forward Co. I as skirmishers and advanced into the swamp. The distance
the boys traveled in that swamp was fully three-fourths of a mile. In
places the water was nearly waist-deep, and logs, bogs and broken
timber, tangled vines and drooping limbs, made order impossible.
When two-thirds through the swamp the rebels opened fire, to which Co.
I replied with vigor. When the johnnies fired Col. Carmichael
discovered that his guide had suddenly left him and to proceed further
through the dark swamp without a guide was hazardous. The colonel
ordered the firing to cease and halted his men. Directly the guide
appeared (a Negro) stimulated no doubt by the sight of a revolver, but
he resumed his place and the regiment proceeded.
Soon after, Col. Carmichael called to his men to cease firing, the
rebels also ceased and a voice called, "What regiment is that?"
"The 157th New York Volunteers!" replied the colonel, his voice echoing
in the dismal tangle.
The rebels re-opened and began to fall back. Co. I pressed forward and
gained open ground. The colonel with the head of his battalion was
close behind and he halted the skirmishers behind a rail fence to await
the arrival of the others. It was a hard place to stop in for a great
while, as the guns in the shallow work in the hill just beyond them
were passing grape and canister lively, and it made the air whistle.
While forming his men an aide on the staff of Gen. Potter came
floundering out of the swamp to learn how the advance was progressing.
"Wait ten minutes, captain," replied Col. Carmichael, "and you can
return by the road."
As the fire of the enemy was very annoying, the colonel waited only
long enough to collect one-half his regiment and then ordered a charge
on the battery. With a yell the boys sprang over the fence and in a few
minutes the place was won. The rebels fled, leaving two pieces of
artillery and their dead and wounded.
The honor of hardest fighting and greatest loss was with Co. I. But Co.
G claimed the honor of being first inside the battery, more on account
of their location in the line and not because of superiority over the
other companies as fighters. Co. G claims honors and only such as are
due them.
The aide returned by the road and reported to Gen. Potter, who soon
appeared and warmly complimented Col. Carmichael and his men for their
gallantry. Then the colonel handed over to Gen. Potter the captured
rebel guns and colors. At a later day the 56th N.Y., by reason of
having two companies in the assaulting regiment, claimed the flag and
all the honors, which was altogether cheeky, although the 56th boys
were good soldiers.
The losses in the 157th, in what is known as the Dingles Mill fight,
were five killed and seven wounded. With the exceptions of two of the
wounded, one from Co. A, and the other from Co. B, the loss in the
157th fell on Co. I. The two companies of the 56th lost ten; how many
were killed or wounded cannot be given.
That night Co. G camped in Sumterville. The wounded were brought in and
placed in a church. Charley Gray, of Co. I, 157th, and a man of the
56th, died there.
After the fight was over Col. Carmichael observed a man trying to
screen himself behind a fence and one of the boys was stirring the
fellow with the butt of his rifle. The colonel tapped the johnny on the
head and asked him what he was doing there.
"I am only a poor preacher," he replied.
The colonel left him, saying to the boys the fellow was not worth
taking.
As it happened, the wife of a clergyman invited Col. Carmichael to make
her house his headquarters. She stated that her husband was not at home
and feared he had been taken prisoner.
"I would rather he be killed than be a prisoner in your hands," she
said.
The Colonel went to Gen. Potter's headquarters and returned without
finding the missing husband. But while eating supper the subject was
renewed and then the incident which discovered the preacher behind the
fence, occurred to the colonel.
"Oh, yes, madam," said he, "I know him. I found him down by the woods.
I didn't consider him worth taking."
Then the fire flew from the eyes of the offended woman. The more she
scolded, the more the colonel was amused. He learned later (the fight
occurring on Sunday) that when the alarm was given the people were at
church. And this preacher, after invoking assistance from the God of
battles, went forth with other home-guards to meet the bad yankees. The
idea was not a bad one if he felt that way, but what could he have
found interesting behind the fence? Perhaps he had dropped the thread
of his discourse and was searching for his "fifteenthly, my brethren."
An entertaining sight it must have been when the godly man reached his
home and learned that his valor had preceded him.
