USA > Maine > History of the First Maine cavalry, 1861-1865, V. 2 > Part 8
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
" Keep courage, boys, relief's at hand !" this dusty stranger roared;
"They're coming on two roads, - white and black, - reg'lar checker- board!"
A moment and his words proved true - was e'er a sight so good? A corps of negro infantry came pouring from the wood.
We could have hugged those black boys then, in spite of dusky hue; We only knew. 'twas all we cared, they wore the Union blue, And black or white. or bond or free, was little matter then - Those eoats of blue and rifles true proclaimed them noble men.
With jest and song they took our place, rejoicing that they could, Yet with a " business look " throughout that just did our souls good; We left the field as they went on, assured that all was right, A few remaining there " to see if the colored troops would fight."
The line is formed without delay. the order is advance: They charge across that field as though 'twere but a merry dance; The gray line breaks, away it goes. in spite of leaders brave - The haughty master's fleeing now before his former slave.
We find our horses, not far off, and there a while we stay, Expecting a terrific fight before the close of day: We wait in vain the battle crash we think is sure to come - We list in vain for cannon's roar - the musketry is dumb.
The stillness grew oppressive soon - we feared 'twas but the calm That comes before the storm - Dame Nature's quiet, sure alarm, Which by its length foretells the strength and fury of the blast. And makes each waiting moment still more anxious than the last.
A rumor reached us by-and-by. which afterward proved true, That Lee'd surrendered his whole force to Grant and boys in blue; The tale at first none dared believe. and hardly dared repeat, But after hours of hopes and doubts came confirmation sweet.
Thus closed the strife. The brave Potomac Army's work was done - And of that grand old Army, best and bravest 'neath the sun. The soldiers of the race enslaved -'twas retribution's law -- Made the last charge, fired the last shot, and ended slavery's war.
-
432
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
The story of this last campaign, from the morning after the · fight at Dinwiddie Court House to the surrender of Gen. Lee. was thus told by Col. Cilley at the reunion in Rockland, 1875 :-
All the next day we lay idly in the woods, resting as only tired soldiers can rest. At night we again slept most soundly, and bottled up sleep for the week to come. as the nights were at hand when sleep was an affair of the imagination, and not of enjoyment. Our dreams were disturbed in the small hours of Sunday morning, April second, by the fearful camionading along the whole line in front of Petersburg. How its thunder shook all the air till morning light, and an order to move dissipated its sound! As we mounted to move out the rebel prisoners captured at Five Forks marched by, and we treated them to patriotie music from our band. All that day we were guard for the wagon train. At night we were still entangled in its meshes, now halting. now marching slowly, now using rail fences to pry wagon and mules from mud, and at half-past one the next morning were near Sutherland Station. A cup of coffee, a short nap. and we were ready to start at four o'clock in the morning. During this day we took various positions. Sent surplus horses, caused by fighting dismounted, to City Point : drew up in line of battle, threw out skirmishers. and at one time prepared to fight our infantry, till near dark, when the conflicting rumors and counter- marching ceased, and we settled down to a rapid march westward. and kept on marching and marching till one o'clock, when, with short nap, and sup- per and breakfast almost at one meal. we were up and off by daylight, marchi- ing rapidly westward, by abandoned army wagons, dismounted eannon and caissons, by Dennesville and the old court house, till at Jennings' Ordinary we struck the railroad from Richmond to Danville. Here the division rested for an hour or two, while, at the special request of Gen. Crooke, the First. Maine amused itself by burning culverts and tearing up rails. Young's seouts, most perfect rebels in appearance, were going and coming through our ranks. It was here that the telegraph wires were cut, and a message from Gen. Lee to Danville intercepted. telling the quartermaster there to send supplies to Amelia Court House. Forwarding the despatch to Danville. we marched Richmond-ward towards Amelia Court House, on the Danville Railroad. At Jettersville we came front into line at a gallop, then moved forward as skirmishers, but the force in front proving small, we dismounted and remained in position till dark, when we were ordered back to our horses. Capts. Myrick's and Hall's battalions went on pieket, while the rest slept, rejoicing in the opportunity.
It seemed to us -excepting stable call and watering horses -that we slept till noon, when we were emphatically waked, saddled in hot haste and were off, with dipper, carbine, and sabre making most glorious rattle. and continued our gallop till we were well out on the road to Paineville, or Fame's cross-roads, to the relief of the First and Second brigades, that in a reconnaissance Had captured a lot of rebel army wagons, guns, and battle- flags, and were now being driven back by the enemy. We arrived in season to enable them to get off with their plunder, while we treated ourselves with a slight set-to with the angry, hornet-like rebs. The stinging, how-
.
