USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of the Sixth Pennsylvania cavalry > Part 10
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June 8th.
Early in the morning ammunition, forage, and rations are diftributed, and orders iffued to be ready to move at a minute's notice. At 2 P.M. the "general" founds from brigade headquarters, and is re-echoed from every regiment in the command. Saddles are haftily packed, horfes mounted, and many fpeculations indulged as to deftination. All indications point to a fevere fight, as we know the enemy's cavalry have been concentrating for feveral days on the fouth bank of the Rappahannock. We ride down along the line of the Orange and Alex- andria Railroad, making rapidly but quietly toward Bev- erly Ford. Late in the night we arrive behind the wood neareft the river, and bivouac for the night. No fires are allowed, and we make our fupper on cold ham and hard tack, fpread our faddle-blankets on the ground, and with faddles for pillows, prepare for a night's reft. Our minds are full of the coming battle on the morrow, and various fpeculations are indulged in regard to our profpects of fuccefs. We underftand that the cav- alry forces of the two armies are to meet at early dawn in what will doubtlefs prove the greateft cavalry engagement of the war. Our men are confident of fuccefs, and eager for the fray. A group of officers to- gether are eating their cold fupper, perhaps the laft they fhall all take together. The morrow will foon break
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upon us, full of danger and death. Meffages are com- 1863. mitted to friends to be tranfmitted to diftant loved ones, "in cafe anything fhould occur." And after folemn and earneft prayer we are all fleeping foundly.
At 2 o'clock in the morning the command "to horfe" June 9th. is whifpered around, inftead of being founded from a dozen bugles, which would reveal our pofition to the enemy. Quietly we faddle up, mount, and move ftealth- ily down to the ford. Juft as the gray dawn of ap- proaching day begins to brighten up the deep darknefs of the hour, we arrive at the river bank. By 4 o'clock our advance guard is acrofs, and furprife the picket of the enemy; and before they have time to fall back upon their referve, or rub the fleep from their eyes, we are upon and capture them. Now our men dafh upon the referve, and away they run without exchanging a fhot. Look there to the right! See that fquad flying along the edge of the woods! See how our boys make them run! Hurrah for the advance! A perfect furprife! Now they are loft to fight, and our firing has alarmed the main force of the enemy. Do you hear that fharp bing ! bing ! bing ! of the carbines? Let us on to their fupport ! They have cleared the hill, gained the woods, and roufed the whole force of Stuart's rebel cavalry, and now there is earneft work before us. General Gregg, with his divifion, is croffing, we fuppofe, at Kelley's Ford, and will march upon our left by 8 o'clock. In the mean time Buford and Kilpatrick muft carry on the reconnoiffance, feel the enemy, afcertain where the rebel army is, and in what force, &c .; and in doing this, we muft meet and mafter the cavalry force of the Army of
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1863. Northern Virginia. On the way up from the river June 9th. bank we pafs General Pleafanton and ftaff, of the Cav- alry Corps, with Generals Buford and Kilpatrick, in confultation. Buford's divifion has the advance. It is Colonel Davis's brigade that has fo nobly opened the day. As we ride on up the hill, heavy artillery firing is heard in the wood immediately in our front. At the command, "Trot, march!" we pufh rapidly forward. Soon meet anxious and excited meffengers, who report having found the enemy in great force. They are fully ready for us. On reaching the edge of the wood, find a rendezvous for wounded. Surgeons are attending to the fuffering. Here comes a rough litter bearing an officer. "Who is that, boys ?" "Colonel Davis, fir!" "Is it poffible !" . Noble fellow! "Is he wounded badly?" "A Minie ball through his head, fir !" He is infenfible, his hair matted and clotted with blood. God have mercy on the brave, noble, patriot-foldier, the hero of Harper's Ferry ! This is our haftily breathed prayer, as we linger for a moment, and then hurry on to join our command. The wounded, dying, and dead, lie on either hand along our way ; but as our own regi- ment will in a few minutes be in the advance, and re- lieve thofe in front, we muft haften on. Our fkirmifh- ers are deployed over a rough clearing; every bufh, pile of ftones, or log of wood, is alive. Here we fit calmly on our horfes waiting orders, while over each bufh and ftone pile lingers a cloud of fmoke; and juft there, within a few yards of us, are men hidden from our view, who are taking deliberate aim at us, and doing great mifchief. We halt, while our fkirmifhers are fent
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forward to clear the field. In a few minutes an orderly 1863. dafhes up, touches his hat to the commanding officer, June 9th. and fays, "General Buford fends his compliments to Major Morris, and directs him to clear the woods in his front." The proper command is given, and with drawn fabres we promptly prefs forward into a denfe wood. The enemy's fkirmifhers fly as we advance. On, on we move, expecting each moment to hear the thunder of artillery, and the fcream of fhell in our very midft ; but all is quiet, fave the fteady tramp of our horfes, and the cracking of the fallen branches and undergrowth beneath their feet.
