Chapter XVI

AUGUST--AT ALGIERS--BOUND NORTH--ON BOARD “CONTINENTAL”--ARRIVAL HOME.

Major-General Banks having decided to send the regiment home in a few days, July 29th was devoted to cleaning guns and equipments, and turning over material to the regimental quartermaster. Orders came on the thirtieth to embark August 1st on the steamer _Continental_ for New York, thence proceed to Readville, Massachusetts, and report to the United States mustering officer in Boston. The thirtieth and thirty-first July were busy days for the quartermaster, who turned over to proper Department officers arms, ammunition, equipments, camp and garrison equipage, unissued clothing, transportation and quartermaster stores, surplus medical and hospital stores. Twenty-five muskets and five hundred rounds of ammunition for the guard was retained.

All detached service men and convalescent sick men able to travel were ordered, by Department orders, July 25th, to join the regiment. Surgeon Hitchcock and Lieutenant Proctor reported back to the regiment. Major Stiles and Lieutenant Duncan, Company F, were relieved from court-martial duty July 30th. The detachments from Companies A and F reported July 25th from picket duty at Bayou St. John and Lakeport, relieved by Company H, Twenty-Sixth Massachusetts Volunteers. The sick in regimental hospital not able to travel were removed to New Orleans and distributed among the general hospitals.

The reveille was sounded at three A.M. August 1st, and every man was busy putting his personal effects in shape until the time arrived to eat his last breakfast in Louisiana. At eight o’clock the embarkation commenced. The _Continental_ lay alongside the levee, near the warehouse, so no difficulty was experienced in placing aboard what little baggage was to be transported and the sick men supposed to be able to undergo the voyage. After all had got aboard, the _Continental_ steamed up to New Orleans for Brigadier-General Cuvier Grover and his staff officers, Brigadier-General Paine, and a number of officers going North on leave of absence.

An attempt was made by General Grover to have his horses and those of his staff sent North upon the steamer. The only place where they could be accommodated was below the upper deck, where all available space was already taken up by the men, crowded well together, while space in immediate vicinity of the main hatch had been fitted up to accommodate the sick, as it was handy to have communication with the cabin; yet General Grover insisted that his horses should be taken on board. No amount of expostulation would change his determination. Captain Cogswell, Company F, swore that if they did come on board not one would be alive after one day at sea. His men below deck, packed like sheep in a railroad car, would have made short work with the animals before they would suffer the nuisance to remain. By a united remonstrance to General Banks, from surgeons and officers of the regiment, a Board of Survey was ordered and soon decided the matter. The horses did not get on board. General Grover’s conduct in this affair was not humane.

While tied up at the levee until a decision was reached on this horse business, Sergeant Vialle, who was ashore on some errand, saw a drunken cavalry-man fall from his horse, and in a kind manner assisted him. The fellow was on a troublesome drunk, and turned on Vialle, accusing him of stealing his property. This was all that was wanted to set the devil at work in a patrol-guard from the Ninth Connecticut, who had a guard-station near the spot. They arrested Vialle and conducted him to this station, with an intention to hold him until after his regiment left. Word reached the boys that one of the regiment had been seized by the Ninth Connecticut, and on shore a drove of them rushed and went direct to the guard-station and demanded his release. This was refused, with a threat to fire into the crowd if they did not go away; but the boys held their ground, coming in contact several times for a scuffle with men on the patrol, who used their bayonets once or twice. While in the act of tearing up paving stones from the street to hurl at the guard, for the Forty-Second men were now thoroughly aroused, Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, in a carriage, drove between the two bodies of men and put a stop to it. The patrol-guard set Vialle free by a back-door entrance of their quarters, when they saw what threatened them.

Hawsers were finally cast off, and the _Continental_ headed down river bound for South West Pass. No cheers were given as the steamer got under way; all hands felt too happy now they were bound home to care a picayune for Louisiana. The following officers and men were left in Louisiana sick or on detached service:

Captain George P. Davis, Company K, on provost-marshal duty.

Lieutenant Augustus L. Gould, Company H, acting-quartermaster of a colored engineer detachment, to render his final accounts.

Private William H. Gilman, Company C, as hospital-steward in General Ullman’s brigade colored troops.

Private Everett A. Denny, Company E, on duty at division headquarters. He came North by way of the river, in charge of a sick officer.

Private John Nolan, Company B, sick in hospital with chronic diarrhœa. Died in New Orleans.

Private Lewis Buffum, Company B, on detached service as locomotive engineer.

Private Jonathan Brown, Company C, in hospital with both ankles broke. Came North by way of the river.

Private Charles McLaughlin, Company H, sick in hospital with dysentery.

Sergeant Chauncy B. Sawyer, Company I, was sent to St. James Hospital July 31st, sick with typhoid fever. He was sent to New York, August 17th, on the _Cahawba_.

Private Thomas P. Contillon, Company I, sick in hospital.

Private Thomas F. Igo, Company I, sick in hospital.

Private Amos B. Howard, Company G, sick in hospital with a fever.

Private Franklin Hall, Company E, sick in hospital.

