Musket and Sword

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    1863. 1900.

    EDWIN C. BENNETT.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD,OR THE

    Camp. March, and Firing LineIN THE

    ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,BY

    EDWIN C. BENNETT,PRIVATE, SERGEANT, I^IEUTENANT, CAPTAIN, MASS.

    VGIvUNTEERS.BVT. I.IEUT.-COI,. U. S. VGI^UNTEERS.

    BOSTON

    :

    COBURN PUBIvISHING CO.,No. 47 CORNHII.Iv,

    1900.

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    PREFACE.The literature of the Civil War has been

    voluminous in its descriptions of campaignsand of the services of our great commanders.It has, however, been deficient in graphicportrayal of the characteristics of the en-listed men and their immediate leaders.The details of practical warfare constitutingthe every day life of officers and soldiersare worthy of full presentation and carefulstudy.

    I have endeavored to faithfully depicttypes of the representative elements of ourdevoted army, and to record the opinionscurrent at the front during the differentstages of our prolonged contest.

    Subjects that are now topics of interestare discussed incidentally in the light of the

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    IV.

    past. Among these are included the Can-teen question, the duties and services ofChaplains, the care of the wounded, themerits of volunteers, and the various detailsconnected with the management of troopsin active campaigns.

    Edwin C. Bennett.35 Putnam Street,

    Somerville, Mass.

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    CONTENTS.CHAPTER I. Pagk I.Historical data always available.Participants passingaway.Reminiscences valuable.Camp, Firing-lineand Hospital to be delineated.On duty, April i8,

    1861.Rule and gauge cannot be applied to the soul.Arsenal in New York.Fortress Monroe. Gen.Scott. Annapolis. Washington. Reviewed byPresident. Death of Ellsworth. Scene at WhiteHouse. Alexandria. Newspaper slogan, "On toRichmond." Lincoln at camp.Fifer's revenge.March to Centreville.Watch-fires of a thousandcircling camps. Senator Wilson's sandwiches. Blunder of nth Mass.Ricketts's battery. Prescottof Concord.Gen. Heintzelman wounded.**Boys, Ican do no more."Halt at Centreville.Retreat toWashington.Confederate loss.Gen. W. T. Sher-man.Staff organization.Gen McDowell.Boston.

    CHAPTER II. Pack 29.Patriotism a passion.Senator Wilson as an organizer.Robert C. Winthrop's speech.One flag enough underfire.New York and Philadelphia as hosts.Hall'sHill, Va.* 'Its according to Cass."Col. Gove.Win-ter quarters.Lincoln as a rider.Blanket Rolls de-scribed.Young men as soldiers.Forward and re-turn.Hampton Roads.Cheese box on a raft.Shel-ter tents.Yorktown.Evacuation.Torpedo explo-sion,O. H. P. Sargent.Hanover Court House.Don't fall out in the smoke of the battle.Muzzle-loaded muskets. Hooker. Sumner. Mechanics-ville.Gen. Lee and Jefferson Davis.Battle GainesMills.Heavy loss.Col. Gove killed.Gen. Griffin'sopinion.Corporal Gaffney's comment.

    CHAPTER III. Pagb 64.Malvern Hill.Immense trains.Union Artillery fire.Thrilling experience.Wentworth's death.Gen.Charles Qriffin."Fetch on your infantry."Confed-

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    VI.erate charge.G. H. Ladd killed.Gallant 626. Penn-sylvania Volunteers."Will get even right now."Dan Harrington.Harrison's Landing.Night bom-bardment. Doven the Peninsula. Aquia Creek.March at night.Warrenton Junction. Porter onAugust 29th. Armed Neutrality. Scenes August30th.Kearney.Pope.Washington. Company E.Wright.Wenzel.McClellan in command. Theii8th Pennsylvania. Heavy knapsacks. Rationsdescribed.Coffee boilers.Frederick, Md. SouthMountain. Antietam. Burnside's bridge. Recon-noissance across the Potomac.Daddy Mulhern." Shov^r me the man I shall shoot." Heroism ofCapt. Field.

    CHAPTER IV. Page 103.Burnside.lyongstreet."Might have fallen in place

    of a better man."President lyincoln seemed to belooking for those who were gone.Confederate pris-oners. Pontoons described. McClellan relieved.Safe man for both sides.Porter's farewell review.Eloquent address.Burnside in command.Freder-icksburg battle.Writer wounded.Capt. Wilson'scare of wounded men."O, Captain, I do care!"Senator Wilson.Government without funds.Hos-pital in Boston.Ball extracted by army surgeon.Experience as a patient instructive.Other methodsadvised. Hooker in command. Gen. Meade de-scribed.Cabins, how built.Glorious to suffer foryour country. Woodward or "Fiddle." Chancel-lorsville. Where is Jackson ? Aldie. Frederick,Md.Gen. Meade in command.

    CHAPTER V. Pagk 137.Doubly volunteers.Gettysburg.Stretcher bearers online of battle. Surgeons. He chased a woundedman.Sergeant Wright.First doctor that has under-stood mj' case.Tact required with wounded.i8thMassachusetts wouldn't cheer.Waiting for the armyto come again. Horses out-marched. Kearney'ssabre. Bristow.Private Russell.Would have laindown and died if given time.Fight of the ProvostGuard. Fletcher Webster's grave. Gen. Sykeshalted by picket.Battle at Rappahannock Station.

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    VII.CHAPTER VI. Pagk i68.Mine Run Campaign.Raid on train.Lee's defences.Trembling for fear we would not attack.^James Rich-ardson, his pride and courage.General Lee's remark. Lieut. Robert Davis. Picket. Chaplains. Bax-ter's remarks. Importance and abuses of religiousbranch of service.Freeman.Black Sam.TragedyatFants's.Ofl&cers of 2nd Regulars.The Cavalryvidette ambushed. Assailant killed. Sentence ofdeath revoked by General Griffin.What did the Pres-ident say ?Confederates merciless to deserters.

    CHAPTER VII. Page 194.Outlook for 1864.General Grant in command.Defen-

    sive Campaign of Confederates. Possibilities of itssuccess.Exhaustion and division in the North.Get-tysburg not decisive.European sentiment.Ulyssesor Useless.Condition of Union Army.Cavalry.Artillery. Infantry. Confederate Army.Infantrysuperb. Simplicity of Tactics. Wilderness. May5th and 6th.Lamos and Gilligan.Grant and Meadewhen informed of break in 6th Corps.Grant's de-cision to persist the turning point.Fight of Picketdetail.Flag of Alabama regiment captured."Nevermind, I suppose you had to do it."Death of CaptainDavis.

    CHAPTER VIII. Page 226.Laurel Hill May loth.The attack.Sergeant Wilsonmortally wounded.Hugh Gilligan loses a leg.Cas-

    ualties very great.Congratulations on being alive notclearly in order.First Massachusetts Heavy Artil-lery.General Hancock.North Anna."Mr. Lee isnot here."Alger's shot for luck.Captain Plunkett.Ninth and Thirty-second Massachusetts.ColonelTilton's adventure."Shoot this Yank!""Boys, Ihad him !"General Warren.Skirmishes May 30th.The Johnny would not borrow a percussion cap.Lieut. Fleming.Staff appointment as Acting Assist-ant Adjutant General of Brigade.

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    VIII.CHAPTER IX. Page 256.Colonel Sweitzer. Character sketched. Lieut. John

    Seitz, Aide-de-camp. His distinguished merit. "When the swallows."Thomas Warren.The 21stPennsylvania dismounted cavalry. Battle June 3,1864.A lively ride.Captain J. H. Baxter mortallywounded.Last interview.Phillips's 5th Massachu-setts Battery.Gallant 9th Massachusetts.Truce onthe Picket Line.Petersburg.Assault June i8th.4th Michigan. Thomas Warren killed. ColonelPrescott mortally wounded.The 155th Pennsylvania.Hard bread condemned and issued.

    CHAPTER X. Pagk 282.Line of 2nd Corps restored.32nd Massachusetts suf-

    fers.Colonel Blaisdell of nth Massachusetts.Gen-eral Meade present.Morning reports of cumulativelosses.Lieut. Seitz's farwellto General Griffin.Suf-ficiently amused.Colonel Gregory.Lieut. Bourne.The covering trenches.Locomotive engineers andfiremen on military roads.The mine fiasco.Draftedmen faithful.Battle of Weldon R. R.Gallant 155thPennsylvania. Lieut. Bourne mortally wounded.Reams Station.Music cut off as if by a knife.Bat-tles at Peeble's farm. Return to the regiment.Meade's narrow escape.Arrival in Boston.CHAPTER XI. Page 312.

    Muster out.Views of Senator Wilson October 17th,1864. Visit to Washington. Casey's board. Lin-coln's remark. Arrival at the front. Coloredtroops.Observations of Lieut. Ackerman.The 54thMassachusetts.Brevet commissions.Interview withGeneral Griffin.President Lincoln's levee.His ap-pearance physically.Outworn by toil and care.The veterans and the people.Liquor in the army.Present system opposed. Recognition of merit apotent factor.Volunteers keep army in touch withthe people. Thomas Scott's services. Compensa-tions for prolonged war. Effusive demonstrationsdeprecated.Change in the methods caused by tele-graph and press. - Glorious to live for the country.Valedictory.

