CHAPTER XVIII

 

 

CROSSING THE POTOMAC • MARCH THROUGH MARYLAND • BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN • REMARKABLE INCIDENT

 

THE army having been withdrawn to the defences of Washing­ton, General McClellan was assigned to the command of it on the 2d of September. It soon after being ascertained that the enemy in­tended to cross the Upper Potomac into Maryland, our army was put in motion to again meet them.

On the 6th, Company G, Captain Reitzel, rejoined us, they hav­ing marched down the Peninsula with the wagon trains, and the same night about nine o'clock we fell in and marched off through the woods to the pike, passing a long line of ambulances, carriages and wagons filled with our wounded from the late field, and passing over to Washington on the Long Bridge, we proceeded through the city to its outskirts on the Leesboro Road where we laid down about two o'clock A.M. After a short repose, we were up and moved soon after light to Leesboro, ten miles distance, where we lay in a scrub woods until noon on the 9th, when we marched through Mechanicsville to near Brookville, and bivouacked about sunset. We were forced to leave at Leesboro, under charge of a guard, all our ammunition, rations and baggage, as our wagons were unloaded and taken to Washington, ostensibly for clothing, and did not rejoin the regiment until after Antietam.

About noon the next day we moved to the head waters of the Patuxent River and bivouacked, and the next day to near Poplar Springs. We were now approaching the neighborhood of the enemy, a company of whom were at the springs the night before. There, and all through Maryland where they had been, we found they had taken whatever they wanted, leaving the farmers almost destitute, paying for the articles in Confederate money and quartermaster's orders that were not worth the paper they were written on.

On the 12th, at the urgent request of His Excellency Governor Curtin, General Reynolds was detached from the command of the

 

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Reserves, and ordered to Pennsylvania for the purpose of organiz­ing the militia of the State and preparing them for armed resistance to the enemy, and General Meade was ordered to assume his posi­tion. On the morning of the same day we marched, and striking the Baltimore and Frederick Turnpike, passed through Ridgeville and New Market, bivouacking about four miles beyond the latter place. All along the route we heard the complaints of the inhabitants of the plundering operations of the "Liberating Army," that came to free "My Maryland" from the "oppressor's heel," and bring back into "their" old Union all the States. Their liberating operations, however, seemed to partake much of the nature of the vultures, coveting and devouring.

The next morning we marched about four miles, crossing the Monocacy and halting for the day and night on its banks. A brisk artillery skirmish took place during the day about eight miles from here on the side of the mountains, where we could plainly see the smoke of the guns. The day before a skirmish took place here, the enemy trying to blow up the turnpike bridge over the Monocacy, but were frustrated in their design by our cavalry. They were also driven out of Frederick, where there was a smart little street fight. While in possession of the city, the "Liberators" ordered all the stores to be opened, which they soon emptied of their contents, paying for the same in their worthless trash. They also opened a recruiting office, but did not do a very thriving business.

On our march from Washington, Lieutenants Black, Company E, and Manton, Company B, were taken sick, and with others of the regiment were sent back to the hospitals.

Our army, which had been slowly moving through Maryland in five columns between the Potomac River and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, covering both Washington and Baltimore, was now concentrated near Frederick, following closely the retiring foe. During the march the progress of the reorganization, rendered necessary after the demoralizing effects of the disastrous campaign upon the Virginia side of the Potomac, rapidly progressed, the troops regaining their confidence and spirit, and being anxious to again meet the enemy.

 

BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN, September 14th - On Sun­day, the 14th of September, the reveille was sounded at three o'clock, and after coffee and crackers we took up our march, passing through Frederick, whose inhabitants were hardly up, yet we found many flags waving and bright eyes peering from the windows. We moved on the National Road winding up the Catoctin Mountains past

 

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Fairview to Jerusalem on the summit, where the day before an artillery fight had taken place much to the discomfort of the enemy, one of whose caissons was exploded. This mountain separates the valley of the Monocacy from that of Catoctin, and the scenery on both sides is magnificent, equalling almost any of the kind we ever saw. Beyond was the South Mountains from whose side issued puffs of smoke from guns of the enemy, whose reports came booming over the valley. About noon we marched through Middletown, a pretty and thriving place, whose inhabitants turned out en masse to wel­come us and cheer us on our way to battle. Never was a more cordial welcome given to troops than was given to us. Bread, cakes, milk, water, fruit and tobacco, were freely given by the good people who crowded the doors and windows and lined the pavements, and flags and handkerchiefs were waved and flowers thrown as we passed. We felt then, for the first time during the war, we were fighting among friends. Marching on with happy hearts we crossed the Catoctin where the enemy had burned the bridge, mill and surround­ing houses, and halted near its banks to make coffee.

