Three Years in the Sixth Corps

Chapter IV.. The Army Transferred to the Peninsula.

The Army Transferred to the Peninsula.

The advance to Yorktown--A thunder storm--"Reliable contrabands"--Facing the enemy--A strong position--The Union line--A rebel welcome--Digging-- On picket--A dreary country--An enterprising planter--Active work--Battle of Lee's Mills--Charge of the Vermont brigade--Progress of the siege--Ravages of disease--A front seat--Short supplies--The rebels withdraw--Entering the strongholds--Infernal machines--March to Williamsburgh--Victims of disease.

Chapter V.. Yorktown.

Yorktown.

The advance to Yorktown--A thunder storm--"Reliable contrabands"--Facing the enemy--A strong position--The Union line--A rebel welcome--Digging-- On picket--A dreary country--An enterprising planter--Active work--Battle of Lee's Mills--Charge of the Vermont brigade--Progress of the siege--Ravages of disease--A front seat--Short supplies--The rebels withdraw--Entering the strongholds--Infernal machines--March to Williamsburgh--Victims of disease.

Chapter VI.. Williamsburgh.

Williamsburgh.

Battle of Williamsburgh--The army not organized--The medical department--Hooker's gallant fight--Hancock's charge--McClellan at Yorktown--Night on the battle-field.

Chapter VII.

The March up the Peninsula and the Organization of the Sixth Corps.

March up the Peninsula--Joy of the contrabands--Cumberland Landing--The Sixth Corps organized--At White House--On the Chickahominy--Fight at Mechanicsville--Battle of Hanover Court House.

Chapter VIII.. On the Chickahominy.

On the Chickahominy.

Gaines' Farm--The line of battle--Battle of Seven Pines--Sedgwick and Kearney to the rescue--Hooker's charge--A lost opportunity--Golden's Farm--Ditching--Malaria--Chickahominy fevers--A German regiment-- Stuart's raid.

Chapter IX.. The Seven Days' Battles.

The Seven Days' Battles.

The army united--Plans and counter plans--Battle of Fair Oaks--Lee's plan--The situation--Stonewall Jackson on the flank--Battle of Mechanicsville--Joy in camp--Porter's corps retreats--An astonished army--Battle of Gaines' Farm--Slocum's division at Games' Farm--Retreat to the river--Battle of Golden's Farm--A young hero--A Union victory--Our right exposed--The sick abandoned--A night of sorrow--The grand retreat commenced--Sad scenes at Savage's Station--A meteor railroad train.

Chapter X.. The Grand Retreat.

The Grand Retreat.

Lee's army in pursuit--Sumner and Smith at Bay--Battle of Savage's Station--The Vermont Brigade--Sick and wounded abandoned--Retreat to White Oak Swamp--Battle of White Oak Swamp--An astonished division--A night march--A mystery--In sight of the James--Battle of Malvern Hill--Departure of the princes--Gloom and anxiety--Lee's attack--The rebels demoralized.

Chapter XI.. Harrison's Landing.

Harrison's Landing.

March to Harrison's Bar--A scene of confusion--A beautiful landscape--Fourth of July in camp--Gloom at the north--Cause of the disasters--Prevalence of disease--Review by the President--A night demonstration by the enemy--Reconnoissance to Malvern Hill--Departure of General Davidson--A retrospect.

Chapter XII.. Retreat From the Peninsula, and General Pope's Bull Run Campaign.

Retreat from the Peninsula, and General Pope's Bull Run Campaign.

Premonitions of a change of base--The transfer commenced--Marching down the Peninsula--On board transports--A contrast--Arrival at Alexandria--Unaccountable delays--General Pope's campaign--An obstinate general--Causes of Pope's failure.

Chapter XIII.. The Maryland Campaign.

The Maryland Campaign.

General McClellan restored to command--March through Washington--Leisurely campaigning--Battle of Crampton Pass--Death of Mathison--Battle of South Mountain Pass--Death of Reno--Surrender of Harper's Ferry--March to Antietam.

Chapter XIV.. The Battle of Antietam.

The Battle of Antietam.

The Valley of the Antietam--Gathering of the hosts--The battle-field--The battle commenced--Splendid fighting of Hooker's forces--Successes and reverses of Sumner's troops--Timely arrival of the Sixth corps--A gallant charge--Losses of the corps--Burnside's attack--Hours of suspense--The enemy defeated at all points--Retreat of the rebels--Scenes on the battle-field--At the hospitals--At Sharpsburgh--A division of militia--Couch's division joins the Sixth corps--Visit of the President--Recruits--Energy at the north--At rest--Want of clothing--Stuart's raid--Delays--Clear Spring--General Brooks.

Chapter XV.

The Second Advance into Virginia, and the Battle of Fredericksburgh.

