USA > Indiana > History of the Third Indiana cavalry > Part 14
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miles to the crossing of Cedar creek. We fell back to Mount Zion Church and General Custer sent Lieut. Gilbert of the escort with four orderlies to communicate with General Chapman of the First Brigade. We struck the middle road just as the Second Brigade was falling back on the reserve. A few minutes later the rebel advance charged down on us, but were met by the guard and driven back only to return with a much larger force, which com- pelled our rear guard, the First New Hampshire, to skedaddle at a lively pace. I and J. Y. Storm were separated from Lieutenant Gilbert and the other two orderlies, but by spurring up our horses we soon overtook our command on the mountain road. General Chapman left the rebels in possession of the middle road but next morning started out in the same order to finish the undertaking of the day before, meeting with about the same success. The Second Brigade was for a time cut off from the First, but General Custer having cleared the mountain road turned to the assistance of Chapman with his Second Brigade; the rebels were soon driven beyond Cedar creek and the division returned to its camp. General Wright with his Sixth Corps and two other divisions of infantry were withdrawn from the valley, and Sheridan with the rest of his command fell back to Winchester for the winter. The right of his line resting on Little Mountain was occupied by the Third Divi- sion of Cavalry under General Custer, with headquarters at Robert Glass' residence, four and a half miles southwest of Win- chester on the Little North Mountain road.
"Sheridan's forces remained in this position until the 27th of February, 1865, when under orders from General Grant he moved up the valley. General Devin with the First Division took the advance and Custer with the Third the rear; crossing Cedar creek, we passed through Strasburg and reached Woodstock, where we camped the first night of the march. On the 28th the Third Division had the advance, and not far from Edenburg our advance guard was fired on by Rosser's rebel cavalry. The rebels fell back,
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leaving five of their number prisoners. We reached Mt. Jackson about noon, and while our wagon train was crossing Mill creek, a stream just beyond the town, it was attacked by rebel cavalry. They were again dispersed and five of them captured. On this day in fording the Shenandoah at Mains Bottom three of our men and two horses were drowned. We continued on to Lacys Spring, where the division halted and went into camp. A squad of rebels charged our pickets but retreated with more spirit than they came, several of them being captured, some of whom were in our uni- form. On March 1 we moved at 5 a. m., the Third Division in the rear. We passed through Harrisburg, crossed North river at Mt. Crawford. At Mt. Sindner the First Division encountered Rosser's cavalry, which was routed after a sharp skirmish, fol- lowed by a running fight for four miles to the bridge across Middle river. They attempted to burn the bridge but failed. Here we camped for the night in the rain. On the 2d of March the Third Division took the lead, passed through Staunton; from there the head of the column taking the pike leading to Waynesborough on the Gordonville railroad. That town the rebels had evacuated, leaving nothing but a few barrels of applejack, which our experts located in a few minutes after we had halted. At Fisherville our advance encountered the rebel pickets. General Custer sent word back to General Merritt, chief of cavalry, and in the meantime drove the rebel pickets back on their main force at Waynesborough. Here Early had entrenched.
"Waynesborough was located at the foot of the Blue Ridge, di- rectly in front of Rockfish Gap, through which the railroad passed. Custer took in the situation at once and prepared to attack. Two regiments of dismounted men were stationed on our left to attack the enemy's right flank, two regiments mounted were sent to our right to charge the enemy's left, while the rest of the division with Battery M, Second U. S. Artillery, formed the center. Battery M turned loose her guns and at the same time the Third Division
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went pellmell, every man for himself, shooting and yelling, Custer leading. Both flanks of the enemy were turned and our men were in the rebel rear before they knew how it was done. They made a desperate resistance, but Custer's charge on the center broke their lines, which caused a panic. Custer charged through their broken ranks and charged their wagon train in the rear, where we found the greatest confusion. The teams had been abandoned; not a driver in sight; mules and wagons, horses and ambulances aban- doned to their fate. The result of the fight was 1,500 prisoners, twelve pieces of artillery with caissons and horses, 150 wagons with teams, loaded with supplies, fifty ambulances with teams, sev- enteen battle flags, together with General Crook's battle flag which had been captured at Cedar Creek on the 19th of October, 1864. The Third Division moved through the gap and went into camp for the night on the east side of the Blue Ridge.
