in command of the division line of pickets, being officer of the day,
and his experience was interesting for, entering upon his duties, he
rode a white horse, furnished him at Division Headquarters, riding
just in rear of the picket line until the plentitude of the enemy's
bullets compelled him to alight and to walk or crawl the rest of the
way. Desiring to cross a little elevation, he took the precaution,
before exposing himself, of raising his cap upon his sword and, as it
was the immediate target of several rebel bullets, he concluded that
a more circuitous route would be preferable. So cold was it that men,
in their falsely named "shelters" were frozen to death, as they held
on to their posts to which the relief did not come. On reaching the
desired point and, after driving the enemy across a small stream which
he later learned was not Mine Run but a tributary, with the assistance
of a few pioneers he successfully bridged it for the passage of troops.
In this labor he had the misfortune to fall into the water and, in
a few minutes, was completely clad in icicles. Colonel Peirson was
still advancing his line before reporting upon the situation, having
discovered another branch of the stream which he was about to bridge,
when the orders to fall back were received.
[Sidenote: DEC., '63]
The retreat is made across the river at Germanna Ford and to the
Thirty-ninth is committed the task of seeing all safely over. We see
the Fifth and Sixth Corps safely across, then our own troops, including
our brigade; finally the Regiment goes across, all save Companies C and
F and then C is left alone; stragglers have passed over; apparently the
last cavalryman is riding on the further side when the pontoons are
taken up and, in the last boat, the Medford Company crosses over to
join its fellows on the northern bank. The expected dash by Confederate
horsemen did not take place and, chilled to the bone, the Union army
after a rest of an hour proceeded to Stevensburg or near that point.
Later, finding a suitable camping place, rationless and wearied, the
men sought what comfort sleep might afford. Some of the soldiers find
time to moralize on the outcome and they secure some satisfaction from
the fact that if they did not assail the enemy, neither did the Rebels
attack the Federals. Years afterward, General Early, in command in the
immediate front of the line held by the First and Fifth Corps, wrote
of the situation, "A direct attack from either side would have been
attended with great difficulties, on account of the necessity of having
to descend the slopes of Mine Run and then, after crossing that stream,
to ascend the opposite slopes under the fire of artillery as well as
infantry." Very few soldiers have ever been heard to criticise the
wisdom of Warren's judgment or of Meade's acquiescence.
FOOTNOTES:
[G] The wounding of Private Dow was the first bloodshed in the
Regiment, and in token thereof he was promoted to be a corporal.
As this was the only casualty in the Regiment, during the Mine Run
campaign, the death which Col. T. W. Higginson gives in his story of
Massachusetts in the Army and Navy 1861-65 must be an error.
TOWARDS WINTER QUARTERS
In the forenoon of the 3rd, the Regiment marches a few miles to the
vicinity of Kelly's Ford on the Rappahannock where certain log huts
built by the enemy and used by them until driven out on the 7th of
November by the Third Corps are occupied; a diversity of opinion as to
their condition is put down by certain scribes of the period, though
Company C comes up too late to get in at all. Some of the boys are very
certain that winter quarters are to be right here on account of the
nearness of wood and water but, meanwhile, the old duty of picketing is
resumed and some of the Medford men find their line along the waters
of Mountain Run. For three weeks there is little variation in daily
routine: drills, inspections, parades and the regular off and on for
picket and guard duty. Meantime everyone finds time to try to retain
whatever heat his fire may induce, but in spite of his efforts, as
one boy writes, "We suffer with the cold every night." On the 5th,
came orders to move, but happily they were soon countermanded. The 6th
brought the sutler again and opportunity to invest money for creature
comforts at exceedingly high rates. In these days, men are able to
exhibit their mechanical ability, or the want of it, in their efforts
to make comfortable and presentable the cabins in which they expect to
pass the winter. Drills are suspended on the 11th that more time may be
given to work on the huts.
For the 12th and the 13th there are records of the arrival of boxes
from the North; in one case, "The provisions are all spoiled"; in
another, "All right, except the shirts and drawers which are missing."
