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[Illustration: Monument to 58th Pa. Vet. Vols.]
History of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer
Infantry
History of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment,
Pennsylvania Veteran
Volunteer Infantry.
First Brigade, First Division, Third Corps, and
Second Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps,
Army of the Potomac.
Compiled By
James M. Martin,
E. C. Strouss,
R. G. Madge,
R. I. Campbell,
M. C. Zahniser
TO THE MEMBERS
OF THE
FIFTY-SEVENTH
PENNSYLVANIA VETERAN VOLUNTEERS,
LIVING AND DEAD,
AND TO THEIR CHILDREN,
AND TO THEIR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN,
FOREVER,
IS THIS VOLUME DEDICATED.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Chapter I. 9
Organization of the Regiment--Camp Curtin--Departure for Washington--In
Old Virginia--Colonel Maxwell Resigns--Colonel Campbell
Chapter II. 18
We Embark for the Peninsula--Yorktown--Camping in the Mud--Peach
Orchard--Artillery Practice--Battle of Williamsburg
Chapter III. 29
Battle of Fair Oaks--Death of Major Culp--Increasing Sick
List--Advancing Our Lines--The Seven Days' Battles--Glendale or Charles
City Cross Roads--The Fifty-Seventh Under Captain Maxwell as Rear
Guard--Malvern Hill--Retreat to Harrison's Landing
Chapter IV. 43
Camp Life at Harrison's Landing--Major Birney Assigned to the Command of
the Regiment--Transferred to General Birney's Brigade--Evacuation of
Harrison's Landing and the Peninsula--The Army of the Potomac is Sent to
Reenforce General Pope
Chapter V. 53
Second Bull Run Campaign--Battle of Chantilly--Death of General
Kearny--His Body Escorted to Washington by a Detachment of the
Fifty-Seventh--Retreat to Alexandria--Conrad's Ferry--Colonel Campbell
Rejoins the Regiment
Chapter VI. 61
On to Richmond Once More--Foragers Captured--General McClellan
Superseded by General Burnside--The March to the Rappahannock--Battle of
Fredericksburg
Chapter VII. 69
Camp Pitcher--The "Mud March"--General Hooker in Command of the
Army--Resolutions Adopted by the Fifty-Seventh--Re-assignment to
the First Brigade--Anecdote of Colonel Campbell--Drill and
Inspection--Adoption of Corps Badges--The Chancellorsville
Campaign--Jackson Routs the Eleventh Corps--A "Flying Dutchman"--In a
Tight Place--General Hooker Disabled--General Sedgwick's Movements--A
New Line Established--Strength of the Fifty-Seventh and Its Losses
Chapter VIII. 82
Back Again in Our Old Camp--Cavalry Battle at Brandy Station--The March
to Gettysburg--Hooker's Request for Troops at Harper's Ferry--Asks to be
Relieved from the Command of the Army--We Arrive at Gettysburg--Battle
of July 2d--Strength of the Fifty-Seventh--Its Losses--General Graham
Wounded and Captured--Wounding of General Sickles--Battle of July
3d--July 4th--The Confederates Retreat--General Sickles Asks for a Court
of Inquiry--President Lincoln to Sickles--A Visit to the Battlefield
Twenty-five Years Later
Chapter IX. 95
We Leave Gettysburg--Rebel Spy Hung--French's Division Joins the 3d
Corps--Enemy's Position at Falling Waters--He Escapes Across the
Potomac--In Old Virginia Again--Manassas Gap--Camp at Sulphur
Springs--Movement to Culpepper--Eleventh and Twelfth Corps Sent
West--Lee's Efforts to Gain Our Rear--Skirmish at Auburn
Creek--Warren's Fight at Bristow Station--Deserter Shot--Retreat of
the Enemy--Kelly's Ford--Mine Run Campaign--The Regiment
Re-enlists--The "Veteran Furlough"--Recruiting--Presented with a New
Flag by Governor Curtin--Back to the Front--General Grant Commands the
Army--Reorganization--The Wilderness Campaign--Three Days of Hard
Fighting--Loss in Fifty-Seventh
Chapter X. 111
The Movement to Spottsylvania Court House--General Sedgwick
Killed--Hancock's Grand Charge of May 12th--Great Capture of Prisoners,
Guns and Colors--The Famous Oak Tree--Ewell's Effort to Capture Our
Wagon Train--Losses in the Fifty-Seventh at Spottsylvania--Movement to
North Anna River--Fight at Chesterfield Ford--We Cross the
Pamunkey--Skirmish at Haw's Shop and Totopotomoy Creek--Battle of Cold
Harbor--Our Colors Struck and Badly Torn by a Piece of Shell--Flank
Movement to the James River--March to Petersburg--Severe Fighting at
Hare's Hill--Battle of June 22d--Losses in the Fifty-Seventh--Fort Alex.
