APPENDIX D.
Reminiscences of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment, by Gen. William Birney.
Comrades:—It gives me pleasure to respond to your desire for my reminiscences of the 57th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. They are all agreeable.
My first knowledge of it was from the gallant and chivalrous General Philip Kearny, under whom I had served in the New Jersey Brigade. August 12, 1862, I was exchanged as prisoner of war. August 13, the General sent for me and offered me the command of the 57th. speaking in very high terms of the intelligence, bravery and moral stamina of the men. All it needed, he said, to become one of the best regiments in the army was drill and discipline. I accepted his offer, was detailed by General McClellan from my own regiment and corps to General Kearny's, took command next day at the camp on James river, at Harrison's Landing, and kept it until October 12. These two months were filled with active service.
Your historian, in his kindly notice, has given a wrong version of the only unpleasantness that ever existed between General Kearny and me. Allow me to correct it. At a division drill, in the winter of 1861-2, conducted by General Torbert, I commanded a regiment. Receiving a wrong order from the brigade commander, I executed the movement, as was my duty. General Kearny, who was on the field, rode rapidly up behind me, hissed in my ears: "Major Birney, you'd better study your tactics, sir," rode off about fifty yards and halted. Being very angry at this unmerited reproof given me while at the head of my regiment, I followed him, expressed my resentment in bitter words and went back to my command. Ten minutes afterward, the General put me under arrest. The same evening he sent his adjutant to offer me a release if I would apologize. I refused on the ground that he should apologize first to me. He preferred charges, I was court-martialed, and, for lack of proof, acquitted. Not long after that, at an accidental meeting between us, the General offered me his hand after making a handsome apology for his haste. His magnanimity gave me occasion to express a conclusion I had reached on reflection, that my language to him had been insubordinate, and to express my regrets that I had not kept my temper; if I had waited for the General to learn the facts from General Torbert and other witnesses, he would have made amends. From the date of that reconciliation, we were better friends than ever before.
Before that bad break, he had recommended me for the vacant colonelcy of the 1st and, on my declining, had procured my appointment as major of the 4th. He had cordially approved choosing me as teacher of the Officers' School of Tactics and had shown in many ways his confidence in me. It was, therefore, with pleasure that I accepted the command of the 57th in his division and corps, though the regiment was not from my state.
My first special effort was to increase the number of the regiment by recalling absentees; and this I continued during the whole time of my command.
Our first honor was being appointed with a Maine regiment to guard the flank of the army when on its march from Harrison's Landing to Yorktown. I was in command of both. We were menaced by the rebel cavalry and had to form the hollow square twice. Nevertheless, we made longer marches than had been made in the army up to that time, marching in order, keeping proper rests, and having our water canteens well filled. We reached our destination in excellent condition, after serving as buffer for more than two days between our army and the enemy.
Our trip by water to Alexandria was uneventful. Our short stay in that city was made memorable by the drunken carouse of nearly all the troops. It was a day of debauchery; staggering and reeling men filled the street and drunken men the cars which were to take the troops to the Rapidan. The striking exception was the 57th; it maintained its sobriety and good order. While I was standing near the regiment and feeling great pride in it, General Kearny rode by. "Well, General, what do you think of that?" said I, pointing to the boozy crowd. He shrugged his shoulders but said nothing. This was the only time I ever knew him fail to make his expression adequate to circumstances. He could express himself vigorously, as you all remember. But the Alexandria spree was too much for him.
We went to the Rapidan on cars and for a few days and one night did a great deal of marching as part of Pope's army. The night march was to Bristow's station; and your merit is the greater because it was the very night when General Porter said his part of the army could not see to march. Your eyes were good enough. From Bristow's we marched to Centreville and thence to the battlefield of Groveton. On that day, we guarded artillery from attacks. Late at night, we marched to what was known as the "rail barricade," on the extreme right of the Union army, arriving about 1 a. m. The General had told me I would find two regiments of our troops there. What I did find there was nothing but a picket of sixteen Irishmen and a sergeant, posted in a clump of small trees at the right end of a steep and very high hill, quite level on top, which seemed to extend a great way to the left. In the valley below was a rebel camp which, the sergeant said, contained at least two brigades, two batteries of small artillery and a squadron of cavalry. The outlook was squally; at daybreak, the rebels would attack; what could the 57th do against such odds? I at once sent to General Kearny a report and a request for supports, threw out a company of skirmishers to the left along the edge of the hill, formed the regiment behind the rail barricade, ordered the Irish picket to stand fast where they were and everybody to fire at will and with good aim at any rebel who should try to reach the top of the hill. I knew that if the enemy should once gain the level ground with their artillery, the little 57th would be swept off as by a cyclone. Until about 8 a. m., the firing was continuous, the enemy making several attempts that failed. From the Irish picket on the right to the last skirmisher on the left, our line of fire was at least a half mile long; the enemy probably thought we had a large force. I was greatly relieved when about 8 a. m., General ——, U. S. A., appeared in our rear with two brigades of infantry in close order and two howitzers mounted on mules. "Who is in command here?" asked the General. I saluted. "You may withdraw your men." I briefly informed him of the conditions, asking him if he would not send his men to replace mine and adding that the rebels would follow up my men closely and occupy every position abandoned by them. His reply was: "You may withdraw them, sir; we'll attend to the enemy." I ordered my bugler to sound the quick recall; my skirmishers and the Irish picket came in on the run, and the regiment, being quite ready, retired on the double quick. It was not many minutes before the rebels had gained the high ground, placed their batteries in positron and forced the conceited general to retreat with heavy loss.
