When the dawn
came up on June 4, 1864, the men of the 13th New Hampshire Volunteers found
themselves 500 feet from the enemy lines at Cold Harbor. For three days the piney sand where they lay had been a slaughter ground, especially for the Union army. The
13th would remember this day for the death of a single officer, Lt. Aaron K.
Blake of Brookfield, N.H.
 |
| The 13th New Hampshire's tattered flags. |
The 13th arrived
at its new position after dark, too late to dig proper trenches. Some of them
lay in small pits left by the pickets who had been there before them. In the
pitch-black night they enlarged the holes with bayonets and spoons. In front of
the holes they stacked a few logs and the bodies of dead soldiers
– their own and the enemy’s – “anything to keep the rebel bullets back,” as the
regimental historian S. Millet Thompson wrote. They solidified these barricades
with sand.
From first light, the
13th’s colors, planted in the ground, became an easy and popular target for
rebel marksmen. When a bullet split the staff of the national colors, David
Bodge, the color sergeant, fixed it with barrel staves and a strap from his
knapsack. Years later, he wrote that this repaired staff could still be seen
with the regimental colors at the New Hampshire State House.
The regiment was
under fire most of the day, even during the afternoon rain showers. Six men were wounded, and only Lt. Blake was
killed.
Private William
B. Luey of Columbia, N.H., who was attached to the 13th and had himself been
wounded on June 1 at Cold Harbor, wrote the details in his diary:
“Aaron K.
Blake, of A, is shot through the upper part of his head to-day, a rebel bullet
entering and exposing the brain. He is laid near the Pine at first, close to the
north side of it, and breathes almost all day. He is utterly unconscious,
making no sign when spoken to or touched – every effort being made to revive
him – and can suffer no possible pain; yet he is strangely nervous, breathing
more quickly when a shell strikes the tree, or near him, or the noise of the
firing increases. Later in the day he is moved to the covert way, a few feet to
the south of the Pine, where about 5 p.m. he quietly ceases to breathe; and
dies without showing any sign of consciousness or of suffering from the time
when he was struck.”
Blake’s 21-year-old
cousin, Pvt. George P. Blake, also of Brookfield, served in the 13th’s Company F. After two weeks of constant fighting, it was he who wrote to his aunt and uncle, Aaron’s parents, to share the details of their son’s death.
Here is his
letter:
June 19, 1864
Dear Uncle
& Aunt,
I wrote to
father the sad news of Aarons death, the particulars of which I could not at
the time enumerate. His company and regiment were in the advance holding a line
of rifle pits in close proximity to the enemy. Watching carefully the doings of
the enemy, he advanced bravely to the line and having seen that there was a
sharpshooter whose unerring eye had picked off many of our boys, brought his
rifle to bear on him and fired. After firing he remain[ed] to[o] long to watch
the effect and another sharpshooter fire[d] his rifle, the fatal bullet of
which caused the death of one of our country’s bravest sons, who through all
the privations of a soldiers life was never heard to grumble and whose sense of
duty was highly commendable.
He was much
liked in his company both as an officer and as a companion, always endeavoring
to cheer the hearts of those who were weary of a soldier’s life and had
forgotten their duty to their country. His fate has been like that of many
others in winning for the 13th N. H. Regt. laurels which it will ever be proud
of, and a name as unperishable as has ever been gained since this cruel war
commenced. He was noted for cleanliness, never being seen in a filthy
condition, even when under great adversities. His place in the ranks has been
but very seldom vacant. In fact he was a perfect soldier, being admired by both
officers and men. It hardly seems possible to me that he is dead, for whenever
I visited the regiment, he was sure to call me, and whenever I had any news
from home he took great delight in telling me of it.
His effect[s]
were taking care of a part of which I have in my own possession and will send
to you at the first opportunity. Lt. [Charles B.] Gafney* has his watch and one
or two other trinkets which he will send you. He was buried near Coal Harbor by
the side of many of his regiment and a slab was erected to denote his final
resting place.
The loss of
him is I am well aware a very severe blow to the heart of his parents and the
fact of his being so watchful to promote your ever[y] interest seems to hold
his memory more dear. He never [k]new what hit him, being senseless from the
first. George G. Ricker watched by him until he was dead and then marked his
place of burial. George Ricker is reported killed.**
Your
affliction is I am well aware more grievous than I can imagine and you have my
heartfelt sympathies in enabling you to be up against this dire misfortune.
But he is
dead and his grave which is all that is left remains for future generations to
look upon as an altar upon which was slain one whose many bright hopes are
blasted and who is I trust in that place of rest where wars and rumours of wars
can never disturb his holy slumbers. My love to all and may the Almighty in his
infinite goodness enable you to bear with Christian fortitude your affliction
and assist you in this time of earthly woe.
Adiew
and may God Bless You
Your
Nephew,
Geo.
P. Blake
*Gafney, 21,
Of Ossipee, N.H., had enlisted as a private but was promoted to second
lieutenant in September 1862. He was severely wounded on June 15, 1864, at
Petersburg, but later made captain, served out the war with the 13th,
and lived in Rochester.
**Ricker was
a private from Brookfield, the Blakes’ hometown. He was killed the same day
Gaffney was wounded, in an action known as Battery Five.
not bad for a russki
ReplyDeletewillie from DLI
Hmmm. Billy . . . ?
Delete