THE ARMY AT BRANDY STATION.
Encampment at Brandy Station--The Mine Run campaign--Crossing
the Rapidan--Battle of Locust Grove--The army on Mine Run--The
order of battle--The army withdraws--Back at Brandy
Station--Reconnoissance to Madison Court House--Ladies in
camp--Chapel tents.
The Sixth corps went into camp on the right of the army, two miles from
Brandy Station. We occupied land belonging to John Minor Botts. Mr.
Botts boasted that he owned six hundred miles of fence when we came upon
his possessions. He could not say that when we had been there a week!
His fences were burned, and his forests cut down; and it was generally
known that our chief quarter-master was paying him immense sums of money
for the wood used by our army.
At the end of a week it became pretty evident that our stay at Brandy
Station might be of considerable duration, possibly for the winter.
Accordingly, the men proceeded once more to build houses for the winter;
and never, since we had been in service, had they constructed so
comfortable quarters as they now built. All about us were the rebel
camps, in which they had vainly hoped to spend the winter; and these
furnished timbers already hewn, fine stones ready for use in making
chimneys, and hewn saplings ready prepared for bunks. The Sixth corps
was encamped in a fine forest, which should have furnished not only
great abundance of timber for use about the quarters, but for fuel for
the winter; but owing to the wasteful manner in which the wood was at
first used in building log fires in the open air, the forest melted away
before the men had fairly concluded that there was any necessity for
using it economically.
Preparations were hurried forward for another advance. The railroad,
which had been destroyed by the rebels at the time of the raid to
Centreville, from the Rappahannock to Bristoe Station, was to be
rebuilt, and the bridge across the Rappahannock, which we had ourselves
destroyed, was to be replaced, before the army could safely undertake
another advance. It is one of the mysteries which people who have never
been connected with a great army have greatest difficulty in
comprehending, that an army advancing into such a country as we were now
threatening, must have ample and easy communications with its base of
supplies. Could such people for a moment realize the vast amount of
material consumed by such an army as ours, the mystery might be solved.
To attempt to advance into a desert country without first either
providing a supply for many days, or opening ready communications with
our base of supplies, would have been suicidal. General Sherman might
lead his army through a fertile country, where the ravages of war had
not appeared, and, by sweeping across a territory forty miles wide,
collect abundant supplies for his men; but our army was now to march
into a wilderness where even a regiment could not find subsistence. The
newspapers at the north that condemned the delay at Brandy Station, and
sneered at the idea that the army needed a base of supplies, simply
exhibited their profound ignorance of the first principles of
campaigning.
By the 25th the road was completed as far as Brandy Station, the bridge
rebuilt, and a large amount of supplies brought up; and the army was
ordered to move at an early hour on the 26th.
The hour for moving was assigned each corps, and the order in which it
was to march, that no delay or confusion might occur. The Third corps
was to start as soon as daylight, and the Sixth was to follow it.
Our Sixth corps was moving at sunrise, the hour designated, toward
Brandy Station. Presently the head of the column halted in the midst of
the camps of the Third corps, which were yet undisturbed. According to
the order for marching, the Third corps was to precede the Sixth, and
should have been out of camp before we arrived, but as yet not a tent
was struck nor a wagon loaded, and most of the men were asleep in their
quarters. The Sixth corps was obliged to halt and stand in the mud for
hours, waiting for the delinquent corps to get out of the way. Here was
the first blunder of the new campaign.
At length at eleven o'clock we moved again, taking the road to the
Rapidan. Our march was slow and tedious, and instead of reaching the
river at noon as was expected, and as General Meade's orders
contemplated, the head of the Third corps only reached the river at
Jacobs' Ford long after dark, and here again a delay was occasioned by a
mistake of the engineers, who had not brought a sufficient number of
boats to this point to complete the pontoon bridge; a part of the bridge
had therefore to be extemporized out of poles.
The road for several miles was merely a narrow passage cut through the
forest; a dense growth of stunted pines and tangled bushes, filling up
the space between the trees of larger growth. Our corps moved along very
slowly, halting for a moment, then advancing one or two rods, then
standing still again for perhaps several minutes, and again moving
forward for a few steps. This became very tedious. The men were faint
and weary, and withal discouraged. They were neither advancing nor
resting.
From one end of the column of the Sixth corps to the other, through the
miles of forest the shout, coffee! coffee! passed from one regiment to
another, until there could be heard nothing but the vociferous demand
for coffee. At eleven o'clock at night the order "ten minutes rest for
coffee," passed down the line and was received with shouts of approval.
Instantly the roadside was illuminated with thousands of little fires,
over which the soldiers were cooking their favorite beverage.
