Four Years With the Iron Brigade

by Lance Herdegen

  June 26, 1864

  And fine day. About 4 P.M. we have a fine shower which cools the air some, which had been exceedingly oppressive all day. The order come late this evening for us to go to the army tomorrow with 5 days rations.

  June 27, 1864

  The weather exactly the same as yesterday. We got our arms & accoutriments & rations &c and 9 P.M. start for Alex. [Alexandria]. Go about a mile & meet orders to go back to camp and await further orders. This we didnt like much, at least those that wanted to go. But twould one day more perhaps for some to play off on the Doctors and perhaps get rid of going &c. 6 P.M. and still here yet. But go tomorrow.

  June 28, 1864

  And fine warm day. & we start at 8 A.M. for Alex. The band belonging to the camp accompanied us for ½ mile and discoursed some fine music which the Boys steped to in admirable order. We reached Alex. 11 A.M. We come slow. Here we get catridges & tents &c and now are fully equipped. We lay here till 4 P.M. when we go aboard the Gen Hooker. About 300 & the other 6 or 700 aboard the S.R. Spaulding, an ocean steamer. 5 P.M. we tie loose & start. A soldier on the Spaulding jumped overboard. They stop to pick him up & we run ahead. Presently the Spaulding come up & passes us. The Boys on her bow & hooting up. But our engineers got up steam & run past them. Then we hooted them & in a little while they passed us again & hooted us & so on evry few minutes. Kept up racing till dark when the Spaulding went ahead for good as the wind was blowing pretty hard & our boat being a river boat set so high & light that the wind affected her speed. Dark & we are past Bell Plane.

  June 29, 1864

  And fine day. We run all night. I slept verry little last night. This morning about 9 Oclock we past fortress monroe [Fort Monroe]170 and the Ripraps [Rip Raps]. The channel runs between them. Here there is a great many ships of all kinds and sizes and both English & French man of war vessels lying there. We come on up the river, noticed the noted places such as Harrisons Landing &c with great interest. At last we reach City Point & go on up to Bermuda Hundred & there we anchored. This being the place we were ordered to. But were ordered back to the City Point and went up to the wharf, tied up and stayed on the boat all night. I seen many things of interest today. But cannot now dwell on the different subjects.

  June 30, 1864

  And fine day. We get off the boat about 10 A.M. & draw some more catridges & start coming on verry slow stoping about evry mile. The heat was great & the dust greater. I never saw dust so deep. It is from two to four inches deep and there being a strong wind blowing. So the dust flew so as to perfectly blind us some times for rods. It was an awful march. We stoped to make coffee about 4 P.M. & when done we start on & soon come in hearing of skirmishing. Here we halted, closed up & went on rather thinking that we might get into a fight ere we got to the Regt. Soon we come to the Brestwork fartherest in the rear. Now the fight became general along for a mile or so. Here we stoped awhile & went on again a mile or so & so on for several times.

  At last got to fifth corps headquarters where the names of those belonging the corps were called & marched in to the yard that incloses the fine mansion here that belonged to the different divisions & from here we went to Division Headquarters. It being dark now & from here we were taken to Brigade headquarters & then the Regt & Co., our Brigade being in the Brestworks.171 So we had to go right up to where the bullets fly. But it being dark they couldnt see us. Sergt Roberts went over with us. There was two besides me for our Co. I found only 20 of the boys in the Co and 4 or 5 of them had returned from the Hospital 4 days before I did.

  Whiz, whiz, the bullets go over our heads. But we don’t fire. Our brestworks are high enough that they cant hit us if we keep in them. Occasionally a shot from the Artillery. We have some morter on the right & they throw shell occasionally which fairly makes the earth quake. Some light right in the Reb works, play havoc with them indeed. About evry one does so we can beat them at that.

  July 1, 1864

  We lay in the ditches all day. Cook & eat. We can have a good liberty by way of stirring around if we are of mind to risk our lives which the Boys do a great deal. A ball whizing past never stops anything unless it hits the man. Never stops conversation at all. I was amazed to see how indifferent the Boys are to things passing. The Boys got verry friendly for a spell today. They all stoped shooting and got up looking at each other.

