 | Memoirs of the war of secession |  |
FLARING UP OF THE CANDLE. THE END.
On the 24th of March, the army crossed the Neuse and went
into camp on the north bank of the river above the railroad station.
The distance of the enemy with cavalry intervening did
away with the necessity of infantry outpost duty, and vigorous
efforts were at once inaugurated by General Johnston to put his
army in effective condition for further service. Drills, reviews,
and inspections were the order of the day, and what was known
as the consolidation Act was commenced to be enforced. This
Act had been passed by the Congress some time before, but its
provisions, for which there was a great necessity, had not been
up to this time enforced. The supply of recruits to the Confederate
army had for a year past failed, and indeed the Bureau of
Conscription did not even efficiently return to their colors the
men who upon various pretexts, legitimate and illegitimate, were
at home. From the casualties of war, brigades had become
regiments, regiments companies, and some organizations had
almost ceased to exist. This was the condition of the armies in
the field, while upon the rolls were borne men enough to constitute
an army ample to hold the Federal hordes indefinitely at
bay. Numbers of these were prisoners of war, and Grant's policy
of obstructing exchange made their return too uncertain to be
counted upon. There was but one course left to put the armies
of the Confederacy upon a footing of efficiency sufficient to continue
the contest, and that was to consolidate and reorganize the
good men and true, who still clung to their banners, into new
regiments and brigades of proper strength and rely for recruits
to supply the waste of war upon returned prisoners of war, and
such skulkers at home as a more vigorous execution of the powers
of the conscription could return to the ranks.
This consolidation was a matter of much interest to both officers
and men. In our particular case, a strong feeling was manifested
to unite the volunteer South Carolina troops, which had come on
with Hardee, to our old brigade. There were old acquaintances,
Frederick's regiment of artillery now converted into infantry,
and others, comrades of ours in the siege of Charleston.
These on the evacuation of Charleston had been brigaded
under General Stephen Elliott, and their number had been considerably
reduced by the hasty march from South Carolina, and
Their addition, however, would have put the old brigade once
more upon a respectable footing as to numbers in the field. General
Elliott, who was now compelled to retire from active service
by a recent wound and the reopening of the wound received at
the explosion of the mine at Petersburg, felt impelled to return
home, and his officers and men desired it, and General Hagood
requested his division commander to seek to have it done. General
Hoke, for some reason, was laggard in his efforts, enough to call
for a remonstrance from his subordinate. Nominally there were
yet men enough on the brigade rolls, present and absent, if
returned to duty, to restore it to efficiency, and General Hoke
seemed more inclined to give his efforts to recovering these. After
conference with General Johnston, but without previous indication
of his purpose to Hagood, he procured an order detailing
Hagood himself to go to South Carolina on this duty. This order
was handed to the brigade commander on the 30th March, and the
same evening he issued a complimentary farewell order, which
they had well deserved, to the North Carolinians who had been
serving with us, and the following address to his own men:
"Near Smithfield, N. C., 30th March, 1865.
"There are now in South Carolina, absent without proper leave from the
command, 828 men. There have been captured from the brigade in its long
and arduous service, 1,505 men and officers, all of whom are, or soon will be,
in South Carolina on the usual exchange furlough. In the present interrupted
state of communication, both within South Carolina and from thence
to the army, General Johnston thinks it necessary to adopt some other
than the usual means to secure the prompt return of these men to their
standards. With, too, this large number of men or any considerable proportion
of them back in the ranks, the different regiments of the brigade
will be saved from the action of the consolidation act, and the general
appreciates the natural desire of his men to finish the war in the same
organization in which they have heretofore served.
"Influenced by these considerations, the general commanding has ordered
me to turn over the command of the brigade temporarily to the ranking
officer present, and to proceed to South Carolina to secure, by my personal
exertions, as far as may be, the rapid recruiting of our command. This
has been done without previous intimation of his views, or without suggestion
from me. When I learned his intention I applied to have the
remnant of the brigade now here temporarily returned to the State, there
was, they could not be spared from the army here. Our general possesses
your unbounded confidence. He had been called to the command at this
critical juncture by the universal voice of the army and the country, and
it becomes us implicitly and cheerfully to carry out his views.
"I shall be absent forty days, perhaps a short time longer, but so soon
as the purpose of my absence shall be accomplished you have the guarantee
of my past history that I will be back where I have hitherto found
the post of duty—amid your ranks.
"In my absence you will not be consolidated, and although the North
Carolina troops will be taken from the command, the old brigade will be
kept intact and redeveloped into its old proportions as the returning members
arrive.
