(271) During our stay at Martinsburg up to October 18th, there was
little, if anything, of importance in a military way took place. We
spent our time in doing picket duty, drilling and etc. On that day
however, Imboden attacked the Ninth Maryland Infantry at Charleston,
killing the Adjutant and capturing a considerable part of the command.
(272) An attack was somewhat looked for at this point in this same day
and Col. Pierce in command here, made every preparation to meet it,
but none was made. In the evening our regiment and a battery were
ordered to Harpers Ferry. We marched to Shepherdstown, about half way,
and encamped for the night. We bivouacked on the streets of the town.
A little incident occurred here showing the beauties of soldier life.
One of the boys in lying down for the night, placed the strap of his
haversack under his head, so that if anyone should try to steal his
haversack, he would likely know it. In the night he was awakened by a
jerk of something from under his head, and he found that his haversack
was gone. It was a very dark night, and an object could be seen
scarcely any distance; but he heard something rattling on the
pavement. He followed this sound, and found that a hog was making an
attempt to confiscate his rations, the rattling being made by the tin
cup fastened to the haversack. By a vigorous charge on the enemy the
rations were recovered and the soldier went back to renew his nap. It
needs hardly be said that if there were any hogs in America that were
d----d hogs, that was one of them.
(273) Shepherdstown, situated on the bank of the Potomac was at that
time a dull, sleepy old town, the quietude of which was quite
suggestive of the proverbial saying, "All quiet on the Potomac." This
saying was applicable to the place at that particular time; though no
doubt, it had been often awakened before, and was afterward, from its
wonted drowsiness by "the cannons' opening roar" being only three or
four miles from the Antietam battle ground, the center of a region of
battle fields, and itself the scene of one or more fights.
(274) We continued our march in the morning through rain and mud, and
arrived at Harpers Ferry at 3 o'clock P.M. We crossed the Potomac here
on the railroad bridge and camped on Maryland Heights, which are close
to the Potomac, not leaving but little more room than enough between
its base and the river, for the canal and the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad (which latter in going east crosses into Maryland from West
Virginia at this point) to pass.
(275) Just opposite these heights nearby, looking south on London
Heights. The Shenandoah river on the southeast side of the valley
skirts these latter heights and forms a junction with the Potomac at
Harpers Ferry. The Potomac then flows on east through the defile
between the two heights. The Maryland Heights command, in a military
sense, Harpers Ferry, which lies between the two rivers at their
junction. From these heights is a fine view up the Valley for many
miles. At this time there was a company of Massachusetts heavy
artillery stationed on them. They had a siege gun planted there,
throwing a hundred pound shell, pointing in the direction of Harpers
Ferry, which was capable of shelling an enemy coming down the valley,
and approaching the town anywhere within three miles of it.
(276) These Massachusetts boys were true to the traditions and
preferences of their section in thinking that a dish of baked beans
was the very cream of good things. The following little incident
illustrates this fact. It shows that they looked forward to the stated
time when they should have their favorite dish with joyous
anticipation: One day one of the Twelfth boys overheard one of the
artillery boys talking to a comrade. The talk had been of no especial
interest to him, the one talking, when suddenly a thought seemed to
strike him, which aroused him to considerable enthusiasm. He said:
"Let me see--this is Wednesday, tomorrow is Thursday, and the next day
Friday, when, by gahge! we are going to have baked beans."
(277) Gen. Sullivan commanded the troops here. We were brigaded with
the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts. This regiment was under very strict
regimental discipline. Each officers tent when in camp, had a sentinel
placed in front of it; and no private soldier was allowed to enter his
tent without first getting permission. No intercourse was held between
the officers and privates, only on business. They had not seen any
service only guarding the railroad. They were finally equipped with
arms and etc. and neatly uniformed; and the style displayed, soon
convinced the boys of the Twelfth, according to Col. Curtis, then
major, that they, the Thirty-fourth, considered them, the Twelfth
boys, a lot of rude mountaineers that were not their equals. But an
opportunity was soon given to test that matter, so far as fast
marching and roughing it generally were concerned, to their entire
satisfaction.
(278) No disparagement of the Thirty-fourth, is intended by the
foregoing remarks. The men of that command were brave soldiers, and
their colonel, Col. Wells, was a brave capable and careful officer.
