NOTE: The following
account of William Archibald Waugh's remembrances of his life during the Civil
War was written in the spring of 1908. It was copied by hand by his son, Fred
T. Waugh in 1943. This copied manuscript is in the possession of William's
great grandson, Daniel Clarke Waugh, currently living in Seattle, Washington.
Daniel sent a copy to William's great-great granddaughter, Carol Ann Waugh of
Denver, Colorado, who computerized it in 1994. Carol sent a disk to her brother
Rich Waugh of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who spell checked it, formatted it in
HTML and added the photographic links to the Library of Congress. The grammar and
punctuation, except where noted by brackets, were left as originally written.
The document was then
posted to the internet at
http://www.pompano.net/-rwaugh/CiviIWar.htm
where the members of the 5th Massachusetts reenacting unit found it.
After the original document disappeared from the web, the unit scanned in the
original document and posted it to our web site at
http://www.fifthmass.org to continue to make it available to the public. The
photos originally included in the document were lost but we have left in the
references to them in case we ever run across the original again.
COPYRIGHT N
c
A printed, illustrated,
version of this manuscript can be found in the Gettysburg National
Military Park library, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325-2998.
Reminiscences of the
Rebellion
…or what I saw as a private soldier of the 5th Massachusetts
Light Battery from 1861-1863
by William Archibald Waugh (Born 1843)
Although it is nearly
thirty years ago since the 5th Mass. was mustered out at Lynnfield,
Massachusetts, I have often times thought that perhaps it would be interesting
for those who come after me to know what part of the great conflict we
performed during our term of service.
I will commence by
saying the battery was recruited in the city of Boston and New Bedford,
Massachusetts numbering 156 men rank & file. 109 of those men came from New
Bedford and the remainder from Boston and suburbs. We went into camp at
Lynnfield, September 1861. On the 3rd day of October, [we were] mustered into
the U.S. Service for three years or during the war. The men came from different
walks of life, mechanics, clerks, farmers, sailors, etc. and they were as good
and true to the flag they love as any company that took part in the great
struggle.
During our term of
service from 1861 to 1865, according to the records at the State House, we lost
more men and horses killed in active service than any other of the 16 light
batteries that left this state for the seat of war. The battery participated in
28 battles and skirmishes during the war.
After a short stay at
the camp at Lynnfield we were ordered to change and go into camp at Readville,
Massachusetts. While we were stationed there, the 24th Massachusetts regiment
and the 1st Mass. Cavalry reg't were at the same camp with us. During our stay
at Readville we were drilled and uniformed.
Our uniform was a good
one. I think as good as any left the state for the war. Each man was measured
for his suit and overcoat. We knew but little what the life of a soldier was
while in camp at Readville. It was more like a vacation to me than anything
else. We had plenty to eat and drink and a good old "Sibley" tent to
sleep under but the time came when we did not have such luxuries. I remember
well the day we broke camp at Lynnfield to go to Readville. On our way to the
Providence depot we marched across Boston Common with our knapsacks strapped to
our backs, some of them loaded down with many useless things.
We all felt proud of our
new situation. It was the last time that many of the "Boys in Blue"
marched across Boston Common. Our first Captain's name was Max Eppendorp, a
Prussian by birth. He was a very strict disciplinarian, formerly a soldier in
the Prussian army. His stay was short with us for he resigned shortly after our
arrival at Washington D.C. On the 25th day of December we broke camp at Readville
and started for the seat of war. It was then that the life of a soldier
commenced with us.
Well I remember the
morning. It was Christmas morning and
the weather was very cold. Before daylight the bugler blew
"Reveille." The snow was more than two feet deep around our tents,
and we had a hard time getting them out of the snow and ice. About nine A.M. we
were all ready and anxious to start at short notice. We took up our line of march for the cars that were waiting for us at the depot at
Readville. In due time we started for Washington D.C.
We had a good time generally on our way.
At the depots we were
met by crowds of people who wished us well and the ladies gave us many nick-nacks to remember them by. Many of the boys received
needles and thread, buttons, pocket bibles, etc. with the names of the donors
on many of them asking us to write them, etc.
We arrived all safe in
Washington on the 28th of December. On entering the car at Readville, I turned
over one of the seats to make room for four of us to sit down together. One of
our number by the name of George L. Newton made the
remark, "Which of us four will return home again to tell the story of the
war?" Two of us returned, the other two were
killed in battle, one of them my associate and tent mate who enlisted with me
the same day and we both went to camp together. His name was Edwin M. Platts,
killed at the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 13, 1862, age 17
years.
On our arrival in
Washington we were ordered into line and marched to what was called "The
Soldier Retreat" and given something to eat and quartered there in a large
shed for the night. We were not allowed to go out, so we put our blankets down
on the floor and stretched out for the night. It was there that the life we had
engaged in made many of us think of "Home Sweet Home."
We were placed in charge
of the Orderly Sergeant for the night while the commissioned officers went to
some hotel. We were told to keep quiet and go to sleep but there was very
little sleep to many in the shed that night for the boys were in for three
years unless sooner discharged and wanted to make the most of it and I can
assure you they did but after a good deal of persuasion on the part of the
sergeant we quieted down and went to sleep but we had lots of fun. The
following morning we were all alive and our appetites all sharpened up in good
shape for breakfast.
In due
time we were marched to the mess room and given a soldier's breakfast which
consisted of bread and coffee. About nine o'clock A.M. we took up our line of march for Camp Douglas where we went into camp about a half
a mile in the rear of the Capital, Washington, D.C. The camp was very muddy. In
fact our camp was just as good as any in that locality. [Photo: Washington. D.C. Hospital tents in rear of
Douglas Hospital]
There were many
batteries of artillery in camp all around us, all waiting for assignments to
the different corps of the army. We pitched our tents which were the same that
we had while in camp in this state. There were 13 men to a tent and we made
ourselves as comfortable as we could under the circumstances. In a short time
we began to feel quite at home. Our captain of whom I have spoken resigned his
position at this place. The battery was put in charge of our 1st Lieutenant
George D. Allen, afterwards promoted to Captain. He went to work at once and
for [sic] the battery in fighting order. We were furnished with a full
compliment of horses and harnesses and other equipment; also six three inch
bore rifled Rodman steel guns, battery wagons and forge. Now we had plenty of
work on hand, for the horses were all green and it took time and patience to
make them do just what we had to do with them. We remained in camp at Capital
Hill for over two months, drilling and making ourselves familiar with the work
that was waiting for us to do. Many things of amusement happened when we were
stationed at Capital Hill. [Photo: Washington
D.C., vicinity. 17th New York Battery with horses harnessed to guns]
I remember being on camp
guard one night and while walking up and down on my beat (it was dark and had
been raining all day) when I heard a distressing noise at a distance. I could
not make out what it was. I called the Corporal of the guard Post 3 and
he came with two of the guard.
I told him what I had
heard. He listened and heard the noise himself. He advanced in the direction of
the noise also the two guards. They found a man, a member of a New York
battery, had fallen into a deep hole that had been dug for a post hole. It was
full of water and the man was full of beer. He had fallen into the hole and
could not get out. They pulled him out and had to carry him to the guard shed.
They lay him down in a comer in front of a log fire. The next morning he looked
like a baked brick. He was a sight to behold, for he was yellow mud baked, from
the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.
One night I was on guard
over the horses of the battery with a member of the company named Fred
Manchester and a horse strayed into our camp. We caught him and tied him to the
picket rope, where the other horses were standing, reported the fact to the
Corporal of the guard and at that time there was a sergeant of the company who
liked the appearance of the animal very much. He got permission to take the
horse for his own use. We called the horse "Fanny." He rode with the
horse all through the five years of the war and brought her home with him to
this state (Massachusetts). I had the privilege of looking at him at home
(Cambridge).
Many of the boys, while
in camp, were punished for different offenses. Some were made to walk up and
down so many hours a day with a log of wood on their shoulders. Others were
punished by cutting a hole through the head of a pork barrel and putting it
over their head and made to walk up and down for hours.
In the month of March
1862, we were ordered to go to Virginia so we left Capital Hill to take our
position for active service. I remember how well we looked and how proud we
felt as we marched down Pennsylvania Avenue to go into camp at Hall's Hill, Va.
as a part of the Army of the Potomac.
[Photo: Washington on D.C. Artillery unit passing on Pennsylvania
Avenue near the Treasury.]
We were assigned to the
1st Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps under the
command of General Martindale. The Massachusetts soldiers in this brigade were
the 18th and 22nd regiments and the 3rd and 5th light batteries. The 9th and,
afterwards, the 32nd Mass. regiments were in the same corps as a part of the
second brigade.
We liked our camp at
Hall's Hill and enjoyed our time very much. We spent a good deal of our time in
drilling and target practice, guard duty, etc. and while off duty would go to
the woods and try to snare rabbits etc. I remember one afternoon we went out
for target practice and a shell from one of our guns went over the hill and
went through a man's house. We did not know anything about it until we returned
to camp when a man who occupied the house came to the captain and wanted to
know why we were shelling his house. As a matter of course, we felt bad for the
man but we could not help what had been done.
