USA > New York > History of the Tenth regiment of cavalry New York state volunteers, August, 1861, to August, 1865, pt 1 > Part 18
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* The Campaigns of Stuart's Cavalry, pp. 387-392.
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150 HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
night within three hundred rods of the road along which our troops were marching.
Major McClellan says :
So close were we to the marching columns of the enemy that we could dis- tinctly hear the orders of the officers as they closed up the column. We could even hear the voices of the men in conversation, etc.
He further states that as daylight came on our infantry stacked arms near by and began straggling in search of water, when. knowing their discovery was inevitable, their batteries were put in readiness, and as "a few shots on the side of the enemy next to Warrenton in- formed us that some one was about to commence work there, in an instant our seven guns were raining shell and canister upon the enemy." * Our infantry moved to the attack, and after a brief en- gagement Stuart uncovered himself by moving to the rear, thus ex- tricating his command from its perilous position.
When the Tenth left the hillside at Auburn skirmishing was briskly going on, our skirmishers being under command of Captain Bliss ; but the enemy exhibited no disposition to push further fight- ing seriously, and Gregg's regiments left with as much order as if going on parade. After passing Cedar Run the men were compelled to leave the road, which was in possession of the enemy, and march Indian file through the underbrush and timber to its right for some distance.
Just before dark the Regiment issued from the woods south of Bristoe Station, and the men beheld a long column of infantry drawn up on the opposite side of the railroad cut, which in the fading light of day were mistaken for Union troops, but, a moment later, a volley directed against the Regiment changed not only their opinion, but the direction of march as well. The First New Jersey, under the gallant Colonel Janeway, were deployed mounted to meet the rebel infantry; but the intervening railway cut prevented their doing ef- fective service, and the whole force finally retired through the woods. toward Brentsville and took position on the left of the Second Corps, then in process of retirement by the right flank after the brilliant fight at Bristoe Station, in which they punished the rebels severely and captured several cannon. In the early evening, when attacked" by the rebel infantry, the horse of Harry Freeman, of Company A, was shot, and Sergeant Mitchell bravely returned under fire and as- sisted Freeman to join his company.
# Campaigns of Stuart's Cavalry, p. 302.
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ON PICKET AT FAYETTEVILLE AND MORRISVILLE.
At 1 A. M. the Regiment left its position in line near Brentsville, and moving by the right flank followed the rest of the brigade, pass- ing over the battle-field in the woods, where the pitiful cries of the wounded rose on the still night air pleading for water and assistance. The march was continued all day in a hard rain, crossing Broad Run at night and going into camp soon after.
The next day two squadrons were sent to picket along Bull Run, and on the 17th the Regiment marched with the army-trains, going into camp about four miles from Fairfax Court-House. Rations and forage were obtained from Fairfax Court-House on the 18th, and that afternoon the Regiment marched to Union Mills. On the 19th Com- pany H was ordered to accompany the One Hundred and Seventieth New York Volunteers on picket, returning to the Regiment next day.
The march southward was commenced again on the 21st, General Lee having begun a retrograde move, and the cavalry encamped near Gainesville. From this point a detail from the Tenth was sent to Washington with condemned horses.
On the 22d the Regiment marched with the brigade to Fayette- ville, where it continued on picket and scouting duty until the 7th of November, when it was ordered to Morrisville and next day to Kelly's ¿Ford. Here it went on picket. Returning to Morrisville on the 10th, it was ordered to report to Colonel Huey, of the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, at Grove Church, for picket duty. On the 18th a part of the picket reserve had a slight skirmish with guerrillas.
On the 19th of November, Lieutenant M. R. Woodruff with a small force was attacked by largely superior numbers near Grove Church and lost five men taken prisoners, and he himself was wounded very severely and left on the field for dead. Warren Irish, of Com- pany D, gives an account of this affair as follows :
While on picket near Grove Church, a woman who lived outside our lines made a request for eight or ten safeguards. Lieutenant Woodruff, of Company L, was sent out to post them. They had gone but a short distance beyond our picket-line when they were attacked by about twenty-five bushwhackers. who were lying in ambush for them. The Lieutenant was shot in the back, and his horse becoming unmanageable, the rebels supposed he was trying to escape and shot him again. He fell from his horse, and feigning death, barely escaped with his life. The rebels proposed to shoot him again, but finally decided that he was dead. All the men were taken prisoners, including W. Brooks, B. Bowman, N. Dimon. S. Leach, J. E. Derrand, and J. Hummel, of Company E. After the rebels had gone, Lieutenant Woodruff crawled near enough to a small house to have his cries for help heard, and a small boy went to his assistance and aided him to the house, where he remained until an ambulance arrived and took him away.
