Funeral of Major Henry Patten

Saturday, September 17, 1864

The funeral of Major Henry Patten was held this morning at 11:00 A.M. in the Harvard College Chapel. Many of Henry's past and current comrades attended, including William Raymond Lee, Frank Palfrey, George Macy, Theodore Lyman, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Herbert Mason, and John Chipman Gray Jr. Three Harvard presidents offered eulogies for Henry, including Rev. Doctor James Walter, Rev. Andrew Peabody, and Rev. Thomas Hill. After the solemn service a procession led by Henry's Twentieth Massachusetts comrades carried his coffin, draped with an American flag and covered with flowers, to Mount Auburn Cemetery for burial.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 409-410.

Sad Death of Major Henry Patten

Saturday, September 10, 1864

Major Henry Patten tragically succumbed to his wounds today at Turner's Lane Hospital in Petersburg. Major Patten was shot in the left leg at Deep Bottom on August 17, a wound which required amputation at the Petersburg field hospital at Strawberry Plains. After transport to Turner's Lane Hospital his amputated leg became infected, and sadly he grew steadily weaker until his death today. Major Patten was the final active link between Harvard and the "Harvard Regiment."¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 409.

Oliver's Story - Funeral of Oliver Stanton Bates

Thursday, September 1, 1864

Today a solemn funeral mass in honor of Private Oliver Stanton Bates of Company A was attended at the Methodist Church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Oliver's hometown. Two notices appeared in the Pittsfield Sun newspaper today that reported Oliver's death and funeral.

BATES - At Slough Hospital, Alexandria, Va., Oliver S. Bates, aged 24, a member of Co. A, 20th Mass. Regiment, and son of J. Dwight Bates of this town¹

The funeral of Oliver S. Bates, a member of Co. A, 20th Mass. Regiment, who was wounded in one of the battles before Petersburg will be attended this afternoon from the Methodist Church.²

References:
¹Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, Massachusetts), 1 September 1864, p.3.
²Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, Massachusetts), 1 September 1864, p.3.

Disaster and Capture at Reams Station

Thursday, August 25, 1864

Union General Ulysses S. Grant planned his next move by attempting to break the Weldon Railroad at Reams Station, twelve miles south of Petersburg. On the evening of August 20 the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment began their march from Deep Bottom to Reams Station. Arriving on Wednesday General Winfield Hancock's Second Corps destroyed a portion of the railroad at Malone's Crossing. Evening fell on Wednesday with a few minor skirmishes. The Twentieth Massachusetts remained on picket duty and reported no casualties by day's end.

This morning the Second Corps resumed their work near Reams Station but were soon met by a large Confederate force led by General A.P. Hill and Cavalry commander Major General Wade Hampton. Destruction of other railroad lines around Petersburg made the fight for the Weldon Railroad a desperate one for the Confederates, as they needed to keep the railroad line open for food. As Confederate attacks began late in the morning the Twentieth Massachusetts was positioned in a reserve line to bolster attacks on the Second Corps. At 5:00 P.M. the Confederates unleashed enfilade artillery fire into General Hancock's Second Corps. A panic ensued among the newer Second Corps recruits as they fled toward the rear, breaking the Union line. As men from the rear tried to bolster the line gaps began to form on both sides. Some men from the Twentieth Massachusetts broke from their position, but the majority of the Twentieth remained to fight. The Confederates took advantage of the crumbling Union position and the Twentieth Massachusetts found themselves surrounded by the enemy. As further resistance would have proved futile Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Curtis of the Twentieth Massachusetts surrendered with his men. Only fourteen men of the Twentieth Massachusetts escaped death or capture at Reams Station. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 411-17.

Oliver's Story - In Memoriam - Oliver Stanton Bates

Friday, August 19, 1864

Oliver Stanton Bates of Company A of the 20th Massachusetts Regiment died today at Slough Barracks Military Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. He was severely wounded while serving on picket duty along the Jerusalem Plank Road in Petersburg on June 24 and his leg required immediate amputation on the battlefield. After a two-month struggle at Slough Hospital he succumbed to his wounds. ¹

His body was embalmed for transport to his home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He is buried in the Bates Family Plot at Pittsfield Cemetery.