We crossed the Rapidan at Jacobs' Ford at midnight, leaving Upton's
brigade on the north side as rear-guard, and in another hour the men had
thrown themselves upon the ground without waiting to erect shelter
tents, and were sleeping soundly notwithstanding the severity of the
cold. The Fifth and First corps had crossed at Culpepper Ford and the
Second corps at Germania Ford about noon, and were in the positions
assigned them.
The position assigned to the Third and Sixth corps was not reached.
These corps were ordered to proceed to Robertson's Tavern, a point some
seven miles beyond the ford, but the night was far advanced, the men
exhausted and the country little known, so these two corps did not seize
this very important point as directed. Of course the responsibility for
this delay was not with the Sixth corps or its commander, who was
directed to follow the Third.
Next morning the Third corps commenced the advance, and we of the Sixth
were drawn out in line of march to follow; but it became evident that
the advance was not unobstructed. Sharp picket firing and the occasional
booming of cannon revealed to us the fact that that corps had fallen in
with the enemy. Thus the day passed; the Sixth corps resting quietly,
while the Third was skirmishing with the enemy in front, until about
three o'clock, when the firing increased and there was evidently a
severe engagement in front.
The First and Second divisions of the Sixth corps were now hurried along
the narrow and winding path to the support of the Third corps--our Third
division being left near the river to cover the bridges and trains. That
corps was now fiercely engaged. The sulphurous smoke filled the woods,
and the roar of musketry became so general, and the forest echoed and
reëchoed the sound, so that it lost the rattling usually heard, and
became a smooth, uniform roll. Our corps at once took its position in
line of battle, so as to support the Third corps and protect the
interval between the Third and Second corps, with Ellmaker's brigade on
the right, and Neill's and Upton's on the left, while the Vermonters and
Torbert's Jersey brigade were held in reserve; but the corps was not
called into action. The dense growth of young timber completely obscured
all view of the operations at a little distance, and, indeed, rebel
scouting parties were able to hang close upon our flanks, and even
penetrate our lines, protected from view and from pursuit by the tangled
forest.
On our right, the Second corps also encountered a force of the enemy,
and became engaged in the vicinity of Robertson's Tavern. They succeeded
in driving the rebel force, which was small, back to the cover of the
wilderness. Gregg, also, with his cavalry, became engaged, but drove the
rebels back.
It now appeared that the fight of the Third corps was brought on by a
blunder. General French, in attempting to lead his corps to Robertson's
Tavern, had mistaken the road, and, by bearing too far to the west, had
encountered Ewell's corps, which was hastening to intercept our
progress. The rebels made repeated charges upon the corps, but were each
time repulsed, and under cover of the night they fell back, leaving
their dead on the ground. The loss to the Third corps was between three
and four hundred; that of the rebels, judging from the dead left upon
the ground, must have been greater.
While the fight was in progress, General Sedgwick and his staff
dismounted and were reclining about a large tree, when the attention of
all was directed to two soldiers who were approaching, bearing between
them a stretcher on which lay a wounded man. As the men approached
within a few rods of the place where the general and his staff were, a
solid cannon shot came shrieking along, striking both of the stretcher
bearers. Both fell to the ground--the one behind fatally wounded, the
other dead. But the man upon the stretcher leaped up and ran away as
fast as his legs could carry him, never stopping to look behind at his
unfortunate companions. Shocking as was the occurrence, neither the
general nor the members of his staff could suppress a laugh at the
speedy restoration of the man who was being borne disabled from the
field.
The two corps moved during the night to Robertson's Tavern, the
destination which they should have reached twenty-four hours before.
The unexpected encounter with the rebels in the Wilderness had hindered
the two corps thus long, and as might have been expected the time was
not left unimproved by General Lee. On moving in the morning on the road
to Orange Court House, Lee's whole army was found strongly posted along
the banks of a muddy stream called Mine Run. Our army was brought into
position on the north side of the stream, and arrangements commenced for
a general assault. Sharp picket firing and the occasional roar of
artillery, warned us that we were on the eve of a great battle. A cold
storm of rain rendered the situation cheerless and uncomfortable, but
the excitement of getting into position, regiments and brigades marching
from one part of the line to another, now approaching where the bullets
of the rebel skirmishers whistled about them, and then withdrawing a
little to the rear, kept up the spirits of the men notwithstanding the
tedious storm.
The greater part of the lines of both armies were in the midst of
forests. Between the two lines and in the midst of a deep valley, was
the little stream Mine Run, bordered on each side by marshes in which
were luxuriant growths of reed grasses. The marshes and slopes on either
side were thickly set with low pines and scrub oaks, offering
concealment to both parties.
Darkness closed over the two armies, neither of which was yet prepared
for battle. The night was spent by both parties in throwing up
earthworks, and the morning revealed several strong lines of rifle pits
on the rebel side of the stream, one commanding another so that in case
they should be driven from one the next would afford an equally strong
or even stronger position.
