The Siege of Knoxville, Tennessee.
The site occupied by the City of Knoxville, which we were to defend,
was in front of a plateau of about half a mile in width, running
parallel to and near the Holston River. This plateau was intersected
by three creeks, First, Second and Third, giving the position the
appearance of separate hills. First Creek separated Knoxville from East
Knoxville, or Temperance Hill; Second Creek separated the town from
College Hill; and Third Creek ran into the river beyond our lines.
To the north and west of the town the plateau descended gradually to
a valley or basin of about three-quarters of a mile in width, beyond
which was a small plateau similar to the one just described, and of
about the same height. On this ridge the enemy's forces were stationed,
with their batteries at prominent points.
The line of defence established commenced at a point on the river and
ran at nearly right angles with the river to a fort which the enemy had
commenced on a hill north of the Kingston road and about a thousand
yards in front and to the right of the College. From this point it ran
along and nearly parallel to the river, across Second and First Creeks,
over Temperance Hill to Mabey's Hill near to Bell's house, thence to
the Holston River.
Our forces at this time in Knoxville numbered about twelve thousand
effective men, exclusive of the new recruits of loyal Tennesseeans. The
enemy was estimated at from twenty to twenty-three thousand, including
cavalry.
In the line of our defence occurred the following strategic points:
College, Loudon, Summit, Temperance, and Mabey's Hills, all of them
of considerable height, and upon these hills were built forts of
varying strength, those upon Loudon, Summit, and Temperance Hills being
bastioned earthworks, protected by ditches of considerable depth and
width, while those upon the other hills were merely earthworks without
ditches. The parapets of all these forts were protected by cotton
bales, covered with raw hides.
Upon Loudon Hill was constructed by far the most important work of the
entire system. As has before been intimated, this fort was commenced by
the enemy before Knoxville was occupied by the Army of the Ohio. From
its strategic situation, coupled with the fact that the single assault
made by the enemy upon our lines during the siege of Knoxville was upon
this fort, when a force of less than three hundred men successfully
repelled and disastrously defeated nearly four thousand picked men from
Gen. Longstreet's army, it would seem to require a somewhat detailed
account of its principal features.
There have been several different ideas expounded in relation to the
build of Fort Sanders (called by the enemy Fort Loudon); the atlas
accompanying the War Records has been taken as the most accurate one,
but that differs very materially from what was built as Fort Sanders.
Capt. Poe, Chief Engineer of the Army of the Ohio, laid out the works
in quite an elaborate style, but on our arrival at Knoxville we went
to work on the old fort that the Confederates had started, on Loudon
Hill. The bastion on the extreme northwest corner was where the members
of our battery put in hard labor with pick and shovel, and when it was
completed we had a good defensible work. Perhaps it was not not quite
up to the engineer's idea; every fort is expected to have a berme, ours
did not; the western face of the bastion was as near a straight line as
possible; the line from the bastion running to the Kingston road took a
slight curve outward (or towards the west).
The following are the dimensions as we knew them at that time, and by
actual measurements:
Starting at the northwest corner of the bastion it ran about south four
hundred feet, then east one hundred and thirty-five feet, then south
to the Kingston road, six hundred and seventy feet; from the northwest
corner of the bastion running east one hundred and fifteen feet, then
southeast eighty feet, then in an easterly direction until it reached
the creek at the foot of the hill.
When we arrived at the fort it was simply a rifle-pit, but in two or
three days it was in good shape. The irregularity of the site was such
that the parapets of the bastion varied in height, the one on the north
being thirteen feet, while the western front was twelve feet. The ditch
on the west was twelve feet wide and eight feet deep; on the north
it was eight feet deep at the corner of the bastion, and ran back to
almost nothing at the northeast angle; on the south side of the bastion
the ditch ran from eight feet deep to about a level where it joined the
line running south. There was one embrasure on the west and one on the
north side of the bastion. On the northwest angle the ground was built
up so that a gun could be fired in barbette.
The line running south was quite heavy, where it joined the bastion,
and had four embrasures, which were occupied by Benjamin's regular
battery. As the line ran down the hill it was lighter, being about
four feet with no ditch, or only a slight one where dirt had been
thrown up from the outside, except in two places where the ground
inside the breastworks had been dug lower to allow a piece of artillery
to be placed and an embrasure cut in.
In front of the northwest angle of the bastion Capt. Poe had some
telegraph wire stretched from stump to stump. Some time after the siege
was over a fort was built south of the bastion, so as to command the
ditch on the west, but during the siege there was no line of fire that
could enfilade the ditch on the west side of the bastion.
During the siege the Seventy-ninth New York had a plank laid over the
ditch from the embrasure on the west, which they used in going to and
from the picket line, and when the enemy was looking for a good place
to assault the works, they saw some men of the Seventy-ninth crossing
on this plank, and came to the conclusion that there was no ditch in
front of the bastion. Gens. Longstreet and McLaw both speak about this
in their report of the siege and assault.
