Bearing Arms in the Twenty-Seventh Massachusetts Regiment of Volunteer Infantry During the Civil War, 1861-1865, by William P. Derby

Published: Boston, Wright & Potter Printing Company, 1883

A history of this regiment that fought mostly on VA and NC. Extensive rosters claim to correct 161 errors of the records of the Massachusetts Adjutant General's Office

While our chief purpose has been to write a history of the Twenty-Seventh Massachusetts Regiment, yet, to give the work more general interest, we have thought best to include an account of co-operative movements, and the varied fortunes of the places which it was the lot of the regiment to capture or garrison. We gladly acknowledge our indebtedness to Congressman George D. Robinson for such official documents as were needed, as well as for a full set of thirty-two volumes of the "United States Roll of Honor," by which much of the fullness and value of our roster became possible; to C. M. Lee of Springfield for a scrapbook of newspaper notices of the regiment during the war; to E. T. Witherby, Esq. (formerly a member of the Twenty-Fifth Massachusetts) of Selma, Ala., for information through Southern sources; to Capt. E. L. Peck for personal memoranda covering the entire term of the regiment; and no less to Surgeon D. B. N. Fish for the list of casualties, and to him, with Dr. George E. Fuller of Monson, for our valuable medical record. We have also to acknowledge the favor of hosts of correspondents and friends.

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The work has received, in advance of publication, the criticism of many prominent officers and men of our regiment; and, while it is not claimed to be perfect, it is hoped it may escape exacting criticism.

As the History is issued under the authority of the regiment, by their unanimous consent, it is heartily dedicated to The Homes of Western Massachusetts by

THE AUTHOR.

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ILLUSTRATIONS:
Major Gen'l Ambrose E. Burnside, Frontispiece
Major Gen'l John G. Foster, Opposite page 29
Brevet Brig. Gen'l Horace C. Lee, Opposite page 36
Map Dep't of North Carolina, Opposite page 99
Map Bermuda Hundreds and vicinity, Opposite page 252
Chart of New Berne and its fortifications, Opposite page 117
Chart of Washington, N. C., and its fortifications, Opposite page 168
Chart of Battlefield of Drewry's Bluff, Opposite page 291
Chart of Gum Swamp and vicinity, Opposite page 460

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LIST OF BATTLES AND ENGAGEMENTS:
Roanoke Island, N. C., Feb. 7, 8, '62.
New Berne, N. C., March 14, '62.
Core Creek, N. C., June 17, '62.
Dover x Roads, N. C., July 28, '62.
Bachelor's Creek, N. C., Nov. 12, '62.
Kinston, N. C., Dec. 14, '62.
Whitehall, N. C., Dec. 16, '62.
Goldsboro, N. C., Dec. 17, '62.
Rocky Hoc Creek, N. C, March 23, '63.
Siege of Washington, N. C, March 30 to April 16, '63.
Gum Swamp, N. C., April 28, '63.
Gum Swamp, N. C, May 22, '63.
Walthall Junction, Va., May 6, 7, '64.
Arrowfield Church, Va., May 9, '64.
Drewry's Bluff, Va, May 13 to 16, '64.
Bakehouse Creek, Va., May 23, '64.
Cold Harbor, Va., June 2, '64.
Cold Harbor, Va., June 3, '64.
Cold Harbor, Va., June 1 to 12, '64.
Petersburg, Va, June 15, '64.
Petersburg, Va., June 18, '64.
Mine, Petersburg, Va., July 30, '64.
Siege of Petersburg, Va., June 15 to Aug. 24, '64.
Gardner's Bridge, N. C., Dec. 9, '64.
Foster's Mills, N. C., Dec. 10, '64.
Butler's Bridge, N. C., Dec. 12, '64.
South-West Creek, N. C., March 8, '65.

EXPEDITIONS:
Trenton, N. C., July 25 to 27, '62.
Tarboro, N. C., Nov 1 to Dec. 2, '62.
Goldsboro, N. C., Dec. 11 to 20, '62.
Kenansville and Warsaw, N. C, July 4 to 8, '63.
Rocky Mount, N. C, July 17 to 20, '63.
Magnolia Salt Sulphur Springs, Va., March 4 to 7, '64.
Blackwater, Va., April 12 to 15, '64.
Rainbow Bluff, N. C., Dec. 4, '64, to Jan. 7, '65.

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ERRATA:
Page 150, line 17. Read Dec. 16th, not Dec. 17th.
Page 151, line 6. Read Dec. 17th, not Dec. 18th.
Page 333, line 6. For Co. C, read Co. D.
Page 353, line 7. For July 18th, read June 18th.

