USA > Maine > Eastern Maine and the rebellion: being an account of the principal local events in eastern Maine during the war.. > Part 18
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On August 9th, the whole regiment, under Col. Allen, took part in the battle of Cedar Mountain. They were attached to Bayard's Brigade. On the 20th, they engaged the enemy's ad- vance near Brandy Station, from eight thirty A. M., to two P. M., when they fell back across the river. On Sept. 3d, they marched to Fairfax C. H., reported to Gen. Reno, and joining his column, moving to Union Mills. On the 14th, Company G was in the bat- tle of South Mountain, acting as body guard to Gen. Reno. On
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the 17th, Companies M and HI were in the battle of Antietam, under Gen. Fitz John Porter.
The total number of horses lost by the regiment, from March to the close of the year, was nearly seven hundred.
The opening of the year 1863, found the Cavalry in winter quarters, at Camp Bayard, near Belle Plain. On the 16th of Jan- uary, the regiment was furnished with Sharps' Carbines, and on the 21st, an attempt to advance was made, but given up on account of the Raud. On the 20th of February, Gen. . Gregg was assigned to the command of the Third Division, Cavalry Corps, and this regiment assigned to the First Brigade of that division, under Col. Kilpatrick.
Col. Allen had resigned on account of ill health, and Lieut. Col. Douty was now in command.
On the 13th of April, the regiment broke camp and marched to Deep Run, where the night was spent, and the next day they ad- vanced to Rappahannock Station. On the 16th of April they moved to a point in the woods near Warrenton Junction, where they had been encamped the November before. Soon after they joined in Gen. Stoneman's raid, and made many marches, and had numerous skirmishes up to the first of May. Early in the morn- ing of the 2d, the regiment arrived near Louisa C. H. The rail- road was destroyed and the cavalry marched into the town, greatly alarming the natives, who at first mistook them for Stuart's Cav- elry. Here the object of the raid, i. e. the cutting off of the en- emy's means of communication, was explained to the officers. After doing their work, and doing it well, on the 4th the return march was begun. For seventy-two consecutive hours they marched, and at last arrived at Bealton Station.
With a force of less than five thousand men, Stoneman had cut loose from his own base. and for nine days moved wherever he
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pleased. In the raid he destroyed twenty-two bridges, seven cul- verts, five ferries, one hundred and twenty-two wagons, three trains of cars, besides many store houses, etc.
The regiment remained at Bealton, with the exception of sever- al short skirmishes, until June Sth. On the 9th the regiment started for Brandy Station, and on its arrival, after a detour through the woods, attacked the enemy in the gallant charge, so well known in history. Col. Douty's words, "I can drive the rebels," will go down to the end of time By some oversight the gallant First were completely surrounded, but, by a quick movement by Col. Douty, the regiment turned and cut their way out in safety. In this terrible charge the command had thirty men missing. and captured seventy six prisoners, a battle- flag and two pieces of artillery. The regiment then crossed the river, and camped the next night at Warrenton Junction. Here the brigade was re-organized, and Col. Gregg placed in command.
On the morning of the 17th the regiment left for Union Mills, and reached Aldie while the battle was in progress. They arrived at a critical moment. as the official report shows.
In that report Col. Smith says:
" Having reported to the Brig. Gen., Col. Douty was ordered to proceed to a position to the left of the town, but before arriving there, he was ordered to return in haste. The regiment returned at a "gallop," left in front, and ascended the hill on the right of the town, near the battery, just in time to meet and resist the impetuous attack of the enemy, upon our exhausted forces. A portion of the regiment, led by Col. Douty, charged, turned the enemy, and drove him from the hill, and his stronghold among the stone walls." ,
" The regiment gained the position, secured our wounded, col-
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lected the trophies of the field, and were burying the dead, when relieved just before dark."
Here the brave Col. Douty fell.
Having led his regiment that day a long and exhausting march, he had reached the field at a moment when victory seemed on the point of deciding for the enemy. Without a moments rest, he had been ordered to support the exhausted forces of the First Brigade. At the order to advance, the cheers that arose from those" bold, tough men of Maine, attested their willingness to follow their brave commander. In the first charge, the gallant Douty fell, at the head of his command, but his fall did not check the ardor of his men.
The regiment on the 19th met the enemy again, and again drove him.
