Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Post image for Antietam.–Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

Antietam.–Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

September 17, 2012

Diary of a Young Officer–Josiah Marshall Favill (57th New York Infantry)

[September 17th]

During the night the Eleventh corps, General Mansfield, crossed, and at daylight this morning the combined force commenced an attack which proved to be most sanguinary and without important result. To our astonishment the whole line was not engaged simultaneously, but the old McClellan method of fighting in detail, one corps at a time, the rest of the army looking on. The fight was murderous, the musketry terrific and the number of guns in action almost incredible. About 9 o’clock our division was ordered to follow French, now commanding the Third division across the river, and promptly fell in, marched around the base of the hill into the valley, and crossed at a shallow ford, Caldwell and Meagher in front. We filed off to the left along the stream, and lay down, while Meagher’s brigade supported by Caldwell moved forward to the attack up the hill directly in front. As they approached the summit, they were met by a severe musketry fire, and were shelled by many guns from different directions. The first thing I noticed was General Meagher slip from his horse, and some of the men carrying him to the rear. His brigade, however, marched forward to the crest in beautiful style, but were unable to make further progress. They remained standing in line of battle, loading and firing as fast as they could, their men falling in the ranks every second, and we could see them gradually melting away. Just then Captain Norvell, of General Richardson’s staff, came along, and ordered us forward to relieve them. The order to fall in was given and with nervous force, teeth firmly set and without a word spoken, we marched steadily forward. As we approached the Irish brigade, it opened files and we passed through, immediately coming under a terrific fire of musketry, and artillery. Caldwell, in the meantime, had gone in on our left and gained considerable ground, reaching the crest of the hill. The enemy were in plain sight a very short distance below, and the Fifty-seventh and Sixty-sixth were ordered to charge, which they did, in a most gallant manner, led by Colonel Parisen on horseback. Down the slope, over a sunken road strewn with dead and dying, and into a cornfield pell mell we went, driving the flying rebels before us in splendid shape, bayoneting all who did not promptly surrender. We finally reached a house, since known to be the Piper house, and came under a converging fire or rebel artillery and so were ordered back again, and to the left, taking a position on the slope of the hill overlooking the cornfield. Here the regiment became scattered, and it was some time before it was gotten together under the severe artillery fire. Just at this time Colonel Brooke came up and ordered me to join his staff as aide-de-camp in place of Lieutenant Potts, carried from the field badly wounded. The first thing to do was to reorganize the line. Richardson, on the left, while directing the batteries and infantry as they fell back into new positions, was severely wounded and carried from the field. There was a considerable gap on our right and Colonel Brooke directed me to move up the regiment on the left of Caldwell’s brigade to close it as the enemy were advancing, and there was danger of our line being broken. I walked across the field right on the edge of the cornfield, my ears fairly burning with the singing of the deadly minnie. I could see nothing, but the tips of the cornstalks were constantly toppling over, cut by the rebel infantry fire. When I reached the infantry line, it was lying flat down, and proved to be the Sixty-first New York, commanded by Barlow. The colonel was lying down, too, and I directed him by order of Colonel Brook, to move by the left and close up the gap. To my surprise, he refused to budge, saying he did not recognize Colonel Brooke’s authority. The balls were whistling around me as I stood arguing with him, almost beside myself for chagrin, when Brooke suddenly made his appearance. I told him the colonel refused to recognize his authority, and he, very angry, ordered him instantly to move forward. Barlow got right up, advanced the regiment, and taking the rebels in the flank, gave them a severe drubbing, getting shot himself badly, which I am afraid I thought served him right. Soon afterwards Brooke and I, entirely alone, started for the brigade on the left. As the firing was rather serious, we walked some distance down the side of the hill and then started across. All of a sudden a section of rebel guns appeared on the crest of the hill, unlimbered, and opened fire; they saw us immediately and fired one gun at us exclusively, until we were out of sight, I told the colonel we were certainly in for it now, but he said he did not believe they could hit us anyway, and so we kept right on; the gun plowing up the earth with canister all around us, scattering the dirt and stones everywhere. A piece of shell cut off the colonel’s sword knot, but wonderful to relate, did no further harm. We were not more than seventy-five to one hundred yards distant, on open ground, and could see the operation of loading and firing and the flame of the burning powder bursting out of the cannons’ mouth perfectly. As the colonel seemed to care little for it, and took matters so coolly, I kept up my courage and we talked and walked away until out of range. As soon as the line was re-established we quickly drove these fellows back and so far as we were concerned, the battle was over. While we lay on the ground in position the enemy charged French’s line on our right, but they were so far off when they started, and were in such loose order and small force, that we could easily see they were beaten before they got within range. Cannon everywhere opened upon them, and French’s line, when they came within range, delivered a fire that sent them back much quicker than they advanced. While they were passing our right I took a sergeant’s musket, and fired several long range shots, using the adjustable sight on an Enfield piece. I tried hard, but think it doubtful if I hit any of them.