Had the latter case arisen while the men were in rebel prisons, the
enemy would have had to bear the blame; it would appear that there
were pilferers also among our own people. The regularity of the
arrival and departure of mails affords these letter-writing soldiers
no little pleasure. The weather is not so cold as that of New England
at this time of the year, but it varies from bright sunshine to points
away below freezing with an occasional flurry of snow, but however
disagreeable it may be, all realize that it is harder still for the
Confederates, since they are not so well clad as we are. It is also a
time for furloughs and, on the 19th, seven men from the Thirty-ninth
start on a ten days' visit to the northern homes, the time spent there
to be the very happiest in their entire lives. The 21st had special
mention in the diaries, in that the chaplain attended two funerals of
as many men belonging to the Regiment and that Colonel Davis began
a ten days' leave of absence for a trip to the Bay State. The 23rd
carries the record of wintery weather, made all the more so by having
the ground covered with snow, the first time in the season, also the
surprise for all, in that they are ordered to have everything in
readiness to move tomorrow at five o'clock in the morning. Sad looks on
soldierly faces follow this announcement, "for it is such a good place
to spend the winter in."
[Sidenote: DEC. 24, '63]
Though awakened at 3 a.m. and formed in line at 4, it was 8 a.
m. before the orders to march were heard. Not a little grumbling
accompanied this departure on a cold wintry day from semi-comfortable
quarters for new camping places. One man's observations come down to
us thus: "Why couldn't they let us sleep a while longer and then let
us prepare and eat our breakfast, rather than make us stand in line on
such a cold, cheerless morning?" Had all kept diaries the entries would
have differed in no essential from the foregoing. The day proved to be
a good one for marching and after reaching Brandy Station, the course
was along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, through Culpeper Court
House to a point possibly four miles beyond, when it was found that
the Regiment had lost its bearings, thus necessitating a bivouac in a
convenient stretch of woods. The burden of extra winter necessities and
the frozen earth made the eighteen miles' march a trying one. Though it
was "The night before Christmas" and many thoughts wandered northward
to far away homes where the loved ones dwelt, there was little of the
divine flavor to the night which settled down and enfolded these armed
men, on the very outposts of the Union Army.
Christmas dawned as expected, but it did not seem just as it would
under other circumstances; the "Merry Christmas" that passed from
mouth to mouth seemed to lack some of the home fervor, yet all put
the best foot forward and, determining to make the best of it, there
was more than one expression of wonder as to whether "We'll be here a
year hence?" Luckily, boxes from home came to cheer some of the men, a
real demonstration of Santa Claus, and all the more welcome for this
reason; the entire First Corps was included in this movement and the
many campfires, that lit up the night, gave a gloss to what otherwise
might have been cheerless; song and story made the evening pass rapidly
away, and the ever melodious "taps" set these patriotic North men to
slumber and the sweetest of dreams. There was an inspection in the
forenoon of the 26th and orders to be ready to march in the afternoon.
Starting at 3 p. m., the trip was only about two miles still nearer
the Confederacy, along the railroad, halting at or near Mitchell's
Station, the very last before reaching the Rapidan; here in a large
field the brigade encamped in column by regiments. Rain falls on the
27th and this, coupled with the marshy character of the fields in which
the Regiment is camped, makes moist beds for the men, though they try
to obviate the situation by tearing boards from an unoccupied house
and by the use of boughs and branches in getting the bunks off the
saturated ground.
MITCHELL'S STATION
In the matter of residents, it could not be said that Mitchell's
Station was exactly densely inhabited, but where was there ever a girl
whom someone did not admire and, if possible, make her acquaintance?
One family, with the staunchest of German names, in which the sons
had gone into the rebel army, had a father, mother and three grown-up
daughters. When sober, the "old man" claimed to be a good Union man;
when drunk, as was sometimes the case, he was an out and out Secesh;
as to the girls, it made no difference what their affiliations were;
they were girls and that was enough. One evening, three officers called
at headquarters and asked the privilege of calling on the Y---- girls;
"Umph," exclaimed Colonel Davis, "I verily believe half the officers in
the Regiment are there already, but you may go if you think it will do
you any good."
