USA > California > A Volume of memoirs and genealogy of representative citizens of northern California, including biographies of many of those who have passed away > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104
We found that one of General Buford's scouts was to make a secret expedition, and his party to consist of twenty-five men from the Sixth Ohio Cavalry.
ADVENTURES IN THE REAR OF THE REBEL ARMY WITH AN ARMY SCOUT.
We started from camp with high expectations of a very exciting time, as we knew our guide to be one of the best scouts in the army. It was a dark and dreary night in November, when we left our camp at Chantilly, and many of us thought it a serious question whether we would not find ourselves in the fond embrace of a body of rebel cavalry on the morrow ; but we plodded along in mere bridal paths all night. As the sun was just coming in sight, we were going down the western slope of the Blue Ridge mountains into the Luray valley. It was a beautiful sight, as we beheld the tents of the enemy but a short distance down the valley. I remembered that one half year before we camped on the very spot,-those months! the memory of them makes me shudder as I think of the noble lives that have been sacrificed for the honor of the old flag. The troops we saw proved to be a regiment of General Long- street's cavalry. We halted for breakfast, for horse and man, and a chance to stretch our weary limbs. We again took up the march, going to the north and west of the enemy, but keeping as close to the mountains as possible. As we were coming around on the south side of the valley we had the good fortune to capture a sergeant and five of his men, just going out to relieve the out- post. From him we learned the strength of the forces and the kind of informa- tion that we were looking for.
It was nearly dark when we again arrived at the point where we took breakfast that morning. That evening we were led through a winding by-path, up the side of the mountain. to a large farm house. The scout said, "Now. boys, you can unsaddle your horses, for we are in the hands of friends, and the most of you can sleep in the house. if you prefer to do so." Most of the
21
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
men were a little skeptical and staid by their horses; but I was willing to take the word of the scout, and slept on a bed, for the first time in two years. We were not disturbed, although we thought it was very imprudent in any officer not to throw out a guard. "But all is well that ends well," and we returned to camp without a mishap, and received the congratulations of the commander and comrades.
MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIENCES.
A few days after we returned from the scout, the whole brigade was called out to participate in a sham battle, a real charge by regiments, but there were to be no cuts nor thrusts ; though the parry was admissible. Our regiment was pitted against the First Maryland, and the men in both regiments were much excited when they met in the charge, some of them forgetting that it was a sham battle and using the cuts and thrusts too freely-in fact as they would in a real battle. Many of the men were unhorsed, but I do not remember that any were killed. This experiment was not repeated, although we had many hurdle-races, which were dangerous to horse and man.
Thanksgiving Day in the army was very generally observed; and our mess, which consisted of some of the choicest men in the company, was not lacking in patriotism. There were M. H. Barber, Charles G. Miller, William Davis, Washington Gillis and myself. We had procured a nice fat goose the day before .- I will not tell you how ; but in some mysterious manner it became ours by right of possession. Washington Gillis was the cook on this occasion. We had potatoes and hard-tack pudding. The pudding was made by soaking the crackers over night, which made them deliciously soft, adding salt and sugar. This was cooked in fat, fried out of salt pork, and here you have the "par excellence" of a soldier's Thanksgiving pudding. Our goose was put on to cook in the early morning, and at 3 o'clock p. m. we hal dinner. Bar- ber, being the oldest, acted as the master of ceremonies. The expression on his face as lie carved that goose was something akin to the man that tried to eat the owl! The goose was served to the boys in fine style, befitting the momen- tous occasion. They chewed and chewed, but could not master the goose; and it was resolved, without a dissenting voice, to cook it the whole of the next day, and to add rice for soup. The soup was good, but the goose was still tough. The next day we added beans for soup ( bean soup is always good ), but oh! that goose! After a week of beans, rice and goose, we decided to try some salt horse. Many are the puns that old goose afforded our mess for many months afterward.
