History of the Forty-second regiment infantry, Massachusetts volunteers, 1862, 1863, 1864

by Charles P. Bosson

CONTENTS.

[CHAPTER I.]
	PAGE.
Organization of Regiment—Camp at Readville—Departure for New York	1
[CHAPTER II.]
En Route—Camp at East New York—On Transports	19
[CHAPTER III.]
On Board Transports—The Saxon—Quincy—Charles Osgood—Shetucket—Quinnebaug	38
[CHAPTER IV.]
Galveston	61
[CHAPTER V.]
At Carrollton—Bound for Galveston—Arrival of Companies—Camp Mansfield—Details	140
[CHAPTER VI.]
February—At Bayou Gentilly—More Details	154
[CHAPTER VII.]
Enlisted Men Prisoners at Houston—March for the Federal Lines—Arrival at New Orleans	173
[CHAPTER VIII.]
At Bayou Gentilly—March—April	197
[CHAPTER IX.]
At Bayou Gentilly—May	226
[CHAPTER X.]
Bayou Gentilly—June—Farewell to Gentilly Camp—In New Orleans	239
[CHAPTER XI.]
Brashear City	252
[CHAPTER XII.]
Action at La-Fourche Crossing	286
[CHAPTER XIII.]
July—In New Orleans—At Algiers	310
[CHAPTER XIV.]
Companies C and H on Detached Service at Camp Parapet	331
[CHAPTER XV.]
Company K in Charge of Pontoons—Baton Rouge—Teche Campaign—Siege of Port Hudson—Donaldsonville—Return to Regiment	352
[CHAPTER XVI.]
August—At Algiers—Bound North—On Board “Continental”—Arrival Home	378
[CHAPTER XVII.]
Adventures of Corporal Wentworth and Private Hersey	389
[CHAPTER XVIII.]
Officers in Confederate Prisons—Houston—State Prison—Camp Groce—Camp Ford—En Route Home—At Home	415
[CHAPTER XIX.]
In Service for One Hundred Days—Organization—Readville—Off for Washington—At Alexandria—At Great Falls—Return Home	442
ILLUSTRATIONS.
	PAGE.
[Field and Staff Officers]	1
[Kuhn’s Wharf, Galveston]	81
[Headquarters at Bayou Gentilly]	161

Lieut-Col. Stedman.

Col. Burrill.

Chaplain Sanger.

CHAPTER I.
Organization of Regiment—Camp at Readville—Departure for New York.

At the time (August 4th, 1862) a draft was ordered by President Lincoln for three hundred thousand militia to serve for a period of nine months, Colonel Isaac S. Burrell was in command of the Second Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia—an old militia organization of the State. General Orders No. 25, issued July 1st, 1862, by the Commander-in-Chief of the State troops, Governor John A. Andrew, notified the militia to prepare for a call to service. General Orders No. 34, issued August 13th, 1862, by the same authority, notified the volunteer militia they would be accepted for nine months service.

In common with other organized and uniformed militia organizations in the State, the colonel was instructed by officers and men of his command to tender the regiment as volunteers for nine months service, and to obtain permission to recruit up to the requisite strength. Public opinion was opposed to a draft at that time, and Governor Andrew, by accepting the services of such militia bodies as volunteered, affording every facility in his power to enable them to recruit up to the full maximum of strength, avoided the necessity for a draft, made available the services of those officers who eventually recruited their companies to a war strength, and the rank and file already enlisted in the militia—a very fine nucleus to commence with. The intermixing of raw recruits with men of some experience of the duties of a soldier tended to greatly facilitate the mobilization of the States’ quota, and hastened the departure of regiments to the field in a tolerable good condition for immediate duty.

The Second Regiment, M. V. M., was one of the regiments accepted. As there was already a Second Regiment (three years troops) in the field, orders were issued designating the regiment as the Forty-Second Regiment, M. V. M., and was ordered into a camp of instruction at Readville, August 26th, 1862.

The old Second Regiment, M. V. M., a part of the First Brigade, First Division, State Militia, had just completed the five days camp duty with the brigade at Medford, required by law, from August 13th to 18th, and the regimental guard, Company C, Captain Leonard, left at Medford in charge of the camp equipage, since that encampment ended, in anticipation that the regiment would be immediately ordered back, was ordered August 22d to strike camp, proceed to Readville early next day, and pitch tents upon high ground very near to the Boston & Providence Railroad track. The camp was laid out by Quartermaster Burrell and Adjutant Davis, assisted by men of Company C. Colonel Burrell assumed command of all troops rendezvousing there until Brigadier-General Peirce was placed in command.

In addition to this guard, the first detachment of about one hundred men, occupied this camp on the afternoon of August 26th, and from that time until the regiment was complete (November 11th), recruiting, equipping, and instruction occupied the time. The Ninth Battery, Captain De Vecchi (enlisting for three years), Eleventh Battery, Captain Jones, Forty-Third Regiment, Colonel Holbrook, Forty-Fourth Regiment, Colonel Lee, and the Forty-Fifth Regiment, Colonel Codman (all enlisting for nine months), were encamped in tents and barracks at the same place and at the same time. The whole force formed a post, commanded by Brigadier-General R. A. Peirce, of the State Militia.

The officers of the old Second Regiment, M. V. M., that went into camp with the intention of entering the service, if successful in recruiting men to complete their companies and the Forty-Second Regiment, were:—

Colonel—I. S. Burrell.

Lieutenant-Colonel—T. L. D. Perkins.

Major—George W. Beach.

Adjutant—Charles A. Davis.

Quartermaster—C. B. Burrell, vice James W. Coverly, resigned.

Surgeon—John A. Lamson, resigned August 28th, 1862.

Company A—Captain, Wm. A. Brabine; Lieutenants, Wm. Kilner and John H. Stevens.

Company B—Captain, Albert H. Townsend; Lieutenants, Artemas Webster and Wm. B. Rand.

Company C—Captain, O. W. Leonard; Lieutenants, I. B. White and Geo. H. Drew.

Company D—Captain, George Sherivé; Lieutenants, Wm. H. Cowdin and D. F. Eddy.

Company E—Captain, Samuel C. Davis; Lieutenants, David Hale and Henry Pierce.

Company F—Captain, Wm. H. Russ; Lieutenants, Wm. A. Clark and James C. Singleton.

Company G—Captain, A. N. Proctor; Lieutenants, A. E. Proctor and Charles Jarvis.

Considerable time elapsed before the regiment was full. The system adopted by the Governor, of assigning quotas to cities and towns, was found to work to the disadvantage of the seven original companies comprising the regiment in gaining recruits, as such quotas preferred to enlist in a regiment, as a body, under officers of their own choice, whenever the quotas were sufficient to form a company, or companies. It became evident, early in September, that the Forty-Second Regiment could not be filled to ten full companies unless some of the original companies gave way to such city or town companies as could be secured. Colonel Burrell, with his officers and their friends, spent time and money, visiting various cities and towns endeavoring to have them join the Forty-Second.

There being a vacancy of three companies in the regiment, Colonel Burrell, although having offers of five full companies to join at one time, thought he could conscientiously accept of only three, viz., one from Weymouth, one from Medway, and one from Dorchester, preferring to let the other two join some other regiment, and to wait a short time longer, in hope that officers recruiting for the original seven companies would have full commands in a short time, although recruiting was very, very dull at the time for four of those companies. When two of the old companies, D and G, were full to the maximum, and the third, Company C, was progressing favorably, it was evident Companies A, B, E and F could not be recruited, and were delaying formation of the regiment.

Company H, recruited by Captain Bailey, was about full. This company was not in the old Second Regiment. Bailey had some sort of authority to recruit a company, and expressed a desire to become a part of the Forty-Second. He made his headquarters at Readville, and sent men into camp often. There was a great deal of bounty jumping in this company before it was mustered in. The keeping of a correct list of men sent to camp by the captain was a tough job, as the adjutant and sergeant-major well remember. What blunders were made, or obstacles met and overcome by Captain Bailey, no one can tell, for the captain kept his own counsel.

In Company B, Captain Townsend was very troublesome. In September he carried his supposed grievances so far as to remain away from camp, and order his men to keep away also. This culminated on the eighteenth, when Colonel Burrell requested the adjutant-general to discharge him; also recommended that Companies B and C be consolidated, and that Company C be the nucleus and letter of the new company. Orders were issued by the Governor disbanding A, B, E and F, transferring the men to other companies. The Weymouth company was designated Company A; Medway company, Company B; Dorchester company, Company I; and steps were taken to try and secure town quotas to fill the three companies required to complete the regiment.

During October the Governor decided to consolidate certain regiments, in order to remedy an apparent evil, and get the troops into the field as soon as possible. More regiments were being recruited in the State than could be filled by the State quota of nine months volunteers. The Forty-Second and Fifty-Fourth regiments had the smallest number of men mustered into service; the Forty-Second having seven companies, the Fifty-Fourth, six companies. Three companies from Worcester County, viz., from Leicester, Captain Cogswell, Worcester, Captain Stiles, Ware, Captain Davis, of the Fifty-Fourth, were transferred to the Forty-Second regiment. One company of the Fifty-Fourth was transferred to the Fiftieth Regiment, two companies of the Fifty-Fourth to the Fifty-First Regiment, and the Fifty-Fourth Regiment was disbanded.

All through the attempt to recruit the regiment to its maximum strength, Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins and Major Beach, instead of rendering any valuable service in that direction, were hampering the efforts of others. A jealousy sprang up in the breasts of these two officers against the colonel, born from what no one seems to know, and it is doubtful if they knew themselves. This jealous feeling was intensified when Companies A, B, E and F were disbanded, opening the way for three new companies from city and town quotas to take their places. With only three companies remaining of the old Second Regiment, a triangular fight sprang up for the positions of colonel, lieutenant-colonel and major; elective in all nine months troops from Massachusetts, line officers casting the ballots. Officers of the three Worcester County companies held the balance of power. They were desirous of obtaining for field officers the best men they could find in the regiment. A council was held one evening, seated in a circle upon the grass some distance from quarters, where the matter was fully discussed. It was finally decided to vote for Isaac S. Burrell for colonel, as he was well known to most of them as an old militia officer; for Captain Stedman, Company B, to be lieutenant-colonel, as he had been highly recommended to them by officials connected with the Norwich, Vermont, Military Academy (where Stedman formerly held a position as instructor in military tactics), with whom a correspondence was carried on without the knowledge of Captain Stedman; for Captain Stiles, Company E, to be major, as they all knew him to be an excellent officer. The question of proportioning the field positions so as to recognize the new companies that had joined the regiment did not enter into their discussions at all.

The election occurred on Thursday afternoon, November 6th, at regimental headquarters. Every line officer was present. Brigadier-General Peirce was presiding officer, with acting Post-Adjutant Lieutenant Partridge, Company B, recording officer. The vote for colonel stood twenty-eight for I. S. Burrell and two for T. L. D. Perkins. The vote for lieutenant-colonel stood sixteen for Captain Joseph Stedman, ten for Lieutenant-Colonel T. L. D. Perkins, two for Major George W. Beach, and two for Captain A. N. Proctor. The vote for major stood seventeen for Captain F. G. Stiles, three for Major George W. Beach, and ten for Captain A. N. Proctor.

