USA > Maine > First Maine bugle, 1890 (history of 1st Maine Cavalry) > Part 21
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The Confederate battery now opened fire, and Pennington, whose battery had not yet moved off, but was still in position on the Hanover Road near the Spangler house, replied with promptness. Melntosh at once sent back for Randol and his guns, at the same time reporting to General Gregg that he was engaged with a greatly superior force, and requesting that Irvin" Gregg's Brigade be sent up at a trot to support him. That Brigade was yet some distance off, and Gregg, meeting Custer on the march in the opposite direction, ordered him to return and reinforce MeIntosh, and to remain on the ground until the Third Brigade could be brought up. Custer, ever
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GREGG'S FIGHT AT GETTYSBURG.
ready for a fight, was not loth to do so. Heading his column about, he moved up at once to MeIntosh's support, while General Gregg came upon the field and took command of the forces.
The enemy having filled the large barn at Rummel's with sharp-shooters, who, while picking off our men, were completely protected from our fire, Captain Randol, upon coming on the ground, placed in position, on the edge of an orchard back of the Howard house, a section of his battery under Lieutenant Chester, and opened upon the barn. Shell after shell from Pennington's battery and Chester's section struck the building, soon compelling the enemy to abandon it, and, as he did so, the centre of our line advanced and occupied the enemy's line of fences near the farm-buildings. Having thus pierced his line, a force was sent out to take the enemy in flank, which succeeded in driving back the portions of Jenkins' Brigade in front of our left centre. This movement caused the left of the enemy's line, held by the dismounted skirmishers of Hampton's and Fitz Lee's Brigades, to give way also. The centre and left of our line were thus advanced, and four squadrons of the Sixth Michigan went into position dismounted along Little's Run, on the left of the Purnell Troop, extending still further to the jleft, so as to cover the Hanover Road, the remainder of the regiment supporting them. Randol's second section, under Lieutenant Kinney, an officer of General Tyler's staff who had volunteered to serve with the battery, having come up, he placed it to the left and rear of Chester's section. By the accuracy of their fire and superior range, the two batteries soon silenced the enemy's guns on the crest back of Rummel's, as also some others in position more to our left on Brinkerhoff's Ridge.
Meanwhile a column of Confederate cavalry began to move out of the woods to make a charge upon the right of our line, but it was at once driven back, with some loss, by the effective fire of our artillery.
As the ammunition of the First New Jersey and Third Penn- sylvania was becoming exhausted, the Fifth Michigan, armed with Spencer repeating carbines, was ordered to relieve them, and moved up to the front, dismounted, along the line of fences
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
which intersected the field lengthwise. No sooner had it reached the line than a dismounted regiment from W. H. F. Lee's Bri- gade advanced to the support of the enemy's skirmishers, and made a terrific onslaught upon the position. The Fifth Michi- gan, though short of ammunition from the beginning of the fight, and the troops it had come up to relieve, held the ground stub- bornly. When the fire had slackened, the First New Jersey and the two Third Pennsylvania squadrons, which had been ordered to retire when the Fifth Michigan came up, endeavored to with - draw. The enemy, believing it a signal of retreat, advanced, first on the right and then on the left. The Jerseymen and Pennsylvanians came back upon the line and assisted in the repulse of the attack, and again and again was this repeated.
The right of the First New Jersey and of the Fifth Michigan remained at their part of the line until the last cartridge was used and the last pistol emptied, and then fell back, but not until they had suffered heavily, among the killed being the gallant Major Ferry of the Fifth Michigan. This movement was taken advantage of by the enemy, and the First Virginia. of Fitz Lee's Brigade, was ordered to charge upon our right centre .. As it was seen to start, McIntosh rode over quickly to the Lott house, where he had left the First Maryland prepared for such an emergency. Gregg, however, upon coming on the field, had moved the regiment over to the right to cover the Low Dutch and Hanover Roads for the purpose of guarding more effectually that important quarter. The Seventh Michi- gan, which was to take its place, was just then coming upon the field from the direction of the Reever house in column of fours. Custer, who was near, also saw the emergency, ordered close column of squadrons to be formed at the gallop, and advanced with it to meet the attack.
