Judson's Trip South

Judson Cheney
Born: May 11, 1838, Hopkinton, St. Lawrence County, New York
Died: September 29, 1864, Chaffin Farm, Virginia
Relation to Author: 2nd Great Grand Uncle

On this date, 150 years ago, Judson Cheney was stationed with the 98th Regiment on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. The last time I wrote, he was still in North Carolina, in a hamlet called Carolina City near Morehead City. Before that he was still on the Virginia Peninsula. In this post, I will take you with Judson from Virginia in late December to North Carolina for 20 days then down to South Carolina.

On December 27th, the 98th NY left Yorktown, Virginia on a side-wheel steamer called the New York City.  That steamer was found to be unfit while they parked at Fortress Monroe, after which they boarded the Cahawba. They sailed under sealed orders which were to be opened only after being 30 miles south of the Cape. The orders instructed them to report to New Berne, North Carolina, via Beaufort harbor.

Unfortunately for the troops, the weather was bad and the trip was difficult. Kreutzer, mentions how few of his troops were used to life on the ocean, especially stormy seas, and I can't help think that he includes Judson in that description - having grown up in the North Country of New York State.

The other boat in the consort "floated away into the ocean" though it would make its way safely to Beaufort Harbor and join the 98th only a few days late.

That night, while making their way down the coast, the 98th NY saw the iron-clad Monitor being towed and "rocking in the waves." The crew on board the Cahawba watched the Monitor anxiously, worried for its safety. They were right to be concerned, the famous and first Union iron-clad sank later that night in the storm killing some of its officers and crew.

Kreutzer, always the poet, says of the trip,

Of our brigade no living thing was lost; but one mule jumped overboard, and sacrificed himself to Neptune, the ruler of the sea. The sacrifice worked like a charm; the offended deity was appeased.

Arriving at Beaufort, they marched up the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad and went into camp in "Carolina City" just three miles from Morehead City, never going all the way to New Berne. There they stayed for 20 days, where it snowed a little and the temperature was near the freezing point. But camp duty was light, as there was no need for guards, picket-duty was light, and there was no drilling. In fact, life was so easy these 20 days that the 104th Pennsylvania glee club put on a musical.

On the afternoon of January 29th, after days waiting for good weather, and more days before that waiting for all of the boats, the 98th sailed south, again under sealed orders. There were 30 vessels and steam-transports and over 12,000 men.

When it grew dark, the expedition presented one of the most charming sights we ever beheld at sea. Each vessel carried at its masthead a light, and their long line, following behind us [the 98th was on the Cahawba, which was the flagship], formed an illuminated avenue on the wild waste of waters. 

They arrived at Hilton Head on January 31st. They remained on transports until February 9th when they began to move ashore to St. Helena Island, South Carolina.

The vessels anchored near shore; the men went off in scows and surfboats, and reched the land after wading in sand and water. In that way, having no wharf, it took all day to unload a vessel of its men, baggage, and stores. At night, the troops stacked arms in line of battle and lay down on the ground to sleep.

Port Royal harbor at the time of their arrival was serving as a marine depot for the Union. St. Helena Island, 16 miles long by 3 miles at the most wide, was previously about 300 plantations. Kreutzer tells us that the Southern plantation owners were not industrious and since being taken back by the Union, northerns had moved down to take over the plantations.

With the Union troops now added to the island, the scenery included slaves moving around mixed with troops wandering, men on drill and march, and at night a thousand camp-fires and many thousand men on the ground sleeping and boat-lamps gleaming from the masts of dozens of boats.*

During this time, Kreuzter also tells of a seemingly petty but drawn out squabble over chain of command. It is too confusing to recount or even understand, but also sad to see such behavior during such an awful war. 

Judson and the 98th will spend the rest of the winter here. Since Kreutzer tells us that it wasn't a secret at the time, I won't keep it a secret from you now. All the troops and boats around Hilton Head were waiting and preparing for an attack on Charleston, South Carolina in the spring. In April, we'll see how it turned out.

Works Cited
*Notes and Observations Made During Four Years of Service with the 98th New York Volunteers in the War of 1861. William Kreutzer.