Sandy Sharp, ggg-grandaughter, says "Chauncey was invited to give a talk on his experiences in the army by the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic).  Aunt Mae copied the attached sheets from the original notes made by Chauncy Smith.  She gave both the original notes and the type written copy to Fred.  The original notes are getting difficult to read as they are written in pencil and the paper is turning brown.  This has been retyped, correcting only hand written corrections on my original copy.  The rest is copied exactly from Aunt Mae's original."

January 1970
New Edition typed April 1, 1992
By:  Sandra M. Sharp, Great, Great, Great, Granddaughter

     In giving a history of what I saw and passed through in the army, I shall have to do so by memory as I had no book whereby I could record dates.  As over a score of years have passed away since the war, it is possible that I shall make some mistakes in dates, I shall however endeavor to tell things just as they appeared to me.  Perhaps before I commence my story of the war, it would be proper to give a brief statement of the cause of that dreadful struggle which we soldiers passed through, about 100,000 men started but many left their bones to bleach on southern soil.

   In the year 1625 or thereabout, two ideas were planted on this continent and these two ideas proved to be unreconcilable to each other. One of these ideas was held by the Pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 and the other idea was planted by a Dutch trading vessel at Jamestown, Va.  One of these ideas was that the colored race had no rights of their own but were doomed to incessant toil for the white man with no compensation but lash, the blood hounds and the auction block.  The other idea was liberty and equality for all mankind and down with slavery arguing with Wesley that the institution of slavery was the sum of all villainy, thus found freedom and equality on one side and slavery and inequality on the other side.  Such were the two germs that were planted on this continent and in our vast expanse of unoccupied territory the two ideas flourished together for more than 200 years.  When the continent began to fill up, these two ideas jostled against each other and each advocate started for a race across the continent.  Each developed its own peculiar veins as the race continued.  On April 10, 1861 these two principles grappled with each other in a bloody Civil War which lasted for nearly four years. 

   In the first three years of this war a hundred bloody battles were fought without apparent advantage on either side.  These were dark days to our free institutions and it seemed to me as though it were the duty of every lover of liberty to shoulder his musket and go to the front, or soon the sun of our liberty would be set forever.  I felt the same as our Patrick Henry did in '76 when England was oppressing us in our political rights.  He said, "I know not what course others may take in this matter, but as for me "Give me Liberty or give me death".  Thus on the 29th day of August 1864, I enlisted. in the town of Ira, Cayuga County and on Sept 5th, I went to Auburn for examination and passed muster as a sound man, to fill up the quota of Union soldiers required from Cayuga County.  

   I remained in Auburn two weeks and then started for the seat of war by way of Elmira, NY.  I remained in Elmira about four days and was examined by a military Doctor, said Doctor said that I was alright but my teeth.  He said that my teeth did not look as though I could masticate hard-tack.  He said the Government wanted about a dozen men of my age to act as guards over rebel prisoners in Elmira.  He said that if I did not wish to go to the front he could secure me a birth as guard over rebel prisoners.  He told me the duties and labors that I would have to perform if I accepted such a position and I concluded to go with said Doctor to the prison camp and learn all of the duties and the particulars of the duties that I would have to perform if I accepted the birth.  I asked the Doctor if any of the prisoners ever ventured over the dead line.  He replied that one occasionally did.  I asked him if they were always shot for this act and he said that it was always the duty of the guard to make an example of the intruder in order to intimidate the rest.  I said to the Dr. that I would rather go down south and shoot the rebels that were running at large who were trying to kill our men than to shoot a helpless unarmed prisoner. 

   I would say here before I forget that when I was in Auburn, Col. MacDougall was then getting recruits for the 111th Regiment and most of the boys of Ira and Cato that were under his influence enlisted in that Regiment which lay in front of the Confederate army near City Point.  I finally made up my mind to cast my lot with them and go to the front. About the week of the 20th of Sept., I started by way of Baltimore.  I remained there three days and then took a government transport down the Chesapeake Bay to Fortress Monroe and from this place took a steamship up the James river to City Point.  All the way up the James River I saw scores of vessels freighted with soldiers and rations going to the front. All along the river I could see towns and the homes of the soldiers who were guarding the rear of Grant's Army.  I arrived at City Point about the first of October at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and I could hear to the left the booming of canon and mortars as though a great Battle was then raging.  I was told that it was only a dual of big mortars throwing shells from one side to the other, and sometimes doing a great deal of damage.  I bunked at City Point through the night and the next morning was told that the 2nd corps to which the 111th regiment belonged was some miles to the left among the bomb-proof stockades.

   At about 2 o'clock P.M., I with some other recruits got on Grant's railroad and started for the bomb-proofs.  We passed Ream Station I should think about 5 miles to the left of the City Point with rather solemn forbodings.  My patriotism had cooled off considerable since I left Auburn and Elmira.  At the impulse of the moment I began to feel as though I would rather shoot rebel prisoners over the dead line at Elmira, than to be shot at by treacherous rebels.  But our train went toward the boom-proofs and the next station we came to was Warren station, some ten miles from City Point and as we passed the station we could see to the left earth works, breast-works and boom-proof stockades to protect our soldiers from the flying missiles of the Confederate guns.

