History of the Forty-fifth regiment Pennsylvania veteran volunteer infantry, 1861-1865

Front matter

O V

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PART II— COMPANY SKETCHES AND PERSONAL REMINISCENCES The Band 193-195

Jarid C. Irwin

Personal Reminiscences of the War 195-200

George W. Eminhizer

Sketch of Company C 200-204

James S. Mitchell

Memoranda from the Diary of Captain John O. Campbell 204-213

Mrs. J. M. Adair

History of Company E 213-224

"VV. H. Musser

L. W. Lord

Letters of Lieutenant Samuel W. Haynes 248-262

Mrs. Jane W. Haynes

W. T. Fitzgerald

Company G at Camp Curtin and Camp Casey 263-269

Organization of Company H 269-271

John C. Roosa

Organization of Company 1 271-273

Sylvester Iloughton

E. E. Myers

Lieutenant Colonel F. M. Hills 304-305

Sylvester Houghton

A Chaplain's Reminiscences 305-317

F. A. Cast

Medical History of Our Regiment 317-322

James A. Myers

CONTENTS

PART II— Continued

Sketch of Surgeon Davison 322-323

James F. Deuel

In Libbej^ and Salisbury Prisons 332-335

Alexander Duncan

E. W. McElroy

J. B. Emery

Escape from Rebel Prison 360-375

R. G. Richards

Capture of Flag of the Sixth Virginia Infantry • 375-376

Frank Hogan

A Few Incidents of the Civil War 376-377

Otis Smith

Recollections of a Recruit 378-380

W. J. Arthur

Never Absent a Day 380-381

John G. Heberling

Two Boys Ofif for the War 381-384

Ira Odell

John J. Rogers 385-386

My First Battle 386-387

William H. \\'atrous

Personal Reminiscences 387-389

J. H. Stricklei

My Campaigns

Maryland 47-50

Virginia 389-392

Kentucky 392-393

Mississippi 393-398

East Tennessee 398-409

W. A. Roberts

The Itinerary 410-418

luigene Bcauge

Our First Colonel 419-

CONTENTS

Part Iii— The Rosters

Field. Staff and Band 423-426

Roland C. Cheeseman

Company A 426-435

Roland C. Cheeseman

Company B 435-444

M. S. Mullin and A. D. Albert

Company C 445-454

James A. Mitchell and Josiah McManigal

Company D 454-464

Charles T. Fryberger

Company E 464-473

W. H. Zinsser

Company F 473-484

L. W. Lord

Company G 484-496

Company H 497-505

A. D. Albert

Sylvester Houghton

(Company K 514-524

W. A. Roberts

Brevet Colonel Theodore Gregg 524-526

W. T. Fitzgerald

Brevet Major R. C. Cheeseman 526-527

A. D. Albert

Captain J. O. Campbell 527-528

]\Irs. J. M. Adair

Lieutenant Levi R. Robb 529-

T. J. Davies

General J. B. Gordon's Horse 529-530

A Tribute to the Forty-Fifth 530

C. W. Wood

PART I C!)e l^istorp

Lieut. Col. James A. Beaver

CHAPTER 1— Sec. I

By Lieut. Col. James A. Beaver,

That was a proud moment for Company H, Second Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, when, in response to the appeal of the commander of the army in which it served, every officer and man stepped to the front to signify their willingness to remain in the service after the expiration of their term of enlistment.

The company to which I have referred made no conditions. It simply expressed its willingness, in the most prompt and hearty way, to remain under any conditions, if, in the judgment of the commanding general, it was thought desirable to do so.

I was the first lieutenant of that company. Our captain. Dr. John B. Mitchell, a most excellent officer in every way, had a lame ankle, which prevented his exercising the company in regular company drill. He w^as usually in command in the battalion movements — understood them t4TOroughly, and was able to handle the company in an intelligent and capable way — ^but the details of drill depended largely upon me. I had great love for tactics, and took great pride in our company, so the extent of our company drills not only impressed the men with their number and variety, but made an impression generally as to the efficiency of the company and its superiority in drill, and, as a consequence, in discipline.