Burnside commenced an attack on the left in the afternoon which at first seemed successful, ending, however, like most of his undertakings in nothing being accomplished. At sunset, the battle ceased entirely, the victory, although not decisive, undoubtedly being with us. Our men remained throughout the afternoon lying in their ranks, expecting orders every moment for another advance, but none came and we lay in the same position all night. It became very cold during the night, and to keep off the wind we piled up a rampart of dead men and so spent a wretched night. Some of the wounded were brought in during the night by comrades from between the lines, which were very close together. Several times our men hailed the rebel pickets, asking them not to shoot, when the pitious cries of some poor wounded fellow attracted especial notice, and in many cases the friendly Johnnies held their fire, and the victims were brought in.

Post image for A Diary of American Events.

A Diary of American Events.

September 17, 2012

The American Civil War,The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

September 17.—The objects of the invasion of Pennsylvania were thus set forth in the Richmond Dispatch of this day: “The road to Pennsylvania lies invitingly open. There are no regular soldiers on the route, and it would be a task of little difficulty to disperse the rabble of militia that might be brought to oppose them.

“The country is enormously rich. It abounds in fat cattle, cereals, horses, and mules. Our troops would live on the very fat of the land. They would find an opportunity, moreover, to teach the Dutch farmers and graziers, who have been clamorous for this war, what invasion really is. If once compelled to take his own physic, which is a great deal more than he ever bargained for, Mynheer will cry aloud for peace in a very short time. For our own part, we trust the first proclamation of Pope, and the manner in which his army carried it out, will not be forgotten. We hope the troops will turn the whole country into a desert, as the Yankees did the Piedmont country of Virginia.

“Let not a blade of grass, or a stalk of corn, or a barrel of flour, or a bushel of meal, or a sack of salt, or a horse, or a cow, or a hog, or a sheep, be left wherever they move along. Let vengeance be taken for all that has been done, until retribution itself shall stand aghast This is the country of the smooth-spoken, would-be gentleman, McClellan. He has caused a loss to us, in Virginia, of at least thirty thousand negroes, the most valuable property that a Virginian can own. They have no negroes in Pennsylvania. Retaliation must therefore fall upon something else, and let it fall upon every thing that constitutes property. A Dutch farmer has no negroes, but he has horses that can be seized, grain that can be confiscated, cattle that can be killed, and houses that can be burnt. He can be taken prisoner and sent to Libby’s Warehouse, as our friends in Fauquier and Loudon, Culpeper, and the peninsula have been sent to Lincoln’s dungeons in the North. Let retaliation be complete, that the Yankees may learn that two can play at the game they have themselves commenced.

“By advancing into Pennsylvania with rapidity, our army can easily get possession of the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, and break it down so thoroughly that it cannot be repaired in six months. They have already possession of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the York River Railroad. By breaking down these and the railroad from Philadelphia to Baltimore, they will completely isolate both Washington and Baltimore. No reenforcements can reach them from either North or West, except by the Potomac and the bay.”

—Colonel Dunham, in command of the National garrison at Munfordsville, Ky., surrendered to the rebel forces under General Bragg.—(Doc. 121.)

—A fight took place this morning near Durhamville, Tenn., about twenty-five miles southeast of Fort Pillow, between a detachment of one hundred and fifty men, belonging to the Fifty-second regiment of Indiana volunteers, under the command of Lieut. Ross Griffin, and a party of rebels under Lieut.-Col. Faulkner, which resulted in the complete rout of the rebels, with a loss of eight killed and twenty wounded. The National loss was one killed, one missing, and ten wounded.—Surgeon. Martins) Report.

