USA > Maine > History of the First Maine cavalry, 1861-1865, V. 1 > Part 14
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CO. M. - Captain, GEORGE M. BROWN. Bangor, October 31. 1861. Second Lieutenant. EPHRAIM HI. TAYLOR, Lisbon, March 8, 1862.
The spring campaign of 1863 was noted for the first practi- cal use of the cavalry force, and the first demonstration of its real worth. Gen. Hooker's plan was to send the cavalry on a
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raid to the rear of the rebel army at Fredericksburg, to sever his communication with Richmond, thus cutting off his sup- plies and preventing his re-enforcement, and at the same time to attack him vigorously with his infantry and artillery in his position at Fredericksburg. This plan culminated in the battle at Chancellorsville, and in what is known as "Stoneman's Raid."
The welcome order to move, for nothing could be worse than Camp Bayard, was not received till Sunday, April twelfth; and at daylight the next morning the regiment started, with the division, to open the spring campaign, Cos. G and K being detailed as rear guard for the brigade. By Gen. Hooker's headquarters. through Falmouth and along the river bank. giving the boys a fine view of the city of Fredericksburg, look- ing so calm and quiet, the division went, and taking the river road, marched westward (up the river) till dark, and biy- ouacked in the woods near Deep Run. The roads were in a fair condition, and the march was a pleasant change from the mud of the winter quarters and the dull routine of the winter's service. Next day the march was continued to Rappahannock Station, where the enemy was found on the opposite side of the river, at the end of the bridge and in rifle-pits. Two compa- nies forded the river below the bridge, under a sharp fire, while Cos. A and B, under command of Maj. Boothby, dismounted and charged across the bridge, driving the enemy from his entrenchments, and securing as the plunder of the occasion a fine pig which the rebels had just killed, but which, in their hasty flight, they had not time to take with them. This move- ment was only a feint, however, and our men retired, without loss, under an artillery fire from the hill beyond the rifle-pits.
The regiment camped in the woods that night, and the boys were waked up in a drenching rain at four o'clock the next morning, with orders to be ready to start in one hour. They were ready, but one, two, three, four, five hours slowly passed before the word came, during which time they hung round the bivouac fires, growing wetter and wetter and colder and colder every moment, trying their best to keep comfortable and cheer- ful. About nine o'clock the march was commenced, the regi- ment being rear guard for the train. And such marching !
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The rain still poured, the roads were very muddy, progress, which would have been slow at best, was rendered more so by the difficulties that beset the train, and the boys began to feel thoroughly blue. One comrade offered a large premium to whoever would say something that would make him laugh, but to no purpose. Another, in imitation of the embryo sailor who was ordered to go aloft in a storm, thinking to create some amusement, rode up to his captain, and touching his hat, said, " Captain, I'd like to lose half a day." To his surprise, no less than to his amusement, the officer replied, in the most matter- of-fact way, "Where will you go to?" The soldier rode back to his place, musing upon the inability of some persons to understand a joke. Finally, after marching a mile or two in as many hours, the regiment was drawn up in the edge of some pine woods, where the trees shed more water than the skies were doing. A short distance away was what the boys called a "beautiful rail fence," and they went for those rails, filled with the idea that there was heat and comparative comfort in them. In a minute there was not a rail left on the fence. All had been transferred to little piles in rear of the several com- panies, ready to be made into cheerful fires. But no! An order was received to build no fires at all, as the smoke thereof might inform the enemy across the river of their presence, which, as an advance was intended, was injudicious. Then there was some violation of the anti-profanity order. and a right smart of growling. But in a short time the boys growled themselves into good humor, named the place " Camp Misery," and fairly demonstrated that the boys of the First Maine Cav- alry could not get so cold, so wet, so hungry, or so tired but that they could laugh and sing. There was singing, and laughing, and joking, and hilarity enough to have given any enemy within two miles of the regiment notice of its presence. It was surprising, even to the men themselves, to see how jolly they could be under such circumstances. Men could be seen shivering in the cold and wet so they could not stand still, their teeth chattering like castanets, eating the cold slush, into which the rain had turned the hardtack in their haversacks, with one hand, and gnawing on a piece of raw pork held in the other,
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their hands shaking so they could not get the food into their mouths more than every other time trying, and laughing as heartily as if in the happiest -frame of mind. The boys of Co. G will remember what fun they had over the remark of one of their dry jokers, as he gnawed and gnawed at a piece of raw pork : "I guess this came from somewhere near the ear-it's used to being bitten." This state of affairs lasted an hour or so, when, it being decided to be impractical in the then state of the roads to attempt to advance across the river (a fact any private thought he could have assured the officers of hours before) fires were allowed, and the regiment camped there for the night, the boys getting a good night's sleep in their wet clothes and blankets.
