THE FIFTY-NINTH IN PETERSBURG.

469

there, Gen. M'Laughlin ordered the regiment to take possession of the place; which was done with but little difficulty, as the rebels had left the place but illy defended in search of larger game. But, on going out very soon after to receive further orders from Gen. M'Laughlin, Major Gould found that the general, with those of his staff present, had been captured, and that the lines on either side of him were completely deserted; while the enemy, in a long line completely outflanking his position, were advancing in his rear. It was a critical moment, and there was only one escape; and orders were accordingly given to the regiment to leap the breast works, and retreat between the rebel works and our own to Fort Haskell, the only enclosed work on the brigade line, and the position in which, as we afterwards found, had collected the most of the remnants of the brigade. From this fort, a galling fire with both musketry and artillery was kept up on the rebels in Fort Stedman and the adjacent portions of the lines, and no less from the right of the position which they had captured: and this terrible flanking fire on both sides, to which the batteries on the hill in the rear contributed too, rendered their position untenable; so that, when the third division of the corps made the final charge, it found only a disorganized and already retreating mass, which hurriedly threw down their arms.

Sunday, the 1st of April, the grand combined attack was made at different points along the line; but as the rebel position in our front was, or seemed, absolutely impregnable, the brigade took no part in it. Monday morning, quite early, we marched over the rebel works, and through them into Petersburg, victors at last; and the mighty exultation of that hour no one can describe, but none of us can forget.

The next few days, we remained encamped in the suburbs of the city, and then, by a hurried march night and day, were thrown on the South-side Railroad, at a point thirty miles outside the city, and remained here till after the surrender of Lee's army, guarding the railroad, along which the division kept moving from point to point as fresh troops were brought up. About the 1st of May, the corps was ordered to Washington; and, on arriving there, we encamped for a week at Alexandria. Then, crossing the river, the first division of the corps encamped at Tenallytown, Md. Here the regiment remained until consolidated with the Fifty-seventh, July 1.

CHAPTER XXVII.

SIXTIETH, SIXTY-FIRST, AND SIXTY-SECOND REGIMENTS.

Sixtieth.

Organization. — In Baltimore.

Sent to Indianapolis to look after the "Knights of the Golden Circle." — Mustered out. — Sixty-first. — Organization. — Officers. At City Point. Weldon Railroad. — Isaac Noble. — Regiment full. — Independent Brigade. - Fort Sedgewick. · Promotions.- Guarding Prisoners. — At Washington. Return Home. Andrew Sixty-second. Recruiting. - Officers. Sharpshooters. First Company. - Officers. On the Upper Potomac. — At FredMine Run.- Attached to the Twentieth Regiment.Second Company.- Attached to the Twenty-second Regiment.

ericksburg.

Gettysburg.

Mustered out.
Mustered out.

THE

SIXTIETH REGIMENT,·

HUNDRED DAYS'."

HE Sixtieth Regiment (hundred-days') Massachusetts Volunteers, Col. Ansel D. Wass, was organized at Readville, Mass., July 30, 1864, and immediately ordered to Baltimore, Md. ; thence to Indianapolis, Ind., where it was sent on account of the conspiracy of an extensive organization known as the "Knights of the Golden Circle," or "Sons of Liberty." It remained in Indiana during its term of service, and was mustered out in November, 1864.

STATE OF INDIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 15, 1864.

Col. ANSEL D. WASS, Sixtieth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Sir,-As your command will shortly leave this port on account of the expiration of its term of enlistment, I desire to express to yourself, and to your officers and men, my high appreciation of the valuable services rendered to the country during the time you have been in this State. The duties which

THE SIXTY-FIRST AT CITY POINT.

471

have devolved upon the regiment have been of a most important character, involving a degree of vigilance, labor, and responsibility, seldom required or incurred at interior ports; and they have been performed with entire faithfulness and alacrity. On all occasions, and under every circumstance, officers and men, without exception, so far as I am advised, have exhibited the highest qualities and bearing of true soldiers; and at all times the civil and military authorities have felt a confident reliance, in any contingency that might arise, on their bravery, discretion, and efficiency.

It is with pleasure, therefore, that I tender to yourself and regiment the thanks of the State. Trusting that your journey to your homes may be safe and pleasant, and that you may one and all be blessed with health and prosperity,

I have the honor to be

Very sincerely and truly,

O. P. MORTON, Governor of Indiana.

Col. Wass entered the service, as first lieutenant, April 16, 1861; was created captain, Aug. 22, 1861; lieutenant-colonel of the Forty-first Regiment, Sept. 6, 1862; lieutenant-colonel of the Nineteenth, May 23, 1863; colonel of the same regiment, Feb. 28, 1864; and colonel of the Sixtieth, July 30, 1864. Col. Wass was wounded at Yorktown, Glendale, Gettysburg, and Bunker Station.

SIXTY-FIRST REGIMENT.