Marching in Maryland--Arrival at New Baltimore--General McClellan superseded by General Burnside--Thanksgiving in camp--The grand divisions organized--The march resumed--Fatal delays--In order of battle--The crossing--Fredericksburgh bombarded--Situation of Fredericksburgh--Scenes of activity--The Bernard house--Scenes at the hospital--The battle on the right--Charges of the Pennsylvania reserves--The river recrossed--Reflections.

Chapter XVI.. The Winter At Falmouth.

The Winter at Falmouth.

Camp at White Oak Church--"The mud march"--Return to camp--General Neill--General Hooker supersedes General Burnside--Burnside's magnanimity--General Hooker as a soldier--Reconstruction--The cavalry organized--Business departments renovated--The medical department-- Ambulance system--Quartermasters' and commissary departments--Life in camp--Snowball battles--In the Seventy-seventh--The Light division--Review by General Hooker--General John Sedgwick--Scene at head-quarters--Review of the army by the President--Preparing for the campaign.

Chapter XVII.. The Chancellorsville Campaign.

The Chancellorsville Campaign.

Orders to move--The river crossed--Sedgwick's command--The First corps withdrawn--Gallant conduct of the Light division--Advancing to the heights--The line of battle--The columns of attack--Attack of Howe's columns--Of Newton's column--Of Burnham's--Misfortune following victory--Fight of Bartlett's brigade--The First division at work--A critical position--The Sixth corps surrounded--Savage fight of Neill's brigade--The corps withdraws to Banks' Ford--Recrosses the river--Hooker's operations on the right--Position of the corps--Rout of the Eleventh corps--The rebels repulsed--Jackson renews the attack--The rebels again repulsed--Hooker recrosses the river.

Chapter XVIII.

Second Encampment at White Oak Church and the Pennsylvania Campaign.

The army in its old position--A trip to Dixie--The wounded at the hospitals--Introduction of army badges--Adornments of the camps--The "Third crossing"--The Barnard mansion--Exchanging papers--A broken lieutenant--The Pennsylvania campaign commenced--Restriction of baggage--A severe march--An army bathing--At Centreville--Bristow Station--March to Maryland--General Hooker succeeded by General Meade--Position of the army.

Chapter XIX.. The Gettysburgh Campaign.

The Gettysburgh Campaign.

The rebels in Pennsylvania--Panic at Harrisburgh--Alarm at Baltimore and Washington--Sixth corps leaves Bristow Station--A surprise--General Meade takes command--Position of the army--Marching through Pennsylvania--An unprecedented march--Exciting news--Battle of Gettysburgh--Death of Reynolds--First and Eleventh corps fall back --Second day's battle--The battle-field--Fighting at Round Top--On the right--The grand onset--The battle decided--Rebel and Union wounded.

Chapter XX.. Pursuit of Lee's Army.

Pursuit of Lee's Army.

Scenes of the field of Gettysburgh--The rebel hospitals--The sightless rebel soldier boy--The Sixth corps at Fairfield--"Hurrah for the Union"--Kilpatrick's handiwork--At Waynesboro'--On picket--A division of militia--The Vermonters at Funkstown--The army at Funkstown--Meade's failure to attack--New York riots--Return to Virginia.

Chapter XXI.. Camps At Warrenton, the Centreville Campaign and the Battle of

Camps at Warrenton, the Centreville Campaign and the Battle of Rappahannock Station.

Camp at Hart's Mills--A ride to the Sulphur Springs--Contrabands going north--The Vermonters go to New York--Jersey Brigade at Warrenton--The Sixth corps at Cedar Mountain--Retreat to Centreville--Battle of Bristoe Station--Advance to Warrenton--Battle of Rappahannock Station--Flight of Lee's army.

Chapter XXII.. The Army At Brandy Station.

The Army at Brandy Station.

Encampment at Brandy Station--The Mine Run campaign--Crossing the Rapidan--Battle of Locust Grove--The army on Mine Run--The order of battle--The army withdraws--Back at Brandy Station--Reconnoissance to Madison Court House--Ladies in camp--Chapel tents.

Chapter XXIII.. The Wilderness Campaign.

The Wilderness Campaign.

Preparing to leave camp--General Grant in command--The last advance across the Rapidan--The battle-ground--Battle of the Wilderness--Noble fight of Getty's division--Hancock's fight on the left--Rickett's division driven back--The ground retaken--The wounded--Duties of the surgeons--The noble dead.

Chapter XXIV.. Spottsylvania.

Spottsylvania.

Moving by the flank--The wounded abandoned--The Fifth Corps at Spottsylvania--Arrival of the Sixth Corps--Getting into line--Death of Sedgwick--General Wright in command--Battle of the 10th of May--Upton's splendid charge--Battle at "the angle"--Another flank movement.

