The fall of 1861 will ever be remembered by the survivors of the regiment, as the most pleasant experienced by them during the whole war. Wehad an abundance of clothing and wholesome food, whilst there was no scarcity of money with which to indulge in even some of the luxuries of life. And then the monotony of the camp was often changed to the excitement of picketing in front of the enemy on Mason’s and Munson’s Hills, in the capture of both of which the First Maryland bore a conspicuous part. In the engagement at the latter place, we lost a private of Company I killed, and Lieutenant Mitchell, of the same company, badly wounded. During these picket reliefs, we had daily encounters with the enemy, in which we invariably got the better of him. The first that occurred I will relate, as Mr. Captain Edelin then and there gave us a specimen of military skill acquired on the head of a kettle-drum in Mexico.
It was on the morning after the capture of Mason’s Hill, that Colonel Smith, the officer in command, wishing to advance his pickets as far as Clampitt’s house, a mile in front of the main body, detailed Edelin for the duty. He moved his company forward through a thicket, and in a few minutes we were startled by the rapid discharges of musketry, which led Colonel Smith to believe he had encountered a heavy force of the enemy. Captain James R. Herbert’s company and my own were immediately sent to his support. Coming up with Edelin, he informed us that he had met a regiment of infantry, but, after a stubborn fight, the enemy had retreated, carrying his dead and wounded along.
“But,” said he, “they are in the woods before us, and I must have artillery to drive them out;” and, turning to an orderly, he directed him to post off to Colonel Smith and request that officer to send him a battery forthwith.
I saw an expression of ineffable contempt and disgust spread over the face of Lieutenant Costello, of his company, who, calling me aside, informed me that the sight of but one picket had occasioned all the firing, and that by the Captain’s orders.
The courier dispatched to the commandant soon returned with the not very polite reply that “Captain Edelin was a d—d fool, and he wanted no more such crazy requests.”
“Puss in Boots,” as he was usually called, dropped his feathers instanter, but was heard to mutter something about “challenge,” “duel.” Being the senior officer, he had command of the three companies—something which neither Herbert nor myself relished in the least; and we, therefore, requested to be returned, as there was not the least likelihood of the enemy appearing in any force. Herbert’s request was granted; but I was ordered to remain where I was.
A short time after two Yankee soldiers accidentally wandered into our lines and were captured. Here was a chance for our hero to win back the good opinion of the Colonel; so, mounting a great tall horse, (he was a very little man) he, in a pompous and important manner, marched the poor,half-frightened wretches into the presence of Col. Smith, to whom he told a wonderful story of the skill and strategy he had displayed in their capture.
Being in command during his absence, and not feeling altogether satisfied with the position we held, I concluded to make a reconnoissance. Lieutenants Shearer and Costello were therefore detailed, and, with a squad of men, directed to move forward until they encountered the enemy’s pickets. In a few minutes the crack of several rifles told me they had found them. Fearing the party had perhaps fallen in with a superior force, I advanced with a few men to render assistance if required. Upon reaching them, however, I found it was but a single picket they had stumbled upon, who was shot and killed in attempting to escape.
Edelin had heard the firing, and came down the road at full speed, but, halting his horse at a safe distance, bawled out:
“Come back, come back; you’ll all git killed.”
Withdrawing my men, I rejoined the main body, where I was saluted with,
“Capting, how dare you do anythink of this kind without my orders?”
I explained to him that my purpose was to find a safer place in which to post the men, and suggested that we should move the whole command back to where I had just left.
“I shall do no sich thing,” he answered. “Younever fit in Mexico, and, therefore, what in the devil do you know aboutplannin a military battle.”
Late in the fall the enemy in our front grew restless; and Generals Johnston and Beauregard thought it expedient to withdraw from Munson’s and Mason’s, and concentrate the whole army on the heights of Centreville, as everything indicated an advance of the immense army assembled around Washington. Therefore leaving at Munson’s a small party, with an old stove pipe mounted on cart wheels, to annoy the Federal advance, we took a last look into the streets of Alexandria, and at the detested Federal Capitol, and marched to our new quarters at Centreville.
It was with regret we left our old camp at Fairfax Station, around which lingered so many pleasant associations of the past; and our last reveille seemed to make sad the hearts of all; and the summons to fall in was not as promptly responded to as on former occasions. Never again were the hearty, joyous shouts of the Maryland boys to be heard through its now deserted streets, nor the heavy tramp and the sharp command, as the battalion performed, to astonished, gaping thousands, those intricate evolutions inimitable. No, nor the unhappy sentinel to be frightened to death by the fearful shriek of “Indians got you! Indians got you!” when it turned out only to be our good Colonel making hisperiodicalgrand rounds. And never more was the gallant Elzey to display hissuperb horsemanship to the fair daughters of Baltimore on a visit to the camp, but which performance, much to their disappointment and regret, was brought to an abrupt termination by the breaking of a stirrup strap. No, never, never! all is past and gone forever! Even the old guard house and the Colonel’s pen, that had ever and for so long extended to the refractory ones a hearty welcome and tender, affectionate embrace, were bid a sad, sad farewell.
