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 19
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The company gave a grand ball shortly afterwards. at Musical Fund Hall, which was largely attended, and reflected great credit on the managers, who were all imembers of the company. for the manner in which everything was arranged, and the good order that pre-
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After spending the time alloted in their furlough, they were compelled to return to New York city, notwith- standing the requests of Captain Stevenson to General Hays to be permitted to join the regiment on its way through Philadelphia to the front. They had expe- rienced some trouble before they were permitted to come to Philadelphia, after the reception in New York city. and it was rumored that the authorities of that city were very much displeased because Captain Stevenson had indueed his men to be credited to the quota of Phila- delphia.
The re-organization of the regiment, as veterans, took place at Albany, New York, and Lieutenant-Colonel A. W. Adams was present, having come on from Har- per's Ferry for the express purpose.
On the 24th of March, 1864, the veterans returned to Frederick City, Maryland, where they had left their horses. They were then assigned to the First Brigade of the Cavalry Division of the Army of West Virginia. General W. W. Averill commanded the division, and Colonel Taylor, of the so-called First New York Veteran Cavalry, commanded our brigade.
Here was a pretty jumble. Our regiment was the very Best volunteer cavalry raised for the war, and we had re-enlisted as relevans; but here we found Colonel Taylor, with another " First New York Veteran Cav- alry !" Taylor's regiment had been infantry ; had re-en- listed. and had been given the title above mentioned, which provoked our regiment beyond endurance. The idea of " dough-bags" being called reterun cavalry! Why, it was simply ridiculous, and caused endless coll- fusion. When we did anything worthy of being re- corded. the other regiment was just as likely to be cred-
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ited as ourselves ; and when they misbehaved we were just as likely to be censured as they. We received the letters and baggage intended for them, and rice corso. Besides the two regiments were always at swords points, when they should have been the best of friends. But such is the system of politicians. The good of the service is nothing when compared with individual grati- fication.
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CHAPTER XXII.
Return to Dixie a . Verrais-A Negro Regiment-Marching Orders- General Averill off on a Raid -dieseral Siget's Advance-Colonel Boyd's Disaster-Battle of New Market-Siegel's Retreat-General Hunter in Command.
N the 24th of March, 1864, we let Frederick City, Maryland, having returned from veteran furlough, to once more participate in the excitement and dangers of " camp and field :" and that same day we arrived at Halltown, Virginia, some five or six miles beyond Har- per's Ferry. Here we found comfortable huts ready for our reception; the infantry that had constructed them having been ordered to join Grant, who had just been placed in command of the armies of the United States, and hart established his headquarters in the field with the Army of the Potomar.
We were not to have much rost. however, as General Grant had determined to advance upon Lee, at once, and. by constant hammering, break his army to pieces. capture the Confederate Capital. and put an end to the war, if possible, before the next fourth of July.
In order to carry out this purpose it was determined that the army of the Potomac should attack from the north and cast. and the Army of the James from the south, while a strong fores from the Shenandoah Valley, under Sigel, ant another from the Kanawha Valley. under Crook, aided by Sheridan's cavalry, which were to join these two columns at Staunton or Lexington. should move upen Lynchburg. in Lee's rear ; thus out ting off all of his communications, and " bottling" him
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up in Richmond and Petersburg, where he must inevit- ably surrender in a very short time.
Our regiment were now veterans in every sense of the word, not only because of their length of service, and the fact of their having re-enlisted, but because they had met the enemy so frequently, and under so many different circumstances, as to have become perfectly fa- miliar with the various phenomena of war; so that they could be relied upon in almost any emergency Besides all this, they had been so long in the " Valley" that they knew every road and by-way ; were acquainted with the location. strength and tactics of the bold parti- sans of that region ; and were more than a match for the best of them under almost any circumstances ; and were, on these accounts, invaluable to any general operating in that field.
It is not strange, therefore, that General Sullivan. commanding at Harper's Ferry, should wish to retain thom, and that General Averill should wish to have them with him on the raid then about to be inaugurated. The contention was sharp, but it was finally arranged that Averill should take one battalion. while the other two battalions should remain with Sullivan ; and on the 4th of April, General Averill set out with his forces. including our first battalion, under Major Stearns, who had just been promoted from Captain of Company II, to join Crook's column in the Kanawha Valley.
