Diary Entries from Cold Harbor to Petersburg
BACK AT HOME AFTER THREE YEARS
SERGT BENSON OF THE 92ND TAKES WELL EARNED REST
The [Potsdam, NY] Courier and Freeman this week presents another installment of the civil war diary of Serg[ean]t [Major]. O[rlando]. P. Benson of the 92nd N[ew]. Y[ork]. Vol[unteer]s raised here. Sergt. Benson is left in this installment for home on a furlough.
June 1st, 1864—Take up the line of march [to the Cold Harbor battlefield] about 6:00 a.m. Weather hot and roads very dusty. Have a forced march only halting once for a little supper. About 4:00 p.m. come up to the enemy. Form line of battle at once. Our regiment sent out as skirmishers. Our corps charges and fights until after dark. Our regiment charges across a large field. [Lieutenant] Colonel [Hiram] Anderson killed. Shot through the head. Bravest of the brave. Capture the enemy’s out works and hold them. Men fortify cups and bayonets. Fourteen killed and three wounded.
2nd—Lie in the woods all day but a few rods from the enemy. Men strengthen their work with cups. Several killed by one of our shot. We have several men wounded. Continual firing on both sides but no general engagement takes place. Feel very unwell but dare not complain. See mortality on every side. After dark send out in front and bury the dead. But little firing during the night. Colonel Anderson’s death I fear is the death blow of the regiment. The men feel terribly. We have no confidence in the major [Truman A. Merriman]. All admit that he is a perfect coward.
3rd—At daylight all troops massed with great care in the woods and make a terrible charge. The assault was almost unresistable. We take the enemy’s first line of rifle pits and advance upon the second but no living column could meet the terrible fire. Our brigade acted as reserve but were all the while under a most galling fire. Never saw such bravery before. Lose several men, including H. Lyon, Company A. Have a terrible chill and go to the hospital. Rains nearly all day. Men now four days without coffee. Three killed and ten wounded.
4th—Very sick all night. Get some pickles. Appetite begins to revive. Have two men wounded. Join the regiment ab[o]ut 12:00 m. very sick. Sleep all night with no covering amid a drenching rain. Trenches terribl muddy. Catch but little cold. Balls fly pretty lively. All half sick.
5th—Weather pleasant. See Charles Talcott, Second Connecticut Heavy Artillery. Charles W. Parmeter Company B shot through the heart while writing a letter home. Dennis Maher, Company G, shot through head while eating breakfast. Both die almost instantly. Crawl out and relieve the entrenched outposts. Flag of truce sent out. Both armies mount their works, advance and converse freely. Strange to see deadly enemies so jovial.
6—Lie close in our entrenchments until about 1:00 p.m. Flag of truce sent out. Rebs and Yanks mingle together and converse freely. The above is wrong. It was the 6th instead of the 5th that the flag of truce was sent out. Many exchange papers and bid one another good-bye, saying, “Take good care of yourselves for we know not where nor when we shall meet again.” Relieved after dark by the Tenth New Hampshire. I have today had the best sight of untamed Rebs that I ever had. They appear to be very friendly. Several run in and give themselves up to the Sixth Corps.
7th—Considerable artillery firing. Flag of truce sent out. Yanks and Rebs have another chance of having a short friendly conversation. Weather very pleasant. Our army seems to be swinging around to the left. The position of our troops seems to be in the shape of a wedge. Men all in good spirits, [s]ee a newspaper correspondent rode in front and one in rear upon which were marked, “Libel Through the Press.”
8th—Weather pleasant. Were it not I do not know what we should do. Another bridgade [sic, brigade] of two heavy artillery regiments assigned to our division. Said to number 3,700 men. Galbreath, Company H shot through the leg at roll call. Our brigade goes on picket after dark and find the line advanced. Quiet all night.
9th—Weather pleasant. The line quiet. Our videttes (sentinels) through the night are within ten yards of one another. One officer in a New Hampshire regiment shot through the head by a sharpshooter in a tree. Behan and Pierce do good execution silencing sharpshooters. Eighth Maine on our right. 25th Massachusetts on their right. Relieved by Second brigade after dark.
10th—Sorry to hear that Alick is hurt by a fall from a horse. Pleasant. Several men wounded. One man in a buggy shot through the heart and killed instantly in front of my tent. One of Colonel Henry’s orderlies wounded through the leg. Get a chance to buy his cans of preserved blackberries. Tout with Bugbee and Howard.
