In a
letter to his father, Josiah Grimes of the 15th New
Jersey described the hardships endured by the men of his
company during their march on the to Gettysburg.
"The road was
very dusty," related Grimes, "and it was a hot
day, but still they marched on. We had scarcely any rest
and the men began to fall out one after the other until
there were scarcely any men left in the regiment. ... Our
whole company fell out, Lieutenants, sergeants and all
... After a while they had to halt to let the men catch
up."
Chaplain Alanson Haines of the 15th New Jersey, in
his narrative history of the regiment, offered a vivid
description of the difficult conditions that confronted
the Bluecoats. "Who can tell what a march it
was?," recalled Haines. "None who were
on it would ever consent to make it over again. With the
previous fatigue, and the dust, and the heat, human
nature could not endure it. The men fell out in squads;
some feinted, some were sunstruck. The aides came riding
back from ... [General Wright], repeating orders to close
up the ranks and hurry on the battalions. So the column
was forced on and on, until only one man in ten remained
with the brigade."
Colonel Edmund Halsey, commanding the 15th
New Jersey, upon learning the location of Lee's army,
suddenly understood the "mysterious movements"
of the Army of the Potomac. Edmund Halsey of the 15th
New Jersey described the scene that greeted the Bluecoats.
As they marched through the towns to the north, "The
citizens," recalled Halsey, "especially
at Littlestown were very kind. Large pails of cool water
were kept on the horse blocks in which the men could dip
their cups as they passed along. Citizens were seen
carrying off the wounded in buggies. The band struck up
going through this village and the marching of the men
was perfect throughout the brigade and their spirit was
excellent."
On July 2 at two o'clock
in the afternoon the advance brigade of the Sixth Army
Corps came upon the field and at 6 p.m. The entire Corps had
reported after a forced march variously estimated at from
thirty to thirty-five miles. The Sixth Corps had
done some remarkable marching during the past three days
and with their presence on the field, the entire Army of
the Potomac was now at hand. The First New Jersey Brigade
reached the battlefield at 4 p.m. The brigade with its
Corps had marched fifty-five miles in three days,
bivouacking on the night of June 30 at Manchester after a
march of twenty-three miles on that day. The brigade was
encamped in a meadow near the town and the tired weary
men sought their soft and rich beds at an early hour
expecting to have a good nights rest, but it was not to
be. About 10 p.m. the camp was suddenly aroused by the
shrill, clear notes of "Assembly". Every man
jumped to his feet and seized his arms. Soon the order
came to march and the "Forward" sounded. The
order had been to march to Taneytown and the men in line
noticed that the column was countermarching on the same
road they had gone over. The column turned into the broad
Baltimore pike and headed westward. All night long the
steady tramp, tramp, tramp was kept up and when
daylight broke, the march was still continued. There was
no halt for coffee or breakfast, but no one murmured or
complained. And on they went until about 1:00 when
to the joy of everyone the head of the column was seen
filing into an open field. This meant coffee and a
little rest.
Long lines stretched across the field and the smoke from
small fires rose into the sky, but hardly had the rear
of the column gained its place to rest before a horseman
was seen coming at full speed down the pike. His horse
with white foam from its mouth told of its mission of
urgency. Riding to General Sedgwick he delivered his
dispatch, "The Corps is wanted at Gettysburg in
the shortest possible space of time. "A thrill
went into the hearts of the men. Coffee in various stages
of brewing was emptied onto the ground. Stacks were
broken and from mouth to mouth was heard, "Our
comrades at the front want us." Away the column
went and on gaining the pike, the stride of the men in
their eagerness to get forward kept the officers' horses
on a dog-trot. Ten miles were passed over and Rock Creek
was reached but one mile from the line of battle. A short
halt to fill canteens was made. Thirty-five miles in
eighteen hours. Colonel Penrose
recalls what transpired when they reached Rock Creek:
"We had arrived none to soon. Our troops had
been repulsed at almost every point, the fate of the army
trembled in the balance. Canteens had hardly been filled
when the order came to cross. The bluffs on the opposite
side were steps, the water deep, but nothing could stop
those brave men. In we went, and up the steep ascent on
the other side. I was leading the brigade with the
gallant 15th. Hardly had I reached the level ground
beyond when Captain Whittier, personal aid-de-camp to
General Sedgwick, rode up in great haste and saying to me,
Penrose, for Gods sake get to the front as quick as you
can; cut loose and follow me, everything is gone to the
devil! I put the men on dog trot. Meeting a column
crossing our track I gave the order to close up and cut
through it, which was promptly obeyed. I followed on and
came into line just in rear of the Third Regulars, who
were on the right of the Fifth Corps-our lines had been
drive to the crest of the hill. The situation was
everything but encouraging. Regular formation of the
troops engaged there was none. Every man appeared to be
fighting on his own hook, but with a determination not to
yield one inch further. An incident occurred just at this
time, which in my opinion had great weight in the result
of that days fight. As I went into line a man approached
me having as a prisoner a Confederate colonel mounted.