—Colonel George W. Berry, of the Harrison County home guards, left Covington, Ky., with six hundred of Colonel Tevis’s cavalry, for the purpose of reconnoitring up the Kentucky Central Railroad as far as Falmouth. Before reaching Falmouth, the officer in command of the cavalry declined going any further, and started back toward Covington. Colonel Berry was not to be baffled in his enterprise in this way; so he pushed ahead, in company with Greenbury Reed, U. S. Marshal of Bourbon County, and nine other men, and reached Falmouth in a few hours, finding it evacuated by the rebels. The little band had not been there long when twenty-eight Texan Rangers came into the place, and immediately attacked Colonel Berry’s small force. A desperate fight ensued, resulting in the rebels being driven out of the town with a loss of two killed, four wounded, and one prisoner. One of Colonel Berry’s men, named A. McNees, from Harrison County, was badly wounded. This was the only casualty on the National side. The rebels threatened to return soon with a cannon. They burnt the railroad near Falmouth, in their retreat.—Cincinnati Commercial, Sept. 20.

— Brigadier-general L. F. Ross, U.S.A., commanding at Bolivar, Tenn., issued a general order requiring the owners of slaves living within ten miles of that place to send in three fourths of their male slaves, between sixteen and forty-five years of age, to be employed upon the fortifications.—The guerrilla chief Poindexter escaped from the Nationals at Hudson, Mo. — St. Louis Republican, September 18.

—The ship Virginia, of New-Bedford, Mass., was captured and burned by the rebel privateer Alabama, Capt Semmes, in latitude 39° 10′ and longitude 84° 20′. The privateer when first seen displayed English colors, but when a quarter of a mile from the Virginia set the rebel colors and sent an armed boat’s crew aboard. The Captain was informed that he was a prize to the Alabama, and was ordered to take his papers and go on board that steamer. The privateers then stripped the ship of all the valuable articles on board, and at four P.M. set fire to the vessel. On arriving on board the steamer the captain of the Virginia asked Semmes to release him, as he was doing no harm. His answer was: “You Northerners are destroying our property, and New-Bedford people are having their war meetings, offering two hundred dollars’ bounty for volunteers, and send out their stone fleets to block up our harbors, and I am going to retaliate!”—Captain Tilton’s Account.

— This evening, before dusk, a scouting-party of fifty-three of the Tenth Kentucky cavalry, under Major Foley, when near Florence, Kentucky, engaged a party of rebels one hundred and one strong. The rebels, after a short engagement, were routed, with a loss of five killed and seven wounded. Among those killed was one citizen, a rebel sympathizer. The National loss was one killed and one wounded. The enemy sent in a flag of truce, asking permission to bury their dead and take care of their wounded, which was granted.—Cincinnati Commercial, September 18.

— In the rebel House of Representatives, at Richmond, an animated discussion was held on the bill authorizing a suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.

Mr. Conrad, of Louisiana, was in favor of an early opportunity to discuss the bill. If Congress should fail to pass such a law, circumstances might arise in which the President might be compelled to suspend the writ without authority.

The Richmond Examiner in commenting on the debate, strongly denounced the proposition of Mr. Conrad.—Richmond Examiner, Sept. 20.

—The battle of Antietam, Maryland, was fought this day between the National forces under Gen. McClellan and the rebel army commanded by General Robert E. Lee.—(Doc. 122.)

— Lieut.-Colonel Kilpatrick, of the Ira Harris cavalry, made a reconnoissance up the road from Edward’s Ferry to Leesburgh, Va.

At Goose Creek he met a rebel force, and dispersed it with artillery. On arriving at Leesburgh he encountered a regiment of infantry and a battalion of cavalry. A sharp action took place, and the rebels were driven from the town, the Tenth New-York pressing them at the point of the bayonet. A regimental flag, several guns and a number of prisoners were captured.

— Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania announced that seventy-two thousand men had responded to his call for the defence of the State, and that he expected that the number would be increased to one hundred thousand. These men were furnished with equipments, and moved to the State border as rapidly as possible.

— The rebel House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing Jeff Davis to call into the military service, for three years or during the war, all white male citizens of the rebel States, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years. Such persons to serve their full term; no one being entitled to a discharge because he might have passed the age of forty-five before such term of service expired.

—An expedition consisting of the United States gunboats Paul Jones, Cimerone, and three other steam vessels, left Port Royal, S. C, on the thirteenth instant, and proceeded to the Saint John’s River, Florida, where they arrived to-day. They immediately attacked the rebel batteries, and, after a few hours’ shelling, succeeded in dismounting most of their guns, greatly damaging their breastworks, and completely silencing them.

— Cumberland Gap, Tenn., was evacuated by the National forces under the command of Gen. George W. Morgan.—(See Supplement.)

— In consequence of the reported approach of an the rebel army under General E. Kirby Smith, considerable excitement existed in Louisville, Kentucky. The troops commenced fortifying the city. Negroes were impressed to throw up rifle-pits and dig breastworks.

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