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CHAPTER XXIV.
AGAIN IN THE TRENCHES.

The morning of October 2d was bright and clear, and the lines were soon formed for an advance. We moved forward about a quarter of a mile, to a point not far distant from the Boisseau house, where we fell to in earnest and began the construction of a line of works which were destined to be our protection for many weeks.

We were greatly annoyed during the forenoon by a sharp-shooter, evidently posted in a tree, and by the raking fire of a battery, also screened by trees, which occasionally caused a lively scattering by sending a shell whizzing diagonally across our line. One of these burst in the ranks of Company K, wounding three men and killing two; one of the killed being Sergeant Daniel A. Burton. The fire from the battery slackened in the afternoon, but the "reb" sharp-shooter kept at work so persistently that it seemed extremely desirable to put a stop to his fun. Accordingly, Colonel Draper detailed James Knowlton, of Company E, and Corporal Frank Bell, of Company F, two good shots, to relieve us from this annoyance if possible.

They crept out some distance beyond the picket line, found cover, and waited for indications. They had not long to wait, for soon the crack of a rifle was heard, and from a tree in the edge of the woods back of the enemy's picket line rose a telltale puff of smoke. Both took careful aim, fired, and to their delight saw a gray-clad Johnny come tumbling heels over head out of the tree. The next morning the rebel pickets told ours that the man shot was a lieutenant of sharp-shooters. After this successful shot the work in the trenches was pursued with more safety and peace of mind, and by nightfall a strong rifle-pit stood between us and the enemy, behind which we pitched our tents and sought repose with a pleasant consciousness of being once more "in camp."

The day had been full of work and interest. The part of the new line built by the Thirty-sixth was on open ground, while the rebel position was masked by thick woods, and the fire from unseen batteries and sharp-shooters was harassing in the extreme. During the morning General Meade, accompanied by a brilliant staff, passed along the line and halted in the rear of the regiment, probably furnishing an additional inducement to the rebel gunners to serve their pieces well. In the evening Major Barker, Captain Fairbank, Captain Burrage, and some of the men, went over the ground in front of our lines, under cover of the darkness, and buried our dead, whom the enemy had stripped of their clothing and left where they fell.

October 3d passed more quietly. Shots were occasionally fired on the picket line, but no hindrance was experienced in the work of strengthening the fortifications, which was the principal business of the day. Engineers were engaged in laying out forts, two of which, named Fort Fisher and Fort Welch, were in time completed, and formed a prominent feature of the defences, as the line here made an angle, the works to the left of these forts being the protection for the extreme left of the army of the Potomac.

October 4th. Comparative quiet prevailed until the afternoon, when there was a lively breeze on the picket line. In our immediate front, and held by our pickets, was a deserted house, to which reference has already been made, lately occupied by Dr. Boisseau. As this house stood on rising ground, and commanded a view of the enemy's line, it was surmised that it might be made the object of an attack. In anticipation of such an event, Captain Morse, with his company, was, on the 3d instant, detailed as a reserve picket force, and took up a position in a small rifle-pit near the house a short distance to the rear of the picket line. The rebels had during the day kept up a desultory fire, which made the position of the few men stationed in the building somewhat uncomfortable; but nothing unusual was noted until about four o'clock, when the enemy attacked the picket line of the Second New York, of our brigade. The capture of this line let the enemy into the rear of the picket pits of the Thirty-Sixth, and those adjacent to the house were precipitately evacuated; but the reserve force held its ground until convinced that the enemy was present in superior numbers, when it fell back, leaving the house and a few men in his possession. Our loss was four men captured,—Corporals Charles Bottomley and George H. Mills, of Company C, and privates Reuben Jackson and Lyman McDowell, of Company E. Mills and Bottomley were shortly afterwards paroled; but Jackson and McDowell were fated to swell the ranks of that mighty army the story of which is sadly told by the words, "Died in rebel prisons." The picket line was at once reinforced, and the captured posts were retaken. A second attack of the enemy was unsuccessful. After dark, in accordance with orders, Captain Burrage, who was brigade officer of the day, gave directions for the burning of the building. It was soon a mass of flame, and presented a brilliant spectacle, the weird effect being heightened by the sharp crack of the rifles as the outposts on both sides blazed away at random, each desirous to show to his antagonist that he was not to be caught napping. At daylight on the morning of the 5th the disputed property was a heap of ruins, and our pickets who had been drawn back, on account of the fire, took possession of their old pits without opposition.

We were now for several days kept busy in the construction of earthworks, and the regimental camp was twice moved; but by the 7th instant we were well settled, and were made happy by the ever-welcome appearance of the paymaster.

