Arriving at their destination, the men of the 2nd Massachusetts were disappointed to learn that the 12th Corps was only to help guard the 125-mile railway line of communication and supply from Bridgeport, on the Tennessee River, to Nashville. Slocum's assignment covered the railway south of Wartrace down to Tantalon. Williams's command extended from Tullahoma to the Elk River, on the banks of which the 2nd MA--one of four regiments given the task of guarding the bridge spanning the waterway--set up its camp.

The position of the Federal armies in the West was precarious. The Army of the Cumberland was discouraged and hungry, and the dispatches that Rosecrans was sending to Washington began to reek of retreat. The Rebels, who commanded Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge southwest of the city, seemed contented to starve him out. Gen. Burnside was at Knoxville, 100 miles away, with only 12,000 men and was vulnerable to attack. Something needed to be done to remedy the situation, and quickly.

In the meantime, the 2nd Massachusetts became acquainted with its neighbors, one of which was the 1st Tennessee (Colored) Regiment. Having read the accounts of the bravery of Bob Shaw's 54th Massachusetts at Ft. Wagner, his former comrades were naturally curious to see for themselves how these black soldiers measured up. Lt. Col. Morse was among those who attended one of the regiment's dress parades. While he had mentally prepared himself to make allowances for a body of men only 4 weeks in the field, he found himself "very agreeably surprised " by the whole appearance of the regiment. "The men had a soldierly bearing, marched well, and stood in line better than nine-tenths of the white regiments I have seen." He watched carefully to see how his own men reacted to the black troops. "During the whole ceremony I saw no sneering or attempt to laugh, and after it was all over and the companies were marching off, our men applauded....I looked upon this as a very strong indication of what the general feeling would be among our troops."

"They are very good soldiers," agreed Capt. Henry Comey. "They have the neatest and finest camp I have ever seen for a regt. in the field." And on picket duty, Chaplain Quint rated them "keen, alert, and faithful." He cited as his one criticism, their excess of care "as they would fire at everything that looked doubtful." Nevertheless, they were far superior to an unspecified "shiftless white regiment" in their vicinity--one which refused to associate in any way with negro soldiers while demonstrating its own inferiority in discharging its duty.

Although he had previously subscribed to the widely held belief that making soldiers out of blacks would destroy the morale of the army, Quint now acknowledged his error. There was "a manliness about these black soldiers which inspired respect," he declared. "Make a soldier of a slave, and he feels he is a man....The moment they become soldiers, they seemed to change. They felt that they were in a holy cause. Why not? If it was right for Moses to lead those slaves--the children of Israel--out of Egypt, it is right for any new instrument of God to lead these people out of their accursed bondage. The Red Sea has parted. Woe to the pursuers."

The men of the Second were less complimentary about the western soldiers they were now in contact with, a collective group that, to their eyes, resembled an armed mob rather than an army. Whereas the Army of the Potomac men took pride in their dress and deportment, their westerners were characterized by an unshaven raggedness, and their (comparative) lack of discipline was astonishing to them. Upon relinquishing their camp at Christiana to some western soldiers, Quint recaalled that the arriving officers refused to march as ordered to relieve the Massachusetts outposts, responding, "Why, captain, the boys ain't up yet."

Quint went on to admit that he saw "no difference" between eastern and western men "as regard to fighting qualities." The only distinction was in "the character of the officers, and, therefore, in the discipline." Capt. Daniel Oakey took a more bemused view in his observation that the westerners had "an air of independence hardly consistent with the nicest discipline," but came to admire their "cool self-reliance" in a fight.

The western soldiers returned the compliment by dismissing the Army of the Potomac men as "white-glove soldiers" who should have spent more time learning how to win battles than looking pretty on a parade ground. The easterners would have to earn their respect.

On October 18th, Ulysses S. Grant was appointed to the head of the newly created Military Division of the Mississippi. In spite of his many detractors, Grant had found a supporter in Abraham Lincoln, who wanted only one quality in a general: the will to fight and win battles. The President knew Grant was his man.

It so happened that Chaplain Quint was in Nashville when the hero of Ft. Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg arrived. He described Grant as being "by no means tall, with a frank, honest face, dressed in a brigadier's coat, though with major-general's shoulder straps." In the evening a crowd gathered at the hotel where the general was staying and a military band drew him out. The crowd, said Quint, wanted a speech, but couldn't get a word out of the modest and taciturn commander until someone shouted out, "Unconditional Surrender!". "The general good naturedly submitted so far as to thank them for their good wishes, to tell them he never could talk, and he was too old to begin, and to say good night." Quint concluded that this hero of the Union did not need to be an orator: "his acts speak."

