Cole, Nelson

FROM BUSH HILL TO ROUND TOP.

A SOLDIER OF THE 2D VERMONT.

Nelson W. Cole's Experiences in the Bloody Battles of the Virginia Campaigns.

From Our Special Correspondent.

SUFFIELD, Ct., Saturday, March 22.

Nelson W. Cole, whose stirring adventures following the first battle of Bull Run were related in his own words in this correspondence last week, in at work preparing an account of his experiences during the civil war for the Grand Army records. Mr. Cole took part in over 30 battles and more eventful than that of any other veteran in this vicinity. His regiment, the 2d Vermont, was in the thickest of the campaigns in Virginia, and of these Mr. Cole has retained a vivid memory as well as unusually complete memoranda.

Continuing his narrative from where he left it off last week, with the regiment encamped at Bush Hill, four miles from Alexandria, on July 29, 1861, the young solder's 22d birthday, Mr. Cole says: "Soon after my return to my regiment we were ordered to move, and we crossed Long bridge into Washington, going by way of Georgetown, near Chain bridge. We pitched our camp there, where the 3d Vermont regiment were occupying their time building Fort Vermont. In a few days our regiment crossed over on the Virginia side in light marching order, and built Fort Ethan Allen and Fort Marcy. We didn't break camp as yet, and I was left in charge of Co C's quarters, and drew actions and sent them to the regiment every morning. The regiment completed its work in 10 days and returned to camp. The next day we broke camp and moved across the river and established our winter quarters at Camp Griffin. We did picket duty out to Lewinsville and Falls Church. The 4th, 5th and 6th Vermont regiments came in a few days and went into camp near us. We were organized by Gen Brooks as the 1st Vermont brigade, made up on the 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th and 6th Vermont regiments, about December 14. I was taken sick while on picket duty at Lewinsville, and was removed to the field hospital in an ambulance. I had an attack of typhoid fever and suffered a relapse, which kept me conned until the regiment was ordered to move about March 1. I was moved with the rest of the sick to Georgetown seminary hospital and was more dead than alive. About April 1, I began to pick up, and was granted a 30-days furlough, which I spent at my home in Brattleboro.

"At the expiration of my furlough I was unable to return, and was granted an extension until May 15. By permission of Gov Holbrook, who is still living, I reported back to the hospital in Georgetown, and after a week's stay I was sent to the front with 25 men for different regiments. We went down the Potomac and up the York river to Yorktown, and then up the Pamankey as far as White Houses Landing. Most of the men found their regiments near there, but my regiment was on the move, and the provost marshal told me to stay, there until he found out where they were. After a few days I received a pass and went by train to Deep Bottom and joined my regiment just before the battle of Fair Oaks. Our brigade was on the reserve near Grapevine bridge. After the battle we crossed the Chichahominy and went into camp at Golden's Farms, doing picket duty in front of Richmond. We remained there until we were flanked out, and then we began the seven days retreat to Harrison's Landing. The enemy were close on to us, so we turned about and went back and had a sharp encounter. Our regiment lost one man killed and several wounded, but the 3d Vermont lost heavily in killed and wounded. This was on June 29, 1862. We then retreated and marched all night. We were on one road and the rebels on the other that ran parallel with it. We were cautioned to move quietly, and succeeded in crossing White Oak swamp about daylight, and went over a bluff into a ravine, where we stacked our arms, and were asleep before we hardly touched the ground.

"Sometime before noon we were awakened with volleys of shot and shells, which were plowing up the earth all around us. The enemy had masked a battery of 24 guns and opened them all at once. They knocked out Mott's battery, which had taken a position on the bluff, with the first round, but they were soon silenced by other batteries. We then moved back through a piece of timber and out in a clearing where the supply teams were, and we noticed a great panic among the teamsters. The drivers were panic-stricken, and were unhitching their mules and riding away. There I say a grew[sic]-some sight, which at that time seemed very comical. A provost marshal rode up to a colored driver who was taking out his saddle mule, and he ordered him to stop and move his team along. The driver paid no heed to the order of the marshal, and when in the act of mounting the mule to ride away, the officer slashed him on the head with his saber, and split one side of his face and car so it fell close to his shoulder. The mule started on a run and every jump it took the side of the negro's face flopped up and down. We watched the unusual spectacle until he was almost out of sight. Soon the ball opened at Malvern Hill, and we were ordered to support a battery. During the time we had enough excitement to satisfy the bravest. After dark we began a retreat and came out near the James river, where we camped for the night. We marched to Harrison's Landing the next day, and before we got our camp in shape we were ordered back and engaged in a sharp skirmish with the advance guard of the enemy. After driving them back we returned to the landing and completed our camp, ending the Peninsular campaign.

"On July 20, 1862, we left Harrison's landing and marched to Yorktown. I was played out and was passed on transport to Fortress Monroe and remained until the regiment arrived, when we took steamers up the Potomac as far as Acquia creek, where we awaited orders. We were soon told to move on to Alexandria, from which we marched to Centreville. I was sent at the head of the squad of 20 men to relieve the pickets at Cub Run bridge and remained there until the rear guard of Pope's army came. We returned to the camp, but found nothing but the embers of the fires burning, as the regiment had been forced to move. We followed along the pike to Halifax Court-House. We came to a house where a large crowd was gathered, and inquired what the trouble was. We were told that Gen Kearny had been killed and had just been brought in on his horse. He was shot in a railroad out near Chantilly, where our men and the rebels got mixed up on the dark. We moved on and came to some hospital tents, and in a field near by were several horses loose and no guard in sight. I made for one and got it without much trouble. My chums did not have as good luck as I did, and that was the last I saw of them. I led the horse off some distance and rigged up a bridle out of my gun sling and canteen strap and was then a mounted infantryman. After some little time I caught up with my regiment, and continued on to Washington, where we were informed the rebels were near Tenallytown. We were given a big reception in the Capital city.