During the morning General Pleasanton, with his cavalry and horse artillery, had been skirmishing with the enemy, and had at last driven them to Turner's Gap, of the South Mountains, where they determined to make a stand. The mountain at this point is about one thousand feet high, and there are two country roads, one to the north and the other to the south of the turnpike or National Road, which gave access to the crests overlooking the main road. The one on the north is called the "Old Hagerstown Road," and the one on the south the "Old Sharpsburg Road."

General Cox's division was sent to support Pleasanton, and the First Brigade arrived about nine A.M., and was sent up the old Sharpsburg Road to feel the enemy and ascertain if he held the crest on that side in force. Such being found to be the case, upon the arrival of the other brigade, General Cox, being assured by Reno he would be supported by the whole of his corps, advanced to the assault. Two twenty-pound Parrots and four light guns were put in position near the pike, where they did good execution against the enemy's batteries in the gap. Colonel Scammon's brigade was de­ployed, and well covered with skirmishers, it moved up the slope to the left of the road to turn the enemy's right. It succeeded in gaining the crest in spite of the vigorous efforts of the enemy, who was posted behind stone walls and in the edge of timber, with a battery which poured into them canister and case shot. Colonel Cooke's brigade followed at supporting distance. A section of a battery was moved up with great difficulty and opened with canister at very short range on the enemy's infantry, but was forced to withdraw.

 

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The enemy several times attempted to retake the crest, but were each time repulsed. They then withdrew their battery to a point more to the right, and formed columns on both our flanks. It was now about noon, and a lull occurred in the contest, which lasted until about two P.M., during which time the rest of the corps came up. Upon the arrival of General Wilcox's division, General Reno ordered him to move up the old Sharpsburg Road and take a position to its right, overlooking the turnpike. Two regiments were detached to support General Cox, and a section of Captain Cook's battery was placed in position near the turn of the road, on the crest, and opened fire on the enemy's batteries across the gap. As the division was deploying, the enemy suddenly opened with a battery at short range, and drove Cook's cannoneers with their limbers from their guns and caused a temporary panic, in which the guns were nearly lost. But the Seventy-Ninth New York, and the Seventeenth Michigan rallied, and advancing soon restored order, and the division was formed in line on the right of Cox, and was kept concealed as much as possible under the hill side, until the whole line advanced. It lost heavily from the fire of the battery in front, and those on the other side of the turnpike.

Shortly before this, Generals Burnside and Reno arrived at the base of the mountains, and the latter was directed to move up the divisions of Sturgis and Rodman to the crest by Cox and Wilcox, and to attack the enemy with his whole force as soon as Hooker, on the right, was well up the mountains. General Sturgis reached the scene of action about half past three o'clock, and Clark's battery was sent to assist General Cox's left, and the Second Maryland and Sixth New Hampshire were detached and sent forward a short distance to the left of the turnpike. The balance of the division was formed in rear of Wilcox's, and Rodman's division was divided; Colonel Fairchild's brigade being placed on the extreme left, and Colonel Harland's on the right.

General McClellan ordered the whole line to move forward and take or silence the enemy's batteries in front, which was executed with enthusiasm. The enemy made desperate resistance, charging our advancing lines with firmness, but they were everywhere routed and fled.

            The chief loss was in Wilcox's division. The enemy made an effort to turn our left about dark, but were repulsed, as also in their efforts to regain the lost ground in front of Sturgis and Cox. A lively fire was kept up until nearly nine o'clock, several charges being made by the enemy, and repulsed with slaughter, and we finally occupied the highest part of the mountains. General Reno, a brave and skillful soldier, was killed just before sunset.

 

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While these operations were progressing on the left, the right, under General Hooker, was actively engaged. About two o'clock we moved forward from the Catoctin, on the main road, and turned off to the right, on the old Hagerstown Road, passing through the woods and over the fields, along the base of the mountains about one mile and a half, where we rested. While moving to this position, the enemy opened upon us with several pieces of artillery, throwing their shell in close proximity, which caused great consternation among the citizens, who accompanied us to see the fun. The children lay down upon the ground, the women shrieked, and the men displayed wondrous agility in leaping the fences, which caused considerable amusement among us.