This day was also marked by the arrival of a new stand of colors. The old flags, which in the wanderings of over two years of active service had been borne in ten States of the Union, and in both victory and defeat had been zealously guarded as the emblems of our organization, State and National, were now returned to the care of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts. Stained by the elements and blood, and torn by shot and shell, with both staves shattered by rebel bullets, they gave silent but faithful testimony to the vicissitudes through which the men who followed them had passed.

During this month an unexpected loss befell the regiment, caused by the retirement from the service of Lieutenant-Colonel Draper and Captain Morse, who left for home October 13th, to the great regret of their comrades of the Thirty-sixth, whether officers or enlisted men. Although young men, both were veteran officers of tried courage and recognized ability, and we would gladly have retained them; but their term of service had now expired, both having served in the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts before entering the Thirty-sixth. Lieutenant-Colonel Draper was soon after brevetted Colonel and Brigadier-General "for gallant and meritorious service."

Major Barker succeeded to the command of the regiment, and soon after received a commission as Lieutenant-Colonel, dating from October 12th, 1864. The command of Company C devolved upon First Lieutenant P. G. Woodward.

On the 14th inst. the regiment was for the first time in its history ordered out to witness a military execution. The condemned was a private of the Second Maryland, named Merlin, who by the division court-martial, of which Lieutenant-Colonel Draper was president, had been found guilty of an attempt to desert to the enemy. The division was formed in an open field on three sides of a square, in the centre of which the doomed man was seated, blindfold, on a coffin placed at the side of an open grave. Familiar with death as the spectators were, it was an impressive scene as the firing detail silently drew up before the criminal, and at a preconcerted signal (the dropping of a handkerchief) discharged a volley which sent the soul of the deserter to its final account.

With the exception of the removal of the camp to a point nearer the breastworks there was continued quiet until the 25th when rumors of a movement became rife, and toward night orders were received to pack up and be ready to march at dusk. We were soon in readiness, but the night passed without the arrival of the expected order. The next day brought additional indications of a contemplated movement of considerable magnitude, and at one o'clock P.M. tents were struck, and the regiment marched to a large field near by, where, after participating in a brigade drill, it bivouacked for the night. The time allowed for rest was brief, however, as the sleeping soldiers were aroused at two o'clock on the morning of the 27th. While we awaited in the darkness the momentarily expected order to "Fall in," a mail arrived and was distributed by the flickering light of the army candle, and many a man as he read the welcome message from home felt, as he thought of the morrow, that it might be for him the last.

The movement in which the regiment was about to engage we found to be one of great importance, from the result of which much advantage to our arms was hoped. General Grant, it appeared, had decided to make one more attempt to turn the enemy's right flank, and, if possible, interrupt his communications, before the weather should become so bad as to render the roads impracticable for aggressive warfare. A large part of the troops attached to the Second, Fifth, and Ninth Corps were withdrawn from the entrenched line for this purpose. The duty assigned to the Fifth and Ninth Corps was to advance upon the extreme right of the enemy's works, and capture them if possible, thus turning his flank; while the Second Corps was to make a detour to the west, cross Hatcher's Run in the vicinity of Burgess' Mills, and operate against the Southside Railroad.

At four o'clock we were on the road, and soon reaching the left of our line marched through an opening made in the works for our passage. The column then moved forward over an uneven country, heavily wooded in parts, and quite unfamiliar to the officers in command. The Fifth Corps worked its way with difficulty to a position to the left of the Ninth, and a general advance was attempted. The Third Division (colored) of the Ninth Corps led in this movement, and struck the enemy's line about two miles from our intrenchments. The black men behaved admirably, driving the rebels to the shelter of their fortifications, which were found to be so formidable and well garrisoned that an escalade was deemed unadvisable; and the position gained was simply held, for a time, to await the result of the movement to the left. The other divisions of the Ninth Corps remained in support of the Third Division, and the regiment busied itself during the day in throwing up a line of rifle-pits, behind which it bivouacked at night. The night was rainy, and our condition anything but comfortable, as we wearily waited for the day.

The weather improved on the morning of the 28th, but, instead of the anticipated assault, we found that preparations were being made for the withdrawal of our forces, as it transpired that the operations of the two corps on our left had proved unsuccessful. Crawford's division, of the Fifth Corps, had crossed Hatcher's Run, with the intention of gaining a position behind the rebel right flank; but became separated in the thick forest, and had remained all night in a dangerous plight, but was fortunately withdrawn without serious loss. The Second Corps had advanced, as directed, to Burgess' Mills, where it was thrown into some confusion by an assault of the enemy, from which it soon rallied and drove back the assailants, capturing many prisoners, and, although partial success was gained at this point, the evident strength of the rebel forces made further offensive operations unadvisable.

