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PERSONAL NARRATIVES

OF EVENTS IN THE

War of the Rebellion,

BEING PAPERS READ BEFORE THE

RHODE ISLAND SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Third Series - No. 15.

PROVIDENCE:
PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY.
1885.

PROVIDENCE PRESS COMPANY, PRINTERS.

REMINISCENCES OF SERVICE

WITH THE

TWELFTH RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS,

AND A

MEMORIAL OF COL. GEORGE H. BROWNE.

BY

PARDON E. TILLINGHAST,

[Late Quartermaster Sergeant of the Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers.]

PROVIDENCE:
PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY.
1885.

[Edition limited to two hundred and fifty copies.]

REMINISCENCES OF SERVICE

WITH THE

TWELFTH RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.

The months of July, August, September and October of 1862, were stirringtimes in Rhode Island,—and in fact throughout the entire North. Thevigorous onward movement of our army towards Richmond, which had beenlong and frequently promised, was still deferred. The decisive victorywon by the Union forces over Lee's army at Malvern Hills at great cost,which, in the judgment of every officer in the Army of the Potomac saveone, and he the chief, should have been immediately followed by adetermined advance towards the rebel stronghold, which was only about aday's march distant, was supplemented by the now somewhat stereotypedorder to "fall back," thus presenting the not altogether inspiringmilitary spectacle of a victorious army running away from its defeated[Pg 6]and thoroughly demoralized enemy.

General Pope's campaign in Northern Virginia, inaugurated with a greatflourish of trumpets, had resulted disastrously; the rebel army wasgreatly encouraged by the inactivity and the vacillating conduct oftheir opponents, and had commenced a vigorous aggressive movement. TheNational capital was again in imminent peril, causing a feverishexcitement throughout the country; Baltimore and Cincinnati wereseriously threatened, and a great crisis was evidently at hand. Vigorousmeasures must be adopted at once, or our boasted Republic would soon bea thing of the past.

The President, in view of the great emergency, had ordered drafts,amounting in the aggregate to six hundred thousand men, one-half thereoffor three years, and the other half for nine months, the latter to bedrawn from the enrolled militia; and the utmost activity everywhereprevailed in connection with the raising, equipping and forwarding ofthis vast army of recruits.

Rhode Island was thoroughly alive to the occasion,[Pg 7]determined not to beoutdone by any of her sister States in meeting this new and pressingdemand upon her loyalty and her resources; and meeting it too, ifpossible, without resort to a draft, which, of course, was obnoxious tothe sentiments of the people. In order to promote enlistments, thestores in some places were closed at 3P. M. each day; warmeetings were held every evening, and the greatest enthusiasm wasmanifested. The whole State seemed to be one vast recruiting camp, andall the people, both male and female, to be engaged in the business. Forit should ever be remembered, to the praise of the women of RhodeIsland, that they were fully as loyal and as devoted to our country'scause during the rebellion, as were the men; and that in very many casesthey suffered and sacrificed quite as much at home, though in differentways, as did their husbands and sons and brothers in the field.

In such a state of public feeling what could I, a young unmarried man,do consistent with a fair amount of self-respect but enlist? Evidentlynothing; and so I left the teacher's desk and enlisted as a private inCompany C, Eleventh Rhode Island[Pg 8]Volunteers, under Captain Charles W.Thrasher. I was detailed for service in the quartermaster's departmentunder Lieutenant John L. Clark, and shortly after was transferred withhim (I never knew why) to the Twelfth, and was appointed by ColonelBrowne to the office of Quartermaster Sergeant.

Camp Stevens, in Providence, was a lively place during the latter partof September and the first part of October, 1862. The Eleventh andTwelfth regiments were both encamped there together during a part ofthis time, preparatory to their departure for the seat of war. Theformer left on Monday, October sixth, and the latter on Tuesday, Octobertwenty-first.

The Twelfth Regiment was composed mainly of good Rhode Island material,and was officered by intelligent, patriotic and brave-hearted men. Therewere representatives from nearly all of the ordinary walks and callingsof life, thus furnishing the command with facilities for almost anyemergency; and it was proverbial that whatever could be done by anybodycould be done by some one in this[Pg 9]regiment. The officers and theprivates were well disposed towards each other; there was a prevalentspirit of prompt obedience to orders; and in general a manifestdisposition on the part of all to make themselves useful and serviceableboth to the Government and to each other.

A journey of seventy-seven hours from Providence, partly by rail, partlyby water, and partly on foot, brought this newly-formed regiment to CampChase, which was situated across the Potomac from Washington, in theneighborhood of Arlington Heights. The work of pitching our tents was atonce commenced and rapidly pushed forward. But before it was completed,a violent storm of wind and rain broke upon us which continued fornearly two days without intermission. And such a storm! I think I neversaw the like before or since. It did not simply rain, but it came downin great broad sheets of water; it poured; it came in great gusts. Andthen the wind—it whirled, it roared, it got upon its giant legs, andfairly howled with rage as the weary hours of that first night in campwore away.

[Pg 10]And such a sorry sight as that camp presented the next morning was notcalculated to promote one's military enthusiasm, to say the least. Manyof the tents, all of which had been hastily erected, had been blown downduring the night, and the drenched and shivering inmates were wanderingabout in search of shelter or assistance in again erecting theiruncertain habitations. Baggage and camp equipage were scattered in alldirections, and confusion held high carnival generally. As if this werenot enough for beginners, we were also treated to our first installmentof Virginia mud, which covered the entire surface of the ground to adepth of two or three inches. No description of this unique article,however, is necessary here. It is perhaps needless to say that our firstimpressions of a soldier's life in the "Sunny South" were not altogetherfavorable.

