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Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 6: the Chancellorsville campaign (search)
heart swells to bursting with pride and emotion as I think of and recall its heroic achievements. Think of the ragged, half starved, poorly armed battalions from the South successfully resisting for more than four years, all the efforts which the wealth, bravery and skill of the world hurled against them, and then at the last weeping and crying to be led by their old chief in a last charge to a glorious death. I think it the sublimity of bravery and heroism. But your men were brave. Yes, Grant was your best and most skillful general. He pursued but one plan in Virginia, and that was to keep his men in contact and wear us away by friction, knowing that he had unlimited resources to draw from, and we had brought out our last available forces, and the loss of one man to us was equal to three of his, and that was the way he beat us, by constant grinding. Another war? Never, on any issue yet brought forward. The South wants and will have peace, even if it has to fight for it. A
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 9: under Grant in the Wilderness (search)
Chapter 9: under Grant in the Wilderness Regimental organization in May, 1864 the Wilderness campaign begun May 4 Lee's army organization the battle of the Wilderness the right flank turned restored by the 121s the woods on fire When the winter was over and the campaign of 1864 began the regiment was officered in the advance and soon came in contact with the Confederate army posted in a dense thicket of second growth timber. General Lee had divined the intention of General Grant to pass his right flank and had disposed his army to thwart the effort. His army as usual consisted of three corps commanded respectively by Generals Longstreated. Before the attack was checked, however, the headquarters of General Sedgwick had been nearly reached. It is related that an officer rode excitedly to General Grant and told him that the 6th Corps had been cut to pieces and routed. His reply was a quiet, I don't believe it ; but afterwards when he first saw General Wright
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 10: the tenth of May (search)
came 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 Upton had been made a brigadier general upon the field by General Grant, and a popular and hard won promotion it was; and at this time after years of mature reflection I know of no officer, who ever came within my knowledge, for whom I have a more abiding admiration and respect. He was in my judgment as able a sfter it had carried everything in front and swept the enemy's lines on each of its flanks for some distance. He said, I'll tell you why. On the 9th of May I rode with General Wright to army headquarters. When we arrived there we found Generals Grant, Meade and several others, and shortly after our arrival General Meade informed General Wright that he had ordered a general attack along the whole line for 4 o'clock on the following day, and ordered him to attack on his front at the same t
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 13: Cold Harbor (search)
Chapter 13: Cold Harbor Charge of 2nd Conn. withdrawal shriek of wounded man Cold Harbor is one of the points near Richmond which General McClellan reached during the Peninsular campaign and from which he was compelled to retire at the beginning of his retreat to Harrison's Landing on the James. It is situated about directly northeast of Richmond, and almost within sight of the city. General Lee having correctly interpreted the design of General Grant, had transferred his army to this point and was found occupying works advantageously located and very strongly constructed. The Sixth Corps arrived at Cold Harbor about noon of the 30th and at 5 o'clock in the afternoon was formed in line of battle, on the left of the Third division and the 121st were deployed in close order as skirmishers, and relieved the cavalry skirmishers, who had suffered quite heavily. Let Beckwith tell the rest. Word was sent along the line that the enemy's line was in the farther
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 14: from Cold Harbor to Petersburg (search)
Chapter 14: from Cold Harbor to Petersburg General Lee Mystified at Bermuda Hundreds a Sutler Comes to Grief arrival at Petersburg a mortar shell It is generally conceded that General Grant's purpose in the movement from Cold Harbor was not anticipated by General Lee. All his other movements had been accurately divined so that he was able to get to the position most advantageous to him before the advance of the Union army had reached it in sufficient force to hold it. This movement to the James River seems to have left Lee in perplexity as to where the Army of the Potomac was, and where it was going. The part which the 121st took in it, is of interest to us. The regiment, reduced by deaths, wounds and sickness, now numbered about one hundred men of the healthiest and hardiest of its members. But in the marches that followed these were tested to the utmost. The way was through a low and swampy country, the weather was exceedingly hot, the water was poor, and the
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 15: from Petersburg to Harper's Ferry (search)
