requiem guns of her gallant crew we had heard down the river, at
short intervals, the night before, as she floated with the current, a
helpless wreck, and that these guns were discharged only as they
became sufhciently heated by the consuming fire; that it was the
explosion of her magazine, when reached at last by the flames,
that caused us so much wonder at the close of the battle, and
that, with that explosion, the gallant craft herself was 'forever
numbered among the things that were.' "
THE RECONNOISSANCE,
To Mrs. Moors : —
Baton Rouge, March 13, 1863. — At last we are ready for the
movement, for the long-anticipated movement. The start was
grand and imposing, as all military displays are. We are no
longer playing soldiers, but we are going into real service. Of
course, we knew nothing of the plans of the campaign, — they were
only for the chief officers ; but we had no doubt that we were
ready to assail the rebel entrenchments at Port Hudson. One
brigade after another, with its infantry and artillery, was wheeled
into its assigned place in the line, which extended as far as the eye
could reach. Every flag was unfurled, the bands played their most
inspiring music.
At the start the chaplain of the 5 2d Regiment furnished the
boys with a good deal of entertainment.
The day was hot. The march promised to be a long one, and
the load for each man was burdensome. A good many asked, as
a favor of the chaplain, that he would take their blankets upon his
horse. He consented ; and they were piled up in front and be-
hind him, till little more than his head was visible. Then the boys
began to chaff, calling out: "The chaplain is well barricaded : the
rebels cannot hit him. Nothing short of a shell can reach him,"
etc. They had their laugh, but were glad to be relieved of their
blankets. It was our first march. We had been ordered to leave
everything superfluous behind. But- what did raw soldiers know of
what was superfluous? A few of us officers employed a colored
brother to carry in a bag upon his back a few articles we thought
indispensable. Returning sooner than we expected, we found that
his bag contained the following articles : tin cups, plates, boots,
sugar, coffee, tea (done up in my night-cap), bread, meat, a hair
comb, tooth-brushes, potatoes, knives, forks, towels, shirts, stock-
ings, and a curry-comb.
72 HISTORY OF THE 52D REGIMENT
We made a different inventory of things necessary before the
end of the campaign. We then found that a rubber blanket served
for house and bed. A tin plate and cup with an iron knife and
fork furnished all that was indispensable for kitchen and dining-
room. A tooth-brush and towels were all that were really needed
for the toilet. The one shirt could be washed in the muddy pool
in the rear of the camp, from which we obtained all our water,
wrung out as soon as washed and slipped on again. For parlor
we had all out-of doors, only we must not lift our heads very high,
unless we wanted to try their hardness against rebel bullets.
Much that we had been accustomed to regard as necessities we
found to be superfluities. I became so accustomed to use my
boots for a pillow, and they served the purpose so well, I wrote
home to sell out my share of the house pillows, as I proposed to
continue the use of my boots for that purpose henceforth. But I
am anticipating.
We halted for the brigades to be formed. Regiments moved
into line from every quarter. The infantry, cavalry, and artillery,
of which there were several splendid batteries, made our eiifective
force. At four o'clock the Jine was formed, and we started on
our way for Port Hudson. It was a grand and imposing spectacle.
The line stretched on as far as the eye could reach ; and, as the
road was level and straight, we could see a great way. At the
cross of the roads other regiments were waiting to take their
places, and the men cheered them heartily. Our regiment was
among the first in Col. Van Zandt's brigade, in Gen. Grover's
division.
It was Friday. We marched till 8 p.m., about eight miles. It
was a glorious evening, not very warm. The roads straight and
level and in good condition for marching. The trees are getting
into full leaf, the peach-trees in full blossom, the fences covered
with roses in full bloom, trumpet-flowers and a profusion of others
on either side, the men in good condition, singing and joking. I
rode in the rear of the regiment till sundown, and then put a Co.
K boy on Dolly and took his gun, which I carried for two hours.
It was quite dark when we halted, but starlight.
