action, and greatly annoyed at being placed in a false position and
for other obvious reasons for I was no shirk in battle, I sprang
to the front of my Company intent on catching up with the column,
directed the Company to follow me which it did at first, but in the
darkness that was the last seen of it, for as in most battles, the
men broke, only the most intrepid taking the lead, and what became
of such in this instance is not known. It would have been much
better, easier and safer to have advanced when the movement first
commenced, as the enemy's pickets, except such as fell back into
their works, threw down their arms without firing and surrendered;
and those behind their works were largely in bed fast asleep except
a few in a strong fort and redoubt in front of the First Brigade,
to the left of where my Company lay in line, who seemed to have
been alert all night. These, as soon as they discovered we were
assaulting, swept the ground we and others advanced over in front of
the works--the two lines of works here of the two armies being about
two thousand yards apart more or less--with grape and cannister, the
firing commencing just as I was about half way to the enemy's works,
together with desultory musketry firing, showing that none of our
men were yet over them. The enemy fought most desperately in this
fort, for two hours or so after daylight. Indeed, it is plain to me
that it momentarily abandoned the fort at first until the bulk of
our men had passed by them to the left towards Hatcher's Run, and
then almost at once reoccupied it, as the discharge of artillery
from it was almost continuous excepting a few minutes after I
entered the enemy's works, until we took it about 8.15 o'clock
a. m. The fort was to my left front, hence I did not approach it
directly, but moved along to it later on after entering the works.
The first redoubt from the fort about one hundred and fifty yards
towards Petersburg had given up without much resistance there being
but one or two guns in it, after the first weak musketry volley, the
men in and infantry supporting it, running into the woods in rear,
such as did not surrender. The second redoubt from the fort towards
Petersburg had no artillery in it and was easily taken.
As soon as it was light enough to see, some of our heterogeneous
force in which were two or three artillerymen--for there was no
organized separate Union command anywhere either inside or about
the enemy's works here--turned the enemy's gun from this first
redoubt after moving it to a more advantageous point overlooking
the fort, on its intrepid little party which from the first was
supported by about a hundred of its infantry in the brush and
woods--a jungle--in rear of and running down a small ravine passing
between the fort and redoubt to within twenty yards of the fort and
its right environment or earthwork, until finally some of our men
in the last assault on it sprang into the fort, clubbed and knocked
down with their discharged muskets the few remaining men who had
not fled or been killed, some of whom, when lying on their backs,
seizing the lanyards just within reach and persistently endeavored
to fire the pieces, and were only prevented by some of our men
standing dramatically over the prostrate men with inverted guns and
fixed bayonet ready to impale them if they persisted. This ended the
fighting in front of where the First Brigade lay before the assault,
and probably in front of the whole Sixth Corps, at any rate in front
of the Third Division all the works having been taken, the capture
of these two works being the most difficult being nearer together
than any other similar fortifications in the Sixth Corps front,
which made it the hardest point to take in its front, especially
as the ground was high and the enemy's artillery commanded the
gradually sloping ground in front and to its right and left. There
were three or four pieces of artillery in this fort which also fell
into our hands. The woods a quarter of a mile in rear of the fort
was swarming with armed and unarmed Johnnies. It was plucky fighting
on both sides, for those engaged.
