USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of the Sixth Pennsylvania cavalry > Part 20
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The following day we marched about thirty miles, and encamped within a few miles of Staunton. While we refted that night, General Devin was fent with his brigade through Staunton on a reconnoiffance. The night was very dark, and of courfe it was ftill raining. They pitched through the pickets of the enemy and advanced through the town to Chriftian's Creek, feven miles beyond it, where they deftroyed a treftle bridge of the Virginia Central Railroad, and returned, joining the column at Staunton.
On the 2d, we marched in the rear of the wagon Mar. 2d. train through Staunton to Fifherfville, where we found it raining, as it had been all the day.
At Fifherfville, Cufter having the advance, ftruck the rebel pickets, and drove them upon their main force, which was forced back to Waynefboro. On the arri- val of our entire force, a reconnoiffance developed the enemy advantageoufly pofted on a range of hills fkirt- ing South River, with feven pieces of artillery, in moft provokingly good pofition-for the enemy.
Two regiments were immediately deployed as fkir- mifhers, and advanced, firing brifkly ; they were foon joined by the entire line in an impetuous charge upon the
1865.
Mar. Ift.
320
DAY O' JUBAL E!
1865. enemy's pofition. They held the line only long enough Mar. 2d. to deliver a fingle volley, when they fled precipitately ; but in their efforts to efcape, they met with flight im- pediments in every direction ; the " Yanks" were every- where, and they were " bagged." This being an oper- ation of which we had heard much in the early part of the war, but not much practifed until 1864-65.
General Early, placing a proper eftimate upon the value of his perfonal fervices to the Confederacy, thought it prudent to abfent himfelf from his command about this time, and haftened off to Charlottefville (" to rejoin his command"), and what became of him for the next three months " nobody knows and nobody cares."
In this engagement we captured eleven guns, two hun- dred wagons and teams, feventeen battle flags, and fix- teen hundred prifoners, all of which were fent back to Winchefter.
General Cufter's three brigades purfued the ftraggling rebels ; Capehart's brigade, croffing the South River, marched to Greenwood Station, where a large depot was deftroyed, and a train of wagons filled with commiffary ftores and ordnance fupplies ; fix pieces of artillery alfo fell into his hands ; the guns were fpiked ; the gun car- riages, and all the wagons, ambulances, and ftores were burned. Completing their work of deftruction, they pufhed on rapidly to Charlottefville, which they occu- pied on the 3d of March.
Mar. 3d.
We had not the pleafure of affifting at this fight, but when we reached Waynefboro on the 3d, we amufed ourfelves by deftroying the iron railroad bridge over the South River, and making a fire with a hundred or fo of
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A RUN ON THE BANKS.
the wagons which Cufter had captured. We croffed the South River during the night, marched through Rockfifh Gap, and went into camp a little before day- light on the 4th.
On the 4th we left camp at 9 o'clock in the morn- Mar. 4th. ing, and had another tedious march, in the rear of the wagon train, to Ivy Hill, and on the 5th reached Char- lottefville, where we went into camp, and drew our fcanty rations.
At Charlottefville, General Sheridan divided his force Mar. 6th. into two columns; ours, under command of General Merritt, proceeded to Scottfville, on the James River. Here we were detailed to deftroy the aqueduct, about ten miles down the river ; but on reaching it we found it to be built of heavy ftone, and as we had nothing but our finger nails and carbines to work with, we fpared the ftructure, but burnt four canal-boats and deftroyed three locks before returning to Scottfville.
We marched the next day along the James River Mar. 7th. Canal, cutting its banks in every available place, and deftroying all the locks and boats as we paffed. At New Market the column was halted, and we were fent twelve miles up the river to Duguidfville, to try and fave the bridge over the James River at that place, but we found the enemy had deftroyed it before we arrived.
We remained here until the next day, when the reft Mar. 8th, of the column came up and joined us, and we marched back to New Market-through the rain, of courfe.