There was probably little or no difference in bravery between the
Eastern and Western soldiers. Gen. Sheridan thought, after seeing both
European and American armies in action, that while the latter were no
braver than the former, they, the American soldiers were the most
intelligent, resourceful and efficient soldiers in the world. And
because the Western soldier was more used to the handling of arms, and
for the reason that the hardships and varied experience of frontier
life had produced in him a ready adaptability to necessities, he was
perhaps a little more distinctively American in the quick
resourcefulness, in the rough and rugged requirements of war, than was
her more delicately reared Eastern brother.
(279) No doubt those Massachusetts boys thought their colonel was too
rigid in maintaining the exclusiveness he did on the part of his
officers. Gen. Grant says of Gen. Buell: "He was a strict
disciplinarian and perhaps did not distinguish sufficiently between
the volunteer, who enlisted for the war and the soldier who serves in
time of peace." This seems to have been the trouble with Col. Wells.
"One system," says Grant, "embraced men who risked life for principal,
and other men of social standing competence, or wealth and
independence of character. The other includes, as a rule, only men who
could not do as well in any other occupation."
(280) The Twelfth remained on the Heights, with the exception of a
movement up and down the Valley, for about two and a half months,
doing picket duty and working on fortifications there. At least this
was the work of part of the regiment. However, on November 5th, we
marched across the river to Harpers Ferry to hold the camp of the
Thirty-fourth Massachusetts one day and night while that regiment was
on a scout to Charleston and back. We moved onto the Heights again the
next morning, the Thirty-fourth having returned to their camp.
(281) Gen. Sullivan having been ordered to make a demonstration
against Staunton, Maj. Curtis received orders on the night of the 9th
to have the Twelfth furnished with three days' cooked rations, and
forty rounds of ammunition to the man, and be ready by dawn on the
next day to march up the Valley to make the demonstration.
(282) This movement was apparently made with a view to drawing troops
from Richmond to protect Staunton, and as a diversion in favor of Gen.
Stoneman, who started December 6th, from Knoxville, Tenn., with three
mounted brigades, led by Burbridge and Gillem, and moved along the
Virginia and East Tennessee railroad to Marion, Va., where Gillem
struck the Rebel Gen. Vaughn, the Sixteenth chasing him 30 miles into
Wytheville; capturing 200 men, eight guns and a large train; then
moved on along the railroad as far as Max Meadows, Va. Our force and
that of Stoneman would thus, in our movements tend toward each other.
On this expedition Stoneman captured in all 500 prisoners, destroyed
the lead works 15 miles east of Wytheville, destroyed on his way back
to Knoxville the valuable and costly saltworks at Saltville, Va., and
made other material captures, and destructions, including destruction
to some extent of the railroad.
(283) At the appointed time the Tenth, our regiment marched from the
Heights across to Harpers Ferry, where we joined the Thirty-fourth
Massachusetts with four pieces of Indiana battery under command of
Capt. Minor. The force moved early in the morning of this day under
command of Col. Wells, he being the senior officer in the command. The
route was through Charleston at which place we were joined by the
First New York, the Fifth Maine, the Twenty-First Pennsylvania, and
Cole's Maryland Battalion, which reinforcements were all cavalry. In
addition to this, there were added to the artillery strength at this
place, two 12-pound brass pieces.
(284) A rather short march was made that day, as the Thirty-fourth had
started with heavy knapsacks of clothing, blankets, and etc., to keep
them comfortable, as the command had neither tents nor shelter of any
kind to protect the men.
(285) Camp was made that night between Charleston and Berryville. The
next morning the advance was given to the Twelfth. They started off
whistling "Yankee Doodle" and keeping step to the music at a lively
gait. Berryville was passed through, and coming to the Opequon Creek
beyond, Col. Wells ordered the command to halt until a temporary
bridge should be made. The boys of the Twelfth, who had frequently had
such obstacles to overcome, soon set the Thirty-fourth boys an example
of how to get on the other side of a creek, by plunging into this one
and wading across. Col. Wells exclaimed to Major Curtis, "What kind of
men have you? They don't seem to care for water or anything else." The
Major replied: "They are used to that kind of work."