Co. G did not believe in killing parsons especially if they were armed
with Samson's favorite weapon. And while the subject is still warm, it
will be well to speak of prayer as a military arm.
All through the North the good people were praying--Lord, Thou knowest?
All over the South equally as good people prayed--Thou knowest, oh
Lord? At the front Gen. Howard prayed--Send us victory, oh Lord? On the
other side of the line, "Stonewall" Jackson prayed--Strengthen our arms
with Thy might and bless our cause, oh Lord. And all of the invocations
closed, usually, adding parenthetically--(If it be consistent with Thy
Holy Will.)
Both Generals, Howard and Jackson, were exemplary Christian gentlemen.
Both prayed with equal fervor, to the same God. But the Lord seemed to
be on the rebel side at Chancellorsville and Howard escaped, with
barely his reputation as a Christian, untarnished. Jackson was killed
and the South mourned for him and their pastors proclaimed him a
martyr.
Up in the North, down in the South, heart-broken mothers and widowed
wives raised their tear-swept eyes in supplication for mercy. And the
clock in the corner, alone replied--time! time!--so the sorrows were
left to the healer, Time. And angels looked in and pitied them all. But
the war went on--for it was a holy war?
The cause of the South rested on human slavery. The cause of the North
was for freedom. When the war was ended it was seen that to free every
eighth slave, one white man had given his life, and the lives of
thousands of broken-hearted parents, wives and neglected children were
not counted--there was little glory in it for them. But Charon's boat
was floated on the depths of briny tears.
Co. G have been resting at Sumterville. They have enjoyed for the first
time an issue of confiscated cigars, as an army ration, also raw
peanuts. When the troops entered the town they found news of their
approach already in type at the village newspaper office, and the
yankee printers unlocked the forms and completed the report to date,
issuing a number of the sheets as souvenirs.
While at Sumterville news came of the fall of Richmond and a salute of
fifteen guns was fired from the captured pieces.
During the night of April 10th the enemy attacked the picket-line
vigorously, but were repulsed.
On the 11th, after firing the jail and other public buildings the
troops took the road. It was a terribly hot day and dust rolled up in
clouds. They reached Manchester Depot early in the afternoon, the
cavalry had burned the buildings there and had torn up the rails.
Orders were given to camp; as no water was found they moved on a little
further and pitched their shelters. Hardly had the boys settled
themselves, when orders came to move three miles further, to
Singletons. Co. G were patient. Had they not been on Folly Island?
Col. Carmichael was ordered out on the 12th, to advance to Statesburg
and thence to Claremont. Three miles out they found the enemy and a
skirmish ensued. Capt. Gates was ordered to deploy his company as
skirmishers. The rebels were stubborn and the colonel sent for cavalry.
Two hours went by before supports arrived, and then with the cavalry
and one piece of artillery, the advance began, the boys skirmishing all
the way to Statesburg. The colonel halted his men for dinner near the
residence of the father of Gen. Anderson, of Fort Sumter fame. In the
afternoon the force moved to Claremont and burned the railroad depot, a
passenger coach and several bridges. Returning through Statesburg a
quantity of cotton was set on fire. The boys returned to Singletons
reaching camp at 9 p.m., thoroughly tired, having marched over twenty
miles. One man in Co. K was killed.
Gen. Potter made us move on the 13th and 14th as the men were out of
rations. A force was sent to Wrights Bluff on the Santee and obtained
supplies.
April 15th they were again on the road. As they approached the ground
where Col. Carmichael had met the johnnies a few days previous, the
25th Ohio were found hotly engaged. The 157th were thrown out on one
flank and another regiment on the other flank. The rebels soon gave
way, falling back firing, for two or three miles. Gen. Potter took
another road and marched toward Sumterville. Rain commenced falling and
came down heavily and the men, in spite of rubber blankets were soon
thoroughly soaked, but they kept along, splashing through mud and water
holes until camp was reached in a nice, soft cornfield. They had
marched eighteen miles.
The 16th they moved again and met no opposition until afternoon when
they were again opposed. The force of rebels before them were inferior
in numbers, but decidedly pepperish over the destruction of their
property, and they made a stubborn resistance, and finally succeeded in
checking the colored brigade. Then the troops halted in the woods for
the night.
