USA > Illinois > Yates phalanx : the history of the Thirty-Ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Veteran Infantry in the war of the rebellion, 1861-1865 > Part 5
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Doctor Blake returned with them and followed them to the headquarters of Colonel Murray, commanding the Eighty-Fourth. The Colonel was found, and as he afterwards stated, "The two men
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acted as if they were crazy; I could get no definite idea of what had occurred, or where it had occurred, or by whose orders they were sent to me." As soon as Blake appeared on the scene he gave the Colonel the topography of Bath, and matters explained and made more satisfactory. Colonel Murray said that his regiment was in a poor condition for a fight, as they had just received their guns (the Belgian musket), and they were full of tallow, and his men were now busy thawing them out, but he was ready to obey orders.
The writer, when he reached the Virginia shore, proceeded to headquarters but found no persons except the members of the regimental band and a few other noncombatants, all of whom were much excited, and getting their traps together for a retreat on the first appearance of danger.
A snowstorm had set in during the early part of the evening which did not add much comfort to the situation. The Swan family was greatly excited, and no doubt was much pleased with the prospect of getting rid of the Yankees. They, however, called for protection-not from any fear of the rebels, but they were afraid that our boys, in case they were driven across the river, might commit some overt act in the spirit of revenge. They were not gratified, however, the only satisfaction given was to place a guard at the house to prevent any member of the family leaving the premises.
On the morning of January 4 we received some intelligent information of what had transpired the previous day, and which has already been given to the reader. Early in the day we caught the sound of artillery firing and knew that the enemy was advancing on Bath. No medical officer being at that post, Assistant Surgeon Clark was ordered to proceed there at once, which he did, reaching there safely, but found only one wounded man-Private Lankinaw of Company D, and he had been shot through the calf of the leg on the previous evening. There was a cessation of hostilities toward noon and Doctor Clark returned to Alpine for instruments and dressings. The official report of Colonel Osborn regarding this affair is here inserted.
"Headquarters Thirty-Ninth Illinois Regiment Hancock, Maryland, Jan 8, 1862
"TO GENERAL LANDER, Commanding Division.
Sir: I have the honor to submit a report of our late skirmish with the rebel forces under General Jackson.
"While we were guarding the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Hancock or Alpine Station, Virginia, to Great Cacapon, on the 19th of December 1861, in obedience to orders from General Kelly, then commanding division, the Thirty-Ninth Regiment of Illinois Volunteers under my command crossed the Potomac at Hancock to the Virginia side and were stationed as follows: Companies A, B, C and F, at Alpine Station, Company E at Sir John's Run, Company G with Captain Dike's Company (Second Maryland Volunteers) at Great Cacapon; while Companies D, K, I and Lieutenant E. D. Muhlenburg with one section of Captain Best's Battery stationed at Bath, Virginia, being the advanced position, and the key to our whole line.
"The position of the artillery was such as to command the Martinsburg and Winchester roads. Scouts were sent out daily at different points along our whole line, but no intimation
25
"The hour had not yet come"
of the approaching rebels was received until the third day of January at four p.m. when information reached us that a large force of the enemy was advancing on our lines. For the purpose of ascertaining their whereabouts Captain Russell (who reported to me the day before, by order of General Kelly) was detailed with thirty of his cavalry to scout in the direction of Martinsburg from Alpine Station. Major O. L. Mann and Captain Linton with thirty of his men and five of Captain Russell's cavalry proceeded from Bath on the Winchester road, and Captain Slaughter with a small portion of his command took position upon Great Cacapon mountain, commanding a view of the valley between Great Cacapon and Warm Spring mountains, a distance of three miles, where he discovered a rebel force which he estimated at 3,000. Captain Russell reported a force of from 600 to 800 infantry and two cavalry companies which were bivouacked on the Martinsburg road seven miles from Alpine Station.
"Major O. L. Mann and his party had proceeded about four miles on the Winchester road, when they discovered some fifteen of the rebel cavalry whom they pursued until they were fired upon by about 150 rebel infantry who in ambush had awaited until our men had passed, doubtless, designing to cut off their retreat; but they were disappointed. Our brave boys returned their fire, driving them from their position, killing five of the rebels, including one lieutenant, wounding several and making good their retreat with the loss of three slightly wounded and eight taken prisoner.