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    8 MUSKET AND SWORD.ted, dreading to be made the theatre of war,the North was putting forth its energiesand massing an army in Washington,which was however commanded by Arling-ton Heights, across the Potomac. The ma-jority of the inhabitants of the District ofColumbia were undoubtedly secessionistsand were in accord with the general senti-ment in Maryland and eastern Virginia,and they had counted upon the support ofthe city of New York, under the lead ofFernando Wood, and expected to seize theseat of the national government with butlittle trouble, if war ensued. The uprisingin the North thwarted their schemes, andtheir chagrin was evident, despite efforts todisguise it.On May ist, our regiment paraded for

    muster in Lafayette Park, opposite theWhite House. General Irwin McDowellwas the mustering officer. The ceremonywas quite impressive. At its conclusion, weentered the grounds of the Executive Man-sion and passed in review before President

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 9Lincoln. He was dressed in black and wasvery erect ; his hair was untouched by thefrosts of time and care ; his whole bearingwas sympathetic, yet dignified. He wasthen 52 years old, but looked younger.The regiment was kept under strict dis-

    cipline, and was drilled almost daily in thestreets of Washington, which, with butfew exceptions, were in a primitive condi-tion. Our quarters were crowded and un-healthy, and the physical condition of thebattalion was unsatisfactory, and we wereall eager for a change.Upon May 24th, Alexandria, on the Vir-

    ginia side of the Potomac and six miles be-low Washington, was occupied by theUnion forces, and we were under arms andmarched to the river,but soon returnedto our quarters.

    Col. Ellsworth, commanding the NewYork Fire Zouave regiment, was killed inthe Marshall House, Alexandria, by theproprietor, while he was returning from theroof with a rebel flag. His body lay in

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    10 MUSKET AND SWORD.State in the east room of the White House.I gained admission, and was deeply im-pressed by the grief manifested by thosewho thronged to gaze upon the remains ofa gallant soldier, whose ability and zeal hadpresaged a useful and brilliant career. Hisaction was rash. His place was with hisregiment, and he should not have left it todo a corporal's duty.Within two or three days following the

    seizure of Alexandria, we crossed the Poto-mac and camped in a field skirted by thecanal, and near Alexandria. We had, atthis time, been furnished with the plainand serviceable uniforms of the regulararmy. What became of our showy militiagarments, I cannot recall. We soon changedour location to a large common nearly amile west of Alexandria, and were busywith patrol duty in the city and with laborupon the ditches and embankments of FortEllsworth. The boys toiled patiently, butwere grateful when laborers from the Northrelieved them.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. , 11The New York papers were received reg-

    ularly. The Tribune was very bitterly op-posed to the policy pursued by Gen. Scottin stopping on the Virginia bank of thePotomac, and fortifying elaborately Arling-ton Heights. Its denunciations were al-most frantic, but unavailing. The Generalrecognized the fact that we were at war,and he was determined not to deviate fromsound military principles, which dictatedthat he should secure his base of opera-tions, and at the same time ensure the safe-ty of the Capital, a very importantconsideration politically.

    We were assigned to the ist Brigade,commanded by Gen. Franklin. The nthMassachusetts Volunteers and ist Minneso-ta were also in the Brigade, which belongedto Heintzelman's Division. The ist Min-nesota became famous, and had in its ranksa great many Maine men, who had emigrat-ed from the pineries of that state to thelumber camps of Minnesota.

    Dr. Luther V. Bell was Surgeon of the

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    12 MUSKET AND SWORD.iitli Mass. He was a gentleman of largemeans and of very liigli rank in his pro-fession, and entered tHe service from patri-otic motives. He had been a resident ofSomerville for several years, and, visitingour company, proffered his professionalskill and purse to us, when needed. Thehealth of the regiment improved, althoughthe heat was intense.Our duties were arduous, but were occa-

    sionally enlivened by events worthy ofnote. The President visited the camp withW. H. Seward, Secretary of State, andwithout a military escort, and stopped fullya half hour. He wore a long close-fittinglinen duster, which magnified his stature ofsix feet four inches. No review was or-dered ; he simply passed through the com-pany streets and greeted pleasantly allwhom he met. President Lincoln, uponhis merits as a man, was always first in thehearts of the great majority of the Armyof the Potomac. In him they knewthey had a friend sincere and steadfast,

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 13who recognized manhood, irrespective ofrank.There occurred, while in this camp, an

    incident, trifling in itself, but illustrativeof the lights and shades of military life.A fifer, for some petty offence, was sen-tenced by the regimental court-martial toplay upon his instrument for two hours infront of headquarters. The sentence failedto prescribe the programme, it having beensupposed that it would be varied, as theperformer was skilled in his profession.He however saw his opportunity, and se-lected a doleful air entitled, " On the Roadto Boston," and inflicted it upon his hear-ers until his time had expired. The boysappreciated the joke, and the Field andStaff endeavored to conceal their discom-fiture, but did not succeed.We were present, in heavy marching or-

    der, at a parade of the division throughthe streets of Alexandria, early in July.It was apparent a blow would be struckbefore the expiration of the time of the

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    14 MUSKET AND SWORD.three-inontlis men. The people were goad-ed by the visionary element to demandimmediate and aggressive action. Theregiment had become very proficient inskirmish drill ; and in all field exercisesits appearance was worthy of a battalionthat had been trained for years. Themen were chiefly from cities and largetowns, and accustomed to system andobedience in their home avocations, andwere resolved to master the details ofmilitary life in as brief time as possible.We commenced our movement to Bull

    Run July i6, reaching Centerville, twentymiles distant, upon the i8th. We had nocover, not even the little shelter-tents,afterwards so familiar, but gatheredboughs and cut poles to sustain them, andmanaged to screen ourselves from the sun.The spectacle at night was inspiring,

    thousands of fires illumined the hills andvalleys. " The watch-fires of a thousandcircling camps " were grand beyond de-scription. Our rations were limited upon

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 15the 19th, and some stray sheep were caughtand killed by the regiment and were awelcome addition to our rations.A regiment camped near us claimed itsdischarge, and was probably in equity en-titled to it, although technically held, asits muster by the government did not dateback to the time when it was actually onduty, and after considerable controversyits contention was allowed. Our regimentcould have made the same plea, as it as-sembled in Faneuil Hall, April 20, butwas mustered for three months to datefrom May i ; but there was no protest en-tered,we were willing to fight whetherour term was out or not.

    Ricketts ' s Battery bivouacked near us . Itbelonged to the regular army, and the finebearing of its men and the thoroughnesswith which duty was done had an excellenteffect. Nearly all of its enlisted men hadbeen long in the service ; not one had de-serted, or asked for discharge on account ofsympathy for secession. I believe Magruder

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    16 MUSKET AND SWORD.had been their captain, and was popular,but could not influence any of his men byhis example in leaving our army and join-ing the Confederates.A skirmish at Blackburn's Ford, on the1 8th, in which Richardson's Brigade wasengaged and behaved admirably, excitedmuch interest. The ist Mass. VolunteerInfantry was in the brigade and was han-dled with skill and great intrepidity by Col.Robert Cowdin. The Union loss was 83killed and wounded.On the morning of the 21st of July, 1861,

    our columns were in motion for the BullRun field, on the plains of Manassas.We soon met Senator Henry Wilson inan open barouche. He had a large ham-per of sandwiches, which were freely giv-en by an attendant to the soldiers. Wemet with many delays, but at 11:30 werenear the enemy. We halted and loaded,and then advanced in column by company.We passed over a field abounding in ripeblackberries. Our precision and steadiness

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 17were so marked as to cause us to be takeufor Regulars. A poor fellow bleeding pro-fusely was borne in a blanket past us to therear. The sight seemed to infuriate ourmen who were confident and determined.We halted upon an undulation and below

    its crest, on our left was the nth Massachu-setts Volunteers- It was not well in hand.We were soon ordered to fire by company,and every company advancing in turn to thesummit fired deliberately and then filed tothe rear. When the nth Massachusettswas ordered to fire it was not under controland arose and fired en masse^ and as theyhad only the front of one company and theground ascended towards the enemy theykilled and wounded many of their own num-bers. We called out to them to stop, andour adjutant, John G. Chambers, rushedamong them and aided very much in get-ting them comparatively calm. The nthMassachusetts was a new regiment of ex-cellent material, and soon became veryefficient, in fact, fought afterwards in line

    3

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    18 MUSKET AND SWORD.in this battle, with great steadiness.

    Ricketts's battery was well placed, to ourright and rear, and was delivering an effec-tive fire. It was soon advanced across afarm road, into an open field in our front.We filed to the right and then to the left,up the road behind the battery, to supportit, or attack the enemy as might be advisa-ble.

    It was a blunder to put the artillery inthe lead, and could only have been madeupon the supposition that the rebels weredemoralized. If it had taken position on theother side of the road, and where there weremany commanding points, it would havehad a screen of infantry to protect it, andwhich would have been encouraged by itsfire, which would have passed over our men.The short distance to the enemy in thewoods placed them in easy range. Solidshot and shells are more effective againsttroops sheltered by timber than grape orcanister. The battery ventured so nearthe Confederate line of battle that the men

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 19were stricken down like grass before ascythe. They did not have a chance tounlimber before one half their number werekilled and wounded. One caisson or amuni-tion wagon passed over or through us. Itwas drawn by six horses in three spans orpairs, with a rider or driver for each span.Three men were on the seat ; all of themwere wounded. One only, a sergeant, couldsit erect. Their course would have takenthem over a wounded man lying helpless inthe ditch beside the road. The sergeantcalled out sharply to the drivers orderingthem to swing to the left, saving the poorfellow from further injury. As they swervedfrom their course a horse in the middle spanwas shot, and fell, but the harness wasstrong and he was drawn rapidly along outof the close range of the merciless fire.