(286) The Twelfth boys marched on rapidly, in order to give the
Massachusetts regiment a lesson in marching and about 12 o'clock the
wagon master came galloping up to the front and requested Col. Wells
to slacken up the speed, as the men of the Thirty-fourth were all
giving out, emptying their knapsacks of blankets and extra clothing,
and climbing into the wagons and artillery carriages to ride. The
order was given to proceed on a slower march, which was done.
(287) This plan of rather slow marching pursued by Col. Wells going as
he did at the outset at the rate of about sixteen miles a day, is to
be commended. It showed him to be considerate and careful of his men.
Men ought not to be marched from twenty to thirty miles per day,
unless there were some special urgency for so doing. But it often
happened that the various commands to which our regiment belonged,
would march considerably over twenty miles a day, when no apparent
reason existed for so doing. Those responsible for this had marching
being mounted did not seem to realize what a heavy drain it was on the
energy of the men to carry about thirty pounds, including arms
equipments and etc., all day on a hard march, or to appreciate how
heavy this weight would become before the end of a day's long march.
(288) Surgeon F. H. Patton, in charge of the Soldiers' Home at Dayton,
O., in a recent interview said that most of the inmates there were
afflicted with heart trouble; and he attributed this fact to over
exertion during the war. Assuming this to be true, it is believed that
much if not most of this heart trouble is attributable to
unnecessarily hard marching.
(289) On this second day's march--the command passed through
Winchester from which place the regiment, being in Gen. Milroy's army,
was routed in the preceding June, by Lee's army and camped two miles
from town. While here some of the Twelfth boys took the opportunity of
looking over the battle field, and saw where some of their comrades
had fallen and been buried, with only a little earth thrown upon them.
The third day the command marched to Strasburg and remained there four
days.
(290) Some of the comrades tell of a trick one of the Twelfth boys
played on a citizen at this town, during this stay here. He, the
soldier, some how had got hold of a watch chain made of imitation gold
dollars. The chain was formed by linking these dollars together. He
separated them by removing the links. No doubt with a view to catching
a victim, this soldier one day was carelessly toying with his gold
dollars in the presence of a citizen, when the eye of the latter
caught a sight of the seeming coin. The citizen immediately asked the
soldier what he would take for it. The latter played the indifferent
dodge--seemed like he did not care whether he sold his coin or not;
but finally said that as he would spend his money anyhow, he would
exchange it dollar for dollar, for "greenbacks." The citizen promptly
handed over the required treasury notes, putting the bogus coin in his
pocket with the remark that he would "salt that down." Very probably
he would discover later that it was the man instead of the money that
was "salted."
(291) Cheating tricks, such as this are not to be approved of course;
but a faithful though imperfect record, demands that incidents of this
character as well as those of a more creditable kind, should be given.
(292) On the night of the 16th, while still at Strasburg, it began
raining. In the morning, the command marched to near Woodstock, the
rain still falling. In the evening the rain turned to sleet. Camp was
made in the woods where part of the timber was pines or cedars and in
the night some of the men, who had put up their gum blankets to
partially protect themselves from the falling sleet, had to move their
quarters on account of the sleet breaking the limbs of the trees above
their heads, making it unsafe to stay where they were. Of course, this
disagreeable weather was very trying on the endurance and patience of
the men. Having relation to this trying severity of the weather this
story is told. There was a soldier in the Twelfth, who was familiarly
known as "Kid." He, it seemed got very much disgusted with the bad
weather, prevailing at this time; and by reason of his patience and
endurance being sorely tried, he began to curse the war in general;
and wound up with saying in a mainly jocular and slightly serious
manner, that so far as he was concerned the Johnny's might have their
Confederacy.
(293) The next day, however, the sun came out bright and the day was
comparatively beautiful; and some of the boys remembering what "Kid"
had said the day before reminded him of it saying, "Kid, how do you
feel about it today? Are you willing today to give the Johnnys their
Confederacy?" "No." said "Kid," "I'll be damned if I am; I'll try them
a hustle for it first." "Kid" was a good soldier. He faithfully
performed his duty to the end of the war. He was in at the final
"hustle" at Petersburg and Appomattox, and saw the flag of treason go
down before the flag of our country, to be hoisted no more forever, it
is hoped.