  There is one place about ¼ mile to the right of us where the line makes a bulge forming a horseshoe and brings our works and the Rebs within 150 yards of each other here.172 A man from each side sallied forth with a paper and someone in our Brigade to the right of us fired. At that they run back to the works and the Boys in the Brigade hollowed kill that fellow that shot &c. Most evrybody seems to think he deserved death for shooting on such an occasion. But in two or three minutes they sallied out again & this time they met, shook hands & exchanged papers & returned and then the usual shooting commenced. There is less shooting evry day & the Boys are more and more venturesome on each side. They will get friendly soon so that the pickets will not have to lay in the ditches all day. That will be a great relief to the poor fellows & myself to when I come on which will be soon verry likely.

  We have only one officer left, 2 surgeons, 1 corporal, myself being the one. Cap [Henry Young] is with the Co but him & Lorin Parsons are away making up the rolls papers for the Co. This being muster time. Lieut Kidd is Division Ordnance officer & Lieut [William] Sloat is wounded. Three of the Boys that were Prisnors have returned while I was away. They were Sergts [Lorin G.] Parsons & [Calvin G.] Parker & private James Farmer[?]. Sergt Parker was killed in the great charge made on the 18 of June & his body now lies bleaching between the two lines. He just took the flag two or 3 days before to carry.

  July 2, 1864

  Today we lay back in the woods. The 2nd Brigade come in last night last & relieved us we having been in three day. That being the way they are going to manage it. We have to relieve in the night time. We came back here about ½ mile in the rear of the Brestworks. Had a good nights rest last night.

  July 3, 1864

  And fine day. We lay in the shade, cook & eat &c. Towards evening I & [Henry] Brinkman took a walk up around towards Division headquarters. & to the Sutlers. I got a bottle of mustard & 25 cts worth of lemons, that being only three & came around by several batteries that throws a shell occasionally & then home. Make some lemonade. We have plenty of ice here, there being a verry large Reb Icehouse near here so we can get as much as we want. Have ice all around in trenches & all the hospitals have plenty. So much for Reb hospitality. There is rumors of great things tomorrow. First what the Rebs will do, 2nd what we will &c. But it is only rumors. There may be some demonstrating as it is 4th July.

  July 4, 1864

  And fine day with nothing unusual transpiring except some of the officers getting drunk. I am sorry to see some of the officers is so bad repute. Especially Cap [Henry] Young. He is not liked at all by the Boys. They all seem to be of the same opinion. They all have a great deal to say about his drinking &c. We got some pickled cucumbers & onions this evening. They are verry nice. So much for the Sanitary Commission & we got 4 cans of preserved turkey, beef & tomatoes & once before get Sourkraut &c. We live well now. Verry. I wrote a letter to Mother today. Mail goes out evry day & comes in. We have a nice place here. But the bullets makes us a visit occasinally. But no one hurt. They come spatting around on the trees.

  July 5, 1864

  And fine day. & in the brest works again, this time in the rear line. We came in last night about ten oclock, relieved the 2nd Brigade, they having been in three days. Those trenches are not so commodious as the front ones. They being narrow we cant stretch out when we lay down. I expected a letter from home today but did not come.

  July 6, 1864

  And fine day. We lay in the works all day. There is verry little firing. Today none in our front. But there is a Reb sharpshooter away to the right that is verry annoying. He wounded two men in one Regt with one Ball. At least we suppose twas him
for the common guns will not do execution so far. The programe being changed again so that we were relieved this evening at dusk only staying two days at a time in the works now. An inspection ordered tomorrow at 2 P.M., the rumor in camp is that our Division is going to Harpers Ferry & that the Rebel General Ewel [Richard S. Ewell] is near there with his corps. One more of the Boys come to the Co today & he said he met one Division of the 6th Corps going to City Point and they said they were going to Harpers Ferry. No mail for me today again.