    Captain J. B. Ricketts commanded hisbattery with dauntless bravery and waswounded, losing a leg, and was taken pris-oner. He was soon exchanged and madeBrigadier General, and commanded a divi-

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    20 MUSKET AND SWORD.sion of the 6tli Corps, and was distinguishedfor his bravery and unselfish devotion.When General Sedgwick was killed, thecorps chief of staff, notified General Rick-

    etts, that as senior division general, the com-mand of the corps devolved upon him. Hereplied, saying : ^ ' General Sedgwick thoughtthat General Wright should succeed him,"and when General Wright assumed com-mand by order of General Meade, he waszealously supported by General Ricketts,who remained at the head of his division

    ,

    The 5th Massachusetts was at this timesomewhat broken ; the Lieutenant Coloneland Major had been commissioned in the reg-ular army, and the vacancies had not beenfilled. Col. S. C. Lawrence was woundedearly in the contest, and Lt. John Chamberswas the only officer of the field and staffremaining. He was very brave and efficientbut could not be everywhere.A portion of our company, in which I wasincluded, attached themselves to the com-pany from Concord belonging to the regi-

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 21ment. It was led by Captain Geo. L. Pres-cott, afterwards Colonel of the 32d Massa-chusetts Volunteers, and killed at PetersburgJune i8, 1864. He displayed great gallant-ry. I well recall his exhortations and ex-ample. We were in line with the ist Min-nesota and were as steadfast, which is claim-ing very much. Many organizations foughtdesperately and kept their formations in-tact. This applies to battalions only ; therewas a lack of unity as brigades and divi-sions.

    General S. P. Heintzelman in commandof the division was mounted on a coal blackhorse. He exposed himself fearlessly andwas severely wounded in an arm, and whenfaint from pain and loss of blood, said apol-ogetically to the men around him : '* Boys, Ican do no more." He was warmly praisedby those who heard him and urged to retire.He was a Pennsylvanian, and an officer ofthe regular army, and very simple and frankin manners. His intrepidity and unselfishloyalty to the cause combined with his other

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 23The 71st New York Volunteers were near

    us and kept their files dressed, and werequiet and determined in their bearing.Their Colonel, the brother of Simon Cam-eron, Secretary of War, had been killed inthe battle.The New York Fire Zouaves, the regimentraised by the lamented Colonel Ellsworth,

    did not distinguish itself notably. As weapproached Centreville we passed formida-ble lines of infantry in position to cover ourretreat.We reached our camp or bivouac at Cen-

    treville at dusk, having marched during theday twenty miles, and been under fire threehours. We rested in our quarters for anhour expecting that we would remain allnight and try conclusions again on the mor-row. But we were ordered to fall in andcontinue our retreat and reached our campnear Alexandria, early in the morning ofthe 22d.This last movement was a severe test of

    our endurance as the distance was twenty

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 25Our losses were 460 killed, 11 24 wounded,13 1 2 captured or missing. The confeder-ates had under fire about the same force innumbers as General McDowell, with theloss of 387 killed, 1582 wounded. Thesestatistics sustain my statement regardingthe battle prior to the advent of GeneralJohnston with his division from the Shenan-doah Valley.

    General Irwin McDowell was an ableofficer, and his campaign was well plannedin the judgment of competent critics. Buthis army was inexperienced and embracedwithin its ranks too many short term men,and had not effective organization of its brig-ades. General McDowell could have wonhowever, had he been properly supportedby all his leading subordinates. GeneralDaniel Tyler undoubtedly failed to displaythe energy that the part assigned him de-manded. If General W. T. Sherman hadcommanded Tyler's division, instead of oneof its brigades, it is more than probablethat we would have been successful. Four

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    26 MUSKET AND SWORD.brigades of the division would have beenactively engaged instead of only two. Veryfew of our officers of the regular army whowere present, were familiar with the man-agement of large bodies of troops. Todirect them skilfully in an offensive cam-paign was beyond the ability of the majorityof this class. It is not just to ascribe ourfailure to the rank and file wholly. Thegeneral staff organization was defective, itsimportance was not appreciated, and neverhas been in our army. Service upon it hasnot generally been properly recognized ; thecase of General Rawlins is a notable ex-ception.The Emperor Napoleon organized hisstaff with the utmost care, and lavishedhonors and wealth upon Berthier'its chief,whose mental grasp and executive abilitywere wonderful. When entering the Water-loo campaign the question of the selectionof a successor to Berthier was thought to beof vital importance. Marshal Soult wasappointed, but according to Thiers, with

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    MUSKKT AND SWORD. 27all his experience and conceded ability, heproved far inferior to Berthier.

    General McDowell tried to do too muchunder fire personally. He merits a highplace in the esteem of the people. He wasdeserving but unfortunate. The wisdom ofGeneral Scott was not now challenged, andthe regret was universal that he was nottwenty years younger and able to take com-mand in the field.The campaign as a whole was an humili-

    ation to the North, and had a chasteninginfluence. The people rose grandly to thedemands of the crisis. The conviction pre-vailed that our resources would be tasked tothe utmost before success in restoring theUnion would be achieved.Our regiment remained in Washington

    for three days. During that period I visitedthe Capitol and saw John C. Breckenridgein his seat as a Senator from Kentucky.He was soon a general in the ConfederateArmy. We were very hospitably enter-tained on our journey home by the citizens

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    28 MUSKET AND SWORD.of Philadelphia. Our reception in Bostonwas an ovation. The record made by uscommanded respect. It was also politic tofoster the disposition to re-enlist that existedin the regiment.The three months men who enlisted in

    response to the President's proclamation ofApril 15, 1861, rendered timely service,and, I venture to hope, will ever be held inhonorable remembrance by the Americanpeople.

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    CHAPTER II.Patriotism a passion.Senator Wilson as an organizer.Robert C. Winthrop's speech.One flag enough underfire.New York and Philadelphia as hosts.Hall'sHill, Va. ' 'Its according to Cass. ' 'Col. Gove.Win-ter quarters.Lincoln as a rider.Blanket Rolls de-scribed.Young men as soldiers.Forward and re-turn.Hampton Roads.Cheese box on a raft.Shel-ter tents.Yorktown.Evacuation.Torpedo explo-sion.O. H. P. Sargent.Hanover Court House.Don't fall out in the smoke of the battle.Muzzle-loaded muskets. Hooker. Sumner. Mechanics-ville.Gen. Lee and Jefferson Davis.Battle GainesMills.Heavy loss.Col. Gove killed.Gen. Griffin'sopinion.Corporal Gaffney's comment.Patriotism had now become a passion with

    the young men of the North. Those whohad served three months were mastered byit. Nearly all found that they could notbe content at home, while the fate of thecountry was at stake upon the field of bat-tle.

    I enlisted September i6, 1861, in Co.G, 22d Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

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    30 MUSKET AND SWORD.The company was called the WellingtonGuards, in honor of J. C. Wellington ofCambridge, who was its patron. Several ofour members, among whom was Sergeant J.H. Baxter, had been in the Cambridge Com-pany of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militiaat Fortress Monroe.

    I was appointed 4th Sergeant, and enteredupon duty at the camp established at Lynn-field, Mass. The 3rd Battery of LightArtillery and the Second Sharpshooterswere organized at the same time under theauspices of Senator Henry Wilson, who wasColonel of the 22d Regiment. He was notexpected to command us in the field. Overone hundred and fifty of our number hadseen duty under the first call of the Presi-dent, and as an element were very influentialin the development of the regiment to a veryhigh standard of efficiency second to that ofno other organization from our State. The2d Sharpshooters and 3d Battery were simi-larly benefitted and with like results. TheSharpshooters were attached to the regiment

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 31SO closely, as to almost lose their identity, andthey share whatever honor we attained.The service of the 3d Battery, under Cap-

    tain A. P. Martin, was separate and distinctfrom ours, and its glorious record is wellknown to all interested in the military his-tory of Massachusetts.We arrived in Boston October 8, 1861,and formed line upon the Common, whereimmense throngs were present. A beautifulflag was given us, Hon. Robert C. Winthropspeaking for the donors. His address wasable and eloquent, and has survived thewar. It is regarded as a classic in culturedcircles. We had also a State flag but nevertook it into action. One flag or color wasenough to guard under fire. We were fight-ing for the national principle and as unionsoldiers, and while proud of our State, thesupremacy of '' Old Glory," was the objectof our efforts and its presence inspired us asno other emblem could.We arrived in New York via Springfield,at 10 A. M., on the 9th. The commissioned

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    32 MUSKET AND SWORD.officers were entertained sumptuously, atthe Fifth Avenue Hotel. Fervidly patrioticspeeches were made by eloquent orators.But the rank and file were literally andmetaphorically, given soup. It was of dubi-ous quality and was passed from a window,to those who would accept it, and comprisedthe whole menu.We then marched four miles on Broad-way, carrying full equipment, well filledknapsacks included. This was a severe testfor new troops, but was borne patiently,and the spectacle undoubtedly had a goodmoral effect upon the crowds that witnesedit.

