Yale University Library C6-& . %cs . sK?^ l***~ fl*~*' cr^CT /^^) O-C^ H^ZC&J ^K^v- ^u-^«/ £^L? ^CZ^^S. '& h f**^ tZJZZtyj^ p^C^, ^W ^/^o lO*CZz& sfJ~-i pJjcJZT /z~ koj e^^rC^J/ /3™ <2^&&>^*>£**>/ JCtrui~ (h-«s*j o<-*y> A/Jze> ZCT i^k> /&*~r f^ "*<> *&i %y *Co pue^T /l^r^ /X&& ?*~ /*OZ^ a~*r£r-**^t &JoJ y^c^sf—r 07J, 9^r^^ SERGEANT EDWARD BROWNE, SIXTY-SECOND N. x INFANTRY. "FIGHTING JOE'S" MEN. IT is well known to veterans that Major-General Joseph Hooker, at one time commander of the Army of the Potomac, was affectionately called " Fighting Joe," on ac count of the dashing manner in which he habitually led his division in battle. In fact, wherever he was acting as a subordinate commander — not weighed down with the re sponsibility of an independent army — he was enterprising, energetic, cool-headed and vigorous in the performance of his duty. In an evil hour President Lincoln, deeming General Hooker available, promoted him to the command of an army of more than one hundred thousand men. While the army was in camp, and required only to be clothed and fed and disciplined, its new leader was equal to 22 CHANCELLORSVILLE. 2% the occasion and greatly improved the condition of the troops. But when called upon to manoeuvre this armed host in a wilderness, in presence of the enemy and of the chosen champion of the Southern cause, " Fighting Joe's " powers seemed paralyzed, his sword no longer flashed in the charge, his voice no longer rang in clarion tones, " For ward ! " His counsel seemed weak and uncertain, and his movements those of one groping in the dark. The battle of Chancellorsville was " Fighting Joe's " Waterloo, as the general of an army, although he lived to win fresh laurels as a corps commander in the memorable " battle above the clouds." This is not the place to enlarge upon the mistakes of leaders, however, beyond brief men tion of the operations in which there was the usual propor tion of individual gallantry among the rank and file. The battle of Chancellorsville is famous as the spot where "Stonewall Jackson" met his death in the hour of his triumph, just as he had given a crushing blow to the right flank of the Union army. The operations on the left of the Union line, although more creditable, were of no avail in the end, excepting as they inspired the enemy with a respectful caution in following up Hooker's retreat to his old camps on the left bank of the Rappahannock. If the army commander was wanting at Chancellorsville, his subordinates, generally, were equal to the emergency. The operations on the Union left were controlled by General Sedgwick. One of his brave men, a survivor of the Great Rebellion, Sergeant Edward Browne, Co. "G," 62d N. Y. Vol. Infantry, gives ah interesting sketch of his recollections on that occasion. 24 " FIGHTING JOE'S " MEN. I. THE AFFAIR OF SALEM HEIGHTS. " While ordinarily it is not agreeable to me (not to say indelicate) to write of myself, and to speak of a distinction which fell to my lot, I confess my pride in being the holder of a Medal of Honor, conferred by the Congress of our grand country, in recognition of alleged merit ; and to enable you to determine whether the acts, for which my then superior officers thought fit to commend me, are wor thy of being recorded, I will briefly narrate events. " It was on the morning of May 3, or 4 (I am un certain as to the date), General Hooker was at Chancellors ville. General Sedgwick, with the Sixth Corps, crossed to the right bank of the Rappahannock, about three miles below Fredericksburg, and took up his line of march tow ard that city. The advance, after considerable resistance on the part of the Confederates, entered the city just before daybreak and drove the enemy from, and quite a distance beyond, the city. My recollection is that the enemy found refuge behind a stone wall at the base of the heights back of the city. Be that as it may, at daylight six companies of the 62d Regiment were thrown in advance to uncover the enemy if behind the wall. I was with the color-guard at the time. We advanced in line of battle until we came within the enemy's works, which formed a circle at the foot of the hill, and uncovered the enemy. But we reached there through a murderous fire of small arms at point-blank range, opened upon our front and flanks, and it seemed like going to sure destruction. Our men were literally mowed down. Those of us who were not incapacitated sought the SALEM HEIGHTS. 25 cover of the city as soon as we could. The color-bearer was injured in the engagement, but my comrades and I brought him back with the colors. Upon our return to the city the remaining companies of the regiment were brought up, and the regiment re-formed. The colors were entrusted to me. About noon we were in line of battle for the charge which carried the stone wall and the heights beyond. I was among the first upon the wall with the colors, and kept them flying until we reached the top of the heights and the enemy were routed. " In the afternoon we pressed forward, after having re formed our columns, to Salem Church or Heights, about four miles to the rear of Marye's Heights, where, in a belt of woods, our advance became engaged with what we sup posed to be the rear guard of the enemy. We afterwards learned that it was a part of Lee's forces on their return from Chancellorsville. The 62d Regiment was in the sec ond line of battle supporting a battery, with its right rest ing on the road from Fredericksburg. Generals Newton and Wheaton were close by, mounted. Suddenly our boys came in hurried retreat from the woods, followed by the enemy in good form. I was at that time in front of the line waving the colors, when, on turning to the right, I observed a line of the enemy emerging from a belt of woods in that direction, and called the colonel's attention to it. While doing so I was wounded in the side. The colonel noticed that I was wounded and suggested my retirement to the rear. But the boys were coming across the wide open between the woods and our line, and I remained with colors open so that they might know they had something 26 " FIGHTING JOE'S " MEN. to rally about, and to show the enemy that we were not in a panic. I remained at my post until the boys had crossed the open and were within our lines, and the enemy had been brought to a halt by our fire. Then the colonel, C. B. Hamilton (God bless him ! a nobler man never breathed), commanded me to give up the colors and get to the hos pital. I transferred the colors — they were not dropped, but held up while being transferred — to a noble fellow, who afterwards fell under them ; and after the enemy's line was broken- and they had retired to the woods whence they came, late in the afternoon, I went to the field hospital. On the following day I crossed to the left bank of the river, and from a safe position, in the stone house which served as a hospital, I saw the battle. " I returned to my regiment as soon as my wound healed, and was with it in all engagements up to the fight before Washington in '64. I was made sergeant and a commission was offered me, but I declined the latter through lack of appreciation of its worth. I was breveted 2d and 1st Lieutenant and Captain in New York Volunteers." Headquarters 3D Brigade, 3D Division, 6th Corps, Camp near Falmouth, Va., May 27, 1863. Sir: In compliance with General Orders 53, Par. 1, Headquarters Army of the Potomac, I have the honor to forward a list of officers, non-commissioned officers and privates, whose gallantry and merit were conspicuous and worthy of especial notice during the recent battles at Fredericksburg and Salem Heights, May 3 and 4, 1S63. 62A New York Vols., commanded by Lieut.-Col. Chas. B. Hamilton. ********* Corporal Edward Browne, Co. " G," is recommended for a " medal " and " honorable mention " for good conduct at Fredericksburg and Salem Heights, , May 3 and 4, 1863. In the second battle, May 4, near Salem Heights, Cor- SERGEANT BROWNE'S CREDENTIALS. 27 poral Browne, who carried the colors of his regiment, was severely wounded, but continued at his post under fire until positively ordered to the rear by his regimental commander. Very resp'y your obt. svt., (signed) Frank Wheaton, Gen. S. Williams, Brig.-Genl. U. S. A. A. A. G. Army of the Potomac. A REGIMENTAL CERTIFICATE. This is to certify that Sergt. Edward Browne was a member of the 62d N. Y. Vols., and during all the time the regiment served he was a brave and efficient soldier. He was promoted from private to rank of color-sergeant for courage and meritorious conduct on many a field of battle, and was commended in general orders for personal bravery at " Salem Heights." He was offered a commission during the latter part of the campaign, but refused to accept it, preferring rather to remain among his comrades, the non-commissioned staff and privates with whom he had so gallantly won his promotion, than to enter the ranks of commissioned officers. I would gladly recommend him to any military position, knowing from expe rience and personal knowledge he will fill it both with honor to himself and ser vice to the cause. (signed) Sam. C. Stewart, Late Adjt. 62a? N. Y. S. Vols. Sergeant Browne has achieved an honorable position in civil life, and is now (1886) a Justice of the City Court of New York. 28 'FIGHTING JOE'S" MEN. II. FEELING FOR A " STONE WALL. After the famous Southern general, Stonewall Jackson, had with character istic energy and skill attacked the right flank of General Hooker's army and caused the troops of an entire corps to retreat in confusion, it became necessary to send out scouting parties in the dense wilderness at night, to find the enemy. One of these parties was sent out by direction of General Berry, from the 74th New York Infantry. Captain F. E. Tyler writes : " As the corps (3d) to which my regiment was attached did not arrive at Chancellorsville for some time after the main army, we were put in reserve a short distance back of the main line and , near the road from the U. S. Ford. About ->4 P.M. the nth Corps was broken by Stonewall Jackson and fell back in great confusion. General Hooker ordered up our division (Hooker's old division) to retake the line from which the nth was driven. As we marched out we found the roads and woods full of the fleeing nth Corps, and had to charge bayonets to clear a passage. We regained the original line of the nth Corps without much trouble, and immediately proceeded to cut down trees to fortify our position. I was then the senior captain of the regiment and acting major. During the day General Sickles, who SERGEANT LUTY. SEVENTY-FOURTH N. *. FELIX BRANNIGAN. 29 commanded our corps (the 3d), had two divisions of the corps, well out in front of our main lines, scouting, and at the time of the break of the nth had not to our knowl edge returned ; there were also other troops well advanced in front of our main lines, observing the movements of the enemy. So it seemed important to know just what was in our front, and also to find out what had become of the troops of Stonewall Jackson. Some time about midnight General Revere, who commanded our (Sickles') brigade, rode down our line, and stopping at my regiment, asked for the colonel. As he could not be readily found at that time he was referred to me, and stopping, asked me if I knew what troops of the enemy were in our front, or if there were any. I mentioned the fact that it was reported that the 1st and 3d divisions of our corps were in front; also the rumor that the Irish Brigade had been sent out in that direction. He then told me that it was of the utmost importance to know what was in front, and ordered me to pick out some trusty men and send them out to get the best information they could. I went to my old company (A), and called for FELIX BRANNIGAN, who had been with me all during the war, and whom I knew from long expe rience to be a cool, courageous, intelligent soldier. I told him what I wanted, gave him my ideas as to how to get out of the lines and what to do, and suggested the other men whom he should take along. They went in twos, each in a different direction, having to pass our own pick ets and presumably those of the enemy, make their way stealthily through the thickets and swamps and go until they found troops in front ; either ours or of the enemy. 30 " FIGHTING JOE'S" MEN. They had all returned by daylight, coming in at different times, the last man coming in being JOS. GlON, who was out so long I greatly feared his death or capture. They reported that they had gone a considerable distance when they came to 'an open,' which was occupied by a large body of troops ; by laying low and getting as near as possible to the troops, who were camped close to the woods, they found they were Stonewall Jackson's men, and that they intended to make a determined effort at daylight to break through where they broke the nth Corps the day before, and push on and secure possession of the roads leading to U. S. Ford, thereby hoping to effect a capture of a large portion of the Federal army. To prove the importance of this scout, shortly after daylight Jackson's troops, then led by Stuart (Jackson had fallen during the night), charged our works, where we held them for, say two hours, when we fell back and formed a new and shorter line just bacK of the Chancellorsville house. During this fight my colonel and lieutenant-colonel were both seriously wounded, and I was in command during the latter part of the battle. After we returned to our camp across the river, General Hooker ordered that each commanding officer report such men as were conspicuous for good conduct. Under these circumstances I made a detailed report to General Hooker's adjutant-general, and the men were awarded medals." GOTTLIEB LUTY, one of the men selected for this haz ardous service, and whose portrait, taken from a war-time photograph, heads this account, says : "On the afternoon in May, 1863, when the Eleventh Corps was driven back, General Hooker ordered the second GOTTLIEB LUTY. 31 division of the Third Corps to take their place. We ad vanced and took their old position, wliich we reached about dark. While lying there we heard firing in front, and Gen eral Berry, supposing that some of the nth Corps were still in advance yet, asked Colonel Lonesberry of the 74th N. Y. if he had one or two men who would volunteer to go out and see if any were there, and find out what position. the rebels were in. There were four of Company A, viz.: Felix Brannigan, Henry Bierman, Jos. Gion and myself, and Sergt.-Major JACOBSON, who volunteered to go. We divided into two squads, Brannigan and myself going together, the others going by themselves in a differ ent direction. We advanced outside the outposts, prob ably fifty yards, close to the plank-road. We heard horses coming down the plank-road. We concluded to drop and await developments. They came down to within fifteen yards of us. When the firing commenced it appeared to come from all sides at the same time. I could not tell from what quarter it started. We found out by the talk that it was a body of rebels that rode down, and I think probably it was Gen. Jackson and staff, as we heard them say the general was shot just after the firing ceased. As there was only one round fired, we had a good chance to hear all. After the rebels withdrew, we got up and concluded to go back to our lines, but lost our way and got among the rebels. They were terribly excited about General Jackson being shot. All was confusion. So we quietly withdrew, as it was not very healthy for us there. We reached our lines about 3 o'clock in the morn ing. We then heard that General Berry had followed up. 32 " FIGHTING JOE'S " MEN. out and was wounded, and before he died he requested that if any of the men that went out got back they be rewarded for their services. The others returned later in the morning. We then fell back over the Rappahannock to Falmouth." MAJOR WILLIAM B. HINCKS, FOURTEENTH CONN. INFANTRY. MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. A MIDSUMMER night's dream. At least all the ma terials were there. The moon bathing the corn and wheat with mellow light ; the faint sound of church bells wafted over the meadows from the neighboring town ; the low, sweet notes of the whip-poor-will and the ceaseless murmur of the brook ; and last, but necessary ingredient, a young girl. These pleasant sights and sounds centred in a lovely spot in the suburbs of the now historic town of Gettysburg, near the Emmittsburg road. Here upon a little crest stood, a few days before the great battle, a modest farm house, surrounded by out-buildings bearing the usual Penn sylvania proportion to the size of the mansion ; the great red barn, with its gothic windows framed in white, being the best sign of the owner's prosperity. With the excep- 3 33 34 AN AMERICAN GIRL. 35 tion of a few fine old trees which shaded the house, there was but little timber on the farm. In front of the house, on the brow of the hill, a huge rock jutted out toward the south ; its top was moss-covered, but level as a table, and guarded, sentinel-like, by two large willow trees ; between them swung idly a hammock, within which, half reclining, and with her face turned southward, was the maiden of the dream. THE DIETRICH FARM. Elinor Dietrich was a true American girl. Her father, a hard-fisted, prosperous " Pennsylvania Dutchman," had married, some twenty years before, the pretty daughter of a Lutheran clergyman, who had lived and labored and died in the somewhat barren vineyard of a country parish, where thistles grew more plentifully than grapes. In the only child the virtues of the parents seemed reproduced : the courage and self-reliance of the father, the patience, forti tude and physical beauty of the mother. At an early age she had been sent to a famous Philadelphia school, where girls were not only taught the accomplishments, but also 36 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. the domestic arts of life, and where the experienced princi pal, herself a mother, took some of her pupils into her heart as well as under her roof. Elinor was one of the favored few, and when she returned home — "finished " — it was a pure, true-hearted woman who was clasped to her mother's breast. From a child she had been fond of out door life, and before she went away to boarding-school could ride the wildest colt on the place, and bring down a partridge on the wing with her father's best double gun, whenever she could persuade him to let her share in the sport. But in all this there was no sign of the hoyden — no tom-boy manner. Although Elinor was only nineteen, she was not heart- whole. Three years before, she had met a young student from North Carolina. He was good-looking, clever, and after due inquiry was permitted to become a suitor. He had made a long visit at the Dietrich homestead, and all seemed smooth sailing, when the guns at Sumter, regard less of lovers' knots and lovers' sighs, called Frank Arden to what he termed " the defence of the Old North State." So the usual vows were exchanged and the youth departed for the Confederacy. More than two years had passed. If love laughs at locksmiths, he certainly has but scant respect for picket lines. At intervals a letter found its way from the far South where Frank (now an infantry captain) was fighting the invader. One day Elinor received a billet from Richmond, and the writer spoke of the rumor that General Lee would make " an excursion into Pennsylvania some of these days," and hoped that it might come to pass. And Lee had come, but Arden's regiment passed by on the BUFORD OPENS THE BALL. 37 other side of the county and it seemed a case of " hope deferred." As Elinor mused over these things, Carlo, her pet terrier, lifted up his shrill voice in a warning bark. Shuffling foot steps came across the lawn and a voice, strangely familiar, said : " Heh ! HI dog, wha' fo' you go back on yo' frens? " Elinor sprang to her feet. " Jim, is it you ? " "Yesm — yes, Mis Elinor; got somfin fum Mars Frank. Tole me to put it in yo own hans." And the dusty, travel-worn negro, diving into the pocket of his jacket, drew out a letter on once white paper. BUFORD OPENS THE BALL. The clock in the tower of the Seminary marked the hour of eight. The morning of a day famous in the annals of American history had arrived — the first day of the battle of Gettysburg. And yet, at the moment, there was but lit tle sign of war in the landscape, as it lay spread out, smiling and placid as far as one could see. Just in front of the town a few hundred horsemen were resting under tempo rary shelters of canvas or lounging under the trees, while their horses impatiently stamped at the flies or, motionless, drew in deep draughts of the clover-scented air. They be longed to Buford's division of the cavalry corps, Army of the Potomac ; of that army they were supposed to be the eyes and ears ; their duty to keep both wide open in the direction of the enemy; to report his plans and movements, to delay his advance and to hang upon his rear in retreat ; and, besides, to do a multitude of things not usually re- 38 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. quired of cavalry (in the books), but which are apt to fall to the lot of brave, zealous, and intelligent soldiers — horse or foot — who happen to be on the spot in an emergency. All this passed through the mind of the advanced vidette on the Cashtown road, about two miles west of Gettysburg. He was a bright young farmer from Illinois, and a dragoon of nearly three years' service ; it was long since he had seen so fer tile a vale as that spread out before him, and in fancy he saw the old home farm and wondered how the crops compared with those at his feet. But he kept his military eye " peeled," and his large ears open at the same time. His position on a knoll, in the edge of a grove, commanded a view of the road for several miles in the direction of Chambersburg. Private Kelly had good eyesight, and as he looked down the road for the hundredth time since go ing on post that morning, his eye rested longer than usual on an object about three miles away. A moment decided him as to its nature ; it was undoubt edly a horseman, but whether friend or foe it was impossi- THE CONFEDERATE ADVANCE. 39 ble to tell. Another glance revealed three — six — a platoon at least, moving slowly along at a walk. The man first seen kept in the middle of the road ; a hundred yards be hind him rode another cavalier; at a similar distance in rear came four or five men, riding together, with one in front who seemed to be in command. Private Kelly was much interested in the spectacle ; he braced up in his sad dle, drew his horse back into the shadow of the wood, and THE ADVANCE GUARD. took another look. The leading horseman had disappeared in a little gorge through which a small stream filtered un der a few boards crossing the road, and as the breeze came from that direction it bore the muffled sound of hoofs to the alert Union picket. And now a larger party of horse men, perhaps twenty, came within his vision and the flash ing of something in the sunlight suggested an armed party; on either side of the road and a little in advance of these could also be seen three or four mounted men moving across the fields in open order. Private Kelly could not tell whether these visitors were likely to be welcome or not, and very properly concluded to transfer the responsibility to other shoulders. In rear of the little clump of trees 40 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. there was an open spot, plainly visible to his " reserve," and not exposed to anyone coming from Cashtown. Kelly was there in a moment, riding his horse rapidly in a circle and putting his cap on the muzzle of his carbine as a signal that something was wrong. Instantly this was seen by the sentry in front of the picket-guard, and in another moment a corporal was galloping to the front. " What is it, Kelly?" The vidette silently pointed down the road. The horsemen were now only two miles off, but some distance in their rear was a column of footmen, well closed up, with a cloud of skirmishers in front, extending for a hundred yards on both sides of the road. " Johnnies ! and doughboys* at that, — it must be a divis ion at least," said the corporal. "Well, Kelly, you know what to do , stay out as long as you can, but don't let them gobble you. I'll report to the lieutenant;" and back the corporal sped with the news. " Honest John," as the commander f of the First Cavalry Division was affectionately called by his troopers, was sit ting on a camp-stool under an old elm tree, which did duty as headquarters, taking his after-breakfast smoke. The mod est brier-wood pipe was as much a part of his equipment as the blue hunting-shirt which General Buford invariably wore in the field. The general was not much of a talker, at least in mixed society, and in this respect resembled the Great Captain who sleeps so quietly at Riverside. Nothing escaped his keen eye, and none was more ready to recognize merit in others or slower to push his own claims for pro motion. * Cavalry slang tor the infantry. t Major-General John Buford THE FIRST DAY'S FIGHT. 41 A staff-officer rode up, dismounted, and saluting the gen eral reported that the pickets of Gamble's Brigade had just observed the enemy in some force, advancing on the Cash- town road. The Chief took one or two meditative puffs, and then removing his pipe said, " Give my compliments to Colonel Gamble, and tell him to move out with his com mand and meet the enemy ; we must keep him out of the GETTYSBURG. — FIRST DAY. town as long as possible. Tell the colonel to keep me posted as to the enemy's movements from time to time." In ten minutes Gamble's Brigade — the 8th New York, 8th Illinois, and part of the 3d Indiana and 12th Illinois regi ments of cavalry — about 1900 strong, with Tidball's Bat tery of the 2d U. S. Artillery under Lieutenant Calef, was moving into position. Three squadrons, part dismounted, MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN BUFORD. FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. 42 KEEPING RESERVED SEATS. 43 were sent to the front and deployed as skirmishers to sup port the squadron on picket, then falling back slowly. Two of Calef's three-inch rifled guns were placed on each side of the road, and two on the right of the left regiment of cav alry. The enemy cautiously approached in column on the road with three extended lines on each flank, and the artil lery and skirmishers became engaged. Soon the cavalry were forced back, giving ground very slowly considering that the little cavalry brigade was standing up against three divisions of infantry — veterans of the Army of Northern Virginia. For more than two hours this unequal contest was waged. Under the eye of one of the best cavalry fighters in the world, the Union troopers surpassed all previous efforts. In Buford's own words, " the brigade had to be literally dragged back " a few hundred yards to a position more secure and better sheltered ; at one time the enemy had a concentric fire upon the battery from twelve guns, all at short range. Calef held his own gloriously, worked his guns deliberately, with great judgment and skill, and with wonderful effect upon the enemy. Even when the advance of the First Corps came up, so thor oughly had the horsemen warmed to their work, by fighting on foot, that some of the 3d Indiana Cavalry found horse- holders, borrowed muskets and fought side by side with the Wisconsin regiment of infantry which came to relieve them. But the work of the cavalry in keeping " reserved seats " for the grand bull fight was not yet over. Heavy masses of the enemy were advancing upon Gettysburg from the north and west. General Buford stemmed the hostile torrent on the northern side with Devin's Brigade 44 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. until the arrival of the Eleventh Corps, when, perceiving that the portion of the First Corps then engaged was sorely pressed, he sent Gamble's Brigade to the left of General Doubleday's line. It arrived at a critical moment and rendered invaluable service. Dropping behind a low stone fence, Gamble's dismounted men delivered, at short range, a repeating-carbine fire that was perfectly terrific and caused the enemy to recoil, temporarily discomfited. And now General Hancock arrived on the field and assumed command, and as the great army corps came up they were assigned to positions. Both armies — Lee with more than 70,000 and Meade with more than 80,000 soldiers, the flower of American manhood — now prepared for a terrible struggle. The character of the battle of Gettysburg, the magnificent display of courage and en durance on both sides, and the nearly equal conditions as to leaders and numbers engaged, shows that the result de pended largely on position. The result was therefore prac tically decided in favor of the Union army when John Bu ford selected and held on to the ground where the battle was fought. Well could he modestly report that " a heavy task was before us ; -we were equal to it and shall all re member with pride that at Gettysburg we did our country much service." JOHN BURNS' FIGHT. In the lull of the fighting came a strange figure upon the battlefield. A farmer-like person with homespun clothes of an ancient cut, well patched and darned, carrying in his hand an old Kentucky rifle with an immensely long barrel, JOHN BURNS. 45 and weighing almost as much as a light field-gun. Ap proaching the commanding officer of a Pennsylvania brig ade, he asked permission to go on the skirmish line. After vain attempts to dissuade the old man, he was finally allowed to join the soldiers in the front, where he remained JOHN BURNS. during the entire battle, picking off the Confederates from time to time as he saw a chance, utterly unmindful of the bullets which buzzed about his ears. This man was John Burns, a resident of Gettysburg. Bret Harte tells the story in verse, from which an extract may be proper : " Have you heard the story the gossips tell Of John Burns, of Gettysburg ? No ? Ah, well, Brief is the glory that hero earns, Briefer the story of poor John Burns ; He was the fellow who won renown — 46 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. The only man who didn't back down When the rebels rode through his native town ; But held his own in the fight next day, When all his townsfolk ran away. That was in July, sixty-three — The very day that General Lee, The flower of Southern chivalry, Baffled and beaten, backward reeled From a stubborn Meade and a barren field. How do you think the man was dressed ? He wore an ancient, long, buff vest — Yellow as saffron, but his best ; And buttoned over his manly breast Was a bright blue coat with a rolling collar And large gilt buttons — size of a dollar — With tails that country-folk call " swaller." He wore a broad-brimmed bell-crowned hat, White as the locks on which it sat. Close at his elbows, all that day, Veterans of the Peninsula, Sunburnt and bearded, charged away, And striplings, downy of lip and chin — Clerks that the Home Guard mustered in — Glanced, as they passed, at the hat he wore, Then at the rifle his right hand bore, And hailed him, from out their youthful lore, With scraps of a slangy repertoire : " How are you, White Hat ? " " Put her through ! ' " Your head's level ! " and " Bully for you ! '' Called him " Daddy," and begged he'd disclose The name of the tailor who made his clothes, And what was the value he set on those ; While Burns, unmindful of jeer and scoff, Stood there picking the rebels off — With his long brown rifle 'and bell-crown hat And the swallow-tails they were laughing at. '•FLEEING FROM THE WRATH." 47 'Twas but a moment : for that respect Which clothes all courage their voices checked ; And something the wildest could understand Spake in the old man's strong right hand, And his corded throat, and the lurking frown Of his eyebrows under his old bell-crown ; Until, as they gazed, there crept an awe Through the ranks, in whispers, and some men saw, In the antique vestments and long white hair, The Past of the Nation in battle there." "FLEEING FROM THE WRATH." On the morning of Bu ford's cavalry affair, Elinor was sitting with her moth er underthe willows. The old lady was knitting away upon a woollen sock of liberal dimensions, a pros pective addition to the wardrobe of the ancient Dietrich. Elinor occupied a substantial old-fashioned arm-chair, and pensively toyed with Carlo's ears. || With a slight sigh Mrs. Dietrich said : " Dear me, when will this terrible fighting be over? So far we have escaped, but no one can tell when the soldiers may come here. By the way, Elinor, have you any news from the South?" 48 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. This was Mother Dietrich's way of asking : " Have you heard from Frank ? " And her daughter therefore replied : "Yes, mother. He writes that he is on the march from Carlisle, and hopes he may have an opportunity of seeing us on their way back to Virginia. But of course he can't tell — they may not come within many miles." "Well, my child, we must be patient and hope for the best." A heavy report, as of thunder, broke the stillness ; it was followed by a distant explosion. Both of the ladies rose, and hurried to the northern side of the house, from which they had a partial view of the artillery duel in, front of the Seminary. Farmer Dietrich appeared. He was a large, heavy per son, a " Peace-at-any-price " man, who took no interest in the issues at stake except as they directly concerned him self. He had tried to steer a middle course, with the re sult that he was looked upon with suspicion by both sec tions of the people. He now seemed somewhat excited. " Mother, you and Nell will have to go over to Henry's until this thing blows over; they tell me there's likely to be a big battle right around here, and the womenfolks had better get ready at once. The wagon will be around in a quarter of an hour." Being women of action, no time was wasted in specula tion or lamentation. Within the specified time, trunks were packed, many valuable things were thrown hastily into large baskets and made ready for removal ; for it was impossible to conjecture the fate of the house in the event of a battle. Much fine old furniture, too heavy to move, THE DIETRICH CAVALCADE. ^g was left behind, including an old Dutch clock, which had ticked away, without stop or falter, for nearly a hundred years. The six-seated Germantown wagon, drawn by two fat horses, was quickly filled by the family and the " women folks " — excepting Aunt Chloe, the cook, who, perched upon the top of her own precious trunk in one of the light farm wagons, with a band-box of generous dimensions in one hand and a huge red bandanna bundle in the other, presented, to all whom it might concern, an example of monumental dignity hard to equal and impossible to sur pass. The Dietrich cavalcade moved down the Emmittsburg road with a view of getting within the Federal lines if possi ble. First, the proprietor on one of his best horses, a colt with which he hoped to take a prize at the next county fair ; then came the Germantown with its fair freight — Elinor, pale but composed, and occupied with comforting her mother. By the side of the carriage ran Carlo, who looked on the whole thing as a picnic ; then four wagons of various sizes, laden with an assortment of ploughs, pro visions, pots and pans, and the odds and ends of farm equip ment ; and, last of all, a small herd of cattle. As they reached the summit of a long hill Elinor turned to look at the deserted homestead. The familiar spot never looked so beautiful ; the house in which she was born, the great barn, the scene of so many frolics, the willows weeping in silence — all stood out sharply against the smoke of the bat tle, now waxing hot in the background. The refugees had almost reached a turning to the east- 4 $0 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. ward which would give them a good road to Taneytown and safety, and Elinor's father was beginning to breathe more freely, when just ahead he saw a mounted man with a carbine resting on his knee. Making a sign to his coach man to stop, Dietrich rode forward. " Halt ! " said the soldier. " Whar you uns goin ? " " I am taking my family to a safe place until the fighting is over," was the reply. " Wal, reck'n '1 hev to turn yo all over to the Looten't, so keep right along o' me ; " and the procession moved. " Likely critter that," said their captor. The farmer's heart sank within him. To use his own words, he " had jumped from the fryin'-pan into the fire." Soon they came upon the commander of the picket-guard. This officer was very civil, but sent them a mile further to the headquarters of the scouting party to which he be longed. Here Captain Jones of the Confederate cavalry kindly exchanged some of his own spare-ribbed steeds for the farmer's plump animals ; relieved the wagons of a few sacks of oats and flitches of bacon for immediate consump tion ; turned over the cattle and wagons to the quarter master of the expedition ; permitted the family to retain the Germantown wagon, now drawn by two exhausted cav alry horses with " U. S." branded on their shoulders ; re quested Mr. Dietrich not to move further for one hour; left • .a corporal and one man to see that he should not forget, and after apologies to the ladies for any inconvenience which they might suffer from this change in their plans, touched his cap and departed. The Army of the Potomac was posted with its centre THE THIRD DAY'S BATTLE. 5 T upon a high crest on the southern edge of Gettysburg, called Cemetery Hill ; from this spot the right of the line extended toward the east, and lay on the north of the Bal timore pike ; from the Cemetery Hill the line occupied the crest of a ridge which, broken by clumps of trees, extended southward for nearly two miles to a high and rocky peak called " Round Top," forming the extreme left of General Meade's position. The Army of Northern Virginia occupied a ridge nearly parallel to the Union line, but not so high and with more timber on its crest. These two lines of battle were sepa rated by low broken ground, at a distance of from half a mile to a mile. The farm buildings stood between the lines and a little south of the Union centre. The buildings were first occu pied by the rebel sharpshooters, who began to annoy the Yankee skirmish line. Finally a rush was made by a New Jersey regiment, which drove out the occupants and cap tured eighty of their number. This was a brief triumph ; a fresh body of Southrons attacked the building, and again planted the " Stars and Bars " over the farm-house. Thrice was this combat repeated until night, when both sides took a rest. THE THIRD DAY AT GETTYSBURG. At dawn on the third day of the conflict a noisy fire from Lee's artillery began. The battle of the previous day had been most furious at Cemetery Hill and at the Round Tops. Twice it seemed as if the Confederate army would overwhelm the troops defending those points. General 52 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. Lee now determined to make his final effort to dislodge his enemy by a direct assault upon the centre of his position. The — th North Carolina Infantry (or " The Pine Knots," as they had been christened, on account of certain tough qualities) were aroused at an early hour on July 3, 1863. While it was yet dark the colonel had sent for Captain Arden of his regiment. A tall, muscular young man, bronzed to an old-oak color, with strong features, dark eyes and hair worn in cavalier fashion, appeared and saluted. '* Arden, the regiment is ordered to re-occupy those build ings in our front as quietly as possible, so as to be in posi tion by daylight. I want you to take your company and occupy the farm-house. Jackson's company will go forward to the barn. The rest of the regiment will support you. It may be that we shall find the Yankees there before us ; in that case we must try to bag them if possible." " Very good, Colonel ; is that all ? " "Yes ; take care of yourself." Captain Arden had been a witness to the warfare at the Dietrich homestead on the previous day. He felt certain that Elinor had gone away, but where ? and how ? Had she reached a place of safety, or was she exposed to the horrors and dangers of the campaign ? At the appointed time the " Pine Knots " crept forward, Arden's company leading. To avoid injuring each other, a special countersign was agreed upon. The precautions proved unnecessary ; the buildings were unoccupied and the regiment established itself unmolested. The force at the house was under Captain Arden's com mand, and as soon as he had made everything secure out- A RUINED HOMESTEAD. 53 side, he entered the familiar doorway. What a ruin ! Shattered windows, bullet-holed walls, blood-stained floors ; the old clock battered and silent ; it was impossible to con ceive of the destruction that one day could encompass. Arden found the heavy oaken door leading into the cellar closed, and fastened on the inside. Calling some men to his aid, it was soon broken open. As the eyes of the party became accustomed to the light, they saw in one corner a curious heap of boxes and barrels ; peering behind this, one of the men exclaimed : " Cap'n, thar's a nigger hidin' in that corner — come out'n that." " Ise comin', seh," said a smothered sort of voice, as amid laughter and a cloud of dust from the flour bin in which he had been lying, Jim appeared. " Why, Jim, what are you doing here?" said Captain Arden. The negro chuckled. " Tell de truf, Mars Frank, couldn't git away. When de family done gone I tink go'n git some sleep — hant had none two'r tree day. When I wuk up dey wus at it. Hamr end tongs ! how dey did bang an' fight an' groan, en it seem t'me dat I bes lay low entil dey was less 'citement." " What did you have to eat ?" asked some one. " Dey was right sm'at meat an pie lef, but powerful dry fo' watah — only vinegar an' sich," said the boy. Taking him aside, Arden soon had the news of the flitting as well as a short note from Elinor, penned as she was leaving, and entrusted to the boy. Jim was a free negro who had be come attached to Arden long before, when on a visit to the 54 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. farm, and had gone South with the young soldier as a body servant. On the Union side, and occupying an advanced position in front of the right of the Second Corps, were two regi ments of infantry : the 14th Connecticut and the 8th Ohio. About 10 o'clock the fire from Arden's sharpshooters be came so annoying that the Connecticut regiment was or- CONFEDERATE SHARPSHOOTER. dered to drive them away and hold the buildings. Captain Moore, with four companies, moved forward against the barn. Instantly the " Pine Knots " behind the stone wall poured a volley into them, and two officers and several men were seen to drop. But, with a cheer, the Connecticut " boys " rushed on and over the wall, and at the same time a canister shot ploughed its way into the barn and exploded, wounding several of the Confederates. Major Ellis of the Fourteenth, with the greater part of his regiment, now at tacked the house. Here there was a stout resistance. The assaulting party were met with a sharp fire from the posi- PICKETT'S GRAND CHARGE. 55 tion defended by Arden's men. But the New Englanders, having come so far on their errand, did not propose to re tire, and availed themselves of the cover of the barn. In the mean while they noted the tall form of a young rebel officer moving unconcernedly to and fro behind his men, encouraging them and occasionally correcting the aim of a nervous marksman. Several shots were taken at him by the Union sharpshooters without effect. And now the Connecticut men rushed forward on both sides of the be leaguered domicile. Even veterans cannot stand before a flank attack, and so the " Pine Knots " fell back sullenly. All this took place during a pause in the general opera tions. It was a sort of tournament. Orders came to burn the buildings, and so Major Ellis applied the torch to everything that would burn, and' in an hour the Dietrich homestead was a smoking ruin.