WAR REMINISCENCES CHAPTER 35

 

Captain Frank Place, Comapny C, 157th Regiment, New York Volunteers.

Captain William Saxton, Company C, 157th Regiment, New York Volunteers.

Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, September 12, 1903.

WAR REMINISCENCES.

By Captain Saxton of the I57th Regiment, N. Y. Vols.

ALL HURRYING TO GETTYSBURG.

The One Hundred Fifty Seventh Placed in a Strong Position—Confederates Secure Some Advantageous Points—Relative Strength of the Two Armies—Confederates Eager for Battle.

CHAPTER 35.

   To the Editor of The Standard:

   Sir—The two other divisions, Robinson's and Rowley's, of the First Corps came up about 12 o'clock. Robinson's second brigade, Baxter's, formed on Seminary ridge, his right resting on the Mommasburg road and his left connecting with Cutler's brigade of Wadsworth's division. Paul's brigade was placed in reserve at the Seminary. One brigade of Rowley's division was placed on Meredith's right, and the other was placed in the rear as a reserve and support. About this time General Howard arrived upon the field and took command, although Gen. Howard in his lecture here on Gettysburg says he arrived at Gettysburg between 9 and 10 o'clock in advance of his Corps and at the time of Reynolds' death he was up in the cupola of the Pennsylvania college viewing the fight through his field glass. I remember distinctly when General Howard and his staff passed us on the road from Emmetsburg to Gettysburg. At that time he seemed in quite a hurry. I do not know the time of day, but it was about the time we learned they were engaged in front. They took to the fields were they could, so as not to obstruct the road for the infantry.

   On the Confederate side, Hill placed Heth's division in advance again, having brought up Pettigrew's and Brockenbrough's fresh brigades, supported by Pender's division. Ewell's Corps was coming in from the north from Heidlersburg on the Carlisle and Harrisburg roads.

Hurrying to the Front.

   We, the One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York, and the Eleventh Corps left Emmetsburg at 7 a. m. It rained for a short time after we started. It soon turned hot and sultry. We marched toward Gettysburg. On the way a courier arrived from Reynolds saying they were engaged in front and asked the Corps to hurry on to their relief. We started forward as fast as we could go, and in order to facilitate matters Schurz's and Steinwehr's divisions crossed over to the Taneytown road, and the Corp advanced on Gettysburg along both the Emmetsburg and Taneytown roads. This made our distance 13 miles or more. When within a mile or so of town, we heard the boom of cannon and were started on the double quick. The infantry took the sides of the roads and the artillery on the gallop took the middle.

   What an exciting rush that was! We had been pushed forward for the last six or seven miles as fast as we could go, no halts for rest during the whole forenoon and now, when ready to drop in our tracks by the wayside for weariness, the roar of the cannon roused our exhausted energies and we started forward at increased speed. If a man fell out, no attention was paid him, but we rushed on. It is a remarkable fact, however, that almost every man was in his place. In fact, I do not know of a single man falling out of company C. Our previous campaigning had eliminated that class of boys from our company and regiment.

   We rushed down through the town taking the sidewalks, the artillery taking the center of the streets. Ladies were standing at their gates with wonderfully eager faces, encouraging us by words and smiles.

In Position on the Field.

   Captain Place occasionally stopped and shook hands with an acquaintance that he had formed the winter of 1862-3 when the unmounted Tenth New York cavalry had been there. We rushed out past the Pennsylvania college building and swung into line to the north of the town, as each regiment came up, our left resting on the Mummasburg road. Our brigade was the left brigade and the One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York was the left regiment of the Corps, as we had been marching left in front that day.

   When General Howard by seniority of rank took command of the field after Reynolds’ death our division commander, General Schurz, took command of the Eleventh Corps and our brigade commander, General Schimmelfennig, took command of the division, and Colonel Von Amsburg of the Forty-fifth New York took command of the brigade.

   Gen, Howard halted Steinwehrs’ division on Cemetery Hill just south of town and arranged them across the Baltimore pike and Taneytown and Emmetsburg roads, where these roads concentrated and faced them to the north as a reserve. He placed Weidreich's New York battery on higher ground a little to the right.

