Soldiers Biographies, Page 3

25. Private John Paris, 1^st Delaware Infantry, U.S.A.

After Fredericksburg, the 1^st Delaware was assigned to duty near Falmouth, Virginia, on the Rappahannock River. The river was not very deep or wide at this point and the men of John’s regiment could speak to the Confederate soldiers on the other side. They agreed not to shoot at each other and soon were trading newspapers and coffee for tobacco. This pleasant truce lasted only a few weeks until that spring and the Battle of Chancellorsville. The 1^st Delaware lost 6 killed, 33 wounded, and 10 missing in the battle. John was among the wounded, with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. The wound apparently was not serious for on June 14, 1863, he was well enough to join the other men of his regiment as they shouldered their equipment and began the march north. That John would rejoin his unit slightly more than one month after being shot in the shoulder says something about his commitment to his comrades and his devotion to his duty as a soldier.

"The weather was intensely hot, and the dust almost suffocating," wrote one of John’s fellow soldiers. The army marched for days and days without end, and many fell by the roadside from exhaustion. John was able to keep up with everyone else and on the evening of July 1, he and his comrades fell down exhausted next to a farmer's stonewall. Nearby was a small apple orchard, the trees loaded with green apples. They attempted to get water from the farmer's nearby well but there were so many thirsty soldiers drawing water that it soon ran dry. The 1^st Delaware spent the night behind the shelter of the stone wall and in the dawn's light looked out to see numerous Confederate campfires barely a mile away from them and just to the north lay the small town called Gettysburg.

26. Sergeant William John Turner Hutchenson, Company E, Phillip's Georgia Legion, C.S.A.

After a period of training, Private William Hutchenson and his battalion were sent to the Kanawha Valley in the territory of West Virginia. West Virginia was not yet a state. Fighting the weather proved as difficult as fighting Yankees and many of William's fellow soldiers became ill from exposure in the harsh weather of the region. In December the Legion was ordered to South Carolina, close to the Atlantic Ocean. The warm climate and fresh ocean breezes must have been a refreshing change from the cold, forbidding mountains of West Virginia.

In late June and early July 1862, news of heavy fighting around the Confederate capital of Richmond may have been the subject of discussion between William and his comrades. On July 18, orders arrived ending the comfortable duty the Legion had been enjoying on the coast. They were to proceed north to Richmond and join the Army of Northern Virginia, which needed reinforcements after the bloody battles of the early summer. By this time William and the men of his company were well-drilled soldiers, but they had never experienced a large-scale battle. Some men may have been eager for their chance to get at the Yankees, while others, who had seen the long casualty lists in the newspapers, might have been anxious and nervous.

By the time the Legion started north, William had been promoted to corporal. By August, the Legion had joined the Army of Northern Virginia in its sweep northward that resulted in the Battle of Second Manassas. On August 29, the first day of the battle, a shell fired by a Union cannon burst in the ranks of Company E. When the smoke cleared, two men lay dead and two were badly wounded. William was one of the wounded. A fragment mutilated his left thigh. Although serious, the wound did not require amputation of William's leg, a fairly common procedure for serious wounds of the arms, legs, hands and feet.

William spent four months recovering from his wound. He returned in January and found that the Legion had suffered many losses in the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg. Perhaps because of the losses, or because William was a good soldier, he was promoted to sergeant soon after his return. Now he gave orders to the corporals and privates. In May 1863, the Legion participated in the bloody Battle of Chancellorsville west of Fredericksburg, Virginia. A member of the Legion wrote after the fight, "never did men act more gallantly" than did the Legion when it advanced against Yankee troops protected by breastworks. The Legion helped carry the position but William was wounded again. The wound was not serious for he remained with his unit.

For the rest of May, William and his comrades rested and prepared for a new campaign. On June 3 orders were given to cook up three days rations, strike tents at dark and be prepared to march. Anytime the order came to cook three days supply of food veterans like William knew that meant a movement that would last several days. Something big was afoot, but the regular foot soldiers like William did not know what. At 8 p.m., in the still of the night, the 290 soldiers of Phillip's Legion, shouldered their equipment, and along with thousands of other Confederate soldiers began to march west. No doubt there was much speculation in the ranks as to their destination. Few imagined that their march would lead to Pennsylvania and Gettysburg.

