CHAPTER XV.
Arrival at Fortress Monroe—Washington—Georgetown Heights—Monocacy Junction—Up and down the Valley of the Shenandoah—Battle of Opequan Creek.
Arrival at Fortress Monroe—Washington—Georgetown Heights—Monocacy Junction—Up and down the Valley of the Shenandoah—Battle of Opequan Creek.
letter O
ON the eighth day after crossing the bar off the Mississippi, the ship reached Fortress Monroe, where Lieut.-Colonel Richardson received orders to proceed to Washington immediately. Entering the Potomac, the men realized that they were no longer on Louisiana waters; the hills stretching up from the river, the hay and grain fields just reaped, and the scattering farm-houses, being in striking contrast to the low banks of the Mississippi, with its plantations, its negro cabins, its orange-trees, and its alligators.
The steamer came to anchor off Alexandria; and was subsequently towed up to a wharf in Washington, the regiment remaining on board till morning, when it landed and marched through the city to Georgetown Heights. While resting on the sidewalk in Pennsylvania Avenue, the regiment received a visit from Col. Ingraham, whoappeared glad to see the boys, and who must have been struck with the great change in the appearance of his old command since he had last seen it.
All summer, the troops in Louisiana had been obliged to drink warm, dirty water, from rivers, bayous, and mud-holes; and when, upon arriving at Georgetown Heights, two cool, delicious springs were found bubbling out of the rocks, the satisfaction was unbounded, and many men lingered around them as if attracted by some fairy spell.
The stay in Georgetown was a short one. On Sunday afternoon, July 31, the regiment broke camp, and again marched through Washington, to the Baltimore depot. The closed stores, the crowd of church-going folks on the sidewalks, and the absence of vehicles in the streets, told the men of the Thirty Eighth that they were once more in a land where the Sabbath was outwardly observed, at least. A brief extract from a letter written a day or two after the march through Washington will give an idea of the interest which the arrival of troops at that time excited.
“.... There was an interest and a curiosity manifested by the citizens never exhibited in New Orleans. In that city, regiments might march through the streets from morning till night, andno one would think of asking who they were, or where they came from. In Washington, on the contrary, the questions put to us were quite numerous. The deep color burnt into our faces by the Louisiana sun told plainly that we were no militia men, even if our marching and general appearance did not show it; and so the first question was, ‘What corps do you belong to?’ ‘The Nineteenth.’ ‘Oh, Banks’s men.’ And the inquirers generally appeared to be pleased at the information. A general surprise was shown at the smallness of the regiment; and one man asked me, ‘What company is that?’ ‘Company!’ said I, ‘That’s the Thirty Eighth Massachusettsregiment.’ ‘Where’s the rest of them?’ ‘A good many were buried in Louisiana.’ ‘Oh, you belong to the Nineteenth Corps.’ I expected, before we got through Washington, to be asked whatsquadwe were.”
It must be remembered that the enemy then threatened Washington by way of Harper’s Ferry, and the arrival of the Nineteenth Corps was a great relief to their fears, although the regiments appeared small, accustomed as they were to the arrival of new regiments with full ranks.
After a supper at the “Soldier’s Rest,” the regimenttook the cars about eight o’clock, and reached Monocacy Junction a little before noon the next day, going into camp in a reaped grain-field, near the still smoking ruins of the depot, and in the vicinity of the battle-field of Monocacy, where the first division of the corps was then in camp.
No movement took place until the 4th of August, when the cars were again taken, and, in company with the Third Massachusetts Cavalry, which had been dismounted, the regiment rode to Harper’s Ferry, bivouacking for the night on the heights overlooking the town.
August 6th, the army broke camp, and marched to Halltown, four miles beyond Harper’s Ferry, where the Thirty Eighth was attached to the first brigade of the second division, then in commandof Col. McCauley, of the Eleventh Indiana. On the 10th, the whole force, artillery, cavalry, and infantry, under Gen. Sheridan, moved forward in pursuit of the enemy, the cavalry skirmishing with their rear-guard; and, on the night of the 12th, the regiment went into camp a few miles beyond Middletown, near Cedar Creek.
The men of the Nineteenth Corps, who had been worn out by the Red River campaign, who had regained but a small portion of their strengthwhile encamped on the banks of the Mississippi under the burning sun, and who had been packed almost as close as slaves on the transports, began this new campaign under unfavorable circumstances. Unlike the level plains of Louisiana, the marching in this portion of Virginia was over hills and through valleys, and the summer heat was still intense; but the clear, cold springs all through the valley were a luxury the Thirty Eighth was unaccustomed to, and men lingered around them, drinking again and again.
The army remained at Cedar Creek until near midnight of the 15th, when, in danger of being flanked by the enemy, the whole command fell back toward Winchester, the Thirty Eighth going into camp at Milltown, where they remained during the day. Thereveilléwas beaten at one o’clock,A. M.of the 17th, and passing through Winchester, the regiment reached Berryville at noon, and went into camp.