Friends of Captain Proctor based his claim for the positions of lieutenant-colonel and major on the fact that he was the senior captain, a valid claim, which would have had weight with officers holding the balance of power if they had known more of his military history at that time. His friends did not press his claim until it was evident Perkins and Beach could not be elected.[1]

[1] The wounds of disappointment inflicted by this election were never fully healed, but did not interfere with all of the officers doing their duty as they understood it. In very small things did any feeling show itself afterwards, and not then until the lieutenant-colonel was in command, while the colonel was a prisoner.

The dates of muster into the United States service are as follows:

Company	A—	September	13,	1862.
“	B—	“	13,	“
“	C—	October	11,	“
“	D—	September	19,	“
“	E—	“	30,	“
“	F—	“	30,	“
“	G—	“	16,	“
“	H—	“	24,	“
“	I—	“	16,	“
“	K—	October	14,	“

The field and staff were commissioned November 6th, 1862, and mustered in November 11th, 1862. The time of the regiment commenced from October 14th, 1862.

It would be a hard task to pick out a finer body of men than composed the rank and file of the Forty-Second Regiment as it now stood, containing men from all ranks of life and all grades of society. A few bad men were enlisted, ’tis true, but less than the usual proportion found in regiments formed and enlisted as this was. About one-tenth, or say nearly one hundred men, were of that disposition and temperament, in case of going into action the very best thing to be done with them, for the safety of the regiment, would be to hurl them into a ditch with orders to stay there until the fighting was over. That the record of the regiment does not equal the best from Massachusetts was due to events over which it had no control. The material was there, the courage was there; it needed merely a baptism fire to fully acquaint the rank and file with the smell of powder, and then opportunities to prove their metal.

Life in camp at Readville was by no means monotonous. During August, September, and part of October, the men were under canvas. Regular routine duties of camp were performed, and the hours after duty were passed in social pleasures, which only those who have a natural taste for the life of a soldier, or young novices in camp life, know how to enjoy. The weather, for a large portion of the time, was glorious. The surrounding scenery at Readville is very fine, as any person who has visited the ground can testify. As the facilities for visiting from Boston were very good, via the Boston and Providence Railroad, also by splendid drives over excellent roads, all of the troops concentrated there, over three thousand men, had many visitors to while away the time when off duty, causing the various camps to have a gala appearance at all parades of ceremony, such as guard mounting, dress parades and reviews. Bands of music were specially engaged at various times to assist in these parades, much to the gratification of the men. All day long the rat-a-tap of the drums was to be heard, as the newly-organized drum corps attached to the regiments went on with their practice. It was a continual scene of excitement, without danger, until orders came for the various bodies to move. Between other regiments and the Forty-Second there was not much social intercourse, except in a few instances. There appeared to exist a feeling that the Forty-Second did not amount to much.[2]

[2] Among the members of a band occasionally engaged for duty on Sundays at Readville Camp was Mariani, the old drum-major of Gilmore’s Band when at the zenith of its fame in Boston. Signior (as he was called) Mariani was a man of commanding presence, very tall and very heavy in build. He was a jolly companion, full of anecdote regarding his native land, Italy. His one time, two time, three time story has never been forgotten by those who had the pleasure of hearing it.

Surgeon Cummings, appointed vice Lamson resigned, commenced his duties and reports September 6th, at once taking hold of matters with a will and devotion to the interests of men in camp characteristic of him.[3] With a sharp eye kept on the rations, cooking, sanitary condition of grounds and quarters, hardly a day passed without his embodying some suggestion of importance in his daily reports to the colonel. At first he had great difficulty in getting first-sergeants of companies to answer properly the surgeon’s call at his quarters in the morning, whereby some men were neglected who were sick in quarters and were not reported. He maintained his right, by virtue of the army regulations then in force, demanding that the first-sergeants, or those acting in their stead, attend the call punctually, report in writing all on sick furlough, all sick in quarters and unable to attend, and cause all who were sick so as to incapacitate them from duty, or claimed to be so, to appear at his quarters, where each company would be called in turn, prescribed for, and the men sent to quarters, to hospital, on furlough, to easy duty or full duty; and if after the morning call any were taken sick, a sergeant or corporal in all cases be sent with them to his quarters, or to summon him to see them at their own quarters when too sick to go to his tent. By hammering away he finally got this system at work to his satisfaction. He calculated to keep the run of all sick men in the regiment, as was his duty, and did not want any one to say he had been neglected. Companies C and H gave the surgeon much trouble, and ruffled his temper, because not able to obtain any report from them, day after day, even after they were mustered into service.

[3] Cummings served in the Army of the Potomac, between Yorktown and Richmond; also did duty in the Yorktown and Portsmouth Grove general hospitals.

The regimental hospital tent was one of the first things to occupy his attention. By constant efforts on his part and of Colonel Burrell, he was able to report on the twentieth of September that he was supplied with all the medicines needed; on the eighteenth of October that the hospital tent was ready for such patients as needed treatment there, with accommodations for ten patients—in his opinion the best at the post. On the second of October, and up to that date, accommodations in regimental hospital had been such, and those unfit in the estimation of the surgeon, that only two men could be received. Until the hospital was ready, the practice was to allow sick men to go home on furlough if unfit for duty. A few of the men attempted to play “old soldier,” but very soon exposed themselves in some way, and had to do double duty as the penalty. Surgeon Cummings could not be fooled very long.

In the matter of police duty in the camp, he kept a careful watch to see whether the officer of the day had sinks properly attended to. Cook houses, cooking utensils and their care were often inspected by him; also the cooking and food for rations. The guard quarters frequently had his inspection, nor was he forgetful of the sentries on night duty, many times recommending that hot coffee be served to them when the nights were cold. With constant persevering efforts and rigid rules the camp was kept very free from filth and vermin, that curse of military camps in general.

Most of the sick cases were from slight ailments. All serious cases were furloughed home, and for a greater part of the time the average sick was quite small; the camp continued to remain in a healthy condition. Some cases of scarlet fever appeared in October and November. Prompt isolation of persons affected prevented any spread of this disease. One fatal case occurred in the regiment previous to leaving the State—Private Robert T. Morse, of Company B, died October 4th, 1862. While in regimental hospital his symptoms not being favorable he was taken home by relatives and died there. In October the surgeon discovered that Private Warren J. Partridge, Company B, twenty-three years old, had an aneurism of the right subclavian artery, liable to burst and destroy his life at any moment, and recommended a discharge from the service. Private Partridge was discharged October 22d. The surgeon also reported on October 22d that one of the cases in hospital he believed to be feigned, Private Abner Ward, of Company C. He had learned Ward was determined to get a discharge at all hazards, and was fifty-two years old. Ward enlisted as forty-four years of age, never went with the regiment, and did obtain a discharge for disability March 12th, 1863.

Assistant-Surgeon Hitchcock was appointed and assigned to the regiment by the surgeon-general of the State, reporting for duty in September. Before leaving the State there were no opportunities to judge of his capacity. He made a favorable impression on some and was not liked by others. His appearance and conversation was that of a young graduate from college. The reason he failed to satisfy men of the regiment while in the field may partially be traced to early impressions he made upon them at Readville.

The rations furnished while in camp were good, and could not cause complaint. So near home, with many friends, pocket money plenty, the regular rations were supplemented by extras to such an extent that it may be said most of the men fared sumptuously. Notwithstanding all this, the natural instinct of a soldier in camp or on active service, to forage, would make itself manifest in spite of extra precautions taken to prevent it. A supper, participated in by a favored few one evening, was one of the pleasant events of this camp. Those invited were pledged not to ask questions. As chicken after chicken was brought forth from a ground-hole inside of the tent, the reason was obvious. It would have been awkward for some persons present to have asked questions and been told the truth, for frequent complaints of despoiled henroosts had been made by residents in adjacent farm-houses, and all officers, commissioned and non-commissioned, were ordered to keep a sharp lookout for chickens served as rations, and to follow up the clue so obtained.

The non-commissioned staff made an attempt to form a mess, with an arrangement made with one of the company cooks to attend to the cooking. The plan worked well for a short time. The sharp appetites of all who composed that mess got the better of their willingness to allow fair play and a fair chance for all to sit down and have a proper share of what was on the mess table, so the unlucky member who was late would find nothing to eat. Dissatisfaction was expressed by the unlucky member at such times, which was to be expected, but precious little satisfaction could he get. One after another withdrew until there was not enough left to stand the expense, when the non-commissioned staff mess became a thing of the past. No attempt was ever made to revive it.

To vary the monotony of company and battalion drills, that had been pushed ever since camp was located, short practice marches were made from camp in different directions over the various roads in the vicinity. The day after a march made October 9th, Surgeon Cummings, in his morning report, commented as follows: “The march of yesterday had its usual effect upon those not in perfect health, of which class there are always more or less in every regiment. A larger proportion, however, than usual, will, I believe, be found in this regiment capable of enduring severe and exhausting hardships, which are unavoidable in the field.” Throughout October the weather could not have been better. What with the bracing air, constant out-door exercise, plain food, strict regularity of meals and good hours for sleep, it was astonishing to see how tough and hardy those men became who had heretofore led a sedentary and confined life in counting-rooms. The greater number of this class of men afterwards stood fatigue of campaign service much better than those who appeared to be healthier and stronger. In fact, the men who were strong, from having out-door occupations, were among the first to break down when hot weather set in, while serving in the Nineteenth Corps.

On the departure of the Forty-Fourth Regiment for North Carolina, October 22d, the Forty-Second struck its camp, occupied the barracks vacated by that regiment, and rapidly improved in discipline and drill. On going into the barracks of the Forty-Fourth they were found to be in a dirty and filthy condition. It was hard work policing the grounds and cleaning up quarters before the surgeon would be satisfied with the sanitary condition of grounds and barracks. The regimental camp hospital was removed to the barrack hospital on the twenty-third, much against the judgment of Surgeon Cummings, who expressed a preference for his tent as long as the weather was not too cold. In his morning report of October 23d, Cummings says, “The removing of the camp from its present site to that lately occupied by the Forty-Fourth Regiment in this weather will, I fear, cause more or less sickness from exposure; but the men stand camp life remarkably well—much better than we had any reason to expect. The field, barracks, cook-houses, hospital, wells, and especially the sinks, lately occupied and used by the Forty-Fourth Regiment were left in the most dirty and filthy condition imaginable. I was astonished to find a camp which had been reported to the surgeon-general as a pattern of neatness and excellent sanitary regulation in such an exceedingly filthy condition, especially the sinks. They evidently have not been filled in for more than a week, to say the least. I shall report to the surgeon-general the exact state, as near as possible, in which the camp was left for us.”

November was a cold month. On the seventh a severe north-east snow-storm was experienced, causing much inconvenience and suffering, as stoves had not been placed in the barracks. The next day this was remedied by obtaining stoves from the Forty-Fifth Regiment barracks.

Orders were originally prepared for the regiment to proceed to Newbern, N. C., but Colonel Sprague, Fifty-First, who had served under General Foster, wishing to do so again, an interview was held with Adjutant-General Schouler by the two colonels, and as Colonel Burrell expressed a preference to serve under General Banks, the original orders were destroyed; orders were then issued to report to Major-General N. P. Banks in New York, to form a part of his expedition, or “Banks’ expedition” as it was publicly known.

The regiment left Readville at one o’clock in the afternoon, Friday, November 21st, in a heavy rain-storm, via Boston and Providence Railroad, by cars to Groton, Conn., thence by steamer Commodore to New York.

