''f^^f^ COL. DWIGHT MORRIS. HISTORY FOURTEENTH REGIMENT, CONNECTICUT VOL. INFANTRY. BY CHARLES D. PAGE. ILLUSTRATED. MERIDEN, CONN.: The horton Printing Co. 1906 Cjy\^i^ LIBRARY of CONGRESS TwK) Copies RKe<yt4 MAY 2 1907 . CtWfrtfW Entry eusi M\ CO^V A/ *• tnu. Copyrighted 1906. Published under the auspices of CiiARi.EK Lyman, Alhekt F. Hall and John McCarthy. A Committee of the Society of the Fourteenth Connecticut Regiment. ^ To the members of the Fourteenth Regiment. CoNNECTicur Volunteer Infantry, who still remain to do service in the battle of life, and to the memory of the brave ones mustered out, these pages are dedicated. CONTENTS. CHfAPTER I.— THE KIRTH OF THE REGIMENT. Designed for a "Camp of Instructions. "-The President's Call for Troops^ ^-Governor Buckingham's Appeal-Revival ^f^ ^nhs^--^^-^^" P Foote.-Lack of Discipline.-Mustered into U. S. Serv-e.-Leaxe Hartford for the Front.-Towns Represented m the Regmient.-Dr. Jewett's Opinions and Memories. CHAPTER H— FROM new york to antietam. Arrival in New York. -Reception. - Major Hinck's Description of the Jouraey to Washington.-An Accident at Easton, .^enn. Arrival at Harnsburg.-At Baltimore.-At Washington-Reviewed by the Pres- ident-General Wool's Opinion._At Camp Chase.-At F<f ^ E^^^ Allen.-Become a part of the Second Corps.-The March to Antietam. South Mountain.-Camp on the Boonsboro Pike. CHAPTER HI.— the kattle of antietam. Description of the Field-The Confederate Forces-Tho ^f--^-^^'^- The 14th Regiment Fords the Antietam-The Roulette Farm.-The Cornfleld.-Bloody Lane. - Ordered to Support Brooke,_Death of General RichardsJn.-On the Plowed Field. -Captain Blinn-Capta.n Willard— List of Killed, Wounded and Missing— Report of Lieut. - Colonel Sanford H. Perkins. CHAPTER IV —AFTER ANTIETAM AND UEFORE FREDERICKSBURG. The Regiment Leaves Antietam-March to Boliver ^-'^'^''■-^;'^'2 the River.-Sickly Conditions of the Camp -The ^-f e of Camp Life -Leave for Belle Plain.-The March Down the Loudon V^ ^y. The Story of the Bee Hives. -Reach Belle Plain.-The Condition of the Camp.— The Camp at Falmouth. CHAPTER v.— THE HATTLE OF EREDERICKSBURG. Description of the Field.-The Hopelessness of the Attack-The Delay in Laying the Pontoons.-The Regiment Crosses-Experiences o the Night -The Attack.-The Part that the Regiment Played. -Lt. -Colonel Perkins Wounded.-Captain Gibbons. -Charles Lyman's experience. -List of Killed, Wounded and Missing.-Captain Davis Report. CHAPTER VI.— THE WINTER AT FAEMOUTH. Return of the Regiment to Camp.-The Demoralization of the Ranks. Captain Samuel A. Moore Overcome. -Better Rf---^- ^^j^^^ to Enthuse over the Toast "Across the Rappahanock, -Burial of Captain Gibbons-Condition of the Hospital.-Promotions.- Fred Doten's Punches.-Surgeon Rockwell, Leaves the Regiment.-Sketch. —The Regiment Leaves for Chancellorsville. CHAPTER VII. — THE AFFAIR AT CHANCELLORSVILLE. Lieut. -Colonel Theodore G. Ellis in Command. — The Regiment Crosses the Rappahannock. — Description of the Battlefield.— Little for the Regiment to do.— The Break of the nth Corps.— Heroism of the Fourteenth Band. — Return to Camp near Falmouth. — List of Killed, Wounded and Missing. — Lieut. -Col. Ellis' Report. CHAPTER VII.— THE MARCH FROM FALMOUTH TO GETtYSBURG. Practical Joke on Chaplain Stevens.— Take up the March to Gettysburg. Company A Meets Old Friends. — Character of the March. — Cleaning Out a Sutler. — Meet a "Dandy" Regiment. — The Men Hear of a Change of Commanding General. — Reach Gettysburg. CHAPTER IX.— GETTYSBURG. Description of the Field.— Accident to Major Coit.— The Position of the Regiment During the Engagement. — Capture and Occupation of the Bliss Buildings. — Captured and Burned by the Fourteenth Regiment. A terrific Cannonading. Pickett's Magnificent Charge, — Its Repulse. — Major Hicks Captures a Flag. — A Day of Gallantry and Heroism. — Caring for Wounded Rebels. — Flags Captured. — (Dunn Brown) Capt. Samuel F. Fisk's Opinion of the Regiment in Action. — A Night of Terror. — Honors Conferred upon the Regiment by Col. Bacheldor. — List of Killed, Wounded and Missing. — Official Reports. CHAPTER X.— THE SUMMER OF I 863. The Regiment Leaves Gettysburg.— The Enemy had Flown. — A Colossal Blackberry Party. — Dunn Brown's Description. — Substitutes and Drafted Men. — Their Evanescent Nature. — Odd Characters. — The Chaplain Has Another Joke.— Death of Line Officers. — Band Con- certs. CHAPTER XI. — BRisTow station and mine run. Experience at Culpepper. — Deserters Shot. — A Set of Guidons Presented to the Regiment. — General Owen's Compliment. — Promotions. — Major Moore. — Quartermaster Dibble. — Auburn. — The Engagement at Bris- tow Station. — Killed, Wounded and Missing. — Mine Run. — An Anxious Hour. — Lieut. -Colonel Moore's Decision. — General Warren. — Colonel Ellis' Report. CHAPTER XII. — STONY mountain and morton's ford. The Regiment Reach Stevensburg. — Disorder in Camp. —Prompt Action. — Camp at Stony Mountain.— Presence of Ladies. ^Pierce Barron. — Neat Appearance of Camp. — Morton's Ford. — The Regiment move toward the Rapidan. — The Position of the Regiment.— A Cruel Order. — Conditinoof the Commanding Generals. — Capture of Captain Doten. — The Killed, Wounded and Missing.— Lieut. -Colonel Moore's Report. — A New Commander. — Ladies Sent Out of Camp. CHAPTER XIII.— THE WILDERNESS, A TANGLE OF KATTLES AND SKIRMISHES. The Regiment Cross the Rapidan.-The Grandeur of the View. -The Old Battlefield of Chancellorsville.-Laurel Hill.-Battle of Spottsylvama. -A Voiceless Charge.-J. H. Stannard's Account.-Sergeant Wade s Record. -Milford Station.- Joseph Schlitcher's Experience.- Toto- potomy Creek.-A Southern Mule. - General Hay Killed, Captain Fisk (Dunn Brown) Mortally Wounded.-How the Regiment Missed its Rations.-The Flag.- Killed, Wounded and Missing.- Report of Captain Broatch.— Report of Colonel Ellis. CHAPTER XIV— PETERSBURG AND REAM'S STATION. The Regiment Shares Rations with the Colored Troops. -The Regiment Support General Barlow. -Battle of the "Fleeing Hen."-A Dress Par- ade -A Midnight Call.-A Hard March. -Killed, Wounded and Miss- ing-Captain John C. Broatch's Report Completed. -Colonel Ellis Report -Deep Bottom.-Lieut.-Colonel Moore's Report on Skirmish at Deep Bottom.-A Terrible Thunder Storm.-Assistant Sergeant Jew- ett's Recollections. - Killed, Wounded and Missing.- Lieut. -Colonel Moore's Report. CHAPTER XV — FROM hatcher's run to the end. The Men have a Glimpse of the End.-Sorrow in the Regiment. -A De- tail Ordered to New Haven, Conn.-Lieut. -Colonel Moore's Report on Number of the Regiment.-Boydton Plank Road.-A New Chaplam. —Inactivity -T he Men Live Underground.-Lieut. -Colonel Moore Ordered to Make a Demonstration.-Sergeant Blatchley's Account. - Virginia Mud.-High Bridge. -Funeral Services in Honor of President Lincoln. -Richmond Has Fallen.-Joy of the Men.- Homeward Bound- -The Review at Washington.-Return to Hartford. -Glad Re- ception.-Impatient to Reach Home.-Scarcity of Money no Hmder- ance.— Return to Hartford.— Discharged. Adjutant-General Summary. APPENDIX. Organization of the Society of the Fourteenth Regiment.-By-Laws.— Memorable Meetings.- The Society Incorporated.- Monuments at Geltysburg.-Dedication.-Chaplain Stevens' Address.— The Annual Reunion at Antietam.-Monument.-Description.-Dedication.-J. W. Knowlton's Address. Breveted Ofiicers, Fox's Statistics and Record. Adjutant-General's Summary. Official Roster. LIST OF PORTRAITS. Colonel Dwig"ht Morris (Frontispiece). Lieut. -Colonel Sanford H. Perkins, full page, 20 Colonel Theodore G. Ellis, " 117 Lieut. -Colonel Samuel A. Moore, " 183 Chaplain Emmons P. Bond, . . 297 Major John C. Broatch, . . 271 Major Cyrus C. Clark, . . 75 Major James B. Coit, . . 109 Quartermaster Charles F. Dibble, . 188 Captain Fred S. Doten, . . 223 Assistant Surgeon Frederick A. Dudley, 245 Albert F. Hall, . . . 372- Major William B. Hincks, . . 157 Sergeant Benjamin Hirst, . . 193 Assistant Surgeon Levi Jewett, . 313 Q. M. S., J. W. Knowlton, . . 362 Charles Lyman, . . . 372 John McCarthy, . . . 60, 372 Surgeon Philo G. Rockwell, . . 113 Corporal Joseph Pierce, . . 131 Assistant Surgeon Charles Tomlinson, 275 Rebel Girl, . . . . 161 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. The Famous Cornfield at Antietam 20 Capitol at Washington 21 Bivouac of the Regiment on the Boonsboro Pike .... 28 A Glimpse from Cemetery Hill at Sharpsburg 29 Dunkard Chureh 30 Bloody Lane Since the War 32 Cornlield and Mumma Buildings 33 Antietam Creek Where the Regiment Forded 35 West View of Roulette House, 1S91 36 The Spring House 37 Corner of Mumma's Orchard 38 Fence Corner Extreme Left of Regiment's Position ... 39 Roulette House, 1862 40 Another View of " Bloody Lane " 41 Roulette Lane 42 Where the Regiment Supported Brooke 43 Where General Richardson Fell 45 The Plowed Field 46 A Section of " Bloody Lane" 48 Burnside's Bridge, Antietam 57 Kimball's Hill, Antietam 58 Where the Regiment Forded the River 59 Harper's Ferry 63 A Street in Harper's Ferry 64 Jefferson Rock 66 Armory, Harpers's Ferry 72 Burnside's Bridge. 18 >i 74 Where the Pontoons Touched Fredericksburg 74 Major Lacy's Mansion . . • 78 Where the Regiment Crossed the Rapahannock .... 80 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg . . . . . . . 81 Church and Signal Tower, Fredericksburg 82 The Old Depot, Fredericksburg 83 The Causeway, Fredericksburg 87 Division Hospital • , . . 94 Fair Grounds Where the Regiment Charged 103 The Shore of the Rapahanock 104 On Picket Making Coffee 106 Chancellor House, 1891 120 Society of Fourteenth Regiment at Antietam Barn at General Mead's Headquarters The Round Tops Position of Second Corps at (Gettysburg Mead's Headquarters, Taneytown Road Portion of Field, Gettysburg General Hay's Headquarters Marker at Bliss Barn Site Knowlton Marker at Bliss House Site Monument at Gettysburg Ground on which Pickett charged Headquarters after the Battle Spangler's Spring .... Mouth of Devil's Den . . . , The Two Round Tops from the West The Hagerstown Pike .... National Cemetery, Antietam Morton's Ford .... Stony Mountain from Stevensburg Brigade Camp, Stony Mountain Stony Mountain in Recent Years Morton's Ford from the South Buckner House from a Distance A Nearer View of Buckner House Headquarters of Picket, Morton's Ford Morton House and Surroundings A Scene of Much Coffee Making Brock Road Wilderness, Va. Society of Fourteenth Regiment at Gettysburg Gettysburg Monument Society of Fourteenth Regiment at Cemetery H Roulette House • . . . . Monument at Antietam Orange Plank Road, Wilderness The White House .... Mt. Vernon ...... Page. 13S 139 140 141 143 145 147 14S 153 259 164 167 173 1 89 209 211 213 216 218 219. 221 222 232 236 239 258 252 258. 265 281 359 360- PREFACE. The history of the Fourteenth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, Infan- try, should have been written a generation ago. This would have been but justice to the brave men who have since passed away who earnestly and rightfully desired to see the record of their gallantry, sacriiice and heroism have a permanent form in print. It was also a patriotic duty to the State, the service of the Fourteenth Regiment being one of the illus- trious chapters in the military history of the Commonwealth. A history written at that time would have been more complete in detail and richer in personal experience. As time has gone on, memory has become weaker, memoranda, diaries, and letters have become scattered and irrecoverably lost. It has been my aim to allow the men of the regiment to tell the story of its service, and have used my own language to serve only as a thread upon which to hang these jewels of memory. The responsibility of writ- ing the history was increased when I found the earnestness and willing- ness to assist so intense among the surviving members. To write a his- tory that would satisfy the intelligence and enthusiasm of such men and to do justice to the character of the regiment was, indeed, no small task. The limited space of a preface will not allow me to enumerate and ac- knowledge all those from whom I have drawn to make up this record. The presence of their names in the following pages must be taken as an acknowledgement of my gratitude and obligation. A few of these sources of information must, however, be mentioned. I have been under great obligations to the Committee of the Society of the Fourteenth Regiment for their advice, assistance and interest in the progress and completion of the work. Mr. Charles Lyman, of Washington, D. C, chairman of the committee, has found time amid the multitudinous cares of a busy life, to read the chapters from time to time as they have been prepared, making such suggestions as his wide experience and good taste has deemed desirable. Mr. Albert F. Hall, of Meriden, the most active man of the committee, has been untiring in placing in my hands all the available material for the history that he could command. His prompt- ness in all the details has been an incentive and an inspiration to faithful work, and to him more than to any man of the regiment is due the com- pletion of the history at the present time. Mr. John McCarthy, of New Haven, the third member of the committee, has given valuable aid and suggestions as the work has progressed. To Mr. William T. Hincks, of Bridgeport, son of Major William B. Hincks, I am particularly indebted for the privilege of consulting and copying from his father's diary. This rec- ord of Major Hincks was characteristic of his intelligence, and his reputa- tion for accuracy and discernment which made it especially valuable. I am also under obligations to Sergeant Benj. Hirst and his brother John Hirst for the use of forty-four letters contributed to the Rockville (Conn.,) Journal for many details of experience on battlefield and march. Ex-Mayor A. R. Crittenden, of Middletown, Conn., has given many valuable narra- tives and we have quoted liberally from Sergeant E. B. Tyler's bright and fascinating record. To Mrs. C. H. Wade, of Northampton, Mass., I am indebted for the loan of her husband's. Sergeant Wade's, history of the legiment as published in the Soldier's Record. I desire also to acknowl- edge my obligations and deep indebtedness to Miss Fayetta Warren of Watertown, N. Y. , for her assistance and aid in preparing and perfecting the history. Her painstaking care and reliable accuracy as stenographer and typewriter has done much toward bringing the history to completeness. And so this record goes forth to take its place among others that have been made of the valient deeds of those who went out to uphold the principles of union and liberty, in the war between the states. If the following pages succeed in portraying, even feebly, the many acts of valor and heroism, bravery and sacrifice performed by the men of the Fourteenth Regiment, then it may be said that the work has been faithfully done. CHARLES D. PAGE. New Haven Connecticut, July, 1906. HISTORY OF THE FOURTEENTH REGIMENT, CONNECTICUT VOL. INFANTRY. CHAPTER I. The Birth of the Regiment. To intelligently understand the beginnings of the Fourteenth Regiment, Connecticut \"olunteers, Infantry, it may be well to glance at the condition of the Union cause at the front and the spirit and temper of the loyal people of the North, just previous to its formation. During the early spring months of 1862. the Union forces were successful upon all the lines of their advance. From the West to the Atlantic and from the Potomac to the Gulf, the tide of Confederate progress had been checked and turned back. General Thomas and Colonel Garfield had won victories in Kentuckv, at Prestonburg and Alill Spring, General Grant and Commodore Foote had captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River and with P)ull had reduced Fort Donelson on the Cumber- land. General Burnside had forced New Berne to surrender, Farragut had passed the forts at the mouth of the Mississippi, had victoriously entered New Orleans where the Union ^ag had again been planted and was triumphantly floating front many a stafif and public building. The Union loving people were not oblivious to the onward pro- gress of the army, and there was a wide-spread feeling that the end of the conflict was at hand. This feeling was further strengthened by an order from the War Department April 3d.. 1862, discontinuing enlistments in all the states. April loth. President Lincoln, from his great heart, looking through the dark cloud then enveloping his own home by the death of his boy^ (•3) 14 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. called upon the people to observe a season of thanksgiving "for the glorious successes of oiu' armies at the front." The action of the government and the wide-spread belief that the armies then in the field were sufficient to meet any emergency quickened business and revived industry. Those who had flocked to the recruiting offices to offer themselves to the service of the country, returned to their homes and found employment in their various occupations, and took their places in the peaceful on- goings of society. The call of the President in 1861 for five hundred thousand men had been filled, and the last of Connecticut's quota (13,037), the Thirteenth Regiment had left Xew^ Haven March 17th., and were doing duty at Ship Island. These were the conditions when May 21st the War Depart- ment signified its willingness to accept from Connecticut one regiment as its part to form a contingent of fifty thousand men for a "Camp of Instruction" at Annapolis, Md. The next day, May 22, the governor directed that "volun- teers be received sufficient to form one regiment to be known as the Fourteenth Regiment of Infantry, to serve three years or during the war unless sooner discharged. The plan of the regi- ment to be the same as those already in the field." The regiment was ordered to rendezvous at Hartford. The camp was located on the New Haven turnpike about two miles from Hartford and was called Camp Foote in honor of Commo- dore Foote, who had won merited popularity and esteem in his native state for his gallant conduct at Forts Henry and Donelson. May 22d Dwight Morris w^as appointed as Colonel. Colonel Morris of Bridgeport was well known throughout the state. He was born in Litchfield in 1817. and was therefore forty-five years of age. Colonel Morris had graduated from Union College in 1832. and was a member of the General Assembly of Connecticut for six years from 1845, ^"^ again in 1880. He had been a practicing lawyer in Bridgeport for several years, being Judge of Probate for the District of Bridgeport in 185 1. After the war, Colonel Morris was appointed United States Consul to France from 1866 to 1869, and was Secretary of the State of Connecticut The Birth of the Regiment. 1 5 in 1876. He died siuldcnl}" at his home in Bridgeport September 26th, 1895. It was to be a regiment from the state at large. Mainly for reasons we have mentioned, enlistments were slow and unsatisfactory. The feeling that the army was large enoug-h to meet any emergency had permeated the minds of the people. Then again it may be supposed that the prospect of spending an indefinite period in a "Camp of Instruction" was not alluring to a true soldier, certainly not to that class of men that finally made up the Fourteenth Regiment. No one at that time would have ventured the prophecy that this very regiment, conceived for the dull duties of a "Camp of Instruction," was destined to play an important part in some of the most sanguinary battles of modern times, and do valiant ser- vice in some of the pivotal actions of the great conflict. Assistant Surgeon Dr. Levi Jewett in his diary estimates there were about two hundred and fifty men enlisted when he joined the regiment, July 14th. This was nearly two months after the call had been made for volunteers. Suddenly all these conditions changed. Reverse followed re- verse with the Union army, and the tide of rebellion swept west- ward and northward until the loyal people of the North were de- pressed and alarmed. Governor Buckingham joined with the governors of all of the loyal states requesting the President to "call out a sufficient number of men to garrison the cities and military posts that have been captured b}" oiu' armies and to speedily put down the re- bellion that now exists in several Southern states." President Lincoln therefore issued an order for the enlisting of three hundred thousand more men. Connecticut's quota in this call was 7.145. July 1st Governor Buckingham issued a call for this number of men to form six more regiments. Immediately followmg the call the Governor issued an impassioned address and appeal for volunteers ; a single sentence of this address will serve to show its character and earnestness. He says : — "Close your manufactories and workshops, turn 16 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. aside from your farms and your business, leave for awhile your families and your homes, meet face to face the enemies of your liberties !" Meetings to promote enlistments were held in nearly all of the cities and larger towns of the state. These meetings were ad- dressed by some of the best known men, and were characterized by the most intense patriotic enthusiasm and fervor. The effect of the Governor's appeal and the influence of these meetings were electrical. From one end of the state to the other, the stirring scenes of April. 1861. were reenacted. Young men flocked to the recruiting offices eager and earnest to enlist in the service of their country. The "lonely squads" of the Fourteenth Regiment, that had passed up and down the dusty field of "Camp Foote" for weeks, felt the impulse of the new enthusiasm and every day brought new members to its ranks. Dr. Jewett records the first tangible addition toward the last of July when Captain Burpee brought in "a. fine company" (Company D) from Wrnon. Soon followed Company R, Cap- tain Gibbons, from Middletown, "'who entered camp with band playing and flags flying and escorted by the firemen of Middle- town." "There was great rejoicing," says Dr. Jewett, "when this com])any came into camp and we formed a line and gave them three hearty cheers." Company followed company in quick succession until the re- quisite number necessary to make up the maximum strength of the regiment was reached. By August 22d the last man had en- listed and the last commission had been signed. Then came the busy preparation, and the impatience to move to the front. The regiment numbered 1,015 men and were to be armed with Springfield rifles, with the exception of Companies A and B, which were to be equipped with Sharp's rifles. That rigid military discipline was not yet introduced into camp we may judge from a statement of Private, afterwards Corporal, Albert R. Crittenden, of Company B, who says : — "The first I recall after going into 'Camp Foote' at Hartford was the dearth of fire arms. The camp guard at our (the left) end of camp had only four old smooth-bore muskets, which had once been flint The Birth of the Regiment. 1 7 locks, but were then without locks or bayonets. This serves to show how closely available arms had been hustled to the front. Of course guard duty under such conditions was a trifle lax, as with such equipment we could not stop men from passing over the lines if we tried, so, as perhaps it will be remembered by the boys, we let them go. I fear this was bad discipline, for when we reached the enemy's country and the boys suspected there was something good to eat outside the lines, we were quite willing to have our backs to them when they went and came. Some times we shared an extra bit of fresh pork, lamb or hoe cake, as a re- sult of our blindness." Touching the same point Nelson S. Bailey of Company B says: — "In camp at Hartford the minor details that have to do with the art of war were of interest. We noticed particularly that 'running the guard' was made a business as well as a diver- sion,— by others of course." Xo Connecticut regiment ever took to the front a more noble representation of the best elements of the state than did the Fourteenth. Many of the men had already become moving forces in the social, religious, commercial and industrial activities of the state. Dr. Jewett says of them : — "They are young men of good character." It was indeed a regiment from the state at large, a regiment of the people. Xo less than eighty-six towns were represented upon the roster. August 23d the regiment was mustered into the service of the United States by Colonel Webb of the regular army. The following was the representation of the towns in the make-up of the regiment. Company A, Captain James D. Alerritt, Bridgeport, 49 men ; Putnam, 8 ; Stratford, Xorwalk, 6 each ; Aliddletown, Trumbull, 4 each ; Killingly, 3 ; Hartford, Brooklyn, Monroe, Berlin. 2 each ; Waterbury, Madison, Huntington, Newtown, Litchfield, Plain- field, Wilton, Harrisville, R. I., Thompson, Easton, Sprague, Woodstock, Fairfield, East Haddam, Cornwall, i each. Company B, Captain Elijah W. Gibbons, Middletown, 93 men ; Durham, 6; W^aterbury 2; Bridgeport, New Haven, X^orwich, \>rnon, Haddam, i each. 18 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Company C, Captain Samuel \V. Carpenter, Waterbury, 88 men ; Bridgeport, Naugatuck, 3 each ; Middletown, 2 ; New Ha- ven, Durham, Thompson, Milford, Ellington, Torrington, Wood- bury, Vernon, East Windsor, East Haddam, i each. Company D. Captain Thomas F. Burpee, Vernon, 75 men ; Ellington, 10; Waterbury, 5; Coventry, Willington, 4 each; Mid- dletown, 2 ; Bridgeport, New London, Tolland, South Wmdsor, Bolton, Rockville, Mansfield, Windsor, Hartford, Westport, i each. Company E, Captain ^^'illiam H. Tubbs, Norwich, 21 men; Middletown, 18; Hartford, 15: Xcw Haven, 6; Waterbury, Killingly, 4 each ; Griswold, Sprague, 3 each ; Windham, East Windsor, Franklin, Putnam, Preston. Coventry, \>rnon, 2 each ; Bridgeport, New Britain, Lisbon, Marlborough, Hampton, Glas- tonbury, Chaplin, North Stonington, ^Madison, Wethersfield, Plainfield, Thompson, Meriden, New London, i each. Company F, Captain Jarvis E. Bliini, New IVitain, 65 men ; Bloomfield, 15; Berlin 13; Wolcott, 3: Wethersfield, 2; Bridge- port, Hartford, Norwich, Xew Haven. New London, Barkham- sted, \'crnon, i each. Company G, Captain Samuel F. Willard, ^ladison, 58 men • Clinton, 12: Old Saybrook, 10; Westbrook, 9; Guilford, 5; Kill- ingworth, 3 ; New Haven, 2 ; Bridgeport, Flartford, Norwich, New London, Franklin, East Lyme, Stratford, Vernon, Haddam, I each. Company H, Ca])tain Sanniel H. Davis. New London, 56 men : Waterford, 21; b^ast L^nie, 5; New Haven, 3; Vernon, Water- bury, 2 each ; Hartford, ^^liddletown, Durham, Willimantic, Ston- ington, Ellington, i each. Company L Captain Isaac R. Bronson, Guilford, 24 men; New Haven, 22 \ Hartford, 13; Waterbury, 7; Middlebury, 5: Coventry, 3 ; New London, Xew Britain, Wethersfield, Farming- ton, Bloomfield, 2 each ; Middletown, Norwich, New Milford, Windham, Avon, Madison, Norwalk, Willington, Vernon, Elling- ton, Woodbury, Naugatuck, New Fairfield, i each. Company K, Captain Robert H. Gillette, Norwich, 21 men; Hartford, 18: Chatham, 14; Somers. 6; Middletown, 5; Bridge- The Birth of the Regiment. 19 port, Ledyard. (Triswold, 4 each: Waterbury, Coventry, 3 each; Madison. Stonington. Preston, Sprague, Farmington, 2 each; Sut^eld, Durham, Winchester, Woodbridge, z\ndover, Man- chester, Stafford, Walhngford, Chaphn, Frankhn, Bolton, Wind- sor, Thompson, East Haddam, Haddam, i each. Xo member of the regiment will forget those closing days at '"Camp Foote," the hurried bustle of preparation for departure, the throngs of people who came to say farewell to father, brother, husband, son and friend. August 25th, the day for the regiment to break camp and start for Washington arrived. We will let Dr. Jewett, a partici- pant, tell the story of the departure. He says: — "August 25^1. we left camp with bands playing and flags trying, marching to the dock in a colunm of fours. As we moved the crowd increased and when we reached the corner of Main and State Streets, it became so dense that we could hardl\- make progress. Reaching the dock six companies boarded the steamer "City of Hartford' and four companies upon the transport 'Dudley Buck.' When we reached Middletown, it seemed as if the whole city had turned out to meet us. The dock and all the space about was black with peo])le. Many came to the boats with baskets of fruit and food, which were greatly appreciated by the 'boys'. At Cobalt a great gun on the hill gave us a roaring 'CJod-speed' and there were hearty greetings from a crowd of friends at Middle Haddam." Here Dr. Jewett leaves us in his memor}- of the trip to Xew York. Slowly the steamer and transport steamed out of the Connecti- cut River into the broader waters of the Sound. At the right lay the old state dear to the hearts of those on board, their birth- place, the scenes of their ambitions and hopes, and the homes of those they loved who were left behind. Slowly the>- passed the familiar hilltops, the rugged cliffs, the undulating shore and the broad fields that floated back to the western sky. So the twilight drifted into the shadow and the shadow into darkness, and the fair scene was hidden from view. Alas, how many were never permitted to look upon it again ! The famous Cornfield at Antietam. CHAPTER II. From New York to Antietam. We left the regiment at the cUise of the last chapter with the soft curtain of night gathering ahout it as the heavily laden boats moved sluggishly down the Sound. Thev arrived in Xew York early the next morning, wdiere they were refreshed with a bounti- ful supply of food by the Soldiers" Relief Committee, but did not land, being transferred to a large transport, the "Kill von Kull," and steamed down the harbor past Staten Island to the Elizabeth River, and up the river to Elizabethport, where the troops were again transferred to cars, and after some delay a long train in two sections steamed away toward Baltimore, by way of Har- risburg and York, Penna. The night had been long and tedious and, although not to be compared with the later experience ^ of the regiment, it must have been to many a slight foretaste of the rigors of a soldier's life. The decks of the steamer were several degrees harder, even, than the ground of Camp Foote and were withal crowded, dirty and hot, so that there was very little sleep or rest. On the way to Baltimore the entire journey during the daylight hours was characterized by the same outbursts of patriotic enthusiasm as that sent out from the shores of their own dear Connecticut. Private William B. Hincks of Company A, afterwards ^lajor, savs : — (20) ^*-«=.*iii6ii^^ LT.-COL. SANFORD H. PERKINS. I From New York to Antietam. 2 1 "Our progress was a sort of triumphal journey. Steamers sounded a salute with their whistles, flags were unfurled and bells were rung. Farmers waved their hands and hats as a hurrah to us as we shot by. The day wore slowly away. We passed through the borders of New Jersey and along the mountains of Pennsylvania. The road wound around these mountains and we often crossed deep ravines spanned by lofty bridges, down wdiose sides one would tremble to look." At Easton, Penna., occurred the first casualty to the regiment. When the train stopped, which was upon a trestle above the street, 2d Lieutenant Frederick E. Shalk of Company E left the train for a moment and in attempting to again step upon the car, lost his footing and fell some thirty feet to the street, striking upon his head. He was taken up insensible and was left behind for medical treatment, but recovered soon after and rejoined his regi- ment, doing valiant service. An occasional "hot box" varied the monotony of the journey to Harrisburg. In regard to the arrival there Corporal Crittenden says : — "We were side-tracked an hour or two at Harrisburg, Penna., by reason of an order to hold us as we might be ordered to Chambersburg. Lee's cavalry were in the Shenandoah Valley and the Pennsylvania border was threatened. Well that we were ordered on to Washington or we might have been gobbled up at Chambersburg and our history been entirely different." During the tarry at Baltimore the regiment passed under view of General Wool, who said to Colonel Morris : — " A splendid regi- ment, not one drunken man in the ranks ; too good a regiment to be sent anywhere but to the front!" Wq cannot do better than to allow Major Hincks to further tell the story of the journey. He says: — "We passed through Harrisburg, a fine old Quaker town, and in time reached Balti- more. We marched across the city to the W'ashington depot. Call Baltimore a secession place if you will, but we were treated better here than in any other place on our route. When we halted before entering the city, ladies ran out with pails of water, bread and butter and melons for the soldiers. We marched into a Soldiers' Relief Building, provided not by the government, 11 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. but by the citizens of Baltimore, where long tables were spread for the regiment and all sat down to as much good bread and cheese, ham and cofifee or ice water as we could take care of. At about nine o'clock Thursday evening we started for Wash- ington in an old cattle train, about forty men in a car. We arrived in Washington about four o'clock in the morning and marched directly to the barracks. These barracks were very large and capable of accommodating one or more regiments. About eleven o'clock the next day we were formed into columns and with our ponderous knapsacks upon our backs passed up Penn- sylvania Avenue to the Long Bridge over the Potomac. Here a long halt was made to allow^ a train of mules to pass. We crossed over the bridge and found ourselves upon the 'sacred soil' of Virginia, and very nasty soil it is : thick yellow dust lay three inches deep and we were surrounded by a dense cloud of it. Roads run through deep defiles overhung by forts. We came ^i-^^lfFP: -..^sy y\S\V^ Mir fism \ i f ' 1 ]'. The Capitol, which was in process of rebuilding when the Fourteenth Regiment passed through Washington. From New York to Antietam. 23 upon a little s|)ring- and at least five hundred of our men attempted to reach it all at once and there was general confusion." Dr. Jewett, in his memories, says: — "Daylight soon appeared and the great dome of the capitol became visible. I walked out to the foot of Capitol Hill and found everything in confusion, the building was not completed and the ground was covered with huge blocks of stone and marble, stone cutters' sheds and tools, derricks, mortar beds, etc." Touching the passage through Washington, Corporal Crittenden recalls the following: — "As we passed through Washington, I recall the reviewing stand where President Lincoln, General Scott, Secretary Stanton and other dignitaries stood while we passed in review. Our staff-officers and captains entered the re- viewing stand and were in turn introduced to the President and his staff of officials. When the head of B Company, the left of the regiment, reached the stand. President Lincoln was so busy we felt we were not to be noticed, so with one accord, we struck up loudly singing 'We are coming. Father Abraham, three hundred thousand more.' At once he faced us, straightened up his tall form, doffed his high silk hat and bowed and bowed until we were by. President Lincoln said of our regiment that we were the finest looking body of men that had passed through Washington. As we had the honor of being the first regiment of the second call for three hundred thousand men to pass through Washington, it is easy to conclude this was his mental reservation which made his statement a fact." That night the regiment rested near Arlington Heights, calling it Camp Chase, and there was fond hope that a few days rest would be had. The journey from Connecticut had been hard and fatiguing. It w-as already three days since the regiment left Camp Foote and owing to wretched transportation arrangements, delays had been long and tedious, with little or no opportunity for sleep. Samuel b^isk ("Dunn Browne") sums up the journey in the following words to the Springfield Republican : — "Our boys on their way to the field sle])t on the dirty decks of a steamer, lying together as thick as rows of ])ins on a paper ; were packed in dirty, close cars like sheep in a pen ; and marched 24 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. through dust so thick and fine that, mixed in proper proportions with perspiration caused by the intense heat, it formed a good plaster cast of every man's face and form. Water is often too precious to use for abkitions ; hnen gets dirty ; washerwomen are scarce ; clothing of every kind grows ragged and on the whole dirt steadily and surely prevails till a regiment of veterans ap- pears to the uninitiated like a regiment of ragamuffins. Even our short experience also shows that a soldier's is a pretty thirsty and hungry life. For three day together, during this our first week, we had nothing to eat but a few hard crackers, and once a morsel of cheese, and once a slice of ham, apiece, served around : and for one night and part of a day we had no water." The fond hope that a few days if not weeks would be allowed the regiment for rest and recuperation ; that much needed sleep would be obtained and rations be more plenty and steady ; and that even if lying upon the ground there would be room to stretch the legs without being entangled with those of a comrade, were not realized. Withal we may imagine the men felt the necessity of instruction and discipline in the use of arms. The boxes of rifles that had come into Camp Foote were yet unopened. Before the morning light of August 29th had dawned upon Camp Chase, the long roll was sounded and the men sprung from their sleep to meet an impending danger which the call indicated. The boxes were hastily opened and the arms distributed, with the exception of A and B Companies, which had received their Sharp's rifles as they came ofif Long Bridge. After making coffee the regiment moved off in light marching order, leaving baggage behind and taking only their rubber blankets, toward Fort Ethan Allen near Chain Bridge, about ten miles above Washington. The threatened danger proved a false alarm. Nearer and nearer the regiment was approaching the great army and the real activities of war. Nelson S. Bailey of Company B writes: — "No impressions of moment came to me during our journey to Washington, but when we had crossed the Potomac by way of Long Bridge and landed with both feet on Virginia soil, I remember clearly my impres- sions We were in the enemv's front vard and he was there From New York to Antietam. 25 with his lawn-mowers. I recollect the bivouac at South Mount- ain. The lifeless bodies there told us the tale that we were marching shoulder to shoulder with death as they had marched. The enemy was not far ahead, for two days afterward we caught up with them and they 'caught on' to us by passing our way shells for which we had no present or prospective use." Sunday, September 7th, the regiment, with the One Hundred and Thirtieth Pennsylvania and One Hundred and Eighth New ,York Volunteers, two new regiments, were as- signed to form the Second Brigade of the Third Division, Second Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Colonel Dwight Alorris was placed in command of the brigade and Lieu- tenant-Colonel S. H. Perkins assumed command of the regiment. The destinies and fortunes of the Fourteenth Regiment were now linked with those of the Army of the Potomac. Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins had perhaps by instinct and some training a larger share of military spirit than the average of the commissioned officers who left the state in 1862. Originally entering the service as a captain in the Fourth Connecticut Volun- teers, he became one of the most efficient officers in that organi- zation when connected with the First Connecticut Artillery. "L'pon the organization of the Fourteenth, Governor Bucking- ham promoted him to the majority thereof and speedily there- after to be Lieutenant-Colonel. In this capacity he left the state and (Colonel Morris having been assigned to a brigade) it was mainly due to his persistent zeal in drilling the men and instruct- ing the offices, that when the green regiment was hurled into the battle of x^ntietam, within three weeks of muster in, that it there won for itself such honorable record. All the fall and early winter the Lieutenant-Colonel continued his earnest labors, until the second great battle, at Fredericksburg ; where he fell very badly wounded in the neck and shoulder. Borne off the field under a heavy fire, the regret was deep and general when his wounds forced his resignation. Later in the war he served as one of the State Allotment Commissioners, and from 1865 had been in mercantile pursuits until early in 1873, when insanity followed a series of epileptic fits and he was removed to the state 26 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. insane asylum where he died. His remains were buried in New Britain with miHtary honors, December 12th, 1874, the bearers being officers of his old regiment. By a singular coincidence tw^o of those who bore his dead body to the grave, were two of five who just twelve years before bore his living body from out the smoke and flame of Fredericksburg." With the usual incidents of camp life, the regiment remained near Fort Ethan Allen until Sunday, September 7th, when it was ordered to be in readiness to move with the Army of the Potomac in pursuit of Lee. An exception to this routine was the acci- dental shooting of Private Thomas P. Allen of Company B in the wrist, which disabled him for further service. The picket line of the regiment hafl overrun the picket line of the old regi- ments near them and through some error a few shots were fired, with this result. Under date of September 8th, Major Hinks writes: — "Woods near Rockville, Md. We are in a magnificent oak grove and a better spot for a camp could hardly be imagined. In these same woods two or three other regiments which compose our brigade are bivouacked. A\'ithin bugle call there may perhaps be 50 or 100,000 men." Just as the regiment turned into company streets at the Rock- ville camp, James Mc\'ay of Company K, an old man, died of exhaustion incident of the days march. He had two sons in the same company, who wailed bitterly, touching the hearts of all who beheld their grief. i'.oth of the sons, however, went through the service and were nuistered out with the regiment in 1865. Day after day the regiment marched side by side with the Irish Brigade and well do the men of the Fourteenth remember how they were jeered and guxed by the Irish Brigade, who "called them blue-legged devils and assured them they could not be seen for the dust the>- W'Ould kick up getting away from Bobbie Lee when he once got after them." It may be recalled, however, that after the Fourteenth had been for nearly two hours in the thick of the battle of Antietam and had watched the Irish Brigade make their charge on the Sunken Road, saw them slaughtered and repulsed ; and the Fourteenth went over to support that part From New York to Antietam. 27 of tlie line, then their tune changed and ever after that they recognized the Fourteenth as fighting men and were never hap- pier than when they were alongside of them in hattle, confident that the h^ourteenth would hold its part of the line secure. P'our days marching brought the regiment to Clarksburg, Md. The following day, September 12th, they arrived at Hyattstown and encamped at White Oak Spring upon ground occupied by the Confederates two days previous. Step by step they saw the desolation and waste of war-ruined homes, dismantled gim-car- riages, piles of muskets and the putrefying bodies of horses and mules. Saturday, the 13th, the march was continued toward Frederick City. The boys were in the best of spirits and sang with a will "John Brown's Body" etc. The men were well re- ceived and as they passed up the main street were greeted with loyal cheers. As they passed an old engine-house in which were a number of Confederate prisoners, one called out "What regi- ment is that?" "The 14th Wooden Nutmeg" was the reply, to wdiich the audacious prisoner answered "You will soon get your heads grated." The regiment then marched about two miles bevond the town and bivouacked in a field near the reservoir. The next morning, Sunday, the regiment was called at two o'clock and drew three days rations of hardtack. ])ork, sugar and coiTee, and la\ down again. At eight o'clock the regiment was again called and be- gan the march toward /Vntietam, crossing a stream and march- ing until two o'clock, with two short halts, and crossing a range of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Here a halt was made in a field and coffee cooked and about five o'clock it moved off again, it is presumed, to take part in the battle of South Motmtain. They were prevented from doing this by difficulty in crossing a canal which delaved the regiment several hoiu's. At twelve o'clock they were able to pass the canal and marched to the battle-field of South Mountain, which that dav had been the scene of a bloody contest between McClellan and Lee. Here the men saw for the first time the dire effects of war. Sergeant lienjamin Hirst, under date of September 15th, says: — "I awoke about five o'clock on the battle-field of vesterdav and went out to see what war 28 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. was without romance. I cannot describe my feeling's, but I hope to God never to see the Hke again." About ten o'clock the march was resumed, crossing the moun- tain at "Turners Gap", proceeding to Boonsboro, which place was reached about three o'clock. The column turned east, fac- ing Sharpsburg. The enemy was close at hand. The march was continued through Keedysville, which was passed about nine o'clock. On the line of march acres of soldiers were camped upon each side of the road. The scene was at once weird and impressive. Hundreds of camp-fires were blaz- ing as far as the eye could reach. Some of the men were cook- ing, some stretched upon the ground chatting cheerfullv, while others were enjoying a few hours sleep that the rest afforded. About a mile beyond Keedysville the column of which our regi- ment was a part bivouacked in a field on the Boonsboro pike, a short distance in the rear of McClellan's headquarters. The next day was passed upon these grounds, an occasional shell from the enemy breaking the monotony of the hours. There we must leave them to await the experience and horrors of the coming day. Mvouac of the Fourteenth Regiment by the Boonsboro pike, September 15-17, 1862. McClellan's headquarters in center. CHAPTER III. The Battle of Antietam. Wednesday, September 17th, 1862, the day of the battle of Antietam, called by the Confederates the battle of Sharpsburg, was in many respects the most memorable in the history of the regiment. Plunged within three weeks after leaving the peaceful scenes and avocations of their home state into one of the most fiercely fought and bloody battles of the war, with scant military drill and instruction in the use of arms ; linked in a brigade with two other regiments equally deficient in discipline ; wdth a frightful loss of men in killed and wounded, leaves in the minds of those who participated in it memories that cannot be efifaced. A glimpse from "Cemetery Hill" near Sharpsburg and the Antietam. If there was ever an ideal place on this fair earth where men should meet each other in battle that place may be said to be the environs of Antietam Creek. Standing for a moment on this eminence just east and outside the quaint village of Shar])sburg, (29) 30 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. we mav gain an intelligent idea of the surrounding teiritory. The view from this point is at once enchanting and grand. On the north and east we see the South Mountain range of the Alleghanies. their rugged contour broken by several circuitous passes or gaps. On the west a hill rises gracefully to a crest and slopes back by easy stages to the Potomac, which is not in sight. Looking then toward the north, we see this great amphitheater of nature with plateau several miles wide and somewhat longer. This may be called a plateau l)y forbearance as there is scarcelv a \g\c\ acre in iis whole extent, it being covered by low billow V ridges. Xearlv through the center of this semi level The Dimkard Chi-.rch. plain runs Antietam Creek, the course of which can be noted by a rank growth of sedge, waterweeds and small trees which mark its banks. It is a slow, sluggish stream with an utter disregard for straight lines, although its general course may be said to be from northeast to southwest. It is crossed by three bridges and three fords. Running from .