Like Grass Before the Scythe: Duryee’s Zouaves at Second Bull Run

    On the afternoon of August 30, 1862, the 5^th New York Volunteer Infantry, also called Duryee’s Zouaves, found themselves in a tight spot unlike any other they had faced in their 16 months of service. Their regiment along with the 10^th New York were the first ones struck by General James Longstreet’s assault and in ten minutes of ferocious combat, the New Yorkers lost 332 of the 525 men in the ranks, 121 of those casualties being killed or missing.

Private Alfred Davenport of Co. G was amazed that he made it off the field alive. “While running down the hill towards the Run, I saw my comrades dropping on all sides, canteens struck and flying to pieces, haversacks cut off, rifles knocked to pieces; it was a perfect hail of bullets,” Davenport recalled. “I was expecting to get mustered out every second, but on and on I went, the balls hissing by my head. I felt one strike me on the hip, just grazing me, and only cutting a hole through my pants. I tried to turn around to look behind once, and only once as it convinced me that it was no time to tarry. I saw two or three Rebel officers on horseback, their swords drawn and waving their men on; it occurred to me to turn and fire on them, but I as quickly decided it was folly as I could not stop long enough to take any kind of aim, and I would become a mark for a score of rifles, so I kept on.”

Private Davenport’s account of Second Bull Run originally appeared Lydia Minturn Post’s Soldiers’ Letters from Camp, Battlefield, and Prison published in 1865.

 

This colorful Zouave jacket belonged to a Corporal in the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry, also known as Duryee's Zouaves or "The Red Devils." General George Sykes considered the 5th New York one of the finest volunteer regiments he commanded during the Civil War and their destruction at Second Bull Run was deeply felt. Private Bennett Wood of the 4th Texas was among the troops who charged the 5th New York and Second Bull Run and commented that "I guess they were all killed for the earth was strewn with them and I never heard of one after that day." 

Camp of 5^th Regiment, N.Y. Vols, near Chain Bridge, Virginia

September 3, 1862

Dear Father,

          I received, about an hour since, yours of the 12^th and 21^st of August and some papers; also, just before leaving Harrison’s Landing I received mother’s and Carrie’s on the 10th instant but have had as you may surmise no time or opportunity of answering them until now. We have not even had time to rest or prepare out food since leaving Harrison’s Landing. Three days before leaving that place our knapsacks were sent away and since which time have had nothing but the clothes upon my back, overcoat, haversack, canteen, and accouterments. I am now writing this with the stump of a pencil, the only one in our company, I believe; have no envelope or anything to seal this with but will trust to luck to close this some way.

          We marched from the Landing to Newport News in about three days and a half. The first day’s march was one of the most severe that we ever experienced, being about 35 miles. We halted about a mile beyond the Chickahominy River near its mouth and were all exhausted and about used up and had to limp the last few miles, our feet being all blistered and our limbs stiff. At Newport News, we rested a day or two and were joined by a batch of recruits. We then took the steamer Cahawba on which our brigade consisting of our regiment and the 10^th New York, about 1,300 men, were crowded together for about 60 hours.  I slept in a chair on deck and hardly left it all that time for fear that I should lose even that berth.

          We landed at Aquia Creek and after some delay were crowded on platform and baggage cars; the one on which I was had no railing and we sat with our legs dangling over the sides and the center of the platform was crowded with our men as best they could pack themselves. We reached Falmouth Station after about an hour and half’s ride and took up our march again. Our arms being loaded and sleeping under our arms most of the time, often hearing heavy firing in the distance. We guarded several fords on the Rappahannock as we went along.

As we came near Catlett’s Station, we saw our wounded lying about a farmhouse and they were burying our dead of a fight the day before. Some Rebels were lying by the side of the railroad track in their gore, dead. At that place two locomotives and trains were destroyed as were bridges, burned by the Rebels. At Manassas the destruction of railroad property was complete, the remains of engines and their trains, stores, and clothing scattered in every direction. From here we marched about eight miles and drew up in line of battle, fired some dozen or so shells, but received none in return. They were fighting some two miles below us and there had been fighting in another direction the day before.

Captain Carlisle Boyd
Co. A, 5th New York
Wounded in action

We laid on the road that night and the next day were at the scene of the previous day’s fight which it seems is what we call Bull Run; they were then carrying off the dead and wounded. We could distinguish the red pants of the dead of the 14^th Brooklyn lying on a hill to the front of us which was disputed ground of the day before. Our forces were driven twice from it and soon to contain the dead and wounded of our own ill-fated regiment of the same uniform as our Brooklyn brothers.

