USA > Ohio > Four years in the saddle. History of the First Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 > Part 17
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General Stoneman and General Ed. McCook with two di- visions of cavalry, numbering nine thousand men, General Mc- Cook from the right and General Stoneman from the left flank, had made the attempt late in July to cut the railroad south of Atlanta, but had failed to do the work effectively. McCook de- stroyed a mile or two of the West Point Railroad and reached Lovejoy's Station, but was compelled by an overwhelming force of the enemy surrounding his division to fall back to our lines again. General Stoneman was driven back and he, with about one thousand of his command, was captured.
Kilpatrick's command was composed of the First Brigade
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TERRY COL'S0
Maj. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick.
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First Ohio Cavalry watering in Chattanooga Valley, Tenn.
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and Second Brigade of the Second Division, commanded by Colonel Minty and Colonel Long, respectively :
First Brigade, Fourth U. S. Cavalry
273
Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry
393
Fourth Michigan Cavalry
250
Headquarters
73
Second Brigade
First Ohio Cavalry.
346
Third Ohio Cavalry
477
Fourth Ohio Cavalry
479
Headquarters
81
Chicago Board of Trade Battery
90
Total 2,39S
Third Division, Colonel Murray commanding, 2,400, mak- ing a total of 4,798 men, with eight pieces of artillery, and Gen- eral Kilpatrick in command of the corps. Every officer and soldier in the command realized that the proposed expedition was very perilous and the chances were that many of us would ,either be killed or wounded or what seemed worse, land in a rebel prison. After the order was read the order was given for the pack train to fall out and all troopers whose horses were lame or exhausted should go to the rear, and some troopers may have dropped out, whose horses were not very lame. In a few minutes and just as the sun was dropping behind the mountain, the command was given "right, forward, fours right", and we were off on what proved to be one of the hardest cavalry raids during our four years' service. Soon after dusk we struck the enemy's pickets, which proved to be the advance of Ross' and Ferguson's brigades of cavalry, and a brisk skirmish was kept up all night and during a greater part of the time we were dis- mounted, as the enemy would throw up barricades at every good position at bridges or along the edge of a wood and they gave us so much trouble that instead of reaching the West Point Rail- road at midnight, as was intended, we did not strike it until just at daybreak of the nineteenth. The regiment, under orders from Colonel Long, dismounted, commenced tearing up and de- stroying the railroad track and succeeded in tearing up about a mile of the track near and southwest of Fairburn. Cavalry, when they became accustomed to this kind of work, would tear up a track very rapidly. When the order is given to dismount, number one, two and three dismount, and number four always holds horses, remains mounted and leads the other three horses. Number two hands his reins to number four, number two ties his rein to the bit of number three and number one to rein of number two. The men then form along one side of the track in close order and at command grasp the rails and ties and turn the track over, and sometimes a half mile of track is turned be-
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fore a joint is broken, the men move along rapidly and many rods of the track will be standing up on edge. If there is time . the rails are then torn loose from the ties by picks and axes, carried for that purpose, the ties are piled up and the rails on top of them and then the ties are fired and, thus the rails are heated and bent out of shape by being twisted around trees or telegraph poles, are left there to cool, and no doubt some of them are there yet to mark the trail of the cavalry raiders. The regiment destroyed about half a mile of the track, when the brigade was attacked by the cav- alry and artillery of the enemy in both the rear and left flank. We were ordered to mount, and the regiment galloped forward to join the brigade which had crossed the track and had the advance. The brigade formed a line of battle facing toward the left and just as we began to advance a battery galloped into position on a little knoll to the right of our line. The line was advancing at a walk when an officer came dashing down from the battery, who proved to be the dashing dare-devil, Kitpatrick, and he ordered the line forward at a gallop across the field. He was mounted on an Arabian horse and looked the ideal cavalry- man as he dashed forward in front of our line, his horse clearing a wide ditch running across the field and into which several horses