USA > New York > History of the Tenth regiment of cavalry New York state volunteers, August, 1861, to August, 1865, pt 1 > Part 11
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
87
ELIAS EVANS'S ACCOUNT.
1863
rally enough of our boys to attempt his recapture, but it was of no avail. Every man had all he could attend to himself. I found myself with but two or three of our men near, and concluded it would be best to release myself from the awk- ward position I was in as soon as possible. Just then a big reb bore down on me with his saber raised. I parried the blow with my saber, which, however, was delivered with such force as to partially break the parry, and left its mark across my back and nearly unhorsed me. One of our boys probed my assailant from the rear, and he dismounted. It was plain that I must get out then, if ever. The only avenue of escape was over a high embankment of the railroad, and a reb squadron was advancing on that point, not far away. The rebel commander gave orders not to kill my horse, probably deeming me already a prisoner. Two jumps of the horse brought me to the embankment. Every reb in that squadron fired at me, but, strangely enough, the only bullet that found its mark was one that burned my upper lip so badly I thought it had been carried away. But the next jump of the horse was over the embankment and out of their reach. I imme- diately made for an approaching column, which I discovered in the nick of time to be Johnnies, and changed my course. I saw Lieutenant Robb ahead of me getting out of a ditch. He gained his horse and urged him to clear a fence, which he refused to do. My horse jumped the ditch and over the rear of Robb's horse and the fence too. Not more than fifty feet from that fence Robb was killed. He was a brave and enterprising officer, with whom I was quite familiar. I had learned to respect him for his sterling qualities as an officer and a man. I finally reached the Regiment in safety, others, who like myself had become sepa- rated, coming in later, and the command was reorganized by Major Avery, who was left in command by the capture of Colonel Irvine.
Elias Evans, of Company D, writes :
I believe I was the last person that talked with Lieutenant Robb, and I was near him when he was killed. When the regiment charged on the rebel line, Companies D and B acted as flankers. When the rebel line broke, a fine stand of colors was seen going up the railroad. One of General Gregg's staff-officers, who was present with us, said, " Can't we get those colors, boys ?" We needed no sec- ond hint. Away we went for the colors, but we had not gone far before we saw what appeared to be a whole brigade of rebels coming for us. We were under such headway that before we could change direction they had gained our rear and cut us off from the rest of the command. We made for a piece of woods on our flank, but intervening was a dry ditch of from eight to ten feet in width. There was a dug-out just wide enough for a wagon to pass through, and into that narrow pass- age-way our men were choked in the endeavor to escape from the rebel horde that were pressing upon them. When Lieutenant Robb and I reached it, he said to me, "Now, 'Lias, what will we do?" I said, " Follow me," and, putting the spurs to my horse, he cleared the ditch, but Robb's horse, in endeavoring to do the same, fell into it. There were two rebels close upon him. and one of them ran his saber through his body, the blade entering near the right shoulder in rear and coming out at his breast. Ilis horse scrambled out of the ditch and the Lieuten- ant clung to him for something like fifty or one hundred feet, when he relaxed his hold and fell to the ground. While he was struggling in the ditch, I turned and shot one of the rebels, the bullet taking effect in his arm. He cried out, "O
88
1863
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
God, I'm shot !" Just then, as I was about to dismount to assist the Lieutenant, a little rebel officer made a cut at me with his saber, and struck my hat clean from my head. I thought it best to get out of that place, and I made a break for the woods. As I came upon the main road I found it filled with troops, the dust rendering it impossible to tell friend from foe, but, singling out one ahead of me, I rode up to him and discovered him to be a full-grown rebel. Thrusting my revolver against his head, I called out, "Surrender !" I may have added some- thing more to this. I was somewhat excited, and perhaps used impolite language, but I had neither time nor inclination to study my words. "Throw that revolver away, quick, and unbuckle your belt, and drop the whole thing !" During this little tête-à-tête both our horses were on a dead run. All of a sudden I found myself in the presence of rebel infantry, but I brought off my prize. The horse was a very fine one, but he was so stiff next morning I gave him to Lieutenant Gait. The bridle, which was a beautiful silver-mounted one, I kept.
Robert Evans, of Company D, corroborates the statement of Elias Evans in regard to the death of Lieutenant Robb. He states that he was one of about thirty men who were with the Lieutenant in the forlorn hope, trying to break through the Confederate lines. He says he saw three rebels attacking Lieutenant Robb, one of whom thrust his saber through him, the blade entering from the rear, near the shoulder, and coming out at his breast. Evans says the last words he heard the Lieutenant utter were, "Loft about wheel," and then, " Every man for himself."