GEN. CILLEY'S ACCOUNT. 43:
ever, was mntnal, and while we peppered each other we felt most deeply , stung that Davies' and Gregg's brigades had taken so many guns and battle- tlags, while we had not even a baggage wagon to plunder. They had stirred up the hive and taken the honey, leaving the bees to buzz round our heads. We fell baek slowly to Jettersville, followed by the rebs, till near the sta- tion, where we took up the line of the First New Jersey Cavalry, and they moved. mounted, to the road, to receive a charge from the enemy, and their young and gallant Col. Janeway, already bearing thirteen scars, went down with a pistol bullet through his head. The enemy was in turn charged by the Sixth Ohio of our brigade and driven back with loss. Skirmishing fol- lowed till night, when we were relieved and passed a quiet, delicious night. During our fighting in front the infantry had marched up, and were now behind wide-extended breastworks, closing as with a viee Lee's line of march along the Danville Railroad. They had marched all the previous night. and now lay entrenched on one of Lee's outlets.
Fresh and vigorons, the next morning we rose with the sun, and in the midst of a heavy shower began our westward course. We could see on a road parallel with us, and but a mile or so away, a long train of army wagons moving. We soon learned it was Lee's train. and ached to get at it. I can see Capt. Heald, as he rode to the head of the column in the fresh spring-like air of that glorious day: his eyes fairly glistened, and his arın trembled with excitement as he pointed to the rebel wagon train. Ere two hours had elapsed, in a charge on that very train, he fell, shot through the heart. It seemed only a short time before we turned to the right on a road leading to the Deatonsville road. on which Lee was marching. Gregg's brigade was in advance, and we could hear firing in front. We soon came to Gen. Smith, who said to me: " Gregg's brigade is attacking: put your regiment on the right of the road. and charge through into the train." I read it in his eyes and manner: I felt it in my blood that what Davies' brigade did yesterday at Fame's cross-roads, we this day would do at this point, and have our boast of army wagons. But what a place to charge! mire and underbrush, thiekets impenetrable to horse or foot. Yesterday Lee's wagons moved in fancied security. To-day they moved as for battle. with wheels flanked with guns and muskets, like chariots of old. bristling with implements of death. And from this warlike train came out an awful flame of fire and sulphurous smoke, and stinging lead and crushing iron balls, which no one eonld see: but horse and man went down. We moved further to the right. pressing vigorously to find an opening through the horrid thickets. At one point Capt. Boyd, of Co. L. at another Lieut. Hussey. with Co. I. reached the road, but were driven back. Capt. Heald, our best scouting officer. of gallantry unsurpassed, went down. Adjt. Little was fearfully, swearing mad, with a pistol shot in his shoulder, causing his sword arm to hang powerless at his side. Back we went, rallied under the enemy's fire, charged to where Heald fell, when we were ordered back to the left and rear of the road, carrying Heald with us.
As I unsnarled my regiment from that fearful place for cavalry, and massed on the road. it seemed to me that half of my men were lost. so slow was the extrication of horses from bush and mnd. My dream of wagons and battle-flags was gone. I felt blue: sore and sick from head to foot.
434
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
·
Was it to be the duty and fate of this dear regiment to do all the hard work ?- to be used as a battering ram. and bleed and suffer, while others plucked the fruit ? Yet. ere night, as we charged over the crest by Sailor's Creek. and burning trains to right and left glowed in the sunset, and prison- ers and debris of scattered armies lay before and around us, your huzzahs lifted high all gloom from my heart. For one brief moment my head touched the skies.
Of the manner Sheridan effected his arrangements at Sailor's Creek I have little time to tell. We did some rapid marching: one division would engage the enemy's attention till another marehed by and engaged him at another point. Thus we crept along the flank of Lee's train, with slow steps but enormous strides, till near night we stood in front of the rear guard of Lee's army, with the Sixth corps at their rear; and in a hot, sharp fight we squeezed the fighting life out of some ten thousand prisoners, so many that they were never counted or reported, with Maj. Gens. Ewell, Kershaw. Bartow, and Corse. and other general officers, Corse surrendering to one of our regimental staff. After this fight, Lieut. Poor, acting adjutant in place of Adjt. Little, wounded earlier in the day, visited Maine, at the advice of the surgeon. The loss of two adjutants in the same day was a singular occurrence, and when Sergt. Maj. Tobie asked me who should be detailed as adjutant. I replied: " That kind of ammunition has been exhausted, and you must act as adjutant." And the sergeant major performed this service till Adjt. Little recovered from his wound, although he received a slight wound just after his pseudo promotion, and another at Farmville the next day, where his horse was shot.