    Philadelphia greeted us on the morningof October lo. The men were informedthat they would be given breakfast by thehospitable people of that noble city. Verymany were reluctant to accept the kindinvitation, expecting the fare would besimilar to that in New York. But thosewho had been enlightened by experienceknew otherwise, and without vigorous as-

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 33sertion of authority, induced all to fall in.The arrangements were complete ; water,

    soap, and towels were plentiful, and a seatat a bountiful table was provided for everyguest. The ladies of the neighborhoodwere in attendance to wait upon the tables.The consideration and sympathy shown im-pressed the men profoundly, and their be-havior was admirable. The Philadelphiansmaintained a perfect system of entertain-ment for Union soldiers in transit throughtheir limits during the war.

    Philadelphia is well worthy of its name,*'City of Brotherly Love.'' Unfailingcourtesy and substantial hospitality wereexemplified by it during the nation's ordeal,and its fame will never pale in the gratefulhearts of the Union veterans.We prefaced our departure from Phila-delphia with a street parade, the fatigueof which was cheerfully endured. All de-sired to please our hosts. We arrived inWashington on the nth, and found greatactivity existing in military affairs. Troops

    4

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    34 MUSKET AND SWORD.were visible in every direction and theirorganization and equipment were beingskilfully directed. Work upon the dome ofthe Capitol was in progress, although thecamps of the enemy at Munson's Hill werevisible from it.Upon the 13th of October, we proceeded

    to Hull's Hill, Va., six miles distant, andnear Fall's Church. Our camp for the winterof 1861-62 was established here, and manypleasant memories are associated with it.We were assigned to the brigade of Gen.J. H. Martindale, which consisted of the2nd Maine, i8th Massachusetts, 22nd Mas-sachusetts, and 25th New York. The othertwo brigades of Gen. F. J. Porter's divisionwere commanded respectively by GeneralsDaniel Butterfield and G. W. Morell. The9th Mass. Volunteers was in Morell's bri-gade, and was a good neighbor to us.Many of our men visited the 9th when

    practicable, and always brought back someitems of interest. Col. Thomas Cass, ofthat noble Celtic regiment, was a gallant

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 35officer and very diligent in drilling his com-mand, but, like many others of greater ex-perience, would occasionally deviate fromthe tactics as set forth by Hardee, the pre-scribed authority. While directing somedifficult evolution, he inadvertently gave anorder palpably erroneous. A captain said :" Colonel, that is not according to Hardee."The instantaneous reply was : " It is ac-cording to Cass.'* The ready wit of theanswer effaced his mistake.

    Col. Henry Wilson took leave of the regi-ment on October 27, to resume his dutiesas a member of the Senate of the UnitedStates. He was chairman of the MilitaryCommittee of that body, and soon becameone of the controlling leaders in the con-duct of the war. Col. Jesse A. Gove, for-merly a captain of the loth RegularInfantry, assumed command. He was anative of New Hampshire and a graduateof the military academy at Norwich, Ver-mont, and was thirty-seven years of age.He was master of every detail of his pro-

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    36 MUSKET AND SWORD.fession and an accomplished gentleman.Our organization was largely indebted tohim for its eflBciency, as he guided andmoulded it during the formative period.We were provided with Sibley circulartents, twelve feet in diameter at base, andtapering to a point at ten feet above.Chestnut timber was abundant, and we cutlogs eight inches in diameter and six feetin length, and split them in halves. Wethen dug ditches, conforming to the dimen-sions of t^e tents, and set our slabs firmlyin them, leaving spaces for doors. Uponthese foundations we raised our tents and,with sheet iron stoves in some cases, wheremoney was abundant, our habitations weremade comfortable. The majority impro-vised crude fire-places of stone with chim-neys of sticks, lined with mortar, made ofred clay, which was also used to close open-ings between the slabs of the foundations ofthe tents. Rude bunks, each for two per-sons, were built around our wooden walls,about three feet from the grround.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 37We were taught early to help ourselves.

    As a class, the soldiers of the Army ofthe Potomac were very industrious. Theytoiled indefatigably to make their quartersinviting, often leaving them as soon asfinished, but never failing to work againwith the same end in view if there was aprobability that we should stay for a fewdays. The rank and file washed their ownclothes in a primitive way. They did notqualify themselves however for the laundrybusiness while in the army.Company and battalion drills were fre-

    quent, but not unreasonable in length.Skirmish drill was very ably taught, andstrict attention given to care of quarters.The diet of the force was supervised closely.Careful instruction was imparted to thosein charge of accounts and reports.A large plain, a half mile from our camp,

    was used for brigade and division drills andreviews. The division was reviewed atleast twice by the President. He was wellmounted upon these occasions, and would

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    38 MUSKET AND SWORD.ride rapidly twenty paces in advance of hisbrilliant escort. He was an excellent riderand wholly at ease in the saddle. As hepassed on he would scrutinize the lineclosely, and raise his hat to every regi-mental color. He was dressed in plainblack and wore the conventional stove pipehat. The contrast between him and theshowy array or cavalcade of at least fiftyofficers in full uniform who were followinghim was very striking. He did not lose bythe comparison. His individuality wasmade more conspicuous. We all felt thathe represented the highest type of manhoodand was worthy to be our leader.There was a grand review November 20th,

    of all available troops, at Bailey's CrossRoads. One hundred thousand men weremassed in an insufficent space. Theymarched in review before the President inclose column of about fifty files front. Thegeneral effect was imposing but bewilder-ing, and fatiguing to the troops.The progress of the war in the west was

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 39intently watched by us. Tlie successes atMill Spring and Fort Donelson, were enthu-siastically greeted. It was believed by themajority that the contest in Virginia wouldbe brief and our triumph achieved withoutsevere fighting.During a discussion in our tent, I madethe remark that the Confederate army

    in Virginia would prove very formidable,that it would be more difficult to defeatthan it would be to vanquish the samenumber of British troops, under the existingconditions. My opinion was vehementlydecried, and I was unanimously voted afalse prophet. This condemnation wassubsequently revised.The Capitol of the Confederacy was in

    Virginia, and every possible effort, it wasevident, would be made to hold that State.Its population was martial, and its terri-tory strong in defensive positions. No skillin divination was necessary to forecast thecharacter of the struggle impending.Upon March loth, 1862, we broke camp,

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    40 MUSKET AND SWORD.to participate in the advance. The 13thNew York Volunteers from the vicinity ofRochester, was added to our brigade, as wecommenced the movement. The roads weremuddy and knapsacks became very burden-some, and during the day nine tenths of theregiment discarded them. Blanket rollswere substituted. They were made in thefollowing manner : A blanket would bespread upon the ground and a piece of a shel-ter tent laid on it and also some articles ofclothing. The whole would then be tightlyrolled, and the ends of the roll bound to-gether by a strap taken from the knapsack.This made a roll or "horse collar, '' thatcould be easily adjusted and shifted fromshoulder to shoulder, and carried with com-partive ease. Colonel Gove did not opposethis transformation from knapsack to roll.He gave tacit consent, his experience beingundoubtedly in accord with our action. Heknew what men could endure and would notexact efforts beyond that limit.

    Soldiers did not fight with knapsacks

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 41Upon their backs, and if tlie combat becamedesperate the blanket rolls and even haver-sacks would be thrown aside. Troops can-not make long marches under heavy loads.Knapsacks strain the shoulders excessivelyand impair the vitality of those who carrythem. We had many slight youths in theranks, who could march very well underlight burdens. The average age of the rankand file was twenty-two years. The young-sters were intelligent and intensely patri-otic. They recuperated quickly and wereindomitable in action, and any policy whicheliminates or disparages this element is illadvised. The men of the rank and file whowere over thirty years of age, though ap-parently vigorous, did not as a class with-stand the hardships of active campaigns.They required full rations and good shelter,and could then render excellent service, butas these were impossibilities, they rapidlysuccumbed. The boys, as they were calledin the camps, established, during the forma-tive period, proved to be excellent soldiers.

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    42 MUSKET AND SWORD.To their endurance, intrepidity and devotion,the nation is very largely indebted for itspreservation. The officers who believe thattroops can be hardened by long marches,under heavy loads, should be discharged asincompetent. The burdens of the rank andfile when reduced to lowest practicable limit,will average thirty pounds per man.We camped beyond Fairfax upon thenight of the loth, having covered elevenmiles only, as the delays had been numer-ous and the roads difficult. It was ascer-tained that the enemy had abandoned Man-assas. On the 15th of March, we began tomove to Alexandria, and halted near theSeminary. We embarked on the 20th upona large steamer and anchored near FortressMonroe upon the 23d. The Monitor wasmoored near us, and, as the rebels expressedit, looked like a cheese box upon a raft. Itwas on guard ready to again engage theMerrimac, should it appear.The immense fleet containing the Army

    of the Potomac and its supplies, was secure

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 43in Hampton Roads, by virtue of the presenceof this wonderful fighting invention ofEricson. The battle with the Merrimacwas on the 9th of March, and until Mayloth, the Monitor guarded the fold. Com-modore Worden, who commanded the Mon-itor, ranks with Farragut. His courage,fidelity, sufferings and priceless services, willreceive the homage of the readers of ourhistory.We landed at Hampton, and proceeded a

    few miles to Newmarket, and remainedthere until April 4th. The shelter tents,that were to be our protection in manycampaigns, were now fully introduced. Theywere composed of pieces of light canvas,six by five and one half feet in dimensions.They were prepared with buttons and but-ton holes, so as to be fastened readilytogether. Two uprights or sticks withcrotches would be cut from nearest treesor undergrowth, and set six feet or moreapart. A suitable ridge pole would thenbe placed, and two pieces of the canvas