But what had become of Company G was a quandary, as not a man
could be found. I had run with all speed possible in order to
get over the shell-swept ground as soon as practicable in front
of the enemy's works supposing some of my men would follow me as
usual, and within a few minutes had scaled the works, having caught
up with the advance which had been delayed by the abatis, etc.,
greatly wondering at the few who had really reached the works which
were actually taken, all other flowery reports to the contrary
notwithstanding, for a distance of about six hundred yards or more
including finally the redoubts and fort by a very few determined
men such as generally lead any assaulting column and cannot be
turned back except greatly outnumbered; but this number was rapidly
increased by stragglers. There was no jumping into the ditch in
front of the works, and out again in my vicinity, for as our men
were not then taught to scale perpendicular walls eight or ten feet
high, they could not have gotten out of the ditch alone even if
they had gotten in and wanted to; besides, it had several feet of
water in it almost continuously, and for obvious reasons others
under stress of circumstances could not stop to help them out if
they wanted to even if any had fallen into the ditch by accident,
and they certainly wouldn't have gotten into it in any other way in
the circumstances. The ditch was the same as found around permanent
forts, _very_ formidable, and if anything even deeper. The works
and protections in front were _wonderfully_ strong; more so here
than at any other point in front of the Sixth Corps. The redoubt
and ugly-looking fort on a slight eminence in front of the First
Brigade a little to the left of where my Company lay in line, had
caused most of our brigade and other organizations within reach of
the fort's guns, to oblique--as I could see them doing it by the
momentary flash of the enemy's artillery from this fort which lit
up the ground in its front and on either side--both to the right
and left but largely to the left where most of such as went over
the works in the assault to the _left_ of the fort probably turned
along them towards Hatcher's Run--as the enemy once flanked in
their work would fall back from them except where there were forts,
etc.,--leaving the redoubt and fort with some half dozen pieces
of field artillery, which belonged to the rest of our corps to
help take to be subdued by such of the more intrepid of the Third
Division and other commands, as marched straight up to the rack
whether there was anything in it or not. At any rate, so far as
I know, no considerable number of our regiment or of any _other_
regiment was in the enemy's works opposite where the First Brigade
of the Third Division lay in line before assaulting shortly before
daylight, nor was any of the Tenth Vermont, or any other of our
forces in the last fort taken for obvious reasons for any length
of time till it _was finally_ taken about 8.15 o'clock a. m. There
was not a score of men in sight as soon as light enough to see, for
two hundred yards inside the works, everyone acting independently,
where I _first_ entered them to the right of the two redoubts and
fort with others of the assaulting men only two of whom were killed
immediately near the works in the assault, one just in front, and
another whose body fell on the front slope of the works where I
entered, which shows comparatively speaking, what a bloodless
affair it was at this point, which was generally the case, too, all
along the line except where there were forts, etc., and how little
resistance there really was in front of the First Brigade excepting
that of the one fort which so stubbornly held out. There were so
few of our men in the works it was lonesome after some of the men
had moved to the left in the darkness and could not be seen any
distance away by such as didn't know it was the plan of battle to go
to the left; and not one of the enemy even after dawn could be seen
for long intervals, dead or alive. What few had been in the works
except such as surrendered, mostly ran half-clad, save such as were
timely warned, into the woods back of the works before and at the
time we entered them, and hid. It was the most remarkable case of
stampede and temporary disorganization on the part of both veteran
armies seen during the war. The formidable-looking works supposed
to be fairly well manned, which we had faced for months, had had
their effect on our army, and the Confederates being surprised
and supposing they were attacked by an overwhelming number, but
were really not so confronted in their works except as the men
accumulated moving to the left, largely gave up in the darkness
without a struggle. Surely God was with us in this latter case. We
could never have assaulted these works successfully by daylight,
even with the force then in them of the enemy.
Rather cautiously after waiting a little inside the works for the
gray of the morning, as there were not men enough to be aggressive
in the darkness, I, with a couple of men, there being no other
officer in the neighborhood so far as I could see, commenced to
investigate the cabins to make sure the premises were as safe as
appearances would indicate. An investigation of one was startling.
On approaching it in the early gray of the morning, and peering in
at the open door, two of the enemy were dimly observed, one lying
on the floor, and the other sitting upon the edge of his bunk
apparently hesitating about dressing, but on cautiously going near
the door which faced the east and craning my neck so as to get
one eye on the men without exposing my body, I rather doubtfully
demanded their surrender, but they had already made their final
surrender to their Maker; they were both dead. The sitting man's
body had been so perfectly balanced when instantly killed it had
remained in its lifelike sitting position. I had seen one other
such case during the war before. The discovery that he was dead
was startling in the dim morning light which, on leaning forward
after a step inside the cabin, revealed the pallor of his face and
look of death. Afterwards gradually drifting and stumbling along
the works with others a short distance in the gloam of the morning
to the enemy's right to where the fort was, about seventy-five of
our men, the odds and ends of many different commands, frequently
increased by stragglers who had not entered the works at first,
were gathering to assault the fort containing the guns which had
shelled us so fiercely when approaching the enemy's works, those
undelayed by investigation as I was delayed, reaching it first.