With Grant's appointment William T. Sherman assumed his old position as commander of the Army of the Tennessee. One of Grant's first actions was to replace Rosecrans with MG George H. Thomas. Henry Newton Comey welcomed the change. "I have talked with several officers of his Army and their opinions seem to infer that Gen. Thomas is a much smarter Gen. that Rosecrans." He also assured his family that "General Hooker stands well here."

Comey may have thought Joe Hooker "stood well" but the reality was quite different. One with whom he did not stand well was his subordinate, Gen. Slocum, who had never forgiven him for folding up at the battle of Chancellorsville and had been one of most vocal in calling for his removal from command of the Army of the Potomac. And when Hooker was subsequently given overall command of the 11th and 12th Corps, Slocum fired off a letter of resignation to the President, stating that to serve under such an officer was too degrading. Lincoln refused to accept Slocum's resignation, promising to remove him from Hooker's sphere as soon as something could be arranged.

The first order of business for Grant was re-opening the supply line. The rear guard duty of the 2nd MA and its division (the 1st) precluded its participation in Hooker's successful assaults on Brown's Ferry and Wauhatchie on the 27th and 28th of October, which brought the siege of Chattanooga to an end. Quint was gratified that the 11th Corps "acquitted itseld nobly" and that the Army of the Potomac men had demonstrated to the dubious westerners what they could do. He considered it worth mentioning that as some rebel prisoners were brought in and jeered at for having been caught, they replied tartly; "You had to get men from the Army of the Potomac to do it. We should have waled over you easy enough." He detected a change in feeling by Grant's men toward the "fancy soldiers" who had never been taught But who were now seen to be "as eminent in valor as in everything else."

New reached the Second that among the casualties at Wauhatchie was one of their former captains, Adin Ballou Underwood. The colonel of the 33rd Massachusetts, Underwood was reported to have been mortally wounded. "He is too true a man, too excellent a soldier to be spared," Chaplain Quint grieved. He was subsequently overjoyed to learn that rumors of Underwood's demise were greatly exaggerated. "Passing us by since, he was as cheerful as ever." Underwood not only survived, he left the army a brevet Major General.

On the 14th of November, Sherman arrived with the Army of Tennessee, and soon afterwards, the pivotal fights at Lookout Mountain (24th) and Missionary Ridge (25th) took place. The men of the 2nd MA were itching for some action but took no part in either battle. Grant clearly favored his old command and gave his good friend Sherman the toughest assignments. And Hooker, knowing full-well what Slocum thought of him, preferred Howard's 11th Corps to the 12th.

Grant's plan had called for Hooker to assault Lookout Mountain while the rest of Thomas's army demonstrated before Missionary Ridge to provide cover for Sherman's expected triumphant attack. But, having failed to read the script, the Army of the Cumberland wrote one of its own with its spectacular charge up Missionary Ridge, while Sherman's maneuver fizzled. The assualt drove Bragg's army out of Tennessee and back to Dalton, 40 miles southeast of Chattanooga. Afterwards, both Hooker and Thomas felt that their men did not get the credit they deserved from a disgruntled Grant.

Although disappointed in sharing only a residual glory, Lt. Col. Morse celebrated the resounding Union victory. The bitter memories of defeat and retreat on the soil of Virginia were wiped away. He wrote, "It seems to me, now, for the first time since the war began, that the rebellion is nearly crushed." It was a strange, new sensation for the Potomac men: looking forward instead of to the rear. In U. S. Grant they had encountered a general who did not believe in fighting battles, then falling back to regroup. His eyes were turned unwaveringly toward Atlanta. Take that city, said Morse, "an we have again cut the Confederacy in two....What a glorious thing it would be if we could wind up this rebellion before our original 3 years are out!"

Morse was being overly optimistic, but for the present, their was considerable cause to give thanks on the regiment's third Thanksgiving in the field. The day of the feast was warm and bright. There was the usual public worship, fine music, and, thanks to the efforts of Quartermaster Sawyer, the regiment ate reasonably well on the geese, chickens, turkey, quail and pig Sawyer conjured up. As he looked at the faces around him Lt. Col. Morse reflected upon Thanksgiving Days past. At Seneca in 1861, almost all of the regiment's original officers had been present. The second celebration, held in the shadow of Cedar Mountain and Antietam had been a more sombre affair, but there still had been "a goodly number of the old flock" and they had been "knit closer together by our very losses." Now, the valiant few were even fewer and having lost so many near and intimate friends, especially Bob Shaw. "has the effect on me...not to care to attach myself to any new acquaintances."