On the 21st the regiment advanced towards Upperville, and again gave battle to the enemy, and again defeated him, captur- ing seventy five prisoners. The day after the fight at Upperville, the regiment returned to Middleburg, and on the 26th marched to Leesburg, and on the next day on to Monocacy Junction. The column reached Frederick at noon, on the 20th. On they went, until they halted at a point within two miles of Gettysburg.
On the 3d of July, the regiment took part in a severe engage- ment, and on the 4th was engaged in reconnoitering. From here, by short marches, the regiment went to Halltown, where they arrived on the 15th. Here they engaged the enemy, silenced him, and continued the march. When near Shepardstown they met the enemy again. After severe action, they were reliev- ed by the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, but on seeing that the Sixteenth was being hard pressed, Col. Smith ordered the First back again, and they shared the fortunes of the rest of the day.
From Shepardstown the regiment marched to Harper's Ferry,
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from there through Leesburg and on to Bristow Station, arriving there on July 22d. On the 29th they marched to Waterloo and Gaines' roads, where they remained till August 7th. In the next few days they marched to White Plains, through the Thorough- fare Gap, and returned to near Haymarket. On the 21th of Au- gust, they went to Sulphur Springs, and here remained till the 13th of September. On the morning of the 13th, they advanced toward Culpepper, and drove the enemy beyond to a point near Cedar Mountain. They then went to Thoroughfare Mountain, and on being relieved, returned to camp at Cedar Mountain. On the 24th the march was taken up to Rappahannock Station and here they remained till the end of the month. On the 2d of October, the regiment moved to Bealton, where it remained on picket duty till the 10th. On that day they marched to Fox Mountain, and then on to Sulphur Springs, skirmishing with the enemy part of the way. On the 12th, a reconnaissance was made in the direction of Thompson's Gap. Returning they found the corps of A. P. Hill in front, and made a rapid retreat and finally reached our lines on the morning of the 13th, near New Baltimore, having marched over one hundred miles in twenty-six hours.
The whole army was now falling back to cover Washington, and the regiment retreating with it, arrived at Bull Run on the 14th, and the same day marched to Fairfax Station. On the 24th a brisk skirmish took place at Beverly Ford, and the enemy was driven across the river. Sunday, November 1st, found the regi- ment in camp near Fayetteville, and here they remained till the 5th. On the 7th a brilliant charge gave them the enemy's works at Rappahannock Station. From this time till the 23d, the time was put in on picket duty and like work. On the 23d, the march was taken up via White Chapel, across the Rapidan to White Hall, to Robinson's Tavern. Here considerable fighting was done, and
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much picket duty performed till December 16th, when the regi- ment was relieved, and began to build winter quarters near Beal- ton Station. On the 21st, the regiment left on an expedition to Luray, where they destroyed everything possible, and returned in time for Christmas, well supplied with tobacco.
On the 1st of January, 1864, the regiment was in temporary camp at Bealton, Sta., but on that day began the march on an ex- pedition under Col. Taylor, of the First Penn. Cavalry. Capt. Taylor, with one hundred and fifteen men, was sent in advance and met a force of Moseby's men near Salem, and with slight loss drove him. During that day twenty prisoners and twenty-five horses were captured.
On the 4th, march was continued, and on the 6th they reached Turkey Run Station, and there went into winter quarters, having marched eighty-one miles. On the 27th of February, three hun- dred men and officers reported to Gen. Kilpatrick, for duty in an expedition to Richmond, and were assigned to the Second Brigade, Third Division, Cavalry Corps, under Gen. Davis. They crossed the Rapidan at Ely Ford, and continued to Spottsylvania C. H. On arriving before Richmond, one hundred and fifty men, half from the First Maine Cavalry, were selected to form a part of the storming party. They did not succeed, owing to superior force of the enemy. On the 2d of March, the march was resumed, and a squad from Companys A and E, under Capt. Cole and Lieu- tenant Hussey, charged on the enemy at Old Church Road, inflicting a much larger loss than they themselves sustained. The column then moved to Tunstall's Station, having lost in the raid, forty nine, killed, wounded and missing. On the 3d, being joined by the main force of Col. Dahlgren's command, they left for Williamsburg, where they were met by a brigade un-
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der Col. Spear, and, on the 4th the whole command left for Glou- cester.
