USA > New York > Reminiscences and record of the 6th New York V.V. cavalry > Part 4
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SIXTH N. Y. AT DEEP BOTTOM.
Suddenly the sharp rattle of musketry was heard in our front and before we could realize that we were attacked, our pickets were coming in closely followed by a heavy force of Confederate infantry ; our bugle sounded " Stand to horse," but our horses were mostly unsaddled, and had we been mounted we could not have fought to any advantage, for the ground was cut and in- tersected by ditches, fences and scattering clumps of trees. The First New York Dragoons received the first shock and were forced back by overwhelming numbers : the balance of the regular brigade held their ground for awhile when they too, be- gan to give way ; at this time matters be- gan to look serious, one of our best brig- ades was rapidly falling back, closely fol. lowed by a heavy force of the enemy, firing rapidly and flushed with what they felt to be certain victory. The horses be- longing to the brigade also seemed in imminent danger of being captured, they were already under fire, and bat a short distance from their rapidly advancing lines. The Sixth New York lay directly in the
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path of this tide of battle with the Ninth New York, Seventeenth Pennsylvania and Fourth New York on our left. The order was passed along, " Prepare to fight on foot," and before our formation was completed the enemy were within short range, their bullets whistling through our ranks. Gen- eral Devin rode up to Major Hall and gave him a hurried command, the Major re- peated it to his bugler, the "charge" was sounded, and our line advanced. As on previous occasions, our breech-loading car- bines proved their superiority-at short range-over the muzzle-loading rifles of the enemy, for every shot that they fired we could give two in return, As we advanced their foremost men halted, and those less advanced closed up, thus forming a com- pact line in our front, and but a few rods from us; our line continued to advance, for a moment they wavered and then broke in confusion, making a cover of a piece of woods just to the right ; here for a moment our advance was checked, but for a moment only ; our men pressed through the woods, steadily forcing them back toward the
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SIXTH N. Y. AT DEEP BOTTOM.
southern point which terminated in an open field. Finding that they could not hold the woods, and that they were being flanked by the Ninth New York, which was well advanced on our left, they broke from the woods and retreated across the open field. We were at close range, and their ranks were terribly thinned ; many fell to the ground to avoid our fire and thus fell into our hands as prisoners, while their dead and wounded lay thick on that part of the field. On the farther side of the field was a long line of rail fence, this they gained and using it for a breastwork, made a short stand.
The Virginia rail fence is an institution peculiar to the " sacred soil ;" it is made en- tirely of rails laid one upon another in a zig- zag line, and affords considerable protec- tion from rifle bullets, as every soldier who fought in the Army of the Potomac knows. Throwing themselves over this fence and lying flat upon the ground with their muskets thrust through the crevices, they opened a close and deadly fire upon us ; a member of Company H was standing by
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SIXTH N. Y. AT DEEP BOTTOM.
my side, a bullet passed a few inches from my face and struck him squarely in the mouth, passing out at the back of his neck; he fell at my feet-dead! I low- ered my carbine and was in the act of bend- ing over him when a second bullet struck my left hand passing completely through it and nearly severing it from the wrist, at the same instant a third struck the butt of my carbine, shattering it to pieces. Dazed and faint I was about to fall when the strong arm of Harry Sharp was thrown around me, and the exclamation "Good God! Foster is killed, too," fell from his lips. Corporal Peter Curran was also by my side, and hastily tied a bandage about the wound, and then took me to the rear, where, under the sheltering branches of a group of oaks, lay scores of our boys, mingled with still greater numbers of the enemy-not enemies now-for they who wore the gray were as tenderly cared for as they who wore the blue; a moment before we were struggling in the whirlwind of battle, seemingly with but one thought, and that was to kill; now with our blood
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mingling together here, the battle raging yonder, the bitterness has departed, and we are friends; what a strange reaction. Casting my eyes around me to see who of our boys I could recognize, leaning against a tree a few feet from me I saw the familiar form of Captain Philip R. Wales, his left arm was bare to the shoulder and there was an ugly hole completely through the arm near the shoulder, but the bone was not broken. Greeting me with his accustomed friendly smile, though with a pale face, he inquired of the nature of my wound, and requested Dr. Clarke to attend to me before looking after him ; that was simply like himself, brave, generous, unselfish.