All of the large forts, such as Sanders, on Loudon Hill, Comstock, on
Summit Hill, Huntington Smith, on Temperance Hill, were connected by a
line of rifle-pits; on and near this line were built batteries for from
one to six guns, which could command both a direct and enfilading fire
for a considerable distance in their vicinity. Battery Noble, located
to the left of the Kingston road, below College Hill; Battery Zoelner,
to the right of Fort Sanders, commanded the railroad for a considerable
distance on the left of Second Creek; Battery Galpin, on the right of
Second Creek, overlooked the railroad for a considerable distance;
Batteries Wiltsie and Billingsley were located between Gay street and
First street, covering the ground near the depot and beyond; Battery
Clifton Lee, east of Fort Huntington Smith, together with Battery
Fearns, on Flint Hill, were in the second line of defence; Battery
Stearman was located in the gorge between Temperance and Mabey's Hills;
Fort Hill, the extreme north-eastern limit of our line, was situated
upon Mabey's Hill.
It must be remembered that upon the morning of the army's arrival at
Knoxville, Nov. 17th, almost none of the immense work contemplated
in the line of defence which we have been considering, was begun. As
fast as troops arrived and were assigned to their positions, they were
ordered to select either a shovel or pick and dig for all there was in
them.
Early in the morning Gen. Burnside, in order to relieve his exhausted
troops, and also hurry along the work as rapidly as possible, had
started patrols through different parts of the town with orders to
arrest every able-bodied citizen, white or black, Union or Confederate,
and put them at work on the fortifications. Relief gangs were
organized, and the work continued night and day.
By the 20th our line was in such a condition as to inspire the entire
command with confidence that we could hold the town against any rebel
force that might be brought against us. First and Second Creeks had
been dammed, the back water creating quite large ponds, the overflow
from which made most formidable wet ditches in front of a considerable
portion of the line.
The pieces of Battery D remained in Fort Sanders from their arrival
until the 20th, when the right piece, right section, under Lieut.
W.B. Rhodes, was moved into what afterwards became Battery Noble. The
lieutenant felt that he would like to take both pieces of his section,
and asked permission of Gen. Ferrero to do so, but the general refused,
giving as his reason that "he thought one piece quite enough to be
sacrificed." This remark, overheard as it was by the men, created
in their minds the impression that in the general's opinion he was
placing them in an extra-hazardous position, and they were constantly
on the alert expecting an assault down the Kingston road.
On Wednesday, the 18th, the men of our battery, together with those
from Benjamin's, and a large detail of citizens, commenced active labor
upon the ditch and bastion of the fort. During the afternoon we were
joined by the Seventy-ninth New York Highlanders. Lieut. Benjamin,
who was appointed to the command of Fort Sanders, had requested that
this regiment be assigned to duty as defenders of the fort, and it had
been so ordered. While all of the regiments of the Ninth Corps had the
thorough confidence of their comrades of the artillery service, the old
Seventy-ninth was held in especial esteem because of its long service,
and it was very gratifying to have them with us in the fort.
The work upon the fort was pushed forward with the greatest rapidity.
The men were arranged in details and required to work a certain number
of hours, then allowed a certain number for rest. In this way there was
no cessation in the work.
The morning of Tuesday, the 19th, opened dull and cloudy. A heavy fog
obscured the valley below the fort, and occasional picket shots made
us very anxious that the mist should clear, that we might locate our
enemy. The previous afternoon he had made his appearance upon the
heights in the vicinity of the Armstrong house, where he had been held
at bay for several hours by a force of mounted infantry and cavalry,
under command of Gen. Sanders, of the Twenty-third Corps.
Gen. Longstreet had ordered Gen. McLaw to force his way into the town,
and sent reinforcements to enable him to do so. Our troops were finally
forced down into the ravine below the Armstrong house, and the enemy
getting within easy range of our guns at the fort, both batteries
improved the opportunity to shell them.
Gen. Burnside was in the fort at the time, and watched the battle over
the parapet. He went from point to point along the west front, speaking
encouragingly to the men, advising them to "keep cool, fire low, and be
sure and hit something every time."
Towards evening the enemy ceased his efforts to push us further,
seemingly contenting himself with occupying the heights in front of the
Armstrongs. When the fog cleared we found that during the night the
enemy had occupied a range of hills running from a point on the river
south of the Armstrong house, thence along our west and north front to
a point on Second Creek, while their pickets extended nearly to the
Farwell road. A little later they established a battery upon this road
and from it threw the first shells into the city. This line of the
enemy was from three-fourths to one mile distant from our works, and as
it became light enough we could plainly see their men at work throwing
up breastworks for almost the entire length of their line.
All day long the pickets kept up a constant exchange of shots, which
near the Armstrong house assumed the proportions of a fair-sized battle
on several occasions during the day.
In the afternoon we raised a flagstaff in the fort and in a short time
a flag was unfurled and heartily greeted by the men with cheers. The
enemy desiring to honor the occasion, opened a furious cannonading upon
the fort, fortunately doing us no damage. During this, the second day
of the siege, bullets began to sing right merrily over the parapets
and through the embrasures of the fort, a music which we were obliged
to listen to day and night from this on for the seventeen days of the
continuance of the siege.
The morning of Friday, the 20th, was cool and misty. The enemy had been
very quiet during the night and allowed us to get a full night's rest;
but at nine o'clock, when the new pickets made their appearance, they
increased the vigor of their fire, causing the relieved men to hustle
for all they were worth to get inside the fort.