Joseph F. Ashtenaw, of Company D, writes :
I was knocked from my horse and fell, cutting my head badly, and was taken prisoner. While being marched to the rear I saw the dead body of Lieutenant Robb. He lay on his face, with arms extended. I asked permission to stop and view the body. He appeared to have been wounded in two places. I took a memorandum-book from his pocket, which was saturated with his blood. It was examined by General Fitz-Hugh Lee, when I was brought into his presence, who returned it to me after examining it. I carried it through Libby with me, and forwarded it to his mother from Annapolis after I was exchanged.
General C. H. Smith, lieutenant- colonel of the First Maine Cavalry at the time of the Brandy Station fight, delivered an address at a reunion of that regiment, which is published in the History of the First Maine Cavalry. The following is an extraet :
. , Our division crossed at Kelly's Ford, and therefore had the left, and my remarks here will be restricted to what occurred on that part of the field. The Second Brigade had the advance. Ours followol in the following order : Tenth New York, Harris Light, First Maine. Much of the march was through woods, and we had to keep the road in column. The location of the enemy was known. and our business was to reach his camps as soon as possible. His pickets caused hardly a pause in our advance. Much of the way we rode at a gallop. Only the
89
OPERATIONS AROUND FLEETWOOD HILL.
1863
head of the column could strike the enemy, but the different regiments gave snc- cessive blows as they arrived. The Second Brigade hal become broken and de- feated when the First got in. The Tenth New York made a gallant charge. Its colonel went down and was captured.
Fleetwood Hill, which was the objective point of both sides, was taken and retaken several times. Cannon were captured and recapt- ured, and Union soldiers were frequently fighting, unconsciously, by the side of Confederates in the dust, smoke, and confusion. While all this desperate but indecisive fighting was going on, the Confeder- ates were rapidly hurrying forward troops for the destruction of Gregg's forces.
General Doubleday says : *
. . The First Division, under Buford, came upon the enemy between Brandy Station and Beverly Ford. A battle ensued at St. James Church, and, as their whole force confronted him, he was unable to break their line. After fighting some hours he was obliged to turn back with a portion of his command to repel an attempt against his line of retreat. Gregg next appeared upon the scene, and succeeded in getting in Stuart's rear before the rebel general knew he was there. Buford having gone back toward Beverly Ford, as stated, Gregg, in his turn, fought the whole of Stuart's force without the co-operation of either Buford or Duffie. It can hardly be said that Duffie's column took any part in the action, for he did not reach Brandy Station until late in the day ; and then, as the robel infantry was approaching, Pleasonton ordered a retreat.
C. W. Wiles, of Company L, relates that, as the time of approach- ing the scene of the conflict in the morning, Captain Vanderbilt was sent to report with his company, L, to General Russell, commanding the brigade of infantry, who ordered him to post pickets to give warn- ing of any movement down the roads in his fro .. And so it chanced that the Regiment was deprived of the services of this excellent com- pany in its operations around Fleetwood Hill. Toward evening the cessation of firing at Brandy Station caused Captain Vanderbilt to feel that the battle must have ended, and he looked anxiously for orders from General Russell to withdraw his pickets; but none came. It was after sunset when the pickets reported large numbers of horse- men in their front. It was impossible to determine the color of their uniforms, and Elias Wright and Fred Tillinghast were sent forward to observe and report. They were immediately fired upon, and as they retired they were pursued by quite a number of the enemy. Cap- tain Vanderbilt rightly conjectured that our troops had been with- drawn to the north side of the river, and that his little force had been
* Campaigns of the Civil War, vol. vi, p. 83.
·
١٢
90
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
1863
forgotten. He, therefore, hastily called in his pickets, and gave the enemy a volley, and started his company on a run for Rappahannock Bridge, some three miles away. The enemy, recovering from the bold action of the Captain and his squadron, immediately commenced the pursuit. Captain Vanderbilt kept his command well together, as they sped onward as rapidly as spur and voice could urge their horses. Shouting and shooting, the rebels followed, close behind. While the pursued were making every effort to increase the gap between them- selves and their pursuers, Andy Ginn's horse stumbled, throwing Andy to the ground. Captain Vanderbilt was not made of the stuff that deserts a man in such an extremity. Calling on a couple of his men to halt, they assisted in getting the horse and man properly ad- justed for a continuation of the race, the rest of the men meantime causing the pursuers to check their horses for an instant by a practi- cal display of their marksmanship! Then away they went like the wind again, until their hearts were gladdened by the sight of our troops across the river. Our artillery, mistaking them for Johnnies, sent several shells into altogether too close proximity to be comfort- able. The gathering darkness prevented recognition, and the boys were compelled to run the gantlet of the shells until their identity was disclosed to our troops at the river. Then the guns were elevated to suit the requirements of the case, and Company L came into camp under flying colors.