But what of the battle which we left a few moments ago?
Our line received a temporary check when the Confederates gained the cover of the fence, but it was for a moment only. As I fell the bugle sounded " Forward," and with a rush and cheer our men dashed forward; the enemy broke in confusion and disappeared in the woods beyond,. leaving in our hands four battle flags,
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several hundred prisoners, beside their dead and wounded ; the former were buried near where they fell, the wounded were taken to City Point with our own men and cared for in the hospitals there. In com- pany with about three hundred wounded men I was placed on board a transport and conveyed to New York, and for two months was an inmate of the hospital on Blackwell's Island.
A Midnight Attack. -
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The following account of a midnight attack on our camp near Lovettsville in the winter of 1864-'65 is given by Charles Wormsley, Company E. The facts are sub- stantially as he gives them, having been re- vised and changed in some trifling points by comrades Isaac Collier and T. H. Kier- nan, both of Company M., who were among the first to meet and witness the attack.
After the campaign in the valley, in the fall of 1864, our regiment went into win- ter quarters near Lovettsville, our quarters consisting of small houses, sided up with logs, and shelter tents stretched over them for roofing, from four to eight men occupy- ing a house. The enemy were also in winter quarters, and there was little for us to do save camp and picket duty, with an occasional scout to vary the monotony of camp life. At the time of this midnight attack, portions of two companies, E and
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M, were on picket on the main road leading into our camp; the outpost was near an old blacksmith shop, perhaps a mile from camp, and the reserve, in charge of Ser- geant Carpenter, of Company M, was about midway between the camp and outer post. The night was not dark; the ground being covered with a slight sprinkling of snow. Between 12 and I o'clock the man on the outpost (J. Dykeman, Company M), noticed a body of mounted men approach- ing, and in the dim light he could see that the foremost men wore the blue army over- coat. To his challenge of "Halt! who comes there?" the answer "Friend " was given. Thinking that it was a scouting party of our own men, he gave the usual order, " Dismount, one friend, advance and give the countersign," and while waiting for the dismounted man to advance, the whole column dashed forward; the vidette was captured before he could make any resistance or even notify his comrades of their danger. Sergeant Carpenter, hearing the sound of approaching horsemen, ad- vanced to challenge them, and, like Dyke-
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man at the outpost, was for a moment deceived by the blue uniform worn by the leaders of the column. At the order to halt, they dashed forward, but not until Carpenter had fired his revolver into their ranks. The eight or ten men constituting the reserve a few rods to the rear were captured, and two of them killed, Campbell, of Company M, and McIntire, of Company E. Leaving a detail of eight or ten men in charge of the prisoners and their horses, the column dashed on toward the camp, less than a half a mile away. The men in the regimental camp were in their quarters feeling perfectly secure, not dreaming that there was an armed foe in twenty miles of their camp. Apparently Carpenter's shot had not awakened any one, and not until the enemy were actually in the camp, were
the men aware of their danger. The rebels numbered about 100 men, and their object was to raid the camp and run off as many horses as they could get away with, so while a part of them rushed through the camp firing and shouting, the remain- der rode to the lines where the horses were
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fastened and began cutting them loose. Our men at first were dazed by the sudden- ness of the onslaught, and judged by the noise and confusion that the whole rebel army was upon them. Bare-headed and bare-footed, they sprang out into the com- pany streets, and with carbine and pistol began firing upon the raiders. Finding that the camp was becoming uncomfortably warm for them, the " Johnnies " abandoned the horses that they had detached from the lines and a number of prisoners, and de- camped as hastily as they had entered, but not until brave Lieutenant Carroll had been killed and several others wounded, beside those killed at the outpost. The officer in charge of the raiders was killed, and two or three of their men. We learned afterward that as they went into the mountains they bore several wounded men upon their horses. Four of the men at the reserve post were made prisoners.
Some Reminiscences of Company F.