On the 3d of April we were ordered to turn over all surplus baggage, and get ready for active duty in the
The first regiment of colored troops that I ever saw passed our camp about that time, on their way up the
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Valley, for the purpose of conscripting negroes for the service.
As they passed up they met one of our scouting parties returning, and took them for rebels. The negroes got behind the fences, and our boys " went for them;" and one of the "darkeys" was severely wounded, and the rest of them badly seared. before the matter was properly understood. The negroes in the Valley took to the Blue Ridge to escape the draft. which didn't look very patriotic, to say nothing of ingratitude.
On the 10th of April our camp was removed from Halltown to Martinsburg. the rain pouring down in torrents all day.
On the 12th I was sent in command of one hundred men to scour Morgan county. Virginia, between Sleepy Creek and the Big Capon River. We took the cars at Martinsburg, debarked at Sir John's Run. and marched to Bath, or Berkley Springs, the home of General Strothers, better known as " Porte Crayon." Bath is the county seat of Morgan county. Virginia. and con- tains famous hot springs, and good hotel accommoda- tions for a large number of guests. The people of the county were mainly for the Union; but there were many bitter secessionists, especially among the ladies.
We had to protect the Union people from the attacks of Gilmore. MeNeil, O'Farrell, and the other guerrillas. who were carrying off all the horses and stock they could find.
I immediately set out with my force. riding the whole length of the county. as far as Candy's Castle, at the Big Capon River, but we met with no enemy in arms.
On the 20th General Averill, hearing of our where- abouts, sent word that I must join him at Clarksburg.
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West Virginia, so we set out in the cars to reach that place; but on arriving at Cumberland. Maryland, we were stopped by General Sigel, and ordered back to Martinsburg, where we arrived on the 24th. having marched over a hundred miles in two days.
General Sigel had been informed of the character of our regiment, and, as he was about to move up the Shen- andoah Valley, he didn't intend to go blindly, while he had eyes such as our regiment could furnish. Nor did he intend to lend such eyes to General Crook, when he must necessarily have use for them himself; so he or- dered our first battalion, then with Averill, back to the " Valley" again.
On arriving at Martinsburg we found that Colonel Me Reynolds had returned from New York, and was in command of our brigade, and Lieutenant-Colonel A. W. Adams was in command of our regiment. We also found that during our absence, a scouting party from our regi- ment, under Captain Bob Hertzog, had been sent to + Winchester. and that "little Bob, the light horseman." as the captain was facetiously named, had been captured by the enemy.
My men and I had just retire l to bel for the night. when we were suddenly and unceremoniously aroused. and ordered to proceed to Halltown, and report by order- ly to General Woher at Harper's Ferry ; and by him 1 was placed in command of the out-poses of that place.
On the night of April 30th. I was ordered to Charle. - town. and the next day I was ordered to Smithfield. General Sigel had arrived at Martinsburg. preparatory to moving up the Valley to attack Lynchburg. in rear of General Lee's army. and my duty was to protect the left Bank of Sigel's column from Mosby's guerrillas, who, it
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was feared, might slip through one of the gaps in the Blue Ridge and attack the trains; so I seouted and pieketed all along the Shenandoah River, as far up as Snicker's Ferry, near Berryville.
I joined the main body at Winchester on the 6th of May. and on the 8th, was ordered to report with my own troop. at General Stahl's headquarters for special duty. On arriving there I found Colonel Boyd, who had been ordered from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, by the Secretary of War, for special duty at General Sigel's headquarters.
General Sullivan had formed a very high opinion of Boyd. during the fall of 1863. while the latter was in command of the cavalry out-posts of Harper's Ferry. and had mentioned him favorably to General Sigel. The litter was about moving up the Valley, and fearing that the enemy might send a force through one of the gaps, to get in his rear or attack him in flank, he determined to send a cavalry force across the Blue Ridge, to pro- cee l up the east side thereof, as a corps of observation. and meet him at New Market, and had selected Colonel Boyd to command this force.
