"The Irish Ninth in Bivouac and Battle"
by Michael H. Macnamara
CHAPTER XII.
Malvern Hill. -- The Battle. -- Gallant Charges. -- Death of Colonel Cass. -- Is succeeded by Colonel Guiney. -- Harrison's Landing. -- A Scare. -- Straps and no Straps. -- A Night's Rest disturbed.
ON the morning following the battle of the Chickahominy, we recrossed the river in fine order, and bivouacked upon its banks, where we remained until the following day, when we marched to Malvern Hill. The men of the Ninth were in good spirits, having the fullest confidence in General McClellan, and moved forward with the warmest anticipations of success. We arrived at Malvern Hill in the afternoon, and immediately took up a position on the heights, which we occupied until midnight. After changing our position several times, we were sent as a support to the artillery which was in position on the plain running from the base of Malvern Hill. From here our forces were much exposed, no natural advantage of ground intervening between ourselves and the enemy, who were posted in line of battle in a dense wood, which formed a semicircle around the position held by the Union troops. Our principal strength consisted in the immense guns planted in our rear, which shelled the woods unceasingly, and in our fleet of gunboats, which, though some two miles distant, rendered efficient service, and caused terrible destruction. About nine o'clock the artillery of the contending forces opened fire, and continued it with great vigor for nearly three hours, terrible execution being done on both sides.
About one o'clock the columns of the enemy, under General Magruder, advanced boldly and rapidly from the wood, with the intention of seizing the batteries in position on the plain. A terrific storm of grape-shot greeted them as they came on. Again and again the cannons blazed forth their murderous rage, and whole ranks fell down, actually shattered and blown to pieces; yet still the brave fellows came on, closer and closer to the batteries, until they seemed in imminent danger of being taken, when General Griffin, who had command of the artillery, exclaimed, "Up and at them, Ninth !"
The words had scarcely passed his lips when Colonel Cass, turning to his gallant fellows, gave the command "Charge !" Our men then sprang forward to the front of the cannon, and dashed on the advancing foe. The enemy paused for an instant; their lines wavered; a moment more it broke, and fled to the woods. Here Colonel Cass fell mortally wounded. The artillery of the enemy now opened fire upon the regiment, compelling us to retire. The conflict that followed that glorious charge baffles description. It was a series of brilliant charges on both sides. The tenacity of the combatants in their fierce struggle for the victory, and the desperate ferocity which animated them, are scarcely paralleled in the history of battles. Colonel Thomas Cass was brought safely from the field. He was very badly wounded, but the surgeon who attended him when he was carried to the rear expressed hopes of his recovery. In this, we are grieved to say, he was mistaken. He was taken home to Boston, where he expired July 12, 1862. He was an able soldier. He served his country well, and will ever hold a distinguished place in her history.
Lieutenants John H. Rafferty and Edward McSweeny were killed in this engagement. They fell fighting bravely at the head of their companies. Young, brave, and generous, their loss was deeply felt.
The battle closed at nightfall. At midnight, General McClellan had evacuated his position, and the following morning the bulk of his army was at Harrison's Landing, on the banks of the James River, where the Ninth Regiment encamped until August 14, 1862. It was at Harrison's Landing that the Ninth -- in fact, the whole army of the Potomac -- learned, for the first time, that they had been defeated, and that the campaign upon the peninsular was a failure.
Colonel P. R. Guiney, who succeeded Colonel Cass in the command of the Ninth Regiment, was born in Ireland, at Parkstown, in the County of Tipperary, having come to this country when a boy of eight years. He was educated to the profession of law, and admitted to practice in 1856. Upon the breaking out of the rebellion, he threw aside his legal pursuits, and took an active part in the organization of the Ninth regiment, and came with it into the field with the rank of captain. For "meritorious and gallant conduct at the battle of the Chickahominy" *he was raised, upon the death of Colonel Cass, to the colonelcy of the Ninth Regiment, by a special order of General Fitz-John Porter who commanded the corps upon the peninsular, which special order was published in all the papers of Massachusetts after its receipt at the State House, by order of His Excellency, Governor John A. Andrew, and was really the only public acknowledgment made of the services of the regiment that had done so much. Colonel Guiney assumed command of the Ninth Regiment at Harrison's Landing in August 1862.