A glorious night's rest, and at half-past six o'clock in the morning we were off, and were respectfully given the road by a division of the Twenty- fourth corps of the Army of the James, for by this time the infantry had learned to take off their hats to the cavalry, and to ask for tobacco respect- fully. At Briery Creek, the enemy taking advantage of the high bluff of the opposite bank. tried to stop us, but the battalion of sixteen shooters moved up the stream to a bend covering the bluff, and soon wiped them away. and we were over. Finding them troublesome in our front. we moved to the flank and over and down some of the steepest hills we had seen in that part of Virginia, and opened a side fire on their marching column, which melted away as we advanced, and we were soon out on the brow of a hill. Before us was Farmville, on the banks of the Appomattox, a charming place, and, in comparison with the other towns passed through, bearing the appearance of a city. Long lines of hospital barraeks clustered in the farther part of the place. In the plain across the river a large force of the enemy lay with batteries and wagons. We could see rebel soldiers in the place. but could not tell the number. Gen. Smith moved the section of artillery that had followed us to the hill top, and ordered the First Maine to charge the place. We started at a trot. which soon changed to a square. steady gallop. . The enemy whirled their batteries into position on the oppo- site side. and hurled shot and shell at us. Maj. Myrick, whose battalion was thrown as skirmishers to our left, and had a better view of the place. in sorrow and anger exclaimed : " There goes the First Maine to destruction!" We knew not what was in front of us, but the steady, swinging gallop of
435
GEN. CILLEY'S ACCOUNT.
our horses caused our blood to tingle and glow from head to foot. We real- . ized the full meaning of the Arabic"proverb. that " A day not spent on horseback is a day lost." The enemy's guns shot wild, and touched not a man. As we neared the city they ceased firing, fearing to injure their own people. It occurred to me just in time not to risk my command all in one street. Directing the leading company to keep straight on. and waiting till two or three companies followed it, I again led the colunm on another street. Maj. Hall. catching my idea, for we were moving at a gallop. with no opportunity to give instruction, took a third street with his battalion. As our horses' feet rattled on the hard streets the men broke out with a yell. The horses caught the spirit of the charge, which almost became a race. I remember a sergeant. whose horse, gaining on the others, came abreast of mine, and we complimented each other's horses as we galloped side by side. All at once our street turned sharp to the left, along the base of a wooded hill: barracks were to our right, and this hill to our front and left. From its top came a shower of leaden hail that dropped man and horse as we turned the corner. I remember contemplating the situation a moment - of seeing one of the men, whose horse had fallen in the middle of the street. spring behind him and commence firing with his carbine. A brick house, destroyed by fire, stood with its walls fallen low and its cellar on our imme- diate right where the street turned. In hot haste the leading company of the regiment was placed, dismounted, in that cellar and behind that house. with orders to spare not their ammunition, but to make a noise. if nothing else: and the guns that wound up Saturday night to shoot all the week. unloaded themselves in a manner that was sweeter than music. The firing in front became less frequent, and the rebel foree receiving this fire in front. seeing Maj. Hall on a road leading to their rear, soon left the top, and we took possession of it. The whole place lay under our carbines and con- trol. A fortunate, nice, enjoyable thing. Done with slight loss of men. and we felt happy.
Maj. Weir, of Gen. Crooke's staff, came up and expressed great astonish- inent that we had driven the rebs from such a position so easily defended. and told us not to advance any further, as we were now beyond supporting distance from the brigade and division. Gen. Smith was so pleased with the affair that he formed our band in the rear of his staff. and marched through the principal streets to the sound of patriotic tunes. It was the hour of high twelve, and having posted the regiment to cover and protect the hill, they were called from labor to refreshment by the return of a large detail of one man in four from levying contributions on the inhabitants. The people of the place had evidently prepared sumptuous meals for friends and relatives in Lee's army, but the sudden elangor of sabre and hoof of horse had prevented the consumption of the prepared feast. Never was more abundant or acceptable food offered to hungry men. Baskets of hot biscuit and fresh bread, whole jars of butter, jars of preserves, roast turkey, vege- tables, pies and cakes, fresh from table and pantry, with dishes and mean- of conveying them, were brought to the hill and served to our men. " Ain't yon glad you j'ined her," with shonts and laughter rose from all the hill top. Even our horses had a choice between doughnuts and biscuits. We ate so much that when ordered across the river we lost our place in the
436
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
column, and instead of being the head of the leading brigade, the Second brigade took the advance, and we fell in their rear. A stroke of luek for ' us, as the enemy laid a trap and ambuscaded and captured the whole advance of that brigade, including Gen. Gregg and his staff.