"In anticipation of a general attack by a much superior force at an early hour on the succeeding morning, our men were kept in readiness for immediate action. I telegraphed General Kelly for support, who promptly replied that the Thirteenth Indiana Volunteers would come to our assistance by eight o'clock the next morning, and also instructed me to call on Colonel Murray of the Eighty-Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, who was lying at Hancock on the opposite side of the Potomac. At ten o'clock Colonel Murray, who had just received his arms, which were in rather a greasy condition for immediate action, crossed the Potomac 550 strong and proceeded to Bath to strengthen that position.
"A four o'clock on the morning of the 4th of January, our forces at Bath took position on Warm Spring Ridge, over looking Bath, and near our artillery.
"At Hancock Station Company A took position on the hill commanding the road to Winchester; Companies B and C commanding the road to Martinsburg and Sleepy Creek; and Company F, Mount Alpine, with Company G (Captain Slaughter), at Great Cacapon, with a detachment of twenty-two men under Lieutenant Rudd, at Great Cacapon mountain.
"At about nine o'clock the rebel cavalry made a demonstration by driving our pickets on the Martinsburg Road leading to Alpine, when Captain Russell with twenty-five of his cavalry, and Lieutenant Sellards of Company B with sixty infantry, was ordered to proceed in that direction to check their advance. At the same time the rebels appeared in the woods on the left of our forces at Bath, and a lively skirmishing fire was kept up on both sides; but our position was such that we lost no men, but a number of rebels fell under the fire of the artillery and our long-range Springfield rifles, Lieutenant Muhlenburg doing good service in holding the enemy at bay much longer that we could otherwise have done.
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"At about three p.m. the rebels appeared in full force, variously estimated at from ten to fifteen thousand, with twenty-two pieces of cannon. Colonel Murray, fearing being surrounded by such an overwhelming force, and believing that he would not be able to hold his position at Bath, ordered a retreat by way of Sir John's Run, which was accomplished in good order, Companies I, K, and D of the Thirty-Ninth covering the retreat.
"The Thirteenth Indiana Volunteers were met near Sir John's, but too late to afford any assistance. At this point the artillery, together with the companies above mentioned, forded the river (there being no other means of crossing), Captain Hooker with forty men remaining to defend the point from the Maryland side, the Eighty-Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers proceeding down the railroad to Hancock.
"In the meantime a column of the enemy, consisting of three regiments of infantry and two pieces of artillery, advanced upon our position at Great Cacapon. Lieutenant Rudd, of Company G, being posted upon the mountain, selected a position near a bend in the narrow road which he knew the column must pass. He and his men knelt and awaited its approach, and not until the foremost files were within fifty yards was their presence suspected. At this critical moment they coolly delivered their fire, and several of the enemy were seen to fall, while the head of their column was thrown into confusion. Taking advantage of this, they retreated to another shelter on the road, thus holding them at bay until the darkness of night covered them before the rebels dare descend the mountain.
"At about six o'clock the enemy succeeded in planting their cannon and opened fire upon the Union troops stationed at Hancock, and which were placed behind a natural barricade of brick walls aligned on the principal street. The ball opened at last, and the command was kept in a most horrid situation for the following twelve hours by the booming of Jackson's cannon and the reply of our two pieces of ordnance of the Fourth U. S. Artillery commanded by Lieutenant Muhlenburg, U.S.A. We held our own and were receiving reinforcements.
"The next morning there was a signal for a 'flag of truce,' from the command of Jackson and Loring. Lieutenant-Colonel O. L. Mann with proper escort and a boat went over to Alpine Station, and brought back with him Colonel Ashby, of the cavalry, blindfolded. He was taken to headquarters under an escort, and made known his wishes and demands, which, of course, were not acceded to.
"The day was spent in desultory firing, and as evening approached a huge bonfire was lighted, consuming all our stores except what could be carried away, and the few buildings, with the exception of Swan's and Orrick's, were soon in ruins. The next morning there was no enemy in sight.
