USA > Maryland > The Maryland line in the Confederate Army, 1861-1865 > Part 16
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The loss of the First Maryland was severe, as they were engaged almost continually during the fight, both mounted and on foot.
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CHAPTER V.
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On October 12 the cavalry corps crossed the Rappahannock at Warrenton Springs and moved down the Warrenton and Alexandria pike, and breaking into several columns marched by different but nearly parallel roads in the direction of Centreville. Fitz Lee's Division moved toward Catlett's Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. At a small place on Cedar Creek, called Auburn, Lomax's Brigade, to which the First Maryland was still attached, made a dash at the enemy's wagon train, then passing, but finding it protected by a large body of his infantry Lomax withdrew.
This affair, though brief and unsatisfactory, gave occasion for a compli- mentary order from General Lomax to the First Maryland which was well deserved, for by their gallant bearing they materially assisted in extricating that General from a most perilous position.
By this time Meade had divined the object of General Lee's movement, and his whole army was in retreat toward Washington, in order to prevent Lee from gaining his rear.
During this retreat the cavalry made several attacks upon his flank, in all of which the First Maryland was actively engaged. But little was effected, however, owing to the careful and compact order in which the enemy retired.
Finding his prey had escaped him, General Lee fell back to the line of the Rapidan, leaving the cavalry to guard his rear, which also fell back slowly, Hampton by the Warrenton pike and Fitz Lee by the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, the two running parallel.
The enemy's cavalry under Kilpatrick, thinking retreat meant defeat, pressed after Hampton, and his advance and Hampton's rear soon became engaged. Hampton continued his retreat until he reached within two miles of Warrenton, when the trap he had prepared for Kilpatrick was sprung.
So eager was that officer to immortalize himself, and so confident was he of success, that he never stopped to think of the danger that might be lurking behind the range of hills on his left. Fitz Lee was there, and when Kilpatrick thought to crush Hampton at a blow and drive him into the Rappahannock. the sound of a few cannon on his rear and left suddenly put a new phase on affairs.
With the sound of these guns Hampton ceased his retreat, and turning charged the pursuing enemy, while at the same moment Fitz Lee struck him in flank at Buckland. The fight which ensued was short, bloody and decisive, and Kilpatrick's exultant pursuit was converted into a precipitate rout, and his troopers scattered over the country in all directions.
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During this fight the First Maryland fought on foot, but when the rout com- menced, they mounted and pursued to near Gainesville, where the enemy met his infantry.
It was now dark, and Lieutenant-Colonel Brown (he had been some time before promoted from Major) could not see what was in his front; but halting a moment to rectify his line he gave the command to charge, when both cavalry and infantry broke and fled in the utmost confusion. Many were killed, wounded and captured, and Brown, now aware that he was in the presence of Meade's army, withdrew to Buckland, where was assembled the commands of Hampton and Lee, and where they congratulated each other on the signal victory they had achieved.
From this time until the latter part of November, when it was ordered to report to Colonel Bradley T. Johnson at Hanover Junction, the First Maryland was engaged in picket duty on the Rappahannock.
About the middle of November General J. M. Jones, to the command of whose brigade Colonel Bradley T. Johnson had been assigned on July 4 at Gettys- burg, returned to duty, and Colonel Johnson was relieved, after having commanded the brigade with marked ability in many bloody engagements. But in spite of this fact, and notwithstanding he had been urged for promotion by Generals Lee, Jackson and Ewell for more than a year, his advancement was withheld.
In November Colonel Johnson was ordered to assemble the Maryland Line at Hanover Junction. The duty devolving upon the command was that of protecting the bridges over the North and South Anna and Middle Rivers, to protect Lee's right flank down the Peninsula as far as New Kent Court House, and to watch the lower Pamunkey, and to keep General Lee advised of the movements of the Federals from these directions.
The camp established was named St. Mary's, and here from November to May the time was pleasantly passed in drill, pickets and scouts.
At this time the Maryland Line consisted of the Second Maryland Infantry, the First Maryland Cavalry and Baltimore Light Artillery, but on the 22d of March, 1864, a general order from the Adjutant and Inspector-General directed all the Maryland companies then in service, save Company K, First Virginia Cavalry, to report to Colonel Johnson at Hanover Junction. By this order the force at Ilanover Junction was increased by the addition of the First Maryland Artillery, Captain William F. Dement, and Third Maryland Artillery (Chesa- peake), Captain W. Scott Chew.