^harpsburg in an easterly direction, slightly turning to the north, is the Boonsboro pike and tunning The Battle of Antietam. 31 north, slightly bearing to the east, is the Hagerstown pike. To the northwest on the Hagerstown pike stands the Dunkerd Chnrch, a quaint brick building resembling an old fashioned New England school-housa. which, as W'hittier says : — " Still sits the school-house by the road, A ragged beggar sunning." Singularly enough this worshipping place of a non-combative sect was in the xevv forefront of this fierce battle and shows many marks of the conflict. The valley is dotted here and there by prosperoits farm houses, surrotmded by extensive orchards, and the barns and outbuildings show the thrifty character of the people. Xearly all of the ground is under cultivation which is divided into irregular golden patches of ripening corn and the dull hued fields of clover, with here and there the more somber brown of plowed fields. Al)out midway, looking from the north, we see the 2\Iumma buildings (later burned) and the neat and tidy premises of the Roulette farm. Around these latter buildings was the center of the operations of the Fourteenth Regiment. About a mile to the north and east were the Smith buildings which were the Division Hospital. Looking from the northeast about two miles on the distant hill, we see the brick buildings on Fr} 's farm, the headquarters of General ]\IcClellan. From this high vantage ground jMcClellan could ride to and fro and watch the rise and fall of the tide of battle. Skirting along the Hagerstown pike on the left hand side about a mile north of Sharpsburg is a woods which has a depth of about a quarter of a mile and several hundred yards long. Then there is a field which runs at right angles to the road for about two himdred yards, thus making an elbow in the woods. The field then turns to the right, and runs along the woods parallel to the Hagerstown road for a quarter of a mile, when the wood again turns square to the left and extends back about half a mile, mak- ing at this point again an elbow with the strip of woods running along the road from the church. These woods are interspersed with outcropping ledges of limestone, making an excellent shield for the men. These were called the "East Woods" in distinction 32 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. from those on the west side. Another feature of this battle-field which mitst be noted is the Sunken Road, since known as "Bloody Lane," an outlet of the Mumma and Roulette farms, there being lanes from each of these farms intersecting it. This road was several feet below the surrounding land and extended a short distance west of the church in a southerly direction from the Hagerstown turnpike, about three-fourths of a mile. Along the eastern edge of this Sunken Road was a low wall which assisted ..^.J^ i^^^:^^^ Hldodv Lane" since the war in making it a natural and formidable rifle-pit from which the Confederates could not be seen by the Federal forces, their presence only being detected by the puffs of smoke from their nun-(lerous rifle fire or the tops of their butternut hats. So fiercely did the battle rage in one section of this Sunken Road that for about a quarter of a mile it was called "Bloody Lane." On the right, bordering the crest of this western hill, was the Confederate Armv under Lee. Its right on the i6th. being on a The Battle of Antietam. 33 sharp bend of the Creek to the west below Burnside Bridge, and running northwest about one-half mile east of Sharpsburg, terminating a few miles south of Alercersburg on the Potomac, like a gigantic 1:)()W, with its convex side toward the Union forces on the east and northeast. On the i/th we find this line has been drawn back, its right several hundred \ards south, passing through the town of Sharpsburg. then swinging to the northwest, its left about a mile from its point of the iTrth, with its concave side toward the Union forces. Lee's headquarters were in the vicinity of Sharpsl)urg. All of the divisions of the Army of Northern X'irginia were now in position confronting the Federal forces, excepting the Divisions of AlcLaws and Anderson which arrived very early on the morning of the i/th, and A. P. Hill's which arrived after noon of that da\". Cornfield and Mumnia Building. Lee claimed that he had less than 40,000 men. Colonel Taylor in his "Four Years with General Lee" fixes the number at 35.255. AlcClellan set the Confederate Army at nuich more than this, but he always had oriental ideas of his enemy's numbers, reminding one of the somewhat extravagant remark of Secretary Stanton who said that 'Tf McClellan had a million men. he would declare his enemy had two million, and sit down in the mud and yell till he had three million." The Federal force at Antietam was the First Corps under 34 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. General Burnside, Second under General E. \*. Sumner, Fifth under General Fitzjohn Porter, Sixth under General William B. Franklin and Twelfth under General Mansfield. The Federal troops which really fought at the battle of Antietam were the First, Second, Ninth and Twelfth Corps. This was proven by the report of losses, the corps mentioned lost over twenty per cent, of their number, as given by JMcClellan, w'hile the Fifth and Sixth Corps and the Cavalry division lost only two per cent., showing that they were practically unused. One who has participated in a battle knows how much and how little can be seen, the smoke, the trees and the varying formation of the ground limit the vision ; the deafening noise making orders hard to be understood ; the ghastly work of shot and shell, the shrieking of some of the wounded and the calm fortitude of others ; the shrill whistle of shells and projectiles, all lend to limit the knowledge of the ongoings of the battle outside of a few yards on either side. Orderly advances of bodies of troops can be easily described and easily imagined, but the larger the force, the more difificult such a description becomes. We left the regiment ^Monday night, September 15th, camped in a suburb of Keedysville on the Boonsboro turnpike, after the long and tedious march from I*"ort Ethan Allen, which they left September 7th. The next day the men rested, if rest is possible under such circumstances. Occasional shot and shell and the sound of cannonading kept the men in mind of an approaching battle. General Sumner had ordered General French to have his division in readiness to move at daybreak. Army life knows no hours. At two o'clock Wednesday morning the regiment was aroused to prepare for the march, each man receiving ninety-six rounds of cartridges and forty-five caps. Before the mellowing dawn of that September morning had touched the surrounding hilltops, the regiment was marching toward the scene of the days conflict. They crossed the Boonsboro turnpike, turned to the right and around the hill and after marching about two miles over fields and through woods, and in some instances fences were pulled down that obstructed the column, the regiment forded Antietam Creek about eight o'clock at the third ford which was The Battle of Antietam. 35 deep and slippery. Some of the men filled their canteens for prospective want while prudence suggested to others to take off their shoes and stockings. They were on the right of French's division with the 130th Pennsylvania next and the io8th New York on the left, marching that day with the Third Brigade (Max Weber's) in front, their own Brigade, the Second, under Colonel Morris next and the First Brigade, General Kimball, in the rear. „.-- A i I After marching about two miles by flank they entered the East Woods. The order was given to form line of battle, shells were bursting about them, tearing off huge branches of trees while shot were cutting the air with their sharp shriek. This order to form line of battle was perhaps the supreme moment of their experience, as there shot through the minds of the men the 36 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. A West view of Roulett's House since the war. thought of the loved ones at home : t!ie terrible possibilities of the engagement made vivid by the ghastly scenes through Avhich they had already passed at South ^Mountain; some indeed would l)e wounded, some slain outright ; there must inevitablv be suffer- ing and death ; and as they looked at the familiar faces of their comrades, they wondered who it would be. Coming- to a fence, ^Max Weber's Brigade in front passed over first. .\s they came in sight the Confederate batteries opened a fiet-ce fire and there was a storm of shot and shell. The colunui then passed down a slight hill terminating in low marshy ground Ijetween the houses of ^Ir. Mumma and William Roulette. Company A passed through a corner of ^Ir. Alunima's orchard and serious as was the occasion, Major Hincks confesses that he and some of his companions picked apples and ate them. The same company also felt the scorching breath of Mumma's burn- ing buildings. The line was turned a trifle to the right mto a cornfield. The spring-house of William Roulette was occupied by some belligerent sharp-shooters who were captured by Com- pany B, after which the company joined the regiment. At this time the right extended to a meadow and the left covered the The Battle of Antietam. 37 Roulette house and extended to about the left hand side of the garden, passing by the Roulette buildings to a fence dividing the meadow from the cornfield. Climbing this fence they entered the cornfield which was about thirty acres in extent and belonged jointly to Mumma and Roulette. The field had a vigorous growth of nearly ripe corn and for a time the men were partiallv The Spring House where prisoners were captured by Company B. hidden from view and suffered little from the shots of the enemy. Max Weber's Brigade, the front rank, reached the opposite fence several yards ahead of the Second Brigade and their emergence from the field drew at once a terrific fire from the enemv, from \\hich the men of the Fourteenth suft'ered from over shooting. AMien the l^^ourteenth had passed through the cornfield and stood on a little ridge on the side next the enemy, there burst upon them a perfect tempest of muskctrw The line of troops in front had passed well into the open field. It seemed to melt under the enemy's fire and breaking many of the men ran through the ranks of the Fourteenth toward the rear. Xo enemy could be seen, onlv a thin cloud of smoke rose from what was afterwards 38 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Corner of IMu nd. Cornfield position second fence beyond. found to be their ritie-pit.s. As by one impulse the hne halted on the edge of the cornfield and opened fire. Probably they did then but little damage as the enemy were well protected, but upon our side the bullets whistled past, cutting ofif the cornstalks, and ever}' moment some one of the men would fall. This rifle-pit was the Sunken Road which at this time was plentifully filled with a quota of Confederate men while the line of troops skirted the crest of the hill above them, thus able to fire over their heads. The conduct of the 5th Maryland afi^ected the regiment seriously by breaking and rushing back through the line. Colonel Perkins says in his report that they threw his right wing into confusion, but although the right and center were broken twice, the men rallied on the colors and formed in good order. Walker in his "History of the Second Army Corps" says on this point : — "The 5th Marvland, whose commanding officer. Major rnumenberg, was wounded, was thrown into disorder, carrying away temporarily a portion of the 14th Connecticut, but the line was handsomely rallied by Colonel Perkins. The brigade was then ordered to report to General Kimball ; and first the 14th Connecticut and afterward the 130th Pennsylvania were advanced to the front line, subsequently joined by the io8th New York. All these regiments came under a savage fire, which The Battle of Antietam. 39 they bore with remarkable composure, considering" that it was their first action." About a dozen of the men mistaking an order from the cap- tain of Company I to charge rushed forward into the open field. Not being followed by the rest of the regiment, they fell back with the exceptions of William B. Hincks and William H. Hawley of Company x\ and Benjamin Hirst of Company D, the latter of these seeing the enemy was about to charge went back to his regiment ; the other two became so interested in pouring shot into the enemy that they did not notice the withdrawal of their regiment, and only came to their senses when they saw a regiment of Confederates moving down upon them. They beat me left of Fourteenth in cornfield. Fence in front and trees at right indicate course of sunken road. a hasty retreat while showers of bullets followed them. They were not able to locate their regiment immediately and had a thrilling experience in finding it, Hawley not returning until late at night. This fence at the farthest side of the cornfield was the farthest advance in that direction and a monument has been erected to mark the line by the State of Connecticut. They remained in this field about three hours according to Colonel Perkin's report. The regiment fell back to and over the fence separating the cornfield from the meadow where it was reformed, an ordet 40 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. being given to support General Kimball of Richardson's division. The men were then marched back by the left flank to the Roulette house, passed betv^een the house and the spring-house on the side of the garden, between the barn and the garden, round the barn to the lane known as the Roulette lane, coming ^rom Bloody Lane to the Roulette buildings, extending in the same general direction through the Roulette fields ; to a position by a wall of the Roulette lane, which Colonel Morris was ordered to take and hold which he did "with the Fourteenth Connecticut alone." Roulette House, 1862. Even in the horrors of battle, there may be some amusing incidents. Corporal Crittenden of Company B relates the follow- ing:— "Of course we were green and excited and one of our sergeants who was in his place in the rear of his section could not fire. He edged his way through the line and advanced a pace to the front and fired at an angle of about forty-five degrees in the air, dropped his piece to his hip, threw down the slide and shoved in a cartridge, capped and fired without lifting the rifle from his hip, and again he did the same. This was too ludicrous TTie Battle of Antietam. 41 to escape notice even in battle and one of the boys sang out 'John I are you bombarding them ?' This called him to himself and he returned to his place in the line." Corporal Crittenden con- tinues : — "After we had been in the thick of the battle at An- tietam for about one and one-half hours, the Confederate fire in front of the left wing of the regiment slackened, and the left being on higher ground could look beyond the center and right of the regiment to Ricket's Battery, which was on high ground a little to the right of us. A line of Confederate skirmishers were seen creeping up toward the battery and meeting no opposition. Captain E. W. Gibbons saw the move and asked his men if they could see any of our troops supporting that batterv. Several replied 'no." He said 'they are going to capture that battery.' He stepped to the rear and called the attention of Lieutenant- Colonel Perkins, I think, to the situation, and returned with in- structions to take some men over to the support of the batterv, v/hich he did. Some troops came from the right of the battery Another view of ''Bloody Lane' 42 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. and they and the Fourteenth boys met at the rear of the guns, and the Confederate skirmish hnc fell back precipitately. The left wing then moved back and joined the regiment at rear of Roulette barn." We quote from Chaplain H. S. Stevens' Souvenir. "The tide of battle was moving beyond Kimball, Richardson's division coming in for a heavy pull. This division had crossed the An- tietam an hour later than the 1^'ourteenth and by the same ford, and had at once moved down the stream, its course for a distance restrained on the left by the stream and the rough ground along it. When the bend at Neikirk's was passed it could extend to the left and all the brigades advanced up the slope at rear and Roulette Lane, leading to the Sunken Road left of Kimball, the 'Irish Brigade' ( Meagher's) on the right. Soon the latter brigade was heavily engaged (partly in support of Kimball), then Caldwell, then Brooke. The regiments on the extreme left, Brooke's men, advanced towards the Piper house, fighting hard and successfully, and others that had ad- vanced beyond the line of the crooked lane faced to the right and charged upon the enemy in the cornfield and orchard be- tween Piper's and our line, completing thus the capture or de- The Battle of Antietam. 43 struction of all its remaining occupants. This advance move- ment of Brooke on the far left made it necessary that his brigade should have support, so Kimball was directed to send him aid. As he, naturally preferred to keep his own men, now flush with ammunition, he detached his temporary reinforcements, the 14th Connecticut and io8th New York, and sent them, under com- mand of Colonel Morris, to Brooke." While taking this new position, the regiment moving from the wall but }et in the Roulette lane, it was subjected to a terrible ordeal by the bursting of a shell in Company D, killing three men and wounding four. Those killed were Henry Tiley, W. P. Ramsdell and R. Griswold. Joseph Stafford and L. Griswold each lost an arm and George Colburn and Henry Talcott were seriouslv wounded. Where the Regiment supported Brooke. Sergeant Benjamin Hirst mentions the following incident: — ''While we were lying in the rear of the stone wall. Sergeants Brigham, Stoughten and myself were talking over the events we had passed through in the morning, and W. P. Ramsdell quietly remarked that if he was going to be hit. he would prefer to have the top of his head blown off. When midway between the wall and the position assigned to us, I was about the center of the 44 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. company, urging the boys to close up, when a rebel shell came whizzing by and struck about two files in mv rear. As soon as I could turn I saw^ about a dozen men lying in a heap and the first man I recognized was W. P. Ramsdell with the top of his head blown ofif." A member of the regiment visiting the battle ground at Antie- tam a few years since found the heel of a shell on what he thought was the exact spot wdiere the shell burst which made such havoc in Company D. It does not require much imagina- tion to conclude that it was the same deadly missile. Although the bursting of the shell was a great shock to the regiment, it closed up and moved on. The nx)vement was con- tinued to the left beyond Richardson's regular line to a point from ten to twenty rods beyond the fence. Here although not within musket range they were within shelling range and some were struck. One of these shells ])assed through the ground under Hiram H. Fox of Company R. It produced a great shock, rendering him unconscious for several hours. Another shell struck and killed William H. Norton of Company A. Here a serious accident occurred, Robert Hubbard of Company B was shot by the careless handling of a rifle by a member of his own company. And also Thaddeus Lewis of Company A came to his death in the same wav. The regiment was then ordered to support a battery at the top of the hill. It was while superin- tending the workings of this battery that General Richardson was mortally wounded, a detail of the Fourteenth Regiment carrying him from the field. The regiment was then moved to the top of the hill by orders of General Hancock, who had taken Richardson's place in command of the division. General Hancock says : — "Finding a consideralile interval at a dangerous point between Meagher's Brigade and Caldwell's Brigade, the Fourteenth Connecticut was placed here, and a detachment from the io8th Xew York on the extreme left." As soon as the regiment reached the summit of the hill they attracted the fire of some Confederates who had corrse out from Bloody Lane on to this plowed field of the Roulette farm. To escape this fire, the regiment was ordered to lie down which it did, but the enemy The Battle of Antietam. 45 Where General Richardson fell. havino- the range harassed them until dark, principally with shells. The j^-round had recently heen plowed and was covered with a la\er of powdery earth. They longed for night to come and were well-nigh exhausted, having had no water through the day and only a few hard crackers. They heard the distant firing far to the left, and expected any time to be called into further action. Soon night came and the firing ceased. During the night there was a severe rain which w-hile refreshing did not add much to the personal beauty of the men. Here they lay all that night and the next day and night and until ten o'clock Friday morning. Chajilain Stevens says: — "/Jl that night through and the following day and night they heard the dreadful groans and cries of the wounded and dying wretches in Bloody Lane just over the hill calling for water or help, or to have taken off others who, dead, were lying across or upon their tortured and helpless bodies, or for death to release them from their anguish ; but they were powerless to render the assistance their hearts longed to give." Major Hincks gives some details of the trying experience of the regiment on the plowed field. Tn a letter to friends at home he says: — "We had just moved to the top of the hill to the right of the battery and had commenced t(^ form a line by throw- ing out our guides as on parade, when one of Cieneral French's 46 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. aids ordered the Lieutenant-Colonel to make his men lie down at once. The action was needful for the enemv had seen us and at once commenced shelling us. It was very trying to have to lie inactive under fire and listen to the hideous howling of the shell varied only by their crash in exploding" and occasionally the shriek of some one who was struck. I lay closer to the ground than ever before in m}- life, although it was a plowed field and an exceedingly dirty place, and I never prayed more fervently for darkness than then. This was by far the most trying, though by no means the most dangerous part of the clay. The plowed tiekl. "Bloody Lane'" in rear. Darkness at length came down and the enemy's fire slackened and then ceased altogether and the thunder of battle died away. We could once more raise our heads and the few of us who were fortunate enough to have any rations found an opportunity to eat something. I myself had a few crackers and a bit of pork which I had taken from a dead man's haversack before I had found the regiment. Ordinarily T should have had some scruples about partaking of such fare, but this was no time for squeamishness. We threw out a few vedettes in front of us The Battle of Antietam. 47 and slept such sleep as we could get on the plowed ground, with neither overcoats, blankets or tents. A shower during the night wet our clothing- throrgh. Every one anticipated that at dawn we should renew the con- test, but no such order came. The rebel shari)-shooters opened upon us as soon as it was daylight and our skirmishers replied. One could not raise his head from the ground without being- ob- served and having a shot come whistling over. In some cases the rebels, who seemed to be posted in an apple orchard, climbed trees to get a better view of us, but from there our skirmishers, who were ])osted behind dead horses, rails, rocks, trunks of trees or an\' other available shelter, soon dislodged them. William Hawley joined us in the night to our great joy, i'or we had mourned for him as dead. Fred Doten in trying to clean his gun accidentally discharged it, to the great indignation of those who lay in front of him and did not care to be considered as rebels. The bullet went into the ground near my head. Upon our right we connected with a remnant of the Irish Brigade and a little farther on was a battery of brass guns. Upon the left I do not know what troops were near us, if any. I am bound to say that tired, hungry, cold and dirty as w^e were, we did not personally have much of the 'On to Richmond' feel- ing and personally were not anxious to renew the contest, but all day we expected the order and had it come no doubt would have done our duty. The next night was about as uncomfortable as that which l^receded it. Friday morning dawned and no enemy appeared in our front. ( )ur skirniishers were advanced for over half a mile without meeting opposition. Now we could stand upright and look around us. Just in front of us and but a very few rods distant was a rebel rifle-pit. Their dead bodies lay thick in it and just in front of it lay the dead body of one of our men apparently killed in the very moment that he was captured. About ten o'clock we were relieved and sent back to the rear where we joined the other regiments of the brigade and had ammimition, bread and pork issued to us. Thus ended our actual share in the battle." 48 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Samuel Fisk ("Dunn Browne"') of Company G writes to the Springfield Republican under date of September i8th as follows: — "The battle itself was a scene of indescribable con- fusion. Troops did not know what they were expected to do, and sometimes, in the excitement, fired at their own men. But in the main for green troops I think we behaved well : the men firing with precision and deliberation, though some shut their eyes and fired into the air. Old officers said the musketry fire was A section of "Bloody Lane" the hottest they ever heard. The excitement of battle comes in the day of it, but the horrors of it two or three days after. I have just passed over a part of the field, I suppose only a small part of it, and yet I have counted nearly a thousand dead bodies of rebels lying still unburied in groves and cornfields, on hillsides and in trenches. Three hundred and fifty I was told by one who helped bury them, were taken this morning from one long rifle- pit which lay just in front of where the Fourteenth (among The Battle of Antietam. 49 other regiments) made their fight, and were bnried in one trench." (This mnst have been the section of the Sunken Road known as Bloody Lane.) "The air grows terribly offensive from the un- buried bodies : and a pestilence will speedily be bred if they are not put under ground. The most of the Union soldiers are now buried, though some of them only slightly. Think, now, of the horrors of such a scene as lies all around us ; for there are hundreds of horses too, all mangled and putrefving, scattered everywhere ! Then there are the broken gun-carriages and wagons, and thousands of muskets, and all sorts of equipments, the clothing all torn and bloodw and cartridges and cannnn shot, and pieces of shell, the trees torn with shot and scarred with bullets, the farm houses and barns knocked to pieces and burned down, the crops trampled and wasted, the whole country forlorn and desolate."" Thursday night Commissary-Sergeant J. W. Knowlton crossed the creek with a light wagon load of provisions and refreshed the men as far as the limited supply would admit. The regiment was relieved from its tedious and uncomfortable position on the plowed ground by General Hancock, to whose division they were temporarily attached, at ten o'clock Friday morning, going to the rear and joining their own brigade, and receiving rations, and bivouacked in the East Woods. Thus ends the regiment's share in the battle of Antietam. It had indeed been a trying ordeal and its loss of men in killed and wounded was very great. The staff of the United States color was shot in two by a bullet, and the eagle's head knocked off by a piece of shell. The color bearer. Sergeant Thomas J. Mills of New London, who had been a lieutenant in the ist C. H. A., was mortally wounded, when Sergeant George Augustus Foote, of Guilford, volunteered to take his place, and carried the flag the remainder of the day. The report of the Adjutant-General of Connecticut states the loss in killed, 2 commissioned officers. 19 enlisted men ; wounded, 2 commissioned officers, 86 enlisted men ; missing, 28 enlisted men ; total 137. Acting Colonel Perkins submitted no report of the battle to 50 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. the Adjutant-General of Connecticut, but reported the killed, wounded and missing as follows : — • Company A. Killed, Privates, Thaddeus W. Lewis. Michael Maddegan, William H. Norton ; wounded. Corporals, Edward L. Humiston, William E. Craig, Privates, Joseph Alix, Henry E. Bachelor, Alfred lirown, Joel N. Bradley, Francis Curtis, Edward Hill, Duncan McCann, Charles H. l^latt, Stephen D. Skidmore, Frederick Tates, Edward A. Wilcox, Frederick Tay- lor ; missing. Privates, George P. Beck, Abner S. Whitcomli, Musicians. George H. Allen, Lucien W. Hubbard. Company B. Killed, Private, Robert Hubbard ; wounded. Cor- porals, Frederick R. Beebe, David Maitland, Privates, Samuel G. Camp, Charles C. Galpin, Joseph McClusky, Hugh ]\Ic- Bravne, Benjamin C. Wilcox; missing, IVivate, George Brown. Company C. Killed, Cor])orals, David Mix, Henry Keeler, Privates, John H. Smith. Michael Keegan : missing. Private. Manfred M. Gibbud. Com])any D. Killed, Privates, Henry Tiley, Russell Gris- wold, William \\ Ramsdell. John Abby ; wounded. Privates. George Colburn, (leorge W. Corbit, William H. Corbit. Loren S. Griswold, August Gross, Henry Hospodsky, James Henderson, Henry W. Orcutt, (ieorge V. Sloan, Joseph Stafford, Henry Tal- cott, Samuel L. Talcott, Thomas \\'ilkie, Christopher Waldo, Alfred A. Tatt, Abner S. r>owers, Ansel D. Newell: missing, Privates, Frank D. Alain, David 15. Crombie. Company E. Wounded, Sergeant, Henry C. Miller, Corporal, George Smith, Private, Richard West : missing. Privates, Lucien B. Holmes. William F. Lovejoy. Company F. Killed. Captain. Jarvis E. Plinn. Sergeant. Frederick R. Vam): wounded. Privates. Henry Alcott. Henry Beach, John L. Bartholomew, Martin D. Cowles, Peter Frazier, Victor Holcomb, — George H. Lewis, Eliphalet S. Packard, Hiland H. Parker. J. Frank Smith ; missing. Private, Francis Kavanagh. Company G. Killed. Captain. Samuel F. Willard, Private. John W. Parks ; wounded. Sergeant, Henry A. Pendleton. Privates. George H. Done. Alfred H. Dibble. John A. Hurd ; missing. Private. Horace Stevens. The Battle of Antietam. 51 Company H. Wounded, Sergeants, Jolin A. Tibbits, Thomas J. Mills, Privates, — S. S. P'ox, John Miner, — F. M. Ames; miss- ing. Privates, John Lunger, John Goddard, Lewis L. Latour, Christopher Brown, Edward Mitchell. Company L Killed, Corporal, Richard L. Hull, Privates, Edmund L Field, Raphael W. Benton ; wounded, Privates, Henry AL Rossiter, John Ryan, \'alentine Arendholtz ; missing. Corporal, Elbert Sperry, Privates, Sylvester J. Taylor, Augustus Flowers, Hiram Couch. Comi)any I\. Killed, Privates, Benjamin R. haulier, Henry P. Yerrington : wounded. Lieutenants, James F). Coit. (ieoige H. Crosby, Corporals, John R. Webster, Edward Dorcey, Privates, George W. Babcock, H. H. Brainard, Peter Divine, Jacob Dyetch, Nelson Bement, John Bayhan, William Carroll. Selden Fuller, John Harren, S. D. AUyn, — A. T. Simonds : missing. Corporal, N. P. Rockwood, Privates, Frederick Chadwick, T. Farrell, E. Weeks, C. Risley, E. Maynard, O. Kibbe. Captain Jarvis E. Blinn. of Company F. the first officer to head the list of those who were killed in the service of the Fourteenth Regiment, was born at Rocky Hill. Conn.. July 28th. 1836. He resided there until 1853. when he removed to New P)ritain. August 8th. 1862. he enlisted in the company then organizing in New Britain for the Fourteenth Regiment. He was unani- mously chosen captain and commissioned as such August 15th; left the state at the head of his company August 25th ; and was constanly at his post until the 17th of September, when, early in the day, just as his company was ordered to fall back from their somewhat advanced position on the battlefield, a bullet struck him, passing through the heart. He made the single exclamation "I am a dead man!" and died instantly. A friend sa\s of him: — 'T know of no important incidents in his life. I onlv know that he was faitliful and true in all the rela- tions of life, winning his wav by his own merit to the aiTection and confidence of all who knew him. With an earnest devotion Note. The names marked with this sign — are not found in State Roster •of the Fourteenth Regiment published in i88q. 52 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. to his country, he gave himself 'wiUing to die if need be. for the good cause.' " His remains were taken to New Britain for inter- ment. Captain Samuel F. AMllard. of Company G, was lujrn in Madison, Conn., November 22d, 1822. He passed his life in that quiet New England village in mercantile pursuits until his enlistment in the Fourteenth Regiment August 6th, 1862. He had some military experience, having commanded an independent militia company in his own town. Being impressed with his duty to his country at the second call for troops, he called upon his townsfolk to f(irm a com])any for the war. The ranks were quickly filled with the l)est and bravest of the vouth of the town and he was unanimously chosen captain. Early in the da\' while gallantly leading his men into the thick of the fray, he fell uncon- scious and later died. His body was taken to Madison where he was buried with military and masonic honors. Second Lieutenant George H. D. Crosby, who was mortally wounded, died October 23d, 1862. He was born at Barnstable, Mass., November 22d, 1840. In 1850 he removed with his parents to Middle Haddam, Conn., where he resided until his enlistment. He made two unsuccessful attempts to get an ap- pointment at West Point, entering Wesleyan University in Mid- dletown in the fall of 1861. Having decided military predilec- tions, he joined the Mansfield Guard and there studied the tactics. He marched with his regiment to Washington and was left with a large guard over the camp at Arlington, when the regiment marched to Fort Ethan Allen. The government not supplying sufficient rations, he purchased them for his men from his own limited means, declining to be repaid. When the regiment marched from Ethan Allen on the ^laryland campaign, he rose from a sick bed in the hospital to join and march with his com- panv. A letter written about this time from Sergeant Goodwin of his company ( killed later in the war) to his friends, praises his coolness under fire and states that his men were growing very fond of him. During the battle Crosby was walking from one end of his company to the other, encouraging his men. when a bullet struck him in the side, passing through his lungs just in The Battle of Antietam. 53 front of the spine, and lodging on the opposite side just under the skin. He was carried back to the hospital and a few days later sent home where he died, as we have above stated. Before leaving the vicinity of Sharpsburg, the officers assembled and adopted the following resolution :— "Resolved, That we, their fellow-officers, do but simple justice to the memory of these brave and devoted officers w^hen we testify in this public manner to their efficiency in every public and private duty, to their watchful kindness and care over the soldiers of their respective companies, to the fraternal courtesy ever manifested by them in their intercourse with others, and to their earnestness and zeal in the ]:)atriotic cause for which they drew their swords." It only remains to record a few notices of recognition and praise by the several officers in command and in coiffirmation of what has been w^ritten, in addition to the full reports of the battle by Colonel Morris, Acting Brigadier-General of the Second Brigade, and Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins to their superior officers. General Hancock says: — "I found the troops occupying one line of battle in close proximity to the enemy, who was then again in position behind Piper's house. The Fourteenth Connecticut Regiment and a detachment from the One Hundred and Eighth New York A'olunteers. both under command of Colonel Dwight Morris, were in reserve, the whole command numbering about 2,100 men, wath no artillery. Finding a considerable interval at a dangerous point between Meagher's Brigade, then commanded by Colonel Burke, of the Sixty-third Regiment New York Volun- teers, and Caldwell's Brigade, the Fourteenth Connecticut was placed there, and the detachment from the One Hundred and Eighth New York Volunteers on the extreme left." General French, Commander of the Division, says in his re- port:— -"Surgeon Grant organized his Division Hospital under fire. The division commissary. Lieutenant Schuffner, and Lieu- tenant Hale, Fourteenth Connecticut, division ordnance officer, were stretuious in their exertions to supply the command. The conduct of the new regiments nnist take a prominent place in 54 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. the history of this great battle. Unch-illed. but admirably armed and equipped, every regiment, either in advance or reserve, dis- tinguished itself, but according to the energy and ability of their respective commanders. The report of Colonel Morris, Four- teenth Connecticut, commanding brigade, exhibits the services of his command. There never was such material in any army and in one month these splendid men will not be excelled by any." Report of Colonel Dwight ^Morris, Fourteenth Connecticut Infantry, commanding Second Brigade, of the battle of Antietam : "Headquarters Second Brigade, h'rench's Division, September 19, 1862. Sir : In obedience to orders, my brigade left camp at Keedys- ville on the morning of the 17th. After fording the Antietam, marching about two miles 1)\- the flank, we formed line of battle, the Fourteenth Connecticut on the right, the One Hundred and Thirtieth Pennsylvania center, and One Hundred and Eighth New York on the extreme left. We marched forward, forming in front of William Roulette's house and farm, which was occupied bv the enemy, and, having driven them from that position, the right rested in a cornfield and the center occupied a space in front of an orchard. We were here exposed to a galling cross-fire for three hours, but maintained the position. The Fifth ),laryland Regiment fell back early in the action, passing through th.e right wing of the Fourteenth Connecticut. The right was immediately formed by Lieutenant-Colonel S. H. Perkins, and the regiment three times formed under a severe cross-fire. !\lajor C. C. Clark also rendered great assistance in forming the line. Adjutant T. G. Ellis, who acted as my aide, constantly communi- cated with General French, and in doing so was greatly exposed in conseciuence of the position taken l)y the general amid a very hot fire. Having received orders to support General Kimball, \Aio was obtaining amnmuition, I reported to him, and was ordered to take a position near a stone wall and to hold it. This I did with the Fourteenth Connecticut alone until ordered to advance the The Battle of Antietam. 55 Fourteenth to support Colonel ]*>rooke, commanding First Brigade, Richardson's Division. I took the position assigned, and was ordered by General Caldwell, tem])orarily in command of Richardson's Division, to remain until further orders. The Fourteenth was here shelled by the enemy, until ordered by General Hancock, who relieved (General Caldwell from the com- mand, to the front which positi<^n the I^^ourteenth held for thirty- six hours, constantly harassed by the enemy. From the time I was ordered to sui)])ort ( leneral Kimball I remained with the Fourteenth and ( )ne hundred and thirtieth Pennsylvania, now joined to the l^^irst Ih'igade, and the One hundred and eighth New York. For details [ refer you to the reports of the colonels of the regiments. My brigade cai)tured 2 stand of colors, 2 captains, 7 lieutenants, and about 400 privates, who were turned over to the provost- marshal at I'oonsborough, besides wounding many field officers of the enemy. W'e also took (n'er 400 stand of arms, which were turned over to the ordnance officer. I attribute our success in a great measure to the constant communication with the command- ing general through the day, as well as to the unsurpassed bravery of our men. The men in my brigade were all new troops, hastily raised, and without drill f)r experience, and although under fire for the first time, behaved with great gallantry. In front of the last position held by the Fourteenth Connecticut more than 1,000 of the enemy lie slain. My loss in killed, wounded, and missing is 529. Very respectfully yours, DwiGHT Morris, Colonel, Commanding Second Brigade, French's DiAision. Lieutenant J. \V. Plume, Assistant Adjutant-General." Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Sanford H. Perkins, Fourteenth Connecticut Lifantry, of the battle of Antietam : "Headquarters Fourteenth Regiment Connecticut A'olunteers, Sharpsburg, ^Id., Se])tember 19, 1862. We broke bivouac at camp near Keedysville. Md., on the morn- ing of the 17th of September, taking position on the right of 56 Fourteerith Regiment, C. V. Infantry. your command according to order, and marched about two hours by flank, when we formed Hne of battle and moved forward a distance of about one-half mile, when we became engaged, our position being in a corn-field west of William Roulette's farm- house, the enemy occupying a position on the summit of a hill to our front. The Fifth Maryland Regiment being slightly in our advance, I reserved my fire until they broke, which threw three companies of my right wing into confusion, when we opened fire from the left and proceeded to rally the right, which having been effected, we held our position under a severe cross-fire for nearly three hours, during which time, my horse being disabled, I was obliged to continue with my command on foot. I cannot omit to say that during the time above mentioned my right and center were broken twice, but rallied on the colors and formed in good order and, when ordered to retire, moved from the field with precision, after which we accoiupanied you to sup- port General Kimball, wdio was retiring for ammunition, and took a position near a stone wall east of the farm-house, holding the same until ordered to support Colonel Brooke. During this movement, while marching by flank, a shell was thrown into our ranks, killing several of our men. The ranks were at once closed, the regiment moving forward at quick time and in good order. At this time and during the remaining thirty-six hours, being under your immediate command, requires no further details. Where all behaved so well it may seem invidious to particu- larize, but I feel bound to mention Captain Blinn, of Company F, and Captain Willard, of Company G, who fell at their posts gallantly cheering their commands. Also First Lieutenant Coit, commanding Company K, and Lieutenant Crosby, of the same company, were dangerously wounded, leaving that company wathout a commissioned officer. Acting Adjutant Lucas, Assist- ant Adjutant-General Ellis, together with Major C. C. Clark, rendered great assistance in rallying the command under a gall- ing fire, at which time the horse of Assistant Adjutant Ellis was disabled. Sergeant Mills, color-bearer, was severely, if not mortallv, wounded while bearing and waving aloft our standard. The Battle of Antietam. 57 and his place was filled b}- Lieutenant Comstock, Company H, who, with Sergeant Foote, of Company I, retained them until the close of the action. Our colors are riddled with shot and shell, and the stafif broken. Captain Gibbons of Company B, deserves notice, who. finding the farm-house occupied by a large force of the enemy, ordered his company to advance and fire, scattering them and driving a portion of them into the cellar, where, by closing the door, a large number of them were cap- tured. As you are aware, our men, hastily raised and without drill behaved like veterans, and fully maintained the honor of the Union and our native State. Total killed, wounded, and missing. 156. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, Sanford H. Perkins, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Fourteenth Regiment Con- necticut \"olunteers. Colonel Dwight Morris, Commanding Second Brigade, General French's Division." Kimball's Hill, Antietar CHAPTER IV. After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. It was apparent I'^riday that Lee liad moved his armv across the Potomac at the Shepardstown ford and was now safely on Virginia soil. McClellan was one (^f the most courteons and generous of generals and, although a ])art of his army, the Fifth and Sixth Corps and cavalry, were practically unused in the battle of Wednesday, did not attempt to further disturlj the enemy. Then again he was probably aware that Lee had not completed arrangements to meet him. This delay in not finish- ing the battle at Antietam gave his army opportunity for rest and recuperation. The army though jaded and worn by the terrible experiences of the week would, however, have responded to a call for a further attack cheerfully. The men of the regiment went over the ground and viewed the havoc of the l^attle. In consideration for the regiment's service at the front, the men were relieved from the disagreeal;)!e duty of helping to bnry the dead, though some of the men assisted. Saturday afternoon there was an inspection of the regiment in common with the entire army. On Sunday religious services were held in the beautiful oak grove where the regiment was bivouacked, with "flag-draped drums for a pulpit and the inspir- ing music of the band serving as church bell and orchestra. ' (58) After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. 59 This was the first religions service in the field, few have been held under such circnmgtances, and none will forget that im- pressive occasion. The horrible experiences of the week, the deaths of their comrades, many of them attached to each other by the ties of boyhood (la_\'s, brothers and relatives, were very vivid to them in these honrs of more qniet reflection. In the vacancy made by the death of Ca])tain Diinn, wlio was killed early in the day of the liattle, ist I.ientenant Samnel A. Moore of Company F was promoted to l)e captain. Dnring Snnda}' a ration of fresh beef was served which v>as the second since leaving Hartford. All the rations the regiment had during- the week since reaching Antietam had been fonr issues of hardtack, cofifee, sugar and salt pork. On September 21st, Sergeant Benjamin Hirst states: — "Every man who had cut his body belt to a nice fit was charged Where the Regiment forded the : 60 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. with a new one. A few days before a man wearing his belt passing through the loops on his cartridge-box (as do all old soldiers) was fined $4." On Monday, the 22d, the regiment started on its march to Harper's Ferry, fourteen miles distant, directly s(^uth, moving to the Hagerstown turnpike, passing the battered and shot riddled Dunkerd Church, and through Sharpsburg. The march was over a dustv road, the dav was excessivelv hot and iranv of the men JOHN MCCARTHY. Chief Musician, who led the Band as the Regiment forded the river Sept. 22, felt it a hard task to keep up. and it was "Close up, Close up" all day. Officers and men were falling out every mile. About two o'clock they arrived opposite Harper's Ferry and found the Taridges had been burned and it was necessary to ford the river. The river at that point was a wide brawling stream with a rajjid current, but not more than two or three feet in depth. It was an animating scene, the band leading the way playing "Jordan is a After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. 