We left the road and wheeled into a corn-field full of ridges, just
as it was left when last year's crop was taken off. We halted on
a spot a little dryer than most, and there spent the night. We
had hard-tack, drank some cold coffee from our canteens, and
turned in. Going to bed consisted in taking off my spurs. It
THE MARCH TO PORT HUDSON 73
was a splendid opportunity to study astronomy. I could have
told you in the morning the exact position of several constella-
tions I was warm enough ; but the rubber blanket over us was
wet with dew before we went to sleep. At first the men were a
little troubled at the want of pillows, but my saddle-bags answered
for two of us. My end contained the curry-comb and brushes,
and I confess it was rather a hard pillow. We were not allowed
to have any fires till after daylight. As it was getting light, our
pickets came in, while I was looking for some coffee for breakfast,
and brought two sheep. I took hold and helped carry them to
our sleeping places. The pickets were in great glee over their
two sheep. But their fine story was soon spoiled by my cousin
Hall, adjutant of the ist Louisiana Cavalry, whom I met just
then, who called out, " Cousin John, where are your sheep ? "
"What sheep?" I inquired. "Why, those I sent you .this morn-
ing." He then told me that he was out on picket with his cavalry
company, and killed some sheep, and, coming upon some infan-
try pickets, he found they belonged to the 52d Regiment, and so
gave them to bring in to me. The sheep were dressed, cooked,
and eaten in about the same length of time it takes me to tell the
story. By sunrise the order was given to "fall in." We were
soon on our way. The morning was delightful, the birds singing
merrily, and the air filled with fragrance. If we had been upon a
more peaceful errand, it w6uld have been as pleasant as possible.
When we came to a house, there would be great fun. The men
would rush in for water and whatever else they could find. Ball,
my assistant, found a pan of milk, and filled his canteen ; and I
had a swig of it, — the first milk I have tasted since I left home.
Some of the men would run down a hen or goose, bring it along,
and pick it as they marched.
It became very warm before noon ; and I offered Dolly to
Ford, of Co. A, as he was likely to fall out. I rode Dolly out of
the line for him to mount ; but no sooner was he in the saddle
than Dolly reared and fell over backwards. He was not hurt, and
tried it again and again. Dolly threw herself over, and rolled in
the ditch. He was not hurt, but got on at last, and rode till he
came up with the regiment. Then I took the jade, and kept her.
I think her determination was to carry no one but the chaplain.
The men became very weary, and fell out fearfully ; but they
brought up in the course of the day. When we halted, we were
drawn up in line of battle ; and we green ones supposed it was to
74 HISTORY OF THE 5 2D REGIMENT
be fought at once on that spot. The 91st New York was in front
of us, then the 520!, then the 24th Connecticut. Behind them was
the battery of our brigade. After standing for a while in battle
array, we were ordered to "fall to," but not on rebels, but on
rations. The 52d were on the left of the road : on the right of us,
a piece of woods, on the edge of which the field and staff made their
headquarters. Fires were at once started, and the indispensable
dish of coffee made, which washed down the hard-tack. A slice
of Bologna sausage was added to the chaplain's mess, without the
least inquiry as to the breed of dogs of which it was made. About
three o'clock the order was received for the 5 2d Regiment to march
without knapsacks or tents. It seemed to be a reconnoissance.
I asked the colonel if I should go or stay. He thought I might
as well stay behind with the baggage, as the regiment would return
before night. So there I spent the time till the regiment returned.
Ball and I had a shelter tent, and I was soon sound asleep. If I
were thirty years younger, I should enjoy this sort of thing tip-
top.
Regiments were passing all the evening, and a great many men
fell out near our tent. For them I prepared coffee, and arranged
some logs and rails for a shelter for them. About eleven o'clock
the grand display commenced. We could lie in our tents, the sides
of which were open, and see the sudden flashes of light, as of light-
ning on the horizon, and then see the curve of the shot or shell ;
presently could hear the booming of the big guns. At first they
were single discharges, and the reports were slow and solemn as
they rolled through the woods. Soon they became more rapid,
and report followed report ; but they could not be distinguished
from each other, except when some gun of larger calibre was fired,
when it would make the ground tremble beneath us. I could not
sleep, but, leaning on my elbow, watched the flashes and the
graceful curves of the shot and shell till I was weary of it, then
lay down again, quite unconscious of anything. When I awaked,
the firing had nearly ceased. Only occasional reports were heard
down the river. It filled us who were watching with great anx-
iety. It looked very much as though the rebels had fairly driven
our gun and mortar boats back down the river toward Baton Rouge.
We could see on the river a bright and sudden light gradually
moving down the stream. Was it one of our vessels on fire ?
