CHAPTER VI.

After the death of Col. Chatfield, Redfield Duryee was appointed Colonel of the Sixth, rising from Adjutant to that position at a single step. He had been North on recruiting service for eighteen months previous to his appointment, but after securing that position he hastened to join the regiment in the field. The appointment was not received very pleasantly by the officers of the Sixth, nor by the privates, who expressed much dissatisfaction at his appointment. Those who had been with the regiment through thick and thin and had borne the brunt of the battles, were more justly entitled to promotion to that position than Redfield Duryee, who had been home for half of his term of enlistment. But merit is not always justly rewarded, and the appointment had to be endured, although it was not according to our taste. Our new colonel enjoined upon the regiment severe drills and guard duties, while it was tasked severely and laboriously with fatigue duty every day and often far into the night. We found it difficult to endure the loss of Col. Chatfield. Few men, living in the midst of such temptations as army life afforded, could resist so practically the attractions that led so many good men astray; yet he stood as a beacon light, and his counsel and judgment were often sought by those who were his superiors in rank. Had Col. Chatfield lived, the entire regiment would no doubt have re-enlisted; but as the command passed into other hands, the number did not exceed 200 who consented to remain till the close of the war. Lieut. Col. Speidel and Capt. Leach resigned their commissions and left the regiment in August, 1863. Ill health was the cause of their resignations.

Col. Speidel never fully recovered from the wound received at Pocotaligo, and the regiment was loth to part with him, as he endeared himself to the boys by his soldierly bearing and commanding ways. He was a brave officer and never flinched on the field, but always inspired the men with true courage and patriotism.

October 20th, five companies of the Sixth went on provost guard duty, relieving the Eighth Maine. We occupied the provost building and had charge of a large number of rebel prisoners, as well as others from Union regiments, who had been guilty of some crime known to military law. Among the rebel prisoners was a Captain Monroe whom the Sixth captured, with others, on Morris Island. He was son of the Mayor of Charleston, and a most bitter and uncompromising rebel. He evinced no desire to shake hands over the “bloody chasm,” but, on the contrary, was bitterly opposed to the Union and to the hireling soldiers employed by Lincoln. He raved and stormed in the guard house like a mad bull, and swore he would fight us to the bitter end whenever he should be exchanged or released. He was taken to some Northern prison with about 100 other prisoners, a guard from the Sixth accompanying them.

Volunteering having partially subsided in the State, and as the government was in need of more troops, drafting commenced in other States as well as in Connecticut. The Sixth received about 200 men in October; some were conscripts and others drafted men, as but few volunteered for the service. Their advent was not hailed with much pleasure or satisfaction by the old regiment, as they claimed that “forced” men would not fight and could not be trusted in case of an emergency. Some were vile roughs and were frequently in the guard house; while others manifested a disposition to do their duty, and did make very good soldiers. Three of the substitutes deserted from the regiment while on picket, but were captured and placed in close confinement at the provost guard house. While there they succeeded in getting away twice; the first time they were found in Ossanabaw Sound and were returned to the post, where they were tried for desertion before a court martial, of which Capt. Tracy of the Sixth was president, found guilty and sentenced to be shot to death by musketry. They were then chained hand and foot to a post inside of the provost quarters; and, notwithstanding these precautions, together with a strong guard, they succeeded in getting away again. They took a boat near the pier and made off; but while in Warsaw sound near the shore, their boat grounded and they were captured by a picket boat from the gunboat Patapsco. They were very bold, ingenious men, and their skill and perseverance might have won them honor if rightly applied. The culprits were Germans by birth: privates Henry Schumaker, of Co. “C,” Henry Stark, of Co. “E,” and Gustav Hoofan, of Co. “B.”

In the case of the latter an error was discovered in writing his name, the name Hoofan having been written Hoffman by the Judge Advocate. Col. Duryee wishing to be merciful to the full extent consistent with duty, availed himself of this technical error and protested against his execution. This protest was allowed, and he was saved from death and ordered to return to duty with his regiment. The man was more than pleased at this announcement, but the Judge Advocate, a lieutenant of the Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania regiment, was severely censured in general orders for his inexcusable carelessness and fatal error.

The following order was issued to the troops for the execution of the deserters:

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 7.

