CHAPTER VI
MARCH THROUGH MARYLAND • MUTINY IN THE NINETEENTH NEW YORK MILITIA • GUARDS AFTER WHISKEY • DISBANDING OF COMPANIES
ONE of the most exciting scenes in a soldier's life is the breaking up of camp when they have been lying inactive for some time, and particularly so when it is for the first time in active field service. Although the order to move was not issued until 10 o'clock at night, and rain was falling at the time, the camp fires were soon brightly burning and the men busily engaged in preparing their rations for the march. Early the next morning, before "reveille," the men were all up and stirring, and soon cooked their breakfasts and had everything ready to move. And what a scene of animation it was! The striking of tents, the packing of baggage, the loading of wagons, the falling in of the men, their cheers and songs, intermingled with the strains of martial music, the shouts and curses of the drivers, the braying of mules, the galloping to and fro of orderlies and aides, the rattling drums and hoarse commands - oh, how animated and exciting. "Frank, help me on with my knapsack," "Ben, fix my cartridge box," "Charley, hold my musket while I go for water," "Take my canteen along," shouts a dozen voices, "Who'se got a piece of string," "Give me a cork for my canteen," "Who wants a good blouse," and a thousand other similar expressions are heard through the camps. "Fall in, fall in," is heard, and the noise ceases as the men take their places.
A cold drizzly rain was falling as the wagons moved from the encampment, and stretched in a long line in a neighboring field, followed by the regiment, clad in heavy blue overcoats. Colonel Thomas, with his staff and the Second U.S. Cavalry dashed past, followed by a battery of the Fourth U.S. Artillery, and one of the Ninth New York. The Twenty-Ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Murphy, passed next, then came the Second Reserve, Colonel Mann, followed by the First Reserve Rifles - the "Bucktails," Colonel Biddle. Next came the Fifth Connecticut, Colonel Ferry, and the Nineteenth
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New York Volunteers, and a long line of other troops, but the smoke from the burning rubbish of the camp hung heavily upon the earth, partially obscuring the masses of men, presenting a scene at once grand and interesting. "Forward," passed down the line, and to the soul-stirring music of our bands, we took up our march, striking the banks of the Potomac, which we followed for a short distance, when turning to the left, in a northeasterly direction, we halted at intervals to rest the men and let the wagons come up. We passed through Petersville, a small village where a secession flag had later been flying; but the old flag of our hearts now floated in its stead. In the afternoon we passed through Jefferson, as pretty a village as Maryland can boast of. Our bands struck up lively marches, and smiling faces from Union hearts, and waving handkerchiefs greeted us, as we passed along. We turned to the right toward the Point of Rocks, then to the left towards Frederick, moving over a narrow road through the woods, to the left of which was presented a magnificent scene of rolling hills and wooded valleys, broken in the far distance by the lofty peaks of the Blue Ridge. At dusk we halted to select a bivouacking ground, and then moving off entered a thick woods, where our blazing camp fires were soon surrounded by the wearied soldiers. The flakes rose high in the air; the flames casting their lurid light through the arching branches of the majestic trees; and wrapped in our blankets with our feet to the fire, we slept peacefully until "reveille." Our march that day was fifteen miles.
The next day we started early, it being cloudy, drizzly and oppressively close, and by noon crossed a branch of the Monocacy, and encamped on its banks in a wheat stubble, having made but six miles. Here we were met by Dr. Hoyt, our quartermaster, who had gone ahead to procure provisions and wood for us.
The next morning, the 19th, we moved at eight o'clock, through a drizzling rain and deep mud, passing through Buckeystown whose inhabitants are of strong secession proclivity. Not a flag was seen or a handkerchief waved to welcome us. The darkies and children were highly delighted with the music and novel sight, the men stayed in the houses and peeped through cracks, but the women's curiosity overcoming them, stood at the doors and windows looking pictures of woeful sorrow. About a mile from here we crossed the Monocacy and encamped on its banks, having marched eight miles. Here we found concentrated a large number of other troops. As we did not move the next day, the men had a good time bathing, several thousands of them enjoying it at once, resembling as they sat on the innumerable rocks in the river, flocks of penguins. That night we sent off all our sick to the general hospital at Frederick.