During the afternoon bales of cotton had been hauled into the fort from
the town, and gangs of negroes were employed to roll them onto the
parapets for the better protection of the men. The interior crest being
only about four feet above the banquette tread, the upper part of the
bodies of the infantry were exposed to the enemy's fire. The bales of
cotton were covered with raw hides to prevent their being ignited from
musket fire. It began raining during the afternoon, and continued well
into the night, and, as we were without tents, it made our situation
rather uncomfortable.
A brick house on the Kingston road in the ravine below the Armstrong
house had become a source of annoyance to our men; the rebel
sharpshooters occupying it had from the windows kept up a most
disastrous fire upon our pickets and the fort, the distance being about
five hundred yards.
Gen. Ferrero determined to destroy this building, that it should
furnish no further protection to the enemy, and ordered Col. Humphrey,
commanding the brigade in its front to detail a regiment to proceed
under cover of darkness of the evening, dislodge the enemy from the
house and burn it. The Seventeenth Michigan, under command of Lieut.
Col. Comstock, was chosen for this dangerous and difficult work.
The sortie was made at eight o'clock in the evening, so quietly and
with such alacrity as to completely surprise the enemy. Many of them
were captured, while others had very narrow escapes, such as taking
advantage of the opening of a door by one of our men to slip under his
arm and escape. This was not an easy thing to do, as many found, quite
a number losing their lives in the attempt.
As our men were returning from this successful assault the enemy
seemed to suddenly realize what had happened, and opened furiously
upon our lines with three or four batteries; but by that time our
troops were back within the works, the light from the burning building
enabling both infantry and artillery to pour a most destructive
fire into the enemy's line, who, by half-past nine, confessed their
willingness to call it enough for this day, by discontinuing their
firing.
Work upon the rifle-pits and north front of Fort Sanders was continued
during Saturday, Nov. 21st, strengthening them in every possible way.
We were not molested by the rebels, and nothing worthy of mention
occurred during the day.
A rumor reached the battery about noon that the enemy had commenced the
construction of a raft at Boyd's Ferry, some distance above Knoxville,
on the Holston River, which they proposed setting adrift, hoping that
it would carry away our pontoon bridge, and thus break our connection
with the south side. At five o'clock in the afternoon Chief Engineer
Poe commenced the construction of a boom, made by stretching an iron
cable across the river above the bridge. This cable was finished and
placed in position by nine o'clock on the next morning.
Sunday, Nov. 22d, was passed quietly. Up to this time the pickets
had been relieved about nine o'clock in the morning, but as many
of the men had been badly wounded while performing this duty, the
commanding officer decided to change the time for doing this work,
to early morning before light, and this Sunday morning was chosen to
make this change. The wire entanglement which had just been completed
on the northwest in front of Fort Sanders, proved its efficacy upon
this occasion, for notwithstanding the men of the relief party were
perfectly familiar with its existence, nearly one-half their number
were sent to the ground before they were reminded of the entanglement.
On Monday, Nov. 23d, two pieces of Battery D were moved from their
positions on the northern portion of Fort Sanders, and placed in
Battery Galpin, a small earthwork upon the eastern side of Second
Creek. From this point they covered a considerable extent of territory,
reaching from the pond made by the damming of Second Creek, along the
railroad to the west and north for several hundred yards.
The section had but just reached this position when the enemy made
an assault on Col. Christ's brigade, driving in his skirmish line,
who, as they were driven back, set fire to a considerable quantity of
combustible material which had been placed in the large round-house
for just such an emergency. This fire soon communicated with adjacent
buildings, and created an illumination which enabled our troops to see
the entire field. This was not satisfactory to the rebels, and they
soon retired.
Tuesday, Nov. 24th, it began raining at daylight. During the night
the rebels had dug and occupied a rifle-pit which gave them a flank
fire along our west front. This proved very troublesome, and it was
decided that it must be stopped if possible. As soon as it was light
enough to see, the Second Michigan made a charge on the enemy's new
line at this point. The brave men of this regiment formed near the
ditch of our fort, pushed rapidly forward, reached the objectionable
ditch and had nearly destroyed it, when the enemy hurled a very heavy
reserve force against them and drove them back. Further to the right
a second determined assault was made by the Forty-first Massachusetts
and the Forty-eighth Pennsylvania, our men driving the enemy from the
rifle-pits and taking many prisoners.
On Wednesday, Now 25, the enemy made a determined effort to push
forward their lines on the south side of the Holston River. It was
evidently his desire to force us from our position opposite Knoxville.
This would have given him the key to our position, and made it
untenable for us.
Thursday, Nov. 26th, the work of strengthening our works continued, and
all of the intrenching tools were kept busy.
On Friday, Nov. 27th, the enemy still appeared to threaten our troops
on the south side of the river, moving their forces from one part of
their line to another, but did not attack us.
Saturday, Nov. 28th, opened cold and rainy. The water in and around
the fort formed into quite heavy ice during the night, while men
woke with a coating of ice on their clothing which occasioned them
much inconvenience in moving about. All the afternoon the enemy were
moving large bodies of troops towards our right, constantly pushing
our pickets nearer our works. In front of the northwest angle of Fort
Sanders our picket line was only a few yards from the fort.