The original mustered strength of the regiment was as follows:

Field and Staff,		9	officers,			9	total.
Non-Commissioned			Staff,	5	enlisted men,	5	“
Company	A,	3	officers,	94	“	97	“
“	B,	3	“	92	“	95	“
“	C,	3	“	88	“	91	“
“	D,	3	“	86	“	89	“
“	E,	3	“	79	“	82	“
“	F,	3	“	88	“	91	“
“	G,	3	“	96	“	99	“
“	H,	3	“	88	“	91	“
“	I,	3	“	92	“	95	“
“	K,	3	“	86	“	89	“

The following men had been discharged for disability before leaving the State:

Company	A,	Private	Joseph Viger,	November	18,	1862.
“	A,	“	Bernard Doherty,	“	18,	“
“	A,	“	James C. Wendall,	“	18,	“
“	B,	“	Warren J. Partridge,	October	22,	“
“	F,	“	James O. Boyd,	November	19,	“
“	F,	“	Henry W. Pratt,	“	19,	“
“	F,	“	Anthony Sherman,	“	19,	“
“	K,	“	William B. Gould,	“	18,	“

There were left behind, in the State, the following officer and enlisted men, on detached service, sick, or in jail:

Lieutenant D. A. Partridge, Company B—Remained at Readville camp by orders of Colonel Day, issued October 27th, 1862, on detached duty, looking out for deserters; six men were returned to the regiment through him. There was some difficulty and correspondence relating to his rejoining the regiment. A feud existed between Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman and Partridge, occasioned by the election for captain in Company B, when Partridge was jumped over by Cook, through interference of Stedman, so Partridge claims. Stedman lost friends in the regiment by his action. Lieutenant Partridge was mustered out of service March 5th, 1863, to accept a commission in the Fifty-Fifth Regiment.

Private Newman B. Luce, Company E—Sick in hospital at Camp Wool, Worcester, since October 2d, 1862. Rejoined his company April 9th, 1863.

Private Frederick A. Mahan, Company E—Sick in hospital at Camp Wool, since October 10th, 1862. Rejoined his company April 9th, 1863.

Private Asa Breckenridge, Company K—Sick in hospital at Readville. Sent home to Worcester, November 12th, 1862. Did not rejoin the regiment.

Private John W. Sheppard, Company K—Sick in hospital at Readville. Sent home to Warren, Mass., November 12th, 1862. Discharged for disability April 8th, 1863.

Private Abner C. Ward, Company C—Shot himself to escape duty. Left at Hopkinton, Mass. Discharged for disability March 12th, 1863.

Private George A. Davis, Company D—Sick at home in Roxbury, Mass., since November 21st, 1862. Rejoined his company May 16th, 1863.

Private John O’Harran, Company D—Confined in Dedham jail on sentence for manslaughter; killing a citizen in a drunken brawl at Mill Village, Dedham, Mass. Never rejoined his company.

Private John Nolan, Company D—Confined in Dedham jail as a witness in O’Harran’s case. Released and joined the regiment February 4th, 1863.

Private Thomas H. Rillian, Company D—At home sick. Discharged for disability March 7th, 1863.

Private John A. Pierce, Company H—At home sick. Discharged for disability March 5th, 1863.

Private Charles H. Hill, Company I—Sick in hospital at Readville, November 22d, 1862. Discharged for disability March 28th, 1863.

Others were also left, but they reported in camp at East New York before the regiment sailed for New Orleans.

The roster of the regiment was as follows:

Colonel—Isaac S. Burrell.

Lieutenant-Colonel—Joseph Stedman.

Major—Frederick G. Stiles.

Adjutant—Charles A. Davis.

Quartermaster—Charles B. Burrell.

Surgeon—Arial I. Cummings.

Assistant-Surgeon—Thomas B. Hitchcock.

Assistant-Surgeon—Rush B. Heintzelman.

Chaplain—George J. Sanger.

Sergeant-Major—Charles P. Bosson, Jr.

Quartermaster-Sergeant—Henry C. Foster.

Commissary-Sergeant—William H. Hutchinson.

Hospital-Steward—Charles J. Wood.

Drum-Major—Richard A. Neuert.

Company A—Captain, Hiram S. Coburn; Lieutenants, Martin Burrell, Jr. and John P. Burrell.

Company B—Captain, Ira B. Cook; Lieutenants, David A. Partridge and Joseph C. Clifford.

Company C—Captain, Orville W. Leonard; Lieutenants, Isaac B. White and Joseph Sanderson, Jr.

Company D—Captain, George Sherive; Lieutenants, William H. Cowdin and Darius F. Eddy.

Company E—Captain, Charles A. Pratt; Lieutenants, John W. Emerson and Brown P. Stowell.

Company F—Captain, John D. Cogswell; Lieutenants, Timothy M. Duncan and Lyman A. Powers.

Company G—Captain, Alfred N. Proctor; Lieutenants, Albert E. Proctor and Thaddeus H. Newcomb.

Company H—Captain, Davis W. Bailey; Lieutenants, Charles C. Phillips and Augustus L. Gould.

Company I—Captain, Cyrus Savage; Lieutenants, Samuel F. White and Benjamin F. Bartlett.

Company K—Captain, George P. Davis; Lieutenants, Henry A. Harding and J. Martin Gorham.

CHAPTER II.
En Route—Camp at East New York—On Transports.

On arrival at Groton, the men were immediately marched aboard the steamer Commodore, owned by Commodore Vanderbilt, exclusively used for transport service since the war commenced. Owing to a dense fog which prevailed and stormy character of the weather, it was near two o’clock Saturday morning before the boat left her pier.

At this place the regiment came near losing the sergeant-major. After the men had filed aboard and been assigned positions upon the boat, he went ashore to take a look around the wharf, to ascertain if all stragglers had reported on board; while doing so, the darkness causing all lights to be very indistinct, he was about to walk off the dock when a friendly voice of caution was heard just in the nick of time. Dressed in a great coat, with belt and sword, and heavy knapsack strapped upon his back, to have dropped into the chilly water on that cold night was almost certain to have ended his life.

Only those who have participated in like occasions can imagine the scene that presented itself on board the Commodore. One would think this body of over nine hundred men were bound on a picnic rather than a duty which involved life or death. No one could foretell what the future had in store for him, whether a victim to disease, maimed or diseased for life, death upon the field, temporary sufferings from curable wounds, or a return home in as good health and spirits as when he left. They took the risk. They should have credit for the courage to do so.

A trip through the cars while en route from Readville Camp showed the men to be in rather a sober state of mind. Nothing gloomy about them, but very thoughtful. The car containing the field, staff and line officers, had the appearance of a silent prayer meeting. The colonel was quite meditative. Parting with wife and children was no easy matter to a man of his noble disposition. Many men had been married only a few weeks or months, and to them the enforced separation was keenly felt. As the day was rainy a very limited number of friends were present in camp to say good-by, and affecting parting incidents were not so many as they otherwise would have been. All homesick feelings passed away when the regiment reached Groton, and each man was himself again.

The quartermaster and commissary stores, ammunition and horses were in cars on the fore part of the train, in charge of detailed men. The jolliest crowd upon the train was in the ammunition car, composed of Sam Hersey, the colonel’s clerk, Sergeant Courtney, Sergeant-Major Bosson, and Sergeant Wentworth.

With singing, dancing, card playing, frolicking, and cutting up pranks of various sorts, time passed rapidly. There were parties who did not sleep at all that night. Those who have ever been on excursions such as used to be indulged in by the old militia organizations, can form some idea of the manner in which the night was passed.

Owing to the late hour of leaving Groton the Commodore did not arrive at New York until noon of Saturday. Rations had been issued, to be carried in haversacks, sufficient to last three meals to each man; but with that carelessness so habitual to a raw soldier the rations lasted a majority of them for one meal; the consequence was, that on arrival at New York, the men were tired, very hungry, and very cross. About dusk orders were received to proceed to the Union Race Course at East New York, and report to Colonel Chickering, Forty-First Massachusetts Volunteers, commanding the post. The steamer Commodore was then lying at Williamsburg. The baggage wanted immediately was packed and sent forward; the troops filed out of the steamer, forming regimental line in South Second Street. The citizens (noble hearted people) furnished the entire regiment with hot coffee, crackers, fresh bread, cheese and cold meats. Some ladies went so far as to furnish hot pies, baking and dealing them out while the men were halted, refreshing themselves in their neighborhood. By eight o’clock the entire body was amply refreshed and ready to commence the ten-mile march which was before them. All through the City of Williamsburg the regiment was greeted with cheers, wavings of handkerchiefs, expressions of good-will, and all those demonstrations which proved a people’s interest in the cause for which the men were enlisted. While this excitement continued the column was steady enough, but after the populous part of the city was passed and the muddy road was reached, with all quiet outside of the column, straggling commenced. The weight of knapsack, gun and ammunition pouch began to be felt; feet became sore; silence reigned in the ranks, and nought could be heard save the rattling of the drums at the head of the column, the solid tramp, splash, tramp, splash, or words of command from officers.

The night was dark as black pitch, the road rapidly became worse as the regiment advanced, the weather became very cold, with strong, chilly, wintry blasts, so that by the time Hiram Woodruff’s hotel and stables was reached the men were not in the best of spirits to receive the intelligence imparted to them. It was here Colonel Chickering had his headquarters. When Colonel Burrell reported himself and command for instructions, he was ordered to the race-course to feed the men, and procure the best quarters possible. There were some four thousand men already in camp and bivouac. No ground had been allotted the regiment, and no tents were to be had, so that soon after reaching the race-course the regiment countermarched back to Woodruff’s stables, and the men were ordered to find shelter for the night in the horse-stalls, hen-houses, etc., to the best of their ability. The One Hundred and Sixty First New York Infantry had arrived but a short time previous, and were placed in a similar position. How the various companies of the regiment passed the night would be an interesting history by itself, suffice it to record every man survived, and in the morning, on forming regimental line, none seemed the worse for a little hard experience so early in his military career. On arrival at New York the colonel, quartermaster, and adjutant, reported to General Banks. Requisition was made at once on Post-Quartermaster Colonel Van Vliet for camp equipage. Adjutant Davis was left to get this camp equipage en route for the camp-ground, and had a tough time to obtain drays and induce the drivers to start for East New York. The late hour when all was ready made it necessary to persistently stick to the work, or else it would not have been accomplished. This camp equipage arrived during the night, ready for use the next morning.

Camp was pitched on Sunday, a bitter cold day, and from this time until the day it was vacated the regular routine of camp life was done. At first the cold weather occasioned much distress, but moderating in a few days comparative comfort was experienced. Most of the men, with “Yankee” ingenuity, built underground ovens in their tents with a passage to the outside for escape of smoke. Towards night these ovens were filled with wood and a fire started, which generally would last all night, enabling occupants, with the aid of straw bedding, to keep tolerably warm. Every night huge bonfires were made at the head of each company street, and around them the men would cluster and discuss their treatment, talk of those at home, crack jokes, sing songs, tell stories (some of them good, others not good), while few of a philosophical turn of mind indulged in speculations as to the future. The poor fellows on sentry duty had a hard time; the guard reliefs would gather about a bonfire in front of the guard tents roasting the side of their bodies nearest the fire while the other side was freezing, then reverse this position and thaw out one side while the other froze again. During the eleven days in camp here a large amount of wood was consumed, in order to keep warm. Many trees in rear of the camp were cut down and burned, besides the amount of wood allowed by Government and drawn through the quartermaster, for the nights would be cold even when the days were comfortable.