This filence is dreadful: we may expect fomething defperate foon. They would never allow us to pafs through this wood undifturbed by fhot and fhell, but that they are ready to meet us on the other fide. A few minutes bring us to an opening in the wood, fome two hundred yards in extent. Under the edge of the wood, im- mediately in front of us, is a large force of cavalry drawn up to receive us. And now a fhower of balls whiftle our welcome. Above the rattle of the carbines, the voice of our Major rings forth, in quick fucceffion, the commands "Trot, march !" "Gallop, march !" "Charge !" And with a fhout that makes the woods ring, our brave boys of the Sixth Pennfylvania (Lancers) dafh acrofs the plain on to the foe. The wildeft enthufiafm has feized our men, and at the full fpeed of their horfes they dafh for- ward. We are almoft in reach of the enemy: two minutes more, and we will crufh that folid column of rebels. A few yards only feparate us, when a concealed battery opens on our left, and pours a moft deftructive
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1863. enfilading fire acrofs our path. God of mercy fave us ! June 9th. What an awful fire ! fo clofe that we are almoft in the fmoke of the battery .. Many of our faddles are emptied, and the horfes, freed from the reftraint of their riders, dafh wildly away; and at the fame moment, hundreds of carbines fend their charges of death into our never- wavering ranks. Our color fergeant reels, and falls from his horfe; another fergeant catches the colors be- fore they reach the ground; and on through the ftorm of death our weakened lines advance until they meet the enemy, and hand to hand the conflict rages. Though we are outnumbered two to one, we break their ranks, and purfue them into the wood. Now the enemy on our right begin to clofe in upon us : our commander has fallen. Major Whelan affuming command, attempts to withdraw us from our terrible pofition. But how are we to retreat? The enemy have completely furrounded us-all is loft ! Not yet, thank Heaven! The 6th United States Cavalry has been ordered forward to our fupport, and juft at this moment their yell, as they charge upon the enemy, is heard. They turn to receive them: this is our time. The rebels give way on our right, and a way of efcape opens. All is now in confufion. We are fo few that we cannot hold the pofition, and we are withdrawn again acrofs the field, and through the wood, towards our reinforcements, expofed to a frightful fire from a battery within fifty yards of us. The noife is like deafening thunder; whiftling fhot and fcreaming fhell fall all around us, or go crafhing through the trees, or bury themfelves in the ground, fending a fhower of limbs, twigs, bark, leaves, and earth, all over us, while
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the air feems filled with the wickedly-whiftling Minie 1863. balls. It feems impoffible that any of us fhall ever get June 9th. out of this alive. Earneft prayers afcend for Divine protection. We lie clofe to our horfes' necks, and hug ftill clofer as the crafhing fhot or fhell paffes within a few feet or inches of us. Our horfes are alarmed and excited, and hurry us through the woods, jamming againft trees, tearing through brufh, and at other times impenetrable thickets, tearing our clothes, and fome- times our fkin; but we heed not thefe little impedi- ments, give the horfe the fpurs, and in a few minutes
are out on the open plain again. Here we meet Gen- eral Pleafanton, who commands his bugler to found the "rally." Companies and regiments are all mingled in perfect confufion, all flying for life. But the well- known found recalls them to thoughtfulnefs; and in a few minutes the men left of the two Sixes crowd again into column, and await orders. We look around us, and congratulate each other that we, at leaft, are fafe. We mifs feveral valuable officers, and about one half the number of men that filled our ranks a fhort half hour fince. How many, or who of this number may be killed or ferioufly wounded, is the great anxiety. No one can tell. Such and fuch ones were feen to fall from their horfes, many are known to be wounded, many are doubtlefs dead on the field. God have mercy on the wounded ! We have refcued fome few of them that were able to ride.
.
