USA > Ohio > Four years in the saddle. History of the First Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 > Part 10
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The Second Cavalry Division was now commanded by Gen- eral Turchin, and General David S. Stanley was Chief of the Cavalry.
The Third and Fourth Ohio Cavalry, belonging to the same brigade as the First, after the battle of Stone's River were en- camped near Murfreesborough, and during the winter they were frequently engaged in skirmishing near Liberty, Lebanon and Alexandria. They at one time routed John Morgan's command, taking one hundred prisoners, and on April 3, at Snow's Hill, defeated a brigade of rebel cavalry and cut the railroad in the rear of Bragg's army, near McMinnville, Tenn.
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1. GEN. WM. S. ROSECRANS.
3. GEN. BRAXTON BRAGG, C. S. A.
2. GEN. GEO. H. THOMAS.
4. GEN. JAMES LONGSTREET, C. S. A
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MOVEMENTS IN MCLEMORE'S COVE.
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From Murfreesborough to Chattanooga.
June 24 to September 22, 1863. CAVALRY ORGANIZATION, JUNE, 1863. CAVALRY CORPS.
Major-General David S. Stanley, Commanding.
SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION.
Brigadier-General John B. Turchin, Commanding.
SECOND BRIGADE. Colonel Eli Long.
Second Kentucky . Colonel Thomas P. Nicholas First Ohio Colonel Beroth B. Eggleston Third Ohio. Lieutenant-Colonel Chas. B. Seidel Fourth Ohio Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver P. Robie Tenth Ohio . Colonel Chas. Smith Stokes' Chicago Board of Trade. Captain James H. Stokes
On the morning of June 24, 1863, the Army of the Cumber- land struck tents and moved out with banners flying and drums beating, glad to break the monotony of camp life for the excite- ment and dangers of an active campaign.
This army was well uniformed, splendidly armed, and it may well be doubted if a better equipped or more confident army ever struck tents at the sound of the "general" or moved to the inspiring strains of martial music with a prouder step. "Reveille" sounded at early dawn; an hour later the "general" and "boots and saddles" and "to horse" followed in quick suc- cession, and at six o'clock we were "booted and spurred," mounted and off to the front.
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The Second Cavalry Division took the Readyville pike east, passing the gallows on which a few days before several bush- whackers had been hanged by the direction of General Rose- crans. A short time after we moved out a heavy rainstorm set in, which lasted for seventeen days in succession, and during all this time our blankets were never dried out, and our rations in our old greasy haversacks were a conglomerated mass of coffee, salt, sugar, sow-belly, and hard-tack. We moved on the extreme left of the army, passed through Readyville and, on the evening of the first day's advance, reached Bradyville, where our advance had a brisk skirmish, routed a detachment of rebel cavalry, taking a few prisoners, and got into camp wet, hungry, and patriotic, as only soldiers can be who fight for $13 a month and no questions asked.
I will now copy from my diary, kept daily during the war, the incidents of each day, which may not be of interest to the general reader, but which will be of absorbing interest to every soldier of the Second Cavalry Division who was in that mem- orable campaign, from Murfreesboro to Chickamauga.
June 25. Move at daybreak, march five miles and encounter a brigade of rebel cavalry, taking twenty prisoners. No loss on our side. Go into camp.
June 26. Advance three miles, but do not strike the enemy. Heavy cannonading on the right. Receive news this evening that General Thomas has taken "Hoover's Gap."
June 27. Moved out on the MeMinnville pike, but all quiet in front.
A heavy cavalry fight on the right at Shelbyville. Many rebels were crowded off bridges and drowned in Duck River, and many prisoners brought in with saber cuts, which is ample proof of a hard hand-to-hand fight.
June 28. Strike tents at 3 A. M., and march fifteen miles to Manchester, which is evacuated by the rebels with but little resistance.
Manchester is a very pretty little town of about 1,000 inhab- itants, situated on Duck River.
June 29. Remain here all day. Rain pouring down in tor- rents, and, just as we get snugly ensconced under "dog tents" and "gum blankets," with a prospect of a little sleep, an orderly passes along the line of tents at 7 P. M., singing out the unwel- come order, "Strike tents and be ready to march in half an hour!" We feel much more inclined to strike that orderly than striking tents; and, with a few adjectives in the superlative degree, con- signing the fellow who issued the order to a very warm climate, we tumble out in the rain, pack up, and in half an hour we are in the saddle.