Hays--Petersburg--We Move to the North Side of the James--Strawberry
Plains--Return to Petersburg--The "Burnside Mine"--General Mott in
Command of Our Division--Deep Bottom--Other Marching and Fighting Around
Petersburg
Chapter XI. 126
Recruits--Dangerous Picket Duty--Muster-out of Old
Regiments--Composition of the Brigade--Expedition Against the South Side
Railroad--Battle of Boydton Plank Road or Hatcher's Run--Disguised
Rebels Capture Our Picket Line--Election Day--Thanksgiving Dinner of
Roast Turkey--Change of Camp--Raid on Weldon Railroad--A Hard March
Returning--"Applejack"--General Humphreys in Command of the Second Corps
Chapter XII. 138
Disbanding of Companies A and E--Regiment Organized Into a Battalion of
Six Companies--Consolidation of the Eighty-Fourth with the Fifty-Seventh
Pennsylvania--Necessity for Changing the Letter of Some of the
Companies--Confusion in Company Rolls Growing Out of It--Officers of the
Consolidated Regiment--Another Move Across Hatcher's Run--The Regiment
Again Engaged with the Enemy--Great Length of the Line in Front of
Petersburg--A Lively Picket Skirmish--Battle Near Watkin's
House--Enemy's Picket Line and Many Prisoners Captured
Chapter XIII. 147
Beginning of Our Last Campaign--Battle of Five Forks--On Picket Duty on
Old Hatcher's Run Battlefield--Jubilant Rebels--Enemy's Lines
Broken--Petersburg and Richmond Evacuated--In Pursuit of the
Enemy--Battle of Sailor's Creek--High Bridge--General Mott
Wounded--Lee's Army Breaking Up--Appomattox--Joy Over the Surrender--On
the Backward March--Camp at Burkesville Junction
Chapter XIV. 157
Departure from Burkesville--Marching Through Richmond--The March to
Washington--Passing Over Old Battlefields--Camp at Bailey's Cross
Roads--Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac--The Order of March--The
Fifty-Seventh Ordered Mustered Out--Names of Engagements in which the
Regiment Participated--Its Casualties--We Start for Harrisburg--Finally
Paid and Discharged--Farewell Address of Our Field Officers
Appendix A.--Roster of Officers 164
Appendix B.--Medical Report of Surgeon Lyman for year 1862 170
Appendix C.--Address of Lieut.-Col. L. D. Bumpus at the Dedication of
the Regimental Monument at Gettysburg, July 2d, 1888 176
Appendix D.--Reminiscences of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment by Gen. William
Birney 190
PREFACE.
When the idea of publishing the History of the Fifty-Seventh
Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers was first conceived and a committee
appointed to prepare the manuscript for the same, the chief difficulty
to be met with was to confine the limits of the work to such a size that
the price of the book would be such that it might be placed within the
means of all the survivors of the regiment.
