USA > New York > Boots and saddles. A history of the first volunteer cavalry of the war, known as the First New York (Lincoln) Cavalry, and also as the Sabre regiment. Its organization, campaigns and battles > Part 10
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On crossing the line between Maryland and Pennsyl- vania we experienced a wonderful change. The farmers. with their wives and daughters, came to the road with baskets of provisions and fruits, and buckets of milk. and seemed to be delighted at the opportunity of show- ing their patriotism by ministering to the wants of the nation's defenders. They wanted no money ; everything was freely given as a slight offering of devotion to the Union.
On the 15th we were ordered back to Boonsboro', Ma- ryland. Colonel Miles' force had surrendered to the enemy at Harper's Ferry, the battles of Crampton's Gap and South Mountain had been won by our troops. and the enemy were concentrating their forces on the memorable field of Antietam, for a final struggle on the soil of Maryland.
"Little Mac " was again in command of the Army of the Potomac ; his star again in the ascendant, and the soldiers seemed to be filled with all the former enthusi- asm for their favorite commander.
On the 17th MeClellan attacked the enemy in their
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chosen position, and after a most sanguinary battle com- pelled them to withdraw to the south side of the Poto- mac; leaving about three thousand dead on the field to be buried by our troops, besides a great many which the enemy had buried before retiring. MeClellan's army took, in this battle, thirteen guns, thirty-nine stand of colors, upwards of fifteen thousand stand of small arms, and nearly seven thousand prisoners. Not a single gun or color was lost by our army in this short but sanguin- ary campaign, and our soil was clear of the invader.
On the 19th, General Stuart made his appearance at Williamsport, with about five thousand cavalry and a battery of six guns. Our cavalry under Pleasanton, "went for him," our regiment making a brilliant charge, and he re-crossed the Potomac in hot haste, after giving us a few rounds of grape and canister.
In this charge Sergeant Robinson of Company " A " and private Hugh MeLaughlin of Company " C " were severely wounded, and the former died of his wounds. The battery was withdrawn, however, before we had a chance to make the final charge that night, but we oceu- pied Williamsport the next morning.
At Williamsport the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry and the section of regular artillery were orderedl away. and the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry reported to Col- onel MeReynolds. The army was now about to follow the retreating enemy, and the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road would be again exposed to the merey of the Cor- federate partisans, lurking in the mountains of West Virginia. To meet these guerrillas and bushwhackers we were ordered to report to General Kelly, at Cun - berland, Maryland, for duty.
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CHAPTER XIV.
Off for Cumberland, Maryland-March to Oldtown- Captureof Captain Batter-by by the Guerrillas-Capture of Imboden's Camp and Artil- lery-Account of the Guerrillas and Bushwhackers -- Scouting and Picketing in West Virginia-Second capture of Imboden's Camp- Re-mounts for the Regiment-Racesat Oldtown-Off for the Shenan- doah Valley.
0 N the 21st of September, 1862, Colonel MeRey- nolds set out with his brigade, from Williamsport, Maryland, en route for Cumberland, Maryland. We passed through Hancock and reached the widow Bell's, at the foot of the mountains, on the evening of the 24th ; and here I was appointed adjutant of the regiment.
On the 25th we crossel the mountains and arrived at Cumberland, where we found the headquarters of Gen- eral Kelly, and reported for duty.
The general had about three thousand infantry and artillery under his command, scattered along the Balti- more and Ohio Railroad, clear to Wheeling, West Vir- ginia, on the banks of the Ohio River. The Confederates opposed to him were nearly all mounted guerrillas, and they would ride around him, tearing up the railroad and destroying the bridges, and then ride away with impu- nity ; there being no cavalry to pursue and punish them.
On the 27th we started out to look after Imboden's guerrillas, who were said to be near Moorfield : but we were halted at Mill Creek Junction, Virginia.
On the 25th we marched back to New Creek, Virginia, and on the Ist of October we were ordered to proceed to Oldtown, Mdl., on the banks of the Potomac, opposite to Green Spring Run, Virginia.
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While at New Creek we had detached four companies, under Captain Boyd, to proceed to Springfield, Virginia, to picket the roads leading to Winchester. Romney and Moorfield : and to scout the country in quest of guerrillas and their brethren, the bushwackers.