There were two evils under which the troops suffered while at this post: rations, and officers on leave of absence. Instead of allowing rations to be drawn in kind, a post-kitchen had been established; somebody having contracted with some United States official to furnish cooked rations at so much a ration. This somebody must have realized a very large amount of greenbacks by the operation. Frequently the food was not fit for dogs to eat. Not once could the coffee be drank without creating a nausea. This necessary article would be drawn by the company cooks from the post-kitchen in pails, and then thrown away, alleging, as a reason for doing so, that so much was stopped from delivery to the rest of the troops in camp. At times the meat served out was eatable, but often better fitted to be used as manure than to sustain life in a human being. The bread was good, and on this, with clear, cold water, most of the men subsisted. Some companies did manage to obtain a little good coffee and cheese, from New York City, on their private account. To such a pitch had the feelings of men been wrought by this one item of bad rations, when the post commissary building caught fire one day, not a soldier would lend a helping hand to quench the flames until it was announced that the post hospital was over the cook-house. They then worked with a will to stop the fire. In the month of December, a few weeks after the regiment had left, this same cook-house caught fire again, and was burnt to the ground. It is supposed to have been designedly set on fire by soldiers then in camp. After this was done Government rations were issued according to army regulations. When the Forty-Second got orders to leave camp, Colonel Burrell had a wordy fight with the contractor who furnished rations, as he refused to sign a receipt for full rations, telling him the whole scheme was a fraud. Time was precious, and a compromise was arrived at by Burrell consenting to sign a receipt for one-third the number of rations claimed to have been issued.

All furloughs or leaves of absence had to be granted by Colonel Chickering. Battalion commanders had no right to grant them. Field officers were obliged to be absent more or less on business. Line officers of the regiment were continually away on furlough, to visit New York City, often without leave, taking the liberty without applying for it in the regular way. At this time the discipline of the enlisted men was far ahead of that shown by their officers. Orders were frequently received from post headquarters when no commissioned officer could be found in camp to take them. The regular drills would, in most cases, have to be conducted by non-commissioned officers, in the absence of those in commission. Is it to be wondered at, with such a state of things existing among the officers, that the men should adopt the same policy? If a furlough was not granted run the guard and be absent on “French leave,” as it was termed. There were some forty cases, on an average, each day, of men absent without leave.

True to his duty and profession, Surgeon Cummings had the hospital tent put up and placed in order immediately after the camp-ground was selected. Those who were under his treatment can testify to his care of them, and the amount of work he did to keep the sick in good spirits. He labored under extraordinary difficulties at this particular time, with several serious cases on his hands. Four of them had to be left in hospital when the regiment proceeded to embark on transports, viz., Private Abijah S. Tainter, Company E, Private Charles S. Knight, Company F, Private Paschal E. Burnham, Company G, and Private George A. Cushing, Company A.

Cushing, Knight and Burnham did not rejoin the regiment, being discharged and mustered out of service during the Spring of 1863. Tainter never rejoined his company, and was not mustered out until the expiration of service by the regiment.

One peculiar case under the surgeon’s care deserves mention. A private from one of the companies was in hospital sick. It was difficult to diagnosis his case. There was no trace of disease except his complaint of being sick. He was in the hospital about two days, eating heartily, sleeping soundly, generally enjoying the snug place like an epicure. The surgeon got mad. It is usual to make convalescents in camp hospitals do some light work when there is any to do and they are capable of doing it. He set this fellow to do some light chores in the tent, when his peculiar disease developed itself suddenly. It was laziness. To square accounts with the impostor, Cummings pronounced him cured, but, before discharging him from the sick-list to duty, said he must take a bath; upon disrobing himself his shirt and flannels were found literally alive with vermin; they could not be cleaned; a hole was dug in the ground, a fire made, when the clothing, with vermin, was burned. The fellow was too lazy to keep himself clean.

Cummings enjoyed a good smoke before going to sleep. A look into his tent any night after he had retired would show him to be covered up to his chin with coverlids, a night-cap on almost covering his eyes, and from the small exposed part of his face volumes of smoke would be rolling upward from an old clay pipe seen in his mouth. Those who were aware of this habit used to think it a good joke to invite anybody to take a peep into the tent and see the surgeon at his devotions.

Thanksgiving Day found most of the companies with enough turkey and chicken to go around. Where they came from is not a mystery. Some from home, but not all. The complaints of farmers near by, who had poultry to lose, destroys all mystery about it. To the credit of the regiment be it said that this was the only time when any foraging was done clandestinely while at East New York. The justification must rest on the ground of neglect by proper officers to furnish proper food.

The City Government of Boston having generously furnished the regiment with a complete set of band instruments, which were received December 1st, while at East New York, a band was organized from the rank and file, consisting of the following members, viz.:

1. Bugler Joseph R. Parks, Company D, Leader.

2. Drummer Frederick L. Bowditch, Company A.

3. Private George A. Morse, Company B.

4. Private Joseph Clark, Company B.

5. Bugler Bernard McKenna, Company C—in February, 1863, gave up his connection with the band and joined his company at Camp Parapet, La.

6. Corporal Frederick S. McIntosh, Company D—was completely prostrated by long sickness, and discharged from the service in June, 1863, for disability.

7. Private Edmund L. Chenery, Company D.

8. Private Francis L. Howard, Company E.

9. Drummer Frank Lamb, Company F.

10. Corporal Charles H. Woodcock, Company F—gave up his warrant in March, to join the band.

11. Corporal Edward A. Spooner, Company F—attached in March.

12. Private Orrin F. Bacon, Company I.

13. Fifer Thomas Bowe, Company I.

14. Bugler Henry B. Sargent, Company I.

15. Corporal William A. Cowles, Company I.

16. Bugler Cyrus S. Loud, Company K.

The places of sick members were temporarily filled by others from the ranks. A queer compound of human flesh, Sergeant Charles A. Attwell, Company G, was made band-major March 2d, magnifying his position and duties to such an extent that his appointment was revoked July 18th. Parks, the leader, was another queer fish. He worked hard in his own way, ably seconded by Tom Bowe, to improve the band. The talent could not be called first-class, while his own ability to instruct members was limited. He should be congratulated for such a tolerable degree of proficiency as was attained. Notwithstanding the band did not have a good selection of band music for a long time, it was a source of pleasure while in service. Old Parks, as he was called, was a great tobacco chewer, with a cud in his mouth at all hours. One afternoon he forgot to remove this article from his mouth while on regimental dress parade in New Orleans, and blew the same into his instrument when the band commenced to sound off down the line. He played, or tried to play away, without success, and set the boys laughing by his look of wonder, and attempts to remedy the evil. Not until this parade was over, amid bantering by his comrades, did he discover what was the source of trouble.

Long since has it been demonstrated that regimental bands are not desirable during active service. The attention, the accommodations and privileges they require, are not commensurate with the service they render. Field music, where there is in addition a band, is sure to be neglected. Out of fourteen to twenty drums in the Forty-Second Regiment that should always have been in good working order, from two to five only were usually found fit for use, while the band was kept supplied with everything it required. The long roll has been beaten by one drum because all other drums were without drum-heads. Often the same drummer has had to first beat drummers call at guard quarters, then beat the stated signals in front of the camp.

Drum-Major Neuert must have been very much disgusted with his position and duties while at Bayou Gentilly Camp in Louisiana, to have devoted so much of his spare time in teaching some of the young darkies who hung around the camp how to drum. These youngsters learned very rapidly how to beat a drum, using a piece of board to practise upon. An excellent drum corps of from twelve to fifteen drummers could easily have been formed from these camp followers, who, in a short time, would be almost as proficient as the regular drummers.

At noon, on the second day of December, orders were received from General Banks directing the regiment to proceed at once to Brooklyn and embark upon transports, that were to be in readiness. Camp was struck at once, baggage packed and sent forward, cooked rations for twenty-four hours issued, or supposed to have been, for what was received from the post-kitchen was not reliable, and by three o’clock in the afternoon the regiment was en route. Just before leaving the camp-ground to take the road the Twenty-Eighth Connecticut Infantry Regiment passed by, on the way also to take transports. From the music given by the Twenty-Eighth regimental musicians, that could be distinctly heard for some minutes as the regiment came along the road hid by the woods, it was supposed they had a very fine band. Great was the surprise to those who were near enough the road to see when the head of the column came in sight, that the music was rendered by drummers, fifers and buglers only. With those who were interested in such matters it was the opinion, that the music rendered by these field musicians equalled, and in some selections of pieces played surpassed, anything the band of the Forty-Second ever did.

Passing through Brooklyn, a similar demonstration greeted the regiment as when passing through Williamsburg. It was a fine evening, about dark, as the men marched upon the sidewalks (the streets were quite muddy) along some of the most pleasant thoroughfares of Brooklyn. Houses appeared to be in a blaze of light, the people crowded at windows, on door-steps and sidewalks, full of enthusiasm. Many requests were made by young ladies to be favored with a letter after taking the field; many little necessaries were given to the men; neatly folded within the packages were found billet-doux, with the name and address of the writer, saying the donor expected to hear again from the recipient. Some of these notes fell into rather queer hands. So far as could be ascertained, no undue advantage was ever taken by the men of the Forty-Second from this epidemic of nonsense.

On arrival at the South Ferry, foot of Atlantic Avenue, at seven o’clock, one transport was found at the designated pier, accommodating two companies, and she was not ready to embark men. Quarters for the night were generously tendered Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, for the regiment, by the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Regiments, N. Y. National Guard, in their armory. The colonel, major, and quartermaster went to New York on business at General Banks’ headquarters. Refreshments were furnished by the same regiments, and by citizens. Many of the men were entertained in private residences with supper, lodging and breakfast. To the postmaster, and Mayor of Brooklyn the regiment was especially indebted for favors extended. State Agent Colonel Tufts, in charge of the New England rooms in New York, supposing the Forty-Second would embark at foot of Canal Street in that city, had provided a full supply of hot coffee, sandwiches, crackers and cheese, at that point. On learning this fact the sergeant-major was dispatched to have the food brought over to Brooklyn, which was done late in the evening, arriving after the men were all fed. The supply thus obtained was dealt out in the morning to those who needed it.[4]

[4] After sentinels were posted, to prevent men from straggling away from quarters, many ludicrous scenes occurred in attempts made to get out. The most ingenious contrivances were adopted; some men even risked their lives in these attempts to evade the guard, by windows, and from the armory roof. They tried to crawl through ventilators, and to tunnel into the street from the cellar. Nearly all these devices failed, and by midnight all were fast asleep. Private Gusebio, Company C, was caught by a police officer, as he emerged from a coal-hole in the sidewalk, and beaten with a club until the guard took charge of him. These policemen on duty did not exercise any judgment whatever. They were finally taken away from the neighborhood to prevent a collision with the men, who were enraged at their bullying behavior.

