Chapter III

Rappahannock Station--Groveton--Bull Run (or Manassas).

August 22d King's Division to which Battery D belonged, left camp opposite Fredericksburg, it having been ordered to report with all possible haste at Rappahannock Station. The battery pulled out of park at daylight, and after a hard day's march, made camp within eight miles of the station, some time after dark. Very early next morning as we were aroused, the battery hitched up, and everything made ready to proceed, we heard heavy and continuous firing, which indicated to us that some one was having a hot time of it.

At 9 A.M. we were ordered to continue on to the station, which we reached about noon, remaining until dark. All the afternoon troops were continually recrossing the river and moving to the rear, and just before we left, the buildings around the station were fired. The light from this fire illuminated our way for some distance. At the station, and for a mile or so beyond it, as we passed along the road, men were engaged in tearing up the railroad, heating the rails and twisting them beyond any possibility of their being used again.

Everything indicated that we had commenced a retrograde movement, and the constant picket firing, which would occasionally increase in volume, as though a regiment or brigade had become engaged, with the added noise of cannon, told us plainly that the enemy were pressing our rear vigorously.

In order that our situation may be fully understood, it may be well to give a brief description of the general military events of a few weeks previous to our arrival at the station.

On the 27th of June Maj. Gen. John Pope assumed command of the Army of Virginia, composed of Fremont's, Banks's and McDowell's Corps, in all about 38,000 men. The first two of these commands were at Middletown, in the Shenandoah Valley. Of the latter command, one division, under Gen. Ricketts, was at or near Manassas Junction, and King's (to which Battery D belonged) at Fredericksburg. It was the first intention of Gen. Pope to unite these widely separated troops, and in concert with Gen. McClellan, who was occupying an advanced position on the Peninsula, attempt the capture of Richmond; but in the interim between the assumption of this command by Gen. Pope and the uniting of his forces, Gen. McClellan had decided to retire from his advanced position, to the James River, at Harrison's Landing, which was accomplished after seven days of continuous and severe fighting.

The rebel commander, Gen. Lee, being relieved from any anxiety for the safety of Richmond, determined upon a demonstration towards Washington, and sent Gen. Jackson with a large force to oppose Gen. Pope. The two armies met at Cedar Mountain, on the 9th of August. A severe battle was fought, resulting in the defeat of our army, which was driven from its position at dark.

It was soon discovered by Gen. Pope that Gen. Lee was moving nearly his whole force from Richmond, for the purpose of crushing his (Pope's) army, and it was now determined by the authorities at Washington to transfer Gen. McClellan's forces from the Peninsula to the Potomac, as a reinforcement for Gen. Pope.

On the 23d of August, the day the battery arrived at Rappahannock Station, Gen. Longstreet had reached our front, and made an attack upon our troops at Beverly Ford. It was the firing from this engagement which had been sounding in our ears all day.

We continued our march well into the night. Just after midnight the battery pulled into a lot and halted without unharnessing. The men were told to lay down near their pieces and get what rest they could. About daylight we were aroused and started on again, reaching Warrenton about dark on the 24th. Early next morning the battery was on the road, and after a slow, tedious march of five or six hours bivouacked at Sulphur Springs for the night, without unhitching.

The evening of the 26th found us in the neighborhood of Waterloo Bridge. Twenty-four hours later we were on the Warrenton Pike, about half-way between Warrenton and Groveton, wet through from a drenching rain which had prevailed for several hours.

After a very uncomfortable night we took the road again on the morning of the 28th, headed towards Groveton. About 5 P.M. the battery moved off the road into a field upon the right, came into park, and, without unhitching, the men commenced to prepare supper.

Just as Capt. Monroe and the other officers, with Gen. King as their guest, had seated themselves at the camp-table, a few picket shots were heard on our left, followed almost immediately by a considerable volley. Gen. King immediately mounted his horse and started in the direction of the firing. Capt. Monroe ordered the drivers to mount, put the battery in motion down the pike, then galloped on ahead; soon he returned, gave the order "Trot, march," and, after going a short distance, turned the head of the column towards a hill upon the left of the road. We had almost reached the base of the hill when a staff officer was seen coming over the top towards us, waving his sword in the wildest manner and calling upon us to go back as quick as possible. He hurriedly made the Captain understand, but before our direction could be changed, we saw the lead horses of a rebel battery appearing over the brow of the hill--we were both after the same position and they had beaten us. Our direction was soon changed and we made every possible effort to get under cover before they could do us much damage, but they succeeded in getting in a few shots, which, however, did us no damage. Soon we reached a sunken place in the road which afforded us protection, and we were halted while Capt. Monroe searched for a new position. After a stay of five minutes we were again ordered forward. About one hundred yards of our way was fully exposed to the fire of the rebel battery. They took every advantage of it, and threw their shells thick and fast at us. It did not seem possible that we could pass this exposed part of our journey without being seriously damaged; but notwithstanding the shots flew around us, only one took effect, hitting the stock of one of our caissons, breaking it and disabling the carriage and necessitating its being blown up. Lieut. Parker was ordered to accomplish this, and although he was exposed to great personal danger, both from the enemy's fire and the explosion, he successfully accomplished it.

