Battery H with the Ninth Corps Moves towards Fairfax Court House—March to the Rapidan—Battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania—Battery Ordered to Washington—Fort Richardson.
As our battery had now joined its fortunes for a time with a corps that had won a well-earned reputation for valor shown on many hard contested fields, it was but natural we should realize that we were leaving behind us the comparative quiet of a defensive position to enter upon the more exciting scenes of aggressive warfare. What the future had in store for us we could only conjecture, but we were desirous of performing our share of labor and privation if we could but hasten the final overthrow of the fratricidal strife now waging so fiercely in our land.
April 27th. At eight A. M. the battery moved with the corps on the road towards Fairfax Court House. Our division led the advance. Camped that night at the above named place.
April 28th. Marched to Bristoe Station, arriving there at eight P. M., and encamped for the night.
April 29th. At seven A. M. moved with our brigade and division to Catletts’ Station; reached there about two P. M. First Sergt. Charles E. Bonn left us to-day, he having received a commission as second lieutenant in Battery D, First Rhode Island Light Artillery. We bade him “good bye” with regret, as he had proved himself an efficient soldier and worthy comrade.
May 1st. No forward movement of our corps this beautiful Sabbath day, and we are enjoying ourselves by remaining quiet in camp. In the night a severe rain storm came on, which made our situation anything but agreeable, and was a strange contrast to the earlier part of the day.
May 2d. We received to-day twenty-five attached men from the Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery. It was a welcome accession as our battery was greatly reduced in numbers. One of the Fourteenth shot himself severely in the hand, which will probably disable him for future service in the army.
May 4th. Moved at 7.30 A. M. Our battery and brigade took the advance. Marched as far as Brandy Station, where, after a brief halt, we again started on our way toward Rappahannock Station, and encamped on the same ground occupied by our right section one year ago, when it was performing picket duty on the Rappahannock River.
May 5th. Moved at 5.45 A. M. and crossed the Rapidan. The Army of the Potomac was now about to begin a campaign which was to finally result in crushing out the Rebellion. Upon the advance of the army soon after midnight, May 3d and 4th, from its position north of the Rapidan, the Ninth Corps, which had been guarding the Orange and Alexandria Railroad from Bull Run moved forward to preserve control of it in case the crossing of the Union army should be long delayed. On receiving word that the army had safely crossed the Rapidan, Burnside moved across with his corps and found our troops hotly engaged with the enemy. And now began the sanguinary battle of the Wilderness. The country into which the Union army had advanced was heavily wooded and covered with dwarf pines, cedars and scrub oaks, and presented serious obstacles for the movement of infantry, while it was wholly unfit for the use of cavalry or artillery. Our battery encamped that night near the Rapidan, and we were ordered to hold ourselves in readiness to move at a moment’s notice.
On the morning of the 6th of May Hancock with his corps was ordered by General Grant to make an assault in his front at five o’clock. General Burnside, who was approaching with his two divisions (the other, the colored division, having been sent to guard the wagon train,) was directed to move in between Wadsworth’s division of Warren’s corps, which was on the right of Hancock, and the remainder of Warren’s corps, which was still further to the right. Burnside was ordered, if he should succeed in breaking the enemy’s centre, to swing around to the left and envelop the right of Lee’s army. He arrived at the Wilderness Tavern at 6.50 A. M., and at that time was directed to send a division to the support of Hancock, but to continue with the remainder of his command in the execution of his previous order. Burnside had great difficulty in making his way through the dense forests which retarded his progress, but he finally succeeded in getting into the position assigned him.