27th North Carolina Company D
"Tuckahoe Braves"
The 27th
North
Carolina at Sharpsburg
"We
Will Stay Here, If We Must All Go to Hell
Together"
By Dean Harry
The summer of 1862 was, all things considered, fairly uneventful for the 27th North Carolina. At the time they were assigned to Longstreets Corps, Walkers Division (Brig. General John G. Walker), Walkers Brigade(Col. Van H. Manning and Col. E. D. Hall). This Brigade consisted of the 46th NC, 48th NC, 27th NC (Col. John R. Cooke), 3rd AK, and the 30th VA. The 27th NC arrived in Richmond just as the Seven Days battle was drawing to a close. They did not see significant action there, although they were witness to some of the battles destruction. After McClellans retreat back down the Virginia peninsula, the men of the 27th moved into camp near Warrenton, Virginia, at Rapidan Station. They remained poised for a move back to Richmond should McClellan advance and threaten the Confederate capital again. And, though Warrenton was not far from Manassas, they did not participate in the battle fought there in August. While the soldiers of the 27th NC were fortunate enough to miss the bloody Seven Days and Second Manassas battles, their luck was about to change.
On
September 1,
1862 General Walker ordered the 27th from camp and
they
marched nearly to Warrenton. By the
4th they reached the battlefield
at Manassas,
and were unhappy witnesses to many of the still unburied dead.
They
continued north, passing through
Haymarket and New Baltimore, reaching Leesburg
on the evening
of the 6th. The next day they crossed into
Maryland,
fording the Potomac at Nolands Ferry.
Like most of Lees troops, they were not
welcomed by
the local citizens. On the 8th of September, they
reached
Beckettown and rested there until the
morning of the 9th.. Around 10
a.m. on the
9th, they reached the outskirts of Frederick,
Maryland.
That night the division moved to the
mouth of the Monocacy River in an attempt
to destroy the
aqueduct there. Despite marching all night, they
accomplished
nothing.
Around daylight, they found themselves in the vicinity of
Beckettown,
marched five miles further and formed
a line of battle. There they stayed all
day, in full
view of the enemy.
Lee
had expected
McClellan to order the evacuation of Harpers Ferry after Lees
army
moved into Maryland. When McClellan
failed to do so, Lee was forced to send
Jackson back
into Virginia in order to capture Harpers Ferry and remove
the
threat to the Confederate supply
lines. On the night of September
10th the 27th
began the march towards Loudoun Heights, on
the east side
of the Shenandoah River, above Harpers Ferry, Virginia. On
the
12th they crossed the
Potomac near Point of Rocks and on the morning
of the
13th, reached the foot of the Blue Ridge opposite
Loudoun
Heights. Gen. Walker ordered Col.
Cooke to take the 27th NC and
30th VA and take possession
of Loudoun Heights. They did so without
opposition at
nightfall on the 13th. At daylight on
the
14th, Frenchs Battery
reached the Heights and around 1:00 pm opened
fire on
Harpers Ferry. The next morning a heavy mist covered the town,
delaying
the artillery until around 8:00 a.m.
Before the Confederate infantry could
attack, the
Union garrison surrendered and that night the men of
the
27th once again marched
north into Maryland, reaching Shepherdstown
around midday
on September 16th and going into camp near
Sharpsburg
that night.
Just
before
daybreak on the morning of the 17th the men were
awakened and
moved to a position on the extreme
right of the Confederate line. They were to
support Gen.
Toombs troops, entrenched opposite the lower bridge [now known
as
Burnsides
Bridge]. Just after daybreak, General Hookers I Corps began to
attack
the Confederate left, defended by
Jacksons Division... Around 9:00 a.m. General
Walker was
ordered to reinforce Jacksons hard pressed men... The
27th
marched at the
double-quick one and one half miles to a position near
the
Confederate
center.
Jackson sent an aide to confer with Walker. The aide informed Walker that Jackson considered the West Woods the key to the battlefield. Should Walker find the West Woods occupied, it was imperative that the enemy be forced out. Walker was also informed that a gap of at least one third mile had developed between D.H. Hills left (Sunken Road area) and the West Woods. The 27th NC and 3rd AK, commanded by Col. Cooke, were dispatched towards this gap, while the rest of the division moved north, to the West Woods. Gen. Von Borcke, witness to this advance later said “it was astonishing to see men without shoes, whose lacerated feet often stained their path with blood, limping to the front to conquer or fall with their comrades.