From the time we left
Massachusetts to go to Washington, our ranks began to weaken. Some of the men
were taken sick and sent to the hospitals while we were at Capital Hill. Some
of them never returned and, owing to vacancies in the company, the sergeant of
my detachment, the first by the name of Fred A. Lull, was promoted to first or orderly
sergeant. A short time ago I called to see my old comrade. He stated he had
found something among the papers in his desk that he would like to have me see.
When he was promoted 1st
Sergeant the men of the detachment met together and thought they would give him
something to go with his promotion. It was decided that we would purchase him a
pair of riding boots, spurs, and gloves and present them to him. A paper was
drawn up and 24 names pledged themselves what they could to purchase the same.
They were procured and given to him. He has to this day got that piece of paper
with those 24 names written upon it with lead pencil and I find in looking over
the names there are but four of us living to tell the story of bygone days.
Our stay at Hall’s Hill
was brief for the weather was getting somewhat settled and we were ordered to
advance towards the enemy.
We started off towards
Manassas leaving our Sibley tents that had sheltered us from the storm many
nights, standing where we had placed them. I think we were more comfortable as
to quarters at Hall's Hill than we ever were while in the army. We had our
tents stockaded and bunks built two tier deep all
around the tent and plenty of cedar boughs for a bed to sleep on. We found no
enemy at Manassas so our course of operation was changed. [Photo: Manassas. Va. Confederate
fortifications. with Federal soldiers]
We went to another road and found ourselves at Alexandria, Virginia,
waiting for transportation to Fortress Munroe, Va. It was here the
hardships and privations of war commenced with us. It had been raining
hard all day and we were wet, cold and hungry when we stopped for the night.
The water we had to
drink was thickened with mud. The coffee after it was made looked as if we had
milked a cow in it. Milk was something we had not seen for a long while. The
following day we embarked on transports for Fortress Munroe. The men were put
aboard a steamer, the horses and guns, etc. on barges and towed behind the
steamer. Well I remember how hungry I was on that steamer to Fortress Munroe. [Photo: Fort Monroe. Va. The "Lincoln Gun." a 15-inch
Rodman Columbiad]
Hardtack was worth a
premium to us that day. During the night on our way down the Potomac River, the
barge broke loose from the steamer with our provisions on board, so we had to
go without until we arrived at Fortress Munroe. We got there all safe shortly
after the battle of the Merrimac and Monitor had been fought. [Photo: James River Va. Sailors relaxing on deck of U.S.S.
Monitor] The Potomac River at that time was infested with rebel marked
batteries but we got past them without getting a shot from them. On our arrival
at the fort, we were ordered to disembark, hitch our horses to the guns, and go
marching away.
We went into camp at a
place called Newmarket about four miles from Fortress Munroe. We passed through
the old town of Hampton, Va. [Photo: Hampton.
Va. View of the town] The rebels had burnt it down just
before we got there. I remember carrying a piece of brick that I got at Hampton
from what was called the oldest church in Virginia but finally had to throw
knapsack and brick away with some other relics 1 had picked up at different
places. I found that to carry myself was all I wanted.
We remained in camp at
Newmarket for some little time, doing pick duty and reconnoitering the country
for some miles around us. I remember while at this camp a few incidents that
happened to me personally.
On the eve of our
arrival at Newmarket, a comrade wanted some hay and straw to put in our tent to
lie on. We found out that there were some at a short distance and started on
the double-quick to get it. We had gone but a short distance when I heard a
voice in the air calling me. I paid no attention to the call at first but after
a while, I stopped and looked back. The sergeant said, "Did you not hear
me calling after you?" I told him that I did. "Well," he said, "Come
back the next time I call you." I told him I would. He said, "Hurry
up, get on your side arms and fall in lively. You are detailed for guard
tonight." I got no hay or straw to sleep on that night.
On another occasion one
afternoon I was sitting down in my tent when two lieutenants came along and
asked me to go along with them and turn the grindstone at the battery wagon. I
asked them, "What for?" They told me they wanted to sharpen their
sabers to cut some rebel's head off. I complied with their request. They never
got near enough to the enemy to cut off heads for they both resigned their
commissions shortly after.
While in camp at
Newmarket I got a pass from our captain to go down to Fortress Munroe to visit
an old friend and school mate belonging to the 16th Mass. reg't in camp there.
After walking some miles I was just in time when I arrived at his tent, to sit
down and have what I had not seen for a long time. That was a beefsteak dinner,
soft bread, potatoes, etc. I sat down at a table and it seemed very strange to
me for we did not have such luxuries up our way. After spending a few pleasant
hours I got back to camp again about seven o'clock, feeling well paid for my
trip to the 16th regiment.
On the morning of April
4, we broke camp at Newmarket and in due time started in the direction of
Yorktown, Va. We had not gone many miles when the bugler of the battery blew
"Halt." This is the first time we were commanded to halt in front of
the enemy. We found that the rebels had thrown up breastworks with their guns
leveled on us, to stop if they could, our advance. The place was called
Howard's Mills. The right section of the battery to which I was attached was
ordered from the road. We took position and opened fire on them and drove them
from their breastworks. So the 5th Mass. Battery had the honor of firing the
first gun on the advance of the Army of the Potomac up the "Peninsula
Campaign" under command of General George C. McClellan. [Photo: Portrait of Maj. Gen George B. McClellan, officer
of the Federal Army, and his wife, Ellen Mary Marcy.] We had fired but a few shells from
one of the guns, when the trail of the gun parted in two pieces. We got it
together as well as we could and camped inside of the breastworks that night. After
our arrival inside of the breastworks with the first piece of the battery
broken, it was a question what to do with the gun, for it was useless the way
it was but it did not take the boys long to make up their minds what to do.
Fortunate for all concerned, we had mechanics in the battery who
went to work and put the gun in condition for service. The first thing to do
was to go into the woods, and cut down the best tree we could find, brought it
to our camp and worked all night by candle light and before the dawn of the
next day, we had a new trail in our gun and ready for any emergency. We made
good use of the gun afterwards as time will show as I proceed. [Photo: Yorktown. Va.. vicinity. Headquarters of Gen. George B.
McClellan. Camp Winfield Scott]
One of the many touching
scenes I witnessed during our short stay at this camp was when a comrade and myself wanted to make a fire to cook our coffee for supper.
We started for the woods to get some wood to make the fire. We had gone but a
short distance when we discovered a woman and two small children clinging to
her skirts.
Their cries attracted
our attention. It was a strange sight for us to see a woman those days. We
advanced to where she was standing beside a tree. We asked her what she was
doing there. She informed us that when we had commenced to fire our guns, she
left her small house which was close by our camp and went into the woods. She
had taken off one of her white skirts and fastened it to a branch of a tree and
held it out for a flag of truce. We informed her we would not molest her but
conducted her safely to our captain's tent. She consented to go with us. Our
captain heard her story. She informed him she lived in yonder small house and
how she went into the woods, etc. Her husband was in the rebel army, etc. She
was told to go to her home and a guard put around the house that night to
protect her.
On the morning of the
5th of April, we started for Yorktown where the rebels were strongly fortified.
We arrived in front of their breastwork about two P.M., went into position and
commenced firing, but our work with other batteries in our division did not
drive the enemy from their stronghold.
We fought until darkness
came upon us and camped a short distance from where we were engaged. We
remained in front of Yorktown during the whole siege which lasted from April 5
to May 4, 1862.
For the first week after
our arrival in front of Yorktown, we began to realize the life of a soldier.
The weather was wet and cold and we were short of provisions. The provision
train was stuck in the mud and did not get to us until after some time after we
got there. I remember we got some corn such as the horses are fed with and
tried to boil it to get it soft but the process was very slow. Finally we used
to take the corn and try to roast it but we found it a poor diet for dyspeptics
and hard to digest. For three long days we lived that way: finally the
provision train got to our camp and I tell you that the hardtack and salt pork
had to suffer that night. The most of our time while we remained in front of
Yorktown was taken up by doing picket duty and camp guard etc [Photo: Yorktown. Va. Confederate fortifications
reinforced with bales of cotton]
I remember one afternoon
that one of our generals went up in a balloon in front of our camp to look over
the breastworks and see what the rebels were doing but he did not remain up but
a short time. The rebels fired a shell from one of their batteries and it came
very near going through the balloon. The general came down pretty lively and
the shell burst in our camp but nobody was hurt. [Photo:
Fair Oaks Va. Prof. Thaddeus S. Lowe observing the battle from his balloon
"Intrepid"]
The first soldiers
killed in battle I saw in front of Yorktown. They were two Charleston boys
belonging to the 3rd Mass. Battery (General A. P. Martin). Both brothers, one
got hit, the other went to pick him up when a shell burst and killed him also.
