USA > Maine > History of the First Maine cavalry, 1861-1865, V. 2 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
Gc 973.74 M28t v.2 1755175
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
.
Go
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00824 7857
563
HISTORY
OF THE
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY
1861-1865.
V.2 BV
EDWARD P. TOBIE
PUBLISHED BY THE FIRST MAINE CAVALRY ASSOCIATION.
DIRIGO
£
THỂ NEWBERRY LIBRARY CHICAGO
BOSTON: PRESS OF EMERY & HUGHES. NO. 1446 OLIVER STREET. 1887.
563
361
MARCHING, SKIRMISHING. PICKETING.
The next two days were spent in marching, skirmishing. changing positions, etc., while other portions of the force. cavalry and infantry, were doing most of the fighting. During a severe attack on the regiment with artilley, on the second day, one man in Co. H was wounded. It was a season of hard work, without much satisfaction. What this meant the boys did not understand at the time, but according to Gen. Grant's official report it was a reconnoissance in force, with the inten- tion of attacking the enemy if his lines were found weakened. as was supposed possible, by the withdrawal of troops to the north side of the James, where the Union forces made a demon- stration on the twenty-eighth and gained important positions. and Gen. Grant's report also says that the enemy's works near Poplar Spring church were captured during this reconnoisance, and that Gen. Gregg's cavalry repulsed the enemy with great loss.
Then came a week or more of picketing, scouting, and recon- noitring, and on the ninth of October the regiment went into camp about a mile west of the camp it left on the twenty-ninth of September, which camp was destined to be "winter quarters " that winter. This camp was near the Jerusalem plank road. a mile from Hancock Station on Gen. Grant's line of railroad, and about a mile in rear of the general line of works confronting the enemy at Petersburg. On the tenth the Sharpe and Burnside carbines were turned in, and the Spencer " seven shooter" car- bines were given to the regiment. These, with the Henry "sixteen shooters." brought by the First District of Columbia men, made the regiment equal to any in the service in the matter of arms. Two battalions were given the Speneer and the other battalion the Henry. Then there was a week of quiet in camp, and then three days on picket.
On the eighteenth a new brigade was formed -called the "Third brigade "-composed of the First Maine, Second New
The brigade had both flanks turned and captured, but held firm. The First Maine was iu the centre, and held this position, thus ensuring the success of the Union troops in the engagement. The loss in the brigade was about sixty. The line was held the next day. and the third day Gen. Davies came up with his brigade, while the infantry gained the Peebles farm and fortified, thus advancing the lines from the Weldon Railroad to the farm, to better protect the left and rear of the Union army.
.
362
1755175
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
York Mounted Rifles, and Twenty-first Pennsylvania regiments. and Gen. Charles H. Smith, of the First Maine, was placed in command, which position he held until the close of the war.1 On the twenty-third the new brigade was reviewed by Gen. Gregg, on which occasion the First Maine Band (transferred from the First District of Columbia regiment, or "First D. C." as was the common way of putting it, and made up of enlisted men who were reported-" on daily duty," " for duty." etc.) made its first appearance in public. and a splendid appearance it made - mounted on white horses and with new instruments. On the twenty-fourth the Sixth Ohio regiment joined the brigade. On the twenty-fifth the regiment had a dress parade - the first. according to the diary of an officer, for over two years, but henceforth dress parade was held regularly whenever the regi- ment was in camp and the weather permitted.
On the afternoon of the twenty-sixth the regiment moved. with the brigade and division, to the Halifax road, near the Perkins House, and went into bivouac, with orders to be ready to move at two o'clock the next morning. The regiment numbered at this time four hundred and eighty-nine men for service. eleven line officers, and Col. Cilley and Adjt. Boyd. One reason for this small number was the fact that the term of service of the original men of the regiment who had not re-enlisted expired on the thirtieth. and the men, numbering some two hundred. with fourteen officers, were sent to City Point to be transferred home for muster-out. before this movement was commenced."