Mannings
Brigade
(46th NC, 48th NC and 30th VA)
advanced
through the West Woods, the
48th NC being split in half by the
Dunker
Church. Upon reaching the edge of the
woods, many of the North Carolinians took
cover behind
the trees and refused to advance into the open. Col. Hall put
the
46th NC across the
Hagerstown Pike in an attempt to take
the
Smokestown
Road. The regiment fired one ragged volley before falling back.
The
30th VA rushed forward at
the oblique to fill the gap and the
reformed
48th NC advanced due east, towards Tyndalls waiting
brigade
of Federals.
Tyndalls
Brigade
leveled a tremendous volley into the two regiments as they crossed
the
Pike. The
disheartened Confederates turned and fled westward. Col. Manning
rode
into their ranks and begged the North
Carolinians to turn back. Manning was
struck down by
bullets in the left arm and chest while trying to halt
the
retreat. Lt.
Col. Walkup (48th NC) threatened to shoot anyone
who
broke ranks. He scrambled over the
second fence along the Pike only to see what
remained of
the regiment break in disorder for the woods. Tyndalls line rose
to
its feet in
hot pursuit of Mannings retreating Confederates, as Walkup
vainly
tried to rally his retreating men.
Soldiers from the 2nd SC begged
the North
Carolina troops to stand and fight, but they would not. By now
the
Federal charge had penetrated the West
Woods as far as the ridge 100 yards west
of the church.
There they formed an arc from the southwestern corner of
the
woods to the Hagerstown
Pike.
The
left of
Tyndalls Brigade ran into opposition from Pattersons Battery
and
Mannings remaining two regiments, the
27th NC and 3rd AK.
The two
regiments moved up the rise behind the battery as it began to
retire.
The 27th NC went prone
behind a worm fence along the northeastern
portion of a
cornfield behind a ridge about 600 yards south of the
Dunker
Church. The
3rd AK, commanded by Col. Cooke, advanced in full view
of
Union troops along the Dunker Church
ridge.
Cooke
posted the
3rd AK in a stubble field about 100 yards to the
right
front of the 27th NC. After
watching Tyndalls Yankees charge Mannings
three
regiments, Cooke ordered his men to fall back to the ridge and
cornfield
south of their
line. Companies F, K and G of the 27th NC formed
prone
behind the worm fence bordering the
cornfield facing north. The remainder of the
two regiments
posted along the northeasterly section of fence, following
the
ridge. Cooke pulled back the right of
the line twenty paces and ordered them to
lie down in
the corn, leaving the three wing companies to concentrate their
fire
on the West Woods. By this time the
smoke was so dense, the men of the
3rd
AK could only identify troops from the knees
down.
Cookes
maneuver was
designed to lure the Federals into charging. Instead, according
to
James Graham (G Co. 27th
NC) it attracted a hail of lead, causing
severe
suffering. Cooke himself ignored the minies, standing boldly upon
the
hill crest next to a lone hickory
tree, drawing more fire, but inspiring his
men. Pvt.Will
Summerville, standing next to Cooke, was shot and died
instantly,
his body teetering several moments
before keeling over. In spite of the
destructive
fire they received, Cookes two regiments held their ground
and
stopped any further Union advances
against the Confederate
left.
By
noon, Tyndalls
eight regiment brigade, still in the West Woods, had
expended
most of its ammunition. Mannings and
Ransoms Brigades used the hour and a half
lull to
regroup in the ravines north and northwest of Tyndalls anchor
regiment.
Around noon, Col. Tyndall came out of
the West Woods and approached Knapps
Battery. He
ordered two rifled pieces into Mummas swale towards the southern
end
of the West Woods, aimed to support
the 28th PA. The section had
barely pulled
away when Manning and Ransom struck and routed the Federals in
the
West Woods. Demoralized Federals began
to rush towards Mummas
swale.
Col.
Cooke watched
routed Federals flush from the West Woods and cower behind
the
Dunker Church ridge about five hundred
yards northeast of his two regiments.
When Knapps
guns reached the horizon Cooke hurried the three left companies
of
the 27th NC from the
northern to the northeastern side of the
cornfield.