They were buried Sunday morning, the day after the fight, sewed up in their
blankets and buried side by side, under the shadow of a large tree in front of
Yorktown. The men of the 3rd and 5th batteries attended the funerals. Before
they were lain in their graves, their knapsacks were
opened and they both had photographs of their wives and loved ones at home,
which were placed on their bosoms in the grave.
That night after the
fight we camped very near where we were engaged that memorable afternoon. I saw
a horse that was hitched to one of our guns, shot in a peculiar way. A shell
exploded and a piece of it stuck the horse and took his lower jaw completely
off. We took off his harness after the fight to kill him but he did not want to
be killed for he put his head down to the ground and thought he could eat the
grass.
In a company of soldiers
you will find more or less comical ones, some of them more knaves than fools,
and I think our battery had our share of such. I think of one by the name of
Charley Colbath, who played his part well for a
discharge. He would oftentimes wander off outside our lines in front of the
rebel pickets and as soon as they would fire at him, he would get down on his
hands and knees, crawl back into our camp. One day he strayed into the camp of
the 3rd Mass. Battery (Captain Martin). The captain's cook was about to prepare
dinner for the officers. During the temporary absence of the cook, he went into
the tent and there he found a plate full of good beefsteak. He thought what was
good for the officers was good enough for the
privates. He took the steak to his own quarters and was cooking it for his
dinner when he was arrested and put in the guard house.
He was punished by being
chained with a shackle to one of his ankles and fastened to the side of a
fence. There he remained for quite a while, day and night, with straw to lie
on. He played his part so well at different times that he was finally
discharged as being insane. He came home and enlisted several times afterwards
and got bounty every time. I have never seen him since he left our battery.
We had other members who
were getting tired of a soldier's life. Some could lie down and have a fit just
when they felt like it, others would play deaf, etc. Often times when we camped
in front of Yorktown, we went down to the river and gathered oysters, bring
them to camp and cook the best we could. If we wanted escalloped oysters we
would take some hardtack and break them between two stones for meal. At times
we would get up a dish good enough for any soldier. We were at times homesick
and wanted no oysters or anything else but "Home Sweet Home".
On the night of May 1,
we were told to hold ourselves in readiness at short notice for an advance on
the enemy. On the night of May 2, while in our tents asleep (well, I remember
it, for it was blowing hard and raining). It was twelve o'clock and the bugler
blew "Assembly." We got out of our tents as best we could to fall
into line. We were ordered to strike tents and harness up the horses for a move
towards Williamsburg where part of the army had engaged that day. From the time
we received call we worked with a will, for in ten minutes after we were all
ready to move forward.
In due time we started,
went a mile or more on the road, when the bugler blew "Halt." We did
not advance any further that night. We were sent back to the same quarters we
had vacated some short time before. We found ourselves in the same camp in the
morning, just as if nothing had happened during the night but our clothing and
blankets were wet, for it rained hard during our absence.
On
the morning of May 5, our corps was ordered to advance. We again broke camp and
started in pursuit of the enemy who had evacuated Yorktown the night before. We
traveled over many rough unbroken roads that day. Finally we went into camp for
the night at West Point, Va. near Whitehall Landing. On the following morning
before daybreak the bugler blew "Assembly", which to us was fall in
line for roll call. The roll had been called so many times that those whose
duty it was to call the roll, seldom used a book or paper. If a man was absent,
he had to be accounted for by the sergeant of his detachment, to which he
belonged. The moment the bugler stopped blowing his bugle, they were supposed
to be in line standing at attention. After breakfast roll-call we had our
breakfast of hardtack and coffee. Then rations were served out to each man to
last him three days. That meant business to the soldier when rations were
served out in advance.
Shortly
after, the bugler blew "Boots and Saddles" and then we were ready for
the march again. We started off on the road to Williamsburg, Va. where the
battle had raging a short time before. We passed over roads that the rebels had
planted torpedoes, near wells, near springs of water, near flag staffs, in
carpet bags, empty flour barrels, etc. There were more or less men killed by
the explosions while on the march. They were planted in the ground and as soon
as a man would step on one of them, it would go off. Finally the rebel
prisoners were made to take them up at their own peril. Our course was press
towards Richmond and on we went to meet the foe. We did not have long to wait
for on the 27th of May, we came in contact with the enemy at Hanover Court
House. [Photo: The Peninsula, VA. A 12-pdr howitzer fun captured by Butterfield’s Brigade near
Hanover Court House, May 27, 1862.] We did what we could to
start them along but we found out that they were prepared to stay where they
were for the time being. We fell back a short distance and went into camp
feeling thankful that we had been spared to spread our blanket down on the
ground and go to sleep. I can assure you it did not take us long to get into
the land of the nod, for we were pretty well tired out after our days work.
On the 27th of June, we
found ourselves in front of the enemy at Gaines Mills, Va. which place we left
to go to Hanover Court House. The 27th day of June was a hard one for the 5th
Army Corps. We fought the enemy all day but did not accomplish anything, we
lost heavily. I think it was a terrific day for the 5th Mass. Battery. We lost
many of our boys, killed and wounded and some were taken prisoner. They charged
our battery several times that day and we kept pouring in the grape and
canister and shell into them as fast as we could fire. [Photo: Cold Harbor Va. Vicinity. Unburied
dead on the battlefield of Gaines' mill.]
Our work was effective
but for all we could not get the best of them. At last they gave one of their
yells for which they were noted and drove us from four of our guns. The other
two guns were got off the field for the horses had not been killed. It was at
this battle that we lost the gun that we worked all night to put the new tail
in, on our way up to Yorktown. There was great scattering among our boys that
night. Some went one road, some went another and what
was left of us got together after a while. One of our number
I have often thought about since our return home. His name was Gifford.
At the fight at Gaines
Mills he worked on one of the guns and when the rebels charged on us the last
time, he took the situation in all at once. He started to go with the rest of
the boys. He had not gone but a short distance when he thought of his blouse
that he had taken off in the heat of the day and left on the trail of the gun.
He went back to get the blouse, when he thought he would give the rebs one more
shot. He loaded the gun all alone and left the ram in the gun then fired it for
all it was worth. He then took to his heels for all they were worth and the
last we saw of him he was on the double-quick across the Chickahominey Bridge.
I have been told he was last seen running up Purchase Street in New Bedford,
Massachusetts. I know he never came back to us so I have no doubt but what he
kept on the double-quick until he reached his home. Our forge and battery
wagons and many of our side arms were thrown into the Chickahominey River that
night to keep them from the rebels who were after us in good shape.
Our captain, George S.
Allen, was taken sick and left us after the fight at Gaines Mills,
came home and resigned his commission. They were many of us that would have
liked to have come home but we were not all officers. We went marching and
fighting our way along through the seven days battles. At last we found
ourselves at Harrison's Landing, Va. near the James River. The weather was very
warm, the flies looked to be a large as bees and water for drinking was very
scarce.
Our battery boys came
together at this place "But we got there just the same." After our arrival at Harrison's Landing the battery was somewhat
broken up. We had but two guns and a few horses. There were other
batteries who had lost heavy in the late engagements.
Our two guns were turned
over to the 4th Rhode Island Battery who were a part
of our brigade. The officers were attached to the 3rd Mass. Battery. The men
were divided. One half detailed to the 3rd battery, the other half to the 4th
R.I. There was no regiment or battery of the Army of the Potomac at that time
that had men enough for we lost thousands, killed and wounded on our retreat to
Harrison's Landing. On the morning of July 1, the two guns of our battery that
we had left, was ordered to take a position at Malvern Hill, out 1st lieutenant
was in command.
The men of the battery
that had lost their guns at Gaines Mills were ordered into line. We were asked
to man the guns of the other batteries. The order was that any man that will
volunteer to go, will step two paces to the front. The
whole four detachments who had lost their guns, to a man stepped two paces to
the front and off we went to join our comrades who were already engaged at
Malvern Hill. History will tell you that this fight was a regular artillery duel.
During the engagement at Malvern Hill,
General Griffin, who commanded our brigade came riding along to where the two
guns of the 5th Battery were engaged and wanted to know where was the officer in charge of those two guns. [Photo: Portrait of Capt. Charles Griffin, officer of the
Federal Army. (Brig Gen from June 9, 1862)]. Our
2nd Lieutenant, Charles A. Phillips, as brave a man who ever stood on the field
of battle, told the general, "There he is, the coward standing behind that
tree."'-The general then told Lieut. Phillips to take charge, which he
did. The 1st Lieut. who was in command left the boys then and there; one other,
a second lieutenant, went with him. The last I heard of either of them, they
had resigned and came home, never to be seen by any of the boys of the 5th
Mass. Battery. I felt ashamed of them, after turning the grindstone a short
time before, to sharpen their sabers to cut off some rebel's head, which they
never did.