Thus the two armies remained during Sunday. General Meade still waiting
to perfect his arrangements.
During the day the disposition of the line was completed. General Warren
with his Second corps occupied the extreme left of the line. His
position fronted a very strong position of the enemy, where the hills
rose abruptly to the rear. This being considered by far the strongest
portion of the enemy's line. Warren was supported by the Fifth corps,
two divisions of the Third corps, and the Third division of the Sixth
corps, under General Terry. In the center was the First and Fifth corps,
and, forming the right, were the two remaining divisions of the Sixth
corps and what was left of the Third. Our Second division constituted
the extreme right of the line; the Third brigade the right of the
division; and the Seventy-seventh New York the right of the brigade.
At two A.M., the Sixth corps and the division of the Third, covered by
the woods, moved about two miles to a position on the left flank of the
enemy. The dense thicket and a gentle eminence concealed the corps from
the view of the rebels, who were but a few yards distant; and in order
to insure secresy, orders were issued that the men should avoid all
noise, as far as possible, and refrain from lighting fires.
It was arranged that the grand attack should be made on Monday; and
early in the evening the commanders of corps were summoned to General
Meade's head-quarters, where the plan of the battle was laid before
them.
At a given signal, very early in the morning, General Warren with his
strong force was to press forward on the right of the rebel line. At the
same time forces in the center were to open a fierce fire upon the
enemy, while the Sixth corps, at the same moment, was to rush from its
concealed position and turn the left flank of Lee's army.
The commanders of the divisions of the Sixth corps summoned the
commanders of brigades and regiments, and communicated to them also the
plan of the battle, and assigned to each his part.
The night was bitter cold, and the men of our corps were without fires.
It was vain to attempt to sleep, and the men spent the night in leaping
and running in efforts to keep warm.
No one doubted that the morning was to bring on one of the most terrific
struggles in the history of warfare. No man knew what was to be his own
fate, but each seemed braced for the conflict. It was a glorious
moonlight, and the stars looked down in beauty from the cold skies upon
the strange scene. Thus all waited for the day.
The morning dawned; and soon after daylight the signal gun for the grand
attack was heard near the center of the line, and an active cannonade
commenced there.
In a short time the order came for the commencement of the movement on
the right. The men were ordered to fall in; they were faced to the
right, to move a little farther in that direction before making the
direct assault; they stood, with their muskets on their shoulders, their
hearts beating violently in anticipation of the onset to be made in
another moment, when an aide rode hastily to General Howe with
directions to suspend the movement!
Warren, on advancing his line of skirmishers, and viewing the strong
works thrown up by the enemy during the night, had sent word that he
could not carry the position before him. And General Meade had ordered
the whole movement to be discontinued for the time.
Never before, in the history of our army, had such elaborate
preparations been made for an attack. Every commander and every man knew
exactly the part he was expected to take in the great encounter, and
each had prepared himself for it. At the hospitals everything was in a
state of perfect readiness. Hospital tents were all up, beds for the
wounded prepared, operating tables were in readiness, basins and pails
stood filled with water, lint and dressings were laid out upon the
tables, and surgical instruments spread out ready for the grasp of the
surgeon.
All day the men remained suffering with cold, their hunger but partially
satisfied with hard bread without coffee. It was a day of discomfort and
suffering long to be remembered. It chanced that the hard bread issued
to our division was old and very wormy. It was, in some cases, difficult
for a man to know whether his diet was to be considered principally
animal or vegetable. Our General, Neill, sat with his staff munching
some of these crackers of doubtful character, when he was handed one
unusually animated. The general broke the cracker, examined it for a
moment, and, handing it back to the servant, said, "Jim, give us one
that hasn't so many worms in it." Many of the men who were on the picket
line that day and the night before, were found, when the relief came
around, dead at their posts, frozen.
During the night of December 1st and 2d, the army withdrew from Mine
Run. The pickets were directed to build fires and keep up a show of
force. Our Seventy-seventh being that night on the picket line, formed
the rear of the rear-guard of the army on its retreat. It was three
o'clock in the morning of December 2d when the picket line was silently
withdrawn. After a rapid march, it crossed the pontoon bridge at
Germania Ford at ten o'clock. Scarcely had the troops crossed the
bridge, when the cavalry of the enemy made its appearance on the south
side of the river. The Seventy-seventh New York, the Third Vermont and a
battery of artillery were directed to remain and guard the ford, while
the remainder of the army continued the march to the old camps. Next
morning the two regiments and the battery started for Brandy Station,
and that night slept in their old quarters.
