"The Irish Ninth in Bivouac and Battle"
by Michael H. Macnamara
CHAPTER XV.
Crossing the Potomac under Difficulties. -- Shepherdstown. -- Rebel Chaff. -- That was all it was fit for. -- A neat Thing in Shawls. -- We find the Enemy. -- Return to Camp. -- Sharpsburg.
ONE morning our cavalry crossed the river, causing the enemy's picket to fall hastily back; our troopers followed them rapidly, felt the enemy after a ride of nearly twenty miles, and, after a slight skirmish, returned to camp. An infantry reconnoissance was speedily projected, and, among others, our regiment ordered out. We crossed the river, finding the water in some places very deep, and through which our men had to wade, the water reaching to their waist, causing them much trouble to secure their arms and ammunition from getting wet. We crossed with but little opposition, and proceeded cautiously forward, our force being under the command of General Humphrey. After a short march, we reached Shepherdstown, where we learned that a strong force of the enemy had just passed through, their rear being but almost an hour's march in advance; our line was halted, and a strong body of skirmishers deployed to feel the enemy and secure our advance.
We rested in the main street, awaiting information from the front, and had, therefore, plenty of time for observation.
Shepherdstown seemed to have been quite an enterprising place formerly, as it contained plenty of stores, but with very little in them; what there was, was marked at such exorbitant prices as to find but few purchasers. A large number of paroled rebel officers and soldiers could be seen; the former, in most cases, looking from windows, tête à tête with pretty female rebels, who looked with cold disdain upon our bold fellows as they rested upon the curbstones, gazing curiously about them, while the rebels sauntered round, with their hands deep in their trousers pockets, ventilating their "tatters," asking impertinent questions, and gratuitously informing us that we should leave Shepherdstown, not as we entered it, with a twenty-eight inch step, but at a gait commonly known as the "double-quick."
That very useful northern expression known as "Gas" was the only reply deigned by our boys, who looked at their tormentors and their "tatters" with eyes of supreme contempt.
It was easy to be seen that the inhabitants of this town bore us little good will, though they were greatly astonished at the fine, comfortable appearance of our soldiers; at the full haversack and the abundance of coffee and sugar they carried, and which some exchanged for tobacco: coffee, sugar, and such necessaries, could scarcely be purchased in Shepherdstown. On one side of the street was a miserable, dilapidated-looking shanty, with the legend "TAILOR" overhead; within was a wee little old man, doing a large business; that is, putting an extremely large patch upon a very mean coat, belonging to a rebel officer sick in the town; a bench, sleeve-board, and a heavy goose, were the only "chattels and appurtenances" the place contained. That tailor's shop seemed to be the only paying establishment in the place.
As an example of the good will manifested toward us, we may relate an incident which happened there.
A female stood at one of the garden gates, with a large warm flour cake in her hands, which she held temptingly before some of the Union soldiers, as if waiting for them to purchase. If that was her intention, she was soon successful, for one of our men stepped up and asked her what she would take for the cake? She looked at him sourly for an instant, and then, with an insulting laugh, threw the cake to a dog that was near. The insulted soldier gazed on her for a moment with an eye of fire; but then, recollecting himself, turned away with a smile, saying, "I beg your pardon, madam; that was all it was fit for." Whenever any of the inhabitants could insult a Union soldier, it would be done; but our men bore their taunts and sarcasms with great good humor, rarely, if ever, replying to them. The churches and public buildings in the town had been turned into hospitals, and the yellow flags that waved from their roofs indicated that they contained quite a large number of wounded, who had been unable to leave the place on our approach, and, therefore, had been paroled. The inhabitants, however, did not scruple to make great complaints about the scarcity of provisions and the large prices demanded for what was to be had. A soldier chanced to ask a lady for a match to light his pipe (she was standing at the door), and in a moment supplied him with one, merely remarking, "You are welcome to it, sir; I would give you more, but they cost a dollar per box." Notwithstanding her politeness, she was a downright rebel, but had many lady-like qualities. The soldier presented her with some coffee, which she gratefully accepted; it was, indeed, quite a luxury. As a general thing, we found that the old ladies were very kind and very polite, keeping their opinions to themselves, and treating our soldiers with considerable affability. The young women, however, were sometimes quite ferocious; not very select in their language, or dignified in their demeanor. This was owing, perhaps, to the great scarcity of young men, who had been conscripted from their "side," or had voluntarily gone to fight the "black invaders."
But few men were to be found in the town, and those, with the exception of some on parole, as before mentioned, were aged and unserviceable; the good and healthy material had been seized upon long ago, or had volunteered, and were then in our front, or hidden in the town, until they could safely leave on our departure. We halted in Shepherdstown about an hour, when we received orders to move forward. As we advanced, crowds of women and boys, black and white, lined the sidewalks, making remarks by no means complimentary to our humanity or honesty. Moving on, we came in sight of a group of black women, who clapped their fat hands in seeming ecstasy as they saw our compact mass of troops approaching with glistening arms and martial bearing, forming, we have no doubt, a striking contrast to the rebel troops, who had hastily left the town before us. As our Green Flag was seen, fluttering its golden glories upon the breeze, one of them, extraordinary in rotundity and luxurious in fat, clapped her hands, exclaiming, "See dar ! ain't dat beautiful !" To which a vinegar-faced white woman pointedly replied, "It is, indeed; it would make a very handsome shawl, with that fine gold border." Whether the sharp-nosed female intended a sarcasm or not, we could not tell; but it looked and sounded to us very much like it.
We marched some ten miles beyond Shepherdstown, and halted for a while, sending skirmishers out on our flanks. A rumor came down the line that our advance had overtaken the enemy, who was in position some distance ahead, and well protected by artillery. We had been halted but a few minutes when heavy firing commenced. The reconnoissance began to assume very large dimensions; in fact, it looked as if a sharp fight was in progress. Suddenly the fierce shriek of a shell, rapidly hissing through the air, attracted our attention, and, turning to see where it had struck, we beheld one man of Company H lying on the ground, a pool of blood rapidly accumulating round his head; a piece of shell had struck him on the left side of the head, behind the ear, dangerously wounding him. He was moved into an adjoining field on a stretcher, where we left him with the surgeon of our regiment. The man's name was Mullen, belonging to Milford.
After firing heavily for some time, we made another advance, and in a short time had the pleasure of driving the enemy.
Having discovered his whereabouts, the object for which we started was attained; and towards night we marched back, and after moving from place to place for nearly an hour, and throwing out pickets, and calling them in, -- all this time under a pelting rain, and up to our knees in mud, we continued our march, and, late in the night, re-crossed the Potomac, again wading through, and, weary, wet exhausted, and thoroughly miserable, laid ourselves down by our fires to sleep and dry our clothes.
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