fell, as they were urged to jump it by their riders. The brigade dashed into the woods and soon routed the enemy, tak- ing a number of prisoners. During all this time Kilpatrick's headquarters band, mounted on white horses, was enlivening the scene by playing some patriotic airs. We soon fell back to the road and the column again moved towards Jonesborough, the Second Brigade having the advance. We struck the enemy in a short time and attacked them at once, pushing them back slowly, but steadilly, all day. The country was thickly wooded and a very bad place for cavalry to operate. The enemy would throw up barricades at every favorable position, such as woods, streams or ravines, firing on the advance from ambuscades, the progress of the column was much retarded, and the enemy made every effort to keep our column back from the railroad until re- enforcements could be moved down from Atlanta. About noon the advance halted and dismounted in a thick piece of woods to let the horses rest, and eat a hard-tack raw pork sandwich. The men were all sitting or lying down when all at once the rebels fired a volley and charged the advance guard, driving them back on the reserve before we could mount. Colonel Long ordered the First forward dismounted and on double-quick. A part of the regiment was on the right of the road and advanced across a little field in which there was a melon patch and it was amus- ing to see the boys grab for the melons regardless of the balls that were knocking up the dust on all sides. As it was very hot and the men were almost famished after the long run, the
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melons were very refreshing after the rebel rear guard was routed. The rebel force was pushed back steadily until we reached Flint River and on the east side of this stream they had thrown up works, dug riffe-pits and had a strong position. As soon as our advance appeared a rebel battery opened up and the Chicago Board of Trade Battery was put in position and after a lively artillery duel the rebel battery was silenced.
The First and Second Brigades of the Second Division were dismounted and advanced some distance in the woods on the west side of the stream where we halted and both of our bat- teries, with eight guns, were put in position on a hill in our rear and at a signal they opened up by volleys for several rounds and as soon as the batteries ceased firing the two brigades rushed forward with a yell and the rebel line left their works and rifle- pits and fell back rapidly toward Jonesborough. When the bridge was reached the plank had been torn up and there was nothing left but the stringers on which the First and Third Ohio and Fourth Michigan crossed. As we crossed Kilpatrick him- self came up, and was ordering the men to jump into the stream after the plank to repair the bridge. The dismounted men moved forward, the First having the right of the line, and reached Jonesborough about sundown. The bridge across the stream was soon repaired and the artillery, mounted men and led horses were closed up by the time we reached the town. We had some skirmishing in the outskirts of the town and to the south on the opposite side of the town a strong force of rebel cavalry was drawn up in line of battle in plain view, and the officers could be seen dashing to and fro forming the lines. Our lines were straightened up and moving forward, the rear guard dismounted, opened up fire on our skirmishes from houses and buildings and a brisk fire was kept up from a brick church. A section of the Chicago Board of Trade Battery came dashing down the street up to the skirmish line unlimbered and sent a few shells into the church, making the bricks and mortar fly, and the church was evacuated in short order. The sound of the guns and scream of the shells was sweet music to the ears of the skirmishers, and they moved forward with a shout and the bang! bang! of their sharp-ringing carbines swelled the chorus as the mayor and a few citizens appeared in the main street with a white flag to surrender the town and claim protec- tion for the citizens. The line advanced rapidly through the town, the rebels fell back along the railroad and we soon had undisputed possession. The shells from the artillery had fired the cotton bales, used as barricades around the railroad build- ings, and soon both cotton and buildings were blazing and the water-tank at the station had been shivered by a shell, our men took possession of the telegraph office and it was reported that an old operator in our command caught a dispatch stating that reinforcements were on the way from Atlanta, which was very
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important news to Kilpatrick. Jonesborough is about twenty five miles south from Atlanta and a considerable amount of clothing and commissary stores were found, with whiskey and other necessary munition of war. All of these supplies that we did not need for immediate use were burned and destroyed.
