USA > Maine > First Maine bugle, 1890 (history of 1st Maine Cavalry) > Part 5
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I really believe I never felt so gay As when the rebel line broke on that day.'
"Says Jim : 'Early in eighteen sixty-three, When we were picketing along the bank Of Rappahannock, a man named Jones, of G, Was once on my relief, - I then held rank As corporal. Now Jones' post was way Upon the right - a gloomy place, with trees That hid the rebs from view by night or day, Although their voices were borne on the breeze Across the river to our pickets' ears - A place where one could stay all day and see Nothing; but, O! the varied sounds one hears As ears are strained to their intensity. Behind the post, distant some fifty feet, A tombstone rested o'er a sunken grave; The only thing by day the eye to greet, Unpleasant in the night, e'en for the brave; Now Jones' turn for duty chanced to be At midnight; I went with him to his post, And as we neared the grave, it seemed to me 'Twere just the time and place to see a ghost. 'Twas midnight -all around was deepest gloom; The darkness was profound; sound there was none, The silence was the silence of the tomb, And Jones was to be left there all alone; Perhaps to try his nerve, perhaps for fun, I told a story I had heard that day, How, on the night before, 'twixt twelve and one A form rose from the grave and came that way, Riding on horseback, at a fearful speed - Form of a man a half a century dead, Who of the pickets' shouting took no heed, A man in ghostly garb, without a head; I looked to see Jones quaking in his fright; But he replied, in voice and tone so grim, 'If any man comes riding round to-night, Without a head, I'll put a head on him.'
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TWELFTH ANNUAL REUNION.
"And thus these comrades talked, and told The stories of the war; Of marching, scouting, raiding bold, Of what they did and saw, Of mounted and dismounted fight, The advance and the retreat, Of fight by day and fight by night, Of victory and defeat.
"They talked of comrades brave and true, Of deeds of daring done By comrade heroes whom they knew - None braver 'neath the sun; Of comrades they saw die, and then The tears shone in their eyes As memory told the tale again Of how a brave man dies.
"They told again the old-time tale, Told 'round the camp-tire bright, The stories which will ne'er grow stale - We'll hear them here to-night; They laughed again o'er joke and fun Of camp and bivouac, And many things there said and done Which memory kind brought back.
"And as they talked they quite forgot Their suffering and pain, Forgot that they had ever thought The war had been in vain; Forgot the misery of the strife, And all the woe it brought, Forgot the toils of daily life, And all their cares were naught.
" And as they talked, the old-time love For country and for flag, For fellow-man, for God above (Alas, that this should lag), Sprang up in each brave heart again, And when they parted, they Were better citizens, better men, For this reunion day."
President Little said :
" We have heard nothing from the infantry this evening. We have here this evening a member of that branch of the
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
service who was color-sergeant of the 9th Maine Regiment, and who, when the forces were driven back at Cold Harbor, rallied them by singing 'Rally round the flag, boys;' and who, also, was promoted upon the field of battle by order of Gen. Grant. I call upon Lieut. Howe."
Lieut. Howe said :
"The lateness of the hour will not permit me to make a. speech, but I do most heartily thank you for your kind invita- tion, and for the pleasure which I have enjoyed this evening. I earnestly desire, as a soldier meeting soldiers, that you may enjoy many more of these reunions, and that they may be as pleasant and profitable as this has been. May the great Com- mander-in-chief, that guides the destinies of all nations, guide you and watch over you.
"Comrades, we are growing old. I notice that a great many of our head; show the gray locks. By and by will come the last reunion. I am proud of this organization. In my travels from Maine to Nebraska, and through the Indian territories and western States, last winter, I found that you had a record there, carved high up on the very Rocky Mountains. You have not your peers in the world. Comrades, may your lives be pros- perous ; may your homes be happy ; and when the hour comes to pass over the river, may every man of you be prepared to go."
Lieut. Tobie said :
" Comrades, I move that the thanks of this association be tendered to the comrades here in these two cities for what they have done to make this reunion a success, and also to the ladies assisting, and to the Grand Army Post."
The motion was unanimously carried.
The meeting dissolved with the full chorus, quartette and band rendering " Marching through Georgia."
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
CAMPAIGN II.
