Under
the call of the President of the 3d of May, 1861, for forty
additional regiments, authority was given to John K. Murphy, by the
Secretary of War, to raise and organize a regiment for three years'
service. The order to recruit was given on the 15th of May, and the
work was commenced and vigorously prosecuted at the building then
standing on the site of the present post office in the city of
Philadelphia. On the 29th of June, Major C. F. Ruff, of the regular
army, received authority to muster the regiment into the service of
the United States, and commenced July 1st, mustering' the companies
as fast as filled and fully organized, the last being mustered July
29th.
The
regiment was recruited, uniformed and rationed, previous to its
muster, by the labor and at the expense of the officers, without any
assistance from the government. The uniforms, including caps, were
of gray. It was at first known as the Jackson Regiment, but upon its
organization was designated the Twenty-ninth of the line, and the
following gentlemen were commissioned field officers:
On
the 16th of July the regiment went into camp at Hestonville near the
city, where it was equipped and received military instruction. On
the 3d of August, it broke camp and proceeded to Harper's Ferry,
where it was attached to the command of General Banks, and was at
first assigned to the Third Brigade,1 General Hamilton
commanding, subsequently Colonel Gordon. It encamped in Pleasant
Valley, where by careful instruction and drill, it was brought to a
high state of discipline, and during the autumn and winter performed
a great amount of marching between Darnstown, Dam No. 4, Ball's
Bluff, and Frederick. Near the latter place it went into winter
quarters, at Camp Carmel, on the 25th of February, 1862.
But
winter quarters in modern warfare means a shelter for one night or
longer, according to circumstances. In this instance it meant the
short period, for one night. On the 26th, breaking camp and crossing
the Potomac on a pontoon bridge, at Harper's Ferry, it proceeded
with the brigade to Winchester, where it arrived on the 12th of
March, driving out Jackson and taking possession of the place.
1862
On
the 1st of April, Banks' army advanced, pushing the enemy up the
valley, until it arrived at Edenburgh, where both the railroad and
turnpike bridges were found destroyed. A skirmishing party was sent
across the creek to dislodge a body of the enemy, so posted as to be
very annoying to the troops as they approached the stream. In the
skirmish which ensued, the Twenty-ninth lost two killed, James
Martin, of company G, and Gottlieb Spear, of company I, the first
casualties in Aetion.
As
the command advanced in pursuit of Jackson on the 19th, the
Twenty-ninth, with the brigade, made a detour to the right, to flank
the enemy who had taken position on Road's Hill. But discovering the
movement in season he sought safety in flight.
Marching
to Harrisonburg, the army remained about two weeks, when it returned
to Strasburg and commenced fortifying. Companies B and G of the
Twenty-ninth, together with the First Maryland Regiment, under
Colonel Kenly, had been detached and stationed at Front Royal.
Jackson, having been reinforced by Ewell and Edward Johnson, had
attacked and worsted the advance divisions of Fremont's command
under Milroy and Schenck, at McDowell, and, by a rapid march masked
by his cavalry, approached Front Royal unexpectedly, quickly
overpowered Kenly, after a brave resistance, scattering and
capturing a large part of his command, and appeared upon the flank
of Banks, threatening his communication with a force of twenty
thousand men.
At
midnight of the 23d, Banks having been apprised of the defeat of
Kenly, commenced a retreat in the direction of Winchester, with the
enemy in full pursuit, flushed with success on every hand. At three
o'clock on the morning of the 24th, the Twenty-ninth reached
Middletown, and turning to the right on the road to Front Royal, met
the fugitives of Kenly's command about five miles out, who reported
the enemy advancing in great force. Falling back to Middletown, it
again joined the retreating column. An attack on the head of the
train, threw it into confusion, causing considerable delay and the
loss of some wagons; these were destroyed to keep them from falling
into the hands of the enemy, who hovered on the right flank, keeping
the column constantly engaged. The Twenty-ninth reached the hill
near Winchester at seven P. M., the men lying on their arms during
the night.
At
day-break on the 25th, the pickets reported the enemy advancing in
force. The Second Brigade, under Colonel Gordon, occupied the ground
on the right of the Strasburg road. A large body of the enemy having
moved off to turn its right flank, the Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania and
the Twenty-seventh Indiana, Colonel Colgrove, were ordered to change
position from the left to the right of the line, to meet and check
them. The flanking party consisted of the Louisiana Brigade, headed
by the Tigers, and commanded by General Dick Taylor.
As
they came into the open field they were received with a destructive
fire of musketry which checked their advance for a few minutes; but
soon rallying, they deployed regiments to turn the flank of our weak
line, which was at length compelled to retire. On reaching the
rising ground it was found that the rest of the- line had been
forced back. Moving towards the town a stand was made behind a stone
wall by the Colonel, together with what men remained, but they were
soon surrounded and compelled to surrender. The remainder of the
regiment, under Major Scott, withdrew with the brigade.
This
engagement held the enemy in check five hours, giving time for the
train of nearly five hundred wagons to get well on the way towards
the Potomac. The enemy made a vigorous pursuit, but the troops
moving in three parallel columns, with an efficient rear guard for
each, arrived at the river at nightfall and crossed in safety.
Colonel
Murphy, and others of the Twenty-ninth who were taken prisoners,
were sent to the rear, and on their way had a full view of the rebel
forces as they rushed on, whooping and shouting, in pursuit of the
national troops. Major Wheat, in whose charge the prisoners were
placed, took Colonel Murphy and Captain Rickards of company I, to
the Taylor House in Winchester, for breakfast, where he introduced
them to Generals Ashby and Stonewall Jackson. Jackson appeared quiet
and taciturn; but Ashby was choleric and gave vent to much bitter
feeling against the North, saying that he would never be satisfied
until he had them THERE! at the same time stamping his foot upon the
floor with great emphasis, illustrating in his person the sentiment
which inspired the rebellion, and which has been so aptly expressed
by Horace:
"-ira,
quse procudit enses Et miseras inimicat urbes." 2
The
prisoners from Front Royal were brought in during the day. Of the
Twenty-ninth, there were, including those of the two companies
captured at that place, seven officers and one hundred and
forty-eight non-commissioned officers and privates. The men were
organized into squads for drawing rations, and were placed under the
charge of Sergeant Brown, of company F.
On
the 30th the prisoners arrived at Harrisonburg, having marched
seventy-six miles and received but four crackers per man during the
four days march. Here the officers were paroled to report at
Staunton on the 6th. At Waynesboro' the dead body of Ashby, killed
at the battle of Cross Keys, was brought in. Here also, Colonel Kane
of the Bucktails, wounded in the same battle, was added to the
company of captive officers.
The
Twenty-ninth, under command of Major Scott, remained with General
Banks, and upon, the incorporation of his army with that of Fremont
and McDowell, it moved from Winchester to the valley of the
Rappahannock, and was present at the battle of Cedar Mountain,
though not actively engaged, and suffered no losses. Early in
September the regiment was on duty at Williamsport, Maryland, and on
the approach of the enemy in the Antietam campaign, fell back to
Hagerstown, and from thence to Chambersburg.
On
the 12th of September, Colonel Murphy, and the other officers who
had been prisoners of war with him, rejoined the regiment and
advanced under orders from Colonel Wright, an aid to Governor
Curtin, to Greencastle. Two days later the returned officers were
notified by Governor Curtin, that they were not exchanged, but only
paroled, and ordered to report at Camp Parole, near Annapolis. On
the 17th of September, at the battle of Antietam, the Twenty-ninth
was on provost and rear guard duty, and not actively engaged. After
the battle it was stationed at Boonsboro, Maryland, in charge of the
hospital and property collected from the battle-field.
October
22d, Colonel Murphy and other paroled officers, having been
regularly exchanged, returned to the command.
