USA > Ohio > Itinerary of the Seventh Ohio volunteer infantry, 1861-1864, with roster, portraits and biographies > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23
It was said of Colonel Garnett's brigade that the bayo- net was freely used and a hand-to-hand fight with superior numbers ensued before the right of the brigade fell back.
General Jackson restored his line of battle and won the day by ordering up the brigades of Branch, Archer, and Pender, which, with the return of some of the troops which "ran off in disorder," soon swept the field of the remaining fragments of Banks's corps, then unable to stem the vic- torious advance.
An extract from the journal of General Branch reads as follows :
"The battle commenced and raged for a short time, when General Jackson came to me and told me his left was beaten and broken, and the enemy were turning him and he wished me to advance. I was already in line of battle and instantly gave the order to forward march. I had not gone 100 yards through the woods before we met the celebrated Stonewall Brigade, utterly routed and fleeing as fast as they could run. After proceeding a short distance farther we met the enemy pursuing. My brigade opened upon them and quickly drove them back from the woods into a large field. Following up to the edge of the field, I came in view of large bodies of the enemy, and having a very fine position I opened upon them with great effect."
When the charge of Crawford's regiments broke up and put to flight Jackson's line of battle on the left, the
187
THE BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN
Twenty-ninth Ohio advanced and relieved the Seventh, which moved back to a place of safety across Cedar Run.
As the enemy advanced in pursuit of the Union forces now falling back across the wheat-field, the Tenth Maine, of Crawford's brigade, which had been held in reserve to his left, was advanced, but soon met the fate of the other regiments, and was swept from the field. At this time Gor- don's brigade of Williams's division, consisting of the Sec- ond Massachusetts, Third Wisconsin, and the Twenty-sev- enth Indiana, which had been holding the extreme right. nearly a mile to the right rear of the point of severest battle, was hurried across Cedar Run, to and up the decided slope of a hill covered with brush and trees, and in an exhausted condition brought up on the verge of the famous wheat-field. now fully occupied and covered by the enemy, to be, like their predecessors, cut to pieces and forced to retire.
At this time a remarkable incident occurred. With a view to delaying the advance of the brigades of infantry in and about the wheat-field, moving in the direction of a bat- tery without support. Maj. Richard I. Falls of the First Pennsylvania Cavalry was ordered to charge the foe, and the following is, in part, his official report of the affair :
"I was directed by Brig .- Gen. Bayard to charge through the enemy's lines at a point where they were supposed to be forming for a charge on our batteries, my command con- sisting of Companies A, B, C, and D; Companies A and B forming the first squadron, commanded by Capt. William Litzenberg of Company B: Companies C and D comprising the second squadron, commanded by Capt. John P. Taylor of Company C.
"After getting in front of the point designated, and being in column of fours. I immediately formed squadron, my command being already under fire. I moved forward at a rapid gait until within fifty yards of the enemy's lines, which I found in great force and three in number, when I gave the command 'charge,' when with loud and terrific cheering my command charged through the enemy's lines, cutting and running down and scattering them in every direction, caus-
188
SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
-
ing sad havoc and discomfiture in their ranks, as a view of the field and prisoners can testify. After charging back and reforming, I found my command reduced from 164 to 71, the remainder having been killed, wounded, or other- wise placed hors de combat, by their horses falling over others killed or wounded."
Major Falls and Captain Taylor had their horses shot from under them, while Stonewall Jackson said of this cav- alry charge :
"At this time the Federal cavalry charged Taliaferro's brigade with impetuous valor, but was met with such deter- mined resistance by his brigade in front, and Branch's bri- gade in flank, that it was forced rapidly from the field with loss and in disorder."
The official records show that some three brigades of in- fantry and a battery took credit for firing upon Major Falls and his immortal little band, and the wonder is that a single man escaped to tell the story.
General Pope, in referring to the battle of Cedar Moun- tain, said he had continued to receive reports from General Banks during the day that no attack was apprehended, and that no considerable infantry force of the enemy had come forward; but toward evening the increase in artillery firing satisfied him that an engagement might be at hand, though the lateness of the hour rendered it unlikely, and he ordered McDowell to advance Ricketts's division to support Banks, and directed Sigel (who had reached Culpeper that after- noon, but could not move until his command was fed out of McDowell's wagons) to bring his men upon the ground as soon as possible.
