A most ludicrous incident occurred during our march that night. A halt of perhaps five minutes had permitted nearly all of us to drop off into the arms of morpheus when some general"s pack horse broke away from the rest and came tearing down the lines, his load of camp kettles and other culinary equipage making a great clattering and creating something of a panic. When I awoke I was running through the woods about three or four rods from the road, and everybody else was doing likewise. One of our band boys ran into a tree and smashed his horn. Others lost their caps, blankets, etc., and we were a very demoralized lot of soldiers for a few moments. But order was soon restored and the march was continued the balance of the night without any other event worthy of note.
About daybreak we heard musketry, and our brigade, which was then commanded by Gen. Nelson A. Miles, was rushed forward to support the cavalry, who were having a brisk little skirmish with the enemy at Guinea station. The rebels were routed, however, without the infantry firing a shot.
We halted long enough to make coffee and then resumed the march, pa.s.sing that day through a part of the state that had not been ravaged by war.
IN A BEAUTIFUL LAND.
We marched along beautifully shaded roadways, and the air was fragrant with May blossoms. Herds of cattle grazed in luxuriant pastures.
The homes of the people were comfortable and everything looked peaceful and inviting to the thousands of poor, tired soldiers as they went marching by.
We only made one halt during the day, which was an intensely hot one.
Strong men fell down by the roadside from sheer exhaustion, but the rear guards would drive them on when they came along, for to be left behind was certain capture, and there was not ambulance accommodations enough for the wounded.
Late in the afternoon we reached Milford and, crossing the Mattapony river at that point, intrenched ourselves on the south side, remaining there the next day, which gave us a much needed rest and afforded us an opportunity to bathe in the river.
It is said the Mattapony was so named because it is made up from four small streams which are called respectively, the: Mat-Ta-Po-Ny.
I was feeling quite down in the mouth, so to speak, when we halted that night, for when I had been taking a little nap in the shade of a rail fence at our midday halt some miscreant had stolen my haversack containing five days" rations. But, thanks to my big hearted comrade, I did not suffer for food as long as he had a mouthful.
A GOOD CHUM.
"Will" Coleman was a comrade worth having. A little older than I, of splendid physique and health, brave, jolly and unselfish, and one who would stand by you until the last. All through the long marches, hardships and battles incident to the campaigns from Spottsylvania to Appomattox we shared our rations, drank from the same canteen and slept under the same blanket. Words are inadequate to express what such comradeship means. No crucible ever tested metal more thoroughly than army life tested human character.
Some that much had been expected of, when put to the test, shrunk in our estimation. Other modest souls developed into heroes when occasion demanded.
It was a grand experience and I believe with few exceptions all the survivors have been better men therefor.
THREE FAMOUS LEADERS.
On May 23 we resumed our march and Gens. Grant and Meade rode with Gen.
Hanc.o.c.k at the head of our corps in the forenoon.
We reached the North Anna river in the afternoon and found the enemy in force with plenty of batteries in position on the south side. A spirited artillery duel took place and about six o"clock in the evening Gen.
Hanc.o.c.k ordered an a.s.sault on the enemy, who had possession of the two bridges. They were driven across the river, but held the south end of one bridge during the night and made several attempts to burn it, but a heavy thunder shower came up and partly frustrated their efforts.
We all got a thorough drenching, for we had no tents and had to lie on the ground and take it.
In the morning it was found that the enemy had abandoned their advanced works near the river and our division crossed over and prepared to attack them, but their intrenchments were found so strong the design was abandoned.
A FAMINE AND A FEAST.
The supply trains had failed to connect with the army, and we were almost dest.i.tute of rations. I heard many offers of fifty cents to one dollar for a hard tack. The only thing my chum and I had to eat in the forenoon was some corn we found scattered on the ground where horses had been fed.
In the afternoon the irrepressible Coleman went on a foraging expedition and brought back a small chicken, a piece of veal and a "hoe cake," which made us a good meal.
That night the army recrossed the river again and we started out on another of our all-night marches with mud in places half way to our knees.
All of our movements that summer took the form of a half circle. We used to march twenty or thirty miles to change the front of not more than one-fourth of that distance, and the boys very appropriately called the movements "Slewing to the left."
The afternoon after leaving the North Anna river we brought up at the Pamunky, which we crossed on pontoon bridges. The enemy was strongly entrenched not far from the river and fired on our skirmishers. Everything indicated hot work. Our regiment was ordered into an advanced position and we built breastworks in plain sight of our adversaries, expecting that they would open on us with their artillery every moment, but for some reason they did not do so.
