We slept on our arms last night. Report says that we forced
the enemy's right flank back about three miles yesterday besides capturing a
goodly number of prisoners, but I doubt it. It is also rumored that the Vermont
Brigade of our Corps was badly cut up yesterday afternoon, but I hope it's not
true; it was hotly engaged, though, on our left. We were led further off into
the woods this forenoon to form another line of battle evidently, but General
Seymour who was in charge seemed to be dazed, and while poking around alone in
front of and too far away from his command without a skirmish line in his
front, was taken prisoner.* A part of our brigade was finally detached and
taken north of and just to the right of the Orange turnpike including our
regiment where we formed line behind some natural breastworks with the enemy's
earthworks about fifty yards more or less in our front across a pretty, level,
green field, in the edge of the woods; this work of theirs was in front, I am
told, of the enemy's main line. We were shelled more or less at times through
the day until about mid-afternoon when we were let alone.
Later in the day all at once hearing heavy firing on the
right flank of our army not far away, Colonel W. W. Henry excitedly called us
to attention, faced us to the right and then turning the head of the column
directly to the rear we ran with all speed possible — there was no double quick
about it — for a mile or more into the woods in rear of where the heavy firing
on our right was, stumbling over logs, ditches, brush, etc., till our faces,
hands and shins smarted from bruises and scratches, when we were halted all out
of breath, faced to the left and ordered to give the charging war cry which,
being a good deal wrought up, not knowing what had happened but that a disaster
had occurred to our forces as panic-stricken men were hastening to the rear
from our defeated right through our lines, and not knowing our own position
relatively speaking to any other of our forces, or but what we would be pounced
upon any moment, for we had but a small part of our brigade even, with us, so
far as I could see in the woods, and annihilated, we, together with the One
Hundred and Sixth New York Volunteer Infantry and Fourteenth New Jersey
repeatedly gave the war cry as we had never given it before or did give it
again afterwards. It reverberated again and again in the forest until the echo
died away in the gloaming as softly as a fond mother's lullaby, and it pleased
me at the time to think that perhaps it was God's offering through us and the
medium of nature, or His lullaby to the thousands of wounded and dying heroes
both of the blue and the grey within hearing, for the softly dying echoes
certainly were soothing and restful in the quiet twilight even to me. This war
cry had the effect not only to stop the enemy's firing but its advance,
thinking probably it was a counter-assault to meet theirs, and it saved many a
poor fellow from being captured, as the enemy ceased its aggressive tactics in
order to reform and be prepared to meet our anticipated assault.
General Jubal A. Early's Division of three brigades had
stolen round in rear of General Shaler's veteran brigade of the First Division
and the Second Brigade (formerly General Seymour's) of green men of the Third
Division, Sixth Corps, which were on the right of our army in the order
mentioned, attacked vigorously both in rear and front, threw Shaler's veterans
into disorder as well later as the Second Brigade, captured Shaler and created
temporary confusion among the trains and hospital corps nearby. Seemingly it
was the result of bad generalship by someone on our side. If I had been a
General in command there, I'll bet the Johnnies wouldn't have got away with me!
It was evidently lack of alertness, and the Johnny fellow got the best of it
because the most alert.
Generals Meade and Sedgwick probably returning from an
investigation of that part of the battlefield after the fight just after dark
near our regiment where I was, inquired what troops were there and on being
told it was the Tenth Vermont at that particular point Sedgwick said to Meade, “We
are safe enough with that regiment!” as though they doubted the security of
their surroundings.
_______________
* In a letter to Chaplain E. M. Haynes of my regiment by me
which he used in his history of our regiment, I state that Seymour was taken
prisoner when the right flank of our army was thrown into confusion late May 6,
1864. From what source I got the information I don't recollect, but supposed it
correct. I had not then seen my diary for many years, and had forgotten about
the matter. My diary is correct, for I recall having heard of Seymour being
taken prisoner that day before the fighting on our right flank later in the
day. I wondered when I saw him so far in front of his column why he didn't have
a skirmish line in his front. An alert General wouldn't have been captured, I
don't think. — L. A. A.
SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections
and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 45-8
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