Greatly
crippled by its losses, the scattered fragments were now gathered up
and put once more in a condition of efficiency. On the 31st of
October it marched to Hagerstown, where it was detailed for provost
and guard duty. On the 10th of December it struck tents and moving
via Boonsboro' and Pleasant Valley, crossed the Potomac and
Shenandoah rivers on pontoon bridges, and joined the brigade near
Leesburg.
Colonel
Murphy, being the senior officer, assumed command of the brigade.
The battle of Fredericksburg was fought on the same day.
Marching
via Gum Springs to Fairfax station, tents and all extra baggage were
turned in, and all who were unable to walk were sent to Alexandria
in cars. On the 28th the corps marched in pursuit of the enemy's
cavalry, which retreated rapidly, and crossed the Occoquan at Wolf's
ford, eluding pursuit.
1863
On
the 19th of January, 1863, the regiment was ordered to march with
the brigade, with all possible dispatch, towards Fredericksburg, as
Burnside was concentrating his forces for a second advance. The
weather was clear and cold, the ground frozen, the marching good,
except that the artillery and heavy loaded wagons occasionally cut
through the frost and sank in the mud.
Crossing
the Occoquan, it marched via Dumfries to the Quantico, now swollen
by the incessant rains and filled with floating ice, which was, in consequence,
passed with great difficulty, and reached Stafford Court House on
the 25th. The mud had by this time so deepened that the roads were
impassable, and the prospect that all further forward movements
would be suspended was clear.
On
the 3d of February the troops were ordered to build tents and put
their camping ground in proper condition for winter quarters. On the
same day Wm. Rickards, Jr., Captain of company I, was commissioned
Lieutenant Colonel, to date from October 4th, and, in the absence of
Colonel Murphy, at once assumed command. The camp was enlarged and
improved, and details of men were kept daily at work to put it in
good condition for-health and comfort. On the 19th Captain Zulich
was appointed to bring in from Camps Convalescent and Distribution
all men tit for duty belonging to the corps.
During
the months of February and March little activity prevailed in the
army other than that of organizing, drilling and perfecting the
discipline of the troops. In the camp of the Twenty-ninth great
improvement was exhibited in the appearance and condition of the
men, who manifested a pride in preserving a soldierly bearing, and
in presenting to the eye of the inspector faultless arms and
equipments. On the 19th of March the division was reviewed by
General Hooker, now in command of the army, who met the commanders
of regiments at the head-quarters of General Slocum, and was
personally introduced. He spoke of the necessity of using all
possible means for crushing the rebellion, and expressed a
confidence in the efficiency of his troops, and a hope that the next
movement of the Army of the Potomac would be a successful one.
On
the 21st of March an order was received transferring the
Twenty-ninth to the Second Brigade,3 Second Division of
the Twelfth Corps. On the 10th of April this corps was reviewed by
President Lincoln, accompanied by Generals Hooker and Slocum. The
corps was drawn up in two lines of battalions by divisions closed in
mass. The President rode up and down, when the lines were broken
into columns and passed in review. Previous to the movement General
Slocum called the field officers together and explained the manner
in which the battalions would change direction by a flank to form
column, and, fearing that all might not understand the explanation
without a visible representation, called for a regiment to volunteer
to illustrate it. The Twenty-ninth was offered and immediately put
in motion, executing the maneuver to the entire satisfaction of the
General, and illustrating at the same time the efficiency in drill
to which it had attained.
The
necessary preparations were made, and on the 26th of April, orders
were received to march on the Chancellorsville campaign. With three
days' rations in haversacks and five in knapsacks, baggage reduced
to the lowest limit, sixty rounds of ammunition in cartridge boxes
and eighty per man in wagons, and of the four hundred and
eighty-seven present for duty, leaving twenty sick in hospital, the
march commenced. Passing through Stafford Court House and Hartwood,
and crossing the Rappahannock at Kelly's ford, and the Rapidan at
Germania Mills, the regiment reached Chancellorsville on the evening
of the 30th. This route was pursued by Howard's Eleventh, Slocum's
Twelfth, and Meade's Fifth Corps; Couch's Second Corps crossing at
Banks' and United States fords, shielded by the advancing column on
the right bank.
At
nine A. M. the regiment, with the brigade, marched on the right of
the Fredericksburg road, and soon met the enemy, who had a battery
posted which opened heavily. Remaining in position about an hour,
the brigade was ordered back to its former camp, which it
immediately commenced to fortify. Entrenching tools could not be
procured, and most of the work was done with bayonets and tin
plates. At three P. M. the regiment was again ordered forward on the
Fredericksburg road to take a battery posted in an annoying
position. Arriving within charging distance, it was deemed
inexpedient to make the attempt, and the regiment was ordered back
with a loss of three men killed and five wounded.
The
pressure of the enemy under Jackson on the right of the Union line,
at about five P. M., became so heavy that it was forced to give way,
leaving the flank of the Twelfth Corps exposed. Geary's Division was
immediately wheeled into position to check the enemy, swarming forth
almost in the rear of General Hooker's Headquarters. The firing was
very heavy, and continued till eleven P. M., the men laying on their
arms all night. On Sunday, May 3d, the battle opened early, and at
seven A. M, the enemy had turned our right flank, and commenced a
cross-fire which was very severe.
The
position being untenable, the division was ordered to retire by the
United States ford road, and take up a new position; but it was
vigorously shelled, losing many while carrying the wounded from the
hospitals which had been set on fire by the enemy's shells. At ten
P. M. the regiment was ordered into position on a hill commanding
the road, which was immediately entrenched. On the following morning
the enemy attacked on the right, but was repulsed. Rations and
ammunition (on account of the nature of the ground) had to be
distributed on pack mules.
At
daybreak on the 6th, the Twenty-ninth crossed the river and marched
to Potomac Creek, Hooker having decided to withdraw, leaving the
dead on the field and the wounded unable to be moved, in the hands
of the enemy. The loss in the engagement was six killed and thirteen
wounded.
An
examination was made of the ground at Acquia creek by Colonel
Cobham, in command of the brigade, to determine the dispositions to
be made in case of attack. It was decided that Fort No. I should be
occupied by the Twenty-ninth and that the One Hundred and Ninth and
One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania should take position in the
rifle-pits.
Colonel
Murphy, who had been absent sick for more than two months, now
resigned on account of disease contracted while a prisoner of war,
and the regiment was notified of the fact May 8th. The time of the
One Hundred and Twenty-fourth and One Hundred and Twenty-fifth
Pennsylvania Regiments of nine months' men having expired on the
11th of May, they left the brigade.
On
the 4th of June, the regiment being stationed at Acquia creek, a
beautiful flag prepared by ladies of Philadelphia, was presented, on
their behalf, by H. M. Dichert, Esq., of that city, and was received
for the regiment by General Geary.
Gettysburg
Campaign
On
the 11th of June, the regiment stripped to light marching order and
commenced to move on the Gettysburg campaign. Passing through
Stafford, Dumfries and Fairfax, it arrived at Leesburg on the 17th,
and taking possession of a rebel fortification, was employed in
extending and strengthening it. At dawn of the 26th it moved to the
Potomac and crossed at Edwards' ferry. The river is here four
hundred and forty yards in width, and was spanned by two bridges of
sixty-six boats each.
Lee's
main body, under Longstreet and Hill, had crossed on the 24th and
25th and had pushed on in the path of Ewell, who moved a week
earlier and was now at Carlisle and York. Hooker crossed with his
army on the 25th and 26th, but one day later than Lee, designing to
concentrate his main body at Frederick, while the Twelfth Corps with
the division of General French, then at Harper's Ferry, was to
strike at the rebel communications at Williamsport.
With
the 28th came the change of commanders, and a change of plans in so
far as to abandon the movement to Williamsport, and to follow up the
advancing rebel column by a line bearing further to the right.