As the First New Jersey retired, the right of the Fifth Michigan swung back and took a position behind the fence which ran nearly parallel with the line of the charging column.
The Seventh Michigan advanced boldly to meet the First Virginia, but, on coming up to a stone and rail fence, instead of pushing across it, began firing with their carbines. The First
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GREGG'S FIGHT AT GETTYSBURG.
Virginia came on, in spite of the heavy fire, until it reached the fence from the other side. Both regiments then fought face to face across the fence with their carbines and revolvers, while a scorching fire was centred upon the First Virginia from either flank. The enemy's reinforcements at last came up, and assisted the First Virginia to pass the fence, whereupon the Seventh Michigan gave way, the enemy following in close pursuit.
The First Virginia, becoming strung out by this movement, was exposed to a terrific fire from the two batteries in front and the skirmish lines on the flanks, while a battalion of the Fifth Michigan, which had succeeded in mounting, advanced under Major Trowbridge to assist the Seventh. It was more than even the gallant First Virginia could stand, and it was com- pelled to fall back on its supports, which were fast advancing to its assistance .*
Just then there appeared in the distance, emerging from be- hind the screen of woods on the cross-road by Stallsmith farm, a large mass of cavalry - the brigades of Hampton and Fitz Lee.t Every one saw at once that unless this, the grandest attack of all, were checked, the fate of the day would be decided against the Army of the Potomac. They were Stuart's last reserves, and his last resource. If the Baltimore Pike was to be reached, and havoc created in our rear, the important moment had arrived, as Pickett was even then moving up to the assault of Cemetery Ridge.
In close columns of squadrons, advancing as if in review,
*The statement that this preliminary charge was made by the First Virginia Cavalry of Fitz Lee's Brigade is based upon the authority of General Stuart's report, confirmed by a letter of General Fitzhugh Lee. General Stuart further states that the First North Carolina and Jeff Davis Legion were sent to the support of the First Virginia, and that gradually the hand-to- hand fighting involved the greater portion of his command. On the other hand the Rev. George Beale, then a lieutenant in the Ninth Virginia Cavalry, in a letter written a few days after the battle, and published in vol. x1. Southern Historical Society Papers, p. 320, stated that the charge was made by the Ninth and Thirteenth Virginia of W. H. F. Lee's Brigade, commanded by Chambliss. General Wade Hampton states in his report that, seeing that a portion of Chambliss' command was being driven back by a large force, he ordered the First North Carolina and Jeff Davis Legion to its support, which drove our people back, but encountering our reserves in heavy force his and Fitz Lee's Brigades charged, and in the hand-to-hand fight which then occurred he was wounded.
No official reports of the battle made by General Fitzhugh Lee or Colonel Chambliss are to be found among the Confederate official records in the War Department.
tAccording to the writer's diary this was about three o'clock.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
with sabres drawn and glistening like silver in the bright sun- light,- the spectacle called forth a murmur of admiration. It was, indeed, a memorable one. Chester, whose guns were nearest, opened fire at once, with a range of three-fourths of a mile. Pennington and Kinney soon did the same. Canister and shell were poured into the steadily approaching columns as fast as the guns could fire. The dismounted men fell back to the right and left, and such as could got to their horses. The mounted skirmishers rallied and fell into line. Then Gregg rode over to the First Michigan, which, as it had come upon the field a short time before, had formed close column of squadrons supporting the batteries, and gave the word to charge. As Town ordered sabres to be drawn and the column to advance, Custer dashed up with similiar orders, and placed himself at its head. The two columns drew nearer and nearer, the Confederates out- numbering their opponents three or four to one. The gait in- creased - first the trot, and then the gallop. Hampton's battle- flag floated in the van of his brigade. The orders of the Con- federate officers could be heard, "Keep to your sabres, men, keep to your sabres ! " for the lessons they had learned at Brandy Station and at Aldie had been severe. There the cry had been. " Put up your sabres ! Draw your pistols and fight like gen- tlemen !" But the sabre was never a favorite weapon with the Confederate cavalry, and now, in spite of the lessons of the past, the warnings of the present were not heeded by all.
