USA > New York > History of the Tenth regiment of cavalry New York state volunteers, August, 1861, to August, 1865, pt 1 > Part 30
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Sergeant Williams also writes :
At the battle of Sailor's Creek I captured a general and two staff-officers. I was foolish enough to allow others to take them to the rear, and they received the credit of the capture .*
Edward Adam (Albert E. A. Engle), of Company I, was one of the first to reach the two cannon left in the road by the enemy. He also assisted in pushing our own guns up to the line, and took four prisoners during the fight.
General Sheridan says of the battle of Sailor's Creek : .
The complete isolation of Ewell from Longstreet in his front and Gordon in his rear led to the battle of Sailor's Creek, one of the severest conflicts of the war. for the enemy fought with desperation to escape capture, and we, bent on his destruction, were no less eager and determined. The capture of Ewell, with six of his generals and most of his troops, crowned our success, but the fight was so overshadowed by the stirring events of the surrender, three days later, that the battle has never been accorded the prominence it deserves.t .
And of the action of General Davies's brigade in this fight, General Crook, commander of the Second Cavalry Division, has been pleased to say that it " made one of the finest charges of the war, riding over and capturing the works and their defenders. The enemy on the right, who were thus cut off from retreat, surrendered and were taken by different parties."
At the close of this eventful day General Sheridan forwarded General Grant the report, closing with the memorable words, " If the thing is pressed, I think Lee will surrender." This message was trans-
* General Corse was the general officer captured.
t Personal Memoirs of P. Il. Sheridan, pp. 180, 181.
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
mitted by the Lieutenant-General to the President, who was at City Point, eagerly watching the course of events, and Mr. Lincoln returned the laconic answer, " Let the thing be pressed."
Up and in pursuit again at 6 A. M., on the 7th, Crook's division leading, with the First Brigade in advance. Prisoners, wagons, etc., were constantly being added to the stock on hand during the march. As the column approached Farmville, the enemy hastily decamped, after burning the bridge, cars, locomotives, etc. The Tenth charged into the town, to find only hospitals, filled with Confederate wounded. After crossing the Appomattox River, the Second Brigade, under General Gregg, took the advance, and soon after marched into an am- bush, and the head of the column was cut off, and General Gregg taken prisoner. General Davies moved his brigade promptly to the assistance of the Second, and the Tenth became engaged with the enemy at close quarters.
Of the fight at Farmville, Captain David Pletcher gives the fol- lowing account :
Davies's brigade passed through Farmville on the 7th of April, in hot pursuit of the fleeing Confederates. General Davies halted his command about three miles south of the town, and dismounted the men in the fields to the right of the road. While here, the Second Brigade, with General Irvin Gregg at its head, passed us and took the advance. We were enjoying the rest, lying upon the grass, when the sound of rapid firing came from the direction taken by Gregg's brigade. Our brigade was mounted and marched briskly forward, the First New Jersey in advance. A slight turn in the road revealed a little ravine in front. The Jersey boys had passed this and entered the woods beyond, when they en- countered the panic-stricken pack-train of the Second Brigade in full retreat. On they came, striking the Jersey regiment with a vigor that broke their formation, and carried them along with the force of the tide, into an open field, near where the other regiments of the brigade, were drawn up in the road. Here the Regi- ment rallied, and was soon reformed. Our Regiment was just at the turn in the road, waiting for the pack-train to pass. The Regiment came very near meeting the same fate as the New Jersey regiment, the first squadron being run into and somewhat disorganized. I called upon Captain John I'. White, whose squadron was in front of mine, to charge the enemy, who were emerging from the woods in large numbers, and shooting the panic-stricken trainmen. The First Jersey was doing excellent service in the road and to the left of it. I ordered my squadron to draw sabers, and moving to the right of the road, charged the advancing enemy, the officers and men of the broken squadron, joining us. General Davies asked Colonel Avery what officer was leading that charge, and, when told, re- marked that he would probably get all the fighting he wanted. We captured a large number of prisoners, and liad a lively chase after a Confederate stand of colors. The bearer succeeded in crossing a deep ditch, thus saving the colors. Then the Grays rallied, and we were compelled to call for help. They came
2
TORBERT.
GREGG.
WILSON.
SHERIDAN.