Besides my troop, there was a troop from Cole's Mary- land battalion : another from the so-called First News York Veteran (?) Cavalry. (the Seventeenth New York ). Colonel Taylor, and a squadron from the Twenty-first New York Cavalry. Colonel Tibbitts.
We set out from Winchester at 10 p. m. Sunday, May Sth. last, and escorted a wagon train to the rear, as far as Bunker Hill, where we bivouacked for the night. Next morning the train started on its way to Martins. burg to bring up supplies, and we took the road through Summit Point to Berryville. On arriving at the latter
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place, we found Captains Battersby and Leavitt, of our regiment, with a squadron, awaiting our arrival. They had been sent out from Winchester on the 7th instant, to perform the duty which I and my men had been per- forming before joining the main body.
Just as we arrived in town, a horseman was seen af- proaching at full speed, from the direction of Winchester. who proved to be a sergeant of Company D, of our regiment. named Collins. His horse was covered with foam and dust, and he was terribly exasperated. We now discovered that he was one of a squad that ba.l been sent from Winchester with a dispatch, and that Mosby's men had bushwhacked them, killing the sergeant in command, whose name was Hines, I think, a mem- ber of Compeny D, and scattering the rest of the squad in all directions. Collins had saved the dispatch, how- ever, and deserves great praise for his soldierly conduct on that occasion.
Captain Battershy's force immediately set out in pur- suit of the guerrillas; Lieutenant Vermylia, with a de- tichment, taking the road to Millwood. in order to head them off; while Captain Leavitt, with another detach- ment. took the dirt road between the Winchester and Millwood pikes, in order to drive the enemy into Ver- mylia's party ; and Captain Battersby followed Leavitt with a reserve force. to guard against accidents.
After a ride of several miles, the advance of Leavitt's party overtook the raiders, and a few men in the ex- trome advance charged upon them instanter. Those in the rear heard the yells and spurred to the front, where they found an old darkey throwing his arms about in wild confusion, shouting . Fo God's sake, gemmin. some ob you go down dat road ; Mosby and fifteen men
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dun gone dat ah way, and only free ob you all's men after dem !" George G. Peavy and his father, and a man name l Dougherty, started down the road at a gallop, and soon came upon the three men who had pursued the enemy. Young Peavy dashed on. calling upon the others to follow, and as he ascended a little hill in the road. he was confronted by the whole party of gray- backs.
He looked around to see where his supports were, and found he was a hundred yards ahead of the nearest. while the others were scattered along in single file at about the same distance in rear of each other. He ross in his stirrups and yelled for the company to charge, at the same time giving the " Johnies " the contents of his carbine, and then drew his revolver. At that mo- ment they operel on him with revolvers, being only about fifty vards distant. Just then one or two of our men hove in sight, and the graybacks began to waver Mosby called on them to " charge " and dashed forward himself. making straight for Peavy. but not one of his men followed him. They had nearly all emptied their revolvers, and two of them had been struck by Peavy in this unequal duel. The brave fellow reserved his fire until Mosby was within three yards of him, and then pulled trigger, expecting to send him into eternity ; but his pistol missed fire. He says: " I thought I was gone then. I still see the ugly smile that came over Mosby's face, which was as pale as death, his hat gone and his hair blown back. as he took deliberate aim and fired, the muzzle of his pistol almost touching me, the bullet passing through my right hand. and striking me in the right breast, doubling me up in the saddle. He then dashed on, exchanging shot- with Charley Clark.
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who was coming towards us, and the next moment he met father and exchanged shots with him, the bullet pass- ing through the rubber coat and shelter tent strapped on the pommel of father's saddle. He next met Dougherty, and they also exchanged shots, but without effect on either side. Mosby seemed to think his men were fol- lowing him, and that every one of us he passed was a prisoner. On passing Dougherty, he pulled up, and, as he did so, father, who had been pursuing him, and had emptied his pistol in the chase, dashed past him. Mosby's pistol was now empty, and he returned it and drew a fresh one. While he was doing this Dougherty got into the field close to the fence and fired, causing him to crouch low in his saddle, and I thought he was ' gone ;' but he was unhurt. He then made for me, pistol in hand, shouting : ยท surrender" My pistol was empty; I thought I had my death wound ; and, my horse being much heavier than his. I charged right on to him in order to ride him down. He jerked his horse aside, however, and our boots just touched as I shot past him like a rocket. He then fired at Clark, who was in rear of me. killing his horse ; and seeing the rest of our boys coming on a run. he rode for his life and escaped."