This is one of the interesting experiences of the cavalry- . man - packing up all his worldly effects, dark as pitch, rain-
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ing in torrents, no light - not even so much as a coal of fire. First, find your horse, then your saddle, bridle, saddle-blanket, feed-sack, spurs, dog-tent, blanket, poncho, haversack, canteen, carbine, revolver, sabre - all to be packed up according to the "rules and regulations." Try this, and if you do not admit that a soldier who can practice this kind of gymnastics for three or four years and always keep his temper, and still "stand by the old flag," is not an angel (barring the wings), then I will set up a canteen of apple jack for the crowd.
We took the road leading toward Tullahoma and marched through mud and rain all night. It seemed as if the whole army was on this road and spread out through woods and fields, vieing with each other to see who could throw the most mud. I am confident that every comrade will agree that that was the softest night's march we had ever made during our term of service.
June 30. We are now but a few miles from Tullahoma, and a battle is imminent at any moment. Our company on picket, and this evening we have a brisk skirmish all along the lines.
July 1. One of the boys of our company shot and wounded a soldier, in front of our lines, this morning, who proved to be a deserter from the rebel army at Tullahoma, but who the sol- dier that fired the shot mistook for a rebel picket slipping up to our lines. As he shouted to us that he was badly wounded, three of us moved. cautiously down through the woods, picked him up and carried him back to the reserve. He was an old man, dressed in the usual Confederate gray, but he was not armed and had nothing about his person to indicate that he was a soldier, except that an old haversack hung over his shoulder. He was badly wounded and, on .being interrogated, declared emphatically that Tullahoma was evacuated at daybreak that morning. His voice was so earnest and his face so impressive, that we could not doubt his statement. He also said that his name was S. H. D. Duncan, and that he was then trying to make his way to his home in Manchester, Tenn. Immediately on receiving the news of the evacuation of Tullahoma, which I knew, if true, was very important to the commanding General, I mounted my horse and galloped rapidly back to General Thomas' headquarters and gave him the news of the evacua- tion of Tullahoma, as given by Duncan. Thomas at once called his Adjutant-General, Flint, and ordered an immediate forward movement of the army.
We were on picket in front of General Reynold's division, and as they advanced we moved out, and, as will be well remem- bered, rode into the works in front of Tullahoma without firing a shot. We all supposed that the man Duncan would die of his wounds in a few hours, but he recovered, and a few years
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ago, by writing to the postmaster at Manchester, I learned his address, and, on writing and receiving an answer, learned that he had always suffered from the wound and that one side of his body was paralyzed.
On entering the works at Tullahoma we found that the reb- els had abandoned much of their camp equipage, and the corn meal was strewn over the ground so thickly that it looked like snow. We followed up the retreat rapidly toward Elk River, and. overtook their rear guard at Beaver Fork, and here our regiment had a sharp fight, with a loss of several men wounded and one killed, Jack Hickman, of Company H. We captured quite a number of prisoners, and on the third a detachment of our regiment was sent to the rear with the prisoners and delivered them over to General Beatty, at Manchester, and I still have in my possession the receipt given by him for the safe delivery of the prisoners.
July 4. The regiment had a fight to-day and drove the rebels at every point on the line and took a number of pris- oners. Billy Ball, of Company F, killed. Arrive at Decherd, on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.
July 6. March southwest through Winchester, and all the cavalry of this department, consisting of twenty regiments, en- camp together. Sergeant Henry E. Bumgardner, Company B, drowned in crossing Elk River.
July 7, 8, 9. In camp, sending out foraging expeditions every day.
July 10. Move camp to Salem, and on the eleventh send a large foraging party into Alabama.
July 12. Strike tents, and the whole brigade starts on a raid through Northern Alabama, and arrive at Huntsville at 12 o'clock on the thirteenth, having burned a railroad bridge fifteen miles east from here last night. 1
July 14 and 15. Remain in camp at Huntsville; large for- aging and raiding parties sent out and bringing in large num- bers of mules and horses.
