The History of Orange County New York

by Unknown

Then to Malvern Hill. On July 1 the division, after a tedious march, lay down on the hill near a large house, and there all day witnessed the cannonading of 160 Union guns, expecting every moment to be ordered to assist in the frequent fierce assaults made by the Army of Virginia in three divisions, "only to be torn in pieces and hurled back again to the cover of the woods by the awful storm of shot and shell and volleys of the infantry supports." But the brigade was not moved from its reserved position until late in the afternoon, when it was sent to the southern slope of the hill, and on the 2nd acted as rear guard of the whole retreating army, being in charge of the artillery and wagon trains. The enemy's advance attacked it at Carter's Hill, but was repulsed. The next day breastworks were thrown up, and the army rested. On July 7th the men were cheered by a visit and praise from President Lincoln. It was thought that the army would move forward and capture Richmond, but General McClellan received orders to withdraw by way of Aquia Creek and attack Richmond from the Rappahannock. The Chickahominy was crossed October 16 in weather so hot that large numbers of the officers and men dropped by the wayside exhausted, and that night when the regiment bivouacked not more than 100 men stacked arms, and hardly an officer except the mounted ones was with them. Key's corps, including the 56th Regiment, was left at Yorktown to cover the embarkation. The Peninsula campaign was ended.

General Naglee's brigade remained in and about Yorktown for sometime, doing picket duty and demolishing earthworks. On December 11 it went on a raid into Gloucester, Kings and Queens Counties, and brought back horses, mules, cattle, sheep and fowls. The brigade marched all night closely followed by the enemy, the 56th doing excellent service as the rear guard. On December 29th the brigade embarked on steamer for Morehead City, N. C., and went from there to Newbern, near which it remained two weeks. On January 8, 1863, orders were read informing the men of the 56th that their regiment had been attached to the 18th Corps, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, with General Naglee as division commander, and Colonel Davis of the 104th Pa. as the brigade commander. General Naglee, on taking leave, issued an order naming the important events in the history of the brigade in which it acted a conspicuous part, and which should be inscribed upon the regimental banners. The 56th was included in all of them.

General Naglee also characterized the work and behavior of the brigade in each of the events.

In connection with the preparations to attack Charleston the brigade went to St. Helena Island and waited there until about April 1st. Thence to woods near the shore of Edisto Harbor, where monitors and gunboats lay at anchor, and covered its landing by shelling the woods. After landing it followed the retreating enemy, and some of the men were wounded. While in camp here it was several times attacked in night forays and some of its picket men captured. Here the 56th was temporarily brigaded with that of General Howell in General Terry's division, under General Gilmore of the Tenth Corps. On July 16th, this division, 4,000 strong, was attacked by a superior force of Georgia troops, but with the aid of the gunboats they were driven off with a loss of 200 prisoners. Soon afterward the division went to Folly Island, and here, while the bombardment of Forts Wagner and Gregg was in progress, the men were engaged in arduous duties and got but little rest. August 16 they sailed to Beaufort, S. C., and went into camp, with the regiment sadly reduced in numbers and many sick. They remained there till September 3, 1864, with the exception of an expedition to John's Island in July.

In February, 1864, the regiment veteranized,{sic} the most of the men re-enlisting, and was mustered in as a veteran regiment February 29. In March it went north on a furlough and returned May 18, commanded by Colonel Tyler. During its stay at Beaufort about 400 new men had been recruited for it by officers sent north. The regiment went from Beaufort to John's Island, near Charleston, July 1st, and here became a part of J. P. Hatch's division. On July 4th it had the most trying march of the year on account of the extreme heat and the soft sand. Many of the men were sun-struck, and some of them died. The march was continued the next morning to within seven miles of Charleston, when, hearing that rebel cavalry were in their rear, they were ordered back. The next day they started again for the front, and had to do some fighting. July 9th they were attacked by the rebels in force in a dense fog. A surprise was intended, but the rebels were met with volleys of grape and canister, and were twice repulsed. On July 10th, the regiment went back to Beaufort, and the St. John's expedition passed into history. It was regarded as the most exciting and perilous scouting expedition the regiment was ever engaged in, but its object was accomplished. It remained at Beaufort until September 3, when it moved over to Morris Island and assisted in the siege of Charleston. Here the men could see every shot from their batteries that struck Fort Sumter, and the firing was kept up night and day. The heat was extreme, the whole island was covered with shifting sand, which filled eyes, ears and hair, the heavy fogs at night were like a drenching rain, and all the while they were under the fire of the rebel forts and batteries, shells from which burst over their heads; but they had the compensation of seeing their own shells burst in the city of Charleston.

