The History of Battery H First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery in the War to Preserve the Union 1861-1865

by Earl Fenner

CHAPTER VII.

Battery H Proceeds to Petersburg and Encamps near Fort Tracy—Life in the Trenches—Rebel Attack on Fort Stedman Repulsed.

When Battery H was ordered to the defenses of Washington, in May, 1864, the Army of the Potomac was engaged in a deadly struggle with the Confederate forces at Spottsylvania. Shortly after this encounter with the enemy Grant commenced his celebrated left flank movement, crossed the North Anna River, where a sharp battle was fought, and a few days later the Union army was engaged in the more hotly contested battle of Cold Harbor. After this engagement General Grant became convinced that he could not accomplish all he desired north of Richmond, and determined to hold the ground then occupied by his forces, and, after his cavalry had been sent to break up the railroad communication between Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley and Lynchburg, he began to move the Army of the Potomac again by the left flank to the south side of the James River, and where he believed he could more effectually cut off the sources of the enemy’s supplies. He accordingly moved his army from Cold Harbor and crossed the Chickahominy and James Rivers, and finally reached the vicinity of Petersburg, which he proceeded to invest with his forces. To the Army of the Potomac was entrusted the task of investing the place, while the Army of the James occupied Bermuda Hundred and the ground in possession of our troops north of the James River.

The Army of the Potomac was still investing Petersburg when Battery H reached City Point, in October, 1864. It will be observed that the battery did not immediately join the forces on the Petersburg front at that time, but remained at City Point until Jan. 2, 1865, when it was ordered to join the Artillery Brigade of the Sixth Corps.

On the 2d of January our battery moved toward Patrick Station, in front of Petersburg, Va., arriving there between three and four in the forenoon, and went into camp near Fort Tracy.

January 7th, soon after tattoo, the long roll sounded, and the men of the battery not on guard were ordered into the fort at double-quick and the troops on the right manned Batteries Nos. 9, 10, and 11. As our forces on the extreme right of the line, beyond the “Yellow House,” were heavily engaged with the enemy, our cannoneers remained at their guns till reveille.

Again on the 9th we were routed out at four o’clock in the morning by the sound of the long roll, caused by our pickets on the right of our lines being driven in by the enemy, and a sharp engagement followed. The rebels were finally driven back with a heavy loss. Our cannoneers, as usual, stood by their guns till morning.

While our forces were besieging Petersburg, the pickets of the two armies would frequently engage in conversation, and a colloquy like the following would take place:

“I say, Billy Yank?”

“What do you want, Johnny Reb?”

“Have you got any soft tack?”

“Yes,” replied the Yank. “Do you want to trade tobacco for soft tack?”

“Yes,” said the Reb.

“Lay down your gun, then,” says our Yankee soldier, “and we will trade with you.”

Then the pickets on either side would approach each other and exchange soft tack for tobacco, and other commodities. This illustrates the good feeling that existed between the men who perhaps a few hours before had been opposed to each other in deadly combat, and the war might possibly have been brought to a speedier termination if it had been left to the soldiers of the two contending armies to settle.

On the 9th of January long roll sounded about four P. M., when we found that our pickets had been driven in on the right of our lines. A sharp engagement ensued between our troops and the enemy, which finally resulted in the rebels being forced back to their former positions with considerable loss. Our men stood to their guns until seven o’clock in the morning.

In consequence of our close proximity to the enemy, and the fear that they might make a sudden attack on our immediate front, the men were strictly enjoined not to leave camp without permission. On the evening of the 11th heavy firing was heard on the right of our lines, and we were ordered to be ready to move at short notice. The left section of our battery, under command of Lieut. Anthony B. Horton, had been ordered on the morning of this date to Hatcher’s Run for picket duty. This was in accordance with a movement in conjunction with other troops to get possession of the South Side Railroad. This section returned to camp on the 13th. At midnight we were again aroused from our slumbers by the sound of the long roll. We were led to expect that the enemy might be endeavoring to make an attack on our lines directly in our front, as heavy firing was heard in that direction. This, however, proved to be only a feint to withdraw attention from our right where the real attack of the enemy was made. They did not succeed, however, in gaining any advantage at that point and were forced to retire.

Again on the 14th the cannoneers were summoned to their posts to be ready to repel an attack of the enemy, and were ordered to remain by their pieces till reveille the next morning. On the succeeding night the same programme was repeated, with the exception that the men were allowed to retire at twelve P. M. On the 16th, one-half of the men of the battery remained by the guns until midnight, and the other half from midnight until the next morning. On the 19th at ten P. M. orders were received to be prepared to march to Hatcher’s Run at short notice. At reveille on the 20th the orders were countermanded and we returned to our quarters.

For several days we were occupied in constructing a barrack to shelter us from the inclement weather. It was built of logs and said to resemble somewhat Noah’s ark. This ark was eighty-five feet long, seventeen feet wide, and a roof was made of poles, taking ninety-two pieces of our shelter tents to cover it. Five chimneys were built, with the intention of carrying the smoke out from the ark, but on the contrary when the wind was high, about as much smoke remained inside as was carried out at the top of these so-called chimneys, and occasioned the men to designate it as “The Old Smoke House.”

Perhaps it may not be amiss to insert the following stanzas, as they portrayed our thoughts and feelings at that time, and are indicative of the many privations and hardships endured by our soldiers at the front:

THE OLD SMOKE HOUSE.