"On March 3 we moved along the Gordonsville railroad to Char- lottesville, destroying the track as we went. We burned Mechams Station and a building filled with rebel stores there, and the rail- road bridge nearby across the Ravenna river. We also destroyed the depot and a lot of supplies at Woodville, and went on to Char- lottesville. We remained there until the 6th of March, when we moved south along the railroad towards Lynchburg. Twelve of us forming the escort and a squad of fifteen or twenty scouts formed the advance; we saw no rebels all day until we struck the bridge at Rockfish river, which was guarded by rebels. They saw us first and fled as we charged them. We burned the bridge and stationhouse there, and returned to division headquarters back a mile from the bridge.
"At daylight on the morning of the 7th of March we forded Rockfish river two miles above the bridge, marched to Lovington and destroyed the railroad and rebel stores there. The Third Division proceeded from Lovington to New Glasgow depot, three miles north of Amherst Court House, went into camp, details
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being sent out in every direction for horsefeed and other sup- plies. On the 8th of March we left the railroad, taking a north- east course, striking the James river at New Market some thirty miles below Lynchburg. We went into camp two miles below New Market on the James river, and at 6 o'clock next morning our division was on its way to Richmond down the river, as we had no means of crossing. We marched down the river road to War- minster, where we took the canal towpath, crossed Rockfish river at the canal aqueduct at Mozartsville, thence along the canal to Scottsville and went into camp. The next day we marched out the Richmond road by way of Vinnsville and Fluvanna Institute, striking the James again at the mouth of Ravenna river, which we crossed to Columbia on the canal aqueduct, going into camp a mile from town. On Sunday morning March 12 we left Colum- bia and moved out on the Richmond road six miles, changing our course nearly due north on a road leading to Fredricks Hall Sta- tion on the Virginia Central railroad, twenty-five miles east of Gordonsville. On arriving at Thompsons Cross Roads about 8 p. m. we learned that General Early and a body of cavalry had passed through a few minutes ahead of us. A squad was sent in pursuit, but he had disappeared towards Richmond. We crossed the South Anna river at Anderson about a mile from the cross roads and a detail was sent out to capture horses; they returned with seven or eight. We arrived at Fredricks Hall about dark and went into camp. On the 14th we left Fredricks Hall and again struck the South Anna at the crossing of Kilpatrick and Sheridan roads, where we again came in sight of General Early, and one of Gen. Custer's staff came near running him down and taking him pris- oner. On the morning of the 15th of March we moved to Ash- land, where we found the enemy in force, and a sharp skirmish took place, in which several were killed on both sides. Among the killed were two or three officers, and among the prisoners was the adjutant of the Fifteenth Virginia. We fell back along the rail-
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road to the South Anna and crossed again to the north side near the railroad bridge, continuing to Noels Station on the Virginia Central. Leaving here we proceeded to Jerico Ford, crossed the North Anna to the north side and went to Chesterfield Station on the Fredricksburg road, going into camp there. On March 16 we left Chesterfield Station and went to White House Landing, where we communicated with General Grant and received supplies.
"On the evening of the 19th of March we went out reconnoiter- ing and foraging, among them several boys from Company A at division headquarters and some from Company B, Second Brigade headquarters. They were surprised when near Baltimore Cross Roads by a squad of rebels and eight or ten of them captured, one from Company A and two from Company B. We left White House Landing on the 25th of March and crossed the Chicka- hominy on pontoons where Jones Bridge had been, marching through Charles City Court House to Harrisons Landing on the James river. As we lay there on the morning of the 26th a dis- patch boat with President Lincoln and General Grant on board steamed up to the landing. From here we went up the river fif- teen miles to Deep Bottom, where our pontoons spanned James river to Jones Landing, and we crossed over, going into camp below the landing. On March 27th we crossed the Appomattox river seven miles above City Point. We moved around in front of Petersburg and went into camp near Fort Magruder. We lay in camp here a day, during which time muster rolls were made out at Company A's headquarters; eight men of Company B, whose time had expired, were mustered out and permitted to go home.
