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William Swinton, Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac 127 1 Browse Search
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5. (ed. Frank Moore) 115 1 Browse Search
Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume II. 69 1 Browse Search
General Horace Porter, Campaigning with Grant 30 0 Browse Search
The Photographic History of The Civil War: in ten volumes, Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861-65, with Text by many Special Authorities, Volume 3: The Decisive Battles. (ed. Francis Trevelyan Miller) 17 1 Browse Search
Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3. 16 0 Browse Search
Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 2 13 1 Browse Search
Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 3 13 1 Browse Search
Elias Nason, McClellan's Own Story: the war for the union, the soldiers who fought it, the civilians who directed it, and his relations to them. 9 1 Browse Search
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Massachusetts in the Army and Navy during the war of 1861-1865, vol. 2 4 0 Browse Search
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John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life, chapter 9 (search)
the least. I have seen it stated that there was no time in the history of the Army of the Potomac, after its organization by McClellan, when it reported less than one-fourth its full membership as absent without leave. The general reader will perhaps be interested in the description of the first execution of a deserter that I ever witnessed. It took place about the middle of October, 1863. I was then a member of Sickles' Third Corps, and my company was attached for the time being to General Birney's First Division, then covering Fairfax Station, on the extreme left of the army. The guilty party was a member of a Pennsylvania regiment. He had deserted more than once, and was also charged with giving information, to the enemy whereby a wagon-train had been captured. The whole division was ordered out to witness the execution. The troops were drawn up around three sides of a rectangle in two double ranks, the outer facing inward and the inner facing outward. Between these ranks,
John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life, chapter 14 (search)
ear on his cap a piece of scarlet cloth, or have the top or crown-piece of the cap made of scarlet cloth. The italics in the above extract are my own; but we may fairly infer from it:-- First, that up to this date the patch had been required for officers alone, as no mention is made of the rank and file in this order. Second, that General Kearny did not specify the lozenge as the shape of the badge to be worn, as some claim; for, had such been the case, so punctilious a man as General Birney would not have referred in general orders to a lozenge as a piece of scarlet cloth, nor have given the option of having the crown-piece of the cap made of scarlet cloth if the lamented Kearny's instructions had originally been to wear a lozenge. This being so, General Townsend's quoted description of the badge as a round piece of red cloth is probably erroneous. As there were no red goods at hand when Kearny initiated this move, he is said to have given up his own red blanket to be
General Horace Porter, Campaigning with Grant, Chapter 8 (search)
y along their lines. I rode up to Tyler, who was an old army friend, found him making every possible disposition to check the enemy's advance, and called out to him: Tyler, you are in luck to-day. It is n't every one who has a chance to make such a debut on joining an army. You are certain to knock a brevet out of this day's fight. He said: As you see, my men are raw hands at this sort of work, but they are behaving like veterans. Hancock had arrived on the ground in person, and when Birney's troops of his corps came up they were put into action on Tyler's right. Crawford, of Warren's corps, arrived about dark, and was put in position on the left. The brunt of the attack, however, had been broken by the troops upon which it first fell. Each regiment of Tyler's heavy artillery was as large as some of our brigades. These regiments had been thoroughly drilled and disciplined in the defenses about Washington, but this was their first engagement, and their new uniforms and brigh
General Horace Porter, Campaigning with Grant, Chapter 14 (search)
could be made Lee's army had arrived in large force, great activity had been displayed in strengthening the fortifications, and the difficulties of the attacking party had been greatly increased. The Second Corps was temporarily commanded by D. B. Birney, as Hancock's Gettysburg wound had broken out afresh the day before, entirely disabling him. Gallant assaults were repeatedly made by Burnside, Warren, and Birney; and while they did not succeed in the object of carrying the enemy's main line Birney; and while they did not succeed in the object of carrying the enemy's main line of fortifications, positions were gained closer to his works, and these were held and strongly intrenched. Both of the opposing lines on this part of the ground were now strengthened, and remained substantially the same in position from that time until the capture of Petersburg. General Grant realized the nature of the ground and the circumstances that prevented the troops from accomplishing more than had been done, and he complimented Meade upon the promptness and vigor with which he had
General Horace Porter, Campaigning with Grant, Chapter 15 (search)