Shortly after Thanksgiving, our regiment was transferred to Dumfries for picket duty. I will not forget the sight, as we came to General Burnside's infantry command. It was something that one could never forget. It was night, and quite dark. We, being slightly in the valley, saw the army encamped on the hillside, one line of fires above another, miles in extent. We went into camp, and were soon adding another line of fires to the myriads of fires that we saw. I well remember being on picket duty that night. It was my first experience in the old style of guard duty. Each guard, commencing at picket
22
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
headquarters, called the hour of the night, "Twelve o'clock and all is well!" or the same, whatever the hour might be. This might be all right in infantry, doing camp duty, but in outpost duty it will never do, as it gives notice to the enemy where every picket on the line is located.
On the 13th, 14th and 15th of December, 1862, the battle of Fredericks- burg was fought. Our regiment was not engaged in it, but from the heights of Falmouth, on the north side of the Rappahannock river, about one and one- fourth miles away, we could see the battle as in a panorama. It was a most wonderful sight, and. at the same time, the most awful that I ever witnessed. Division after division of our men was marched against the enemy's breast- works, only to be driven back, shattered and broken. I will here say that the ground that our troops held was next to the river, and the enemy was strongly entrenched on the hills to the south and west, with a gradual ascent of about fifty feet to the mile, and it was like charging against a solid wall. It was here that General Meagher's Irish brigade was nearly annihilated, and never a brigade fought harder than they; but all to no purpose !
After the battle of Fredericksburg we went into camp at Stafford Court House, to do outpost duty. Here we camped in the pine woods, and well do I remember what a sorry time we had trying to burn green pine ; bitt we had plenty of good timber to build warm houses; and if it had not been for our warm houses we would have frozen. This was the most disinal winter that I ever spent in the army. The soil in this section is the worst kind of yellow clay, and the mud was something terrible. We were obliged to haul our for- age and rations about ten miles, and it required six span of good mules to draw a small load. Being on the extreme outpost, we had to keep up a strong picket line, and nearly every night some of our men were shot from ambush by Col- onel Mosby's guerrilla band.
At this time orders were very strict as to furloughs and passes, espe- cially to enlisted men ; but the officers were allowed many liberties that we were not. I received a letter from my brother Calvin from Germantown Hospital saying, "If you want to see brother Charles alive, you must come immediately." ( Brother Charles had been very sick for many weeks, and Calvin, who was a captain of the First Minnesota Artillery, hearing of his sickness had come to see him. ) I went to Colonel Lloyd for a pass, showing him the letter that I had received from Calvin, and in his gruff, overbearing way, said, "You can't have a pass." But I didn't give up trying. I had a friend in Lieutenant George W. Wilson, who also was very close to the adjutant-general of the brigade Wilson explained the case to the adjutant general, and in an hour I had my pass, and that night was on my way to Washington, and arrived at the hospital the day before brother Charles died. We had the remains embalmed and sent to Orwell. Ohio. I remained in Washington one day, and then returned to my regiment. Colonel Lloyd did not know that I had secured a pass until I reported to him; and to say that he was mad would be putting it very mildly; and I think he never knew how I came by the pass.
Soon after my return we were ordered to Potomac Creek station, on the R. & P. R. This was an ideal camping ground, and we were put through a
23
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
most vigorous drill on horseback by that prince of drill masters, Colonel Duffie. It was some time in the month of March that we were reviewed by General Burnside, preparatory to the "mud march," so called. Not long after the "mud march" Burnside was relieved of command, General "Joe" Hooker being his successor, and everything in the Army of the Potomac was run on the high-pressure principle. Horse-racing, hurdle-races, dances at headquar- ters, etc., were a common thing. It reminded one very much of the description of the last days of Claudius Caesar's reign, with the persecutions left out. This was kept up until the battle of Chancellorsville, May 1, 1863.