We did what we could at
Malvern Hill and I have oft times thought, if it had not been for our gun boats
at Malvern Hill, the rebels would have driven us into the James River. We
returned back to camp at Harrison's Landing and remained there during the month
of July, 1862. We tried to make ourselves as comfortable as we could under the
circumstances. Our corps, the 5th, lost during the seven days battles,
commanded by Fitz John Porter, 873 killed, 2,779 missing. [Photo: Portrait of Maj. Gen. Fitz-John Porter. officer of the
Federal Army.]
We were at that time
very much used up and needed all the rest we could get. Twenty miles from
Richmond, Va. but it looked to us at that time as if we would get there as
prisoners and no other way. The rebels fought those days with a will and if
they had got the best of us at Malvern Hill, it would have gone hard for all concerned.
In the beginning of the month of August our corps was ordered to move.
We were glad to make a
change at that time. In due time, off we started, after traveling many miles
we brought up at a place
Warrington Junction. After some delay we were ordered to Bristow Station. [Photo: Virginia. Tracks of the Orange & Alexandria
Railroad, destroyed by the Confederates between Bristow Station and the Rannahannock].
We arrived there while the battle under General Pope was in progress, feeling
hungry and tired and as the boys used to say, "We want no more pie but
want to go home." We remained there doing nothing but putting in our time
the best we could. We again started for Manassas Junction and finally brought
up at Centreville, Va. [Photo: Manassas
Junction. Va. Soldiers beside damaged rolling stock of the Orange &
Alexandria Railroad]
We went into action and
did what we could to stop the enemy's advance. The battle raged furiously for
hours and many a brave soldier lay down his life to uphold the Stars &
Stripes. The next day we were posted in the entrenchments on the right of Centreville.
[Photo: Centreville. Va. The principal fort]
Thus ended the second battle of Bull Run.
The next start we made
was for Antietam. The men of the 5th Mass. Battery as I have stated before were
attached to the 3rd Mass. Battery and 4th Rhode Island. We had started for
Antietam and while crossing Georgetown Bridge D.C., an order came for the 5th
Mass. Battery to fallout of line. The boys of the 5th Mass. Battery once more
fell into line and we were marched back and went into camp as the 5th Mass.
Battery at Georgetown Heights.
After a few days we were
again put to work. We had been furnished with a new outfit complete; horses,
guns, harnesses and all other equipments and a few new recruits which we were
very much in need of. As soon as we could get straightened out, off we started
to join our corps who had preceded us and were at Antietam. While we were
getting ready for a start at Georgetown Heights, Lieutenant Charles A. Phillips
was commissioned our captain. He was the only commissioned officer out of what
we had when we left Massachusetts. He was one of the best officers, a strict
disciplinarian, he knew no fear, was later on brevetted major for gallantry on
the field of battle. He remained with the battery during the whole term of
service and came home with what was left of the boys after a service of over
four years. Our other officers were commissioned from our ranks.
The roads to Antietam
were very good, better than we had traveled over for some time. We passed over
South Mountain after the battle. We saw many things of interest on our journey
over the mountain. We went round & round in order to get our guns up over
the top. When we arrived there we found that Gen. McClellan had planted large
siege guns there. It was a wonder to us how they ever got such guns up there. I
know we had all we could do, to get up there. In passing over the mountain, the
trees were full of lead bullets and hundreds of dead soldiers lay where they
fell. [Photo: Antietam. Md. Battlefield on the
day of the battle] The rebels at that time were in front of
us but at last they started back to old Virginia. We followed them up for a
short time and then went into camp at Sharpsburg, Va. Our camp was very near
the bridge that Gen. Burnside had taken with his corps, from the enemy. Many
times we went to water our horses under the bridge and we often times thought
of the thousands of our brave boys who gave us all that was dear to them, to
defend. Our stay at Sharpsburg was short. Again we started in pursuit of the
enemy, going by way of Harper's Ferry, Va. [Photo:
Harper’s Ferry. W. Va. View of the town and railroad bridge]
We saw many things of interest
to us there - where John Brown was executed, etc. While in camp at Sharpsburg,
I went to a farm house on the road and the lady of the house baked me a loaf of
bread, while I waited for it. I paid her one dollar for it and was glad to get
it. We marched along road after road and mile after mile, sometimes on the
advance of the army and then at other times in the rear. [Photo: Sharpsburg. Md. Principal street]
While on this we were
detailed as a battery to guard the supply train which generally followed after
the army in the advance. Some nights it was very late when we arrived at the
camp contending with all kinds of weather. I remember one night on this march
we were going down a hill on a corduroy road and had to turn a sharp corner. As
we did, one of our caissons loaded with ammunition, turned too sharp and tipped
over into a swamp. We had to work for hours to get it out on the road again.
We were all very tired,
short of provisions, etc.; it was three o'clock in the morning when we reached
a stopping place. After many days of hard marching we arrived at Falmouth, Va.
where we went into winter quarters. Our camp was along side of the railroad
near Acquia Creek Bridge.
We made ourselves
comfortable as we could while there. We built a stable of pine boughs etc. to
shelter the horses from the storms. We had an old fashioned baking pan and we
made good use of it, baking beans and brown bread.
We had plenty of pork
and hardtack to go with the beans. We amused ourselves when the weather would
permit, by having a game of base ball. When night came on, we would sit around
our camp fire, sing songs, tell stories, etc. Some of the boys could tell a
pretty good story. It was now the fall of the year and the weather was getting
quite cool. One night the rebel cavalry made a raid on the Acquia Bridge to
destroy it, but got left. After that our battery of six guns was posted on a hill
near the bridge, to stop them if they carne again. We did picket duty for some
time; at times we were on picket duty every other night. [Photo: Aguia Creek Landing. Va. Personnel in front of Quartermaster's Office.]
We were short of men and
it made it hard for the rest of us. We had at this time been in the service
over a year and thought ourselves old soldiers. We passed through many a bloody
day and I have often thought since that we were having the cream of it that
time and later on we got nothing but sour milk.
We had men in the
company that had counted up many things. Some could tell how many hours they had
to put in to make up three years; others had counted up the minutes; could tell
how many more times they would have to go on guard at the rate we were going.
While in camp at Falmouth we were put under light marching orders. [Photo: Falmouth. Va. Aides de camp to Gen. Joseph Hooker:
Capts. William L. Candler, Harry Russell, and
Alexander Moore] That meant to us, taking away a good many little comforts
that we then had. All extra clothing was taken away from us and what we had left, was what clothing we had on. If we wanted a clean
shirt or socks, we had to go to the brook and wash them, then wait until they
got dry, then put them on. I am thinking that some of our shirts never got
washed, for I noticed our boys after a while had gone into the scratching business
just like thousands of other men in front of the enemy. Our tents were taken
away and each man was furnished with a piece of shelter tent. At this time
General McClellan had been removed as commander of the Army of the Potomac also
Fitz John Porter, who commanded our corps. General Joe Hosker
[Hooker] was put in command of the 5th Corps and General Burnside in command of
the Army of the Potomac. [Photo: Portrait of Maj.
Gen. Joseph Hooker. officer of the Federal Army] On the 10th
of December, there was music in the air, for we were ordered to get ready and
advance on the enemy, who were strongly fortified on the heights of
Fredericksburg, Va.
On the eve of December
12, we were told to be in readiness for a move in the morning for
Fredericksburg. Three days rations were served out to us or in other words, we
put all we could in our haversacks for we had plenty of rations at that time.
On the morning of December 13, we bid adieu to our camp at Stoneman Switch near
Falmouth not knowing that we would never return. We left our tents standing
where we had pitched them. In the meantime each man had been furnished with a
piece of shelter tent also the corps badges to put on our caps. The badge of
the 5th Army Corps was a Maltese cross.
The bugler blew "Attention”
and then off we started to the Battle of Fredericksburg or what the boys called
afterwards the "Burnside Slaughter House." [Photo: Portrait of Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, officer of the
Federal Army] We
arrived at Falmouth in front of the city of Fredericksburg. We had come to a
halt when our captain received orders to cross the pontoon bridge about in the
center of the city.
I have no doubt but many
of ins would have liked to have been excused but it
was too late.
Off we started. The shot
and shell from the rebel batteries was falling thick and fast all around us.
Strange to say, not one of us got hurt crossing over the bridge that so many of
our brave boys lost their lives, to build.
I was a driver on one of
the caissons going into this battle. [Photo: Sergeants
of 3d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, with gun and caisson] I remember when we reached one-half of the
bridge, a shell came flying over my head and my horses
made a jump and almost threw me into the river. After we got over the bridge we
halted in the center of one of the principle streets.
The guns of the battle
were ordered to take a position on the left of where we stood; the caissons
were left standing in the street. The swing drivers of the caissons were taken
off their horses to help man the guns. There were six of us. A way we went to
do what we could. We were placed in a position on the right of what was called
the poorhouse.
