An Echo Like the Wail of Departed Spirits: With the 16th Michigan at Gaines Mill

As he watched the remnants of the Army of the Potomac fall back after being defeated at the Battle of Gaines Mill on June 27, 1862, the confidence of Hospital Steward William L. Berry of the 16th Michigan in the generalship of George McClellan suffered its first blow.

“The thought came to my mind: what did all this mean? Was McClellan surprised and was the vast army that the government had been so carefully nursing for the past year suddenly to be put to rout and driven back? Was all the admirable plans to be defeated and was the enemy to still hold their sway? I pondered over it all night and could come to no reasonable conclusion why we should be so defeated and driven from the ground that we had held for so long a time. I’ll confess that for the first time, my confidence in McClellan was shaken but felt satisfied that all would turn out for the best,” the Canadian wrote home.

Hospital Steward Berry’s account of Gaines Mill first saw publication in the July 25, 1862, edition of the Ingersoll Chronicle, published in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, his hometown. Later in the war, Berry was commissioned as an assistant surgeon and wrote regularly to the Chronicle detailing the services of the 16th Michigan.

          During the Seven Days’ campaign, the 16th Michigan was part of Colonel Dan Butterfield’s Third Brigade of General George Morrell’s First Division of the 5th Army Corps, under General Fitz-John Porter.

 

"I sit in my tent and think but it seems like a horrid dream," William L. Berry wrote. "Hundreds of my companions gone, victims to the strife, never to return. I have but to step to the door and look at those that are still left and then the sad reality looms before me in its darkest form." 

Camp near James River, Virginia

July 5, 1862

          A week of horrors has just passed. Future historians will dwell upon the scenes of the past week as the most eventful and bloody since the christening of the western hemisphere. I sit in my tent and think but it seems like a horrid dream. Hundreds of my companions gone, victims to the strife, never more to return. I have but to step to the door and look at those that are still left and then the sad reality looms before me in its darkest form.

          I look to the next regiment and see but 150 guns stacked where there used to be 800 and again, I know it is not a dream. But the saddest of all is when I look for a dear friend and fear, too, he has fallen. What I have witnessed I hope and pray never to witness again. I will, in as plain a manner as possible, tell you what I have seen, so that you may judge what war is. I told you what I saw at West Point and Hanover Courthouse, but they are not to be compared to the struggle of the past few days.

 

          We had encamped in a most beautiful grove. Everything has been done to make ourselves comfortable as we all were of the opinion that our stay at this point should be extended into the summer. The third day of our stay here [June 26] was drawing to a close, the men lounging under the luxuriant foliage of the adjacent trees all satisfied that all was well. When to the utter surprise of all, we heard the first sergeant call the men to fall in with knapsacks, haversacks, canteens, and three days’ rations. What could it mean? None could tell, but the order was quickly obeyed and in one hour from the time the order was read, the line was formed and under way.

          I stood by the road as they filed out and it was the last time that I saw half of them. I was not ordered off with them, so I, as well as others that were left in camp, supposed that they were but going on picket or fatigue duty and thought nothing about it, but during the night, the rumbling of the wheels of cannon could be continually heard while the clattering of horses feet galloping along the road kept up a continual noise but with the early morn, a different aspect of affairs presented itself. Before it was clearly light, I received an order to pack up all our hospital furniture, send the sick over the Chickahominy as quickly as possible, to get everything off in a half hour, and if I could not get all off in that time to be off myself without delay.

Major General Fitz-John Porter, commanding the 5th Army Corps during the Seven Days

          This order came from the brigade surgeon and had to be obeyed; but we worked with a will and before the time elapsed, we were off. But hardly had we got away from the spot before the shells from the enemy’s guns nearly reached the spot we were leaving. We put spurs and whips to our horses and were soon over the Chickahominy, disposing of the sick and stores as directed.

          I hastened back to the scene of conflict. I found everything in battle order, artillery placed upon commanding positions, ably supported by infantry, while the cavalry were disposed of as was proper. I found our regiment and brigade and after carefully viewing the position of our forces and knowing well the lay of the ground at that particular point, instantly became satisfied that we were in a critical position. Especially if the enemy was in force as strong as we supposed they would be and if they attempted to break through our lines. One advantage we had over them was our superior force of artillery, the mightiest arm of war.

          We waited with almost breathless anxiety for the commencement of the fight. We had not long to wait. The regiment was lying upon the ground for greater safety when suddenly a report was heard and with it a terrific screech from the left of our column. Upon hastening to the spot, we found that a shell from the enemy’s gun has burst upon three of our men, inflicting the most horrible and painful wounds. They were removed.

          All was now excitement, it being the first time that our regiment was ever under actual fire. Delay was now impossible. We knew their position, although hidden by a thick growth of Virginia pine, and our batteries began to belch forth their own hail with the utmost rapidity. It was returned with spirit and cannonading was kept up for upwards of two hours without intermission and strange to say, without much loss upon our side. One captain in our regiment was the only one that fell after that first shell; but at this point, things took a different turn.

The 16th Michigan held a position in the second line on the far left of the Union line during the sunset attacks by the Confederates at Gaines Mill. These assaults finally broke the Union line as Berry describes in his letter. 

          Musketry began to be heard on our left and our lookout, who was up in a thick tree, said that they were advancing by the left. Orders were instantly given for us to “left face, forward march” and we soon met them face to face. Shots were instantly exchanged. At this point, our regiment suffered heavily as about 50 fell at the first fire. We stood our ground for awhile but they succeeded in taking a battery of artillery from us by which we were so weakened that we were forced to retire, leaving our wounded.