This, I think, at least from the military point of view, led to several proposals to me by gentlemen holding superior rank, to unite with them in organizing a regiment for three years' service. Among those who made this proposition was Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Welsh, of our three months' regiment. I agreed to join \\ ith him in raising a regiment for three years, of which he was to be the colonel and I the lieutenant colonel. Although perfectly ready, and indeed anxious, to remain in the service in the position which I then occupied, as long as our commanding general thought it necessary or advisable, I confess that I was somewhat relieved when, as a consequence of the halting assent of some of the companies of our regiment, directions were given that it should take up its line of march for Harrisburg, in order to be mustered out.

It is not only highly probable, but I think practically certain, that one of the chief causes of the approach of Colonel Welsh and others to me to join with them in raising a regiment for the war was the fact that I was from the same town as the Governor of Pennsylvania, and that I could probably help at least in securing authority to raise the regiment and ultimately be able, through the Governor, to influence companies to join it.

At this time, however, the relations between the War Department at Washington and the state administration at Harrisburg were not cordial, and anyone who was familiar with the strained personal relations which existed between the Secretary of War and the Governor of Pennsylvania will not be at a loss to understand this. The War Department had not only declined to accept the Pennsylvania Reserves, which had been organized under the authority of the legislature and executive of Pennsylvania, but it was understood that no regiments would be accepted unless organized and recruited under direct authority from the War Department.

In view of this condition of affairs, and of the further fact that I was personally acquainted with General Cameron, it was agreed between Colonel Welsh and myself that on our v/ay to Harrisburg I should leave the regiment for a time and visit Washington, with a view of securing authority from General Cameron, then Secretary of War, to recruit a regiment in Pennsylvania. Accordingly, as our route to Harrisburg led over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from Harpers Ferry to Baltimore, I left it at the latter place and visited Washington, with the above-mentioned object in view.

At Baltimore, July 21st, 1861, I wrote my mother: "We are here on our way home. The regiment will go to Harrisburg to-day. I intend going over to Washington on business and will join the regiment at Harrisburg, to be mustered out. The company will expect me to go with it to Belle fonte. If I can avoid doing so I will stop at home before going there. We came by way of Harpers Ferry on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The scene of ruin and ruthless devastation at Harpers Ferry beggars description. I could scarcely have believed in such Satanic passion in men, had I not seen the results."

When I reached Washington the result of the battle of Bull Run was known there, and there was intense excitement, uncertainty, and gloom, and not a little trepidation.

One of the casiilaties of the Ijattle of Bull Run was the death of Col. James Cameron, of the Seventy-ninth New York regiment, known as "The Highlanders." He was the brother of the Secretary of War. Not finding General Cameron at his office, and my relations with his family being such as warranted it, I called at his house, found him in the library, stretched upon a lounge, prostrated with grief over the death of his brother. Being ushered into his presence, and finding that my visit was not regarded as an intrusion, I was gradually led to unfold its object and, as a result, received authority, very cordially given, to recruit the regiment, of which I expected to be one of the field officers. The readiness with which this request was granted by the Secretary of War, and the friendliness manifested to me personally, were explained later when I went to ask a much greater favor on behalf of the Forty-fifth Regiment, of which I shall speak in its proper place.

On my return to Harrisburg, in an interview with Governor Curtin, I received, in writing, dated July 22c\, 1861, his promise to make me lieutenant colonel of the first regiment raised under State authority. I had a verbal promise also that Colonel Welsh should be its colonel.

Armed with this double authority, I returned home after the muster-out of our three months' company, and immediately arranged to recruit five companies in Centre County. The time was auspicious. Sentiment was intensely patriotic. It was not difficult to recruit men. More men had offered themselves for the Pennsylvania Reserves than could be accepted. The three months' men were discharged and many of them were anxious to return to the service. I arranged almost immediately for two companies in the immediate neighborhood of Bellefonte, one to be recruited by John I. Curtin. and the other by William Raphile. They commenced to recruit about the middle of August. Later. Austin Curtin recruited an additional company, and Henry Stevens and J. Oliver Campbell started a company early in September, to be recruited from the southwestern portion of the county, in the townships of Halfmoon, Ferguson, etc.