All that afternoon we skirmished, mounted, with the enemy, and played at making war. We evidently; had no stomach for fighting, and were too happy to hurt any one. It was only after two days. on the morning of April ninth, in front of Clover Hill, that we felt hungry and cross enough to bite bullets and eat gunpowder. We recrossed the river at night, and still full of good nature, were congratulating ourselves on a sound, all night sleep, when Sheridan, learning our condition. and thinking we ought to get up an appetite for breakfast, marched us till two o'clock in the morning, and to Prospect Station. It was rather dark to admire the prospect, and after caring for our horses we went to sleep to wake early to greet Sheridan the next morning as he rode by, and to a long, swinging pace for Appomattox Station. All day long we kept up a steady tramp, halting only to feed and breathe the horses at Pomplin's, till we halted in the dark near Appomattox Station, to the sound of cannon in front and cars moving towards us- supplies for Lee's army. just captured by Custer's division. We helped our- selves liberally, with the rapidity born of cavalry movements, and new shoes, shirts, drawers, and even gray jackets, were on our men and in our saddle-bags. Three men from the ranks rode to me and said they were engineers, and competent to run a locomotive, proving, as time and again it had been proved before. there was no special duty or unexpected work to perform but men trained for such work could be called from the ranks to do it.
At eight o'clock we were ordered into a large, open field, a most suitable place for camp, had hastily cooked our coffee and prepared to lie down in comfort, when at nine we were ordered to move to the front. To the front we went, growling in soldierly fashion. and blaming our commanders for shoving this brigade so freely. We were beyond the enemy, and moved eastward on the pike road leading from Lynchburg through Appomattox Court House; by wagon after wagon-burned to escape the hands of Custer's men: by caisson and cannon dismounted -rapidly at first, but slowly as the hour of midnight drew near and the rebel pickets drew bead on us. Back and still back we pressed them. till our brigade, far from all support at the time, lay on the brow of Clover Hill, before Appomattox Court House, ou the road on which if he advanced at all. Lee must come out in the morning. The rebel piekets fired briskly at this point. but stopped as our advance halted. The hour was one o'clock in the morning. April ninth. We came dismounted, front into line, with the First Maine on the left of the road and the rest of the brigade on the right, and one regi- ment in reserve. Behind a slight barrier of rails, withont blankets, in the cold, damp air of April. we waited for morning and Gen. Lee's army. 1 line of dismounted videttes was thrown out in our front to give warning of approaching danger. Knowing the difficulty of placing such a line in the darkness, I personally attended to posting them, and when done a desire possessed me to practically test the feelings of a vidette, and to learn some- thing of the force in front. I advanced in front of the line, and stooping, to
437
GEN. CILLEY'S ACCOUNT.
prevent my body being seen against the line of the horizon, for I knew not how near the rebel videttes might be, I crept forward - well, as far as I dared. I sat on the ground and listened to the rebel teamsters in the valley below parking their wagons, with oaths and imprecations savoring of tired horses and wearied. angry men. Thought of the morning; of what our small force could do to keep back the rebel hosts in front, not knowing that our infantry were marching all that night to take post in our rear. Thought of the end of fighting near at hand. thought of peace, and quiet. and home, when suddenly I found myself waking-a criminal offence to a vidette. I know not how to characterize it in case of a regimental commander in front of the enemy and outside his own pickets. It is enough to say I went back inside the lines, and sought to find cold comfort and sleep inside of a rubber coat. The comfort was cold enough, but the sleep might be called by another name.