Next day, the 17th, they started for Camden. At Rafting Creek the
advance found the enemy posted behind rude works. The 25th Ohio passed
round to the left and waded the swamp and compelled the johnnies to
retire with some loss. Camden was reached in the evening and there a
flag of truce was met, the authorities formally surrendering the town.
Gen. Potter marched his men through the streets with colors flying and
the 157th band playing "John Brown's Body."
Next morning, the 18th, the 157th was rear-guard. It was another hot
and dusty march. At eleven o'clock the johnnies were found strongly
posted in a swamp near Boykins Mill. The troops were drawn upon the
left of the road in order of battle. Just as soon as the boys were
ready to eat, the rebels came up in the rear and opened fire, the
bullets pattering against the rail fence. They were searching for Co.
G, of course. Col. Carmichael soon had his men thrown out, but the rebs
had left and the boys returned to finish their meal.
After dinner the colored brigade attacked the rebels, but failed to
dislodge them until the colored boys managed to cross over the creek
and dislodged them by flanking. The colored troops lost a lieutenant
and several men there.
It was dark before the main body got over the creek, and then Col.
Carmichael was ordered out to meet the 32d colored regiment advancing
by another road and came up with them about three miles out. The night
was dark and rain began to pour and after going a few miles the
regiment camped in a half-flooded cornfield. Co. G had then become
reconciled to cornfields.
The 157th led the advance on the 19th. Soon after leaving camp the
enemy was found but the 25th Ohio on one flank and the 157th on the
other pressed them back. Reaching a large plantation a section of rebel
artillery was met. The union guns were brought up but did little
execution. The line was again advanced, the enemy continuing their fire
as they steadily retreated for about a mile where they again posted
themselves in a swamp which bordered a stream called Big Rafting Creek.
The stream was too deep for fording. The 157th fell back for
ammunition. Meanwhile the 102d colored regiment were sent to flank the
johnnies, and succeeded in crossing. Artillery was brought to bear also
and the enemy fell back upon their artillery posted nearby, and as the
skirmishers appeared, opened fiercely, but they were pushed steadily
for a while and then hastily retreated toward Statesburg. Col.
Carmichael halted his men beyond Statesburg and with the cavalry
charged the retreating rebels and captured twenty-five of them. At
night the tired men camped at Singletons, the 157th having had an extra
tramp by mistaking the road in the darkness and went to Middleton, only
to return. They reached camp at midnight having marched twenty miles.
April 20th the 25th Ohio and the 157th went to Middleton, where they
found the object of all the marching and counter-marching. Seventeen
locomotives and one hundred cars were discovered, including passenger
coaches and freight cars, many of them loaded with quarter-master's and
ordnance stores. The guards, engineers and all hands, had abandoned the
trains. Shoes were taken for such of the men as were in need, and then
the cars and locomotives were set on fire. There was a lively popping
when the shells began to explode.
That night Co. G slept at Medways Plantation in rear of Singletons.
At noon the column had reached Fulton Post-office without serious
trouble from the rebels. But now they were to hear good news. A flag of
truce came from the rebels stating that a truce of forty-eight hours
had been entered into between Gen. Sherman and Gen. Johnston and Gen.
Beauregard had transmitted the same to his department.
Cheer on cheer went up from the troops. The news seemed too good to be
true. All foraging was prohibited; the guns were discharged and with a
white flag at the head of the column the return march was begun, and at
night the men halted near a large mill, having made eighteen miles. Co.
G was through fighting and the dark cloud of war was rolling away.
Gen. Potter started at once for the Santee where steamers with supplies
were in waiting. Col. Brown, who thus far had led the colored brigade,
was placed in command of the entire force and Col. Carmichael led the
first brigade, Capt. Van Slyke the regiment.
On the 22d the home march continued. No public or private property was
molested and the men were forbidden to fire unless attacked. As they
approached Wrights Bluff, twenty-one sick and partially disabled men
were left to make their way to the steamers, as easily they might.
At night the boys camped in the woods having made eighteen miles,--it
might have been that distance was an average day's walk in Carolina. An
order was issued that night to turn over the surplus horses and mules
to the quartermaster. Some thirty sore-footed and bare-footed men who
had been mounted, were by that order again to limp along for liberty's
sake and the honor of two counties. But Co. G could well afford to do a
little of the grinning-and-bearing of it, under the circumstances. Old
Lenox was very near to them, and the road seemed shorter and the stars
brighter than ever. And they slept sounder.