Moving on the 29th through Frederick and Braceville, the Twelfth
Corps arrived on the 30th at Littletown, where the cavalry had a
skirmish with a marauding. party of the enemy, in which a few
prisoners were taken.
On
the 1st of July, General Geary's Division pushed on in advance of
the rest of the corps, and at about two miles from the
battle-ground, Kane's Brigade was detached and posted to prevent the
enemy from turning the right flank of the army, while the remaining
brigades hastened to the front and took position on the extreme left
of the line, on and about Round Top.
On
the morning of the 2d, the Twenty-ninth with Kane's Brigade moved to
the right and took position in a wood to the right of the Baltimore
pike, on Culp's Hill, where breast-works were thrown up across the
head of a ravine which spreads to a large plateau on Bock creek,
covered with a heavy growth of timber. At seven o'clock P. M., the
brigade was ordered by General Geary to move rapidly to the left, to
reinforce the Third Corps.
Fording
the creek in the face of the enemy's shells, by which Sergeant Major
Charles Latford was killed, and proceeding rapidly about two miles
in the direction of Round Top, the column was halted and ordered to
return to the breast-works just vacated, the enemy in front of the
Third Corps having been repulsed and the line made secure by fresh
troops. The incidents of the return are best told in the words of
Colonel Rickards' report;
"We
returned by the pike (Baltimore) and were about to enter the wood
in which our breast-works were, when we were fired on, receiving a
heavy volley from behind a stone-wall at twenty-five paces
distance, killing Lieutenant Harvey and three men, and wounding
ten. Believing that we had been mistaken for the enemy by the
Third Brigade of our own division, which had been left to hold a
part of the line, I ordered my men not to fire, and gathering up
our dead and wounded, I moved to the rear about one hundred paces,
when I returned again to the wall and called to those behind it,
telling them who I was, but was answered by another volley, I now
received orders to join the brigade on the pike, and we moved to
the woods on the left of our trenches, when we found that the
enemy had occupied them in our absence, had advanced half a mile
beyond our works, and were now confronting us.
A
party of skirmishers under Captain Johnson of company B, was immediately
sent out by order of General Kane. The Captain and five of his men
were captured."
As
soon as the position of the enemy was ascertained, a line of battle
was formed at right angles with the original breast-works, and the
men laid on their arms, the enemy keeping up occasional firing
during the night, by which one man, a private of company K, was
severely wounded.
"At
three A. M., of the 3d," says Colonel Rickards,
"observing objects moving about the enemy's position, I went
to the center of the brigade and met Colonel Cobham; while
consulting we received a fire from the enemy, which extended
across our front, fortunately doing no harm, but knocking the
eagle from my right shoulder, and showing them to be in force. The
fire was returned with spirit, but soon died away and all was
again quiet"
The
Twenty-ninth occupied a part of the line which extended through a
hollow, and was somewhat protected by a ledge of rocks. At half past
three A. M., the contest opened, the enemy firing from behind rocks
and trees. The action soon became general and raged with unabated
fury, the troops being relieved as their ammunition was exhausted,
and, when replenished, again returning to the line. The Twenty-ninth
was relieved for this purpose, and was absent forty-five minutes,
the men taking from sixty to eighty rounds each.
At
half past ten A. M., the enemy advanced to the charge, led by
Stewart's Brigade moving at battalion front. It was a trying moment
for the Twenty-ninth, but the men stood manfully to their ground,
firing with great rapidity and doing fearful execution. The rebel
line came steadily on, though their ranks were perceptibly thinned,
until within ten paces, when their column began to waver, and soon
after fled in confusion, leaving their dead and wounded in frightful
numbers on the field. Preparations were soon made to follow up this
advantage, and General Geary's Division charged over the ground
lately held by the enemy, routing and driving them out and regaining
the original breast-works.
The
fight still continued, the enemy taking refuge behind rocks and
trees in front of the entrenchments, and keeping up a rapid fire.
The Twenty-ninth, having exhausted its last supply of ammunition,
was relieved by the First Maryland, Colonel Maulsby, and moved out
to replenish it, being heavily shelled while passing through an open
field and losing one man wounded.
At
half past two the regiment returned to the trenches, where the men
were much annoyed by sharp-shooters. At nine P. M., the enemy made
another attack, which was promptly repulsed, and the firing ceased
with the exception of an occasional shot. Precautions were taken to
guard against surprise, and the men rested in the trenches upon
their arms. Much speculation was indulged in by the officers during
the night respecting the events of the coming day, many believing
that the fighting would be more sanguinary than on any previous one.
With
the dawn of July 4th came hope that the struggle was over, for
silence continued to prevail. General Kane ordered Colonel Rickards
to send out a party of skirmishers to ascertain if the enemy was
still in front. Company E was accordingly detached for the purpose,
and proceeded to examine the woods, where the enemy had been posted;
but he had stealthily departed, leaving the ground strewn with his
dead and wounded. Five hundred rebel dead were found and buried in
front of General Geary's Division alone.
The
Twenty-ninth lost during the three days in which it was engaged,
fifteen killed, forty-five wounded and fourteen missing.4
Following
up the retreat of the rebel army the regiment arrived at Littletown
on the 6th and Walkersville on the 8th. At Frederick, the brigade
turned on the road leading to Middletown, and at a point about two
miles out crossed the fields to the Harper's Ferry road, passing on
the way a spy hanging on a locust tree. In the neighborhood of
Bakersville some of the enemy's pickets were encountered, and the
rebels were reported in force at Downsville. Arriving within two
miles of that place, a line of battle was formed, the Second Corps
on the right of the Twelfth, and breast-works were thrown up.
On
the 11th, the troops were again formed in line of battle, the Second
Brigade being posted on the extreme left. On the 14th, the Second
Division was ordered to support the First in the neighborhood of St.
James College, and moved on up the bill expecting to receive the
enemy's fire; but reconnaissance soon developed the fact that the
rebel army had escaped across the river and was now in full retreat
up the Shenandoah valley. Passing Maryland Heights and Pleasant
Valley, where the Twenty-ninth had its first camp on taking the
field, it crossed the Potomac on pontoons at Harper's Ferry, and the
Shenandoah on a wire bridge, and passing around London Heights
halted at Hill's Lookout.
On
the 20th of July the division moved by forced marches via
Snickersville and Markham to Manassas Gap for the purpose of cutting
off portions of the retreating army. A spirited artillery duel
occurred with the enemy's rear guard, but the main column. had
already passed and was hastening on towards Gordonsville. The
brigade was immediately ordered back to take another road by which
to still overtake the foe, and marched twenty-five miles on the
24th; proceeding on the following day through Rectortown and White
Plains, it arrived at the entrance of Thoroughfare Gap. A detail was
here made of two non-commissioned officers and four-privates to
bring in conscripts. Proceeding through the gap, the command moved
hastily to Catlett's Station, and from thence to Kelly's ford, on
the Rappahannock.
During
the month of August, the first three days of which were remarkable
for extreme heat, and during which the men suffered much, the
regiment was kept actively engaged guarding the fords of the river.
On the 16th of September the regiment marched at 4 o'clock A. M.,
and crossed at Kelly's ford. The weather was excessively hot and the
ambulances were filled with the sick and exhausted men. The
Twenty-ninth formed the rear guard of the division, and bivouacked
at night on high ground about four miles east of Culpepper Court
House. The cavalry was already at Raccoon Ford on the Rapidan,
engaging the enemy, the bursting of shells breaking the darkness
with their lurid light.
On
the 21st General Slocum visited the camp of the Twenty-ninth, and
expressed his satisfaction with the condition in which he found it;
he soon after issued a special order complimenting the regiment for
its excellent discipline and the soldierly bearing of the men.
HEADQUARTERS,
SECOND BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION, TWELFTH ARMY CORPS,
Near Littletown, July 6, 1863.
