Camp Fires of the 23rd

Camp Fires of the 23rd

Regimental History of the 23rd New York Infantry Regiment

Camp Fires of the 23rd:
Page 22

During our stay at Arlington, which lasted from August 5th to September 28th, but few incidents of general interest occurred. Drill and reviews were a matter of course, and as much disliked as the schoolboy dislikes his task. Picket duty was the pride and delight of the regiment. There was excitement in it, but not unattended with danger. On the 1-kh, one of the pickets was wounded by a shot from a prowling enemy. About this time, also, Lieutenant Wilkinson, of Company F, had a brisk little affair with the enemy, while on a reconnoissance toward Falls Church. Another party, under Captain Chapman, crossed the railroad and went forward beyond Upton's Hill, when they were fired upon from behind trees and embankments and compelled to beat a retreat. At the same time, a small party, with Captain Fowler, had gone up the railroad, and were driven back in the same manner.

A fight occurred on the 27th between the pickets, in which the Twenty-third was the principal party engaged. A company of the Twelfth New York had a hand in this affair. The following extract from a letter written at the time, by Captain William W. Dingleday, will give the particulars more correctly than one could at this late date our gallant Lieutenant-Colonel Crane. Company A was stationed one mile and a half to the right, on Hall's Hill. Companies D and F nearly
opposite each other—the former near a fence at the edge of a piece of woods, the latter in the road, partly concealed in a ditch. Scouts were sent out beyond the line of pickets, as information had been received on our arrival that things looked rather suspicious in front. Between the hours of two and four pm. the scouts and pickets came in double quick, with the intelligence that a large body of" rebels were about to attack us. Shots had already been freely exchanged.

Colonel Crane, having positive orders not to bring on an engagement west of the cross-roads, but to retire and hold the latter at all hazard*, ordered us to retreat. The order was reluctantly obeyed, not, however, without causing some of the "gray backs, 7 ' who were too indiscreet, to repent of their fully. Vv'e fell back a few rods to the next fence, when it was discovered that the rebels were trying to outflank us. The firing then commenced in good earnest. The entertainment
was brief but exceedingly interesting, and. after a short time, it was evident that the rebels were more anxious to retreat than our own men. We have to lament the loss, in this engagement, of one who was very
dear to and a great favorite with us all Thomas Carroll was shot through the heart. He enlisted as a private, but through his worth and exemplary conduct was promoted to corporal. Elias Algair received a bad wound in the neck, and also had a part of the middle finger of his left hand shot off. Several others were slightly wounded. Company I), being protected by the woods, sustained no injury. In the evening, a section of a rilled battery was placed in position in the road, to give the rebs a warm reception should they pay us a visit after dark. All remained quiet until morning, when they commenced
throwing shot and shell in the direction of Hall's Hill, where Company A was stationed. That company was also ordered to fall back. Occasionally, they would send a shell at us, without, however, doing any damage.
The occasion brought Generals McDowell, Keyes. and VTadswGrta promptly to the spot, who, after learning the details of the affair, complimented Colonel Crane and his command very flatteringly. We
\^\ra to-dav from a lady whose residence is near where the conflict ak place, that the rebels acknowledge a less of eleven killed and many wounded. From her statement, they outnumbered us two to but were all under the influence of liquor, which proved a serious disadvantage to them. All is quiet now, however, and peace reigns again in Israel.

