136 



HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YOUK. 



sense of bereavement at his sudden death, will be found in 

 the history of the 189th, by the chaplain, page 74. 



November 24 — Thanksgiving-Day — was spent in camp, 

 the regiment partaking of the bountiful supply of baked poul- 

 try, etc., sent from the North. December 6, commenced the 

 celebrated raid on the Weldon Railroad. After destroying 

 miles of the road, tearing up the track, burning the ties, 

 and heating and bending the rails so as to render them 

 useless, and effectually cutting off the rebels' communica- 

 tion with their supplies and reinforcements from North 

 Carolina, the regiment returned and went into camp before 

 Petersburg, between the Jerusalem Plank-Road and the 

 Gurley House, where the whole brigade rendezvoused for 

 the rest of the winter. 



Here the brigade and regiment enjoyed the benefit of 

 two churches, erected voluntarily by the soldiers in a short 

 time. Their bodies and gable ends were made of pine logs 

 and poles, the crevices being chinked and smeared with the 

 reconsecrated soil of old Virgina. The Christian Commis- 

 sion furnished the tent-roofs and stoves, which, with the 

 close-fitting panel-doors, made them comfortable places in 

 which to worship. One called "The Brigade Church," 

 40 by 60 in size, was on the left of the brigade ; the other, 

 called " The Church of the 189th," 30 by 40, stood on the 

 right. The former was dedicated on Sunday, December 22, 

 by Bishop Edmund S. Jones ; the latter, the following Sun- 

 day, by Rev. J. K. Tuttle, of Waterloo, N. Y. 



A foraging expedition was sent out on the 11th of Jan- 

 uary, and visited a forsaken plantation at a considerable 

 distance off the Jerusalem Plank-Road, about six miles out- 

 side the Union lines and some eight miles from camp. 

 Capt. Rice was in command. While the teamsters were 

 loading, he had stationed picket-guards at a distance, to be 

 on the lookout for the enemy. He was informed by a loyal 

 resident of the near proximity of a band of rebels. They 

 soon made their presence known by firing twice upon his 

 command and retreating, so that when the reserve guard 

 was sent forward they could not be discovered. The train 

 was loaded, and as quickly as possible commenced to return. 

 By order of Capt. Rice, Company H, under command of 

 Lieut. H. F. Scofield, had the advance both going and 

 coming, throwing out skirmishers on each side of the road, 

 under Lieut. J, G. Rutherford. 



About a mile from the Jerusalem Plank-Road, in a dense 

 wood, a swamp — swollen full by the recent rains — compelled 

 the flankers on the left of the train to come into the road 

 to pass. The enemy, secreted in this swamp as near the 

 road as possible, fired upon the middle and rear of the 

 passing train. Instantly riding back from the front, Capt. 

 Rice ordered it forward as rapidly as possible, and ordered 

 the men to halt and form in line of battle. The firing of 

 the enemy, the hurry of the teams and wagons, produced 

 such confusion that the two companies of the 189th were 

 the only ones that stood firmly and deliberately returned 

 the enemy's fire. 



Here Capt. Rice fell from his horse mortally wounded. 

 The officers and men gathered around him. The firing of 

 the enemy had ceased. With rare presence of mind in 

 such an extremity, Capt. Rice took this as an indication 

 that the enemy's intention was to flank the train before it 



could reach the plank-road, and to the commanders whose 

 unflinching troops had silenced the enemy, he said, with 

 great emphasis, " Move forward your men to protect the 

 train. You cannot assist me. Move forward ; save the 

 train !" 



They obeyed. The fallen leader should have been borne 

 to the train by those around him, and promptly succeeded 

 by the captain next in rank ; but that was shamefully or 

 thoughtlessly neglected, and the blame attached to the 

 whole expedition instead of to those who ought to have 

 been held responsible. 



Instantly upon the assault being commenced, Capt. Rice, 

 with the coolness of a veteran, dispatched an orderly to 

 Gen. Gregory for reinforcements. It was not long before 

 the long roll was beating in the camp of the 189th, and 

 Lieut.-Col. Townsend quickly led his other eight compa- 

 nies, under command of Gen. Gregory, to the rescue. 

 Meeting at our picket lines the train, the general ordered 

 it to camp, and all its guard to " About face!" and, with the 

 rest, confront the foe, if necessary, and bring in Captain 

 Rice's body. The body was found after dark. It had 

 been stripped naked and shot once through the waist and 

 twice through the head. On the 13th it was embalmed 

 at City Point, and sent home in charge of Lieut. Dwight 

 Warren. 



On the 5th and 6th of February the regiment was en- 

 ^facjed in the battle of Hatcher's Run. In the thick of the 

 fight, on the second day, liieut.-Col. Burr rode to and fro 

 along the line in front of his brigade, amidst a storm of 

 leaden hail, and rallied and strengthened his men to stand 

 firm. Many portions of the line were forced temporarily 

 to give way, but quickly reformed, and stayed the progress 

 of the enemy in this part of the field. The 189th, under 

 Capt. Stocum, did gloriously. Two of the regiment were 

 killed and eleven wounded in this action. 



On the 6th of March, 1865, Lieut.-Col. Burr was pre- 

 sented by the regiment with a noble black horse, purchased 

 at six hundred dollars, in token of the gallantry displayed 

 on the memorable field of Hatcher's Run on the 6th of 

 February. The presentation was made by Capt. Crosby in 

 an eloquent and fitting speech, and feelingly and appro- 

 priately responded to by the colonel. 



The regiment participated in several hard engagements 

 during the final campaign of the war. At Lewis' farm 

 brisk skirmishing deepened into a spirited conflict. Com- 

 panies A and B and a portion of F composed the skirmish 

 line, under Adjt. Roney, which, followed by the regiment 

 in line of battle, advanced through bushy woods obliquely 

 to the right, struggling with the enemy, who were con- 

 stantly giving way. Our regiment had none killed, but 

 twelve wounded. Company B took twenty-five prisoners, 

 with three horses and their equipments. A report of the 

 engagement at Gravelly Run says, " So conspicuous was 

 the success of the 189th that their brave conduct was 

 complimented by their brigade, division, and corps com- 

 manders." At four o'clock p.m. Major Withey, with three 

 companies, was sent to the skirmish line, supported by the 

 other seven companies of the regiment in line of battle. 

 Advancing on double-quick, left wheel, the regiment closely 

 pressed the fleeing enemy. Thus they were completely 