61 Hard Road to Travel," "'Way Down South in Dixie," "Yanl<ce Doodle" and "( Jld X'irginia." Every now and then some un- fortunate wight would be carried otf his feet by the current or would slide on the slippery rocks that formed the bottom of the river and would go under the water, blowing like a porpoise and dripping wet, when he emerged, to the infinite amusement of his comrades. It was merry work crossing the stream and there was a feeling of exhilaration as they passed by the ruins of the arsenal where John Brown had fought so stoutly, the band pla} ing "Glory Hallelujah." We copy on interesting passage from Colonel Frederick L. Hitchcock in his "War from the Inside," being some interesting sketches of the I32d Pennsylvania Regiment. Speaking of this fording the river he sa^s : — "Our division was headed by the Fourteenth Connecticut, and as we approached the river opposite Harper's Ferry its fine band struck up the then new and popular air, 'John Brown's Body,' and the whole division took up the song, and we forded the river singing it." After leaving Harper's Ferry the colunm marclied through the town of Bolivar until it reached Bolivar Heights where they encamped, about two miles from the town, wdiich is nestled in a valley at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers be- tween three tremendous hills, or it might be said mountains for they form a ]iart of the Blue Ridge Chain, — a most beautiful view. Away up on the right were McClellan's headquarters and occasionally on a clear day could be seen a balloon hovering in the air above to obtain a view of the enemy. The rebel camp- fires were in view about eight miles distant. The sight was a grand one as the great army was encamped over these hills and the view at night of thousands of camp-fires illuminated the hills from base to summit. The experiences of the week and the scanty supply of food, overcoats and blankets caused great suffering. In digging in an old breastwork which ran along the front some Sibley tents were found that had been secreted there the week before when our troops surrendered the place to the Confederates. Also dead bodies were found in this breastwork. These tents-. 62 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. were promptly made use of for shelter, they being particularly welcome owing- to the wet condition of the men from fording the river. September 27th the sick men of the regiment, who were left at Fort Ethan Allen under the care of Dr. Jewett, joined the regiment. Detachments from the regiment were assigned to duty here and there guarding government stores and doing picket duty. During the stay at fJolivar Heights there was much sickness in the camp, manv times more than two hundred l)eing under the doctor's care. This was owing to bad water, lack of proper food and no overcoats or blankets, and the nights were cold and frosty. A happv feature of the situation was its comparative nearness to the Shenandoah River, about a mile away, where the men could go to bathe. Hat per > Ft with Bolivar Heights in the distance. Comrade Albert F. Hall, of Company H, relates some experi- -ences which may represent that of many others. He says: — "The water here was so bad and with other conditions caused a great amount of sickness and eventually a large number of deaths. Chronic diarrhea was prevalent and I soon became the victim of typhoid fever, being carried on a stretcher to the little town of Bolivar below us. Here I was placed with others on After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. 63 the floor of an unoccupied house. ?\lany around me died, but by such attention as my conn-ades and the surgeon could give me, I escaped death. ( )ne l)right afternoon in October, utterly weak as I was, I tried to crawl out and up to the corner, a few rods distant. Near the ct)rner house, the lower |)art of which was occupied bv sutlers, there was in the back-yard an old lady wash- ing", who beckoned me to come in. I did so and dropped upon a bench, utterly exhausted and too weak to go farther. The name of this old lady was Cross, and she talked to me long and earnestly. I found her a good Union woman, with a son in the Maryland cavalr\-, living with her daughter in two rooms up- stairs. I told her 1 would be so glad if T could get into a place where there was a fire. She finally said 1 should have a place on her floor near the stove. The following morning. Sunday, her daughter appeared, very ])lainly dressed in calico, but with bright black eyes and a sym])athetic heart, furnishing water, towel and soap I soon felt like a new man, which was completed by giving me a clean shirt of her brother's. Later I discovered that this }oung lady, Sarah J. Cross, had a history, having been instumental in conveying information from the Confederate armv to the I'nion forces opj^osite, which fact the rebels ascertained and placed her under arrest, placing her in charge of her uncle, with the charge that if she escaped, it would mean death to him. L'ndaunted. however, this girl per- sauded her uncle to allow her to visit her sister at a point of rocks some distance away, ()])posite the C^nion lines. She made her way there under cover of night, put out the light, and at dawn the following dav went out upon the high point of rocks and, signalling with her handkerchief, a boat with Union soldiers at the oars was crossing. She jumped into a boat and started for the other side. Soon the Confederate cavalry dashed around the bend and began firing. Standing in the boat, she urged the brave men on while the Confederate bullets were flying about them. At last they got out of range and reached the Union shore. This brave girl stepped ashore and, waving her handker- chief, disappeared under the protection of the Union army. After the war she married a sergeant of Company B, Cole's Cavalry." 64 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Here it may be well to state the routine of the regi- ment's life. At five thirty in the morning the men were aroused by the roll of the drums. They would beat only four or five minutes and the man who was not in the ranks when they ceased, dressed, and ready for roll-call, was reported to headquarters for punishment. Calling the roll took only about five minutes when they were dismissed to get their own breakfasts as best they might. The main difficulty was the long distance and steep road over which they had to go for water and wood. At 7.30 the bugle sounded "Surgeon's Call'' when all the invalids went down to have an interview with the M. D. The doctor felt the pulse of his patient and looked at his tongue and punched him in the ribs, and if he thought him not sa in Harper's Ferry. After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. 65 sick as he represented himself to be swore at him and bade him be off. If. however, he thought him really unwell, he gave him a nauseous pill before dismissing him. This pill came to be known among the men as "No. 9" At 8 o'clock a. m. was guard mounting. Some thirty men were chosen from the various com- panies to act as sentries for the ensuing twenty-four hours. They were marched out, paraded, clothing and equipment inspected, and marched off to their posts to the sound of music. At 8.30 the regiment was drilled either by company or battalion, usually for about two hours. I'rom about 1 1 o'clock until 3 the men did not have much to do except to get dinner. From 3 until 5.30 they were drilled again and wound up the duties of the day by dress- parade. At 8 in the evening was roll-call and at 9 the bugle w^as sounded to extinguish lights. The retreat call at sundown was really enjoyed and oftentimes the fine band of the regiment would extend it into an evening concert. The almost universal time killer in camp was cards. Various games were played, but poker was king. A game of the latter could be found in almost every company street, officers as well as men taking a "twist at the tiger." There was no question about the morals of the regiment, and it may be a joke, but has some significance when it is said that the Colonel offered a prize of $5 for any one that heard a man swear. The regiment left Bolivar Heights on the morning of October 30th crossing the Shenandoah on a pontoon bridge and taking a hilly road through the mountains a few miles, and then biv- ouacked about eight miles from Harper's Ferry, between that place and Leesburg. When the regiment left Bolivar Heights several of the sick were sent back to the various hospitals. There was something inspiring in the sight of the great army on the march. The long trains of wagons, the shining brass pieces of artillery, the horses with scarlet blankets, the long steadily moving column of men. the gleaming steel weapons and the echoing bugle calls rouse the martial spirit in a man if he has any. Then at night the camp-fires, shining through the dark- ness over all the surrounding hills, make the landscape look like 66 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. 'Jefferson Rock'" overlooking^ the Shenandoah River. a view of some iireat cit}- in the evening- ; and the Httle groups of men around the fires, the stacks of arms, and the horses graz- ing, make grou]:»s that a ])ainter might well copy. November ist the march was continued down the Louden Valley about three miles. ( )n this day a very ludicrous incident occurred. While in camp here some of the men strayed out into a garden in search of vegetables and met with a c|ueer interrup- tion and reception. A red-headed daughter of the "sunny South" rushed out and overturned five or six beehives which stood at one end of the garden. While "our bo\s" could stand before a storm of shot and bullets, they were not disposed to face this musketry of nature and beat a hasty retreat before the infuriated insects, but later returned and secured the honey, which would not have been disturbed in the ordinary course of events. Cor- poral Albert R. Crittenden writes of a further development of After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. 67 this incident. He says: — "After tlie bees were subdued and the contents of the hives feh into our hands, to some of us it proved an 'apple of Sodom' for we ^ot only bee bread. The red- headed daughter of the South and an older female came into camp to identify some of the raiders. They liohted on us, not because the\- were sure it was us, but as the raiders had on dark blue trousers, we were taken to account. Some remnants of a honey box were found in one of the compan_\- streets and the captain was called on to explain. He said he did not know how the honey box came there, they had just moved into their position, and all his men were present or accounted for. bTu-thermore, he did not believe his men would l)e guilt}- of such actions as thev were all pious men and good liaptists, indeed only about six weeks had passed since he had seen them all immersed in the Potomac. The captain was so positive in his statement of 'facts' and so honest about it that the maidens appeared satisfied and took leave of us." November 2(1, Sunday, the march was continued in the direc- tion of Snicker's Cia]). The cavalry in advance kept up a run- ning fire with the enemy's horse, cannonading all dax. About 2 p. m. the regiment was formed in line of battle and skirmishers sent out to ascertain about a column of troops in front. Upon its being discovered that they were Union men, the march was resumed to Snicker's (iap, where they encamped for the night. Few of the regiment will forget that encampment. It was a bright moonlight night and the men had been sent to these heights to keep the Confederates from passing through the Gap. Picket-lines were thrown out. The view was a grand one as on the one side could be seen the Louden X'alley along wdiich the Union troops were camped and on the other side could be seen the Confederate army in the Shenandoah X'alley. The lights of the camp-fires of each army were ])lainly visible. Some of the men claim it was here that it was first discovered that the initials "B. C." were imprinted upon the hardtack. November 2d the regiment went into bivouac at Uppersville There was evidence that the enemy's cavalry were close in front and were falling back upon the advance. Tlieir camp-fires were 68 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. still smoking- and it was apparent they had made a hasty retreat. Many of the men who had fallen out from various causes rejoined the regiment and at this time it numbered about 450 men, all told. A portion of the regiment was detached to guard an am- munition train, the rest moving on and bivouacking about ten miles from the battle-field of Bull Run. November 7th the march was resumed and the regiment had their first experience of snow in the South. November 8th the march was through Warrenton, Va., with colors flying and band playing. General French at the head, and encamped on the out- skirts of the town, the inhabitants looking surly enough. Ser- geant Benjamin Hirst records under this date: — "Before the rebellion Warrenton must have been a very fine city, but every- thing now seems deserted. Of inhabitants I saw none but a few ladies peering at us through half-opened window blinds, and most of them seemed to be weeping. As we marched by, our band played 'Yankee Doodle' without consoling them a bit." An incident occurred while encamped near Warrenton of interest to members of the regiment, which may be here recorded. I '"Headquarters 14th Conn. \'ols.. Camp near Warrenton, Va., November 12th, 1862. Captain S. H. Davis, Sir : — You are hereby ordered to give in writing immediately the reason for the occasion of the noise in your quarters last night at or about one o'clock. By order of S. H. Perkins, Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding 14th. Conn. Vols. George N. Moorehouse, Acting Adjutant." Upon receipt of the foregoing order Captain Davis luade the following reply : — "Camp 14th Conn. Vols., near Warrenton. Va., November 12th, 1862. Lieutenant-Colonel S. H. Perkins, Commanding 14th Conn. Vols. Sir : — In response to your order of this date. I hereby respect- fullv furnish 'the reason for the occasion of the noise in my After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. 69 quarters last night at or about one o'clock'. Late in the night — at precisely what hour I am unable to say — I was aroused from my peaceful slumbers by partial suffocation and also consider- able disturbance in my quarters. Through the thick veil of smoke which clouded my vision I beheld the towering form of my sable servant Philip — his countenance illuminated by tlie mingled light of burning brands — and his snowy teeth — and ghastly with an indescribable expression of confusion and horror, with one hand frantically, but fruitlessly, endeavoring to extin- guish his burning pants — and the other upraised and swaying to and fro in the agony of despair, vainly striving to prevent the devouring element from wholly destroying the wretched remnant of a shelter tent which the said Philip is wont to use as a cover- ing. A din of "laughter, coughing, curses and exhortations" saluted my affrighted ears. When I had sufficiently recovered my senses to realize the 'situation' the extreme ludicrousness of the whole scene caused me to join the peal of laughter. The terrified African finally succeeded in gaining the open air where he continued his incendiary work by unwittingly firing a woolen shirt, the property of Captain S. W. Carpenter's colored person, by name 'George'. The friendly exchange of compliments be- tween the two descendants of Ham which followed this breach of propriety, and the increased consternation of Philip ( who now began to view himself in the light of the destroying angel com- missioned to produce the final conflagration of this mundane sphere) furnished new material for laughter — and finally the woe-begone expression of that dejected contraband as he sorrow- fully sat surrounded by the ruin his hands (or feet rather) had wrought, his eyes bedewed with tears of mingled smoke and emotion — was too much for human risibles and then I laughed. At about this time the festivities of the occasion were interrupted by the voice of one I supposed to be yourself, forbidding the further continuance of the same which was the first intimation I had that I was engaged in disturbing camp. Asking your par- don for this my prolixity yet feeling conscious that though neces- sary it fails to do justice to the subject, I have the honor to sub- scribe myself. Your obedient servant, S. H. Davis, Captain 14th Connecticut A^olunteers." 70 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. It was while here that the regiment learned of the removal of McClellan. he being superceded by General Burnside. A fare- well review of the troops was given. Notwithstanding his ill success, very many of the men had confidence in him and were not altogether pleased with his retirement. The regiment remained near W'arrenton until the 15th, when after a hard march of about a dozen miles, they hivcniacked with the rest of the division on a great ])lain not far from Wairenton Junction. On November if^th Company A was detached to guard a cross-road and s]X'nt the day there while the entire corps marched past and in the middle of the afternoon they started and overtook them, after marching about ten miles, and encamped about two miles in the rear of Falmouth. They remained here until three o'clock in the afternoon of the i8th when they took up the line of march for IJellc Plain. General French was at the head of the colunm, and was saluted with cheers. He swung his hat and was cheered in return and really seemed sorry to see the regiment go. (leneral French was familiarly known amon.;- the bo>s as "General lilinkie," a nickname applied to him from the peculiar blinking of his eyes which seemed to move all the muscles of his face, they moving up and down like the shutters of a blind. The sutler's tent was often the object of attack and most com- plete annihilation. Sergeant Wade speaks of one occuring on the march from Bolivar Heights to Belle Plain when the Tenth New York tipped over a sutler's tent, stealing about two thous- and loaves of bread for which the thrifty sutler had been charg- ing the men fifteen cents a loaf. A member of Company ¥, Fourteenth Regiment, familiarly known as "Auty" was ever alert when there was anvthing to eat. Tt was while attempting to get his share of the plunder that he accidentally sprained his ankle and was taken to Surgeon Dudley's tent, where the ever ready surgeon gave him one of his famous No. 0 pills. These pills seemed equally efficient in restoring a sprained limb as in a case of chronic diarrhea. "Auty" reported himself for duty the next day. The march was resumed about 7.30 on the morning of the igth, the men in the best spirits, but their mood was changed After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. 7 1 before the day was over. Colonel Morris became bewildered and marched them roimd and round, throug'h woods, across .-.treanis and through farmer's dooryards. Tlien the guide, who was a "secesh" farmer cleared out. The rain fell heavily and the regi- ment crossed the same stream four times and every now and then would about face and take the back track, and were some five hours in marching a distance of four miles. ( )n reaching Belle Plain the regiment was marched and countermarched several times over the ground and at length, the worst possible spot hav- ing been selected, w^ent into camp, the men wet, muddy and dispirited, about dark. The condition of the regiment at Belle Plain was most un- comfortable. It rained for nearly a week after the regiment reached there, the cam]) was situated amid swam])s and mud flats, their blankets and clothing were wet through and their fires could not be made to burn. Detachments from the regi- ment as well as the brigade were sent out to unload barqes and steamboats. Sergeant E. B. Tvler of Company P) gives a vivid statement of the experiences of the regiment at this point. He says : — "The march through the Louden X^alley and from thence to Falmouth ; the sicklv, disagreeable, nonsoldier-like experiences of P>elle Plain where our men, wholly unused to such work, were detailed to do duty as stevedores and longshoremen, some slight of frame and weakened in muscle by soldier fare, staggering from the barges under loads they could scarcely carry, while a big, fat, lazy negro stood by, sleepily mouthing out something that was supposed to be tally, although almost unintelligible to our men. This and the ap]>arent inability of our surgeons to cope with the various diseases and ailments that were reducing our muster roll da}- by day ; the full import of the dififerences in condition, as well as apparent importance in the esteem of the government between officers and men, especially those officers of high rank ; these were things that tried the metal and patience of our soldiers, so recently citizens, with all the rights and privi- leges of American citizenship, more than facing Confederate musket and cannon." By the first of December the conditions of the camp had some- 72 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. what improved. The band, which had so greatly helped to in- spire and encourage the men during these hard days, serenaded Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins, playing "Auld Lang Syne" and na- tional airs. December 6th the regiment was ordered to break camp at Belle Plain and join the army on the Rappahannock. The march was a wearisome and trying one. Dr. Levi Jewett records his impressions. He says: — "I well remember that march. It was a cold day, the mud deep and sticky and a cold rain fell nearly all day. toward night becoming mixed with snow and hail, and we had as unpleasant a time as I can remember during my whole army life. It was pitch dark when we reached our destination and w'e were told to go into the pine woods for the night. Heavy masses of snow were falling from the trees and there w^as nearly a foot of snow on the ground. It was a dismal place, — not much to eat and no way to make fires. There at Harper's Ferr} After Antietam and Before Fredericksburg. 73' was not much sleep that night. Colonel Morris with the aid of pioneers had a fire made at headquarters where some of us tried to get warm. It seemed as if half the boys would be dead before morning, but they all seemed to come out bright next day and went to cleaning up the ground and making a comfortable camp." Here they remained until the evening of December loth, where we may leave them to await the events of the coming dav. The Burnside Bridge in Where the pontoon touched the Fredericksburg shore. CHAPTER V. The Battle of Fredericksburg. It chills the blood to follow the cxjieriences of the Fourteenth Regiment during the short time it has been in service. The long march from Fort Ethan Allen to Antietam, the terrible ex- periences there, the tedious march to IJolivar Heights, the lack of proper food and clothing, the wearisome march to Belle Plain, the unsoldier-like and disorderly condition of the camp, and the heavy work as stevedores, make one wonder how any man could live to reach his native state. We come now to relate the bitterest of all these experiences in what might well be called the massacre of F'redericksburg. To iniderstand the details of this horrible battle we may look for a moment at the situation. The regiment was encamped now at Falmouth, about three miles above Fredericksburg, on the north side of the Rai)])ahannock. Fredericks1:)urg, a sluggish South- ern city, lies on what might be termed the south side of the river, the river at this point running from northwest to southeast. It had a few mills which were fed 1)\- a causeway running along in the rear of the town between the town and the Confederate for- tifications. This causeway was from ten to fifteen feet wide, quite deep, and spanned by a number of little bridges, from which the planks were removed at the time of the battle. The (74) The Battle of Fredericksburg. 75 town rambles along tlie river front for abont two miles. A high ridge directly in rear of the town was called Marye's Heights, which encircle the city back some five hundred yards, and are the termination of a plateau which rises from one hundred and fiftv to two hundred feet in an abrupt terrace from the plain upon which the city stands. These heights form a half-circle Major CYRUS C. CLARK. Wounded at Fredericksburg. from the river above to a point below the city some little distance from the river, and are most admirably adapted for defensive purposes. The rebel batteries, numbering at least one hundred guns, were massed on these heights, and covered not onlv every street leading out from the city, but every square foot of ground of the plain below. A third of the way down the terrace was an earthwork filled with infantrv while at its foot ran a stone wall 76 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. extending southward from the cemetery above the city and was continued by an earthwork around the whole circle. Behind this stone wall was massed a double line of Confederate infantry. To enter either street leading out to those heights was to face the concentrated fire of that mass of artillery and the deadly work of those three lines of infantry. The concentration of the Federal forces on the north side di- rectly in front, and the arrival of pontoon bridges to the edge of the river several weeks previous, were sufficient to give to so astute a military commander as Lee a key to Burnside's plans of operation. It is estimated that Lee had at this point about 85,000 men, the last of which had probably arrived there two weeks before the battle. The long delay in making any iv.ove to cross by the Federal forces gave the Confederates ample time to strengthen what was already an impregnable entrenchment. The semi-circular formation of the high ground enabled the Con- federate artillery to enfilade the Federal army both at right and left. The town lay on the plain between this ridge and the river. This position selected by Lee was the strongest for military operations that could be imagined. F^'rom this point of writing it would seem apparent that the moving of the Federal forces was as much to the mind and pleasing of Lee as if he had given Burnside written orders, for it would appear as though Burnside had no definite plan of his own as he abandoned the project which he entertained a few days previous of crossing at Skinker's Neck, ten miles or so below the town. To march his army to Fredericksburg he proposed to throw over four pontoon bridges, one at the north and one at the center of the town, and two below. He ordered his grand division commanders to concen- trate their troops near the proposed bridges, with Sumner near the upper and middle bridges and Franklin at the bridges beloAV the town. "The laying of four or five pontoon bridges capable of bearing a great army is a work of some time, and the crossing of bridges is like passing a defile. To pass 100,000 men with a numerous artillery over four or five bridges is as far as pos- sible from being a short or easy afifair in a season of profound peace, and when there are scores of long range guns ready to The Battle of Fredericksburg. 77 fire upon every head of a column as it debouches from its bridge, a serious compHcation is brought into the affair, and it was as certain as anything future that as soon as it was announced that the engineers were at work on the bridges, the whole Confederate army would be on the alert, and that if the movement appeared to be serious, any troops that might be on the river below would be promptly called on to move to the scene of action as swiftly as their swift Southern legs could carry them, and it was alto- gether probable that they would not arrive too late. And when it is remembered that the bridges were not thrown early on the iit-h., and that the attack was not made nor the army crossed that day, nor until more than forty-eight hours after work on the bridges was begun, it will be clear that all dreams of a surprise had vanished, and that the circumstances were well suited to filling the minds of Burnside's lieutenants with grave misgiving." Many of Burnside's generals advised against the attack, among whom was General Sumner of the Second Corps. One wonders whether it was the obstinacy of Burnside or pressure from Wash- ington impelled him to make this attack which resulted in such a fearful sacrifice. Certain if he was a military man of strength he must have known that it was impracticable and hopeless. About three o'clock Thursday morning, December the nth. work was begun throwing over the bridges. The morning was foggy and the work continued until ten o'clock when the fog lifted and exposed the engineers to a fierce fusillade of sharp- shooters secreted in rifle-pits and buildings that skirted the river side of the town. So determined was this firing that the work had to be discontinued, and the engineers were not successful in completing the bridges until about four o'clock in the afternoon. We quote from Walker's "History of the Second Corps" in regard to the laying of these bridges: — "So complete hide'^d was the Confederate's command of the situation, that when the work began at the Lacey House, on the morning of the nth., Barks- dale's JMississippians did not think it worth while to interfere, at first, with the detachment of Fiftieth New York engineers which had been charged with this duty, but allowed the bridge to be laid nearly two-thirds across the stream, when, bv one vollev. 78 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. the pontoons were swept clear of men. The position of the enemy, thus revealed, was, for an hour, poimded by our artillery, from right and left, until it was supposed that a sufficient effect had been produced, when the engineers were again ordered for- ward, but to no better eft'ect : then again and again the hopeless effort was renewed. 'They made,' sa\ s Lieutenant-Colonel Fiser, commanding the Seventeenth ^lississippi, 'nine desperate at- tempts to finish their bridges, but were severely punished and promptly repulsed at every attempt." " We left the regiment near Falmouth on the evening of De- cember loth. About two o'clock Thursday morning in camp all was bustle and animation, fires were blazing, men were hurrying to and fro, for the sergeant-major had just been round with the order, "Strike tents, pack u]3 and be ready at six o'clock for a march and a fight." The men hastened to obey and just as the day began to dawn, while they were finishing their breakfasts, the boom of heavy guns commenced, indicating that the ball had The Battle of Frederickrburg. 79 opened. But little time was allowed for retieetion for the clear ringing voice of the liei;tenant-colone! was heard giving the order to fall in and in ten minutes the regiment was in mcjtion. They took a circuitous route to avoid being seen by the eneni}- and at ten o'clock arrived at a place about one-half mile in the lear of the 2\Iajor Lacey house, the headquarters of (jeneral Sumner. There the division halted as the pontoons were not yet laid. Among the sick left at Belle Plain was Colonel Morris, Com- manding (General of the Second Brigade, which was now under command of Colonel Palmer of the io8th Xew York. The I32d Pennsvlvania had been added to the brigade. The experiences had told heavily upon the ranks of the regiment according to Sergeant Hirst for while they took into the engagement at An- tietam 800 men only 300 muskets left Falmouth. Toward night- fall there was a loud and long continued cheer as a signal that the bridges had been successfully laid. The order forward was given and the regiment passing through a narrow ravine moved toward the brink of the river, which they nearly reached when the order was countermanded and the regiment marched back and bi- vouacked in the underbrush. This underbrush was green and wet and it was with great difficulty that tires were made to cook ihe coffee and rations. Friday morning, the 12th, dawned clear, calm and beautiful, and the regiment was earl}' on the move toward the Rappahan- nock, passing over the bridge whose southern end was at the foot of Hawkes Street. There was a feeling of relief, and the band seeking to give expression to the joy of reaching the city struck up the tune "Dixie." They were immediately stopped by a staff-ofificer who either did not appreciate music just at that time or considered it indiscreet. From Hawkes Street the regi- ment turned to the left into Sophia Street, the first street irom the river and running parallel with it. Here they remained under arms the rest of the day, the roll being called as often as everv hour to prevent the men from straying from the ranks. The houses appeared to have suft'cred considerably from the can- nonading of the previous day, but not nearly as much as would have been supposed from listening to the bombardment. None «0 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. 'f^^-Jl '^_:--'-':---:^ ) >i# i^' m^ Where the Regiment crossed the Rappahannock. of the inliabitants were to be seen, they either having retreated within the rebel hnes or were hidden in cellars to be out of harm's way. Some houses and stores were broken open by stragglers, but nothing like indiscriminate pillage took place. The queer appearance presented by some of these stragglers was very laughable. One would have on a woman's hat or would be decorated with a plume of peacock's feathers, another would be carrying a large gilt mirror and another still rejoiced in the possession of a pulpit bible. The feeling of joy and exaltation in reaching Fredericksburg and finding it practically abandoned, which even prompted the band to burst out with music, gradually wore away and there came over the regiment a gloomy and solemn frame of mind. There was something unnatural in t'ao quiet of the enemy and it was no longer believed that they had retreated. The range of hills back of the town had a gnm and threatening appearance ?nd the suspense began to tell upon the The Battle of Fredericksburg. 81 men. Before night the regiment was moved to Caroline Street, halting on the north side of the street, the right resting on Hawkes Street and the left on Faquier Street. Night came on and the men were quartered in the houses in that vicinity, but were al- low^ed no fires. Some of the men went down cellar and, darken- ing the windows, fried cakes made out of flour they found in the house, for supper. Some of these cakes were fearfully and wonderfully made, but they were an improvement upon hard- tack and salt pork. At night man}- of the men rested in beds with one or two comrades, the first they had occupied since they left Connecticut. Caroline Street, where the Fourteenth rested December 13, 1862. The morning of the 13th was foggy and the position of the enemy could not be seen nor our own guns on the opposite- side of the river. It was generally rumored in the regiment that it would be the Second Brigade that would first attack the strong- hold of the Confederates. This was no mistake. About nine o'clock the regiment was suddenly ordered to fall in and obeyed, leaving their half cooked salt beef on the fire. They marched to Princess Anne Street and halted between the church and court house, the former of which was used as a hospital and the 82 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. latter as a signal station. The officer in charge of this signa^ station was Lieutenant Frederick Fuller of the I32d Pennsyl- vania Regiment, now of the Second Brigade. This was a con- spicuous mark for the Confederate gunners, one of the upright posts that held the belfry having been knocked out already. It was gratifying to see the faithfulness with which this otficer did his dutv in such perilous sittiation. Backward au'! forward, u]) The Church and Signal Tower, Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg. and down, like a music master's ]:)aton did this red signal wave. The men of the regiment watching its movement.s in the ^|uaint old belfry, sixt_\' feet from the ground, with anxious interest, for they well knew that it would in time give in its own language the order, forward. The regiment was here ordered to prime and fix bayonets. Shells came crashing down into the city, tearing down brick The Battle of Fredericksburg 83 walls and scattering death and destruction around. On- would fall amid a group of men, burst with noise, and in a few moments pale and mangled forms with bloody garments would be carried bv in silence. The regimental officers here dismounted and sent their horses back over the river. At noon "Forward Fourteenth" was again the word and they moved down the street, some times on the double quick, to the depot, turning square to the right on to one of the only two bridges b\- which they could cross the canal and gain the plain in front of the enemy's position. The K.4ii> M r u O; m^ IJLh -^. J mm ■HIM iAH^ m^^kt§H^ ^ Pi#*^^ mm PSPSfff^ ffwprr'.*^^ i Old Depot. firing of a dozen rebel guns came to a focus on each of these two points. Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins ran on foot at the head of the regiment cheering the men by his voice and example. The path was narrow and uneven and the ranks a little disordered. Across the causeway they tiled and to the right near a stone wall, behind which a number of wounded lay. Some of the faces were already white with the strange pallor of death though it was but so lately that the fight had commenced. Still on and on, out into the open field under the full fire of the enemy's guns. o4 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Here the reg-iniental line was reformed and the men ordered to lie down. While lyins^ here several shells burst directly over the left wing of the regiment, causing much suflfering in their ranks. By some mistake the regiment had formed in the rear of another regiment and accordingly the Fourteenth had to about face, march back a few rods, face to the front, and then lie down again. Some of the men of the other regiments jeered think- ing the Fourteenth was in retreat, but they were simply obeying orders and the regiment showed much steadiness under such a heavy fire. Soon the order came to rise and move forward again on the double-quick. This brought the regiment to the very front just under the heights occupied by the enemy's ar- tillery and very close to the sunken road in which were posted the rebel infantry. Chaplain H. S. Stevens in his "Souvenir of the Fourteenth Regiment" says concerning this moment: — "Into a 'slaughter pen' indeed, were the men going, but with brave hearts they pushed forward, the officers cheering them on. Soon they filed to right by a half wheel, for this road was far to the left of the point to be charged, until the line came under the partial shelter of a slight mound, and formed on the left of Andrews. One or two changes having been made here to conform lines to posi- tions, instructions were given the men to lie close until ordered up. The guns on Taylor's Hill fairly enfiladed the position do- ing deadly work, particularly at the left of the regiment, as they did in the loth New York near. It was a moment when men's hearts are striken with a dreadful expectancy, for the outlook was horrible. Kimball's veterans were ordered on, and bracing for the fray, they made their straight, fierce rush at the stone wall, only to be hurled back by the leaden storm flung out at them by tiers of musketry as barks are beaten back by raging gales. Then Andrew's brave fellows were ordered up to the charge to meet a similar fate. There was a rush, a cheer, a crash of nius- ketry with a tempest of bullets driven straight at their breasts, and the lines dissolved, stragglers or clusters firing here and there, but chiefly dropping upon the ground to be exposed as little as possible. Then the Second Brigade was ordered 'up The Battle of Fredericksb urg. 85 and at 'em'. Ah, that charge! A few rods brought the Hne to the flat ground (hrectly in front of the old 'Fair Grounds', in- dicated at that time by some remaining tall posts and some high boards clinging here and there to the rails. Here Colonel Per- kins shouted his last command to the Fourteenth. He dashed ahead and his brave boys followed. A few rods over ground every foot of wh.ich was lashed by artillery, and the leveled guns on the direful wall coolly waiting spoke out in unison terrific." The Sunken Road in front of the Confederate position. Who can dei^ict the horrors of that scene? What language can adequately ])()rtray the awful carnage of that hour' The belching of two hundred pieces of artillery seemed to lift the earth from its foundation, shells screeched and burst in the air among the men as if possessed with demons and were seeking revenge, the shot from tens of thousands of musketry fell like rain drops in a summer shower, brother saw brother writhing in the agony of mortal wounds and could oiTer no succor, comrade ' saw comrade with whom he had marched shoulder to shoulder 86 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. in the wearisome marches or shared the meao:er food on then- cheerless bivonac, still in death. Men fell like pins in an alley before the well aimed hall of a skillfnl bowler. To still fnrther quote from Chaplain Stevens : — ■'Ut)wn went Colonel Perkins, the leader, down went Major Clark, Captain Carpenter and Lieutenant Hawley. Ca])tain Gibbons and Lieu- tenants Stanley and Comes went down with mortal wounds and Lieutenant Canfield was killed outriiiht. ( )ther officers were slighth' wounded and Sers:;'eants Fiske and h\)ot received fright- ful wounds ; and so fell Color-l)earer Dart and hosts of good men of the rank and tile. ( )n i)ressed the rest as though thinking to encompass victory by their daring, reaching to withni one hundred and fifty yards or less of the wall, when, hopeless of success, most dropped beside the huge fence posts or into little hollows for slight protection and to use their guns as best they might against the foe. While l\ing l)y one of these posts. Ser- geant Dart and Corporal Sx-monds of Company D received fear- ful face wounds. A shell struck the ground near them and ex- ploded. A fragment tore off most of the face of Dart, fright- fully disfiguring him for life, and the shar]) saTid was driven into the eveballs of Symonds, quenching light there forever. Ser- geant Lyman of the same company was lying close by these wdien they were hurt Init strangely escaped harm, and with others put in som.e.goo'd work with the rifle. This was to our division the real end, and it p'ractically dropped out of the fight for the day." Major Hincks relates an incident in regard to Sergeant Foote of Company I. "A bullet, 1 am told, struck his cartridge-box spilling his cartridges, but he caught one as it fell and gaily ram- med it home; a second shot ])ierced his canteen when he raised it to his mouth and drank froiu the escaping water through the bullet hole ; a third time he was not so fortunate for a bullet struck his leg rendering amputation necessary and making him a cripple for life." Alajor Hincks further says: — "Losing track of our regiment, Fred ( Doten ) and I went forward again, but found it harder work than the first time. Behind a mound nearly up to the front we found Colonel Palmer of the io8th New York, sitting, who The Battle of Fredericksburg. 87 had been in command of the brigade. He could not tell us where to find either regiment or brigade, but pointed out to us a color on the ground near, which he thought had belonged to the Fourteenth. 1 partly unrolled it and on seeing the three grape-vines recognized it as ours and decided that it was best to confine our endea\ors to bringing this safely off the field. We remained b\- this mound for several hours and watched line after line of our trt)0])s go up again to the attack only to be repulsed. At length late in the afternoon we made for the rear, I carrying the color in one hand and my Sharp's rifie in the other. Near which the Regiment passei the railroad track we were joined by Fieutenant Sherman of Company G. The eneni)- were throwing percussion caps at the causeway and seemed to have the range very well for they fre- quently burst upon it with a hellish noise. At length we got safely over, but it was nearly ten o'clock before we fotmd the remains of our regiment. We spent the night as the previous one in one of the houses. Next morning I handed the colors over to Captain Davis, the senior officer present." 88 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. The men of the regiment went back to the town either singly or by clusters and spent the night much as they did the previous one. Samuel Fiske ("Dunn Browne") says: — "A few torn and black- ened remnants of those fine regiments slowly retired to the city. The wounded were mainly brought off, though hundreds were killed in the benevolent task. The city is filled with the pieces of brave men who went whole into the conflict. Ever}- basement and floor is covered with pools of blood. Limbs, in many houses, lie in heaps ; and surgeons are exhausted with their trying labors." The days following, Sunday and Monday, the scattered mem- bers of the regiment rallied together and remained with the rest of the division in line by the water's edge. On the evening of Monday, the 15th, the regiment was withdrawn under cover of darkness and after a weary march through the mud, reached their former camp above Falmouth late at night, under the command of Captain S. H. Davis of Company H. ranking captain of the regiment. The following contribution was made by Major Hincks to the Minutes of the Regimental Society at its meeting at Hartford September 17, 1879: — "The regiment was badly cut up in the charge upon Marye's Heights, and Sergeant Charles E. Dart, of Rockville, who carried the State flag, was mortally wounded. Sergeant George Augus- tus Foote attempted to fill his place, but was shot in the leg and fell. His biographer. Captain Goddard, says: — 'After lying on the field a short time, he tried to rise, but was instantly fired upon again by the rebels, wounding him slightly in the head and in the hip. All the rest of that awful day, he lay still where he had fallen. Three times our men charged over him, of course tramp- ling on his wounded leg, while he. half delirious, begged them to kill him, to end his sufferings. But no one had time then to attend to one poor wounded fellow. That night he managed to crawl off to a little hut near the field, where some other wounded men had hung out a yellow flag. Here they lay with a little hardtack, and still less water, till the third day after the fight, when they were visited by a rebel officer with a few men. He The Battle of Fredericksburg. 89 spoke roughly to them, asking, "what they were here for?" and two or three began whining and saying they "did not want to fight the South but were drafted and obliged to come,' when Foote coolly lifted his head and said, "I came to fight rebels, and I have fought them, and if ever I get well I will come back and fight them again." 