July 16. March toward Athens and camp on Pine Creek, and on the seventeenth take possession of Athens, and remain here the eighteenth and nineteenth, and on the twentieth take up our march southward and arrive at Elkton, and on the twen- ty-first reach Pulaski, Tenn.
July 22. The brigade had a lively fight out on the picket line. Remain in camp here until the twenty-fifth, and then march to Faetteville, where our wagon train meets us for the first time since leaving Decherd on the sixth, not having any mail for three weeks, but now we all get letters from the "girl we left behind." We remain here until the first of August, and during our stay about 6,000 persons came in and took the oath of allegiance to save their mules, and then went immediately home, took their
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shot-guns and went to bushwhacking.
We have now confiscated several hundred horses and mules, and the brigade is splendidly mounted. While stationed at Faetteville, the First Ohio published a newspaper called the Cavalier, which was edited by William Davis, of Company M, and . Thompson, of Company D, with T. C. Stevenson and Joe Devreux, of Company D, publishers. The motto of the heading reads: "We Go Where Rebs Await Us." As will be remembered, it was a spicy sheet, and some poetic cavalryman wrote a parody on Morgan's mule, the first verse of which ran thus:
"A planter came to camp one day, His niggars for to find;
· His mules had also gone astray, And stock of every kind. The planter tried to get them back, And thus was made a fool,
For every boy in camp he met Cried; 'Mister, here's your mule!' "
CHORUS-
"Go back, go back, go back old scamp, And don't be made a fool;
Your niggars they are all in camp, And Turchins got your mule."
On the first day of August we struck tents and marched through Salem to Winchester, where we went into camp on the third. We remained at Winchester until the nineteenth, be- ing paid off and the whole army reviewed and inspected. On the morning of the nineteenth we move at early dawn and in the evening camp at the foot of a range of the Cumberland moun- tains.
August 20. We take the mountain pass at daybreak and pass over the mountain called "The Smoky Range," and descend into the valley after a very hard day's march. We re-crossed the mountain on the twenty-first to assist our wagon train, which we found badly demoralized, many of the wagons being upset and broken to atoms on the rocks. This is a day long to be remembered as the wickedest day on record, as the swearing of the "mule whackers" would rival the demons of Hades and give them a discount of fifty.
August 22. March through Sinking Cove and through Stevenson to the Tennessee River, and on the twenty-third march five miles up the river toward Bridgeport. We picket the river and can plainly see the rebel pickets on the south bank, and Frank Allen, of Company. K, with a few more of the boys, take a skiff and row across to pay the Johnnies a visit and trade coffee for "terbacker," while two of the Johnnies come over to visit the "Yanks" and take breakfast. We are on picket
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duty along the river until the twenty-ninth, when the First Ohio, Third Ohio, and Second Kentucky cross the river, making a successful raid on Trenton, Georgia, capturing many prisoners and a large quantity of stores. On the night of the twenty-eighth pontoons are thrown across the river a few miles below Steven- son and on the morning of the twenty-ninth those of us who are on picket can see the glistening bayonets of our infantry as they are crossing the river about a mile below us.
About this time the rebel pickets across the river rode down to water their horses, when our boys shouted across to them and insisted that they should come over and take breakfast, but the Johnnies, taking in the situation, "stood not upon the order of their going," but putting spurs to their horses went up the mountain pass at a rate of speed that would have put to shame John Gilpin.
We ford the river September 2, and march to the top of Sand Mountain, and on the third descend into the valley between Sand and Lookout mountains, and on the fourth march through a beautiful cove and camp at the foot of Lookout.
