EMORY UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Purchased from the
funds of
The Lewi§ H. Beck Foundation
HISTORY
FORTY-SECOND RE&IMENT
INFANTRY.
Massachusetts Volunteers,
1862, 1863, 1864.
SERGEANT-MAJOR CHARLES P BOSSON.
BOSTON :
MILLS, KNIGHT & CO., PRINTERS, 115 CONGRESS STREET.
1886.
Copyrighted by CHARLES P. BOSSON.
1886.
PREFACE
*" I ~*HIS history of the regiment was undertaken by me at the special request of several officers who knew I had written, soon after the term of service expired, considerable matter relating thereto, for my own amuse- ment and instruction. Without this foundation to work on, written when memory was fresh, it is doubtful if a history of the regiment could be written, for references to many soldiers' diaries disclosed the fact that nearly all did not contain detailed accounts of events occur- ring at the time entries were made. Few soldiers thought any memorandum of theirs would ever become useful for a purpose of this kind. Access to the regimental books and files of papers has greatly facilitated this history.
'I have not been able to write a satisfactory account of Companies ' C and H on detached service, or of Company K on detached service, in charge of pontoons. I found it impossible to obtain information in a way to be of service.
IV PREFACE.
I proposed to publish Descriptive Lists of each company of the regiment. Upon investigation, and a comparison of lists in possession of the War Department, the regi- mental descriptive books, and orders of detail, I found such a marked difference in Christian names and sur- names the idea was abandoned ; besides, such lists would prove misleading, as many men enlisted under a false age ; those who were too young gave in their age several years older than they were, others, too old, made their age to meet the requirements of law. The original De- scriptive Lists were made up in a hurried, loose manner, few officers realizing their importance in after years.
It is probable certain facts in these pages will appear to some readers at this day far different than they would had the history been published within a few years after the war closed. We have grown older and wiser than we were in 1862 and 1863.
If any of my old comrades in arms shall have passed a pleasant hour in reading this history, I shall feel amply repaid for time and trouble in its preparation.
Charles P. Bosson.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
PAGE.
Organization of Regiment — Camp at Readville — Depart- ure for New York i
CHAPTER II. En Route — Camp at East New York — On Transports, 19
CHAPTER III.
On Board Transports — The Saxon — Quincy — Charles
Osgood — Shetucket — Quinnebaug 38
CHAPTER IV Galveston 61
CHAPTER V.
At Carrollton — Bound for Galveston — Arrival of
Companies — Camp Mansfield — Details 140
CHAPTER VI. February — At Bayou Gentilly — More Details 154
CHAPTER VII.
Enlisted Men Prisoners at Houston — March for the
Federal Lines — Arrival at New Orleans 173
CHAPTER VIII. At Bayou Gentilly — March — April 197
CHAPTER IX. At Bayou Gentilly — May 226
VI CONTENTS.
CHAPTER X.
PAGE.
Bayou Gentilly — June — Farewell to Gentilly Camp
— In New Orleans 239
CHAPTER XL Brashear City 252
CHAPTER XII. Action at La-Fourche Crossing 286
CHAPTER XIII. July — In New Orleans — At Algiers 310
CHAPTER XIV.
Companies C and H on Detached Service at Camp
Parapet 331
CHAPTER XV.
Company K in Charge of Pontoons — Baton Rouge — Teche Campaign — Siege of Port Hudson — Don- aldsonville — return to regiment 352
CHAPTER XVI.
August — At Algiers — Bound North — On Board "Con- tinental"— Arrival Home 378
CHAPTER XVII.
Adventures of Corporal Wentworth and Private
Hersey 389
CHAPTER XVIII.
Officers in Confederate Prisons — Houston — State Prison — Camp Groce — Camp Ford — En Route Home
— At Home 4I-
CHAPTER XIX.
In Service for One Hundred Days — Organization
Readville — Off for Washington — At Alexandria
— At Great Falls — Return Home .._
442
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
Field and Staff Officers ........ i
Kuhn's Wharf, Galveston . 81
Headquarters at Bayou Gentilly . '. . 161
u
I
<
CHAPTER I.
Organization of Regiment — Camp at Readville — Departure for New York.
AT the time (August 4th, 1862) a draft was ordered by President Lincoln for three hundred thousand militia to serve for a period of nine months, Colonel Isaac S. Burrell was in command of the Second Regi- ment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia — an old militia organization of the State. General Orders No. 25, issued July 1st, 1862, by the Commander-in-Chief of the State troops, Governor John A. Andrew, notified the militia to prepare for a call to service. General Orders No. 34, issued August 13th, 1862, by the same authority, notified the volunteer militia they would be accepted for nine months service.
In common with other organized and uniformed militia organizations in the State, the colonel was instructed by officers and men of his command to tender the regiment as volunteers for nine months service, and to obtain per- mission to recruit up to the requisite strength. Public opinion was opposed to a draft at that time, and Governor Andrew, by accepting the services of such militia bodies as volunteered, affording every facility in his power to enable them to recruit up to the full maximum of strength, avoided the necessity for a draft, made available the ser- vices of those officers who eventually recruited their com- panies to a war strength, and the rank and file already enlisted in the militia — a very fine nucleus to commence
2 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
with. The intermixing of raw recruits with men of some experience of the duties of a soldier tended to greatly facilitate the mobilization of the States' quota, and hastened the departure of regiments to the field in a tolerable good condition for immediate duty.
The Second Regiment, M. A' M., was one of the regi- ments accepted. As there was already a Second Regiment (three years troops) in the field, orders were issued des- ignating the regiment as the Forty-Second Regiment, M. V M.. and was ordered into a camp of instruction at Readville, August 26th, 1862.
The old Second Regiment, M. V M., a part of the First Brigade, First Division, State Militia, had just com- pleted the five days camp duty with the brigade at Med- ford, required by law, from August 13th to 18th, and the regimental guard, Company C, Captain Leonard, left at Medford in charge of the camp equipage, since that encampment ended, in anticipation that the regiment would be immediately ordered back, was ordered August 2 2d to strike camp, proceed to Readville early next day, and pitch tents upon high ground very near to the Boston &: Providence Railroad track. The camp was laid out by Quartermaster Burrell and Adjutant Davis, assisted by men of Company C. Colonel Burrell assumed command of all troops rendezvousing there until Brigadier-General Peirce was placed in command.
In addition to this guard, the first detachment of about one hundred men, occupied this camp on the afternoon of August 26th, and from that time until the regiment was complete (November nth), recruiting, equip- ping, and instruction occupied the time. The Ninth Battery, Captain De Vecchi (enlisting for three years), Eleventh Battery, Captain Jones, Forty- Third Regiment, Colonel Holbrook, Forty-Fourth Regiment, Colonel Lee,
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 3
and the Forty-Fifth Regiment, Colonel Codman (all enlist- ing for nine months), were encamped in tents and barracks at the same place and at the same time. The whole force formed a post, commanded by Brigadier-General R. A. Peirce, of the State Militia.
The officers of the old Second Regiment, M. V\ M., that went into camp with the intention of entering the service, if successful in recruiting men to complete their companies and the Forty-Second Regiment, were : —
Colonel — I. S. Burrell.
Lieutenant-Colonel — T. L. D. Perkins.
Major — George W. Beach.
Adjutant — Charles A. Davis.
Quartermaster — C. B. Burrell, vice James W. Coverly, resigned.
Surgeon — John A. Lamson, resigned August 28th, 1862.
Company A — Captain, Wm. A. Brabine ; Lieutenants, Wm. Kilner and John H. Stevens.
Company B — Captain, Albert H. Townsend ; Lieu- tenants, Artemas Webster and Wm. B. Rand.
Company C — Captain, O. W Leonard; Lieutenants, I. B. White and Geo. H. Drew.
Company D — Captain, George Sherive; Lieutenants, Wm. H. Cowdin and D. F. Eddy.
Company E — Captain, Samuel C. Davis; Lieutenants, David Hale and Henry Pierce.
Company F — Captain, Wm. H. Russ ; Lieutenants, Wm. A. Clark and James C. Singleton.
Company G — Captain, A. N. Proctor; Lieutenants, A. E. Proctor and Charles Jarvis.
Considerable time elapsed before the regiment was full. The system adopted by the Governor, of assigning quotas to cities and towns, was found to work to the disadvantage of the seven original companies comprising the regimenj;
4 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
in gaining recruits, as such quotas preferred to enlist in a regiment, as a body, under officers of their own choice, whenever the quotas were sufficient to form a company, or companies. It became evident, early in September, that the Forty-Second Regiment could not be filled to ten full companies unless some of the original companies gave way to such city or town companies as could be secured. Colonel Burrell, with his officers and their friends, spent time and money, visiting various cities and towns en- deavoring to have them join the Forty-Second.
There being a vacancy of three companies in the regiment, Colonel Burrell, although having offers of five full companies to join at one time, thought he could con- scientiously accept of only three, viz., one from Weymouth, one from Medway, and one from Dorchester, preferring to let the other two join some other regiment, and to wait a short time longer, in hope that officers recruiting for the original seven companies would have full commands in a short time, although recruiting was very, very dull at the time for four of those companies. When two of the old companies, D and G, were full to the maximum, and the third, Company C, was progressing favorably, it was evi- dent Companies A, B, E and F could not be recruited, and were delaying formation of the regiment.
Company H, recruited by Captain Bailey, was about full. This company was not in the old Second Regiment. Bailey had some sort of authority to recruit a company, and expressed a desire to become a part of the Forty- Second. He made his headquarters at Readville, and sent men into camp often. There was a great deal of bounty jumping in this company before it was mustered in. The keeping of a correct list of men sent to camp by the captain was a tough job, as the adjutant and ser- geant-major well remember. What blunders were made,
-MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 5
or obstacles met and overcome by Captain Bailey, no one can tell, for the captain kept bis own counsel.
In Company B, Captain Townsend was very trouble- some. In September he carried his supposed grievances so far as to remain away from camp, and order his men to keep away also. This culminated on the eighteenth, when Colonel Burrell requested the adjutant-general to discharge him ; also recommended that Companies B and C be consolidated, and that Company C be the nucleus and letter of the new company. Orders were issued by the Governor disbanding A, B, E and F, transferring the men to other companies. The Weymouth company was designated Company A ; Medway company, Company B ; Dorchester company, Company I ; and steps were taken to try and secure town quotas to fill the three companies required to complete the regiment.
During October the Governor decided to consolidate certain regiments, in order to remedy an apparent evil, and get the troops into the field as soon as possible. More regiments were being recruited in the State than could be filled by the State quota of nine months volunteers. The Forty-Second and Fifty-Fourth regiments had the smallest number of men mustered into service ; the Forty-Second having seven companies, the Fifty-Fourth, six companies. Three companies from Worcester County, viz., from Leicester, Captain Cogswell, Worcester, Captain Stiles, Ware, Captain Davis, of the Fifty-Fourth, were transferred to the Forty-Second regiment. One company of the Fifty- Fourth was transferred to the Fiftieth Regiment, two com- panies of the Fifty- Fourth to the Fifty-First Regiment, and the Fifty-Fourth Regiment was disbanded.
All through the attempt to recruit the regiment to its maximum strength, Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins and Major Beach, instead of rendering any valuable service in that
6 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
direction, were hampering the efforts of others. A jeal- ousy sprang up in the breasts of these two officers against the colonel, born from what no one seems to know, and it is doubtful if they knew themselves. This jealous feel- ing was intensified when Companies A, B, E and F were disbanded, opening the way for three new companies from city and town quotas to take their places. With only three companies remaining of the old Second Regiment, a tri- angular fight sprang up for the positions of colonel, lieutenant-colonel and major ; elective in all nine months troops from Massachusetts, line officers casting the ballots. Officers of the three Worcester County companies held the balance of power. They were desirous of obtaining for field officers the best men they could find in the regi- ment. A council was held one evening, seated in a circle upon the grass some distance from quarters, where the matter was fully discussed. It was finally decided to vote for Isaac S. Burrell for colonel, as he was well known to most of them as an old militia officer ; for Captain Stedman, Company B, to be lieutenant-colonel, as he had been highly recommended to them by officials connected with the Norwich, Vermont, Military Academy (where Stedman formerly held a position as instructor in military tactics), with whom a correspondence was carried on with- out the knowledge of Captain Stedman ; for Captain Stiles, Company E, to be major, as they all knew him to be an excellent officer. The question of proportioning the field positions so as to recognize the new companies that had joined the regiment did not enter into their discussions at all.
The election occurred on Thursday afternoon, Novem- ber 6th, at regimental headquarters. Every line officer was present. Brigadier-General Peirce was presiding officer, with acting Post-Adjutant Lieutenant Partridge, Company
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS.
B, recording officer. The vote for colonel stood twenty- eight for I. S. Burrell and two for T. L. D. Perkins. The vote for lieutenant-colonel stood sixteen for Captain Joseph Stedman, ten for Lieutenant-Colonel T. L. D. Perkins, two for Major George W Beach, and two for Captain A. N. Proctor. The vote for major stood seventeen for Captain F. G. Stiles, three for Major George W Beach, and ten for Captain A. N. Proctor.
Friends of Captain Proctor based his claim for the positions of lieutenant-colonel and major on the fact that he was the senior captain, a valid claim, which would have had weight with officers holding the balance of power if they had known more of his military history at that time. His friends did not press his claim until it was evident Perkins and Beaeh could not be elected.*
The dates of muster into the United States service are as follows :
Company A — September 13, 1862.
B— " 13,
C — October 11, D — September 19,
|
E — |
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16, |
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24, |
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16, |
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K — |
October |
14, |
The field and staff were commissioned November 6th, 1862, and mustered in November nth, 1862. The time of the regiment commenced from October 14th, 1862.
* The wounds of disappointment inflicted by this election were never fully healed, but did not interfere with all of the officers doing their duty as they understood it. In very small things did any feeling show itself afterwards, and not then until the lieutenant-colonel was in command, while the colonel was a prisoner.
8 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-StXOXD REGIMENT,
It would be a hard task to pick out a finer body of men than composed the rank and file of the Forty-Second Regiment as it now stood, containing men from all ranks of life and all grades of society. A few bad men were enlisted, 'tis true, but less than the usual proportion found in regiments formed and enlisted as this was. About one- tenth, or say nearly one hundred men, were of that disposition and temperament, in case of going into action the very best thing to be done with them, for the safety of the regiment, would be to hurl them into a ditch with orders to stay there until the fighting was over. That the record of the regiment does not equal the best from Massachusetts was due to events over which it had no control. The material was there, the courage was there ; it needed merely a baptism fire to fully acquaint the rank and file with the smell of powder, and then opportunities to prove their metal.
Life in camp at Readville was by no means monotonous. During August, September, and part of October, the men were under canvas. Regular routine duties of camp were performed, and the hours after duty were passed in social pleasures, which only those who have a natural taste for the life of a soldier, or young novices in camp life, know how to enjoy. The weather, for a large portion of the time, was glorious. The surrounding scenery at Readville is very fine, as any person who has visited the ground can testify. As the facilities for visiting from Boston were very good, via the Boston and Providence Railroad, also by splendid drives over excellent roads, all of the troops concentrated there, over three thousand men, had many visitors to while away the time when off duty, causing the various camps to have a gala appearance at all parades of ceremony, such as guard mounting, dress parades and reviews. Bands of music were specially engaged at various
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 9
times to assist in these parades, much to the gratification of the men. All day long the rat-a-tap of the drums was to be heard, as the newly-organized drum corps attached to the regiments went on with their practice. It was a continual scene of excitement, without danger, until orders came for the various bodies to move. Between other regiments and the Forty-Second there was not much social intercourse, except in a few instances. There appeared to exist a feeling that the Forty-Second did not amount to much.*
Surgeon Cummings, appointed vice Lamson resigned, commenced his duties and reports September 6th, at once taking hold of matters with a will and devotion to the interests of men in camp characteristic of him.f With a sharp eye kept on the rations, cooking, sanitary condition of grounds and quarters, hardly a day passed without his embodying some suggestion of importance in his daily reports to the colonel. At first he had great difficulty in getting first-sergeants of companies to answer properly the surgeon's call at his quarters in the morning, whereby some men were neglected who were sick in quarters and were not reported. He maintained his right, by virtue of the army regulations then in force, demanding that the first-sergeants, or those acting in their stead, attend the call punctually, report in writing all on sick furlough, all- sick in quarters and unable to attend, and cause all who were sick so as to incapacitate them from duty, or claimed to be so, to appear at his quarters, where each company
♦Among the members of a band occasionally engaged for duty on Sundays at Read- ville Camp was Mariani, the old drum-major of Gilmore's Band when at the zenith of its fame in Boston. Signior (as he was called) Mariani was a man of commanding presence, very tall and very heavy in build. He was a jolly companion, full of anec- dote regarding his native land, Italy. His one time, two time, three time story has never been forgotten by those who had the pleasure of hearing it.
t Cummings served in the Army of the Potomac, between Yorktown and Rich- mond ; also did duty in the Yorktown and Portsmouth Grove general hospitals.
10 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
would be called in turn, prescribed for, and the men sent to quarters, to hospital, on furlough, to easy duty or full duty; and if after the morning call any were taken sick, a sergeant or corporal in all cases be sent with them to his quarters, or to summon him to see them at their own quarters when too sick to go to his tent. By hammering away he finally got this system at work to his satisfaction. He calculated to keep the run of all sick men in the regi- ment, as was his duty, and did not want any one to say he had been neglected. Companies C and H gave the sur- geon much trouble, and ruffled his temper, because not able to obtain any report from them, day after day, even after they were mustered into service.
The regimental hospital tent was one of the first things to occupy his attention. By constant efforts on his part and of Colonel Burrell, he was able to report on the twentieth of September that he was supplied with all the medicines needed ; on the eighteenth of October that the hospital tent was ready for such patients as needed treat- ment there, with accommodations for ten patients — in his opinion the best at the post. On the second of October, and up to that date, accommodations in regimental hos- pital had been such, and those unfit in the estimation of the surgeon, that only two men could be received. Until the hospital was ready, the practice was to allow sick men to go home on furlough if unfit for duty. A few of the men attempted to play "old soldier," but very soon ex- posed themselves in some way, and had to do double duty as the penalty. Surgeon Cummings could not be fooled very long.
In the matter of police duty in the camp, he kept a careful watch to see whether the officer of the day had sinks properly attended to. Cook houses, cooking utensils and their care were often inspected by him ; also the
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. II
cooking and food for rations. The guard quarters fre- quently had his inspection, nor was he forgetful of the sentries on night duty, many times recommending that hot coffee be served to them when the nights were cold. With constant persevering efforts and rigid rules the camp was kept very free from filth and vermin, that curse of military camps in general.
Most of the sick cases were from slight ailments. All serious cases were furloughed home, and for a greater part of the time the average sick was quite small ; the camp continued to remain in a healthy condition. Some cases of scarlet fever appeared in October and November. Prompt isolation of persons affected prevented any spread of this disease. One fatal case occurred in the regiment previous to leaving the State — Private Robert T. Morse, of Company B, died October 4th, 1862. While in regimental hospital his symptoms not being favorable he was taken home by relatives and died there. In October the surgeon discovered that Private Warren J. Partridge, Company B, twenty-three years old, had an aneurism of the right sub- clavian artery, liable to burst and destroy his life at any moment, and recommended a discharge from the service. Private Partridge was discharged October 22d. The sur- geon also reported on October 22d that one of the cases in hospital he believed to be feigned, Private Abner Ward, of Company C. He had learned Ward was determined to get a discharge at all hazards, and was fifty-two years old. Ward enlisted as forty-four years of age, never went with the regiment, and did obtain a discharge for dis- ability March 12th, 1863.
