Four Years With the Iron Brigade

by Lance Herdegen

  The greatest silence prevails and must for there is only a line of skirmishers twixt us & rebels.

  August 27, 1862

  Laid same place till N. [noon] when we with the battery marched back toward Warranton. Supposed we were going back to rest but behold we came on through to within 4 miles of Haymarket. Stop, not allowed to take of accoutriments it now being about 2 oclock at night. We hear that the rebels are at Manassas.

  Colonel William Robinson, the commander of the Seventh Wisconsin, was severely wounded at Brawner’s Farm. SHSW

  This view of the Gainesville (Brawner’s Farm) battlefield looks north from the Warrenton Turnpike. The Seventh Wisconsin marched over these fields in its advance against Stonewall Jackson’s Confederates. Nolan, The Iron Brigade

  August 28, 1862 [The Battle of Gainesville or Brawner’s Farm]

  And at daylight we started, came 3 miles to rear of Haymarket, stoped got 4 crackers apiece & some beef. Didnt get to cook it. Marched some two miles or so, hear canonading to. Battery went ahead. We followed soon & the 2nd Regt had gone. We got in line of battle in the edge of the woods, marched up to the top of the hill, little confused. We halted to dress & and the flanks of the Regt being ahead so they had to about face, march back on line but before this there was three wounded in our Co. I saw two go down. Well just as I had faced about, there was a ball struck me in back of head & as it appeared to me, I spun around on my heels like a boys top and fell with my heels in the air and spun around again for a few seconds.

  Come too, roll over on to my knees, crawled off to the rear a few rods, got up, walked till come to little gutter in small hollow, laid down to rest but the balls fell around like hail striking verry close so that wouldnt do.

  Got up, walked of to woods, met with a fellow from our Co, helped me to the ambulance, found doctor, put me in ambulance. Pretty soon a shell came verry near and bursted disabling for use two of a N. Y. Regts ambulances. So we were driven off a mile farther and Doct commenced dressing wounds. Great many kept coming in, didnt get to mine.

  I got tired of waiting, laid, went to sleep and about two oclock at night, Doct woke us up about 20 or more in number, saying that we should have to walk, all that could for or be taken prisinor, as all the ambulances but one had gone ahead filled with those that couldnt walk. So we started stringing along, those that were ablest going ahead, evry fellow for himself and the Doct loaded up and come. We had two or three to lead us. Me with two or three others soon got so far ahead as to loose the [rest]. We got in behind a Regt and went along.

  One of our boys got into an ambulance belonging to this Regt. He was shot through the nose & face, ball came into his mouth, spit it out into his hand & didnt save it as I should have done, I think. So we marched on & on, gaining on the column for they would have to stop for I don’t know what. But always so on march.

  At last daylight come & still marching, come across some of our Co, kept with them till we caught up with an ambulance, 56th Penn and the Doct following it saw me, hollowed, had me come and get in as it was not heavy loaded.74

  August 29, 1862

  Now it is the 29 and we stoped & went on and stopped &c. Went off wrong direction some two miles. Sent after, went back, went by the Regt, got out but Lieut wouldnt let me stop and good he didnt as it proved. Got in, went on, stoped pretty soon at Manassas Junction. Here I had to get out as they had to go after some of their own boys. Well I got out, fixed a shade for a fellow from our Regt who was crazy with his wounds, having arm broke & jaw split, all was done with piece of shell.

  I must get another book.

  Major George Bill, one of the Seventh Wisconsin’s field officers, was shot in the forehead at Brawner’s Farm. SHSW

  This book finished at U.S. Hospital Chester, Penn. Those four last pages written at this hospital. I have neglected noting down since I was wounded for my head has been so confused that I couldnt write.

  I will send to the town half mile distant, get another book and sent this one.

  Volume 7

  Wounded Thick on the Grass

  August 29, 1862 to January 15, 1863

  Wm. R. Ray

  Co. F, 7th Regt, Wisconsin Vols

  In U.S. Hospital, Chester, Del. Co.,

  Pennsylvania Sunday September 14th, 1862

  September 14, 1862

  A fine Sunday morning. In the hospital at Chester, Penn and have neglected noting down what has transpired. Therefore I shall go back to the:

  29th of August. Where I left off telling about the man that was crazy. Well when we got out of the ambulances, I fixed as good a shade for him as I could with my oilcloth, it & my canteen being all I had with me. The Doct having the rest I suppose.

  Well this fellow being in so much pain that I concluded to go to the Regt and tell some of his Co boys. When I got there, behold our ambulance had come up & Doct also. I told them how this fellow was situated but the Doct didn’t take much heed & told me where to go which was a large tree about a mile farther on where he was getting them together for the ambulances to carry back about three miles to the main or only hospital. Well it was the hospital for Kings Division. It being a verry large spacious brick building and nice yard, also plenty of shade trees. This house was Beaureguard’s [Confederate General Beauregard’s] headquarters until their retreat from Manassas last spring.