The other column, under General Cufter, which we left at Charlottefville, in the meantime had proceeded down the Lynchburg Railroad, deftroying the road as far
1865.
41
322
WE STRIKE A BASE.
1865. as Amherft Courthoufe, fixteen miles from Lynchburg, Mar. 8th. and then joined us at New Market.
At this place General Sheridan had determined to crofs the river and move rapidly to the Southfide road at Farmville, intending to deftroy it towards Appomat- tox Courthoufe. But the river was very high, and the pontoon bridge not long enough to reach acrofs, and as time was valuable, he decided to move down the left bank, and "ftrike a bafe at the White Houfe." So, on the 9th we marched down the canal, through Warren and Scottfville, to Columbia, which place we reached on the Ioth, en paffant ftopping at Rockfifh River to blow up the bank of the canal, and at New Canton to deftroy the guard lock. This let the James River into the ca- nal, changing its fluggifh flood to a torrent, which fwept away the banks in many places, rendering it fomewhat inconvenient as a medium of tranfportation.
Mar. IIth.
On the IIth, we croffed the Rivanna River, by the aqueduct, and on the 12th ftruck acrofs the country to near Louifa Courthoufe, on the Virginia Central Rail- road, where we picketed during the night.
Mar. 13th. The next day we devoted to deftroying the Virginia Central Railroad from Tolerfville to Frederick's Hall Station, and on the 14th marched to Taylorfville on the Richmond and Potomac Railroad, and deftroyed the treftle bridge over the South Anna River at that point. Mar. 15th. The following day, anticipating an attack by Pickett's Divifion of rebel infantry, we threw up a line of fence- rail breaftworks, but after waiting in vain for them all day, towards evening we moved acrofs the North Anna River at Oxford, where we went into camp.
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WHITE HOUSE.
We marched on the 16th to Monangohick Church, 1865. one of our foraging parties being attacked during the Mar. 16th. march, and one man being killed and feveral captured. The next night we camped at King William Court- houfe, and on the 18th, reached the Pamunkey, at White Houfe, where we found an infantry force, which had been fent on the 12th, by General Grant, to that place in anticipation of our coming.
Here we had a good reft of five days to prepare for Mar. 19th. the tough work that awaited us on the fouth fide of the James. The expedition had been eminently fuccefsful, and had been accomplifhed with but flight lofs to our force, and great lofs to the enemy in the fhape of canals and railroads.
From the White Houfe Captain Coxe was granted leave of abfence, on account of ficknefs, and, while abfent, received his commiffion as Major of the regi- ment, and was muftered in as fuch on the 2 1ft of March.
On the 25th, we left White Houfe, to join the Army Mar. 25th. of the Potomac in front of Peterfburg, where we were joined by Lieutenant-Colonel Leiper, who refumed com- mand of the regiment, and the regiment being entitled to a full field and ftaff, he was then muftered as Col- onel, Major Morrow as Lieutenant-Colonel, and Cap- tains A. D. Price and B. H. Herknefs as Majors.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH.
Reconnoifance toward Five Forks-Charge of the Regiment- Dinwiddie Courthouse-Five Forks-Laft Fight of the Reg- iment.
1865. Mar. 26th.
O N the 26th of March, we croffed the river James by a wooden bridge, above City Point, and en- tered again into the domain of General Lee; for it can hardly be faid that we were in his domain before we croffed the river, as we held almoft undifputed poffef- fion of the country through which we had raided. But the mere occupancy of territory was not our aim, though it is undoubtedly pleafant to roam at will over an en- emy's country ; fo we paffed on to new fields gladly enough, being confident now that the fun of the Con- federacy was about to fet, and we hoped to have our ftandard gilded by its laft declining rays.