The hour before, and at daybreak. is always the hour of danger and sud- den attacks, but Lee's forces, tired and sleepy that morning. did not wake early, and the section of artillery accompanying us moved to the brow of the hill and caused them to open their eyes that pleasant Sunday morning, by dropping shot and shell into the middle of their camp. For an hour or more after sunrise, we watched a column of their cavalry move by our right, half a mile or so away. As far as we were concerned, we could see nothing of any force prepared or placed to support us. It seemed as if we were alone, and the army of Lee in our front. When the skirmishers and advance came in view, never did the enemy more sluggishly come forward. Their line extended beyond ours by twice its length. but our carbines held them in check till they commeneed to lap round our brigade on the right and left, and sharp firing in front told us the heavy effort made to clear this road of its cavalry curtain. Slowly they rolled us back. We received and we inflicted loss. In ten short days. of which this was the end. our regiment lost, in killed and wounded. one-third its men and one-half its officers. We were too sleepy to move rapidly. We were too cross to be shoved by bul- Iets. Back from the wooded crest of Clover Hill: back over an open field and a little rise: back down a long, sloping incline, - straightening our line at its foot by the aid of a rail fence, and with our men in hand, - we charged up the incline or hill. to be again driven back, and losing one. of our battery guns at its foot. Back up a long rise of ground, covered with Woods at the top-and the curtain of cavalry covering the last scene of the rolullion was rolled fully up and back. and before the astonished vision of the rebel force stood Griffin with the Fifth. and Ord with the Twenty-fourth corps. A colored division of the latter stepped into the place of our regi- ment. All night long had they marched, but how refreshing the sight of their black countenances at this time. At the spectacle the rebel host staggered back, and their whole line wavered, as if each particular man was terror struck. The curtain fell on four years' fighting!
Gen. Smith's official report thus speaks of this campaign. from March thirty-first to the surrender of Gen. Lee, which
.
438
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
will explain the bearing of the movements of the regiment upon those of the remainder of the brigade : - ·
April first, the brigade relieved the reserve brigade in guarding the train and pieketing the rear of the army. April second, conducted the train to Dinwiddie Court House, and marched to Hatcher's Run. in the direction of Sutherland Station. and later in the day resumed the march west- ward toward the Danville Railroad till one o'clock on the morning of the fourth; bivouacked a few hours, started at four o'clock on the morning of the fourth, and marched rapidly rig Dennesville, to a point on the Danville Railroad a few miles east of Burkesville Junction. By order of the major general commanding division. a detachment of the First Maine was sent to tap the railroad. Towards evening, marched to Jetter's Station. dis- monnted, threw up breastworks of rails, and waited until dark to resist an expected attack. Bivouacked for the night. April fifth, moved out at a gallop on the Painesville road to the support of the First and Second brigades. The enemy was manœuvring to recapture some prisoners and artillery captured by the First brigade. At one point a strong force was timely repulsed by a gallant charge of the Second New York Mounted Rifles; at another point the Thirteenth Ohio charged, and captured a battle- flag. The whole brigade became considerably engaged till dark, when a strong detail was made for picket. and the rest withdrew.
April sixth, marched with the division till about half-past eleven o'clock. parallel to, and in sight of, Lee's train most of the time. The Second brigade having the advance, charged the train guard, and was repulsed amidst considerable confusion. I deployed the First Maine and Sixth Ohio on the right of the road, the Thirteenth Ohio on the left of the road. and kept the Second New York Mounted Rifles in the road in column. The First Maine and Sixth Ohio advanced to the support of the Second brigade, and charged through a thicket ahnost impenetrable to mounted men. Two companies of the former succeeded in breaking through the guard and reaching the train, but only to be driven back with severe loss. The Second brigade was then withdrawn from the right of the cross-roads by which we approached the train. I caused the Thirteenth Ohio to be removed from the left to the right side of the road. and the line to be ex- tended by the formation of the First Maine and Sixth Ohio in succession. The line thus formed was about to advance, when I was ordered by the major general commanding to fall back. In this affair Capt. John A Heald. First Maine Cavalry, was killed. and Capt. John W. Freese slightly, and Adjt. Thaddeus Little severely wounded. Later in the day the division attacked the enemy at another point. The Second New York Mounted Rifles was detailed to guard the rear. The Thirteenth Ohio Cavalry was sent to destroy a portion of the enemy's train of fifty or seventy-five wagons. which it accomplished effectually. The First Maine and Sixth Ohio were kept dismounted, and charged with the line when it was ordered to advance, thus doing their part in breaking up and thoroughly routing the enemy. The Thirteenth Ohio, being mounted, charged on the left. making many captures, among which were Brig. Gen. Corse and staff.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.