There, they quickly took aim and unleashed a powerful volley,
cutting
down several horses of the Sections #2
rifle. The Yankees panicked, abandoned
the gun and
limber and ran for their lives. Col. Tyndall fell mortally
wounded
with a bullet to the
head.
Col.
Cooke
immediately recognized the opportunity and shouted for his two
regiments
to Rise and Prepare to charge. A
battle line was quickly formed with the
27th NC on the left and
3rd AK on the right. A slightly
built soldier
from the 3rd AK holding a fiddle timidly approached
his
Captain as the men formed ranks and
asked, “Would it be all right if I give
the
boys a tune as
they moved out?” The officer replied that he could, as long as
it
was a particular mountain tune. So, as
nearly one thousand untried soldiers
stepped over
the splintered wooden fence to their front, “Swing your
partner!
Doe see Doe!
Granny will your dog bite? Hellfire no!” squealed overhead
and
blended oddly with the sounds of
battle.
As the line moved forward, a drunken Confederate Colonel rode up to Lt. Col. Richard Singeltary and centered himself in front of the 27th NC. “Come on boys!” the Colonel slurred and he slashed the air with his saber. “I am leading this charge!” Singeltary angrily responded “You are a liar sir! We lead our own charges.” The chastised officer reined his mount aside and the two green Confederate regiments took off for Mummas swale at a dead run, leaven the inebriated officer galloping off in another direction, still swinging his sword and shouting at imaginary enemies.
Cookes
assault was an
overwhelming success. The 27th NC overran the
Yankees
in Mummas swale and the 3rd
AK, supported by Confederates from the
western end of
the Sunken Road pushed Federals deep into the Mummas
cornfield
and away from
the lane. The 27th NC could hardly believe
their
success. They shouted for the Ohioans
to surrender and lie down. As the North
Carolinians
charged towards the ruins of the Mummas smoldering farm
house,
Yankees threw down their arms and
marched unescorted south towards the
Confederate
lines. Makeshift surrender flags began sprout from the haystacks
in
the Mummas mow field as two to three
hundred Yankees gave up without a
fight.
Cookes regiments surged forward, becoming more unmanageable as the attack progressed. Cooke ran to catch up with color bearer Harry H. Campbell (G Co. 27 NC) who was leading the charge directly towards Thomas’ Regular Battery (4th US). Cooke caught Campbell and ordered him to slow down. “Colonel, I can’t let that Arkansas fellow get ahead of me.” Campbell hoarsely replied. Cooke aimed Campbell further west towards Roulettes Lane, hoping to spare the 27th canister fire, which had been pounding the two regiments since they crossed the Hagerstown Pike.
Being
inexperienced,
Col. Cooke had assumed that Ransoms Brigade would silence
the
Federal guns on his left flank. They
did not. Ransoms troops demonstrated
momentarily in
front of the West Woods until Yankee artillery found their
range.
They took a few casualties and melted
back into the woods. Generals Jackson
and
Stuart found
Ransom and ordered him to take Knapps Battery, still north
of
Mummas Lane. Ransom argued that the
attack would fail. Jackson replied that he
had witnessed
the previous attack and believed Ransom could succeed. Ransom
told
Jackson that he believed the bulk of
McClellans army to be in support of the
guns, making
any attack suicidal. To settle the dispute, Jackson called for
a
good climber. Barefoot Pvt. William S.
Hood (H Co. 35th NC) came
forward and
was immediately sent up a tree and ordered to count battle
flags.
When Hoods count reached 39, Jackson
told him to come down. Jackson recalled
Ransoms
regiments, leaving the 27th NC and 3rd AK to
face
the Federal VI Corps on their
own.
By
now, Cookes
regiments, along with Cobbs Brigade (16th
GA,
24th GA and 15th
NC) found themselves dispersed over a
front from the
cornfield north of Roulettes to the cornfield along the
Sunken
Road. In the fields behind them were
over two hundred paroled Yankees who had
surrendered
and were now caught in an artillery barrage between Confederate
and
Union batteries. On the right flank,
the 3rd AK engaged in vicious
hand to hand
fighting with Yankees from Ohio and Delaware in the Mumma
swale.
The Federals broke and ran, hotly
pursued by the
Confederates.
Captain James Graham (G Co. 27th NC) halted his company in the corn above Roulettes and some of his men took cover in the farms out buildings. Small arms fire quickly broke out and intensified and the 53rd PA advanced into the cornfield and took cover behind a stone wall on its eastern border. Out of ammunition, the men of the 27th NC rifled through Yankee cartridge boxes only to discover the rounds too large for their muskets.