But this storm, like all others, came to an end, and the bright, warmsunshine, together with the diligence of many busy hands, soon repairedmost of the damage; so that the regiment was able to appear on brigadereview in gallant style, on Tuesday, the twenty-eighth of October, thefourth day[Pg 11]after our arrival, before the venerable General Casey, inwhose division it had been brigaded.

One week was the length of our stay at Camp Chase, at the end of whichbrief period we folded our tents and made a "Sabbath day's journey,"although somewhat longer than that permitted by the Jewish economy onthat sacred day, to Fairfax Seminary. (I may remark in passing thatperhaps not the most scrupulous regard was had by most of the commanderswho conducted the operations of our armies, either to the Jewish orChristian economy concerning the Sabbath day). This proved to be acharming location, indeed. The land was high, overlooking the broadPotomac for a long distance; the city of Alexandria, situated two milesto the south, was in full view, while in the distance on our left wasthe magnificent dome of the capitol at Washington. The land sloped in abroad, undulating sweep towards the Potomac in front of us; the largeand dignified brick buildings of Fairfax Seminary, then used as ahospital, were situated just to the north, in the rear, surrounded by astately grove of trees (which, sad to say, speedily succumbed to thesoldier's axe);[Pg 12]several fine country residences were scattered about inthe immediate vicinity, evidently the recent homes of affluence andluxury, but now abandoned to the tender mercies of strangers in arms,being used mainly by general and field officers, with their staffs, forheadquarters. And although their owners were rebels fighting against theGovernment, I must, nevertheless, confess to a strong feeling ofsympathy which I then had for them, and thousands like them, in theuntold and untellable distress, privation and suffering which they andtheir families must have experienced in being driven as exiles fromtheir homes and firesides, their property appropriated to the use oftheir enemies, and what they, in the main, honestly considered theirinalienable rights, taken from them. But such is and will continue to bethe fate of war.

Regiments of soldiers were on every side of us. A few rods in front wasthe Fifteenth Connecticut, Colonel Wright; in the rear was theThirteenth New Hampshire, Colonel Stevens; on the right theTwenty-seventh New Jersey, Colonel Mindil; and on the left a stalwartregiment of "six footers" from[Pg 13]Maine; while for a mile or more in alldirections little else was visible but camps of soldiers. Truly this wasa "tented field." Everything about our new camp, which was named CampCasey, was soon put in the best of order, cleanliness and good orderbeing prime virtues with Colonel Browne, and always being strenuouslyinsisted on.

Our company was detailed each day at first for picket duty on the longline at the front near Cloud's Mills, which was about five milesdistant; but subsequently the entire regiment performed this duty fortwenty-four hours at a time, alternating with the other regiments of thebrigade. The regiment was diligently perfecting itself in the manual ofarms, and a military air and bearing were everywhere apparent. We hadnow commenced soldiering in good earnest. My principal duties, under thedirection of the quartermaster, were to see that the commissarydepartment was kept constantly supplied with everything in the way ofsubsistence which the army regulations allowed. Washington andAlexandria were the great reservoirs of these supplies, and to[Pg 14]one orthe other of these places I went three or four times a week, accompaniedby two or more four mule teams, with which to haul the stores to camp.The great army bakery was in the basement of the capitol building,whither we went for our supply of bread. And I think I do not exaggerateby saying that I have seen a line of army wagons half a mile or more inlength, each awaiting its turn to be filled with the nice brown loaves.I need hardly say that after leaving the vicinity of Washington we badean enforced good-bye to soft bread.

On one of my journeys to Alexandria, after getting my teams loaded withrations, I took a stroll about the somewhat antiquated city, visitingplaces of interest, amongst which was the Marshall House, where thebrave Colonel Ellsworth met his terrible fate, and from which house theentire banisters of the stairs which he ascended in going to the roof tohaul down a rebel flag, had been carried away piecemeal by visitors, asmementoes of the tragic event. Other parts of the building had also beensadly mutilated for the same purpose. But the stars and stripes hadpermanently supplanted the rebel flag hauled[Pg 15]down by the lamentedEllsworth, and were proudly floating from that now historic building.

I also visited another place of interest, but with what differentfeelings I will not attempt to relate. It was a large block which borethe following prominent sign: "Price, Birch & Co., Dealers inSlaves." Connected with it was a huge pen to hold the slaves, andan auction block from which thousands doubtless had been bought andsold. But for this establishment and what it represented, neither thetragic scene at the Marshall House nor the gigantic military operationsthen going on from one end of the country to the other, would ever havebeen witnessed.

I was also mail-carrier for the regiment to and from the post office inAlexandria, and was always cheerfully received on my return with a heavymail; for amongst the chief delights of a soldier was a letter fromhome. As there was no salary attached to this branch of the mail serviceI was not accused of offensive partisanship, but permitted to hold theoffice to the end of my term of enlistment.

November 27, 1862, was recognized by us as[Pg 16]Thanksgiving day, althoughthe turkey, without which no Yankee can properly observe the day, wasconspicuous only by its absence. The usual amusements of the occasion,however, including a sack race between two men, each enveloped in abed-sack drawn up and tied under his chin, were engaged in and greatlyenjoyed. The governor's proclamation was read by Chaplain Field, andappropriate religious services were conducted by him in front ofheadquarters.