Before the Civil War Oliver was a harness maker in Pittsfield. He was a man of modest means. At the time of Oliver's death embalming was an expensive procedure, and his family did not have the money to pay for preparing his body for the journey home. I have read about the kindness extended by officers of the 20th Massachusetts Regiment to their fallen enlisted men, and I am certain that one or more of the officers extended this kindness to Oliver and his family by paying for the burial ritual so his body could be sent home. Oliver was one of the few veteran volunteers still alive in his regiment at the time of his death. I am deeply grateful to the officers and enlisted men of the 20th Massachusetts for their generosity to Oliver and his family. ²

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
²Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 280-81, 315-17.

First and Second Battles of Deep Bottom

Wednesday, August 17, 1864

Since the engagement at Jerusalem Plank Road in June the Twentieth Massachusetts had become well-versed in the mechanics of trench warfare at Petersburg. On July 26 General Winfield S. Hancock's Second Corps was deployed along the north side of the James River at Deep Bottom to draw Confederate General Robert E. Lee away from Petersburg with the dual intent of destroying the Virginia Central Railroad and to weaken the Confederate line. Night marches and skirmishes over the ensuing three days resulted in the capture of an officer and twenty-four enlisted men of the Twentieth Massachusetts. On July 29 Union General Ulysses S. Grant recalled the Second Corps to Petersburg, where they witnessed the mine explosion and the resulting conflict known as the Battle of the Crater on the morning of July 30.

On August 12 General Grant ordered the Second and Tenth Corps toward Deep Bottom once again after receiving information that Confederate General Robert E. Lee detached General Jubal Early's three infantry divisions towards the Shenandoah Valley, leaving only five divisions at Petersburg. Grant hoped that the movement of the Second and Tenth Corps away from Petersburg would provide a diversion that would further weaken Lee's Petersburg lines, providing an opportunity to break Lee's defenses. To further the deception Grant ordered the Second Corps to march to City Point to board northbound steamers that would reverse course after several miles and debark at Deep Bottom.

The subsequent deployments of the Second Corps were poorly organized, and many of the men were confused about the change of plans and their new destination. The intense heat along the Peninsula took its toll, and many men were felled by heat stroke. The conflict ensued for several days with inconclusive results. For most of the engagement the Twentieth Massachusetts was deployed for picket duty, which once again proved fateful for the dwindling regiment. On this day Major Henry Patten was tragically felled by a bullet in his left leg, which required immediate amputation to save his life. Major Patten was subsequently transported for care to Turner's Lane Hospital in Philadelphia.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 397-409.

Oliver's Story - Transport to Slough Barracks Hospital

Wednesday, June 29, 1864

Private Oliver Stanton Bates of Company A was transported for care to Slough Barracks Hospital in Alexandria.¹

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Oliver's Story - Severe Wounding at Petersburg

Friday, June 24, 1864

Private Oliver Stanton Bates of Company A was severely wounded today at Petersburg. Oliver was struck in his left leg by shrapnel from an exploding Confederate shell while serving on picket duty .

He was transported to the field hospital at City Point where his left leg was amputated at the knee joint by Second Division Chief Surgeon Nathan Hayward. ¹

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road

Wednesday, June 22, 1864

General David Birney’s Second Corps came under attack by Confederates led by General William "Billy" Mahone. Most of Gibbon’s Second Division retreated from the Confederate onslaught unleashed by General Mahone. The Twentieth Massachusetts, under the command of Captain Henry Patten, held their line and released their own deadly volleys of rifle fire into the Confederates, halting any further Confederate advance.

General John Gibbon was furious with the performance of his Second Division, but had nothing but praise for the Twentieth Massachusetts under the stellar command of Captain Henry Patten.

In truth, the struggling performance of Gibbon's Second Division had more to do with the overwhelming casualties suffered by the Second Corps since the beginning of the Overland Campaign. The bloody and catastrophic fighting that occurred daily since the Battle of the Wilderness in early May had taken a heavy toll in casualties in officers and in the enlisted men. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 390-96.

First Action at Petersburg

Saturday, June 18, 1864

General Winfield S. Hancock, still suffering from the ill effects of his wound at Gettysburg, was no longer able to remain in command of the Second Corps. General David Birney was named as his temporary replacement.