On the evening of the 15th of October, 1861 (my 19th birthday), at a public meet- ing held in the old church at Good Ground, L. I., the Rev. S. H. Platt being speaker, the following names were enrolled as mem. bers of the Second Regiment " Ira Harris Guard ": Chas. A. Jackson, John Devine, Alexander Penny and Alonzo Foster. In the first part of November we received orders to report for duty and muster, to our regiment then encamped at Camp Scott, Staten Island. Arriving at River- head we found awaiting us a number of recruits from Southold, Sag Harbor and Amagansett, their names were Henry Pres- ton, Julius Young, George Prince, Robert Leslie, S. K. Satterly, Charles Edwards, John Byron, Elbert Edwards, Oliver Loper, Wm. Polley, Charles Whitney, Milton Ben- nett, E. W. Taber, E. T. Latham, and some others whose names I do not recall. When
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we reached Staten Island we were met at the landing by Lieutenant Robert Crozier, Second Lieutenant of Company F, who took charge of us and marched us into camp, nearly two miles distant. Lieutenant Cro- zier was about 19 years of age, and exceed- ingly boyish in appearance; but subse- quent events proved him to be in every respect a good soldier, and had he lived, would doubtless attained to a high rank in the regiment or brigade. He was killed while leading our squadron in a charge on the enemy near West Point, Va., in the summer of 1862. Lieutenant D. C. Han- nahs was our Second Lieutenant, he also was a young man, and a recent graduate from college. He was killed at Williamsburg, Va., September, 1862. The Captain of Company F was an Englishman who had seen service in the British army, his name was John Carwardine, but he remained with our company only a short time, being promoted to Major in December, 1861.
After remaining at Camp Scott until De. cember, and becoming somewhat familiar with camp life, we were transferred to the
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SOME REMINISCENCES OF CO. F.
City of York, Pennsylvania, where we re- mained until February, 1862. Company F was quartered in a large school house, and during our stay there we enjoyed ourselves supremely.
The people were intensely patriotic, and kept us well supplied with rations far superior to those furnished by our com- missary. As a sample of their generosity, on New Year's day, the ladies donated to Company F 300 pies with an abundant ac- companiment of other good things. As we numbered nearly seventy men this gave us about four pies each, which lasted us well into the new year. But this was not the kind of campaigning out of which the best soldierly qualities are developed - there was little war in this.
From York we were transferred to Perryville, Maryland, where barracks were erected and closer discipline was enforced. We were drilled on foot from three to four hours each day, and obliged to practice saber exercise two or three hours more. I believe that in the use of the saber no regiment excelled the Sixth New York
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From Perryville we were transferred to Washington, where we were supplied with horses, and at the close of a rainy day in April, 1862, equipped and mounted, we took the Long Bridge en route for Alexandria.
That was our first experience in mounted marching and there were many ludicrous incidents connected with that night's ten- mile march.
Many of the horses had never been rid- den before and many of the men had never ridden a horse until that night. When these two conditions meet, the consequences can be readily imagined ; so with balky horses, green riders, falling rain and muddy roads, we had an experience not easily forgotten. One member of the Company-George King-was thrown from his horse and re- ceived injuries from which he never fully recovered. At Alexandria we took trans- port for Yorktown, Va , General McClel- lan then being in front of that place with the Army of the Potomac. We were three days on the transports, and on the second day out, while one of the vessels
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was temporarily delayed, a number of us took a boat and rowed to the shore-a short distance away-on a tour of inspec- tion. Seeing a flock of sheep in a field we concluded that some fresh mutton would be an agreeable change in our bill of fare, so bringing our carbines into use for the first time we speedily secured four of the handsomest ones and returned to the trans- port, being warmly welcomed, of course, by our comrades.
This was our first foraging expedition, but by no means the last, though pursued under more favorable circumstances than any that we engaged in afterward. We subsequently learned that the sheep be- longed to a Union man, and that he pre- sented his bill to the Department for pay- ment, but I think it was never paid, our officers having no recollection of any boat leaving the transport, or any men landing, or any sheep being killed, and they had almost forgotten how roast mutton tasted, it was so long since they had had any placed before them.
Arriving at Shipping Point, a few miles
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below Yorktown, we disembarked, and were placed on the right of General Mc- Clellan's lines.
Here we received our first taste of actual war; up to this time we had been playing at soldiering, but now our school days were over, and stern, cruel war was be- fore us.
The first night after we landed we went into camp near the York River, and though tired we slept but little. The con- tinual roar of our guns as they sent their shot and shell over into the enemy's works, was a new experience to us, but to which we soon became accustomed, so that we could sleep comfortably while the heaviest connonading was in progress. I afterward saw men sleep soundly while lying on the ground a few rods to the rear of the bat- tery that they were supporting, the guns keeping up a continuous firing, and the enemy's shells occasionally bursting over head; but of course these were cases of extreme fatigue.
