The history of Company C, Seventh Regiment, O.V.I Part 4

Harper's Ferry is situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. The towering bluff on the north side of the Potomac is called Maryland Heights; that on the south side, Loudon Heights; and the one between the rivers is called Bolivar Heights. The physical development of the soldiers was secured by the necessity of carrying their water half a mile up the steep hill of Loudon Heights. On the 11th of October, thirty-one recruits swelled the company to a respectable size. Their names and record appear in the latter part of this work.

Occasional reconnaissances were made from Harper's Ferry up the Valley towards Winchester. On one of these scouts a brisk skirmish took place with the rebel cavalry at Berryville. Company C, under the command of Orderly Andrews, was deployed in advance. The cavalry made a sudden, furious dash upon them. They rallied, formed line, and repulsed the enemy without loss to themselves.

[Sidenote: Battle of Dumfries.]

On the 10th of December, Geary's brigade struck tents for Fredericksburg. Hearing of Burnside's defeat, the four Ohio regiments under Col. Candy, encamped at Dumfries.

At 2 P. M., December 27, the signal to fall in was sounded, and the cannon on the side of the town, opposite the camp, signified that there was work to be done.

The brigade hastily marched through the village and concealed themselves on each side of the road. The enemy, consisting of a brigade of Stewart's cavalry, with two pieces of artillery, finding his sh.e.l.ls were ineffectual, divided his force, sending one detachment to the right, to flank the Federal soldiers. It was gallantly repulsed by the 66th Ohio.

The other detachment moved around to the left and rear to attack the camp. Col. Creighton had drawn in the pickets which he that day commanded, and had concealed them behind a thicket. Putting himself out in full view and range of the rebels, with his loud voice, he dared them on. As they advanced, a severe, unexpected fire from these men put them in confusion. A repet.i.tion of these charges proved ineffectual, and night, the soldier's ally, closed the contest. The rebels kept up the appearances of a large force present, by building large fires, but the feint brightness was intended only to conceal their withdrawal. In this action, Corporal Condit and Philip Grigsby were severely wounded.

At this town the brigade spent the winter. Lieutenant I. C. Jones took command of Co. C, March 1, 1863, and held it until his death at Ringgold.

[Sidenote: Battle of Chancellorsville.]

In obedience to orders to march with eight days' rations, these troops set out on the Chancellorsville campaign, April 20.

Marching by Aquia Landing, Stafford Court House, and Kelley's Ford, they reached Chancellorsville on the 30th. The battle opened at 12 o'clock 15 minutes of the next day, but the Seventh took no active part, except to move to the support of a battery in the south-east corner of the large, open field in and around which the fighting took place.

At 5:20 A. M. of the 2d of May, the firing was renewed. At 10 A. M. the enemy undertook to silence the battery supported by the Seventh, but their own guns were soon silenced by the blowing up of two of their caissons. A fine opportunity was given to the regiment, in the afternoon, to show its valor. It was ordered down the plank road through the middle of the battle field, to support a regiment of skirmishers.

These became frightened and rushed back to the rear, while the Seventh pushed firmly on in column, one half the regiment being on each side of the road, under the command of Col. Creighton and Major Crane. A green, Pennsylvania regiment, at the rear, gave them a severe volley and thus put them between two fires; but in good order, the men retained their places until they were ordered to retreat.

The enemy ma.s.sed his forces upon the right wing in the latter part of the day. The 11th Corps gave way, and the Union troops were forced back to the west end of the field. The rapid firing of the ma.s.sed artillery during the night, made the whole line in front a sheet of living flame.

It was one of the grandest sights that the eye has opportunity to witness. Early the following morning, the battle was vigorously renewed.

At 8:30 A. M. the Seventh was ordered into the rifle pits at the east end of the field. The enemy took possession of the west end, and planted batteries, so as to give the Union forces a terrible cross fire from three directions. After an hour it was ordered to its old position at the south-east corner of the field. At 11 A. M. the Seventh was ordered to charge the enemy, who were driving several regiments before them.

After a short fight in the brush, the enemy fell back. It was then discovered that the rest of the Union forces had been withdrawn, leaving this Ohio brigade to fight alone with the rebels, and to cover the retreat. The Seventh was the last engaged, and was obliged to retire across the open field that was swept by the enemy's artillery. The brigade took up a fortified position near the river, and held it until the 6th of May. In the battle, John Gardner was wounded and left uncared for, ten days, on the field, in the hands of the enemy. Cole, Wise, and J. S. Kellogg, were also wounded, but were able to retreat.

[Sidenote: Battle of Gettysburg.]

The sequel proved that Lee's object from this time was, to push into Pennsylvania. The Union forces were compelled to follow. They reached Gettysburg on the 1st of July, 1863. The route of the Seventh was _via_.

Aquia Landing, Edward's Ferry, Frederick, and Littletown. Tedious in the extreme was the march a portion of the way. The weather was excessively warm; so that on the route from Dumfries to Fairfax, in one day, nineteen men in one division, died by the road side from heat and exhaustion. Who can tell the amount of suffering among the survivors?