Very Respectfully, Your Obed't servant,
T. O. Osborn, Colonel Thirty-Ninth Illinois, Commanding"
General Jno D. Imboden, in his article on "Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah," in the June Century Magazine, 1885, says:
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"The hour had not yet come"
"Jackson's only movement of any note in the winter of 1861 was an expedition at the end of December to Bath and Romney, to destroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and a dam or two near Hancock, on the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. The weather set in to be very inclement about New Year's, with snow, rain, sleet, high winds and intense cold. Many in Jackson's command were opposed to the expedition, and as it resulted in nothing of much military importance, but was attended with great suffering on the part of his troops, nothing by the confidence he had won by his previous service saved him from personal ruin.
"In that terrible winters' march and exposure, he endured all that any private was exposed to. One morning, near Bath, some of his men having crawled out from under their snow- laded blankets, half frozen, were cursing him as the cause of their suffering. He lay close by under a tree, also snowed under, and heard all this; but without noticing it, presently crawled out too, and shaking the snow off, made some jocular remark to the nearest men, who had no idea he had ridden up in the night and lain down amongst them. The incident ran through the little army in a few hours, and reconciled his followers to all the hardships of the expedition, and fully reestablished his popularity."
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29
CHAPTER FIVE
"The Rebel Force"
The force under Generals Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson and William Wing "Old Blizzard" Loring was estimated to be between 12,000 to 15,000 men with forty pieces of artillery, and the object of the movement was supposed to be, in the first place, to capture the Thirty-Ninth Illinois, then cross the Potomac at Alpine, make a raid through the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and by moving rapidly through Cumberland, get in the rear of our forces under General Kelly at Romney, West Virginia, and by severing their communications, and cutting off their retreat, compel the surrender of the entire Federal force operating in Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Bath was the key to the position held by the Thirty-Ninth, and was naturally a very strong position and easily defended. On the north of the town was a range of high hills, or they might be classed as mountains, that extended for many miles from this point up and down the Potomac River. At this point for some miles in either direction was the only gap through which a military force could reach the river. These lofty heights commanded all the roads leading from the interior into Bath, and the Gap itself was favorable for a vigorous defense.
We will now go back a little so that we may arrive at a better understanding of this affair at Bath.
On the morning of the January 3, 1862, Captain Samuel S. Linton of Company D was ordered to make a reconnaissance by Lieutenant-Colonel Mann, commanding at Bath, and after he had proceeded about five miles in the direction of Martinsburg he encountered the advance of General Jackson's army.
A brisk skirmish ensued, in which the enemy was checked with considerable loss, and Captain Linton fell back on Bath with a loss of only nine men. The morning of January 4 Jackson advanced his whole force. The three companies of the Thirty-Ninth which had been reenforced on the previous day by the Eighty-Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, took up a position on the heights of Warm Spring ridge, the artillery of Muhlenburg planted in a commanding position. A brisk action took place lasting for the period of an hour, and notwithstanding the overwhelming number of the enemy under the command of one of the best of the Confederate generals, the position taken by our force was so strong and "sucker" grit so far above the average that every attempt made by the enemy to carry the heights was repulsed with heavy loss. During the entire day the rebels were held in check, and it was not until the shades of evening were gathering, and learning that the rebels were flanking the position some distance above, that our weary men fell back in good order to Sir John's Run and crossed the river into Maryland. The enemy's force then divided, one portion following on to Sir John's Run and Great Cacapon, the other taking the direction to Alpine Station. At Sir John's Run there was but little fighting, if any, as our men had already retreated, but at Great Cacapon where Captain Slaughter
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with Company G was stationed, a number of sharp skirmishes took place. Night was already setting in when Lieutenant Rudd of Company G, in order to allow the balance of the command to retreat, called for twenty volunteers, and proceeded at their head to take position in a narrow defile through which the enemy must pass, and here he awaited the advance of General John "Prince John" Magruder's Brigade, which had already commenced the descent of the mountain, planting two pieces of artillery, and commenced firing.
MUHLENBURG'S GUNS IN ACTION ON WARM SPRING RIDGE.
Lieutenant Rudd awaited patiently until the advance was within 100 yards of his line, when he gave the order to fire, which had the effect of turning the rebel advance into a complete rout, when the Lieutenant and his men retreated in good order, safely rejoining their comrades who had fallen back to the Cumberland road on the Maryland shore.