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CONTENTS:

Introduction, . . . . . 1-6

CHAPTER I [1].
Twenty-Seventh Mass. Regt. Col. Lee. Recruiting. Reporting at Camp. Field and Staff Officers. Testimonials of favor. Governor Andrew to Col. Lee. Line Officers. Ordered to the front. 7-18

CHAPTER II [2].
Off for the War. Hudson River. Philadelphia. Annapolis. First service. General Burnside to command. Brigaded. General A. E. Burnside. General John G. Foster. General H. C. Lee. Our Brigade relations. First death. Orders to embark. . . . . . 19-42

CHAPTER III [3].
The Burnside Expedition. Fleet and Armament. Ranger. Guerrilla Cape Hatteras. Terrible storm. Troubles at Hatteras. Crossing the Swash. Unpleasant discoveries. Sailing Orders. Defences of Roanoke Island. Bombardment. Landing of Troops. The Bivouac. First Battle. Flanking Ft. Defiance. The Enemy surrender. Casualties. Foraging. Re-embarking. Capt. Henry A. Hubbard's death. Prisoners exchanged. . . . . 43-76

CHAPTER IV [4].
New Berne. Fleet under way. Landing at Slocum's Creek. Battle of New Berne. Enemy's works. Position of the Union troops. Victorious charge. The Enemy retreat. Trent Bridge and Public Buildings burned. We capture the Seventh North Carolina Camp. Casualties. Lieut. J. W. Lawton. Incidents. Congratulatory order. . . . . 77-97

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CHAPTER V [5].
Life in Dixie. Camp Warner. Bachelor's Creek. Hospital. Reinforcements. Battle of Camden, N. C. Siege of Fort Macon. Fortifications of New Berne. Beyond the lines. Military Governor. Grand review. Premature rejoicings. Departure of Gen'l Burnside. Burnside's plan. Trenton Expedition. Capt. Sandford at Gum Swamp. Killed by lightning. Washington, N. C. attacked. Companies A, C, and I ordered to Washington; B, D, E, F and G to Newport Barracks. H and K at Bachelor's Creek. Department of North Carolina. Defences of Washington. Defences of Plymouth. Naval Combat on the Blackwater. Wingfield and Shiloh. . . . . 98-133

CHAPTER VI [6].
Tarboro Expedition. Nine months' troops. Rhalls' Mills skirmish. Advance to Rainbow Bluff. Detour to Tarboro. Council of war and return. Attack upon H and K at Bachelor's Creek. Lieut. Wood's strategy. . . . . 134-144

CHAPTER VII [7].
Kinston, Whitehall and Goldsboro. Our force engaged. Skirmishing by the way. Battle of Kinston. Battle of Whitehall. Field and battle of Goldsboro. Clingman assaults Lee's Brigade. Casualties Rebel force. Incidents. . . . . 145-158.

CHAPTER VIII [8].
South Carolina Expedition. Regiment at Washington, N. C. Co's G and H go to Plymouth. Mail steamers and mails. Hyde County gaerrillas. Fort Anderson attacked. Siege of Washington, N. C. Demand for its surrender. Commodore Hull. Ceres runs the blockade. Aground under the guns of Rodman's Point. Spinola retreats. Nailing the flag to the staff. Cotton Battery and Hill's Point. Steamer Escort runs the blockade. General order. Gannett declines to assault. The Siege raised. Incidents. Engagement at Rocky Hoc Creek. . . . . 160-188

CHAPTER IX [9].
Gum Swamp. Engagement at Dover X Roads. Gen'l Palmer loses his temper. Gum Swamp under Col. Jones. A Night in the Swamp. A grand Success. Following Col. Pierson in a swamp. Lieut. Hunt and his men at Core Creek Bridge. Attack upon Bachelor's Creek. Col. Jones killed. What was it? . . . 189-201

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CHAPTER X [10].
Col. Lyman resigns. Life in New Berne. Attending a colored Church. Foster General Hospital. The Forty-Sixth Mass. Kenansville and Warsaw Expedition. Rocky Mount Expedition. Gen'l Foster commands the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. Gen'l Peck commands in North Carolina. Veteran Reserve Corps. Capt. Geo. Warner. Guard for Conscripts. Negro wedding. 202-217

CHAPTER XI [11].
Gen'l Foster calls for his old Brigade. At Newport News. Gen'l Foster relieves Gen'l Burnside at Knoxville, Tenn. Provost duty. Reenlistment. Review Review of 1863, . . . . . . 218-221