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    44 MUSKET AND SWORD.buttoned together and stretched over it, andfastened to pegs driven in the ground. Athird piece would be fastened on the rear,and also held firmly by pegs. Ditcheswould be made to intercept water if rainwas anticipated. If pine or cedar boughswere obtainable, a good bed could be hadfor three persons, if desirable. To servethat number the space was limited, the cen-tre being only four feet high. When ourstay was extended for a few days, and theheat was oppressive, long uprights wouldbe used. Bunks would then be made, afoot or more from the earth. These tentswould shed water fairly well. When poleswere easily found the regiment would beunder cover in an half hour.On April 5th, 1862, we met the enemy

    near Yorktown, after a march of one andone half days. They were in a fort in afield bordered by woods, and, in the recon-noissance made to develop the situation, theregiment had one man killed and eightwounded.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 45We camped on the lotH, near Wormsley

    Creek, which empties into the York river.The land was level in the vicinity andintersected at long intervals by ravinesabounding in springs. Yorktown is par-allel to the river and was a very smallplace in 1862. In its seige by Washington,the American lines enveloped all but theriver front. The enemy in our war hadextended their defences across the peninsulato the James river, a distance of eightmiles.These lines had some heavy guns in

    position, but were guarded at first by onlyeight thousand men. A demonstrationalong the whole front, and vigorous attacksat vulnerable points, would have given uspossession. But there should have beenonly a brief delay in making the assaultoutlined above.An elaborate siege was undertaken in

    which the fatigue work was very severe.Formidable siege batteries were placed instrong embrasures. Every preparation was

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    46 MUSKET AND SWORD.made for a crushing bombardment, to befollowed by an assault. The enemy seemedaware of the design, and evacuated theworks held by them on the night of May4th.The 22d Massachusetts, our regiment, was

    the first to enter the works. Two compan-ies were deployed as skirmishers, and were300 yards in advance. The remaining por-tion of the battalion, followed in column bycompany, ours, *'G,'* was the seventh*The six preceding us, passed under a largetree, conspicuous for its loneliness, in theplain, unharmed. But as we came withinits shadow, one of our number stepped upona torpedo, it exploded with great force, theconcussion prostrated nearly one half of theright wing of the company. I thought itwas a shell from Gloucester, across the river.We quickly regained our alignment, andcontinued our advance. O. H. P. Sargentwas mortally wounded ; Charles E. Craneand Luke Ward were severely hurt, and neverwere returned to duty. Comrade Sargent

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 47was a very capable man, and had been amember of the Legislature from Essex,Mass. He bad been in the quartermaster'sdeparment as wagon master, but was re-lieved at his own request. He was indiffer-ent to rank ; with him, the cause glorifiedall who fought for it. He was an optimistand firmly believed that the war would endwith the capture of Yorktown. He died inhospital at Fortress Monroe, May 30, fol-lowing. This crime against humanity, itis supposed, was committed by order ofGeneral Raines, despite orders sent to himby General Ivongstreet forbiding it. Theact was wanton, because the torpedoeswere in most instances, placed not to pro-tect positions whose retention was essential,but in locations where wounded men andnon-combatants were in peril.

    Thursday, May 8th, we embarked forWest Point, on the York river, thirty milesabove, and near the mouth of the Pam-unkey. We were three hours e?i routelanding at dusk, and remaining at West

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    48 MUSKET AND SWORD.Point until the i3tli. On that date wemarclied to Cumberland, on the Pamunkey,a tramp of fifteen miles. Upon May i6th,we reached White House Landing.The river here was narrow, but deep

    enough for a double ender gunboat, equip-ped with a Parrot cannon, carrying a shotweighing one hundred pounds. The shellsfired from one of these guns on a war vesselbelow Yorktown sounded during its longflight like an express train.The date of our arrival at Gaines Mills,was May 26th, and upon the following daywe were ordered to Hanover Court House.The road was eighteen miles in length, andabout one foot in depth. The mud was ofthe adhesive variety. The Confederates wereattacked and defeated at about noon. The2d Maine was left as rear guard, and wepressed on expecting to find the enemy rein-forced in a new position. They returnedscreened by the woods, and assailed ourrear guard after our departure. We wereordered to hurry to the rescue, and had

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 49about two miles to travel. We passed aConnecticut regiment, I believe it was theFirst Heavy Artillery, serving as infantry.We could march faster than they, havinghad more practice. One of their fieldofficers was old, and his voice quavered ashe earnestly appealed to his men, and as hesaid: '* Don't fall out in the smoke ofthe battle,'' it would break on the wordsmoke, with singular effect. His venerablepresence and intense zeal redeemed his de-livery from ludicrousness. We found thatthe Confederates had been repulsed by the2d Maine infantry and 3d MassachusettsBattery.The 2d Maine fought in the field and didnot change its position during the action,and delivered a very effective fire. Theattack was made by eighteen hundred menwho were without artillery, or the resultmight have been different.We returned to our camp May 29th. Onthe 31st, we could hear the prolongedroll of musketry at Fair Oaks. It was

    5

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    50 MUSKET AND SWORD.fraught with tragic meaning, as it indicateda struggle between large bodies of men atshort range.

    It is not generally understood by theyouth of the present day, that during thecivil war the infantry of the opposingarmies was equipped almost universallywith muzzle-loading muskets or rifles, bothcarrying an ounce Minie ball, hollow at thelarge end, which expanded and followed thetwisting or rifle groove of the weapon. Inteaching the manual of arms the order w^asto "lyoad in nine times, load.'' At the order"Tear cartridge," it was inserted betweenthe front teeth and the paper wrapper bit-ten, and at the order, "Charge cartridge,"the powder was emptied into the musket,and the ball detached and put into the muz-zle, the large or hollow end being down.The whole charge was then driven homeby the ramrod, and at the word "Ready" themusket was brought to the right side and apercussion cap affixed. In action the orderwas to load at will. It was required that

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 51recruits should have teeth firm enough tobite or tear the cartridges. If a soldiercould load and fire twice in a minute hewas very expert. Many men were shot inthe right hand and arm while loading inaction, as the fire of the enemy was usuallyhigh.

    Artillery fire often is ineffective, becausewoods may be shelled merely as a matter ofprecaution. Duels between batteries maymake the skies ring, and but comparativelyfew men may be engaged, or exposed, andresults may be trivial.The sustained fire of musketry beyond the

    Chickahominy meant a harvest of death,and that something decisive had happened.A sanguinary battle had been fought. Wewere at first beaten, but finally held ourlines. The purpose of the Confederates tobitterly contest our efforts to capture Rich-mond was now revealed.Our campaign assumed a new phase.

    Generals Sumner and Hooker distinguishedthemselves, in this our first great battle of

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    52 MUSKET AND SWORD.the year in Virginia. General Hooker hada noble presence, and his voice and mannerwere commanding. His division, aftercrossing the Chickahominy, awaited orders.The general was at the head of the column,which was halted upon a slight elevation.He received orders to advance and engagethe enemy. Facing his division, and withglowing countenance and appropriate gest-ure, he exclaimed in a ringing voice

    :

    **To the front, gentlemen !'^A cheer of approval was the response.He displayed skill and heedless bravery inthe battle.

    General B. V. Sumner was an officer ofgreat merit. He led his Corps over theChickahominy while the bridges weretrembling from the shock of a rising flood.Pushing to the front he attacked the rebelswho were flushed with their defeat of Gen-eral Casey, and stayed their progress.At one stage of the battle. General Sum-

    ner was informed, that the troops holdingan important position, were exposed to a

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    MUSKKT AND SWORD. 53severe fire, and were without ammunition.Permission to withdraw was asked of him.He emphatically refused, and riding alongthe line he exhorted, in stentorian tones,the troops to charge with the bayonet, whenthe command should be issued. He soongave it, and led himself, the victorious ad-vance. His thunderous tones and fierceonslaught won him the sobriquet of ' ' BullSumner.'' He was, nevertheless, a verykind and considerate gentleman.An enlisted man named Floyd, of ourcompany, was an excellent scribe, and hadbeen transferred to General Sumner's head-quarters for clerical work. He told us thatone of his associates was a very competentoffice man, and the general esteemed himhighly. But love of liquor was his bane, andafter a prolonged spree he reported for duty.The general sent for him, and expressedhis regret, that a gentleman and scholarshould so degrade himself ; also adding atribute to his efficiency. The delinquentreplied, affirming his appreciation of the

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    54 MUSKET AND SWORD.compliment, and of the consideration shownhim. He also said that if the govern-ment expected to obtain the service ofmen with the qualifications enumerated bythe general, and the cardinal virtues in ad-dition, for thirteen dollars per month, itwould be disappointed. General Sumneradmitted the force of the observation, and,after giving the clerk some advice, put himon duty again at his desk.