September 5. We take the mountain pass at daybreak, and as the company which I had the honor to command led the advance that day, the boys of Company M will well remember that we had a lively time. My instructions from General Long were that when we "struck the enemy to fire, and then charge him." After reaching the top of the mountain we began to see signs of the enemy, and about noon the first shot was fired by the rebel pickets, and our advance under Corporal McMann raised their carbines, bang! bang! and away we go at a sweeping gallop for a mile or two in pursuit of the rebel pickets. When we reached the pass down the mountain we found our way obstructed by large pine trees cut down across the road along the sides of the mountain, and also by immense rocks rolled down from the ledges hundreds of feet above. Dismounting, we pushed on, the retreating enemy banging away at us from the rocks below, but doing but little damage. We drove them down the mountain into the valley, Generals Crook and Long being up with the skirmish line. As our horses were on top of the mountain further pursuit seemed useless, and only a few companies of the brigade having reached the valley, we were again ordered up the mountain pass, and the boys will bear testimony that we did not make the ascent as rapidly and with as much enthusiasm as we made the descent, with ball and buckshot whizzing through the pine brush and spattering against the rocks. On the top of the mountain we found a large and well cultivated plantation with a peach orchard of about ten acres. We rode into the cornfields to feed our horses, some of the more inquisitive of the boys made a reconnoisance and discovered a still-house where the old planter was engaged in
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the very laudable business of manufacturing peach brandy. We could then very well understand why the rebel cavalry had made such stubborn resistance for the possession of the top of the mountain, for where was the soldier, "Rebel" or "Yank," who would not fight for territory where there was a prospect of rations, forage for his horse, tobacco or peach brandy? It soon became evident to the officers, from the number of can- teens that were being filled, that there was some kind of liquid on that plantation more attractive than spring water or sorghum molasses. General Long sent Captain Scott, of the First Ohio, to reconnoitre the position of the enemy and order every soldier to his command under penalty of arrest. "Scotty" was a brave and gallant soldier, but he was not averse to taking a nip him- self for his stomach's sake. General Long soon dispatched an- other staff officer to see what Scott was doing and found him standing on a barrel swearing roundly at the boys "not to waste any of the brandy," while two or three fellows were indus- triously employed boring holes in the barrels with an inch augur.
As some of the boys were becoming boisterous and unman- ageable, the General declared that the best thing to do was to move out. "To horse" was sounded and the brigade started, and I think I am safe in saying that fully half the horses were without riders. To say that we had a lively time going down the mountain pass that dark night is drawing it very mild. It seemed as if the very Old Nick was in that peach brandy, and I am sure some of the officers will agree with me that they would rather take their chances in a fight than go through the experience of that night again. But we all got to the foot of the mountain by morning, and those that could not ride down. or walk down, just fell down.
"WE DRANK FROM THE SAME CANTEEN."
"It was sometimes water and sometimes milk, Sometimes apple-jack fine as silk.
But wherever the tipple has been, We shared it together, in bane or in blics,
And I warm to you, boys, when I think of this, We have drank from the same canteen."
CHORUS-
"The same canteen, my soldier friends, The same canteen-
There's never a bond like this- We have drank from the same canteen. "
September 6. We move four miles up the valley and go into camp, and remain until the morning of the eighth, and march to the top of Lookout.
September 9. Descend the mountain on the east and strike the enemy in the evening at Alpine, about 3 o'clock. The whole brigade, with artillery, engaged, and have a sharp fight for an
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hour. The First is ordered to the right, and Company G, under Captain Frankenberger, and Company M, under Lieutenant Curry, move forward as skirmishers, and, by some misunder- standing, the balance of the regiment is halted, and these two companies are exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy for twenty or thirty minutes. Five men of Company M, and several of Company G wounded. Total loss in the First, thirty. We soon drive the enemy from their position, and learn from prisoners that we are fighting Wheeler's cavalry.
September 10. The brigade made a reconnoissance up the valley on the Chattanooga road, strike the enemy in the even- ing and have a running fight, drive them a few miles and return to Alpine. Lay in camp all day of the eleventh, and on the morning of the twelfth move out on the Lafayette and Chatta- nooga road; have a skirmish, take a few prisoners and lay in line of battle all night with horses saddled.
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September 13. This is Sabbath morning and we move early; march ten miles and strike the rebel cavalry, drive them and run into a brigade of infantry, charge them and take twenty prisoners, with a loss of three killed and ten wounded. Learn from prisoners that a corps of the rebel army is camped at Lafayette. We move back down the valley to Alpine, our men much worn out, as the weather is very warm and this has surely been the dustiest day's march we have ever had.
The Confederate General, A. D. Hill, in his account of the battle of Chickamauga, published in the Century Magazine, April, 1887, says that he was encamped at Lafayette on that day, with his division, and says "that when the attack was made the boldness of the attack by these two regiments of cavalry, the First and Third Ohio, convinced me that an infantry column was not far off." "General Polk's brigade was hurried down from Pigeon Mountain, and all preparations were made for a great battle."