At two o'clock on the morning of the twenty-seventh the line
1 This brigade was authorized and organized especially for Gen. Smith to command. " This small number of officer- for a regiment. the ranks of which were so full. deserves notice. From this time forward, until the surrender of Gen. Lee. Col. Cilley had in active service, for the most part, no field officer- to aid him, and was forced to use captains to command battalions, while many of the sergeants were obliged to perform the duties of commissioned officers, their only reward being the consciousness of performing well the duty required of them - having thus earned, though they never received, promotion. After nine o'clock on the night of the twenty-sixth the little band of officers, numbering not one to a company, and only one field officer, assembled around Col. Cilley's bivouac. and after a few words concerning the expected work of the morrow, pledged themselves to each other that the enthing day, and as long as the regiment served, they would stand by each other and for the honor of the regiment, which promise, sealed by the blood of the next day, was glorion-ly and unwaveringly kept, and the two united regiments trom Maine ever after were one in thought. deed, and purpose - the only strife being who should serve the best.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
http://archive.org/details/historyoffirstm00tobi
ROWANTY CREEK AND GRAVELLY RUN.
was again in motion. Gen. Smith's brigade in the advance, reach- ing Rowanty Creek, on the Vaughan road, about half-past five o'clock. Here the enemy was discovered on the opposite side of the stream, near the bridge. protected by breastworks. The Sixth Ohio and Capt. Freeze's battalion of the First Maine were ordered to dislodge them. Both commands dismounted. Capt. Freeze, taking advantage of a bend in the stream, placed his battalion in a position from which his men gave an enfilading fire along the enemy's line with their sixteen shooters, while the Sixth Ohio charged and drove the enemy out. The enemy was driven baek into their camp. and their signal station, flags, etc .. and six wagons captured. The brigade kept on, the Sixth Ohio in the advance, to Gravelly Run, where the enemy made a stand. being well protected by works and artillery in the woods. Gen. Smith then called for artillery and exchanged a few shots with the enemy, and then pushed on to the creek. driving their pickets back. The First Maine was dismounted and crossed the bridge under a galling fire of the enemy's artillery, and formed, one half on the right of the road under command of Col. Cilley, and the other half on the left under command of Capt. Chadbourne. The Sixth Ohio was dismounted on the right of the First Maine, and the Twenty-first Pennsylvania was put one-half at the right and left of the line. remaining mounted. When all was ready, Gen. Smith gave the order to charge. They were at this time at the bottom of a ravine, with high banks. and a climb of nearly two. hundred yards. At the order "Charge !" with a bound and a yell they went up that high bank and presented themselves in full view of the enemy and in full range of his rifles. As they did so, the left of Capt. Chad- bourne's line, which was stretched along up the run in single rank and open file. seemed to waver a little, seeing which the captain turned in that direction. letting fall his right hand. in which he held his pistol, by his side, and raising his left hand he called out at the top of his voice. " Forward on the Left!" Just at that moment the enemy poured a most deadly fire into them from behind their works, and a bullet struck Capt. Chad- bourne in the right hand. cutting off the index finger and com- pletely demolishing his pistol. the pistol, no doubt, preventing
364
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
his receiving a serious wound. Seeing that he was wounded only in the hand, the gallant captain gathered up his broken pistol and urged the men on in the charge. Sweeping across the open field they soon routed the enemy, capturing some prisoners and the entire camp equipage, their artillery limbering up and running for dear life. Lieut. Jackson, of Co. G, was wounded in this charge.
The brigade followed on until it reached the Boydton plank road, where it connected with the infantry, and the regiment was dismounted and ordered to report to Gen. Mott, of the Second corps, which was just then receiving a fierce attack from the enemy. Before reaching the position assigned them. however, it was discovered that the whole force was flanked. and they were ordered back on the double quick and rejoined the brigade. It was found that Gen. Hampton's force was de- ployed across the Boydton plank road, and the Third brigade was quickly put in position to meet him. The First Maine was deployed on the right of the road and the Twenty-first Penn- sylvania on the left, and there they engaged the enemy for the third time that day. The position was this: the Second corps was fighting the enemy in one place, and the Third brigade was back of the Second corps, fighting in just the opposite direction. The shots from the infantry in front of the Second corps passed the shots from Hampton's guns in front of this brigade. There was no rear. The Union forces stood back to back. The brigade had two Napoleon guns of Reynolds' battery, and Gen. Smith kept them throwing canister into Hampton's line, paying no attention to his guns, as they hurt no one. Horses of Reynolds' battery were shot by the small arms of. Hampton's men. The First Maine was under a heavy fire, poured upon them by superior numbers, and as the men knew the whole command was flanked, it is not strange that a portion of them wavered. This, however, was but momentary. At the inspiring voice of Col. Cilley they rallied and held the position. Thus this little brigade stood between the Second corps and destruction. Had this brigade given way, the Second corps must have gone. Had this regiment given way, the brigade must have gone. But the brigade staid
365
BOYDTON PLANK ROAD.
until after dark, and retired in the night. This was the first real engagement of this brigade, and it was a big fighting day. The First Maine boys became acquainted with the fighting qualities of the new regiments with which they were brigaded : the men of the new regiments became acquainted. by observa- tion, with the First Maine, and there was confidence throughout the brigade.