    Sickness now prevailed ; it was caused bymalaria from the swamps. We changedour camp to better ground, moving towardsMechanicsville.The aggressive movement of General Leecommenced on June 26th. We were ordered

    to march to our extreme right, near BeaverDam Creek and Mechanicsville. The Confederates assailed the Pennsylvania Re-serves, who were strongly posted at thecreek, and were repulsed with the loss ofover three thousand men. This attack wasunwise, as the movement in progress of theCorps of Stonewall Jackson flanked the

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 55position, making it untenable, but JeffersonDavis was present, and the desire to win abrilliant victory under his observation con-trolled.At six p. M., we advanced into a large

    field, in column by company. A solid shotfrom a rebel battery killed one man in thecompany preceding us, and two men in ourcompany. They were James Millen andSamuel Benjamin. The regiment thenobliqued to the right and halted where itwas partially sheltered by woods. I hast-ened to the poor fellows. They must havebeen, as I afterwards concluded, instantlykilled. General Thomas Sherwin, then istLieutenant and Adjutant, joined me, and ex-amined them. It was plain that they werebeyond our aid. Both were very worthymen.During the forenoon of the following day,

    June 27th, 1862, the Pennsylvania Reservesheld the enemy in check at Beaver DamCreek. We abandoned our camps at Curtis'sFarm, and destroyed all supplies for which

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    56 MUSKET AND SWORD.we lacked transportation. The 5th Corps,which included the divisions of Morell andSykes and the Pennsylvania Reserve wasplaced in position to deliver a defensivebattle near Gaines Mills. Eleven bat-teries of artillery were attached to thecorps ; they had over sixty guns.Our brigade was formed in two lines,

    our regiment being in the second of these.The 13th New York was in our immediatefront, about seventy-five yards distant, atthe foot of the wooded declivity. Thedescent was at least thirty feet.A line of artillery was in reserve, fourhundred yards in our rear, in a field upon aslight elevation, the space between it andour infantry in the second line being un-obstructed. Several batteries were inter-spersed with our infantry. Trees werefelled by the infantry, and breastworksabout four feet high constructed.

    I went down to the 13th New York severaltimes and noted that a small field borderedby woods beyond was in their front. In

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 57other respects the position was poor ; theywere, however, very cheerful and confi-dent.The enemy at 3 P. M., came on in dense

    lines to the attack. The artillery in ourline and the infantry in the first line openeda furious fire upon them for ten minutes atleast, before they retreated. Three distinctcharges were repelled with great havoc.After the third repulse the 13th New YorkVolunteers withdrew to replenish theirammunition. As they passed us, greetingsand congratulations were exchanged. Weconsidered the victory assured for us, butthe Confederates strengthened their attack-ing force, and again advanced. Their num-bers were overwhelming, and their impetu-osity unabated.We awaited them with confidence, and

    delivered a crushing artillery and musketryfire. I stood beside W. H. Nowell, a pri-vate. We fired rapidly looking only to thefront.The rebels were within fifty feet of us in

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    58 MUSKET AND SWORD.the direction tliat we were aiming, whenNowell was struck in the face. The con-cussion sounded like a blow given by anopen hand. I turned to the left saying thatNowell was killed, and saw that the linewas broken beyond our regiment. Theenemy were flanking us, and getting in ourrear. I ran the gauntlet with the fleetnessof a deer, shunning the crowd that followeda natural depression or roadway.We rallied on the reserve artillery, whichsustained by the batteries that had escaped

    from the defeated line, began a tempestuouscannonade upon the Confederates, as theyemerged from the woods. The wave ofgray was fringed with the blue and red ofthe defenders of the Union.

    It was imperative that the tide should bestayed, but it was harrowing to behold ourcomrades stricken down by our own artillery.The 22d had been reduced in numbers by

    sickness and other causes, and did not takeinto this battle, more than six hundred andfiftv officers and men.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 59Colonel Jesse A. Gove was killed, as were

    seventy others. Fifty-five were woundedand captured, thirty-one were struck andescaped, and one hundred and twenty-twowere taken prisoners unhurt. These lossesoccurred within ten minutes after our flankswere turned. Company A had fifteen menkilled.The reserve line in the field was firmly

    held, and during the night we returned overthe Chickahominy and its swamps, saddenedbut not demoralized by our losses.The Confederate records show that Gen-

    eral Lee left a skirmish line, before the leftwing of our army, which was separated fromthe right, under General Fitz John Porter,by the Chickahominy. Seventy-five thous-and troops were concentrated to crush us.General McClellan, with over sixty thousandmen, was passive. He could have takenRichmond or given us adequate support.He was loyal but infirm in purpose andinclined to magnify the numbers of theenemy.

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    60 MUSKET AND SWORD.In January, 1865, 1 visited the army before

    Petersburg, Va., having been mustered outwith my regiment October 17, 1864. Icalled upon General Charles Griffin, in com-mand of the ist Division of the 5th Corps.I had been acting as Asst. Adjt. Gen. of his 2dBrigade, and he knew me well and was verycordial. He referred to the campaigns ofthe past, and much to my surprise, dis-cussed freely the Battle of Gaines Mills, inwhich he commanded a brigade, formerlyMorelPs. He was an artillerist, unsur-passed in courage and skill. He saidthat our lines were poorly chosen, andthat a defensive action should be plannedso as to utilize artillery fully, and thatthe Confederates did not come in range ofour batteries until within two hundredyards, and were then partially screened bythe woods. He gave it as his opinion, thatour line should have been established whereour reserve artillery was placed, and everygun should have been in position there.The assailants would then have been sub-

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 61jected to a wasting fire of grape and canisterthat with the infantry support would havebeaten them.The command of the regiment devolved

    upon Capt. Daivd K. Wardwell, Lt.-ColonelGriswold, an excellent officer, being absentsick, and Major W. S. Tilton wounded anda prisoner. Capt. Wardwell served in thewar with Mexico, and was in command of acompany in the 5th Massachusetts Volun-teer Militia, in the three months or BullRun campaign. He was a very brave andcompetent officer, and was very vigilant inhis attention to the care of his men. Hesaw that every requirement of the law intheir favor was fulfilled if possible.He distinguished himself at this critical

    period. A brief halt was made at SavageStation and we bivouacked at night beyondWhite Oak Swamp. An alarm shortlyafter midnight created a brief panic amongsome of our best men, who were very muchhumiliated when it was over. The imagi-nation has almost complete control over a

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    62 MUSKET AND SWORD.portion even of the phlegmatic, when onlypartially wakened. Upon the 29th, wearrived at Charles City Cross Roads. Thearmy had marched with great steadinessand responded to every demand upon it byits leaders.

    Discussions regarding the general move-ment were of course rife. One elementthought that profound strategy was exem-plified by our "change of base,'* as theycalled it. Another class was dissatisfied,claiming that we should not have beenbeaten in detail, and that General McClellanshould have put the whole army on thefiring line at the same time, and that hehad been outgeneraled.

    Corporal John Gaffney, of our company,whose intelligence gave him weight amongus, was appealed to for his opinion after aheated debate, to which he had calmlylistened. In response, he said that hebelieved we were going to the James riverto protect the gunboats. This sally madethe rounds of the press. We were solicit-

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 6^ous regarding the effect at home of ourstruggle, and believed that censure wouldnot fall upon the behaviour of the army.It was realized that the ability of our com-mander would be challenged.

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    CHAPTER III.Malvern Hill.Immense trains.Union Artillery fire.Thrilling experience.Wentworth's death.Gen.Charles Griffin." Fetch on your infantry."Confed-erate charge.G. H. Ladd killed.Gallant 62d Penn-sylvania Volunteers."Will get even right now."Dan Harrington.Harrison's Landing.Night bom-bardment. Down the Peninsula. Aquia Creek.March at night.Warrenton Junction. Porter onAugust 29th. Armed Neutrality. Scenes August30th.Kearney.Pope.Washington. Company E.Wright.Wenzel.McClellan in command. Theii8th Pennsylvania. Heavy knapsacks. Rationsdescribed.Coffee boilers.Frederick, Md. SouthMountain. Antietam. Burnside's bridge. Recon-noissance across the Potomac.Daddy Mulhern."Show me the man I shall shoot." Heroism ofCapt. Field.We passed over Malvern Hill, June 30th,

    1862, and descended about one hundred feetto an immense plain. We were permittedto rest for several hours. It seemed asthough we would not soon be called uponto meet the foe.The trains of the army, were moving

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    66 MUSKET AND SWORD.the 22d Massacliusetts, but they were un-daunted and hopeful. Sergeant J. H. Bax-ter commanded our company, I was next inrank. Our captain was captured at GainesMills ; we had no ist Lieutenant ; the re-maining commissioned officer was absent.

    Sergeant Baxter was the natural leaderof the company. The corps formed line atGlendale, which was two miles from Mal-vern. The enemy deferred its attack,ourdemonstration dictated circumspection asthe wisest policy of their leaders.Immense fires were kindled three hundred

    yards in our front, so that the enemy couldnot advance past them without coming infull view. They would then have beenexposed to a destructive fire from us.On the morning of the following day,

    (July I, 1862), we were withdrawn to thedefensive position, near Malvern Hill, andrations were issued.

    Early in the afternoon we moved forwardfor a short space, and formed in a column offive companies at half wheeling distance.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 67We lay down, covering a very small area.Our position was fifty feet in advance ofa large tree. There was a slight ascent inthe field in our front, for three hundredyards.Then as we afterwards discerned, the

    descent to a great field was rapid. It wasskirted by woods, in which the rebel infant-ry was disposed. Artillery had been placedat the foot of the hill where its shots intheir whole flight would not be over fivefeet from the earth.The enemy had a battery with which they

    were endeavoring to reach us, and must havehad the tree for a landmark. The situationwas made very trying for us. We lost fiftymen from our small battalion during theday. One half of them were injured whilewe were under this ordeal. Where one ballor fragment of a shell would find a victim,twenty of the diabolical things would barelymiss some of his comrades. Shell woundsare ghastly, cruel to the injured, and demor-alizing to beholders, especially to those who

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    6S MUSKET AND SWORD.are in the line of promotion by that methodto another world.