Peavy was too severely wounded to accompany the expedition, and was taken to Harper's Ferry in a car- riage.
On the 10th we passed through Millwood to White Post, and back to Berry's Ferry, where we bivouacked for the night. Next morning we crossed the Shonan- doah, passed through AAshby's Gap, in the Blue Ridge. and fill in with Moshy's guerrillas, whom we chased through Paris, Upperville, and Rector's Cross Roads: killing one, capturing about a dozen, and destroying a
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quantity of supplies which they had captured. We bivouacked on the road that night, a little beyond Salem, after destroying a large quantity of Confederate stores found at that place.
Mosby had been aroused and would no doubt gather his clansmen and follow us up, in order to surprise our camp by night, or bushwhack us on the march; so we determined to move as though intending to return to the Shenandoah Valley.
On the 12th we marched through Manassas Gap to Front Royal, where we found about thirty of our regi- ment, under Lieutenant Vermylia. The prisoners were then sent to Winchester, and we took Vermylia and most of his men along, bivouacking about ten miles be- vond Front Royal.
On the 13th we marched through Luray, capturing a number of prisoners; but one dashed away, refusing to surrender. Sergeant MeClellan, of my company, being mounted on a powerful roan horse, gave chase, and after a run of nearly a mile overtook and killed the retreat- ing grayback.
At Luray we found a large quantity of Confederate quartermaster's and commissary's stores, which we de- stroved. after issuing to our men all they needed, and then passed on towards New Market. On arriving at the crest of the Massanutten Mountain we fell in with a number of teams loaded with stores, on their way to the enemy's camp in the Valley, and we destroyed the wagons and stores. taking the horses along. I was in command of the advance guard, accompanied by Lieu- tenant New of our regiment. As we descended the mountains we discovered a large body of troops march- ing up the Valley pike, from Mt. Jackson towards New
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Market, and we sent word to Colonel Boyd who came galloping to the front.
Having examined the column through my field glass. I had come to the conclusion that they were Confeder- ates, and so informed Colonel Boyd. The colonel thought differently, however, and ordered us to advance. In a short time we saw a section of artillery and some cavalry moving rapidly toward the base of the moun- tains, at a point some distance south of where we must strike the valley. and we sent for Colonel Boyd again. He seemed a little staggered, but concluded to proceed. observing that they must be Sigel's troops. On reach- ing the base of the mountains we found some picket- at a little bridge on Smith's creek, but they were dressed in our uniform, and Colonel Boyd thought they were some of Siger's men who had not been informed of our approach. They retired on our advancing towards them without attempting to fire. I sent a few men to push them, and they set off at full speed for New Mar- ket. We then held a little . pow-wow," and it was de- termined to cross the bridge, pass down the stream. and try to gain the turnpike in rear of the column of troops which we had seen marching toward New Market. Then, if they were the enemy, we could show them our heels and bid them defiance. We crossed the bridge. and were just in the act of crossing the stream, which makes a bend across the little valley, when the blutt above us. on the New Market side, became alive with horsemen. The next instant we heard the well-known "rebel yell," accompanied with a shower of bullets and shouts of " Now we've got the deed Yankees! give
Boyd's men returned the fire with great spirit, but 23
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the contest was unequal. A body of the enemy was discovered coming down through a eut in the bluff to charge us in flank, but my advance guard charged upon them and drove them back. Boyd had sent some men to open a gap in a fence in his rear, but the firing was so hot from the bluff, and a shell bursting over us at that moment, the men under Boyd gave way, notwith- standing his example of coolness and courage, and made for the side of the Massanutten Mountain.