The river was gay with tranfports and iron-clads and all forts of water-craft, whofe colors were ftreaming in the wind ; and the wind was a gale, by the way : you could "lean your back againft it like a poft." The monitors were formed in a fort of naval clofe-column, and, pointing their fharp prows toward Richmond, kept a keen look-out with their turret-eyes upon the hilly battlements beyond, which, on either bank of the James,
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IN FRONT OF PETERSBURG.
ftood ready to bar the road to the Capital with their 1865. plunging fire. Every now and then, as if to give warn- Mar. 26th. ing, thefe would fpeak in dull, land-muffled roar, and the echo would be buffeted from fhore to fhore until it died away in Richmond.
On the north bank of the James we left Butler's army, whofe coloured troops looked ftrange to us who had been fighting only among fun-burned white men ; and on the fouth bank we found the long-extended lines of the Army of the Potomac, each army being con- fronted by heavy fortifications and fuch force as the laft efforts of the Confederacy had been able to gather to- gether. In all the camps there was a bufy air of prepa- ration, and even inanimate things had caught the fpirit of reftleffnefs peculiar to the moment. Nobody could doubt it who faw the tents flap their white wings, as if angry at the long reftraint. They feemed to have caught the univerfal feeling : Lee was to be vanquifhed, his army to be broken up or captured; then why delay? Everybody was afraid that Lee would efcape, fteal away in the night and be far on his road to North Carolina before we could let flip our forces in purfuit ; and fo the army was ftraining at its leafhes, eager to clofe with the enemy before he fhould break out of the lethargy which feemed juft then to enthrall him. The cavalry of Gen- eral Sheridan, frefh from fuccefsful campaigning, was not the leaft confident of fpeedy victory ; and on the 27th we moved to the left of the Army of the Potomac, Mar. 27th. to be ready for a burft into the enemy's country when the commanding General fhould give the fignal for the combat to begin.
#
326
HARDSHIPS ENDURED BY THE HORSE.
1865. Meanwhile our regiment was getting ready for the fray as beft it could. We were not very ftrong, except in faith and felf-reliance, only 100 men being found to Mar. 29th. ftand to horfe on the morning of the 29th, when, at the founding of "the general," we fell in and waited for the order to march. But this fmall number was mainly owing to the dearth of horfes, for at difmounted camps we had plenty of men, and we might have fhown a ftrong front ftill if horfes could bear the work which our cavalry had been called upon to do. A man may ride from Winchefter to Peterfburg, through rain and mud and cold, and get little to eat and little fleep, and yet not fuffer in health very much : after one ample dinner and one good night's reft, he will very likely be getting uneafy and bored with the quiet life, and be long- ing for more rides. But the horfe that carries him on the trip is apt to reach his journey's end in pitiable plight. Hunger and cold have ftarved him, pitilefs rain has pelted him, deepening mud has mired and tired him. His back has been galled with pinching faddle or frozen blanket ; he is leg-weary and foot-fore; decrepitude is in his gait and dejection in his eye; great fcars are fcalded on his weather-beaten front, and on his ribs and rump famine might hang her banner. Some indomita- ble wills bear up through it all, though, and thefe de- ferve to be rewarded of their country, for they rendered poffible the deeds of Sheridan's cavalry. To this brave hundred of ours, then, let us affectionately look back, for they breafted many waves of trouble and outrode many ftorms. They winced a little as they were mounted, perhaps, but foon ftood firm on their legs again, and fet
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RUIN AND DESOLATION OF WAR.
out cheerily with the column which General Sheridan 1865. was leading to new and final glories.
Mar. 29th.
