Goldsboro, N.C. Mch. 29th 1865 Friend Jimmy Your kind letter of Feb 8th just received and of course will answer. We are now having a rest after one of the hardest and Grandest campaigns the world ever saw or heard of. We have marched through the state of South Carolina, completely wiping it out of existence, and part of North Carolina. We have met the concentrated forces of Rebels under Johnson, the Savior of the Southwest and Defeating them, but I will begin where I left off before answering yours. My last letter was written on March 14th 1865 near Fayetteville, N.C. One wing of our Army, the Left, had up to that time done very little fighting, but on the 15th of March we saw Genl. Sherman on our march, so we knew that we had work to do. On that day there was a little cannonading but we moved into camp at 5 P.M. On the 16th we left camp at 9 A.M. our Regt on wagon guard. Two Divisions of the 20th Army Corps were in advance of our Division. About 11 o’clock A.M. we heard firing in our front and shortly after we were ordered to leave the wagons. Just our luck for every time our Regt is on wagon guard and there is a fight we are sure to be relieved and have to go in. Well we moved forward passing all the Train and halted just in the rear of the Rebels first line of works. That the 20th Corps had driven them from the Halt was only for a moment, when we moved to the left to our flank the Jonnys (page 9) After moving to the left for some distance we found the Rebel right resting on Cape Fear River, of course their flank could not be turned. We then moved forward until we came to a deep ravine. The Enemy were posted on the other side, we could not cross owing to the ground, so all we could do was to commence firing which we did. The Rebels had a splendid position and fought well. Darkness coming on our Brigade fell back about a mile leaving my Company on Picket. It has been raining all day and we were soaking wet. The Rebels still kept at a heavy fire so we did not dare to build one. About 10 o’clock at night it cleared off very cold, and I never was as cold in all my life as I was about 11 o’clock, so I determined Reb or no Reb I was going to have a fire. So I had the Boys to get some logs and I build a sort of Breastwork and made a large fire. We laying down behind the logs. The Johnnys opened pretty lively for a while on our fire, but the logs saved us. A little after midnight the Rebels retreated and the next morning I was relieved from Picket. Our Regt lost 40 men killed and wounded, among them was our Colonel Lake and one Lieut. wounded Captain Barnett killed my company cost was one Corpl killed, one Sergt wounded. The Rebels loss was heavy according to Prisoners’ reports. The next morning the 17th March 1865 we left camps at 11 o’clock A.M. (page 9a) our Brigade in the Centre. We passed the 20th Army Corps, giving our Division the advance. Everything was quiet. We picked up a few stragglers, but did not see anything of any force. Went into camp at 7 P.M. on the 18th. We left camp at 6 A.M., our Brigade in the advance. About 11 o’clock our advance guard reported that the Rebels were in sight with artillery. We immediately formed line on the right of the road, the 2nd Brigade on the left, while the 3rd Brigade brought up the centre and rear. The Rebels were all this time having their own fun banging away at our advance Guard. But we thought it would soon be our turn for we had good ground to march over, small strip of woods and then an open wheat field, hard ground too. Now the command forward was given and I tell you Jimmy it was a splendid sight, flags flying, the men at Right Shoulder Shift and all keeping as good step and line as if on parade, at least Staff officers who saw us say so. There is one thing sure and that is our Regt can beat any Regt in Sherman’s Army on keeping step and line while marching and I am pretty certain we can show them how to fight. We advanced through the field and our skirmishers was going in lively, when the Rebels limbered up and run. Genl. Sherman, coming up just then, ordered our Division to Halt, as he wanted the whole army or rather our wing of it to close up (page 9b) and did not want to bring on a general engagement. So we did not have any fighting that day. Our Regt. was sent out to skirmish with the enemy about one mile from here where we halted. The roads forked, one going to Southfield the other to Goldsboro. Our skirmishers were ordered to drive the Rebels beyond these roads, which they did. A continuous fire was kept up by our skirmishers during the night. We encamped just where we halted and Genl. Sherman put his Head Quarters just in front of our Regt. On Sunday 19th March He and his staff left camp early and moved towards the right wing. Our Division remained in camp, for the 1st Division of our Corps to pass us. We then left camp, our Brigade on wagon guard, our Regt. in the rear of the Brigade. The 20th Army Corps about 50 miles to the rear of us. The Sound of cannon could now be heard and the musketry