THE BOYS IN BLUE OF '61

The Sioux City Journal, August 22, 1901

Maris Peirce, who served three years in Company C, Ninety-seventh Pennsylvania Infantry, said it was his misfortune during his service to be compelled to witness four military executions for desertion, three of the men being members of his regiment, who had been assigned to fill up the depleted ranks and who were known as bounty jumpers.

On each occasion all of the troops of the post or garrison (for the influence of the example) were ordered paraded in form of three sides of a hollow square, the condemned being placed in the center of the line on the vacant side.  The executions were conducted by the provost marshal and the executioners, a detail of twelve men called the firing squad, with a reserve squad of twelve men for emergency.  Both squads after formation stacked arms and retired while the pieces were being loaded by another detail, and one piece in each squad was loaded with a blank cartridge, that each man might entertain the thought that his piece contained the blank.

The condemned man was taken from place of confinement in a cart, sitting on his coffin and guarded by the executioners with the band in advance playing the dead march.  At the designated place the coffin the coffin was placed on the ground with the condemned sitting on it, facing the troops, and all retire a few paces while the chaplain administered the last words of consolation.

When the chaplain retires, the marshal pinions the arms to the sides, pulls the black cap over the face, forms the firing squad twelve paces in front, with the reserve on the right and takes position where he can give the commands by sign.  From preparatory instruction and drill everything moves with the precision of clockwork; the condemned is held in suspense but a few moments after the black cap is adjusted, and the report of the volley is the signal for the troops to return to quarters.

Mr. Peirce says that few of the many tragic incidents that came into his life as a soldier left as deep and lasting impression on him as the executions he witnessed.  There is that about the systematic, businesslike manner in which the killing of men is gone about on such occasions that cannot but leave its mark on one’s memory. 

THE BOYS IN BLUE OF '61

The Sioux City Journal, August 25, 1901

Dr. J. A. Somerville, of Leeds, entered the service as sergeant in Company D, Fifth New Jersey volunteers, August 17, 1861.  His company, on the arrival of the regiment at Washington D.C., was detailed to go to Alexandria, Va., and assigned to quarters at the Marshall house.  They were the first union troops to occupy the city after the shooting of Col. Ellsworth by Marshall, the proprietor of the hotel, as he descended the stairs at the second story of the building after having pulled down the confederate flag.

As a sample of the hatred evinced by the citizens towards the union troops, Dr. Somerville tells of his having politely advanced to the door of a residence and asked for a drink of water.  The lady of the house spat in the soldier’s face and exclaimed, “How dare you, a dirty Yankee, speak to me!”

“While my company was occupying the hotel,” said Dr. Somerville, “I one morning, as duty sergeant, ordered a private to report for detail.  He being yet a volunteer soldier, refused to obey.  I ordered a corporal to take him to the guard house. Not waiting for punishment, he ran to the building occupied by the commanding officer to appeal from my orders.  The colonel said to him, “So you refused to obey the orders of your sergeant, did you?” ‘Yes, colonel.’
“Then, sir, go back and report yourself to the officer of the guard as under arrest.  D----- you, I will have you shot for disobedience to your superior officer and thus make you an example to the other soldiers.
This gave the man a severe lesson in the duty of a soldier to his superior, but subsequently he was released from imprisonment and returned to duty, a wiser and more obedient soldier.”

After two months duty here the regiment was ordered to guard duty along the Potomac river, in the early spring to Yorktown, Va., where it participated in the peninsular campaign under McClellan, taking a leading part in the first battle fought at Williamsburg, Va., May 5, 1862, under Gen. Hooker.  Here the sergeant was wounded and left for dead, but subsequently rejoined his company and was promoted for bravery in action by Col. Starr, a regular of the Fifth United States cavalry.  After the retreat from Richmond in July, he was sent to a hospital, suffering from fever and wounds.  He was discharged as unfit for active service.  Subsequently, having regained his health, he again entered the service as first lieutenant in the Thirty-third regiment of New Jersey volunteers and took part in the western campaign and in the capture of Lookout mountain under his old division commander, Gen. Joseph Hooker.  His health having failed because of the severe exposure of the winter of 1864, he resigned and is now in the practice of medicine in Sioux City.

