USA > New York > History of the Tenth regiment of cavalry New York state volunteers, August, 1861, to August, 1865, pt 1 > Part 8
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" Next morning," Captain Vanderbilt continues, " we saddled at break of day and started for Richmond via Fredericksburg. We went into camp some distance north of the river, crossing the lower pontoon bridge the following morning with the infantry and ar- tillery."
Companies K and L were present with the army at the battle of Fredericksburg, but neither company was seriously engaged.
On the 13th of December, the brigade commander, Brigadier- General George D. Bayard, was killed in the battle of Fredericks- burg. Bates's History of Pennsylvania Volunteers says: "At three o'clock in the afternoon, when the storm of battle was raging fiercest, General Bayard, now in command of the whole cavalry force, was struck by a shell and instantly killed." General Bayard was original- ly colonel of the First Pennsylvania Cavalry, of which David Gardner was afterward lieutenant-colonel. The latter officer was near the General at the time he was wounded and gives an account of it, sub- stantially as follows : The brigade, after crossing on Franklin's pon- toons, drove the rebels back and established a strong line of videttes. A dense fog prevailed, which late in the day had risen, thus fairly disclosing the positions of our troops, which were being vigorously shelled. An officer of a regular battery near by had invited the Gen- eral to partake of lunch with him, and on arising from the ground where he had been reclining to accompany the officer, he was struck by a shell on the upper part of the thigh, shattering the leg. He was immediately removed in an unconscious condition to a house * and laid upon a bed, and consciousness soon returned. To the question, "Doctor, what are the chances for life ?" he received the answer, " There is a chance, General, if you survive the shock of the amputa- tion." He instantly replied, "I don't want to live, sir, with the leg gone." He proceeded with deliberation to dispose of his property, making his will and dictating letters, which he signed with his own hand. One of these was to the lady to whom he was to have been married on the day he was buried. The preparations for the wed-
* The Bernard house, known as " Mansfield."
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1×2 PREPARATORY TO GOING INTO WINTER QUARTERS.
ding had been made, and the young hero had his leave of absence in Mix pocket, but refused to avail himself of its privilege when he learned of the approaching battle. He was perfectly calm and col- loted up to the moment of his death, which he awaited with the courage of a true soldier.
On the death of General Bayard, the brigade which he had so wly led was increased to a division, and Colonel D. McM. Gregg, of the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry (captain Sixth U. S. Cavalry), was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers, with rank from November :3, 1/2, and assigned to its command.
The Regiment continued to picket the northern part of Stafford County until about the 20th of December. On the 16th of this month the greater part of the men who were captured near Centre- ville on the 31st of August and paroled, rejoined the Regiment, hav- ing been duly exchanged. While picketing here the men made the nwt of life, living pretty well, and occupying deserted dwellings through the country when off duty. Fresh meat and vegetables were frequently obtained from the farmers, which contributed to the Health and avoirdupois of the men.
Orders were received on the 22d of December to be ready to move the next day ; and on the 23d the brigade, now composed of the First Maine, Second New York, and Tenth New York regiments of cav- wiry, commanded by Colonel Judson Kilpatrick, of the Second New Yok Cavalry, went into camp near Belle Plain Landing, where it was destined to spend the winter months in what came to be known as Camp Bayard.
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
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CHAPTER IV.
SPRING CAMPAIGN, 1863 .- FROM CAMP BAYARD TO BATTLE OF BRANDY STATION.
DREARY, uninviting spot was that where Bayard's old troopers encamped on the 23d of December, 1862. They had become so accustomed to sudden changes, leaving quarters on which they had spent much labor, that few did more than make arrangements for present needs. It can hardly be believed that this place, where in G. they remained for the succeeding three months and more, was the result of choice. It would rather appear to have been accidental that the command found itself fixed in the location where it dismounted amid scrub-oaks and bushes on the evening of the year 1862; but with assurances that they were to go into winter quarters the boys swung the axe and used the spade with a vigor that made a bad scar on the face of Dame Nature in a short time. The wilderness was quickly trans- formed into a miniature city, and as time rolled by, giving prom- ise of permanency, the hastily-constructed mansions were improved in architectural appearance and home comforts.
