THE MOVEMENT ON JACKSON.
Hardly had the news of the surrender become known to the regiment,
however, before orders came to break camp and prepare for field service
in light marching order.
This was in accordance with an order which General Sherman had received
directing him to take his own corps, the Fifteenth, the Ninth Corps,
to which was temporarily assigned General Smith's division of the
Sixteenth Corps, and the Thirteenth Corps, now under General Ord,
pursue Johnston, and capture or destroy his army. General Grant's order
read as follows: "I want you to drive Johnston out in your own way, and
inflict upon the enemy all the punishment you can. I will support you
to the last man that can be spared."
Before ten o'clock A. M., July 4th, Sherman's army was in motion, and
by various roads moving rapidly toward the Big Black river. Johnston,
finding himself suddenly an object of particular interest, commenced
a precipitate retreat toward Jackson, feebly disputing our advance
in some places where the ground was favorable. Upon the receipt of
marching orders the picket of the Thirty-sixth was hastily called in,
and the regiment was soon on the march to overtake the brigade, which
it did not do, however, until the next day.
A considerable part of the 6th was occupied by the regiment, and men of
other regiments in the brigade, in constructing a bridge across the Big
Black river at a place called Birdsongs Ferry. This was a good, strong
piece of work, and over it a large part of the army passed in safety.
General Ord's two divisions crossed at the railroad some distance
below, and the Fifteenth Corps at Messenger's Bridge.
From the 4th to the 10th of July the army pushed steadily on,
overcoming many obstacles, skirmishing sharply day and night with
Johnston's rear guard, and encountering sufferings from the heat and
exposure to sun and tempest and malarial swamps, that are well-nigh
indescribable. The rebels, as they retreated, poisoned the wells,
or killed animals in the ponds or streams, their putrid carcasses
rendering the water unfit for use. Such acts only reacted upon
themselves, for it enraged the army from the commanding general down to
the private soldier, and they would have saved themselves the pillage
and devastation that marked our line of march, had they adopted the
rules of honorable warfare. But it seemed, in their case, as if the old
proverb was true, that "whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make
mad."
The rapid advance of the army made it impossible for the supply-trains
to keep up, and for days the rations consisted of the unripe corn,
roasted in the husks. All fared alike, officers and men. The tents
and all the baggage, save blankets, had been left behind, and, during
this campaign of three weeks, the regiment slept with the sky for a
canopy, exposed to the deadly night-air and frequent tempests. Nights
when no humane man would drive a dog out of doors found this entire
army in the open field. Late in the afternoon of July 7th, while on the
march, a thunder-storm burst upon us that no man of this regiment, then
present, will ever forget, and one that the natives call the severest
known in that region for years. The storm came apparently from all
directions, and lasted over two hours. The lightning struck all around,
and the roar of thunder was incessant. The horses became terrified, and
officers were forced to dismount and lead them. The mud was ankle-deep,
and finally impeded the movement of the artillery, which stuck in the
roads up to the hubs and blocked the passage of the infantry. About
10 P.M. the storm lulled, and the regiment went into bivouac in an
open field, and the men were ordered to make themselves comfortable.
Then came a second edition of the storm,--if possible, worse than the
first,--and there, shelterless in that open field, the boys stood in
grim despair and let it pelt. Finally, with the stolid indifference of
desperation the men laid down in the mud of that old stubble-field and
made themselves comfortable. But all things come to an end, and so at
last did the storm, when the field was quickly ablaze with camp-fires,
and a dipper of hot coffee, innocent of milk or sugar, revived the
spirits of the men.
Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, is situated on the west or right
bank of the Pearl river, in a very fertile and pleasant region. Being
at the juncture of the Vicksburg and Meridian and Mississippi Central
Railroads, it is a position of great strategical importance. The State
House, which cost half a million dollars, Executive Mansion, State
Lunatic Asylum, and Penitentiary are the principal buildings; but
being the seat of government, as well as a considerable commercial
mart, there are many fine residences in the town and its suburbs. The
site of the town itself is rather level, but back of it the country is
undulating and well adapted for defence. It was expected that Johnston
had been preparing for the present emergency, and had fortified the
place extensively. The moral effect of the loss of the town would be
great, and the idea was quite prevalent that it would be desperately
defended. Indeed, as the army approached it, the more stubborn
resistance of Johnston's forces indicated that they intended to dispute
possession of their capital.