Finding none of my men here or a familiar face--although it is
stated in the regimental history that Lieutenant-Colonel George B.
Damon and Major Wyllys Lyman were there--and seeing that the force
was small and made up promiscuously, and that as great a show as
possible should be made, I joined in the assaults, the result of
which has already been given. It's a mistake to suppose this was
a large affair; it was a hot fight for those engaged, but all told
on both sides, though, there wasn't three hundred men. The Second
Brigade never came to us during the struggle. The fight was wholly
by a heterogeneous lot of officers and men separated from their
commands by darkness in the general assault. As this was the first
fight I was in with my new Company, being but a short time with
it, and unfamiliar with the men's faces, a goodly number of whom
were recruits, and as all in such circumstances would be powder and
dirt-stained and very smutty, and as the men were unusually bundled
up for the occasion, it is possible that some of them may have taken
part in the capture of this fort unknown to me, the same as I did.
Corp. George W. Wise has since told me he did.
The fighting being over on this part of the line, and not knowing we
were to go along the line to the left or that the Sixth Corps had
any business in front of the Corps on its left such being unusual,
and never dreaming, being unable to see in the darkness, so few of
us had taken our part of the enemy's works alone, i. e. the redoubts
and fort--which together with the contiguous breastworks covered
our brigade front--but of course _knowing_ we _had_ captured the
fort alone, and wondering if it could be possible that others could
have followed the enemy's main body into the forest in rear of
their works when first entering, where I would possibly find some
of my men, I commenced to investigate. Going about a quarter of
a mile into the woods alone, soon individual members of the enemy
looking comical enough, commenced to appear from their hiding places
here and there half-clad, some without hats, pants, shoes, guns,
etc., showing how completely they had been surprised, offering to
surrender, but were afraid when directed to go to the rear of our
lines to go alone through them for fear of being misunderstood and
shot. In less time than it takes to tell it, three comical-looking
long haired, shriveled, half-clad and starved cadaverous-looking
specimens of humanity had surrendered within a space a rod square,
the woods being full of them, when it dawned on me that there could
be no Federal force in that direction, or these men would have been
taken and that I might be out of luck if I happened to strike alone
one or more of the unbeaten enemy with loaded gun; and so drawing
my loaded revolver ready for emergency, I returned to the works
with my numerous prisoners, others surrendering en route, just in
season to see General Grant, who had probably been waiting for
information that the fort had been taken, and his retinue of about
one hundred pass inside the enemy's works by the fort we had taken,
going towards Petersburg. He was mounted on a proud-stepping dark
charger, dressed with unusual care and never appeared to better
advantage. The occasion inspiring it, he was a perfect picture of a
conquering hero, but seemed all unconscious of it. The artist who
could put Grant and his suite on canvas as he appeared then would
win renown. As Grant's eye caught the motley group of prisoners
with me, who were regarding him with silent, open-mouthed wonder,
he slightly smiled, drew in his horse a little as though to speak
or in doubt of his safety, seeing the rebs had guns, but finally
dashed on, an impressive picture not only in the midst of war, but
surrounded by grand fortifications and the victorious and defeated
living, wounded, dying and dead, _real_ heroes of both the blue and
the gray, never to be forgotten by those who were fortunate enough
to see it.