  July 7, 1864

  And fine day. We lay around & attend to the duties of camp &c. I wrote a letter today to Mother but didnt mail it waiting to get a letter from her this evening. We make camp today, cleaned up &c so that it looks nice & we are comfortable now. We are down in the wood a little farther now so that we don’t hear the Balls now & can rest more easy. We drew rations this morning. Got onions & krout &c. We got good rations now. Brinkman went over & got some butter & tobacco. I have got to smoking as bad as ever & Brinkman smokes some too. But I have to borrow a pipe when I smoke. I thought I would quit when I got to the Co. But cant do it. The fellow that I took the vow with got to chewing before me smoking & he owns to it & says he will pay me the $5.00, the being the amount of forfeited by the one that done it first.

  July 8, 1864

  And fine day. I am on fatigue detail. We started out at 4 A.M. there being 40 out of the Regt & a corresponding number out of each Regt in the Brigade. We go to Corps Headquarters & there get an ax for two men & come up the left of our line to near the 2nd Corps about 2 ½ miles to the left of our Brigade. Here we were set to work chopping down timber in front of two large forts which are being built. This is done to give the gunners a fair range if the enemy should break over our brestworks that are in advance of us. Still we work in the rear of our lines. The boys work well. We have cut many acres today. We have each Regt Detail divided up into three reliefs & I have charge of one relief & each relief works two hours at a time.

  I forgot to mail my letter that I wrote yesterday & I have none come yet. This evening about 5 oclock there was a fierce little Battle on the right of Burnsides Corps & the cananading extending down the lines opposite us. But musketry. There was several wounded though, I saw them going in. The report is that the Rebs charged on our work but couldnt take them.

  I got a paper of the 7th today & it has the official account of the Destruction of the Pirate Alabama (commanded by Capt [Raphael] Semmes by Kearsage [Kearsarge] commanded by Capt Wilson [John A. Winslow], US Navy. The Alabama has been spreading death and destruction among the American commerce on the seas for 2 years. But she now lies at the bottom of the sea as also many of her crew. But Semmes & some of the crew got away. But it is thought we will get them. The British ship Greyhound was watching the fight & when the Alabama sunk, the Greyhound picked Semmes & some of his crew up & landed them instead of turning them over to the Americans. It is thought that was the plan arranged between Semmes & the Capt of the Greyhound. Time will tell what they will make of it.173

  July 9, 1864

  And fine day. We are chopping again today & when night comes on we come home. Find the Boys packed up ready to go into the trenches. But we are going to stay & we have been out working our number of days & so tis nothing but right to let us lay in camp.

  The 2nd Brigade has been in the works three days. I cant tell how they are running the thing. They have changed it so often. I was up the road today to see the large fort they are building to sweep the ground that we have been clearing. The fort is 500 feet square & there is a large number of men at work on it. They work like Beavers & evrything seem to go on with a will worthy the cause.

  July 10, 1864

  And fine day & warm. We are longing to have rain. The ground is so dry & the water is getting so scarce. We lay in camp all day. The Boys in the Brestworks come down once & a while. This being ration day, I & the Boys here drew the rations & took ours out & sent theirs up to them. We drew two heads of cabbage & about 2 quarts of curry & about half bushel of onions turnips & beets togather. We are getting pretty well fed now. I got a letter from Flora Lander today & mailed the one I wrote to Mother several days since. I forgot to mail it till then.

  July 11, 1864

  And fine day. Nothing of interest transpires today till night when the Brigade comes into camp being relieved by the 2nd Brigade. The news today is not cheering. The Rebs are at Harpers Ferry & in Maryland. There is great excitement amongst the people. The Rebs are destroying a great deal of property & driving off all that can walk such as horse & cattle.

  Tis said the 6th corps has gone up to Baltimore & the rumors is that the Rebs are forty thousand strong & consist of the best troops in Lees army.174

  July 12, 1864

  And fine day. We changed camp today & fix a good camp. We are more comfortable. I and two other fellows from their tents made a good shade over our tents which makes it comfortable. The news from Maryland is anything but cheering. The Rebs are there in force without doubt & mean mischief. They are at Frederick City, MD & Hagerstown, Pennsylvania doing great damage.