Officers
and Soldiers of the Second Brigade:
The
hard fighting seems over. If there is to be more of it soon I will
be with you. If not, farewell, and may God bless and reward you
for your noble conduct, but for which, neither I, nor any of the
thousands of this army would have home, country, pride or honor to
return to. If you should not see me again in the brigade I hope
you will remember long and affectionately your friend and commander,
THOMAS
L. KANE,
Brigadier General of Volunteers.
Detached
to Tennessee
On
the 23d of September, the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were detached
from the Army of the Potomac, and ordered, under General Hooker, to
Middle Tennessee, to reinforce Rosencrans, lately worsted at
Chickamauga. On the 26th the regiment marched to Brandy Station,
whence it proceeded by rail to Washington, and immediately moved by
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to Bell Air, where it crossed the
Ohio river, and proceeded through Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville
and Nashville to Murfreesboro arriving on the 5th of October. Here
the regiment reported to General Ward, commanding the post, who
directed Colonel Rickards to take charge of the troops of the
Twelfth Corps then arrived. These consisted of the Twenty-ninth and
One Hundred and Ninth Pennsylvania, Fifth Ohio and Seventy-eighth
and One Hundred and Forty-ninth New York.
On
the day previous the rebels had burnt a bridge on the railroad two
miles below the town, capturing the guard, consisting of forty men,
but were deterred from making a further advance by the timely
arrival of the Twelfth Corps troops. On the 9th, the command marched
to Christiana, arriving in the evening of the same day, and on the
following morning, leaving the One Hundred and Eleventh, the
Twenty-ninth and One Hundred and Ninth proceeded to Fostersville, a
village on the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, thirteen miles
south of Murfreesboro' which they were ordered to fortify. The place
is not easy of defense, the hills around overlooking the town, near
enough for long rifle range, and very convenient for shells.
Wheeler's rebel cavalry, four thousand strong, had passed through
the place but a few days previous.
On
the 14th, General Geary and Colonel Cobham commanding the brigade,
were in consultation with Colonel Rickards respecting the location
and form of the fort. A pentagonal work, the sides thirty yards long
and seven and a half feet high, with a ditch to correspond, was
agreed upon. Five houses which had been damaged by the enemy had to
be removed to make room for it. The ground was hard and obstructed
by large stones, which very much impeded the work. The men labored
with a hearty good will. To hasten its completion a requisition for
negro labor and for ox and mule teams was made upon the proprietors
of neighboring estates, which were promptly furnished. When three
sides of the fort were finished and the whole in prospect of speedy
completion, the command was ordered to move by rail to Stephenson,
Alabama, much to the disappointment of the men, who had cherished a
pride in having, when finished, a piece of work to be pointed to
with satisfaction.
The
Twenty-ninth left in two detachments, the first under command of
Lieutenant Colonel Zulick. At Wartrace the trains halted, to let an
express train pass, bearing General Grant to the front. After
considerable delay in ascending the mountain, from the slipping of
wheels and want of motive power, the trains passed the tunnel three
and one-fourth miles long and were nearly down the long grade on the
other side, when they were met by Colonel Innes, superintendent of
military railways, who ordered the engineers to back, the trains to
the summit again to let four freight trains pass. Without taking
advantage of the back ride, the Twenty-ninth alighted and marched
down to the foot of the mountain.
At
Stephenson, Alabama, a little muddy village of a score of
habitations, the Twenty-ninth reported to General Hooker and
encamped near corps head-quarters. On the 26th the regiment marched
to Bridgeport, where General Geary and his brigade commanders had
already arrived. Drawing three days' rations and sixty rounds of
ammunition the regiment crossed the Tennessee river on pontoons, and
proceeded to Shellmound, where is located the celebrated Nick Jack
cave, from which the rebels procured large quantities of saltpeter
for the manufacture of gunpowder.
Lieutenant
Colonel Zulick was here detailed to superintend the working party
laying a pontoon bridge, and constructing a road leading to it. The
line of march from Shellmound lay through mountain passes, and along
the bank of the Tennessee river, the rocky bluffs rising like a
wall, to a height varying from ten to three hundred feet for many
miles. Passing along, beneath the shadow of Lookout Mountain, the
command5 halted at Wauhatchie Junction.
The
Twenty-ninth was immediately ordered on picket duty. General Geary
had designated Wauhatchie Junction as an important point, and three
companies, E, B and K, under command of Captain Rickards, were
posted there with orders to throw up rifle-pits; two companies, I
and H, under Captain Stork, were sent out three miles on the Kelly's
ferry road; two companies, A and F, under Lieutenant Coursault, were
posted to cover the ground between the camp and Lookout creek; two
companies, C and G, were pushed out a half mile on the Brown's ferry
road, and company D was ordered to the left, between Stork and
Rickards, completing a continuous line around the camp.
General
Geary, ever on the alert, had ordered this faithful picketing of his
camp, knowing that his single division was isolated from the rest of
the corps, but believing the enemy not to be nearer than Lookout
Mountain; this impression was confirmed by the testimony of
citizens.
The
man most relied on for the correctness of this report was a Mr.
Bouden, a magistrate living at the junction of the rail and the
Kelly's ferry road. Colonel Rickards, after posting his regiment,
went to the house of this man, under the pretense of getting bread
baked, but for the purpose of ascertaining more definitely the exact
location of the enemy; and while in casual conversation with a
woman, learned that Longstreet's men had been on that ground the day
before. Bouden was immediately taken in custody and brought to the
tent of General Geary, who soon drew out the important information
that there was a bridge over the creek, and that Longstreet's men
were at that moment lying just beyond it not more than a mile and a
quarter from his camp.
Precautions
were immediately taken to prevent a surprise. Colonel Rickards was
dispatched as officer of the day for this purpose, found the road
leading to the bridge, and posted his men on it three-fourths of a
mile from camp, with instructions to be especially watchful. He
ordered Captain Millison, in charge of the reserve, to hold them in
readiness to deploy as skirmishers on the least alarm.
Proceeding
on his rounds, he had visited the post at the junction, and was
returning, when a rapid firing was heard which seemed to be in the
direction of the bridge, where the enemy lay. Riding forward, he
soon ascertained that the firing, which soon ceased, was beyond his
pickets. Returning to head-quarters to report, he found the command
under arms and in line. All soon becoming quiet, after a half hour,
the men were sent to their quarters. They were scarcely in, when
firing again commenced and now in earnest; for the rebels, having
watched from the secure heights of Lookout Mountain the movements of
General Geary, thought to surprise and crush him by a night attack,
and were now advancing in strong force without skirmishers. Colonel
Rickards rode quickly to the out-post, and met his men falling back,
but in good order, contesting the ground with great firmness and
excellent effect, giving time for the main column to get into
position.
Battle
of Wauhatchie
The
One Hundred and Thirty-seventh New York was formed on the extreme
left One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania on the right, One Hundred
and Ninth Pennsylvania in the center, and the One Hundred and
Forty-ninth New York on the railroad bank at right angles with the
right of the One Hundred and Ninth. The two companies, C and G of
the Twenty-ninth, which had been driven in from the bridge, were
posted to support the battery, and when the enemy made a strong
demonstration on the right, were moved to the railroad bank. The
attack was made with rebel impetuosity, and the men were falling
rapidly, especially in the battery; the loss in horses was also very
great, thirty-five being killed out of forty-eight. The sixty rounds
of ammunition with which the men started was nearly exhausted, when
the enemy made a fresh demonstration on the right, and gained
possession of the railroad bank, from which they delivered a galling
fire, all efforts to dislodge them proving fruitless.