On arriving at their destination, Captain Battersby was sent out on a scout with Companies Band M. He passed through Romney, and on reaching the forks of the road, beyond the Burnt Mills, he divided his forces; sending Lieutenant Lewis, with Company M, on one of the forks, while he, with Company B, took the other. Before separating it had been arranged that the party returning first to the forks should strew some pine branches on the road to notify the other of the fact. and then wait at the Burnt Mills for the return of the other party.
Before proceeding many miles, the advance of Bat- tersby's party fell in with the enemy's pickets, and at once charged with a yell. There were only four men in advance, viz: Sergeant G. W. Peavy, his son, G. G. Peavy. Napoleon Valentine, and A. D. Westbrook; all brave fellows, and always ready to charge without counting the odds against them. They drove the pickets back upon their reserves, consisting of a company, sta- tioned at a bridge over a stream which the road crossed. This force was discovered in time for our boys to con- ceal their numerical weakness, by taking shelter behind a friendly knob around which the road made a sudden turn. The enemy seemed nonplussed. They were afraid to make an attack lest they should meet with a superior force, and they were ashalde I to retreat without knowing the strength of their pursuers. Just then a few more of our boys came up. and, thinking the whole force was at
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theis backs, these four brave fellows dashed forward with a rousing yell, followed by the few comrades who had just come up. The boldness of the movement caused the enemy to think that a large force was close at hand, and they hastily retreated ; being pursued by this handful of men across the bridge, and into a gap in the mountains beyond. The boys were afraid to enter the gap, as Im- boden's whole force was said to be encamped on the other side, so they set out to re-join their company. They found them back at the Northwestern Hotel, many miles in the rear, taking things easy. The whole command then set out for camp, the Peavy's, with Valentine and West- brook, forming the rear guard, under Sergeant Lem. Evans. They had not gone far when they were startled by the crack of rifles in the rear, and found themselves pursued by a large force of the enemy.
Battersby at once set out at a gallop, in hopes of forming a junction with Lieutenant Lewis, at the Burnt Mills, while his rear guard commenced to skirmish with the advancing enemy. The Confederates soon discov- ered that they were opposed by but a few men, and then they came charging on, yelling like fiends, and swept Sergeant Evans' little force before them like leaves of the forest.
On reaching the forks it was found, by the pine branches strewn on the road, that Lieutenant Lewis had passed, and Battersby pressed on, confident of find- ing him at the Mills ; but he was doomed to disappoint- ment. For some reason or other Lewis had gone on to Romney, and hope departed from the breast of poor Battersby.
On arriving at a point in the road, where it made a double around the head of a gorge-like ravine. some of
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the men abandoned their horses and crossed this gorge on foot to the road on the opposite side ; thus saving a distance of about a mile, and saving themselves from cap- ture. Their loose horses occupied the enemy some time, and gave the men a chance to increase the distance be- tween them and their pursuers. Captain Battersby was now in the rear of his flying troopers, and seeing that all of his men were likely to be captured, by reason of the above-mentioned double in the road. he determined to surrender himself a prisoner of war, in order to save them. So, upon reaching a favorable point in the road, he pulled up and dismounted. This staggered his pur- suers, who seemed to think that he was going to show fight, and they halted and began to surround him. He then callel to them that he would surrender, upon which several of them rode up cautiously and took him into custody.
Captain McNeill, of Imboden's forces, proved to be his captor, and was so overjoyed at his good fortune, that he made a sort of hero of his captive. treating him to a drink of good apple-jack, as a starter.
In the chase five of the men and fifteen of the horses had fallen into the hands of the enemy, which seemed to satisfy them, as they gave up the pursuit upon the capture of Captain Battersby.
Boyd at once sent for reinforcements, and we sent two companies under Ezra II. Bailey, who had been pro- motel to captain of Company K. They stopped at Springfield for breakfast, and there Bailey met with a bitter. though sweet little "rebel." named Mollie Murphy; who was considered the belle of those parts. She had heard of Battersby's capture, and could not contain her joy. So she began to banter Bailey ; telling him he had
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better go back to Oldtown, or he would be sure to fol- low Captain Battersby to " Libby." " But," said she, sarcastically, " if you will persist in going on I'll give you a note to Colonel Imboden, who is a dear friend of mine, and he will treat you well for my sake." And she sat down and wrote the following :
To Colonel J. D. IMBODEN :
DEAR COLONEL :- This will be handed to you by Captain Bailey, a ยท Yankee." who is not so bad as most of them, and has treated your friends kindly on several occasions. Please treat him well, and show him the Confedera'e flag which I gave you.
