USA > Maine > History of the First Maine cavalry, 1861-1865, V. 1 > Part 31
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FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
renew the fight in that quarter. During all this time the First Maine was contending gallantly against fearful odds, and though forced back by sheer weight of numbers. it was only inch by inch, and still holding the enemy . at bay and protecting the right flank of the division. In this, one of the severest battles the regiment was ever engaged in. the First Maine lost ten officers and fifty-eight men, killed, wounded, and missing, out of a total of two hundred and sixty engaged. The enemy was so severely handled in this action that when Gen. Gregg finally withdrew his division from the field he did not attempt to follow us up.
This extract concerning this engagement is taken from "Maine in the War for the Union ": -
For two hours the conflict raged, our force stubbornly holding them. until by overwhelming numbers they were able to flank us, both right and left. The First Maine and First Pennsylvania Cavalry were the last to leave the field. By the stubborn tenacity of these two regiments our battery was kept upon the field until they had exhausted their ammunition, and then brought safely off. To no two regiments in the corps, perhaps, could this position have been better assigned. The train was now safely passed, and fortunately for it that it was; for at this juncture of affairs Gen. Gregg's division of cavalry was, for the first time in the history of its organization, compelled to retire, but in a masterly manner. leaving the field in the hands of the enemy. In the many battles in which Gen. Gregg has fought his division, always distinguishing himself by his cool bravery and high-toned military ability, never has he so covered himself and his command with glory, and so fully established its fighting qualities, as on this occasion.
Among the casualties not mentioned in these accounts, Capt. Ellis, of Co E. died that night from the effects of heat and exhaustion, having been borne from the field by private James Donnelly; Maj. Cilley.1 Capt. Tucker, of Co. B, Capt. Mont- gomery. of Co. D, and Lient. Hussey, of Co. E, were wounded. and Capt. Carson, of Co. L, Lieut. Gordon, of Co. L, and Lieut. Johnson, of Co. M. were taken prisoners. The day was fearfully hot, and the men suffered terribly from the heat and from thirst. Several were overcome by heat, among whom were Capt. Myrick, of Co. K, and Lieut. Benson, of Co. G. The former, however, recovered, and was able to resume duty in a very short time, losing none of the fighting, while Lieut. Benson was ill for some time, finally going to the corps hospital, from
' The twenty-fourth appears to be an unfortunate day for Gen. Cilley. May twenty- fourth he was severely wounded at Middletown; February twenty-fourth his father was shot ; and June twenty-fourth he was again wounded.
299
WITH THE LED HORSES.
which he was discharged at the expiration of his term of ser- vice. Col. Smith had two horses shot under him after he was wounded.
The men who had charge of the bed horses in this engagement ( No. 4 of each set of fours), a position that a few men sometimes eagerly sought, had an experience they did not care to repeat. and some of them were never again found No. 4 men if they could by any means help it. The men had been at work all day in the heat. changing position, watering the horses, and the usual duties of caring for four horses each, and late in the afternoon, when the line gave way, the horses were ordered further to the rear. They had scarcely got into a new position when they were ordered still further to the rear. They had just started when an order came to halt, a new position was taken, and that was left as soon as taken. This was not owing to any conflict of authority, but to the necessities of the case - the exigencies of the tide of battle. Finally the column of led horses was in full retreat, not hurriedly, but as orderly as could be expected. with the shells of the enemy whistling over them. Soon this column was overtaken by the retreating men as the line was pushed back by the enemy - at first stragglers and those who got scattered or did not rally when the command made a brief stand. and later by the men in greater numbers. Appearances indicated that but for the opportune coming on of darkness the whole command would have been driven back, and that the stub- born resistance could not have been maintained much longer. However, as the train was safe there was no need of further fighting, and the men began to consider their own preservation. Back went the led horses, men joining and mounting every moment with a feeling of relief such as only those who have been in such situations can realize. the men already mounted keeping up a continual shouting of their company and regiment as a guide for such of their comrades as might be making their way through the woods in the vicinity, and the regiment was perhaps half mounted when it came to a halt for the night near Charles City Court House. Here ensued a scene that beggars description. Dismounted men from all regiments were continu- ally straggling by, singing out the names of their regiments. in
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FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
the hope of receiving a response which should indicate that their regiment was close by, and that thus their weary retreat was over, while the men of each company in this regiment were shouting out ". Co A this way! " . Co C, First Maine, here ! " etc ... reminding one of the hackman in the crowded depot of a city, to tell their missing comrades where they were. It was some time before the procession stopped and the cries ceased, and the men did not all get in that night, many of them remaining concealed inside the rebel lines and within sound of the rebel pickets until they had been refreshed by sleep, and then cau- tiously making their way out, rejoined the regiment the next morning after it had started on the march. During this march from the field to the court house the column crossed a large brook, whereupon the tired and thirsty men jumped from their horses, and stooping down among the horses' feet. drank eagerly and freely of the water muddied by the tramp of hundreds of horses, and water never tasted better to them.