mps that were constantly encroaching on their narrowing lines of defense; and on the vessels closing all the seaports of Rebeldom. To break the tightening grip of Grant upon the defenses of Richmond, General Early had been sent down the valley of the Shenandoah to make a raid into Maryland and towards Washington. To meet the raid over which float the colors for which they gave their lives. General Gordon says that the objects of this movement under Early were two, first, to draw some of Grant's troops from in front of Lee, and second, the release of the Confederate prisoners confined at Point Lookout. The capture of Washington was not contemplated, andrmy. Twice the regiment crossed the river and advanced without serious opposition some distance into the valley. The result of these observations convinced General Grant that Early had been called back to Petersburg, by General Lee, and he ordered the 6th and 19th Corps to report as soon as possible at Petersburg. This left th
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 16: with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley (search)
the act of aiming when a ball pierced his head. He was a fine, fearless soldier, and had not been back with us long, having just recovered from wounds in both legs, received at Salem Church. At dark we carried him back and buried him. At 2 o'clock in the morning we were assembled and marched back to our old camp. After we had gotten some sleep and a meal we marched out to our left and lay in reserve behind Crook's West Virginians, the remainder of the day. On the 16th of September, General Grant visited Sheridan and after listening to his plans and approving them, gave him the laconic order, Go in, and returned to Petersburg, confident that Sheridan would give a good account of himself and his army. Nor did he have long to wait. On the morning of the 19th of September at daylight the army drew out of camp in front of Berryville and took the pike leading direct to Winchester. Wilson with his division of cavalry was leading, followed by the 6th Corps in double column flanking t
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 18: back to Petersburg and winter quarters (search)
ad an enjoyable day, but the toting of a log of cord wood all night, and extra picket duty somewhat cancelled the pleasant remembrance of it. Major Cronkite then in command of the regiment, did not escape denunciation by the transgressors. General Grant says in his memoirs that at this time he was in great anxiety lest Lee should leave his, position protecting Petersburg and Richmond, and leaving only a thin line for the purpose of deception send or take the greater part of his army to the as, or the 1st Division of it, was ordered out and advanced rapidly towards the point of attack. But before it reached there, the affair was over, and the division returned to the rest of the corps. We had become familiar with one feature of General Grant's strategy, the relieving of an attack on one portion of his line, by an attack on some distant portion of the enemy's line, and were not surprised therefore when orders came to form line of battle and advance on the works of the enemy. Let
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 19: the capture of Petersburg by 6th Corps (search)
e Johnnies the darkies told us were hidden there, gave us a startling exhibition of their ability to blackguard us. About noon we were in line again and on our way to our old camp. Passing along through the city we saw President Lincoln and General Grant, and gave them a marching salute. Soon reaching camp, we slung our traps, and the same night reached our division fagged out, but ready to push on after Lee's broken columns. On the morning of the third we were on the road from Petersburg trps assigned to the two other corps making the corps of Longstreet and Ewell by no means insignificant bodies of troops. Ewell had the advance, and Longstreet brought up the rear. Ewell's corps was the one that suffered the most, because it was Grant's purpose to cut off the retreat of Lee and compel a surrender. The 2d and 6th Corps up to this point had been following the rear of the retreating Confederates. General Sheridan had asked for the 6th Corps to be sent to him at Five Forks, but
Isaac O. Best, History of the 121st New York State Infantry, Chapter 20: Appomattox and after (search)
vet Major General Andrew Cowan commanding. 6th: Detachment of 50th New York Engineers, Brevet Major Van Brooklin commanding. Leaving camp at 4 o'clock in the morning, marching the five miles to Washington over Long Bridge, up Maryland Avenue to mass at the foot of the Capital grounds, was the first portion of the long and tedious process of the review. Then at 9 o'clock passing down Pennsylvania Avenue at wheeling distance, past the reviewing stand before President Johnson, General Grant and other dignitaries, and crossing Acquaduct Bridge march back again to camp, was the second part of the proceeding. All this on a hot day in July made this review an experience more pleasant to look back upon than to participate in. I have never heard an enlisted man enthuse over the memory of that review. On the 27th of June the regiment took the cars, baggage cars mostly, for New York, reaching there on the morning of the 30th and spending the rest of the day, Sunday, in the old