Relations between the 47th and 48th regiments. Re-enlistment of
veterans. Court-martial. Departure of veterans on furlough. Expedition
to Florida. Battle of Olustee. A great blunder. Heavy losses.
Admirable conduct of the troops. Dr. Defendorf. The retreat. Return of
veterans. Sergeant Thompson. At Palatka. Expedition into the country.
Dunn's Creek. Its marvellous beauty. Ludicrous scenes. Good-by to
Palatka. At Gloucester Point, Va. A happy change. Shelter tents.
General Grant. Army of the James under Butler. General Terry.
Of the several months that followed, until January 31, 1864, little
can be gathered from the journals which furnish the materials for this
history. Aside from the usual routine of duties incident to life in
camp, a few changes took place in the distribution of the companies to
the outposts within the district. On Thanksgiving Day the members of
the 47th New York State Volunteers were our guests, and on Christmas
we partook of their hospitalities, cementing by these courtesies that
bond of union between the two regiments which was unbroken during our
term of service, and was one of the pleasantest facts in our army
experience. The rivalry between the two regiments seemed to manifest
itself only in generous expressions and friendly offices.
During this period, the officers used all their influence to induce
re-enlistments as veterans, and, as a result, some three hundred or
more of the best men in the regiment signified their willingness to
sacrifice anew their comfort and safety, their prospects in life,
and life itself, if necessary, in the service of their country, if
perchance, by such a sacrifice the blessings which they and their
fathers had enjoyed, and by which the world had so largely benefited,
might be transmitted to future generations. If, after the lapse of
years, and in the dim light of the past, such a sacrifice seems a
common thing to those who, in security and comfort, at this time,
thought of little but of the opportunity afforded, through the waste
and destruction of war, for the accumulation of riches, or to those
who, too young to take interest in the events of which we write, know
nothing of them except as a part of the history of days gone by; it was
not a common thing to those who, having already given of the best of
their years, and the freshness and vigor of their strength, declared
their willingness to plunge anew into those scenes the effect of which
they knew full well was to harden their natures, blunt and benumb their
sensibilities, and paralyze those finer instincts through which come
the enjoyments most prized in life; it was not a common sacrifice for
these men to turn again from the sweet influences and tender affections
of home and friends that others might be benefited. Nor let it be said
that the considerations to which I have referred could have entered the
minds of only the intelligent few, while to the great body of the army
they were far beyond their thought; for, while we must admit that there
were different degrees of intelligence, and that that which formulated
itself in clear, distinct, and logical following in some minds was but
faintly outlined in others, who so dull that, from the lessons of the
past three years, had gathered so little as not to appreciate this new
demand upon them! Had children forgotten father and mother, husbands
their wives and little ones!
About this time I was made familiar with a feature of army life to
which I have made only slight reference. As a member of a general
court-martial, day after day and week after week was occupied in the
examination of charges of the gravest character, involving the liberty
and life of scores of officers and men. It was the highest tribunal
by which those composing the rank and file of the command could be
adjudged. Questions of the gravest moment, and of supremest interest to
those concerned, were discussed and determined. It was a responsibility
shared only by the highest judges in the land, and life and death
often hung upon our decisions. A photograph of army life is incomplete
without this feature, and while the duty is the gravest and the most
solemn which an officer is called upon to perform, it is as necessary
to the well-being and efficiency of an army as the ordinary courts of
justice to the preservation of the state.
January 30, the Enfans Perdus, an independent battalion, was
consolidated into the 47th and 48th New York regiments. The number
received by us was about one hundred and fifty. On the 31st, the
veterans left for New York, under the charge of several officers.
February 4, those left behind received orders to prepare six days'
cooked rations, and be in readiness to march, and on the 5th, with
the left wing of the 115th New York, they embarked on board the
steamer Delaware. On the 6th they left Hilton Head, in company with
a number of transports, under the convoy of a gunboat, and proceeded
to Florida; the force numbering in all from six to seven thousand
men, and comprising artillery, cavalry, and infantry. The artillery
and cavalry were under the immediate command of Colonel Henry, and
the infantry under Colonels Barton, Hawley, and Scammon, with General
Seymour in command of the whole expedition. Its object was to aid the
Union people of the state in withdrawing it from Confederate control.
General Gilmore accompanied the troops as far as Jacksonville, where
they disembarked, and, after seeing that all necessary arrangements
were made which could promote the success of the enterprise, returned
to Hilton Head, leaving with General Seymour instructions not to
attempt an advance beyond Baldwin without further orders, nor unless
well assured of success. His intention was to hold and fortify several
important points, including Jacksonville, as centres of Federal
authority, and reopen those sections to trade. But General Seymour,
apparently satisfied that he could not be successfully opposed by any
Confederate forces within the state, conceived the idea of destroying
the railroad, and cutting off communication with Georgia. As soon as
notified of this intended movement, General Gilmore sent a despatch
to stop it, but was too late to prevent the massacre which followed.