On the ist of March, 1864. Colonel Johnson received a telegram from General I ce to the effect that a large body of cavalry had passed his flank and was moving in the direction of Hanover Junction. Colonel Johnson immediately sent out his
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scouts, and they soon discovered it was a heavy column, indeed, and moving southward. The column crossed the Virginia Central Railroad at Frederick's Hall on Johnson's left, and took the road which led direct to Richmond.
This proved to be a force of thirty-five hundred men, commanded by General Judson Kilpatrick and Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, two daring Federal officers, who had conceived the bold, and, in part devilish, exploit of marching on Richmond, releasing the thousands of Federal prisoners confined on Belle Isle, burning Richmond, and giving it up to sack, and murdering President Davis and his Cabinet. The expedition was divided into two columns, that of Dahlgren moving rapidly across the railroad at Frederick's Hall and thence to Dover Mills, where he attempted to cross the James, about twenty miles above Richmond, but a freshet in the river made it unfordable at this point. Being thus foiled, Dahlgren rode rapidly down the river road toward the Capital.
In the meantime Kilpatrick had pressed down the Fredericksburg road in the direction of Richmond, and his route lay by Hanover Junction, the key to Lee's position, for by the railroad's passing this point General Lee was dependent for his supplies from the South and from the Valley of Virginia, and should the six bridges over the North and South Anna and Middle Rivers be destroyed Lee's position would be rendered untenable.
Colonel Johnson immediately ordered his pickets to destroy the boats on the Pamunkey, to cut off Kilpatrick's retreat in that direction, and with sixty men of the First Maryland Cavalry and two guns from the Baltimore Light Artillery - the only disposable force he had left after sending out his scouts to watch the enemy's movements - he followed in pursuit. A short distance outside of Taylorsville the enemy's pickets were encountered, driven in and pursued to Ashland. Here a large force was met on its way to destroy the railroad and build- ings there. Johnson attacked this force with great vigor and drove it off.
Thence moving rapidly Colonel Johnson fell upon the enemy's flank at Yellow Tavern, and, posting his men, commenced to capture small parties that came along, among them a Sergeant with five men, who proved to be a bearer of dispatches from Dahlgren to Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick's guns were then thundering away at the outer defenses of Richmond, and Dahlgren's dispatch informed him that he would attack at dusk that evening on his road, and he looked for Kilpatrick to attack with vigor on his (Kilpatrick's) side of the city.
Colonel Johnson saw at once that he had destroyed the communication between the co-operating forces, and he prepared immediately to attack and harrass Kilpatrick's rear. Taking care not to expose the number of his force, he attacked a picket in the rear of the centre of the line of battle drawn up in front of Richmond, and drove it in. This bold act conveyed the impression to Kilpatrick
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that he was cut off, and seriously in danger in his rear. Hastily mounting his troops, he moved at a trot down the Peninsula toward the Pamunkey, and crossed the Chickahominy at Meadow Bridge before dark, and went into camp. Colonel Johnson encamped on the other side.
At daylight next morning Colonel Johnson crossed his small force over the river, and came up with Kilpatrick's rear guard near Old Church, which was immediately attacked, and several prisoners taken. Still taking every precaution not to expose to the enemy the smallness of his force, Johnson continued to harrass him, and drove his rear guard through Old Church in confusion. Here, thinking himself seriously menaced, Kilpatrick formed line of battle. It was too ridiculous - three thousand men in battle array to fight sixty men ! Moving a regiment in his rear, he compelled Johnson to fall back half a mile, but as soon as this returned to the main body he again renewed his attacks upon the unhappy rear guard.
In this way they moved down the Peninsula some miles, when a scont informed Colonel Johnson that a column of the enemy was moving down the road immediately in his rear. He was thus between two forces. Dismounting his men, and deploying them in the woods on each side of the road, he awaited their approach. Upon perceiving him, they made a charge and went through his thin line, not. however, without losing forty-five men and horses.
This proved to be a remnant of Dahlgren's marauders, four hundred strong, laden with plunder, much of which was abandoned in their flight, and fell into Johnson's hands, and many articles of value were by him afterward returned to the rightful owners.