Assistant-Surgeon Hitchcock was appointed and assigned to the regiment by the surgeon-general of the State, report- ing for duty in September. Before leaving the State there were no opportunities to judge of his capacity. He made
12 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REC.IMENI.
a favorable impression on some and was not liked by others. His appearance and conversation was that of a young graduate from college. The reason he failed to satisfy men of the regiment while in the field may partially be traced to early impressions he made upon them at Readville.
The rations furnished while in camp were good, and could not cause complaint. So near home, with many friends, pocket money plenty, the regular rations were supplemented by extras to such an extent that it may be said most of the men fared sumptuously. Notwith- standing all this, the natural instinct of a soldier in camp or on active service, to forage, would make itself manifest in spite of extra precautions taken to prevent it. A supper, participated in by a favored few one evening, was one of the pleasant events of this camp. Those invited were pledged not to ask questions. As chicken after chicken was brought forth from a ground-hole inside of the tent, the reason was obvious. It would have been awkward for some persons present to have asked questions and been told the truth, for frequent complaints of despoiled hen- roosts had been made by residents in adjacent farm-houses, and all officers, commissioned and non-commissioned, were ordered to keep a sharp lookout for chickens served as rations, and to follow up the clue so obtained.
The non-commissioned staff made an attempt to form a mess, with an arrangement made with one of the com- pany cooks to attend to the cooking. The plan worked well for a short time. The sharp appetites of all who composed that mess got the better of their willingness to allow fair play and a fair chance for all to sit down and have a proper share of what was on the mess table, so the unlucky member who was late would find nothing to eat. Dissatisfaction was expressed by the unlucky mem-
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 1 3
ber at such times, which was to be expected, but precious little satisfaction could he get. One after another with- drew until there was not enough left to stand the expense, when the non-commissioned staff mess became a thing of the past. No attempt was ever made to revive it.
To vary the monotony of company and battalion drills, that had been pushed ever since camp was located, short practice marches were made from camp in different direc- tions over the various roads in the vicinity. The day after a march made October 9th, Surgeon Cummings, in his morning report, commented as follows : " The march of yesterday had its usual effect upon those not in perfect health, of which class there are always more or less in every regiment. A larger proportion, however, than usual, will, I believe, be found in this regiment capable of endur- ing severe and exhausting hardships, which are unavoidable in the field." Throughout October the weather could not have been better. What with the bracing air, constant out-door exercise, plain food, strict regularity of meals and good hours for sleep, it was astonishing to see how tough and hardy those men became who had heretofore led a sedentary and confined life in counting-rooms. The greater number of this class of men afterwards stood fatigue of campaign service much better than those who appeared to be healthier and stronger. In fact, the men who were strong, from having out-door occupations, were among the first to break down when hot weather set in, while serving in the Nineteenth Corps.
On the departure of the Forty-Fourth Regiment for North Carolina, October 22d, the Forty-Second struck its camp, occupied the barracks vacated by that regiment, and rapidly improved in discipline and drill. On going into the barracks of the Forty-Fourth they were found to be in a dirty and filthy condition. It was hard work
14 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
policing the grounds and cleaning up quarters before the surgeon would be satisfied with the sanitary condition of grounds and barracks. The regimental camp hospital was removed to the barrack hospital on the twenty-third, much against the judgment of Surgeon Cummings, who expressed a preference for his tent as long as the weather was not too cold. In his morning report of October 23d, Cummings says, "The removing of the camp from its present site to that lately occupied by the Forty-Fourth Regiment in this weather will, I fear, cause more or less sickness from exposure ; but the men stand camp life remarkably well — much better than we had any reason to expect. The field, barracks, cook-houses, hospital, wells, and especially the sinks, lately occupied and used by the Forty-Fourth Regiment were left in the most dirty and filthy condition imaginable. I was astonished to find a camp which had been reported to the surgeon-general as a pattern of neatness and excellent sanitary regulation in such an exceedingly filthy condition, especially the sinks. They evidently have not been filled in for more than a week, to say the least. I shall report to the surgeon-general the exact state, as near as possible, in which the camp was left for us."
November was a cold month. On the seventh a severe north-east snow-storm was experienced, causing much inconvenience and suffering, as stoves had not been placed in the barracks. The next day this was remedied by obtaining stoves from the Forty- Fifth Regiment barracks.
Orders were originally prepared for the regiment to proceed to Newbern, N. C, but Colonel Sprague, Fifty- First, who had served under General Foster, wishing to do so again, an interview was held with Adjutant-General Schouler by the two colonels, and as Colonel Burrell expressed a preference to serve under General Banks the
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS.
*5
original orders were destroyed ; orders were then issued to report to Major-General N. P. Banks in New York, to form a part of his expedition, or " Banks' expedition " as it was publicly known.
The regiment left Readville at one o'clock in the after- noon, Friday, November 21st, in a heavy rain-storm, via Boston and Providence Railroad, by cars to Groton, Conn., thence by steamer Commodore to New York.
The original mustered strength of the regiment was as follows :
Field and Staff, 9 officers, Non-Commissioned Staff, 5 enlisted men, Company A, 3 officers, 94 "
|
B, |
3 |
a |
92 |
|
C, |
3 |
n |
88 |
|
D, |
3 |
«< |
86 |
|
E, |
3 |
a |
79 |
|
F, |
3 |
ii |
88 |
|
G, |
3 |
li |
96 |
|
H, |
3 |
It |
88 |
|
I, |
3 |
u |
92 |
|
K, |
3 |
a |
86 |
|
9 |
total |
|
5 |
ii |
|
97 |
a |
|
95 |
a |
|
91 |
a |
|
89 |
a |
|
82 |
it |
|
91 |
a |
|
99 |
a |
|
91 |
a |
|
95 |
a |
|
89 |
u |
The following men had been discharged for disability before leaving the State :
Company A, Private Joseph Viger, November 18, 1862.
" A, " Bernard Doherty, " 18, "
A, " James C. Wendall, " 18, "
" B, " Warren J. Partridge, October 22, "
" F, " James O. Boyd, November 19, "
F, " Henry W. Pratt, " 19, "
" F, " Anthony Sherman, " 19, "
K, " William B. Gould, " 18, "
There were left behind, in the State, the following
l6 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
officer and enlisted men, on detached service, sick, or in jail :
Lieutenant D. A. Partridge, Company B — Remained at Readville camp by orders of Colonel Day, issued October 27th, 1862, on detached duty, looking out for deserters; six men were returned to the regiment through him. There was some difficulty and correspondence relating to his rejoining the regiment. A feud existed between Lieuten- ant-Colonel Stedman and Partridge, occasioned by the election for captain in Company B, when Partridge was jumped over by Cook, through interference of Stedman, so Partridge claims. Stedman lost friends in the regi- ment by his action. Lieutenant Partridge was mustered out of service March 5th, 1863, to accept a commission in the Fifty-Fifth Regiment.
Private Newman B. Luce, Company E — Sick in hospital at Camp Wool, Worcester, since October 2d, 1862. Re- joined his company April 9th, 1863.
Private Frederick A. Mahan, Company E — Sick in hospital at Camp Wool, since October 10th, 1862. Re- joined his company April 9th, 1863.
Private Asa Breckenridge, Company K — Sick in hos- pital at Readville. Sent home to Worcester, November 12th, 1862. Did not rejoin the regiment.
Private John W. Sheppard, Company K — Sick in hos- pital at Readville. Sent home to Warren, Mass., November 12th, 1862. Discharged for disability April 8th, 1863.
Private Abner C. Ward, Company C — Shot himself to escape duty. Left at Hopkinton, Mass. Discharged for disability March 12th, 1863.
Private George A. Davis, Company D — Sick at home in Roxbury, Mass., since November 21st, 1862. Rejoined his company May 16th, 1863.
Private John O'Harran, Company D — Confined in
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. I 7
Dedham jail on sentence for manslaughter; killing a citizen in a drunken brawl at Mill Village, Dedham, Mass. Never rejoined his company.
Private John Nolan, Company D — Confined in Ded- ham jail as a witness in O'Harran's case. Released and joined the regiment February 4th, 1863.
Private Thomas H. Rillian. Company D — At home sick. Discharged for disability March 7th, 1863.
Private John A. Pierce, Company H — At home sick. Discharged for disability March 5th, 1863.
Private Charles H. Hill, Company I — Sick in hospital at Readville, November 226, 1862. Discharged for dis- ability March 28th, 1863.
Others were also left, but they reported in camp at East New York before the regiment sailed for New Orleans.
The roster of the regiment was as follows :
Colonel — Isaac S. Burrell. Lieutenant-Colonel — Joseph Stedman. Major — Frederick G. Stiles. Adjutant — Charles A. Davis. Quartermaster — Charles B. Burrell. Surgeon — Arial I. Cummings. Assistant-Surgeon — Thomas B. Hitchcock. Assistant-Surgeon — Rush B. Heintzelman. Chaplain — George J. Sanger. Sergeant-Major — Charles P. Bosson, Jr. Quartermaster-Sergeant — Henry C. Foster. Commissary-Sergeant — William H. Hutchinson. Hospital-Steward — Charles J. Wood. Drum-Major — Richard A. Neuert.
Company A — Captain, Hiram S. Coburn ; Lieutenants, Martin Burrell, Jr. and John P. Burrell.
18 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
Company B — Captain, Ira B. Cook; Lieutenants, David A. Partridge and Joseph C. Clifford.
Company C — Captain, OrvilleW Leonard; Lieutenants, Isaac B. White and Joseph Sanderson, Jr.
Company D — Captain, George Sherive ; Lieutenants, William H. Cowdin and Darius F. Eddy.
Company E — Captain, Charles A. Pratt; Lieutenants, John W Emerson and Brown P. Stowell.
Company F — Captain, John D. Cogswell ; Lieutenants, Timothy M. Duncan and Lyman A. Powers.
Company G — Captain, Alfred N. Proctor ; Lieutenants, Albert E. Proctor and Thaddeus H. Newcomb.
Company H — Captain, Davis W. Bailey ; Lieutenants, Charles C. Phillips and Augustus L. Gould.
Company I — Captain, Cyrus Savage ; Lieutenants, Samuel F. White and Benjamin F. Bartlett.
Company K — Captain, George P. Davis; Lieutenants, Henry A. Harding and J. Martin Gorham.
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS.
CHAPTER II. En Route — Camp at East New York — On Transports.
ON arrival at Groton, the men were immediately marched aboard the steamer Commodore, owned by Commodore Vanderbilt, exclusively used for transport service since the war commenced. Owing to a dense fog which prevailed and stormy character of the weather, it was near two o'clock Saturday morning before the boat left her pier.
At this place the regiment came near losing the sergeant- major. After the men had filed aboard and been assigned positions upon the boat, he went ashore to take a look around the wharf, to ascertain if all stragglers had reported on board ; while doing so, the darkness causing all lights to be very indistinct, he was about to walk off the dock when a friendly voice of caution was heard just in the nick of time. Dressed in a great coat, with belt and sword, and heavy knapsack strapped upon his back, to have dropped into the chilly water on that cold night was almost certain to have ended his life.
Only those who have participated in like occasions can imagine the scene that presented itself on board the Commodore. One would think this body of over nine hundred men were bound on a picnic rather than a duty which involved life or death. No one could foretell what the future had in store for him, whether a victim to disease, maimed or diseased for life, death upon the field, temporary sufferings from curable wounds, or a return
20 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
home in as good health and spirits as when he left. They took the risk. They should have credit for the courage to do so.
A trip through the cars while en route from Readville Camp showed the men to be in rather a sober state of mind. Nothing gloomy about them, but very thoughtful. The car containing the field, staff and line officers, had the appearance of a silent prayer meeting. The colonel was quite meditative. Parting with wife and children was no easy matter to a man of his noble disposition. Many men had been married only a few weeks or months, and to them the enforced separation was keenly felt. As the day was rainy a very limited number of friends were present in camp to say good-by, and affecting parting incidents were not so many as they otherwise would have been. All homesick feelings passed away when the regi- ment reached Groton, and each man was himself again.
The quartermaster and commissary stores, ammunition and horses were in cars on the fore part of the train, in charge of detailed men. The jolliest crowd upon the train was in the ammunition car, composed of Sam Hersey, the colonel's clerk, Sergeant Courtney, Sergeant- Major Bosson, and Sergeant Wentworth.
With singing, dancing, card playing, frollicking, and cutting up pranks of various sorts, time passed rapidly. There were parties who did not sleep at all that night. Those who have ever been on excursions such as used to be indulged in by the old militia organizations, can form some idea of the manner in which the night was passed.
Owing to the late hour of leaving Groton the Commodore did not arrive at New York until noon of Saturday. Rations had been issued, to be carried in haversacks sufficient to last three meals to each man ; but with that carelessness so habitual to a raw soldier the rations lasted
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 2 1
a majority of them for one meal ; the consequence was, that on arrival at New York, the men were tired, very hungry, and very cross. About dusk orders were received to proceed to the Union Race Course at East New York, and report to Colonel Chickering, Forty-First Massachu- setts Yolunteers, commanding the post. The steamer Commodore was then lying at Williamsburg. The baggage wanted immediately was packed and sent forward ; the troops filed out of the steamer, forming regimental line in South Second Street. The citizens (noble hearted people) furnished the entire regiment with hot coffee, crackers, fresh bread, cheese and cold meats. Some ladies went so far as to furnish hot pies, baking and dealing them out while the men were halted, refreshing themselves in their neighborhood. By eight o'clock the entire body was amply refreshed and ready to commence the ten-mile march which was before them. All through the City of Williamsburg the regiment was greeted with cheers, wav- ings of handkerchiefs, expressions of good-will, and all those demonstrations which proved a people's interest in the cause for which the men were enlisted. While this excitement continued the column was steady enough, but after the populous part of the city was passed and the muddy road was reached, with all quiet outside of the column, straggling commenced. The weight of knap- sack, gun and ammunition pouch began to be felt ; feet became sore ; silence reigned in the ranks, and nought could be heard save the rattling of the drums at the head of the column, the solid tramp, splash, tramp, splash, or words of command from officers.
The night was dark as black pitch, the road rapidly became worse as the regiment advanced, the weather became very cold, with strong, chilly, wintry blasts, so that by the time Hiram Woodruff's hotel and stables was
12 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
reached the men were not in the best of spirits to receive the intelligence imparted to them. It was here Colonel Chickering had his headquarters. When Colonel Burrell reported himself and command for instructions, he was ordered to the race-course to feed the men, and procure the best quarters possible. There were some four thous- and men already in camp and bivouac. No ground had been allotted the regiment, and no tents were to be had, so that soon after reaching the race-course the regiment countermarched back to Woodruff's stables, and the men were ordered to find shelter for the night in the horse-stalls, hen-houses, etc., to the best of their ability. The One Hundred and Sixty First New York Infantry had arrived but a short time previous, and were placed in a similar position. How the various companies of the regiment passed the night would be an interesting history by itself, suffice it to record every man survived, and in the morn- ing, on forming regimental line, none seemed the worse for a little hard experience so early in his military career. On arrival at New York the colonel, quartermaster, and adjutant, reported to General Banks. Requisition was made at once on Post-Quartermaster Colonel Van Vliet for camp equipage. Adjutant Davis was left to get this camp equipage en route for the camp-ground, and had a tough time to obtain drays and induce the drivers to start for East New York. The late hour when all was ready made it necessary to persistently stick to the work, or else it would not have been accomplished. This camp equipage arrived during the night, ready for use the next morning. Camp was pitched on Sunday, a bitter cold day, and from this time until the day it was vacated the regular routine of camp life was done. At first the cold weather occasioned much distress, but moderating in a few days comparative comfort was experienced. Most of the men,
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 2$
with " Yankee " ingenuity, built underground ovens in their tents with a passage to the outside for escape of smoke. Towards night these ovens were filled with wood and a fire started, which generally would last all night, enabling occupants, with the aid of straw bedding, to keep tolerably warm. Every night huge bonfires were made at the head of each company street, and around them the men would cluster and discuss their treatment, talk of those at home, crack jokes, sing songs, tell stories (some of them good, others not good ), while few of* a philosophical turn of mind indulged in speculations as to the future. The poor fellows on sentry duty had a hard time ; the guard reliefs would gather about a bonfire in front of the guard tents roasting the side of their bodies nearest the fire while the other side was freezing, then reverse this position and thaw out one side while the other froze again. During the eleven days in camp here a large amount of wood was consumed, in order to keep warm. Many trees in rear of the camp were cut down and burned, besides the amount of wood allowed by Government and drawn through the quartermaster, for the nights would be cold even when the days were comfortable.
There were two evils under which the troops suffered while at this post : rations, and officers on leave of absence. Instead of allowing rations to be drawn in kind, a post-kitchen had been established ; somebody having contracted with some United States official to furnish cooked rations at so much a ration. This some- body must have realized a very large amount of greenbacks by the operation. Frequently the food was not fit for dogs to eat. Not once could the coffee be drank without creating a nausea. This necessary article would be drawn by the company cooks from the post-kitchen in pails, and then thrown away, alleging, as a reason for doing so, that
6>
24 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
so much was stopped from delivery to the rest of the troops in camp. At times the meat served out was eatable, but often better fitted to be used as manure than to sustain life in a human being. The bread was good, and on this, with clear, cold water, most of the men subsisted. Some companies did manage to obtain a little good coffee and cheese, from New York City, on their private account. To such a pitch had the feelings of men been wrought by this one item of bad rations, when the post commissary building caught fire one day, not a soldier would lend a helping hand to quench the flames until it was announced that the post hospital was over the cook-house. They then worked with a will to stop the fire. In the month of December, a few weeks after the regiment had left, this same cook-house caught fire again, and was burnt to the ground. It is supposed to have been designedly set on fire by soldiers then in camp. After this was done Government rations were issued according to army regulations. When the Forty-Second got orders to leave camp, Colonel Burrell had a wordy fight with the contractor who furnished rations, as he refused to sign a receipt for full rations, telling him the whole scheme was a fraud. Time was precious, and a compromise was arrived at by Burrell consenting to sign a receipt for one-third the number of rations claimed to have been issued.
All furloughs or leaves of absence had to be granted by Colonel Chickering. Battalion commanders had no right to grant them. Field officers were obliged to be absent more or less on business. Line officers of the regiment were continually away on furlough, to visit New York City, often without leave, taking the liberty without apply- ing for it in the regular way. At this time the discipline of the enlisted men was far ahead of that shown by
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 25
their officers. Orders were frequently received from post headquarters when no commissioned officer could be found in camp to take them. The regular drills would, in most cases, have to be conducted by non-commissioned officers, in the absence of those in commission. Is it to be wondered at, with such a state of things existing among the officers, that the men should adopt the same policy ? If a furlough was not granted run the guard and be absent on " French leave," as it was termed. There were some forty cases, on an average, each day, of men absent with- out leave.
True to his duty and profession, Surgeon Cummings had the hospital tent put up and placed in order imme- diately after the camp-ground was selected. Those who* were under his treatment can testify to his care of them, and the amount of work he did to keep the sick in good spirits. He labored under extraordinary difficulties at this particular time, with several serious cases on his hands. Four of them had to be left in hospital when the regiment proceeded to embark on transports, viz., Private Abijah S. Tainter, Company E, Private Charles S. Knight, Company F, Private Paschal E. Burnham, Company G, and Private George A. Cushing, Company A.
Cushing, Knight and Burnham did not rejoin the regi- ment, being discharged and mustered out of service during the Spring of 1863. Tainter never rejoined his company, and was not mustered out until the expiration of service by the regiment.