'Bully for you' said the officer, 'you are a boy that I like,' and at once gave him some water out of his own canteen, sent one of his men for more water, washed his leg and foot and bound it up as well as he could, paroled him, and helped him across the river to the Lacey-house hospital. In fact, he and his men gave him a blanket, and cheered him as the wagon drove ofif." The State flag was picked up, not far from the famous sunken road held by the rebel infantry, by William B. Hincks and F'rederick B. Doten of Bridgeport. It remained in their keeping through the day and they brought it safel\- from the field at the close of the engagement. Sergeant Dart died at St. Mary's Hospital, Washington, D. C, January 6, 1863. The constitution of Sergeant ( afterward Lieutenant ) Foote was impaired Dy his wound, which was eventually the cause of his death." Corporal, afterwards Second Lieutenant, Charles Lyman of Company K in "notes of experience in the battle of Fredericks- burg" gives some interesting personal incidents. He says : — "Our regiment went upon the field by way of Caroline Street, the railroad depot and railroad causeway turning sharply to the right under a most galling fire, as soon as we were over the canal, which runs between the town and the plateau, which was the scene of conflict. After reaching our proper position in the line, W'C were ordered to lie down. On our way to this position, we passed three hay stacks, and I mention the fact here be- cause they will figure prominently in my story later on. While oc- cupying the position just mentioned, waiting our turn to 'charge,' we suffered much from the enfilading fire of a Confederate battery posted on the high ground far to our right. It was at this point that John Symonds and Oliver Dart received their serious wounds, and not at the far front, as stated by Chaplain Stevens in his souvenir volume. Symonds and Dart and I were 90 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. lying side by side — Symonds on the right, Dart next, and I next, with a fence-post about four inches square between Dart's head and mine — not a huge fence-post as stated in Souvenir. A shell from the battery on our right burst near us, and an irregularly- shaped fragment, probably about three inches long and two inches wide, struck the ground in front of Symonds, throwing sand in his eves and permanently destroying his sight ; lifting from its ct)ntact with the ground it tore away part o( Dart's upper jaw and nose and struck the post directly opposite my head. Hut for the post it would have struck me in the right side of my head and probably produced instant death. When our time came to charge, and we moved forward, we had gone but a short distance when John Julian received his wound at my side. A little later Irving M. Charter was also wounded at m\- side. These are the only ones I recall who were woundetl while touching elbows with me after the wounding of Symonds and Dart. When we had reached our farthest advance and our charge had spent its force, and the renmant was falling back, our fire, in mv vicinit\- at least, having wholly ceased, I observed an officer come out of the Stevens house immediately in our front, which was the headquarters of General Cobb, who commanded the Confederate brigade occupying the road behind the stone wall against which we had charged, and apparently siu-vey the field now covered with our dead and wounded. My rifle was loaded and I took aim and fired without apparent result. I immediately began reloading for a second shot, but before I was ready the man passed out of sight — either into or beside the house — but almost immediately reappeared. I was ready and fired a second shot, without effect. A sawed fence-post about four inches square at the top was standing immediately in front of me, and as I was firing my second shot a bullet from the enemy struck the corner of the post, knocked a splinter ofif it, was deflected, and just passed my right side. But for the post it would have struck me just about in the stomach. ^ly man remained in sight and I loaded for a third shot. By this time a number of bullets came uncomfortably near me. To get a steady aim I The Battle of Fredericksburg. 91 decided to rest my riHe on the top of the post, and as I Drought it to my shoulder a bullet struck the stock just back of the hammer, was deflected and passed over my right shoulder. Had tlie l)all not been deflected it would have entered m\' breast. Not- withstanding the incident I rested my rifle on the top of the post, took as deliberate aim as possible and fired. The man fell, and others immediately gathered about him. I turned and started to the rear, noticing as I did so that not a man was on his feet within many yards, probably two or three rods of me, and what was left of my regiment was at least a hundred vards away, llullets were flying very thick about me and 1 had no expectation of getting off the field alive, as it was fully three hundred yards to the nearest cover. I had not gone far when a bullet went through my haversack, which w^as hanging on mv left hip, breaking up the few hard-tack I had and punching a hole through my coffee and sugar bags. 1 kept moving at a fast walk, but had gone but a few yards further when a shell burst over me and T felt a heav\- blow between ni}' shoulders on my blanket roll, (six or eight inches in diameter), which, I supposed, came from a fragment of the shell. A little further on 1 was conscious that a bullet passed between my legs about six inches above mv knees and a hole in the skirt of m}- overcoat was confirmation of ttie fact. Nothing further ha])pened to me until I reached the edge of the plateau near the canal. Here T found an excavation into the side of a l)ank evidently intended for an ice house which had not been finished, onl_\- one side, that toward the enemy, having been planked up. This excavation, as I recall it, was thirty or forty feet s(|uare and afiforded a complete protection from the enemy's rifle fire. I had scarcely reached the place when I noticed Jerry Grady, a large muscular Irishman of my company (D), crawling in on his hands and knees and noticing me at the same time, he said "Thank God, Charles, you are here." I said to him "Jerr\-, what's the matter." He replied 'T've got it." "Where?," said I. "In my foot," said he. I removed his shoe and found in it a minnie ball, which had entered at the heel, passed through the entire length of the foot and come out be- tween the toes. The wound was a severe one, the bones of the 92 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. foot, being badly broken and crushed. I bound it up with his handkerchief as well as I could, and at his request filled his clay pipe with plug tobacco and lighted it for him. While caring for Jerry, some one remarked to me "Your blanket saved your life." "How so," I said. "There is a hole in it," he replied. T removed it, and sure enough there was a hole, the extent of which I could not measure with my finger, so unrolled the blanket, and found in it a minnie ball, which had passed through fourteen folds of it. This then was the cause of the blow I had felt between my shoulders when coming off the field and evidently the ball had velocity enough to have carried it com- pletely through my body but for the blanket. I put it in my pocket, and now have it, more than forty-three years after I "caught it on the fly." During the remainder of the afternoon and until quite dark I remained in this excavation, rendering such assistance to the wounded — of whom there were probabl}- a hundred before the day was over — as the extremely limited facilities at hand permitted. In binding up wounds and stopping the flow of blood I used handkerchiefs, pieces of blankets, which I cut up for the purpose, and even the shirts of the wounded. I have always looked back upon the time spent in that place with great satis- faction, because of the comfort I was able to minister to the poor fellows who were wounded in all degrees, from simple scratches to the most ghastly lacerations. I may have saved the lives of some. — probably did. Though a boy of nineteen. I tried to do a man's and surgeon's work that day. As the nighi came on and the fighting ceased. I determined to get Jerry Grady to a hospital in the city, if possible. I there- fore got him on my back, with his arms around my neck, taking a leg vuider each of my arms, and started by way of the railroad station, the route by which we had come on the field. By the time I had reached the hay-stacks. I was so nearly exhausted that I was sure I would not be able to get him into town without help, and as there was no help to be had. decided to get up as near to a hay-stack as possible, placing it between us and the enemy, and make the night of it there. On reaching the place i found The Battle of Fredericksburg. 93 the ground literally covered with corpses, with not a space among them large enough to accommodate two men, so I laid Jerry down and went within fifteen or twenty feet of the first stack and moved several bodies, making a clear space about six feet square, then went back on the field and picked up several blankets any number of which could be found scattered about, and made as comfortable a bed as possible in the space I had cleared. Into this bed I put Jerry, and then lay down beside him. Here we spent the night, and both slept some, I, more than he, because I was without pain, while he suffered intensely. Early in the morning I started for town by way of Hanover Street to get help, and as there was yet no truce for burying the dead, the sharp-shooters of the enemy gave me a pretty warm reception while exposed to their fire. None of them, however, made a hit. I first applied for help at a temporary hospital, located in a wagon shop, just in the edge of the town, but found no one there willing to go back on the field with me. Continuing the search further, for perhaps an hour, I finally found a man who was willing to take the risks involved and go with me. I felt then that this man had the true spirit of a soldier and comrade, and told him so, and thanked him as warmly as T could for his will- ingness to render a service of humanity, which involved real danger from the sharp-shooters' fire. Through the protecting care of a kind Providence, or the bad markiuanship of the sharp- shooters, we went to the haystack and returned with our burden without harm, though many bullets came uncomfortably near us. We left Jerry in the wagon shop where I had first gone for help, and after he had been made as comfortable as possible, I started off in search of my regiment, which after some time, I found near where it was bivouacked the night before the battle, and was welcomed as one come back from the dead. The next night I was detailed for service at our Division hospital, which had been established at a house on the street nearest the river, with large grounds about it, and several very large trees in the grounds back of and at the side of the house. The wounded officers were mostly cared for in the house, and tht non-commissioned officers and privates in the grounds outside. 94 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. When I reached the hospital I found my friend Gradv there, and up to that time his wound had received absolutely no attention whatever since the very rude and inadequate dressing I had given it on the field. It was now my privilege to cleanse it with soap and water and aid the surgeon in giving it such attention as the circumstances permitted. Of the many incidents connected with the night's service, I will mention only two. Sitting with his back leaning against one of the large trees was a rather frail but intelligent and refined The Division Hospital. looking boy. making no complaint, but waiting with infinite patience his turn for attention. I brought him a cup of warnj broth, a part of which he took, and looked the gratitude which he could only faintly express. A half-hour later I went to him again and found that the muster-out had already come to him and through tearful eyes I looked into the most calm and beautifully peaceful face that I had ever, up to that time, or have ever since beheld. That face is still photographed in my memory and whenever recalled has been a benediction. Well towards midnight a man was put upon the rude operating The Battle of Fredericksburg. 95 table under a big buttonball tree in the yard, back of the house, for an amputation of the leg above the knee and I called to as- sist. My function was to sit on a cracker box opposite the surgeon with a candle in each hand, and by the light of these two candles the amputation was made. As it was the first amputation I had witnessed it was to me intensely interesting and what I re- member about it especially was the manner in which the surgeon handled the knife and the saw, and that it was a "flap" operation. In this recital I have endeavored to confine myself to experi- ences that were individual to me and were not common to others. What else I did during that dreadful day of December 13, 1862, and the two nights following is not here recorded. It is simply what every other soldier did who went on to that field of carnage." The loss to the regiment was killed, i commissioned officer, 9 enlisted men ; wounded, 10 commissioned officers, 82 enlisted men ; missing, 20 enlisted men ; total loss, 122. The following is the official report of Sergeant-Major J. G. Pelton to the Adjutant-General of the State of Connecticut: — "Headquarters 14th Regiment Connecticut X'olunteers, Near Falmouth, Va., December 19th, 1862. Adjutant-General J. D. Williams, Sir : — I have the honor of submitting to you the followmg list of casualties in the 14th Regiment Connecticut \^olunteers, dur- ing the action at F>edcricksburg, Ya., on the 13th of the present month : — Lieutenant-Colonel, Sanford H. Perkins, wounded in neck, severely. Major, Cyrus C. Clark, contusion in side. Company A. Killed, Private, George Carlock : wounded. Corporal, Frederick Standish, in hand. Privates, David B. Burr, in ankle, John Hannagan, in wrist, slightly, Richard Wallace, in leg, slightly, Joseph Hart, in chest, slightly ; missing. Private. Henry Brown. Company B. Killed, Lieutenant, David E. Canfield ; wounded. Captain, E. W. Gibbons, since died, Sergeants, Horatio N. Shaw, 96 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. in arm, severely, G. A. Hubbard, stunned by shell, slightly, Corporals, Henry A. Lloyd, in arm, severely, William H. John- son, in arm and side, severely. Privates, David B. Lincoln, since died, Daniel H. Otis, since died, Charles S. Brooks, in leg, severely, James H. Marble, in leg, severely, John E. Vanderwort, in leg, slightly, Joseph H. Hilliker, in eye, seriously, William H. Johnson, seriously, missing ; missing. Privates, Edwin Strand, D wight Wolcott, Enoch Wilcox, William B. Hilliker. Company C. Wounded, Captain, Samuel W. Carpenter, in foot. Sergeant, Henry L. Snagg, in leg, Private, John Mulville, in shoulder ; missing. Privates, Frank J. Percy, Thomas Farrell. Company D. Killed, Private, Edward McMann ; wounded. Sergeant, Oliver Dart, in face, severely. Corporal, John Symonds, in face, severely. Privates, Charles E. Dart, in leg, Joseph Hirst, in legs, severely, Jeremiah Gready, in foot, severely, Solomon Richardson, in leg, Martin McShane, in hand, x\ugust Gross, in side, slightly, John Julian, in foot, slightly, Irving M. Charter, in thigh, slightly ; missing, Privates, Martin V. B. Metcalf, Albert Town, John McPherson, Charles Fletcher. Company E. Wounded, Captain. William H. Tubbs, in neck, slightly, Privates, Emerson X. Bailey, in foot, slightly, James Maher, in hand, slightly, Henry R. Frisbie, in leg, slightly, Frederick Rappenheng, in arm and side, severely, Michael Cun- ningham, in arm and side, severely, Franklin Dwight, in leg and side, severely, Edward Riley, in arm and head, severely, Harmon Farmer, through the breast, severely, James McCor- mick, in leg, severely, George Bull, in foot, slightly. Company F. Killed, Corporals, Thomas Hart, Birdsey B. Beckley ; wounded, ist Lieutenant, Theodore A. Stanley, mortally, 2d Lieutenant, William A. Comes, in thigh, severely, Sergeants, Wilbur D. Fiske, in breast, severely, Elisha B, Booth, legs and ribs, severely. Corporals, Irwin B. Spencer, in knee, severely, George H. Lewis, in knee, slightly, Privates, James Swain, in head, side and leg, severely, John Manderville, in heel, slightly, Charles M. Norton, in wrist, slightly, Chauncey T. Parks, in shoulder and leg, severely, William H. Scoville. in wrist, slightly, Frederick B. Thatcher, in knee, slightly, William The Battle of Fredericksburg. 97 Ashwell, in knee, slightly, Daniel Steele, in knee, and missing, Sylvester Steele, wounded and missing ; missing. Privates, John Cogan, Thomas Keogh, Chester N. Weslan. Company G. Wounded, 2d Lieutenant, Henry P. Go.idard, in leg, slightly, Sergeant, Nathan P). Clemens, in head, slightly, Corporals, Frederick Ward, in side, severely, Henry D. Knowles, in arm. Privates, William H. Morgan, in back and heel, slightly. George Stannard, in arm and side : missing, Privates, Edson Spencer, Edward Wilcox. Company H. Killed, Sergeant, Robert "Barry, Corporal, John Calkins, Private, John Minor ; wounded. Corporal, Erastus Per- kins, in head, Privates, William Glossenger, in liead, Robert Chadwick, leg and arm, Edward Mitchell, leg and knee ; missing. Privates, William H. Mills, Elias L. Jerome. Company I. Killed, Privates, William E. Norton, Nelson Hodge ; wounded, Captain, Isaac R. Bronson, in bowels, slightly, 1st Sergeant, Edward L. Fox, in hand and hip, severely. Ser- geant, George A. Foote, Jr., in leg, severely. Corporals, William Douglass, in shoulder and hip, severely, William H. Seward, in leg, slightly, Francis S. Scranton, in breast, severely. Privates, William M. Cause, since died, Frederick Beardsley, in heel, Charles H. Derby, in foot, slightly, James Hearty, in leg, severely, Joseph Janot, in hand, slightly, James Langdon, in arm. severely, Andrew Murphy, in ear, slightly, Bernard Starkey, in shoulder, severely, Charles Simonds, in both legs, severely, Edison Scott, in hip, slightly ; missing. Private, William Mansfield. Company K. Wounded, 2d Lieutenant, Frederick B. Hawley, in foot, Sergeant, Junius E. Goodwin, in leg, slightly, Privates, William N. Carroll, in leg and arm, severely. Nelson J. Bement, in hand, slightly, Roland Rising, in hand, severely, Alfred T. Symonds, in leg, slightly, J. L. D. Otis, in head, severely ; missing. Private, Frank Laughlin. I am, sir, your obedient servant, J. G. Pelton, Sergeant-Major, 14th C. V. Captain Samuel H. Davis, Commanding Regiment." 98 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Captain Elijah W. Gibbons, of Company B, was born in New York City November 9th, 183 1. He resided in Middietown nearly all his life until his enlistment, his occupation that of a cabinet maker and painter. He enlisted in the first call for troops May 22d. 1861, in the 4th Connecticut, which afterwards became the ist Connecticut Heavy Artillery, and was elected 2d Lieutenant Cocpany G. He held this position until May 6th, 1862, when he resigned and returned to Middietown. When the new call for troops was made, he speedily enlisted a full company of the young men of Middietown. Henry P. Goddard, after- wards captain of Company B, says of him : — "A personal pride in dear old 'B' Company doubtless affects my judgment, but I think no survivor of the regiment but will agree with me that no company in the regiment, all things considered, ever looked or did much better. And this was owing to one man more than any other, and that man was Elijah W. Gibbons. He showed vvhat could be done and what should should be done for men, and officers and men should alike bless his memory. From the time the regiment left Hartford until his mortal wound, he was never absent from his company a day. He led them gallantly at Antie- tam, where, by a quick flank movement of his company, he en- abled the regiment to capture a large posse of rebels in the famous Roulette house. At Fredericksburg he was advancing courageously with the regiment when a rebel ball shattered his thigh, and he fell. He was picked up by the men who loved him so dearly, and conveyed to the Falmouth side of the river, where he lingered in great suffering, but sweet resignation, for six days, until the 19th of December, when he died." His body was in- terred with militar}- honors, but subsequently removed to Middle- town. Second Lieutenant William A. Comes was born near Danbury, about 1836. He was a stone cutter in New Haven at the time of his enlistment, June 12th, 1862, as a quartermaster-sergeant of the Fourteenth and was commissioned a second lieutenant September 17th, 1862, and was assigned to Company F. He began to study enthusiastically the duties of his position which he had partially accomplished when he was terribly wounded in The Battle of Fredericksburg. 99 the groin at the charge at Fredericksburg. Limping back to the hospital, unmindful of his own injuries, he met his nearest friend. Drum-Major John McCarthy, who called a surgeon and adi.ii.is- tered to him many comforts. All hopes by his friends for his recovery were blasted by his death December 21st, 1862. Cap- tain Goddard said :- — "I can testify that he was a pure and honest man. Not brilliant or dashing, he was faithful and anxious to do well whatever was set him to do." First Lieutenant Theodore A. Stanley was a native of New Britain, being born July 22, 1833. He went to New York to learn the mercantile business, remaining until he was 2T,, when he returned home to take charge of an important manufactiirmj; business. He sacrificed all business interests and devoted his energy to the organization of Company B. He was chosen second lieutenant. Stanley distinguished himself at Antietam by his coolness in the discharge of his duties. Captain Blinn of that company being killed in the engagement, First Lieutenant Moore was chosen captain and Stanley was chosen first lieu- tenant. Captain Goddard says : — "At the battle of Fredericks- burg, he was in command of his company (the captain being on detached service at the time), and led his men in that grand charge on the rebel batteries on Marye's Heights, when the storm of shot and shell, grape and canister, blackened the air for hours. In this charge Lieutenant Stanley fell mortally wounded by a musket ball through the lungs. While being carried back to the city, in expectation of immediate death, he told his com- rades to leave him on the field and take care of themselves. But he survived to be removed across the river, and afterward to Armory Square Hospital, at Washington, where, after eighteen days of suffering, much of which was intense, yet which could not shake his faith in the Savior in whom he believed, his life ebbed out with the dying year, on the 31st of December, 1862. His body was removed to New Britain and buried with military honors." Lieutenant Stanley was very quiet and reticent with strangers, and was not well known to many in the regiment, but his colonel truly said : — "He was always found to the front, and the officers and men of his own company testifv to his uniform regard for their comfort and welfare." 1 00 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Second Lieutenant David E. Canfield, of Company B, was a native of New Jersey and was twenty-three years of age at the time of his enHstment. He Hved for several years in Middletown and then removed to New Haven, where the call for the Four- teenth aroused his patriotism, when he went to Middletown and enlisted in Company K. Before the regiment left the state he was made ist sergeant of his company and November nth was promoted to be 2d lieutenant of B Company. He was very much beloved by the company as he had been by the members of Com- pany K before. Captain Goddard says in his "Memorial of De- ceased Officers of the Fourteenth Regiment" : — "The night of December 12th. 1862. Lieutenant Canfield, Captain Gibbons, Captain (then Lieutenant) Sherman, and the writer, occupied the same quarters in a shot-ridden house in the then just captured city of Fredericksburg. Never shall I forget the scene as Cap- tain Gibbons read us from an old Bible found in the house, till the flickering fire-light by which he read died out, and bidding us each good-night, he retired. Gibbons was in his sweetest mood that night, and Canfield made many anxious inquiries as to his views of life and death, and announcing his willingness to face the grim conqueror for the sake of his country and God, re- lapsed into silence. That was our last night together." The following are the reports of Colonel O. H. Palmer, Com- manding General of the Second Brigade, and of Captain S. H. Davis, commanding the Fourteenth Regiment, the former to Lieutenant J. W. Plume, Acting x\djutant French's Division and the latter to Colonel Palmer, commanding Second Brig- ade:— "Headquarters Second Brigade, Camp near Falmouth, Va., December 18, 1862. I have the honor to report that, pursuant to order, m}- com- mand was put under arms at 7 o'clock on the morning of Decem- ber II, instant, and proceeded to a point on the railroad opposite the city of Fredericksburg, for the purpose of crossing th^ Rappahannock into Fredericksburg upon the completion of the pontoon bridges, then being laid for that object. By reason The Battle of Fredericksburg. 1 0 1 of the delay in the completion of the bridges the command did not cross that day, but iMvouacked, as directed, near the place of crossing. On the morning of December I2, the command was again under arms at about 7 o'clock and, pursuant to order, :rossed the river at about 8 o'clock in the morning into Fredericksburg. During the day the command remained under arms in the streets of the city, and were cantoned in the vacant houses and buildings during the night of the 12th. On the morning of the next day, the 13th, the command was again put under arms, and at about 10 o'clock moved forward as directed, following the Third Brigade to the front, leaving the town by way of the railroad depot, and formed in line of battle in front of the enemy's in- trenchments, 150 yards in rear of the Third Brigade. After leaving the city, and upon filing to the right, to pass through the depot, the fire of the enemy was very severe. Their guns ap- peared to have the exact range of this passage, and the prompt- ness and firmness of the troops in making this passage, and forming in order under such a fire in front, and also a severe cross fire from the enemy's guns on the right, was highly credit- able to their firmness and bravery. After forming in line of battle, the command remained in position about twenty minutes, and was then ordered to advance in line of battle upon the enemy's works, and the advance was made in order at double- quick in the face of a terrible fire ; but it was found impossible to dislodge the enemy from their position. In fact the fire of our troops could not be made effective, but that of the enemy was terribly efifective. After sustaining this fire until their ammunition was exhausted, and until other troops were ordered forward to their relief, they were ordered to fall back. Part of the command, however, remained on the field until nearly dark. The conduct of the officers and men was highly commendable. It pains me, however, to report that Colonel Henry I. Zinn, of the One Hundred and Thirtieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, a brave and gallant officer and a noble man, was killed early in the engagement by a musket-ball while fearlessly cheering on his men. I regret also to report that Lieutenant-Colonel Sanford 102 Fourteenth Regiment, j^C. V. Infantry. H. Perkins, in comniand of the Fourteenth Connecticut V'ohin- teers. a brave and fearless officer, was severely wounded in the neck by a musket-ball while nobly discharging his duty at the head of his regiment, and had to be carried from the lield. Major Cyrus C. Clark, of the Fourteenth Connecticut \"olun- teers, a brave officer, was also wounded in the side by a shell while making the passage to the field, but it is believed not seri- ously. In addition to the foregoing, 3 commissioned officers were killed and 13 wounded. Privates, killed, 16; wounded, 192; missing, not known whether killed or wounded, 64. On the night of the 13th, my command was again cantoned in the city, and on the morning of December 14th, was marched to the rear of the town, on the west side of the river, and re- mained there under arms and in bivouac until 8 o'clock on the evening of the 15th, at which time it was luarched, as ordered, to its present camp near F"almouth. All of which is respectfully submitted. ( ). H. Palmer, Colonel, Coiumanding Second Brigade. Lieutenant J. W. Plume, Acting-Assistant xA.djutant-Cieneral, French's (Third) Division." "Near Falmouth, A'a., December 18, 1862 Colonel : I have the honor, in accordance with orders received today, to submit the following report of the participation of the Fourteenth Regiment in the events from the loth to the 15th of the present month. We received marching orders on the night of the loth and the next morning at six o'clock marched to a position in front of Fredericksburg. Remained there under arms during the day, bivouacked at night, and on the morning of the 12th, crossed the river and lay under the fire of the enemy that day in one of the streets of the city. About 10 A. AI. on the 13th, the regiment was placed under arms, and, after some delays, moved at a double-quick out to the front as soon as practicable. We forn-ed in line of battle, and lav down to wait for orders. We were ex- The Battle of Fredericksburg. 103 posed here to a very severe cross-fire of artillery, which proved very destructive. After two or three efforts, we finally snr ceeded in gaining the front of the fight — the men, cheered on hy their ofificers. moving up in splendid style, and with the steadi- ness of veterans. We remained under a terribly hot fire of in fantry and artillery until our division was relieved, when we marched ofif the field, bringing off most of our dead and wounded. Too much praise cannot be bestowed u])on our gallant Lieu- tenant-Colonel, who led us, standing in the very front of the fight till he fell severely wounded, and inspiring all witn uinv courage and steadiness. The entire regiment, both officers and men, are worthy of all praise for their bearing in battle, and to single out special instances for enconium would be injustice to all. The report of the casualties in the command I have already for- warded. Respectfully your obedient servant, S. H. Davis, Captain, commanding Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers. Colonel O. H. Palmkr, Commanding Second Brigade." The Fair Grounds," where the Fourteenth charged. The Shore of the Rappahannock picketed by the Fourteenth during the winter of 1862-3. CHAPTER VI. The Winter at Falmouth. Who can wontler that the torn and shattered Httle remnant of the regiment went back to their camp near the dingy old town of Falmouth with bleeding hearts and depressed spirits? Five days before it had left cam]), since which time how much had been lost ! I'he men had seen the cause for which they had taken their lives in their hands, left their homes wnth all their interests, to defend and reestablish, thrown back and repulsed. In these dark moments when the tension of the heart strings was so intense as to be nearly breaking, they felt that their lives v.'ere being made the playthings of high officers in command. That they were sacrificed and imperiled along the wandering banks of the Antietam, through the blunderings of incom]5etency, and thrown against the impregnable intrenchments that skirted Marve's Heights bv obstinate stupitlitw Those indeed were dark days for the regiment on the h^almouth plaius. Tlie men moved about in the duties of the camp with sad hearts and de- jected mien. At every turn they missed many of the familiar faces of officers and comrades. Lieutentant-Colonel Perkins, the commander of the regiment most of the time since it left Con- necticut, had fallen from wounds, from which he never recovered sufficiently to take command again. He was an efficient officer, always being at the head of the regiment to cheer and encourage, (104) The Winter at Falmouth. 105 and was dear to the hearts of the men. This was the .-.hadow which overhung the whole regiment. Every company met with its own peculiar loss. Of one it was the captain who was loved for his sterling integrity, bravery and counsel, another had lost the genial comrade who gave life and zest to the camp by wit or song ; of others it was the trusted lieutenant or faithful sergeant. Such a fatality had there been among the officers of the regiment that there seemed to l)e little form of organization and many of the letters to friends remarked "'we have practically no officers." The men began immediately to finish the log huts which they iiad begun before leaving for Fredericksburg. There was no roll call or dress parade. There was much sickness and the general feeling of despondency continued. Along some lines there was an improvement as there were rations of onions and potatoes isued for almost the first time since leaving Hartford and new knapsacks were distributed to take the place of the ones left at Fort Ethan Allen. As the hospital accommodations were inadequate and meager, the wounded did not receive proper care and doubtless many lives were sacrificed on this acount. Of the condition of these hospitals Medical Inspector General Thomas F. Perley reports to Brigadier-General William A Ham- mond, Surgeon-General of the United States Army. He says under date about this time: — "There is very general complaint of want of supplies necessary to the health of the soldiers and to the effective administration of the field hospitals. The supply table, substituted by the director of the Army of the Potomac for that authorized by regulation, is considered insufficient by regimental surgeons, some articles being in excess and others defici-ent. The regimental hospitals are very destitute of furni- ture of all kinds, and the surgeons say they can get none. At this time of year bed-sacks are indispensable and should be fur- nished. The surgeons say they can always get hay to fill them. The stoves provided for the tents are nearly worthless for the purpose. The supply of provisions for the sick and wounded is just the commissary's issue of government rations, and includes neither fresh bread nor fresh vegetables. There is no supply, or nearly none, of suitable articles of food from the medical pur- 106 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. vevors, as concentrated milk, farina, etc. The hospital clothing IS very deficient. Many men, lying sick of typhoid fever at the time the army broke camp to cross the river to Fredericksburg, left in post hospitals, were frost-bitten. I do not believe I have ever seen greater misery from sickness than exists now in our Army of the Potomac. In some regi- nients which have been long in the field, from which the more feeble men have been weeded out, and the numbers reduced to On I'ickL-t— Makiuy ColYee^ two hundred or three hundred men by casualties and disease, v/here medical officers have acquired experience from lorig ser- vice in the field, the regimental liospitals are tolerably comfort- able in their appointments. In these regiments, however, there are few or no patients in hospital, and the surgeons say they have very few supplies, such as are needed by sick men, and can get them only with great difficulty." Although Captain Gibbons of Company B was so seriously wounded at Fredericksburg as to make his recovery hopeless with the best hospital treatment, he survived in great suffering until The Winter at Falmouth. 107 December 19th. Captain Gibbons was bnried on a pleasant hill- side looking- toward the rising- sun, just beyond the outskirts of the camp. Over this hill he had marched to battle, leadmg his command, six days before. It was a sad and impressive occa- sion to the regiment as well as to the members of his own com- pany by whom he was dearly loved as a soldier and a man. The men moving slowly with reversed arms behind the coffin, the v;eird and mournful dirge from the band and the volley of musketry over the grave all were different from the ceremonies the men were familiar with at home and yet seemed not inap- propriate. Captain Moore of Company F returned from Washington and took charge of his command. Sergeant E. H. Wade, speaking of Captain Moore's return has this to say: — "December 17th Captain Moore returned to the regiment. He had been sent to Washington a day or two before we moved over to Fredericks- burg, to get the camp kettles and other property belonging to us, and as luck had it was out of the last engagement, — for had he been with us, another noble officer would doubtless have been killed ; for all the regiment knows that there never was a fight yet, but what he always took the lead, and most generally quite a ways ahead. On arriving here and seeing only a little band of us left. — scarcely one hundred fit for duty, — his feelings over- powered him, and for a while he was completely overcome." On January 17th General Burnside reviewed the regiment in connection with the corps. The regiment numbered about two hundred effective men and eight commissioned officers, none of the latter of higher rank than captain at this time. Although Captain Davis of Company H marched the regiment back to F'almouth, Captain Bronson of Companx I, the ranking captain, assumed the comn-iand of the regiment upon its arrival. January 20th Captain Bronson read a spirited address from General Burnside to the regiment assembled upon the parade ground and then called for three cheers for the other side of the Rappahannock. The response to this invitation was not volumi- nous enough to have disturbed Tieneral Burnside if he had been asleep fifty feet away. It was a silent expression of the men's 108 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. lack of confidence in their commander, a silence so intense that it practically fell into one of contempt. Orders had beeti given that the regiment should be ready to move the day previous, January 19th, consequently preparations were made, extra rations were issued, and a great number of troops marched by the camp in the midst of heavy rain. It rained all day and all night until the little rivulets became brooks and the brooks became rivers, and the road for miles was choked with supply wagons, fast in the mud. There was mud everywhere, "trumpets sounded, drums beat, whips cracked, mules squealed and men swore." As the advance reached the brink of the river, they were met by the rebels on the opposite side with mock politeness, who offered to assist them in building the bridge and not to open fire upon them until they were fairly across, but as the artillery, pontoons, am- munition and supply trains were back stuck in the mud, they were obliged to decline the hospitable invitation, whereupon the Confederates j,eered at them and erected a large sign with the inscription "Burnside stuck in the mud." Finding it impossible to move the army, it turned back, jaded and bedraggled, before the extreme front had moved. It was in- tended the regiment should be the rear-guard and thus they escaped being participants in what has been known in the history of the rebellion as the "Great Mud March." Sergeant E. B. Tyler of Company B records the following of the experience of the regiment at this time: — "We had been spectators rather than active partici])ants in the mud campaign, although we had dismantled our camp huts by taking off our shelter tent roofs, had our knapsacks packed and stood all day in the rain that deepened and rendered still stickier the mud that Burnside's army was floundering through until finally the ele- ments conquered, the campaign suddenly and ingloriously ended, we reconstructed our camp again and passed the remainder of the winter in quietness as far as actual warfare was concerned. A new captain, Townsend, was sent to us with whom we always got along very well, although his prompt decisive way and some times rather abrupt manner often upset and disconcerted our first sergeant, Russell, whose manner was naturally slow and hesitat- The Winter at Falmouth. 109 ing. Townsend was young-, high spirited, cool and brave in battle, and had too many genuine good qualities as a military man and officer for the men to regard him with anything but esteem. That he could not fill the place in the hearts of the men that Gibbons held was hardly a fault of his. Probably no man in the regiment could. Broatch, Lucas and Galpin, who had been pro- moted to the respective ranks of captain, first lieutenant and sec- ond lieutenant of Company A, often took a stroll through our MAJOR JAMES B. COIT. company street, talking and chatting pleasantly with the boys, interchanging news from home and inquiring after our sick and absent ones, and while these officers remained with the regiment, they never lost interest in the old company in which they first obtained their commissions, and every promotion that sent i-roatch and Lucas upward in rank caused somethmg akin to family pride in the hearts of our boys," 1 1 0 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. A sad incident during the encampment at Falmouth was the death of two brothers, Francis and Frederick J. HolHster, of Chatham, Company K, who died within half an hour of each other and were buried together. They lost their blankets at Antietam and for three months had to sleep out of doors or crouch scantily clad all night long over a smoky camp-fire, from which exposure they died. January 31st the band of the regiment, always a favorite, being the best band in the corps, went down to army headquarters by invitation and serenaded General Hooker, who had meantime re- placed General Burnside in command of the Army of the Poto- mac. The regiment soon saw a great change in rations and clothing, with fresh bread every other day and plenty of fresh meat, potatoes, beans, peas and other vegetables. These did away with the regulation "No. g" and gave the surgeons a rest. This had a marked influence on the spirit and good feeling of the boys of the regiment. About this time important promotions were made of several officers of the regiment, ist Lieutenant John C. Broatch of Com- pany B was promoted to be captain, ist Lieutenant Fisk of Com- pany K was made captain of Company G, Acting Adjutant Town- send promoted from ist Lieutenant Company I to captain of Company B, Fred B. Doten of Company A to be adjutant, Will- iam H. Hawley of Company A promoted to ist sergeant, William B. Hincks of the same company promoted to sergeant and Cor- poral Charles Lyman of Company D to be 2d lieutenant of Com- pany K. Sergeant Hirst says of this appointment: — "There have been a number of promotions in the regiment and some new officers made, but only one from our company. His name is Charles Lyman, of Bolton. He is a good man and will make a good officer. After promotion, the officer is put in another com- pany, so as not to be too familiar with the men, which makes it unpleasant for both." During February the regiment received four months pay. Much of this was sent to friends at home, while other parts of it were used lavishly by the men and, as usual, had disastrous effects. About this time there was a complaint of liquor being The Winter at Falmouth. 1 1 1 smuggled into the regimental camp. The sutler was a safety valve through which the money was let loose. Sergeant Hirst under date of February 5th, says : — "The paymaster came along yesterday and gave us four months pay. To-day army rations are not good enough for the boys, who are moving from one sutler's shop to another, liuying wooden ginger cakes, brandy (vinegar) peaches, and castiron pies. They are bound to have a feast for once, even though the doctor with his No. 9 is watching them." About this time Captain Bronson. commanding the regiment, was arrested because the regimental picket detail fell short some forty or fifty men one morning. Samuel Fiske, captain of Com- pany G, being the ranking captain, had command of the regiment. Sergeant Hirst speaks of the exchange of coffee and tobacco between the boys of the Union and Confederate armies. He savs : — "On a fine dav in the sunshine it is rather pleasant picket- ing the banks of the river and cracking jokes with the Johnnies on the other side. Some times we rig up a shingle for a boat, load it with coffee, set it adrift in the stream and watch it drift across to the opposite bank. How the Johnnies will watch it slowly drifting over and receive it like a long lost friend. They in turn will rig up a tobacco boat, and we take the same pleasure in receiving it. You can hardly realize that these are the same men who were shooting us down a few weeks ago, and may be, will be doing the same a few weeks hence." Captain Henry P. Goddard, who saw the bright side, has this to say of the winter at Falmouth : — "What a winter it was that followed in camp at Falmouth with no field ofiicers, and with Captains Davis and Bronson alternating in command of the regi- ment, for the former could not hold command a week without getting into some scrape that usually led to his being put under arrest. But it was no use to court martial him for his legal train- ing and his habit of getting the whole court on a spree the night before the verdict, led the judge-advocate of the division to say that it was easier to catch a weasel asleep than to convict Captain Davis. Ah, what punches FTed Doten used to mix that winter, as we 1 1 2 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. gathered in each other's Sibleys ; 'When every officer seemed a friend, and every friend a brother." It was at some of these gatherings that Captain Lee used to give swan like imitations and that 'G' officers used to trot out Httle 'Uncas,' the stuttering teamster, as a spiritual medium, who used to go into trances and therein deliver addresses on didactic subjects, but who got mad when Lieutenant Fred Seymour asked him to take a drink in his spiritual not material character. Quartermaster Dibble used to say that when LIncas got mad at his mules he could swear in the most unspiritual manner without stuttering at all." The afifairs of Falmouth camp moved on through February and early March without any umisual occurrence. The promo- tions of the several officers we have mentioned had served to bring the regiment back to a more complete organization than when it returned from Fredericksburg. An exception to this statement may be made in the serious loss to the regiment of the services of Surgeon Philo G. Rockwell, the first surgeon of the regiment. The care of the manv sick at Harper's Ferrv, which has been noted, and the march down the Louden Valley to Falmouth and the stay at Belle Plain told very seriously upon his health and he was obliged to go home on a leave of absence January 5th, 1863. He was not able to return to the army and resigned March 8th, 1863. From the time of his joining the regiment, he devoted himself to the physical welfare of the men. Dr. Rockwell was of an enthusiastic, ardent temperdment and was ceaseless in his efiforts for the comfort of the men. He was appointed Surgeon-General of Governor Hawley's staff in 1866. In 1869 he established a sanitarium at Aiken, S. C. Dr. Rockwell was a native of Connecticut, being born at Norfolk in 1820. He graduated with honor at the medical col- lege at Pittsfield, Mass. He established a large practice in Waterbury, from which place he enlisted. He died in Aiken, S. C. February 4, 1887, his remains being taken to Waterbury for interment. March 17 the members of the regiment attended the cele- bration of St. Patrick's Day by the Irish Brigade. These festiv- The Winter at Falmouth. 