With no prospect of an immediate campaign, the officers of the Second settled into their quick-fab houses. Capt. Francis Crowninshield shared an abode with Capt. Comey composed of logs covered with shelter tents. Crowninshield declared their fireplace "a work of art" with its mantel-piece supported by Corinthian columns. He also reveled in their glass window. "One of our men got it somewhere outside the lines. I suppose you would say he stole it."

The time was fast approaching when each man in the 2nd MA would have to decide whether or not to sign on for another 3 years. There were 956 infantry units in the Union army, and the terms of enlistment for more than half were about to expire. Experienced regiments such as the 2nd MA were the backbone of the army, but after 3 years of hard service, many men justly felt that they had done their fair share of the fighting. Henry Comey did not see this attitude as a want of Patriotism, but rather a matter of economics and survival. When these man signed up for 3 years, their families back home had also committed to many of the same sacrifices for the good of the country. In some cases, families were now destitute. Other men in the regiment were simply used up physically as well as emotionally.

As an inducement to remaining in the country's service, each soldier was offered a $400 bounty, 30-day furlough, and the impressive title of "Veteran Volunteer." For some, this was simply not enough, but Morse for one was firmly resolved to see the war through to its conclusion and spoke to Col. Cogswell about making a dedicated effort to keep the 2nd MA in the field. He found Cogswell "very enthusiastic" and "quite sanguine" about the utlimate success of the endeavor. The next day, Cogswell made a speech to the regiment and the process of re-enlisting the regiment got off to a good start, "nearly one hundred putting their names down." The majority of the company commanders shared Comey's feeling that "we ought to keep up the old Second Mass" and see the end of the rebellion through.

The thrice-wounded Crowninshield opted to remain with the regiment despite the objections of his monther. He had to do what his pride and patriotism dictated. Morse could help but admire the frail-looking former-student whom none had thought could withstand the rigors of a soldier's life now become the "most active" of any officer in securing the re-enlistment of his company.

At least three-forths of the men needed to re-enlist in order for the 2nd MA to retain its prestigious old number and avoid having its ranks merged with another regiment. Would they answer the call? "I tell you," said Morse, "if they do it again, it will show what spendid stuff they are made of, and the regiment should gain more honor and credit for this than for any other act in its history." But, should the required numbers fall short, Morse made up his mind to try to secure a staff appointment, perhaps on that of Slocum, but was prepared to do his duty to his country "if I have to do it in the ranks."

Gov. Andrew was equally desirous of keeping up the old regiments and sent out the Rev. Thomas B. Fox, whose son and namesake had given the last full measure, to deliver an inspiring pep talk to the boys. Chaplain Quint wrote: "In an address of wonderful beauty, completeness and eloquence, he brought the assurance of remembrance at home. When he who had given three sons to the army alluded to one who had fallen in the line of the Second at Gettysburg, tears wet the cheeks of the hardy soldiery."

For his own part, the decision to remain with the 2nd MA was a difficult one for Quint, who had been absent from his congregation for nearly three years, much longer than anticipated. It seemed to him that the United States government attached no importance to the role of chaplain, as evidenced by the cutting off of his pay--which he needed as much as any soldier who had a family to support--while he had been ill and away from the regiment. "As it is, the government really says to every chaplain, 'Do not expose your health in the slightest degree. Be sure never to go within range of shot or shell to help a wounded man, or comfort the dying. For if, by any chance, you get wounded or sick in discharging your duty, you are selected for special insult; your pay will instantly cease, although you are subject to orders the same as ever."

With the ultimate future of the 2nd Massachusetts still in doubt, the men who had re-renlisted went home in early January on their promised furlough, reaching Boston on the 19th. A war-weary but grateful city welcomed its heroes home and Gov. Andrew honored them at Faneuil Hall. "There is no Massachusetts heart," Andrew told them, "no citizen of our common country, who can fail to declare, nor can I fail, as the official representative of the Commonwealth, now and forever to declare, that all that men could dare, and all that men could do for the cause of their country imperilled on the field, the Second Massachusetts has dared and done."

For Capt. Francis Crowninshield, the month went by far too quickly, and the rail journey back to Tennessee "the most forlorn ride I ever took." When the train pulled into Tullahoma at 2 in the morning, he was glad to see some familiar faces from the regiment waiting at the station. "I spent the remainder of the night in the hall of a hotel where some of the privates had been having a sort of ball and they were in the midst of a dance when we entered the hall. It was rather a funny scene for one just from home."

