history is compiled are: the records of the regiment, the reports of regimental and brigade commanders, the diaries of several members of the regiment, and several books already published covering the same events.
Of these the diary of Colonel Clinton Beckwith, notes by Lieut. J. H. Smith, the chapters in the History of Otsego County, prepared by Colonel J. W. Cronkite, the letters of Chaplain John R. Adams and the diary of Lieutenant Woodcock have been especially useful.
Col. Beckwith's diarCol. Beckwith's diary is as it professes to be, the story of his own army experiences, and of his comrades and of the regiment from the enlisted man's viewpoint.
That he has given permission to quote ad libitum from it is very gratifying to the compiler, as it will certainly be also to the readers of the history.
Col. Cronkite's history of the regiment in the History of Otsego County is a condensed sketch of the most important facts connected with the services and exploits of the regiment; but as it may be be p
Chapter II
Ordered to Washington
Col. Clinton Beckwith's Story to be used
reviewed by President Lincoln
assignment to Brigade this journey are graphically told by members of the regiment.
Colonel Beckwith's is the most explicit, and before quoting from his diary of ted instruction in the tactics and practice of war.
To resume Col. Beckwith's narrative, Here for a little time we busied ourselves with thevious day, were deprived of even that scant period of rest.
Col. Beckwith continues,
We, in our inexperience, clung to our knapsacke corps and took its place in the Second Brigade.
According to Col. Beckwith the reception it received was not altogether pleasant.
He sayshe advance of the army, to oppose Lee's invasion of Maryland, Col. Beckwith gives a vivid and somewhat amusing description of a physical prost
In his quick recovery and immediate return to the regiment Comrade Beckwith was especially fortunate, for according to Col. Cronkite, by t
regiments, and buried together in orderly manner, and their graves marked by headboards, upon which were inscribed the name, regiment and company of the person buried.
The burial of the Confederate dead at Crampton Pass is thus described by Comrade Beckwith: I went over the line and position occupied by the Rebels for a considerable distance and saw many of them lying on the field dead.
Those I saw had not changed much from life, but they lay in all shapes and positions.
Many were shot througs quickly as possible at Antietam.
On that date the battle of Antietam was fought, and when the regiment arrived, it was detailed to collect and stack the arms on the field, on the day after the battle.
Again quoting from the narrative of Comrade Beckwith,
We reached Antietam battlefield on the 19th (of Sept.), and except some fighting at the river where Lee's army crossed, and an attempt by the Fifth Corps to capture the batteries covering the rear, resulting in the capture of four gun
ifest.
The health of the regiment was conserved by the regular daily drills, they were well fed, and tents and overcoats were secured for them.
On October 3d the Corps was reviewed by President Lincoln.
Of the experiences in this camp Comrade Beckwith writes thus:
I think the regiment was stronger and better for the experience it had gone through — the weeding out of the unfit men, the retiring of incompetent officers, and the acquiring of a young, intrepid, and skilled officer for command of the Left Division to which the Sixth Corps belonged.
The first corps also belonged to the Left Grand Division. General Hooker commanded the Central Grand Division, and General Sumner the Right.
Of this Belle Plain experience Comrade Beckwith has this to say, and in the discrepancies between his account and that of Colonel Cronkite, the members of the regiment may decide which is correct.
After a short stay at Stafford Court House, we marched to Belle Plain, reaching there a
so that the chief duty of the regiments of the Brigade was to do skirmish or picket duty.
Of this duty the 121st had its full share, as vividly described by Comrade Beckwith.
Our Brigade, as I remember, was commanded by Col. H. L. Cake of the 96th Penn., General Bartlett having another command temporarily, and the Division difficult to get after that.
(B.)
In the Battle of Fredericksburg the 121st suffered a loss of eleven enlisted men, four killed and seven wounded. From Comrade Beckwith's account the most of this loss was in his company and squad on the picket line of which they held the most exposed section.
That it was able to return to c Mud March, or, as the Rebels humorously characterized it on a barn door near the river, Burnside stuck in the mud, the enlisted man's view of it is given in Comrade Beckwith's reminiscences.