113 ities in honor of the Irish patriot were unexpectedly broken into by the sound of rebel guns, causing Generals Hooker. Sickles, French and other high officers, who were present to view the frolic, to ride off to their commands in hot haste. At this time Captain Moore of Company F was in command of the regiment. The regiment became greatly interested in the annual election in Connecticut. Reports had been freely circulated in the Demo- cratic papers in the interests of ThcMuas H. Se\mo\u-, their candi- date for governor, that the Connecticut regiments, especially the SURCiEON PH[[>0 (;. ROCKWELL. Fourteenth, were sorry they had gone to war, were dissatisfied with the way it was being carried on. and would get out of it if they could. To offset these unfounded statements, the Four- teenth at dress parade March 24th passed nearlv unanimouslv a series of resolutions endorsing Governor Buckingham. There was general rejoicing upon receipt of the news that Governor Buckingham had been reelected. 1 1 4 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. April Tst. was dul}- celebrated by the reg-iment. At about half past two. while the men were sleeping quietly, they were aroused and marched to the parade ground, formed line of battle and awaited orders. It was intensely cold and after several hours thev were marched back, reaching their tents about daylight. On Sunday, April 5th, President Lincoln reviewed the Army of the Potomac on a Inroad plain about four miles from the camp. Although the occasion was one of great interest, moment and pride to the members of the regiment some of them were not able to ])\:t on dress suits for the occasion. We cannot forbear quoting from Sergeant Hirst upon this subject. He says: — "The other dav I was detailed with a squad to go on picket near the Lacy house, and arrived there at seven o'clock A. M. We were not relieved until ten o'clock the next day when we were marched about four miles out of our way to take part in a big review iri honor of President Lincoln. I had seen him once before at Harper's Ferry and was rather pleased at the opportunit\- of see- ing him again. There was some swearing at the long march before us after being on duty twenty-seven hours, jiart of the time in the cold and ]iart over a smoky fire, but there was no helr> for it, to the review we nnist go at once. The whole Army of die Potomac was there, dressed in its best bib and tucker, witii their arms shining like burnished silver, while we were dirty, sleepy and ragged. Just look at us with our overcoats and knapsacks on, our blankets in a coil around our shoulders, a canteen filled vith water, a haversack containing bits of beef, crackers and poric, three or four cooking utensils, such as frying i^ans, tin cups, old tomato cans. etc.. hitched to various parts of our body. Of course, we were all well armed and some of us had axes besides. We were made into a division by ourselves, and T. with a gun on one shoulder and an ax. a five ]iounder. on the other, was placed as right guide to the division. After nearly the whole army had marched past and we came into sight, it was no surprise for me to see the President step a little nearer and wonder what damnation kind of men would come along next. However, if he. or his wdfe, or daughter asked any questions. I think the}' would have been surprised to learn that we were a fair sample of the army in light marching order, fust after we passed the President, The Winter at Falmouth. 1 1 5 we were moved at doiible-ciuick time for a quarter of a mile, just to show what stamina there was in Old Hooker's soft tack. We got back to camp just before sunset, thorouohly tired out with our two days exertions." During April Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins visited the regin^e:t in citizen's dress, having been honorably discharged from the service for wounds received at Fredericksburg. He was heartily greeted by the men, who rejoiced that his wounds had not proved fatal. In George H. Washburn's "History of the (Jne Himdred and Eighth New York \'olunteers" he records a peculiar service for which the Fourteenth Connecticut and One Hundred and Eighth New York were called. He sa\ s : — "A few days before the move for Chancellorsville an incident occurred in disobeying criers in our division, which had been ordered out for drill and parade. Two nine months Pennsylvania regiments refused to complv with the order as their time was nearly out. Cencral b'rench. Division Commander, was constantl}' winking, and on a':count of this habit, was known as 'Plinky French.' ( )n this occasion his eyes blinked as fier_\- as the twinkle of Mars, and the French of it was, that the One Hundred and Eighth Xew York and the Fourteenth Connecticut were to proceed with loaded guns to the camps of the recalcitrant regiments, and bring them out. or shoot. They came without further dallying." On Monday morning. April 28th, orders were received to break camp and be in readiness to move. Tuesda\- morning they moved to the Warrenton turnpike in the vicinity of P.ank's Ford, where they camped for the night. Sergeant William H. Hawle\ was left behind from illness with about twenty others, who were afterwards sent to the Potomac Creek Hospital. In the afternoon of April 29th. the regiment hastil} jiacked up and marched, and instead of going direct to the river, marched about five miles further up, nearly opposite to United States Ford. The next morning they moved to the vicinity of United States Ford, where they halted for a few hours, making cofTee. during which time a pontoon was thrown across the river, and the regi- ment passed over about sunset, without a shot being fired. CHAPTER VII. The Affair at Chancellorsville. We left the regiment on the evening of Thursday. April 30th. after having crossed the Rappahannock on a pontoon near United States Ford, and bivouacked in the vicinity of the Chandler House, about three-quarters of a mile from Chancellorsville. This "ville" was simply a fine old brick mansion of Southern type surrounded by stately trees, amounting almost to a forest. It was about ten miles from Fredericksburg, with which it was connected by a turnpike, plank road and river road, the two former making a fork at Chancellorsville, and running nearly ]:)arallel toward Fredericksburg. The grounds about the Chancellor House, the scene of the battle, were low and swampy, and covered with patches of woods, with deep and thick underbrush, being almost impenetrable. There seemed to be little work for the regiment on this first da}' of the l)attle. About eleven o'clock it was called to arms and marched down the plank road to the Chancellor House, the headquarters of ( ieneral Hooker and his staff. Heavy firing along the front indicated that the Confederate forces had opened an attack. The regiment then turned to the right through a young growth of pines. There were no skirmishers thrown out and at one time it was discovered the regiment was in dan- gerous proximity to the enemy. After remaining here two hours the artillery fire seemed to slacken, and the regiment retraced its course, halted and stacked arms in an open lot adjoinmg the plank road on the west side. perha])s half a mile from the Chan- cellor House. There were in this lot the brigade, which seemed to be held in reserve, and several batteries of artillery. For the remainder of the day they were under arms and frequently had to fall into line in readiness to move to the front as the cannonad- ing grew sharper, but as often broke ranks again. In the even- ing the regiment was formed in line of battle on the extreme right and threw out pickets for the night. (1 16) COL. THEO. G. ELLIS. The Affair at Chancellorsville. 1 1 9 After the wounding of Lieutenant-Colonel IV'rkins at the battle of Fretlericksburg. from which wound he was never able to re- sume his ])osition at the head of the regiment, the command fell v\Km Adjutant Theodore (j. Ellis, who was afterwards promoted to major, lieutenant-colonel and colonel of the hDurteenth and brevet brigadier-general. lie died in Hartford' January 8th. 1883. aged fifty-two years. Previous to his enlistment he had been devoted to civil engineering, a [jrofession for which he had special qualifications and in which he became eminent. He did much for the Fourteenth Regiment, being thoughtful, accurate and intelligent concerning his duties, llis men never doubted his thorough devotion to all the i)i)siti()ns which he was called u])()n to fill. His manner was genial and friendly toward those with whom he had occasion to associate although his criticisms were often caustic, though just. (Jn the morning of the 2(1. the regiment was relieved and re- turned to the camp previously occu])ie(l. Toward nightfall a seri- ous charge by Stonewall Jackson on the extreme right of our line, which was farthest from the river, and was occupied by the Eleventh Corps, caused a ])anic and disastrous route. It was under the command of General < ). ( ). Howard. The generals had neglected to ])icket their front and the men of the division were busily engaged in cooking su])i)er in the dense thicket, hav- ing previously stacked their guns, when they were surprised by the enemy. Of the pandemonium which this panic caused (ieneral Ben- jamin Morgan said: — "The stam])ede of the b'leventh Corps was something curious and wonderful to behold. I have seen horses and cattle stampeded on the ])lains. blinded, apparently, by fright, rush over wagons, rocks, streams. an\- obstacle in the way ; but never before or since, saw I thousands of men actuated seemingly by the same unreasoning fear that takes ])ossession of a herd of animals. As the crowd of fugitives swe])t by the Chancellor House, the greatest eflr'orts were made to check them : l)Ut those only stopped who were knocked down by the swords of stafif- officers or the sponge stafl:"s of Kirby's batttery, which was drawn up across the road leading to the ford. Many of them ran right on 120 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. down the turnpike toward Fredericksburg, through our hne of battle and picket line, and into the enemy's line. The only reply one could get to argument or entreaty was, 'xA.ll ist veloren ; vere ist der pontoon?' Although the appearance of thousands of fugitives from battle, with ambulances, wagons, cannons, and caissons, all in a wild stampede, is apt to be very disconcerting and demoralizing to a line of battle, the troops of the Second Corps did not appear in the smallest degree affected." During this pandemonium caused by the fleeing Eleventh Corps, the attempt to resist it b\- the Union troops and the House at the pi esent time. demonstrations of the attacking enemy, the band of the FcLirteenth Regiment, which was n()w considered the best in the Army of the Potomac, did its most heroic worlc. We cannot resist copying Colonel Frederick L. Hitchcock, who gives a beautiful tribute to this band in his sketch of the One Hundred and Thirty-Second Pennsylvania Regiment, entitled "War from the Inside." He says :— "One of the most heroic deeds I saw done to help stem the fleeing tide of men and restore courage was not the work of a battery, nor a charge of cavalry, but the charge of a band of music ! The band of the Fourteenth Connecticut The Affair at^Chancellorsville. 1 2 1 went right out into that open space between our new- hue and the rebels, with shot and sheU crashing all about them, and played 'The Star Spangled lianner", 'The Red, White and Blue' and 'Yankee Doodle' and repeated them for fully twenty minutes. They never played better. Did that require nqrve? It was undoubtedly the first and only band concert ever given under such conditions. Never was American grit more finely illustra- ted. Its efifect upon the men was magical. Imagine the strains of our grand national hymn, 'The Star Spangled Banner', sud- denly bursting upon your ears out of that horrible pandemonium of panic-born yells, mingled with the roaring of musketry and the crashing of artillery. To what may it be likened? The carol of birds in the midst of the blackest thunder-storm ? No simile can be adequate. Its strains were clear and thrilling for a mo- ment, then smothered Ijy that fearful din, an instant later sounding bold and clear again, as if it would fearlessly emphasize the re- frain, 'our flag is still there.' It was a remarkable circumstance that none of them were killed. I think one or two of them were slightly wounded by pieces of exploding shells, and one or two of their instruments carried away scars from that scene." When this break of the Eleventh Corps occurred, the Second Brigade was hurried from its position in reserve to support the line, and leaving behind knapsacks and other impediments moved down the plank road at the doulile-quick, halting at the cross- road near the Chancellor House, for the violence of the attack seemed to have abated. In a few moments, however, there was terrific firing on the Orange Court House road to the right, and the men were hurried in that direction for a quarter of a mile on the run and turning ofif on the right of the road, formed in line of battle in the woods facing the west. It was now dark and the enemy ceased firing. The position was changed several times through the night, the men resting on their arms. The Fourteenth was on the right of the brigade in the second line of battle and was unsupported on the right. At this point Com- manding Major Ellis sent 2d Lieutenant Lucas of Company A to General French to learn what was on their right. Lieutenant Lucas was sharply ordered back to his regiment, with the remark 122 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. that it was "his Inisiness and he would attend to it." There is no evidence that he (Hd. Soon after dayhght on the morning of Sunday, May 3d., the only actual fighting by the regiment occurred. We will let Cor- poral E. B. Tyler of Company R, afterwards ist sergeant, tell the story of this part of the engagement. He says: — "The next morning, May 3d, the enemy o]:)ened fire on us from a compara- tively short distance in our front. Although we coukl see but little of them on account of the woods and underbrush, we re- turned the fire with vigor, thinking that even if some of the shots were sent in at random, they might do the enemy as nuich in- jury as their shots were doing us ; and their shots, whether b}' chance or otherwise, were constantly telling on our men. At this time there was evidently some mismanagement in die ar- rangement of our Fourteenth position, as there seemed to be an open unprotected space to the right of the regiment, while the 1 2th New Jersey Regiment of our brigade, that should have con- nected with our line on the left of our regiment. overla]:)ped it, their right falling in the rear of our company. As the New Jersev regiment o])ene(l fire Com|)anv P.'s attention was about equally divided between the enemy in front and the friends in the rear. A movement of our regiment to the right would doubtless have been made had not the rebels evidently discovering a weak spot suddenly began to a])pear on (nu* right flank, when the order was given us to fall back, which we did in very good order, carrying our wounded with us and finally coming out of the woods at the identical si)ot where we had stacked our knap- sacks the night before. Any other regiment than the Fourteenth might not have stopped to get their knapsacks under the circum- stances, but we had had experience in losing knapsacks and in absence of positive orders not to resume them, we hunted up our own as quicklv as possible, and then leisurely and in perfect order still, went back and took up a new position some distance to the rear. The immediate advance of the enemy following us was checked bv Carroll's Brigade of our cor]is, who appeared upon the scene just in the nick of time." Sergeant Hirst says that he would rather have been shot than The Affair at Chancellorsville. 123 to have fallen back at this time. In atten^jting to rally the men Captain IJronson of Company I received a bad wound in the shoulder and was carried to the rear. The Fourteenth retired to the rifle-pits where they remained until early Wednesday morning. During this time they were the constant mark of the Confederate sharp-shooters, but suffered no perceptible injury. ( )f their retreat across the river and back to the camp at Fal- mouth Major Hincks has this to say: — "We had just gone to sleep Tuesday night when we were roused and told the cam- paign had been a failure, that the enemy had beaten us and that we must retire in jjcrfect silence to the other side of the river. Our regiiuent and those next us formed and stood in line for an hour or two in the rain, darkness and cold, waiting for further orders. Finally we were told to lie down again. At twelve o'clock we were again called and after standing in the ranks until nearly three, we moved ofif toward the river. Another such a journey in the darkness I hope never to have to perform. The road had only been cut through the woods the day before and every now and then one would strike his foot against a stub and go down headlong into the mud and rising hurriedly would go on again. Before long we ceased to pick our way at all, but went in through brooks, mudholes or anything, taking a bee line towards our journeys end. The ])ontoons were recrossetl about daylight and at about ten o'clock a handful of us arrived at our old camp, having come fifteen miles with less than one-half hours rest. The balance of the regiment kept coming in all day." Thus ends the part the Fourteenth took in the battle of Chan- cellorsville. While there were none killed, the regiment suffered largely from wounds. (/a])tain Bronson of Company I received his fatal wound, dying June 3, just a month later. The number of the regiment at this time was reported by Commanding Major Ellis as 2i(). The total number of wounded was 3 commissioned officers, 34 enlisted men ; missing, 2 commissioned officers, one of whom was Captain Samuel Fisk ("Dunn Browne") who was at the time supposed to be killed, enlisted men, 17. Major Ellis reports to the Adjutant-General of the State the course of the regiment at Chancellorsville and submits the fol- lowing list of wounded : — 1 24 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. ■'Company A. Wounded, Sergeant, Edward L. Hunimiston, in face, Privates, James H. Bartram, thumb, Charles H. Piatt, eye, slightly ; missing. Privates, David Farrar, John Kelly, Sam- uel Stone, George Bunyan, Patrick Moore. Company B. Wounded, Captain, James L. Townsend, side, slightly, 1st Lieutenant, Henry P. Goddard, head, slightly, Cor- poral, Henry S. Brooks, shell wound in leg. Privates, Thomas Capper, gun-shot in side, Cyrus Priest, gun-shot in shoulder, Austin Judd, gun-shot in hand, Edwin Stroud. Company C. Wounded, Privates, Edward Kilduff, gun-shot in shoulder, Leonard Merchant, gun-shot in hand, Charles Up- son, bayonet wound in elbow, slightly, Thomas Byington, head. Company D. Wounded, Private, Thomas Stafiford ; missing, 1st Lieutenant, James F. Simpson, — supposed to have been taken prisoner. Private, John Williams. Company E. Wounded, Sergeant, Samuel Webster, arm, Privates, James Rogers, leg, John McDonald, knee, slightly, Ed- win Pierce, Isaac C. Barrows, Jerry Callahan; missing. Privates, Timothy Loun, Baltas Wagner, James McCormick. Company i'\ Wounded, Privates, Charles R. Bunnell, gun- shot in wrist, John ( larvin, gun-shot in foot; missing. Corporal, Henry B. Goodrich, Private, Reynold T. Moore. Company (i. Wounded, Privates, Ralph Thompson, gun-shot in hand, Levi M. Chapman, contusion by shell, Christopher W. Boone, gun-shot in ankle, Renslar (ioodale, gun-shot in arm, Richard J. Catlwell ; missing. Captain, Samuel h'iske, supposed to have been killed. (It was afterwards discovered he had been taken prisoner. Ed.) Company H. Wounded, Privates, George S. Edwards, side, Jeremiah Calvert, hands ; missing. Sergeant, Samuel N. Watrous, Privates, John C. Goddard, Amos Dayton, H. E. Hart. Company I. Wounded, Captain, Isaac R. Bronson, gun-shot in right shcnilder. Privates, luigene W. Dorman, gun-shot in side, Charles Kraft, gun-shot in arm, amputated, Charles N. Bartram, Andrew Murphy, toe; missing. Privates, Oliver W. Evarts. Michael Silver. Company K. Wounded, Privates, John Smith, Edward Rig- ney, gtm-shot in hand." The Affair at Chancellorsville. 1 2 7 Of Captain Bronson, Captain Fiske ("Dunn Browne") has this to say in the Springfield Repubhcan : — "I must give some feeble expression of my sorrow — and that of the whole circle of his brother officers and soldiers — in the tidings we have just received of the death of Captain I. R. l)ronson of the Fourteenth, scirely wounded in the fight near Chancellorsville, on Sabbath morning, May 3d. He was one of the most earnest, honest and fearless pa- triots whose life has been sacrificed in this great cause. Tn camp, which is far too often made an excuse for relaxing the prmciples of morality and religion that are a restraint at home, he led a pure and Christian life. Where profanity and obscenity are. I am forced to say, almost the rule, and decent language the excep- tion, no impure or irreverent words came from his lips, nor, un- rebuked, from those of his men. Of a courage that never left him satisfied to be awa\- from his post when action and danger were before us, of an earnest patriotism that left none of us in doubt what were his motives in coming to the field, of an endur- ing fortitude that shrunk from no extremities of hardship and privation that came upon us, of a generotis and cheerful spirit that was an example to us all, he was a soldier worthy of our cause, a patriot without a blemish, a Christian that did not dis- honor the name, a comrade of whose loss I can scarcelv trust myself to speak. Since the death of the lamented Willard (cap- tain of Company G) of my own town and home, slain at Antie- tam, no stroke has come home to me, personally, so deeply. Noble Christian soldiers both ! A tear to their memory, and a lesson to each of us from their lives." The following is Conunanding Major Ellis" report to the Ad- jutant-General of Connecticut, which is the same as his report to the Brigade Commander : — "Headquarters Fourteerlh Connecticut Volunteers, Camj) near Falmouth, Va.. May 9th. 1863. Captain J. P. Postles, A. A. A. G., 2d Brigade. Sir: — I have the honor to report the following particulars res- pecting the part taken by the Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers, in the late action near Chancellorsville, Va. This regiment cross- '28 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. ed the Rappahannock with the Second Army Corps, near United States Ford, on the evening: of the 30th of April, and at once proceeded to camp near Chancellorsville. The next day we were advanced about three-quarters of a mile forward south-east of the 'Chancellor House', but were immediately returned to camp, where we remained the rest of the day. In the evening, this regi- ment was formed in line of battle on the extreme right, and threw out pickets for the night. We were relieved on the morning of the 2d. and returned to the camp previously occupied. About sun- down of the 2d, we were advanced to the front, and formed to the left of (iordonsville road, near the "Chancellor House.' From this position we were moved along the plank road leading to Spottsylvania Court House, and formed in line of battle facing to the south-west on the right of the road. The regiment was on the right of the brigade in the second line of battle and was unsupported on the right. This position was somewhat altered during the night, but was substantially that occupied on the morn- ing of the 3d. About sunrise on the morning of the 3d instant, the first line of battle having been forced by a terrific assault of the enemy, this regiment became engaged, the enem\- appearing on our front and right flank almost simultaneously. We were forced to retire, principallv on account of there being no troops on our right to prevent the enemy, which had engaged the front line on our right, from passing through the unoccupied interval and attaining our rear. After withdrawing, this regnnent joined the remainder of the brigade and was placed behind rifle-pits to the left. Here we remained from the evening of the 3d. to the morning of the 6th, being occasionally under a slight fire, but meeting with no loss. About 2 A. M.. on the 6th, this regiment was withdrawn and recrossed the river to the camp. The strength of the regiment on the morning of the 3d was 21Q. \^ery respectfully, Theodore G. Ellis, Major Commanding the Fourteenth Connecticut." The Barn at Meade's Headquarlei s CHAPTER VIII. The March from Falmouth to Gettysburg. The regiment returned to its old camp ground near Falmouth for the second time, dejected and sad over another reverse of ^he cause for which they were fighting. The only relieving feat- ure of the engagement was the mortal wounding of General ^tonewall Jackson of the Confederates. His name had become j^ synonym of dash and daring, which was feared by the Union soldier. About the middle of May the old camp ground at Falmouth, which had been the scene of their winter's trials and joys withal, was moved about a mile farther from the river in a pine forest. While remaining here a practical joke was perpetrated on Chap- lain H. S. Stevens by some of the boys, who did not '^eem to have regard for clerical dignity. As was his custom, the worthy chaplain strolled from the regiment into the near-by woods, with a portfolio for the purpose of writing, and while lying on the ground, he fell asleep. Some light hearted young lieutenant placed an empty whiskey bottle on his arm. It was soon noised around the camp and many of the regiment went out to see the strange spectacle. Whether the chaplain was awakened by their presence or whether he had continued his nap to a legitimate conclusion, he soon awoke, and with becoming surprise, took in the situation. He was the subject of many expressions of con (129) 1 30 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. clolence for his apparent departure from his usual course of rec- titude, for which the chaplain did not exp'-ess much thankfulness. It was the general impression in the regiment that they would continue here for some time, and the men were engaged fitting up the new camp as if such a proionged stay was assured. On the 28th of May, however, the regiment was ordered to be in readiness to march at thirty minutes notice, and to be supplied with three days cooked rations. They were not ordered to move until the 14th of June. Meanwhile the most rigid descipline was observed, furloughs were forbidden, and the men were not permitted to pass beyond division lines. Soon after sundown Sunday, June 14th, the regiment broke camp in silence, and started on the long march to the Potomac. They marched tmtil about midnight, when thev halted at Stafford for a little rest. Before dawn the march was resumed and con- tinued to Dumfries, which was reached about noon. The regi- ment was the rear-guard and the enemy was not far behind them. June i6th the march was continued, being a very fatiguing one, as the men were out of practice, the day very hot and no air stirring. At evening the regiment halted at a i)lace called Wolf Run Shoals, having come some twenty-five miles. Colonel Smyth, of the ist. Delaware, being senior officer, was in coi^.- mand of the brigade. Here at Wolf Run vShoals was stationed the Second Connecticut Light Battery. ?\lost of the men of the batter}- had been recruited at Bridgeport, the Ikmiic of many of the members of Company A of the Fourteenth. There were hearty greetings and a short time was spent by friend visiting friend. June 17th the regiment resumed its march, reaching the vicinity of Fairfax Court House that evening. Sergeant Hirst relates the experiences of the day as follows: — "It was a terrible day, the weather being hot and sultry. The roads were ground to powder by the thousands of men who had preceded tis, which made our progress very slow, and strong men wilted down as though blasted by something in the air. Being on the rear- guard, I saw several cases of sunstroke The ambu- lances were soon filled with used up men, while hundreds of The March from Falmouth to Gettysburg. 131 others had to be urqed along, as we were not allowed to leave one living man behind The highway was reserved for the artillery, army wagons and ambulances ; in the fields on each side of the road marched the infantry, covered on the flanks by skirmishers and light horsemen. It is strange how generous men become on a march. Do }ou want a ]:)ack of cards, a book, a blanket, a pair of drawers or perhaps an old iron JOSEPH L. PIERCE. The only Chinaman inlisted in the Arm}' of the Potomac. kettle? Xo, — down they go in the road. All along each side of the road are strewn hundreds of blankets, overcoats, and even pants and vests. Idiese various articles were made into piles and burned by the rear-guard as we moved slowly along." While encamped at Centerville, June 19th, the monotony of the camp was broken by the cleaning out of a sutler. Major Hincks reports this incident as follows : — -"This morning 1 wit- 1 32 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. nessed for the first time and from a distance, the not uncommon spectacle of clearing out a sutler. The victim selected is usually, though not always, one who has inspired general indignation bv excessively high prices for his goods, and the manner of his punishment is on this wise. The guy-ropes that hold up his large store tent are secretly cut, the tent, of course, collapses, and in the general confusion the numerous and often apparently sympathizing bystanders help themselves to all the plunder they can conveniently lay hands on. This, of course, is sheer rob- bery, yet the sutler's business in many instances is not much better. The proper remed\- would be for the government to employ a man to furnish the troops at cost or a reasonable profit such articles as stationery, tobacco, underclothing, etc. Perhaps some of the chaplains could be made useful in this way." June 20th the march was resumed to Gainesville. An inci- dent of the march still remembered by many of the members of the Fourteenth was the meeting of a New York regiment, just added to the brigade, who appeared to have been well drilled, but had not seen service. Their uniforms were fresh and tidy and the men wore white gloves and standing collars. This con- trast with the tattered, worn and faded garments of the men of the Fourteenth, who had passed through Antietam, Fredericks- burg and Chancellorsville, and their long fatiguing m.arches, caused some of the latter regiment to jeer and remark that the starch would soon be taken out of them. The next day an officer in command of this dandy regiment made a complaint to Major Ellis that his men had been insulted by the members of the Fourteenth hooting at them and calling them white gloved gentry. The same day the march was over a portion of the scene of the second Bull Run battle, where the men were reminded of the engagement of the year previous. Half buried bones of Federal soldiers could be seen everywhere, trees were broken, and the usual amount of army debris that is left by a conflict between two opposing forces. Day by day and step by step the regiment was approaching the future memorable battle-field of Gettys- burg. The March from Falmouth to Gettyshurg. 1 33 On the evening of June 24th the regiment camped at Gum Spring, in a severe rain storm, and remained here until next day, when they proceeded toward the Potomac, reaching Ed- ward's Ferry in the afternoon. After some delay incident to the laying of a pontoon bridge, which, soon after dark, the regiment passed over, and were again in Maryland. A couple of miles farther on the regiment turned into a wheat field about two o'clock in the morning, where, tired and jaded, the men slept until long after sunrise. The march was continued toward Frederick City, camp being made June 28th, within a mile or two of the town. June 29th the march was resumed toward Uniontown, a distance of thirty- two miles, and was the longest and most tedious march since the regiment entered the service. Many of the members of the regi- ment had kind remembrances of their reception at Frederick City on the march to Antietam, and were disappointed when the column turned to the right and did not pass through the city. About ten o'clock a small brook was forded, the men not being allowed to remove their shoes or roll up their trousers on ac- count of the delay it might occasion. This caused the dust and fine gravel to adhere to their trousers, which soon found its way into the worn shoes, causing many of them to become foot-sore. A halt of more than five minutes at a time was not made during the day. During the march the line passed through Liberty, Johnsonville and Union Bridge, and about ten o'clock camped near Uniontown, the men being very nnich exhausted. The citizens here were very kind to the boys, furnishing them with fresh bread, cherries, milk and other luxuries at nominal prices. A congratulatory order was read to the troops from General Hancock on their endurance of the march. It was during this tarry at Uniontown that the troops were informed of the change in commanders. General Meade having been appointed to suc- ceed General Hooker. For the fourth time during their service of ten months the regiment was destined to go to its fourth battle under a new commanding general. They had had ]\Ic- Clellan at Antietam, Burnside at Fredericksburg, Hooker at Chancellorsville and were to have Meade at Gettysburg. Con- 134 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. sidering" their experience in the three battles mentioned, can it be any wonder tliat they received the news with satisfaction? The regiment remained at Uniontown until the mornmg of July 1st, when orders to march were given, and they moved rapidly toward Taneytown, halting for a couple of hours, when thev moved forward and crossed the Pennsylvania line, con- tinuing until the\' reached a point within two or three miles of Gettysburg at alxiut eight o'clock in the evening. They heard sharp artillery tiring in their front, which indicated that the men would soon have work. Here we will leave them on the edge of this supreme battle-field of their experience for another chapter. The Round Tops. CHAPTER IX. Gettysburg. Elated at his successful retreat through the dilatoriuess of JMcClellan and IJurnside at Antietam, and his positive victories along the Rappahannock, at Fredericksburg and Chancellors- ville, General Lee determined to make his second invasion upon the territory of a loyal state. Doubtless this was prompted by pressure from the Confederate capital, which was as urgent that he should move on to Washington, as the authorities at the hederal capital were anxious to press the Union generals for- ward to Richmond. To do this it was necessary that Lee should disengage Hooker from the Rappahannock, and relieve the anxiety at Richmond. Consequently on the 3d of June, leaving A. B. Hill's Corps at Fredericksburg, as a mask to his moving army. Longstreet's Division marched to Culpepper Court House, and Ewell's Corps moved toward the mouth of the Shenandoah Valley. Hooker, aware that there was some movement of the Confederate army, was yet somewhat in the dark as to its pur- (135) I 36 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. posed object. He therefore sent Sedgwick's corps on the 6th. across the Rappahannock at FrankHn's crossing to make a closer reconnoissance, but as Hill remained in position, all that Sedg- wick discovered was that the enemy was in force. Stuart's Cavalry had been concentrated at Culpepper before the arrival of Longstreet's Corps. Hooker, becoming aware of this, de- termined to send his whole cavalry force to break up Stuart's camp. Accordingly on the 9th General Pleasaton was ordered across the Rappahannock to meet Stuart, whom he repulsed. This encounter disclosed to Hooker a knowledge of Lee's in- vasion of a Xorthern state. That the intelligence was startling and required decisive and energetic movement need hardly be said. To meet this emergency. Hooker threw out his right along the Rappahannock, while the cavalry still held the upper forks of the river. Lee upon reaching Winchester, and moving on to- ward York and Chambersburg, recalled the troops, ordering them to concentrate at Gettysburg. In breaking up his camps along the Rappahannock, FJooker moved his left and center on the road direct to Washington, following and covering the line of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. Of the march of that portion of the ami)- in which we are particularly interested, the b^ourteenth Regiment, of the Second Corps, we have already spoken in detail in the preceding chapter. General Hancock, who had meantime taken command of the Second Corps, was summoned to assume the command of Gen- eral Reynolds, if he should be killed or seriously wounded, and to report if in his mind Gettysburg was a suitable place for battle. Hancock arrived soon after the repulse of the First and Eleventh Corps, and the death of Reynolds. All was confusion and chaos. Dispatching Major Mitchell of his stafif to General ■Meade, he reported that in his opinion Gettysburg offered a suitable position for defense, although somewhat exposed to be turned by the left. ' The battle of Gettysburg has been called "The Waterloo of the war between the states." True it is that here the cause of the Confederacy touched its Mgh water mark. It is not the province of this writing to enter into the details of the battle of Gettysburg. 1 3 7 Gettysburg. It has always been a fruitful theme for the writers' pen. Its intensity, the surrounding circumstances, its sangui- nary character, and its final result, have always been a favorite study of all classes. Historians have written of it, artists have painted it, poets have sung of it, and military chieftains have studied it. We must, however, tell so much of it as will enable us to depict the part the Fourteenth Regiment played. Let us then for a moment look at the field. Looking westward from Gettysburg, the horizon of vision is bounded at a distance of ten miles by the range known as the South Mountain, which, running north and south, forms the eastern wall of the Cumberland V^alley. The landscape has a rolling and diversified surface caused by numerous ridges which run nearly parallel with the South Mountain range. The town of Gettysburg nestles at the base of one of these ranges. At the distance of half a mile to the west of the town is another ridge, called, from the Theological Seminary that stands thereon. Seminary Ridge. At the town still another ridge bends east- ward and southward in an angle formed by Cemetery and Culps Hills. Cemetery Hill is so called from being the burial place of the town. The distance across the interval between Seminary and Cemetery Hills is about a mile. The Emmettsburg road runs through this interval to Gettysburg, somewhat nearer Ceme- tery Hill. This ridge extends from Cemetery Hill about three miles and terminates in a high, rocky, wooded peak, named Round Top, near which rises a rough and bald spur of the same, which is called Little Round Top. The slopes and the interval abound in cultivated fields, with here and there patches of w^oods. These ridges have a favorable slope to the rear, afifording ample cover for reserves and trains, and a gentle undulating slope to- ward the west. We quote from Walker's "History of the Second Army Corps" of the general distribution of the forces on the second morning: — "On the morning of July 2d, the troops were disposed with reference to an anticipated attack from General Lee, at an early hour, as follows : General Slocum was in command of the right wing, which consisted of the Twelfth, Eleventh and First Corps, 138 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. occupying- Gulps Hill on the extreme right and Cemetery Hill on the right center. General Hancock's Gorps was designated to occupy Gemetery Ridge, forming the left center. The Third Gorps, under General Sickles, was to hold the left. It was Gen- eral Meade's intention that this corps should be stretched out toward the Round Tops." Returning to trace the movements of the Fourteenth Regiment, Position'of the Second Corps at Gettysburg-- it will be remembered we left them on the night of July ist., resting within two or three miles of Gettysburg. About ten o'clock the regiment was marched out to do picket duty along the Baltimore turnpike. Here the}- remained until next morning at daylight, when they were ordered to rejoin their brigade. Of this second day, ]\Iajor Hincks says: — "This morning the mist hung thick and heavy over the ground. We were recalled from the picket line soon after dawn and followed a narrow and rugged road which gradually ascended toward the front. After we had marched perhaps a couple of miles, we passed a little cottage, I think of only one story, hardly large enough to be digni- fied with the title of a house. This building was occupied by General Meade as headquarters, and we saw quite a number of horses saddled and tied to the garden fence. A few rods Gettysburg. 139 further on we turned off from the road to the left, and after go- ing up a little ascent, the brigade was halted in column by regi- ments on a grassy field or plateau of considerable size. In front of and a little to the right on slightly higher ground was a ceme- tery, on the further edge of which ]:)ieces of artillery were planted and troops stationed, protected l)y a rough rifle-pit or barricade. Immediately in front of us, when the mist had lifted, we could see across the plain the distant spires and houses of Gettysburg. A little in adyance of us and to our left, in a grove of trees, was Meade's Headquarters on Taneytown Roai: a battery of brass pieces, WoodruiT's regular battery, I was told. Here the line made a sharp bend toward the south, just taking in the farmhouse and its outbuildings, and extending toward our rear for a long distance until it was finally lost to view in the woods and mountains. We tarried in this field for the remainder of the day, the men keeping their accouterments on and remain- ing close by their stacks of arms." It was in this fieUl that an accident occurred, which came near costing Captain Coit of Company K his life, and deprived the 140 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. regiment iov a time of the serviees of a hrave and faithfnl officer. A drummer-l)oy. was mounted on an officer's horse, which he was taking to tlie rear. The horse evidently heeoming frightened by the noise of the tumult, threw the l)o\- to the ground, and plunged forward to wdiere the regiment lay. Alen got out of the way as rapidly as possible, and all succeeded, excepting Captain Coit, who was just rising in the act of drawing his saber, when the horse was upon him, striking him full in the face and breast, h was a wonder that he was not killed or, at least, badly disfigured but in a few da\s the captain was able to return to his reghnent, and afterwards i)assed through man\- of the prominent battles with it. The regiment remained here until ab(-)Ut four o'cl^^k, when it was moved about two hundred wards further toward the left, passing through an apple orchard and halting on its further edge, quite near the headquarters of General Hays, commanding the division. Here the regiment was placed behind a loosely con- Gettysburg. 141 structed stone wall, which commenced near the house and ran south for a mile or two until lost to sight among the woods and mountains. This was the ground occupied by the regiment dur- ing the rest of the battle. This arrangement made it face the west and occup\- the ground which had liccn filled by the New York brigade. In front was a large and gently sloping plain several miles in length from north to south, and perhaps or-e mile in width. At its opposite side was a thick belt of woods, occupierl b\- the enemy, behind which was a lofty range of hills. About miflwa\' of the plain were two picket lines. Hay's Headquarters. While the regiment lay here in support of Arnold's First Rhode Island Battery, heavy firing was heard on the right, ap- parently several miles away, the sound advancing and retreating as if the tide of battle swayed back and forth. Somewhat later there was also heavy firing upon the left. As darkness ap- proached, the scene was very grand and impressive, the ground 142 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. seemed to shake from the thunder of the heavy guns, whose bright flashes could be seen. foHowed by loud reports. Gradually the firing grew less frequent and by half past ten ceased alto- gether and all was quiet for the night. Sergeant E. B. Tyler of Company B gives an interesting ac- count of the regiment's experience that night and the next morn- ing as follows : — "That night as we lay, our knapsacks plumb up to the base of the stone wall and pillowed our heads thereon, not being allowed to divest ourselves of any other arms or equip- ments, we sought for the rest and sleep we so much needed. Arnold's Rhode Island Battery just to the left of us finally quieted down, although I think we could have slept notwith- standing that, but when suddenly there rang out the volleys of musketry, the roar of artillery and the rebel yells of the Louis- iana Tigers over on East Cemetery Hill, every vestige of sleep was dispelled and every man on the qui vive for there is some- thing weird, mysterious and almost unearthly in a sudden night attack. Then came the clattering of mounted messengers, the clear ringing orders of Carroll, as with the First Brigade of our division, thc\- rushed across the cemetery to the relief of the Eleventh Corps and by their timely aid can be attributed the repulse and almost annihilation of the desperately attacking Tigers. On the morning of the 3d Companies B and D were ordered out on the skirmish line, with our reserve lying in the little de- pression of the Emmettsburg road. Those of us detailed to go out on the line crawled out across the wheat field to the fence bevond and lying upon the ground behind the posts and lower rails of the fence, began the sharp-shooters drill of the day. The space between us and the rebel skirmish line was open and clear in the main and the least showing of head, hand or foot was an invitation for a target of the same. One thing we soon learned and that was the puff of smoke from our rifles when we fired made an unpleasantly close target even when we were sure we were unseen ourselves. We were stationed two or three fence lengths apart and although we could hardly see each other, for previous to Pickett's charge the standing grain afforded consider- Gettysburg. 