One peculiar case under the surgeon's care deserves mention. A private from one of the companies was in hospital sick. It was difficult to diagnosis his case. There was no trace of disease except his complaint of being sick. He was in the hospital about two days, eating heartily, sleeping soundly, generally enjoying the snug
26 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT.
place like an epicure. The surgeon got mad. It is usual to make convalescents in camp hospitals do some light work when there is any to do and they are capable of doing it. He set this fellow to do some light chores in the tent, when his peculiar disease developed itself suddenly. It was laziness. To square accounts with the impostor, Cummings pronounced him cured, but, before discharging him from the sick-list to duty, said he must take a bath ; upon disrobing himself his shirt and flannels were found literally alive with vermin ; they could not be cleaned ; a hole was dug in the ground, a fire made, when the clothing, with vermin, was burned. The fellow was too lazy to keep himself clean.
Cummings enjoyed a good smoke before going to sleep. A look into his tent any night after he had retired would show him to be covered up to his chin with coverlids, a night-cap on almost covering his eyes, and from the small exposed part of his face volumes of smoke would be rolling upward from an old clay pipe seen in his mouth. Those who were aware of this habit used to think it a good joke to invite anybody to take a peep into the tent and see the surgeon at his devotions.
Thanksgiving Day found most of the companies with enough turkey and chicken to go around. Where they came from is not a mystery. Some from home, but not all. The complaints of farmers near by, who had poultry to lose, destroys all mystery about it. To the credit of the regiment be it said that this was the only time when any foraging was done clandestinely while at East New York. The justification must rest on the ground of neglect by proper officers to furnish proper food.
The City Government of Boston having generously furnished the regiment with a complete set of band instruments, which were received December ist, while at
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 27
East New York, a band was organized from the rank and file, consisting of the following members, viz.:
Bugler Joseph R. Parks, Company D, Leader.
Drummer Frederick L. Bowditch, Company A.
3. Private George A. Morse, Company B.
4. Private Joseph Clark, Company B. Bugler Bernard McKenna, Company C — in Feb- ruary, 1863, gave up his connection with the band and joined his company at Camp Parapet, La.
6. Corporal Frederick S. Mcintosh, Company D — was completely prostrated by long sickness, and dis- charged from the service in June, 1863, for disability.
7. Private Edmund L. Chenery, Company D.
8. Private Francis L. Howard, Company E.
9. Drummer Frank Lamb, Company F.
10. Corporal Charles H. Woodcock, Company F — gave up his warrant in March, to join the band.
n. Corporal Edward A. Spooner, Company F — attached in March.
12. Private Orrin F- Bacon, Company I.
13. Fifer Thomas Bowe, Company I.
14. Bugler Henry B. Sargent, Company I.
15. Corporal William A. Cowles, Company I.
16. Bugler Cyrus S. Loud, Company K.
The places of sick members were temporarily filled by others from the ranks. A queer compound of human flesh, Sergeant Charles A. Attwell, Company G, was made band-major March 2d, magnifying his position and duties to such an extent that his appointment was revoked July 1 8th. Parks, the leader, was another queer fish. He worked hard in his own way, ably seconded by Tom Bowe, to improve the band. The talent could not be called first- class, while his own ability to instruct members was limited. He should be congratulated for such a tolerable
20 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
degree of proficiency as was attained. Notwithstanding the band did not have a good selection of band music for a long time, it was a source of pleasure while in service. Old Parks, as he was called, was a great tobacco chewer, with a cud in his mouth at all hours. One afternoon he forgot to remove this article from his mouth while on regimental dress parade in New Orleans, and blew the same into his instrument when the band commenced to sound off down the line. He played, or tried to play away, without success, and set the boys laughing by his look of wonder, and attempts to remedy the evil. Not until this parade was over, amid bantering by his com- rades, did he discover what was the source of trouble.
Long since has it been demonstrated that regimental bands are not desirable during active service. The atten- tion, the accommodations and privileges they require, are not commensurate with the service they render. Field music, where there is in addition a band, is sure to be neglected. Out of fourteen to twenty drums in the Forty- Second Regiment that should always have been in good working order, from two to five only were usually found fit for use, while the band was kept supplied with everything it required. The long roll has been beaten by one drum because all other drums were without drum-heads. Often the same drummer has had to first beat drummers call at guard quarters, then beat the stated signals in front of the camp.
Drum-Major Neuert must have been very much dis- gusted with his position and duties while at Bayou Gentilly Camp in Louisiana, to have devoted so much of his spare time in teaching some of the young darkies who hung around the camp how to drum. These youngsters learned very rapidly how to beat a drum, using a piece of board to practise upon. An excellent drum corps of from twelve
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 29
to fifteen drummers could easily have been formed from these camp followers, who, in a short time, would be almost as proficient as the regular drummers.
At noon, on the second day of December, orders were received from General Banks directing the regiment to proceed at once to Brooklyn and embark upon transports, that were to be in readiness. Camp was struck at once, baggage packed and sent forward, cooked rations for twenty-four hours issued, or supposed to have been, for what was received from the post-kitchen was not reliable, and by three o'clock in the afternoon the regiment was en route. Just before leaving the camp-ground to take the road the Twenty-Eighth Connecticut Infantry Regiment passed by, on the way alsx) to take transports. From the music given by the Twenty-Eighth regimental musicians, that could be distinctly heard for some minutes as the regi- ment came along the road hid by the woods, it was supposed they had a very fine band. Great was the surprise to those who were near enough the road to see when the head of the column came in sight, that the music was rendered by drummers, fifers and buglers only. With those who were interested in such matters it was the opinion, that the music rendered by these field musicians equalled, and in some selections of pieces played surpassed, anything the band of the Forty-Second ever did.
Passing through Brooklyn, a similar demonstration greeted the regiment as when passing through Williams- burg. It was a fine evening, about dark, as the men marched upon the sidewalks (the streets were quite muddy) along some of the most pleasant thoroughfares of Brooklyn. Houses appeared to be in a blaze of light, the people crowded at windows, on door-steps and sidewalks, full of enthusiasm. Many requests were made by young ladies to be favored with a letter after taking the field ; many
30 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
little necessaries were given to the men ; neatly folded within the packages were found billet-doux, with the name and address of the writer, saying the donor expected to hear again from the recipient. Some of these notes fell into rather queer hands. So far as could be ascertained, no undue advantage was ever taken by the men of the Forty-Second from this epidemic of nonsense.
On arrival at the South Ferry, foot of Atlantic Avenue, at seven o'clock, one transport was found at the designated pier, accommodating two companies, and she was not ready to embark men. Quarters for the night were generously tendered Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, for the regiment, by the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Regiments, N. Y. National Guard, in their armory. The colonel, major, and quartermaster went to New York on business at General Banks' headquarters. Refreshments were furnished by the same regiments, and by citizens. Many of the men were entertained in private residences with supper, lodging and breakfast. To the postmaster, and Mayor of Brooklyn the regiment was especially indebted for favors extended. State Agent Colonel Tufts, in charge of the New England rooms in New York, suppos- ing the Forty-Second would embark at foot of Canal Street in that city, had provided a full supply of hot coffee, sandwiches, crackers and cheese, at that point. On learn- ing this fact the sergeant-major was dispatched to have the food brought over to Brooklyn, which was done late in the evening, arriving after the men were all fed. The supply thus obtained was dealt out in the morning to those who needed it.*
* After sentinels were posted, to prevent men from straggling away from quarters, many ludicrous scenes occurred in attempts made to get out. The most ingenious contrivances were adopted ; some men even risked their lives in these attempts to evade the guard, by windows, and from the armory roof. They tried to crawl through ventilators, and to tunnel into the street from the cellar. Nearly all these devices
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 3 1
The greater part of the regiment behaved finely on this occasion. There was some straggling and some deser- tions. The worst case of neglect of duty that occurred was Color-Sergeants Vialle, Company G, and Humphrey, Company D, who had in their charge the State and United States colors. Instead of leaving them in the armory where the regiment was quartered, they were left in a low groggery on Atlantic Avenue, and found by the sergeant-major, by the merest accident, late in the evening, taken to the armory, and placed in charge of the color company. It was the intention of Colonel Burrell to have had an inquiry into this case of neglect, when circum- stances would permit. The separation of the companies and his being retained a prisoner of war for a long time alone prevented.
Early on the morning of December third the embarka- tion commenced, transports having arrived. Owing to the large number of stragglers during the day it was dark before all were got aboard, and the vessels hauled into the river.* It was now evident that the three steamers upon which the regiment was embarked were not suffi- cient for the purpose. Upon the Charles Osgood, Shetucket, and Saxon, at least one hundred men upon each vessel were
failed, and by midnight all were fast asleep. Private Gusebio, Company C, was caught by a police officer, as he emerged from a coal-hole in the sidewalk, and beaten with a club until the guard took charge of him. These policemen on duty did not exercise any judgment whatever. They were finally taken away from the neighbor- hood to prevent a collision with the men, who were enraged at their bullying behavior.
*Among these stragglers was Private Wilson Curtis, an alias, ol Company C, apro- fessional bounty jumper, who had deserted from Readville Camp, a tough customer every way. He was spotted in New York by Lieutenant White, over there for the pur- pose of picking up stray men from his company, as he was on his way to board the Shetucket. Lieutenant White accosted him, and expected to have a fight before he could get him on board, but Curtis, who at first denied his identity, soon deemed it best to rejoin his company, as White covered him with his pistol besides using an argument on him, the substance of which was, that his life was not worth a cent if he was handed over to the military authorities. Curtis served faithfully with his company to the end.
32 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
obliged to sleep on deck. Proper representations were made to General Banks the next day, who placed a fourth transport, the Qunuy, at the colonel's disposal, when three companies were transferred to that vessel.
Perhaps those men who on the night of the third of December were so loud in their denunciations of the colonel and his staff, laying all the blame for the hardships then suffered on those who strove in every way, and used every means within their power, to benefit their condition ; perhaps those men, when time had given them a chance to reflect and compare their whole experience with what it was that night, would acknowledge that they were wrong in their snap judgment. If they could have seen the work done that night, and heard the opinions of their officers, they would then have known that the colonel and staff had their welfare and good condition at heart,
Shame on all men who will endeavor to foment a mutiny on the strength of fancied wrong, or incompetency of those in command, on such occasions as the one in point presented. There were men on board the trans- ports that night who should hang their heads in shame.
The regiment was finally distributed as follows :
On the Saxon — Colonel Burrell, Adjutant Davis, Quarter- master Burrell, Surgeon Cummings, Chaplain Sanger, Quartermaster-Sergeant Foster, and Companies D, G and I. On the Quincy — Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, Sergeant- Major Bosson, Commissary-Sergeant Friend S. Courtney, who had been promoted from a private in Company D, vice Hutchinson, discharged at East New York on account of sickness, Drum- Major Neuert, Assistant- Surgeon Hitchcock, the band, and Companies A, B and F, with fifty men of Company C, Twenty-Eighth Connecticut Volunteers. Upon the Charles Osgood — Companies E and K, and Hospital-Steward Wood. Upon the Shetucket —
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 33
Major Stiles, Ward-Master Lewis, of Company D, Ord- nance-Sergeant Wentworth, Company G, and Companies C and H. A few officers and men were detached for special duty on transports Quinnebaug and Eastern Queen.
The regiment departed South in these transports, leav- ing behind the enlisted men named in the following table, who straggled from their colors or deserted them while in camp at Readville and East New York, and while em- barking for the South : a mere handful ever returned.
There may have been some excuse for the desertion of a few of the younger men. Often a young man, after enlisting, has had such a pressure put upon him by family relations as to cause his desertion. In other cases cowardice was the true reason. While in a camp of instruction, and in no danger, all is well ; when marching orders are received and preparations made to reach the seat of war, then weak-hearted young or old men are apt to desert. The greater portion of deserters from the Forty-Second Regi- ment were professional bounty jumpers under assumed names.
34
HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
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38 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
CHAPTER III.
On Board Transports — The Saxon — Quincy — Charles Osgood — Shetucket — Quinnebaug.
HEADQUARTERS" transport Saxon, so called because the colonel with a majority of his staff were on board, was commanded by Captain Lavender, and remained in the harbor until the morning of Friday, December 5th, the men subsisting on crackers and cold water. At eight o'clock she proceeded to sea, the boys giving a round of cheers to a lady upon the ramparts of Fort Columbus, who waved a United States flag as they passed. All arrangements were promptly made for the voyage : cooks detailed to cook rations, and men assigned to bunks below deck.
Rough weather experienced the first night out soon became a gale, which lasted for two days, playing the deuse with company cooks, and prevented any use of the galley situated between decks. Those who could eat at all had to subsist on hard bread and raw, salt pork. Nearly all of the men and all of the officers were very sea-sick. The galley fire was started several times, but rolling of the steamer would cause fat in the pans to run over upon the galley stove, and blazing up quick would set fire to the deck. Quick work with buckets of water would put the fire out and prevent any serious damage.
The gale moderated during the night of December 7th. On Monday, December 8th, after passing Cape Hatteras during Sunday night, the sea became smooth, when men
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 39
•
began to show themselves on deck. Somewhat hungry, and not liking the regular allotted fare, on Monday night a few men broke open the ice-chest and stole some fresh beef, cooking it at the galley. Next morning the culprits were picked out. Corporal Sanford Wood, Company I, was broke, had his chevrons stripped from his uniform, and was put in irons by order of the colonel, as he was ringleader in the affair. Privates J. Colson, Company I, Frank McConlow and Fitzallen Gourley, both of Com- pany D, detailed cooks at the time, were also put in irons for not revealing the thieves names.
The Saxon proved to be the safest and fastest boat of the four vessels. She made a fine run to Key West, where anchor was cast at six o'clock December nth, without anything of an exciting nature to enliven the trip except striking a school of finback whales about ten o'clock on the morning of the tenth. The orders to transport-cap- tains were, to sail forty-eight hours out to sea and then open their sealed orders, which were to rendezvous at Ship Island, Gulf of Mexico, with permission, in case of dis- tress, want of coal, water or provisions, to stop at Port Royal, Tortugas or Key West. Taking in a supply of fresh water and coal the steamer left Key West at six o'clock on the morning of December 12th, bound for Ship Island direct ; but early on the morning of December 15th, which was very dark, the mate in charge of the deck lost his course, and at full speed almost ran by the blockading fleet off Mobile Bay. The gunboat R. R. Cuyler hailed them at two a.m., and was answered, when a blank shot followed by a cannon-ball from the gunboat Montgomery caused the mate to slow up and heave to. Not provided with a steam whistle there was nothing to do but to wait for something to develop, and soon the Saxon was boarded by naval officers, who gave the unwelcome
40 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
intelligence that the transport was off her course, heading direct for Mobile, and was then past the inner line of picket boats, about one and a half miles from Mobile Bar.
The Saxon then proceeded on the correct course for Ship Island, arriving there at nine o'clock a. m. About twenty- five tons of coal was taken aboard from coal vessel General Berry, that had lain at Ship Island for four months without a bushel of coal being removed until the Saxon took her small supply. After receiving orders and coaling, at five o'clock in the afternoon a start was made for New Orleans, encountering a severe northerly gale during the night, which caused the vessel to roll worse than at any time previous on the voyage. At seven o'clock, December 16th, the bar at South-West Pass of the Mississippi River was in sight, and at nine o'clock she was on her way up river, passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip at noon, tieing up at the left bank at nine o'clock for the night ; two sentinels were placed upon the river bank as a protection from any possible guerilla attack.
Early on the morning of December 17th, say about three o'clock, the vessel proceeded to New Orleans, arriv- ing at seven o'clock, after a trip of twelve clays from Sandy Hook, New York harbor. At four o'clock in the afternoon the Saxon steamed up river to Carrollton, arriving at seven o'clock, and anchored for the night, the men landing to go into camp late in the afternoon of next day, eighteenth.
The Quincy was the first transport to get away, passing Sandy Hook at night December 4th, in face of a threaten- ing gale that lasted about three days. While passing Cape Hatteras the gale became so severe that the vessel was in great danger of not being able to weather it, as Captain George W. Clapp, an old and experienced navigator, after- ward acknowledged. Had she foundered, few, if any,
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 41
could have survived to tell the tale. Except the crew and Captain Cogswell, all hands were in that state of sea-sick- ness they did not care whether they lived or died. The Quincy was an old freight propeller with two light masts, and one small upright boiler to work her machinery, previously in the merchant marine on one of the western lakes. She was lost December 12th, 1863, while making the voyage from New York to New Orleans, having sprung a leak during a violent gale, going down in sight of Hatteras Light. Out of twenty-five persons aboard nine were saved. Captain Clapp was lost.
On the evening of December 8th a leak in the boiler was discovered. The fire was put out to admit of repairs being made ; the steamer drifting through the night. Fortunately the weather was all that could be desired, and no bad results from the accident were to be feared. Steam was got up on the morning of the ninth, but the same evening another and worse leak in the boiler was discovered. At a council of officers convened it was decided to instruct the captain to put into Port Royal for repairs. The weather continued magnificent, with a smooth sea. Port Royal was reached at noon on the eleventh under circumstances which did not admit of a doubt that had the steamer been delayed twelve hours longer her engine could not have been used at all. A Board of Survey, granted by Brigadier-General Brannan, U. S. A., commanding the District, and Commodore Dupont, pronounced the vessel sea-worthy, while the boiler and engine were altogether too small for ocean service, besides being very much out of order.
The troops were landed and quartered at Hilton Head while repairs were made. Lieutenant Powers was sea-sick from the start, refusing nourishment part of the time, and not able to retain any on his stomach when he
42 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
attempted to take it ; wrapped in his blanket he lay a picture of helplessness, losing strength day by day until it became a question whether he would survive to reach Ship Island. The landings at Hilton Head and Tortugas enabled him to recuperate sufficient strength to stand the strain while upon the water, for when going to sea after each landing he was flat on his back again the moment the long ocean swell was reached. While the gale lasted for the first days out from New York, sick as they were between decks, in an atmosphere almost stifling from com- bined effects of stench from the cooking-range and stench of another character, the men did not miss the funny scenes that constantly occurred, causing laughter from men too sick to raise their heads. One of these scenes was when the vessel gave a lurch, that came near putting her upon her beam ends and threw the men below promis- cuously out of their berths, when one of them scrambled to the other side, clung to a bunk and shouted, "for God's sake, boys, all on this side and right her ! "
Buckets of water were kept in readiness for use in case of fire, because in a heavy sea fat in stew-pans on the galley would be threwn out and flash up in a blaze, causing danger to constantly exist of a fire breaking out among inflammable material. This was so in all transports conveying the Forty-Second, notwithstanding every pre- caution was taken to guard against such a danger when cooking ranges were placed on board.
Surgeon Hitchcock had a few severe cases of fever under his care, attending to them faithfully, with a loss of one man by death. To his care and attention many men owe a debt of gratitude, and for assistance he rendered in placing them on their sea-legs ; dealing out nourishment suited to the debilitated condition they were in until sufficient strength and appetite was gained to go on with
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 43
the army ration. When fairly over their sea-sick attack appetites of men became voracious.
On shore at Hilton Head the men were allowed to roam at will, an opportunity they exercised to the utmost, — visiting other troops in camp ; taking daily baths at the sand beach, where they also washed their under-clothing ; feasted on fresh bread from the post-bakery, equal to any furnished by the best of hotels in Boston ; stole apples at night from under the noses of a guard posted upon the wharf where the barrels lay ; sight-seeing upon the island like school-boys on a vacation. The quarters were in some empty barracks near a sluggish bayou, upon whose bank was a small graveyard, covered with ashes, with a neglected appearance in general, where were interred the remains of a few sailors who lost their lives at the capture of Forts Beauregard and Walker by the Federal Navy in November, 1861.
Everything wore a quaint look, not only here but at every stopping place en route to New Orleans, exercising a peculiar charm over men from the North who had never visited the South, experienced by all travellers to parts of this world remote from their own residences, regardless of any facts bearing on the climatic influences on unac- climated beings. Until the stern reality of war was forced upon them, it seemed to each and every man as though he was travelling for pleasure at the Government expense. The first agreeable impressions of localities visited on the voyage from New York to New Orleans cannot be eradicated from minds of men belonging to the Forty-Second Regiment.