Night settled down on the Regiment, near Bealton Station, in a broken and rather dejected state. The men, all begrimed and bat- tered, entertained no thought of sleep, but remained grouped together, discussing the great battle, with its many incidents of daring deeds and noble sacrifices. There were many touching allusions to the loss of tent-mates, and the heroic efforts to save companions from death or capture, but all were imbued with the glory of having met and suc- cessfully measured sabers with the much-vaunted and by many thought to be invincible rebel cavalry.
The Regiment sustained a severe loss in the capture of Lieutenant- Colonel Irvine, Captain Getman, and Lieutenant King, and the death of Lieutenant Robb. Colonel Irvine, while a good disciplinarian, was by nature kind and sympathetic, and his presence with the Regiment was a guarantee that every interest of the men would be carefully looked after and attended to.
The capture of Captain Getman was a severe loss to the Regiment, and a source of mortification and disappointment to himself. He was an educated military man, a superb horseman, and an accomplished
-
£
LIEUT. L. P. NORTON, Co. L. LIEUT. HARLAN P. THOMPSON, Co. A.
LIEUT. JOHN B. KING. Co. G. HUGO MULERTT, Co. C.
1863
LIEUTENANT KING TAKEN PRISONER.
91
swordsman. Although of a retiring nature, he would most surely have attained to a high position in the service had he not been cut off from all chance of advancement by his long imprisonment.
Lieutenant King, with a shattered arm, was borne away to die in a rebel hospital, after enduring a long and painful imprisonment. Want of the simplest attentions to his wound at the proper time de- prived this gallant officer and noble man of his life.
No braver man ever drew saber than Lieutenant Robb. Full of dash, energy, and enterprise, he was an officer calculated to keep an enemy on the alert, and to impress his own character upon those about him.
The gallantry of the Tenth on the field of Brandy Station is well attested by its losses, which are given in the Official Records, vol. xxvii, page 169, as follows :
Officer killed. 1
Officers wounded 3
Officer missing. 1
Enlisted men killed 2
Enlisted men wounded
15
Enlisted men missing.
60 *
Total. 82
Or more than twice the loss of the entire brigade outside the Tenth.
In the report of Colonel L. S. Baker, First North Carolina Cav- alry, of the part taken by his regiment in the fight, occurs the fol- lowing : +
The Regiment made two charges with perfect success on cavalry, capturing the standard of the Tenth New York Regiment and routing them.
This is somewhat ambiguous. Colonel Baker's report might, per- haps, have been better paraphrased thus : "The Regiment made two charges with perfect success-on paper." Whether Colonel Baker meant that his regiment routed the standard or the Tenth New York Regiment is not quite clear; but, as a matter of fact, it neither routed the Tenth New York nor captured its standard. The Tenth never lost a standard and was never routed.
As to the relative strength of the forces engaged at Brandy Sta- tion, General Gregg says :
* A number of those reported missing escaped and reported to the regiment later. For corrected return see list of casualties.
+ Official Records, Series I, vol. xxvii, Part HI, p. 726.
92
1863
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
The strength of Stuart's command at this time was subsequently ascertained to have been about twelve thousand horsemen, divided into five brigades, with sixteen pieces of light artillery.
General Gregg places the cavalry under General John Buford and himself at about nine thousand, with six batteries ; * but of this num- ber the column under Colonel Duffie, nearly a third of the entire force, was not seriously engaged at all, and the artillery was but little used.t
To this estimate of the number of horsemen on the Confederate side, Major McClellan, of General Stuart's staff, takes exception, al- leging only about half the number .; In his Campaigns of Stuart's Cavalry, page 293, this same officer states, however, that the monthly return for May 31, 1863, for the five brigades constituting Stuart's corps, together with his horse artillery, showed an effective total of 9,536; and also that, "on the 5th of June, eight thousand cavalry passed under the eye of their commander,"# etc. This was evidently exclusive of his artillery, as he mentions in the same connection that " the guns of the artillery battalion on the hill opposite the stand gave forth fire and smoke," etc. It is well known that the Confederates were not accustomed to underestimate their forces, nor to allow any of their men to skulk or remain idle when a fight was in progress. It is fair to assume that the forces engaged were about equal, with the chances that the Confederates were the more numerous if any- thing. Both sides claimed the battle as a victory, the mean of which would be a draw.