* PICKETT'S GRAND CHARGE. About two o'clock in the afternoon a heavy cannonade was opened from one hundred and fifteen pieces of Lee's artillery upon the Union front and centre ; like the blows of a great steam-hammer, shot and shell fell for nearly three hours. At half past four o'clock, the firing ceased as suddenly as it commenced. Across the plain came with measured tread, elbow to elbow, three long lines, fifteen thousand strong, the flower of the Southern army, com manded by a gallant Virginian — General Pickett. Their purpose was evident ; they were about to assault and risk * The site of this exploit was purchased by the Fourteenth Connecticut Veterans after the war, and a Memorial Stone marks the spot. 56 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. everything on the cast of a die. General Hunt had massed fresh batteries in the rear of the Second Corps, and soon they were pouring destruction into the enemy, each moment coming nearer. But on they came, until those on the cem etery crest could almost see, as in olden times, " the whites of their eyes." With flags unfurled and floating proudly, the undaunted assailants pressed forward. Round shot ploughed furrows, shell and canister tore great gaps in their lines, but the furrows disappeared and the gaps were in stantly filled from the rear. Stannard's Vermont brigade was in position so that it commanded the right flank of the approaching division, and it fired two or three volleys, with the effect only of causing the enemy to crowd a little more to the left. It seemed as if this huge wave must reach and sweep over the Union army, when nothing might stay Lee's triumphant march to Philadelphia. But the com mander at the threatened point was equal to this emer gency. As the Confederates were within two hundred yards, six thousand men of the Army of the Potomac rose from behind the low stone walls, and full in the faces of the advancing host burst forth a sheet of flame. Volley after volley roared and rattled and blazed into what had been such a brilliant array of banners and bayonets. Nothing living could withstand the effect. As with a scythe the gray-brown rows were literally mown down in this great harvest of Death ! With this relentless musketry in front and their own artillery a mile in their rear, now playing on friend and foe alike, there seemed nothing for them to do but to drop down and be gathered in by the Union troops. On the left, of Pickett's line hundreds threw themselves flat, THE HIGH-WATER MARK. 57 waving in token of surrender hats, handkerchiefs or naked hands. Others would not yet yield, but while availing themselves of any cover that offered, planted their colors in the earth and crouched behind and under them at bay.* In spite of this hot reception the main part of the as saulting force, led by General Armistead, dashed through the withering fire and reached the Union centre. The blue flag of Virginia waved for a few moments over the Union WHERE PICKETT S CHARGE ENDED. lines, and it was said by more than one cool spectator at other parts of General Meade's line, " Our centre is pierced." The Confederate general laid his hand upon a captured Union gun and shouted, " Give them the cold steel, boys ! " In a moment he fell, mortally wounded. * The fences along- the Emmittsburg road were riddled. One inch-and-a-quarter board was indeed a curiosity. It was sixteen feet long, fourteen inches broad, and was perfo rated with eight hundred and thirty-six musket balls. This board is said to be in the possession of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. This board was on that part of the fence where Scales' brave little brigade crossed it. 58 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. The Union general, Webb, by his personal example greatly helped to turn the tide of battle. For a moment there was great confusion. Regiments had lost their for mation, although the men had not lost heart, but were fight ing " on their own hook." A regiment from Minnesota, one from New York, another from Michigan and a fourth from Massachusetts threw themselves into the breach with Webb's Pennsylvanians, and the enemy was pressed back, broken and decimated, but defiant still. At this moment, Lieutenant Cushing, of the regular artillery, who had been mortally wounded through both thighs, his battery a ruin, his men and horses lying dead or wounded at his feet, ran his only serviceable piece up to the fence and said : " Webb, I'll give them one more shot." As the report of the gun followed, Cushing called out " Good-bye! " and fell dead. SERGEANT-MAJOR HINCKS' EXPLOIT. During the grand assault, the Fourteenth Connecticut Regiment was in position opposite the left of the enemy's advancing lines ; this regiment was armed with Sharps' breech-loading rifles and their fire was very severe. Sergeant Wade of this regiment says : " By this time the Fourteenth were all excited ; they re membered Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville, and over the wall they went ; nothing could stop them, and soon they were fighting hand-to-hand with the rebels. We captured six battle-flags and forty prisoners ; and over one hundred prisoners came in afterwards Oh, it was a glorious day for the old Fourteenth ! One of the lieuten ant-colonels taken by our regiment, coming up to our thin SERGEANT-MAJOR HINCKS' EXPLOIT. tg line, asked us where all our troops were, and being told that he could see all there were, exclaimed, ' Oh ! that I had known it a half hour since.' Some of the prisoners told us that their generals told them that they were fighting noth ing but the Pennsylvania militia, but when they saw that ace of clubs, the trefoil badge of the Second Corps, theyj all exclaimed, ' We have been fighting the Army of the Potomac' " After the first fire from the Union side had taken ' effect, Sergeant-Major William B. Hincks, of the Four teenth, saw, planted in the ground, some distance in front, a rebel flag. Around and on a line with it were a number of unwounded men who had thrown themselves down to avoid the heavy fire. He determined to capture the flag. Leap ing over the wall, with nothing but his short sword in his hand, he ran straight for it. At the same time two or three others of his regiment had started for the same goal. One of these, an officer, was brought down by a bullet ere he had run ten yards. Hincks outstripped the others, reached the spot, and with a yell seized the colors by the staff, and waving his sword over his head was on his way back before those around could divine his purpose. Instantly a shower of bullets came all about him ; he was also exposed to a scattering fire from our troops. It was " running the gant let " indeed. Hincks, in his dash across the neutral ground, seemed to bear a charmed life. As he neared his own lines he saw the men standing up, regardless of the leaden mes sengers behind, and as he mounted the wall, trophy in hand, the regiment, to a man, wildly cheered the gallant fellow. It proved to be the colors of the " Fourteenth Tennessee." 6q MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. On the flag were inscribed the names of the following bat tles in which it had been borne: " Seven Pines," " Mechan icsville," "Cold Harbor," " Shepardstown," "Fredericks burg," " Chancellorsville," " Ox Hill," " Harper's Ferry," "Sharpsburg," "Frazier's Farm," "Cedar Run," "Manas sas." Major Hincks writes : * " We were behind a low stone wall, such as may be seen on any New England farm. Par allel to this wall, and perhaps 150 yards away, was a lane (Emmittsburg road ?), on either side of which were the ruins of a wooden fence. My recollection is that our people began to fire as the front line of the enemy crossed this fence. This broke their front line ; their advance was checked and they began to fire. Then their color-bearer ran forward, planted his flag in the ground, and with several others — I presume the color-guard — laid down beside it, our fire being very hot. At that time I was firing two Sharps' rifles which Lieut. Hawley was loading for me ; they be longed to men wounded early in the day. . . . The regi ment on our right fired buck-and-ball cartridges, and I think that I was in as much danger from them when I ran to get the flag as from the enemy. . . . One gun (cannon) which had been pushed out a few rods in front of our stone wall remained there during the charge, having been disabled. A daring Southerner jumped upon this gun and waved his hat ; but did not live to tell the story. In going after the flag I ran past this gun, leaving it upon my left hand." f On the right of the Fourteenth, but further to the front, * August 1, 1886. t See full-page drawing facing opening of this chapter. SERGE ANI' MILLER'S TROPHIES. fa another small regiment, the Eighth Ohio Infantry, had been posted since the day before, as part of the picket-line. SERGEANT MILLER'S TROPHIES. When the wave of Pickett's charge rolled up to the crest of the Cemetery Ridge it passed to the left of the Ohioans. Having spent its force, part of it receded and, breaker-like, scattered its foam along the battle beach. For a moment it seemed as if the gallant Eighth would be washed away. But it stood like a rock ; and the ebbing tide divided as it met this new obstruction. The enemy was not panic- stricken ; there was plenty of fight in him yet. Hand-to- hand encounters took place. Prisoners and colors were taken, and there were many acts of gallantry. Sergeant Daniel Miller, of " Company G, 8th O. V. I.," was a terror in this combat. He had already sent several prison ers to the rear when he saw, a short distance away, some thing tempting; it was a rebel flag in the centre of three or four " Pine Knots." At that moment a shell exploded just over their heads. A piece struck the color-bearer and brought him to his knees. The colors were not suffered to touch the ground. A young officer sprang forward and grasped the staff. This man was already wounded ; covered with dust, the blood trickling from a gash on his forehead, without a hat, his eyes blazing, holding his torn but pre cious standard aloft in one hand while he guarded it with his bare rapier in the other, he seemed the living imperson ation of valor. But he was almost alone, his revolver empty and his line of retreat nearly cut off. He backed slowly toward a gap in the fence near which he stood ; once 62 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. on the other side of it he might reach his own lines in safety. But the foeman was upon him. The Ohio soldier confronted the brave Confederate and bade him surrender. Nine out of ten men would have done so. But no; holding the flag behind him the rebel officer parried with great dex terity the thrusts made by the sergeant, who was loath to shoot this gallant youth. But there was no time to lose ; ..^;.% ¦«l. ••¦Sail RELIEVING THE WOUNDED. if he wanted the flag he must act promptly. " Surrender ! or I'll shoot," hoarsely cried Miller. In response the slen der sword-blade seemed to wrap itself round the barrel of his rifle and the point pierced his wrist. A sharp report rang in the ears of the Southern soldier ; he dropped his weapon and fell backward upon the banner of his regiment, pale and motionless. His opponent in vain tried to loosen the death-grip which held the color-staff, so tearing the silken trophy from the lance, he thrust it into his bosom. Honors now were easier. There were but few in sight of that grand division of Virginians and Georgians which AFTER THE BA TTLE. 63 swept so proudly on to the Union position less than half an hour before. Here and there might be seen a little group slowly nearing the rebel lines with wounded com rades. Once more did Sergeant Miller add to the glorious " loot." Creeping along a stone wall he saw a " butter nut " figure. It proved to be another color-bearer. One by one his color-guard had been killed or wounded, and he was making to the rear. It required but slight exercise of Miller's persuasive powers to induce the man with his charge to turn about as a prisoner of war. And now the forces of Nature took their turn. A great thunder-storm gathered and broke over the battlefield. The artillery of the heavens in mighty peals seemed to mock the late cannonade. The lightning blinded man and beast ; and the rain, falling in great sheets, promised to wash out the blood-stains from the face of mother earth. And this last was a great blessing to the thousands of wounded and dying who, burning with thirst and faint for want of food and drink, were instantly refreshed. AFTER THE BATTLE. The day following was the anniversary of our national independence. How it was spent on the battlefield is told by Sergeant Wade of the Fourteenth Connecticut, in an interesting letter: " Saturday, July 4, we were called up at three o'clock, and ordered to fix up our little stone wall put in front of us, as the rebels would no doubt try us again early in the day. But they did not come and we lay here aU day, resting from our arduous labors of the few days pre vious. We could hear the groans of the wounded rebels 64 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. ahead of our picket-lines, but every attempt at taking them off to a hospital would prove unavailing, as the enemy's pickets would fire at us if we attempted it "This was the first Fourth of July we had been in the Ser vice, and we talked over our prospects for the future, and reviewed the past ; especially that portion since we had left Falmouth. We had been on the march twenty-one days, had travelled over 200 miles, and suffered exceedingly from the heat and had pretty hard living. We had scarcely any thing to eat from July 1 to the night of the 3d, when we crawled out on the battlefield after dark, where the ene my's wounded lay, and took the haversacks from those who had been killed in the fight that day ; these haversacks were nearly all full of nice hoe-cakes. Some that we found were stained with blood where it had run into their haver sacks from their wounds. But we were so hungry that we didn't stop for that. This may seem a tough story, but it is true."The Dietrich family, shorn of much of this world's goods by the Confederate foraging party, finally reached their kinsman's roof. Here, during the battle, they eagerly lis tened to the booming and the crash of the conflict as it came to them on the fitful wind. But Elinor was not idle ; together with others of the household she scraped lint and made rolls of bandages, and felt that although men might fight and maim, yet it was woman's sweet privilege to bind up the wounds, to be the ministering angel, and to spread the soft mantle of Christian charity over Rebel and Yankee alike. Naturally her thoughts turned to the young soldier WOUNDED UNTO DEATH. 65 so far from home and kindred ; she did not sympathize with his cause, but he was her hero and in danger. Coming up the lane, at this moment, appeared a negro boy, dressed in a Union soldier's blue trousers and cap, and a shirt of no particular allegiance or color. As he came nearer, Elinor's heart beat fast. It was Jim. Were his news good or bad? She ran forward. Jim took off his cap when he saw her, and in answer to her questioning eyes, said : " Sorry, Mis Elinor, t' bring you sich news. He's been wounded despert bad, an de doctah say he doan kno ef he kin live fru de night." WOUNDED UNTO DEATH. Seated under a tree, out of sight of the house, and forti fied by the simple refreshment of pie and milk, Jim told his story. In brief, he had been left in camp by Captain Arden on the morning of the third day. When the rem nant of the " Pine Knots " came back that night his master was not with them ; he had been last seen in front, when the Confederate line fell back. Late at night, Jim and one of Arden's men had crept out to the point indicated be tween the pickets, and after an hour's search had found the missing officer lying unconscious, but alive, and still grasping the color-staff, from which the flag had evidently been torn. Having found him, the difficulty was to get him within his own lines. Jim had brought with him a small flask of Pennsylvania " apple-jack," with which he managed to partially revive the captain. Then, aided by his companion, he made a sort of litter with a blanket and rubber poncho, stripped from a dead Union soldier, and 5 66 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. thus they half carried, half dragged their almost uncon scious burden to the Confederate picket-line — not without danger of occasional shots from the vigilant watchers of both armies. From this point Arden was carried to a small hut occupied by an old colored woman. Upon examina tion, the surgeon reported that Captain Arden had received a slight scalp wound, apparently from a bayonet ; but the most serious thing was a gunshot wound through the body, near the left lung, the ball having evidently passed out through the back, under the shoulder-blade. That it was impossible to say, then, what were the chances of recovery, but that, so far, the absence of fever and a fine physique were in the patient's favor. In any case, it would be a matter of nursing rather than of medicine. As the boy finished, Elinor had made up her mind. She must go to Frank. Who could nurse him so well as she ? Jim reported that the Confederates had fallen back from the place where Arden was lying, and that he had passed a number of farmers returning to their homesteads. So Elinor took her father into her confidence, and he, seeing her resolution, yielded. Her mother was not to be taken into the secret until a day later, when it would be possible for her to join Elinor by comfortable conveyance. Under pretence of taking a ride in the direction of the Dietrich farm, Elinor and her father, followed by Jim on one of the despised " U. S." cavalry horses, set out early the next morning. Aunt Sheba's abode was a rude cabin of boards with two rooms ; one was kitchen, reception, dining and sewing room, and the other answered the purpose of a bedroom ; REWARDING THE VICTORS. 67 at present doing duty as guest chamber. The place was "neat as wax " and not without a picturesque air, with nas turtium vines running up its weather-beaten sides and almost shutting out the light which struggled to enter at the port-hole-like windows. Within, on the bed, lay Arden, pale, helpless and breath ing with difficulty, his eyes fastened upon Elinor, who stood by his side, holding his hand. On the other side of the bed was the doctor, an old practitioner in the neighbor hood. At the foot of the bed stood one in half clerical, half military garb, with a book in his hand. In the back ground sat Farmer Dietrich. Although fever had not set in yet, the wounded man was very weak, and it was thought his case was hopeless. By mutual consent it was determined to join these loving hearts while the spark of life still lingered. It seemed to gratify Arden that at least Elinor would bear his name. The ceremony was brief but impressive. After it was over, the sick man closed his eyes, and all but the doctor and the young wife left the room. REWARDING THE VICTORS. On a crisp, beautiful morning in December, 1864, there was a grand parade, of all the troops available, near the headquarters of the Second Corps. After a review by Gen eral Meade, the command " Order arms ! " was given. The adjutant-general of the corps soon appeared at the head of a small party of officers and men, wearing side-arms only. There were three commissioned officers, two non-commis sioned staff-officers, and several sergeants, corporals and 68 MARS AND CUPID AT GETTYSBURG. privates. They advanced to the front and centre of the line, and after the adjutant-general had read the orders in the case, the Victor of Gettysburg, followed by a brilliant retinue, including several corps commanders, visiting offi cers of foreign armies and others, approached near the little group and presented to each man, with a graceful word or two of congratulation, the Medal of Honor won during the campaign. When Lieutenant Hincks' name was called, a tall, slender, boyish figure in the full dress of an adjutant of infantry, advanced and received his medal. As General Meade handed Hincks the prize, he said, looking at the lieutenant's shoulder-strap, "I am glad to see, sir, that you have received something more substantial than a medal."* Through some inexcusable blunder the gallant Sergeant Miller, of G Company, 8th Ohio Volunteers, never received the medal for which he was recommended by his regimental commander, but it was sent from the War Department to another man of similar surname, in the same company. The poor fellow died some years since, and never ceased to feel that " Republics are ungrateful." f We have already taken up too much space with the incidents of the great battle, and must stop short now. But not before it can be truly said that what seemed to be a * William B. Hincks of Connecticut, aged 22, enlisted as a private in the 14th C. V. I., July, 1862. Promoted through all grades to 2d lieutenant and adjutant, Oct. 20, 1863, major, April 3, 1865. Served with regiment in Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, dur ing entire period, and in following engagements : Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancel lorsville, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Peters burg, Hatcher's Run, Appomattox. Received honorary degree of A.M. from Yale College, July, 1878. t " The 8th pressed forward, capturing a large number of prisoners and three stands of colors ; one marked 34th North Carolina and one 38th Virginia were captured by Ser geant Daniel Miller 'G' Co."— Lt.-Col. F. Sawyer, ith O. V. I. Official Report, Battle of Gettysburg. PEACE AND PROSPERITY. 69 death-bed marriage had a happy ending. A strong constitu tion and the tender care of his wife enabled Captain Arden to pull through. But his recovery was very slow, and re quired a trip to Europe to complete the cure which Elinor's nursing had commenced. Indeed, the young Carolinian had hardly stepped upon his native heath when the news of Appomattox put an end to his military ambition. I saw them driving in the Park the other day. From the size of the family party and the appearance of the equipage it was evident that our Gettysburg friends are both happy and prosperous. In the dignified coachman, I with diffi culty recognized Jim. W%'.X\) 7o CORPORAL JOHN H. WEEKS. I52D N. Y. VOL. INFANTRY. THE SALIENT AT SPOTTSYLVANIA. THE Army of the Potomac, leaving its winter quarters at Brandy Station and Culpeper, with its shelter-tents folded on the top of the knapsacks, and its cartridge-boxes and haversacks well filled, had crossed the Rapidan River, for the last time, " on to Richmond." For six days it had fought and marched through the Wilderness, and on May 11, 1864, had reached the neighbor hood of Spottsylvania Court House, where General Lee, with the Army of Northern Virginia, barred the way. Never before had gigantic armies striven for the mas tery in such dense forests, where in a single week forty thousand men had fallen, killed or wounded. The country from the Rapidan River to Spottsylvania Court House was an immense wood, with here and there a clearing or field that had in former years been cultivated for the raising of corn and tobacco. The male portion of 7i 72 THE SALIENT A T SPOTTSYL VANIA. the population had nearly all gone further south, leaving the women and a few negroes at home. There was a projection in General Lee's line a short dis tance north of the Court House, which military men call " The Salient." General Grant determined that an assault should be made at that point. He issued orders at 3 P.M. to " move three divisions of the Second Corps by the rear of the Fifth and Sixth Corps, under cover of the night, so as to join the Ninth Corps in a vigorous assault on the enemy at four o'clock A.M., to-morrow." He sent two staff officers to impress upon the commanders concerned the necessity of pushing forward vigorously. How these orders were carried out is related in the fol lowing pages by two soldiers of Hancock's Corps — one from a Pennsylvania and one from a New York regiment. These men received two out of the fifteen Medals of Honor awarded by the Government to Grant's army for distin guished service at Spottsylvania. Their statements were contributed upon the invitation of the Editor. I. CORPORAL WEEKS' STORY* " On the night of the ilth of May, 1864, we were relieved by the 5th Corps at Laurel Ridge (or Stony Ridge, I have forgotten which) after dark, and moved out of the works, with instructions to move as silently as possible ; not to allow our cups or bayonets to rattle or make any unneces sary noise. We marched all night through a cold rain, * John H. Weeks was born at Hampton, Windom County, Connecticut, March 15, 1845. Enlisted as private, " H " iszd N. Y. Volunteers, August 28, 1862. Served in Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, until discharged as corporal, for wounds, May 25, 1865. CORPORAL WEEKS' STORY. 73 until just before the break of day, on the morning of the 1 2th, we were halted in line of battle, with orders to ' in place rest.' The report had been in circulation during the night that we were going to relieve the 6th Corps in the Reserve, that we might get a chance to rest, as we had been under fire constantly for six days ; and when we halted we could see the light of camp fires shining along the sky in our front, where we supposed were the 6th Corps. No sooner were we ordered to rest, than I threw myself down in the mud and fell asleep. In a few min utes I was awakened by the tramp of a horse coming on a lope. I raised up and saw an aide ride to General Hancock (who happened to be near our right) and give the verbal order to the general, as near as I can remember, as fol lows : — ' Gen. Meade's compliments, and directs that you move your corps forward and occupy those works.' " We were called to attention and ordered ' Forward, guide centre, march!' Little did I think then what it would cost to obey that order, as I still thought it was the 6th Corps in our front.* " We were in the second line of battle, following close behind the first, till soon the Reb skirmishers commenced firing. Then for the first I began to realize that we had work before us. It was now getting quite light, but the fog prevented us from seeing far in our advance. We soon * General Grant says, " The ground over which Hancock had to pass to reach the enemy was ascending, and heavily wooded to within two or three hundred yards of the enemy's intrenchments. In front of Birney there was also a marsh to cross. But notwithstand ing all these difficulties the troops pushed on in quick time without firing a gun, and when within four or five hundred yards of the enemy's line broke out in loud cheers, and with a rush went up to and over the breastworks. Barlow and Birney entered almost simultaneously. Here a desperate hand* to-hand conflict took place. 74 THE SALIENT A T SPOTTSYL VANIA. came to an open field with a gradual ascent to near the top, where there had been heavy timber, which had been felled with the tops toward us and the boughs sharpened ; also wire stretched through the tree tops. Still beyond this obstruction were the enemy's works, which consisted of a ditch, eight feet wide and nearly as deep, with a row of sharpened stakes set in front, the points about breast high. Immediately in rear of the ditch were the breastworks, which were formed of the dirt thrown up from the ditch, making the distance from the bottom of the ditch to the top of the works from twelve to fourteen feet, without a chance of a foothold. " As soon as we came to the edge of the open field they opened on us with canister and musketry. The artillery had been massed at this point and all double-shotted with canister — thirty pieces, if I remember right. Such a storm of iron and lead I never saw before or since. It did not seem possible for a man to live to reach the crest of the hill and .pass the obstructions; but, as history tells, some did. But by the time we reached the ditch there was no line of battle, but a moving mass of yelling Yan kees. We succeeded in wrenching the sharpened stakes from their places, and used them in crossing the ditch and scaling the works. When I think now of all the difficul ties we had to overcome, with the flower of the rebel army behind such works pouring upon us a shower of lead, success seems impossible. It seemed to be an angle of their works where we made the charge, in shape of the letter V. Our right was on the left wing of the angle, so that when we got inside of the works we could still see the enemy on the THE CORPS COMMANDER. 75 right wing opposing our men there from entering. It brought us in their rear. When we had sent our prisoners to the rear we still advanced, but very slowly, on account of our broken ranks. " I saw the enemy give way at this time on the right wing, and amongst the rest was a stand of colors and color-guard. These men fired their muskets in a volley, and broke for the rear. They had to pass down our front to get out of the angle, and would have succeeded, but I made up my mind, as soon as I saw them start, that I must have those colors. I had also fired my gun, but had no time to reload. I ran up to the sergeant and snatched his colors from him, threw them on the ground and put my foot on them, cocked my empty gun, and told them the first one of them that moved out of his tracks I would shoot him down, and ordered them to throw down their guns and surrender. The ser geant said to them, ' Boys, they have got the colors, let us go with the colors ; ' so they threw down their guns and marched to the rear as my prisoners. When I got back to our line, Col. Curtiss told me to take them away, for we might get driven back at any moment. " I recrossed the works and started for our rear, when I met General Hancock and staff going to the front. As he passed I saluted him. He returned the salute, and said, ' What have you got there ? ' I told him a stand of col ors I had captured in the front. He then asked me if those were my prisoners. I told him they were. He looked at some of his staff and smiled (I thought at the time a little incredulously), for there were five or six lusty rebels and I was at that time about eighteen years old. 76 THE SALIENT A T SPOTTSYLVANIA. Then he said, ' You deliver your prisoners to the provost marshal and write your name, company and regiment with the date of the occasion on a slip of paper, and pin it on your colors, and turn them in to the adjutant of your regi ment,' — which I. did. I did not hear anything more about it till in the following winter when in Campbell Hospital, suffering from a wound received at the battle of Boydton Plank Road, on the left of Petersburg, I received a package. Upon opening it I found it to be a Medal of Honor." LIEUT. CHARLES H. FASNACHT, NINETY-NINTH PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY. II. SERGEANT FASNACHT'S ADVENTURES* "On the evening of the eleventh day of May, 1864, the Ninety-ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers * Chari.es H. FASNACHTwas born March 27, 1842, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Enlisted in :86r, in the Ninetv-ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers for three years. Re-enlisted February, 1864. Served continuously with his regiment, excepting seven months in hospital from wounds received at Chancellorsville and Spottsylvania. Pro moted corporal and sergeant and mustered out of service, with regiment, as first lieuten ant July, 1865. Received the Medal of Honor; Silver Medal from, the Directors of the U. S. Sanitary Fair at Philadelphia in 1864 ; and the Bronze " Kearney Badge." THE NINETY-NINTH PENNSYLVANIA. jj was lying back to the right of Spottsylvania Court House, Virginia. The men were somewhat exhausted, having had fighting and marching in the Wilderness since the 5th day of May. Rations were issued between seven and eight o'clock P.M. About nine o'clock p.M'. the troops of the 2d Brigade, Brigadier-General J. Hobart Ward, 3d Di vision (Birney), Second Corps (Hancock), received orders to fall in, and shortly afterward the march to the left com menced. "The Ninety-ninth was commanded by Colonel Edwin R. Biles, and was the leading regiment of the division, being preceded by Generals Birney and Ward, with their staff officers, and the pioneer corps. The night was very dark, and rain was falling nearly all the time. The men had orders to keep very quiet, and allow no noise from the rattling of canteens or other equipments. The rank-and- file had an idea that the Second Corps was marching for some vulnerable point of the enemy's line, and that as Birney's Division (composed of what was left of the old Third Corps) was leading, it meant that on the morrow desperate work was before us. " Nothing occurred during this weary march until after midnight. We could hear, now and then, all through the night, away off to our left, the soldiers of Lee chopping wood ; while away off to- our right could be heard the rumbling noise of artillery. The quiet and stillness of this steady march through rain and mud was almost unbear able. Some of the men were tramping along almost asleep ; in fact, on several occasions muskets dropped from the shoulders of weary men. Now and then a comrade 78 THE SALIENT AT SPOTTSYLVANIA. would ask in a whisper, ' What does this mean ? ' or, ' Where are we going? ' But no answer could be given, as no one knew, except only those high in command. " Company A of our regiment was leading, and kept well closed up to Colonel Biles, who was just behind the staff of Generals Birney and Ward. And as we were thus march ing silently along, with a soldier's steady tramp, suddenly the horses and their riders in our front came back pell mell, scattering the men in every direction. Every man grasped his musket more tightly, with hand on trigger, believing the enemy was at hand. The cause of this stampede was soon discovered. A soldier in the pioneer corps in front had accidentally discharged his musket, which scared horses, staff officers and others who were near. It must have been between one and two o'clock, on the morning of May 12, when the head of our column arrived at its place of destina tion, and our company commenced to ' right by file into line ; ' and for a long while after, the troops were passing in our rear and forming in line to our left, with our regi ment on the extreme right of our corps. The ground was wet and all around was darkness. The men in the ranks had no idea, as yet, of what was to be done in the morning. But the veteran soldiers who composed that line knew by instinct that daylight would see heavy fighting. With this belief, the men were soon 'lying on their arms,' dreaming of home and loved ones. The writer hereof was in ' light marching order,' having nothing but haversack, canteen and rubber blanket, besides his trusty Springfield musket. So with my rubber blanket wrapped around me, a soft spot in rear of the company was found, where I also was soon lost AN EARLY MORNING WALK. jg in dreamland. About four o'clock in the morning I was awakened by being punched in the ribs with an officer's sword, and hearing a rustling noise, and low talk of the officers and men in my front. Jumping to my feet I dis covered that the line was commencing to move forward. "The men were told that we were advancing to charge the enemy's works, supposed to be three-fourths of a mile in our front, but which could not be seen from our starting- point. Colonel Biles also ordered the men not to fire a shot or give a cheer until we were inside the rebel earth works; this was to take the enemy by surprise. At start ing, we advanced through a swamp, overgrown with briers and small trees. After going about one-third of a mile we came out into a clearing on high ground. The line by this time being somewhat out of shape, it was straightened while still advancing. It was now daylight, and the en emy's works could be seen about one-third of a mile in our front, running along the edge of the woods, parallel with our advancing line of battle. " These works looked formidable at that distance, and proved so, later on, when we crossed them. A great many low camp-fires were burning in the woods behind the enemy's line, while still others were being started ; no doubt to dry clothing and to prepare for an early breakfast. The smoke of these fires, mingled with the fog, was hover ing a few feet from the ground. What force the enemy had could not be known, as only here and there a sentry could be seen on the intrenchments ; nor did any one in our line have time to scan very closely. " As our line came out in this open ground, where it got a 80 THE SALIENT A T SPOTTSYL VANIA. glimpse of the rebel earthworks, some soldier- away off to our left, who could not hold in any longer, gave a cheer. It was against orders, but it started the cheering along our whole line, and the rebel pickets commenced to fire on us, while the enemy was seen to rush up to their works. But our line swept on. Colonel Biles told us now that the faster we went, and the quicker we got over the enemy's works, the better it would be for us. CAPTURING A FLAG AT SPOTTSYLVANIA. " The assaulting column was composed of Birney's Divis ion on the right, Barlow's Division on the left, with Mott and Gibbon's divisions supporting ; my company (A), 99th P. V. V., being on the extreme right of the line. As we advanced, it was discovered that on our right there was a gap in the line, which was afterward filled up by troops (I think) of the Sixth Corps. " When the colonel gave the order to get over the enemy's works, the regiment started on 'the double-quick.' At this time, and while yet five hundred yards distant, a rebel flag was raised over the works right in front of my com pany. The man holding it, waved it to and fro, as if invit ing us to come on. Long before this I had an ambition to capture a rebel flag in actual battle ; not to pick it up from where, perhaps, it had been lost by its bearer, who being shot down had left it on the ground ; I wanted to be able to say that it was actually a captured flag. " I was behind the company as a ' file closer,' being a sergeant at the time. I ran around the right and in front of the company. We had swept the enemy's pickets from THE ASSAULT. g1 before us ; the rebels were crowding to their works ; their fire was getting very warm, and opposite the gap on our right the enemy had a battery which opened a flank fire on our regiment. By this time the Ninety-ninth was pretty close to the enemy's works, and their strength was evident. In times like this every man in the ranks must, for the time, be a general himself ; that is, he must be brave, use good judgment, make up his mind in a moment, and take advan tage of every opportunity to overcome the enemy. In short, it is only when each private soldier is doing his whole duty, feeling the responsibility resting upon himself, that the general commanding will have his orders executed and his plans crowned with success. "As we came nearer, the enemy's fire was very heavy, the ditch, about eight or ten feet wide in front of the works, being nearly filled with water from the rain in the night. In front of the ditch limbs of trees had been placed, making a strong abatis. When our regiment came to this, the enemy's fire was making great gaps in our ranks, but we pressed on, tore away the obstructions, and jumped into the ditch (the water being over two feet deep at this point) and commenced to scale the works. The rebel flag was still held up and waved, until just as I was about on top of the works calling to the color-bearer to surrender, and mak ing a grab for it, the rebel sergeant, with several other sol diers, started off on a run up on the inside of the works. At this hour the smoke and fog were still near the ground in the woods, and one could see but a very short distance ahead. Tents to shelter the men from the rain, during the nio-ht, had been made hastily with blankets and canvas. 6 82 THE SALIENT A T SFOTTSYL VANIA. " Thus it was not only impossible to see far into the dense woods, but it was hard to get through and over these obstructions. On account of the cheering of our men and the delay in starting, the enemy was aware of our move ment before we got over his works. But the charge was still a surprise to many of them, and a grand result in the end, for we took over six thousand prisoners. The Confed erate general, Ewell, made a narrow escape from capture.* " When I jumped over the works I was followed by our whole regiment, Colonel Biles being right behind me. What a sight to behold ! Confusion all around. While many of the enemy had rallied to the works, numbers of them were found in their rude shelter-tents. Some were without their equipments ; they were firing in every direc tion. Some had just begun to get their breakfast ; others would shoot through their tents. Our men tore down everything giving shelter to the enemy, using the butt-end of the musket and the bayonet. Our men seemed to be possessed of superhuman strength and a determination to conquer or die, right then and there. No one seemed to see or fear danger, and yet we were right in the midst of it, men falling all around us. " Immediately after our regiment had crossed the first line of works, Colonel Biles made a half-wheel to the right with the regiment, intending to move up and capture a bat tery the enemy had there. * " Hancock's corps captured some 4000 prisoners — among them a division and brigade commander — 20 or more guns with their horses, caissons and ammunition, several thou sand stand of arms and many colors. Hancock, as soon as the hand-to-hand conflict was over, turned the guns of the enemy against him, and advanced inside the rebel lines. About six o'clock I ordered Warren's Corps to the support of Hancock." — Gen. Grant's Memoirs. CAPTURING A FLAG. 83 " From the time that I first saw that rebel flag waving so defiantly in our faces, my sole object was to get it, and to that end all my energies were brought in play. So after I was inside of the works I took in the situation in a moment. Knowing the direction of our line of battle toward the left, and the open gap on our right, I concluded that the rebel color-bearer would try to escape by running up towards the right, and then cutting through the woods. I started on the run, diagonally through the woods, intending to head off the color-bearer. The distance I had to go would be shorter than his, and as one could see but a very short distance through smoke, fog and woods, I lost sight of the flag for a few minutes. But I had run probably one hun dred and fifty yards over all kinds of obstructions, when my calculations proved correct ; for suddenly right in front of me, through a clump of trees, came this same color-bearer, carrying aloft his flag, and behind him were five or six sol diers, his color-guard. I brought my musket to my shoul der, with hand on trigger, and as he did not see me as soon as I saw him, he ran almost up against my bayonet before he stopped. True, my musket was empty at this time, but the muzzle of an empty gun at such close quar ters looks almost as dangerous as a loaded one, and he did not know but that it was loaded. The men behind him might have shot me down, but for some reason did not. " So when we met at that instant I demanded his surren der and the flag ; he asked me not to shoot and reached the flag towards me. I did not lower my musket, but let the flag fall at my feet, and told him to go to my rear, which he did with his companions, who dropped their arms. I have 84 THE SALIENT AT SPOTTSYLVANIA. often, since then, wondered why the men behind him did not shoot, but I suppose they were in the same fix as myself ; that is, their muskets were empty. When the color-bearer, who was a man fully six feet tall, had passed to my rear I placed my foot on the staff and tore the flag off. It was a flag inscribed with many battles, and the words ' 2d Louisi ana Tigres,' — a good fighting regiment in the Southern army, and one that we had met on many a battlefield before. While crowding the flag into my bosom under my blouse, absorbed in what I was doing, I cared little for what was taking place around me. I heard some one say, ' You had better let me have that.' On turning my head I dis covered my colonel, for the first time, about twelve yards behind me, and about as many yards in front of the regi ment ; he had taken the same direction with the regiment as I had. When I saw from whom came the voice, I gave him such a look (continuing to stow the flag away) that in after years he told me that he saw very plainly I did not wish to part with my prize* and he therefore told me to keep it. WITH THE WOUNDED UNDER FIRE. " By this time the regiment had advanced some distance to a line of works running at right angles from the first to the second line of defence, behind which the enemy had ral lied to the support of some artillery. Our regiment at this time was on the flank and rear of these pieces, and the enemy, seeing the hopelessness of holding out, just as we were about charging, raised white flags, in the shape of handkerchiefs and pieces of tents, in token of surrender. WOUNDED AND UNDER FIRE. 35 We called out to them to come over the works without their arms, and they embraced the opportunity as fast as possible. At this time a heavy fire from the second line of works was opened on us, while quite a large number who had been driven before us took refuge on the outside of the first line, and were also firing into us.