HEADQUARTERS HILTON HEAD, } Hilton Head, S. C., April 16, 1864.}

In obedience to General Orders No. 50, Department of the South, Hilton Head, S. C., April 15, 1864, the sentence of private Henry Schumaker, of Co. “C,” and private Henry Stark, Co. “E,” Sixth regiment Connecticut Volunteers, who were tried before a court martial assembled at Hilton Head, S. C., March 4, 1864, for the crime of desertion, and were sentenced to be shot to death with musketry, will be carried into execution at this Post on Sunday the 17th day of April, 1864, at three o’clock P. M., on the field beyond the causeway and in the presence of all the troops of this command. All fatigue work within the line of the entrenchments will be suspended on that day during the afternoon, and every officer and man not upon the sick list or upon other duty, will be present. The firing party will be furnished by the Sixth Connecticut Volunteers. Capt. E. S. Babcock, 9th U. S. C. T., Provost Marshal, will make the necessary arrangements for the execution. The several regiments and detachments comprising the command will report at two o’clock P. M. to Lieut. Woodruff, A. A. D. C., who will be stationed there to direct them to their positions.

By order of Col. REDFIELD DURYEE,

WALTER FITCH, 1st Lieut. 6th Conn. Vols., Post Adj.

Official: D. A. WOODRUFF, 1st Lieut. 6th Conn. Vols., A. A. D. C.

As soon as the time had been fixed for their execution they were visited by the Provost Marshal, who informed them of their fate and advised them to prepare for death. They seemed stolid and indifferent at first, but upon reflection they gave way to their feelings and desired to have a priest sent to them (they were both Roman Catholics), and Rev. Mr. Hasson, a Catholic priest who was in the department, was sent for and ministered to them. It was for a long time difficult to convince them that their case was hopeless, but Mr. Hasson’s arguments finally forced conviction, and, after hearing their confession twice, he performed all the rites of the Church that were practicable. The prisoners were taken from their cells at about two o’clock, placed in army wagons and seated on the coffins in which they were to be buried. The column was formed as follows:

Capt. E. S. Babcock, Provost Marshal, mounted. Capt. J. P. King, Asst. Provost Marshal, mounted. Drum Corps in two ranks. Firing Party of 24 men detailed from 6th Conn. The Prisoners in wagon seated on their coffins.

Ambulance containing Rev. Mr. Hasson, and Chaplain Woodruff, of the 6th Conn.; Rev. Mr. Taylor of the Christian Commission; the Surgeon of the Provost guard house, and the Surgeon of the 6th Connecticut.

The funeral escort, consisting of a corporal and eight men, marched to funeral music, with arms reversed. Slowly the procession proceeded to the appointed place; the square was formed on three sides, and the victims were driven around once that all might see them and avoid their fate. They maintained a calm demeanor to all, except as they passed our regiment they took off their caps several times to their old comrades. On reaching the end of the square they were assisted to alight from the wagons, the coffins were placed on the ground, the culprits sitting down upon them while the Provost Marshal read the charges, findings and sentence. After a short prayer by the priest they were blindfolded and their hands tied behind them and made to kneel upon their coffins, facing the center of the square. The firing party came up and were halted at six paces distant, when, at a signal from Capt. Babcock, they fired and the victims fell upon their coffins. Schumaker was pierced with nine bullets and Stark with eight. They lay just as they had fallen till the whole command marched past them on the way to camp, when they were put into the coffins and buried.

On the 20th of April, Capt. Lewis C. Allen, Jr., died of disease. He was formerly a member of a militia company in Georgia, and afterwards removing to New Haven, was drill officer of the New Haven Blues. He went out as 1st Lieut. in Capt. Root’s company in the Third three months troops, and later as captain of the “Brewster Rifles,” Co. “F,” of the Sixth regiment. He participated in all the battles of the regiment, and was looked upon as a brave and efficient officer by all the regiment and was much esteemed by his own company for his uniform courtesy and gentlemanly bearing.

Lieut. Col. Klein, with the re-enlisting veterans of the regiment, were given a thirty days furlough after re-enlisting; they sailed for the North and were received in New Haven with demonstrations of respect, escorted to Music Hall, where Mayor Tyler addressed a welcome to the returning soldiers, after which they sat down to a banquet provided for them.