27. Corporal Cornelius Gerrit Hendrick Bennick, 74^th New York Infantry, U.S.A.

The 74^th New York Regiment was unusual for it contained not only men from New York but Pennsylvania and Massachusetts as well. Even so, Cornelius went to war with his friends and neighbors for all of Company D (about 100 men) came from Cambridge. After spending nearly a year training in the fortifications around Washington, D.C., the 74^th New York finally "saw the elephant", or combat for the first time, in 1862. Their first battle was at Williamsburg, and then they fought near Richmond, the Confederate capital, at Seven Pines and the Seven Days. Cornelius later said they were so close they could see the church steeples in Richmond. The 74^th later fought at Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Cornelius must have been a good soldier for he was promoted to corporal on August 28, 1862. Over two years of military service had taken its toll, however, for by the time the 74^th New York began to move north in June 1863 the regiment, which had started with over 1,000 men, only numbered 275.

The march toward Gettysburg was a hard one, the men hiking 10 to 15 miles a day through suffocating heat, dust and rain. Though tired when they entered Pennsylvania on July 1, Cornelius and his comrades, now veterans of many battles were ready for whatever happened. They knew something important would soon occur, for they that afternoon could hear the rumbling of cannons ahead. The Battle of Gettysburg had already begun.

28. Lieutenant William E. Harris, 45^th North Carolina Infantry, C.S.A.

After a period of training, William's regiment was sent to Weldon, North Carolina, where it helped guard the vital railroad junction there. The commander of the 45^th North Carolina Infantry was Colonel Junius Daniel, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and former U. S. Army regular army officer. He drilled his new regiment incessantly to prepare them for the harsh realities of the battlefield. One member of the regiment recalled that they "were upon the drill field an average of six to eight hours each day." William and his comrades may have grumbled that they enlisted to fight Yankees, not drill all day. But Colonel Daniel knew his soldiers had no concept of what a battle was like. He understood that well-trained soldiers were more likely to survive than poorly trained ones, so he ignored the grumbling and kept drilling his men.

In May 1862, the 45^th North Carolina was ordered to Virginia to help defend Richmond from attack. On June 30, at the Battle of Frazier's Farm, the regiment was close to the James River where Union gunboats cruised. The gunboats fired at the Confederates, hurling 160 pound shells toward them. These huge shells were so frightening that nearly the entire regiment broke and ran for cover. They quickly recovered and reformed, but the men had begun to understand why Colonel Daniel had insisted on constant drilling to prepare them.

In February 1863, William's youngest brother, James W., who had turned 18 joined Company F. Any celebration there may have been that all the brothers were together in the same company was tempered when John, William's 23 year-old brother, died of typhoid fever two months later. William also probably knew by this time that Rachel was expecting their fourth child.

In May, the 45^th North Carolina was ordered to join the Army of Northern Virginia at Fredericksburg. By this time William had been promoted twice, a sign that his superiors considered him to be a good soldier with leadership ability. The march north during the month of June took William to places he had never seen before - northern Virginia, the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the mighty Potomac River, Maryland, and finally, the bountiful landscape of Pennsylvania. There was plenty of good food to eat and the roads were excellent. William might have thought it a grand, exciting adventure.

On July 1, 1863, William and his regiment were camped near the tiny village of Heidlersburg, Pennsylvania, about eight miles from the county seat of Adams County, Gettysburg. Early that morning, William fell in with his company and marched several miles to another small village, called Middletown, today called Biglerville. Here his regiment, along with the rest of the men of Rodes' Division (the larger unit to which the 45^th North Carolina belonged) turned south and began marching. The weather was warm and sultry, with occasional passing showers.