After repairs were finished the men reembarked Decem- ber 1 6th, proceeding at once to sea, and made a fine run to Tortugas, arriving at Fort Jefferson on the twentieth, at nine o'clock a. m., to take in coal. While coasting in
44 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
sight of Florida Keys the steamer Memenon Saiiford, that formerly ran between Boston and Bangor, was seen upon the reefs with wreckers around her. The Sanford had the One Hundred and Fifty-Sixth New York Infantry Regi- ment on board ; every man was saved and taken to Key West, December nth, with nothing but what they carried in their hands. The baggage and stores were afterwards obtained, but the steamer could not be saved.
In Fort Jefferson was a garrison of four companies, Ninetieth New York Infantry, weak in numbers from heavy losses by yellow fever during the summer months. There was a large number of military and civilian prisoners kept at work upon the fort, not then in a finished state. Occu- pying a part of the parade within the walls were several three-story brick dwelling houses with gardens attached, and trees of large growth under whose sheltering branches several head of cattle, belonging to the Commissary Department, would collect to escape the hot sun at mid-day.
As another instance of danger that existed during the transportation of Banks' expeditionary corps to New Orleans, while the Quincy was at Tortugas an old rat-trap steamer came into port in a leaky condition with New York troops on board. The pumps were kept constantly at work since leaving New York, so the men stated. How the unsea- worthy transports managed to carry their human freights without loss of life from dangers of the sea is one of those curious mysteries of God's providence.
After coaling and starting again seaward a collision occurred in the channel with a Government schooner, carrying away the after part of the steamer's deck cabin, which caused a detention of several days to repair damages. At dusk, on the twenty-second, the Quincy put to sea, arriving at Ship Island on the twenty-fifth, at nine o'clock p. m. Early on the morning of the twenty-fifth Private
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 45
W H. Young, Company C, Twenty-Eighth Connecticut Volunteers, died of fever, and was committed to the deep at eleven a. m. with appropriate services. Before the death of Young was announced, scattered on deck and below, were knots of men engaged in the pastime of cards. Lounging around, fishing and card playing were what the men did to kill time since leaving Hilton Head; a book of any sort in their hands was not to be noticed. On the announcement — presto — a sudden change; cards were put away; nearly every man had his Bible, and was intently engaged in its contents for the balance of the day. A death at sea with solemn funeral rites was not without effect.
Receiving his orders, Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman had the Quincy sail for Xew Orleans on the twenty-sixth, arriving late at night on the twenty-ninth, after a passage of twenty-five days from Sandy Hook. The South-West Pass was reached at nightfall ; a thick curtain of mist preventing an entrance then. In company with several other transports the Quincy lay outside the bar until morning; a continual noise from fog-whistles causing one to think he was in New York harbor. In the morning, as the heavy fog lifted, a beautiful mirage was seen in the sky, showing a brig ashore on a mud bank of the Delta. A perfect representation of what was soon seen to be actually the case.
The Quincy disembarked her troops at Carrollton, who went into camp at Camp Mansfield.
The Charles Osgood was an unfortunate vessel. An old propeller used on Long Island Sound, she was in every respect consort of the Shetucket; each fitted up in the same manner to convey troops, i.e., with a false deck to cover bunks and cooking apparatus. In a serious blow, with heavy sea running, this deck was liable to be swept
46 HISTORY OF THE FORTV-SECUND REGIMENT,
away at any moment. The steamer anchored in the river after all hands were on board, proceeding to Sandy Hook on the fifth ; there remained until she put to sea at half past five o'clock a.m. December 6th. Captain Geer never was beyond Fortress Munroe, and knew little about ocean navigation. He put to sea with one small compass, no charts, no chronometer, no life preservers on board, and with two small boats. With clear, cold weather, a high wind and rough sea, the Osgood ran down the coast and into Cape May harbor during the night of the seventh, for refuge. While in Delaware Bay a severe blow split sails and caused a slight displacement of the boiler, causing the captain to run into Delaware River and anchor off Dela- ware City at six o'clock, eighth, then to Philadelphia next day for repairs. She remained at Philadelphia for five days, to obtain new sails, new boat oars, life preservers, charts, and repairs on the boiler. The captain secured the services of an old and experienced navigator, Captain Sears.
As the men were afraid to continue the voyage on the steamer they were not allowed to go ashore, for fear none would return when all was ready to start. They grumbled considerably, and when the vessel ran aground on League Island, about half past seven a.m. on the fourteenth, some men improved the opportunity to run ashore upon the ice. They went to Philadelphia, got drunk, but all came back before she got afloat at the next full tide except Private Chauncey Converse, Company K. Private Converse did not rejoin his regiment until April nth, 1863. He surrendered himself to United States officers, taking the benefit of general orders No. 58, War Department, series of 1863, granting pardon to all deserters who did so. Regarding this case of apparent desertion Adjutant-Gen- eral Schouler wrote Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, under
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 47
date of February 21st, that Converse reported he was left sick at Philadelphia, and said he had tried and wished to rejoin his regiment.
At half past eight o'clock a.m. on the sixteenth this transport got a fair start, after remaining over night inside the breakwater at Cape Henlopen, proceeding down the coast in sight of land during the day and running out to sea at night until Key West was reached at two o'clock on the afternoon of the twenty-third. The Vessel struck on Fernandina Shoals, on the twentieth, about four o'clock in the morning; fortunately no damage was done, although boats were got ready to cast off in case of necessity. Leaving Key West at nine o'clock a.m. on the twenty-sixth, bound direct for Ship Island for orders, the transport arrived there at seven o'clock p.m., December 29th, pro- ceeding to New Orleans early next morning (four o'clock), two hours later running aground and remaining for a few minutes, off Chandeleur Light; made Pass L'Outre, mouth of the Mississippi, at four o'clock in the afternoon, arriv- ing at New Orleans at two o'clock a.m., January 1st.
Ordered forthwith to Galveston, the transport left New Orleans at four o'clock In the morning, January 2d, and anchored at South-West Pass for the night, about five o'clock in the afternoon. On the third, at six o'clock a.m., the voyage was continued, but after a five hours run gun- boat Clifton hailed the Charles Osgood and ordered her back to New Orleans, because Galveston was lost. She again reached that city at three o'clock p.m. on the fourth.
Companies E and K were disembarked at Carrollton on the afternoon of January 5th, and reported to Lieutenant- Colonel Stedman, in command of Companies A, B and F, in camp at Camp Mansfield. Five companies of the regiment were now united after a month's separation by the sea. Greetings were cordial and heartfelt. The
48 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
Charles Osgood was twenty-six clays making the voyage from Sandy Hook to New Orleans, although the men had to live on board for thirty-three days.
The Shetucket was another unfortunate transport, with a tedious passage. She went to sea on the morning of December 6th. The men had embarked during the clay of December 3d, proceeding down the bay to Sandy Hook on the morning of the fifth, when Captain Philo B. Huntley, in command of the steamer, was obliged to seek shelter until a snow-storm, then raging, had somewhat abated.
The officers on board were : Major Stiles in command ; Captain Leonard, Lieutenants White and Sanderson, of Company C ; Lieutenants Phillips and Gould, of Company H ; and Lieutenant Duncan, Company F, detailed to act as commissary. Captain Bailey, Company H, had been granted a two hours furlough on shore for the express purpose of obtaining oil to counteract the effect of salt water upon the muskets, and taken with him acting Com- missary-Sergeant Wentworth, Company G. They failed to report on board at the limitation of time, but took passage for New Orleans on the North Star, conveying the Forty-First Massachusetts Infantry, General Banks and staff. The North Star left New York December 4th, before the Shetucket left her anchorage in the river. Captain Bailey did not assume command of his company until January 12th. He and Wentworth arrived in New Orleans December 15th. Wentworth was ordered to join his company on the Saxon. No hospital accommoda- tions was upon the transport, and no medicines, except what meagre supplies were obtained by Major Stiles at Fortress Munroe and Hilton Head. Private Thomas M. Lewis, Company D, enlisted from Roxbury, a man forty- five years old, and a friend of Surgeon Cummings, was
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 49
detailed to act as surgeon. He was familiarly known as " old salts," a nickname given by the men, suggested by a rule he invariably followed of prescribing a dose of salts to about every man who complained of sickness.
The Shetucket was an old two-masted propeller freight boat, plying between New York and New London. A false deck-house of unsound lumber had been built upon her main deck, covering the whole vessel from bow to stern ; in this deck-house bunks were built to accom- modate near two hundred men, and cooking apparatus placed. In a rough sea every wave that struck her sides would send salt water into the bunks, so much so that when the water was rough very few men would occupy them ; those that did arranged rubber blankets for what protection they would afford. All of the accommodations were extremely poor. Sailing orders were the same as on other transports ; no one on board knew their destination until after leaving Key West, except Major Stiles, Captain Huntley, and Captain Leonard. This commendable secrecy was observed upon all four of the transports that conveyed the Forty-Second.
Slow progress was made by this vessel when at sea. On the third night, December 8th, Major Stiles retired early, worn out with loss of sleep, leaving the command with Captain Leonard, and Lieutenant White on duty as officer of the guard. About eight o'clock Lieutenant Gould, conversing with Lieutenant White, remarked that if the captain kept on in the direction he was going the vessel would be ashore, as he knew the course steered was wrong from his experience and knowledge, obtained while serving upon a Baltimore steamer. White paid no special atten- tion to what Gould said, and it does not appear that the attention of Major Stiles was called to the matter. Lieu- tenants White and Phillips were engaged in a game of
50 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
cards in the cabin about nine o'clock when a sudden shock was felt, bringing them to their feet in an instant. Another shock followed immediately, and on the deck they went, when another was felt, each one shaking the vessel from bow to stern. The sky was clear, the sea tolerably smooth, and the shore could be seen distinctly about one-half a mile away. There were two boats (one large and one small) upon the Shetucket; the large boat was not sea-worthy, while the small boat was capable of carry- ing three men. The old sailors (there were many in Companies C and H) were sharp at work trying to launch them. Captain Leonard sought the major, who sprang from his berth on the grating sound awakening him, and was dressing, and said: "The men have mutinied, and are all on deck. The officers of the boat up in the rigging assailed by the men and dare not come down, and the boat is aground ; for God's sake, come on deck."
There was the usual commotion and confusion incident to such occasions, and the major, half-dressed, was met by Lieutenant Phillips at the head of the companion-way, who handed him a rope saying : " Make yourself fast major, or you will be washed overboard."
Lieutenant White drove men away from the boats, not until Sergeant Henry Mann kicked a hole in one of them, and remarked as he did so : "Only the officers can use it." They then went for the hatchway, broke it open, and commenced work on what little cargo there was aboard ; for what reason it is difficult to understand, unless to obtain material to float upon in case it was necessary to take to the water as the only means of escape, or to lighten the vessel. This was soon stopped. Major Stiles ordered the men to their quarters below, answered by a chorus of voices shouting: "We will be d — d if we will." A
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 5 I
persuader in shape of a couple of cocked revolvers, with a determination to shoot the first man who refused to obey his order, settled the business in a very short time, and they went below.
Captain Huntley came down from aloft and informed the officers his vessel was on Hog Island Shoals. For half an hour all attempts to back off ended in failure, until a long, ocean swell lifted her bow, when she floated into deep water. An examination of the hold proved that the ship was making water slowly — not enough to be dangerous, as the pumps, when set to work, were found able to con- trol it. Her rudder was sprung, two flukes were gone from the propeller, and two of her keel planks had been smashed. The Shetucket proceeded on, and reached Fortress Munroe next day.
One of the funny incidents of this adventure was Lieutenant Sanderson appearing on deck with a patent rubber pillow, for use in case of shipwreck, at that period sold extensively in New York City, so fixed about his body near the hips that if he should have been washed over- board it would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep either head or feet above water. The lieutenant was obliged to hear many sharp jokes on this account the remainder of the trip.
At Fortress Munroe the vessel was ordered to Norfolk for necessary repairs, arriving in the evening at six o'clock. In passing Craney Island on the way to Norfolk they came to a blockade of piles with bare room enough for a vessel to pass through, and a gunboat on guard. In answer to a hail from this gunboat a dare-devil in Com- pany H shouted in reply : " Go to h — 11 ! " an answer that aroused the anger of Mr. gunboat commander, who threatened to blow them to pieces. Apologies were of no avail; a demand was made for the man who made the
52 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
insulting reply, but no one would point him out. The affair calmed down and the Shetucket went on her way.
The men disembarked, quartered in the Seamen's Bethel on West Wide Water Street, and gave their officers consid- erable trouble by pranks they carried on while in the city. General Vialle at one time threatened to send a battery and fire into them ; they made so much disturbance ringing the church bell. During their stay Privates Luke Armstrong and Alexander B. Ralsea, Company H, were taken sick and placed in the general hospital ; neither men rejoined the regiment during its term of service. Private Ralsea was mustered out of service at Fortress Munroe, for disability, May 27th.
Repairs finished, on the afternoon of December 21st the Shetucket proceeded to sea, making very slow time, and ran short of coal and water, causing Captain Huntley to bear up for Hilton Head. In the attempt to make that port he ran into the blockading squadron off Charleston, S. C, at three a.m. on the twenty-fifth, sailing a direct course for Fort Sumter, when hailed by war-vessel Pow- hattan, whose crew were beat to quarters, with a command: " Stop, or I will sink you ! " The naval officers were out of temper, and used strong language to Captain Huntley for his stupidity, intimating that he deserved sinking, and would have got it but for the troops on board. Anchor was dropped at Hilton Head in the afternoon at half-past five o'clock.
The next day, twenty-sixth, an affair happened that threatened serious consequences to one of the participators. Coal schooner J. G. Babcock was alongside coaling the steamer. For some time the men had been chaffing the schooner's crew in a good-natured manner, and when a drummer-boy of Company H began to climb the rigging he was ordered down by the sailing-master, who was in an
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 53
angry mood. This drummer paid no attention to the order until the master sprang into the rigging to force the boy back. He was coming down as the officer passed up, and was kicked by the latter a few times in the head. That was enough to make the men furious. Seizing lumps of coal they began to hurl the missiles into the rigging, uttering threats to kick him overboard if he came down, and frightened the officer to such an extent that he dare not do so, but kept on going up to the crosstrees with an inten- tion of coming down on the other side of the mast. Privates John Davis, Company H, Con. Dougherty, William Cook and Joseph Cole, Company C,' and others, all rough fighters, jumped on board the schooner and were in the rigging on that side to get at him, when Lieutenant White, whose personal courage no one ever had occasion to doubt, sprang to the schooner's deck ordering them down. All of the company officers then got these men aboard the Shetucket, and the Babcock's crew cut the ropes, letting her drift away to a safe distance. On the twenty-seventh another schooner finished coaling.
As water was scarce at Hilton Head, the Shetucket was ordered to Beaufort to replenish water casks, doing so on Sunday, the twenty-eighth. With a few hours to spare while at Beaufort, Major Stiles decided to give the men leave of absence on shore until five o'clock p.m., for at that hour the tide would serve to proceed to sea. Thor- oughly disgusted with the Shetucket, the men held a mass meeting in a square of the town during the day and voted not to go on board the old boat again. A committee was appointed to notify Major Stiles of their decision ; this committee attending to that duty between two and three o'clock in the afternoon. No time was to be lost if the men were to be got aboard that day in season to sail. The quality and temper of the men was such, that any
54 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
attempt to persuade them was useless and merely involved loss of valuable time. Major Stiles called upon the provost-marshal, informed him of the situation and asked his assistance, which he was willing to give if the major would assume all responsibility if trouble ensued. Of course this was done.
With about one hundred cavalry-men and seventy-five infantry the provost-marshal, almost at the point of the bayonet and sabre, it might be said, drove the men slowly toward the wharf, and every man but one (a member of Company H) was got aboard at the appointed time. The missing man was asleep in a house and overlooked, but found next morning, brought down to Hilton Head and put aboard. On casting off and reaching the channel, the provost-guard was saluted with many forcible compliments, such as can only be given by men in a like situation.
It is not surprising such an incipient mutiny should have occurred when all the circumstances of the case are considered : an old, unseaworthy boat ; indifferently officered, manned and equipped ; consuming days of valu- able time to make a comparatively short voyage ; liable to founder, if caught in a heavy gale ; not able to make over four knots an hour at her best speed. The regimental officers consider it creditable that the men bore their hardships patiently so long as they did.
Sailing fromv Hilton Head on the twenty-ninth, the steamer arrived at Key West January 2d, 1863, for provi- sions. There was much amusement on board when the U. S. gunboat Sagamore hailed them in the afternoon of the day they went into Key West, and the officer in charge of her deck, when informed what day the vessel left New York, replied : " Where in h — 11 have you been all this time ? "
Lieutenant Duncan, who was sea-sick whenever at sea,
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 55
had a penchant for collecting leaves and flowers wherever a landing was made, placing them between leaves of books to press, and thus preserve them. While at Key West some wags among the officers, who were ashore strolling around, conceived the idea of carrying on board an appropriate sample of the product of the soil. A huge cactus plant was obtained, taken aboard, and presented to Lieutenant Duncan to press and preserve. He had to stand many a joke about that cactus for a long time.
After obtaining a supply of repacked beef, that tasted well enough when cooked and cold, but during the process of cooking made such a stench the men could not remain below, the Shetucket, on the fourth day of January, sailed for Ship Island, encountering a rough gale on the sixth, that made things lively on board, and blew them fifty miles from their course. Late in the afternoon on the seventh two steam vessels were seen, or rather, the smoke they made was sighted on the horizon. There was some commotion on board, and speculation was rife as to their identity. The Confederate war vessel Alabama was a nightmare that haunted the minds of all upon transports conveying troops to the Gulf Department. The following morning a vessel was in sight giving chase. Rapidly gaining upon the Shetucket, a blank shot, then two solid shots were fired, the last striking water about two hundred yards away from the transport, when she was hove to. The vessel in pursuit was the gunboat jR. J?. Cuyler, who had sighted the afternoon before, the transport and another steamer, giving chase first to the Shetucket, until finding her to be a slow sailer had gone in pursuit of the other vessel, overhauling her during the night, capturing a good prize in an English iron-built blockade runner, and then started for the transport again, confident she could be found at any time.
56 HISTORY OF THE FORTV-SKCOXD REGIMENT,
This was on the morning of the eighth, and in the evening, at nine o'clock, they arrived at Ship Island. Receiving orders to proceed to New Orleans, a start was made at noon the next day, entering the Mississippi River by Pass L'Outre early on the morning of the tenth, arriv- ing at New Orleans in the afternoon of Sunday, January nth, with only three men sick after such a trip.
The regiment was in camp at Carrollton, and Com- panies C and H proceeded next day to that place, disembarked, and joined Companies A, B, E, F and K, having been thirty-six days on the trip from Sandy Hook to New Orleans.
The transport Quinnebaug was in charge of Lieutenant Proctor, Company G. Corporal Hodsdon, Company D, was detailed to report to Colonel Beckwith, chief commis- sary, and by him assigned to the vessel. It was intended at one time to send some horses upon her, but the accommodations were such that none would have lived, and it was abandoned. This transport was like the Charles Osgood and Shetucket, fitted up with bunks to accommodate troops. After some changes of mind in regard to this vessel, she was loaded with stores, sufficient for twenty-four thousand army rations.
Lieutenant Proctor, while on the way to go aboard his steamer in the river, ready to proceed, was hailed on Broadway by Sergeants Nichols, Vialle and Atwell, who said they had been left, together with Private Greene, all of them members of Company G. Proctor told them to find Greene and go on board the Quinnebaug, which they did.