At
this juncture a piece of the artillery was taken outside the
railroad bank, at a crossing in the rear, which enfiladed the
portion occupied by the enemy. In the absence of horses to move it,
companies C and G of the Twenty-ninth grasped the prolongs and soon
had it posted, when a few well directed shots sent the enemy from
the sheltered position to which he had clung with such desperate
pertinacity. This had a depressing effect upon him, for his fire
soon slackened, and the White Stars remained masters of the field.6
Companies
A and F, under Lieutenant Coursault, held the wood on the right of
the railroad, and prevented the enemy from gaining the rear,
behaving with much discretion and bravery. The enemy had already
turned our left flank and captured the wagon train. But this instead
of a disaster was accounted again; for the enemy fell to plundering
and was slaughtered in great numbers by the artillery which was
immediately turned upon him. Lieutenant Colonel Zulick of the
Twenty-ninth, coming up soon after with a small force which he had
collected, re-captured it and brought it to the rear.
From
the fact that the Twenty-ninth Regiment was distributed around the
camp on the picket line, the loss was comparatively light, and was
principally in the two companies, C and G, picketing the road on
which the enemy advanced. The loss was one killed, five wounded and
one missing.
The
conduct of this handful of men, struggling in the darkness, in
tangled wilds, on unknown ground, against a powerful, veteran
division of Longstreet's army, familiar with every foot of ground
and rejoicing in a knowledge of the weakness of its foe, was most
heroic. The personal bravery and skill of the commander was
everywhere manifest, and his presence felt in every part of the
line. Often amidst the darkness was his voice heard ordering up
fresh troops, which never came; but at every order the men cheered
the voice of their General most lustily, the deception producing the
same effect upon the imaginations of foe as though the solid columns
were actually moving forward and taking their places in the
shattered lines.
The
battery, posted on a little knoll in the midst of the camp, did
signal service, and was the special object of the enemy's fire, the
rebel officers being repeatedly heard ordering their men to
concentrate their fire upon it.
"The
men and officers of Knap's Battery," says Colonel Rickards,
"acted nobly. Lieutenant Geary, son of our General, was
killed at my side, shot through the brain at the instant he
commenced fire after aiming his gun. His was a serious loss to the
service; Captain Atwell was badly wounded in the hip and spine;
most of the sergeants were killed or wounded. The infantry had
sixty rounds of ammunition and none in the train. When this was
expended the killed and wounded were searched for a supply."
The
attack was made by General Bratton of Longstreet's Corps, who on the
evening previous, in company with Generals Polk, Longstreet,
Breckenridge, Hood, Cheatham and Cleburne, from a lofty station on
Lookout Mountain, had watched the progress of Geary's troops, and
had planned a surprise which it was confidently anticipated would
annihilate it. None but White Stars were engaged who proved
themselves equal in this fiery ordeal to thrice their number of the
enemy's best troops. The first firing of the pickets commenced at
half past eleven P. M., and the struggle ended at half past two A.
M. The firing ceased and the command immediately commenced
fortifying their position.7 General Howard and staff soon
after rode in, and at five o'clock Heclers Brigade of Howard's Corps
arrived. General Hooker came at nine, expressing much surprise at
the evidences of the hard fighting. The rebel killed left on the
field were one hundred and fifty-seven, and one hundred and
thirty-five prisoners were taken, most of whom were wounded.
Estimating the rebel wounded according to the usual ratio of killed
to wounded, and their total loss could not have fallen much short of
one thousand. The rebel forces engaged numbered five thousand
strong, while the Union strength was only fourteen hundred and
sixty-three, or little exceeding thirteen hundred muskets, a number
not much above the loss of the enemy.
On
the afternoon of the 29th, the regiment was relieved and marched to
Wauhatchie Junction, being vigorously shelled on the way by the
rebels on Lookout Mountain, but without effect except in the
wounding of two mules. The shelling was continued until the 31st,
when the brigade was ordered to take position and fortify a hill at
the foot of Raccoon Mountain, on the right of the Kelly's ferry road
facing Lookout.
Lookout
Mountain was still well fortified and firmly held by the enemy. Its
summit was only accessible for a distance of twenty miles up the
valley, by two or three trails admitting the passage of but one man
at a time, and these were securely held. Its palisaded crest and
steep, rugged, rocky and deeply furrowed slopes seemed of themselves
to present insurmountable obstacles to the advance of an assaulting
column; to these were added almost interminable, well-planned and
well-constructed defenses. But a demonstration was to be made upon
it.
On
the 24th of November, the Twenty-ninth Regiment was ordered to
report at division head-quarters, without knapsacks and with one
day's rations, for the purpose of joining in the assault. The Second
Division marched to Wauhatchie Junction at five in the morning,
where the troops, to form the party, were drawn up between the
railroad and the creek, the Second Brigade, composed of the
Twenty-ninth and One hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania, (the One
Hundred and Ninth being left to guard the camp,) on the right, the
Third Brigade in the center and the First Brigade on the left. The
pioneers and a detail from the Twenty-ninth built a bridge across
the creek, and the movement commenced at seven and a half o'clock A.
M.
The
column advanced up the side of the mountain until the Twenty-ninth
reached the wall of rocks which surmounts the slope, when it fronted
and advanced in line of battle extending from the crest to the flat
near Lookout creek; Whitaker's Brigade of the Fourth Corps followed
as a second supporting line, at a distance of three or four hundred
yards.8
The
side of the mountain is cut in deep ravines impeded by huge rocks;
but the march was conducted in excellent order, the men scrambling
over the obstructions and keeping their places in the line with an
unabated ardor. Colonel Rickards deployed companies C and E,
Captains Millison and Sorber, as skirmishers, and soon met the
skirmishers of the enemy, who became very troublesome, firing from
their coverts behind rocks and hedges. After advancing about a mile,
the reserve of the enemy's first line was met and the firing became
continuous. At this point, leading on his men with determined
bravery, Captain Millison was wounded in the arm and side, and was
carried from the field. The enemy now appeared on the right of the
line firing through a gorge, and soon after a large body passed down
a slope leading to the flank.
The
Twenty-ninth was immediately ordered to change front to rear on left
company, which was executed with skill and steadiness, the enemy
meeting, a fall front when he expected to fall upon our unprotected
rear. Their first volley was fortunately too high, when, finding a
force unterrified and ready to receive them, they threw down their
arms and held up their hands in token of surrender. The line was
ordered to withhold its fire, when two hundred and seventy,
including many officers, were sent to the rear. The left wing,
changing front forward, and the right moving by the left flank,
parallel to the crest of the mountain, the regiment again advanced.
The enemy, secreted in the gorges and behind rocks, now began to
surrender in squads of from five to fifty. The captures becoming so
numerous as to require too many men to send sufficient guards with
them, they were sent back to General Whitaker's command for safe
transfer to the rear.
The
line continued to advance9 with surprising steadiness,
and soon came in sight of the enemy's breast-works. The trees had
been cut down with the expectation that they would form an
insurmountable obstacle to further progress to an advancing column;
but in the zeal and impetuosity of the troops, the obstruction was
scarcely noticed, crawling beneath or clambering over as best they
could, and clinging close to the White Star line. The ravine in the
side of the mountain, which, from the opposite side of Lookout creek
seemed an insignificant indentation, proved to be from fifty to one
hundred feet, with precipitous sides.
While
the Third Brigade was attacking the enemy in the breast-works, the
Second, which was far above them, pushed on to the point of the
mountain where-in the turn which it made it had the shortest line
and arrived first, the colors of the Twenty-ninth being planted on
the highest attainable point of the mountain, and from which the
enemy was completely outflanked. They had thought their position
unapproachable, and were holding in fancied security their
stronghold in the clouds, when the White Star Division broke in to
their rear, compelling the abandonment of their works and securing
the virtual capture of the mountain.
The
Second Brigade halted here, but skirmishers were sent out, who, with
those of the Third Brigade, captured two pieces of artillery which
the enemy had posted on the hill east of the point. The Second
Brigade was ordered to move on around the mountain, but found the
hill too steep to move in line. Searching in vain for some pass by
which to reach the heights above, it was met by a body of the
enemy's skirmishers who were driven back and several captured.