In the afternoon of July 10th the Ninth Corps came out into open
country in sight of the town. As the different regiments and batteries
debouched from the woods the colors were unfurled. It was a beautiful
sight, that "battle's magnificently stern array." The sun was about an
hour high, and its slanting rays glanced brightly from the muskets and
the brass field-pieces. A gentle breeze stirred the silken folds of
the standards, and made them float proudly and defiantly. Conspicuous
among them could be seen the white flag of Massachusetts, carried by
the Twenty-ninth, Thirty-fifth, and Thirty-sixth regiments. Sloping
away in front was the valley along which extends the track of the
Mississippi Central Railroad. Beyond, the ground rose gradually for
about an eighth of a mile, and the crest was crowned with a dense
wood, in the edge of which could be seen the rebel gray uniforms, and
the gleaming of bayonets. The lines were formed. The Thirty-sixth
Massachusetts held the extreme right of the First Division, having
on its left the remainder of the First Brigade, the Seventeenth and
Twenty-seventh Michigan, and the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania deployed as
skirmishers along the entire brigade front. On the right was Smith's
division of the Sixteenth Corps, and connecting with the Thirty-sixth
Massachusetts was the Forty-sixth Ohio. What a glorious sight! The
old Bay State, with Ohio on her right, and Michigan on her left,
Pennsylvania leading, about to close in conflict with Mississippi,
and far away on the right stretch the dark blue lines of Sherman's
veterans, famous in later times from "Atlanta to the Sea." And now
there was a pause, a silence that was ominous. Meanwhile, the intervals
were closed, and alignments rectified. Curiously we peered into the
distant wood, wondering whether it masked the rebel artillery. Where
could they find a better place to use grape and canister? In the rear
the splendid battery of the First Division was preparing for action.
Lieutenant Benjamin's famous twenty-pounder rifled Parrotts, Battery E,
Second United States Artillery, whose iron throats had carried dismay
and death into the rebel ranks in other fields, far away in Virginia,
Maryland, and North Carolina, were about to speak. Breathlessly all
awaited the puff and the angry flash. It came, and over the valley,
with a scream and whir-r-r, was hurled the iron messenger of death.
It struck exactly on the crest of the hill, and exploded. Scarcely
had the reverberation ceased, when the order was passed along the
line: "Battalion forward! Guide centre, march!" With a simultaneous
movement the lines advanced, slowly at first, but more rapidly as
they approached the railroad. Behind us the Parrotts were talking in
thunder tones that shook the very earth, and the shells were screaming
overhead. The gallant Forty-fifth crossed the railroad, and their thin
line was soon seen pushing up the hill. The Thirty-sixth followed in
steady line of battle. The suspense was awful. Why don't they open
fire? On the rebel side, save a few scattering Minies, that sang
harmlessly by, all was silent. Suddenly the men became enthusiastic.
With a "Hurrah," the men rushed up the hill. The rebels fired a
scattering volley, and fell back upon their second line. The wood was
gained, and with no loss. A few moments sufficed to re-form the lines,
which again moved forward, passing the State Lunatic Asylum,--a large,
white marble building, whose inmates, wild with the excitement of the
unusual scene, raved at the regiment from the iron-barred corridors. A
guard was placed upon the building, to protect the unfortunates. The
lines moved cautiously forward, until the skirmishers were checked, and
the rebel line developed. But the shades of night were now darkening
the landscape, and orders were received to establish a strong picket,
and hold the position until morning. Weary with the march and exciting
close of the day, all gladly improved the opportunity for rest, laid
down with loaded rifles by their side, or gathered in groups, and
discussed the events of the day, or speculated upon the morrow. And
some, alas! laid down that night to happy sleep, who, ere another came,
were lying in a soldier's grave. Save occasional sharp firing by the
pickets, the night passed quietly.