One of the ridiculous things done in loading this vessel was to put in a large refrigerator built next to the engine boilers, against remonstrances of men who knew this would not do, packing it with ice and fresh beef. As was
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 57
to be expected, heat from the boilers melted the ice fast, and by the time they went into Tortugas the beef was spoilt. The Quincy was there at the same time, but her troops could not, or would not, eat the meat which Lieu- tenant Proctor sent on board to the extent of several tons. The balance he threw overboad after leaving Tortugas.
This vessel sailed December 6th, proceeding to Fortress Munroe for orders, as directed, remaining there two days; also touched at Hilton Head for one day, Tortugas for one day and a half and Ship Island for one day, arriving at New Orleans December 29th, having been twenty-three days on the trip from Sandy Hook.
When Captain Beckley, commanding vessel, heard the sailing orders read at sea, which directed them to Ship Island, he was mad, and said his boat was unseaworthy and in no condition to go over the Bahama Banks ; he was also without charts for a voyage beyond Charleston, S. C, and was obliged to send to Baltimore for them, from Fortress Munroe, where they were obtained with difficulty. The Quinnebaug,'m]\x\y, 1864, while conveying from Morehead City to Baltimore about two hundred and eighty discharged soldiers, was driven ashore when off Cape Lookout, the machinery refusing to work, and became a total wreck. Between eighty and ninety soldiers were lost.
Other detailed men from the regiment for detached duty were : Corporal Alfred Thayer, Company I, Wagoners John Willy, Company B, Joseph B. Ford, Company A, Chauncey K. Bullock, Company D, Nelson Wright, Com- pany E, Porter Carter, Company K, in charge of horses upon the transport-ship Wizard Ki?ig. This ship sailed from New York December 8th, and arrived at New Orleans December 31st. Besides a large amount of stores, about one hundred and sixty horses were on board, belonging to field officers of various regiments in the
58 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
expedition. Each regiment detailed men to care for its own horses. Twenty-five horses were lost on the trip, among them Surgeon Hitchcock's horse.
The experience of other Massachusetts troops on the voyage to New Orleans was varied, as the following condensed statement will show :
Fourth Regiment Infantry — Seven companies and a portion of another sailed from New York January 3d in the transport-ship Geo. Peabody ; arrived February 7th, not landing until the thirteenth ; forty-seven days on board; balance of regiment arrived about the same time.
Forty-Seventh Regiment Infantry — Entire regiment sailed from New York December 2 2d on steamer Missis- sippi; had a pleasant voyage of eight days to Ship Island ; arrived at New Orleans December 31st.
Forty-Eighth Regiment Infantry — Embarked December 29th on steamer Constellation, sailing from New York for Fortress Munroe January 4th; after detention of seven days sailed for New Orleans, and arrived February 1st.
Forty-Ninth Regiment Infantry — Left New York Janu- ary 24th on the steamer Illinois , arrived at New Orleans February 7th.
Fiftieth Regiment Infantry — Three companies were on steamer Jersey Blue, one company on steamer New Brunswick, five companies on steamer Niagara, one com- pany on ship Jenny Lind. The Jersey Blue sailed from New York about December nth, became unmanageable at sea and was obliged to put into Hilton Head in distress ; troops were landed and remained on shore about three weeks, then embarked on bark Guerrilla, and arrived at New Orleans January 20th. The New Brunswick sailed December 1st; arrived at New Orleans December 16th. The Niagara sailed December 13th, sprang a leak first
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 59
night out, machinery became disabled, and it was necessary to put in at Delaware Breakwater ; arrived at Philadelphia sixteenth, where the steamer was con- demned by a Board of Survey as unfit for transport service. Ship Jenny Lind arrived at Philadelphia January 1st, took the five companies on board, and on the ninth sailed for Fortress Munroe, arriving on the thirteenth. As the Jenny Lind was not capable of accommodating all the troops, three companies were transferred to ship Montebello — she sailed sixteenth; arrived at Xew Orleans January 27th. The Jenny Lind arrived at Xew Orleans February 9th.
Fifty-Third Regiment Infantry — Embarked on steamer Continental January 17th, and after a stormy passage of twelve days reached New Orleans January 30th.
Thirty -Eighth Regiment Infantry — Left Baltimore November 10th on steamer Baltic; arrived at Fortress Munroe November 12th; left Fortress Munroe December 4th ; after a smooth and pleasant passage arrived at Ship Island December 13th; went into camp on the island until the twenty-ninth ; embarked on steamer Northern Light, and arrived at New Orleans December 31st.
Forty-First Regiment Infantry — Sailed from New York December 4th in steamer North Star, and after a remarkable pleasant passage arrived at New Orleans, via Ship Island, December 15th.
Twelfth Light Battery — Sailed from Boston January 3d in ship E. W Farley ; arrived at New Orleans February 3d, after a very rough passage.
Thirteenth Light Battery — Sailed from Boston January 20th in ship DeWitt Clinton ; arrived at Fortress Munroe February nth, after a very stormy passage and loss of fifty-seven horses ; after a long, tedious voyage from Fortress Munroe arrived at New Orleans May 10th:
6o HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
becalmed off the Florida coast, steamer Geo. Peabody towed the ship to Key West; from Key West the steamer St. Mary's towed the ship to within one day's sail of the Mississippi River.
Fifteenth Light Battery — Sailed from Boston March 9th in ship Zouave; touched at Fortress Munroe, and arrived at New Orleans April 9th.
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 6 1
CHAPTER IV
GALVESTON.
Off for Galveston — Landing — 'Occupation of the City — Action of January First — Loss of the "Harriet Lane'' — Deserted by the Navy — Sur- render.
COMPANIES D, G and I went into camp at Carrollton on the afternoon of December 18th, 1862. A tele- graphic order was received from New Orleans on the nineteenth, sent by General Banks, which read as follows : " Colonel Burrell, with his three companies of the Forty-Second Massachusetts Volunteers, will proceed to Galveston forthwith." Supposing execution of this order was urgent, preparations to move were at once made. At three o'clock in the afternoon camp was struck and the companies ready to move ; but, as the transport Saxon, at New Orleans for repairs, did not arrive, tents were again pitched and occupied until the twenty-first. Next day, twentieth, written special orders from General Banks were handed to Colonel Burrell by General Sherman, commanding the post, and read : "Colonel Burrell, with the three companies of the Forty- Second Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, will proceed to Galveston, land and take post."
Colonel Burrell decided to execute his orders promptly. On the twenty-first the Saxon was ready to embark his men. Camp was struck early in the morning. At eight
62 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOXD REGIMENT,
o'clock men, baggage and equipage were all on board, and the steamer proceeded down river until eight o'clock in the evening, having anchored opposite New Orleans for about two hours, while the colonel, accompanied by Chaplain Sanger, went ashore for an interview with General Banks at his headquarters, to obtain definite instructions. The only officer to be found at headquarters was Colonel S. B. Holabird, chief-quartermaster of the Department, who said full instructions in writing had been prepared, but he could not find them ; during the conversation carefully looking over documents in the office. Colonel Holabird suggested to Colonel Burrell not to be in a hurry in proceeding to Galveston, and having heard the subject talked over in consultations that had taken place among other staff-officers and General Banks, advised him, on arrival at Galveston, to consult with Commodore Renshaw, commander of the fleet, in reference to his course of action ; that instructions would be forwarded very soon, as the balance of the regiment on arrival from New York would be promptly sent to him. The intention of General Banks, Holabird stated, was to send there an additional regiment of infantry, a regiment of cavalry, and a light artillery battery, as soon as it could possibly be done ; that General Banks' idea was, for the three companies to remain under protection of the navy guns until reinforcements arrived. Colonel Holabird cautioned Colonel Burrell, not to be drawn into any scrapes by Confederate General Magruder, who had lately assumed command of all forces in Texas.
After lying alongside the river bank until half-past one o'clock next morning, the transport proceeded on her way. Passing out of the Mississippi River by the South West Pass into the Gulf of Mexico at eleven o'clock in the morning, the course was taken for Galveston.
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 63
The troops on board the Saxon consisted of :
Colonel — Isaac S. Burrell.
Adjutant — Charles A. Davis.
Quartermaster — Charles B. Burrell.
Surgeon — Ariel I. Cummings.
Chaplain — George J. Sanger.
Quartermaster-Sergeant — Henry C. Foster.
A young volunteer in the engineer corps named W S. Long, who reported on board at New Orleans.
Lieutenant Brown B. Stowell, Company E, who was sick when the regiment left New York, and embarked on the Saxon, instead of remaining with his company.
Brivate Samuel R. Hersey, Company C, acting as clerk to the colonel. Frank Veazie, cook to officers' mess, not an enlisted man. Two colored boys, Charles L. Amos of Dedham, Mass., servant of Quartermaster Burrell, and Charles F- Revaleon of Boylston, Mass., servant of Surgeon Cummings.
The following officers and men of Company D :
1. Captain George Sherive.
2. First Lieutenant Wm. H. Cowdin.
3. Second Lieutenant Darius F. Eddy.
4. First Sergeant Samuel A. Waterman.
5. Second Sergeant Charles D. Frye.
6. Third Sergeant Charles R. Todd.
7. Fourth Sergeant Wm. E.Humphrey (color bearer).
8. Fifth Sergeant John W. Davis.
9. First Corporal Chas. C. Richards.
10. Second Corporal Benjamin Noyes.
11. Third Corporal Wm. H. Tileston.
12. Fourth Corporal Chas. J. Oldham.
13. Fifth Corporal Benjamin F. Bean.
14. Sixth Corporal Lewis M. Calhoun.
15. Corporal Henry W. Mcintosh.
16. Drummer Lewis Eddy.
64
HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
|
17- |
Private Albert S. Allen. |
48. |
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18. |
tt |
William H. Brown. |
49. |
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19. |
a |
William H. Bullard. |
50. |
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20. |
tt |
William H. Batson. |
Si- |
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21. |
tt |
Charles Brown. |
52. |
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22. |
tt |
Charles W. Bailey. |
S3- |
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23- |
<( |
John Barnes. |
54- |
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24. |
(< |
Edward Boardman. |
55- |
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25. |
<( |
William Burke. |
56. |
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26. |
it |
Major Bacon. |
57- |
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27. |
u |
Michael Buckmaster. |
58. |
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28. |
tt |
John Burns. |
59- |
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29. |
tt |
Charles H. Cushman. |
60. |
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3°- |
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George T. Clinton. |
61. |
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3i- |
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Dennis Dailey. |
62. |
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32- |
tt |
John Drury. |
63- |
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33- |
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Peter Durnam. |
64. |
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34- |
it |
Tobias Enslee. |
65- |
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35- |
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George M. Fisk. |
66. |
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36. |
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Henry Fisk. |
67. |
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37- |
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John Fay. |
68. |
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38. |
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Fitzallen Gourley. |
69. |
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39- |
it |
Charles J. Grinnell. |
70. |
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40. |
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Amos B, Howard. |
7i. |
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41. |
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Thomas C. Houghton |
.72. |
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42. |
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David Howe. |
73- |
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43- |
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Wallace A. Josselyn. |
74- |
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44. |
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Edwin F. Josselyn. |
75- |
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45- |
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Jacob Kopf. |
76. |
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46. |
it |
William B. Larrabee. |
77- |
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47- |
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Fred. Lamote. |
78. |
Private Thomas Londergan. " Frank McConlow. " Randolph P. Mosely. " John V. Mcllroy. " James Moore. " Francis L. Morrill. " Angus G. Nicholson. " James O'Shaughnessy. " Benjamin Pratt. " George Powers. " Louis Preami. " Gustavus Raympnd. " Cornelius Ryan.
Jerry S. Russell.
William Rigby. " Jeremiah Quinn. " Henry C. Sellea. " Joseph H. Stowell.
Sargent L. Stoddard.
Daniel J. Sullivan. " Laban Thaxter. " Josiah Thompson. " James Thomaston.
Daniel H. Vining. " Charles G. Weymouth. " Daniel L. Weymouth. " George S. Walls. " George H. Wight. " Jonathan G. Wight.
Albert P. Wright. " Nathaniel White.
The following officers and men of Company G :
1. Captain Alfred N. Proctor.
2. 2d Lieutenant Thaddeus H. Newcomb.
3. Sergeant Levi W. Goodrich.
4. " Philip P. Hackett.
5. Corporal John W. Buttrick.
6. " Seth E. Clapp.
7. " John C. Bishop.
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS.
65
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8. |
Corporal George W. Griggs. |
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" Moses Lincoln, |
Jr. |
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" Robert G.Thompson. |
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11. |
George G. Mor |
rison. |
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12. |
" David L. Wentworth, |
acting |
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13- ■ |
Drummer Horace W. Chandler. |
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14. |
" David A. Ireson. |
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is- 7 |
Wagoner Roland C. Judkins. |
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16. |
Private Obed F Allen. |
49. Private |
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17. |
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Joseph Brownlow. |
50. |
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18. |
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Charles A. Bailey. |
Si- |
it |
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19. |
u |
John Brown. |
52. |
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20. |
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William H. Bickers. |
S3- |
a |
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21. |
a |
Charles L. Barrett. |
54- |
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22. |
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Charles Barrett. |
55- |
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23- |
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Charles Boardman. |
S6. |
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24. |
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John M. Barnard, Jr. |
57- |
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25. |
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William M. Bird. |
S3- |
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26. |
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Gilbert F. Blaisdell. |
59- |
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27. |
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John H. Cary. |
60. |
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28. |
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Thomas O. Bryant. |
61. |
it |
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29. |
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John Carvey. |
62. |
a |
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3°- |
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John T. Cook. |
63- |
a |
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3i- |
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Lemuel S. Copeland. |
64. |
a |
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32- |
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Frank Covell. |
65. |
a |
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33- |
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Frederick Corson. |
66. |
it |
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34. |
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Gilbert Crocker. |
67. |
a |
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35- |
a |
Fred T. Clark. |
68. |
a |
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36. |
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William Carter. |
69. |
41 |
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37- |
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George H. Davis. |
70. |
it |
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38. |
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John E. Davis. |
7i- |
n |
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39- |
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James L. Davis. |
72. |
it |
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40. |
it |
George R. Dary. |
73- |
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41. |
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Edmund B. Doubel. |
74. |
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42. |
a |
Daniel Dinnegan. |
75- |
(i |
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43- |
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James G. Emerson. |
76. |
a |
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44. |
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John Eaton. |
77- |
a |
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45- |
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John Eastman. |
78. |
tt |
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46. |
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Richard Ellis. |
79- |
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47- |
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Thomas Field. |
80. |
a |
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48. |
tt |
Benjamin Gould. |
81. |
a |
as ordnance-sergeant.
John W Gordon. George S. Hyde. Albert A. Hayden. John Harmon. Henry T. Horn. Albert A. Holt. Lucius Higgins. Charles Hilger. Alonzo D. Ireson. Eli P. Johnson. Francis Knight. George W. Kibbey. Arthur Kelley. Charles B. Lynde. Amos W. Lynde. William Logan. Samuel Marshall. Joseph Mullen. James H. McAllister. Francis L. Nott. Joseph W. D. Parker. Charles Paine. Daniel D. Penney. John F. Parrott. Benjamin R. Pierce. Diomede Roseline. Martin W Roberts. Chas. W. H. Sanborn. Albert I. Smart. Thomas T. Sweetser. Henry O. Studley. William Stiles. Charles H. Upham.
66
HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
82. Private Edwin A. Vinton.
83. " Levi Vincent.
84. " James W Vinal.
85. " James Vance.
86. Private Abiel F. White.
87. " Henry J. Wethern.
88. " William B. York.
89. " Josiah R. York.
And the following officers and men of Company I :
1. Captain Cyrus Savage.
2. First Lieutenant Samuel F. White.
3. Second Lieutenant Benjamin F Bartlett.
4. First Sergeant Wm. H. Hunt.
5. Second Sergeant John F. Hewins.
6. Third Sergeant Chauncy B. Sawyer.
7. Fourth Sergeant Edward Merrill, Jr.
8. Fifth Sergeant Cornelius G. Kenney.
9. First Corporal Frank M. Adams.
10. Second Corporal Nathaniel H. Bird.
11. Third Corporal Sanford H. Brigham.
12. Fourth Corporal David F. Sloan.
13. Fifth Corporal Daniel H. Walker. 14.
16.
17- 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
23- 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 3°- 31- 32- 33' 34.
Drummer Albert Schne Private Moses Averill. " Edward F. Bryant. " Jonathan Baker.
Edward J. Baker. 38.
Edward K. Baker. 39.
" John K. Clements. 40.
" Samuel Crowell. 41.
" Jefferson W. Cheney. 42.
" Peter Cuddy. 43.
" Thomas P. Contillon. 44.
" James G. Colson. 45.
" David Chapin. 46.
" Timothy Dolan. 47.
" Thomas Dellanty. 48.
" Charles H. Dodge. 49.
Wm. C. Elder. 50.
" Horace W, Eaton. 51.
" John Elliott. 52.
" George K. Farnum. 53. " Willard S. Farrington. 54.
der. 35. Private Henry E 36.
37-
Farrington. James F. Floyd. George T. Fernald. Edward S. Gray. Thomas V. Gleason. Charles Gleason. William F. Gardner. George Glover, Jr. Charles E. Hewins. John A. Hodgkins. Frederick Huggins. Elijah Hunt. Lewis A. Hunt. Alexander Hobbs. Thomas F. Igo. Ambrose A. Knight. Charles Littlefield. William B. Lambert. Frank B. Laury. David W. Lannergan.
|
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 6 |
||||
|
55. Private James Mulry. |
72- |
Private Evelyn Ransom. |
||
|
56. ' |
' Thomas Morris. |
73- |
a |
Asa Robbins. |
|
57- |
' William Morgan. |
74- |
it |
Geo. W. Richardson. |
|
ss. . ' |
' Dennis Mahoney. |
75- |
a |
Edwin Smith. |
|
59- |
' Nathaniel McCreary. |
76. |
a |
Joseph Scaff. |
|
60. |
' Lawrence Mannix. |
77- |
a |
Charles J. Sumner, Jr |
|
61. |
' James McGee. |
7S. |
« |
George W. Sloan. |
|
62. |
' Jos. W. McLaughlin. |
79- |
<( |
James E. Stanley. |
|
t>3- ' |
' Thomas A. Noves. |
80. |
(( |
William Spargo. |
|
64. ' |
' Solomon Nordlinger. |
81. |
a |
John Taylor. |
|
65. ' |
' Albert H. Plummer. |
Sz. |
a |
Jacob H. Taylor. |
|
66. |
' Porter Plummer. |
83- |
it |
Joseph A. Teeling. |
|
67. ' |
' George L. Pitman. |
84. |
a |
Wm. H. H. Weeman |
|
68. |
' George B. Proctor, Jr |
S5. |
a |
George W. Wescott. |
|
69. ' |
' John B. Pratt. |
86. |
a |
Ozias Willis. |
|
70. |
' Charles H. Poole. |
87. |
a |
Joel F. Williams |
|
7i. |
' Joseph T. Paget. |
88. |
it |
Sanford Woods. |
The total force amounting to 15 officers, 249 enlisted men, 1 white citizen, and 2 colored boys.
The instructions Colonel Holabird could not find were handed to Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman as the steamer Che-Kiang was about to leave New Orleans for Galveston. They never reached Colonel Burrell. They were as fol- lows : —
" Headquarters Dept. of the Gulf,
" New Orleans, La., January 3d, 1863. "Lieut.-Col. Stedman, 42d Reg't Mass. Vols. :
" Colonel, — I am directed by the Commanding General to enclose you instructions, which he requests you to hand Colonel Isaac S. Burrell.
" Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"W. L. G. GREEN,
" Aid-de-Camp."