From their statement. it appeared that Dahlgren. not receiving an answer to the dispatch sent to Kilpatrick, and which was fortunately intercepted by Johnson, as already seen, started with a hundred men to find him, but failed to get across the Pamunkey at Dabney's Ferry, owing to the destruction of the boats, as has been stated, and in his endeavors to escape through King and Queen County had been intercepted by Lieutenant James Pollard, of Company H, Ninth Virginia Cavalry, who had gotten together eight or ten of his men, and a company of boys under Captain R. H. Baghy. In the fight that ensued Dahlgren was killed and most of his command captured.
Kilpatrick, finding the expedition a failure and believing himself pressed by a superior force, although but sixty sabres were at his heels, made for the lower ferries of the Pamunkey, but failed to cross for the same reason that Dahlgren had, and finally reached Tunstall's Station and joined the forces under Butler, having been followed the whole way by the Maryland cavalry.
Colonel J. Thomas Scharf, in his " History of Maryland," gives the following
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interesting description of this most brilliant achievement of Colonel Johnson and his handful of gallant Maryland boys :
The first information reached him just before midnight of February 29 that a body of cavalry had passed the right of the army, accompanied by orders to find it without delay, ascertain its force and the direction it was moving, and its intentions and object, fight it if possible, and to save the bridges at all hazards. He immediately sent orders to his pickets to destroy the boats on the Pamunkey, between Hanover Court House and the White House, in order to prevent the escape of the enemy in that direction, and at the same time sent out an expanding circle of scouting parties to the north and west to ascertain the movements of the enemy. It was soon ascertained that they were moving on Hanover Junction, and that there was a large force. The extended pickets and necessary scouts had only left about sixty men of the First Maryland Cavalry present for duty, and these, with the infantry and artillery, were prepared to receive the expected attack. Moving out with the cavalry and two pieces of the Baltimore Light Artillery, just before light, on March I, Johnson struck a force of the enemy near Taylorsville, two miles from the junction, and drove them off. Pushing on, he found that the main body had moved rapidly on Richmond, and were at least an hour ahead of him. He followed quickly on their line of march, and at the Yellow Tavern, five miles from Richmond, found them, under Kilpatrick, in line of battle a mile beyond him, preparing to attack the city, upon whose outworks they had already opened with artillery. Just then a straggler was captured, and finding there were forces in the rear, Johnson drew his squadron off on the side of the road, and posted a picket in Federal uniform on the road itself. In a few minutes a squad of five mien rode into the ambuscade, who proved to be the guard of a bearer of a dispatch from Dahlgren to Kilpatrick.
It was a verbal one, but the officer who bore it was forced to give it up. It was informa- tion that Dahlgren had failed in his attempt to cross the James, but would charge into the city by the river road at dark, and asking Kilpatrick's co-operation in a joint attack at that time. Immediately on getting this information, Colonel Johnson charged Kilpatrick's picket and rear guard, which he had left behind him on the Brook turnpike, and drove them in on the main body. Whereupon Kilpatrick at once desisted from this attack, took horse and drew off his troops in the direction of the Peninsula, evidently aiming to escape over the Pamunkey, or down toward Williamsburg. Colonel Johnson with his sixty men followed close on his heels, and that night Kilpatrick camped on the eastern side of the Chicka- hominy, only four miles from Richmond, with Johnson on the other side of that river, between him and Richmond. During the night Hampton came on Kilpatrick's camp and drove him from it with loss in prisoners and horses.
At daylight on the 2d the Confederates were again on his track, and for the whole day kept harrassing him, constantly driving in his rear guard, and never losing sight of him, until he eventually escaped by joining an infantry force which was sent from Williamsburg to Tunstall's Station, on the York River Railroad, to rescue him.
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So persistent and vigorons wwy the pursuit, so sharp and incessant the charges of the Marylanders, that at Old Church, sixteen miles from Richmond, General Kilpatrick was forced to go into line of battle and offer to fight his adversary. He displayed three thousand picked cavalry and a battery of six guns, prepared to resist the onslaught of the sixty hornets who had been stinging, exasperating and alarming him for nearly twenty-four hours. Such an invitation was, of course, declined, but a regiment of the Union troops charged then and drove the Marylanders back to Old Church. with loss of one man.