143 able protection from view, we occasionally spoke to one another on either hand for companionship or to ascertain if each was all ri^ht. A comrade, I think it was Hiram Fox, next to me on the left, said he had spoken to Corporal Huxam, who was next to him on the left, but obtained no reply. I suggested to him to crawl over to Huxam 's position and see if all was right. He did so and reported back that Huxam was dead, shot through the head. He had evidently become tired of l}ing flat ui)on the ground and firing through the lower rails, and risen up to a kneeling position and was aiming through the middle rails of the fence, a risk the rebel sharp-shooters had quickl}- availed themselves of, and not unlikely the very one that had attracted Huxam 's attention was the one that proved too quick for him and fired the fatal shot." Marker fm the lUiss r.arn site The regiment at this time numbered one hundred and sixty men, about forty of whom were doing picket duty in front of its line. Somewhat to the right and about twenty-five hundred feet away were the farm buildings, house and barn, of William 144 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Bliss. Mr. Bliss was like many other farmers who give more attention to the architecture and pretentiousness of their barns than they do to their houses. This barn was a rambling struc- ture seventy-five feet long and thirty-five feet wide. It was a solid oak frame incased by a stone wall one story in height, and then of brick. It was plentifully supplied with doors and win- dows and hastily made apertures. It was indeed a vertible fort. It became known to the boys as the "bank barn," so called by having an earthwork driveway extending from the sill of the second floor and sloping gradually back to the level ground. The Confederate sharp-shooters were not long in seeing the ad- vantage of this improvised fort and soon every window, door and crevice showed the protuding muzzles of long range rifles ready to do their deadly work. During the later hours of the 2d. of July it was found that these rifles were picking oflf officers and men along the skirmish line which it commanded. Consequently the First Delaware Regiment was sent out to capture the build- ings and took the ground and some prisoners, but were obliged to return. Then four companies of the Twelfth New Jersey were detailed for the duty of capturing the grounds and build- ings. Thev charged in good style and captured them, taking a large number of prisoners and losing some of their own men. They were withdrawn after dark. On the morning of July 3d., about half past seven, five other companies of the Twelfth New Jersey again captured the barn, taking more prisoners, and re- turned again to the line. And again this military eelpot was set to catch a fresh batch of slippery Confederates. Finding the firing intolerable, especially to the men of Arnold's Battery on the crest, as well as those on the skirmish line. General Hays ordered the Fourteenth Regiment to capture the buildings "to stay." Captain S. A. Moore, with four companies of the regi- ment, numbering some fifty or sixty men, was sent down to capture the brick barn. To reach the barn was a perilous task and no man coveted the work. After passing up toward head- quarters and down a lane across the Emmettsburg road, it was then necessary to cross a field, a distance of nearly eighteen hundred feet. Reaching this field, they were given orders to Gettysburg. 145 break and each man reach the barn as best he could. In doing- this the desperate character of the undertaking was realized, as they were open to the fire of the skirmish line and the sharp- shooters in the barn, together with a flanking fire from the brigades of Thomas and McGowan located in "Long Lane," but such was the dash and the wild fury of the approach that the Confederates left the barn in haste, giving onlv parting shots. Captain Moore was the first to enter the barn and the Federal soldiers were soon in full command. Several prisoners were taken. The Confederates, however, took possession of the housr about one hundred and fifty feet away, and sheltered as best they could in that and the peach orchard adjoining, where from these two sources they continued the firing-. Some of the men were wounded in the run to the barn, and soon after they occupied the barn, a shell struck it, killing Sergeant Clements and wound- ing others. On the way to the barn Lieutenant Seward of Com- pany I was shot through the body and Lieutenant Seymour of the same company was shot through the leg. Finding that the 146 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. capture of the barn did not remedy the trouble, orders were given Major Ellis to take the remaining four companies of the regiment, the other two companies being out as skirmishers, and capture the house. Leaving the colors and the color-guard at the wall, the route of Major Ellis to the house was much more exposed to the Confederate sharp-shooters' firing than was the first detail, but on they went, with a vim of determination which character- ized the men of the command. It was like dodging ten thousand shafts of lighting. They soon reached the house, but lost some men on the way. The Confederates left the house as precipi- tately as they did the barn, some of their parting shots killing Sergeant Baldwin of Company I, and John Fox of Company A was seriously wounded in the thigh. Things now began to look serious for the brave men who had driven out the Confederates, now posted in the rear. The house proved a shallow protection and most of Major Ellis' detail went to the barn. x\s there were no windows or opportunities to fire in the rear of the barn, it looked as if the men were at the mercy of the enemy, "in a trap and liable to be extenuinated." They had received orders to capture the buildings "to stay" and the faithful men knew no other course than to obey comtuands. Lieutenant Seymour first suggested to Colonel Smyth that "If, in the event of capturing the house and barn, the rebs make it so hot we can't hold them, shall we fire them?" Colonel Smyth at first gave no reply, but later gave orders to the lieutenant in such an event to fire the buildings. Lieutenant Seymour fell helpless, and the line rushed on, so that the order did not reach the men, and they, being in ignorance of the existence of such an order, held on in their beleaguered places. Later General Hays sent instructions to burn the buildings. Captain Postles, of Colonel Smyth's staff, was dispatched with the order to Major Ellis to burn the buildings. Captain Postles bounded off on his magnificent charger, going over the ground like a hurricane, fully aware of the dangerous character of his mission. He, how- ever, reached the barn, delivered the order and returned to head- quarters in safety. No sooner was the order given than the men proceeded to exegute it. The barn was set fire in different places Gettysburg. 147 and a straw bed in the house proved a convenient dispenser of flame. Then the men, taking up the dead and wounded, started back for the wall, running the same gantlet as when they went to the barn. They had done their work well and when they reached the Emmettsburg road both buildings were in flames. It is not to be wondered that such a gallant and perilous deed as capturing and burning these buildings, one of the bravest dur- ing the whole progress of the war, should be claimed by other regiments and companies, but to the honor and glorv of the The Monument on the right is that of the Fourteenth Regiment. Fourteenth Regiment must be credited this heroic deed. Fot several years after the close of the war there was a spirited con- troversy as to whom this honor should belong, it being finally decided by Colonel Bachelder, the authorized historian of the battle of Gettysburg, to whom all the evidence and affidavits were forwarded. He admitted the claim and decided that it be- longed to the Fourteenth Regiment alone. 148 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. In Walker's "History of the Second Army Corps" he says: — "General Alexander Hays, finding the enemy's skirmishers again troubling him from the Bliss barn, sent forward a detachment from the Twelfth New Jersey, which captured the barn, with the Confederate skirmish reserve. At a still later hour in the morning, the enemy again occupying this position, General Hays ordered a detachment from the Fourteenth Connecticut, Major Ellis, to take the buildings and burn them to the ground. The Fourteenth acquitted itself handsomely, losing ten killed and fifty-two wounded." Colonel Smyth in his official report of the battle says ---"The barn and house near it, being reoccupied by the enemy's sharp- shooters, an order was received from General Hays, commanding the division, to take the barn and house at all hazards and hold it. The Fourteenth Connecticut was detailed on this service, which it gallantly performed. Soon after an order came from General Hays to burn the house and barn, and they were accordingly fired." Returning to their former position at the wall, it was found that the V'wst Delaware Regiment occupied the ground which they had left. ?\lajor Ellis therefore stationed the men about two rods in the rear. The ground over which Pickett's JJi Gettysburg. 1 49 Major Hincks gives the experience of the regiment : — 'At about one o'clock there burst upon us most unexpectedlv the heaviest cannonade I had ever witnessed. Without waiting for orders, which coukl hardly have been heard, we advanced with one impulse for a few paces and lay down just behind the First Delaware men, who had taken our places at the wall. By the good providence of God, the enemy's guns were pointed so that the shot mainly cleared us and went over the crest of the hill into the valley beyond, where, as we afterwards learned, they sup- posed our troops were massed. Else it would seem that our little line by the stone wall could hardly have escaped being swept away. The wall, being built on a ledge of rock, took those shot that fell short and bounded off instead of burying themselves in the ground beneath us and then exploding, tear- ing in pieces those lying above, as I knew them to do in the grove further to our right. I mention these things to account for the singularly little damage we sustained from its terrific fire. The battery on our left, under Captain Arnold, sustained a more serious loss. Its guns kept up a steadv reply for more than an hour, though T am at a loss to know what they could have seen to fire at, the smoke was so thick. So very thick was it that the sun seemed blotted out. One of the guns was directly behind me and at every discharge, the concussion would throw gravel over me and 1 could not only see and smell the thick cloud of Ijurning powder, but could taste it also. I lay with my arm thrown over Eddy Hart and so hot was it that the drops of perspiration falling from my face made mud of the dusty soil on which we were stretched. No one moved or spoke save the gunners behind us and ever and anon I could hear the ringing voice of the sergeant nearest us giving command to aim, fire, (a tremendous crash) load, to be after a brief in- terval repeated. Then after a time I judged that he was wounded, for his voice was silenced, and out of the cloud came another and different voice, repeating the same command. From time to time, we could hear the wailing of some one wounded, but still their fire did not slacken. When the gunners fell, the drivers took their places. I looked up once or twice to see 1 50 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. brigades, which had lost their way in the lihnding sulphurous canopy and were flying wildly hither and thither, trying to escape from the storm of bursting shot and shell, which filled the air. I saw a fence rail, which had been struck by a shot, go spinning through the air as a man would throw a drumstick. 1 am informed that the thunder of the guns upon this occasion was heard for nearly a hundred miles' away, and the story hardly seems incredible to one who was upon the ground. I utterly despair of giving any idea of the various diabolical sounds to which we listened, the howling of the shell as they sped through the air was like the voice of the tornado upon the ocean, and the sound of their bursting like incessant crashes of the heaviest thunder. At length it ceased as suddenly as it had begun. There was a complete calm, the clouds broke, and we could see the sun shining once more. Our neighbors of the battery, whose ammunition had some time since become ex- hausted, profited by the occasion to bring up their horses, which had not been killed or wounded, and withdrew their guns to the rear. One or two pieces which had been pushed out further to the front were left behind. \\'e rose from the ground and stretched our cramped limbs and, in our inexperience, thought the battle was over, but Major Ellis was better posted than we. 'No,' said he, 'They mean to charge with all their infantry.' 'Fall in Fourteenth' was the order and after a little delay we got the men in their places in line, and were soon in the place left vacant by the withdrawal of the battery." Major Broatch speaks of an incident that occurred as the skir- mish line went out. As they were crossing the Emmettsburg road a Confederate shell struck the rail fence and threw a rail with much force, striking Augustus Guild across the small of the back, felling him to the ground. His comrades supposed he was killed and left him for dead, going on to the skirmish line. When the Confederate army advanced on the charge and our skirmishers were driven in William H. Hall and James Inglis of Company B found, as they crossed the Emmettsburg road, that Guild was alive. They took him up tenderly and started to carry him in. They were entreated by the men at Gettysburg. I 5 1 the wall to leave him or they would all be shot. They per- sisted, however, in their endeavor, although under a heavy fire, and succeeded in reaching the wall, and thus saved his life. Guild lived and was discharged June 5, 1865. Deducting the two companies that were acting as skirmishers at the front and the killed and wounded in the destroying of the Hliss buildings, the regiment now numbered about one hundred men. To occupy the space at the wall left vacant by the dis- rupted battery, it was necessary for the regiment to stretch out, leaving only one line. All eyes were turned upon the front to catch the first sight of the advancing foe. Slowly it emerged from the woods, and such a column ! Eleven brigades of Pickett's Division advanc- ing obliquely upon the Second Division of the Second Corps, Heth's four brigades, commanded by General Pettegrew, in front, while that of Lane and Scales formed in their rear. There were three lines, and a portion of a fourth line, extending a mile or more. It was, indeed, a scene of unsurpassed grandeur and majesty. It is no wonder that Major Ellis in his official report said "It was magnificent." As far as eye could reach could be seen the advancing troops, their gay war flags fiuttering in the gentle summer breeze, while their sabers and bayonets flashed and glistened in the midday sun. Step by step they came, the music and rhythm of their tread resounding upon the rock-ribbed earth. Every movement expressed determination and resolute defiance, the line moving forward like a victorious giant, confident of power and victory. If one listened, he might hear the voice of the commander, "Steady men, steady." There is no swaying of the line, no faltering of the step. The advance seems as resistless as the incoming tide. It was the last throw of the dice in this supreme moment of the great game of war. On, on, thev come and slowly approach the fence that skirts the Emmettsburg road. Watchful eyes are peering through the loosely built stone wall. Anxious hearts are crouched behind this rude redoubt. Hardly can the men be restrained from firing, although positive orders had been given that not a gun should be fired until the enemy reached the Emmettsburg road. I 52 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. It was, indeed, an anxious moment. ()ne you can see is looking at the far off home he will never see again. Another is looking at his little ones, as he mechanically empties his cartridge-box on the ground before him, that he may load more quickly, de- termined to part with life as dearly as possible. Others are communing with Hiiu befcjre whom so many will shortly have to appear. The skirmishers are driven in, l)ut not in confusion, and some times about face to return the Confederate skirmish fire, and thus gain time to bring in the killed and wounded. Slowly the great line moved forward until it reached the fence. The men mounted to cross when the word fire ! fire ! ran along the I'nion line, crack ! crack ! spoke out the musketry, and the men (lrop])e(l from the fence as if swept by a gigantic sickle swung 1)\' some powerful force of nature. Great gaps were formed in the line, the numl)er of slain and wounded could not be estimated by numbers, but must be measured by yards. Yet on came the second line in full face of the awful carnage. Xo longer could the measured tread be heard, no longer were the orders of the commanding officers audible for the shrieks of the wounded and groans of the dying filled the air, but on they came, meeting with the same fate as their comrades. The third line wavered and faltered, even their courage forbiaanig them to face such a storm of nmsketry. The color-bearers now ad- vanced, apparently in obedience to previous orders, and, at- tended by their color-guards, planted their battle flags in the ground nnich nearer. Then the firing Ijeing too hot for them, lay down, waiting for their men to advance and rally around them. One of them in particular was in advance of the others and planted his flag not more than ten rods distant from and in front of the center of the Fourteenth. The men of the regiment still activel)' continued firing. Several of the men were fortunate in having two breech-loaders for while one was load- ing the other was firing. So rapid was this firing that the barrels became so hot that it was almost impossible to use them, some using the precious water in their canteens to pour upon the overworked guns. Accounts seem to agree that the Con- Gettysburg. 153 federate line broke quicker in the immediate front of the Four- teenth than any where else, and seeing this a shout went up from the regiment, which was taken up and echoed and reechoed along the whole Union line. In vain did the Confederate com- manders attempt to reform their broken columns, colors were dropped and the men fled in confusion. Major Ellis gave the order to the regiment to fire left oblique to dislodge some of the Confederates who had come uncomfortably near the front of an adjoining battery. The regiment had just turned when a daring and audacious Confederate jumped upon the gun of a Headqtiai It Gettysburg after the battle battery which had been left about two rods in front, when the battery withdrew for want of horses, and waved his hat in his hand for his comrades to follow. He did not remain there an instant, but fell riddled through. With the help of the regi- ment's crossfire, the rebels in front of the neighboring battery were soon in full retreat. Another incident connected with this remarkable record of the Fourteenth was the capture of a flag by Major Hincks. The 154 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Confederate color planted about ten rods in front of the center of the regiment still stood. There were no rebels standing near it, but several were lying down, waiting for the men to ad- vance. Major Ellis called for volunteers to capture the flag and instantly Major Hincks, Major Broatch and Lieutenant Brig- ham leaped the wall. Brigham was shot down by a retreating rebel, but the other two sped on, Hincks finally outstripping Broatch ran straight and swift for the color, amid a storm of shot. Swinging his saber over the prostrate Confederates and uttering a terrific yell, he seized the flag and hastily returned to the line. He was the object of all eyes and the men cheered him heartily as he reached the ranks. It was the flag of the Fourteenth Tennessee Regiment and had inscribed upon it the names of the twelve battles in which the regiment had partici- pated, viz.: — "Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor, Shep- ardstown, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Oxhill, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Frazier's Farm, Cedar Run and Manasses." Theodore F. Rodenbough, Brevet Brigadier-General of the United States Army, in his book of "Saber and Bayonet," made up of stories of heroism and military adventure, nas this to sa> regarding the capture of this flag: — "During the grand assault, the Fourteenth Connecticut Regiment was in position opposite the left of the enemy's advancing lines ; this regiment was armed with Sharp's breech-loading rifles and their fire was very severe. Sergeant Wade of this regiment says: — 'By this time the Four- teenth were all excited ; they remembered Antietam, Fredericks- burg, and Chancellorsville, and over the wall they went ; nothing could stop them, and soon they were fighting hand-to-hand with the rebels. We captured six battle-flags and forty prisoners ; and over one hundred prisoners came in afterwards Oh, it was a glorious day for the old Fourteenth ! One of the lieutenant-colonels taken by our regiment, coming up to )ur thin line, asked us where all our troops were, and being told that he could see all there were, exclaimed, 'Oh ! that I had known it a half hour since.' Some of the prisoners told us that their gen- erals told them they were fighting nothing but the Pennsylvania Gettysburg. 155 militia, but wben tbey saw the ace of clubs, the trefoil badge of the Second Corps, they all exclaimed, 'We have been fit^hv.'ug the Army of the Potomac' After the tirst fire from the Union side had taken effect, Sergeant-JMajor William B. Hincks, of the Fourteenth, saw, planted in the ground some distance in front, a rebel flag. Around and on a line with it were a number of unwounded men who had thrown themselves down to avoid the heavy fire. He determined to capture the flag. Leaping over the wall he ran straight for it. At the same time two or three others of his regiment had started for the same goal. One of these, an ofiicer, was brought down by a bullet ere he had run ten yards. Hincks outstripped the others, reached the spot, and with a yell seized the colors by the staff, and, waving his sword over his head, was on his way back be- fore those around him could devine his purpose. Instantly a shower of bullets came all about him ; he was also exposed to a scattering fire from our troops. It was 'running the gantlet,' indeed. Hincks in his dash across the neutral ground, seemed to bear a charmed life. As he neared his own lines, he saw the men standing up, regardless of the leaden messengers behind, and as he mounted the wall, trophy in hand, the regiment to a man wildly cheered the gallant fellow. It proved to be the colors of the 'Fourteenth Tennessee.' Major Hincks writes: — 'We were behind a low stone wall, such as may be seen on any New England farm. Parallel to this wall, and perhaps one hundred and fifty yards away, was a lane (Emmettsburg road), on either side of which were the ruins of a wooden fence. My recollection is that our ])eople began to fire as the front line of the enemv crossed this fence. This broke their front line ; their advance was checked and they began to fire. Then their color- bearer ran forward, planted his flag in the ground and with several others — I ]:)resume the color-guard — lay down beside it, our fire being very hot. At that time I was firing two Sharp's rifles, which Lieutenant Hawley was loading for me ; they belonged to men wounded early in the day. The regiment on our right fired buck-and-ball cartridges, and I think that I 156 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. was in as much danger from them when I ran to get the flag as from the enemy One gun (cannon) which had been pushed out a few rods in front of our stone wall remained there during the charge, having been disabled. A daring South- erner jumped upon this gun and waved his hat; but did not live to tell the story. In going after the flag, I ran past thi& gun, leaving it upon my left hand." The men now careless of shelter stood erect and with loud shouts continued to fire into the retreating army as long as they were within range. Many of the retreating coluinn lay down behind stones and hillocks, and even the dead bodies of their comrades, to be protected from the Union shots. Presently, as by one common impulse, bits of white cloth and handkerchiefs were waved as signals of surrender. In response to these signals, our men leaped over the wall and advanced toward the retreating foe. When they reached the point where the enemy's advance had halted, rebel wounded and unwounded in large numbers rose up and surrendered themselves. One of the first to leap over the wall was Corporal Christopher Flynn of Com- pany K who, advancing far down toward the retreating line, picked up a battle-flag which they had dropped in their flight. Corporal E. W. P.acon of Company F also seized the flag of the Sixteenth Xorth Carolina. Several others were subsequently picked up, making five in all which were credited to the regiment. The claim has also been made that six flags were captured, al- though Major l-'Jlis speaks of (Mfly five in his official report. Some have claimed that the sixth flag was a beautiful silk flag, which was not given to the proper officers. Major Hincks, Corporal Flynn of Company K and Corporal Bacon of Company F afterwards received the United States Medal of Honor for deeds of special bravery. Major William 15. Hinks was born in Bucksport, Maine, but moved to liridgeport. Conn., while a lad. He was of scholarly instincts and was preparing for a thorough education, when the call of his country appealed to his inl)red spirit of patriotism and he abandoned his cherished plans and enlisted in Co. A. A man of Major Hincks' strength of mind, purity of purpose, integrity Gettysburg. 157 of character and frankness of manner could not long fail to have an influence upon his comrades and win their love and esteem. He rose rapidly from a private to the rank of major, although to the latter rank he was never mustered. With the exception of a short time when lie was on the brigade staff, he was always with his regiment going with it through all of its engagements and was never seriously wounded. At the close of the war. Major WM. B. HINCKS, Adjutant. Hincks returned to Bridgeport and became engaged in mercan- tile business. His qualities of careful and decerning judgement soon won for him the reputation of a sound business adviser, and his opinions were often sought in that line. He became the custodian of many important trusts. He was also vice-president and secretary of many business organizations of his adopted city. 158 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. For many years he was secretary and treasurer of the City Sav- ing's Bank of Bridgeport. He died November 7, 1903 amid the universal regret of his fellow citizens and his old comrades of the Fourteenth Regiment. A number of the field and line officers surrendered their swords to Major Ellis and Adjutant Doten. About two hundred prisoners were captured, two for every man in the regiment. It was indeed a glorious day for the brave Fourteenth. An incident occurred many years after relating to this sur- render. Among the Confederate officers who surrendered their swords was Colonel John A. Fite. of the Seventh Tennessee, who handed his sword to Lieutenant-Colonel S. A. Moore (then cap- tain) who was standing near Colonel Ellis. Lieutenant-Colonel Moore discovered that the sword was a valuable one and must have been much prized by its owner. In 1890 Lieutenant-Colonel Moore took steps to discover the owner that he might return it. To this end he sent a communication to the Memphis Appeal and the owner, as we have stated, was soon found. He communi- cated at once with Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, satisfying the latter that the sword was his whereupon Lieutenant-Colonel Moore sent the sword to Chicopee where it was put in the best of order and dispatched to Colonel Fite. This incident formed the basis between the LTnion and Confederate colonels of lengthy and fre- quent correspondence of the most cordial character, in which Colonel Fite expressed his appreciation of the magnaminity and gallantry of Lieutenant-Colonel Moore. Those of the prisoners who were able to walk came in after which the boys of the regiment went out and brought in the wounded, although under a heavy fire from the skirmish line which the Confederates had been able to reestablish. These Confederate wounded were tenderly treated and cared for, even portions of the precious stone wall being removed so that they could be taken in without jolting. Cofifee was made and the meager rations shared, showing that "One touch of sorrow makes all the world akin" even in the horrors of war. Gettysburg. 159 After dark the picket line was thrown out, ammunition and rations issued and the men slept as best they could, leaning against the wall, with their equipments on and guns ready for action. Thus closed the most eventful day of the conflict, a day full of incidents, heroism, remarkable situations and brilliant achieve- ments of the now slender Fourteenth Regiment. Can it be any wonder that the battle-field of Gettysburg is often revisited and its scenes of horror and momentous events dwelt upon by mem- ■i ^r ___ m ■Hp^' ^^^^^s*>- ..#-«$. 'IL -S itf-f .ii'"*'^^^B M^tH^Str^^y. ^HB^ - - - -•^B^^«^,.^>- ' ^^^l^li^M '^ ■ ^ ■ ^ &m fefe^P -'£S^ ^t^JlMi, . aiHH BK^y^ m^'^-:/sm i^^. .^JP! «■*' ■'4' ' '-^ '^^B^^^nSiw^mi Sm m^m l^j^ff !^^ ^M l^^l t^^^^ Spangler's Spring. hers of the regiment? The location of the Bliss buildings, the sight of the protecting stone wall, the broad plain over which Pickett's charge so grandly swept, and Spangler's Spring, where Union and Confederate soldiers often drank together, are never worn topics of interest and discussion by those that survived. 1 60 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. In regard to the conduct of the regiment on this memorable day "Dunn Browne" writes to the Springfield Republican as follows : — "The Fourteenth Connecticut, in whose welfare nearly every portion of the state is interested, had a splendid oppor- tunity, being in the very center of the line attacked on the after- noon of the 3d. instant, and never was opportunity better im- proved. Although my own regiment, I can speak with compara- tive impartiality of its doings, because my duty on detached ser- vice at present called me away to another part of the field. I had occasion to view the whole length of our lines, to ride over every part of the field ; and in no part of the whole line was there evidence of harder fighting or a more gallant charge. Five regimental battle-flags are the trophies of its valor, as well as about a prisoner for each man engaged. It was a grand sight to see in this portion of the battle the charge made by the rebels, and the way it was met." Another incident which we ma\- note was the finding of a daguerreotype by Sergeant Russell Glenn of Company A in the hands of a Confederate soldier who had been killed in the battle. We will allow Sergeant Glenn to tell the story. He says: — "It was on the battle-field of Gettysburg where I secured this picture and I prize it as the most valuable relic of my war experience. It was on the morning of July 4th, 1863, that I went among the Confederate dead who fell during the previous day's fight. I, with others, was searching for the sick and wounded who were being conveyed to the rear for treatment. I had hardly entered that terrible valley of death when I beheld a handsome, noble looking youth, lying prone upon his back ; his eyes wide open and staring towards heaven. His counte- nance wore the most beseeching expression that I ever beheld. At first I thought the youth was alive and was about to speak to him when I observed that he held something in his hand that lay upon his left breast. I stooped over him and discovered that he had been shot through the heart and probably did not live more than thirty seconds after the fatal bullet hit him. In his Gettysburg. 161 THE REBEL GIRL. From a picture taken from the hand of a >'X)ung rebel just after he was killed at Gettysburg, by Russell Glenn, now of Bridgeport. hand was a daguerreotype of the above profile, the case of which had been entirely shattered by the deadly ball, but. marvel- ous as it may seem, the profile remained uninjured. It is cer- tain that the poor fellow lived but an instant after being hit, but in that short space of time his thought was of the picture — probably the face of his sweetheart — and, taking it from his breastpocket, he saw the shattered case, but was permitted to gaze on the features of a loved one as his soul took its immortal flight. I took the picture from the rigid grasp of the dead 162 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. soldier, and taking the skirt of his coat, wiped off the blood from the glass and carefully placed it in my pocket, intending, if possible, to find the original, but as yet have not been suc- cessful." The following is the list of killed, wounded and missing which Major Ellis officially reported to the Adjutant-General of the State of Connecticut : — "Surgeon, Frederick B. Dudley, wounded, in arm, bv frag- ment shell. Company A. Wounded, Privates, John Fox, musket ball through leg, Russell Glenn, in face and hand ; missing. Sergeant, Henry M. Cooley, Corporal, William Jacobs, Privates, John Geatley, James W. French, sent out on patrol and not returned. Company B. Killed, Corporal, Samuel G. Huxam ; wounded, Sergeant, George H. Hubbard, in arm. Corporal, Elnathan B. Tyler, in foot. Privates, James H. Sage, in head. Augustus Guild, in back, by shell, Patrick Dailey, in foot, Hiram H. Fox, in hand. Company C. Wounded, 2d Lieutenant, Julius W. Knowlton, shell wound in back, Privates, William Patrick, in foot, slightly, Valentine Lungwitz, slightly, Owen McKewan, in hand, Theo- dore C. Byington, in leg, William C. Rice, buck shot in leg. Cornelius Dailey, shell wound in back. Company D. Killed, Corporal, William Goodell ; wounded. Captain, Walter M. Lucas, bruise on kg, Sergeants, George N. Brigham, in side, severely, Benjamin Hirst, in shoulder. Corporal, David W. Whiting, in hand, slightly. Privates, John F. Julian, in temple, Charles Morrison, slightly. Company E. Killed, Corporal, Walter F. Standish ; wounded, 2d Lieutenant, Frederick Shalk, slightly. Privates, Michael Mc- Dermott, in leg, Isaac C. Barrow^s, solid shot in leg, in side, by shell, Francis Bebo, in jaw, Henry Frisbee, buck shot in hand, James Riley, in arm. Company F. Killed, Private, Thomas J. Brainard ; wounded, 2d Lieutenant, John A. Tibbets, in arm, slightly. Privates, Dan- ford J. Davis, in head, slightly, James A. Stroazzi, in arm, bruise in head, Thomas Finn, in head, slightly, Michael O'Connell, slightly. Gettysburg. 1 63 Company G. Killed, Privates, Aaron A. Clarke, Alfred H. Dibble, Moses G. Clements, William D. Marsh ; wounded, Cor- porals, John S. Stannard, in neck, Stanley L. Chapman, in leg. Privates, John B. Stevens, in arm, Edgar S. Ely, in leg, Albert M. Hill, in temple. Company H. Killed, Private, Thomas M. Ames ; wounded. 1st Lieutenant, Henry L. Snagg, in leg, 2d. Lieutenant, Frank E. Stoughten, in lung, seriously. Privates, Thomas W. Gardner, in hand, James Crinyan, in hand and side, Theodore Kohlrisser, in hip. Company L Killed, Corporal, Joseph Puffer: wounded ist Lieutenant, Frederick S. Seymour, in leg, 2d Lieutenant, Samuel H. Seward, in stomach. Sergeant. George W. Baldwin, in abdomen. Corporal Henry H. Frankenfield, in neck. Privates, James W. Benham, in thumb and wrist. Nelson Hodge, in knee, seriously, Thomas L. Crittenden, in head, seriously. Company K. Wounded, Captain, James B. Coit, run over by horse, Private, Francis McVay, in arm." The following is Major Ellis' official report to the Adjutant- General of the state : — "Headquarters Fourteenth Connecticut \^olunteers, Camp near Gettysburg, Penna.. July 6th., 1863. Brigadier-General H. J. Morse, Adjutant-General, State of Connecticut. Sir: — I have the honor to report the following as the part taken bv the Fourteenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, in the late battle at this jilace. We arrived on the ground on the morning of the 2(1 instant, after being out all night on picket some two miles back, and joined our brigade. During the fore- noon we supported Woodri'ifif's Battery Regular Artillery. We were afterwards for a short time detailed on provost duty, and in the afternoon moved further to the left to support Arnold's First Rhode Island Battery, where we remained with a slight change of position all night, throwing out pickets to the front. During the day the regiment was at times under a heavy shell 164 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. fire, but met with no loss except Captain Coit, who was seri- ously injured, accidentally, by a runawa}' horse. On the morning- of the 3d., we advanced two companies as skirmishers, under command of Captains Townsend and Lucas, who maintained their ground nobly until the grand attack of the afternoon when they were driven in by the advancing lines of the enemy. During the forenoon the regiment was ordered to take and hold two buildings, a large barn and house, outside of our lines of skirmishers, a little to the right of our position, from which the enemy were seriously anno}ing our troops. Mouth of Devil's Den, Gettysburg. The barn was gallantly charged and taken by four companies under command of Captain Moore, the remainder of the regi- ment making the attack upon the house, commanded by myself. The whole distance from our lines to these buildings being commanded by the enemy's sharp-shooters, we met with some loss in the attack. It was here that Lieutenants Seymour and Seward were wounded. While the regiment was within these Gettysburg. 1 65 buildings and firing from them upon the enemy, a case-shot entered the upper part of the barn and exploded, killing and wounding some of the men. Having received orders to destroy these buildings, they were fired in several places, after removing all our killed and wounded, when we retired to the picket reserve, bringing oft' all our wounded and arms. We were again or- dered to support Arnold's Battery and formed on its right, where we remained under the terrific shell fire of In-iday after- noon from one o'clock i'. AL, until the battery retired disabled, when I moved the regiment forward and to the left to cover the space previously occupied by the battery. About this time two rebel lines of battle, extending across the plain for more than a nfile, preceded by a line of skirmishers, and reinforced at two points on the right and left by a third line, were observed to emerge from the woods about one-third of a mile distant, running nearly parallel to our front, and ad- vanced steadil}- across the intervening plain. The spectacle was magnificent. They advanced in perfect order, the line of skir- mishers firing. Our men were formed in a single line of battle along an almost continuous line of low stone wall and fence, which offered a considerable protection from the enemy's fire. When the first line of the enemy had advanced to within about two hundred yards, our fire opened almost simultaneously along the whole line. The enemy's first line was broken and hurled back upon the second, throwing it also into confusion. De- tached portions of the lines were rallied, and for a short time maintained their ground. Being mown down by our terribly destructive fire, they commenced falling back, when a portion of this regiment charged upon them, capturing five regimental battle-flags and over forty prisoners. There also afterwards came into the lines of this regiment about one hundred or more of the enemy, some of which were wounded and gave them- selves up. Among the officers who personally surrendered to me were the following: — Colonel John Fite, ;th Tennessee, not wounded, Lieutenant-Colonel X. J. George, ist Tennessee, not wounded, 1 66 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Lieutenant-Colonel Parkers, 520! North Carolina, wounded, Major John G. Richardson, 52d North Carolina, wounded, Among those who were taken as prisoners or came within our lines wounded, were the following line officers : — Captain G. A. Graues, 22d North Carolina, Captain George Gillian, 52d North Carolina, Captain J. A. Kincain, 52(1 North Carolina, First Lieutenant J. C. Warren. 52d North Carolina, First Lieutenant J. N. Robertson, 5th Alabama. There were many of the Field and Line officers captured whose names could not be ascertained. The colors captured belonged to the following regiments:— 14th Tennesse, 1st Tennessee, i6th North Carolina, 52d North Carolina, '^4th Virginia. The colors of the ist and 14th Tennessee and i6th North Carolina bear the following inscriptions on each: — 'Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor, Shepardstown, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Ox Hill, Harpers Ferry, Sharpsburg, Frazier s Farm, Cedar Yiim, Alanasses.' The color of the 14th Tennessee was the first taken, and was captured by Sergeant-Major William B. Hincks. That of the 52d North Carolina was taken by Cor- poral Christopher Flynn, Com])any K, and that of the i6th North Carolina by Private E. W. liacon, Company V. The following is a corrected list of the killed and wounded in the above engagements: — Killed, enlisted men, 10; wounded, commissioned officers, 10 : enlisted men, 42 ; missing, enlisted iP«n, 4 ; total 66. This regiment went into action with about 160 muskets. I am, General, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, Theodore G. Ellis, Major commanding Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers." *Chaplain Stevens thinks that this flag must be the 14th Virginia as the 4th Virginia Regiment was in Stonewall's Brigade and was engaged against Gulps Hill. The Two Round Tops, Gettysburg, from the west. CHAPTER X. The Summer oi 1 863. We must pause a few moments before the regiment leaves Gettysburg. On awakening on the morning of July 4th., it was found that the Confederates had advanced their skirmish line and a vigorous picket firing was kept up through the day. At times there was shot from long range guns and shells, necessitating some one of the regiment to be on the alert and warn the men of danger. The rain was very severe through the day which must have been trying to the great number of Confederate wounded who lay directly in front of the regiment, but too far out toward their skirmish line to enable the men to give them any relief. During the night a humorous incident occurred. A number of shots were heard in quick succession from our picket- lines, the men hastily aroused took their places at the wall and waited patiently for orders. Intently they held themselves in readiness to meet the approaching foe; peering into the dark- ness, with their weapons in their hands. Several volleys were fired and when morning came, it was found that a white cow had been the cause of all the trouble. This was the last foe met on the battle-field of Gettysburg. As the morning broke, it was found that there were no Con- federates at the front, and reconnoissances in all directions (167) 1 68 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. showed that Lee was in full retreat on the Fairfield and Cash- town roads. Meade seemed to share ^IcClellan's idea that : — "He who fights and runs away May live to fight another day ; But he who is in battle slain Can never rise and fight again. Twenty-four hours too late the comparatively fresh Sixth Corps was at once pushed forward in pursuit on the Fairfield road and a brigade of Gregg's cavalry division on the Cashtown road. General Sedgwick, in command of the Sixth Corps, find- ing the retreating army posted in the F^airfield pass, deemed Lee's position too strong to be successfully attacked. In the afternoon of July 5th. the regiment was again in motion, under command of Colonel Morris who had returned and as- sumed command of the brigade, in place of Colonel Smyth who had been wounded. They marched slowly and leisurely, making frequent halts, to Two Taverns, distant about five miles. Here they remained during Monday with the oft repeated question of something to eat prominent in their minds. On the morning of Tuesday, the regiment was on the move at an early hour and continued eight or ten miles to Taneytown. The roads were in shocking condition from the severe rains, making the march tedious and wearisome, and the men, still being out of rations, were weak with hunger. This becoming serious men were de- tailed to go into the town and obtain food, the expense of which was to be paid by the government. Mour seemed to be the only available commodity in that line which served to make sodden and unleavened cakes for the men. One patriotic and humane resident of the town sold water from his pump at six cents a glass. Later in the day the wagon-trains coming up rations of hardtack and salt pork were distributed. Wednesday. July 8th., the regiment, under command of Cap- tain Davis, marched about twenty miles, camping near Frederick City. Major Ellis had been left at Taneytown, sick. The next day the regiment made a march of twenty-three miles, passing- through Frederick City and the villages of Jefiferson and Burketts- ville, crossing the South Mountain range at Crampton's Gap, and The Summerl'of 1863. 169 went into camp near Rohersville. Starting again at six o'clock the next morning they marched about ten miles, passing through the villages of Rohersville and Keedysville, the latter of which the regiment passed through on its march to Antietam the Sep- tember previous. Major Hincks says : — "The weather was very hot and we marched slowly though perhaps this may have been due to the presence of the enemy in our front as we heard can- nonading all day. About noon we were permitted to halt for a brief space and rest. The direction of this movement Colonel Morris carried out with singular ingenuity by marching us to the top of a high hill, and halting us in the full glare of the sun. Farther on near 'Bakerstown', so called, we halted again for half an hour and this time, as the sun had now gone down, in the woods. Moved on a short distance and halted for the night. Sent out picket detail, and bivouacked in line of battle in the edge of a piece of woods." Saturday morning, the nth., the regiment was again on the move, halting a short time at Tenleytown, and then to the front, passing through several lines of battle which crossed the road, while skirmishing was going on in front. Here they remained for the rest of the day. At evening a sudden start was made and marched a mile or two close to the enemy and bv order tlirew up breastworks of rails and earth, behind whicli they passed the night. This was about three miles from Hagerstown. Sunday there was marching and countermarching along the Hagerstown turnpike, for what purpose the men were ignorant, finally taking a turn in a wheat-field in the midst of a severe rain, where a line was formed with great nicety. Here it was that the regiment learned that Colonel Alorris had been relieved of the command of the brigade. Forty-five men, under command of 2d Lieutenant William H. Hawley, of Company B, were de- tailed to form a skirmish line. They advanced the line three times and the regiment constructed a new line of earthworks. The 13th. the advance was made still nearer the enemy's line and on the 14th. the picket-line entered the rebel works with very little resistance, although there was a slight skirmish. The regiment marched up by flank and found the Confederate position opposite 1 70 Fourteenth Regiment, C, V. Infantry. a very strong one, much more so than the Union troops held at Gettysburg, several cross fences and thorny hedges intervening between the two armies. The earthwork was thick and high to climb, even when not under fire. The Confederate army, how- ever, had safely crossed the Potomac on a rudely made bridge of boats and were now making a hasty but orderly retreat. So that the battle of Falling Waters was a battle that ought to have been fought, but never was. The regiment continued its march the following dav, July 15th., passing through the village of Sharpsburg and renewing the remembrances of their first battle in September, 1862. Tak- ing the tow path along the Baltimore & Ohio canal, they camped about a mile from Harper's Ferry, the distance marched during the day being about twenty-three miles. Thursday morning the regiment again moved forward, reach- ing Pleasant Valley about five miles distant, where it encamped, remaining there during Thursday and Friday. While camped here some of the regiment, in common with members of other regiments of the division, helped themselves to straw from a neighboring farmer for their tents. The farmer went to head- quarters and made a vigorous protest to General Hays. The General went to the door of his tent and looking up and down the camp of the division said "Straw, I see no straw. I think you are mistaken." Whereupon the farmer was much irritated and swore liberally. The General replied "I thought you were a bad man and your language proves it. You should study your Bible" and taking a Bible from his table presented it to the sur- prised and disgusted farmer. General Hays charged him to read it carefully and bowed him courteously out of his tent. The only drawback to this story is the very remote probability of a Bible being on General Hays' table. Reveille was sounded at two o'clock Saturday morning and at seven o'clock the regiment was on the move, crossing the Poto- mac and Shenandoah rivers, and moving down the Louden Valley over the same route they passed after leaving Bolivar Heights the year before. They went into camp about three o'clock and no member of the regiment will forget the abundance The Summer of 1863. 