* Just as I had stepped back a few feet to make room for these men who were surrendering, a volley from the enemy on our right and front was poured into us, killing and wounding a large number. I fell shot, by a minie-ball, in my left leg at the knee joint. Brave Captain Lewis F. Waters of ' I,' and Lieutenant Henry S. Zeisert of ' D,' both fell alongside of me, instantly killed. " I was picked up and carried back to the first line we had crossed, where Sergeants McGrann and Ursprung took me further back about one-half mile, when our provost-guard was met ; they ordered all the wounded, who could not walk, to be laid on the ground, and the carriers to return to their regiments. The men with the stretchers were not up yet, and we remained in this clearing for an hour or more. This one hour seemed an entire day, surrounded as I was by several hundred wounded men who could not walk. We laid on the bare ground like so many sheaves of wheat, unable to move or get out of reach of the enemy's shells and solid shot that were striking the ground all around us, their artillery having a good range of this part of the field. * " Lee made the most strenuous efforts to regain the position he had lost. Troops were brought up and attacked Hancock furiously. Hancock was forced to fall back; but he did so slowly, with his face to the enemy, inflicting on them heavy loss, until behind the breastworks he had captured. These he turned, facing them the other way, and con tinued to hold." — Gen. Grant's Memoirs. 86 THE SALIENT A T SPOTTSYL VANIA. With all my pain I couldn't help but smile at some of the odd expressions and ludicrous scenes, when a shell or solid shot would strike close to some unfortunate and scatter the dust all around. Some would berate the provost-guard, severely, for leaving us lying there, to be scared to death if not killed outright by the enemy's missiles ; others, with mangled arms or legs, would try and roll themselves away from a shell or round shot, as it struck the ground near them, making some witty remark. " No pen can fully describe, nor pencil do justice to, this scene ; several acres of ground covered with wounded sol diers, enduring untold pain, without attention or medical treatment, and under the constant fire of the enemy's artillery. It must be borne in mind that the bravest of the brave under such circumstances will weaken, and wish for a place of safety. " At last, after an hour or so, the stretcher-bearers came, and I was taken away from this place to an ambulance, and driven to the rear, about two miles, to a little grove. On one side of this grove ran a small stream of water, and on the other a road, an open field beyond the road, a cornfield on the other side of the stream, a little rise or hill in our rear, and in front a heavy woods into which the road entered. These were the surroundings of the place where I was doomed to remain a prisoner for five days. " It was probably a little after noon when we were brought to this place. There was great activity all the afternoon in loading up the wounded into ambulances, and toward even ing heavy army wagons were used. As darkness had set in I saw the last wagon filled and drive away, as they said, for CAPTIVITY ON THE BA TTLEFIELD. 87 Fredericksburg Hospital. It now dawned upon me that I was one of the unfortunate two hundred and twenty who were doomed to remain, for we were soon told by a surgeon that one hospital steward and ten men were left in charge of us ; that we should try and be contented and see what would. turn up in our favor; that he would do all he could to make us as comfortable as lay in his power. The sur geon (whose name I have forgotten) had but a small amount of stores with him, and could give but little medi cal treatment to us ; he and his men were busy day and night carrying water and food to us ; besides, they had to dig graves and bury, on an average, ten of our number daily. CAPTIVITY ON THE BATTLEFIELD. "On the morning of May 13, about nine o'clock, a brigade of Confederate cavalry, under General Rosser (since Engineer of the Northern Pacific R. R.), and known as the 'Laurel Brigade ' (their badge being a sprig of green pinned on the left breast), came marching over the brow of the hill behind us. My place being quite close to the road, I heard the general give orders to one of his aides not to allow his men to go among the wounded, nor to disturb anything. But as soon as the head of the column had disappeared in the woods, the Confederates swarmed in among us, asking all manner of questions, and teasing us with the assurance that soon the Army of the Potomac would be driven back across the Rappahannock River. But we were rather out spoken in telling them that a new commander, 'GRANT,' was at the head of our army, and that there would be no 88 THE SALIENT A T SPOTTSYL VANIA. retreat and no stop this side of Richmond. None of our wounded were molested, but the newcomers took nearly all the meat, sugar and coffee that had been left for us. " The evening before, we could hear firing until late at night, and this morning the firing seemed further away; we were now told that we were outside of our lines, and that our army had moved further on towards Lee's right. After the Confederate cavalry had passed out of sight, into the woods, I concluded to look at my rebel flag, which was still in my bosom, not having looked at it since the day before. I asked the hospital steward to assist me. I had on at the time a short army blouse, made for me the winter previous by a Philadelphia tailor. It was lined throughout and filled in with cotton wadding. I took off my blouse and secreted the flag under a piece of old army blanket and placed it under my legs. We next opened the lining at the back of the blouse and pulled out all the wadding, then stuffed the rebel flag in and pinned up the lining, after which I put on the blouse ; and no one could notice it, except that I ap peared rather stout. We had to be very careful while doing this so that no one could see the flag, especially the six wounded Confederates, who were lying about one hundred feet away from me. I was afraid that if the rebel soldiers should find it out they would take the flag away from me ; and as I had no other place to hide it, and as it was a trophy that I prized very highly, I determined to keep it with me as long as I possibly could. " We had barely got through with our work when we heard scattered musketry in the direction the Confederate cavalry had taken, and in a very short time the whole brigade came 'THE LAUREL BRIGADE." 89 back pell mell ; the road not being wide enough, many of the cavalry came through the woods and brought back with them several wounded men. They had been gone only two or three hours, and all that we could find out as to their sudden return was that after they had gone out several miles they came across some of the Union cavalry, who drove them back. After this episode, General Rosser, with his brigade, made his camp right alongside of us in the open field, and remained four or "five days. Their officers paid frequent visits to our wounded, conversing with us, and paying a good deal of attention to their own six wounded who lay amongst us. These Confederate officers told us that they were only camped there for the purpose of captur ing our ambulances that would be sent there for us, and that then they would take us in our own wagons to Rich mond. We were anxious to find out what would be our fate, and this was certainly bad news to us. The horrors of Libby Prison, Belle Isle, Andersonville and other Southern prisons, arose before us in their vivid forms, and I made up my mind that death would be my fate if I was taken on to Richmond. For three years past I had been striving with thousands of other Northern soldiers to get to the Confed erate capital, and now that in all probability an opportunity would be given to go there I did not wish to accept it. I set my wits together to devise some plan whereby I could outflank this latest of Confederate movements on my lib erty. I had some hopes that our cavalry would come in there after General Rosser, and find us and take us away. But five long, weary days passed and no sign of a Union 9° THE SALIENT AT SPOTTSYLVANIA. soldier coming from any direction. Was it any wonder then that despondency took possession of all of us? DELIVERANCE. " On the afternoon of the fifth day of our captivity, several Confederate officers came among us and told us to be pre pared to leave by next morning, as they would then bring their own conveyances and take us away. During these days I had planned out a course to take, and now I had but a few hours to make my preparations. I again called on the hospital steward, and told him my plan ; that he was to get me two small limbs with forks on them, and by wrap ping pieces of old blankets around them I would make use of them for crutches. That in the night I would try and drag myself across the little run of water and into the corn field, where I would hide myself until the Confederate cav alry had departed with the wounded. I would then get out of the cornfield and run my chances of being picked up by some Union cavalry, or die in my effort to escape rather than go a wounded prisoner to Richmond. The hospital steward listened to my plan, told me it was risky, but he would assist me all he could, and wished me success. Be fore dark, that evening, I was ready for my undertaking. But ' man proposes and God disposes,' for while I was worrying my brain over what would be my fate in the next few days, a movement by some of our troops was being ex ecuted for our rescue. " It seems that our situation had been made known to army headquarters, and a small division of infantry (I think it was Mott's White Diamond Division), and a battery of OUT OF BONDAGE. 9 1 artillery were on their way to our relief, and just before sunset, while sitting on the ground with my back against a tree, a wounded soldier, lying not far from me, cried out loud enough for all of us to hear him : ' Look up there on the hill ! ' Turning my head and looking towards the hill, I saw that a piece of artillery was unlimbering, and the in fantry were moving up to support it, when several other pieces were run up and placed in position. But the first piece fired one shot into General Rosser's cavalry before they knew that there were any Union troops near. The echo of the first shot had not died away before three more pieces were firing in rapid succession. In the Confederate camp all was confusion ; horses tore loose, officers were calling to the men, and everybody was looking out for his own safety. And it took General Rosser and his men but a very short time to get away from that place, and their speed was accelerated by the Union shot and shell. Never before nor since did I experience such real happiness as at that moment, when these friends, wearing the loyal blue uniform, came marching under the Stars and Stripes so unexpectedly to our rescue. There were wounded soldiers among our number, more dead than alive, who would rise up and faintly cheer at the sight of the old flag and friends, and then fall back exhausted, .weeping for joy. Men grasped each other by the hand, and with tears in their eyes praised God for this unexpected deliverance. Yet in our feeble condition we tried to give a few parting words to General Rosser's men, as they so hastily took their departure. We twitted them on their unceremonious going away without us ; asked them how soon they would return ; but they paid n2 THE SALIENT A T SPO TTSYL VANIA. no heed to our remarks, and in a very few minutes they had all disappeared, leaving behind a few wounded and prisoners. In less than one half hour ambulances were driven up and we were carefully lifted into them, so that by eight o'clock that evening the last Union wounded soldier had been loaded and the ambulance train with its escort was ready to start for Fredericksburg. As already stated, there were two hundred and twenty of us who were brought here, but about fifty had died. " It was about eight o'clock on the evening of May 16 that our train started. I had been placed on the seat with the driver, with my leg in a swing, and tied to the roof of the ambulance, and in driving along that night through the darkness, over rough roads, the wheels would strike a rut or stone and give my leg a jerk that would send the pain all through my body, and jolt those lying in behind, who would hurl uncomplimentary remarks at the driver, for causing them so much pain. About nine o'clock the next morning our train arrived at Fredericksburg, where it was intended to place us in hospitals ; but all the houses that could be made use of were already filled with the wounded from the Wilderness. MINISTERING ANGELS. " We were then given coffee and bread, and after some delay our ambulance train was started off across the Rappa hannock River, towards ' Belle Plain,' on the Potomac River, where we arrived early that evening. It was about nine o'clock that evening when I was carried on board of a barge which was afterwards towed out to a large Government MINISTERING ANGELS. 03 boat in the middle of the stream. Shortly after, I was laid on the barge, where a few flickering lamps shed their dim light. I could hear sweet voices, followed by some of the ladies of the 'Sanitary Commissions.' These 'minister ing angels,' with lint, medicines, brandy, milk-punch and sandwiches, went from cot to cot, attending to the wounded and speaking words of good cheer. Surely the sick and wounded soldiers can never repay the debt of gratitude they owe to the loyal and patriotic women of the North, for the good work done by them in hospital and in camp during the dark days of the war. " During the night, our barge was towed out in the middle of the river alongside of the large steam-boat, to which its load of wounded was transferred, being placed on stretchers in rows, making several hundred in all. The flag attracted a great deal of attention in the hospital at Washington. One gentleman, when he saw it unfolded, with the name and number of the regiment it belonged to printed on its stripes, ' Second Louisiana Infantry, C. S. A.,' said he was in New Orleans in April, 1861, when this same flag was pre sented to the regiment. At the Armory Square Hospital, to which I was taken, a screen was put up, a tub of water brought, and a good bath given me. During this process the surgeon came with a large glass of brandy and told me to drink it, and it seems to me, even at this late day, that was the best drink I ever tasted. I was now dressed with clean under-clothing, and placed in a bed on the right hand side, next to the entrance door, with my flag fastened on to the wall over my head ; and under the influence of what I had been drinking, and the sweet strains of music coming 94 THE SALIENT A T SPO ITS YL VANIA. from a piano at the other end of the ward, I forgot my pain, and was soon lost in slumber. After going through with what I had the previous two weeks, I indeed now felt as if I was in Paradise. ******* " After remaining in hospital at Washington and Philadel phia for nearly seven months, I rejoined my regiment in the field and served with it continuously until the close of the war." THE WILDERNESS — A YEAR AFTER. LIEUT. THOMAS PARKE GERE, FIFTH MINNESOTA INFANTRY. THE VICTORS AND THE SPOILS. IT was upon a crisp, bright day in February,. 1865, that an interesting scene might have been witnessed in the War Department at Washington. The place itself was one of the lions which all pilgrims to the Shrine of the Constitution thought it the correct thing to visit. Young officers, who for the first time entered it on offi cial business, did not entirely "leave Hope behind," but they were conscious of a chill in the region of the back bone as the old green leather doors swung to behind them. The corridors were dark and damp, and had a musty odor from the tons of red-taped official papers which filled the countless pigeon-holes. And the messengers, sitting on guard at the doors of the various bureaux, had a stern and 95 BATTLE RELICS. 96 THE OLD WAR OFFICE. gy mysterious air, befitting men filled with plans of battles and secrets of the Council Chamber. There are pleasant memories, also, of the ancient struct ure ; of the time when the stone-flagged halls echoed the ponderous tread of General Scott, with the front of Mars himself ; or resounded with the stride of General Harney, the military gladiator of his time ; or reflected the jingle of Charlie May's spurs, or rang with the jolly laugh of old Ben Beall, of the dragoons, as he bandied jests with Prince John Magruder, of the artillery, careless of the coming " chestnut bell." While, later on, the clank of Custer's sabre and Sheridan's quick footfalls mingled with the run ning to and fro of orderlies, and the tinkle of the great Secretary's little bell. But the quaint, ark-shaped edifice has been torn down, and in its place has arisen an official palace of marble and iron and mahogany. In the new order of things one is not impressed, as in the olden time, with the Spartan simplicity which belongs to the God of War. I. NASHVILLE TROPHIES. Within the large reception-room of the War Department there had assembled, on the day already mentioned, about one hundred persons. They had been summoned by the Secretary of War to take part in the ceremony of receiving certain Confederate battle-flags captured at the battles before Nashville, in December, 1864. In the centre of the room were grouped fifteen gallant men who, in hand-to-hand combat, bad perilled their lives 7 q8 THE VICTORS AND THE SPOILS. to secure as trophies the tattered banners now proudly borne as spoils of war. These were generally young men — some of them mere boys — whose bronzed faces were flushed with pride and excitement. In front of these, and in a sort of horseshoe formation, was another party. Sena tors and Representatives, war governors, members of foreign legations, a cabinet minister, the Adjutant-general of the Army, and other distinguished personages had taken a half hour from their public duties to do honor to these brave Western soldiers. The spacious room had been cleared of furniture. Near the walls, on three sides, were arranged in continuous line a number of muskets, " stacked." Suddenly the hum of con versation ceased, and. a short, stout man with square shoul ders, and wearing eye-glasses, stepped out between the sol diers and the civilians and unfolded a paper. This was the famous cabinet minister, whose name will always be asso ciated with troublous times — our " Reign of Terror." He read as follows : Headquarters, Department of the Cumberland, Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 13, 1865. Special Field Orders, No. 38. (Extract?) XIX. By virtue of permission received from the Honorable Secretary of War, the fol lowing named officers and enlisted men, captors of rebel battle-flags, at the battles of Franklin, Nov. 30, 1864, and the battles before Nashville, Dec. 15 and 16, 1864, will pro ceed with the trophies to Washington, D. C, where they will report to the Honorable Secretary of War, turning over to him the flags now in their possession, after which they will rejoin their various commands in the field. The detachment will be in charge of ist Lieut, and Adjt. Thomas P. Gere, 5th Regt. Minn. Vet. Vol. Inf., who will be accountable for their good conduct while en route. The Qr. M. Depmt. will furnish the necessary transportation. ist Lt. (Adjt.) Thos. P. Gere, 5th Minn. V. V. Infantry. ist Lt. O. Colwell, " G" 95th Ohio V. Infantry. ist Lt. C. H. McCleary, " C " 73d Ohio V. Infantry. ist Lt. W. T. Simmons, " C" nth Mo. Vol. Infantry. Sergt. A . Ramsbottom, " K " 97th O. V. Infantry. Sergt. W. Garrett, 41st O. V. Infantry. THOMAS PARKE GERE. qq Cotpl./. W. Parks, " F " nth Mo. Vol. Infantry. Corpl. £.. P. Kolte.nback, " F " 12th Iowa Vol. Infantry. Corpl. G. W. WeUh, "A" nth Mo. Vol. Infantry. Corpl, F. Carr, " D " 124th O. Vol. Infantry. Private O. W. Smith, " G " 95th O. V. Infantry. Private W. May, " H " 33d Iowa V. Infantry. Private G. Stokes, "C" i22d Ills. V. Infantry. Private A.J. Sloan, " H " 12th Iowa V. Infantry. Private Wm. F. Moore, " C " 117th Ills. V. Infantry. Private D.J. Holcomb, " A " 41st Ohio V. Infantry. Corpl. H. Collins, ist Tenn. Cavalry. By command of Major-General THOMAS, Wm. D. Whipple, Asst. Adjt. Genl. Lieutenant Gere's name was called. A slender and earnest-looking young man advanced, flag in hand, and made these remarks : * " Mr. Secretary : I have the honor and pleasure to present to you the colors of the 4th Mississippi Infantry, C. S. A. " The capture was due, and should be credited, to the valor of the soldiers of Hubbard's Brigade, McArthur's Division of A. J. Smith's detachment, Army of Tennessee. It was the result of the final charge upon the enemy's works by that invincible command in the second day's bat tle. Every soldier who participated in that assault shares the credit of the captured colors. " This brigade had a record previous to Nashville, and its services had been recognized in the promotion of its former lion-hearted leader, Joseph A. Mower, to be a major- general. " Smith's detachment, ten thousand strong, made up from the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps, after fol- * Thomas Parke Gere was originally mustered as a private, Co. " B," Fifth Regiment Minnesota Infantry, Jan. 17, 1862, aged 19 ; appointed ist sergeant, March 6, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant, March 14, 1862 ; ist lieutenant, August 20, 1862 ; regt. adjutant, March 19, 1863 ; brigade adjutant, March 7, 1664 ; discharged, April 5, by reason of expiration of term of service. IOO THE VICTORS AND THE SPOILS. lowing the fortunes of Grant and Sherman from Shiloh to Vicksburg, was, much to its regret, made an orphan by the order lending it for sixty days to the Red River expedition, but emerged with undimmed record from that campaign to join in the long chase of Price and Marmaduke * through Arkansas and Missouri, and arrived at Nashville just in time to take position as the right of the army confronting Hood. " Advancing south-westerly on the morning of December 15, from the Charlottesville Pike, in echelon, by brigades, the enemy was soon encountered and steadily driven, through continuous fighting, some three miles south ; at night our front was to the east within one-fourth mile of the Granny White Pike, our pickets on that road, and the enemy's left flank was completely enveloped. During the night he extended his line to the west some distance beyond our position, again fronting north ; to meet which dispositions our front was, on the morning of the 16th, changed to the south, and our portion of the line advanced to within three hundred yards of his position. Hubbard's Brigade, its left now on the Granny White Pike, just north of the Brent wood Hills, was in an open field, protected only by such works as the soldier had learned to hastily construct under • fire. The enemy's line was behind a stone wall, in front of which during the preceding night he had constructed a strong ditch and abatis ; and between us only a cornfield. Our batteries took position on higher ground to our rear, and opened upon the enemy's line. The enemy's batteries * See " Capturing a Major-General," p. 107. BATTLE OF NASHVILLE. IOI in our front were in his main line, but the short distance- between the lines prevented any exposure whatever. These relative positions were maintained until about 3.30 P.M., at which time we received the order to assault. Elo quent speakers have detailed the history of the succeeding minutes that made the soft cornfield ' the battle's gory meadow.' "The command swept through the carnage, over the works, capturing everything. In forming for the assault in two lines an interval was left between our brigade and the troops on our right, which subjected the brigade to an enfilading fire, but by sheer momentum the assaulting col umn cut straight through and landed beyond the opposing line. Quickly discerning that the enemy in this interven ing space were our prisoners, we swept. down their flank, pushing them to our rear. This is where the capture of these colors took place.* I reached the works near the right of the brigade, but my horse could not cross the abatis and wall ; so with the troops hurrying along the enemy's works to our right we came upon the colors. I was a little in advance in this movement. The color-bearer leaped over the works toward our rear with the others, leaving the colors behind the works. I could not reach them, but compelled him to recross and deliver the flag. " That second day's battle at Nashville was the most complete rout of the enemy that I ever witnessed, and had the assault taken place as early as noon I don't think any thing could have prevented the capture of Hood's entire * All that follows is taken from a recent letter (Aug., 1886) written by Lieut. Gere. 102 THE VICTORS AND THE SPOILS. army ; but it was wet and misty and soon became dark. The Rebs were completely broken up by that charge ; they were tired and hungry, and did not offer much opposition to capture after the works were reached. I carried a ' revolver ' in hand during the melee, and as everybody was ' shooting quite promiscuously ' they complied very promptly with our orders to move to our rear. I had been slightly wounded in the right wrist the day before, but for got about it until the excitement was over." Lieut. Gere also delivered to the Secretary, on behalf of Lieut. CHARLES McCleary, who was absent, the flag of the 4th Florida Regiment. McCleary, being in advance of the Union line of battle, came upon the rebel color-bearer and color-guard. He called upon them to surrender, which they at first declined to do ; but, as he insisted, they finally yielded and were made his prisoners. Lieut. OLIVER COLWELL'S trophy was also handed in by Mr. Gere. Lieut. William T. Simmons presented the flag of the 24th Louisiana. Sergeant Alfred RAMSBOTTOM gave into the Secre tary's hands the flag of the 2d Mississippi regiment, taken only after a hand-to-hand conflict. Sergeant William Garrett turned in the flag of the 13th Mississippi. Corporals JAMES W. Parks and Luther B. Kalten, back each brought forward a captured color ; the last named that of the 44th Mississippi. Corporal G. W. Welch offered the flag of the 13 th Ala CORPORAL COLLINS' REVENGE. IO3 bama. He said that as the color-bearer was trying to es cape he shot him and secured the trophy. When Corporal Harrison Collins stepped out from the group the Secretary made a little speech to his deeply interested auditors. Said he : " General Croxton, who commands the force to which this man belongs, praises in the highest terms his gallantry. I am sure we will all be glad to hear the story of the capt ure from the lips of this brave soldier." Corporal Collins blushed under the fire of so many big guns, and after the clapping of hands had subsided, with a little urging on the part of his comrades, he said : "Well, gentlemen, there ain't much to tell, but I'll give you the story the best I can. You see, last December, when General Hood advanced toward Nashville, I saw that flag rally to the front. For thirteen days we fell back in good order before the enemy ; it looks now as if we were just drawing them on. That flag seemed to be in sight nearly all the time. I shot at it every time I got a chance, sometimes under embarrassing circumstances. It got to be so provoking that I made up my mind if we ever got a chance I'd pay those rebels for flaunting that there flag in our faces. After our army rested at Nashville for a week we advanced on the enemy, and it was now their turn to fall back, which they did, so fast, that on the second day it ended in a big stampede. On the third day I caught sight of my old friend, this flag. I was on duty with my regiment — the First Tennessee Cavalry — supporting a battery. The rebels made a stand at a creek which was bridged in our front. Part of them, with the flag, tried to IO4 THE VICTORS AND THE SPOILS. cross lower down. Then I saw my chance. Some of us charged. I was soon close to the flag. The Confederate officer ordered some of his men to dismount and ' fight on foot.' Our party halted here, but I forgot everything but the prize, and riding through the dismounted enemy, over took the color-bearer and demanded the flag. He threw it on the ground. I dismounted and picked it up. " By this time I was some distance in advance, and as our bugle was sounding the ' rally ' I turned back with my trophy." Corporal Frank CARR recaptured a U. S. guidon from the enemy. "So you recaptured the old flag?" inquired the Secre tary. " Yes," was Carr's reply. " We made a charge and were repulsed. I got into the abatis, and couldn't get out. A Johnnie came up and told me to surrender. I wouldn't do it, but put on my bayonet and was going to stand a fight. The fellow had this flag sticking out of his breast. I grabbed it, and he turned and ran away." Private Otis W. Smith captured the battle-flag of the 6th Florida. He was one of the first to leap the rebel works, and took both flag and bearer. Private WILLIAM May presented the flag of Borran- cood's Battery, and Private Andrew J. Sloan delivered the colors of the 1st Louisiana Battery. Private GEORGE Stokes and Daniel J. HOLCOMB also transferred, to the care of the War Department, Confeder ate flags. Private William F. Moore told how he got his trophy, WARLIKE TAPESTRY. IOS a battery flag of Cheatham's command. He said: "The color-bearer was in a small group of rebels and was trying to climb the hills. I shed my knapsack, took after him and a captain of the same regiment and captured both." As each man advanced to deliver his trophy it was re ceived by a gray-headed veteran of the Mexican War, who, after unfurling the flag, laid it upon the musket-stacks pro vided, and when the last silken standard had been placed there the effect was brilliant and thrilling. The varied hues of the rainbow lighted up the sombre apartment in a blaze of color. Each face, for the time at least, glowed with the patriotic spirit of the occasion, and reflected the warm tints of the tapestried walls. Was ever there a grander decoration to human habitation — to feudal castle or impe rial palace — than these battle-flags? Embroidered by the hands of fair women, bearing upon their folds the names of bloody battles where brave Confederates had rallied under them again and again ; torn by conflict, worn by tempest, they had at last fallen by the fortune of war into the hands of the victor. The Secretary, beaming with genuine pleas ure, now as Master of Ceremonies, presented each of the notable personages to the heroes of the hour; each received a hearty grasp of the hand and a word of encouragement which none of them was likely soon to forget. The trophies were then inspected by the company, and, when the last dignitary had been presented, all returned to their respective groups while the Secretary of War ad dressed Lieutenant Gere and his comrades as follows : " In behalf of the Government of the United States, I return to you its thanks, and the thanks of the people for 106 THE VICTORS AND THE SPOILS. your gallantry. Accept also the gratitude of this Depart ment for yourselves and for your comrades-in-arms. The Adjutant-general will be ordered to take charge of the flags with the descriptions you have this morning given, so as to connect your own individual histories with the noble actions by which they were captured. He will also be or dered to present to each one of you a Medal of Honor, to be worn by you as a token and a recognition of your gallantry and distinguished services. I. wish you all a safe return to your homes, and that you may long live to enjoy in peace the victories which have been won by you and your com panions in arms. Lieutenant, I return to you and your command the thanks of the Department and of the Govern ment, and you will make known to them the high estima tion in which their services are held." Turning about, the Secretary, in an imperious manner, thus addressed the Adjutant-general of the Army, who was present, accompanied by the military chiefs of bureaux and officers temporarily in the city : " General Townsend, to your keeping I commend these sacred tokens of the courage, self-sacrifice and patriotism of our armies. You will cause a proper record to be made of the particulars of each capture, and present to each cap tor, on behalf of the United States, a Medal of Honor suit ably inscribed. " You will publish in General Orders the names of these gallant soldiers, furnishing each with a copy of the order, to the end that their noble example may incite others to sim ilar deeds. " You will direct the Paymaster-general to pay to each officer and soldier a month's pay in advance. CAPTURING A MAJOR-GENERAL. loj " And, finally, you will grant to each a furlough of thirty days, with free transportation to his home and thence to his regiment." As the detachment filed out of the apartment each man saluted the War Minister. Mr. Stanton seemed for the mo ment to forget the grimness of official duty in the emotions that swayed the warm-hearted man. He waved his hand in acknowledgment, his eyes filled with tears, and as the last " boy in blue " disappeared the Secretary turned, without a word to his guests, and darted into his private room. PRIVATE JAMES DUNLAVY, THIRD IOWA VOL. CAVALRY. II. capturing a major-general. In presenting the trophies of the battle of Nashville to the Secretary of War, Lieutenant Gere spoke of the long chase of Price and Marmaduke in Missouri and Arkansas by the very troops that returned to Tennessee in time to gain a victory over the famous leader, Hood, at Nashville. io8 THE VICTORS AND THE SPOILS. The capture of the Confederate general, Marmaduke, was made by a young Iowa cavalryman, Private James Dun- LAVY,* under circumstances which he relates in a letter from which an extract is here given. The Union forces consisted of two brigades of cavalry, commanded by Colonels Benteen and Phillips. General Sterling Price's forces were falling back, with the Yankees close upon their heels. Dunlavy says : " General Marmaduke had formed his division on the prairie to hold us while Price's train crossed Mine Creek. His position was bad, with Mine Creek to his rear, Benteen on his right and Phillips on his left. Col. Benteen 's charges were made promptly, and, according to Gen. Cabell (Con federate), ' just in the nick of time.' A moment later Cabell intended to charge upon Phillips. He had just passed the word for it when Benteen struck their right, capturing their artillery. Marmaduke's whole right and centre were completely stampeded. I was on the extreme right of my regiment, and was wounded in the arm by a piece of shell, which also hurt my horse. Just as Marma duke's men ' broke,' my horse wheeled to the rear and my gun fell from my hand, but held by the sling. Just as quick as I could get my horse to the front, seeing my brigade far in advance to my right, I noticed troops. Thinking they were Federals I started for them, but soon found they were Marmaduke's men in full retreat. I noticed an officer in a Confederate uniform. This officer started in my direction, * James Dunlavy enlisted in Co. F, 30th Iowa Vol. Infantry (aged 18) ; re-enlisted Co. D, 3d Iowa Cavalry, 1863. Served during all campaigns in Tennessee, Missouri and Georgia until close of the war. Mustered out with regiment at Atlanta, Ga,, April 9, 1865. Was graduated M.D. at Keokuk in 1870. A MUTUAL SURPRISE. lQg shouting, ' What do you mean, shooting your own men ! ' He was evidently trying to rally what he thought were his own men. I shot at him, but missed. I checked to a trot and he was soon by my side, and seemed surprised when I demanded his revolver. He handed it over, saying, ' I sur render; thought I was with my own men.' I started to the rear, and as one of our men asked for the rebel horse, I ordered my prisoner to dismount, which he did in a very cool and military style. " I then started to the rear with him on double-quick. Had gone a short distance when he said that he had been up all night, and was very tired, and asked me if I would let him walk ; which I did. He wanted a horse, but I refused to get him one. He then asked me to take him to General Pleasanton, as he was personally acquainted with him. " I told him that if the General could be found he should see him. He then remarked, 'I will tell you who I am.' Just then one of Pleasanton's staff came up, and my pris oner introduced himself as General Marmaduke. I again started to the rear with the officer. He asked me in what troops' hands he was. I told him Iowa. He said he was glad he was in Iowa instead of Kansas. We had gone but a short distance when we met Gen. C. W. Blair, to whom 1 delivered my captive. Blair got a horse and mounted General Marmaduke, and asked me to accom pany them to General Curtis. " General Blair introduced Marmaduke to Curtis, then myself as General Marmaduke's captor. General Curtis remarked, ' Right from my own State,' and that he was acquainted with my father. I started to the field hospital I io THE VICTORS AND THE SPOILS. to get my arm dressed, when an officer rode up to me, shook my hand warmly, and said, ' My boy, you will hear of this day's work in years to come.' " Started, in company with a comrade, for the front, but had not gone far when my arm began to bleed and become so painful that I gave it up and returned to Fort Scott. " That night it rained ; my feelings can better be imag ined than described. A boy away from home the first time ; a stranger in a strange place ; wet, wounded, dirty, hungry and homesick. But General Blair sent for me and treated me with great kindness. A load was thus removed from my heart for which 'I shall ever be grateful. "As soon as my arm was well enough for duty, I left Fort Scott, carrying with me a vivid recollection of the kindness of the citizens, and as tokens of their friendship, from the ladies an elegant album and a beautiful copy of Tom Moore's poetical works, and from the men a brace of very handsome ' Colt's navy revolvers.' " A rather unique testimonial to military merit in the form of a Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Davis County, Iowa, is in Dr. Dunlavy's possession. It reads as follows : Bloomfield, Iowa, Jan. 12, 1865. WHEREAS it has come to the knowledge of the citizens of this county that Private James Dunlavy, Co. D, 3d Iowa Cavalry, did in the late battle of Mine Creek, Kansas, between the Federal and Rebel forces, after being se verely wounded in the arm, by his own personal daring and courage rush upon and compel the noted general, Marmaduke (rebel), to surrender to him as a prisoner of war, Therefore be it Resolved, that we hereby tender the said James Dunlavy the thanks of the A UNIQUE TESTIMONIAL. Ill citizens of this county for his brave, faithful and distinguished services. Be it further Resolved, that the clerk of the Board of Supervisors be directed to spread this proceeding upon the record of this Board, and that he furnish the said James Dunlavy with a copy of same under seal. I, William Law, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of Davis County, Iowa, certify that the foregoing is a correct copy of proceedings, had by said Board at its January term, 1865. Witness my hand and Official Seal this 12th day of January, a.d. 1865. L. S. Wm. J. Law, Clerk. gH^ag*™* ^^^^^: r*^*- -- » j**^-^^*™-1* "':;i|a»; IKMIS VAISQni&D, QftTB&BMK io all ta Warn fltwe presents shall (Come, feeding: J)rt/// Qf Je ilitc/& ctatpe and 4eaatto a// C//treu, arid (^Tefi/ict* itrtXt* jftj eemmanit, At 0&9 <*nd laAeet /im aaxxditig/y : ant/ /fe ij io f/jcl: anJ/c/Ijui 4uc4 tiuiu am/ njtB oxSoACh q r /im', jic-vm^na (a Vairt and i/c ;. ¦<'. . jm' j,,.-,;-,,.?.- ,J°//at. fa SCeSfitllOim IFfiflTlltv I l.nm hrrruvto nilscrlbed 71 „/ in* gnnr lit Sladisun, f fow Tltnu&and Eight llttudrrd nnd Si.rty--\ ¦mux,*,* lohr n1p.r*^_ \ * ^ ^BfllSOII, Mm ilxi^A.\ajl\l_{L_rflw (/_3U.UU\.lV. and a:rto-jbi.\saO-__- V\ IT2 CORPORAL PATRICK H. MONAGHAN, FORTY-EIGHTH PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY. THREE THINKING BAYONETS. IN every army there may be found enlisted men who are not only able to obey orders intelligently under the eye of their commanding officer, but who can act with energy, courage and good judgment when thrown upon their own resources in an emergency. The armies of the United States have abounded with such men — especially in time of war. The " three thinking bayonets," whose adventures are described in this chapter, belong to the high type of Amer ican soldiership referred to, and their gallantry was re warded with the Medal. I. RECAPTURING THE COLORS. Patrick H. Monaghan,* formerly a corporal, Co. F, 48th Pennsylvania Volunteers, writes as follows : * Patrick H. Monaghan enlisted (at the age of eighteen) at Minersville, Pa., Aug. 12, 1861, in Co. F, 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Promoted Corporal 18. At tached to Battery " M," 3d U. S. Artillery, Sept. to Dec, 1863. Served with Army of Potomac and in East Tennessee Campaign, until mustered out with regiment, Iuly 17, 1865. Medal of Honor " for recapture of colors 7th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, June 17, 1864." 8 113 U4 THREE THINKING BAYONETS. " My recollection of the affair of June 17, 1864, and the recapture of the colors of the 7th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, is as follows : "After crossing the James River on the 15th of June, we marched rapidly towards Petersburg, and on the evening of the 16th debouched from a dense strip of woods, deployed, and double-quicked across a field toward the enemy's works. On our approach, a brigade of the Second Corps, which occupied a hastily constructed breastwork in front, advanced to carry the enemy's works. But after a des perate attempt to storm them, they were repulsed with severe loss, especially in prisoners. It was then that the New York regiment lost its colors. This was late on the evening of the 16th. During the night we manoeuvred, crossing a marsh that intervened in single file, and took position closer to the rebel works. While in this position the most profound silence was maintained, as we could hear the enemy talking, and every man was notified to secure his tin cup and trappings so as to make no noise and be ready for a charge. Before daylight the order came, and we, with the 36th Massachusetts, dashed forward, under a heavy fire, leaped the enemy's breastworks, capturing four pieces of artillery, six hundred prisoners, and about a thou sand stand of arms. " In leaping the breastworks, a rebel fired, with his gun so close to the left side of my head that my hair was singed, my cheek slightly burned, and ear injured by the concussion so that I feel the effects of it yet. Thomas James, a comrade of mine, knocked a rebel down with his gun, and Isaac Lewis (another comrade) and a rebel fired HAND- TO-HAND. "5 at each other, killing each other instantly. It was short, sharp work and we lost seventy-five men. The enemy fell back in confusion toward their second line, while our troops occupied the one just taken. A few of us — a strong skirmish line as it were — without orders, pursued them. Between the line just taken and the next, the ground was undulating, and a small stream of water flowed in a hollow thus formed. A growth of small trees and underbrush lined either bank of this stream. A part of the enemy made a stand here and delivered fire. As we dashed for ward, firing as we went, a young man, whom I took for an officer, came towards us, with a handkerchief fastened to a rod, reached it to me and said he wished to surrender. I asked him to what regiment he belonged, and he replied, ' The litter corps ' (corresponding, I think, to our stretcher or ambulance corps). I directed him to the rear — the line just captured and held by our troops — and ran to the edge of the woods and fired. A man fell across the small stream with his head almost in the water, and immediately a tall rebel, who was near, threw down his gun, ran forward, caught him, sat on the bank with his feet in the water, and placed the head of the wounded man in his lap. I came forward, aimed my empty gun, and ordered both to sur render and go to the rear. The tall man cried out, ' Don't shoot the Major ! ' I inquired, ' Major who ? ' and I understood him to say, ' Major Crawford of the 34th Ten nessee.'