(294) On the 18th, the command continued its march going short
distances each day until the afternoon of the 20th, when Harrisonburg,
about 100 miles from Harpers Ferry was reached. At the bridge across
the North Fork of the Shenandoah, which was crossed the day before,
the 19th, forty men of the First New York cavalry were left to guard
it. In the evening of the day Harrisonburg was reached, the command
was formed in line of battle, on account of a report that the Rebels
were coming; but no attack was made. However, Gen. Early, with a
division, a force many times that of ours was near and the object of
the expedition (the drawing of the Rebels' attention and the
withdrawing of troops toward us from Richmond, to enable our troops in
other fields to successfully accomplish their purposes) having been
gained, the command after dark that night started to retrace its steps
down the Valley, reaching New Market by 4 o'clock next morning,
distance 18 miles.
(295) Here is an incident which it may be thought should have a place
here: On our return down the Valley, perhaps at New Market, a woman
stuck her head out of a house and shouted, "You're running again are
you?" It appears that the boys received this taunt good-naturedly no
doubt thinking that it was a pretty good joke. The average American is
proverbially good-natured; and can often enjoy a sarcasm or joke at
his own expense. Perhaps there never was a man before in which there
was less of hereditary clannish or personal hate involved than in
this. This was true especially of the Northern soldier. This lack of
personal enmity was often shown by the good-natured sociable chats the
soldiers of the two armies would have when they would get together,
those of the one side being prisoners, for instance.
(296) So the boys in the case of the above incident showed no sign of
cherished hate or any illnatured personal resentment toward the Rebel
woman for her taunt. Sharp thrusts like this coming from Rebels, were
sometimes met, however, with more than counter balancing thrusts. For
instance, one time while our regiment was at Winchester the winter
previous, a rather large guard having gone out some three or four
miles with some wagons to get fire wood, a woman sarcastically said to
the boys, "It takes a good many Yankees to get a little wood." "Yes,"
replied some one, "it does, but it would take a whole army of Rebels
to get wood up North."
(297) After remaining five hours at New Market the march was resumed
and continued till evening, when the force camped. Just after dark the
rear guard was fired on from across the Shenandoah by some
bushwhackers, causing the troops to be ordered into line; but it was
soon learned that there was nothing serious. There was no further
disturbance during the night. The next day on the way down the Valley,
400 Rebel cavalry charged on our rear guard at Woodstock; but some
well directed shots from a section of artillery sent them back flying.
Camp was made that night at Strasburg.
(298) Starting from here the next morning the command reached (in two
days) Harpers Ferry, the 24th, a distance of 48 miles. The command on
its retreat averaged about 25 miles per day. This was hard marching,
but there was reason for it. Col. Curtis says that Gen. Early was in
close pursuit; as far as Winchester and that it needed no rear guard
to keep up the stragglers.
(299) Col. Wells managed this expedition skillfully, choosing a good
position every night for his camp. Besides making an effective
diversion in favor of Gen. Stoneman operating along the Virginia and
Tennessee railroad, the command captured 68 prisoners. This march up
and down the Valley in severe winter weather, was very hard on the
men, they having to sleep on the ground, without tents or shelter of
any kind, but they stood it fairly well.
(300) Early remained at Winchester till the 31st, when he advanced
upon Harpers Ferry threatening an attack upon that place. Our regiment
by daylight that morning crossed over to Harpers Ferry. Maj. Curtis
having received orders the night before to move his command from
Maryland Heights to that place early in the morning. We marched to the
camp of the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts, which was stationed on that
side of the river, where we remained all day. There was no attack
however. It rained all of this day. At night we camped with the
Thirty-fourth.
(301) On the morning of January 1st, 1864, which will be remembered by
all old soldiers as the cold New Year's day, the mercury being 23
degrees below zero at Harpers Ferry. Maj. Curtis was ordered in
connection with the other troops at this place to form the Twelfth in
line of battle on Bolivar Heights, just back of Harpers Ferry, to
protect it from the assault expected to be made by Early. The regiment
was placed on the top of the Heights. It being so very cold, it was
impossible for the men to stand in line without freezing; and they
were allowed to stack arms, break ranks, build fires and stand around
them, or run backward and forward to keep from freezing.