MUTINY 35
The next morning we struck tents and got into motion early, passing through Urbana, and encamping about noon near Hyattstown, we having marched six miles. There the next day, August 22d, a mutiny broke out in the Nineteenth New York State Militia. This regiment had been sworn into the State service for two years, and transferred to the United States under the President's second call. The term of three months having expired, the men claimed that they were released from further service, and that the Government had no right to continue them in the service for the balance of the two years. In fact, they tried the same game, that had been so successfully played by the mutineers of our regiment, but they had the wrong man to deal with. The regiment was formed, the wings doubled up, faced inwards and arms stacked. The wings were then marched to the rear, leaving about sixty paces between them, a portion of the articles of war and the governor's orders read to them, and those who were willing to obey, ordered to step to the front. But one hundred and eighty did so. These were placed on guard over the rest, and the "Bucktails" sent for. In the meantime a batter of artillery was unlimbered and placed in position about three hundred yards from them and soon after the "Bucktails" came down on double quick and formed into two lines. The mutineers remained silent, quietly watching the proceedings, when Colonel Biddle rode up and, giving the necessary orders, marched them into the space between his lines, and escorted them to an open field, where they enjoyed the luxury of a broiling sun or the remainder of the day, and a drenching rain all night, which cooled them off and refreshed them wonderfully. The next morning the patriots were so transmogrified, that all but a few returned to duty, and the balance were shipped to the Tortugas. This regiment afterwards proved itself one of the bravest and most gallant in the service, and this little freak of theirs proves that upon such occasions it only requires firmness and judgment to keep men in the right path and prevent them from disgracing
themselves.
We remained in camp until noon of that day, when we marched to the southward about one mile, and encamped on the skirt of a fine piece of wood, where the ground was high and dry. Here considerable labor was spent in fixing up our camp, digging sinks and cutting a broad path through the wood for the camp guard to move on. In obedience to orders the baggage was very much reduced, officers being limited to eighty pounds, and the men to what they could carry on their backs. Two axes, one hatchet, five mess-pans, two camp kettles, were allowed to twenty men, and one tent to six. This, at that time was exceedingly limited, but we afterwards learned to look
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upon it as sufficient for a whole company. On the 24th, Company E, Captain J. Orr Finnie, was ordered to escort a train of one hundred wagons to Washington, which they did successfully, and rejoined us on the march back.
Considerable liquor having been introduced into camp, Colonel Mann ordered Captain_______________with his company and part of K, to seize and destroy all he could find in the neighborhood. Sixteen barrels belonging to a storekeeper at Charlesburg were destroyed, for which the Government paid. But the hardest job was to find the liquor belonging to a man who had followed the regiment from Easton, Pennsylvania. He generally kept his liquor a mile or two off, and went to the huts and farm houses near the camp, and represented himself as a sutler waiting for his team. By the time he sold out his jug of whiskey, the guards would discover his whereabouts, and when they arrived he was gone to refill, and the next day would commence operations at some other cabin. At the railroad station near Buckeystown, he played an exceedingly sharp trick on all concerned. A tavern keeper there was doing a lively business at five cents per glass. __________had but one keg, and wanted to make the most out of it possible, so he got some of the men drunk and succeeded in raising a fight, when he immediately reported it to one of the colonels, who shut the tavern up. Then opened his keg in a bye-place, and sold out at ten cents per glass. But his time soon after came, they caught him, destroyed his liquor, and he was banished from our regiment forever afterwards. He was a fair sample of camp followers.
On the 27th, the First Brigade, Colonel George H. Thomas, consisting of the Second United States Cavalry, one battery Fourth United States Artillery, one battery Ninth New York, the First Rifles, P. R. V C., "Bucktails," Colonel Biddle; the Second Infantry, P. R. V. C., Colonel Mann; the Twenty-Ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Murphy; the Nineteenth New York State Militia, Colonel and the Fifth Connecticut, Colonel Ferry, were reviewed by Major-General Nathaniel P. Banks. The day unfortunately was drizzling, which in a measure spoiled the effect. However, as the cavalry, artillery and infantry wheeled into column, and passed in review, they presented a fine appearance. The bands of each regiment wheeled to the left out of the column in front of the General, and continued playing until the regiment passed, when it followed in the rear. The Colonels took their position by the side of the General until their command passed, the officers and colors saluting, and the men coming to a carry. The next afternoon, the Second Brigade was reviewed by the General, but it rained then also.