* I asked the Major to arise, and we both would help him back. But he said, ' No, I can't walk, I have just * I think he said " 34th Tennessee," although it might have been " 44th Tennessee," as Robert Reed, of Co. " G," captured the colors of that regiment the same morning. tl6 THREE THINKING BAYONETS. been wounded. I think my hip is broken.' He seemed to be a man, forty or forty-five years of age, with a florid complexion, and a reddish beard, clipped short. " I then ordered the tall man to go to the rear, but when he attempted to rise the Major moaned and said, * Please leave him with me, and you go and get some of your men to carry me back.' I replied, ' And he will be gone when I return.' He answered, ' I give you my word of honor that we both will remain until you come.' The other man said, ' I saw a stretcher (litter) in there. If we could get it you and I might be able to carry him.' Of course all this took place in less time than it takes me to tell it. I stepped a few paces to the left in search of the stretcher, when a rebel, with a gun at a trail and a flag over his shoulder, came running toward me. When he saw me he attempted to use his piece, but I had him covered, and shouted to him to drop his gun and surrender. He dropped it, and I ran forward and took the colors from him. " I was so elated over getting those colors that I merely called to the prisoners to follow me, and not knowing whether they did or not, ran excitedly back to the line which was still firing over us, who were in the hollow, at the retreating rebels beyond the thicket. I fortunately approached my own company, who upon seeing me ceased firing, set up a cheer, while I leaped upon the breastworks and waved the flag. Lieut. John L. Williams, of our com pany, jumped up, embraced me, and the boys pulled us both down, as the enemy had opened a pretty lively fire from their second line by this time. We unfurled the flag and found it belonged to the 7th New York Heavy Artil- A GOOD DAY'S FISHING. l j j lery. The prisoners, except the few we had taken in the pursuit, had been sent to the rear by this time. The young man who first surrendered to me was still there, but was about being sent back under guard. When he saw me he said to the captain, ' I am his prisoner, I surrendered to him.' " I told the captain about the wounded major and the other two men. He ordered me to the rear with the pris oner and the colors, and said he would attend to them. On my return I understood they were brought in. In the centre and on the left was an equally interesting time. As I started back I met Lieut.-Col. Pleasants, who com manded the regiment. He congratulated me, and re quested me to give him the colors, bring the prisoner to the rear, and report to him on my return. After some hes itation I gave him the flag. I soon overtook the other prisoners, escorted by as numerous a guard, from various regiments, as they numbered. I turned over mine and returned to the front. In the mean time, the regiment had moved forward and were throwing up breastworks. It was from near this position, a week later, that we commenced the mine that we exploded on the 30th of July. " General Meade presented three others and me with Medals of Honor, December 16th, 1864, at Ninth Corps Headquarters in presence of a large part of the Army." II. A GOOD DAY'S FISHING. One of the operations resulting in the capture of Rich mond was the affair of Hatcher's Run, October 27, 1864. Its object was to gain possession of the Southside Railroad, H8 THREE THINKING BAYONETS. then an important line of supply for the Confederate army. Although the attack was unsuccessful, there was some hard fighting and many curious happenings yet to be told in print. One of these incidents is described by Alonzo Smith, then ist Sergeant (since lieutenant) 7th Michigan Veteran Volunteer Infantry.* He says : " I will give a sketch of what is known as the battle of Hatcher's Run, Va., Oct. 27, 1864, so far as my memory serves me. The 2d Division, 2d Corps, formed line of battle across the Boydton plank-road on quite a high ridge, facing towards the south and west. My regiment was a part of the left flanking brigade, with its right resting at or near said plank-road, extending the line to the left in front of the woods that were in our rear ; and on the left of the road, as we faced the south and west, our line formed a half cir cle with centre in the advance, my regiment extending into the woods towards the plank-road. The brigade was composed of 19th and 20th Massachusetts, 42d and 59th New York, 1st Minnesota, 36th Wisconsin and 7th Michi gan. The Confederates attacked our right and rear, cap turing the artillery in position on our right. While in this position some stragglers came through the woods in rear of my regiment. Our colonel then deployed us to the left, towards the plank-road, to prevent any stragglers from passing our left, we being the left flanking regiment of in fantry within sight or hearing ; although we understood at * Alonzo Smith enlisted (on his nineteenth birth-day) Aug. 9, 1861, in the 7th Mich. Vol. Infantry. Promoted corporal, Apr., 1863 ; sergeant, Apr., 1864; first sergeant Nov., 1864 ; first lieutenant, Dec. 9, 1864. Served through campaigns, Army of the Potomac. Wounded at Antietam, in left thigh ; at Gettysburg, in left wrist. Medal of Honor for capture of flag 26th N. C Inf., Oct. 27, 1864. A WHOLESALE SURRENDER. ng the time that Gregg's Division of cavalry were the only troops on our left. Looking in our rear I saw quite a num ber of men moving towards our line. Calling to Sergeant Thomas Smith, who happened to be near me, I asked him if he did not think they were ' Rebs.' After a thorough look in that direction he pronounced them to be ' Yanks,' and started to report to Colonel Lapoint, who then had charge of the picket-line a little in our advance. Feeling somewhat uneasy as to our position, I went some fifteen or twenty rods to the rear and discovered the men to be Con federates, coming directly toward me — every man for him self. Stepping behind a large elm tree, I concluded to try a demand for surrender as soon as they came near enough. " With a loaded musket and fixed bayonet I awaited their approach. When within a rod or so, I stepped out from my hiding-place and demanded a surrender, which they did not appear to heed. I made the second demand when their line officers came to the front, and I saw that none of them had side-arms. They said they would surrender to me if I would take them out of there all right. They wished to know if we had any troops in there, and in what direction I was going to take them out. I pointed to the direction of the plank-road, when they said it would be taking them back into their own lines. I informed them that we had a division only a few rods from me. Their officers then told the men to throw down their arms and surrender. I then called to Alfred Bordine and John Cramer, they being the first I saw after the surrender. " The good news soon reached the regiment and a guard I2o THREE THINKING BAYONETS. formed who helped the discomfited Confederates to remove their cartridge-boxes, and I kindly became the color-bearer of the 26th North Carolina. Just as I had taken the colors from the sergeant, Colonel Lapoint came to the scene and wished to know what I had been doing. He then told me to take a guard and report to General Hancock, whose headquarters were in an open field to our left, and across the plank-road. I obeyed the order, and General Hancock directed me to report the prisoners to the provost-marshal. " The same night the army fell back to their old camp, and through some mistake of the aides my regiment and the 59th N. Y. were left to their fate. When daylight came, the colonel discovered their position and started for the rear, but had not crossed the first field when a squad of rebel cavalry made a dash on them, which was repulsed by a volley from the boys in blue. They then formed a skir mish line and kept under shelter of the woods. The color- bearer of the State flag took the flag from the staff and put it around his body, under his shirt ; the U. S. flag was torn to pieces, each man putting a piece in his pocket. " After wandering through the woods, avoiding openings as much as possible, they became lost. Going to a log cabin they found an old negro, who was willing to pilot them to the Union lines, where they arrived after two days' tramping. The old contraband was sent to Monroe, Mich igan, by the regiment, as a reward for his services. " The number of prisoners for which my regiment re ceived credit at the engagement on Hatcher's Run, Va., was 20 officers and 480 enlisted men." AN INDEPENDENT BA TIER Y. j 2 , This was an extraordinary haul for one lone fisherman, but shows what a thoroughly wide awake sergeant may do. BVT. CAPTAIN PETER T. ANDERSON, LATE CORPORAL 31ST WISC. INFANTRV. III. AN INDEPENDENT BATTERY. In the year 1840, when Chicago was a village, among the arrivals there were two Norwegians — husband and wife — on their way to a new home in free America, where land was cheap and where industry and thrift have ever been rewarded with success. They settled in Wisconsin, on the banks of the East Pecatonica River, and erected a homestead, where in due time numerous olive branches grew up around the worthy couple, and became the seasoned timber of which true American citizens and, when needed, good Union soldiers are made. When the great war came, two of the boys volun teered to fight under the old flag. One, Gotack, gave his life to his country in one of the battles near Atlanta, in 122 THREE THINKING BAYONETS. 1864. The other, Peter T. Anderson,* enlisted in a Wis consin regiment at the age of sixteen, and before the close of the war, in which he served to the bitter end, had given many proofs of his hardy Norway blood and his healthy American training. His is one of the few instances irt which a private soldier has been honored with a brevet commission as captain, for a special act of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Anderson had "tramped with his regiment under General Sherman on the Great March to the Sea, and after the capture of Savannah, had found himself still under the lead ership of " Uncle Billy " — as Sherman was affectionately called by his men — close at the heels of the distinguished Confederate, Joe Johnston. Occasionally the enemy would turn and snap viciously at his pursuers. One of these occasions was at Bentonville, March 19, 1865. It is thus described by Captain Anderson, then Corporal Co. B, 31st Wisconsin Infantry: " The morning opened fair and warm. About one o'clock, and just after dinner, we forded a stream. While we were crossing the stream our major, Robert Stepherson, asked me to fill his canteen with water and then get into an am bulance and ride, as he thought I looked too sick to march. I told him I never had been in an ambulance and would rather stay with my company. We were ordered down * Peter T. Anderson enlisted Sept. 8, 1863, in Co. B, 31st Wisconsin Infantry. Pro moted corporal " for gallantry at Averysboro, N. C," March 16, 1865. Breveted captain Wisconsin Volunteers (page 112). Served in the Western Army continuously until mustered out with regiment at Louisville, July 8, 1865. Medal of Honor " for gallant conduct in saving gun of 14th Corps from capture," Bentonville, N. C, March 19, 1865. FALLING BACK IN GOOD ORDER. 12i close to the left of the turnpike leading to Bentonville ; the timber grew quite large and thick where we were formed in line of battle. About four rods in front of our regiment there was an open field ; about a quarter of a mile across it we could see the Rebs forming their lines. In the mean time, our men were cutting down trees and piling them up for temporary breastworks. There were only three regiments of our brigade there. We had only a few minutes to work, as the Rebs saw (or thought they saw) a chance of gobbling us up — a large gap between us and the 14th Corps. They fell upon both our flanks about the same time ; our right flank gave way first. Our regiment was on the left flank and my Co. (B) on the extreme left. When we saw the Rebs were clear to our rear, on both of our flanks, we fell back in great disorder, some of the boys going so far to the rear that they never got back until noon the next day. We ran towards the rear, on the other side of the pike, and behind where we formed our first line the 19th Indiana Battery was stationed. The men had aban doned three of their guns. After most all of our brigade had passed them, some one (think it was one of the battery boys) shouted : ' For God's sake, save the battery ! ' " I said to one of our men (George Neamiah) that I was going back to get the battery ; he said I was a d — d fool if I did ; but back I went. The gun nearest the road was ' limbered up ' and ready to move. The team consisted of a pair of mules on the lead, while the ' swing ' and wheel ers were horses. I soon got them started by using my ramrod for a whip. I only had about four rods to go to reach the pike. Just as I got to the pike, the rebels began 124 THREE THINKING BAYONETS. to flock around me pretty thick. All the time I kept giv ing it to the horses with my ramrod. Once I undertook to get into the saddle of the wheel team ; just as I was going to mount a bullet struck the strap of the stirrup and cut it in two. The enemy began to think they were likely to lose their prize, and all began to shoot at me (or at the horses, as they were badly wounded), and some of them used pretty rough language, telling me to surrender. There was one Johnnie rode right up to me, with a Colt's revolver drawn and pointed at me, and shouted, 'Surrender! you d — d Yankee.' He had hardly uttered the words before one of our boys shot him from his horse. " The Rebs followed me up close till they saw our brigade forming. Colonel West, taking command, said, ' We will hold this position or die right here.' My ramrod was bent double from trying to load my gun as I was running. So when I got to the regiment the colonel told me to go to the rear, as I could do no good there with a broken ramrod and my hand badly bruised. I took the gun and horses to the rear with me. As I approached the batteries that were massed in our rear, an officer (I think it was the chief of artillery) stepped in front of the works they had thrown up and asked me what battery I belonged to. I told him I was ' Independent.' I told him in a few words all I knew about it. Then he asked me if I would let him use the gun, and of course I consented. Then I went to the rear of the battery and sat down under a tree. I sat there about ten minutes when an orderly came along with a ram rod in his hand. I asked him to give it to me as mine was broken. He gave it to me. I started right away for my RECONNOITRING. 125 company, and got there just as the rebels were making their second charge. They charged us five times, but we checked them every time. " Just after dusk that evening the Major asked me to pick a few men to go with me to reconnoitre in our front, and see where the enemy were. Our regiment was instructed not to fire until we got in, even if we did shoot a little in front of them. We started, and kept in the dark as much as possible ; several of the pitch-pine trees were burning, and made it quite light in some places. After advancing about two hundred yards several rebels jumped up and shouted, 'We surrender!' There were ten or twelve of them and only five of us. We took them into our lines, which was just what they wanted. The next day we buried the dead of both armies, and on the twenty-first started for Raleigh, N. O, where we lay until the surrender of John ston's army." LIEUTENANT JOSIAH M. CURTIS, TWELFTH WEST VA. INFANTRY. HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. THE Sword has been often, in figure of speech, " turned into a ploughshare," but has seldom been likened unto a sickle, with which in olden time the harvest was gathered. And yet, in the last month of the Civil War in America, Farmer Grant made just that use of the sabres of his caval rymen, while with the bayonets of his infantry the over ripe crops of rebel resistance — the weary soldiers, the droop ing battle-flags, the flying artillery, the stampeded wagon trains — were tossed into Uncle Sam's barns. Many of the reapers were rewarded with the Medal. Let us glance at the record in three cases. I. THE BEGINNING OF THE END. The month of April, 1865, was a black one in the Confed erate calendar. Ere its second day was spent two heavy blows had been struck at General Lee's army, and while the enemy was reeling under the shock, General Grant 126 THE BEGINNING OF THE END. l2j ordered others to be delivered in quick succession. The outer intrenchments of Petersburg had fallen into the hands of the victorious Yankees, and of the inner line of works there only remained two small but strong forts, called Gregg and Whitworth. General Grant says : " We thought it had now become necessary to carry them by assault. About one o'clock in the day Fort Gregg was assaulted by Foster's Division of the Twenty-fourth Corps (Gibbon's), supported by two brigades from Ord's command. The bat tle was desperate, and the national troops were repulsed several times ; but it was finally carried, and immediately the troops in Fort Whitworth evacuated the place. The guns of Fort Gregg were turned upon the retreating enemy." Of the assaulting force, one young officer* greatly dis tinguished himself. His father (Brevet Brigadier-General W. B. Curtis, late Colonel I2th W. V. Infantry) furnishes the following account: " I was commanding the 2d Brigade, Independent Divis ion, which consisted of the 12th West Va., 54th Pa., and 23d 111. (Gen. Mulligan's Irish Regiment). Lieutenant Cur tis was then acting as aide on my staff. The assault was first made on the Confederates by the 6th Corps, and their line was broken. The fighting during the night was terrific, the artillery and infantry both being engaged. When day dawned on the morning of the 2d of April, we discovered * Lieut. Josiah M. Curtis enlisted as a private, D, 12th West Virginia Infantry, Aug. 21;, 1862, at the age of sixteen years. Promoted through successive grades to 2d lieut. Dec. 16, 1864. Served under Milroy and Hunter, 1863, and under Sheridan in campaign of 1864 in the Valley of Virginia; honorably mustered out of service in 1865; awarded Medal of Honor for gallant conduct in battle, April 2, 1865. I2g HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. that the enemy were evacuating their works. We were ordered to attack a large fort, which we took without any material loss, as the enemy had mostly withdrawn. Our division was ordered to move along the Confederate works towards Petersburg. We captured many prisoners on our route, meeting with no opposition until we came to forts Gregg and Whitworth, south of Petersburg. Fort Gregg was surrounded by a ditch, flooded with water, about eight feet wide and four or five feet deep, and manned by the 48th Mississippi Infantry (a part of Mahone's Brigade). Gen. Foster, who was commanding the first division of our corps, had made two or three assaults on the fort, being repulsed each time with heavy loss. Our division com mander, when we came up, ordered me to charge. After a desperate struggle we succeeded in crossing the ditch,— pulling each other up the bank — and planting our colors on top of the parapet, captured the fort. In this assault Major Davis of the 54th P. V., and three color-bearers of the 1 2th W. V., were killed before we succeeded in planting the colors upon the parapet. " My son, Lieut.- J. M. Curtis, after the third man had been killed, grabbed the colors in his left hand, and cheering the men on in the charge, a rush was made into the fort, and after a short struggle the enemy surrendered. The Medal of Honor was given to him for gallant conduct in this as sault. " This was the last place the enemy attempted to hold in front of Richmond ; they commenced to evacuate the city that day. My regiment was presented by our corps com mander with a golden eagle to surmount our State colors, AT THE "LAST DITCH." I2g inscribed as follows: 'Presented to the 12th West Va. Vol. Infantry by their corps commander, Gen. John Gibbon, for gallant conduct in the assault upon Fort Gregg, in front of Petersburg, on the 2d day of April, 1865.' The loss of our corps in this assault was 715 killed and wounded. Lieu tenant Curtis, with his regiment and brigade, also partici pated in the pursuit of Lee, until he surrendered at Appo mattox Court House, marching thirty-five miles on the 8th of April to get to the support of Sheridan. " Lieutenant Curtis was one of the officers appointed to take charge of the Confederate colors, which were surren dered and sent to Washington. Gen. Gibbon, our corps commander, who had seen service all through the war, and participated in some of the hardest-fought battles that oc curred, says in his report that this was one of the most desperate assaults made during the war." * In a conversation that took place the night after the as sault between some of Mulligan's Irish Regiment, one was overheard to say: " Moike, did yez moind young Cortis, standin' on the parrypet av the foort, wid the colors in 'Wan fisht an his soord in the other? Be me faith, he luk'd loike he wuz afther takin' a lape entoo Gayhanna ! " II. A FOOT SOLDIER AT "THE LAST DITCH." t " Since the day that Sheridan's cavalry, the Fifth Corps, * " The whole capture since the army started out gunning will amount to not less than 12,000 men, and probably fifty pieces of artillery." — Grant's Memoirs. t Lieut. Rudolph R. Riddell (late 6ist N. Y. Vols.). He enlisted in 1861, at the age of fifteen, as a drummer, and was promoted through intermediate grades to rank of Lieu tenant, commanding a company. Honorably discharged 1865. Awarded Medal of Honor for capture of flag at Sailor's Creek, April 6, 1865. (This account of the battle is by Mr. Riddell.) 9 130 HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. and Miles Division of the Second (to which we belonged) had struck Lee's extreme right, rolling him back and doub ling him up, we had been straining every power to ' finish the job,' as Sheridan had expressed it to Grant. To this end the pursuit was vigorous. The now desperate enemy, finding himself too closely pressed, would frequently and =s«s5?* LIEUTENANT R. R. RIDDELL, SIXTY-FIRST n. y, volunteers. with great suddenness turn upon us. This made the many engagements which took place along the line of retreat and pursuit generally unexpected, and always sharp and deadly. ' Keep 'em on a jump,' was Sheridan's characteristic order, and inspired with victory the order was carried out with terrible energy. Thus the two armies swept their stormy course from Petersburg to Appomattox. " Near the close of that race for life the enemy's converg ing columns reached a point on Sailor's Creek, and taking up a position of great natural strength upon the further bluffs that border the creek, faced their pursuers, for what SAILOR 'S CREEK. j , j proved to be the last and greatest struggle of the retreat. It was the veritable ' last ditch ' into which, for four years, we had been trying to get them. " I remember we had pressed on one day, with frequent heavy skirmishes, until late at night, nearly exhausted, we threw ourselves upon the ground to get what rest a soldier may under such circumstances. The morning (the 6th of April, I believe) broke dark and lowery, and the weather continued heavy, with frequent showers throughout the day. At an early hour we were under arms, but instead of taking up the pursuit and moving out with promptness, there were certain dispositions made, and positions taken, which seemed to indicate that we had something more seri ous to undertake than a rapid march after a flying foe. To men who have served four years and fought a score of bat tles, the signs of approaching battle are pretty clear. I was ordered by our adjutant to take my company, with full supply of cartridges, and report to brigade headquarters. As I had been on the skirmish lines all the preceding day, I indulged in a little quiet reasoning, while preparations were being made, as to the probable service before me ; and as it was not customary to detail the same officers and men for skirmish line or picket duty two days in succession, I drew my conclusions, and they made me homesick. " However, I was scared too soon ; just as I was about to file off with old Company B, I was informed that the order was recalled and I could keep my place in line. Firing now began in our front, telling us the skirmish line was feeling the enemy, and warning us that the services of a line of battle might be needed. The woods in which we 132 HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. were, and the general conformation of the ground, con cealed the position of the enemy from that part of the lines. But as the firing became heavier, we were moved forward in line, and soon came to the edge of the woods, and halted for a moment just within shelter. Walking forward a few yards with some brother officers, we saw our skirmish lines about half way down the slope, hotly engaged with a strong skirmish line of the enemy, who were posted along the creek, and in little squads by the bridge, and at several places sheltered by trees and bushes on the slope leading up to the enemy's position on the ridge beyond. It was perhaps a third of a mile from our position to theirs, but the creek did not evenly divide the valley. From our crest the descent was more gradual, and the distance to the creek much greater than from the crest occupied by the enemy. Running diagonally from left to right down the slope, on our front, to the creek, was a broad road, badly cut up by the passage of the enemy's trains, and partly con cealed from us, because cutting in places quite deeply into the side of the slope, leaving the upper bank deep and steep ; but after leaving the bridge it rose clear and distinct in its diagonal course to the creek beyond. I have a de cidedly clear recollection of that road. It impressed me, as standing upon the wooded crest I saw its broad, red course as it left the creek and rose to the opposite crest, strewn with the cast-off clothing and equipments of a retreating army, together with its steep upper bank ; and as our line of charge, if direct, would take us across it, I wondered how the boys would manage to get up that wet and slippery bank. But it impressed itself upon me more substantially A A? INFANTR Y " CHARGE." 1 , , soon after, when, in charging down, about a quarter of the regiment rolled pell mell down its steep bank, carrying an undignified quantity of the muddy, sticky sacred soil with us, and making us look like an outlaw band of Sioux braves painted for the war-path. Those who get the idea that a line of battle charges as if dressed on a straight edge, with guns aligned to a hair at an angle of forty-five degrees, with alternate movements of right and left legs, so perfect and together as to enable you to look down the entire line and see the triangular hole made by the bend of their knees, ought to see the real article as it tears its way through brush and woods ; as it tosses and heaves across fields ; as it bends and billows and crowds itself up the slope ; as it reels and roars and plunges itself upon the enemy, perhaps to recoil broken into fragments, streaming back to shelter. This latter is just the way we went down that slope, across the run and up to the crest beyond. We did not wait long in the edge of the woods before the order came, and burst ing forth we began the charge. The artillery opened on us at once, and as we neared the run the musketry joined in the work of death. Many a brave fellow was struck down before the crest was reached. Especially was the loss heavy during the struggle up the rise, beyond the creek. It was like all other charges of like magnitude, impossible to de scribe ; the terrible rush of armed men, the hoarse com mands, the fierce energy of action, the smoke and tumult and tempest of cannon and musketry are beyond descrip tion. We reached the crest, pausing a moment to pour our fire into their ranks, then leaped forward with the smoke, tore our way through the brush and tree-tops with which 134 HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. they had hastily covered their -works, swarmed over it shouting, yelling, struggling a moment in the awful chaos, broke and crushed them, and — well, it was .all over in less time than it takes to tell it. " Colors were captured all along the line. It's easy enough. All one has to do is to be there and go in with the crowd, and be careful not to let too many get ahead of him, else the first choice of flags is lost. There are some risks, however. If the fellow who carries the flag is obstinate, and don't want to give it up, you can hand him your card, or use any other inducement which may occur to you at the time. "Those of us who took flags were soon after permitted to go to Washington and present them to the Secretary of War ; were granted a leave of absence or furlough for thirty days, and a Medal of Honor -from Congress." III. A CAVALRY REAPER.* " Uncle Elliott, I think I'd like to be a soldier." The speaker was a handsome boy of fifteen, just at the age when boys are apt to run to hero-worship, and Charlie Jackson's hero was his Uncle Elliott, who had fought in the war under Custer and Sheridan, and who, long before Char lie had opened his eyes on this world, had been honorably mustered out of service, and turned his attention to the quieter pursuits of an American citizen. " Why do you say that, Charlie ? " * Elliott M. Norton enlisted as a private (B) 6th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry, Oct. n, 1862. Promoted through intermediate grades to rank of lieutenant and adjutant, served with his regiment in the field in Virginia, and for a few months on the Western frontier, and was mustered out at Salt Lake City in 1865. A CAVALRY REAPER. j,,- " Well, I've been reading ' Charles O'Malley, or the Irish Dragoon.' Did you ever read it ? It's a daisy book, I tell you. "Oh! That's the reason, is it? Yes, I've read it, but I wouldn't like to say just how long ago ; and I'm inclined to think it had the same effect on me. At any rate, when the war came, in 1861, I was wild to 'jine the cavalry,' as we used to say." LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT M. NORTON, ADJUTANT SIXTH MICH. CAVALRY. " I say, Uncle, tell me something about the cavalry and how you got the Medal and all." "Well, my boy, there isn't so much to tell — (just hand me those slippers and my old brier-wood pipe — seems to bring me back to camp-life again). Four years of fighting and marching are equal to a lifetime of peaceful pursuits here at home. Time travels very slowly when minutes of excitement seem like days, and when hours of suspense are like months at other times. But it doesn't take long to telf about, as we sit here now." 136 HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. " Uncle Elliott, how did you feel in your first battle ? " " Well, the first fight, I think, was at Hanover, in Vir ginia, on the 30th of June, 1863. I don't remember much about it now, only that I was badly frightened, and sup posed we must all be killed. It did not seem possible that any one could live in such a shower of lead. It literally rained bullets. I determined to sell my life dearly and just ' waded in.' A few days after, we had a stubborn fight at Hunterstown, Pennsylvania. We drove the enemy, and I was surprised to find myself alive and able to go into camp at night. The fact was, I was getting used to it a little ; it seemed that when I had plenty to do I forgot the danger." " Uncle, which was the greatest battle of the war?" " Charlie, that's rather a hard question to answer. Per haps the most important single battle was Gettysburg, when we drove General Lee's army across the Potomac, and, it was said, ' broke the back-bone of the Rebellion.' " " Were you at Gettysburg, Uncle ? " " Not precisely at the town, but all around the neighbor hood. On the third day we were engaged part of the time with the enemy's cavalry, and part of the time in support ing some artillery. This last is the worst sort of service — to stand still, while every now and then a solid shot will come rolling along like a base-ball, and knock down a 'set of fours ' like so many tin soldiers ; or a shell may explode just over you, and cut off limbs of trees and drop them on you. This sort of thing tries the nerves of horses and men, you may depend. But there is nothing to do for it but just to close in the gaps made by a horse falling in the ranks, or, wounded, backing frantically clear out of them." THE DA Y AFTER GETTYSBURG. j ,- Charlie seemed much impressed by this serious glimpse of real war. He sat silent for some minutes, while his uncle puffed away at the brier-wood. Suddenly the boy burst forth with a new query. " Did you ever kill a man ? " " I am afraid I have — in the line of duty ; probably sev eral, but I only recollect one, and that was in self- defence." " Where was that, sir? " " It was on the glorious Fourth (the day after the battle of Gettysburg), at Monterey, Maryland. Although the enemy were firing rapidly from their field batteries and our artillery replied, and our men kept up a lively racket on the skirmish line with their carbines, I confess it has seemed much more deafening in a real old-fashioned Grand Rapids 'Fourth.' We had some hand-to-hand encounters. One gigantic rebel captain — at least he seemed so at the time — sprang from behind a high stump (we were fighting on foot), and fired right into my face. The bullet went through the rim of my hat, pretty near the crown. The pistol was so close that the smoke and flash almost blinded me for a second. At the same moment I fired, and the ' Johnnie ' fell back with a groan. At that moment something else claimed my attention, and I never knew whether my enemy was dead or only wounded." " Were you an officer then, Uncle?" " No, only a sergeant ; but I can tell you, I never felt prouder than when my captain promoted me to be a non commissioned officer of our company, July I, 1863." 138 HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. " Was that the narrowest escape you had' in the war, Uncle?" " No, I suppose our charge on the rebel rear-guard at Falling Waters, July 14, of the same year, was ' the closest call ' I ever had. The enemy had crossed the Potomac, and feeling secure from any pursuit in force by our army, was resting some of his infantry on the opposite bank. The Michigan brigade was ordered to advance a short dis tance and form in line. My regiment, the 6th Michigan Cavalry, was then moved forward very quietly to within two hundred yards and halted, and companies ' B,' of which I was sergeant, and ' F ' — in all about one hundred men — were ordered to charge the breastworks which the enemy had thrown up to cover the crossing. It was a greater blunder than the ' Charge of the Six Hundred ' at Balaclava, from which less than two hundred returned. But our offi- cers and men never faltered. " Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die." " The enemy at that point comprised a large force of infantry, who could have successfully resisted a brigade' of cavalry. What chance do you think our little squadron had? " Well, a Confederate soldier who saw the whole affair answers the question.* He says : " ' As Heth's Division, guarding the line of the retreat of the main army, reached Falling Waters, near the Potomac, while lying on the ground with arms stacked, in a state of * "A Confederate Soldier," in the Southern Bivouac. "CHARGE OF THE ONE HUNDRED." 1?g presumed security, they were attacked by the enemy under the following circumstances : " ' Generals Heth and Pettigrew, Capt. Jas. H. Moore, and other officers, from an eminence, were reviewing the route over which they had just travelled, when all of a sudden a small force of cavalry burst forth from a skirt of woods about two hundred yards distant. The little group took the cavalry for Confederates. The cavalry then displayed the United States flag, and galloping up to Pettigrew, with swords drawn, shouted out " Surrender ! " They rushed over the little group, firing their pistols and mortally wound ing General Pettigrew. These brave fellows then attacked the command of Heth. Heth's men very soon realized the situation of things, and seizing their muskets, opened on this party with effect, and very soon despatched the force, tumbling them out of their saddles in every direction. They were all killed or wounded in a very few moments. This was the last battle fought north of the Potomac in the Gettysburg campaign.' " You see, Charlie, he says ' they were all killed or wounded,' but that is not quite true. Of that devoted band of one hundred, I and five others rode back ; the rest fell victims of a foolish order. " You asked me if it was a narrow escape. You can judge for yourself. A rifle ball took off my hat, another pierced every thickness but two of my overcoat, which was rolled and strapped on the cantle of my saddle ; three bul lets passed through my clothes and three through my horse. What a charger he was, Charlie ! A superbly built black, nearly seventeen hands high, and as active as a cat. I saw 140 HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. both my officers fall, and the detachment almost ' wiped out ' in two or three minutes. I turned to leave when a Confederate infantryman thrust his piece almost in my face and fired. My face was filled with powder, and the ball cut off a lock of my hair, which was rather long and thick; with my sabre I struck the barrel of the musket an up ward blow, and at the same time took a downward cut at the Johnnie. Without wasting any time, however, my horse carried me back over the works and, while I laid as close to his neck as a Comanche, used the spur and flat of my sabre on his sides. He carried me to our lines, nearly a quarter of a mile away, and as I dismounted, the grand old fellow sank down in a heap, shivered and was dead." " Was there much fighting the last year of the war?" " Yes : the year 1864 was a constant series of hard strug gles on both sides. Our cavalry was improving in every respect, and our supply of horses was unlimited ; the enemy was running short of horses and supplies of all kinds, and their horsemen were getting discouraged." " Now, Uncle Elliott, tell me how you captured the flag." " It was near the last gasp of the war, only a day or two before Lee's surrender — Sailor's Creek,* it was called. The battle began about half-past three o'clock in the afternoon. I was then a lieutenant and acting-adjutant of my regiment. At five-thirty we were pursuing the enemy in ' column of fours ' at a gallop. I was riding at the head of the regi ment with the colonel. Seeing a squad of the enemy, about twenty in number, about sixty rods to the left with a battle- flag, I left the regiment and went for them, with no other * This is the same battle described by Lieutenant Riddell, page 130. ANOTHER FLAG-CAPTURE. I^l object than to capture a flag. I had made several attempts to do this before, but failed. When within six or eight rods of the party they fired together at me, leaving their carbines empty, and me unharmed. With drawn sabre I rushed upon them and ordered them to throw down their arms, which they did. They did not so quickly give up the flag. But I suppose they saw I was bound to have it, and as some of our troops were now ahead of these Confed erates they sullenly resigned the flag to my care. Tearing it from the staff and thrusting it inside my coat, I told my prisoners to fall into line and start for the rear. " It was after seven o'clock that evening when I overtook the command, then going into camp. I kept my prize a secret until evening, when as we (the colonel and I occupied the same tent) were about turning in I told Col. Vinton that if he would promise not to say anything I would show him something. He agreed, and I then pulled out my trophy. The old war-dog fairly danced with delight. " ' Jeems' River ! ' cried he, ' my regiment shall have the honor of capturing that flag. No, Adjutant, I shall break faith with you ! ' And he did. But I forgave him. "After the surrender, I was ordered to Washington, in company with a number of other flag-captors, to turn over to the Secretary of War all the flags captured by the cavalry corps. Here we each received a furlough of thirty days and a Medal of Honor. " My battle-flag belonged to the 44th Tennessee Regi ment. It was of heavy silk, 12 x 4^ feet in dimensions, with gilt stars and bars, and the motto ' Death to Invaders.' " " Well, Uncle, that is very interesting ; but although you 142 HORSE, FOOT AND DRAGOONS. ran a great risk of getting shot when you went for the flag, it seems to me that the Southern color-guard gave up the flag pretty easily to one man." " Ah, my boy, those were gallant men. They had fought us during four long, weary, years ; but when they saw our forces closing around them on that day, they realized that the end had come, and then resistance died out with the last volley from their carbines. Just how they felt is de scribed by an eloquent Southern soldier, who, writing of this very occasion, says : " ' Soon we hear the notes of a cavalry bugle. How mer rily it sings ! how defiant its tones ! how martial the strains as the gentle south wind brings its cadence to our ears ! It is no stranger to us, for its strains we have heard before, and we know their meaning. It is Custer's trumpeter, rally ing his dashing squadrons to the headlong charge. We fall back to the foot of the hill to receive it. A Georgia brig ade re-enforces us. On, on they come, as though on pleas ure bent. The sharp clang of sabres is heard as they fly from the scabbards. A moment more they flash in the sunlight, magnificently. The enemy ascends the summit of the hill and dash on us. We pour in a deadly and appalling volley, and thirty brave fellows fall from their saddles. The conflict is short, sharp, and decisive, and the gallant Custer and his squadron fall back before overwhelming numbers as gayly and gallantly as they came. But the lines are closing around us, and the Confederacy is in its death throes. Four hours later and the bloody conflict of Sailor's Creek closes the last chapter in its melancholy history. " ' Nearly all of Ewell's Corps are captured. Oh, the an- CUSTER A T SAILOR 'S CREEK. l, , guish of the hour ! We saw, surrendered, eighteen battle- flags which bore upon their tattered folds the historic names of Manassas, Cold-Harbor, the Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court-House. Wait ! Every cloud has its silver lining. The next morning, after a refreshing slumber on the sweetest of all beds — the bare ground — we are again marshalled in line. " ' Down that line came General Custer. By his yellow hair and boyish face he is known to all of us. Near the centre of the line he turns to his band and orders it to play "Dixie." As the marvellous strains of the Confederate war-song floated in liquid sweetness around us, we break into tumultuous cheering. General Custer waves his hat, and a thousand gallant soldiers in blue dash their caps in the air. " ' Such was General Custer in the presence of a con quered foe. Here might the artist have found his inspira tion for " Custer's Last Rally," and the Southern poet who wrote : " ' The nations of the earth shall know That love, not hate, alone can glow In soldier-hearts by valor tried On many a field, and this our pride, When heroes of the Blue and Gray ShaU each to each due homage pay, And scorn with all their martial souls The cowards base and venal ghouls Who shunned the conflict they had bred, And live but to malign the dead.' "* * "A Confederate Soldier," in the Southern Bivouac. FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. 