The Story Of The Thirty Eighth Regiment Of Massachusetts Volunteers

THE STORY OF THE Thirty Eighth Regiment OF MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS.

BY GEORGE W. POWERS. Cambridge Press: DAKIN AND METCALF. 1866. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by GEORGE W. POWERS. In the Clerk’s office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts....

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PREFACE.

In the following pages, an attempt has been made to present a connected and reliable account of the movements of the Thirty Eighth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers during its term of service in the army of the United States. It has not been the purpose of the writer to describe the movements of armies, or chronicle the results of campaigns, except to illustrate more fully the doings of the regiment. Even in the record of battles, he has rather endeavored to confine himself to the particular

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CHAPTER I.

State of the country in the summer of 1862—Call for six hundred thousand volunteers—The Thirty Eighth rendezvous at Lynnfield and West Cambridge—Visit of Cos. A, B, and F, to the City of Cambridge—Departure of the Regiment from the State—Passage through Philadelphia—Arrival at Baltimore—Camp Belger. THE Thirty Eighth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers was organized in the summer of 1862, under the call, issued on the 1st of July, for three hundred thousand men to serve for three years. For a b

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CHAPTER II.

Leave Belger—Visit of Baltimore Ladies—Camp Cram—Religious Services—Drills—Band—Marching Orders—Camp Emory—Return of Co. K to Regiment—Cold Weather—Departure from Emory—Take Transports—Fortress Monroe—Target-Shooting—Washing in Salt Creek. ON the 8th of September, orders came for the regiment to pack up, and be ready to march on the following morning. Rations were cooked, ammunition dealt out, and the tents struck and packed, Co. F remaining behind to guard the camp. Owing to a mistake of the gu

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CHAPTER III.

Departure from Fortress Monroe—Sea-voyage—Arrival at Ship Island—Christmas Day—Embark for New Orleans—Up the Mississippi—Land at Carrollton—Camp Kearney—Col. Ingraham in command of Brigade—Plaquemine Expedition—Unpleasant Duty—Break Camp, preparatory to taking the Field. THURSDAY morning, Dec. 8, everything was astir in Hampton Roads. Important little tug-boats sputtered and whistled; quartermasters’ boats brought off their last supplies of fresh bread and meat; and tardy officers joined their r

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CHAPTER IV.

Baton Rouge—Review by General Banks—March on Port Hudson—Passage of the Batteries by Hartford and Albatross—Burning of the Mississippi—Return to Baton Rouge—Wood-chopping—Embark for Algiers—Easter Incident—Take Cars for Brashear—Berwick City. BATON ROUGE was alive with troops, belonging to every branch of the service. Staff-officers and orderlies were galloping through the town; quartermasters and commissaries were full of business; and flags were waving continually from the signal-towers. A few

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CHAPTER V.

On the March again—Co. F Detached to guard Bridge—Centreville—Battle of Bisland—Pursuit of the enemy—Franklin—District of the Tèche—Neutral Flags—A Day’s Rest—Fording a Bayou—Opelousas. ON the 11th of April, the division broke camp, and moved out on the main road toward Centreville; the gun-boats shelling the woods from the bayou, and the cavalry scouting in advance. Co. F was detached, and ordered to remain behind to guard a bridge on the line of the railroad, to prevent raids on the rear, whil

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CHAPTER VI.

Camp at Opelousas—Cotton versus Potatoes—Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry—Term “boys” not to be used in Third Brigade—Arrival of Grierson’s Cavalry at Baton Rouge—The March resumed—Alexandria—Red River—Start for the Mississippi—Morganza. TAYLOR’S force had by this time become completely demoralized and broken up, and a portion of it captured; there was no longer any fear of its assuming the offensive; and the army remained in camp until the 5th of May, while plans were being matured for the continuance

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CHAPTER VII.