[Sidenote: DEC. 28, '63]
With the 28th comes Sutler Pullen again and until afternoon the rain
continues; the 29th does not bring the change of camping place that so
many wish. During the day, Colonel T. F. McCoy (One Hundred and Seventh
Penn.), commanding in the absence of Colonel Leonard, compliments the
entire brigade on the cheerfulness and fortitude of the men and their
endurance in marching in the cold and stormy weather; he also calls
attention to the exposed position of the brigade, being the nearest the
enemy and warning every one to be on the lookout constantly. On this
day also was promulgated the plan to secure reenlistments of the men,
with the promise of a thirty days' furlough and a large bounty. The
proposition did not appear to find much favor with the Thirty-ninth,
although all of the men would appreciate that month at home. The 30th
brought orders to be ready to march on the morrow. December goes
out with mud and moisture much in evidence; the camp is moved in the
forenoon less than a mile, thereby finding better conveniences in
a piece of woods. Major Leavitt of the Sixteenth Maine musters the
Regiment for pay, and Lieut. Colonel Peirson performs a like act for
the Maine soldiers. Colonel Davis gets back from his furlough, having
walked from Culpeper last night in the dark and through the mud. Here,
then, ends the year with its record of Gettysburg and Chattanooga, but
for our Regiment, with all its preparation, marching and undeviating
performance of duty, its fiery ordeal is yet to come.
1864
January 1st the day dawned bright and cold, the weather having cleared
in the night; the mud and the streams have taken on the repose of
winter, but, if any protection against the inclement season is to be
had, the men must get to work at once and this they do, cutting down
trees to fashion therefrom the primative habitations that the early
settlers of all new countries have had to make. Though the men do not
know it, and though there will be many rumors of departures, they may
even pack up at times yet, until the last of April, Mitchell's Station
will be the P. O. address of the Thirty-ninth Regiment, but winter
in camp is no trifling matter with a regular routine of camp duties,
besides the necessity of maintaining the utmost vigilance towards the
foe. Hence the building of quarters cannot be effected in a day or
week, in the meantime the ordinary shelter tent affords only slender
protection against the wind and cold. It is to be a second winter's
experience with our Regiment, hence the building of log huts is not
an innovation; all that is needed are time, tools and material. For
several months the Rapidan is to be the most generally named stream in
the eastern part of the Union, for along its northern banks are to camp
the several corps which make up the Army of the Potomac and, every day
thousands of letters to far away homes will tell the people there what
is doing down in "Old Virginny." For four months a thin line of blue
will patrol its shores for more than twenty miles and equally vigilant
men in gray, will keep their watch upon the south side. With the Second
Corps on the extreme Union left, with headquarters near Stevensburg,
the Union army stretches to the westward till it terminates with the
First Corps, which will furnish infantry pickets on a line of cavalry
outposts.
South of the river, the Confederates are guarding an equal distance,
yet there will be very little indication of hostility, something like
an armed neutrality, each line of sentinels quite content to be let
alone; there is however this difference between the two armies, one has
all that boundless means can supply to make its soldiers comfortable,
the other wanting nearly everything that would contribute to personal
enjoyment. The lack of clothing and camp outfit had become such that
winter with its rigors became far more an object of fear to the enemy
than any army the Yankees might send against them. Thomas Nelson Page,
in his Life of General Lee, has this to say concerning the Confederates
in camp along the Virginia Central Railroad:
[Sidenote: JAN. 1, '64]
Lee's army was in a state of such destitution that it is a wonder that
the men could be kept together. Only their spirit enabled them to
stand the hardships of the winter. Barefooted and hungry, they stood
it throughout the long months of a Virginia winter, and when it is
considered that until they joined the army many of these men had never
seen snow, and that none of them had ever experienced want of adequate
clothing, their resolution is a tribute to their patriotism that can
never be excelled. That Lee himself endured hardships and suffered
with them in their self denial was sufficient for them.... From his
camp, General Lee writes to his wife on January 24, 1864, "I have had
to disperse the cavalry as much as possible to obtain forage for their
horses, and it is that which causes trouble. Provisions for the men,
too, are very scarce, and with very light diet and light clothing, I
fear they will suffer, but still they are cheerful and uncomplaining.
I received a report from one division the other day in which it
was stated that over four hundred men were barefooted and over one
thousand were without blankets."