144 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. IT was a wet day in November at the Soldiers' Home. Four veterans of the War of the Rebellion were enjoy ing themselves in an innocent fashion. Two were playing chess. It was not serious chess by any means, and when ever the players lagged in the conversation they were cheerfully relieved by the others, who appeared to act as seconds in a peculiar game — they called it in old soldier slang, "swapping lies." All, but one, were smoking pipes, and punctuating their talk with puffs, now and then taking the pipe out of the mouth and waving it in a lofty manner, intended to be at once impressive and convincing. One of the players was a white-haired man, who had been with Sherman in the Great March to the Sea, and now,, being without kindred, he was spending his last days upon one of io 145 146 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. the most beautiful of the green pastures for ancient war- horses that a grateful country has provided. They were talking of the promptness with which the people of the North answered the President's call to arms in the early days of the war. "Well," said old Sergeant Bent, "none on 'em did bet- ter'n Illinoy." " Ohio wa'nt no slouch them days," remarked Private Strong, who was standing behind the first speaker, nursing his elbow. " That's so," grunted Peter Williams, who never indulged in long sentences, but was generally supposed among his associates to do " a heap of thinking." The fourth man — Corporal Prim — was more laconic still. After poring over the chess-board for a few moments he briefly remarked, " Check ! " By mutual consent a halt was called, and the ancient Sergeant, taking up the thread where he had dropped it, continued : " I ain't a going back on Ohio ; she done noble ; but as an Illinoy soldier I hev a pride in her war record. See here what the adjutant-general of the State said in his report. I cut it out a long time ago." The old man produced a great leathern wallet, and turning over a bundle of discharges and pension papers found a newspaper clip ping which he handed over to Comrade Strong, saying, "Your eyes better'n mine ; jest read that to the crowd." With one hand raised to fix the attention of his listeners, Strong read the following : " ' The order of the Secretary of War, making the call upon this State, assumed that a draft would be necessary, and in ILLINOIS PATRIOTISM. j,- anticipation that the States would not be able to contribute their quotas of the call in July (1862), announced that if any State should not, by the 18th of August, furnish its quota of the three-years volunteers, the deficiency would be made up by special draft from the militia. . . . These vigorous measures gave hope of a speedy termination of this terrible war. The people of the State received the announcement with the wildest excitement and most unbounded satisfac tion. Messengers and committees from every portion of the State hastened to the capital, demanding that, as they were ready to perform their share of the work of saving the Government, that they should not be drafted so long as they were willing to volunteer. This condition of things was promptly communicated to the War Department, and the assignment of our quota under both calls urgently re quested. The next day it was announced that our quota under each call would be 26,148, but as Illinois had fur nished 16,987 men in excess of her quota of those in the field, the total number required under both calls was 35,320. ... On the 9th August, from returns made to this Depart ment, I informed the public that there would not be a draft : this was upon the strength of the despatch from Washington that our quota was 35,320. ... On the even ing of that day, however, the assistant-general announced that it had been decided in fixing the quota not to regard those in the field before the call, leaving our quota at 52,296. ... To raise the increased number (16,976) of vol unteers, but thirteen days were allowed. The floating pop ulation of the State who would enlist had already done so. These new volunteers must come, if come at all, from the 148 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. farmers and mechanics of the State. It is no exaggeration to say that, inspired by a holy zeal, animated by a common purpose, and firmly resolved on rescuing this Government from the verge of ruin and restoring it to the condition in which our fathers left it, over 50,000 of them left their har vest ungathered, their tools on their benches, their ploughs in the furrows, and turned their backs upon home and loved ones ; and before eleven days had expired, the demands of the country were met and both quotas were filled ! Proud indeed was the day to all Illinoisans when the extraordinary announcement was made that the enlistment rolls were full. And when the historian shall write the record of those eventful days of August, 1862, no prouder monument can be erected to the honor and memory of a free people than a plain, full narrative of the actual facts ! ' " " There," burst in the Sergeant, " what do you say to that ! Ain't that bully ? " " Why, the fact is," quietly drawled Corporal Prim, " I enlisted under that call myself." The reading of the Adjutant-General's report seemed to stir the usually placid pulse of the Corporal, and as his com panions pulled at their pipes and gazed at him in mute agreement that he had the floor, the veteran leaned back in his chair and went on: "Yes, I enlisted in the 119th Illi nois Infantry in 1862, but we weren't mustered into the United States service until October of that year. Our first duty was guarding the Mobile and Ohio Railroad for more than a hundred miles, and we came mighty near being gob bled up by the rebel generals, Van Dorn and Forrest, near Holly Springs ; but while they were capturing one of our CAPTAIN McCONNELL. Y^g companies, five miles away, our little detachment jumped on a train and ' changed station ' in a hurry. In February, 1864, we joined General Sherman at Vicksburg, and the next month were sent under Gen. A. J. Smith to join Banks' Red River expedition. My company, ' H,' was com manded by a gallant officer, Captain SAMUEL McConnell. A MEDALLIST OF THE 119TH ILLINOIS. " The troops from the Army of the Tennessee were rear guard of Banks' army to the mouth of the Mississippi River, and also guarding Commodore Porter's ironclad fleet — in fantry guarding ironclads the same as a train of wagons — the fleet being covered with cotton. On our trip up Red River we landed at Simsport, Louisiana, and on the 14th of March, 1864, we started on the -march to attack Fort De Russy, which we captured after 28 miles, before sundown. Captain McConnell captured the field-glass of the command ing officer, as he said, to show that he ' was in with the first ' ; it was on the platform of the pivot-gun. Our next battle was at Pleasant Hill, La., April 9, 1864, where we drove Dick Taylor from the field. Our regiment captured the flag of the 12th Texas Infantry; on the flag was embroi dered in silk, ' Presented to the 12th Texas Infantry by the ladies of Galveston.' Our next fight was at Bayou La Moore, La., May 7, 1864. We were sent in some heavy timber on the left of the line of battle, as there was heavy skirmishing in that direction. We took our position about four hundred yards in the timber, and about one mile from' the line of battle. The regiment took position in a low de pression and was ordered to lie down. There was no enemy 150 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. in sight, but the musket-balls striking the trees around us and cutting off boughs over our heads, with an occasional solid shot from a one-pounder the Rebs had. We had not to wait long. The 5th Texas Infantry came on the double- quick, with the Texas fierce yell, to turn our left flank and get between us and our line of battle. The heavy timber and underbrush concealed us as we lay on the ground in the depression, and instead of gaining our rear by passing our left flank they came square in on our front. When they got within about thirty paces of us we fired a volley into them, and then charged on the double-quick with the bayo net. In less time than it takes to tell it there was not a Texan to be seen, except the dead and wounded. The regiment then fell back to the same depression. In the mean time, the 89th Indiana Infantry was ordered to our assistance. They were passing along in our rear, on the double-quick, by the right flank, when the 5th, 6th and 7th Texas Infantry made another dash to gain our rear. This time they made the attempt to get round the right flank. The right flank of the 89th Indiana had passed our right flank about fifty paces, when the Texans opened fire on them at short range ; but the Hoosiers kept on the trot until they cleared our regiment, when they came to a front. Both regiments charged with the bayonet, when the enemy again ran. Each Reb seemed to be an arsenal on legs ; be sides his musket, each man had two navy revolvers and a heavy knife, about twenty inches long, with eight feet of . cord, one end attached to the handle of the knife and the other end tied around the wrist ; the prisoners we took ex plained that the knife was to be used by throwing it into a STRIPPING FOR THE FIGHT. j 5 , Yankee, and the string was to pull it back for another throw. " On the 7th of February, 1865, we were sent to New Orleans, and camped on General Jackson's old battle ground, six miles below the city. We were moved from there in a short time to Dauphine Island, at the mouth of Mobile Bay. From there we went up the bay and marched across to Spanish Fort ; there our brigade guarded the flank of the forces that were operating against Spanish Fort to keep re-enforcements from coming by way of Fort Blakely, opposite the city of Mobile* After the forces had completely invested Fort Spanish, our division was sent up to take part in the siege of Fort Blakely, which commenced on the 3d of April and ended on the 9th of April, 1865." Here the Corporal was interrupted by, " Blakely? — Why, I was there, too," from the Sergeant, and " We helped you take it," from Strong. " Is. that so? " replied Prim. "Per haps I'd better stop ; 'twont be much news to you fellows." " Go on ! go on ! " urged the others, and the veteran went on with his story. " On April 9th, about four o'clock in the afternoon, an order came from brigade headquarters that our company was detailed to lead the charge on Fort Blakely. Soon we had orders to form the company, and see that each man had * Canby appeared before Mobile on the 27th of March. The city of Mobile was pro tected by two forts, besides other intrenchments — Spanish Fort, on the east side of the bay, and Fort Blakely, north of the city. These forts were invested. On the night of the 8th of April the national troops, having carried the enemy's works at one point, Spanish Fort was evacuated ; and on the 9th, the very day of Lee's surrender, Blakely was carried by assault, with a considerable loss to us. On the nth the city was evacuated. 152 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. his arms in good condition, with full forty rounds of ammu nition. " The men took their places in silence, and answered to their names as though they felt it would be the last time they would stand in line for roll-call on this earth. I felt the tears in my eyes as I saw the boys stripping off every thing that would be an incumbrance, and tightening the waist-belt and making every preparation for a desperate rush. We took our position in the rifle-pits in front of our brigade ; the charging columns of infantry were in line close in rear of us. Near where I was standing the two color-bearers of the 21st Missouri, counciling together in regard to throwing their deck of cards away. One was say ing that they had gone through the battles of Fort Henry ; Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Tupelo and Nashville, and had thrown away their decks of cards at all of those places and had come out all right ; and that, as cards were hard to get, he thought they would .take the risk of going in the fight with them. The other thought they ought to throw them away ; but as the first man was not willing, he would not carry them and he gave them to his comrade. They were large, strong men. When the bugle sounded, they left their regiment and overtook Captain McConnell, about forty paces from the fort, where they were both shot dead, one falling against the captain. I heard distinctly the balls pass through their bodies. "When Colonel T. J. Kinney of our regiment was giving the final instructions, Tom O (known as 'Big Ugly ' ) said : ' Colonel, I think we had better not go in the fort, for it will only raise a fuss / ' OVER THE WORKS. iS3 " The color-bearers of the three regiments of our brig ade seemed to think it was a foot-race, as all three left their regiments and started on a dead run for the rebel works. Our color-bearer, a bow-legged Dutchman, came over the works two hundred yards ahead of his regiment. He did not stop to plant the colors on the works, but went straight on. He is running yet for all I know. We made our way through the abatis, which covered the ground in front of the works for two hundred yards. The abatis, you know, was made by a thick growth of small pine trees that were felled, the tops out ; the limbs trimmed and cut off at the proper distance and sharpened, which made our progress very difficult. When we got through, we found a wire stretched along the front of the ditch and about twenty feet from it. When I got to the ditch I looked around to see if the company was close at hand. I found only the Captain near; he was just in front ; the rest of the company was some distance back, making the best progress they could. There was no time to waste. Captain McConnell said, ' Come along, Prim.' We started for the works, got over the ditch, and were near the top of the breastworks when the rebels ran out a gun through the embrasure and fired. In the smoke and confusion we had not noticed the embrasure, and we were close to the muzzle of the gun when it was fired. We were blown back in the ditch. We were on our feet in a moment, and went over the works among the guns and gunners ; I with my musket cocked and bayonet fixed, the captain with revolver in hand, ready for instant use. The gunners held up their white hats in token of surrender. I suppose they thought that 154 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. only two men would not come over the works unless they had backing close at hand. I told them to get down close to the breastwork, where they would be out of danger ; they did so. " Captain McConnell and I went to the rear of the works and turned to the left, towards the bay, and opened fire with musket and revolver on a squad of Rebs that was try ing to get to a small gun-boat that was at the landing on the right of their works. They fired one volley at us and turned to the right. We kept on our course till we came near their right, on the bluff near the bay, when a captain faced his company to the rear and they came to a ' ready ' on us. I thought my time had come, for it did not seem pos sible that they could miss us at that distance ; but at that instant some of our men came over the works and saved our bacon. The rebel company surrendered to Captain McConnell, and he took the rebel flag that was on the works. The gun-boat was still at the landing. It was lying broadside to land, and the gang-plank was still out and the boat was crowded with rebels that had taken refuge on board. We concluded to take the boat in and got within about one hundred yards of it when we halted, and the captain came to the conclusion that it would be risking more than we cared about ; although the boat had a white flag hoisted, we were afraid it was a trick to catch some Yanks. We fell back in good order and the boat steamed over to Mobile. I did not get a scratch, but Captain McConnell was hit by a piece of shell on his left knee and his clothes were riddled by Minie balls. " Our brigade was paraded July 12, 1865, on Government THE COLORED TROOPS. 155 Street, opposite the headquarters* of General Kilby Smith, and the Medal of Honor was presented to Captain McCon nell by Lieut. Colonel Lyons, Assistant Adjutant-General, 16th Army Corps. He made a splendid presentation speech. The captain seemed to think it a more trying or deal than the capturing of a rebel flag, and his company took as much pride in it as he did." After a few minutes' pause Private Strong asked : " What regiment was yours, Sergeant ? " " The I22d Illinois. At the siege of Blakely we were on the left of Corporal Prim's regiment." " And my regiment, the 97th, was on your right, Corpo ral." " It looks as if we had General Canby's entire force repre sented here," chimed in Peter Williams. " Don't forget the colored troops ; they were on the ex treme right, next the 97th, you know," remarked the Cor poral. " Yes," said Strong, " they did well when they came to close quarters." " You see," continued Strong, " I was Colonel Vifquain's standing orderly, and had an opportunity of seeing and hearing a good deal about the operations in front of Blakely. COLONEL VIFQUAIN AT BLAKELY. "The 9th of April, 1865, was an eventful day around there. Since the 2d of the month the trenches had been pushed forward with great energy. Colonel Vifquain had charge of the works in front of the Second Division, 13th 156 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. Army Corps. The division was under the command of C. C. Andrews, the corps under Maj.-Gen. Steele. On the right of Andrews' Division was Hawkins' colored Di vision, and the works in front of this division had not been pushed with the same vigor' as those in front of Andrews', so that on the 9th of April, in the morning, several rifle shots had been sent through the third parallel which Vif quain was then completing. Not having lost' one man as yet, while at work, and not desirous to lose any unless it was unavoidable, the Colonel reported the fact to General Andrews, about twelve o'clock noon, and requested that the colored division be instructed to occupy the ground on his right and in their front, so as to push back the rebel line of pickets and skirmishers. He also reported the facts to General Steele, who ordered the colored division to ad vance sufficiently to answer the requirements. " The rebel line of pickets was unusually strong that day, and the works of the Second Division were not over fifty yards from the little V redoubts occupied by the rebel pickets. So close were they, indeed, that the night pre vious, a beautiful moonlight night, several rebel bullets struck the spades of our working force. The spades were bright, and the moon, shining on them, made, so to speak, looking-glass targets for the rebels as the earth was flung over the parapet. " At four o'clock P.M. the colored division started on its advance and were soon greeted by a terrible cross-fire of artillery, which, added to the numerous torpedoes with which the ground was covered, made the task a telling one. The officers of the negro division behaved with unusual COLONEL VIFQUAIN. je- gallantry, but their men had laid down and could not be made to rise up again under the destructive file from their front, and the secret fire that sprang up now and then from under their feet as the torpedoes were trodden upon. " Generals Canby, Steele and Andrews were on the ex treme right of our rifle-pits and could see everything very well. General Canby, who commanded the Military Divis ion of the Gulf, turned round and inquired, ' What can we do to relieve them ? ' Colonel Vifquain said that if we were to charge, the rebel fire would be turned upon us, thus relieving, to some extent, the colored division. He con sulted with Generals Steele and Andrews, and very soon afterwards General Andrews ordered him to prepare to lead the charge. The regiment was put in line of battle in the third parallel, the 76th Illinois being behind our right, and the 24th Indiana Volunteers behind the left of the 97th Illinois. These two regiments were crowded in the zig-zags and second and first parallels, and were to fol low our regiment after we had reached the foot of the hills on which the forts of Blakely were. The Colonel had given special instructions to every one of the captains as to what point they were to go for. By this time it was almost five o'clock. General Canby had remained in the works and was in the zig-zag that led almost to the very centre of our regiment. The last words he told Colonel Vifquain were : ' Colonel, stop at the foot of the hill if the fire is too mur derous.' Vifquain answered, ' General, there is no stopping place for us except in Blakely.' He had studied the ground for several days, and knew that any charge or assault from the place where we were must be made to a 158 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. finish. He had the most implicit confidence in his men, knowing what they had done at Vicksburg. General Canby then said : ' Well, go ; and good fortune attend you.' Vif quain asked him what time it was ; General Canby replied it was five o'clock and five minutes. The Colonel told him that within a quarter of an hour our flag would be on the rebel works. "At the appointed time, I saw the Colonel jump on the shoulder of the parapet ; the rebels could see him from his knees up. He quietly drew his sword and allowed the rebels to empty their rifles at him, and then gave the word. Before the enemy could reload their guns we were upon them ; rolling down the hill like an avalanche and up the other side with great force. Our commander made for the battle-flag on the rebel works, with the color company right upon his heels ; and while he cut the halliard of the rebel flag with his sword, and in the act of pulling it down, our color-bearer planted our flag ; for a second or two Vif quain was hidden by the folds of our victorious banner mingling with those of the rebel standard. Our color- bearer was killed on the spot. The bayonet finished the work, and Blakely was ours with 5000 prisoners and 85 pieces of heavy artillery. "The same night our regiment slept in the fort where the rebel battle-flag stood in the morning, and General Canby sent Colonel Vifquain a note in pencil, which read as follows : " 'Dear Colonel: " ' Thank you, and may God bless you and your brave boys. " ' E. R. S. Canby, "'M/.-Genl. Cometp.' TWO HEROES. j eg " The orderly that brought the note was killed on his way back by a torpedo. Upon General Canby's recom mendation Colonel Vifquain was breveted Brigadier-Gen eral, and received the Medal of Honor. "ONE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH." "Captain P. H. Pentzer,* of my company, 'C,' 97th Illinois Infantry, also won the medal. He was command ing the extreme right of our skirmish line, and finding him self inside the rebel works in the charge, would have been captured had it not been for the colored troops, who at tacked the enemy with great fury, using the butts of their muskets. About this time the captain noticed a rebel soldier waving a white flag. Approaching, the man shouted that the general wanted to surrender. Captain Pentzer was then conducted to the headquarters of General C , who in person surrendered himself and headquarters' flag. Captain Pentzer remained in charge of his distinguished prisoner for several days." PRIVATE CALLAHAN AT BLAKELY. " Well, boys, dunno that I can add anything to what's been said about the Blakely fight, but one of our boys got a Medal of Honor there, too," said the old Sergeant. "It was this way: My regiment, the I22d Illinois In fantry, was on the extreme left of the Union forces sur rounding Blakely, and between our position and the enemy * Captain P. H. Pentzer enlisted as a private in Co. H, gth Illinois Volunteers (three- months men), April, 1861. Re-enlisted for three years Iuly 15, 1862, as sergeant-major 97th 111. Vol. Infantry; captain, Feb. 14, 1863. Served at Vicksburg and Department of the Gulf. Mustered out July, 1865. 160 FIGHTING THE BATTLE O'ER AGAIN. there was a swamp, in addition to the abatis and torpedoes you all have- been describing. Blakely, you will recollect, is on high ground, about eighty rods from the swamp. Going on the skirmish line about sundown/ 1 and Private J. J. Callahan (the man who got the medal), met two of the rebels between the hostile skirmish lines and had a friendly talk for about half an hour. The rest of that night we stood on our feet with a sharp lookout to see if the rebels were going to make any move. Being relieved about sun rise on the 9th, we returned to the reserve, and tried to get a little sleep. At noon we were notified that the fort would be assaulted at five o'clock P.M. We advanced into the swamp, apparently unnoticed by the rebels, but as we raised out of the swamp it seemed as though the infernal regions had opened in all fury. But every man did his duty; we carried everything before us. We captured the Confederate general, Liddell, and many others. General Liddell had a demijohn of ' old peach ' at his head quarters, of which Callahan and I had a taste. Our regi ment also captured a battery. As we wheeled to the left, on the inside of the works, Callahan and I saw the rebel flag defiantly floating; then he said to me, ' That flag must come down.' Without orders we made a dash for it. Calla han reached the spot first, and seizing the colors, demanded a surrender. The color-bearer, seeing there was no way to escape, reluctantly gave up the flag. At this time a bat tery of two guns, just to the right, was still firing at us. Captain Bostwick of our company said : ' Boys, we want those guns,' and with a cheer we charged, capturing the bat tery and all of the men belonging to it. Captain Bostwick GENERAL SCOTT'S AUTOGRAPH. 161 told Callahan to get on one of the guns and stay there, and he did so until the guns were turned over to the proper officer. From Blakely we were ordered to Montgomery, where we received word that Lee had surrendered, and that Peace was made. Every man was almost wild with joy ; but it is impossible to describe the shock that the Army received at the news of the assassination' of Lincoln, our beloved President." 1 62 CAPTAIN HARVEY MAY MUNSELL, NINETY-NINTH PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY. WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME.* JUST twenty years after the Great Conflict, I am asked to give for publication my recollections of service as a color-sergeant, during the War of the Rebellion. It seems as if the subject of War had been written almost threadbare : however, I will describe some incidents of my soldiering days. THE TRIALS OF A RECRUIT. I was born at Painted Post, Steuben County, N. Y., Jan uary 5, 1843. My ancestors, on my father's side, are traced to Sir Philip de M(a)unsell, who came from Normandy with "William the Conqueror." His grandson, Sir John M(a)unsell, was Lord Chief Justice of England, in the time * Contributed by Captain Harvey May Munsell, at the request of the Editor. 163 164 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. of Henry III. My mother was a May, and one of her ancestors was John May, Esq., who came to America in 1640, from Mayfield, a town in the county of Sussex, Eng land. At the time war was declared, and Fort Sumter fired upon, in the Spring of 1861, I had charge, for an uncle* of a lumber yard at Oil City, Pa. Having been taught, from a boy up, that Slavery was wrong, President Lincoln's first call for 75,000 three-months volunteers naturally set me on fire, as it did almost every one throughout the Northern States. Oil City, at that time, was in the backwoods of Pennsylvania; before the days of railroads in that section. However, the people were intensely patriotic, and joined me in purchasing the materials for an immense flag, made by the ladies, hoisted to the top of. a tall staff made of derrick poles, and unfurled to the breeze amid cheers from thousands of voices. That was a great day for Oil City, and the flag was a gentle reminder to all able-bodied men to fall into line and march off for the preservation of the Union. That flag did good service, and yet when the people of that region learn for the first time that the flag we all " rallied around " in 1 86 1 was as much like a rebel flag as any I ever saw, they will certainly be as much surprised as I was in making the discovery. However, such was the fact, and I have since enjoyed many a good laugh over it. The people were a little slow in Oil City, so I went to Franklin, seven miles distant, hoping to join a company there, but was too late. * Hamilton Stow, Esq., of Cincinnati. THE TRIALS OF A RECRUIT. I6S Then I made Pittsburg my objective point. Arrived there one day too late. Sign posted up at all recruiting stations, "No more men wanted!" Saw the officers, how ever, and plead with Jhem to "let me in," but all in vain. Besides, the daily papers announced to the public that the quota of 75,000 men under the President's call was full, and that twice as many more had offered than were wanted. Just then my eyes fell upon a recruiting advertisement in a Philadelphia newspaper. I opened a recruiting office in Pittsburg, and wrote, published and distributed several thousand copies of the most patriotic, " soul-stirring " handbills ever flung to the wind in that ancient and honor able town ; and they did the work, for in less than thirty- six hours I was on the cars with twenty-seven men, tick eted for Philadelphia. Arriving there, all the men breakfasted at my expense, and before I could report and turn them, with myself, over to our French colonel, Romaine Lujeane, all but eleven deserted ; and by evening on that day but three men remained. The colonel ordered me back to Pittsburg that night, to take advantage of my circulars: result, thirty more recruits. Took them to Philadelphia, where all but four deserted. Those patriots simply wanted free transportation, and they got it ; but the seven who remained with me were seven of the best boys, — honest, true, brave, soldier boys, — in the United States Army. The fact is, I was only a boy myself, just past eighteen, and weighed less than a hun dred pounds ; but taken with the other seven (who were l66 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. about my age and weight), I felt like a giant, because I could now call myself one or eight at pleasure. From that time forward, I stood before the country in the ratio of one to seven, or, as seven to one ; and it cost me in shining gold just $65.25 to reach those proportions, as per following detailed statement : When I first arrived in Pittsburg I had just $75.00 2 days' board in that city, $3.00 Incidentals 2.50 5000 handbills 15.00 Transportation for 28 men to Philadelphia (paid by Government) 00.00 Loaned to a recruit (afterwards deserted) 25.00 Breakfast for 28 men in Philadelphia 7.00 52.50 Total cost of first invoice $52.50 22.50 My return trip to Pittsburg cost : 1 day's board 1.50 Incidentals 2.50 Transportation for 32 men (paid by Government) 00.00 Breakfast in Philadelphia for 32 men 8.00 Loaned recruit , .75 12.75 Total cost of second invoice $12-75 $9-75 Add cost of first invoice 52.50 Aggregate expense $65.25 and for that, we had eight recruits and $9.75 left. In round numbers each recruit cost just $8.15. The Colonel was several weeks in filling his regiment, so it was among the first ready for service after President Lincoln made his first call for three-years men. The Colonel offered to promote me to a lieutenant, but I bash fully declined the honor, for I knew nothing about military tactics. Was mustered into the U. S. Volunteer Service, with my seven "good and true" recruits, July 26, 1861, we being the youngest, smallest, scrawniest-looking " high privates in the rear rank," of any in the 32d Regiment (afterwards re-numbered the 99th) Pennsylvania Volun- "JOHN BARLE YCORN." j 6 - teers. We were at first looked upon by everybody in the regiment, except the Colonel, as of no earthly value. The regiment was disciplined and sent to the front, but it took some time to get there. While on the route, it garrisoned, for a few days, Fort Davis, one of the chain oi forts surrounding Washington, and located about two miles from the south side of the Anacostia River, com monly known as the Eastern Branch of the Potomac. While there I was promoted corporal, and a few days later it was my misfortune to fight my first battle with an enemy not on the programme. It was brought about in this way : A day or two pre vious, a very estimable young man by the name of Griffith in my company, " C," was taken with a cramp and drowned while he and the other members of the company were out bathing in the river. Griffith ventured out too far, in very deep water. His body sank, and remained at the bottom of the river. A detachment of men from Company C was at once despatched to the Navy Yard, with orders to secure a gun boat or a heavy piece of ordnance on a barge, as soon as possible, and proceed to the spot in the river where the soldier went down, firing the cannon over the body until . it rose to the surface. It was a tedious undertaking, so the men were worked by reliefs, changing every two hours. I was one, and just after I had been relieved, about-eleven o'clock, one of the darkest nights I ever saw, a sergeant in my company, by the name of G R , and myself started for the fort. There were two or three ways of going, but, as it was so very dark, we concluded to take !68 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. the public highway. Sergeant R had been drinking just enough to make him boisterous when we started, but before we had travelled half a mile he became morose and ugly. We lost our way in the dark, at a place where sev eral roads branched off. While slowly feeling our way in the dark, a horse and wagon came along, going in the same direction. The Sergeant wanted to ride, and made known his wants in the most vigorous manner possible. He yelled so loud that the horse and driver were alarmed, and in a moment were out of hearing. Then the Sergeant became very angry and laid down in the woods, declaring he would not move another inch. Supposing we were near our camp I travelled on, leaving him to follow at leisure. Within five minutes I heard a wagon, and saw a light in the road coming toward me at a rapid rate. It proved to be the same wagon that passed us, but this time it was crowded with soldiers, and each sol dier had a loaded rifle, and each rifle had a fixed bayonet. In the next instant the wagon stopped, and the sergeant in charge called out, "Who comes there?" I replied, " Friend with the countersign," and as I was advancing to give it, down came every rifle, with the muzzle pointing at me, and with the same movement, click, click, I heard the double action of the locks, as they cocked their pieces. Could there be anything more dreadful than to be unwittingly placed in such a position on a lonely road in the woods, in the middle of the darkest night, unarmed and alone in a strange country? All the battles I after ward saw, rolled into one, could not equal the terror of that supreme moment — just before they came to my relief, by "A BRACE OF BRIGANDS." 169 dragging me into the vehicle with them. They turned the horse and wagon around, and drove off at break-neck 'speed, finally landing me in the guard-house of an unknown regiment. Well, it was another relief to get there, although their treatment of me had not improved, for they handcuffed, shackled and tied me down. While one party was doing that another had driven away for the Sergeant, who, when found, was treated in like fashion. We had the guard house, a large wall tent, all to ourselves ; but it was doubly guarded by extra men, detailed for that purpose. About daybreak, the following morning, I learned " con fidentially" from the Officer of the Guard that the vehicle passing us on the road, and about which the Sergeant made such a row, was returning from Washington with the regi mental mail. Frightened half out of his wits, in that lonely spot at the dead of night, by the sergeant's intem perate yells, the young man drove into camp, rousing the whole regiment, exclaiming at the top of his voice that he had been attacked by two highwaymen. Sergeant R • had commenced to sober up, and' I shall never forget the look on his countenance when I told him we were a "brace of brigands," to be tried by "drum-head court-martial" at nine o'clock that morning, to be con victed, sentenced, and shot at twelve o'clock, noon, of that day. He believed every word of it, and well he might after such an ordeal as we had gone through the night previous. I wanted him to believe it, up to the very last moment, for had he let liquor alone, and gone along about his business, he would not have dragged us into that 170 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. scrape. The Officer of the Guard secretly furnished me with pencil, paper and envelope, that I might communicate with my regiment. I wrote a letter to my colonel, explain-" ing the whole thing, and the Officer of the Guard sent it over to him. About nine o'clock that morning we were marched out in front of the strange regiment (a new one), lectured by its colonel, and then asked by him what we had to say for our selves. I looked off to my right, about that time, and dis covered my company (C) marching toward us, and then I respectfully told the Colonel " nothing we could say, after such treatment, would be of any avail, and we would leave it to our regiment to settle with him." Just then the officer in charge of our company handed the Colonel a letter, demanding our immediate and unconditional release. We were released, there and then ; and from that day forward, as long as those two regiments remained near each other, whenever our men caught any of the others outside their camp, I regret to say, terrible battles were fought on our account. Sergeant R was never seen under the influence of liquor after that. He was an honest man and a brave sol dier, and was, near the end of the war, a lieutenant in that same Company C when I became its captain. Colonel Lujeane and my captain (William J. Uhler) declared I had fought my first battle and won a great victory. I thought so then, and I think so now. As the result, I was promoted to sergeant. Moral. — Never be caught in the company of a drunken man, under any circumstances what ever, for you will have trouble when least expected. A FAMOUS BADGE. l?l THE KEARNEY PATCH.' From Fort Davis the regiment moved to Alexandria, Va.; from there to the Peninsula, under General McClellan, and afterward, with his army, we moved up near Manassas, under General Pope. It took part in General Pope's event ful campaign of 1862, including Bull Run 2d and Chantilly ; the latter being the battle in which our brave General Kearney was killed. After the battle of Chantilly, the Army retired to the "Defences of Washington," General Birney succeeding to General Kearney's command. General Kearney, before his death, had issued an order requiring officers and men under his command to wear a badge or mark by which they would be always known. The badge was a piece of scarlet cloth, worn on the hat or cap, so as to be seen at all times. That was the first attempt to designate officers and men in our army by any distinctive mark. It proved to be a good thing, for then we could always tell whether our men lagged on the march or straggled in action. Soon after Kearney's death, General Birney issued an appropriate order, and in it spoke of the piece of cloth to be worn in memory of the dead general. The scarlet cloth referred to was soon cut in the form of a diamond, and this was known as the " Kearney Patch." After General Hooker took command of the Army of the Potomac in January, 1863, he wisely issued an order requiring the offi cers and men of each corps to be known by some distinct ive badge or mark; the 1st division of each corps wearing red, the 2d, white, and the 3d, blue. 172 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. The following is a characteristic order issued by General Kearney to his soldiers : '" Brave Regiments of the Division : — You have won for us a high reputation ; the country is satisfied ; your friends at home are proud of you. After the battles and victories purchased with much blood, you may be counted as vet erans. I appeal then to your experience, to your personal observation, to your high intelligence, to put in practice on the battlefield the discipline you have acquired in camp. It will enable you to conquer with more certainty and less loss. " Shoulder-straps and Chevrons I You are marked men ; you must be ever in the front. " Colonels and Field Officers 1 When it comes to the bayonet, lead the charge ; at other times be among your men and supervise. Keep officers and men to their constituted commands ; stimulate the laggard ; brand the coward ; direct the brave ; prevent companies from ' huddling up.' " Marksmen ! Never in the fight cheapen your rifles. When you fire, make sure and hit. In wood or abatis one man in three is to fire, the others reserve their loads to repel an onset, or to head a rush. It is with short rushes, and this extra fire from time to time, such ground is gained. Each man up in first line ; none delaying ; share danger alike ; then the peril and loss will be small. " Men ! You Brave Soldiers in the Ranks ! whose worth and daring unknown, perhaps, to your superiors, but recognized by your comrades, influence more than others, I know that you exist. I have watched you in the fire. Your merit is sure to have its recompense ; your comrades at the bivouac will repeat your deeds ; it will gladden your families, and in the end will be brought be fore your country. " Color-bearers of Regiments ! Bear them proudly in the fight ; erect and defi antly in the first line. It will cast terror into your opponents to see them sus tained and carried forward. Let them be the beacon-light of every regiment. The noblest inscription on your banners are the traces of the balls. " Again, Noble Division, I wish you success and more victories until, the cause of our sacred Union being triumphant, you return, honored, to your homes." " WHERE THE RED VOLLEYS POURED." KEARNEY AT SEVEN PINES* I. " So that soldierly legend is still on its journey,— That story of Kearney, who knew not to yield ! 'Twas the day when with Jameson, fierce Berry and Birney, Against twenty thousand he rallied the field. Where the red volleys poured, where the clamor rose highest, Where the dead lay in clumps through the dwarf oak and pine, Where the aim from the thicket was surest and nighest — No charge like Phil Kearney's along the whole line. II. " When the battle went ill, and the bravest were solemn, Near the dark Seven Pines, where we still held our ground, He rode down the length of the withering column, And his heart at our war-cry leaped up with a bound : He snuffed, like his charger, the wind of the powder, — His sword waved us on, and we answered the sign ; Loud our cheer as we rushed ; but his laugh rang the louder, ' There's the devil's own fun, boys, along the whole line.' III. " How he strode his brown steed ! How we saw his blade brighten In the one hand still left — and the reins in his teeth ! He laughed like a boy when the holidays heighten, But a soldier's glance shot from his vision beneath. Up came the reserves to the melee infernal, Asking where to go in — through the clearing or pine? ' O, anywhere ! Forward ! 