          But the enemy’s success was only temporary; for we soon rallied and went up by the left flank and charged on them, succeeding in taking back our ground, although at a terrible loss of life. The fighting again became general, the cannons roaring, shells bursting in the air, balls whistling with their shrill music by to us to commit havoc upon those in our rear while the volleys of musketry sounded like the distant approach of a whirlwind, the echo like the wail of departed spirits singing a sad requiem to those just fallen.

          The enemy was in force much stronger than ours. They regularly relieved every 15 minutes while our men had to stand their ground amidst the most galling fire. They crowded us up and again we fell back, this time in regular order. We were now reinforced by what is called the Irish Brigade. General Porter rallied the men, formed them upon a color line, and back went our thinned ranks to battle against their unequal forces once more.

The men retained their courage. We now came up to them and poured in a volley. The order was given to “load and fire at will” but our general, seeing that the odds were against us, concluded to try once more. The order was given to charge. Every gun came to a shoulder and then to a charge, and way we went with a yell that ought to frighten old Nick. The enemy fled.

Colonel Thomas B.W. Stockton
16th Michigan
Prisoner of War

The general, seeing them fly and seeing the evening shades coming on, ordered us to retire. So, the order to about face was given. We gladly obeyed the order and retreated quickly across the Chickahominy, leaving the enemy in possession of the field and more than all, in possession of the wounded. The greatest loss we sustained was the loss of our gallant and brave Colonel [Thomas Baylis Whitmarsh] Stockton; he is a prisoner. Two captains fell, three were wounded, several lieutenants were killed and wounded, but a complete list you will doubtless see in the papers.

[Colonel Stockton’s horse was shot out from under him then he was captured. Stockton, an 1827 graduate of West Point, would be exchanged in August for Colonel Lewis Burwell Williams of the 1st Virginia, an 1855 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and former assistant instructor in tactics at V.M.I. Williams had been wounded and captured at Williamsburg on May 5, 1862.]

The thought came to my mind: what did all this mean? Was McClellan surprised and was the vast army that the government had been so carefully nursing for the past year suddenly to be put to rout and driven back? Was all the admirable plans to be defeated and was the enemy to still hold their sway? I pondered over it all night and could come to no reasonable conclusion why we should be so defeated and driven from the ground that we had held for so long a time. I’ll confess that for the first time, my confidence in McClellan was shaken but felt satisfied that all would turn out for the best.

At the approach of morning, I left the ground where I had laid all night and went to the bridge crossing the river. This I found strongly guarded and preparations made to destroy it. Suddenly, a loud report was heard and all communication over the Chickahominy was cut off. Things now looked more gloomy and mysterious than ever. All our forces were withdrawn from over the river, all our baggage train had been hurried away, all the commissary stores (of which there was a vast quantity) had been destroyed. Thousands of our wounded were in the hands of the enemy and everything looked as if we were about to make preparations for another fight or march, those who were left filling their haversacks with bread and getting the full amount of cartridges.

Union forces on the retreat. "Everybody looked gloomy and everybody supposed that all was wrong and that our army would be routed and broken up," Berry lamented. 

Everybody looked gloomy and everybody supposed that all was wrong and that our army would be routed and broken up. I passed along looking for our regiment from which I had strayed. I stopped a moment under the shade of a tree to rest. While there, a colonel came up and asked a question which I answered. We got into conversation and I asked him if things were not looking blue. He seemed astonished at the question. “Truly, do you not understand the move,” he asked. I told him it looked strange and would like to be informed.

He then asked me what good advantage it would be to stay where we were. I told him that it was close to a water communication with Washington and a good place for making an attack on the Rebel capitol. “Yes, that’s true, but is not the James River a better means of communications and a better base of operations than where we were?” That cleared my eyes. I saw the whole game in a moment and told him so and we parted, he to fall into the ranks and I to let you know it.

The 16th Michigan lost 49 killed, 116 wounded, and 55 missing at Gaines Mill, a total of 220. Major Norval E. Welch assumed command of the regiment after Colonel Stockton was captured.

To learn more about the Battle of Gaines' Mill, please check out these posts: 

With the Jasper Grays at Gaines Mill (16th Mississippi) 

Carrying the Colors of the 5th Texas at Gaines Mill 

Louder than the Bolts of Heaven: With the 1st Michigan at Gaines Mill 

A Promise Kept After Gaines Mill (1st Michigan)

More in the Wind Than We Bargained For: The Seven Days with the 3rd New Jersey

The Great Skedaddle: With Berdan's Sharpshooters During the Seven Days (1st U.S. Sharpshooters)

Source:

Letter from Hospital Steward William L. Berry, 16th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Ingersoll Chronicle (Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada), July 25, 1862, pg. 2

A complete transcription of all of Berry's letters to the Ingersoll Chronicle was published as A Canadian in the Army of the Potomac: The Letters of William L. Berry of the 16th Michigan published in 2024. Kim Crawford's regimental history of the 16th Michigan is also worth a perusal. 

Comments

  1. WataugaSeptember 1, 2025 at 8:17 PM

    Berry doesn't seem to mention it in his account, but as the 16th Michigan and 83rd Pennsylvania withdrew from the field at Gaines' Mill there was a somewhat famous standoff between them and two South Carolina regiments under Col. Micah Jenkins' command, the Palmetto Sharpshooters and the 5th South Carolina.

    Both commands were marching by the flank, almost parallel to each other in the darkness until it was discovered who was who. Volleys were exchanged, then Jenkins' led a charge that broke the two Union regiments, the 16th Michigan losing their colors and a number of men captured, including Col. Stockton. The 16th's colors were sent back to South Carolina to be displayed at the state house in Columbia and were later lost in the "burning of Columbia" in 1865.

    Coincidentally, the South Carolinians and the 16th Michigan met again in the surrender at Appomattox, during the stacking of arms ceremony. Upon learning who was who both sides broke ranks and greeted each other, more as old friends than enemies.

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