As it had been currently rumored for some time that Camp Casey was to beour winter quarters, the boys had taken great pains to make theirhabitations as snug and cosy as possible for the rapidly approachingcold weather. The non-commissioned staff, of which I was a member,appropriated to their use a roofless negro hut in the rear of thestately old mansion house which was occupied by the colonel and stafffor headquarters, and by using the fly of a large tent for a roof, andotherwise improving it, we converted it into very comfortable quarters,anticipating quite a jolly time therein during the winter. The messconsisted of Sergeant Major Daniel R. Ballou,[Pg 17]subsequently promoted tothe office of lieutenant for bravery at the battle of Fredericksburg;Commissary Sergeant Amasa F. Eddy; Quartermaster's Clerk ErastusRichardson; the Quartermaster Sergeant, and William, the colored boy.

But alas for all plans which have no firmer base than rumors in thearmy. For the regiment had no more than fully settled down tohousekeeping for the winter, when, on Sunday, November thirtieth, orderswere received that Colonel Wright's brigade, of which the Twelfth RhodeIsland was a part, would move to the front the next day at twelveo'clock. As to their destination, no one knew save Colonel Browne, ifindeed he did, and, as a matter of course, speculations and conjecturesof all sorts were freely indulged in. "Shelter tents" were issued atonce, the men were ordered to provide themselves with three days' cookedrations and have everything in readiness to move promptly at theappointed time. Truly, "there was hurrying to and fro, and gathering inhot haste," each one busily making ready for his unknown journey. Therewas but very little grumbling about leaving our nicely arranged camp and[Pg 18]beautiful situation, although we had but very recently received whatseemed to be almost a positive promise that these should be our winterquarters.

The baggage was reduced to the lowest marching standard, and the menordered to take nothing in their knapsacks except what they actuallyneeded. The consequence was that a large portion of their "traps" had tobe left behind, and judging from the number of officers' trunks which Ishipped to Rhode Island after the regiment left, I doubt not that moredress uniforms adorned the wardrobes at home than their owners in thefield. Such things look exceedingly nice on dress parade or review, butthey are not altogether useful on a forced march or in a fight.

The hour of departure having arrived, the companies marched from theirseveral streets, the regimental line was formed, and all was inreadiness for a move. I must confess to an almost overwhelming feelingof loneliness as I saw the long soldierly column moving off, led by thesplendid band of the Thirteenth New Hampshire, for amongst other thingsI thought it quite probable that before I should again see them, theirranks might be thinned by the terrible[Pg 19]shock of battle. And so, alas!they were. But having received orders from the colonel to remain incharge of the camp, which remained as before, except that its occupantswere gone, the tents being all left standing, I had no alternative butto obey. About seventy men were left in the camp, all of whom, with theexception of the quartermaster's clerk and myself, were on the sicklist. Truly this was "a sick house with no doctor," for the surgeon andeach of his assistants had gone forward with the regiment. We werecheered, however, just at evening by the return of our kind-heartedassistant surgeon, Doctor Prosper K. Hutchinson, now long since gone tohis reward, who was sent back to remain with the sick ones until theyshould be able to join their comrades. The clerk and myself nowappropriated the colonel's somewhat luxurious quarters to our use, andas we had plenty of provisions and a good cook, there was no occasionfor us to complain of our fate.

The fourth day after the regiment left, winter set in in good earnest.Snow fell to the depth of several inches, and the weather was bitterlycold and severe. I contrasted my comfortable quarters, as I[Pg 20]sat by ablazing wood fire at night, with those of my comrades huddled in sheltertents and shivering from cold, somewhere on their tedious march to thefront, and heartily pitied, while I could not alleviate, theircondition. With the aid of some of the convalescents I struck the tents,turned over the camp stores and equipage, except a small part which wasto go forward to the quartermaster's department in Washington, settledmy accounts with the Government, and, through the kindness of thequartermaster of the One Hundred and Eleventh New York, who loaned methe use of his teams, hauled the balance of the baggage to Alexandria,placed it on board a boat for Acquia Creek, and on the seventeenth ofDecember took leave of Camp Casey, and with thirteen men went forward tojoin my regiment. It was found encamped near General Sumner'sheadquarters on the heights opposite Fredericksburg, which place Ilearned it reached after a week's march from Camp Casey, travellingupwards of sixty miles—part of the time through the mud, and partthereof through the snow and over the frozen ground. My friend, CaptainLapham, who experienced the hardships of[Pg 21]this never-to-be-forgottenmarch, has already vividly described it to you in his admirable paper onthe Twelfth Rhode Island.

The terrible battle of Fredericksburg had been fought three days beforemy arrival at Falmouth, and I knew of it only from others and from thefearful havoc which it had made in the ranks of my comrades, upwards ofone-fifth of the entire regiment having been either killed, wounded, orfound missing at the close of that sanguinary contest. The part taken bythe gallant Twelfth has also been graphically portrayed in the paperjust referred to, by one who took an honorable part therein, and itwould be presumption in me to attempt a word in addition.

The great Army of the Potomac, now upwards of one hundred thousandstrong, was stretched along the eastern bank of the Rappahannock fromFalmouth southward to, and including, General Franklin's division, andfor miles there was but little space between the regimental camps ofthis mighty host. Our picket line was on the left bank of the river,while that of the enemy was on the right in plain sight, and for themost part the two lines were within[Pg 22]reach of each other's rifles. Butthere was little firing done, it seeming to be tacitly understood thattheir principal business was to mutually watch, instead of shoot, eachother. Anxious to see how rebels in arms looked, I rode the length ofour picket line and inspected them as best I could, from this tolerablysafe distance, and became satisfied that a nearer approach wasundesirable.