But by this time, it being about 9 o'clock a. m. or later, being
nearly melted from over-exertion and affected with nausea from long
fasting and rushing about fighting and looking for my men from one
point to another, clad with two overcoats, which I had no time to
remove or place to leave them if I did, being without food and not
able to find any of my men, and feeling bad and worried about them,
I felt constrained to go to the hospital joining my Company which
had gotten together meantime by probably going along that portion
of the enemy's comparatively fortless works which when once broken
would have to be evacuated, about two miles to the right of where
I had gone over the enemy's works, towards Petersburg, the next
morning. As nothing but straggling men, the best fighters who lead
every assaulting column were found from the time I entered the
enemy's works before dawn up to about 9 o'clock a. m., owing to the
assault having been made in the dark, nothing was thought of it at
the time as I knew that where I had been all commands were similarly
disorganized. It was fortunate for the Union forces, though, there
was so few of the enemy behind its works near and in the fort before
mentioned; though as a whole taking the prisoners, the major part of
those who ran into the woods, together with those who stood their
ground and fought us, their number greatly exceeded ours _inside_
their works at this point. It was the easiest fight of the war, but
we expected it to be the hardest. But there were a goodly number of
dead and wounded about the last fort taken, where about a hundred
or more of the enemy had caused a needless sacrifice of life. There
was never any doubt but that we should take the fort from the first,
but it did seem provoking that the whole corps should shy by it in
the darkness and leave it for a few to do and especially not make
its work more thorough in taking prisoners; but I've always felt
reconciled to it, as it gave me such an excellent view of General
Grant at such an important time in his life.
It has always seemed strange that it wasn't fully understood by all
Company Commanders that a signal gun would be fired from Fort Fisher
"about 4.45 o'clock a. m." for obvious reasons, and that the Sixth
Corps was to turn to its left after entering the enemy's works and
sweep them in that direction to Hatcher's Run in front of the other
Corps. Of course it and the fact that Grant's headquarters were
close to the left of the First Brigade, Third Division, Sixth Corps
(See Grant's Memoirs p. 310), shows that he had implicit faith in
its ability to break the enemy's line of works and a possible doubt
as to whether the other three corps including the Second, all of
which were to the left of the Sixth, could do so or not in front
of where they respectively laid. It was fortunate, however, that
it wasn't fully understood that the Sixth Corps was to turn to its
left and sweep the works as in case it had been the men who ran
into the woods which was full of them, in rear of their works would
have probably retaken some portions of them and caused still larger
unnecessary loss of life. Probably it was thought instead, the enemy
would move along their works to their right towards Hatcher's Run,
no one ever dreaming they would become quite as badly disorganized
at once on our entering their works as we necessarily were after
passing through the obstructions in front of the same; but being
surprised and on suddenly waking up, and finding us right amongst
them, stampede followed. Aside from the foregoing defects in not
having the plan of attack, etc., fully understood, the preliminaries
of the assault were most admirably carried out; but the Creator
knew what was best, and His unseen hand predominated. The slight
shelling during the night to try and discover if we were preparing
to attack proved futile notwithstanding it did kill and wound a
few men in our Brigade. No shells reached Company G, prior to its
advancing. My Company being on the right of the Brigade, owing to
the long interval between it and the next Brigade on its right,
there were fewer men of either army where I entered the works than
any where else in the neighborhood. Most of the enemy from here ran
to the redoubt and fort just to their right before mentioned and
into the woods for obvious reasons, so fortunately there was hardly
any resistance at this point; still I saw the only two dead Union
soldiers in front of the enemy's work and our Brigade right here,
except after the fort was taken.
General Grant was more highly pleased with what the Sixth Corps did
than any other. He says in effect in his memoirs (ibid. p. 309),
among other things, that General Wright with the Sixth Corps "Swung
around to his left and moved to Hatcher's Run sweeping everything
before him," and after reaching there (ibid. p. 310), Wright "Sent
a regiment to destroy the South Side railroad just outside the
city." But does he mention any other Corps so pleasingly? Let the
misinformed or biased historians, and others of the so-called "best"
Corps of the Army of the Potomac, read what Grant says of each in
this fight in his Memoirs. He cannot be accused of fulsome praise
in regard to any Corps, but he does mention in flattering terms the
clean, brilliant work of the old reliable Sixth Corps which twice
almost single-handed saved the National Capital during the last
ten months of the war. Again _here_, too, at Petersburg as in the
Shenandoah Valley, it was more conspicuous than any other Corps in
ringing down the great stage curtain of this memorable siege.