The place was christened Camp Bayard in honor of the youthful commander who had but recently lost his life in battle. It was a shameful degradation of a chivalrous name, a questionable honor to a brave and deserving officer. The place was a wilderness. There was more Virginia to the acre in Camp Bayard than could be found in any other part of the State. Hills and vales, scrub-oaks, mud, and hard times were there blended. The ground was as wrinkled as an elephant's hide in time of famine; but it was wonderful how soon the boys transformed the location into a place of comparative good looks. The log-huts had been erected with little regard for align- ment or regularity, but as time passed they were arranged and fixed
GENERAL D. McM. GREGG.
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CAMP SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
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up so as to present " a line of beauty." Tents had been issued about the time the Regiment went into camp. These served for roofs. Even the detestable Virginia mud was brought into use to render the cabins comfortable, filling the chinks and cracks. The interiors were in most cases home-like and cozy, and evinced taste in their arrange- ments. Good cheer was always to be found within.
Major Avery had a large log-house erected, where a night-school was held for the instruction of the officers and non-commissioned officers. The horses were carefully looked after, the camp rigidly policed, and every effort put forth by the officers to render the Regi- ment efficient. The trooper who ventured to trot or gallop his horse was reminded of the indiscretion by his comrades uniting in the familiar shout, " Walk that horse !"
Many of the bugle-calls were given words in verse by the boys. When "feed-call " was sounded, they would unite in singing :
" Come to the stable, while you are able, And give your horses some corn ; If you don't do it, the Colonel will know it, And you'll catch h- in the morn !"
There were a large number of contrabands in camp, chief among them being a bright little round-headed black boy known as " Cul- peper," from his having come from that historical borough. He was irrepressible. Under his leadership these colored boys would congre- gate after the men had retired for the night, and keep up song and dance until morning unless dispersed.
Assistant Surgeon Clarke in mentioning these, says :
I well remember when the officer of the day was on his tour on one occasion. These contrabands had formed in line, armed with sticks, sabers, or anything that would serve the purpose, and on his approach rendered the salute in true military style. I can see Captain Peck even now charging on the black rascals with drawn sabers, and can also see the black hussars scattering in every direction.
It was not all camp-life during these winter days. Picket duty helped to drive dull care away. However, the boys managed to get considerable pleasure out of life in Camp Bayard.
Captain Vanderbilt was relieved, with his company, from duty at General Smith's headquarters and reported at Camp Bayard on the 3d of January, and part of Company K returned on the 11th of the same month.
Forty-five men belonging to Company M were mustered into service at Elmira, and left for the Regiment on the 10th of January.
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1863
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
About this time Colonel Lemmon came to Camp Bayard and as- sumed command of the Regiment. He remained but a few days, but his presence rekindled the smoldering embers of animosity, and the strife was renewed with vigor. It was of short duration, however, as he returned to Washington again on the 13th of February.
Two hundred men, under command of Major Avery, went to Lamb Creek Church on the 16th of January for the purpose of pick- eting the lower Rappahannock. The weather was bitter cold and the suffering of the men and horses great. The morning after their arrival the Regiment was relieved by the Harris Light Cavalry and returned to camp, and the following day was inspected by General Gregg.
The entire Regiment, numbering about seven hundred and fifty men, was ordered on picket, going to Lamb Creek Church again on the 20th of January. Only enough men to properly police and care for the camp were left behind. The weather was very bad. High winds and rain prevailed all night, and continued without cessation the 21st and 22d. Notwithstanding the storm, great activity among the troops was everywhere manifested. From six to ten men were on a post at a time on the picket-line. Every horse was kept under the saddle, and the greatest vigilance maintained. This was the time of the " mud march," when the army under General Burnside became hopelessly stuck in the mud.
The 23d was pleasant but cold. The Tenth remained on picket until the 24th, when it returned to camp, and the next day, Sunday, was inspected by General Gregg.
Rain commenced falling again on the 27th, turning to snow dur- ing the night. It grew intensely cold on the 28th, on which day the Regiment moved out at 3 p. M. on what proved to be a most tedious march. At midnight it went into camp near King George Court- House. Starting out again at daybreak on the 29th it marched to Mathias Point, distant from Camp Bayard about thirty miles. The journey was made in a terrible storm, over roads well-nigh impassa- ble. Early on the morning of the 30th the return march was com- menced, and the command went into bivouac near the previous night's camp. The next morning the march was resumed and Camp Bayard reached about noon.
