The following is an eyewitness account in the Victorian style of writing of the Battle of Wyse Fork (sometimes called "Wise Forks" or Southwest Creek) on March 8, 1965 in which an entire regiment from Western Massachusetts was capture. The information comes from the regimental history of the 27th. Mass. published in 1883.
This includes the list of nearly 200 of those killed, wounded and those taken prisoner, with their hometowns. I'm sure that many relatives of these men are alive today and may be finding out for the first time what happened to their forefathers in the Civil War.
"At seven a.m., the 8th of March, rumors reached us that the enemy were attempting a flank movement at our left, and the Twenty-Seventh Mass. were ordered to take positionacross the British Road, south of the Corners, which they did, while two cavalry videttes were thrown half a mile in advance to warn of danger. We were holding this position about eleven o'clock a.m., when an old man, upon horseback, and in citizen's dress, rode up, saying to Col. Walter G. Bartholomew (from Springfield, Mass) " You are being flanked, and may expect the enemy in that direction at any moment," pointing towards the woods in the direction of Wise Forks.
This was really our rear, and separated us from our supports. Col. Bartholomew immediately changed front, bringing the regiment on the easterly side of the road (facing east), and advanced the left flank company under Adjt. J. W. Holmes and Lieut. L. A. Holmes, as skirmishers. They were moving too far to the right, when Col. Bartholomew advanced to a slight rise and ordered them farther to the left, pointing with finger, and following with his eye the desired direction. As he did so, the enemy suddenly emerged from the whole line of woods, and charged double-quick towards our position, and the intersection of the roads. The woods were literally full of them, from which the swarmed with yells, until they covered our front and flanks.
Col. Bartholomew returned to the regiment, and as soon as the skirmishers had returned, ordered us to open fire. The two pieces of Seymour's Battery, after firing a few rounds, rushed down the road in the direction of Wise Forks, one of its guns falling into the enemy's hands; while the detachment of the Seventeenth Mass. made good itsescape by the British Road. The Twenty-Seventh Mass., by its morning report, March 7, 1865, numbered nine (it should have been ten) officers and one hundred ninety-one men, of whom Col. Bartholomew writes : "I felt as much confidence in them as in a whole regiment of new troops, and that confidence was never misplaced."
The enemy captured the detachment of the Twelfth N. Y. Cavalry, who were upon the British Road below us, and charged our skirmishers, driving them back three hundredyards upon the regiment. Here we delivered a rapid and effective fire, causing their massed troops to recoil from our front.
The Confederates covered our position with shrieking shot, amidst which Col. Bartholomew moved back and forth along the line, encouragingly saying, "You are doing well, boys; keep cool! Don't waste your ammunition!"
We kept our position, giving them the best we had, again and again causing their lines to halt, until their shots came quartering from the rear, and we could see them in nearly three-quarters of a circle around us. Our colonel again moved along the line, saying, "Boys, I want to face you to the rear ; march back a little, and turn around and give it to them again. Keep cool and steady : About -- Face ! -- Forward ! " and the regiment moved compactly across the road, forming in the field beyond the enemy's flanks.
It was a trying movement, and none but men of sterling courage and coolness could have executed it so well ; for the prevailing impulse in retiring from danger is excessive haste, which in such a moment easily becomes a total rout. Every man stopped at the order " Halt ! " and faced about, concentrating a well-directed fire upon the rebels' advance.
From front and flanks a converging fire swept our position, and the enemy closed upon us, yelling, " Surrender! Surrender!" for they were in overwhelming force. Hoke's entire division of five thousand five hundred men was there, with its assault concentric upon us.
Again and again our fire swept the field, cutting fearful winrows in the enemy's ranks, which, massed in column by division, was pressing down upon us. The contest deepened, dealing death and destruction along our line, and the light faded almost to twilight, under the battle- cloud of smoke which covered the sky with its murky hue.
Again the enemy enveloped our flanks, and shots came quartering from the rear, and our invincible line again faced about, marched out of the encircling line and formed behind an old rail fence. Here we found the half of the Fifteenth Conn., which had been placed in reserve the night previous. Once more our column faced the foe, returning defiant answer to their fire and demand for surrender. Many of the Fifteenth Conn, joined manfully in the fray, and the enemy again and again recoiled before our trusty rifles.
In this uneven contest, unaided by a single piece of artillery, there could be only one issue ; but we hoped to prolong the contest until our forces at Wise Forks could afford relief. From the first there had been for us no way of escape, and each man had resolved that, if overpowered, it would be with exhausted ammunition, and with commensurate loss to the enemy. The tide of battle swept mercilessly along our front; both of our color-bearers had been shot down, and the colors picked up and defiantly flaunted by others.