The greater part of the regiment behaved finely on this occasion. There was some straggling and some desertions. The worst case of neglect of duty that occurred was Color-Sergeants Vialle, Company G, and Humphrey, Company D, who had in their charge the State and United States colors. Instead of leaving them in the armory where the regiment was quartered, they were left in a low groggery on Atlantic Avenue, and found by the sergeant-major, by the merest accident, late in the evening, taken to the armory, and placed in charge of the color company. It was the intention of Colonel Burrell to have had an inquiry into this case of neglect, when circumstances would permit. The separation of the companies and his being retained a prisoner of war for a long time alone prevented.

Early on the morning of December third the embarkation commenced, transports having arrived. Owing to the large number of stragglers during the day it was dark before all were got aboard, and the vessels hauled into the river.[5] It was now evident that the three steamers upon which the regiment was embarked were not sufficient for the purpose. Upon the Charles Osgood, Shetucket, and Saxon, at least one hundred men upon each vessel were obliged to sleep on deck. Proper representations were made to General Banks the next day, who placed a fourth transport, the Quincy, at the colonel’s disposal, when three companies were transferred to that vessel.

[5] Among these stragglers was Private Wilson Curtis, an alias, of Company C, a professional bounty jumper, who had deserted from Readville Camp, a tough customer every way. He was spotted in New York by Lieutenant White, over there for the purpose of picking up stray men from his company, as he was on his way to board the Shetucket. Lieutenant White accosted him, and expected to have a fight before he could get him on board, but Curtis, who at first denied his identity, soon deemed it best to rejoin his company, as White covered him with his pistol besides using an argument on him, the substance of which was, that his life was not worth a cent if he was handed over to the military authorities. Curtis served faithfully with his company to the end.

Perhaps those men who on the night of the third of December were so loud in their denunciations of the colonel and his staff, laying all the blame for the hardships then suffered on those who strove in every way, and used every means within their power, to benefit their condition; perhaps those men, when time had given them a chance to reflect and compare their whole experience with what it was that night, would acknowledge that they were wrong in their snap judgment. If they could have seen the work done that night, and heard the opinions of their officers, they would then have known that the colonel and staff had their welfare and good condition at heart.

Shame on all men who will endeavor to foment a mutiny on the strength of fancied wrong, or incompetency of those in command, on such occasions as the one in point presented. There were men on board the transports that night who should hang their heads in shame.

The regiment was finally distributed as follows:

On the Saxon—Colonel Burrell, Adjutant Davis, Quartermaster Burrell, Surgeon Cummings, Chaplain Sanger, Quartermaster-Sergeant Foster, and Companies D, G and I. On the Quincy—Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, Sergeant-Major Bosson, Commissary-Sergeant Friend S. Courtney, who had been promoted from a private in Company D, vice Hutchinson, discharged at East New York on account of sickness, Drum-Major Neuert, Assistant-Surgeon Hitchcock, the band, and Companies A, B and F, with fifty men of Company C, Twenty-Eighth Connecticut Volunteers. Upon the Charles Osgood—Companies E and K, and Hospital-Steward Wood. Upon the Shetucket—Major Stiles, Ward-Master Lewis, of Company D, Ordnance-Sergeant Wentworth, Company G, and Companies C and H. A few officers and men were detached for special duty on transports Quinnebaug and Eastern Queen.

The regiment departed South in these transports, leaving behind the enlisted men named in the following table, who straggled from their colors or deserted them while in camp at Readville and East New York, and while embarking for the South: a mere handful ever returned.

There may have been some excuse for the desertion of a few of the younger men. Often a young man, after enlisting, has had such a pressure put upon him by family relations as to cause his desertion. In other cases cowardice was the true reason. While in a camp of instruction, and in no danger, all is well; when marching orders are received and preparations made to reach the seat of war, then weak-hearted young or old men are apt to desert. The greater portion of deserters from the Forty-Second Regiment were professional bounty jumpers under assumed names.

Name.	Rank.	Co.	Date.		Remarks.
William Hoes,	Private.	C.	October	15.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
George Gray,	“	“	“	16.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
William Nickerson,	“	“	“	18.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Osborne,	“	“	“	18.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Henry Phillips,	“	“	“	20.	Deserted from Readville Camp, and also was a deserter from the First Mass.
James Boyd,	“	“	“	20.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
David Coleman,	“	“	“	20.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Herman Hemming,	“	“	“	28.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Single,	“	“	November	2.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Gordon,	“	“	“	2.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Edward Harrison,	“	“	“	15.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Isensee,	“	“	“	15.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Patrick Murphy,	“	“	“	15.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Stevens,	“	“	“	17.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
James Haley,	“	“	“	17.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Hugh Cameron,	“	“	“	29.	Deserted from camp at East New York.
Thomas F. McKenna,	“	“	December	2.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Alexander Campbell,	“	D.	Time not known.		Deserted.
Henry Doyle,	“	“	Time not known.		Deserted.
William H. Ellis,	“	“	December	4.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Michael Hagan,	“	“	Time not known.		Deserted.
John Hathon,	“	“	December	4.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Samuel Holmes,	“	“	“	4.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
James Johnson,	“	“	“	4.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
James Long,	“	“	“	4.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Trueworthy L. Moulton,	“	“	“	4.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Henry Morrill,	“	“	“	4.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Henry O. Williams,	“	“	Time not known.		Deserted.
Christopher Smith,	“	“	Time not known.		Deserted.
Thomas Burns,	“	“	December	4.	Straggler at Brooklyn, N. Y.; rejoined Feb. 4, 1863.
John Nolan,	“	“	“	4.	Straggler at Brooklyn, N. Y.; rejoined Feb 4, 1863.
Thomas Mathews,	“	“	“	4.	Straggler at Brooklyn, N. Y.; rejoined Feb. 4, 1863.
Patrick Goughan,	“	E.	October	4.	Deserted from Camp Wool, Worcester, Mass.
Samuel E. Lull,	“	G.	“	1.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
William Mullen,	“	“	“	12.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Robert Cunningham,	“	“	November	10.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Joseph Reed,	“	“	“	18.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Henry Bridges,	“	“	December	3.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N.Y.; apprehended at Albany; sent to regiment Dec. 31, by Major I. T. Sprague, 1st Inf., U. S. A., Supt. Recruiting N. Y. Vols., but never joined; deserted again.
James M. Marston,	“	“	“	3.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Joseph V. Colson,	“	“	“	3.	Straggler at Brooklyn, N. Y.; reported himself to the proper officer, and rejoined the regiment Feb. 18, 1863.
Rufus C. Greene,	“	“	“	3.	Straggler, Came to New Orleans on the transport Quinnebaug; rejoined the regiment Feb. 3, 1863.
John Luzardo,	“	“	“	3.	Straggler, Came to New Orleans on the transport Quinnebaug; rejoined the regiment Feb. 3, 1863.
George G. Nichols,	1st Sergeant.	“	“	3.	Straggler, Came to New Orleans on the transport Quinnebaug; rejoined the regiment Feb. 3, 1863.
James L. Vialle,	2d “	“	“	3.	Straggler, Came to New Orleans on the transport Quinnebaug; rejoined the regiment Feb. 3, 1863.
Charles A. Atwell,	4th “	“	“	3.	Straggler, Came to New Orleans on the transport Quinnebaug; rejoined the regiment Feb. 3, 1863.
Edward Bliss,	Private.	H.	September	25.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Fitzsimmons,	“	“	“	25.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Flanigan,	“	“	“	30.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
William Gorman,	“	“	“	25.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Joseph W. McLaughlin,	“	“	“	26.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Quinn,	“	“	“	30.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
William Thompson,	“	“	“	30.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Charles Stewart,	“	“	October	1.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Henry Canivan,	“	“	“	1.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
George Cook,	“	“	“	1.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Francis Curly,	“	“	“	20.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Samuel D. Gregory,	“	“	“	1.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Charles Kenney,	“	“	“	18.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Timothy Linehan,	“	“	“	18.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Patrick Maline,	“	“	“	10.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Patrick McNally,	“	“	“	5.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John C. Anels,	“	“	November	29.	Deserted from camp at East New York.
Thomas Cahill,	“	“	“	18.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Joseph H. Gleason,	“	“	“	14.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Higgins,	“	“	“	1.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Florence Crowley,	“	“	“	24.	Deserted from camp at East New York.
John McCarty,	“	“	“	1.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Dennis O’Connors,	“	“	“	17.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Thomas H. Ryan,	“	“	“	17.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Benjamin F. Wilde,	“	“	“	25.	Deserted from camp at East New York.
Hans F. Hansen,	“	“	“	29.	Deserted from camp at East New York.
Alonzo Jones,	“	“	December	4.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
James Baxter,	“	I.	September	24.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Nathan Green,	“	“	“	25.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
James Gorman,	“	“	“	25.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
David Gracy,	“	“	“	25.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Frederick Ernell,	“	“	November	18.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
John Snier,	“	“	“	18.	Deserted from Readville Camp.
Levi Elmer,	“	“	December	3.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Edward Fisher,	“	K.	“	2.	Straggler at Brooklyn; was sick, and discharged the service March 12, 1863.
George A. Whitney,	“	“	“	2.	Straggler at Brooklyn; was sick, and discharged the service March 5, 1863.
Dennis O’Mara,	“	“	“	3.	Deserted at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Andrew J. Horton,	“	“	“	3.	Straggler at Brooklyn, N. Y.; rejoined the regiment February 3, 1863.

CHAPTER III.
On Board Transports—The Saxon—Quincy—Charles Osgood—Shetucket—Quinnebaug.

“Headquarters” transport Saxon, so called because the colonel with a majority of his staff were on board, was commanded by Captain Lavender, and remained in the harbor until the morning of Friday, December 5th, the men subsisting on crackers and cold water. At eight o’clock she proceeded to sea, the boys giving a round of cheers to a lady upon the ramparts of Fort Columbus, who waved a United States flag as they passed. All arrangements were promptly made for the voyage: cooks detailed to cook rations, and men assigned to bunks below deck.

Rough weather experienced the first night out soon became a gale, which lasted for two days, playing the deuse with company cooks, and prevented any use of the galley situated between decks. Those who could eat at all had to subsist on hard bread and raw, salt pork. Nearly all of the men and all of the officers were very sea-sick. The galley fire was started several times, but rolling of the steamer would cause fat in the pans to run over upon the galley stove, and blazing up quick would set fire to the deck. Quick work with buckets of water would put the fire out and prevent any serious damage.

The gale moderated during the night of December 7th. On Monday, December 8th, after passing Cape Hatteras during Sunday night, the sea became smooth, when men began to show themselves on deck. Somewhat hungry, and not liking the regular allotted fare, on Monday night a few men broke open the ice-chest and stole some fresh beef, cooking it at the galley. Next morning the culprits were picked out. Corporal Sanford Wood, Company I, was broke, had his chevrons stripped from his uniform, and was put in irons by order of the colonel, as he was ringleader in the affair. Privates J. Colson, Company I, Frank McConlow and Fitzallen Gourley, both of Company D, detailed cooks at the time, were also put in irons for not revealing the thieves names.

