Then came reorganization. It seemed like a "general breaking up." It
was. Instead of the mere handful of men that stood about the torn and
tattered colors of the old regiment but yesterday, nearly a thousand
were grouped together in the new organization. They might all be
considered veterans. Some had been in service since the beginning of the
war; all had, at least, the experience of the present campaign. It was
generally felt that the new regiment had in it some elements of success
not to be found in one brought into existence under ordinary
circumstances. The officers of both regiments were tried men, who had
the confidence of all. Most of them had risen from the ranks, and had
received promotion, step by step, with the approval of their comrades.
Sergeant William Coleman, of Company D, was made first-lieutenant of
Company I; and Lieutenant R. Birkman, of Company E, was promoted to
captain of Company A, of the One Hundred and Ninetieth. These both
served faithfully until the close of the war. Lieutenant Hayden, of
Company --, of the Eleventh, was transferred to the One Hundred and
Ninety-first, and lost a leg at Appomattox Court-house, the morning of
Lee's surrender.
With organization still incomplete, these two regiments were pushed
forward to the front, and had a share in the terrible fighting at Cold
Harbor. As soon as possible, however, the organization was completed,
and the two companion regiments became the Third Brigade, Third
Division, Fifth Army Corps. William R. Hartshorn was commissioned
colonel of the One Hundred and Ninetieth, and Joseph B. Pattee
lieutenant-colonel. The latter, a brave and capable officer, commanded
the regiment during its entire history, except when absent, wounded, as
Colonel Hartshorn was absent, for some cause, most of the time. I was
assigned to Company C. Neri B. Kinsey was captain. Lieutenant Moses W.
Lucore was in command until some time after July, when Captain Kinsey
returned. He was severely wounded, in October, and discharged the
following March, on account of his wounds. The regiment adopted the
bucktail, in honor of the old "Bucktails," who were more largely
represented in the One Hundred and Ninetieth than any other regiment.
In the afternoon of June 12th, we received marching orders, and soon
tents were struck, and we were on our way, none knew whither. At this
time we were short of provisions. I had a very small quantity of coffee,
but nothing else, except fresh meat, which had just been issued. When
orders came to strike tents for the march, I was engaged in cooking a
slice of fresh beef, by holding it to the fire, spitted on a sharp
stick. With an appetite sharpened by a more than orthodox fast, I was
watching the operation most devoutly; and the savory odor which rose
from the sputtering morsel awakened anticipations which only a
ferociously hungry man can imagine. But I was doomed to illustrate the
words of the Scottish bard:
"The best laid plans of mice or men
Gang aft aglee."
With my half-cooked meat in my hand, I swung on my knapsack, and we
marched away. The march continued, without intermission, during the
night, except now and then a brief halt for rest. Towards morning we
crossed the Chickahominy, at Long's Bridge. Here we halted for rest and
breakfast. My entire commissary outfit consisted of about one
teaspoonful of coffee. We had halted for breakfast, and might as well go
through with the programme. I went to the river and procured about a
pint of liquid from that famous stream, and boiled the coffee with due
circumspection, and drank the product.
The final member of the above sentence is not inserted to inform the
reader that we did not _eat_ the "product"; but, in explanation, when we
thought of that Chickahominy water, the "old man" stirred mightily
within us, and we greatly desired to say that it was good, knowing well
with what unction every unfortunate that ever tasted it, would say, "O,
_what_ a lie!" We would like also to insert a few thoughts about G.
Washington, who could not tell a lie, but we forbear. We drank that
coffee as a war measure.
Our course was then toward the right, a short distance along the river,
soon bearing away from it toward Richmond. During the forenoon we
reached White Oak Swamp, where the enemy was encountered in strong
force. We moved out past some timber to where the cavalry were
skirmishing with rebel troops posted in the woods beyond. Part of the
regiment deployed as skirmishers and advanced to where the cavalry were
fighting and joined in the fray. The rest remained in their rear as
support. We lay down in a slight depression of the ground about four
rods behind the skirmishers. As we were getting into position a few were
wounded; but after arrangements were completed, we lay in comparative
safety. About three hundred or more yards to the left, on a little
knoll, two guns were in position. Except these, which seemed
unsupported, I could see no other force. Where the other troops were or
how posted, I have not been able to make out.