As the men marched along they heard a dull rumble from the direction of Gettysburg. It was artillery fire! There was fighting ahead! William may have felt a stab of fear in the pit of his stomach. Perhaps he and his brothers looked into one another's eyes with love and concern. William would have been keenly aware of the responsibility his position as lieutenant and older brother carried with it. Perhaps he said a prayer, asking God to give him strength to do his duty and help he, his brothers, and the men of his company, to pass safely through the coming battle. Certainly he thought of Rachel and his children. Rachel may have delivered their fourth child, a daughter, Maggie, by this time, but it unknown whether William knew this or not. Above all, William was determined to do his duty, no matter what might lay ahead.

29. Sergeant Philip J. Kuhn, 26^th Wisconsin Infantry, U.S.A.

The 26^th Wisconsin saw its first battle at Chancellorsville, Virginia where it was almost annihilated during the Confederate attack on May 2. They and the 75^th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment had been posted on a small knoll by the division general and were completely exposed to the overwhelming attack by thousands of Confederates under "Stonewall" Jackson. Fighting their way out of the trap, the Wisconsin men finally broke and fled in disorder, but rallied near the Chancellor House that night. It was a terrible, bloody introduction to war and Philip was lucky enough to have escaped the bloodshed unscathed. The disgrace of their flight at Chancellorsville hung heavy over Philip and his men. They knew they had fought well, but other soldiers in the army did not think they had fought hard enough. Once again they were anxious to prove themselves in battle and when orders finally came to march, the men were eager to go and find Lee's army. It seemed like they would have their chance again in June when the regiment broke camp and set out into northern Virginia.

It was not a comfortable march for the 26^th Wisconsin as the weather was warm and the roads dusty. "The weather is so hot that we think we scarcely can stand it and yet we have to march with our entire equipment, loaded like a pack mule," wrote Private Adam Muenzenberger. "You'd think this is a ruse - and it is for the southern general, Lee, is marching in the same direction through the Blue Ridge and we have to march rapidly to block his way, which we have been lucky enough to do." After a day of rest near Frederick, Maryland, the Wisconsin men trudged northward again under a warm sun, the dust covering them from head to foot. Philip marched along beside his company when they heard the boom of cannon from far ahead. Their pace quickened and exhausted soldiers fell out by the side of the road. Philip was determined to keep up and pushed ahead until they reached the limits of a small town. "We were wet as cats, hungry as wolves; our thirst was satisfied by the good citizens when we ran in full gallop through their town," recalled Private Carl Wickesburg. "The small town where the battle was fought is called Gettysburg..."

30. Private William Fletcher, 5^th Texas Infantry, C.S.A.

William did not characterize his early war experiences as either fun or honorable. Disease broke out at his Richmond training camp, and in a short period of time he had contracted measles, mumps, jaundice and dysentery. Like every other soldier, he became infested with lice. Twice wounded, William returned to his unit disgusted at the horrible conditions of the field hospitals. How he must have longed for the easy days when his biggest worry was finishing the repair of a friend’s roof before the winter season hit. Was he thinking of his days as a carpenter when the 5^th Texas crossed the Potomac River into Maryland in June 1863? Or was he marveling at the lush landscape of Pennsylvania? It certainly was different than Texas. The march was particularly long and hard on July 1 when the texas Brigade finally camped just west of Gettysburg. William and his comrades camped out under a northern sky with little thought about the days gone by. For the 5^th Texas Infantry, the next day would be one of the worst the regiment ever faced, on the bloody slopes of a small hill called Little Round Top.

31. Private Charles Beard, 33^rd Massachusetts Infantry, U.S.A.

Like many young men, Charles yearned for adventure away from the family farm and enlisted in the Union Army approximately two weeks before his eighteenth birthday on June 17, 1862. He was mustered into service with Company I, 33^rd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry on August 5, and left his home for a camp near Boston. The 33^rd Massachusetts trained for only a short time before it was sent to Washington where it was later assigned to the 11^th Army Corps. Like the other privates of the regiment, Charles drilled, stood guard, and performed all of the duties that were given to the enlisted men. He was a good soldier and was with the regiment in their first battle at Chancellorsville, Virginia on May 2-4, 1863.