As the charge was ordered the speed increased, every horse on the jump, every man yelling like a demon. The columns of the Confederates blended, but the perfect alignment was main- tained. Chester put charge after charge of double canister into their midst, his men bringing it up to the guns by the armful. The execution was fearful, but the long rents closed up at once. As the opposing columns drew nearer and nearer, each with per- fect alignment, every man gathered his horse well under him, and gripped his weapon the tighter. Though ordered to re- tire his guns, toward which the head of the assaulting column was directed, Chester kept on firing until the enemy was within fifty yards, and the head of the First Michigan had come into
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GREGG'S FIGHT AT GETTYSBURG.
the line of his fire. Staggered by the fearful execution of the two batteries, the men in the front of the Confederate column drew in their horses and wavered. Some turned, and the column fanned out to the right and left, but those behind came pressing on. Custer, seeing the men in the front ranks of the enemy hesitate, waved his sabre and shouted, " Come on, you wolve- rines !" and with a fearful yell the First Michigan swept on, Custer four lengths ahead.
McIntosh, as he saw the Confederate column advancing, sent his Adjutant-General, Captain Walter S. Newhall, with orders to Rogers and Treichel to rally their men for a charge on the flank as it passed. But sixteen men could get their horses, and with five officers they made for the battle-flag. Newhall, sharing the excitement of the moment, rushed in, by the side of Rogers and Treichel, at the head of the little band. Miller, whose squadron of the Third Pennsylvania was already mounted, fired a volley from the woods on the right as the Confederate column passed parallel with his line, and then, with sabres drawn, charged into the overwhelming masses of the enemy.
The small detachment of the Third Pennsylvania under Rogers and Treichel struck the enemy first, all making for the color-guard. Newhall was about seizing the flag when a sabre cut was directed at his head, and he was compelled to parry it. At the same moment the color-bearer lowered his spear and struck Newhall full in the face, knocking him senseless to the ground. Nearly every officer and man in the little band was killed or wounded. Almost at the same moment, Miller, with his squadron of the Third Pennsylvania, struck the left flank about two-thirds of the way down the column. Going through and through, he cut off the rear portion and drove it back past Rummel's up to the Confederate battery, and nothing but the heavy losses which he had suffered, and the scattering of his men, prevented his going farther and taking it, wounded though he was.
Meanwhile the heads of the two columns had met - the one led by Hampton and Fitz Lee, and the other by Custer and were fighting hand to hand. McIntosh, with his staff and
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
orderlies, and such scattered men from the Michigan and other regiments as he could get together, charged in with their sabres. For minutes, which seemed like hours, amid the clashing of the sabres, the rattle of the small arms, the frenzied imprecations, the demands to surrender, the undaunted replies and the ap -. peals for mercy, the Confederate column stood its ground. Cap- tain Thomas of the staff, seeing that a little more was needed to turn the tide, cut his way over to the woods on the right, where he knew he could find Hart, who had remounted his squadron of the First New Jersey. In the melee, near the col- ors, was an officer of high rank, and the two headed the squad- ron for that part of the fight. They came in reach of him with their sabres, and then it was that Wade Hampton was wounded.
By this time the edges of the Confederate column had be- gun to wear away, and the outside men to draw back. As Hart's squadron and the other small parties charged in from all sides, the enemy turned. Then there was a pellmell rush, our men following in close pursuit. Many prisoners were captured, and many of our men, through their impetuosity, were carried away by the overpowering current of the retreat.
The pursuit was kept up past Rummel's, and the enemy was driven back into the woods beyond. The line of fences and the farm-buildings, the key-point of the field, which in the beginning of the fight had been in the possession of the enemy, remained in ours until the end. The enemy, however, estab- lished and maintained a skirmish line on his side of the farm- buildings, and for a time kept up a brisk firing, but all serious fighting for the day was over, for Pickett's simultaneous attack upon Cemetery Ridge had also been repulsed, and the victory along our line was complete. Skirmishing and some desultory artillery firing were kept up at intervals by both forces until after nightfall, these disturbances being for the most part caused by the enemy's endeavor to recover his killed and wounded, who were lying thickly strewn over the field in our possession. At dark Stuart withdrew to the York Turnpike, preparatory to covering the retreat of Lee's army toward the Potomac. In the evening Custer's Brigade was ordered to join its division. Gregg
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GREGG'S FIGHT AT GETTYSBURG.
