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CHAPTER XXI.

May, 1864.

BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA.

T three P. M. the trains were set in motion so as to make room for the troops. Between eight and nine in the evening the troops began to move, General Warren going towards Spottsylvania Court House. At nine P. M. he was followed by the Sixth corps, which took the road leading to Chancellorsville. Our battery moved at nine P. M., one section in the advance with Russell's division, marching all night over dusty roads, making many halts by the way, and reaching the old batttlefield of Chancellorsville at five A. M. the next morning.

The night being hot and sultry, and having been without rest for several nights, we were somewhat weary. We continued our march to within a few miles of Spotsylvania Court House, where General Warren had already encountered Longstreet's corps, which was now in command of Gen. R. H. Anderson. A sharp encounter ensued between the Fifth corps and the enemy, in which Gen. John C. Robinson was severely wounded, the rebels being driven back upon the heights where they had just taken position.

Later in the day the Fifth corps renewed the attack, being supported by the Sixth corps, in which some severe fighting was done, but it was too late in the day to be advantageously pursued, and both armies remained silent during the night. Our battery was not engaged, and remained during the night where we had encamped after coming up to the front. An incident happened during the day which was more amusing to the comrades of the writer than it was to himself. We had just been brought to a halt by the enemy in our front, when Captain Rhodes gave an order to unhitch and water our

horses at a mill pond near by. We had nearly completed the order when the writer, after seeing that his teams were watered rode his horse into the pond to let him drink. He had ridden further in than the rest, and in turning to go out, his horse backed into a hole of quicksand and sank nearly under water, throwing his rider into the pond. Both, however, succeeded, after a struggle, in reaching the shore. The writer had, upon the pommel of his saddle, a four-dollar cap, which had just been purchased, which was washed away and lost. But few generals ever received more hurrahs than did the writer in this battle with the waves. As the day was very hot the baptism was not so disagreeable as the hilarity of the thousands of troops who saw the amusing, but dangerous, accident.

Another amusing affair occurred the night before. Just as the army was leaving the battlefield, the bands struck up the familiar air, "Ain't you glad to get out of the Wilderness?" which caused prolonged cheers from the troops.

There were no active operations on the 9th. Our lines were strengthened, intrenchments thrown up, and the artillery was put in position. The skirmishers and sharpshooters were very active on both sides. Battery E was situated in a large open field in which there were many stumps and more or less shrubbery covering the field. The rebel lines ran along the south front of this field and were confronted by Sedgwick's corps. It was in placing these troops that Gen. John Sedgwick, the idolized commander of the Sixth corps, lost his life. The general, accompanied by some of his officers, was giving instructions about the positions of his troops, when he was shot in the cheek, just below the eye, fell into the arms of General McMahon, and without speaking, expired immediately. He had just been warned not to approach that position, and in a pleasant way replied that "they could not hit an elephant at that distance."

General Wright now assumed command of the corps, General Russell that of the First division. General Eustis was assigned to Russell's brigade, and Colonel Edwards took command of Eustis's brigade.

Our lines extended from the southeast to the northwest, with Hancock on the right, and to his left was Warren's Fifth

corps.

Burnside's was on the extreme left, and between him

and Warren was the Sixth corps.

Beyond a strip of woods in our front lay the rebel lines, behind well-constructed breastworks. To our rear, upon higher ground, our artillery was posted so as to fire over our lines. About sunset, Captain Rhodes moved his battery further to the left and the enemy being comparatively quiet, our horses were unhitched and allowed to have a much needed rest.

At three A. M. on the 10th, we harnessed up, and at daylight moved further toward the left, going into battery in some open woods. As there was no underbrush and the trees being far apart and the limbs high, our protection was no better than an open field. In our front the woods were quite dense, beyond which was our wily foe.

Hancock the day before had crossed the Po River with the intention of turning the enemy's left, but during the forenoon of the 10th, he was ordered by General Meade to return and assist Warren in an attack that had been arranged to commence at five P. M. General Wright had been correspondingly instructed, and Warren notified that Hancock, by virtue of seniority, would command both corps.

Skirmishing had been almost constant during the forenoon along the whole line. Our battery commenced firing about ten A. M., and continued at intervals while waiting the intended assaults which were hourly expected. One hour before the time appointed, our troops commenced moving forward to attack the waiting enemy, and it was not long before the hills and valleys were reverberating with a continuous roar of artillery and musketry. Our artillery had ample room in which to display its terrible work, as though it desired to repay its want of service at the Wilderness.