"In concluding this frank and full statement of the condition of our command,
let me urge upon both officers and men to give their hearty co-operation
in carrying out the views of our general—views dictated not only by
the interest of the country at large, but by the welfare of our beloved
brigade. When I return, greet me, comrades, with the announcement that
in my absence no man has left his standard—that the word deserter has
been expunged from the vocabulary of Hagood's brigade.
"Remember your glorious record. Recall the spirit that animated you at
Walthal when almost single-handed you held the invader at bay until the
arrival of Beaureguard's avenging army. Think of your triumph at
Drury's; your services at Cold Harbor, at Bermuda Hundreds, the sixty-seven
days in the trenches of Petersburg, the bloody but glorious Sunday on
the Weldon road, the Richmond lines, Fisher, Anderson Town Creek, Kinston,
Bentonville. What men before ever made such a record in eleven
months? Will you let such a history terminate ingloriously, and the verdict
of posterity be that the men who made the record perished in the
making, and that the degenerate survivors were unable to sustain the
weight of glory their more gallant comrades had already won?
"Officers and men of the Eleventh, Twenty-first and Twenty-fifth and
Twenty-seventh, to you especially do I appeal to keep your commands
together. You are the nucleus upon which your regiments must be rebuilt.
Suppress any rising spirit of discontent at unavoidable unpleasantness in
your present condition; lend me your zealous efforts; and again your regiments
will be in the condition they were when the swords of Ledbetter and
Dargan and Glover and Hopkins flashed in your van, and their gallant
spirits proudly departed to heaven from a death won in your ranks.
General Hagood was directed to select a detail of officers to
accompany and assist him; and given transportation for them
and their horses by rail as far as these roads remain in running
order. This was to the edge of Sherman's "swath" through
South Carolina. Lieutenant-Colonel Rion, Seventh battalion,
Lartigue and Hay of the staff. Moffett and Martin of the staff
and Captain Brooks (Seventh battalion) accompanied General
Hagood; and next morning they started for South Carolina.
The brigade now numbered of all grades present 493 men!
This was the last time General Hagood saw it; or saw the Red
Cross flag floating over armed men in the field. Before his mission
in South Carolina had been accomplished,—before the forty
days had expired—the Confederacy had gone down in blood and
gloom.
Captain Stoney kept a memorandum diary of events after
General Hagood's departure; and the following extracts from it
conduct the history of the brigade through the few days that
remained to the bitter end. They at the same time give such
glimpses of the general course of events, now familiar history,
as were obtainable at the time by a subordinate and show, too,
how in the shadow of approaching doom the ignoble traits of
poor human nature are as perceptible as the heroic.
"March 31st.—General Hagood having left for South Carolina. Lieutenant-Colonel
Rion assumed command of the brigade, being the ranking
officer present. The North Carolina troops, lately brigaded with us,
assigned by division orders to Kirkland's and Clingman's North Carolina
brigades. The division is now attached to Hardee's corps.
"April 4th.—Hardee's corps reviewed by General Johnston. In the
absence of Lieutenant-Colonel Rion on courtmartial duty, the brigade
commanded by Captain Thomas, Twenty-first regiment.
"April 7th.—Corps again reviewed in honor of Governor Vance, of North
Carolina. In the afternoon he made a speech to the brigade of junior
reserves lately attached to Hoke's division, speaking plainly of the critical
condition of affairs, but impressing upon them that with anything like a
proper discharge of duty the cause was by no means hopeless.
"April 9th.—Received orders to have wagons packed by reveille tomorrow;
no intimation of what movement is on foot.
"April 10th.—At 10 a. m. orders to prepare to move. At 11:30 a. m.
marched in a heavy rain; passed through Smithfield and encamped five
miles beyond on Raleigh road. Colonel Graham, Twenty-first, arrived at
headquarters just before we marched, but did not assume command, being
required by division commander, before doing so, to account for his prolonged
absence in South Carolina, whither he had been sent on similar
duty upon which the brigade commander is now detailed. Colonel Gantt,
Eleventh, is absent under similar circumstances. Major Cleland K. Huger,
of the artillery, upon today's march, intimated to me that General Lee
rumors upon the subject.
"April 11th.—Marched fifteen miles and bivouacked five miles from
Raleigh. Troops out of marching condition from even the short rest at
Smithfield; straggled badly.
"April 12th.—Passed through Raleigh at midday. The city was being
rapidly evacuated and immense quantities of stores destroyed and abandoned.