The country in the vicinity of Harrison's landing has been aptly termed the "Eden of Virginia;" but, when the army of McClellan gathered itself together the morning after the terrible battle of Malvern Hill, and moved toward the landing, the ripening fields of wheat and corn, in all their golden luxuriance, were trampled under foot, and the beautiful picture of plenty and peace passed like a mirage from the view; and before the night of that day the scene that presented itself defies description. It was a desolate sight to behold the remnant of that one splendid army of the Potomac huddled together under the pelting storm, without shelter, without food, knee-deep in mud, weary and exhausted, vainly seeking a dry spot whereon to stretch their sore and tired limbs.
In spite of the great discomforts of that day, one could scarce forbear smiling as he beheld the soldiers plodding their way through the mud. A step, and down they would go, leaving shoes and boots behind them with placid resignation, knowing that it was useless to struggle, and finally sinking from sheer exhaustion. Millions worth of property was destroyed upon the route. In the fields, wagons and commissary stores of all kinds were piled together and burned to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. Barrels of sugar, coffee, pork, rice, beans, and boxes of bread, were recklessly flung into the road, or piled in masses and set fire to. Public and private stores shared the same fate. The luxuries of the general were flung into the same blaze that consumed the coarse necessaries of the soldier. No distinctions were made; destruction was the order of the day; and everything that could not be transported was given over to the destroying element.
When the soldiers witnessed this dire destruction, they could no longer doubt the magnitude of their misfortune. Those burning piles were significant of defeat, and they turned their eyes, sad and dispirited, in the direction of the Landing, where were gathered the transports that were soon, they supposed, to take them from the scenes of their great disasters.
The rebel army were, however, in a far worse condition than ourselves. They were actually starving, and, fortunately for us, in the language of the Prussian officer, Colonel Estvan, "they had no army with which to pursue us." **
Officers of every grade were down at the Landing, having no commands, and waiting for an opportunity to get aboard the transports. One of these, General F___, was engaged in a controversy with one of our men, Peter McQueeny, a quaint fellow, of infinite humor. The general had ordered Peter to do something, which the latter refused, on the ground that the general had no command over him, and had no straps upon his shoulder to indicate his rank.
"I'm General F___, fellow," cried that dignitary.
"Excuse me, gineral," said Peter, with a droll salute; "I thought you was some other loafer !"
The crowd laughed heartily, and the disconcerted general very soon disappeared.
One night, about twelve o'clock, when we were all buried in slumber, a rebel battery was run down to the bank upon the other side of the river, and opened fire upon us. The shells went shrieking through the air, dropping in every direction; men, roused from their slumbers, ran wildly about, ducking their heads in the most comical manner, in vain search for a place of security.
Indeed, they had good cause for the fear they manifested; for the shell exploded all around them, causing immense confusion and doing considerable damage. What made the matter worse was the fact that we were utterly helpless, and had to stand the brunt of the enemy's fire without the power to return it.
The shells were flying among the shipping, and sailors and soldiers jumped into the river, here they were in more danger of getting hit, and struck out for shore, where, when they had arrived, they found the missiles more plentiful and destructive than on shipboard.
The excitement lasted for nearly an hour, when the aerial demons ceased to fly, much to the satisfaction of our men, who muttered tender blessings on the heads of those that caused the mischief.
Strange to say, none were injured in our regiment, though one man was struck dead in the Sixty-second Pennsylvania Regiment, which was encamped next to us.
* See report of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts for 1862, p. 30.Return to text ** See report of Peninsular Campaign. By a Prussian Officer.
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