A Sketch of the 29th Regiment of Connecticut Colored Troops

by Isaac J. Hill

A very striking instance came to my notice through the course of the day of the 16th. A private of the 8th U.S.C. troops was wounded in the head early in the engagement and brought to the rear. I found him lying in his blood, and he would have died in this condition but I lifted him up and raised his head. I went to my post, and at 1 P.M. returned, and found him still alive, and when making some inquiries I learned that no doctor had given him any attention, and inquired to know the cause of this neglect. I made some stir about the case, and corn fodder and had him laid on it and put by the fire. When the wounded were moved back he was taken along and was soon in a condition to be sent to the hospital, with hopes of his recovery. Many of like cases could be saved by a little care and attention after the battle, but the complexion and rank of a man has a great bearing. There was a great distinction made among the wounded, so much so that it would make the heart of any christian ache to see men treated so like brutes.

On the evening of the 15th, at 5 o'clock, the cannon was sounded for the army to fall back while the artillery spoke destruction and slaughter to the rebels; we fell back, the cavalry covering our retreat. The colored troops wore the first to go into the fight and the last to come off the field. With what eagerness I looked for the flag of the 29th, and at last I saw it floating among the pines; and truly my heart leaped with joy when I once more saw the colors of our Regiment. The-night found us back in camp, in the rear of our former position.

All was quiet in front of Richmond, from the 15th until the evening of the 28th inst., when we received the information that the 10th Army Corps had light marching orders, and as it was in our former marches, different rumors prevailed. The Companies left their knapsacks at their company quarters, and the morning of the 29th, at 4 o'clock, we were on the march for the field of battle, which we reached at 6 o'clock; the 8th formed in line in front of the enemy, the 18th formed on the right, the 10th Corps, to which my Regiment belonged, was in the centre. The 29th Regiment was put out on a skirmish in the advance to charge the rifle pits. At the time of this battle, the highest officer in the 29th was a Captain; the Colonel was home on a sick leave; the Lieut. Colonel, W.C. Ward, was promoted Colonel of the 41st U.S., and the Major was sick in camp. We mourned the loss of our field officers, but Captain Camp, of Co. D, took the position of Major and formed the line, and said to us, "Boys, we have got to fight to-day; do the best you can; do your duty and I will stand by you till the last; will you stand by me?" The boys replied, "we will stand by you till the last." The Captain said: "Be careful and keep in line and obey the orders," "Forward, double quick;" and the regiment charged the rebel rifle pits and carried the works, and held them twenty-four hours. This was one of the most desperate battles of the campaign. We lost in the fight one hundred men killed and wounded. The 29th Colored Regiment covered themselves with great praise given them from all the officers. General Birney greatly complimented it for bravery in the battle. One of our first Orderly Sergeants of Co. D, named Spencer, captured three rebel prisoners. The fight lasted from 6 in the morning until 7 P.M.

The morning of the 30th, while the regiment lay on the rebel works, they shot away a 50 pounder. They received forty rounds of cartridge and rose up and stormed the rebels' main works, and then received orders to fall back, which they did in good order, and the evening of the 30th found us safe back again in front of Richmond. We were called to mourn the loss of Mr. Charles Bentley of Co. A, who fell in the early part of the engagement with a ball in his breast, a champion of liberty and a noble christian; also James Spriggs of Co. F, and 13 others who fell asleep on the field of battle.

Oct. 16, 1864. All was quiet up to this date. 3d division 10th army corps, 29th regiment, Gen. Birney's brigade. To the surprise of the regiment we were presented with the United States national colors, which greatly pleased the boys. The flag was presented by the Major of the 45th U.S.C. troops to Lieut. Col. W.C. Ward in a pleasing manner, and in his statement he spoke of the bravery of the 29th in the battle of the 15th inst., to which Lieut. Col. Ward replied, "I am no speech-maker, but I have 672 guns that will speak for me when occasion requires better than I can, and they are ready whenever called for." Notwithstanding this pleasant incident, quite a mourning sensation occurred in the regiment on the 19th inst. While on dress parade Lieut. Col. Ward made a very feeling and parting address to the 29th regiment, and told them he was promoted to Colonel of the 41st U.S.C. troops. He said, "I intend to leave you in 24 hours. I would rather stay with the 29th, but duty demands it and I must obey." Truly, these remarks fell upon the ears of the boys with tremendous weight.