On the 20th a general advance was ordered, and the troops proceeded
towards Lake City, about five thousand in all; Colonel Henry with the
cavalry in advance, followed by three columns of infantry; Colonel
Hawley, with his brigade, on the left; Colonel Barton in the centre;
and Colonel Scammon, with his regiment, on the right. In the rear was a
brigade of colored troops, under Colonel Montgomery. Near Olustee they
came upon a strong force of Confederates favorably posted in the woods,
with a swamp in front, over which our troops must pass to reach them.
Before they were well aware of the vicinity of the enemy, a murderous
fire was opened on them, at a distance of little more than a hundred
yards, and for more than two hours they could scarcely do more than
stand up to be slaughtered, the nature of the ground and the strength
of the enemy effectually preventing any advance. No severer test could
be applied to men than they suffered at the battle of Olustee, and
when, at evening, the troops were withdrawn, nearly one-fourth of
their number were dead or wounded. The most of the latter were left on
the field, under the care of Surgeon Defendorf of our regiment, who
volunteered to remain with them; an act of bravery and self-sacrifice
which cannot be too highly commended. The testimony of those engaged
in this affair, as we gather it from journals and other sources, is
that it was the most trying position in which they were placed during
the war, and the heroism displayed by our men is accounted marvellous.
The retreat to Jacksonville was such as might have been expected from
broken, dispirited, and defeated troops, with a strong body of the
enemy in their rear, flushed with victory, and determined upon their
destruction. On the way back, the stores at Baldwin were burned, and
when the broken columns were gathered at Jacksonville, it was found
that twelve hundred men had been sacrificed, five pieces of artillery
and a large number of small arms left in the hands of the Confederates,
while the purpose of the government in ordering the expedition was
completely frustrated. Our own regiment, whose conduct in the affair
was beyond all praise, suffered terribly.
While these events were transpiring, the veterans, and the officers
sent with them, were enjoying the comforts of home and the society
of friends once more. But the time was all too short, for on the
9th of March we were securely housed in Fort Schuyler, waiting for
transportation to the South, which was furnished on the 11th, when we
embarked on the steamer Arago, and on the morning of the 16th landed
at Hilton Head. Some of us took the opportunity to visit our wounded
men in the hospitals. Among them was Sergeant Thompson, whose journal
has been of so great service in the composition of this history. It is
a pleasure to record of him that he was a faithful soldier, and that,
in the recent battle of Olustee, he was conspicuous for coolness and
bravery. His services as a soldier ended at this time, and we hope that
his subsequent career has been both successful and happy.
Late on the evening of the 16th, we started on the steamer Dictator, to
join the other portion of the regiment, which was stationed at Palatka,
on the St. John's River, where we arrived on the 18th. The camp was
located on the outskirts of the town, and protected by entrenchments.
The village consisted of some thirty or forty houses, with three
churches, and was almost entirely deserted by its former inhabitants,
only a few Union men remaining with their families. Very little
occurred, during our stay at Palatka, of special interest. There were
occasional alarms, and several attacks by small bodies of Confederates.
Pickets were stationed at some distance on the hills back of the town,
and the country between was frequently patrolled by guards who were
mounted for the purpose.
On the afternoon of the 25th, an expedition was started for the
interior, consisting of forty men, with guides, under the command of
the writer. We were conveyed up the river about fifteen miles, in the
gunboat Ottawa, to what was called Dunn's Creek, through which we
proceeded in small boats. The beauty of this stream is impressed on
my memory with wonderful distinctness. At its point of junction with
the St. John's, and for some little distance, it was narrow, with
considerable current, but, as we proceeded, it broadened out, and moved
so sluggishly that, at times, it seemed caught and held by the rank
growth of grasses and other plants which filled its bed and covered
its surface. The branches of the overhanging trees intermingled above
our heads, and the pendent moss and dense foliage formed a canopy,
through which the sunbeams struggled with dim and softened light,
while on either bank the shrubs and trailing vines presented an almost
impenetrable wall of bright green leaves and fragrant flowers. Only
the songs of birds that fluttered about us broke the stillness, for
every one was strangely impressed and subdued by the marvellous beauty
by which we were surrounded. Silently we pursued our way, except when
an occasional opening broke the spell that bound us, until, shooting
out of the darkness which had gradually enveloped us, we emerged into
the bright moonlight which lighted up the waters of Dunn's Lake. A
sharp row of two hours or more brought us to Booth's Landing, where we
disembarked. Our object was to capture a few obnoxious individuals who
were making special trouble for the Union men who lived in that region;
and the night was spent in visits from house to house, much to the
discomfort of the inmates. Some very ludicrous scenes occurred, for,
while the utmost consideration was used, consistent with the success
of our plans, sometimes the occupants of the houses were startled most
unceremoniously from their sleep by the tramp of armed men, who entered
without knocking, and occupied without permission. A few captures
were made, including a Confederate soldier home on leave, and on the
following day we rowed back to camp, having accomplished upwards of
fifty miles within the twenty-four hours. April 1, one of our pickets
was captured, and we never heard of the man afterwards.