The day was warm, and after our night march, the men were fatigued and
sleepy. Before long many of them were sleeping soundly, unmindful of the
bullets that were whistling over. I do not know how long we lay thus.
There is a peculiar satisfaction in sleeping under circumstances of
danger. You are no more exposed than when awake, and you don't have to
do the thinking. Suddenly I awoke to a consciousness that something had
"broken loose." A volley of musketry was poured into us from the rising
ground in front of our skirmishers, and the bullets were hissing close
above us. I lay still a moment as they passed over, and then sprang to
my feet. The skirmishers were giving way, still facing the rebel line of
battle that was charging forward. On the left, our guns were belching
forth grape and canister into the rebel infantry, that came sweeping on
like ocean waves. I think these guns were lost. The last I saw of them
the rebel troops seemed to roll right over them. We were driven back to
the woods. Here we checked their advance, and held the ground till
night. A part of the Fifth Corps and one division of cavalry had been
thrown up in this direction to make a diversion, and also to cover the
flank of Grant's army while it crossed the Peninsula to the James River,
and placed itself before Petersburg. Hence there was not much object in
fighting except to hold our position for a sufficient length of time. In
the evening a heavy force of the enemy was reported moving toward our
left. For this reason, or in carrying out the original programme, we
marched in the same direction, starting just after dark. As we fell back
in the afternoon, I found a haversack containing some hard-tack. This
our mess divided. We did not fail to commiserate the unlucky chap whose
loss was our gain. This was a very unsatisfactory fight. It always
seemed to me like a scrub race. The rebels plunged in as if they thought
it was a 2.20 affair, at the least. The march continued all night. About
two in the morning I concluded that the thing had gone on about long
enough, and, without any ceremony, made my bed beside a stump in a
little opening in a strip of woods through which we were passing. It was
after sunrise when I awoke. Breakfast was not an elaborate affair, and
was quickly dispatched. It consisted of the vivid recollection of the
two delicious hard-tacks which I had eaten the day before. It was light
diet, but the best that could be afforded. I found that the column,
after keeping the road right on for some time, had about faced and
retraced their steps to a point opposite where I had slept. A road here
led to the left of our original line of march. This they followed a
couple of miles and camped. I found them without trouble. Here we
waited, with nothing to eat, till the evening of the 15th. This is the
only time I ever felt the pangs of extreme hunger. During three days and
nights of almost constant marching and fighting, I had eaten one ration
of fresh beef and two crackers. It seemed as if I was all stomach, and
each several cubic inch of that stomach clamoring incessantly for
"grub."
The boys amused themselves laying out an imaginary bill of fare. The
merits of sundry inviting dishes were zealously discussed. Roast turkey
was eloquently extolled by one; another set forth the attractions of a
table to which forest, mountain-stream, or river had contributed
delights. Sometimes the grotesque imagination of some wild fellow would
conjure up a feast so full of horror that a famished cannibal might well
protest. In striking contrast with this was the gentle pathos of word
and manner as some boy told of dinner at the old farm-house among the
hills, where mother poured out the fragrant coffee, rich with honest
cream.
NOTE.--Some additional facts have been learned
regarding this affair. The One Hundred and Ninety-first was
on our left, beyond the battery. The attack was made about
four in the afternoon. The One Hundred and Ninety-first had
fallen back, and Colonel Pattee had received orders to
withdraw. Deeming it hazardous to retire across open ground
under such a fire, he rallied the skirmishers on the
reserve, and met the charge of the enemy there. In a few
minutes the Colonel's horse was shot dead under him. After a
sharp fight the rebels broke, and we retreated to the woods
before they could rally. The battery was not captured. A
failure to hold our position here would have compelled a
general battle, and delayed the flank movement to the James.