MERRITT.
CROOK.
CUSTER.
CAVALRY GENERALS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
1865 ACCOUNT BY LIEUTENANT REYNOLDS OF COMPANY A. 257
promptly, and again we charged the rebels across the field; then we were in turn driven back across the ravine. Meantime the fight along the road was very hot, the First Jersey and our Regiment being most warmly engaged, the Twenty-fourth New York being in the field to our right. Re-enforcements were constantly com- ing from the woods to the assistance of the rebels in the road, which they made desperate efforts to clear. We took quite a number of prisoners and several colors.
In the charge made by the rebs on the road, quite a number of them were cut off. Lieutenant Reynolds, of Company A, took a prisoner, who, in passing his gun, discharged it full in Reynolds's face, the bullet just grazing his head.
Harris Daniels, of Company F, gave chase to a reb, and when close upon him another comrade came to the assistance of the rebel, and Daniels was compelled to do the flying act. A brother of Daniels came upon the scene and rushed to the rescue. As he was a farrier, he had only a revolver, and that was empty. But he dealt one of the fellows a tremendous blow with it, and threw it at the other one's head as he put spurs to his horse and sped away.
The Regiment lost a number in killed and wounded in this affair.
Lieutenant Norman A. Reynolds, of Company A, writes in regard to Farmville :
The wounding of Captain Perry at Sailor's Creek the day before left me the only commissioned officer in the squadron. The First Brigade was following the Second Brigade, with our Regiment in advance, Company A leading. We saw that the Second Brigade had met with disaster in front, and Colonel Avery turned the column into the open field at the left of the road, and, bringing the Regiment into line, rode toward the left. I had just got my squadron into line as General Davies rode up with his escort and asked, "What regiment is this?" I replied, " Tenth New York." He ordered me to charge with it. I immediately gave the command, " Forward !" and then, making a half-wheel, charged diagonally across the road, meeting the rebels on the right side of the road, General Davies and his escort charging with us. Colonel Avery followed immediately with the rest of the Regiment. In this encounter I became engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle with a rebel. As we came together he fired his carbine, which I grasped with my left hand and turned aside, the contents passing by me. I jerked the gun from him just as one of our boys struck him over the head, felling him to the ground. I took him prisoner, together with a fine horse fully equipped.
Thomas McElligott, quartermaster-sergeant of Company D, makes mention of this engagement as follows :
Sergeant Philip Herman, of Company D, was killed at the battle of Farm- ville, April 7, 1865, while attempting the capture of a rebel battle-flag. Riding up to the rebel standard-bearer he grasped the staff and endeavored to wrench it from him, when another rebel coming up shot Herman in the right shoulder. He fell from his horse, which galloped away. After the fight, with the assistance of other comrades, I took him back to a barn which was used as a hospital, and there he died the following morning, Orderly Sergeant Gifford remaining with him con- stantly. Herman had captured many prisoners, including one major.
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258
1865
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
Edward Adam, of Company I, furnishes this story of devotion to a wounded comrade :
At Farmville, April 7th, we occupied a hill, the Confederates having a battery on another hill to our left. from which they shelled us. On the hill where we were was a farm-house with a barn near by. There were about a dozen men be- longing to our Regiment behind the barn, all mounted. A sergeant belonging to some other regiment, who was with us, rode out a few feet to make observations and was shot. I dismounted and ran to his assistance, and, although in plain view of the enemy, was not fired upon. I tried to raise the Sergeant to his feet, but he would fall back limp and helpless to the ground. A lieutenant, whom 1 did not know, dismounted and came to my assistance; and placing the wounded man on the Lieutenant's horse we started, one on each side of the horse, the poor fellow clinging to my shoulder, while the officer held to him on the opposite side. The wound which I had received at Dinwiddie had not yet healed, and while it did not trouble me much when riding it was very painful to walk upon. In going down the hill the horse stepped so rapidly I feared I could not keep up, my foot hurt me so much; but we at length reached the foot of the hill, and taking the wounded man off laid him on a blanket and the surgeons took him in charge, to one of whom he gave his silver watch and to the other ten dollars in money. A few moments later his spirit took its flight and I started to return to the barn, where I had left my horse. 1 soon met him with a stranger on his back. I de- manded my horse, and on a refusal to surrender him I produced my empty re- volver by way of persuasion, and the horse was instantly turned over to me. I think the fellow saw shoot in my eye-but it was all in my eye-the gun had none.
