USA > Maine > History of the First Maine cavalry, 1861-1865, V. 2 > Part 4
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The brigade remained on the line, changing position some- what, strengthening weak places, making arrangements its
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DINWIDDIE COURT HOUSE.
thought best for holding the position as long as possible, the men firing occasionally and the rebels also firing, occasionally having a man killed or wounded, and the boys hoped occa- sionally returning the same compliment to the rebels, until between four and five o'clock. At this time Col. Cilley was notified that some of the troops on the right of his line were to take position further to the right, everything to the right of the brigade having been driven back. This gave more ground for his regiment to cover, to do which he ordered the battalion on the left of the regiment to go to the right, and the movement was made apparently without the knowledge of the enemy, thus bringing two battalions on the right of and in the road, and one on the left, and weakening the line in pro- portion to its added length. Just as this battalion got into position there was a tramping in the woods across the creek. and the cry: "There they come!" And coming they were, through the woods and fording the creek up to their waists, scarcely fifty yards distant, just commencing their "thundering sunset charge."
The boys, who had got tired of fighting in that slow manner. and were sitting down, lying down, watching every movement of the enemy, ready for duty at the first call, to be sure, but still in anything but the position of soldiers. sprang to their places, and in an instant were pouring a heavy fire into the advancing foe. The boys fought bravely, -the enemy as bravely, keeping up a heavy fire and taking the fire of the Union troops without being checked in the least. The enemy had a piece or two of artillery in position, and was throwing shot and shell into the woods, which rattled twigs, and some- times large limbs, as well as their iron hail, down among the boys, while above all the noise and confusion, the rattling of the carbines, the roar of the artillery, the screaming and burst- ing of shells, the commands of officers and the shouts of men. rose the shrieking, whining, rebel charge-yell. The brigade. which was then all alone, was slowly pressed back, fighting for every inch of ground. Col. Cilley was from one end of his line to the other, shouting, encouraging the men, giving orders. etc., and the various company officers as bravely did their duty.
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but all to no purpose. The line was not being driven. - it was no retreat, -it was fairly pushed, crowded back. It was a step backward, the men firing as they went. then about face and walk a step or two, then turn again and fire (and the repeaters did murderous service the men afterwards learned). Men were getting out of ammunition, - then, too late, did they remember the advice given by the defiant rebel earlier in the afternoon, - and were going to the rear, but were stopped by the officers and ordered to get cartridges from the wounded men. Col. Cilley halted one young fellow with: "What are you going to the rear for. you"-and was interrupted in his question, and well answered, by the young man holding up a shattered hand. "God bless you, my boy!" said the colonel. " give your cartridges to some of the men, - take care of your self, -get out of the way as quick as you can."
Corp. Somes, of Co. K, had a shell catch in his carbine, ren- dering it for the time entirely useless. Meeting the sergeant major, who was on the way to the right of the line with an order, he asked him to lend him his knife. "For what?" said the sergeant, a little curious. The corporal explained the situ- ation, and admiring his pluck, the sergeant handed him his knife, and passed on. A few moments later, as the sergeant came back along the line, he found the corporal still keeping his place with his comrades, and still at work trying to get his carbine into working order. Seeing the sergeant he said: " I cannot get this thing out, sergeant, - what shall I do?" Won- dering that he did not go to the rear, as many a man would have done, the sergeant promised to get him another one, and seeing a wounded man going to the rear. he took his carbine and ammunition and gave them to Corp. Somes, who thanked him heartily, and immediately commenced using them, appar- ently as happy as a clam. That evening, after the fight was over, he returned the knife to the sergeant, thanking him for the use of it, as if he had borrowed it for some ordinary pur- pose, while the sergeant wondered if there were any braver man in the service than Corp. Somes, of the First Maine Cavalry.
The colonel's hat was knocked off - no wonderful matter - he might, in the excitement, have run against the limb of a
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PERSONAL INCIDENTS.
tree, or one of the falling limbs, broken from the trees by the screeching shells, might have struck it; there were a hundred causes to this effect. But he could not just then stop to pick it up. After he got into camp that night, the hat was brought to him by a bugler from another iegiment, with a bullet hole through it, showing conclusively what knocked it off, and also showing that if Col. Cilley's height had been in proportion to his courage, some one else would have commanded the regiment for the remainder of this last campaign.