During the early January days, all the time that could be secured from
regular duties was devoted to house building, and every man worked with
a will, since the weather was extremely cold, the amount of clothing
possessed being insufficient, in the open air, to maintain warmth; some
of the men resorted to the old fashioned practice of putting a heated
stone at their feet to help make them comfortable, every one thus
getting a notion of what it meant to build homes in the wilderness as
so many pioneers had done. Because of so many of the men in Company C
having been ship carpenters when at home, a large part of the company
was detailed to work on the houses, though the Woburn delegation (K)
was not far behind with its thirteen men selected to use axe, saw,
hammer and plane. The arrival of packages from home, from time to time,
did much to lessen grumbling and the coming in of seven deserters on
the 6th, barefooted and telling pitiful stories of the conditions
across the Rapidan, made the Yankees more nearly comfortable just by
way of contrast. With big fires burning, we were sure of one side being
warm, even if the other was almost freezing. However, song and story
wiled away many a long evening before trying to woo the goddess, sleep,
in comfortless shelter tents. In the demands of picket, camp, regiment
and brigade guard there was something in the guard-way for nearly every
man, every day, so the houses did not grow any too rapidly.
Such entries in the diaries of the period as, "mudded our hut to-day,"
would mean little to the novice unless told that this meant the
stopping of the spaces between the log cob-pile which constituted the
walls of the habitation, with real old Virginia soil, properly mixed
with a certain amount of water and, when plentifully applied, was
warranted to stand indefinitely, keeping out the much dreaded wind. The
same material judiciously mingled with sticks, staves, boards or boxes
made the chimney-exit for the smoke produced in the fireplace, which
was a necessary feature of every cabin.[H] Making the quarters for
the squad that was to hold and occupy did not end the enlisted man's
duties, for he had also to take a hand in the fabrication of similar
structures for his company officers and then to do his part in behalf
of the care and comfort of the Field and Staff. Nor did the chain end
here, since there must be places for the retention and protection of
commissary and quartermaster stores and, never to be forgotten, were
all the important, superlatively useful yet ever railed at, "The good
old army mules," and who should build their shelters, if not the men
for whom they had drawn through so many miles the supplies which fed
and clothed the soldiers?
[Sidenote: JAN. 10, '64]
The long delayed Thanksgiving dinner came to "C," the Medford company,
on the 10th and a relay of clothing such as, "Nice flannel shirts
and drawers, socks, mittens and a few caps for nights." The company
received them very gratefully and the friends at home would be more
than paid, could they see how thankful the men were. "We eat our
dinners to-morrow," says the scribe. The details of the dinner, eaten
on the 11th, are not uninteresting; remembering that twenty-two men
had been discharged from the company, that some men were on detached
service and that many were in the hospital, the fact, that less than
forty were present for duty and the dinner will not seem so strange.
Owing to the limited number, the liberality of material for that feast
is conspicuous; they might have called in some of their less fortunate
neighbors and then have had a very large meal for themselves; the
record is, "One turkey and one pudding for every four men; one half a
mince pie per man with sauces for turkey and pudding, also the real old
orthodox cranberry, redolent of the Cape, besides, pickles, cheese and
condensed milk." The folks at home did nothing by halves and how many
hours of careful and diligent labor in those northern homes did this
magnificent layout represent!
Everyday life in these winter-quarter days of the Army of the Potomac
are a practical illustration of the old maxim, "Eternal vigilance is
the price of liberty"; for, despite the efforts given to hut building,
all the men are really under arms or the next thing to it. "Men are
obliged to wear their equipments twenty-four hours" and an immediate
response is expected to every order. A few recruits are joining the
Regiment, not exactly a pleasant season of the year in which to be
broken into the routine of military life, yet the proper officers take
them in charge and begin the breaking-in process. On the 12th, remains
of the great Company C dinner are sent over to the sick at Culpeper,
and those who are not users of the weed distribute their tobacco, also
from Medford, among those who are not so abstemious. Notwithstanding
all of the alert watchfulness, the enemy seems to be perfectly
quiescent and, probably, perfectly willing that we should be. After a
deal of policing and general slicking up, the 16th brings the monthly
inspection, conducted by Lieutenant Bradley of the brigade staff. The
habits of the far off homes are fixed and in the evening of Sunday, the
17th, might be heard the sound of many voices as they joined in singing
the songs and hymns of childhood; "a splendid, moonlight evening."
