Grant County, Wisconsin - Chapter 4: Third and Fifth Infantry, 1900

Chapter 4: Third and Fifth Infantry

We left the second Grant County company at Boscobel that mem¬ orable Monday, April 22, 1861, organized and named the "Grant County Union Guards." It went into camp at Fond du Lac, about the 15th of June, and became company F of the Third Infantrj\ At this camp, called Camp Hamilton, the regiment acquired great effi¬ ciency in drill. They were a remarkably stalwart lot of men, mostly farmers and lumbermen. They were uniformed in the "cadet gray," as were the other Wisconsin regiments. The regiment contained the fol¬ lowing Grant County men :

The regiment left Fond du Lac for Hagerstown, Maryland, August 12, 1861, with-an ovation from the citizens of Fond du Lac. On the march through Chicago the regiment was highly complimented by the Chicago papers. From Hagerstown the regiment marched to Harp¬ er's Ferry, and thence to Darnestown, Maryland, where it went into camp August 20.

On the 22d of October the regiment left Frederick and hastened to Conrad's Ferry, twenty-six miles distant, to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of their success at Ball's Bluff. Thence, on the 26th, it moved farther down the Potomac to Muddy Branch, eighteen miles from Washington. On the 1st of December the regiment returned to Fredericksburg, >vhere it was detailed as provost guard.

The Third Wisconsin became a part of the Third Brigade, First Di¬ vision, Fifth Corps. Oir the 25th of February it marched to Sandy Hook, opposite Harper's Ferry and joined General Banks's command. The next day it assisted in laying a bridge across the Potomac, and crossed with the army to Harper's Ferry, from which place it soon 9et out on a march of one hundred miles up the Shenandoah Valley to Harrisonburg. On the night of the 23d of May disastrous news from the fugitives made it apparent that a very large force of Rebels was threatening the Union forces at Strasburg. Precautionary orders were given to pack and send forward to Winchester the brigade and regimental trains. Such trains as started that night were saved. At ten o'clock in the morning of the 24th the brigade to which the Third Wisconsin was attached moved forward toward Freetown on the road to Winchester, to check the approach of the enemy in that direction. At two o'clock in the afternoon it moved back to protect the rear, which had suffered from a damaging attack. It found the enemy at Middletown with a force of both infantry and artillery, and drove them from the place ; but fearing that a larger force of the enemy might sur¬ round it, the brigade began to retreat toward Winchester, eight miles distant, which the rear reached at 2:30 in the morning. The brigade was without shelter or rations. The men had left their haversacks and knapsacks when they went into battle, and had been unable torecover them.

Second Battle Of Winchester

At the dawn of Sunday morning, May 25, a large Rebel force drove in the Union pickets. The Union force immediately formed a line of battle. It numbered about four thousand men, and the enemy about six times that. But the Union troops gallantly resisted the immense odds for two hours and a half, until it seemed madness to resist any longer the overwhelming columns of Rebels swinging around the Union right flank. Then, slowly and in good order, the Union troops fell back, undismayed by the terrible fire that was poured upon them. The Rebel infantry harassed their rear and the Rebel cavalry dashed

The battery of the Third Brigade at first drove the enemy in its front; but it was found that the Rebels were deploying their heavy col¬ umns behind a ridge to cut off the Union retreat. Soon they appeared in overwhelming force and the Third Brigade had to fall back. Two regiments withdrew, but the Third Wisconsin made a stand behind a stone wall and obliged the enemv to halt until he could bring up his artillery, when the Third fell back some distance and made another stand, and thus delayed the Rebels some fifteen minutes, in which time the scattered and broken regiments and batteries made their escape from the field. General Banks subsequently thanked the regiment in a general order, specially naming and commending the regiment, read before all the regiments of the corps.

A correspondent of the New York Post , in an account of this bat¬ tle, made honorable mention of the Third Wisconsin. He spoke of its being exposed at one time to an enfilading fire from four or five Rebel regiments, and yet, "as cool as if on parade, faced about and marched down the hill toward town, and through the town in excellent order, although exposed to a galling fire.,,

At dark of that Sunday night the Union troops reached the Poto¬ mac, which they rapidly crossed, having fought a battle of two hours and a half after five o'clock in the morning, and then retreated from a pursuing enemy thirty -six miles, preserving all their baggage trains, all their ordnance, and all their subsistence and supplies which they had when the battle began.