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An unfortunate affair occurred on the morning of the 20th. The Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry, returning from a reconnaissance, came upon the pickets of the Tenth, and each supposing the other to be rebels, attacked with vigor. Before serious consequences occurred, however, the mistake was discovered.
Pickets were called in and the Regiment marched to Morrisville and joined the brigade on the 23d of November. Several men were taken from the Tenth this day to serve in Battery A, Fourth United States Artillery, among the number being Robert Trotter and Eli Baird, of Company D.
Leaving Morrisville at 6 A. M. on the 24th, the Regiment marched to Ellis Ford, on the Rappahannock, where it crossed and went into camp at Union Church. The day was raw, cold, and rainy. Then on Thursday, the 26th, it marched to Ely's Ford and crossed, the Second Pennsylvania Cavalry leading. After crossing, the Tenth took the advance in the Second Brigade, which was ahead, and bivouacked late in the night at White Hall. The march was taken up again at day- break on the 27th, and about noon the plank road running from Ger- manna Ford to Fredericksburg was struck, when the First Brigade took the advance, and after reaching New Hope Church the latter brigade came upon the rebels in force and suffered considerably before assist- ance could reach them. The Fifth Corps had come upon the road between the two brigades, making it necessary for the cavalry boys to march in single file part of the time in passing them to go to the help of their hard-pressed comrades of the First Brigade, so that by the time the scene of the conflict was reached it had degenerated into a brisk skirmish. There were abundant evidences of the hard strug- gle as the Regiment came upon the ground. The dead and wounded in great numbers were lying in the shade of the trees surrounding the little church, while near by the surgeons were busy plying knife and saw upon the unfortunate wounded. The Tenth was at once dismounted and advanced as skirmishers in a dense undergrowth to the left of the road upon which it had advanced. It was next to im- possible to preserve alignment or to keep within sight of each other in the rank jungle. Toward evening the infantry took the places of the cavalry, and the latter encamped in the woods in their rear.
The Tenth was assigned to picket duty on the cold, stormy 28th of November. The Second and Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry and the Tenth were the only regiments of the division present, Colonel Taylor's brigade having been sent for the supply-trains. The weather remained cold and disagreeable on the 29th. While a feather-weight
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A SHARPSHOOTER'S FATE.
issue of rations was being made to the Regiment on this day, there suddenly appeared a bareheaded horseman coming into the open from the direction of Parker's store-in our rear-shouting wildly, " Rebs ! rebs !" at the top of his voice. In an instant all was commotion. The men scattered for their quarters, the bugles resounded on every side, and for a few moments all was confusion ; but General Gregg soon had his command in good condition for receiving visitors. The Tenth was moved down the road whence the alarm came, and a por- tion of the Regiment dismounted and advanced a strong line of skir- mishers on the right of the road in the woods. The enemy were found in force, and a brisk skirmish ensued. A section of the bat- tery came flying down, and taking position in the road, began shelling. the enemy vigorously. General Gregg had taken the precaution to have a company of sharpshooters from the Sixth corps in reserve. The officer commanding the section of artillery complained that sharpshooters were picking off his men and horses.
The captain of the sharpshooters detailed a man to discover the rebel marksman and snap his brittle thread of life. A tall, stoop- ing, ungainly-looking specimen of humanity responded to the Cap- tain's call, and swinging an immense rifle (with a long telescope- sight running the entire length of the barrel) over his shoulder, he shambled along under cover of the trees until he passed just beyond the skirmish-line. Stationed behind a large tree, he watched intently a tree near the bridge which crossed the little stream in our front, along which the rebel line extended. Presently he brought the im- mense rifle to his shoulder, the report of its discharge was blended with those of the carbines on either flank, and those who had been watching the proceedings saw a man fall from the tree on which his attention had been fixed. A few moments later the rebels fell back, and as a part of the Regiment passed the spot in pursuit, the lifeless form of the rebel sharpshooter was seen lying as he had fallen, a vic- tim of the barbarous mode of warfare which he had himself chosen. Major Weed, Assistant Adjutant-General Maitland, Adjutant Ken- nedy, and Commissary Preston, galloped over the road to Parker's Store, following close upon the retreating rebels. The latter officer captured a soldier belonging to the First North Carolina Cavalry.