CHAPTER XII [12].
Veterans at home. Mayor Alexander's Address. Col. Bartholomew's reply. Census of Norfolk Contrabands. Our Drum Corps. Helping in colored schools. Julian's Creek. Organization of the Red Star Brigade. Death of Adj't E. D. Lee. . . . . 222-231

CHAPTER XIII [13].
Department of North Carolina in danger. Attack upon New Berne. A terrible Revenge. Plymouth attacked. The ram Albemarle. Death of Lieut.-Com. Flusser. Plymouth surrendered. Capt. Sampson. Washington, N. C., evacuated. A fierce Naval Combat. Hoke attacks New Berne again. His hasty Retreat. . . 232-244

CHAPTER XIV [14].
The Army of the James. General C A. Heckman's special Report, Bermuda Hundreds. Battle of Walthall Junction; losses. Walthall Junction, May 7th; losses. Gen'l Grant's Instruction to Gen'l Butler. Battle of Arrowfield Church. Mudsills vs. Chivalry; losses. Retire to Cobb's Hill. Lieut. Pliny Wood. Drewry's Bluff. Sharpshooting. New position. Company D on picket. Battle of Drewry's Bluff. Beauregard's Instructions; how executed. The Enemy repulsed. Attacked in the rear. Loss of Colors and Prisoners. What the Enemy say of the Battle. Casualties. Capt. C. D. Sandford. What Gen'l Butler has to say. Letters from Major-Gen'ls Smith and Weitzel. Letters from Gen'ls Heckman, Pickett and Lee. Reorganization of the Regiment. New Commanders. Ordered to the Army of the Potomac. . . . . . . 245-293

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CHAPTER XV [15].
The Army of the Potomac. White-House Landing. March to new Castle and Cold Harbor. Promptly at work. Battle June 2; losses. Charge of June 3. Opinions of the Charge. Losses. Major W. A. Walker. Capt. E. K. Wilcox. Lieut. Samuel Morse. Lieut. F. C. Wright. Truce to bury the Dead. Means to recognize the Dead Sanitary and Christian Commissions. New movement. 294-327

CHAPTER XVI [16].
Siege of Petersburg. Battle of the 15th; losses. Matter in dispute. Assault June 18; losses. Incidents. Gen'l Smith's Address. Gen'l Stannard's farewell. Chaplain Woodworth resigns. The Enemy's works. . . . . . 328-348

CHAPTER XVII [17].
A Summer before Petersburg. Experiences at the front and at the rear. Casualities. Tri-monthly Report. Aggregate Strength of the Regiment during the Summer. Fleas, sandflies, etc. Extremes. Picket line. Gen'l Smith's farewell. The Mine fiasco. The Rebels mine our position. Interchange on the picket line. . . 349-366

CHAPTER XVIII [18].
Return of the Veterans. The Regiment ordered to North Carolina. Col. Lee interposes. Tri-monthly Report Sept. 9. The Veterans at Springfield. Mayor Alexander's Address. Ex-Mayor Bemis' Address. Col. Lee's response. Col. Bartholomew's response. 367-377

CHAPTER XIX [19].
Andersonville. Lack of Shelter, Fuel and Water. A wonderful Providence. Libby Prison. Arrival at Andersonville. Surgeon's call Burial of the Dead. A Fast of nearly four Days. Two sides of such life. Leaving Andersonville. Railroad Accident. Savannah. Millen. Blackshire. Andersonville again. Abandoned in Florida. What was endured. Personal Incidents. Forgiven but not forgotten. . . . . . 378-407

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CHAPTER XX [20].
Officers in Prison. Useless requisitions. Specimens of Chivalry. Greetings at Camp Oglethorpe. Uuder fire at Charleston, S. C. Savannah, Ga. Line officers at Charleston, S. C. Camp Sorghum, Columbia, S. C. How Escapes were made. How Money and News were obtained. A stampede of officers. Escape of Capt. Nutting and others. Capt. Nutting gets solicitous. Not anxious for acquaintance. New Difficulties. Under the Stars and Stripes. Escape of O'Connell and others. Friendship of Negroes. Drifting out to our Fleet. . . . . 408-434

CHAPTER XXI [21].
Return to North Carolina. Torpedo Explosion. Military Execution. Yellow fever. Volunteers for hazardous duty. Destruction of the Ram Albemarle. Recapture of Plymouth, N. C. Successful foraging. Marching orders. . . . . 435-445

CHAPTER XXII [22].
Rainbow Bluff. Gardner's Bridge. Foster's Mills. Butler's Bridge. Fun all on one side. Col. Frankle's movements. Tri-monthly Report. Major Moore belligerent. Ordered to Beaufort. Ordered to New Berne. Expeditions against Fort Fisher. Red House and Rocky Run. . . . . 446-458

