USA > Indiana > History of the Third Indiana cavalry > Part 8
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what he deemed just and what he conceded could justly be exacted of him by his superiors. He had never been absent from duty and when the casualty of battle removed him his loss was felt in the regiment.
In the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac on the 31st of July, 1863, under General Meade, the First Brigade of Bu- ford's remained the same with the exception that two squadrons of the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry were attached to the Third Indi- ana Cavalry, under Colonel Chapman.
There was quietude on the picket line, established on the 26th of July from Sulphur Springs to Kelleys Ford on the Rappahan- nock, until the 4th of August, when 2,000 rebel cavalry with six guns attacked the line of the First and Reserve Brigades. Of this General Buford says (Vol. XXIX, page 22): "He drove my pickets back about 1,500 yards, when the division came up and drove him nearly two miles. My picket line tonight is 800 yards from where it was yesterday. The enemy's reconnoissance was an utter failure. My casualties are trifling, say five to ten. The First and Reserve Brigades behaved like heroes."
The army moved south of the Rappahannock and encamped around Culpepper and Stevensburg, the cavalry camping near the latter point a short distance from Germania Ford on the Rapidan river. The rebel army was south of the Rapidan, and their cavalry picketed the fords from their side, as we did from our side. There was little disturbance, save occasional artillery firing when some body of troops exposed itself within range of the enemy's guns. During this time, on the 10th of October, Colonel Chapman was placed in command of the First Brigade, Major McClure of the Third Indiana Cavalry and Capt. Henry L. Reans was given command of the four companies of the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, heretofore attached to the Third Indiana.
The records from which we have so often quoted, and which have been our main reliance in the writing of this history, unfor-
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tunately do not always tell all that should be told. We are unable to find any account of a reconnoissance made by Buford's division and a portion of Kilpatrick's command on the 21st and 22d of September, 1863, while those troops lay in camp around Stevens- burg. This expedition crossed the Rapidan on the 21st and also crossed Robertson's river, camping for the night on the outskirts of Madison Court House. Early next morning Kilpatrick moved on through Madison Court House and Buford moved down the north side of Beautiful river, with company F, Third Indiana, in advance, with skirmishers in front. Major Patton commanded the regiment, the Major himself with his bugler being with the skirmishers. Some three or four miles out from Madison Court House the skirmishers ran on to rebel cavalry, and when the first shots were fired Major Patton came back to Company F and told Captain Moffitt of that company to get ready as the enemy was coming. To the right of the road the land sloped down to the river, and the left was a level open woodland. Two hundred yards in front was an opening or farm, the road making a sharp turn around a thick clump of underbrush in the corner of a field. The enemy in coming at us had to pass this corner and clump of underbrush before coming into view of Company F, which was formed at right angles with the road, the left well forward. In this position a squadron of the First North Carolina Cavalry with a yell came full drive on a charge around the corner above re- ferred to. As they came out from behind the clump of under- brush Company F gave them a full volley with their carbines which quieted the rebel yell, most of the charging column wheeled and broke back on the road from whence they came. The officer in command of the charging rebel column with about a dozen men continued the charge and surrendered when he reached our artillery, while the few men with him dashed down the slope of the hill with Company F after them, and right there killed, wounded and captured ten men.
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After falling back, the enemy dismounted behind the clump of underbrush that had been our source of concealment and began firing at our men who were still mounted. There Hez Daily, Louis Klussmann and Pollard J. Brown were wounded and James Mount's horse shot dead under him. The company lost twelve horses in this part of the fight. Company B of the Third Indiana here came to the support of Company F and the battalion, which was then dismounted, soon had the rebels routed from their hiding place and on the run. It was said the first volley of Company F killed twelve men and wounded a number more; a number of horses were left dead in the road. The Third Cavalry was ordered to hold the line it had won, and while so holding it Ben- jamin Loder of Company F was killed and two or three others wounded. There was skirmishing at this point for two or three hours, when the Third Cavalry was ordered to mount and charge, which they did, following the rebels about a mile and a half. Then the command crossed the ford at Beautiful river and was soon on its way to camp at Stevensburg.