That the assault was near at hand, and must come in a few hours, we
were all certain. That every one was on the alert was proven when at
about ten o'clock in the evening a general alarm was sounded; our
artillery immediately opened from Battery D's section at Battery
Galpin, under Lieut. Parker, around Fort Sanders to Battery Noble,
occupied by the right piece of Battery D, under Lieut. Rhodes.
Our fire at this time was only continued for a short time, ceasing
as soon as we ascertained that the enemy were not coming. One of the
greatest difficulties labored under by us was the absolute necessity of
using the closest economy with regard to ammunition.
This ten o'clock attack had been for the purpose of driving in our
pickets close under the fort, where they now lay. This enabled the
enemy to advance within one hundred yards of our guns, and at that
moment they were lying in a depression a short distance from the
northwest angle of the bastion of the fort, waiting for the first dawn
of day that they might rush on to what?--victory, they thought, but we
had quite a different idea, and our idea was nearer right than theirs.
By five o'clock on Sunday morning, Nov. 29th, every man in our line had
been aroused, and was occupying his position, either at the parapets
or embrasures. The third piece of our battery was located on the north
side of the fort some two hundred feet from the bastion; the fifth
piece was located on the line running south about one hundred and fifty
feet from the Kingston road; while the fourth had been mounted in the
northwestern bastion, in barbette. This gun, under command of Sergt.
Chas. C. Gray, was by far the most serviceable in the fort on that
morning, as will be seen as our story progresses.
All of the guns were loaded with double canister, and at half-past
five the cannoneers were at their posts in the position of "Ready,"
every number four holding his lanyard taut, ready to pull at a second's
warning, and send the gun's charge of death into the ranks of the enemy.
It was a minute or two of half-past six when a signal gun was fired
from the rebel battery near the Armstrong house, the shell passing over
Fort Sanders and exploding in its rear. Instantly all the artillery in
the enemy's line opened, and for twenty minutes poured a furious fire
of shot and shell into and beyond the fort.
Suddenly the firing ceased, and the cannoneers who were straining their
eyes trying to pierce the gloom and mist of the early winter's morning,
saw our pickets hurry across the plank which gave them passage over
the deep ditch through the embrasure into the fort, and rapidly fall
into their places. Then we were certain that there was work before us.
At this instant the first gun in the fort to fire--Sergt. Gray's--was
discharged.
During the twenty minutes cannonading by the enemy not a gun had
been fired from our side, every man having been cautioned to reserve
his fire until he could see or hear the enemy. Soon the cannoneers
caught the sound as of the rushing of many feet, followed quickly by a
confused sound as the rebels encountered the wire entanglement, over
which many of them stumbled and fell. Then we saw them coming through
the mist, and greeted them with the contents of our double-shotted guns.
Sergt. Gray soon discovered that the position of his gun (in barbette)
was a failure, because of the ease with which the rebel infantry could
prevent his men from loading the piece--they being obliged to expose a
considerable portion of their bodies in the performance of that duty.
Ordering the piece taken down from its elevated position, the sergeant
had it run into the embrasure upon his right, from which he rapidly
poured round after round of canister among the mass of rebels that were
charging the bastion on the north side.
Either the rapid and terribly destructive work of this gun, or the
desire of the enemy to find some easier way of entering the fort,
caused them to swing away from this point around to the western front,
and soon our sergeant noticed that there was apparently no enemy in his
front. Not being of the kind to throw away ammunition, and having in
mind the necessity for observing economy in its use, after taking the
precaution to load the piece with double canister, and have the number
four affix his friction primer, with the lanyard held taut in his hand,
he awaited events.
It was only a moment before the head and shoulders of a rebel officer
appeared above the brow of the ditch, who, after a hurried glance
around, sprang into the embrasure, rushed up to the muzzle of the gun
and placing his sword upon it, ordered its surrender. William Mills,
the number four, turned to his sergeant and asked, "Charlie, shall I
let him have it?" "No," replied Gray, "don't waste a double round
of canister on one d----d fool." Not long, however, did the sergeant
have to wait for more victims. Before his words were hardly spoken
three more brave rebels had followed their leader. Gray gave the order
to "Fire!" and when the smoke cleared away not a vestige of the four
heroes who had stood before that gun a moment before remained.
This seemed to quiet the enemy on the northern front of the bastion,
but a fresh column now commenced a furious assault upon the western
front, the noise and confusion of which attracted the attention of
Sergt. Gray, who, glancing around to the embrasure in his rear,
discovered that the gun from a New York battery, which occupied it, was
evidently in trouble. Hurrying across, he ascertained that the horses
had run away with the limber, thus depriving the gun of ammunition.
Sergt. Gray had the gun replaced with his own, and during the remainder
of the battle, ably and heroically supported by the men of the fourth
detachment, did such efficient service that although many desperate
attempts were made to drive them from their position, none were
successful.
Benjamin's twenty-pound Parrotts had opened fire at the same moment
with our own, and were sweeping the opposite side of the glacis with
double canister.