The men were thoroughly exhausted, but there was no rest vet, a portion of the regiment being sent back in the direction of the field and going on picket. The next day was also very hot, and several men were overcome by the heat, though only a short march was made, and the regiment now under command of Maj. Thaxter (the wounds of Col. Smith and of Maj. Cilley necessitating their absence) was in camp at Wilson's Landing. on the James River, by noon. Here it remained, men and horses getting some needed rest, until the morning of the twenty-eighth, when the boys were aroused at three o'clock in the morning to start at half-past four, marched a couple of miles to the river, and after waiting there until about six o'clock in the afternoon for a chance, crossed the river by steamers, land- ing at Fort Powhattan and going into camp a mile or so from the landing. and was once more "at home " with the Army of the Potomac, having been outside the lines twenty-two days.
CHAPTER XIII.
FIRST CAMPAIGN AROUND PETERSBURG.
THIP TO THE BLACKWATER TO ASSIST KAUTZ. - LIGHT HOUSE POINT. - ON PICKET AT THE GURLEY FARM. - PICKET SKIRMISH. - A FEINT ON THE RIGHT. - A TRIP ACROSS THE APPOMATTOX AND THE JAMES. - SKIRMISHES AT MALVERN HILL. - ANOTHER MOVEMENT ON THE RIGHT. - A FUNNY LITTLE FIGHT. - A MAIL ON THE SKIRMISH LINE. - THE FIGHT AT DEEP BOTTOM. - COL. GREGG WOUNDED. - A SERI- OUS FIGHT ON PICKET. - RETURN OF COL. SMITH. - BACK ACROSS THE RIVER. - SKIRMISH BY MOONLIGHT. - THE FIGHT AT REAMS' STA- TION .- A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF PICKET. - ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MEN.
T HE Army of the Potomac was now in position in front of Petersburg, and the long siege of that city had com- menced. From this time forth it was the lot of the Second division, Cavalry corps, including, of course, this regi- ment, to take a prominent part in the various movements con- nected with that siege, - to go from the right of the Army of the Potomac to the left of the Army of the Potomac, and back again, -in short, to get full rations of hard fighting and unpleasant campaigning in a dreary pine wood country, and with few of the more exciting features of the previous cam- paigns. The first of August Gen. Sheridan, whom the boys had come to have the utmost confidence in, and to really love. and whom they were willing to follow anywhere, was sent to Washington to repel Gen. Early's invasion, taking two divisions of the cavalry corps with him, and going subsequently to the Shenandoah valley, where he was placed in command of the forces, and where he and his cavalry won everlasting fame and did most valuable service later in the summer. This left the Second division to share the fortunes of the Army of the Potomac, and the Army of the James as well, under their tried and trusted leader. Gen. David MeM. Gregg.