At three o'clock A.M. of the 11th the men were noiselessly aroused,
and coffee, prepared by the company cooks, was served out. With
the earliest streak of dawn the lines again moved forward, and the
skirmishing opened sharply. The rebels yielded ground stubbornly, but
were forced back into their main line of defence,--a formidable work
constructed of cotton bales. Here they opened a heavy fire of grape and
canister, against which it was impossible to advance. But not an inch
was yielded. The brigade laid flat on the ground, and the iron storm
passed over, doing little damage. The line was formed in a wood, in
front of which was an open field, the other side of which, about two
hundred yards distant, was held by the rebels, and their riflemen were
in trees, picking off our men, wherever exposed. The skirmishers of the
Forty-sixth Ohio suffered considerable loss, being less sheltered by
the wood than those of our brigade. Nothing farther could be done until
artillery could be brought up; but the ground was unfavorable for it,
and matters came to a pause.
Lieutenant Benjamin reconnoitred the ground and the position of the
enemy, but could not find any position which gave him room to work
his guns. All day the regiment lay under a constant and galling fire
awaiting orders.
Companies A and F were sent out to skirmish, relieving the Forty-fifth
Pennsylvania. Captain Draper was ordered to connect with the
skirmishers of Smith's division, who were said to be in position in a
wood at our right, and several hundred yards to the front. In our own
front was an open field, sloping toward the enemy's position. The two
companies promptly deployed, and went forward on the double-quick,
driving in the rebel pickets, only to find that the line supposed to
be General Smith's skirmishers was the rebel main line. They opened
fire, killing two and wounding six of Company F, who, with Company
A, returned the fire. Seeing that some mistake had been made, and to
prevent needless sacrifice, Captain Draper ordered a retreat, halting
at a point midway between the enemy's line and our own, where the
ground afforded some protection. Here the two companies held their
position nearly all day until relieved.
The rebels during this time were unable to send out any more pickets,
owing to our fire; but several adventurous men among them tried to
observe our movements, and take an occasional shot by climbing trees
inside their lines. Our boys had the good fortune to bring two or
three of them to the ground during the day, Sergeant Daniel Wright,
afterwards lieutenant, making one of the successful shots. The loss in
Company F was two killed and six wounded. George H. Ellis, of Milford,
one of the killed, was shot through the breast. This young man, the
only son of a widowed mother, was a favorite in his company and with
all who knew him. He had been acting as clerk at head-quarters until
just prior to the commencement of this movement, and by his cheerful
and gentlemanly conduct had won the regard of all the officers there.
His death was deplored by all. Amos Hoyt was also killed, shot through
the stomach. O. Howard, James Smith, T. L. Ellsworth, J. C. Higgins, D.
Perham, and E. W. Anson, were wounded. Company A, being less exposed,
met with no loss, though it also received a heavy fire from the rebel
sharp-shooters.
This loss in Company F can only be considered as an unnecessary one. No
impression was made upon the enemy; the main line was not advanced, for
the First Division was now close upon the enemy, and any advance would
have brought on a general engagement, which, it seems, General Sherman
did not desire. There was evidently some misunderstanding between
Generals Sherman and Parke, for the latter had made all his disposition
for an assault on the morning of the 11th. This may have been caused by
the check met with by the Thirteenth Corps, on the right. One division
of this corps, General Lauman's, had been roughly handled, and repulsed
with a loss of over five hundred men and some colors. The position of
Johnston's forces was stronger than had been expected, and his troops
fought well. There was much anxiety on the part of both Colonel Bowman,
commanding the brigade, and Lieutenant-Colonel Norton, commanding the
Thirty-sixth Regiment, when Companies A and F were ordered out without
supports, and only positive orders prevented Colonel Norton from going
out with his regiment to the support of these companies when it was
learned what their position was. If a reconnaissance was the object it
was eminently successful; but otherwise the brave advance of Company F
can only be cited as a proof of the good fighting qualities of the men,
and a credit to their discipline.