We commenced with shot
and shell and kept it up until darkness came upon us. Every time we fired a gun
it would recoil back six or seven feet. The ground being soft it made it hard
work when the command was "by hand to the front." We kept firing away
for all that we were worth but it did not seem to make any impression on the
enemy breastworks in front of us.
Regiment after regiment
and brigade after brigade of our soldiers were mowed down like the grass before
the scythe. Hundreds of our battery boys were shot down by sharpshooters. The
Second Maine regiment supported our battery that afternoon.
One poor fellow was shot
dead in the rear of one of our guns. He lay where he fell. He had a piece of
shelter tent and his blanket rolled together over his shoulder. I took his
blanket for it was much better than the one I had and slept on the brick side
walk with it that night. 1 brought the blanket home with me from the war and my
wife used it for years as an ironing board blanket. The streets of Fredericksburg
were a hard looking place that day. The dead and wounded lying in all
directions; furniture of all kinds in the streets; pianos, etc. and you could
see the men breaking them up for wood to make a fire to cook their coffee, etc.
[Photo: Fredericksburg Va. Houses damaged by the shelling of December 13, 1862.
The stores and houses,
churches etc. were riddled with shot and shell from our batteries on the opposite
side of the river. That night of the memorial day we
rested on the streets of the city.
I remember it was a
pretty cool night; we put the cape of our overcoats over our heads and canteen
for pillow and rested the best we could.
We
were tired enough to sleep anywhere and many a brave boy slept his last sleep
on that bloody field that night. On the morning of December 14 it was Sunday
and we were ordered back to the same position that we occupied the day before.
We did no fighting. We remained there all day trying to make ourselves as
comfortable as we could. We would get a stray shot once in a while but nobody
in our company was hurt that day. In the house called "The Poor
House" alongside of where we stood, we found a barrel half-full of flour
also a cook stove and then we had a picnic all to ourselves for we fried
flapjacks all day on top of the stove covers. We had no salt but they tasted
good to us. The house was built of stone, riddled with cannon balls. I looked
over the field of battle that morning; it was a sad sight. Our dead soldiers
were piled up two or three tier deep for breastworks during the night, thinking
we would have to commence business again in the morning. The loss in this
battle was 1,128 killed, 9,105 wounded, 2,078 missing. Our division lost 3,548 killed and wounded. [Photo: Fredericksburg, Va. Burial of soldiers] The
day we stood waiting for orders to cross the pontoon bridge, my tent mate and
associate, who enlisted in the army with me, had been promoted to the rank of
Corporal and assigned to the left of the battery. I was attached to the right.
He came to me and said, "Now we are going into a hot place, look out for yourself." I told him to do the same.
We talked together for a
short time when the bugler blew" Attention." He left me to take his
place. That was the last time I ever talked with him. After we had come off the
battlefield, one of the boys came to me and wanted to know if I knew that my
tent mate was hit. I told him "No." I wanted to know where he was. He
told me that the last he saw of him he was lying up side of the fence where we
had been engaged. It was quite dark; I went back to see if I could find him. I
saw many men lying alongside of the fence but I could not find him. I was
obliged to give up looking for him that night so came back feeling sad I could
not find him. The next morning I started off again to find him. I had not gone
far when I saw four boys with his lifeless body on a house shutter, bringing it
across the street. I went over to where they were and found it to be my comrade
for which I had been looking. The men of the battery dug a grave in a garden of
a small house on the main street and he was buried there. We took four shutters
from the house and made a coffin and then the body was lowered in the grave.
He was one that was
beloved by all the men and I missed him when we got back to camp again. For
many nights we buttoned our shelter tents together and slept on the same
blanket. But I knew he died as he would wish for he was a true blue and passed
away like a hero. The last words that he spoke were, "No man can call me a
coward." Then it was four o'clock Sunday morning and there would be no
more fighting that day. These were the last words of my comrade and friend,
Corporal Edwin M. Platts, age 17 years.
Before he was put in his
grave, I looked at him. I found that a round bullet had struck him on the left
breast over the heart and was taken out his back. He bled inwardly and had his
senses to the last. I brought his cap and the bullet that killed him home. The
men of the battery got a piece of board and put it up for a marker on his grave
with there words on it. "Corporal E.M. Platts 5th Mass. Battery Killed
December 13, 1862." The battery passed over the same ground sometime after
and found that another soldier had been buried alongside Eddie.
In the meantime the
rebels had occupied Fredericksburg and they took great pains to write on the
grave mark "Here lies the body of a D. Yankee soldier." On the night
of December 14, we were ordered to cross the river; it was Sunday night and
raining hard. We crossed the pontoon bridge all safe after a few hours march we
found ourselves back in the same camp we had left but two days before. It was a
bitter pill for us to swallow that night for we accomplished nothing and left
many of our brave boys behind us to be buried in the soil of Fredericksburg. [Photo: Antietam. Md. Burnside's bridge]
While standing in the
street waiting for orders, on Sunday evening, I was talking with one of our
boys standing behind a large tree to keep away from the bullets of the rebel picket.
We had been there but a short time when a soldier came running up to us and
wanted to know which way he could go to get to the bridge. We told him. I had
no sooner got the words out of my mouth, when a minnie
ball from one of the pickets passed through his cap. The cap fell to the ground
when off he started on the run for the bridge, for he was almost scared to
death.
When we started for
Fredericksburg, tobacco was rather a scarce article in our camp but during our
short stay at Fredericksburg, our boys went through a tobacco warehouse and
brought back to our camp enough to supply all demands for a long time. In place
of ammunition in our caissons, we had tobacco. On our return from
Fredericksburg, we pitched our shelter tents in place of the wall tents that we
had before we left to go to Fredericksburg. [Photo:
Fredericksburg. Va. Cooking tent of the U.S. Sanitary
Commission]
We made ourselves as
comfortable as we could, for the weather was quite cold. After a lapse of two
of more months we were told to get in readiness for another move. At last,
orders came and off we started but where we were going we did not know. We had
gone many miles when a terrific rain storm set in upon us. We kept moving right
along as fast as we could. We were as wet as we could be, outside. At last we
were obliged to halt for the horses could not pull the guns along the road. At
times we had to double up the teams to pull through the mud. At last we were
ordered into camp on the side of a hill. The night was terrible; it rained in
torrents and the wind blew furiously. As soon as we got into camp and the
horses were taken care of, my tent mate Mort Gale and myself, started for the
woods to get a pole and two crutch sticks to erect our shelter tent for the
night. We got our tent up and spread our rubber poncho down to lie on; the
ground was very rough with small cobblestones. We found it a hard bed to sleep
on but we could sleep almost anywhere those days. We had not slept many hours
when Mort says to me "Archie, we are floating." We sat up and found
the water was running a stream under us. We had forgotten to dig a trench
around our tent so we did the next best thing for the night. We were glad when
morning carne after such a refreshing night's sleep but we found out that the
storm was not over. We put in the day the best we could, sitting in our
"Mansion" for we could not stand up. When night came on the storm was
still raging: we lay down to sleep. All at once the wind commenced to blow more
furious; it was a few hours when our tent went up like a balloon and we lay
there looking at the sky. There were but a few tents left standing on our camp
ground that night. We went to work with other boys of our company and made
shelter for the night.
We took one of the
tarpaulins that covered the guns and spread it down on the ground. We then lay
down and pulled one-half over us and slept soundly until morning. The next day
it stopped raining; we were ordered to start along. We got out on the road and
found out that we were going back to our old camp at Stoneman Switch and a more
discouraged dirty set of men as we were, I had not seen before, for the men,
horses, guns and equipments were yellow mud allover. This move was called
"The Famous Mud March." We had spent so much of our time at this camp
ground that we were familiar with all the surroundings and the wood for cooking
purposes was getting scarce. It was now the month of April, 1863 and the
weather was getting more settled and much of our time was spent in battery
drill, etc.
We had a good drill
ground near the camp. Many of the boys of the battery were punished while we
were in this camp, for different rules they had disobeyed. Some were made to
stand on a caisson box for two or more hours for leaving the feed bags on the
horses after they had got through eating. Others were put on the spare wheel of
the caisson and made what the boys used to call, the "Spread Eagle."
We had one man that was caught sleeping on his post, while doing camp guard. He
was punished very severely. A cracker box was strapped to his back, loaded with
cobblestones. He was made to walk up and down in front of the officer's
quarters, six hours a day for a number of days with a guard put over him. I
often meet this old comrade on the streets of Boston and I think of the cracker
box at Stoneman Switch.
We had a few recruits
sent to us while at this camp and two of them left us shortly after. Others
started from Boston to join us but they "jumped the rope" in New York
after they had got their bounty. The month of May 1863, we again started to
meet the enemy. On the morning of May 3rd we were marching over the plain road
to take a position at the battle of Chancellorsville, Va. It was Sunday morning
and the battle was raging furiously when we arrived.
