Chapter V

AT CARROLLTON--BOUND FOR GALVESTON--ARRIVAL OF COMPANIES--CAMP MANSFIELD--DETAILS.

Brigadier-General T. W. Sherman was in command of all United States forces assembled at several camps in and about Carrollton, a suburb of New Orleans, distant a few miles north of that city. The town did not contain many houses or white inhabitants, and was situated on low, wet, swampy ground. The vacant squares of building lots was ground on which the troops pitched their tents. Camp Mansfield contained the One Hundred and Tenth New York Infantry, One Hundred and Fifty-Sixth New York Infantry, One Hundred and Sixty-First New York Infantry, Third New Hampshire Infantry, Twenty-Fifth Connecticut Infantry, detachment Forty-Second Massachusetts Infantry, Twenty-Fifth New York Light Battery, Reed’s Massachusetts Rifle Rangers--in all about four thousand men; Colonel Littlejohn, ----th New York, commanding the post.

The release from close confinement on board transports was, for a time, enjoyed by everybody, regardless of weather changes. The days were warm and pleasant, but the nights freezing cold, causing much suffering, as no boards could be obtained for tent floors, or firewood to build bonfires. Why diarrhœa and dysentery did not attack more men while at this camp, than was the case, is surprising. Camp regulations in regard to men being out of quarters after taps had to be set aside, for, finding it impossible to sleep without getting chilled, many of them would cluster around the cooking-stoves, that were kept heated, and endeavor to keep warm until day, with its bright, southern sunshine and warmth, should dawn, when they could be comfortable. The rattling of drums beating reveille in the various camps caused many a man of that four thousand to feel thankful.

According to orders received the evening of January 2d, 1863, the detachment (Companies A, B and F) struck camp on the morning of January 3d, went to the river levee and embarked on board steamer _Che-Kiang_, at nine o’clock, _en route_ for Galveston, Texas, to join Companies D, G and I. While lying at the United States Barracks at night on the third, where most of the day was passed in taking aboard stores, ammunition, horses, and a detachment First Texas Cavalry, recruited from Texas refugees, a furious thunder-storm occurred. Rain fell in torrents; the lightning seemed to be everywhere and constant, with deafening peals of thunder. It was a scene not to be forgotten, and although showers of the same magnitude were afterwards experienced, none made so vivid an impression on the memory as this first thunder-storm witnessed in the sunny South.

During Sunday, the fourth, there seemed to be a strange foreboding in the minds of a great many that some unfortunate occurrence had taken place. The transport was not in a hurry to proceed on the voyage, and there was an ominous silence among officers who were supposed to know the cause of delay. At noon the truth became known. Galveston had been captured by Confederates, with Companies D, G and I, and the regimental colors. All the mad projects, which found vent in words, that started in the brains of men on board the _Che-Kiang_ would not be believed if they were given here. A dare-devil spirit to do something that would recapture their comrades, restore their colors, and wipe out the stigma which they felt would be against the regiment, animated every breast.

When Lieutenant M. Burrell, Jr. with First-Sergeant Henry White, of Company A, came on board and recited their story of the affair, although not very elaborate or satisfactory, it was listened to with marked attention. They had started a few days before in the transport _Honduras_ for Galveston, with the First Vermont Battery on board, arriving off the harbor on the morning of the capture, and been ordered back to New Orleans by a naval officer commanding a gunboat that was in the action. The companies disembarked a second time at Carrollton in the afternoon of January 4th, and went into camp at Camp Mansfield on worse ground than before.

Next day Companies E and K, from the _Charles Osgood_, reported for duty and pitched their tents. Quartermaster Burrell and Adjutant Davis also came into camp, having just arrived from Galveston after escaping capture. They were received with cheers and congratulations.