Captain Segus and his company (Seventh battalion) left behind
in city as provost guard. Division encamped on Hillsboro road five miles
beyond Raleigh. Rumors in regard to General Lee assuming an unpleasant
air of probability.
"April 13th.—Marched at 6:30 a. m. Camped four miles from Chapel
Hill.
"April 14th.—Route altered from Hillsboro to Greensboro. Marched
twenty-two miles; but little straggling.
"April 15th.—Division prepared to march at 4:30 a. m., but for some
unexplained reason did not move until 6 a. m. under arms in a heavy rain
during the interval. Our division was the rear of the column; the enemy
following, but not pressing, and not nearer than Chapel Hill. Early in
the day encountered the Haw River swollen with a freshet; crossed with
much difficulty but no loss; a few men were washed away by the current
but not drowned. Three miles beyond the river the direction of the march
was changed to Salisbury. On this road a mill stream was encountered,
about twenty feet wide, but so rapid and deep that the wagons were gotten
over with difficulty. The Allemance, out of its banks, next crossed our
path. A few men had succeeded in crossing by chaining their hands or by
holding on to horses' tails of the mounted men, who half waded, half swam
over, but the wagons were at a hopeless standstill. General Hardee was
on the further bank, evidently anxious for rapid movement and nonplussed
by the obstacle. At length the leading teamster was ordered to attempt
the passage. With a crack of the whip, and a shout to his mules he is in
and under, rises, struggles, and is swept away. Everything was again at
a standstill; the rain was falling in torrents, the river was rapidly rising,
something had to be done, and our lieutenant-general determined to try
to swim another wagon and team across. The order was given, and followed
by the same result. Mules, wagon and teamster were swept down
the stream; and it was hard to tell which was uppermost in the struggle
with the flood. The general's resources seemed now exhausted and he
ordered the destruction of the train. General Hoke suggested that a more
practicable crossing might be found, and he was permitted to seek it. Four
miles higher up we crossed without difficulty at Holt's mill, and the train
was saved. Encamped half a mile beyond the river after a most fatiguing
day's march. Tonight, Colonel Olmstead, of the First Georgia regiment,
tells me positively that General Lee has surrendered. Great God! can it be
true? I have never for a moment doubted the ultimate success of our
cause. I cannot believe it.
"April 16th. March resumed at 6:30 a. m. Roads almost impassable.
To facilitate movement, the division train was divided—each train had its
own wagons in its front with details to assist them along. Marched twenty
miles and encamped with instructions to move at 4:30 a. m. tomorrow
without further orders.
"April 17th. At 12 last night, the order to move this morning was countermanded,
and we remained stationary during the day. Early in the day
it was reported our army was to be surrendered. This rumor was at first
disregarded, but presently began to assume shape and force. The wildest
excitement seized the troops. I rode to division headquarters to learn the
truth. I saw Majors Cross and Adams of the staff, who informed me that
beyond a doubt the army would be surrendered tomorrow. In reply to my
question whether I was at liberty to make this known, Major Adams
replied, `Yes, and you may further say that any one who desires to leave
can obtain a written permit from division headquarters.' I returned to
camp and made the announcement. Colonel Rion immediately ordered the
brigade into line and urged them not to leave. The enemy were now supposed
to be not only in rear, but on both flanks, and it would be difficult to
escape; that if any considerable number left it might compromise the
terms given to those that remained. The men seemed at this time ready
to do anything that their officers advised, to march that night in the effort
to cut their way out, or to remain and abide the issue where they were.
All the afternoon the cavalry were passing us saying they `were going out.'
The infantry soon become almost frantic, and in every direction were
rushing to beg, borrow, buy and steal horses. Disorganization was complete.
Horses and mules were everywhere taken without the least regard
to ownership. Trains were openly carried off after plundering the wagons.
The division supply train was thoroughly stripped. The flags of the
brigade were burned by the men in the certainty of surrender. About dark
an order came from army headquarters to keep the men together, but with
that day the army perished—a mob remained.
"April 18th.—No further development of events. About dark Major
Cross, A. A.-G., came to Colonel Rion with directions from General Hoke
to say to the brigade that there was no truth in the reported surrender.
Demoralization, however, is utter and complete; there is no spark of fight
left in the troops. General Johnston expresses, we are told, great displeasure
at the report. It came to Hoke from corps headquarters, and is
now there denied to have been warranted by anything that passed. Our
remaining supplies of commissary and quartermaster stores are fully
issued, but forage for the animals is failing.
"April 19th.—A strange rumor in camp that Lincoln has been assassinated.
