CHAPTER XXVI.

VETERAN REGIMENTS.

The Fifty-sixth.-Its Organization. - Wilderness Campaign. - Before Petersburg. The Fifty-seventh. Jerusalem Plank-road. — At Burkesville.-Return Home. Leaves the State. -Jcins the Ninth Corps at Annapolis.- Marches to the Front. Wilderness Campaign." The Crater." - Poplar-grove Church. - Spring Campaign At Bristow Staof 1865. Mustered out. - The Fifty-eighth. - Leaves Home. tion. Wilderness. - Petersburg. - The Mine Charge of Colored Troops.- Pegram House. Fort Sedgewick. - Home. - Discharge. The Fifty-ninth. Col. Gould. Regiment at the Front. - Death of Lieut.-Col. Hodges. Fort Stedman. side Railroad. - Tenallytown. - Consolidation.

THE

FIFTY-SIXTH REGIMENT.

South

HE Fifty-sixth (First Veteran) Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers was organized, during the winter of 1863, by Col. Charles Griswold, at Camp Meigs, Readville.

The following is its roll of officers:

Assistant Surgeon

Charles E. Griswold.
Stephen M. Weld, jun.
Horace P. Williams.
F. Fletcher Oakes.
Horatio S. Soule.

March 21, the regiment left the State, and, on its arrival at Annapolis, occupied Camp Holmes until the 23d of April; when it marched to Alexandria, Va., and became attached to the first brigade, first division, Ninth Army Corps, with which, a few days subsequently, it joined the Army of the Potomac at Bealton, in its "on to Richmond."

Crossing the Rapidan May 5, the First Veteran Regiment participated in most of the bloody contests of this unexampled campaign; losing many in killed, wounded, and captured. Among the former was its noble leader, Col. Griswold. We quote from official records :

After marching with the army to the position in front of Petersburg, the regiment took part in the successful charge on the enemy's lines of June 17,

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losing one officer and eighteen men killed, forty men wounded and five men missing, and capturing fifty-two prisoners. From this time until July 30, the regiment laid in the lines before Petersburg, constantly under fire, losing six men killed, and three officers and nineteen men wounded.

July 30, the regiment took part in the charge on the enemy's works after the mine explosion, losing ten men killed, three officers and twenty-two men wounded, and two officers and twenty men taken prisoners. After this action, the regiment remained in rear of the line of works until Aug. 17, losing one man killed, and one wounded.

Aug. 19, went into action near the Weldon Railroad, losing one man killed, and two officers and seven men wounded. On the 21st, in a skirmish, lost one man killed.

Remained in camp near Yellow Tavern until Sept. 30, when the regiment went into action near the Pegram House, losing one man killed, one officer and seven men wounded, and thirty men taken prisoners, of whom two were wounded.

After throwing up fortifications, the regiment camped near Fort Welch until Oct. 26; when it went on a reconnoissance towards Hatcher's Run, and returned, after a little skirmishing, without loss.

Oct. 27, returned to the same camp, and remained until Nov. 30; on which day the regiment marched to the right, and relieved a part of the Second Corps in Fort Davis, next on the left of Fort Hell.

On the 12th of December, it moved to the front of Petersburg.

The regiment belonged to the first brigade, first division, Ninth Army Corps, until a short time after the battle of Aug, 19. The division was then broken up on account of its diminished numbers, and the regiment assigned to the second brigade, second division. No loss in battle has ever affected the regiment so much as the destruction of the division at the head of which Gen. T. G. Stevenson died, and Gen. Julius White displayed such chivalric bravery, and of the brigade of six Massachusetts regiments which Gen. Bartlett led in the charge on "the crater."

The Fifty-sixth was in garrison at Fort Hayes from Jan. 1, 1865, doing picket-duty, &c., until April 1, 1865, when it participated in the attack on Petersburg. The regiment held for a long time the line of rebel works on the Jerusalem Plank-road, assisted only by the Fifth Massachusetts Battery. All our other troops had been forced to abandon the line; and, had not the Fifty-sixth held the key-point with great tenacity, the rebels would have regained the whole line. The loss was one officer killed, and three wounded; two enlisted men killed, and ten wounded.

The regiment marched with the Ninth Corps to Burkesville, Va., guarding the railroad, prisoners, &c., until the surrender of Lee's army. They then marched back to City Point, and took transports from there for Alexandria, arriving there about the 25th of April. We were in camp here for two months and a half, and then were mustered out on the 12th of July, and ordered to report at Readville, Mass., where the regiment was paid off and discharged.

THE FIFTY-SEVENTH IN THE WILDERNESS.

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FIFTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.

The Fifty-seventh (Second Veteran) Massachusetts Volunteers was organized in Worcester during the autumn of 1863 and the winter and spring of 1864.

It left the State, April 18, with its organization hardly completed; one company, H, being unarmed, and having no officers aside from a second lieutenant.

It was intended that this company should be armed with the Spencer repeating-rifle: but, owing to some difficulty in obtaining the weapon in question, it became necessary, upon arriving at Annapolis, Md., to equip it with Enfield rifled-muskets; and it was not until the 20th of July that the desired arm was obtained. The officers of the Fifty-seventh were,

The regiment arrived at Annapolis, Md., April 20, and was assigned to the Ninth Army Corps, and ordered to proceed immediately to Washington, D.C. Passing through this city April 25, the corps was reviewed by the President and Gen. Burnside, and continued its march towards the front, arriving at Rappahannock Station May 3. Crossing the Rapidan May 5, it advanced into the Wilderness, and became engaged in the action of the 6th, sustaining a loss of two hundred and fifty-one in killed, wounded, and missing. Among the wounded was the colonel. In the action of the 12th and 18th near Spottsylvania, and in that of the 24th at the North Anna River, the regiment suffered severely. In the latter, Lieut.Col. Chandler, commanding the regiment, was captured; and the command devolved on Capt. J. M. Tucker. After a continuous and fatiguing march, the Fifty-seventh reached a point near Cold Harbor June 1, and took part in the operations in that vicinity.