On the 10th of October, 1863, General Buford was ordered to force the enemy's line at Germania Ford (Vol. XXIX, page 348, Part 1), drive the enemy before him and move around to Mortons Ford and communicate with General Newton, com- manding the First Army Corps, who was instructed to force a passage there. The ford was passed the same day and Mortons Ford reached that night, where we camped ; the enemy being there also in their entrenchments. The First Corps, which General Buford expected to co-operate with him the next day, fell back in the night. In this camp General Buford received orders that he should have received earlier-not to cross the Rapidan at all, but to return and recross the Rappahannock at the station or Kelleys.
It seems that after this forward movement had been ordered, information had been received that Lee's army was moving by
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the right flank of the Army of the Potomac by way of Madison Court House, heading for Washington. This movement caused a change in the plans of the general commanding the army, but not until General Buford was in a "hot box." He says (Vol. XXIX, page 348) : "I immediately started to recross the Rapidan at Mortons Ford, driving the enemy from his inner works. He retired towards Raccoon; finding he was not followed and receiving reinforcements, soon returned to retard my crossing. The ford was bad and had to be repaired, which caused some delay. During this crossing the enemy was very active on my left flank, skirmishing and crossing the river above at Raccoon Ford. This latter movement was discovered in time to foil his plans, Colonel Chapman with all his brigade, that had crossed, being sent to check him while Devin crossed his command. Colonel Devin was sorely pressed as his force on the enemy's side was decreased, but by frequent dashing and telling charges, and by the fire from the two batteries on the north side, kept the enemy from closing on his rear. Colonel Devin's command on this occasion was beau- tifully handled, fought too bravely and consequently suffered quite severely. Captain Conger, Third (West) Virginia, by his courage and hard fighting won the admiration of all who saw him. While Colonel Devin was doing so well, Colonel Chapman with his brigade had made preparation to meet the force that had crossed at Raccoon, and a very warm reception he gave them. He found a superior force of cavalry formed and ready to charge. He speedily made his dispositions and as soon as completed down came this overwhelming force of cavalry upon him, not to stay, however, but to be hurled back dismayed, in confusion and ter- ribly punished.
"Shortly after the rout of this cavalry its support (infantry force) advanced and Colonel Chapman withdrew from his posi- tion directly towards Stevensburg. When near Stevensburg the Second Brigade connected, each line still followed closely by the
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enemy. Seeing a number of wagons passing along the road from Culpepper through Stevensburg, towards Kelleys, I determined to make a stand until they were all safe. Here the division fought the enemy's cavalry until its support came up with long-range muskets. The division then withdrew, making an obstinate re- sistance at Stevensburg until everything was safely across that nasty stream, Mountain Run, after which it leisurely retired to Brandy Station without a great deal of molestation from the enemy, although closely followed by him. To my surprise, at Brandy Station I found the rear guard of the Fifth Corps passing through to cross the Rappahannock. I knew nothing up to this time of how extensive this retrograde movement of our army was, and here learned that General Pleasanton, with the Third Divis- ion, was still in the rear of the Fifth Corps. Arrangements were immediately made to make a stand until the Third Division should arrive. The enemy seeing the Third Division across the open country, and being out of my sight, turned their column in that direction. The Third Division soon made connection with my right. As soon as this was accomplished the Sixth New York charged, followed closely by the Ninth New York, and regained the advantage that the enemy supposed he had. Here occurred a severe hand-to-hand fight, Devin's troops using the saber. The enemy pressed my left closely in retiring, and made several feints in my front, but by 8 p. m. the division was across the Rappa- hannock."