JULY, 1890. CALL I,
The editor has but a word to say at this time, but if the com- rades will all read the introduction by Gen. Cilley, and each one will carry out his suggestions so far as lies in his power, then will the Bugle in future sound calls that will thrill them as in the days of old. It is proposed to make this department of the Bugle so full of interest that no comrade can afford to miss the calls. The present call will give an idea of what is intended, and all the com- rades can help. The letters given here will be read with interest, and it is hoped will stimulate the comrades to write their own rem- iniscences, their own accounts of the matters contained in the His- tory, their own version of army life and incidents, and their own stories of camp and field. In the obituary department it is proposed to publish obituaries of the com- rades as that sad duty may require, and comrades who have any such are requested to forward them at once. The "Amendments to the Roster in the History " are intended to make that roster as complete as possible, and the comrades will see that they are not only printed in the Bugle, but printed on a spare sheet as well, Ford.
that they may be put into the History without mutilating the Bugle. Address correspondence to Gen. J. P. Cilley, Treasurer, at Rockland, Me., or to
EDW. P. TOBIE, Editor,
PAWTUCKET, R. I.
At the annual meeting of the Cavalry Society of the Armies of the United States, held at Port- land on the 3d inst., in conjunc- tion with the annual meeting of the Society of the Army of the Potomac, our regiment was com- plimented by the election of Gen. Charles H. Smith as President of the Society, an honor which every First Maine man will rejoice in, while Col Andrew M. Benson, formerly Captain of Co. C, was chosen one of the Vice-Presidents, and Gen. Llewellyn G. Estes, for- merly Captain of Co. A, was chosen Secretary.
Gen. Charles H. Smith, Colonel 19th Infantry, U. S. A., is now stationed at Fort Wayne, Detroit, Michigan.
During the recent reunions at Portland, Gens. Charles H. Smith and Jonathan P. Cilley and Major Brown, were the guests of Captain
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
WHAT THE COMRADES HAVE TO SAY.
Letter from Lemuel R. Lurrey, Co. D.
TREMONT, April 13, 1SSS.
GEN. J. P. CILLEY:
Dear Comrade - I am still suffering from the effects of a shell wound in head received in the battle of Chancel- lorsville, while serving as orderly at Gen. Wadsworth's headquarters, First Divison, First Army Corps. The blow fractured the skull and right jaw. I believe it to be the main cause of this disease of heart instead of typhoid fe- ver. Some artillery men took me to the rear, but when I revived I would not go to the hospital, so they remounted me on my horse and took me up to the headquarters flag. where the chief surgeon washed and closed the cuts in the scalp, bound up my head, and said he guessed I would come out of it all right. He afterwards gave me a pre- scription on the First Brigade surgeon. I was sick in quarters about ten days, then went out on duty at Gen. John F. Reynolds' headquarters, as his " confidential orderly," as he expressed it. By my not going to any regular hospital and my treatment of the wound as a light thing, I suppose there was no official record made of it. Al- most the first duty I performed after going to Gen. Reynolds was to carry the corps tlag to Gen. Doubleday with order for him to take command of the corps, as Gen. Reynolds was then in command of the right wing of the army. On my way I found our regi- ment encamped on a piece of ground near Warrenton Junction. Some of the boys were grinding their sabres; I also ground mine, and ground it sharp from hilt to point like a seythe. I then ground some of the other boys' sabres in the same style; and as I was touching up one of them with a good scientific edge, Lieut .- Col. Smith came
to me and told me not to grind them so, for the order was to grind them only six inches from the point. I re- plied, if we must grind them at all, I thought we ought to give them a "h-ll of a grind." He said he guessed the clip the rebs gave mne had made me a little wild and that he thought I had better take my flag and leave, for my general might feel anx- ious about it. It is possible that Gen. Smith would remember the circum- stances if reminded of them.
At the battle of Chancellorsville, my comrade orderlies were Sergeant Thoms, J. E. Stayner, T. W. Day. P. M. Cane, from the First Maine, and two others from Tenth New York. Sergeant Daget (relieved by Thoms about that time) and Stayner were killed in battle. Day lives in Massa- chusetts. Thoins, of Company I., residence unknown, and the existence of the others unknown.
In reference to the wound, the ex- amining surgeon said that the cica- trices in the scalp were so small that the examiners in the Pension Office would not take any notice of it. It may be so; I am aware they pension mostly for scars, but only that little bump has caused a large scar on my life work.
Yours with great respect,
LEMUEL R. LURVEY. (See p. 520, History.)
Leiter from Thomas B. Pulsifer, Co. D.
YARMOUTH, Mass., Jan. 13, 1888.