Advancing nearly half a mile, a heavy line of the enemy was
discovered and dispositions were immediately made to attack upon the
flank, while another line advancing from below, attacked in front;
but heavy clouds settling down around the mountain so dense as to
shut out the light of the midday, rendered it impossible to
distinguish friend from foe.10
Though
much annoyed by sharp-shooters from the opposite side and from the
summit of the mountain, the command was ordered to cease firing and
to fortify wherever space could be found for one stone to lay upon
another. The friendly clouds so shielded the men that only one was
hit. The Twenty-ninth remained in this position until nine o'clock,
P. MV, when it was relieved, and moving to the slope of the mountain
the men sat down to their first meal for the day. The loss was three
killed and six wounded. The enemy evacuated his works which had now
become untenable, and fled during the night.
On
the following morning a ladder was discovered which the enemy had
used in climbing to the summit. Several parties from different
regiments were dispatched, by direction of General Geary, to ascend,
who carried a flag with them and unfurled it upon the topmost
height. As it floated out upon the pure air of the mid-heavens, a
cheer was sent up from the troops encamped below, awakening the
echoes along all the hills. a fitting climax to the BATTLE ABOVE
THEE CLOUDS.11
On
the morning of the 25th the brigade advanced diagonally across the
Chattanooga valley to Rossville pass. The enemy was posted on
Missionary Ridge, with artillery, resisting the advance of Thomas
and Sherman. Moving north along the foot of the ridge, the brigade forayed
in line and advanced up the mountain till it had reached a point in
the rear of the rebels, when, finding themselves surrounded they
began to throw down their arms and surrender.12
An
entire brigade was here captured and its vacated quarters were
occupied by the victorious column. On the following morning the
command returned to the Rossville pass, moving through, crossed Chickamauga
creek at dark, attacking the rear of the enemy. At nine P. M., a
heavy picket force of the enemy was met and captured with three
brass pieces and several caissons.
Remaining
in line of battle during the night, at early dawn the pursuit was
resumed. The roads were very heavy, and several caissons of Ferguson's
rebel battery, broken down and left by the way, were picked up.
Heavy firing was heard in the direction of Ringgold, and the
infantry was hurried forward, the artillery being detained for the
building of the bridge across the Chickamauga.
Ringgold
At
the pass through Taylor's ridge, near Ringgold, the enemy had made a
stand, and was strongly posted in the gap in the form of the sides
of an acute angle, and on the hills overlooking the town. The troops
of the Fourth Corps were already engaged and had suffered severely.
The First Brigade was ordered up the hill to the support of the
regiments that had been driven back, but the enemy soon flanked
their position and delivered a destructive fire, killing Colonel
Creighton, Lieutenant Colonel Crane and many other officers and men.
The
Second Brigade was then ordered by General Hooker to position in a
small chaparral in front of, and to the right of the railroad depot,
with instructions to lie down, not to fire till the enemy came
within short range, and to hold the position to the last extremity.
The Twenty-ninth Iowa, occupying the right of the line, having lost
its Colonel and being hard pressed, gave way, exposing the right
flank; but at this juncture the Third Brigade came up, and following
close, the artillery, which was soon brought into position, ended
the fight by a few well directed shells The attack had been made
with infantry alone, as the bridge across Chickamauga creek could
not be completed in time to bring up the artillery. The enemy made
this stand for the purpose of gaining time for his trains to escape.
On
the 29th Colonel Rickards was ordered to proceed with his own
regiment, Knap's Battery, and a train of twelve wagons to
Chattanooga. A detail had been sent to take the severely wounded, by
cars found standing upon the road, to Chickamauga station. Having
proceeded several miles over bad roads, an order was received to
return with the battery, arriving again at Ringgold at dark after a
hard and fruitless day's march The regiment was quartered in the
court house, the offices being occupied by the officers. By order of
General Hooker, the engines of a mill in the vicinity of Ringgold
were taken down and sent to Chattanooga, the work being performed by
details from the Twenty-ninth. From Ringgold Geary's Division
returned around the foot of Lookout Mountain to its old camp in
Lookout valley, having been absent eleven days, fighting and
marching over difficult roads, the men without blankets, and many
without shoes.
The
proposition of the government for veteran volunteers was published
early in December, and measures were immediately taken by the
officers of the Twenty-ninth to have it mustered as a veteran
organization. On the 9th of December it was drawn up in line to
receive the agents of the State of Pennsylvania, Dr. King, Surgeon
General, Dr. Kennedy and Mr. Francis, sent by Governor Curtin, to
look after the welfare of her soldiers. Eloquent speeches were made
by each of them, which were responded to in behalf of the soldiers
by General Geary.
On
the following day two hundred and ninety members of the regiment
re-enlisted and were mustered for a second term as veterans, a
number considerably in excess of that required to secure the
continuance of the organization. The prompt action of the men
secured to them the honor of forming the first veteran regiment in
the service of the United States. On the 12th, the division was
drawn up in line to give the regiment a parting salute, when the
General expressed his high appreciation of its past services, and
his regrets at parting with it, but commended their determination to
become veterans.
On
the 13th of December the regiment moved by rail from Bridgeport,
Alabama, and arrived in Philadelphia on the 27th. A committee of
citizens met the train at White Hall, and upon its arrival in the
city a salute was fired, and the military were out in large numbers
for its escort to the National Guards Hall, where it was received in
an address of welcome delivered by J. Price Wetherell, Esq. The
streets were hung with evergreens and in many places where the
procession was to pass, arches were erected and wreaths inclosing
patriotic mottoes were suspended from prominent points, showing that
the services of the soldiers had not failed of appreciation. After
partaking of a fine collation at the Cooper Shop Refreshment Saloon,
the men dispersed. The members of the regiment who had not been in
the service three years and who had been left in the field, arrived
on the 31st, having agreed to re-enlist after being two years in the
service, and were given the same furloughs as veterans. During the
veteran furlough the organization received many attentions from the
people of Philadelphia. Bountiful entertainments were prepared for
them on several occasions, and amidst the feasts and rejoicings of
those days, alas! too short, they forgot their hard marches and
their supperless nights.
1864
Recruiting
stations were opened in Philadelphia, and on the 29th of February
the regiment rendezvoused at Chester, where recruits were sent as
fast as procured. On the 31st of March the regiment, consisting of
twenty-one officers and five hundred and eighty-eight men, moved by
rail to Louisville, Kentucky, and thence to Sherman's army,
preparing to move on Atlanta and destined to attract the attention
of the civilized world by the brilliancy of its achievements. The
first sound that greeted the ears of the men on emerging from the
cars, was the booming of cannon in the direction of Talahoma.
Resaca
On
the 2d of April the command drew three thousand rounds of ammunition
and eight days' rations. The holidays were over and earnest work was
to begin. On the 9th of April the command reached Bridgeport,
Alabama, and reported to General Geary. It was assigned with the One
Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania, to the Third Brigade, Second
Division, Twentieth Corps, composed of the Eleventh and Twelfth
Corps consolidated, and commanded by General Hooker.
Taking
up the line of March on the 4th of May, over the old ground through
Lookout Valley and across Lookout Mountain where the national banner
was triumphantly planted a few weeks before, amidst a storm of
battle rarely equaled, it encountered the enemy in force at
Buzzard's Roost. At Rocky Face Ridge the regiment joined the
division, where our troops had engaged the enemy with heavy loss.
On
the 9th the division was placed in line and breast-works erected,
the Twenty-ninth being thrown forward as skirmishers. Heavy firing
was at this time heard on the left of the line towards Tunnel Hill.