Again the rebels had reached our rear and were endeavoring to complete their cordon of investment around us, when Col. Bartholomew, as a last resort, gave the order, "Twenty- Seventh! rally round your colors! "Many of the Fifteenth Conn, rallied with us, and on that storm-rent field the devoted band emulated the courage and valor of Thermopylae and Marathon, and desperately contested the advance of the enemy. With a frenzy born of despair, they defied the enemy's fire, refused to surrender, and plied their faithful rifles until their ammunition was nearly spent. Could it bethat aid would fail and only two miles distant? Was this the reward of valiant service? "They must hear,and, knowing the weakness of our column, must understand that such a clash of arms must be from an overwhelming foe," were thoughts that crowded the mind.
The enemy now came pouring over South-West Creek in our rear, seeing which, the Fifteenth Conn, broke, the panic carrying many of the Twenty-Seventh with them. Just at this moment a Minnie-ball crushed through Col. Bartholomew's leg, shattering the fibula, or small bone below the knee, and he fell helpless to the ground.
The enemy, quick to discern the temporary faltering of our fire, rushed upon us, and with one sweep crushed our column, and the conflict was over. Col. Zachary, of the Twenty-Eighth Georgia, received Col. Bartholomew's sword, while the enraged foe threatened vengeance on us for their terrible loss.
Adjutant Holmes was looking at his watch when our colonel fell, finding we had then been contending, single handed, fifty-five minutes. He immediately went to Col. Bartholomew, caring for his wound, when a rebel captain came up ordering both our officers to pull off their boots, overcoats and hats, give up their money, and even took the handkerchief with which the adjutant had commenced to dress the colonel's wound. It is a pleasure to add, this act was severely condemned by Col. Zachary, who was a soldier and gentleman of honor. A few weeks later, Col. Zachary visited Col. Bartholomew while in hospital at High Point, N. C, and generously returned him his sword, as a tribute to his bravery upon the field.
By permission from Gen'l Hoke, Adjutant Holmes remained with Col. Bartholomew two days, and through entreaties with Surgeon Mathus of the Twenty-Eighth Georgia, saved the colonel's limb from amputation.
The men broke in all directions, hoping for some avenue of escape, but were speedily captured by forces advancing on all sides, only seven men, including Surgeon Fish and Hospital-Steward Parker, escaping from the field. These, however, were all members of the Ambulance Corps, and were cut off from the regiment early in the engagement. The captured men were hastily moved across the creek, and marched to Kinston, where they remained during the day, and at night were removed by cars to Goldsboro. The rank and file were thrust into a cattle-pen, and left for the night in a pouring rain, while the officers were confined in the court house.
The enemy had captured in this engagement twenty-six officers, and nine hundred and forty enlisted men from Upham's Brigade, the loss of the Twenty'-Seventh Mass. being seven killed, forty wounded, and one hundred and forty-seven prisoners.
The following is our list of casualties :
KILLED.
Company A. -- Sergt. Bartholomew O'Connell, Whately. Company C. -- Michael O 'Conner, Fitchburg. Company F. -- Corp. George W. Phillips, Sandisfield. LomsH. Fuller, Northampton.
Company G. -- Corp. William J. Paige, Chicopee. Company H. -- Dennis Dill worth, Adams. Company I. -- Harrison Rowe, Wilbraham.
WOUNDED.
Lieut. Col. W. G. Bartholomew, Springfield ; left leg, fibula broken.
Company A. -- Albert Holbrook, Huntington; contusion, leg. Brainard E. Taylor, Worthington ; left arm, fatal.
Company B. -- Lieut. Daniel W. Larned, Athol ; right side, left leg. John Clark, Phillipson ; face, left arm, side, severe. Fernado L. Lord, Athol ; right wrist.
Company C. -- Lieut. William G. Davis, Schenectady, N. Y. ; left breast. Corp. John Shoals, Amherst; left leg, amputated. William Brace, Greenfield ; through left lung. Jonathan Burroughs, Northampton ; leg, severe. Orrin J. Eaton, Deerfield ; left arm, severe. Oliver Woodbridge, Springfield ; left leg. Charles F. Webster, Montague ; jawbone broken. Frederick West, Canton ; right shoulder.
Company D. -- Lieut. Charles H. Bligh, Pittsfield ; right hip. Sergt. Warren C. Snell, Springfield ; both hips and leg, severe. Corp. James D. Haskins, Granby ; right thigh. Alvin R. Bradford, Florida ; arm. Frank H. Leonard, Shutesbury ; leg, slight. James H. Reed, Shutesbury ; right thigh. William H. Snow, Springfield ; foot, slight.
Company E. -- Corp. William W. Cummings, Warren; slight. George A. Martin, Windsor ; leg, flesh wound. Henry V. Searle, Westfield ; right leg, severe. Benjamin W. F. Smith, Great Barrington ; right arm. William Smith, Great Barrington ; right arm, amputated.
Company F. -- Sergt. Calvin J. Treat, Granville ; right hip. Henry H. Underwood, Sandisfield; shoulder. Proctor Woodruff, * Westfield ; arm, fatal.