68 history of the forty-second regiment,
" Headquarters Dept. of the Gulf,
'•New Orleans, La., January 3d, 1863. " Colonel :
" Your regiment having been ordered to Galveston, you are hereby placed in command of that post. You will execute such orders as you may receive from these head- quarters. My instructions from the Department of War forbid me at present to make any extended military move- ments in Texas. The situation of the people of Galveston makes it expedient to send a small force there for the purpose of their protection, and also to afford such facil- ities as may be possible for recruiting soldiers for the military service of the United States. Every assistance in your power will be afforded for the complete attainment of these objects.
" General Hamilton is appointed Military Governor of the State of Texas, and will be recognized by you in that capacity, but your orders you will receive from these head- quarters.
" Until the port of Galveston is regularly opened by the Government of the United States, no trade can be carried on, and no attempt for that purpose will be recognized, or countenanced by you.
" I rely fully upon your energy, vigilance and capacity, for the performance of the important duties intrusted to you. Do not fail to make frequent reports of all that transpires within your command, and of whatever impor- tant facts you may learn from the enemy in Texas, or from its people.
" It is not probable that any successful movement can be made upon the main-land until our force shall be con- siderably strengthened ; and you will take care not to involve yourself in such difficulty as to endanger the safety of your command.
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 69
" Other instructions will be sent to you from time to time, as occasion may require and opportunity offer. "N. P. BANKS,
" Major-General commanding.
"Colonel Isaac S. Burrell,
"42c! Regiment Mass. Vols."
" Headquarters Dept. of the Gulf,
"New Orleans, La., January 3d, 1863. " Colonel :
" You will immediately cause to be constructed a tete- du-pont, to command the bridge which connects Galveston Island with the main-land.
" I directed an engineer officer to go there some time since, and I suppose he is there. If so, he will give suit- able directions for the work.
" Very respectfully yours, "X. P. BANKS,
" Major-General commanding.
"Colonel Isaac S. Burrell,
"commanding U. S. Forces at Galveston."
The trip to Galveston was devoid of interest. The weather was fine and the sea moderately smooth. Few were sea-sick. At half past eleven on the morning of the twenty-fourth land was sighted ; at noon, the gunboat Tennessee fired a shot across the bow of the Saxon, and she hove too, off Galveston Bar, for about two hours, when a pilot was taken. The navy had been expecting troops to arrive for some days. Commander Law, of the Clifton, when he ascertained what troops were on board the Saxon and their purpose, sent a boat to bring the colonel over
70 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
the bar, and on board his vessel, which then proceeded up the channel a short distance. As the Saxon would not be able to get over the bar at once, an offer from Law, to take Burrell in his gig to see Commander Renshaw, was accepted. Upon reaching the flag-ship Westfteld, Renshaw, who was entertaining Confederate officers in the cabin under a flag of truce, met the colonel at the gangway, extending a hearty welcome. He suggested the postpone- ment of a conference at that time, not wishing the Con- federate officers to see Colonel Burrell, and would meet him on board the Clifton with all commanding officers of gunboats then in the harbor, viz. : —
Westfield — A ferry-boat ; eight guns ; Commander W. B. Renshaw.
Clifton — A Staten Island ferry-boat; seven guns; Lieu- tenant-Commander R. L. Law.
Harriet Lane — Formerly a United States revenue cutter ; eight guns ; Commander J. M. Wainwright.
Owasco — Screw propeller; regular war vessel ; six guns; Lieutenant-Commander H. Wilson.
Commander Renshaw, as agreed, met Colonel Burrell on board the Clifton. The situation was explained and discussed. Renshaw strongly urged landing the troops in the city, and was supported in this advice by all of his officers. Burrell suggested landing on Pelican Spit, an island near the harbor entrance, with plenty of space, and buildings that could be occupied until more troops arrived. Great stress was placed on the difficulty of obtaining water upon the spit, while abundance was to be had in the city. Renshaw scouted the idea of danger to so small a force in the city. A decision was finally made to land on Kuhn's Wharf, occupy for barracks the wooden storehouse upon it, and fully understood by all officers present, that the troops would be under protection of the navy guns. They were to be
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 7 I
protected or removed. In case an attack was threatened, the Owasco was to take position on the right, the Clifton on the left of Kuhn's Wharf, and these vessels were accus- tomed to occupy those positions every night. Assurance was also given that the troops could be taken from the wharf in five minutes time if it became necessary to do so.
Galveston City in 1861 was a port of entry and capital of Galveston County. It is situated near the east end of Galveston Island, with the best and least difficult harbor on the whole Texas coast. It was the commercial empo- rium of Texas, with the bulk of its commerce coastwise with New Orleans and New York. The former port con- nected with it by regular steamship lines. The city con- tained the court-house, a jail, and other county buildings, several churches, numerous warehouses, wholesale and retail stores, and hotels ; and published several news- papers. The island in which the city stands, is about thirty-six miles long, with an average width of two miles. The soil is good, being a black mould, about a foot deep, resting on sand and shells, and it has several ponds of good water. Separated from the main-land by West Bay, it was connected by a wooden railroad bridge, two miles in length, used by the- Galveston and Houston Railroad. No portion of the surface is more than twenty feet above the level of the Gulf of Mexico, and with the exception of several groves of live oak, the whole is open prairie. Before the war the land was said to have been in a state of excellent cultivation, and the city the residence of many wealthy farmers. Very few slaves were held on the island, and the population was about seven- thousand.
Federal naval forces had virtually been in possession of Galveston since October 8th, 1862, in full control of the harbor, but lacking adequate force to land and occupy permanently the city. Besides the four gunboats in the
-2 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
harbor when the detachment first arrived, the gunboat Sachem, an altered merchant screw propeller steamer, five guns, Acting Master Amos Johnson, came in December 29th with her boilers out of repair, and, securing the ser- vices of two boiler makers from the city, anchored in the channel on the city front to have them patched up. The small Government schooner Coryphcus, Acting Master A. T. Spear, with one gun, and manned by fifteen men, also came into port with the Sachem.
The sailing barks Arthur, Cavallo, and Elias Pike, loaded with coal for the fleet ; the transport steamer Mary Board- man, loaded with hay and horses ; and the transport steamer Saxon, was all the shipping that was in Galveston Harbor, January 1st, 1863.
At two o'clock the Saxon passed over the bar, her keel striking bottom a few times, and at half-past four came to anchor in the harbor channel.
The troops made a landing December 25th, at ten o'clock in the morning. The two-story storehouse was occupied on the upper floor for sleeping, the lower floor to store quartermaster and commissary stores, ammunition, and intrenching tools, which were removed from the Saxon that day and next. A partitioned room on the lower floor was fitted up by Surgeon Cummings for a hospital. The commissary supplies consisted of coffee, hard bread, beans, salt pork, and molasses, sufficient to last about thirty days for three hundred men. The intrenching tools were spades, picks and axes, for five hundred men. Three months med- ical supplies and about twenty-five thousand rounds fixed ammunition for infantry was also landed.
Kuhn's Wharf was the largest on the harbor front, the storehouse end large and roomy, connected with the land by a bridge-like wharf some four hundred feet long, about twenty feet wide, built on piling. The water was quite
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 73
shallow at any tide almost to the end. Tides in Galveston harbor and bay ebb and flow very little ; the depth of water is greatly influenced by heavy northerly winds, which blow the water over the bar out to sea. Heavy draft vessels at such times must keep to the narrow channel.
A flag-pole was found which belonged on the storehouse, and being placed in position upon the cupola, the old gar- rison flag, used by the regiment at Readville, was run up about eleven o'clock and greeted with cheers. Sentries were at once posted in the city as far as Market Square, one of the principal places with all of the main streets leading into it. They were also posted on the streets to the right and left, communicating directly with the wharf. At night these posts were reinforced in such a manner as to constitute picket-posts.
Immediately upon landing and taking post, Colonel Eurrell adopted such measures to secure all the protection possible that in his judgment the situation demanded. From this time until the morning of January ist it was work, work, work. Fatigue and working parties were constantly employed. Guards and pickets were on duty day and night. Reconnoitring detachments were on duty by day and squads scouting at night. The Forty-Second Infantry, posted upon Kuhn's Wharf, were very active during their short stay, occupying the city so far as the small force and prudence would allow, and exercising proper surveillance. The men were barely allowed suffi- cient time to obtain needed sleep.
Among the first things done was to barricade the inte- rior of the storehouse facing the city, by placing against that side, on each floor, barrels of whiting, plaster and hair, found on the premises. For a temporary shelter to men on picket at night, if forced to seek it, it was decided
74 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
to build a breastwork upon the wharf by tearing up and utilizing the planks. Volunteer Engineer Long saw no use Or necessity for this, not exercising any supervision over the work until operations had commenced and he saw that the colonel was determined about it. Com- mencing at a point some fifty feet from the shore end, the hard pine planks were removed to make a gap in the wharf for the space of about another fifty feet, and the first breastwork was erected on the edge of this gap the day of landing. Fortunately Quartermaster Burrell, in looking around the city in the morning, had found a keg of large-sized spikes and ordered them taken to the wharf where they might be found useful. They were very useful in building this work.
An examination of the ammunition, ordered in a few days after landing when it was evident the enemy meant mischief, was not a welcome surprise. Company G was armed with Springfield rifles, and Companies D and I had Springfield smooth-bore muskets. The bulk of ammunition landed was found to be for rifles, with only a small supply of ball and buckshot cartridges for smooth-bores. There was also found to be a scarcity of caps. This is accounted for by the confused manner in which the regiment was embarked at Brooklyn on the different transports — a proper apportionment of the ammunition was not possible under the circumstances. Sending Adjutant Davis to the fleet for any surplus caps they had to spare added very little to the supply, as they were short also. It was found that cartridges and caps sufficient to give each man eigh- teen rounds in his cartridge box was all the ammunition that could be made serviceable when a distribution was made to the men on the thirty-first. This was kept a secret from the command. The men were cautioned to husband their ammunition until it could be used to effect
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 75
at close quarters, in case of an action. No man was to fire his musket unless so ordered by an officer.
Commander Wainwright, with a few sailors armed with cutlasses and pistols, visited the wharf on the twenty-sixth. After a conference with Colonel Burrell, a reconnoissance through Galveston and its suburbs was determined upon. Captain Sherive, with about one hundred men, including the sailors, accompanied by the colonel, adjutant, quarter- master and chaplain, with Wainwright, started about nine o'clock in the morning to reconnoitre, proceeding as far as the brick kilns, some two miles outside of the city. It was not deemed advisable to go further in the direction of Eagle Grove, about three miles, but a circuit of the outskirts was made and the city looked over. The inhab- itants had fled. It was almost entirely deserted. Unlike many other cities and towns occupied by Federal troops, very few colored people were to be seen. A lookout was established in a four-story brick building on the Strand near Market Square and within the guard lines, where all that was going on at Eagle Grove on the island, and Vir- ginia Point on the main-land, was distinctly Visible in the daytime by the aid of a field-glass. This lookout was con- stantly maintained.
In the afternoon Colonel Burrell, accompanied by Vol- unteer Engineer Long, proceeded in the Harriet Lane towards West Bay as far as the channel would allow. A good view of Eagle Grove and Virginia Point was obtained. The earthwork, mounting three guns, thrown up at Eagle Grove by Confederates, to protect the railroad bridge, was abandoned. The end of the bridge at Virginia Point was protected by extensive works with heavy guns in posi- tion, and here the enemy appeared to be in force. Their camps could be plainly seen.
It was while on this trip in the Harriet Lane that
76 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
Colonel Burrell made up his mind to destroy the railroad bridge. None of the naval vessels could get near enough to do any permanent damage, on account of the narrow, tortuous and shallow channel. The distance from the fleet anchorage by way of the channel was about four and one-half miles. Heavy naval guns, fired from a point of anchorage where it would have been safe to try it, would not have reached the bridge with any accuracy, the gun- carriages not admitting a sufficient elevation of the guns to carry shot or shell that distance, while such heavy charges of powder would be required for the distance that the concussion upon the gun-decks of such vessels as were then at Galveston would have caused serious damage to the vessels, had everything been favorable in other par- ticulars for attempting the destruction of the bridge in this manner. The bridge could not be effectually severed by the navy except by sending up armed launches prepared for such duty. These the gunboats did not have ; all of their row-boats were small, not capable of carrying light guns, even if they had them. This would have been hazardous service, as the enemy were vigilant and brave. That the navy could have sent up boat crews and destroyed it when the vessels first entered the harbor in October, was admitted by a number of naval officers, because the enemy had precipitately taken flight, abandon- ing everything. The Confederate military commander at that time was a weak-kneed sort of man. In a very short time the Confederate troops rallied, removed all of their guns on the island, and built the works at Eagle Grove rendering the attempt hazardous. Destroying the bridge would not have prevented all communication between the island and the main-land, only rendered it difficult, as the enemy had plenty of boats hid in the creeks and bayous adjacent that could be used for ferry purposes.
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 77
But no attempt of any sort had been made by the navy since first entering Galveston Bay to damage or sever this bridge.
Collecting barrels of tar pitch, with other combustible material, and confiscating a dray (all horses had been run out of town), the colonel ordered them stored ready for use, intending to move up immediately on the landing of the balance of his regiment, occupy the works at Eagle Grove, destroy the bridge as far as possible, mount some heavy guns, and shell the enemy from his works on the main-land. Those naval officers who talked the matter over with officers of the Forty-Second agreed that it ought to be done. Commander Wainwright was especially in favor of severing this means of communication. Had the seven companies of the regiment arrived on or before the twenty-eighth of December, it was thought not much difficulty would have been experienced. The enemy soon ascertained the small strength of the detachment landed, and on the twenty-ninth reoccupied the earthworks at Eagle Grove, and mounted heavy cannon to protect the bridge and approaches. Colonel Burrell then requested Commander Renshaw to go up the bay as far as possible with two of his lightest draft vessels, and shell the enemy from the island, which he refused to do. After the twenty-eighth December, the destruction of this bridge could not have been accomplished without an action with the enemy in force at Eagle Grove, but an attempt would have been made had not the event of January ist occurred.
During the afternoon of the twenty-sixth, while Captain Sherive with a small force of men was out on a foraging expedition, to see what could be found for cooking-stoves, eight Confederate cavalry-men appeared under a flag of truce, with a request to see the British consul. No flag- of-truce trick could be played on Captain Sherive. He
jS HISTORY OF THE FORTV-SECOXD REGIMENT,
promptly halted the party, and notified his commanding officer. One man, under guard, was allowed to see the consul, and the Confederate captain in charge was ordered to leave by six o'clock, as after that hour they would be fired upon. For weeks had the enemy enjoyed the hospitality of Commander Renshaw under these convenient flags of truce, used freely for the most trivial reasons ; but the military commander stopped all such nonsense at once. This truce flag was the only one recognized until the day of surrender.
Supplies of food were not plenty in the city. The Confederates would not allow any to be brought from the main-land, consequently, what few inhabitants remained in Galveston, mostly women, found it hard work to subsist. In a small way, rations were given to them by Colonel Burrell. Not much could be done in this direction, owing to the small supply on hand for the troops, who must be fed and kept in fighting condition. There were quite a number of German women with gold and silver coin, who wished to purchase provisions from the quartermaster. Their husbands were serving in the Confederate army, and much valuable information was obtained from them.
Confederate cavalry commenced to infest the city and suburbs at night, about three days after a landing was made ; but did not attempt to molest the pickets. These cavalry-men came along the beach, concealed by a range of sand hills on the Gulf shore ; on reaching the outskirts they would separate to go through the city in squads of two and three. Before daylight these squads would rendezvous at a place called Schmidt's Garden, and return to Eagle Grove by the same route they came. They easily obtained, during these nocturnal trips, all informa- tion they required, for the men talked freely with such of the inhabitants as wished to converse. While there were
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 79
a handful of Union men, or refugees as they were termed by the enemy, who sought protection under the Federal flag, the bulk of the small population, men, women and children, were secessionists to the core.
Lieutenant Eddy and Private Hersey must have had this fact very forcibly impressed upon their minds when they were entertained by some Galveston ladies at a house on the Strand, some two miles from quarters, on the after- noon of Sunday, December 28th. The ladies sang all of the latest Confederate songs, Eddy and Hersey in return singing the latest from the North. The conversation was bitter disunion on the female side, and well calculated to draw out information on military affairs. On bidding them good afternoon as they left, several young men were seen loitering in the vicinity, who had undoubtedly been listeners to the conversation.
While the enemy easily obtained information of the Federal strength, position and purposes, the men of the Forty-Second as easily secured definite information of the Confederate strength and intentions. At this game of cards honors were easy.
On the night of the twenty-seventh a report was brought in that a force of Confederate cavalry was in the city. Captain Sherive with fifty men and Captain Savage with fifty men received separate orders to drive them out. Taking different directions, a thorough scout failed to discover any traces of this cavalry until Captain Sherive arrived at the beach road leading to Fort Point, when fresh horse-shoe prints in the sand were discovered, show- ing that a force of mounted men had gone in the direction of Fort Point, where there was an abandoned earthwork thrown up to command the harbor entrance. Captain Savage came up soon after, joined forces with Sherive, and was directed to place his men on the sand
8o HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOXD REGIMENT,
ridge of the beach, lying clown, while Sherive with his men covered the beach, and all awaited developments. About midnight Captain Savage became impatient, if not a little timid, as signal rockets were seen sent up in the city, and he declined to remain longer, proceeding back to the wharf. This forced Captain Sherive to retire also, as he doubted his ability to meet the supposed force of the enemy with the men left. It was afterwards ascertained that the party was General Magruder, reconnoitring the entrance to the bay with some eighty of his officers and men, who would certainly have been captured, killed, or wounded, if the detachments had remained where Captain Sherive had them posted. There was no escape, except by breaking through the detachments, and the enemy could not successfully do that while Captain Sherive was around. Captain Savage destroyed the telegraph lines connecting Galveston with the main-land, that had re- mained intact up to this time, as part of the night's operations.
There was a lull in the preparations and rounds of duty on Sunday, the twenty-eighth, giving the men that rest they sorely needed. Only two civilians were molested by the troops during their short stay in Galveston. A German was arrested on this day for uttering seditious language. He was confined at guard quarters in the wharf store- house, remaining there during the action of January ist, almost forgotten, but miraculously escaped without a wound. The other was a citizen caught hanging around the head of the wharf in a suspicious manner, and was arrested for a spy, retained in confinement some six hours, and then released. This arrest occurred on the th.
Sunday afternoon Colonel Burrell, in a row-boat, pro- ceeded to Fort Point to inspect a ioo Pr. gun, dis- mounted in the fort, with the intention of removing
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MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 8 1
it to the earthwork at Eagle Grove when his force was increased. The gun was found to be sound, not spiked, and ready for immediate service, when mounted on a gun-carriage. The story of the dismounting of this heavy gun, as told by naval officers and sailors, is said to be true.
It seems that when the fleet was sailing towards Gal- veston Bar the orders were not to fire, even if fired upon, until the signal was displayed from the flag-ship. A gun- ner on the Clifton, standing by his gun, with lanyard in hand, accidentally slipped when the vessel lurched, causing him to pull the lanyard with a sudden jerk and fire the gun. Without being trained on the fort, the solid shot took effect on the gun-carriage of this ioo Pr., near the stanchions, shattering the carriage, heaving the gun up in the air, tumbling it over backward in the sand. The garrison became panic struck at the effect of this chance shot and fled. The fleet then entered the harbor without another gun being fired.