He had been ordered by General Grant to get out to the enemy's right and rear, without confining himfelf to any particular road or roads ; and fo he rode as the crow flies and we all followed, ftraining through the crufted muck of the open fields. The command confifted of the cavalry from the Shenandoah Valley, under General Merritt, Cufter and Devin commanding the divifions, and of General Gregg's old divifion, now commanded by Major-General Crook: in all, 9000 effective mounted men ; and it feemed almoft as if the 6th Penn- fylvania Cavalry might be crunched under foot by that ftruggling multitude, and never be miffed. After a while we got upon a road at Reims's Station, on the Weldon Railroad. Here there had been repeated fight- ing, and all the region round about was feamed with the fcars of it. Maffive lines of earth-works ftood out like veins on the face of the country, and in fo many direc- tions did they run that the fortune of war feemed to have boxed the compafs. Mementoes of battle lay fcattered about, here a broken mufket, there a ruined caiffon ; through the empty window-frames of the few buildings there, the wind whiftled plaintively ; the 5th Army Corps, with grim humor, had left its mark in iron badges wrought of the rails of the Weldon road ; ruin and defolation everywhere. Beyond the railroad we croffed the Rowanty Creek, after the head of our col- umn had repaired the bridge and given chafe to a party of rebel cavalry who had deftroyed it, and fo paffed on to Dinwiddie Courthoufe, where another little picket
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DINWIDDIE COURTHOUSE.
1865. party of the enemy fired a few fhots at us before gallop- Mar. 29th. ing away to report our fudden coming. Here the cav- alry went into camp on the various roads which radiate from the Courthoufe, and a part of our regiment went on picket for the night. Everything was quiet, and fleep in camp would not have been difturbed if rain had not poured down fo violently.
Off on our left flank, acrofs Stony Creek, the en- emy's cavalry was known to be moving to get between us and the Southfide Railroad, which we threatened by our movement to Dinwiddie ; but this hoftile force was intent upon getting into pofition rather than encounter- ing us juft then. From Dinwiddie Courthoufe there is the Boydton Plankroad leading to Peterfburg, diftant fome fifteen miles ; a dirt road leads to the Southfide Railroad by way of Five Forks, on the White Oak Road ; another road runs in the fame direction acrofs Chamberlaine's Bed, a fmall ftream winding about Din- widdie ; and two or three avenues, of more or lefs im- portance, diverge from thefe. Toward the James River there are two main roads; and the Boydton Plank of courfe purfues its way to Boydton, feventy miles or fo from Peterfburg, foutherly. Thefe roads made Dinwid- die Courthoufe an important point in a military view (it is a poor affair of a town), and we all knew well that night, that, early in the morning, we might look for fomething to do. It was only a queftion of time. As foon as the enemy in ftrong force fhould get acrofs our path to the Southfide Railroad, we might expect to hear of him. Our regiment was on the road to Five Forks, through which we muft pafs to gain the railroad. We
RECONNOISSANCE TOWARD FIVE FORKS. 329
were in the extreme advance of General Merritt's com- 1865. mand, and therefore the neareft to the Forks, the point that the enemy muft hold to protect the Southfide Rail- road, and to guard the right flank and rear of Lee's army covering Peterfburg. Here, then, it was evident, the fight would be hotteft, if there were any fight at all.
When the morning of the 30th broke, it was difmal Mar. 30th. and gloomy enough in the pine woods, where we camped and picketed. The rain came down relentlefsly, and the loamy foil was frail and porous as a honeycomb ; the horfes crufhed it under their feet and feemed hardly to find a footing anywhere. But about 9 o'clock an aid of General Sheridan came to General Merritt to or- der a reconnoiffance toward the Forks. General Mer- ritt's map was almoft ruined by water before he had glanced at the geography of the pofition, and then he ftarted us forward through the ftorm to find the enemy. In front of us a ftream, called Gravelly Run, dafhed acrofs the road, too large for its bed, fince the rain had fwollen it, and foon after we had waded through it and deployed into line, we encountered a fmall brigade of rebel cavalry, lying quiet in the woods. The enemy was in our front, then, and we were to have the honour of opening the campaign. Colonel Leiper immediately advanced his men, and rapid firing at once enfued, and was fuftained until we drew clofe to the oppofing force, when prudence called for a halt for affiftance, the en- emy greatly outnumbering us. Soon the 2d Maffachu- fetts came up, and then the Ift United States and 7th Michigan regiments, and, as foon as they had formed, Colonel Leiper, in command of this impromptu brigade,
42
330
CHARGE OF COLONEL LEIPER.