He says:
I with my squad was left behind (as guard at Brigade Headquarters Q. M. Dept.), and the first news we had of the result of t
p Run — the same ground we had occupied during the previous campaign.
The part taken by the 121st is best told by Comrade Beckwith.
We crossed the Rappahannock at Deep Bottom, near the place of our former crossing, and the movement of troopsuntil their turn came to cross the river in the early morning.
For the part that the 121st took in this campaign, Colonel Beckwith's account is both vivid and full.
It is very fortunate for the friends of deceased members and survivors of the reg with new officers and new men learning new things by hard won experience under unfavorable conditions.
To resume Comrade Beckwith's narrative.
Our Brigade now reorganized and reformed consisted of the 5th Maine, the 95th Penn. (Gosling Zouav being its first real encounter with the enemy, must be vividly called to memory by this full and graphic account of Comrade Beckwith, both in its experiences and its results.
And to all the friends of the men who took part in it both living and dea
act that the uncertainty of the movement of the troops ahead often leaves long distances between the different corps which must be closed by forced marching by those in the rear.
But in this case the disadvantage was increased by midnight start, in pouring rain, and dense darkness, lit only by vivid flashes of lightning with accompanying peals of thunder.
The roads were rendered difficult for both man and teams, and for two days the march was tedious and toilsome.
To quote again from Comrade Beckwith, Abandoned and burning camps along our line of march and the moving of the general field hospital, indicated a general movement, and our march was continued to Stafford Court House, to Dumfries, thence to Fairfax Station.
Here a day's rest was very grateful to us, because we had been passing over ground which had been the continual scene of march, camp and battle, and had been stripped of everything that would sustain troops.
The roads were deep with the red-clay dust which created a
las was known to be in the vicinity.
An attack was made which Comrade Beckwith graphically describes.
On Sept. 4, a squad of Rebel cavalryf the old corps of Stonewall Jackson came in sight of them.
Colonel Beckwith tells of several experiences of this march that will interest D were deployed as skirmishers under command of Captain Fish. Comrade Beckwith gives the best close — up account of the fight thus: We moved gn his office and his commission and retire to private life.
Comrade Beckwith says that the men nicknamed him Snoop, but adds that he did not, was made to carry the captured flags to army headquarters.
Colonel Beckwith was one of the ten from the 121st, and thus graphically descries from freezing by running round and round in the snow.
Colonel Beckwith gives his personal experience.
We stacked our traps and left e conditions of life in a winter camp are so well described by Comrade Beckwith that his description ought to appear in the history of the reg
, and being re-formed by Colonel Upton, the regiment charged the enemy and retook part of the earthworks.
They held them till withdrawn, and formed on the right flank of the corps to prevent any farther advance of the enemy on the right and rear.
About 10 o'clock the order came to move to the left, and the morning found the brigade in the vicinity of the Wilderness Tavern, where rifle pits were immediately constructed.
To give the human touch to this day's affair, the experience of Colonel Beckwith will suffice.
Soon after daylight on May 4, we were in line and marching toward the enemy having the advance of the corps.
The 5th Corps was ahead of us. Soon after we started, picket firing and skirmishing told that the enemy had been found.
We moved along very slowly and off to the left of the road for some distance until toward noon, when the sound of the firing told that large numbers of the infantry were engaged.
We then marched in column of fours, the regiments being far e
rink to excess, for on another occasion he was so under the influence of liquor that an enlisted man slipped up behind him and cut the roll of blankets from his saddle and got away with it. The writer heard the story from the man himself.
Colonel Beckwith's account of this affair, gives the enlisted man's side of it.
About 5 P. M. we moved over the works down into the woods, close up to our skirmishers (the 65th N. Y.), who were keeping up a rapid fire, and formed in line of battle.
Rey couldn't hit an ox at this distance.
He stepped forward a few paces, raised his glasses to look and immediately received the fatal shot that ended his brilliant military career, to the loss and sorrow of the men who had served under him.) Colonel Beckwith continues his narrative thus:
The weather too became bad, raining steadily, and increased the wretchedness of our physical and mental condition.
I think at this time we were consolidated into a battalion of four companies.
Colonel Up