About the first of March, 1863. General Averill took command of our division, and Colonel Duffie command of the brigade. On the 16th of March we were sent out to reconnoiter the enemy in force. On the morning of the 17th we arrived at Kelly's Ford, after a hard march of one day and night, in a drizzling rain, and our boys were not feeling very lively. We were con- fronted in our way to crossing the river with three formidable obstacles : First, the river was very much swollen by reason of heavy rains; secondly, the enemy had filled the ford on the east side by felling trees in it ; and thirdly, there was an old mill-race on the west side, running parallel with the river, and that was filled with rebel infantry ( dismounted cavalry). General Averill ordered the ford cleared, which was done with the loss of a few of our sappers and miners. The next was the crossing and the dislodging of the enemy from the mill-race, a thing not easily accomplished. The Fourth New York Cavalry, Colonel Di Cesnoli commanding, was ordered to cross and dislodge them; but he refused to submit his men to the trying ordeal. I think from what I know of the regiment that they would have willingly made the charge. Vol- unteers from other regiments were then called for, fifty men from each. Lieu- tenant-Colonel N. A. Barrett was in command of our regiment, and he requested all those who would like to make the charge to ride three paces to the front. The whole regiment rode forward. He then selected five men from each company, and I am happy to say that I was one of them, and was one of the first to plunge into the river. It was a sorry sight, I can assure you, as nearly one half of the men and horses that first went into the river were either killed or wounded, the latter floundering in the rapid current. As fast as we crossed we charged on the mill-race, shooting with our Colt's revolvers, which soon put the enemy to flight, and we captured the whole of them, I think, about sixty. After the cavalry had crossed, carrying the artillery ammunition in the feed bags of the horses, and the artillery itself had crossed, we had dinner before we made any demonstration on the enemy, further than to throw out a strong skirmish line.
Our force now consisted of two full brigades of cavalry and the First United States Battery. It was about II o'clock, a. m., before we were ready to make the advance. As we came from the river, about one mile to the west, we entered a piece of woods, and beyond that a large open plain, where we found drawn up, ready for action, the division of Fitzhugh Lee and a part of Gordon's cavalry, ready to give us battle. They did not have to wait long, for we were ready to charge at sight, and a beautiful charge it was, too. It was
24
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
like the coming together of two mighty railroad trains at full speed. The yelling of men, the clashing of sabers, a few empty saddles, a few wounded and dying, and the charge is over. One side or the other is victorious, perhaps, only for a few minutes, and then the contest is renewed. A charge of this kind is over almost before one has time to think of the danger he is in. We charged them across the open, and into a piece of timber, and in about ten or fifteen minutes they m turn charged us, with the result that we were driven to the point of starting. The artillery now came into play, but, owing to the fact that the ammunition had gotton somewhat damp in crossing the river, it was very much handicapped. The First United States Battery was one of the best in the service, but was of little use in this fight. We charged them again, this time to stay behind their breastworks in the woods, where they shelled us most vigorously for half an hour. Here I wish to remark that the most trying position that a soldier can be placed in is standing in line facing a battery, or a line of the enemy's infantry under their fire, and unable to retaliate. Many tinies we were placed in this position, and in this fight we felt the effect of it in a marked degree.
A little incident occurred at this time that proved to be quite interesting for a few minutes. I was acting orderly sergeant, and was at the head of the company. Lieutenant George W. Wilson was sitting upon his horse at my right, our knees touching, when a shell exploded at an angle of about forty- five degrees in front of us, and ten feet from our heads, the pieces flying in all directions. The sulphur in the shell, bursting so close to our heads, took the power of speech from Wilson, and he did not speak a loud word for more than a week. The bridle reins were cut entirely from his hands, we were both slightly wounded, he in his left leg, and I in my right leg and left wrist, but neither severely.
The enemy did not attack us again at this point; so we moved back toward the river. As we were moving leisurely back our attention was called to a body of the enemy's cavalry coming in on our right flank. General Duffie ordered the Sixth Ohio to be ready to charge. The enemy ( which proved to be the Black Horse Cavalry, F. F. V., one of the best regiments in their cavalry service ) was formed for a charge. Colonel Barrett formed us for the charge, with drawn sabers, commanded not to move until ordered, and then charge as one man. The enemy came at a terrible pace, swinging their sabers and yell- ing at the top of their voices. When within about thirty yards we were ordered to charge. Just in my front, as we came together, was a man fully six feet tall and of splendid proportions. I saw that I had to face him. As I came up on his right side, our sabers clashed, he at a right hand cut and I at a parry. He delivered a powerful blow, but, thanks to a good saber guard, I saved my head. In passing him I wheeled my horse so as to come up on his left side, at the same time hitting him over the head and back; and at each strike of my sabre I called to him to halt, which he did not do, and after hitting him five or six times, without apparently doing him much damage, I tried a tierce point on him with the result that a thrust through the neck brought him to the ground ; but he was not dead, as I afterward found out.