Marching and fortifying by the way, and almost daily engaging the
enemy, Geary's Division reached a point on the Dalton and Resaca
road on the 14th, and was formed in line of battle. The Twenty-ninth
took position on the extreme left of the army, and built strong
breast-works facing north and east. On the following day it moved to
the right of the Fourth Corps, and was pushed forward to a hill in
front of a strong breast-work of the enemy, where he had made a
decided stand.
General
Geary ordered these works to be charged. Colonel Rickards pushed
forward with the Twenty-ninth for this purpose and was met with a
most deadly fire, killing and wounding over sixty of his men.
Finding it impossible to carry the works, the men were ordered to
lie down and pick off the enemy as they showed themselves above
their fortifications. But it was impossible to gain cover, and after
a short time they were directed to fall back. This they did crawling
on their hands and knees. At four P. M. the enemy assumed the
offensive, Stephenson's Division charging on our front, but were
handsomely repulsed. Soon after Colonel Ireland, then in command of
the brigade, was wounded by a fragment of a shell, and Colonel
Rickards, of the Twenty-ninth succeeded him. The breast-works were
strengthened and the undergrowth in front cleared. Heavy firing
continued for some time on the right, but at length died away.
Hooker's Corps had taken four guns and some prisoners and compelled
the enemy to abandon Resaca.
The
enemy continued to fall back behind fortified positions, and was
steadily turned out of them by the maneuvers of Sherman, until he
reached a point in the rear of Pumpkin Vine creek, which he
stubbornly contested. Geary's Division of Hooker's Corps was the
first to cross, reaching the burning bridge just in time to save it
from entire destruction and causing it to be quickly repaired. The
Twenty-ninth, with the brigade, was ordered to advance at six P. M.,
on the 25th of May, upon the enemy's lines, and relieve the Fifth
Ohio, which had been briskly engaged. The enemy's breast-works were
within musket range, but it was dark and the men could only fire by
the flash of his guns.
The
Twenty-ninth had two men killed and thirteen wounded.
On
the following morning the regiment rejoined the brigade, which had
failed to get into position on the previous evening, and moved to
the right where it was engaged in fortifying. On the 27th, Sherman
ordered all the batteries of the Fourth, Twentieth and Twenty-third
Corps to open at seven in the morning, and continue their fire until
nine.
In
the meantime General Thomas was ordered to wheel to the right and
take the heights commanding the Marietta road, the Twenty-third
Corps to support the Fourth, General McPherson joining the division
of General Jeff. C. Davis, to connect with Hooker, while the latter
was to assault and gain such paints in his immediate front as he
should deem advisable. The part of the line which he occupied being
opposite the enemy's strongest works, it was not deemed prudent to
assault, but to hold firmly his position. The skirmishers of the
Twenty-ninth alone expended ten thousand rounds of ammunition.
On
the 28th, the regiment was relieved from the front by the One
Hundred and Eleventh, having been four days under fire, and moved
thirty paces to the rear, where it was engaged in constructing
breastworks to resist the shots which came thick and fast from the
enemy's line. Several attacks were made during the day by his
skirmishers, but were in every case repulsed.
On
the 1st of June the division was relieved by the Fifteenth Corps,
and moved to the left, having been eight days under fire, losing
daily, the strain and excitement telling heavily upon the men. At
noon of the 2d it was ordered to move across the Acworth road,
through thick woods, and take position in line where a battle was
raging with great violence. While moving a terrific thunder storm
prevailed, attended with a deluging rain. In the midst of the storm
the Twenty-third Corps charged the enemy and drove him from his
breast-works, occupying a hill which commanded a ravine in front.
The position of the Twenty-ninth was here on the extreme left of the
line. The enemy finding himself out-flanked, fell back from his
strong works at New Hope Church to others between Pine Hill and Lost
Mountain, and again awaited the onward march of the national army.
On
the 13th of June the Twenty-ninth came into position in front of
Pine Hill, where breast-works were thrown up and pickets posted. At
noon of the 14th, the works having been completed, the batteries
were brought into position, and soon silenced and drove away the
enemy's guns on the hill. Knap's Battery, now commanded by Captain McGill,
did excellent service. General Sherman was present in the works
watching the effect of the shells on the enemy, who, as the
batteries opened, scattered in a manner which did great credit to
their capacity for locomotion.
Kennesaw
Mountain
On
the night of the 15th, the enemy evacuated Pine Hill, but
immediately took a strong position to the right, on Kennesaw
Mountain. The brigade was moved to a field on the right and front of
Pine Knob, where it was formed in two lines and moved forward,
driving the enemy's skirmishers. While charging the rebel lines in
this position, Colonel Rickards received a severe wound from an
enemy's sharp-shooter, supposed at the time to be mortal, and was
borne from the field. The command of the Twenty-ninth then devolved
on Major Millison, in the absence of Lieutenant Colonel Zulick. Upon
his return the latter assumed command, and subsequently upon the
discharge of Colonel Rickards on account of his wounds, he was
commissioned Colonel; Major George E. Johnson was promoted to be
Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Robert P. Decherd, of company C, to
be Major.
The
position at Kennesaw proved to be one of great strength, the enemy
repelling every assault with great slaughter; but another flank
movement by General McPherson command brought him out of it in a
single night. The Twenty-ninth lost two killed and a number wounded
in the operations in front of Kennesaw.
On
the 22d of July, Sherman's army arrived in front of Atlanta. His
left wing was heavily attacked by Hood, who had now succeeded
Johnson in command of the rebel army, but was repulsed with fearful
loss. By skillful maneuvering and hard fighting Sherman succeeded in
so reducing the rebel force as to cause it to flee before him, and
on the morning of September 1st, his triumphant columns entered the
city of Atlanta, the prize for which during a hundred days he had
marched and fought. In the battles before Atlanta the Twenty-ninth
had three killed.
The
heavy fighting was now ended. On the 11th of November, commenced the
memorable march to the sea. It is unnecessary to detail the part
which the Twenty-ninth had in this great movement-the long,
wearisome marches, the frequent skirmishes, the hardships endured in
crossing swamps and numerous and rapid streams, and the constant
watching to prevent surprise from an enemy ever vigilant, and
smarting under the shame of being trampled beneath the feet of that
triumphant army which he had rebelled against and defied.
On
the 20th of December, the army arrived at Savannah, which, after a
feeble resistance, was captured. Turning to the north, it pursued
its triumphant course to Goldsboro, North Carolina, where it arrived
on the 20th of March, 1865. Here the weary columns were allowed
rest, and were supplied with clothing, of which nearly all were in
the most urgent need.
On
the 17th of July, the regiment was mustered out of service, near
Alexandria, Virginia.
At
a time when the success of the National cause seemed dubious, and
the ranks of its army were being rapidly depleted by expiration of
term of service of large numbers of its forces, upon the urgent plea
of the government for a renewal of their terms of service, the
Twenty-ninth, first in the United States service, enrolled itself as
a Veteran Volunteer regiment. During the four years and one month it
was in the field, it had a total membership of two thousand five
hundred and seventeen, of which number seven hundred and
seventy-eight were discharged at the expiration of their term of
service, and one hundred and forty-seven were killed or died of
wounds received in action.
____________________________________________
1Organization of the Third Brigade, Colonel George H.
Gordon, First Division, Brigadier General A. S. Williams, Army of
Major General N. P. Banks. Second Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers,
Lieutenant Colonel Andrews; Third Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers,
Colonel Ruger; Twenty-seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteers, Colonel
Colgrove; Twenty-ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel
Murphy.
2Hatred,
which forges swords and sets at variance unhappy states.
3
Organization of Second Brigade, Brigadier General Thomas L. Kane,
Second Division, Major General John W. Geary, Twelfth Army Corps,
Major General Slocum. Twenty-ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers,
Liautenant Colonel William Rickards, Jr.; One Hundred and Ninth
Regiment Pennsylvania Colonel Steinrook; One Hundred and Eleventh
Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel George A. Cobham; One
Hundred and Twenty-fourth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel
Hawley; One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania
Volunteers, Colonel Higgins.