Before completing my arrangements for the five companies, however, and while recruiting was going on rapidly in those already provided for, I was summoned by the Governor to go to Harrisburg, about the 5th of September, to assist Colonel Welsh in the management of Camp Curtin. On the 9th of September I was regui6 Forty-Fifth Pcnnsylvajiia ]\-tcran Volunteer Infantry

larly installed in the discharge of my duties there, my special duties, as expressed at the time, being "to muster in the troops as they arrived, to frank soldiers' letters in the peculiar manner fixed by Congress, and take command in the absence of Colonel Welsh." Later, as the troops multiplied and the office duties increased. Colonel Welsh confined himself more particularly to the duties of the office, and I had charge of all the outside arrangements of the camp, looking after its policing, after the guard duty, the installing of new companies as they arrived, etc. Within a day or two after my arrival, I wrote: "\\^e have over 5,000 men here now and more are constantly arriving. It is becoming rather unwieldy, and we will make an effort to despatch two or three regiments this week and thus reduce the number of men and give us more room."

It was intended that Capt. J. Merrill Linn's Company, of Lewisburg, of which my brother, Jacob Gilbert Beaver, was second lieutenant, should be attached to our regiment ; but inasmuch as we were to be retained in Camp Curtin indefinitely, and companies were needed to fill up other regiments, this company was later assigned to the Fifty-first Regiment, commanded by Colonel John F. Hartranft. This was true of several other companies which we had intended to have mustered into our regiment.

Colonel Welsh was summoned to the command of Camp Curtin so early after his discharge in the three months' service that he had little time to personally superintend recruiting in Lancaster County, where his home was. He, however, brought one full company from his home town — Columbia — and another company not more than half filled from Maytown. The company recruited by Captain Raphile, was not full when it reached Camp Curtin, and a combination was formed, by which the Maytown squad in command of Captain Haines and that of Captain Raphile, from Bellefonte, should be united, Haines becoming the captain and Raphile the first lieutenant. This afterwards became Company B of the Forty-fifth Regiment.

The company recruited by John I. Curtin, who had served in Company H, Second Regiment, was the first company, wiiose ranks were filled, and it became Company A.

About the 25th of September a company recruited in Belleville, Mifflin County, where my mother resided, came into camp and expressed a desire to join our regiment. This, with the three companies which I had provided for in Centre county, and Linn's company from Union County, made the live for \vhich I felt personally responsible ; and when I had this arrangement made I considered that my contract in regard to the raising of the regiment had been fully complied with.

The union of Haines' and Raphile's, however, and the transfer of Linn's company from our regiment to the Fifty-first, left us still four companies short. Subsequently an arrangement was made by w^hich a company composed of squads from Wayne and Tioga Counties, and three others recruited in Tioga and Potter Counties were united wnth those which had been in camp for a number of weeks, so as to complete the organization of the regiment and enable it to prepare to take the field. In order to effect this result, John M. Kilbourne, of Potter County, who was connected \\ith these companies in some way, was agreed upon as the major of the regiment.

The final organization of the regiment took place on the 21st of October, 1861, which happened to be my twenty-fourth birthday. The organization, so far as the colonel and lieutenant colonel were concerned, had been fixed from the beginning; but on that day the regimental organization was-completed, and stood as follows :

Colonel, Thomas Welsh, of Columbia, Lancaster County ; Lieutenant Colonel, James A. Beaver, of Bellefonte. Center County; Major, John M. Kilbourne, of Potter County; Adjutant. Theodore Gregg, of Center County (promoted from first lieutenant of Company A) ; Quartermaster. John McClure, of Columbia. Lancaster County; Surgeon, Dr. George L. Potter, of Bellefonte, Center County; Assistant Surgeon, Theodore S. Christ, of Lewisburg, Union County; Chaplain, William J. Gibson, D. D., of Center County.

Noncommissioned staff: Sergeant Major, Harvey H. Benner, of Bellefonte, Center County; Quartermaster Sergeant, Amos Mullen, of Columbia, Lancaster County ; Commissary Sergeant, Jacob S. Roth, of Lancaster County ; Hospital Steward, W. Godfrey Hunter; Principal Musician, George Dyer; Band Leader, Thomas D. Grant, of Northumberland County.