Our base of supplies was Acquia Creek, about fifteen miles in our rear,towards Washington, and thither I had to frequently go for oursubsistence. The trains to this place were daily laden with the sick andwounded on their way to the great hospitals in and around Washington.And some of the sights that I saw in connection with the removal of ourpoor, maimed, sick and dying soldiers, shortly after the terriblebattle, would be too painful to relate. I do not mean that they were notas well treated and as kindly cared for as was practicable under thecircumstances, but that from their great numbers, the inadequate meansfor handling them, and the distance over which they had to betransported in crowded box cars and filthy steamboats before much[Pg 23]couldbe done for them, it was impossible but that their sufferings in manycases should be of the most aggravated character.

Our situation while in front of Fredericksburg was anything butcomfortable. The men lived in all sorts of rudely constructed cabins,bough-houses and even subterranean huts, having no tents save themiserable misnamed shelter tents, which were used only as roofs for theconglomerate of structures which their ingenuity had devised. Thefire-places were made of logs cemented and plastered with mud, and thechimneys mainly with empty barrels set on top of each other, (the headsbeing first knocked out,) and they also cemented together and plasteredwith mud. This Virginia mud, when thoroughly dried by the fire, isalmost as hard as common brick. The water which we had to use and drinkhere was simply execrable. I don't think it was so bad as that in theCove Basin, but it had a very similar appearance. Each little spring andrivulet were eagerly sought and constantly used by continual streams ofsoldiers, necessarily keeping them in a perturbed and more or lessfilthy condition; and besides, it was[Pg 24]impossible that some portion ofthe vast amount of offal accumulating from this great army should notfind its way into these sources of our water supply. This was speciallyso when, as frequently happened, several regiments were encamped on thesame little stream. Much sickness was caused during our uncomfortablestay here by this detestable water.

On the sixteenth of January, 1863, we received marching orders, but weredirected to remain in camp, simply holding ourselves in readiness tomove at short notice. The line of march of the right grand divisioncommenced on January nineteenth and was continued through the twentieth.Regiment after regiment, followed by long strings of batteries,continued to move directly past our camp all day long, going to theright. Another great battle was supposed to be imminent. But alas forhuman plans; whether made by great generals or by persons unknown tofame, they are exceedingly liable to be thwarted. On the afternoon ofthe twentieth a cold northeast storm of wind, snow, sleet and rain cameon and continued with increasing force for more than thirty-six hours,which necessarily put an end to the[Pg 25]strategic movement of GeneralBurnside, for the roads became utterly impassable for the artillery, andpractically so for all military purposes. After floundering about in theclayey mire for three days, the brave fellows came tramping back, wearyand thoroughly disgusted, and again took up their abode in theirwretched old quarters. Our gallant General Burnside was now relieved ofthe command of the great Army of the Potomac, and General Hookerappointed to succeed him.

On the afternoon of February ninth, we broke camp and took the cars forAcquia Creek, en route for Fortress Monroe, as was supposed, but reallyfor Newport News. There was hilarious rejoicing on all hands at theprospect of at last getting away from our abominable quarters. The hutswere set on fire; bonfires were made from the great piles of combustibledébris which had accumulated during the winter; the rude barns which hadsheltered our horses and mules added to the conflagration, and for anhour or so before embarking we held high carnival amidst the smokingruins of "Camp Misery." At Acquia Creek we went on board the transport[Pg 26]steamers Metamora and Juniata, and the next morning steamed down thebroad Potomac.

The agreeable change of situation, together with the pleasant sail, werevery invigorating, and the men seemed almost to forget that they weresoldiers, and to imagine themselves on some holiday excursion. Arrivingoff Fortress Monroe at fourA. M. of the second day out, weawaited orders from General Dix, which being received we proceeded toNewport News and disembarked. We had at last got beyond Virginia mud,though still in Virginia, the soil at this place being light and sandy,and the ground for miles almost as level as Dexter Training Ground.

The schooner Elizabeth and Helen from Providence, which we had long beenexpecting, arrived about the same time. She brought a little more thanthree hundred boxes from friends at home for our regiment, and ourportion of the cargo of vegetables was about ninety barrels. So that,altogether, we had a "right smart heap" of the good things from home.The contents of the boxes being largely of a very perishable nature,were considerably[Pg 27]damaged on account of having been so long on thejourney. But we made the best of it, and enjoyed the unpacking of thoseboxes quite as much, without doubt, as our friends at home did thepacking. Nothing could have been more beneficial to us than the generoussupply of vegetables which we received, having subsisted mainly on saltmeats and hard-tack while at Fredericksburg.

"A" tents were here issued to the companies; everything was cheerful andtidy about the camp, and we seemed to be living in a new world. Myduties called me to Fortress Monroe nearly every day, which gave me adelightful little sail, together with charming scenery and plenty ofwork. The scene of the exciting and unequal contest between the Merrimacand the Cumberland, in Hampton Roads in March, 1862, was immediately infront of us; and about a mile from the shore, in the direction ofNorfolk, could be seen a portion of the masts of the latter, emergingfrom the water.

After a stay of precisely six weeks at Newport News, during which timenothing of very great importance transpired in the Ninth Army Corps,[Pg 28]all of which were encamped at this delightful place, the SecondBrigade, of which the Twelfth was a part, was ordered to the far-offcity of Lexington, Kentucky. Our regiment at once embarked on thesteamer Long Island for Baltimore, whence we were to go by rail to theWest. Some of the scenes on board that steamer at night were ludicrousin the extreme. I have heard of one's "hair standing seven ways forSunday," of things being "at sixes and sevens," and "all heads andpoints," but I must aver that the packing of the men on that boatexceeded anything I had ever seen in the way of mixing up human beings.They bestowed themselves in every conceivable position. It was almost animpossibility to go three steps without causing some one to cry out,"Keep off from me!" or, "O, my fingers!" an oath generally preceding theexpression, just for the sake of making it emphatic. The head of asoldier might frequently be seen mixed in with the feet of two or threeof his immediate neighbors. And in one case I discovered two men lyingdirectly under one of the horses, fast asleep. I soon ascertained,however, that they had been imbibing too freely of[Pg 29]poor whiskey, andthat therefore there was probably little immediate danger from theirsituation.