Recruiting for the Sixty-first Regiment commenced in August, 1864. By the 1st of October, five companies had been filled, and were encamped on Galloupe's Island, Boston Harbor. On the 7th of October, the battalion thus composed embarked on board a Government transport for the field of war, under command of Lieut.-Col. Charles F. Walcott.

Oct. 12, the regiment reached City Point, Va., and was at once put on duty with Gen. Benham's engineer brigade, erecting fortifications.

From this date until the 10th of November, the whole effective

force of the battalion was employed in this work, without the intermission of a day. It then moved two miles towards Prince George's Court House, on the extreme left of the defences of City Point, and, up to the 10th of December, was charged with picketduty to cover the defences. Meanwhile the sixth company reported to the battalion in the field, and the Sixty-first, thus strengthened, with Benham's engineer brigade, marched to the extreme front to take the place of troops sent to co-operate with Gen. Warren's movement down the Weldon Railroad, and for two days held a portion of the line from Fort Sedgewick, commonly known as Fort Hell, to the scene of the mine explosion.

On the 12th of December, the battalion was ordered back to the old camp within the defences of City Point.

Up to this time, the Sixty-first had not been engaged in battle, and the deaths from sickness had been very few. Wrote an officer,

One member of the battalion seems to be particularly worthy of mention,Private Isaac B. Noble, of Company B, whose family reside in East Boston. The famous rebel scout, Sergeant Waterbury of the Third North-Carolina, made his escape from the prison at City Point, and was caught while trying to make his way through the pickets on the night of the 14th of December. He represented himself as belonging to a company of Pennsylvania cavalry, on picket in front of the infantry. As he was dressed in a cavalry uniform, and was provided with a forged pass agreeing with his story, he was not regarded with much suspicion. Noble was sent with him beyond the infantry to the first cavalry post for identification, and, not being sufficiently on his guard against a supposed friend, was easily overpowered by a clever ruse, and found himself at the mercy of the scout. Retaining Noble as his prisoner, the scout, after spending a day in the attempt, succeeded in getting through the cavalry vedettes; but Noble, who had been patiently watching for an opportunity, sprang upon his captor in an unguarded moment, and, regaining his gun, inflicted a mortal wound upon the rebel, and afterwards carried him more than half a mile to a point within our lines. Waterbury was one of the most useful scouts in the rebel service, and was an athletic man. Noble is a slightly built lad of nineteen: he received a furlough of thirty-five days from Gen. Meade, as a reward for his gallant conduct.

At the close of the year, the battalion consisted of but six companies.

Two others reported during the winter months. In February, the Sixty-first participated in the movement towards Hatcher's Run. But little, however, worthy of note transpired until the opening of the spring campaign. March 15, the two remaining compa

THE SIXTY-FIRST AT FORT MAHONE.

473

nies reported; and the regiment, as then constituted, was assigned to an independent brigade, commanded by Brig.-Gen. C. T. Collis, charged with provost-duty at general headquarters.

From the 29th of March to the surrender of Gen. Lee on the 9th of April, the regiment was constantly under arms. On the 2d of April, when the rebel line was everywhere broken, the brigade to which the Sixty-first was attached operated with the Ninth Corps, and the regiment conducted itself with distinguished bravery in action. The official record says,

The Ninth Corps, by a most gallant coup de main, carried and occupied the enemy's works in front of Fort Sedgewick (Fort Hell) early in the morning of the 2d. As soon as the first panic was over, the enemy, with even more than his usual obstinacy, attempted to retake the last position, and at last succeeded in recapturing Fort Mahone and the adjoining breastworks. At this critical moment (about two, P.M.), the Sixty-first Regiment, which had been lying in reserve, was ordered to charge the enemy. In a few minutes, though with the loss of thirty-five brave men, the regiment recaptured the breastworks, and carried the parapet of Fort Mahone, driving the rebels behind the first traverse of the work. The loss in the regiment was exceeding small, considering the severity of the musketry and artillery fire through which they charged, owing to the rapidity and fierceness of their attack, which gave the enemy no opportunity for protracted resistance. The regiment remained in its position in the works until about midnight, when Brevet Capt. Henry W. Howard led a line of skirmishers, supported by the regiment, rapidly along the rebel works, and found them evacuated. In a few days, Gen. Lee's surrender ended the hard marching and exhausting duty in which the regiment was up to that time engaged.

The regiment was honored by the unprecedentedly large number of nine brevet promotions, given for gallant and meritorious services in the operations resulting in the fall of Richmond, and surrender of Gen. Lee's army, which were as follow, all bearing date April 9, 1865, the day of the surrender :

Besides these, five first lieutentants were promoted to captaincies, and one second lieutenant to first lieutenant.

On the 12th, the regiment returned to City Point, having charge of what had been the army of Gen. Ewell.

On the 1st of May, it marched for Washington, via Richmond, reaching its destination on the 12th, and, on the 23d, participating in the grand review.