At one time Col. Cilley began to show signs of great exhaus- tion, as he passed from one part of the line to another, encour- aging the men, while the line was being pushed back, and this was noticed by Capt. A. H. Bibber, assistant adjutant general on Gen. Smith's staff, who at once dismounted and tendered him his own horse. The colonel mounted, with a look of joy and a feeling of relief, but a moment later saw Lieut. Comins, who was badly wounded, being assisted to the rear with great difficulty, and instantly, in spite of his own weariness, he dis- mounted, and gave the horse to the wounded comrade. A little later Sergt. Gilbert W. Harris, of Co. D, then serving as orderly for Capt. Bibber, rode to the colonel and tendered him his horse. The offer was glady accepted, and Sergt. Harris joined the boys, fighting on foot. Such acts of courtesy and kindness among the comrades on the battle-field were so com- mon as to scarcely excite remark at the time, and this would have gone down to oblivion with hundreds of like instances, had it not been recalled by Sergt. George P. Andrews, of Co. D.
As illustrating what little things will sometimes attract a man's attention under circumstances like these, here is an incident : While Sergt. Melville B. Cook, of Co. B. was ear- nestly at work, doing all one man could to stop the advance of the enemy, a comrade noticed that the sergeant's boot was covered with filth, and in memory of boyhood days he sang out to him: "Sergeant, your foot is wounded." The sergeant quickly glanced at his foot, and with a disgusted look, let go a string of pet names upon " any man who would stop to notice a thing like that in a time like this."
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All this time the enemy was crowding the line back, -slowly but surely, - ammunition was almost gone, and the thinned ranks were giving way faster and faster. Back -beyond the field in which the led horses were left, for these were taken further to the rear in the first of the fight - and still back, till the line was retreating as fast as possible, the men hoping to reach a place of safety soon, but not knowing how far they might have to travel before reaching it - straining every nerve to prevent being taken prisoners (that were worse than death itself), and still fighting as vigorously as they could -- when suddenly, as they come to a turn in the road, they see a line of Union troops behind a breastwork of rails, but a short distance away, where the scattered men of this brigade have gathered. This gives them new vigor, and in a few moments they are behind the breastworks and can stop to breathe. The enemy's mounted men followed to the bend in the road, when seeing the force displayed, they quickly retreated. The little brigade had held the position till a strong line had been formed in the rear, -had done all, and more, than had been expected of it, - and their duty for the time was done.
The loss to the regiment in this engagement was one officer killed and four wounded (one of whom died of his wounds). and fifteen men killed. seventy wounded and seven missing (all. or nearly all. the missing being wounded and left on the field ) - an aggregate of ninety-seven. Lieut. Stayner was killed. It was he to whom allusion was made as being evidently a little anxious as to his behavior the first time under fire with shoulder straps. He met a friend just before the last charge was made, and remarked smilingly, referring to the charge of the enemy with which the engagement opened, "I told you I was afraid they wouldn't wait so long before they made a charge on us." The two talked about the events of the day for a moment, when the " thundering sunset charge " began, and the two never met afterwards. The lieutenant was killed during the attempt to repel this charge. leaving no stain on his cour- age, and brightening his shoulder straps in this blood christen- ing. Capt. Howe was severely wounded. It was he who sewed the money up in his pants pocket, thinking perhaps he might
OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS. 307
visit Richmond before the campaign was over. Lieut. Comins received a wound from which he afterwards died. Maj. Chad- bourne, who was commanding the Second New York Mounted Ritles, was severely wounded. losing a portion of the bone of the arm. Lieut. Fuller was also wounded. Among the enemy's dead left on the field early in the engagement was Col. McNeil. of the Fifth North Carolina.1
Gen. Sheridan's despatch to Gen. Grant concerning this engagement, dated Dinwiddie Court House, March 31, 1865. says :-
The enemy's cavalry attacked me about ten o'clock to-day, on the road coming in from the west, and a little north of Dinwiddie Court House. This attack was very handsomely repulsed by Gen. Smith's brigade, of frooke's division, and the enemy was driven across Chamberlain's Creek. Shortly afterward the enemy's infantry attacked on the same creek in heavy force, and drove in Gen. Davies' brigade, and advancing rapidly, gained the forks of the road at J. Boissean's. This forced Devin, who was in advance. and Davies, to cross to the Boydton plank road. The brigades of Gens. Gregg and Gibbs, which had been toward Dinwiddie, then attacked the enemy in the rear very handsomely. This stopped the march toward the left of our infantry, and finally caused them to turn toward Dinwiddie. and attack us in heavy force. The enemy then again attacked at Chamber- lain's Creek, and forced Smith's position. The opposing force was Pickett's division, Wise's independent brigade of infantry, and Fitz Hugh Lee's. Rosser's, and W. H. Lee's cavalry commands. The men behaved splen- didly. Our loss, in killed and wounded, will probably number four hundred and fifty men ; very few were lost as prisoners.