General Byron Root Pierce, the commander of the First Brigade of General John Gibbon’s Second Division of the Second Corps, assumed his new role after the mortal wounding of First Brigade Generals Harry Boyd McKeen and Frank Haskell on June 3 at Cold Harbor. At 5:00 A.M. General Pierce's brigade was ordered to attack the Confederate earthworks at Petersburg. General George Meade received an intelligence report that the Confederates had withdrawn to an undisclosed location closer to Petersburg. The assault on the outer works confirmed that the report was indeed true, as the earthworks had been abandoned. Meade ordered General Birney to advance, and the new Confederate line was soon revealed to be located behind a sunken road. After two unsuccessful charges to break the Confederate line the Twentieth Massachusetts dug trenches for a prolonged assault.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 387-90.

Petersburg Campaign Begins

Wednesday, June 15, 1864

After departing from Cold Harbor Union General Ulysses Grant advanced the Second and Fifth Corps across the Chickahominy River on Monday, June 13. Grant sent General William F. "Baldy" Smith's Eighteenth Corps toward Petersburg by way of Bermuda Hundred. General Smith had been ordered to attack Petersburg at daylight this morning before Confederate General Robert E. Lee had sufficient time to defend the city.

Delays in conveying orders and supplies postponed the arrival of the Second Corps into Petersburg until this evening. General Winfield S. Hancock offered General Smith two divisions of his Second Corps to support his assault. General Smith, who had taken the outer works at Petersburg, asked Hancock to relieve his corps from the assault. The unfortunate outcome of the day was the lost opportunity to take the poorly-defended Confederate works at Petersburg. The 17,000 Union attackers heavily outnumbered the 2,500 Confederate defenders.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 386-87.

Bloody Stalemate at Cold Harbor

Sunday, June 12, 1864

The two armies faced each other for nine days behind entrenchments. After repeated requests from Union General Ulysses S. Grant Confederate General Robert E. Lee granted a cease-fire on Tuesday, June 7, to bury the dead. The halt in fighting lasted two days, and at 9:00 A.M. on Thursday, June 9, the fighting resumed.

The Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment remained in their advanced position for the nine days of the battle. During this time "covered ways," communication trenches covered with boughs and leaves, allowed men from the rear lines to convey water and supplies to the front lines during the daytime.

General Grant realized that during the last month his campaign to capture Richmond had concluded in a bloody stalemate. His new objective was to head south of Richmond and attack the Confederate supply lines at Petersburg. After nightfall on June 12 Grant gave the orders to withdraw from Cold Harbor. The Twentieth Massachusetts, like others in an advanced position, followed the orders in silence. In order to mask his withdrawal from Cold Harbor Grant left behind a temporary picket detail from the Sixth and Ninth Corps. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 381-86.

Debacle at Cold Harbor

Friday, June 3, 1864

Union General Ulysses S. Grant planned to attack the Confederate line at Cold Harbor at 4:30 A.M. on Thursday, June 2 only if General Winfield Hancock's Second Corps arrived in time for an attack. However, the Second Corps, engaged in an exhausting 12-hour night march to Cold Harbor, became lost along the way. They arrived at Cold Harbor after dawn, but were too fatigued to engage in battle. General Grant decided to delay the attack until 5:00 P.M. on Thursday and later delayed the attack again until 4:30 A.M. on Friday. These delays would prove extremely costly for the Union Army, as the postponements allowed Confederate General Robert E. Lee to perfect his entrenchments for the coming assault.

At 4:30 A.M. the alarm was sounded for an attack. Grant lined up five infantry corps for the assault, with the Second Corps in position on the left flank. The Twentieth Massachusetts, in Colonel Henry B. McKeen's First Brigade, was in the second line of battle of General John Gibbon's Second Division. On the right of the Second Corps, from left to right, were General Horatio Wright's Sixth Corps, General William F. "Baldy" Smith's Eighteenth Corps, General Gouverneur K. Warren's Fifth Corps, and General Ambrose Burnside's Ninth Corps. Grant had ordered General Smith's Eighteenth Corps to relocate from the Army of the James for the attack at Cold Harbor.