With kind regards, I am, your friend,
(Sigurd) MOLLIE MURPHY. SPRINGFIELD, VA., Oc'ober 4th, 1862.
This she handed to Bailey, who put it in his pocket. with a pleasant smile, and set out to look for Miss Murphy's friend. On reaching the scene of Captain Battersby's capture they found Boyd waiting for them, who then took command and pushed on through Hang- ing Rock Gap. and soon fell in with the enemy's pickets. Our boys charged, with Bailey in the lead, and soon the Confederates were running like deer, for their camp at Capon Bridge. Our men followed hard on their heels. charging them across the old covered bridge, at the opposite end of which were posted two brass howitzers. with their guard ready to discharge them, but dare not on account of their own men being in front of ours. The old bridge almost toppled over with the shock of the charging squadrons, but on they went, and very soon Bailey's sabre was seen gleaming over the heads of the gunners. The next moment the guns and the camp were in our possession, and the enemy fleeing in all directions. Colonel Imboden had gone on a bridge-burning expedi- tion the night before, with part of his command, and those left in camp made very little resistance, but tried
CHARGE AT CACAPON BRIDGE, VA.
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to escape as best they could through the mountains. Imboden had just received a wagon train loaded with clothing, arms and ammunition, and it fell into our hands. We brought away twenty wagons loaded with stores of all kinds, each drawn by four fine mules, one hundred and fifty fine horses, and all of Imboden's pri- vate and official papers ; besides one major, one lieuten- ant and thirty men as prisoners. Captain Battersby and his men had been sent to Winchester under guard, and therefore were not rescued. The guns afterwards proved quite useful to us in guarding our regimental camp at Oldtown.
On returning to Springfield Captain Bailey called upon Miss Murphy, but she didn't want to see him. He per- suaded her, however, to help him examine Imboden's papers, among which was found the following :
... Under the provisions of an Act of Congress. approved April "ist. 1462, and by special authority of the War Department, I am raising and organizing a regiment of Partisan Rangers, to be under my com- mand as Colonel C. S. A., for Immediate and very active service in the military department ( west of the Blue Ridge,) now under the command of General Thomas J. Jackson. The corps will be of a mixed character- mounted and foot-adapted to the peculiar features of the country. The officers, except myself. will all be elected as in other arms of the ser- vice; my staff will be appointed and all be commissioned by the President. Enlistments for the corps must be for the war. Pay. rations. quarters &e, the same as in the army, and, in addition to pay. the corps will receive from the Government the full value in money. of all arms and munitions captured from the enemy, and turned over to the quartermaster.
All conscripts between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five years. not yet mustered Into service, may join this corps and avoid being drafted into the army. Men over thirty-five years of age who were volunteers for twelve months, and have not ro-enlisted, but are held under the ninety days clause of the Conscript Act, Will be discharged by the Secretary of War, with the consent of their commanding officer. as soon as thevetlist with me. All other able bodied volunteers will
My proposed plan of operations, on file in the War Department, bit- received the cordial approval of the President, Secretary of War,
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Generals Lee. JJackson, G. W. Smith and Whiting, and will be sup- ported by the Government with all the aid I need for its vigorous pro- secution.
The several Companies will be generally separated, and employed as far as practicable, in localities nearest their homes, where they are familiar with the country. My purpose is to wage the most active warfare against our brutal invaders and their domestic allies; to hang about their camps and shoot down every sentinal, picket, courier, and wagon driver we can find : (!) to watch opportunities for attacking con- voys and forage trains, and thus render the country so unsafe that they will not dare to move except in large bodies. Ourown Virginia traitors- men of the Pierpont and Carlile stamp-will receive our special regards.
I appeal to the men of the West to unite with me at once in the effort to deliver our native mountains from the pollution that has been brought upon them. It is only men I want : men who are not afraid to be shot at in such a cause ; men who will pull trigger on a Yankee with as much alacrity as they would on a mad dog ; (!) men whose conscien- ces wont be disturbed by the sight of a vandal carcass. (!) I don't want nervous, squeamish individuals to join me-they will be safer at home.