The lesson of Brandy Station was healthful to our cavalry. It gave them the much-needed confidence in themselves which ever after proved disastrous to their opponents.
On this point, Major Mcclellan, General Stuart's assistant adju- tant-general, frankly says : |
* Annals of the War, p. 375.
t General Pleasonton's report, as given in the Official Records, shows the num- ber in the Reserve Brigade and First Cavalry Division, under General Buford, to have been 3,918, and in the Second and Third Cavalry Divisions, under General Gregg, 4,063, a total effectives of 7,981 men. There was in addition a force of 1,500 infantry with each of the columns under Generals Buford and Gregg. Gen- eral Pleasonton also reports the number of cavalry and artillery at Warrenton Junction, June 11th, at 4,923 ; absent on scout and picket, 1,680-total, 6.653.
# Major Mcclellan, of Stuart's staff, puts the number at 9,335 men, on paper, and twenty guns; but states there were nearly three thousand absentees .- (Cam- paigns of the Civil War, vol. vi. p. S.2.)
# Page 261.
! Campaigns of Stuart's Cavalry, p. 294.
93
BACK IN THE THIRD BRIGADE.
1863
One result of incalculable importance certainly did follow this battle, it made the Federal cavalry. Up to that time confessedly inferior to the Southern horse- men, they gained on this day that confidence in themselves and in their com- manders which enabled them to contest so fiercely the subsequent battle-fields of June, July, and October.
The division moved to Warrenton Junction on the 10th of June, and next day the Cavalry Corps was reorganized into two divisions : the First, consisting of three brigades, was commanded by Brigadier- General John Buford; and the Second, of the same number of brig- ades, by Brigadier-General D. McM. Gregg. The Third Brigade of the latter division was made up of the First Maine, Tenth New York, and Fourth and Sixteenth Pennsylvania, and was commanded by Colonel John Irvin Gregg of the last-named regiment.
TS .. C.
On the March.
The Tenth remained in camp near Warrenton Junction until the 15th of June, when the cavalry commenced moving northward. The infantry had been marching in the same direction for several hours
94
1863
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
before the cavalry broke camp. Reaching Union Mills late at night, the Regiment bivouacked, and next day marched with the brigade to Aldie, where it arrived about 3 P. M. As the Regiment neared the village, the sharp crack of the carbines indicated an engagement. The Tenth was moved to the right of the road just before reaching a bridge over a little creek in the edge of the village. The First Maine Cavalry had been detached and ordered to report to Kilpat- rick, who had been promoted to brigadier-general on the 10th of June and now commanded the First Brigade of the Second Division. They were immediately ordered forward to charge the enemy, who were posted behind stone walls, hay-stacks, etc. The First Maine did noble service here, losing heavily, among their killed being the brave Colonel Douty, who fell pierced by a rebel bullet while gallantly leading his regiment in the charge. The Tenth did not actively par- ticipate in this engagement, but portions of the Regiment were on the skirmish-line for a time. It remained near Aldie during the night of the 11th, and the next morning advanced with the brigade on the road to Middleburg, skirmishing sharply with Robertson's and Cham- bliss's brigades, steadily driving them back. The Regiment en- camped on the pike, midway between Aldie and Middleburg, with pickets near the latter place.
Early on the morning of the 19th the advance was taken up, the enemy gradually falling back before the skirmishers. When near the village, the Fourth Pennsylvania charged through the town and for some distance beyond, the Tenth advancing on either side of the road. When about one mile west of the village the enemy made a determined stand. The nature of the country was well suited for defensive operations. The road led through an open timber, with a wheat-field intervening on the right. A heavy stone wall separated the road from the wheat-field, this wall extending the entire distance between our skirmishers and the timber. The road was narrow, mak- ing it impossible to charge mounted except in column of fours. The rebels occupied the timber as well as the stone wall. Skirmishing in the wheat-field was quite brisk, while from their protected position behind trees and walls the enemy were delivering a destructive fire into our ranks. General Gregg came upon the ground, and, seeing the necessity of carrying the position, ordered Major Avery to drive the enemy out of the woods. The skirmishers in the wheat-field were advanced, and that portion of the Regiment which was in the road was immediately sent forward to clear the woods. It was exceedingly hot work, but the command sped gallantly to the charge, driving the
95
1863 MAJOR KEMPER'S AND SERGEANT EDSON'S ACCOUNT.
rebels from cover into the open beyond, but at a great loss in officers and men. (See report of Colonel J. Irvin Gregg, in Appendix.)