In the charge on Richmond, Company F charged with marked vigor, and lost nearly half of its men. After pressing the enemy back to their works, a retreat was ordered, and Col. Dahlgren and a few of his men, being separated from the command, entire charge fell upon Capt. Mitchell. They finally took refuge in a swamp, and the next day re-joined Col. Kilpatrick, having lost forty-four men, in killed, wounded and missing. On the 12th of March, the regimeut went into camp at Alexandria, and there remained until the 17th of April, when it went to Sulphur Springs, on a reconnoissance. On the 24th and 27th, also, detachments went on same duty, to Warrenton. On the 27th, the regiment went into camp at Paoli Hills. On the 7th of May the regiment had an all-day fight, at Pine Run Church. Soon after that, the regiment began the march to Richmond, and saw more or less of fighting every day. At a slight skirmish at Ground Squirrel Bridge, Lieutenant Col. Boothby was mortally wounded. The regiment finally went into camp at Pole Cat River, where the first "Sheridan Raid" ended, and where the command was joined by Major Cilley.
On June 1st, they marched on the Cold Harbor Road, met the enemy, repulsed him, but with some loss. Chaplain Bartlett was here killed by a solid shot. On the 24th a general engage- ment took place at St. Mary's Church, and the brigade was forced back to Prince George C. H. On July 4th the regiment was in camp near Light House Point, and remained near here until the 26th, when it moved towards Lee's Mills. During the march several slight engagements took place. During the month of August the regiment's work was mostly picket duty and marching. Skirmishes were had at Charles City Road, where,
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after hard fighting, the enemy was driven back three miles. At Dinwiddie C. H., on the 23d, was a slight skirmish, followed by a severe engagement on the 24th, near Ream's Station, the First, though in the thick of the fight, suffering but little. During the month of September little was done.
On the 20th of October the regiment met the enemy at Gravelly Creek. They were driven by a charge of the First Maine, and Sixth Ohio, dismounted. The month of November was taken up in picket duty. On December 1st, six companies under Lieut. Col. Cilley, marched to Stony Creek Station, and assisted in its de- struction, and, on the 7th, five other companies assisted in burn- ing the Weldon Railroad Bridge, and tearing up the track. On the ninth, the command guarded the infantry in their work of de- struction, and on the 10th destroyed the bridge at Janell's Station. . From this time to the end of the month the regiment was employ- ed in pieketing and scouting.
From this time to February 5th, 1865, the regiment remained quietly in winter quarters, and, on the morning of the 5th, they advanced, by way of Dinwiddie C. H., to Hatcher's Run. Here the enemy was found and driven back. At day light on the morning of the 7th, the whole regiment went on a reconnaissance to Halifax Road and Ream's Station. The next day the regiment again returned to camp. As a result, our lines were extended nearly five miles on the left. On the 20th, the whole regiment was ordered on picket duty on the old line, and beyond this con- stant duty, nothing of special interest occured until March 29th. On that day the regiment moved to Dinwiddie C. II., remaining there in the rain and mud till the 31st. On that day they again advanced until within twelve miles of Petersburg, near Stony Creek. Here the First Cavalry had one of the hardest. if not the hardest fight of the whole war. Owing to a much larger foree of
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the rebels, and the want of ammunition, they were forced to with- draw. In this action they lost fifteen killed, and eighty - two wounded.
On April 1st, the regiment relieved the First Vermont Cavalry from picket duty, and that night bivouacked on the Vaughan Road.
On the 2d they acted as rear guard for the brigade train, and halted near Sutherland Station. On the morning of the 4th, the march was taken up, and continued until reaching Jettersville. On the 5th, after a short engagement, routed the enemy. On the 6th they attacked a supply train of the enemy, and captured no less than seven rebel officers. On the 7th they moved to . Briery Creek, then to Appomattox Station, and threw up breast- works on the hill, near the Court House. Here they participated in the last great battle of the war, and as ever, proved themselves to be brave soldiers, and noble men.
After the surrender of Lee, the regiment returned to Peters- burg, and camped about two miles west of the town. On the morning of April 10th, they advanced to San Marino P. O., where a halt for the night was ordered. The march was continu- ed until on the night of the 26th, they arrived at Boydtown. On they went, and at South Boston, in Halifax County, the glori- ous news was received that Johnston had surrendered.