25
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Just as I had unhorsed my man, another "Johnny" came up on my right and struck my saber with such force that it went spinning in the air. At the same instant one of my company, by the name of Enos Hake, came up and shot the "Johnny." If he had not, I fear that, I would not now be alive to tell the story. It would be hard to describe to you the feelings of one left as I was, without a saber to protect himself, with hundreds of the enemy around me. But happily this condition did not last long, for I drew my revolver and sallied in again. A charge of this kind is usually over in less than five min- utes, with many men lying on the ground, and many horses riderless, tearing around as if mad. Sometimes the rider is being dragged with one foot in the stirrup, and if not killed outright by the enemy would surely be by his own horse.
We were victorious in this charge, as we were in the ones preceding it. The last charge was distinctively a Sixth Ohio charge, while the others were by the different brigades, and we were only a small factor in them. We received high commendation for gallantry from the commanding general, who witnessed the charge. As we were returning to cross the river that evening, I thought that I would see if my big "Reb" was among the prisoners, and to my great surprise I found him. I asked him how he felt. He looked at me in a very disgusted sort of way and said, "Are you the little cuss that unhorsed me?" I assured him that I was. He, being an F. F. V., undoubtedly thought that he ought to have killed a half dozen like me, as I only weighed at that time about one hundred and ten pounds, and he about two hundred! Taking this engagement all through, it was the most satisfactory one that, up to this time, we were ever engaged in, for every man fought to win.
We went back to our old camp at New Creek bridge to do outpost duty, until the first of April, when we received orders to picket the Rapidan river along the fords, which duty we kept up until the army was ordered to Chan- cellorsville.
THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE.
It was the worst planned battle of the war, with, perhaps, the battle of Fredericksburg, fought by Burnside, five months before, as the exception. Our division left their camp on the 26th of April, crossed the river at Kelly's Ford, made a long detour through the wilderness country, and struck the enemy about five miles southwest of Chancellorsville house, which brought on the engage- ment of the first of May. Part of the army crossed at Germania Ford, and part at a point at and below Fredericksburg, I think with the intention of drawing the attention of the enemy from the real point of attack. But. as far as my observation goes, there was no real plan of battle followed out, if there was one planned. The gist of the matter is, the job was too big for the man that undertook it. There was much hard fighting on both sides, but to no advantage on our side, that I could figure out.
Here it was that the famous rebel leader, "Stonewall" Jackson, lost his life, while making his famous charge on General O. O. Howard's Eleventh
2
26
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Corps (a very unfortunate circumstance to Howard at that particular time ), on the third day of the battle. Our cavalry was posted on the left of the Elev- enth Corps at that time. It was just at dusk, and we, as well as the Eleventh Corps, were eating our evening meal, when all of a sudden we were dis- turbed by hearing quite heavy musket firing off to our right, and slightly in front, and the never-to-be-forgotten rebel yell that sounded above the roar of musketry told us that some one was getting badly hurt. In about five min- utes the Eleventh Corps ( which were intrenched ) doubled back on us, and for a time even they could not tell what had been the real cause of the sudden evo- lution they were making. Jackson had come upon them as they were eating their evening meal, their arms were stacked, and, in fact, they were in the worst possible shape to be attacked.
The point where we were stationed had been fought over that forenoon, and the ground, being covered with dry leaves and underbrush, had caught fire, and the wounded were being suffocated by the fearful heat and smoke : we were trying to put out the fire and rescue the perishing. Such agonizing cries I hope I shall never hear again. Many of them when found had buried their faces in the earth to keep from being choked by the terrible heat and smoke, and were literally roasted to death!