As soon as the Federal regiment retired, however, the Marylanders went at them again, ind while thus engaged were themselves charged in rear by a force of four hundred men, part of Dahlgren's command, who were seeking to unite with Kilpatrick. With three thousand men in front and four hundred in rear, the Marylanders, undismayed, opened their ranks, let them through, and actually closed in on their flanks, and brought off many prisoners, besides inflicting severe loss in killed and wounded.
In these whole series of fights Colonel Johnson's loss was comparatively trifling. Captain George M. Emack, of Company B, was slightly wounded ; Lieutenant C. Irving Ditty, of Company F. seriously through the thigh ; Private George T. Parker, Company B. sabre cuts over the head ; Private R. K. King, sabre cuts over head and shoulders, and Private Richard H. Key, Company B, sabre cuts, and a prisoner by his horse being killed.
Colonel Johnson captured more than twice as many of the enemy as he had men in his command, besides inflicting heavy loss upon them in killed and wounded.
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The daring and skill displayed by Colonel Johnson in this affair was not excelled by any achievements during the war, and he was justly called the savior of the Confederate Capital. In commemoration of his services General Elzey, in command of the defenses of Richmond, issued a general order complimenting the command, and General Hampton, in his report to General Lee distinctly gave the credit of saving Richmond to the First Maryland and their gallant leader, and at the same time he presented Colonel Johnson with a sabre, which is now in the relic room at the Confederate Soldiers' Home at Pikesville.
EXTRACT FROM HAMPTON'S REPORT. MARCH 6, 1864.
Woon Records, General No. 60, page 199.
In the first place, my observation convinced me that the enemy could have taken Richmond. and in all probability would have done so but for the fact that Colonel Johnson intercepted a dispatch from Dahlgren to Kilpatrick, asking what hour the latter had fixed for ou attack in the city, so that both attacks might be simultaneous.
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War Records No. 60, page 202, March 8, 1864.
I cannot close my report without expressing my appreciation of the conduct of Colonel Bradley T. Johnson and his gallant command.
With a mere handful of men he met the enemy at Beaver Dam and he never lost sight of them until they had passed Tunstall's Station, hanging on their rear, striking them constantly, and displaying throughout the very highest qualities of a soldier. He is eminently fitted for the cavalry service, and I trust it will not be deemed an interference on my part to urge as emphatically as I can his promotion.
War Records No. 60, page 216.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF HENRICO, March 8. 1864.
General Orders No. 10.
The Major-General commanding congratulates the troops upon their completely successful defense of the City of Richmond and its rescue from the ravages of the invader. To Colonel Bradley T. Johnson and the officers and soldiers under his command the thanks of the Major-General are especially due for the prompt and vigorous manner in which they pursued the enemy from Beaver Dam to Richmond, and thence to the Pamunkey and down the Peninsula, making repeated charges and thwarting any attempt of the enemy to charge them.
BY COMMAND OF MAJOR-GENERAL ELZEY.
T. O. CHESTNEY, Assistant Adjutant-General.
(The order thanks Colonel Stevens, Brigadier-General G. W. C. Lee and Major-General Hampton and their respective commands.)
Thus, by these few men, was prevented the consummation of one of the most diabolical crimes ever conceived by human mind, and the names of Ulric Dahlgren and Judson Kilpatrick will be infamous for all time, for upon the inanimate body of the former was found the following paper, which needs no interpretation :
HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION CAVALRY CORPS.