The companies composing the regiment were : Company A, Captain John L Curtin, of Center County; Company B, Captain Henry A. Haines, of Lancaster County ; Company C, Captain William G. Bigelow, of Mifflin County; Company D, Captain Austin Curtin, of Center County; Company E, Captain Henry Stevens, of

Center County; Company F, Captain Charles E. Parker, of Wayne County; Company G, Captain Nelson Whitney, of Tioga County; Company H, Captain Edward G. Scheiffelin, of Tioga County; Company I, Captain Francis M. Hills, of Tioga County; Company K, Captain Ezekiel Y. Rambo, of Lancaster County.

The band, which was then allowed in regimental organizations, was composed of men recruited in Sunlniry, Northumberland County.

The day following the organization Governor Curtin presented to the regiment what was known as the State Flag carried by Pennsylvania regiments, in addition to the colors issued by the United States Government. It was a United States Flag, with coat of arms of Pennsylvania in the field of blue, surrounded by the stars representing the States of the Union. The presentation of this flag was quite a notable occasion and attracted a very large crowd, as well of citizens from Harrisburg as the thousands of soldiers in camp.

The regiment left Harrisburg at noon on the 22d of October, was transported by rail to Washington, where it arrived on the 23d, and encamped a short distance from the Capitol on the Bladensburg road. It was attached to what was known as "Casey's Provisional Division," and was finally assigned to the brigade commanded by Gen. O. O. Howard, and went into camp with his brigade on Sunday, the 27th of October, the ground occupied by its camp being a part of the battlefield of Bladensburg in the war of 1812.

On the 2d of November orders were received to prepare for an expedition, leaving our tents and camp equipage, and taking provisions for six days, returning to our camp when the object of the expedition was attained.

Persistent rumors of trouble in the election,' which was to occur in the State of Maryland, on Tuesday, November 5th, had been circulated and seemed to be well founded. The object of our expedition, as we subse(iuently learned, was to march to Prince Frederick County, in order to preserve peace at the polls. After prayers by the Chaplain, our march commenced Sunday, November 3d, 1861, about ten o'clock in the morning. The Forty-fifth was in the advance, and I had the honor of leading, with Captain Rambo's Company. We marched fourteen miles that day. I have full notes of the march until our return to camp. Whether an attempt to prevent an election had really been intended or not it is difficult now to say. The presence of the troops undoubtedly allayed any disposition and prevented any effort in that direction. Several arrests were made, however, including one ex-member of Congress, who was taken by the troops on their return to camp and turned over to the authorities at Washington.

It was splendid practice for our men. Although we were supposed to have had six days' provisions, as required by orders, I find, at the close of the fifth day the significant remark in my diary : "Short of provisions." As a result of this, the entry for the next day, Friday, the 8th of November, reads: "Started at ir p. m., yesterday for Washington for rations ; rode all night ; reached Washington about daylight this morning; had everything ready except wagons before nine o'clock ; waited for them till i p. m. : loaded and off before 3 p. m. ; met our regiment a little ways from Centreville, Company H having had nothing to eat during that day. Provisions got to camp as soon as the regiment reached there," etc., etc.

Another little incident of camp life is also noted: "Cooked breakfast myself this morniiig ; Isaac not to be found ; a perfect success ; off in good time, marching in fine style and reaching our old camp home by i p. m. Found nearly all left at home sick; some of them sick unto death."

This last entry recalls the fact that the location for our camp could not have been \\orse. It was on low, swampy ground, had been camped upon previously, and was, as a consequence, full of disease and vermin. After our return to camp, on November nth, I was appointed field oflicer of the day and took occasion to embody in my report the following morning a vigorous kick in the matter of our camp. My report, a copy of which I preserved, reads :

"The camp of the Forty-fifth Regiment is almost entirely surrounded by a swamp ; is upon ground formerly occupied by other troops, and is entirely unfitted for a camp. The large number of sick in hospital and quarters, the general feeling of the men, and the decided expression of opinion by brigade and regimental surgeons would argue in favor of a change to more commodious and healthful grounds. The camp is filthy with vermin, and camp fever is alarmingly on the increase. Smallpox has, to a limited extent, and measles, to a large extent, taken hold of the men, and depression of spirits and consequent neglect of duty is the result — a result of all others to be lamented and dreaded among volunteer troops."