  July 13, 1864

  And fine day with a verry slight shower in the evening. Just enough to say that water fell & a great deal of thunder & lightening. We lay in camp as usual. Cook & eat. We have some vegetables to cook, Turnips, cabbage, beets, onions. Just about a mouthful of each. But we are thankful for small favors. Take all together it will make a good meal. But such messes might keep us rid of the scurvy & other Diseases incident to living without vegetables.

  The news from Maryland is by no means cheerful. But it is some consolation to know that it is not as bad as it might be. The Rebs has been checked a little. Gen. Wallace [Union General Lewis Wallace], he being in command in that Department.175 But they were too many for his force & he was forced to fall back on the Defenses of Baltimore. Great excitement prevails throughout both City & country. The Govenors of Penn. & MD have called for troops to drive the invaders from the states & the people are responding in Maryland with a will, especially Baltimore. She has turned out 10,000 citizens armed & to work on the Defences of the city. The rumor is also that they do not intend taking the City but make a feint on it & slip by to Washington & take it first. The rumor is that the 19th corps has gone up there also. The papers is full of rumors & rumors only. The papers are two days old when we get them. We have the paper of the 1 lth. I expect by this time the tide is turned. When the old Veterans of the 6th Corps get at them they will get out of that.

  I expected to hear from home this evening but didnt. I am waiting patiently for some letters to answer. I have such a good chance here. I took a cracker box and made me a table & bench so I am ready for writing in earnest.

  July 14, 1864

  We lay around camp & attend to duties. At night go into the Brestworks. We get a lot of reading matter today from the Christian Commission. Captain brought it to us. This a great wonder but I think he does not make quite as much fun of Religious Matters as he used to. He don’t seem to sneer at such things now. He shows some respect now. I wrote a letter to Henry today. Got no news from home yet. And now the rebs have cut all the Railroads coming to Baltimore from all sides except the one coming from Washington and we will not get much mail till the communications is open again. The news is not verry cheering. But both Baltimore & Washington are still safe. The Rebs have been so near the latters Defenses that our forts opened on them making them halt & the 6th Corps got up & deployed & drove the Rebs 1 ½ miles. All is safe now about the latter place.176

  There has been a great deal of work done on the work since we were on before & tonight they are working. There is 2 forts built in the line of trenches & six mortars just behind us so that taking all togather we cannot do much more digging. There is 3 lines of Brestwork, 2 in rear of us. We being in the front line this time out. The ground is litteraly like a sive sitting on a board so thick are the works and holes.

  July 15, 1864

  And fine day and cool & we are comfortable.
Along towards night some of our pieces opened & by & by the Johnys threw a mortar shell & it burst near one of our mortars & we soon answered it with four at once & they answered again & so kept on for a few minutes. Our Mortars threw about 30 shells in the course of an hour or so. The Rebs threw about half as many. When one of ours would burst amongst them we would yell & when theirs would burst amongst us they would yell. Some of theirs burst right in our trenches. But wonderful to note there was not a man hurt by them. But we had the last shot & we rather beat them for we blew up their magazine. I tell you it sent a shower of sticks, dirt &c all around. We afterwards see the Johnys gather around the hole. I expect some of their friends was buried in the ruins. When it blew up we yelled at & jeered them & they opened a number of pieces but our boys dried them up soon. Ours almost invariably giving the last shot. The mortar shells look pretty as they raise from our mortars. We can trace them clear over till they burst. They go verry slow to that a canon shot does. For we cant see the latter.

  Engineers of the army was inspecting the works today. They were quite a while around here. This appears to be a prominent place as there is lots of forts just about here. They continue to work & build something most evry night. The news from Maryland is by the way of an official dispatch & that was that the Rebs was crossing back into Virginia & our troops was pressing them. We couldnt get any papers today & no mail. One of our Co went out & exchanged papers with the Rebs. Their papers has nothing about the moves except what is copied from our papers. They know nothing of the Operations of their Army in Maryland except through our papers.