4General
Thomas L. Kane, who led the brigade in this battle, having been
disabled by wounds and sickness, had been absent since the battle of
Chancellorsville, and only re-joined it on the evening of the 1st of
July. He was obliged again to leave at the conclusion of the battle,
and issued the following order, full of feeling and pathos.
5Twenty-ninth
Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, three hundred and eighty-three
men, Colonel William Rickards, Jr.; One Hundred and Ninth Regiment
Pennsylvania Volunteers, one hundred and twenty-five men, Lieutenant
Colonel Lewis W. Ralston; One Hundred and Eleventh Regiment,
Pennsylvania Volunteers, three hundred and seventy-five men, Major
Thos. M. Walker; Seventy-eighth Regiment N. York Volunteers, one
hundred and fifty men; One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Regiment New
York Volunteers, two hundred men; One Hundred and Second Regiment
New York Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel James C. Lane; One Hundred
and Forty-ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, three hundred and
eighty men, Lieutenant Colonel Charles B. Randall; Sixtieth Regiment
New York Volunteers, Major Abel Godard.
6Geary,
meanwhile, had been fighting for three hours, without assistance,
and, although at one time almost enveloped on three sides, finally
succeeded in completely repelling the assault in his front. The moon
shone fitfully into the valley, and the commands could often
distinguish each other only by the flashes of their firearms. The
strange echoes of the cannon among the hills, and the muttering of
musketry from every quarter, alarmed the teamsters of Geary's wagon
train, who deserted their mules, and in the darkness and noise, the
animals became more frightened than their drivers; they soon broke
loose, and with their tackle dangling and rattling about their
heels, rushed in a body directly towards the enemy. This augmented
the confusion of the rebels, who supposed it to be an attack of
cavalry, and their rout was rendered inglorious by the assistance of
a pack of mules.-Military History of Grant, Badeau, pages 449 and
450.
7The
rebel authorities were greatly chagrined at this achievement, and
their newspapers were full of lamentations. Mr. Jefferson Davis had
visited Lookout Mountain only a week before, and feasted his eyes
with the sight of the national army, shut up among the hills, like
an animal ready for slaughter; and now, at a single stroke the prey
had been snatched from his grasp. The door for relief was opened,
and from a besieged and isolated army, the force in Chattanooga had
suddenly become the assailant. It was Bragg who was now on the
defensive.-Military History of Grant, Badeau, page 451.
The
army felt as if it had been miraculously relieved. Its spirit
revived at once, the depression of Chickamauga was shaken off, and
the unshackled giant stood erect.-Military History of Grant, Badeau,
page 452.
EXTRACT
FROM MAJOR GENERAL HOOKER'S REPORT
HEADQUARTERS,
ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH CORPS,
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,
LOOKOUT VALLEY, TENNESSEE,
November 6, 1863.
"During
these operations, a heavy musketry fire, with occasional
discharges of artillery, continued to reach us from Geary. It was
evident that a formidable adversary had gathered around him, and
that he was battering him with all his might. For almost three
hours, without assistance he repelled the repeated attacks of
vastly superior numbers, and in the end drove them ingloriously
from the field. At one time they had enveloped him on three sides,
under circumstances that would have dismayed any officer except
one endowed with an iron will and the most exalted courage. Such
is the character of General Geary. With this ended the fight. We
had repelled every attack, carried every point assaulted, thrown
the enemy headlong over the river, and more than all, secured our
new communications for the time being, per adventure. * * * The
force opposed to us consisted of two of Longstreet's Divisions,
and corresponded in number to our corps. From the prisoners we
learn that they had watched the column as it descended the valley,
and confidently counted on its annihilation. X X
JOSEPH
HOOKER,
Major General commanding.
Moore's
Rebellion Record, Fol. 7, Does., p. 584.
EXTRACT FROM MAJOR GENERAL THOMAS' REPORT
HEAD-QUARTERS,
DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
CHATTANOOGA,
October 30, 1863.
The
repulse by Geary's Division of greatly superior numbers, who
attempted to surprise him, will rank among the most distinguished
feats of arms of this war.
GEORGE
H. THOMAS,
Major General commanding.
Moore's
Rebellion Record, Vol. 7, Does., p. 588.
8Geary's
Division supported by Whitaker's Brigade of Cruft's Division, was
ordered to proceed up the valley, cross the creek near Wauhatchie,
and then march down, sweeping the rebels from the right bank of the
stream.-Military History of Grant, Badeau, page 488.
9Simultaneously
with these operations, the troops of Geary were pushing up the
mountain; his right passed directly under the muzzles of the enemy's
guns on the summit, climbing over ledges and boulders, up hill and
down, dislodging the enemy wherever he attempted to make a stand.
-Military History of Grant, Badeau, page 499.
10
At two o'clock operations were arrested by darkness. The clouds
which had moved over and enveloped the summit, and favored the
movements of Hooker, had been gradually settling, lower and lower,
and from the moment that the peak of the mountain was rounded, it
was only from the rattle of musketry and the flashes of fire through
the clouds, or the occasional glimpses of lines or standards, as the
fog rose or fell, that those in the valley could trace the progress
of the battle. At four, Hooker informed his immediate superior that
his line was impregnable, and commanded the enemy's defenses with an
enfilading fire. Lookout Mountain was carried, -Military History of
Grant, Badeau, page 500.
11
EXTRACT FROM GENERAL HOOKER'S OFFICIAL REPORT
*
* * During the night the enemy had quietly abandoned the mountain,
leaving behind twenty thousand rations, the camp and garrison
equipage of three brigades, and other material, * *
JOSEPH
HOOKER,
Major General commanding.
Moore's
Rebellion Record, Vol. 8, Does, 213.
EXTRACT
FROM GENERAL THOMAS' OFFICIAL REPORT.
*
* * By four o'clock on the morning of the 24th, General Hooker
reported his troops in position and ready to advance. Finding
Lookout creek so much swollen as to be impassable, he sent Geary's
Division, supported by Cruft's two brigades to cross the creek at
Wauhatchie and work down on the right bank, while he employed the
remainder of his force in constructing temporary bridges across
the creek on the main road. The enemy being attracted by the force
on the road until his column was directly on their left and
threatened their rear. Hooker's movements were facilitated by the
heavy -mist which overhung the mountain, enabling Geary to get
into position without attracting attention. Finding himself
vigorously pushed by a strong column on his left and rear, the
enemy began -to fall back with rapidity; but his resistance was
obstinate, and the entire point of the mountain was not carried
until about two P. M., when General Hooker reported by telegraph
that he had carried the mountain as far as the road from
Chattanooga valley to White House. Soon after his main column
coming up, his line was extended to the foot of the mountain, near
the mouth of Chattanooga creek. * * * Continuous and heavy
skirmishing was kept up in Hooker's front until ten at night,
after which there was an unusual quietness along our whole front,
* *
Instructions
were sent to General Hooker to be ready to advance, on the morning
of the 25th, from his position on the point of Lookout Mountain to
the Summertown road, and endeavor to intercept the enemy's
retreat, if he had not already withdrawn, which he was to
ascertain by pushing a reconnaissance to the top of Lookout
Mountain. The reconnaissance was made as directed and was
ascertained that the enemy had evacuated during the night. * * *
GEORGE
H. THOMAS,
Major General commanding.
Moore's
Rebellion Record, Vol. 8, Does., p. 208.
12But
such was the impetuosity of Hooker's advance that their front line
was routed before an opportunity was allowed even to prepare a
determined resistance. The bulk of the rebel left now sought
refuge behind a second line, and thence was driven out, till the
flight became almost a running one - Military History of Grant,
Badeau, page 513.
Source: Bates,
Samuel P. History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65,
Harrisburg, 1868-1871.