"On March 29 Grant's army was in motion, only a sufficient force being left behind to man the lines around City Point and Petersburg. The cavalry moved out at 10 a. m. along the Jerusa- lem road, crossed the Weldon railroad at Reams Station, went towards Dinwiddie Court House, crossed Rowanty creek at Monks Neck Bridge, stopped for our wagon train, stood saddled all night
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in a pouring rain which continued through most of next day. We went into camp on the night of the 30th, unsaddled and supposed we would get some sleep, but at 10 o'clock at night picket firing on our left caused us to be routed out, and we remained saddled up the remainder of the night. About noon of the 31st the Third Division was ordered to the front, and moved to about two miles south of Dinwiddie Court House and went into camp. Devin with his First Division of Cavalry had attacked the rebels in the morning and fought them all forenoon, but made little headway. At 8 p. m. Custer with the Third Division went to his assistance, when the rebels gave way and fell back to near Five Forks, closely followed by both divisions. There the rebels, backed by a heavy force of infantry, made a stand, and Sheridan in turn was forced to give way, but all his available force was dismounted and de- ployed on the skirmish line, as he fell back, and a courier was sent back for reinforcements. The rebels followed closely with both cavalry and infantry, but we fell back in good order until Custer found a good position, where he halted and entrenched, with de- fenses made of whatever we could lay our hands on. The rebels came on but we brought them to a stand, and held them until their infantry turned our right flank and compelled the Third Division to fall back. General Custer was conspicuous along the line and his private orderly was killed. Darkness put a stop to this fight and both sides rested where they were fighting when darkness came on. On the morning of April 1 the First and Third Divis- ions of Cavalry were reinforced by Mckenzie's cavalry and then Ayres' division of the Fifth Corps, and the fighting became fiercer than ever. The rebels showed signs of weakening and Sheridan pressed them harder than ever, Custer taking every occasion to charge their rear with the Third Division. Custer led two of these charges in person. With drawn saber he dashed to the front, shouting, 'Now, boys, for your thirty days' furlough,' and in they went. On leaving Winchester Custer had issued a special order
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promising a thirty-day furlough to each man who captured a rebel battle flag. With the aid of Griffith's division Sheridan was en- abled to drive the enemy within their entrenchments at Five Forks. The Fifth Corps was not in position until near dark, yet Sheridan ordered a forward movement along the entire line; the fighting began and for a time the contest was fierce and bloody; in the darkness the blaze of incessant musketry and the flash of artillery lighted up the surroundings of the battle with an awful glare. When the final assault was made our men scaled the earthworks of the enemy and a hand-to-hand struggle raged for a brief time only, for the rebels broke and gave way, leaving in our hands a portion of their artillery, a quantity of ammunition and about six thousand prisoners. Our cavalry pursued the routed rebels until 9 o'clock, and returned to Five Forks and camped for the night.
"The morning of the 2d of April we moved to Fords Inn on the South Side railroad and destroyed several miles of track. Here we encountered the rebel cavalry, which we drove back to Appo- mattox. The Third Division took the advance on the morning of the 3d, and at Namozine Creek ran on to an artillery caisson which had been filled with ammunition and left in the road with a fuse attached. It exploded, killing two officers of the Eighth New York Cavalry. At the crossing of Namozine creek our passage was disputed by the rebels in considerable force, behind breast- works. Custer at once ordered up his batteries and after a few shells had been thrown into them they retreated, followed by Cus- ter for six miles. We captured 350 prisoners in this fight, includ- ing eight officers. We continued the pursuit all the afternoon, taking a number of prisoners and halting a short distance from Mannsborough for the night. During the day the Third Division had captured about 600 prisoners. On the 4th the Third Division crossed Deep creek and went into camp two miles from Devils Bridge, but early in the night we were ordered out and found we
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were going to endeavor to make a flank movement and get in Lee's front. We countermarched south four miles and reached Jettersville Station, on the Danville railroad, at daylight on the morning of the 5th of April. The Fifth and Second Corps were already there. We moved to the extreme left of the Fifth Corps. Lee's headquarters were at Amelia Court House in our front.