  Well there was men wounded in all places lying thick on the grass. The surgeons discharging their duty faithfully. My wound didn’t pain me much so I got water &c and waited on all I could. There was 3 or 4 from our Co & a good many from the Regt that I waited upon in every way that I could. Also great many strangers. Well it got to be about 2 P.M. by this time and we lay around waiting on each other till about sundown when they furnished the greater part with a substantial supper, beef, bread & coffee. But those lying off from the house a ways as we was did not get anything to eat. I went to look after something for those that couldn’t walk but was all gone so we had nothing but hard crackers & water still.

  Well we, I say we, for there was two Boys from our Co that was given out came in. And they & myself fixed up beds for others as well as we could and got them pretty well situated for the night. Our wounds not dressed yet and 9 P.M., all right, most all asleep. The wagons and ambulances have been bringing in wounded all day and still continue to arrive.

  I have forgot to mention about the battle that is going on all day verry fierce but with what success I cannot tell. There is as usual a great many rumors. There has been a great many troops went out this morning whilst I was lying under the tree heretofore mentioned. The battle [South Mountain, Maryland] was raging within six to 8 miles from here only. We could hear the canonading distinctly and a great deal of the time could hear the small arms. 10 A.M. and no advantage gained today.75

  30th [August 1862] And this morning we got up at daylight, fixed around, got water & wet wounds &c as you may imagine. Missed my breakfast as well as some others but we all got coffee as much as we wanted. Quite a number had to eat hard bread. Orders comes that all that can must walk to the hospital back across the Bull Run which being about three miles to the rear. The cripples had been going for an hour.

  Now I & G. Parker, J. Marlow, H. Miles [Calvin G. Parker, John Marlow, and William H. Miles]76 started leaving. F. Boyanton & E. Meartney (our orderly) still lying on the ground. They dressed our wounds in great haste yesterday but it was late in the day and couldn’t be called dressed wounds but we were satisfied because there were a great many worse off than we except John Marlow who was hit in the face, his wound was well dressed. Well, we traveled on and on; the road was full of cripples. We stoped by a well, got drink, filled my canteen so as to keep my head and wet others wounds who did not have their canteen. But I determined to hold to mine as long as possible. Well at last we reached the hospital which was on top of a hill which was [hard] to climb but it paid well for there was a nice shade yard. The house not verry large. Here they had a quantity of negros cooking, so we soon got plenty of food,
laid down in shade to rest. John Marlow, he in this march strayed of some other way. He being a fellow that don’t seem to care how or where, he is contented all-ways.

  Dinner soon came, a good one too, consisting of soft bread, soup and fresh boiled beef. All was good. I now had got my appetite pretty well sharpened, as I had not ate much for two days afore the battle. Here the wounded kept coming in all day by the hundreds and it might be thousands, for such numbers was there. They came from all parts of the army. This being the main [gathering place], a central point, it appeared as if every team in the army & I guess they was engaged in hauling the wounded, those that couldn’t walk only. At last got supper and the officers gave us out some blankets, had to return them in the morning. So we laid with a verry [good] bed, three of us having a double blanket apiece. Everything was going on all right as we supposed.

  We could hear the canon & some of the Boys that was out a little ways could [hear] musketry. The battle was terrific but not so bad as today [September 14, South Mountain]. It has been awful charging and recharging.77

  31st [August 1862] And rained a little early this morning which woke us up that had no cover of boards over us. Well we got breakfast after a long while and we got orders for all that could walk had to do it. They taking our names, Co. & Regt. of evry man. They were called over and we formed into a squad with a noncommissioned officer in charge; they having the pass for their respective squads. So we get started at last, come along slowly but just as we were starting there came a train of ambulances, 150 in number & a great many of the nicest carriages in Washington to carry those that couldn’t walk, of which there was plenty to fill them I think.

  Well on we trudged. Verry soon those cowardly scamps that come from Washington got panic strick and turned their horses heads the other way started back saying at the top of their voice that the rebel cavelry was coming & there being a drove of along the road and the Boys that were driving them made a great deal of noise so upon the whole the ambulance drivers came verry near getting up a panic but it didn’t move us old veterans, we just made fun of the city Boys of which there was 3 or 4 in every ambulance. But however they did not get far from this supposed enemy as the boss of the train came in great haste on horseback with his revolver drawn swearing he would shoot the first man that would not stop. Us cripples hooting them, calling them &c. Ah you city clerks & fops you would play smut. And great was the insinuations that was heaped upon the gentry at the idea of them starting back without their loads. For we were not scared a particle at the rumor of rebel cavalry coming. The boss turned them back and in a couple of hours they overtook us well loaded.

  We traveled on & on, at last come to Centerville. There were lots of troops there which had fallen back the night past and early in the morning for the purpose of forming new line of battle, our troops being whipped on yesterday. Our Division (except our Brigade) was cut up badly and when ordered to retreat, it was a perfect panic, the troops running every way. Every man for himself and the Rebs take the hindmost. Here we got off the main road and went around like lost sheep till some officer who was kind enough to show somebody the road and we followed and got on the road all right again which soon brought us on to the turnpike leading [to] Fairfax courthouse. Hitherward all the teams were going here. I soon seen we had to go at least ten miles yet before getting on the cars. As I had been on this road twice before, I felt a little at home.