Col. W.C. Ward was generally beloved by the 29th regiment for his gentlemanly and good discipline, and his careful protection of his men. He was careful never to order the private to go where he was not willing to go himself, and for these traits the men loved him. He was in command of the regiment at the absence of Col. Wooster, and he led it in and out of two battles with the loss of few men, and this made us regard him as a leader we could look up to. While we were quartered in the breastworks in front of Richmond, Col. Ward was mounted on his horse, and I rode in the rear of him, and when we halted a rebel sharpshooter shot at him just as he dismounted, and the ball went through his hat. Col. Ward never flinched, but came to "attention," and said "Well, Hill, I believe that was meant for me, but he did not get me this time." This was during the first day's fight, and he had not had his boots off for five days, and slept on the ground with his men, faring as they did. Sometimes I would get him to take my blanket to keep him warm, as I would rather do without it myself than see my officers uncared for. But he left us, and no one felt his loss more than I, for I was his first Orderly. When he came to the 29th regiment as Captain of Co. E, I was promoted by him to Regimental Orderly, and I was the last to escort him to his regiment, and with reluctance I left him Colonel of the 41st U.S. regiment, encamped in the rear of the 29th in front of Richmond.

On the 5th of November I left camp in front of Richmond and went on business to Bermuda Hundred, and to my surprise I received the intelligence at 10 A.M. that the 29th regiment had moved to Malvern Heights, one mile from Spring Hill, Virginia. After attending to the business entrusted to my care I mounted my horse and started for regiment, then laying at the fort, this being the first time the regiment ever moved without my being with it. At 9 P.M. I found the regiment in the forts on Malvern Hill in good spirits. The regiment was divided in four different forts in the immediate front of the rebels. All was quiet up to Nov. 8th, at which date we ranked in the second division, 10th army corps, the 29th yet in the forts at Malvern Hill. Nothing of importance occurred up to the 3d of December, when we received moving orders at 4 P.M. and at that time the tents were struck. This was on the Sabbath, and the relief did not arrive until Monday. The 5th inst. at 10 A.M. we took up our line of march for a destination unknown to us. All kinds of rumors prevailed among the boys. Leaving comfortable quarters they had constructed, they did not feel pleasant about going, but 2 P.M. found us on the left of Fort Harrison in the centre of the line, the latter place being quite inferior to our old company ground. When halted the boys went busily to work at fixing up as usual, carrying timber and putting up their cabins. They all worked busily until Tuesday evening at nine o'clock, when there came an order stating that the 29th should pack up with two days' rations. The hearts of the boys were sad enough before, but when they heard of having marching orders they felt worse. We packed up but did not start; and Wednesday, the 7th inst., found us still in camp, in front of the rebs in a drenching rain. The same day found us somewhat changed—the colored regiments all being consolidated in the 2d division, 3d brigade, 25th army corps. A number of detached men were taken from the regiments. I was detailed at headquarters as Brigade Postmaster. I felt somewhat strange in the new office, but I entered upon my duties with a willing heart. All was quiet along the line, with the exception of the Johnnies cheering. The evening of the 8th inst. the advance pickets were fired on.

January 1st, 1865.—Fort Burmen, in front of Richmond. The closing of 1864 passed off up to this date with frequent picket firing, our boys taking their regular turn. On the 8th of January the rebels fired on the pickets on the left of the line; the 29th at the sound fell in line in their entrenchments waiting to receive the Johnnies, but they failed to make an attack. We lay under marching orders up to the 13th inst. when Col. W.B. Wooster received orders to move his headquarters in the rear of the 29th regiment.