The infantry support in Fort Sanders consisted of the Seventy-ninth
New York and two companies of the Twenty-ninth Massachusetts. These
men were posted along the parapets and angles of the fort, every place
that would afford opportunity for a shot at our assailants being fully
occupied. Full cartridge-boxes, with hundreds of extras, were placed in
front of each man, to facilitate the most rapid work. Men who could not
find a place in the line were employed to load muskets and pass them to
their comrades who were in position.
Soon we were in the midst of the very hottest work, the enemy charging
in "Column by division, closed en masse," and although the entanglement
prostrated many, the weight of the column carried them over it to
the edge of the ditch, the formidableness of which caused them to
momentarily hesitate. Then it was that the terrific fire from the
double-shotted guns of our artillery and closely posted infantry,
delivered almost in their faces--not ten yards distant--caused them to
melt away as grass before the mower's scythe, and jump into the ditch
for safety; but, alas! no sooner had they reached the ditch than Lieut.
Benjamin had some of his twenty-pound Parrott ammunition with fifteen
second fuses brought into the bastion of the fort, and lighting the
fuses with a burning stick they threw them through the embrasures or
rolled them down the parapets into the ditch.
Acts of heroism followed each other in rapid succession; the brave
rebels were making every effort to scale the twenty feet from the
bottom of the ditch to the parapet, under the greatest difficulties;
digging with their fingers into the slippery surface they would raise
themselves up the embankment for a short distance, only to lose their
hold and slide back into the ditch; and if perchance one did reach the
top without being shot on the way up, the moment his head showed above
the parapet it would be pierced with a bullet, and back he would roll
into the ditch. Two or three times the enemy succeeded in reaching the
top of the parapet, upon which they placed their flags, but they were
instantly killed.
An incident illustrative of the fierceness with which this battle was
fought is described in the "History of the Seventy-ninth New York
(Highlanders)": "Sergeant Dunn, of Company K, owing to the excitement,
had forgotten to withdraw his ramrod when he last loaded his piece, and
it was fired with the charge. On attempting to reload he was unable to
ram home the cartridge. Two of the enemy were making their appearance
above the crest, within six feet of him; clubbing his rifle he flung it
at them, but failed to hit either. No other piece was within reach, his
companions were busy with their own work; the enemy were nearly upon
him; time was precious. Looking hastily about he espied an axe; it was
but the work of a moment to seize it, swing it above his head, and hurl
it at the approaching foe. It hit and knocked one down, while the other
fell at the same instant, pierced by a bullet."
It was now apparent that the enemy had enough, for their main attacking
force had been driven back under the protection of the depression just
in front of the bastion of the fort, and those in the ditch could not
stand the havoc which the shells that were thrown over the parapet were
making, so one of them stuck a piece of cloth on his gun and poked it
up in front of the embrasure, a signal that they surrendered.
Sergt. Gray stepped into the embrasure and commenced to pass what men
there were left through. In taking their arms and equipments he soon
found some men with artillery equipments on, who, when questioned,
allowed they had been sent up to work our guns; but as we were not
in need of recruits, they were sent to the rear with the rest of the
prisoners.
About this time the enemy's artillery again opened on the fort, but
ceased in a few minutes, when Gen. Burnside offered the enemy an
armistice lasting until noon, to allow them to care for their wounded
and to bury their dead, which was promptly accepted.
How thankful they were to be relieved from their terrible position may
be imagined when it is remembered that for fully an hour most of them
had been exposed to as terrific and deadly a fire as ever fell to the
lot of a soldier to endure. Every stump within the northern and western
glacis of the fort yielded from one to two rebels, while those in
the ditch still alive and not too severely wounded, made haste to get
within the fort.
"Yanks" and "Rebs" were soon fraternizing, discussing the events of
the past few weeks. It was then we learned that our enemy had been
told they had only new troops opposed to them, who would run at the
first fire, and could be swept away from their front with very little
effort. Their confidence in this story had been somewhat shaken after
their encounter with us at Campbell's Station, when they discovered
the old Ninth Corps was in their front. They were as familiar with the
fighting qualities of this corps as we were with theirs, and began to
realize that our encounters would very likely resemble the traditional
one "when Greek meets Greek." They had been told that Fort Sanders was
garrisoned only by Tennessee conscripts, and all they had to do was to
yell like devils and they would run. Considerable bluffing was indulged
in on both sides. They informed us that they were coming again soon,
and when they did the boot would be on the other leg. We assured them
that we would be glad to see them at any time, and guaranteed them a
warm reception.
When noon arrived it was found that the work was not nearly completed,
and the time was extended until five o'clock. On the arrival of that
hour each side retired within its lines, our pickets occupying the
rifle-pits from which they had been driven the night before.
The loss of the enemy in their attack upon Fort Sanders, as taken from
their own reports, was 129 officers and men killed, 458 wounded, and
228 prisoners, an aggregate loss of 815. Besides this we captured three
battle-flags, and between five and six hundred stand of small arms.
Monday, Nov. 30th, the thirteenth day of the siege, opened with much
less firing from the pickets. It was said that during the armistice of
Sunday the soldiers on both sides had entered into an agreement not to
fire on each other's pickets.