CHAPTER XXIII [23].
South-West Creek. Marching orders. Col. Bartholomew's little Speech. At South-West Creek. Being flanked. Battle of South West Creek. Hardly a fighting chance. Rallying around our Colors. Defeated; casualties. Col. W. G. Bartholomew. Incidents. Adjt. J. W. Holmes. Story of the prisoners. A speedy release. . 459-477

CHAPTER XXIV [24].
Close of Service. The Soldier's life. The Last Ditch found. Disbanding of the Army. Muster-out of the Regiment. The fearful Cost Personal Notices of Officers and Men. . . . . 478-495

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CHAPTER XXV [25].
Medical. Surgeon Otis. Surgeon Otis' Letters. Hospital Department. On the way to Annapolis. New Berne Battlefield. Asst.-Surg.'s Camp and Hubon. Hospital funds. Effect of large Bounties. Dr. G. E Fuller. At Cold Harbor, Va. Around Petersburg. Return to North Carolina. Yellow fever. Hamilton Expedition. South-West Creek. Final service. Signal Corps. Our Men in that Corps. Its Advantage to the Army. . . . . 496-519

CHAPTER XXVI [26].
Twenty-Seventh Massachusetts Regimental Association. Its object. Discovery of the captured Colors. How recovered. A Jubilee of the Regiment at Springfield. How the Flags were received. Press reports. Flags deposited at the Springfield City Library. Letters of regret; longing to be with us. Fraternal Greetings. . 520-531

Roll of Honor, . . . . . 533

Roster, . . . . . 551

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One of our most eminent statesmen has said, "All governments must pass through three ordeals before having a confessed standing in the family of nations; first, the knowledge of and declaration of independent rights; second, defending rights and territory from foreign aggression; and lastly, maintaining itself against insurrection and treason within its domain." Two of these ordeals had been successfully passed by the United States, but in the last the nations of the world predicted its ruin. "We had no cohesiveness or power to enforce our laws, and at the first shock would fly to pieces like a torpedo from forces within. At best, a republic based on universal suffrage and intelligence but nourished the causes that would prove its ruin." These predictions showed the bias of the nations, and their acts became so unfriendly at the outset of our contest, as to justify our noble President Lincoln in saying, in his annual message in 1862, "Every nation distracted by civil war must expect to be treated without consideration by foreign powers." Count De Gasparin, a writer of acknowledged ability, said, "Suppose Europe not to exist, and America a duelling-ground in which no one can interfere, you cannot imagine a continuance of the struggle. Four months would suffice for the reduction of the South from the day it ceases to count on Europe."

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It is proper to recount a few of the leading causes of the war as an introduction to the services and sacrifices of those who battled for the integrity of our Union. Headley in his History of the civil war says, "It is easy to see that it will be vain for either North or South to attempt to prove itself entirely guiltless before impartial history;" a declaration which means that, although the North was right in its determined opposition to slavery, the South was in a measure justified in recourse to arms, from the methods by which their pet institution was antagonized. Such a statement may be soothing to a neutral mind, but lacks the vigor and honesty of the truism that right is always aggressive against evil, and must be in loyalty to itself.

The loyal North had endured banterings and insults until forbearance ceased to be a virtue. For the sake of peace, they had submitted to a long series of dominations, resulting in the admission of Texas as a slave State, and rendering effete the Wilmot Proviso, by the terms of which slavery could not be introduced into acquired territory. After a bitter struggle, slavery was legalized in Missouri under the Missouri Compromise, providing that henceforth slavery should be prohibited north of the thirty-sixth degree of latitude. To repeal this compromise, Squatter Sovereignty had been the rallying cry, and this declared it the right of those settling in a territory to decide its domestic institutions. To vitiate State sovereignty, as in Kansas, they appealed to border ruffianism, and invoked the military power of the government to crush out and destroy the opposing sentiment. Still dissatisfied, they obtained the famous Dred Scott decision from the Supreme Court, which

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declared, "There is no difference between slaves and other kinds of property," and that "All American citizens may settle everywhere (in our domain) with their property." With the patronage of the government at their command, its marshals were employed in recovering fugitive slaves, and both houses of Congress passed stringent laws, ordering all the forces of the States, both public and private, to assist in capturing and returning the fugitives to bondage. Espionage was placed upon the mails, and all literature assailing slavery prohibited therefrom. Social ostracism against persons from the free States at the South, was exacting and intolerable, individual, opinion overawed, and any expression of opposing sentiment was followed by a notice to leave, or by personal violence. Prominent men in all departments of government were playing fast and loose with treason, and distrust was justified on every hand.