Centreville, when we reached it, presented a scene of bustle and confusion. Troops were arriving in large numbers, and were striving to reach the grounds selected for the respective regiments and brigades all over the same road. At last, tired and hungry, the brigade of Elzey halted upon the very summit of one of the highest hills around the place.
The sight that presented itself from this point that night was one of the grandest I ever witnessed. Before us, as far as the eye could reach, flashed thousands upon thousands of camp fires; and spell-bound we gazed upon this grand pyrotechnic display for hours. And then the next day, and for days after, the evolutions of forty thousand troops of all arms in the plain below us, was a scene indescribably grand.
CHAPTER V.
The intelligence we received from Washington now grew every day more threatening. That McClellan, with his immense and splendidly appointed army, intended to advance upon Centreville there seemed no doubt; but whether Johnston intended to fight was by us much questioned. We were in no way prepared to meet the enemy. The army was not organized, and but imperfectly equipped. Sickness prevailed in our camp to an alarming extent; and the utmost efforts of our able commander had failed to increase his force a single man. Time must, therefore, be gained. But how? Johnston was the man for the emergency. We must present a bold and defiant front to the enemy.
Heavy details from the various regiments were, therefore, at once made to erect fortifications. Steadily the work progressed, and in a short time the heights of Centreville were crowned with what seemed at a distance most formidable works. Of siege guns we did not have one; but immense blackened logs answered the same purpose, and frowned most threateningly from many an embrasure. None but those immediately in charge were allowed to approach them; for it was well known our camp was swarming with spies. These preparations had the desired effect; and McClellan, believingthe position to be impregnable, quietly settled himself down to await the coming of spring.
I will not tire the reader with details of the same every-day dull and monotonous camp-life at Centreville, but shall, as rapidly as possible, hasten on to the more exciting and interesting scenes and incidents in which the regiment participated. Suffice it to say, we remained there until late in November, when the brigade was ordered back to Manassas, there to prepare their winter quarters.
The spot selected by the Colonel on which to build our cabins was in the midst of a dense pine woods, and much sheltered from the cold blasts of winter, and where was also wood and water in abundance. By the last of December, in this heretofore lonely and deserted forest, had been reared a neat and substantial village, in which we hoped to remain undisturbed until the spring should have set in, and from whence we would once more go forth to measure our strength with the hosts that had just threatened us with annihilation.
During the months of December and January, with the exception of a little disagreeable picket duty along the line of the Orange and Alexandria railroad, and the surprise of a picket post at Sangster’s Station, nothing occurred to disturb the quiet of our winter quarters. The picket alluded to was commanded by Lieut. Richard Hough, of Company F, and in the fight which ensued, Sergeant Sheehan was badly wounded, and Lieut. Joseph Stewart andten or twelve men captured. The Federal loss was a lieutenant killed.
The term of enlistment of the twelve months’ men was now rapidly drawing to a close, and to have an efficient army in the field when the spring campaign should open, it became necessary for the Confederate Government to take some steps to that end. An order was therefore issued some time in January, granting to all twelve months’ men who would re-enlist for the war, furloughs of from thirty to sixty days. The majority did so, and for the first time since entering the army, went home to see their families and friends.
The unwise policy of the government in having enlisted men for a less time than the war here proved itself, and for a long while after occasioned much trouble and caused much demoralization in the army of General Johnston, for bitterly did those who were compelled to remain in camp by reason of their having enlisted for the war, complain of the injustice they believed had been done them. Particularly was this the case in the First Maryland, which contained several twelve months’ companies, two of which, Companies A and B, had re-enlisted almost to a man, and gone off on furlough; the others, Companies C, H and I, preferring to remain in the field until their time was up, when many of them proposed to go into the cavalry and artillery, they having a dislike for the infantry arm of the service. However, the war men became reconciledin a measure, and it was hoped nothing more would be heard of the matter; but in this we were mistaken, as will be seen hereafter.
The Confederate army was now, owing to the depletion of regiments and brigades by furloughs, reduced to about twenty thousand men, whilst not an organized brigade could be found in the whole command. Of this condition of things the Federal authorities were soon apprised, and therefore, in the early part of March, 1862, an advance upon Manassas by the whole army under McClellan was determined upon. Having no facilities for the transportation of the immense quantities of stores gathered there, and unable to resist the overwhelming force of McClellan, there was no alternative left Johnston but to destroy his supplies and withdraw the army to the south bank of the Rappahannock. It was a sad necessity, and as the troops were guided on their way for many weary miles by the lurid flames from their burning buildings that seemed to lick the very heavens, all felt that the first battle of the war had proved more disastrous as a victory than would have been a defeat. There was no pretension to organization, and what had been but a few months before an organized and victorious army, now presented the appearance of an ungovernable mob, and entirely at the mercy of the enemy, should he have the enterprise and energy to pursue it.