    I saw a cannon ball, nearly spent in itsflight, approaching. It seemed as thoughit was looking for me, and drawn towardsme as if by a magnet. I flattened as closeto the ground as possible, and awaited myfate. It slipped over me and killed Ben-ning Wentworth of Company B, who waslying at my feet. Lieut. Field in commandof that company moved and brushed somedust from his clothing. I asked if he wasinjured ; he said he was not, but that Went-worth was dead. That was easily perceived.His exit was painless unless he had seen theball coming and suffered in anticipation.This incident sends a thrill along my nerveseven now when recalled.The patient endurance of effective artillery

    fire, while remaining passive, is the supremetest of the fortitude of soldiers.

    General Charles Griffin, in addition to thecommand of an infantry brigade, seemed tohave charge of the artillery of the 5th

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. byCorps, in our front. He was very active,passing continually from the infantry to thebatteries. He had a horse shot under him,but mounted that of his orderly, and con-tinued his rounds. About 5 p. m. he cameover the crest, and beckoned to General Mar-tindale. He said in his characteristic shrilltone : " Fetch on you infantry, general.''The Confederates were swarming with

    frantic energy to the assault. We deployedin line of battle in an instant. The orderto advance was more than welcome to all.We wished to fight like men and accomplishsomething with muskets at close range andnot to be slaughtered like cattle in theshambles, as we had been for nearly threehours. We went on in perfect alignment,and soon reached the guns. We were insupport of a battery of howitzers. Theofficer in charge was nervous, and said thatas his horses were to the rear he feared thathis pieces would be lost. He gave someorders to us, which act was a breach of mil-itary courtesy.

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    70 MUSKET AND SWORD.Lieutenant F. K. Field reproved him

    sharply, telling him not to interfere, andadded that the infantry line was there tostay and win. We lay down thirty yardsin rear of the 62d Pennsylvania, which wasin line with the battery and in touchwith its left. The field where we wereplaced had been some previous year pre-pared for wheat. It was in beds or ridgessix feet wide. The ditches or hollows wereeighteen inches below the crowns of thebeds. The men in two ranks occupied oneof the depressions. The file closers, com-missioned officers and sergeants, did notwithdraw to the hollow of the next ridge butremained upon its summit. My head restedupon a foot of George H. Ladd. I soonheard him groan, and rising up saw that hehad been hit near the shoulder and wasinsensible. I took hold of his ankles andtried to pull him lengthwise in the ditch,where he would be less exposed ; my strengthwas insufficient. His chum, Dan Harrington,whom I knew to be generally cold blooded.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 71said, "I will help you," and we removed hima few feet, to what must have been his lastresting place unless the enemy buried himelsewhere.

    I now concluded that my turn would notcome that day, and sat up and watched thestruggle.The Confederates attacked in several lines,

    moving from the woods, nine hundred yardsdistant. Our batteries were served withtireless energy. Every discharge would cutgaps in the ranks of the infuriated enemy,but still they rushed on meeting the deadlyrain of bullets from our infantry, and yellinglike fiends.

    It remained for the infantry to turn thetide, and aid in inflicting a crushing defeatupon our reckless adversaries.The 626. Pennsylvania fought grandly, I

    saw their colors drop several times, butbefore they could touch the ground theywould be grasped, and again waved in defi-ance. They must have lost one thiid oftheir number without yielding an inch.

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    72 MUSKET AND SWORD.The wounded who were able, would re-

    treat to our line, and feeling reassured wouldhalt. Greetings would be exchanged andtheir remaining cartridges given to us. Onestalwart private hurried to us, using hismusket as a staff. He examined his woundwhich was in the calf of his leg, and quitesevere. He said, "It is not so bad as Ithought, I will get even right now." Hehobbled back to his regiment, accompaniedby the applause of our men.The 62d Pennsylvania having practicallyexhausted its ammunition, faced to the left,and filed to the rear. We moved forwardand took their place, and dressed our lineand commenced firing, using sixty roundseach at least. Dan Harrington was tall,and quite robust, a typical farm laborer ofthe uneducated class. He was in the frontrank, and perfectly self possessed, and gavehis comrades shrewd and pithy advice, andwas in fact a leader in the fight. I congrat-ulated him a few days later upon his con-duct. He did not respond to my patriotic

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 73fervor, but remarked placidly that *'Ouronly show was to stay with those fellowsand whip them."The Confederates were repulsed at every

    point. The force of their onslaught wasdeclining when we relieved the 62d Penn-sylvania. We expended all our ammuni-tion, and the ordnance train was on the wayto the rear, but the enemy brought forwardno reserves. We gathered wheat straw fromour front, and endeavored to sleep. Thegroans of the wounded arose like a chorus.Occasionally a howitzer would be dis-charged, and the flash would penetrate thegloom almost to the woods. Men from theambulance corps, aided by volunteers weresearching by the light of lanterns forwounded friends and comrades. But thegreat mass of the unfortunate were notrelieved that night.We were roused about i A. m., and

    began our march to Harrison's I^anding.The rain soon became heavy, making theroute tedious, but we plodded on, and

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    74 MUSKET AND SWORD.readied our destination at lo A. m., July 2.We were soon camped and quite comfort-able, and began to recuperate from tliefatigue of the campaign. But the heat andthe lack of good drinking water impairedthe health of many. The sick list increasedrapidly. The Richmond papers said thatour location was the hottest place in NorthAmerica.The President visited the army, and it

    was supposed that important events wouldfollow. I no not recall seeing him at anyreview at this period.The 5th Corps was reviewed and the effect

    was excellent. The infantry battalionswere small but the bearing of the men wasspirited. The artillery was numerous andwell equipped. It was difficult to believethat we had been defeated or that it couldbe done again.Our camps were commanded by heights

    on the opposite bank of the James. Theenemy during a July night were enterpris-ing enough to salute us with shot and shel^

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 75from a light battery placed there. Theeffect was enlivening. It was fully half anhour before the Connecticut Heavy Artilleryreturned and silenced the fire of the rebels.The damage done was immaterial. Thegunboats were not in evidence which was asurprise to us.The military situation in Virginia was

    the topic of absorbing interest while wewere at Harrison^s Landing. A markeddivision of opinion relative to GeneralMcClellan existed, but it did not degenerateinto a bitter controversy. The interests ofthe country were paramount. The personalsuccess of any individual was as dust in thebalance in comparison. The selection ofGeneral Pope for the command of the activeUnion force in Northern Virginia wasregarded as impolitic. His record thoughvery good did not warrant the preferenceshown him. He certainly did not thenexcel Sumner, Kearney, Hooker or Sedg-wick in the estimation of the army. Thefact that they were ignored was considered

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    76 MUSKET AND SWORD.a reflection upon the Army of the Potomac.This sentiment was intensified by an unfor-tunate General Order, issued by GeneralPope, for which he claims he was not re-sponsible. It was very offensive by impli-cation, and the belief obtained among usthat it was a covert reflection upon ourarmy.Hooker and Kearney were known to be

    very free in their comments upon McClellan.General Hooker advised a forward move byour left wing upon Richmond while thebattle of Gaines Mills was in progress.General Sumner was very reticent in hisexpressions, but was supposed to considerGeneral McClellan too cautious.

    Generals Meade and Hancock had not yetdeveloped great reputations, although eitherwas fit to command a large army. GeneralFitz John Porter was a staunch partisanof McClellan, and all the influence whichemanated from him was hostile to GeneralPope.Upon August 14th, 1862, we bade farewell

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 77to Harrison's Landing, and in light march-ing order commenced an arduous campaign.We were not warned that water was scarcealong the route, it being without runningstreams. The troops did not economize thesupply in their canteens, and were soon indistress. The road was sandy, and the heatintense. Wells were infrequent and practi-cally inaccessible to ninety-five per cent, ofthe thirsty. After covering twenty-fivemiles we crossed the Chickahominy near theJames River. The pontoon bridge used wasat least two thousand feet long.

    After halting one day, we resumed ourmarch and passed through Williamsburg,which we found a quaint old town with a re-fined population. Upon the 17th we campednear our former location at Yorktown.On our way to Hampton on the i8th we

    passed many corn fields and the roasting earswere appropriated by the column. Thebattalions in the rear had scant gleaningafter their comrades in the advance hadbeen supplied.

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    78 MUSKET AND SWORD.We embarked on the 20tli upon the

    steamer North America. On the 21st welanded at Aquia Creek, and were transferredby rail to Falmouth, opposite Fredericks-burg, Va. The regiment was now led byColonel Charles E. Griswold, who had beenpromoted to the vacancy caused by thedeath of the lamented Colonel Gove. W.S. Tilton was Lieut. -Colonel and ThomasSherwin, Major. The last promotion cre-ated some friction among the commissionedofficers as Major Sherwin's former rank wasthat of ist Lieutenant and Adjutant. Therank and file were gratified however, as hehad been very efficient and his courtesyand consideration had been unfailing. Hewas very cool and intrepid ; was severelywounded at Gaines Mills but not captured.The adjutant of a regiment has greater

    responsibility than a captain in an activecampaign, and when he fills all the require-ments of the position for a long period, asdid Lieutenant Sherwin, should have pre-cedence in promotion over captains.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 71^Upon August 22d, 1862, we started from

    Falmouth and were urged on without mercyall night. Colonel Roberts of the 2d Mainecommanded the brigade. He rode a whitehorse, and was unceasing in his efforts toencourage the men to keep up. Towardsmorning an uncomplimentary remark whichhe heard, was made concerning him, by atired soldier. He stopped and disclaimedresponsibility saying that he was simplyobeying orders. Colonel Roberts was notan ofScer who would rest quiet under anaffront, or take a defensive position, unlesshis higher sense of the justice of the com-plaint constrained him to do so.We halted on the 24th, not far from Kel-

    ly's Ford, and on the three succeeding daysthe demands upon us were moderate. War-renton Junction was reached at 4 P. M.,.August 27th. The division of GeneralSykes had halted there at 11 a. m.We first learned here of Stonewall Jack-son's raid in our rear, and were astonishedand exasperated by the intelligence.

