Warpaint

[gary]

One Union Artilleryman observed a Massachusetts colonel apply war paint:

The water in the spring had been roiled, so I searched for another higher up the run. While searching for it I saw a colonel of inantry put on his war paint. It was a howling farce of one act - one brief act of not more than twenty seconds' duration, but the fun of the world was crowded into it. This blond, bewhiskered brave sat safely behind a large oak tree. He looked around quickly. His face hardened with resolution. He took a cartridge out of his vest pocket, tore the paper with his strong white teeth, spilled the powder into his right palm, spat on it, and then, first casting a quick glance around to see if he was observed, he rubbed the moistened powder on his face and hands, and then dust coated the war paint. Instantly he was transformed from a trembling coward who lurked behind a tree into an exhausted brave taking a little well-earned repose. I laughed silently at the spectacle, and filled my canteens at a spring I found, and then rejoined my comrades, and together we laughed at and then drank to the health of the blond warrior. That night I slept and dreamt of comic plays and extravagant burlesques; but in the wildest of dream vagaries there was no picture that at all compared with the actual one I had seen in the forest. That colonel is yet alive. I saw him two years ago.

[scone]

Col Cross of the 5th New Hampshire aka the "Fighting 5th" did something like that at Sharpsburg or Fredricksburg and even gave the Rebs the war whoop...

regards, steven

[larry_cockerham]

I wonder if Chief/General Stand Waite had any such habits?

[JerseyBart]

Steven,

Scone,

Great book about the Fightin' 5th, My Brave Boys, by Mike Pride and Mark Travis. I'd recommend it to anyone. Have you read it? If so, what do you think about it?

Bart

[JerseyBart]

Something tells me that if that artilleryman saw a man covered in warpaint charging after him he wouldn't think it too comical.

Bart

[samgrant]

Guess most have missed the point. That 'warpaint' was a coward's attempt to appear he was in the fight.

[JerseyBart]

Aww poop. That's why I force myself to read things twice most of the darn time. I can be dense and dumb the first time...seriously. lol

Bart

[scone]

Sam you are correct.. the subject war paint caught my eye and triggered the memmory of col Cross.

Bart
I have read it and have it here some place in my stack of books. Wonderful book I highly recomend it as well .. I had a relastive in the 5th... Lyman Cone off the top of my head i cant recall the company but I believe it co. G He was wounded several times during the war i think once was at antietam.

I will have to dig up my info..

btw welcome to the board

regards. steven

[JerseyBart]

Thanks Steve,

Please find that information when you get a chance. I'd love to see it. If you know of any good books on NJ regiments, send the info my way. I have Remember You Are Jerseymen, but I'd love to see some more.

Bart

[scone]

Here you go Bart this all the info I have of Lyman.

Lyman H. Cone was born in Claremont, New Hampshire & resided in Claremont,when he enlisted at the age of 31 in the 5th New Hampshire Co. G

Enlisted: Oct. 9, '61, as pvt,
Wounded: Sept. 17 Antietam, Md.
Musterd out Oct . 29, '64.

During that time he may have been at Fair Oaks, Peach Orchard, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, during the peninsular campaign of 62.

Then Antietam where he was wounded.

As you know the "Fighting Fifth" was involved in the heavy fighting of "the sunken road" / "bloody lane".

On the refrence of warpaint... In the words of Lt. Thomas Livermore 5th Nh Inf

"On looking about me I found that we were in an old sunken road and that the bed of it lay from one to three feet below the surface of the crest along which it ran. In this road there lay so many dead rebels that there formed a line which one might have walked on as far as I could see, many of whom had been killed by the most horrible wounds of shot and shell and they lay just as they had been killed apparently amid the blood which was soaking the earth. It was on this ghastly flooring that we kneeled for the last struggle.

As the Rebel advance became apparent we plied the line with musketry with all our power and with no doubt with terrible effect but they still advanced. A color bearer came forward within fifteen yards of our line and with the utmost desperation waved the flag in front of him. Our men fairly roared "shoot the man with the flag!" and he went down in the twinkling and the flag was not raised in sight again.

As the fight grew furious the Colonel cried out "Put on the war paint!" and looking around I saw the glorious man standing erect with a red handkerchief, a conspicuous mark, tied around his bare head..Taking the cue somehow we rubbed the torn ends of cartridges over our faces, streaking them with powder like a pack of Indians and the Colonel, to complete the similarity, cried out, "Give 'em the war whoop" and all of us joined him in the Indian war whoop until it must have rung out amid the thunder of the ordinance."

If Lyman recovered quickly he might have been at Fredericksburg. In 1863 the 5th were at Chancelorsville, Brandy Station, Gettysburg.
With less than one hundred men present for duty after Gettysburg, the army command detached the 5th from the Second Corps and returned it to New Hampshire for recruits to rebuild their decimated ranks.

On November 9th, they arrived by steamer at Point Lookout, Maryland where they, along with the 2nd and 12fth New Hampshire, were ordered to the duty of guarding Confederate prisoners. Here they remained until May of 1864 when they were recalled to the Army of the Potomac, then engaged in the Wilderness and Spotsylvania.

then engaged in the Wilderness and Spotsylvania then Cold Harbor.

At Cold Harbor the regiment with the brigade, charged the enemy's works and carried them, capturing two guns and one hundred and twenty five prisoners which were sent to the rear. thheir casualties were very hight though.

202 killed out of 577 present for duty, & was the most costly single day in the regiments history.

In October 1864, the enlistment's of the original men were completed and many were mustered out and went home.

regards, steven