     Our train then came into the vicinity of what was called Fort Hell, here the picket lines of the contending armies were said to be only 20 rods apart and the Rebel army held a fort in front of our fort Hell that was called Fort Damnation, these two forts were constantly firing guns at each other both night and day to see which could get the better of the other.  The pickets on both sides were constantly at each other from behind their breast-works.  Our train soon left this place under fire, for shot and shell were flying over our heads and all around us in every direction.

     Our train arrived at the Bomb-proof about sunset where we found the quarters of the 111th Regiment.  This finished our ride on Grant's Railroad. I took up my quarters that night under the bomb-proof. The next morning about 20 others and myself were assigned to Company F. The raw recruits were drilled this day for the first time by Sgt. Hamilton of Weedsport and on the next morning about 100 recruits were sent to him and then introduced to Capt. Sterling of Elmira, a noble looking young man and he appeared to be all military.  He said, "Boys, I am glad to see you here as recruits for Co. F.  Some of you are a great deal older than your captain.  I would say to you that in the army in front of the enemy there is neither respect for the young man nor the old man, it is valor, patriotism and fighting qualities that we admire on the battlefield.  When you were at home you were civilians, now that you are in the army you are soldiers and I hope that you will all prove true to your country's flag and do your duty as good soldiers, on the day of trial."  The next morning, I think it was about Oct. fifth or sixth, I left the bomb-shelter in company with Newton Ferris of Ira and John.

     We made a camp-tent for our quarters close to a large pine tree.  Here we remained some 8 or 10 days on drill duty.  The pine tree that I speak of I shall never forget, although it is some 24 years since I sat under its branches.  I should think that our Regiment was to the left of City Point some 10 or 12 miles, in the state of Virginia.  On either side of me, right and left I saw a great many men dressed very much like myself and I judge by their appearance that they were all there for the same purpose and Comrades. I will give you a glimpse of my situation and in a few words make you acquainted with my surroundings.  I would say first that I was dressed in the garb of a soldier, with a good springfield  rifle as my right hand companion, with cartridge box, canteen and knap-sack thrown in.  I found out from comrades that I was in the front line of the Army of the Potomac.  The advance guard of that army was then under the command of that soldier who not long since has gone to rest near the river that he helped to save for his country.  The right wing of his army was at City Point and the left rested on the Railroad near Hatches Run,  a distance of nearly 30 miles. 

    I would say here that I belonged to the 2nd army corps, commanded by Handcock and to the second division of that corps under Barlow and to the third brigade of that Division under the command of Col. MacDougal of Auburn whose white horse will be remembered by every man in the Regiment.  I belonged to Company F of said Regiment composed of boys mostly from the town of Cayuga, commanded by Capt. Sterling of Palmira and Lt. Duel of Sterling. 

    To the right and left of our company as far as I could see, extended the lines of the Union Army with their forts and Batteries placed in every available position ready at a moments warning to hurl death and destruction into the ranks of the enemy.  Confronting Grants line lay the army of Northern Virginia,  commanded by Robert E. Lee, the idol of the southern Confederacy.  This ground had already become a historic battleground for every inch of the same had been contested by the Union and Confederate armies in hand to hand conflict, midst the roar of artillery, the rattle of musketry, the clashing of steel and the bursting of shells. The old pine tree bore the marks of thousands of bullets and in a grove of trees not far distant the shells covered the ground almost as thick as the stones cover the ground in Hannibal and Sterling.  These graves scattered here and there in the secluded spots told of the warriors last resting place.  They were painful reminders of sad hearts and broken homes far away from this exciting scene of strife, where our regiment lay.

     At this time good water was very scarce and the only place that we could obtain good water was from a spring that lay between the two armies and which was in view of the enemies sharp-shooters.  It was the custom for the boys to take turns in bringing water from this spring and the one who went would take about a dozen canteens and proceed to the spot, filling each canteen by sinking it down through a small box into the water below.  To go on this errand was not a very safe undertaking and so it proved to quite a number of our boys in the course of the winter.  I have carried water from this spring quite a number of times but I was so lucky that the bullets went whistling over my head and did me no harm.

     I will now return to the pine tree that I spoke about a few minutes ago, under which we were cooking a cup of coffee and eating our hard-tack, while so engaged the order came that our Regiment was to move to the left. We were ordered into line for roll-call.  I stood at the foot of my company joining another company at the right.  Just as my name was called by the orderly a bullet whistled by my face, which is to say that I was not hurt but said bullet passed along and struck a man who was on the end of the adjoining company.  He fell to the ground, dead, and I helped to lay his limber form on the stretcher and he was carried off.  This was the first man I saw killed in my regiment and I wish I could say that it was the last.  This was a hard sight at first but as the eel said when he was skinned for the first time, "It wasn't so bad when you got used to it."  This was in no fight but at roll call.  So near were we to the enemies lines that hardly a day passed but someone in our camp was killed by flying bullets of the enemy. From the 6th to the 20th of October our company and regiment was occupied in company and brigade drill.