THE BOYS IN BLUE OF '61

The Sioux City Journal, August 27, 1901

W. L. Wilkins, commander of Gen. Hancock post, No. 22, G. A. R., served in the war of the rebellion in the Fifth Vermont regiment, which regiment, formed part of the famous First Vermont brigade.  “Talk of war!” said he.  “Why, the present generation knows little about war.”

“Take our regiment at the fight at Savage station, on June 29, 1862, when McClellan, after driving his left wing up within six miles of Richmond, and a large part of the rebel forces north of the Chickihominy at that, turned and fled like a coward, with any army of 115,000 men, across White Oak swamp to Malvern hill and Harrison’s landing on the James.  The protection of the army in its retreat devolved upon Sumner, who arrived upon the ground about noon the 29th.  Baldy Smith, who commanded a division in Franklin’s corps at that time, which included the Vermont brigade, had protected, or assisted in protecting, the retreat for several hours previous to Sumner’s arrival and started for the swamp at once.  In two hours he was recalled by Sumner to assist his corps, as Hentzleman, who was to have assisted, had not appeared, but was with others in full retreat.

“Commanding three divisions, the rebel general, Magruder, with three regiments of infantry and one battery of light artillery, together with a 30-pounder mounted on a flat car and protected by rebels from the railway track, attempted to annihilate the Fifth Vermont, which occupied an exposed position in that fight.  In less than twenty minutes one-half of my regiment was either killed or wounded, but we fought it out after that and whipped, driving the rebel forces from the field.

“Company E, of our regiment, went into that fight with three commissioned officers and fifty-six men in line.  Fifty-two of these were either killed or wounded in that fight.

“In the ranks of that company stood five brothers from Manchester, Vt. __ Henry, Hiram, Silas, William and Edward Cummings, also a cousin with the same surname, W. H. Cummings, and a brother-in-law, Horace Clayton.  Of these seven, six were killed in that fight, and the other one severely wounded and discharged by special order of the secretary of war.” 

THE BOYS IN BLUE OF '61

The Sioux City Journal, August 29, 1901

Capt. Allen B. White served in the Second Minnesota veteran volunteer infantry four years, and was under Gen. George H. Thomas, Fourteenth army corps, until the surrender of Atlanta.  He was with Sherman on his march to the sea.  He went from Savannah to Washington.  He got a record for gallantry at the battles of Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge.  Asked to relate an anecdote of his army days, Capt. White smiled good naturedly and stroked his beard as he thought.

“We had some German and Irish soldiers with us,” he said.  “Foraging was prohibited.  The general met a German with a small sheep on one of his soldiers. ‘Halt,’ cried the general. ‘Don’t you know, sir, that is contrary to orders?’ ‘Yaas, general,’ replied the German, ‘but does you tink I vould let dot leetle sheep bite me? I vould kill him feerst.’ ‘Go to your quarters,’ said the general.
The general had mutton for breakfast.

“At the battle of Chickamauga nearly 50 per cent of our regiment was killed and wounded.  In the thick of the battle an Irishman named McAlpin was wounded in the wrist.  I said: ‘Mac, you are disabled. Get back.’  While he was turning, a minnie ball struck a brier pipe in his pocket and ran around on a rib.  He threw up his hands and said, ‘Be dad, cap, I am shot through the heart.’  I said, ‘No, Mac, people do not talk after being shot through the heart.’  Mac was captured and taken to Andersonville, and came back a wreck after months of suffering. We had been compelled to go into this battle without breakfast.  Years afterwards, McAlpin stepped into Gen. J. W. Bishop’s office, and, saluting, said, ‘General, do you remember the breakfast we did not “ate” at Chickamauga?’ ‘Yes, very well,’ said the general.  Mac said, ‘I can taste it yet.’

“God bless the German and Irish soldier.  A company without some of them would be dull enough.”