We took our position on
the left of the army. We remained there all day working hard under many
difficulties. We had quite a fortification in front of us when we left that
night. We filled grain bags with dirt, etc. to put in front of us to keep the
sharpshooters from picking off our men. I remember as we passed up the road to
take our position, there were many regiments waiting on the roadside to take
their positions. One of the colonels of one of the regiments spoke to our
captain. He said "Captain, where are you going?"
Our captain told them we
were going in to give them hell. I remember how the boys of those regiments
cheered us as we passed by. There was a regiment waiting on the roadside that
had just come from Pennsylvania, one thousand strong.
They had a drum corps
composed of boys 15-17 years of age. The boys were singing "John Brown'
and the whole regiment behind them joined in the chorus.
Later on the regiment
was ordered to take off their knapsacks and place them in the woods. They got
into line and went into the fight on the double-quick. I was told afterwards
that they fought well and six hundred were left on the field, killed and
wounded. As usual after a battle, it commenced to rain. The day had been quite
warm and thousands more of our brave boys were sleeping their last sleep on
that bloody field.
I saw many things that
day that I shall never forget. There were men going to the rear of the army
with arms hanging by their sides; others shot through the body, etc. One poor
fellow, quite a boy, came to where we stood and wanted a drink of water. He had
nine buckshot in his head, blood was running out of
his wounds like a stream of water. We bathed his head and did what we could for
him. He belonged to a rebel regiment.
That Sunday the caissons
of our battery were ordered across the river for safety under command of corporal T. E. Chase. We arrived at the river about dark but
did not go across. The corporal thought it looked too much like running away
from the enemy. We remained at the bank of the river all night. The next
morning the remainder of our battery came along and we fell into line and joined
them on the march back. Our captain wanted to know when he met corporal Chase, "Why he did not take the caissons
across the river!" The corporal told him he thought he was doing right.
The captain told him to do as he was told, next time. If the rebels had drove us to the river that night, no doubt they would have
captured our ammunition and we would have had to swim across. By this time in
our army life, we had got well used to retreating in good order, for we had
crossed and recrossed the river so many times that we were getting well used to
it. After some delay we at last crossed the river. I think it was a place
called Kelly's Ford. When we got to the other side we found it a hard road to
travel; the hills were very steep. I know we had to get mules to pull the guns
up some of the hills, for the horses and men were all used up.
We found out at this
place that six mules would pull more up a hill, than twelve horses. After
getting on top of a hill we would halt for a rest etc. One of our guns was
capsized over an embankment while on this march, and we worked for hours with
ropes, etc. to get it up again. We then took up our march back to the old camp
ground at Stoneman Switch. The later part of May, we again broke up camp at
Stoneman Switch. It seemed to us like from home after putting in so much of our
time at this place but we went away this time for good, we never returned to
that old camp ground again.
We started off early in
the morning, marched all day and then went into camp about ten miles from where
we started. We did not know where we were going until we had reached our
destination. We found out that the folks at home knew more about our movements
than we knew ourselves. Strange to say a soldier never knew where he was going
until he had reached his destination.
We remained at this camp
for a few weeks; it was a good one, on the edge of the woods. We enjoyed our
time while there. We were paid off six months pay and the sutler [sic] came
along with a two-horse load of supplies such as we were very much in need. As
long as our money lasted, we bought many things such as we could not get from
the quartermaster; butter $1.00 lb., condensed milk 75¢ a can, smoked fish,
pipes and tobacco, cookies and plantation bitters and I tell you the boys
bought all the bitters we had in a very few days, for when we left that camp,
the trees were well decorated with empty bottles. We made up our minds that we
had enough to supply all our wants, while there.
I remember an incident
that happened on one of our marches, after we left Falmouth, that I shall never
forget, and too good to say nothing about. One afternoon while at camp,
comrades Weltch, Platts and Waugh, were told to put the saddles on our horses
and start on the road to see if we could find any hay, that
would do for the horses. We rode along about three miles on a good road and
discovered some hay in a large field, also a few sheep grazing on the grass.
Well, I don't know but what we thought more about the sheep than we did the
hay. At that time we were under strict orders in the Army of the Potomac, about
foraging, but for all we thought, we would capture a sheep if we could.
We halted on the
roadside. My lamented comrades dismounted and the writer of this held the
horses. A way they started to get one or more sheep. After a long chase over
the field, Platts caught one as he was about to jump over a rail fence. I rode
up with the horses to them and put the sheep across the saddle of Platt's
horse. We then rode up to the stack of hay and covered the sheep allover with
it. Weltch and myself took what hay we could
comfortably carry in front of us and started back to camp.
The sheep never opened
his mouth. In order to reach our camp, we had to pass the guard at what was
called the "Main Entrance" of our brigade. Just as we were about to
pass the guard, the sheep began to "Baa baa baa." We knew that was a giveaway for us. We put the
spurs to our horses and went to our camp as fast as the horses would go. When
we reached camp, we threw the sheep in one of the tents, to one of our boys who
sat there. We then put the hay in a pile in the rear of the horses. In the
meantime, a detail of the main guard had been sent out after us, to bring us
back, but before they got to us, the sheep was killed so as not to give us
away. The guard had arrived at our camp but we had hidden ourselves from their
view. The officer in charge of the guard went to one of our officers and told
them what was wanted. They, of course, knew nothing about any sheep. They got
no satisfaction and went back without us.
After they had gone the
captain sent the orderly sergeant after us. We went to his tent and told him we
had found hay at a distance. "Well," he says, "What about the
sheep?"
We looked at one
another. Finally Weltch says "Captain, that is
all right, you shall have lamb chops for your supper." The captain laughed
and told us to go to our quarters. In the meantime, one of the boys of our
company, a butcher by trade, got the sheep all ready for the market. We gave
the officers for their mess, one quarter of the sheep. That would make us all
O.K. That night we had chops for supper, the remainder
was in the camp kettles boiling. The next day we started off on our march with
mutton chops in our haversacks instead of salt pork. It was a Thanksgiving to
us at that time to have our bill of fare changed.
Time rolled along and we
were on the move again. The battery was all hitched up for drill one afternoon,
when we received our orders to go as fast as we could. We found out that the
rebels had crossed into Maryland and we were to go after them.
Before we started that
afternoon, I was detailed to take the lead horses of the first piece of the
battery I was then in my glory for I liked the position in the rear of our
captain and along side of our guidon. For two days and two nights we kept on
the move before we came to a stopping place.
At last we reached the
Maryland shore and was halted to wait our turn to
cross the river on a pontoon bridge. The horses stood all that night hitched to
the guns. The men of the battery thought they would improve the opportunity so
we lay down on the grass along side of the guns and went to sleep. It rained
all night; when we awoke in the morning we all shivered with the cold, for we
were as wet as we could be. The horses stood still for they were too tired to
move. We built a large fire with a rail fence and then made our coffee. After
drinking our hot coffee, we thought little about wet or cold. Troops had been
crossing the bridge all night and it was nine o'clock a.m. when we were ordered
to cross. After we reached the other shore we marched about three miles and
went into camp where we remained two days. We were glad to get to a stopping
place for after our forced march the men and horses were all used up.
During this time the
Army of the Potomac had been placed under the command of George G. Meade and
the 5th Mass. [Photo: Portrait of Maj. Gen. George
G. Meade, officer of the Federal Army.] Battery
was with other batteries from different corps formed into what was called a
division of reserve artillery. We were assigned to the 2nd division under the
command of Major McGilvray. The ninth Mass. Battery
was also in the same division with us. The boys of the battery did not like it
very well to be put in the reserve and leave the old 5th corps, after what we
had passed through with them. But to look at it in another light, we thought we
would have a much easier time of it. But time will show what an easy time we
had.
It was now the later
part of June 1863, and we were on the move again. We kept marching along by day
and resting at night. At last, we found ourselves in camp at Tarrytown Road
about ten miles from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. After a short stay at Tarrytown
we were ordered to Gettysburg. The morning we started we knew there was
"music in the air" for we could hear the cannon roaring at a
distance. We arrived near the battleground of Gettysburg on the morning of July
2,1863. [Photo: Gettsburg, Pa. Solidiers killed
on July 2, in the wheatfield near the Emmittsburg road] On our way up we could see our soldiers
engaged with the enemy. We had come to a halt when an orderly rode up to our
captain with orders to advance with action. We went into the fight on the
double-quick and took our position near the peach orchard on the left of
Cemetery Hill. [Photo: Gettysburg. Pa. Headquarters of Gen. George G. Meade on Cemetary
Ridge.]
We commenced firing at
once with shrapnel shell. It was a terrible ordeal to pass through. The air was
full of bursting shell and the minnie balls were
falling thick and fast around us and many of our battery boys were mustered out
that day. There were times during the engagement that day that the rebel
batteries would charge on us and we were giving them grape and canister as fast
as the boys could load and fire. We would then hitch prolong and fire retiring
and then advance. We lost many horses. All day we kept it up. At last darkness
came upon us and we left the field for the night. That night, coming off the
field I shall never forget. One of the horses attached to a gun, which I
belonged, fell down as we were coming away from the field. The remainder of the
battery passed by and left us there to get the horse up and then come along
after them. The horse was tired and it was some time before we could get him up
on his feet. After a while, we got him up. The rebs at this time,
had advanced towards us and firing after us in good shape.