Many of the men became afflicted with scurvy, and the effective force of the regiment was reduced to 600 men, one-half of whom were detailed each day and night for field duty. Otherwise their duties were severe, and in October the nights became very cold, and, being without fuel, caused them much suffering. They remained there until November 27, when they were taken to Boyd's Point, and the next morning were marched by General Potter toward Honey Hill, where they were surprised by a concealed rebel battery, and there was a bloody fight in which the 56th lost fifty men in killed and wounded, and the division 746, and they were obliged to fall back. On December 3d the brigade, after a lively skirmish, returned to its old camp, and three days later went up Broad River to Deveaux Neck, near which it had many of its men killed and wounded in a severe fight. The next day it was attacked by a large force, and there was a bloody fight in which each man fired sixty rounds and the rebels were repulsed, but resisted stubbornly and retired slowly. In this battle the 56th encountered the 5th Georgia Regiment, drove it from its position, captured its colors, and lost twenty-four men in killed and wounded.

The camp was thirty-six miles north of Savannah and seventy from Charleston. December 23d the news came that General Sherman had occupied Savannah. On the 29th Colonel Tyler was put in command of three regiments, including the 56th, and they advanced to ascertain the strength of the enemy. They encountered his picket line which resisted but fell back, and killed and wounded seventeen of Tyler's men. The camp was undisturbed until January 7th, when a rifled gun began shelling them and kept it up for a week, night and day. This was not restful, but the camp was so sandy that not more than half the percussion shells burst, and not a man was injured by them. January 15th it was discovered that the rebels had left, and our men pushed on and took possession of Fort Coosawhatchie. Here the rations were greatly improved by foraging expeditions. On the 17th they were visited by Generals Sherman and Howard. On the 29th the 56th remained at the fort while the rest of the brigade left to relieve General Sherman's forces at Poctaligo. The 56th did not join it until February 16, and afterward the brigade made a slow march to Ashley River, across which lay Charleston, arriving there February 28. The city had been evacuated after the cotton warehouses, quartermasters' stores, bridges, vessels, etc., had been burnt by order of General Hardie. March 1st the division started to pursue him, and if possible prevent him from joining General Johnston's army. It marched several days without finding any rebels, then was ordered to return and was back in Charleston on the 9th. This expedition, composed of General Potter's entire division, had marched ninety miles. It went on March 11th to the village of Mt. Pleasant, near Charleston, and remained there until April 2nd, when it went to Georgetown. Major Eliphas Smith being in command of companies A, B, C, D and E of the 56th. A and B remained in Georgetown as a part of the garrison. C was sent as guard of a transport up the Santee River, and E and D were attached to the 157th regiment, and went with it on the "Kingsville expedition." Kingsville was about 135 miles from Georgetown, and the rebels had run in there from points on Sherman's march as many as 25 locomotives and 200 cars, with large quantities of stores and ammunition. After a troublesome march, with some hard fighting, the expedition reached Kingsville April 10. On the 9th companies B and D of the 56th had gallantly charged a rebel battery, in the face of a fusillade, and captured it, but with a loss in killed and wounded of fifteen men.

The next day news was received of the fall of Petersburgh and the surrender of General Lee's army. In General Potter's order announcing it he returned "special thanks to Lieutenant-Colonel Carmichael of the 157th New York and detachment of the 56th New York for the skillful and gallant manner in which they carried the enemy's battery and drove him in confusion from the field."

The locomotives and cars at Kingsville were destroyed, and the expedition marched back happy to their old camp at Mt. Pleasant. The fightings and severe hardships were ended at last.