The regiment remained at Hilton Head through the fall and winter months of ’63 and ’64, engaging in an occasional scout after the Johnnies, drilling and doing fatigue duty in various ways. If a battery was to be built or earthworks thrown up, the Sixth was sure to have a hand in it. Many of our officers having resigned and our ranks being depleted by disease, we were finally ordered, with our corps, to join Butler on the James River, and we bade adieu to South Carolina on the 27th of April, 1864, and sailed for our new scene of labor and strife. We arrived at Hampton Roads after due time and landed at Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown. Here we found large numbers of troops encamped in very close proximity to each other, and indications pointed to a general advance along the line. The redoubtable Ben seemed in his element and was busy from morning till far into the night, making the necessary preparations for the conflict. Our corps (the 10th), and the 18th corps, under Gen. W. F. Smith, were ordered to pack up all the surplus clothing belonging to the officers and men, and the cooks were divested of all their cooking utensils except two camp kettles. Large quantities of clothes and goods were put in boxes and barrels and shipped to Norfolk, where they were to be stored; but, unfortunately, the steamer containing the goods of the Sixth sprung a leak and sank, the crew barely escaping with their lives. Butler ordered the command to go as light as possible in regard to clothing and effects, and the rations were cut down to such extent that we were to be deprived of many articles that were palatable to a soldier. Beef, beans and potatoes were excluded from our bill of fare, and bacon and salt pork were to be more freely used. Half rations of soap and full rations of whiskey and quinine were among the items which were considered necessary for our comfort, and lastly, two pairs of Uncle Sam’s brogans were ordered for each man, fearing, perhaps, that the sacred mud of Virginia might draw off one pair while experiencing a march after a gentle fall of dew.

May 4th, the whole command embarked at Gloucester Point and ascended the James. The infantry, artillery and cavalry numbered about 25,000 men, all told. The gunboats went up the river a day earlier than the transports. The scenery along the banks of the James was indeed beautiful; the corn and cotton crops were growing splendidly; large fields in cultivation met the eye on every hand, and everything clearly indicated that Johnny Reb did not expect us quite so soon. The steamers were crowded with the troops, and the bunting streaming from the masts and rigging was a pleasing sight to all beholders. If the enemy saw this advance of Butler’s army coming they could not but dread the results.

The 6th of May the entire force landed at Bermuda Hundred and pushed inland. The day was extremely warm and the extra pair of brogans that “Bennie” made us take were soon thrown off, as well as blankets and knapsacks,--anything to lighten our load. The march through the woods and fields was strewed with these articles, but none could tell whether they would ever be needed again, for we wist not what was before us. We marched about eight miles and halted for the night in a piece of pine woods, where we threw up a rude entrenchment to cover us against a sudden attack. The night passed with no general alarm, although the advance pickets skirmished with the enemy. We were up betimes in the morning and on the move, passing many swamps and deep morasses, which made progress slow. A large detachment were felling trees to make passage for the artillery through the woods and swamps.

On the 9th of May our division moved on to the Petersburg & Richmond R. R., at Chester station, where we cut the telegraph wires and tore up the track, burning the ties and poles. Our brigade pried up the rails as we stood close together, and tumbled them down a steep bank. Over a half mile of track was thus disposed of at a time. We destroyed about three miles of the track at this time and guarded the turnpike and all approaches, while the 18th army corps engaged the rebels near Richmond, but with little success, except to find their position. The next day Gen. D. H. Hill’s corps advanced from Richmond and our forces engaged them all along the line. After a sharp contest which continued over two hours, the rebels withdrew from the field and we retired a short distance to the rear. The casualties of the Sixth were one killed (Capt. Jay P. Wilcox), twenty wounded and four missing.

Captain Wilcox left Waterbury as a private soldier in the Sixth, but was soon promoted to the rank of corporal and thence passed rapidly to that of captain. As an officer, Capt. Wilcox gained the honor and respect of all under his command. Resolute, bold and fearless, he proved an honor to the cause, and the Union lost one of its noblest defenders.