Tuesday, Dec. 1st, some time before daylight an alarm sent every man
to his post, where they remained until sunrise, when, as there was no
demonstration on the part of the enemy, the men were dismissed. During
the afternoon there were indications from within the enemy's lines of
another attack. We made ready to receive them, but happily it did not
materialize.
Wednesday, Dec. 2d, the enemy pushed forward their lines, their pickets
very nearly reaching the advanced position occupied by them on the
morning of the 19th. They could be seen erecting a new battery on a
hill near the Clinton road. We sent a few shells at them, but the
necessity of observing the closest economy in regard to our ammunition
still continued, obliging us to use it very sparingly.
At daylight, Thursday, Dec. 3d, it became evident to us that the enemy
were leaving our front, and rumors of the abandonment of the siege were
current in the fort, much to our relief. Probably for the purpose of
deceiving us, a rattling picket fire was maintained by the enemy well
into the night, which kept us at our posts, much to our disgust.
Friday, Dec. 4th, the news that Gen. Sherman was advancing with an army
of forty thousand men, and that his advance had crossed the Tennessee
River the day before, made us all very happy, and when, at one o'clock
Saturday morning, our pickets reported that the enemy were leaving our
front, our joy knew no bounds. At daylight our skirmish line advanced
and found that the enemy had departed.
The siege of Knoxville was over.
It is customary to date the commencement of this struggle between the
Union and Confederate forces, on the 17th of November, that being the
date on which the Union army entered Knoxville and began the erection
of the defences.
A careful consideration of the movements occurring a few days just
previous to that date, will convince anyone that the siege practically
commenced on the 13th, the date upon which Gen. Longstreet reached
Loudon, attacked our pickets, and moved down the Tennessee River to
Hough's Ferry. From that moment until midnight Dec. 5th, there was
no cessation, day or night, from deadly encounters, varying from the
picket or skirmish fire, to that of the pitched battle, in which record
will show as many men lost in killed, wounded and missing, as in any
battle of the war where the numbers engaged were equal.
Commencing also on the 13th, the soldiers of this army were called
upon to endure an amount of physical and mental strain such as men
have seldom been called upon to pass through. Battery D's experience
during this trying time was an average one. The record of its daily
participation in the struggle of those three weeks is one of which its
officers and men are justly proud. Not only were the members of the
battery complimented by the commanding general for the excellence of
their service, but individual members were specially complimented and
praised in reports by other officers.
The faithful and intelligent serving of the fourth gun, in its two
positions at the northwestern bastion of Fort Sanders, was acknowledged
to have been of greater service in repelling the enemy from that
section than any other piece of artillery; and when Gen. Burnside
visited the fort with his staff soon after the flag of truce had been
accepted, he personally shook hands with every member of the fourth
piece, and thanked them for the gallant manner in which they had done
their duty, and directed Capt. Buckley to apply at once to the Governor
of Rhode Island for a commission for Sergt. Gray.
The first piece, under Lieut. Rhodes, had done excellent work from
Battery Noble; the second and sixth, under Lieut. Parker, had done
themselves proud in preventing the enemy from entering our works by the
ravines at Second Creek, while the third and fifth, under Lieut. Chase,
had as usual, done efficient service in their respective positions.
The battery had certainly added much during the siege to its excellent
record as a fighting battery.
Battery D entered East Tennessee well supplied with clothing, the men
having replenished their wardrobes at Camp Nelson, but the long journey
over the Cumberland Mountains had been so rough, and so filled with
difficulties, in the way of climbing the rocky and precipitous roads,
the lifting necessary in order to get the heavy carriages over the
rough places, had, to say the least, entirely destroyed that appearance
of newness which the cloth had possessed a month before. Then came
the twice-repeated march, almost from one end of East Tennessee to
the other, and it began to dawn upon some of us that the time was not
far distant when we should be obliged to draw clothing to hide our
nakedness. We were told that a train was then upon its way over the
mountains, and promised that as soon as it arrived clothing would be
issued. That was a train which was longingly looked for, but never came.
During the three weeks siege the men had no time to give any attention
to their persons, and as may be imagined, they were, at the close of
the siege, in a deplorable condition. Daily the expected clothing train
was looked for, but it did not materialize. Fortunate was it for us
that we could not see into the future, and have known that it would be
more than two months before we would see that clothing, and realize
fully what suffering we would have to endure from the extreme poverty
of our condition in regard to clothing and food.
Up to the appearance of Gen. Longstreet, before we had been deprived
of the privilege of foraging, our army had been able to live upon the
country. His coming altered that condition of things immediately. As
soon as Gen. Burnside became assured of the approach of the enemy,
he ordered Col. Goodrich, Chief Commissary, to collect all the beef
cattle, hogs, etc., and drive them into Knoxville. The hogs were killed
and salted; the cattle were collected in two droves, one located near
Temperance Hill, the other near Second Creek, in close proximity to
Battery D's caissons.