This protest, together with others which were made in person to General Howard by Colonel Welsh, led to a final order to make a change, but not until disease had carried off a number of our men and had taken hold of many others.

Before the orders for a change were issued, I made a visit to the Secretary of War, recalling our previous conversation, in which he had said to me very cordially that if at any time he could be of any service to me he wished I would call upon him. He then told me why he had made that remark: that my maternal grandfather had helped him financially when he was a contractor upon the Pennsylvania canal, and had always been his friend, and that he had never had an opportunity to return the kindness, and now he would be glad to do anything in his power to serve me.

I requested, in view of the sickness in our regiment, and the consequent depression of the spirits of our men, that a decided change be given us, and suggested that if re-enforcements were needed, as the newspapers said was likely, for the expedition which had previously gone to the south and had captured the forts at the entrance to the harbor at Beaufort, S. C, that we be sent there. The Secretary said he would give the matter consideration and that, if re-enforcements were to be sent there, we should have the first opportunity.

Whilst we were in the very midst of arranging our new camp, after the order for removal had been given, the orders for embarking at Baltimore for Fortress Monroe came. Whether Colonel Welsh remained behind for any purpose I am not able to say; but on the 20th of November, 1861, I made a provision return in Baltimore for the regiment, signing it as Lieutenant Colonel commanding, of which I retained a duplicate, for one-third of a day's rations for 860 men, making 287 rations in all.

The strength of the command at that time, as taken from verbal reports of the officers at the Union Relief Stations, No. 119 and 121, Camden Street, Baltimore, was: Co. A, 94; Co. B, 86: Co. C, 84; Co. D, 87; Co. E, 93; Co. F, 75; Co. G, 85; Co. H, 84; Co. I, ^y\ Co. K, 87; Band, 19.

There seems to have been no allowance for the noncommissioned staff, and there must have been some sick, for the provision return shows a requisition for but 860.

The next day, November 21st, I wrote to my mother: "Our regiment is just now embarking on the steamer Pocahontas for Fortress Monroe, 'there to await further orders.' We expect to be part of new reenforcements for General Sherman at Beaufort, S. C. It was for that favor that I appHed to General Cameron, and he generally does what he promises. We will be under the orders of the commandant of Fortress Monroe and may be sent somewhere else than to South Carolina. I will write you from Fortress Monroe particulars of our trip. We got our orders to march yesterday and were ready in two hours."

The explanation of our being able to break camp and march in such a short time was that our new camp had not been pitched, and we were at the time in a transition state.

The trip to Fortress Monroe was a pleasant one and my impression is we camped upon the main land some distance in the rear of the fort.

The measles, which had been contracted in our old camp at Bladensburg, broke out with great violence here and the men of the regiment will doubtless_remember the general demoralization Avhich ensued. The weather was not very inclement, however, and the change had done us good. I am very sure we escaped what would have been a most disastrous epidemic if we had remained about Washington.

This epidemic of measles at Fortress Monroe was recalled to my attention several years after in a very curious way. In the winter after my discharge from the army, late in 1864 or early in 1865, I entered the parlor of a private residence in Bellefonte. What was known as the "Rochester knockings," supposed to be inspired by invisible spirits, \\'as then not only the topic of conversation, but of experiment in many quarters. When I entered the parlor, a number of young ladies were surrounding a table. Before very long, apparently without any effort on their part, except the mere touch of their fingers, the table began to move. The inquiry was made in the usual way as to the person with whom the spirit, supposed to be present, wished to communicate and, after a number of others had been named, when my name was mentioned, it gave an affirmative response. After many questions, an affirmative response was given to the question "Is it one of my old soldiers?" and, after numerous inquiries, very specific, it was said to be a member of one of the companies of the Forty-fifth Regiment from Tioga County, who had died with measles at Fortress Monroe. I do not remember distinctly whether the name w^as spelled out or not and if it w^as I do not think I ever verified it by a resort to the rolls of the regiment. When the message, which was being communicated to me, had reached the point "I leave my — " the table was violently agitated, and — I suppose fortunately for me — one of the legs broke off, and the communication was never finished. I began to get very much frightened, fearing that perhaps this old comrade was leaving his wife and children to my care. The breaking of the leg of the table, however, saved me, and I never knew whether he was agitated upon that subject or not.