In the afternoon a circular from General Johnston expressing profound
regret at the report of his intended surrender, and positively denying
its truth. Accompanying the circular was a general order announcing
to the army "that a suspension of arms had been agreed upon pending
negotiations between the two governments. During its continuance the two
armies are to occupy their present position.'
"No one who has not seen and mixed with demoralized troops will be
disposed to credit my statement that this announcement appeared unwelcome
to many of the men. They regretted to have to remain in camp a
few days longer, although the difference was between going home as
prisoners of war on parole or as freemen under an honorable peace. This
was undoubtedly the prevailing sentiment with the mass. Others drew
high hopes from the expression underscored in the official copy, `the two
governments.' Recognition of independence was deduced from it, whatever
minor terms might be agreed upon, and when later in the evening a
courier from corps headquarters reported the news that Captain Fielden, an
assistant adjutant-general at army headquarters, had stated that peace
was declared, and upon most favorable terms, we were in the highest
spirits. The impression prevails that the United States have become
embroiled with France in the matter of Mexico, and that our independence
is recognized on condition of an alliance offensive and defensive between
the North and South.
"April 20th.—Nothing definite as to the terms of the impending peace.
Rumor now has Reconstruction as the basis. The universal sentiment of
the brigade is opposed to anything like submission or reconstruction of the
accursed Union. The feeling, I noticed the other day, I am sure arose
from no desire of giving up the Cause, but going home as prisoners of war
included in their minds the sequence of exchange and renewal of the struggle.
"April 21st.—General Hoke returned from Greensboro with various items
of news. We are to return to the Union under the status of 1860, the rights
of property to be respected, and property as defined in each State to be
recognized. All laws passed since 1860 to be submitted to the Supreme
Court, negro slavery to be untouched, the troops to be marched to their
respective State capitals, and there ground their arms; at the capital, too,
each soldier is to take an oath of allegiance to the United States.
"April 22d.—There being reason to think that many of the brigade were
contemplating leaving for home, Colonel Rion issued a circular advising
them to remain to the end. Immediately the whole command collected at
headquarters to hear more fully from him. He addressed them at length.
He stated the position of affairs, as far as known to him, and urged that
their departure would be a violation of the truce, compromising their personal
safety, compromising General Johnston, and finally compromising
their personal honor.
"April 23d.—Seven men of the Seventh battalion and fifteen men of the
Twenty-seventh regiment left for home yesterday and today. The division
is being rapidly reduced in this way. They are going in large bodies and
at all hours without an effort being made to stop them.
"April 24th.—Desertion on the increase throughout the army. Thirty
men and one officer (Lieutenant Brownlee, Eleventh South Carolina), of
our brigade, left yesterday.
"April 25th.—Informed that the truce would terminate at 11 o'clock
tomorrow. Received orders to be ready to move at that time. Men still
"April 26th.—Marched at 11 a. m. May I ever be spared such a sight as
I witnessed when the order to move was given. Whole regiments remained
on the ground, refusing to obey. In the last ten days desertion had reduced
Kirkland's brigade from 1,600 to 300 men; Clingman's and the brigade of
junior reserves from the same cause were each no stronger; Hagood's and
Colquitt's brigades had suffered, but not so much. Now not more than
forty men in each brigade followed Kirkland and Clingman from the
ground. Officers as high as colonels, not only countenanced, but participated
in the shameful conduct. Major Holland, of the North Carolina
troops, formerly attached to our brigade, went off with all his men, and
officers of higher rank did the same. Hagood's brigade here left forty
men; Colquitt's about two hundred. These commands being from South
Carolina and Georgia, are willing to hold together while movement is
towards their homes. I fear a march in another direction would equally
reduce their numbers. For all this demoralization I must hold our higher
officers responsible. All the sensational reports which have so loosened
the bands of discipline originate at their headquarters, and many of them
are playing first hands in the shameless appropriation of public property
that is going on. This last remark applies principally to General Hardee's
headquarters, and much feeling is elicited among the troops by the appropriation
there of supplies intended for and much needed by them. Halted
on the Trinity College road five and a half miles from Trinity, having
marched ten miles.
"April 27th—Remained quietly in camp all day. Rumors rife as usual,
at length culminating in the sad and solemn truth of surrender.
" `Near Greensboro, N. C., 27th April, 1865.
" `By the terms of a military convention, made on the 26th instant by
Major-General W. T. Sherman, U. S. A., and General J. E. Johnston, C. S. A.,
the officers and men of this army are to bind themselves not to take up
arms against the United States until properly relieved from that obligation,
and shall receive guarantees from the United States officers against
molestation by the United States authorities so long as they observe that
obligation and the laws in force where they reside.