This camp was situated on very swampy ground with two ravines running lengthwise through it, made to drain the water during rainy seasons. The arrangement of tents was made as symmetrical as possible, but formation of the ground completely spoiled its beauty. To reach the color-line a deep water gully had to be passed, marring the good appearance of a dress parade. The hospital was located in a vacated school-house, distant half a mile from camp, because it was impossible to accommodate patients in the hospital tent. Assistant-Surgeon Hitchcock was quite sick with typhoid fever soon after reaching Carrollton, and Assistant-Surgeon George C. Smith, One Hundred and Fifty-Sixth New York Infantry, was detailed to occupy his position temporarily, serving the regiment from January 17th to 27th.[8]

[8] While at Carrollton the average daily sick in the regiment was: taken sick, five; returned to duty, five; sick in hospital, twelve; sick in quarters, eighteen; an average of thirty men each day under a surgeon’s care.

On the twelfth, Major Stiles, with Companies C and H, reported for duty at camp, receiving a warm reception. The men were as much pleased to tread dry land once more as their comrades were to see them. The day and night was occupied by the men in reciting each other’s adventures since they parted in New York.

An aggravating case of desertion occurred January 2d, when Private Lewis Buffum, Company B, deserted the service and his regiment under circumstances proving him to be an arrant coward. Placed in a position as acting-engineer on board the transport _Quincy_, while on her trip from New York with the three companies, he received the best of treatment, lived in the same manner as the officers, at no cost to himself, and on arrival at New Orleans received extra pay from Captain Clapp of the _Quincy_, for his services on the voyage; this Buffum, regardless of all feelings of honor and duty, improved the opportunity thus given him, detached and away from his company for a few days after landing, to procure a change of clothing and bribe the first-engineer on the _Quincy_ to conceal him on board upon her return trip to New York.

Several orders sent him to report for duty with his company and not obeyed caused a search to be made, when his desertion was discovered. An overhauling of the _Quincy_ failed to find him. It was ascertained some months afterward (April 24th), when he came into the hands of provost-marshal Captain John Pickering of New Orleans, having surrendered himself at Fort Columbus, New York harbor, March 31st, under the promise of pardon made by President Lincoln in General Orders No. 58, War Department, issued March 11th, 1863, to all deserters who returned to duty, that Buffum was on board the _Quincy_ during the search, stowed away on the top of her boiler. As the searching party passed one side of it he would slide down the opposite side until they had passed, and then return to the top.

There are no extenuating circumstances connected with Buffum’s desertion. He was a married man, with wife and children living. As a man he should have had some respect for their feelings, even though he was without honor himself. He never was ill-treated by his officers. His profession placed him in a position to be of great service to the Government, by performing detached duty as engineer on some of the railroads and steamers controlled by United States officers in Louisiana. Private Buffum was so detailed by orders from Department headquarters, to which detail answer had to be returned: “Deserted in New Orleans, January 2d, 1863, and has not since been apprehended.”

In connection with this case of desertion may properly be stated the three cases of enlisted men who were disciplined at this camp. Corporal Denny, Company E, was, January 22d, ordered to be placed in arrest by Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman. A captain objected to some statements that had appeared in a communication sent home by the corporal for publication, and preferred charges against him. Denny remained in arrest until after his trial by a division court-martial held January 27th, in New Orleans, and the proceedings of the court could be passed upon by General Sherman. The charge and specification was as follows:

CHARGE.

“Conduct to the prejudice of Good Order and Military Discipline.”

* * * * *

_Specification_--In this: that he, Corporal Denny, was author of, did write and cause to be published in the _Worcester Daily Spy_, on the morning of December 29th, 1862, an article containing sentiments false and calculated to mislead the public with reference to the acts of Captain George P. Davis, then commanding troops on board the _Charles Osgood_, and reflecting censure on his (Corporal Denny’s) superior officer, which article was, in form and substance, as follows:

* * * * *

“Considerable feeling was created by the refusal of the privilege, but a quantity of _whiskey_ provided by the officers allayed the feeling with some, while it only added intensity with others. It was looked at by many as a kind of _bribe_, while others were conscientiously opposed to the indiscriminate distribution of whiskey by even superior officers. It is to the credit of a large number that they threw the stuff overboard as soon as received. There is a general feeling that whiskey drinking is already too prevalent to have it so openly countenanced, and all well-wishers of the Union army hope the practice may soon be abandoned.”