The next day after this fighting and experience Buford's division, the advance of the Fifth Corps, and General Sedgewick's corps, all under the command of General Sedgewick, recrossed the Rappahannock and drove the pursuing enemy to within one and one-half miles of Culpepper. The men killed the day before were buried and the wounded cared for. The same night Sedgewick recrossed the Rappahannock, Buford's division of cavalry bring- ing up the rear and crossing the river about daylight on the 13th
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of October, 1863. The division was in the rear of our army trains which were at Catletts Station and Weaverville, and Bu- ford's orders were to guard the rear and flank of the train on the march from the Rappanhannock to Centerville by way of Brents- ville. The wagon trains began moving at once but the division lay in camp on the north bank of the Rappahannock until the morning of the 14th. Longstreets's rebel corps had crossed the Rappahannock on the night of the 13th above where Buford's division lay and made a bee line across lots for the army train passing at Catletts Station and Weaverville, and had the train almost within its grasp as it reached Brentsville. There Warren's corps of our army, marching on the south side of the Orange & Alexandria railroad track, seemed to rise up out of the earth between Longstreet's advancing troops and the army train parked at Brentsville, and a furious battle, lasting from 11 a. m. until after dark, ensued, in which a rebel brigade was captured just after dark. The train was saved and moved on with Buford's division in its rear, crossing Broad Run and Cedar Run with the rebel cavalry still in pursuit. Buford's division was again struck between Cedar Run and Bull Run by the enemy, who seemed to suppose they would strike the wagon train there. The division again gave him battle and drove him back, and the last wagon safely crossed Bull Run and was parked with the main army at Fairfax Station.
Thus ended the pursuit of the rebel army and its march on Washington and the scare was over. Lee fell back across the Rap- pahannock and the Rapidan and took position at Mine Run. Meade moved to that point prepared for battle, but it was not fought. Meade then fell back to Culpepper and Stevensburg on the north side of the Rapidan and went into winter quarters. In all that strenuous campaign the Third Indiana did its full part and was glad of the rest that came with winter.
CHAPTER IV.
After ten companies of the Third Indiana Cavalry had been in the field something over a year, two new companies were or- ganized for the regiment in Indiana. The first of these was desig- nated Company L; its officers, Oliver M. Powers, captain, George J. Langsdale, first lieutenant, and Simeon J. Mitchell, second lieutenant, were mustered into the service on the 23d of October, 1862. The second company was designated Company M; its officers, Charles U. Patton, captain, James W. Haymond, first lieutenant, and James W. Stephens, second lieutenant, were mustered into the service on the 11th of December, 1862. Both of these companies were detained within the State until Septem- ber, 1863, subject to the orders of the military authorities who had charge of affairs in Indiana.
At the last named date these two companies accompanied a body of troops under General O. B. Wilcox that were sent to East Tennessee by way of Cincinnati and Cumberland Gap. These companies performed duty with General Wilcox's command as an independent cavalry organization until they reached Mary- ville, East Tennessee, in February, 1864, when they joined the other four companies under Lieutenant-Colonel Klein. From that time on these six companies served together as one organiza- tion until the muster out of Companies G, H, I and K in October, 1864, after the fall of Atlanta and prior to the march to the sea.
On the 31st of January, 1864, the battalion of the Third Indiana Cavalry was in the Second Brigade, commanded by Col. William W. Lowe, Second Division Cavalry, Department of the Cumberland. (Vol. XXXII, Part 2, page 290.) When in East Tennessee they were under the orders of Maj .- Gen. J. M. Scho- field, commanding the Army of the Ohio.
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On the 26th of April, 1864, General Sherman ordered General Schofield to rendezvous his command, the Army of the Ohio, at Charleston, Tenn., to become the left wing of the army in the Atlanta campaign. At this time (Vol. XXXVIII, page 508) General Schofield says: "The cavalry corps, save two regiments, the Tenth Michigan and Third Indiana Cavalry, had been sent to Kentucky in the early spring to be remounted." General Schofield further says, "that preparatory to carrying out General Sherman's order, by the withdrawal of the main body of the troops from East Tennessee it was necessary to drive the enemy beyond the Wau- taga river and effectually destroy the railroad bridges so as to make East Tennessee secure from invasion by the enemy in force. This was thoroughly accomplished by General Cox's division, aided by the Tenth Michigan and Third Indiana Cavalry."
We have an official account, in a measure, of the work per- formed in the latter part of the winter of 1863-4 by the Third Indiana Cavalry in East Tennessee, which we offer as the best evidence of what the Western battalion was doing at that time. The official record (Vol. XXXII, page 36, Part 1) reports the Third Indiana Cavalry at Maryville, East Tennessee, most of the month of January, 1864, and on the 14th of January, 1864, Col. Klein makes the following report:
"Headquarters Third Indiana Cavalry, "Maryville, Tenn., January 14, 1864.