11th—Pleasant. Major [Truman A. Merriman] makes application for veteran furloughs. Feel very unwell. Our brigade again moves out and takes the outer trenches. Our regiment and the 40th Massachusetts take the second line. Some cannonading in front. The men in good spirits considering the circumstances.
12th—Relieved about 8:30 p.m. by Second Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery. Rebels shell us occasionally. Our brigade under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Bowen of the 188th march all night without a moment’s sleep. Haul up at White House Landing about 6:00 a.m. of the 13th. Men all very tired and shook up as the roads were very dusty.
13—Go aboard of transport about 12:00 m. Our regiment and the 21st Connecticut take the Helen Getty a very good boat. Get under way about 1:00 p.m. Anchor sometime during the night off Newport News. No acco[m]modations whatever aboard. Hot water ten cents a pint. Rather dear.
14th—Get an early start and reach Bermuda Hundred about 11:30 a.m. We are then ordered back and to Appoma[t]tox. Land at Point of Rocks about 1:00 p.m. Lie in two hours to make coffee and then move about one mile and camp on the same ground that we did once before.
15th—Rou[s]ted about 1:00 a.m. March about six miles and at 11:00 a.m. haul up in front of the fortifications of Petersburg. Lie two hours in the woods under fire when our regiment is sent to strengthen General Bur[n]ham’s skirmish line. At 5:30 p.m. charge and capture the enemy first line of works. Am in command of Company A. We all do well. Take five pieces of artillery and a few hundred prisoners, one stand of colors, camp and garrison equipage.
16th—Dig all night and move about 8:00 a.m. to the rear, where we first formed. Twenty first Connecticut charge on a fort and lose 40 men in ten minutes. Lie in the wo[o]ds until 7:00 p.m., when terrible fighting begins and we are ordered out to support the line. Lie on our arms all night. Adjutant left behind sick. Act as adjutant. Also in command of Company B.
17—At daylight without breakfast move about one half mile to the front and lie over a ravine for two hours when we move back and remain for the day in the hot sun. A solid shot goes across passing through tents breaking several guns and killing a first sergeant in the 40th Massachu[s]se[t]ts. Take up the line of march about 7:00 p.m. and reach Point of Rocks and camp about midnight.
18th—Arrange camp and once more enjoy a quiet wash and a sound sleep. Many of our sick join the regiment. Hear heavy firing in the direction of Petersburg. Rumor that the place is captured. Alick quite sick. Another application sent in with names of veterans.
19th—Another day of rest and quite [sic, quiet]. Have preaching by chaplain. The former adjutant of the 188th [Pennsylvania] drummed out of service. A terrible warning for cowards. The fate of a coward in the hands of General Butler is worse than that of death.
20th—Still another day of quiet. The boys begin to fix up and some of the tents already present quite a neat and tidy appearance. Quite a joyful excitement about veterans furloughs. Received a letter from William Clark. Have dress parade.
21st—Rou[s]ted at 3:00 a.m. Make coffee and take up the line of march at day break. Instead of taking boats for home we move up to Petersburg where we halt about 8:00 a.m. and wait until night when we crawl into the second line of trenches in front of the town.
22nd—Lie quietly in our holes all day. The enemy shell us considerably. Several shells burst among the caissons but do no damage except to scare the horses. Draw rations. Fill up the holes in front of the main pits. Heavy firing.
23rd—Move at daybreak a little to the left. Weather very warm. One man in the Fifth Maryland just on our left killed by a shell bursting in his pit. Move at dark and take the front line. We have already lain so long in the trenches that our limbs are numb.
24th—Weather still very warm. Rebels charge upon our works about 10:00 a.m., but get repulsed. Take about 164 prisoners and kill a good many. Our loss not a man. Only one man wounded. Davis S. Billings, Company B, killed by a sharpshooter. Hit through the neck. Sprague, Company A, wounded in the wrist.
25th—Sharp cannonading from 3:00 p.m. until dark. William McKinney, Company D, killed by a sharpshooter while on picket. Hit through the neck. Rather unwell in the afternoon. Relieved by the 21st Connecticut at dark. March back 1½ miles and camp. A great relief to once more stretch our limbs.
26th–Weather extremely warm. But little shelling during the day. Lively expectations of soon going home. Expect our furloughs every hour. How will it seem to once more sit beneath the old paternal roof? A rich thought for the soldier.