[Illustration: A FLORIDA SWAMP AND JUNGLE.]
April 14, we bade good-by to Palatka, and started for Hilton Head.
At Jacksonville we were transferred to the steamer Ben De Ford, and
ordered to Beaufort, where we spent a day. On the following day,
bidding a final adieu to the Department of the South, we headed for
Fortress Monroe, where we made but a brief stop, our destination being
Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown, on the York River.
Glad were we to get into another department, for, from the first, we
had felt that, while often performing the most arduous service that
falls to the lot of the soldier, the limits of our operations were
circumscribed, and the results meagre. Now we were going into the very
midst of the conflict. The nature of the change was made manifest by
the substitution of shelter tents for those we had been accustomed to
use. Each man was served with a single tent, which he carried with his
blanket on his back, and by joining with two or three of his comrades,
and uniting their tents, a fair shelter or covering could be obtained.
The officers were served after the same fashion, the only distinction
being that three tents were furnished them instead of one, and they
were not compelled to carry their baggage.
[Illustration: GENERAL GRANT'S HEADQUARTERS AT CITY POINT.]
Who does not recall the first experience with the shelter tents,
into whose openings we were obliged to crawl on our hands and knees
to effect an entrance, or the curious sight which the various camps
presented, especially at night, when the innumerable sparks of
light which dotted the sandy plain seemed to rise from subterranean
caverns, and suggested anything but human habitations? Few were so
dull as not to interpret this change from the ample quarters of the
Southern Department as meaning for us more active duty, frequent
and rapid marches, and fewer comforts. However, there was only a
little good-natured grumbling. We all realized that more labor and
care would be necessary to preserve arms and equipments in that
excellent condition which had elicited such general commendation
from the inspectors of the regiment; but it was given cheerfully for
the most part, and our reputation for superiority in discipline,
drill, and general appearance did not suffer in the comparison
with the new troops by whom we were surrounded. General Grant had
been made lieutenant-general, and virtually commander-in-chief,
and had established his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac.
Having shown his ability in many successful campaigns in the West,
he was now to contend with a general who easily held the first
place in the Confederate service, and with an army long accustomed
to victory--fortunately at last, the choice of the President had
fallen upon the right man, and he was invested with authority which
extended over all the military power of the government. Possessing
in a remarkable degree those rare qualities of equanimity and
self-possession under all circumstances, he united with these a clear
understanding of the condition of the Confederate armies, and the
ability to organize and carry forward a well defined and comprehensive
plan, which embraced every corps and division in the several
departments, by which he was able to hurl against the already weakening
forces of the enemy, in simultaneous attacks, the whole power of the
Federal army. Allowing little time or opportunity to the enemy for rest
or recuperation, he never confessed or accepted defeat.
Our corps, the 10th, was commanded by General Gilmore, while General
W.T. Smith commanded the 18th, with which we were associated, the
operations of these two being under the direction of General Butler,
who commanded the department. April 29, the superfluous baggage of
the officers was sent with the company property to Norfolk. April 30,
general inspection and review.
At this time General Terry was in command of a division of our corps,
and Colonel Barton, who at Hilton Head had been district as well as
brigade commander, was in charge of the brigade of which our regiment
formed a part, the 47th New York and the 76th and 97th Pennsylvania
regiments completing the organization. For General Terry we had
already formed a strong attachment. From the time that we met him
first, when our regiment was ordered to garrison Fort Pulaski, we had
frequently been under him, had watched him through the Morris Island
campaign, as temporary commander of the Department of the South,
had observed his quiet self-possession, his kindly disposition, and
careful forethought for those under him, and had learned to look to him
with the respect, confidence, and affection which can only be won by
those of superior qualities of mind and heart. We could narrate many
incidents in his career, all of which would tend to justify the high
estimate in which he is held by the country at large, and, in common
with all who have ever served under him, we rejoice in his prosperity,
and wish for him a continuance and increase of the favor with which he
is justly regarded by the people, whom he has so well served.