Dear Comrade Tobie - I am drawing a pension for wounds received at Deep Bottom, on the 16th of Aug., 1864. but I find no mention of the fact in your history, which I will not call " supremely grand," as, that superla- tive has been thrown at it already;
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WHAT THE COMRADES HAVE TO SAY.
but if I had some word that would de- seribe just what a regimental history should be, I should apply it to your book, invaluable not only to survivors and friends of our dear old regiment, but I believe it to be a rich addition to the military literature of the world. It is full in detail, it is clear, easy, plain, and modest, as a soldier should be. Appreciating your work as I do, you may imagine how unfortunate I con- sider myself in not getting credit for the little I did in the cause. My horse received a wound in the nose during the early part of the fight. Although it did not disable him, it finally spoiled him, or rather her. Our regiment, I think, had done the greater part of the fighting that day. and was just ordered to move back out of that open field, when the regiment that was supposed to be holding the enemy in check was driven in pell mell, followed by an overwhelming force of infantry. The other regiments of onr brigade, with- ont waiting for orders. rushed into our regiment, throwing it into confu- sion; and instead of moving off by the road, they all went straight to the rear into that terrible swamp. If you had seen the swamp as I saw it. you would call it terrible. I was among the last to leave the field and went by the road. When I was passing the swamp, I saw it full of horses and men mired helplessly in it. It was truly pitiful. I could not go back and leave them exposed to the on-coming rebels, so I turned and went back. Going up out of the swamp, I met Lieut. Cutler with a bitllet-hole in his hat, and the leaves actually dropped down on us, the shots were so thick. As I got to the edge of the field there was a small squad of Pennsylvania cavalry (as I should judge. abont thirty) holding in check at least 1000 rebel infantry, at a distance of about ninety yards. There was one Corporal King in the Pennsyl-
vania cavalry, who was a prisoner with ine the year before on Belle Island. This was the first time we had met. I immediately recognized him, and told him we would hold them in check. The words were hardly out of . my mouth, when he fell flat, horse and all. He had a guidon in his hand and made quite a spread eagle. He was not hurt, however, I am glad to say, but his horse was killed instantly. The next instant was my turn; I received one in the right shoulder. I turned, but before I could get down over the bank, hardly my horse's length, I re- ceived another bullet through my left arm. It is no credit to our intelligence that King and I talked of charging that rebel brigade, but it is so, and if we had not had the good luck to get shot when we did. we should have gone at them like Don Quixote into the wind-mill. I can see easily how the error occurred in the roster. I was not serving with the company when I was wounded, but was clerk in the adjutant's office and it failed to get into the report.
THOMAS B. PULSIFER. (See p. 521, History.)
Letter from James V. Wood, Co. I.
DAVID CITY, Neb., Aug. 29. 1888 GEN. J. P. CILLEY:
Dear General - The history came to hand all right. I was much pleased with it and such a feast as I had read- ing it. It was much better in every respect than I expected. The pictures taken while in the service were so good that I could have named most of them -- all those with whom I was acquainted and the officers by sight.
I am unable to be with you this year, as I had fully intended in the spring, but hope I'll be all right to answer roll-call at the next reunion (1
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
start this morning to attend our State reunion at Norfolk).
In looking over the list of Maine troops in Nebraska, as taken in the assessor's report last spring (the report is very imperfect, as many precincts did not take a list of the soldiers as required by law), I found the following names from the First Maine Cavalry:
H. P. Bangs, Co. L, Douglass Grove: John C. Bangs, Co. L, Broken Bow; J. Chamberlain, Co. M, Plainville; S. M. Holden, Co. B, Mainland; A. M. Lord, Co. D, Burnett; H. S. Patch, Co. L, Osborne; Joseph Rose, Co. B, Bellwood: Chas. L. Scribner, Co. HI, Staplehurst; W. I. Stevens, Co. I, Waco: E. P. Worster, Co. A, Teka- mah; and myself.
I will speak of a few things brought to my mind in the history. On page 61. garlics are spoken of. When I came here in the fall of 1870, 1 found garlics and plenty of them. I can find them any day on my farm: they are not so much of a nuisance here as in Vir- ginia.
Page 102, Lieut. Ford spoke of charge on smoke house, - " Old man and ham." Though in substance true, he is mistaken as to time. He has left out a part which was right, perhaps. The occurrence took place as we were returning through Sperry- ville, from the Luray raid. Capt. Chadbourne and our irrepressible " Diek Turpin" (Samuel H. Murphy) took position by the smoke house. "After the smoke house was open, the old man" -- I'll give it as nearly as pos- sible in Dick's own words -" began to say, 'Leave me one, leave me one.' I said, ' Hoe in, old man, and get it.' The old man went in and came out with a very nice one. Pretty soon one of Company G's boys came along, went into the smoke house and came out with an onery little one, and seeing the old man standing there with the
nice ham, ran up to him and handed him the little one, saying: 'Here old man, that is good enough for you,' and snatching the good ham from the old man, got on his horse and rode away." Poor Dick! he was a good soldier, the life of the company, but remained in Virginia, with many others.