DISBANDING OF COMPANIES 37
While lying here, an order was issued by General Banks, disbanding Companies B, F, G and I, on the ground of being "below the legal standard of acceptance," the men being transferred to the other companies of the regiment, and the officers honorably discharged. There were some points in this order worthy of observation. The companies could not be "accepted," although they had been regularly mustered into the United States service nearly a month before, and the officers had been in the exercise and discharge of their duties during that time, and were recognized as such, they subsequently drawing their pay. Again, the officers were "honorably discharged" from the United States service, which the order stated they could not be "accepted" into. But the most important point in regard to the order is, that it was illegal, there being no authority to discharge an officer from the army, except by order of the President of the United States. This is distinctly stated in the Army Regulations of 1861, and was subsequently admitted to the author, by the Honorable Simon Cameron, Secretary of War. General Banks, however, had but lately entered upon his military life, and doubtless was ignorant of the laws upon the subject, or else it is hardly to be supposed he would have assumed a power not vested in him, and that too, when he had received orders to send all the Pennsylvania Reserves to General McCall. General McCall entertained the same opinion of the illegality of the order, and protested against it, but Fitz John Porter was indirectly connected with the arrangement, and he, with General Banks, were favorites of Mr. Cameron, and their friends were pushing them for positions, so the Secretary would not revoke an order he acknowledged to be illegal.
This was a gross act of injustice, as the officers were no more responsible for the loss of the men, than if they had been killed in battle, but the Colonel, finding his ranks greatly reduced, was unwilling to await the slow process of recruiting, and supposing the Governor would immediately order four full companies to fill up the regiment, he sanctioned the act. But His Excellency could not be induced to assign companies in their place, and so far from acknowledging the legality of the act, he soon after issued commissions to the officers. The officers discharged were Captains P McDonough, T. Bringhurst, E. M. Woodward and William Knox. First Lieutenants John D. Schock, George W Kite, John K. Brown and Thomas Weir. Second Lieutenants John Gill, William Edwards and John H. Jack. One Lieutenant of the companies was not discharged, another discharged who had resigned a month before, and had not been mustered into the United States service, and another transferred to a company in which there was no vacancy. Captain McDonough raised
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another company, joined the regiment at Camp Pierpont, and was subsequently promoted Lieutenant-Colonel. Captain Woodward entered the ranks along with his men who remained true, was appointed Sergeant-Major of the regiment and at the battle of Antietam, promoted Adjutant. Captain Knox was appointed sutler, and continued with the regiment until May, 1862. Of the Lieutenants, John H. Jack returned with Captain McDonough, was wounded at the battle of Bull Run, and promoted Captain for gallant conduct. John K. Brown for a year was connected with the brigade commissary. Wm. Edwards entered the Curtin Light Guard as Orderly Sergeant, and George W. Kite the Ninety-First Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. About this time First Lieutenant Isaac J. Harvey, Company K, was detailed to the Signal Corps.
On the 28th, orders were received to draw provisions and prepare to march, and during the evening there was a busy time cooking and packing up. At three o'clock the next morning the reveille sounded, and soon the camp was all astir, and at seven we took up our line of march, the rain descending in torrents, drenching us to the skin. But onward the men pressed through the mud, and about four o'clock in the afternoon, after a tiresome march of only eight miles, went into camp about two miles from Darnestown. The next day Colonel Thomas was detached from the command of our brigade, which devolved upon Colonel Charles J. Biddle, of the "Bucktails." The regiment remained here until the 19th of September, when at eleven o'clock at night the "long roll" awakened the sleepers. Getting under arms and into line, we moved off in a southeasterly direction, and after a march of eight miles arrived at Muddy Branch, a tributary of the Potomac, where we were sent to guard a supply train. Here we remained until the 25th, when we again moved, marching fifteen miles, to Tenallytown, where we joined the Division of Pennsylvania Reserves, under Brigadier-General George A. McCall.
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