"At an early hour on the morning of the 6th of April the Sec- ond Brigade of the Third Division was sent out on a reconnois- sance in the direction of Amelia Court House, and Lieutenant Christenden of Custer's staff and ten men of the escort went along. We arrived at Amelia Court House at 10 p. m. and found the place evacuated. Lee had moved north by way of Paynes Cross Roads and Deatonville. Corporal Lon Ward was detailed to carry a message back to division headquarters and I was detailed to accompany him. Arriving at Jettersville we learned that the cavalry had left there, moving in the direction of Farmville. Late in the evening we came up with the Third Division headquarters at Harper's farm, which had been the battlefield of Sailors Creek. Our advance, which moved to the right during the forepart of the day, struck the rebel column shortly after noon a few miles south of Deatonville, moving southwest on the road to Rices Station. Here a portion of the command was ordered to attack and harass the enemy's flank, while the First and Second Divisions moved rapidly south, endeavoring to reach the head of the retreating column and cut it off. About 4 p. m. Devin with the First Divis- ion succeeded in intercepting them at Harper's farm, just south of Sailors creek. By a sudden attack the road was gained and a stubborn fight followed. Custer was soon up with the Third Di- vision and a general attack was made on their front and flank, and the enemy was compelled to make a stand. This attack compelled the rebel column to head further west on the road leading south to the High Bridge and Farmville. Ewell's corps was cut off from Lee's army and intercepted in his front by our cavalry, which held
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him at bay until Wright's Sixth Corps came up and attacked him on his left and rear. As soon as our artillery could be gotten up and into position on the elevated ground east of the creek our lines pushed forward on all sides. Here ensued one of the most des- perate struggles of the war. The rebels, famished by hunger and cut off and fatigued on the eve of reaching their provision train, fought with desperation and our men, determined to end matters, were no less desperate. With the Sixth Corps moving forward on their rear, Crook and Devin pressing them back in front and Custer charging their left flank, made the rebel situation des- perate. They made a mighty effort to hold our forces off while their artillery were trying to escape on their right through the fields and across the country. But with our batteries belching shot and shell, the rebel ranks soon became confused, and our cav- alry taking advantage of these conditions to charge them brought off regiments and brigades as prisoners, and captured wagon trains and batteries until one corps of Lee's army was practically elimi- nated. Night put an end to the pursuit, and the Third Division headquarters camped on the battlefield. The Third Division in the battle captured 4,000 prisoners, including four generals, be- sides fourteen pieces of artillery, thirty stands of colors and several hundred wagons.
"On the morning of the 7th of April the cavalry moved out, Devin's First Division in advance, followed by Custer's Third and the Fifth Corps of infantry. We crossed the South Side rail- road seven miles west of the Junction and proceeded to Prince Edwards Court House. From there the Sixth Corps and the cavalry went west to Farmville to intercept Lee and prevent him from receiving supplies at that point. When the Third Division moved, Captain Lee, the division provost marshal of Custer's staff, with a guard from the escort in charge of the four generals captured the evening before, remained in camp until our prisoners could be turned over to the corps provost marshal, when we fol-
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lowed up and overtook the division at Prince Edwards Court House. From there we moved west and camped for the night on Buffalo river.
"On the morning of the 8th of April the Third Division took the advance and struck the Lynchburg railroad at Prospect Sta- tion, ten miles west of Farmville, crossed over and followed the north side of the railroad to beyond Evergreen Station and then crossed back to the south side some five miles from Appomattox Station. At 4 p. m. Custer, with the Third Division, was ordered to make a forced march to Appomattox Station to cut off Lee's supply train at that point. Custer led off at the head of the division. We reached the station about dark and Custer charged the depot with the escort. The small body of rebel cavalry there fled in confusion at the first discharge of our revolvers. Four trains loaded with provisions for Lee's army were there, and Captain Lee, division provost marshal, took charge of them, while Custer followed the retreating rebel cavalry. He drove them three-quarters of a mile in the direction of Appomattox, where a strong force of Lee's advance was met, which drove us back.