The skirmishers upon the right of the First Brigade were not more
than two rods in advance of the position held by the Thirty-sixth
Massachusetts, and it was with this line that Companies A and F were to
connect. There were some very dangerous intervals between the different
brigades, considering the near proximity of the rebel force, and only
good luck, or the concealment afforded by the woods, prevented their
being observed and taken advantage of by the enemy.
Toward night a thunder-squall came up, and for over an hour the battle
raged with even greater fury, the booming of man's artillery seeming
to vie with Heaven's. It was a perfect pandemonium of sound. The rain
fell in torrents, the lightning flashed, thunder pealed incessantly,
and shot and shell from the rebel guns fell and burst around. It
seemed as if "man fought on earth, and fiends in upper air." At four
P.M. Companies A and F were relieved by E and K. The latter had hardly
taken position when they were handsomely charged upon by the rebel
skirmishers, who were as handsomely repulsed, Captain Warriner being in
command of the picket. That night the men lay on their arms quietly,
and on the morning of the 12th the brigade was relieved by a brigade of
the Second Division, and marched to the rear, taking a position near
the Lunatic Asylum.
The movement now settled down into the nature of a siege. General
Sherman, being desirous of saving life, resolved upon regular
approaches by rifle-pits to force a surrender of the city. During the
12th and 13th the regiment lay quietly in the rear, resting and keeping
as cool as possible in the shelter of a piece of wood. Occasionally the
rebels would throw a thirty-two pound shot over into our neighborhood,
creating some excitement, but doing no harm.
On the 14th and 15th the regiment was again at the front, and occupied
the rifle-pits, Major Goodell being in command. No loss was suffered
during these two days, the men having good shelter and having learned
not to expose themselves unnecessarily. The heaviest fighting seemed
to be upon the extreme right, the lines of investment having the Pearl
river on both flanks.
Some exciting incidents occurred, from time to time, to vary the
monotony. One day the men of the Second Michigan lost their temper; and
with the idea, perhaps, of taking Jackson alone, made a gallant charge,
breaking through two lines of rebels, greatly to the astonishment of
the second line, whose arms were stacked and the men here and there,
not expecting callers. Not being supported, they were compelled to fall
back, which they did, very coolly, bringing their killed and wounded.
Even a battle is not without its laughable side. One day, while the
regiment was in reserve, the men occupied in various ways to kill time,
suddenly shouting and firing were heard on the right. The noise rapidly
increased and approached, and, its cause being doubtful, the men fell
in on the stacks. Presently there came dashing along a black pig, one
of the semi-wild species which wander about in this region, and had
rashly approached the lines, not being aware that pork was a favorite
dish. He met with a warm reception. A sharp fusillade was opened upon
him, and piggy fell, covered with glory, having almost attained the
honor of breaking through the lines of the Fifteenth Corps. Ere the
echo of his dying squeal had fairly ceased he was broiling in steaks
over the camp-fires.
July 12th news was received of the fall of Port Hudson, the battle of
Gettysburg, and the defeat of Lee. The cheering along the lines was
deafening, and the drooping spirits of all were roused by the glorious
tidings. Early on the morning of the 13th the rebels made a sudden
and vigorous sortie in front of Colonel Griffin's command. They were
repulsed with severe loss, and did not repeat the attempt.
On the 16th General Potter, with the Second Division and Smith's
division, made a reconnoissance. They advanced until the enemy
opened heavily with shell and canister, when they fell back, having
accomplished the desired end of discovering the exact position and
strength of the enemy. This day General Sherman received a large supply
of ammunition, of which he had run very short, and it was determined to
bombard the works and assault them on the 17th; but during the night
the enemy's artillery and wagons could be distinctly heard moving
through the town, and, when morning dawned, a white flag was seen on
the rebel earthworks. General Ferrero's brigade, in which was the
Thirty-fifth Massachusetts, entered Jackson, placed guards over the
public property, and sent out parties to pick up stragglers from the
retreating rebels. One thirty-two pounder was found in their works,
about one thousand stand of arms, and a large quantity of munitions of
war. One officer and one hundred and thirty-seven men were captured.