At Chancellorsville, the 33^rd Massachusetts was in line with rifles stacked when an overwhelming force of Confederates under "Stonewall" Jackson attacked. The regiment fought as well as could be expected and fell back slowly until they were rallied by their brigadier general. In the darkness of night and amidst the burning woods, the new soldiers tried in vain to pull wounded from certain death while trading shots with Confederate sharpshooters. The next day the regiment fought briefly until ordered to retreat. It had been a terrible, humiliating defeat for the Union Army and embarrassing to the untried 33^rd Massachusetts. But they would soon have another chance to prove their mettle. On the night of July 1, Charles was with his regiment as they marched into a position assigned to them at the bottom of Cemetery Hill just south of Gettysburg. Charles Beard and the other Massachusetts men would see enough fighting in the next two days to last a lifetime.

32. Private Isaac Taylor, 1^st Minnesota Infantry, U.S.A.

Isaac eagerly read Henry’s letters, full of adventure and exciting stories about army life and his new comrades. It would only be a couple of months before the temptation was too great and Isaac enlisted in the 1^st Minnesota with his brother and friend. Both of the Taylor brothers kept a journal of their war experiences, just as anyone would on a grand journey. But Isaac was also very aware that he might not survive this adventure. He wrote of the "black clouds" that hung over the country, and even wrote a note to a Confederate soldier on the inside of his journal, directing the unknown stranger to send the journal to his father in Illinois if he should be found dead. The Taylor brothers did experience some adventures in the army, but they soon realized that soldiering was more about sacrifice and hardship than it was about glory. As Henry wrote, "Patriotism means lying out in a snow storm without bread."

The 1^st Minnesota participated in many battles prior to Gettysburg and the veterans were considered rough and ready soldiers. But as the Gettysburg Campaign began, they sensed the enormity of the task ahead. Often they would sit around the campfire reminiscing of home and family, wondering if they would ever return. On the morning of July 2, 1863 Isaac wrote in his journal: "Order from General Gibbon read to us in which he says this is to be the great battle of the war and that any soldier leaving the ranks without leave will be instantly put to death." Isaac Taylor had been a teacher, a writer, a brother and a son . . . but on this day he concentrated on being a soldier.

33. Private James Melvin Pittard, 14^th Alabama Infantry, C.S.A.

James had lived near Lineville, Alabama all of his 18 years and this, he thought, was his one chance to see the rest of the country. He enlisted in the Confederate army with other men from around Lineville and Chambers County. At first army life went smoothly. There was plenty of food and adequate shelter at their training camp in Auburn, Alabama. Their first taste of battle, however, put an end to the ideas that there would be little bloodshed and that the war would be a quick adventure. The 14^th Alabama participated in the battles of Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. His faith was tested at Sharpsburg where he was wounded. Although it wasn't the adventure he had expected, James stayed true to his commitment and continued to fight for the Confederacy.

While on their way to Gettysburg, food became scarce for the 14^th Alabama and the men began to forage the countryside to survive. Battle was the last thing on their minds as some of the men tried to scrounge up a chicken dinner at a local farm house. The owner of the farm refused to sell his chickens to Rebel soldiers, but the soldiers reported that they hadn’t eaten in days. Finally one soldier went around to the back of the chicken house and drove the chickens forward while another used the ramrod from his gun to secure dinner. This soldier remarked "What a fun time we had that night feasting on chicken!" The survival skills of James Pittard and the 14^th Alabama regiment were tested on their way to Gettysburg, but in the fields surrounding the town they would be tested once more . . . in the battle that became the turning point of the Civil War.