A small force under Sergeant W. R. Perry, of Company A, also followed for some distance in pursuit. With this latter party was a sergeant of one of the Pennsylvania cavalry regiments, who discor- ered his brother lying dead by the roadside. Bending over the inani- mate form for a moment, as if to assure himself that life had departed,
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154 HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
he removed the boot and took from the stocking of one of the feet of the dead man a twenty-dollar treasury note.
After re-establishing the picket-line the Regiment again returned to its vacant camp. Captain Snyder was detailed with his squadron to open communication with Colonel Taylor's brigade, for whose safety General Gregg appeared to be somewhat concerned. The route to be taken by the Captain led directly over the ground occupied by the Confederate Cavalry in the engagement of the afternoon, beyond which much of the way was through narrow paths and dense jungle, so canopied in places as to shut out the view of the skies. The night was dark and gloomy and it was very cold, but the duty was performed well and satisfactorily, the detachment returning to camp next day.
Few of the troopers of Gregg's division were aware, perhaps, how near they came to opposing a heavy movement of infantry at this point, intended for the destruction of the left of the Union army. Major Mcclellan says : *
Hampton occupied the extreme right of the Confederate line. A personal reconnaissance on the 30th brought him into a position where he was in rear of the Federal left wing, which was fully commanded by his post of observation. Hampton was looking down on the rear of the Federal guns as they stood pointed against the Confederate lines. There seemed to be no reason why a heavy force could not be concentrated at this point, which might attack the Federal lines in reverse, and perhaps re-enact some of the scenes of Chancellorsville. This infor- mation was quickly communicated to Stuart, who, after himself examining the ground, conducted General R. E. Lee to the same place. A council of war was held at night. The talk among the staff was that General Lee and General Stuart favored an immediate attack, but that Generals Ewell and Hill did' not deem it best. General Lee made another personal reconnaissance on the 1st of December. In his report he says: " Anderson's and Wilcox's divisions were withdrawn from the trenches at 3 A. M. on the 2d and moved to our right, with a view to make an attack in that quarter. As soon as it became light enough to distinguish objects it was discovered that the enemy's pickets along our entire line had retired, and our skirmishers were sent forward to ascertain his position : .. . preparations were made to attack him on Wednesday morning. This was prevented by his retreat,"
The Army of the Potomac commenced falling back from Mine Run on the 1st of December, and Grogg's division was assigned the duty of covering the retreat. It was a bitter cold night, the men be- coming thoroughly chilled through while standing to horse, awaiting for the trains and columns of infantry and artillery to pass.
* Campaigns of Stuart's Cavalry. p. 808.
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ENCAMPED AT TURKEY RUN.
Finally, falling in, the cavalry followed in rear of the last of our troops, urging and aiding stragglers along, and crossed the river on the morning of the 2d, the rebels following to the river and throwing a few shells. (See Appendix for Major Weed's report of operations of the Tenth New York Cavalry in Mine Run campaign.)
Then came a resumption of picket duty along the Rapidan until the 7th, when the Regiment rejoined the brigade near Stevensburg; and back to the Rappahannock, crossing at Kelly's Ford on the 12th, and thence to Bealton. On the 15th it marched through Warrenton Junction and relieved the Sixth Ohio, guarding the' railroad, and at 3 P. M. Company H, the advance of the Regiment, settled down at Turkey Run, near Warrenton.
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CHAPTER VIII.
SPRING CAMPAIGN, 1864-FROM TURKEY RUN TO RETURN FROM SHERIDAN'S RAID TO RICHMOND.