     About Oct. 22nd at six P.M. our regiment was ordered into line by Major Corning and was told to go to the right.  We all thought we could smell gun-powder off in that direction and we could hear cannon and musketry in the direction of Fort Hell.  About an hours march brought our regiment to the fort where there was some fighting at long range between the two forts and musket balls were flying quite thick around our heads which caused us new recruits to be on the dodge.  Our Major seeing the quick motion of our heads cried out at the top of his voice, "Boys, you must not dodge", no sooner had he spoken than a shot passed near the major's face and such a dodge we never saw in all our lives.  He says "Boys, dodge the big ones".  This brought on a big laugh and drove most of the scare out of us.  We were then marched back to our old quarters.

     The next night I went with a squad about a mile to the left and front with a mule team to put up a buttress in front of the breast-works,  We worked about an hour in putting up those sharp sticks and suddenly without any warning, a 40 lb, shell dropped down between the two mules and exploded, sending them to destruction.  We remained there until about 4 o'clock in the morning dodging shells and then returned to our quarters.  The next few days nothing remarkable took place in our camp. 

    On the 2nd day of November, Mr Ferris of Ira, John Howard of the town of Rose and John O'Brian of Syracuse with myself were detailed to go on picket about three miles to the left, for the first time and it proved to be the last time for Ferris and Howard.  We arrived at the picket line at 6 o'clock in the evening, we were posted and told that we would be relieved in 24 hours and so we were, but not by Union soldiers. This picket that we were on had just been formed without any reserve picket to protect it.  The Johnnies had been informed of the situation and they made a raid on our line the next night about 5 p.m. and gobbled up, I should think about 150 of our pickets in good style, of whom I was one.  I should judge that there were about four or five hundred of the raiders and when they got into the rear of our Picket line they formed themselves into a hollow square, having guards 4 deep all around the square.  We pickets were looking to the front for the enemy and not the rear, consequently we were taken by surprise and were not prepared to defend ourselves.  The front ranks of this square were in blue clothes that they had gotten from deserters and this too threw us off our guard as they approached us.  When they came up to our post they had some five or six big lusty fellows outside of their ranks to disarm us and shove us into their trap with a rush.  When a big Johnnie snatched at my gun I braced myself and held on the best I knew.  Two other Johnnies put their bayonets close to my face with a yell "Git in here you Damb Yank or we will stop your breathing.  (Attacking right smart) I saw the majority was against me so I obeyed orders and away they went to another post and served them in a similar manner.  When they had their square filled with our pickets they started for their lines acting as though they felt jolly over the game they had played.

     After being forced to surrender they very impolitely wanted to relieve me of everything that I had, that is everything valuable, such as rations and greenbacks, for the rebs did like our greenbacks, if it was Yankee money.  As we turned from the picket to go to their quarters I began to realize that I was a prisoner and as the old saying goes,  "Necessity is the mother of invention".  I thought that I must contrive some way to get out of this prison pen.  I quickly concluded that prayer would be the best agent to help me out of this dilemma.  If I could use the right kind of prayer, I knew that a prayer of words would not save me, but I must use a leg prayer also.  While I was thus musing the captors were very talkative to their blue-birds in their snare, one says to me, Yank, do you know where you are going?  I said, Y, Yes of course I do, When I enlisted I said that I wanted to go to Richmond, Good He said, "You are on your way there."  He then slapped his hand onto my pants in the region of my pocket-book. And then looked for a side entrance but did not find any as my wife had stitched the side entrance before I left home.  I said, "Boys hold on until we get to your quarters then you can divide all the spoils together."  One of the officers said "Yes, that is the best way."  and I saved y pocket-book and its contents.  The next thing was to save myself from this Confederate trap which had sprung upon me.  I kept as near to the left of the square as I possible could and as near to the guards for I well knew that if I ran the gauntlet of the four guards successfully I would have to use all of the physical force that my body possessed.  As the raiders were passing a large pine tree the auspicious moment came I made a desperate jump passed the guards.  I passed three of them very quickly without touching, but the outside one I struck and knocked off his feet, he went sprawling to the ground on top of his musket, and the next jump I made I heard the expression "Shoot the dam Yank".  I then halted to see what course to pursue next.  I looked towards the enemies lines and could see their picket fires burning to the west about 50 rods.  I knew that the opposite direction would lead to our own lines.  So I made for our lines and got there all safe but without gun, cartridges, canteen, haversack, knapsack and blankets.  I was very lucky to get back to the same post that I was snatched from.  I found that our picket fires were still burning brightly, but no pickets to be seen on duty.  There was no one to hold the line but myself with no arms to defend myself with and but little experience in military service.

     Relief soon came and I went back to camp with a sad heart not knowing the fate of my comrades.  I was lonesome for Ferris and Howard and my tent seemed desolate.

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