As Hood's whole army was now between us and Sherman's army, it was not particularly desirable for less than five thou- sand cavalrymen to remain in this position very long, and the destruction of the railroad, which ran through the main street : of the town, was commenced at once; the ties were soon piled up in heaps at a distance from each other of a little less than the length of the rails, then the rails were placed with one end on each bunch of ties, next a pile of ties was built up on top and at the middle of the rails, and then fired. When the rails became hot, the weight of the ties would bend the rails and render them useless. Tearing up the track and destroying the rails and ties was done principally by the Third Division, as they had not been engaged in the fight when we entered the town. The Second Brigade formed a line of battle south of the town and across the railroad, the First Brigade was formed facing Atlanta, and skirmishing was kept up all night. It was a wild night and a most graphic scene, the sky lit up with burn- ing timbers, buildings and cotton bales, the continuous bang of carbines, the galloping of staff officers and orderlies up and down the streets, carrying orders or dispatches, the terrified citi- zens, peering out of their windows, the constant marching of troops changing position, Kilpatrick's headquarters band dis- coursing national airs, with the shouts of the men - all made up a weird scene never to be forgotten by the troopers who were on that raid.
By midnight about two miles of the road had been effect- ually destroyed, and in attempting to move farther south along the road, a strong force of infantry was found posted behind barricades, with timber cut in front. This position could not have been taken without a hard fight and heavy loss, and Kil- patrick then determined to withdraw from Jonesborough, make a detour to the east and strike the road again farther south. The movement was commenced about two o'clock in the morn- ing of the twentieth by Kilpatrick's division and Minty's brigade of the Second Division marching on the MeDonough road to the east, and the Second Brigade, under Colonel Long, remaining in the barricades to hold the infantry in check. The Second Brigade withdrew just as the first streaks of dawn began to appear in the east, and they were followed up closely by the .. enemy, both cavalry and infantry, the First Ohio holding the rear. After we had marched about five miles, the advance regi- ments halted to feed their horses, and the enemy made an impet- uous attack on the First, and one battalion was dismounted,
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throwing up barricades hurriedly of logs and rails, and prepared to give the enemy a warm reception. They attacked the barri- cades, and as their line was much longer, the battalion was outflanked on both sides, and the balls were soon whizzing from the flanks and, as the Johnnies would say, they took us "end ways." At this critical moment the officer in command of the battalion ran to the rear in a most disgraceful manner, and the . line officers took up the fight independent, held the line against the attack until ordered by Colonel Long, who had rode back to the rear, to fall back to the new line formed by the brigade. Colonel Long complimented the line officers of the battalion very highly on the tenacity with which they held the enemy, among whom were Captain Kirkendall, Rea, Woodlief, Yeoman, Curry and others.
The brigade fell back slowly by alternate regiments and Vale, in his history of Minty's Cavalry, says it was one of the prettiest cavalry fights he ever saw, as Minty's brigade was not engaged, and all they had to do was to look on and enjoy the fun.
As soon as the enemy were repulsed, we were ordered to the front on the gallop three or four miles toward Lovejoy Sta- tion, where we found that Minty's brigade, on striking the rail- road, had been attacked by a heavy force of cavalry and Rey. nold's division of infantry. The infantry line was concealed in a cut, and as the Seventh Pennsylvania and Fourth U. S. Cavalry dismounted, drove their skirmish line in and were within twenty or thirty rods of the railroad, the infantry line raised up and delivered a very destructive volley, anl, rushing from the cut, drove the line of Minty's brigade back in considerable confusion. Just at this opportune moment, the Second Brigade arrived on the field with the Chicago Board of Trade Battery. The brigade was dismounted, formed a line of battle, and by this time many of the dismounted men of the First Brigade came rushing back through our line and it was not safe to fire, as it would endanger the lives of our own men, although the balls from the rebel infantry were whizzing on all sides. The officers of the Second Brigade made every effort to keep their men from firing, and when the First Brigade had passed to the rear, the rebel line was almost upon us, but when our troops did open up, the rebel line was repulsed and driven back with heavy slaughter. The Chicago Board of Trade Battery was up on the front line and did excellent execution, and the rebel infantry fell back into the railroad cut. During this fight the lines were so close together that the officers of the Second Brigade used their revolvers with good execution. Our ammunition in the First was exhausted and a detail was sent back to the ammuni- tion wagons and got a supply in boxes and the boxes were broken open by stones, the cartridges were distributed in a few moments,
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much to the delight of the troopers. The brigade held this line for an hour, and during this time staff officers were busily en- gaged forming the led horses in columns of fours facing the rear. One of the guns of the Chicago Board of Trade Battery was disabled in a cornfield just to the left of the First, and it was hauled to the rear by some troopers of the Second Brigade (I think of the Third Ohio).
