Rockland’s Hiram Gregory Berry Gentleness and undaunted courage

Rockland’s Hiram Gregory Berry

Gentleness and undaunted courage

by James Nalley

On July 21, 1861, approximately 18,000 poorly trained troops arrived in Prince William County, Virginia, to fight in what was to become the first battle of the U.S. Civil War. Known as the First Battle of Bull Run, the day ended in a Confederate victory. Among the Union Army, there was a young colonel from Rockland who valiantly led the 4 th Maine Volunteer Army, despite the odds.

Hiram Gregory Berry was born on August 27, 1824, in Rockland. The fourth child of Jeremiah and Frances Gregory Berry, he came from a long line of soldiers. For example, his grandfather, Thomas Berry, was an officer in the Revolutionary War, while his

Union General Hiram Gregory Berry

father served as an Orderly Sergeant in the War of 1812. Although he initially worked as a carpenter, Berry eventually served several terms in the Maine State Legislature and became the Mayor of Rockland. However, he appeased his desire for military service by forming and commanding the “Rockland Guard,” a volunteer militia that was known for its drills and discipline.

After the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Berry went to Augusta and offered his services to the governor, after which he was ordered to recruit a regiment. Meanwhile, the Northern public pressured the Union Army to bring an early end to the Confederacy by taking the capital of Richmond, Vir-

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ginia. Under such pressure, Brigadier General Irvin McDowell led his unseasoned Union Army across Bull Run to face the equally inexperienced Confederates led by Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard. McDowell’s plan was to simply flank the Confederate forces.

When Colonel Berry’s 4 th Maine Volunteer Army arrived, it was held in reserve for the morning’s fight. According to the book Major General Hiram G. Berry by Edward Gould, “At 2 p.m., Colonel Berry received orders to advance at double-quick and engage the enemy. However, the run of more than two miles in the broiling sun took a toll on his inexperienced soldiers. Some fainted and fell by the wayside. The tired soldiers arrived around 3 p.m., when the tide of battle had already turned against the Union Army.” Subsequently, Berry’s men began to fall from the enemy’s small arms and artillery fire coming from all sides. As stated by Gould, “Sergeant Major Ste

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phen Chapman was shot in the heart by a rifle ball; B.W. Fletcher had an arm shot off; Lieutenant Clark was killed by a shell as he was cheering his men on; and P. Henry Tillson had both legs shot off by a cannon ball. He died almost instantly.” Moreover, in all the chaos, some of the men forgot to “cap their pieces” when reloading their weapons, which “damaged those who held them more than the enemy at whom they were aimed.” Regarding Sergeant Major Chapman, Berry wrote the following in a letter home: “The ground was covered with men and horses. Chapman left me only one minute before he was shot. He came for orders to my post. I gave them, he extended his hand, we exchanged blessings, he cautioned me against unnecessary exposure, and we parted for the last time. He was shot through the heart immediately upon resuming his post.”

Meanwhile, Berry continued to encourage and direct his men with discre

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tion. According to Gould, “When the color bearer was shot, Colonel Berry seized the fallen standard and waved it aloft through the fray, making him a conspicuous target for the enemy. After his horse was shot, the sight of so many of his men killed overcame him and he wept.” As the Union troops began to withdraw, many panicked and the retreat turned into a rout. Berry, however, managed to collect his scattered companies and meet in Alexandria. Apparently, the war was going to be much longer and bloodier than either side had anticipated. For his actions during the battle, Berry was promoted to Brigadier General.

After his promotion, Berry was reassigned to command the 3 rd Brigade, which included the 2 nd , 3 rd , and 5 th Michigan Volunteer Armies as well as the 37 th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. On May 5, 1862, following the Confederate retreat from Yorktown, Virginia, Brigadier General Joseph (cont. on page 34)

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(cont. from page 33) Hooker of the Union Army encountered the Confederate rearguard near Williamsburg. It was the first pitched battle (i.e., a battle in which both sides choose the fighting location and time) in the Peninsula Campaign. Following Hooker’s attack, he was met with brigade after brigade of Confederate troops, led by some of the best generals. Knowing that Hooker was in trouble, Berry led his men through the muddy fields and thick forests. By the time he arrived, Hooker’s division was out of ammunition and using bayonets in close combat. Berry’s men then deployed onto the field and fired at the enemy forces, taking rifle pits and a significant number of prisoners. According to Gould, “Berry’s timely arrival had saved General Hooker from being overwhelmed…From that time on, General Hooker had the strongest admiration for General Berry and was ever after his steadfast friend.” However, such actions took a toll on Berry. For example, in a letter dated June 14, 1862, Berry wrote the following: “I have just come in from the front and have passed over a portion of my fighting ground in the last battle. Many are yet unburied. One thing is certain. I never in all my eventful life endured so many sufferings as I have over the past 10 months. I hope, however, to come out all right.” On November 29, 1862, Berry was promoted to Major General and placed in command of the 2 nd Division of the 3 rd Corps, thus guaranteeing further involvement in the war.

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On April 30, 1863, the Battle of Chancellorsville pitted Major General Hooker’s Union Army against General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, which was half the size of the former. In this one-week battle, Lee made the risky decision of dividing his smaller army in the face of superior numbers. Despite the objections of his subordinates, Hooker withdrew his men to the defensive lines around Chancellorsville, giving Lee the initiative. Meanwhile, Berry’s brigade of 2,500 men was ordered to support the front, after which he detached several companies to flank the enemy. Over the next several hours, there were heavy casualties on both sides, as the Union Army pushed the Confederates further and further back into the woods. However, according to Gould, “General Berry had driven the enemy back so far that he had serious fears of being flanked by the heavy masses of infantry opposing him.” After finding that the general of the division had ordered the other regiments to fall back, Berry ordered his men to do the same.

On May 3, 1863, Berry performed his usual action of communicating with other high-ranking officers in person. According to Gould, after conversing with General Gershom Mott, Berry crossed the road and “had nearly reached his staff officers, when from the trees in which a North Carolina sharpshooter was posted, came the sharp crack of a rifle. The mini-ball struck Berry in the arm close to the shoulder, passing

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down through his vitals and lodging in his hip. At 7:26 a.m., a tremor passed over his body and he peacefully died.” Subsequently, when General Hooker arrived, “He asked the officers, ‘Whom have you got there, gentlemen?’ When told it was Major General Berry, he got off his horse, knelt, kissed the general’s forehead, and wept.”

As Berry’s body lay in Washington D.C. for transport back to Rockland, “President Lincoln sent a beautiful wreath to be placed on his body. At his funeral, it could be seen resting on the right shoulder of the fallen warrior.” Moreover, at his burial at Achorn Cemetery in Rockland, “The lid of his burial case bore a silver plate with the following inscription: Major General Hiram G. Berry, Killed at Chancellorsville, Virginia, May 3, 1863. Aged 38 Years, 8 Months, 6 Days.”

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