On the 3d of February the Regiment was paid to the 31st of Oc- tober, and everybody, including the sutler, was happy.
Again the Regiment was ordered on picket, leaving camp Sunday, February 8th, resuming its former place along the Rappahannock
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SEVERE SNOW STORM.
1863
River, which had now become quite familiar. On being relieved by the Harris Light Cavalry, the command returned to camp on the 12th. After making some changes of location at Camp Bayard and preparing themselves for a comfortable time, the boys were once more summoned to King George County to do picket duty on Sunday, the 15th of February, relieving the Eighth Illinois and Third Indiana cavalry regiments. The change did not involve any serious hard- chips. as the boys generally found comfortable quarters in deserted buildings and the commissariat was much improved by the finding of quantities of hams, poultry, eggs, milk, etc. The isolated nature of the country had preserved it from the frequent forays of the fero- cious forager. Turkeys and pigs roamed at will for a while. There were many young ladies in the neighborhood, who, if not always loyal, were generally social. They threw cheerful rays of sunshine into this otherwise benighted section, for it could not be truthfully said that it was a paradise. The Northern Neck was the home of the Lees, and Washington had spent some time there, probably the butter to appreciate the rest of the United States .*
Considerable rain and snow fell while the Tenth was on duty in this country, a very severe storm occurring on the 17th of February. The 22d was very cold and nearly a foot of snow was on the ground. Two men were taken prisoners from Company B on this day, but the Company B boys evened up by capturing two Johnnies two days later, Joseph Ranney and Butler Rollins by name, members of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry.
Company MI joined the Regiment on the 20th of February, mak- ing the regimental organization of three battalions complete for the first time.
Surgeon H. K. Clarke relates the following incidents of life on the Northern Neck at this time :
The Regiment was assigned to picket duty in King George County in the win- ter of 1862-'63. Some amusing incidents occurred while there. Captain Vander-
* In The History of the British Plantations in America, London, 1838, Part I, page 165, it is recorded :
" Immediately after this Affair of the Plant-Cutting was over. Lord Culpepper murued again Governor; and while he was holding his second Assembly, his Lordship having it then in View to purchase the Proprietorship of the Northern Neck, viz. : that Strip or Portion of Land which lies between the Rivers Rappa- hannock and Potowmack," etc.
Lord Thomas Culpeper arrived from England as Governor of Virginia in 1679.
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
bilt-he who knew all the horses in his company by sundry natural and uneras- able marks-was at one time in command of the pickets, one post being near a blacksmith-shop at the crossing of two roads. Near by lived a lady with several daughters. The master of this household was in Fort Lafayette for blockade- running. They were ardent " secesh," and never lost an opportunity to drum on their old piano The Bonnie Blue Flag when any of the officers passed. Orders had been issued strictly prohibiting the killing of swine, sheep, calves, etc. One day the lady, full of righteous indignation, sought out Major Avery and related that Captain Vanderbilt's men had killed her pet pig! Captain Vanderbilt was summoned. "Captain," said the Major, " Mrs. - tells me that your men have killed her pet pig. Do you know anything about it ?"
" Yes, Major," replied the Captain, while a suppressed smile hung about the corners of his eyes, " the facts of the case are these : The pig attacked one of my men on the picket post, and the man, being armed, got the best of the pig!"
The lady was compelled to bear her loss without redress.
Major Avery was a great lover of card-playing. Ile one day bantered our commissary, Lieutenant Preston, to a novel and unique game of cards. Preston held off for some time, but finally yielded to the Major's importunities and en- gaged in a game. The result was so unsatisfactory to the regimental commander that Preston was not bothered with further requests to play. The Major's dis- comfiture was a standing joke among his friends for a long time.
One night I with several others took refuge in a deserted log-house. The horses were put in one part and we slept in the other. The snow was deep and wet and the roads had no bottom. In the morning early the cabin took fire from our chimney, and we were all incontinently hurried out into the snow.
In that country I saw for the first time people who did not know what a stove was. They cooked in fireplaces as their forefathers had done.