171 of blackberries and the whole division, as well as the Fourteenth, feasted plentifully upon this wholesome berry. "Dunn Browne" writes to the Springfield Republican as fol- lows : — "You ought to have seen our corps move into the huge blackberry-field, or rather succession of them, last evening after their hot midday march. The habit of military discipline pre- vailing kept the men in the ranks till they were regularly dis- missed, though every tread crushed out the blood of scores, and Uncle Sam's stifif brogans were soaked in dewberry gore. But when the order 'Stack arms !' 'Rest !' had been given, in an instant, in a nothing of time, in the hundredth part of the "twinkling of a bedpost', the whole battle array was melted away. The glitter- ing lines of stacked arms were all that were left upright in the field. The backs only were visible of a half dozen thousand tired sold- iers, who are not wont to turn their backs to the enemy ; and as the manna which came from heaven to the Israelites in the wil- derness, when the dew rose in the morning, so disappeared this gracious provision of Heaven's bounty for our weary boys ; and they rose (not very soon) refreshed from their luscious banquet. There were enough and to spare. Fields and hills all around us are black with them, — more millions of tiny blackamoors than our army of abolitionists can put out of the way in a week. But we are doing our best ; heaped bowls and plates of blackberries for tea and for breakfast ; a few blackberries as we went to bed ; a few on waking this morning; (how much better than fiery whiskey for that purpose!) and now a few more to start on just as we are leaving. It has been a blackberrying on the grandest scale I have attended for a long time." The next day being Sunday, July 19th., the column still con- tinued down Louden Valley which was at first narrow and then broadened out into luxuriant farming lands. After eight miles the men camped at Gregory's Gap. That evening an order was received by Captain Davis to detail three commissioned officers and six privates to visit Connecticut and bring on the conscripts with which to fill up the depleted ranks of the regiment. Sum- moning the commissioned officers together Captain Davis called for the drawing of lots for two of the commissioned officers. 1 72 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. The order said three was exclaimed when Captain Davis said that he had already ordered the adjutant to detail him. The officers laughed, but were evidently much chagrined to see such colossal nerve as the Captain exhibited. Lots were cast and the choice fell upon Captain Broatch of Company A and Lieutenant Rockwood of Company D, and Privates Glenn. Penhallow, Wolff, Murray, Davis and Wade. Monday, July the 20th., was excessively warm. The regiment marched about twelve miles, camping at Bloomfield that night. There were many stragglers on account of the heat and the com- mand to "Close up" was often given. Tuesday, the following day, the regiment remained in bivouac at this point. Blackberries were plenty and there was much more freedom with the men in helping themselves to food and necessities than before they saw the de- predation of the Confederates ui)on the people of loyal Penn- sylvania before the battle of Gettysburg. July 22d. the regi- ment with the corps moved on to near Uppersville, passing through the village of Paris and going into camp near Ashby's Gap, having marched a distance of twelve miles. The regiment at this time was in the rear of the Second Corps with several provost marshals behind it. July 23d., Thursday, the regiment marched at five o'clock pass- ing down a hilly road parallel to the mountains until the town of Springfield, at the entrance of Manassas Gap, was reached at eleven o'clock. Here they remained under arms to support the Third and Fifth Corps which had marched up the Gap to attack the rebels, who were posted in the vicinity of Front Royal. At five o'clock in the afternoon in response to some artillerv firing the men were hurried off. The road was hard, tedious and badly cut up, but the men went on, reaching the locality of the firing. They saw several wounded men, but were not themselves en- gaged. They bivouacked on the side of a stony hill, but. being tired and exhausted, slept well, although many of the men went to bed supperless. The distance made was about twenty miles, camp being made about two miles from the village of Linden. Friday morning the stress of hunger was almost unendurable and as the generals and high officers rode back and forth, they The Summer of 1 863. 1 73 were greeted with shouts of "hardtack" by hundreds and thou- sands of voices. The marching had been rapid and excessive, the wagon-trains being left far behind. The shouting for hard- tack became so annoying to the well-fed generals that an order was read saying that rations of that commodity could not then be issued, but that presently fresh beef with salt and pepper would be given, and that in future shouting hardtack would be con- sidered mutinous. Just before leaving camp a scanty supply of rations was given out. Camp was broken about noon and the route over which the troops passed two days previous was re- The Hagerstown Pike, 1891. traced, camping upon their old ground near Springfield, reach- ing there about four o'clock. The promised rations of fresh beef, salt and pepper not having materialized many men went out foraging. General Hays, learning this, took the -provost guard and sallied out after them and succeeded in arresting ten of the Fourteenth, twenty-three from the ist Delaware and more from other regiments, which were all sent back to headquarters under guard ; and in putting to flight a good many others, among whom were several commissioned ofificers. There were some ludicrous scenes. At one farm-house some were taken 1 74 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. in the house and not a few concealed themselves in the tall grass in the yard. Suspecting something of the sort, the General stood in the path and cursed at them in- his unique style, saying that he saw them, every one of them, and bidding them come out and surrender. Some of them were easy enough to do so, but others remained and were not discovered. At half past four Saturday morning, July 25th., the regiment was again on the move, marching fifteen miles that day, reach- ing White Plains about four o'clock. The march was a severe one to the men who were still exhausted for lack of food. Sunday it was excessively hot and there were many stragglers picked up by the Confederates, among whom were James Mc- Cauley and J. H. Ramsdell of Company A, who were hastened to death somewhat faster than those remaining in the Union army by starvation in rebel prisons. Warrenton was reached at eleven o'clock, and after tarrying about an hour the march was resumed toward Warrenton Junction, distant about nine miles, making twenty-four miles in all. The pace was swift and the men were much discouraged and exhausted. A rumor spread through the ranks that General Hays was racing the Second Corps with the Third Corps. Turning into a large field the troops broke ranks and immediately began picking blackberries, of which there was a great abundance, much to the disgust of General Hays, who, after considerable exertion, got them to- gether long enough to stack arms. That day completed six weeks since the camp at Falmouth was left ; during which time they fought the battle of Gettysburg and had marched over four hundred miles. They remamed in this camp near Warrenton Junction until five o'clock Thursday afternoon, July 30th. During their stay here extra rations of pickles, pepper and whiskey were issued. The men were rested, refreshed by their greater variety of rations and moved on to- ward Elkrun in much better spirits than when they reached War- renton Junction. The regiment camped at Elkrun about ten o'clock. The next day, although exceedingly hot, the men marched a distance of about five miles to Morristown, near Kelly's Ford on the Rappahannock. The Summer of 1 863. 1 75 About eight o'clock on the morning of August ist. the brigade marched toward the rear for some ten miles, reaching Bristow Station at noon. The men rested, writing or rea<iing. in the shade until about dark when the regiment and the 1 2th New Jersey was ordered to fall in and marched off rapidly along a rough country road, running parallel to the railroad, but quite a distance to the east of it, for about five miles, t«3 Cedar Run, where the two regiments encamped. Here they remained until August i8th.. and these days were filled with varied experiences. While military duties were not so strenuous, there were many trying situations as well as pleas- ant occasions. The first of the former occurred August 6th.. when Captain Davis, who had been detailed to go to Connecticut for recruits, returned to camp with forty-two out of one hundred and seventeen with which he started, the missing number having deserted on the way, most of them when the boat arrived in New York. While experience proved that many of these men, who were for the most part conscripts and substitutes, did very valiant service and were an honor to the brave old regiment, a large percentage were not only conscripts, but nondescripts. Perhaps no occurrence brought to the minds of the original men of the regiment, now reduced to about eighty, the grea': loss they had sustained by battle and disease since their departure from Connecticut as did the advent of these new recruits. 1 he character of this addition, mostly of foreigners from New York City, left little in common between the men. These new men had scant sympathy with the cause for which they were fight- ing; they lacked the bond of state pride and the tie of companion- ship, made not only by kinship in many instances, comrades and school-mates of old, but by the experiences of the days and weeks since they entered the service. This motley array of new re- cruits, representing fifteen or twenty nationalities, presented strange types of character with manifestations at times ludicrous and at other times provoking and disgusting. No member of the regiment will forget Pierce Barron who was assigned to Company B. He was a typical Irishman of the old fashioned kind, of an age not less than fifty or fifty-five that 1 76 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. made it a mystery how he ever got into ranks, so brimful of Irish wit, horse-sense, and whiskey when he could get it, as to make him, perhaps, the greatest source of enjoyment in an all around way of any of them. Some previous service in a New York regiment brought him to the Fourteenth a thorough old soldier, although undoubtedly a bounty taking substitute. He never flinched or shirked any duty that the younger members of the company endured. He soon acquired a certain kind of popularity with the officers and men that made them wink at any little irregulari- ties that might occasionally occur. His cheek was unlimited and yet so perfectly natural that he of all others seemed uncon- scious of it. Neither will the members forget the collisions that often occurred between Barron and John Dermody, an equally typical Englishman, tall, straight as an arrow, coming to the regiment with a green patch or shade over one eye. His age or bad eye would either have undoubtedly exempted him from a draft, but Uncle Sam wanted men badly, and accepted him as a well paid substitute for some drafted man. The very opposite of old Pierce Barron, with a deportment so serious and matter of fact that he seldom smiled and least of all appreciated the jokes of the old Irishman. Many recall now the occasion when sitting around the camp-fire, cooking coffee, Barron accidentally turned over Dermody's coffee-pot and how angry the latter was and threatened to pour the contents of his rifle into Barron, with decided emphasis on the tents, and how Barron responded by threatening the contents of his rifle into Dermody, not omit- ting the emphasis on the tents. But Dermody was a good soldier and many a time when in the humor he would <"ake the position of a soldier and give the manual of arms as executed in the British army. In direct contrast to these two was Antonio Capellini, a small man of dark complexion and baboon face, all overgrown with hair. No one could converse with him or find out where he was born. He could be taught but one duty of a soldier and that was that of drawing his rations. He was most careless of Uncle Sam's property and when on the march he alv.ays straggled and would throw away his gun, bayonet, knapsack, The Summer of 1863. 177 haversack and canteen. It was a common thing to see him brought back with his few remaining effects crowded into an old grain bag slung over his shoulder. Then there was one Neickler by name, seemingly more of a quadruped than biped, short and chubby and always falling down, both upon drill and on the march and though not hurt in the least, did not seem to know how to get up again, lying upon the ground as helpless as a turtle turned upon its back. Many still remember Joshua Tripp, a man of undcrsize, ap- pearing in camp with a pair of trousers by which one would imply that the quartermaster had satirically fitted him by furnish- ing him with a pair designed for the largest man in the service. These trousers were so large in girth that Joshua had to hold them up with both hands, and so long that they were folded several times over, producing at the ankles an arrangement much like that used to cure interfering horses. One could not look at him without laughing and the men remember with what indignation Lieutenant Galpin received him when he was jter- emptorily assigned to Company A. Unlike his scriptural name- sake, who led the children of Israel into the land of promise, Joshua was not designed by nature to assist in leading the Army of the Potomac into the promised land of victory. In fact this second Joshua's intellect was so infinitesimal that he could Inrdly tell the muzzle of his gun from the breech and many remember the ludicrous attempts to teach him how to shoulder his gun. Few will forget his being mounted upon a barrel at the quarters of the Brigade Guard and the frequent trips of the major to attempt to teach him this first requisite of a soldier's service. This, however, was useless and was only terminated when the head of the barrel gave way and poor Tripp passed temporarily cut of sight. Joshua had with him his bounty and so dear was it to his heart that he could not resist the temptation to count it several times a day. Many of the boys thought he was not competent to take care of it and proposed to take it in charge and save it for him. To this end they chloroformed him several times and made careful search, even digging up every inch of ground beneath his tent, but all in vain. It was a perplexing 1 78 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. question whether Joshua was sane or shamming insanity to ob- tain a (Hscharge. However, it became evident after three months trial that he was of no service. He was discharged, and, while leaving camp in one of the army wagons, Frank Somers of the band asked him where he had kept the money to elude their search, to which Joshua replied, with a twinkle of his peculiar eyes, that he placed it in the folds of the legs of his trousers. The genial chaplain was often the subject of a joke. We have related one that occurred while in camp at Falmouth. Another too good to be lost is one told by Major Hincks and recorded in an address before the regimental society at Bridge- port in 1879, as follows: — "Candor compels me to state that Chaplain Stevens was then, as now, exceedingly fond of sardines, almost the only weakness in an otherwise very amiable character, and as the government was not in the habit of issuing these- palatable little fishes for rations, he had taken a supply of them with him when he started from old Connecticut. By the time that he arrived at our quarters, however, only a single box remained and this happened to be incautiously left in plain sight upon the top of his ])ilc of luggage while its owner was absent in another ])art of camp. The spectacle of a good man in affliction, it has been well observed, is one calculated to make even a celestial being wee]). Imagine then the deep pathos of the scene when upon Mr. Stevens' return he found that Commis- sary-Sergeant Dibble and Adjutant Doten had coolly opened the box and were just finishing the contents. 'Why, gentlemen, how is this?" he asked. 'Those sardines were mine. Didn't you see my initials scratched upon the box?' 'Your initials' said Dibble, 'where arc they?' 'Why here' replied the Chaplain, 'don't you see upon the lid H. S. S., Henry S. Stevens?' 'Really then. Chaplain, I must ask your ])ardon' replied Dibble. 'I no- ticed the letters, indeed, but entirely misunderstood their mean- ing. Both Adjutant Doten and myself supposed that H. S. S. instead of meaning Henry S. Stevens stood for Have Some Sardines, and accordingly we gratefull}- availed ourselves of your polite invitation,' To do our friend Air. Stevens justice, The Summer of 1863. 179 I think that he was more pleased at the iiii^cniiity of the excuse than chagrined at the loss of his sardines." Those were pleasant days at Cedar Run and gave the boys opportunity for much needed rest and recuperation inasmuch as a larger and more varied list of rations was obtained. Added to this the opportunity for fishing and bathing was nnich enjoxed. Since the battle of Gettysburg and it was seen how the Con- federates foraged upon the farmers of the loyal states the bovs of the Fourteenth, who had never been great foragers, became n.ore or less adept. Nulioiuil CcmcLerv, Antietam. Among the pleasant i Fourteenth Regiment 1 the finest band in the remembered was given tended by the ladies of was very picturesque, fronting a grassy lawn, in open order, with sol the background were tr ncidents were the concerts given by the '>and which had gained a reputation as army. ( )ne of these concerts especially one bright moonlight night and was at- the neighboring plantation. The scene The white tents were pitched in a grove A little way off the band was drawn up diers holding candles between, while in oops of soldiers, some standing, others I 80 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. leaning against the trees or reclining upon the grass, and behind them a few dozen of negroes of all ages from the neighboring plantations. The band played "When the Swallows Homeward Fly," "Ever of Thee I am lM)n(lly Dreaming" and other selec- tions, closing with a stirring piece brought from Germany in manuscript and entitled "The Second Corps Battle Gallop" wherein after an introductory overture, the bugle call and charge, the roll of musketry, the boom of artillery and the groans of the wounded could all be ])lainl\- distinguished. The whole concluding with a grand and almost deafening pean of rejoicing at the victory. Many still remember the colored boy who danced to the music of the band when they played "Fisher's Hornpipe," "Harrigan's Ball" or "Yankee Doodle", but who was much perplexed after the first strains of "Thou Art So Near and Yet So Far" or "Home Sweet Home". It seemed to take some time for him to get through his wooll\- head that it was not dance music. Fresh squads of newly enlisted men continued to arrive, one hundred and forty-three reaching cam]) August loth., and as rapidly did they desert, fifty-fom- leaving for parts unknown before the i6th. Tuesday, August i8th., the outposts were all called in and line of march was taken to the rear, a goodly procession as far as length was concerned, but only about eighty of the old members of the regiment. They joined the brigade at a stone church near liristow Station and marched to Elkrim, about five miles distant, where they encamped. This same day another squad of one hundred and thirty-four men arrived from Con- necticut. This was what remained of a total of over two hundred, the remainder having deserted en route, some jumping from the car windows while the train was in rapid motion, and others deserting at stations along the journey. Most of these men went under assumed names. \'cry many not remembering the names under which they enlisted at roll-call were obliged to look into their caps where their names were written on pieces of paper. The presence of a large class of men of this charac- ter made it doubly difficult for the old and trusted men in the The Summer of 1863. 181 regiment. A constant watch had to be kept that they did not desert and very few of them could be trusted to do picket duty. At this time the only line officers present were Captains Moore, Coit, Lee and Lucas, Lieutenants Nickles, Galpin, Wad- bams and Hawley. General Owen commanded the division and the colonel of the 12th New Jersey the brigade. As no field officers were present, Colonel Morris, Lieutenant-Colonel Per- kins and Major Clark having been discharged from the service, and Major Ellis being upon court martial duty at Washington, by an order from headquarters. Major Hill of the 12th New Jersey was detailed to take command of the regiment. There was much indignation in the regiment to have an outsider put over them. Major Hill was a good officer, but for various reasons there was not the same kindly feeling toward the 12th New Jersey Regiment among the men of the Fourteenth as there was for either of the other regiments of the brigade. Major Ellis unexpectedly returned from Washington and took command of the regiment and Major Hill was relieved. In spite of all pre- cautions desertions continued and roll-call was awaited with in- terest to learn how many more had made a safe distance from the field of service since the last roll-call. August 31st. the camp at Elkrun was broken up and the regi- ment in company with the brigade marched at daylight and halted late in the afternoon at Hartwood Church, a distance from camp of thirteen to fifteen miles, leaving their tents at Elkrun. The purpose of this movement was to support Kilpatrick in a pro- posed raid. This was about opposite United States Ford on the Rappahannock and about eight miles from the old camp at Falmouth. Having in mind Dunn Browne's derisive remark about General Meade's and General Lee's Weekly Express from Alexandria to Culpepper, we may say the train started on its return trip when the regiment broke camp during the afternoon of September 3d., and marched back to Elkrun, reaching there about ten o'clock. CHAPTER XI. Bristow Station and Mine Run. ' The reg-iment continued at Elkrun until the I2th of September, with desertions of drafted men and sul)stitutes still continuing, although enough remained to give the regiment much the appear- ance as before Antietam in regard to size. Many of the new re- cruits, however, had shown good material and commanded the respect of officers and comrades. About this time a more eligible camp was selected close by, which the men were very loath to leave when the command to break camp was given September I2th, and march was made to Uealeton and on to Rapidan Station. l)ivouacking that night within half a mile of the river. Next morning the regiment crossed the river and bivouacked near Culpej^per, where they remained until the morning of the i6th. There was much firing heard during these days, but the regiment was not engaged. Of their experience at Culpepper Sergeant E. H. Wade says : — "Broke camp at nine o'clock and marched through the town of Culpepper. Tt was the prettiest town we have been through yet. Quite a large number of ladies were to be seen, but not one but what was dressed in deep mourning. Xot a smile was on their faces, but instead a scowl or frown met our gaze. Even the little bovs and girls looked the same and as for the men they were saucv and ugly, but we took this all right and the band struck up very ai)propriately 'Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel'. Went into camp at the top of Cedar Mountain. The enemy was near and we could see the flash of their guns as they fired at our supply trains." September 17th the regiment came down Cedar Mountain at six o'clock and marched until about noon. They were in close range of the enemy, momentarily expecting to be engaged. To avoid attracting attention bv the glitter of their gun barrels, the (182) LT.-COL. SAMUEL A. MOORE. Bristow Station eind Mine Run. 1 85 men were ordered to trail arms. The location of the regiment at this time was Robinson's Run, near Cedar Mountain, about ten miles from Culpepper. It was here that the men of the regiment passed through a new and trying experience. De- sertions of drafted men and substitutes had become so common and bold that the military authorities regarded some example as absolutely necessary for discipline and good order. Few, if any, regiments in the service had been depleted so much by casualties in battle and disease as the Fourteenth. As a result a much larger number of recuits were assigned to the regiment than to other regiments. We have already spoken of the character of a large percentage of these recruits and the very many desertions from camp and during the journey from Connecticut. Growing out of these circumstances Elliott and Laton, members of the Fourteenth, the first a drafted man and the second a substitute, were sentenced to be shot for desertion. The regiment had no part in the execution only as spectators in common with the whole division. It, however, loaned its chaplain for comfort and band for impressiveness, which lead the way, playing the Portu- guese hymn. It was a very bungling affair from the fact that not more than one cartridge out of the five did any service. After repeated firing the men were pronounced dead and the division was marched by companies past the graves and the bleeding forms of the victims. New recruits to the regiment were after that marched by the graves as a silent example. September 20th. the regiment was ordered out on picket duty for two days, and Major Hincks says that when they returned from picket duty two days later, "The ammunition was all called in and a new supply issued, owing to shocking incidents of the execution," About this time a beautiful set of guidons were presented to the regiment by friends in New Haven. The making and designing of these guidons was in charge of Mr. Horace Dibble, brother of Quartermaster Charles F. Dibble. They were made by Miss Annie McCarthy, now Mrs. Annie M. Upton of Salem, Mass, Quartermaster Dibble was at the time in New Haven on a furlough and took them to the regiment upon his return. The New Haven Palladium said of them : 186 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. " Some of the particular friends of the Fourteenth C. V. in this city have been having made for the presentation to that gallant regiment a very handsome set of guidons. They are made in the style required by the system adopted in the Army of the Potomac, whereby not only each regiment can be iden- tified by its guidons, but also the brigade, division and corps to which it is attached. These for the Fourteenth are of heavy silk, triangular in shape, exhibiting a blue field with red border. On the blue field is the white satin trefoil badge of the Second Corps, bearing in gilt the name of the regiment. For richness of material and brilliancy of hue, the boys of the Fourteenth need not hesitate to place these beautifully made colors alongside those of any regiment in the army. They are to be mounted on handsome gilt staves, surmounted each with an acorn. Quartermaster Dibble, who is about to leave this city to rejoin the regiment, will take them to the camp." There was nnich annoyance in the camp of the regiment from thieving. John Hirst writing about this time says : — "The day the two bounty junipers were shot, I had my knapsack stolen and with it my new caj), shirts, stockings, handkerchiefs and, worst of all, my diary. Some of these fellows would steal the last cent you had if they could get a chance at it." He further says : — "The other Sunday we had a call for church and had an exhortation from ' Paddy Owen ' (General Joshua T. Owen), who is in temporary command of our brigade. He told us we saved the battle in Pennsylvania (Gettysburg) by holding our ground so bravely, and that if the rebels had been successful in their great charge (Pickett's) our whole army would have been cut in two and we should have been flanked upon all sides. He gave our division, the third of the Second Corps, the most credit of any in the army for the victory and said that the Second Corps always held the front in time of peril, closing by hoping we should always hold it by good deeds whenever we get home again." During these few weeks the command of the regiment in the field and stafif began to assume more tangible shape. We have already noted that Colonel Morris was discharged for disability Bristow Station '/and Mine Run. 187 August 14th. Major Theodore G. Ellis was promoted lieuten- ant-colonel September 22d, and colonel of the regiment October nth. Captain Samuel A. Moore of Company F was promoted to major September 22d, and lieutenant-colonel October nth, Adjutant Frederick B. Doten of Company F was promoted to captain October 20th and William B. Hincks from sergeant- major to adjutant October 20th. Captain Carpenter of Com- pany C was transferred to the Invalid Corps on account of wounds received at Fredericksburg. Captain Davis of Company H was dismissed for neglect of duty at conscript camp near New Haven. These two captains were the last of the original captains that left the state in August, 1862, some being killed or dying of wounds and others being promoted. This may have given rise to the very common adage in the regiment that "if one belonged to the Fourteenth Connecticut he would either meet death or promotion within a year." September 24th a curious incident occurred. A bull strayed from within the rebel lines to a cornfield directly in front of the Fourteenth. Captain Lucas of Company D ordered a detail to dispatch the beast. While the men were skillful in shooting rebels this new object of attack seemed to tax their skill. So many shots were fired in such rapid succession that it was thought that the Confederates had attacked our lines. Officers rode back anfl forth in great excitement and the First Brigade turned out under arms. Some of the boys facetiously called this the "Third Battle of Bull Run." The enraged officers were, however, appeased on receiving liberal portions of the animal when dressed. The regiment numbered at this time five hundred and eighty officers and men present for duty, of which four hundred and eighty were recruits, although there were nine hundred on the roll. Of these recruits a great many had already deserted. There was considerable complaint in the regiment concerning the character of the recruits sent to them, some making the claim that there was favoritism in the assignment of these men and that the Fourteenth Regiment did not have pull enough to se- cure picked men as had other military organizations. 188 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Major Hincks makes this record in his dairy: — "October 6th, bivouac near Culpepper, A^a. We l)roke camp near Cedar Moun- tain early this morning and have marched back through Cul- pepper and are now lying in a field on the north side of the town. On our way here, just before we reached Culpepper, we met our new Major. Samuel A. Moore, on his way to join us. He was mounted on a nimble little piece of horse-flesh and was very gladlv received both by officers and men. in particular by the members of his old company with whom he is always a great favorite." O.-M. CHARLES F. DIBBLE. (Quartermaster Charles F. Dibble was a native of Newtown, Conn., being born there December 2, 1831. Early in life his family moved to New Haven. Two of the brothers, Horace and Charles, became prominent in the commercial life of the Bristow Station and Mine Run. 189 city, while a third brother, Frederick, was for many years a physician, having a large practice and enviable reputation. Quartermaster Dibble was engaged in the manufacture of carriage hardware at the time of his enlistment. After his service with the Fourteenth regiment he returned to New Haven and entered into the manufacture of carriages. The success of his business was somewhat intefered with on account of ill health, which became serious from 187 1 to the end. He died in West Haven, December 26, i<S8i. Quartermaster Dibble was a faithful officer and had the unshaken confidence of the regiment. In times of hunger and distress, when rations were short or completely cut off, the men knew that it was not on account o: a lack of energy or alertness to duty of their quartermaster. October the 6tb the regiment camped at Culpepper where it remained until the 9th. While here one hundred and eighty new recruits were received. This number of recruits increased the regiment to nearer its original size and at dress-parade the line extended so far that it was difficult to see the extreme end, much more to hear the orders of the adjutant. On the evening of October loth, six days rations and sixty rounds of ammunition were issued and the regiment marched five miles to the front and right of Culpepper, bivouacking in a ravine covered with a growth of sassafras. It was a short rest in this sassafras thicket and about two o'clock the next morning the men were called to arms, broke camp and marched toward the Rappahannock. There was great difficulty in forming a line among the sassafras bushes by the new recruits and so long was the delay that the exasperated headquarters threatened to put the adjutant under arrest. Lieutenant William H. Hawley writes that as it ap- proached daylight it was discovered that the whole army was in motion and that instead of being a forward n:ovement, it was a retrograde one toward the Rappahannock. "We crossed the river on a pontoon bridge, proceeded to Bealeton Station, where, tired, sleepv and hungry after our march of fifteen miles, we ate our dinner and supper together and pitched our tents for the night." 190 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. The next morning, the 12th, the men were called to arms and marched forward to the Rappahannock. Reaching the river there was evidence of a coming fight. The regiment marched "by the right of companies" for the first three miles, ready to swing into line at any moment, and then in line of battle for about two miles. The Confederates who menaced the front proved to be cavalrymen and fell back and the men of the regi- ment rested for a few hours on their arms. The troops were aroused at twelve o'clock and reached the Rappahannock about daylight. This was the eighth time the regiment had crossed the Rappahannock, in fact it would seem that crossing the Rappa- hannock had become a habit and that the troops were ordered back and forth over the river when the commanders could not think of anything else to do. Breakfasting at eight o'clock, the men took up their march toward Warrenton, covering a distance of twenty-five miles. There was no opportunity to cook rations during the long march and the men were tired, hungry and foot- sore. This was in the locality of Auburn, a village of a church, a blacksmith shop and a postoffice. We will let Lieutenant Haw- ley, in command of Company A at this time, tell the story of this skirmish. He says : — "Before daylight breakfast was eaten and we were again in motion. Had gone but half a mile and halted for a moment when Colonel Ellis turned to me ( I was in com- mand of Company A and was at the head of the column) and said 'Lieutenant Hawley, tell your men to load their pieces.' I gave the order 'Attention, Company A.' 'Load at will, load.' The order was repeated down the line. This was the first inti- mation we had of any danger. Almost immediately after this bang, bang went the artillery and the muskets began to crack. The morning was very foggy and the firing appeared to be upon all sides of us. We feared the rebels had surrounded us in the night. We had just forded a little brook and now filed oflf to the left into a field, leaving the road and standing in line of battle at the foot of a low hill, waiting the order to advance. It proved to be only a cavalry dash at our wagon-train. The enemy had been lurking around our pickets in the night and made a sud- Bristow Station and Mine Run. 1 9 I den charge upon our rear, hoping to capture the ammunition wagons. They had also planted a couple of guns upon the hill in our front, and were about to open on our advancing column at short range, with shell and canister, but they found the Sec- ond Corps not unprepared, and one of our batteries opened upon them before they could fire a single shot, causing a hasty re- treat. The Fourteenth was not engaged." Lieutenant-Colonel Moore states that while crossing the small stream with the regiment, he was ordered to give way to allow Arnold's Battery to pass through, after which he ordered the regiment to line up by a fence. He is of the opinion, however, that the regiment was engaged as he knew one of his men killed a rebel captain. According to Walker in his "History of the Second Corps" the situation here seemed critical as for a few moments it ap- peared as if the Second Corps were surrounded on all sides by the enemy and seemed destined to be annihilated. After this short engagement a strong line of skirmishers was thrown out on both sides of the road and all went well until about four o'clock in the afternoon when the enemy opened upon them near Bristow Station. The regiment, in connection with the corps, was marching rapidly by the flank about a half mile from the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, on the east side and parallel with it. when the enemy, posted on a hill directly in front of them, opened fire upon the column with shell. The Four- teenth quickened its pace, finally being urged to a double-quick and passing through a grove of cedar trees, they came on to a broad plateau extending on the left quite down to the railroad. When the rear had finally cleared the cedars. Colonel Ellis gave the order "By the left flank, forward, double-quick, charge." There was some confusion among the new recruits, but on the whole they behaved well and as soon as they understood the order were in line, ^lost of the men who were lost, either killed or wounded, fell in this short march from the woods to the rail- road. The men went down the embankment into the cut. up the opposite side, forming line of march on the plateau and marching to a piece of woods which they entered, then advanc- 192 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. ing to its farther edge where the order was given to he down. In front was a pasture grown up with tall grass and cedar bushes. Beyond it were some woods in the edge of which a Confederate battery was planted. The Union batteries, however, soon made it so warm for the enemy that they fell back into the woods, coming out to discharge their guns and then making swift time to get back out of sight. There was a general desire in the regiment to go forward and capture the battery, but this was forbidden by Colonel Ellis, after which some men of the regiment, with others of the brigade, went out and brought the guns in. Upon the refusal of Colonel Ellis to allow the regi- ment to go forward and capture the battery. Sergeant Edwin Stroud, of Company B, picked up his gun and briefly remarking that he was going to make an advance upon his own account, disappeared among the cedar bushes, from which he soon emerged, driving before him five rebel prisoners whom he had captured single-handed. The regiment was then ordered to with- draw to a point near the railroad track where behind a low em- bankment they remained in line until after dark, but the attack was not resumed. Sergeant Benjamin Hirst says of this engagement : — "This affair at Bristow Station was one of the most brilliant little bat- tles that occurred during the whole war and came about in this way. General Lee, whose army was rapidly recruited after its return to Virginia, began to get tired of inactivity and so re- solved upon a new campaign with the object of driving the Union troops out of Virginia and taking advantage of any errors that might be committed on the Union side. How near he succeeded is told in the battle at Bristow Station where the Second Corps, through some mistake of General Sykes, was left without support in front of General Early's Division, who was thrusting his brigades in the gap betw^een Sykes' rear and War- ren's advance. Both sides were taken by surprise. Early sup- posed he was following the Union rear when he was attacked by Warren and Warren supposed the road was clear in front until the head of his column was assailed by the rebels. In the mutual surprise Warren displayed the best judgment by seizing Bristow Station and Mine Rl 193 SARGT. BENJAMIN HIRST, From whose letters to the Rockville, (Conn.) Journal, valuable data for this history has been obtained. the railroad cut and embankment a moment or two before the rebels could get there and when the rebels did get there they were driven back with great loss. After this repulse, Early was more cautious than was his habit and waited too long before renewing the attack, when he had at least one-half of the rebel arniv under his command while Warren had but the Second Corps, containing about 12,000 men only." Sergeant E. B. Tyler gives his impressions of this battle in the following words: — "It was on one of the 'Express Excur- sions' owing to some disarrangement of the time schedule or some other mismanagement evidently that the collision at Bristow 194 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. Station occurred October 14th. Hardly deserving to be called a battle in all that implies, yet for a short, sharp and promptly decided little fight, it was a rare specimen. The rebel attack with artillery, cavalry and infantry on our Second Corps, who were acting as rear-guard that day, was spirited enough, but thev ought to have known better and the short time it took the old Second Corps to capture one of their batteries and about five hundred prisoners was probably a surprise to some of them. It was not a trifling lesson to us, however, and was the first time that some of our recruits were under fire. In the mam they acted creditably, some being wounded and others taken prisoners." The following is the list of casualties to the regiment returned by Colonel Ellis : — "Killed, enlisted men, 4; wounded, commissioned officers (ist Lieutenant Wilbur D. Fisk) i, enlisted men, 17; missing, 4; total, 26. Company A. Killed, Private, James McLaughlin ; wounded. Private William Abrahams. Company B. Killed, Corporal Charles Brooks. Company C. Wounded, Privates, Watson A. Spring, James Somers. Company D. Missing, Privates, William Mott, Lindrich Hol- comb, Lemuelk Munyan. Company E. Killed, Private, Frederick Smith. Company F. Killed, Sergeant, Charles McAlhattan ; wounded, 1st Lieutenant, Wilbur D. F^isk, Privates, William C. Brown, Thomas Fisher, Paul Ducest ; missing, Private. Charles Lutz. Company G. Wounded, Sergeant, Jonathan S. Scranton, Privates, John Dooley, George Mireson, Henry Redfield, Thomas Doyle. Company H. Wounded, Privates, Orlando C. Pritchard, Charles F. Conway. Company I. Wounded, Private, John Smith. Company K. Wounded, Sergeant, Joseph T. Adams, Privates, Andrew Flood, John Doyle." Colonel Smyth, commanding the brigade, in his report to General Hays, gives the relative position of the regiment in the Bristow Station and Mine Run. 195 morning engagement at Auburn as follows : — "While crossing Turkey Creek the enemy opened on the column with artillery. An order was received from Brigadier-General Hays, command- ing the division, to deploy skirmishers on the right and left flanks of the column. I accordingly deployed five companies of the First Delaware \'olunteers, under command of Major Woodall, and the One Hundred and Eighth New York Volun- teers, under command of Colonel Powers, the First Delaware on the left and the One Hundred and Eighth New York Volun- teers on the right. The Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers were formed in line of battle with the right resting on the road, and as the enemy commenced a fire of musketry farther to the left, the First Delaware skirmishers were extended by the left flank, and the Twelfth New Jersey Volunteers were formed in line of battle facing to the left with the right resting on the left of the Fourteenth Connecticut. Receiving an order from General Hays to advance by a flank on the road and throw flankers on the right, the column then moved on." In regard to the formation in the afternoon at Bristow Station he says: — "About 3 P. M., as the column was marching by a flank from a v^^ood toward the railroad near Bristow Station, the enemy suddenly attacked the column with artillery. General Hays ordered me to form line of battle to the left, and advance as the brigade debauched from the wood. I marched it by the left flank, owing to the right of the brigade marching in line, while the left was obliged to move forward into line as it came out of the wood. Some little disorder was occasioned which was, however, soon rectified, and the brigade was formed into line of battle along the railroad. A column of the enemy ap- peared on a hill in our front and a little to our right, and opened a fire of musketry. An order was received from General Hays to move forward through the wood and charge that column of the enemy on their right flank. I ordered my command to fix bayonets and advance through the woods. The line was formed of the following regiments in succession to the left : The Four- teenth Connecticut Volunteers, Twelfth New Jersey, and One Hundred and Eighth New York Volunteers." 