The Third Wisconsin lost three men killed, fifteen wounded, and seventy-nine missing, the latter chiefly captured on the retreat. Its march had been farther than that of the other regiments, and some of the regiment had fought one battle more than most of the other reg¬ iments.

On the 12th of June the Third Wisconsin marched from Williams¬ port to Winchester, back up the Shenandoah, thirty-four miles. Thence it marched to Front Royal, twenty miles, and encamped there on the 18th of June. On the 6th of July the Third Brigade left Front Royal with its division, and much discomforted by the excessive heat, moved toward central Virginia by way of Gaines's Cross Roads and Warrenton, and encamped at Little Washington on the 17th. Leaving that place on the 5th of Aughst, the brigade marched by way of Culpeper

Cedar Mountain

Early in the action three companies of the Third Wisconsin skir¬ mished through the woods in front of the regiment's position, without important developments. Crawford's brigade had entered a piece of woods and taken an advanced position, and soon the Third Wisconsin was placed on the right of Crawford's line. Soon the order to for¬ ward double-quick came. Timber and thick underbrush impeded the advance and broke the line. At the farther edge of the woods the reg¬ iment had to climb over a rail fence in full view of the enemy about two hundred yards distant, on the opposite side of a stubble-field, in the edge of another piece of woods. Moreover, the enemy's line ex¬ tended so much farther to the right than the Union line as to give them the opportunity of an oblique fire on the Third Wisconsin, and some, even a flank fire. As the Union troops advanced they were exposed to a terrible fire from the front, flank, and finally from the rear. The far¬ ther they advanced the worse the fire, and to avoid complete destruc¬ tion, they fell back. In that short action the killed and wcfunded in some companies were one-fourth of the whole, and in two companies, one-third. The Third rallied and moved over and took a position with the remainder of the Third Brigade, which had not suffered so se¬ verely. There the regiment remained and fought until the whole line fell back, on account of having its right flank turned by the enemy.

In this battle Company F lost fourteen out of its forty-four men. The conflict had been terrible, the Rebels greatly outnumbering the Union men.

The Third Wisconsin, in Banks's corps, was within sound of the cannonading during the battles of Gainesville and the second Bull Run, but the corps was not ordered up to the support of Pope's hardpressed and retreating army.

A part of Banks's corps, including the Third Wisconsin, moved from Alexandria, September 4, by way of Frederick and Boonesboro, a distance of seventy-five miles, to the field of Antietara, where, on the 17th, it took part in this famous battle.

Third Wisconsin behaved with great steadiness and fortitude, maintain¬ ing itself in an exposed position with heavy loss, but without flinch¬ ing, and finally, with the other Union troops, driving the enemy. The regiment lost 197 in killed and wounded out of 345, almost two-thirds. Of these, twenty-seven were killed. The regiment fought in an open field and a heavy fire was directed toward its colors. The color-bearer was shot down and all of the color-guard killed or wounded, when pri¬ vate J. E. Collins seized the flag and bravely bore it during the rest of the engagment.

On the 19th of September, after the battle of Antietam, the Third Wisconsin moved to Maryland Hights, twenty miles and remained there until the 30th, when it was attached to the defenses of the upper Potomac and stationed at the Antietam Iron Works, ten miles above Harper's Ferry. On the 10th of December the regiment was sent with its corps to join the Army of the Potomac at Falmouth, and from that place it marched eighty miles to Dumfries, Virginia, and subsequently twenty miles to Fairfax Station, where it remained until January 3, 1863, when it moved eight miles to Wolf Run Shoal. On the 18th it moved to Stafford Court House, where, with the Twelfth Corps, to which it was attached, it remained until the 25th of April.

About the first of March the regiment received a very flattering notice from General Hooker, as the result of its high standing in a gen¬ eral inspection of the army.

On the 27th of April the regiment crossed the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford, taking the advance on the road leading to Germania Ford, on the Rapidan, six companies being deployed as skirmishers. On reaching the Rapidan, the enemy was found posted on the opposite side, behind the bank and some houses, guarding the ford. A sharp skirmish ensued, in which the regiment took part, being thrown for¬ ward on the left of the road. The Rebels attempted to escape, but their line of retreat was cut off by the Third Wisconsin, which poured a deadly fire upon them, when they raised a white flag, forded the river and surrendered. The Union troops immediately crossed the river which was deep and strong, and camped on the opposite side in a drenching rain, and on the 30th resumed the march toward Freder¬ icksburg, and camped in the " Wilderness** near Chancellorville that night. On the 1st of May the Third Wisconsin moved from the " Wil¬ derness" toward Fredericksburg and took position as pickets. It im¬ mediately discovered the enemy in front in the woods. The Rebels pressed back the left of the regiment, which took position behind a fence, converted it into a breastwork, and held it the rest of the day. On the afternoon of the 2d the regiment moved forward some distance. On returning to its works, it found them occupied b3r the Rebels, and it lost its knapsacks, shelter-tents, blankets, and rations. About ten o'clock at night the skirmishers were driven in and a volley fired over the heads of the regiment, followed by a wild yelling of the enemy. The Third fired on the Rebels, and a part of the Thirteenth New Jer¬ sey, in the darkness, opened fire on the rear of the Third.

