Drum Taps in Dixie Part 13

A FORCED MARCH WITHOUT RATIONS.

It was expected that our haversacks would be replenished after we crossed the river, but Gen. Hanc.o.c.k received a dispatch from Meade, ordering him to march his command without delay to Petersburg. We started between 10 and 11 o'clock and at 6:30 that evening Hanc.o.c.k reported to Gen. Smith, commander of the 18th corps, whose troops had already engaged the enemy and captured some of the outer defenses of the city.

We relieved Smith's troops in the front line of works under the cover of darkness, and it was nearly midnight before we were in position and could lie down.

THE BATTLE OPENS.

At daylight Gen. Hanc.o.c.k ordered his brigade and division commanders to make reconnoissances in the front and the enemy was forced back all along the lines.

Our regiment advanced through a peach orchard, exposed to a scathing fire of musketry.

Col. Whistler was struck in the face by a bullet, while superintending the deploying of skirmishers, but was not disabled so but that he remained with the regiment, but it did make him fighting mad, and as he walked up and down the line with the blood dropping all over the front of his clothes he indulged in "cuss" words of the most expressive kind.

After the fighting quieted down, Adjt. Brazee persuaded him to go to the rear. He was breveted brigadier general for his conduct that day, and given command of a brigade after his recovery. (Maj. Whistler of the regular army is a son of the officer mentioned.)

Capt. Barry, the favorite officer of the line in our regiment, was killed that morning, and the beloved commander of the Irish brigade, Col. Patrick Kelly, one of the best officers of the 2d corps, fell with the colors in hands while leading his men in a charge on a rebel fort.

The balance of the army not having arrived Gen. Meade ordered Hanc.o.c.k to hold his position until evening, when a general attack would be made.

A HOT PLACE.

Our regiment had been in some pretty hot places that summer, but the position that day was a little nearer the infernal regions than we had ever been before. A low stone wall was our only protection from the enemy, who were well intrenched in some woods about 75 yards distant across an open field.

Behind us the ground sloped down to a little brook which had its waters reddened with the blood of thousands of boys in blue a few hours later.

Several batteries were ma.s.sed in the rear of us and they kept up a furious cannonading to detract attention from the movements of the troops elsewhere.

The air was full of hissing sh.e.l.ls, which pa.s.sed so close to us that we could feel their hot breath, and one would involuntarily clap his hand to his head expecting his cap to be swept off. Our position was so near the enemy that occasionally a sh.e.l.l would burst over us, wounding some of our men. Lieut. Col. Palmer of our regiment was so wounded, a ball from a spherical cased sh.e.l.l striking him in the breast and, pa.s.sing through his body, lodged back of the shoulder blade.

Palmer sat down under a tree and told our surgeon to cut it out. The doctor suggested that he better take something for the operation. But Palmer's grit was of the right sort and taking off his slouch hat he slapped the ground with it and said: "Go ahead, doc, and cut the d.a.m.ned thing out, and be lively about it, too, for others need your attention."

Finally the casualties became so numerous that Maj. McKay went to the artillery officer and told him he was killing off our own men and if he did not cut his fuses longer he would order his regiment to take the battery, and when a little later a staff officer rode over and ordered the major under arrest he found out that a captain of a battery was one not to be fooled with when in line of duty.

RATIONS AND A CLOSE CALL.

In the afternoon we heard the welcome news that rations were waiting us in the rear and details were made from the several companies to go after them.

The writer went with Sergt. "West" Powell and the squad from our company.

In order to get back to the supply trains it was necessary for us to cross several open s.p.a.ces fully exposed to the fire of the confederates.

When we came to such a place we would separate, run a few yards and throw ourselves on the ground, while the bullets would go whizzing over our heads.

On our return each one carried a rubber blanket slung over his shoulder, containing rations for our hungry comrades. While we were creeping along close to an abandoned earthwork a sh.e.l.l struck the bank and exploding, hurled dirt and gravel over and about us.

Something struck me on the side of my head and thinking I was shot I fell on the ground and called to my companions. They gathered around and on examination found I was sound except for a discolored spot and a stinging sensation probably caused by a small stone striking me.