* * * * *

Said article, of which the above is only an extract, was written after the departure of the steamer _Charles Osgood_ from New York and before her arrival at New Orleans.

To which charge and specification the accused pleaded as follows:

To the specification--Not guilty.
To the charge--Not guilty.

FINDING OF THE COURT.

The Court, after mature deliberation on the evidence adduced, finds the accused, Corporal Everett A. Denny of Company E, Forty-Second Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, as follows:

Of the specification--Guilty.
Of the charge--Guilty.

SENTENCE.

And the Court does therefore sentence him, Corporal Everett A. Denny, Company E, Forty-Second Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, to be reduced to the ranks, to forfeit ten dollars of his pay, and to be publicly reprimanded by the commanding officer of his regiment.

* * * * *

The sentence was approved in General Orders No. 16, Defences New Orleans, March 7th, 1863, and Corporal Denny released from arrest and returned to duty with his company March 17th.

Whether the offence was worth the trouble and expense of a trial is a debatable question. Corporal Denny was young and inexperienced at the time; with more years upon his shoulders he would probably have been more discreet. There were many young correspondents with the army who did not always confine their letters to matters of public interest, but dabbled with surmises of probable movements by the troops, their strength, positions occupied, and _morale_ of officers and men. This is against army rules, and not to be tolerated. It is indirectly furnishing information of value to the enemy.

Private James White, of Company A, while at Carrollton, disobeyed orders, using disrespectful language towards his superior officer. A regimental court-martial convicted and sentenced him to forfeit one month’s pay and to walk six hours a day for fourteen days--three in the morning and three in the afternoon--with a log of wood tied across his back, weighing not more than fifty pounds and not less than twenty-five pounds, and to do fatigue duty every morning. As provided in orders for regimental courts-martial, the sentence was approved by the brigade commander.

Private Jotham E. Bigelow, of Company K, was placed in arrest for sleeping on his sentry post. By regimental General Orders No. 11, issued January 30th, he was released from arrest and ordered to duty, because, “from his previous good conduct as a soldier in all matters, and being the first case of the kind in the regiment.” A warning was issued in the orders that future cases would not be dealt with so leniently.

All proceedings in cases proper for a regimental court-martial had to be before a field-officer of the regiment, by General Orders No. 91, issued July 29th, 1862, from the War Department. Major Stiles was in every case detailed to hear the evidence.

At Carrollton several heavy details were made of working parties to unload vessels at the levee, besides attending to a regular routine of camp duty. Short marches were taken out on the shell road to accustom the troops to that exercise. When Brigadier-General Emory assumed the command he watched sharply these marching drills, also the company and battalion drills of each organization. As some field-officers were inclined to consume time in executing fancy tactical movements when they had their regiments on drill, a general order was issued indicating a more rapid mode of instruction for the field. The following points were enjoined as of the first importance:

1st. The firings--to be executed with facility, promptness, and good order.

2d. Rapid ployments and deployments while marching as well as from a halt.

3d. Sudden and rapid formations of squares against cavalry.

With these instructions carefully and faithfully carried out, any troops could soon be made fairly efficient for field service, with discipline also enforced.

Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, on several occasions, as field-officer of the day, had to make the grand rounds. The start was usually made between eleven and twelve o’clock at night. Considerable ground had to be covered to reach various bodies of troops occupying scattered camps, while the outpost stations would consume much time. Acting under verbal orders to thoroughly do this duty, numerous attempts were made to catch sentries off their guard; in some cases quite successfully, but it resulted in creating bad feeling between the organization so caught, and the regiment from which the field-officer of the day belonged. One of the most notable cases was a surprise of the Fifteenth New Hampshire camp. Upon approaching a sentry he failed to challenge, and seemed glad to take part in a casual conversation, which was commenced, when it was seen the man was not reliable in his duty. Finally, he was seized without resistance and his musket taken away, frightening the poor fellow to such an extent it was with difficulty the grand rounds’ party could remain by him while proceeding towards the guard quarters, where everything was found to be all right, with the men alert.