Col. Brown led his men forward with alacrity on the 23rd toward Murrays
Ferry. The fore-noon's marching was over a swampy region. Rations were
nearly exhausted, foraging was prohibited and the route was continued
to Leunds Ferry on the Santee, where boats with rations were supposed
to be lying. During the day the men heard through rebel sources that
President Lincoln was dead. After a rapid march of twenty-five miles
they went into camp in thick woods.
April 24th the boys reached Leunds Ferry to find the boats had returned
to Charleston, taking the rations with them. There they were, in a
country abounding in food and a military order prevented them from
foraging during the truce. Col. Brown must issue such supplies as were
in his possession, so the men were marched up to a heap of corn in the
ear and each man helped himself to two ears. The record does not state
whether Col. Brown took two ears, perhaps he did. Certainly almost any
other man in the colonel's position would have found means and fed his
faithful soldiers on other than horse feed, in such a land of plenty.
Col. Brown was an excellent man, only, he failed in acute discernment,
sometimes.
The two ears of corn were to serve for supper and breakfast next
morning. So when they started out on the 25th for Georgetown,
twenty-three miles distant, the boys had swallowed their handful of
corn and drew up their belts a notch or two, called it a square meal
and trotted along. At one stage of the journey they marched a mile in
fourteen minutes, and if they had drawn one, instead of two ears of
corn, they might have done better. The real spring in their heels was
the prospect of the home-march.
At noon wagons from Georgetown met them and the straps were loosened
again. They were all glad to hear of the safety of the place,
particularly those who, like Col. Carmichael, had left a wife there,
twenty days before. Toward night, as the column drew near the town Mrs.
Carmichael, escorted by Major Place and others, rode out on horseback
to meet them. At 6 p.m., the boys were back in their old quarters. No
more hard marching for Co. G.
Enough comment has been made upon the merits of raids, burnings and
destruction generally. But this raid in particular was practically
uncalled for. On the very day the locomotives and cars were destroyed,
Beauregard issued his order announcing the truce. The surrender of
Johnston practically ended the war. And thus thousands and tens of
thousands worth of property were destroyed needlessly. But it was war,
and so far justifiable. The estimate placed on property destroyed by
that raid, including cotton, cotton-gins, presses and buildings, was at
least one million dollars.
They brought back nearly one hundred prisoners, three field pieces and
a quantity of arms and accoutrements. Also many horses and cattle. Near
three thousand colored people of all ages followed the little army to
Georgetown. They were poor people who had been slaves and all their
worldly goods were few. Some carried everything they owned balanced in
bundles on their heads. Others had horses or mules laden, and some had
carts in which the chickens and the little freedmen shared the
privilege of transportation. At Georgetown the crowd were served with
rations for a few days and then were advised to return to the interior,
as the war was over and they would thereafter be paid for their labor.
Co. G returned to duty, as of old and the time passed pleasantly. Hard
marching made them feel a bit old and some of them believed that an
inch or two was taken from the stature of each man, but the suspicion
was not confirmed. A few had lost flesh and the tobacco chewers, who
had reveled in the weed, might have gained a few pounds. Some had grown
handsomer from roasting in the sun; certainly none had grown homelier.
Co. G had no homely men. The only man who could have been called really
homely, had deserted. Probably he was lonely.
In June Capt. Gates was sent to Florence, and Capt. Van Hoesen to
Kingstree with their companies to assist in the early reconstruction
plans and preserve order between the whites and the freedmen. This is
noted because Capt. Gates is a Co. G boy. He is not to be forgotten for
his good work in supplying the regiment with an excellent set of band
instruments. It would have been a long time before those horns would
have been bought, by the same, or by any other means. Let Capt. Gates
have full credit for all he did as he has passed away. He was a
faithful soldier, a genial friend.
Col. Brown went North on leave, in June, and Col. Carmichael was left
in charge.
June 19th Major Place was sent to Mount Pleasant near Charleston with
five companies of the regiment. And on the 24th the remainder of the
regiment joined the others at that camp.