Our stay here was short; the enemy evacuated Yorktown and fell back to
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Williamsburg, where a severe engagement took place, our loss being about 1,500, and the Confederate loss about the same. From this point we marched to the Chicka- hominy. (See Reminiscence of the battle of Savage Station, page 27.) * * After the Seven Days' battle we went into camp at Harrison's Landing, and from thence were ordered to Yorktown, where we remained for several months making raids through the counties of York, Gloucester, Surrey, King William and the surrounding coun- try. Connected with these raids were many interesting incidents, the publication of which is forbidden by the limited extent of these pages.
When our troops first landed at this part of the Peninsula they were looked upon by the negroes with mingled curiosity and fear. As we rode past their quarters it was amusing to see the little pickaninnies peer out at us with dilated eyes and open mouths, from behind the doors and window casings, while the older ones were hardly less shy. After we had become better ac- quainted, they seemed to take great de-
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light in visiting our camp and talking with the soldiers, who were always ready to listen to their quaint dialect and peculiar expressions.
Not far from our camp at Lebanon Church, lived a venerable old patriarch, known as Uncle Jake ; after we had been located a few days and friendly relations were established, I received an invitation to ride out and take dinner with my newly made friend ; so in company with Milton Bennett, one Sunday afternoon I rode out to his house, which was built of logs, but of good dimensions, and a marvel of neatness, both inside and out. Uncle Jake and his wife greeted us with a welcome that was as cordial as it was unique, and seemed to feel that in entertaining Union soldiers they were performing the crowning work of their lives. There was no flooring to their dwelling, but the earth was packed as hard and firm as though it had been cement, and in lieu of a cooking stove, was a large open fire-place, over and around which, simmered and baked the savory morsels on which we were to dine.
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Very soon after our arrival the table was spread, but there were covers for two only. I suggested that Uncle Jake and his wife be seated at the table and enjoy the meal with us, a request which seemed to them utterly astounding. "Why, Mass'r, I clare dat in de ni on to eighty years I libe 'bout here I nebber hear ob a nigger setin down to de table wid a white pusson- nebber. No, sah ! de ole woman an' I will stan' by an' wait on yous gents, but we would feel mighty out ob place to set up to de table an' eat." No amount of argu- ment or persuasion that I could use would induce him to consent to my proposition, so we partook of the meal while our host and hostess served. But the meal-well, the relish of it is in my mouth still, and I have often wondered if I will ever sit down to a table where the food will taste quite as good as it did that Sunday afternoon at Uncle Jake's. The bill of fare was as fol- lows: Milk, cream, corn bread, butter, roast sweet potatoes, boiled bacon and two dishes containing roast and stewed meats. After ample justice had been done to the
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meal, especially to the last two dishes, I asked Uncle Jake what kind of fowl they were.
" Bress de Lord, honey, dem is no fowl ; de stew is made of young possom, an' de roas' meat is a fat young coon dat I catch las' night." I was glad the information came after we had eaten. * * *
In the early part of July, 1863, we were transferred to Centerville under the com- mand of General King, and on Thursday, August 17, rejoined the regiment then near Raccoon Ford on the Rapidan.
Record Sixth Regiment New York Veteran Volunteers. (Second Ira Harris Guard.)
CAVALRY.
This regiment was organized under special authority from the War Depart- ment as the Ira Harris Guard at New York City, and was. after having been turned over to the State, November 20, 1861, designated as the Sixth Regiment of Cavalry, New York Volunteers. The companies were mustered into the United States service as follows: A, September 12; B, September 27; D, September 28 ; I, November 2; L, November 6; E, Oc- tober 3 ; F, October 24; H, October 28; K and M, December 19; C, September 29: G, October 24, 1861. At the expira- tion of its term of service those entitled
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thereto were discharged and the re- mainder retained in the service.