Page 226, Col. Smith's orders not to dismount were not obeyed to the let- ter. Our company was in the cast side of the town sitting on horses in column of fours, when many of us espied a nice lot of turkeys in an ad- joining yard. 1 with others could not resist the temptation of Christmas tur- key, so "Jud" Eaton (Albert .J.) held my horse, and I secured a turkey, after much ruming, cutting, and slashing with my sabre. Jud saw me return- ing and cried out: " Here comes Jim Wood with a peacock!" I never heard the last of it.
Very truly.
JAMES V. WOOD. (See p. 608, History.)
Letter from Charles E. McCoy, Co. D.
BANGOR, Me., May 4, 1889. GEN. J. P. CILLEY:
Dear Comrade - I received yours of April 29th. I wish I could give you the names of the men from the First Maine Cavalry who were with the dis- mounted men in the Valley, also the number; at this time all that I can remember are Sergeant John Lougee. of Company F, and Warren A. Jordan. Company D. My impression is that there were not more than twenty-five of us from our regiment. We were first engaged with the rebs at Har- per's Ferry, and then came a skirmish at Berryville, Island Ford, Winchester, or Kernstown. These were hot. It was the roughest time I had while in the service, The weather was very
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WHAT THE COMRADES HAVE TO SAY.
warm and the dust up to our ankles. We were a tough looking set, I assure won: and as nearly played out as the First Maine was March 29, 1865, after svar day's work was done. After the tight at Kernstown, we were relieved and came back to Camp Stoneman, w here we remained till sent to the reg- . iment which we found camped in front of Petersburg. I was with the regi- ment from then till we came home in August.
Yours in F., C., & L.,
CHARLES D. McCor. Ser p. 520, History.)
Letter from W. W. Williams, Co. D, Tenth New York Cavalry, and Or- derly for General Gregg.
ROME, N. Y., May 20, 1889. GEN. J. P. CILLEY:
Dear Comrade- I received the his- tory Sunday forenoon, and I am well pleased with it. The first search I made in the history was the account of the battle of Brandy Station, June 9. 1863. I have read several versions of that battle, but none of the histori- ans report it in the way I saw it. I did not see it all, but will give a report of what I did see and you can compare it with the others; then, if you were there, you can decide which is the nearest correct. The road we took from Kelley's Ford that morning led to Stevensburg ria Culpepper and runs nearly parallel with the railroad, where Gen. Buford's Division was. Gen. Gregg's Division was composed of three Brigades, the First commanded by Col. Windham, the Second by Col. Duffie, and the Third by Gen. Kilpat- rick. Whether the First or Second Brigade was in advance, I cannot tell now. When the First Brigade came nearly opposite Brandy Station, it turned to the right, but Duffie kept straight ahead on a reconnoisance to Stevensburg. The First Brigade kept
on its course west until it crossed the railroad about a quarter of a mile south of Brandy Station (or Barber House). After crossing the railroad it faced north. That formed the com- mand in regimental front three lines (First Pennsylvania, First New York and Sixth Ohio), and charged Stuart's headquarters. It charged around the left of the house, and north of the house was a hollow full of rebel caval- ry. The First Brigade scooped them. or part of them, out of the hollow, and the whole mob came around the right of the house and up the track in direc- tion of Culpepper. Just at that time Gen. Gregg and staff were crossing field in direction of Barber House, and when they came around the house in such a rush I thought they would ride us down and kill us all. It was not safe to shoot into the crowd, for they were all of the same color and the only way we could tell any of our own men were among them was by seeing our guidons among them. While this was transpiring. or very soon after, the Third Brigade came upon the field and formed in regimental front facing the railroad. and very near opposite, or maybe a little north, of Stuart's head- quarters. Gen. Kilpatrick rode over alone to where Gen. Gregg was. I did not pay any attention to what was said until I heard Kilpatrick say: " There comes Buford, now we have got them." I looked in that direction and saw the head of a column of cav- alry coming around the point of woods. The point looked, from where we were, to extend almost to the railroad. He had hardly gotten the words out of his mouth before a large rebel flag showed up. Then Kilpatrick said: "No, it isn't: there is that d-d reb flag, Shall I charge, general ?" Gregg said " Yes." Kilpatrick put spurs to his horse, and let a yell out of him -a yell peculiar to himself.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
ยท
When he left Gen. Gregg, his com- mand was standing still. He rode in front and the brigade charged. I thought at the time that the advance regiment did not reach the railroad before it broke. When Gen. Gregg saw it retreating, he sent me post haste to find Col. Duffie, and when I re- turned, our division had swung around to the right and formed a junction with Buford's Division. The First Brigade when it charged Stuart's head- quarters that day made as pretty a charge as I saw while in the service. So it was the First, instead of the Third Brigade that captured Stuart's headquarters. "Nick," the bugler at division headquarters, claimed that his horse jumped the railroad cut near the station, and that the rebel's horse that was so close behind "bucked" when he came to the cut. That saved " Nick's" life.