General Seymour, whose brigade occupied the extreme right, deployed the "Bucktails" as skirmishers to feel the enemy, with our regiment about fifty yards in their rear, as a support. Advancing up the foot hills, we soon became engaged, and drove them from a farm house, where they made considerable resistance, during which the lines of the two regiments became mixed and were not again fully separated. We drove the enemy a long distance, with the left wing of our regiment acting as a support, when coming to a stone wall, at the immediate base of the mountains, they rallied and made a stubborn resistance, but the impetuosity of the boys carried them over it, when one of the most exciting and spirited fights took place we ever witnessed. The ground was of the most difficult character for the movement of troops, the mountain side being very steep and rocky, and obstructed by stone walls, rocks and timber, from behind which the enemy, in lines and squads kept up an incessant fire, as also from their guns posted upon the mountain tops. All order and regularity of the lines were soon destroyed, and the battle partook of the nature of a free fight, everyone going in "on his own hook," as it suited his fancy. From wall after wall, and rock after rock, the enemy were driven until our glorious banners caught the gleam of the setting sun, that had been hid from our sight by the mountain tops. Our loud cheers of victory arose from the crest and was rolled down the mountain side. It was dark before the battle was over, and a desultory fire was continued until near nine o'clock. Towards the close of the battle, General Hooker ordered up General Duryea's brigade of Rickett's division, but they did not arrive until after the action closed, and upon their reaching the crest, they lustily cheered the Reserves.

In his official report General McClellan says, "General Meade speaks highly of General Seymour's skill in handling his brigade on the extreme right, securing by his manoeuvres the great object of the movement, the outflanking of the enemy."

 

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While the Reserves were at work on the extreme right, General Hatch's division was engaged in a severe contest for the crest to our left, which they carried soon after dusk with considerable loss. Gen­eral Gibbon with his brigade late in the afternoon moved up the turnpike and attacked the enemy's centre, and after a severe engagement which lasted until nine o'clock, entirely defeated and drove him away.*

Just before the battle opened our Adjutant, A. T. Cross, was detailed as an Aide to General Seymour and acted with conspicuous bravery.

The troops we fought consisted of D. H. Hill's corps, our old friend Longstreet's, and a portion of Jackson's, numbering about thirty thousand men. Our force was about the same, and our loss was three hundred and twelve killed, one thousand two hundred and thirty-four wounded and twenty-two missing, making an aggre­gate of one thousand, five hundred and sixty-eight. About fifteen hundred prisoners were taken by us during the battle, and the loss to the enemy in killed was much greater than our own, and probably also in wounded.

That night we slept on the mountain, and found the heavy dews chilling and damp. To the west in the valley below us the enemy's campfires burnt brightly all night. Through the night ammunition was received and distributed to the men. About one o'clock, the Adjutant of the Fifth Alabama who was probably waking up the men of his regiment to withdraw them, got among our boys in mistake, who not admiring the rough shaking he gave them, coupled with the information that the "Yanks" were near, one of them got up and knocked him down, and took him prisoner.

In the morning we were up early, and buried the dead. Among the enemy's was Colonel Gale of the Twelfth Alabama, a very gentle­manly looking fellow. Our pity was excited by a young Alabamian who had a musket ball through the forehead. He was unconscious, yet vitality in him was strong and he swallowed water freely.

A rather remarkable incident occurred in this battle. In the regiment there was a man who had been through the Mexican and this war, but who had never been in a battle, he always shirking, and neither the threats of his officers or ridicule of his comrades could induce him to go into danger, as he declared he had a presentiment when a boy that he would be killed the first fight he went into. Some of his comrades, however, determined he should go into this battle, and threatened to shoot him if he did not. Soon after

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* See Appendix A.

 

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his regiment got under fire he lay down behind a trunk of a tree where he was perfectly safe, but seeing a large rock a few feet from him, he got up to go to it, and the instant he rose he fell dead with nine of the enemy's balls in him. Whatever could have induced him to go a soldiering a second time after he had discovered his failing we cannot imagine.*

Before we left the field, General Seymour thanked Captain Byrnes and the regiment for their conduct during the battle.

The Reserves moved of about nine A.M., but we were detained on the mountain until noon, when we marched to the turnpike along which we moved to Boonsboro, where we found the churches and buildings filled with the enemy's wounded. Large numbers of pris­oners were also there under guard, and farther on we passed many more, the most of whom had voluntarily come in and given them­selves up to the citizens. Here early in the day our cavalry overtook the enemy's and charging them, killed and wounded a number and captured two hundred and fifty prisoners and two guns.

At Boonsboro we turned to the left, and marched to Keedysville, where we halted for several hours. Here the boys were most liberally supplied with hot cakes and bread by Mr. John Cost, a good Union citizen of that place, and from whom Captain Byrnes got liquor enough to give the men a ration. Just before dark we moved off and bivouacked in an orchard.

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*Bravery is born in us and not acquired. It lies in the blood and is a species of instinct. It is involuntary, and depends not upon ourselves. It is always thoughtlessly impetuous and is inspired by the impulse of example, the blindness arising from common danger, and the heat of battle. Courage, which is generally confounded with bravery, is not always united with it. It is in the soul and is real virtue, a sublime and noble sentiment. It is the result of reflection, of education and sometimes of misfortune. It is animated by patriotism, self-respect and zeal for the cause engaged in. It is not inaccessible to fear; but it overcomes it. Bravery in the hour of danger is some times weakened by reflection; courage is always strengthened by it.