remained all night in possession of the field of the hand-to-hand contest, and in the morning his Third Brigade started in pur- suit of the retreating enemy .*
The brunt of the fighting in Gregg's Division was borne by the Third Pennsylvania and First New Jersey Cavalry regi- inents, for, by the time the Third Brigade had come up, the Michigan Brigade had gotten so deeply into the fight that it could not be withdrawn. The Third Brigade, together with the First Massachusetts Cavalry, which latter, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Greeley S. Curtis, had come upon the field during the fight, and Rank's section of artillery, had conse- quently been held in reserve, close at hand, drawn up in column of regiments on the south side of the Hanover Road west of the Low Dutch Road, near the Spangler house. The Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry remained all day, and until late into the night, upon the skirmish Jine established in the morning, interchanging at frequent intervals a brisk firing with the ene- my's infantry, especially about the Deodorf farm-buildings which were filled with his sharp-shooters, and at one time re- pulsing a vigorous attack upon the line, thus efficiently main- taining the connection between our infantry and cavalry, and guarding against a flank attack from that quarter of the field. The moral effect of the presence of these troops in full view of the field of the fighting, and easily observed from the enemy's position, went far toward securing successful results of the day.
The losses of the Confederate cavalry were undoubtedly heavy, but were never ascertained. General Gregg reported his losses to be, one officer and thirty-three enlisted men killed, seventeen officers and one hundred and forty enlisted men wound-
*The Comte de Paris states (Vol III., Am. Ed., Hist. of Civil War in America, page 673. &c.) that Stuart's object was to move his command west of Cress' Ridge, so as to turn the left of the Union cavalry unobserved, and thus separating it from the rest of the arniy, to strike the Baltimore Turnpike without waiting for the issue of the great struggle, in order to create a panic in the rear of our main line of battle, the effect of which would be decisive on the battle-field; but that his presence having been disclosed by the debonching of Hampton's and Fitz Lee's Brigades into the open fields beyond Rummel's, and McIntosh having forced the fighting, he (Stuart ) was compelled to leave these brigades to detain the Union cavalry north of the Hanover Road white he continued his movement with Jenkins' Brigade and that com- manded by Chambliss, which also were soon forced to join in the fight, the consequence be- ing that he was prevented from accomplishing his object.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
ed, and one officer and one hundred and three enlisted men missing --- total, two hundred and ninety-five. [Custer in his official report stated his losses to be, nine officers and sixty-nine enlisted men killed, twenty-five officers and two hundred and seven enlisted men wounded, and seven officers and two hun- dred and twenty-five enlisted men missing - total, five hundred and forty-two.]*
It has been said that Gregg's fight at Gettysburg was one of the finest cavalry fights of the war. To borrow the language of Custer in his report of it : "I challenge the annals of warfare to produce a more brilliant or successful charge of cavalry than the one just recounted."
Stuart, according to his custom, claimed in his official re- port that the Union cavalry was driven from the field of the en- gagement, thus insinuating that he was the victor of the fight, and the other Confederates are now doing likewise. That we, on the contrary, remained masters of the field is maintained by Generals Pleasonton, Gregg and Custer, and Colonels Towu and Alger, in their official reports. In denying Stuart's unwar- ranted insinuation, you, my comrades, will also bear me out.t
*General Custer, in his official report of the services of his brigade in the battle, inadvertently included his losses in the whole Gettysburg campaign. Though suspected at the time the text was written, this was not definitely ascertained to be a fact until the official records in the War Department, subsequently collated, proved it to be so. The wiiter was careful in the text to assume no responsibilty in quoting General Custer's estimate of losses. General Gregg's estimate included as well the losses of McIntosh's and Irvin Gregg's brigades as those in Custer's brigade. Owing to much fuller complement of the latter and the numbers engaged the pro- portion of its losses was much larger than those of the other brigades. According to the final corrected statement prepared by the War Department its records show the losses to have been as follows : July 2d, in McIntosh's and Irvin Gregg's brigades, four enlisted men killed, twelve enlisted men wounded, and one officer and three enlisted men captured and missing -- total, twenty ; July 3d, in McIntosh's, Irvin Gregg's and Custer's brigades, one officer and twenty-nine enlisted men killed, eighteen officers and one hundred and thirty-one enlist- ed men wounded, and seventy-five enlisted men captured and missing - total, two hundred and fifty-four : total on the right flank, July 2d and 3d, three hundred and nine. This esti- mate does not include the losses of the batteries.
