This text is encoded in UTF-8 (Unicode). If the apostrophes andquotation marks appear as garbage, make sure your text reader’s“character set” or “file encoding” is set to Unicode (UTF-8). You mayalso need to change the default font.
Additional notes are at the end of the book.
THE
ITS
WAR RECORD, 1861-5,
BY
Late Sergeant of Co. F.
NEW HAVEN, CONN., 1875.
NEW HAVEN:
TUTTLE, MOREHOUSE & TAYLOR, PRINTERS.
1875.
TO
THE LOYAL WOMEN,
WHOSE
HUSBANDS, BROTHERS AND FRIENDS
CAST THEIR LOT WITH THE OLD SIXTH
IN
DEFENCE OF THE FLAG,
THIS MEMORIAL OF PATRIOTIC SERVICE IS RESPECTFULLYINSCRIBED
By the Author.
The object of this work is to give a true and impartial record of theold Sixth Regiment during the war. The author collected the facts froma private diary kept by himself while in the service. Less has beenknown of the Sixth by our citizens than most of the other regiments;perhaps this is due partly to the fact that when we arrived inWashington Colonel Chatfield instructed officers and men that it wasunmilitary to write letters for the press; he desired that the WarRecord should know the record of the Sixth, and not the newspapersonly. Its history is less full on this account; yet none can say thatthe record of the Sixth is sullied. In many trying places the regimentproved itself honorably and gained confidence from its corps anddepartment commanders.
There may be errors in this work, and if any are inclined to censure,I trust they will remember that very few histories are without them;yet they are errors of the head and not of the heart. If what is herewritten meets the approval of the old members and the intelligentreaders in general, I shall feel that my labors have been amplyrewarded.
In camp at New Haven.—Fall in for rations.—Uncle Sam’s“Tanyards.”—Squad drills.—An old man’s blessing.
Off for the conflict.—Reception at Philadelphia.—Through Baltimoreat night.—Cattle cars to Washington.—“Soldiers’ Retreat” inWashington.—Fat pork and muddy coffee.—Visit the Capitol.—Camp atMeridian Hill.—At Annapolis, Md.—Embark on an Expedition.—Terriblestorm at sea.—Incidents, &c.
In Port Royal harbor.—The ball opens.—First naval engagement of thewar.—Forts Walker and Beauregard.—Union fleet bombard therebels.—Complete rout of the enemy.—Triumphant victory for theUnion.—Great enthusiasm.—Connecticut lands the firsttroops.—Terrible scenes on land.—Rebel pigs and chickens.—UncleSam’s rations at a discount.—Warsaw Sound, Ga.—“Greybacksaccumulate.”—“Sketch for special artist.”—Spotted fever.—Deathsdaily.—The old Sixth unfit for duty.—Ordered to Hilton Head.—DawfuskiIsland Camp.—Jones Island on Savannah river.—Fort Vulcan built