A sail of sixteen hours brought us to Baltimore, and a ride of threehundred and forty miles over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad took us toPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where we arrived at twelve o'clock on Saturdaynight, March twenty-eighth, tired and hungry. To our great joy we wereimmediately invited into the large and beautifully decorated halloccupied by the Soldiers' Relief Society, where we found a splendidsupper awaiting us. There were twelve tables, each running the entirelength of the hall, each arranged to accommodate one hundred men, andall richly laden with an abundance of delicious food and fruit.Compliments were few and exceedingly brief, but the rattle of crockeryand knives and forks was long and continuous. The Seventh Rhode Islandwas in the hall at the same time, and you may be assured that LittleRhody showed an unbroken front here, as she had already done under moretrying circumstances elsewhere. Suspended from the front of the platformwas the following in large letters:[Pg 30]"Pittsburgh Welcomes HerCountry's Defenders;" while underneath this was "Roanoke,Newbern,Fredericksburg,Burnside, and theNinth Army Corps."

After the sumptuous repast was ended, Colonel Browne stepped upon theplatform, and in a few appropriate and feeling remarks returned histhanks to the citizens of Pittsburgh for their hospitality to thesoldiers of Rhode Island, and closed by proposing three cheers for ourbenefactors, which were given with a roar that seemed almost to raisethe roof. We then marched out to make room for others that were waiting,the remainder of our brigade being near by. One of the waiters, who, Iwas informed, was the daughter of one of the first citizens of the city,told me that this hall had not been closed night or day for more than aweek, and that every soldier who had passed through the city for a longtime had partaken of their bounty if he chose to do so. Nearly fivethousand had been fed during the past twelve hours, and still there wasan abundance.

At tenA. M. we took the cars for Cincinnati, which we reachedafter a pleasant ride of about[Pg 31]four hundred miles through the mostdelightful section of country we had yet seen. We almost imaginedourselves making one of "Perham's Grand Excursions to the West."Everywhere along the route we met with tokens of welcome andencouragement. White handkerchiefs fluttered from ten thousand fairhands, while the stars and stripes were displayed "from cottage, halland tower," in great profusion. At Steubenville, Ohio, I should judgethe inhabitants were nearly all at the depot on our arrival, where theygreeted us with cheer upon cheer, besides innumerable expressions ofloyalty and good will. Five long trains of cars, containing the fiveregiments of our brigade, kept within a short distance of each otherduring this entire journey, and when the forward train stopped, theothers would come up within a few rods of each other, thus constitutingan almost unbroken train for about two miles. The impromptu foragingparties that emerged from each of those trains whenever they came to abrief halt, it is unnecessary to describe to veterans.

The brigade received a perfect ovation at Cincinnati. The streets werecrowded with the[Pg 32]enthusiastic populace, many buildings were brilliantlyilluminated, and the entire conduct of the people proved mostconclusively that the Union sentiment here was dominant. While passingalong one of the streets our regiment was treated to a perfect shower ofnice white handkerchiefs, which were thrown from the windows of a largebrick block by a company of ladies. Each of these souvenirs wasdelicately perfumed and bore the name of the fair donor. We were alsotreated to another supper here, which, had we not fared so verysumptuously at Pittsburgh, would have been pronounced thene plusultra of feasts. After eating till we could eat no more, a fresh supplywas brought on with which to fill our empty haversacks for the remainderof the journey.

I was busily occupied all night, in company with a squad of men, intransferring the baggage across the river to Covington in ferry-boats,and loading it on board the train which was to convey us to Lexington,which city we reached the following day, having been six days on thejourney from Newport News. We encamped on the State Fair Grounds,[Pg 33]westof the city, a spacious and charming location, adorned with elegantshade trees, and surrounded with the stately suburban residences of someof the chivalry of Kentucky. You may perhaps infer that we were somewhatinfluenced by our aristocratic surroundings when I inform you that whilehere, our fire-wood consisted mainly of black-walnut, the ordinaryfence-rails in that vicinity being composed of that material.

The Sunday following our arrival here, the regiment was visited andbriefly addressed by the venerable General Leslie Coombs, of Kentucky,that staunch and life-long enemy of secession, who was a friend and oldacquaintance of Colonel Browne. His tall and manly form, his long,flowing white hair, and his stately bearing, together with his stirringand patriotic remarks in favor of the preservation of the Union and thevigorous prosecution of the war, made an impression upon my mind that Ishall never forget.

After a week's sojourn here, our brigade turned its face southward andcommenced what subsequently proved to be a long series of marches back[Pg 34]and forth across the State, protecting exposed points and preparing fora probable meeting with the rebels either under General Breckenridge orGeneral Morgan, who were constantly menacing the southern borders of theState. And besides, the mountainous districts thereof were infested withmarauding bands, mainly under the general direction of Morgan, who werecarrying on a guerrilla warfare both against the Unionists of the State,who constituted a majority of all the people, and also against the Unionforces stationed there, thus keeping the citizens in a constant state ofanxiety and trepidation. The pillaging and murdering of the peaceableand inoffensive citizens of that would-be loyal State by these organizedbands of ruffians, constitute to my mind one of the darkest pictures ofour civil war.