In corroboration of what has been said in relation to this affair there is presented here the statement of William C. Dutcherage, of Dove Park, Arkansas, who was a member of the Third Arkansas Volunteer Infantry that participated in this raid. He wrote up the history of his regiment
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"The Rebel Force"
some years ago and it was published by installments in the Washington World before it became merged into the National Tribune. He says:
"After some brisk skirmishing with the Yanks at Bath, in which a number were captured and we had compelled them to retreat, Stonewall Jackson divided up his command-he going in person with two brigades to clean out the Yanks at Sir John's Run and the Yankee force opposite Hancock on the Virginia side, while the brigade that I belonged to was ordered to Big Capon to burn the railroad bridge. We left Bath about six o'clock in the evening, reaching the Big Capon mountain about seven o'clock. There General Magruder ordered the regiments to form in line of battle, the Third Arkansas taking the advance. We had two pieces of light artillery. We muffled the wheels, so the Yanks would not hear us coming down the mountain, and had a good deal of fun among ourselves thinking how nicely we were going to outwit the Yankees. We slipped down the old Bath Pike leading to Big Capon, and could see dim lights once in a while at the bridge. We slipped along carefully until within about 150 yards [of the bridge, it is presumed] and opened fire with both pieces of artillery, and several volleys of musketry. The Yanks returned the fire so quickly and sharply that we retreated out of range of their guns, leaving our artillery on the field. The next morning we advanced to the Big Capon, but not a Yank in sight. Some of the natives at Big Capon hooted at us for being such cowards as to let about 100 Yankees get away with such a big crowd as you'uns.
"We had five men wounded and one killed; his name was John Kelly, a New Yorker. We buried him where he was killed, destroyed the bridge and then returned to Bath."
The following is from the pen of Lieutenant Amos Savage, who participated in the skirmish at Great Cacapon, and will give some needed information. He says:
"About twenty-five men of Company E, from Sir John's Run, under Lieutenant Whipple, joined us just before the fight. These men, with about as many more of Company G, were stationed at the railroad trestle-work bridge. About twenty-five men under my command were stationed at the ford, 600 or 800 yards above the bridge, the balance of Company G being stationed along the Cacapon between the two points before mentioned, under Captain Slaughter.
"The rebel force attacking us was the Third Arkansas and Thirty-Seventh Virginia, with two pieces of artillery, and was commanded by Colonel Rust, of the Third Arkansas.
"The attacks at the bridge and ford were nearly simultaneous and were made, as near as I could judge, by a regiment at each place. Both were repulsed, and the affair appears to have been regarded as quite serious by them, as it was not until the next morning when reinforced by General Loring that they ventured to renew the attack on the bridge, which, being no longer held by our men, was occupied by them with no other annoyance than that occasioned by the fire of a squad of men who had waded the Potomac and opened a scattering fire on them from the north bank of the river."
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Private George Riddle of Company I later wrote for the Regimental History:
"The first time I was drawn up in line of battle and ordered to 'load at will,' I would much rather have taken the time to come home to load, for I was somewhat scared. My heart got between my teeth and I couldn't bite my cartridge, so I finally got it torn off, and the trouble was then to hit the gun-barrel with the cartridge, for the muzzle of the gun wasn't half large enough. If it had been as large of an iron kettle, I don't think I could have got my cartridge in it; but I finally got her loaded, but had a hard time returning the rammer. You may think I was scared! But I got 'er there all the same, Eli!"
At Alpine Station on January 4 all was excitement. We knew that our boys were engaged with the enemy at Bath, but as to what extent and how progressing nothing was known. Colonel Osborn spent most of his time at the telegraph office, sending dispatches to Generals Frederick Lander and Kelly for reinforcements and receiving orders.