All remained quiet up to the 23d, when at 8 P.M. the rebel fleet moved down the James river towards the Dutch Gap, and commenced firing on fort Bradley, which was kept up all night. On the 24th inst., at 2 P.M., the clerk came to me and stated that there was an order to go out to the picket line, but neither of the Orderlies whose duty it was, wished to go, and seeing their dissatisfaction, I volunteered and went out to the advance picket line. 8 A.M. found the whole line drawn up in their entrenchments, under cannonading at long range, with the reinforcement in the rear in line of battle. The shelling was terrific all day; I went into the basement of the house used for general quarters at 2 P.M., where I formerly stayed. There was five of us in the basement, and a stray shell from the rebel gunboat came through the window and burst, passing over me and tearing out everything in the basement, but to the surprise of all, none of us were killed or wounded. This was a wonderful deliverance from God. The provost guard in front of general quarters, having knowledge of my being in the house at the time of the explosion, all exclaimed, "Hill is killed." A very intimate friend of mine, Mr. Jordan Jones, said "Boys, Hill is in the basement, and who will go in with me to bring out his remains." A little boy by the name of Thomas Watson was with me, and when I heard the shell coming I took him in my arms. After the explosion I shook him to see if he were yet alive, when Tommy commenced kicking. I said, "Boys, follow me;" and the next moment I made my appearance on the back stoop facing the breastworks, just as they were coming in to see if we were dead. As I came out the boys all cheered. I felt much stunned, and found my hearing dull.

There was a duel fought at long range on the 28th, at which time a shell sent from the rebel ram came through my quarters tearing out everything in the room, but my life was spared through the mercy of God. On the 7th of Feb'y my heart gladdened, for I received a furlough of twenty days to return home to see my beloved family and many precious friends. I started the same day on board the transport Weldon for City Point. I went from there to Fortress Monroe, from Fortress Monroe to Annapolis, and from there to Washington city by cars, where I arrived on Friday the 10th inst. at 9 A.M. I remained there until 6 P.M. and then left in the cars for home; reaching Philadelphia at 12 o'clock: I put up with Mr. Samuel Williams until Saturday morning the 11th inst. At 3 P.M. I hit Philadelphia in a boat at Walnut street wharf for Camden, and there took the cars for Woodbury, N.J., where I arrived and had the pleasure of embracing my beloved family. Truly the meeting was one long to be remembered, I remained at home four days, and then visited Trenton, N.J., where I had many kind friends. On Monday I returned home again and remained with my family and friends; everything was delightful, and truly a great change from camp life, where I had spent one year and one month in the service. On the 24th instant at 8 o'clock I bid my beloved wife and two children adieu; one of my children was three years and six months old, and the other six months. When the last moment came never in my life did I experience such emotions, and no one but a husband and father can imagine what they were, as I looked upon my family as I supposed for the last time in life. Never shall I forget that last farewell. The wagon that bore me away began to move and my eyes were fastened on my home until it was lost in the distance. I landed in Philadelphia at 10 o'clock, and there bid my father-in-law good bye, with the intention of going to Baltimore, but when I arrived in the city I was detained by my friends. Mr. Brown, in South street, made a reception for me at 8 P.M. I went there at the specified time, and found a great many of my devoted friends to pay, as they supposed, the last tribute to one they loved, and a defender of the country. I remained in the city until Tuesday the 25th, and at one P.M. I left the residence of Mrs. Young for Broad and Prime sts., where I took the cars for Baltimore, and arrived there at 5 P.M. I was escorted to the soldiers' refreshment saloon, where I partook of the hospitality of kind friends, after which I inquired of the friends if any of them could take me to the residence of Rev'd W.D. Schureman. One of the ladies kindly took me there, and I found he had gone to a fair then going on in his church. I went there and found him and his lady; they received me as a brother and introduced me to a great many of his congregation. I spent the evening pleasantly, but in the midst of the great throng I thought of my home and dear family that I had left behind. After the fair closed I went home with Mr. Schureman and his wife, and stayed all night. I spent the next morning with Mr. Schureman in his library talking over old times until 9 o'clock, when we went to the Provost Marshal's and got my transportation for Fortress Monroe, where I arrived on Thursday the 27th, after a lonesome ride with a burdened heart. I arrived in camp at the expiration of my furlough.