September 14. Take the pass and march to the top of Lookout, and on the fifteenth move across the mountain towards Neal's Pass, strike rebel bands and charge them, Companies G and M in advance, taking many prisoners.
September 16. Go down Doherty Pass into McLamoore's Cove after forage. We can see heavy clouds of dust rising to the northeast from the moving armies twenty-five miles distant.
September 17. Lay in camp all day, both armies maneuver- ing for position, and a great battle is momentarily expected. September 18. Make a reconnoissance down Neal's Pass and return to camp.
September 19. Strike tents and march down the mountain into McLaMoore's Cove, distance of twenty miles. My com- pany 'on picket to-night, close to the enemy's lines.
September 20. March at daybreak and form a junction
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with the right wing of our army near Crawfish Springs, and form our line of battle at 9 o'clock, and before we get into line the rebel batteries are shelling us. Our brigade engages the enemy immediately and soon the rattle of our carbines breaks the stillness of this calm and beautiful Sabbath morning. The batile rages for two hours with dismounted cavalry and our brave boys of the Chicago Board of Trade battery. Our lines were being rapidly pressed back, and by some blunder or mis- understanding in an order the First Ohio was ordered to mount and charge a line of rebel infantry. Lieutenant-Colonel Cupp, commanding the regiment, gave the command, "draw saber," and led his regiment forward into the cornfield, and had just formed for the charge when the blunder was discovered, and the order countermanded. Had they made this charge, scarcely a man could have escaped, as a solid line of infantry was advanc- ing. Just at this moment Colonel Cupp was killed and almost one fifth of the rank and file were killed and wounded.
The brigade fell back slowly through the woods, keeping up a heavy fire on the advancing columns of Confederate in- fantry. The Chicago Board of Trade Battery remained with the rear line and kept up a continuous fire from her guns, and sent shot and shell crashing through the rebel lines.
The brigade fell back seven or eight hundred yards to Craw- fish Springs and formed in some old fields and awaited with drawn sabers the attack from the enemy, but it seemed that they were not in condition to renew the attack, and skirmishers were immediately advanced from the brigade to reconnoiter the front, and moved forward without any resistance from the enemy and took possession of the field, bringing off many of our wounded, including Colonel Cupp.
Our Surgeons established a hospital in the brick house at Crawfish Springs and left several nurses when we moved back in the woods, and here Colonel Cupp died about 4 o'clock that evening.
We stood in line of battle about two hours, from 2 to 4 o'clock. During all this time the thundering of Thomas' artillery was heard on the left, and I have always believed that this was the heaviest artillery firing we heard during the war.
In this battle our brigade lost 145 men out of 900 in line. Of my old Company K, Sergeant J. W. Chapin was severely wounded, and was left on the field and reported dead for three months. Among others wounded were Sergeant C. S. Irwin, John Young, Billy Hiser, and Abe Orr killed. My own horse was shot, and after Sergeant Irwin was put into an ambulance, I mounted his horse, which I think saved me from falling into the hands of the enemy. I remember that Irwin's saddle was covered with blood, and he had bled so profusely that the blood run down both his horse's fore legs and down over the hoofs,
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and he remained in that condition several days. About 4 o'clock we commenced falling back, and marched until about 2 o'clock in the morning. It was a cold, frosty night, and as the army fell back fences, cotton gins and other buildings were burned and kept a bright light along the route.
We laid in line of battle the balance of the night, and early on the morning of the twenty-first we wheeled our lines and moved out cautiously to meet the advancing lines of the enemy. After marching down the valley about two miles we struck their skirmishers and we deployed and formed in line of battle. After halting, I remember of looking down the line as the men sat on their horses at an "advance carbine," all intensely watch- ing the advancing columns of the enemy that were plainly in view across some open fields with colors flying and bayonets glistening in the bright September sun. Many faces in our line were pale, but no sign of wavering as we momentarily ex- pected the battle to open, and it impressed me as being the grandest scene I had ever looked upon. Now and then a puff of white smoke would rise and a minnie ball would come zip through the branches over our heads.
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