On the 14th of May the Sixth was ordered, with the rest of the corps, to advance to Proctor’s Creek, near Drury’s Bluff, at which place we arrived after little skirmishing. We halted near the edge of a piece of woods, expecting to remain but a short time; but Gen. Butler ordered the Quartermasters to bring up all camp equipage and establish our camps there before commencing operations still farther in advance. We knew, however, that we could not advance very much farther except by bringing on a general engagement, as the enemy were strongly entrenched a short distance from us, as we could see them working on their batteries every day. The evening of the 15th the Sixth occupied the extreme front at the center of the line, on picket. The night passed with but little firing on either side. Just before daylight, while a thick fog prevailed, the rebels massed their forces and made a very determined dash in our front, charging upon us furiously, shouting with that peculiar yell so characteristic of the Johnnies. We knew they outnumbered us, and to stand alone as a picket line would be of no avail; yet we emptied our rifles at them several times and fell slowly back upon the reserve. They proved too strong for our corps and it gave way gradually. We did not “retreat,” but “changed front to the rear,” and contested every foot of ground; but the enemy knowing our strength, forced us back slowly but surely. The turnpike being the safest ground to pass over, was besieged by the troops; ambulances carrying the wounded, negro men and women, rebel prisoners and Union soldiers filled the roadway, while heads of staff were busy issuing orders to the different regiments to form here and there to check the rebel advance. One regiment would file in a piece of woods; another made a stand in a ravine, while our batteries limbered up to get a better position and the whole force resisted bravely the attack. We were forced back about six miles, and, as night came on, the battle ended.

The loss on our side was much larger than that of the rebels. The Sixth suffered severely, considering the numbers engaged: seven killed and fifty-three wounded. Among the wounded were Lieut. Col. Meeker, Captains Charles H. Nichols and John N. Tracy, Lieutenants Bennett S. Lewis, Charles J. Buckbee and Norman Provost. Capt. Horatio D. Eaton, of Hartford, was killed while encouraging his men forward. He served through the three months campaign and afterwards went out as lieutenant of the Sixth. He was greatly beloved at home by a large circle of friends, and possessed the esteem of the regiment. Capt. Biebel and twenty others were captured by the enemy.

The day after this battle the men of the Sixth who had re-enlisted came back from their furlough and reported for duty, but found our position rather warmer than they anticipated,--quite unlike the scenes they had just left at the North. We threw up entrenchments every night, working till morning dawned, and the Johnnies were unceasing in their efforts to dislodge us, many of the men being wounded while at work. The picket line was relieved always at night, and we were invariably shelled while going on that duty. After being posted on the lines things generally quieted down, as the distance between the rebel and Union pickets was often less than three rods. Conversation was kept up and exchanges of newspapers frequently took place, as well as the usual exchange of “terbacker” for coffee.

The old Sixth was again engaged on the 20th of May with the enemy; the Johnnies fought stubbornly and seemed determined on driving us back. We held our ground, but made no advance. After about four hours they were repulsed and fell back. Lieut. Bradley and two privates were mortally wounded, and died soon after being brought into camp. Thirty-two of the regiment were wounded and one missing. Thus the ranks of the Sixth were constantly reduced by these frequent skirmishes, and duty fell pretty severe upon those who were able to perform it. Scarcely an hour passed, day or night, without being shelled by the enemy, and rest seemed out of the question. The pale faces and haggard looks of the men told too plainly what they endured. Yet few reproached the cause in which they were engaged. There is very little poetry and a good deal of hard work in an active campaign.

Col. Redfield Duryee resigned his commission on the 27th of May, as failing health, it is said, incapacitated him for active service in the field. The captain of the 1st Connecticut Battery, Alfred P. Rockwell, was chosen to fill the place. Col. Rockwell was brave and fearless, and held in esteem by the members of the Sixth.

The 2nd of June the enemy again tried to force our lines and did drive back some portion of the 3d New Hampshire, but they were repulsed and the line regained. The artillery duel on both sides waged hot for a few hours, and it was difficult to determine which would come out best in the end. One rebel colonel was killed and brought within our lines, and a lieutenant and twenty-six men deserted to us, being, as they said, tired of the war. The loss to the Sixth was only three wounded.

Part of the command, including the Sixth, were sent across the Appomatox River on the 9th of June, to engage the enemy at a certain point, while the cavalry destroyed a railroad. We came upon the outposts of the enemy, drove them in, were subjected to a severe shelling, but with slight loss on our side. The cavalry, it was said, accomplished its object, and the next day found us back to our old line of works. One morning the videttes reported that the enemy had evacuated their line of rifle pits on our front, and the orders were issued for our corps to advance and make a reconnoissance, which we