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    80 MUSKET AND SWORD.August 28th our column moved at 6 A. m.,

    but did not reacli Bristow nine miles distantuntil after 10 A. m. The road was excel-lent, and was soon very dry. It ledthrough on open country. General Meaderetreated over the same ground the followingyear with troops and trains parallel to eachother without difficulty. The statementthat we could not have marched during thepreceding night is not true. We bivouackedat Bristow. General Hooker had defeated aforce of the enemy there the day before.We passed Manassas Junction four milesfurther on at 10 a. m., August 29th, 1862.The destruction of the railroad trains andarmy rations there by Jackson was astound-ing. The column was directed to the leftand on the Gainesville road. In an hourwe halted and loaded ; we expected toattack the enemy at once. General Mc-Dowell and staff rode by ; he looked verywell, and was resolute and energetic in hisbearing.We soon advanced at about noon and

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 81occupied a commanding ridge, whicli waspartly covered by small trees or scrub tim-ber. A cannon ball from a six pounderkilled one or two men in the ist MichiganVolunteers, which was on the left of ourbattalion. One of our batteries replied witha few rounds.There was a road in the valley in our

    front a thousand yards distant. Clouds ofdust ascended from it, apparently caused bythe movement of troops. No further actionwas offensively taken by us that day. Gen-eral Porter could not have known at thetime what force was before him as thecountry was undulating and screened bywoods and bushes. He made no determinedattempt to find out. His policy evidentlywas that of armed neutrality. A tremen-dous battle was raging upon our right. Itcould only be won by fighting. The enemywas always ready in those days to accom-modate us when we were looking for battle.General McDowell had no difficulty in find-ing and engaging them.

    7

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    82 MUSKET AND SWORD.If for instance General Hancock had been

    in Porter's place, he certainly would havemade an impetuous and effective assault.The rank and file were eager to advance.We had beaten the Confederates at MalvernHill and seemed to have the advantage inposition.

    I believe that Porter deliberately betrayedGeneral Pope. I am in this opinion inaccord with all whom I have met of the9th, i8th, 22d and 32d Massachusetts Vol-unteers who were on duty under him at thefront in the campaign under discussion.We were on picket during the night, and

    towards morning could hear the noises madeby the Confederates in harnessing theanimals of a wagon train. There was somedelay in withdrawing us. Major Burt wasdetermined to have every man notified, sothat none might be abandoned. When allwere assembled, it was discovered that ourbrigade had disappeared. General Morell,commander of the division which was com-posed of three brigades, was with Grifiin's

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    84 MUSKET AND SWORD.His notes were awaited by the thousandsmassed near us, and were so exultant anddefiant that they would evoke cheers fromevery quarter.

    General Kearney was killed Septemberist, at Chantilly. His loss was deeplymourned by the whole army. He com-bined dauntless courage with rare abilityand cool judgment. If he had been sparedit was very probable that the command ofthe Army of the Potomac would have fallenupon him, in preference to Burnside orHooker.Wednesday, September 3d, 1862, found us

    near our old quarters on Hall's Hill.General John Pope, will receive, I believe,

    in the future, credit for zeal and ability; hedisplayed high moral and physical courage inthe difficult positions forced upon him by thegovernment. Had he been faithfully sup-ported success might have crowned ourarms under his guidance. General McClel-lan is on record as having written to GeneralPorter to support General Pope cordially.

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 85Many commissions were received September5th, at headquarters of tlie regiment. Iwas surprised to be the recipient at so earlya date of a commission as second lieutenant,and was exceedingly gratified to learn thatSergeant J. H. Baxter had also been hon-ored. I was assigned to the command ofCompany E, a Roxbury organization ofwhich General Nelson A. Miles was theoriginal first lieutenant. The company atthis time was small in numbers but ofexcellent material. The orderly sergeant,James Wright, was of fine presence, six feetin height and alert in his bearing. Hiseducation was fair only, but he was a deepthinker and his views upon the militarysituation I found to be sound and practical.His courage and fidelity were of a very highorder. I appointed J. W. Kenfield andDaniel Morrissey sergeants, both of whomhad fully won that recognition. SergeantPhilip Wenzel was unique in many respects.He was exceedingly courteous and obliging,especially to subordinates, but his courage

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    S6 MUSKET AND SWORD.and firmness on duty were remarkable. Hewas both loved and respected by those underhis control.Upon September 12th, we passed through

    Washington on our way to meet GeneralLee. Our reception by the people was notenthusiastic. They were accustomed tomore showy displays than that presented bythe worn battalions of the Army of thePotomac. General McClellan was givencommand. It was the best that could bedone at the time. His capacity as an organ-izer was great and he stood well with thearmy. In the opinion of a large portion ofit, he was amenable to criticism. Butmany of the strictures upon him were sounjust, that the sympathy even of thiselement was given him largely. Thequestion was who could do better underexisting conditions ?We moved out on the Rockville Pike andbivouacked, having tramped in the dust andexcessive heat twelve miles.We were joined in Washington by the

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    88 MUSKET AND SWORD.the roll or collar previously described,they seemed to regard us savoring oftreason.We were indeed in light marching orderwere thin in flesh but hardy, and with loadsscientifically reduced. I do not supposethere was a spare shirt in my company,and yet the men were trim and tidy. Newclothing had been drawn. One man wouldcarry soap, his chum a towel ; brush andblacking, would be provided on the sameprinciple with a larger group of partners asa basis.The iiSth Pennsylvania Volunteers and

    othernew organationswere gradually obliged,by fatigue, to discard superfluous clothing,and often blankets and overcoats would meetthe same fate. The veterans would frequent-ly leave their blankets and shelter tents atbivouacs, when the new troops were to lead,and as the heat became intolerable for ourunsophisticated comrades in the afternoon,they would part with blankets, shelter tentsand overcoats. The veterans would then

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    90 MUSKET AND SWO:'lD.baked remarkably well in covered trenches.They were first parboiled and then campkettles were covered with hot coals. Uponprolonged campaigns meat, hard bread, sugarand coffee, also salt, were the only articlesissued. Camp kettles were with the trains,and not accessible, and every man wouldcook for himself. Coffee was a great solace,the allowance would make three or four pintcups, black and very strong, a day. At everyhalt of a half hour or more the cups wouldbe on fires that were quickly made. Thecavalry and artillery called the infantrycoffee boilers. Salt pork would frequentlybe eaten raw with hard bread. Herds of cat-tle were often driven with the supply trains,and fresh meat furnished when practicable.It was not particularly juicy. The troopsgenerally would start upon a campaign withfrom three to five days' supply of hardbread, sugar and salt, and were alwayshungry. There would usually be a skilletor frying pan for every group of fifteen totwenty men. When camp kettles were not

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 91at hand meat could not be cooked economi-cally. It was found advisable during theseperiods to have a sergeant divide it un-cooked. In the Wilderness, and campaignsfollowing in 1864, camp kettles were for sixweeks a reminiscence with the troops, on thefiring line.The men were patient ; a grumbler was

    chaffed unmercifully. Our struggle was sostrenuous and the issues so transcendent,that minor matters were lightly considered.

    Clothing, shoes and caps were furnishedthe enlisted men at very reasonable rates.The allowance was forty-two dollars perannum, and any excess over that sum wassupposed to be deducted from the monthlypay at the end of the year.Upon September 15th, we passed through

    Frederick, a beautiful city, '* Green walledby the hills of Maryland." The popula-tion was very friendly towards us. Thistogether with the charms of the valley ofthe Monocacy, blessed by nature and dili-gently improved by man, delighted the army.

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    92 MUSKET AND SWORD.We climbed the South Mountain on the

    i6th, our route was on the old Nationalroad built by the government early in thecentury. We halted occasionally to beholdthe lovely valley in our rear. We came toa very stong position from which the enemyhad been dislodged on the 14th. The assaultwas so impetuous that many Confederateswere killed behind a stone wall before theycould rise.The temper of the army was admirable.

    At the little councils of war around ourcamp fires, the conclusion was reached thatwe were destined to defeat Lee decisively.We had many among us who would marchall day, and after partaking of their coffeeand bread would debate the situation anddiscuss previous campaigns, until silencedby others who wished to sleep.

    During the morning of the 17th, a veryheavy connonade was commenced by ourbatteries for which the situation was veryfavorable. Our positions dominated verydecidedly, and shelter for caissons and re-

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    MUSKET AND SWORD. 93serve batteries was contiguous and ample.The infantry was placed in the rear of theartillery, as the rebels were not withinmusketry range. We would advance occa-sionally to the crest and in line with the can-non to behold the tragicpanorama out-spreadbefore us. We could see our lines pressingon, generally with success, but diminishingunder a wasting fire. I saw a body ofcavalry charge boldly upon our enemies andretreat with severe loss. It was supposedto be an attack upon infantry, which wasvery imprudent, as that arm can defeatcavalry under modern conditions unless ithas first been shaken by artillery fire, orbroken by charges of opposing foot soldiers.With the afternoon of the i8th, there

    ca