The next day the regiment was saddled and packed before daylight, and remained ready to move at an instant's warning. till about two o'clock in the afternoon, when the order came to move. There was about a mile of hard, heavy marching, in an opposite direction from the river, the roads being very muddy, and then the regiment went into camp in some clean oak woods. where it remained till the morning of the eighteenth, when "on picket " was the order. There was some difficulty in finding the locality that it was desired to picket, the march thereto being one of various twists and turns; but finally it was reached, and two companies sent on post. The first relief had not stood its time before the pickets were called in, and after another winding and twisting march, the regiment went into camp in the rockiest place the boys had seen in Virginia away from the mountains.
The next day, Sunday, nineteenth, a detail was sent out foraging, under command of Lieut. Pray, of Co. I (the horses had had nothing to eat for three days), which returned at night with a small quantity of forage. Among the amusing inci- dents of this expedition was a visit to a large house where a couple of young ladies with gloved hands made no conceal- ment of their southern sympathies, and frequently expressed the wish that "some of our soldiers would come along and take you'uns to Richmond." One of the boys went into the house, and by judiciously quoting Scripture at the old lady, a
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thorough Christian secessionist, succeeded in winning her good graces to such an extent that she cooked him a "good square meal." Belonging to the plantation was a large barn, that looked as if it might contain forage sufficient for a whole army. The fact that the door was locked aroused the sus- picions of the officer in command that there was something in there that he wanted, and he demanded of the old lady the key. She firmly refused, which only strengthened his sus- picions ; and failing to coax the key from her, he procured a heavy piece of joist, and preparing it as a battering ram, with three or four stalwart men as power, he took out his watch and politely informed the lady if she did not give him the key in five minutes, "down comes the door." Instead of giving up the key, she knelt down on the ground and fervently prayed God to avenge her wrongs, and send some southern soldiers to protect her. It was a solemn moment. The lieutenant waited patiently till the time was up, when he gave the word, and down came the door. With visions of forage in abundance he rushed into the barn, only to find it entirely empty. What was the old lady's reason for withholding the key, or just how the lieutenant felt over being so badly sold, the boys never knew.
The same evening the regiment was called into line dis- mounted, to hear an order read from Gen. Stoneman, the purport of which was to send all men and horses not in good condition, and all extra baggage, to the rear, and prepare for " long and rapid marches, day and night, as the cavalry was about to show an indulgent government that the money and pains taken to render this arm of the service efficient was not thrown away;" also to be ready to move at midnight, and that there would be no opportunity to procure rations for at least six days after starting ; so, if the men did not take a sufficient quantity, and suffered from hunger, it would be their own fault. As the rations issued that night were very light marching rations, for only three days, the virtue of this last clause will, be apparent.
The regiment was ready to march at midnight, according to orders, but did not start till nine or ten o'clock the next morning, which was anything but consoling to the boys, who
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were thus needlessly cheated out of their sleep on the eve of starting on an expedition of "long and rapid marches, day and night." It was "military," though, as was sarcastically remarked hundreds of times that morning. A couple more hours were spent in waiting a short distance from camp, so that the command did not really move till twelve hours after the time set. A drizzling rain commenced falling in the morn- ing, which before night was considerably more than a drizzle. The roads were paved with a deep coating of thick, sticky mud, which the horses' feet threw up into winrows as they marched along, so that each horse stepped over a bank of mud and put its feet in the same place as did its file leader. March- ing was slow, of course, and tedious; and when at night the regiment went into camp near Warrenton, the boys were not loth to lie down on the wet ground, without shelter from the rain (for clothes and blankets were wet through), and go to sleep, without even stopping for a cup of coffee. And the rain and the mud made the second hitch in the programme laid out for the cavalry.