In consequence of the movements of the cavalry during and following the battle, and the lapse of time before the rolls were prepared, some of the killed were included in the report of "captured and missing."
tAs has been stated in the text, the Union cavalry, at one time, when the two Confederate brigades almost reached our guns, was nearly driven from the field of the main fight, but Stuart omits to report correctly what followed our counter-charge, and his words leave an incorrect impression.
Since the Union and Confederate commanders each claimed to have driven the other from the field, the Comte de Paris endeavors to settle the question by stating that the ground was abandoned by both parties.
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GREGG'S FIGHT AT GETTYSBURG.
We cavalrymen have always held that we saved the day at the most critical moment of the battle of Gettysburg -- the greatest battle and the turning-point of the War of the Rebel- lion. I know that it has not been the custom among historians to give us credit for having done so, nor, except very recently, to give us credit for having done anything. So fierce was the main engagement, of which the infantry bore the brunt, that the fighting of the cavalry passed almost unnoticed; yet this was the only battle of the War in which the three arms of the service fought in combination and at the same time, each within supporting distance and within sight of the other, and each in its proper sphere. The turmoil incident to an active campaign allowed us no opportunity to write up our achieve- ments, and no news correspondents were allowed to sojourn with us to do it for us. But now that the official records of the campaign, both Union and Confederate, have been brought together, and, for the first time, been made accessible, and the official map of this field has been prepared, the Great Historian of the War will have at hand materials which have been denied to others. He will see the importance of the fight which I have attempted to describe, and will give it the credit due to it. Had Stuart succeeded in his well-laid plan, and, with his large force of cav- alry, struck the Army of the Potomac in the rear of its line of battle, simultaneously with Pickett's magnificent and furious assault in its front, when our infantry had all it could do to hold on to the line of Cemetery Ridge, and but little more was needed to make the assault a success, - the merest tyro in the art of war can readily tell what the result would have been. Fortunately for us, fortunately for the Army of the Potomac, fortunately for our Country and the cause of human liberty, he failed. Thank God that he did fail, and that, with His Di- vine Assistance, the good fight fought here brought victory to our arms !
Comrades, your work here is now done - well done. This Shaft, beautiful in its simplicity, will stand when we are gone, to point out in silence, from far and near, and for all time, let us hope. the spot on which you fought so well.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
Before we part, never perhaps to meet again, let us not for- get to pause one moment, and in our inmost thoughts pay a reverent tribute to the memory of those brave men, our compan- ions-in-arms, who here poured forth the full measure of their lives' devotion for the Cause they loved. And what shall I say to those who yet survive ? That you, my comrades, bore each your share in that good fight will always be to you a pleasing memory, and when your children and your children's children hear and read of what you did on this historic field, it will ever be to them a source of honorable pride that you fought with Gregg on the Right Flank at Gettysburg.
"Oh! glorious field of Gettysburg ! High in the rolls of fame, With Waterloo and Marathon Shall men inscribe thy name !"
FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
CAMPAIGN II.
APRIL, 1891. CALL 4.
ATTENTION, COMRADES.
With this Call ends the first year of the FIRST MAINE BUGLE. Its purpose, as you all understand by this time, is: first, to publish the reports of the reunions of our regi- ment, the publication of which had been suspended for many years ; secondly, to present to the com- rades, from time to time, such material concerning the grand old regiment and its history, as well as matters pertaining to the cavalry service generally during the war, as will be interesting to them ; thirdly, and this is, after all, of the most interest and importance, to give the comrades an opportunity to tell the stories of their own ex- periences, in their own way, to all the comrades, and thus each one assist in the preservation of the unwritten history of the regiment. Some of the comrades have already recognized this, and have touched our elbow grandly as we have pre- pared for the press the copy for each succeeding Call. To such we return the heartiest soldierly thanks, and say to them, "Go on with your good work - send us
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