1865. advanced again, this time with confidence, and by a fud- den charge, fcattered the enemy's troops, who fled away toward Five Forks, and took refuge behind fome infan- try rifle-pits, which were feen to be briftling with the mufkets of a ftrong force pofted there. Obviously our men could do nothing more, and fo we were withdrawn, without moleftation, and refumed our feveral places be- hind Gravelly Run. In the fight we killed and captured forty of the enemy, and loft but a few wounded our- felves. It was a horrid day, and enough of itfelf to quench the ardour of anybody, but the men behaved in the moft fpirited way, and Colonel Leiper added a frefh leaf to his laurels, and was brevetted a Brigadier-Gen- eral for his conduct and good management on the field. In the afternoon there was a little fkirmifh on our left, where our regiment joined Colonel Fitzhugh of the 6th New York, but it did not amount to much ; and when the miferable evening fell, we very uncomfortably went into camp to find rations all foaked, and blankets all wet, and fpongy beds under leaking fhelters. Thofe who had the heart to whiftle, whiftled " Home, fweet Home," and the reft of us lay ftill under the trickling canvas, hungry, cold, and tired, coveting our neighbour's houfe.
Mar. 3 Ift.
Before morning the rain ceafed, and we got an early breakfaft, to be ready for fuch events as daylight might ufher in. It was likely to be a campaign of fudden moves on both fides, and we were not going to be caught napping if we could help it ; the enemy might expect to find us up and dreffed at almoft any hour of the morn- ing. More reconnoiffances were ordered for this day, and this time General Devin went to the front with
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DINWIDDIE COURTHOUSE.
Fitzhugh's brigade, and repeated our experience of the 1865. day before, except that he was not allowed to retire un- Mar. 31ft. molefted. The enemy's cavalry had early attacked Crook's Divifion in front of Dinwiddie Courthoufe, on our left, and had been repulfed ; then they moved up toward Five Forks, and, uniting with their infantry troops (two divifions of Anderfon's Corps), preffed back Da- vies's brigade from Crook's extreme right, and foon got upon the flank of Devin and Fitzhugh, bearing Davies before them. Meanwhile our brigade had been with- drawn to a fork of the Five Forks Road, nearer to Din- widdie, and here we ftood to horfe, while the events juft defcribed were progreffing; and, as the country was denfely wooded, we were utterly ignorant of what had been done or how our troops in front were faring. The point where we ftood was admirably adapted for a force in referve, as ours was, for the right or left of the main line could from here be promptly reinforced by us as occafion fhould require. From the firing we heard and from the general afpect of things about us, it was now eafy to be feen that our turn would be foon ; and per- haps each one of us was fpeculating as to whence the call for help would come, when a ftaff officer of Gen- eral Sheridan rode rapidly into the thicket where we were, and faid a few words hurriedly to General Gibbs, commanding our brigade. No more fpeculations, then, and no longer to wait. Prepare to mount ! Mount ! and then Forward ! There was good caufe to hurry, for we happened to be ftanding on the threfhold of a crifis. Davies and Devin had been pufhed back from the Five Forks Road altogether, and were now making the· beft
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DINWIDDIE COURTHOUSE.
