Was routed out before 5 the next morning and made a forced march to reach the 5th corps; halted at dusk and threw up intrenchments. It was truly marvelous to see how quickly troops would throw up formidable earthworks with nothing to work with except bayonets, tin cups and plates and an occasional frying pan, and men did it willingly, too, for although they were so tired they could hardly march farther they knew there was no safety for an army unless they were behind intrenchments.
Heavy firing that night on both flanks; next morning had a lively skirmish about 4; several wounded.
April 2, continued the advance; crossed the South Side railroad; heavy skirmishing on the advance lines; built intrenchments near the railroad.
Although there was constant skirmishing by the troops on the flanks, there was no serious conflict until the 31st, when Sheridan encountered Fitzhugh Lee"s cavalry and "Fighting Phil" is reported to have said he had "one of the liveliest times of his life."
The same day the confederates delivered one of their furious sallies against Gen. Warren"s 5th corps out on the White Oak road, hurling back in disorder the divisions of Gens. Ayers and Crawford, but Griffin"s division stood firm and Gen. Miles" division of the 2d corps, with which our regiment was serving, went to their support and delivered a counter charge on the right flank, causing the enemy to retire to his intrenchments, which were so strong and stubbornly defended that repeated attempts to dislodge them failed.
In the meantime Lee sent Gen. Pickett, who so gallantly led the charge at Gettysburg, along the White Oak road to Five Forks, where he routed a division of infantry and some of Sheridan"s cavalry.
FIVE FORKS.
The next day, April 1, the 5th corps and Sheridan"s cavalry moved on the enemy at Five Forks. Gen. Sheridan was everywhere on his powerful, coal black charger. It is said he even swore a little as he told the brigade commanders that "This battle has got to be fought on the double quick."
When the battle line was forming he is said to have ridden among the men and encouraged them with such remarks as, "We"ve got the twist on "em, boys; there won"t be a grease spot left when we get through."
At a critical moment when some of the troops wavered because of the hail-storm of bullets, Sheridan grasped his battle flag from the man who carried it and rode forward, urging his men to close up and stand firm.
Such conduct inspired the soldiers to a renewed effort, and they charged the enemy and won a splendid victory.
Gen. Grant celebrated Sheridan"s victory by opening fire on the city of Petersburg with over 100 cannon, and the troops who held the lines in front of the city a.s.saulted the works and pressed back the Confederates, whose only hope was to get safely away from the city and join Lee"s army in its race for life. This was accomplished during the night of the 2d, and the departure of the Confederate troops was effected so quietly that the Union pickets knew not that the enemy were moving till daylight revealed the fact that they had folded their tents and slid away in the night and were miles distant when the Union forces proudly entered the city that had been the bone of contention between the two great armies from June, 1864, to April, 1865.
It was well understood that Lee"s objective point was Lynchburg or Danville, and it was only by ceaselessly marching and hammering away at their weakening lines that Lee"s plans to unite his forces with Gen.
Johnston"s were foiled. Phil Sheridan, aided by Gens. Custer, Crook and Merritt, was just the right man for the job, and his unceasing ardor and energy kept things humming and was what contributed largely to the success of the campaign. The only blot on his escutcheon was his ungenerous treatment of Gen. Warren, after Five Forks, which caused Warren"s removal from his command, and the life of one of the bravest and most accomplished officers of the Army of the Potomac was embittered and he died a few years after the war of a broken heart.
His old comrades, although admiring Sheridan"s splendid qualities, could never quite forgive his treatment of so gallant an officer and gentleman.
The pursuit of Lee was resumed on the 3d. Gen. Sheridan with his cavalry and the 5th corps moved westerly, keeping near the Appomattox river, where they could keep in touch with Lee"s army. Gen. Meade with the 2d and 6th corps followed Sheridan with the same object in view. Gen. Ord, with the 24th corps, Gen. Birney"s colored troops and the 9th corps were to move parallel with the South Side railroad.
No fighting of importance occurred for two or three days after Five Forks, but we did some right smart marching.
The evening of April 5, we were preparing to go into camp for the night when the sound of artillery put us in motion again, and we raced it until midnight. The morning of the 6th, Gen. Meade concluded that Lee"s troops had been slipping around to his left during the night; so he sent the 6th corps out on the Painesville road and we of the 2d by the Deatonville pike.
Couriers had brought word that the enemy was moving in two columns, one under the command of Gen. James Longstreet, and the other under Gen. John B. Gordon.
Recently, when the death of the two above-named generals occurred so closely together, it seemed almost a suggestion of fatality that these two great leaders who fought all through the war and were Lee"s two arms in the last desperate effort for the "Lost Cause" should have outlived all of the other great generals of the confederacy and then crossed over the river shoulder to shoulder, as it were, to rejoin Lee, Jackson and other beloved comrades.
THE SAILOR"S CREEK FIGHT.
After going four or five miles, the morning of the 6th, we came out on a ridge, in a clearing, and in the distance could be seen a long column of rebs, moving in almost an opposite direction.
Our division had the right of line, so we could see them very clearly. The boys began to throw their caps in the air and let off a few yells, when word was pa.s.sed along the line to keep quiet and we obliqued to one side and got out of sight behind the crest of the ridge.
Gen. Miles ordered up some batteries, and they taking position in our front, unlimbered and opened fire on the "Johnnies," who were crossing a large open field, and there was a column of about a mile long to be seen.