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FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
The boys waked up on the morning of Wednesday, June twenty-ninth. near Fort Powhattan, on the JJames River, having crossed the day before. That was an easy day in camp, until five or six o'clock in the afternoon. when the command was again in marching order. A diary of that day says: "Both- ered around without doing much marching till eleven or twelve o'clock, and then toddled right along." The command reached Prince George Court House, about eight miles from Peters- burg, the morning of the thirtieth. halted for breakfast, and then pushed on to the Blackwater, with a view of assisting Gen. Kautz's division of cavalry, which was out on what is known as " Wilson's Raid," and, as near as could be learned, was having a hard time on the way back. The Blackwater. a mixture of water and swamp, filled with dead trees- a most desolate-looking place - was reached about night, and the command went into camp. The boys had just got to sleeping soundly, as only tired soldiers can sleep, when the First Maine was roused up and ordered on picket near Old Shop church. and even the near presence of the church did not prevent some profanity at having their slumbers thus disturbed, and for such a purpose. The picket duty lasted until eight o'clock July first, when the regiment joined the column, which crossed the Blackwater, marched three or four miles, drew up in line of battle, and remained till nearly night, and then marched back a mile or so and went into bivouac.
On this march some little excitement was occasioned by another regiment of cavalry, which was moving on a cross-road at right angles with the line of march of the First Maine. attempting to cut through the latter's column, between the third and first battalions. Capt. Myrick, who was in command of the first battalion, well knowing he had the right of way. ordered his men to close up, whereupon the colonel of the other regiment fiercely attacked Capt. Myrick with his sabre, and a contest ensued, lasting several minutes. The captain, who soon saw that he was master of the situation, simply defended himself. and finally Lieut. Col. Bristow, commanding the Second Pennsylvania, the regiment in rear of the First Maine, came up to learn the cause of the delay, and moved the
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303
COURTESIES ON THE PICKET LINE.
column forward, and no further attempt was made to break through the line. There was much excitement, and the men of both regiments only wanted the word to make the fight general. The matter was afterwards investigated, and Capt. Myrick relieved of all blame for his part in the affair.
Saturday, July second, the command marched back to Prince George Court House, not having found any of Gen. Kautz's cavalry, camping near there till the morning of the fourth, when it started about seven o'clock, and after any quantity of halting and a couple of miles of marching, went into camp near Light House Point, and celebrated the anniversary of Ameri- can Independence by drawing soft bread, -the first time since crossing the Rapidan, just two months before.
An incident occurred that morning which illustrates some of the dangers of campaigning beside the bullets of the enemy. The boys were leisurely packing up in the morning. when, as Sergt. Little, of Co. G, lifted his overcoat, which had been rolled up and used for a pillow, he found under it a venomous snake, nicely coiled up and apparently well satisfied with his comfortable quarters. Few who saw it could help shuddering as they thought what might have been, and it is needless to say his snakeship did not live to frighten any one else.
The regiment. now in command of Maj. Thaxter, who retained command until the return of Lieut. Col. Cilley, the latter part of the following September, remained in camp near Light House Point, resting and recruiting men and horses until the tenth, when it was ordered to report to Col. Bryan, command- ing a cavalry detachment at army headquarters, and was sent to the left of the army, where it performed picket duty in various positions until the sixteenth, and then rejoined the brigade at Lee's Mills and returned to camp.
A portion of this picket duty was near the Gurley farm. where several incidents occurred that showed with what feel- ing the soldiers of either army regarded their foes, personally. The Gurley house stood on a road near the centre of the line picketed by this regiment. On the right of this road the line ran a short distance through an open field and then into the woods, while to the left it ran through some woods and
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FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
then along in front of woods, with a fine field of growing oats between it and the rebel line, which was also in the edge of some woods. The boys on both sides looked with longing eyes on this oat-field, and thought of the good a portion of the grain would do their horses ; and finally it was proposed that they suspend their hostilities for a while, and the men on both sides gather oats. It was agreed to, and without delay men in blue and men in gray rode out into the field, dismounted, shook hands, and went to cutting grain. This action was contagious. A First Maine relief, which just then came down to go on post. joined the reapers, more joined from the other side, and in a very few moments the men from Maine and the men from Virginia and North Carolina were talking together freely. swapping jack-knives, and talking of swapping horses, while the animals, left to themselves, wandered over the field at will. eating wherever they chose. It was a remarkable sight, and it was fortunate that the scene was not discovered by officers high in rank. However, the affair passed off without trouble. though it could not be kept from headquarters, and the most stringent orders were issued against a repetition.