"Sir-I have the honor to report the following in regard to a late expedition from my command up the Little Tennessee river, in which I broke up a nest of guerrillas composed of absentees, deserters and paroled soldiers from the rebel army, and rebel citizens, who had been stealing stock and goods from loyal citizens of Blount and Monroe counties, and taking the same to North Carolina to sell. Their force was variously estimated from fifty to two hundred strong, camped on both sides of the Tennessee
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river, at a place known as Chilhowee, twenty-four miles from this place.
"I left camp with 100 men on the 11th instant at 3 p. m. and stopped at night at the Harrison Ford, eight miles from their camp, until next morning. At early dawn I attempted to throw half my forces across the river, which was difficult swimming for a horse all the way across, the current being swift and much ice running. Here I lost First Sergt. Bernard Kraft, Company K, and his horse by drowning, and came near losing more. I was only able to get twenty-eight men across on the best horses. We then moved up the river on either side, in concert, as fast as the blockaded roads would admit, scattering their pickets and charg- ing into their camps, routing them completely; capturing one captain, one first lieutenant and twenty-one men, their arms, horses, equipments, etc., without further loss to us. The prisoners have been put in charge of the provost marshal of this county to forward to General Carter. The horses, arms and equipments were taken up on my quartermaster's return.
"Having no intermediate headquarters to report to, I make this report direct to your headquarters.
"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"ROBERT KLEIN,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.
"Assistant Adjutant-General,
"Headquarters Department of the Ohio."
From Headquarters, Third Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, Knoxville, Tenn., February 21, 1864, Brig .- Gen. Milo S. Hascall, U. S. Army, made the following report (Vol. XXXII, Part 1, page 409) :
"Major-While I was visiting my command on the other side of the river yesterday the enemy attacked my picket posts on the Sevierville road, and showed themselves rather prominently on all the roads. I thought best to ascertain what was in our front,
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and accordingly took the Fourth Tennessee Infantry, under Major Patterson, about 150 or 175 men, and the left wing of the Third Indiana Cavalry, under Lieut .- Col. Robert Klein, about 200 men in ranks, and started out on the Sevierville road, the infantry in advance. About a mile out we encountered the enemy's outpost, which was promptly driven away by the infantry. As soon as we had the rebels fairly started in retreat I directed Colonel Klein to go forward with his men and press the enemy vigorously till he ascertained how much force they had. He at once obeyed the order and fell upon them with great vigor, pushing them back about two or three miles farther. Finally with two companies he charged upon the Fourth and Eighth Tennessee (rebel) Cavalry and succeeded in cutting off some 200 of them, but could only bring off ten of them, one of whom was the adjutant of the Eighth Tennessee. Having now ascertained from citizens and the prisoner taken that it was two brigades of Martin's (rebel) cavalry that we were contending with, and not deeming it prudent to push any farther with my small force, as compared with theirs, I directed them to withdraw. Colonel Klein lost six men wounded, one of whom will die. The whole affair was very well executed by Colonel Klein and proves him to be a remarkably efficient officer. His men also behaved themselves in the most creditable manner. There were no casualties in the infantry force. I forward the report of Colonel Klein.
"All of which is respectfully submitted.
"MILO S. HASCALL,
"Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding Division. "Maj. G. M. BASCOM,
"Assistant Adjutant-General Twenty-third Army Corps."
Camp near Knoxville, Tenn., February 21, 1864 (Vol. XXXII, Part 1, page 410) :
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"Sir-I have the honor to report the following as the part taken by my command in the affair of yesterday on the Sevier- ville road :
"After the enemy's outposts were driven beyond our vidette station, by General Hascall's order I passed to the front with four companies, leaving one company to guard against a move- ment around our rear. I soon met the enemy in considerable force and skirmished (both mounted and dismounted) with them, driving them slowly until by a charge we drove the Fourth and Eighth Tennessee Cavalry to where the remainder of their force was dismounted and in line. Here I had every man 'in' hotly engaged, when, finding the odds too great against us, I thought it prudent to withdraw, which was done in good order. As fruits of the engagement I brought off one adjutant (Eighth Tennessee), nine men and ten horses, and some arms, etc.
"My loss was six men wounded (one mortally), twelve horses left on the field and six stands of arms. The enemy's loss was greater, so far as could be observed. Five are known to be killed. We had at one time as many as 200 men cut off, but were too weak to hold them.