Fortunately, however, McClellan contented himselfwith occupying our deserted quarters at Manassas, thereby enabling us to reassemble and reorganize in a manner our demoralized and straggling troops upon the Rappahannock. Therefore, when soon after that General retraced his steps and prepared to move around to Yorktown, from whence he had determined to advance upon Richmond, Johnston had under his command quite a respectable army with which to reinforce the little band of heroes under Magruder, showing so bold a front to the hosts of the Federal General. But it was also necessary to leave troops behind to watch the movements of McDowell, who still remained at Manassas with a large army, and to this duty the division of Ewell was assigned. It was, perhaps at that time, the finest and best organized division in the army, and was comprised of Elzey’s, Trimble’s and Dick Taylor’s brigades, with artillery and cavalry.
From the opposite banks of the river the two commands narrowly watched each other, and exchanged an occasional shot until the evening of the 19th of April, when orders to “pack up” were given, and in the midst of a drenching rain, we took up our line of march for Gordonsville along the Orange and Alexandria railroad.—For three days the cold, chilly rain continued, and for three days the troops, destitute of provisions, toiled over the uneven surface of the railroad’s bed before the command reached its destination, cold, hungry and dispirited.
We were allowed to remain here several days to rest and recruit, when one bright, beautiful day, orders were received by General Ewell for his command to cross the Blue Ridge and join Jackson, who was then encamped at Swift Run Gap. Nothing could have exceeded the joy of the troops at this unexpected order, for we had supposed ourselves destined to reinforce the army of Johnston in the swamps of the Chickahominy. To be with Jackson, then, the great and glorious Jackson, in the beautiful Valley of Virginia, was a pleasure unexpected, and it was, therefore, with light hearts and elastic step that we left our camp at Gordonsville. The march was made by easy stages, and in a few days, about nine o’clock in the evening, from the mountain’s summit, his camp-fires were descried away down in the plain below us. No more stupid hours in camp, if you please. We now belong to Jackson’s army, and if laurels were to be won, we felt that they would surely be ours. Already visions of shattered and beaten armies, of prisoners innumerable, of captured camps filled with the good things with which we had been for so long unacquainted, flitted before us, and thus thinking, and thus trusting, we descended the mountain sides and threaded our way through the camps of the heroes of Kearnstown, and went intobivouaca short distance beyond, at Conrad’s store.
At the first sound of the reveille next morning, every man sprang nimbly to his feet. They wantedto see Jackson, to talk with his troops over the great battle they had so recently fought, and more than all, to discuss the prospects before us, and, if possible, ascertain our destination; but, to our utter amazement, when we turned our faces to where we had passed his army the evening previous, nothing met our gaze but the smouldering embers of his deserted camp-fires. We rubbed our eyes and looked again and again, loth to believe our sense of vision. But gone he was, and whither and for what no one could tell. Quietly, in the dead of night, he had arisen from his blanket, and calling his troops around him, with them had disappeared.
For more than two weeks his whereabouts remained a mystery, and various were the conjectures as to what had become of him, when one day there came the news of Milroy’s defeat at McDowell, more than one hundred miles away. Swiftly he had traversed the steep ranges of mountains that separated him from his prey, and with irresistible fury had hurled his legions upon the astonished foe in his mountain fastness and routed him with heavy loss, and was even now on his return, and within two days’ march of us. General Ewell was ordered to join him at once near Luray, and on the 16th of May we encamped at Columbia Bridge on our way thither.
It was the next day that the term of enlistment of Company C, First Maryland, expired, and the men clamored for an immediate discharge, which,under the circumstances, was reluctantly given by Colonel Bradley T. Johnson, who had succeeded to the command by the promotion of Colonel Steuart to the rank of brigadier general, and ordered to organize the Maryland Line. And here again the discontent that had prevailed at Manassas among the men enlisted for the war broke out afresh. They declared they had enlisted for twelve months only, and that if the muster rolls had it otherwise they had been grossly deceived by their officers. The dissatisfaction grew more apparent every hour, and when, on the 18th day of May, we marched to join General Jackson, the men were almost in a state of mutiny.
It was on the banks of the Shenandoah, the 21st of May, that we first caught sight of the glorious soldier as he dashed along the lines with hat off, and bowing right and left in acknowledgment of the vociferous cheers that went up from his enthusiastic army.
Our camp that night was within a mile of Luray, and here we were destined to part with the gallant Elzey, who had so long commanded us, and who had led us to our first victory. As I have said, Colonel Steuart had been promoted and ordered to organize and command the Maryland Line, of which the First Maryland and Baltimore Light Artillery were to form the nucleus. For the present, however, Colonel Johnson was in command, as General Steuart had been temporarily assigned to abrigade of cavalry. Never shall I forget General Elzey’s emotion as he drew the regiment up in line for the last time, and with tears rolling down his war-worn cheeks, thanked them for the honor they had helped to confer upon him at Manassas.