Those men whose terms of service did not expire prior to Oct. 1st,
1865, were by general order transferred to the 54th N.Y. Veteran
Volunteers.
Mt. Pleasant was, before the war, a resort for Charleston people and
was then finely kept. When Co. G arrived there the place had a terribly
neglected appearance. There were many pests to annoy the boys, of the
day and of the night variety, so there was little comfort anywhere.
There were drunken negroes strolling about and drunken whites likewise,
and quarreling and fighting. It was a bad place for Co. G and the boys
longed to get away from the stenches and the fleas and bad society
generally, of the degenerated spot.
The muster-out rolls were completed and on the 10th of July the 157th
N.Y. Vols. were mustered out of the United States service. On the same
day they sailed for Hilton Head.
Co. G left Hilton Head, soldiers; they returned civilians. The freedom
of the town was offered the boys while waiting for transportation. Some
one in the regiment got into trouble, for which the whole of them were
to do penance. They were marched aboard a steamer and a schooner and
anchored two miles out in the harbor. They lay there four days rocked
on the bosom of the waters.
On the 15th of July the regiment were transferred to the steamers Gen.
Custer and Clyde and steamed for the North.
Co. G were with the party on the Gen. Custer, an old, worn-out hulk
with new paint and a newer name. Off Cape Hatteras the old trap
threatened to go down. Her crew were afraid she would go to the bottom.
The crew worked the pumps and the soldiers worked the pumps to keep
afloat. The winds raved and the boys kept on pumping until they
weathered the stormy cape. Who shall be so bold as to deny that the
buoyant hopes of Co. G did not lighten the vessel considerably?
On the 19th the boys landed at a North River dock in New York, and
marched to the Soldier's Rest on Howard St., and were fed.
July 20th, headed by their own band and escorted by policemen and small
boys, the regiment moved through Broadway. The men made a nice
appearance in clean uniforms, brasses and guns and the ladies smiled
upon them, and the men waved their hats to them, and their uncles,
Aaron, Levi and others who sold clothing cheap, sadly turned away, for
the boys were leaving the city.
A steamboat was waiting at the dock to carry the boys to Albany, where
they arrived safely early on the morning of July 21st.
It was then fix-up and prim-up, as the good people of Canastota had
obtained permission for the train carrying the boys, to stop at their
place.
Mike Miller once more drew out the well-thumbed picture of his
better-half, as was his usual custom mornings, kissed it and said,
"Goodt morning, oldt lady!" Then he proceeded to darken his mustache
with shoe-blacking.
Pete Cummings assumed a fresh paper collar, which he wore peacefully,
after Near had taken a commission with a colored regiment.
Jim Johnson carefully twisted the corners of his newly-born mustache.
Charley Ricker stretched himself, wondering if it would be necessary to
acclimate his sprouting beard and the six or eight inches of growth in
stature.
Steve Harrington had changed but little, unless to grow handsomer.
Doc White had lost much sleep worrying over John Miller, while Miller
sat quietly, but anxious, for he thought the slow-moving wheels of the
cars were geared wrong and they were running backward.
Amos Avery, Dan Betsinger and Nick Ecker, jolly as ever, enjoyed the
situation.
Jim McMaster "disremembered" seeing all the houses on the way down, as
he now, on his return, saw them from the other side.
Canastota people had but three hours in which to prepare the feast, but
the time was sufficient to collect a large supply of good things. The
chickens soon understood there were unusual doings in town; stores of
pies, cakes and doughnuts and boilers filled with hot coffee, were in
waiting.
At 2 p.m., the boys arrived. The men cheered, the women who wept when
they went away, wept at their return. The welcome is beyond the power
of a descriptive pen. So many hearts were glad, and, alas, many were
sad. All united in the grand reception.
The feast was on. Judge Barlow briefly addressed the regiment. Col.
Carmichael replied in a few well-chosen words. The colonel was proud of
his men.
How the good things disappeared. Two or three ladies were busy
attending Brock, who, with a half chicken in one hand, a piece of pie
in the other and a friedcake in his mouth, was trying to make a deaf
man understand just how it happened that enough rebels were left to
make a decent surrender.