As the infantry units approached the Confederate lines they encountered the difficult nature of the terrain. As they traversed across ravines, marshes, and swamps to reach the Confederate line their regimental formation began to break apart. As the Union infantry came within range of the Confederate lines they were cut down with blistering rifle fire. The Twentieth Massachusetts now found themselves in the front lines. Colonel Henry B. McKeen, commanding their brigade, was killed while leading the charge. Colonel Frank Haskell of the 36th Wisconsin immediately took charge of McKeen's brigade and was also killed. The men of the Twentieth Massachusetts realized the futility of forward assault and rapidly dug entrenchments fifty yards from the Confederate lines. They would remain in this advanced position for days before retreating.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 376-81.

Battle at Totopotomoy Creek

Wednesday, June 1, 1864

On Saturday, May 28 the Twentieth Massachusetts crossed the Pamunkey River and formed a four-mile line facing west toward Totopotomoy Creek. The Second Corps was ordered to an advanced position along the creek and discovered the Confederate line along the south bank of the creek between the Virginia Central Railroad and Pole Green Church. On Tuesday, May 31, the Twentieth Massachusetts, whose brigade was now under the command of Colonel Henry B. McKeen due to the wounding of General Alexander Webb at Spotsylvania, crossed the Totopotomoy. Confederate sharpshooters began to fire on McKeen's brigade but the brigade prevailed and overcame the sharpshooters. As McKeen's men took the position they came under enfilade fire from Confederate cannon on their left and right flanks. A continuing advance by the Second Corps revealed that the main Confederate position was one-half mile away, securely behind entrenchments and well-protected by infantry and artillery. Today General Winfield S. Hancock determined that the position could not be taken without heavy losses. At 9:00 P.M. this evening General George Meade ordered the Second Corps to rejoin the main body of Grant's army at Cold Harbor as soon as possible.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 374-76.

Battle at North Anna River

Thursday, May 26, 1864

The Twentieth Massachusetts departed from Spotsylvania, passing through Bowling Green and Milford, toward the North Anna River on Monday, May 23, making a forced march in the searing heat. Once again Confederate General Robert E. Lee, reading Union General Ulysses S. Grant's intentions, arrived at the North Anna River first, forming entrenchments along the river's south bank. On Tuesday, May 24 General Winfield S. Hancock led his Second Corps, including the Twentieth Massachusetts, across the North Anna River toward the Confederate entrenchments. As the Twentieth came under rifle fire an intense thunderstorm erupted, drenching both armies with heavy rain and exploding trees with bolts of lightning. The heavy rain continued through Wednesday. This morning General Grant, realizing that the Confederate entrenchments divided his army, recrossed the North Anna River. Grant planned to march southward at night around the Confederate flank toward Richmond by way of the Pamunkey River. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 372-74.

Battle of Spotsylvania Concludes as a Stalemate

Wednesday, May 18, 1864

Union General Ulysses S. Grant attempted to break Confederate General Robert E. Lee's line near the Muleshoe salient with a series of attacks that began at dawn. Lee's artillery, along with infantry positioned behind strong entrenchments, repelled the attacks. The nearly two week-long battle of Spotsylvania, one of the costliest of the Civil War, came to an end with neither side claiming victory. Casualties for both armies were staggering, with the count of dead and wounded approximating 18,000 for the Union and 12,000 for the Confederacy.

At day's end Grant planned once again to move south toward Richmond around the Confederate flank to draw Lee out of his entrenchments and force a battle on Grant's terms.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 362-71.

Funeral of Major Henry Abbott

Sunday, May 15, 1864

A funeral mass was held for Major Henry Abbott in Boston's Emmanuel Church at 1:30 P.M. The funeral was well-attended, as eulogies for Major Abbott were published in many local newspapers. One of Abbott's professors at Harvard, Episcopal Reverend Frederick D. Hutchinson, presided at the funeral service. Abbott's coffin, decorated with flowers and flags, bore his sword, sash, and hat. After the service Major Abbott was transported by railroad to Lowell and buried in Lowell Cemetery next to his brothers. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 342-43.

Oliver's Story - The Bloody Angle

Thursday, May 12, 1864

Private Oliver Stanton Bates was reported as wounded on his military service record on May 12, 1864 during the conflict at the Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania. The nature of his wounding is not detailed, but he was present on muster rolls for May and June 1864. ¹

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

The Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania

Thursday, May 12, 1864

At 11:00 P.M. on May 11 the Twentieth Massachusetts quietly left their breastwork entrenchments at Laurel Hill under the cover of darkness and began a night march to an vulnerable portion of the Confederate line known as the "Muleshoe salient," a bulge that exposed both flanks of the line to enfilade fire. General Ulysses S. Grant observed this weakness in the Confederate position and decided to throw the Second and Ninth Corps in a simultaneous two-pronged attack on the salient.