In his official report of the last campaign, dated May 16. 1865, Gen. Sheridan says of this last attack : -
A very obstinate and handsomely contested battle ensued, in which, with all his cavalry and two divisions of infantry, the enemy was unable to drive five brigades of our cavalry, dismounted, from an open plain in front of Dinwiddie Court House. The brunt of their cavalry attack was borne by Gen. Smith's brigade, which had so gallantly held the crossing of Chamber-
1 During this engagement Gen. Smith received orders direct from Gen. Sheridan, who visited the line and looked over the ground in person. To Gen. Davies, commanding the brigade on the right of this one, Gen. Sheridan sent word during this engagement : " Tell him to put in every d - n man -no d -n squadron fighting here -old smith is giving them h -l on the left." When Gen. Davies was driven back, Gen. Sheridan sent word to Gen. Smith of this fact, with instructions for him to look out for his right, and still later sent word: " Everything on your right is gone - look out for yourself, and when you fall Fack, fall back to Dinwiddie."
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lain's Creek in the morning. His command again held the enemy in check with determined bravery. but the heavy force brought against his right flank finally compelled him to abandon his position on the creek and fall back to the main line in front of Dinwiddie Court House.
These extracts from the official report of Gen. Smith, com- manding brigade, taken from the report of the adjutant general of Maine, 1864-5, will show the relation of the movements of this regiment to those of the rest of the brigade in this engagement : -
March twenty-ninth the brigade broke camp in the morning and moved with the division to Dinwiddie Court House, where it remained until the morning of the thirty-first, one regiment being kept on picket. At half- past ten o'clock on the morning of the thirty-first the Second New York Mounted Rifles, on picket, were attacked, and the brigade was moved out for support. The Second New York Mounted Rifles and the Sixth Ohio Cavalry were ordered to take position on the left bank of Little Stony Creek. after which the enemy seemed to retire. One battalion of the First Maine was ordered to cross the creek and reconnoitre for the enemy. It effected a crossing without opposition, but as soon as it deployed and began to advance it was met by strong lines of the enemy, both mounted and dis- mounted, and driven back in confusion, the men seeking refuge among the horses, and fording the stream up to their neeks. The enemy pursued in hot haste, plunged into the stream in heavy force, both mounted and dismounted, with such recklessness that some were drowned, drove back the two regiments that were posted on the bank, and effected a lodgment on our side. At this juncture the two remaining battalions of the First Maine, and the Thirteenth Ohio, were ordered to dismount and deploy. the First Maine on the left of the road in the open field. and the Thirteenth Ohio on the right of the road in the woods. As the line advanced, the two regiments that had been driven back rallied, and the whole brigade charged. broke the enemy and drove him in confusion. and with considerable loss. across the stream. In this charge my leg was struck by a bullet which passed through my horse, proving death to him but safety to me. The gallant condnet of the First Maine in this charge is deserving of special mention. The entire brigade was then put into position along the banks of the creek, dismounted. where it constructed a slight breastwork with rails and such other material as was at its command. At half-past five in the afternoon the enemy opened briskly with four pieces of artillery. and the brigade suddenly discovered that it was confronted with Pickett's division of infantry. The brigade maintained its ground under the hottest fire of which the enemy was capable, losing heavily all the time. till nearly dark. when it was entirely ont of ammunition. in consequence of the train being delayed by the bad road, and was forced to fall back by the main road ledd. ing from Dinwiddie Conrt House to Five Forks, where it re-formed and intimidated the advance of the enemy by presenting a good front. without a
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cartridge. Had a less determined resistance been made on the bank of the creek, and the strong force of the enemy been allowed to gain possession of the main road above referred to, the result must have proved quite disastrous to our cause that day.