During this engagement Lieut. Winfield S. Collins, of Co. E. temporarily in command of Co. M. was killed.
Chaplain Merrill relates these incidents of this engagement : -
Among the wounded was Frank Greene. one of the District of Columbia men. While hotly engaged, late in the afternoon. a peculiar sensation in the breast and back. followed by the trickling of blood, revealed the fact that he was wounded. A bullet had passed directly through the upper por- tion of the left lung and out at the back. Going to the rear he found an ambulance, and was taken to the corps hospital. The first surgeon who saw him called another in consultation. Having examined the patient. the two shook their heads. directed the nurse to make this man as comfortable as possible, and were about to leave. "Doctor," said the wounded man. " what does this mean?" "It means," said the doctor, " that we can do nothing more than to make yon comfortable: we think you will die." "Die!" said he; "nonsense: I shall not die this time." Learning that he had one chanee in a thousand to survive, he decided to take that chance. Under God, his pluck, together with the kind nursing of an old family friend, saved him.
An incident is worth relating as an example of the coolness of the men. Col. Cilley is a little near-sighted. After forming the regiment on the Boyd- ton plank road. the men opened a rapid fire with their Spencer and Henry rifles. A moment later. seeing no enemy. and thinking they were wasting their ammunition. the colonel rushed along the line, directing the men to cease firing. Coming up to Corp. Gurney, of Co. B. he shouted : " You are acting like a fool with your ammunition, corporal." " The rebs are right out there," the corporal replied. " That may be so, but wait till you can see them." " Kueel down here, colonel; now look through there." The colonel said no more of wasting ammunition, but remained on his knees and com- menced firing with his revolver.
It is due to the gallant Maj. Thaxter to notice here his last service with the regiment. His term of three years' service had expired, and he was under orders to proceed to Maine with the men. to be mustered out: and yet, volunteering for duty on Gen. Smith's staff for another fight, he was conspicuous through the day, charging mounted with the dismounted men. bnt escaped unharmed.
Billy Harris, the colored servant of Gen. Smith, who had fearlessly staid by the general all through the day, as was his
366
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
custom, remarked that evening that he guessed he would not go into another fight, as this was altogether too hot. When the next engagement came on. however, he was as ready as ever, whereupon the general reminded him of what he said at Boydton. "Well. general," he replied, "I've been thinking it over; I don't think you'll ever get into another such place as dat ar." And he did not.
This was the baptism of blood which welded the veterans of the First Maine to their new comrades from the First District of Columbia, - which told them that their new comrades were worthy of full companionship ; and whatever of doubt, or fear. or mistrust there might have been before, from this time all were members of the "Old First Maine," sharing its dangers and wearing its honors alike.
The loss to the regiment in this day's engagements (which the boys knew as the " Bull Pen," and which are borne on the banner as "Boydton Plank Road,") was eleven killed, sixty- two wounded, and eight missing.
Gen. Grant's official report of this movement is as follows :-
On the twenty-seventh the Army of the Potomac, leaving only sufficient men to hold its fortified line, moved by the enemy's right flank. The Second corps, followed by two divisions of the Fifth corps, with the cavalry in advance and covering our left flank, forced a passage of Hatcher's Run. and moved up the south side of it toward the South Side Railroad, until the Second corps and part of the cavalry reached the Boydton plank road where it crosses Hatcher's Run. At this point we were six miles distant from the South Side Railroad, which I had hoped by this movement to reach and hold. But finding that we had not reached the end of the enemy's fortifica- tions. and no place presenting itself for a successful assault. by which he might be doubled up and shortened, I determined to withdraw to within our fortified line. Orders were given accordingly. Immediately upon receiving a report that Gen. Warren had connected with Gen. Hancock. I returned to my headquarters. Soon after I left, the enemy moved out across Hatcher'- Run, in the gap between Gens. Hancock and Warren, which was not closed. as reported, and made a desperate attack on Gen. Haneock's right and rear. Gen. Hancock immediately faced his corps to meet it, and after a bloody combat drove the enemy within his works, and withdrew that night to his old position.