We took our position well to the front on the borders of the Run with batteries to the left and right, shelling from hills in the direction of the enemy. There was a hill that rose up directly in front of us. The Rebels replied and his shot and shell came whizzing near us, sometimes compelling us to lie down. While this was going on, we gathered some dry brush, made our little fires, and boiled our coffee in our cups which is our principal nourishment during our long marches.

After lying here some time, we advanced in line of battle to the top of the hill, supporting a battery that still kept up the shelling; when I speak of we, I mean the 5^th and 10^th New York regiments as the regulars were further to the rear. We were in advance of the line of our army and on the extreme left; finally, we again advanced to a hill on our left and a little in advance of our former position, our battery shelling away in an open space in which the country could be seen for miles in that direction. Our regiment was drawn up facing the woods, our left resting on them, the wood running along our front, and again at right angles to our rear on the left. The Run was at the foot of the hill and directly in our rear and only a foot or so deep at this place. Six companies of the 10th were in the woods in front of our right wing, the remaining four companies being out as skirmishers.

The Rebels had hardly replied to our shelling for some time and it struck me that mischief was brewing; two rifle balls came near, one of which was picked up by our orderly sergeant; it looked mysterious as not a Reb was to be seen. It was not long before a company of skirmishers came in on our left, all much excited and huddled together in a heap. They were much scared and looked as if they had seen a ghost; they said the Rebels were coming on and were right on top of us on our left flank. Before any orders could be given to change position, the balls began to fly like hail from the woods. It seemed as if the Rebels had come out of the ground and it was a continual hiss, snap, whizz, slug. Pat Brady, who used to live opposite is on Lexington Avenue in the wooden cottage, was the first one hit, he was standing just a few files from me. He fell without saying a word, struck in the body; he was dragged a few paces to the rear to be out of our way by the lieutenant when he undid the body belt himself and he died there without a complaint.

Private Frederick C. Hyde
Co. F, 5th N.Y.

On account of the part of the 10^th New York being drawn up in front of our right wing, only the companies on our left could fire. We commenced, but the Rebel fire was now murderous and our men were falling on all sides like grass before the scythe; the 10^th had already broken and were flying to the rear. We had not fired more than two or three rounds before the Rebels were on us in front and flank, their object being to surround us and take us prisoners. The order had been given to retreat and save ourselves, every man for himself, by Colonel [Gouverneur K.] Warren but we did not hear it. The recruits began to give way and then what was left of the regiment broke and ran away for their lives. 

The Rebels were after us, yelling like fiends. They were Mississippi and Texas riflemen and were six to one of us; they came charging on yelling for “Jefferson Davis and the Southern Confederacy!” They were mostly in their short sleeves and looked savage enough. There was no hope of saving a man but in flight; all the time, they poured in their deadly shots at short range. When we first broke, they were not more than 15 or 20 feet from us. The battery we were supporting [5^th U.S. Light Artillery] got off safe, leaving its commander Captain [John Radcliff] Smead dead on the field. He was one of our best artillery officers and a graduate of West Point, Colonel Warren and Captain [Cleveland] Winslow, acting in command of the regiment and being mounted, got off safe, but it is a miracle that they escaped.

While running down the hill towards the Run, I saw my comrades dropping on all sides, canteens struck and flying to pieces, haversacks cut off, rifles knocked to pieces; it was a perfect hail of bullets. I was expecting to get mustered out every second, but on and on I went, the balls hissing by my head. I felt one strike me on the hip, just grazing me, and only cutting a hole through my pants. I crossed the Run in the wake of Colonel Warren, he was about 100 yards ahead of me with his red cap in his hand and his horse running at the top of his speed! I tried to turn around to look behind once, and only once as it convinced me that it was no time to tarry. I saw two or three Rebel officers on horseback, their swords drawn and waving their men on; it occurred to me to turn and fire on them, but I as quickly decided it was folly as I could not stop long enough to take any kind of aim, and I would become a mark for a score of rifles, so I kept on.

The Rebels came on and swept everything before them, completely turning the left wing of the army. There was no support whatever behind us, and somebody was evidently to blame and it looked to me as if it was left so on purpose to defeat Pope. The old corps commanders of the Army of the Potomac were jealous of him and not willing to cooperate with him. When we rallied, there was about 40 men in our regiment and were joined by lost ones of different regiments. We were glad to see our colors safe and the remnant of our once proud regiment rallying around them. The wounded came hobbling along in droves, covered with blood; some were being assisted by comrades, some were carried in blankets with a man at each corner, all talking at once and very excited. The poor wounded, joggled about from one side to another, some of them yelling with pain, but such is war.

Unidentified soldier
5th N.Y.