My blood runs quicker as the memory of that day comes back to me with its thrilling incidents.
I see the artillery galloping into position and I recall the excitement when the first shots were fired and we watched the sh.e.l.ls as they dropped among the confederates.
The artillerymen got the range the first time, and there was some right smart "gittin" away" to the woods, which were in every direction, and the way those greybacks broke for a shelter was a caution, and our men couldn"t help but give them a cheer.
It was understood that Lee had issued orders to all of the division and corps commanders to do as little fighting as possible. The program seemed to be to get away, but when they were cornered they fought with the desperation of men who are being hunted down.
A RUNNING FIGHT.
Our troops got orders to "go for "em," and it was a running fight until night, the race extending over fifteen miles of country.
They were anxious to save some wagon trains that had supplies for Lee"s army. All day they fought on the defensive, holding the Union forces off long enough for the trains to get out of the way, and then they would limber up their artillery and go flying to the rear and take up a new position a mile or two away, the infantry holding us off until the batteries were in position, when the troops would take shelter under their guns. When we pressed them too close the artillerymen would give our men grape and cannister, and then yield to the infantry.
Our artillery failed to do much execution that day because the Johnnies would not stand and take it.
The country was swampy and occasionally a wagon would get stuck in the mud and they would have to abandon it.
At one time, when our division was close upon the enemy, we descended a hill that led to a little stream, and on the other side was an elevation where the Rebs had gotten a battery into position.
Our regiment was in the first line of battle, and when the battery commenced firing we had got so far down the hill that the artillerymen could not depress their guns enough to reach us; but the reserve line that was on higher ground suffered severely.
The creek where we struck it was fringed with a vine that formed a perfect network. The vines were tough and would not break, and there was no way to crawl under or go over; so the men cut through with jack knives.
It happened that the rest of the brigade did not encounter the obstruction and were ready to advance when our regiment was tangled up in the vines.
Being in the center the delay was noticed. Finally a staff officer, one of those slick fellows with red sash, riding gauntlets and plenty of gold braid, rode down on the opposite bank and called out, "What in h--ll is the matter with the 2d New York, and where is the commanding officer?"
Col. Hulser (he was then a major) looked up from under an old slouch hat, the rest of his uniform being no better than the privates, and paid his respects to that dude of an officer in language that was highly tinctured with brimstone. The regiment formed in line on the south bank exposed to a fierce artillery fire, and the boys noticed that the dandy officer from the general"s staff ducked his head low on his horse"s neck quite frequently, while the old major, who was always ill at ease on dress parades and reviews, sat his horse, amid the screeching sh.e.l.ls like a bronze figure.
When Hulser had gotten his regiment lined up to suit him he said to the officer, "In ten minutes the 2d New York will capture that rebel battery unless they limber up and get out of our way." Drawing his sword he gave the command, "Forward, guide center, double-quick," and away went the men with a rush, for everyone probably felt that they would like to show the officious staff officer that they were no cowards. But when the Johnnies saw that glistening line of bayonets moving down on them they pulled up and ran away.
The enemy had another battery in position about a half a mile away, and they did some rapid firing for the "Lost Cause;" but some of our troops got after them on the flank and they pulled up and ran again. A comrade has told me that he saw a man killed by a sh.e.l.l that day and the sh.e.l.l did not touch him. It pa.s.sed close to his head and the concussion killed him instantly.
The troops in our front were Gen. Gordon"s and about 4 o"clock they made a determined stand, as our troops were pressing them so closely they were in danger of losing their train of supplies.
Our regiment was in some second growth pine woods and the rebels behind a rail fence on the other edge of the woods, and through the trees the moving wagons could be seen.
The order came to "charge," and Gen. Miles" old first division went for the enemy with a rush and some cavalry on the flank went after that train.
The fighting was general and things became badly mixed up. The teamsters lashed their horses and tried to get away, but many cut the traces and abandoned their loads.
The Confederates tried to hold the opposite side of the train and used the wagons as a shelter, and the combatants banged at each other through the wagons.
PAT CAPTURES A GUN.
A comrade of my regiment who was in the immediate ranks that day, says:
"Where we struck the train a rebel bra.s.s cannon was stuck in the mud. Two rebs were on one side of it tugging away at a wheel trying to turn it on our lines. Two of our regiment grabbed the other wheel and tried to turn it the other way, but it was so firmly imbedded in the mud that neither side could budge it. The blue and the gray glared at each other and finally Pat Devereaux of the 2d heavy, spoke out, "Say Johnnie, lave your hands off that gun, I tell ye!" and the reb retorted as follows: "Go soak your head, Pat. I wouldn"t dirty my hands with you, I"ll get my n.i.g.g.e.r to attend to your case." Just then Pat grabbed the rammer to the gun and went for the Johnnie in true Irish style, saying as he brought the rammer down upon his enemy: "I can whip the bist man in your measly gang. You"re nothing but a dirty lazy lot of slave drivers. Out of this, I say!" and the Johnnie went, leaving Pat the victor. And that is how Private Devereaux of the 2d helped take one of the four cannon captured by the 2d corps that day."
In these days if such an act of heroism were performed, it would be heralded all over the continent, but such occurrences were too common in those exciting times, besides each regimental commander did not have two or three war correspondents at his elbows for the purpose of writing up his achievements.