The National tribune., 1906-09-20
TIE VI. EssNrs -.,Hrs
Tie 81 q saass.s Experiences at CanA.e;-
,o-syils..

Il
,, E0iior National t-'iibune: thin,
< wculS te q great benefit 40 tsa ,-isn
e gene-aSo>: for every old vateran l
II write fer 'Ehe National -'-ibune his es
perien-e o: the war. of the rebeIlio-
even /: only small sketch Chidre
" are very apt to read stories especia II
e war stories. Boys delight in war storie.
= And yet the stories wouldn't be classe
II fiction. Every old givet's experienc
: would be real facts and no fiction abou
: it. Now. this is only my opinion.
: would like to hear from some other oil
veteran on the subject.
o l will give little experience. if yo
j have no objections In a recent issue
comrade asked why some one did no
write about the Eleventh Corps | as
the same question. There were Just a
II good writer's in the Eleventh Corps Il
in any other and they were just as goo
> fighters as any other. True. they raj
at ChancellOrsvilie; but who wouldn'
: run under the same circumstances?
was in the Eleventh Corps at that bat
tie. / belonged to the 33d Mass. whirl
was in the Second Brigade. Second Di
{ vision. Gen. Steinwchr commanded III
division. Gen. Barlow commanded III
brigade. Gen. Barlow was appointed t,
the brigade. if am not mistaken cithe
, in February or March. 1868 One thin:
w hHoN L SdS DIT 'pt. UT
lando Smiths headquarters the YER,
day Rarlow took command of The bri
gade. Col. Smith was Colonel Of IN.
73d Ohio. and a splendid soldier at that
All the brigade thought n great deal o
him. Barlow was fighting General
He sat on his horse like a rubber man
When galloping his horse he used t.
lean first to the right. then to the left
backward and forward. He was a good
rider. 1t was. / believe. n habit. or
might say reckless way in riding
| When our brigade WAS inspected by
Gen. Barlow he ssid:
Il am we'll pleased with my com
nand. for the Second Brigade is as fine
a lot of men in looks. discipline and
| drill as ] have seen. / am sure the.
will do their duty whe: called upon. !
feel honored in getting command of the
Second Brigade of the Second Division
of the Eleventh Corps ..--=-- -s-.
The brigade WAS composed of the 33d
Mass. 55th Ohio. I'D Ohio and the
| 136th v. Y.
The 33d Mass. was made-up in Lynn
| field. Mass. and came from several
| parts of the State. Some were from
Lowell: some from Lawrence. New Bed
ford. Taunton, Boston and other places
in thu State.
They had a splendid brass band. all
experienced musicians. 1t was claimed
that it was the best band in Sherman;
army, and whilst we were in the Army
of the Potor'ac the band was as goo as
any. if not the best. Anyway. some of
tilr boys of the ARMY of the Potomac
nav recoIIect when President Lincoln
and Gen. Joe Hooker reviewed the arriy
about the 1st of April in 1863, the 33d
Mass. band played most of the time at
the grand stand. That showed our COOL
old Gen. Hooker thought great deal
of it.
The 33d Mass was mustered into the
service in August. 1852 and arrived in
Washington two days later. Their first
duty was policing Alexandria. Th-y
were attached to the Eleventh COros
the last of ScD:etnber or about the 1st
of October. 1862. 'fThey did a great
deal of marching' III the Fall. u1dcr
Sigel. chasing Saonewall Jackson. b,It
never could catch him. TO hear the
boys talk this WAS exceedingly lucky for
Jackson. as they would have made
rlush of his w'lJle oomTl11d. Th"y had
no experience asMct in the fighting ring.
They got plenty oftchances before t',c
frolic ended. and, prnvcd to he worthy
If the foemans Steeii / am not going
to write history here of the SD Mss
want 10 tell tin. p,rt it took in the
battle of chGncriiorsville as near rs
can. for am writing from memory
After chasing Jacitson all over cr"a
ton we were ordered to iOin Pu-7Silc
who was preparing to- attack Lee It
sts 1t h"Speacd. Bur-t-
side had fought the battle of Fre1c--
ickshurg before we arrived at Fall |
mouth We got there in time to take |
part in the next battle. If it hadn't been |
that Purnside got stuck in the mud. |
which ended the campaign as far -
the Army of the Potomac was concern |
ed. We were ordered to Stafford Court |
House. where we settled urscl"cs or |
the Water. Picket and guard duty
was the order Of the day during thr ;
months. and dress parade whca |
the weG tlIer pcrE'itted. When the
weather became more III odcr9t. ~ had |
4 great deal of drilling. although the
33d Mas2. did not lack anything in the
drill line. Every conrade in the Army
Df the Potomac at that time knew very
well that the Arm.- of the Potomac was
as fai and as fine an armv as was on
the globe when Gen. Joe Hooker start
I'd toward Ch9ncellorSv on the 2-th
Of ADrii. 1863. and if managed right
would whip Lee out Of Virginia. Some
one blundcrod. Who was it? Qu.en
sahe?
The 33d Mass. broke camp on the
27th of April. 1863. and moved out
toward Kelly's Ford md arrived at
'han~cllorsvillc the night of tn" 30th.
The PaN:nast"r vas OF hand II p1Y til"
bows two months wages. onlv S2G II
believe "" got only $13 month at that
iInr. which was ;ust about enough to
az I'll" sutlcr. who. of course. was on
land To got it. All the boys showed 4
'Dirit Of cheerfulness. for Gen. HOOK
'rs order WAS read to them, stating
hat we had I4r" in sack. and to get
,ut o. II tn" Joh1n'cs hid to come out
md fight us on nur owa ground. Tk
of l,A h.,
tx" ball Of fire. denotiIts a fine day
Th" whole army WAS in motion. taking
heir respective places for the coming
ray. About 10 O'Clock. Nay .. our bri-
sad" ri2rcheh uD the plank road about
mil" toWard tie Ch1nceilorSyiIIr ,
lou<o and halted. The rebs were to our
light. massed. so the report went out. ,
"" formed lire Of h"ttle rear in front.
yith silirnishers thrown out Then :
anne the order Prime" Now we are ,
n for it. can oar sllirinishers "nticc
n" JohnE'es TO charge on us? We hear {
few shots. but it is nothing but a few ,
"out7 lowering around. we waited and
tool l'l;e 50 many Dickets on post fer
N hour, when we gave up the idea of
7ticin@ III" Johnnics to come TO see us.
The brigade had done nothing but '
march u, and down the plank road all j
lay. last about an hour before sun a
Iowa the 33d Mass. had orders 10 pile $
.napsacks and; proceed in light march {
lg order to somewhere the Lord oaly {
new. II WIS Said that the First Divi- I
ION Of the Third Corps had cut off a e
4t,s!sSipoi regiment. and that they q
'"rc moving then toward us: so e
very ia0ther'.; son of us dumped our s
.ia psaclis in apple. each company by o
t%eH. That was Ithe biggest pile of $