The One Hundred and Tenth New York camp was entered one night without a challenge, or being seen by any sentinels; on stealthily approaching the guard quarters, where a log fire was burning, no sign of life was seen excepting a solitary sentinel pacing to and fro before a line of stacked muskets. Watching a favorable opportunity he was made a quasi-prisoner, much to his chagrin, and on inspecting the guard tents a few men were found sound asleep, with no officer of the guard present. Routing out the regimental officer of the day to investigate the matter, it appeared that the reliefs, together with officers of the guard, had gone to their quarters for sleep.

After a few incidents like these were reported to post headquarters, it was not long before sentries were wide awake for surprises. It became dangerous business to attempt any fooling with sentries, and such attempts were abandoned. Whenever a field-officer of the Fifteenth New Hampshire or One Hundred and Tenth New York had the grand rounds, in retaliation, they tried various ways to catch the Forty-Second guard napping, but never succeeded.

On one of these grand rounds’ tour of duty, while proceeding along the levee road towards outpost stations, the road was found to be in an impassable condition, owing to a small break in the levee, not known to exist, as during the early afternoon one of the officers had found the road in good condition. An occupant of a house near at hand was awakened to obtain directions how to proceed: the man either intentionally or by mistake directed the party to take the levee embankment, his reasons for the bad condition of the road not creating any suspicion that a crevasse existed in the levee. Proceeding along the embankment with Sergeant-Major Bosson leading the mounted party, his horse suddenly stopped, and no amount of urging could induce the animal to move forward. In the pitchy darkness it was impossible to see what was the matter, so the party with difficulty (the embankment top was very narrow) turned about, going back, finally reaching another road leading to the outposts. The next morning, upon examining the road at this point, there was found a small break in the levee. Had the horse kept on for a few feet, both horse and rider would have been in the Mississippi River.

A sharp report from several muskets, fired by sentinels, followed with a cry of fire, roused the camp at two o’clock on the morning of January 26th. Not far from the camp lines was a small frame house, used by officers of the Forty-Second for messing. This had caught fire, burning to the ground. The primitive fire department of Carrollton rallied, consisting of several white men, a gang of negroes with an old worn out double-deck hand fire-engine, requiring not over ten men to man the brakes, without suction hose, water being furnished the engine by hand buckets, and a small hose carriage. A detail of men from the regiment soon took possession of this fire apparatus, relieving the local firemen of any responsibility, and earnestly endeavored to stop the flames. What was in rain water cisterns attached to the nearest houses was all the water that could be used. There was great sport in fighting this fire, as well as some sharp and brave work in saving what was in the house. For the purpose of obtaining indemnity from the Government, the owner implicated officers of the regiment with this fire. A council of investigation was ordered by Brigadier-General Emory into the circumstances; the detail consisted of Captains Cogswell and Cook and Lieutenant Gorham, who found that the fire was accidental.

Lieutenant Proctor was without a command, as his company were prisoners of war. Upon landing, with men of Company G who were with him, he met Colonel N. A. M. Dudley, an old friend, in the city, who requested him to join his brigade, then at Baton Rouge, as he wanted a brigade quartermaster, and wished to appoint the lieutenant to that position. Although attached to another brigade and division, Colonel Dudley thought he could arrange the matter with his division general, Grover, and the Department headquarters. Lieutenant Proctor proceeded to Baton Rouge, but Dudley could not carry out his plan, as Adjutant-General Irwin stated it was against the rules of the service. This was true. Lieutenant Proctor and his men reported back to the regiment February 3d.

First Sergeant Nichols, Company G, was detailed acting lieutenant of Company E, _vice_ Stowell, a prisoner of war.