I did not know. But it was certainly connected with the firing we
had been hearing. At last there was a splendid flash which illu-
THE MARCH TO PORT HUDSON 75
minated the whole heavens. Then rolled up mingled flame and
smoke to the sky, and all the air was filled with masses of fire.
Soon a report followed, and the bright light disappeared. The fire
was out. It was a glorious sight. There is the greatest curiosity
to know what it all meant. All manner of rumors in the morning
were offered about it. First that it was the " Mississippi " steam
frigate, and then that it was a rebel fire-craft. I am inclined to
the latter guess, for no better reason than I hope that it is the case.
Daylight came at last. I was hastening to provide Dolly with
provisions for the regiment, but chanced to meet Gen. Grover, who
assured me that the regiment would be speedily relieved, and that
it would be useless to attempt to carry provisions to them. Soon
came word that a retreat to Baton Rouge was the next thing for us.
A mysterious order came to the effect that, " the object of the
expedition having been accomplished, the army will return."
Daniel W, Lyman writes to the Northampton Gazette: —
"On the 13th, at one o'clock, we received orders to be
ready to march in an hour. Our brigade was made up of the 91st
New York leading off, followed by the 52d Massachusetts and the
24th Connecticut. Nims's battery was with us, besides several
companies of cavalry. We marched about six miles, where the
regiment encamped ; but Cos. I and K, under command of Major
Winn, were put on picket duty, with orders not to sleep at all.
My opinion is that these orders were not strictly obeyed. The
next morning the companies on picket were started before they
had time to eat breakfast. Some succeeded in getting a cup of
coffee, but most went off without even that. About seven o'clock
the column was in motion. The day was hot, and we rested oc-
casionally, but not too often ; for it is hard work for a man to
walk with a knapsack on his back, the haversack on one shoulder,
with two days' rations, a canteen full of water, on the other
shoulder gun and equipments, with forty rounds of ammunition.
Resting for a little while at noon, we started on for two miles, on
the double-quick most of the way. Then we proceeded cautiously
through the mud and water, a squad of cavalry before and behind
us, when Capt. Bliss, who was out with his company as skir-
mishers, discovered the rebel earth-works some half or three-quar-
ters of a mile in advance. We presently fell back a mile or two,
and were ordered to halt and remain in the woods over night, to
guard the road and bridges. This was rather tough for us, from
the fact that we had no overcoats or blankets, and to camp down
76 HISTORY OF THE 5 2D REGIMENT
as wet with sweat as we were then seemed destructive to the
health of us all ; but that was the order, and there was no getting
away from it. But a fence near by furnished good material for a
bed, with a few leaves on top, so that we were tolerably comforta-
ble. A little past midnight Nims's battery passed us, and poured
back fire into their entrenchments. About three o'clock in the
morning a light was seen off towards the river, and it grew
brighter and brighter for an hour, and seemed to go down the
river, and finally a tremendous explosion was heard, after which
the firing ceased, and all was quiet. In the morning we heard all
manner of rumors; but the most probable one seemed to be, what
afterwards proved to be true, that our grand steam frigate, the
'Mississippi,' was blown up."
Corp. Hosmer's account in the " Color Guard," March 13 : —
"We are all in heavy order. An effective looking crowd,
though not exactly smooth and neat. We are on the point of
starting. The colonel comes riding back from the general with
the resolute smile he usually wears, but a little more expanded
than common. The colonel whispers to Capt. Long, whereat the
captain catches the smile and comes back towards his company,
the ' Color Guard ' : ' Gen. Grover says the 52d Regiment is the
best nine months' regiment in the service.' A little butter of that
sort will help over the hard march. That the general knows well
enough.
" The weather is grand. We are in a heavy magnolia forest.
The sun's rays cannot reach us. We go mile after mile. The
road is what it should be, not muddy nor dry enough to be dusty,
wide enough for the regiment to march comfortably by the flank
in sections of four deep. Sometimes we go over a hill, and then
ahead and behind we can see the big column of infantry, — a huge
caterpillar, eating its way through the woods, joints along its back
where the sections are separated, spiny as a caterpillar's back is,
with hundreds of muskets sticking out at various angles. The
night settles down, — a night of stars; and from the westward, as
the glow fades, rockets go up, signals from the fleet out of sight
in the river, ascending, like us, loaded with death against the great
fortress. Shall we march all night ? No one knows, not captain
or colonel, only Gen. Grover, apparently. But at last comes an
order to bivouac. The 'Color Guard' found a soft place among
the furrows. Two rubber blankets over a soft ridge make a good
mattress, then two woollen blankets over, and last the shelter
THE MARCH TO PORT HUDSON 77
tents, not pitched, but laid upon the top by way of counterpane.