Where the battery had
gone, we did not know but thought we could find them on the road somewhere. We
started as fast as the horses would go to find the rest of the battery. We
crossed over field after field. The dead the dying and wounded soldiers were
lying in all directions. Some of the wounded would cry out "Don't run over
me." We had to get over a stone wall to get to the road and the dead and
dying were piled up along side of it. We at last reached the road, but where
the rest of the battery was, we could not find out. We went along, mile after
mile. At last we discovered a dim camp fire in a distance. As we got nearer to
it, we could tell it was a battery of artillery. We turned to our right into
the field and found it to be our own battery.
[Incidentally, I find stamp
March 12, 1908 at the top of page I am copying so this I am now writing was
written that certain day. - Fred.]
The boys had just made
their coffee and were sitting in groups around their camp fires. There was
great rejoicing when they saw us arrive all safe. They had made up their minds
that we had been captured. They gave us some coffee and we sat there talking
about the events of the day.
We
had not been in camp many hours when there was a detail made for guard duty and
my name was called with some others. That evening two rebel prisoners had
strayed into our camp and I was detailed to guard them for the night. I
escorted the prisoners to the rear of our camp and sat down on the side of a
hill. They asked me if I would allow them to go into the woods and get some
wood to make a fire. I consented. We went into the woods and returned with wood
enough to last all night. They had water in their canteens and I had coffee in
my haversack. I gave them some. They made the coffee and we sat there drinking
coffee and talking about the war, etc. They were two fine looking men, better
than the average soldier in the rebel army. They talked intelligently and
thought they were fighting for a just cause. I spent a very pleasant night with
them. [Photo: Gettysburg, Pa. Three
Confederate prisoners.]
They both belonged to a
Georgia regiment. About ten o'clock the one on my left lay back on the grass
and went to sleep. I sat in the center. Pretty soon the one on my right lay
back and it did not seem but a few minutes to me when he also was in the land
of nod. There I sat, looking at one, then at the other. Well, I got tired of
looking at my prisoners. I thought I would lie back on the grass but not go to
sleep, although tired out after our hard days work. The first thing I knew it
was morning and when I came to look around, my two prisoners were awake,
sitting up along side of me. I felt glad when I delivered up my men and I got
out of it as well as I did. At daybreak the next morning July 3, the bugler
blew "Reveille." We all knew that there was a hard days
work before us and wish we could pass by, but no, we were in for three years,
unless sooner discharged.
We
started a fire and cooked our morning meal. Bugler blew "Boots &
Saddles" and off we went on the double-quick for the third days fight at Gettysburg.
We were placed in a position to the left of where we were the day before on the
right of Round Top and left of the peach orchard. [Photo:
Gettysburg, Pa. Breastworks on Little Round Top in distance.] We commenced firing as soon as we got into position,
as the rebs were trying to turn the flank of our army. We kept firing into the rebels ranks and mowed them down like grass. General Hancock
came riding along and told our captain to cease firing and save our ammunition
as we would need it more later and it proved
afterwards, that we did. [Photo. Portrait of Ma.. Gen. Winfield
Scott Hancock officer of the Federal Army]
Some hours afterwards
the rebels concentrated their forces for a grand charge. Then I tell you we had
all we could do to keep them back. We opened on them right and left; it was
terrific for awhile. We had but a few horses of the battery left and the
battery boys were getting scarce. We lost in men and horses in a short space of
time that day, than we had lost in many battles before it.
When we were told to
cease firing, we were told to shelter ourselves the best we could. There was a
large rock almost as big as a house, a little to our left, behind us and many
of us took shelter from the storm of shell and bullets. In the rear of the rock
there was a large crevice and many of us crawled into it for safety. I was the
last but one in the crevice of the rock; my legs were not sheltered. One of the
boys of the battery named John Olin came along and lay his head down on my hip.
He had not been there but a few minutes when a shell came from the rebels, came
over and burst about ten feet from us. A piece of it hit him on the hip and
took a piece out of him, as big as a saucer. He went up into the air like a
bird; was afterwards picked up and carried to the rear. I did not see him for
many years afterwards but one day I met him in a store on Court Street, Boston.
I had one of my horses
left, tied him to a small tree when we were behind the rock. The shell that
burst when Olin got hit also struck the horse and killed him. That was the last
horse I had anything to do with in the U.S. Army. About four o'clock on that
memorable afternoon, there were two of our horses running loose across the
field. I was told by Lt. Page to go after them and take them to the rear for
safety. The other four horses of that gun had been killed. I looked at the Lt.
and then at the bursting shell, but I had been long in the service at that time
to know what the first duty of a soldier was. I started and in a short time, I
had captured my horses.
The road in the rear of
us was a fork road and had been used all day to reinforce our troops and the
rebels knew it well for they poured the shot and shell there for all they were
worth. I had not gone a great distance on the road when a shell passed as near
as my head as I wanted it. The first thing I knew was "nothing". It
fell within a short distance from me, then burst with great force. Pieces of
the bursting shell struck me on the left side and left elbow. I was senseless
from the concussion of the shell; I fell between the horses with one foot in
the stirrup. The horses started on the run with me on the ground but soon came
to a halt in front of a cavalry man, who was stationed in the rear to look
after stragglers. I know not what became of our two horses, for I have never
seen or heard of them since.
The next morning I found
myself lying under a disabled gun carriage with another man along side of me.
We had been placed there by the cavalry man, who gave us water and did what he
could for us. The next day was July fourth and it rained in torrents. My newly
made comrade and myself knew we would soon be taken
care of. We also realized that we were not alone on the field that night. In due time, the ambulance corps came around and picked us up.
We were taken to a large hospital tent on the field of Gettysburg. The doctors
went to work and did what they could for us. I left my comrade there and I have
never seen or heard from him since but I have often thought I would like to see
him and drink from the same canteen.
I was taken and put in a
large farm house. I found the house full of wounded and some of the wounded
belonged to my own company. Three of our boys died of their wounds that night
in the farm house and were buried in the field behind the house next morning.
The man that owned the farm came along while the boys were digging the graves
and said "put them down deep enough, so I won't plow them up in the
fall." I think he was fortunate that he was not put into a grave shortly after, for I noticed the boys looked at him pretty sharp.
On the following morning
we were taken from the farm house to Gettysburg and quartered in a church. We
lay in the pews' in fact, the church was full of
wounded soldiers. The night was warm and the smell from the bleeding wounds was
intense and many a soldier boy breathed his last in the church that night. On
the morning of July 6, the battery with what of the men were left,
started in pursuit of the enemy. The officers and many of the boys, came where the wounded boys of the battery were and
bade us goodbye. It was hard to part with our old comrades but such was the
life of a soldier. Some of the guns of the battery were brought off the field
by hand on the night of July 3 for the horses had been killed or disabled, but
when the battery left Gettysburg, they had a fine set of horses that had been
confiscated from the farmers. On the eve of July 6, the wounded that were in
the church were taken to the depot, put into freight cars and shortly after, we
started at a low speed for Baltimore, Maryland.
We arrived in Baltimore
about six o'clock next morning, feeling thankful that we had come to a stopping
place. We found many of the streets barricaded and the citizens doing what they
could, to make it comfortable for the wounded. Many of the citizens took the
wounded to their own homes and did what they could for them.
I know a lady took a
comrade and myself to her home, dressed our wounds, washed our faces and gave
us a good breakfast. Afterwards we were taken to a hospital in Baltimore. We
found out after we got there, that the hospitals of that city were over
crowded.
We were put on the cars
and sent to Philadelphia, Pa. We arrived there about nine o'clock a.m. and many
citizens were waiting at the depot to do what they could for us. We were taken
to the "Cooper Dining Rooms" and cared for. The houses were thrown
open to the soldiers that night; nothing was too good for us. The most of us
were somewhat ragged and covered with Virginia mud but they did not care for
that. They would have killed us with kindness if we had stopped long enough.
After a short stay in
Philadelphia, we found ourselves in the depot waiting for the cars to convey us
to Germantown and Chestnut Hill Hospitals. Some of the wounded were taken off
the cars at Germantown and the remainder of us were
sent to Chestnut Hill, about three miles further on the same road. I sat in the
car with a man who was wounded in two places; he had two bullet holes in his
body and he came very near having the third one more severe but a small prayer
book in his breast pocket of his shirt saved his life. A minnie
ball struck him on the left breast and lodged in the center of the book. He showed me the book with the bullet in it.
His breast was black as powder.
On our arrival at the
hospital, we were washed, examined, and given a clean shirt, etc. and put to
bed. All our clothing that we had on was taken from us
and I have no doubt but what it was burnt, for I think if it had remained on
the floor, it would have walked off. To me, the hospital looked like a prison.