At 4:35 A.M. the Second Corps began their attack in the early morning fog. The Twentieth Massachusetts, led by their brigade commander General Alexander Webb, began to race at the double-quick toward the salient. The Confederates were so surprised to see the rapid advance of Union soldiers toward their works that few shots were fired. The Second Corps took the salient with bayonets and clubbed muskets, resulting in the fiercest hand-to-hand combat of the war. As the morning fog lifted and rain began to fall the bloody results of the vicious engagement were visibly apparent to all. General Winfield S. Hancock of the Second Corps remarked that the combat was a "terrible and ghastly spectacle of dead."

The Confederates mounted a counterattack to recapture the salient. Regimental formation broke apart on both sides as fierce and bloody hand-to-hand fighting continued for hours. At 9:00 A.M. the Twentieth Massachusetts was rotated from the front line to skirmish duty and later returned to front line activity in the afternoon. Intense fighting ensued until late in the evening when gunfire finally ceased and the day's long battle ended. The Twentieth reported approximately forty casualties in the bloody battle. Among the wounded was Private Oliver Stanton Bates of Company A.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 356-62.

Death of Adjutant Henry Bond

Wednesday, May 11, 1864

Adjutant Henry Bond, wounded in the jaw at the Battle of the Wilderness, was riding in an ambulance with fellow officers Henry Mali and William Perkins to Belle Plain to board a hospital steamer to Washington. The ambulance was waylaid by Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby's rangers with the intent of stealing the horses. One of the Confederates fired a missed warning shot into the wounded men. As Bond quietly asked Mali for a pistol, he was shot in the back by one of the Confederates. The rangers rode away with the horses, leaving the wounded to die along the roadside. The injured men were subsequently rescued by Union troops, but Henry Bond succumbed to the gunshot wound he suffered in attempting to protect the ambulance party. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 364.

Battle of Laurel Hill

Tuesday, May 10, 1864

As the Twentieth Massachusetts advanced along the Brock Road in their approach toward Spotsylvania Court House they encountered the main Confederate line along a ridge known as Laurel Hill. Confederate General Robert E. Lee had won the race to Spotsylvania, as Laurel Hill blocked the path to Spotsylvania.

Around 11:00 A.M. General Alexander's Webb brigade, of which the Twentieth Massachusetts was a part, received orders to attack Confederate sharpshooters positioned along the Po River. Companies A and C charged the Confederate position by rifle fire across the river, which was too deep to ford. The Twentieth Massachusetts successfully drove off the Confederate sharpshooters but at a high price. Three men were killed and eight were wounded. Lieutenant Henry Sturgis was shot through the heart in the ill-fated fray. His body was recovered by his men and he was buried in a spot along the Po River near where he fell.

At 3:00 P.M. the Twentieth Massachusetts arrived at Laurel Hill and formed breastworks while assessing the Confederate position. The Confederates were secure in an entrenched position. The Twentieth was faced with poor chances in driving the Confederates successfully from their position. At 5:00 P.M. the Twentieth was ordered to charge the Confederate position and were immediately cut down with a killing fire. The survivors returned to their entrenchments and made another attempt in the evening with similar results. At night the Twentieth Massachusetts relived the nightmare of the Wilderness, as the rapid rifle fire caused a blaze in the forest, consuming the dead and injured. The Twentieth Massachusetts reported between 15 to 20 casualties from the two assaults on Laurel Hill. Among those killed was First Lieutenant Lansing Hibbard. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 350-355.

Death of Union General John Sedgwick

Monday, May 9, 1864

General John Sedgwick of the Union Sixth Corps was tragically killed by a Confederate sharpshooter while deploying his troops near Spotsylvania. Immediately before his death Sedgwick was reported as saying "they couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." General Sedgwick, nicknamed "Uncle John," was one of the most beloved generals in the Army of the Potomac.¹

References:
¹"Battle of Spotsylvania Court House," Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (http: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Spotsylvania_Court_House: 09 May 2014).

