Union soldier letters, speeches, and memories

Letter from Captain Hovey, Company K WESTBORO TRANSCRIPT
Sept. 6, 1862.

     Company K, 13th Regiment, has at length passed the fiery ordeal of battle, and two perhaps more, of our townsmen, have died that the nation might live.

     The following letter from Captain Hovey, [pictured] stating the casualties in Company K, was received here on Wednesday:

     Centerville, Va., Aug 31, 1862.

     Hon. J. F. B. Marshall – Dear sir:
      I have just time to report briefly the condition of Company K, after the unfortunate battle of yesterday.  My men behaved nobly, and did all that men could do.  The 13th was exposed to a deadly cross fire so severe that the wonder is we brought out any men alive.


     I report as follows, according to a roll call I (illegible – stained or torn).

KILLED
Privates – Hollis H. Fairbanks, Thomas Copeland.

WOUNDED
Ord. Sergeant A. T. Rice, calf of leg.
Sergeant Wm. Cordwell, shoulder, slight.
Corporal W. W. Cushman, shoulder.
Private J. A. Blackmer, in hand.
Private W. W. Day, in hand.
Private Wm. H. Forbush, in hand.
Private Alden Lovell, in arm.
Private W. H. Wilson, not known how wounded.

NOT ACCOUNTED FOR, BUT SUPPOSED TO BE UNINJURED.
Sergeant W.W. Fay.
Musician J. E. Bradford
Privates – John Copeland, E.C. Dockham, C.M. Fay, George H. Gates, A.E. Chamberlin, G. R. Parker, H. C. Ross, W. Wheeler.

     Our brigade was all broken up, and we fell back to this place to re-form.  I came in this morning with eleven men of mine, that I picked up last night, and I found the remains of the regiment here.

     Every company has suffered, some worse than mine;  but we all ought to be thankful to God that so many of us were spared.  For one, I never expected to come out of that deadly cross-fire alive.  Some very narrowly escaped, - having their canteens and haversacks shot through.  Some of the men were especially plucky in joining fresh regiments and renewing the fight.  I deeply regret that we did not hold the field, so that we could bury the dead and mark the graves; but the fortunes of war prevented.

     The wounded of Company K are all doing well, and I hope to go forward and find the graves of Fairbanks and Copeland, which I think the hospital attendants will mark.  Every thing is being done for the wounded that can be done.  Verily, the 13th has received the baptism of fire, but we are strong and hopeful.

In haste, yours truly,
Chas. H. Hovey.

Three Years In The Army: The Story Of The Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteers From, 1861-1864 Charles E. Davis Jr.

   Friday, August 29.
     Another hot day.  At 5 A.M. we marched to Bristoe Station, about five miles, rested until 3 P.M., and then marched to the Bull Run battlefield of 1861, passing through Manassas.      An order had been issued for the muster–out of the band, but owing to the excitement of those busy days, no attention was paid to it.  In the meantime they kept along with us, not knowing where else to go.
  This skurrying back and forth over almost the same ground day and night, with short rations and hard work, was harassing.  The rank and file knew little about what was going on, though it did know that Jackson and Longstreet had crossed the Bull Run Mountains in spite of our efforts to stop or delay their movements.  We also knew that Stuart had made a daring and successful raid on Pope's headquarters.  Therefore, right or wrong, it betokened to us an uncertainty and confusion at headquarters, and we felt the hour could not be far distant when we were to encouter some hard fighting.  These reflections had no effect on our sleep, however, which was sound as usual. Saturday, August 30. 
     We spent the first half of the day in marching back and forth in an aimless sort of way, occasionally halting as if waiting for some one to put us on the right road.  In one of these halts we were ordered to leave our knapsacks, whereupon we piled them up on the side of the road in the woods, and for aught we know they are there yet.  [A.D. 1893.]  Toward the middle of the afternoon, under the protection of a knoll, we hastily drew rations, – eighteen hard-tack, nine spoonfuls of sugar and nine of coffee, which allowance was to last us for three days.  In fact this had been our allowance for some time.  During all this marching and counter-marching, a desultory firing was kept up by the enemy.

     Having drawn this meager supply of rations, we were marched to the top of a knoll near by and halted.  Quite a number of the boys loaded with canteens started off for water.  They had hardly gone when the enemy opened the battle in deadly earnest by a tremendous artillery fire.  The air seemed filled with shot and bursting shell, the noise of which was deafening.  While we stood wondering what we should be called upon to do, General McDowell rode up, and inquiring what regiment we were, ordered us into line at once on the double-quick.  As we filed down the knoll, we noticed the hospital men bringing off the zouaves of General King’s division on stretchers, and a bloody sight it was. 
    Suddenly we received the order, “On right by file into line!” and we at once found ourselves facing the enemy.  We were led by General McDowell, whose courage we had so often doubted.  We soon found it was lively work, and the boys were falling fast; but General Tower was close to us with all the words of encouragement at his command.  Standing in his stirrups he gave the order to fix bayonets and then to “Charge!”  In battle the order to charge is not given in the placid tones of a Sunday-school teacher, but with vigorous English, well seasoned with oaths, and a request, frequently repeated, to give them that particular province of his Satanic Majesty most dreaded by persons fond of a cold climate.  At the same time you are ordered to yell with all the power of your lungs.  It is possible that this idea may be of great advantage in forcing some of the heroic blood of the body into the lower extremities.  Whatever may be the reason, it was certainly a very effective means of drowning the disagreeable yell of the enemy.  We charged three times, and on each occasion were successfully driven back by the solid mass of men in front of us.  As we fell back for the last charge, General Tower, on horseback (in the midst of Company B), a conspicuous mark for the enemy who were within twenty-five yards of us, was shouting “For God’s sake re-form the line!” when he was sent flying through the air, both horse and rider fearfully wounded.      It was hot work, and the thinness of our line, compared with the solid ranks of the enemy, made it painfully evident that we could stand the terrible fire but a short time longer.  Where was our supporting column?  Part of the time they had been firing into our backs, under the impression that we were the enemy.  Fortunately that error was discovered before much harm was done.  Already the enemy had planted some batteries on a neighboring knoll on our left flank, and were giving us the benefit of a raking fire.  The order was then given to retire; but as only part of the regiment heard it, our retreat was irregular and occasioned some confusion and separation of companies. 

     The brigade retired in fair order, acquitting itself creditably, carrying off all guns except those lost in actual combat, and having checked the enemy’s pursuit.  That night we bivouacked at Centreville.

     General Hartsuff having been sent to the hospital previous to the battle, his brigade was merged with that of General Tower, under whose immediate command we fought.