April 9, 1865, when the enemy were driving Gen. Smith's brigade that forenvon. some of them were falling back in some disorder. Gen. Crook sent me to rally thein behind the fence at the edge of the woods. I had stopped a few, when a sergeant came along and I asked him to assist me. He stopped and had just turned his horse, when I heard the thud of a bul- let. I looked and saw him topple off his horse. He was a fine looking young fellow. I did not learn to what regiment he belonged. Whoever he was, I think he was the last man killed in action of the Army of the Potomac. Just then I happened to look into the woods and saw a corps of colored troops lying in wait for the Johnnies. I did not try to stop any more, as there was no need of it, the enemy having halted and turned back. Now could Sergeant Chas. MeIntyre, of Company B, First Maine Cavalry, be the man of whom I speak ?
After I had joined Gen. Crook that
morning (when he sent me to rally the men in the woods) he soon after started for Appomattox Court House. As we passed the field where Smith's brigade was engaged, I saw to our left some one lying on the ground. I rode out to him and found a young inan, a minister's son, from South Carolina. Some one had written on a piece of paper and pinned or laid it on his breast. He revived a little when I came to him and said he was wounded through the spine, and that he could not get well or be moved and was suffering intense pain, and begged of me to shoot him. When I refused, he asked for the loan of my revolver, so that he could shoot himself. I told him not to give up, for some one would come and care for him soon. I left him and rode on and overtook the general. We had not ridden far be- fore we came to a line of videttes, or guards, that were posted all around the Court House, with instructions not to allow any one to enter except a Major- General, one staff officer, and one or- derly. Gen. Crook and Major Weir did not halt or look around when the of- fieer of the guard halted the other or- derly and me. The officer said he could only allow one of us to enter. I told the other orderly to go, and I would remain there until they returned. It was a good place to stay, for I had a view of the whole rebel army. In a short time, I saw Major Weir come riding back. He rode up to the officer in charge of the guards, and said: "Gen. Crook wants the other orderly." The officer said that Gen. Crook had one orderly, and that was all he was allowed to let in. Major told him that the general wanted to send him back to the command, and after a deal of persuasion, the officer allowed me to pass. In front of the Court House was a small square or park surrounded by a railing, and sitting on the ground and on the railing were the officers of
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WHAT GENERAL OFFICERS THOUGHT.
both sides, talking, laughing, drink- ing and smoking, and among them I found Gen. Crook. I saluted and asked him if he wanted me. He smiled and said " No," and for me to go where the rest of the boys were. He did it just to get me inside so that I could see what was going on. There are not many who would have done that.
Yours in F. C. and L., W. W. WILLIAMS, Co. D. Tenth New York Cavalry. See pp. 147-157, 424-428, History.)
The Opinion of General Officers,
The following letter was written to our loved comrade, Major John D. Myrick, years ago, as the date shows, but will be read with as much interest as though it bore a later date :
BOWDOINHAM, Me., March 10, '80. MAJ. MYRICK:
Dear Sir -As the reputation of the First Maine Cavalry is dear to the sur- viving members of that regiment, and as the regiment has a record second to none in the army, I thought it might be of interest to your association that the opinion of general officers should be known as to its merit. I happened to be stationed at Gen. Meade's headquarters during the months of February and March, '64, and acci- dentally heard a conversation between Gen. Meade and other general officers as to the relative standing of the First Maine and Eighth Illinois. Cavalry regiments, as they spoke of them as the two best regiments in the army. The merits of the two were quite gen- erally discussed in Gen. Meade's tent, and finally the preference was given to the First Maine, only one out of five or six dissenting. After listening to the arguments for some time, Gen. Meade declared he " unhesitatingly gave the first place to the First Maine Cavalry," and his declaration closed the discussion. This incident I have always remembered, as the regiment was from my own State, and I was very highly gratified at the complimentary terms awarded your regiment. It was quite exceptional at those headquar- tors to speak of the reputation of any particular regiment, and I thought it
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