'Tis all the same, Colonel : You'll find lovely fighting along the whole line.' IV. " O, evil the black, shroud of night at Chantilly, That hid him from sight of his brave men and tried ! * E. C Stedman, in Scribner 's Magazine. 173 174 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. Foul, foul sped the bullet that clipped the white lily, The flower of our knighthood, the whole army's pride I Yet we dream that he still, in that shadowy region, Where the dead form their ranks at the wan drummer's sign, — Rides on, as of old, down the length of his legion, And the word still is, ' Forward ! ' along the whole line.'' OUR BATTLE-FLAG AT FREDERICKSBURG. It was a long step from Chantilly to Fredericksburg, but it was successfully made, overriding all sorts of obstacles, marching and counter-marching, fighting in a small way, called by some " skirmishing," and by others magnified into regular battles ; and battles they were to those who hap pened to meet with a stray bullet while doing picket duty. Little does it matter to the poor soldier who has been shot to death while fighting where a hundred thousand were engaged, or where he was the only one out of a hundred thousand who fought and fell. That was his greatest bat tle, and if we could compile the thousands of cases of that "description in both armies, what a record it would make! Then it is so much easier to speak of thousands having been killed in a certain battle, than to speak of only one in some other battle. Here we are at Fredericksburg, where one of the greatest battles of the War for the Union was fought, and although nearly twenty-four years since, it makes me shudder to look back at that dreadful field as I saw it December 13, 1862. Thousands upon thousands fought their " last and greatest battle " there, and that my last was not fought then and there was certainly a miracle. And I will tell you why : I was color-bearer of my regiment, and the regiment was in FREDERICKSB URG. 175 the very thickest of the fight, doing treble duty. First, it was on the extreme right of our division, supporting about thirty pieces of cannon the enemy wanted to capture. Second, we were also held there in reserve to support Gen eral Meade and his brave Pennsylvanians, who were away ahead in our front, in plain sight, grappling with the enemy. Third, our regiment opened ranks in the face of a victori ous foe to let General Meade's decimated regiments pass to the rear, after they had exhausted their ammunition, and were compelled to retire in confusion. Then, closing our ranks, we made a dashing bayonet charge, driving back a Georgia brigade which tried to capture our artillery. It was a sight long to be remembered in its terrible grandeur ; and all happened quicker than I can write it. The brave Georgians wanted our artillery, which was pour ing grape and canister into their ranks at a fearful rate, but in order to get it they had to mow down the 99th Pennsylvania. The Southerners came down upon us diag onally, on the double-quick. Our soldiers reserved their fire until the enemy was within about three hundred feet, and then gave them a galling reception, making them halt, when they in turn commenced pouring a heavy shower of bullets into our ranks, from the right of the regiment up to its centre, at the flag. I had the colors, and when I looked down the ranks at my right and saw them melting away like ice under an August sun, and heard bullets humming about my ears like bees in a swarm, I concluded whatever was done must be done quickly ; for if the enemy ever captured our artillery, or got in our rear among the ambulances, baggage-wagons, j^6 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. and ponton bridges, the result might be serious ; so I instantly started toward the Georgians on a run, with the flag, and beckoned our men to follow. They were found equal to the occasion, and did follow with a cheer, on an extra double-quick. All in our regiment who were not killed or wounded by the terrible musketry fire, all of Gen eral Meade's men who had recuperated from the panic, and all stragglers and " coffee-coolers," caught the inspiration, fell into line and helped drive the Georgians from the field at the point of the bayonet, capturing many prisoners. Both the flag and my clothes were riddled with bullets, but I did not receive a scratch. It was said the enemy made the same desperate attempt to break through our lines, along the entire front of our division, all at the same time and were everywhere repulsed, with great loss. However, subsequent events proved that the 99th received more than its share of the work on that day, because the object ive point of the enemy was our artillery. The " regimental poet," Mr. George Flower, composed some verses about the battle, while we were lying on the ground in the front line nearest the enemy, during the next two days, and they will come in very appropriately now, years after that desperate struggle, showing its fierceness and naming some of the actors. SONG OF THE NINETY-NINTH PENNSYLVANIA. {Composed on the battlefield.) At Fredericksburg, the 99th their battle-banner bore Two days and nights in foremost rank, despite the cannon's roar ; The bursting shells, the whistling balls, the grape's destructive hail, To move that living wall are sent, but all are doomed to fail. SONG OF THE NINETY-NINTH. 1?~ They are hardy as the granite, and they've got a wondrous knack, When face to face, to give the foe good cause to turn his back ; Swift and steady on the march, firm and gallant in the fight, They drove the best brigade of Georgia clear, clean, out of sight. Our colonel, wounded, left the field, and many captains, too, When gallant Biles assumed command, none braver or more true- He cheered us on so heartily, himself so cool and steady, That to follow in his glorious path all hands and hearts were ready. Upon that bloody battlefield for fourteen hours or more We stood, our comrades from their wounds their ebbing life-blood pour. The young and gallant Setley, as his bright sword waved on high, Cried, " On, boys ! for our country, let us bravely fight or die I " The colors of our glorious State, that Curtin gave in trust, Were borne aloft by Munsell, and will never kiss the dust; While his heart with life is beating he will nobly lead the way, With our banner proudly waving, as it did upon that day. ******** Three cheers for Ward with hearty zeal, three cheers for Bir ney too, Who praised us on the battlefield, the enemy in view, A sigh and tear is all we can, as sorrow's tribute, pay To dear departed Kearney, ever foremost in the fray. ******** C hones : Come along! push along ! By our bay'nets' sparkling gleam We'll prove the rebel power but a false and idle dream. General Lee, in his report of the battle of Fredericks burg, says that at no part of his line were his men driven from the ground they had captured from our troops except at the point where Birney's Division drove back Early's Division of Ewell's Corps. As the 99th Pa. was in and on the extreme right of Birney's Division, it held the post of honor, and had the honor of clearing the enemy from that part of the field, as already stated by me. 178 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. MEMORIES OF CHANCELLORSVILLE. The next great battle was fought at Chancellorsville, Va., on Saturday and Sunday, May 2d and 3d, 1863, and it was the only battle during the war, in which I took part, where the carnage on both sides was so great, and the blood flowed so freely down the hard-trodden, sloping sides of a ravine, that a little brook, dividing the Union and Con federate forces at the point where our division was engaged, actually ran red with blood ! "At midnight of Saturday, May 2, General Birney re ceived an order from General Sickles to make the necessary dispositions to drive the enemy from the woods in his front, and retake the plank-road and earthworks near it. Ward's Brigade (in which was the 99th Pa. Vols.) was placed in advance. Slowly and cautiously the men moved along this road at midnight. No officer uttered words of encouragement ; no drum beat ; no colors waved ; no cheer rose from the ranks. The pale light of the moon, beam ing at intervals from between -the clouds, increased the effect of the scene, and photographed it upon the memories of those who beheld it, in characters never to be forgotten. Add to this the flash of the guns from the batteries sta tioned in the rear of the line, which in the early part of the evening concentrated their fire upon a point on the plank- road, to deceive the enemy as to the real character of the movement. As the batteries belched forth their flames and lighted up the landscape with a death-like hue, which the flash of powder at night always imparts to surround ing objects, the scene was grand beyond description. At CHANCELLORSVILLE MEMORIES. xjg a given signal, the fire of the batteries ceased, the men rushed forward upon the intrenchments, and their object was accomplished. The enemy abandoned the position without a struggle, and soldiers and officers rested upon their arms until daylight." * General Jackson was in command of the line in Birney's front on Saturday night, May 2, 1863, and he was un doubtedly wounded in front of Ward's Brigade in the great midnight charge already described. When General Lee first heard that Jackson had been wounded, he exclaimed : " Thank God, it is no worse ! God be praised that he is still alive ! Any victory is a dear one that deprives us of the services of Jackson for a short time ! " About 5 o'clock Sunday morning, May 3, 1863, the rebels in turn attacked our division, and then commenced the terrible destruction on the hill-side and in the ravine al ready mentioned by me. One correspondent wrote up the awful reality as follows, and when speaking of the enemy, said : " It seemed as if they were a dense mob, those in the rear being ignorant of the carnage going on in front, and crowded their companions on to sure destruction. They appeared in front of our lines for at least a mile, along the front of the entire Third and Second Corps, coming up in dense masses, climbing over the heaps of the fallen, firing heavy volleys, and going down among the slain as the response broke from our ranks. It was frightful to con template, the slaughter to which these men were forced. * New York Herald, May 7, 1863. i8o WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. Whole brigades were swept away in the determined effort to force our lines, and still other brigades sprang up to take their places." And so the battle continued, from five o'clock that beau tiful Sunday morning until after eleven on that day. If gBHQ there was ever a place on earth that could be consistently called a human slaughter-pen, that ravine and the sloping land on either side of it was the place. Nothing that I ever saw before or since could equal it. Within a radius of a mile or so, more than twenty thousand men were killed or wounded on that fatal Sunday morning. THE DIVISION DECORA TION. THE KEARNEY CROSS. 181 Soon after the great battle of Chancellorsville, on May 27, 1863, General Birney presented a few of his soldiers with the Cross of Honor, called " The Kearney Cross," as follows : ********* " The Brigadier-General Commanding Division announces the following names of meritorious and distinguished non-commissioned officers and pri vates, selected for their gallantry, as recipients of the ' Kearney Cross,' the division decoration. " Many deserving soldiers may have escaped the notice of their commanding officers, but in the selection after the next battle they will doubtless receive this honorable distinction. " This cross is in honor of our old leader, and the wearers of it will always remember his high standard of a true and brave soldier, and will never dis. grace it. * * * * * *> * * ( * " Sergeant Harvey M. Munsell, Company C, 99th Penn. Volunteers. * ******** " An official copy of this order will be given to each soldier entitled to wear the cross. D. B. Birney, . "Brig.-Gen. Vols., Commanding Division?' The following order was also issued : " Headquarters, First Division, Third Corps, " General Orders, 51. May 26, 1863. " The division will be paraded to-morrow for the presentation of the medals at three o'clock p.m. A staff officer from each brigade will report at these headquarters at half-past two o'clock p.m., for instructions as to the ground. Every available man will be turned out, and particular attention will be paid to dress and accoutrements of the troops. The brigade band of First Brigade will be present, and report at two o'clock to Captain Briscoe, Acting-Assistant Adjutant-General. The drum corps of brigades will be consolidated. " By command of Major-General Birney, etc.,, etc." r82 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. The Occasion drew together a large assemblage of soldiers and civilians, in addition to the regular force of the divis ion and the distinguished officers present by particular invitation. The First Division, to members of which, only, the medals were awarded, was drawn up in hollow square on a beauti ful meadow in the valley of the Potomac Creek. The distinguished officers present occupied the centre of the square. When Major-General Sickles rode into the square, the whole assemblage of soldiers broke out in the wildest cheer ing. An attempt was made at " three times three," but the response was more like nine times nine. It was a con tinuous roar for several minutes. As soon as the party were all present, the several brigade commanders were directed to call the Roll of Honor of their several commands, and the parties designated in the above order stepped to the front. They were quickly formed in three ranks, by brigades, the representatives of each regiment carrying the regimental colors, and the brigade colors being placed in front of each rank. At the request of General Birney, General Sickles made the presentation address. He spoke as follows : " SOLDIERS : — Your general of division has confided to me the most pleas ing of duties — the decoration of brave men with Medals of Honor. These med als are the gift of your fellow countrymen ; they are such tokens of appreciation as a martial people should bring to the camp of their defenders. You have earned these proud emblems of constancy and valor — more precious than riches, more honorable than office ; — they are legacies for your kindred, which neither time nor change can impair. You are Volunteers, the noblest type of an army. You have offered your lives for the preservation of a Government — alone among THE SOLDIERS OF KEARNEY. 183 nations — of which it has been gracefully said that its blessings, like the dews of heaven, descend alike upon all. Your power is in your bayonets. Bayo nets have dethroned kings, created nations, opened avenues to civilization and religion. The sun which now gilds yours, never lighted holier paths than those you follow to battle. The steel which destroys the enemies of a good cause is consecrated. It is this, and because you know how to use your arms, which makes you invincible. On the day after the attack upon Fort Sumter, April 13, 1861, I had the honor to be accepted by my late lamented friend, Colonel Vosburgh, as a volunteer in the ranks of the Seventy-first Regiment of New York Militia. Like yourselves, a citizen soldier, my military services began with the Rebellion ; and, if spared so long, will end when the rebels are put down. Peace, while the Rebellion breathes, is dishonor. Never since Caesar led his legions to conquest ; never since Rienzi, last of the tribunes, fell with the last fragments ofthe Roman Republic; not in the armies of Napoleon, where Marshals rose from the ranks ; never in any army, has promotion so generally and so surely followed merit as in ours. The genius which chal lenges victory, even from adverse fortune, will, sooner or later, find its place at the head of the column. Let your motto be ' EXCELSIOR ' — the emula tion of the brave for the commendation of the good. You are the Soldiers of Kearney — that electric commander, disdaining death, whose sword yielded at last only to the Supreme Conqueror. These medals bear his honored name, and his cherished image. When I add that Birney is his fit successor, and that you are worthy of both, I hope that nothing is left unsaid which the occa sion demands. The medals will now be delivered to commanding officers of regiments, who will decorate the men of their commands, named in the order." THE NINETY-NINTH AT GETTYSBURG. Then came what was more important to our country in its results than the battle of Waterloo to Europe, viz., the great battles and final victory at Gettysburg, Pa., fought July ist, 2d and 3d, 1863, just two months, to a day, after Chancellorsville. The movement of two giant armies of nearly a hundred thousand each, from Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville to Gettysburg, — such a long distance, in such a short time, 1 84 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. — was looked upon by everybody as one of the most stu pendous undertakings of the war. Officers and men in both armies had been schooled for that contest. All vet erans ; and all used to the familiar " zip " of the bullet as it passed them by. Long years of active service had hard ened them against the sound of roaring cannon, screech ing and ricochet shot, and bursting shells ; hardened and as tough as Bessemer steel ; and nothing but steel and cold lead could produce an impression upon a solitary man of that two hundred thousand thoughtful souls. There they were, face to face, in battle array. Stripped for the contest, armed to the teeth, waiting the signal to try and annihilate each other. Christians, in a civilized country, and every man of them battling for what he thought to be right. It was my good fortune to be one of that mighty host battling for the Right — as I understood it — that Slavery was wrong. I was but a unit, as compared to that great whole, but I felt strong. " Only a Color-bearer," — but that old, tattered, bullet-rid dled regimental flag appeared to be nothing more than a pipe-stem in my hands on July 2, 1863, the day the great, seething, roaring whirlpool of the battle struck my grand old regiment a regular " broadsider." It came about in this way. The 3d Corps, General Sickles', occupied the extreme left of the Union line in the second day's battle. Ward's Brigade occupied the extreme left of the 3d Corps, and the 99th Pa. (my regiment) occu pied the extreme left of Ward's Brigade, up near Big Round Top, in front of Little Round Top, at the Devil's Den. THE DE VIL 'S DEN." 185 Why it was that the 99th had the post of honor, as it were, again, in this line, I cannot tell ; but we were there, occu pying by all odds one of the most important positions in either army. As a matter of fact, historians have since declared it was the " key to the situation." Twist it as they tried, the rebels always got a double twister that hirled them back instead. ?4L'- W',; JhM^ «#ss*^ -r £?%£?* ^^!>*. I^i.t; GETTYSBURG — " DEVIL'S DEN." Describing it, an eye-witness said : " Silence, deep, awfully impressive, but momentary, was permitted, as if by magic, to dwell upon the field. Only the groans, unheard before, of the wounded and dying ; only a murmur — a morning memory — of the breeze through the foliage ; only the low rattle of preparation for what was to come, embroidered this blank stillness. Then, as the smoke beyond the village was lightly borne toward the 1 86 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. eastward, the woods on the left were seen filled with dark masses of infantry, three columns deep, who advanced at a quick step. Magnificent ! Such a charge, by such a force, — fully forty-five thousand men, under Hill and Longstreet, — even though it threatened to pierce and annihilate the 3d Corps (the one the 99th was in), against which it was directed, drew forth cries of admiration from all who be held it. " The rebels came on furiously, halting at intervals, pour ing volleys that struck our troops down in scores." There, on " our left," stood the 99th, as firm as the rocks beneath their feet ; watching and waiting for the avalanche of maddened men bearing down upon them, — a cyclone of thirty thousand of Lee's bravest and best, sweeping toward us, with loaded guns in a bayonet charge. "Only a Color-bearer," but — Merciful Heavens! I me chanically prayed as I never prayed before nor since. My heart was in my mouth, or boots, and never to this day have I been able to tell which. My teeth, like those of " poor old Harry Gill, went chatter, chatter, chatter still ; " and chatter now when I think of it. Frightened almost to death, and not a soul in the regiment knew it but myself. If I could have been suddenly transplanted, or could have taken on the garb of an angel and heavenward flown, or gone up like Elijah, what happiness at that supreme mo ment in which I was living two hundred thousand lives every second, as it were, and when I would have sooner died two hundred thousand times than to continue in the terrible suspense when seconds seemed hours. HIS SATANIC MAJESTY'S "DEN." 187 LOCKING OUT THE DEVIL. We were at the " Devil's Den," and the " Den " was locked, and the 99th, as I said before, held the " key." Only a hand ful of men to arrest and keep at bay "His Satanic Majesty " and thirty thousand others, trying to get in. The members' of the 99th, every man of them, looked like ghosts, and it was not until after I made that discovery that I came to the conclusion they thought I was the only man in the reg iment not frightened half out of his senses. Every second brought the advancing host nearer to us, and every second they remained in the distance counted thousands of men in our favor, for every one of us was quadrupling himself for the herculean struggle near at hand. The regiment ap peared to be elastic, able to contract and expand to any length and breadth at will. I had the flag unfurled to the breeze in the front as in former battles, and every man looked to me and the flag as a guide, and I knew it, but they did not know I did. They had the guns, the bayonets, the bullets, the pluck, the courage; and we all felt safe in each other's hands. Not a solitary man of that little band, even for a mo ment, thought of being driven from " the Key." We were the " Davids," and on came the " Goliaths " to their destruction. Our little " slings " did it. Column after column of the " flower," as Lee was pleased to call those of his army, was thrown against us, and for one hour and thirty-eight minutes we were kept busy hurling them back. It was solemnly said, by non-combatants and eye-wit nesses, that " men fell as the leaves fall in Autumn, before ,88 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. those horrible discharges." " Faltering for an instant, the rebel columns seemed about to recede before the tempest ; but their officers, who could be seen through the smoke of the conflict galloping and swinging their swords along the lines, rallied them anew, and the whole line sprang forward the next instant, as if to break through our own by mere weight of numbers." At many points along the 3d Corps line they did break through, but never 'for an instant at " the key " ; but the key was finally flanked and had to be abandoned, but not until a new line of fresh troops had formed at the hinges of the door. " Only a Color-bearer," with colors riddled, and eleven bullet-holes in my clothes ; but the worst was not yet. I had survived the whirlwind, had looked down the throats of thousands of fiery guns, discharged without harm to my person, and now that we were compelled to go away from the " Den," out of that Hades of fire, and save ourselves and the flag from capture, immediate action and some engineering was required. I had a color-guard of eight corporals, and every man was killed or wounded. The rebels were pouring into our rear in vast numbers on both flanks. General Ward or dered our regiment, or what was left of it, to fall back as quickly as possible. It got a good start, say about sixty feet, before I commenced to fall back, because I misunder stood the order, and as several of our men were too badly wounded to leave the field, and yet able to load and fire at the enemy from where they fell, the thin line of rebels re maining in our front, naturally thought our regiment was lying down waiting for another charge. I retreated with "ALL BLOWN TO PIECES." j8g the flag a few hundred yards in good order, but shortly a shell came whizzing past, then another, and still another, bursting all around me. One struck the ground, tearing it up, and burst right at my feet. Stunned by the concussion, I tumbled into the depres sion it made, and many of our men, who looked back and saw me- fall, reported me dead. " Munsell all blown to atoms by a shell, and the flag captured." That both the flag and myself were not captured was no fault of mine, for there we were for a long time, " playing possum," and I apparently dead as Julius Caesar. The staff laid along the surface of the ground in my front, under some rocks and bushes; the flag under my body, with my head and shoulders down in the depression, and my feet and legs out, as a wounded or dead man would naturally lie, stretched at full length, dur ing a battle ; for the fight was still raging on both flanks, and the rebels were working a battery which they had cap tured at the " Den." I was surrounded by low rocks and bushes, as well as by the rebels, and I dared not move from that position until the coast was clear to the rear ; the only thing I feared was that a Johnnie might come along and try his bayonet on me to see if I was really dead. Just about that time the 6th Corps swept down toward and past me, driving every " Reb " before it. I jumped up and " skedaddled " to the rear, where my regiment had formed, quietly fell into line and unfurled the flag. Such a shouting I never heard before or since. Men who saw me fall, "all blown to pieces with a shell," and "the flag cap- tured," came and looked at the flag, and felt of me to see 190 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. if there wasn't some mistake or humbug about it, for I was already booked as among the "slain ih battle." I saw more, accomplished more, in those few hours than during my whole life before. I quote from a personal letter to me from General Daniel E. Sickles, dated New York, Aug. 17, 1886. * * * * * * * -x- * "The 99th Penn. Vol. — that noble regiment that Stood the brunt of battle for hours in the ' Devil's Den,' cover ing Round Top, the key of the Union position, while Gen eral Meade was sending troops to hold it." I also give an extract from the report of the commanding officer of my regiment and brigade.* " Camp in the Field (Near Warrenton, Va.), "July 27, 1863. " Sir : — I have the honor to make the following report of the part my com mand took in the actions before Gettysburg on the 1st, 2d and 3d inst. ************* " The courageous conduct of Color-Sergeant Harvey M. Munsell, and the manner with which he bore the regimental colors during the conflict, has in duced me to make special mention of his case, as one worthy of the most de cided approval. " (Signed) John W. Moore, " Major Comd'g 99th Penn. Vols.'' " Hdqrs. 2d Brig., ist Div., 3d Corps, "August 4, 1863. " Captain : — I have the honor to transmit a report of the action and move ments of my brigade on July ist, 2d, 3d and 4th : ******** ***** "It would afford me much gratification to speak of others in the terms they * From the advance sheets of the U. S. Records—" War of the Rebellion," Vol. XV.. 1880. HEROES OF THE COLOR-GUARD. jgX deserve, but space will not permit. I would respectfully refer to the regimen tal reports for a detailed statement of the particular deeds of many other gal lant officers. I cannot omit, however, the names of a few gallant non-commis sioned officers, viz. . . . Sergeant H. M. Munsell, 99th Pennsylvania Volun teers, . . . who by their bravery and example inspired all in their vicinity. It is to be hoped that a suitable reward, by promotion and otherwise, will be awarded these splendid soldiers. " J. H. Hobart Ward, " Brigadier-General." It is proper to mention, right here, three incidents in con nection with our color-guard at the " Den." HEROES OF THE COLOR-GUARD. GEORGE BROADBENT, from Lancaster City, Pa. ; young (about 18), tall, slim, light weight, fair complexion, always kind and gentle, and nick-named on that account, " The Lady " ; had a mess-mate by the name of Charles Herb- STER, one of my good and true Pittsburg recruits, and both were color-corporals. Each had a " presentiment," a few hours before the battle, that he was going to be killed in the fight. They told everybody so, and made all their plans to die. I talked with them about the matter, and tried to ridicule the idea, but all to no purpose. My captain wanted to detail them on other duty till after the battle, but fight they would, and fight they did, and died as heroes there at the " Devil's Den." " The Lady " had fired away nearly all his ammunition at the enemy in our front, and had just asked me what we would do after our last cartridges were gone, when a bullet from the enemy struck him square in the temple, right be fore my eyes, killing him instantly. He fell to the earth, 192 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. the blood spurting out of the bullet-hole over his battle- begrimed face. Charles Herbster saw him fall, and was by his side in an instant, took out his handkerchief, wiped the blood from his dead comrade's face, kissed him, and said, " Poor Lady is dead ! " On his knees, behind the body, Herbster planted himself, and again commenced loading and firing at the enemy in close company with GEORGE SETLEY, another one of my color-guard, from Lancaster, Pa. When we were compelled to abandon our position and go to the rear, I tried to get Herbster and Setley to go with us, as they were the only two of the color-guard, out of eight, not killed or wounded. Nothing could move them. There they were, riveted to the ground, avenging the lives of their comrades, and there we left them. Setley was frothing at the mouth with excitement and anger, and Herbster taking it as cool as a cucumber. Both were the best shots in the regiment, and both had done great execu tion. The next day we found Herbster's body lying on top, and square across "the Lady's," and both were com pletely riddled with bullets. Setley had been wounded, was taken prisoner, and sub sequently died in captivity. What a wreck ! — annihilation we might say. Eight boys (they were nothing else) shot to death defending the Flag of their Country at a critical point, at a critical moment. Twenty-three years have passed since that terrible tragedy^ and it is as fresh in my memory to-day as if but yesterday. Heroes they were, every inch of them, fighting, and dying martyrs in a good cause, as were all their com rades who fought and died on that bloody field. MODERN MARTYRS. 193 On the 2d day of last July, the 23d anniversary of the conflict, the surviving members of the 99th Pa. Vet. Vols, erected and dedicated a beautiful monument to the memory of all its fallen heroes, on the very spot at the Devil's Den where the little band of eight gave their lives that we might live as a Nation. That great leader in the noble army of martyrs, Abra ham Lincoln, said, on the same spot, a few months after the battle : " We cannot consecrate nor hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it far above our power to add or detract. The world will but little note, nor long remember what we say here ; but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to dedicate ourselves to the unfinished work which they so nobly advanced ; to consecrate our selves to the great task remaining, and to gather from the graves of these honored dead increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their lives. Here let us resolve that they shall not have died in vain ; that this nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom ; and that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish forever from the earth." Out of respect to the sacred memory of the heroes who consecrated with their life's blood the spot, where our beautiful and enduring monument now stands, I take pleasure in furnishing a miniature reproduction here. 13 jg4 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. MY "VETERAN FURLOUGH." From Pennsylvania we returned to Virginia, and during the Summer and Fall of 1863, the 99th was engaged in marching and fighting many small battles, such as Auburn, Kelly's Ford, Mine Run, Wapping Heights and Bartlett's Mills, in all of which I carried the flag, and, with my usual good luck, came out unharmed. January 1, 1864, found the 99th at Brandy Station, Virginia, and during a tidal wave of patriotism that swept over our regiment about that time, nearly every man in it " re-enlisted for the war," unless sooner shot, of course. As I had been right along with the veterans, through everything up to that date, I wouldn't, couldn't, and didn't desert them. The entire regiment received thirty days' furlough, and returned home to Philadelphia in a body. I shall long remember the day our regiment parted company with the Army. The feeling was something like that possessed by a strong, affectionate man leaving his family for a long jour ney. I thought, if the Army of the Potomac got into trouble with the enemy, during the absence of the 99th, it would have hard work to pull through without our assist ance ; and when our regiment moved off, homeward bound, I felt as if the whole left flank of the Army was going with us, actually deserting those poor fellows left behind, — nearly a hundred thousand strong. Soon after arriving in Philadelphia I had my photograph taken, and for the novelty of the thing, give a fac-simile of it right here. I was 21 years of age, to a day, when it was struck off. "A LITTLE ENTERTAINMENT" 195 One afternoon a committee of officers from the 99th waited upon me, requesting the pleasure of my company at a little entertainment. I accepted, as a matter of course, without thinking much about it, for the officers had always been very kind. They wouldn't tell me a thing about it, except that it was a " little entertainment." I didn't know whether it was an evening party, a ball, or a regimental drill, but I went to work and arrayed myself in my best, and when re flected in a Continental Ho tel mirror I scarcely knew myself, the transformation was so great. Satisfied that I looked well enough to be presented, if necessary, to Her Majesty, the Queen, I hurried off to the " little en tertainment." Arriving at the place, I was sadly disappointed at not finding any ladies there. No one but the officers of my regiment, and their friends. In order to remove my embarrassment, the Colonel, Asher S. Leidy, of Philadel phia, brought forth from its hiding-place one of the hand somest American flags (made of heavy silk, and of the regulation size) I had ever seen.* In a short and appro priate speech, on behalf of himself and the other officers of the 99th Pa. Veteran Volunteers, he presented the flag to * See full-page engraving facing this chapter. 196 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. me, to keep as my personal property. With tears in his eyes, and in the presence of all his commissioned associates, who were likewise in tears, he thanked me for himself, and for them, and said that as I had successfully carried the regimental standard through all the great battles in which the regiment had been engaged up to that date, and at the critical moment in each one I had never been found want ing, they desired to acknowledge the fact in a fitting and substantial manner. "That flag," said the Colonel, "with the battles in golden letters on its stripes, and the engraved inscription on the silver plate attached to the staff, tells the whole story." The inscription reads as follows : Presented to Sergeant HARVEY M. MUNSELL, Color-Bearer 99th Reg't Pa. Vet. Vols., By the Officers, for Meritorious Conduct on the above Fields. When the Colonel had finished his remarks, I was found blubbering too. I had always been considered iron-clad, and bomb-proof, but when it came to being bombarded with tears in that fashion, I surrendered, thanked the officers for the beautiful gift, and told them I had only done my duty as I understood it. If I had been the means of aid ing, in the slightest degree, in maintaining the good reputa tion of the Ninety-ninth, I was extremely happy, but it could only have been accomplished under certain condi tions ; viz., by the aid of the officers and soldiers of that grand old regiment, who vigorously sustained me at all times, and more particularly at the critical moment in all the great battles in which we had been engaged. I was ANOTHER PRESENTIMENT. jg-, proud to say, not a solitary officer or man had ever been found wanting in a fight with the enemy,— that we had stood by each other, in fighting our battles with the com mon enemy ; and because we were all of one mind, and stood by each other, shoulder to shoulder, we invariably won our battles. I again thanked them for their good opinion, and the honor bestowed upon me, and closed the " little entertainment " by banqueting every one present with lemonade and ice-cream. WHAT CAME OF A PRESENTIMENT. Soon after I re-enlisted for the war, a feeling came over me, a sort of presentiment, — as in the case of Broadbent and Herbster, — that the next battle in which I carried the flag, I should be killed. That ugly sensation hung over me all the time I was home on my veteran furlough. On the re-assembling of the regiment at a camp near Philadelphia, after its leave of absence had expired, I brought the matter before my captain, and he tried to get my furlough extended sixty days, but without avail. The commanding officer of that department said it could not be done, — that every able-bodied man was wanted and needed at the front. From Philadelphia, the regiment went to Washington on its way to the field. I still kept on wondering how I could honorably get rid of carrying the "old flag" in the next battle, and at last an idea struck me. The Government wanted officers for colored troops, and as there was a free military school in Philadelphia for t(j8 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. applicants for commissions, I thought I would now try the Secretary of War. One afternoon I took my Kearney medal, and the flag presented by the officers, and started to see the Secre tary of War. When I arrived at the War Department it was late, and many were ahead of me, on various kinds of business. Mr. Stanton received and listened to each man in his turn. It was nearly dark when it came my turn to meet the War Minister. Just before Mr. Stanton was ready to leave for home, I introduced myself to him ; he appeared tired and worn out by the day's work, and spoke short, and treated me rudely. Wanted to know what I was doing there, away from my regiment at that time of day. I answered politely, and at the same time unfurled my flag, and showed him the battles on it, and the inscription on the silver plate. There was only a dim light in his office, and I remember how he went and hunted a match, lit up everything that could be lighted, and then called in some staff officers and others to look at the flag. It was simply a grand, impromptu reception. Scarcely a word had passed between us up to that moment, but he looked first at me, then at the flag, and then at his army of aides. Finally Mr. Stanton asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a coward, and wanted to get out of the next fight. That blunt answer to his question nearly threw him into convulsions of laughter, and at the same time he whipped out of his side pocket a little memorandum book, and asked if there were any more " cowards " like me in my regiment? I answered, "Yes, all alike." He took my SECRETARY STANTON'S ACTION. jqq name off of the silver plate on the flag-staff, wrote it in his book, and then asked for two more. I gave him the names of Captain John W. Moore and Lieutenant A. W. Bach- man, the latter a 2d lieutenant of my own company. At his request I gave him a short account of my service, and also told him about my " presentiment." Mr. Stanton was apparently pleased with my record, for he said, in the presence of everybody there, when shaking me by the hand, that I was the only stranger, either soldier or civilian, who had ever asked him for a favor, without be ing loaded down with letters, and who had brought such a living testimonial of any service they had rendered the United States Government. Those were about his words. He kept right on in the same strain, as follows : " I'll dis charge you ; I'll promote you to a commissioned officer in the Regular Army ; I'll do anything in my power for you, Sergeant Munsell." That was certainly the happiest moment of my life, and I was almost willing to go back to my regiment, take the " Old Flag " into the next fight, and be shot. I told Mr. Stanton, when thanking him, I did not want to be dis charged or promoted, or anything of the kind ; but sim ply wanted a furlough to attend the " Free Military School," in Philadelphia. He sat down and filled one out for me, himself, leaving it undated. He then wrote a letter to my colonel, requesting him to date the leave of absence the day I left the regiment, leaving the time optional with me. I took said furlough and letter to the Colonel, and he became furious ; tore up both of them, and put me in the guard-house. Late that, night the guard let me out, and 200 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. I went direct to Mr. Stanton's home and reported my trouble. He in turn became furious at the Colonel, wrote me another furlough, and sent me back to my regiment with an escort. This time the good colonel respected every thing, and everybody, but Mr. Stanton never forgot the insult to his authority. I attended the "Free Military School," then went before the Board of Examiners in Washington, and passed for what was then called a "ist Class, First Lieutenant," for a company of colored troops. The great battle of Spottsyl vania had been fought in the mean time, and I having suc cessfully flanked it, took " French leave " of Washington and started for my old regiment at the front, arriving there just in time to take part in the battle of Cold Harbor, and all subsequent battles with the regiment, including those around Petersburg, and the first battle at Deep Bottom. While absent at the military school, I had been pro moted to first lieutenant in my own company, C, 99th Pa. Vols., and took command as lieutenant in the regiment, at Cold Harbor, having been excused from going into a colored regiment. Then Captain Moore, Lieutenant Bach- man and myself were ordered home to raise a new regiment. That was the trio Mr. Stanton took down in his memo randum book, and through him and General Birney the order was obtained. Moore was to have been colonel, Bachman, lieutenant-colonel, and I major, of the new regi ment. PRISON AND PROMOTION. Just before we could start home to recruit the new regi ment, I was taken prisoner. Moore and Bachman raised HOW TO MAKE CONSCRIPTS FIGHT. 