The next day I was standing near the old Chancellorsville house, waiting for some orders for our colonel ( this being Hooker's headquarters), when a solid shot struck one of the pillars of the porch against which General Joe Hooker was leaning. It threw him to the ground, knocking what little sense he had out of him. During the remainder of the battle he did not seem to regain strength enough to give an intelligible order, and I doubt not that the battle was lost partly owing to that accident, for we had a splendid army. The failure of the Potomac army to accomplish the object which it had in view naturally had a depressing effect on the rank and file of the army; but they were not disheartened.
On the 5th the army recrossed the river, at the different fords nearest to the battlefield, and went into camp to reorganize. Here I left my regiment to take a position at General Kilpatrick's headquarters, as commissary of the brigade. My appointment to this position was wholly unexpected. As we were crossing the river on the pontoon bridge, coming from the battlefield, the general rode up to Colonel Steadman and said, "I want the best man you can send me to take charge of the commissary." As I came across, the Colonel called to me and said "Reeves, I want you to report to General Kilpatrick for duty as commissary of the brigade." I remarked that I thought he could find one that could fill the place better. "No," said he; "you're the man; report at once to the general," and in an hour I was at headquarters, which was under a large sycamore tree.
The general was a rough and ready man, but very much of a gentleman. On first meeting him, one had the impression that he was very rough : he seemed to be a bundle of nerves, strung to their highest pitch. I rode up to where he and his staff officers were eating their dinner ; he, seeing me, motioned
27
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
me to dismount. I saluted and said, 'General, I have orders from Colonel Steadman of the Sixth Ohio Cavalry to report to you for duty as commis- sary." He said, "Damn it! do you know anything about commissary?" "Yes, something." "Do you think you can keep the brigade in rations?" "Yes, General, if they are to be had." "All right; you are the man we have been looking for. Damn it! sit down and have some dinner with us!" The gen- eral always had a kind word for all, but did not care to be bothered with any- thing that was not strictly military.
After the army had reorganized, it was set in motion, this time going into Maryland and Pennsylvania. General Lee had become much emboldened by his great victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and was about to start on his raid into the northern states, and had set his cavalry in motion for that purpose.
It was on the morning of the 8th of June, 1863, that General Pleasanton, who had superseded General Stoneman in command of the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, set his command in motion, after a rest of one month. His object was to find out the position and strength of the enemy, who was sup- posed to be moving up the valley.
The command consisted of three divisions, as follows: First Division, General Buford: Second Division, Colonel Duffie; Third Division, General Gregg. Each was accompanied by two light batteries. Our cavalry force, all told, was about 9.500; and the enemy's force, from their own records, was 12,100, with twelve six-pounders. On the 9th Pleasanton's command crossed the Rappahannock river at Beverly's and Kelly's Fords, which are about five miles apart. It was supposed that the enemy were at Culpeper Court House; but it was soon ascertained that they were at Brandy Station, in full force. Buford's division, crossing at Beverly's, soon came in collision with the whole of Stuart's cavalry force, and a most sanguinary battle- ensued, at what is called St. Mary's church, not far from Brandy Station. After Buford had fought for some hours, the enemy getting in on his rear, he was obliged to fall back.
In the meantime General Gregg had come upon the field, and he, too, was obliged to fight the whole of Stuart's force with his single division. It seemed an unequal fight, and Gregg was being steadily forced back, when at the critical moment, General Kilpatrick, who had crossed at Kelly's Ford with his gallant brigade, hove in sight, striking the enemy in flank and rear, thus saving the day in one of the hardest-fought cavalry engagements of the war.
The enemy's infantry could now be seen coming down from Culpeper to relieve the cavalry. But the object of the expedition having been accom- plished, and the great battle of Brandy Station fought, Pleasanton fell back across the Rappahannock. This movement evidently kept General Lee on the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, where otherwise he would have entered Maryland at Monocacy, and therefore accomplished much more damage than he did on his northern raid. General Hooker had always underrated the value of cavalry, for the sole reason that they were never thoroughly organized. General Stoneman, who had command of it for some time, was as incompetent
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.