Rejoining our division, we took part in the movements until dark, when the order came to retreat. To reach the road to Centreville, we had to march back to a road that ran almost at right angles to ours and crossed the creek. On our side of the crossing, two hundred yards away, was a large residence with a front yard of ample proportions. We had occupied it two hours earlier. As I rode up at the head of our column, an officer in Confederate uniform passed in the dusk into the yard through the front gate. The yard was full of rebel soldiers! They had occupied it after we had left it. I sent the adjutant to keep the regiment moving to the crossing, to enjoin silence and quicken step. The next ten minutes were anxious ones with me. The rebels might, at any moment, open fire on us from the flank. But they were probably as afraid of us as I was of them. They couldn't see how many we were. When our last man had crossed the creek, I followed. Within about twenty feet of a yard full of rebels, I had watched for any movement; but they had not stirred. Not a word was spoken on either side. We were both glad to get rid of each other. It was a close rub for the 57th!
We marched in retreat and found the road blocked by General Poe's brigade. I asked him to let us pass. "No," he answered. "The 57th is just the buffer I need between my men and the rebels." I made no reply, but hastening to the regiment, marched it, single file and in silence, past Poe's brigade by a side path on the left of the road. My orders from General Kearny were to rejoin him as soon as practicable; and I did not care to have General Poe use the 57th as I had used the Irish picket. His brigade was a brave one and well able to defend its own rear. The good marching legs of the 57th stood us in good stead. Next morning, as I lay on a stretcher in bivouac at Centreville, below the road, I was conscious that somebody was looking intently at me. It was General Poe, on horseback, in the road above, at the head of his brigade. "How in — did you get here?" he asked.
At Chantilly, the 57th held the picket line, at midnight, in a heavy rain, across a large corn field, a few feet only from the picket line of the enemy. Orders were, that we should withdraw quietly at 2 o'clock a. m. and follow the other troops in retreat. If the 57th had not been in good discipline, the movement could not have been successfully made; there would have been some whispering or noise. As it was, the rebels did not find out before daybreak that we were gone.
Our march to Washington and thence to the Monocacy was without event worthy of notice now.
You cannot have forgotten how you forded the Potomac on a sudden march to Leesburg to surprise the rebels in that town. The water was up to the necks of all the short men. and all of you had to hold above your heads your muskets and cartridge boxes. But you got through and succeeded in capturing and paroling a great many skulkers and shirks who were hiding in that pleasant Virginia town; how many, I forget, but one of your officers who was there tells me we paroled more men than were in the 57th. Not much glory in that kind of work, though!
The "Jeb Stuart raid"' around our army was the most striking incident of our Monocacy campaign. We heard of Jeb before he came. Contrabands and Union men told us. Ward's brigade was to intercept him. Our brigade was placed, for that purpose, I suppose, on the brow of the steep hill that overlooked the road which ran between the hill and the Potomac. The 57th was next the brow of the hill. The hill was too steep for cavalry to climb; the road was narrow; the river deep. Jeb Stuart was never in greater danger than he was in that beautiful morning. When I heard the distant tramp of his horses, not having received any orders, I galloped over to General Ward, who was not further off than two hundred yards, and asked for leave to attack. He said he could not give it without orders from General Stoneman! I urged the emergency, but he refused to take the responsibility. And so, I had to stand quietly on that hill-top and look at the gallant Jeb and his gay horsemen as they went riding by!
The great opportunity of the 57th and of its temporary commander passed with them; if we had received the leave asked for, the 57th would have made itself the crack regiment of the army, and its commander would have sported a star on his shoulder strap eighteen months earlier than he did. But such are the fortunes of war!
When Colonel Campbell returned to his regiment, I asked General Stoneman to give me an order to report to my own regiment. He responded by putting me in command of the 38th New York. Here was a change! But the New York boys who had run with the machine gave me no reason to complain of them. In the battle of Fredericksburg, where some of the fighting was hand to hand, the Sergeant-Major saved me by a timely pistol shot, from being bayonetted by a rebel soldier.
The only time I ever saw the 57th after I left it was on the battlefield of Chancellorsville, on the morning General Howard's corps was surprised and routed by Stonewall Jackson. I had volunteered on General Hooker's staff, my own regiment being temporarily on detached service, and had been sent by him to rally the flying troops. The smoky field was covered by the disordered masses; batteries of artillery were driving on full gallop in retreat; shot and shell were whistling; fugitives were flying, and officers trying to make themselves heard in the awful din of cannon and musketry. Amid the confusion and uproar, I saw but one regiment moving in order, officers at their posts, companies in line and flag flying. It was the 57th Pennsylvania! When the men recognized me, they gave me three cheers, a compliment I have never recalled except with a full heart and, must I admit it, with grateful tears. The 57th has a right to be proud of its service, discipline and veteran courage on the battlefield of Chancellorsville.
And now, I bid you adieu as friends, tried and true. We shall never meet again; but as long as life lasts, I shall never think of the 57th and our "auld lang syne" without a heart-thrill of gratitude and pride.
Transcriber's Notes:
Missing or obscured punctuation was corrected.
Typographical errors were silently corrected.