The battery soon turned from the road into the fields on the left, and with all possible speed made for the top of a hill not far distant; on reaching the top of which it came into battery and immediately commenced firing at the rebel battery which had taken the first position from us.

I quote from Capt. Monroe's account of this battle:

"It was evident that we were in for it, and I hastened back to the battery, which started at a quick trot for a knoll that I had observed, and which appeared to be a good position. As the leading carriage reached the foot of the knoll an officer rode rapidly towards me from its top saying, 'For God's sake, Captain, get out of this; they are putting a battery right on this hill.' I lost no time, for I could see the horses of the rebel artillery above me, and we turned back to the road. We took cover in the road where timbers skirted both sides of it for a short distance. We were very uncomfortable here, for the battery that had stolen the hill from us knew our position, and at less than six hundred yards range, sent its shot and shell crashing through the trees and over them, exploding their shells directly above us.

We were where we could do nothing, and I determined to run the gauntlet of fire that swept over the open road beyond the timber we were in, to another copse that would afford more shelter, and at the same time probably an opportunity to get our guns into action; therefore the necessary order was given, and the battery passed over the space intervening at a rapid gallop. This movement resulted in few if any casualties to the men, but a shot struck the stock of a caisson, disabling it. To prevent its capture by the enemy it was blown up by Lieut. Parker.

It had now grown quite dark, and the opposing lines were easily traced by the sheets of flame and flashes of powder pouring from each, while the positions were plainly discernible. The ground the battery had secured appeared in the darkness to be unfavorable for the use of all the guns; therefore two were posted in the road, where they had a flank fire upon both the infantry and artillery of the enemy. A captain of one of the rebel batteries engaged here told me several years afterwards that the guns away off to his left, which he had understood were those of a Rhode Island battery, inflicted terrible punishment upon him, and that he lost more heavily in men, horses and material, than in any one action of the war. Considering that we had but two guns in this position, this was a high compliment to the efficiency of Battery D.

Before or about nine o'clock the action was over. Its close was terrific: fire leaped in waves from the musket's mouth, and men saw in the darkness the angry flames; bullets filled the air, or struck with heavy thud a living mark, and men heard the cruel sound; but neither fire, scream nor blow, nor the presence of almost certain death, appalled the Federal lines."

Soon after nine o'clock the heavy firing ceased, and in a half hour everything was quiet, save occasional shots from the pickets. By ten o'clock the men were sleeping quietly, the drivers near their horses, and the cannoniers in their positions about the guns.

About midnight a staff officer entered the battery, found the captain and ordered him to awaken his men, have the guns limbered, and move the command into the road with the least possible noise. Sergeants were awakened and sent around among the men, who were awakened with great care, and cautioned not to speak save in a whisper. Everything about the harnesses and carriages which would rattle or make a noise of any kind was muffled. When everything was ready the battery started out of its position, and gaining the Warrenton Pike, took up its line of march back towards Gainesville.

The explanation of this movement was, that our division commander had become very much exercised in his mind as to the wisdom of his remaining in this position, as it seemed to him untenable; and as Gen. McDowell, our corps commander, was inaccessible, he decided not to remain.

After-knowledge has made it plain that it would have been much better for our side if our position had been firmly held, for our army had the rebel Gen. Jackson at such disadvantage and his supporting force, under Gen. Longstreet, was so far away, that in all probability had he (Gen. Jackson) been assaulted by our combined forces at daylight, he would have been so disabled as to have been of no service to his side in the fighting of the two following days.

Upon reaching the intersection of the Warrenton and Manassas Pikes, just beyond the village of Gainesville, the direction of our march turned towards Manassas Junction, to which place we now marched, reaching there just as the day began to dawn. The battery was parked without unharnessing, and the men allowed to prepare their breakfast.

About the middle of the forenoon we left the Junction, taking the Sudley road towards the old Bull Run battlefield. Our progress was slow and tedious, the road being filled with troops and wagon trains. As we neared our destination we could hear the sound of battle, which grew louder and seemingly more extended with every mile we traveled. Our halting and hitching-along progress became very annoying to the men of Battery D, for it seemed to them that with such delay it was extremely doubtful about their reaching the battlefield in time to be of any service.