On this same day a man rode out from the rebel line opposite the farm house, waving a paper. The sergeant in command of the relief sent out a man with a paper for the purpose of exchange. The two pickets met half way between the lines and exchanged papers, though the rebel at first demurred at giving a Petersburg Register of that morning for a religious paper a week old. but finally consented. He also sent over a note to the sergeant, by which the latter learned that the Ninth Virginia and Fifth North Carolina regiments were on duty on that side of the line. Next morning, about eight o'clock, as the same relief was being relieved, and a portion of the men were washing in the farm house and around the pump, the same Johnny came out and waved another paper. The sergeant was looking for a paper to send over for exchange, when, crack ! crack! a dozen times, came the sounds of rifles from the right of his line, where the new relief had just gone. Getting his men mounted as soon as pos- sible, the sergeant hurried to where the sounds came from.
A MOVEMENT ACROSS. JAMES RIVER. 305
and found an attack had been made upon his right by about a dozen dismounted men, and that the enemy had wounded one man, captured one man and horse, shot another horse, and then retired. Considering the friendly relations that had existed among the pickets the day before, and the fact that the rebel pieket was waving a paper, in token of friendship and a desire to trade, at the time the attack was made, the sergeant felt decidedly ugly about this little affair, and determined to at least express his opinion the next time he was on post. How- ever, before that time came a note was sent over to him from his friend of the newspaper exchange, stating that neither he nor his regiment was to blame for the attack; that the regi- ment on their left, which was opposed to the extreme right of the First Maine line, was relieved the night before by a regi- ment from Texas, who, not knowing anything about picket, had made the attack, and they had been censured for it. This restored the sergeant to good humor, and he and his rebel friend to good feeling.
After getting back to camp there was another season of com- parative rest and quiet, until the night of the twenty-sixth, when, as Gen. Grant says in his official report, " With a view of cutting the enemy's railroad from near Richmond to the Anna Rivers, and making him wary of the situation of his army in the Shenandoah, and, in the event of failure in this, to take advantage of his necessary withdrawal of troops from Peters- burg to explode a mine that had been prepared in front of the Ninth corps and assault the enemy's line at that place, the Second corps and two divisions of the cavalry corps and Kautz's cavalry were crossed to the north bank of the James River, and joined the force Gen. Butler had there." In this expedition the Second division, Cavalry corps, took part, and, of course, the First Maine.
The regiment left camp about five o'clock, crossed the Appo- mattox River, at Point of Rocks, about eleven o'clock, and marching to the James River, near Jones' Neck, drew up in line and halted, where it remained, the boys holding their horses and some of them getting some sleep. till morning. On the twenty-seventh the command crossed the James on pontoons.
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FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
the regiment getting across about noon, and after marching a short distance halted, remained standing "to horse " till night, and then went into bivonac. Next morning there was a march of three or four miles, and the regiment took position near Malvern Hill, on the right of the First division, which had been fighting before the Second arrived. Only one battalion of the regiment was engaged, which advanced by a path through the woods, and surprising the force there, suc- ceeded in driving it from the works, killing, wounding and capturing a number of the enemy, and losing five men wounded. The regiment went on picket at Malvern Hill that night, and remained till about five o'clock the next afternoon, when the pickets of the regiment were fiercely attacked, and at first driven in; but after a severe skirmish, during which two men were wounded, the attack was repulsed, and the pickets were reposted on the line from which they had been driven. Soon after this the regiment was relieved by the Thirteenth Penn- sylvania, and went into bivouac on the camp-ground of the twenty-seventh.