"On September 14, 1862, we met the enemy at Burkettsville. We charged them through the town and up the mountains at Crampton pass. We took several prisoners and one Napoleon gun and continued over the mountain where the enemy had formed. We routed them again and we enjoyed looking through their knapsacks which they left in their hurry to escape. We camped there over night, and the next day the 9th Vermont came past us. They had been taken prisoners and had been paroled, having surrendered at Harper's Ferry. We soon started for Antietam, having to ford a stream, and joined on to the left of Gen French's command. We were in a big cornfield where we had much fighting until the rebels retreated two days later.

"I was detailed with a squad of men to pick up the dead in front of our regiment, as the smell from the decomposing bodies was getting unbearable. Several other squads were sent out for the same purpose from other regiments. The picket line ran along on the crest of the ridge which protected our line as it lay among the dead bodies. We would crawl up and take a man by the leg and haul him down and load him on to a couple of fence rails and two men would carry him off to the rear, where our prisoner were burying them. Sometimes we would get a hold of a picket's leg, for we couldn't distinguish them from the dead, only when they kicked. All the time bullets were flying about us. My squad brought in 39 bodies and over 300 were buried in one trench. When daylight came there seemed to be as many dead bodies lying around as before we began our work. The enemy had gone and I started to look over the field, which was covered with dead for a half a mile. I ran across two that were still alive. It was the bloodiest battlefield I had ever seen. We marched on to Hagerstown and camped on the fairgrounds. Our colonel was military governor of the town.

"After leaving Hagerstown we crossed back to Virginia and had no more engagements until December 13, when we arrived at Fredericksburg, where Gen Burnside was in command. We crossed below the town and advanced in line of battle through an open plain between our artillery and the enemy. The ground was frozen hard and the balls glanced as though they had struck solid rock. Our regiment lost six killed and 50 or 60 wounded. We crossed the Rappahannock under cover of darkness and camped near White Oak church on Falmouth Hights. We were soon ordered to join the brigade, which was then on the march, and after camping about from place to place in a drenching rainstorm we got orders to return to our first camp in front of Fredericksburg. This was Burnside's campaign when he was stuck in the mud. We had but few adventures until early in May, when we crossed the river on pontoons under a heavy fire and drove the enemy back to the foot of the hights. We then moved up to the south part of the town and lay under cover on the bank of the river.

"We had the 26th New Jersey attached to our brigade (nine month's men) at that time, and they were ordered to charge across the plain with our regiment supporting them. Before they reached across they got a shell in their ranks, when they broke and it was every man for himself. We were ordered in and afterward crossed the open in a zig-zag way so the enemy couldn't get a good range on us, and we succeeded in driving the rebels out of their rifle pits and charged the hights. My tentmate, George A. Rice, was wounded just as we gained the top, when they fired their last volley and ran. I ran to the rear for a stretcher and we carried Rice down the mountain, but he died before anything could be done for him. I left him and went out on the Salem pike and caught up with my regiment near Salem church. Our regiment fell back to Salem Hights and lay in line of battle all day, watching the enemy forming in front. Our line was formed in a circle, both flanks close to the river, while the enemy formed the same. They moved their whole army on the 6th corps just before dark and succeeded in driving in our skirmish line. Our brigade was in the front center and the rebels came within 200 yards before we opened fire. We gave them a volley and then continued to load and fire at will. After some sharp fighting the rebels began to waver and we charged, taking lots of prisoners. My company's loss was five killed and about a dozen wounded. We shelled them back, and by slow marching we went back to White Oak church, where we started from. This ended Fighting Joe's Chancellorsville campaign.

We lay there for some time, when the army began to move north. We again crossed the river on pontoons and advanced out on the Bowling Green road without incident. We went through a place called Dumfries and Union Mills, where we encamped for two days, and there met the 2d Vermont brigade, under Gen Stannard, out old lieutenant-colonel, composed of the 12th, 13th, 14th 15th and 16th regiments. We then started on a forced march for Maryland, fording the Potomac at Edward's Ferry, and arrived at Westminster, where we remained until about July 1. We were ordered to fall in line about 10 o'clock at night, and were on the march until nearly sundown of the next day, when we arrived at Little Round Top at Gettysburg.

"We crossed the Tenallytown road and filed to the left of Little Round Top to the base of Round Top, and formed in line of battle in an old lane where we expected the final attack would be made. The fighting was terrific, and after it was over I received permission from Capt Wales to go to the top of Little Round Top, and had a good view of the rebels last charge, which was July 3. This was the high-water mark of the rebellion. Pickett's division, which made it, was the flower of the confederate army, and was reprised and flanked by Gen Stannard's 2d Vermont brigade of nine-months men. On the morning of July 4 I took a stroll over most of the field of battle of the day previous, and witnessed an awful night. The dead soldiers and horses were strewn about the field promiscuously in a manner that was enough to strike terror to the heart of a soldier."

Springfield Republican, Springfield, MA 24 Mar 1907