(302) The entire day was spent in this position and night coming on
without the enemy's appearing, the command was withdrawn to within our
works. The Twelfth returned to the camp of the Thirty-fourth, some of
our companies quartering in vacant houses, in which fires were built
making it decidedly more pleasant than standing in line in the bitter
cold air. When early in the morning, information was received that
Early had concluded that it was too cold to fight, and had withdrawn
his army from our front and gone back up the Valley, our regiment
returned to its quarters on Maryland Heights. It was so cold that New
Year's night that, it was so reported, six of the First New York
cavalry's teamsters were frozen to death. This same night a part of
the Sixth corps passed by Harpers Ferry on the railroad on its way
from the Army of the Potomac to Martinsburg, and through the day (the
second) a brigade of the same corps got off the cars here and went out
to Halltown, some four miles distant. No doubt, Early's movement down
the Valley had caused these troops to be sent to his department.
(303) On the 4th, Maj. Curtis received orders to proceed immediately
with the Twelfth by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to Cumberland,
Md., and report to Gen. B. F. Kelly, who was in command there. He,
Kelley, fearing that Early would make a movement against Cumberland,
had requested that the Twelfth be sent to him to assist in defending
the place in that contingency. Six companies got off on the route
during the afternoon of that day, and arrived at Cumberland in the
early part of the night. The other four companies did not get started
from Harpers Ferry till 10 o'clock that night, being delayed in
getting their baggage from camp. They had only one car to the company,
(freight car) and they were so crowded that there was scarcely room
for the men to sit. They reached Cumberland at 10 o'clock the next
day. The regiment was furnished with very comfortable quarters, such
as it had not had before during its service. One-half the companies
was quartered in what was known as the old Shriver Mill, and the other
half in a large hospital. There being plenty of room here in this
latter building, the boys had free swing to work off their surplus
energy, and some of them for a day or so after being quartered in it,
spent part of their time trying their skill in dancing.
(304) Major Curtis, on our arrival here received an order from Gen.
Kelley to have the Twelfth furnished with four days' cooked rations,
forty rounds of ammunition, lie upon their arms and be ready to move
at a moment's warning. The order was complied with and the boys
expected every minute to hear the bugle call to fall in; but none came
and no further orders were received from Gen. Kelley to prepare for
battle. Early having concluded, no doubt, the weather being so very
cold to go back to his winter quarters, and wait until it moderated
before engaging in further field operations.
(305) The Twelfth remained here doing guard and picket duty during the
months of January, February and March. On January 23rd, we received
two months pay, and the same day the officers of the regiment met and
by a formal vote recommended the appointment of Major Curtis as
colonel of the Twelfth, and on the 26th, he received his commission as
Colonel, to rank as such from this latter date, vice J. B. Klunk, who
had resigned, Lieut. Col. Northcott still being a prisoner of war.
Capt. R. H. Brown of Company I, on February 6th, was commissioned
Major of the regiment, in accordance with the recommendation of the
officers of it.
(306) Many of the boys still cherish tender recollections of the old
mill and the hospital we were camped in at Cumberland and the good
times we had at that place. Many agreeable acquaintances were formed
here by the boys, which in some instances ripened into enduring
friendship. The gay Lieutenant away from scenes of strife turned his
attention to more peaceful and congenial pursuits, while some of the
boys were not slow to imitate and emulate his example, in endeavoring
to reduce the Confederacy to submission by arts long known and long
practiced--those by which the hearts of the fair Rebels were attempted
to be captured.
(307) Paper collars soft bread, soft drinks, some not so soft, soft
interviews and a large correspondence were some of the luxuries
enjoyed at this place. Occasionally some enterprising member of the
Twelfth fired with zeal, or something else, would interview the
provost guard and inspect the interior of the old depot, used as a
guard house; which diversion taken with the picnics had with the canal
boatmen, served to vary the monotony incident to soldier life.
(308) At this point may be given a story told by J. H. Haney of
Company K. about a trick played by some of the boys of his company
upon a landlord of this city during our encampment there. The story as
well as is remembered is about as follows: Some of the boys of the
aforesaid company, persuading themselves that the water of the place
did not agree with them, or that their stomachs needed a stimulus in
order that they might be able with some relish to partake of their
usual ration of salt pork and hard tack, concluded that they would go
early one morning to a hotel near the railroad station, kept by a man
named Kelly, and try the virtue of his tangle foot. When the boys got
to the hotel the landlord was still in bed. One of them suggested that
they be patient and not wake him. In the meantime this same soldier
reconnoitered to the rear of the building and discovered a string of
mackerel there on a porch. He came back and told what he had seen,
suggesting to a comrade that the fish might be made available for the
drinks. He acted immediately on the suggestion and went and got them
intending to try the experiment.