Tuesday was spent mainly in foraging, with good success. the only fighting that occurred being between two of the boys, because one accidentally tipped over the other's coffee which was cooking on the fire, an aet which would put a soldier out of temper quicker than the hardest talk, and was, so to speak. the unpardonable sin of army life. This engagement did not get into the papers, for it was one of the quietest battles of the whole war. The combatants stood up and knocked each other down without saying a word, till one of them announced him- self satisfied, when they went back to their cooking. The captain of the company, as well as several of the boys of that and other companies, who saw the affair, took no notice of it, supposing it to be a bit of fun to warm up on, so still it was. but a pair of black eyes attested the truth of the maxim : " Still waters run deep."
Wednesday the regiment moved to Warrenton Junction and camped near its first Virginia camp-ground of a year before. Here it remained doing picket duty till Saturday, when the camp was again changed, this time to near the old - Camp Stan-
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ton " ground. Here the boys saw evidences that the war was being conducted on different principles than it was the year before. The miles of rail fence that had been so carefully guarded then had all been burned for the benefit of Yankee soldiers ; the well-kept lawns had been cut up by the hoofs of northern horses, and the spacious mansion was deserted and dreary looking. To say that the boys rather enjoyed this state of affairs, as they thought of their cramped condition on their previous stay there, would not be far from truth, though they did wish a few of those fence rails had been left for their own use.
An incident which occurred during these two weeks is thus told : -
A day or two after leaving winter quarters, Lieut. William. F. Stone, of C'o. II, was detailed acting assistant quartermaster of the brigade, and with private John B. Begin as an orderly, immediately set out to take command of the brigade train, which was slowly plodding its way through the deep mud somewhere in rear of the regiment. It did not occur to him, nor indeed to any one. that an armed enemy was in the midst of a strong cavalry corps; but he had hardly got out of sight of the camp when Lieut. Paine and a party of Moseby's men dashed out of a little clump of pines and easily gobbled him up. The rain was pouring in torrents, the creeks and streams were rising rapidly, and Paine was anxious to get his prisoners across the Rappahan- nock before nightfall, so they galloped away in the direction of Warrenton. in order to cross above the Union force and reach Gen. Lee's headquarters in safety. A small squad was kept in advance to prevent surprise, while Paine and a few of his men closely guarded the game. Usually when the advance arrived at a creek that was swollen they dashed in without hesita- tion, but at length they arrived at one that was so broad and wild that they feared to cross. When Paine came up he denounced them as cowards, and plunged his horse into the foaming current. Almost instantly the horse lost its footing, while the rider lost his hold upon the horse, and both floated helplessly down the stream. The horse finally gained the shore, but the lieutenant's case looked hopeless, for his men seemed paralyzed with fear. and made no attempt to rescue him. Lieut. Stone, prisoner though he was. could not sit still and see a human being, even his captor and his country's foe, die in this manner, without making an effort to save his life. He gal- loped quickly and alone down the stream to a point below the struggling rebel officer, plunged his horse into the stream. seized Lieut. Paine by the hair of the head, and succeeded in bringing him to the shore. Conscious- ness was not entirely gone, and he was after a time fully restored. Lieut. Stone now claimed that in consideration of having saved Lieut. Paine's life. when he might more easily and with less danger have himself escaped and left him to his fate, he should be set free. Lieut. Paine acknowledged the
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great debt of gratitude he owed his prisoner, and promised him treatment more honorable to both than letting him go, saying he would send him to Gen. Lee, with a statement of his capture and his generous and heroic con- duct, and implore Gen. Lee to have him returned to the Union lines without exchange, as a partial reward for his gallant services. Lieut. Stone was accordingly forwarded to Gen. Lee, and from him to Libby Prison. He remained in that famous tobacco warehouse one night. just long enough to see, without experiencing, the suffering our boys there endured, and the next morning was released by order of the rebel secretary of war and sent to City Point, where he was taken on board a flag-of-truce boat and conveyed to Washington. Upon arriving at the capital, he learned that his captor, Lieut. Paine, had, while riding Lieut. Stone's horse. been captured by a detachment of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and had just arrived at the Old Capitol Prison in that city. He obtained permission and paid a visit to the luckless rebel, who was somewhat surprised to see him again so soon. In a day or two he returned to the regiment, having been gone scarcely a week, and arriving there as soon as the news of his capture and release arrived through the press. He lost no time in visiting the captors of Lieut. Paine, and recovered his horse, looking as finely as when it was so suddenly taken from him and appropriated to the confederate service.