R. G. King, of Company A, relates a midnight adventure as fol- lows :
" William A. Baker, John P. Mc Wethey, Lyman Senter, Lon. May- you, John T .. King and he, were on picket and patrol duty. Senter was on post and Mayyou patroled the road once an hour to the near- est picket post, that of Company L. The night was very dark, and they had been instructed to maintain a strict outlook, as the rebels had been unusually active and enterprising. Mayyou, at the time King approached the post, had been gone more than the allotted time, and, as the moments flew by, the impression became more fixed in their minds that he had gone on a visit to Richmond. Two hours passed, and nothing having been heard from him, King concluded to make the trip over the road, which ran through a dense wood part of the way, the balance of the route being hedged in by scattering cedars. He cocked his revolver and started forward peering into the gloom, looking for something he did not want to find. Passing along the cedars he had almost reached the dense wood. In an instant,
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REVIEW OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
1803
quick as a flash, his horse jumped to the side of the road into the ditch and King landed on his neck. The horse remained immovable, and King, with revolver cocked and aimed toward the point of sup- posed rebels, breathlessly strained his vision in search of the cause of his horse's fright. Yes, he saw something move. Was it Mayyou, wounded and unable to speak, or were they rebels moving to get into his rear ? He was about to fire, when he discerned the dim outlines of an animal. He advanced and found it to be a calf that had been lying down in the road, and was lazily stretching itself as he came up. King felt that his growth was interfered with by that night's advent- ure. He continued his march without further incident, and found Mayyou at the picket post, where he had been detained, as he had failed to secure the countersign."
Bidding adieu to friends and familiar scenes in King George County, the Regiment returned to Camp Bayard on the 28th of Feb- ruary. Here it remained drilling and fixing up quarters until Mon- day, March 9th, when it went to Lamb Creek Church on picket again. The Second Virginia was picketing the opposite side of the Rappahannock. It evinced a desire to fraternize, but the orders and disposition at this time were opposed to holding any intercourse with the enemy. A boat filled with Confederate soldiers attempted to make a crossing to our side on the 11th of March, but met with such a warm reception from the pickets that they hastily returned.
On being relieved by the First Pennsylvania Cavalry, the Regi- ment returned to Camp Bayard on the 19th. Brigade and division inspections on the 24th and 25th were followed by drilling and po- licing the camp.
A part of the Regiment was again sent on the 28th to picket the Rappahannock below the point where they had recently been on duty.
A detail from the Tenth went to Falmouth on the 2d of April for horses, returning with about seventy-five.
Captain Carpenter, of Company G, on being ordered before a board of examination on the 4th of April, tendered his resignation, which was accepted on the 9th of the same month.
The bugle-blasts brought the men from their quarters early on the 6th of April. Snow to the depth of two or three inches had fallen the day before, and, although still cold, the temperature was suffi- ciently moderate to allow the clay to mix freely, the result of which was plenty of mud. At seven o'clock the division, headed by Gen- oral Gregg and staff, moved out of camp, going to Falmouth, where
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1863
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY
the Army of the Potomac was reviewed by President Lincoln and General Hooker. After remaining in line a long time, during which the infantry and artillery were being reviewed, the tall, gaunt form of the President came into view, accompanied by General Hooker and a vast retinue. The latter were kept busy plying whip and spur to keep in company. The President's face was pale, sad, and care-worn in appearance. IIe sat his small horse with ease, his long legs hang- ing straight down, the feet nearly reaching to the ground. The standing was followed by a passing review, in which the troopers were given another opportunity of seeing the Chief Magistrate of the nation.
Returning at 4 P. M., active preparations were immediately begun for leaving Camp Bayard. That portion of the Regiment on picket reached camp on the 7th, and on Wednesday, April Sth, the brigade . moved out and formed in an open field, west of the camp, to witness the infliction of the sentence of court-martial on two deserters from the Second New York Cavalry. After the brigade had been formed in a square, with one side left open, a blacksmith-forge was brought into the inclosure and a large brand of the letter D was heated to redness. Meantime the culprits having been marched into the open space, the hair was cut from one side of the head of one, the red-hot brand was then applied to the left hip of both, and they were marched around the inside of the inclosure near the line, that every man might have a close view of their features. This, together with the doleful music and savage proximity of the sabers' points to the backs of the prisoners, was calculated to leave an enduring impression on the minds of the witnesses The prisoners were then marched off and the troops returned to camp.
Some changes had been wrought in the composition of the Regi- ment during its stay in Camp Bayard. The command had become united and the organization of a three-battalion regiment completed. General Hooker, who had succeeded General Burnside in command of the Army of the Potomac, was the first commander of the army to recognize the worth of the cavalry. He caused the scattered regi- ments to be collected and organized into a corps, to the command of which Brigadier-General George Stoneman was appointed. It was as follows :
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CHANGES IN THE TENTII.