The following is a list of casualties for the day: Capt. Benj. T. Metcalf. Thirteenth Ohio Cavalry. Capt. Eli Morse. Second New York Mounted Rifles, Lieut. James E. Stayner, First Maine Cavalry, killed: Maj. Paul Chadbourne, Capt. William S. Howe, Lieut. Leander M. Comins (died since). and Henry D. Fuller. First Maine Cavalry, Capt. Shattuck. Sixth Ohio Cav- alry, Capt. B. F. King. Adjt. H. G. Brown, and Lieut. J. W. Emick. Thir- teenth Ohio Cavalry. Lieut. C. W. Flagler, and Lieut. William A. Cosse. Second New York Mounted Rifles. wounded: eighteen men killed and one hundred and twenty-three wounded. The First Maine lost eighty-eight killed and wounded. The enemy was severely punished during the engage- ment. Col. MeNeil, Fifth North Carolina. was killed. and Col. Cheek, First North Carolina, and Col. Savage, of the Thirteenth Virginia, were wounded, besides many commissioned officers of lower grades. Many prisoners were captured, including one major and two captains. In the evening the brigade was remounted and moved back to Cat Tail Creek and bivouacked.
Col. Cilley, in an address at the reunion of the regiment held at Rockland, September 15, 1875, thus speaks of this day's glorious work : -
I come to the time when Sheridan rejoined us with his two divisions from the valley, and nine thousand cavalry (Merritt's command - Custer's and Devin's divisions. five thousand seven hundred; Crooke's division, three thousand three hundred) stood ready to earn their rations, and enjoy a good night's rest when they could get it. The golden beard of Gen. Gregg no longer led our division flag - wearied with the winter's campaign he had been forced to seek rest in his Pennsylvania home, and Gen. Crooke, of the West Virginia Army. became our division commander. Short rest did Sheridan take after his long march from Winchester up the valley, by Waynesboro', where Early's remaining forces were reduced to Early him- self. who found safety in his horse, and no rest or stopping place till he landed in Europe, where, never having been heard from since. he is still supposed to be on the go. like the wandering Jew - by Charlottesville to the James River, where. finding the bridges destroyed and his pontoons too short, he returned by roads made familiar to ns. as him, by the Trevillian station campaign and the reckless charge of Cos. B and I in Stoneman's raid.
Gen. Grant wrote Sheridan: "Move your cavalry at as early an hour as you can, and without being confined to any particular road or roads. Get ont towards Dinwiddie Court House and the enemy's right and rear." If the enemy should come out of his entrenched works Sheridan was to " go in." assured that he should be properly supported. If the enemy should not come out. Sheridan was to raid and ery havoc along the South Side and Dan- ville Railroads. These orders were carried out in a literal manner by getting
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up right early; for at four o'clock on the morning of March twenty-ninth on regiment stood with its head resting on the Jerusalem plank road, waiting its allotted place in the column of cavalry marching towards Reams' Station. Cold and damp and dark it was, but I remember the cordial greeting of Col. Fosdick. Maj. Newhall, and Capt. Martin, of Sheridan's staff, as they rode out to ascertain the name of our regiment. And the mud and hard march- ing and bridge building of that day were rendered easy by the consciousness of Sheridan's presence and leadership. By Gerry's church, Woods' shop. to Reams' Station. thence along the railroad to Mahoney's crossing, thence to Dinwiddie, bridging the Rowanty Creek on the way, and ere night reached the village with its court house, dilapidated hotel and two dwellings. Went into camp with onr baggage, ammunition trains and artillery stuck in the mud in the rear, where they were held and made slow progress in the rain and storm of the day following, which we spent trying to make the horses comfortable.