Guides, Pioneers (With Oakum, Turpentine and Torpedoes), Signal Officer, Commissary, Scouts and Picked Men in Rebel Uniform :
Men will remain on the north bank and move down with the force on south bank, not getting ahead of them : and if the communications can be kept up without giving an alarm it must be done. Everything depends upon a surprise, and NO ONE must be allowed to pass
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Ahead of the column. Information must be gathered in regard to the crossings of the river. so that should we be repulsed on the south side we will know where to cross at the nearest point. All mills must be burned and the canal destroyed, and also everything which can be used by the rebels must be destroyed, including the boats on the river. Should a ferry-boat be seized and can be worked, have it moved down. Keep the force on the south side posted of any important movement of the enemy, and in case of danger some of the scouts must swim the river and bring us information. As we approach the city, the party must take great care that they do not get ahead of the other party on the south side, and must conceal themselves and watch our movements. We will try and secure the bridge to the city (one mile below Belle Island) and release the prisoners at the same time. If we do not succeed, they must then dash down, and we will try and carry the bridge from each side. When necessary, the men must be filed through the woods and along the river bank. The bridges once secured and the prisoners loose and over the river, the bridges will be secured and the city destroyed. The men must keep together and well in hand, and once in the city, it must be destroyed, and Jeff Davis and his Cabinet killed. Pioneers will go along with combustible material. The officer must use his discretion about the time of assisting us. Horses and cattle which we do not need immediately must be shot rather than left. Everything on the canal and elsewhere of service to the rebels must be destroyed. As General Custer may follow me, be careful not to give a false alarm.
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CHAPTER VI.
On the 9th of May, 1864, Sheridan began his raid around Richmond. Colonel Johnson had gone on a scout toward Yorktown and left Lieutenant-Colonel Ridgely Brown in camp in command of parts of four companies. On the afternoon of that day Colonel Brown received information that a portion of the enemy's cavalry were raiding on the rear of Lee's army, and had cut the railroad and destroyed the cars and provisions accumulated at some point above Hanover Court House. He immediately assembled his little command of one hundred and fifty sabres and set out to ascertain the truth of the report. Shortly after passing Hanover Junction the gleam of camp fires in the distance (it was just after dark) along the line of railway in his front seemed to confirm the rumor. The battalion pushed on at a trot, taking the usual precaution to throw out an advance guard and flankers, and about II o'clock P. M. arrived at a point about a mile from Beaver Dam, when it became evident that they were in close proximity to a large force that was taking no pains to conceal their presence. The battalion was halted, and Colonel Brown himself dismounted and went ahead on foot to recon- noiter. He found the enemy in great glee, laughing and shouting at the top of their voices, whilst at the same time they were busily engaged in burning railroad ties, and generally seemed to feel the existence of an enemy to be an absurdity. So close did Colonel Brown get to them that he came near surprising a party in a cut. After having taken a good view, he quietly returned to his command, which had been silently awaiting him, and dismounting all the men that could be spared, amounting to some eighty or ninety, he advanced on the railroad. Silently the little band crept on, carbine advanced, and ready to begin the work of death at an instant's warning. Not a word was spoken, and the men held their breath in anxious expectation, until right upon the bank of the railroad, when a whispered exclamation announced that the enemy had gone. Not far, though, for they could be plainly heard a short distance up the road.
The skirmish party was then formed in column, and moved to the left toward the county road, not a hundred yards distant, with the intention to again deploy and advance until the enemy was found. Not half the column had crossed the fence which bounded the road when there was a challenge and shot almost simultaneous, followed by a volley from both sides. In the darkness, blinded by the fires the enemy had lighted, the head of the column had come suddenly upon a Federal picket at a point which Colonel Brown, not half an hour before, had found entirely unguarded ; but during his absence they had finished their work and gone to bed, posting pickets in the meantime, from habit more than anything
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else, as the picket stumbled upon was only a few yards from the main body, which appeared to be resting in a continuous line along and on both sides of the road.
Colonel Brown deployed at once, and advanced rapidly, the whole line keeping up a vigorous fire, which was made more effectual because, while being in the shadow themselves, the confused enemy was distinctly visible by the light of the fires they had built. This could be plainly seen, as in driving the enemy back they passed over the ground which had been held by them, and found many dead and wounded men and horses.
Still pressing the enemy back, Colonel Brown came to a skirt of woods, about half a mile from the point where he first met them, when a cavalry charge was made upon his thin line, which, however, was handsomely repulsed, and the enemy driven back in confusion. Passing through this woods, he found them posted in great strength on both sides of the road, in open fields, awaiting his attack. Upon observing this Colonel Brown slowly withdrew his command unmolested.
He now ascertained, from evidence before him and from prisoners taken, that instead of fighting. as he supposed, a small raiding party, he had engaged the advance of Sheridan's army of thirteen thousand men. Mounting his men, he held his ground until daylight, when a dispatch was received from General J. E. B. Stuart directing Colonel Brown to harrass and delay the enemy as long as possible, as he was in pursuit.
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