My headquarters will be at Staunton for awhile, where individuals can join the corps, and companies communicate with me.
Upon being notified of the enlistment of sixty-four men at any point. I will attend in person to muster them into service, and superintend the election of officers, when they will immediately be entitled to pay and subsistesee, and will be put into the field for service."
(Signed)
J. D. IMBODEN. Colonel Partisan Rangers.
By other papers it was found that Imboden had then under his command nine hundred and sixteen officers and enlisted men : some acting as mounted guerrillas, and others as bushwhackers on foot.
The reading of this " prommeiamento" annoyed Miss Murphy very much, as Bailey carefully emphasized all the terrible threats of her amiable (?) friend. At last a little package was reached, carefully done up in oiled silk, which Miss Murphy attempted to snatchaway ; but Bailey untied the package, and there was the identical Confederate flag which Miss Mollie had presented to Colonel Imbo len.(!)
She could stand it no longer, and began to abuse Bai- ley for ransacking an officer's private papers, and then
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rushed from the room in tears. We sent the colonel's private papers back to him, but Bailey presented the flag to a young lady of Union proclivities, at Flintstone, Maryland, which almost killed poor Mollie Murphy.
Imboden was the first guerrilla chief developed by the war, and he was about the biggest chief among them. Next to him, came Colonel John S. Mosby, who brought himself into notoriety the following spring by the capture of General Stoughton, while in his bed at Fairfax, in the midst of his troops.
This was our first dash at the guerillas, and we felt satisfied with the result. We had so alarmed Imboden that he removed his camp away up on the South Branch of the Potomac, beyond Moorfield, among almost inac- cessible mountains; but the sequel will show that he was not safe even there.
Our duty was to guard the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road, with its numerous bridges, tunnels and culverts, from Oldtown down to Cherry Run, and we sent the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry to Hancock, to guard the lower section.
We kept strong pickets at French's Store, where the railroad crosses the South Branch, about five miles below Oldtown; also at Paw Paw tunnel, some five miles fur- ther down; and at Springfield, Virginia, watching the main roads leading to Winchester, Romney and Moor- field.
On the 5th of October General Averill passed through Oldtown, with his brigade, and this was the last time I ever saw the gallant young Walter S. Newhall. who was then A. A. A. G. on Averill's staff. In the winter of 1883 he lost his life by an unfortunate accident. and the service lost one of its most promising young offi-
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cers. He had distinguished himself on more than one battle-field before he was called away, and carried upon his person many honorable scars received in combats with the enemy.
On the 7th of October Captain Battersby returned from captivity, having been paroled at Winchester, and brought his trusty and rusty sabre back with him, which he was kindly permitted to retain, by order of Stonewall Jackson. Captain McNeill, his captor, had treated him well.(?) He had been questioned closely by Imboden, and then sent to Winchester upon his own horse; but his captor, thinking he had a right to the horse and equipments of the captive, followed him and took his charger away, leaving the gallant captain to foot it to Winchester, in company with his men.
Captain Battersby was a very plausible fellow ; be- Iieved in General MeClellan's plan of conducting the war, and soon made friends among his captors. His sabre looked as if it had seen service in the wars of Troy, and he said it had ornamented the thigh of several of his warrior ancestors ; and that it was an heirloom in his family, always remaining in possession of the son who entered the cavalry service.
This story took with the kind-hearted Virginians, and the captain was permitted to bring his sabre back with him, as I have before stated. Battersby was a magnifi- cent looking soldier, and always made a good impres- sion upon first appearance. He was a splendid horse- man. also, and had but few equals in the broad-sword exercise.
It was owing to the fact that so many of our officers we're old cavalrymen, that the men of the regiment be- came so proficient in the use of the sabre-that queen
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of weapons for cavalry-and afterwards used it with such good effect upon the enemy as to procure for us the sobriquet of the " sabre regiment " of the volunteer cavalry. The German officers had nearly all seen service in the cavalry of Prussia; and Major Ogle-a West Pointer-and Captains Jones and Battersby, and Adju- tant Stevenson, together with several of the lieutenants, and many of the non-commissioned officers, had served in either the English or United States Cavalry. Horse- manship and the use of the sabre constituted the princi- pal part of the exercises of the regiment, during its first year of service, and these two accomplishments made it one of the best " light cavalry " regiments in the army.
