Skedaddled as Fast as Our Legs Could Carry Us: With the 39th Illinois at Drewry’s Bluff

Struck early on the morning of May 16, 1864 by a Confederate attack that broke the Federal line near Drewry's Bluff, Virginia, Private Charles Burdick of the 39th Illinois shared his experiences in a letter he wrote home the next day to his mother.

    "Our company was out on picket on the left of the regiment," Burdick noted. "We knew they were trying to drive us back. They attacked us and drove us, wounding four of our company. Then we rallied and drove them but we soon had to fall back and it became a regular retreat for a short distance. Then we halted, faced about, and drove them back in the field. We could hear heavy musketry and cheering on our right but could not tell which army it was. We soon found the Rebels had charged on our boys of the 39th Illinois and drove them out of their pits and the order was given to retreat, but our company did not hear it. We were attacked by two regiments and we skedaddled as fast as our legs could carry us. The bullets flew thick over our heads."

    The fight cost the regiment 115 casualties, including Colonel Thomas O. Osborn whose right arm was permanently disabled. Private Burdick's description of the fight at Drewry's Bluff first saw publication in the May 28, 1864, edition of the Waukegan Weekly Gazette. 

Camp onfield near Petersburg, Virginia

May 17, 1864

Dear mother,

          I received two letters from you lastFriday night. We are all well but Thomas; he was taken sick this morning. LastSaturday [May 14] we were ordered to get ready to march at 2 o’clock. We did not thinkwe would have to go far but we were mistaken. We left here a little after 2without our knapsacks. After marching two miles, we began to think we weregoing out on picket but we kept marching on until we got to the Petersburg &Richmond Railroad. Halting a short time, we started up the railroad towardsRichmond. We had not gone far when we met some of our men bringing in thewounded; they said they had a very hard battle the night before about threemiles from there.

          We marched on until we got to HalfwayStation, 12 miles from Richmond where we halted for dinner. While we wereeating, orders came for 15 men to go after cars to carry the wounded. They tookthem from our company. Uncle was one of them. In a few moments we were orderedto march again. We had not gone far before we could hear the battle raging withall its fury. Then we knew what we were going to do. We still kept on until wewithin half a mile of the battlefield then we halted to look at our guns andafter priming them, we marched about 80 rods to General [Quincy] Gilmore’sheadquarters (a large white house) where I saw a great many frightfully woundedmen. Our men were burying a Rebel officer.

Colonel Thomas O. Osborn
39th Illinois

          When we had marched a short distance,we were ordered to halt and lie down in the mud which we instantly did as wewere in great danger of getting shot. None of us were struck while down but aball went through our major’s coat sleeve. We were then ordered to support abattery and while marching to it we met them bringing in a wounded lieutenantwho died shortly thereafter. When we got into the field where our artillery waspositioned, the Rebs were shelling the woods all around us and we were orderedon double quick. We started and when the enemy saw us, they shot the shells right over our heads; one burst over my head and a piece hit our colonel [ColonelThomas Osborne] on the elbow. He thought at first he was not much hurt but hehas since had his arm amputated.

          When we got into line of battle, wewere ordered to lie down, which we did while the shells flew over us everymoment. It was about 2 o’clock when we arrived on the field. They kept up firingshells on both sides till nearly sundown when our battery withdrew with theloss of one man, a lieutenant, and two horses. After the shelling had closed, Iwent to sleep but did not sleep much for a shell came over Co. E right next toours and killed two men, wounded four, and shocked T.W. Kennedy as he was soclose to the shell when it burst. It threw dirt over our men. Then the Rebsbegan to fire musketry among us.

The fight at Drewry's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling or Proctor's Creek, marked General Benjamin Butler's second foray from his entrenchments at Bermuda Hundred. The battle lasted four days, with initial fighting beginning on May 12th. The battle concluded on May 16th when General Robert Ransom's Confederate division struck the right flank of the Federal army and drove it back; the 39th Illinois was among the regiments caught up in this retreat. 

          We were ordered to get up and move fartherto the right of our field; we did so in good order. One man in our company washit in the back with a spent ball but it did him no harm. The Rebs ceasedfiring in a few minutes and we laid down and slept very well until morning, ourpickets firing all night. Sunday morning [May 15], we were ordered to throw up riflepits to protect us from the Rebel sharpshooters. One sergeant in Co. G was shotin the neck.

          About 3 o’clock they began to shell usagain or rather the 96th New York which was on our left. We lost onecaptain and eight men. While the shelling was going on, our mail came in and Ireceived two letters from home. The shells came so fast I could not read theletters to any advantage, but our artillery came up and soon stopped the firing.We could hear the cars whistle all night and knew the Rebels were beingreinforced. Their pickets did not fire any during the night but in the morning [May 16],they attacked us with shells and musketry. [This attack was launched by Major General Robert Ransom's division of Beauregard's army.] 

Sgt Major Reese Bishop, 39th Illinois
Captured May 16, 1864 at Drewry's Bluff
Died November 7, 1864 at Andersonville

“At8, our company was moved up to the left flank of our regiment and also of theline. The regiment was placed in a single rank in order to make up the deficiencyof that and of extending the line. The right was very quiet except I noticedthe rebels were extremely busy making use of peculiar signals, noises, etc.,while their cars were running all night, music playing, etc. Generally theyseemed to be having an interesting time of it. It was a splendid night, themoon shining brightly, the air clear and cool from the effects of the slightshowers during the day before. As out men lay there, some awake and someasleep, that stillness of the hoarse-throated artillery and crack of musketryseemed to me, at least, ominous.” ~ Second Lieutenant Reuben Smith Botsford,Co. F, 39th Illinois

 

Our company was out on picket on the left of the regiment. Weknew they were trying to drive us back. They attacked us and drove us, woundingfour of our company. Then we rallied and drove them but we soon had to fallback and it became a regular retreat for a short distance. Then we halted,faced about, and drove them back in the field. We could hear heavy musketry andcheering on our right but could not tell which army it was. We soon found theRebels had charged on our boys of the 39th Illinois and drove themout of their pits and the order was given to retreat, but our company did nothear it. We were attacked by two regiments and we skedaddled as fast as ourlegs could carry us. The bullets flew thick over our heads.

Our army was badly whipped in that battle but I have heardthat Butler’s 18th Army Corps has whipped them again. Our regimentlost 115 killed, wounded and missing. Our major was shot through the left lung;our adjutant, who was a brave man and much liked, was shot through the body anddied last night at 12 o’clock. We also lost three captains and one lieutenant.Our color bearer had a leg shot off and the colors were badly shot to pieces.We took some prisoners who are hard-looking cases; I don’t know the number. Ihope when we fight another battle we shall whip them. My sheet is full and Ihave not time to write anymore, so goodbye for the present.

Sources:

Letter fromPrivate Charles L. Burdick, Co. F, 39th Illinois Volunteer Infantry,Waukegan Weekly Gazette (Illinois), May 28, 1864, pg. 3

Letter fromSecond Lieutenant Reuben Smith Botsford, Co. F, 39th Illinois VolunteerInfantry, Waukegan Weekly Gazette (Illinois), June 4, 1864, pg. 3