Dr. Stevens, in his three years' history of the Sixth corps, says: "It was the terrible cannonading of Malvern Hill, with the fierce musketry of Gaines' Mills combined, that seemed fairly to shake the earth and skies."

Thus far only the Second and Fifth corps had been engaged. It remained for the Sixth corps to finish the terrible fighting. which at first promised us a splendid victory, but for want of timely support and the approaching darkness, resulted only in a great loss of life without commensurate advantage.

It

was between five and six P. M., that the Sixth corps was ordered to be divested of every incumbrance and prepare for a charge. Colonel Upton, who commanded the second brigade of the first division, was ordered to select twelve regiments from the corps and march them to an open space which was covered by a narrow strip of woods in front of the enemy's lines. After advancing into these woods, three lines were formed of four regiments each.

These regiments were supported by other troops in their corps, and Warren and Hancock held their corps in readiness to rush in, should the charging column be successful.

Again let us quote Dr. Stevens: "At six o'clock all things were ready, and the artillery from our eminences in our rear opened a terrific fire, sending the shell howling and shrieking over the heads of the charging column and plunging into the works of the enemy. This was the signal for attack, and Colonel Upton's clear voice rang out, Attention, battalions! Forward, double-quick! Charge!' and in an instant every man was on his feet, and with tremendous cheers, which were answered by the wild yells of the rebels, the column rushed from the cover of the woods. Quick as a flash of lightning, a sheet of flame burst from the rebel line, and the leaden hail swept the ground over which the column was advancing, while the canister from the artillery came crashing through our ranks at every step, and scores and hundreds of our brave fellows fell, literally covering the ground. But nothing daunted, the noble fellows rushed upon the defences, leaping over the ditch in front and mounting the breast works. The rebels made a determined resistance, and a hand to hand fight ensued, until, with their bayonets, our men had filled the rifle-pits with bleeding rebels. About two thousand of the survivors of the struggling surrendered, and were immediately marched to the rear under guard.

"Without halting for breath the impetuous column rushed towards the second line of works, which was equally as strong as the first. The resistance here was less stubborn than at the first line, yet the grey occupants of the rifle-pits refused to fly, until forced back at the point of the bayonet. Our ranks were now fearfully thinned, yet the brave fellows passed on to the third line of defences which was also captured. It was but a shattered remnant of that noble column that rushed

from the woods against the hostile works, that reached the advanced point, and now, finding that re-enforcements were reaching the enemy while our column was every moment melting away, a retreat was ordered." The retreat, says Humphreys, was not undertaken until darkness made it safe. Colonel Upton states that his loss was about 1,000 in killed, wounded and missing, and that he took between 1,000 and 1,250 prisoners and several stands of colors.

For this daring charge, Colonel Upton was immediately promoted to brigadier-general, so also was Colonel Carroll of the Second corps.

The Third division of our corps was with our battery near the left centre of the Union lines. The fighting was to our right. The early firing of our guns was doubtless to prevent the enemy in our front from re-enforcing the right. Our battery was by turns supported by the one hundred and tenth Ohio and the Second Rhode Island regiment.

Battery E had continued to fire at short intervals, sometimes by battery, until the twelve picked regiments were about to commence the fearful assaults when, says Colonel Tompkins in his report, "Cowan's, McCartney's, and Rhodes's batteries fired with all rapidity for nine minutes."

We expended 286 shot, 68 shell and 176 spherical case. This is corroborated by the report of Captain Rhodes, in vol. 36, part 1st, page 770, of the Official Rebellion Records, which reads: "We fired 530 rounds of ammunition." Our loss, owing to the distance of the enemy and the slight breastworks in our front was but one man (Benjamin Judd), slightly wounded, and one horse killed. After the firing had ceased, General Ricketts sent an aide and complimented Captain Rhodes for the able manner in which his battery had been served during this day's battle. About ten P. M., Captain Rhodes was ordered to take his battery back to the caissons, which had remained at our camping ground the night before. The Union loss on the 10th of May was about 4,100; that of the Confederates about one-half as many. General Rice, of the Fifth corps was mortally wounded, and General Stevenson of the Ninth corps killed.

May 11th. This was a day of constant moving for Battery E. After reveille we were relieved by McKnight's battery, then moved back nearly two miles and occupied a