After remaining all night at South West Pass, for a high tide to cross the bar, early on the morning of August 2d the _Continental_ put to sea. Fine weather the entire trip, with scarcely a cloud to be seen in the sky and a sea almost as smooth as glass, was what kind fortune favored the Forty-Second this time. In spite of all this, Lieutenant Powers, Company F, was again very sea-sick. He lay day and night upon the deck, close by the cabin’s side, covered by his blanket, not wishing any nourishment, and took very little of what was forced on him, the picture of misery. Not another man on board suffered much from sea-sickness; a slight nausea for one day.

Mounting a guard every day was the only duty done on board ship. The men were allowed to enjoy themselves in any proper manner without restraint. Many of them slept on deck at night, instead of in the close, crowded deck below. The food furnished was plain, though not so good as when on land, while the drinking water was bad. Without storage capacity for enough fresh water to last the trip for the number of men on board, condensed sea-water had to be used. When drank fresh from the condenser it was not palatable, but if left to stand ten to twelve hours was not bad to the taste, and answered for drinking purposes. The difficulty was to get enough supply ahead to let it stand these hours, consequently most men had to drink it warm or get none at all. Music was freely given by the regimental band during the trip, and enjoyed for the want of better.

Details on board ship were: Lieutenant White in charge of receiving and delivering rations and of men detailed to assist the cook. Lieutenant Tinkham had charge of giving out water.

The strength of the regiment on board was--twenty-two officers and four hundred and six men for duty; three officers and one hundred and thirty-three men sick, with two hundred and seventy-two men paroled prisoners of war.

During seven nights the _Continental_ was at sea, gambling was carried on in the cabin by a few young officers on leave of absence. The hours chosen were between ten P.M. and two A.M., when those not interested in the game had retired. Rolls of bills and small piles of gold pieces upon the table was not an unusual sight, while any one who had any curiosity, by lying upon the floor (a custom followed by some, instead of sleeping in their cabin berths), could witness the double dealing done by all the players and the passing to and fro of cards underneath the table between partners. It was interesting to witness, by outsiders, but the players frequently lost their temper as the play went against them, and open accusations of cheating and fraud were frequent, sometimes almost leading to a fight.

In the improvised hospital every attention possible was given sick men by the surgeons. The following deaths occurred however, and the bodies were committed to the deep ocean with usual appropriate ceremonies, viz.:

August 5th--Private Patrick O’Day, Company H, of acute dysentery.

August 6th--Private Charles H. Poole, Company I, of dysentery.

August 6th--Private Andrew J. Fisher, Company F, of heart disease.

In the cases of Poole and Fisher, their comrades did all in their power to give them comfort, but O’Day was shamefully neglected by his company officers and comrades, none of whom took the slightest interest in his case.

On the trip Corporal Andrew P. Olson, Company C, sick with chronic diarrhœa, and Private James A. Knight, Company F, sick with dysentery, rapidly grew worse. By their will power, they lived to reach New York. Corporal Olson died August 9th, Private Knight, August 10th, Private Benoni H. Calvin, Company E, August 12th, and Private Thomas Curran, Company C, August 19th, after they reached home.

Cape Hatteras was passed on the night of the sixth; a pilot was taken on board the next evening, and the _Continental_ arrived in New York Harbor early on the morning of August 8th. The sick were at once transferred to the New England rooms. The steamer _Commodore_ came alongside the _Continental_ in the afternoon, and men and baggage were transferred, to proceed on to Boston, _via_ Providence, Rhode Island.

As the _Commodore_ did not start until seven o’clock in the evening, a day was passed in New York. Most of the men remained quietly on board these steamers, or upon the pier. Permits to pass the guard, stationed at head of the dock, were granted in cases where it was well known the privilege would not be abused. The guard, Lieutenant Martin Burrell, Jr., in command, was under strict instructions, and did their onerous duty well. All precautions taken did not prevent some turbulent spirits from getting beyond the dock and supplying themselves with liquor. No serious cases of intoxication were to be noticed, however, until late in the afternoon, when Private Con. Dougherty, of Company C, was rolling about the dock, insulting everybody in his way, and spoiling for a fight. About the same time the guard passed in from the street Private John Davis and Sergeant Joseph J. Whitney, both of Company H, very drunk and very ugly. Before many minutes elapsed the three men came in contact, and a savage fight took place.

Nobody seemed to have the courage to put a stop to it. As it occurred in the immediate vicinity of the guard, a few officers near by presumed Lieutenant Burrell would at once arrest the men. Unfortunately he was absent from his post, and the sergeant on duty lacked proper knowledge of what he had authority to do. Word was sent to the lieutenant-colonel, who immediately came on the scene, accompanied by Major Stiles. Davis and his companion were ordered to stop their rioting, as Dougherty was badly punished and at this time upon his back. Davis, now full of fight, savagely turned upon Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, and threatened to serve him in the same way he had Dougherty, at the same time shaking his fist very close to Stedman’s face. For at least a minute the parties looked at each other: the colonel pale in the face, without showing signs of fear, only a little hesitation as to what was the proper thing to do; Davis and Whitney uttering blasphemous and insulting language, with threatening manners. The sergeant-major drew, cocked his pistol, and held it behind his person ready for use, and if either of the men had struck their lieutenant-colonel one blow they would have been shot down. Lieutenant Burrell soon arrived; he ordered a detail of his guard, with fixed bayonets, to arrest the three men--if they resisted, to use their bayonets freely. This diverted the attention of Davis, who at once started for the steamer; the other two men were arrested, but soon after released on promise of their company companions to take care of them.