A Confederate cavalryman, writing of the Farmville affair, says :
The next morning, April 7th, found us still acting as the rear-guard, and from the High Bridge on to Farmville there was a constant skirmish with the enemy's advance. They moved slowly and we were kept in observation. Mean- while a part of Mahone's division had prepared for their reception at a little church near Farmville, and we retired behind our infantry line there. Just at the point where the road crossed the Farmville road there was a blockade; nearly all the wagons and trains were hopelessly stuck in the mud.
General R. E. Lee was resting quietly at this place, looking over a map, with many officers of high rank grouped around him or dismounted near at hand. As we approached the spot a heavy column of Federal cavalry was seen coming at a charge, evidently bent on capturing the trains. Before they could reach the posi- tion, however, a regiment of Rosser's old brigade and a part of Munford's com- mand charged the flank of the Federal column, dispersing the whole force and capturing General Irvin Gregg and bringing him a prisoner before General Lee. Our brigade went on over to the left and picketed that flank all the night. The end was now near. During the night the blockade was relieved and the trains of the army placed on a parallel road .*
* Another Confederate writer, General T. T. Munford, says in the Philadel- phia Weekly Times of May 17, 1884: "I had been covering the rear with my di-
259
THE NINTH OF APRIL, 1865.
1865
After the Farmville fight the Regiment recrossed the river, and, marching toward Lynchburg, bivouacked about midnight.
Custer and Merritt moved up the railroad on the morning of the 8th, followed by the Second Division, the Tenth moving out about 8 A. M. Custer's boys captured four trains of cars laden with supplies for Lee's famishing army, besides twenty-five pieces of artillery, a hos- pital train, and a large number of wagons. That the already disheart- ened Confederates might have no rest, General Sheridan directed that skirmishing be kept up during the night. General Sheridan says in his Memoirs, vol. ii, page 190 :
Meanwhile the captured trains had been taken charge of by locomotive engi- neers, soldiers of the command, who were delighted, evidently, to get back at their old calling. They amused themselves by running the trains to and fro, creating much confusion, and keeping up such an unearthly screeching with the whistles that I was on the point of ordering the cars burned. They finally wearied of their fun, however, and ran the trains off to the east, toward General Ord's column.
April 9, 1865-the day of deliverance after years of travail- was Sunday. The church-bells throughout the quiet and peaceful hamlets and cities of the far-off homes were calling the people to their devotions, where prayers would ascend for that success to the Union arms which later in the day would be celebrated by the joyful ringing of these same bells. The Tenth moved out at 6 A. M., and with the Second Division, under command of General Davies, and the First Brigade, under command of Colonel Avery, marched to the left, and soon began skirmishing. General Sheridan says :
Crook, who with his own and Mackenzie's divisions was on my extreme left, covering some by-roads, was ordered to hold his ground as long as practicable without sacrificing his men, and, if forced to retire, to contest with obstinacy the enemy's advance .*
That at least a portion of Crook's troops did " contest with obsti- nacy the enemy's advance" can be attested by the members of the Tenth, the Regiment uniting in some spirited charges, and assisting to repel counter-charges. In the last charge made by the Regiment, but a few moments prior to the display of the white flag on the rebel
vision for several days, and confess I had had but little fun in it. Many a hard knock had my good men received. General Gregg's Federal cavalry made a dash at the train of wagons we were guarding. The Third Virginia Cavalry happened to be in his front. Hle dashed in too far and was captured by that regiment."
* Personal Memoirs of P. II. Sheridan, vol. ii, p. 192.
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1865
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
lines, Lieutenant N. A. Reynolds became cut off by the impetuosity with which he charged, and was ordered to surrender, but, spurring his horse, he ran the gantlet and reached our lines, with a gunshot- wound in his arm and another in his thumb.