was getting heavier, but us being a wagon guard I did not think we would mix in the fight. We had now marched about 4 miles when we camp up to the 1st Division wagons parked in a field, so our wagons also turned. This meant fight sure and a staff officer, riding up with an order to Forward the 17th NYVV, told us that we were in our wonderful luck on wagon guard. A little further down the road was the hospital all ready pitched and the Surgeons standing around waiting for wounded men to begin the work. The Regt. moved down the road passed the (page 9c) the Hospitals as a quick step, out side of which stood our men who were slightly wounded on the 16th and as we passed we spoke to each other. One and all of them say take care of yourselves Boys and give it to them to day. Then comes some of the Western Regt. Boys that were wounded on the 16th, they say to one another there go the Zouaves they are the boys for a charge. But we pass all of them, and next come the wounded being carried to the rear. We are now quite close to where the fighting is. The shell are flying through the air and the wiz of the bullet can now be heard. Our Division is moved to the right of the road into a thick wooded swamp and take up our position. We immediately commence throwing up a Breastwork of Logs as the Whole of Johnson’s Rebel Army, 50,000, or sixty thousand men are reported here and we have only two Divisions of our Corps, 14th, to fight them. The 20th Corps is coming just as fast as they can, but my be late as the Rebels are fighting hard. In a short time one Division of the 20th Corps arrive, the 1st Division. They are moved to the left of the 1st Division of our Corps. They go to work building Breastworks in the swamp, the same as our Division, but they do not put out any skirmishers and stack arms. While the men are getting logs confounded stupidity in some general officer, ain’t it will never be known who. The Rebels made a charge and find the men (page 9d) not on the alert, of course they fall back. Yes and even Ran but the men could not be rallied and there is a gap in our lines. Where the 1st Division of the 20th Corps fall back where the Rebel horde come rushing through and strike the left flank of the 1st Div of Corps before they can change front and is doubled up and commence to waiver. It is an exciting moment, our Brigade is in line all ready. We are moved to the left to support the 1st Division. We know that ere long we will be tried. But we know what kind of stuff our Regt. is made of, the old Army of the Potomac. Discipline is in yet. But the Rebels rush on the 1st Division and it goes away. We were just in the rear of the 1st Div. and were ordered to lay down as there is no Breast works for our Regt. to get behind and the long grapevine and Pine Trees around us are all afire, set on fire by shell bursting in the woods. The rest of the Brigade has Breast works the musketry was now awful louder and longer than thunder you ever heard. In a short time came the 1st Div. passing directly over our Regt. as we lay down. Now this was the test to try what kind of men we had, for a body of troops to break through and another body of men have to be good soldiers and have all the confidence in the officers not to run away too. It is worse than a charge on the enemy for then all the cowardly feeling in a man gets kept (page 9e) down by the extremes but when troops are falling back there is a sort of a fear or pain takes hold of them and if they do not have Discipline and good Officers they are bound to run, but to the Battle one Regt., in particular. I notice a Regt. that I suppose had done before this. Just as good fighting as any Regt. this was the 21st Wisconsin Regt., it belonged to the 1st Division 14th Army Corps. They passed directly over us, their Lieut. Col. was a brave man, but some of his line officers were cowards. Capt. Marshall, now Lieut. Col. of our Regt., was in command he asked this Lieut. Col. of the 21st Wisconsin what was in our front, he said nothing but Rebels. Capt. Marshall wanted him to form his Regt. in the rear of ours to support us. He tired to do but no use, he was not supported by his line officers, and they could not form. So the Lieut. Col. moved off to the right. So there we were left alone in our Glory, but our line was firm. We had rose up at the command and stood waiting for the enemy, it was an awful moment as a man can think over a life time in a moment like that was but we did not have long to think for on came the Rebels. Now sure of victory as they had doubled up everything on the left and they meant to double up the 17th NYVV, but they found out that we did not double up worth a cent. On they came our Boys reserved their fire for orders. When they had close enough the command Left Oblique Fire (page 9f) was given and the musketry rolled for an hour without any cessation. The Rebels tried to move around our left flank, but we changed front and met them there after awhile they fell back from out front and then such a cheer as was