Strong Position Selected.

   It was a very fortunate thing as subsequent events proved that Gen. Howard, as he rode over this ground in the morning in coming to town, noticed its strong position, and had already seen that this was the proper place to fight the battle. Hence the detaining of Steinwehr's division to hold the position.

   Schurz intended to rush the Eleventh Corps forward and connect with Robinson's division of the First Corps on Oak Ridge, but before he could get there Rhodes' Confederate division of Ewell's Corps, whose movements had been masked behind the woods, appeared on the coveted spot, and Schurz was compelled to form our Corps in the meadows, pastures and wheat fields of the lower lands before reaching the hills. The One-Hundred and Fifty-Seventh New York was the leading regiment of the division. Company C was now the ranking company and was on the right of the regiment. We were on the north side of the Mummasburg road, then came the Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania on our right and the Sixty-first Ohio on its right extending to the Carlisle road. The Forty-fifth New York and Eighty-second Illinois were formed in our rear. The other brigade of our division was also formed in two lines still further to the right and extended across the Carlisle road. Then came Ames' and Von Gilsa's brigades of Barlow's division continuing the extension northeast and east to Rock Creek.

Recapitulation of Position.

   To recapitulate, the Union lines commenced on the Hagerstown road where it crosses Willoughby Run nearly two miles southwest of Gettysburg. Gamble's cavalry was stationed there. Then came the First Corps west and along Seminary ridge to the Mummasburg road, facing west; then, with some little break and a half a mile back came the two divisions of the Eleventh Corps at right angles facing north from the Mummasburg road to Rock creek.

   Just a word now as to the strength of the opposing forces. Both Hill and Ewell had each one division absent from the fight.

Relative Strength.

   There was no Confederate cavalry present. Hill had thirty-five infantry regiments present and Ewell had thirty-six. Seventy-one in all, or 27,300 infantry and artillery.

   The Union side had fifty regiments of infantry and Buford's small division of cavalry, or 18,400 infantry, cavalry and artillery.

   We, the One Hundredth and Fifty-seventh New York of the Eleventh Corps, arrived on the field between 12 and 1 o'clock, exhausted by our forced marches, and as fast as a regiment came up it formed into line as above stated. It was probably 2 o'clock before the Corps was all up, but the Confederates were not inclined to wait until all their entertainers arrived. Ewell's Corps had camped at Heidlersburg, eleven miles from Gettysburg, and they arrived a little ahead of us. As I said before, Rhodes' division had taken position on Oak hill, that we so badly wanted, and had the advantage of position as well as numbers. He had placed his artillery in the most favorable positions so as to enfilade Wadsworth's line. As Rhodes' infantry advanced, they struck the right flank of the First Corps and Hill, seeing Ewell engaged, moved his Corps forward to the attack and the whole line of the First Corps became hotly engaged.

   In moving forward Iverson's and O'Neal's Confederate brigades, Iverson struck Baxter's brigade of Robinson's division of the First Corps and were badly repulsed, Iverson losing about a thousand men in prisoners. The Ninety-Seventh New York with only 255 present captured the colors of the Twentieth North Carolina and 293 men—thirty-eight men more than it had in its own ranks.

   Ramseur's brigade was brought up to reinforce Iverson and O'Neal. Robinson of the First Corps brought forward his only reserve brigade—Paul's—and the contest was fiercely renewed, General Paul losing both eyes; O'Neal swung around Paul's right, compelling him to change positions and face the north. General Hill advanced Heth's division, supported by Pender's against that part of the First Corps south of Chambersburg pike. Petttgrew's large brigade overlapped Meredith's "Iron Brigade" on their left and forced it back on Biddle's brigade in reserve in the rear. The Twenty-sixth North Carolina regiment was Pettigrew's right regiment. It was a large regiment, as large as some of our brigades—820 strong. As it swung around the left of Meredith it came in contact with Biddle's brigade, which proceeded to inflict upon it the greatest loss of any regiment, either Union or Confederate in the battle.

   W. S.