Although a Massachusetts senator had been stricken down at the National Capitol, and these changes been endured, there was no intention to interfere with the institution of slavery, otherwise than by legislation, though secession and nullification had been openly advocated at the South.

The election of Abraham Lincoln furnished an occasion rather than a cause for the South; and the weakness or duplicity of James Buchanan, the opportunity to unveil their treasonable plans. South Carolina passed an ordinance of secession Dec. 20, 1860, and seized all public property within her State, under the plea of eminent domain. This was repeated in all the cotton States, until, upon the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as President, March 4, 1861, seven States had passed ordinances of secession.

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Each in turn seized the public property, Florida and Louisiana ignoring their purchase by the government at a cost of about sixty millions of dollars, and Texas the fact that her place in our constellation had been secured by upwards of two hundred millions of dollars, and large numbers of valuable lives.

Friday, April 12, 1861, at half-past four in the morning, a shell from a mortar battery near Fort Johnson, Charleston, S.C., described a curve high in air, and fell within Fort Sumter, then occupied by Major Robert Anderson, with a garrison of one hundred and twenty-eight men. After a bombardment of thirty-six hours, by forces under General Beauregard, the fort was surrendered and evacuated April 14th. Thus was treason consummated, and a conflict inaugurated, which, in gigantic proportions, and far-reaching results, must ever stand as one of the boldest monuments in political history.

These acts narrated, resulted in a proclamation for convening Congress July 4, 1861, and a call for seventy-five thousand troops for three months. Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas, now cast their lot with the South, while Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri refused their quota, and notified the government, -- "Troops could not pass over their domain to coerce the sovereign States."

By this accession, the seceded States embraced a population of five and a half million whites and three and one-half million blacks, with a territory of five hundred and sixty-four thousand square miles. Cotton had been king, yielding to these States upward of two hundred millions annually, in addition to immense revenues from other crops, and from

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mines and forests of ship-timber. The conflict must be waged, if at all, along an inland line of upwards of twelve hundred miles well suited for defence, and twenty-four hundred miles of seaboard, containing the best harbors and strongest fortresses of the Union.

From the Potomac to the far West, all was chaos and lurking treason when Congress met. An insurgent army was gathered at Manassas, Va., threatening the national capital. Kentucky had decided to remain in the Union, but Buckner and Breckenridge, and other leading men were secretly plotting to lead it into the rebellion; Missouri was rent in twain by treason and contesting forces, and its governor and the rebel General Price, were actively at work to force it into the Confederacy. Privateers sailing under letters of marque were destroying our merchant marine upon the high seas, while the nations of the Old World pointed with scorn at one more failure of a republican government.

Even while Congress was debating the right or advisability of coercion, the battle of Bull Run was fought; and the retreating, demoralized Union army -- of twenty-eight thousand five hundred and sixty-eight men, -- as it fell back upon the national capital, awoke the two houses from sentimentality to a conception of duty. The needed appropriations were quickly made, and the call for five hundred thousand volunteers was authorized.

Before a step could be taken to retrieve our national honor, this army must be enlisted, equipped, and drilled. A great danger also threatened the nation in the expiration of the term of the three months troops; but, thanks to their

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unwavering loyalty, these troops volunteered to remain until such time as new levies could replace them. Fortunately, the call for volunteers was met by an uprising and response without parallel, exceeding by two hundred and fourteen thousand one hundred and forty the number called for, a sight which startled the nations of the world, and awoke in our enemies a new conception of the conflict they had precipitated.

Suspecting that the national government would be forced to resort to arms -- with eminent wisdom -- Gov. John A. Andrew, of Massachusetts, had issued his General Order No. 4, Jan. 16, 1861, requiring the commanding officer of each militia organization, to perfect, recruit, and equip his command with men ready for service at a moment's notice; and to discharge such as were unfit and unwilling to enter active service.

By virtue of this forethought, Massachusetts was able to respond so promptly to the call for troops, that the unfading honor of the first response to the nation's call, belongs to her, and to the valiant Sixth Massachusetts Regiment. The morning following the call, the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment mustered on Boston Common, and the evening of the 17th was en route for Washington.

The President's first call was met with such an uprising that but a small proportion of the volunteers could be accepted; but after the battle of Bull Run, with a more vivid conception of the conflict before it, the government once more appealed to the States for help, and Governor Andrew issued his proclamation, "Your country calls you to the post, where the heroic soldiers of April hastened with generous alacrity and sublime devotion."