But here come the rebels again ! They have come around the woods on our right flank. We have rein- forcements at hand. "Forward ; trot, march !" rings
2I
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1863. forth the command, and away our boys dafh again to June 9th. meet the enemy, while Dr. Coover and I gather up our wounded, and ftart back with them to a field rendez- vous. Our number being large, the enemy doubtlefs takes us for a demoralized and flying troop; and when we are about half a mile from our forces, a fquadron comes charging down upon us. What is to be done ? In three minutes they will be upon us, and we will all be prifoners. Our wounded cannot ride rapidly, and we can neither make the ford below us, nor our own forces in the rear. At that moment the thunder of one of our own batteries, concealed within a few feet of us, makes our hearts leap for joy. Never did the roar of artillery and the fcream of fhell found fo mufical in our ears. We halt, and give cheers for Captain Tid- ball and his fplendid battery. The purfuing fquadron is thrown into confufion, and wifely conclude to leave that part of the field fafter than they came on to it, and we are faved again. From our field hofpital we can fee the enemy taking their pofition over an open field fome three miles in extent. The ground lies moft beautifully for a cavalry and artillery engagement. The country is gently rolling, and divided by an occafional ftone wall or hedge. There are no abrupt or high hills. A dozen batteries have taken their pofition, and by 9 o'clock, when we expected our whole force on the field, we find our two divifions oppofing the whole rebel cavalry. Anxious inquiry is made for General Gregg and his divifion. From 9 A.M. until 3 P.M., the roll of artillery and the clafh of arms is unceafing. One of the grandeft fcenes to be witneffed in one's lifetime lies open before
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us; while an occafional fhot or fhell falling or burfting 1863. near us, renders the fcene more exciting. But forrow June 9th. fills our hearts as we fee the terrible refults of the en- gagement in the maimed, wounded, and dying, that are carried from the field. Oh, horrible, horrible war ! A fcore of hills are briftling with the guns of the enemy, while a dozen of our own batteries ftand as a wall of fire between us and the foe. Here and there over the field a cloud of fmoke afcends as the guns are dif- charged; the fcream of fhot or fhell is heard at almoft the fame moment, and foon after the deep roar of the piece. Inceffantly the thunder peals, while every few minutes a troop dafh out from the cover of their protect- ing guns, charging upon the batteries, and ftorming ftone walls, behind which fharpfhooters are firing at the gunners. The fhout of the charge is followed by the clafh and ring of arms; one or the other party foon give way, and fly to the fhelter of their guns. Manfully our troops conteft every foot of ground, but are gradu- ally forced back toward the river until 3 P.M., when rapid firing is heard on our left, and through the fmoke and duft we defcry the gallant Gregg and his divifion. They form a junction with our line, our troops receive frefh infpiration, and a general advance is ordered. Now the rebel line yields; batteries haftily change their pofi- tion and cover each other in their retreat. Charge after charge is made by our brave boys; haftily the enemy flies over the hills, down through the valleys, back through the woods, mile after mile, until we are five miles from the river, where we come upon a ftrong line of infantry, and difcover the Army of Northern
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1863. June 9th. Virginia, under the command of General Lee, on their march to the invafion of Pennfylvania. Not being ex- actly prepared to meet the whole rebel army, and as night was almoft upon us, and the object of our expedi- tion being fully accomplifhed, we flowly retired from the field, and again croffed to the north bank of the Rappahannock. Our return was in perfect order in four columns. We had a large number of prifoners, and a number of battle-flags, while above all proudly floated our own triumphant "ftars and ftripes."
Never did anything appear to our eyes half fo beau- tiful as our returning victorious cavalry force, as they marched quietly and unmolefted back again to the ground of their bivouac the night previous. Six of the officers of our regiment who, the evening before, affem- bled in our friendly group at retiring, were now abfent.
The cold form of Captain Davis, one of the nobleft of our band, lay in a car-with Colonel Davis-on the road to Wafhington, there to be embalmed, and fent to a loving and anxious wife. Major Morris, as fine a foldier as ever led a troop, has fince died in Libby Prifon. Captain Leiper, and Lieutenant Rudolph Ellis, wounded feverely; while Lieutenants Lennig and Colladay were captured with Major Morris.
Our lofs in non-commiffioned officers and privates, during the day, amounted to one hundred and forty.
*
CHAPTER THIRTEENTH.
The Ninth of June-Brandy Station-Beverly Ford-Full Reports of the Engagement-New York Herald-Philadel- phia Evening Bulletin-New York Times-Putnam's Re- bellion Record.
N EW YORK HERALD, June 10th : "Yefterday our cavalry force croffed the Rappahannock,- General John Buford at 4 A.M., at Beverly Ford, General Gregg at 7 A.M., and General Duffie at 8 A.M., at Kel- ley's Ford. One brigade of infantry (Ruffell's) accom- panied the cavalry. As foon as General Buford croffed he encountered the enemy, and fharp hand to hand fighting occurred. It foon became evident that the forces of the enemy, in cavalry, artillery, and infantry, outnumbered our own nearly two to one, with the ad- vantage of pofition. General Duffie was directed, if poffible, to get in the rear of the enemy, and advanced for that purpofe, but was recalled when the true ftate of the enemy's pofition and force became known, and our whole force attacked the enemy in front. Colonel Percy Wyndham commanded the fecond brigade of General Gregg's divifion, and made three fuccefsful charges on Brandy Station, and the heights adjacent, where the headquarters of General J. E. B. Stuart were
1863. June 9th.
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1863. fituated. On account of the heavy infantry force there June 9th. found, he was compelled foon to retire. He captured, however, a large number of papers belonging to the rebel General Stuart, containing valuable information as to the intentions of the rebels. Several prifoners were brought in. Colonel Wyndham's brigade fuffered . feverely.