(309) It was not long till the landlord was out of bed. The boys
walked into the bar-room with the fish saying that they had had for
some time mackerel issued to them, and that they had got very tired of
them; and wanted to know if the landlord would not treat the crowd for
the string they had brought. The landlord, being a clever Irishman
promptly said that he would, setting out the bottle, and throwing the
string of fish out on the porch. They took their dose of corrective
when looking out of the door, they saw another boy, with whom the
water did not agree directing his steps toward the hotel.
(310) One of the boys in the bar-room went out and met him, telling
him of the mackerel on the porch, and wanted to know what was to
hinder their being traded for the drinks. That was hint enough. It was
not long, until the first were in possession of the new comer, and
pretty soon he walked into the bar-room with them. The rest of the
boys assumed an air of surprise, and said, "Hello! you are here are
you? and got fish too?" Yes their mess had more of them than they
wanted and he thought that he would see if the landlord would trade
him a drink of "red-eye" for this string. The landlord obligingly
agreed to do so; and the drinks the second time were gotten for the
same fish, the landlord again throwing them out on the porch without
discovering the trick.
(311) This trick was played successfully three different times that
morning when the boys concluded that they would go to camp. They
started but had not got far when the landlord called out "Hello!
boys." They thought, "Now we are in for it--now we will get a
blessing!" But the landlord saw the humorous side of the matter, and
so he said, "Come back boys. Any man that is darned fool enough to buy
his own fish three times ought to stand treat." So they went back and
got the fourth drink as the result of their fish deals.
(312) Coming as the story does from Hen Haney, it is not by any means
to be regarded as a "fish story." He avers that the boys who took in
"the landlord" were not bummers, but rather genteel fellows who did
what they did in spirit of fun rather than otherwise; that they all
had been, since the war, well doing and prosperous men. After the
paymaster paid them, they went back and paid the landlord for the
drinks; and he being a jolly Irishman looked upon the Company K boys
after that as being "the broths of boys."
(313) While the regiment was at Harpers Ferry some officers and
sergeants were detailed and sent to their respective sections of
country to recruit. A number of the recruits obtained, came to us
while we were at Cumberland. The older soldiers in some cases called
these recruits in a jesting way "conscripts." Though the recruits, as
a rule had not seen any service, the time was not far off when they
were to see plenty of it, and all distinction between themselves and
the soldiers longer in the service should be lost. Gen. Grant was soon
to be placed in command of the armies of the United States; and
instead of the lack of unity or co-operation and persistency of
effort, that hitherto had characterized the operations of our armies,
there was destined to be, as far as possible, a co-operation of
movement and a vigorous, persistent "hammering away" on the part of
all our forces. The fighting of the present year was to be bloodier
than ever, especially in Virginia. While heretofore, for instance, one
or two considerable engagements were as many as took place in the
Valley during a year, the present year was to witness six or eight
hard battles there. And the Twelfth had in store for it four or five
times as much fighting during the coming fifteen months, as it had it
in all its previous service.
(314) Going back a little, on January 27th, Gen. Milroy arrived in the
city putting up at the Revere House, and the next day the Twelfth was
marched to his place of stopping when he made us a short speech.
(315) In the forepart of February, Col. Curtis received orders to take
the regiment and go into camp on a hill west of the city, which was
done, and while remaining here having very light picket and guard duty
to perform, and working on fortifications, the Colonel found time to
thoroughly drill the regiment in battalion drill, the manual of arms
and dress parade. It became very efficient in drill and in the manual
of arms.
(316) February 2nd, the Rebels made a dash in on the railroad and
burned a bridge seven miles east of here. A few weeks later McNeil's
and Woodson's men under the command of Jesse McNeil dashed into
Cumberland at night and captured and brought off Generals Crook and
Kelly, and Capt. Thayer Melvin, Gen. Kelley's adjutant general. This
was a very daring feat.