My nerves were thoroughly shattered, however, and it took some minutes for me to muster up courage to get on my feet and face the music again.

MEMORIES OF AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE.

The 5th and 9th corps caught up with the army that day and while we were back at the wagon train we saw them marching into position on the left of our corps preparatory to the a.s.sault that was delivered later in the day.

Two-fifths of a century has pa.s.sed since the roar of the conflict that raged before Petersburg was hushed. The commanders of the opposing armies, indeed, most of the great actors, are dead, while a large portion of the rank and file have answered the last roll-call, but the impressiveness of that scene is still fresh in my memory. As I write it all comes back to me. The long lines of blue with their glistening bayonets; the gleaming sabres of the cavalry; the tattered banners. On a little knoll was Gen.

Warren the gallant commander of the 5th Corps sitting sidewise on his horse with field gla.s.s in hand surrounded by staff officers and couriers.

The artillery was thundering. The rattle and roar of musketry along the lines was constant, and when the sun had dropped behind the horizon at the close of that day thousands of the blue and the gray were stretched out all over the fields.

And the stars in Heaven, that night, looked down on scenes of suffering and horror that it is impossible to describe.

June 17 was a day full of stirring events. The fighting was desperate and alternated between the different divisions and corps. Gen. Burnside's 9th corps had the honors of the day, capturing several redans, a number of pieces of artillery and several hundred prisoners with their colors.

June 18, Gen. Grant ordered another general a.s.sault, which resulted in heavy losses and no success. Ten thousand men were killed and wounded in the three days' effort to capture Petersburg by direct a.s.sault. I find in Fox's statistics of regimental losses that he credits our regiment with 54 killed and 218 wounded and missing in the three days' conflict, and many commands fared worse.

The killed, wounded and missing of our regiment from May 18 to June 23d, were according to Fox, 584.

The troops were now thoroughly exhausted, owing to the incessant movements, both day and night, for about six weeks. There had not been 24 hours in which they had not been in close contact with the enemy. The confederates acting on the defensive had been spared the long circuitous marches as well as the costly experiences of a.s.saulting intrenchments.

Gen. Humphreys, who was chief of staff of the Army of the Potomac in 1864, placed the losses of the army from May 4 to June 19 as 61,400, of which 50,000 were killed and wounded.

RESTING WHERE THERE IS NO REST.

We rested three days, if it can be called rest where there is a constant interchange of shots so that one was liable to get a bullet through his head if it was exposed above the breastworks.

At night the artillery indulged in duels and the shots could be seen traveling in the air. The curves of the sh.e.l.ls from the mortars reminded us of the Fourth of July rockets and the boys called it their display of fireworks.

What the men suffered that summer in the trenches before Petersburg none will ever know except those who experienced the hardships.

We had no tents except the little shelter tents and probably one-half of the men were without those, consequently we had to resort to all kinds of contrivances to get shelter. Some dug individual bombproofs which not only furnished protection from the sun but were proof against any stray piece of sh.e.l.l that might drop among us. Our clothing had been worn for weeks, bathing was out of the question and cooking had to be done far in the rear.

Life in camp with plenty of well cooked rations, sufficient tent accommodations, extra clothing, plenty of water for cooking and bathing and life in the trenches in close contact with the enemy is quite another story.

TESTING THE METAL.

Constant marching, fighting and digging trenches for several weeks is the kind of soldiering that weeds the chaff out of a regiment, and it was noticeable that many officers who had been conspicuous on dress parades and reviews at Washington had failed to toe the mark when put to the test.

"SLEWING" TO THE LEFT AGAIN.

On the evening of the 21st our corps was ordered to move to the left and the 9th corps took its place in the trenches. The movement was for the purpose of extending the lines and getting possession, if possible, of the Weldon and South Side railroads, and, as usual, the 2d corps was selected to lead.

Gen. Birney was temporarily in command of the corps, Gen. Hanc.o.c.k's wound giving him so much trouble that he had to take a few days' rest.