The principal offender, Private Davis, on reaching the _Continental_, proceeded to whip the steward of that boat, whom he owed a grudge, and for a time made things hot for everybody. He was not taken in charge at this time, nor during the night, notwithstanding he made himself very offensive until the effects of bad rum were gone. This leniency towards Davis should not have been permitted. He had placed himself in just such positions many times during his service, and should have been taught a lesson. As far back as when in camp at Readville, he was reduced from the rank of corporal on account of his rowdyism.

A heavy fog set in before the steamer was well in Long Island Sound, continuing all night. The men slept in every nook and corner they could obtain a chance to lie down. General quiet prevailed, except such noises as were made by a few drunken men, the aforesaid Davis among the number.

Using due care, with a thorough knowledge of Sound navigation, the pilot supposed Point Judith was passed and steered a course to carry the steamer up Narragansett Bay, when at five o’clock A.M. Sunday, August 9th, the _Commodore_ struck upon the rocks of Point Judith, hard and fast. When she struck it was with sufficient force to throw men partly from their berths. There were two distinct shocks, with a grating sound as if timbers were being crushed and broken. No confusion followed the event; every one was cool and collected as though nothing had happened; when it was definitely ascertained that the steamer was fast upon the rocks, many men went to sleep again.

Upon deck it was impossible to see a hand or any object a few feet distant, the fog was so dense. The water was smooth and at high tide. After ineffectual attempts to back off, boats were lowered to make an examination of the hull near the water line, and a careful inspection made of the hold. While making water freely there was no danger, for the bow was hard and fast upon the rocks, and when the tide receded would leave her hull upon solid bottom; still all was done that could be to stop the leak.

The fog lifted gradually and by seven o’clock A.M. entirely disappeared, when the steamer’s position was seen to be within a stone’s throw of the shore. Adjutant Davis and Quartermaster Burrell went ashore, got conveyance to Kingston, and with some difficulty opened telegraphic communication with Providence, for assistance, also sending word to Boston. Fortunately the commissariat was in condition to keep the men from hunger. With the exception of grumbling on account of disappointment at not being able to eat a good breakfast in Boston, the men took the accident philosophically. The morning passed without any event of importance.

Early in the afternoon steamer _City of Newport_ arrived from Providence, and after attempts were made at high tide to float the _Commodore_ into clear water, without success, numerous heavy hawsers being broken, it was decided to transfer the men to the _City of Newport_ by life-boats from both steamers, each boat-load hauled hand over hand along a hawser prepared for the purpose, instead of using oars. This operation was slow, the boats carrying a small number at a time. As darkness came on the tide receded and obliged the _City of Newport_ to let go her end of the hawser and keep farther off from shore, to prevent grounding; the wind freshened up and caused a heavy swell on the sea and surf on shore. This took place before the transfer of men was complete, and made the rest of the operation tedious and tiresome, as oars had to be used to pull more than a mile.

Officers and men behaved admirably until afternoon, when boats were ready to transfer men; then came the tug of war in an endeavor to fill these boats. Orders and in some cases entreaty had to be used in forcing men into them. Men who would face an enemy without fear were afraid to trust themselves in small boats upon the water. The last boat to reach the _City of Newport_ contained seven or eight men, who were saved from capsizing, in an insane endeavor they made to reach the steamer’s deck together, by the coolness of two men.

When all were on board that could be induced to take to the boats, the _City of Newport_ proceeded to Providence, arriving there at two o’clock Monday morning, August 10th. No time was lost in taking cars, held in readiness, and the train started for Boston without delay, arriving at the Boston and Providence depot at five o’clock. Had the regiment arrived home on Sunday morning, as expected, a rousing reception was ready for it.

The Forty-Second marched to Faneuil Hall, where breakfast was waiting, and the regiment formally welcomed home by prominent citizens. At half-past ten o’clock A.M. the regiment formed line and marched to the parade ground on Boston Common, where the men were dismissed until the twentieth.

August 20th, 1863, one year after the first detachment went into camp as a nucleus to organize the regiment, the men assembled upon the old ground at Readville and were mustered out of the United States service.

The following officers and men remained in the enemy’s hands, prisoners of war: Colonel Burrell, Surgeon Cummings, Captains Sherive, Proctor and Savage, Lieutenants Cowdin, Eddy, Bartlett, S. F. White, Newcomb and Stowell, Corporal H. W. McIntosh, Privates Dennis Dailey, Edwin F. Josselyn, Francis S. Morrill, James O’Shaughnessy, of Company D; Corporal David L. Wentworth and Private Joseph W. D. Parker, of Company G; Private Joseph W. McLaughlin, Company I; and Private Samuel R. Hersey, Company C.