General Pope then said :
"I arrived personally on the field at 7 P. M. and found the action raging furiously. The infantry fire was inces- sant and severe. I found Banks holding the position he took up early in the morning. The slaughter was severe on
189
THE BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN
both sides, much of the fighting being hand-to-hand. The dead bodies of both armies were found mingled together in masses over the whole ground of the conflict.
"The behavior of Banks's corps during the action was very fine. No greater gallantry and daring could be ex- hibited by any troops. I cannot speak too highly of the in- trepidity and coolness of General Banks himself during the whole engagement.
"He was in the front and exposed as much as any man in his command."
General Pope's criticism of General Banks :
"He left the strong position which he had taken up and had advanced at least a mile to assault the enemy, believing that they were not in considerable force, and that he would be able to crush the advance, before the main body could come up from the direction of the Rapidan. He accord- ingly threw forward his whole corps into action against su- perior forces of the enemy, strongly posted and sheltered by woods and ridges. His advance led him over the open ground, which was everywhere swept by the fire of the enemy concealed in the woods and ravines beyond.
"Notwithstanding these disadvantages his corps gallantly responded to liis orders and assaulted the enemy with great fury and determination."
Just before the battle opened Lieut. Llewellyn R. Davis, then in command of Company D of the Seventh Ohio, was detailed to serve upon the staff of Brig .- Gen. John W. Geary, and Lieut. Henry Z. Eaton of Company B, who had been serving as aide-de-camp on the staff of Brig .- Gen. E. B. Tyler, was detailed to command Company D in that bat- tle, where he was severely wounded and carried out of the service by it.
On the night of August 9, when Banks's corps had re- tired behind Cedar Run, Jackson still wishing to reach Cul- peper, ordered an advance, which had proceeded but a short distance beyond Cedar Run, however, when it came up
100 SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
against Rickett's division, and after a brief yet severe and destructive artillery duel was forced to retire.
General Pope said the next day was exceedingly hot and the troops on both sides were too much fatigued to renew the action, so the whole day was given by both armies to burying the dead and gathering and caring for their wounded, while on the 11th there was a regular flag of truce under which the troops of Pope and Jackson frater- nized upon the battlefield, where the burial of the dead and caring for the wounded was mutually carried on.
As early as August 8 General Pope had ordered General King. on the lower Rappahannock, to march to him near Culpeper, and then by reason of the battle on the 9th, in other messages, had urged King to hasten, which brought this reinforcement near Cedar Mountain on the IIth. This was probably known to Jackson, as on that night he with- drew across the Rapidan, to which line General Pope promptly advanced the next day, but did not cross.
He also issued Special Order No. 41, dated August 12, 1862, directing Brig .- Gen. A. S. Williams, then temporarily commanding the Second (Banks's) Army Corps, to estab- lish his command in camp at or near Culpeper, which was done, and this corps was for a few days General Pope's re- serve corps.
On the 13th General Halleck directed Pope not to ad- vance across the Rapidan, and to guard well against a flank movement. while on the 16th he suggested that it would be far better if he were in rear of the Rappahannock and that he look well to his left. By this time it having been decided to withdraw the Army of the Potomac from the Peninsula. and General Pope having learned from dispatches captured by his cavalry and from other sources that Gen. Robert E. Lee, who with his entire force had now reached the Rapi- dan. intended to flank him on his left and cut him off from the Rappahannock, issued orders on the 18th for his entire command to prepare to retire, and by the night of the 19th his trains and infantry were safely behind that river.
191
THE BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN
CASUALTIES AT CEDAR MOUNTAIN.
Command: Brigadier-General Geary's Brigade.
Staff, wounded (the General himself), I Fifth Ohio: Killed, 14; wounded, 104: missing, 4, .. 122 Seventh Ohio: Killed, 31 ; wounded, 149; missing, 2, 182 Twenty-ninth Ohio: Killed, 6; wounded, 50; miss- ing, 2, 66
Sixty-sixth Ohio : Killed, 10; wounded, 81 ; miss- ing, 3, 94
Total: Killed, 61 ; wounded, 385; missing, 19, .. 465
NOTE .- The 2 missing in Seventh Ohio were later on found to have been killed. The entire loss in said battle in Pope's command is given as follows : Killed, 314; wounded, 1,445; missing, 622; total. 2,381-Jackson's loss: Killed, 229; wounded, 1,047; total, 1,276, making total casual- ties, 3,657.
(Casualty list in Geary's brigade as found in the Rebel- lion Records.)