Had a long strong skirmish line with an occasional reserve been
deployed at right angles to the enemy's works and swept to Hatcher's
Run or further in rear of their works, probably many thousand more
prisoners would have been captured than were. As it was, the Sixth
Corps took 3,000 prisoners, which Grant, whose headquarters were at
Dabney's Saw Mill (ibid. p. 310), says he met going out of their
works just as he was going over them to join the victorious Sixth
Corps within the enemy's works where I saw him a few minutes later
as before related. Grant does not say anything in his Memoirs about
any other Corps having captured any prisoners, in case they did.
Probably similar conditions existed all along the lines taken in
this closing, most unique and interesting battle of this historic
siege so far as both sides were concerned as herein described; and
this is one reason I have so fully gone into details never before
having seen them as fully given by any eye witness and participant.
Of course General Grant not being inside the lines he nor probably
any other general officer at the moment of their being taken, was
not an eye witness to the remarkable, stirring and unusual scenes
of the moment and which immediately followed, and could not go fully
into such details in their reports.
ADDENDA NO. 4.
The following congratulatory address by General Custer to his men
at the close of the Civil War is supplied by Hon. A. H. Farnam,
President of one of the largest Mill Companies of Aberdeen,
Washington, who served with Custer's Cavalry with credit which
served with the Sixth Corps at the battle of Winchester, Va., Sept.
19, 1864, and in other battles, is of interest:
Appomattox Court House, Va., April 9th, 1865.
Headquarters Third Cavalry Division.
Soldiers of the Third Cavalry Division:--
With profound gratitude toward the God of battles, by whose blessing
our enemies have been humbled and arms rendered triumphant, your
Commanding General avails himself of this his first opportunity to
express to you his admiration of the heroic manner in which you have
passed through the series of battles which to-day resulted in the
surrender of the enemy's entire army.
The record established by your indomitable courage is unparalleled
in the annals of war. Your prowess has won for you even the respect
and admiration of your enemies. During the past six months although
in most instances confronted by superior numbers, you have captured
from the enemy, in open battle, one hundred and eleven pieces
of field artillery, sixty-five battle flags, and upwards of ten
thousand prisoners of war including seven general officers. Within
the past ten days, and included in the above, you have captured
forty-six pieces of field artillery and thirty-seven battle flags,
you have never lost a gun, never lost a color, and have never been
defeated, and notwithstanding the numerous engagements in which you
have borne a prominent part, including those memorable battles of
the Shenandoah you have captured every piece of artillery which the
enemy has dared to open upon you. The near approach of peace renders
it improbable that you will again be called upon to undergo the
fatigues of the toilsome march or the exposure of the battle-field,
but should the assistance of keen blades wielded by your sturdy arms
be required to hasten the coming of that glorious peace for which
we have been so long contending, the General commanding is proudly
confident that, in the future as in the past, every demand will meet
with a hearty and willing response.
Let us hope that our work is done, and that, blessed with the
comforts of peace, we may be permitted to enjoy the pleasures of
home and friends. For our comrades who have fallen, let us ever
cherish a grateful remembrance. To the wounded, and to those who
languished in Southern prisons, let our heartfelt sympathy be
tendered.
And now, speaking for myself alone, when the war is ended, and the
task of the historian begins, when those deeds of daring which have
rendered the name and fame of the Third Division imperishable, are
inscribed upon the bright pages of our country's history, I only
ask that my name be written as that of the Commander of the Third
Cavalry Division.
G. A. CUSTER,
Brevet Major General Commanding.
Official:--
S. W. Barnhart,
Captain and A. A. A. G.
ERRATA AND CORRIGENDA.
Page 42 next to the last line read ford for fort.
Page 76 eighth line read is for are.
_LIST OF SOME OF THE LIVING VETERANS OF THE TENTH REGIMENT, VERMONT
VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, SEPTEMBER, 1908._