This was the last grand movement of the year, and, to use the language of Gen. Grant, in his official report, " From thi-
367
COMPARATIVE QUIET.
time forward the operations in front of Petersburg, until the spring campaign of 1865, were confined to the defence and extension of our lines, and to offensive movements for crippling the enemy's lines of communication, and to prevent his detach- ing any considerable force to send south. By the seventh of February our lines were extended to Hatcher's Run, and the Weldon Railroad had been destroyed to Hicksford."
The night after this engagement was passed mainly in the saddle, in most tediously slow marching. Then came a day or two of picket on the Halifax and Vaughan roads, and the regi- ment was back in camp on the thirtieth.
Monday, thirty-first. the regiment was mustered for pay. and those who had to make out the muster-rolls will remember the infinite amount of trouble they had in getting them right. owing to the transfer of the men of the First District of Columbia, and the short time they had to make them in. But few companies had even one roll complete at the muster. Tuesday, November first. the regiment commenced drilling again, and a dress parade was held in the afternoon. Drill was interrupted for a couple of days on account of a cold rain, and on the fourth was commenced again, only to be interrupted by picket duty on the fifth. Sunday, sixth, divine services were held by Chaplain Merrill, -his first services with the regi- ment, - and he made a strong impression upon the men, win- ning their confidence, which was never weakened.
On the seventh about one hundred of the regiment, the rest being on picket, went with the brigade on a reconnoissance to Reams' Station. and beyond to King's crossing, where there was a slight skirmish, resulting in one killed and eight or ten prisoners on the part of the enemy, but no casualties to the regiment. The command then returned. reaching camp about nine o'clock that night.
Tuesday, November eighth, was the day of the Presidential election. Arrangements had been made for the men in the field to vote. The vote was taken in camp of such as were in camp, and Col. Cilley and other officers rode along the picket line, where was most of the regiment. taking the vote. The result was: For President, Abraham Lincoln, 271 ; Gen. Geo.
י.ב׳
368
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
B. MeClellan. 38. For Governor. Samuel Cony, 243; Joseph Howard. 7. The men belonging to the regiment who were at dismounted camp also had a chance to vote, and polled 58 for Lincoln and 8 for MeClellan.
The remainder of November was passed on picket, drilling. and preparing for winter. About the middle of the month the position of the regiment was changed a little, and the huts ordered to be rebuilt. The experience of the previous winter had taught the boys how to build winter quarters, and they made themselves very comfortable, though the camp-ground was not so good and the quarters were no better than at War- renton the winter before, except for the horses, they being now provided with covered stables built of logs. The camp-ground was low and quite near a swamp, and wood for quarters and for cooking and heating was some distance away ; nevertheless the boys soon made themselves at home. Many of the boys will remember the heavy rain on the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first. when the camp was flooded and a couple of days hard work was necessary to drain it. As an instance of what energy and persistence may do, even against red tape, it may be stated that on the thirteenth Assist. Surg. Northrop, after nine o'clock in the evening, personally put through the mill an application for leave of absence, and succeeded in getting it signed and in getting back to camp with it before midnight.
The twenty-fourth was Thanksgiving Day, and the diary of an officer of that day says: "No services - no turkey - men busy building their quarters all day." The next day, however. the same diary continues : " Turkeys, etc., came to-day, to our agreeable surprise."
