friendship, the parting salute, all impress the truth with an unequalled force that, 66 Our hearts . . . . like muffled drums are beating Funeral marches to the grave." During November, the health of the regiment was excellent, but in December, measles became epidemic, and there were three hundred men upon the sick-list, with the following deaths : Private FRANKLIN HOLCOMB, Southwick, Co. F, December 25. 66 CHARLES REYNOLD, New Salem, Co. B, December 27. 66 DENNIS C. CARTER, Gill, Co. C, December 27. 66 66 66 DAVID HALEY, Williamstown, Co. H, December 28. PATRICK MCGOWAN, Greenwich, Co. B, December 28. Private Holcomb came to Annapolis at his own expense, and enlisted against the wishes of his wife. In just five weeks his lifeless body was sent to her at Westfield. December 6th, Maj. William M. Brown resigned his commission, followed, Jan. 1, 1862, by Capt. Lucius F. Thayer of Company F, the latter resigning on account of the serious and continued illness of Mrs. Thayer. The following promotions were accordingly announced :— Capt. Walter G. Bartholomew, Major, vice Brown, resigned. First Lieut. Charles D. Sanford, Capt., vice Bartholomew, promoted. Second Lieut. W. H. H. Briggs, First Lieut., vice Sandford, promoted. Sergt. Maj. H. C. Dwight, Second Lieut., vice Briggs, promoted. First Lieut. John W. Moore, Capt., vice Thayer, resigned. Second Lieut. James H. Fowler, First Lieut., vice Moore, promoted. First Sergt. Pliny Wood, Second Lieut., vice Fowler, promoted. Private Ira B. Sampson, Sergt. Major, vice Dwight, promoted. EMBARKING AT ANNAPOLIS. 41 The large increase of sick required additional accommodations, and St. John's College, Annapolis, was opened for that purpose. Surgeons Otis and Camp were assiduous in attention to the invalids, and the question, which for a time. existed, as to our being able to accompany the expedition, was decided affirmatively by a large reduction from the sicklist at the opening of the new year. The following comrades died previous to or just after our departure: Private ALVIN E. STEVENS, Montague, Company C, Jan. 3, 1862. Private LUMAN ANDRUS, Westfield, Company F, Jan 4, 1862. Private ELLIOTT P. FERRY, Granby, Company D, Jan. 5, 1862. Private WILLIAM K. FLAGG, Westfield, Company K, Jan. 9, 1862. Private LESTER H. QUIGLEY, Becket, Company H, Jan. 12, 1862. Private PETER F. BAKER, Leyden, Company C, Feb. 4, 1862. Jan. 4, 1862, orders were received to cook three days' rations, and to be prepared to embark upon Monday, the 6th. The weather was pinching cold, with snow which upon the 5th was increased to four inches in depth. The storm of the last date was one of those sticky, wet, uncomfortable snows so common at the South, and which makes one long for one of New England's "regular nor'easters" as a substitute. On the morning of January 6th orders were given to pack knapsacks, strike tents, and be ready to move at half-past eleven; but owing to the crowded condition of the Navy Yard at which point the troops were embarking- it was late in the day before the orders to move were received. A little before noon the Twenty-Fifth Massachusetts marched by, halting long enough to fire three salutes before our camp. About four P.M., with three rousing cheers and a tiger, we bade adieu to Camp Springfield, our tramp through Annapolis being enlivened by "Lee's March," an 66 original piece by our band, and so named in honor of our Colonel. At the Navy Yard we stacked arms, standing about in the freezing slush until ten P.M., when the right wing of the Twenty-Seventh Massachusetts went aboard the steamer Ranger," and the left wing were permitted to go within one of the naval buildings. There was no time in our military experience when we suffered so much from the inclemency of the weather, as during the snow-squalls which prevailed while standing in line upon Camp Springfield, or while waiting at the Navy Yard in the freezing slush and cutting winds of the evening. At three o'clock, the morning of the 7th, the left wing of our regiment was aroused, and taken by tugs and row-boats to the barque "Guerrilla," the latter being anchored some distance from the docks. While Capt. H. K. Cooley and Lieut. W. C. Hunt, with twenty-one members of our regiment, were being transported in a small boat to the "Guerrilla," they were run down by the stern-wheel steamer "Union," crushing their boat, and plunging all into the icy waters of the Chesapeake. The night was dark, but with prompt assistance, all were rescued except Private James M. Hamlin of Company E, Great Barrington, and Michael Cavanaugh, of Company F, Granville. Most of the rescued were insensible; Captain Cooley and two others remaining so more than two hours; but all were rallied without further serious results. THE BURNSIDE EXPEDITION. 43 CHAPTER III. THE BURNSIDE EXPEDITION. THIS expedition consisted of fifteen regiments of infantry, one battery, Howard's Marine Artillery or Naval Brigade, and a squadron of naval vessels. The fleet to transport the troops and supplies comprised eleven steamers, nine armed propellers, five barques, one brig, and twenty troop and supply schooners. The navy was composed of eighteen steamers and two sloops, a total in the expedition of sixty-six vessels. The naval armament under Commodore Goldsborough consisted of fifty-four guns, from an eight-inch Columbiad to a one hundred pound Parrott, rifled. Howard's Marine Artillery had fifty pieces suitable for field use, and, with Belger's Battery, gave fifty-six guns for land service. The strength of the expedition, then, was one hundred and ten guns, and about fifteen thousand infantry. The troops were embarked as follows: : Twenty-Seventh Mass. Vol. Regt., propeller "Ranger" and barque "Guerrilla." Twenty-Fifth Mass. Vol. Regt., steamer "New York," propeller "Zouave." Twenty-Fourth Mass. Vol. Regt., steamer "Guide" and propeller" Vidette." Twenty-Third Mass. Vol. Regt., propeller "Hussar" and schooner Highlander." 66 Tenth Conn. Vol. Regt., steamer "New Brunswick" and schooner "Farrington." Twenty-First Mass. Vol. Regt., steamer" Northerner." Fifty-First N. Y. Vol. Regt., propeller "Lancer" and propeller "Pioneer." Fifty-First Penn. Vol. Regt., steamer "Cossack" and schooner "Scout." Ninth N. J. Vol. Regt., ship "Ann E. Thompson" and brig "Dragoon." Sixth N. H. Vol. Regt., steamer "Louisiana." Fourth R I. Vol. Regt., steamer "Eastern Queen." Fifth R. I. Vol. Regt., ship" Kitty Simpson." 66 Eighth Conn. Vol. Regt., propeller Chasseur" and barque "H. D. Boardman." Eleventh Conn. Vol. Regt., propeller "Sentinel" and barque "Voltigeur." Fifty-Third N. Y. Vol. Regt., barque "John Trucks." The naval fleet consisted of the following vessels, commanded by Flag Officer L. M. Goldsborough : Flag-ship "Southfield," Capt. Behan, 3 guns. 66 guns. Delaware," Commodore Rowan, Capt. S. P. Quackenbush, 5 "Stars and Stripes," Lieut. commanding, Reed Werden, 7 guns. |