Thursday, the 18th, opened with a rain-storm; but the weather seldom interfered with Gen. Sheridan’s operations, and the army still fell back, encamping at night in the vicinity of Charlestown, where the Thirty Eighth remained until the 20th, when, in pursuance of orders, it changed camp, andrejoined the third brigade, which had just arrived in the Valley under the command of Col. Sharpe.
Sunday, Aug. 21, orders came to pack up; and the regiment formed in line of battle, stacked arms, and threw up breastworks, heavy skirmishing going on at the front; but, during the evening, again fell back, passed through Charlestown, and reached Halltown at oneP. M., of the 23d, going into camp for the night. During a heavy rain, the next day the regiment built more breastworks, and then moved to the left; but returned on the day following, and remained in camp until Sunday, the 28th, when the army again assumed the offensive, and advanced to Summit Point, a few miles beyond Charlestown. While these movements were being executed, skirmishing between the advance of one army and the rear of the other was continually going on, and the cavalry were almost constantly in the saddle.
On the 3d of September, the army again broke camp, and marched to Berryville, where a sharp encounter took place between a portion of the Eighth Corps and Early’s force; but the enemy retiring, the engagement did not become general. The third brigade, however, formed in line of battle, took up a position on a ledge of rocks, andremained there all night, sending out two companies as skirmishers. Every one was wet through, and the wind swept coldly over the ledge.
Sunday, Sept. 4, the regiment was detached from the brigade, and marched further to the front, where new breastworks were thrown up, the rain still continuing; the enemy, all the while, shelling the line, and skirmishing constantly going on. During the next fortnight, but little worthy of mention transpired, except that the army here completed a third line of breastworks.
On the 14th, a detail was sent from each company to procure the blankets belonging to the men in the regiment, which had been packed at Baton Rouge previous to the Red River campaign, and which were then supposed to be at Harper’s Ferry; but upon the arrival of the detail at that place, it was found that the boxes had been sent to Washington, and the blankets were not received until late in October. When the weather permitted, company, battalion, and brigade drills took place while the regiment was encamped in this place.
Although Gen. Sheridan kept his own counsels, he was not deceived in regard to the movements of Early. At three o’clock, on the morning of the 19th of September, thereveilléwas beaten in thecamps, and the army marched through Berryville, the Nineteenth Corps halting beyond, and being informed that they would probably fight on that spot. At this time, heavy cannonading was heard on the right, and at the front, where the cavalry was engaged. After halting an hour or two, the Nineteenth Corps advanced by the flank, passing a hospital into which great numbers of wounded men were being brought, who had fallen when the cavalry drove the enemy from the woods on each side of the Winchester Pike. Passing through a defile, the brigade came upon a high table-land, and formed in line of battle on the edge of a belt of woods between the opposing forces, the third brigade being at this time on the extreme left of the Nineteenth Corps, and connecting with the Sixth Corps. Each regiment sent out skirmishers, who advanced into the woods, followed by the brigade in line of battle; and emerging on to an open plain, which was crossed at a rapid pace, the enemy were encountered in the woods beyond, and the battle became hot.
The brigade had advanced too fast, leaving its right flank exposed; and, unable to withstand the heavy fire concentrated upon it, the Thirty Eighth fell back, having lost many officers and men. Atone time, the battle-flag was within a few yards of the banner of a rebel regiment, and its capture seemed imminent; but color-sergeant Lunt, supported by color-corporal Abbot, bravely carried it through. Col. Sharpe and Lieut.-Col. Richardson had been wounded; and the command of the brigade devolved upon Lieut.-Col. Neafie, of the One Hundred and Fifty Sixth New York, Maj. Allen taking command of the Thirty Eighth.
The regiment, as usual, had gone into battle with few officers. Lieuts. Whitney and Davis, and Sergt. Palmer, in command of companies, had been shot down, with many warrant officers, and many men; and in the retreat, owing to this fact, and to the nature of the ground, the regiment became separated from the brigade, which had been partially broken up by the impetuosity of the first charge. The men, however, rallied around the colors; and, under the lead of Major Allen and Adjutant Wellington, again sought the front of the fight.
After a desperate struggle, the enemy broke; and, having formed his army in three crescent-shaped lines of battle, Gen. Sheridan gave the order, “Forward!” Before that victorious charge, the veterans of Stonewall Jackson fled in confusion,the whole rebel force went “whirling through Winchester,” and the Union army remained in possession of the hard-fought field.
The cavalry followed the retreating enemy, and gathered up the spoils of the victory; but the infantry went into camp on the outskirts of Winchester, and rested from the labor and excitement of the day, while the great news was silently speeding its way North to electrify and gladden the loyal hearts of the country. The Valley of the Shenandoah was no longer to recall memories of defeat and humiliation alone.
The loss in the regiment had been eight killed, thirty-eight wounded, eight prisoners, and one missing. A number afterward died from the effects of the wounds received; but those captured were remarkably fortunate, the majority of them being paroled in a few days, and sent to Annapolis.