Only 6 of the regiment's original 36 officers remained on the rolls: Col. Cogswell, Lt. Col. Morse, Chaplain Quint, Major Francis, and Capts. Brown & Sawyer. Of the "second wave"--those who joined the regiment in the fall & winter of 1861/2--Captains Grafton, Oakey, and John Fox had, like Crowninshiled, opted to return to the field, as did a number of officers who had been promoted from the ranks: Capts. Pattison, Nathan Sawyer & Thayer, and Lts. Perkins, Thompson & Lundy.

Crowninshield set about setting up his new temporary quarters and declared it the best board structure in camp. "Capt. Oakey, who has always had the reputation of being able to build the best house on the line, owns up that he has been fairly beaten this time." But living in Tullahoma wasn't cheap, costing an average of $7 per week, which wouldn't be so bad if the food weren't such a disappointment. "These Southern people can't cook anything without saturating it with grease. It is bad enough to have to eat pork by itself without having everything fried in it."

For a few anxious weeks, there was considerable speculation about the 2nd MA being broken up or disbanded. With only 150 men in the ranks, the regiment was top heavy with brass. Capt. Henry Comey wrote home that if the ranks were not bolstered by May, some of the officers will probably be mustered out and I may be one of the number." Not that he would shed any tears over this prospect, but with the Rebellion on its last legs and after all of his sacrifice, he very much wanted to see it through to the end. This sentiment was shared by his companions who, according to Crowninshield, vowed to "request to be mustered out also" if any of them were summarily discharged.

Relief (of sorts) came from Governor Andrew who offered Col. Cogswell about 200 German recruits. There was only one condition: a German officer was required. None existed in the regiment, but Capt. George Thayer was found to be fluent in the language. This, along with the presence of several NCOs of German origin in the regiment, seemed to satisfy everyone. In spite of the prevailing opinion of Germans as soldiers, Crowninshield saw them as a God-send. "We had a report yesterday that we were to be consolidated with the 33rd Mass. (Underwood's Regt.) which made us all feel blue, but these 250 recruits and what others we may get will settle the matter and we shall retain our officers and our organization." Cogswell also dispatched Phalen and Grafton back to Boston, along with 10 NCOs, in an effort to scare up potential patriots.

In the end, every regiment in Slocum's 1st Div. re-enlisted and the 2nd MA was henceforth referred to as the Second Regiment of Massachusetts Veteran Volunteers. The regiment remained at Tullahoma until Sherman commenced his Spring campaign against Atlanta. Cogswell was appointed Post Commandant and assigned to perform Provost Duty in the city. Command of the regiment would have fallen to Morse, but he was suddenly recalled to Slocum's staff. This left the regiment in the capable hands of Maj. Francis.

Tullahoma Tales

There wasn't a heck of a lot to do in Tullahoma aside from the usual guard mounting, drill, parades, and band music. Still, Henry Comey found this preferabel to freezing in the mud along the banks of the Potomac as he had done the previous winter. A number of the officers' wives came to stay with their husbands and made for some pleasant conversation. Gen. Slocum gave a couple of receptions and balls were frequent occurances. At one such event, Crowninshield reported having "danced all evening" and took a "fair Tennessean" to dinner. Comey squired a young Union miss who had "two brothers in the rebel army, one of them an officer." But the ladies of Tullahoma must have had some drawbacks, because Crowninshield complained that one excursion beyond the boundaries of the town, he elected to ride on horseback rather than ride in a ambulance with the fairer sex, not caring to "get into too close contact with any secesh women, who are apt to be dirty."

A beautiful cascade some 5 miles north of the town may for a pleasant outing. Lt. Col. Morse set out one day with Capt. Grafton and Maj. Francis to see the sight:

"[O]ur road was nothing more than a path through the woods but it was very pleasant; finally just as we came to the stream, the woods became so thick we were obliged to dismount and walk. All of a sudden we came upon the cascade. I can preface all description by saying that it far exceeded everything I ever saw...You come to a perpendicular precipice which drops down about 80 or 90 feet, rough bare rock, a gorge is there formed one or two hundred feet wide down which you can look for a long distance...The water falls over the precipice in a beautiful fall, but the cascade is quite another thing; that is formed by a little brook whose course is almost right angles with that of the main stream. A thin strong jet comes from it and is thrown clear of the rocks and falls into the stream below."

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