2OI the new regiment,— the 203d Penna. Vols.,— in Philadel phia, in less than a month, and immediately marched with it to North Carolina. Colonel Moore was killed while lead ing the 203d Pa., in the assault on Fort Fisher, and Bach man was promoted colonel. Immediately after the battle of Cold Harbor, General Grant moved the Army of the Potomac to the south side of James River, in front of Petersburg, Va., and on June 17 or 18, 1864, the day after its arrival there, it fought a desperate battle in trying to capture that city. Our brigade had just received several invoices of raw re cruits, made up in most part of conscripts, who were in clined to be anything but patriotic and soldierly, — declared they wouldn't fight, and if taken into a battle would either desert to the enemy in front, or run away to the rear. They made no secret of their designs, so the commanders of regiments and brigades were compelled to take prompt and decisive action to thwart them, and they did it in the following way. More than half of the soldiers in the brig ade were old veterans, and they were detailed and divided up into two parts, one part to be equally distributed throughout each company in every regiment, and the other part was sent out on the skirmish line, in charge of an offi cer. I was placed in charge of those in front of our regi ment, and before advancing to our position, each man was supplied with a spade, one day's rations of food and water, and 60 rounds of ammunition. Under cover of the darkness, about two o'clock in the morning, we advanced on our hands and knees to within a few hundred feet of the rebel skirmish line, and then each 202 WITH THE COLORS- IN WAR TIME. man dug a hole, large and deep enough to lie down and move about in comfortably, without being seen by the enemy. When daylight came our work*was completed, and the rebels knew nothing about it. At 3 o'clock that after noon the troops advanced to give battle to the enemy. The moment it had passed the skirmish line, which was itself a line of battle, in single file beneath the surface, the old veterans in the regiments in front were ordered to shoot or bayonet any conscript refusing to fight, or caught deserting to the enemy, and the old soldiers in their holes on the skirmish line were sternly ordered to instantly kill any man trying to pass to the rear, unless wounded. There the poor conscripts were between two fires, — viz., the fire of the enemy in front, and the fire of their friends in the rear ; besides the fire of the veterans in the ranks right alongside of them. They were completely cornered, and had to fight or die ; so rather than die without any show whatever for their lives, they stood square up to the rack and took their chances with the rest of us, and fought like demons. From that time on we had no more trouble with " drafted men." During that battle the 99th had two adjutants killed. One, the regular adjutant of the regiment, was killed at the front, carrying orders to and fro. The Colonel appointed another on the spot, and sent him to the rear for some thing. There, over half a mile from the skirmish line and the battlefield, and down in an immense ravine, where it seemed to be entirely free from danger, the new adjutant stopped to wash his hands and face in a little brook, and while stooping over, a stray bullet from the enemy came •MAKING A MAN" OF ME. 203 along and killed him. That adjutant was a poor man, while the other one was rich, but the bodies were both embalmed and sent home at the same time, to their rela tives in Philadelphia. By a strange coincidence, the names and addresses to be placed on the boxes containing the remains, were by mistake changed ; that error caused great confusion in Philadelphia, for the box containing the remains of the poor man went to the rich man's relatives, and the other went to the poor man's friends. When the mistake was discovered, the wealthy people defrayed all the funeral expenses. In a little over a month after that battle I was captured on the skirmish line, at a place north of the James River, called "Deep Bottom"; it was about the time of the great "Mine explosion" in front of Petersburg. Our lines were not long enough by a mile or so, and the rebels came right around on our flank and rear. Before we knew it, more than a dozen of us were between two fires, and compelled to surrender or die. Not being ready to die just then, we surrendered. A rebel captain kicked off a board from a fence near, grabbed me by the shoulders, dragged me through, and said he " would make a man of me." While saying that, he took my hat, a bran new one, put it on his own head, and placed his own old, greasy, slouch hat on my head, pulling it way down over my eyes and ears. The ridiculous busi ness made us both laugh, right in the midst of the fighting, and as he was ordering me to the rear, a shell from a mor tar on one of our gun-boats in the James River came along, burst, and blew him to atoms. I made my way to the rear, and to Libby Prison, under guard, just as fast as I could. 204 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. In about a month from that date, our army had a fight with the rebels on the Weldon Railroad, near Petersburg, and lost several thousand men, taken prisoners. The fol lowing day the prisoners were brought to Richmond, and among them a few wounded colored men. They were all passed in review before " Dick " Turner, the fiend in charge of Libby Prison. The column stopped, and a wounded colored soldier, on crutches, who had almost bled to death, dropped down in his tracks, and Dick Turner gave him several heavy kicks trying to get him up. We hooted at him, through the prison grates. He ordered us back from the windows, under penalty of instant death. We, like good soldiers, obeyed. At 10 o'clock that night we were aroused from our slumbers by the music of a brass band marching into the prison, up stairs, and right into our sleeping apartment, a room fifty or sixty feet long, and about twenty feet wide. Said band was at the head of a file of rebel soldiers, with loaded guns and fixed bayonets commanded by " Dick," himself. He marched the band and soldiers around the room about half an hour, made every one of us (about 400, all officers) fall into line, between a double guard of rebel soldiers, at a charge bayonet, and then told us to commence " marking time," and ordered the guard to shoot or bayonet the first man who stopped be fore daylight the next morning, — said he would teach us to " hoot " at him again. That was the hardest night's work I ever did, and on an empty stomach too, for the wretch had cut off our rations of corn bread for that after noon and evening. From Libby we were taken to Salisbury, N. C, where PRISON EXPERIENCES. 205 there were about ten thousand of our enlisted men, prison ers of war. Nothing but a line of rebel guards separated the men from the officers within the enclosure, called a stockade. So we commenced to plot and plan for a break and escape. SUCCOR BY PROXY. By an oversight on our part the rebels found it out, and immediately sent the officers to Danville, Va., and there put us in an old tobacco warehouse that contained three floors. In order to be out of the way, I took up my posi tion on the third floor, in the corner farthest from the stairs. A few days after our arrival there, a rebel officer came to the head of the stairs, on the floor where I existed, mounted an empty candle-box, and called out as follows : " Any you Yanks who would like to supply food to my brother, now a prisoner of war on Johnson's Island, Lake Erie, captured at Gettysburg, I will furnish you in return." Every officer jumped at the chance, and then I commenced to bemoan my situation, condemned myself for taking up a position so far from the head of the stairs, and mentally resolved never to do such a foolish thing again. There was a regular scramble among the officers to see who would be the " lucky one," when the rebel captain firmly told everybody he would not furnish them with any thing until he first heard that his brother had been sup plied. I saw and heard it all, and I saw every man leave the Captain as if by magic. Then I jumped up, and yelled at the top of my voice, saying /would do it. He instantly discovered me, pointed and yelled at the top of his voice, 206 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. saying, " You are just the man I am looking for. I thought there was one honest man in this crowd, who was willing to trust me." He was Captain Hutter, a resident of Lynch burg, Va. Although a rebel, he was an honest, upright, whole- souled man. He commenced supplying me from that moment, and kept it up till I was released from captivity. His brother wrote him from Johnson's Island, Lake Erie, that I had more than kept my part of the compact. That my friends had taken clothing, provisions, and money in great abundance to him, but as the United States Govern ment was retaliating on prisoners of war, he was not allowed to accept. He wrote his brother in Danville the strongest letters in my behalf, telling him to do anything he could for me, which his brother in Danville did, from first to last ; fed me, and several of my prison friends, sumptuously. Went all the way to Richmond, and made "Dick " Turner, of Libby Prison, surrender all the money he had robbed us of when captured. Procured a special order from the C. S. Government for my exchange ; this was not used by me, as the general parole of prisoners was near at hand. He had me measured for a suit of clothes that was to have cost twenty-seven hundred and fifty dollars, in rebel money, but did not wait to get them, because I had to go North before they were finished.* That was in 1865, just before the close of the war, when everything in the South was dear and scarce, and a barrel of flour was worth twelve hundred and fifty dollars. * It was said Captain Hutter was a son of one of the wealthiest men in the South be fore the war. Owned several plantations, and several hundred slaves. Captain HutLer was ordnance officer at Danville, Va., at the time he met me in prison. "WHEN JOHNNIE COMES MARCHING HOME." 207 A TRANSFORMATION. On returning to my regiment, May 17, 1865, after I had been declared exchanged, I found a letter from the Ad jutant-general of Pennsylvania, enclosing me a commission as Captain of Company C, 99th Regiment, Pa. Veteran Volunteers, to rank from September 12, 1864. I was then just a little past twenty-one, and captain of the same company, in the same regiment, in which I enlisted as a "high private" in 1861, when but a little over eighteen years of age. This is a fac simile of a photograph taken of me in a captain's uniform, July, 1865, soon after the war ended. My long and te dious experience as a pris oner of war had worn me down, and made me look thin and pale. However, I did not mind that, for look ing back over my four long years of the most active kind of service, barely touched upon in this article, I could not but feel thankful for hav ing passed through the whirlpool of excitement and danger unharmed. Besides all that, the final victory had been gained, Slavery obliterated, the Rebellion crushed, and the Union saved. But what a contrast. The little, scrawny, eighteen-year- old boy, with a knapsack on his back, marching down Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, a Private in the rear 'XJS&*''" 2o8 WITH THE COLORS IN WAR TIME. rank, and at the tail end of the regiment, in July, 1861 ; — and the same person marching down the same thorough fare, after the war was ove-r, Captain, commanding Com pany C, of the same regiment, during the Great Review, by the President and his Cabinet, of two hundred thou sand men. February 9th, 1866, the Secretary of War sent me a " Medal of Honor," accompanied by a letter of transmittal. "War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, " Washington, February 9, 1866. " Sir : — Herewith I enclose the Medal of Honor which has been awarded you by the Secretary of War, under the Resolution of Congress, approved July 12, 1862, To provide for the presentation of 'Medals of Honor' to the Enlisted Men of the Army and Volunteer forces who have distinguished or may distinguish themselves in battle during the present Rebellion. " Please acknowledge its receipt. " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, " (Signed) E. D. Townsend, " Assistant Adjutant-General. "To Harvey M. Munsell, Late Color-Sergt., 99th Regiment, P. V. V." battle-flag 99TH pa. volunteers. (CARRIED THROUGH 13 BATTLES BV SERGEANT MUNSELL.) foiling an assassin. FAC-S1MILE OF GOLD MEDAL (PAGE 2l8) M 209 r*\ fSfc "flSSS: H I JW- Hf ¦ : Mm UFA TwK. SERGEANT GEORGE FOSTER ROBINSON, NOW MAJOR AND PAYMASTER U. 5. A. FOILING AN ASSASSIN. TO the schoolboy of i860, "the times that tried men's souls " meant the days of the American Revolution. The schoolboy of to-day learns that men's souls and bodies were sorely tried in a greater revolution, only twenty years ago, when blood was poured out like water to preserve the Union. The war closed with a tragedy, — the assassination of one of the greatest men and wisest rulers the world has ever seen. The enquiry into the circumstances of President Lincoln's death laid bare a foul conspiracy, which intended the destruction of the principal officers of our Government. The plot was only successful in one instance. Why it failed in another case may here be shown. In the year eighteen hundred and sixty-five, there stood 210 A FAMOUS NEIGHBORHOOD. 2II in the City of Washington, not far from the White House, and on the eastern side of Lafayette Square, a plain, red brick house. It had been a fashionable club house, but at the time mentioned it was the residence of the Secretary of State. The street was bordered by noble old trees, and although within a few yards of that famous thoroughfare, Pennsylvania Avenue, might almost have been a lane in the suburbs of some ancient provincial town, so prim and quiet and dull did it seem. Appearances were a trifle misleading as to its character. Over the well-swept cobble-stones had rolled the carriages of some of the noblest families of Eu rope ; under the grateful shade had sauntered haughty dames and gallant cavaliers. Within these precincts there had been revelling and feasting and " flow of soul." But these times had fled. War, with wrinkled front, had come and changed the sights and sounds. 'The marching regi ment had taken the place of the handsome equipage ; the clanking dragoon had succeeded to the languishing beau, and the martial notes of " We're coming, Father Abraham, a hundred thousand more," had supplanted the softer strains of Strauss and Verdi. As the war period drew near the end, the little street be came less frequented, and at the time mentioned, was rather avoided by vehicles, for the famous dweller in the house was very ill ; he had been thrown from his carriage and se riously injured. ********* " Swear to be loyal to me, to stick to me through all, and I will give you more money than you ever dreamed of ! " After a pause came the answer in low but firm tones, " / 2 1 2 FOILING AN ASSASSIN. swear ! " The speakers were two young men ; the time, February, 1865 ; the place, a room in the principal hotel of Baltimore. One of these men was tall and slender, with piercing eyes, and hair of raven hue. His dress was quiet in tone, but not in its first youth, and was worn with a care less grace. His movements were quick and nervous, and a voice singularly melodious was one of his attractions. This man bore a name honored in his profession, albeit his place was not among the " stars." But he was known to the public as a bright and promising actor, and to many as a genial companion. Who would have thought that here was the material for a conspirator — nay, a leader of conspirators ? For this man was John Wilkes Booth. Strongly in contrast was his companion. Almost gigan tic in stature, broad-shouldered, muscular, he was a mag nificent animal. His low brow, fierce, restless eyes, square, massive jaws and deliberate movements, indicated qualities which, in the hands of an unscrupulous master, might be po tent for evil. He was dressed in a motley assortment of clothes, half military, half civil, such as might have been selected at random in a cast-off clothing shop. His shoes were originally soldier's brogans, now worn to the welt, with the toes peeping through the uppers. A pair of faded light- blue trousers, torn and patched, frayed at the bottoms, and liberally bespattered with mud, covered his legs. Around his brawny chest was tightly drawn a dark-blue flannel shirt without collar, in lieu of which a red bandanna handkerchief was loosely knotted about his neck. A jacket of Confeder ate-gray cloth, from which nearly all the buttons had dis- A QUEER CUSTOMER. 213 appeared, and a brown hat, completed the costume of Booth's singular guest. At that time, in Baltimore, it was not unusual to see men in such incongruous garb ; stragglers or deserters from the Confederate army or Southern refugees. It was war time, and even the former dandy of his club, when on short leave, was glad to get into " cits " of a past date ; so that it was not wonderful that this tramp-like person should be per mitted to pass the portals of a fashionable hotel without question, in the company of the well-known actor. This " queer customer " was a bit of drift-wood from the war waves. He was reared in Florida, upon a small planta tion, and without the advantages of education. At eighteen he enlisted in the Confederate army, fought gallantly, it was said, and after much wild adventure had left the sinking Southern ship and wandered to Baltimore ; there, footsore, hungry, destitute and utterly friendless, he had stumbled across the actor. A long while before, he had once seen Booth upon the stage, in the velvet doublet and trunk hose of the days of Chivalry, in all the golden radiance of the footlights. His imagination had made the play real and the players noblemen, in every sense. So, when he met his stage-hero in the streets of Baltimore, he ventured to accost him. A brief conversation impressed Booth with the belief that this man could be made a useful instrument in the evil pur pose he had in view. He was right. He had found the unfortunate wretch who was soon to be known to the civil ized world by the name of Lewis Payne. * * * * * * * * * 214 FOILING AN ASSASSIN. The fourteenth day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty- five, was well-nigh spent. It lacked but three hours of mid night, and the dimly lighted Washington streets were silent and almost deserted. It was the moment when theatre goers begin to enjoy the play if it is good, or become bored and restless if it is otherwise. To the frequenters of Ford's Theatre there was, that evening, all the excitement of a " first night." The President and Mrs. Lincoln, with a couple of friends, were conspicuous in a box, thoroughly enjoying " Our American Cousin," which, under the au spices of that (long ago) favorite, Laura Keene, had been having a successful run. Had none among that gay throng any presentiment of calamity? At that moment, two men were in earnest consultation in an obscure drinking-saloon in a side street, near the theatre. In one we recognize our dramatic acquaintance ; the other wears his hat pulled down over his eyes. On a table before them are a couple of glasses, half full of an amber-colored liquid. With the exception of the bartender, they are the sole occupants of the room. In his nervous way, Booth puts his hand on the other's shoulder and whispers, " Re member, try the medicine dodge first ; but see him sure. As soon as it is done, meet me at the bridge. Now go ; it is nearly time." Both rose to their feet. Booth's compan ion towered above him as they clasped hands — for the last time in their lives, although they knew it not. The motion threw open the long brown-and-white-check overcoat worn by the stranger, and disclosed a belt, buckled tightly about his waist, in which was thrust a large knife, and from an SERGEANT ROBINSON'S OPPOR TUNITY. 2 1 ( open holster on the other side gleamed the silver-mounted handle of a revolver. A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. Within the domicile of the disabled Cabinet Minister all was quiet ; lights were turned low, and those persons not on duty prepared for bed. Mr. Frederick Seward (the Assist ant-Secretary of State) was at his writing-table near his father's room. Major Augustus Seward was resting, pre paratory to his regular watch, which would commence at midnight. In the sick-room the curtains were tightly drawn, and the shaded lamp cast a soft radiance upon the quaint furniture and the snow-white drapery of the couch upon which the invalid sought in vain the brief oblivion of sleep. The soldier-nurse, after a final glance at his charge, sank into the depths of an old-fashioned leathern arm-chair, and pick ing up a book was about to open it, when he heard a ring at the bell. Sergeant Robinson was not a regular hospital nurse, but was himself barely convalescent from a severe wound received as a soldier of the Eighth Regiment of Maine Volunteer Infantry, at Bermuda Hundreds, Virginia, on the 20th of May, 1864. As soon as able, he was given light duty, and detailed to take care of Secretary Seward. The bell was answered by the colored boy, William. A large man in a light overcoat and slouch hat strode into the hall. He spoke hurriedly and roughly. " I want to see Mr. Seward. I have some medicine from Dr. Verdi." 2l6 FOILING AN ASSASSIN. "You can't see the Secretary; nobody 'lowed in his room," replied the faithful servant. " But I must see him, " said the stranger. William reflected that perhaps this was a messenger from the doctor, who might be allowed to see one of the family, to whom he would perhaps deliver his message. He moved towards the stairs leading to the second floor, closely fol lowed by the stranger, who kept his right hand in his pocket. " Don't tread so heavy," said William, as the stranger's boots came down solidly on the polished wood ofthe stair way. As they reached the g&^fvjgt. * first landing, Frederick Seward ^*"" came forward. " 'Tis a messenger, sir, from the doctor. I told him he couldn't see the Secretary," said William. " Of course my father can see no one ; he is very ill." " I -must see him ; the doctor said so," persisted the man. " But I tell you it is impossible," said the Assistant-Secre tary. The man turned about as if to go down, and William went before him. Suddenly, with an exclamation — more like the growl of some wild beast — " You ¦ ! " the stranger struck Frederick Seward a terrible blow, which felled him to the floor ; again he brought down the butt of his pistol on the defenceless head with crushing force. At this moment the door of the sick-room opened and PAYNE, THE ASSASSIN. AN UNEQUAL STRUGGLE. 2\J Sergeant Robinson appeared. Before he could under stand the situation, the assassin rushed at Robinson and struck at his throat with a knife. Robinson instinct ively tried to ward off the blow, but received it upon his head and was knocked down. Bounding over Robinson, the would-be murderer rushed to the bed and began to strike wildly with his knife at the throat of the Secretary. Already he had cut the flesh from one cheek to the bone, and the blood flowed in torrents over the pillow. Then the courage and resolution of his New England forefathers came gloriously to the support of our Maine volunteer. Although just from the hospital, with his wounded leg not yet healed, and enfeebled from his year of suffering, he sprang to his feet, and without one moment's hesitation, without one moment's thought for himself, save, as he afterward said, the thought that he must die to save the Secretary ; without a weapon of any description, he op posed his naked hands to the armed and desperate ruffian. Robinson seized the assassin just as the deadly knife was about to be buried in the throat of the Secretary. Then commenced an unequal struggle, in which the chances seemed entirely in favor of the herculean stranger. Robin son succeeded, at the expense of two deep cuts down his back and two more under the left shoulder-blade, in drag ging the villain from the bed, but vainly tried to protect himself from blows which were rained upon his head with the butt of the pistol. By this time, Major Seward, aroused from slumber, ran in and also seized the desperado, and although himself cut and bruised, with Robinson's help pre vented another attack upon the Secretary, who lay gasping 2 1 8 FOILING AN ASSASSIN. and bleeding upon the floor, where he had fallen from his bed. And now, baffled in his dread purpose, and alarmed for his safety, the murderous intruder suddenly threw up his hands, exclaimed " I am mad ! I am mad ! " and rushed from the room. As he reached the threshold, he encoun tered a State Department messenger and stabbed him also. It was but the work of a moment to throw his knife across the street, to jump, hatless, upon a horse standing at the door, and disappear in the darkness. William now ap peared with re-enforcements from the military headquarters at the corner of the street. It was too late. Payne, — the instrument of a stronger mind, the blind tool of a fanatic, — had made good his escape. A HAPPY OMEN. It is unnecessary to dwell upon the events which fol lowed : the excitement in the North over the murder of the President ; the pursuit, capture, trial, and conviction of the conspirators ; and the slow but sure recovery of the wounded Secretary and his son. The distinguished gallantry and fidelity of Sergeant George Foster Robinson were brought to the notice of Con gress, and it was decreed that a gold medal should be struck, in commemoration of his exploit, and that in addition the sum of 'five thousand dollars should be presented to him. He was for some time a clerk in the office of the Quarter master-General, at Washington, and in 1879 ne was commis sioned Major and Paymaster United States Army. The closing scenes of the Great Conspiracy were marked A HAPPY OMEN. 2IQ by some curious incidents. One of these, never before published, was told to the writer by an eye-witness, and seems a fitting conclusion to this story. It was late in the afternoon of the day upon which the murderer of Lincoln was captured, when an ambulance, drawn by four handsome mules, rattled along the road from Surrattsville, in Maryland, toward Washington. It con tained Major-General Hancock and several officers of his staff, Colonels Tompkins, Morgan, Mitchell, Wilson and Parker. In the confusion and terror which filled the minds of the friends of the Government, men turned with firm trust to Hancock, — next to Grant, — as a strong arm to lean upon ; and a sense of relief was felt throughout the land when the presence at the Capital of these dauntless, cool-headed soldiers became generally known. As the party journeyed along, they chatted of the stirring and bloody war scenes they had witnessed. The great calamity that had just be fallen the country was, of course, the leading topic, and doubt was expressed by one or two as to its effect upon the sections so lately estranged. The General, however, expressed his firm belief that nothing could prevent the re establishment of " Peace within our borders." " The peo ple have seen enough bloodshed ; they are tired of war and seek rest," said he. Just then, Colonel Tompkins, who was looking out over the landscape, and at the distant dome of the Capitol as it glowed in the warm tints of the setting sun, said to his neighbor, " Parker, do you see anything peculiar about the sun ? " That officer cast a careless glance in the desired' quarter, 220 FOILING AN ASSASSIN. and then quickly called the General's attention to a curious sight. Within the blood-red disc, now very low on the horizon, could be plainly seen, surrounded by a luminous haze, the outlines of a pair of clasped hands ! All saw it, and for a moment there was an impressive silence. As the phantom shape slowly melted away, Hancock said very gravely and earnestly, " Gentlemen, that is a happy omen ; it is the sign of Friendship. May it come to pass throughout Our Country! " THE MEDAL OF HONOR. PART SECOND. i 866-1 886. " O the dragoon bold, he scorns all care, As he goes around with his uncropped hair ; He spends no thought on the evil star That sent him away to the border war. " His form in the saddle he lightly throws, And on the moonlight scout he goes, And merrily trolls, some old-time song As over the trail he bounds along. " O blithe is the life that a soldier leads When a lawless freedom marks his deeds ; And gay his path o'er the wildwood sod, Where a white man's foot hath never trod." 221 CONFEDERATE COLORS CAPTURED AT SAILOR'S CREEK, VA., APR. 6, 1865, WITH PORTRAITS OF THE CAPTORS (CUSTER'S CAVALRY DIVISION). (from a tintype THIS SIZE.) 222 *'-e"*# BVT. LIEUT.-COLONEL TOM CUSTER, LATE CAPTAIN 7TH U. S. CAVALRY. A BEAU SABREUR.* I CANNOT tell with what gratitude I embrace the op portunity to add my tribute to the valor of one of the soldiers this book seeks to commemorate. Many a woman adds to the pang of bereavement, the sorrow of knowing that the grass has sprung up and faded, for over twenty years, on the graves of those who saved to us the unity of our beautiful land, and, alas ! who now lie forgotten. Will not, then, the hearts of many fill with thankfulness that the brave deeds of those that are gone are here given anew to their Country, and that a monu ment is raised to their " loved and lost " more lasting than "storied urn or animated bust ? " In New Rumley, Ohio, on March 15, 1845, Emanuel and * This chapter is from the pen of Mrs. George A. Custer. 223 224 A BEAU SAB R EUR. Maria Custer received the gift of a son, the third tie that bound together still more closely their happy lives. The mother said in after years, even when pride for her success ful boys filled her heart, that no time of her existence was so happy as when the door of the simple farm-house shut in, at dark, the little band about her. The war-drum burst in upon this contented home, and scattered her dear ones far and near. Her heart had grieved enough over the departure of her ambitious eldest, Armstrong,* who had implored his parents, four years before, to let him educate himself as a soldier. But after he had gone, she huddled the little curly-headed fellows that were left, more closely about her, and sang still, at her daily toil, for their comfort. In 1861 peace departed from the hearth-stone. The two striplings began to beg to go to the war. They finally agreed to be content if one was permitted. Nevin offered himself, but was declined ; although not an invalid, he was delicate. Then Tom rushed to get his chance, but the father had privately conferred with the local recruiting officer, and Tom was refused as under age. At last nothing could keep him. He sought another officer and was ac cepted ; at sixteen he kissed the weeping mother and little sister Margaret, and was off to the wars as a private soldier. It was all the father could do to keep the fourteen-year- old boy, Boston, from going. Yet .1 hardly think the parent blamed the sons. He was, from his own boyhood, fond of "training-days," and had put his eldest son, Arm strong, into a uniform when he was but a midget of four, and chuckled and admired the piping voice of the minia- * The late General George Armstrong Custer, U. S. A. "OUR TOM." 22, ture soldier when he called out a line from the schoolboy's elocution, that was practised in the home audience — " My Voice is for War." The boy Tom was sent to the Western army, and soon selected as orderly for General Negley. When I saw this officer, a year ago, he went back over twenty years and told \ me what a splendid soldier he had found our Tom. The praise one brave man gives another, irrespective of station, shone from his eyes, while he bore testimony in unstinted words to the courage and fidelity of the lad. In 1863, my husband was made a general officer, and found his oppor tunity not only to send for his old school-mates and offer them places on his staff, but he began to plan for his brother to be transferred from the West to the Army of the Potomac. He obtained for him a commission as Lieu tenant in the 6th Michigan Cavalry, and not long after our marriage, in 1864, Tom found us in Virginia and became our boy. The amount of mothering and petty tyranny I exer cised was not in proportion to my years, but he submitted to it all as only brave and big-souled men can do when as sured of sincere, disinterested affection. His manners and self-culture became a serious study with him. He not only aimed to be a perfect soldier, but he was determined to take up his studies, interrupted by his early enlistment. Even in those busy times he bought himself school-books, and pored over them with patience in the evenings. He seemed to have come through unscathed by the coarseness of his surroundings as an enlisted man ; for though the best blood of our land was often in the ranks, there was a large element of lawlessness, beside, among the soldiers. 15 226 A BEAU SABREUR. THE YOUNG AIDE-DE-CAMP. As soon as Tom was made aide-de-camp he followed his intrepid brother in charges, and was entrusted with the car rying of important despatches and orders, which involved caution in traversing the enemy's country, and reliance upon his own judgment. He was invariably selected for the hardest work. If, after a tumultuous day, the General and his staff threw themselves down around the camp-fire to sleep and were awakened by the news that required one of them to saddle and start off for night duty, Tom was the one selected. I never heard that he even looked a mur mur. I only know that I agreed with the staff when they used to say, " If any one thinks it is a soft thing to be a commanding officer's brother, he misses his guess." If I ever attempted to put in a protest for the nineteen-year- old boy, my husband argued with me that he must watch himself ; that he never made the slightest difference in disci pline because Tom happened to be his brother. If the lad came in our room to report officially, the General received the Lieutenant in the most formal manner, but the moment the business was finished, Tom flung aside his sword and the two fell to scuffling, just as they used to in their merry boyhood days on the old farm in Ohio. Tom said little about his determination to try for medals, but he was just as eager for another, as ever, when he had taken his first flag at Namozine Church, April 2, 1865. Beside this, he was inspired to try again, as he found his brother, after whom he had modelled his life, was so proud of his achievement. General Custer had taken the first AT SAILOR'S CREEK. 227 Confederate colors of the war while serving as aide-de camp on General McClellan's staff, in 1862. General Capehart, who commanded the Third Brigade of the Third Division, saw Tom take his second flag at Sailor's Creek, April 6, 1865. I quote from a recent letter he has kindly sent me regarding that day : " I saw your brother capture his second flag. It was in a charge made by my Brigade at Sailor's Creek, Virginia, against General Ewell's Corps. Having crossed the line of temporary works on the flank of the road, we were confronted by a supporting battle-line. It was from the second line that he wrested the colors, single-handed, and only a few paces to my right. As he approached the colors he received a shot in the face which knocked him back on his horse, but in a moment he was again upright in his saddle. Reaching out his right arm, he grasped the flag while the color-bearer reeled. The bullet from Tom's revolver must have pierced him in the region of the heart. As he was falling, Captain Custer wrenched the standard from his grasp and bore it away in triumph. For intrepidity I never saw this incident sur passed." Major Farnham Lyon, who was a staff officer of General Custer's at that time, has written me that he recalls Tom's charge over the rifle pits at Sailor's Creek, and his being wounded in the cheek. " I know I felt at the time," he adds, " that it was a great wonder he escaped with his life." General Whitaker, General Custer's chief of staff, bears testimony in a recent letter that " Tom, on that day, fought like a lion." 228 A BEAU SABREUR. A BATTLE-FLAG HARVEST. Major Allstrom of the 3d New Jersey Cavalry describes to me the mile'e in which General Custer's Division found themselves after the capture of nearly six miles of Con federate trains ; also artillery and thirty-seven battle-flags. The confusion was great, and while the firing was still at its height, he saw our brother Tom dashing past him, his face streaming with blood from the wound he had received. The flag he had captured was flying out from the standard he still grasped. The Major, terrified at Tom's temerity in making himself so prominent an object for the enemy's sharpshooters, called out to him, saying, " For God's sake, Tom, furl that flag or they'll fire on you." Major Allstrom has in his possession a tintype,* taken by a camp photog rapher twenty-one years ago, of two rows of officers and soldiers, holding in their hands the lances bearing the thirty- seven battle-flags captured ' that day. The men are in rough campaigning dress, their weather-beaten faces partly covered with all sorts of slouched hats, but above their brave heads is a line of tattered bunting that had but the day before led out the valiant South to the last desperate struggle of their waning cause. Major Allstrom stands in the front row with his captured colors. On the end of the line, our Tom, holding a standard in each hand. The thirty-six men were sent up to Washington to present in person their flags, and receive the recognition Congress made of their valor. I was in the Capitol at the time of * This is the original of the engraving which faces the opening of this chapter. "I'VE GOT MY FLAG." 22g their arrival, wearily waiting for the war to close. The first knowledge I had that the colors were taken was the sight of a street-car filled with soldiers, and with flags streaming from every window as the horses were urged rapidly to the War Department. The street gamins fol lowing, called out, " Hurrah for Custer's soldiers and their flags! " That was enough for me. I instantly joined the crowd on the walk and followed. On giving my name at Secretary Stanton's door, he admitted me, and as each soldier presented his flag, I was introduced to him as the wife of their commander by Senator Harris, of New York. It was a very memorable day in my life, as well as in that ofthe dauntless men who had won distinction. My husband described to me, as soon as I saw him, some of the circumstances of Tom's wound. He was deeply moved as he talked. He said his first knowledge that his brother was shot was seeing Tom dashing tow ard him, covered with blood. The ball had entered his cheek and passed out behind his ear. Only a short time before, a favorite color-bearer, whom my husband valued very highly, had been wounded in the face, and the bullet severed the jugular vein. He reeled in the saddle, and was dead almost instantly. The General, seeing Tom similarly wounded, was terribly startled, and expected that in a moment more the boy would totter in his saddle and his life ebb away. As he reached him, Tom called out, " Armstrong, the d — d rebels have shot me, but I've got my flag," and instantly set spurs to his horse to charge again. The General checked him, and told him to go to the rear and have his wound dressed. Evidently there was a trem- 230 A BEAU SABRE UR. ble in the elder brother's voice, and the younger was em boldened to disregard the direction. He was so full of fight no ordinary request checked him. Then the com manding officer's tone was assumed, and my husband, see ing the necessity of instant obedience, ordered him in arrest and to the rear. Poor Tom, hearing the order, which is the extreme resort of military discipline, had nothing to do but to report to a surgeon. We both felt immense pride in his valiant deed, and the black patch, planted in the midst of a very new and downy beard, was, an ornament in our eyes for all the time it covered his wound. I remember that my husband was so proud of Tom's medals that he showed them to a general officer, who was our guest just before the campaign in Da kota, in 1876. The officer was surprised to find Colonel Tom had two, and told my husband, if he had his choice, he would rather have a medal for a flag than any brevet that was ever given. " OUR TOM " ON THE FRONTIER. In 1866, Colonel Tom received an appointment as lieu tenant to his brother's regiment, the Seventh Regular Cav alry. He reported for duty at Fort Riley, Kansas, and was received into our household as one of our family. From that time on, he was in all the campaigns and engagements of the regiment. It was an immense change to come down from the position of aide-de-camp on the staff of the com mander of a division of thousands of cavalry, to the simple humdrum of a lieutenant of a company. It was a great test of the true metal of a man to adapt himself to the po- ON THE FRONTIER. 231 sition of a subaltern, after the independent and important duties with which he had so long been entrusted in the exciting scenes of the war. Tom's character bore this test. He was as conscientious and simple-hearted" in the dis charge of his company duty as if he had never known any other than that life. His brother, though never relaxing the strictness of discipline, continued to place more and more important trusts in Tom's hands, and proved, as years advanced, that his judgment and soldierly abilities stood uppermost in his mind, even among the tried and true of the Seventh Cavalry. In 1874, -while the regiment was stationed at Fort Lincoln, Dakota, it became necessary to attempt the capture of a noted Indian murderer, Rain-in-the- Face. Captain Yates and Colonel Tom were selected to go to a post below us on the Missouri River, and secure the Indian as a prisoner. The story of the capture which fol lows has alreadj? been told by me.* " RAIN-IN-THE-FACE " AND HIS REVENGE. " In order, then, to deceive as to the purport of their ap pearance at the Agency, the captain in command resorted to a ruse. He sent fifty men to the camp, ten miles away, to make inquiries for three Indians who had murdered citizens on the Red River the year before. Colonel Custer was or dered to take five picked men and go to the trader's store, where the Indians resort constantly. This required great coolness and extreme patience, for they had to lounge about, seemingly indifferent, until they were certain the * " Boots and Saddles," by Mrs. Custer, New York : Harper Bros. 232 A BEAU SABRE UR. right man was discovered. The cold made the Indians draw their blankets around them and over their heads. There is never any individuality about their dress, unless when arrayed for a council or dance ; it was therefore almost impossible to tell one from the other. " Colonel Tom had to wait for hours, only looking fur tively when the sharp eyes of these wary creatures were off guard. At last one of them loosened his blanket, and with the meagre descrip tion that had been given him, Colonel Tom identified him as Rain - in - the - Face. Coming suddenly from be hind, he threw his arms about him, and seized the Winchester rifle that the savage attempted to cock. He was taken entirely by surprise. No fear showed itself, but from the char acteristically stolid face hate and revenge flashed out for an instant. He drew him self up in an independent manner, to show his brother warriors that he did not dread death. "Among them he had been considered brave beyond pre cedent, because he had dared to enter the Agency store at all, and so encounter the risk of arrest. The soldiers tied his hands and mounted guard over him. About thirty Indians surrounded them instantly, and one old orator com- ' RAIN-IN-THE-FACE. RAIN-IN-THE-FACE. 233 menced an harangue to the others, inciting them to recap ture their brother. Breathless excitement prevailed. At that moment the captain in command appeared in their midst. With the same coolness he had shown in the war, and during the six years of his Indian campaigns, he spoke to them, through an interpreter. With prudence and tact he explained to them that they intended to give the prisoner exactly the treatment a white man would receive under like circumstances ; that nothing would induce them to give him up ; and the better plan, to save bloodshed, would be for the chiefs to withdraw and take with them their followers. Seeing that they could accomplish nothing by intimidation or by superior numbers, they had recourse to parley and proposed to compromise. They offered as a sacrifice two Indians, of the tribe, in exchange for Rain- in-the-Face. " It was generosity like that of Artemus Ward, who of fered his wife's relatives on the altar of his country, for they took care not to offer for sacrifice any but Indians of low rank. Rain-in-the-Face was a very distinguished warrior among them, and belonged to a family of six brothers, one of whom, Iron Horse, was very influential. The officers prevailed in the end, and the prisoner was taken to the cavalry camp. During the time that the Indians were op posing his removal, the troopers had assembled around the entrance, ready for any emergency, and prepared to escort the murderer away. The Indians instantly vanished ; all went quickly and quietly to their camp, ten miles distant. Later in the day, a party of fifty mounted warriors dashed through the Agency to the road beyond, which had to be 234 A BEAU SABRE UR. taken by our troopers on the way home. Of course our officers expected an attack from that party when they be gan their homeward march ; to their surprise, they were unmolested. We learned afterwards that the mounted In dians went to the camp of Two Bears to urge the young braves there to combine with them in the recapture of Rain-in-the-Face. Two Bears had long been friendly to the white man ; he was too old to fight, and prevented his young men from joining in the contemplated rescue. " After the command had returned, and the officers had reported, General Custer sent for Rain-in-the-Face. He was tall, straight, and young. His face was quite im perturbable. In a subsequent interview the General locked himself in his room with him. Through an in terpreter, and with every clever question and infinite pa tience, he spent hours in trying to induce the Indian to acknowledge his crime. The culprit's face finally lost its impervious look, and he showed some agitation. He gave a brief account of the murder, and the next day made a full confession before all the officers. He said neither of the white men, was armed when attacked. He had shot the old man, but he did not die instantly, rid ing a short distance before falling from his horse. He then went to him, and with his stone mallet beat out the last breath left. Before leaving him he shot his body full of arrows. The younger man signalled to them from among the bushes, and they knew that the manner in which he held up his hand was an overture of peace. When he reached him the white man gave him his hat as another and further petition for mercy, but he shot him at once, A N INDIAN MURDERER. 