This regiment was under the command of Col. D. W. Wardrop, and was composed of troops residing in localities more widely separated from their commander’s headquarters and from Boston than any other regiment in the State, and therefore in any comparisons which may be made with other troops regarding the relative rapidity of their mobilization in responding to the President’s call for troops, this fact becomes important.
It was on the afternoon of Monday, April 15th, that Special Order, No. 14, was issued by Governor Andrew and dispatched by mail, and a special messenger sent to the respective colonels of the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Regiments. The colonel of the Third resided in New Bedford, a distance of fifty-six miles from Boston; that of the Fourth in Quincy, eleven miles; that of the Fifth in Medford, five miles; that of the Sixth in Pepperell, about thirty-seven miles, and that of the Eighth in Lynn, eleven miles. The order was received by Colonel Wardrop the same evening, and at once promulgated to Company L, and some members of his staff were dispatched to convey his orders to the other companies. Horace Scott, President of the Fairhaven Railroad, gratuitously tendered a special train as far as Tremont for the messengers going to Halifax, Carver, Plympton, and Plymouth. The last named place was fifty-eight miles from New Bedford, not accessible at that time of night by railroad, nor were the other places above named, yet Company A received its orders at two A. M., April 16th, and Company B received its orders at three A. M., April 16th, and both companies reported in Boston at noon of the same day. It has not been possible to ascertain when Company G at Freetown received its orders, but it is credited with having reported for duty “promptly.” The same may be said of Company H, of Plympton, and Company K, of Carver. The Freetown company had to travel forty-eight miles by rail, the Plympton and Carver companies thirty miles, and the Halifax company twenty-eight miles, after leaving their homes scattered miles apart and distant from the stations. It is surprising that with the limited railroad facilities of those days and without modern means of intercommunication by telegraph or telephone, in the midst of a cold spring northeaster, over roads almost impassible with mud and thawing snow, that the orders should have been so rapidly transmitted and so promptly obeyed.
Col. David W. Wardrop was proficient in military tactics. He had first served as lance corporal in the old Boston Fusileers, and afterwards belonged to the City Guards of New Bedford. Some credited him with having a West Point education. At all events, he was in his element when performing any military duty, and inspired his men with confidence in his military ability. He was prompt, courageous, and energetic, but his regiment was small and widely scattered over two counties. At the time of promulgating Special Orders, No. 14, it consisted of but six companies, yet he strove with the governor for the honor of being the first regiment to leave the State.
Captain Richardson’s company from Cambridge was attached to the regiment April 16th as Company C, and on May 9th at Fortress Monroe Captain Chipman’s company from Sandwich, Capt. Charles C. Doten’s company from Plymouth, Capt. W. D. Chamberlain’s company from Lynn, and Capt. J. K. Tyler’s company from Boston, all three years’ companies, were temporarily assigned to the Third Regiment, and designated as Companies D, E, I, and M, respectively.
The original companies, including Company C, embarked on the steamer S. R. Spaulding April 17th, from Central Wharf, in the early evening and dropped down the harbor to await supplies. She sailed under sealed orders the next forenoon, to find when nine miles out that her destination was Fortress Monroe, which was reached at eleven A. M., Saturday, April 20th, after a voyage of forty-seven and one-half hours.
That afternoon the regiment embarked on the gunboat Pawnee, and at five o’clock proceeded to Gosport Navy Yard under orders from Washington to destroy the dry dock construction houses and all vessels and munitions of war which could not be secured against seizure by the rebels. As they approached their destination in the darkness the vessels there were uncertain whether the unexpected troops were friends or foes of the Union, and so the Pawnee and all on board were for a while exposed to imminent peril of instant destruction by a broadside from the Pennsylvania and a raking fire from the Cumberland, whose crews and some of whose officers remained loyal to the Union, and stood with shotted guns and lanyards in hand breathlessly awaiting some sign by which the character of the mission of the approaching troops could be assured. Finally the repeated hail of the Pawnee’s boatswain convinced the loyal sailors that loyal troops had come to their support, and then the night air re-echoed with enthusiastic shouts and added volume to the inspiring strains of the “Star Spangled Banner,” which was played by the splendid band on the quarter-deck of the Pennsylvania.
Time has satisfied the public that the place could have been held and the enormous loss avoided, which resulted from the attempt at destruction. It speaks well for the Third that its colonel was of that opinion at the time and volunteered to hold it with his small force until re-enforced. Commodore Paulding, however, felt compelled by his orders to decide otherwise, and soon buildings and ships were aflame as the various details proceeded with their several tasks. Even the detail taken from Company B to assist in mining the dry dock were driven from their work before its entire accomplishment by the extreme heat. Two companies, A and B, were on guard as a reserve, as it was known that two rebel companies were at Norfolk. Other details threw cutlasses, sabres, shot and shell into the river, and every man worked energetically at his allotted task in the light of the great conflagration until he was aboard the Pawnee for return to Fortress Monroe, where she arrived Sunday, April 21st, at six A. M. Thus the Third had been the first northern volunteer troop to land aggressively on Southern soil.
The duties at Fortress Monroe were very arduous and fatiguing, and consisted in strengthening its defences and unloading, handling, and storing the enormous amount of provisions and other supplies for troops, which it was foreseen must be concentrated there and in that vicinity. The regiment won the favor of the regulars, both officers and men, by its excellent discipline, strict attention paid to the details of guard duty and its precision in infantry drill. Colonel Dimick, the commandant, complimented Colonel Wardrop on commanding such a regiment, though the guard at sea battery had fired at the boat in which Colonel Dimick was returning from the Minnesota and wounded the coxswain near whom Colonel Dimick was seated, for not answering his hail the night before.
As soon as contrabands came into our lines in sufficient numbers (and Company G has the honor of turning in the first three, who applied for protection to Charles R. Haskins, of Myricksville, while on picket), they were assigned to the heavier labors of the quartermaster’s department. The regiment was thus enabled to pay more attention to its ordinary military duties. May 13th two companies and a fieldpiece held Hampton bridge, and May 24th Companies B and M made a reconnoissance with General Butler and took two prisoners. June 8th Companies B and C with loaded muskets suppressed insubordination in the Naval Brigade. They were finally relieved by Company E June 17th.
July 1st the regiment was ordered to occupy Hampton during the remainder of its term, and Companies A, B, and C, constituted the main guard. Here during the remainder of its term it gained experience in entrenching with the thermometer at 114 degrees, and scouting with the thermometer one degree higher. On one occasion (July 5th) Companies L, B, and E, with a howitzer battery, were stationed on picket all night and an attack was expected. July 14th a private of Company E was shot and beaten, but not killed, when outside our lines. On July 16th the regiment marched to Fortress Monroe and embarked on the steamer Cambridge for Boston. On the 19th touched at Long Wharf and was ordered into camp at Long Island. On the 22d the regiment was mustered out of the service of the United States. The next day it landed at Boston, marched to the Common amid great enthusiasm, and was dismissed. It had never failed to discharge its duty.