About 3 P.M. we left the road and entered the fields at a smart trot, and soon reached the "Henry House" plateau, with the full expectation of immediately entering the fight; instead of which the captain indulged in a field-drill, for the purpose, as he has since said, of satisfying himself as to whether his men would remain "steady" with the immediate prospect of coming under fire. The result was entirely satisfactory to him, and he has been pleased to say since, "that after that experiment he would not have hesitated to have marched through the whole Confederacy with those men."

Towards night we were ordered into a position on low ground between the Stone House and Dugen's, north of the Warrenton turnpike, but after a few moments found that the position was untenable, because of our own batteries, who, from a position on a hill in our rear, persisted in cutting their fuses so short that most of their shells exploded in close proximity to us.

From here we marched back and took position on very high ground, overlooking quite an extent of territory towards an unfinished railroad, where Jackson had been fighting our troops since morning. We were not near enough to take part, but could see the struggle quite plainly, and frequently the shot and shell from the enemy would strike or burst in close proximity to us.

We now began to get our first impressions of what war really was, and soon became thoroughly convinced that it was very serious business. We had hardly settled down in our new position before wounded men began to pass through our intervals; those with light wounds on foot, and the more seriously wounded were brought upon stretchers.

This night we spread our blankets, and lay down in our positions, the cannoniers about the guns, and the drivers at their horses' heads, and were soon fast asleep.

At daylight on the 30th we were awakened by picket firing upon our right, which in an hour or so increased into a constant roar of musketry and artillery, which, until about noon, seemed to be confined principally to our right, but soon after noon we began to see great clouds of dust on our left, and column after column of our troops could be seen hurrying in that direction, which indicated to us that trouble was brewing there. Batteries were taken from positions near us, and hurried along with the troops, but we were allowed to remain in ours until nearly three o'clock, when we were ordered to move down to the Warrenton Pike, upon reaching which we moved along for perhaps a half mile in the direction of Groveton, then moved into a field upon the left of the turnpike and halted. We remained here for nearly an hour.

It was in the neighborhood of four o'clock that a staff officer from Gen. McDowell rode up to Capt. Monroe, upon the full gallop, and, after a few hurried words had passed between them, the order "Forward, trot, march" was given. The battery was countermarched, and back we went, bearing off to the south of the pike, and making for a hill perhaps eight hundred yards distant. Upon reaching this hill (by name Bald Hill), we moved down about two-thirds of the way to the bottom, and there being a piece of level ground, we went into position. The ground in our front descended quite abruptly for a hundred yards or so. At the foot of the hill a brook ran, in which at this time the water was very low, and when we reached our position the farther bank was occupied by a single battle line of our troops, consisting of two brigades of infantry. Gen. Milroy's independent brigade formed in line of battle in our rear.

A great cloud of dust which we had been watching for some time coming from the direction of Gainesville, has finally reached our front, and we earnestly watch for the first appearance of the enemy. Soon we notice a cloud of dust and considerable commotion upon a hill perhaps a mile away. The dust has hardly settled when we see a puff of smoke, and in a few seconds a case-shot explodes in our midst, we receive orders to open fire, and our struggle has commenced.

Our guns are short range, and we find it impossible to reach the rebel battery; but it became certain that rebel infantry are moving through the woods in our front, and we begin to throw shell and solid shot in their direction. Soon the line of battle in our front opens upon the rebel line coming through the woods, and a sharp and vigorous fire is kept up for a while, when the rebels charge our thin lines, which break and run up the hill towards us, passing through our intervals to the rear.

Battery D is now face to face with the enemy, who have halted in the depression of the brook for the purpose of perfecting their alignment. Soon they make a rush for the battery, probably without the least doubt but that we will prove an easy prey; but Capt. Monroe had drilled the men of that battery for nine months, and it had prepared them for just such an emergency as this. Every man was perfectly familiar with his duty, and determined to do it. Guns were never served faster than were these; round after round of canister is thrown into this mass of approaching rebels; and it is thrown in such a manner that it is most effective, and more than the enemy can stand, and they fall back to the brook.

While Battery D had been thus engaged, battery after battery had been placed in position by the enemy, and these were now filling the air with bursting shell and case-shot; but our position being so far down the hill about all of their shots went over us.

Soon the enemy appear again, but this time their lines extending way beyond both our flanks, the right and left pieces change the direction of their fire so as to protect our flanks. We became anxious about our support, who ought now to be ready to assist us, but a hurried investigation gives us the information that they have left us to our fate--not an infantryman is in sight save their commanding general and three or four of his staff officers.