The Saxon proved to be the safest and fastest boat of the four vessels. She made a fine run to Key West, where anchor was cast at six o’clock December 11th, without anything of an exciting nature to enliven the trip except striking a school of finback whales about ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth. The orders to transport-captains were, to sail forty-eight hours out to sea and then open their sealed orders, which were to rendezvous at Ship Island, Gulf of Mexico, with permission, in case of distress, want of coal, water or provisions, to stop at Port Royal, Tortugas or Key West. Taking in a supply of fresh water and coal the steamer left Key West at six o’clock on the morning of December 12th, bound for Ship Island direct; but early on the morning of December 15th, which was very dark, the mate in charge of the deck lost his course, and at full speed almost ran by the blockading fleet off Mobile Bay. The gunboat R. R. Cuyler hailed them at two A.M., and was answered, when a blank shot followed by a cannon-ball from the gunboat Montgomery caused the mate to slow up and heave to. Not provided with a steam whistle there was nothing to do but to wait for something to develop, and soon the Saxon was boarded by naval officers, who gave the unwelcome intelligence that the transport was off her course, heading direct for Mobile, and was then past the inner line of picket boats, about one and a half miles from Mobile Bar.

The Saxon then proceeded on the correct course for Ship Island, arriving there at nine o’clock A.M. About twenty-five tons of coal was taken aboard from coal vessel General Berry, that had lain at Ship Island for four months without a bushel of coal being removed until the Saxon took her small supply. After receiving orders and coaling, at five o’clock in the afternoon a start was made for New Orleans, encountering a severe northerly gale during the night, which caused the vessel to roll worse than at any time previous on the voyage. At seven o’clock, December 16th, the bar at South-West Pass of the Mississippi River was in sight, and at nine o’clock she was on her way up river, passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip at noon, tieing up at the left bank at nine o’clock for the night; two sentinels were placed upon the river bank as a protection from any possible guerilla attack.

Early on the morning of December 17th, say about three o’clock, the vessel proceeded to New Orleans, arriving at seven o’clock, after a trip of twelve days from Sandy Hook, New York harbor. At four o’clock in the afternoon the Saxon steamed up river to Carrollton, arriving at seven o’clock, and anchored for the night, the men landing to go into camp late in the afternoon of next day, eighteenth.

The Quincy was the first transport to get away, passing Sandy Hook at night December 4th, in face of a threatening gale that lasted about three days. While passing Cape Hatteras the gale became so severe that the vessel was in great danger of not being able to weather it, as Captain George W. Clapp, an old and experienced navigator, afterward acknowledged. Had she foundered, few, if any, could have survived to tell the tale. Except the crew and Captain Cogswell, all hands were in that state of sea-sickness they did not care whether they lived or died. The Quincy was an old freight propeller with two light masts, and one small upright boiler to work her machinery, previously in the merchant marine on one of the western lakes. She was lost December 12th, 1863, while making the voyage from New York to New Orleans, having sprung a leak during a violent gale, going down in sight of Hatteras Light. Out of twenty-five persons aboard nine were saved. Captain Clapp was lost.

On the evening of December 8th a leak in the boiler was discovered. The fire was put out to admit of repairs being made; the steamer drifting through the night. Fortunately the weather was all that could be desired, and no bad results from the accident were to be feared. Steam was got up on the morning of the ninth, but the same evening another and worse leak in the boiler was discovered. At a council of officers convened it was decided to instruct the captain to put into Port Royal for repairs. The weather continued magnificent, with a smooth sea. Port Royal was reached at noon on the eleventh under circumstances which did not admit of a doubt that had the steamer been delayed twelve hours longer her engine could not have been used at all. A Board of Survey, granted by Brigadier-General Brannan, U. S. A., commanding the District, and Commodore Dupont, pronounced the vessel sea-worthy, while the boiler and engine were altogether too small for ocean service, besides being very much out of order.

The troops were landed and quartered at Hilton Head while repairs were made. Lieutenant Powers was sea-sick from the start, refusing nourishment part of the time, and not able to retain any on his stomach when he attempted to take it; wrapped in his blanket he lay a picture of helplessness, losing strength day by day until it became a question whether he would survive to reach Ship Island. The landings at Hilton Head and Tortugas enabled him to recuperate sufficient strength to stand the strain while upon the water, for when going to sea after each landing he was flat on his back again the moment the long ocean swell was reached. While the gale lasted for the first days out from New York, sick as they were between decks, in an atmosphere almost stifling from combined effects of stench from the cooking-range and stench of another character, the men did not miss the funny scenes that constantly occurred, causing laughter from men too sick to raise their heads. One of these scenes was when the vessel gave a lurch, that came near putting her upon her beam ends and threw the men below promiscuously out of their berths, when one of them scrambled to the other side, clung to a bunk and shouted, “for God’s sake, boys, all on this side and right her!”

Buckets of water were kept in readiness for use in case of fire, because in a heavy sea fat in stew-pans on the galley would be thrown out and flash up in a blaze, causing danger to constantly exist of a fire breaking out among inflammable material. This was so in all transports conveying the Forty-Second, notwithstanding every precaution was taken to guard against such a danger when cooking ranges were placed on board.

Surgeon Hitchcock had a few severe cases of fever under his care, attending to them faithfully, with a loss of one man by death. To his care and attention many men owe a debt of gratitude, and for assistance he rendered in placing them on their sea-legs; dealing out nourishment suited to the debilitated condition they were in until sufficient strength and appetite was gained to go on with the army ration. When fairly over their sea-sick attack appetites of men became voracious.

On shore at Hilton Head the men were allowed to roam at will, an opportunity they exercised to the utmost,—visiting other troops in camp; taking daily baths at the sand beach, where they also washed their under-clothing; feasted on fresh bread from the post-bakery, equal to any furnished by the best of hotels in Boston; stole apples at night from under the noses of a guard posted upon the wharf where the barrels lay; sight-seeing upon the island like school-boys on a vacation. The quarters were in some empty barracks near a sluggish bayou, upon whose bank was a small graveyard, covered with ashes, with a neglected appearance in general, where were interred the remains of a few sailors who lost their lives at the capture of Forts Beauregard and Walker by the Federal Navy in November, 1861.

Everything wore a quaint look, not only here but at every stopping place en route to New Orleans, exercising a peculiar charm over men from the North who had never visited the South, experienced by all travellers to parts of this world remote from their own residences, regardless of any facts bearing on the climatic influences on unacclimated beings. Until the stern reality of war was forced upon them, it seemed to each and every man as though he was travelling for pleasure at the Government expense. The first agreeable impressions of localities visited on the voyage from New York to New Orleans cannot be eradicated from minds of men belonging to the Forty-Second Regiment.

After repairs were finished the men reëmbarked December 16th, proceeding at once to sea, and made a fine run to Tortugas, arriving at Fort Jefferson on the twentieth, at nine o’clock A.M., to take in coal. While coasting in sight of Florida Keys the steamer Memenon Sanford, that formerly ran between Boston and Bangor, was seen upon the reefs with wreckers around her. The Sanford had the One Hundred and Fifty-Sixth New York Infantry Regiment on board; every man was saved and taken to Key West, December 11th, with nothing but what they carried in their hands. The baggage and stores were afterwards obtained, but the steamer could not be saved.

In Fort Jefferson was a garrison of four companies, Ninetieth New York Infantry, weak in numbers from heavy losses by yellow fever during the summer months. There was a large number of military and civilian prisoners kept at work upon the fort, not then in a finished state. Occupying a part of the parade within the walls were several three-story brick dwelling houses with gardens attached, and trees of large growth under whose sheltering branches several head of cattle, belonging to the Commissary Department, would collect to escape the hot sun at mid-day.

As another instance of danger that existed during the transportation of Banks’ expeditionary corps to New Orleans, while the Quincy was at Tortugas an old rat-trap steamer came into port in a leaky condition with New York troops on board. The pumps were kept constantly at work since leaving New York, so the men stated. How the unseaworthy transports managed to carry their human freights without loss of life from dangers of the sea is one of those curious mysteries of God’s providence.

After coaling and starting again seaward a collision occurred in the channel with a Government schooner, carrying away the after part of the steamer’s deck cabin, which caused a detention of several days to repair damages. At dusk, on the twenty-second, the Quincy put to sea, arriving at Ship Island on the twenty-fifth, at nine o’clock P. M. Early on the morning of the twenty-fifth Private W. H. Young, Company C, Twenty-Eighth Connecticut Volunteers, died of fever, and was committed to the deep at eleven A.M. with appropriate services. Before the death of Young was announced, scattered on deck and below, were knots of men engaged in the pastime of cards. Lounging around, fishing and card playing were what the men did to kill time since leaving Hilton Head; a book of any sort in their hands was not to be noticed. On the announcement—presto—a sudden change; cards were put away; nearly every man had his Bible, and was intently engaged in its contents for the balance of the day. A death at sea with solemn funeral rites was not without effect.

Receiving his orders, Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman had the Quincy sail for New Orleans on the twenty-sixth, arriving late at night on the twenty-ninth, after a passage of twenty-five days from Sandy Hook. The South-West Pass was reached at nightfall; a thick curtain of mist preventing an entrance then. In company with several other transports the Quincy lay outside the bar until morning; a continual noise from fog-whistles causing one to think he was in New York harbor. In the morning, as the heavy fog lifted, a beautiful mirage was seen in the sky, showing a brig ashore on a mud bank of the Delta. A perfect representation of what was soon seen to be actually the case.

The Quincy disembarked her troops at Carrollton, who went into camp at Camp Mansfield.

The Charles Osgood was an unfortunate vessel. An old propeller used on Long Island Sound, she was in every respect consort of the Shetucket; each fitted up in the same manner to convey troops, i.e., with a false deck to cover bunks and cooking apparatus. In a serious blow, with heavy sea running, this deck was liable to be swept away at any moment. The steamer anchored in the river after all hands were on board, proceeding to Sandy Hook on the fifth; there remained until she put to sea at half past five o’clock A.M. December 6th. Captain Geer never was beyond Fortress Munroe, and knew little about ocean navigation. He put to sea with one small compass, no charts, no chronometer, no life preservers on board, and with two small boats. With clear, cold weather, a high wind and rough sea, the Osgood ran down the coast and into Cape May harbor during the night of the seventh, for refuge. While in Delaware Bay a severe blow split sails and caused a slight displacement of the boiler, causing the captain to run into Delaware River and anchor off Delaware City at six o’clock, eighth, then to Philadelphia next day for repairs. She remained at Philadelphia for five days, to obtain new sails, new boat oars, life preservers, charts, and repairs on the boiler. The captain secured the services of an old and experienced navigator, Captain Sears.

As the men were afraid to continue the voyage on the steamer they were not allowed to go ashore, for fear none would return when all was ready to start. They grumbled considerably, and when the vessel ran aground on League Island, about half past seven A.M. on the fourteenth, some men improved the opportunity to run ashore upon the ice. They went to Philadelphia, got drunk, but all came back before she got afloat at the next full tide except Private Chauncey Converse, Company K. Private Converse did not rejoin his regiment until April 11th, 1863. He surrendered himself to United States officers, taking the benefit of general orders No. 58, War Department, series of 1863, granting pardon to all deserters who did so. Regarding this case of apparent desertion Adjutant-General Schouler wrote Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, under date of February 21st, that Converse reported he was left sick at Philadelphia, and said he had tried and wished to rejoin his regiment.