CHAPTER III.
UPTON HILL AND DALE.
Though the enemy had retired across the railroad
on driving in our pickets, they had retained possession
of Upton's Hill, and it was ascertained by Professor
Lowe, in his balloon ascensions, that they were fortifying
Munsou's Hill, directly in rear of Upton's. What
appeared to be a formidable rine-pit could also be distinctly
seen stretching along the crest of Upton's Hill.
Cannon also appeared in these fortifications, and the
supposition was generally entertained that they intended
to hold this position if possible.
It was ascertained, however, on the 2Sth of September,
that the rebels were evacuating, and accordingly
a general advance of our lines determined upon. At
five o'clock p.m. the long roll was sounded, creating
quite a sensation in camp. Por a long time the boys
had been ripe for a regular pitched fight with the graybacks,
and now the opportunity had come. All was
hurry and bustle. They were soon in line and set off,
<; double quick," for the scene of action. The main
road was crammed with infantry, artillerv. and cavalry,
which impeded progress somewhat ; but before sundown
our forces were posted in undisputed possession
of Upton's Hill.
It was with some little chagrin and much laughter
that the threatening cannon were discovered to be stove*
pipes mounted on wheels, and the formidable earthi
works and fortifications were mere farrows of earth
that would hardly screen a man. Substantial cannon
were planted in place of these t; make-believes," only
the mouths were pointed the other way, and behind
them lay masses of ardent soldiers who were willing
to meet the foe in open field and fair fight. The night
was bleak, and not being allowed to build fires, the men
suffered much from cold. There was an injudicious
haste in the advance, the men became heated, and had
not taken clothing tor the niirht, fearing to be incumbe
red by it.
The advance was permanent, and the camp moved to
Upton Hill. Fortifications were immediately commenced,
and the forest in front felled to give scope to
cannon. Redoubts were also erected on the hills in
front. This work occupied about one month, and the
Twentv-third had its share in the labor. Sickness,
which had commenced at Arlington, increased here
to an alarming extent. A farm-house near by was
given up by Colonel Hoffman, who had with his staff
occupied it as quarters, and converted into a hospital.
This was soon iilled to overflowing, and many were
compelled to lie in camp and be treated. It was not
until the camp was moved to Upton Dale that the
fever ceased its ravages.
On the sunny side of Upton's Hill is a copse of pine
and cedar interspersed with numerous varieties of trees,
and all tangled together with grapevines. Stretching
awav to the south-west from this beautiful wood a fine M
plat of grass ground reaches off to the cultivated fields.
A spring of pure water near by, bubbling from the
prrotind, is swamped in a bocr and thicket before it has
fairly escaped. This sunny spot, this wood and plat
and spring, we called Upton's Dale, and here on the
Dili of December the Twenty-third found itself busv in
erecting a habitation for the winter.
Man has an indefinite adaptability to circumstances.
Necessity driyes the soldier into many things which
hitherto looked impossible. He will even outstrip the
fabled Yankee who could go into the forest and build a
saw-mill with nothing but an iron wedge and a cross-cut
saw. The ax and spade were the tools in requisition
here. The camp was soon completed, and the nicely
graded streets and correct rows of log-cabins with white
routs presented the appearance of a very cheerful little
town. Some of these little cabins displayed much taste
on the part of the men in the interior and exterior arrangements.

