Journal History of the Twenty-Ninth Ohio Veteran Volunteers, 1861-1865 / Its Victories and its Reverses. And the campaigns and battles of Winchester, Port Republic, Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Atlanta, the March to the Sea, and the campaign of the Carolinas, in which it bore an honorable part

by J. Hamp SeCheverell

CHAPTER V.

Battle of Port Republic—The Twenty-ninth Suffer Great Loss.

On June 9th, in the dim light of early morning the enemy began to move, and soon our artillery opened a brisk fire on them. The Twenty-ninth regiment, under command of Colonel Buckley, was ordered to fall in, and at 6:45 o’clock marched out of the timber into the open field, and moved forward a short distance, when the men unslung knapsacks and other equipage and, reduced to light marching order, advanced by the right flank, and when near the rebel position came into line on the double quick. While doing so we were obliged to pass a board fence; and at this critical time the rebels opened a heavy fire of musketry, but the regiment moved steadily forward and took position in the open field. The rebels in front of our right wing were behind a strong post and rail fence.

From the base of the mountain to the Shenandoah river was about one-half mile. The extreme left of our line extended into the timber and near the base of the mountain with the right flank extending to the river. The Fifth, Sixty-sixth and Seventh Ohio regiments were on our left, and the Seventh Virginia, Seventh, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Indiana on our right. The Twenty-ninth being about the right center regiment during the battle, and at this time in support of Huntington’s battery, which was belching forth its shot and shell, doing deadly execution in the ranks of the advancing rebels. When in close range the rebels charged. Reserving our fire until they were almost upon us, the order was given, and with a yell the entire line poured its leaden hail into the gray clad columns of the chivalry, producing fearful slaughter, and following with a charge so impetuous that they were forced to retire from their secure position behind the fence, and here, for more than three hours and a half, our brave fellows, though outnumbered ten to one by the enemy and fighting against fate, kept them at bay and held the position. During this charge it is said that Allen Mason, of company C, Twenty-ninth regiment, captured the colors of the Seventh Louisiana Tigers, and Lieutenant Gregory and a part of company F made prisoners of twenty-five of the same regiment. At last the little handful, who had so gallantly contended against such fearful odds, were forced to retire. The Twenty-ninth regiment moved to the rear, perhaps an eighth of a mile, and came to a halt, holding the rebel forces in check until the entire Union forces had passed to the rear. In the meantime the rebels had opened fire upon us with a battery at close range, which did fearful execution in our rapidly decimating ranks. When all our troops had passed, our regiment faced to the right and moved obliquely into the timber; the rebels in the meantime passed down the road and we were nearly surrounded, and now, for a distance of nearly two miles occurred a desperate struggle for freedom. The men fought with the desperation born of despair. Brave old Colonel Buckley (who before beginning the day’s business addressed the regiment, saying: “Aim low, men, and at every shot let a traitor fall!”) on foot, his own and one other horse having been disabled by a shot, rallied the men, and with sword in hand with them succeeded in cutting their way through the cordon of gray devils almost surrounding them, and escaped to the mountains near, where some one hundred men of the different regiments of the Third brigade, with Colonel Buckley at their head, bivouacked for the night. The small remainder of the regiment, except those killed, wounded or captured, succeeded in reaching the main army. Captain Baldwin says that those who reached the main army of the Twenty-ninth regiment numbered only thirteen officers and men.

The night succeeding this eventful day of blood and carnage was spent amid the gloom and darkness of the forest. The men gathered about their brave commander as if to shield him from the damps of night, their thoughts turning meanwhile to the absent comrades, many of whom, how many they knew not, were lying, still and ghastly, upon the bloody field, a sacrifice to the incompetency of the general commanding. The day following, the little band began its weary march to the rear, seeking shelter at night in some unused furnace buildings. The next day they came in sight of the rear guard of the retreating army, where they found the small remnant of the Twenty-ninth, who had escaped death or capture, and who, when they saw their beloved colonel alive and well, fairly rent the very heavens above with their glad shouts of welcome.

The number of the Union army engaged in this battle was some twenty-five hundred, and could form but one line of battle, while Stonewall Jackson’s official report shows his army to have numbered some thirty-four thousand. The Twenty-ninth regiment lost heavily in this battle. The aggregate was: Killed, 12; wounded, 33; captured, 105; total, 150.

After the battle the Twenty-ninth regiment moved down the valley to Luray, where the command encamped for a few days’ rest, then forward to Front Royal, and on to Alexandria, reaching that point on June 27th, encamping on a rise of ground immediately adjacent to the line of fortifications. The Third brigade was now composed of the Seventh, Fifth, Sixty-sixth, and Twenty-ninth Ohio regiments, in the order named. General Shields having resigned by reason of McDowell’s misrepresentations in relation to the ill-advised battle of Port Republic, General Sturgis, who has recently received so much adverse criticism through the press of the country, for his brutal and inhuman treatment of his men, was placed temporarily in command. After lying at this point for nearly one month orders were received to move to the aid of General McClellan on the Peninsula, and we embarked on transports, but the order was countermanded and the Third brigade marched back to its old camp.

July 25th we were ordered to join the force of General Pope, then marching via Warrenton to the Rapidan river. Proceeding by rail to the former point the brigade was reorganized and attached to Banks’ Second corps, afterwards changed to the Twelfth army corps, as the First brigade of General Augur’s Second division. After a few days of “masterly inactivity” we marched in the direction of Luray. Debouching to the left on the road leading southward toward the Rapidan, we soon reached Little Washington and went into camp. While here the troops were reviewed by Generals Pope and Banks, who complimented our brigade very highly upon its perfection in drill and discipline. General Tyler was here ordered to Washington, and Brigadier-general John W. Geary, late colonel of the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania infantry volunteers, was placed in command of our brigade. His regiment and Knapp’s battery were also assigned to the brigade. A forward movement in the direction of Culpeper Court House, Virginia (on the Rapidan), was begun on August 8th. Here the Confederates were preparing defences, and at Cedar Mountain, some seven miles to the southwest of our position, they were strongly fortified.