Twenty-two miles over a macadamized road, through the celebrated "BlueGrass" region, brought us to Winchester, a pleasant inland village inClarke county, where we were allowed to remain for the full period ofeight days. Our next stopping place was at Richmond, a very invitingpost-village of about fifteen hundred inhabitants in Madison county,[Pg 35]twenty miles south of Winchester. This march, which occupied two days,took us through some of the most picturesque natural scenery to be foundin the State, including Boonesboro, the scene of Daniel Boone's famousexploits with the Indians, at which place the entire brigade crossed theKentucky river in a common scow which would hold only fifty men at atime. This delayed us for at least half a day, so that we had a goodview of the wild surroundings.

I must here relate a personal incident. After arriving at Richmond, Iwas sent back to Winchester to bring forward some stores and supplieswhich had been necessarily left there. Our teams had not arrived fromCovington, and I was detained for three days awaiting their appearance.I was stopping at the house of one Mr. Bush, a well-to-do planter, whoseacquaintance I had made while the regiment was encamped there. On thethird night of my stay with him I was suddenly aroused from a soundsleep at one o'clock by two soldiers who had entered my room, and whoimmediately confronted me, one with a drawn sword, and the other with arevolver, which he held in one hand, and a lighted candle in the[Pg 36]other.They said nothing, except to caution me that any attempt to move from mypresent position would be at the peril of my life. One of them commencedto search my clothes, while the other stood guard over me, holding hisglistering revolver uncomfortably near my head. I thought my hour hadprobably come, taking it for granted that the men were rebel soldiersand had taken advantage of my isolated situation to first rob and thendispatch me. But I finally mustered courage enough to ask them theirbusiness as politely as I knew how, and was promptly informed, greatlyto my surprise, that I was a rebel spy and their prisoner and that theywere Union soldiers sent there to arrest me. I at once felt relieved,knowing that I could readily establish my identity, and furthermore thatI was tolerably safe anyway in the hands of Union soldiers. Mr. Bush,who had followed them into the room in his night-clothes, immediatelyassured them that I was not a rebel spy, or even a rebel, but a memberof the Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers, and manifested considerableindignation that he should even be suspected of harboring rebel spies.Some papers and[Pg 37]letters in my pockets supported the testimony of myhost, and after considerable time spent in examining them, my brave (?)captors concluded that I was not the man they were looking for, and leftme without so much as an apology for their mistake, to ponder upon mydeceitful appearance. I learned the next day that two rebel spies had infact been prowling about the neighborhood for several days, and thatthese officers (for such they were) had been searching for them.

A week at Richmond, three days at Paint Lick Creek, a tributary of theCumberland, a week at Lancaster, and on we go, still southward, till wereach Crab Orchard, a Kentucky watering place of considerable note,where we remained for ten days. It was not every brigade that wasallowed to spend this length of time at a fashionable southern wateringplace during the sultry days of June, at the expense of the Government.

Instead of proceeding still further southward, as had been expected, wewere here suddenly ordered to execute a "right about face," and retraceour steps to Nicholasville, a point twelve miles south of[Pg 38]Lexington,where it was understood we were to take the cars en route for thefar-off city of Vicksburg, where we were to assist General Grant in thesiege against that rebel stronghold. This was not encouraging news tosoldiers whose term of enlistment would expire in a little more thanthirty days. Back we went, however, through the dust and heat, makingthe distance in two long days, the boys frequently rallying each otheron the march with the remarks: "It's all in the nine months, boys;" and,"Why did you come for a soldier?"

Just as we got in sight of Nicholasville another surprise awaited us.One of the General's aids came dashing up to Colonel Browne with ordersdetaching his regiment from the brigade and directing him to report toGeneral Carter at Somerset, more than seventy miles away, without delay.Half of this distance lay directly back over the route we had justtravelled. This was, indeed, provoking. But we were soldiers, and hadlearned that our first and principal duty was prompt and unquestioningobedience to orders. So we bade good-bye to the other regiments of ourbrigade by giving three hearty[Pg 39]cheers for each as they marched past uson their long journey to the West, and immediately turned our facessouthward again and started for Somerset.

It then being nearly sunset, we bivouacked for the night as soon as wecame to a convenient place, and resumed our backward march at daylightthe next morning. The First Tennessee Battery and a regiment of mountedinfantry soon joined us, and in company with them we reached Somerset,having gone by the way of Camp Dick Robinson and Hall's Gap, after afour days' march. In six successive days we had marched one hundredmiles. And what was somewhat remarkable, we went into camp at the end ofthis time with not a man left behind.

After a stay of ten days at Somerset, during which time our base ofsupplies was at Stanford, thirty-three miles away, and could only bereached by our mule teams, we moved down to the Cumberland river, wherewe encamped on a high and precipitous bluff overlooking the river andthe rugged mountainous scenery for a long distance. A brief rest and on,on we went again, bivouacking for a night on the battle-field of MillSprings, where General[Pg 40]Zollicoffer met his fate; climbing the mountainswith our heavily laden mule teams, building bridges, constructing roads,and making but slow progress over the roughest country that I ever saw.Several of my teams were capsized and rolled down a steep embankment,mules, drivers and all; others got mired in swamps, and it was with thegreatest difficulty that they were ever extricated; but we pulledourselves along in one way and another over a distance of thirty milesof this sort of country, and finally reached Jamestown (popularly knownas "Jimtown"), on the southern border of Kentucky, on the twenty-thirdday of June, which place proved to be the end of our journey southward.