Upton's Hill, Ya., ZWwfrry, October Bft, 1561.
Editors Advertiser : Though items of a *• thrilling'' order are somewhat
scarce in this matter-of-fact coaimumtv. who have undertaken the
ta^k of chopping their way to Richmond, the quill-pushing propensity
of an idle corporal is prompted by the faint hope of some long-sought
idea or event occurring be:ween this and the end of this sheet which
may be of common interest
A fatigue party of us. two hundred strong, lately returned from a
half-day's labor with pick and shovel in the trenches of a fort in course
of construction near by, with stomach and appetite well qualified and
appreciative of an excellent afternoon's repast (collation. I thiDk you
editors and literary men call it). I will give you the bill of fare from
memory. First in the course :
Soup—of pork, bean-flavored.
(No fish—sutler is out of herriogs.)
Beans
—
a la mode—pork-sauce—nutritious and healthful.
Coffee—plain.
Water—per canteen.
Bread—baker's.
Butter—(of our good sutler) aromatic and odoriferous, and tasting
much like " thlrty-(s)cents" per pound.
Vegetables — potatoes —Virginian — by private forage train (not
"Hawk-stricken," we presume).
Dessert—sugar, pepper, salt, vinegar.
Pastry—Baltimore pilot-bread.
Fruit—chestnuts, from the leveled rail timber hereabout.
Ei clera—cigars, pipes, tobacco, etc.
After doing justice to the hearty meal just served up to us, this company.
I feel, are on a war footing, and need some exercise to keep the
blood in circulation, for the winds which threaten to overthrow our
humble habitations are cold to-day, and although pleasant and refreshing,
are keenly felt now after the very warm weather of the past
few days.
The heat had been a source of discomfort for about a week until last
I
.
sight, when a few thim.le**-sh:>wers passed along the lines of the Fed- .
4' wal ^rmy. accompanied by high winds and pelung the poor sentinels
I on duty with huil-stones or sings of ice of almost fabulous size—some
were found larger than goose eggs. -
ir GhaDlain Crane wa* arou-ed in the raids: of the drenching rain about
two o'clock this morning by the downfall of his protecting canvas : "but,
soldier-like, he submitted to the mishap with commendable stoicism
UQtil with the assistance of his boarder, William Robinson, the cotton
walls of their residence were in position. The tent occupied by Lieutenant-
Colonel Crane, our adjutant and sergeant-major, did not fall,
but the friction and cohesion of sand and oak pins would not hold the
cotton canvas back, and it went bodily, carrying the " regulation" 1 and
fighting wardrobe of its occupants. Imagine, Mr. Editor, the flight
—
the night was very dark—the rain some.
Tbe axmen have so leveled the forests that the view to the front
from this point is much less obstructed than it was ten days ago : and
whiie the routes open to the advance of an attacking force are lessened
in numbers, our artillerists have now ample scope and range. General
McClellan. in an order read at dress parade, complimented the men of the
advance line hereabouts, and Wadsworth's brigade particularly, on the
performance of more labor in the construction and establishment of the
chain of works of defense than had ordiuarily been accomplished by
like numbers in double the time since the general advance, etc., etc.
A few Confederate pickets and horsemen are daily visible with the
aid of the glass ou the high grounds toward Fairfax Court House, at a
distance of two or three miles, from which direction they fired a few
cannon-balls at the Thirty-fifth on Saturday evening at sunset. They
were 4i promptly" answered by a round shot from one rifled gun here
a waste of powder on both sides, probably.
Everything i? quiet in this vicinity but the wind, which sounds hoarse
notes on tent-flaps and sings shrill songs on a high key with foolscap.
New York papers still find their way into camp, their astute disquisitions
and reports of plans of campaigns and military operations being
taken at a discount. It is not true, as they state, that Smith's division
first stationed pickets at Falls Church, a duty assigned to Company
" D' ? of this regiment and a l'^v< scouts of United States cavalry. The
advance sentinel of the enemy on that occasion was a gallant old contraband
shivering on horseback.
The ruins of no less than seven dwellings with their outbuildings,
destroyed by incendiary torches, besides fences and barns partially demolished,
present themselves to the eye of the beholder from our
parade ground within the circuit of a miie—a vandalism which orderloving
soldiers are h.ipny to hear the people and the authorities discountenance
and reprobate, though some extenuating circumstances
ought to be promulgated in connection with the verdict of popular condemnation
and abhorrence. It must be recollected that volunteers
have for several weeks b-vu detailed to guard the property and homes
of supposed loyalists against the depredations of soldiery on the bordens, which duty is of course attended -with some risk of personal safety,
.ill in a majority of cases these same " Unionists" have. Breckenridgei;
k<\ when no further benefits were needed, availed themselves of the
earliest opportunity to remove within the line3 of the Confederates
wi.h information, aid, and comfort for the enemy, and all they could
itfc*l from that government which sought their protection. It was the
duty of an advancing force, on September 28th, to search houses for
pirates and contraband articles, and if strychnine, hams, and pork had
no? been found on the premises of Major Nutt, his house and furniture
would to-day remain intact, although he is now in the Southern service,
working for the overthrow of the nation which formerlv fed him in
office.
The weather has been too pleasant of late for mortal combat : but
th* present bracing and wholesome atmosphere stimulates the general
uVsire ot the rank and file to reduce a battalion drill to practice, and
eaci philanthropist longs for that national millennium when this broad
3 md thall be inhabited by a wise and virtuous " people whose God is
the Lord," who will appreciate the blessings of free institutions, and
have sense enough to know when they are well off. F. B.

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