Our division was ordered to retire about noon, and, in conjunction with a division of the Fifth Corps, executed a very pretty manœuvre. The troops of the Ninth Corps formed in line of battle, leaving an opening through which those of the Fifth passed by the flank; the latter then in turn formed in line and in like manner guarded the passage to the rear of the other column. The movement was conducted with the coolness and regularity of a parade, notwithstanding the rattling fire of the skirmishers, which furnished an exciting accompaniment. After reaching our old line of defence we marched quietly back to our lately abandoned camp, and reoccupied it.

Soon after the return from this unprofitable excursion the regiment received a material addition to its strength by the consolidation with it of the Twenty-first Battalion Massachusetts Veteran Volunteers. This command was the remnant made up of reënlisted men of the Twenty-first Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, and was justly proud of its long and brilliant record. On account of the smallness of its numbers it was ordered to join our larger force; but its veteran members were naturally averse to the change, as by it their old regiment lost its identity in a younger one; neither did the men of the Thirty-sixth regard with favor the accession of recruits in this wholesale manner, as their ten companies were now compacted into seven, and their accustomed formation lost. Military necessity is regardless of sentiment, however, and the change was peacefully made, the new-comers being pleasantly received; and they faithfully served with the regiment until its departure for home, when they were transferred to the Fifty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteers.

The following regimental order in reference to this consolidation and organization was issued:—

Many of the officers were absent from the regiment, serving in various capacities: Captain Hodgkins was A.C.M. Third Division, Ninth A.C; Captain Smith, Provost Marshal, Second Division, Ninth A.C; Captain Ames. A. Aide-de-camp, First Brigade, Second Division, Ninth A.C; Captain Raymond, Assistant Inspector General, Second Division, Ninth A.C; Captain Davis, on detached service; Lieutenant Austin Davis, on detached service, recruiting in Massachusetts; Lieutenant Brigham, absent, sick at Annapolis, Md.

The uncertain and disagreeable weather, characteristic of a Virginia winter, had now set in, and stormy days came with such frequency that the more enterprising and active men began the work of "fixing up their tents." The experience gained at Falmouth and Lenoir's Station was of value, now that the erection of mud chimneys and log underpinnings became a frequent occupation. The hospitality of the thrifty ones who first became the happy owners of fireplaces was often subjected to a severe strain, when their improvident friends crowded in to view the improvements, and, beguiled by the genial warmth, outstayed their welcome.

Little of severe duty fell to our lot at this period, the work of picketing the front constituting the main employment; and this was quite a peaceful pursuit when compared with that of the summer, as there was no firing on the line, and our relations with the enemy's outposts were generally friendly.

This feeling of confidence, however, was broken, November 1st, by the capture of Captain Burrage. He was on duty as brigade officer of the day, and his instructions allowed him to exchange papers, if an opportunity offered,—an exchange having taken place at this point almost daily for some time. In visiting the picket posts, in company with the division officer of the day, Captain Burrage found a rebel officer waiting to exchange papers on a road which ran through the woods where our division had suffered so severely September 30th. Leaving the division officer of the day, Captain Burrage walked down the road and met the rebel officer. The latter had with him three Richmond papers, and these Captain Burrage, who had only a single Washington paper, received, promising to bring out another paper in the afternoon. Having made his rounds of the picket posts on our brigade front, Captain Burrage carried the papers he had received to General Curtin's head-quarters. On revisiting his lines, in the afternoon, he learned that the rebel officer had not appeared. After waiting a while, wishing to fulfil his promise even to an enemy, he concluded to call some one out from the rebel line. Unfolding the paper, and waving it in his hand, he walked down the road to the point where he exchanged in the morning. Then passing an angle in the wood he came in sight of the rebel picket line, which was about fifty yards distant. Halting, and still waving his paper, he saw a rebel soldier leave his post as if to go for an officer. In a minute or two the soldiers stood up in the rebel pits, levelled their muskets, and an officer called out, "Come in, or we'll fire!" To attempt to escape was useless, and Captain Burrage was compelled to go in.

General Curtin at once gave orders to capture, in retaliation, the first rebel officer found approaching our lines to exchange papers. For a while the enemy made no efforts in this direction; but, about a fortnight later, Roger A. Pryor, formerly a General in the Confederate service, but now a courier attached to General Lee's head-quarters, came over to exchange papers near the place where Captain Burrage was captured. A captain of the 11th New Hampshire, who had not forgotten General Curtin's order, met him, and, drawing his revolver on him, marched him into our lines. Pryor was at once sent to Fort Lafayette, in New York harbor, and after some negotiations, continued through several months, both Captain Burrage and General Pryor were at length exchanged.