HEN the Tenth encamped in the oak woods between Warrenton and Warrenton Junc- tion, in the middle of December, 1863, there was little thought that the command was to go into winter quarters there. But when it was announced that the Second Cavalry Division would remain on the line of the Warrenton Branch Railroad during the winter, the boys began chopping down the trees and erecting cabins. The hill was soon shorn of its beard, and the Regiment was comfortably housed in its new location. It was on high ground, with plenty of wood and water near by. In the erection of quarters and the interior furnishings, levies were made on abandoned buildings from the surrounding country. The camp was never christened, but was generally referred to as the " camp near Turkey Run." It was about equidistant between Warrenton and Warrenton Junction. To the east of the camp was an open field used by the Regiment as a parade and drill ground.
Here, in this camp, the Tenth passed a very comfortable and agreeable winter, with enough of picket and scouting duty to make life enjoyable. Commodious quarters were erected for the comman- dant of the regiment, where the officers usually assembled in large numbers to pass the evenings-and other things.
School-boy pranks were sometimes indulged in by the officers to take off the dull edge of camp-life. Surgeon Clarke relates the fol- lowing :
While in camp near Warrenton, in the winter of 1863-'64, we were pleasantly situated. One evening there were gathered in the large headquarters building quite a number of staff and line officers, in the full enjoyment of social inter- course. The night was cold. A rousing fire in the broad, open fireplace added to the cheerfulness of the scene. I quietly dropped out, and taking an empty
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SMALL-POX.
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grain-sack, put it over the top of the chimney, and secreted myself near by to watch the result. With good draught, green pine would burn pretty freely, but when the draught was shut off it would make a most abominable smoke. Soon from out the room burst the occupants, rubbing their eyes, coughing, and saying some bad things. They had been so deeply engrossed in their game of cards that they paid no attention to the smoke until it had become unendurable, and then, after "poking up the fire," which but added to their misery, they finally made a break for fresh air, the Major meantime shouting for his orderly, Archie, and his colored servant, "Lije." What a jargon of disconnected sentences I heard from those officers as I lay near by, concealed and almost convulsed with laughter! Finally, some one discovered the bag, and it was removed, the Major ejaculating meantime, " That's some of Dock Clarke's doings." Toward morning I had a dose of the same medicine, but without bad results, as the trick was discovered in good season by Donnelly.
By the way, who that ever met Donnelly, the Irishman from Company F, serving in the hospital department, that did not remember him ?- he who made a pack-animal of his horse, carrying everything that others abandoned, together with extra camp pails, pans, etc. When the Regiment would start out on a march, Donnelly would have such a load of blankets. bedding, and camp and garrison equipage, that little more than his head would show above the "fortification " when he got into the saddle. But on top of all would invariably be found the evidence of a taste for music-his bugle and fiddle.
What a rollicking, happy, genial fellow Major Avery was ! I can almost hear him now break into his favorite song :
"Come, all you jolly good fellows, And stand up in a row,"
and ending with the refrain,
" I'm a rambling rake of poverty, And the son of a gambolier."
Small-pox broke out in the Regiment during its stay at Turkey Run. The patients were all removed to a camp prepared for them on the north side of the railroad. Under the skillful treatment of Surgeon Clarke every case recovered, and but one retained the marks of the dreadful disease.
An occasional relief from the ennui of camp-life was afforded by an attack on the pickets, or the stampeding of some horses by the enterprising partisans who peopled the surrounding country. Some- times the men were unceremoniously hustled into line, fresh from sweet slumbers or an all-absorbing game of cards.
On one occasion, soon after Lieutenant-Colonel Irvine had re- joined the Regiment, there were several shots fired in rapid succession at the outskirts of the camp. It was quite late, and nearly every man had retired. The ground was covered with a light blanket of snow,
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
and it was very cold. Hardly had the reports of the shots died away before Colonel Irvine's voice could be heard : " Fall in here, men, quick ! Be lively, now !" There was rattling of sabers, and hurried voices of officers and non-commissioned officers, as they all hastened to the point where Colonel Irvine's voice was urging haste. In a few seconds the Colonel had marshaled a force of which he must have felt proud-some with pants, shirt, and boots; some with only the shirt, drawers, and stockings-nearly all in undress uniform. But they were prepared for business. All were armed ; some had revolvers, some carbines, and some small-pox. Colonel Irvine made a sorry at- tempt to get his force into line. While he was thus engaged, word was received that the firing was done by a drunken soldier just re- turned from Warrenton, who wished to satisfy himself that his re- volver would shoot if he should want to use it; and the men scam- pered back to their quarters, muttering imprecations on the head of the disturber of their slumbers.
