bivouac fires are lighted ; and sadly will it be said, we shall never find a braver soldier or a truer man. Alfred N. Duffie, Acting Brigadier-General Commanding First Cavalry Brigade. And twenty-nine commissioned officers first Rhode Island cavalry. EDWIN K. SHERMAN, STEPHEN M. HOPKINS. 449 ISAAC D. KENYON. fSAAC D. Kenyon was a son of the late Judge Lewis Kenyon, of Richmond, Rhode Island, and up to the time of his enlistment, he had been engaged in mercantile pursuits in Providence. He held the commission of captain in the twenty-first Connecticut volunteers. In the fight before Petersburg, on the 18th of August, 1864, he was mortally wounded while at his post in the trenches ; and, after lingering two weeks, died at the eighteenth corps hospi tal, September 1st, attended by his wife and brother, who had been summoned to his side. The obituary notice of Captain Kenyon, which appeared in the Providence Journal at the time of his death, thus speaks of him : " He was a y°ung man °f uncommon native ability, which he had culti- -vated more than is common for a business man. He was noble, brave, gener ous and remarkably honorable and truthful. He was a genuine patriot, and it was purely for the love of his country that he engaged in its service, and not for military glory. On the contrary, his very fine sensibility and rather delicate constitution, must have made the business distasteful and unpleasant. Yet he overcame all these obstacles, and distinguished himself as a tactician and disciplinarian ; so much so, that he was promoted from the post he occu pied, to the command of a refractory company, that at once became service able and well-disciplined. He possessed in an uncommon degree, the power of attaching his friends and associates to him, as is evidenced by correspon dence with his friends in and out of the army, most of whom say they cannot refrain from tears when they speak of his death." EDWIN K. SHERMAN. 'dwin K. Sherman was appointed second-lieutenant in the second regi ment of Rhode Island volunteers, June 6th, 1861. Was promoted a firstlieutenant, July 22 ; and captain on the 20th of November, 1861. He died in the hospital at New York, July 15th, 1862. \ STEPHEN M. HOPKINS. tephen M. Hopkins, of Burrillville, Rhode Island, was appointed first lieutenant in the twelfth Rhode Island volunteers, October 13th, 1862. Was wounded in the foot at Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 13th, 1862. He resigned December 19th, and soon after died from the effect of his wound. 452 RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. CHARLES E. LAWTON. *harles E. Lawton, son of Governor Lawton, of Newport, Rhode Island, was appointed first lieutenant of the fifth regiment of Rhode Island heavy artillery, August 27th, 1863, and made regimental quartermaster on the first of January, 1864. He took part in the various actions in which his regiment was engaged, and died of apoplexy at Newbern, North Carolina, on the 26th of December, 1864. JOSEPH McINTYRE. ©Joseph McIntyre, of Pawtucket, was appointed second-lieutenant in the fifth Ml regiment of heavy artillery on the 11th of November, 1862 ; and was ^==^ promoted to a firstlieutenant in the same regiment on the 14th of Feb ruary, 1863. Promoted captain of the second regiment Rhode Island volun teers, Febraary 17, 1863; killed in the battle of the Wilderness, May 5th, 1864. ALBERT L. SMITH, CHARLES H. KELLEN, CHARLES A. SAWYER. 451 JOHN K. KNOWLES. §ohn K. Knowles, son of James and Ann Knowles, was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, August 14, 1835. He received his education chiefly at the common schools, after which he went through a course of instruction at Messrs. Potter & Hammond's Commercial Academy, in Provi dence. He then taught school till the war broke out, when he enlisted at Chicago, in Sturges's Rifle Corps, with which he served through the several campaigns during General McClellan's command. Serving out his time, he returned to Rhode Island, where he was drafted. He was then commissioned a second-lieutenant in the fourth Rhode Island volunteers, August, 14th, 1863, and was killed in the attack on the fortifications before Petersburg, Virginia, on the 30th of July, 1864. ALBERT L. SMITH. lbert L. Smith, son of Stukely Smith, was born in Thompson, Connecti cut, July 16th, 1822. He was a merchant, and enlisted from Paw tucket as a private in the seventh regiment Rhode Island volunteers. Was promoted to a firstlieutenant April 3d, 1863, and died of brain feVer at Nicklesville, Kentucky, on the 31st of August, 1863. CHARLES H. KELLEN. 'harles H. Kellen enlisted from Willimantic, Connecticut, as firstsergeant July 16th, 1862, in the seventh regiment Rhode Island volunteers. Promoted to a second-lieutenant on the 7th of January, 1863, and fell mortally wounded at Fredericksburg, December 13th, 1862, before his com mission could have reached him. CHARLES A. SAWYER. 'harles A. Sawyer enlisted from Nashua, New Hampshire, in the first Rhode Island cavalry, at the age of twenty-two, on the 4th of August, 1862. He was promoted to a firstlieutenant and adjutant of the same regiment on the 24th of June, 1863, and died November 15th, in the same year. mmm : '¦ V . - • wffl '%r* mmmm B^SJKbw^SsSS! ft*/* 'II