The first object of this movement having failed, by reason of the very large force thrown there by the enemy, the force was withdrawn to engage in the assault in front of Petersburg. a portion of the Second corps recrossing the river on the night of the twenty-eighth, and the remainder, with the cavalry, on the night of the twenty-ninth. The boys had just got well to sleep on this night when they were roused, and daylight found them on the other side of the river. The march was continued - by the famous mine, which was exploded that morning, and which, unfortunately, was not so much of a success as had been hoped - down to the left of the Army of the Potomac. where a fight was going on near the Blackwater. Here the regiment was placed in support of the reserve artillery, and remained "ready, if wanted," all day, but was not wanted, the First brigade having done the division's share of fighting that day, and driven the enemy from the Blackwater, where the horses of the First Maine were watered that night. The line of march was taken up before dark, and with marching and halting the regiment reached Prince George Court House at
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307
AGAIN ACROSS THE JAMES.
sunrise the next morning, July thirty-first, and was sent on picket.
From the first to the thirteenth of August the regiment spent the time in picketing, scouting, etc., on the left of the army, getting a fair quota of rest. On the thirteenth another movement across the James was commenced, to threaten Rich- mond from the north side of the James and prevent the enemy from sending troops to re-enforce Gen. Early in the Shenandoah valley, as well as to force him to call back those already sent, which was successful in detaining troops that were under march- ing orders for the valley, in capturing six pieces of artillery and several hundred prisoners, and in drawing so many of the enemy's troops from Petersburg as to make it possible for the U'nion forces to take possession of the Weldon Railroad, which was done by the Fifth corps on the eighteenth.
The regiment started at four o'clock on the afternoon of the thirteenth, crossing the Appomattox on pontoons, at Point of Rocks, about midnight, and the James on pontoons just before daylight next morning. After resting on Strawberry Plain till about nine o'clock the line of march was taken up, the First brigade having the advance. This brigade soon found the enemy and commenced skirmishing, but the Second brigade kept on, scouting between Newmarket and Charles City cross- roads, marching through highways and by-ways, apparently in all sorts of directions, till the boys came to the conclusion that they were in a great country for by-roads. Along towards night the First Maine and Thirteenth Pennsylvania were sent off alone on the crookedest kind of a road, through the woods, where they had to march in single file. The advance soon found the enemy, and the sound of the skirmish fire was any- thing but encouraging to the boys back in the woods, who fancied they were. getting into a tight place, without a chance to manœuvre or even to turn around. The command was hurried as much as possible, and as soon as a sufficient number of the First Maine got out of the woods to form a line in a small open field, a small line was ordered to charge into the woods where the enemy had just been. They went in with a vell, a shot or two was fired, then all was still, and a few moments
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FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
later the rest of the command, which had by this time arrived at the open field, was somewhat surprised to see the men who went into the woods so fiercely come out like lambs, many of them eating something with apparent relish, while others had evidently found something they did not expect in the woods.
It appears that a rebel picket reserve occupied that position. but the Yankees came upon them so suddenly, in their rear. through a path they evidently thought no cavalry could come. that they were thoroughly surprised. and after a brief resistance fled, leaving one officer, one man, and five horses in the hands of the Yankees, as well as camp equipage, cooked rations, etc. Some of the Maine boys got a good supper out of the operation. A merry laugh rang out when the state of affairs became known. and the boys ate their captured rations with great gusto. A few moments later there were reports of the enemy's cavalry advancing along the road the rebel pickets had just gone. This might not be so funny an affair, after all. Preparations were hurriedly made to receive the advancing foe, and a few shots were exchanged, when it was discovered that the supposed enemy was the Second Pennsylvania Cavalry. Firing ceased at once. It was rumored that a lieutenant in the Second Penn- sylvania was killed in this skirmish, but the boys never had official knowledge of such a casualty. After another march of two or three miles the regiment went into bivouac.
The morning of the fifteenth the regiment started about ten o'clock, marched a short distance, and prepared to fight on foot. Breastworks were hastily put up in the edge of some woods. and just as they were about finished the line was advanced to the top of a knoll in a corn-field, and the boys had to build breastworks over again. It was extremely hot and the men suffered severely. but they worked manfully until the works were completed, and then they rested from their labors. They were on the second line, in the nature of support, and got no fighting for the day, though the line in advance got plenty of it, but held its own, and stray bullets now and then found their way into the rear line. The boys feasted on apples and green corn in, abundance, cooking it on the skirmish line, and just at night killed a heifer that wandered between the lines, thereby
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