The man asked me where headquarters were. I pointed out
the corps flag in a field to the rear. The colonel then
addressed me as follows: For God sake, how big is
thisCatholic corps? (having reference to our corps badge,
a Greek cross.) I answered Why?) He replied, You were
thirty miles from here last night. We saw your colors (corps)
coming over the hill, and the orders for our
reinforcements to be pushed in were countermanded. It
will thus be seen that our timely arrival checked a
movement that, had it been made, would have given them
the crest of the hill, and cut our army in two. As soon
as my line was formed it was moved forward. Going over
the weary and worn out troops in our front, down the hill,
we went at a thundering pace, driving everything before
us, across the swamp at its foot, through the woods,
never stopping until we reached a house just on the edge
of the wheat-field, where the enemy made a decided stand.
Here also stood an entire battery, every horse killed.
The enemy had captured it in the afternoon, but had had
no time to take it from the field. Here I halted, as
night was coming on, and I could see none of our troops
on my right or left. Covering these guns with our rifles,
I deployed two companies to my right before I made a
connection with our troops, finding them to be part of
General Wheatons command which had gone in on my right.
Six companies were deployed to my left before finding any
one to connect with; it was then, if I remember right,
with the Twelfth Regulars. Here we lay all night, but at
the first peep of day I advanced and took the house and
secured the battery. In this position we remained until
about 12 p.m. of the third when I was relieved by the
Third Regulars, and after considerable search found and
joined my brigade about 3 p.m. In the last days fight the
brigade was not called into action, and the 15th was the
only regiment of the brigade that took part in the
fighting on that memorable field. The advanced position
gained on the night of the second by the 15th was the
same that had been occupied by the 3rd Corps and from
which they had been driven, speaks louder than words for
their gallantry. Their steadiness under most trying
circumstances, speaks volumns for the discipline for
which the regiment was noted, and thus ended our share,
of no insignificant value, in the turning and decisive
battle of war."
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The March to Gettysburg by
Delevan Bates
The Otsego Republican - Aurora, Neb.,
Jan 20, 1894
http://www.rootsweb.com/~necivwar/CW/bates/batenws1.html
(See the last section on the page linked to above.)
"The words of a better writer than I am
will be used in describing this march, and every comrade
who was there will testify to the truthfulness of the
description: Moving in quick time, the long line splashed
through the dust, which rose in clouds, and where it
touched the skin it burned like particles of molten brass.
The hard yellow glare of the burning sunbeams seemed to
eat into one's brain, and the temptation was strong to
lie down in the cool recesses of some one of the copses
of timber through which we passed, and abandon all else
to bodily comfort. Here and there a man reeled and fell
or staggered into the shade of the trees, and was left as
we hurried on. Along the road under our feet articles of
clothing, haversacks, blankets, and even guns and
cartridge boxes were thickly strewn, but no canteens.
Those tin receptacles of lukewarm water are the last
thing a soldier throws away."
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Roads to Gettysburg
By John W. Schildt
McClain Printing, 1978
Pages 504-514
http://www.dougdobbs.com/cwr/6c2g/schildt.htm
July 1,1863 - The
final push...
"Pappy" Sedgwick was still going over his
reports when out of the darkness came the sounds of a
galloping rider. "Reynolds had fallen. A crisis was
at hand, the Sixth Corps must be in Gettysburg by
afternoon of the morrow."
Even the staff officer felt the mission was impossible.
"No troops, not even the best can march that far
that fast." Sedgwick had other thoughts, "Say
to General Meade, my Corps shall be at Gettysburg at two
o'clock."
Even in the suffering there was humor and comradeship.
General Sedgwick, mounted on "Cornwall," pulled
over to the side of the road to watch some of his men go
by and to observe their physical condition. One of the
men said, "Get a fresh horse, Uncle John, and try to
catch us." This touched the brave leader from
Cornwall Hollow in the Berkshires, he lifted his hand,
and smiled in acknowledgment.
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