Lie down now, boys, with loaded pistol at the belt, every arm
where it can be got in an instant ; for Port Hudson fellows may
stir us up during the night. But jokes will come up, such as,
' Corporal under the stump there, is your bedroom well aired ? '
and the corporal replies, ' I think we shall make out not to suffo-
cate.'
"The next morning we make an early start. Two companies
are detailed as flankers. They go off into the woods fifteen or
twenty rods from the road on each side ; and throughout the
march we can see these two lines guarding the main party
from ambuscade. Through stumps and stalks, through old sugar
fields, plantation barn-yards, and wild swamps. The morning
deepens toward noon. Fewer soldiers leave the line to forage
among hen-roosts.
"The 52d grow red and sweaty, and we begin to see what I
believe is always seen when an army is on the march, — knap-
sacks, blankets, shelter tents, all the articles of a soldier's kit,
thrown away for relief. Occasionally we stop, and the stream of
men rush from the roadway to the grass at the side ; and in a mo-
ment every man has fallen on his back. A good way to rest, but
a dirty one. The pack behind supports you at a comfortable in-
cline. Sometimes we sit in the dust, sometimes in the dew. One
is not over-particular. Men begin to fall out. They lie panting
by the roadside, in fence corners, under bushes, with heads resting
on logs. A sorrowful sight, though not so bad as if we were on a
retreat. I find some relief for my shoulders in stooping over and
hitching the weight of the pack higher up on my back. It is rob-
bing Peter to pay Paul, but poor Paul has so much the harder
time that Peter ought to be willing to give him a lift. True, it is
hard. Whenever the column halts, I am flat on my back and in
the dirt at once. We stop for dinner at noon. Boom, boom ! big
guns from the river. We know that the fleet are as near Port
Hudson as we are. ' Fall in, men, at once ! ' is the call. ' Keep
cool, and do not waste your fire,' says Capt. Long to the men.
How do we feel ? We are going to meet the enemy, as we fully
believe ; and so do our officers. Who knows ? They do not. We
are to be pushed up in front of the whole army into close range.
The 52d is cool and yet eager. Not a man that can limp at all
wants to stay behind. Open the cartridge-box, and down the
powder goes into the barrel, now the ball. Half-cock, then cap
78 HISTORY OF THE 52D REGIMENT
the cone, and all is done. If I have to fire, it will be for a cause.
Scruples now are mere squeamishness. 'By the right flank for-
ward ! ' Thayer carries the white State flag. The tall Sergt.
Moore carries the stars and stripes. Old flag, you are woven of
no ordinary stuff ! I march behind the sergeant in the great folds
of the flag. We go out of the field into the road with banners
waving, and, I hope, with the true light of battle upon our faces, —
soldiers in a noble cause. Boom ! go the far-away guns. We are
moving rapidly to the front. We pass by some camps recently
deserted by the rebels, where they have cut on trees some defiance
or warning, ' Beware, Yanks 1 this is a hard road to travel.' We
press on, till at length the column halts close within the range of
Port Hudson batteries. We can see the earth-works of the rebels'
stronghold. As the dusk deepens, the column turns and falls
back two or three miles, then camps in the woods. Our blankets
and baggage are four miles behind. Wet with sweat, we lie down
in our clothes without covering. At last the heavens reddened
high and far with a fiercer glare that moves slowly southward,
crimsoning in turn everything in sight. Meantime came the
booming of cannon slowly receding down the river. So we heard
the swan song of the stern old ' Mississippi.' A freight of dead
men are on her deck, and the bodies of drowned men are about
her hoary hull for retinue. Then comes a crash, a light making
all bright. The magazine has exploded. So passes the veteran
ship through fire and earthquake shock to an immortality in his-
tory."