REPORT OF COL. WILLIAM R. CREIGHTON, SEVENTH OHIO IN- FANTRY.
"HEADQUARTERS SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
"IN THE FIELD NEAR CULPEPER COURT HOUSE,
"August 9th, 1862.
"SIR: I would respectfully submit the following report of the part taken by the Seventh Ohio Infantry in the battle of Cedar Mountain, Saturday, August 9, 1862 :
"At about 8 o'clock A. M. we moved forward, by order of Brig .- Gen. Geary, commanding the brigade, a distance of eight miles, suffering greatly from the scarcity of water and the intense heat, from the effect of which a number of men were fatally sunstruck. We took position in rear of Knap's battery, on the west side of Cedar Run, forming a
192 SEVENTII REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
line of battle due north and south, and remained there until 3.30 P. M., when we changed position by the right flank to support the right center battery. In that position we re- mained about an hour, when we received orders to advance in line of battle. We moved forward about 200 yards, and were ordered to halt and await further orders. In the mean time, we were exposed to a terrible cross-fire from rebel batteries, when we lost several men killed and wounded.
"We remained there about an hour, when we advanced to support the line of skirmishers thrown out by the Twelfth Regular Infantry, who were retreating under the fire of the enemy, then advancing in force in line of battle. We were soon in range of their infantry, and became hotly engaged. We held our position until relieved by the Twenty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, when, closing my decimated ranks I moved off the field by the right of column to the rear, and halted on the summit of a hill on the east side of Cedar Run. Having been wounded in the left side and arm, I was compelled to retire and leave the regiment to the senior offi- cer in the field. At about 9 o'clock P. M. the regiment moved forward toward Cedar Run, being detailed for picket duty. When within a short distance of the creek our ad- vance was challenged, but giving no answer, it was fired into from right, left, and front, compelling it to retire under cover of the woods, and falling back one mile it bivouacked for the night.
"I cannot speak too highly of the officers and men. Every one was at his post, and nobly did each one do his duty.
"Number of field, line, and staff officers wounded, 2: line officers killed. 3: wounded, 5; enlisted men killed. 34; wounded, 146. Total killed, 37; wounded, 153. Total loss, 190 out of 307 .*
"W. R. CREIGHTON, "Col. 7th O. V. I."
The Seventh Ohio lost more men in killed and wounded
*See Casualty List, p. 636.
193
THE BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN
in this battle than any other regiment engaged therein on eitlier side.
Comrade M. M. Andrews contributes the following :
"Not a braver nor nobler life was sacrificed on the altar of patriotism during the civil war than that of Charles P. Bowler, of my company. I was at his side when he fell. It was in the battle of Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862. The Confederates were strongly posted on a ridge and in woods in our front, and we, without protection or support, were facing them in an open field. The battle had raged furiously for several hours. Our ranks were being rapidly thinned. Colonel Creighton was wounded, but continued to ride along the line, urging the men to renewed efforts. Lieutenant Ross, in temporary command of Company C, was killed, and many officers and men were down.
"In that terrible furnace of fire in the meadow, below the corn-field, our line had begun to yield stubbornly before the murderous guns of Stonewall Jackson's veterans. when Ser- geant Bowler, cheering on his comrades, was hit by a hostile bullet which passed through his heart, and he fell to instant death. At this moment it seemed plain that we would have to fall back. I thought at once of making an effort to help my comrade if, possibly, he was still alive. For this purpose I dropped on my knee at his side and endeavored to unloose his cartridge belt. This left me about twenty feet in advance of our front line, which had begun to recede. Of course I was a good mark for the enemy's sharpshooters, and was myself hit by a shot from their left center, the ball entering the cartridge-box at my side. Fortunately my body was not pierced, but. being off my balance. I fell over. Just then a shout arose from our boys, and looking up, I saw the rebel line moving rapidly by flank. This movement of the enemy's front gave us the impression that we were driving them, and our men pressed forward again. I sprang up and, advancing with our line, began firing once more. The rebel front had indeed given away, but only to give place to fresh troops, who poured into our ranks a most deadly storm of bullets.
13
194 SEVENTH REGIMENT OIIIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
"The confusion of battle carried me away from Bowler's body, so that when, some time afterward, I went to the rear with a disabling bullet through my hand, I had no further opportunity to care for my fallen comrade.