"Respectfully, your obedient servant,
"ROBERT KLEIN, "Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding. "Capt. EDMUND R. KERSTETTER,
"Assistant Adjutant-General."
In the record (Vol. XXXII, page 496), covering a report by Capt. John W. Hammond, commanding the Sixty-fifth Indiana Mounted Infantry, at Chucky Bend on Chucky river, dated March 13, 1864, we find the capture of a rebel scouting party by the Third Indiana Cavalry that had been pursuing Captain Ham- mond's command, near Bulls Gap. In a report of General Scho- field's, dated April 15, 1864 (page 670), he says: "The Third Indiana Cavalry, reconnoitering beyond Greenville on the 14th,
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surprised a body of rebel cavalry, killing ten, capturing fifteen, including their leader, Reynolds."
Special Orders No. 93, dated Department of the Cumberland, April 2, 1864, providing for the cavalry organization of that army, assigned the Third Indiana Cavalry to the First Brigade of the Third Division, commanded by Col. William W. Lowe, of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry. After this assignment Gen. J. D. Cox reports that he has the Third Indiana at Lick Creek, on the Wau- taga river, guarding his wagon trains, and that the battalion had also been assigned the duty of destroying the bridge over the Wau- taga river at that point.
The official record indicates that the mounted service in East Tennessee in the latter part of the winter of 1863 and the early part of 1864 was to a large extent inefficient, the horses having been starved and worn out by the campaigns of the early autumn and winter, and these broken down troops had been sent to Ken- tucky to be remounted. The few cavalry organizations fit for service had more than their share of work to perform. This was particularly true of the Tenth Michigan and Third Indiana Cav- alry regiments, that were well mounted and always on the move. So true was this of these troops that General Cox, in an order issued at Strawberry Plains on the 22d of March, 1864, to Gen. Stoneman, directed that if any of Colonel Klein's men were dis- mounted to mount them by dismounting men of Colonel Garrard's command, and the same order applied to the Tenth Michigan. (Vol. XXXII, page 110.)
There was no change in this character of the service for the Western battalion of the Third Indiana Cavalry until the organi- zation of the cavalry forces by General Sherman for the Atlanta campaign, on the 2d of May, 1864, when we had the battalion commanded by Major Gaddis attached to the First Brigade (com- manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Klein) of the Third Division, commanded by General Kilpatrick. From that time on we have
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their history in the reports of division, and, too seldom, brigade and regimental commanders. Not in detail, but in a general way, they tell us that they were a part of that mighty and irresistible army under General Sherman that bore down all before it in its march on Atlanta, and in its terrible conflicts around that stormy center until the army cut loose and went on its march to the sea. In that wonderful march it will ever be a source of pride that a part of our regiment had some honorable part.
On the 2d of May, 1864, General Schofield moved from Charleston, Tenn., to Dalton, Ga., with a force of 11,183 infantry, 678 artillery and 1,697 cavalry, making a total of 13,565 men, and at the latter point was reinforced by 4,105 infantry, 115 ar- tillery and 1,493 cavalry, bringing the Army of the Ohio up to 19,268 men of all arms. Major-General Stoneman commanded the cavalry corps and General Kilpatrick commanded the Third Division of that corps.
On the 2d of May, 1864 (Vol. XXXVIII, page 855), from Ringold, Ga., General Kilpatrick reports that under orders from headquarters of the Army of the Cumberland, he made a recon- noissance with all his effective force in the direction of Tunnell Hill. "I moved through Hookers Gap at 4:30 a. m., met the enemy one mile from Stone Church, drove him from one position to another, and finally from his first camp at Tunnell Hill.
"Here he was found in large force, occupying a strong position. The report of yesterday that the enemy had left Tunnell Hill was a mistake, although I think he has cavalry only, possibly, too, some artillery was used. My loss today is two killed, one mor- tally and two severely wounded."
Continuing (Vol. XXXVIII, page 857), General Kilpatrick says: "My command left its encampment at Ringold, Ga., at 3 a. m. May 7, 1864, crossed Taylors Ridge through Nickajack Trace, forced back the rebel cavalry covering the masking move- ments of the Twentieth Corps, Major-General Hooker command-
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