The railroad depot, and a few buildings containing public property,
were destroyed. The flag of the Thirty-fifth Massachusetts waved from
the dome of the capitol of Mississippi.
General Johnston, in his "Narrative" (page 209), says his army
retreated east, to Brandon, where some soldiers, who had been asleep
when he evacuated Jackson rejoined him late in the day, "and reported
that at the time they left Jackson, at seven or eight o'clock, the
enemy had not discovered his [Johnston's] retreat." This is incorrect.
In the report of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts, 1863, the
Thirty-fifth Massachusetts reports as follows: "_At about daylight_,
discovering that the enemy's works were evacuated, moved forward," etc.
The writer of these pages recorded, in a diary written on the spot, the
following: "_At daylight_ this morning the Second Division, being in
front, heard loud cheering, and learned that the rebels had evacuated
Jackson." In a letter written home at the time, I also find these
words: "_At six o'clock_ this morning it was found that the enemy had
abandoned Jackson, and General Ferrero's brigade _at once_ entered the
city." Certainly this should dispose of the charge of lack of vigilance
on our part. It seems that these men did not report how they got
across Pearl river, the bridges of which were destroyed by Johnston's
rear guard before daylight, and if they were not aroused by their own
comrades movements it is not very strange that the retreat was not
discovered by our pickets. In this engagement Johnston had about 28,000
by his own admission,[3] though the rebel Secretary of War reported
his force at 34,000. Johnston reported his army drawn from different
commands, as follows: From Pemberton, 9,831; Bragg, 7,939; Beauregard,
6,283; in all, 24,053. He also had a force of about 2,500 cavalry under
General Jackson. These figures are no doubt nearly correct. The lines
around Jackson were defended by these troops in four divisions,--the
right, under General Loring, extending from Pearl river to the Canton
road; General Walker's division, from the Canton road to across the
Clinton road; General French's division, from the Clinton road to
the New Orleans Railroad, and the left, under General Breckenridge,
extended from the railroad to the river. That part of the line held by
General Walker was in front of the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts.
[3] Johnston's "Narrative," page 195.
General Johnston reported his loss in the battle 71 killed, 504
wounded, and 25 missing. As we captured 138 prisoners, there seems to
be a wide discrepancy between their _missing_ and our _captures_. It
is, therefore, quite probable that the rebel losses were much greater
than their general admits in killed and wounded.
The losses on our part, according to General Sherman's report, were
as follows: Thirteenth Corps, 762 killed wounded, and missing; Ninth
Corps, 37 killed, 258 wounded, 33 missing; Fifteenth Corps, a few;
number not stated. General Sherman also adds that he captured, in all,
over 1,000 prisoners during the battle. These captures must have been
made by the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Corps. The latter, Sherman's own
corps, consisted of the First and Third Divisions, under Generals
Steele and Tuttle, and held the centre; the Thirteenth Corps, as before
remarked, being on the right. Why this fine corps, the Fifteenth, was
held back, and allowed to take so little part in this battle, as is
evident from their slight loss, is among the mysteries of the war.
The battle seemed to be one of disjointed attacks, first in one place
and then another. It was the general opinion among the officers that
a simultaneous and vigorous assault of Johnston's lines on the first
day of the fight would have carried them. It is possible that General
Sherman feared to risk the consequences of a repulse so far from any
base or reinforcements. The movement up to the attack upon Jackson was
a bold one, and boldly pushed. Much dissatisfaction was expressed that
an affair that might have been settled in a day should have dragged
along a week in this most trying season of the year for such work.
General Johnston felt well satisfied to be able to draw off his army
safely from what might have been made a second Vicksburg.
It was hoped that the capture of Jackson would be the close of the
campaign, the impolicy of pursuing a demoralized enemy further at
this season being apparent to all. But there was hard work yet to do.