"That evening, when night fell, the enemy had possession of the meadow, the scene of our terrific struggle. The next day when a detail, under a flag of truce, went through our lines to bury the dead, they found the bodies unrecognizable, black and swollen in the August sun; their pockets turned out and robbed of their contents.
"Bowler, with many of his noble comrades, sleeps in an unknown grave, honored in memory as he was beloved by all who knew him in life."
:
CHAPTER XXII.
THE SECOND BULL RUN CAMPAIGN. BY CAPT. GEO. A. MCKAY.
The Fifth Army Corps, commanded by Maj .- Gen. N. P. Banks, was changed by order of the President to that of the Second Corps, Army of Virginia; the First Division re- mained under the command of Brig .- Gen. Alpheus S. Wil- liams, and the Second Division was placed under Brig .- Gen. C. C. Augur, the brigade commanders being S. W. Craw- ford, First Brigade, and George H. Gordon, Third Brigade, both in the First Division, and John W. Geary, First Bri- gade: Henry Prince, Second Brigade, and George S. Greene, Third Brigade of the Second Division.
Augur and Geary were both wounded severely at the battle of Cedar Mountain, Va., August 9, 1862, and the senior officers present assumed command of the division and brigades till they returned to duty.
The First Brigade, Second Division, Second Army Corps, was composed of the Fifth, Seventh, Twenty-ninth, and Sixty-sixth Ohio, and the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Vol- unteer Infantry.
General Pope reports :
"That under the changed conditions of things brought about by General McClellan's retreat to James River, and the purpose to withdraw his army and unite it with that under my command, the campaign of the Army of Virginia was limited to the following objects.
"Ist. To cover the approaches to Washington from any enemy advancing from the direction of Richmond, and to oppose and delay its advance to the last extremity, so as to give all the time possible for its withdrawal of the Army of the Potomac from the James River.
"2d. If no heavy forces of the enemy moved north, to operate on their lines of communication with Gordonsville
196
SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
and Charlottesville, so as to force Lee to make heavy de- tachments from his force at Richmond and facilitate to that extent the withdrawal of the Army of the Potomac."
Halleck was of the opinion that the junction of the two armies could be made on the line of the Rappahannock. but the enemy moved north with the bulk of his army so promptly, that the line of the Rappahannock was too far to the front and had to be modified to suit the movements as they developed. To meet one of them, Pope ordered his army from near the Rapidan and Culpeper Court House on August 18 to the north side of the Rappahannock River to escape being flanked on his left, crossing on the 19th.
August 21 Pope's headquarters were at Rappahannock Station on the north side of the river facing south, with the following commands in position awaiting the onset of Lee and his cohorts: McDowell's, Sigel's, and Banks's corps, the latter-named being at and near Beverly's Ford, leaving his cavalry in observation on the south side.
The Seventh Regiment O. V. I., being in Banks's corps in the Second Division, it is with that division mainly that I will deal. The enemy on the 20th advanced with their whole army in pursuit of a vanquished foe as they thought, the right wing to the vicinity of Kelly's Ford on the Rappa- hannock River, the left to the railroad bridge and fords above, believing it was possible to force a crossing at the ford; but after a careful reconnaissance they found the upper crossings too well defended and their left wing marched to reach some point on the river not so well de- fended, closely followed by their right wing.
The Union troops made a dash across the river and en- gaged the enemy, but their main body pursued the even tenor of its way and the Union troops retired to the north side of the river, the casualties on both sides being slight.
At Beverly's Ford, where the Seventh Ohio was sta- tioned, General Rosser's brigade of Stuart's cavalry crossed and made a lodgment on the east bank, but being unsup- ported by infantry, after a brisk skirmish it was forced to
197
SECOND BULL RUN CAMPAIGN
retire. The Union troops countered by crossing at Free- man's Ford and attacked General Trimble, who had been left as rearguard by Jackson in his advance to the upper crossings. Hood's and Whiting's brigades from Long- street's corps reinforced Trimble and the Union troops were forced to retire.
The position on the east bank of the river was higher than that of the west, making it possible for the artillery of the Union troops to overlook and enfilade the lines of the enemy.
When Jackson's corps left Rappahannock Bridge, a strong force of the Union troops passed over to the west bank of the river under cover of several batteries stationed on the east side. In this movement the Second Division of Banks's corps was in reserve.
General Longstreet put nearly the whole of his artillery into position to drive them back, but the Union troops fought so stoutly that they did not retire until the evening of the 23d, when they recrossed the river.