Friday, the thirty-first, the sun came out clear, but the mud held our trains in the rear. and Custer's division to guard them. The brigades of Gregg (J. Irwin) and Davies, of our division, moved out on the road to Five Forks to feel the enemy. The Second New York Mounted Rifles, of om brigade, was picketing on a stream running nearly parallel with the road to Five Forks. Sharp firing was heard in the direction of Gregg and Davies. and at eleven o'clock the order came to move to the support of our pickets. Saddling in haste, out we went with the rest of the brigade, some half a mile or so on the road to Five Forks, and then turned sharp to our right on the road leading across a stream called Chamberlain's bed, and halted in an open field on the left of the road. On the left of the field were woods, and to the right of the road, woods free from under brush. In front a long sweep of rising ground. cutting off all sight of the country beyond. The Sixth Ohio, with the Second New York Mounted Rifles, were moved down to the creek, and the firing ceased. The Thirteenth Ohio was put on the right of the road. dismounted. Maj. Myrick, with his battalion of our regi- ment, was sent forward. mounted. to cross the stream and ascertain the force of the enemy in front. My plan will not permit me to follow Myrick's battalion in its brave work, but only to say it forded the stream swollen by the recent rain, pressed back the skirmishers, till a large cavalry force was developed in their front, and they were driven back across the stream. The larger part of the rebel cavalry followed them, and as Maj. Myrick report -. a portion of Pickett's division of infantry. Gen. Sheridan, in his official report, says: " The brunt of the rebel cavalry attack fell on Smith's bri- gade." Of this, the two remaining battalions of our regiment, as we lay in the field beyond the hill. knew nothing. except we heard the firing.
The order had been sent to prepare to fight on foot. Each No. 4 man remained mounted. with his three led horses, while the rest were recounted by fours, and stood ready to move out. The firing is rapidly increasing in our front. A staff officer from Gen. Smith is galloping towards ns. The regiment stands at attention. The order is: " Gen. Smith direets that you move your regiment to the front immediately." "Fours, right !" and we are on our way up the sloping aseent. Another staff officer from brigade headquarters rides towards us, and with quick sahte, says: " Our brigade
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is breaking, and Gen. Smith directs that you hurry your regiment as fast as possible." Following these orders we soon neared Gen. Smith, on the brow of the hill; he galloped to me, and with manner usually excited, said: " Put your men across the field, and charge the rebels who are massing in your front." The sharp, heavy volleys heard over the hill caused the men to move with alacrity, and turning to the left we were soon front into line. and went over the brow of the hill. In front of ns, stretching from the road on our right, away beyond our left. - for the woods on our left stopped half way down the hill, and the stream curving outward at that point made a large plat of interval land. so that across our entire front. and over this open land to our left. twice the length our men covered. - advanced a strong line of rebel men dismounted. From across the ford, and away into the field in front. was a column of cavalry galloping forward. Down into that field went the thin. single rank line of our regiment. with their repeating carbines pointed at the enemy, and delivering a constant. unremitting fire. Time and again have I felt the thrill of shouting to that line of gallant men. as they went steadily forward. dropping here and there along the line, but making no gaps. We could see the heavy line of men in front tremble, and wave back and forth. The head of that column of cavalry broke to right and left, and as a column of water forced up in a fountain. when it has reached its extreme height breaks into mist and drops on all sides, so in this colunin of cavalry the stream of horsemen kept pressing forward. but its head came no nearer to us. A heap of horses and men lay piled at its head, while its broken fragments fell back like spray. Still the merciless fire from our steadily advancing line kept on unceasingly. The opposing force could endure it no longer, but broke in confusion. and run for shelter to the heavy growth and under-brush that curtained the stream. With a shout we broke into a run after them. a shout taken up by the scattered parts of our brigade which had been driven back on either flank and were now in our rear in the woods on our right and left. - a shout that caused all to advance, that was taken up and echoed back by the led horses in the rear and over the hill.
In the interval land to our left a body of the enemy. rallied by an officer. were bravely making a stand. and ponring in a destructive fire on our flank. being beyond and overlapping our left. Capt. Heald's company swung round and went at them. The gallant officer, vainly striving to hold his men. went down. As we came upon his body it proved to be Col. MeNeil. of the Fifth North Carolina Cavalry, a regiment whose bravery we tried at Mid- dleburg, and learned mutually to respect each other. At Middleburg. Maj. Brown had captured its lieutenant colonel as he charged at the head of his men, and now the colonel lay dead before us. and his regiment broken and scattered as never before. Gen. Sheridan, speaking of this stream, refers to it as the place " where Smith's brigade so gallantly repulsed the enemy." Smith says: "The gallant conduct of the First Maine is deserving of especial mention."
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