Of this engagement Major Kemper writes :
We struck the Confederate cavalry just beyond Middleburg, and skirmished for a long time. The Fifth Virginia was in our front on the road. Near an old blacksmith-shop, on an elevation, the rebels had a battery, and on the right of this was the Third North Carolina Cavalry. A narrow strip of timber was in our immediate front, and a solid stone wall ran along the edge, behind which the enemy's skirmishers were posted. We had four companies on the right of our line in the wheat-field, as skirmishers; the balance of the Regiment, in column of fours, was in the road. I received instructions to take a squadron and charge the rebel line as far as the woods, when, if I found it too hot to maintain my position, I could fall back. Company F was in front of the column and Company I next. I gave the command, "Draw saber ! Forward, march ! Trot ! Gallop ! Charge !" As we neared the woods the battery fired one round and then I saw them limber up and fall back, their skirmishers meantime dodging from.tree to tree. Just after entering the woods I saw Lieutenant Hawes swing his horse across the column, cutting off six or eight men. I said, "Hawes, my dear fellow, what's the mat- ter ?" He replied, " I am shot, Major," and, placing his hand to his breast, I saw the blood issuing between the buttons on his jacket. I ordered two men to dis- mount and take him from his horse and carry him to the rear. Getting the men into column again, I went back to Lieutenant Boyd, and said, "Boyd, let us try and reach that knoll in front." He raised his saber and said, "Come on, boys!" and was shot through the heart, and fell to the ground, striking against my horse as he went down. I then charged with what was left up to the knoll. From the position gained I saw a great body of cavalry drawn up in regimental fronts, just beyond a bend in the woods. I then ordered a retreat. When we got back through the woods I halted, and found I had but five men with me-the first ser- geant of Company I and four men belonging to Company F. Our skirmish-line, which had been advanced to the stone wall when I made the charge, held it. The rebels retired some distance, and their batteries did some desultory shelling, doing no harm. We occupied the woods that night.
Of the charge made by Companies B and D, led by Major Waters, no less gallant and determined than the one just related, Sergeant (afterward Lieutenant) A. J. Edson, of Company D, writes as follows :
When we moved up from Aldie we commenced skirmishing about half-way between that place and Middleburg, and drove the rebels back to within about three fourths of a mile of the woods west of the latter place. then we moved off the road to the left and formed squadrons. While this was going on the rebels had good range on us with two pieces of artillery located in the edge of the woods. Our battery at this time was commanded by an officer who presented a somewhat youthful appearance and who did not seem to have much regard for regulations in the matter of uniform. He wore a large white hat, and. sitting on the fence by the roadside, kept a close watch on the rebel battery. After a while he jumped from the fence, and hastening to his battery sighted one of the guns and gave
n
96
1863
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY. .
the command, "Fire !" This he repeated again, and the rebel guns were silenced. Then we moved back to the road, and Major Waters was ordered to charge with his battalion, which he did in a most gallant manner. Placing him- self at the head of Company B, which was in advance-Company D next, and the other companies following-he gave the command, " Draw sabers !" and bravely led us to the charge. Just before reaching the woods we were compelled to pass through a cut in the road, and it was here the rebels poured into our ranks a murderous fire from both sides of the cut and in the woods in our immediate front. But few of the boys reached the timber, and there a man from Company B, whose name I can not recollect, mysteriously disappeared. He frequently used the expression, " To be lively," accompanied by a peculiar shrill whistle. When we reached the rebels in and around the cut, he yelled at the top of his voice, "To be lively !" and whistling charged into the woods, which were full of rebs. He must have been killed or wounded and captured, as we never saw or heard from the poor fellow after. In this same place, Mortimer Spring, of Company D, was wounded, besides others, whom I do not now recollect. Just after we had forced the cut, the balance of the Regiment came up and formed near by, and the entire command then advanced into the woods, driving the rebels out lively, and here we had formed line when the commissary arrived and issued rations to us. As my position in the line brought me near the place occupied by the rebel bat- tery before alluded to, I had an opportunity of noting the effect of the shots from our battery, directed by the young lieutenant. There was a broken gun-carriage, showing where the shot had struck it, and the gun had to be left, and fell into our hands .* We had sharpened our sabers but a few days before this engage- ment, and the boys used them to great advantage in the ent, many of the rebels receiving severe punishment from the keen blades. One of the staff-officers re- marked to General Gregg, as the bleeding prisoners passed by, "There is the work of the Tenth New York, with their sharp sabers !"
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.