General Stuart crossed at Waterloo and Hunt's Mill with 1,500 cavalry and a battery of horse artillery of the Con- federates, and rode to Catlett's Station via Warrenton, cap- turing several prisoners, a large amount of United States currency, several dispatches, and part of General Pope's equipments. He returned to Sulphur Springs on the 23d, going into position outside of General Lee's left. The dis- patches captured were valuable to Lee, giving the different positions of Pope's army.
General Jackson crossed over to the east bank of the river at Sulphur Springs, but being pressed by Pope he was forced to retreat to an upper crossing, where he could move to the west bank again.
The whole of the 23d and 24th was spent in severe artil- lery fire, infantry in support. The Second Division of the Second Corps had its share of the peril and losses.
Pope was reinforced by the divisions of Kearny and Reynolds on the 24th. On the 25th Jackson crossed the fords of the upper streams and reached Salem. On the
198
SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
26th he passed through Thoroughfare Gap to Gainesville, where Stuart joined him with all of his cavalry, and the combined command reached Bristow Station soon after sunset. Two trains and a number of prisoners were cap- tured. General Banks's corps was concentrated on this day at Sulphur Springs, near Waterloo, and marched on War- renton in pursuit of Jackson. On the 27th Jackson marched to Manassas Junction with the divisions of Taliaferro and A. P. Hill, leaving Ewell at Bristow Station. On the march he was attacked by a regiment of cavalry, a brigade of in- fantry and a battery of artillery, with part of Scammon's division in reserve, but brushed them aside and reached the junction where the captures, an eight-gun battery complete and an immense quantity of army supplies, were divided, such as could be consumed or hauled off, where he was joined by the divisions of A. P. Hill and Ewell after hood- winking Pope by false marching, and went into bivouac under the cuts and embankments of an unfinished railroad.
On the evening of the 27th Pope had concentrated his troops at Warrenton, McDowell's corps and Reynolds's di- vision, 15,000; Sigel's corps, 9,000; Banks's, 5,000; Reno's, 7,000; Heintzelman's and Porter's corps, 18,000-in all, 54,500 men with 4,000 cavalry. In his rear was Jackson, 20,000. On the Rappahannock, Longstreet, 25,000, and R. H. Anderson's division in reserve, 5,000-total, 50,000, with 3,000 cavalry under Stuart.
On the 26th Longstreet crossed at Hinson's Mill Ford, leaving Anderson's division on the Warrenton Sulphur Spring route.
Longstreet marched over the route of Jackson via White Plains and Thoroughfare Gap, crossing two brigades above the Gap and three brigades crossing at Hopewell Pass, and forcing Ricketts, who was on the east side of the Gap, to withdraw to prevent being attacked on flanks and rear.
On the 28th General Pope ordered McDowell with his own corps and Reynolds's division and Sigel's corps to be at Gainesville at nightfall, Reno's corps and Kearney's divi- sion to Greenwich to support McDowell, and ordered Por-
199
SECOND BULL RUN CAMPAIGN
ter's corps to remain at Warrenton Junction till relieved by Banks's corps, then to push on to Gainesville, Banks to fol- low by the railroad route.
There was some heavy skirmishing between Jackson and Hatch's division, in which two of his brigades lost 751 offi- cers and men.
On the 29th Pope ordered Hooker's and Kearny's divi- sions and Reno's corps to reinforce Sigel's corps and Rey- nolds's division, the troops in front of Jackson, and that McDowell's and Porter's corps march to Gainesville, Banks to remain at Kettle Run with his corps, making it the ex- treme left of the line.
At 2 o'clock Kearny attacked Jackson, supported by Stevens, and tried to escalade the railroad cut and embank- ment behind which was Jackson's corps. He made charge after charge, but did not succeed. Generals Hooker and Sigel did some desperate fighting, but without any result whatever except in one place in the line, where one brigade broke through, cutting off the extreme left brigade; but the enemy reinforcing the broken line, they were driven back after losing heavily.
Longstreet marched in the direction of Gainesville at daylight. The firing of the attacking force operating against Jackson became deadly in the extreme, the battery on the extreme left of the Union line partially turning Jack- son's right. Longstreet's men were thrown forward ; Hood's two brigades were deployed across the turnpike at right angles, supported by the brigade under Evans; Kem- per deployed two of his brigades, supported by the Third, on the right of Hood.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.