At daybreak on the morning of the third the enemy made a vigor¬ ous attack with infant^*. The Third replied with a well-directed fire, checked the advance of the Rebels and drove them back about onethird of a mile. About ten o'clock in the forenoon the muskets of the regiment became so foul they could hardly be loaded, and the regiment was relieved. The commander of the division reported that if all the troops had done as well as the Third Wisconsin, the Union side would have gained a decided victory.

The Third Wisconsin took part in the cavalry engagement near Brandy Station June 4, 1863. There one hundred and twenty of the regiment had a fight for an hour with a Rebel regiment of dismounted cavalry, who were making hot work for Deven's brigade.

On the 16th of June the regiment rejoined its corps, and marched to Gettysburg, arriving on the evening of the first day of the battle. The next morning it took position in front along a rocky, wooded-ridge, north of the Baltimore pike, where for two hours it engaged in some desultory firing, when it was withdrawn and posted along the east bank of Rock Creek. Here the regiment threw up breastworks of rails and earth and threw down such stone walls and other fences as might furnish shelter for the enemy in its front. It now rested until six o'clock in the evening, when the brigade went to the left of the line, where the fighting was severe, and took position in the line of battle, but too late to participate. At dark the brigade went back to the place it had fortified during the day, which was found to be enfiladed by the enemy, who had crossed the breastworks of the Federals and severed their line. The regiment rested on their arms during the night, facing the enemy. At daylight next morning they were roused by a volley from the Rebels. The Third moved forward and to the right, to the cover of some bushes and rocks, and hastily constructed some breastworks of rails Tw o companies were now thrown out as skirm¬ ishers, with instructions to keep themselves well covered from the fire of the Rebel sharpshooters on the Federal right. These companies were occasionally relieved and a constant fire kept up until eleven o'clock in the forenoon, when the regiment moved forward and again occupied the defenses built the day before, driving the enemy before them and taking some prisoners. The regiment remained in this posi¬ tion until the next day, engaged in a desultory fire with the Rebel sharpshooters and skirmishers. The chief locality occupied bv the regiment w*as so favorable and well protected that its loss in this bloody battle w*as only two killed and eleven wrounded. Both the killed were in the Grant County company: Thomas Barton and Wil¬ liam Wagner George Kolb of the same company w*as w'ounded.

Atlanta Campaign

The regiment started for New' York August 16, 1863, just after the noted riot there, and returned to Alexandria September 5. They w'ent to the Army of the Cumberland with Hooker, going by rail to Stevenson, Ala., via Cincinnati. October 3 they were sent back to Decherd, Tennessee, to guard the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad. On December 21st three-fourths of the regiment reenlisted and took a veteran furlough.

The Third took part in the Atlanta campaign, being in the Twen¬ tieth Corps. The regiment joined its brigade a few days before the ac¬ tion at Resaca, and on the 13th of May, took position in front of the enemy's wforks. The following day it supported the Fourth Corps, skirmishing, but losing no men. On the 15th it took part in the battle, fighting from behind some hastily constructed breastworks of logs and rails. An entire division of Rebels charged upon them with an unearthly yell, and confident of victory. Driving in our skirmishers, they advanced to within one hundred and fifty yards of our main line.

The regiment then poured a deadly fire upon them. The enemy were checked and driven from the field in disorder. The Third now charged, and captured forty prisoners. Fifty dead Rebels were found on the field, and a few mortally wounded. The regiment's loss was three killed, twenty-seven wounded, and one missing. The breastworks of rails saved many lives.