AN a.s.sAULT.
Early the next day our division, led by Gen. Francis C. Barlow--and a braver soldier never lived--a.s.saulted the rebel lines and to do so had to cross a swampy ravine fully exposed to the fire of the enemy, who were protected by earthworks. The losses of our troops were severe.
INVITED TO COME FORWARD.
The musicians of our regiment were back under the cover of some woods and while the engagement was at its height we saw big George B.--our sergeant major--coming across the field on a run toward us. George explained his mission in a few words, which were about as follows:
"Col. Whistler wants you boys to come up on the fighting line and help the surgeons take care of our wounded, and you better come p. d. q., too, for the old man was pretty mad when he missed you."
It is needless to say we got there lively, but while we were carrying some wounded past our brigade commander he remarked that we were endangering their lives more by trying to remove them during an engagement than to leave them on the ground until the fighting was over.
We thought it the safest, however, to obey our colonel, and after that we took good care that he did not have to send an officer to hunt us up.
The casualties of our regiment in this engagement, which was called the battle of Totopotomy, were seven killed and seventy-seven wounded.
THE REBEL YELL.
It is seldom that one in the ranks has a chance to see much of a battle except what may be happening in his own regiment. Such an opportunity came to my chum and me at Totopotomy the afternoon of May 31st, 1864, when we witnessed the charge in open field of a Confederate division and heard for the first time the real Rebel yell, which was so unlike the cheers of the Union soldiers.
After the a.s.sault of our division in the forenoon, matters settled down and there was comparative quiet for a couple of hours. About 2 o"clock we heard some lively cannonading over to the right and Coleman, who was one of those boys that always wanted to see all that was going on, suggested that we walk over that way. We found a battery of artillery in an advanced position sh.e.l.ling a piece of woods. The captain sat upon a camp stool dressed in a white duck suit and gave directions to his men as though it was target practice. We two boys stood on the earthworks and watched the effect of the exploding sh.e.l.ls as they cut off the limbs of the trees or ploughed up the sod in the field in front of the woods. We learned from the artillerymen that the Confederates were ma.s.sing troops preparatory to making a charge. Soon the rebel yell broke loose and a long line of gray came out of the woods and moved forward in perfect formation. Not a soldier wavered. The scene was thrilling and we were quite unmindful of the fact that our position was a dangerous one. The Confederate troops were supported by a number of pieces of artillery and the gunners had a perfect range on our battery and their sh.e.l.ls were soon bursting all about us. Coleman and I quit our sight-seeing from the top of the breastworks and got down behind them, peeping out occasionally to watch the movements of the advancing enemy. When they had got within close range our battery opened on them with case shot and cannister, cutting swaths in the ranks of the advancing forces, but they would close up and come on and it looked as though the battery was lost. The captain had received orders to withdraw, but it was too late for him to get away with his guns so he concluded to stay and do the best he could. Several of his horses were killed and disabled and one of the caissons was blown up. Just when it looked as though the rebels were going to sweep everything before them we heard a loud, long cheer and a division of the gallant old 5th Corps double-quicked out to meet them and turned the tide the other way, and soon the Johnnies were in full retreat. They left many dead and wounded in our front, Gen. Ramsey being among the killed.
This was one of the most spectacular engagements that I ever witnessed and was about the only one where I had a good opportunity to watch the effects of artillery fire directed against a charging column. Need I say that it was not necessary to keep a diary of such experiences. They were indelibly impressed on my memory as I doubt not they were on that of all other partic.i.p.ants.
CHAPTER X.
b.l.o.o.d.y COLD HARBOR.
The next move in the great game of war between Grant and Lee was Cold Harbor--a name indelibly impressed upon every survivor of the campaign. It recalls two weeks of hunger, thirst, hardships that language is inadequate to describe; unsuccessful a.s.saults and losses, that tell the story of most desperate fighting. It was Greek against Greek, veteran against veteran.
No one seems to know why the place was so named for, as Pat. Devereaux of our company expressed it, ""twas no harbor at all, and divil a drop of water to make "wan wid." Grant considered it an important point, however, and tried to get there ahead of Lee, but as a "comrade in gray" expressed it, "Uncle Robert wasn"t caught napping anywhere."
Our corps reached there at a little past 6 the morning of June 2, after an all-night march with the heat and dust oppressive beyond description. An attack had been ordered for the morning, but was postponed because of the exhausted condition of the troops.
A DESPERATE WISH.