Men and artillery flew by, the horses galloping like mad, the drivers bewildered while officers with drawn swords and revolvers shouted, cursed, and threatened with no one to obey. Bullets were flying, shells bursting, the rattle of musketry and roar of artillery, everything enveloped in smoke; aides and orderlies riding back and forth as if mad while here and there a general with an anxious look, giving hurried orders to his aides, and all together the din and confusion like pandemonium such as we might picture to ourselves hell in the day of Judgment, such is what we call a rout. All this commotion as sudden as a storm at sea after a calm.

There we stood excitedly looking on all this scene in an agony of suspense as to the fate of our army and what the effect on our cause. There our little band stood with but one will: to obey orders, but minutes were ages. Lieutenant Colonel [John W.] Marshall of the 10^th was exhorting and encouraging his handful of men with tears in his eyes, ‘Be brave and resolute, men,” said he ‘come what will, and for God’s sake do not let me be ashamed of you!’

But in a few moments, we saw General McDowell ride along the front amid the storm of bullets and soon a long line of men was seen through the smoke following in the same direction. The men went along at a double quick and with a cheer and at the end of the line, I saw one of our red boys going along with them although he had no business there. It was a whole division of troops sent to our rescue; our fate and that of the Union depended on their success in staying the onward rush of the enemy. General McDowell’s voice rang out clear and loud in the din, ‘Let there be no faltering in this line!’ Immediately after a fearful rolling crash, as the whole division poured in their volley succeeded by a fierce yell, told us that our boys had commenced the work of death and were making a charge. At the same time some of our batteries on a hill opened with grape and canister on the Rebel hordes. But darkness was fast spreading her mantle over the scene and the army was saved. We immediately under the cover of night commenced our retreat.

From the time the first shot was fired at our regiment to our getting off the field it was not over 15 minutes, yet in that time we lost eight out of eleven line officers killed or wounded, they being all we had left with us. We went in with 580 men and now draw rations for 250 men. Most of the recruits that had joined us were either killed or wounded having had no instruction and not knowing by experience how to take common precautions. We have a lot more on the way to join us; little do they know what their trials and troubles are to be. Our company [G] being on the left next to the last company lost heavily; out of 58 men, we have 24 non-commissioned officers and privates left. We had only one commissioned officer to command us, Second Lieutenant Martin, as brave a man as I want to see. He fairly cried when we broke. I went off the field about the same time he did. How I escaped I don’t know but I thank God for it!

The 5th New York had been heavily engaged at Gaines Mill two months before during the Seven Days battles and gained much favorable notice for their steadiness under fire. 

There are now only eight or ten of the two-year men left in our company who were at Fort Schuyler when the regiment was first organized; the rest have been killed, wounded, sick in the hospital, deserted, discharged, etc. We then had 101 men in our company and I can hardly expect to survive another such engagement if we should be unfortunate enough to get into another. I fear it will wipe us out as a thing of the past: eight more long weary months of marching and misery!

Oh, this is a dreadful war and it is my conviction that it is one of extermination on the part of the Rebels. They fight with determination and all the prisoners we take seem to be confident of success in the end; they still persist that the South will never give in. Some of the Texans drawled out in conversation ‘We will fight you until we are all dead Yanks, and I reckon then the women will fight you after that.’ After the fight, we fell back to Centreville, which is strongly fortified, and by night we retreated to Fairfax and from thence here, where we have just gone into came but how long to rest we don’t know. The Army of the Potomac is most used up and requires rest.

I forgot to mention that we lost both of our color bearers and four of our color corporals killed and two wounded. One ran away. Sergeant Andrew Allison [Co. H], who carried the U.S. flag, was shot through the arm and he gave the colors up to a corporal and went back about 20 steps to the rear but came back again, appearing as if he was ashamed. Shortly after, he was shot through the heart. Sergeant [William H.] Chambers [Co. H] ran up and rolled his body off the colors and bore them off the field. Sergeant Francis Spellman [Co. G], who formerly tented with me, carried the state colors; he was shot through the neck, so his food came out that way. His arm was taken off at the socket and he was shot through the side in several places. Medical Director Howard tried hard to save his life, but he died trying to hum a hymn.

To learn more about the 5^th New York at Second Bull Run, I highly recommend Brian Pohanka’s article “Destruction of the 5^th New York Zouaves” available here.

 

Source:

Letter from Private Alfred Davenport, Co. G, 5^th New York Volunteer Infantry (Duryee’s Zouaves); Post, Lydia Minturn, editor. Soldiers’ Letters from Camp, Battlefield, and Prison. New York: Bunce & Huntington, 1865, pgs. 147-156