Chapter XXV.. The Hospitals At Fredericksburgh.

The Hospitals at Fredericksburgh.

The journey from the battle-field--Sufferings of the wounded--A surgeon's letters--Rebel hatred--Assistance from the north--A father in search of his boy--The wounded sent to Washington.

Chapter XXVI.. Coal Harbor.

Coal Harbor.

At Hanover Court House--The Eighteenth corps joins the Army of the Potomac--The armies meet at Coal Harbor--Battle of June 1st--Battle of June 3d--Terrible exposure--The army strikes for Petersburgh--Charles City Court House--A centenarian--Review of the overland campaign.

Chapter XXVII.. Petersburgh.

Petersburgh.

The march to Petersburgh--Smith's successes--The battle of June 18th--The Sixth and Second corps sent to the left--Rebels penetrate the line--Progress of the siege--Sixth corps proceeds to Reams' Station--Kautz's and Wilson's raids.

Chapter XXVIII.. Sixth Corps Transferred to Washington--Battle of Fort Stevens.

Sixth Corps Transferred To Washington--Battle of Fort Stevens.

The Shenandoah Valley--Hunter's advance to Lynchburgh--The retreat--Rebels advance into Maryland--Battle of Monocacy--Sixth corps goes to Washington--Battle of Fort Stevens.

Chapter XXIX.. The Shenandoah Valley.

The Shenandoah Valley.

The Sixth and Nineteenth corps follow the enemy--Crossing the Potomac--Averill's fight at Snicker's Gap--Return of the Sixth corps to Washington--March back to Harper's Ferry--Return to Maryland--Death of Major Ellis--General Sheridan assigned to command--Back in the Valley--Charlestown--John Mosher--March to Fisher Hill--Return to Charlestown--Fight at Charlestown.

Chapter XXX.. Battle of Winchester.

Battle of Winchester.

Encampment at Berryville--Leaving camp--The advance--Taking position--Advance and retreat--Death of Russell--"I know they'll run"--Reminiscences--At the hospitals--A regiment going home--"Why don't he come."

Chapter XXXI.. Fisher Hill.

Fisher Hill.

March up the valley--Strasburgh--The army confronting Fisher Hill--The flank movement--Flight of Early--The pursuit--Guerrilla warfare--Southern refugees--Starting for Washington--Return to Cedar creek.

Chapter XXXII.. Battle of Cedar Creek.

Battle of Cedar Creek.

Position of the Union forces on Cedar creek--Demonstrations by Early--The morning of October 19th--Eighth corps straggling--Nineteenth corps routed--The Sixth corps to the rescue--Death of General Bidwell--The Sixth corps holds the enemy--General Wright prepares for another attack--Arrival of Sheridan--The charge--The rout--Guns, wagons and prisoners--The victors in camp.

Chapter XXXIII.. The Final Campaign.

The Final Campaign.

Sixth corps returns to Petersburgh--Condition of the corps--Sheridan joins the grand army--Capture of Fort Steadman--The last grand charge--The pursuit of Lee's army--Tributes to the Sixth corps--Disbanding.

THREE YEARS IN THE SIXTH CORPS.

CHAPTER I.. A New Regiment Goes to the War.

A NEW REGIMENT GOES TO THE WAR.

Organization of the Seventy-seventh N. Y. V.--Departure from Saratoga--Greetings by the way--New emotions--The noble dead--On board the Knickerbocker--At New York--Presentation of flags--Beauties of monopoly--Hospitality of Philadelphia--Incidents on the route--Arrival at Washington--In camp.

Our regiment was organized at Saratoga Springs, the historic scene of the battle of Bemis Heights and the surrender of Burgoyne--hence its name, "The Bemis Heights Battalion." Hon. Jas. B. McKean, then member of congress, a gentleman of well known patriotism, was made our Colonel. We left our rendezvous on the 26th of November, 1861, Thanksgiving day, having been mustered into the United States service three days before.

As the long train of cars bore us from the station at Saratoga Springs, the thousands who had gathered to witness our departure united in cheer after cheer until all the groves and vales of that charming resort rang with the echoes of the tumultuous shouting.

The thousand brave fellows, who were about to try the stern realities of war, were by no means backward in replying to these hearty expressions of good wishes. Long after we had lost sight of the lovely village, the shouts of the multitude could be heard and the hills rang again with the responding cheers of those in the cars. At each station, as we passed, crowds of people pressed to greet us, and loud and long were the cheers that bade us "God speed."

We were now fairly off for the war. We who had followed the various peaceful avocations of life, in the professions or in the workshops, in trade or in husbandry, had now turned away from the office, the desk, the shop and the plough, to join the Grand Army upon which the hopes of the nation were staked, and which we confidently believed was soon to sweep the rebellion to destruction.

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