196 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. The following is the official report of Colonel Theodore G. Ellis to the Adjutant-General of the State of Connecticut: — "Headquarters Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers, October 1 7th, 1863. Sir : — I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers in the en- gagement near Bristow Station, on the 14th instant. We were marching along the easterly side of the Orange & Alexandria Railroad when we came in sight of the enemy, posted on a hill some five hundred \ards west of the railroad, our column marching by the right flank, being about the same distance east of it. Coming up opposite the enemy's batteries on the double- quick, the regiment was marched to the front in line of battle across the railroad, and through a piece of woods to its farther edge, where we remained for some time in line of battle. In advancing toward the railroad we met with most of our loss, from a severe infantry fire from our front and right. The enemy being driven ofif from the position on the hill to our front, we were ordered to advance. After advancing a short distance, we observed a line of battle of the enemy through the woods on our left. We immediately changed front to left, and engaged such part of the line as could be seen through the open- ings. Receiving orders to fall back to the railroad, we did so, and remained lying in line of battle along its easterly side until the troops were withdrawn at night. \^ery respectfully your obedient servant, Theodore G. Ellis, Colonel Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers." Great was the relief of General Warren when night settled down over the affair at Bristow and yet all danger was not over. It was not in the power of Lee to prevent the retreat of the Union army under cover of darkness. No one will forget the anxiety of the evening of the 14th of October, the utmost silence was commanded, not a camp fire was to be light- ed, not a match to be struck. Such utter silence was in- voked that the men were instructed to place their hands Bristow Station and Mine Run. 197 between their tin cups and canteens that the tell-tale rattle might not indicate that the army was in motion. No word of command was to be spoken above a whisper. Thus in ghostly silence the army was to steal away, marching by the flank across the enemy's front within three hundred yards of their skirmishers. About ten o'clock the Fourteenth Regiment, which was in the rear of the column, began to move. It was tedious marching, having often to go on the double-quick to keep with the rest of the brigade, crossing four creeks, some of them deep and all cold and chilling. Just before dawn the column crossed Bull Run at Blackburn's Ford and then filed out on the side of the road where they rested. No wonder the men soon found oblivion in sleep, having been sixty hours or more in marching, battle and skirmishing. The men slept late the morning of Thursday, October 15th. During the forenoon the position was changed a few hundred yards. Some of the enemy's cavalry made their appearance upon the bluffs on the opposite or southern side of Blackburn's Ford, a little later getting some guns into position. The regiment was lying flank to a sharp fire in an exposed position, but Colonel Ellis, seeing the danger, wheeled the regiment so as to face the fire and the Fourteenth suffered no casualties as the shells all passed over their heads. A detachment of skirmishers from the Fourteenth crossed the ford and kept up a rattling fire with the Confederates until a large detachment of cavalry crossed upon the trot, whereupon the Confederates retreated still more hastily. While encamped here an accident occurred to Corporal Jona- than W. Phillips, of Company H, who was accidentally shot with a revolver by Private Charles H. Garde. The wovmd proved fatal, Phillips dying the 19th. He was a worthy soldier and there was deep regret in the regiment at his untimely and needless death. Again we find the regiment on the move on the morning of Monday, October 19th, marching at daylight in a drizzling rain and carrying eleven days rations, toward Warrenton on the old route to Richmond. It seemed to be the return of Dunn Browne's express train. They were obliged to ford several 198 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. deep streams, one of special interest for depth and coldness was Kettle Run. The men rested a short time at Manassas Junction and were soon after formed in line of battle, expecting an en- gagement, as the cavalry were driving the Confederates before them. xA-t night they camped near Bristow Station, remaining there until seven the next mormng, when they began the march toward Auburn, passing through the villages of Gainesville and Greenwich, reaching the former place in the afternoon. On the morning of October 23d, Auburn was abandoned and a move of four miles was made toward Warrenton, and camped in a field just outside of the town. Assurances were made that the regiment would remain some time at this point and the men began industriously to build shelters, the first of five attempts in this direction. During these days there were daily regimental and battalion drills. There was much sickness in the regiment, sixty-five being excused from duty in one day. While at this camp the men were glad to greet Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins, who. as we have stated, had been discharged on account of wounds received at Fredericksburg. With eight days rations in their haversacks the troops marched on the morning of Saturday, November the 7th, about twenty miles to Kelly's Ford, and the next day crossed the Rappahannock for the ninth time and at four o'clock in the afternoon bivouacked near Brandy Station. At this time Colonel Ellis was on leave of absence, the regiment being under command of Lieutenant- Colonel Moore. It was a relief to the men to learn that there was to be a de- cided reform in the over-issuing of rations and ammunition. Dunn Browne has this to say on that point: — "Fm greatly en- couraged ; more reconciled to not being commander-in-chief of all the armies of America than I have been for a long time ; for there are actually some glimmerings of sense beginning to be perceptible, even in the management of our War Department. An order has come down, I am informed by a credible witness who says he has seen it, — has actually come down, and is to take effect immediately, that the men are not to be compelled to carr^f on their backs henceforth more than five davs rations at any one Bristow Station and Mine Run. 199 time. I had utterly despaired of the thing ; had seen the eight- davs. the ten-days, and. in one or two instances, the eleven-days mule-burden piled on the men's backs over and over again, cruelly, wastefully, and uselessly, never once accomplishing the purpose, never in any single instance lasting over six days, till I had about concluded that the Administration was in some way politically committed to the arrangement, and that I might un- intentionally be committing high Copperheadism by grumbling about it. And another thing: you won't believe me this time, I know ; and you needn't : it's too much to ask of you, certainly, in the same letter that mentions the above reform, but it's the positive fact, nevertheless, that only forty rounds of cartridges are required henceforth to be carried by our soldiers. I am afraid Secretary Stanton and General Halleck aren't going to live long, they are getting so good and considerate all at once ; but they couldn't die in a better cause. Why, more cartridges have been wasted during this war by compelling the men to carry sixty, eighty, and even a hundred rounds, when their cartridge- boxes won't hold but forty, than would carry on for ten years a small 'scrimmage' like that of England and France in the Crimea. And. besides the relief from the burden, the boys will no longer be liable to drink gunpowder-coffee from a cartridge in their haversack bursting into their sugar or coffee sack, or to be blown up by a match setting fire to an extra package in their breeches-pocket." A stop was made at Rrandy Station through Monday. The band of the regiment tendered its courtesy to General French, who had asumed command of the Third Corps, by serenading him in the evening. Tuesday, November loth., the march was resumed, reaching a point near Stevensburg, about ten miles east of Culpepper and four miles north of Kelly's Ford. Again the army was given assurance that a long tarry might be expected here. The camp was on a large plain, slightly marshy, and the men for the sec- ond time began to make comfortable quarters for the winter. While here fresh bread was issued which was a relief from the time worn and somewhat animated hardtack. But the hopes of 200 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. a permanent camp seemed to be dashed and orders were given on the morning of the 26th to break camp, pack np and be on the march. By ten o'clock Germania Ford on the Rapidan was reached, a distance of about eight miles, and a tarry was made in a deep ravine for some hours, no fires being allowed. About two o'clock they crossed the Rapidan on a pontoon bridge and found the unoccupied intrenchments of the Confederates were formidable and well-nigh impregnable. The weather was ex- tremely cold. After going for several miles along a road shut in on either side by a dense forest, they emerged into a compara- tively open country and leaving the road followed the column as it meandered through the fields and across divers creeks and swamps until finally a halt was made for the night on the side of a stony hill. The corps started the next morning at seven o'clock following a road which led through the woods. At about eleven o'clock the quick sharp rattle of musketry was heard a short distance ahead, showing that the enemy had been encountered. The order double-quick was passed down the line and the men marched swiftly forward for a short distance, when the narrow woods road emerged on to a Inroad thoroughfare running east and west. Turning to the right the regiment continued up the road toward the west, but the pace was too fast for the men and the cohunn strung out badly. A few moments later the regiment ascended a hill which had just been vacated by the Confederate troops who had retreated only a short distance as the showers of bullets that fell around the men of the Fourteenth plainly in- dicated. A heavy skirmish line was thrown across the field into the woods before which the Confederates beat a hasty retreat. Regiment after regiment filed up the hill, and on reaching the crest of which, the Fourteenth filed to the left and immediately began the building of breastworks. Here the men rested until daybreak of the 28th. when they were relieved by the First Corps and told to go to the woods, cook coffee and get breakfast, with the assurance that no more service would be required of them that day. Scarcely an hour, however, had passed when they were formed in line of battle with fixed bayonets, skirm- Bristow Station and Mine Run, 201 ishers thrown out in front and an advance was made going over the breastworks erected by the regiment the night before and now occupied by the First Corps. Indications were that there would be an engagement, but the rebel pickets fell back a mile or two to their main body which occupied a very strong position and could be seen entrenched behind a stone wall about a mile and a half distant. A creek running between the Union line and these entrenched Confederates had been flooded by the enemy, making it impossible to pass. Union and Confederate batteries exchanged compliments with hot shot and shell much to the discomfort of the Fourteenth Regiment who were directly in range of these flying missiles. The men remained under fire in a cold drenching rain until dark when they again retired to the woods for the night. Sunday, the 29th, the Second Corps marched back, their places being occupied by the Fifth Corps. The corps then made a detour of the Confederate army and it was soon apparent that the division of which the Fourteenth was a part was to attack the enemy's right flank. A good position was finally gained, though several of the men were killed and wounded, but night coming on the main attack was postponed until morning. At two o'clock on the morning of November 30th. Lieutenant- Colonel Aloore received an order from headquarters that an at- tack would be made along the whole line at five o'clock, the men to be under arms an hour earlier, profound silence to be observed and no fires or lights allowed. The morning was bitter cold and the men suffered intensely. Lieutenant-Colonel Moore led the regiment to its appointed position, other lines of troops converg- ing from various directions. The Second Corps was formed in two lines of battle, the Fourteenth Regiment on the left. It was rumored through the ranks that the attack would be at eight o'clock upon the first sound of the bugle, and at the second sovmd the men were to charge across the field with fixed bayonets, and not to halt or fire a shot until the enemy's breastworks were carried. Orders were given that the knapsacks be piled in heaps. John Hirst has an incident of interest at this point. "We did not go far before we were halted, and stripped ofif our knapsacks and 202 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry, what things we did not need for immediate use. I tell you it looked like a desperate undertaking to charge across those open fields in the face of those rebel earthworks fully manned as they were by some of the best soldiers in the rebel army. A good many of our men wrote their names, company and regiment upon pieces of paper, which they pinned upon their coats, for very few ex- pected if the charge was made to come out of it alive. While we were waiting for the word to go, Lieutenant-Colonel IMoore came to me and putting his hand upon my shoulder, said : — 'Jack, do vou see those works?' 'Yes,' I replied. 'Well, I want to see you plant those colors right upon those works.' 'I shall go just as far as those Johnnies will let me go alive.' At which reply the Lieutenant-Colonel turned away, his teeth set together like a vise. I tell you it was a good thing for the Fourteenth Regiment that the order to charge never came. We were in the front line of battle and our orders were if we got through the works, to keep right along as far as we could go, regardless of life or limb." |. L. (ioss writing to the Aleriden Journal relates this incident. "Lieutenant-Colonel Sam Moore, with his thin face, white and stern, walking slowly among his men said, 'Men, there is no use denying it, but three-quarters of you are to be left in that marsh with your toes turned up ; but remember the Fourteenth never quailed yet, and I'll shoot the first man that does it now." Lieutenant William H. Hawley. of Company B, sums up the situation at this point as follows: — "The Fourteenth was in the first line of battle where the bullets would strike the thickest in the charge. Knapsacks were ordered to be laid aside so that no useless weight might encumber the men. And now General Warren rides slowly down our lines, his sober face more sober than i>sual. He evidently dislikes to sacrifice his brave troops in such a desperate undertaking. The rebels have thrown up earthworks five feet or more high and in front of them have strewn fallen trees and brush to entangle us. Before we reach these breastworks a plain one-half mile in width must be crossed which will be swept by the fire of eight guns, some of them so planted as to give an enfilading fire. Whoever is for- Bristow Station and Mine Run. 203 tunate enough to pass unharmed through the storm of bullets and shell and grape-shot and over the obstructions will find him- self confronted by a five foot wall with sharp bayonets behind it. Eight o'clock has arrived and we expect the order to ad- vance. We hear the roar of cannon from our right. General Meade has sent word from the right, asking Warren if the Second Corps can take the enemy's works. 'Yes' replied Warren, 'they can take them, but there will be no more Second Corps.' Then Meade himself arrives on the ground, surveys the works through his glass, reckons the time it will take to reach them and shakes his head, saying 'it is of no use to try to climb a wall with two ladders.' And so the charge was abandoned. They did not, however, see fit to tell us of their decision and so we wait with anxious hearts until the sun goes down." To continue our narrative of the movements of the regiment. Tow^ard night fires were allowed which were grateful to the half frozen men. After dark the troops were withdrawn under the caution of quietness to the hill occupied the night previous, leaving the pickets behind with fires burning to mislead the enemy. Major Hincks remarks "that a polar bear would have frozen on that hill that night." There was little activity on the part of the enemy through the day, evidently intending to draw the Union troops forward. December ist the weather proved milder and the men were engaged strengthening the breastworks which they had built a few nights previous with brush and rails. About seven o'clock the men lay down for the night, but were soon aroused and ordered to prepare to move. This was the night that Lieutenant-Colonel Moore and Major Hincks did not sleep on their coveted feather bed from which they anticipated so much comfort. The movement, however, this time was a retrograde one, moving toward the Rapidan, in perfect silence. After marching a few miles the Fredericksburg and Orange Court House plank road was reached and Lieutenant Hawley, with part of Company D, was stationed at the point where the column turned oft" the road toward the river, to direct stragglers and the pickets, the latter being left on duty seven hours after the departure of the main army. Although this was a dangerous 204 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. position Lieutenant Hawley crossed in safety and a few stray shots from the artillery served to hurry the stragglers across the river. The column made a halt of only fifteen or twenty minutes from the time they left the extreme left of the Confederate line near Mine Run until they crossed the bridge after daylight, and the pace was very fast all the way. The pontoons were hastily taken up and the men were allowed time to make coiTee and have a few hours sleep, and then took up a wearisome journey to their old camp at Stevensburg, where they arrived aboiit eight o'clock at night. This march may perhaps be put down as the hardest and most trying that the regiment ever made. Sergeant E. B. Tyler gives the following graphic description of the situation here: — "The writer recalls no more serious oc- casion in his army experience than at Mine Run in the flank movement of the Second Corps when the Fourteenth were lying- in the first line of battle, with knapsacks again discarded, a sure sign of the desperate nature of the duty expected of us. Just in front of us was a narrow belt of woods running parallel to our line. This screened us from the view of the enemy. Going through these woods to our picket-line, at the fur- ther side we could look across the level open fields and plainly see the strongly fortified position of the enemy. How defiantly their flags waved ; how heart-sickening the well wrought abatis in front of their works, for we were only waiting for the signal from the right, to charge across the open field amid the shot and shell and canister from the artillery and deadly volleys from the infantry, hoping against hope that a few of our first line might join with the others in clambering through the abatis and gain the works. This time there was no secret made of what was to be our special duty. No forlorn hope ever faced a more desperate prospect and the old Fourteenth was to be in the first line. We were to be the living moving breastwork that might in some slight measure afi'ord a little protection to the second, third or fourth line of infantry that were to follow, some of whom it might be hoped would scale the works and gain the victory. How slowly passed the time and yet we felt sure to many of us these were the final moments of our lives. Some- Bristow Station and Mine Run. 205 how we never for a moment surmised that the old fighting Sec- ond Corps would either refuse or be refused an opportunity to fight, no matter what the chances against them. General Warren, with his staff, was riding up and down our line, going from point to point in order to obtain a better view of the enemy's lines and works. The men were at rest near their stacked arms, ready to fall into place at the first signal and as General Warren, who was to give the order that meant life or death, rode by, how we scanned his face for some inkling of purpose or some sign of encouragement. We saw the care, anxiety and burden of responsibility resting upon him, apparent in his countenance, serious almost to sadness, yet to us it was in- scrutable as the ancient rock faced Sphinx. His record as an able, careful commander was not unknown to us, and trust him we felt we could and must. The men stood mostly by or near their guns, but a little liberty was given them, and once, and again, singly or with a comrade or two, we stole out into the woods a few rods in front of us to calculate the chances of the assault. There seemed to be a fascination in looking over the open field. The rebel flag as it waved from its staff some times seemed flaunting only defiance to us, and some times in the changing lights and shadows of that winter morning, the staff obscured, the flag alone visible, waving and furling and doubling against the background of some darkening cloud, seemed like the friendly invitation of some spirit hand whose dainty beckon- ing lifted our thoughts to the great beyond. Then back again to our guns, waiting, yet dreading to hear the signal given. A deep reechoing sound comes rolling down from the distant right. Then another and another. The men sprang to their places, some perhaps with faces a little paler than usual, but never a man wavered or faltered. Determined to do their duty unto death, they stood and waited. But the order to advance came not. The gunners stood by their pieces to send back to the right the answering response if the attack was to be made, as it was to be made simultaneously on the right and by Warren on the left, if made at all. But the signal guns on the left responded not. The minutes became hours and gradually it dawned upon us that the battle planned for us was not to be 206 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. fought. General Warren had weighed the chances, had counted the cost, had become convinced in spite of bravery and courage that never had and never should be questioned that to make the attack on that stronghold with his one corps miles away from anv support would be more the folly of a rash hairbrained mad- man than a wise and considerate officer. It was no lack of confidence in his men. It is reported he said he did not doubt but what his corps could take the works, but he feared it would be at the expense of the almost total loss of the same. He could not assume the responsibility of the sacrifice and for once the lives and the limbs and smarting wounds of the thousands in the ranks outweighed the temptation this slight chance offered to add new luster to a general's stars. That day and the next passed, then came the retreat, one of the best managed and en- tirely successful in the carrying out of all its details of any in the history of the war. After the long tedious march, second to none perhaps we ever made, unless that day we made over thirty miles on our way to Gettysburg, thoroughly exhausted, we reached our old camp near Stevensburg, and found our com- pany losses consisted of one or two of our new men, whether captured as prisoners or voluntary deserters, we were not quite sure." The following is the report of Colonel Ellis to the Adjutant- General of the State of Connecticut. There is no record of any reports from Colonel Ellis to Colonel Smyth of the brigade or Hays and Warren of the division corps recorded in the collection of reports published by the United States. "Headquarters Fourteenth Connecticut \'olunteers. Camp near Stony Mountain, Va. Brigadier-Gener.\l Horace J. Morse, Adjutant-General, State of Connecticut, General : — On the 26th day of November. (Thanksgiving Day), we re- ceived marching orders, and about daylight started toward the the Rapidan, which was distant some six or eight miles. We crossed this river at Germania Ford, and went into camp in 'the Bristow Station and Mine Run. 207 wilderness.' some five miles on the other side. On the next day we encountered the enemy's skirmishers at a point known as Robirison's Tavern, or Old \"erdiersville. On the morning of the 28th our division advanced in line of battle upon the enemy's position, driving back his skirmishers for about a mile, and un- masking his real position, which was a very strong one, on the other side of Mine Run. We lay in line of battle all dav, occa- sionally shelled by the batteries of the rebels. Early the next morning we were relieved by the Fifth Corps ; and to our corps, with one division of the Sixth, was assigned the duty of flanking the rebel position. As it seemed too strong for attack in front, we made a long detour under cover of the woods, and toward sunset the advance of our corps encountered the extreme left of the rebel army, and drove it back for about a mile. Our regiment was exposed to a shell fire, but was not otherwise engaged. Here we threw out a heavy picket, and halted for the night. Be- fore daylight the next morning, our whole corps was in line of battle before the rebel works, which they had so strengthened dur- ing the night as to present a most formidable appearance. Hidden from the view of the enemy by a thick belt of trees, the knapsacks of the men were taken ofif and piled up, and every prenaration was made for a desperate charge. But our generals deciding that the sacrifice of life would be too great, the attack was not made. At dusk we quietly withdrew from our hazardous posi- tion, leaving our fires burning, to a neighboring range of hills where we passed the night. We remained here the next day also, but on the night of the 2d of December, took uj) our line of march for the Rapidan River which we reached the next morning about ten o'clock, crossing at Culpepper Mine Ford. After a couple of hours rest, we resumed our march, reaching our old camp upon Mountain Run a little after dark, having accom- plished about forty or forty-five miles in the twenty-four hours. The loss of the regiment in this afit'air was two men wounded and about a dozen missing, most of whom were probably taken prisoners. Verv respectfully, your obedient servant, Thkodore G. Ellis, Colonel Fourteenth Connecticut Volunteers." CHAPTER XII. Stony Mountain and Battle of Morton's Ford. We left the regiment after its trying march from the Mine Run fiasco, reaching its old camp ground at Stevensburg on the evening of December 2d, about eight o'clock. The men were thoroughly exhausted and worn, not only by their long and tedious marching, but by the weary and anxious hours before the Confederate entrenchments at Mine Run. The next morn- ing they moved about a mile to a new camp and, acting upon rumors through the regiment that they would remain in camp for the rest of the season, built huts and made other atrange- ments for comfort and rest. About this time there was trouble among the new recruits owing to the fact that liquor had been smuggled into camp. On the evening of December 4th, after Lieutenant-Colonel Moore and the Adjutant of the regiment had retired for the night, word came down from headquarters that there was much noise in the Fourteenth camp which disturbed the other regiments. Upon examination it was found that the fires were lighted in all the company streets, although taps had sounded some time before, and there were lights in many of the quarters. Lieutenant Brigham, officer of the day, was ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel Moore to take all the men he needed and quell the almost riotous scene. He soon reported to Lieutenant-Colonel Moore that he was unable to stop the noise. Meanwhile another order came down from brigade headquarters that if Lieutenant-Colonel Moore was unable to stop the noise, Colonel Smyth himself would attempt the task. Lieutenant-Colonel Moore and Adjutant Hincks then started out. The men generally fled to their huts on the ap- proach of these officers. Passing down a street, one of these recruits pushed his head out of the door of the cabin, ofifering some insulting epithet to Lieutenant-Colonel Moore as he (208) i Stony Mountain and Battle of Morton's Ford. 211 passed and then quickly dodged into his quarters again. But Lieutenant-Colonel Moore reached the inside of the cabin almost simultaneously with the audacious conscript and gave him a few sharp blows with his sword, from the pain of which the man howled hideously, the blows l)eing accompanied with some of Lieutenant-Colonel Moore's strongest language. Passing down another street, a heavy stone was hurled from one of the cabins which came near the head of Adjutant Hincks. The Adjutant, rushing into the hut, found several men lying upon the floor, Stony Mountain from Stevensburg. feigning to be asleep, and administered a few lusty blows with his saber. This determined attempt to restore order had its results and the Lieutenant-Colonel and Adjutant retired for the night. The next morning the regiment was again under marching orders and at seven o'clock moved about three miles and pitched their tents upon a bleak ridge, perhaps a mile from the village of Stevensburg, where they remained until December loth. Many of the new recruits refused to move and were squatting about the fires in the company streets, drinking their coffee, while the regiment marched out of camp. Seeing this Lieuten- ant-Colonel ^loore returned on his nimble steed and dashed through the streets making it lively work for the recalcitrant 2 1 2 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. men to protect themselves. As they jumped up the Lieutenant- Colonel hit them many a blow with his broad saber and flogged them back to the ranks. It was an effective scene of energetic determination and afforded great amusement to the orderly men of the regiment. December loth, the regiment was moved about two miles farther and the men were again engaged building log huts in the fond anticipation that they were to have a long rest. This was slow work as many details from the regiment were sent out to build corduroy roads to Brandy Station, by which route the supplies were received. An interesting fact was that at this time there were ten captains on duty with the regiment, an unpre- cedented fact since the regiment reached Keedysville before Antietam. Many of the men were granted short furloughs and there were numerous remembrances received from friends at home of barrels and boxes containing delicacies and articles oi food of real value. However, it was not to be the fortune of the Fourteenth Regiment to remain long in one j^osition and as if fearing that the regiment would be forgotten, it was again or- dred to change its camp December 27th, and marched at nine o'clock in a severe rain. That the men were highly incensed may be well imagined. The heavy rain, the deep mud in which many of the men lost their shoes, the disappointment and what they considered lack of faith in the words of the commanding ofificers all combined to make ill feeling. After going about three miles, the regiment turned off to the side of a rugged hill, called Stony Mountain, close to the banks of the Rapidan River and within sight of the enemy's picket. It was a wild spot, over- grown with pines and underbrush which had never been cut. Sergeant Wade perhaps represents the feeling of the men at this point. He says: — "Here was just the spot for the Fourteenth. There was no doubt in our minds but what we should stay here, — at least till they had got force enough to drive the enemy another mile, and then, of course, we should move again. We again received our accustomed orders, 'put up good huts for you will stay here all winter' and so we went to work. But it had rained hard all day and we were wet to the skin. We had no Stony Mountain and Battle of Morton's Ford. 213 time to put up any tents, and so we lay on the wet ground all nioht. It was a mystery to us all that we didn't catch our death cold. The next morning we went to work, but it continued to rain, and we got along slowly. The mud was over a foot deep, and the water run a stream through all our streets. But the next morning it cleared off pleasant, and we managed by night to get our huts nearly done. By the end of the week we had them all finished, good streets laid out, and in fact were all ready to move again." S^®9P*^ Brigade Camp, at Stony Mountain, from a drawing by (ieo. W. Hill, of Co. G. Touching the proximity of the camp to the enemy, a letter from Captain W. H. Hawley gives a vivid idea as follows : — "The rebels in front are rather saucy. Lieutenant-Colonel Moore went out with a few men to get some boards from a deserted house for his stable. A rebel sentry across the river sent a bullet whizzing by his ear, but he paid no attention to it and did not leave until he had secured his boards. The\' shout across the river to our sentries that as soon as we are comfortably settled, they are coming across the river to occupy our houses themselves. General Hancock does not like the idea of our being out here and would not have ordered us out had he been 2 1 4 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. in command at the time. He is afraid the rel^els wiU come over in force some fine morning and gobhle np the Second Brigade. We are four miles in advance of the main bod v." There was a singularly unmilitary course pursued here. The regiment at this time was some four miles in advance of the main army and a cavalry picket-line was established between the regiment and the army and so rigid was this picket-line that there could be no communication by the Fourteenth men with the main army without a written permission from General French. Even the surgeons were not allowed to pass back and forth in their work among the men. There was sadness in the camp over the untimely death of Lieutenant Edward W. Hart, of Company E, of diphtheria. Lieutenant Hart had charge of the laying of the corduroy road already noticed as being laid to Brandy Station. In regard to this faithful officer, a letter to the New Haven Joiu-nal and Courier says: — "He will be sadly missed by his old (G) and new com]iany (K) and by the officers of his regiment. But his rela- ti\'es ma\' rest assured that while his memory will remain green in our hearts forever, we kncnv that his soul is with the God to whom he clung amid all temptations. And so we drop a tear on the grave of 'the youngest, the noblest, the Ijravest of us all," There were many happy days at the camp at Stony Mountain, one of the pleasing incidents being the visit of many of the officers' wives and friends. The first to arrive was Mrs. Fisk. wife of Captain Samuel F'isk, of Company G, who was accom- panied bv her bov. She was heartily welcomed and was the object of nmch attention, the band serenaded her with some of its sweetest music and Lieutenant-Colonel Moore tendered her a dinner at which the regimental officers were present. The menu was most elaborate, consisting of soup, roast beef, turkey, chicken, plum-pudding, four kinds of pie, nuts, apples, cider and champagne, and two loaves of cake handsomely frosted, which the sutler brought from Washington as a present to the popular Lieutenant-Colonel. The band also added its finest strains to further complete the hospitalities of the occasion. There were manv amusing incidents and situations. We have Stony Mo'-^.tain and Battle of Morton's Ford. 215 already spoken of I'ierce I'.arron, the witty Irish recruit who came to the'reg-iment at Cedar Run. One day here at Stony Mountain General Snnth and his staiT rode hy the camp to the top of the hill. ( )ld Tierce, who was standing with a group of the men of the regiment, saluted and called out with all the hearty en- thusiasm of a true son of Erin, "Cod bless ye's, (General Smyth..' Smyth, who had Irish blood in his veins, and who felt in the humor to notice the old man, stoPi)e(l and spoke to him. "What'.s your name, my man?" "liarron, sir. Tierce Barron, sir." "Barron Barron, that's a good name. Seems to me you look dry, I'.arron," said the Ceneral. "Ah, (ieneral, dear, Tm that Stony Momitain in recent years. dry T could hardly spake the truth" says Barron. And it is vouched for by the men of the ]<-ourteenth that the Ceneral's canteen furnished old Tierce with a drink that day. Another time as Smvth was riding by the camp, however, old Tierce was seen trotting along by his side, showering blessings and blarney- ings on him, Imt the Ceneral took no notice of him, and the old fehow soon dr()i)i)ed away to one side, his mouth watermg for the whiskey he did not get. 216 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. During- these few weeks at Stony A Fountain there were quite a number of rebel officers and men wlio came into camp and sur- rendered. These were busy da\s as officers were fitting up their quarters for the recejition of their wives and friends. There were very many architectural attempts at beauty and, utility, and boards and all Ijuilding- material Ijrought fabulous prices. There was a great deal of rivalry among the men, the streets were better policed and the whole cam]) i)resented the ap- pearance of a village neatly ke])t. lUit these days of rest and pleasant security from active service were soon closed. About four o'clock on the morning of Saturday, February 6th., orders were given that the regiment be read}' to move at seven, the men to be supplied with ammunition and three days rations. A little after the hour the regiment tiled out of camp, leaving their canvas covered huts undisturbed in charge of the guard of the camp. About this time it was the evident design of the com- mander in chief of the I'nion armv that (ieneral lUitler should attem])t the capture of Richmond. To attract the attention of Morton's Ford from the south. Stony Mountain and Battle of Morton's Ford. 2 1 7 Lee and hold his army from Richmond a show of active opera- tions was proposed at this point on the Rapidan. It has never been supposed that it was the design of the generals to precipitate an engagement with any great number of men at this point. General Xewton, commander of the First Corps, was ordered to move to Racoon Ford, about three miles above Morton's Ford. He did so, but did not cross the river, remaining at this point, comparatively inactive, until the evening of the following day. The Second Corps, under command of General Warren, was or- dered to move to Morton's Ford which it did, moving through a belt of woods to a broad plain and formed line of b'attle on the north bank of the Rapidan opposite Morton's F^ord. Here they remained for about iive hours. The object of this delay can hardly be explained for every moment seemed to give the Con- federates an opportunity to mass their men. Standing on this broad plain and looking across about a mile the Confederate troops could be seen moving toward the breastworks from all directions, until it was evident that the enemy had many more troops than the Union. The course of the Rapidan at this point was like a bended bow or crescent. The Confederate entrench- ments about a mile distant followed the course of this bend, its concave side toward the river and its extreme right and left coming down nearl\- to the river. The Confederates also had a line of ritie-pits in which were planted about eighty men between the bank of the river and the entrenchments. Shortly after crossing the river was a ridge extending along in front, near which stood the house of Major Buckner. Still farther on stood the house of Dr. Morton, from whom the ford took its name. The latter house was surrounded by a number of smaller out- buildings which were used by the negroes all standing within a grove of trees of full growth. There had been the usual neg- lect in throwing over pontoon bridges, the pontoon train being halted in the mud about half a mile in the rear. The river at this point was broad with a swift current and about waist deep, although the depth varied, some parts being so deep that the taller men were obliged to hold the shorter ones up by the arms- to keep them from drowning. About one o'clock the order was 2 1 8 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. given to move forward. The First and Third Brigades were the first to ford the stream and the Second Brigade brought up the rear. The water was icy cold, mixed with snow and ice. So deep was it tliat the men were obHged to hold their cartridge^ boxes above their heads to prevent the ammunition from being spoiled bv the water. To add to the discomfort of the men there was a cold drizzling rain. On reaching the opposite shore, they ascended the liank and advanced at the double-quick across an open space which was raked by the fire of a rebel battery, fortunatelv aimed too high, and thus none of the men were hit. Buckner House at a distance. The men were here massed with their conn"ades in a ravine where they were protected from the encmx's shot and shell and re- mained all day, but little exce])t i)icket firing occurring to break the monotony. This, however, was so close and frequent that the men could not stand up with safety. From here also could be seen troops arriving from all directions toward the Confeder- ate breastworks. The position of the Union men was a hazard- ous one, being exposed to an attack from the right, left and front or from all three quarters combined by a greatly superior force, and such an attack could hardlv have failed to dislodge the Union Stony Mountain and Battle of Morton's Ford. 219 forces from the shallow ravine and drive them hack in confusion upon the river, (leneral Hays rode back and forth upon his galloping- steed, his reckless manner and incoherent language in- dicating that he had added two or three extra fingers to his morning dram. (leneral Warren was also indisposed the early part of the day, his indisjxisition lifting itself and enabling him to be on the field late in the afternoon for a few minutes. The brigade commander was also so seriously indisposed as to be un- able to sit upon his saddle or even to walk about, but sat listlessly in a large arm-chair brought from one of the neighboring houses. ■w of Major Buckner's House. It was nearly dark when there was lively firing from the enemy's batteries, resi)onded to by the Union guns across the river, and the firing along the skirmish line assumed the propor- tions of a volley. The Thirty-ninth Xew York, known as the "Garibaldi Guards," was brought up to the support of the skirm- ish line. These were prolxddy the most unfit troops in the whole corps to take up the duty. They were mostly foreigners, could 220 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. not understand the langugage of the orders and as they came over the crest of the hill and encountered the enemy's fire, they be- came confused and instead of keeping their line, recoiled in confusion and huddled together in groups, upon which the enemy's shot made sad havoc. Finding these men could not be depended upon the Fourteenth Regiment was ordered up and the sharp, clear voice of Lieutenant-Colonel Aloore was heard "Fall in Fourteenth" and the men went forward, stepping over the prostrate forms of the Twelfth New Jersey, who lay directly before them. The Fourteenth Regiment moved swiftly up to the brow of the hill when the order was given to deploy as skirmishers, the men Ijeing four or five feet apart. The bullets fell thick and fast and the noise was indescribable. Lieutenant- Colonel Moore with the right wing and center of the regiment marched down the slope on to the broad plain toward the enemy, while Adjutant Hincks took the left. A couple of dozen of the recruits clustered behind one of the buildings, but were soon dislodged and forced into line through the proddings of the sharp points of Adjutant Hincks and Sergeant-Major Murdock's sabers. The darkness was intense, the artillery had ceased to pla}- and the sharp flashes of the musketry were the only indica- tions of the whereabouts of the enemy. Above the shouts and clatter of the musketry could be heard the sharp tenor voice of Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, directing his men and encouraging them to proceed. The advance was rapid and the line had now reached the Morton houses in a cluster of trees, the men shielding themselves behind the garden fence. Just before reaching this house Major Coit was wounded and left the field. Captain Broatch, senior captain of the regiment, while advancing sword in hand was struck by a bullet which shattered his fingers and threw his sword twenty feet into the air. Picking it up and grasping it in his left hand he swung it over his head, at the same time guiding his men with his voice until his wound proved so painful that he was obliged to retire from the field. Oscar Abbott, of Companv A, had the misfortune to get his gun fouled so that it could no longer be discharged, but by the advice of his com- Stony Mountain and Battle of Morton's Ford. 221 panion, brave, Corporal Russell Glenn, continued to go forward until Glenn himself received a severe wound when Abbott helped him to the rear. With the serious losses which the Fourteenth had met in its advance, it was not able unsupported to dislodge the Confederates from the strong position which they had formed behind the Morton house and among the outljuildings. The contest had become fierce and in many cases it was a hand to hand fight with bayonets in the darkness. Some of the Fourteenth entered the buildings and Captain Frederick 15. Doten. of Company F, with half a dozen men entered one of the houses and fired upon the Headquarters of Pickets near Morton's Ford. enemy from the windows. Presently an officer dashed up to the house, dismounted, entered and with various expletives, better imagined than written, wanted to know what they were doing there. It proved to be General Ha^s who, unaccompanied by any of his staff, had come out to the skirmish line. Captain Doten attempted to explain the situation, stating that there was a large rebel force, with which he could not cope, directly in front. General Hays would accept no explanation, but ordered him to move out and onward. Captain Doten and the men well knew the consequences of moving out. but like all Fourteenth men they obeyed orders and, opening the back door, stepped out. 222 Fourteenth Regiment, C. V. Infantry. The General folhnved and nionnted his horse. As he passed the corner of the house a sharp rifle shot was heard and General Hays fell heavily to the ground. As Captain Doten and his men advanced and left the house there was a voice from the darkness, ordering them to surrender, saying that he had heard the conversation and did not wish to shoot them in cold l)lood, adding, "As for your general, we have killed him." This latter was not true as the shot had entered the saddle of General Hays' horse and he quickly mounted his steed and slid away in the dark- ness. Doten could do nothing else than surrender and he and Morton House and surroundings. his six men were marched out and later took their long journey to Libby prison. It proved that the captors of these men were four companies of the 44th Georgia Regiment, who were drawn up in line of battle in their front. Idie Fourteenth Regiment had done a grand work, but it was unable to meet the large force of the enemy. Seeing this General Hays ordered up the io8th New York and the loth New York Battalion in line of battle. Halting them a little just before reaching the house, in front of which stood the Fourteenth, he ordered the loth New York to Stony Mountain and Battle of Morton's Ford. 223 fire. An officer of the loth replied "(lencral, those are our men in front of us." General Hays replied "They are rehels," pre- ceding his order to fire hy an oath. Crash went that dreadful volley and how nianv of the hrave l""ourteenth fell by that stupid drunken order will never lie known. There was a loud cry of disniaw and the two advancing- rej^inients approached the house. The line was further strengthened, the attempt to fiank was foiled, the Confederates were routed and the battle ot Mor- ton's Ford was at an end. CAPT. FREDERICK B. DOTEN. Captain hVederiek 15. Doten was born in Shefiield, Mass., in 1840 and with his i)arents moved to Bridgeport, Conn., in early childhood. He enlisted as corporal of Co. A