The return march was without anything of great interest, and the regiment arrived at Ettrick, where they remained until order- ed into Chesterfield County, to protect the freedmen, and here they remained until August 1st, doing provost guard duty. On that day the regiment was mustered out of the service, by Lieu- tenant L. II. Bowen, A. C. M.
Leaving Petersburg on the 2d, they arrived at Augusta on the 9th, where the men were finally paid and discharged.
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COL. CALVIN S. DOUTY.
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In the biographical sketch of Col. Douty, will be found the details of the charges at Brandy Station.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
CALVIN S. DOUTY.
When the rebellion broke out, Calvin Sanger Douty resided in the quiet village of Dover, and his standing there will be at once understood when it is known that he was then serving his third term as sheriff, to which office he was elected by a large vote. Soon after the battle of Bull Run, he notified the State authorities of his desire to resign his position and enter the army.
. On October 24th, he was commissioned Major, of the First Maine Cavalry, and devoted himself with his accustomed energy, to the enlistment and equipment of that superb corps.
On the 20th of March, 1862, Major Douty left Augusta for the seat of war, in command of a detachment of four hundred men, and repaired to Harper's Ferry, acting as a guard to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. On the 9th of May he received a commission as Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment. Soon after General Banks, a man who seemed to take delight in heaping insults upon Maine officers, got caught in a trap at Winchester, and, but for a ruse of Douty's, and the gallant fighting of his men, he would have been overpowered. The cavalry that day held two thousand infantry, and a battery of six guns, four hours, dur- ing which the retreat was secured. The rebel Gen. Ashby says
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that Col. Douty's cavalry saved Bank's army. Says the Maine Adjutant General's report :
" Byron has somewhere defined glory as 'dying on the battle- field, and having your name spelt wrong in the Gazette.' Strange- ly enough, the First Maine Cavalry were not singled out for honorable mention in General Bank's report of his eventful re- treat. Col. Douty scorned puffery, but had a true soldier's pride in laurels, nobly earned. He made no complaint, however, but when, sometime after, he proposed to the General that his detach- ment should join their regiment, at Frederick, Gen. Banks re -. plied : ' I cannot spare any of my cavalry, Colonel, least of all the Maine Cavalry, which is the best in my corps.' Col. Douty, who had a vein of quiet humor in his composition, answered, . Why, General, I read your report, and I did not learn from it that you had any Maine Cavalry with you at the time of your retreat.'
Gen. Banks made the amende with soldierly frankness, regrett- ing the omission, and explaining he had written his report, from minutes made by his Adjutant. 'But,' said he, 'I fully appreci- ate the great service you did me, and if you will prepare a report of the part you took in that campaign, I will forward it to the War Department, with a satisfactory endorsement.' Such a report was written and forwarded to Banks, but the Colonel never heard from it afterwards."
Col. Douty made a brief visit to Dover, in March, 1863. and at that time took his last leave of family, friends and home, and at the expiration of fifteen day's furlough, returned to the army
Mention has been made of the inactivity of the First Regiment Cavalry for one year or more after entering the service. To tell the truth about the matter, the army officers did not know how to fight them, being unused to mounted troops, and, rather than ac-
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, knowledge this, made light of them, and often declared they could not be used on the battle fields, unless there were large, open and level places. So for over a year the impetuous Douty was obliged to assist with the other officers, in such play as escorting scouts, guarding supply trains, etc. At last he was placed in command of the regiment, and at once determined to show the regular army men that volunteer cavalry could fight. He had for a long time chafed under the restraint, and, when he read in the Maine papers which came to headquarters, long accounts of the gallant conduct of the Second, Fourth, Sixth, and other bodies of Eastern Maine men, he could at times hardly contain himself. . While wrought up on one of these occasions. he did what might have brought a less valuable man into difficulty. He wrote a letter, a personal one, to Secretary of War Stanton, direct, stating that he and his men were disgusted with there enforced idleness, and virtually in_ sisted on being given a chance to show their mettle. "Give me back my companies now dancing attendance on wagons, and I will show you one of the best regiments of cavalry that ever mount- ed horse." Military men can well understand the character of Douty. Ile had ignored all his superior officers in writing to Stanton, but that gentlemen liked him for it, and soon sent him back his men. Douty now began to scheme to get to the front. He was in a measure successful, being ordered to support a battery in one engagement. Over he went and drew horse just in the rear of the guns. The artillery men laughed at the idea of caval- ry men staying there, but stay they did, and Douty returned only when an orderly appeared with imperative orders for him to do so.