The committee regrets that the muster-out rolls of the regiment were not
accessible, nor could they be copied from the rolls at Washington, D. C.
Even if the rolls could have been copied and published in the book, it
would have greatly added to the price of the work and would have
required a much greater fund than the committee had on hand for that
purpose.
A great deal of pains have been taken and the marches, campaigns and
battles of the regiment have been carefully studied, and it is to be
hoped that they will be found to be accurately described.
If the labor of the committee will meet the approval of those who have
marched and fought with the gallant old regiment, it will be duly
appreciated by those compiling the work.
[Illustration: The Historical Committee]
1. J. M. Martin.
2. E. C. Strouss.
3. R. G. Madge.
4. R. I. Campbell.
5. M. C. Zahnizer.
6. B. F. Smith.
CHAPTER I.
BY J. M. MARTIN.
Organization of the Regiment--Camp Curtin--Departure for
Washington--In Old Virginia--Colonel Maxwell Resigns--Colonel
Campbell.
The sanguinary battle, and almost disgraceful rout of the Union army
under General McDowell at the first Bull Run in July, 1861, convinced
the authorities at Washington that the insurrection of the slave states
was not a mere spasm of anger at their defeat in the preceding
presidential election to be crushed out by the levy of 75,000 troops,
undisciplined and indifferently equipped, in a three months' service of
holiday soldiering, and that Secretary Seward's prophecy that a sixty
days' campaign would restore the Union and bring peace to the nation was
a dream destined not to be realized. Acting on this conviction a call
was made for 300,000 volunteers to serve for three years, or during the
war.
To meet the emergency, evident to many, who were not disposed to accept
the prophecy of the Secretary of State, Andrew G. Curtin, whose name
will go down in history as "Pennsylvania's War Governor," organized,
equipped and had put in training that superb body of men, "The
Pennsylvania Reserves," who through all the four years of bloody
conflict to follow, were to find the place their name indicated, on the
skirmish and picket line, and in the front of the battle, were the first
to respond, and none too quickly, for the safety of the Nation's
Capital. In obedience to this call other regiments and battalions were
promptly organized and forwarded so that by September 1, 1861, Arlington
Heights and the environments of Washington were thickly studded with the
camps of these new levies, and out of the mass was being moulded, under
the hand of that skillful drill master, General George B. McClellan,
that mighty host known in history as the Army of the Potomac, whose
valiant deeds in the cause of Union and Liberty are co-eternal with that
of the Nation.
At the first, regiments were recruited and mustered from single cities,
towns and counties, but as time passed and the first flood of recruits
were mustered into service, companies and squads, to the number of a
corporal's guard, were gathered from distantly separated districts, and
rendezvousing at some common camp were consolidated into regiments and
battalions. Such was the case in the organization of the 57th
Pennsylvania Volunteers, the place of rendezvous and final mustering
being in Camp Curtin at the State Capital.
The roster of the regiment, by company, shows the different sections of
the state whence recruited, viz:
Company A, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.
Company B, Mercer county.
Company C, Mercer county.
Company D, Tioga county.
Company E, Allegheny, Mercer and Lawrence counties.
Company F, Mercer county.
Company G, Bradford county.
Company H, Bradford county.
Company I, Mercer and Venango counties.
Company K, Crawford county.
Thus it will be seen at a glance on the state map that there were
representatives in the regiment from Wyoming county in the east; thence
along the northern border of Crawford, Mercer, Venango and Lawrence
counties in the extreme west. Before, however, the final rendezvous of
these several companies at Camp Curtin there were smaller camps
established for recruiting in several localities, notably that at
Mercer, Mercer county, where it may be said was established the original
regimental headquarters.
The Hon. William Maxwell, a graduate of West Point, but at that time
pursuing the peaceful avocation of the practice of law in that county,
was, about September 1, 1861, authorized by Governor Curtin to recruit a
regiment for the service. With this in view he established a rendezvous
camp outside of the borough limits of the town of Mercer, on North
Pittsburg street, in a field given for that purpose by the late Hon.