Battles have produced only a fractional portion of the horrors and sufferings of this war.

On the 1st of July, the Seventh took position on the left of the Federal lines, without fighting. In the morning of the 2d, it was moved to the right wing, where there was a little musketry in the afternoon. At 6 P. M., it reinforced the left wing, which, by a furious a.s.sault, had been forced back. There being danger on the right wing, the regiment was again moved to its support, at 1 A. M. of the 3d. Musketry was kept up during the whole day. At 6 A. M., the Seventh took the rifle pits. The severest portion of the battle occurred in the afternoon of the 3d. The enemy threw his whole force against the center and was thoroughly punished. The cannonading was terrific, perhaps equal to any of the whole war. The slight loss in the Seventh was due to their fortifications. In Co. C, the wounded were Henry Fairchild, John Burns, John Finneran and Joseph McCurren; the latter, mortally.

Once more were the faces of the two grand armies turned towards Richmond. The battles of Geary's brigade in the northern portion of the Confederacy were ended. Its journey before meeting the enemy again, face to face, in deadly conflict, was long enough to reach around a small-sized world. The windings and turnings of it are almost untraceable. In this short sketch, there is only s.p.a.ce to mark out the route without giving the mult.i.tude of interesting particulars connected with it.

The brigade pa.s.sed through Smoketown, Fairplay, (there forming line of battle,) Sharpsburg, Harper's Ferry, proceeded up the Loudon Valley to Ashby's Gap, marched through Mana.s.sas Gap, Rectorsville, Markham, White Plains, Thoroughfare Gap, Greenwich, Mana.s.sas, Catlett Station, and, crossing the Rappahannock below Culpepper, it encamped on the banks of the Rapidan, in view of the enemy, on the opposite side.

But not long were they to tarry there. The four Ohio regiments were soon sent to New York, as was supposed, to enforce the draft. Moving by rail to Alexandria, and, after being paid for two months, taking the ocean steamer, Baltic, they reached New York Harbor about the middle of August, and encamped on Governor's Island, at the southern extremity of the city.

The draft having pa.s.sed among the lower cla.s.ses without a pat-riot, they again weighed anchor on the same steamer, about the 1st of September, and, by the same route, reached their former camp on the Rapidan, very near the middle of the month.

Hooker's Corps was immediately ordered to Tennessee. This corps consisted of the 11th and 12th consolidated, and was numbered the 20th.

Its route was through Was.h.i.+ngton, Baltimore, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, to Wauhatchie Valley.

[Sidenote: Battle of Lookout Mountain.]

Co. C was left at Wartrace, Tenn., to scout for annoying rebel cavalry.

It proved an excellent hunting ground, but a poor one for finding. The four Ohio regiments that had so long shared each other's fortunes, were sent to Bridgeport, Alabama. Early in November, they joined the army of Gen. Grant, to a.s.sist in the capture of the strong hold upon Lookout Mountain. The sides of the peak are very steep and full of gorges. The order was given Nov. 24, 1863, to ascend its rocky sides. It seemed impossible. But those veterans did not hesitate to make the necessary effort. Gen. Hooker sent troops to entertain the enemy in front, while others pa.s.sed up the north and east sides, to capture his camp.

The Seventh was not brought under fire until it arrived at the front of the mountain, and even then, nature turned in to be its ally. The guns of the enemy could not be depressed sufficiently to do much harm, and their greatest efficiency was secured by shooting off the tops of the trees to fall upon the heads of the men. Moving farther on, they were exposed to a severe musketry fire. Here M. C. Stone was severely wounded and taken from the field. A heavy fog soon ended the firing. Night came on, and the fog disappeared. The full moon gave to the Seventh, while doing picket duty, a scene that was truly grand. The summit of the mountain is 2700 feet above the river. The regiment was up two thirds this distance. The camps of both armies were visible, and an enrapturing view for many miles around could be taken. The eclipse of the moon, almost total, seemed to indicate the displeasure of the Almighty at such scenes as the evening shades had just closed in upon.

[Sidenote: Mission Ridge and Ringgold.]

At early dawn the enemy nowhere appeared, and the Stars and Stripes were planted proudly upon the highest pinnacle. The Union Army pursued down the mountain, across the plain of Chattanooga, and up the sides of Mission Ridge, to meet only a slight resistance. The enemy fled, hotly pursued through the day, which was crowned with the capture of 2000 prisoners. The troops were never more jubilant. Cheers and songs echoed from hill to hill. Onward, still onward, was the pursuit, until November 27, when the enemy strongly posted himself on Taylor's Ridge, just beyond Ringgold, to prevent the Union forces from pa.s.sing through Thompson's Gap. Geary's brigade was ordered to storm the heights. It formed in two columns on the rail road one half a mile north of the Gap.