When the Second Brigade had driven the rebel line back and the firing had about ceased, Colonel Long was ordered to withdraw his brigade and fall back to the led horses a few hundred yards in the rear. We now began to realize that we were surrounded, and the chances began to look desperate, as our ammunition had already been pretty well exhausted, and we must cut our way through the lines. The distance between the two lines of the enemy could not have been more than three-fourths of a mile and the situation was about as follows, quoting from an article written by an officer* of the First U. S. Cavalry :
"In the rear of the Union troops were two brigades of Cle- burne's infantry, Ross' and Ferguson's brigades of cavalry, and about a thousand state troops, which had been sent up from below Lovejoy Station; closing in on the right were the remain- ing brigades of Cleburne's infantry. Martin's and Jackson's divisions of cavalry were in rear of the left. A brigade of in- fantry and six pieces of artillery had been sent up from Macon, and were at Lovejoy Station. Reynolds' infantry, as before stated, was along the railroad in front. There were also twelve pieces of artillery which had been sent down from Atlanta. It thus seems that there were surrounding the Union troops five brigades of infantry, eighteen pieces of artillery, six brigades of cavalry; in all, a force of twelve thousand men of the three arms. As before stated, Kilpatrick had the Second and Third Divisions, with four pieces of artillery; in all, four thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight cavalrymen and seven guns. Finding himself completely surrounded by such an overwhelming force, he called his division commanders together and instructed them to cut their way out, designating as the point to strike an old deserted plantation. We see that up to this point, although his command was composed exclusively of cavalrymen and field artillery, the cavalry had been fighting almost entirely as infantry; but now his troopers were to be accorded the privilege of a cavalry charge in its true sense, and their sabers, which had been allowed to rust in their scabbards during the expedition, were to be brought into requisition.
"Kilpatrick, a cavalry general, remembering the mistakes which had been made on a former expedition for the same pur- pose, instead of scattering his troops, massed them."
*Lieutenant W. S. Scott.
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The Second Division formed on the right of the road and the Third Division on the left of the road, facing toward McDon- ough, while the artillery, ambulances filled with wounded, and ammunition wagons were formed in the road, with orders to follow up the charging columns as closely as possible. The troops were all formed in columns with the proper intervals, as it was thought best to strike the rebel line and pierce it in several places rather than charge in line, as it was a long distance to charge, and in some places the ground was cut up by ditches and wash-outs, with two or three fences between our forces and the rebel lines. During the time the troops were forming, the surgeons and ambulance corps were busy gathering up the wounded and caring for them as best they could.
The rebels had formed two or three lines with infantry behind barricades of fence rails and logs, as it seems they had anticipated a charge, and they were not disappointed in their expectations. When our troops were forming, two batteries opened up on our lines from the front and the infantry was clos- îng up from our now rear from the railroad. When all was ready every eye was turned intently toward the line of the bar- ricades in front, from whence shells were now coming thick and fast, and through this line and over these barricades we must cut our way out or surrender and perhaps starve in Anderson- ville! Draw saber! and forty-five hundred sabers ring out as they are drawn from their scabbards, the reins are tightened, the horses are excited, with nostrils extended as if they "snuffed the battle afar off."
It was a glorious sight, with horses stamping, and champ- ing the bits as if eager for the fray, standards and guidons flung to the breeze, with the dashing here and there of staff officers carrying orders, the serious faces of the commanders, the stern, quick commands of the officers as the squadrons are forming. Many of the boys who witnessed and participated in that wild charge, but whose hair is now silvered with gray, can feel the flush of youth again mount to their cheeks and the blood course more rapidly through their veins as they go back in memory to the day we charged with Kilpatrick, August 20, 1864!
