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Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Harvard Memorial Biographies, 1847. (search)
emained a prisoner in Richmond about four months, being released February 22, 1862, as a paroled prisoner of war. He returned home for a brief period, awaiting his exchange, which took place the last of the following April. He immediately set out for his regiment, and on the 2d of May reported for duty in the lines before Yorktown. He accompanied the Army of the Potomac in its advance upon Richmond, and was with his regiment at the battle of West Point, as also at the battle of Fair Oaks, May 31st and June 1st. The casualties in this last battle were immense, five thousand seven hundred and thirty men having been killed and wounded during the two days fight. When the battle terminated, the Twentieth Massachusetts found itself considerably in advance, surrounded by the killed and wounded of the enemy. Of the wounded were officers of high rank, among whom were General Pettigru, and Colonel Bull of Georgia. The medical labors were of course very arduous; and it was not until the m
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Harvard Memorial Biographies, 1848. (search)
ny. In this he failed. He was, however, offered a Captaincy in the Regular Army, which he declined. Learning from the Secretary of War that Daniel E. Sickles, Esq., was empowered to raise a brigade of volunteers, Stevens immediately applied to him; his company was accepted, and ordered to report at Staten Island. Returning home, he found that many of his men, impatient of delay, had joined other organizations, but his indomitable energy and perseverance were not to be thwarted; and on May 31st, within seven days of the date of his order, he reported at the designated rendezvous with a company completely uniformed, and one hundred and five strong. It was incorporated into a regiment commanded by Colonel Nelson Taylor, and known as the Third Excelsior Regiment, and subsequently as the Seventysecond New York Volunteer Infantry. At the camp, he at once showed that he had in him the elements of an excellent officer, and displayed such knowledge of his duties, that he was selected
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Harvard Memorial Biographies, 1852. (search)
lent rain, during the day and night of May 30th, had swollen the river to an unprecedented height, and greatly endangered the bridges. The Rebel general, acting upon the belief that the bridges would be swept away and the Union army divided, resolved to make a sudden and overwhelming attack upon Keyes's division, which lay at Fair Oaks, on the south side of the river, somewhat in advance of the supporting corps. In execution of this design, General Johnston concentrated, on the morning of May 31st, a heavy column under Hill, Longstreet, Smith, and Huger, intending to fall upon Keyes by early dawn; but the rain had proved unfriendly to his movements, as well as to those of the Union army. Smith and Huger were long behind the designated time in reaching their respective positions. At noon they had not appeared, and Hill and Longstreet moved to the attack of Keyes, without waiting for their expected diversion. The attack was sudden, vigorous, and overwhelming. Keyes was forced to r
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Harvard Memorial Biographies, 1858. (search)
urg and West Point. They went up the York and Pamunkey to White House. On the 25th, Lowell writes from Chickahominy Creek, regretting that he is not in the advance with his brother. The severe fighting at Fair Oaks occurred on Saturday, the 31st of May, and Sunday, the 1st of June. The Twentieth was engaged the first day, but was not in the worst of the fight; on Sunday they were only spectators. Lowell describes as follows what he saw of the affair of Saturday, in a letter to a young frierawn up in support in the action there. The whole of Sumner's corps was now north of the Chickahominy, while those of Keyes and Heintzelman were south of it. By so faulty a disposition the enemy was sure to profit. When, at Fair Oaks, on the 31st of May, the left wing of the army was driven back, the danger was imminent. But Sumner, hearing the thunders of battle from the left bank of the river, and reading the necessities of the hour with the inspiration of a genuine soldier, marched au can
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Harvard Memorial Biographies, 1860. (search)
exposures of the siege of Yorktown, and always had his company in the best condition, and held it ready for duty at the shortest notice. On one occasion, when his regiment was engaged in supporting an engineer reconnoissance before the enemy's One Gun Battery, he displayed a gallantry and a control of his men which will long live in the memory of those who were looking on. He was present with his regiment at the battle of West Point, where the command was not actively engaged. On the 31st of May, when the lamented Sedgwick met and crushed, with ten regiments of his division, the left of the enemy, as it swung round the beaten left wing of our army at Fair Oaks, Lieutenant Abbott commanded and fought his company with the brilliant bravery which was always afterwards his acknowledged characteristic. He shared with his men the fatigues and anxieties, the hard marching and hard fighting, of the Seven Days; and at Glendale, on the 30th of June, while cheering and directing his men wi
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Harvard Memorial Biographies, 1862. (search)
e, but I certainly felt perfectly collected, and do not think my conduct was at all influenced by the knowledge of the danger. The Twentieth immediately after the battle was placed on picket, where it remained nearly twelve days. During these twelve days it rained almost ceaselessly, and for a part of the time the men were without blankets or tents. From this state of things Ropes draws certain conclusions. I really suffered a good deal. I did not remove my clothes from Saturday; May 31st, till Wednesday evening, June 11th, and was soaked with water a great part of the time. . . . . So you see there are some inconveniences of campaigning not down in the books. In fact one has to get over one's old ideas of necessaries and comforts, and finds out how little is really needed for a man to live with. On the 28th of June the army began its retreat towards the James, and in the terrible scenes of the seven days battles the Twentieth Regiment took a prominent part. At Peach O