34. Private Joseph Pierce, 14^th Connecticut Infantry, U.S.A.

The young Pierce was living in Berlin, Connecticut and working as a farmer when, on July 26, 1862 at the age of 21, he enlisted in the 14^th Connecticut Infantry Regiment. Less than two months later, Joseph’s regiment participated in the battle of Antietam, where 137 men of the regiment were killed, wounded, or captured. Pierce was among the wounded, though not from enemy fire. While crossing a fence, he fell and hurt his back. It was an injury that would bother him the rest of his life. Joseph was in the hospital until mid-May 1863, thus he missed the battles of Fredericksburg (December 13, 1862) and Chancellorsville (May 1-4, 1863) where his regiment had suffered heavy losses. Joseph must have been shocked when he returned to the 14^th Connecticut, for only 200 men remained out of the over 1,000 who marched off to war just 8 months before.

Shortly after his return the regiment, along with the rest of the army, began to move north. Suffocating heat, dust, rain and mud made this march extremely difficult on the men. One of Joseph’s comrades later remembered one of these marches, writing, "It was a terrible day, the weather being hot and sultry. The roads were ground to powder by the thousands of men who had preceded us. I saw several cases of sunstroke. The ambulances were soon filled with used up men, while hundreds had to be urged along." Joseph Pierce’s devotion to his adopted country and the cause for which he fought was obvious during this march, for despite his sore back he somehow managed to keep up during this trying march to Gettysburg.

35. Bugler Charles Reed, 9^th Massachusetts Battery, Artillery Reserve, U.S.A.

Adventure did not come quickly for Charles and his comrades though, for the 9^th Massachusetts Battery was assigned to the defenses around Washington, D.C., far from the battlefield. In June 1863 the Army of the Potomac came marching by on their way toward Pennsylvania. Soon after, the battery joined this army and began to move north. Charles’ dream of adventure was still not realized as he described this march as difficult, saying "it was nothing but constant marching, day and night. I got so completely exhausted . . . I actually fell asleep in my saddle." Nevertheless, Charles Reed and his comrades continued on toward their first battle at Gettysburg and the greatest and most traumatic "adventure" of their lives.

36. Private John W. Knott, 6^th North Carolina Infantry, C.S.A.

John did not rush off to join the other young men of his county who enlisted into North Carolina regiments. Barely two months past seventeen, he decided to remain at home and help with the family farm and take care of his 9 brothers & sisters, though the war would not leave the Knott family untouched. In the fall of 1862, North Carolina issued a call for more volunteers and then began a system of subscription or draft, where men 18 years and older were required to register for military service. The 18 year-old John may have been one of the first men drafted in Yadkin County. On September 15, 1862, he was mustered into service and assigned to Company A, 6th North Carolina Volunteer Infantry. This famous regiment had fought at 1st Manassas (Bull Run) in 1861 and many other severe battles in Virginia in 1862.

John received a North Carolina uniform and joined his regiment in Virginia. Company A had been formed in Charlotte, North Carolina, but there were also a number of men from Guilford County in the company, including 2nd Lieutenant Milton Cox. After a while be became acquainted with many other soldiers including Pvt. Charles Burrow and Sgt. John Curtis from Mecklenburg County, Privates Zebedee Croker and Jesse Chambers, farmers from Guilford County, and Private George Rendleman, who had been mustered on the same day as John and was also from Yadkin County. Around the time he joined the 6th North Carolina, John visited a photographer's studio and had his portrait made hold a Sharps Rifle, the type of weapon used by Union sharp shooters. It's a mystery how he got to pose with this unique weapon that was not available in the Confederacy.

John's experiences with the 6th North Carolina Infantry heated up in December 1862 when the regiment was under heavy artillery fire at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. His next experience in battle occurred on May 3, 1863, when the brigade to which the 6th North Carolina belonged was involved in the Second Battle of Fredericksburg and at Salem Church the following day. After the Union army retreated across the Rappahannock River, the 6th North Carolina was assigned picket duty along the river banks. While standing guard duty, John may have had the chance to talk to Union pickets on the other side of the river or perhaps trade newspapers and tobacco with them. In June, the regiment was recalled and after receiving new uniforms from the state, they marched toward Culpeper Court House west of Fredericksburg. Ahead of them lay the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley. Did they have time to wonder what their next destination could be?

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