"The forces under General Buford confifted of the Ift, 2d, 5th and 6th Regulars, and 6th Pennfylvania Cavalry; that under General Gregg, of the 8th and 9th New York, 8th Illinois, and 3d Indiana Cavalry. General Buford's forces being on the right, and croffing very early, firft met the enemy's pickets half a mile from Beverly Ford, when a fevere engagement imme- diately commenced, the rebels being in heavy force, and refifting the advance of our troops with continuous hand to hand fighting. When General Gregg brought up his force and became engaged, the enemy gradually gave way, difputing every inch of ground defperately, however. Our men made more than a dozen charges into the rebel ranks, relying almoft entirely upon the fabre, which they ufed with terrible effect. The enemy alfo repeatedly charged, relying always upon their piftols. Both fides were repeatedly driven back in the courfe of the battle, though we fucceeded in driving the rebels at laft (Fitzhugh Lee's and Wade Hampton's divifion of cavalry, with artillery, all commanded by Major-Gen- eral Stuart), back to a point about fix miles fouthweft of where their pickets were firft encountered, where the enemy were found fo ftrongly reinforced with infantry and artillery, that it was thought prudent to return.
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We brought off about two hundred prifoners, our own wounded, and the bodies of our officers killed in the en- gagement. The Sixth Pennfylvania Cavalry loft heavily, being in the advance all day. Captain Davis was killed, Major Morris wounded and a prifoner, Lieutenant Len- nig miffing, Captain Leiper cut with fabre, and Lieu- tenant R. Ellis wounded. The fields and woods through which we paffed were ftrewn with dead and wounded rebels. The fight clofed at 6 P.M."
PHILADELPHIA EVENING BULLETIN, June 13th : "We have communications from witneffes of the great cavalry fight on the Rappahannock, which fpeak in terms of the higheft commendation of the gallant con- duct of the Sixth Pennfylvania Cavalry, formerly known as 'Ruh's Lancers.' This fine regiment, which, by the way, abandoned the lance as unfuited to the fervice, on their return from the late raid, and is now armed with carbines and fabres, was in the extreme advance of Gen- eral Buford's Divifion, and was on three diftinct occa- fions during the day engaged in the moft defperate hand to hand conflicts, in all of which it greatly diftinguifhed itfelf by the moft brilliant charges and the moft determ- ined fighting.
"Lieutenant-Colonel C. Rofs Smith was doing duty on General Pleafanton's ftaff during the engagement, and the regiment was commanded by Major Robert Morris, whofe horfe was fhot under him in the midft of one of the fevereft charges when right on the enemy, rolled over on him, and he was captured.
"Captain Charles L. Leiper is fpoken of as fighting
1863. June 9th.
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1863. with defperate bravery. He received feveral wounds, June 9th. and only left the field at the command of Major Whe- lan, upon whom the command devolved. Majors Whe- lan and Hazeltine, Captain Frazier, Adjutant Ellis, Lieutenant White, and other officers, had their horfes fhot under them. Adjutant Ellis was badly wounded.
" It gives us great fatisfaction to award to this fplendid regiment the laurels it has fo proudly won. Circum- ftances of various forts have hitherto prevented the Sixth Pennfylvania from proving in the field of what manner of metal they were made; but none who knew anything of the quality of officers and men comprifing the regiment, are furprifed at the record it has now made for itfelf. The loffes fuftained by the 'Sixth' are heavy, but principally in prifoners. Captain Davis, a great fa- vorite in the regiment, was killed, and Lieutenants Len- nig and Colladay wounded and taken prifoners."
NEW YORK TIMES, June IIth : "The right column under General Buford had proceeded about half a mile from the river, when it fell upon General Jones's whole rebel brigade, who had juft fhaken themfelves out of a fleep in time to receive us. A fight thus com- menced, which lafted from 4 A.M. to 3 P.M., by which time the entire force of General Stuart, confifting of twelve thoufand cavalry, fixteen pieces of artillery and infantry fupports, had been driven back three miles on the left, and five miles on the right, with heavy lofs. Our forces formed a junction near Brandy Station about 2 o'clock.
