Into the Wilderness with the 122nd Ohio

Corporal Charles Willey of the 122nd Ohio sustained the second and third of his four wartime wounds when his regiment charged the Confederate line during the last day of the Battle of the Wilderness. Located on the far right of the Union line, the Ohioans charged the works held by John Pegram's Virginia brigade. 

    "On the morning of the 6th our brigade made a charge on the Rebel works," he stated. "They held their fire until we were about 100 yards from them. When they opened on us, such a sight I never want to see again. It seemed as if every other man had fallen, either killed or wounded. It was terrible to see the brave boys falling on every side. I had fired but a few shots when a ball came through my haversack, striking me on the hip. I first thought I was badly wounded but I found I was only bruised. In a short time, another ball struck me on the left leg just above the knee and about two inches from the wound I received at Winchester. The ball did not bury itself in the flesh and I took it out myself. However, it affected the old wound so much that I was quite lame."

          Corporal Willey’s account of the Battle of Wilderness first saw publication in the June 2, 1864, edition of the Zanesville Daily Courier. In this charge, the 122nd Ohio lost 120 men. 

 


U.S. General Hospital, Annapolis, Maryland

May 26, 1864

          I thought you would like to have some account of our movements from the time of leaving our winter quarters. We started on the morning of May 4th and that evening crossed the Rapidan and camped. The morning of the 5th we took up the line of march, moving in the direction of the old Wilderness Tavern, our corps moving on one road. Going some 4 or 5 miles, we were ordered back to where we had camped the night before. About an hour after we got there we were ordered to move forward again. This time we went almost to the tavern and then were ordered back to a road that led into the Wilderness on the extreme right of our line of battle. We were drawn up in line of battle and lay there some 2-3 hours then were relieved by a brigade of Burnside’s corps.

          Our brigade went further to the left in a position to support a brigade that was engaged. We were under fire until the fighting stopped at about 9 o’clock that night. Then our company with some others was ordered out to picket in front of the regiment. We were within speaking distance of the Rebels and we had to keep a sharp lookout while they did the same. There was picket firing all night but it did not amount to much. The Rebs were cutting down trees and building breastworks all night and worked as if for life. We could hear them plainly but could not see them.

          On the morning of the 6th our brigade made a charge on the Rebel works. They held their fire until we were about 100 yards from them. When they opened on us, such a sight I never want to see again. It seemed as if every other man had fallen, either killed or wounded. It was terrible to see the brave boys falling on every side. I had fired but a few shots when a ball came through my haversack, striking me on the hip. I first thought I was badly wounded but I found I was only bruised. In a short time, another ball struck me on the left leg just above the knee and about two inches from the wound I received at Winchester. The ball did not bury itself in the flesh and I took it out myself. However, it affected the old wound so much that I was quite lame.

"An assault was ordered at daylight but from some cause was not made until about 9 a.m., the 122nd being on the left of our brigade and by some mistake unsupported by any second line. The order being to press on without firing, our regiment moved at a run without any caps on their guns and were pushing for the enemy's works when troops on both right and left of us began firing and laying down. I then ordered my wing of the regiment to lie down and suppose Colonel Ball did the same with his wing. Firing from our lines began, our regimental colors being nearer the Rebel works than any other part of the line. After half an hour or more, the troops on our right began to fall back as did those on our left and then did the 122nd Ohio, having suffered heavily. Thus the assault was a failure." ~ Lieutenant Colonel Moses M. Granger, 122nd Ohio 

          When I was wounded, I was beside Andrew Voll; he had not been touched when I left. The wounded bots that came to the rear after I did said they saw Voll, Frost, and Sloan fall before they left. I saw a great many fall but could not tell who they were as they generally fell on their faces. When I started to the rear, I thought the balls came as thick as they did in the front and the shells were worse. We passed over the ground where they had fought on the 5th there was quite a number of Rebel dead scattered through the woods with some of our own men. In some places, the Rebel dead lay in heaps. It was a sad sight to see men lying there where their friends will never find them, will not even know what their fate was. Many of the wounded that were not able to get away perished in the flames in the Wilderness. The fire was caused by shells exploding among the dry leaves.

          When we got out of range of the balls and shells we found the field hospital where the surgeons were dressing wounds as fast as possible and sending the wounded to the brigade hospitals. Our hospital was at the old Wilderness tavern. That night, orders came to move the hospitals as it was thought that would be the battleground the next day. All that were able had to walk while the others were placed in ambulances. The train was some 3 miles long.

          On the 7th we arrived at the Chancellorsville battlefield where we stopped awhile expecting to go on through to Rappahannock Station on the Alexandria Railroad but something prevented us from moving. On the morning of the 8th, we started in the direction of Spotsylvania but could not get through that way; we were then turned back on to the plank road leading to Fredericksburg. The train moved very slow and we traveled all night, reaching Fredericksburg at noon on the 9th. Every house, church, and yard that could be used for that purpose were taken as hospitals and almost everywhere on the streets you could see wounded men glad to lie down quietly after their painful ride. Everything was done that possibly could be and great praise is due to Dr. Bryan, Chaplain Houston of our regiment and Mr. Tucker, our hospital steward. They went with us to Fredericksburg and were busy night and day attending to the sufferers, making them as comfortable as possible with the scanty means they had for supplies were getting low.

          On May 10th all that were able to travel were directed to Belleplain Landing. We crossed the Rappahannock and took the road leading to the landing which is distant 8 miles. Belleplain Landing is on the Potomac and there we found the Sanitary and Christian Commissions doing all they could to relieve the sufferers. About midnight, the boat came to take us to Washington where we arrived on the 11th and were immediately taken to the hospital where we were fed and got clean clothes. We left there on the 18th and went to Baltimore to take a boat for Annapolis where we arrived on the morning of the 19th.

          I am doing very well but I do not think I will be able to march. Concerning Robert Sloan, I know nothing only that he was reported killed. Voll and Frost the same. I presume you have particulars before this. We have everything here that we need.

         To learn more about the Battle of the Wilderness, please check out these posts:

Coming Out with a Whole Hide: A Sharpshooter Describes the Wilderness

Grant the Great will be no more: An Alabamian at Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse

Sources:

Letter from Corporal Charles Tatman Willey, Co. A, 122nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Zanesville Daily Courier (Ohio), June 2, 1864, pg. 2

Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Moses Moorhead Granger, 122nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Zanesville Daily Courier (Ohio), May 25, 1864, pg. 2


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