The regiment remained near the old " Camp Stanton " ground till just at dark Tuesday, April twenty-eighth, when it again started, with the division and corps, and after a short march bivouacked near Bealton, and "Stoneman's Raid " was. after two unsuccessful attempts to start, actually commenced. Early the next morning the column was in motion, and before noon was at Kelly's ford, on the Rappahannock, where, after a long time of waiting, the cavalry crossed on pontoons, several divisions of the infantry being already on that side of the river. There was a march a short distance from the river, the regiment was drawn up in line, and the men dismounted for another waiting time, "the hardest time of all." About dark orders were received to move, but just then there were sounds of a sharp skirmish on the right, which delayed the march till that was over. Then a short march was made, and the regiment drew up in line of battle near Mountain stream about midnight. and remained there till morning, no fires or noise being allowed, the horses remaining saddled and unhitched, the men in each set of fours alternating in holding the four horses by the bridles while the other three slept ; and to add to the discomfort of the situa- tion a cold, drizzling rain was falling. From here the pack mules
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and unsound men and horses, and everything that would pre- vent rapid marching, were sent to the rear.
At daylight next morning the column was again in motion, the regiment being rear guard." The march was continued all day without interruption, and during the afternoon was one of the pleasantest marches of the whole term of service. The rain of the morning had cleared away, the country was new to the boys, and showed no marks of war's devastation, and every- thing was clothed in the brightest of spring green, all of which added to the enjoyment of the march. Just at night the regi- ment stood picket in the rear till the remainder of the column forded the Rapidan at Raccoon ford, crossing about nine o'clock, and bivouacking in line of battle. Soon after midnight the boys were waked to get ready to move at once, but, as usual, there was much waiting to be done, and the march was not com- menced till after daylight. Rations and forage were getting short, but the men had no difficulty in levying upon the inhab- itants along the road, and hundreds of fine hams found their way into the haversacks and stomachs of Union cavalry men. During the day Cos. F and K went on a reconnoissance with a squadron of the Harris Light, and captured a dozen prisoners, eleven horses, and a mule, being fired on by the enemy at two points, without effect. In the afternoon the column was halted to bait the horses and allow the men to get a bite, when it again started and continued the march, occasionally halting in line of battle, until about three o'clock the next morning, when Louisa Court House was reached. The boys thought this a hard march, but they got over that idea before the raid was finished. Their rations of sleep for the two previous nights had been very light, and many of them could not keep awake by any means in their power, but got fitful naps on their horses. Such of the animals as were well regulated kept their places in the line, while others, left to their own discretion, gained on their fellows, and the rider was often awakened to find himself among strange faces, and to return to his place with a queer feeling of shame.