The regiment took part in the severe conflict on the 25th of May, near New Hope Church, sometimes called the battle of Dallas. The enemy was found strongly entrenched at the crossing of the Dallas, Marietta, and Ackworth roads. The brigade advanced directly on the enemy's works, the Third Wisconsin occupying the center, with its left wing on the Marietta road. In this hard-fought battle no decided advantage was gained, further than learning the strength of the enemy, they being well entrenched, with superior numbers, in a wellchosen position. Notwithstanding that more than one-half of the Third consisted of recruits who had never before been under fixe, the regiment fought with unexcelled bravery, not a single instance of flinching being seen. The regiment fought only 150 yards from the Rebel works and faced a battery firing grape for two hours. Its loss was fourteen killed and ninety-seven wounded, twelve mortally. The wounded of Company F were: Sergeant Samuel Bartholomew, pri¬ vates William Holmes and Philander Tucker.

On the 21st of June the Third Wisconsin was ordered to the Pow¬ der Spring road. In attempting to reach it the regiment met a super¬ ior force of the enemy and fought them until it was deemed best to fall back and await reinforcements. A New York regiment came up soon and both regiments advanced against the Rebels, driving them and taking possession of their position. The Third lost one killed and seven wounded. It held its position and was engaged in constant picket and skirmish duty until the 3d of July, having lost, during the several engagements about the mountain, one killed and seventeen wounded, of whom three soon died.

In the battle of Peach Tree Creek, July 20, near Atlanta, the Third Wiscdnsin crossed the creek under the fire of the enemy's artillery, but was not engaged in the battle, although it lost two killed and five wounded. It was occupied in completing and strengthening the works, which it held until the 22d, when it advanced two miles to within sight of Atlanta.

under fire until August 25, when it fell back to the Chattahoochee River, to aid in preventing a movement of the Rebel army in that di¬ rection. During the campaign, including the battles of Resaca, New Hope Church, Kulp Farm, and Peach Tree Creek, the regiment lost 23 killed, 162 wounded, and one missing.

After the fall of Atlanta, the Third went with Sherman in the fam¬ ous "March to the Sea." While upon this march the regiment served as provost guard at Milledgeville, where it seized a large amount of Confederate property , including arms and amunition, which was either burned or thrown into the river. The regiment thus disposed of 2,300 muskets, 500 lances, 1,500 cutlasses, 150 boxes of field artillery ammu¬ nition, 200 kegs of powder, and 16 hogsheads of salt. About 1,500 pounds of tobacco was distributed among the troops. On the 24th of November the regiment rejoined the brigade ; on the 26th it de¬ stroyed half a mile of the Savannah and Macon Railroad at Tennille Station. On the 29th it burned about three million feet of lumber and timber, among which was the material prepared for building four com¬ plete railroad bridges. On the 11th of December the regiment went to Argyle Island, in the Savannah River, to seize rice and other Confeder¬ ate stores and reconnoiter the South Carolina shore. While crossing the river, an armed but disabled steamer of the Rebels was boarded by the regiment and taken to the Georgia shore, with six officers and nineteen men prisoners. On the 15th five companies, after a reconnoissance of two miles, retreated before a large force of Rebels. On the 19th the whole brigade crossed and had some skirmishing, returning to the island on the 21st.

The Third took part in the march through the Carolinas and was in the battle of Averysboro, losing twenty-seven killed and wounded. At the battle of Bentonville the Third especially distinguished itself.

After Johnston's surrender, th^ Third marched to Richmond and thence to Washington and participated in the grand review. It went to Louisville with the Western army and was assigned to the Four¬ teenth Corps. It reached Madison July 23 and was discharged. It lost from casualties of battle, nearly seven hundred men. .

This regiment went into camp at Madison early in July, 1861. It contained the following Grant County men: Quartermaster John G. Clark, Lancaster. Co. E - Wm. McClure, Jamestown. Co. H - Wm. H. Smith, Henry C. Gray, George W. Wilsie, Lancaster. Co. I - John

There were too few men from the countv to justify an extended history of the regiment. The regiment left the State July 24 and ar¬ rived at Washington August 8, and went into camp at Fort Marcy. On March 19, 1862, it left its winter quarters and joined McClellan's army on the York peninsula. It took part in some skirmishes about Yorktown and in the battle of Williamsburg, capturing in that battle the flag of the Fifth North Carolina. General McClellan made an ad¬ dress to the regiment, highly complimenting it for its part in that bat¬ tle. It had considerable fighting and skirmishing during the Seven Days' Battle.

Returning by water to Alexandria, the regiment reached there July 24, 1862. With Franklin's corps, it arrived on the battlefield of the Second Bull Run, too late to take part in the battle. The regi¬ ment returned to Alexandria and remained there till September 6, when it marched to take part in the campaign in Maryland. It was in the reserve in the battle of South Mountain.