There was a high board fence all around it and a guard stationed there to keep
the men from getting out. It was built on a circle contained sixty wards and 60
cot beds in each ward. In the center of the circle was the doctor's quarters, nurses apartments, supply rooms, etc. Each man was assigned
to a cot bed in the ward; at the head of the cot on a piece of black tin, was
his name, regiment or battery, what he was there for and a general description
of the man, in what battle he was wounded, date, etc. There were four men
nurses to each ward and one ward master. It was a common occurrence to see the
nurses carrying out from one to four dead every morning. They would carry them
out just as fast as they had died on their mattresses.
One night a comrade
died; the next morning as the nurses were taking him out of the ward, one of
the boys who was lying on his cot severely wounded said to the nurses as they
passed by "Look at him, he has got his hand out, waiting for his
bounty." The poor fellow had died as he lay on his mattress, with his arm
out and his hand open. In the night it was a common occurrence to hear some of
the boys crying with pains from their wounds. Some would call for mother to
come and take care of them, others would want to die
before morning, etc. Pretty soon you would hear some of the boys say "Shut
up or I will throw my shoes at you" etc.
The weather while I
remained there was very warm and we suffered with the heat; we were fed on
soups, beef, lamb, etc. Twice a week we were given a bottle of porter for
dinner. At times, it was laughable to see those who were able to sit at the
mess room table. At times we would have something on our plate to cut with a
knife. We could not do it with one hand; we would pair off; some would have
their right hand and the other, the left. Then we would help one another carve.
After a stay of three
months at the hospital, I began to feel like myself. We could get a pass once a
month to go out of the hospital for a few hours. If a man did not report back
on time, his name was placed on the blackboard and he could get no more passes
for some time. In the month of October, many of us were much improved and were
sent to what was called "Camp Convalescent" at Alexandria. Some of
the boys called it "Camp Misery"; others had christened it "Camp
Louse". There we found after our arrival, a great many soldiers that had been
sick or wounded, mostly all from the Army of the Potomac. [Photo: Alexandria. Va. Cooks in the kitchen of
Soldiers' Rest ]
The camp was pleasantly
situated under command of a General of the Army and many Army Surgeons. The
camp was lain out in streets, named after different northern states. The
quarters were long wooden buildings in a row on each side of the street. The
different State troops were quartered by themselves. Twice and sometimes three
times a week the men were examined by the surgeons and those that were
pronounced all right were sent to their regiments or batteries at the front. We
were well cared for at this camp.
I saw many things that
were laughable while I was there. In the barracks, the bunks were two tier deep
and two men in each bunk. Opposite to my bunk, there was a man belonging to the
20th Mass reg't; a strong robust looking fellow. One afternoon the surgeons
came around to look the men over. They went to him and told him to get ready to
go to his regiment. He told them he could not march for he had a bad toe. They
looked at it and told him they would call later and see him. The next day they
came around to him and told him to lie down in his
bunk, which he did. They then put a sponge with chloroform to his nose. They
thought he had taken enough. When they took the sponge away, up he jumped and
his head lifted up the loose boards in the upper bunk. There he was; could not
get one way or the other. After a while, they got him down, gave him another
dose and put him to sleep. You could have heard him blowing out on the street.
They split his large toe nail down the center and then cut all around it, took
their nippers and pulled the nail off. It was not many days after that he
buckled on his knapsack and went marching along to his regiment.
Every morning the bugle
would blow the sick call and all those who wanted medical treatment would fall
into line, and the sergeant in charge would march them to the doctor's
quarters. Some, after they got there and were waiting to see the doctor, would
amuse themselves by striking their elbows again on the building to make their
hearts beat faster. Others would have sores on their bodies or limbs, caused by
putting a copper cent on, and then bandaging it tight, some time before. The
boys were up to all kinds of tricks for a discharge. General Daniel E. Sickles
was in this camp, when I was there, he having lost his leg at Gettysburg. [Photo: Portrait of Maj.. General
Daniel E. Sickles officer of the Federal Army]
One morning the doctors
came to look the boys over. They came to me and looked me over, asked me how
long I had been in the service, etc. They told me I was not fit to do active
service and that I could go home or if I had rather, I would be transferred to
the invalid corps. My preference was "Home Sweet Home."
One week from that day,
my discharge came from the United States Army. I think the last week of my army
life was the longest I ever felt for I could not sleep, day or night, thinking
of coming home. The later part of October I vacated the convalescent camp with
my discharge in my pocket. There were others from Massachusetts discharged at
the same time and we started for home together. We were taken to the treasury
department, in Washington D.C. and paid off. Gave me one
hundred dollars, U.S. Bounty and six months back pay. I came home to
where I started from, somewhat broken down in health but feeling glad that I
went and thankful that I was spared to get home as well as I did. [Photo: Washington, D.C. Infantry unit with fixed bayonets
followed by ambulances passing on Pennsylvania Avenue near the Treasury.]
During my term of
service, I saw many men that had been wounded but I think the worst I ever saw
was in New York City while waiting there for transportation home. We were taken
to the sanitary commission rooms. I saw a man there waiting to be sent home. He
was a member of a Rhode Island battery. Both of his legs,
both his arms and his eyes gone. He sat there on the head of a cask,
waiting to be carried to the depot. There was a card pinned to his blouse as to
pass him along to his home.
Tobacco at times was a
scarce article in the army but we had one of our number
by the name of Weltch who always when there was an opportunity, looked out for
himself and his comrades. On our march through Virginia, Maryland and
Pennsylvania, we would pass through towns and small cities and as we passed
along, the girl and old folks would be standing on the sidewalks. Some of the
folks would be smoking their pipes. Our comrade would go up to them and ask for
a chew of tobacco. He would put it into his pocket and go to another and beg
more. When night came on and we got into camp, he would have a pocketful of
chews that he had begged during the day. A few of our number, while in camp at
Falmouth, got a furlough for ten days to come home and see their folks. The
first man that got a furlough to come home, never came
back; was told he went to Canada. Last I heard of him he was in the junk
business. On the 3rd day of October 1864, the term of service of the 5th Mass.
Battery expired. Some of the men previous to this had enlisted and came home on
a furlough. They went back but many of them never returned for they were killed
in front of Petersburg, Va. The organization of the 5th Battery was kept up
until the close of the war and during that time we had hundreds of names on our
rolls and over one thousand horses.
We had a lieutenant in
the battery; a good and brave soldier; he told the boys in camp one day that he
felt that he was going to be killed in the next fight and he thought he would
resign and come home but the boys talked and laughed him out of it. He thought
if he came home, he would be called a coward, so he remained with the battery.
Shortly after, a portion of the battery was placed on picket in front of
Petersburg and he was in command; was in a position behind some breastworks. Had been there a number of days and nothing doing but hearing a
stray shot from the enemy's guns once in a while. One morning he crawled
up to the top of the breastworks to see if he could see the enemy. He had no
sooner put his head up to look over, when a minnie
ball went through his head. He rolled down to the bottom of the ditch, a dead
hero. That was the last of our Lieutenant Pelep W.
Blake of New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1861.
Days and years have
passed since the 5th Mass. Battery left Massachusetts for the Seat of war and
often I meet some one of the old boys and talk of days gone by. To some it may
seem like an old story to talk or read about the war of the rebellion but to us
it was no old story, when we meet old soldiers who have lost their health and
limbs in fighting for the best flag that ever floated to the breeze. Many of
the old boys that were spared to return home, have gone to answer to the roll
call above and those of us that are still left, try to meet one another once a
year and we cannot help thinking and talking about those blood stained days of
years ago. As we look into the faces of our old comrades, we note the fact that
time had left his traces there; wrinkles have taken the place of youthful
bloom, silver threads in the raven locks or a vacant spot on the cranium, tells
the owner of the aforesaid [head], it is in the condition of "Old Uncle
Ned" whom the plantation song describes as not having any hair on the top
of his head in the place where the wool ought to grow.
By these tokens, we are
reminded that unless some of us who participated in those scenes, commit to paper,
our recollections of the incidents which have occurred, we shall pass off the
stage and many things of interest will be lost to posterity. But who will tell
of our fun and frolic? Who will relate to our children and our children's
children, that inner history which made camp life endurable and helped to
soften the asperities of cruel war?
When they read of
battles, of long marches, of the wearisome miles traveled by foot sore men,
when they are told of short rations and scanty pay, they will be apt to form
the opinion that the men who constituted the army were a stem and solemn band
whose hearts continually burnt for conflict and whose eyes constantly gleamed
with hatred for their foes.
Men whose sufferings and
hardships had made them gloomy and morose, when, in point of fact, a jollier
set of men never lived than the soldiers of 1861-1865.
William Archibald Waugh
5th Mass. Battery E. 1st Brigade - 1st Division - 5th Army Corps