" `For these objects duplicate muster rolls will be made out immediately,
and after the distribution of the necessary papers, the troops will march
under their officers to their respective States and there be disbanded.
" `The object of this convention is pacification to the extent of the
authority of the commanders who make it.
" `Events in Virginia, which broke every hope of success by war, imposed
on its general the duty of sparing the blood of this gallant army and of
saving our country from further devastation and our people from ruin.
"April 28th.—The brigade was paid today one dollar and a quarter in
silver per man, the last, I suppose, of the Confederate treasury. I shall
have mine made into a medal to keep and value as received from the dying
hands of my government. It is the greatest earthly satisfaction and my
only consolation now, that I entered her service on the day of the inauguration
of this war; was never absent from my command except by authority
or from wounds, and continued in the field until the last day.
"30th April.—Still in camp. Rumor seems to have tired of her occupation.
The stern reality of accomplished defeat is upon us. Famine begins
to threaten us.
"May 1st.—Still here, disorganized, dissatisfied. No right acknowledged
now except might, no property safe which is not defended with pistol and
rifle. Regimental and higher commanders ordered to High Point to receive
paroles. Colonels sign for their regiments, brigadiers for their staff, and
colonels, major-generals for their brigades, and so on. Paroles are not
to be issued to individuals until we reach the end of our journeys to our
respective States.
"May 2d.—Lancaster courthouse has been indicated as the point in
South Carolina where our brigade is to disband, and there seems no reason
now why we should not start for it. General Hardee has quietly slipped
off; General Hoke is with us still, though his division consists only of the
remnants of Colquitt's and Hagood's brigades. Our brigade surrendered
forty officers and three hundred and ten men; Colquitt's about the same.
"In all these terrible days of desertion but one officer (Lieutenant
Brownlee, already mentioned) had fallen away from this brigade. Our
horses have for a week been reduced to one quart of corn per day, while
the mules get no grain and but a handful of long forage.
"Expected issues from the Federal authorities have not been received.
Ten days' rations of bacon are in the brigade commissariat and no meal.
No orders to leave have been received, but with famine staring us in the
face, General Hoke consents to our starting. As it might, however, turn
out a serious step, in the event of our not being able to get food on our
route, the question of waiting for the Federal issue of supplies, or of starting
now was submitted to the men. Of course, they voted to go. They
would go with the certainty of starving. Received General Hoke's farewell
address to his division. It is full of feeling.
"May 3d.—This morning at 8 a. m. our brigade started upon its last
march. The Twenty-seventh led the column with seven men in its ranks;
the Twenty-fifth followed next with five; the Seventh battalion, which had
not suffered so much in battle as the other regiments, had near a hundred
men in ranks; the Twenty-first not quite so large, and the Eleventh regiment,
numbering sixteen in all told, was the rear guard. We stopped at
Hoke's headquarters to pay him our respects and say good-bye. He and
his staff seemed to feel the occasion deeply, and their expressions of regard
and good will were very grateful to us all. The last link that bound us to
the army thus severed, we resumed our weary journey homeward. At
and camped near us.
"May 4th.—The men straggled off at daylight and are scattered widely
on both sides of our route seeking provisions. The wagons are all that
mark the march during the day, and at night the men reassemble as they
come up to where headquarters are made. Crossed the Yadkin at Stokes'
Ferry; marched twenty-eight miles and bivouacked at Colonel Kendall's
farm. During the day the commissary obtained and had ground into meal
twenty bushels of corn. This gives bread for the rest of the march to
South Carolina, but our mules and horses are starving.
"May 5th.—No incident on the march. Our animals still without forage.
At night they attack the wagon covers and essay to devour them. There
is no grass; gnawing rails and trees is their only feed. The country
through which we are marching is of the poorest description.
"May 6th.—Made a march without incident, passing through Monroe and
camping eight miles south of it.
"May 7th.—Arrived at Lancaster courthouse, in South Carolina, about
11 a. m. Halted in a grove on the edge of the village and proceeded to the
work of disbandment.
"We first distributed the transportation of the brigade, as directed by
General Johnston, officers and men taking an equal chance in the lottery,
then the paroles were given out to the men and the work was done."
Thus ended the military history of a body of men who struck
for what they believed to be inalienable right, and staked their all
upon the issue. Deo Vindice.
Individuals found their way as best they could to the ruins
and desolation which were now their homes, there in patience to
abide the event; the brigade, like the Cause in which it had
enlisted, was dead.
| Memoirs of the war of secession | |