The Fifth appeared, early on the morning of the 17th, on the bloody field of Antietam, reinforcing Hooker's and Sumner's corps, then hard pressed by the enemy. It supported the artillery under a heavy artillery fire from the enemy, but without loss. It was in line of battle all the next day.

On the 19th of September, 1862, the regiment moved to Bakersville, Maryland. On the 11th of October it marched northward to in¬ tercept Stuart's cavalr}' in their attempt to sweep around McClellan's jarmy. It encamped at Hagerstown on the 13th, and remained there until the 31st, when it moved to Boonesboro. On the morning of November 3 the regiment crossed the Potomac at Berlin into Virginia and marched down the valley.

It took part in the battle of Fredericksburg, December 12th and 13th, being at the front, but not in heavy fighting. On the 20th pf January; 1863, it set out through mud and rain on a terribly hard, but short and abortive, march to gain the southern bank of the Rap¬ pahannock. On February 2 it was assigned to the "Light Division/' intended for reconnoissances, but lay in winter quarters for nearly three months.

April, 1863, and marched about five miles The same evening it helped to carry the pontoons down to the river, in which it was occupied most of the night. The next day it marched all day and camped with¬ out tents or blankets On the 30th the regiment rested. Three men were mortally wounded by picket firing. Toward evening on the second of May, having crossed the river, the regiment advanced and drove the Rebels into their intrenchments. Soon after dark it re¬ turned to its old position, left knapsacks and haversacks, and marched six miles up the river to Fredericksburg, arriving at daylight ou the third. In passing through the city, it was exposed to a terrible artil¬ lery fire and had thirteen men wounded. It soon took part in storm¬ ing the formidable position of Marye's Heights. The right wing went forward as skirmishers and the left wing followed in line of battle. The Rebels opened on the assaulting column, at about a hundred yards distance, with a terrific fire of musketry from behind stone walls and in rifle pits at the right and a heavy fire of shell and canister from batteries on the crest of the hill. The Union batteries were firing over the heads of the advancing Union infantry. Of the 225 in the right wing of the Fifth about a hundred fdl, but the remainder rushed up to the stone wall, leaped it in a twinkling, and were among the fleeing Rebels. The Fifth captured nine cannon, many small arms, and sev¬ eral hundred prisoners. Other regiments came up at the right and left and captured batteries and positions. The Fifth then went to the assistance of Brookes's and Howe's divisions, which were fighting to¬ ward the ford of the river. There it lost twenty-six more men in a few minutes. At three o'clock the next morning the Fifth crossed the river and worked all the following day in taking up the pontoon bridges and dragging them by hand up a steep ascent half a mile.

After the battle of Chancellorville the "Light Division" was disbanded, the Fifth Wisconsin being assigned to Russell's Brigade, First Division, Sixth Corps. That corps was kept at Fredericksburg after the main army bad marched up the Potomac to watch the movements of Lee. But the Sixth Corps moved on the 13th of June, crossed the Potomac on the 27th, and reached. Gettysburg at two o'clock in the afternoon on the 2d of July, marcliing, on the average, twenty miles a day, and within the last seventeen hours making thirty-two miles. In the battle the Fifth Wisconsin remained in the position assigned it, on the left of the line, protecting the left flank of the army until the conflict was over; and although at tim^s exposed to heavy artillery fire, not a man was injured.

The regiment took part in two days* battle at the Wilderness, los¬ ing the first day 164 killed and wounded, and on the second day 38, and capturing the Twenty-fifth Virginia. It was in two days' fighting at Spottsvlvania, charging a Rebel battery and line of rifle pits, losing seventy killed and wounded. On June 1, 1864, the regiment arrived at Cold Harbor and was there under fire until the evening of the 12th. Of the Grant County men, Abram Adkins and John Ander¬ son were wounded in this series of battles.

After the muster-out of the main part of the regiment in August, 1864, seven new companies were recruited in Wisconsin, leaving the State October 20, and joining the Independent Battalion before Petersburg, December 4. They were in the battle of Hatcher's Run and took part in the charge on Petersburg, April 2, 1865. In pursuit of the enemy, they marched through a deep swamp at Sailor's Creek, and came under a heavy fire. General Ewell and his staff surrendered to seven men of Company A. The regiment lost sixteen killed and seventy-nine wounded. It shared in the review at Washington and reached Madison June 26.