Samuel B. Griffith, and which was named in honor of the donor, "Camp
Griffith." Here temporary barracks were erected and a regular system of
camp duties inaugurated, and the usually quiet hamlet of Mercer became
the scene of quite active military enthusiasm; the still breezes of the
Neshannock being stirred by the beat of drums and shrill notes of fife.
In two or three weeks after the establishing of this camp a large number
of volunteers were recruited who formed the nucleus of what afterwards
became Companies B, C, E, F and I, of the regiment. When the number of
these recruits became sufficient for the formation of a battalion
Colonel Maxwell transferred them to Camp Curtin. In making this transfer
the men were taken in conveyances overland to the "Big Bend" on the
Shenango and there embarked on a canal boat for Rochester, Beaver
county, and thence by the only line of railway, the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne
& Chicago, to Pittsburg and Harrisburg. Along the way from Camp Griffith
to the Ohio these recruits enjoyed a continual ovation; the last, alas!
that many in that band ever received. At Pittsburg they were joined by
others from Allegheny and a small contingent from the northeastern part
of Lawrence county, who cast their fortunes with Company E.
[Illustration: Col. William Maxwell]
Arriving at Camp Curtin the regiment was rapidly filled up to the
required ten companies by the addition of Companies A, D, G, H and K. In
the latter part of October the regiment was organized and mustered into
the United States service.
Immediately following the mustering, clothing was distributed, and
stripped of every habiliment and insignia of the citizen and arrayed in
forage caps, dark blue blouses, sky blue pants and army brogans the
regiment marched to the armory in the city and received its
equipment--Springfield muskets and cartridge boxes. An impressive
ceremony, one not to be forgotten by those present, was the committing
by Governor Curtin with appropriate words to the care of the regiment
the colors:
The starry flag,
With stripes of red and white,
And field of azure blue.
Sacred emblem of our Union, in defense of which many who that day stood
as stalwarts in those ranks, gave health, and limb, and life in the
three years to follow.
Thus fully inducted into service the regiment settled down to the daily
routine of camp duty, drill and guard mounting, waiting for the call to
the more heroic service at the front beyond the Potomac.
To those accustomed to the dainties of the home table and unstinted in
their access to the larder, the black coffee and indigestible sea
biscuits, with the suggestive initials "B. C." stamped upon them, soon
mollified their love of camp life and cultivated a craving desire to
terminate the "cruel war" at the earliest date possible, even at the
risk of being hurt or hurting somebody in the attempt.
During the month of November that destructive pest of the camp, measles,
broke out in the regiment, and proved to many a foe more to be dreaded
than the bullets of the enemy; besides, to go a soldiering in defense of
one's country and be ambushed by a disease that at home was regarded as
a trifling affliction of childhood, was a source of real humiliation.
About December 14th orders were received to transfer the regiment to
Washington. The transfer was anything but a pleasure jaunt. Instead of
the commodious and comfortable passenger coaches, the ordinary box
freight cars were used, and packed in there, that cold December night of
transfer was truly one of misery. The cars were seatless, consequently
the Turkish style of sitting had to be adopted by all who did not prefer
to stand or were so fortunate as to obtain a seat in the side doors from
which the feet could swing with freedom. The night was exceedingly
chilly and with no facilities for warmth the discomfort was at the
maximum. The day following, the regiment arrived at Washington, where it
was lodged for the night in the "Soldiers' retreat," the hard floors of
which were as downy pillows to our wearied and cold stiffened limbs. The
next day we marched out of the city, passing the Capitol, and formed
camp near the Bladensburg road. It was now the dead of winter, a
Washington winter, with frequent storms of rain, sleet and snow. The
camp was on the lowlands and the regiment experienced to the full the
disagreeableness of the mud and slush of "My Maryland." Here we had our
first introduction to the Sibley tent, a species of canvas tepee of the
western Indian pattern, each of which afforded shelter to a dozen men. A
small sheet iron stove, with the pipe braced against the center pole,
diffused warmth, while a hole in the canvas at the apex afforded an exit
for the pungent smoke of the green pine used for fuel.