ned to Butler, so that Meade's and Butler's armies were again complete. Meade's corps were disposed as follows, from right to left of the line: Burnside, Warren, Birney (Hancock's), Wright. On the morning of June 22, Wright's and Birney's corps moved westward with a view to crossing the Weldon Railroad and swinging around to Birney's corps moved westward with a view to crossing the Weldon Railroad and swinging around to the left; but they were vigorously attacked and forced back some distance. They advanced again in the evening, but nothing important was gained. On June 23, Birney and Wright again moved out. There was great difficulty in preserving the alinement of the troops, as they had to pass through dense woods and almost impenetrable tBirney and Wright again moved out. There was great difficulty in preserving the alinement of the troops, as they had to pass through dense woods and almost impenetrable thickets, which made the movement a slow and difficult process. About four o'clock in the afternoon, while a portion of Wright's troops were at work destroying the Weldon Railroad, a large force of the enemy struck his left and drove it back. Darkness soon came on, and nothing of importance was accomplished. Wright was now given
General Horace Porter, Campaigning with Grant, Chapter 18 (search)
gagements which took place. Early in the morning the movement began by sending out Miles's brigade and Gregg's cavalry, which drove back a body of the enemy to a point only seven miles from Richmond. At ten o'clock a vigorous attack was made by Birney's corps upon the works at Fussell's Mills. The intrenchments were handsomely carried, and three colors and nearly three hundred prisoners taken; but the enemy soon returned in large force, made a determined assault, and compelled Birney to abandBirney to abandon the works he had captured. He succeeded, however, in holding the enemy's intrenched picket-line. In the mean time the enemy brought up a sufficient force to check the advance of Gregg and Miles and compel them to withdraw from their position. Our troops fell back in perfect order, retiring by successive lines. Gregg took up a line on Deep Creek. That evening the enemy made a heavy attack on him, but only succeeded in forcing him back a short distance. The fighting had been desperate, an
General Horace Porter, Campaigning with Grant, Chapter 19 (search)
were issued on the 27th for the break which was in contemplation. Birney's and Ord's corps of Butler's army were to cross on the night of Senic in Richmond, and getting inside of its inner works. Ord and Birney moved out promptly before daylight on September 29. General Grant ltage was not taken of the important success which had been gained. Birney moved with his colored troops against the line of intrenchments on nd drove the enemy back in great confusion. General Grant was with Birney's command in the early part of the day. His youngest son, Jesse, halooking out for a safe place. After the capture of the works by Birney's troops, the general-in-chief rode over to Fort Harrison to push mund, tucked his legs under him, and wrote the following despatch to Birney, dating it 10:35 A. M.: General Ord has carried the very strong worof the colored troops, who had carried so handsomely the work which Birney had assaulted that morning. General Grant had not heard from Me
Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3., Chapter 10: the last invasion of Missouri.--events in East Tennessee.--preparations for the advance of the Army of the Potomac. (search)
ry families, and went immediately to the Headquarters of General Meade at Culpepper Court-House, where, on the following day, the Army of the Potomac was reorganized by consolidating and reducing the five army corps to three, named the Second, Fifth, and Sixth. These were respectively, in the order named, placed under the commands of Generals Hancock, Warren, and Sedgwick. Hancock's (Second) corps consisted of four divisions, commanded respectively by Generals F. C. Barlow, J. Gibbon, D. B. Birney. and J. B. Carr. His brigade commanders were Generals A. S. Webb, J. P. Owen, J. H. Ward, A. Hayes, and G. Mott: and Colonels N. A. Miles, T. A. Smythe, R. Frank, J. R. Brooke, S. S. Carroll, and W. R. Brewster. Colonel J. C. Tidball was chief of artillery, and Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Morgan was chief of staff. Warren's (Fifth) corps consisted of four divisions, commanded respectively by Generals C. Griffin, J. C. Robinson, S. W. Crawford, and J. S. Wadsworth. The brigade commander
Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3., Chapter 11: advance of the Army of the Potomac on Richmond. (search)
it firmly until about three o'clock, when Hancock's advance, under Birney, came up and secured the position absolutely. The whole of the Secged. Then Hancock ordered to his support the divisions of Mott and Birney, with Ricketts's Battery and a company of the First Pennsylvania Artter opened the battle on the left by advancing two divisions under Birney, with Getty's command, supported by the brigades of Owen and Carrole of the Ny, to assist in the assault. The divisions of Gibbon and Birney at once retired, when that of the latter was sharply assailed in thhen in two lines, the first composed of the divisions of Barlow and Birney, and the second of those of Gibbon and Mott, he moved, under cover he silence was broken by loud cheers, as the brigades of Barlow and Birney dashed upon the works in a fierce charge, fought hand to hand with by the divisions of Gibbon and Barlow, supported by the division of Birney, and another of foot artillerists, under General R. 0. Tyler, whic
Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume II., chapter 6 (search)
o division ever fought better; and, though its General estimates the Rebel killed as double his own, he is doubtless mistaken. Gen. Heintzelman and staff, but no troops, had arrived early in the afternoon. At 4:30 P. M., Gen. Kearny arrived, with his division, and pressed to the front; allowing Hooker's thinned regiments to withdraw from the fight and be held as a reserve. Kearny, under Gen. Heintzelman's orders, at once deployed Berry's brigade to the left of the Williamsburg road, and Birney's to the right, leading forward two companies of the 2d Michigan to beat back the enemy's skirmishers, now annoying our batteries; while Maj. Wainwright, Hooker's chief of artillery, collected his gunners and reopened a fire from his remaining pieces; whereupon the 5th New Jersey, though fearfully cut up, rallied promptly to their support. Our musketry fire was renewed along the whole line, and our regiments began to gain ground. Finding that the heavy timber in his front defied all dire
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