On the thirtieth three hundred men of the regiment went on picket on the Halifax road, but in the evening Col. Cilley was ordered to draw off the pickets east of the road, and return to camp. Cos. C, D, F, G. H, and I, numbering two hundred men, were withdrawn, and marched to camp crowing mildly over the other six companies who were left on pieket ; but with reveille at two o'clock in the morning of December first their dream of rest in camp vanished, and, cross and sleepy, the two hundred men, under command of Col. Cilley, marched with the
· BRIDGE DESTROYING. 369
division ria McCann's, Lee's Mills and the Jerusalem plank road. for Stony Creek Station, the point on the Weldon Railroad from which the rebels wagoned their supplies around the left of the army. The rebel pickets were found at the Rowanty Creek. The Third brigade stopped here, with the First Maine at the bridge. The First brigade advanced a short distance beyond, while the Second brigade. pressed rapidly forward to Stony Creek Station, some two miles from the Rowanty bridge, and reached there early in the day. The enemy's work consisted of two small forts, with several pieces of artillery in position. on the south side of Stony Creek and both sides of the railroad. with lines of earthworks extending on the flanks of the forts. Col. Gregg deployed the most of his brigade in front of the forts, and ordered the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry to cross the creek below the fortifications without delay, and attack the rebels in the rear. It did so in most gallant style, under a heavy fire from the enemy, who had perfect range of the ford. Halting a moment to re-form, the regiment charged. under command of Maj. May, in rear of the railroad, and then directly down the railroad to and between the forts, where they dismounted and actually charged, with pistol and sabre in hand, over the works, foreing the enemy to surrender unconditionally and at once. The regiment captured more men than it numbered, burned all the rebel stores, which were numerous, the station. and the high bridge over Stony Creek, and in twenty minutes' time returned with the prisoners. Hampton's cavalry headquarters were only four miles from the station, and the dashing engage- ment took place almost in the suburbs of his eamp. and haste was necessary.
During this time this regiment remained at Rowanty bridge. hearing only the noise and seeing the smoke of battle and of burning stores. As the two brigades recrossed, the First Maine pioneers stood ready to strip the bridge and set it on fire. On the heels of the boys in blue came Hampton. who was obliged to bottle his anger for a while longer, as the battery of the Third brigade poured canister through their columns. This regiment destroyed the bridge and held the enemy firmly to the opposite side of the stream till the First
370
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
and Second brigades, and the remainder of the Third, were well on their return. when the Maine boys withdrew from the stream. and after proceeding a short distance. turned over the duty of rear guard to the Twenty-first Pennsylvania, to whom it rightfully belonged. In a short time the Twenty-first. who were out of ammunition, got it hot and sharp, and a portion of them went by the First Maine in a hasty manner, whereupon Gen. Smith ordered this regiment to again take the rear. and their repeating earbines caused the southern cavalry to behave respectfully. The regiment reached camp at half-past eleven o'clock. and henceforth the answer to rebel taunt of "Beef!" referring to the successful raid of the enemy at Sycamore church in September, was "Stony Creek !"
Cos. A, B, E, K. L, and M, remained on picket where they were left on the night of November thirtieth. until December sixth, on which day orders were received to be ready to march the next morning, with four days' rations and thirty pounds of forage on each horse, with the expectation that it would last six. On the morning of the seventh, at six o'clock. the regi- ment moved with the division. followed by the Fifth, and a portion of the Second corps, via McCann's, Lee's Mills and the Jerusalem plank road, fording the Nottaway near Freeman's bridge, and bivonaeked near Sussex Court House. In the middle of the night Co. B was ordered on picket. went. and shortly after was ordered back again - a proceeding the men could hardly see the military necessity of. This was the begin- ning of what was known as the Bellefield raid - an errand of destruction to the Weldon Railroad, over which large amount- of supplies were being transported from southern Virginia att North Carolina to Stony Creek Station (to which point the road had been destroyed), and thence taken in wagons to the South. Side Railroad for transportation to the rebel army. The inten- tion was to destroy the road from Stony Creek Station to Belle- field. a distance of fifteen miles.
December sixth Col. Smith received his appointment as brevet brigadier general, to date from June twenty-fourth.
Moving at four o'clock the next morning. the command reached the Weldon Railroad at eleven, when this regiment w .-
---
371
BELLEFIELD RAID.
sent toward the river with instructions to burn the railroad bridge and destroy the railroad. The enemy retired with little resistance, and soon the high bridge across the Nottaway was in flames, as well as the station buildings and the neighboring barracks, while some three-fourths of a mile of the railroad was destroyed. The regiment was then called in and remained all the afternoon near some large plantation buildings, waiting for the infantry. to tear up and destroy the railroad. Co. B, under Capt. Loring, was sent on a scout, while Co. M did picket duty for the protection of the regiment. The only incident that occurred this afternoon was the laugh raised by Billy McFar- land, of Co. B. orderly for Col. Cilley, who came in leading a small mule by a halter made of hay, and on the mule a huge darkey, and proceeding to the colonel he saluted. and reported : ". I have captured a darkey for you." At night the regiment advanced and bivouacked after dark near Jarratt's Station. During the night the blood-red sky showed that the work of destruction was still going on.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.