" The grandeft charge was made by the 6th Pennfyl-
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vania Cavalry, fupported by the 6th United States, when 1863. they dafhed upon a whole brigade of the enemy, and June 9th were taken in flank by another brigade; then, though furrounded, they fought their way out. Two of Gen- eral Gregg's brigades, under Colonel Wyndham and Colonel Kilpatrick, had hot work all the morning, but drove the enemy from the river to Brandy Station. The enemy had five brigades of cavalry, under Generals Fitzhugh Lee, W. F. H. Lee, Jones, Field, and Rob- infon, with artillery under Major Beckham. They had been reviewed the previous day, and were under orders to leave on a grand raid into Maryland and Pennfylva- nia the next morning. Our forces returned almoft unmolefted."
PUTNAM'S REBELLION RECORD, volume 7th, page 18: "On Saturday evening the compofition of our force was decided upon, and all the cavalry that could be made available immediately, was detailed for the work, under command of General Pleafanton, affifted by Gen- erals Buford, Gregg, and Colonel Duffie, as fubordinate commanders. In addition, two fmall brigades of in- fantry, under General Ames, of the Eleventh Corps, and General Ruffell, of the Sixth Corps, were detailed to accompany the expedition. A detail of artillery was made of one battery to each brigade, the horfe batteries with the cavalry being in charge of Captain Robertfon, chief of artillery on General Pleafanton's ftaff.
"The infantry force felected challenged particular admiration. The regiments were fmall but reliable. The 2d, 3d, and 7th Wifconfin, 2d and 33d Maffachu-
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1863. fetts, 6th Maine, 86th and 124th New York, were June 9th. amongft the number. General Pleafanton's cavalry rendezvoufed during Saturday and Sunday near Catlett's Station and Warrenton Junction, getting fupplies of forage and food from both places. General Ames's infantry moved on Saturday evening to Spotted Tavern, and on Sunday to near Bealton Station. General Ruf- fell's brigade moved on Sunday to Hartwood Church, and on Monday to Kelley's Ford. The plan was to rendezvous the command at the two points on the Rap- pahannock, Beverly Ford on the right, and Kelley's Ford on the left, the two being fix miles apart, and then move the column forward towards Culpepper, on roads converging at Brandy Station, where a junction of the forces was to be formed, or fooner if neceffary. On Monday evening, therefore, General Buford's column left Warrenton Junction, and followed by General Ames's, from Bealton, bivouacked for the night near the Bowen Manfion, about one mile from the ford. General Gregg, taking his own and Colonel Duffie's command, moved to the left from the Junction, and encamped for the night in clofe proximity to Kelley's Ford, where General Ruffell had already arrived. No fires were allowed, and a vigilant watch was kept to prevent difturbances, or anything which might give any indication of our prefence. The orders were to aroufe the command at 3 A.M., and to make the paffage of the river. As foon as it was daylight, General Buford's command was in motion. Colonel Davis's brigade, led by two fquadrons of the 8th New York, and fupported by the 8th Illinois and 3d Indiana, had the advance.
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The morning was cool and pleafant, a thick mift hung 1863. over the river, and objects on the other fide were rather June 9th. indiftinct. Our cavalry foon reached the river, dafhed in, and dafhed up the bank, and were well on the oppo- fite fide before the rebels, in their fortifications, were aware of their prefence. The fuddennefs of the move- ment completely furprifed them, and they at once broke for the firft friendly timber. General Buford, having driven the enemy's pickets and fkirmifhers on the right of the road, fent in the Sixth Pennfylvania Cavalry to charge this line on the flank. The Pennfylvanians came up to their work in fplendid ftyle. This is the regi- ment known as the 'Lancers,' and they had a matter of pride to fettle in this charge. Steadily and gallantly they advanced out of the woods in excellent order, and then dafhed acrofs the field in an oblique direction to- wards the enemy's guns. They went up almoft to their very muzzles through a ftorm of canifter and fhell, and would have taken them, when fuddenly there dafhed out of the woods, on their right flank, in almoft the very fpot from which they themfelves had iffued, two whole regiments of the enemy in full charge. The Sixth United States now came to the refcue, but the fire was fo fevere that even thefe veterans could not ftand it. Retreat was almoft cut off, but the regiments, now fubjected to a fire in front and on both flanks, fell back with heavy lofs. Major Morris, of the Sixth Pennfyl- vania, was feen to fall from his horfe, and is a prifoner. Captain Davis, of the fame regiment, was killed. Major Hazeltine had a horfe fhot under him. Captain Leiper received a fevere fabre cut on the head. Captain Dahl-
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