Dr. Clark returned from Bath about noon for instruments and supplies and reported that at the time he left all was quiet and our forces were holding its own, and it was supposed that the enemy was trying to flank the position. He started again for Bath at two o'clock and had proceeded some five miles, reaching a position overlooking the town, when he saw that it was useless to proceed farther as the rebel cavalry was swarming over the hills to the west of the town, and taking position on the road leading to Alpine. Nothing could be seen of our troops and he presumed that they had retreated in the direction of Sir John's Run. He immediately turned and made his way back to Alpine, nor hesitated long on the order of the going, reaching Alpine soon after four o'clock. He reported to the Colonel what he had seen, and acting on this information Osborn ordered Major Munn with two companies, A and F, to take position in ambush commanding the defile through which the enemy must pass in order to reach Alpine. In the meantime there was great activity and more confusion at the various quarters. There were urgent calls upon the quartermaster for transportation. He had but two wagons, and one of these was over on the Maryland side of the river, and the other was already loaded with quartermaster and commissary stores' but room was finally made for officers' baggage and it was started over the river. The hospital stores had to be abandoned, all that was saved being a few books and instruments. Orders to hurry up intermingled with considerable profanity at the seeming stupidity and slowness of servants and orderlies, with shouts now and then that the rebels were coming, all this was certainly calculated to turn ones head, be it ever so well balanced, and especially when was added the certainty of there being an enemy in our immediate front, and a wide river in which ice was already forming in our rear. The evening was decidedly chilly and the duskiness of night fast closing about us as the rebel cavalry approached and prepared for a charge. And soon they came down the road with a yell and a clatter, but had not proceeded more than a hundred yards, when the command under Major Munn with a well-directed volley of musketry gave them such a surprise and proved so effective that the rebels concluded not to advance any farther, only a few riderless horses carrying out the original intention, which were captured. The enemy had been so effectively checked that time was allowed for the four companies of the Thirty-Ninth Illinois and the Eighty-Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, who had retreated to this point from Bath via Sir
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"The Rebel Force"
John's Run, to cross the river to Hancock. Three-fourths of the command were compelled to wade, the water reaching to the shoulders of the tallest, while the shorter ones were almost submerged. One man belonging to the Eighty-Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment was reported drowned in making the passage.
Private William O. L. Jewell, Company E later wrote:
"On January 4, 1862, half of our company was sent from Sir John's Run to guard a railroad bridge across the Big Bethel. I was some five or six miles up the Potomac River from Sir John's Run. The detail was in command of Lieutenant Lewis T. Whipple, a gallant and excellent officer and man. Some of us took position behind a pile of railroad ties we had arranged near the bridge. Jackson was coming upon us, our pickets had been driven in and we were awaiting events. The Thirteenth Indiana Volunteer Regiment had come down from Cumberland and had built fires to cook supper, some quarter of a mile above us. Lieutenant Whipple had started for the Indiana camp, and the rebels had muffled the wheels of a cannon and brought it to the end of the bridge about fifty yards from us, unheard and unnoticed, and discharged a shot at the Indiana encampment. This was about nine p.m., and very dark. The shot passed over the head of Lieutenant Whipple, and just as the report of the gun reached him he caught his toe in a snag, and fell. Thinking himself shot, and not fully realizing his position, and withal desirous of telling the boys how to dispose of his body, he called, 'Bury me where I lay, boys!' Only a moment elapsed, when, finding himself more scared than hurt, he quietly arose and proceeded on his journey, saying nothing more about the disposition of his body.
"We at the pile of ties fired a number of rounds at the place we had seen the flashes of the gun, but the firing soon ceased on their part, and we were ordered to retreat across the Potomac, and wading that swift stream in the darkness, was no laughing matter. We emerged, and went rattling through the weeds on the Maryland shore, encased in sheets of ice, until several hours march we reached an inn where we stirred up big fires and thawed out."
The passage of the river at a temperature considerably below the freezing point was a most trying ordeal, and resulted afterwards in much sickness. As the men emerged from the water, the frosty air gave their clothing a most uncomfortable stiffness.
There was no time for a change of clothing, for the command was immediately marched up into the town and placed in alignment along the main street, running parallel with the river, to afford shelter from the shot and shell of the enemy, who had by this time planted several cannons on the edge of the bluff opposite Hancock and commenced throwing shot and shell. No fires were allowed, and the condition of some of the men was most pitiable. Muhlenburg had already got his two guns in position and returned the fire for the space of an hour or more with so much effort that the rebel guns were silenced for the night. Fortunately but few of the enemy's shells had exploded and but little damage occasioned. The citizens of Hancock were badly frightened, and those who could, were
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