On the night of the 15th, it crossed the James. On the 16th, its camp was within sight of the suburbs of Petersburg. During the afternoon of the 17th, a portion of the enemy's lines was assaulted by the third division, Ninth Corps, without success. At

sunset, the third division of the Ninth Corps, with which the Fifty-seventh was connected, advanced in excellent order under a heavy fire of musketry and artillery, and carried the works at the point of the bayonet, though with the loss of five officers and fortyone men. Among the wounded was Capt. J. M. Tucker. From the 17th until the 30th, when they were relieved by colored troops, the men were performing duty in the trenches. On the 30th, under the command of Major Albert Prescott, they took part in the action of " the crater." Writes an officer,

In the charge which immediately followed the springing of the mine, the regiment passed directly through the ruins of the fortification into a covered way connecting with the fort, and running parallel with the front line of the enemy's works.

Arriving at this point, and receiving a severe front and right and left enfilading fire of musketry and artillery, and being much disordered by the uneven nature of the ground, the line halted, and erected a slight work on the side of the way facing the enemy.

Being ordered to maintain this position, the troops remained firm, and successfully resisted every attempt of the enemy to dislodge them, until the charge and repulse of the fourth division (colored), Ninth Army Corps. This division fell back in the greatest confusion, the troops seeking shelter in the covered way, already densely filled by regiments of the first and second division of the Ninth Army Corps. The repulse of the fourth division was immediately followed by a charge from the enemy, who advanced his line to the brink of the covered way, delivering a heavy fire, which added to the confusion of the troops, then so crowded as to be unable to make use of their fire-arms. At this period of the action, the national standard of the Fiftyseventh was captured; its guard and the greater portion of the left wing of the regiment going with it.

All attempts to rally the troops proved fruitless, the men falling back as rapidly as the crowded condition of the passage would permit. At the commencement of the action, the regiment numbered seven officers, and ninetyone enlisted men. Casualties during the action: officers, six ; viz., Major Prescott, Capts. Dresser and Howe, killed; Lieuts. Barton and Anderson, wounded, and Lieut. Reed, missing; enlisted men, forty-five; leaving the remnant of the regiment in command of First Lieut. Albert Doty.

July 31, the regiment resumed its duty in the trenches, remaining until Aug. 18, during which period five enlisted men were killed or wounded. Aug. 19, the regiment, First Lieut. A. Doty commanding, took part in the operations against the Weldon Railroad, entering the action with one officer and forty-five enlisted men. The battle was of an hour's duration, and hotly contested. Casualties, fifteen enlisted men.

From the field of action the regiment moved Aug. 25, and constructed a line of works near Blick's Station.

THE FIFTY-SEVENTH BEFORE PETERSBURG.

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Sept. 14, Col. A. B. M'Laughlin assumed command of the brigade, Lieut. J. M. Tucker commanding the regiment. In the action of Poplar-grove Church, and on the 30th of October near the Pegram House, the Fiftyseventh was engaged, suffering considerable loss.

Oct. 26, it took part in the movement against the South-side Railroad; and, on the 9th of December, in the movement against the Weldon Railroad. On the 12th, the return-march commenced; and, on the 13th, the regiment joined its brigade in the trenches.

From the 1st of January until the 25th of March, the regiment remained within the lines before Petersburg, with the exception of participating in Gen. Warren's reconnoissance towards the Weldon Railroad.

On March 25, the Fifty-seventh, having the day before relieved the Fiftyninth in the lines to the right of Fort Stedman, were engaged in the memorable repulse of Gordon's corps, which inaugurated the closing scenes of the war. At half-past three o'clock, A.M., the enemy in strong force carried the works held by the Fourteenth New-York Artillery, and flanked the line of the Fifty-seventh, who fell back from their works, skirmishing as they went, and earning for themselves a proud record. Having at last reached a position which could be held, they there remained until supported by some troops of the Pennsylvania division, when the Fifty-seventh led the advance in the charge from that part of the field, and again entered their camp and works in triumph; Sergeant-Major (afterwards Lieut.) Pinkham capturing, by a singular poetic justice, the flag of the Fifty-seventh North-Carolina.

On the 3d of April, we entered Petersburg, and were ordered beyond the river to guard the roads to Richmond and Chesterfield, on which the rebel army had retreated; and, on the 4th, were placed on duty on the Boydtown and Cox's Roads, moving out on subsequent days, and guarding the railroad and Cox's Road in advance of the army at various points, until at last headquarters were established at Wilson's Station. Immediately after the assassination of the President, the Ninth Army Corps was ordered to Washington on special duty, and, arriving there in the latter part of April, were reviewed by Gen. Wilcox, and placed on duty on the Maryland side, near Tenallytown. From this time till August, when mustered out, the regiment remained in and about Washington, doing provost-duty for about three weeks at various important points; being discharged at Readville, Aug. 9, 1865. The Fifty-ninth Massachusetts was consolidated with this regiment on the twentieth day of June, 1865.

The officers and men of the regiment will long lament Major James Doherty, mortally wounded, March 25, while gallantly encouraging the regiment in their unequal contest. He was a thorough soldier, a man of vast experience in many lands and many occupations, a kind-hearted, roughspoken, brave old soldier, whose memories were a source of pleasure to his friends, and of profit to the service, which learned his value only in time to mourn his loss, and know how great it was.