Company G. -- Patrick Coffee, Northampton ; leg and left cheek. John L. Clark, Northampton ; ear. Richard Curtis, Hatfield ; leg. Edward Pendleton, Chicopee ; left ankle, right leg and arm. Ephraim Wilson, Pittsfield ; ear.
Company H.-- Color-Sergt. John McCleary, South Reading ; right shoulder, severe. Corp. Horace A. Loomis, Williamstown ; head, severe.
Company K. -- Lieut. William H. Cooley, Springfield ; leg, contusion. Corp. William Watt, Belchertown ; hand. Daniel E. Comstock, Springfield; right arm, severe. Jerre Harrington, 2d, Springfield ; right leg.
LIST OF THE CAPTURED.
All of these, except Ephraim Wilson of Company G, fell into the enemy's hands with the following list of CAPTURED.
Capt. William McKay, Adjt. Joseph W. Holmes, Lieut. Lyman, A. Holmes, Lieut. Edwin L. Peck, Chief Musician Linens C. Skinner.
Company A. -- Sergt. Charles C. Loud, James Adams, Edward Merrigan, Alfred Pasnow, Simon Schaefer.Company B. -- Sergt. Prescott M. Metcalf, Corp. William P. Huntoon, Corp. George E. Trask, Corp. Theodore Washburn, Corp. George D. Townsend, John Abbott, Thomas Barbour, James L. Bragdon, Martin O. Makeley, Dexter O. Oaks, Valentine 0.Rathburn, John B. Slate, Michael Sullivan.
Company C. -- Sergt. George P. Holden, Corp. Levi Brizzee, Patrick Bayne, Jr., John Barry, Jesse D. Comstock, Thomas Craven, Donald Donovan, James C. Fletcher, Henry P. Hanchett, Hugh Kennedy, Patrick McCabe, Mozart E. Perry, John Pryor, James Smith, John Sullivan, Patrick Sullivan, William Taylor, Michael Talbot, Harrison H. White, Elijah S. Williams, Jr., Charles L. Wright.
Company D. -- Sergt. Jay E. Nash, Corp. Warren F. King, Corp. Newton Pease, Corp. Medad Vinton, Rawson C. Briggs, Dexter Burnett, George W. Coleman, John Eagan, George P. Field, John K. Freeman, Lewis H. Freeman, Eli H. Johnson, Frederick B. Kentfield, John H. Nichols, Cornelius O'Connor, Dwight A. Reed, Elmer P. Snow.
Company E. -- Sergt. Charles N. Cook, Sergt. Franklin Hurst, Sergt. Alonzo H. Conklin, Corp. Nelson L. Adams, Corp. Fred. A. Robbins, Henry C. Bacon, Sylvadore Beach, Charles Dennison, John W. Gilmer, Rufus Groat, Joseph W. Huntley, John Lander, Joseph Mattis, Dennis McDonough, Thomas W. Norton, George W. Parish, Alfred C. Turner, Isaac F. Woodward.
Company F. -- Sergt. George W. Cone, Sergt. Charles H. Pratt, Corp. Lafayette Babb, Henry W. Chatfield, Timothy C. Cooney, Alfred C. Crocker, John Gorman, Richard Miller, Ulysses H. Pierce, Amos B. Pomroy, Walter A. Richards, George Welcome, George Welcome, Jr., David Woodworth.
Company G. -- Sergt. George Chalmers, Corp. John H. Hannura, Corp. John Ward, Corp. Lorenzo H. Yance, Avery Bryant, Edward Bride, George S. Corkins, Edward M. Cobb, Daniel Haney, James Lenahan, Elihu Smith.
Company H. -- Sergt. Sydney S. Terry, Corp. Charles H. Robertson, Charles G. Bennett, William Bowers, Franklin B. Brayton, Judge Bullard, Leverett Clarke, James Casey, Henry C. Crandall, John Q. Erwin, William J. Lowell, Nelson A. Randall, Albert A.Talham.
Company I. -- Corp. William Allen, Samuel Ashworth, Edwin H. Atwood, Henry Baker, Andrew Baird, Jacob Barton, William H. Chapin, James K. Crosby, William I. Joslyn, Elias S. Keyes, Horace Merritt, Gilbert McNall, Loren Wood.
Company K. -- Sergt. Joel Meacham, Corp. David H. Ingerson, Charles Baker, Hiram Burlingame, Jr., Harvey H. Converse, John R. Davis, Wilbur F. Davis, James Dimpsey, Francis Fisher, William Flynn, Patrick Hayes, Carl N. Lippman, John Mahoney,Andrew Marian, William Murphy, John McGowan, George R. Ring, Dennis Sheehan, William S. Tiffany.
The only members of the Twenty-Seventh Mass. who escaped were Surg. D. B. N. Fish, Hospital Steward Parker, Privates George A. Hill and William Bly, of Company A,Ephraim Wilson, Company G, Dwight E. Bruce, CompanyK, and one other, now unknown.
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