Cross the Mississippi—Bayou Sara—Storm—St. Francisville—Approach Port Hudson—Skirmish on the 25th of May—Negro Soldiers—Battle of May 27—Death of Lieut.-Col. Rodman—The Ravines. AT Morganza, the army found transports awaiting to take it across the river. A sail of fourteen miles brought the steamers to Bayou Sara, where the troops were disembarked, and rations issued. This village had seen fit to harbor the guerillas, who, from their ambush, had fired alike on vessels of war and peaceful river-b

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CHAPTER VIII.

Relieved—March to Clinton—Great Heat—Deserting a Plantation—Return to Port Hudson—Assault on the 14th of June—Heavy Loss in the Thirty Eighth. WHEN the regiment went to the front the second time, the men expected to be relieved in twenty-four hours; but the fourth day found them still there. On the evening of that day, they were relieved, and enjoyed another day’s rest in the woods. What followed may be learned from the following extract from a letter:— “Saturday, June 6th, 5 P. M. —We are now o

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CHAPTER IX.

After the Battle—Great Mail—Burial of the Dead—Remove into the Ravines—Deserters—Fall of Vicksburg—Surrender of Port Hudson—A Disappointment—Stores Plains—Night March to Baton Rouge—Embark for Donaldsville—Dress-Parades—Six Months’ Pay. ON the 15th, the long-looked for mail arrived, with the letters that had been accumulating at New Orleans for weeks; and then wounds and sickness were momentarily forgotten in the pleasure of again communing with those at home. The letters averaged seven or eight

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CHAPTER X.

Back to Baton Rouge—The Highland Road—Camp Rodman—Bivouac on the Boulevards—A and K detailed for Provost Duty—I sent to Plaquemine—Camp Banks—Picket Duty—Cold Weather—New Years’ Ball—Visit of Mr. Wellington—Flag-Raising—Recruits. AUGUST 1, the regiment embarked for Baton Rouge, landed, and went into camp near the Highland Road, just outside of the city, when clothing was issued, and the men once more had an opportunity to appear decently. From this time until the following February, the history

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CHAPTER XI.

The Spring Campaign—Leave Baton Rouge—Port Hudson again—Fort de Russy—Red River Country—Alexandria—Departure of the Army for Shreveport—The Second Division left at Alexandria—Disaster—The Thirty Eighth embark on the Mittie Stephens—Guerilla Attack—Grand Ecore. THE campaign had already opened on the Red River, with the capture of Fort de Russy by Gen. A. J. Smith; and a batch of three hundred prisoners had been sent to Baton Rouge, and thence to New Orleans. The Seventh and Twenty Second Kentucky

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CHAPTER XII.

Grand Ecore—What caused the Repulse?—Retreat through the Pine Woods—Battle of Cane River—Rear-Guard—The Retreat continued—Arrival at Alexandria. THE greater portion of Gen. Banks’s army was then at Grand Ecore, and busily at work throwing up breastworks,—the pine forests furnishing abundant logs for the purpose,—while the river was crowded with gun-boats and transports. Of course the recent battles were the general topics discussed, and there appeared to be as many opinions regarding the details

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CHAPTER XIII.

The Fleet in Danger—Red River Dammed—Foraging Expedition—Departure from Alexandria—Captured Mails—Battle of Mansura Plains—Scarcity of Water—On the Old Road—Reach the Atchafalaya—Engagement in the Rear. ALTHOUGH the army had thus reached Alexandria in safety, the fleet was still above the rapids, and there appeared to be no prospect of the river rising. The enemy were busily at work on the lower part of the river, throwing up earthworks; and in a short time all communication was cut off, and sev

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CHAPTER XIV.

Cross the Atchafalaya—The Fleet and Army part Company.—Morganza—Saw-mill Expedition—Up the River—Embark for Algiers—Serenade the Lieutenant-colonel—Good-by to Louisiana. ON the 18th, the Nineteenth Corps crossed the Atchafalaya, near which it remained, merely changing camp several times, until the 20th; and on the evening of that day, the entire naval and military force left Semmesport for the Mississippi. The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps were on the transports, on their return to the departm

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CHAPTER XV.