On arriving at Louisa Court House a portion of the regiment was sent to support a battery on a hill overlooking the village,
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and there were general preparations for an engagement, while a detachment. under command of Col. Kilpatrick, charged into the town. The yell of the charging party was borne back upon the early morning air to the watchers on the hill; there was a single pistol shot, a signal rocket sent up, and all was quiet. At daylight the column advanced into the village, when a portion of the regiment was sent on picket outside the village, and Cos. B and I, under command of Capt. Tucker. were sent out on the Gordonsville road, to make a feint in that direction. Some three miles from the court house Capt. Tucker encountered the enemy's pickets, charged and drove them ; but, coming upon the enemy's reserve, some five hun- dred strong, who opened upon him a vigorous fire, he was forced to retreat. The enemy followed him, and having thrown a detachment across the road, they succeeded in cutting off the little force. A portion of them cut their way out, and rejoined the regiment, but two were killed, two wounded, and twenty-seven taken prisoners. Among the last named was Lieut. Andrews, of Co. I.
An incident of this day will illustrate the variety of fare which soldiers sometimes enjoyed. One of the boys had for breakfast in the morning only the rain-soaked crumbs of hardtack scraped out from the corners of his haversack, and eaten with a spoon. It was all he had, and there was no prospect, so far as he knew. of getting any more. At noon he was terribly hungry, but there was nothing to eat. While standing picket he remem- bered that there were in his saddle-bags two or three ears of corn which he was saving for his horse, and he determined to rob the faithful and long-suffering animal of a portion, at least, of its rations. So, sitting on his horse, alone in the woods, watch- ing intently for the appearance of the enemy, he feasted (yes. feasted is the word, for rarely does food taste better) on raw coru, dry and hard, eaten direct from the ear. But the patient animal smelled the corn and became uneasy, so the trooper divided the corn with the horse, and the two ate their dinner. or lunch, together, sharing it with each other. Later in the day, when the force was preparing to leave the village, this comrade and another were put on picket together on a road.
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and near a house. They had been there but a few moments when a man came out of the door. On seeing him one of the pickets remarked. "I wonder if we cannot get something to eat out of that fellow." "It's worth trying," said the other. The first then shouted to the native to come to him. The man came, but it was evident it was against his wishes, for he approached very unwillingly. As he reached the picket the latter said, in a very supplicating tone and manner, "Haven't you got some- thing you can give a poor, tired, worn-out, hungry soldier to eat ?" The words, the tone, and the manner, added to the fact that the soldier was the foe of the man to whom he applied, were so decidedly rich, that the other picket laughs to this day when he thinks of the incident. But they proved effectual. The Virginian was so happy to learn that he was not to be robbed, or taken prisoner, or killed, that his heart went out toward the " poor, tired, worn-out, hungry soldiers," and going into the house, he quickly returned with a liberal supply of warm biscuit, cold corned beef, and cold boiled ham. The two pickets made a good square meal, and as one of them ate and thought of his three meals for the day, it is not won- derful that the expression, "Variety is the spice of life," was running through his mind.
During the day several miles of railroad and telegraph were destroyed and a number of bridges burned by different regi- ments of the command, and a goodly quantity of forage for the horses secured, though the men were not so well off. This work having been successfully accomplished, late in the after- noon the pickets were called in and preparations made for moving, this regiment being again detailed for rear guard, and ordered to stop in the village till the remainder of the column had been gone two hours. Just after dark large numbers of fires were built on the hills and in the woods surrounding the village, to convey the idea to the rebels that a large force was going into camp for the night, and then the regiment moved out, taking the Richmond pike. The road was a fine wide one, lined on each side with a high, well-kept hedge, and there being only one regiment, marching was easy and rapid. About mid- night Thompson's cross-roads was reached. where the main
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column had halted. At this point, about midway between Richmond and Fredericksburg, the command was divided, and several expeditions sent out in different directions. Col. Kil- patrick. with his own regiment (Harris Light), was sent to destroy canals, bridges, railroads, etc., in the vicinity of Rich- mond ; and after a brilliant exploit reached the Union lines at Norfolk, and finally rejoined the Army of the Potomac. The Twelfth Illinois regiment also went on a separate expedition, doing much damage, and finally joining Col. Kilpatrick and going with him to Norfolk. The second brigade of the division (Col. Percy Wyndham) was sent in another direction, and the remainder of the first brigade (First Maine and Tenth New York), with Gen. Gregg in command, was sent still another way.
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