Sergt.-Major Whitney gives a good description of the recon-
noissance in the Springfield Republican in 1867, a large portion of
which I here insert : —
" Port Hudson is a village twenty-two miles above Baton Rouge
and three hundred below Vicksburg. On the river side it has
very high bluffs ; and a bend in the river at that place enables
every battery to have a plunging fire for four or five miles, in the
course of any ship that might try to get by. For three and one-
half miles along the bluffs the most advantageous points had been
occupied with huge siege guns : well-sheltered furnaces for heating
the shots stood near. There were water batteries below. On the
land side elaborate fortifications had been constructed. Within
and about the works some of the best troops of the South had been
stationed. On the 13th of March we made start. The road lay
toward Port Hudson. It was in splendid condition, soft to the
THE MARCH TO PORT HUDSON 79
feet, yet without a particle of dust. Our way was straight between
tall forest trees and wildly grand jungles. The weather was cool
and strengthening. The flags flapped or drooped as the breeze
rose or fell. The higher officers ambled quietly at the head of
their commands. The aides galloped up and down the road. The
batteries were sprinkled through the column, brightening the scene
with the red trimmings on the uniforms of the men. Common
sights of war, but they never grow old or dull, and they were then
new to us.
"On the 14th we pushed on seven miles. The 52d and 91st left
their knapsacks under the care of a few footsore men, and went
off at a canter. At the end of a mile we came upon the surgeons
working over Col. Clark, formerly provost-marshal of New Orleans.
His horse had been shot under him, and his fall had broken the
colonel's leg. To most of us it is our first sight of the bloodshed
of war.
"Presently we pass a number of cavalry horses, wounded men,
and other signs of a sharp skirmish. Hurrying on at a double-
quick, we pass the little camp-fires which the rebel pickets have
just left, and find the trees bearing such inscriptions as 'Yanks,
beware! this is a hard road to travel.' The 52d are alone now,
except for a squad of cavalry. We are moving with perfect cool-
ness, although we are not used to this sort of work, and ex-
pect every moment a storm of cannister, grape, and shell. We
wonder that they do not fire upon us ; but presently an order
comes to 'fall back,' and we withdraw for about two miles behind
a little bridge, and prepare, without blankets, overcoats, or tents,
to spend the night under the March skies as a picket outpost.
The 52d are two miles nearer the enemy than any other regiment.
It is guarding a bridge in its rear as well as one in front. Its
pickets are far out on each side. Suddenl}', at 11.30, from the re-
gion of the river there comes a burst of thunder that brings us to
our feet and to our guns in a twinkling. Discharge follows dis-
charge, — now the sharp snarl of a Parrott gun and now the shriek
of mortar-boat shells. Plain and tremendous as was the roar of
so many great guns, it was almost unintelligible to us. What did
it mean for us in our exposed position } The firing slackened at
last; and we lay down once more, dull with the loss of sleep, stiff
with cold, yet unable to sleep through anxiety and wonder.
What mean those huge shells from down the river? Have the
rebels fairly broken up Farragut's famous fleet and driv^en it off.''
8o HISTORY OF THE 52D REGIMENT
If it was not that, what could it be? At 5.30 a.m. came the last
pitch of horror. A great flash of light filled the southern sky.
We waited in suspense. Then rolled in upon us the crash of a
great explosion, then all was still again. About 10 a.m., wonder-
ing still what was to come out of the doings of the night, we called
in our pickets and started for our knapsacks. We wonder that
the enemy had not burned the bridges. And what did it mean
that, before starting, we set them on fire ourselves ? We waited an
hour till the bridges were blazing, and reached our knapsacks at
noon, and there learned that a portion of Farragut's fleet had
passed the rebel fortifications, while the other portion had been
destroyed. The ' Hartford,' with whitewashed decks and lights
all concealed, got just around the curve, and then was discovered.
The batteries opened upon her, but got as good as they gave.
The flash of the guns revealing the position of the whole fleet and
the vessels of which it was composed, they were fired upon inces-
santly and with unerring accuracy. The smoke of the firing made
steering, for the ships behind, difficult. Two hundred-pound balls
flew about like hailstones. The ' Hartford ' and ' Albatross ' went
on out of the danger to range the river up to Vicksburg, doing
great harm to the Confederacy. The ' Richmond ' had almost
passed, when a shot through her steam-chest disabled her and
filled her with steam. The 'Genesee 'had to take her back to
safety below. The ' Monongahela ' grounded, was pulled off,
started on again, but was struck and disabled. At last came the