Orders were at once issued to reduce rations. The Commissary, hoping, I
suppose, to impress the men's minds with the fact that they were after
all getting a fair amount of food, stretched his conscience as much as
he could, and called the amount given us one-fourth rations; but the
old soldiers that he was trying to deceive were too well posted upon
the size of a ration to be thus taken in. They were perfectly certain
that a piece of fat pork about the size of their hand, together with
a quart of flour or corn meal--ground cob and all--issued to last
three days, but frequently made to last four, which could be eaten
at one meal without the least sensation of fullness or the slightest
indication of indigestion, was not only not a fourth ration, but was
not even an eighth. Small rations, such as coffee, beans, etc., were
discontinued entirely, the supply being so small that it was found
necessary to reserve them all for the hospitals.
Our flour ration was not a popular one, from the beginning, in
consequence of the difficulties attending the getting it into edible
condition. Before we were shut in we succeeded in getting along fairly
well, because we were able to secure from our lady friends a supply of
those rather essential articles for making good bread--leaven and salt.
After we were shut in we found it impossible to procure those articles,
and our efforts at bread-making yielded only a cake of burnt dough,
which required a good appetite to enable us to eat.
The enemy found it impossible to extend their line on the northwest
much beyond the Taswell road, and on the south the excellent work of a
division, aided by the cavalry of the Twenty-third Corps, prevented the
rebels from extending their lines much beyond their works, which left
open to us the free use of our bridges and enabled us to forage along
the French Broad River and out on to the Louisville road, both of which
were kept open to our foraging parties during the principal part of
the siege. The loyal citizens sent down the French Broad River a large
amount of grain and meat in flats, and Capt. Doughty maintained a small
force up the river during the whole siege directing the efforts of the
people in our behalf.
On our arrival at Knoxville on the 17th, we had a mixed motive power
consisting of mules and horses, but as soon as we had been assigned
positions in the works, we gave up our mule teams. They had helped us
out of a bad hole on the road from Loudon, but we had not taken kindly
to them, and were glad to see them go.
Our caissons were parked in the ravine near Second Creek, and all our
horses but the wheel teams on the pieces, were picketed in a small
grove of pine trees near the caissons. Forage was short, and it was
soon found that it was an impossibility to keep them hitched, as they
would chew up every piece of leather that they could get at, and in a
few days there were no halters to be had, and the picket ropes went
with the halters. They ate up all the pine boughs, and finally we had
to shoot quite a number of them, as they were so near starved it was a
mercy to put them out of their misery.
The departure of the enemy was very satisfactory to us. A person who
has never passed through the experience of being confined within very
narrow limits for a considerable time, under an almost constant fire
from artillery and infantry, can hardly realize what a strain it
produces on one's nervous system.
To be continually upon the alert, prepared to dodge a shell, never
forgetting to keep your head down and your body out of sight, lest some
sharpshooter should get a bead upon you which would certainly end your
earthly career; the constant screaming of the shells and the whirring
of the minie balls, all have such a wearing effect upon the nerves of
a man that he wishes something would happen that would make the other
fellow quit and give him a rest. With us something had happened--the
other fellow had gone, and for the first time in weeks we could
straighten our backs and walk erect.
Among the very few pleasant recollections of that disagreeable time is
the writer's remembrance of the affection entertained by the men of
the Army of the Ohio for their commanding general. His appearance at
any time, day or night, along the rifle-pits, or in the forts, always
aroused their enthusiasm to the highest pitch. His interest in, love
and sympathy for them in their sufferings, conveyed to them in orders,
conversations and kindnesses, quite won their hearts.
Many are the stories in circulation illustrative of the kindness of
his heart towards his army; true or not, they found ready believers
among the men. Personally, the stories were accepted as truthful by my
young mind, and to-day I would not willingly listen to any argument or
story which had for its object the lessening of my faith in the great
humanity of my beloved general, Ambrose E. Burnside.
On Dec. 6th the battery was paid, and for the first time in our
experience we took no interest in receiving money. We had received
pay more frequently since entering Tennessee than at any previous
time during our service. There was very little to buy, and our stock
of greenbacks had accumulated. It was said that the government's
liberality toward us was occasioned by the fact that our paymasters
had found themselves at the beginning of the siege with a large supply
of money, and desiring to be relieved of part of the responsibility,
allowed the men to share it with them.
After a careful searching for information, I am fully assured that the
following brief account of the Confederates' movements from ten o'clock
on the evening of the 28th to half-past eight on the morning of the
29th, is substantially true:
At dark on the 28th, Gen. Longstreet sent a dispatch to Gen. McLaw
ordering him to double his pickets, and as soon as the moon had risen
sufficiently to throw a little light upon the movement, to press our
pickets back as far as possible. After having successfully accomplished
this, he was to move the three brigades of his division chosen for the
assault, to a depression occurring in the topography of the glacis in
front of the northwestern bastion of Fort Sanders, where they were to
lie down until the signal gun should be discharged.
At daylight Anderson's brigade, of Hood's division, was ordered to
take position about one hundred yards to the left--our right--of the
fort, and in case of the success of McLaw's column, to break over our
breastworks, wheel to the left and force their way through the ravine
of Second Creek to the rear of Fort Sanders. If, however, McLaw was
unsuccessful, Anderson was to wheel to the right after passing our
breastworks, and take the fort by an attack in reverse.