Sergeant Attwell, Company G, remained unattached.

Private H. C. Green, Company G, was attached to Company K for duty.

Private John Luzardo, Company G, was attached to Company K for duty.

Sergeant Vialle, Company G, remained unattached.

War Department General Orders No. 5, issued January 5th, 1863, had made the troops in the Gulf Department to constitute the Nineteenth Army Corps, to date from December 14th, 1862. Orders were issued from Department headquarters on the thirteenth of January attaching the Forty-Second to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Nineteenth Army Corps. In the brigade were the Twenty-Sixth Massachusetts Infantry, three years men; Forty-Second Massachusetts Infantry, nine months men; Forty-Seventh Massachusetts Infantry, nine months men; Ninth Connecticut Infantry, three years men; Twenty-Eighth Maine Infantry, nine months men. The brigade was then under command of Colonel Farr, Twenty-Sixth Massachusetts Volunteers, and constituted part of the garrison in the Defences of New Orleans.

The regiment remained in camp at Carrollton until January 28th, receiving marching orders for five companies to take post at Bayou Gentilly, on the Ponchartrain Railroad crossing, on the twenty-seventh.

Up to this date the following changes by detail and sickness had occurred:

January 17th--Companies C and H left for duty in engineer service.

January 25th--Quartermaster Burrell was detailed by brigade orders as acting brigade quartermaster. Lieutenant Albert E. Proctor, Company G, by regimental orders, was detailed as acting regimental quartermaster, on the twenty-sixth.

Assistant Surgeon Isaac Smith, Jr., Twenty-Sixth Massachusetts Volunteers, was detailed to act as surgeon during Surgeon Hitchcock’s sickness, relieving Surgeon Smith, One Hundred and Fifty-Sixth New York Volunteers, and joined the regiment for duty on the twenty-ninth, at Bayou Gentilly.

Captain George P. Davis, Company K, and Lieutenant T. M. Duncan, Company F, by department orders, were detailed for duty in the provost-marshal general’s office, on the twenty-first.

Captain Charles A. Pratt, Company E, had been absent from camp on sick leave, and not on duty since his company landed from the _Charles Osgood_. Captain Pratt did not see any service with his company. He resigned, and was discharged for ill health by Special Orders No. --, Gulf Department, March 28th, 1863.

January 3d--Corporal Alonzo I. Hodsdon, Company D, was appointed acting quartermaster-sergeant, in place of Foster, taken prisoner at Galveston. Hodsdon, with the pay of his rank as corporal to July 12th, performed the arduous duty of the position in a most admirable manner during the term of the regiment. Special mention is made in his case over that of other non-commissioned staff-officers, because of his devoted attention to the duties with no prospect before him of any promotion to the position. While Foster lived, Corporal Hodsdon remained a corporal. Foster’s parole, when released by the Confederates, did not allow him to take his position until exchanged, which did not occur during the term of service.

January 1st--Private Eldridge G. Harwood, Company B, was appointed regimental carpenter.

January 15th--Private Clark K. Denny, Company F, was detailed as orderly and clerk at regimental headquarters.

January 15th--Private Leavitt Bates, Company A, was detailed as clerk to headquarters of General Emory, at Carrollton. Relieved February 3d.

January 15th--Private John A. Loud, Company A, was made regimental armorer.

January 30th--Private Winfield B. Tirrell, Company A, was detailed as orderly at brigade headquarters, by brigade orders.

The Quartermaster Department was advanced a stage in its appointments, by organizing the wagon train, as follows: Private John Willy, Company B, chief wagoner; Private Porter Carter, Company K, Corporal Alfred Thayer, Company I, Privates Chauncey K. Bullock, Company D, G. G. Belcher, Company F, Joseph B. Ford, Company A, as wagoners.

On moving to Bayou Gentilly the following sick men were left in general hospital at Carrollton: Privates Adin P. Blake, Company B, George E. Pond, Company B, Lucius M. Turner, Company B, and Surgeon Hitchcock.