The command "Forward!" is given, the bugles rang out "Trot!" "Gallop!" "Charge!" in quick succession and the columns swept forward under the spur with a yell, scaling fences, jump- ing ditches in that wild and reckless charge, the shells from the batteries were sweeping the lines, while troopers and horses were falling on every side. The First Brigade struck the rebel line at and just to the right of the road, and Long's brigade struck farther to the right, and Captain W. H. Scott, of the First Olio, fell mortally wounded in front of one of the guns of a rebel battery. When our columns struck the barricades,
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the rebels retreated in great confusion, but a Lieutenant, com- manding a section of artillery, who gave his name as Young, was mortally wounded just in front of where Captain Scott fell, . as he was attempting to fire one of his pieces after all of his men had deserted their posts, and all regretted that the life of this young and brave officer, who fell at his post of duty, could not have been spared. Both brigades urged their horses over the barricades, cutting right and left. Many of the prisoners had saber cuts on their hands, arms and heads, and it is esti- mated that from six to eight hundred prisoners were sabered. Infantry, cavalry, led horses and artillery were fleeing in con- fusion, and at one time we had at least one thousand prisoners, but they nearly all escaped in our rapid march that dark night. A three-gun battery was captured, with horses, and many horses belonging to the cavalry, who were dismounted and in the bar- ricades, were captured.
A dispatch from Atlanta sent to the Memphis Appeal and published a few days after the fight is herewith published:
"The newspapers have lately been full of accounts of how Martin's division of cavalry was run over by the Yankees at Lovejoy on the twentieth ultimo. The writer was on the field on that occasion and in justice to the much abused cavalry states the facts in the matter: Martin's division, supporting the bat- tery, was formed on the McDonough road. Ross' and Fergu- son's commands on foot were in front and on each side of the battery, behind rail breastworks. A brigade of Cleburne's in- fantry was on the left of the road in three lines, the last one in a piece of woods. About one hundred yards in rear of the position of the battery, on the right of the road (east side) the state troops were formed in line. When the Yankees charged they came in a solid column, ten or twelve lines deep, running their horses and yelling like devils. They didn't stop to fight or attempt to keep any kind of order or formation, but each fellow for himself rushed on swinging his saber over his head. They rode right over Ross' and Ferguson's men in the center, and over and through Cleburne's lines one after another on the left. Cleburne's first line, they say, tried to use their bayonets, but the Yankees cut them to pieces. After the Yankees had cut through all the other forces and captured the battery, Mar- tin, seeing the field was lost, retreated in good order to the east and joined Cleburne's main body, and aided in the final defeat of the enemy on the MeDonough road that evening, and pursued them to and through McDonough that night, recapturing nearly five hundred of our men which they took in the charge. The effort to arouse the people against Martin and his brave divi- sion is more disgraceful and demoralizing than the Yankees' charge itself, and should be frowned upon by all who wish well to our cause."
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After this long charge over broken ground, ditches, fences and woods, the regiments and brigades were considerably broken up, as many horses had been shot, troopers wounded or killed, and some horses falling in a ditch that we crossed were with great difficulty extricated, so that many of the men were dis- mounted. Before the Second Brigade could get in position, as Colonel Long had been ordered to cover the retreat, the First Brigade and the Third Division having moved out on the McDon- ough road, Long's brigade was furiously attacked by Pat Cle- burne's division of infantry and a battery of artillery, and this fight lasted about one hour, with a part of the brigade dis- mounted. In this assault Colonel Long was severely wounded, but rode his horse to the rear, being supported on either side by two mounted orderlies from his escort. The First was form- ing on some high ground just as Colonel Long rode to the rear, pale and bleeding, and as he passed by the regiment he smiled and bowed and was given a rousing cheer by the boys. The Third Ohio was still fighting dismounted and the brigade was falling back by alternate regiments, and just at this moment the Chicago Board of Trade Battery came galloping back, dashed through a gate and into the dooryard of a plantation house on the opposite side of the road from where the First were forming. On the long porch in front of this house there were twelve or fifteen women and children all running back and forth screaming, and the women wringing their hands, while some were crying, others were praying.
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