It was now evident that we were in permanent winter quarters. It is not
our purpose to discuss the merits of this fruitless campaign, but it may
not be out of place to recall some of the facts relating to it. The
orders for marching on the 26th, were issued to all the corps commanders
on the evening previous, indicating the time for leaving camp. The Sixth
corps was to follow the Third, yet when the Sixth corps reached the camp
of that corps, there were no signs of moving. Several hours were thus
lost on the start. General French declared that the order to move did
not reach him on the previous evening, yet he knew that the movement was
expected that day. As the result of this and other delays, two corps did
not reach the position assigned them on the 26th.
When, on the morning of the 27th, General French moved his corps again,
he took the wrong road, and thus brought on a premature engagement,
which caused another delay of twenty-four hours. By this time Lee had
ample opportunity to concentrate his whole army in a strong position on
Mine Run. Had General Meade's orders been promptly obeyed, Lee could
have offered no opposition to us at that point, and must have accepted
battle much nearer Richmond.
Our campaigns for 1863 were now finished; the last two of these had
certainly been remarkable episodes in the fortunes of our stout-hearted
army. In October, the rebel army had followed us from the Rapidan to the
defenses of Washington, and in turn we had pursued the confederates back
to the Rapidan, all without a battle of any magnitude. Now, in November,
our whole army had crossed the river and confronted the rebel army face
to face for days, and again we were back in our old camps without an
engagement, except the fight of the Third corps, and some skirmishing on
the part of others.
During the month of December, general orders were issued from the war
department offering to soldiers of the army, who had already served two
years, and who had still a year or less to serve, large bounties, a
release from the term of their former enlistment and thirty-five days'
furlough, as inducements for them to reënlist for three years from that
time. Much excitement was created by the order throughout the army, and
thousands accepted it, nearly all claiming that they cared little for
the large bounties, but that the thirty-five days' furlough was the
great inducement.
The only military movement of the winter was Kilpatrick's great raid
upon Richmond, in which the lamented Dahlgren lost his life.
Simultaneous with this great raid, General Custer, with a division of
cavalry, made a movement on Charlottesville, and the Sixth corps was
ordered to move in that direction as support to the cavalry. On
Saturday, February 27th, the corps, leaving its camp and sick in charge
of a small guard, marched through Culpepper and proceeded to James City,
a Virginia city of two or three houses, where the bivouac for the night
was made. Next morning the corps marched slowly to Robertson's River,
within three miles of Madison Court House, the New Jersey brigade alone
crossing the river and proceeding as far as the latter village. Here the
corps lay all the following day, and as the weather was pleasant, the
men passed the time in sports and games, but at evening a cold storm of
rain set in, continuing all night and the next day, to the great
discomfort of all. Custer's cavalry returned at evening of the 1st of
March, looking in a sorry plight from their long ride in the mud.
Reveille sounded at five o'clock on the morning of March 2d, and at
seven the corps turned toward the old camp, at which it arrived, after a
severe march through the mud, at sunset the same day.
There were, connected with our camp near Brandy Station, many pleasant
remembrances; and notwithstanding a few severe experiences, this was the
most cheerful winter we had passed in camp. One agreeable feature of
this encampment was the great number of ladies, wives of officers, who
spent the winter with their husbands. On every fine day great numbers of
ladies might be seen riding about the camps and over the desolate
fields, and their presence added greatly to the brilliancy of the
frequent reviews.
Great taste was displayed by many officers in fitting up their tents and
quarters for the reception of their wives. The tents were usually
inclosed by high walls of evergreens, woven with much skill, and fine
arches and exquisite designs beautified the entrances to these happy
retreats. The Christian Commission, among other good things which it did
for the soldiers, and, indeed, this was among the best, made
arrangements by which it loaned to nearly every brigade in the army, a
large canvas, to be used as a roof for a brigade chapel. These chapels
were built of logs and covered with the canvas, and were in many cases
large enough to hold three hundred people. Here religious services were
held, not only on Sunday, but also on week day evenings. A deep
religious interest prevailed in many of the brigades, and great numbers
of soldiers professed to have met with a change of heart. In our Third
brigade, this religious interest was unusually great; a religious
organization was formed within the Seventy-seventh, and Chaplain Fox
baptized eleven members of the regiment in Hazel river. A course of
literary lectures was also delivered in the chapel of our Third brigade,
and Washington's birthday was celebrated in it with appropriate
ceremonies and addresses. The chapel tent was also a reading room,
where, owing to the energy of Chaplain Fox, all the principal papers,
secular and religious, literary, military, pictorial, agricultural and
scientific, were furnished; and these were a great source both of
pleasure and profit to the men.
[Illustration: CHURCH CALL.]
Our corps was reviewed by General Grant; by the Russian admiral and
suite, who for the amusement of the soldiers, performed some most
ludicrous feats in horsemanship; and by a body of English officers.
Never had such general good health prevailed among our camps, and never
were the men so well contented or in so good spirits.