The Thirty-second Kentucky infantry, called the "thirty two-sters,"Colonel Wolford's famous cavalry regiment, six hundred strong,—the mostdare-devil set of fellows, probably, in the Union service,—togetherwith two mounted regiments of infantry, here reported to Colonel Browneand were temporarily placed under his command, and everything made readyfor a brush with the rebels, which was daily expected, General Morganbeing reported just[Pg 41]in front of us with a large force. On thetwenty-ninth of June our pickets were suddenly attacked and driven in bythe enemy, causing the greatest excitement in camp. The long roll wasinstantly sounded; the men rushed to their companies with all possiblespeed; the regiment was formed in line of battle at a double-quick byLieutenant Colonel Shaw, and all was ready for the fray. Company A,Captain Alexander, and Company C, Captain Allen, had been previouslystationed about half a mile in front, on a road leading south towardsthe Cumberland river, where they had felled trees and erected a sort ofrude barricade called Fort Alexander, in honor of the captain incommand, which position they continued to hold.

The battery took a position on the Columbus road, on which the enemy wasapproaching; the other regiments were just in the rear, while Wolford'scavalry went forward on a keen run, their famous commander being atleast a hundred yards in front of his men when he passed our regiment,presenting, in connection with his headlong followers, a scene of thewildest excitement. He speedily came in[Pg 42]contact with the enemy,—whoseparticular object at this time was the capture of our battery,—drovethem back without bringing on a general engagement, captured a score ormore of prisoners, and so thoroughly routed and scattered the enemy byhis bold and vigorous dash, that they made no further attempt to disputethe possession of this antiquated town with our forces until the morningof the fourth of July following.

Our quartermaster's train, however, was attacked two days later, on itsway from Green river, whither it had been for supplies, by a guerrillaband of about fifty men; but as the train was guarded by a company ofmounted infantry from the Seventh Ohio, the attack was repulsed after avigorous contest, with some loss on both sides, and our provisions andquartermaster arrived in camp unharmed the next day, to the great joy ofthe regiment, who were nearly out of supplies.

On the third of July a battle was fought near Lebanon, which was a shortdistance to the north of us, between a portion of General Carter'sforces and[Pg 43]those under General Morgan, in which quite a number werekilled and several wounded.

We commenced the celebration of the glorious Fourth by forming in lineof battle with alacrity at half-past threeA. M., our picketshaving been again driven in, and the rebels seeming determined to have about with us before we left Kentucky. And I think our men would as soonhave fought as not on this occasion, being tired of the constantannoyance, and ready to prove to Kentucky bushwhackers what kind ofstuff they were made of. But, fortunately for both sides doubtless, therebels remained outside of "Jimtown," and our forces remained inside,resting on their arms all day, and momentarily expecting an attack,which, however, was not made. And on the fifth of July, General Carter,deciding doubtless that this part of the State was not worth fightingfor any longer, abandoned it to the enemy and moved his forcesnorthward; first to Somerset, and then to Stanford, our base ofsupplies, which he continued to hold. Somerset was again reached afterthree days of the most difficult marching we had ever experienced, aheavy rain storm being in progress[Pg 44]most of the time, rendering themovement of the artillery and heavy-laden army wagons well nighimpossible. With ten mules on one team, and two industrious swearers todrive them, I was only able to make a distance of two rods through themire in the space of one whole hour, on one occasion during the firstday of this march, which, by the way, was on Sunday.

Of course the army could move no faster than the wagon train on thismarch, as the rebels were immediately in our rear, ready to pounce uponus if a good opportunity was offered.

Eight days of continuous marching, most of the time over the same routewe had travelled twice, and some of it three times before, and we wereagain at Nicholasville, where our regiment took the cars for Cincinnatiby the way of Lexington. Our term of service had expired, but at therequest of our greatly beloved General Burnside, we remained atCincinnati for a week to assist in protecting that much frightened cityfrom the raids of the somewhat ubiquitous General Morgan, who hadpreceded us from "Jimtown" to that more populous and inviting[Pg 45]community. Another journey of a thousand miles—not, however, onfoot—and the Twelfth Regiment was again at home.

MEMORIAL OF GEORGE H. BROWNE,

[Late Colonel of the Twelfth Regiment.]

Colonel George H. Browne departed this life at Providence on thetwenty-seventh day of September,A. D. 1885, in thesixty-eighth year of his age, sincerely lamented by all who knew him. Hewas a Rhode Islander by birth and education; thoroughly imbued with thehistory and traditions of the State, and always identified himself withits best interests. Conservative, candid and outspoken, and an excellentjudge of human nature, he was not easily deceived or led to do an unwiseor even an injudicious act. To say that he was a wise, prudent andthoroughly conscientious man, is but to voice the common sentiment ofall those who knew him.

Since September of 1862, I have known Colonel[Pg 46]Browne well, and beenhonored by his constant friendship. During the period of his service inthe army, my duties brought me in almost daily contact with him; I wasone of his mess during our Kentucky campaign, and had the opportunity tostudy his character and habits with deliberation; while since the war Ihave known him in the walks of private, professional and political life.And for stalwart manliness, transparent honesty and true nobility ofcharacter, I can unhesitatingly say that I have not known his superior.

As the commanding officer of the Twelfth Regiment, he at once inspiredboth the confidence and love of his men. His utmost energies werecontinually put forth for the efficiency and usefulness of his command,while his efforts for the personal welfare of each individual memberthereof were proverbial. Indeed, in the latter respect he seemed morelike a kind father watching over the welfare of his children, than acold military commander issuing the stern edicts of war. It was hisdaily habit to go about the camp and personally inspect the same,frequently making his appearance in the tents and[Pg 47]huts of the privatesas well as in the quarters of the officers, for the purpose ofascertaining their condition as to cleanliness and comfort; inquiringafter the wants of the men; visiting the hospital and speaking words ofhope and good cheer to those who were sick, and in many other waysseeking to minister to the welfare of his command. A single instance ofhis unselfish devotion to the good of his men illustrates thischaracteristic.