Great preparations had been made for a sumptuous dinner at regi- mental headquarters one day about the beginning of the new year. A fine roast of beef had been provided, and Riddle-" Bob Ridley " he was called-an all-around player at headquarters, had arranged with some lady friends out a little way from camp to roast it. The meat was consigned to Bob's care, with the injunction to have it back at a specified time, when old John, the colored cook, was to have the rest of the material for the empty stomachs to wrestle with in readi- ness. Time passed, the hour for Bob's coming went by, and no Bob, no meat. Finally, the rebellious stomachs called for action. Bob was evidently having a good time and had forgotten the meat. A courier was dispatched to bring him and the roast in. The ground was covered with snow. The courier started on his errand, but after passing through a light piece of wood between the camp and house he saw evidences of a struggle that convinced him that Bob and the beef had been gobbled, and hastening back to camp he gave the. alarm. In a few moments Adjutant Kennedy and Commissary Pres- ton were galloping at the head of a small detachment of braves in the endeavor to rescue poor old Bob. Arriving at the point indicated by the guide, the fence was found thrown down as if to provide for. the passage of a number of horses, the snow was trampled and muddy from many hoofs, and there in the snow lay the roast of beef just as Bob had received it before leaving camp. It was evident that his captors had a good long start, but the pursuit was taken up and con- tinued for several miles, but to no purpose. The detachment re-
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1864 REORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. :
turned to camp in the evening minus Bob and dinner. The old man died in a rebel prison.
The Tenth possessed two flags, both of which were received while the Regiment was stationed in Gettysburg, in February, 1862. One was the regular cavalry standard issued by the Government; the other, much the same in size and general appearance, was presented by Miss Elizabeth Porter, of Niagara Falls. One of these flags, re- duced to shreds, was forwarded in December to Colonel Lockwood L. Doty, Chief of the Bureau of Military Statistics at Albany, N. Y., for deposit in the military archives of the State. The receipt of the flag was duly acknowledged by Colonel Doty, but in his official reports no mention was made of it in the list of regimental flags in the archives. The other standard, also worn to tatters, was so far dissipated at this time that but a single star of the former constellation was left. This flag remained in possession of Colonel Irvine. Adjutant Kennedy plucked the single remaining star, still left clinging tenaciously to the field of blue, and sent it to a lady in New York State, accom- panied with some appropriate verses by the poet-surgeon of the Regi- ment, Dr. Clarke. The poem was published in various newspapers in the State, while the star of gold was carefully preserved in a beautiful care especially made for it.
During December efforts were made to secure the re-enlistment of three fourths of the Regiment for another three years. Lieutenant HI. E. Hayes was appointed recruiting officer. He entered vigorously upon the work, and assisted by the commissioned officers, whose moral support was vouchsafed by the hopes of accompanying the Regiment on its vacation, he soon secured the requisite number of names to entitle the organization to return to its native State.
Captain Bliss rejoined the Regiment from leave of absence on the 3d of January, 1864. The paymaster arrived and paid the men on the 14th : and on the 15th, in compliance with special order No. 11, Army of the Potomac, of which the following is an extract, the Regi- ment left camp at Turkey Run, Va., for Elmira, N. Y., the desig- nated rendezvous. Only the old companies were eligible for re- enlistment:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
January 13, 1864.
SPECIAL ORDERS No. 11 :
Extract.
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2. Three fourths of the following organization having re-enlisted as veteran volunteers, under the provisions of general orders of the War Department gov- erning the subject, the men so re-enlisted, as well as those who have less than fif-
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
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teen months to serve, who have signed the required agreement, will proceed in a body with their officers to their respective States, and on arriving therein the commanding officer will report through the Governor of the State to the superin- tendent of the recruiting service for further instructions. The Quartermaster's Department will furnish the necessary transportation. ... Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and non-commissioned staff, Tenth New York Cavalry, .. . three fourths of the enlisted men. The Lieutenant-Colonel, one major, surgeon, adju- tant quartermaster, and commissary of the Regiment, will accompany the bat- talion.
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