The companies were recruited princi- pally : A at New York City, Cohoes and Boston, Mass .; B and L at New York City ; C at Rochester, Cohocton, Geneseo, Hor. nellsville and Dansville ; D at Troy, Cherry Valley, Salt Springs and Cape Vincent ; E at New York City, Albany, Watertown, Cherry Valley, Salt Springs and Cape Vin- cent; F at New York City, Poughkeepsie, Southold, Sag Harbor, Good Ground, Amagansett and Springs ; G at Bingham- ton, Rochester and Hornellsville; H at New York City, Southold, Shelter Island, Dover Plains and Washington ; I at New York City, Cuba, Franklinville, Angelica and Binghamton; K at Ogdensburg, Gen- eseo, Lisbon and Canton ; M at Kinderhook and Hudson.
The regiment left the State December 23, 1861, commanded by Colonel Thomas C Devin, and served at York, Pa., from that time. In March, 1862, Companies D and K and F and H forming the Third Battalion were mounted and assigned, two each, to
RECORD SIXTII N. Y. VET'N VOL'S. 107
the Second and Fourth Corps of the Army of the Potomac, respectively; the First and Second Battalions were attached to General Wadworth's command, and mount- ed in May, 1862. Companies D and K served with the Second Corps until July, 1863; in the Department of Washington until October, 1863 ; and F and H with the Fourth Corps until August, 1863, when they rejoined the regiment. The First and Second Battalions served with the Ninth Army Corps from August, 1862 (Company A with the Sixth Corps in Sep- tember, 1862), in the Second Brigade, Pleasanton's Cavalry Division, from December, 1862; in the Second Brigade, First Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, from February, 1863 (Companies B and C with Ninth Corps in January and February, IS63 ; a detachment with Twenty-second Corps in July and August, 1863); with the Army of the Shenandoah from October, 1864, and with the Army of the Potomac from March 26, 1865.
June 17, 1865. under command of Colonel Charles L. Fitzhugh, the regiment was
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consolidated into eight companies, and these, with the Fifteenth New York Vol- unteer Cavalry formed into a new organ- ization known as the "Second Provisional Regiment, New York Volunteer Cavalry."
On December 16, 1863, while lying at Culpepper the bulk of the regiment (424) re-enlisted for an additional term of three years ; and on the Ist of January, 1864, the regiment (from that time known as the Sixth New York Veteran Volunteers) was given a furlough of 30 days and transported to Washington, from whence they were transported to New York City, from which point they separated and went to their re- spective homes. After the termination of their furloughs they reported at Fort Schuyler, N. Y., and from thence were transported to their old camp near Cul- pepper, V.a.
We will proceed with a brief synopsis of our services, beginning with the cam- paign of General Pope, in July, 1862, when the regiment was on duty with his army, and assisted in covering the evacuation of Fredericksburg and Aquia Creek.
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Sept. 10 .- Engaged the enemy's rear guard at Frederick.
14 .- Engaged at battle of South Mountain.
16 .- Engaged on Sharpsburg Turnpike.
17 .- Engaged at Antietam on left of Burn- side's Corps.
Oct. 6 .- Engaged at Lovettsville.
1863.
April 29 .- Crossed Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers in advance of the Army of the Potomac.
30 .- Engaged the enemy at Hunting Creek Run and Chancellorsville. (See the cavalry at Chancellorsville, page 37.)
May 3. - Engaged at battle of Chancellorsville. 4 .- Crossed Rappahannock and encamped at Falmouth.
June 8. - Marched to Beverly Ford.
" 9 .- Engaged at battle of Beverly Ford.
" 21 .- Engaged Stuart's cavalry at Upper- ville.
" 30 .- Encamped in front of Gettysburg. July 1-2 .- Engaged the advance of Hill's and Ewell's Corps. (See General Devin's Report, page 121.) " 16 .- Crossed Potomac; encamped at Cat- lett's Station.
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Aug. 1 .- Crossed Rappahannock and engaged Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry at Brandy Station.
Sept. 13. - Engaged Stuart's cavalry at Culpepper. Oct. 10 .- Crossed Germania Ford of the Rapi- dan; retired the following morning across Raccoon Ford and fell slowly back to Brandy Station (see battle of Brandy Station, page 45) and, en- gaged Confederate cavalry ; crossed Rappahannock and encamped.
.
" 12 .- Re-crossed Rappahannock.
" 13. - Crossed Rappahannock and encamped at Warrenton Junction.
" 14 .- Covered movement of army trains re- tiring to Fairfax Court House ; en- gaged the enemy in the afternoon and continued under fire until 9 at night.
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