Arrival at Fortress Monroe—Washington—Georgetown Heights—Monocacy Junction—Up and down the Valley of the Shenandoah—Battle of Opequan Creek. ON the eighth day after crossing the bar off the Mississippi, the ship reached Fortress Monroe, where Lieut.-Colonel Richardson received orders to proceed to Washington immediately. Entering the Potomac, the men realized that they were no longer on Louisiana waters; the hills stretching up from the river, the hay and grain fields just reaped, and the scatte

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CHAPTER XVI.

The Pursuit—Congratulatory Order—Fisher’s Hill—Gen. Emory—Mount Jackson—Mount Crawford—Cedar Creek—Build Breastworks—Surprise—Battle of Cedar Creek—Fall back to Kearnstown—Martinsburg—Thanksgiving. THE battle was won, and now came the pursuit. Col. McCauley assumed the command of the third brigade, which broke camp at daylight of the 20th, and began the march up the Valley, reaching Strasburg in the evening. The next day, congratulatory orders from the President and Gen. Grant were read to the t

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CHAPTER XVII.

Preparations for Winter—Log-huts—Break Camp—Winchester—Provost Duty—Baltimore—The Stables—Visit of Rev Dr. Ware—Extracts from Letters. PREPARATIONS now began to be made for passing the winter at Camp Russell. The shelter-tents afforded poor protection against the snow-storms, which were becoming frequent, and boards were scarce; so, in every camp, log-villages arose, many of them far neater in appearance than the tenements in which families of poor whites had been reared on the banks of the Red

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CHAPTER XVIII.

Departure from Baltimore—Arrival at Savannah—Desolation of the City—Sherman begins his March through the Carolinas—Conflagration—Gen. Grover in Command of the Post—Music in the Park—Marching Orders. THE third brigade left Camp Carroll, Jan. 13th, and, marching through the streets of Baltimore,—its citizens not scowling at the troops as they did two years before,—took transports at the wharves, the Thirty Eighth embarking on the Oriental, in company with the One Hundred and Seventy Fifth and One

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CHAPTER XIX.

Hilton Head—Cape Fear River—Paroled Prisoners—Wilmington—Morehead City—Newbern—Back to Morehead—Fatigue Duty and Oysters—An Alarm—Battle of Petersburg—All aboard for Goldsborough—Sherman’s Army—Surrender of Lee—Assassination of the President—Surrender of Johnson—Morehead again—Transport—Rubber Coffee—Savannah. AT daylight, the steamer left the city arriving at Hilton Head about noon, where, after transferring the brigade head-quarters and a portion of the One Hundred and Fifty Sixth to another s

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CHAPTER XX.

Change in Savannah—Southern Ladies and Clergy—Portion of the Brigade goes to Augusta—Habits of the Country People—Jeff. Davis—Cos. C and G go to Darien—Arrival of First Division—Scarcity of Muster Rolls—Want of Transportation—Start for Home—Gallop’s Island—Reception in Cambridge. SAVANNAH had changed essentially within the past two months. By the surrender of Lee and Johnston, all hopes of establishing Southern independence were at an end; and the people were evidently about to submit quietly, a

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IN MEMORIAM.

Deaths from Battle. BISLAND, LA. PORT HUDSON, MAY 27. Lieut.-Colonel William L. Rodman. PORT HUDSON, JUNE 14. PORT HUDSON DURING SIEGE. CANE RIVER. RED RIVER. COMPANY A. William H. Lunt. OPEQUAN CREEK. FISHER’S HILL. COMPANY F. Martin G. Childs. CEDAR CREEK. COMPANY K. Atkins Brown. PORT HUDSON, MAY 27. Lieut.-Colonel William L. Rodman. PORT HUDSON, JUNE 14. PORT HUDSON DURING SIEGE. CANE RIVER. RED RIVER. COMPANY A. William H. Lunt. OPEQUAN CREEK. FISHER’S HILL. COMPANY F. Martin G. Childs. CED

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