Chapter 4 - Military History (Concluded) from History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire4 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by MLM, Volunteer 0000130. For the current email address, please go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000130 Copyright. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************ Full copyright notice - http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm USGenWeb Archives - http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************ Source: History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens by Charles A. Hazlett, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill., 1915 Page 39 CHAPTER IV MILITARY HISTORY-(Concluded) The Tenth Regiment-The Eleventh Regiment-The Thirteenth Regiment- The Fourteenth Regiment-The Fifteenth Regiment-The Sixteenth Regiment-The Eighteenth Regiment-The First Heavy Artillery-The Sharpshooters. Tenth Regiment.--This regiment was raised during the dark hours of 1862, when the glalnour of military life had passed away, and grim-visaged war stood out before the people in all its horrors. It was commanded by Col. Michael P. Donohoe, who was subsequently breveted brigadier-gen- eral. Rockingham County had one company, "G," in this regiment, which was raised in Portsmouth and Greenland. George W. Towle was captain. The history of the Tenth Regiment contains nothing which need cause any of its members to be ashamed of the organization in which they served, while it is a record of brave deeds and heroic sacrifices of which any soldier might well feel proud. Other regiments from the state may have been through more battles and lost more men, but none ever fought more gallantly or discharged whatever duty devolved upon them more faithfully. With the Army of the Potomac at Fredericksburg and Cold Harbor, and the Army of the James at Drury's Bluff, Fort Harrison, and all the bloody campaign of 1864, its history is inseparably connected, and as long as the war for the Union and its heroes shall be gratefully remembered by the people in whose behalf so much was risked, the story of the Tenth New Hampshire will never cease to be of interest. The regiment was mustered out June 21, 1865. The Eleventh Regiment.--The Eleventh Regiment was recruited and mus- tered into the service in August, 1862, with the following officers: Colonel, Walter Harriman, of Warner; major, Moses A. Collins, of Exeter; and chaplain, Frank K. Stratton, of Hampton. There were three companies recruited from Rockingham County for the regiment, A, B, and I. The Eleventh Regiment left Concord on the 11th of September, 1862, and arrived at Washington on the 14th. The Eleventh Regiment joined in the grand review of the Second, Fifth, and Ninth Corps, Sherman's entire army, and some other troops at Wash- ington on the 23d and 24th of May. It was the grandest spectacle of the kind ever witnessed in this country. Two hundred thousand armed veterans passed the whole length of Pennsylvania avenue, the reviewing officers being stationed in front of the president's house. The Eleventh was mustered out of the United States service on the 4th Page 40 of June, and immediately started for home, arriving at Concord on the after- noon of the 7th, meeting with a hearty reception in the state house yard. On the l0th the regiment was paid off and formally discharged. By order of the commanding general of the army, for meritorious conduct in battle, the Eleventh Regiment inscribed upon its banner "Fredericksburg, Vicks- burg, Jackson, East Tennessee, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Weldon Railroad, Poplar Grove Church, Hatcher's Run, Petersburg." Thirteenth Infantry.--This was the fifth regiment raised by the state, in the fall of 1862, under the call of the president for 600,000 troops. In its organization of ten companies seven counties were represented, Rockingham furnishing two. The first company went into camp at Con- cord on the 11th of September. The whole were mustered into the United States service on the 18th, 19th, and 20th of the same month, and on the 23d the field officers were also mustered. Aaron F. Stevens, Esq., of Nashua, who had served as major of the First New Hampshire, was commissioned colonel; George Bowers, of the same city, who had served in Mexico, was lieutenant-colonel; and Jacob I. Storer, of Portsmouth, was major. On the 5th of October, in the presence of a great assembly, the Thirteenth received its colors, at the state house, and on the following day left the capitol for Washington, fully armed and equipped. The Thirteenth Regiment participated in the final movement upon Rich- mond, on the 3d of April, 1865. General Devens, commanding the division, in a complimentary letter to Governor Smyth, of this state, dated at Rich- mond, June 22, 1865, speaking of the Tenth, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Regi- ments, says, "On the formation of the Twenty-fourth Corps, all these regi- ments formed a part of the Third Division, to which they have until now belonged, and were of the first column that entered Richmond on the morn- ing of April 3, 1865, the Thirteenth New Hampshire being the first regiment of the army whose colors were brought into the city." The Thirteenth was mustered out of the United States service on the 22d of June, and came home with the Tenth and Twelfth, under command of Brevet Brigadier-General Donohoe. Arrived at Nashua, the officers of the brigade assembled at the Indian Head House, and Capt. George A. Bruce, of the Thirteenth, upon the staff of General Donohoe, in their behalf, presented General Aaron F. Stevens, their old and esteemed commander, a sabre, sash, and belt, suitable to his rank. The general accepted the gift in a handsome and feeling speech, after which he reviewed the brigade, and it appeared so well as to receive the warmest encomiums of thousands of spectators who witnessed it. Authority was received from the general commanding the army for the Thirteenth Regiment to inscribe upon its colors the names and dates of the following engagements: Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862; siege of Suf- folk, April and May, 1863; Walthal Road, May 7, 1864; Swift Creek, May 9 and 10, 1864; Kingsland Creek, May 12 and 13, 1864; Drory's Bluff, May 14 and 16, 1864; Cold Harbor, June 1 and 3, 1864; Battery 5, Petersburg, June 15, 1864; Battery Harrison, September 29 and 30, 1864. The regiment was paid off and finally discharged at Concord on the 1st Page 41 of July, 1865. Its record while in the service is a better commendation than words. The Fourteenth Regiment.