Captain John J. Van Tuyl had repeatedly said he would never be taken alive, and those who were acquainted with the brave little Cap- tain of Company K knew that his words were not those of a bragga- docio ; but when the time came to view the promised land through the barrel of a navy revolver, "why," the Captain said, "it was the easiest thing in the world to surrender." Here is how it occurred, in his own words :
In view of the Regiment's having been pretty badly cut up in the fights of the last three days, it was assigned an "easy place" on the 9th of April. It was sent out on the flank to hold a road, while the rest of the cavalry were holding the rebel army in check until our infantry could get up. We were congratulating ourselves on escaping one fight, when we were suddenly assailed by Rosser's entire division. Sending back for re-enforcements, the First Pennsylvania and First New Jersey were sent to our assistance. In the charge which followed I was carried too far, and was gathered in by the rebels. I gave them a good run for it down the rail- road track, but my horse bolted at a cattle-guard, where a mule had got stuck, and, before I could jump off, a dozen of the rebels were on me, each one trying to get the muzzle of his revolver in my face, and all crying in chorus, "Surrender!" with the usual affix that had a more familiar than respectable sound, and I sur- rendered. Lee and I surrendered about the same time. After robbing me of everything and abusing me shamefully, they finally set out on the march, taking me with them nearly to Lynchburg. After dark, I jumped from my horse and escaped, making my way back for a distance, when I gave out and I was kindly cared for by a lady and her two daughters. The lady had a husband and two sons in Pickett's division. They were much relieved when I told them they were probably safe-in Washington-as we had captured the whole division.
My captors told me while marching along that they were hunting for Custer's or Gregg's division. I told them if they chanced to meet one regiment from either of these divisions they would whip that motley mob in short order. I finally joined the Regiment on the 13th at Burkesville.
The scenes attending the surrender of General Lee have been so frequently told that they are familiar to all. In the culmination of all for which the brave Army of the Potomac had struggled for years, the cavalry did their full share and came in for a large measure of the glory attending that great event ; and of that cavalry Davies's bri- gade was active to the last, the Tenth New York gallantly battling to the end, having a number wounded after the white flag was up.
While the Second Cavalry Division was engaged with the enemy on the extreme left, General Sheridan was disposing Custer's and
261
GENERAL LEE'S SURRENDER.
1865
Devins's divisions for attack. When the formations had been com- pleted, and the command for a sweeping charge over the grassy slope was about to be made, General Sheridan says : " An aide-de- camp galloped up to me with the word from Custer : 'Lee has sur- rendered, do not charge ; the white flag is up!' Orders were given to complete the formation, but not to charge." * General Sheridan, while on his way to meet Generals Gordon and Wilcox, of the Con- federate army, was fired on by Gary's brigade of South Carolina Cav- alry; and when Lieutenant Allen, of Sheridan's staff, reached the con- tumacious General Gary with orders from General Gordon to cease firing, he replied, with something of a dramatic air, " South Carolini- ans never surrender!" and immediately made Lieutenant Allen a prisoner. But Custer, having heard the firing, moved out promptly to ascertain its cause ; and proceeded to bring the recalcitrant last- ditch General to terms. The flight of Gary's brigade followed. Lieutenant Allen was thus released. The last gun had been fired, and the last charge made on the Virginia campaign.
This little episode occurred during the meeting between General Sheridan and the Confederate Generals Wilcox and Gordon, to ar- range for a cessation of hostilities, pending the arrival of General Grant, to whom General Lee was ready to surrender the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. On the arrival of the Lieutenant-Gen- eral the formal surrender was made at about 3 P. M., and the news was soon after sent broadcast over the land to gladden the hearts of the loyal people. The Union soldiers held as prisoners of war by the Army of Northern Virginia were released; and came marching back to our camps, headed by the tall, familiar figure of the gallant General John Irvin Gregg.
And now rations, not sabers, were drawn for the boys in gray, and a disposition to fraternize followed long years of fratricide.
With the surrender of General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia the War of the Rebellion was practically ended.
Those who had for so many years shared in the fortunes and mis- fortunes of the now victorious Army of the Potomac, lay down to rest that memorable night with prayers of thanksgiving to Him who had given them the victory, conscious of having well and faithfully discharged their duties.
The total number of officers and enlisted men surrendered by General Lee, on the 9th of April, according to the records of the War
* Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, vol. ii, pp. 193, 194.