1865. fight they could, as they fell flowly back to the Boydton Mar. 31ft. Plankroad on our right and rear. The enemy was pur- fuing with heavy lines of infantry, and by his fuccefs had made a great gap in General Sheridan's line, entirely ifolating Devin and Davies from the two brigades of Crook's Divifion on the left. Into this gap the enemy had boldly pufhed, and were now feeking to break up our force, and drive us away from Dinwiddie, and fend us reeling back upon the left of the Army of the Po- tomac. They were making good headway, they thought, in this intent, when we were ordered to the refcue. They were fweeping acrofs the Five Forks Road directly in our front, when General Sheridan's aid rode up to General Gibbs, and were preffing hard upon Devin and Davies. As we moved forward we took the trot and foon reached the Dinwiddie Road, where we were ftopped by a fence and thick woods beyond, quite impaffable for horfes. We quickly difmounted, to fight on foot, while the tramp of the enemy's troops through the undergrowth could be plainly heard, and before we got over the fence we could fee that the woods were gray with them. They faw us, too, juft then, and halted to look to this new and unexpected enemy, and foon volley was anfwering volley, and we found ourfelves hotly en- gaged with fome of Lee's beft infantry. There had been a time in the war when this fort of unequal fight would have been confidered madnefs for cavalry to enter upon, but now the troopers made it a rule to en- gage whatever oppofed ; and fo we mounted the fence and went into the woods with a will, making the beft of the advantage we had in the furprife and confufion which
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DINWIDDIE COURTHOUSE.
for a moment ftaggered the enemy's lines. As we drew 1865. nearer they turned and confronted us, and the fight Mar. 31ft. waxed hot all along the front of our brigade. Almoft the firft to fall in our regiment was Lieutenant-Colonel Morrow, who was badly fhot in the thigh, as he was leading on the men with that remarkable coolnefs and courage of his which no emergency could ruffle or dif- may. A good many men were hit, and it was too one- fided a thing to laft long, after the enemy became fteady and turned his whole attention to our attack ; and we muft have been driven fpeedily back to our horfes but for the timely reinforcement of Gregg's Brigade of Crook's Divifion, which had been holding the croffings of Chamberlaine's Bed, on our left, and now moved up and joined us. Between our two brigades the rebels were then kept bufy for a little while, but we were ftill too weak to do more than divert them from Davies and Devin, who now, entirely relieved, got together their troops as foon as they could, and marched down to Din- widdie by the Boydton Plankroad. Fortunately for us the enemy's lines now moved away from our front and felt to their right towards Chamberlaine's Bed, to fee if there were not ftill lying there a refting brigade or two that might be fent to take them in flank as ours had done. They had not far to go before they found Smith, of Crook's Divifion, and with his frefh and capital bri- gade they had a defperate ftruggle before they drove it back toward Dinwiddie; and meantime Gregg's Brigade and ours aided Smith as much as poffible, by moving along parallel with the enemy and annoying their flank with a conftant and heavy fire. When Smith was com-
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DINWIDDIE COURTHOUSE.
1865. pelled to give way he took poft on the high, clear ground Mar. 31ft. in front of Dinwiddie, where one of Cufter's brigades had already eftablifhed itfelf behind fome rude works of fence rails.
General Cufter had been in charge of the wagon trains all this time, which were hopeleffly faft in the mud about Reims's Station, and his troops had been fent for by General Sheridan, late in the day, to take part in the final fcene about Dinwiddie Courthoufe. We ranged ourfelves now on the right of Gregg, Cuf- ter and Smith prolonging the line on the left ; and here was a fair field and no favour, and the enemy might get Dinwiddie if he could. Evidently he was about to try, for, after reforming in the low grounds where Smith had been fighting, his lines emerged from the woods and be- gan to afcend the flope, on the top of which our troops awaited him. At this moment another of Cufter's bri- gades reached the front, and came trotting over to us with ringing cheers. Davies and Devin had not come yet, and fo five difmounted brigades of cavalry were now to withftand the onfet of two divifions of infantry, or be fwept back in diforder and defeat. Some rebel cavalry there was, too, but not of much avail; and it was foon put out of the conteft. Juft as the enemy's infantry came into view, a fudden charge of their horfemen was made from Chamberlaine's Bed to the open ground in front of · Gregg and Cufter, on our left, and, while we wondered at this bold dafh, thofe who made it were ftaggered and blinded by the hot fire which met them, and in an inftant they had fcattered in every direction, in the ut- moft rout and panic.
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