You all remember our pleasant camp at Fortress Monroe and the improvement in the health of the regiment. We remained there about two weeks, and, when we left, with the exception of those who were left behind on account of sickness, there was a marked improvement in e^•ery respect.

On the 5th of December, 1861. I wrote my mother: "We have orders to move this morning ; destination Port Royal. Three companies will go aboard the transport steamer Illinois, the balance of the regiment on board the steamboat Cosmopolitan. I will, in all probability, go with the three companies — A, B and C — on board the Illinois, on which will be embarked also the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania Regiment (Colonel Powers.)

"The paymaster visited us yesterday, leaving about $20,000 with the regiment. The greater part of it is being sent home, and very little disposition is evinced by the men to indulge in gambling and drunkenness."

I quote the latter part of this extract from my letter with great pleasure. It was written at the time with both pleasure and pride; and it may be said now as well as any time that the disposition of the men of our regiment to care for their families and to make good use of their money was characteristic of them. They were good, substantial citizens, for the most part, alive to the duty which they owed to their country, but not forgetful of what they owed to their families while serving their country.

Take it all in all this little stop by the way at Fortress Monroe was of great use to the regiment in many ways. We had time and opportunity for good battalion drill, and the weather and climate were such that our men recovered in a remarkable degree from the measles and other ills which afflicted them at the time.

CHAPTER I— Sec. II

OUR FIRST YEAR In South Carolina

We sailed under a cloudless sky and over a waveless ocean for the entire trip, the captain of the Cosmopolitan telling me subsequently that we might go to sea all our lives and never have such a voyage. Hatteras Avas passed during the night, but even that region, famed for its almost universal tempestuousness, was quiet and subdued. The voyage from Fortress Monroe to Port Royal was practically without incident. When the Illinois attempted to enter the harbor, however, on the loth of December, being at low tide and the channel of insufficient depth, or because of the ignorance of the pilot, we went aground on a sand bar, the ebb and flow of the tide causing a continual bumping of the boat upon the bar, which suggested anything but a pleasant ending of the experience. There was not much sleep that night. Serious apprehension was in all minds, and like the vicinity of a battleground prior to the engagement, the surrounding waters were liberally dotted with playing cards. However, when the tide reached its flood, by the help of a tug or other vessel we were released and entered the harbor. The same day the companies on the Illinois were transferred from it to the land by means of a steamer of light draft — the Delazcarc — the Illinois being unable to approach the shore.

Before we landed, however, the regiment was ordered divided, and the destination of the several battalions of the regiment was fixed by General Sherman, in accordance with which Colonel Welsh and the headquarters of the regiment, with companies B, F, G, H and K, went, as designated by him, to Otter Island, a small sand island in St. Helena Sound and opposite the mouth of the North Edisto River; and Companies A. C, D, E and I were ordered to Bay Point to occupy Fort Seward, formerly Fort Beauregard, which commanded the north entrance to Port Royal Harbor, and which was nearly opposite Hilton Head Island, on which were the headquarters of the Expeditionary Corps commanded by General T. W. Sherman, in addition to the principal fortifications.

Company C was posted at a small fortification about a mile from Fort Seward. The island had been a famous ocean resort for southern people. Instead, however, of the fine attractions and accommodations of a northern summer resort, the accommodations for visitors were simply board shanties, as we would call them — quite numerous, but lacking in pretensions to style or dignified proportions. In addition to the fortifications upon the island there were accommodations in these plain cottages for quite a colony of colored people, several hundred of whom had been gathered there for sustenance and protection.

My attention was given to making the men comfortable, which was easily done, as the weather was delightful, and a camp was very easily pitched. In addition to the army rations, which were the usual ones, sweet potatoes and oranges were plentiful, and although the latter were not of present-day quality, they helped to make some variety, and, with sweet potatoes at fifty cents a bushel, and native oysters to be had for the gathering, although of doubtful quality (being at low tide exposed to the sun), the men were enabled to give variety to their ration and lived with more than usual comfort and satisfaction. The ocean beach was especially fine and was greatly enjoyed by us all.