Deserters and contrabands are frequently discovered fording the
Rapidan, whose chilly waters have less terrors for the escaping
parties than the tribulations left behind. In the night of the 19th the
firing of the Confederate guards hastened the steps of some deserting
rebels and prevented the departure of others. The cabins having been
constructed and occupied, the men are now making corduroy sidewalks, by
laying moderate lengths of poles side-by-side, crossways of the walk
itself, and, thus, are able to get about without being lost in Virginia
mud. Many a remark is heard on the admirable appearance of the camp,
all agreeing that it is the best in the brigade, and some even lay
that claim as against the entire Army of the Potomac. Company H and a
part of "K" go out on a reconnoisance, Thursday, the 28th. Towards the
end of the month, unusual stir is observed among the enemy, apparently
fresh troops are replacing those long on guard, possibly through fear
that all of the latter will desert; our own camp also has a spell of
falling-in according to orders and, on the 29th, we packed up at 5
a. m., stacked arms and awaited further orders, sorry enough at the
prospect of quitting the comfortable quarters, so recently completed.
Fortunately for us, it all blew over and the Second Brigade moved
instead. On this same day our eyes were gladdened by the unusual sight
of a lady in camp, the same being the wife of General Maj. John Newton,
commanding the First Corps, who accompanied the General and Division
Commander, General Robinson, and their respective staffs, all on a tour
of observation. A dull, though not stormy day closed the month with
regular inspection and we see a Confederate major and three men brought
in as captives by the cavalry.
[Sidenote: FEB. 1, '64]
February starts off full of rumors as to the future of the Regiment;
one says it is to join an expedition to Texas; another sends us home to
be recruited to full ranks, while still another sends us back to become
a part of the Sixth Corps. Who can explain the starting of so many
baseless reports? The weather, early in the month, is cold yet there
are few breaks in regular routine, if parades, drills and inspections
can be injected between the many calls for picket duty. A hospital is
in process of erection near the surgeon's quarters and it is a fine
building, considering the circumstances under which it is going up.
There is talk, also, of a chapel or schoolroom for the use of officers
and men. The 5th of the month, late at night, came the summary orders
to be ready to move early in the morning, reveillé to be at 3 a. m.
The drawing of rations, etc., kept us busy until one o'clock in the
next morning, hence not much sleep, but no end of grumbling. Reveillé
sounded according to programme on the 6th; the men turned out, cooked
their breakfasts, packed their tents and were ready to start before
daylight. At seven o'clock the orders came to replace the tents and to
resume regular camp life. This break in the usual calm was explained as
an incident in the movement of the Second Corps to Morton's Ford, on
the Rapidan, as a supplementary act to the proposed attempt of General
B. F. Butler from the south against Richmond. As Butler's plan proved
abortive, activity on the part of the Second Corps subsided at once and
things were soon as they had been.
Sunrise, gilding the snowy tops of the Blue Ridge Mountains, awakens
the sensibilities of some of the men as the 10th day of the month
begins and, later in the day, the paymaster makes all happy with
compensation for services rendered up to December 1st. General Robinson
and staff, accompanied by ladies, also by some of the corps staff
officers, rode into camp on the 12th, evidently thinking it one of
the show places of the cantonment. Over the fact that the men left in
camp, the Regiment being on picket, are all merged in two companies
and these go on dress parade prompts one commentator to remark that he
supposes if only one man were left in camp, he would have to appear
at the regular time on parade. Injudicious use of the ardent was the
probable reason for the advent of a Thirteenth Massachusetts' party
evidently bent on mischief. Whatever they came for, the colonel cut
short the career of a sergeant and a private by placing them under
arrest and so returning them to their Regiment. How strange it is, that
men will tolerate an evil that makes such fools of them! The evening
of this day was brilliantly illuminated by great forest fires on both
sides of the Rapidan. The coming of Major William Thorndike, the new
surgeon, is chronicled on the 15th; Surgeon Calvin G. Page, on account
of disability, had been discharged Nov. 16, 1863. The 16th is so cold
that large quantities of wood are brought in from the forest for the
building of fires just for the warmth thereof. The new hospital is
opened and much is expected from it.