2 , r first with his gun and then with arrows. One of the latter entering his back, the dying man struggled to pull it through. Neither man was scalped, as the elder was bald and the younger had closely cropped hair. " This cruel story set the blood of the officers flowing hotly. They had already heard from one of the white scouts a description of Rain-in-the-Face at a sun-dance, when he had betrayed himself as the murderer of the vet erinary surgeon, by describing in triumph his beating out the brains of the old man with his mallet. After all this, it is not to be wondered at that each officer strode out of the room with blazing eyes." Two Indians, one of them Iron-Horse, had followed the cavalry up from the Agency, and asked to see their comrade. The General sent again for Rain-in-the-Face. He came into the room with clanking chains and with the guard at his heels. He was dressed in mourning. His leggings were black, and his sable blanket was belted by a band of white beads. One black feather stood erect on his head. Iron- Horse supposed that he was to be hung at once, and that this would be the final interview. The elder brother, be lieving there was no hope, was very solemn. He removed his heavily-beaded and embroidered buffalo robe, and re placed it with the plain one that Rain-in-the-Face wore. He exchanged pipes also, giving him his highly orna mented one that he afterwards presented to the General. These pipes are valuable, as the material of which the bowls are made has to be brought from Kansas. Then, finding that there was a prospect of Rain-in-the-Face having his trial in Washington, he took off. the medal that had 236 A BEAU SABRE UR. been given to his father by a former President, whose like ness was in the medallion, and placed.it over the neck of his brother, that it might be a silent argument in his favor when he confronted the " Great Father." After his two friends had left him, Rain-in-the-Face occu pied part of the guard-house with a citizen, who had been caught stealing grain from the store-house. For several months they had been chained together, and used to walk in front of the little prison for exercise and air. The guard-house was a poorly-built, insecure wooden building. After a time the sentinels became less vigilant, and the citizen, with help from his friends outside, who were work ing the same way, cut a hole in the wall at night and es caped. He broke the chain attaching him to the Indian, who was left free to follow. We found afterwards that Rain-in-the-Face did not dare to return to the reservation, but made his way to the hostile camp. In the Spring of 1874 he sent word from there by an Agency Indian that he had joined Sitting Bull, and was awaiting his revenge for his imprisonment. In June, 1876, the Seventh Cavalry, unaware of the fact that eleven thousand Indians were encamped on and in the vicinity of the Little Big Horn, attacked a village, were overpowered with numbers, and Colonel Tom fell beside his dearly loved brother. Rain-in-the-Face, who was in the fight, sought out our brave brother and wreaked his savage vengeance on the dead body of one against whom he had so long treasured up an injury. The vengeance of that in carnate fiend was concentrated on the man who had ef fected his capture. It was found on the battlefield that A MORTAL ENEMY. y-37 he had cut out the brave heart of that gallant, loyal and lovable man, our brother Tom ! So perished a gallant, noble, tender-hearted soldier, — a devoted son, a faithful, affectionate brother, a loyal friend. I cannot end this account of our chivalrous brother with out the brief testimony my husband gave of his apprecia tion of Tom. Just before the last and fatal campaign, a woman friend of ours in the East, said, "Well, General, what of Tom ? " " If you want to know what I think of him, all I can say is, Tom ought to be the General and I the Captain." 238 RED CLOUD." RED CLOUD'S " BAPTISM OF FIRE." WHEN the Emperor of the French, at the opening of the war, in 1870, which cost him an empire, dic tated a dramatic despatch containing the words quoted at the head of this chapter the cold world laughed in its sleeve. When the Indian chieftain, " Red Cloud," at the head of thousands of brave warriors, flung himself upon a handful of white men — outnumbered a hundred to one — and finally withdrew, baffled, awe-struck, and bleeding, before the deadly volleys from the newly-invented breech-loader, he might, truthfully, have said to his people, " We have had our baptism of fire ! " This affair took place in the Summer of 1867, near Fort Phil. Kearney, D. T. It was a modern tournament between 239 240 RED CLOUD'S "BAPTISM OF FIRE." the representatives of civilization and barbarism — science and superstition. The leaders were admirable types of their respective races. Red Cloud was a Sioux of moderate rank but immod erate ambition. When the Government of the United States sought to obtain the consent of the Sioux to run a road through their country to Montana, Red Cloud refused to sign the treaty, and placing himself at the head of a large force of Sioux and Cheyennes, prepared to resist what they deemed invasion. Burning with a desire for distinc tion and accessions to his band, he laid in wait near the fort already mentioned. His opportunity came; one day, when a little party of regular infantry — fifty-one men and two officers — marched out from the shelter of Fort Phil. Kearney into the country to protect a " wood party," which, under the eye of a contractor, was cutting fuel for the use of the garrison. The commander of the detachment was Brevet Major James Powell, Captain 27th Infantry, an officer of more than twenty years' experience, in all grades, from private to captain. He was still suffering from the effects of wounds received in Georgia during the war, where he had won two brevets " for gallant and meritorious services." Powell found that the contractor had two encampments of wood-choppers ; one of these was in the centre of a small plain, fairly adapted to purposes of defence and for grazing the animals ; the other, a mile distant, on the other side of Little Piney Creek, near the foot of the mountains. Part of the soldiers were detailed to protect the working parties COLONEL JAMES POWELL. 241 and to escort the wood trains on their trips to and from the fort. Major Powell wisely determined to make the position on the plain as strong for defence as possible. A number of wagons, sometimes called " Prairie Schoon ers," with high bodies or " beds," had been sent out to haul the wood. For this purpose the running gear alone was used. The beds became of unexpected importance. They were laid on the ground, ,_^^___________ end to end, forming a wooden fort, oval in shape — thus : z£z. At the point on each side of this little plan there was one of the wagons on wheels, which contained supplies for the use of the ¦j troops — such as blankets, j ammunition and tents. There were fourteen empty wagon-beds, and in the wooden sides of each, holes were bored about eighteen inches from the bottom, large enough to admit the barrel of a rifle. Between the wagons the spaces were filled with any loose material likely to stop a bullet, such as sacks of forage, ox-bows, chains and short logs. THE ATTACK. Major Powell, having made his preparations for defence, calmly awaited the attack. 16 BVT. I.IEUT.-COLONEL JAMES POWELL, CAPTAIN U. b. ARMY. 242 RED-CLOUD'S " BAPTISM OF FIRE." "About nine o'clock in the morning of August 2, 1867, two hundred Indians attacked the herders in charge of the herd, driving them off; at the same time, five hundred attacked the train at the foot of the mountain, driving off the men belonging there and burning the wagons."* This double attack had the effect to deprive the com manding officer of nearly one-half of his detachment ; these men, cut off from the "corral" of wagon-beds already described, made the best of their way back to the fort, losing several of their number, killed and wounded. At the "corral" Major Powell completed his prepara tions for a desperate stand. On that very ground, but a few months before, three officers and seventy-six veteran enlisted men had been killed in an hour by the same tribe of Indians which now, to the number of three thousand braves, hemmed in this little band of twenty-six soldiers and four civilians. So confident of success were the In dians that they had brought many of their squaws with them to assist in torturing the victims, and to carry off the plunder. The soldiers were told off to the wagons, which were in most cases covered with blankets, under which the men laid flat. At the " wagon-on-wheels " on one side, Major Powell made his headquarters, rifle in hand, while Lieutenant Jenness occupied the other. Major Powell's parting injunction to his men, before the fight opened, was, " Go in there and fight for your lives." And well did his men execute the order. By this time the surrounding hills were covered with * Major Powell's Official Report. AN UNSUCCESSFUL CHARGE. 2/,? gayly painted savages, who awaited with impatience the moment when the white soldiers should be overwhelmed. It was not unlike one of the great Roman spectacles of the time of Nero, when bands of Christians were given over to wild beasts in full view of the people. As the first act of the bloody drama, eight hundred savage horsemen charged down upon the silent little spot on the plain,, as if to ride over their prey and crush them to death under the hoofs -of their ponies. On they dash, with the speed and the force of a whirlwind. As they come within a hundred yards of the corral a sheet of flame darts out from the wagon sides, followed by a roar, which is kept up without cessation for several minutes. Like dry leaves before a gust of wind the Indians are swept aside to the right and left. The front of the legion has gone down in its place — melted as snow under the midday sun ; those in rear are rallied again and again, under new leaders, with fresh horsemen, but although some get within ten feet of the corral they fall dead as if by lightning stroke.* None can live in the furnace blast which shrivels up group after group of fhe desperate assailants. Red Cloud, who saw this failure from a commanding crest, wondered, and secretly chafed at the discomfiture of some of his most dashing lieutenants. But the success of his whole campaign depended upon crushing this puny force — and that speedily. He deter mined to pour his entire band, on foot, down upon the corral. * Major Powell says one ball often penetrated two Indians. 244 RED-CLOUD'S "BAPTISM OF FIRE." Lieutenant Jenness, leaving his wagon for a moment, to perform some duty or other, exposed himself to the enemy's fire and was instantly killed. The firing had been so rapid that the barrels of the rifles became very hot, and it was difficult to handle them. The poor shots among the soldiers were set to work loading spare guns, and keep ing the marksmen supplied. To make his second attack overwhelming, Red Cloud had circled the corral with masses of Indians, preceded by a swarm of sharpshooters, creeping forward, dodging be hind every stump or boulder, and hiding in the hollows, firing upon the little garrison constantly. The grand charge which followed is well described by Colonel Dodge, U. S. A., who afterwards had a talk with one of Red Cloud's sub- chiefs, who was wounded in the fight. " But now from the hills swarms a semicircle of warriors, at least two thousand strong, under the leadership of the gallant young nephew of Red Cloud, anxious to signal ize his valor, and to win the right to succeed his uncle as sub-chief. When within about five hundred yards, the order to charge was given, and the whole line dashed on to the corral, to be, when they had almost touched it, hurled back in confusion and dismay. Again and again did the gallant band rally and charge, only to be again broken, dis comfited and driven back ; and it was only after ' three continuous hours ' of almost superhuman effort against this unseen, intangible foe, that the line became utterly demor alized, and fled in consternation to the hills. " When the defeated horde had reached the safety of the hills, they were ordered not to fight any more, but to COUNTING THE SLAIN. 2,- recover the bodies of the killed and wounded. A cloud of skirmishers were sent out to cover this operation, with orders to keep up a continuous fire. All the killed and wounded nearest the hills were soon taken to the rear and cared for, but to recover those nearer to the corral was ex ceedingly difficult and dangerous. Taking one end of a long rope, formed by tying together many lariats, a warrior ran out into the open as far as he dared, then throwing himself on the ground and covering himself with a shield of thick buffalo hide, he crawled to the nearest dead or wounded man and fastened the rope around his ankles. The men in the woods at the other end of the rope then pulled on it, and dragged the man or body to a safe place. The rescuing warrior then crawled backward, protected by his shield." TREMENDOUS SLAUGHTER. One of the citizens who fought with Powell was a griz zled old trapper, who had spent his life on the frontier, and been in Indian fights without number. Some months after the battle, the department commander met and questioned him. " How many Indians were in the attack? " asked the Gen eral. " Wall, Gin'r'l, I can't say for sartin, but I think thur wus nigh onto three thousand of 'em." " How many were killed and wounded ? " " Wall, Gin'r'l, I can't say for sartin, but I think thur wur nigh onto two thousand ov 'em hit." " How many did you kill ? " 246 RED-CLOUD'S " BAPTISM OF FIRE." " Wall, Gin'r'l, I can't say, but gi'me a dead rest, I kin hit a dollar at fifty yards every time, and I fired with a dead rest at more'n fifty of them varmints inside of fifty yards." "For Heaven's sake! how many times did you fire?" exclaimed the astonished General. ¦ " Wall, Gin'r'l, I can't say, but I kept eight guns pretty well het up for mor'n three hours." * Colonel Powell f writes (Sept. 20, 1886): " In one of the charges on foot, the Indians came so close that the men, not being able to load their pieces fast enough, threw the augers (used to bore the loopholes) at the savages, who in turn threw them at the soldiers. The tops of the wagon- beds were riddled, and after the fight presented a very rag ged appearance, where the enemy's bullets had struck — for tunately, in most cases, above the heads of my men. " I claim the credit of shooting Red Cloud's nephew dur ing the fight, which was over before the troops came from the Fort to relieve us. We were very glad to see them, however, as we were nearly exhausted, having been fighting continuously from seven o'clock in the morning until three in the afternoon." The wounded Sioux chief, in the fall of the same year, told Colonel Dodge, U. S. A., that the number of Indians in the fight was over three thousand, and that a prominent " medicine man " of the Sioux told him that the total loss in killed and wounded, of Indians, was eleven hundred and thirty-seven ; which would be at the rate of one white man to two hundred and sixty-eight Indians ! \ * " Our Wild Indians," by Col. R. I. Dodge. Hartford : A. D. Worthington & Co. 1882. t Major Powell was breveted Lieut.-Colonel U. S. A. for this fight. — [Editor.] X The troops lost one officer, and two privates killed, and two private soldiers wounded. THE MEDICINE FIGHT. 247 The Indians on the Plains, to this day, speak of this con flict as something mysterious and awful, and although they have since learned to use breech-loading arms as skilfully as white men, yet the Sioux and Cheyennes always speak of the fight as the Medicine Fight, where the "Bad God" fought against them. A FRIEND INDEED. 248 CAPTAIN CHARLES KING, UNITED STATES ARMY. TRAILING THE APACHES. I. "A FRIEND INDEED." SCARCELY any savages have more thoroughly resisted every effort to civilize them than the Apaches. These Indians accept, rather sullenly, the beef and bread which Uncle Sam periodically issues to them ; but when the first green blade shows itself above the ground, the Apache paints his face, leaves his tall hat and " store clothes " with his dusky housekeeper, mounts one of his numerous ponies and sal lies forth. He carries the latest thing in breech-loaders, the newest patent in cartridge belts, filled with bright copper cartridges, and a pass from the agent certifying that " the bearer, Victorio, is a good Indian." He proceeds leisurely through the country, with a few boon companions, killing, burning, and laying waste. They are pursued, but so famil- 249 250 TRAILING THE APACHES. iar are they with the mountains that it is a long chase and a stern chase, indeed, before the last' marauder is caught ; and many a gallant soldier loses his life in the vain effort to perform with one horse what the Indian does not at tempt without three of the toughest beasts known, or if necessary does easily on foot. The latest instance of this kind is the chase of old Geronimo's band in Arizona by that gallant and lamented officer, Captain Crawford, of the Army. By the fall of 1874, the Apache War in Arizona had dwindled to small proportions. For nearly three years General Crook had kept the entire Fifth Cavalry in scattered detachments, scouting through the mountains and tracking the renegades to their lairs. Fghting had been incessant, the regiment had lost many a valuable officer and man, but not a single fight, and when the summer of '74 was ushered in, nearly all the once savage and hostile Apaches were hud dled together; some on a reservation far up in the Verde Valley, while others were similarly guarded at San Carlos, two hundred miles by the mountain trails to the south-east. The little garrison of Camp Verde consisted of two troops of the Fifth Cavalry, " A " and " K," and two companies of the Eighth Infantry, all under command of a veteran sol dier, Brevet Colonel J. W. Mason, Fifth Cavalry. Some of the cavalry were still out on the inevitable scout in the mountains, to the south-east, but all seemed peaceful around the post. Lieutenant King, of the Fifth Cavalry, was at work mak ing a survey of the military reservation, and was riding along with his little party of rod-and-chain men one Octo ber afternoon, when they were startled by the appear- THE ALARM. 251 ance of some herders coming toward them at full gallop from the foot-hills. They brought the news that instead of being all driven off to the south-east or into the Agency, as was supposed, there was now a band of Apaches raiding through the valley, far above them, and upon the very bor ders of the reservation. Taking two of the herdsmen with him, Lieutenant King rode back to the post, where Colonel Mason was speedily informed of the news. The first thin? ff j « iU^m .-X^.j\ necessary was to communicate with the commanding officer at the Apache reservation, whose station was twenty miles up the valley, and the Colonel directed Mr. King to take a fresh horse, gallop to the Agency, confer with this officer, who was also acting as 'Indian Agent, and get twenty Apache scouts to accompany the troops, which the Colonel purposed sending out that very night. Long before sun set, therefore, the Lieutenant was reining in his panting horse before the shelter of the spreading canvas under which his regimental comrade, Lieutenant Schuyler, was 252 TRAILING THE APACHES. busily at work - writing down the statements of some of his own " reservation police," who had come in to report that they, too, had found the trail of the raiding band, who had driven off some fifty head of cattle through the Red Rock country to the north-east. Though some years his junior, Lieutenant Schuyler had seen much more service against the Apaches than his friend and "statesman," King (they were both New Yorkers), for the latter had been on other duty until the preceding winter, and Schuyler had been selected to command this big reservation because of his long experience among, and intimate knowledge of, the Apaches. Both of them had been in the field commanding scouting parties all that Spring, however, and had been usually successful in find ing the Indians for whom they were in chase. They were warm personal friends and generous rivals. Here was another opportunity for sharp, soldierly work, a chase, a battle, the recapture of the stolen cattle and the thrashing of the Indian marauders. General Crook was quick to appreciate and reward zeal and dash in his young officers, and both King and Schuyler had already been named by him to the President for " brevets " for gallant conduct in these conflicts in the Arizona mountains. Neither of them would stand in the other's way, yet^each was eager for the command of the force to be sent, as orders were given in those days " to pursue and punish " the Indians in the case. The moment Schuyler caught sight of King, he knew that the story of the raid had already reached Camp Verde, and that it was to be King's " benefit," not his. All the same, he gave his comrade every assistance, pointing out to PREPARING TO 'MOVE. 253 him that so far from being a day old, as the herders had re ported, it must have been three days since the stock was run off, and the Apaches were by this time well up tow ards Snow Lake on the " divide " of the Mogollon. King asked for some of the scouts he had had with him in May and June, but, as bad luck would have it, they were all out with other commands, down toward the Tonto Basin to the south-east. Schuyler had nothing to give him but some Apache-Yumas, whom King had never seen, and even they were out somewhere on the reservation, and would have to be hunted up. At sunset, therefore, King re mounted, and with a parting shake of the hand and " Good luck to you, Old Man," from his brother lieutenant, hurried back to Verde, pondering over in his mind all that Schuyler had told him about the probable course taken by the In dians, and the best way to nab them. PREPARING FOR THE SCOUT, Reaching Verde he found that orders were already issued by Colonel Mason. Lieutenants King and Eaton, Fifth Cavalry, with twenty men of troops " K " and " A," and a like number of Indian scouts were directed to push out at dawn, go north-eastward, find the trail, " pursue and punish the Indians." King had a few moments' chat with his colonel over what Schuyler had told him, and then went off to see the veteran packer, Harry Hawes, who was to go with the mule train. It was estimated they might be gone ten or twelve days, and already the men were drawing from the commissary store-house their supplies of bacon, flour, coffee, sugar and " hard-tack," while from the ordnance of- 254 TRAILING THE APACHES. fice were lifted out two solid, heavy little boxes, painted a dark olive green and labelled, " iooo Rounds — Springfield Carbine Ball Cartridge — Calibre 45." There was no telling how much of that sort of thing they would need in addition to the supply each officer and man carried on his person in the handy " thimble belt." Lieutenant Eaton was quarter master of the post at the time, and ordinarily would not be detailed for such duty as scouting, but here was a chance of finding the Indians close at hand, and having the fight over and done with in less than a week, so he wanted to go, and received the Colonel's permission. Busily at work among the soldiers was an Irish sergeant, between whom and the cavalry officers, and even men, there was a deep respect and esteem. He bore the name of Bernard Taylor, was called " Barney " by the troopers when off duty, but respectfully addressed as " Sergeant " at all other times. Both King and Eaton knew him well. He had been in many a scout and skirmish with the regiment, and was hailed as a daring, resolute, intelligent man, and a non-commissioned officer of high merit. He had not waited for Lieutenant King's return from his forty-mile ride, but had everything in readiness to report to him on his arrival. The horses had been carefully inspected, and both they and the mules were re-shod where the shoes were worn to any extent. This is an imperative precaution over the Arizona mountain trails — there is no rougher country in the world. By ten P.M. everything was ready but the scouts. They had not appeared, and as the lieutenant knew he would have no great difficulty in overtaking the Indians during the week, burdened as they were by slow-moving cattle and SUSPICIO US ALLIES. 255 compelled to follow the beaten trails, he was well content with the Colonel's orders to let the men have a few hours' sleep before starting. It was his purpose to push up Beaver Creek in the dark, and scale the mountains from its head-waters, hiding in the canons by day and continuing on the chase at night, so that his coming would be unperceived even by the wariest of Apache eyes. Late at night the Apache-Yumas came riding down from the reservation, and reported to Lieutenant King at his quarters. He and Eaton looked them over by lantern light and shook their heads. " No good," said Eaton. There were fifteen of them, under the leadership of a couple of petty chiefs. An interpreter came who said that Lieutenant Schuyler wanted the horses returned at once. They had only been lent to hurry them down. No mountain Apaches ever did their scouting ex cept on foot, and the first thing these fellows did was to de mand that the horses be kept for their benefit. Being re fused, they began to grumble and then to demand supper, and were finally marched off to the command in a sullen mood. " I'll bet. a hat," said Sergeant Taylor, as he watched them talking in low tones among themselves, " those beg gars know just who the renegades are and don't want to go and help find them." At the first gray of dawn the little command was ready to start. FRONTIER UNIFORM. Let us inspect these frontier soldiers. We look in vain, with our civilized eyes, for the " pomp and circumstance " 256 TRAILING THE APACHES. which one associates with a "regular" in the East- — at Washington or New York. Where are the plumes and pipe-clay ? where the dazzling brasses and the faultless cut of the company tailor? A search in the men's lockers would doubtless reveal them, snugly packed away for the next garrison duty. But here another garb, a combination of experience and the old-clothes' bag, is the correct thing. We may perhaps except the detachment commander. His clothes are not shabby ; and he can't help being neat, even when on a "scout." From the top of his low-crowned, feather-weight, drab, felt hat to the dark-blue flannel shirt, fastened at the neck with a knotted silk handkerchief, and the small soft gauntlet which he twirls restlessly in one hand, the artist as well as the campaigner stands out ; he of all the party wears closely-fitting cavalry breeches, boots, spurs, and a cartridge-belt well filled ; an " officer's rifle " completes a picturesque and useful outfit. Standing by his horse, a little apart from the men, is an admirable specimen of the Irish-American soldier. Of medium stature, very powerfully built, with a frank, bronzed face, bright blue eyes and close-cut auburn hair and mus tache (marked in the descriptive list as "sandy "), Sergeant Bernard Taylor of the Fifth Horse would at a glance be picked out as one of the best men in the party. His cos tume, although hardly as natty as that of his superior, is not less adapted to the nature of the service. A gray felt sombrero, with upturned brim, is clapped well down on his head, with a gentle inclination over the right eyebrow; a faded lead-colored flannel shirt, open at the neck, gives a glimpse of a red undershirt ; a plains-man's home-made SERGEANT TAYLOR'S OUTFIT. 257 cartridge-belt, bristling with metallic ammunition, encircles his waist, with a revolver on one side, balanced on the other by a keen-bladed hunting-knife ; buckskin breeches, and well-greased cowhide boots, with huge rowelled Mexi can spurs, make up the Sergeant's equipment. The short- limbed, compactly-built, California horse, standing quietly at his elbow, looks fit for any emergency, and has more than once shown a clean pair of heels to the enemy, when discre tion on his rider's part has been the better part of valor ; the McClellan saddle, stripped of every ounce of unneces sary leather, and planted well forward on the neatly folded blanket, the snug sack of barley, like a small section of stove-pipe resting behind the cantle of the saddle, the extra girth, — all these are signs that mean business. The rest are more or less similarly accoutred. Hardly a forage cap, not a sabre, nor a letter or number to tell to what particular regiment of Uncle Sam's retainers these bandit-like horsemen belong. Fording the Verde, they pushed rapidly up the valley of Beaver Creek, and at night were dragging their horses after them in a tough foot-climb up the jagged steeps of the Mogollon. Long before midnight the Indians, who ought to have served as guides, had dropped hopelessly behind. "Tired out," they said, and yet, when they want to, any one of them can out-last the stoutest mountaineer on a tramp. King, Eaton and Sergeant Taylor led the way up the heights or down through the dark ravines, guided only by the stars, and when dawn of the second day arrived they halted, tired and foot-sore, far up in the range, and, they believed, undetected. 17 258 TRAILING THE APACHES. One thing had occurred to confirm the suspicions of Sergeant Taylor. Climbing up out of a deep gorge they came, just before daybreak, to a point from which they could see the range, far away northward, and there, stand ing boldly out among the eastern cliffs of the reservation, casting its glare miles to the eastward, but hidden from the west, was a huge signal fire, a warning to the enemy that the soldiers were coming. King sent back to the rear for his scouts and silently pointed to the distant blaze as they were finally huddled before him. One and all they denied all knowledge of it, but declared they could not keep up — " Soldiers go too fast." Warned that the first one caught at anything that might betray the presence of the com mand would be summarily shot, they were herded down to the next ravine, where the day was spent in resting in con cealment. The next night the command marched rapidly through a wild and beautiful table-land, far up in the mountains, among pine, juniper and scrub oak. Here nothing could keep the Indians along with the column. Two of them swore they were sick, and both the officers felt certain that they knew the troops were rapidly nearing the position of the " hostiles," and dared not be with them. One of them was so cold and abject an object that the Lieutenant or dered him to mount a spare mule. He did so, fell asleep, rolled off and nearly cracked his skull. Eaton picked him up, unconscious, and plastered the crack as well as he could by starlight, and then, leaving the Indian in charge of two of his demoralized comrades, the little column pushed ahead. When they reached the banks of Snow Lake, far A HOT TRAIL. >-$9 up on the plateau, only nine of the scouts were left. Two had deserted and gone no one knew whither. The actions of the entire gang were so unlike those of all the other scouts with whom the two officers had dealt in the past that they became thoroughly distrustful of them. They kept protesting to Lieutenant King that no Apaches could be in the vicinity, but their very volubility convinced him they were lying, and excited his wrath. It had grown sharply cold so far up among the mountains, that the water froze in the canteens at night, and the Indians complained bitterly of the hardships. But on the dawn of October 31, King and Sergeant Taylor, scouting out in front, came upon recent Apache signs in the sand of a little gully ; more than that, they were soon on the track of the captured cattle. That very evening, down in a broad depression, they came in sight of the chase, and, leaving their skulking allies to look out for themselves, the little troop rode headlong down the slopes, and while some "rounded up" the frightened cattle, King, Eaton and most of the men rushed on in pursuit of the Apaches, who had scattered into the hills. Darkness put an end to that, however, and they had to wait until the scouts came up. Leaving a guard with the cattle, King and his men again set forth about nine P.M., and found themselves, about one in the morning, in the defile known as Sunset Pass, where they bivouacked for the night. Their orders were to "pursue and punish." They had pursued, but up to this moment had inflicted no punishment. Both officers were confident that they would find the Apaches lurking in the mountains north or south of the Pass, and were de- 26o TRAILING THE APACHES. termined to have it out with them ; but the scouts pro tested that as soon, as it was dark the Tontos must have doubled on their track and gone back towards Snow Lake. At dawn, King ordered them out to search the neighbor hood for signs. They were in a rocky ravine, through which there trickled a tiny stream that formed little pools here and there, from which they watered their horses. South rose a rugged mountain, covered with tangled shrub bery and boulders. Northward lay another, and between them curled and twisted the old trail leading to the Sunset Crossing of the Colorado Chiquito, twenty miles away. The Indians sullenly obeyed, but huddled nervelessly to gether, making only faint pretence of search, and inces santly protesting, " No Tonto here." " THICK AS LEAVES." Suddenly there came a shout from down the ravine. Some of the men, in hunting about, had come finally on a pool with sandy shores, and there, thick as leaves, were the fresh prints of Tonto moccasons. The scouts were fairly driven to the spot by the officers, and con fronted with the evidences of their worthlessness. Then came the hurried consultations. It was evident that after filling their water-vessels the Tontos had taken to the mountains, south of the Pass, and King determined to fol low at once. Eaton, with the main body, was ordered to remain a short distance in rear, while the commander, with Sergeant Taylor, should force the scouts ahead and find the trail up the rocky slopes. White men could not do it unaided, and there were a dozen ways in which the Indians "HEAP TONTO SIGN" 26l might have gone. Damning them for their cowardice and treachery, King warned the scouts that they might expect a shot from either himself or Taylor if they lied again, or dered them out in dispersed line across the slope, and then, pointing upward, gave the word " Ugashe " (go ahead), and he and Taylor followed at their heels. The ardent officer soon found himself and the Sergeant far in advance of the more slowly moving detachment. In a few minutes both stood upon a great flat rock, jutting out from the precipice, and covered with huge boulders, relics of some early upheaval ; above them, the great cliff reared its forbidding front, black and seamed with the storms of ages ; below, the mountain side fell away in mingled forest and ravine and rushing torrent. Looking around for some outlet to the spot, for he was convinced the hostiles were lurking near, the Lieutenant sent the Sergeant in one direction, while he cautiously glided into the underbrush in an attempt to flank the position. A moment later something whizzed by his head and buried itself deep in a tree. He had found the hornet's nest ! In another moment he felt a sharp burning sensation as an other dart, better aimed, cut through the muscles at the outer corner of his left eye and flew down toward the cow ardly scouts, who, at the sound of the first arrow, had taken to their heels. A HORNET'S NEST. To jump behind a convenient rock was but the work of a moment for the bleeding but not seriously injured officer. With carbine at " ready," he eagerly watched for the game. 262 TRAILING THE APACHES. He had not long to wait. Another arrow sped by his head from the left, and like lightning his rifle was at his shoulder ; a sharp report followed, and one of two dark forms crouch ing in his front dropped out of sight. Ere he could reload, a volley came from the same direction, his carbine dropped from his hand, and his right arm, pierced by a bullet, hung nerveless by his side, while down the wounded limb the warm life-blood poured. In such situations men must think quickly. He must run for it. Could he hold out until he reached his men, whom he knew were even then springing forward to his relief? All this passed through the gallant fellow's mind in a second. In another he was springing down the side of the hill with the yelling red devils after him, but moving more slowly, as they did not expect any friends in that direction. The breathless and fast weakening soldier hardly needs the obstruction of a tough, clinging vine to send him headlong eight or ten feet down, where, bruised and nearly senseless, he lies. But one thought is uppermost. They shall not take him alive without another shot. He fumbles for his revolver and — what is that ? Upon his ear comes a familiar sound. It is the Sergeant calling his name. " Lieutenant ! Lieutenant ! where are ye ? " "Here! Sergeant," faintly replies the wounded man. The Sergeant took in the situation at a glance. In a mo ment he had picked up his officer (who held on with one arm round the soldier's neck) and was getting over the ground in true mountaineer fashion. When King fell, the Apaches for a few moments lost his SA VING HIS OFFICER 'S LIFE. 263 trail, but now they came tearing after the fugitives. Every few yards Sergeant Taylor would stop and send a reminder from his carbine that his arms were all right, and twice a Tonto measured his length on the rocks. But the gallant Irishman was getting winded, and King, fearing that both would lose their lives, urged, implored, ORDERED his com panion to leave him and save himself. But the Sergeant was not that sort of man ! To leave any white human being — much less the officer whom he loved and respected — to the mercy of those howling fiends was not to be thought of for an instant. He knew what that meant, — death by torture, with which the cruelties of the Spanish Inquisition pale by Contrast. The shots now came more frequently, they came closer, and arrows mingled with the leaden shower. At last, just as Sergeant Taylor's strength has nearly given out with the weight and the pace, sounds of crashing bushes and excited voices are heard, and — " Here come the boys, sir ! " is the welcome shout which rings in the Lieutenant's ear as he loses consciousness. In a quarter of an hour the affair is over. Several of the Apaches have gone to the happy hunting-grounds of their people, and the command is resting in a picturesque nook. Lieutenant King's wound is not beyond the rough surgery of old campaigners, of whom there are not a few in the command. Fortunately, the ball had avoided the arteries and the bones. Cold-water applications, careful bandaging, some strong coffee, and as soft a bed of blankets as could be made, went far towards bracing the disabled cavalryman for the ride back to his post. And although suffering 264 TRAILING THE APACHES. much, the first thing he did upon his arrival was to dictate an official report, in which Sergeant Taylor's conduct came in for conspicuous mention and recommendation to the military authorities. None realized better than the Lieu tenant that, but for Taylor's pluck and perseverance, to some other pen would have fallen this professional duty. It was for this act of daring and devotion that Sergeant Bernard Taylor was named for and awarded the Medal of Honor, and in the skirmish up the height Corporal Bryan Smith and Private Frank Biffar were named for conspicuous conduct. Taylor was a typical Irishman, brave, intelligent, full of high spirit and pride in his regiment. He was a fine rider, a quick shot, a gallant and enthusias tic trooper, and never more thoroughly in his element than in the rough mountain scouting, in which the Fifth spent so many stirring years. Poor fellow ! he lived only a few DECORATED AND DESERVING. 265 brief months, and died at Verde, just before the regiment started on its homeward march. SERGEANT JOHN NIHII.L, fifth u. s. artillery. II. THREE TO ONE. Frequently the force sent after the hostile Indians is small, but that it gains in quality what it lacks in quantity appears from the story of Private JOHN NlHlLL, " F," 5th U. S. Cavalry, a soldier who won a Medal of Honor for his good conduct in the Whetstone Mountains, Arizona, July 13, 1872, and upon other occasions. He has since become a sergeant in Battery " B," 5th U. 266 SERGEANT NIHILL 'S AD VENTURE. 267 S. Artillery, and at the Editor's request gives the follow ing account of one of his adventures :* " During the Summer of 1872, the troop to which I then belonged (' F,' Fifth Cavalry) was stationed at Camp Crittenden, A. T., which at that time was the most ex treme Southern post in Arizona. The post was situated* at the base of the Santa Rita Mountains, which at that time was a favorite resort of the Chiricahua Apaches, in their raids through Southern Arizona. "In the Summer of 1872, the Apaches committed more depredations in the vicinity of Camp Crittenden than in any other part of the territory, and we were poorly pre pared to return the compliment, having only the one troop at the post, three-fourths of whom were sick with chills and fever, and unable to perform any duties, so that a sufficient force could not be sent out against them, to punish them in their favorite haunts. Still, Lieutenant Hall, the post com mander, did all that possibly could be done, under the cir cumstances, to afford protection to the settlers in the vi cinity of the post. " Indian alarms were daily occurrences, so that it was noth ing new, when, on the morning of July 13, 1872, a Mexican ranchman, who lived about two miles from the post, came in at daylight and reported that during the night a party * Medals won bv Sergeant John Nihill, " B," 5th U. S. Artillery. (See Portrait.) The medals on the right and left, respectively, of the Medal of Honor are