The Seventh occupied the right of the rear column. Steadily up they went. The advance halted at the steep declivity to return the enemy's fire. The rear column pa.s.sed over it, and entered a gorge that was directly in front. The unshrinking Creighton shouted, "Boys, we are ordered to take that hill. I want to see you walk right up it." And up they went in the face of a merciless fire in front, on right, and left.

Soon Lieut. Col. Crane fell, a sacrifice on the altar, and in less than an hour, Col. Creighton followed him to the spirit world. Only one commissioned officer of the Seventh was left uninjured. There was nothing for the small remnant to do, but to fall back to the foot of the hill. It was a sad affair for the regiment. Its glory seemed to have departed. Of the twenty men in Co. C, who entered the action, six were killed and eight, wounded. The killed were Lieut. I. C. Jones, J. L.

Fish, C. E. Wall, D. P. Wood, C. F. King, and Thomas Sweet. The wounded were John Gardner, (mortally,) J. W. Raymond, H. D. Claghorn, John Phillips, J. Cleverton, Wm. H. Pelton, W. O. Barns, and M. H. Sheldon.

The army remained at Ringgold until December 1. It then fell back twenty miles to go into winter quarters, at Chattanooga.

Immediately after the battle at Ringgold, Orderly Andrews took command of Co. C, and held it until its final discharge at Cleveland.

Efforts were made at this camp to induce the men to re-enlist. A fine speech of Gen. Geary's was insufficient to cause the boys to forget their abuse and hard usage, which had so prejudiced their minds that they could not see it to be their duty to do further service. Besides, the General had not, by any means, made himself their favorite; and therefore, his protestations that, "to lose the Seventh would be to lose the seventh star of the Pleiades," and that "they were dear to him as the apple of his eye," only served to disgust them.

[Sidenote: Bridgeport.]

On the 4th of January, 1864, his brigade was sent to Bridgeport to spend the rest of the winter.

It took the steamer Chickamauga, April 12, and sailed 110 miles down the Tennessee, to a point fifteen miles beyond Huntsville, having two or three skirmishes on the way, and capturing a few prisoners. After three days it returned to its camp.

Another effort was made by Gen. Sloc.u.m and all the Corps authorities, to persuade the men to enter the veteran service; but they said, "We know the promises of men in authority, and how much care is exercised for the comfort of those under them. We love the society of our friends at home as well as the mult.i.tudes of young men who have never spent a day in the service. We will take our turn with them." These thoughts biased the men so that, again, they could not feel it their duty to re-enlist, and when the glad hour of their release came, they returned to their homes with clear consciences.

[Sidenote: Rocky-Faced Ridge and Resaca.]

The proper time for their discharge drew near, and the men claimed their right to the promise made them in Camp Dennison, but that promise was utterly disregarded by the government. When Gen. Sherman was ready to enter upon the Atlanta Campaign, the Seventh was ordered to join his forces. Leaving Bridgeport on the 3d of May, it pa.s.sed by Lookout Mountain, around seven miles to the right of Ringgold, over Taylor's Ridge at Gordon Springs, and came up to Rocky-Faced Ridge on the 8th of May, 1864. A line of battle was immediately formed by Hooker's Corps, to drive the enemy from the Ridge. Geary's brigade moved up. When it had nearly reached the summit, the General halted the Seventh and detailed it for his body guard, in consideration of its hard service and severe losses. The rest of the force skirmished from 3 P. M. until night, losing 200 men in killed and wounded.

The enemy retreated, and next made a stand at Resaca, Ga., May 14. The Seventh was posted in the rear of the center of the grand line of battle. The next day it was moved with its division to the left wing, in time to save the 4th A. C., which was not able to stand. In the afternoon the Union troops advanced in a dozen lines of battle. In the heat of action, as the front line gave way, it fell back to the rear.

The Seventh was thus brought in front at 5 P. M., but neither side thought it best to advance across the open field that lay between the two hostile forces. Thus night ended the engagement, without loss to the Seventh.

[Sidenote: Battle of Dallas.]

The enemy withdrew in the night, and was pursued ten days, to New Hope Church, in the vicinity of Dallas, Ga.

The battle opened in front of Hooker's Corps, May 25.

The Seventh was put forward to skirmish. In the latter part of the day it was relieved and set at building breastworks. After sunset, the brigade was ordered to "fix bayonets and give the enemy the cold steel."

Both Hooker and Geary urged the men forward, on the ground that the enemy had no ammunition. While Gen. Geary was making this pretext, the rebels demonstrated the truth of it by sending a sh.e.l.l among the men, and another under the General's horse. The former burst in the crowded ranks, killing two, and wounding twelve men. The General vanished, and no more was seen of him during the night.

The men did not hesitate from fear, but several good reasons were the cause of the hesitation. Their time had expired. They had already done more than their share of charging. They would have been cut to pieces by the rear regiments, and if they had failed, they would have received no more thanks than they did at Ringgold.

During eight days of the battle, the Seventh fought behind breastworks, and learned the worth of protection.