But it was at the battle of Brandy Station that Douty made a record for himself, and for the First Maine Cavalry, that will be as enduring as the fame of the army itself, for on that day the hitherto despi-ed cavalry saved the brigade under Kilpatrick, and,
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when the fight was over, dismounted with the consciousness of knowing that they were the admiration of friend and foe alike.
Fifty miles southwest of Washington, the Orange and Alexan- dria Railroad crosses the Rappahanock river, and on this road, one-half way from the bridge to Culpeper, about five miles, is Brandy Station. About one-half mile from the railroad, stood an old-fashioned mansion, surrounded by a beautiful lawn, and back of this, a line of woods. This house was the headquarters of . the rebel General Stuart, and around it was a heavy force of artillery, cavalry and infantry. The whole sloping field, many acres in extent, formed of undulating, smooth ground, was as fine a place for a cavalry fight as could be found on Southern soil. When it was learned that there was to be a fight, Douty ordered an inspection, made sure that everything was in first class shape, and even went so far as to have the sabres ground. The horses had had a week's rest, and were in high mettle.
Early in the morning, the First Maine crossed the river, at Kelly's Ford, and heard at that early hour the artillery, which was already engaged. For awhile they remained in idleness, but, later, the battle seeming to go against the Union arms, they were hurried forward at a trot, none more eager, and none more earnestly wishing for a chance to enter the conflict, than Douty. As the Maine boys swung from the woods, into the broad and beautiful field, the aspect was one tending to disheart- en the men, but they seemed to be oblivious to everything, save the movements of their colonel Men were fleeing on every hand, and all evidence pointed to a terrible defeat, when Kilpatrick, see- ing the First Maine advancing, hurried up to Douty, and call- ed : . "Colonel Douty, for God's sake, tell me what you can do with your regiment. Can you save me ?"
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Glancing proudly back to the six hundred grim and silent horsemen, Douty raised himself in his saddle and said :
"I can drive those fellows to hell."
He got the great desire of his courageous heart-an order to en- gage the enemy-and a moment later there rang out, clear and loud above the din of battle, the bugle sound to charge. Away went that gallant body, and as they rode, men shoulder to shoulder, and horses flank to flank, they saw before them a picture which no artist could paint, and no human brain comprehend save by eye sight. That wide, undulating plain was filled with fleeing Union men and pursuing Confederates; horses, now riderless, dashed madly to and fro, or gave out wild cries of pain as their quiver- ing flesh was plowed with lead ; dead men were there on every hand ; others were taking their last glassy look at their comrades and their flag ; shrieks of the wounded filled the air, and were heard above the resounding tread of the horses of the flying caval- rymen, while "the thunder of artillery. the heavy thug of solid shot, the strange scream of shells, the rattle and roar of musketry, the clashing of steel, and the fierce shouts of eager combats," filled the air.
Soon the scene changed. On went the daring riders. Up the bill and along the brow they went, driving the enemy before them and dashing at the battery, which they captured, cutting down sich of the gunners as remained. There was a sharp clashing of sabres, an incessant crack of revolvers and carbines; but on went the regiment, seemingly mad with the excitment of their first bat- tle.
Here Douty made a mistake. Some of the men wanted to carry off the battery, but their colonel, with the enemy before him, failed to realize the danger of leaving it, and, still at the head of his men, urged them forward, first planting a Union flag
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at the guns. Sweeping forward after the retreating foe, Douty left the guns unmanned, and from the woods, upon the side of the plain, came other rebels, who regained them, and, when Douty turned, he saw, not only the guns turned against him, but quite a force of the enemy in position. Not a moment was lost. Again rang out the bugle notes, and again the battery was charged, and through, and over and around it they went. Again the excit- ed horses were wheeled, and for the third time Douty's men rode straighit at those guns, scattering the enemy in every direc- tion. Gallant work was that, and every man who could see it, knew then, if he had not known it before, that the Maine Cav- alry men were equal to any body of men in the service.
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