Gen. Milroy is standing on his dead horse cheering us on, and his staff officers are trying to help us work our guns. We appreciate their motives, but not being versed in light artillery duties, they are rather a detriment to us. In justice to his brigade which has retreated, it may be well to take into consideration that they were in position some thirty yards in our rear, which brought them well up the hill, and they were exposed to the artillery fire which was passing over us.

To add to our trouble word is brought from the limbers that our canister has been exhausted, and only a few rounds of solid shot remain. We cannot do much execution with this kind of ammunition, but we keep it going at a lively pace. The enemy in our front soon discover that we are not using canister, and taking advantage of it are fast approaching us. Will Capt. Monroe delay too long, and shall we be obliged to leave our guns as we have seen two batteries do just a few moments before? No; he has his eyes upon them, and we soon hear the welcome order, "Limbers to the rear." The limbers are whirled across the trail, the pieces are limbered and hurried away almost from the possession of the enemy!

Lieut. Pardon S. Jastram, of Battery E, of our regiment, saw the latter part of Battery D's engagement, and its withdrawal from its position, and has described it in the following story:

The heat of the battle was over on the right of our line, at the second Bull Run, and we were watching the movements of the troops away up on the plains at the top of Bald Hill. Kearney was there with us, as well as a large number of officers and men of the line, all watching with breathless interest the operations of the contending lines clearly exposed to our view, save where a clump of timber hid a portion of the rebel line, and concealed what was going on. There was a line of our batteries, supported by infantry, all heavily engaged in an effort to repel a determined attack that the enemy's artillery and infantry were making.

It was evident Lee had concentrated his efforts upon this point, and that he proposed to carry it by hurling all his available force against it. It was so plain from our standpoint that he would be successful that Kearney remarked, "You will see a second stampede from this field before night."

Slowly the rebel line advanced, and rapidly the rebel artillery poured shot, shell and shrapnel into the Union lines, which stood steady and unbroken, but all aglow from the rapidity of the fire streaming from it, which had a sulphurous hue as seen through the enveloping smoke which rose in the air and floated away in great clouds. Guns were served as it seemed they never were before. It appeared as if the heavens would be rent in twain by the thunder of the artillery and the discharges of the small arms on both sides combined.

The rebel line never faltered, but continued to move on, notwithstanding the deadly havoc in its ranks. Finally came the charge, and, with yells that rang out clearly over the space between them and us, they impetuously dashed upon the apparently firm, immovable line before them. The quickened fire of the artillery told that they were throwing canister with all their might and main, and if human power, so far as those men were concerned, could stem the approaching crest of glittering steel, they would do it. It looked as if it was an impossibility for any living force, however determined, to advance through that storm of iron and lead; but the rebel line wavered for a moment only, then it gathered its strength again almost in the very second that it appeared to lose it, and with renewed ardor swept on.

Our advanced line of infantry, occupying a sunken road in front of the artillery, broke and rushed pell mell through the intervals between the guns and limbers; and the second line just behind the limbers of the batteries, joined them in their mad race to the rear, and down the hill. Double canister went from the well served guns, and great gaps appeared in the hotly charging line; but it was only for a few seconds, for in that brief space of time they were in among the guns and gunners, the latter seeking safety in precipitate retreat; there was nothing else to do except to remain and become prisoners. The guns were silent; they could hardly be seen on account of the great number of the enemy in among them. The drivers hastily mounted the horses of the limbers, and making a short "left about," hurried away with the fleeing cannoniers.

Not so, however, the limbers of one battery: like lightning they dashed forward towards their pieces, and almost in the twinkling of an eye, they emerged from the confusion in an unbroken line with a light twelve pounder attached to every one of them, the captain of the company proudly riding before, wildly waving his sword!

It was a bold movement, and evidently one the enemy had not anticipated, and so quickly had it been executed, he did not have time to realize it until the guns were beyond his reach. Except the men with these guns, not a Union soldier nor Union commander of any kind save in hasty retreat, could be seen on that, the south side of the Warrenton Pike, while the rebel lines continued to increase in extent, and to advance as rapidly as formations could be made.

Our interest was centered in the battery, now all alone, entirely without support, and all expected to see it gallop to the rear and join the general stampede. To our infinite surprise, after advancing two hundred or three hundred yards to the rear, the captain again went into battery, as if, single handed, to defy the whole centre of the rebel army. The assurance of the battery commander, his effrontery and impudence, were as much of a surprise to the rebels apparently, as to us, and they seemed to be staggered for a few moments, as if in doubt whether or no our lines had reformed and were about to advance again. Their doubts were soon dispersed, and they charged with such a dashing impetuous rush that apparently the battery could by no possibility escape. Again the horses and limbers plunged wildly forward, and it seemed as if the pintle-hooks of the limbers actually shot into the lunettes of the trails of the gun carriages. Before the charging line reached the ground that the guns stood upon and fired from the battery was moving away at a smart trot!