"In the meantime the division had come up and hastily formed in a strip of timber a quarter of a mile back of the station. Lee's advance came dashing down the road, but were soon brought to a stand by a volley from the division already in line. But they soon rallied and came again in such force that we could hardly check them, but, the division now all being up, the engagement became general and more aggressive on our part. For a time the fighting was furious. The rebels brought up their artillery, and the whistling shells, the rattle of carbines and the screech of locomo- tives seemed like pandemonium. At this point Custer made a final charge with his entire force, and the rebel lines were broken and driven back some distance, when nightfall came on and our division bivouacked on the line. The First Division came up
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during the night and were in position for the battle of the next day, as we knew Lee would be on us the next morning. During this fight we captured thirty pieces of artillery, 1,000 prisoners and 100 wagons.
"At 8 o'clock on the morning of April 9 the First Division of Cavalry confronted Lee's skirmishers, and his whole force of in- fantry was advancing, but the Fifth Corps had arrived during the night and it soon came to the rescue of the cavalry. The rebels soon came to a stand. Custer had been ordered to the right of the Fifth Corps, where the enemy appeared to be concentrating. Their batteries had been placed in position and shells were falling among us at a lively rate. As soon as the Third Division of Cav- alry had taken position on the right of the Fifth Corps that corps charged the enemy's front and drove them back, and at the same time Custer charged their left, completing the rout, until we reached the crest of Glover Hill, from which elevation we could see the Appomattox Court House, with the rebel camps about and Lee's headquarters a short distance beyond. In a moment more we would have been dashing down on the rebel commander, but a signal was hoisted and Custer came to a halt. One of Lee's staff approached with a white flag, requesting a suspension of hostilities until a surrender could be effected by the proper officers. Custer at once dispatched one of his staff to General Sheridan and Sheri- dan reported to Grant. Some of us thought it was a scheme to gain time, but news of the white flag spread throughout the army, and the hills and valleys around Appomattox rang with cheers from the Yanks and many of the rebels joined in the chorus. Grant soon came up and proceeded to the house of a Mr. McLain, where Lee had his headquarters, and Sheridan's command went into camp where they had stopped fighting. On the next day Custer took charge of the cavalry corps and we marched to Prospect Sta- tion, where we met our wagon train with supplies.
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"On the 11th we left Prospect Station and marched to Burks- ville Junction, where we arrived on the 12th of April. Here we found a good portion of the infantry and as we rode by their camp they cheered the heroes of Appomattox. We camped three miles south of the Junction and on the 13th moved to Nottoway, the next station south of Burksville Junction, where we remained until the 17th, then moved to near Petersburg, and on the 24th of April started with the cavalry corps to join Sherman's army in North Carolina.
"On the 28th of April, when we reached South Boston, five miles south of Dan river, Sheridan received word that Johnson had surrendered to Sherman, and the next morning we started back to Petersburg, striking the Lynchburg railroad at White and Blacks Station and following the line of the road to Petersburg, where we arrived on the 3d of May and went into camp. On the 5th of May Sherman's army reached Petersburg and kept passing until we moved out on the morning of May 10 for Washington on the Richmond pike. There we took part in the grand review ; after which Sheridan and Custer left us for Texas, and Captain Gilbert, of Company B, was in charge of the detachment of the Third Indiana. We were first ordered to North Carolina to join the Eighth Indiana Cavalry and then we were ordered to report to Louisville, Ky., for which we started on June 11, reaching there on the 13th. Two weeks later we were ordered to Indianapolis, where we received our discharge papers on the 7th day of August, 1865."
CHAPTER VII.
The wide separation of the two wings of the Third Indiana Cavalry, in their respective fields of operations, made them ap- parently independent of each other, but officers were commis- sioned and promoted as though the two battalions were operating together.
Col. Scott Carter, with the Eastern wing, resigned on the 11th of March, 1863, and on the following day Lieut .- Col. George H. Chapman was made colonel. On the 15th of March, 1863, Maj. Robert Klein, with the Western battalion, was made lieutenant- colonel of the regiment. On the 25th of October, 1862, Capt. William S. McClure, of Company E, was made major. On the 12th of March, 1863, Capt. Charles Lemon, of Company C, was made major; and on the 29th of May, 1863, Capt. William Pat- ton, of Company A, was made major, Major McClure having re- signed to become colonel of the Ninth Cavalry.
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