--This was recruited principally from the west- ern part of the state, although a few were furnished by Rockingham County. It was mustered into the service in September, 1862, with Robert Wilson, of Keene, as colonel. It participated in the battles of Winchester, Cedar Creek, etc. It lost by death over two hundred men and officers, seventy of whom fell in battle or died of their wounds. The Fifteenth Regiment.--This was the first regiment raised in New Hampshire under the president's call for 300,000 nine-months' troops. There were a few men from Rockingham County, and John W. Kingman, of Durham, was colonel, George W. Frost, of New Market, lieutenant- colonel. The regiment was mustered into the service November 12, 1862, and upon arriving at the front was assigned to the division commanded by General Sherman. Their first engagement was the assault on Port Hudson. On the 26th of July the regiment turned over its camp and ordnance stores and started on its way home. It reached Concord on the 8th of August, and was mustered out, paid, and discharged on the 13th. When the regiment was mustered out of service, though there were thirty-nine officers and 702 enlisted men whose names were borne upon the rolls, less than thirty officers and not four hundred and fifty enlisted men were fit for duty. The siege of Port Hudson and the climate of Louisiana had thus sadly thinned the ranks. The Sixteenth Regiment.--This regiment was mustered into the service in November, 1862, with James Pike, of Sanbornton, as colonel. One com- pany (K) was recruited in Rockingham County. Though this regiment saw but little hard fighting, it suffered as much from disease, induced by exposure and the malaria of southern swamps, as any from New Hampshire had done from all causes combined in the same length of time. It was mustered out in August, 1863. The Eighteenth Regiment.--On the 19th of July, 1864, the War Depart- ment issued an order calling for 500,000 volunteers, and under this call the state authorities commenced recruiting the Eighteenth Regiment. Charles H. Bell, of Exeter, was commissioned colonel, and James W. Carr, of Manchester, lieutenant-colonel, both of whom resigned before being mustered into the United States service, and their places were filled by the appointment of Thomas L. Livermore, of Milford, and Joseph M. Clough, of New London. Company K was principally from Rockingham County. The regiment participated in the following engagements: Fort Steadman, March 25, 1865; attack on Petersburg, April 2, 1865; and capture of Peters- burg, April 3, 1865. It was mustered out in July, 1865. The First Heavy Artillery was raised in August, 1864, and was mustered into the service with Charles H. Long, of Claremont, as colonel, and Ira McL. Barton as lieutenant-colonel. The following is a list of the officers of this company: Captain, George W. Colbath. of Dover; first lieutenant, William S. Pillsbury, of Londonderry; second lieutenant, Joseph H. Flagg, of Kingston. Page 42 On the 21st of November, 1864, Colonel Long was assigned to the com- mand of Hardin's division, Twenty-second Army Corps, and the command of the regiment devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Barton. On the 25th Battery A was ordered to Portsmouth Harbor, and in February, 1865, Bat- tery B was ordered for duty at the same place. During the winter and until the muster out of the regiment it garrisoned a line of works ten miles in extent and gained considerable proficiency in artillery drill. On the 15th of June, 1865, the regiment was mustered out of service, and arrived at Concord on the 19th, where it received final pay and discharge. Sharpshooters.--New Hampshire furnished three companies of sharp- shooters for the army. In the summer of 1861, Colonel Berdan procured permission from the war department to raise a force of sharpshooters, and a promise that 2,000 Sharpe's rifles should be manufactured for them. The result was the First and Second Regiments of United States Sharp- shooters, commonly known as Berdan's Sharpshooters, of which the three companies from this state formed a part. Colonel Berdan asked the gov- ernor first for one, and then for two more companies. They were mustered into the United States service on the 9th of September, 1861. These three companies of sharpshooters contained some of the best rifle shots in the state. They participated in more battles and skirmishes than the averages of regiments, and probably killed more rebels than the same number of troops in any other arm of the service; while from their having been seldom used in line of battle in dense masses, they suffered less loss in comparison than many other regiments. Rockingham County may justly feel proud of her soldiery as no section of our country acted a more prominent or honorable role in the great tragedy. Nearly a half century has now elapsed since the close of the Rebellion, and we find our country a united and prosperous people. Sectional strife is rapidly passing away, and the same hand strews flowers alike on the graves of the Blue and the Gray. "No more shall the war-cry sever, Or the winding rivers be red; They banish our anger forever When they laurel the graves of our dead. Under the sod and the dew, Waiting the judgment-day; Love and tears for the Blue, Tears and love for the Gray."