given by us you could almost hear in New York. But in the midst of our cheering we received a fire in the rear and on turning towards that we discovered the Rebels in our 2nd line of works. We were surrounded but we faced by the Rear Rank and opened on them, the rest of the Brigade but our just changed to the other side of the their Breast works, but our Regt. had none so we faced by the rear rank. After some very sharp firing we concluded to fix Bayonets and charge the Rebels was given and we raised that Zouave Cheer Zou, Zou, Zou and you would have thought that all the Devils from below were around to have heard us. I suppose the Rebels thought so for the woods were all afire and us boys coming out of a fire with such a cry as we can. This made them smell H--- if they did not think it was H---. Anyhow they did not stop to see weather we were Devils or not but broke and run. Our Brigade captured on that charge over two hundreds Prisoners, and two stands of colors and came very near capturing Genl. Hardee, Rebel. If we had known it was him he would have never got off alive for he could have been shot. This charge ended the fighting on our part of the line and our Division did not (page 9g) fall back a foot alt all though we were fighting more than ten to one. There were ten pieces of Artillery that belonged to our Corps reserve Artillery when the Panic commenced, captured by the Rebels. I say Panic for they tell me, that is those who saw it being in the rear that it looked worse than Bull Run, for nearly an hour. And if it had not been for the 2nd Division or rather the 1st Brigade 2nd Division of the 14th Army Corps holding its ground as they did it would have been worse than Bull Run. We will never get any credit for what we done on that day for if we did somebody would be blamed for not having skirmishers out in front of the 20th Army Corps. The fighting was now over for us, but on our Left where the 1st Div. of the 20th Corps had fallen back the Rebels made a desperate charge on a Battery of the 14th Army Corps Guns all in position. The Rebels came forward five lines deep, our artillery waited until they were within 30 paces when they opened with Double charges of grape or canister. The Infantry also joined in and for a short time Artillery and Musketry vied with each other as who could fire the quickest, shortly after dark the Rebels fell back to their original line, that is to our left, and both Armies sank to rest. Genl. Johnson’s (Reb) plan was to fight only part of Sherman’s Army and whip it before the other part of it came up, how near he came to being (page 9h) successful by some General’s mistake you can see. If our Division had been doubled up and driven back, why we would not have been here to day and the Union cause would have looked gloomy. But as it is Gold 151 is looking as if they think things lovely. The morning of the 20th of March Genl. Johnson says he found us on the defensive and Intrenched. Well he told the truth for once for he did find us in intrenchments and about 9 o’clock a.m. he found us in one of his own line of works there by making him change his front. The 15th and 17th Army Corps numbering over 35,000 men were now coming up. These two Corps take up position on the right of us and the heaviest fighting is transferred to the right of the line. And if Johnson don’t move soon he is gone up. We keep moving forward until we are right close to the enemy works and constant skirmishing kept up all day. The next day the 21st things are just the same, Genl. Sherman is around. Genl. Schofield and Genl. Terry are moving down the Neuse River and soon old Johnson will either surrender or run for it so on the morning of the 21st Johnson run away. And the morning of the 22nd at 10 o’clock we were marching for communications and Hardtack. We crossed the Neuse River on that day. The Rebels loss in three days fighting must have been very heavy. (page 9i) Our Regt. only lost 15 men, how we managed to escape so fortunately I can not tell. I lost none of my company. I never was under a heavier fire of Musketry before. Providence watched over us. George, Thommy and Myself and brought us safely through this campaign. We arrived at Goldsboro, N.C. on the 23rd the hardest looking set of men you ever saw, clothes all ragged and dirty, but a few weeks rest, new clothes and plenty to eat and then on to Richmond. And if Genl. Sherman’s Army don’t strike terror in to Bobby Lee when we come in his Rear call me a Dutchman. I will now answer your letter as there was nothing happening since the 23rd worth speaking about. My health, I am happy to say is very good and has been so nearly all through the campaign. I think the last ditch for the Chivalry will be nearer Richmond if they don’t run before Sherman gets there. Sherman says that by July we will be in Washington on our way home. Battle of Bentonville, N.C. Yours Truly, Will (page 9k)
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 01:12:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015