Boyd then told me to try to get to the head of the re- treating column, and rally the men at the base of the mountain to resist the enemy: but the rebel artillery opened on us with a flight of shells, demoralizing the men very much, and those of our regiment were the only ones I could control; the others dashed on as if pursued by furies. I dismounted some of my men to let down a fence, but the others crowded up in such numbers as to retard the work and delay the retreat. My horse was wild with excitement, and the saddle felt very insecure, so I dismounted to tighten the girths. Icalled to one of Major Cole's boys to hold my horse, which he very cheerfully consented to do. We were then in a little valley near the base of the mountains, and our men were dashing past at a fearful rate. Finally, Colonel Boyd and Lieutenant New passed, in rear of all the men, and shouted to me that the enemy was right on top of us.
I had succeeded in tightening my girths, and had just mounted my horse as a score of " graybacks" dashed up. shouting. " Surrender!" My revolver was sticking in the leg of my boot. and I was leaning over trying to get my right stirrup; so, without rising in my saddle. I drew the pistol and fired into the party. knocking on. man out of his saddle, while the orderly who had
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been holding my horse gave them the contents of his carbine. This seemed to stun them, and we gained about twenty jumps before they recovered. We were lying low on our horses' necks, with " spurs pressed home," and going like the wind, when the "Johnnies" came dashing on, with yells and imprecations, their bul- lets singing past our ears like a swarm of bees. One struck my sabre scabbard, another pierced the blanket strapped in rear of my saddle, my hat was knocked off, and my legs were badly bruised by the trunks of trees, as we dashed up the mountain side, through the forest, and over the rocks which strewed our pathway. As we sped along our men were seen running in all directions on foot, their horses having given out or got fast among the rocks ; while some of the horses rushed along wildly. without riders. the saddles under their bellies.
We came to a deep gorge, and in descending its pre- cipitous side my horse passed between a large rock and a tree and squeezed me out of the saddle. He then dashed down to the stream, and up the opposite side. and I thought it was all up with me. Fortunately he ran along side of one of the men and was caught. It was then about 6:00 p. m., and raining like a deluge. My clothing was soaked. and felt like a great weight pulling me down and it was with much difficulty I could regain the saddle.
It very soon grew dark, and the pursuit was discon- tinued, which was the only thing that kept us all from going to Libby. As we rode along our numbers began toinerease until we had about seventeen men and officers. and we held a council as to -the best means of escape. Colonel Boyd, who had behaved splendidly in the fight. How seemed very much discouraged, and said he would rather have been killed than to have had such a misfor-
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tune; this being the first defeat he had suffered. We all dismounted in a little opening in the woods, and Boyd and most of the men lay down to rest. They were soon asleep, and I began to fear we would all be captured be- fore morning. as the mountains were full of the enemy. I told a man of Company "A," of our regiment. named Clark, that I would hohl his horse if he would go and find a way out of the mountains. He was a brave fellow, and soon returned with the information that there was a negro hut a short way off, the occupants of which had told him how to get out. We then went round kicking the men, to wake them up, which was a hard task, and started to thread our way out of the mountains.
It must have been after mid-night, the sky was begin- ning to clear off, and we could see the tops of the moun- tains which enclosed " Fort Valley."
In a short time we struck a trail which soon led us into a well-beaten road. and then we set out at a brisk trot. The road crossed a creek several times. and at one of these crossings a soldier permitted his horse to stop and drink. While the horse was drinking the whole party in rear of him fell asleep, and we who were in front passed on and left them without being aware of it. We rode along for some time, without uttering a word, when suddenly we came to a halt on finding ourselves in the vicinity of a house, the dogs baying loudly. We then struck up the steep side of the mountain between us and the Shenandoah River, and found ourselves on the top of the ridge at the dawn of day : the camps of our aring in full view, in the Shenandoah Valley near Woodstock. We semble down the mountain. load- ing our horses, for it was impossible to ride, and in all hour or so found ourselves on the bank of the river.
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with our pickets on the opposite side. The rain had swollen the river so that it was brim full. and running like a race horse. Colonel Boyd and one or two others swam their horses across and came near being drowned. Captain Battersby and myself constructed a raft, from logs and boards which we found at a house close by, and poled ourselves across; the horses swim- ming along side, made fast by the reins. We had just got to the opposite shore when some of the enemy dashed down and captured a few men who had not yet started to eross the river. That day Captain Leavitt and party, whom we had lost during the night, arrived safely in camp, having crossed the river farther up.
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