At half past eight o’clock A.M. on the sixteenth this transport got a fair start, after remaining over night inside the breakwater at Cape Henlopen, proceeding down the coast in sight of land during the day and running out to sea at night until Key West was reached at two o’clock on the afternoon of the twenty-third. The vessel struck on Fernandina Shoals, on the twentieth, about four o’clock in the morning; fortunately no damage was done, although boats were got ready to cast off in case of necessity. Leaving Key West at nine o’clock A.M. on the twenty-sixth, bound direct for Ship Island for orders, the transport arrived there at seven o’clock P.M., December 29th, proceeding to New Orleans early next morning (four o’clock), two hours later running aground and remaining for a few minutes, off Chandeleur Light; made Pass L’Outre, mouth of the Mississippi, at four o’clock in the afternoon, arriving at New Orleans at two o’clock A.M., January 1st.

Ordered forthwith to Galveston, the transport left New Orleans at four o’clock in the morning, January 2d, and anchored at South-West Pass for the night, about five o’clock in the afternoon. On the third, at six o’clock A.M., the voyage was continued, but after a five hours run gunboat Clifton hailed the Charles Osgood and ordered her back to New Orleans, because Galveston was lost. She again reached that city at three o’clock P.M. on the fourth.

Companies E and K were disembarked at Carrollton on the afternoon of January 5th, and reported to Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, in command of Companies A, B and F, in camp at Camp Mansfield. Five companies of the regiment were now united after a month’s separation by the sea. Greetings were cordial and heartfelt. The Charles Osgood was twenty-six days making the voyage from Sandy Hook to New Orleans, although the men had to live on board for thirty-three days.

The Shetucket was another unfortunate transport, with a tedious passage. She went to sea on the morning of December 6th. The men had embarked during the day of December 3d, proceeding down the bay to Sandy Hook on the morning of the fifth, when Captain Philo B. Huntley, in command of the steamer, was obliged to seek shelter until a snow-storm, then raging, had somewhat abated.

The officers on board were: Major Stiles in command; Captain Leonard, Lieutenants White and Sanderson, of Company C; Lieutenants Phillips and Gould, of Company H; and Lieutenant Duncan, Company F, detailed to act as commissary. Captain Bailey, Company H, had been granted a two hours furlough on shore for the express purpose of obtaining oil to counteract the effect of salt water upon the muskets, and taken with him acting Commissary-Sergeant Wentworth, Company G. They failed to report on board at the limitation of time, but took passage for New Orleans on the North Star, conveying the Forty-First Massachusetts Infantry, General Banks and staff. The North Star left New York December 4th, before the Shetucket left her anchorage in the river. Captain Bailey did not assume command of his company until January 12th. He and Wentworth arrived in New Orleans December 15th. Wentworth was ordered to join his company on the Saxon. No hospital accommodations was upon the transport, and no medicines, except what meagre supplies were obtained by Major Stiles at Fortress Munroe and Hilton Head. Private Thomas M. Lewis, Company D, enlisted from Roxbury, a man forty-five years old, and a friend of Surgeon Cummings, was detailed to act as surgeon. He was familiarly known as “old salts,” a nickname given by the men, suggested by a rule he invariably followed of prescribing a dose of salts to about every man who complained of sickness.

The Shetucket was an old two-masted propeller freight boat, plying between New York and New London. A false deck-house of unsound lumber had been built upon her main deck, covering the whole vessel from bow to stern; in this deck-house bunks were built to accommodate near two hundred men, and cooking apparatus placed. In a rough sea every wave that struck her sides would send salt water into the bunks, so much so that when the water was rough very few men would occupy them; those that did arranged rubber blankets for what protection they would afford. All of the accommodations were extremely poor. Sailing orders were the same as on other transports; no one on board knew their destination until after leaving Key West, except Major Stiles, Captain Huntley, and Captain Leonard. This commendable secrecy was observed upon all four of the transports that conveyed the Forty-Second.

Slow progress was made by this vessel when at sea. On the third night, December 8th, Major Stiles retired early, worn out with loss of sleep, leaving the command with Captain Leonard, and Lieutenant White on duty as officer of the guard. About eight o’clock Lieutenant Gould, conversing with Lieutenant White, remarked that if the captain kept on in the direction he was going the vessel would be ashore, as he knew the course steered was wrong from his experience and knowledge, obtained while serving upon a Baltimore steamer. White paid no special attention to what Gould said, and it does not appear that the attention of Major Stiles was called to the matter. Lieutenants White and Phillips were engaged in a game of cards in the cabin about nine o’clock when a sudden shock was felt, bringing them to their feet in an instant. Another shock followed immediately, and on the deck they went, when another was felt, each one shaking the vessel from bow to stern. The sky was clear, the sea tolerably smooth, and the shore could be seen distinctly about one-half a mile away. There were two boats (one large and one small) upon the Shetucket; the large boat was not sea-worthy, while the small boat was capable of carrying three men. The old sailors (there were many in Companies C and H) were sharp at work trying to launch them. Captain Leonard sought the major, who sprang from his berth on the grating sound awakening him, and was dressing, and said: “The men have mutinied, and are all on deck. The officers of the boat up in the rigging assailed by the men and dare not come down, and the boat is aground; for God’s sake, come on deck.”

There was the usual commotion and confusion incident to such occasions, and the major, half-dressed, was met by Lieutenant Phillips at the head of the companion-way, who handed him a rope saying: “Make yourself fast major, or you will be washed overboard.”

Lieutenant White drove men away from the boats, not until Sergeant Henry Mann kicked a hole in one of them, and remarked as he did so: “Only the officers can use it.” They then went for the hatchway, broke it open, and commenced work on what little cargo there was aboard; for what reason it is difficult to understand, unless to obtain material to float upon in case it was necessary to take to the water as the only means of escape, or to lighten the vessel. This was soon stopped. Major Stiles ordered the men to their quarters below, answered by a chorus of voices shouting: “We will be d—d if we will.” A persuader in shape of a couple of cocked revolvers, with a determination to shoot the first man who refused to obey his order, settled the business in a very short time, and they went below.

Captain Huntley came down from aloft and informed the officers his vessel was on Hog Island Shoals. For half an hour all attempts to back off ended in failure, until a long, ocean swell lifted her bow, when she floated into deep water. An examination of the hold proved that the ship was making water slowly—not enough to be dangerous, as the pumps, when set to work, were found able to control it. Her rudder was sprung, two flukes were gone from the propeller, and two of her keel planks had been smashed. The Shetucket proceeded on, and reached Fortress Munroe next day.

One of the funny incidents of this adventure was Lieutenant Sanderson appearing on deck with a patent rubber pillow, for use in case of shipwreck, at that period sold extensively in New York City, so fixed about his body near the hips that if he should have been washed overboard it would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep either head or feet above water. The lieutenant was obliged to hear many sharp jokes on this account the remainder of the trip.

At Fortress Munroe the vessel was ordered to Norfolk for necessary repairs, arriving in the evening at six o’clock. In passing Craney Island on the way to Norfolk they came to a blockade of piles with bare room enough for a vessel to pass through, and a gunboat on guard. In answer to a hail from this gunboat a dare-devil in Company H shouted in reply: “Go to h—ll!” an answer that aroused the anger of Mr. gunboat commander, who threatened to blow them to pieces. Apologies were of no avail; a demand was made for the man who made the insulting reply, but no one would point him out. The affair calmed down and the Shetucket went on her way.

The men disembarked, quartered in the Seamen’s Bethel on West Wide Water Street, and gave their officers considerable trouble by pranks they carried on while in the city. General Vialle at one time threatened to send a battery and fire into them; they made so much disturbance ringing the church bell. During their stay Privates Luke Armstrong and Alexander B. Ralsea, Company H, were taken sick and placed in the general hospital; neither men rejoined the regiment during its term of service. Private Ralsea was mustered out of service at Fortress Munroe, for disability, May 27th.

Repairs finished, on the afternoon of December 21st the Shetucket proceeded to sea, making very slow time, and ran short of coal and water, causing Captain Huntley to bear up for Hilton Head. In the attempt to make that port he ran into the blockading squadron off Charleston, S. C., at three A.M. on the twenty-fifth, sailing a direct course for Fort Sumter, when hailed by war-vessel Powhattan, whose crew were beat to quarters, with a command: “Stop, or I will sink you!” The naval officers were out of temper, and used strong language to Captain Huntley for his stupidity, intimating that he deserved sinking, and would have got it but for the troops on board. Anchor was dropped at Hilton Head in the afternoon at half-past five o’clock.

The next day, twenty-sixth, an affair happened that threatened serious consequences to one of the participators. Coal schooner J. G. Babcock was alongside coaling the steamer. For some time the men had been chaffing the schooner’s crew in a good-natured manner, and when a drummer-boy of Company H began to climb the rigging he was ordered down by the sailing-master, who was in an angry mood. This drummer paid no attention to the order until the master sprang into the rigging to force the boy back. He was coming down as the officer passed up, and was kicked by the latter a few times in the head. That was enough to make the men furious. Seizing lumps of coal they began to hurl the missiles into the rigging, uttering threats to kick him overboard if he came down, and frightened the officer to such an extent that he dare not do so, but kept on going up to the crosstrees with an intention of coming down on the other side of the mast. Privates John Davis, Company H, Con. Dougherty, William Cook and Joseph Cole, Company C, and others, all rough fighters, jumped on board the schooner and were in the rigging on that side to get at him, when Lieutenant White, whose personal courage no one ever had occasion to doubt, sprang to the schooner’s deck ordering them down. All of the company officers then got these men aboard the Shetucket, and the Babcock’s crew cut the ropes, letting her drift away to a safe distance. On the twenty-seventh another schooner finished coaling.

As water was scarce at Hilton Head, the Shetucket was ordered to Beaufort to replenish water casks, doing so on Sunday, the twenty-eighth. With a few hours to spare while at Beaufort, Major Stiles decided to give the men leave of absence on shore until five o’clock P.M., for at that hour the tide would serve to proceed to sea. Thoroughly disgusted with the Shetucket, the men held a mass meeting in a square of the town during the day and voted not to go on board the old boat again. A committee was appointed to notify Major Stiles of their decision; this committee attending to that duty between two and three o’clock in the afternoon. No time was to be lost if the men were to be got aboard that day in season to sail. The quality and temper of the men was such, that any attempt to persuade them was useless and merely involved loss of valuable time. Major Stiles called upon the provost-marshal, informed him of the situation and asked his assistance, which he was willing to give if the major would assume all responsibility if trouble ensued. Of course this was done.

With about one hundred cavalry-men and seventy-five infantry the provost-marshal, almost at the point of the bayonet and sabre, it might be said, drove the men slowly toward the wharf, and every man but one (a member of Company H) was got aboard at the appointed time. The missing man was asleep in a house and overlooked, but found next morning, brought down to Hilton Head and put aboard. On casting off and reaching the channel, the provost-guard was saluted with many forcible compliments, such as can only be given by men in a like situation.

It is not surprising such an incipient mutiny should have occurred when all the circumstances of the case are considered: an old, unseaworthy boat; indifferently officered, manned and equipped; consuming days of valuable time to make a comparatively short voyage; liable to founder, if caught in a heavy gale; not able to make over four knots an hour at her best speed. The regimental officers consider it creditable that the men bore their hardships patiently so long as they did.

Sailing from Hilton Head on the twenty-ninth, the steamer arrived at Key West January 2d, 1863, for provisions. There was much amusement on board when the U. S. gunboat Sagamore hailed them in the afternoon of the day they went into Key West, and the officer in charge of her deck, when informed what day the vessel left New York, replied: “Where in h—ll have you been all this time?”