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
Department, was 28,356, of which 1,786 were cavalry and 2,586 artil- lery. There were but 287, all told, in Ewell's corps surrendered, nearly all of this corps having been captured three days before at Sailor's Creek. The total losses in the Army of the Potomac, in killed, wounded, and missing, from March 29 to April 9, 1865, was 9,044, of which 1,151 killed and wounded and 339 missing were from the cavalry.
The aimless march back toward Petersburg was commenced by the cavalry the day following the surrender. The Tenth moved out at 8 A. M., and at night encamped at Prospect Station. Pickets were established as usual, but the duty which but a few hours before was fraught with so much danger and importance was now but mere form.
On the 11th the march was resumed and continued to Prince Ed- ward Court-House, stopping at Burkesville Junction on the 12th and Nottoway Court-House on the 13th. While at the latter place the sad news of the assassination of-President Lincoln was received. At a time when such great and disturbing events were crowding fast upon one another, when denials followed rumors and facts were per- verted in the interest sometimes of stock-gambling operators, it is not to be wondered at that the first report of the great calamity should have been received with little credence. Of course, the President hadn't been assassinated; it was too improbable for belief. But the story was repeated until the repetitions finally assumed shape, and the dreadful fact was established that the great and good man had been murdered. What a sudden transition from glory to gloom ! Strong : men wept ; crystal drops, fresh from lacerated hearts, stood trembling on bronzed cheeks as the story of the awful tragedy was repeated. Strange admixture-sadness and anger-yet these were the elements which seemed to struggle for supremacy in the hearts of the brave veterans : sadness that one so wise and good-the nation's father- should have been taken away ; anger with the man who had perpe- trated the deed and the motive which prompted it.
Camp was broken and the march taken up again on the 18th of April, and Petersburg was reached at 2 P. M. the same day. Here Lieutenant Thomas W. Johnson, of Company M, an exchanged pris- oner, rejoined the Regiment.
On the 24th the cavalry started with the Sixth Corps to join Gen- eral Sherman's army in North Carolina, to assist in initiating General Johnston in the surrender business.
After reaching South Boston, on the Dan River, one hundred and
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263
GENERAL SHERIDAN'S FAREWELL.
1865
twenty miles from Petersburg, on the 28th, General Sheridan re- ceived a dispatch announcing the surrender of General Johnston, and the command returned to Petersburg, where it arrived on the 3d of May. General Sheridan started for Washington the day before by cars from Black and Whites Station to City Point, and thence by steamer. It proved to be his final separation from the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, for on his arrival in Washington he was im- mediately ordered to the Gulf Department to corral the recalcitrant Kirby Smith, who had subsided, however, before Sheridan's arrival. That he keenly felt the disappointment at not being permitted to ride at the head of his old command in the grand review he frankly ad- mits in these words :
Under the circumstances, my disappointment at not being permitted to par- ticipate in the review had to be submitted to, and I left Washington without an opportunity of seeing again in a body the men who while under my command had gone through so many trials and unremittingly pursued and assailed the enemy from the beginning of the campaign of 1864 till the white flag came into their hands at Appomattox Court-House .*
General Avery was in command of the brigade, which remained encamped near Petersburg until the 10th of May, when it was or- dered to Washington overland. Acting Quartermaster Oscar Woodruff was detailed to take the brigade " truck " to Washington by steamer. The Regiment proceeded in a heavy rain the first day, but after an uneventful march reached Alexandria on the 16th at 11 A. M. On the 21st it was ordered across the Potomac to Bladensburg. Soon after starting a rain set in, and the Tenth left Virginia as it had en- tered it nearly three years before-in a rain-storm. Going into camp near Fort Lincoln, clothing was issued to the men of the Regiment the same night, the work continuing until after midnight, prepara- tory for the grand review.
Every man was up early on the 23d and preparing his toilet for the day's parade. General Avery was in command of the brigade, Major Blynn commanding the Regiment, which was assigned to the advance of the brigade in the grand review. Moving out of camp with Major Blynn, Surgeon Clark, Assistant Surgeons Catlin and Lansing, Acting Adjutant George Stevens, and Acting Quartermaster Oscar Woodruff, at the head of the Regiment, the Tenth united with the brigade at Capitol Hill, and at 10 A. M. passed the Capitol into Pennsylvania Avenue, where myriads of Sunday-school children were
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