Race to Spotsylvania Court House

Sunday, May 8, 1864

At dawn the Twentieth Massachusetts fell in line and marched along the Brock Road towards Spotsylvania Court House by way of Todd's Tavern. Union General Ulysses S. Grant hoped to win the race to Spotsylvania by arriving before Confederate General Robert E. Lee.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 350.

Oliver's Story - Battle of the Wilderness

Saturday, May 7, 1864

Private Oliver Stanton Bates miraculously survived the hellish encounter of the Wilderness. He was not listed among the wounded on casualty lists or on his service record, and once again was extremely fortunate to escape injury and death.¹

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Grant Advances to Spotsylvania Court House

Saturday, May 7, 1864

Both armies awaited behind fortifications for an another day of battle which never materialized. In the evening General Ulysses S. Grant ordered General George Meade to move the Army of the Potomac in the direction of Richmond by way of Spotsylvania Court House along the Brock Road.

As the Twentieth Massachusetts prepared to depart loud cheering moved down the line. General Ulysses Grant rode with his entourage along the Brock Road, reviewing the line as he passed. The Union army finally had a reason for cheering, as their commander was advancing rather than retreating to face the next battle.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 347-48.

Battle of the Wilderness - Day 2

Friday, May 6, 1864

General Winfield S. Hancock faced a dilemma of strategy. He needed to defend the vital intersection of the Orange Plank and Brock Roads from an attack on both flanks. At 5:00 A.M. Hancock deployed two divisions under Generals David Birney and George Getty to attack along the Orange Plank Road with support from artillery under General John Gibbon to protect his left flank. At the same time he positioned General Alexander Webb's brigade, including the Twentieth Massachusetts, to defend the Orange Plank and Brock intersection. Hancock was concerned about the whereabouts of Confederate General James Longstreet, who had yet to make an appearance at the Wilderness. Hancock assumed that Longstreet's arrival was imminent.

Hancock's attack along the Orange Plank Road was very successful during the first hour,as the Confederates were halted along the Plank Road and Hancock's men took prisoners from the divisions of Confederate Generals Henry Heth and Cadmus Wilcox. Around 6:00 A.M. the lead divisions of General James Longstreet, led by General Joseph Kershaw, attacked along the Plank Road east of the Tapp Farm. Hancock's offensive abruptly ended as Birney's and Getty's divisions were pushed east toward the intersection. At this point Hancock ordered Webb's brigade, including the Twentieth Massachusetts, north of the intersection to the relief of General Getty.

As the Twentieth Massachusetts entered the fray and moved west along the Orange Plank Road they came under the fire of Confederate General A.P. Hill. The Twentieth Massachusetts advanced to a clearing south of the Plank Road, where General Webb ordered them to "hold the position at any cost." The Twentieth held this position successfully until 11:00 A.M., when they were approached by General James Wadsworth of the Fifth Corps. Wadsworth ordered the Twentieth Massachusetts to leave their defensive position and come to the aid of General Birney, who was under severe fire. The Twentieth Massachusetts, led by Colonel George Macy, advanced from their breastworks and almost immediately were met by a rapid volley of gunfire from Abner Perrin's Alabama brigade. As the Twentieth Massachusetts sought cover in the underbrush they viewed their untenable situation. Perrin's brigade was secure behind breastworks at the top of a slope. The Twentieth Massachusetts, however, still continued to advance, and hand-to-hand combat ensued. The Twentieth was soon overrun by the Confederates, and they were forced to retreat. Losses to the Twentieth Massachusetts were severe. Officers Albert Holmes, George Macy, Henry Bond, Henry Patten, John Summerhays, William Perkins were wounded in the ill-fated attack. The greatest loss to the Twentieth was the mortal wounding of Major Henry Abbott, who died around 4:30 P.M. at a battlefield hospital. Colonels George Macy and Theodore Lyman stood by Abbott's side as he tragically succumbed to his wounds.

As the afternoon wore on the battle continued to rage. The thick tangled underbrush of the Wilderness was set ablaze by continual gunfire. General James Longstreet was wounded by his own men and was carried off the battlefield. By evening the Union forces held the vital Orange Plank and Brock Road intersection.