Lieutenant Duncan, who was sea-sick whenever at sea, had a penchant for collecting leaves and flowers wherever a landing was made, placing them between leaves of books to press, and thus preserve them. While at Key West some wags among the officers, who were ashore strolling around, conceived the idea of carrying on board an appropriate sample of the product of the soil. A huge cactus plant was obtained, taken aboard, and presented to Lieutenant Duncan to press and preserve. He had to stand many a joke about that cactus for a long time.

After obtaining a supply of repacked beef, that tasted well enough when cooked and cold, but during the process of cooking made such a stench the men could not remain below, the Shetucket, on the fourth day of January, sailed for Ship Island, encountering a rough gale on the sixth, that made things lively on board, and blew them fifty miles from their course. Late in the afternoon on the seventh two steam vessels were seen, or rather, the smoke they made was sighted on the horizon. There was some commotion on board, and speculation was rife as to their identity. The Confederate war vessel Alabama was a nightmare that haunted the minds of all upon transports conveying troops to the Gulf Department. The following morning a vessel was in sight giving chase. Rapidly gaining upon the Shetucket, a blank shot, then two solid shots were fired, the last striking water about two hundred yards away from the transport, when she was hove to. The vessel in pursuit was the gunboat R. R. Cuyler, who had sighted the afternoon before, the transport and another steamer, giving chase first to the Shetucket, until finding her to be a slow sailer had gone in pursuit of the other vessel, overhauling her during the night, capturing a good prize in an English iron-built blockade runner, and then started for the transport again, confident she could be found at any time.

This was on the morning of the eighth, and in the evening, at nine o’clock, they arrived at Ship Island. Receiving orders to proceed to New Orleans, a start was made at noon the next day, entering the Mississippi River by Pass L’Outre early on the morning of the tenth, arriving at New Orleans in the afternoon of Sunday, January 11th, with only three men sick after such a trip.

The regiment was in camp at Carrollton, and Companies C and H proceeded next day to that place, disembarked, and joined Companies A, B, E, F and K, having been thirty-six days on the trip from Sandy Hook to New Orleans.

The transport Quinnebaug was in charge of Lieutenant Proctor, Company G. Corporal Hodsdon, Company D, was detailed to report to Colonel Beckwith, chief commissary, and by him assigned to the vessel. It was intended at one time to send some horses upon her, but the accommodations were such that none would have lived, and it was abandoned. This transport was like the Charles Osgood and Shetucket, fitted up with bunks to accommodate troops. After some changes of mind in regard to this vessel, she was loaded with stores, sufficient for twenty-four thousand army rations.

Lieutenant Proctor, while on the way to go aboard his steamer in the river, ready to proceed, was hailed on Broadway by Sergeants Nichols, Vialle and Atwell, who said they had been left, together with Private Greene, all of them members of Company G. Proctor told them to find Greene and go on board the Quinnebaug, which they did.

One of the ridiculous things done in loading this vessel was to put in a large refrigerator built next to the engine boilers, against remonstrances of men who knew this would not do, packing it with ice and fresh beef. As was to be expected, heat from the boilers melted the ice fast, and by the time they went into Tortugas the beef was spoilt. The Quincy was there at the same time, but her troops could not, or would not, eat the meat which Lieutenant Proctor sent on board to the extent of several tons. The balance he threw overboard after leaving Tortugas.

This vessel sailed December 6th, proceeding to Fortress Munroe for orders, as directed, remaining there two days; also touched at Hilton Head for one day, Tortugas for one day and a half and Ship Island for one day, arriving at New Orleans December 29th, having been twenty-three days on the trip from Sandy Hook.

When Captain Beckley, commanding vessel, heard the sailing orders read at sea, which directed them to Ship Island, he was mad, and said his boat was unseaworthy and in no condition to go over the Bahama Banks; he was also without charts for a voyage beyond Charleston, S. C., and was obliged to send to Baltimore for them, from Fortress Munroe, where they were obtained with difficulty. The Quinnebaug, in July, 1864, while conveying from Morehead City to Baltimore about two hundred and eighty discharged soldiers, was driven ashore when off Cape Lookout, the machinery refusing to work, and became a total wreck. Between eighty and ninety soldiers were lost.

Other detailed men from the regiment for detached duty were: Corporal Alfred Thayer, Company I, Wagoners John Willy, Company B, Joseph B. Ford, Company A, Chauncey K. Bullock, Company D, Nelson Wright, Company E, Porter Carter, Company K, in charge of horses upon the transport-ship Wizard King. This ship sailed from New York December 8th, and arrived at New Orleans December 31st. Besides a large amount of stores, about one hundred and sixty horses were on board, belonging to field officers of various regiments in the expedition. Each regiment detailed men to care for its own horses. Twenty-five horses were lost on the trip, among them Surgeon Hitchcock’s horse.

The experience of other Massachusetts troops on the voyage to New Orleans was varied, as the following condensed statement will show:

Fourth Regiment Infantry—Seven companies and a portion of another sailed from New York January 3d in the transport-ship Geo. Peabody; arrived February 7th, not landing until the thirteenth; forty-seven days on board; balance of regiment arrived about the same time.

Forty-Seventh Regiment Infantry—Entire regiment sailed from New York December 22d on steamer Mississippi; had a pleasant voyage of eight days to Ship Island; arrived at New Orleans December 31st.

Forty-Eighth Regiment Infantry—Embarked December 29th on steamer Constellation, sailing from New York for Fortress Munroe January 4th; after detention of seven days sailed for New Orleans, and arrived February 1st.

Forty-Ninth Regiment Infantry—Left New York January 24th on the steamer Illinois; arrived at New Orleans February 7th.

Fiftieth Regiment Infantry—Three companies were on steamer Jersey Blue, one company on steamer New Brunswick, five companies on steamer Niagara, one company on ship Jenny Lind. The Jersey Blue sailed from New York about December 11th, became unmanageable at sea and was obliged to put into Hilton Head in distress; troops were landed and remained on shore about three weeks, then embarked on bark Guerrilla, and arrived at New Orleans January 20th. The New Brunswick sailed December 1st; arrived at New Orleans December 16th. The Niagara sailed December 13th, sprang a leak first night out, machinery became disabled, and it was necessary to put in at Delaware Breakwater; arrived at Philadelphia sixteenth, where the steamer was condemned by a Board of Survey as unfit for transport service. Ship Jenny Lind arrived at Philadelphia January 1st, took the five companies on board, and on the ninth sailed for Fortress Munroe, arriving on the thirteenth. As the Jenny Lind was not capable of accommodating all the troops, three companies were transferred to ship Montebello—she sailed sixteenth; arrived at New Orleans January 27th. The Jenny Lind arrived at New Orleans February 9th.

Fifty-Third Regiment Infantry—Embarked on steamer Continental January 17th, and after a stormy passage of twelve days reached New Orleans January 30th.

Thirty-Eighth Regiment Infantry—Left Baltimore November 10th on steamer Baltic; arrived at Fortress Munroe November 12th; left Fortress Munroe December 4th; after a smooth and pleasant passage arrived at Ship Island December 13th; went into camp on the island until the twenty-ninth; embarked on steamer Northern Light, and arrived at New Orleans December 31st.

Forty-First Regiment Infantry—Sailed from New York December 4th in steamer North Star, and after a remarkable pleasant passage arrived at New Orleans, via Ship Island, December 15th.

Twelfth Light Battery—Sailed from Boston January 3d in ship E. W. Farley; arrived at New Orleans February 3d, after a very rough passage.

Thirteenth Light Battery—Sailed from Boston January 20th in ship DeWitt Clinton; arrived at Fortress Munroe February 11th, after a very stormy passage and loss of fifty-seven horses; after a long, tedious voyage from Fortress Munroe arrived at New Orleans May 10th: becalmed off the Florida coast, steamer Geo. Peabody towed the ship to Key West; from Key West the steamer St. Mary’s towed the ship to within one day’s sail of the Mississippi River.

Fifteenth Light Battery—Sailed from Boston March 9th in ship Zouave; touched at Fortress Munroe, and arrived at New Orleans April 9th.

CHAPTER IV.
GALVESTON.
Off for Galveston—Landing—Occupation of the City—Action of January First—Loss of the “Harriet Lane”—Deserted by the Navy—Surrender.

Companies D, G and I went into camp at Carrollton on the afternoon of December 18th, 1862. A telegraphic order was received from New Orleans on the nineteenth, sent by General Banks, which read as follows: “Colonel Burrell, with his three companies of the Forty-Second Massachusetts Volunteers, will proceed to Galveston forthwith.” Supposing execution of this order was urgent, preparations to move were at once made. At three o’clock in the afternoon camp was struck and the companies ready to move; but, as the transport Saxon, at New Orleans for repairs, did not arrive, tents were again pitched and occupied until the twenty-first. Next day, twentieth, written special orders from General Banks were handed to Colonel Burrell by General Sherman, commanding the post, and read: “Colonel Burrell, with the three companies of the Forty-Second Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, will proceed to Galveston, land and take post.”

Colonel Burrell decided to execute his orders promptly. On the twenty-first the Saxon was ready to embark his men. Camp was struck early in the morning. At eight o’clock men, baggage and equipage were all on board, and the steamer proceeded down river until eight o’clock in the evening, having anchored opposite New Orleans for about two hours, while the colonel, accompanied by Chaplain Sanger, went ashore for an interview with General Banks at his headquarters, to obtain definite instructions. The only officer to be found at headquarters was Colonel S. B. Holabird, chief-quartermaster of the Department, who said full instructions in writing had been prepared, but he could not find them; during the conversation carefully looking over documents in the office. Colonel Holabird suggested to Colonel Burrell not to be in a hurry in proceeding to Galveston, and having heard the subject talked over in consultations that had taken place among other staff-officers and General Banks, advised him, on arrival at Galveston, to consult with Commodore Renshaw, commander of the fleet, in reference to his course of action; that instructions would be forwarded very soon, as the balance of the regiment on arrival from New York would be promptly sent to him. The intention of General Banks, Holabird stated, was to send there an additional regiment of infantry, a regiment of cavalry, and a light artillery battery, as soon as it could possibly be done; that General Banks’ idea was, for the three companies to remain under protection of the navy guns until reënforcements arrived. Colonel Holabird cautioned Colonel Burrell, not to be drawn into any scrapes by Confederate General Magruder, who had lately assumed command of all forces in Texas.

After lying alongside the river bank until half-past one o’clock next morning, the transport proceeded on her way. Passing out of the Mississippi River by the South West Pass into the Gulf of Mexico at eleven o’clock in the morning, the course was taken for Galveston.

The troops on board the Saxon consisted of:

Colonel—Isaac S. Burrell.

Adjutant—Charles A. Davis.

Quartermaster—Charles B. Burrell.

Surgeon—Ariel I. Cummings.

Chaplain—George J. Sanger.

Quartermaster-Sergeant—Henry C. Foster.

A young volunteer in the engineer corps named W. S. Long, who reported on board at New Orleans.

Lieutenant Brown P. Stowell, Company E, who was sick when the regiment left New York, and embarked on the Saxon, instead of remaining with his company.

Private Samuel R. Hersey, Company C, acting as clerk to the colonel. Frank Veazie, cook to officers’ mess, not an enlisted man. Two colored boys, Charles L. Amos of Dedham, Mass., servant of Quartermaster Burrell, and Charles F. Revaleon of Boylston, Mass., servant of Surgeon Cummings.