Air.—“The Old Oaken Bucket.”

How near to our hearts are the thoughts of that Smoke House,

As returning from duty we entered the door,

Not all the wealth of the Indies could tempt us to love it

As we strode o’er the planks of that old Smoke House floor.

As we crossed its foul portals what a smell there came from it,

Especially when pork had been fried on the fire;

How loud and how long were those deep exclamations

That greeted our ears and stirred up our ire.

How well we remember when the winds they were contrary,

And the smoke filled our eyes and our nostrils as well.

How we vowed that the man who had planned that old Smoke House

Should be consigned to a place I care not to tell.

Some called it an ark, and some an old barrack,

The Black Hole of Calcutta resembled it well;

But by whatever name or title you call it,

Its smoky old memories we cannot dispel.

And now far removed from that lone habitation,

The tear of regret will intrusively swell,

As fancy reverts to that Southern plantation,

And that dingy old Smoke House we all knew so well.

On the 7th of February cannonading was heard on our left in the direction of the position occupied by the Second Corps, and we understand that the Fifth and Second Corps with Gregg’s cavalry on the fifth of this month moved out from our left to Reams’s Station, and thence to Dinwiddie Court House, the Fifth Corps being directed to turn the enemy’s right, while the Second assailed it in front. The two corps then took position on the rebel flank, Smythe’s division, and McAllister’s brigade of Mott’s (of the Second Corps) gallantly repulsed the enemy’s attempt to turn the right of the former. The Confederates then sent a strong force around our left to strike it in flank and rear. Gregg’s cavalry was the first assailed and pushed back to Hatcher’s Run; Ayres’s division, which was hurrying up to the support of Crawford’s (both of the Fifth Corps), was next stricken in flank while marching, and pushed back, when the blow fell on Crawford with heavy loss. Following up their success the Confederates then attacked Humphrey’s (Second) Corps, which had had time to intrench, and which promptly sent them to the right about. The ground taken by the Second Corps was held, and our left thus permanently extended to Hatcher’s Run. These movements to the left involved the transfer of the Sixth and Ninth Corps to new positions. General Wheaton’s division of the Sixth Corps was engaged on the 7th, losing seventeen men wounded and about fifty prisoners. The engagement resulted in a prolongation of our line for a few miles and its intrenchment for a future point of departure. Lieut. Anthony B. Morton, with the left section of our battery, accompanied the Sixth Corps in this movement.

February 21st, a salute was fired in honor of the capture and occupation of Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, by the army of Sherman, which had just completed its famous “march to the sea,” and was then moving through that state toward Goldsboro, North Carolina. That evening expecting an attack from the rebels, we remained by our guns all night, but no enemy appeared.

On the 22d, this being the birthday of the “Father of his Country,” we were hoping that the trite saying of “all quiet along the lines” might be our experience, and that we be allowed to celebrate it in a becoming manner, but we were doomed to disappointment, as the boom of cannon on our right, where the Ninth Corps was located, was a sure indication that the rebels were about to commence a celebration on their own account. At eight P. M. long roll sounded and our cannoneers repaired to their posts at the guns on the double-quick. The Fifth Corps, which was stationed in our rear, hastened to the assistance of the Ninth Corps. The Confederates had driven in our pickets and their reserves, and captured Batteries Nine, Ten and Eleven, near Yellow House, on the Welden Railroad, holding them for a short time. Our troops soon recovered from the attack, and in turn poured a heavy flanking fire on the Confederates, causing them to evacuate our batteries and retire in haste to their own lines.

February 26th, the left section of our battery, under Lieutenant Horton, was ordered to Hatcher’s Run to participate in a movement in conjunction with portions of the Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth Corps. He returned to the battery with his section on the 28th.

Early in March President Davis and General Lee had a consultation about the situation of affairs in and about Richmond and Petersburg, and they came to the conclusion that they must evacuate those places as soon as possible. General Lee determined to make an attack upon our lines around Petersburg to aid him in his plan of escape by the Danville Road. Near daybreak on the morning of the 25th, General Gordon (Confederate) made an attack on Fort Stedman and Battery Ten, nearly east of Petersburg, where our lines were the closest together. They captured our pickets and sent them to the rear as prisoners. Then they came upon our main line, where our men were sleeping, surprising them, capturing many and putting to flight the residue. Then turning to the right and left they took possession of Fort Stedman and Battery No. Ten. They also charged and carried Batteries Eleven and Twelve to our left, which they turned upon City Point.

In the absence of General Meade, who was at City Point, General Parke, commander of the Ninth Corps, took command. He ordered Hartranft with his division to the right of the breach, where he headed the rebels off in that direction and drove them back into Fort Stedman, while Wilcox with his division drove the enemy back into the intrenched lines which they had captured, and Batteries Eleven and Twelve were retaken by our forces. General Parke threw a line around outside of the captured fort and batteries, and the Confederates, being completely hemmed in, surrendered themselves as prisoners. General Meade, who had now arrived, at once ordered an advance along the front of the other corps holding our works on the left. Our forces succeeded in wresting from the enemy their intrenched picket line, which was held and strengthened by our troops.

While heavy firing was going on in our front, from the position of our battery near Fort Fisher we witnessed a grand and imposing sight as our infantry marched out of our lines and moved forward to the attack. This movement was observed by President Lincoln and several members of his Cabinet.

On the 28th of March our battery was ordered to be ready to move at a moment’s notice.