It looked as though the battery captain was now playing and trifling with the enemy, for when he reached the crest of the hill leading down into the valley, he went into battery again, to pay a parting compliment to the Johnnies, but he failed to surprise them for a third time, and they resumed their formation for a charge. The captain saw his danger and without firing a shot he limbered to the rear and coolly moved down the hill, where he was lost to our sight.

Several of us were light artillery officers, and we knew from our own experience on the drill ground and under fire, what skill must have been exercised by a battery commander in training his men and horses to enable him to handle his battery like a plaything in the face of overwhelming numbers of the enemy, and to take what would have been enormous and unpardonable risks with a command not almost absolutely perfect in drill and discipline.

Such was the manner Battery D retreated from its position at the second Bull Run.

After limbering the pieces as narrated in the preceding pages, the battery moved down the hill, and, following the edge of the woods, soon reached the Warrenton Pike, near the Stone Bridge. We found the road to be filled with wagons, parts of batteries, infantry, cavalry, etc. We halted at the bridge and Capt. Monroe tried to get some ammunition for the battery, but it was impossible to do so. The battery was now ordered forward onto the bridge, but the bridge at this time was blocked up with wagons, etc., which we had to remove, and by the time we crossed it was quite dark. We moved up the pike about half a mile and entered a field on the left, and remained there until about nine o'clock. We took advantage of this halt to have supper. While we were halted at the bridge we supplied the battery with coffee, sugar, and hard-tack from an abandoned baggage wagon. Just before we reached the bridge there was a large number of camp-kettles that were filled with corned beef. The fires were about out under them owing to the bullet holes that had let out the water from most of them; but we found a number that were all right and took them along. We had a good square meal, which put us in first class condition.

At about nine o'clock we were again put in motion, and reached Centreville Heights about midnight, parked the battery, unhitched the horses, without unharnessing, and the men lay down in a drizzling rain for a very much needed rest, and slept soundly until morning.

Our stay on these heights was extended through the whole of Sunday, the 31st, and until nearly two o'clock P.M. of Sept. 1st. We were then put in motion, and proceeded along the Centreville Pike towards Washington. We moved along very leisurely, and it was in the vicinity of four o'clock that we reached a point about half way between Centreville and Fairfax Court House, when our ears were again filled with the roar of volley after volley of musketry, seemingly not a great distance away. Our column was halted immediately, and for an hour or more we stood in expectation of being momentarily called upon. To add to the impressiveness of the occasion, a very severe thunder storm commenced about the same time with the engagement, and the noise of the thunder added to that of the battle, made it seem terrific. The rain fell in torrents, wetting us through in a few minutes, and increasing our discomfort.

This engagement was the battle of Chantilly, and was brought about by the rebel Gen. Jackson's endeavor to intercept and cut our retreating column, moving along the Warrenton Pike, by marching via Little River Pike, a road which leaves the Bull Run battlefield from a point near his position upon that field, crossing the Warrenton Pike near Fairfax Court House; but the watchfulness of our cavalry had discovered the movement, and it was promptly frustrated. Soon after dark the firing ceased, and the battery was moved into a field upon the right of the road, parked, and notwithstanding that the ground was thoroughly soaked, and the men wet to the skin, they rolled up in their blankets and were soon asleep.

Tuesday, Sept. 2d, we continued our march towards Washington, reaching the vicinity of Bailey's Cross-roads about dark. Since the 22d of August, the battery had been upon the march day and night, not once had the horses been unharnessed, and they had been short of forage for most of the time, and it may be imagined were in a very exhausted condition. The men were thoroughly used up; what with the excessive duty, lack of rations, and the discouraging termination of the campaign, they were very much disheartened.

On our arrival in the vicinity of our old camp, at sometime in the early evening, considerable cheering was heard down the road leading to Alexandria, which increased in volume as it approached. Our interest in the singular and unexpected demonstration drew us out into the road, and we could soon see in the growing darkness the approach of a large cavalcade, and by a close inspection we were able to distinguish the form of Gen. McClellan. We immediately added our cheers to the others, and when a few moments later it was said that he had been reappointed to the command of our armies, our enthusiasm was unrestrained.

From Sept. 2d until Sept. 6th, we remained in camp near our old camping grounds at Upton's Hill and Dupont. Each night a section of the battery was sent out on picket, but nothing of importance disturbed us.