On Sunday, May 3, 1863, his regiment marched from Richmond, Kentucky, toPaint Lick Creek, a distance of twelve miles, through a drenching rain.Many of the men had become foot-sore or otherwise disabled by reason ofthe great amount of marching they had recently done, and some of thesebecame unable to complete the journey; whereupon, Colonel Browne,Lieutenant Colonel Shaw, and other field officers, gave up their horsesto the use of these disabled ones, and themselves tramped with the menthrough the mud and rain for a good part of this distance.

Colonel Browne was a brave man. He faced the guns of the enemy atFredericksburg where the[Pg 48]battle waxed hottest, with as much apparentcoolness as though simply facing his regiment on dress parade. A ballpierced his mantle; "the noise of battle hurtled in the air," anddeath-dealing missiles were flying thick about him, but he neitherwavered nor blanched. Wherever his regiment was ordered to go, thitherhe promptly went in front of it, inspiring his followers with courageboth by his genuine heroism and his manly words of cheer.

His bravery, however, was not of the ostentatious or noisy sort. It wasmore like the current of a still but deep-flowing river, which movescalmly but steadily onward, irresistibly drawing to itself, andunconsciously controlling all the lesser streams about it. He neverparaded his virtues before his fellow-men, or posed as a hero orstatesman for public applause. Indeed, he utterly scorned all attemptsmade by others for the sake of notoriety and position as vulgar andunworthy. He admired, however, and honestly won, the fame which followsgenerous and noble deeds, and not that which is sought after by thedemagogue and the charlatan. He was notably considerate and courteous inhis treatment of[Pg 49]his subordinates in office, never seeming to command,while in fact exercising the most perfect control.

Colonel Browne retained an abiding interest in the men of his regimentto the day of his death. His greetings to them on the street, in themarts of trade, and especially at their annual reunions, were alwayswarm and hearty. A single incident will serve to illustrate his interestin their welfare. Meeting me one day last winter on Westminster street,he said: "Judge,I've got some good news to tell you," and invited meto step into a bookstore which he was then passing while he shouldreveal it. "Do you remember Sergeant ——, of Company ——?" said he, hisface all aglow with that expression of happiness which was peculiar tohim. "Yes, Colonel, I do; what about him?" "Why, he's been out West, andby diligence and skill in a profitable business which he there engagedin, first as clerk and subsequently as one of the firm, and now as themanager thereof, has actually made his fortune, and is to-day a rich andhighly respected man. And he came to see me the other day and told meall about[Pg 50]it." And then with much enthusiasm and honest pride in hismanner, said: "Isn't that good news from one of our boys?" Had thissergeant been his own son, he could hardly have manifested more joy inhis prosperity.

His private benefactions to several of his men who had long been inindigent circumstances, are known and remembered by Him who said:"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,ye have done it unto me."

There was no circumlocution or ambiguity in Colonel Browne's methods.Whatever he had to do, he went about in a direct and business-like way,and prosecuted it to completion in the same straightforward manner. Hehad none of the arts or tricks of the demagogue, and was utterlyincapable of double-dealing or hypocrisy. And no man whom I have everknown, more thoroughly detested these base qualities in others. He hadno patience with shams or subterfuges of any sort whatsoever, and didnot hesitate to frown upon them with indignation whenever and whereverthey appeared. If diplomacy has been correctly defined as being the artof[Pg 51]concealing one's thoughts in his language, he never would have madea successful diplomat; for he always said just what he meant, and alwaysmeant just what he said.

Colonel Browne's abilities, both natural and acquired, were of a highorder. He had a broad, vigorous and well-balanced mind, which had beenthoroughly trained and disciplined to habits of logical and exactreasoning, and a power of analysis which led him to correct conclusionswith almost mathematical certainty. He was not a superficial thinker,but always insisted on laying bare the very roots of the matter underconsideration, and then gradually working upwards to natural andlegitimate conclusions. His processes of reasoning were inductive ratherthan dogmatic. With such a mind, so constituted and developed, he waseminently fitted for positions of trust and responsibility, whetherprivate or public, which foot the citizens both of his native town andState were not slow to learn and appreciate.

As a legislator he was diligent, prudent and conservative, possessingthe courage of his convictions,[Pg 52]always exerting a large and salutaryinfluence by his candor, integrity and good judgment, and readily wonthe confidence and esteem of his associates. Public office was with hima public trust, to be administered with strictest fidelity and care.

In his chosen profession, in which the strength of his vigorous manhoodwas spent, he attained eminence and preferment, being a recognizedleader of the bar of this State for many years before his death. A safeand able counsellor, an ingenuous and convincing advocate and anhonorable opponent, he brought to the practice of his profession thosequalities which insure success. Quibbles and quirks and barrentechnicalities were an abomination to him as a foundation upon which tobase an action or a defense. Like Solon, "who built his commonweal onequity's wide base," so he built his legal structures on the broadprinciples of justice, truth and right.

In 1874 he was elected to the high and honorable office of Chief Justiceof the Supreme Court of this State by a legislature composed mainly ofhis political opponents, a monumental tribute to his integrity, learningand ability. He declined the office,[Pg 53]however, and remained in theprofession which he had dignified and honored to the day of his death.

As a private citizen he was a man of unimpeachable character, generousimpulses, and high and noble purposes. His life was pure andunostentatious, and his manner frank and undisguised. Let us evercherish his memory, and strive to emulate his virtues.