The casualty count for both armies was staggering, as the Union reported 18,000 and the Confederates reported 11,000. The Twentieth Massachusetts lost approximately 300 men in casualties, with the greatest number occurring in the ill-fated charge on Perrin's brigade. General James Wadsworth, who ordered the charge, was killed shortly after ordering the Twentieth Massachusetts into the fatal fray.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 334-40.

Battle of the Wilderness - Day 1

Thursday, May 5, 1864

At 6:00 A.M. the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment began its march with the Second Corps along the Catharpin Road in the direction of Shady Grove Church, about five miles southwest of Chancellorsville. At 9:00 A.M. the Second Corps received news that the Confederates were lining up in force along the Orange Turnpike near Wilderness Tavern, and that the Second Corps needed to reverse their march two miles to Todd's Tavern at the intersection of the Brock Road.

General Robert E. Lee attempted to forestall Ulysses S. Grant's advantage by dispatching Richard Ewell's Second Corps along the Orange Turnpike and advancing A.P. Hill's Third Corps along the Orange Plank Road toward its intersection with the Brock Road. Holding this intersection was vital to Union success; if Lee advanced and held the intersection before Grant, the Union Army would be divided. General Winfield Scott Hancock hurried the Second Corps up the Brock Road to its strategic intersection with the Orange Plank Road to hold the ground at all costs.

During the afternoon General Hancock received support from General George W. Getty's Sixth Corps and General Governeur K. Warren's Fifth Corps to hold the line along the Orange Plank Road until Hancock could deploy his Second Corps. The Twentieth Massachusetts arrived at the intersection around 4:30 P.M. and were deployed along the Brock Road to build breastworks and stabilize the line. Heavy fighting ensued for the remainder of the afternoon, but by evening the Union held the Orange Plank Road and Brock Road intersection.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 330-33.

Bivouac at Chancellorsville

Wednesday, May 4, 1864

The Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment marched through the night, reaching the Rapidan River at Ely's Ford at 8:00 A.M. By 11:00 A.M. the footsore Twentieth arrived at the Chancellorsville crossroads.

General Ulysses S. Grant's objective was to force General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia out of their entrenched position south of the Rapidan River and face an engagement on open ground by attacking and turning Lee's right flank.

In the evening the Twentieth Massachusetts bivouacked on the Chancellorsville Battlefield, the site of the previous year's battle one year and a day earlier. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 328-30.

Overland Campaign of 1864 Begins

Tuesday, May 3, 1864

After a brief skirmish drill in the morning the Twentieth Massachusetts received orders to prepare to march, breaking their camp at Stevensburg for the first time since December. In the evening the men of the Twentieth struck tents and left camp at 11:25 P.M. ¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 328.

Grant Establishes Headquarters at Culpeper

Saturday, March 26, 1864

General Ulysses S. Grant arrived at his headquarters in Culpeper, Virginia to prepare for the Spring Campaign of 1864.¹

References:
¹George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 338.

Oliver's Story - Re-enlistment for Three Years Service

Saturday, March 19, 1864

This day, at winter camp in Stevensburg, Virginia, Private Oliver Stanton Bates re-enlisted for three additional years of military service with Company A of the Twentieth Massachusetts as a veteran volunteer. Upon re-enlistment as a veteran volunteer Oliver was granted five weeks of furlough from March 23 to April 28.

Oliver was twenty-three years old at the time of his re-enlistment.¹

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Ulysses S. Grant Takes Command of all Union Armies

Wednesday, March 9, 1864

General Ulysses S. received his commission to assume command of all Union armies from President Lincoln. The U.S. Congress had prepared the way for Grant's commission by reviving the rank of Lieutenant General two weeks earlier on February 26.¹

References:
¹Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 324.

Oliver's Story - Return to Service

Friday, January 15, 1864

Private Oliver Stanton Bates returned to military service with Company A of the Twentieth Massachusetts during the month of January. This was his first service with the Twentieth Massachusetts since Gettysburg, where he was severely wounded during the repulse of Pickett's Charge at the Angle on July 3, 1863. His exact date of return is unclear from his military records, but he was reported present during January 1864 muster rolls.¹

References:
¹Compiled service record, Oliver S. Bates, Pvt., Co. A, 20th Massachusetts Infantry; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.