On the night of the 17th, our pickets at Springfield were attacked by bushwhackers, and two of them cap- tured; but after being stripped of everything they were permitted to return to camp. This was civil. The next night the bushwhackers visited the pickets at French's Store, and captured three of them, serving them just as they had the others. We thought this exceedingly civil.
On the 29th another attack was made at Springfield, in which one of our men and one of the enemy was killed ; which was not so civil. The enemy also carried off several of our horses, which was very uncivil.
Captain Bailey now resolved to change the programme, so he set out with his troop of Michiganders-one of the best in the regiment-and soon returned with about a dozen of Stuart's cavalry, taken from their picket post near Winchester.
Captain Boyd also sallied forth from his headquarters at French's Store, and returned with about twenty prisoners, all well mounted.
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In his absence we had sent a German lieutenant with a detachment of men to guard his camp ; but the geur- rillas made a night attack and drove this party away.
When Boyd returned he learned that a citizen named " Bill Wills," had led the dash on his camp, and he had him brought into camp and flogged for his folly. The boys formed in two ranks, facing each other, and Wills ran the gauntlet of their saplings.
This was pretty rough, but the rascal deserved it. He pretended to be a peaceful citizen, but was a notorious bushwhacker.
After the capture of Imboden's camp by Boyd and Bailey, we lost trace of his whereabouts; and General Kelly desired Colonel MeReynolds to try and hunt him up, so that we might "clean him out" entirely. The colonel inquired for volunteers for this work, and the two Peavy's, father and son, Napoleon Valentine and Diek Dorman, offered their services. They were mem- bers of Company B, and a quartette of braver fellows never swung a sabre.
They left our lines, at Springfield, Virginia, on the 30th of October, passing through Romney and taking the road leading westward over the mountains into Pat- terson Creek Valley ; their object being to reach Peters- burg, West Virginia, where it was thought Imboden had his headquarters. They stopped at a fine brick house, towards evening, to inquire the way, and the daughter of the proprietor. a good-looking young woman. asked them if they had any tobacco. "What do you want with it ?" said one of the boys. " To char." said the fair creature. " You don't say so!" said Dorman. ". Yes, we're all out just now," said the damsel. Dick pulled out his plug and handed it to the young lady,
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who took a good "chair," and handed it back. Nearly all the women, young and old, in that region were snuff dippers, but this was the first we had found who took her allowance of " pig-tail." When the boys were about to start they inquired how far it was to Petersburg, and were answered-"two knobs and a right smart stretch;" which meant, two mountains to cross, and then a good distance beyond. The boys bivouacked that night in an old barn, about five miles beyond Burlington, taking their horses inside and barricading the doors, ready to stand a siege in case of necessity. Next day, about 3 p. m., as they were riding along, they passed within ritle shot of a company of Imboden's mounted guerrillas. who did not seem to take notice of them : and the mo- ment the boys got out of view they rode for their lives. least they might be pursued. They got into the moun- tain, so that they could see the enemy, and found that they had passed on without attempting to follow them. That night they put up at a Mr. Seymour's, about five miles from Petersburg, where they found unmistakable signs of a recent halt of cavalry on the sides of the road.
Seymour told them that there was a force of the Con- federates in Petersburg, and wanted to know what they were doing there, and where they had come from. Our boys told him they were the advance of a strong force of Yankees just in rear; but the nearest force of their friends was about seventy miles in rear! After tea. Dick, Polic, and young Peavy set out to reconnaitre Petersburg on foot, leaving the eller Peavy to take care of the horses. They had several adventures, but suc- ceeded in entering the town, and found that there were no Confederate troops there ; all having left the day he- fore, in the direction of Moorfield.
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The boys slept that night in Seymour's barn, and set out next morning to cross the mountains to Moorfield. The horse of the elder Peavy was so lame that he left him at Seymour's, taking one of that gentleman's in ex- change. The other horses were not much better than the one left behind, and the boys had to foot it nearly all day over the mountains.
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