The situation looked serious, and with a doubt in his mind about the loyalty of the naval commander, and no news from his expected reinforcements, Colonel Burrell decided on the twenty-ninth to send Quartermaster Burrell to New Orleans on the Saxon, with despatches for General Banks. The commissary supplies had dwindled down to fifteen days rations for three hundred men, and the ammu- nition was not available. Engineer Long decided to go also, not being under the orders of Colonel Burrell, and took passage on the Saxon. Much to the transport cap- tain's relief, for he had been in a highly nervous state while lying at the wharf, the Saxon left, proceeding as far as Pelican Spit, where she had to remain until January ist. A strong northerly wind, that continued on the thirtieth and thirty-first, had blown the water from Galveston Bar
82 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
so that only three feet of water covered it, rendering pro- ceeding to sea impossible.
LETTER CARRIED TO GENERAL BANKS, BY QUARTER- MASTER BURRELL.
" Headquarters, "Galveston, Texas, December 29th, 1862.
"Sir: In obedience to orders, upon arriving at this place on the evening of the twenty-fourth instant, after consulting with the commander of the blockading fleet, I landed the three companies of my command, which were with me upon the transport Saxon, on the end of Kuhn's Wharf, and quartered them in the warehouse there. I have taken possession of the city as boldly as I could with the small force at my command, and have thoroughly reconnoitred the built-upon portions of the city up to within range of their battery at Eagle Grove, which is apparently well built, mounting three guns. They have also one gun at the draw, which is about midway of the bridge. Upon Virginia Point they have a strong battery, mounted with heavy guns. From the best information obtainable, I judge their force in this immediate vicinity to be about two thousand strong.
" During the day we control the city, but at night, owing to our small force (as the balance of my regiment has not yet arrived), I am obliged to draw in the pickets to the wharf on which we are quartered. I think there are still living upon the island about three thousand persons, a large pro- portion of whom are women and children. A great many of these people are almost entirely destitute of the means of subsistence, as the enemy will not allow anything to be brought over from the main-land, thinking, doubtless, to make them disloyal by starvation. The naval officer in command has contributed all he could spare from his
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 83
stores, and my men have shared their bread rations with them. I believe the larger part of the residents now here to be loyal and really desire to remain in the city, and that common humanity calls upon us to render them assistance. This, in my judgment, can best be done by placing the city under martial law as soon as my force is large enough, and forcing the rich, who are mainly the secessionists, to feed the poor. I would most respectfully urge upon your consideration the necessity of sending provisions for imme- diate relief. These can be sold to them at Government prices, thus conferring a real charity, without subjecting them to the mortification of being beggars. Under the existing circumstances I have thought it best to send one of my staff, Quartermaster Burrell, and Mr. Long, the engineer, who accompanied us here, to report to you in person. These gentlemen will explain in detail the state of affairs, and the importance of the knowledge which they can convey to you has, in my judgment, authorized me in ordering the Saxon back to New Orleans, which I humbly trust will meet your approbation.
"I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,
"ISAAC S. BURRELL, " Colonel commanding 4.2a1 regiment Mass. Vols."
The small schooner Corypheus had lying useless upon her deck two captured 12 Pr. Howitzer field-guns, with over three hundred rounds of ammunition for them. Adjutant Davis was sent on the night of the twenty-ninth to Commander Renshaw, with a request for the guns to be landed upon the wharf. Colonel Burrell intended to place them in position in the storehouse, opening port-holes on the land side. Company D (the old Roxbury Artillery) had many Roxbury men who knew how to handle such guns, besides having in the ranks a dozen man-of-wars
84 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
men, who had enlisted in Boston shortly after their dis- charge from a war-vessel, that had arrived from a long cruise. The idea was ridiculed by Renshaw, who flatly refused the request.
General Magruder, when he assumed command in De- cember of the Confederate forces in Texas, immediately set about perfecting plans to recover possession of Gal- veston, and to capture or cripple the fleet. These plans were so far matured that he intended to attack on the twenty-seventh, but was obliged to postpone it until the morning of January ist from delay in fitting out his river steamers.
The naval commander heard of these steamers beins: got in readiness to attack him, but did not think he would have much difficulty in blowing them to pieces with his guns ; in fact, affected to look upon such preparations of the enemy as futile. As for the information of Magruder's plan of action on land, obtained by the military force, none of the naval officers, with the exception of Wainwright, placed much reliance upon it until the thirty-first, as they had heard every day since they had been there reports of an attack to be made.
Definite news was obtained on the thirtieth that the enemy would make an attack that day or next. Com- mander Renshaw had not at any time since the troops landed been very communicative, or evince any desire to consult over the situation, although an occasional visitor to the military headquarters. Determined to protect the men as far as possible, a second breastwork, close to the storehouse, was commenced in the afternoon and finished by midnight, tearing up the wharf in front and opening another gap for fifty feet.
The two breastworks were strong enough to resist infantry-fire, but not artillery. Composed of two and two
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 85
and one-half inch planking laid one upon the other, two planks deep, so that the faces were composed of the edges only, they were some thirty inches in thickness, built shoulder high. On this last work the. entrance port was protected by a cotton bale. Not satisfied with this, a raft lying at the wharf, such as is used by caulkers in working on vessels' seams near the water line, was raised from the water by hard labor, and securely placed in position on the right of the second breastwork, to protect as far as it would a fire from the next wharf on that flank, one-eighth of a mile distant. The storehouse protected the left flank from infantry-fire from the wharf on that side, also about one-eighth of a mile distant.
That night a false alarm, about ten o'clock, brought the entire force to arms behind the breastworks, and gunboats took positions near the wharf as agreed — one on the left and one on the right.
While the city was apparently deserted for some days after landing, on the thirtieth and thirty-first of December it was noticed that many men in citizen's attire had returned and were strolling around. It was believed then, by the officers of the Forty-Second, that these men were in the Confederate service. No attempt was made to interfere with them so long as they remained civil, committing no overt wrong. With the small force on hand, no decisive measures concerning the inhabitants could be adopted, or any attempt made to govern the city.
During the day of the thirty-first, in company with Com- mander Wainwright, Colonel Burrell with a guard patrolled some of the streets, and noticed many of these strange faces, who seemed to shun them. From the lookout station the enemy were seen assembling on the plain near Eagle Grove, horse, foot and artillery. Wainwright remarked : "Active operations going on, colonel ; things look squally,
86 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
and we had better not remain here. I will go up to-morrow and feel of them." He intended to go up in his vessel as far as the channel would permit, and endeavor to shell them from the island.
Between these two officers a friendship for each other existed from their first meeting. They were frequently together, strollers around the city and suburbs, consulting the status of affairs. Many of the other naval officers were frequent visitors, very courteous and obliging, but none appeared to take the same interest in matters that Wain wright did. The Forty-Second officers thought he was the only live man in the fleet.
In none of their perambulations and confidential talks did Wainwright breathe a word against his superior officer, although the colonel, after a few days on shore, could not remain quiet with the conviction forced upon his mind that Renshaw was not acting in such a manner as to warrant confidence, and bluntly told Wainwright only a day or two before the final events took place he thought Renshaw was a traitor. To this plain and straightforward expression of opinion the naval captain made no reply. Not so with the sailors ; they, coming in contact with the enlisted men, frequently expressed their suspicion of the '' com- modore."
On the morning of the thirty-first of December the Owasco went down to the coal bark Arthur, lying in the channel near the harbor entrance, about a mile and one- half from the wharf, for a supply of coal. Contrary to her usual custom she did not return to her position near the wharf when night came. The Westfield lay near Pelican Spit, on guard at the harbor entrance, and covering the Bolivar channel of the bay. She had lately received a new heavy gun, brought by the Tennessee to replace one disabled while on the coast some time previous. Up to
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 87
midnight the balance of the fleet were distributed along the water front of Galveston, in the channel, which aver- aged at any point only a little less than two hundred and twenty yards in width. The Clifton was at the right of Kuhn's Wharf, about one hundred yards distant; then came the Sachem, still at work on repairs to her boilers ; then the small schooner Corypheus ; and up the channel, a mile away, nearly opposite the depot wharf, was stationed the Harriet Lane.
At night a conference was held by officers of the Forty-Second. Positions were assigned for the companies in case of attack. Companies D and I remained upon the wharf, in the building, to snatch what sleep they could, while Company G, Captain Proctor in command, was on picket during the night. The three companies had been held in readiness every night since landing. Those not on duty slept on their arms. On the thirtieth and thirty-first only one company at a time was allowed to sleep. The men were informed of what was expected, their courage and manhood appealed to, with every point emphasized, that would naturally tend to inspire them with confidence. Not a word was uttered that could possibly convey any idea foreign to the fact, that fight was a duty they were to perform.
Burrell did not like the outlook, nor his position upon the wharf. Commodore Renshaw had failed to inspire him with any confidence in his integrity. Seated in his quarters that evening to muse over his situation, without allowing his officers or men to know his thoughts for fear of disheartening them, the colonel fully determined to order the Saxon up to the wharf next morning, embark his men, and remain on board in the harbor until reinforce- ments arrived.
About midnight Colonel Burrell, Captain Sherive, and
88 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
Chaplain Sanger, visited the picket sentinel posts in the city, finding the men were drawn in from their original positions, and did not occupy the usual ground. The original posts were reestablished. Rumbling noise of artil- lery wheels was heard distinctly through the night, together with the sound of moving railroad cars accompanied by the locomotive whistles. Captain Proctor had reported in person to inform Colonel Burrell, " there was trouble ahead " ; so when the Harriet Lane, in the moonlight, dis- covered black smoke from smoke-stacks of Confederate vessels across the bay, some two miles away, and signaled with rockets, Lieutenant Stowell, placed in charge of the fireworks signals, burned some lights for the purpose of giving information to the navy that the military force was wide awake and ready. EYery man on the wharf was ordered to man the breastworks.
It was at this time the colonel noticed that the Clifton had left her position. She was signaled by Renshaw from the Westfteld that he was aground, and gone to her assist- ance between twelve and one o'clock. The Westfteld dis- covered these Confederate steamers about the same time as the Harriet Lane and got under way, but very soon was hard and fast ashore at high water. The absence of both the Owasco and Clifton left the military upon the wharf unprotected on the flanks for some hours.
The Bayou City had left Choppers Bar, at Morgan's Point, between nine and ten o'clock Wednesday night, December 31st, with the Royal Yacht and J. F. Carr in tow. The Royal Yacht got aground at Redfish Bar and had to be left behind. The Confederate boats being light draft steamers could navigate the shoal waters of the bay, and were not obliged, on arriving opposite the city, to keep to the ship channel. Upon being discovered these steamers withdrew out of sight to Half Moon Shoals, six
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 89
miles distant. The military force went into their barracks again to sleep on their arms.
Captain Sherive, with the chaplain, made a second visit to the city, by a mistake getting outside of the lines ; they had been drawn in once more without any notification to the rest of the command. They found the city full of people; and had the enemy been ready then for operations, both officers would have been killed, or wounded and taken prisoners. Not ready to act, the Confederates kept in hiding as much as possible.
About half-past three o'clock in the morning, masses of moving men in the streets were discovered by the picket sentries, who fired at them and slowly fell back toward the wharf, without eliciting a fire in return. The troops asleep in the barracks, equipments and overcoats on, for the night was cold, and guns by their side, were immediately ordered up, and to line the work built on the thirtieth. The order was promptly obeyed : Company I upon the right j Com- pany G upon the left ; while Company D was to be sta- tioned in line, with its left resting at the breastwork, the right prolonged towards the harbor, ready to wheel either to the right or left up to the work. As the picket detail came in over the single plank left upon the openings in the wharf for that purpose, they took position with Com- pany G. Lieutenant Newcomb was the last man in. Up to between one and two o'clock a bright moonlight ena- bled objects to be distinguished for some distance, but after two o'clock darkness had shut in to such a degree that objects ten feet off could not be seen. A few cheering words were rapidly addressed to his men by the colonel, who cautioned them not to forget the State they repre- sented, and to reserve their fire until orders were given to commence. The enemy lost no time in getting into posi- tion. Magruder must have expected to be able to cut off
90 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
the whole or part of the picket from reaching the wharf by placing his first gun at the large open door of the Star Foundry, a building at the head of the next wharf to the right of Kuhn's Wharf, for the position gave him a chance to rake the wharf. It was this gun that was first fired, having been rapidly placed in the foundry after the pickets gave warning he was at hand.
A city clock had a few minutes previous struck four o'clock when this gun was fired by General Magruder in person, the ball glancing over the edge of the breastwork, crashing through the storehouse, and the action opened. All of the enemy's artillery opened fire shortly after with solid shot, shell and canister. Before he fired the first gun, Magruder remarked : . " Boys, now we will give them hell," and after firing left for his head- quarters, established on Broadway, saying, " Now boys, I have done my part as private, I will go and attend to that of general."
A number of men not exactly sick, but worn out and tired from continued hard work, together with a few lazy fellows, remained in the building when the rest filed out. They did not stay long. Private Mosely, Company D, who was lying down when told by Sergeant Waterman to
get up and come along, said it was " d d nonsense,"
and proposed to have some sleep. The cannon ball crash- ing and smashing things over his head sent Mose rolling down the run that lead to the second story. Private Dave Howe, Company D, who claimed to be sick, climbed out of a window to a pitch roof, that covered the water tank, straddling along until the end was reached, when he found himself looking down into the water; a shell over his head just then sent him wriggling back and through the window again, and down he tumbled over the run to the wharf. One of the incidents the men can never forget was the
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 9 1
chaplain finding Privates Thompson and Vining had got into a large iron tank, used to catch rain-water from the storehouse roofs, that was set upon its side close to the building, drove them out and got in himself. Not a very safe place to take shelter if a solid shot happened to strike it.
The Confederate land force under General Magruder, consisted of infantry commands of Colonels Green, Bagby and Reily, Lieutenant-Colonel L. A. Abercrombie and Major Griffin ; Colonel Pyron's regiment dismounted dra- goons ; Colonel X. B. Debray's cavalry regiment ; and cavalry companies of Captain Bowles, Atkins, Andrews, and Durant ; Colonel J. J. Cook's regiment artillery ; and Wilson's six-gun light battery. The country for miles around was thoroughly scoured for volunteers, who nocked to Magruder's force, in this way swelled to about five or six thousand men of all arms. The brigade commanders were Brigadier-General \V R. Scurry and Colonel Reily. General Scurry had command in the immediate vicinity of the wharf. Besides Wilson's light battery the enemy had six siege guns, fourteen field pieces — some of them rifled — and a railroad ram, armed with an eight-inch Dahlgren mounted on a railroad flat car. Most of this artillery arrived from the Mississippi River a week before. In regard to the numbers of his men General Magruder, in conversation with the officers some time after they were prisoners of war, admitted he had no means of officially knowing the strength of his force, and then placed it as
Daniel Harvey Vining, of Weymouth, an odd character, was sixty-five years old. He tried to get mustered with Company A, but the mustering officer rejected him as too old. When Company D was mustered into service Vining dyed his hair, fixed up to look young, and tried it again with that company. The officer knew him however, and asked: "How old are you to-day?" Vining answered promptly, " Forty-four years old." No further questions were put and he was mustered in, to his delight.
92 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
about five or six thousand men because such large numbers of volunteers joined him.
Details of the attack were made at Pyron's camp. Three heavy guns were ordered to Fort Point in charge of Cap- tain S. T. Fontaine, of Cook's artillery regiment, supported by six companies dismounted dragoons, under Colonel Pyron. Major Wilson was to open fire on the wharf with his battery. The railroad ram was to take position on railroad wharf to fire at the Harriet Lane. The remainder of the artillery, manned by Cook's regiment, was to be posted in eligible positions on the Strand and water front, and warehouses along the edge. Artillery was hauled by mules and by hand half way to the city from the railroad bridge, at one o'clock that night. A large quantity of cotton was also carried by rail to railroad wharf for use in building a breastwork, besides a large quantity of intrench- ing tools, for the purpose of Magruder was to throw up intrenchments at the ends of streets leading to the water if his plan of action did not succeed before daylight. Sig- nals agreed upon were : white light — enemy in sight ; blue light — order to prepare; red light — make ready for action ; at twenty minutes intervals.
General Magruder is credited with sending this dis- patch to Major Leon Smith from Summit Station, thirty-five miles from Galveston, on the Galveston and Houston Railroad, as his soldiers commenced the march to take positions assigned them : " I am off, and will make the attack as agreed, whether you come up or not. The rangers of the prairie send greeting to the rangers of the sea."
Upon reaching the city, shortly before four o'clock, the Confederates placed a 32 Pr. gun at the cotton press near McKinney's Wharf, to engage the Harriet Lane. This point was the left of the Confederate battle
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 93
line. A 42 Pr. gun was placed at the head of Kuhn's Wharf, near Social Hall, and a section of Wilson's battery was near Hendleir's Wharf. Why they did not attempt to place guns upon ends of the wharves on each side of Kuhn's Wharf, where an enfilading fire upon the soldiers of the Forty-Second could have been obtained, is a mystery, unless they feared the positions too much exposed.
Of the navy, the Sachem was first to open fire, followed by the Corypheus and the Hai-riet Lane. For an hour did shot and shell fly all around the troops upon the wharf, accompanied with musket balls, causing them to think they were to get " h — ll " sure, as Magruder said, and to hug the planks and huddle close to the breastwork in such a manner that the original position planned for them to take at that work was lost. After a few rounds had been fired at them with no wholesale slaughter occurring, many of the men began to gain that confidence old soldiers possess, and to note progress of the action.
The navy fired high and made hot work in the city, but did not for some time do any execution among the enemy's guns. Seeing this, Captain Sherive shouted to them : " Fire lower, and not so high." In spite of the distance, sailors of the Sachem, who were afterwards taken prisoners at Sabine Pass, said they distinctly heard the warning, and then depressed their guns as much as possible. The Con- federates admitted that the firing from heavy guns on the naval vessels was hard to stand. The crashing of walls and falling timbers, and a constant rain of bricks, mortar and roofing, as the shot and shell plunged through build- ings, added to the crash of many hundreds of window panes, assisted to make the night hideous.
At the first shot from the enemy Colonel Burrell ordered
94 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
every man to lie down. During the first hour the colonel walked the wharf, taking careful notice of all that occurred. Many shells would drop upon the wharf and explode, or burst overhead, pieces flying forward and overboard, yet he did not receive a scratch. A shell exploded in the storehouse and, seeing flame and smoke, he ran in, but a wooden partition prevented his reaching the fire. He shouted : " Is any one in there ? " Private Hersey, with a few others, was lying down close to one of the rain-water hogsheads in the building when the fire started among the tents stored there, and at once endeavored to put it out. Hersey answered that he was and that the tents were on fire, when Colonel Burrell ordered them thrown into the water by a back door, that could be easily reached. Part of the burning tents were soon floating in the harbor ; but finding an empty pail, and drawing water from the hogs- head, Hersey soon extinguished the fire. The ammunition that lay in dangerous proximity to the tents was at once attended to. A call for men to " come in here and rout out this ammunition " was promptly obeyed by a squad of men, who soon placed the boxes near the end of the wharf where they could easily be pitched overboard in case of necessity.
It was still dark at five o'clock when the enemy suddenly ceased their artillery fire. This was ominous ; everybody felt an assault was premeditated. Not a shot had been fired from the wharf, which must have deceived the enemy as to the condition the Forty-Second detachment was in to repel an assault. They supposed many were killed or wounded. A sharp lookout from the breastwork was ordered. Somebody sung out that they were coming in boats to the left of the wharf. Colonel Burrell called for men, and ran to where the storehouse abuts the wharf- edge, but could not see or hear anything. Leaving the
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 95
men to watch, he rapidly passed back to the breastwork to see that the men there took position ready to open fire, and again ran back to the left. He was there when the first fire was opened to repel the assault.
The assaulting column (about five hundred men) under Colonel Cook, said to have been composed of two small regiments, could be heard splashing in the water as they waded out. The understanding among the officers was, in case of an assault they were to wait until the enemy came within easy range before firing.