1863
CAVALRY CORPS.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL GEORGE STONEMAN .*
FIRST DIVISION .- Brigadier-General Alfred Pleasonton.
First Brigade .- Colonel Benjamin F, Davis : Eighth Illinois, Colonel David R. Clendenin ; Third Indiana, Colonel George H. Chapman ; Eighth New York, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles R. Babbit ; Ninth New York, Colonel William Sackett.
Second Brigade .- Colonel Thomas C. Devin : First Michigan, Company L, Lieutenant John K. Truax; Sixth New York, Lieutenant - Colonel Duncan Me Vicar, Captain William E. Beardsley; Eighth Pennsylvania, Major Pennock Huey : Seventeenth Pennsylvania, Colonel Josiah H. Kellogg.
Artillery .- New York Light, Sixth Battery, Lieutenant Joseph W. Martin. SECOND DIVISION .- Brigadier-General William W. Averill.
First Brigade .- Colonel Horace B. Sargent : First Massachusetts, Lieutenant- Colonel Greely S. Curtis : Fourth New York, Colonel Louis P. Di Cesnola; Sixth Ohio, Major Benjamin C. Stanhope ; First Rhode Island, Lieutenant-Colonel John L. Thompson.
Second Brigade .- Colonel John B. McIntosh : Third Pennsylvania, Lieuten- ant-Colonel Edward S. Jones; Fourth Pennsylvania, Lieutenant-Colonel William .
E. Doster ; Sixteenth Pennsylvania, Lieutenant-Colonel Lorenzo D. Rogers.
Artillery .- Second United States, Battery A, Captain John C. Tidball.
THIRD DIVISION .- Brigadier-General David McM. Gregg.
First Brigade .- Colonel Judson Kilpatrick : First Maine, Colonel Calvin S. Douty ; Second New York, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry E. Davies, Jr .; Tenth New York, Lieutenant-Colonel William Irvine.
Second Brigade .- Colonel Percy Wyndham : Twelfth Illinois, Lieutenant- Colonel Hasbrouck Davis ; First Maryland, Lieutenant-Colonel James M. Deems; First New Jersey, Lieutenant - Colonel Virgil Broderick ; First Pennsylvania, Colonel John P. Taylor.
REGULAR RESERVE CAVALRY BRIGADE .- Brigadier-General John Buford : Sixth Pennsylvania, Major Robert Morris, Jr .: First United States, Captain R. S. C. Lord; Second United States, Major Charles J. Whiting; Fifth United States, Captain James E. Harrison : Sixth United States, Captain George C. Cram.
Artillery .- Captain James M. Robertson: Second United States, Batteries B and I. Lieutenant Albert O. Vincent; Second United States, Battery M, Lieutenant Robert Clarke ; Fourth United States, Battery E, Lieutenant Samuel S. Elder.
Of the foregoing commands the Second and Third Divisions, First Brigade, First Division, and the Regular Reserve Brigade, with Robertson's and Tidball's batteries, were on the Stoneman raid, April 29th to May 7th.t
In the changes that had taken place among the officers of the Tenth up to the 1st of March, Captain A. D. Waters had been pro-
* General Stoneman was afterward promoted Major-General of Volunteers with rank from November 29, 1862.
* Official Records, xxv, Part I. p. 168.
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
1863
moted to major of the new Third Battalion, and First Lieutenant · George Vanderbilt had been advanced to captain of Company L. Lieutenant Layton S. Baldwin having been made captain of Com- pany E, vice Morey, resigned, Sergeant-Major N. D. Preston was commissioned as first lieutenant in his place. Both of the latter offi- cers were promoted while on recruiting service in New York, and did not join the Regiment until February, when Lieutenant Preston was promoted to regimental commissary of subsistence, and Second Lieutenant William A. Snyder, of Company E, received a commission as first lieutenant. Other changes among the officers and non-com- missioned officers will be found by reference to the individual records.
The following was the roster of the commissioned officers of the Regiment on the 1st of March, 1863 :
FIELD AND STAFF. Colonel, John C. Lemmon. Lieutenant-Colonel, William Irvine. Major M Henry Avery. Major John H. Kemper. Major Alvah D. Waters.
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