At the appointed time, as we have seen, the signal gun was fired.
Wofford's brigade sprang to their feet, closely followed by Bryan's and
Humphrey's brigades; the Seventeenth Mississippi, of Humphrey's, and
Phillips' Georgia, of Wofford's brigade, leading the assaulting column,
dashed forward to the fort.
Wofford, who was to attack the northwest bastion, with his left well
extended along the northern face of the fort, was so disturbed by the
physical difficulties, including the wire entanglement through which
he was obliged to pass, that he took so much distance to the right
that the attack extended only about twelve feet upon the northern face,
or to the first embrasure, occupied on that side by the fourth gun of
Battery D.
Humphrey's brigade, with Bryan on his right, moved to the assault on
the right of Wofford's, meeting with all the physical difficulties of
the last-named, in their endeavor to get to the ditch.
Anderson's brigade, of Hood's division, which had been ordered to
attack the rifle-pits upon the left of Fort Sanders, became so excited
and exasperated over the terrible treatment their comrades were
receiving, that they rushed with impetuosity toward the fort, and were
into the ditch and suffering the same treatment, before orders which
had been sent them to retire from in front of the fort, could reach
them, leaving many of their number in the ditch dead or wounded.
As to the number of Confederates engaged in the assault on Fort
Sanders, it can only be approximated. Four brigades participated.
Wofford's contained six, Humphrey's four, Bryan's four, and Anderson's
five regiments.
Gen. Jenkins, who commanded Hood's division upon this occasion, gives
us the only clue, when he states that Anderson's brigade, which had
been greatly reduced by details for picket duty, contained only about
one thousand rifles. This would seem to make the statement truthful,
that four thousand men of the Confederate army marched to the assault
of Fort Sanders on Sunday morning, Nov. 29th, 1863, and out of that
number, less than two hundred and eighty Union soldiers obliged nearly
twelve hundred in killed, wounded and prisoners, to remain.
Of this bloody work Battery D did its full share. The fourth piece
did the largest part, because of its situation, but the third and
fifth did a work which caused the rebel Gen. McLaw to complain of the
damage done to Wofford's brigade by guns on his left--our right--in
the fort. The second and sixth pieces won this compliment from a rebel
source: "That two guns, mounted in a redoubt on the left [our right] of
Second Creek, fired so rapidly and accurately as to prevent his column
from penetrating the ravine at that point." The first piece, in its
position at Battery Noble, was too far removed from the scene of active
operations to take a prominent part.
Dec. 7th we were ordered to prepare as many of our guns as possible and
be ready to start in pursuit of the enemy. In consequence of losing
so many of our horses, we found it impossible to equip more than four
guns. These, with about three-fourths of our army, started at noon for
Strawberry Plains. Capt. Buckley, Lieuts. Rhodes and Chase accompanied
us. The other two pieces, with the battery wagon and forge, were left
at Knoxville, under command of Lieut. Parker.
Following the enemy as fast as our impoverished condition would allow,
we reached Rutledge about two o'clock on Dec. 9th, where we remained
until late in the evening of Dec. 15th, and then began a retrograde
movement towards Knoxville. Our enemy had been encamped during this
time about nine miles beyond Rutledge. He had now turned upon us, and
rumor had it that an attempt was being made to flank us at Strawberry
Plains, and Thursday, Dec. 17th, quite a brisk engagement occurred
at that place, which quieted down toward evening, and some prisoners
captured upon that evening gave us the information that the rebels were
retiring from our front.
We encamped for the night, and next day started for Knoxville, arriving
on the 20th, and went into camp on the south side of the city. After
a rest of a day or two the order came to have fifty men detailed each
day to work on fortifications. This was a duty which the men did not
relish, and being still short of rations, and having very little
clothing, it was a physical impossibility for the men to do even a half
day's work.
The weather was very cold, and many of the men left the prints of their
toes on the snow as they walked. This was by far the hardest winter
that we had seen in the service, and when, about the first of March, we
had a chance to draw clothing and shoes, it was appreciated, and when a
few rations of coffee and some "hard-tack" was issued, the members of
the battery thought they had struck a bonanza.
Notwithstanding the privations we had passed through, nearly two-thirds
of the battery re-enlisted, and on March 10th we turned in our guns
and horses, and on the 12th started for Rhode Island, on a thirty days
furlough. The men that did not re-enlist were left at Knoxville.
We marched to the depot at two o'clock in the morning on the 12th, and
took cars for Loudon; crossed the Ferry at eight o'clock that forenoon,
and boarded cars for Chattanooga; from there we went to Stevenson,
Ala., Nashville, Louisville, Jefferson, Cincinnati, Pittsburg,
Harrisburg, New York, and finally reached Providence on March 20th. We
had been eight days on the road, having had several delays, but as we
were going toward home, we found no fault.
It was quite a change to us when we were told that we could now go
to our respective homes for thirty days. It is needless to add that
we made the most of our leave of absence. I think most of us rather
appreciated our change of diet, and it seemed as if those thirty days
passed off very quickly; but notwithstanding the good times we were
having, on April 20th, every man but one reported in Providence to
Capt. Buckley, ready to again go to the front.