It was while in camp at this place we first heard the booming of the
enemy's guns away to the westward across the Potomac. These deep notes
were of such frequent recurrence that all were fully convinced that a
battle was in progress. Steed-like "we snuffed the battle from afar,"
and many were the expressed fears that victory would perch upon our
banners, and the war be ended ere we should reach the Virginia shores.
Alas! poor, ignorant mortals that we were! Little dreaming of what
scenes of carnage and hot battle we should be called to witness before
the last notes of the hostile guns should be heard. The next morning the
papers brought us the news of the battle of Dranesville and the repulse
of the enemy, and our sorrow was deep and loud spoken, that we were not
forwarded and permitted, at once, to put an end to this southern fracas!
Such was our confidence of easy victory!
While in this camp the measles again broke out in the regiment. Many of
the men had contracted severe colds during that night of dismal ride
from Harrisburg, and cases of pneumonia were numerous, many proving
fatal, while others lingered for months in hospitals, either to be
discharged on account of disability or to again return to their
companies mere wrecks of their former selves.
In February, 1862, the regiment broke camp, and crossing the Potomac,
took its place in the left wing of the army near Fort Lyon, below
Alexandria. Here in the organization of the army it was assigned to
Jameson's brigade of Heintzelman's division, which later, upon the
organization of the army corps, constituted the first brigade, first
division, third corps, commanded respectively by Generals Jameson,
Hamilton and Heintzelman, General Hamilton later being superseded in
division command by that intrepid and fearless fighter, General Philip
Kearny, whom the enemy dubbed with the uneuphoneous soubriquet of the
"One Armed Devil." The brigade as then organized consisted of the 57th,
63d, 105th Pennsylvania regiments and the 87th New York, and from that
date so long as the old Third corps existed these Pennsylvania regiments
retained their place side by side. Our associations were most pleasant,
many last friendships were formed, and the courage of each was ever held
in highest esteem by the others.
On March 1st, Colonel Maxwell resigned his commission as colonel of the
regiment and was succeeded by Colonel Charles T. Campbell. Colonel
Campbell was by education and choice an artillerist, and had seen
service on that arm in the Mexican war. He had had command of a battery
of Pennsylvania artillery in the three months' service, and had been
commissioned by Governor Curtin colonel of artillery and had recruited
and organized the first Pennsylvania regiment of light artillery as part
of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps. When, however, the regiment entered
the United States' service, such an organization was deemed
impracticable and the regiment as a compact body was disbanded and the
batteries assigned to the several corps. Thus Colonel Campbell found
himself a colonel in commission without a command. But he was enlisted
for the war and with uncomplaining patriotism he willingly took his
place where duty called. At the first the members of the regiment were
impressed with the thought that they had "caught a Tartar." Tall and
commanding in figure, gruff voiced and with sanguinary hair and
whiskers, the colonel did not give the impression of being a weakling,
but it was not long until they began to realize that beneath the rough
exterior there beat a considerate and tender heart and in the gruff
voice there was a soft chord, and soon the name "Charley" was more
frequently on the lips about the camp fires than the more stately title
of "Colonel." These characteristics of the new commander were manifested
in many acts that the men appreciated. He was always ready to take the
rough side of soldier life and share privations with the rank and file,
and at the end of a hard day's march he would lie down with only the
heavens for a covering with any of the boys rather than ask a detail to
erect his headquarter tents. And many a comrade can remember when on
camp guard and the weather was threatening, hearing that gruff voice
calling from his tent door: "Officer of the day, release the guards and
send them into their quarters!"
[Illustration: Gen. Charles T. Campbell]