  Well we traveled on and on ambulances passing back and forward going out empty and returning well filled, the trains lumbering along no end to them seemingly. At last we got [to] Fairfax then we had four miles yet to go. Here we turned square southward. As we were much in need of some water which was scarce on the road. Also something to eat, we not having anything since morning and some not anything then to eat. Well we traveled on & on thinking it the longest 4 miles that I ever saw. But the worst [was] there were so many lying by the roadside. Some only resting, some dead, some dying &c. This didn’t seem to move me otherwise than to nerve myself to go on when I felt like lying down, caring not whether I lived or died, as my hopes for the Union was lost. Our army was well known to have been defeated which made us feel bad when we knew it was not for want of ambition in the troops. We knew it must be bad generalship.

  Well at last we got to the station, there being only a few cars there and those were being fixed up for such as could not walk. The boss telling us that we should have to walk three miles further down to the next station. So after trying to get something to eat, in which we failed, we started down the track & got to the station about dark. Nothing here to eat and I was to tired to look after anything and it being dark so I and somebody made a bed and laid down went to [sleep]. When I awoke the boys had got on to the cars and left us fellows but the cars didn’t start for a little while so I found a place on the outside, got on. It now was about 12 oclock and we started and went into Alexandria and we [were] ordered out of the cars and we marched along the street.

  Some said we were to go on the boat, go to Washington and a lot of us got down there, seen no way to get aboard. Went to find a hospital somebody said we had to go to. Found it but no, we had to go on board the [boat] for Washington. So we went back to the landing and was showed the boat we had to get on. At last after standing ever so long we started and got on board. We had nothing to eat all this time and get no sign. Some hadn’t a bite for three days. Well it is now daylight.

  September 1, 1862

  Well we laid around till about 12 N. The wounded have been coming aboard all the forenoon. There is another boat loading with wounded. They went to Washington about 11 A.M. They have been bringing bread and butter & coffee aboard to feed the sick & wounded all day & they swear they will never get through they eat so much.

  At last the wheels begin to turn and the boat floats out into the stream or the Majestic Potomac rather. She is headed up and away. We go passing many, many boats & of different kinds which almost covered the River. At last after about an hours ride we stoped at the pier. As we went up past the Navy yard there were hundreds of canon pointing towards us, also different directions, the most of them being field pieces mounted on those stupendous wheels such as is always used. There were many pieces, hundreds ready for the field. What signifies a few cannon being taken from us when we have such an armory as this to manufacture them.

  Well at last we got off the boat and there was a guard placed to let no one go out but those wounded, with the idea of taking them in an ambulance. But they found that wouldn’t do for there was too many so they let them go out enmasse, the Doct that come to receive us leading the way to the hospital. But here I got with Frank and he not being able to walk so I stayed with him and soon an ambulance came and took us to the Judiciary Hospital. There they took Frank and I into 7th ward. We were furnished new clothes and sent into the bathroom which I was verry glad to see as I was both dirty & lousy, couldn’t help it. It was hard but honest.

  So I got clean once more and had a good bed. Had my wound dressed which made my head feel well and when I went to bed I went right to sleep. The nurse woke me for dinner which was good and I ate hearty as they had brought me plenty. Slept most all the afternoon, had supper.

  September 2, 1862

  & a good nights rest, breakfast and looked round a little. Got outside of the hospital, bought some peaches of an old lady which tasted verry good as I hadn’t any fruit for so long that was fit to eat. Then we were all called in to take the names of those that were able to go to Philadelphia which included Frank & I who wanted to go, so we were called out and formed line. There being about 100 from the hospital, so we were marched down to the Depot to take the train as we supposed right away but instead of that we did not get on till about noon. Then sit a couple of hours before started.

  There were as much as two thousand soldiers there getting & I got my dinner in the soldiers retreat as did all others before getting on the cars. We went off and left several thousand waiting to go as soon as possible. Well we came to Baltimor
e. There we got out of the cars and walked through the city to the other station about a mile distant apart. This was a hard walk for many and useless walk because if we had stayed in the cars we should have been drawn through the same as the passengers were by horses, as engines are not allowed to go through the street.

  Well when we got through to the station it was dark and we waited for about an hour then got on the cars. I bought all Frank & I wanted to eat, I being rather better of than many of the boys. I bought probably 50 cts worth of cakes and give to the boys in our car and that was all the supper they got. I didn’t suffer only with cold and we were better off than the most of them for Frank had a rubber & two Wolen Blankets & so we made a bed down. Got in, had a good sleep before the cars started and still slept after they got started. We laid there most all night.

  The cars started about midnight and run about half way here stopping verry frequently, and stopped as we supposed as usual. But we laid there till daylight.

  September 3, 1862

  And it was verry cold, everybody shivering and they had us in old freight cars so we couldn’t get out verry handy but we laid there till the sun was two hours high. Nothing to eat, nearly freezing. It was hard. Some of the boys went to a house nearby and got some fish, bread &c. Some got out, made fires, made coffee in their cups as they used to when soldiering. As some of them had their haversacks, therefore, they had coffee, sugar and a few crackers. So some of them got along well enough but I could get buy nothing as there was nothing to buy and we had to do without.