Adjutant Davis, Captains Proctor and Sherive, and Lieu- tenant Newcomb, were anxiously looking over the breast- work into the darkness to catch a glimpse of where the enemy were. Captain Proctor sang out that he could see moving objects in the water, when Adjutant Davis gave the order to fire. A volley was given, followed up by some rapid firing at will, as fast as the men could load. Those in the front ranks had to look out, for in the excite- ment men from the rear would crowd up and blaze away regardless of friend or foe. As the line of fire was mostly straight away from the shoulder, very few firing downwards into the water, the casualities to the attacking force was not heavy. Some of them attempted to come out upon the wharf, by placing planks over the openings where they had been torn up. They did get to the first breastwork, and showed their heads above it, as the musketry flashes lit up the scene, but no further.
The Sachem and Coryfiheus, attracted by this fight, sent shot and shells toward the head of the wharf among the enemy in such a manner that they were glad to fall back, with such scaling ladders as they carried, taking most of the dead and wounded ashore. A few bodies were floating in the water during the morning hours.
After this repulse the enemy retired behind the pro-
96 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
tection of buildings and side streets, out of musket range. The combined fire of the three gunboats, who continued to send their compliments among the enemy's artillery placed to cover Kuhn's Wharf, prevented the Confederates from anything more than random artillery firing after this assault. Some of their batteries they had previously found great difficulty in keeping manned ; the gunners were forced to return to their pieces many times by cavalry patrols stationed in the rear.
As daylight dawned, a scattered musketry-fire was opened on both sides. The Confederate riflemen took positions in windows, and upon the fiat roofs of such warehouses as overlooked the wharf within range. The small field-gun, stationed at the Star Foundry, was sending some shells which exploded underneath the wharf, making it a question whether the piling would not eventually be severed and destroy the wharf. The gunners had also got the range where the men lay, and by a little elevation they could sweep them. Hastily calling for some good rifle shots, Colonel Burrell posted them near the flanking raft, with orders to prevent that gun from being served. This detail- did the duty well, effectually putting a stop to the Con- federates dodging from around the street corner to load and fire. Major Dickinson, General Magruder's assistant adjutant-general, lost an eye while gallantry trying to attach a drag-rope to the gun in order to draw it away, when they found it dangerous to keep at work ; a nephew of the gen- eral, Lieutenant George A. Magruder, aide-de-camp, also made the attempt after Dickinson was wounded — all of no avail, the gun had to be abandoned by them.
An attempt was made about seven o'clock to launch a boat that was upon the wharf for repairs, and then sup- posed to be in condition for use, in order to send Captain Sherive, who volunteered to go, on board one of the ves-
&
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 97
sels with a request that they come up and take the troops off. Colonel Burrell, Captain Sherive, Adjutant Davis, Lieutenant Cowdin and Private Morrill, Company D, had got the boat launched from the end of the wharf, but it filled with water and sank at once, because some bullet holes had not been noticed, when the riflemen from a brick building at the head of the next wharf commenced to fire at them. As the bullets began to whistle over their heads the men shouted : " Look out, colonel, they are firing at you!" Private Morrill was severely wounded in a hand, Captain Sherive and Adjutant Davis dodged behind hawser posts, Lieutenant Cowdin jumped for shelter, and the colonel disappeared in a hurry down a sloping freight gangway that was handy. The men thought he was shot until he called to them : " I am all right."
In a few moments the Owasco was seen in the slight foggy mist of the morning coming along from the coal bark, and when off the wharf sent a few shells into the building, driving the annoying riflemen out. The Clifton, ordered by Renshaw to return to the city when the action opened, with difficulty kept the channel, and returned from Pelican Spit soon after daylight, opening fire upon the enemy's guns placed in position on the sand beach near Fort Point by Captain Fontaine, driving the gunners away, and continued on past the wharf a short distance, taking position near the Sachem. In passing, a solid shot was fired over the wharf obliquely, into the brick building used for a lookout station, one quarter of a mile distant, tearing a corner out and making a bad wreck of the building.
With the exception of a few shot and shell fired into the city by the gunboats nearly all firing had ceased when it was about broad daylight. The enemy had removed most of their artillery; only a few pieces remained that
98 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
they could not and dare not persist in attempting to take away : the rifles of Company G could reach them and prevented it. Captain Sherive asked permission to take his company out and secure them, but the colonel would not allow it, fearing an ambuscade. Volunteers were called for, to go out and ascertain the position of the enemy. Several volunteered, but the selection fell upon Private Colson, Company I, a rather tough customer, who had been put in irons for misbehavior and confined in the guard-house for some time, but been released. He went out, soon returned, and reported the enemy hid behind buildings and massed in the yards not far away.
The naval force, excepting the Westfield, all assembled on the harbor front, daylight to assist them in discovering the enemy's position ; the front of Kuhn's Wharf cleared of their presence, it did seem for a short time that a vic- tory would eventually be won.
In less than fifteen minutes the whole aspect of affairs was changed. The State authorities had taken the Bayou City, a Houston and Galveston packet steamer, made bulwarks of cotton bales upon her sides and armed her with a 68 Pr. rifled gun, placed in the bow. The river steamer Neptune was also fitted out in the same man- ner and carried two Howitzer guns. Steamers Lucy Govirn and Royal Yacht were used as tenders to collect wood for the gunboats, and steamer John F. Carr was fitted up for a hospital boat.
The Bayou City was commanded by Captain Henry Lubbock, with Captain M. McCormick for pilot. Colonel Green had command of troops on board, about one hun- dred and fifty men. Captain A. R. Wier, Cook's regiment artillery, was in charge of her artillery. Captain Martin, of the cavalry, was a volunteer on board. The Neptune was commanded by Captain Sangster, with Captains Swift
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 99
and McGovern for pilots. Colonel Bagby had command of troops on board, about one hundred men. Lieutenant Harby, in command of a company infantry acting as artil- lery, was in charge of her artillery. The John F. Carr was commanded by Major A. W. McKee. General Magruder called for three hundred volunteers from Sibley's brigade, armed with Enfield rifles and double- barrel shot-guns, to man this flotilla.
The entire flotilla was under command of Captain Leon Smith, a man of great experience in steamboat manage- ment, who was employed by Magruder in the Quarter- master Department, made a volunteer aide on his staff with rank of major, and afterwards called commodore by the general. Major Smith had charge of all work in pre- paring these steamers for action. He had orders to be ready to attack the Federal vessels at midnight.
At half-past four o'clock the Confederate flotilla, at Half Moon Shoals, fired up with rosin and proceeded towards Galveston, arriving within a mile of the Federal gunboats at daylight.
When a lookout on the Harriet Lane soon after mid- night first discovered the Confederate flotilla, Wainwright, asleep in his stateroom, was notified and assumed charge of the deck. After this flotilla disappeared the Harriet Lane retained her position, with steam on, while her offi- cers, on the watch for further developments, leaned over her rails listening to sounds from on shore, that indicated some movement there by the enemy, until the first gun was fired at the wharf. Her anchor was then raised to the cathead, but not secured, and attempts made to turn around for the purpose of proceeding towards Kuhn's Wharf to occupy the place made vacant by the Clifton, gone to Renshaw's assistance. To do this without getting aground necessitated a use of great skill and consumed
IOO HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
much time, for the vessel had to forward and back to gradually swing her bow around. Why she should have been stationed at this point — head of the ship channel where it was impossible to manoeuvre her — when the Westfield or Clifton (old ferry-boats) were better adapted for the position, had often been discussed by naval officers at Galveston.
While working his vessel around Wainwright opened fire on the city. Her bow was headed towards the wharf when signs of an approach by the flotilla were again seen, which caused him to abandon proceeding down the channel and to work his vessel around again in order to present her bow to the enemy. Fairly around she steamed up to meet the Bayou City and Neptune, who showed a disposition to attack, other cotton boats keeping out of harm's way. A fire was opened upon them with shells from her eight- inch forward gun, sending three shells and a cannon shot into the Bayou City ; the shells passed through her engi- neer's room, one exploding near the engineer, doing some damage ; the cannon shot passed through her messroom and pantry
Within one-half a mile the Bayou City opened fire. Her second shot struck the Lane plumb behind a wheel, close to the magazine, making a hole large enough for a man to crawl through ; when fired a fourth time the gun exploded, killing Captain Wier, with others, and wounding Captain Schneider, with other men.
As it was plain that the enemy's intention was to close with him, Wainwright backed his vessel some distance in order to get a good headway, for it was understood on board, the Lane was to try and ram her bow into the Bayou City, cut her down even if it crippled the Lane, then reach the Neptune and capture her by boarding. This was not to be, because just before reaching the Bayou City her
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. IOI
bow ran aground, barely allowing the Confederate pilot time to put his helm hard around in season to prevent his boat going on to the Latins bow in a strong ebb tide, which also prevented his running against the Lane so as to strike forward of the port or left wheel-house, which was his pur- pose to enable the Confederates to board. He did carry away the Lane's port cathead, whereby an anchor was let go, and ran out fifteen fathom of chain attached. The Harriet Lane was now at an anchor and also aground.
Wainwright, from his position upon the bridge with Third Assistant Engineer Mullen by his side, ordered the crew forward upon the forecastle ready to repel boarders. As the Bayou City struck a glancing blow in passing, about twenty of her men jumped for the forecastle deck. Many fell into the water, and those that reached the deck were met by sailors armed with pistols, cutlasses and boarding pikes, to be hurled overboard. One colored sailor, Nick Wheeler, caught a man upon a pike, which entered his body near the stomach and came out between his shoulders, and had to shake him off into. the water. All this occupied very few minutes.
As the Bayou City passed to, shoal water off in the harbor beyond the channel, with her outside planking of port wheel-house and sides torn off from contact with the Lane's strong upper works, her men from behind cotton bales opened a scattering musketry-fire upon the blue- jackets. The blue-jackets trained a gun upon her, and at a favorable moment Acting Master Hamilton pulled the lanyard, which broke ; he reached for a hatchet that had lain beside the gun-carriage a few moments before, intend- ing to strike the percussion-cap to fire the gun, but it was gone ; some one had seized that hatchet for a weapon when Wainwright called for boarders to be repelled.
It was then thought she would be taken in hand by
102 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
other naval vessels, and attention was given to the Nep- tune, that came up immediately afterwards and struck the Harriet Lane upon the starboard (or right) side, intending to board, but did not succeed, and passed by, her men firing from their rifles. At this time Commander Wain- wright was killed upon the bridge where he had remained a mark for the enemy, paying no attention to suggestions from his officers not to expose himself. He received one ball in the forehead, that went out back of his head, and four balls in the body. Lieutenant Lea was also mortally wounded in the abdomen and carried below, and Acting Master Hamilton was wounded in the arm. Fire was returned by the Lane's crew as fast as they could load their small-arms.
The Neptune passed astern, turned, and came back making for the port side, with a brisk musketry-fire main- tained bv her men, when a shot or shell from one of the Lane's nine-inch port guns, fired by Engineer Mullen (who broke the lanyard on the first pull, quickly tied it together and tried a second time with success), smashed the Nep- tune's bow, causing her to take water fast. She got on to the channel's edge, and ^oon sank in about eight feet of water. Many of her men jumped overboard to reach land, and for a time the Confederate riflemen on shore opened a fire upon their own men escaping from one of their own vessels.
When it was seen that the Neptune was out of the fight a round of cheers went up on board the Harriet Lane, and her men threw their caps in the air with joy, supposing all was ended. But the vessels below had not attended to the Bayou City, and she had rounded and again approached the Lane, swung diagonally across the channel, aground, with her anchor out, for sufficient time had not elapsed to remedy either mishap. As she came along evidently in-
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 103
tending to board, the pivot gun forward was trained upon her and fired; the shot struck her wheel-house without inflicting any perceptible damage, and before another gun could be brought to bear she struck the Lane abaft the port wheel-house, running her bow so far under the gun- wale and wheel that both vessels were stuck fast.
After a short exchange of shots with small-arms the enemy, headed by Major Leon Smith, Colonel Tom Green and Captain Martin, commenced to jump into the boarding nettings that were up in place, cutting them apart with their long knives. They got aboard in three places, on the wheel-house and aft ; met with a gallant resistance by the Lanes crew, who fought upon deck until driven under the gangway, forecastle and hurricane decks by superior num- bers, where they still kept it up, and hurled at the enemy their pistols, boarding pikes, and whatever they could find suitable for such a purpose after their small-arm ammu- nition had been expended.
No formal surrender of the Harriet Lane was made, and no man can tell just when her capture could be considered complete. It is said that her pennant was hauled down by James Dowland, Jr., clerk to Captain Wharton, assistant quartermaster, and it is a settled fact, the claim made by Major Leon Smith that he killed with his own hands Com- mander Wainwright is not true, and could not be, as Wainwright was dead some time before.
Why the casualties upon the Harriet Lane and Bayou City were so light as they proved to be, is one of those rare circumstances impossible to explain. While it lasted the fighting had been of a desperate character on both sides ; shot and dangerous missives of destruction flew in all directions. Upon a comparison of notes afterwards, officers of both sides considered it a miracle so few were seriously injured. Many men suffered from bruises and
104 HISTORY OF THE FORTV-SECOND REGIMENT,
light wounds, easily healed, who are not mentioned in the official report of killed and wounded.
Like their companions on shore the Confederates upon the Bayou City were without discipline, and for a time after they had obtained control of the Harriet Lane her officers and crew were in danger of being shot down in cold blood. Sailing Master Munroe, as he came down from the hurricane-deck to surrender, had a shot-gun levelled at him, and was shot in the face by a drunken Confederate loafer. He could not be called a soldier, for soldiers do not act in such a cowardly manner. This loafer met his deserved punishment then and there, by being instantly shot through the head by Engineer Mullen.
Among the Lane's crew were several colored sailors who fought nobly ; and little Robert Cummings, a second-class white boy, with two revolvers in his hands danced about the deck, continually yelling at the top of his voice and sending a shot at the enemy every opportunity he got, full of fight as any man aboard.
Beside the crew, made prisoners, were the following offi- cers : Commander Wainwright, killed ; Lieutenant-Com- mander Edward Lea, mortally wounded in bowels; Acting Master Charles H. Hamilton, wounded in arm ; Acting Master Josiah A. Hannum ; Acting Master W. F. Munroe, seriously wounded ; Second Assistant Engineers M. H. Plunkett (in charge) and Charles H. Stone ; Third Assistant Engineers A. T. E. Mullen, Robert N. Ellis and John E. Cooper ; Assistant Surgeon Thomas N. Penroes ; Paymaster R. Julius Richardson.
When it was seen that the Harriet Lane had been cap- tured, the Clifton and Oivasco tried to get near enough to so disable her as to be unfitted for use to the enemy. One of the eleven-inch shells, fired while on the way, struck close
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 105
to her stern-post, and opened a hole in her hull large enough for a man to walk in. When this shell from the Owasco went into the stern, Paymaster Richardson was about to open his stateroom door to obtain his watch. The entire shell passed crashing through his room, while he was turning the door handle ; a moment sooner and he would have been killed or wounded.
The Confederates then placed the captured officers upon the hurricane-deck, with a threat to shoot them down if another gun was fired by the Owasco, an act of barbarism they would have carried out in their state of excitement. The Owasco got too close and within easy range of the Confederate riflemen, who fired a volley that killed and wounded several of the crew, including every man serving the rifled gun. In consequence of this loss, all of her guns could not afterwards be manned. The gunboats were short of a full complement of men ; none of them could suffer much loss without being seriously crippled.
None of the Confederate steamers were a match for any United States vessel present. They were considered mere playthings by naval officers, upon which an officer of sound judgment and discretion would not have risked his life or reputation in attacking the Federal navy. An ordinary man-of-war steam launch, armed with a light bow gun, could have coped successfully with them. They took the chances, and by nothing but good luck were saved from an ignominious defeat. Look and see how this luck favored them : first, the Harriet Lane should not have been placed where she was, while two other vessels were present who could have been more easily handled at this point of the channel; second, she ran aground when on the verge of ramming the Bayou City, and that steamer barely had time to save herself ; third, the gun missing fire that Hamilton had trained upon the Bayou City, which
106 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
undoubtedly would have sent that steamer where the Nep- tunewent. Everything favored the Confederates at critical moments during the engagement, and they had nothing to brag about, except good fortune, for their dare-devil bravery.
After the volley had been fired the Owasco fell back, opening fire upon the city. In passing Kuhn's Wharf, within thirty feet, she was hailed by Colonel Burrell, to take his men off. This request was heard on board, but no response given. The Owasco kept on.
The Bayou City and Harriet Lane, entangled and aground, disabled for any service they could render in this fight, with the Neptune sunk, were at the mercy of the Federal vessels if they acted promptly. The Lucy Govim and John F. Carr remained out of danger. In this emer- gency Major Leon Smith ordered a white flag run up at 8 a. m., and adopted bluff tactics. Captain Lubbock was sent on board the Clifton and Owasco to demand an imme- diate surrender of the fleet. This demand was made of Lieutenant-Commander Law, who asked what terms of surrender were offered, and received for a reply "that he would be allowed a ship to remove his people, the balance of the public property to be surrendered." Law was also informed by Captain Lubbock, that Wainwright and Lea were killed, with two-thirds of the crew killed and wounded, a statement Acting Master Hannum, who was with Lub- bock, confirmed. The truth was, only ten out of a crew of one hundred and twenty men were seriously injured. Hannum had lost his head and did not know what he was about.
Commander Law asked for three hours' time to consult with Commander Renshaw, still aground near Pelican Spit, and a three hours' truce was then agreed upon at about eight o'clock. Law proposed to go with his vessel,
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. 107
but Lubbock insisted he should go in his gig, anchoring the Cliflon exactly where she was until the truce was over. Law thought it was rather rough, but agreed. The senior officer of the Harriet Lane fit for duty, Acting Master Hannum, was allowed to go with Law, on his parole of honor to return. All of the gunboats then displayed white flags.
Renshaw refused to accede to the Confederate prop- osition, and ordered Law to get every vessel out of port with despatch while he blew up the Westfield, as all attempts to float her had failed.
Not receiving any communication from the navy, and at a loss to understand what was going on, while the Clifton and Owasco had dropped down the channel far enough to be out of direct range of the enemy's desultory musketry- fire which was kept up on the troops upon the wharf, Colonel Burrell ordered Corporal Henry W. Mcintosh, Company D, to stand up upon the breastwork, with a piece of sail-cloth attached to an oar-blade. Several handkerchiefs were also attached to bayonets and raised in the air.
Corporal Mcintosh was fired at several times, the bullets whizzing very close, before the truce flag was acknowl- edged. General Magruder afterwards apologized for this breach of the usages of war, explaining the difficulty of managing the unruly men that formed his command, and the personal exertions made by himself and staff-officers to stop the firing. Magruder was called to account, for this action of his men, by the Confederate War Depart- ment at Richmond. He had a personal interview with Colonel Burrell, while a prisoner at Houston, and produced an order calling upon him to report forthwith to the War Department, and requested a signed document from the colonel stating the facts.
108 HISTORY OF THE FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
A cessation of hostilities for half an hour was asked, for the express purpose of communicating with the fleet. This was granted with the understanding that only one man was to leave the wharf. The intention of Colonel Burrell was to prevail upon the naval commander to send a gunboat to the wharf, embark his men at the expiration of the half-hour, and assist the navy with his men if the fight was to continue. No idea of a surrender entered his head at this time.
Selecting Adjutant Davis to see the naval commander, a difficulty presented itself in obtaining a boat, as the one held at the wharf was sunk. The Confederates had man- aged quietly to remove from the neighborhood all of the row-boats without attracting any attention. Fortunately two refugees just then passed towards