Scarcely was it known that the city was in possession of our forces ere
marching orders were received, and together with the other regiments of
the First Division the Thirty-sixth marched about eight miles north, to
a place called Grant's Mills, where we bivouacked for the night. Early
on Saturday, the 18th, we marched five miles and struck the Mississippi
Central Railroad. During this day and until ten A.M. of the 19th the
regiment was engaged in destroying this railroad. Tough work it would
have been, even in the coolest weather and under the most favorable
circumstances; but under a burning July sun, with no shelter, the work
was terribly exhausting. The method of proceeding was to tear up the
rails and lay them crosswise with alternate rows of sleepers. When a
pile was built as high as the rails could be lifted, a fire was kindled
beneath, and the rails, red-hot, were warped and ruined by the weight
of the mass of rails and sleepers above. Another way was to heat the
middle of a rail red hot and twist it around a tree. In this way about
ten miles of this railroad were destroyed by the division in two days,
rendering a main line of transportation useless and seriously crippling
the rebel communications.
At noon of the 19th, after setting fire to a depot which burned like a
tinder-box, we commenced the return march to Jackson. The fatigues and
sufferings of this march were partially forgotten in the glad tidings
which there awaited us, that the Ninth Corps was under orders to
proceed North at once.
At three A.M., July 20th, the regiment was on the march, and with the
exception of a halt from eleven A.M. to three P.M. marched till dark,
in all a distance of eighteen miles.
In recalling this day and the one following no man of the Thirty-sixth
can fail to be overcome with the memories to which it will give rise.
The regiment was a mere wreck. When it halted for the night, on the
20th, one man of Company E dropped down and died of exhaustion, and
while on the march one of Company H died from the same cause in an
ambulance. When the regiment halted at noon of the 21st it did not
stack one hundred guns, and, for no apparent reason whatever, on these
two days, the regiment marched a distance of thirty-two miles. The
heat and dust were overpowering, and officers forgot all discipline
and straggled with the rest. The ambulance and teams were crowded with
exhausted men. At nine P.M. of the 21st the regiment halted about a
mile from the Big Black river, bivouacking in a cornfield; a delightful
place in some respects, because lying between the hills one could not
easily roll out of bed, and the savory diet on which the regiment had
regaled for about three weeks could be picked in all its luxuriance
from the bed-posts. The single objection to cornstalks two or three
inches in diameter for bedding is that they have a depressing influence
upon the bones of the hips and back.
July 22d the regiment did not move until noon, and then only four
miles, crossing the Big Black river, and camped in a shady wood, with
plenty of water at hand. It appeared to have dawned upon some one
in command of this division or corps that there is a limit to man's
endurance. July 23d _reveillé_ was sounded at two A.M. and, marching at
four, we pushed on rapidly, the day being unusually comfortable, and at
eleven o'clock A.M., after a march of fourteen miles, arrived at the
old camp at Milldale.
The condition of the regiment at this time was miserable indeed.
Sixteen cases of small-pox and varioloid, three being officers, were
under treatment, and the regimental hospital was filled with sick. The
adjutant's morning report of July 24th was as follows: 6 officers and
98 men present sick, and 63 men absent in hospitals, 25 officers and
343 men present for duty.
It was a season of general depression among all, and the only thing
to relieve the gloom was the prospect of a speedy departure for the
North,--an event most anxiously awaited and desired. To add to the
general discouragement, a number of officers of the regiment who had
resigned received their discharge. Colonel Bowman, Lieutenant-Colonel
Norton, and Lieutenants Tucker and Holbrook left for the North August
2d, making six officers lost to the regiment since its arrival in
Mississippi. Major Goodell took command of the regiment July 30th. The
resignation of Colonel Bowman left the brigade in command of Colonel
David Morrison, of the Seventy-ninth New York "Highlanders," and the
brigade was now composed of the Seventy-ninth New York, Forty-fifth
Pennsylvania, Eighth and Seventeenth Michigan, and Thirty-sixth
Massachusetts,--the entire brigade numbering hardly five hundred men
fit for service.