27th—Some sharp firing last night but guess it amounted to nothing. Weather still extremely warm. Thermometer must stand about 110. Officers all drunk as fools as usual when the poison can be had. All our bright visions of home and good night’s rest broken by an order to move to the front. Reach the front line about 10:00 p.m.
28th—Weather a little cooler. But little firing during the day. Hitsmond, the drummer killed by a sharpshooter. Hit through the neck. Poor fellow. Heavy guns coming up. Everything seems to indicate a siege.
29th—The warm weather tells upon us terribly. Considerable cannonading. Major Merriman wounded by a piece of shell. Arm shattered. Edmeston, Company A, wounded also Hammond. Relieved at dark by the 21st Connecticut.
30th—Mustered. Weather cool and nice. Ordered to the front about 3:00 p.m. Expect to charge but do not. Never was under a severer nor more peculiar cannonade than for about two hours. Lie in the second line all night. No one hurt. Our men charge on the left. Do not know the result.
July 1st [1864]—Lie in torturing sun all day. But little firing. None hurt in our regiment. Four killed in the 188th [Pennsylvania] and several wounded. Relieved at dark by the First brigade [1/1/XVIII/AotJ]. March back to the old camp. Expect furlough this time sure.
2nd—Lie in camp. Get a chance to wash and cook, etc. Orders come that the veterans go no more to the front until after they have received our furloughs. Captain Church to go to Norfolk to make out the papers. Our brigade goes to the front about dark.
3rd—Weather warm. Lie all day in camp. Captain Church receives his permission to go to Norfolk, Va. But little firing in front. The days pass off drearily. The hours drag.
4th—Oh Another Fourth of July. This is the third I have spent in the service. Weather beautiful and pleasant. All hail the birthday of our independence. Orders come to go home.
5th—Start for home about 6:00 a.m., a set of glad boys, indeed. Reach City Point about 9:00 a.m. Miss the 10:00 o’clock boat and lie over night. Some of the men intoxicated. Purchase from a private in the Ninth Vermont a little flag for Freddie. Price $3.
6th—Take transportations aboard the U.S.N. boat Key Port [sic, civilian steamer Keyport] and reach Fortress Monroe about 4:00 p.m. Get aboard of the John A. Warner for Norfolk and reach there about 6:00 p.m. Stop all night in an old church.
7th—Leave Norfolk at 11:00 a.m. on the John A. Warner and reach Fortress Monroe at 12:00 m. Take transportation for Baltimore on board the Georgia Ann. Reach Baltimore next day probably. Very unwell.
8th—Reach Baltimore at 6:00 a.m. Take cars for Phil[a]delphia, Pa., and reach there bout 12:30 p.m. Stop and get dinner at the Volunteer Union refreshment saloon. Then cross over to Camden and take the cars. Get under way about 8:00 p.m. Reach Amboy at 11:00 p.m. and take boat for New York.
9th—Get under way for New York city at 2:00 a.m. and reach New York at 6:00 a.m. March up to the Soldiers Home, Nos. 50 and 52 Howard street and take up lodgings. This is a splendid establishment and is an honor to the state of New York.
10th—Do not go to church as I expected. Get considerable rest. Take boat at 6:00 p.m. for Albany. Many of our men drunk. Sleep below on the carpet. Have splendid lodgings. Beautiful scenery along the Hudson.
11th—Reach Albany at 5:00 a.m. Lie over all day. Get no bounties as we expected. Get furloughs and start on the night Lightning Express train at 10:45 p.m. Reach Rome at 3:15 a.m. on the 12th.
12th—Change car and leave Rome at 4:00 a.m. Change again at Dek[a]lb Junction about 12:00 m. Reach Potsdam about 1:00 p.m. Get dinner at Nightengale’s and take the stage for home. Reach Massena at 5:00 p.m. and go home at once.
13th—Help some in the hay field. Find that it does not exactly agree with my conscience and that my hands especially rebel. Makes two blisters which of course are honorable. Drive to town at dark. Enjoy myself quite well.
Source:
Benson, Orlando P., Back Home After Three Years. Diary printed in newspaper. Potsdam: Courier and Freeman, February 18, 1925. From Beyond the Crater. (accessed September 29, 2022)
By the end of November, we must come up with $501,000 to make our next payment and purchase an additional 1.2-acre tract at Gaines’ Mill Cold Harbor...
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