Col.
William Irwins
Brigade of the Union VI Corps began moving into Mummas swale
in
an effort to drive out Cookes men.
Irwin, later accused of being drunk on the
field,
committed his regiments piecemeal without properly deploying them.
Col.
Irwin personally moved his largest
regiment, the 20th NY regiment
onto the
Smokestown Road. The eight hundred Germans were formed into a
shaky
line and double quicked south, then
southwest towards the Dunker Church
plateau.
Shrapnel and
canister quickly took its toll, and the regiment started to
waver.
Col. Ernest Van Vegesack pulled out
his revolver and ran along the rear rank,
popping off
rounds at skulkers. Suddenly, the colors moved out front,
the
Germans leveled their saber bayonets
and hurried to keep pace with the
colors.
Col.
Irwin grabbed
the 187 man 7th ME, had them left wheel and
push
through the woods into the plowed
field north of the Mumma cemetery. One by one
the men tore
down fence rails as they worked their way towards the left flank
of
the
27th NC. Col. Cooke realized his outnumbered men could
not
withstand the odds and ordered them
back. The 27th NC fired a last
volley at the
20th NY, panicked and “Double quick timed” their
way
back towards the Hagerstown Pike,
directly into the leveled muskets of Union
prisoners who
had decided to unsurrender. Confederates fell by squads
as
bullets came
in from all directions. The 27th NC and
3rd
AK were forced to retreat directly
across the front of the 20th
NY,
now a mere
sixty yards away. Those men who managed to reach the rail fence
at
the Hagerstown Pike threw themselves
down behind it, certain they were about to
die.
Suddenly,
General Lee
himself galloped up behind them and shouted “Boys, you must hold
the
center or General Lee and the Army of
Northern Virginia will be prisoners in
less than two
hours!” He then wheeled his horse and galloped away.
Immediately
afterwards, General Longstreet and
four staff officers appeared, rolled an
abandoned
field piece into position, loaded it, fired one round at
the
20th NY, remounted and
galloped off towards the Piper farm. The
rest
of the
Confederate batteries on the ridge six hundred yards south of
Dunker
Church and Cookes reorganized
regiments unleashed a barrage on Von Vegesacks
Germans,
opening massive gaps in their lines as they came close to the
southern
edge of the
West Woods.
The West Woods now teemed with Confederate troops, mostly from Ransoms Brigade. These Confederates fired into the 33rd and 37th NY from the west and south. Both regiments quickly retreated to the Dunker Church Ridge. The 7th ME rushed through the Mummas cornfield, passing over Confederates whose fallen file closers and ranks stretched out in near perfect formation, having died suddenly, with no chance for escape. The Maine troops fell in behind the rail fence on the left of Von Vegesacks Germans who had retreated to the Mumma swale. The time was now 1:00 p.m. and fighting shifted to the right, towards the Sunken Road.
Around
5:00 p.m.,
after the Confederates abandoned the Sunken Road and reformed
in
Pipers swale, the 7th ME
made a charge towards the Confederate
center. Gen.
Longstreet, seeing the attack, dispatched Major Moxley Sorrell
to
the high
ground six hundred yards south of the Dunker Church to meet Col.
Cooke,
still commanding the 27th
NC and 3rd AK. Cookes men had
been holding
that position since repulsing Irwins attack at noon, despite
having
no ammunition. Longstreet ordered
Sorrell to give his complements to Cooke and
his men and to
inform Cooke that should his position be lost, there was
nothing
left to stop the Federal advance.
Sorrell never forgot Cookes heated
response
“Major,
thank General
Longstreet for his kind words, but say, by God Almighty,
he
needn’t doubt me. We will stay here,
by Jesus Christ, if we must all go to hell
together. That
damn thick line of enemy has been fighting all day, but
my
regiment is
ready to lick the whole damn outfit.”
The feared attack never came and with the setting sun, the battle ended, neither side having gained an advantage. The Union lost 2,010 killed, 9,416 wounded and 1,043 missing. Confederates lost 1,567 killed, 8,725 wounded. Walkers Brigade lost 134 killed, 691 wounded. Out of 325 present for duty the 27th NC lost 31 killed and 168 wounded, a casualty rate of over 61%.